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IASbaba Prelim’s Current Affairs

26th March to 11th April 2016

Though the weightage of Current Affairs vary from year to year-it becomes imperative for us

to strategize our preparation in such a manner that this unpredictability gets tamed at the

right time, from our end. Right from the burning issues to the static part of the portion, a

Civil Servant is supposed to understand the subjective realities of the country to which he

belongs to- very well.

Current Events plays a key role in all the three stages of UPSC preparation, especially in the

Mains and Interview. It covers a wide range of topics which overlaps with the CORE subjects

like Geography, Polity, Economics, History and dynamic subjects like Environment, Science

and Technology- making the section of ‘Current Affairs’ indispensible for a serious aspirant.

Hence, the key here is substantiating the Core subjects with regular readings of the events

taking place/in news. To make this process an easy one, we will be coming up with capsules

of Pre-centric Coverage of the important events. We are sure that this will complement your

preparation and push you towards your goals.

Best wishes

IAS Baba

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SEBI mulls new price discovery method for commodity spots

News: New price discovery mechanism for the spot market

Aimed at: Ensuring fairer pricing at spot market

Problem: Current price discovery distorted by traders with vested interests

Will Encourage: the need of minimum support prices for all commodities

Think

Spot Price and Polling in Commodity Exchange – Click Here

Spot Price – Click Here

SEBI- Forward Markets Commission’s (FMC) Merger??

India, Russia to conclude Kamov, Mi-17 helicopter deals by year end

News: India and Russia to conclude 2 helicopter deals together worth over $ 2 billion by

year end

Inter-Governmental Agreement: Joint production of the Kamov-226T utility helicopter in

India

Will Replace: Cheetah and Chetak helicopters

Project:

First major defence project under Make in India

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is the partner

Railway catering towards ending licensing raj

News: Catering services to be given back to IRCTC from Indian Railways

Committee led by: RD Sharma, Chief Commercial Manager, Central Railway

Recommendations-

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IRCTC to be prohibited from completely licensing out catering to private players and enhance revenue

IRCTC may outsource operations like support staff, service staff, cooks, transportation, packaging etc. but its managers will be on board to supervise services.

Present private licensees to be given out two options:

Exit out contract without liability Accept new model of catering

India, China led investments in renewable energy in 2015: UN

News: For the first time commitments of emerging economies in solar, wind and other

renewables’ capacity have surpassed those by wealthy nations

Report: ‘Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment’

Published by: UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

What has happened?

Developed Countries - Investments down to 8 per cent in 2015 to USD 130 billion

Developing Countries(India, China & Brazil) - Committed a total of USD 156 billion in

new renewables capacity last year, up 19 per cent from 2014

Think

UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

An agency that coordinates its environmental activities, assisting developing

countries in implementing environmentally sound policies and practices

Founded by - Maurice Strong (First director) as a result of the United Nations

Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972

Headquartered at: Gigiri neighbourhood of Nairobi, Kenya

UNEP & the 2030 Agenda – Click Here

US hikes anti-dumping duty on Indian shrimps

News: US government has raised the anti-dumping duty on import of frozen shrimps from

India

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Think:

Anti-dumping duty (ADD)

A penalty imposed on suspiciously low-priced imports, to increase their price in the

importing country and so protect local industry from unfair competition.

Anti-dumping duties are assessed generally in an amount equal to the difference

between the importing country's ‘Free On Board’ price of the goods and (at the time

of their importation) the market value of similar goods in the exporting country or

other countries.

Read more on ADD – Click Here

Directorate General of Anti-dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) recommends the duty, the

finance ministry imposes it

Countries initiate anti-dumping probe to determine if the domestic industry has

been hurt by a surge in below-cost imports. As a counter-measure, they impose

duties under the multilateral WTO regime.

Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing

field to the domestic industry. They are not a measure to restrict imports or cause an

unjustified increase in cost of products

Startup India initiative to get a rural avatar as Deen Dayal Upadhyay

Swaniyojan Yojana

Context - Rural avatar of Start-up India campaign

Designed by: Rural Development Ministry

Backed by -

MUDRA loans

Innovative Credit linkages

Self-help groups

Skill sets provided related to –

Driving

Plumbing

Agriculture

Dairy farming

Grafting

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Horticulture

ISRO set to launch 22 satellites on one rocket

Think

GSAT-11

IRNSS-1F

Geo-Portal BHUVAN

GSLV Mark-III & Cryogenic engine

Electric/Ion Propulsion

Spaceward Bound Programme

Chandrayan-II

Aditya L1

Resourcesat, Cartosat and Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1)

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Hyperspectral Imaging

NISAR

GAGAN

Noyyal restoration begins

Noyyalai Nokki

Noyyalai Nokki project - To restore Noyyal River and its tributaries.

