About: 

• Bodies involved:
  • It has been developed by Pune’s Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
    
    
  • The prediction system has been successfully transferred to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), which has been using it since 2017. IMD used this system to predict heat waves this year.
    
    
  
  
  
• Functioning:
  • This extended range prediction system enables Real time prediction of heat waves two to three weeks in advance.
    
    
  • The system can predict heat waves with 70% accuracy, which is quite good considering that no real time prediction existed earlier.
    
    
  
  
  
• Findings:
  • Based on observation data available from 1981 to 2017, the researchers found that places in two regions – northwest India and southeast coastal regions – are prone to heat waves conditions.
    
    
  • Places in these two regions experience heat waves for more than eight days during summer.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Background: Galaxy clusters are some of the most massive structures in the cosmos, but despite being millions of lightyears across, they can still be hard to spot.
  
  
• Recent development: Researchers at Lancaster University have turned to artificial intelligence for assistance, developing Deep-CEE , a novel deep learning technique to speed up the process of finding them.
  
  
• Full name: Deep Learning for Galaxy Cluster Extraction and Evaluation (Deep-CEE).
  
  
• Working:
  • This Artificial Intelligence-powered tool that has been trained to “look” at colour images and identify galaxy clusters quickly.
    
    
  • The “Deep-CEE” model is based on neural networks, which are designed to mimic the way a human brain learns to recognise objects by activating specific neurons when visualising distinctive patterns and colours.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Animals covered: Project aims to control population of four species of wild animals — elephant, wild boar, monkey and blue bull (Nilgai).
  
  
• Strategy: Immunocontraception is a technology that uses a female animal’s immune system to build a protein around the egg that prevents it from fertilising.
  
  
• Regions covered: The project will begin in Uttarakhand and then be extended to other States.
  
  
• Bodies involved:
  • The project has been launched by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC).
    
    
  • The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and National the Institute of Immunology (NII) have developed a protocol of immunocontraception. 
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• According to a study published in Polar Research by the Norwegian Polar Institute, the animal, also known as a coastal or blue fox, set off from the Svalbard Archipelago of Norway last year and ended up on a remote island in northern Nunavut, Canada, 
  
  
• The areas are connected seasonally by sea ice, and much of the journey was completed over vast stretches of the frozen Arctic Ocean.
  
  
• While this type of arctic fox has long been known for its endurance in the barren polar climate, such a fast transcontinental journey has never been documented before.
  
  
• The study indicated that the trek may have been prompted by a lack of available food or by the need to seek a new habitat.
  
  

About: 

• More than 2 lakh women applied for the Indian Army's 100 advertised vacancies for female jawans in the Corps of Military Police (CMP).
  
  
• The Army plans to induct 1,700 women in the PBOR (personnel below officer rank) category in the CMP in a phased manner over the next 17 years.
  
  
• The Army is concurrently also planning to raise a "Mahila Provost Unit" in the Territorial Army for the first time, with two officers, three junior commissioned officers and 40 soldiers. "The final approval for this is on the anvil.
  
  

Indian Haj Information System (Haj App):

• Indian Haj Information System (Haj App) has been developed to receive feedback, a grievance from Hajis.
  
  
• The app also connects with the pilgrims to Haj service coordinators known as Qadimul Hajjaj of their respective states. Qadimul Hajjaj are government employees who are deputed to assist pilgrims during Haj season.
  
  

e-MASIHA:

• Health status and medical history of visiting pilgrims is being stored at online “e-MASIHA” (Medical Assistance System for Indian Hajis Abroad).
  
  
• E-MASIHA would retrieve pilgrims’ health information to apply appropriate treatment whenever he or she visits Indian medical facilities during Haj.
  
  

About: 

• Type of organization: A non-profit environmental organization. 
  
  
• Mission: it will work globally to protect ecosystems and wildlife, ensure climate justice, support renewable energy and secure indigenous rights to the benefit of all life on Earth.” 
  
  
• Working: It will provide grants, educational opportunities and fund campaigns and films, as well as work with grassroots organizations and individuals in places most affected by biodiversity loss and climate change. 
  
  
• Key people involved: Leonardo DiCaprio and billionaire investors and philanthropists Laurene Powell Jobs and Brian Sheth. 
  
  

About: 

• India’s nomination of the Jaipur City, Rajasthan got inscribed on the World Heritage List of UNESCO during the 43rd Session of the World Heritage Committee held at Baku, Azerbaijan. 
  
