OKJOKULL GLACIER

In Iceland, the loss of Okjokull glacier was commemorated by people with a plaque.

The Okjokull glacier was officially declared dead in 2014 at the age of 700 by the Icelandic Meteorological Office when it was no longer thick enough to move.

Okjokull is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as glacier.

#Geography #Prelim2020

Hypoxic zones- are areas in the ocean of such low oxygen concentration that animal life suffocates
and dies, and as a result are sometimes called "dead zones."

#Environment #Prelim2020

PADHO-BADHO AWARENESS CAMPAIGN -

Union Minister for Minority Affairs announced that Padho-Badho Awareness Campaign will be
launched in 60 minority concentrated districts during the first phase.

It will encourage education especially in minority girls in those areas of the country where people do not send their children to schools due to socio-economic reasons.

The campaign will include street plays, short films and cultural programmes.

#Govt Scheme #Prelim2020

Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT):
@ The annual All India Conference of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) was held in New Delhi on 16th February, 2020.
@ The Conference was presided over by the Union Minister for Law and Justice.
@ Apart from central services issues, the CAT will soon have jurisdiction to handle disputes and other issues related to the non-central services in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Article 323 - A: The Central Administrative Tribunal had been established
#Target_Shots #Pre_2020

Taal volcano - Philippines

The forest cover includes all lands which have a tree canopy density of 10% & above and have a minimum area of one hectare.

#Environment

Anthrax -

It is an infectious zoonotic disease, which means it could be transferred from animals to humans.

It is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals particularly cattle, sheep, goats, horses and mules.

#Environment

ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a plate-based assay technique designed for detecting and quantifying substances such as peptides, proteins, antibodies and hormones.


ELISA is based on the principle of antigen-antibody interaction. Infection by a pathogen can be
detected by the presence of antigens (proteins, glycoproteins, etc.) or by detecting the antibodies
synthesized against the pathogen

Biosimilarity means that the biological product is highly similar to the reference medicine, notwithstanding minor differences in clinically inactive components and has almost the same therapeutic effects.

Dolphin’s Nose:

Joint Operation to crackdown on Espionage racket

In a joint operation —‘Dolphin’s Nose’ — conducted by the Andhra Pradesh State, Naval and Central intelligence agencies, seven naval personnel and hawala operator were
arrested for alleged espionage and suspected links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)

features of Federalism in India:

• Division of Powers: Presence of Union List, State list and Concurrent list
• Written Constitution
• Supremacy of the Constitution
• Rigidity of the Constitution
• Independent Judiciary
• Bicameralism

#Polity #Prelim2020

Unitary features that makes the Constitution tilted towards
Centre ( bias)-

• Single Constitution
• Single Citizenship
• Integrated Judiciary
• Flexibility of the Constitution under Article 368
• Appointment of State Governors by the State
• All India Services
Emergency Provisions
• No equality of State representation in Rajya Sabha
• Parliament’s authority over State List
• Veto Over State Bills
• Article 256 of the Constitution obligates the State government to ensure implementation
of the laws made by Parliyament

#Polity #Prelim2020

Voluntary retention route for foreign portfolio investors

What is VRR?

It is a new channel of investment available to FPIs to encourage them to invest in debt markets in India over and above their investments through the regular route.

The objective is to attract long-term and stable FPI investments into debt markets while providing FPIs with operational flexibility to manage their investments.

How are they different from the regular FPI investments?

Guidelines say that investments through VRR will be free of the macro-prudential and other regulatory prescriptions applicable to FPI investments in debt markets, provided FPIs voluntarily commit to retain a required minimum percentage of their investments in India for a period of their choice. But the minimum retention period shall be three years, or as decided by RBI.

#economyshots

Autonomous and accommodating items used in BOP.

Autonomous items in BOP

These refer to international economic transactions that take place due to some economic motives like earning income and profit maximisation. They have nothing to do with foreign exchange payments. Since such transactions are independent of the state of country’s balance of payment, i.e., irrespective of whether BOP is favourable or unfavourable, they are, therefore, called autonomous items.

Accommodating items in BOP

These refer to transactions that take place to cover deficit (or surplus) arising from autonomous transactions. These items are also called ‘below the line items’. Because of government financing, official settlements are seen as accommodating items to keep the BOP identity.

#economyshots

World Resources Institute (WRI)
• It is a global research non-profit organization whcih focuses on 7 areas: food, forests, water, energy, cities, climate and ocean.

• Its mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment.

• It partners with local and national governments, private companies, publicly held corporations, andother non-profits organistations.