January Prediction 2023

INDEX
4.7. FINANCIAL SERVICES INSTITUTIONS

1. GOVERNANCE BUREAU (FSIB)
1.1 REMOTE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES 4.8. RBI WARNED REVERTING TO OPS
(RVMS) 4.9. RBI REPORT ON STATE BUDGETS
1.2 THE MAHADAYI RIVER WATER DISPUTE 4.10. TRADEMARK
1.3 THE DRAFT RULES ON ONLINE GAMING 4.11. ADDITIONAL TIER-1 BONDS
1.4. DECLARING A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION 4.12. SEBI BANS AGRI COMMODITIES TRADE
UNDER UAPA 4.13. TRADE-PLUS-ONE (T1) SETTLEMENT CYCLE
1.5. FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES SETTING UP 4.14. GST COMPENSATION
CAMPUSES IN INDIA
1.6. THE GOVERNOR – GOVERNMENT TUSSLE
1.7. ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND
5. GEOGRAPHICAL EVENTS
EXPLOITATION AND ENVIRONMENT
1.8. DRAFT GUIDELINES ON PRELIMINARY 5.1. SUSTAINABLE SHRIMP CULTIVATION
ASSESSMENT OF JUVENILES
5.2. SINKING TOWN IN HIMALAYAS
1.9. DELEGATED LEGISLATION
5.3. LAND SUBSIDENCE
1.10. THE BASIC STRUCTURE DOCTRINE
5.4. THE HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT
1.11. SHORTAGE OF SPECIALIST DOCTORS IN
5.5. THE COLD WAVE
CHC
5.6. THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER
1.12. CENTRE VS DELHI GOVT ON CONTROL
OVER SERVICES 5.7. THE INDIAN SKIMMER
1.13. GLOBAL RISKS REPORT 2023 5.8. ASIAN WATERBIRD CENSUS (AWC)
1.14. GOVERNOR-CM RIFT IN TAMIL NADU 5.9. ANTHROPOGENIC NOISE AFFECTS
DOLPHINS COMMUNICATION
1.15. ASER 2022 REPORT
5.10. THE GREATER SCAUP
1.16. SC HELD CHARGESHEETS NOT PUBLIC
DOCUMENT 5.11. HE ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE ZONES
1.17. STATEHOOD DAY OF NORTH-EASTERN 5.12. THE NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE
STATES FORCE
5.13. THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS
2. SCHEMES AND PROJECTS IN 5.14. THE KEN-BETWA RIVER LINKING PROJECT
5.15. THE SOVEREIGN GREEN BONDS
NEWS 5.16. THE KELP FOREST
2.1. THE ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICT PROGRAMME 5.17. TRANSLOCATING CHEETAH FROM SOUTH
AFRICA
3. INTERNATIONAL EVENTS 5.18. M-SAND PROJECTS
5.19. INDIA'S LARGEST DINOSAURS
AND CONVENTIONS
5.20. GOAT AS A DRUG FACTORY
3.1. THE CROATIA TO BECOME EU MEMBER 5.21. KISHANGANGA HYDROELECTRIC
3.2. THE ASIAN PACIFIC POSTAL UNION PROJECT & RATLE HYDROELECTRIC
3.3. LISTING GLOBAL TERRORIST PROJECT
3.4. CHINA CONSTRUCTING NEW DAM
3.5. THE INDUS WATER TREATY 6. SCIENCE AND
3.6. G-20 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL
ARCHITECTURE WORKING GROUP
TECHNOLOGY
6.1. THE NATIONAL GREEN HYDROGEN
MISSION
4. RECENT ECONOMIC EVENTS
6.2. GM MUSTARD
4.1. INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION 6.3. THE SHUKRAYAAN MISSION
FUND
6.4. THE BLACK BOX
4.2. BAD LOANS
6.5. LIQUIEFIED NATURAL GAS
4.3. PM GATI SHAKTI
6.6. THE GREEN COMET
4.4. THE OMBUDSMAN SCHEMES
6.7. THE ADITYA MISSION
4.5. THE GREEN BOND
4.6. THE FOREX RESERVE
2 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

7. COVID 19 AND DISEASES
7.1. THE KALA AZAR
7.2. NOROVIRUS
7.3. NATIONAL ANTI-LEPROSY DAY
8. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL

EVENTS
8.1. SATYENDRANATH BOSE
8.2. NO RHINOS POACHED IN ASSAM
8.3. SAVITRIBAI PHULE 7
8.4. THE CENTRALLY PROTECTED MONUMENTS
8.5. THE SAGOL KANGJEI
8.6. THE 17TH EDITION OF PRAVASI BHARATIYA
DIVAS
8.7. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA
8.8. HARVEST FESTIVALS
8.9. LAND TITLE DEEDS TO BANJARA
COMMUNITY
8.10. ASSAM’S CHARAIDEO MAIDAMS
8.11. THE PARAKRAM DIWAS 2023
8.12. THE JAGANNATH TEMPLE IN PURI
8.13. INDIA’S CONSTITUTION DAY
8.14. THE ETIKOPPAKA TOYS
8.15. MARTYR'S DAY
9. SECURITY
9.1. THE VILLAGE DEFENCE COMMITTEE
9.2. THE PRITHVI-II MISSILE
9.3. WOMEN IN INDIAN ARMY COMMAND
9.4. INS VAGIR
9.5. LEOPARD
10. ALSO IN NEWS

1. GOVERNANCE
1.1. REMOTE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINES (RVMS)
CONTEXT:
The Election Commission of India (ECI) said that it was ready to pilot remote voting for domestic
migrants through newly devised remote electronic voting machines (RVMs) so that the voter does not
have to travel to their home State or district to cast their vote.
FINDINGS:
 As per the 2011 census, 45.36 crore Indians (37% of the population) were internal migrants, settled in
a place different from that of their registered residence.
 Expressing concerns about a stagnating electoral participation, the EC says that while 67.4% of the
eligible 91.2 crore Indians voted in the 2019 Lok Sabha election, about one-third or close to 30 crore
voters did not cast their vote.
REMOTE ELECTRONIC VOTING MACHINE (RVM)
 The EC has now come up with a prototype for a Multi-Constituency Remote Electronic Voting
Machine (RVM) for migrant voting, a modified version of the existing EVM model.
 The EC says the RVM can handle multiple constituencies (up to 72) from a single remote polling
booth.
 The voter will have to register (online/offline) for a remote voting facility within a pre-notified time
with the concerned Returning Officer (RO) of their home constituency.
 Once the voter is verified and marked eligible for remote voting, a multi-constituency remote polling
station will be set up in the area of their current residence.
 The RVMs will have the same security system and voting experience as the EVM, with the
modification of an electronic ballot display with candidates and symbols instead of a fixed ballot
paper sheet.
 When the voter scans his/her constituency card in the presence of the Presiding Officer at the
station, their respective constituency and candidate list will appear on the RVM display.
 As for counting the votes, the electronic system will also count and store the votes for each
candidate in a constituency.

1.2. THE MAHADAYI RIVER WATER DISPUTE
CONTEXT:
 Karnataka’s decision to go ahead with a water diversion project on river Mahadayi has escalated
its long-standing dispute on the issue with neighbouring Goa.
ABOUT MAHADAYI DISPUTE:
 The dispute over Mahadayiriver began in the 80s and grew stronger in the subsequent decades.
 The trigger was Karnataka’s move to design a
number of dams, canals and barrages to THE MAHADAYI RIVER
route the Mahadayi river water to the
Malaprabha basin.  Mahadayiriver rises in the Western Ghats,
from the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in
 The state claimed that channelling the river
Khanapurtaluk of Karnataka’s Belagavi
water into the basin of Malaprabha, a
district.
tributary of the Krishna, would meet the
requirements of water-scarce districts of  Flowing westward, it enters Goa from
Bagalkot, Gadag, Dharwad and Belagavi. Sattaritaluk of North Goa districts.
 Goa, seeking redressal to the dispute in 2002,  A number of streams join the flow of the river
sought the constitution of a water disputes to form the Mandovi which is one of two
tribunal. The state also moved the apex court major rivers that flow through Goa.
in 2006 with its demand. After sustained efforts  It joins the Arabian Sea at Panaji.
by the Goan government, the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal was set up on November 16, 2010.
THE KALASA BANDURI NALA PROJECT:
 The KalasaBanduriNala project aims to divert water from Mahadayi to satisfy the drinking water
needs of Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot and Gadag districts.
 Though the project was first proposed in the early 1980s, it has remained on paper owing to a
dispute between Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra.
 As per plans, barrages are to be built against Kalasa and Banduri streams — tributaries of Mahadayi
— and water diverted towards Karnataka’s parched districts.
MECHANISM TO RESLOVE DISPUTE:
 The resolution of water dispute is governed by the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956.
 According to its provisions, if a State Government makes a request regarding any water dispute and
the Central Government is of opinion that the water dispute cannot be settled by negotiations, then
a Water Disputes Tribunal is constituted for the adjudication of the water dispute.
 The act was amended in 2002, to include the major recommendations of the Sarkaria Commission.
 The amendments mandated a one year time frame to setup the water disputes tribunal and also a
3 year time frame to give a decision.
1.3. THE DRAFT RULES ON ONLINE GAMING

CONTEXT:
The Centre has decided to regulate the online gaming industry in line with how social media platforms
are regulated today.
ONLINE GAMING INDUSTRY:
 The revenue of the Indian mobile gaming industry is expected to reach $5 billion in 2025.
 The industry grew at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38 per cent in India between 2017-
2020, as opposed to 8 per cent in China and 10 per cent in the US.
 It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15 per cent to reach Rs 153 billion in revenue by 2024.
RULES:
 The proposed rules, aimed at safeguarding users against potential harm from skill-based games,
have been introduced as an amendment to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines
and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The attempt is to regulate online gaming platforms as
intermediaries and place due diligence requirements on them.
 As per the principles laid under the rule, wagering on the outcome of a game will not be allowed.
All online gaming companies will have to register with the self-regulatory body.

 The self-regulatory body will have a board of directors with five members from diverse fields,
including online gaming, public policy, IT, psychology and medicine.
 It must ensure that the registered games don’t have anything “which is not in the interest of
sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, security of the state, friendly relations with
foreign states or public order, or incites the commission of any cognizable offence relating to the
aforesaid.
 There could be more than one self regulatory body and all of them will have to inform the Centre
about the games they have registered along with a report detailing the criteria for registering.
 Like an intermediary, online gaming firms will be required to undertake additional due diligence,
including KYC of users, transparent withdrawal and refund of money, and a fair distribution of
winnings.
 Gaming companies will also have to secure a random number generation certificate, which is
typically used by platforms that offer card games to ensure that game outputs are statistically
random and unpredictable. They will also have to get a “no bot certificate” from a reputed
certifying body.
 Similar to social media and e-commerce companies, online gaming platforms will also have to
appoint a compliance officer who will ensure that the platform is following norms, a nodal officer
who will act as a liaison official with the government and assist law enforcement agencies, and a
grievance officer who will resolve user complaints.
1.4. DECLARING A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION UNDER UAPA

CONTEXT:
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has banned The Resistance Front (TRF), an offshoot of Pakistan-
based Lashkar-e-Taiba proscribed terror outfit and all its manifestations and front organisations. The
ministry has declared them as terrorist organizations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967.
ABOUT UAPA ACT:

 This act was passed in 1967.
 The Act provides special procedures to deal with terrorist activities, among other things.
 Unlawful activity means any conduct which constitutes a crime or which contravenes any law
whether such conduct occurred before or after the commencement of this Act and whether such
conduct occurred in the Republic or elsewhere.
 Section 15 of the UAPA defines “terrorist act” and is punishable with imprisonment for a term of at
least five years to life. In case the terrorist act results in death, the punishment is death or
imprisonment for life.
 The Act assigns absolute power to the central government, by way of which if the Centre deems an
activity as unlawful then it may, by way of an Official Gazette, declare it so.

 The provisions of this Act apply also to— (a) citizens of India outside India; (b) persons in the service
of the Government, wherever they may be; and (c) persons on ships and aircrafts, registered in
India, wherever they may be.
 The investigating agency can file a charge sheet in a maximum of 180 days after the arrests and the
duration can be extended further after intimating the court.
2019 AMENDMENT:
 The amendment empowers the Central Government to designate individuals as terrorists on certain
grounds.
 It empowers the Director-General, National Investigation Agency (NIA) to grant approval of seizure
or attachment of property when the case is under investigation by the agency.
 It also empowers the officers of the NIA, of the rank of Inspector or above, to investigate cases of
terrorism. Earlier, the power to investigate was with the officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent
or Assistant Commissioner of Police only.
1.5. FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES SETTING UP CAMPUSES IN INDIA

CONTEXT:
Foreign universities and educational institutions could soon be allowed to set up campuses in India as
per the draft regulations made public by the University Grants Commission.
PROPOSED REGULATION OF UGC:

 The University Grants Commission (UGC) announced the draft regulations for ‘Setting up and
Operation of Campuses of Foreign Higher Educational Institutions in India’ and invited feedback
from stakeholders.
 The proposal allows a foreign university among the top 500 global rankings or a foreign educational
institution of repute in its home jurisdiction to apply to the UGC to set up a campus in India.
 Such a campus can evolve their own admission process and criteria to admit domestic and foreign
students.
 It will also have autonomy to decide its fee structure, and will face no caps that are imposed on
Indian institutions.
 The fee should be “reasonable and transparent”.
 It will also have autonomy to recruit faculty and staff from India and abroad. However, such
universities and colleges cannot offer any such programme of study which jeopardises the national
interest of India or the standards of higher education in India.
 They will also be allowed cross-border movement of funds.
THE UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION:
 The University Grants Commission is a statutory organization established by an Act of Parliament in
1956.
 Aim and Role: To provide funds to universities and coordinate, determine & maintain the ethics in
institutions of higher education. The commission upholds the universities', government's, and
community's interpretations.
 Meeting of the Commission: The Commission shall convene at such times and places as may be
prescribed by regulations made under this Act, and shall follow such rules of procedure in regard to
the conduct of business at its sessions.
 The Commission shall consist of a Chairman, a Vice-Chairman, and 10 other members, to
be appointed by the Central Government.
 Eligibility: The Chairman will be selected from among those who are not officers of the federal or
state governments.
 2 members: From among the officers of the Central Government to represent that government;
 Not less than 4 members shall be chosen from among persons who are, at the time of their election,
university professors.

1.6. THE GOVERNOR – GOVERNMENT TUSSLE
CONTEXT:
The governor-government tussle in Tamil Nadu blew up in the assembly after CM objected to governor
RN Ravi skipping portions of an “approved” speech and tabled a resolution against him.
THE TUSSLE:
 The Constitution of India is very clear on the role and responsibility of the Governor.
 He is the executive head of state and is the nominee of the President of India.
 Governor is the constitutional head of the state as well as the vital link between the Union and State
government
 In various instances, it is observed that the Governor flags an issue that the state government is not
acting in accordance with the set procedure and the Constitution.
 And, the Government of the day in various states also holds such views against the Governor. This
often flares up debates and causes flash points in the relationship between the Governor and the
State Government.
TO RESOLVE THE CONFLICT:
The Administrative Reforms Commission (1968):
 President’s rule- It recommended that the report of the governor regarding the President's rule has
to be objective and also the governor should exercise his own judgment in this regard.
Rajamannar Committee (1971) Role of Governor:
 The Rajamannar Committee stressed that the Governor of the state should not consider himself as
an agent of the centre but play his role as the constitutional head of the State.
Sarkaria Commission recommendations- 1983:
 Hung assembly- It provided the order of preference the Governor should follow in selecting a CM in
such a situation:
 An alliance of parties that was formed prior to the elections.
 The single largest party staking a claim to form the government with the support of others,
including independents.
 A post-electoral coalition of parties, with all the partners in the coalition joining the
government.
 A post-electoral alliance of parties, with some of the parties in the alliance forming a
government and the remaining parties, including independents, supporting the government
from outside.
 Appointment of Governor- CM should be consulted in the Governor’s appointment.
 Dismissal of Council of Ministers- The Governor cannot dismiss the Council of ministers when it
commands a majority.
S.R. Bommai Judgment (1994)
 President’s rule- The Supreme Court classified the instances of failure of constitutional machinery into
four heads- Political crises, Internal subversion, Physical breakdown, Noncompliance with
constitutional directions of the Union Executive The verdict allows the Supreme Court to investigate
claims of malafide in the Governor’s report.
Punchhi Commission recommendations (2007):
 The Punchhi Commission on Centre-State Relations said that the governor should invite the leader of
“a pre-poll alliance commanding the largest number” or the “largest single party” to form the
government in case no party or pre-poll coalition has a clear majority.

1.7. ONLINE CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION
CONTEXT:
Multiple lockdowns during Covid-19 forced children to turn to the internet for education, entertainment
and everything in between. It led to an increase in their average screen time. This prolonged online
exposure has increased threats to online safety for children.
ONLINE SEXUAL ABUSE AND ITS EFFECT:
 Online child sexual abuse and exploitation refers to activities such as the production and distribution
of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), live streaming sexual assault of minors, obtaining sexually
explicit material, exhibitionism and meeting the abuser in-person.
 This poses serious harm to children who experience psychological stress such as anxiety, trauma,
and depression.
 It can also lead to behavioural changes like drug and alcohol abuse, self-harm, and lower
motivation for academics.
 It doesn’t end there, as the consequences of online sexual abuse in childhood are far-reaching and
may well extend into adulthood — bringing forth issues with intimacy and affecting interpersonal
relationships.
 Moreover, the danger to the child persists after the initial production and distribution of the
recorded material, with each repeated viewing or sharing being a violation of the victim.
LAWS AGAINST OBLINE SEXUAL ABUSE:
The IT Act 2000:
 Section 67B of the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 provides stringent punishment for publishing,
transmitting, or viewing child sexual abuse material online.
 The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules,
2021 empower the users of Intermediaries and make the social media platforms accountable for
their safety.
 The Rules require the intermediaries to adopt a robust grievance redressal mechanism including
time-bound disposal of grievances.
 The government periodically blocks the websites containing outer child sexual abuse material
(CSAM) based on INTERPOL’s “worst of the list” received through the Central Bureau of Investigation
(CBI), the national nodal agency for Interpol in India.
 The Information Technology Act, of 2000 provides a legal framework for addressing all types of
prevailing cybercrimes reported in the country.
POCSO Act:
 Further, Section 14 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act provides
Punishment for using children for pornographic purposes. As per section 14: Whoever uses a child or
children for pornographic purposes shall be punished with imprisonment for a term that shall not
be less than five years.
1.8. DRAFT GUIDELINES ON PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF

JUVENILES
CONTEXT:
The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has come up with draft guidelines on
the preliminary assessment of whether certain minors are to be tried under law as adults in particular
cases, under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act.
PROCEDURE OF PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT:

 Earlier, all children under the age of 18 were considered minors by the law, but through an
amendment in 2015, a provision was added to the JJ Act for trying a child in conflict with the law as
an adult.
 Under this, a child in the age group of 16-18 years could be tried as an adult in case of heinous
offences.

 Section 15 (1) of the Act states that the Juvenile Justice Board shall conduct a preliminary
assessment to determine whether to try such a child as an adult or a minor.
 The Act directs that the Board shall consider the mental and physical capacity of the child for
committing the alleged offence, the ability to understand the consequences of the offence, and
the circumstances in which the offence was committed.
 It states that the Board can take the assistance of experienced psychologists or psychosocial
workers or other experts.
 The Act also gives a disclaimer that the assessment is not a trial, but is only to assess the capacity of
the child to commit and understand the consequences of the alleged offence.
 After the assessment, the Board can pass an order saying there is a need to try the said child as an
adult and transfer the case to a children’s court with the relevant jurisdiction.
 If tried as a minor, the child could be sent to a special home for a maximum of three years.
 If tried as an adult, the child can be sentenced to a jail term, except being sentenced to death or
life imprisonment without the possibility of release.
DRAFT GUIDELINES:
 The NCPCR has framed guidelines which it describes the key procedures to conduct the preliminary
assessment. It said that while the course of assessment may differ from child to child, the guidelines
are meant to frame essential components and the basic mechanisms to address any ambiguity.
 The draft relying on already existing provisions in the Act says that the preliminary assessment has to
determine four aspects:
 Physical capacity of the child: To determine the child’s ‘locomotor’ abilities and capacities,
particularly with regard to gross motor functions such as walking, running, lifting, throwing…such
abilities as would be required to engage in most antisocial activities.
 Mental capacity: To determine the child’s ability to make social decisions and judgments. It
also directs assessments pertaining to mental health disorders, substance abuse, and life skills
deficits.
 Circumstancesin which the offence was allegedly committed: Psychosocial vulnerabilities of
the child. This is to include life events, any trauma, abuse, and mental health problems, stating
that the offence behaviour is a cumulative consequence of a lot of other circumstances.
 Ability to understand the consequences of the alleged offence: To determine the child’s
knowledge or understanding of the alleged offence’s social, interpersonal and legal
consequences. These include what others will say or perceive him, how it might affect his
personal relationships and the knowledge of relevant laws, respectively.
1.9. DELEGATED LEGISLATION

CONTEXT:
In upholding the Centre’s 2016 decision on demonetisation, one of the key questions to decide for the
Supreme Court was whether Parliament gave excessive powers to the Centre under the law to
demonetise currency. While the majority ruling upheld the validity of the delegated legislation,
the dissenting verdict noted that excessive delegation of power is arbitrary.
DELEGATED LEGISLATION:
 Parliament routinely delegates certain functions to authorities established by law since every aspect
cannot be dealt with directly by the law makers themselves.
 This delegation of powers is noted in statutes, which are commonly referred to as delegated
legislations.
 The delegated legislation would specify operational details, giving power to those executing the
details. Regulations and by-laws under legislations are classic examples of delegated legislation.
 A 1973 Supreme Court ruling explains the concept as, the practice of empowering the Executive to
make subordinate legislation within a prescribed sphere has evolved out of practical necessity and
pragmatic needs of a modern welfare State.
 At the same time it has to be borne in mind that our Constitution-makers have entrusted the power
of legislation to the representatives of the people, so that the said power may be exercised not only
in the name of the people but also by the people speaking through their representatives.

DELEGATED LEGISLATION IN DEMONETISATION CASE:
 Section 26(2) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 essentially gives powers to the Centre to notify
that a particular denomination of currency ceases to be legal tender.
 The provision reads: “On
recommendation of the Central
Board the Central Government
may, by notification in the
Gazette of India, declare that,
with effect from such date as
may be specified in the
notification, any series of bank
notes of any denomination shall
cease to be legal tender.”
 Here, Parliament, which
enacted the RBI Act, is
essentially delegating the power
to alter the nature of legal
tender to the central
government.
 The Centre exercised that power by issuing a gazette notification, which is essentially the legislative
basis for the demonetisation exercise.
1.10. THE BASIC STRUCTURE DOCTRINE

CONTEXT:
Vice President sparked a debate on the separation of powers between the executive and the
judiciary. He criticised the Supreme Court once again for using the doctrine of basic structure to strike
down the constitutional amendment that introduced the National Judicial Appointments Commission
Act.
ABOUT BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE CONSTITUTION:

 The Doctrine of Basic Structure is a form of judicial review that is used to test the legality of any
legislation by the courts.
 The doctrine was evolved by the Supreme Court in the 1973 landmark ruling in KesavanandaBharati
v State of Kerala.
 In a 7-6 verdict, a 13-judge Constitution Bench ruled that the ‘basic structure’ of the Constitution is
inviolable, and could not be amended by Parliament.
 If a law is found to “damage or destroy” the “basic features of the Constitution”, the Court declares
it unconstitutional.
 The test is applied to constitutional amendments to ensure the amendment does not dilute the
fundamentals of the Constitutional itself.
 The test is widely regarded as a check on majoritarian impulses of the Parliament since it places
substantive limits on the power to amend the Constitution.
SOME OF THE BASIC FEATURES OF INDIAN CONSTITUTION:
In the Kesavananda ruling, the Supreme Court cited several aspects of the Constitution that could be
identified as “basic features” of the document but added that it was not an exhaustive list.
 The supremacy of the Constitution,
 The rule of law,
 Independence of the judiciary,
 Doctrine of separation of powers,
 Sovereign democratic republic,
 The parliamentary system of government,
 The principle of free and fair elections,
 Welfare state, etc.