  
• The nomination of Jaipur City has successfully been done by complying with the various UNESCO guidelines of 2017. 
  
  
• With Successful inscription of Jaipur City,  India has 38 world heritage sites, that include 30 Cultural properties, 7 Natural properties and 1 mixed site. 
  
  

Why this tag for Jaipur? 

• The City of Jaipur is an exceptional urban example in indigenous city planning and construction in South Asia.
  
  
• Unlike other medieval cities of the region, Jaipur was deliberately planned as a new city on the plains open for trade as opposed to hilly terrain and military cities of past.
  
  
• Its iconic monuments such as the Govind Dev temple, City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal excel in artistic and architectural craftsmanship of the period.
  
  

About: 

• Mission Objective: To ensure HarGharJal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
  
  
• Executing agency: Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti Mantralaya.
  
  
• Strategy:
  • This Mission will focus on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level, including creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
    
    
  • The  Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
    
    
  
  
  
• Coverage: Government has identified 1592 Blocks which are critical and over exploited, spread across 256 Districts for the Jal Shakti Abhiyan.
  
  
• Funding: Besides using funds available under various Schemes, the Government will also explore possibility of using additional funds available under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for this purpose.
  
  

Key announcements wrt Education Sector: 

• An amount of Rs. 400 crore has been provided for FY 2019-20 to create “World Class Institutions” in the field of education which is more than three times the revised estimates for the previous year.
  
  
• The Government will also bring in a “New National Education Policy” to transform India’s higher education system to one of the global best education systems.
  
  
• A National Research Foundation (NRF) will be setup to fund, coordinate and promote research in the country.
  
  
• The ‘Study in India’ programme was announced that will focus on bringing foreign students to study in our higher educational institutions.
  
  
• A draft legislation for setting up Higher Education Commission of India (HECI)would be presented in the year ahead. This will help to comprehensively reform the regulatory system of higher education to promote greater autonomy and focus on better academic outcomes.
  
  
• National Sports Education Board for Development of Sportspersons would be set up under Khelo India Scheme to popularize sports at all levels.
  
  

Key highlights of budget Speech: 

• Comprehensive restructuring of National Highway Programme will be carried out to ensure that the National Highway Grid of desirable length and capacity is created using financeable model.
  
  
• After completing the Phase-1 of Bharatmala, states will be helped to develop State road networks in the Phase-2 of Bharatmala.
  
  
• The Central Road and Infrastructure Cess on petrol and diesel has been raised by Re 1 per litre to give a boost to the development of Infrastructure.
  
  
• Under Phase-II of the FAME Scheme, only advanced battery and registered e-vehicles will be incentivized. Phase II of FAME has an outlay of Rs10,000 crore for a period of 3 years, and has commenced from 1st April, 2019.
  
  
• The Government has already moved GST council to lower the GST rate on electric vehicles from 12% to 5%.
  
  
• To make electric vehicles affordable to consumers, the government will provide additional income tax deduction of Rs 1.5 lakh on the interest paid on loans taken to purchase electric vehicles.
  
  
• To further incentivise e-mobility, customs duty is being exempted on certain parts of electric vehicles.
  
  
• Under the Jal Marg Vikas Project, two multi-modal terminals at Sahibganj and Haldia and a navigational lock and Farrakka would be completed this year.
  
  

Key highlights of Budget Speech: 

• Aadhaar Card for NRIs: The Union Finance Minister proposed to consider issuing Aadhaar Card for Non-Resident Indians with Indian Passports.
  
  
• Indian Development Assistance Scheme (IDEAS): The IDEAS scheme will be revamped during the current financial year. Indian Development Assistance Scheme (IDEAS) provides concessional financing for projects and contributes to infrastructure development and capacity building in the recipient developing countries.
  
  
• New Embassies: In Financial Year 2019-20, Government intends to open four new Embassies and High Commissions abroad in countries where India does not have a Resident Diplomatic Mission.
  
  
• World class tourist destinations: Government is developing 17 iconic tourism sites into world class tourist destinations. These sites will lead to increase visits of both domestic and international tourists at these destinations.
  
  
• She also proposed to launch a Mission that will integrate India’s traditional artisans and their creative products with global markets. Wherever necessary patents and geographical indicators, will be obtained for them.
  
