1) The Future of the Rail Report was prepared by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in association with the International Union of Railways (UIC). Findings of the Report- The report provides a specific focus on India, The important findings of the Future of Rail Report are: Indian railways will account for nearly 40% of total global rail activity by 2050. The Investments in Indian urban rail infrastructure is estimated to reach nearly $190bn by 2050. The report notes that India can save up to $64bn on fuel expenses by that time. The report predicts bright prospects for Indian Railways. The report notes that the rail sector carries 8% of passengers across the world and 7% of global freight movement but it utilises 2% of the total transport energy demand in the world, signifying its efficiency. International Energy Agency (IEA): The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an intergovernmental organization established by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974. IEA even works non-member countries, especially China, India, and Russia. Initially, IEA was focused on responding to physical disruptions in the supply of oil, as well as serving as an information source on statistics about the international oil market and other energy sectors. Its mandate has been widened to focus on the “3Es” of effectual energy policy: energy security, economic development, and environmental protection. International Union of Railways (UIC): The International Union of Railways (UIC) is an international body of the rail transport industry. The UIC was created on 17 October 1922 with the aim of standardising industry practices. At present, UIC had 194 members across 5 continents.Continue Reading W.B.C.S Current Affairs 26 January 2019 to 01 February 2019.

2) The 12th edition of Aero India, Aero India 2019, will be held at Air Force Station at Yelahanka in Bengaluru from February 20 to 24. Aero India 2019 aims to provide a significant platform in bolstering business opportunities in the International aviation sector. Aero India: Aero India Exhibition/Show is organised every two years. Aero India has carved a niche for itself globally as a premier aerospace exhibition, with eleven successful editions organised since 1996. The show aims at giving a fillip to the rapidly growing economy, defence production and participation of private players. Aero India 2019: The Aero India 2019 has a tagline “The Runway to a Billion Opportunities” and has a logo inspired by the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA). The Ministry of Defence has planned following events during the Aero India 2019: Start-up Day- The Start-up day would witness a start-up showcase event on February 21 to tap into the highly motivated entrepreneurial talent pool of the country. The showcase event is aimed at providing the platform for interactions between the domestic and international start-up community, key policymakers in the Indian defence sector, and CEOs of leading Indian and global start-ups. Womens’ Day- Women’s Day would be organised On February 23 to showcase achievements made by women in the aerospace sector on February 23. The Women’s Day would witness felicitation of women achievers, unveiling of the brochure highlighting achievements of women, experience sharing by leading women in Aero-Space Sector and flying display by women pilots, paratroopers etc. Drone Olympics- Drone Olympics provides an opportunity for all the UAV manufacturing enthusiasts to showcase the capabilities of the Drones they are manufacturing. Technology Day/Students Day- Technology Day would be observed on February 22 to provide an opportunity for the students involved in the aerospace sector, both civil and defence to showcase their projects. Photography contest- A Photography contest would be held on the theme ‘Flying Objects’.

3) The Facebook-owned messaging app WhatsApp has announced Startup India-WhatsApp Grand Challenge to encourage entrepreneurs and small businesses in India. About the challenge: The challenge is being hosted in association with Invest India. The top 5 winners would receive a cash prize worth $250,000 (roughly Rs. 1.8 crores). The challenge is aimed at encouraging the entrepreneurs who have innovative ideas, business models that solve for a local India problem, making a large scale socio-economic impact. The themes for this Start-up challenge are healthcare, rural economy, financial and digital inclusion, education and citizen safety. The applications will be evaluated by an independent evaluation committee and out of which the best 30 ideas will be shortlisted for the subsequent round and further 10 in the following round. The selected 10 ideas would participate at the live pitch day during the grand finale and the top 5 would be awarded grants worth $250,000 (roughly Rs. 1.8 crores). Invest India: Invest India is a not for profit entity established under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 2009. It is a national investment promotion and facilitation agency focussing on sector-specific investor targeting and development of new partnerships to enable sustainable investments in India.

