WBCS Current Affairs 24/06/2017 to 30/06/2017 for WBCS Exam

1. The 31st anniversary of the signing of the historic Mizo peace accord on June 30, 1986, was celebrated in Mizoram. The Mizo Accord was signed by the Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga, Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalkhama, and Union Home Secretary R D Pradhan. The accord ushered in an era of peace after 20 years of violence and disturbance that hampered Mizoram. Mizo Peace Accord-Significance On pre-condition of statehood to Mizoram, the Mizo Accord was signed. The MNF fighters surrendered en masse and government fulfilled its promise by giving full-fledged state status to Mizoram, along with its own High Court. Mizo was notified as an official Indian language. A university was proposed. Mizo religious and social customs were promised Constitutional protection. As per the accord, the MNF agreed to forgo all contacts with other insurgent groups in the Northeast. Mizo Accord is considered to be the most successful agreement with insurgents. The peace established under the accord has been sustained in Mizoram for over 30 years. This is an achievement when the situation in parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam still remains turbulent and unsettled.1. The 31st anniversary of the signing of the historic Mizo peace accord on June 30, 1986, was celebrated in Mizoram. The Mizo Accord was signed by the Mizo National Front (MNF) leader Laldenga, Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalkhama, and Union Home Secretary R D Pradhan. The accord ushered in an era of peace after 20 years of violence and disturbance that hampered Mizoram. Mizo Peace Accord-Significance On pre-condition of statehood to Mizoram, the Mizo Accord was signed. The MNF fighters surrendered en masse and government fulfilled its promise by giving full-fledged state status to Mizoram, along with its own High Court. Mizo was notified as an official Indian language. A university was proposed. Mizo religious and social customs were promised Constitutional protection. As per the accord, the MNF agreed to forgo all contacts with other insurgent groups in the Northeast. Mizo Accord is considered to be the most successful agreement with insurgents. The peace established under the accord has been sustained in Mizoram for over 30 years. This is an achievement when the situation in parts of Manipur, Nagaland and Assam still remains turbulent and unsettled.Continue Reading WBCS Current Affairs 24/06/2017 to 30/06/2017 for WBCS Exam.

2. The NASA has successfully launched Terrier-Improved Malemute sounding rocket that created colourful artificial clouds visible in the skies of the US. The rocket was launched from its Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia. Salient Facts The rocket during the 8-minute flight had released 10 canisters about the size of a soft drink into space. It was ejected about 9 to 19 kilometres away from the 300-kg main payload. The canisters deployed blue-green and red vapour that formed artificial clouds visible in the skies of the United States from New York to North Carolina. The artificial clouds are formed through the interaction of barium, strontium and cupric-oxide. The vapour tracers will help in understanding the movement of the particles in the ionosphere. It will help to learn more about the movement of the air currents at that altitude. The artificial clouds or vapour tracers will help in understanding the movement of the particles in the ionosphere. It will help to learn more about the movement of the air currents at that altitude. They will permit scientists on the ground to visually track particle motions in space. The multi-canister ejection system will also help scientists to gather information over a much larger area than previously possible. Sounding rockets have been in use for more than 40 years to carry science payloads on scientific missions that usually last five to 20 minutes. Sounding rockets have been in use for more than 40 years to carry science payloads on scientific missions that usually last five to 20 minutes. Ionosphere The ionosphere is called so because it is ionised by solar radiation. It plays an important part in atmospheric electricity and forms the inner edge of the magnetosphere. Ionosphere stretches from 50 to 1,000 km and typically overlaps both the exosphere and the thermosphere. It has practical importance because it influences, for example, radio propagation on the Earth. It is also responsible for auroras.

3. Anti-hunger activist Ankit Kawatra has been awarded the Queen’s Young Leaders Award for 2017 by Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony in the Buckingham Palace. Salient Facts The Queen’s Young Leaders Award recognises exceptional work towards solving hunger and malnutrition in India. Ankit Kawatra is the founder of Feeding India, an organisation which works towards eradicating hunger and food wastage in India. The organisation which was established in 2014 functions across 43 Indian cities with the help of 4,500 volunteers serving 8 million meals to the needy. Queen’s Young Leader Awards The award was established by The Queen Elizabeth Jubilee Trust, the Royal Commonwealth Society and Comic Relief. The awards mark the Queen Elizabeth’s 60 years on the throne and over six decades of service to Commonwealth nations. The award highlights the importance of solving the problem of hunger and take action towards “725 million people around the world who do not even have basic food and nutrition.” The award identifies and supports 60 exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth, aged 18-29 who have made a lasting difference by transforming the lives of others.

4. According to the data released by Zurich-based SNB, money parked by Indians in Swiss banks have nearly halved to 676 Swiss francs (about Rs. 4,500 crore) in 2016. The data release comes ahead of a new framework for the automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to check the menace of black money. SNB (Swiss National Bank) is Switzerland’s central banking authority Salient Highlights During 2016, the total money held by Indians fell by 45 % to stand at CHF 675.75 million. This is the biggest ever yearly decline in such funds. Out of the total funds, CHF 377 million was in the form of customer deposits, about CHF 98 million owed to Indians through other banks and CHF 190 million constitutes other ‘liabilities’. The funds reported in 2016 is the lowest amount of funds possessed by Indians in the Swiss banks ever since 1987 and marks the third straight year of decline. Apart from this year, since 1987, the earlier lowest ever figure was recorded in 1995 at CHF 723 million. On the other hand, the funds held through fiduciaries was nearly $11 million. These funds which used to be in billions till 2007 has been falling since then due to the regulatory crackdown. Similarly, the funds held by Indians with Swiss banks was CHF 6.5 billion (Rs 23,000 crore) at 2006-end. But at present, the funds have come down to nearly one-tenth of that level. Except in 2011 and 2013, the quantum of funds held by Indians has seen a decline. Swiss banks have said that Indians have parked their money in other global financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong after a global clampdown was initiated on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland. Background In November 2016, India and Switzerland had signed a Joint Declaration for implementation of Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) in respect of accounts of Indians held abroad. Under the pact, both countries will start collecting data in accordance with the global standards in 2018 and exchange it from 2019 onwards. Switzerland agreed for the introduction of the AEOI (Automatic Exchange of information) on tax matters under the guidance of G20, OECD and other global organisations. AEOI, based on Common Reporting Standards, when implemented fully would put in place a system wherein bulk taxpayer information will be sent periodically from the source country of income to the country of residence of the taxpayer. It would enable India to get access to information virtually from almost all the countries in the world including offshore financial centres. In June 2017, Switzerland has ratified automatic exchange of financial account information with India and 40 other countries. This will facilitate Switzerland to share information about suspected black money with India and other 40 nations.

5. Germany has legalised same-sex marriage in line with a host of other European countries. German lawmakers had voted 393 for- and 226 against legalising same-sex marriage. Salient Facts Since 2001 Germany permits same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships but do not grant them full marital rights which include the possibility to jointly adopt children. The new law can enter into force after receiving the nod from the upper house of Parliament and the President, though those are formalities. Though Chancellor Angela Merkel had voted against the measure, she had allowed her party members to vote as per their conscience. The move has to be seen in the light of upcoming September 24 general elections in Germany. This bill is one of the very last to be introduced in parliament before the September general elections. In her 12 years as Chancellor, Merkel has steered her party clear of conservative orthodoxy. She has been credited for speeding up Germany’s exit from nuclear power and ending military conscription. Many European countries have a same-sex marriage law. In the countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark (excluding the Faroe Islands), Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg, France, the UK (except Northern Ireland and Jersey), and the Republic of Ireland civil marriages are legally recognised. But in Austria and Italy, only civil partnerships are permitted.

6. The Asian Development Bank has committed USD 10 billion to support infrastructure building and to cater to the immediate development needs of less-developed States in India. This has been stated by ADB President Takehiko Nakao during his 3-day visit to India. Salient Highlights The ADB president has said that the bank is ready to meet immediate critical infrastructure needs of less developed states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Chhattisgarh over a period of five years. ADB has also assured its support to relatively lesser developed states in the area of power, transport, urban development, and health services. ADB’s President has also in-principle accepted India’s suggestion of setting up a regional hub in New Delhi to cater to the needs of the South Asia region. As per the estimates of ADB, India is expected to grow by 7.4% in the current financial year and 7.6% in 2018-19. ADB ADB is multilateral lending agency based in Manila, Philippines. It was established on 19 December 1996. It aims to reduce poverty in Asia and the Pacific region through inclusive environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. It provides finance to both sovereign countries as well as to the private parties. It provides hard loans to middle-income countries and soft loans to poorer countries. ADB has 67 members – 48 from the Asia-Pacific region including India and is collectively owned by these 67 members. The non-Asia Pacific region members are only developed countries. Most of the ADB’s lending is concentrated in five operational areas viz. Education; Environment, Climate Change & Disaster Management; Finance Sector Development; Regional Cooperation & Integration; and Private sector lending.

7. SIERRA ODC building has been recognised as the world’s second highest ranking Green Building. The building has scored 103 points out of 110 under LEED certification. Salient Facts The SIERRA ODC is a three-storeyed building which has been constructed by laying specific emphasis on increasing the efficiency of resource use such as energy, water or materials. The building has managed water use efficiency of 89% by using water saving fixtures and curbing wastage. In the building, water is recycled 100%. The building is a carbon-neutral building. The building was the first to implement a technology called Amorphous Silicon Thin Building Vortec for the first time in South India. By using this technology, photovoltaic modules produce power at the low cost per watt. Green Buildings Green Buildings are designed and operated to reduce the overall impact of the built environment on human health and the natural environment. The green buildings efficiently use energy, water, and other resources, protects occupant health, improves employee productivity, and reduces waste, pollution and environmental degradation. Besides a Green Building has tremendous environmental benefits and provides a better place for the occupants to live and work in. So the main challenge of a green building is to achieve all its benefits at an affordable cost. The aim of a green building design is to minimize the demand on non-renewable resources, maximize the utilization efficiency of these resources, when in use, and, maximize the reuse, recycling, and utilization of renewable resources.

