#MainsFodder #PT2021
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme
In News: A review meeting of UBA was held via videoconferencing.
Launched by Ministry of Education
Launched in 2014
Aim:to enable higher educational institutions to work with the people of rural India
Function: Contribute to the economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base.
Implemented by IIT Delhi
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0:
- upgraded version of UBA 1
- Aim: to link the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with a set of at least five villages
- Launched in 2018.
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme
In News: A review meeting of UBA was held via videoconferencing.
Launched by Ministry of Education
Launched in 2014
Aim:to enable higher educational institutions to work with the people of rural India
Function: Contribute to the economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base.
Implemented by IIT Delhi
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0:
- upgraded version of UBA 1
- Aim: to link the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with a set of at least five villages
- Launched in 2018.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Aadi Mahotsav
Launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs & the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
- Commenced in 2017
- Held annually.
- 2020 venue - Madhya Pradesh.
- National tribal festival
Key points of Mahotsav
- Will held online
- It will be hosted on the Tribes India E-Marketplace
- It will bring the spotlight on all the major tribes’ one-by one.
- The next focus state would be Gujarat, followed by West Bengal.
Aadi Mahotsav
Launched by Ministry of Tribal Affairs & the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India
- Commenced in 2017
- Held annually.
- 2020 venue - Madhya Pradesh.
- National tribal festival
Key points of Mahotsav
- Will held online
- It will be hosted on the Tribes India E-Marketplace
- It will bring the spotlight on all the major tribes’ one-by one.
- The next focus state would be Gujarat, followed by West Bengal.
#2MinRead #Pre-cum Mains
Information Management and Analysis Centre(IMAC)
In News: The Navy’s IMAC the nodal agency for maritime data fusion will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre.
NDMA
- It is defined as all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean.
- It will be a multi-agency centre.
- Provide information on development or movements across the coast.
- This will make sure that any risk, especially transnational can be prevented
IMAC:
- Main center of the Indian Navy for coastal surveillance and monitoring.
- located in Gurugram (Haryana) - Became operational in 2014.
- Joint initiative of Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Bharat Electronics Ltd.
- Functions under the National Security Adviser (NSA).
- It tracks vessels on the high seas and gets data from the coastal radars, white shipping agreements etc.
- Under 'Security and Growth of All in the Region ‘(SAGAR)'.
Information Management and Analysis Centre(IMAC)
In News: The Navy’s IMAC the nodal agency for maritime data fusion will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NDMA) Centre.
NDMA
- It is defined as all areas and things of, on, under, relating to, adjacent to, or bordering on a sea, ocean.
- It will be a multi-agency centre.
- Provide information on development or movements across the coast.
- This will make sure that any risk, especially transnational can be prevented
IMAC:
- Main center of the Indian Navy for coastal surveillance and monitoring.
- located in Gurugram (Haryana) - Became operational in 2014.
- Joint initiative of Indian Navy, Coast Guard and Bharat Electronics Ltd.
- Functions under the National Security Adviser (NSA).
- It tracks vessels on the high seas and gets data from the coastal radars, white shipping agreements etc.
- Under 'Security and Growth of All in the Region ‘(SAGAR)'.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
UK approves Covid-19 Vaccine
In News: UK becomes first country to approve Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Key points
- This vaccine offers protection of up to 95%
- It is safe to be used for immunisation against Covid-19.
- Immunisation in UK is expected to start within days .
- It will be delivered to high-priority groups first.
UK approves Covid-19 Vaccine
In News: UK becomes first country to approve Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.
Key points
- This vaccine offers protection of up to 95%
- It is safe to be used for immunisation against Covid-19.
- Immunisation in UK is expected to start within days .
- It will be delivered to high-priority groups first.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
State of the Global Climate Provisional Report
Released by the World Meteorological Organization.
Key findings of report:
- The decade 2011-2020 would
be the warmest ever.
- La Nina condition’s no effect on heat.