  

Key highlights of Budget speech:

• Corporate Tax: The lower rate of 25 % Corporate Tax will be extended to all companies with annual turnover up to Rs. 400 crore. Currently, this rate is only applicable to companies having annual turnover up to Rs. 250 crore. This will cover 99.3 percent of the companies.
  
  
• PAN – Adhaar Interchangeability: The Budget also proposes to make PAN and Aadhaar interchangeable and allow those who do not have PAN to file Income Tax Returns by simply quoting their Aadhaar number and also use it wherever they are required to quote PAN.
  
  
• Pre-filling of Income-tax Returns: Pre-filled tax returns will be made available to taxpayers which will contain details of salary income, capital gains from securities, bank interests, and dividends etc. and tax deductions.
  
  
• Encourage Digital Payments:
  • To promote digital payments, the Budget also proposes to levy TDS of 2 percent on cash withdrawal exceeding Rs. 1 crore in a year from a bank account.
    
    
  • The business establishments with annual turnover more than Rs. 50 crore shall offer such low cost digital modes of payment to their customers.
    
    
  • No Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) shall be imposed on customers as well as merchants.
    
    
  
  
  
• Faceless e-assessment to eliminate undesirable practices:
  • The existing system of scrutiny assessments in the IT Department involves a high level of personal interaction between the taxpayer and the Department, which leads to certain undesirable practices on the part of tax officials.
    
    
  • To eliminate such instances a scheme of faceless assessment in electronic mode involving no human interface is being launched this year in a phased manner.
    
    
  
  
  
• GST processes are being further simplified: The threshold exemption limit for a supplier of goods is proposed to be enhanced from Rs. 20 lakhs to an amount exceeding Rs. 40 lakhs.
  
  
• Sabka Vishwas Legacy Dispute Resolution Scheme:
  • The budget proposes this as a dispute resolution-cum-amnesty scheme to allow quick closure of huge pending litigations from pre-GST regime.
    
    
  • The relief under the scheme varies from 40 percent to 70 percent of the tax dues for cases other than voluntary disclosure cases, depending on the amount of tax dues involved.
    
    
  
  
  
• The effective tax rates for the higher income group individuals having taxable income from Rs. 2 crore to Rs. 5 crore and 5 crore and above is proposed to be increased by around 3 percent and 7 percent  respectively.
  
  
• It is proposed to give relief in levy of Securities Transaction Tax (STT) by restricting it only to the difference between settlement and strike price in case of exercise of options.
  
  

Key highlights of Budget speech: 

• It is being contemplated to permit 100% FDI for insurance intermediaries.
  
  
• Local sourcing norms will be eased for FDI in Single Brand Retail sector.
  
  
• It is proposed to merge the NRI-Portfolio Investment Scheme Route with Foreign Portfolio Investment Route with a view to provide NRIs with seamless access to Indian equities.
  
  
• The Government will examine suggestions of further opening up of FDI in aviation, media (animation, AVGC) and insurance sectors in consultation with all stakeholders.
  
  
• FPIs will be permitted to subscribe to listed debt securities issued by ReITs and InvITs.
  
  
• Union Budget 2019-20 propose to increase the statutory limit for FPI investment in a company from 24% to sectoral foreign investment limit with option given to the concerned corporates to limit it to a lower threshold, the Minister added.
  
  
• it is proposed to rationalize the existing Know Your Customer (KYC) norms for FPIs to make it more investor friendly without compromising the integrity of cross-border capital flows.
  
  

Budget highlights wrt Agriculture: 

• The government has proposed to increase budget allocation for the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare by over 78 % to 39 lakh crore rupees for the current fiscal. out of the total amount, 75,000 crore rupees will be for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi.
  
  
• Besides PM-KISAN, the government has proposed to increase the allocation for the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) to 14,000 crore rupees for the current fiscal.
  
  
• To ensure Minimum Support Price (MSP) in times of steep fall in rates, the government has proposed to increase the allocation to 3,000 crore rupees for intervening in the market in such times under the Market Intervention Scheme and Price Support Scheme (MIS-PSS).
  
  
• To harness the potential in the fishery sector, the government proposed a Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) to establish a robust fisheries management framework and check gaps in the value chain.
  
  
• She also proposed setting up of 10,000 new Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) to ensure economies of scale for farmers over the next five years.
  