8. US has decided to sell one C-17 transport aircraft to India. US and India have built a close defence relationship in recent years. The US along with Russia and Israel has emerged as a top three arms supplier to India. Salient Facts The sale of USD 366.2 million C-17 transport aircraft manufactured by Boeing also includes one Missile Warning System, one Countermeasures Dispensing System, one Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) Transponder and precision navigation equipment. This proposed sale is expected to improve the capability of India to meet current and future strategic airlift requirements as the country lies in a region prone to natural disasters. It will also provide additional capability for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. In addition, India will be able to provide more rapid strategic combat airlift capabilities for its armed forces. The proposed sale is expected to improve the capability of India to meet current and future strategic airlift requirements as the country lies in a region prone to natural disasters. It will also provide additional capability for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. In addition, India will be able to provide more rapid strategic combat airlift capabilities for its armed forces. At Present, India is using C-17 aircraft and according to Pentagon, the sale of this aircraft will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III military airlift aircraft is one of the most flexible cargo aircraft of the US Air Force fleet. The aircraft is capable of strategic delivery of up to 170,900 pounds of personnel and/or equipment to operating locations. In addition, the aircraft is capable of short field landings with a full cargo load. The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III military airlift aircraft is one of the most flexible cargo aircraft of the US Air Force fleet. The aircraft is capable of strategic delivery of up to 170,900 pounds of personnel and/or equipment to operating locations. In addition, the aircraft is capable of short field landings with a full cargo load. The aircraft will have a fully integrated electronic cockpit and advanced cargo delivery system. It can carry out tactical airlift and airdrop missions as well as transport litters and ambulatory patients. The aircraft will have a fully integrated electronic cockpit and advanced cargo delivery system. It can carry out tactical airlift and airdrop missions as well as transport litters and ambulatory patients.

9. UNESCO has named Sharjah as the World Book Capital for 2019. Sharjah was chosen for its efforts to make books accessible to its entire population. Salient Highlights Sharjah was selected to underline the efforts taken by it to make books accessible for reading to as many people as possible, especially the marginalised populations. It has followed an innovative and inclusive community-focused activity programme to engage people, in particular, the very large migrant population. Sharjah is the 19th city to be named as World Book Capital by the UNESCO. The earlier cities which were named as World Book Capital are: Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Antwerp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogota (2007), Amsterdam (2008), Beirut (2009), Ljubljana (2010), Buenos Aires (2011), Yerevan (2012), Bangkok (2013), Port Harcourt (2014), Incheon (2015), Wroclaw (2016), Conakry (2017) and Athens (2018). Sharjah has become the first among the Gulf Cooperation Council and third in the Arab world and the Middle East to receive this prestigious recognition. The GCC countries include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Earlier, it has received various accolades like Capital of Arab Culture (1998), Capital of Islamic Culture (2014), and Capital of Arab Tourism (2015) etc. World Book Capital City UNESCO has been annually designating a city as World Book Capital City beginning with the designation of Madrid as World Book Capital City in 2001. For designating a city, UNESCO invites the International Publishers Association, the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, and the International Booksellers Federation to nominate and take part in deciding the World Book Capital. The designation of a city does not include any financial prize, it rather acknowledges the programmes followed by the city dedicated to books and reading.
10. U.S. President Donald Trump has appointed an Indian-American named Krishna R Urs as the new US Ambassador to Peru. Facts Krishna R Urs is a career service American diplomat who has served at seven US embassies as well in several senior leadership positions in Washington, DC. At present, he is serving as Charge d’ Affaires of the US Embassy in Madrid, Spain. Earlier, he has also served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Affairs and Chief US Government Aviation Negotiator at the Department of State (2010 to 2014) Krishna R Urs has specialisation in economic issues and has extensive policy experience in the Andean region of South America. He had earned his MS from the University of Texas and a BS from Georgetown University.

11. NALSA has launched a web application for free Legal Services to Prisoners at the conference held at Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. The Conference saw the participation of Member Secretaries and administrative officers of 18 State Legal Services Authorities. The Legal Services Management System has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC). Salient Facts The State Legal Services Authorities and District Legal Services Authorities will feed into the web application the data for each individual prison inmate in the jails within their jurisdiction. The feeds will have details regarding the representation of prisoners through a counsel in the court. The software will also help in generating reports showing the total number of inmates, the number of inmates unrepresented, the number of inmates represented by legal services lawyers and the number of inmates represented by private lawyers. All these information can be generated State wise, District wise and also with respect to each jail. The software is also capable of generating information with regard to prisoners eligible for bail under Section 436-A Cr.P.C. Significance The web application will help in making the legal services system more transparent. It would be useful for all the concerned authorities to monitor the grant of legal aid to the prisoners in order to make sure that all prisoners are represented right from their first day in the court. NALSA NALSA provides for free legal aid inter-alia to all persons in custody. It has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987. It provides services of free legal aid in civil and criminal matters for the poor and marginalised people who cannot afford the services of a lawyer in any court or tribunal. Its aim is to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reasons of economic or other disabilities. NALSA also identifies specific categories of marginalised and excluded groups and formulates various schemes for implementation of legal service programmes. It also organises Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.

12. The US has issued new criteria for visa applicants from six Muslim countries. The US Supreme Court has partially restored President Trump’s executive order that banned travel of people from the six Muslim-majority countries. President’s executive order was widely criticised as a ban on Muslims. Salient Facts As per the new criteria, applicants from the six Muslim-majority countries must prove a relationship with a parent, spouse, child, adult son or daughter, son-in-law, daughter-in-law or sibling in the US. In short, the applicants must prove a “close” family or business tie to the United States. As per the new guidelines, grandparents, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, fiancées or other extended family members will not be considered as close relations by the US State Department. However, the applicants can be exempted from the ban if they can prove a “bona fide relationship” with a US person or entity. The Supreme Court has given only a broad guidelines on such relationships and has suggested that such bonafide relationships would include a relative, job offer or invitation to lecture in the US. The Government lawyers must determine how to define such a relationship. The new guidelines are expected to come into force immediately. Background Earlier this year, US President Donald Trump had signed an executive order that banned travel of people from Muslim-majority countries into the US for a period of 90 days. These countries were Iraq, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Syria. Besides, the order had also suspended US Refugee Admissions Programme for 120 days and indefinitely barred entry of refugees from Syria. The executive order and the controversial ban had sparked protests and debates across the US. Even, the lower courts of these countries had labelled the ban as discriminatory. Subsequently, the White House had asked the Supreme Court to reinstate a travel ban on people from the six Muslim-majority countries. Ultimately, the Supreme Court’s nine justices overturned the rulings of the lower court and have partially restored President Trump’s order.

13. India has contributed $ 100,000 to the UN Trust Fund for International Cooperation in Tax Matters (the UN Tax Fund). The fund is aimed at helping the developing countries to actively participate in the discussion of tax issues. This was announced by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs Office for Financing, Development Office. India has also earned the distinction of becoming the first country to make a voluntary contribution to the UN tax fund. Salient Highlights The objective of UN Tax Trust Fund is to support the work of the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters (the UN Tax Committee). The funding will be used for supporting the participation of the developing countries’ in the sub-committee meetings of the UN Tax Committee, which are currently unfunded. The UN and the Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters have been calling for the voluntary contributions for the tax fund since its establishment in 2006. The call for the contribution to the tax fund was also made at the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, which was adopted at the third International Conference on Financing for Development in 2015. India has become the first country to respond to this call. India has expressed its hope that other countries will also make similar contributions to the UN fund in near future. The UN expects that the funding will support more developing countries to draw upon the best practice of other bodies, ensuring effective and efficient global tax cooperation norms and rules for all countries and all stakeholders. Background The UN Tax Committee is a subsidiary body of the UN Economic and Social Council (ESOSOC). The UN Tax Committee offers guidance on current issues such as double taxation treaties, transfer pricing, taxation of the extractive industries and taxation of services. It also strives to promote international tax cooperation among national tax authorities. It also makes recommendations on capacity-building and the provision of technical assistance to developing countries and countries with economies in transition. Addis Ababa Action Agenda provides a global framework for effective mobilisation of resources at the national and international level for sustainable development. Implementation of this agenda also supports the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It forms an integral part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was unanimously adopted in 2015.

14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the centenary celebrations of Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. The Prime Minister has also released the coin and postal stamp in the honour of Shrimad Rajchandraji on his 150th birth anniversary at Abhay Ghat. Shrimad Rajchandraji was the guru to Mahatma Gandhi Sabarmati Ashram Sabarmati Ashram otherwise called as Gandhi Ashram, Harijan Ashram, or Satyagraha Ashram is located on the banks of the River Sabarmati. Sabarmati Ashram served as one of the residences of Mahatma Gandhi for twelve long years. The ashram has been declared as a national monument by the Indian government. Gandhiji started the Dandi march also called as Salt Satyagraha from Sabarmati Ashram on 12 March 1930. Shrimad Rajchandraji Shrimad Rajchandra is a Jain poet, philosopher, scholar and reformer born in the year 1867 in Vavania near Morbi. His mother was a Jain and father a Vaishnava Hindu. He was the spiritual guide to Mahatma Gandhi. He is known for his teachings on Jainism. He has written a large number of letters and commentaries and also translated some religious texts. He got into fame by performing Avdhan, a memory retention and recollection test which gained him popularity.