1.11. SHORTAGE OF SPECIALIST DOCTORS IN CHC
CONTEXT:
There has been an over 50% rise in the number of allopathy doctors in primary health centres since the
launch of the National Rural Health Mission in 2005 but the critical shortage of specialist doctors at the
community health centres persists.
ANNUAL REPORT:
 Since 1992, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has published this annual report which includes
data on health infrastructure and manpower, every year.
 The publication is based on the data uploaded by States/UTs and is published only after getting
verified by them.
 As per norms, each sub centre (SC) is supposed to cater to a population of 3,000-5,000, each PHC
to a population of 20,000-30,000 and each CHC to a population of 80,000-1,20,000. Actually, The
RHS estimates as of 31 March, 2022, has revealed that each SC catered to an average of 5691
people, each PHC to 36049 people and each CHC to 164027 people.
LEVELS OF HEALTH CENTRES:
The health care infrastructure in rural areas has been developed as a three tier system as follows.
 Sub Centre : Most peripheral contact point between Primary Health Care System & Community
manned with one HW(F)/ANM & one HW(M)
 Primary Health Centre (PHC) : A Referral Unit for 6 Sub Centres 4-6 bedded manned with a Medical
Officer Incharge and 14 subordinate paramedical staff
 Community Health Centre (CHC) : A 30 bedded Hospital/Referral Unit for 4 PHCs with Specialized
services
THE SUB-CENTRE:
 The Sub Centre is the most peripheral and first contact point between the primary health care
system and the community.
 Sub Centres are assigned tasks relating to interpersonal communication in order to bring about
behavioral change and provide services in relation to maternal and child health, family welfare,
nutrition, immunization, diarrhoea control and control of communicable diseases programmes.
 Each Sub Centre is required to be manned by at least one auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) / female
health worker and one male health worker. Under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), there is a
provision for one additional second ANM on contract basis. One lady health visitor (LHV) is entrusted
with the task of supervision of six Sub Centres. Government of India bears the salary of ANM and LHV
while the salary of the Male Health Worker is borne by the State governments.
THE PRIMARY HEALTH CENTRE:
 PHC is the first contact point between village community and the medical officer.
 The PHCs were envisaged to provide an integrated curative and preventive health care to the rural
population with emphasis on preventive and promotive aspects of health care.
 The PHCs are established and maintained by the State governments under the Minimum Needs
Programme (MNP)/ Basic Minimum Services (BMS) Programme.
COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE:
 CHCs are being established and maintained by the State government under MNP/BMS programme.
 As per minimum norms, a CHC is required to be manned by four medical specialists i.e. surgeon,
physician, gynecologist and pediatrician supported by 21 paramedical and other staff. It has 30 in-
door beds with one OT, X-ray, labour room and laboratory facilities.
1.12. CENTRE VS DELHI GOVT ON CONTROL OVER SERVICES

CONTEXT:
 A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is hearing a dispute between the Delhi
government and the Centre over the control of services.
NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY (NCT) OF DELHI:

 Article 239 AA was inserted in the Constitution by the 69th Amendment Act, 1991, and conferred
Special Status upon Delhi following the recommendations of the S Balakrishnan Committee that was
set up in 1987 to look into Delhi’s demands for statehood.
 According to this provision, the NCT of Delhi will have an Administrator and a Legislative Assembly.
 Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the Legislative Assembly, “shall have the power to
make laws for the whole or any part of the NCT with respect to any of the matters in the State List or
Concurrent List in so far as any such matter is applicable to Union territories” except on the subjects
of police, public order, and land.
 However, in the past few years, governance in the NCT has often been a subject of conflict
between the Delhi government and the L-G.
CURRENT DISPUTE:
 A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court is hearing a dispute between the Delhi
government and the Centre over the control of services.
CONTROL OVER ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES:
 A two-judge Bench had delivered a split verdict on the issue of services in 2019.
 In this judgment, delivered in 2019 by a two-judge Bench of Justices A K Sikri and Ashok Bhushan,
several issues relating to the powers of the Lieutenant Governor (LG) were settled; however, on the
issue of control over services, the two judges ruled differently.
 When a split verdict is delivered, the case is heard afresh by a larger Bench assigned by the CJI.
 On May 6, 2022, a three-judge Bench headed by former CJI N V Ramana had referred this case to
a larger Bench on the Centre’s plea.
 The three-judge Bench had decided that the question of control over administrative services
required “further examination”.
CENTRE’S ARGUMENTS:
 The Centre on April 27, 2022 sought a reference to a larger Bench, arguing that it needed the power
to make transfers and postings of officers in Delhi on account of it being the national capital and
the “face of nation”.
STATE GOVERNMENT’S ARGUMENTS:
 The Delhi government has argued that in the interest of federalism, the elected representatives must
have power over transfers and postings.
 The court agreed that the limited question relating to the scope of the legislative and executive
powers of the Centre and NCT of Delhi, with respect to the term “services”, would need an
authoritative pronouncement by a Constitution Bench in terms of Article 145(3) of the Constitution.
CONSTITUTION BENCH:
 Article 145(3) deals with the setting up of a Constitution Bench comprising at least five judges “for
the purpose of deciding any case involving a substantial question of law as to the interpretation” of
the Constitution.
LEGAL ISSUES BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT:
Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2021:
 The Act provided that the term “government” referred to in any law made by the Legislative
Assembly of Delhi will imply the Lieutenant Governor (L-G).
 Constitutional validity of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act
2021, is challenged by the Delhi government.
Reference made by a two-judge Bench in February 2019:
 While deciding on the distribution of powers between the Delhi government and Centre, left the
question of who will have control over the administrative services for consideration by a larger
Bench.

1.13. GLOBAL RISKS REPORT 2023
CONTEXT:
World Economic Forum (WEF) has released Global Risk Report 2023
Global Risks Report 2023:

 The report uses Data from the Global Risks Perception Survey 2022-2023 to understand the risks the
world is likely to face over the coming 10 years.
 In the next two years, the cost-of-living crisis is seen as the biggest risk, while over the next 10 years
environmental risks dominate.
 The report states that governments will face “trade-offs” in the coming years as they try to navigate
societal challenges, the environment, and security risks.
 The report stresses the need for more effective collaboration World Economic Forum:
on climate mitigation and adaptation over the next decade
to avoid “ecological breakdown” and continued global  It was established in 1971 as a
warming. not-for-profit foundation and is
headquartered in Geneva,
Major global risks: Switzerland.
 In the next 2 years: Cost of living; Natural disasters and  The World Economic Forum is
extreme weather events the International Organization
 In the next 10 years: Failure to mitigate climate change; for Public-Private Cooperation.
Biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse  The Forum engages the
foremost political, business,
Major risks to India: cultural and other leaders of
 Digital inequality; geopolitical confrontation for resources, society to shape global,
the rising cost of living, debt crisis, natural disasters and regional and industry agendas.
extreme weather events.

1.14. GOVERNOR-CM RIFT IN TAMIL NADU
CONTEXT:
The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed unprecedented scenes on current assembly session that leads to a
rift in federalism.
MORE ON NEWS:
 On January 9, 2023, when Governor R. N. Ravi, while delivering his customary address to the House,
omitted certain paragraphs from the text prepared by the State government.
 Chief Minister M.K. Stalin later moved a motion to take on record only the transcript distributed to
legislators, prompting the Governor to walk out of the House.
 Mr. Ravi did not wait for Mr. Stalin to finish reading the resolution’s text to walk out.
 Though a walkout by a Governor is a first for Tamil Nadu, in February 1965, the then West Bengal
Governor, Padmaja Naidu, walked out of the Assembly without addressing the House, annoyed by
the Opposition’s interruptions.
TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT’S DEMAND:
 Tamil Nadu government wants president to ensure that the Governor acts as per Article 163 (1)
[Council of Ministers to aid and advise Governor] of the Constitution.
 There are many important Bills which are awaiting the Governor’s nod.
 There is no limit set for how long a Governor can withhold assent to a Bill.
HOW MANY TIMES HAS TAMIL NADU FACED SUCH A SITUATION?
 This was the first time that a Governor chose to skip certain paragraphs.
 Even when relations between Governor M. Channa Reddy and Chief Minister Jayalalithaa during
1993-95 were at the lowest ebb, nothing of this sort happened.
WAS THE ASSEMBLY RIGHT IN PASSING A MOTION AFTER THE GOVERNOR’S ADDRESS?
 An issue that arose was whether any other business could be transacted immediately after the
Governor’s address.
 The Chief Minister of T.N, while moving the motion, referred to the relaxation of Rule 17 of the
Assembly Rules.
 Rule 17 of the Assembly rules deals with the observance of order before, after and during the
address.
 However, there is a precedent for other proceedings taking place on the day of the Governor’s
address.
 The Tamil Nadu Assembly, on January 23, 2017, adopted a Bill on jallikattu in the evening sitting after
the then Governor Vidyasagar Rao made his address to the House in the morning.
 It is crucial that both sides work towards resolving their differences for the benefit of the state and its
people.
1.15. ASER 2022 REPORT

CONTEXT:
The impact of the pandemic and prolonged school closure was evident in the results of the Annual
Status of Education Report (ASER 2022) survey.
FINDINGS OF THE REPORT:

 It indicated a drop in the basic reading ability and arithmetic levels of children at the State and
national levels.
 While only 10.2% of Class 3 children from government and private schools could read a Class 2-level
text in 2018, this dropped further to 4.8% in 2022. Tamil Nadu was among the States with the lowest
reading levels.
 Nationally as well, the figure dropped from 27.3% in 2018 to 20.5% in 2022. This, the survey report said,
took the outcomes to pre-2012 levels, reversing the slow improvements achieved in the intervening
years.

 The survey’s findings indicated a similar dip in basic reading levels among Class 5 children who were
able to read a Class 2-level text, and Class 8 students who could read a Class 2-level text across the
country.
 As the pandemic subsided, school enrolment touched 4% in 2022 up from 97.2% in 2018, when the
last full pre-pandemic survey was conducted.
 For girls aged 11-14, this share dropped from 4.1% in 2018 to 2% in 2022 (which stood at 10.3% in
2006).
 Clearly, the pandemic has resulted in learning loss. However, the loss is much greater in reading as
compared to arithmetic.
ABOUT ASER:
 ASER is an annual survey that aims to provide district-level information on children’s enrolment and
basic learning.
 The Survey has been conducted every year since 2005 in all rural districts of India.
 It is a household-based survey rather than a school-based survey: This enables all children to be
included; those who have never been to school or have dropped out, as well as those who are in
government schools, private schools, religious schools or anywhere else.
 Information on learning is collected from children in the age group 3-16: Basic household
information is also collected. Recently, this has included household size, parental education, and
some information on household assets.
 Children in the age group 5-16 are tested in basic reading and basic arithmetic.
 ASER standards have been adopted in several countries: Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Pakistan, Mali
and Senegal.
1.16. SC HELD CHARGESHEETS NOT PUBLIC DOCUMENT

CONTEXT:
The Supreme Court held that chargesheets are not ‘public documents’ and enabling their free public
access violates the provisions of the Criminal Code of Procedure as it compromises the rights of the
accused, victim, and the investigation agencies.
ABOUT CHARGESHEET:
 A chargesheet, as defined under Section 173 CrPC, is the final report prepared by a police officer or
investigative agencies after completing their investigation of a case.
 After preparing the chargesheet, the officer-in-charge of the police station forwards it to a
Magistrate, who is empowered to take notice of the offences mentioned in it.
 The chargesheet should contain details of names, the nature of the information, and offences.
Whether the accused is under arrest, in custody, or has been released, whether any action was
taken against him, are all important questions that the chargesheet answers.
 Further, when the chargesheet relates to offences for which there is sufficient evidence against the
accused, the officer forwards it to the Magistrate, complete with all documents. This forms the basis
for the prosecution’s case and the charges to be framed.
 A chargesheet must be filed against the accused within a prescribed period of 60-90 days,
otherwise the arrest is illegal and the accused is entitled to bail.
DIFFERENT FROM FIR:
 The term ‘chargesheet’ has been expressly defined under Section 173 of the CrPC but ‘First
Information Report’ or FIR, has not been defined in either the Indian Penal Code (IPC) or the CrPC.
Instead, it finds a place under the police regulations/ rules under Section 154 of CrPC, which deals
with ‘Information in Cognizable Cases’.
 While the chargesheet is the final report filed towards the end of an investigation, an FIR is filed at
the ‘first’ instance’ that the police is informed of a cognizable offense or offence for which one can
be arrested without a warrant; such as rape, murder, kidnapping.
 Further, an FIR does not decide a person’s guilt but a chargesheet is complete with evidence and is
often used during the trial to prove the offenses the accused is charged with.
 A chargesheet is filed by the police or law-enforcement/ investigative agency only after they have
gathered sufficient evidence against the accused in respect of the offenses mentioned in the FIR,
otherwise, a ‘cancellation report’ or ‘untraced report’ can be filed when due to lack of evidence.

1.17. STATEHOOD DAY OF NORTH-EASTERN STATES
CONTEXT:
The Statehood Day of Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura is celebrated on January 21.
MORE ON NEWS:
 This year marks the 51st foundation year for the three states which attained statehood under the
North Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act of 1971. While Manipur and Tripura were princely states
which were absorbed into India in October 1949, Meghalaya was part of Assam after
Independence.
 The states came into being in 1972 after the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, of 1971, was
enacted.
 It resulted in a significant change in the boundaries of India's Northeastern region, dividing it into
states and Union Territories (UTs) after 24 years of Independence.
ATTAINING STATEHOOD:
 At the time of Independence, the Northeast consisted of the plains of the old Assam province, the
mountainous regions and the North East Frontier Tracts (NEFT) of the Northeast Frontier Province.
After independence, the princely states of Manipur and Tripura merged with India in 1949. The states
were granted the status of Union territories.
 Under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India, Meghalaya was made an autonomous state in
Assam through the Assam (Meghalaya) Reorganization Act, of 1969.
 Finally, in 1972, Tripura, Meghalaya and Manipur were granted full statehood by the North Eastern
Reorganization Act, 1972.
MANIPUR:
 The UT of Manipur became the state of Manipur, comprising territories that before that day
belonged to the Union Territory of Manipur as per the 1971 Act.
TRIPURA:
 Tripura was an independent administrative unit under the maharajas of the Manikya dynasty even
during the British rule in India, as per the website portal of the state.
 However, this independence was qualified, subject to recognition by the British, as the supreme
power of each successive ruler.
 With the persistent efforts and struggle of its people, Tripura gained full statehood on January 21,
1972, under the 1971 Act and its democratic set-up was further extended to the village level in 1978
with local body elections. This eventually culminated in the introduction of the three-tier Panchayati
raj system.
MEGHALAYA:
 The first prime minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, evolved a policy to preserve and protect
the culture of the tribal people in Meghalaya.
 The region was given special protection in the Indian Constitution along with other tribal areas, and
it had a great deal of autonomy.
 In 1960, when Assamese became the state's official language, the agitation for autonomy and self-
rule gained momentum.
 This movement was largely peaceful and constitutional. In 1970, Meghalaya became an
autonomous state within Assam and later it achieved full statehood on January 21, 1972.

2. SCHEMES AND PROJECTS IN NEWS
2.1. THE ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICT PROGRAMME
CONTEXT:
The Centre is set to launch the Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP), a new initiative on the lines of the
Aspirational District Programme.
ABOUT THE ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICT PROGRAMME:

 The Government of India has launched the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ initiative in 2018
with a vision of a New India by 2022 wherein the focus is to improve India’s ranking under the Human
Development Index (HDI), raising living standards of its citizens and ensuring inclusive growth of all.
 It was launched to improve the socio-economic status of 112 aspirational districts across 28 States.
 These districts had witnessed the least progress along certain development parameters. The districts
accounted for more than 20% of the country’s population and covered over 8,600 gram
panchayats.
 The Programme is coordinated by NitiAayog with support from Central Ministries and the State
Governments.
 These Aspirational Districts (AD) across 27 states have been identified by NITI AAYOG based upon
composite indicators from Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial
Inclusion & Skill development and Basic Infrastructure which have an impact on HDI.
 Weightage has been accorded to these districts as below:
 Health & Nutrition (30%)
 Education (30%)
 Agriculture & Water Resources (20%)
 Financial Inclusion & Skill Development (10%)
 Basic Infrastructure (10%)
 NITI Aayog anchors the program at Central level while individual Ministries have been responsibility
to drive progress in districts. The States are the main drivers of the programme. For each district, a
central Prabhari officer has been nominated. He/she should possess a rank of joint
secretary/additional secretary.
CORE STRATEGY:
The ADP is based on the following strategy:
 Work on the strength of each district;
 Make development as a mass movement in these districts;
 Identify low hanging fruits and the strength of each district which can act as a catalyst for
development;
 Measure progress and rank districts to spur a sense of competition;
 Districts shall aspire from becoming State’s best to Nation’s best.

3. INTERNATIONAL EVENTS AND CONVENTIONS
3.1. THE CROATIA TO BECOME EU MEMBER
CONTEXT:
Croatia adopted the euro and removed dozens of border checkpoints to become the 27th nation to
join Europe's passport-free Schengen zone.
ABOUT EUROPEAN UNION:
 The European Union is a group of 28 countries that operate as a cohesive economic and political
block.
 19 of these countries use euro as their official currency. 9 EU members (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech
Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) do not use the
euro.
 The EU grew out of a desire to form a single European political entity to end centuries of warfare
among European countries that culminated with World War II and decimated much of the
continent.
 The EU has developed an internal single market through a standardized system of laws that apply in
all member states in matters, where members have agreed to act as one.
 In 2012, the EU was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for advancing the causes of peace,
reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe.
FORMATION OF EU:
 The EU dates back to 1950 as the European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC) formed with only six
countries: Belgium, France, Italy, West Germany, Netherlands, and Luxembourg. This ‘Treaty of Paris’
took effect in 1952
 ECSC, European Atomic Energy Community (EAEC), and European Economic Community (EEC)
were formed by the Treaty of Rome (1957). These three communities are merged under common
institutions forming the European Community (EC) under the Merger treaty in 1965, Brussels
 Eventually, EC started to see its expansion with Denmark, Ireland, and the UK as its members in 1973,
followed by Greece in 1981and Portugal and Spain as members in 1986
 ‘The Schengen Agreement’ was signed on June 14, 1985, to abolish the national borders to build the
free movement across Europe known as the ‘Schengen Area’
 Except for Ireland, the remaining 26 countries of the EU are part of the Schengen Agreement along
with some of the non-EU countries, including Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein, etc.
 The ‘Maastricht Treaty’ established the European Union with effect in 1993, and the common single
currency ‘EURO’ debuted
 Today EURO is the shared official currency of 19 EU members known collectively as the eurozone
 Further, many countries came to join the EU in 2004 and 2007, which resulted in the present EU
community
 ‘Treaty of Lisbon increased the powers of the European Parliament in 2009 to negotiate and sign
international treaties.
THE SCHENGEN AREA:
 The Schengen Area is a visa-free travel zone made up of 26 European nations – 22 EU states and
four other nations Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
 Citizens from these countries are permitted free movement of travel inside the area’s single external
border because the internal borders have been abolished.
 The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, as
well as to many non-EU nationals, businessmen, tourists or other persons legally present on the EU
territory.
 As well as passport-free travel, the Schengen Agreement also demands nations adopt common
rules on migration, allowing refugees and those on visas to move freely.
 This agreement also allows police to chase suspected criminals across borders and access a shared
database of wanted people and stolen objects.

 The Schengen Agreement allows states to reinstate checks for reasons of “public policy or national
security” for up to 10 days. This can be extended for up to a maximum of two years in “exceptional
circumstances”.
3.2. THE ASIAN PACIFIC POSTAL UNION

CONTEXT:
India will take over the leadership of the Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) having its Headquarters in
Bangkok, Thailand from this month.
ABOUT PACIFIC POSTAL UNION:

 Asian Pacific Postal Union (APPU) is an intergovernmental organization of 32-member countries of
the Asian-Pacific region.
 APPU is the only Restricted Union of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) in the region, which is a
specialized agency of the United Nations.
 The goal of APPU is to extend, facilitate and improve postal relations between member countries
and to promote cooperation in the field of postal services.
 As the regional center for various UPU projects, APPU also takes the lead in ensuring that all
technical and operational projects of the UPU are fulfilled in the region so that the region is
integrated into the global postal network in the best possible way.
 Secretary General leads the activities of the Union and is also the Director of the Asian Pacific Postal
College (APPC) which is the largest intergovernmental postal training institute in the region.
3.3. LISTING GLOBAL TERRORIST

CONTEXT:
UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 1267
Committee listed Abdul RehmanMakki as a  A specialized agency of United Nations that
global terrorist. coordinates postal policies among member
nations, in addition to worldwide postal
UNSC’s 1267 COMMITTEE: system.
 Established in 1874 and is second oldest
 The UNSC’s 1267 Committee was set up in
international organization worldwide after
1999 after the Taliban and Al-Qaeda were
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
listed as terror outfits by Resolution 1267 of
which was established in 1865.
the UNSC.
 Headquartered in Berne, Switzerland.
 It is now known as the Da’esh and Al Qaeda
Sanctions Committee.  Has 192 member countries.
 According to the UN, the Committee’s task is  It is primary forum for cooperation between
to designate terrorists, implement sanctions postal sector players among member
and monitor their implementation. countries.
 The Committee is made up of the 15  UPU has four units: the Congress, the Council
members of the UNSC. of Administration, the International Bureau,
and the Postal Operations Council.
 It comprises all permanent and non-
permanent members of the United Nations  Regulates40 lakh postal outlets worldwide.
Security Council (UNSC).  India joined the UPU on July 1, 1876
 The 1267 list of terrorists is a global list, with a UNSC stamp. It is full of Pakistani nationals and residents.
 It is one of the most important and active UN subsidiary bodies working on efforts to
combat terrorism, particularly in relation to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
 It discusses UN efforts to limit the movement of terrorists, especially those related to travel bans, the
freezing of assets and arms embargoes for terrorism.
PROCEDURE OF LISTING:
 Any member state can submit a proposal for listing an individual, group, or entity.
 The proposal must include acts or activities indicating the proposed individual/group/entity had
participated “in the financing, planning, facilitating, preparing, or perpetrating of acts or activities”
linked to “ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida or any cell, affiliate, splinter group or derivative thereof”.

 Decisions on listing and de-listing are adopted by consensus. The proposal is sent to all the members,
and if no member objects within five working days, the proposal is adopted. An “objection” means
curtains for the proposal.
 Any member of the Committee may also put a “technical hold” on the proposal and ask for more
information from the proposing member state. During this time, other members may also place their
own holds.
 The matter remains on the “pending” list of the Committee until such time as the member state that
has placed the hold decides to turn its decision into an “objection”, or until all those who have
placed holds remove them within a timeframe laid down by the Committee.
 Pending issues must be resolved in six months, but the member state that has placed the hold may
ask for an additional three months. At the end of this period, if an objection is not placed, the
matter is considered approved.
3.4. CHINA CONSTRUCTING NEW DAM

CONTEXT:
China is building a new on the MabjaZangbo river, near north of the trijunction border with India and
Nepal, according to the new satellite images a geospatial intelligence researcher.
BACKGROUND:
 Since early 2021, China has been constructing a dam on the MabjaZangboriver just a few kilometers
north of the trijunction border with India & Nepal.
 This came after China unveiled plans to build a super dam close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
in Tibet on the lower reaches of the YarlungZangbo river which flows into Arunachal Pradesh and
then in Assam.
THE MABJA ZANGBO RIVER:
 The MabjaZangbo river flows into
the Ghaghara or Karnali river in
Nepal before eventually joining
the Ganga river in India.
 The dam is located just a few
kilometres north of the tri-junction
of China’s border with India and
Nepal, Symon said.
 According to the latest satellite
images, the dam appears to be
350 metres to 400 metres long.
THE GANGA RIVER SYSTEM:
 The Ganga is formed from the 6
headstreams and their five confluences.
 The Alaknanda River meets the Dhauliganga River at Vishnuprayag, the Nandakini River at
Nandprayag, the Pindar River to form the Ganga main stream.
 The Bhagirathi, considered to be the source stream: rises at the foot of Gangotri Glacier, at
Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3892m and fanning out into the 350km wide Ganga delta, it finally
empties into the Bay of Bengal.
 From Devapryag the river is called as Ganga.
 Ganga debouches [emerge from a confined space into a wide, open area] from the hills into the
plain area at It is joined by the Yamuna at Allahabad.
 Near Rajmahal Hills it turns to the south-east.
 At Farraka, it bifurcates into Bhagirathi-Hugli in West Bengal and Padma-Meghna in Bangladesh (it
ceases to be known as the Ganga after Farraka).
 Brahmaputra (or the Jamuna as it is known here) joins Padma-Meghna at.
 The total length of the Ganga river from its source to its mouth (measured along the Hugli) is 2,525
km.

3.5. THE INDUS WATER TREATY
CONTEXT:
India has issued a notice to pakisthan seeking modification of the more than six-decade-old Indus
Waters Treaty (IWT) that governs the sharing of waters of six rivers in the Indus system between the two
countries.
REASON FOR ISSUING NOTICE:

 This is due Pakistan's "intransigence" on its
implementation.
 The treaty sets out a mechanism for cooperation and
information exchange between the two countries
regarding use of waters of a number of rivers.
 In 2015, Pakistan requested for appointment of a
neutral expert to examine its technical objections to
India's Kishenganga and Ratle Hydro Electric Projects
(HEPs).
 In 2016, Pakistan unilaterally retracted this request
and proposed that a Court of Arbitration adjudicate
on its objections.
 India said Pakistan hasn't budged and despite its
repeated efforts to find a mutually agreeable way
forward, it refused to discuss the issue during the five meetings of the Permanent Indus Commission
from 2017 to 2022.
 Under such circumstances, India issued a "notice of modification" of the treaty to its neighbour.
THE INDUS WATER TREATY:
 The Indus Water Treaty (IWT) is a water-distribution treaty between India and Pakistan, arranged and
negotiated by the World Bank, to use the water available in the Indus River and its tributaries.
 It was signed in Karachi in 1960 by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and then Pakistani
president Ayub Khan.
 The agreement took place after nine years of negotiations and divided the control of six rivers
between the two countries.
 Under the treaty, India got control over the rivers Beas, Ravi and Sutlej while Pakistan gained control
of the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum.
 Under the treaty, all the waters of the three eastern rivers, averaging around 33 million acre-feet
(MAF), were allocated to India for exclusive use.
 A similar control was given to Pakistan for the waters of the western rivers - Indus, Jhelum, and
Chenab - averaging around 135 MAF, except for one condition.
 According to the treaty, India has the right to generate hydroelectricity through the run of the river
(RoR) projects on the western rivers which, subject to specific criteria for design and operation, is
unrestricted.
PERMANENT INDUS COMMISSION:
 The Permanent Indus Commission (PIC) is a bilateral commission consisting of officials
from India and Pakistan, created to implement and manage the goals and objectives and outlines
of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT).
 The Commission according to the treaty must meet regularly at least once a year, alternately in
India and Pakistan.
3.6. G-20 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE WORKING

GROUP
CONTEXT:
The first International Financial Architecture Working Group meeting of G-20 under the chairmanship of
India will be held in Chandigarh on 30-31 January 2023.