Stakeholders in Coimbatore, Tirupur, and Erode and Karur Districts will jointly take

efforts to restore the river through this initiative.

The restoration project includes installation of decentralised sewage treatment

plants, developing parks where space is available and laying walking paths along the

river.

The project will be implemented on divide-distribute-develop model by forming

committees for every 500 metres of the river.

The initiative will involve educational institutions, businesses, the public and the

Government.

Norfed (Noyyal River Restoration Federation) will be the nodal organisation for the

project and a common plan will be developed for the entire stretch of the river.

The Noyyal River rises from the Vellingiri hills in the Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu

and passes through Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karur to join the Cauvery at

Noyyal village (total of 160 km).

River Noyyal Origin and tributaries – Click Here

Sun may produce devastating superflares, say scientists

News: Sun is capable of producing monstrous eruptions or ‘superflares‘

Superflares can:

Break down radio communication and power supplies and also affect Earth’s ability

to support life

Depletion of Ozone layer with increased risk of cataracts, sunburn and skin cancer, as

well as damage to growing plants

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In the strongest cases there would be severe damage to the biosphere, especially to

primary photosynthesis in the oceans

Know More – Click Here

India’s first indigenous Sonar Dome

News: The sonar dome is a first of its kind in the country has been manufactured

Designed by: Research and Development Establishment (Engineers), a DRDO laboratory

based in Pune

Manufactured by: Goa-based composites manufacturing company Kineco

Read More – Click Here

Technology used - Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM)

Sonar is a system for the detection of objects under water by emitting sound pulses and

detecting or measuring their return after being reflected.

Sonar Sound navigation and ranging.

Principle used: Bouncing acoustic waves off of objects, and determining their distances by

measuring the time for the echoes to return.

Used on: Board ships and boats to measure the depths of bodies of water, to locate

underwater objects such as fish, submarines, and the shipwrecks of Spanish galleons.

RBI eases ECB norms for infra space

News:

RBI allowed all companies engaged in the infrastructure sector to raise ECBs with a

minimum maturity of five years

Non-banking finance companies (NBFC) regulated by RBI are also included

Think

All about ECB – Click Here

How is ECB different from FDI?

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What are Floating Rate Notes (FRNS)?

Total ban on alcohol in Bihar

News: Bihar Government banned sale and consumption of country-made liquor and IMFL

across the State

Exempted: Army cantonment areas would be exempt as they regulate sale and

consumption of alcohol in their own way

Think

‘Liquor Free Kerala’ Policy

Asia's biggest telescope

News: India remotely launched Asia's biggest telescope, the Aryabhatta Research Institute

of Observational Sciences (Aries) with Belgium’s assistance

Location: Devasthal near Nainital in Uttarakhand

Used to: Study star structures and magnetic field structures of stars

Norms for clinical trials eased

News: Amended Drug & Cosmetics Act by Ministry of Health

This exempts clinical trials conducted at academic institutions from taking the hitherto

mandatory permission from Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)

Aims to: To speed up innovation and research in India

Scientists develop green technology for water purification

News: Eco-friendly nanotechnology for water-softening applications usable in civic water

treatment plants for delivering potable water

Where: Institute of Advance Study in Science & Technology (IASST) in Assam's Guwahati

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Biopolymer (First of its type) - Probability to act as a biodegradable and green material for

water-softening applications

Ballast water bringing invasive species to coasts

News:

Ballast water carried by ships is providing a vehicle to bring in exotic species

10 invasive species in the biodiversity-rich intertidal habitats of the Kerala coast are

found

Centre ranks 3,500 campuses

News: HRD Ministry will release rankings of Indian educational institutions based on the

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

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Earlier the assessment was done by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC)

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF)

Aims to: Make the process transparent, as the data provided by the institutes was verified

Ranking Parameters:

Teaching, learning and resources

Research, consulting and collaborative performance

Graduation outcomes

Outreach and inclusivity

Perception

‘E-commerce norms will curb unfair practices’

News: 100% FDI in the market place-based model of e-commerce

Recent FDI guidelines on e-commerce: Will curb anti-competitive practices and bring in a

level-playing field between offline and online entities

Norms will help in checking predatory pricing and discount-giving exercises

Predatory Pricing:

An anti-competitive practice (under the Competition Act)

It refers to a dominant player reducing prices to a very low level to edge out

competing players from the market

In most cases, after the rivals are driven out, the dominant firm increases the prices

and makes huge gains

Predatory Pricing – Click Here

Pearly nautilus may get extra protection

News: Nautilus pompilinus may soon be included in the Appendix 2 of the CITES

Nautilus pompilinus

It is a pelagic marine mollusc

It has one of the oldest animal lineages on the planet

It is a palm-sized adult animal & can live up to 20 years in ocean depths

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Commonly known as pearly nautilus considering the pearly nacre on its external shell