15. NASA has reached a major milestone in developing a quieter supersonic passenger jet that is capable of safely travelling over land. Salient Highlights NASA has completed the preliminary design review (PDR) of its Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) aircraft design. NASA had forged a partnership with Lockheed Martin, in February 2016 for the QueSST preliminary design. With this development, NASA is a step closer to actually building an X-plane. The project falls under the ambit of NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Technology Project. Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) aircraft design is the initial design stage of NASA’s planned Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental airplane. The LBFD is also known as X-plane. QueSST design will be capable of fulfilling the LBFD aircraft’s mission objectives. NASA will be developing LBFD aircraft to fly at supersonic speeds which will produce a soft “thump” instead of creating the disruptive sonic boom associated with supersonic flights of the present day. NASA has already completed testing a scale model of the QueSST design in its supersonic wind tunnel located at Glenn Research Centre in Cleveland. In the early next year, NASA will award a contract to build the piloted, single-engine X-plane.

16. The government has notified the roll out of Goods and Services Tax (GST) from July 1st. Salient Facts To launch GST in the midnight of June 30th, the government has organised a special programme to be held in Central Hall of Parliament. The event will see the participation of President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and other Ministers and bureaucrats. As per the last year’s Constitutional amendment approved by Parliament, the government has been given time only till 15th of September, 2017. Within that time period, the government has to replace the existing indirect tax structure by the GST, failing which may trigger a constitutional crisis as no tax can be levied on goods and services. So, the government has ruled out the possibility of deferring the roll out of GST by any further time period. GST which will subsume a host of indirect levies like excise, service tax and VAT will be one of the nation’s biggest economic reform. GST-Background Goods and Services Tax is a comprehensive indirect tax which is to be levied on the manufacture, sale and consumption of goods and services in India. This is so far the biggest tax reform in the country. GST eliminates the cascading effect of taxes because it is taxed at every point of business and the input credit is available in the value chain. France was the first country to introduce GST system in 1954. More than 140 countries have implemented the GST. The Genesis of GST occurred during the previous NDA Government under Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government when it set up the Asim Dasgupta committee to design a model for GST. The UPA Government took the matter further and announced in 2006 that this tax would be introduced from April 1, 2010. However, so far it was not introduced. All the GST bills including Constitution (101st Amendment) Act have been passed now and GST is set to come into force from July 1, 2017. GST would replace almost all vital indirect taxes and cesses on Goods & services in the country. Among the taxes levied by centre, GST will subsume the following: Central Excise Duty & Service Tax, Duties of Excise (Medicinal and Toilet Preparations), Additional Duties of Excise (Goods of Special Importance), Additional Duties of Excise (Textiles and Textile Products), Additional Duties of Customs (commonly known as CVD), Special Additional Duty of Customs (SAD), and finally the Central Surcharges and Cesses. Among the state taxes that would be replaced by GST include State VAT, Central Sales Tax c. Luxury Tax, Entry Tax (all forms), Entertainment and Amusement Tax (except when levied by the local bodies), Taxes on advertisements, Purchase Tax, Taxes on lotteries, betting and gambling, and finally the state Surcharges and Cesses.

17. ISRO has successfully launched GSAT-17 communication Satellite onboard the Ariane-5 launch vehicle from the Guiana Space Center at French Guiana on June 28. GSAT-17 will be the ISRO’s third satellite that is launched within a span of three months. Salient Highlights The 3,477-kg GSAT 17 communication satellite will be placed in the geostationary orbit and will have a mission life of 15 years. The satellite will be an addition to the current fleet of 17 Indian communication satellites that are already providing services from space. Apart from providing communication services, the satellite will provide meteorological and satellite-based data to help rescue services which were earlier provided by geostationary satellites called Indian National Satellite System (INSAT). GSAT-17 will provide continuity of services of operational satellites in C, extended C and S bands Once launched, ISRO’s Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh will take over and place the satellite in geostationary orbit. GSAT-17 was designed and assembled at the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. In addition, GSAT-17 will also launch communication satellite Hellas Sat 3-Inmarsat S EAN. Hellas Sat 3 will provide directly to home television and telecom services across Europe, West Asia and South Africa. Inmarsat is set to provide in-flight Internet facilities for European airlines. Launch Vehicle As ISRO is yet to have a launcher that is capable of lifting payloads above 2,000 kg. ISRO has just started testing the GSLV-Mark III for this purpose. GSAT-17 will be the 21st Indian launch for the Arianespace. ISRO’s upcoming GSAT- 11 which will weigh more than 5,000 kg will also be launched by Arianespace.

18. Petya Ransomware is part of a new wave of cyber-attacks and has infected computer servers across the world. Extent of Attack India In India, the ransomware has crippled the operations at one of the terminals of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. The affected terminal was being operated by AP Moller-Maersk. The company operates the Gateway Terminals India (GTI) which has a capacity to handle 1.8 million standard container units. The attack has impacted the external trade by affecting the systems dealing with the cargo and ships at the country’s largest port. World The Petya ransomware has hit computer servers all across Europe. Ukraine and Russia are the worst affected countries. The ransomware has also impacted some companies in the US and other Western European countries. In the severely affected Ukraine, government offices, energy companies, banks, cash machines, gas stations, and supermarkets, Ukrainian Railways, Ukrtelecom, and the Chernobyl power plant has been worst affected. Petya ransomware Petya is a ransomware, similar to the Wannacry ransomware. However, it is a variation of the WannaCry cyber-attack. It follows the WannaCry’s pattern and locks up the computer data and cripples the Enterprise services in the corporate sector. Researchers are yet to find who is responsible for this attack. The ransomware demands $300 Bitcoins as ransom to unlock computer’s files. The attack is believed to have originated against an update used on a third-party Ukrainian software called MeDoc. This explains why Ukraine is the worst affected.

19. China has launched its most powerful naval destroyer, the Type 055, at the Shanghai port. The naval destroyer is one among the largest warships in the world. Analysis The Type055 vessels will weigh more than 12,000 tonnes when fully armed. The Type055 vessels are larger and more powerful than India’s latest Project- 15B “Visakhapatnam” class destroyers. India is yet to commission Project- 15B “Visakhapatnam” class destroyers. India’s destroyers when fully armed will displace only 8,200 tonnes and are capable of carrying only a mix of nearly 50 surface-to-air, anti-ship and land attack missiles. On the other hand, the Type055 vessels will combine nearly 120 missiles, making it one of the most heavily-armed ships in the world. Chinese vessels are fitted with powerful phased array radars that are capable of focusing on targets at sea, on land and in the air. The vessel is more modern and has more sophisticated control and battle management system. Chinese vessels are fitted with powerful phased array radars that are capable of focusing on targets at sea, on land and in the air. The vessel is more modern and has more sophisticated control and battle management system than India’s vessels under construction. In the last five years, China has launched several naval vessels. From March 2014, China has commissioned five Type 52D destroyers which have similar capability to that of India’s Visakhapatnam’ class warships. In addition, China has planned to build a fleet of at least 18 such naval ships. India, on the other hand, has planned to build only seven ships belonging to the Vishakhapatnam class. Earlier this year, China had also launched its first indigenous aircraft carrier whose construction began only in 2013. India’s indigenous aircraft carrier, the Vikrant whose construction is carried out since 2009 is unlikely to be completed before 2023. Growing Chinese naval prowess is a cause of worry to India. In the last five years, China has increasingly begun to deploy its nuclear submarines, warships and other support vessels in the Indian Ocean. India’s important maritime ally, the United States has also expressed its deep concerns about the expansion of the Chinese Navy, particularly in the Indian Ocean.
20. The Election Commission of India has joined hands with Facebook to launch nationwide voter registration reminder aimed at reminding eligible Indian voters to register themselves on the electoral rolls. Salient Highlights As a part of the initiative, Facebook will activate a unique ‘Register Now’ button reminding all the eligible Indian users to enrol themselves as voters. The reminder will be made available for four days beginning July 1. When the users click the button, they will be redirected to National Voters’ Services Portal, where they can register themselves as voters. The reminder will be available in 13 languages-English, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Bengali, Urdu, Assamese, Marathi and Oriya. In 2016 and 2017, Election Commission had joined hands with Facebook to implement such features in selected states during the state elections. However, this is the first time the initiative is carried out all over India. The Election Commission is expecting to reach over 180 million Indians on Facebook through this drive. The initiative aims at enrolling left-out voters with a particular focus on first-time electors. Election Commission Election Commission of India is a permanent body entrusted for the conduct of free and fair elections. An independent Election Commission has been provided for in Article 324 of the Constitution of India. One of the most important functions of the election commission is to prepare an up-to-date list of all the persons who are entitled to vote at the elections. Election Commission is entrusted with the Election of President; Election of Vice-President; Election of Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha; Elections to State Legislatures as well as Legislative Councils; Reservation of Seats in Lok Sabha and State Legislatures; Qualifications of the MPs and MLAs; and Determination of population for purposes of the election.

21. Odisha is set to become the first state in the country to open a blood bank for cattle. The proposal has received the nod from the National Agriculture Development Programme (NADP). It is now awaiting the approval from the state government. Salient Highlights The blood bank for cattle would be set up on the premises of the Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) at an estimated cost of Rs. 3.25 crore. 60% of the project cost would be funded by the Central government and the rest 40% would be funded by the Odisha state government. Under this initiative, the blood would be procured voluntarily from the cattle farmers. The blood bank will also have blood transfusion facility for cattle blood. The blood bank will help in preventing cattle deaths during deliveries and other ailments. It would come handy in saving the lives of the domesticated animals.

