About:

• Stalkerware is monitoring software or spyware that is used for stalking.
  
  
• The term was coined when people started to widely use commercial spyware to spy on their spouses or intimate partners.
  
  

Spyware vs stalkerware:

• A spyware app, which can also be installed remotely, accesses the data usage pattern of the device, gains access to photos and videos as well as other personal information of the user, and then passes it off to a central server.
  
  
• On the other hand, in most cases, a stalkerware app can be installed only when someone has physical access to the digitally connected device.
  
  
• Though the app works in a manner similar to spyware apps, it goes a step ahead and also gives out the location of the device to a master device which controls the stalkerware app.
  
  

About:

• NTPS will bring ease of business and expedite issuance of transit permits for timber, bamboo and other minor forest produce without physically going to forest offices. Through mobile application e-pass will be issued for transit of forest produce.
  
  
• The pilot project will be functional in Madhya Pradesh and Telangana for now. The system will be will be operational in all states by Diwali.
  
  
• This will enhance seamless movement of forest produce. Transit of timber, bamboo and other forest produce is governed by various state specific acts and rules.
  
  

About:

• Wi-Fi Choupal is a government initiative to provide Wi-Fi hotspots in rural areas where people can access the internet by subscribing to low-cost data plans.
  
  
• This will be achieved by leveraging BharatNet infrastructure for providing broadband services in Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages.
  
  
• It is an Initiative of ‘CSC e-Governance Services India Limited’, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) set up in 2016 by the Ministry of Electronics & IT under the Companies Act, 1956 to oversee implementation of the Common Service Centres (CSC) scheme. 
  
  

About:

• A latent viral infection is an infection when the virus in the body is dormant and does not replicate within the host. It however possesses the capacity to be reactivated at some point, causing a flare-up of the disease much later.
  
  
• As opposed to active infections, where a virus is actively replicating and potentially causing symptoms, latent infections are essentially static which last the life of the host and occur when the primary infection is not cleared by the adaptive immune response
  
  
• Latent viral infections can be reactivated into a lytic form (the replication of a viral genome). The ability to move back and forth from latent to lytic infections helps the virus spread from infected individuals to uninfected individuals”
  
  
• Examples are Herpes simplex viruses type 1 and 2, varicella-zoster virus, HIV, Epstein-Barr virus (human herpesvirus 4), and cytomegalovirus. They are known to cause typical latent infections in humans. 
  
  

About:

• The Nag River is a river flowing through the city of Nagpur in Maharashtra. Nagpur city derives its name from the Nag river.
  
  
• Forming a part of the Kanhan-Pench river system, the Nag River originates in Lava hills near wadi.
  
  
• The river serves as drainage for Nagpur and as a result its ecosystem is heavily polluted by urban waste from the city. The Nag River Rejuvenation was cleared by National River Conservation Directorate in November 2019.
  
  

About:

• More than three lakh hectares of rugged land is not cultivable and if this area is improved, then this will help in the integrated development of the Bihad area in Gwalior - Chambal region.
  
  
• The Chambal-Gwalior ravines that consist of sharp, steep, mud hillocks stretch across three States — Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Bihad areas of Chambal-Gwalior belt is a unique geographical feature having gullies up to 15-20 feet deep.
  
  
• According to a study, about 3.97 million hectares of land in India form ravines. The States of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat account for 2.7 million hectares, or 70 per cent, of the country’s ravines.
  
  

About:

• This will expand the cooperation in scientific and technological research for economic and social benefit. The Agreement was initially signed in 2001 and renewed two times in 2007 and 2015.
  
  
• In the last 5 years, the level of co-investment on India-EU Research Technology Development Projects for addressing societal challenges such as affordable healthcare, water, energy, food & nutrition has been stepped up.
  
  
• The cooperation has been focused on water, green transport, e-mobility, clean energy, bio-economy, health, and ICT.
  
  

About:

• These fish-processing plants are the first in a series of High Impact Community Development (HICDP) projects that India and Maldives have committed to execute together under a total grant of USD 5.5 million.
  