  

10-point Vision for the decade:

Citing its genesis in the Interim Budget 2019-20 presented in February 2019, the Finance Minister flagged ten points of the Government’s ‘Vision for the Decade’:

1. Building physical and social infrastructure;
   
   
2. Digital India reaching every sector of the economy;
   
   
3. Pollution free India with green Mother Earth and Blue Skies;
   
   
4. Make in India with particular emphasis on MSMEs, Start-ups, Defence manufacturing, automobiles, electronics, fabs and batteries, and medical devices;
   
   
5. Water, water management, clean Rivers;
   
   
6. Blue Economy;
   
   
7. Space programmes. Gaganyan, Chandrayan and Satellite programmes;
   
   
8. Self-sufficiency and export of food-grains, pulses, oilseeds, fruits and vegetables;
   
   
9. Healthy society – Ayushman Bharat, well-nourished women & children. Safety of citizens;
   
   
10. Team India with Jan Bhagidari. Minimum Government Maximum Governance.
    
    

About: 

• Parent agency: New Space India Limited (NSIL) has been incorporated as a new commercial arm of Department of Space to tap the benefits of the Research & Development carried out by ISRO.
  
  
• Mandate: The Company will spearhead commercialization of various space products including production of launch vehicles, transfer to technologies and marketing of space products.
  
  
• Headquarters:
  
  
• Financial administration: NSIL has an authorised capital of ₹10 crore and a paid up capital of ₹1 crore.
  
  

About:

• Union Budget proposes creation of a Social Stock Exchange- under the regulatory ambit of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for listing social enterprises and voluntary organizations.
  
  
• A Credit Guarantee Enhancement Corporation for which regulations have been notified by the RBI, will be set up in 2019-20.
  
  
• To deepen the Corporate tri-party repo market in Corporate Debt securities, Government will work with regulators RBI/SEBI to enable stock exchanges to allow AA rated bonds as collaterals.
  
  
• The Stand Up India Scheme has been extended upto the year 2025. Standup India was launched by Government of India on 5 April 2016 to support entrepreneurship among women and SC & ST communities.
  
  
• Expert Committee to be set up to recommend the structure and required flow of funds through development finance institutions
  
  
• For efficient and conducive regulation of the housing sector, it is proposed to return the regulation authority over the Housing Finance Sector from NHB to RBI.
  
  
• Steps are proposed to be taken to separate the NPS Trust from PFRDA with appropriate organizational structure.
  
  
• Government is setting an enhanced target of Rs 1,05,000 crore of disinvestment receipts for the financial year 2019-20.
  
  
• Public Sector Banks are to be further provided Rs 70,000 crore capital to boost credit for a strong impetus to the economy.
  
  
• DD channel for start-ups: The Union Minster of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Government proposes to start a channel within the DD bouquet of channels exclusively for start-ups. 
  
  

Women SHGs:

• For every verified woman Self Help Group (SHG) member, having a Jan Dhan Bank Account, an overdraft of Rs.5,000 will be allowed.
  
  
• Women SHG interest subvention programme will be expanded to all districts.
  
  
• One woman in every SHG will also be made eligible for a loan up to Rs. 1 lakh under the MUDRA Scheme.
  
  

Key Highlights of Economic Survey 2018-19: 

• Sustained real GDP growth rate of 8% needed for a $5 trillion economy by 2024-25.
  
  
• Survey departs from traditional Anglo-Saxon thinking by viewing the economy as being either in a virtuous or a vicious cycle, and thus never in equilibrium.
  
  
• Using insights from behavioral economics to create an aspirational agenda for social change:
  • From ‘Beti Baco Beti Padhao’ to ‘BADLAV’ (Beti Aapki Dhan Lakshmi Aur Vijay Lakshmi).
    
    
  • From ‘Swachh Bharat’ to ‘Sundar Bharat’.
    
    
  • From ‘Give it up” for the LPG subsidy to ‘Think about the Subsidy’.
    
    
  • From ‘Tax evasion’ to ‘Tax compliance’.
    
    
  
  
  
• Dwarfs (firms with less than 100 workers) despite being more than 10 years old, account for more than 50% of all organized firms in manufacturing by number.
  
  
• As data of societal interest is generated by the people, data can be created as a public good within the legal framework of data privacy.
  
  
• 1% of the households have access to toilets. 96.5% of those with access to toilets are using them in rural India. 100% Individual Households Latrine (IHHL) Coverage in 30 states and UTs.
  
  
• India now stands at 4th in wind power, 5th in solar power and 5th in renewable power installed capacity.
  