22. Dr Manoj Soni has taken Oath of Office and Secrecy as a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The Oath was administered to him by the UPSC Chairman Prof. David R. Syiemlieh. Born on 17th February 1965, Dr Manoj Soni was a former Vice-Chancellor of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University. He became the youngest-ever Vice Chancellor in independent (India). Manoj Soni is a scholar of Political Science with specialisation in International Relation Studies. He has earned his doctorate in “Post-Cold War International Systemic Transition and Indo-US Relations” from Sardar Patel University. He has received several awards and recognitions such as “Honorary Mayor-President of the City of Baton Rouge” from Mayor-President of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA and World Education Congress Global Award for Distance Learning Leadership. UPSC UPSC is a constitutional body that conducts the prestigious civil services examination. It has been established under Article 315 of the Constitution and consists of a Chairman and ten Members, who are appointed and removed by President. The chairman and members of the Commission hold office for a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. Article 316 of the Constitution deals with the appointment and term of office of members.

23. India and the Netherlands have signed three MOUs after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Dutch counterpart Mark Rutte in Hague the Netherlands. Prime Minister’s visit to the Netherlands has come at a time when both the countries are celebrating 70 years of diplomatic relations. Salient Highlights The Netherlands has backed India’s entry into Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and other multilateral export control regimes. The Netherlands also supported India’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat. For its part, India has thanked the Netherlands for its role in India’s accession to the Missile Technology Control Regime in June 2016. Also, Prime Minister Modi invited the Netherlands to join the International Solar Alliance. In addition, both the countries have reaffirmed their commitment towards Paris climate deal. Agreements In total three agreements were signed: MOU on Cultural Cooperation, MOU on Water Cooperation Agreement on Amending Social Security Arrangement India-Netherlands After Independence, Indo-Dutch relations have been multifaceted. Since, the 1980s, the Netherlands have identified India as an important economic partner. The relationship got further intensified after India’s economic liberalisation in the 1990s. Both the countries have the potential to further collaborate in areas like water management; infrastructure, logistics, ports, highways; inland water transportation; ICT; biotech; agriculture, agro-processing, floriculture; creative design industry etc. Major Indian exports to the Netherlands includes textiles & garments; electric machinery & equipment; agricultural products and processed foods including marine products; leather goods etc. The main imports from Netherlands include machinery/equipment; medical/optical instruments; chemicals; plastics, and metal products. Netherlands is host to one of the largest population of people of Indian origin in Europe. It is home to about 220,000 Indian and Surinami Hindustani Diaspora.
24. After decades of wait, the Indian Army has finally received its first batch of bullet-proof helmets. The helmets were manufactured by Kanpur-based MKU Industries at the cost of Rs 180 crore. Salient Facts The new bullet proof helmets are capable of withstanding the impact of 9mm ammunition fired from a short range. The helmets match global standards of equipment for armed forces. According to MKU, the bullet-proof helmets undergo rigorous quality and ballistic lab test at the company’s testing facilities in India as well as in Germany. The helmets are designed in such a way that it can be comfortably integrated with communication and night-vision devices. Need Head forms the most vulnerable part of the body that is prone to get injured during the combat operation. As per the studies, nearly 26%-28% soldiers die of head injuries. Bullet proof helmets can make a significant difference between life and death during combat operations. At present, Indian armed forces are using patkas that are worn over outdated infantry helmets. However, it had severe limitations as they are bulky and heavy, weighing over 2.5 kgs. They are capable of protecting only the forehead and back of the head. Background The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had asked NITI Aayog to come up with a roadmap over the possibility of encouraging domestic production of light weight body armours. NITI Aayog in March had prepared a draft note on ‘incentivising’ domestic manufacturing of light weight body armours for the army and para-military forces. Earlier this year, the 30-year old Kanpur-based company, MKU limited, was awarded a contract worth Rs 180 crore to supply nearly 1.6 lakh helmets. In India, MKU and Tata Advanced Materials exports body armour to UN and NATO as well as to the armed forces around the world including United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.
25. The world’s first ATM (automated teller machine) celebrates its 50th anniversary. In the past five decades, ATM machines have heralded a transformation in the way people obtained and used cash. Salient Facts The ATM machines were the brainchild of Scottish inventor Shepherd-Barron. The first ATM was opened on June 27, 1967, by Barclays Bank in Enfield, north London. English actor Reg Varney became the first person to withdraw cash from the first ATM machine. At present, there are over 3 million cash machines across the globe. Around 70,000 cash machines are present in the UK alone. The World’s most northerly ATM machine is present at Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. The most Southerly ATM is situated at the McMurdo station of the South Pole. To commemorate the 50th anniversary, Barclays Bank has transformed the first ATM that it commissioned at its Enfield branch into gold.

26. The European Union’s competition watchdog has fined Google a record 2.42 billion euro for breaching the anti-trust rules by illegally favouring its shopping service. The European Commission regulates EU competition rules. Salient Highlights According to the European regulators, Google has abused its market dominance by offering an illegal advantage to its another product, its comparison shopping service. The fine of 2.42 billion euro is the biggest fine for a single company in an EU antitrust case. It exceeds the 1.06-billion-euros slapped on Intel in 2009. EU’s action has come after a 7 year-long investigation from the complaints received from Google’s rivals such like Yelp, TripAdvisor, UK price comparison site Foundem, News Corp and lobbying group FairSearch. The EU has asked Google to stop its anti-competitive practice in 90 days or be prepared to face penalty payments up to 5% of Alphabet’s average daily worldwide turnover. Time Line November 2010: The EU opened its formal inquiry to ascertain whether Google manipulates search results in a way that favours its own business. April 2013: Google came forward to change its practice in the hope of ending the EU investigation. July-December 2013: EU rejected Google’s offer to change its search results as not good enough. February 2014: A tentative agreement was reached between the EU and Google on how to fix the search results. May 2014: In a separate case, the European Court of Justice had asked Google on the plea of EU citizens’ to remove irrelevant or embarrassing personal information that is being served on a search of their names. September 2014: Acting upon the complaints of Google’s competitors, the EU made a U-turn on its settlement with Google on search results. April 2015: EU formally charged Google and opened a preliminary investigation to ascertain whether Google used its Android mobile operating system to rig the market for apps. June 2017: The EU has slapped Google a record 2.42 billion euros ($2.72 billion) for breaching antitrust rules with its online shopping service.

27. Kaushik Basu has taken over as president of the International Economic Association (IEA). Basu will serve a three-year term as the President. Kaushik Basu has served as India’s chief economic adviser from 2009 to 2012. He has also served as senior vice-president and chief economist at the World Bank from 2012 to 2016. At present, Basu is the C. Marks Professor of International Studies at Cornell University. IEA The International Economic Association (IEA) is one of the key organisations of professional economists and has been significant in determining global economic policy and research. Amongst the past presidents of IEA were the Nobel Laureates Robert Solow, Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz. IEA produces a large number of research papers and books and organises roundtables on topics of present-day interest. Its principal activities include International Congress organised every 3 years. The occasion serves as one of the major assemblies of economists from around the world.

28. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has constituted a special seven-member committee to analyse the few contentious Lodha panel reforms which are being opposed by the state units. Salient Highlights The seven-member Lodha committee has been formed under the head of Rajeev Shukla. The other members of the committee include former India captain Sourav Ganguly, T.C. Mathew (Kerala Cricket), Naba Bhattacharjee (North East representative), Jay Shah (Gujarat Cricket Association), BCCI Treasurer Anirudh Chaudhary and BCCI acting secretary Amitabh Choudhary. The decision to form the panel was arrived at the BCCI’s Special General Meeting in Mumbai. One of the major reforms of the Lodha Committee which are being opposed by the state units speaks about disqualifying any individual who is more than 70-years-old, and who has already completed nine years in cricket administration. The BCCI committee has been asked to submit its written report by July 10. BCCI’s move to constitute a committee is widely seen as its attempt to delay the implementations of the reforms suggested by the Lodha Committee. Lodha Committee Justice Lodha committee was appointed by the Supreme Court in 2014 to make recommendations to the BCCI in order to prevent frauds and conflict of interest in cricket administration. The committee was appointed in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal in Indian Premier League (IPL). The recommendations of the committee are aimed at resolving issues of governance, transparency, and conflict of interest in BCCI. As per the Lodha Committee recommendations approved by the Supreme Court, no official should hold a position for more than three tenures of three years each, with no two consecutive terms. The office bearers are subjected to an age cap of 70. Office-bearers cannot be ministers or bureaucrats and they should distance themselves from the state association which they represent.

29. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come out with draft regulations for organic food products to ensure the authenticity of organic foods. FSSAI’s guidelines have been prepared in view of rising demand for organic food products. Organic foods will have to comply with the government’s provisions under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) or the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) run by the Agriculture Ministry or any other standards notified by FSSAI. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has invited comments from the public regarding the provisions of the draft regulations. Need At present, the consumers do not have any method to check the authenticity of the organic food products due to the absence of a regulatory framework. Organic food products are those that have to be grown without the use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides or those made from organically produced raw materials. The draft regulations are aimed at ensuring the authenticity of organic food products sold in the market. Salient Highlights Definition The draft regulations have come up with the following definitions: Organic agriculture has been defined as a system of farm design and management that creates an eco-system of agriculture production without the use of synthetic external inputs such as chemicals, fertilisers, pesticides and synthetic hormones or genetically modified organisms. The organic farm is defined as the product obtained from organic agriculture. Organic foods are defined as those food products that are produced in accordance with specified standards for organic production. Organic farm produce means the product obtained from organic agriculture, while organic food means food products that have been produced in accordance with specified standards for organic production. Other features FSSAI’s regulation mandates that labelling of organic foods should provide full and accurate information regarding the organic status of the organic foods. Organic food products must carry a certification mark or a quality assurance mark provided by the notified certification bodies. FSSAI’s regulations have exempted organic food marketed by the original producer or producer organisation through a direct sale from verification compliance. However, this exemption will not be applicable to processed organic products.

