Muktoshri Rice:

@ Researchers from West Bengal’s have developed a rice variety called Muktoshri (IET 21845), that is resistant to arsenic.
@ The variety yields 5.5 metric tons per hectare in the Boro (Winter) season and 4.5 to 5 metric tons per hectare in the Kharif season, respectively.
@ The rice was long and thin, and aromatic.

#Target_Shots #Pre_2020 #Agriculture

Ciara Strom

@ It is a major storm hit northern Europe, disrupting travel and public events in the region.
@ The storm, named ‘Ciara’ in the UK, is expected to hit Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany.
@ In Germany, it is being referred to as ‘Sabine’.
@ The storm has two names because there isn’t yet a pan-European system in place for labeling weather systems.
#Target_Shots #Pre_2020 #Geography

Tomorrow class at 9am 18/02/2020 - CURRENT AFFAIRS BATCH

Environment Batch by Dr. Sudarshan Lodha (Target UPSC) for UPSC Prelims 2020
https://neostencil.com/course/environment-batch-dr-sudarshan-lodha-upsc-prelims

Second Batch from 24th... Limited seats

E-MASIHA

@ E-MASIHA (E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad) is an online system to create and maintain the complete health database of Indian pilgrims.
@ It also provides doctors’ prescriptions, medical treatment as well as medicine disbursals, and has been developed to deal with any emergency in Makkah-Madinah.
#Target_Shots #Pre_2020

(SUTRA-PIC India):
@ Recently, the Ministry of Science and Technology has launched the “Scientific Utilization through Research Augmentation-Prime Products from Indigenous Cows” (SUTRA-PIC India).

@ It is one of the research programmes into indigenous cattle- 2019-20 Union Budget.

@ It is a collaborative effort of the Department of Biotechnology, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, the Ministry for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy) and the Indian Council of Medical Research.

@ The department of the Science for Equity, Empowerment and Development (SEED), under the Ministry of Science and Technology, is in charge of the programme.
#Target_Shots #Pre_2020

Dardanelles Strait:
@ Connecting the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.

#Pre_2020 #Places_in_News

15th Finance Commission

Flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) is a set of technologies used to remove sulfur dioxide (SO 2) from exhaust flue gases of fossil-fuel power plants, and from the emissions of other sulfur oxide emitting processes such as waste incineration.
#ENVIRONMENTSHOTS

Amazon Fund
• The Amazon Fund was created in 2008 to receive donations for non-reimbursable investments.

• The objective was to prevent, monitor, and combat deforestation, as well as to promote the preservation and sustainable use in the Brazilian Amazon.

• It consists of money donated by Norway, the main donor, and Germany

CHAUKHANDI STUPA
An ancient Buddhist site in Uttar Pradesh's Sarnath, known as
Chaukhandi Stupa, has been declared to be a "protected area of national importance by ASI
#Art and Culture #Prelim2020

NATIONAL MARITIME HERITAGE MUSEUM

India and Portugal will cooperate in the setting up of a national maritime heritage museum at Lothal
in Gujarat.

The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Shipping through its Sagarmala programme, with the involvement of the ASI, the State govt and other stakeholders.

Objective is rich and diverse maritime heritage. It also intends
to highlight the ancient shipbuilding and navigational technologies developed by India.

Lothal, an Indus valley site, is one of the oldest man-made dockyards in India. Rigveda and Puranic
Texts have several references to naval and commercial expeditions.

#Art and Culture #Prelim2020

MULA-MUTHA RIVER
Mula-Mutha river cleaning project is a joint project of Union Government and Pune Municipal
Corporation. Government of India has signed a loan agreement with the Japan International
Cooperation Agency (JICA) under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) in the year 2015.

#Geography #Prelim2020