  

State of the Economy in 2018-19: A Macro View

• India still the fastest growing major economy in 2018-19.
  
  
• Growth of GDP moderated to 6.8 % in 2018-19 from 7.2 % in 2017-18.
  
  
• Inflation contained at 3.4 % in 2018-19.
  
  
• Non-Performing Assets as %age of Gross Advances reduced to 10.1 % at end December 2018 from 11.5 % at end March 2018.
  
  
• Current account deficit manageable at 2.1 % of GDP.
  
  
• Fiscal deficit of Central Government declined from 3.5 % of GDP in 2017-18 to 3.4 % in 2018-19.
  
  
• India’s SDG Index Score ranges between 42 and 69 for States and between 57 and 68 for UTs:
  • Kerala and Himachal Pradesh are the front runners with a score of 69 amongst states.
    
    
  • Chandigarh and Puducherry are the front runners with a score of 68 and 65 respectively among the UTs.
    
    
  
  
  
• India’s External Debt was US$ 521.1 billion at end-December 2018, 1.6 % lower than its level at end-March 2018.
  
  

About: 

• Location: Ratha Yatra is a Hindu festival associated with Lord Jagannath held at Puri in Odisha.
  
  
• Origin: It is regarded as the oldest Ratha Yatra taking place in India whose descriptions can be found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana and Kapila Samhita.
  
  
• When: This annual festival is celebrated on Ashadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya (second day in bright fortnight of Ashadha month).
  
  
• Objective: The festival commemorates Jagannath's annual visit to Gundicha Temple via Mausi Maa Temple (aunt's home) near Balagandi Chaka, Puri.
  
  
• Festival highlights:
  • As part of Ratha Yatra, the deities of Jagannath, his elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra are taken out in a procession to Gundicha Temple, which is situated at a distance of 2-3 km from their temple.
    
    
  • The deities remain there for nine days.
    
    
  • Then the deities or Ratha Yatra return to the Main temple. The return journey of Puri Jagannath Ratha Jatra is known as Bahuda Jatra.
    
    
  • Three richly decorated chariots, resembling temple structures, are pulled by devotees through the streets of Puri who consider this as an auspicious deed.
    
    
  
  
  

About: 

• Fingerprinting involves looking at the many characteristics of a mobile device or computer – like the screen resolution, operating system and model – and triangulating this information to pinpoint and follow users as they browse the web and use apps. 
  
  
• Once enough device characteristics are known the data can be assembled to create users profile that helps identify the user the way a fingerprint would. 
  
  
• The technique happens invisibly in the background in apps and on websites.  
  
  
• Present status: According to Mozilla, about 3.5% of the most popular websites use it today for tracking, an increase from about 1.6% in 2016. 
  
  
• Blocking solutions: For those who use iPhones and Macs, Apple introduced a fingerprinting defence mechanism in its Safari browser last year. Mozilla introduced fingerprint blocking in its Firefox browser this year. 
  
  

About: 

• European Commission Chief: German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen has been nominated as the first woman to become the European Commission Chief.
  
  
• European Central Bank chief: Chief of International Monetary Fund (IMF) Christine Lagarde has been nominated as the first woman to head the European Central Bank.
  
  
• European Council President: Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel is nominated as European Council President.
  
  
• Foreign Policy Chief: Spain's Foreign Minister Josep Borrell is proposed as Foreign Policy Chief.
  
  
• President of the European Parliament: David-Maria Sassoli has been nominated as President of the European Parliament.
  
  
• Most of the roles must be ratified by Parliament.
  
  

About:

• A solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes in front of the Sun and casts a shadow across Earth. It's also known as an occultation.
  
  

Total solar eclipse:

• A total eclipse happens when the dark silhouette of the Moon completely covers the intense bright light of the Sun. Only the much fainter solar corona is visible during a total eclipse which is known as a Totality.
  
  
• Total solar eclipses are rare, happening only once every 18 months.
  
  

Comparison with Annular solar eclipse:

• This is when the Moon and the Sun are both exactly in line but either the Moon is further from Earth or the Earth is closer to the Sun.
  
  
• When this happens, the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun and the Sun then appears as a very bright ring, or annulus, surrounding the dark disk of the Moon.
  
  

About: 

• Background: At present, the digital companies pay nearly no tax in countries where they have large sales like France.
  
  
• Salient features of bill:
  • The bill aims to stop multinationals from avoiding taxes by setting up headquarters in low-tax EU countries.
    