30. The United States is set to declare China as one among the world’s worst offenders on human trafficking in its annual Trafficking in Persons Report. The report will be unveiled by the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to the US Congress. Salient Highlights The declaration would place China in the same category as North Korea, Zimbabwe and Syria. The move will be Donald Trump administration’s first major public rebuke of China’s human rights record. Trump’s administration has so far avoided direct public criticism of China. The report is expected to receive condemnation from China’s Communist government. The US is seeking China’s cooperation in combatting North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats. China will be placed in “Tier 3,” which will be the ranking system’s lowest category. Countries listed in this tier are those who have failed to meet minimum standards to prevent human trafficking. Countries like Sudan, Iran and Haiti have recently been on that list. As per the report, forced begging in China which particularly affects children is a matter of great concern. In the previous year’s report, the US had placed China on its “watch list.” Countries which are placed in the watch list are those who are not meeting minimum standards. The 2016 report had called China as a “source, destination and transit country” for forced labour and sex trafficking. In this year’s report, China has been downgraded to the lowest classification as it had not increased its anti-trafficking efforts from the previous year. Implications Countries placed on Tier 3 are liable to be penalised with sanctions, including the withholding of non-humanitarian aid and assistance that could affect agreements with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Officials of the Tier-3 countries are also liable to be barred from participating in US government educational and cultural exchange programs. However, the US president retains the authority to waive the sanctions taking into account national interest or if he feels that the penalties could adversely affect vulnerable populations. The previous administrations of the US have often granted waivers for the tier-3 countries.

31. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the first foreign leader to have a White House dinner after the US President Donald Trump assumed power. Key Takeaways Pakistan India and the US have asked Pakistan to make sure that its soil is not used for cross-border terror strikes. Both the countries have asked Pakistan to expeditiously bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai and Pathankot attackers to justice. Drones The US has cleared the sale of Guadian Unmanned Aerial Systems to India. The drones would help India to keep a closer watch over the strategically important Indian Ocean. Hizbul chief The US has designated Hizbul Mujahideen Chief Syed Salahuddin as a global terrorist. The 71-year-old Salahuddin also leads the United Jihad Council, which is an umbrella organisation of militant groups operating in Kashmir. Trade Barriers Donald Trump has asked India to maintain a fair and reciprocal trade relationship and has called for the removal of barriers for the export of US goods into Indian markets. GST Donald Trump has given a thumbs up to India’s GST that will come into effect on July 1. Naval Exercise Donald Trump has said that India and the US would join Japan to conduct the largest maritime war game ever conducted in the Indian Ocean. Afghanistan India and the US have expressed concern over the rising instability in Afghanistan and vowed to strengthen cooperation for establishing peace in the war-torn country. North Korea Trump and Modi have labelled the missile programs of North Korea as a grave threat to global peace. Areas of Cooperation Prime Minister Modi has named trade, commerce and investment as key areas of mutual co-operation. In addition, he also said that India is actively looking at technology, innovation and knowledge economy

32. In Romania, President Klaus Iohannis has appointed outgoing economy minister Mihai Tudose as Prime Minister and thus paved the way for the formation of a new leftist Social-Democrat-led government in that country. According to the President of Romania, the decision has been taken keeping in mind the political crisis that risked damaging the country’s record economic recovery. The ruling Social Democrat Party (PSD) was ousted from the power following an internal power struggle. PSD filed a no-confidence motion against ex-Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu for causing delays in implementing reforms. Grindeanu has been ousted from power barely six months after PSD swept back to victory in elections. The Prime Minister-designate Mihai Tudose will have 10 days to gain the vote of confidence. Romania Romania is the second poorest country of the European Union. It is the largest of the Balkan countries and has a coastline on the Black Sea. Romania was under the rule of the Roman, Ottoman and the Austro-Hungarian Empires. In the 2004 Romania got admitted into NATO and in 2007 it joined the European Union (EU).

33. Context: ISRO’s satellite-based chips are set to alert people at unmanned rail crossings Salient Facts Satellite-based chip systems developed by ISRO will be used to alert road users at unmanned level crossings about approaching trains. These chips will also help the railways in tracking train movement on a real-time basis. Initially, on a pilot basis the ISRO-developed integrated circuit (IC) chips will be installed in the Mumbai and Guwahati Rajdhani trains. Hooters will be installed at 20 unmanned level crossings on Rajdhani routes for Guwahati and Mumbai. The system will warn the road users by hooters once a train approaches an unmanned level. The hooters will get activated when the train is present at a distance of about 500 metres from the level crossing, warning both road users as well as the train driver near the crossing. The sound of the hooters will become louder as the level crossing nears, and finally it will become silent after the passage of the train. In a phased manner, more trains would be equipped with the ISRO-developed integrated circuit (IC) chips. The satellite based system will also be used for tracking trains about their movement on real time basis. It will be useful to passengers as at present the movement of trains are tracked manually. Need Safety at unmanned level crossings is a matter of concern for the Indian Railways as around 40% of accidents involving the railways happen in unmanned crossings. India has a total 10,000 unmanned railway crossings in the country. The railways has set a target for eliminating all the railway crossings in the next 2-3 years. It has eliminated 1,148 unmanned crossings in 2014-15 and 1,253 in 2015-16. The new technology will also help Indian railways at the time of train accidents as it can be used to get details about the exact location of trains and topography.

34. Nashik’s army doctor Srinivas Gokulnath and Nagpur’s doctor Amit Samarth has created history by becoming the first Indians to complete the 4,900-km Race Across America (RAAM) in the solo 18-59 age category. While Srinivas Gokulnath finished the distance of 4941kms in 11 days and 18 hours, Samarth took 11 days and 21 hours to finish the race. Among the 9 persons who managed to finish the race, Gokulnath stood 7th while Samarth finished at number 8. The race was won by Christoph Strasser. Srinivas Gokulnath is an aerospace medicine specialist and had participated in the 2016 edition of RAAM. However, he withdrew from the event after covering 2447 km. Gokulnath also has a national record for cycling 4,000km from Leh to Kanyakumari in 16 days in 2014. His feat got into the Limca Book of Records. Dr Amit Samarth is also a doctor and has a Master’s Degree in Public Health. In the three decades old history of RAAM, only three Indians had attempted RAAM solo but so far no one was able to finish the event in the solo category. RAAM RAAM is considered as the toughest cycle race in the world. It is about 30 percent longer than the Tour de France and the riders have to pedal over 400 km a day to finish the race in 12 days. The riders are allowed to rest for only a couple of hours a day. Racers have to pedal 2447 km across 12 states and climb over 1,70,000 vertical feet. The route traverses through three major mountain ranges (Sierra, Rocky and Appalachian) and crosses four of America’s longest rivers (Colorado, Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio).

35. NASA’s Mars rover Opportunity has found rocks at the edge of Endeavour Crater that might have been a lake of liquid water. The scientists believe that the rocks were either transported by a flood or eroded in place by the wind. Salient Facts NASA’s Opportunity rover has been investigating on and near the western rim of Endeavour Crater since 2011. The Endeavour Crater is about 22 km across. Opportunity has found out a pattern of striations running east-west outside the crest of the rim. The features have been observed just outside the crater rim’s crest above “Perseverance Valley”. To ascertain whether the rocks are present in-place or got transported, scientists plan to drive Opportunity down Perseverance Valley. The Perseverance valley extends for a distance of about two football fields. It slopes down from the crest into the Endeavour crater. The scientists are looking into several hypotheses for the perched lake. As per one hypothesis, one of the possibility is that a flood might have brought in the rocks and carved out the Perseverance valley. Another believes that the area was fractured by the impact that created Endeavour Crater. Background Mars has a rich variety of geological features: huge craters, broad plains, tall mountains, deep canyons, and much more. NASA’s Opportunity, also known as MER-B is a robotic rover investigating the Martian surface since 2004. It was launched in 2003 as a part of NASA’s Mars Exploration Rover program. The rover landed on the Martian surface in 2004.

36. The World Bank has cleared a USD 250-million loan to aid the Skill India mission. The loan amount would be used for making Indian youth more employable through reskilling. Salient Highlights The USD 250 million Skill India Mission Operation (SIMO) is set to increase the market relevance of short-term skill development programmes (3-12 months or up to 600 hours) both at the national and state levels. It will help the government of India to better equip the young workforce with employable skills. SIMO will be a six- year programme in support of National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (2017-23). Under the programme, persons in the age group of 15-59 will acquire skill training irrespective of their employment status. This will benefit 1.2 crore youngsters in the age bracket of 15 and 29 years who are entering the labour market every year. The programme is expected to benefit approximately 15,000 trainers and 3,000 assessors. The programme has also a mandate to offer placement and entrepreneurship opportunities to women and increase their exposure to skill training. Need As per the official estimates, India is in need of additional 109 million skilled workers to work in 24 key sectors by 2022. SIMO will support the government’s vision of increasing women’s participation in the labour force and increase greater off-farm employment. Higher skilled labour force will have an improved employment opportunity to raise their earnings. World Bank World Bank is one of five institutions created at the Breton Woods Conference in 1944. World Bank is part of the United Nations system, but its governance structure is different. World Bank’s headquarter is situated at Washington DC. World Bank provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes. World Bank comprises only two institutions viz. the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Development Association (IDA). In contrast, World Bank Group comprises three more viz. International Finance Corporation (IFC), Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID).