  
• These Projects chosen by the Government of Maldives have a high-level of community impact and participation in the areas of livelihood and income generation, health, education, gender and child empowerment etc.
  
  
• HICDPs constitute an important dimension of the dynamic development partnership between India and the Maldives. They will be implemented by City and Local Councils.
  
  

About:

• Haloarchaea (or halophilic archaea) are aa class of the Euryarchaeota, found in water saturated or nearly saturated with salt.
  
  
• Halobacteria are now recognized as archaea, rather than bacteria and are one of the largest groups.
  
  
• These microorganisms are members of the halophile community, in that they require high salt concentrations to grow.
  
  
• Their high densities in the water often lead to pink or red colourations of the water (the cells possessing high levels of carotenoid pigments, presumably for UV protection).
  
  

About:

• In 2013, the United Nations designated July 30 as the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.
  
  
• This year’s theme:
  • The 2020 theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons will focus on the first responders to human trafficking.
    
    
  • These are the people who work in different sectors - identifying, supporting, counselling and seeking justice for victims of trafficking, and challenging the impunity of the traffickers.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• The International Day of Friendship was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities.
  
  
• This initiative that follows on the proposal made by UNESCO defining the Culture of Peace as a set of values, attitudes and behaviours that reject violence and endeavour to prevent conflicts by addressing their root causes with a view to solving problems.
  
  

About:

• The announcement means India is the first among the 13 tiger range countries to nationally adopt CA|TS, which are a set of minimum standards setting the benchmark for managing conservation sites
  
  
• CA|TS is a conservation tool that sets best practice and standards to manage target species, and encourages assessments to benchmark progress. Tigers are the first species selected for the initiative.
  
  
• Launched in 2013, the tool was developed in collaboration with field managers, tiger experts and government agencies engaged in tiger conservation.
  
  
• CA|TS is a partnership of tiger range governments, inter-governmental agencies, institutions, NGOs and conservation organisations. WWF is helping tiger range countries to implement CA|TS.
  
  

Key findings of the Report:

• India’s tiger population now stands at 2967 which is 70 percent of the global tiger population.
  
  
• Among states, MP topped the tiger estimation, with 526 (it had 308 last time), going past Karnataka (524 this time, 406 earlier). Uttarakhand remained on the third spot, with 442 tigers, up from 340 previously.
  
  
• Jim Corbett national park in Uttarakhand has the most number of tigers at 231. It is followed by Nagarhole (127) and Bandipur (126), both in Karnataka, Bandhavgarh in MP (MP) and Kaziranga in Assam (104 each).
  
  
• Jim Corbett is the only reserve with more than 200 tigers and has the highest tiger density in India at 14.
  
  
• Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary, which used to be a non-tiger zone in UP, now has one tiger.
  
  
• In 1973 there were only 9 tiger reserves in the country, which has now gone up to 50.
  
  
• Nearly a third of India’s tigers are living outside tiger reserves and nearly 17 of the 50 reserves are approaching the peak of their capacity at sustaining their populations.
  
  

About:

• In 2010, the Heads of the Governments of Tiger Range countries at St. Petersburg, Russia, had resolved to double tiger numbers across their global range by 2022 by signing the Petersburg declaration on tiger conservation.
  
  
• During the said meeting it was also decided to celebrate July 29 as Global Tiger Day across the world, which is since, being celebrated to spread and generate awareness on tiger conservation.
  
  
• There are currently 13 tiger range countries -- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
  
  

About:

• The report has been prepared by Digital Education Division of Ministry of HRD in consultation with Education Departments of States and UTs.
  
  
• The report elaborates on the innovative methods adopted by Ministry of HRD, Education Departments of States/UTs for ensuring education to children at home.
  
  
• Ministry of HRD has initiated many projects to assist teachers and students like DIKSHA platform, Swayam Prabha TV Channel, Online MOOC courses, On Air – Shiksha Vani, DAISY by NIOS for differently-abled, e-PathShala, National Repository of Open Educational Resources (NROER) to develop e-content and energized books etc.
  