4) The Defence Acquisition Council headed by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has approved the acquisition of the Rs 1,200 crore Milan-2T anti-tank missiles. While the requirement was of 70,000 different types of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) and 850 different launchers, the DAC has approved the purchase of 5,000 Milan 2T anti-tank guided missiles from France. Defence Acquisition Council: The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Union Minister of Defence was constituted to ensure a fair defence procurement planning process. The Council aims to ensure expeditious procurement of the requirements of the Armed Forces in terms of capabilities sought and time frame prescribed by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources. The functions of the DAC include: Principle approval authority for 15 Years Long Terms Integrated Perspective Plan for Defence Forces. Categorization of the acquisition proposals relating to ‘Buy’, ‘Buy & Make’ and ‘Make’. Addressing issues relating to Single vendor clearance. Decision regarding ‘offset’ provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs. 300 crores. Decisions regarding Transfer of Technology under ‘Buy & Make’ category of acquisition proposals. Field Trial evaluation. Milan-2T Anti-Tank Missile- An anti-tank missile is aimed at destroying the vehicles that are heavily armoured. The features of the Milan-2T Anti-Tank Missile are: Milan is a portable medium-range, anti-tank missile produced by Euromissile, based in Fontenay-aux-Roses in France. The Milan munitions consist of the missile in a waterproof launch tube. While MILAN 2 has a single shaped charge warhead for use against very thick and composite armour, MILAN 2T is armed with a tandem charge for use against reactive armour. The DAC has given approval for the procurement of Milan-2T Anti-Tank Missile to meet the urgent requirements since the indigenous anti-tank missile Nag being developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is still under development.

5) The Transparency International conducted a survey to analyse the best practices followed by the states in the Budget Formulation. About the Survey: The survey was based on 4 parameters which include public disclosure, budgetary process, post-budget fiscal management and efforts to make the budget more transparent and citizen-friendly. The findings of the survey are: The top slot in the survey was occupied by Assam. Assam was followed by Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in the ranking of best practices followed by states in the Budget formulation. Meghalaya, Manipur and Punjab figured in the bottom list. The report notes that Assam is the only state out of the 29 states and 2 UTs, which has published a Citizens Budget in the public domain. Also, the government of Assam is the only government that has conducted budget awareness campaigns across 17 districts. Transparency International: Transparency International is an international non-governmental organization based in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1993 by a group of individuals who decided to take up a stance against corruption, today from villages in rural India to the corridors of power in Brussels, Transparency International gives voice to the victims and witnesses of corruption. The Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International is the most widely used indicator of corruption worldwide.

6) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has lifted the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework operational curbs on Bank of India (BoI), Bank of Maharashtra (BoM) and Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC). These public sector banks are out of the prompt corrective action (PCA) framework. This will aid in making marked improvements in the capital positions and asset quality. The PCA restrictions were lifted after these banks provided a written commitment that they would comply with the norms of minimum regulatory capital, net NPAs (Non-performing Assets) and leverage ratio on an ongoing basis. These Banks have also apprised RBI of the structural and systemic improvements they have put in place. Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Framework: Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework has been issued by the RBI to maintain the sound financial health of banks. The RBI will initiate certain structured and discretionary actions for the bank under the PCA when the Banks breach any of the three key regulatory trigger points: Capital to risk-weighted assets ratio. Net non-performing assets. Return on assets. The PCA framework is aimed at nudging the banks to take corrective measures in a timely manner, in order to restore their financial health.

7) The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation has released the First Revised Estimates of National Income, Consumption Expenditure, Saving and Capital Formation, 2017-18. The highlights of the revised estimates are: The forecast for GDP growth for 2017-18 was increased to 7.2% from the earlier estimate of 6.7%. The actual growth rate in 2016-17 has been increased to 8.2% from the 7.1% estimated earlier. The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation clarifies that the revision of the estimates for 2015-16 and 2016-17 are on the account of the availability of the latest data on agricultural production, industrial production, government expenditure (replacing the Revised Estimates with Actual for 2016-17) and also more comprehensive data available from various source agencies like the MCA and the NABARD and State/Union Territory Directorates of Economics and Statistics. Criticisms against the Revision: The Economists criticise the revision because of the following reasons: The numbers do not match up to the ground realities. The data corresponding to the demonetisation year of 2016-17 shows strong growth in sectors that were widely agreed to have been badly hit by the exercise. The main factor for the revision was the increase in private final consumption expenditure which was increased by 1 percentage point. This was inconsistent with the idea of people having less cash to make purchases. The other main driver of the upward revision was the construction sector which was revised upwards by 4.7 percentage points. The earlier analyses had indicated that construction which has a large informal sector component was adversely affected similar to other informal sectors due to demonetisation. Other drivers for the upward revision in 2017-18, mining and quarrying sector and the public administration sector had data that is compiled by the government itself. Hence they should not have undergone such a vast revision. . With 2019 being a election year, critics also cry foul play on part of the government to project a happy picture before the general elections.