G-20 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE WORKING GROUP:
 The International Financial Architecture Working Group is one of the important working groups under
the G-20 finance track, which focuses on strengthening the international financial architecture.
 It will be held in Chandigarh on 30-31 January 2023.
 It will also aim to address various challenges faced by vulnerable countries.
 The meeting will discuss ways to enhance the stability and cohesion of the international financial
architecture and how to make it capable of addressing the global challenges of the 21st century.
The meeting will also focus on finding ways to maximize aid to poor and vulnerable countries.
 On the sidelines of the G-20 Working Group meeting, a G-20 event titled 'Central Bank Digital
Currencies (CBDCs): Opportunities and Challenges' will be held.
 The objective of the event is to share country experiences and develop a deeper understanding of
the wider implications of CBDCs.
 As a precursor a seminar on "Central Bank Digital Currencies: The Indian Story" was organized in
Chandigarh on 25 January 2023.
 During India's G-20 Presidency, this working group will meet further in March, June and September to
continue discussions on the priorities set under India’s Presidency.
 The discussions at the International Financial Architecture Working Group meeting will inform the G-
20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBGs) on key deliberations on related priorities
under India's G-20 finance track.
 The first meeting of the G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors is scheduled to be held
in Bengaluru on 24-25 February 2023.
About G-20:
 The G20 was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for the Finance
Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues.
 The G20 was upgraded to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global
economic and financial crisis of 2007, and, in 2009, was designated the “premier forum for
international economic cooperation”.
 The Group of Twenty (G20) is the premier forum for international economic cooperation.
 It plays an important role in shaping and strengthening global architecture and governance
on all major international economic issues.
 India holds the Presidency of the G20 from 1 December 2022 to 30 November 2023.
 The G20 Summit is held annually, under the leadership of a rotating Presidency.
 The Group of Twenty (G20) comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada,
China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia,
Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, United Kingdom and United States) and the European
Union.
 The G20 members represent around 85% of the global GDP, over 75% of the global trade,
and about two-thirds of the world population.

4. RECENT ECONOMIC EVENTS
4.1. INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND
CONTEXT:
The Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) will launch an outreach programme soon to create
awareness of cryptocurrencies and online gaming.
INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND:

 The Investor Education and Protection Fund (IEPF) is managed by the IEPF Authority, which was set
up in 2016 under the provisions of Section 125 of the Companies Act, 2013.
 The Authority is entrusted with the responsibility of administration of the IEPF, which, besides
promoting awareness among investors, makes refunds of shares, unclaimed dividends, matured
deposits and debentures and so on to rightful claimants.
AWARENESS
 As for investment education, the idea is to reach out to household investors, housewives and
professionals alike in rural and urban areas and teach them the basics.
 Focus areas include primary and secondary capital markets, various saving instruments, the
instruments for investment (such as mutual funds, equity, among others), making investors aware of
dubious Ponzi and chit fund schemes and existing grievance redressal mechanisms, among other
things.
 Until the end of October, it had conducted more than 65,000 awareness programmes covering 30
lakh citizens.
THE IEPF IS TO BE UTILIZED FOR:
 The refund in respect of unclaimed dividends, matured deposits, matured debentures, the
application money due for refund and interest thereon
 Promotion of investors’ education, awareness and protection
 Distribution of any disgorged amount among eligible and identifiable applicants for shares or
debentures, shareholders, debenture-holders or depositors who have suffered losses due to wrong
actions by any person, in accordance with the orders made by the Court which had ordered
disgorgement
 Reimbursement of legal expenses incurred in pursuing class action suits under sections 37 and 245 by
members, debenture-holders or depositors as may be sanctioned by the Tribunal
 Any other purpose incidental thereto, in accordance with such rules as may be prescribed:
Provided that the person whose amounts referred to in clauses (a) to (d) of sub-section (2) of section
205C transferred to Investor Education and Protection Fund, after the expiry of the period of seven
years as per provisions of the Companies Act, 1956, shall be entitled to get refund out of the Fund in
respect of such claims in accordance with rules made under this section
4.2. BAD LOANS

CONTEXT:
Finance Minister told Parliament that banks had written off bad loans worth Rs.10,09,511crore during the
last five financial years. A National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd. (NARCL) was announced in the
Union Budget for 2021-2022 to resolve stressed loans amounting to about ₹2 lakh crore in phases.
BAD LOANS:
 A bad loan is that which has not been ‘serviced’ for a certain period. Servicing a loan is paying
back the interest and a small part of the principal — depending on the agreement between bank
and borrower — to begin with so that over time, you pay back the principal as well as the interest
accrued in the duration.
 In 2009, the RBI brought out norms that set out categories of NPAs and what banks must do as these
bad loans aged.
 Bad loans are a problem, for, with time, there is less and less certainty that the loan would be paid
back in full.

 The RBI’s master circular in 2009 started off the journey on NPA recognition. It states that if an asset
has been ‘doubtful’ for a certain period, the value of that asset must be provided for in parts, as the
asset ages.
CLASSIFICATION:
Banks are required to classify NPAs further into Substandard, Doubtful and Loss assets.
 Substandard assets: Assets which has remained NPA for a period less than or equal to 12 months.
 Doubtful assets: An asset would be classified as doubtful if it has remained in the substandard
category for a period of 12 months.
 Loss assets: As per RBI, “Loss asset is considered uncollectible and of such little value that its
continuance as a bankable asset is not warranted, although there may be some salvage or
recovery value.”
NATIONAL ASSET RECONSTRUCTION COMPANY:
 National Asset Reconstruction Company Ltd.(NARCL), India’s first-ever Bad Bank, was set up in 2021,
and RBI has recently granted the same under the SARFAESI Act 2002.
 If the bad bank is unable to sell the bad loan or has to sell it at a loss, then the government
guarantee will be invoked.
 To manage assets with the help of market professionals and turnaround experts, the Government
will also set up India Debt Resolution Company Ltd. (IDRCL) along with NARCL.
 The IDRCL is a service company or an operational entity wherein public sector banks (PSBs) and PFIs
will hold a maximum of 49% stake and the rest will be with private-sector lenders. When the assets
are sold, with the help of IDRCL, the commercial banks will be paid back the rest.
4.3. PM GATI SHAKTI

CONTEXT:
As many as 12 social sector ministries, including Health and Panchayati Raj, are in advanced stages of
data integration with the PM GatiShakti initiative, the commerce and industry ministry said.
MORE ON NEWS:
 Prime Minister launched the Gati Shakti - National Master Plan (NMP) - aimed at developing an
integrated infrastructure to reduce logistic costs.
 The plan is to create a technology-based tool for effective and integrated infrastructure
development in the country.
 All logistics and connectivity infrastructure projects, entailing an investment of over ₹500 crore, are
routed through the Network Planning Group (NPG), constituted under the PM Gati Shakti initiative.
ABOUT PM GATI SHAKTI:
 PM Gati Shakti plan envisages a centralised portal to unite the infrastructural initiatives planned and
initiated by as many as 16 central ministries and departments.
 GatiShakti targets to cut logistic costs, increase cargo handling capacity and reduce the
turnaround time.
 It is a campaign to lend more speed (Gati) and power (Shakti) to projects by connecting all
concerned departments on one platform.
 This way, the infrastructure schemes of various ministries and state governments will be designed
and executed with a common vision.
PILLARS OF THE PLAN:
COMPREHENSIVENESS:
 It will include all the existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and Departments with one
centralised portal.
 Each and every Department will now have visibility of each other’s activities providing critical data
while planning & execution of projects in a comprehensive manner.

PRIORITISATION:
 Through this, different Departments will be able to prioritise their projects through cross–sectoral
interactions.
OPTIMIZATION:
 The National Master Plan will assist different ministries in planning for projects after identification of
critical gaps.
 For the transportation of the goods from one place to another, the plan will help in selecting the
most optimum route in terms of time and cost.
SYNCHRONISATION:
 Individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos and there is lack of coordination in planning
and implementation of the project resulting in delays.
 PM GatiShakti will help in synchronising the activities of each department, as well as of different
layers of governance, in a holistic manner by ensuring coordination of work between them.
ANALYTICAL:
 The plan will provide the entire data
at one place with GIS based spatial
planning and analytical tools having
200+ layers, enabling better visibility to
the executing agency.
DYNAMIC:
 All Ministries and Departments will
now be able to visualise, review and
monitor the progress of cross-sectoral
projects, through the GIS platform, as
the satellite imagery will give on-
ground progress periodically and
progress of the projects will be
updated on a regular basis on the
portal.
 It will help in identifying the vital
interventions for enhancing and
updating the master plan.
4.4. THE OMBUDSMAN SCHEMES

CONTEXT:
The volume of complaints received under the Reserve Bank of India’s ombudsman schemes and
consumer education and protection cells stood at 4,18,184 in 2021-22, an increase of 9.39 per cent
compared to the previous year.
THE OMBUDSMAN SCHEME:

Reserve Bank – Integrated Ombudsman Scheme (RB-IOS) was launched on November 12, 2021.
The three erstwhile ombudsman schemes of RBI –

 the Banking Ombudsman Scheme, 2006;
 the Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies, 2018; and
 the Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019 were integrated with RB-IOS with effect from
November 12, 2021.
THE BANKING OMBUSDMAN SCHEME:
 The Banking Ombudsman Scheme is an expeditious and inexpensive forum for bank customers for
resolution of complaints relating to certain services rendered by banks.
 The Banking Ombudsman Scheme is introduced under Section 35 A of the Banking Regulation Act,
1949 by RBI with effect from 1995.

 The Banking Ombudsman is a senior official appointed by the Reserve Bank of India to redress
customer complaints against deficiency in certain banking services covered under the grounds of
complaint specified under Clause 8 of the Banking Ombudsman Scheme 2006
 All Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Scheduled Primary Co-operative Banks
are covered under the Scheme.
 One can file a complaint before the Banking Ombudsman if the reply is not received from the bank
within a period of one month after the bank concerned has received one's complaint, or the bank
rejects the complaint, or if the complainant is not satisfied with the reply given by the bank.
THE NBFC OMBUSMAN SCHEME:
 The Reserve Bank of India has introduced an Ombudsman Scheme for customers of Non-Banking
Financial Companies (NBFCs). The Ombudsman Scheme for Non-Banking Financial Companies,
2018 (the Scheme), is an expeditious and cost free apex level mechanism for resolution of
complaints of customers of NBFCs, relating to certain services rendered by NBFCs.
 The NBFC Ombudsman is a senior official appointed by the Reserve Bank of India to redress
customer complaints against NBFCs for deficiency in certain services covered under the grounds of
complaint specified under Clause 8 of the Scheme.
 Four NBFC Ombudsman have been appointed with their offices located at Chennai, Kolkata, New
Delhi and Mumbai.
 NBFCs defined in Section 45-I (f) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and registered with the RBI
under Section 45-IA of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, which (a) are authorised to accept
deposits; or (b) have customer interface, with assets size of one billion rupees or above, as on the
date of the audited balance sheet of the previous financial year, or of any such asset size as the RBI
may prescribe, are covered under the Scheme. The Scheme initially covers NBFCs authorized to
accept deposits, and would be gradually extended to cover other identified NBFCs.
THE OMBUDSMAN SCHEME FOR DIGITAL TRANSACTION:
 The Reserve Bank of India has introduced an Ombudsman Scheme for Digital Transactions, 2019 (the
Scheme).
 It is an expeditious and cost-free apex level mechanism for resolution of complaints regarding digital
transactions undertaken by customers of the System Participants as defined in the Scheme.
 The Scheme is being introduced under Section 18 Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
 The Ombudsman for Digital Transactions is a senior official appointed by the Reserve Bank of India
to redress customer complaints against System Participants as defined in the Scheme for deficiency
in certain services covered under the grounds of complaint specified under Clause 8 of the
Scheme.
4.5. THE GREEN BOND

CONTEXT:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) announced that it will, for the first-time, issue Sovereign Green Bonds
(SgrBs) worth Rs 16,000 crore, in two tranches of Rs 8,000 crore each in the current financial year.
ABOUT GREEN BONDS:

 A green bond is a fixed-income instrument designed to support specific climate-related or
environmental projects.
 Green bonds may come with tax incentives to enhance their attractiveness to some investors.
 The phrase “green bond” is sometimes used interchangeably with “climate bonds” or “sustainable
bonds.”
 Green bonds are part of a larger trend in socially responsible and environmental, social, and
governance (ESG) investing.
 Green bonds are bonds issued by any sovereign entity, inter-governmental groups or alliances and
corporates with the aim that the proceeds of the bonds are utilised for projects classified as
environmentally sustainable.
 The framework for the sovereign green bond was issued by the government on November 9, 2022.
WORKING OF GREEN BONDS:
 Green bonds work just like any other corporate or government bond.

 Borrowers issue these securities in order to secure financing for projects that will have a positive
environmental impact, such as ecosystem restoration or reducing pollution.
 Investors who purchase these bonds can expect to make as the bond matures.
 In addition, there are often tax benefits for investing in green bonds.
BENEFITS FOR INVESTORS:
 Green Bonds offer investors a platform to engage in good practices, influencing the business
strategy of bond issuers.
 They provide a means to hedge against climate change risks while achieving at least similar, if not
better, returns on their investment.
 In this way, the growth in Green Bonds and green finance also indirectly works to disincentivise high
carbon-emitting projects, as per the IFC.
USAGE:
 The government will use the proceeds raised from SGrBs to finance or refinance expenditure (in
parts or whole) for various green projects, including in renewable energy, clean transportation,
energy efficiency, climate change adaptation, sustainable water and waste management,
pollution and prevention control and green buildings.
 In renewable energy, investments will be made in solar, wind, biomass and hydropower energy
projects.
4.6. THE FOREX RESERVE

CONTEXT:
India’s foreign exchange reserves fell by $70.1 billion in 2022, data released by the Reserve Bank of
India (RBI) shows. The forex reserves stood at $562.9 billion in the week.
MORE ON NEWS:
 The decline in the forex reserves is partly due to the RBI intervention in the currency markets to stave
off volatility and partly on account of depreciation of other major currencies held by the central
bank.
 The RBI holds major currencies including pound sterling, yen and euro in its reserves, which are
expressed in US dollar terms.
FOREX RESERVE:
 Forex reserves are assets maintained by monetary authorities to check the balance of payments,
deal with the foreign exchange rate of currency and to maintain financial market stability.
 The RBI Act, 1934 and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 govern the foreign exchange
reserves.
 Composition- India’s forex reserves can be broken into four categories.
 Foreign currency assets
 Gold
 Special drawing rights
 Reserve Tranche Position
 Purpose- The main purposes of maintaining forex reserves are:
 To ensure that the RBI has backup funds if the rupee rapidly devalues or becomes altogether
insolvent
 To check the rupee depreciation by selling the dollar in the Indian money market
 To support our imports since all international transactions are settled in US dollars
 To limit any vulnerability because of a sudden disruption in foreign capital flows, which could
happen during a crisis
 To establish a good image for the country at the international level thus helping in attracting
foreign trade

4.7. FINANCIAL SERVICES INSTITUTIONS BUREAU (FSIB)
CONTEXT:
FSIB recommends names for MD posts of Bank of Baroda, Bank of India
MORE ON NEWS:
 The FSIB has recommended the name of Debadatta Chand for the position of MD & CEO in Bank of
Baroda and Rajneesh Karnatak for MD & CEO in Bank of India, FSIB said in a statement.
 The final decision on the FSIB recommendation would be taken by the Appointments Committee of
the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister.
COMPOSITION:
 FSIB is headed by former secretary, Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Bhanu Pratap
Sharma.
 Members (ex-officio)
 The Secretary in charge of the Department of Financial Services:
 The Secretary in charge of the Department of Public Enterprises;
 The Chairperson of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), and if
the office of the Chairperson is vacant, the senior-most whole-time member of IRDAI;
 A Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI);
 Current members are Animesh Chauhan, former chairman and managing director of erstwhile
Oriental Bank of Commerce, RBI’s ex-executive director Deepak Singhal, and Shailendra Bhandari,
former MD of erstwhile ING Vysya Bank.
Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB):
 As per the new framework of the Department of Financial Service, Ministry of Finance, the Bank
Board Bureau (BBB) has been replaced with Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) from July 1,
2022.
 MISSION - To Promote excellence in Corporate Governance in Bank Board Bureau (BBB):
Public Sector Financial Institutions.  It was set up in February 2016
 The FSIB will serve the purpose of recommending persons for as an autonomous body,
appointment as full-time directors and non-executive based on the
chairpersons on the Boards of financial services institutions. recommendations of the RBI
 Issues guidelines to select general managers and directors of appointed Nayak
public sector general insurance companies. Committee.
 It has been replaced with
FSIB.
4.8. RBI WARNED REVERTING TO OPS
CONTEXT:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cautioned states against reverting to the old pension scheme (OPS),
which was in vogue till 2004, stating that it will add to the fiscal burden of States in the coming years.
The central bank says OPS – instead of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) — will lead to the
accumulation of liabilities which can become a major risk in the future.
OLD PESION SCHEME:

 Under the OPS, retired employees received 50 per cent of their last drawn salary as monthly
pensions.
 OPS is considered fiscally unsustainable, and state governments do not have the money to fund it.
 OPS had no accumulated funds or stock of savings for pension obligations and hence was a clear
fiscal burden.
OLD PENSION SCHEME VS NATIONAL PENSION SCHEME
 An old pension scheme (OPS), commonly known as the PAYG scheme, is defined as an unfunded
pension scheme where current revenues fund pension benefits.
 Under this scheme, the contribution of the current generation of workers was explicitly used to pay
the pensions of existing pensioners.

 OPS involved a direct transfer of resources from the current generation of taxpayers to fund the
pensioners.
 While the PAYG scheme was in vogue in most countries before the 1990s, it was discontinued given
the problem of pension debt sustainability, an ageing population, an explicit burden on future
generations and the incentive for early retirement (as the pension is fixed at the last drawn salary).
 NPS is a defined contribution pension scheme.
 NPS enables an individual to undertake retirement planning while in employment.
 With systematic savings and investments, NPS facilitates the accumulation of a pension corpus
during their working life.
 NPS is designed to deliver a sustainable solution of having adequate retirement income in old age
or upon superannuation.
4.9. RBI REPORT ON STATE BUDGETS

CONTEXT:
The Reserve Bank of India released its report on state government budgets for 2022-23.
MORE ON NEWS:
 The report outlines how state government finances, which had come under severe stress in 2020-21
because of the slowdown in the economy due to the pandemic, have improved in the years
thereafter.
 However, there are several areas of concern.
DEBT TO GDP RATIO:
 The state debt-to-GDP ratio remains uncomfortably high.
 As per the report, the debt-to-GDP ratio has fallen from 31.1 per cent in 2020-21 – a year when states
had struggled to manage the economic fallout of the pandemic — to 29.5 per cent in 2022-23.
 The Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management review committee, headed by N K Singh, had
recommended a debt-to-GDP ratio of 20 per cent for states.
 A high debt-deficit burden leaves little room for states to manoeuvre when faced with the next
economic shock.
CONTINGENT LIABILITIES:
 State governments have also seen a significant expansion in their contingent liabilities.
 Contingent liabilities here refer to the obligations of a state government to repay the principal and
interest payments in case a state-owned entity defaults on a loan.
 As per the report, the guarantees issued by state governments have risen from Rs 3.12 lakh crore or 2
per cent of GDP in 2017 to Rs 7.4 lakh crore or 3.7 per cent of GDP.
OLD PENSION SCHEME:
 New risks have emerged with some states now opting to return to the old pension scheme.
 In the early 2000s, there was a growing realisation that financing the old pension scheme would
prove to be challenging.
 Thus, a new pension framework was ushered in which would limit the financial burden of the state.
 While most states had then signed on to the new pension scheme, some states such as Rajasthan
and Chhattisgarh have now chosen to revert.
 This will have adverse implications for state finances. States already allocate a significant portion of
their own tax revenues towards pension — in 2020-21.
4.10. TRADEMARK
CONTEXT:
A ‘sub’ is not only a sandwich from Subway, Delhi High Court ruled, and dismissed a case of trademark
infringement brought by the global fast food chain against Suberb, a Delhi-based restaurant.
ABOUT TRADEMARK:

 Trademark refers to graphical representation of goods or services to make it distinguishable from
others.
 It can be words, symbols, sound, colours, shape of goods, graphics representation or packaging
etc.
 It protects owner against unfair competition, prevents damage to reputation of owner and
consumer welfare.
 In India, trademarks are governed under Trademarks Act, 1999 ( it deals with precise nature of rights
one can acquire in respect of trademarks), under aegis of Department of Industrial Policy &
Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce.
 The implementing body is Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks
OTHER TYPES OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS:
PATENT:
 A patent is a form of preservation of intellectual property.
 It is an exclusive right granted for an invention, which is a product or a process that provides, in
general, a new way of doing something, or offers a new technical solution to a problem.
 To get a patent, technical information about the invention must be disclosed to the public in a
patent application.
COPYRIGHTS:
 Copyright is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary & artistic
works.
 Works covered by copyright range from books, music, paintings, sculpture & films, to computer
programs, databases, advertisements, maps & technical drawings.
 Copyrights in India are governed by “The Copyright Act, 1957”.
GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION:
 A GI tag is a legal recognition given primarily to an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product
(handicrafts & industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
 GI tag conveys an assurance of quality & distinctiveness of a product, which is essentially
attributable to the place of its origin.
 Most commonly, a geographical indication includes the name of the place of origin of the goods.
 Once the GI protection is granted, no other producer can misuse the name to market similar
products.
 It also provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product.
 Geographical Indicators in India are governed by “The Geographical Indications of Goods
(Registration & Protection) Act, 1999”.
4.11. ADDITIONAL TIER-1 BONDS

CONTEXT:
The Bombay High Court quashed the write-off of Additional Tier-1 (AT1) bonds worth Rs 8,400 crore
issued by Yes Bank Ltd, bringing relief to investors.
ABOUT AT 1 BONDS:
 AT1 bonds are unsecured bonds that have perpetual tenor.
 In other words, these bonds, issued by banks, have no maturity date.
 These bonds were introduced by the Basel accord after the global financial crisis to protect
depositors.
 They have a call option, which can be used by the banks to buy these bonds back from investors.
 These bonds are typically used by banks to bolster their core or tier-1 capital.
 AT1 bonds are subordinate to all other debt and only senior to common equity.
 Mutual funds (MFs) were among the largest investors in perpetual debt instruments.
DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BONDS:
 These bonds are perpetual in nature — they do not carry any maturity date.

 They offer higher returns to
investors but compared with NCDEX
other vanilla debt products,  The National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange
these instruments carry a higher (NCDEX) is a commodities exchange dealing primarily
risk as well. in agricultural commodities in India.
 If the capital ratios of the issuer  The NCDEX was established in 2003, and its
fall below a certain percentage headquarters are in Mumbai.
or in the event of an institutional
 Many of India’s leading financial institutions have a
failure, the rules allow the issuer
stake in the NCDEX.
to stop paying interest or even
write down these bonds, as As of 2022, significant shareholders included Life
happened in the Yes Bank case. Insurance Corp. of India (LIC), the National Stock
These bonds are subordinate to Exchange of India Ltd. (NSE), and the National Bank
all other debt and senior only to for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD).
equity.
4.12. SEBI BANS AGRI COMMODITIES TRADE

CONTEXT:
The farmer’s union launched an indefinite agitation outside the office of the Securities and Exchange
Board of India (SEBI) in Mumbai to protest against ban on agri commodities trade.
BACKGROUND:
 On December 20, 2021 the capital markets regulator suspended futures trading in seven
commodities, viz., wheat, paddy (non basmati), moong, chana, soyabean and its derivatives,
mustard seed and its derivatives, and palm oil and its derivatives on the exchanges.
 The SEBI order allowed the squaring of contracts but said no new contract would be allowed in
these commodities.
 Of the seven commodities, chana and mustard seed were already banned at the time.
 The trading was initially suspended for a year, but in December 2022, the ban was extended for
another year, i.e., until December 20, 2023.
REASON FOR FARMERS PROTEST:
 The futures trends provided by the exchange are an important indicator for farmers.
 Physical markets or mandis often follow the trend, and farmers base their offloading plans on it.
 More than individual farmers, the Farmers Producer Companies (FPCs) trade on the exchanges.
Given the exchanges work on technology and allow for the participation of traders from across the
country, price discovery is better than in physical markets.
DERIVATIVE TRADE:
 Agricultural commodities like cotton, paddy, soyabean, soya oil, mustard seed, etc., are traded on
the National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) and the Multi Commodity Exchange
(MCX).
 Derivatives are short-term financial contracts that are bought and sold in the market.
 Profits are made in the derivatives trade by predicting price movements of the asset that underlies
the contract.
 The derivatives trade can be in futures and options.
 In a futures contract, a supplier pledges to sell a certain quantity at a fixed price at a future date.
Also, farmers can put fixed amounts of their produce, which fits the quality standards of the
exchange, to be sold at a fixed price — almost like price insurance. Both contracts can be exited by
either the producer or the trader by paying a margin price to the exchange.
4.13. TRADE-PLUS-ONE(T1) SETTLEMENT CYCLE

CONTEXT:
After China, India will become the second country in the world to start the ‘trade-plus-one’ (T+1)
settlement cycle in top listed securities, bringing operational efficiency, faster fund remittances, share
delivery, and ease for stock market participants.

ABOUT T1 SETTLEMENT:
 The T+1 settlement cycle means that trade-related settlements must be done within a day, or 24
hours, of the completion of a transaction.
 For example, under T+1, if a customer bought shares on Wednesday, they would be credited to the
customer’s demat account on Thursday.
 This is different from T+2, where they will be settled on Friday. As many as 256 large cap and top mid-
cap stocks, including Nifty and Sensex stocks, will come under the T+1 settlement from Friday.
 Until 2001, stock markets had a weekly settlement system.
 The markets then moved to a rolling settlement system of T+3, and then to T+2 in 2003.
 T+1 is being implemented despite opposition from foreign investors. The United States, United
Kingdom and Eurozone markets are yet to move to the T+1 system.
BENEFITS OF T1 FORMAT:
 In the T+1 format, if an investor sells a share, she will get the money within a day, and the buyer will
get the shares in her demat account also within a day.
 The shorter trade settlement cycle that is set to be implemented augurs well for the Indian equity
markets from a liquidity perspective, and it shows how well we have grown on the digital journey to
ensure seamless settlements within 24 hours.
 This will also help investors in reducing the overall capital requirements with the margins getting
released on T+1 day, and in getting the funds in the bank account within 24 hours of the sale of
shares.
 The shift will boost operational efficiency as the rolling of funds and stocks will be faster.
4.14. GST COMPENSATION

CONTEXT:
Tamil Nadu was among the top five GST compensation receiving States during the fiveyear transition
period from July 2017 to June 2022, according to a study by the Reserve Bank of India
GOODS AND SERVICES TAX (GST) COMPENSATION

 The Goods and Services Tax (GST) was
introduced on July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2022
marked the end of the transition period during
which the States were compensated for any
loss in revenue due to the implementation of
the new tax regime, calculated as the
difference between the projected revenue
based on a 14% annual growth with 2015-16 as
the base year and the actual GST revenue
 The compensation to the States was being met
through the levy of a GST compensation cess
on specified goods and services, the RBI
annual publication said. The requirement for
GST compensation varied widely across States
 According to the data shared in the report,
Tamil Nadu received a GST compensation of
about ₹40,000 crore during the transition
period. This excludes the back-to-back loans
extended to States in lieu of GST
compensation.
 Tamil Nadu was the fourth highest
compensation receiving State, after
Maharashtra, Karnataka and Gujarat. Punjab
stood fifth.