37. The HRD ministry has constituted a new nine-member panel headed by space scientist K Kasturirangan to frame a new National Education Policy (NEP). The other members of the panel include chosen experts and educationists from wide-ranging backgrounds. The panel includes former IAS officer K.J. Alphonse Kanamthanam, who was instrumental in making Kerala’s Kottayam and Ernakulam districts achieve 100% literacy. Another member of the panel will be Ram Shanker Kureel who has wide experience in the field of agricultural sciences and management. He is also the Vice-Chancellor of Baba Saheb Ambedkar University of Social Sciences, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. The committee also comprises of M.K. Shridhar, former member secretary of the Karnataka State Innovation Council, T.V. Kattimani, an expert on language communication, Dr. Mazhar Asif, professor of Persian at Guwahati University, Krishan Mohan Tripathi, a former director of education, Uttar Pradesh, mathematician Manjul Bhargava from Princeton University and Vasudha Kamat, former vice chancellor of Mumbai’s SNDT University. The panel members belong to different sections and regions of the country reflecting the diversity of the country. Background In 2015, Narendra Modi Government had set up a committee under former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian to chalk out a new education policy. This committee had submitted its report in May 2016. The committee had presented its report in two volumes with around 90 suggestions. The other important past committees in Education includes Radhakrishnan Commission (1948-49) on higher education; Mudaliyar Commission (1952) on secondary education and the Kothari Commission (1964-66). The Kothari Commission had a mandate to advise the government on the development of education at all stage and in all aspects. The Kothari Commission’s report was used to formulate the Education Policy of 1968.

38. Indian shooters Yashaswini Singh Deswal and Anish Bhanwala has bagged gold in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol and Men’s 25m Standard Pistol competition respectively in the Junior World Rifle/Pistol Championship held in Germany. Yashaswini Singh Deswal fired a record 235.9 points to clinch the gold. Earlier in 2016, Yashaswini Singh Deswal had managed to clinch silver in the 10m air pistol event at the junior world cup held in Germany. In the Junior 25m Standard Pistol competition, pistol shooter Anish Bhanwala clinched gold with a world record score of 579 which was also instrumental in helping India bag the Team Silver in the event. Meanwhile, this result adds to India’s growing list of the gold medal tally. On Saturday, Anish Bhanwala also won gold in the Junior Men’s 25m Standard Pistol competition, with a world record score of 579. In the team event, Anish and his teammates bagged silver. The team had put a combined score of 1678.

39. Indian Army is considering doing away with the colonial-era Sahayak System and considers recruiting civilian staff in peace stations. The Indian Army’s move comes in the wake of rising cases of jawans coming out openly against the Sahayak system. Some jawans have accused of being treated as servants by their attached officers. The critics point that Sahayak System is liable to be misused, and is demeaning to the soldier. However, the army has said that Sahayaks would continue to be deployed in key bases and field areas as these areas will have defined military duties. Instead of Sahayaks, employment of civilian staff at peace stations will help the Indian Army in economising on its manpower as well. Sahayak System Sahayaks or buddy system is a system in which a soldier is attached to officers to help them carry out their responsibilities. Sahayaks are attached to Officers and Junior Commissioned Officer. The duties of Sahayaks include protecting the officers, maintaining their weapons and equipment among others. The Sahayak System was evolved during the colonial rule. The practice of Sahayak system is codified in the Indian Army. An estimated 50,000 sahayaks serve in the Indian Army. Indian Air Force and Indian Navy do not have sahayak system. In March 2017, the government had strongly supported the Sahayak system. However, it had said that it has issued exhaustive instructions not to make sahayaks perform menial tasks which are derogatory to the dignity of a soldier. In the annual conference of top Army commanders, deliberations regarding the sahayak system were held and it was decided to reorient the human resource policy of the Indian Army.

40. The world No.11 Kidambi Srikanth has sealed his second successive Super Series win by defeating reigning Olympic champion Chen Long in the Australian Open summit clash in Sydney. Chen Long is World No.6 and also the current All England champion. Srikanth had lost all of his previous five encounters with Chen Long. Srikanth has also become the fifth player in the world to take part in three successive Super Series finals by reaching the summit clash in Singapore, Indonesia and Australia. Last Week, Srikanth had won the Indonesian Open title. In the last edition of Australian Open tournament, Srikanth was a semi-finalist.

41. India and Portugal have signed 11 pacts after in-depth talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa in areas like counter-terrorism, space and climate studies. This is the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Portugal. India thanked Portugal for its support for India’s permanent membership of UNSC, and of Multilateral Export Control Regime. Agreements India and Portugal have agreed to set up a joint Science and Technology fund of four million euros. The two countries also signed MoUs for the creation of an India Portugal Space Alliance for advancing collaborative research. This agreement is expected to promote India’s science and technology partnership with Portugal and to set up Atlantic International Research Centre on the Azores Archipelago. This Centre will act as a research, innovation and knowledge hub for tratrans-Atlantic and north-south cooperation. The objective behind the Centre is to provide a shared environment for supporting new climate, earth, space and marine research. Other Agreements The other agreements cover cooperation in outer space, double taxation avoidance, nano technology, improving cultural ties, youth and sports, higher education and scientific research, and Portugal-India business hub and Indian Chamber of Commerce. They are: Protocol amending the Double Taxation Aviodance Agreement MoU on Nano Technology MoU on Public Administration & Governance Reforms MoU on Cultural Cooperation MoU on Youth & Sports MoU between Portugal India Business Hub & Indian Chamber of Commerce MoU on Cooperation in the fields of Higher Education and Scientific Research MoU on Biotechnology MoU on Collaborative Research MoU between Portugal India Business Hub & AICEP

42. According to ‘Handbook of Statistics on States 2016-17‘, the gross fiscal deficits of all the states have soared to Rs 4,93,360 crore in fiscal 2016 from Rs 18,790 crore in FY1991. This is the second edition of RBI’s statistical publication. Salient Highlights ‘Handbook of Statistics on States 2016-17 follows a ‘one-indicator-one table’ approach. It covers all sub-national statistics on socio- demographics, state domestic product, agriculture, industry, infrastructure, banking and other fiscal indicators across the states during the period 1950-51 to 2016-17. The handbook also provides data on the state-wise availability of power, per capita availability of power, installed capacity of power, and power requirement, the length of national highways, roads and state highways, and railheads. Uttar Pradesh had a fiscal deficit of Rs 3,070 crore in FY91, which has soared to Rs 64,320 crore in FY16. It is projected to improve to Rs 49,960 crore in FY17. Rajasthan had a fiscal deficit of Rs 540 crore in FY91, which has soared to Rs 67,350 crore in FY16. However, the gross fiscal deficit is projected to decline to Rs 40,530 crore in FY17. Maharashtra has a fiscal deficit of Rs 37,950 crore in FY16 which is projected to soar to Rs 35,030 crore in FY17. Gujarat which has seen rapid industrialisation in the period of data analysis has got its fiscal deficit increased from Rs 1,800 crore in FY91 to Rs 22,170 crore in FY16 and the deficit is projected to further deteriorate in FY17 to Rs 24,610 crore. In fact from FY01, Gujarat has not shown improvement in its macro numbers even for a single year. Andhra Pradesh has a deficit of Rs 17,000 crore in FY16 which is set to increase to Rs 20,500 crore in FY17. Tamil Nadu is also projected to have a higher deficit at Rs 40,530 crore in FY17. Karnataka is also estimated to post higher deficit in FY17 at Rs 25,660 crore. Bihar which has a fiscal deficit of Rs 28,510 crore in FY16 is slated to improve its finances with the fiscal deficit of Rs 16,010 crore in FY17. Similarly, West Bengal is also slated to improve its fiscal deficit to Rs 19,360 crore in FY17 .

43. A report by UNESCO has concluded that cutting down emissions and delivering the Paris Climate agreement to be the only ways out to save coral reefs the world over. Salient Highlights This is the first global assessment of the impact of climate change on world heritage listed coral reefs. The assessment studies the impact of climate change on 29 world Heritage-listed coral reefs. The assessment has found that local responses are no longer sufficient. The report has found that global warming caused by an increase in frequency, intensity, and duration of heat-stress events has massive consequences for the 29 world heritage sites. The report has warned that world’s coral reefs will die out completely by mid-century unless carbon emissions are reduced. The consequences could also be severe for millions of people worldwide. It is estimated that at least 25 coral reefs are set to experience twice-per-decade severe bleaching events by 2040. As per the report in the last three years, 25 out of 29 coral reefs which comprise three-fourths of the world’s reef systems has experienced severe bleaching events which are labelled as the worst-ever sequence of bleachings to date. According to the report, by 2100 most of the coral reef system would die unless carbon emissions are reduced. Coral Reefs Coral Reefs are often referred as the rainforests of the oceans. They occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor but provides habitat for a million species. The deposits of Coral Reefs are mostly made up of Calcium Carbonate. Conditions required for their growth: Warm tropical oceans located between 30 degree north and 25 degree south latitudes where a minimum temperature of 20 degree is found and this temperature favours the growth of coral organisms; Oceanic water free of sedimentation; Transparent parts of ocean bodies; Relatively low salinity ocean bodies. Bleaching of Coral occurs when the sea becomes too warm. Warm seas cause Corals to expel living algae and calcify turning into white. Scientists are concerned that climate change is killing the barrier reef. Rising temperatures by global warming increase the damage to the coral reefs harming the sensitive underwater ecosystem. The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest coral reef in the world. It was recorded as a World Heritage site in 1981.