  
• Some of the major medium to connect to the students were using social media tools like WhatsApp Group for all the classes, Online classes through YouTube channel, Google meet, Skype etc.
  
  
• Some of the major digital initiatives by State Governments are SMILE (Social Media Interface for Learning Engagement) in Rajasthan, Padhai Tunhar duvaar in Chhattisgarh, Unnayan Initiatives in Bihar, Mission Buniyaad in Delhi etc
  
  
• Competitive exams: Goa has partnered with Embibe, an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered online platform for students preparing for entrance exams in the State. Karnataka has launched Pariksha Vani, an exam preparation program through Doordarshan.
  
  

About:

• These rules will be called as the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Third Amendment) Rules, 2020.
  
  
• It will permit non-resident Indian nationals to own 100 % stake of Air India.
  
  
• The amendment removes the exception which permitted Overseas Citizens of India 100% FDI in air transport, but not Air India. This category of citizens has been replaced with NRIs, now allowed to commit 100% FDI in air transport, including Air India, through automatic route. 
  
  

About:

• What Is it? A bad bank is a bank set up by the government to buy the bad loans and other illiquid holdings of another financial institution. The entity holding significant Non Performing Assets (NPAs) will sell these holdings to the bad bank at market price, thus clearing its balance sheet.
  
  
• Recent proposal in India by IBA:
  • The proposal envisages setting up an Asset Reconstruction Company (ARC) platform to buy stressed pools from banks and turn them around.
    
    
  • This would allow banks to write off the appropriate provisions for the portfolio sold and get the discounted value that the ARC pays for the distressed pool purchase.
    
    
  • The stressed assets can alternatively be sold to an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), which could turn them around.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• The locomotives arrived at the Darshana station of Bangladesh after being flagged off at the Gede railway station on the Indian side.
  
  
• Railway cooperation between India and Bangladesh has grown substantially over the years. India has extended a Line of Credit (LoC) worth over 2.4 billion dollars for 17 railway projects out of which 9 have been completed.
  
  
• Recently, parcel and container train services have also commenced between India and Bangladesh.
  
  
• The railway link from Agartala to Akhaura in Bangladesh is also being built under grant in aid scheme to connect Tripura with Bangladesh by railways.
  
  

About:

• The new RuPay credit card is equipped with Near Field Communication (NFC) technology with which, users can expedite their transactions at the POS machines by just tapping the card on the machines.
  
  
• Designed to reward frequent railway travellers, the card offers travellers on Indian railways savings proposition on their travel besides benefits on retail, dining and entertainment besides transaction fee waivers.
  
  

About:

• The Sree Sree JoyKali Matar temple is among the oldest temples in Bangladesh.
  
  
• It was built approximately 300 years back in the early 18th century by Shri Dayaram Roy. He was an influential Dewan of Queen Bhahani of Natore and the founder of Dighapatia Royal Family.
  
  
• The MoU for the reconstruction of the temple at Lalbazar, Natore was signed between India in Bangladesh in 2016.
  
  
• The Government of India provided a grant assistance of Taka 97 lakh for the reconstruction of the historic temple under its High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) scheme.
  
  

‘Mausam’ Mobile App:

• This ‘Mausam’ Mobile App for India Meteorological Department (IMD) is designed to communicate the weather information and forecasts to the general public in a lucid manner without technical jargons.
  
  
• The MAUSAM mobile App has the following 5 services: (1) Current Weather, (2) Nowcast, (3) City Forecast, (4) Warnings and (5) Radar products.
  
  

MoES-Knowledge Resource Centre Network (KRCNet):

• Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) aims to develop a World-Class Knowledge Resource Centre Network (KRCNet).
  
  
• Under It, the traditional libraries of the MoES system will be upgraded into a top-notch Knowledge Resource Centres (KRC). KRCs will be connected with each other and integrated into the KRCNet portal.
  
  

About:

• The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes for promoting domestic manufacturing of KSMs, DIs and APIs and medical devices will go a long way including to boost domestic manufacturing of 53 bulk drugs, on which India is critically dependent on imports.
  