5. GEOGRAPHICAL EVENTS AND
ENVIRONMENT
5.1. SUSTAINABLE SHRIMP CULTIVATION
CONTEXT:
A new initiative of sustainable shrimp cultivation provides hope for mangrove restoration in Sundarbans.
BACKGROUND
 For several years, environmentalists and experts have expressed concerns over unsustainable
aquaculture, particularly shrimp collection, after cleaning large tracts of mangrove forests in
Sunderbans.
 Under the initiative, Sustainable Aquaculture In Mangrove Ecosystem (SAIME), farmers have taken
up cultivation of shrimp at 20 hectares at Chaital in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas, and 10
hectares at Madhabpur in adjoining South 24 Parganas. However, they are doing their part in
restoring the mangroves as well.
SUSTAINABLE SHRIMP CULTIVATION
 The community-based initiative of sustainable shrimp cultivation is being conceived by NEWS and
Global Nature Fund (GNF), Naturland Bangladesh Environment and Development Society (BEDS).
 The initiative — started in 2019 — has established a collaborative ecosystem integrating several key
stakeholders from government departments, academia, and research institutes for co-creation and
comprehensive advancement of this project.
 Shrimp cultivation is integrated into the mangrove ecosystem but when people extended the
fisheries inwards, they excluded the mangroves
 This pilot project has come out with a significant result in the last three years’ span, providing a per
hectare average yield of fishes and shrimps amounting to 535 kg, out of which shrimp amounts
average 275 kg (black tiger shrimp-200 kg and with freshwater giant prawn-75 kg)
 The environmental activist also adds that the rate of survival of planted mangrove saplings, which is
usually 5-10%, has ranged between 30-50% in the initiative.
 Fishing, particularly shrimp cultivation, is one of the key occupations of the people of Sundarbans,
which is a complex network of rivers and low-lying islands that face a tide surge twice a day. Shrimp
cultivation is practised in about 15,000 to 20,000 hectares of the unique ecosystem in India. The
Sundarbans forest is about 10,000 sq. km across India and Bangladesh, of which 40% lies in India.
5.2. SINKING TOWN IN HIMALAYAS

CONTEXT:
Residents of the holy town of Joshimath in Uttarakhand have been concerned after spotting cracks in
the town's buildings and streets, which they have described as the town "gradually sinking".
JOSIMATH TOWN:
 Joshimath, a small town in Uttarakhand that was built on the site of an ancient landslide.
 Joshimath is a hilly town in Uttarakhand on the Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway (NH-7).
 The city is a tourist destination because it serves as an overnight rest stop for visitors to Badrinath,
Auli, Valley of Flowers, and Hemkund Sahib, among other important religious and tourist destinations
in the state. Joshimath is also strategically important to the Indian military, as it is home to one of the
Army's most important cantonments.
 The town is situated on a running ridge that is cut through by streams that descend steeply from
Vishnuprayag, the point where the Dhauliganga and Alaknanda rivers converge.
 It has experienced a rapid growth in both construction and population in recent years.
 According to a report from 2022, there are numerous heavy layers of overburdened material
covering the area near Joshimath.

CAUSES:
 The town's geography is the main factor contributing to Joshimath's sinking.
 The landslide debris on which the city was built has a low bearing capacity and cannot support a
high rate of construction.
 The slopes have become extremely unstable in the last few decades due to increased construction,
hydroelectric projects, and the widening of the National Highway.
 Other factors contributing to the fate of the city include erosion brought on by streams flowing from
Vishnuprayag and sliding along natural streams. Old landslide debris including boulders, gneissic
rocks, and loose soil has covered the area's strewn rocks.
 A survey in 2022 found that these gneissic rocks are highly weathered, have a low cohesive value,
and have a propensity for high pore pressure when saturated with water, especially during
monsoons.
5.3. LAND SUBSIDENCE

CONTEXT:
Joshimath has been declared a landslide-subsidence zone and over 60 families living in damaged
houses in the sinking town have been evacuated to temporary relief centres.
LAND SUBSIDENCE AND ITS CAUSES:

 Subsidence is a gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface due to removal or
displacement of subsurface earth materials.
 Subsidence is most often caused by the removal of water, oil, natural gas, or mineral resources out
of the ground by pumping, fracking, or mining activities. This feature can also be caused by natural
events such as earthquakes, soil compaction, erosion and sinkhole formation.
 Subsidence can also be caused by natural events such as earthquakes, soil compaction, glacial
isostatic adjustment, erosion, sinkhole formation, and adding water to fine soils deposited by wind (a
natural process known as loess deposits). Subsidence can happen over very large areas like whole
states or provinces, or very small areas like the corner of your yard.
 In India, the main cause of subsidence is the unregulated pumping of groundwater and the rapid
pace of urbanisation.
SUBSIDENCE IN ASIA:
 Such is the severity of land subsidence that experts estimate that by 2040, land subsidence will
affect eight per cent of the world’s surface and an approximate 1.2 billion people living in 21 per
cent of the major cities across the globe.
 It is also said that land subsidence will impact Asia more than other parts of the world.
 With 86 per cent of the Asian population exposed to effects of land subsidence, about $8.17 trillion is
potentially at stake.
EFFECTS OF LAND SUBSIDENCE:
 Land subsidence can cause
the settlement of clay on the
upper levels — leading to
damage of infrastructure
(roads, bridges) and flooding
due to ineffective drainage
systems of the city.
 It could impact houses and
other infrastructure, making
them weaker, and also lead to
the weakening of foundations
or develop cracks in the
buildings (exactly what is
happening in Joshimath).
 This phenomenon can also cause earthquakesin the area. Land subsidence can be very serious. A
2014 report had stated that land subsidence had caused a loss of around $.15 billion in China.

5.4. THE HUMAN-WILDLIFE CONFLICT
CONTEXT:
In the latest in a series of wild elephant attacks in Kerala, a daily worker, was attacked by a rouge
elephant at SulthanBathery town adjacent to the Wayanad wildlife Sanctuary.
HUMAN WILDLIFE CONFLICT:

 Human-wildlife conflict is when encounters between humans and wildlife lead to negative results,
such as loss of property, livelihoods, and even life.
 Defensive and retaliatory killing may eventually drive these species to extinction.
 These encounters not only result in suffering for both people and wildlife immediately impacted by
the conflict; they can also have a global reach, with groups such as sustainable development
agencies and businesses feeling its residual effects.
RISE OF CONFLICT:
 As human populations and demand for space continue to grow, people and wildlife are
increasingly interacting and competing for resources, which can lead to increased human-wildlife
conflict.
 Along with other threats, human-wildlife conflict has driven the decline of once-abundant species
and is pushing others to the brink of extinction.
 But the human-wildlife conflict issue has far-reaching impacts beyond the wildlife and communities
immediately affected by it.
 With human-wildlife conflict centeredaround the interaction between wildlife and humans, human-
wildlife coexistence is strongly linked and important to sustainable development activities. If not
effectively managed, human-wildlife conflict has the potential to negatively affect these activities
and conservation much more broadly.
CAUSES:
 Lack of Protected Area: Marine and terrestrial protected areas only cover 9.67% globally. About 40%
of the African lion range and 70% of the African and Asian elephant ranges fall outside protected
areas..
 Wildlife-borne Infections: Covid-19 pandemic – sparked by a zoonotic disease is driven by the
close association of people, their livestock, and wildlife and by the unregulated consumption of wild
animals.
 With closer and more frequent and diverse contact between animals and people, the probability of
animal microbes being transferred to people increases.
 Urbanization: In modern times rapid urbanization and industrialisation have led to the diversion of
forest land to non-forest purposes, as a result, the wildlife habitat is shrinking.
 Transport Network: The expansion of road and rail network through forest ranges has resulted in
animals getting killed or injured in accidents on roads or railway tracks.
 Increasing Human Population: Many human settlements coming up near the peripheries of
protected areas and encroachment in the forest lands by local people for cultivation and
collection of food and fodder etc. therefore increasing pressure on limited natural resources in the
forests.
5.5. THE COLD WAVE

CONTEXT:
Delhi and other parts of northwest India have been reeling under a cold wave spell.
ABOUT COLD WAVE:

 Cold wave is a localised seasonal phenomenon prevalent in the country except in southern India.
 The northern parts of India, specially the hilly regions (Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh,
Uttarakhand) and the adjoining plains are influenced by transient disturbances in the mid latitude
westerlies which often have weak frontal characteristics. States like Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan,
Delhi, U.P., Bihar and Jharkhand are the highly affected from cold wave.

 The IMD marks a cold wave in terms of minimum temperatures – when the minimum temperature in
the plains is 4 degrees or less or when the minimum temperature is less than 10 degrees and 4.5 to
6.4 degrees below the normal.
CAUSES OF FORMATION:
 One of the major factors contributing to colder than normal temperatures over north India this
month is the large-scale fog cover.
 While westerly and northwesterly winds of around 5 to 10 kmph in the afternoon have also been
contributing to the dip in temperature, an important factor is fog, which has been lasting for longer
durations, preventing sunlight from reaching the surface and affecting the radiation balance.
 There is no heating in the day time, and then there is the impact of the night. Foggy or cloudy nights
are usually associated with warmer nights, but if the fog remains for two or three days, cooling
begins even at night.
 Light winds and high moisture near the land surface have been contributing to the formation of a
blanket of fog over large swathes of the Indo-Gangetic plains in the morning.
 Since there has not been any significant impact of western disturbances over the region, cold
northwesterly winds have also been contributing to low temperatures.
 Western disturbances, which are storms from the Mediterranean region, are associated with a
change in wind direction, bringing easterly winds to northwest India.
IMPACTS:
 The extent of damage caused by a cold wave depends on the temperature, length of exposure,
humidity levels, and the wind speed at freezing temperature.
 Cold waves have significant effects on health. In India, cold waves have caused 4,712 deaths from
2001 to 2019 across various states.
 Causes significant damage to crops, horticulture, forest trees, livestock, fisheries, water supply,
power supply, transportation, tourism, social activities, economy and other livelihood systems in
these regions that led to significant economic losses to the farming community. Cold wave also
causes the death of wild animals, birds, poultry, etc. across the country. Cold wave also affects
various service sectors including vegetable vendors, rickshaw pullers, daily wage workers, and
roadside kiosk operators etc.
5.6. THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER

CONTEXT:
Forecasters said the rain arriving in California
is being caused by a “true Pineapple
Express” — a specific example of a common
atmospheric phenomenon that resembles a
conveyor belt for moisture.
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS:
 Pineapple Express is a non-technical term
for a meteorological phenomenon, a
specific recurring atmospheric
river characterized by a strong and
persistent large-scale flow of warm moist
air, and the associated heavy
precipitation both in the waters
immediately northeast of the Hawaiian
Islands and extending northeast to any
location along the Pacific coast of North
America.
 A Pineapple Express is an example of
an atmospheric river, which is a more
general term for such relatively narrow corridors of enhanced water vapor transport at mid-latitudes
around the world.
ABOUT ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS:

 Atmospheric rivers are narrow regions in the atmosphere that transport much of the moisture from
the tropics to northern latitudes. Atmospheric rivers are part of the Earth's ocean water cycle, and
are tied closely to both water supply and flood risks.
 A well-known example of a strong atmospheric river is called the "Pineapple Express" because
moisture builds up in the tropical Pacific around Hawaii and can wallop the U.S. and Canada's West
Coasts with heavy rainfall and snow.
 Prevailing winds cross over warm bands of tropical water vapor to form this "river," which travels
across the Pacific as part of the global conveyor belt.
 When it reaches the west coast, the Pineapple Express can dump as much as five inches of rain on
California in one day.
 Atmospheric rivers come in all shapes and sizes, but those that contain the largest amounts of water
vapor and the strongest winds are responsible for extreme rainfall and subsequent flooding.
 These events can affect the entire west coast of North America, often disrupting travel and
damaging property in the process.
 Of course, not all atmospheric rivers are disruptive. Many are weak and provide beneficial rain or
high-elevation snow that provide crucial inputs to the water supplies of western communities
5.7. THE INDIAN SKIMMER

CONTEXT:
The Godavari estuary in Andhra Pradesh has become a prime and safe habitat for the Indian Skimmer
(Rynchopsalbicollis), Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) Deputy Director has said.
THE INDIAN SKIMMER:

 The Indian skimmer grows to a length of 40-43
cm.
 It has black upper parts, white forehead, collar
and lower parts, long, thick, deep orange bill
with a yellow tip and longer lower mandible.
 In flight, it has a white trailing-edge to wing and
a short forked tail with blackish central feathers.
 Non breeders are duller and have browner
upper parts.
 Juveniles have a dusky orange bill with a
blackish tip, paler brownish-grey crown and
nape with dark mottling and paler, more
brownish-grey mantle and whitish to pale buff fringing scapulars and wing coverts.
 It breeds colonially on large, exposed sand-bars and islands.
 Colonies of mating pairs can be observed nesting on sandy islands or open sand banks, often
accompanied by other birds like Terns during the breeding season, between February and May.
 It feeds on surface-dwelling fish, small crustaceans and insect larvae. It emits a
nasal kap or kip notes, particularly in flight and when disturbed.
MAJOR THREATS:
 Habitat degradation. Exploitation and degradation of rivers and lakes through fishing,
transportation, domestic use, irrigation schemes and pollution from agricultural and industrial
chemicals are largely responsible for the decline of this species as these factors have reduced
reproductive and foraging success.
 Excessive and widespread increases in disturbance. The damming of the Chambal River, in
upstream Rajasthan, has adversely affected its population at National Chambal Sanctuary, Uttar
Pradesh, due to the dropping water levels allowing predators and livestock access to breeding
islands.
 Predation by corvids like House crows (Corvussplendens), presence of stray and domestic dogs,
have been known to decimate breeding colonies.
CONSERVATION:
 In 2020, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) have initiated a ‘Guardians of the Skimmer’
programme, which is a community-based conservation initiative.

 BNHS in collaboration with Bird Count India have also initiated ‘Indian Skimmer Count’-a citizen
science initiative.
5.8. ASIAN WATERBIRD CENSUS (AWC)

CONTEXT:
Survey at Alappuzha wetlands hints at a decline in number of visiting waterbirds.
ASIAN WATERBIRD CENSUS (AWC):

 The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) is part of the global International Waterbird Census (IWC).
 It runs in parallel with other regional programmes of the IWC in Africa, Europe, West Asia, the
Neotropics and the Caribbean.
 It was started in 1987.
 It is jointly held by Wetlands International and Bombay Natural History Society.
 This citizen-science programme is supporting conservation and management of wetlands and
waterbirds worldwide.
OBSERVATION OF THE SURVEY:
 The survey jointly organised by the Social Forestry wing of the Forest department and Birders
Ezhupunna, a birdwatching group, recorded 15,335 birds of 117 species.
 It was held at 13 locations in 12 local bodies, by the Forest dept. and a birdwatching group.
 A shift in migration patterns of waterbirds appears to be taking place as revealed by a recent
survey conducted in the
northern parts of Alappuzha.
 It shows the populations of
some migratory waterbirds,
especially duck species,
visiting the region are falling.
 The most shocking aspect
was that duck species like
Northern Shoveler, Common
teal and Eurasian wigeon,
sighted in the previous
surveys, were totally missing
this time around.
 Climate change has affected the number of birds visiting the region.
5.9. ANTHROPOGENIC NOISE AFFECTS DOLPHINS

COMMUNICATION
CONTEXT:
A new study has found that noise generated by human activity makes it harder for dolphins to
communicate and coordinate with each other. As the levels of underwater noise increase, these
mammals have to “shout” to each other.
DOLPHINS:
 Dolphins are social mammals that communicate through squeaks, whistles and clicks.
 They also use echolocation in order to locate food and other objects.
 Therefore, anthropogenic noise coming from large commercial ships, military sonars or offshore
drilling can severely impact their well-being.
FINDINGS OF THE STUDY:
 It was found that as it got noisier underwater, both dolphins changed their behaviour to
communicate and work together.
 Apart from raising the volume and increasing the length of their calls, they also changed their body
language — they turned their bodies towards each other and swam across the lagoon to be closer
to each other.

 Cooperative task success decreased in the presence of noise, dropping from 85 per cent during
ambient noise control trials to 62.5 per cent during the highest noise exposure.
 Previous studies have demonstrated that dolphins change their behaviour when they come across
boats but, before the latest research, no one observed how anthropogenic noise can impact the
coordination among these aquatic creatures.
ECOLOCATION:
 Echolocation is a technique used by bats, dolphins and other animals to determine the location of
objects using reflected sound.
 This allows the animals to move around in pitch darkness, so they can navigate, hunt, identify friends
and enemies, and avoid obstacles.
ANIMALS USING ECOLOCATION:
 Bats, whales, dolphins, a few birds like the nocturnal oilbird and some swiftlets, some shrews and the
similar tenrec from Madagascar are all known to echolocate.
ECOLOCATION BY DOLPHINS:
 Dolphins and whales use echolocation by bouncing high-pitched clicking sounds off underwater
objects, similar to shouting and listening for echoes.
 The sounds are made by squeezing air through nasal passages near the blowhole.
 These soundwaves then pass into the forehead, where a big blob of fat called the melon focuses
them into a beam.
 If the echolocating call hits something, the reflected sound is picked up through the animal’s lower
jaw and passed to its ears.
 Echolocating sounds are so loud that the ears of dolphins and whales are shielded to protect them.
 Dolphins and whales use this method to work out an object’s distance, direction, speed, density and
size.
5.10. THE GREATER SCAUP

CONTEXT:
A rare species of duck, Greater Scaup, locally known as Sadangman, was recently sighted in
Loktaklake in Manipur’s Bishnupur district after a gap of over 90 years.
ABOUT THE GREATER SCAUP:

 The Greater Scaup is a medium-sized diving duck species that belongs to the family of Anatidae.
 The greater scaup species is distributed in Asia, Europe, United States and Canada. It is a rare visitor
to the Indian Subcontinent.
 The male measures 40 to 50 cm in
length and weighs 850 to 1,400 grams.
 The female weighs 700 to 1,300 grams.
The wingspan is 70 to 80 cm.
 The male bird has a bluish bill and pale
yellow eyes.
 The head of male greater scaup is
rounded and black with a dark green
sheen. The belly and flanks are bright
white. The breast and tail are black.
The back is lighter and patterned. The
female had a brown head and body.
HABITAT:
 The breeding scaup inhabit shallow, freshwater lakes, pools and rivers with grassy shorelines.
 The wintering birds are observed on shallow coastal waters, sheltered bays, brackish lagoons,
estuaries, inland lakes and reservoirs.
FEEDING HABITS:

 The greater scaup species are omnivorous and feed on aquatic plants, seeds, leaves, weeds,
crustaceans, aquatic insects, molluscs and other invertebrates.
STATUS AND CONSERVATION:
 The global population of greater scaup species is estimated to be 1,200,000 to 1,400,000 individual
birds.
 These scaup species have large range and population and have minimal conservation concern.
Legal hunting, habitat loss and fishing activities are the major threats in conservation.
 These species are susceptible to avian influenza.
 The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated these
scaup species and has listed them as of "Least Concern".
5.11. THE ECOLOGICALLY SENSITIVE ZONES

CONTEXT:
The creation of eco-sensitive zones has provoked protests in Kerala and some other regions.
ABOUT ESZ:
 Ecologically sensitive zones
(ESZ) areintended to safeguard
‘protected areas’ — national
parks and wildlife sanctuaries —
by transitioning from an area of
lower protection to an area of
higher protection.
 Surrounding protected areas is
a region ofmore than 1,11,000
sq. km — or 3.4% percentof the
country’s land — which falls
under the ESZ regime.
 The ESZs span notified forests
outside protected areas, most
of which could alsocome under
gram sabhas’ jurisdiction under
the FRA.
PROTECTED AREAS:
 Protected areas cover 5.26% of
India’s land area as 108
national parks and 564 wildlife
sanctuaries.
 They are notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.
 Protected areas do away with even those activities permitted in ‘reserve forests’, where the rights of
forestdependent communities — those residing on and/or accessing forest land — are extinguished,
unless specifically allowed.
PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES:
 Commercial mining, saw mills, industries causing pollution, establishment of major hydroelectric
projects (HEP), commercial use of wood.
 Tourism activities like hot-air balloons over the National Park, discharge of effluents or any solid waste
or production of hazardous substances.
PERMITTED ACTIVITIES:
 Ongoing agricultural or horticultural practices, rainwater harvesting, organic farming, use of
renewable energy sources, adoption of green technology for all activities.
5.12. THE NATIONAL DISASTER RESPONSE FORCE

CONTEXT:

Union Home and Cooperation Minister greeted National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) on its
18th Raising Day.
THE RAISING DAY:

 The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Raising Day is commemorated on January
19, every year.
 Every year since its establishment, the
country celebrates the NDRF Raising Day.
This year marks the 18th Raising Day.
 Since the Force’s formation in 2006, the
personnel have played a crucial role in the
country’s disaster management and
community awareness for Disaster Risk
Reduction (DRR).
 The 12 Battalions of the NDRF consist of
specialised, multi-skilled personnel.
 These battalions are located at 16 different
locations on the basis of the vulnerability
profile.
 It is done to cut down the response time for
their deployment at disaster sites.
ABOUT NDRF:
 India witnessed successive natural
calamities from 1990 to 2004.
 This resulted in the enactment of the Disaster Management Act on December 26, 2005.
 Under this act, the National DIsaster Response Force was formed with the aim to formulate plans,
policies, and guidelines for disaster management.
 The National Disaster Response Force was raised on January 19, 2006 as a premium rescue response
force of the country.
 Their motto is ‘AapadaSevaSadaivSarvatra’.
 It means the sustained disaster response service under all circumstances.
5.13. THE ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS

CONTEXT:
Prime Minister named 21 largest unnamed islands of Andaman & Nicobar Islands after India’s 21
ParamVir Chakra awardees. The ceremony was organised on the occasion of ParakramDiwas,
NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary.
BACKGROUND:
 Previously, Ross Island was renamed NetajiSubhash Chandra Bose Dweep by the Prime Minister
during his visit to the Island in 2018.
 Neil Island and Havelock Island were also renamed ShaheedDweep and SwarajDweep.
THE ANDAMAN ISLANDS:
 The Andaman Islands are an archipelago in the northeastern Indian Ocean about 130 km southwest
off the coasts of Myanmar's Ayeyarwady Region.
 The Andaman Archipelago is an oceanic continuation of the Burmese ArakanYoma range in the
North and of the Indonesian Archipelago in the South. It has 325 islands which cover an area of
6,408 km2 with the Andaman Sea to the east between the islands and the coast of Burma.
 North Andaman Island is south of Burma, although a few smaller Burmese islands are closer,
including the three Coco Islands.
 The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andamans from the Nicobar Islands to the south.
 The highest point is located in North Andaman Island (Saddle Peak at 732 m).

 Together with the Nicobar Islands to their south, the Andamans serve as a maritime
boundary between the Bay of Bengal to the west and the Andaman Sea to the east.
 Most of the islands are part of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a Union Territory of India, while
the Coco Islands and Preparis Island are part of the Yangon Region of Myanmar.
INDIGENOUS PEOPLE:
 The Andaman Islands are home to four 'Negrito' tribes – the Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa and
Sentinelese. The Nicobar Islands are home to two 'Mongoloid' tribes – the Shompen and Nicobarese.
 The 'Negrito' tribes are believed to have arrived in the islands from Africa up to 60,000 years ago. All
are nomadic hunter-gatherers, hunting wild pig and monitor lizard, and catching fish with bows and
arrows. They also collect honey, roots and berries from the forest.
 The 'Mongoloid' tribes probably came to the islands from the Malay-Burma coast several thousand
years ago.
5.14. THE KEN-BETWA RIVER LINKING PROJECT

CONTEXT:
The Steering Committee of the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) held its third meeting in New Delhi.
ABOUT KEN-BETWA PROJECT:

 The Ken-Betwa link project (KBLP) is the first river interlinking project, among the 16 similar projects
planned under the Peninsular Rivers Development of the NPP.
 It will connect the tributaries of the Yamuna River, namely the Ken river in the Panna district of
Madhya Pradesh and the Betwa river in Uttar Pradesh.
 The main objective of the NPP is the transfer of water from river basins with surplus water to those
with scarce water, for tackling the problem of water scarcity.
 The Ken-Betwa inter-linking of rivers project received the nod of the Union Cabinet.
 The project involves the transfer of water from Ken to the Betwariver through the construction of the
Daudhan Dam and the canal linking the rivers.
 The project is structured to be completed in two phases.
 In phase-I, the Daudhan Dam complex and its subsidiary units such as the Low-Level Tunnel,
High-Level Tunnel, Ken-Betwa Link Canal, and powerhouses will be completed.
 In phase II, construction of the Lower Orr Dam, Bina Complex Project, and Kotha Barrage will
be taken care of.
SIGNIFICANCE:
 The government envisions the programme of interlinking of rivers as a top priority, towards
sustainable development of water resources in India.
 The Ken Betwa link project has been planned as a multi-
purpose project, for providing several benefits in terms
of better utilisation of water resources and addressing
the water scarcity in several parts of the Bundelkhand
region.
 The region is prone to recurring drought conditions that
have impacted socio-economic development in the
area.
 Moreover, owing to the hard rock and marginal
alluvium terrain, the location is not rich in groundwater.
Hence, the Ken Betwa river project will help in utilising
the floodwater during monsoon and stabilise the
availability of water during lean months, especially in
drought years.
 The project linking Ken and Betwariver will also provide annual irrigation and hydropower
generation.
 The districts that will benefit from the Ken betwa link pariyojna include Chhatarpur,
Tikamgarh, Sagar, Damoh, Datia, Vidisha, Shivpuri, Raisen and Panna in Madhya Pradesh and
Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda and Lalitpur in Uttar Pradesh.