It has a chambered shell with limited mobility

New rules on waste management

News: The Environment Ministry has notified rules to ensure that the solid waste generated

by some groups are treated and recycled

Municipal bodies will be allowed to charge user fees and levy spot fines for littering

and non-segregation

The rules on solid waste management have been amended after 16 years

There is no binding provision on fines

Think

Plastic Waste Management Rules (2016)

Government to hold first ever auction of diamond mine

Where: Hatupur Block (Panna District) in Madhya Pradesh

Rajasthan becomes the first state in India to clear land title Bill

News: Rajasthan government has passed the Rajasthan Urban Land (Certification of Titles)

Bills 2016

What does it mean? - The state residents living in urban areas, which are governed by the

municipalities or state development authorities, can seek a certificate of ownership of their

lands by paying a nominal fee to the state government.

This Bill will give a clear title to the owner and will reduce litigations in the courts.

Think

NITI Aayog – Model Land Leasing Law

The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and

Resettlement (Amendment) Bill, 2015

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India in talks with U.S. to buy Predator drones

News: India is in talks with the United States to purchase 40 Predator surveillance drones

Think

Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DITA)

Skill development programme to help drought-hit farmers

News: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has pitched in to help drought-hit

farmers

How: By providing them an alternative source of income through a skill development

programme

Objective: To equip farmers to take recourse to alternative sources of income and reduce

their dependency on agriculture activities, considering natural calamities, imbalances and

drought situation

Will Enable: Farmers to start micro units locally based on local resources

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body. In 1957, it took over

the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.

Broad Objectives –

The social objective of providing employment.

The economic objective of producing saleable articles.

The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a

strong rural community spirit.

Think

Go through the official website of KVIC – Click Here

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India-EU free trade impasse may end: CII

News: CII expects to see some forward movement in FTA negotiations

Think

India-EU FTA/ BTIA

India-EU Summit

Common Agenda on Migration and Mobility (CAMM)

UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) Two Italian Marines Case

King Cobra run over in Dandeli-Anshi Tiger Reserve

It is the world’s largest venomous snake in the world.

It is protected under schedule 2 of wildlife protection act 1972.

Ministry of Minority Affairs Launchs Innovative Entrepreneurship & Skill

Development Programme of MANAS

MANAS - Maulana Azad National Academy for Skills.

It proposes to promote this programme through leading national/ international

experts in different skill sets for minority communities

MANAS provide an institutional arrangement to meet all Skill Development/Up-

gradation needs of the Minority communities in the country.

It was launched in the year 2014 as part of skill India for minority communities.

Think

Recall recently launched skill initiative programmes by Government

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President’s Rule imposed in Uttarakhand

Think

Revise articles related to Imposition of Emergency (A-352, A-356, A-360)

Revise the schedules of constitution

Gather few basic points about Anti defection law.

Both Houses of Parliament prorogued

Think

Summoning – The president from time to time summons each house of parliament

to meet. Max gap cannot be more than six months. Usually there are three

sessions in a year, viz, Budget, Monsoon and winter session.

Adjournment sine Die – Terminating the sitting of the parliament for an indefinite

period.

Prorogation – The presiding officer declares the house adjourned sine die, when the

business of a session is completed.

Government releases Indian Intellectual Property Panorama

What the Indian IP Panorama offers: A single window interface for information on

Intellectual Property and guidance on leveraging it for competitive advantage.

Indian IP Panorama is a customized version of IP Panorama Multimedia toolkit,

developed by World Intellectual Property Organization.

It is Adapted to cater to SMEs and start-ups, especially in the ICTE sector of India.

Developed under the aegis of Department of Electronics and Information

Technology (DeitY) and Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP),and C-

DAC.

The following five modules of the Indian IP Panorama have been released today:

1. “Importance of IP for SMEs”,

2. “Trademark”,

3. “Industrial design”,

4. “Invention and Patent” and

5. “Patent Information”

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Think

India is a member of WIPO

Micromax Informatics Limited was recognised under WIPO’s Madrid System for the

International Registration of Marks.

The Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks (Madrid

system) offers trademark owners a cost effective, user friendly and streamlined

means of protecting and managing their trademark portfolio internationally.

60 Lakh Soil Samples Tested During 2015-16

Aims at promoting soil test based and balanced use of fertilizers and to sustain

soil health.

Implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture.

Establishment of Soil Testing Projects at Village level under Soil Health Management

(SHM) Scheme of National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).

Vidyut PRAVAH” App

It is a mobile application that provides highlights of the power availability in the

country on real time basis.

Provides information pertaining to the current demand met, shortages if any, surplus

power available and the prices in the Power Exchange.