- Increasing temperatures are a direct result of human-led global warming and GHGs.
- Slight dip in GHGs this year due to measures taken against COVID-19 pandemic.
- Impact of anthropogenic climate change.
State of the Global Climate Provisional Report
Released by the World Meteorological Organization.
Key findings of report:
- The decade 2011-2020 would
be the warmest ever.
- La Nina condition’s no effect on heat.
- Increasing temperatures are a direct result of human-led global warming and GHGs.
- Slight dip in GHGs this year due to measures taken against COVID-19 pandemic.
- Impact of anthropogenic climate change.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Migratory Bird Festival
In News: Bihar is holding a bird festival for the first time
Aim: To save migratory birds that arrive in the state in large numbers every year.
Location: The three-day festival is being organised in Bhagalpur district of Bihar.
Note: Bihar’s Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary between Sultanganj and Kahalgaon is a hub of migratory birds.
Migratory Bird Festival
In News: Bihar is holding a bird festival for the first time
Aim: To save migratory birds that arrive in the state in large numbers every year.
Location: The three-day festival is being organised in Bhagalpur district of Bihar.
Note: Bihar’s Vikramshila Dolphin Sanctuary between Sultanganj and Kahalgaon is a hub of migratory birds.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Annapurna idol
In News: Prime Minister told that an 18th-century idol of goddess Annapurna, carved in the Benares style, is being brought back from Canada.
Background: This idol was stolen from a temple of Varanasi and smuggled out of the country somewhere around 1913.
Key points:
- It is part of the University Of Regina, Canada’s collection at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the official custodian.
- ASI was tasked with ascertaining the security arrangements at the idol’s original location.
Annapurna idol
In News: Prime Minister told that an 18th-century idol of goddess Annapurna, carved in the Benares style, is being brought back from Canada.
Background: This idol was stolen from a temple of Varanasi and smuggled out of the country somewhere around 1913.
Key points:
- It is part of the University Of Regina, Canada’s collection at the MacKenzie Art Gallery.
- The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the official custodian.
- ASI was tasked with ascertaining the security arrangements at the idol’s original location.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreements(AIPA)
In News: India has constituted the AIPA recently
Structure: Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as the chairperson.
Purpose: To ensure that India is on track towards meeting its climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement.
Function: Regularly communicating and reporting the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to UNFCCC.
- It will act as a national authority for the regulation of carbon markets in India.
Apex Committee for the Implementation of the Paris Agreements(AIPA)
In News: India has constituted the AIPA recently
Structure: Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change as the chairperson.
Purpose: To ensure that India is on track towards meeting its climate change obligations under the Paris Agreement.
Function: Regularly communicating and reporting the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to UNFCCC.
- It will act as a national authority for the regulation of carbon markets in India.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
World Malaria Report
Released by WHO
Key findings:
- 19 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and India accounted for 85% of the global malaria burden in 2018.
- Africa and India saw the maximum dip in malaria cases between 2017 and 2018.
- India showed a reduction in reported cases of 51% compared to 2017.
Challenges in Asia:
- Decreased funding
- Treatment failures
- Vector resistance to pyrethroids
- The insectides used against the vectors etc.
World Malaria Report
Released by WHO
Key findings:
- 19 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and India accounted for 85% of the global malaria burden in 2018.
- Africa and India saw the maximum dip in malaria cases between 2017 and 2018.
- India showed a reduction in reported cases of 51% compared to 2017.
Challenges in Asia:
- Decreased funding
- Treatment failures
- Vector resistance to pyrethroids
- The insectides used against the vectors etc.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
USCC Report
- The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC)
Key points of report
- Chinese government planned the Galwan Valley clash with ‘fatalities’ on the Indian side in mind.
- Just weeks before the June 15 faceoff, China had signalled its intent to escalate tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control.
- Exact motivations behind the China’s behaviour on the LAC this year remain unclear.
- Chinese forces have secured access and potential naval basing facilities in Pakistan.