 As many as 62 lakh people in the Bundelkhand region will also experience improved drinking water
supply due to the project.
5.15. THE SOVEREIGN GREEN BONDS

CONTEXT:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will auction maiden sovereign green bonds (SGrBs) worth Rs 8,000 crore.
ABOUT GREEN BONDS:

 A green bond is a type of fixed-income instrument that is specifically earmarked to raise money for
climate and environmental projects.
 These bonds are typically asset-linked and backed by the issuing entity’s balance sheet, so they
usually carry the same credit rating as their issuers’ other debt obligations.
 Green bonds are bonds issued by any sovereign entity, inter-governmental groups or alliances and
corporates with the aim that the proceeds of the bonds are utilised for projects classified as
environmentally sustainable.
 The framework for the sovereign green bond was issued by the government on November 9, 2022.
SIGNIFICANCE OF GREEN BONDS:
 Over the last few years, Green Bonds have emerged as an important financial instrument to deal
with the threats of climate change and related challenges.
 Climate change threatens communities and economies, and it poses risks for agriculture, food, and
water supplies.
 A lot of financing is needed to address these challenges.
 It’s critical to connect environmental projects with capital markets and investors and channel
capital towards sustainable development – and Green Bonds are a way to make that connection.
BENEFITS FOR INVESTORS:
 Green Bonds offer investors a platform to engage in good practices, influencing the business
strategy of bond issuers.
 They provide a means to hedge against
climate change risks while achieving at
least similar, if not better, returns on their
investment.
 In this way, the growth in Green Bonds
and green finance also indirectly works
to disincentivise high carbon-emitting
projects, as per the IFC.
PROCEEDS OF GREEN BONDS:
 The government will use the proceeds
raised from SGrBs to finance or refinance
expenditure (in parts or whole) for
various green projects, including
renewable energy, clean transportation,
energy efficiency, climate change
adaptation, sustainable water and
waste management, pollution and
prevention control and green buildings.
 In renewable energy, investments will be
made in solar, wind, biomass and
hydropower energy projects.
5.16. THE KELP FOREST

CONTEXT:
Kelp forests losing unique traits due to climate change, says study.

FINDINGS OF THE STUDY:
 Kelp populations at equatorward-range edges are particularly vulnerable to climate change as
these locations are undergoing warming at or beyond thermal tolerance thresholds
 Due to this, the unique adaptive or evolutionary genetic diversity that the rear-edge populations
(populations in warm, low-latitudes) may contain is also under threat due to rapid warming.
 Kelp forests provide underwater habitats to hundreds of species of invertebrates, fishes, and other
algae and have great ecological and economic value.
 Loss of kelp forests will also lead to a decline of the unique biodiversity that they support.
ABOUT KELP FOREST:
 Kelp forests are underwater areas with a high density of kelp, which covers a large part of the
world's coastlines. Smaller areas of anchored kelp are called kelp beds.
 They are recognized as one of the most productive and dynamic ecosystems on Earth.
 Although algal kelp forest combined with coral reefs only cover 0.1% of Earth's total surface, they
account for 0.9% of global primary productivity.
 Kelp forests occur worldwide throughout temperate and polar coastal oceans.
 In 2007, kelp forests were also discovered in tropical waters near Ecuador.
 Physically formed by brown macroalgae, kelp forests provide a unique habitat for marine
organisms and are a source for understanding many ecological processes.
 Over the last century, they have been the focus of extensive research, particularly
in trophic ecology, and continue to provoke important ideas that are relevant beyond this unique
ecosystem. For example, kelp forests can influence coastal oceanographic patterns and provide
many ecosystem services.
5.17. TRANSLOCATING CHEETAH FROM

SOUTH AFRICA
CONTEXT:
India and South Africa (SA) signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) to translocate more than 100
cheetahs to India over the next decade.
MORE ON NEWS:
 The plan is to translocate 12 cheetahs every year for the next eight to 10 years to establish a healthy
and genetically diverse cheetah population in India.
 The terms of the MoU on Cooperation in the Re-introduction of Cheetah to India will be reviewed
every five years.
REINTRODCUTION OF CHEETAH:
 Eight African cheetahs were released at Kuno National Park in central India after a 5,000-mile (8,000
km) journey from Namibia, the first time wild cheetahs have been moved across continents.
 Cheetah reintroduction in India involves the attempt to introduce and sustain a small population
of Southeast African cheetah (Acinonyxjubatusjubatus, the nominate subspecies) in India more than
70 years after India's native subspecies, the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyxjubatusvenaticus)
became extinct there;
 The Asiatic subspecies is now found only in Iran in critically endangered numbers.
EXTINCT IN INDIA:
 Cheetahs were declared extinct in India in 1952 and are the only large carnivore in the country to
have suffered that fate.
 This was a result of overhunting and loss of habitat.
ABOUT CHEETAH:
 The cheetah (Acinonyxjubatus) is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran.
 It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h (50 to 80 mph)
with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being 93 and 98 km/h (58 and 61 mph).

 The cheetah lives in three main social groups: females and their cubs, male "coalitions", and solitary
males. While females lead a nomadic life searching for prey in large home ranges, males are more
sedentary and instead establish much smaller territories in areas with plentiful prey and access to
females. The cheetah is active during the day, with peaks during dawn and dusk. It feeds on small-
to medium-sized prey.
 The cheetah occurs in a variety of habitats such as savannahs in the Serengeti, arid mountain
ranges in the Sahara and hilly desert terrain in Iran. The cheetah is threatened by several factors
such as habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases.
 The cheetah has been classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN; it is listed under Appendix I of
the CMS and Appendix I of CITES.
5.18. M-SAND PROJECTS

CONTEXT:
Coal India Ltd to Launch M-Sand Projects in a Big Way.
SAND:
 Sand is classified as a “minor mineral”, under The Mines and Minerals (Development and
Regulations) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) and administrative control over minor minerals vests with the
State Governments, and accordingly, regulated through State specific rules.
 Due to high demand, regulated supply and complete ban of sand mining during monsoon to
protect river ecosystem, finding alternative to river sand became necessary.
 Sand Mining Framework (2018) prepared by Ministry of Mines envisages alternative sources of sand
in the form of Manufactured Sand (M-Sand) from crushed rock fines (crusher dust), sand from
Overburden (OB) of coal mines.
OVERBURDEN SAND:
 During Opencast mining the overlying soil and rocks are removed as waste to extract coal and the
fragmented rock (Overburden or OB) is heaped in dumps.
 Most of the waste is disposed off at the surface which occupies considerable land area and
requires extensive planning and control to minimize the environmental impact of mining.
 Coal India Ltd (CIL) has envisaged to process the overburden rocks for sand production in mines
where OB material contain about 60 per cent sandstone by volume which is harnessed through
crushing and processing of Overburden.
BENEFITS OF M-SAND/ OB SAND:
 Cost-effectiveness: Using manufactured sand can be more cost-effective than using natural sand,
as it can be produced in large quantities at a lower
cost.
 Consistency: Manufactured sand can have a
consistent grain size and shape, which can be
beneficial for construction projects that require a
specific type of sand.
 Environmental benefits: Using manufactured sand can
help to reduce the need for mining natural sand,
which can have negative environmental impacts.
Additionally, using the overburden from coal mines
can help to repurpose materials that would otherwise
be considered waste.
 Reduced water consumption: Using manufactured
sand can help to reduce the amount of water
required for construction projects, as it does not
require washing before use.
 Better workability: Manufactured sand is more angular and has a rougher surface, which makes it
more workable for construction projects.
 Recovery of sand from waste overburden is the best out of waste product
 Commercial sale of produced sand can generate additional revenue for coal companies
 Apart from commercial use, sand produced shall also be consumed for sand stowing in
Underground Mines enhancing safety & conservation

 Lesser Sand extraction from river will reduce erosion of channel bed & banks and protect water
habitat
 Help maintaining water table
5.19. INDIA'S LARGEST DINOSAURS

CONTEXT:
Researchers have uncovered 92 nesting sites containing a total of 256 fossil eggs in central India's
Narmada Valley belonging to titanosaurs, which were among the largest dinosaurs to have ever lived.
MORE ON NEWS:
 The Lameta Formation, located in the Narmada Valley of central India, is well-known for fossils of
dinosaur skeletons and eggs of the Late Cretaceous Period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million
years ago.
 They identified six different egg species, suggesting a higher diversity of titanosaurs than is
represented by skeletal remains from this region.
 Based on the layout of the nests, the team inferred that these dinosaurs buried their eggs in shallow
pits like modern-day crocodiles.
 Certain pathologies found in the eggs, such as a rare case of "egg-in-egg", indicate that titanosaur
sauropods had a reproductive physiology that parallels that of birds and possibly laid their eggs in a
sequential manner as seen in modern birds.
 The presence of many nests in the same area suggests these dinosaurs exhibited colonial nesting
behaviour like many modern birds.
 However, the close spacing of the nests left little room for adult dinosaurs, supporting the idea that
adults left the hatchlings (newborns) to fend for themselves.
 These fossil nests provide a wealth of data about some of the largest dinosaurs in history, and they
come from a time shortly before the age of dinosaurs came to an end.
 The findings contribute significantly to paleontologists' understanding of how dinosaurs lived and
evolved
THE LAMETA FORMATION
 Lameta Formation is also called as Infratrappean Beds. It is a sedimentary geological formation
found in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. It is associated with the Deccan Traps. It is of
Maastrichtian age and is known for dinosaur fossils.
5.20. GOAT AS A DRUG FACTORY

CONTEXT:
Domestication of goats was an important step in mankind’s shift from a hunting-gathering lifestyle to
agricultural settlements.
DATA:
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that the world has 830 million goats belonging
to about 1,000 breeds. India has 150 million from over 20 prominent breeds
MARWARI GOAT
 Rajasthan has the most number of goats — the Marwari goat found here is hardy and well-adapted
to the climate of deserts.
OSMANABADI
 Another hardy breed, found in the dry regions of Maharashtra, Telangana and North Karnataka is
the Osmanabadi.
TELLICHERRY
 The Malabari (also called Tellicherry) of North Kerala is a prolific breed with low-fat meat, and shares
these traits with the beetal goat of Punjab.
BLACK BENGAL GOAT

 The east Indian Black Bengal goat is a vital contributor to the livelihoods of the rural poor of
Bangladesh. It contributes over 20 million square feet of skin and hides to the world’s demands for
leather goods, from firefighters’ gloves to fashionable handbags
MARKHOR AND THE HIMALAYAN AND NILGIRI TAHR
 Indian highlands have scant populations of wild goats, from which domestic goats or sheep have
evolved. These include the markhor and the Himalayan and Nilgiri tahr.
JAMUNAPARI GOATS & ANGLO-NUBIAN
 Genes from Indian goat breeds spread to all parts of the world during the golden age of
steamships. Goats laden on ships heading to Europe from India provided milk and meat on the
months-long journey. The Jamunapari goats of Uttar Pradesh were favoured as they yield 300 kg of
milk during eight months of lactation. Once in England, the Jamunapari was bred with local breeds
to produce the Anglo-Nubian, a champion producer of high-fat milk.
THERAPEUTICS EFFECT
 Goats have attracted the attention of biotechnology companies wishing to produce therapeutic
proteins in bulk.
 The first success came with ATryn, the trade name for a goat-produced antithrombin III molecule.
 Antithrombin keeps the blood free from clots, and its deficiency (usually inherited) can lead to
serious complications such as pulmonary embolisms. Affected individuals need antithrombin
injections twice a week, usually purified from donated blood.
 Transgenic goats carrying a copy of the human antithrombin gene have cells in their mammary
glands that release this protein into milk. It has been claimed that one goat could produce
antithrombin equivalent to what was obtained from 90,000 units of human blood.
 Recently, the monoclonal antibody cetuximab, which has been approved by the FDA as an anti-
cancer drug against certain lung cancers, has also been produced in cloned goat lines. Large
quantities can be made this way (10 grams per litre of milk). It is not yet known whether this
‘Farmaceutical’ will clear regulatory hurdles regarding safety and efficacy.
5.21. KISHANGANGA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT & RATLE

HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
CONTEXT:
In a notice to Pakistan, India said that it
has been compelled to call for the
‘modification’ of the 63-year-old Indus
Waters Treaty (IWT) owing to Pakistan’s
persistent objections over India’s
Kishenganga (KHEP) and Ratle
hydropower projects.
KISHANGANGA HYDROELECTRIC
PROJECT
 The Kishanganga Hydroelectric
Project is a run-of-the-river
hydroelectric scheme in Jammu and
Kashmir, India. Its dam diverts water
from the Kishanganga River to a
power plant in the Jhelum River
basin.
 It is located near Dharmahama
Village, 5 km north of Bandipore in
the Kashmir valley and has an installed capacity of 330 MW.
 All three units of 110 MW each were commissioned and synchronized with the electricity grid by 30
March 2018

RATLE HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT
 The Ratle Hydroelectric Plant is a run-of-the-river
hydroelectric power station currently under
construction on the Chenab River, downstream of
the village near Drabshalla in Kishtwar district of the
Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
 The project includes a 133 m tall gravity dam and
two power stations adjacent to one another.
 The installed capacity of both power stations will be
850 MW.
 On 25 June 2013, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh
laid the foundation stone for the dam. Pakistan has
frequently alleged that it violates the Indus Waters
Treaty

6. SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
6.1. THE NATIONAL GREEN HYDROGEN MISSION
CONTEXT:
The Union Cabinet approved the 'National Green Hub Mission' with an aim of making India a hub for
manufacturing 'clean sources of energy'.
ABOUT THE MISSION:

 The Centre will invest approximately Rs. 19,744 crore in the project, which will also include an outlay
of Rs.400 crore for research and development. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
will develop scheme guidelines for implementation.
 The project aims to increase annual green hydrogen production to 5 million tonnes, as well as add
about 125 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity.
 It is expected to gradually attract over ₹8 lakh crore in investments, over six lakh jobs, and an overall
reduction of more than ₹1 lakh crore in fossil fuel imports.
BENEFITS:
 Creation of export opportunities for Green Hydrogen and its derivatives;
 Decarbonisation of industrial, mobility and energy sectors;
 Reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock;
 Development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities;
 Creation of employment opportunities; and development of cutting-edge technologies.
 The Mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization and export of Green Hydrogen.
 Under the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Programme (SIGHT), two distinct
financial incentive mechanisms – targeting domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and production
of Green Hydrogen – will be provided under the Mission.
 The Mission will also support pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways.
Regions capable of supporting large scale production and/or utilization of Hydrogen will be
identified and developed as Green Hydrogen Hubs.
6.2. GM MUSTARD
CONTEXT:
The coalition for a GM-free India, a pan-Indian citizen’s platform, released a report showcasing 15
instances where statutory regulations were violated
during the appraisal and approval of GM mustard in
India.
GM MUSTARD:
 The environment ministry allowed the
environmental release of the Dhara Mustard
Hybrid (DMH-11), a transgenic mustard
developed by Delhi University for its seed
production and testing before its commercial
release.
 It is a Herbicide Tolerant (HT) mustard variety that
has undergone genetic modification.
 It has two alien genes —"barnase" and "barstar" --
isolated from a soil bacterium called Bacillus,
amyloliquefaciens.
 It enables the breeding of high-yielding
commercial mustard hybrids.
 At present, Cotton is the only GM crop allowed
for cultivation in India.

GM CROPS:
 GM crops are derived from plants whose genes are artificially modified, usually by inserting genetic
material from another organism, in order to give it new properties, such as increased yield,
tolerance to a herbicide, resistance to disease or drought, or improved nutritional value.
 Probably the best-known variety of GM rice is golden rice. Golden rice involves the insertion of
genes from a plant - both daffodils and maize have been used - and a soil bacterium to create a
grain that is enriched with Vitamin A.
 Earlier, India approved the commercial cultivation of only one GM crop, Bt cotton, but GEAC has
recommended GM Mustard for commercial use.
6.3. THE SHUKRAYAAN MISSION

CONTEXT:
P. Sreekumar, the SatishDhawan
Professor at the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO)
and advisor to its space science
programme, said that the
organisation is yet to receive
approval from the Indian
government for the Venus
mission and that the mission
could as a result be postponed
to 2031.
BACKGROUND:
 ISRO’s Venus mission, called
Shukrayaan I, was expected
to be launched in 2024.
 The idea was born in 2012; five years later, ISRO commenced preliminary studies after the
Department of Space received a 23% hike in the 2017-2018 budget.
 The organisation sought payload proposals from research institutes in April 2017.
ABOUT SHUKRAYAAN:
 Shukrayaan I will be an orbiter mission.
 Its scientific payloads currently include a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar and a ground-
penetrating radar.
 The mission is expected to study Venus’s geological and volcanic activity, emissions on the ground,
wind speed, cloud cover, and other planetary characteristics from an elliptical orbit.
LAUNCH WINDOW FOR VENUS:
 Optimal launch windows from Earth to Venus occur once around every 19 months.
 This is why ISRO has ‘backup’ launch dates in 2026 and 2028 should it miss the 2024 opportunity.
 But even more optimal windows, which further reduce the amount of fuel required at liftoff, come
around every eight years.
SIGNIFICANCE:
 No prior observation of the sub-surface of Venus has been done. So, the mission will be flying the
sub-surface radar for the first time. It will penetrate the sub-surface of Venus up to a few hundred
meters.
 The mission will also bring an instrument to Venus to examine the planet’s atmosphere in infrared,
ultraviolet, and submillimeter wavelengths.
 It will give insight into the evolution of Earth-like planets and the atmospheric conditions.
 It will also aim to provide a futuristic vision of how climate change can have a massive impact on a
planet.

6.4. THE BLACK BOX
CONTEXT:
The black box of the crashed Yeti Airlines' aircraft
in Nepal with 72 people, including five Indians, on
board was recovered.
ABOUT THE BLACK BOX:
 The “black box” is usually two different boxes
with different functions.
 The name itself is a misnomer because neither
of these are black nor resemble a box.
 The black box is made of two separate pieces
of equipment: Flight Data Recorder (FDR) and Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR).
COLOUR OF THE BOX:
 Black boxes are not black. They are bright yellow or orange.
 The bright colour is used to assist in locating the boxes after an accident.
 Before airlines made day-glow orange a standard colour for the flight recorders, some Boeings used
a yellow sphere.
THE FLIGHT DATA RECORDER:
 The flight data recorder (FDR) records more than 80 different types of information such as speed,
altitude and direction, as well as pilot actions and performance of important systems.
 The FDR records aircraft system and flight data, such as the position of control surfaces (flaps,
elevator, rudder, ailerons), barometric data (altitude, airspeed, vertical speed, engine
performance, etc)
THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER:
 The Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) records radio transmissions and other sounds in the cockpit, such
as conversations between the pilots, and engine noises.
 The CVR is a multi-track audio recorder that continuously captures every audible sound in the
cockpit.
6.5. LIQUIEFIED NATURAL GAS

CONTEXT:
The EU is weaning itself off piped Russian gas by rapidly expanding imports of liquified natural gas,
much of it fracked in the US.
ABOUT LNG:
 LNG is natural gas reduced to a liquid state (liquefaction) through intense cooling to around -161
degrees Celsius (-259 Fahrenheit).
 This liquid gas is 600 times smaller than the original volume and is half the weight of water.
 It is found with petroleum deposits and is released when crude oil is brought to the surface. It can be
used as a domestic and industrial fuel.
 In India, Jaisalmer, Krishna Godavari delta, Tripura and some areas offshore in Mumbai have natural
gas resources.
CLIMATE IMPACT OF LNG:
 A lot of energy is required to extract natural gas from a reservoir, to transport it from the gas field to
the LNG facility for processing, to chill gas to such low temperatures, and to hold it at that
temperature before it is warmed and regasified following a long sea or train journey.
 Methane loss across the supply chain risks also contributes to LNG’s high emissions.
 In the end, LNG emits about twice as much greenhouse gas as ordinary natural gas
 Processing LNG is so energy- and carbon-intensive that it can create almost 10 times more carbon
emissions than piped gas.

CNG:
 CNG stands for compressed natural gas.
 It is the gaseous product of petroleum and is the first product that is separated during the distillation
process.
 CNG is odorless, tasteless and non-toxic, and is made up of 93.05% methane, nitrogen, carbon
dioxide, propane and traces of ethane.
 It is an environmentally clean alternative fuel, as its combustion process emits a lower percentage of
greenhouse gases when compared to other fuels.
LPG:
 LPG fuel, or liquefied petroleum gas, is a liquefied gas and is a byproduct derived while extracting
crude petroleum.
 LPG weighs twice as much as air and is colorless, odorless and is a highly flammable explosive gas.
 It is comprised of propane mixed with butane, traces of propylene and butylene.
6.6. THE GREEN COMET

CONTEXT:
Appearing near Earth after nearly 50,000 years, and next estimated to come close to us after as many
years, it might be possible to see a recently discovered green comet.
GREEN COMETS:
 Comets are frozen rocky or gas-filled objects that are remnants of the formation of the solar system.
 Due to their composition, characteristics and the path they move in, they tend to leave a light
“behind them”.
 Here, the comet itself is green (called the
head of the comet) and emits a whitish light
behind it (often called the tail of the
comet).
 Just like other bodies in space, comets also
have orbits.
 They are sometimes pulled in close to the
sun because of the sun’s gravity acting on
them.
 As they orbit near the Sun, they heat up and
spew gases and dust into a glowing head
that can be larger than a planet.
 The remains of dust following this burning up, from a distance, look like a trail of light to humans on
Earth.
 Comets, therefore, have often been seen giving out blue or whiteish light, or even green.
 The green glow is thought to arise from the presence of diatomic carbon – pairs of carbon atoms
that are bound together – in the head of the comet.
 The molecule emits green light when excited by the ultraviolet rays in solar radiation.
6.7. THE ADITYA MISSION

CONTEXT:
Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) handed over to ISRO, the Visible Line Emission Coronagraph (VELC),
the primary payload on board Aditya-L1, which is India's first dedicated scientific mission to study the
Sun.
ABOUT ADITYA L1:

 Aditya L1 is the first space-based Indian mission to study the Sun from a halo orbit around the
Lagrangian point 1 (L 1) of the Sun-Earth system.

 This mission with seven payloads on board to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the
outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) will provide greater advantage of observing the solar
activities and its effect on space weather.
 The spacecraft will study coronal heating, solar wind acceleration, coronal magnetometry, origin
and monitoring of near-UV solar radiation and continuously
observe photosphere, chromosphere and corona, solar energetic particles and magnetic field of
the Sun.
PAYLOADS:
 The space solar mission was initially LAGRANGE POINTS
conceived as Aditya-1 with a 400 kg
 Lagrange points are positions in space
class satellite carrying one payload
where objects sent there tend to stay put. At
(VELC), and was planned to be
Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of
launched in an 800 km low earth orbit.
two large masses precisely equals the
 Since a satellite placed in a halo orbit centripetal force required for a small object
around the L1 of the Sun-Earth system to move with them. These points in space
has the major advantage of can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel
continuously viewing the Sun without
consumption needed to remain in position.
any occultation/eclipses, the mission
 The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords
was revised to Aditya-L1, and it would
an uninterrupted view of the sun and is
now be inserted in a halo orbit around
currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric
the L1, which is 1.5 million km from the
Earth towards the Sun. Observatory Satellite.
 The other six payloads are: Solar
Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment, Plasma Analyser Package for
Aditya, Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer, High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer, and
Magnetometer The scientific studies by the satellite will enhance our current understanding of the
Solar Corona and also provide vital data for space weather studies.

7. COVID 19 AND DISEASES
7.1. THE KALA AZAR
CONTEXT:
The Prime Minister has expressed his happiness on the declining cases of Kala Azar disease.
ABOUT KALA-AZAR:
 Kala-azar is a slow progressing indigenous disease caused by a protozoan parasite of genus
Leishmania
 In India Leishmaniadonovani is the only parasite causing this disease
 The parasite primarily infects reticuloendothelial system and may be found in abundance in bone
marrow, spleen and liver.
 Post Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a condition when Leishmaniadonovani invades skin
cells, resides and develops there and manifests as dermal leisions.
 Some of the kala-azar cases manifests PKDL after a few years of treatment. Recently it is believed
that PKDL may appear without passing through visceral stage.
 However, adequate data is yet to be generated on course of PKDL manifestation.
CAUSES:
 It is caused due to chronic infection of the Reticuloendothelial system.
 The Infections range from asymptomatic to progressive symptomatic.
 In Kala Azar, the incubation period is usually 2-4 months.
 The patient becomes fatal after 6 months to 2 years if not treated properly.
TYPES:
 Cutaneous leishmaniasis: This is another form of Kala-azar which results in skin lesions – mainly ulcers
on the exposed parts of the body, which creates scars and serious disability. The lesions usually are
painless but can be painful, particularly if open sores become infected with bacteria. Types of
Cutaneous leishmaniasis:
 Mucosal Leishmaniasis: In this type of Cutaneousleishmaniasis, the infectin results from the
dissemination of parasites from the skin to the naso-oropharyngeal mucosa.
SYMPTOMS:
 Most common presentation of Kala Azar or VL is high grade fever with chills and rigors which may
continue up to weeks; followed by massive splenomegaly and Hepatomegaly with abdomen
distension and swelling of feet.
 It can also cause pigmentation of the skin. Kala Azar can mimic other febrile diseases like malaria,
typhoid fever, TB and other fungal infections.
 People with immunosuppressed condition are highly vulnerable to Kala Azar.
TREATMENT:
 Treatment of Kala Azar is done through liposomal AmB – this is the drug of choice for
immunocompetent patients.
 There are other treatment options available such as paromomycin, miltefosin and multidrug therapy
treatment.
7.2. NOROVIRUS
CONTEXT:
The Kerala Health Department confirmed two cases of the gastrointestinal infection norovirus
inErnakulam district.
ABOUT NOROVIRUS:
 Norovirus is not new,it has been circulating among humans for over 50 years and is thought to be
one of the primary causes of gastroenteritis.

