25th March 2024

INDIAN CIVIL SERVICES

PRELIMS
TRAINING ACADEMY QUICK
FACTS
Mysore and Bangalore Branch

S.no Topics IMPORTANT POINTERS

1. Switzerland-based hyperloop company Swisspod Technologies signed a

memorandum of understanding (MoU) with TuTr Hyperloop, spin-off of IIT Madras
to develop hyperloop systems in India.
2. It is 5th mode of transportation Hyperloop works on technology that use magnetic
levitation in low-pressure tubes to transport people & goods at airplane-like
Hyperloop
1 Technology
speed.
3. Maglev- It is the system in which the vehicle runs levitated from the guide way
(corresponding to the rail tracks of conventional railways).
4. Virgin hyperloop- It was established in 2014 which plans to set up routes primarily
over the US, India and Saudi Arabia, expects to begin carrying passengers as soon
as 2027.

1. Hepatitis – It means inflammation of the liver.

2. Types of hepatitis – Viral hepatitis - Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E |Non-viral hepatitis -
Autoimmune hepatitis, alcoholic hepatitis, and drug-induced hepatitis.
2 Hepatitis B 3. Transmits through contact with infected body fluids - blood, saliva, vaginal fluids,
and semen.
4. Prevention - There are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis B but there is
no vaccine available for hepatitis C.

1. Bharat Biotech, in collaboration with Spanish biopharmaceutical company

Biofabri, has initiated clinical trials for the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Vaccine
MTBVAC (MTBVAC) in India.
2. The only currently available TB vaccine, the Bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccine
3 Tuberculosis (BCG), was developed 100 years ago and is less effective.
Vaccine 3. MTBVAC is a unique TB vaccine based on a genetically modified form of
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, containing all antigens present in human-infecting
strains, unlike the BCG vaccine.

1. These are trusts set up by companies with the objective to distribute the
contributions received from other companies and individuals to political parties.
2. The companies which are registered under section 25 of the Companies Act,
4 Electoral Trusts 1956, are only eligible to make an application for approval as an electoral trust.
3. The Central Government amended the Income Tax Rules, 1962, on January 31,
2013, to insert Rule 17CA, which lists the functions of electoral trusts approved by
the Central Bureau of Direct Taxes (CBDT).

1. Postal ballots, also known as mail-in ballots, allow registered voters to cast their
votes by mail instead of physically going to a polling station.
Postal Ballot
5 Voting
2. It is governed by the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961.
3. To apply for a postal ballot, eligible voters must apply, Form 12 D, to the returning
officer (RO) of their respective constituency.

1. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has

approved the establishment of Bima Sugam, an online insurance marketplace,
aimed at simplifying the process of buying, selling, and servicing insurance
6 Bima Sugam policies, as well as settling claims.
2. IRDAI (HQ: Hyderabad; est 1999), safeguards insurance customers’ interests as a
statutory body under the IRDA Act 1999. It operates under the Ministry of Finance.
 3. Bima Sugam functions as an e-commerce platform where insurance companies
can offer their products.

1. Recent study finds that female right whales may never breed after entanglement
in fishing gear.
2. Right whale, (family Balaenidae) is any of four species of stout-bodied whales
having enormous head measuring 1/4th to 1/3rd their total body length.
7 Right Whales 3. When feeding, these whales swim slowly and use baleen to eat schools of small,
shrimp-like crustaceans, called zooplankton.
4. The IUCN classifies the North Pacific right whale as an endangered species and
the North Atlantic right whale as a critically endangered species.

1. The Centre has notified a set of rules called the Captive Elephant (Transfer or
Transport) Rules, 2024 that liberalizes the conditions under which elephants may
Captive be transferred within or between States.
2. New relaxations allow transfer of captive elephants when current owner is unable
Elephant
8 (Transfer) Rules,
to maintain or if Chief Wildlife Warden deems it necessary for better upkeep.
3. Elephant’s genetic profile must be registered with Ministry of Environment, Forest,
2024 and Climate Change, if the transfer involves moving elephant outside of a state.
4. Now, only permissions from the Chief Wildlife Wardens of originating and recipient
states are necessary for interstate transfers.

1. Earlier this year, Indian multinational ridesharing company, Ola, introduced Krutrim
AI, claiming it as “India’s own AI”.
2. It uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) — a component of AI — to understand
9 Krutrim AI the nuances of human language, including colloquialisms and cultural contexts.
3. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms enable it to learn from vast data sets and
improve its responses over time. Moreover, Deep Learning, a sophisticated branch
of ML, helps it recognise patterns and analyse complex data.

1. Astronomers have discovered two ancient streams of stars, named Shakti and
Shiva, which are among the earliest building blocks of the Milky Way galaxy.
2. These streams, identified using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia
‘Shiva’ and
10 ‘Shakti’
telescope, are believed to have merged with Milky Way around 12 billion yrs ago.
3. Each structure contains stars with similar chemical compositions, formed
approximately 12-13 billion years ago and with a mass about 10 million times
greater than our sun.

1. International Astronomical Union (IAU) working group for Planetary System

Nomenclature recently sanctioned the name ‘Statio Shiv Shakti’ for the landing
‘Statio Shiv site of Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander.
11 Shakti’ 2. It aims for promoting and safeguarding astronomy in all its aspects through
international cooperation.
3. IAU is now headquartered in Paris, France. Members - 92 countries.

1. Seven countries – Ecuador, India, Kenya, Laos, Philippines, Uruguay, and Vietnam
– have initiated a program called the Financing Agrochemical Reduction and
Financing Management Programme (FARM) to address pollution from pesticides and
Agrochemical plastics in agriculture.
12 Reduction and 2. This initiative aims to combat the release of toxic persistent organic pollutants
Management (POPs) into the environment caused by the use of harmful chemicals in farming.
3. FARM, led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) with support from the
Programme
Global Environment Facility (GEF), intends to shift financial incentives towards
farmers to adopt low/non-chemical alternatives, promoting sustainable practices.

1. The United Nations World Water Development Report 2024, published by UNESCO
World Water on behalf of UN-Water on World Water Day.
2. This year’s theme is “Leveraging water for peace”.
13 Development 3. Current Status of Water Resources: Agriculture consumes 70% of freshwater
Report 2024 withdrawals in the world. Lake Chad has shrunk by 90% in the past 60 years.
4. UN Water Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.