  
• The Scheme for promotion of Bulk Drug Parks envisages creation of 3 bulk drug parks in the country. The grant-in-aid will be 90% of the project cost in case of North-East and hilly States and 70% in case of other States. Maximum grant-in-aid for one bulk drug park is Rs.1000 crore.
  
  
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for promoting domestic manufacturing of Medical Devices intends to boost domestic manufacturing of medical devices in four target segments by giving financial incentives on sales to a maximum number of 28 selected applicants for a period of 5 years. 
  
  

About:

• What is it? The GI certification establishes specific geographical origin and certifies certain unique qualities of the product and enables those who have the right to use sign in order to prevent third parties using the sign.
  
  
• Significance of the decision for Kashmir Saffron?
  • With the GI tag, Kashmir Saffron will acquire more prominence in the export market and would help the farmers get a better remunerative price.
    
    
  • It would also stop the prevalent adulteration of Kashmir Saffron and thereby authenticated Saffron will fetch much better prices.
    
    
  
  
  

Key highlights of the Judgement:

• A Governor cannot employ his “discretion”, and should strictly abide by the “aid and advice” of the Cabinet to summon the Assembly for a floor test.
  
  
• The Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House only on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers with the Chief Minister as the head. And not at his own.
  
  
• Even the Constituent Assembly was wary of extending the Governor’s discretion. Though the draft Constitution had vested the Governor with the discretion to summon and dissolve, it was latter omitted by the framers of the Constitution.
  
  
• Article 163 of the Constitution does not give the Governor a “general discretionary power to act against or without the advice of his Council of Ministers”.
  
  
• Governor’s discretionary powers are limited to specified areas like giving assent or withholding/referring a Bill to the President or appointment of a Chief Minister or dismissal of a government which has lost of confidence but refuses to quit, etc.
  
  

About:

• The Container Train Service is going to be a regular service connecting various terminals of Indian Railways network to various stations in Bangladesh.
  
  
• Background:
  • The process for facilitating movement of Container trains from India to Bangladesh started in 2017 when an MoU was signed by Container Corporation of India (CONCOR) and the Bangladesh Container Company Ltd.
    
    
  • It was followed up by a trial run of the first container train from Kolkata to Bangabandhusetu West station (BBW) in April 2018.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• The currency swap arrangement will remain available till November 2022.
  
  
• The agreement between Sri Lanka and RBI has been signed under the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) framework. The RBI also offers similar swap lines to central banks in the SAARC region within a total corpus of $2 billion. This facility originally came into operation in 2012.
  
  
• India already has a $75 billion bilateral currency swap line with Japan, which has the second highest dollar reserves after China.
  
  

About:

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) notified the new FDI policy in April 2020, making prior government approval mandatory for foreign direct investments (FDI) from countries which share a land border with India.
  
  
• India shares land borders with Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
  
  
• Investors from countries that are not covered by revised FDI new policy only have to inform the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after the completion of a transaction rather than seek prior clearance from the administrative ministry.
  
  
• The revised FDI policy is aimed at “curbing opportunistic takeovers/acquisitions of Indian companies due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.”
  
  

About:

• A serological survey seeks to assess the prevalence of disease in a population by detecting the presence of specific antibodies against the virus.
  
  
• A serological test is performed to diagnose infections and autoimmune illnesses. It can also be conducted to check if a person has developed immunity to certain diseases.
  
  
• The test indicates past infections (and which triggered an immune response), and is not used to detect active infections.
  
  

About:

• The index will rank the performance of the States on the basis of following parameters:
  • Preparation of annual plan, projecting the requirement of funds for the financial year, expeditious release of State’s share, timely utilization of the funds and submission of the Utilization Certificates etc.;
    
    
  • Optimum implementation of Public Financial Management System (PFMS) & Direct Benefit Transfer;
    
    
  • Internal Audit; and
    
    
  • Social Audit.
    
    
  
  
  
• The performance of the States on the parameters of the Index would also promote the spirit of competitive, cooperative federalism amongst States.