 The virus is estimated to kill 200,000 persons globally every year, with most deaths occurring among
those below the age of five years and those over the age of 65 years.
 The virus is capable of surviving low temperatures, and outbreaks tend to be more common during
the winter and in colder countries — that is why it is sometimes referred to as “winter vomiting
disease”.
SYMPTOMS:
 Norovirus leads to diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, and abdominal pain.
 Being a diarrhoeal disease, it can lead to dehydration, so drinking plenty of fluids is recommended.
TRANSMISSION AND PREVENTION:
 The infection can be transmitted
through foods contaminated with
the virus, touching surfaces that are
contaminated with the virus and
then touching the mouth, and being
in direct contact with someone with
the infection like taking care of
them and sharing foods and utensils
with them.
 Good hand hygiene is the best way
to prevent infection.
 Washing hands with soap and water
for 20 seconds. Hands sanitisers are
thought to not work too well against
norovirus.
 As the infection can be transmitted by foods, it is suggested that a sick person not prepare food for
others. All food items should be carefully washed and cooked at high temperatures. The norovirus
can survive temperatures as high as 60 degrees Celsius.
7.3. NATIONAL ANTI-LEPROSY DAY

CONTEXT:
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare virtually addressed National Anti-Leprosy Day.
NATIONAL ANTI-LEPROSY DAY:

 In India, Anti Leprosy Day is observed on 30th January every year.
 World Leprosy Day is observed internationally every year on the last Sunday of January to increase
the public awareness of the Leprosy.
 Leprosy is also one of the neglected tropical Leprosy:
diseases.
 It is a chronic infectious disease caused
 National Leprosy Eradication Programme is a
by a type of bacteria, Mycobacterium
centrally sponsored scheme.
leprae.
 Its vision is “Leprosy-free India”.
 The disease predominantly affects the
 Other initiatives under the programme include
skin and peripheral nerves.
leprosy awareness campaigns and services for
 Left untreated, the disease may cause
Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation
such as provision of Microcellular Rubber footwear, progressive and permanent disabilities.
Aids & Appliances and self-care kits.
 Under the programme, Reconstructive Surgeries are conducted and welfare allowance is paid to
each patient undergoing Reconstructive Surgeries.
 The Leprosy Programme focuses on early detection, free of cost treatment to prevent development
of disabilities and deformities, and medical rehabilitation of those with existing deformities.
 Prevalence rate of leprosy has come down from 0.69/10,000 population (2014-15) to 0.45 (2021-22).
 Annual new case detection rate per 100,000 population has come down from 9.73 (2014-15) to 5.52
(2021-22).
 Welfare allowance raised from Rs 8,000 to Rs 12,000 to Patients for Reconstructive Surgery.

 Surveillance was also strengthened by introducing ASHA-based Surveillance for Leprosy Suspects
(ABSULS) where grassroot level workers constantly engaged in examining and reporting suspects.
 Special emphasis under the Focused Leprosy Campaign (FLC) was given to areas that were difficult
to access or had child cases and cases with disabilities.
 National Strategic Plan & Roadmap for Leprosy (2023-27) and National Guidelines for Antimicrobial
resistance (AMR) Surveillance in leprosy were released during the event along with launch of Nikusth
2.0 Portal.
 The strategy and roadmap will aid in advancing the campaign against leprosy, to stop transmission,
by speeding case detection efforts and maintaining a robust surveillance infrastructure.
 Nikusth 2.0 is an integrated portal for leprosy case management under National Leprosy Eradication
Programme (NLEP).
 It will aid in efficient data recording, analyzing and reporting of the data in the form of indicators
and a real time dashboard at center, state and district levels.

8. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL EVENTS
8.1. SATYENDRANATH BOSE
CONTEXT:
129th birth anniversary of SatyendraNath Bose was celebrated.
ABOUT SATYENDRANATH BOSE:

 Satyendranath Bose (1894-1974) was
an Indian Physicist best known for his
role in particle Physics.
 He was born in Calcutta; he was the
eldest of the 7 children of his father
Surendranath Bose. Bose was a
specialist in mathematical physics.
 A fellow of the Royal Society, Bose
was awarded Padma Vibhushan in
1954, incidentally, the Padma
Vibhushan was awarded for the first
time in 1954 only.
 Bose never received a doctorate nor
was he awarded a Nobel Prize. He is
largely forgotten and Nobel
Committee has recognized all other scientists that did work on the concept, whose historic father
was SatyendraNath Bose.
HIS CONTRIBUTIONS:
 MeghnadSaha was his classmate and J C Bose as his teacher. In 1921, he joined the then newly
created Dacca University as Reader in Physics. While teaching, he wrote a paper for deriving the
Planck’s Law. His paper was titled ‘Planck’s Law and Light Quantum Hypothesis.‘
 In 1900, Max Planck had explained in the theory of black body radiation that light is emitted in
discrete amounts (quanta) rather than as a continuous wave. But his derivation of this formula was
not satisfactory to other scientists, in fact even to himself. Later, Albert Einstein explained the
photoelectric effect based on Planck’s quanta as photons in 1905 in a paper. Einstein was awarded
the Nobel Prize for this paper, not for his papers on Relativity!
 However, many of his colleagues were not fully convinced of his yet-to-be-developed photon
theory. Under these circumstances, Bose re-sent the paper to Albert Einstein in June 1924, with a
fervent appeal for his perusal. Einstein immediately recognised the significance of this paper. This
paper was going to substantiate and revolutionise his theory of photoelectric effect. Einstein himself
translated Bose’s paper into German and sent it to ZeitschriftfürPhysik with his endorsement for
publication. With his demigod status, Einstein’s words carried much weight. It was promptly
published, and immediately Bose shot into prominence.
 After this, Einstein personally invited Bose to work with him, and their efforts culminated in the Bose-
Einstein statistics, an important and seminal phenomenon in quantum physics. His work was
wholeheartedly supported and appreciated by the leading lights in quantum theory, such as Louise
de Broglie, Erwin Schroedinger, Paul Dirac and Heisenburg.
 In honour of Bose’, Paul Dirac coined the word ‘Boson’ for those particles which obey Bose’s
statistics. In atomic theory, only Fermions (named after Enrico Fermi) and Bosons were named after
physicists.
8.2. NO RHINOS POACHED IN ASSAM

CONTEXT:
Assam Chief Minister announced on January 1 that no rhinos were poached in the state in 2022.
ABOUT THE INDIAN RHINO:

 The Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) is found only in the Brahmaputra valley, parts of North
Bengal, and parts of southern Nepal.

 It has a single black horn that can grow up to 60 cm, and a tough, grey-brown hide with skin folds,
which gives the animal its characteristic armour-plated look.
 The Indian rhino is listed as vulnerable (better than endangered, worse than near threatened) in the
IUCN Red List; it was earlier placed in the endangered category.
 The WWF says the “recovery of the greater one-horned rhino is among the greatest conservation
success stories in Asia”.
 There are around 3,700 Indian rhinos in the wild today. Assam’s Kaziranga National Park (KNP) alone
has 2,613 animals, according to a census carried out in March 2022.
 There are more than 250 other rhinos in the Orang, Pobitora, and Manas parks.
RHINO POACHING:
 Rhinos have been poached for their horn, which is
prized in some cultures.
 Rhino horn is used in traditional Chinese medicine to
cure a range of ailments, from cancer to hangovers,
and also as an aphrodisiac.
 In Vietnam, a rhino horn is considered a status symbol.
 Due to demand in these countries, poaching pressure
on rhinos is ever persistent against which one cannot let
the guard down.
 In 2019, the Assam government constituted a Special
Rhino Protection Force to keep a check on rhino
poaching and related activities at Kaziranga National
Park (KNP).
CONSERVATION EFFORTS:
 The five rhino range nations (India, Bhutan, Nepal, Indonesia and Malaysia) have signed a
declaration ‘The New Delhi Declaration on Asian Rhinos 2019’ for the conservation and protection
of the species.
 The Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has begun a project to
create DNA profiles of all rhinos in the country.
 National Rhino Conservation Strategy: It was launched in 2019 to conserve the greater one-horned
rhinoceros.
 Indian Rhino Vision 2020: Launched in 2005, it was an ambitious effort to attain a wild population of
at least 3,000 greater one-horned rhinos spread over seven protected areas in the Indian state of
Assam by the year 2020.
8.3. SAVITRIBAI PHULE

CONTEXT:
192nd birth anniversary of SavitribaiPhule was observed.
ABOUT SAVITRIBAI PHULE:

 A Dalit woman from the Mali community, Savitribai was born on January 3, 1831, in Maharashtra’s
Naigaon village.
 Married off at the tender age of 10, her husband JyotiraoPhule is said to have educated her at
home.
 Later, Jyotirao admitted Savitribai to a teachers’ training institution in Pune.
 Throughout their life, the couple supported each other and in doing so, broke many social barriers.
 At a time when it was considered unacceptable for women to even attain education, the couple
went on to open a school for girls in Bhidewada, Pune, in 1848.
 This became the country’s first girls’ school.
AS A SOCIAL REFORMER:
 Along with Jyotirao, Savitribai started the BalhatyaPratibandhakGriha (‘Home for the Prevention of
Infanticide’) for pregnant widows facing discrimination.
 SavitribaiPhule also advocated inter-caste marriages, widow remarriage, and eradication of child
marriage, sati and dowry systems, among other social issues.

 The Phules also adopted Yashwantrao, the child of a widow, whom they educated to become a
doctor.
 In 1873, the Phules set up the
THE ASI
SatyashodhakSamaj (‘Truth-seekers’
society’), a platform open to all, irrespective  The Archaeological Survey of India, or ASI, is
of their caste, religion or class hierarchies, an affiliated agency of the Government of
with the sole aim of bringing social equity. India's Ministry of Culture.
 As an extension, they started ‘Satyashodhak  It is responsible for archaeological research
Marriage’ – a rejection of Brahmanical rituals and conservation, as well as the protection
where the marrying couple takes a pledge and preservation of historic monuments and
to promote education and equality. archaeological sites around the country.
 The couple also set up  The laws of the Ancient Monuments and
‘BalyataPratibandakGruha’, a childcare Archaeological Sites and Remains Act
centre for the protection of pregnant widows (AMASR Act) of 1958 govern all
and rape victims. Urging women to break archaeological activity in the nation.
free of caste barriers, Savitribai encouraged  The Antiquities and Art Treasure Act of 1972 is
them to sit together at her meetings. also governed by it.
 At her husband’s funeral procession on  It was created in 1861 by Alexander
November 28, 1890, Savitribai again defied Cunningham, a British Army engineer with a
convention and carried the titve (earthen particular interest in Indian archaeology.
pot). Walking ahead of the procession,  Alexander Cunnigham has been dubbed the
Savitribai was the one who consigned his "Father of Indian Archaeology."
body to the flames, a ritual which is still
predominantly carried out by men.
HER LITERARY WORKS:
 SavitribaiPhule published her first collection of poems, called KavyaPhule (‘Poetry’s Blossoms’), at
the age of 23 in 1854.
 She published BavanKashiSubodhRatnakar (‘The Ocean of Pure Gems’), in 1892.
 Besides these works, MatushriSavitribaiPhlenchiBhashanevaGaani (S’avitribaiPhule’s speeches and
songs’), and her letters to her husband have also been published.
8.4. THE CENTRALLY PROTECTED MONUMENTS

CONTEXT:
Fifty of India’s 3,693 centrally protected monuments have gone missing, the Ministry of Culture has told
Parliament. The submissions were made by the ministry to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on
Transport, Tourism and Culture as part of a report titled ‘Issues relating to Untraceable Monuments and
Protection of Monuments in India’.
ABOUT CENTRALLY PROTECTED MONUMENTS:

 The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) regulates the
preservation of monuments and archaeological sites of national importance.
 The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is under the aegis of the Union Ministry of Culture,
functions under this Act.
 The Act protects monuments and sites that are more than 100 years old, including temples,
cemeteries, inscriptions, tombs, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and even objects like
cannons and mile pillars that may be of historical significance.
 ASI officials are supposed to regularly inspect the monuments to assess their condition.
 Apart from various conservation and preservation operations, ASI officials can also file police
complaints, issue show cause notices for the removal of encroachments, and communicate to the
local administration the need for demolition of encroachments.
MISSING MONUMENTS:
 After independence, the focus of successive governments was on health, education and
infrastructure, rather than protecting heritage.
 Even within the scope of heritage, the aim was to uncover more monuments and sites, instead of
conservation.

 So in due course, many monuments and sites were lost to activities like urbanisation, construction of
dams and reservoirs, and even encroachments.
 As per the ASI submission in Parliament, 14 monuments have been lost to rapid urbanisation, 12 are
submerged by reservoirs/dams, while 24 are untraceable, which brings the number of missing
monuments to 50.
LIST OF SOME MISSING MONUMENTS:
 The Guns of Emperor Sher Shah, Tinsukia (Assam);
 The Ruins of Copper Temple, Paya, Lohit (Arunachal Pradesh);
 Kos Minar, Mujesar, Faridabad (Haryana);
 Kutumbari Temple, Dwarahat, Almora (Uttarakhand);
 Rock Inscription, Satna (Madhya Pradesh);
 Old European Tomb, Pune (Maharashtra);
 12th Century Temple, Baran (Rajasthan); and
 TeliaNala Buddhist ruins, Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh).
8.5. THE SAGOL KANGJEI

CONTEXT:
Part of Home Minister’s programme in Manipur was the inauguration of a 122-foot-tall statue of a polo
player astride a Manipur Pony in Imphal.
ABOUT SAGOL KANGJEI:

 Modern-day polo originated within the small northeast Indian state of Manipur in 3100 BC, where it
was played as sagolkangjei (sagol means pony and kangjei is a game of sticks).
 It was introduced by King Kangba who ordered his officers to play the game on horseback.
 Thus, his subordinates were the first one to play this game.
 It is considered to be one of the three types of hockey and the other two were KhongKangjei (field
hockey) and MuknaKangjei (included both wrestling and hockey) which people used to play in
those times.
 It is also called by other names such as 'Kanjai-bazee' and 'Pulu'.
 And thus, people from Manipur believed that Polo originated from Manipur whereas China and
other countries also claim their right.
 The origin of polo in Manipur is also associated myth logically with a God of the Chenglei tribe that is
Marjing to whom a similar structure of ancient polo with a strick along with the ball is offered in
rituals.
 Even festivals in Manipur such as Lai Haraoba Festival shows a play sequence in which Maibi
(priestess) with a polo stick in hand goes out in search of a bride.
 Manipuri Polo depicts the rich culture and heritage of the state.
THE MANIPUR PONIES:
 The Manipur Ponies are referenced in records dating back to the 14th century.
 The Manipur Pony is one of five recognised equine breeds of India, and has a powerful cultural
significance for Manipuri society.
 The Marjing Polo Complex has been developed as a way to conserve the Manipur Pony.
 The Manipur Pony features in mythological stories, and is celebrated in oral tradition, ballads, and
rituals. Historically an important part of Manipuri armies, it is used only for cavalry, rituals, and sport,
not for working as a draught animal.
8.6. THE 17TH EDITION OF PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS

CONTEXT:
Prime Minister will inaugurate the 17th edition of the PravasiBharatiya Divas convention in Madhya
Pradesh's Indore city.

MORE ON NEWS:
 The PBD Convention will have five thematic Plenary sessions
 Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovations and new Technologies.
 Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in AmritKaal: Vision @2047.
 Leveraging the soft power of India – Goodwill through craft, cuisine & creativity.
 Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora.
 Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation-
building.
ABOUT THE PRAVASI BHARATIYA DIVAS:
 The PravasiBharatiya Divas is celebrated on
January 9 to mark the arrival of Mahatma
Gandhi in Mumbai from South Africa on that
day in 1915.
 Since 2015, the convention is being organised
every two years to mark the contribution of
overseas Indian community to the
development of the nation.
 The Centre has organised the 17th
PravasiBharatiya Divas convention in
partnership with the Madhya Pradesh
government.
 The theme of the PBD convention is 'Diaspora: Reliable partners for India's progress in AmritKaal'.
PRAVASI BHARATIYA SAMMAN AWARDS:
 Another important aspect of PBD is the PravasiBharatiyaSamman Awards.
 The PravasiBharatiyaSamman Awards are a prestigious honor bestowed upon non-resident Indians
(NRIs) and people of Indian origin (PIOs) who have made significant contributions to their respective
fields and have also promoted India’s interests abroad.
 The PravasiBharatiyaSamman Awards are presented annually on January 9th, which is celebrated
as the PravasiBharatiya Divas (Indian Diaspora Day) in India.
 The awards were initiated in 2003 by the Government of India to recognize the achievements and
contributions of NRIs and PIOs in various fields such as education, science and technology, arts and
culture, social work, public service, trade and industry, and philanthropy.
 The PravasiBharatiyaSamman Awards are presented by the President of India in a grand ceremony
held at the RashtrapatiBhavan (Presidential Palace) in New Delhi.
8.7. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

CONTEXT:
The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Swami Vivekananda on his
Jayanti. The Prime Minister said that the life of Swami Vivekananda
always inspires patriotism, spirituality and hard work.
ABOUT SWAMI VIVEKANANDA:

 Date of Birth: January12, 1863
 Place of Birth: Calcutta, Bengal Presidency (Now Kolkata in West
Bengal)
 Parents: VishwanathDutta (Father) and Bhuvaneshwari Devi
(Mother)
 Education: Calcutta Metropolitan School; Presidency College,
Calcutta
 Institutions: Ramakrishna Math; Ramakrishna Mission; Vedanta
Society of New York
 Religious Views: Hinduism
 Philosophy: Advaita Vedanta

 Publications: Karma Yoga (1896); Raja Yoga (1896); Lectures from Colombo to Almora (1897); My
Master (1901)
 Death: July 4, 1902
 Place of Death: Belur Math, Belur, Bengal
 Memorial: Belur Math, Belur, West Bengal
HIS CONTRIBUTION:
 Introduced the world to the Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga. He preached ‘neo-
Vedanta’, an interpretation of Hinduism through a Western lens, and believed in combining
spirituality with material progress.
 Laid the greatest emphasis on education for the regeneration of our motherland. Advocated
a man-making character-building education.
 Best known for his speech at the World Parliament of Religion in Chicago in 1893.
 Spelt out the four pathways of attaining moksha from the worldly pleasure and attachment in his
books - Raja-yoga, Karma-yoga, Jnana-yoga and Bhakti-yoga.
 NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose had called Vivekananda the “maker of modern India.”
 The best form of worship, in his opinion, was public service. He emphasized physical and moral
strength.
 According to Swami Vivekananda, the four pillars of nationalism are consciousness and pride in
India's ancient glory, strengthening of both moral and physical character, the awakening of the
masses, and unity based on shared spiritual beliefs.
THE RAMAKRISHNA MISSION:
 Vivekananda returned to India in 1897 to a warm welcome from both the common and royal
classes.
 After a series of lectures across the country, he arrived in Calcutta and established the Ramakrishna
Mission on May 1, 1897, near Calcutta, at Belur Math.
 The Ramakrishna Mission's goals were based on the ideals of Karma Yoga, and its primary goal was
to serve the country's poor and distressed population.
 The Ramakrishna Mission engaged in various forms of social service, such as establishing and
operating schools, colleges, and hospitals, disseminating practical Vedanta tenets through
conferences, seminars, and workshops, and initiating relief and rehabilitation work throughout the
country.
 Swami Vivekanand aimed to bring the noblest ideas to the doorsteps of even the poorest and
meanest people through the Ramakrishna Mission.
 Swami Vivekanand founded Belur Math in West Bengal in 1899 and made it his permanent
residence. In 1902, he died here.
8.8. HARVEST FESTIVALS

CONTEXT:
PM has greeted people across the nation on the occasion of harvest festivals.
MAKAR SANKRANTI:
 Harvest festivals are celebrated in diverse yet similar ways, across India.
 Makar Sankranti is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, in reference to deity Surya (sun).
 Makar Sankranti is observed according to solar cycles.
 It is held normally on the 14th of January, or a day before or after.
 It marks the first day of sun’s transit into the Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with
the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
 It is a occasion to celebrate the hard work of millions of our farmers and people across the country
as harvest festivals.
DIFFERENT NAMES OF THE FESTIVAL:
 Makar Sankranti – Odisha, Maharashtra, Goa, Andhra, Telengana, Kerala and most of the north
India.
 Paush Parbon – Bengal.

 Pongal – Tamil Nadu; It is celebrated for four days, with the first day being Bhogi Pongal, the second
day being Surya Pongal, the third day being Mattu Pongal and the fourth day being Kaanum
Pongal.
 Bhogali Bihu – Assam.
 Lohri – Punjab and Jammu.
 Maghi – Haryana and Himachal.
 Khichdi Parwa – parts of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
 Uttarayana – Gujarat and Rajasthan
8.9. LAND TITLE DEEDS TO BANJARA COMMUNITY

CONTEXT:
Prime Minister symbolically distributed HakkuPatra (land title deeds) to five families of the Banjara
(Lambani) community, a nomadic Scheduled Caste group.
TITLE DEED:
 A title deed is a property ownership document, and the bearer of the document owns the land.
 The title deeds enable owners to avail of bank loans with the said document.
 They will also be eligible to buy or sell land to which the title deed is granted by the government.
ABOUT BANJARAS:

 The Banjara are a class of usually ascribed as nomadic people from the Indian state of Rajasthan,
North-West Gujarat, and Western Madhya Pradesh and Eastern Sindh province of pre-
independence Pakistan.
 They claim to belong to the clan of AgnivanshiRajputs, and are also known as Banjari, Pindari,
Bangala, Banjori, Banjuri, Brinjari, Lamani, Lamadi, Lambani, Labhani, Lambara, Lavani, Lemadi,
Lumadale, LabhaniMuka, Goola, Gurmarti, Gormati, Kora, Sugali, Sukali, Tanda, Vanjari,
Vanzara,andWanji Together with the Domba, they are sometimes called the "Gypsies of India".
DISTRIBUTION:
 The Banjara have spread to Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and other states of India.
 About half their number speak Lambadi, one of the Rajasthani dialects, while others are native
speakers of Hindi, Telugu and other languages dominant in their respective areas of settlement.
ART & LITERATURE:
 Their customs, language and dress indicate they originated from Rajasthan.
 They live in settlements called thandas.
 They lived in zupada (hut). Now many of them live in cities. They have a unique culture and dance
form. On many occasions they gather, sing and dance.
 Their traditional occupation is agriculture and trade. Banjaras are also a group of nomadic cattle
herders.
 The accurate history of Lambanis or Lambadis or Banjaras is not known but the general opinion
among them is that they fought for Prithvi Raj against Muhammad of Ghor.
 The trail of the Lambadi/Banjara can be verified from their language, Lambadi borrows words
from Rajasthani, Gujarati, Marathi and the local language of the area they belong to.
 Banjaras originally belong to Rajasthan and they were Rajputs who migrated to southern parts of
India for trade and agriculture.
 They settled down in the southern or central area of the country and slowly loosened contacts with
Rajasthan, and their original community.
8.10. ASSAM’S CHARAIDEO MAIDAMS

CONTEXT:
The Centre has decided to nominate Assam’s Charaideo Maidams — the Ahom equivalent of
the ancient Egyptian pyramids — for the UNESCO World Heritage Site status this year.
CHARAIDEO MAIDAMS:
 Established by the Ahom King Chao
Lung Siu-Ka-Pha in 1228, Charaideo in
Assam was the first capital of the
Ahom Kingdom.
 A place for ancestral gods of the
Ahoms, it is the burial ground of kings
and queens.
 Also called the ‘Pyramids of Assam’,
the hillocks of Charaideo have tombs
(called Maidams) and the place is
compared to the Pyramids of Egypt,
thus proving to be a splendid example
of medieval times.
 There are actually over
150 maidams, but only 30 of these are protected by the Archaeological Survey of India along with
Assam State Archaeology Department.
ARCHITECTURE:
 The wondrous architecture of Charaideo includes underground vaults with domed chambers
covered by earthen mounds and thus appear like hillocks. On the top of each hillock, a small open
pavilion called ‘chow-chali’ made of bricks and stones.

 It is also said that besides the kings and queens, attendants, pets and even valuables were buried.
Thus, the site has been encroached, robbed and thereby, damaged.
8.11. THE PARAKRAM DIWAS 2023

CONTEXT:
Remembering NetajiSubhash Chandra Bose on his birth anniversary, Prime Minister paid homage to the
freedom fighter.
PARAKRAM DIWAS:
 ParakramDiwas is celebrated on January 23 to commemorate the birth anniversary of freedom
fighter Subhas Chandra Bose.
 This year marks the 126th birth anniversary of Bose, fondly known as ‘Netaji’.
 To mark the occasion, 21 unnamed islands of Andaman and Nicobar will be named after Param
Veer Chakra awardees.
 A model of the National Memorial dedicated to Netaji which will be built on NetajiSubhas Chandra
Bose Dweep will also be unveiled.
ABOUT NETAJI:
 Born to Jankinath, a prominent lawyer, and Prabhavati, Bose
was the 9th child among their 14 children including 8 sons
and 6 daughters.
 He attended Presidency College, Calcutta, till his suspension
in 1916 due to nationalist activities. Later he graduated from
Scottish Churches College in 1919.
 To prepare for the Indian civil service examination, he was
sent by his parents to England's University of Cambridge.
 The charismatic leader who gave popular slogans like “Delhi
Chalo” was born on January 23, 1897, in Cuttack, Bengal
division, Odisha.
 His appealing slogan - "Tum mujhekhoon do,
maitumheazadidoonga (You give me blood, I will give you
freedom)”- fuelled Indians with patriotism during the
freedom struggle.
 In India, Bose joined the Indian National Congress, but with
time, refuted from Mahatma Gandhi's less confrontational
approach.
 In 1938, he became the president of the Indian National
Congress. But resigned a year later despite defeating his
rival in reelection.
 On October 21, 1943, Bose formed ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ and later started Azad Hind radio station in
Germany
 He went missing on August 18, 1945, after a plane crash in Taiwan. Out of three inquiry commissions
on the accident, two claimed he died due to the crash while one stated was alive after the
tragedy.
8.12. THE JAGANNATH TEMPLE IN PURI

CONTEXT:
Odisha Governor has backed the entry of foreign nationals inside the world-famous Jagannath Temple
in Puri, wading into a debate that has lasted for decades and periodically triggered controversy.
MORE ON NEWS:
 The Temple is one of the four dhams (char dham) where Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Vishnu, is
worshipped along with his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and sister Devi Subhadra.
 Only Hindus are allowed inside the shrine to offer prayers to the sibling deities in the sanctum
sanctorum.
 A sign at the Lion’s Gate (main entrance) of the Temple clearly states: “Only Hindus are allowed.”