    
  • The bill foresees a 3% tax on the French revenues of digital companies with global revenue of more than 750 million euros ($847 million), and French revenue over 25 million euros.
    
    
  
  
  
• Implications:
  • The French finance ministry has estimated the tax will raise about 500 million euros ($566 million) a year this year but that should increase ``quickly.''
    
    
  • The tech industry warns it could lead to higher costs for consumers. It could affect US companies including Airbnb and Uber as well as those from China and Europe.
    
    
  
  
  
• Way ahead:
  • The bill adopted by the National Assembly will be sent to the Senate next week, where it is expected to win final approval.
    
    
  • France failed to persuade EU partners to impose a Europe-wide tax on online giants, but is now pushing for an international deal with the 34 countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Full Name: The MOSAiC mission stands for Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate.
  
  
• Mission objective: Studying the impact of climate change on the Arctic and how it could affect the rest of the world.
  
  
• Key highlights of proposed mission:
  • In a couple of months, the German icebreaker ship RV Polarstern will set out for the Arctic packed with supplies and scientific equipment for a year-long mission.
    
    
  • They will anchor the ship to a large piece of sea ice and allow the water to freeze around them, effectively trapping themselves in the vast sheet of white that forms over the North Pole each winter.
    
    
  • They will build temporary winter research camps on the ice, allowing them to perform tests that wouldn’t be possible at other times of the year or by satellite sensing.
    
    
  
  
  
• Participants: Scientists from 17 nations will take part in the year-long mission. The mission has received funding from U.S. institutions such as the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA.
  
  

About: 

• Date: Ashadi Beej or Ashadhi Bij is observed on the second day of the Shukla Paksha or waxing phase of moon in Ashada month. 
  
  
• Region: It is the Kutchi New Year. This Hindu New Year is observed in the Kutch region in Gujarat. 
  
  
• Celebrations: Ashadi Beej is mostly a traditional affair and is a celebration of rains. During Ashadhi-beej, farmers check the moisture in the atmosphere to help predict which crop would do best in coming monsoon. 
  
  

Timeline of dispute:

• The Christian population of Kerala comprises Catholic, Jacobite Syrian, Orthodox Syrian, Mar Thoma, Church of South India, Dalit Christians and Pentecostal Churches/groups.
  
  
• The Malankara Church is a prominent non-Catholic Christian community which is believed to be established in AD 52 by St. Thomas.
  
  
• The Malankara Church first split in 1912, into the Jacobite and Orthodox Syrian groups. The two Churches reunified in 1959, but the truce lasted only until 1972-73. Since then, the two factions have been engaged in battle over ownership of churches and their wealth.
  
  

Supreme Court ruling of July 2017:

• The Supreme Court had upheld the 1934 constitution of the Malankara church.
  
  
• It ordered that the ownership of St Mary’s Church at Piravom in Ernakulam district, which is currently held by the Jacobite Church, should be handed over to Orthodox Church, and so should the ownership of 1,064 other churches in dispute.
  
  

About:

• The move will lead to increased investment and production through assured remunerative prices to the farmers.
  
  
• The MSP of paddy has been increased by 65 rupees per quintal, Jowar by 120 rupees, Ragi by 253 rupees, Tur by 125 rupees, Moong by 75 rupees, Urad pulses by 100 rupees, Soyabean by 311 rupees, sunflower by 262 rupees and sesamum by 236 rupees.
  
  
• The highest percentage return to farmers over their cost of production is for Bajra (85%) followed by urad (64%) and tur (60%). 
  
  

About: 

• The MoU will pave way for ferry services between Maldives and Kerala by Connecting Kochi with Male & Kulhudhuffushi in Maldives by Sea route. 
  
  
• While Male – the capital and most populous city – is situated at a distance of 708 Kms from Kochi, Kulhudhuffushi – the third most populous city of Maldives – is 509 Kms away. 
  
  

Significance: 

• Present connectivity involves flights to Male and sea planes to the resorts, which is an expensive option. 
  
  
• On the other hand, connectivity with Kochi through sea could promote inbound tourism, particularly health and wellness tourism for India. A large number of Maldivians also travel to Kerala and other South Indian cities for educational purposes. 
  
  

About: 

• Name of the report: “State of the Education Report for India-2019: Children with Disabilities."
  
  
• Released by: UNESCO and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
  
  
• Key findings of the report:
  • Citing 2011 census data, the report showed that there are more than 78 lakh children with disabilities in the country between 5-19 years.
    