Launched by Ministry of Power.

President of India’s message on the eve of Independence Day of Hellenic

Republic

Think

Location of Hellenic Republic.

Countries surrounding Hellenic Republic.

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Shri J P Nadda launches Rotavirus vaccine as part of Universal Immunization

Programme

Rotavirus vaccine – It is used to treat diarrhoea.

It is launched as a part of Universal immunisation program.

The vaccine is developed indigenously under a PPP mode of ministry of science and

ministry of health and Family welfare.

Universal Immunization Programme launched in 1985 is one of the largest

immunization programmes in the world and a major public health intervention in the

country.

Other new vaccines are being introduced as part of UIP including Inactivated Polio

Vaccine (IPV), Measles, Rubella (MR) vaccine, and Adult Japanese Encephalitis (JE)

vaccine.

Think

Recall list of Viral borne diseases

Health minister launches GIS-enabled HMIS application, self-printing of e-

CGHS Card

The GIS-enabled HMIS services will provide comprehensive data on a GIS platform

on 1.6 lakh Government Health facilities spread across the country.

The GIS-HMIS application also has scope of incorporating map layers of roads and

water bodies which will provide comprehensive information regarding health

facilities and disease vulnerable areas of the country.

E-CGHS card stated that this will provide ease and access to all those beneficiaries

such as the pensioners who may find it difficult to go to the CGHS centres for

renewal, and in the event of loss/misplacement of the card.

Health Management Information System (HMIS) is a web-based monitoring system

that has been put in place by Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) to

monitor its health programmes and provide key inputs for policy formulation and

interventions.

It was launched during October, 2008.

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PM, Belgian PM remotely activate ARIES Telescope at Deosthal, Uttarakhand

Collaboration between ARIES in India, and AMOS (Advanced Mechanical and Optical

Systems) in Belgium.

The main research interests of Astronomy & Astrophysics division are in solar,

planetary, stellar, galactic and extra-galactic astronomy including stellar variabilities,

X-ray binaries, star clusters, nearby galaxies, quasars, and inherently transient events

like supernovae and highly energetic gamma ray bursts.

Contribute to observations for several frontline scientific applications.

PM to launch 'Stand Up India' Initiative

Promote entrepreneurship among the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Women.

Loans to the tune of Rs. 10 Lakhs to Rs. 100 Lakhs will be disbursed by each scheduled commercial banks.

National Hydrology Project

It will be a central sector scheme

Implemented by Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

The NHP will help in gathering Hydro-meteorological data which will be stored and

analysed on a real time basis and can be seamlessly accessed by any user at the

State/District/village level.

It will also provide tools/systems for informed decision making through Decision

Support Systems (DSS) for water resources assessment, flood management,

reservoir operations, drought management, etc.

NHP also seeks to build capacity of the State and Central sector organisations in

water resources management through the use of Information Systems and adoption

of State-of-the-art technologies like Remote Sensing.

Think

Recall the Sources of fresh water - Only 3% of the Earth's water is fresh water. Most

of it is in icecaps and glaciers (69%) and groundwater (30%), while all lakes, rivers

and swamps combined only account for a small fraction (0.3%) of the Earth's total

freshwater reserves.

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On World Health Day, Health Minister launches new health initiatives and

Mobile APPS

‘ANM Online application-ANMOL’- ANMOL is an Aadhar enabled tablet-based

application that allows ANMs to enter and updated data for beneficiaries of their

jurisdiction. This will ensure more prompt entry and updation of data as well as

improve the data quality since the data will be entered “at source” by providers of

health services themselves.

‘E-RaktKosh initiative.’ It is an integrated Blood Bank Management Information

System that has been conceptualized and developed after multiple consultations

with all stakeholders. This web-based mechanism interconnects all the Blood Banks

of the State into a single network.

‘India Fights Dengue’ – Mobile application for community participation that

empowers community members how to contribute towards prevention of Dengue.

Think

Recall health initiatives launched by government for adolescent girls and women.

Union HRD Minister Launches ISBN Portal

Who organised - Raja Rammohun Roy National Agency for ISBN, (Book Promotion

and Copyright Division), under Department of Higher Education

ISBN is a unique number used to identify monographic publications.

Displayed in barcode format, ISBN is a 13 character identification allotted by

International ISBN Agency based in UK through the National ISBN Agency.

Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Agency for ISBN is responsible for ISBN registration in

the country and is affiliated to UK based International Agency.

The ISBN portal seeks to completely automate the process of seeking application,

their examination and allotment of ISBNs.

India Water Week -2016

Theme - “Water for All: Striving Together”

Objective - Key initiative for sharing best practices and exchanging ideas to identify

timely solutions to the critical water issues confronting our world today.