ABOUT THE TEMPLE:
 The temple is believed to be constructed in the 12th century by King AnatavarmanChodaganga
Deva of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
 JagannathPuri temple is called ‘YamanikaTirtha’ where, according to the Hindu beliefs, the power
of ‘Yama’, the god of death has been nullified in Puri due to the presence of Lord Jagannath.
 This temple was called the “White Pagoda” and is a part of Char Dham pilgrimages (Badrinath,
Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram).
 There are four gates to the temple- Eastern ‘Singhdwara’ which is the main gate with two crouching
lions, Southern ‘Ashwadwara’, Western 'VyaghraDwara and Northern ‘Hastidwara’. There is a
carving of each form at each gate.
8.13. INDIA’S CONSTITUTION DAY

CONTEXT:
Since 1950, January 26 has marked the day India’s Constitution came into effect. However, the
Constitution was prepared way before the chosen date, adopted officially by the Constituent
Assembly on November 26, 1949.
MORE ON NEWS:
 On January 26, 1930, the historic “PoornaSwaraj” declaration was officially promulgated, beginning
the final phase of India’s freedom struggle where the goal would be complete independence from
British rule.
BACKGROUND:
SIMON COMMISSION:
 In 1927, British Authorities appointed the Simon
Commission – a seven-man, all European team
under Sir John Simon – to deliberate on political
reforms in India.
 This sent a wave of outrage and
discontentment across the country.
 For the first time since 1922, protests against the
Simon Commission spread nationwide, with
chants of “Simon Go Back” echoing across the
country.
 In response, the INC appointed its own
commission under Motilal Nehru.
 The Nehru Report demanded that India be granted dominion status within the Empire.
 In the Balfour Declaration of 1926, dominions were defined as “autonomous communities within the
British Empire, equal in status, in no way subordinate one to another in any aspect of their domestic
or external affairs, though united by a common allegiance to the Crown and freely associated as
members of the British Commonwealth of Nations.”
 In 1926, countries like Canada, Australia and New Zealand were granted dominion status.
OPPOSITION TO DOMINION STATUS:
 Crucially, even within the Congress, the Nehru Report did not enjoy universal support. Young leaders
such as Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru, Motilal’s own son, wanted India to break all ties with the British
Empire.
 They argued that under dominion status, while India would enjoy a certain level of autonomy, the
British Parliament and Crown would still have the ability to meddle in Indian affairs.
 In 1929, Viceroy Irwin had vaguely announced that India would be granted dominion status in the
future. Known as the Irwin Declaration, it was warmly welcomed by Indians but faced massive
backlash back in Britain.
THE LAHORE SESSION:
 The Lahore Session of the INC convened in December 1929.
 On December 19, the historic “PoornaSwaraj” resolution was passed in the session.

 This declaration of Independence was officially promulgated on January 26, 1930.
 The Congress urged Indians to come out and celebrate “independence” on that day.
 The Indian tricolour was hoisted across the country by Congress party workers and patriotic songs
were sung as the country reconfigured its strategy for Independence.
 The resolution also contained in it an affirmation to the Gandhian methods of nonviolent protest,
which would start almost immediately after PoornaSwaraj Day was celebrated.
REPUBLIC DAY:
 From 1930 till India finally won its independence in 1947, January 26 was celebrated as
“Independence Day” or “PoornaSwaraj Day” with Indians reaffirming their commitment towards
sovereignty on that day.
 Thus, when leaders had to decide on a day to promulgate India’s new constitution, January 26 was
thought to be ideal. Not only did this date already hold nationalist significance, the Constitution in
many ways reflected the “PoornaSwaraj” declaration of two decades back.
8.14. THE ETIKOPPAKA TOYS

CONTEXT:
An Etikoppaka toy craftsman is one among the
seven persons from Andhra Pradesh who have been
selected for this year's Padma Awards.
ABOUT ETIKOPPAKA TOYS:
 Etikoppaka is a small village on the banks of
Varaha River at a distance of 64 Kms away from
Visakhapatnam district of Andhra Pradesh.
 The name Etikoppaka is synonymous with the
beautiful wooden artifacts and lacquer colours.
 The toys are made with lacquer color and are
traditionally known as Etikoppaka toys or
EtikoppakaBommalu.
 The village is very famous for its toys made of wood.
 The toys are also called as lacquer toys because of application of lacquer coating.
 The toys are made out of wood and are coloured with natural dyes derived from seeds, lacquer,
bark, roots and leaves.
 The wood used to make the toys is soft in nature and the art of toy making is also known as Turned
wood Lacquer craft.
 While making the Etikoppaka toys, lac, a colourless resinous secretion of numerous insects, is used.
 The already prepared vegetable dyes are further mixed to the lac, during the process of oxidation.
 After this process, the end product obtained is rich and colored lacquer.
 The lac dye is used for decorating the Etikoppaka toys, which are exported all over the world.
GI TAG:
 Agricultural, natural or manufactured goods are registered as Geographical Indications (GI) by the
Geographical Indications Registry as per the provisions of the Geographical Indications of Goods
(Registration & Protection) Act, 1999.
 Etikoppaka Toys have obtained their GI tag under Handicrafts category in the state of Andhra
Pradesh.
8.15. MARTYR'S DAY

CONTEXT:
The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his Punya Tithi.

MAHATMA GANDHI (2 OCTOBER 1869 – 30 JANUARY 1948):
 Born in Porbandar, Gujarat on 2 October 1869. He went to England to study law and became a
barrister.
 He was deeply influenced by his religious mother who instilled in him ideas of spirituality and peace.
He was also inspired by the
story of Raja Harishchandra
because of which Gandhi
accorded utmost
importance to truth
throughout his life.
 While he was 13 years old, he
was married to Kasturba who
went on to be his ardent
supporter and companion
throughout his political and
personal life.
 In 1893, at the age of 23, he
left for South Africa to pursue
a case and ended up living
there for 21 years. It was in
that country that he shaped
himself to be a leader of the
people. Facing discrimination
because of his race and
nationality, he resolved to
fight against this injustice and fight for his and his people’s natural rights. He developed his political
weapon Satyagraha there.
 He was successful in bringing about a positive change in the attitude of the government towards
Indians in South Africa. Gandhi returned to India in 1915 urged by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, whom
Gandhi considered his political mentor.
 Champaran Satyagraha (1917) - The first civil disobedience movement by Gandhi in the freedom
struggle.
 Persuaded by Rajkumar Shukla, an indigo cultivator, Gandhi went to Champaran in Bihar to
investigate the conditions of the farmers there.
 Kheda Satyagraha (1918) - As per law, the farmers were entitled to remission if the produce was less
than a quarter of the normal output. But the government refused any remission from paying land
revenue.
 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, under Gandhi’s guidance, led the farmers in protest against the collection
of taxes in the wake of the famine. The authorities gave concessions to the farmers.
 Ahmedabad Mill Strike (1918) - Gandhi used Satyagraha and hunger strike for the first time during
an industrial dispute between the owners and workers of a cotton mill in Ahmedabad.
 He launched the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1920 but suspended it in 1922 when violence broke
out killing 22 policemen.
 In March 1930, the Salt Satyagraha was launched by the famous Dandi March by Gandhi for
launching the Civil Disobedient movement.
 The Gandhi–Irwin Pact was signed in March 1931. The British Government agreed to free all political
prisoners, in return for the suspension of the civil disobedience movement. According to the pact,
Gandhi was invited to attend the Round Table Conference in London for discussions and as the sole
representative of the Indian National Congress.
 Poona Pact: In 1932, Ambedkar agreed on Poona pact with Mahatma Gandhi and an agreement
was signed between Ambedkar and Madan Mohan Malviya which abandoned the idea of
separate electorates for the depressed classes (Communal Award).
 In 1942 he launched the Quit India Movement which led to his and several other top congress
leaders’ arrest.
 In 1944, he was released from prison to face a changed political scene. The talk of partitioning the
country on communal grounds was gaining support from some Muslims groups especially the Muslim
League led by M A Jinnah.
 After the League’s Direct Action Day on 16 August 1946, communal violence started and thousands
were getting killed.

 After this, Gandhi tried to stop the violence by visiting the affected places but things were beyond
even his control now.
 Gandhi had been staying in Birla House, New Delhi from September 1947.
 At 5:17 pm on 30 January 1948, Gandhi was with his grandnieces in the garden of Birla House (now
Gandhi Smriti), on his way to address a prayer meeting, when Nathuram Godse, a Hindu fanatic,
fired three bullets into his chest from a pistol at close range.
 The whole nation and much of the international community were shocked and mourned his death.
 Nehru remarked, ‘The light is out of our lives.’
 He is considered the Father of the Nation.
 His death anniversary is marked as Martyr’s Day in India.
MARTYR’S DAY:
 It is observed on 30th January every year in the memory of Mahatma Gandhi and his contributions
to the nation.
 23rd March is also observed as Martyr's Day to pay tribute to three revolutionaries of India namely
Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar.

9. SECURITY
9.1. THE VILLAGE DEFENCE COMMITTEE
CONTEXT:
Jammu and Kashmir L-G Manoj Sinha said Village Defence Guards would be set up in the UT.
ABOUT VILLAGE DEFENCE COMMITEE:

 The Village Defence Committees (VDCs) came into existence for “self-defence” and
“supplementing efforts of the forces to curb militancy and cross-border infiltration” in 1999. They
played a crucial role in fighting the militants.
 The VDCs were first formed in the erstwhile Doda district (now Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts)
in mid 1990s as a force multiplier against militant attacks.
 The then Jammu and Kashmir administration decided to provide residents of remote hilly villages
with weapons and give them arms training to defend themselves.
 The VDCs have now been renamed as Village Defence Guards (VDG).
 The new scheme to set up VDGs in vulnerable areas of J&K was approved by the Union Ministry of
Home Affairs last year.
 Like a VDC member, each VDG will be provided a gun and 100 rounds of ammunition.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VDG AND VDC:
 Both VDG and VDC is a group of civilians provided guns and ammunition to tackle militants in case
of attack until the arrival of security forces.
 Under the new scheme, the persons leading the VDGs will be paid Rs 4,500 per month by the
government, while others will get Rs 4,000 each.
 In the VDCs, only the Special Police Officers (SPOs) leading them were provided a remuneration, of
Rs 1,500 monthly.
 The SPOs, the lowest rank in the J&K Police, used to be retired army, para military or police
personnel.
COMPOSITION OF VDCs:
 A minimum of 10-15 ex-servicemen, ex-policemen and able-bodied local youth were enrolled in
each VDC on a voluntary basis.
 On an average, at least five of them were provided .303 rifles and 100 rounds each, through the
district Superintendent of Police.
 The allotment of weapons could go up depending on the credentials of the volunteers, total
population of a village and its security requirements, as assessed by the district magistrate and SSP
concerned.
9.2. THE PRITHVI-II MISSILE

CONTEXT:
India carried out a successful test launch of tactical ballistic
missile Prithvi-II from a test range off the Odisha coast.
ABOUT PRITHVI –II MISSILE:

 Prithvi was developed by the DRDO under the
Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.
 It is a nuclear-capable surface-to-surface missile.
 A well-established system, Prithvi-II missile has been an
integral part of India’s nuclear deterrence. The missile
struck its target with high accuracy.
 The Prithvi-II missile has a range of around 350 kilometres.
 The missile, which is powered by light propulsion twin
engines, can carry 500-1,000 kg of warheads.
 It uses an advanced inertial navigation system to strike the set target.

 The Prithvi-II was earlier successfully test-fired during night hours in 2018 and in 2019.
THE INTEGRATED GUIDED MISSILE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (IGMDP):
 IGMDP was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme to research and develop a comprehensive
range of missiles.
 The project started in 1982–1983 under the leadership of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
 This Programme made Dr APJ Abdul Kalam the missile man of India.
 The integrated guided missile programme was complete in, 2008.
 Five missiles under IGMDP:
 PRITHVI (Short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile)
 AGNI (Medium to intercontinental surface-to-surface missile)
 TRISHUL (Short range low-level surface-to-air missile)
 AKASH (Surface-to-air missile having a range of up to 25 Km and multi-target handling system)
 NAG (Third generation “fire & forget”, “top attack” anti-tank missile)
9.3. WOMEN IN INDIAN ARMY COMMAND

CONTEXT:
Nearly 80 women officers in the Army have been cleared so far for the rank of Colonel (selection
grade), making them eligible to command units in their respective arms and services for the first time.
WOMEN IN ARMED FORCES:

 The Army, Air Force and Navy began inducting women as short-service commission (SSC) officers in
1992. This was the first time when women were allowed to join the military outside the medical
stream.
 One of the turning points for women in the military came in 2015 when Indian Air Force (IAF)
decided to induct them into the fighter stream.
 In 2020, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the central government to grant permanent
commission (PC) to women officers in the Army's non-combat support units on par with their male
counterparts.
 Women officers have been granted PC in the Indian Army in all the ten branches where women are
inducted for SSC.
 Women are now eligible to occupy all the command appointments, at par with male officers,
which would open avenues for further promotions to higher ranks for them.
 In May 2021, the Army inducted the first batch of women into the Corps of Military Police, the first
time that women joined the military in the non-officer cadre.
WOMEN IN COMMAND ROLE:
 80 women officers in the Indian Army have been cleared for the rank of Colonel (selection grade),
making them eligible to command units in their respective arms and services for the first time.
 The Women Officers were selected by the Special No. 3 Selection Board for promotion from the rank
of Lt Colonel to Colonel to bring them on a par with their male counterparts.
 Women officers were selected from the batch of 1992 to 2006 in various arms and services, including
Engineers, Signals, Army Air Defence, Intelligence Corps, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps
and Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
 The Corps of Engineers has the maximum vacancy followed by the Army Ordnance Corps and
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering.
9.4. INS VAGIR

CONTEXT:
In a major boost to Indian naval power, the Indian Navy received the fifth submarine of the Kalvari
Class submarines, INS Vagir.
MORE ON NEWS:
 The submarine has been built under Project-75, which includes the indigenous construction of six
submarines of Scorpene design.

 The submarine can undertake diverse missions including anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine
warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, and surveillance missions.
ABOUT INS VAGIR:
 INS Vagir is built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders with the help of technology transfer from France's
Naval Group.
 'Vagir' means sand shark, which represents stealth and fearlessness, two qualities synonymous with
the ethos of a submariner.
 The erstwhile 'Vagir' was commissioned on November 1, 1973, and undertook numerous operational
missions including deterrent patrols.
 The submarine was decommissioned on January 7, 2001, after serving the nation for about three
decades.
 Launched and named
'Vagir' on November
12, 2020, the
submarine in its new
avatar has the
distinction of having
the lowest build time
among all indigenously
manufactured
submarines to date.
 New Vagir has the
distinction of having
the lowest build time
among all indigenously
manufactured
submarines till date.
 The four Kalvari-class
submarines
commissioned earlier are: INS Kalvari, INS Khanderi, INS Karanj and INS Vela.
 INS Vagsheer will be the last one in the series to be commissioned, expected around March 2024.
 The submarine has the best sensors in the world, its weapons package include sufficient wire guided
torpedoes and sub-surface to surface missiles to neutralise a large enemy fleet.
 The submarine can also launch marine commandos for special operations, while its powerful diesel
engines can quickly charge batteries for a stealth mission.
 For self-defence, it has a state of the art torpedo decoy system.
9.5. LEOPARD 2
CONTEXT:
With dozens of German-built main battle tanks and other western weapons coming in, Ukraine hopes to
bolster its offensive capability against Russian troops
LEOPARD 2:
 The Leopard 2 is one of the world’s leading battle tanks, used by the German Army for decades
and by the militaries of more than a dozen other European nations, as well as by the armies of
countries as far apart as Canada and Indonesia.
 Developed by German weapons manufacturer Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW).
 It has seen service in conflicts in Afghanistan, Kosovo and Syria.
 The tank, which is powered by a diesel engine, features night-vision equipment and a laser range
finder that can measure distance to an object, enabling it to better aim at a moving target while
traveling over rough terrain.
 There are multiple iterations of the Leopard 2 with different features and designs.
 Leopard was first produced in the late 1990s for the West German army in response to Soviet threats
during the Cold War.
 These tanks are armed with a 120mm smoothbore cannon.

 They also provide “all-round protection” for troops from threats such as mines, anti-tank fire, and
improvised explosive devices

10. ALSO IN NEWS
 The K9 Vajra is a 155 mm, 52-calibre tracked self-propelled howitzer built by

L&T with technology transferred from South Korean defence major Hanwha
Defense based on its K9 Thunder.
 The 100th gun was delivered to the Army in February 2021, the contract for
which was signed in May 2017.
 The contract also involved maintenance transfer of technology to an Army
base workshop to support the howitzers throughout their operational life
cycle.
K9-VAJRAS  The K9 Vajra was mainly bought for use in deserts, but the standoff
prompted them to be deployed in the mountains as well, officials had
stated earlier.
 To ensure that these systems performed optimally in the extreme cold
weather conditions of the mountains, the Army also procured winterisation
kits for the regiment deployed.
 There are nine items including batteries, oils and lubricants which need to
be insulated from extreme temperatures and don’t freeze at -20 degrees
celsius, which the kits cater for.
 ‘Pfizer and Moderna have developed and made available bivalent booster
shots.
 In contrast to vaccines used as a booster shot in India, bivalent boosters
have half of the mRNA coding for the spike protein of the ancestral virus
OMICRON strain and the other half coding for the spike protein of the Omicron
BOOSTERS variant.
 Real-world data of Pfizer’s bivalent booster dose showed additional
protection and more effectiveness in the older population than the original
monovalent vaccine based on the ancestral strain.
 Pfizer has developed boosters using BA.4/BA.5 Omicron variants too.
 The Indian Science Congress Association was started in the year 1914 in
Kolkata and has a membership of more than 30,000 scientists.
 This professional body established in 1914 falls under the Science and
Technology Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology,
THE INDIAN
Government of India
SCIENCE
 It owes its origin to the foresight and initiative of two British chemists, namely,
CONGRESS
Professor J. L. Simonsen and Professor P. S. MacMahon.
 It occurred to them that scientific research in India might be stimulated if an
annual meeting of research workers somewhat on the lines of the British
Association for the Advancement of Science could be arranged.
 The National Ganga Council (NGC) was established in October 2016 after
the National Ganga River Basin Authority was dissolved by the River Ganga
(Rejuvenation, Protection, and Management) Authorities Order, 2016. The
Ganga River Basin, comprising Ganga and its tributaries, has been
entrusted to the Council with overarching responsibility for pollution control
and rejuvenation.
THE NATIONAL
 The Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairperson for the NGC
GANGA
 Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga
COUNCIL
Rejuvenation will be the ex-officio Vice-Chairperson.
 The jurisdiction of the NGC shall extend to the States comprising River
Ganga Basin, namely, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand,
Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Jharkhand,
Haryana, and the NCR of Delhi and such other States, having major
tributaries of the River Ganga.

 Implementation of the National Ganga River Basin Authority's programmes,
which are also backed by the World Bank.
 The Atal Tunnel Rohtang saw an influx of vehicles in 2022.

 The 9.02-km tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the world above the
height of 3,000 metres.
 It cuts through a mountain west of the Rohtang pass and shortens the
THE ATAL distance between Solang Valley and Sissu.
TUNNEL  The tunnel reduces the road distance of 46 kilometres between Manali and
Leh and the time by about four to five hours.
 The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the PirPanjal range of
the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) from the Mean
Sea Level (MSL).
 Scientists from South Korea have developed a new water purification

system that can quickly and efficiently filter out microplastics.
 The polymer used is relatively inexpensive with excellent adsorption
TECHNOLOGY performance and good photothermal properties.
TO FILTER  In an experiment, over 99.9 per cent of contaminants were taken out of the
MICROPLASTIC water in just 10 seconds.
 While some traditional carbon-based filters can filter out microplastics, they
have limitations — the adsorption rate is slow and they are not energy-
efficient.
 The Prime Minister has paid tributes to Rani VeluNachiyar on her birth
anniversary.
 Rani VeluNachiyar was a queen of Sivaganga estate from 1780–1790.
 She was the first Indian queen to wage war with the East India Company in
RANI VELU
India.
NACHIYAR
 She is known by Tamils as Veeramangai ("brave woman").
 With the support of Hyder Ali's army, feudal lords, the Maruthu
Brothers, Dalit commanders, and ThandavarayanPillai, she fought the East
India company.
 Shikharji, often spelled Sammed or SammetShikharji, is a holy place in the

Indian state of Jharkhand’s Giridih district.
 The highest mountain in the state of Jharkhand, Parasnath Hill, is where it is
situated.
 Both Digambara and Svetambara consider it to be the most significant Jain
Tirtha (pilgrimage destination), as it is the location where twenty of the
SHIKHARJI JAIN twenty-four Jain tirthankaras, together with numerous other monks,
TEMPLE obtained Moksha.
 The Jnatrdharmakatha, one of the twelve fundamental texts of Jainism, has
the first mention of Shikharji as a tirth (place of pilgrimage).
 The Parsvanathacarita, a biography of Prva written in the eleventh century,
also makes mention of Shikharji. An illustration of Parshavanatha’s nirvana at
Shikharji can be seen in a palm-leaf manuscript of the KalpaStra and
Kalakacaryakatha from the thirteenth century.
 The Commission aims at boosting competition and economy in bulk power

markets, enhancing the standard, promoting investments and advising the
THE CENTRAL government on the removal of institutional barriers to bridge the demand-
ELECTRICITY supply gap thereby facilitating the interests of customers
REGULATORY  Composition: Chairperson and four other Members including Chairperson,
COMMISSION Central Electricity Authority who is the ex-officio Member of the Commission.
 Functions: (1) To regulate the tariff of generating companies owned or
controlled by the Central Government; (2) To regulate the inter-State

transmission of electricity; (3) To determine tariff for such transmission of
electricity.
 CERC also advises the Central Government on the formulation of the
National Electricity Policy and Tariff Policy.
 They are the major source of household savings in India and comprise 12
instruments.
 The depositors get an assured interest on their money.
 Collections from all small savings instruments are credited to the National
Small Savings Fund (NSSF).
 Small savings have emerged as a key source of financing the government
SMALL SAVING deficit, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
SCHEME  Small savings instruments can be classified under three heads:
 Postal Deposits (comprising savings account, recurring deposits, time
deposits of varying maturities and monthly income scheme).
 Savings Certificates: National Small Savings Certificate (NSC) and
KisanVikasPatra (KVP).
 Social Security Schemes: SukanyaSamriddhi Scheme, Public Provident Fund
(PPF) and Senior Citizens‘ Savings Scheme (SCSS).
 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has granted a

conditional license for a vaccine for honeybees to curb American
foulbrood (AFB).
 AFB is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae.
 Infected broods usually die at the pre-pupal or pupal stage.
 It is not a stress-related disease and can infect the strongest to the weakest
colony in an apiary.
VACCINE FOR  Heavy infections can affect most of the brood, severely weakening the
HONEYBEES colony and eventually killing it.
 The disease cannot be cured, meaning that the destruction of infected
colonies and hives or irradiation of infected material is the only way to
manage AFB.
 The vaccine technology exposes queen bees to inactive (ie, “dead”)
bacteria, which enables the larvae hatched in the hive to resist infection.
 The vaccine is mixed in queen candy — the primary food source for both
the queen bees and the attendant bees living in cages.
 The Prime Minister has expressed pride as Indian Army deploys its largest
contingent of women peacekeepers in United Nation mission at Abyei,
UNISFA.
 The United Nations Peacekeeping Forces are employed by the World
Organization to maintain or re-establish peace in an area of armed conflict.
 The UN may engage in conflicts between states as well as in struggles within
states.The UN acts as an impartial third party in order to prepare the ground
for a settlement of the issues that have provoked armed conflict.
THE UN  If it proves impossible to achieve a peaceful settlement, the presence of UN
PEACEKEEPING forces may contribute to reducing the level of conflict.
FORCE  Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of
Peace Operations as “a unique and dynamic instrument developed by the
organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict to create the
conditions for lasting peace”
 Peacekeepers monitor and observe peace processes in post-conflict areas
and assist ex-combatants in implementing the peace agreements they
may have signed.
 Such assistance comes in many forms, including confidence-building
measures, power-sharing arrangements, electoral support, strengthening

the rule of law, and economic and social development
 The United Nations Charter gives the United Nations Security Council the
power and responsibility to take collective action to maintain international
peace and security.
 DeeporBeel also spelt as DiporBil is a permanent freshwater lake, in a former

channel of the Brahmaputra River, to the south of the main river.
 It is an open lake basin connected with a set of inflow and outflow
channels.
 Beel means wetland or large aquatic body in Assamese.
DEEPOR BEEL  DeeporBeel has both biological and environmental importance.
 Considered as one of the largest beels and important riverine wetlands in
the Brahmaputra valley of Lower Assam.
 It is categorised as a representative of the wetland type under the Burma
monsoon forest biogeographic region.
 DeeporBeel is an important bird sanctuary inhabiting many migrant species.
 The Animal Welfare Board of India is a statutory advisory body Established in

1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
 The Animal Welfare Board of India, headquartered at Ballabhgarh in
Haryana state, is a statutory advisory body advising the Government of
THE ANIMAL
India’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. The AWBI
WALFARE headquarters were previously situated in Chennai.
BOARD OF
 The Animal Welfare Board of India is a statutory advisory body on Animal
INDIA Welfare Laws and promotes animal welfare in the country.
 Established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Act, 1960, the Animal Welfare Board of India was started under the
stewardship of Late Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, well known humanitarian.
 A new species of dwarf boa has been discovered in the upper Amazon
basin.
 The snake from the Tropidophiidae family was found in the cloud forest in
NEW DARK BOA northeastern Ecuador and was up to 20 centimetres long.
SPECIES  Tropidophiscacuangoae can be identified from other reptiles in the same
DISCOVERED genus based on its external features and bone structure.
 The species inhabits eastern tropical piedmont and lower evergreen
montane forests in the Amazon tropical rainforest biome and the
researchers suspect it to be an Ecuadorian endemic.
 The successful phasing out of banned substances as envisioned by the

Montreal Protocol has set the stage for a complete recovery of the ozone
layer by the 2060s, a United Nations-backed panel of experts said.
 The first ozone hole was discovered in the stratospheric layers over the
SUCCESS OF Antarctic in 1985, which allowed harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation to pass
MONTREAL into the lowest layer of the Earth’s atmosphere (troposphere).
PROTOCOL  UV radiation is linked with health hazards such as skin cancer, cataracts and
other conditions in the eye and reduced immunity.
 The Montreal Protocol enforced in 1989 called for a ban on the use and
trade of 100 ozone-depleting substances (ODS), and 99 per cent of these
have been successfully phased out.
 Fatima Sheikh, often a lost figure in Indian history, was a pioneering teacher,
anti-caste activist, proponent of girls’ education, and social reformer in 19th
FATIMA SHEIKH century Maharashtra.
 Along with Savitribai and JyotiraoPhule, she started the first girls’ school in
the country, in spite of loud, threatening opposition.