USCC Report
- The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC)
Key points of report
- Chinese government planned the Galwan Valley clash with ‘fatalities’ on the Indian side in mind.
- Just weeks before the June 15 faceoff, China had signalled its intent to escalate tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control.
- Exact motivations behind the China’s behaviour on the LAC this year remain unclear.
- Chinese forces have secured access and potential naval basing facilities in Pakistan.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Homes for Transgender Children
In News: India’s first homes for transgender children in need of care and protection will soon be established.
- Will establish in Bengaluru Urban.
- Launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development
Structure:
1. Two government-run homes reserved for transgender children.
2. The two homes would have the capacity to house 50 children each.
3. Children include orphans, abandoned children, street children, child labourers and child victims of abuse.
Reason for establishment: Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is not able to place the transgender children in the existing children’s homes for boys and girls.
Homes for Transgender Children
In News: India’s first homes for transgender children in need of care and protection will soon be established.
- Will establish in Bengaluru Urban.
- Launched by the Ministry of Women and Child Development
Structure:
1. Two government-run homes reserved for transgender children.
2. The two homes would have the capacity to house 50 children each.
3. Children include orphans, abandoned children, street children, child labourers and child victims of abuse.
Reason for establishment: Child Welfare Committee (CWC) is not able to place the transgender children in the existing children’s homes for boys and girls.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
AI & Robotics Technologies Park (ARTPARK)
- It is a not-for-profit foundation set up in Bengaluru.
Established by Indian Institute of Science (IISc) & AI Foundry in a public-private model.
Funded by Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.
Implement under National Mission on Inter-disciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems.
Function:
1. Itwill leverage AI & Robotics in a mission-driven model that will have a societal impact.
2. Develop facilities to support technology innovations and capacity building.
3. Mentor technoprenour
4.It will develop DataSetu - boost AI solutions.
real-time Indic
5.BhashaSetu-that will enable real-time Indic language translation, both of speech to speech and speech to text.
AI & Robotics Technologies Park (ARTPARK)
- It is a not-for-profit foundation set up in Bengaluru.
Established by Indian Institute of Science (IISc) & AI Foundry in a public-private model.
Funded by Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.
Implement under National Mission on Inter-disciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems.
Function:
1. Itwill leverage AI & Robotics in a mission-driven model that will have a societal impact.
2. Develop facilities to support technology innovations and capacity building.
3. Mentor technoprenour
4.It will develop DataSetu - boost AI solutions.
real-time Indic
5.BhashaSetu-that will enable real-time Indic language translation, both of speech to speech and speech to text.
#2MinRead# IR news-Pre-cum Mains
Cannabis
News: The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) has decided to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from (most dangerous substances) Schedule IV of 1961 Single
Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
Cannabis: Cannabis is a drug that comes from Indian hemp plants such as Cannabis sativa and
Cannabis indica.
Uses of cannabis:
1. Treating Nausea and vomiting, particularly when associated with chemotherapy
2. Wasting and severe weight loss, in people with HIV/AIDS etc.
Effects of this:
1. It will change the way cannabis is regulated internationally.
2. Will use for medical purpose freely
Current status: Both cannabis and cannabis resin will continue to remain on Schedule I (least dangerous substance).
India’s stand:
1. India has voted with the majority at the United Nations for its removal.
2. Under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the production of cannabis is a punishable offence.
Cannabis
News: The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) has decided to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from (most dangerous substances) Schedule IV of 1961 Single
Convention on Narcotic Drugs.
Cannabis: Cannabis is a drug that comes from Indian hemp plants such as Cannabis sativa and
Cannabis indica.
Uses of cannabis:
1. Treating Nausea and vomiting, particularly when associated with chemotherapy
2. Wasting and severe weight loss, in people with HIV/AIDS etc.
Effects of this:
1. It will change the way cannabis is regulated internationally.
2. Will use for medical purpose freely
Current status: Both cannabis and cannabis resin will continue to remain on Schedule I (least dangerous substance).