44. Palbinder Kaur Shergill has become the first turbaned Sikh woman to be appointed as Canada’s Supreme Court judge. The announcement was made by the minister of justice and attorney general of Canada Jody Wilson-Raybould. The appointment of Shergill as Supreme Court Judge of Canada is considered as a milestone for the Sikh community in Canada. Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill was born in Rurka Kalan in Jalandhar district. At the age of four, justice Shergill had migrated to Canada. Justice Shergill has fought various cases and has actively represented the interests of Canadian Sikh community including the right of Sikh students to wear a ‘kirpan’ in schools.

45. India and Russia have finalized a roadmap to further boost bilateral defence cooperation during the 17th India-Russia intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation held at Moscow. The meeting was co-chaired by defence minister Arun Jaitley and his Russian counterpart General Shoygu. The agenda for the discussion ranged from joint development of futuristic weapon systems to a major upgrade of military-to-military ties. India and Russia had signed a protocol that aims to enhance cooperation between both the countries in the field of political and military dialogue, exercises, exchange of visits, military cooperation and training. Background The top-level bilateral meeting comes at the backdrop of Russia’s efforts to maintain its long-standing number one position as an arms supplier to India in face of stiff competition from the US, Israel, France and other countries. Russia is on course of getting defence projects worth $10.5 billion from the acquisition of five S-400 Triumf advanced air defence missile systems, four Grigorivich-class frigates and 200 Kamov-226T light helicopters and the lease of a second nuclear-powered submarine after INS Chakra. The meeting also comes in the backdrop of India being unhappy with Russia for delaying delivery schedules, increasing up costs mid-way as well as creating hurdles in technology transfer and providing unreliable spares support. India is also not happy regarding the economic and technical viability of going joint development and production of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) called the Sukhoi T-50 or Sukhoi PAK-FA. The Sukhoi PAK FA is a fifth generation fighter aircraft programme. PAK FA is a stealth, single seat aircraft that is intended to be the successor to the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian Airforce. The aircraft will serve as the basis for the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being jointly developed by Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force.

46. The urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has launched its first liveability index which will rank the country’s 116 major cities on the basis of the quality of life. Salient Highlights The index named ‘City Liveability Index’ will cover cities with a population above one million, including the capital cities. The index will help cities to analyse where they stand in terms of the quality of life. It will help them to come up with interventions required to improve it. The index will assess cities based on a comprehensive set of 79 parameters such as availability of roads, education, healthcare, mobility, employment opportunities, emergency response, grievance redressal, pollution, availability of open and green spaces, cultural and entertainment opportunities etc. The rankings based on the index would be released in 2018. Soon, the government will select the agency for undertaking the assessment and data collection for the rankings would be completed in the next 6 months. Incentives to States The urban development minister has disbursed Rs500 crore as an incentive to 16 states that have performed well in implementing urban reforms during 2016-17. Andhra Pradesh has topped the list of 16 states with the highest score in implementing urban schemes. The second place has been occupied by Odisha which is followed by Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kerala, Goa, Mizoram, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. While ranking, the progress achieved by these states in terms of reforms like e-governance, an audit of accounts, tax revision policies, extent of tax revenue collection, energy and water audit, establishing state level financial intermediaries for resource mobilisation and credit rating was taken into account. Further, it has been proposed by the government to increase the incentive fund to Rs 10,000 crore for the next three years to promote next generation urban reforms.

47. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Imran Khawaja as its deputy chairman. Imran Khawaja is Chairman of Associates counties and a veteran administrator from Singapore. Recently, the ICC Full Council had brought a constitutional change approving the creation of the post of deputy chairman. Imran Khawaja was part of a five member ICC working team that framed ICC’s new constitution last year. Following his election, Khawaja will deputise the ICC meetings in the absence of chairman Shashank Manohar. Imran Khawaja is a senior lawyer and has been serving in the ICC Board for several years. He had also served as a part of influential committees of the ICC. ICC The International Cricket Council (ICC), which is the international governing body of cricket was founded in 1909 as the Imperial Cricket Conference. It was founded by the representatives of England, Australia and South Africa. The body was renamed as International Cricket Conference in 1965 and again renamed as International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1989. The ICC consists of 105 members, out of which 12 are full members, 37 are associate members and another 56 are affiliate members. ICC is responsible for setting professional standards of discipline for international cricket.

48. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has received the highest prize in United Nations Public Service Award for the state government’s Kanyashree Prakalpa (Girl Child) scheme in The Hague, Netherlands. Kanyashree Prakalpa scheme of West Bengal came first among the 552 project nominations received by the UN from 62 countries. West Bengal has been awarded in the Asia-Pacific group for the category: ‘Reaching the Poorest and Most Vulnerable through Inclusive Services and Participation‘. Argentina was the winner in the Latin America-Caribbean Group for its programme for early childhood education. In the Western Group, the UK was the winner for its programme to prevent senior citizens from being defrauded. Background Kanyashree Prakalpa is an initiative of the West Bengal government to improve the lives and the status of the adolescent girls. The scheme provides financial help to the girls from disadvantaged families to pursue higher studies. It also aims to prevent child marriage. Increased educational attainment, prevention of child marriage and financial inclusion are the objectives of the scheme. The scheme was launched by Mamata Banerjee in October 2013. This is not the first time that Kanyashree Prakalpa has won an award. Earlier, it had also received the appreciation of the UNICEF. The scheme has covered 40 lakh school and college going girls under its umbrella. Under this scheme, cash transfers have been provided to them as scholarships as long as they continue going to school. The UN Public Service Awards were launched in 2003.

49. Union Minister of State for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal has launched Weather Portal for Power Sector & Web Portal ‘MERIT’ (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency). POSOCO-IMD Weather Portal The weather portal has been developed in association with POSOCO and IMD. The portal will have information regarding weather forecast to the state Discoms. The weather variations have an impact on load demand, energy production, transport and distribution management, as well as on energy prices. Extreme events associated with weather like heat waves or cold waves, windstorms or floods can have adverse impacts on the production and can inflict physical damage to the infrastructure. Hence, the portal aims to provide weather related information and help states to take pro-active steps regarding management and plan for infrastructure availability as well as to ensure cost effective and reliable supply. MERIT MERIT (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency) has been developed by Ministry of Power in association with POSOCO and Central Electricity Authority. The Web portal provides information regarding the merit order of Electricity procured by States. The information includes daily state-wise marginal variable costs of all generators, daily source-wise power purchases of respective states/UTs with, energy volumes and purchase prices. The Portal will help state Discoms in optimising their power procurement more efficiently and will help in lowering the cost of power to consumers. The main advantages of the portal: Empowerment of consumers and facilitates participative governance; Disseminates information pertaining to marginal variable cost and source wise purchase of electricity transparently; Promotes economy and efficiency in operations; Optimization of the power procurement costs; Demystifies the utility portfolio and its complexity; Facilitates renewable integration and handling of the variability and uncertainty of renewables; and Indication of supply side reliability, adequacy, and cost of power procurement.

50. Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) is the world’s biggest telescope which would facilitate astronomers to observe the intricacies of the universe from earth. Salient Facts Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) is a multi- million dollar project being developed by an international consortium of Five countries including India. The other four countries are Canada, China, Japan and the U.S. In July 2013, five countries participating in the project had inked Master Partnership Agreement (MPA) for the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). The ambitious next-generation telescope would be built at a cost of USD 1.47 billion. India will spend Rs 1,300 crore on the project. India’s contribution to the project will be more in terms of hardware than money. The telescope which was expected to be started at Mauna Kea, Hawaii was stalled following protests by locals. The project site is still being finalised by the consortium of countries involved in the project. Hanle in Ladakh is one among the new sites that are being explored for the construction of the telescope. The telescope is expected to be ready by 2020. The telescope when ready would offer astronomers with unparalleled power to observe the universe. India has a 10% partner in the telescope project. Indian astronomers will get observational time in proportion to India’s share in the total project cost. On the Indian side, the project will be handled by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Department of Atomic Energy. The project would be led by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore, with the help of the Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, and Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune. TMT will be the first ground-based telescope to incorporate the technology of Adaptive Optics (AO) as an integral component of the telescope. India’s contributions will include fabrication of edge sensors, which sense relative displacement of segments due to gravity and temperature while tracking objects in the sky. India also has the responsibility to build the entire actuator system to provide the best possible image of objects in the sky.

51. NITI-Aayog has chosen the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad for hosting the ₹10-crore Atal Incubation Centre for biotechnology start-ups. Salient Facts The centre will identify promising start-ups and create facilities for them to succeed in the field of biotechnology. The CCMB is one of the 10 organisations that have been identified to host the ‘Atal Incubation Centre’. The government will release a Grant-in-aid of Rs 10 crore for a maximum of 5 years. After that, it is expected that the Centre would become self-sustainable. The CCMB is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). It is the only one in the States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to be chosen as an incubation centre under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). Background Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) under NITI Aayog is aimed at promoting a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. It aims to create high-class incubation facilities with necessary infrastructure in terms of capital equipment and operating facilities, coupled with the availability of sectoral experts for mentoring the start-ups. The scheme is known as Atal Incubation Centre scheme. The incubation centres would support and encourage start-ups in the sectors like manufacturing, transport, energy, health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation etc. The scheme focuses on the establishment of incubation centres in underserved and unserved areas to support inclusive growth. Under the scheme, Atal Incubation Centre can be established either in Publicly funded institutions or Private sector funded institutions or in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.