    
  • 27% of children with disabilities between ages 5 and 19 in India have never attended any educational institution, while around 75% of five-year-olds with disabilities are not in school.
    
    
  • There are fewer girls with disabilities in school than boys.
    
    
  • Differences remain among various types of disabilities. Only 20% of children with visual and hearing impairments had never been in school. However, among children with multiple disabilities or mental illness, that figure rose to more than 50%.
    
    
  
  
  
• Recommendations made: Amend the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 to make it align with the Right of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
  
  

About: 

• The Bill replaces the “The Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Teachers’ Cadre) Ordinance, 2019”. 
  
  
• Features: The unit for reservation of posts in direct recruitment in teachers’ cadre will be the ‘University/Educational Institution’ and not the Department. Thus, it restores earlier reservation system based on 200-point roster. 
  
  
• Benefits of this decision: 
  • It allows up of more than 7000 existing vacancies in Central Educational Institutions and pave the way for filling up 3 lakh vacancies in the Government (Central and State) Educational institutions by direct recruitment in Teacher’s Cadre. 
    
    
  • It ensures full representation of the SCs/STs, the socially and Educationally Backward Classes and Economically Weaker Sections in direct recruitment in teachers’ cadres, thus ensuring compliance of the Constitutional Provisions of Articles 14, 16 and 21. 
    
    
  
  
  
• Way ahead: The Bill will now be sent for President’s assent. 
  
  

About: 

• Section 375 of the IPC: Under it, the perpetrator of the offence of rape can only be a ‘man.’ 
  
  
• Arguments for status quo: 
  • These sections have been enacted to protect and keep a check on the rising level of sexual offences against women in the country.
    
    
  • The ambit of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, which covers all forms of sexual offences against minors, and Section 377 of the IPC were adequate to cover all sexual offences.
    
    
  
  
  
• Arguments for making it gender-neutral:
  • According to a petition filed by a social activist, Sections 375 and 376 of the IPC are not “gender neutral” because it protects only females.
    
    
  • Men sometimes fall victim to the same, or at least very similar, acts to those suffered by women. Male rape is far too prevalent to be termed an anomaly or freak incident.
    
    
  • In India, sexual crimes against boys under 18 years are covered under the POCSO Act, but once they become adults, they do not have any legal recourse.
    
    
  • Even Law Commission of India, in its 172th report, had recommended changes for widening the scope of rape law to make it gender neutral, by substituting the definition of ‘rape’ with that of ‘sexual assault’.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• An instrument nicknamed the "mole" on NASA's InSight (Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport) lander has been experiencing some difficulty getting a deep survey of Mars.
  
  
• The mole is a self-hammering spike belonging to InSight's Heat Flow and Physical Properties Package (HP3) instrument.
  
  
• Built by the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), HP3 measures the temperature of the interior to study the quantity of heat flowing out of Mars, and determine its source. This will help scientists find similarities if any between the makeup of Earth and Mars.
  
  
• On Feb. 28, the mole, a self-hammering device, began digging, but it soon appeared to be stuck. Now, the InSight's robotic arm successfully removed the mole's surrounding support structure on Friday (June 28).
  
  

About: 

• Meaning: Artificial gravity means spacecraft generating their own gravity by spinning around in space.
  
  
• Concept:
  • These researchers are examining ways to design revolving systems that might fit within a room of future space stations and even moon bases.
    
    
  • Under it, a short-radius centrifuge will rotate around the room, gathering more and more speed. The angular velocity generated by the centrifuge will push astronauts’ feet toward the base of the platform — almost as if he was standing under his own weight.
    
    
  
  
  
• Application: It will one day help keep astronauts healthy as they venture into space, allowing humans to travel farther from Earth than ever before and stay away longer. Astronauts could crawl into these rooms for just a few hours a day to get their daily doses of gravity.
  
  
• Present status: The concept of artificial gravity has so far as existed only in science fiction.
  
  

About: 

• The electrified tunnel measuring 6.6 kilometres is situated between Cherlopalli and Rapuru stations. 
  
  
• It is part of the 113-km new railway line completed recently between Obulavaripalli– Venkatachalam – Krishnapatnam Port. 
  
  
• The electrified tunnel is constructed on New Australian Tunnelling Method. the new line would facilitate direct and viable connectivity between South Coast and West Coast Railway and improve freight revenue of the zone.