India’s stand:
1. India has voted with the majority at the United Nations for its removal.
2. Under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, the production of cannabis is a punishable offence.
#MainsFodder# PT 2021
Malayan Giant Squirrel
In News: Zoological Survey of India in a first-of-its-kind study, has projected that numbers of the Malayan Giant Squirrel could decline by 90% in India by 2050.
Key points:
1. Scientific name is Ratufa bicolor Native to the forests of India’s northeast.
2. Found in parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
3. Considered to be a forest health indicator species.
Status: It is listed as Near Threatened in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Concern: Numbers of this squirrel could decline by 90% in India by 2050.
Threat: Deforestation, fragmentation of forests, crop cultivation and over-harvesting of food, illegal trade etc.
Malayan Giant Squirrel
In News: Zoological Survey of India in a first-of-its-kind study, has projected that numbers of the Malayan Giant Squirrel could decline by 90% in India by 2050.
Key points:
1. Scientific name is Ratufa bicolor Native to the forests of India’s northeast.
2. Found in parts of West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
3. Considered to be a forest health indicator species.
Status: It is listed as Near Threatened in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Concern: Numbers of this squirrel could decline by 90% in India by 2050.
Threat: Deforestation, fragmentation of forests, crop cultivation and over-harvesting of food, illegal trade etc.
Hello Everyone,
We are glad to Relaunch the much awaited
"Prelims Test Series 2021"
Under the Guidance of IPS Sudhir Kekan Sir, who never failed in Prelims.
We strongly believe, these Tests would be a gamechanger for Prelims 2021.
Moreover, Sudhir sir will provide Remark section, discussing the Tricks to solve MCQs.
Further, Explanations of Each MCQs would be #2MinRead format, very precise, so that Quick revisions would be possible.
We are launching these Tests on No Profit No Loss Basis, so that Maximum number of students should be benefited.
Please spread the word.
Price - Only Rs 999 for first 250 Admissions
More Details and Enroll @
https://digicate.in/ias/test-series
Thank you
Team Digicate
We are glad to Relaunch the much awaited
"Prelims Test Series 2021"
Under the Guidance of IPS Sudhir Kekan Sir, who never failed in Prelims.
We strongly believe, these Tests would be a gamechanger for Prelims 2021.
Moreover, Sudhir sir will provide Remark section, discussing the Tricks to solve MCQs.
Further, Explanations of Each MCQs would be #2MinRead format, very precise, so that Quick revisions would be possible.
We are launching these Tests on No Profit No Loss Basis, so that Maximum number of students should be benefited.
Please spread the word.
Price - Only Rs 999 for first 250 Admissions
More Details and Enroll @
https://digicate.in/ias/test-series
Thank you
Team Digicate
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Feminization of Red Sea Turtles
In News: Red Sea Turtles are turning overwhelmingly female.
Reason: Because of a rise in sea temperatures.
Ideal conditions: Temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius is pivotal for 50-50 ration of population.
- Sand temperatures exceeded this limit.
The Red Sea is home to 5 out of 7 species of sea turtles. They are:
1. Green turtle (Endangered)
2. Hawksbill turtle (Critically Endangered)
3. Loggerhead turtle (Critically Endangered)
4. Olive Ridley turtle (Vulnerable)
5. Leatherback turtle (Vulnerable)
Feminization of Red Sea Turtles
In News: Red Sea Turtles are turning overwhelmingly female.
Reason: Because of a rise in sea temperatures.
Ideal conditions: Temperature of 29.2 degrees Celsius is pivotal for 50-50 ration of population.
- Sand temperatures exceeded this limit.
The Red Sea is home to 5 out of 7 species of sea turtles. They are:
1. Green turtle (Endangered)
2. Hawksbill turtle (Critically Endangered)
3. Loggerhead turtle (Critically Endangered)
4. Olive Ridley turtle (Vulnerable)
5. Leatherback turtle (Vulnerable)
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Arecibo Telescope
In News: Puerto Rico’s Arecibo telescope, the world’s second-largest single-dish radio telescope (1963) has collapsed.