52. Nisha Dutt, Chief Executive Officer of Intellecap has become the first Indian woman leader to have been honoured with the “Social Entrepreneur of the Year” award at The 7th Asian Awards in London. Nisha Dutt has been honoured in recognition of her work in making Intellecap a globally known enterprise that focuses on social capital. Her key contribution lies in integrating technology with challenges of healthcare, financial services, incubation and conceptualising programs such as Innovations Labs. The previous winners of the award include Ratan Tata, Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Asha Bhosle, Zayn Malik etc. In the Social Entrepreneur category, Professor Muhammad Yunus, Masa Kogure and Vikram Patel have been honoured with the award in the past. Background The Asian Awards is an annual awards function which was founded by businessman and philanthropist Paul Sagoo. The annual award ceremony takes place in the United Kingdom. The awards reward exemplary achievement across 14 categories such as business, philanthropy, entertainment, culture and sport. Initially, the awards were presented to only those people born in or with direct family origin from India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh etc. In 2013, the awards have been thrown open to people of South and Eastern Asian origin.

53. Department of Science and Technology has launched VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research) Faculty scheme that enables NRIs and overseas scientific community to participate and contribute to research and development in India. on 8th January 2017, during the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention, Prime Minister had announced that a new scheme called VAJRA (Visiting Advanced Joint Research) Faculty scheme would be launched by the Department of Science and Technology. Salient Highlights The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), a Statutory body of the Department of Science and Technology will implement the Scheme. Under this scheme, foreign researchers abroad of Indian origin or otherwise can collaborate with faculties in public funded Indian institutions. The researchers would receive endowments at par with those in their own countries. They would be given USD 15,000 in the first month of residency and USD 10,000, for the remaining months. The scheme would promote broad areas of research like energy, health, advance material among others. Public funded academic institutions and national laboratories will be eligible for hosting the VAJRA Faculty. The VAJRA faculty can reside in India for a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months a year. The applications received from the interested foreign researchers would be evaluated by a Selection Committee of eminent scientists. The Committee will meet twice a year in January and July and make recommendations. DST Department of Science & Technology (DST) was established in May 1971 and functions under the ambit of Ministry of Science and Technology. The department functions with an objective of promoting new areas of Science & Technology. It acts as a nodal department for organising, coordinating and promoting S&T related activities in the country. The DST funds scientific projects in India and supports researchers in the country to attend conferences abroad and to conduct experimental works.

54. NASA has launched world’s lightest satellite weighing only 64 grams designed by 18-year-old boy Rifath Sharook from Tamil Nadu. The tiny satellite has been named as KalamSat after the former President APJ Abdul Kalam. The tiny satellite was launched into space on a sounding rocket from NASA’s facility in Wallops Island. Salient Facts KalamSat is a 3-D printed satellite. This is the first time that 3-D printing technology is used to make satellites. To participate in NASA’s contest Cubes in Space in partnership with the global education company, I Doodle Learning, Sharook and his team had designed a 1 kg CubeSat. But as the CubSat was costly the group made a smaller version for the contest and came up with ‘KalamSat’. By using the concept called BalloonSats, the group created a Near Space Launch Vehicle (NSLV) to launch KalamSat. BalloonSats are designed to carry lightweight experiments into near-space. The tiny satellite weighs only 64 grams which is lighter than a smartphone. The satellite has been made of reinforced carbon fibre polymer. The satellite was operated for 12 minutes in a micro-gravity environment of space after its flight. The purpose behind the launch of KalamSat was to demonstrate the performance of 3D-printed carbon fibre.

55. Union Minister for Urban Development and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation, M. Venkaiah Naidu has announced a new batch of 30 smart cities under Smart City Mission, which was launched on June 25, 2015. Salient Highlights The newly selected cities include Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, Naya Raipur in Chhattisgarh, Rajkot in Gujarat, Amravati in Andhra Pradesh, Patna in Bihar, Karimnagar in Telangana, Muzaffarpur in Bihar, Puducherry, Gandhinagar in Gujarat, Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, Sagar in Madhya Pradesh, Karnal in Haryana, Satna in Madhya Pradesh, Bengaluru in Karnataka, Shimla in Himachal Pradesh, Dehradun in Uttarakhand, Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, Pimpri Chinchwad in Maharashtra, Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh, Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu in Jammu & Kashmir, Dahod in Gujarat, Tirunelveli, Thootukkudi and Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, Aizawl in Mizoram, Allahabad and Aligarh in U.P. and Gangtok in Sikkim. With the addition of these 30 smart cities, the total cities picked up under the Smart City Mission has reached 90. The government has selected 30 cities against the available 40 smart city slots to ensure feasible and workable plans that fulfill the aspirations of the citizens. Out of the 30 cities, 26 had proposed affordable housing projects, 26 had proposed new schools and hospitals and 29 had proposed redesign and development of roads. The government will further select 10 more cities under smart city mission as 100 cities were supposed to be selected for the Smart Cities Mission in total. The remaining 20 cities that will be contesting for the remaining 10 slots are: Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Biharsharif (Bihar), Diu (Daman & Diu), Silvassa (Dadra and Nager Haveli), Kavaratti (Lakshadweep), Navimumbai, Greater Mumbai and Amaravati (Maharashtra), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya), Dindigul and Erode(Tamil Nadu), Bidhannagar, Durgapur and Haldia (West Bengal), Meerut,Rai Bareilly, Ghaziabad, Sharanpur and Rampur (UP). Total proposed investment for the development of 30 cities is Rs.57,393 crores. It includes Rs.46,879 crores for ensuring core infrastructure and Rs.10,514 crores technology-based solutions for improving governance, service delivery and utilization of infrastructure. Background The Smart City Mission is flagship scheme of Union Government that will cover 100 cities and its duration is five years (2015-16 to 2019-20). The focus of the smart city mission is on sustainable and inclusive development and set examples which can be replicated in other parts of the city and other cities of the country. There are 10 core infrastructure elements viz. adequate water supply; assured electricity supply; sanitation, including solid waste management; efficient urban mobility and public transport; affordable housing, especially for the poor; robust IT connectivity and digitalization; good governance, especially e-Governance and citizen participation; sustainable environment; safety and security of citizens, particularly women, children and the elderly; and health and education.

56. The United States has cleared the sale of the state-of-the-art Guardian 22 unmanned Guardian drones to India. The deal to sell UAV drones to India is estimated to be worth $2 to $3 billion. Though the deal has been approved by the State Department, an official announcement regarding the deal is yet to be announced. Significance The transfer of the state-of-the-art UAV technology to India will be the first significant progress after India’s entry into the exclusive Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and after the US has designated India as a major defence partner. India became the 35th full member of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) in June 2016. The transfer of Guardian UAV technology is aimed at furthering mutual security interests to protect the Indian Ocean. The deal would also pave the way for the transfer of other key technology sales from the US to India. The Guardian unmanned aircraft has been classified as Category 1 aircraft with cutting edge technologies. Background Last year, the Indian Navy had requested for this intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platform. The US has designated India as a “major defence partner” under the Obama Administration. The US considers India as a key player to counter the Chinese threat. However, the Guardian UAV proposal was kept in abeyance under Obama administration.

57. Union Urban Development Minister Venkaiah Naidu has launched India’s largest municipal bond programme. Salient Highlights The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) became the first municipal corporation in the country to tap money through municipal bonds in 14 years. The AA+ rated PMC’s municipal bonds raised Rs 200 crore at 7.59 per cent rate at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). This is the first-ever mobilisation of debt capital by a municipal corporation on the BSE BOND platform. This will also be the first issuance since the publication of ‘Issue and Listing of Debt Securities by Municipalities Regulations, 2015’ by Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The 10-year bonds will be used by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for a Rs 2,300-crore water project. The scheme is aimed at providing water 24×7 for all residents of Pune. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was assisted by the US Department of Treasury to create a debt policy. PMC has also planned to prepare a case study based on its experience and share it with other urban bodies to help them raise money from the bond markets. Since the bonds do not have any guarantee from the state government, an escrow account has been created to deposit the funds for the comfort of investors. Municipality Bonds Municipality bonds can be issued by the city corporations to fund developmental projects. Institutional investors, as well as the public, can buy these bonds. The corporations can use the revenues earned from the developmental projects like Metro rail network to repay the interest and principal on these bonds. These municipal bonds have now been permitted for public offering by SEBI. Municipal bonds have been in existence in India from the year 1997. Cities such as Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Nashik and Madurai have already issued them. These bonds will help the city corporations to directly raise funds without the help of grants from the state governments or agencies such as World Bank.

58. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM-G), rural Uttarakhand and rural Haryana have been declared as the 4th and 5th Open Defecation Free (ODF) States of India. Already, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Kerala, have been declared ODF. As per the government sources, nationally the sanitation coverage has increased from 42% to over 64% since the launch of SBM. Uttarakhand has 13 districts, 95 blocks, 7256 gram panchayats and 15751 villages while Haryana has 21 districts, 124 blocks, and 6083 gram panchayats. All these have been declared as ODF. With this, the total number of ODF states in the country have increased to 5 covering more than 2 lakh villages and 147 districts across the country. Background The Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched in October 2014 to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put focus on sanitation. The mission aims to achieve Swachh Bharat or make India clean by 2019, as a fitting tribute to the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The SBM consists of two sub-missions Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), implemented in rural areas, and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), implemented in urban areas. SBM-G seeks to eliminate open defecation in rural areas by improving access to sanitation by ensuring the use of toilets, besides their construction. It also seeks to generate awareness to motivate communities to adopt sustainable sanitation practices, and encourage the use of appropriate technologies for sanitation. Open defecation is an important factor for causing various diseases like intestinal worm infections, diarrhoea, polio, hepatitis etc.

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