 In 1848, Savitribai, Fatima and Jyotirao opened the first school for girls inside
the premises of Fatima’s home in Pune. Savitribai and Fatima took on the
work of teaching a small group of girls there.
 Unfortunately, many details of Fatima Sheikh’s life and pioneering work
have been lost.
 Census is nothing but a process of collecting, compiling, analyzing,

evaluating, publishing and disseminating statistical data regarding the
population.
 It covers demographic, social and economic data and is provided as of a
particular date.
 Census operations started in India long back during the period of the
Maurya dynasty.
THE CENSUS
 It was systematized during the years 1865 to 1872, though it has been
conducted uninterruptedly from the year 1881 being a trustworthy resource
of information.
 India has held its decadal censuses regularly from 1881 to 2011, despite
diseases, world wars, Partition and other instances of turmoil only COVID-19
as an exception.
 Census 2011 is the 15th National Census of the Country.
 India's nominal GDP growth is likely to fall in 2023-24, hurting tax collections
and putting pressure on the federal government to reduce the budget gap
by cutting expenses ahead of national elections in 2024.
 Nominal GDP growth, which includes inflation, is the benchmark used to
FALL IN estimate tax collections in the upcoming budget to be presented on Feb. 1.
NOMINAL GDP  It is estimated to be around 15.4% for the current financial year.
Nominal gross domestic product (GDP) is GDP given in current prices,
without adjustment for inflation.
 Current price estimates of GDP are obtained by expressing values of all
goods and services produced in the current reporting period.
 India is planning to procure the Very Short Range Air Defence System or
VSHORAD (IR Homing) missile system.
 VSHORADS is a Indian man-portable air-defense system
VSHORAD
(MANPADS) designed by the Defence Research and Development
MISSILE SYSTEM Organisation (DRDO).
 It designed for anti-aircraft warfare and neutralizing low altitude aerial
threats at short ranges.
 India will host ‘The Voice of Global South’ Summit’.

 As many as 120 countries will participate in the summit. The virtual summit is
significant as India currently holds the presidency of the G20 group.
 The ‘Voice of Global South Summit’ under the theme ‘Unity of Voice, Unity
THE VOICE OF of Purpose’ envisages bringing together countries of the Global South to
GLOBAL SOUTH share their perspectives and priorities on a common platform.
SUMMIT  ‘Global North’ refers loosely to countries like the US, Canada, Europe, Russia,
Australia and New Zealand, while ‘Global South’ includes countries in Asia,
Africa and South America.
 This classification is more accurate as the countries share similarities in terms
of wealth, indicators of education and healthcare, etc.
 Chandigarh was designed in 1950 as Punjab’s new state capital following

partition.
ARCHITECT OF
 Picturesquely located at the foothills of Shivaliks, it is known as one of the
CHANDIGARH
best experiments in urban planning and modern architecture in the
twentieth century in India.

 Le Corbusier was tapped to design the metropolis, employing a grid street
pattern, European-style boulevards and raw concrete buildings – a
distillation of ideas formed across his lifetime.
 Set to sail from Varanasi, the cruise ship, MV Ganga Vilas, will cover 3,200
km over 51 days, crossing 27 river systems and several states before ending
its journey at Dibrugarh.
 The voyage is packed with visits to 50 tourist spots, including World Heritage
THE GANGA spots, national parks, river ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar,
VILAS CRUISE Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh
and Guwahati in Assam.
 While it will be managed by private operators, the Inland Waterways
Authority of India (IWAI), under the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and
Waterways (MoPSW), has supported the project.
 In 2022, Indian authorities “intensified and broadened their crackdown on

activist groups and the media”, Human Rights Watch said.
 Founded in 1978, it is an international non-governmental organization,
headquartered in New York City, that conducts research and advocacy on
THE HUMAN human rights.
RIGHTS WATCH  The group pressures governments, policy makers, companies, and individual
human rights abusers to denounce abuse and respect human rights, and
the group often works on behalf of refugees, children, migrants, and
political prisoners.
 Headquartered in New York.
 Kollam will be officially declared India’s first Constitution literate district by

KOLLAM IS Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
INDIA’S FIRST  As part of the campaign, around 16.3 lakh people in the district above the
CONSTITUTION age of 10 have been educated on various aspects of the Constitution and
LITERATE the strenuous process involved 2,200 trainers called ‘senators’.
DISTRICT  During the seven-month campaign, the senators visited schools, offices,
auto stands and tribal councils to spread awareness.
 Russia claimed that its forces captured a fiercely contested salt mining
town, in what would mark a rare victory for the Kremlin after a series of
setbacks in its invasion of Ukraine.
 It is located in what is internationally recognised as the Donetsk Oblast of
Ukraine.
 Soledar lies less than 10 km northeast of the city of Bakhmut
 On 5 July 1991, the town changed its name from Karlo-Libknekhtovsk to
Soledar, which literally means "a gift of salt" in the Ukrainian and Russian
languages, reflecting the long history of salt production in the area.
SOLEDAR

 Digital India Startup Hub through the Software Technology Parks of India
INDIA’S FIRST shall set up India’s first Centre of Excellence in Online Gaming at Shillong.
CENTRE OF  It is expected to catalyse startups and entrepreneurs from the entire North
EXCELLENCE IN East Region to build the Next Gen Online Gaming ecosystem.
ONLINE  Government is Re-launching Skill India through PMKVY 4.0, which shall train
GAMING around 50,000 youth in Meghalaya in future ready skills with Industry backed
Job Opportunities.
 CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research

(CSIR-NIScPR), New Delhi celebrated its 2nd foundation on 13th January
2023.
 It came into existence on 14th January 2021 with the merger of two
internationally acclaimed CSIR Institutions namely CSIR-National Institute of
Science Communication and Information Resources (CSIR-NISCAIR) and
CSIR-NISCPR
National Institute of Science, Technology and Development Studies (CSIR-
NISTADS).
 Since then, CSIR-NIScPR has been able to direct its activities towards
becoming a globally respected institution in the domain of Science Policy
research and Science Communication, using the rich legacy spanning
around 100 years and a robust inherent capabilities of erstwhile institutions.
 Fiscal consolidation is a set of policies undertaken by the government so as

to reduce government deficits and debt accumulation.
 They are measured as a per cent of nominal GDP.
 Deficits can be curbed by better economic growth leading to more
FISCAL
revenues and less expenditure.
CONSOLIDATIO
 Fiscal consolidation can be achieved by increasing revenue and
N
decreasing expenditure.
 The fiscal deficit is the most important indicator of the government's
financial health. The fiscal deficit, on the other hand, represents the amount
of government borrowing for that given year.
 The UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy is a unique global instrument to

enhance national, regional and international efforts to counter terrorism.
 GCTS was adopted by consensus 15 years ago in 2006. All UN Member
States agreed the first time to a common strategic and operational
THE UN GLOBAL
approach to fighting terrorism.
COUNTER-
 The GCTS sends a clear message that terrorism is unacceptable in all its
TERRORISM
forms and manifestations.
STRATEGY
 It also resolves to take practical steps, individually and collectively, to
prevent and combat terrorism. Those practical steps include a wide array of
measures ranging from strengthening state capacity to counter terrorist
threats to better coordinating UN System’s counter-terrorism activities.
 As part of the Republic Day Celebrations 2023 and to mark the 126th birth
anniversary of NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose (celebrated as ParakramDiwas),
a Military Tattoo & Tribal Dance Festival ‘AadiShaurya - ParvParakramKa’ will
be held.
 The government of India decided to celebrate the birth anniversary of
THE PARAKRAM NetajiSubhas Chandra Bose as Parakram Divas.
DIWAS
 Thus, to honour and remember his indomitable spirit and selfless service to
the nation, January 23 is celebrated as Parakram Divas every year.
 The day seeks to inspire people of India, especially the youth, to act with
fortitude in the face of adversity. It further aims to infuse a spirit of patriotic
favour in youth.

 GrameenUdyami Scheme was launched to augment skill training in tribal
communities for their inclusive and sustainable growth.
GRAMEEN  GrameenUdyami is a unique multiskilling project, funded by NSDC that aims
UDYAMI to train 450 tribal students in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
PROJECT  The project is being implemented in six states— Maharashtra, Rajasthan,
Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Gujarat.
 The project is implemented under SansadiyaParisankulYojana.
 The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in India (C4IR) was established
in October 2018 to focus on the role of emerging technologies across
different sectors and to plug the challenges that will emanate as we go
through this journey.
 There are three pillars:
 The first is the 4IR technologies such as artificial intelligence, the internet of
4TH INDUSTRIAL
things, blockchain and others.
REVOLUTION
 The second focus is on public-private cooperation. India recently
announced drone services.
 The third pillar is a multi-stakeholder partnership. We have to look at all the
pieces together —government, industries, start-ups, civil society, and
consumers — for inclusiveness. The overall focus is to bring in greater social
good by leveraging technologies.
 The ChatGPT can answer “follow-up questions”, and can also “admit its
mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”
 It is based on the company’s GPT 3.5 series of language learning models
(LLM).
 GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 and this is a kind
of computer language model that relies on deep learning techniques to
produce human-like text based on inputs.
THE CHATGPT
 The model is trained to predict what will come next, and that’s why one
can technically have a ‘conversation’ with ChatGPT.
 It can be used in real-world applications such as digital marketing, online
content creation, answering customer service queries or as some users have
found, even to help debug code.
 The bot can respond to a large range of questions while imitating human
speaking styles.
 National Export Cooperative Society is set up under the Multi State

Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002.
 The society will provide thrust to exports from cooperative sector by acting
NATIONAL as an umbrella organisation for carrying out and promoting exports.
EXPORT  This society will also help cooperatives in getting benefits of various export
COOPERATIVE related schemes and policies of different ministries of Government of India
SOCIETY in a focussed manner through ‘Whole of Government Approach’.
 Higher exports through the proposed society will increase production of
goods and services by the cooperatives at various levels thus leading to
more employment in the cooperative sector.
 Wayanad becomes the first district in the country to provide basic

documents and facilities such as Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth/death
certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts and health insurance to all
tribespeople.
THE ABCD
 It is part of the Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitisation (ABCD)
CAMPAIGN campaign.
 The campaign is aimed at ensuring basic documents to all citizens
belonging to the Scheduled Tribes communities and these documents are
digitalised and saved in DigiLocker accounts opened for them.

 Measles: It is a highly contagious viral disease. Despite the availability of a
safe and effective vaccine, measles remains an important cause of death
among young children globally, and can also lead to serious adverse
outcomes such as blindness, pneumonia and encephalitis.
MEASLES AND
 Rubella: It is an acute, contagious viral infection. While rubella virus
RUBELLA
infection usually causes a mild fever and rash in children and adults,
infection during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester, can result in
miscarriage, fetal death, stillbirth, or infants with congenital malformations,
known as congenital rubella syndrome (CRS).
 The President of India will confer the PradhanMantriRashtriyaBalPuraskar,

2023 to 11 exceptional children in an award ceremony.
 The PradhanMantriRashtriyaBalPuraskar (formerly known as the National
Child Award for Exceptional Achievement) is India’s Highest Civilian Honour
bestowed upon exceptional achievers under the age of 18.
THE PRADHAN  The award was instituted by the Ministry of Women and Child Development,
MANTRI Government of India in 1996
RASHTRIYA BAL  The Government of India confers the PradhanMantriRashtriyaBalPuraskar
PURASKAR (PMRBP) award to children for their exceptional achievements.
 The awards are conferred upon children in the age group 5 – 18 years, for
their excellence in six categories, viz. Art & Culture, Bravery, Innovation,
Scholastic, Social Service and Sports, which deserve national recognition.
 Each awardee of PMRBP is given a medal, a cash prize of Rs.1 Lakh and a
Certificate.
 The Government of India has instituted an annual award known as Subhash

Chandra Bose AapdaPrabandhanPuraskar to recognize and honour the
invaluable contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and
SUBASH organizations in India in the field of disaster management.
CHANDRA BOSE  The award is announced every year on 23rd January, the birth anniversary
AAPDA of NetajiSubhash Chandra Bose.
PRABANDHAN  The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 51 lakh and a certificate in case of an
PURASKAR institution and Rs. 5 lakh and a certificate in case of an individual.
 The country has significantly improved the disaster management practices,
preparedness, mitigation and response mechanisms resulting in significant
reduction in casualties during natural calamities.
 Immune imprinting is a tendency of the body to repeat its immune response

based on the first variant it encountered — through infection or vaccination
— when it comes across a newer or slightly different variant of the same
pathogen.
 The phenomenon was first observed in 1947, when scientists noted that
“people who had previously had flu, and were then vaccinated against the
IMMUNE
current circulating strain, produced antibodies against the first strain they
IMPRINTING had encountered.
 Scientists have realised that imprinting acts as a database for the immune
system, helping it put up a better response to repeat infections. After our
body is exposed to a virus for the first time, it produces memory B cells that
circulate in the bloodstream and quickly produce antibodies whenever the
same strain of the virus infects again.

 Machu Picchu is a 15th-
century Inca citadel loc
ated in the Eastern
Cordillera of
southern Peru on a
2,430-meter mountain
ridge.
MACHU PICCHU  Often referred to as the
"Lost City of the Incas", it
is the most familiar icon
of the Inca Empire.
 More than 7,000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, Machu
Picchu is the most visited tourist destination in Peru.
 Machu Picchu was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 and
was named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.
 Hundreds of vulnerable Olive Ridley Turtles

( Lepidochelysolivacea) have washed
ashore along the coastline between
Kakinada and Antarvedi in the Godavari
region during the ongoing annual
breeding season on the east coast.
 The olive ridley gets its name from the
olive green color of its heart-shaped shell.
 The species is among the smallest of the
world’s sea turtles and is found primarily in
OLIVE RIDLEY the tropical regions of the Pacific, Indian,
and Atlantic oceans.
 Olive ridley turtles are found throughout the world.
 The number of olive ridleys are greatly reduced from historical estimates,
due to overexploitation for turtle meat and eggs.
 Bycatch in fishing gear and the direct harvest of turtles and eggs are the
biggest threat facing olive ridleys.
 The olive ridley is classified as vulnerable according to the International
Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, and is listed in
Appendix I of CITES.
 Artificial intelligence is the simulation of human intelligence processes by

machines, especially computer systems.
 AI applications include advanced web search engines (e.g., Google
Search), recommendation systems (used
ARTIFICIAL by YouTube, Amazon and Netflix), understanding human speech (such
INTELLIGENCE as Siri and Alexa), self-driving cars (e.g., Waymo), automated decision-
making and competing at the highest level in strategic game systems (such
as chess and Go).
 Specific applications of AI include expert systems, natural language
processing, speech recognition and machine vision.
 Simlipal is a tiger reserve in the Mayurbhanj district in the Indian state

of Odisha .
 It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three
protected areas — Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
SIMILIPAL
 Simlipal National Park derives its name from the abundance of red silk
NATIONAL PARK cotton trees growing in the area.
 The park is home to Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, gaur, and chausingha.
 This protected area is part of the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere
Reserves since 2009.

 Accommodative monetary policy is a strategy used by central banks that is
aimed at keeping interest rates low in order to infuse more cash into the
economy to boost growth and maintain or reduce unemployment.
 An accommodative monetary policy is designed to keep interest rates low
ACCOMODATIV
in order to maintain employment and infuse more cash into the economy.
E MONETARY
 Central banks accomplish this through quantitative easing and reducing
POLICY
the Federal funds rate.
 Accommodative monetary policies improve employment and maintain
stability after a financial crisis, but they can be bad for savers and lead to
inflation.
 The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is a forum of 120 countries that are not
formally aligned with or against any major power bloc.
 After the United Nations, it is the largest grouping of states worldwide.
 The movement originated in the aftermath of the Korean War, as an effort
by some countries to counterbalance the rapid bi-polarization of the world
during the Cold War, whereby two major powers formed blocs and
embarked on a policy to pull the rest of the world into their orbits.
THE NON-
ALIGNED  One of these was the pro-Soviet, socialist bloc whose best known alliance
was the Warsaw Pact, and the other the pro-American capitalist group of
MOVEMENT
countries many of which belonged to NATO.
 In 1961, drawing on the principles agreed at the Bandung Conference of
1955, the Non-Aligned Movement was formally established
in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, through an initiative of Yugoslav President Josip
Broz Tito, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Egyptian President Gamal
Abdel Nasser, Ghanaian President Kwame Nkrumah, and Indonesian
President Sukarno.
 Egypt announced a series of new archaeological discoveries found in the

Saqqara necropolis south of Cairo, including a mummy said to be 4,300
years old.
 Archaeologists also said they had discovered four tombs at the vast burial
site.
DICOVERIES OF  The finds date from the fifth and sixth dynasties, which correspond to the
MUMMIES IN 25th to the 22nd centuries B.C.
EGYPT  The largest tomb uncovered by scientists is believed to have belonged to a
priest inspector and supervisor of nobles.
 In recent years, Egypt has announced a string of discoveries from the
ancient era in an effort to breathe life into its vital tourism sector.
 Tourism is a prime source of revenue in the country that could pump much-
needed hard currency in turbulent economic times.
 Ramcharitmanas, is an epic poem in the Awadhi language, based on

the Ramayana, and composed by the 16th-century
Indian bhakti poet Tulsidas.
 This work is also called, in popular parlance, Tulsi Ramayana, Tulsikrit
Ramayana, or Tulsidas Ramayana.
THE  The word Ramcharitmanas literally means "Lake of the deeds of Rama".
RAMACHARITM  It is considered one of the greatest works of Hindu literature.
ANAS  Tulsidas was a great scholar of Sanskrit. However, he wanted the story of
Rama to be accessible to the general public, as many Apabhramsa
languages had evolved from Sanskrit and at that time few people could
understand Sanskrit.
 In order to make the story of Rama as accessible to the layman as to the
scholar, Tulsidas chose to write in Awadhi.

 The Noble’s Helen, recorded from the Namdapha National Park, is
disappearing from its previously known ranges in Myanmar, China, Thailand,
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam
 A swallowtail butterfly disappearing from its previously known ranges from
Myanmar and southern China to Vietnam has been recorded for the first
time in India.
 The Noble’s Helen, closest to the Papilio antonio from the Philippines and
characterised by a much large dorsal white spot, was once common in the
montane forest at moderate
elevations in northern Thailand.
NOBLE’S HELEN  Apart from Thailand, this species
of swallowtail butterfly has been
reported from Myanmar, Yunnan
and Hubai regions of China,
Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
 Noble’s Helen with a wingspan
of 100-120 mm was initially
thought to be an aberration of the Papilio helenus although the former has
an extra white spot in the dorsum of the forewing.
 A closer study showed the Papilio noblei sports a consistent white spot and
has a complete row of red lunules on the underside of the hind wing and
discal white areas on the upper side of the hind wing.
 Almost 39% of the land area of

the Munroe Thuruthu has been
lost with Peringalam and
Cheriyakadavu islands
recording a land depletion of
around 12% and 47%, says
NCESS study
 Munroe
Island or Mundrothuruthu is
an inland island group located
at the confluence of Ashtamudi
Lake and the Kallada River,
in Kollam district, Kerala, South
India.
 Munroe Thuruthu (13.4 sq. km.)
MUNROE is a string of eight islets at the
THURUTHU confluence of the Ashtamudi
Lake and the Kallada River.
 It was named after Colonel John Munroe, the British Resident of erstwhile
Travancore State.
 A new genus of wasp after Soligas — who are the indigenous community of
the Biligiri Rangan Hills (B.R. Hills) in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka —
in recognition of their conservation of forests and biodiversity
 Soliga lifestyle which is rooted in the philosophy of sustainability since
SOLIGA ancient days and is the mantra in modern times.
COMMUNITY  Once the BRT was designated as a wildlife sanctuary, hunting was
completely banned and the Soligas were allocated small pieces of land to
practice settled agriculture. However, they retained the right to collect NTFP
and were allowed to remain inside the forest though it was declared as a
tiger reserve

 The Union Education Ministry released data from the All India Survey on
Higher Education (AISHE), 2020-2021, which showed a 7.5% increase in
student enrolments across the country from the 2019-20 figures, with the
total enrolments reaching 4.13 crore
 The data showed two lakh more Scheduled Caste students, about three
lakh more Scheduled Tribe
students and six lakh more Other
Backward Classes students
getting enrolled for higher
education in 2020-21 than in the
previous year.
AISHE  While the increase was noted in
DATA absolute numbers, the proportion
of SC students dropped to 14.2%
in 2020-21 from 14.7% the previous
year and the proportion of OBC
students to 35.8% from 37%.
 The proportion of Muslim students
dropped to 4.6% from 5.5% in 2019-20 with the proportion of “other minority
students” dropping to 2% from 2.3%.
 The number of students in the Persons with Disabilities category also
dropped in 2020- 21 to 79,035 from 92,831 the previous year. However,
female enrolment had increased to 49% of the total enrolments in 2020-21
compared with 45% the previous year.
 Shumang Leela is a traditional form of theatre in Manipur.

 Shumang Leela translates to “courtyard performance”. It is performed in an
open courtyard surrounded by spectators on all four sides.
 The tradition is believed to be descended from Lai Haraoba, a ritual of the
Meitei community of Manipur.
 The plays serve as a medium to spread awareness among people of social,
political and economic issues.
 Shumang Leelas may also discuss moral values, unity and integrity.
SHUMANG  This theatre form has for long been trying to strengthen the bond of
LEELA brotherhood and friendship among various communities in the State.
 Shumang Leela is of two types:
 Nupa Shumang Leela, performed only by men, and
 Nupi Shumang Leela, performed only by women.
 In a society marked by heteronormativity, the gender-bending nature of
Shumang Leela makes it a unique art form that is fraught with complexity.
 In 2017, Shougrakpam Hemanta was conferred with the prestigious Sangeet
Natak Akademi Award in recognition of his contribution in Shumang Leela.
With this, he became the first person to receive the award for this art form.
 The inaugural edition of the bilateral air exercise 'Veer Guardian 2023'
between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and Japan Air Self Defence Force
(JASDF) concluded in Japan.
 During the joint training spanning 16 days, the two Air Forces engaged in
complex and comprehensive aerial manoeuvres in multiple simulated
VEER GUARDIAN operational scenarios.
2023
 The exercise involved precise planning and skillful execution by both the air
forces.
 This enabled the participating contingents to obtain an invaluable insight
into each other's best practices and learn from each other’s unique
capabilities.

January Prediction 2023

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January Prediction 2023

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INDEX

4.7. FINANCIAL SERVICES INSTITUTIONS

2 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

8. CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL

10. ALSO IN NEWS

3 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

4 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.3. THE DRAFT RULES ON ONLINE GAMING

5 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.4. DECLARING A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION UNDER UAPA

ABOUT UAPA ACT:

6 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.5. FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES SETTING UP CAMPUSES IN INDIA

PROPOSED REGULATION OF UGC:

7 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

8 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.8. DRAFT GUIDELINES ON PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF

PROCEDURE OF PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT:

9 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.9. DELEGATED LEGISLATION

10 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.10. THE BASIC STRUCTURE DOCTRINE

ABOUT BASIC STRUCTURE OF THE CONSTITUTION:

11 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.12. CENTRE VS DELHI GOVT ON CONTROL OVER SERVICES

12 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

13 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

Global Risks Report 2023:

14 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.15. ASER 2022 REPORT

FINDINGS OF THE REPORT:

15 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

1.16. SC HELD CHARGESHEETS NOT PUBLIC DOCUMENT

16 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

17 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

ABOUT THE ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICT PROGRAMME:

18 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

19 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

3.2. THE ASIAN PACIFIC POSTAL UNION

ABOUT PACIFIC POSTAL UNION:

3.3. LISTING GLOBAL TERRORIST

20 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

3.4. CHINA CONSTRUCTING NEW DAM

21 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

REASON FOR ISSUING NOTICE:

3.6. G-20 INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE WORKING

22 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

23 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

INVESTOR EDUCATION AND PROTECTION FUND:

4.2. BAD LOANS

24 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

4.3. PM GATI SHAKTI

25 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

4.4. THE OMBUDSMAN SCHEMES

THE OMBUDSMAN SCHEME:

The three erstwhile ombudsman schemes of RBI –

26 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

4.5. THE GREEN BOND

ABOUT GREEN BONDS:

27 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023

4.6. THE FOREX RESERVE

28 PREDICTION - JANUARY 2023