- The US National Science Foundation owned the telescope.
Function: To observe planets
asteroids and the ionosphere.
Discoveries:
1. Prebiotic molecules in distant galaxies, the first exoplanets, and the first millisecond pulsar.
2. In 1967, planet Mercury rotates in 59 days and not 88 days.
3. Tracked killer asteroids heading towards Earth.
4. Provided a strict test of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and the first evidence for the existence of gravitational waves.
Arecibo Telescope
In News: Puerto Rico’s Arecibo telescope, the world’s second-largest single-dish radio telescope (1963) has collapsed.
- The US National Science Foundation owned the telescope.
Function: To observe planets
asteroids and the ionosphere.
Discoveries:
1. Prebiotic molecules in distant galaxies, the first exoplanets, and the first millisecond pulsar.
2. In 1967, planet Mercury rotates in 59 days and not 88 days.
3. Tracked killer asteroids heading towards Earth.
4. Provided a strict test of Einstein’s Theory of General Relativity and the first evidence for the existence of gravitational waves.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
Online voting for NRIs
News: Recently, the Election Commission of India extends the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) to NRI voters for elections next year in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
Background:
1. Writ petitions by NRIs in SC in 2013.
2. In 2014 12-member committee was setup.
3. 2017 Union Cabinet passed the proposal on proxy voting rights for NRIs.
Current Voting Process for NRIs:
An NRI can vote in the constituency in his/her place of
residence, as mentioned in the passport, is located.
Process of Voting by Postal Ballots:
1. inform the Returning Officer (RO) not later than five days after the notification of the election.
2. RO will dispatch the ballot paper electronically.
3. The NRI voters will download the ballot paper, mark their preference on the printout and send it back.
4. Also send back a declaration attested by an officer appointed by the diplomatic or consular representative of India.
Online voting for NRIs
News: Recently, the Election Commission of India extends the Electronically Transmitted Postal Ballot System (ETPBS) to NRI voters for elections next year in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
Background:
1. Writ petitions by NRIs in SC in 2013.
2. In 2014 12-member committee was setup.
3. 2017 Union Cabinet passed the proposal on proxy voting rights for NRIs.
Current Voting Process for NRIs:
An NRI can vote in the constituency in his/her place of
residence, as mentioned in the passport, is located.
Process of Voting by Postal Ballots:
1. inform the Returning Officer (RO) not later than five days after the notification of the election.
2. RO will dispatch the ballot paper electronically.
3. The NRI voters will download the ballot paper, mark their preference on the printout and send it back.
4. Also send back a declaration attested by an officer appointed by the diplomatic or consular representative of India.
#MainsFodder #PT2021
IGP as Ammonia Hotspot
News: IIT Kharagpur found that Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) is a global hot-spot of atmospheric ammonia.
Key points:
- Atmospheric ammonia generated due use of nitrogenous fertilizers, manure management etc.
- Positive correlation between atmospheric ammonia and fertilizer consumption.
Threat: key role in the deterioration of air quality in India by actively contributing to the formation of secondary aerosols.
Measures: Adoption of precision farming along with seasonal restrictions on the use of fertilizers.
- The general trend in atmospheric ammonia over India is negative in most seasons.
IGP as Ammonia Hotspot
News: IIT Kharagpur found that Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) is a global hot-spot of atmospheric ammonia.
Key points:
- Atmospheric ammonia generated due use of nitrogenous fertilizers, manure management etc.
- Positive correlation between atmospheric ammonia and fertilizer consumption.
Threat: key role in the deterioration of air quality in India by actively contributing to the formation of secondary aerosols.
Measures: Adoption of precision farming along with seasonal restrictions on the use of fertilizers.
- The general trend in atmospheric ammonia over India is negative in most seasons.