8) The Union Minister of Finance Piyush Goyal presented the interim budget. The various provisions in the budget related to the Agricultural sector are listed below: The budget announced a farm support scheme for farmers owning up to 2 hectares of lands. These farmers will get Rs 6,000 per year in three equal instalments effective from December 1, 2018. The Finance Minister has set aside Rs 75,000 crore for the scheme. The farm support scheme is expected to benefit 12 crore small and marginal farmers. The allocation for the Rashtriya Gokul Mission has been increased to Rs 750 crore for increasing the production and productivity of cows. 2% interest subvention for farmers pursuing animal husbandry and fisheries through Kisaan credit cards. A separate Department for fisheries would be created. Farmers adversely affected by natural calamities would get 2% interest subvention and additional 3% interest subvention upon timely repayment. Budget announced setting up of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog to upscale sustainable genetic upgradation of cow resources and to enhance production and productivity of cows. The Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog would also be responsible for effective implementation of laws and welfare schemes for cows. The budget has made some big announcements but the critics argue that the long-term plans are mere slogans with no clear road map.

9) The Union Minister of Finance Piyush Goyal presented the interim budget. The changes proposed related to the income tax regime are listed below: The Finance Minister has increased the tax slab for zero tax to Five Lakh rupees and the standard deduction introduced in the 2018 budget has been increased to Fifty thousand rupees from current forty thousand. Standard Deduction: Standard Deduction refers to deduction allowed as per the Income Tax irrespective of the expenses met or the investment made by the individual. An individual is not required to disclose any investment proofs or expense bills for this purpose, the Standard Deduction is allowed at a standard rate. Additionally, those individuals with gross income up to 6.5 lakh rupees would be exempted from payment of tax if they make investments in provident funds and prescribed equities. The TDS threshold for home rent has been increased to 2.4 lakh from Rs 1.8 lakh. Interest accruals up to Rs 40,000 in post offices and banks have been made tax free. The budget also increased the Income-tax relief on notional rent from unsold houses extended to 2 years from 1 year. The exemptions under the capital gain tax have been increased to two crores. Capital gains exemption to be available on 2 house properties. IT returns would be processed within 24 hours and returns will be paid immediately. The Minister also announced that within a span of two years all assessment and verification of IT returns will be done electronically by an anonymised tax system without any intervention by officials.

10) An International Conference on 8th century Himalayan sage Guru Padmasambhava was held in New Delhi. The conference was organised as part of events to commemorate 50-years of formalization of diplomatic ties between India and Bhutan. Guru Padmasambhava: Guru Padmasambhava was born in India and travelled all across Himalayan region in the 8th century to spread Buddhism and Buddhist teachings. Guru Padmasambhava is highly revered in Bhutan. There is an image or painting of the Guru Padmasambhava in every Bhutanese home or temple. Guru Padmasambhava was also known as Guru Rinpoche is widely venerated as a “second Buddha” by adherents of Tibetan Buddhism in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan, the Himalayan states of India, and elsewhere. Guru Padmasambhava is also considered to be the founder of Nyingma tradition, oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. India-Bhutan Diplomatic Relations: The diplomatic relations between India and Bhutan were established in 1968. India established a special office of India in Thimphu in 1968. Prior to this, Indian diplomatic relations with Bhutan were looked after by Indian Political Officer in Sikkim. The India-Bhutan bilateral relations are governed by the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation signed in 1949 between the two countries. The treaty was revised in February 2007. The India-Bhutan Friendship Treaty together with reflecting the contemporary nature of our relationship lays the foundation for their future development in the 21st century. India and Bhutan are celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between the two countries.

11) Union Minister for Tourism, Shri. K.J. Alphons inaugurated a project under North East India Circuit of Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism. Infrastructure development activities like Tourist Information Centre, Meditation Centre, Organic Eco Tourism centre, Log Huts, Zip Line, Flower Exhibition Centre, Walkways, Souvenir Shops, Cafeteria, Rain Shelters, Wayside Amenity, Last Mile Connectivity, Parking, Public Toilets etc, have been developed under this project. The circuit is the first ever project in Sikkim under the scheme and encompasses Rangpo– Rorathang- Aritar- Phadamchen- Nathang-Sherathang- Tsongmo- Gangtok-Phodong- Mangan- Lachung-Yumthang- Lachen- Thangu-Gurudongmer- Mangan- Gangtok-Tuminlingee- Singtam. Swadesh Darshan Scheme: Swadesh Darshan scheme is one of the flagship scheme of the Ministry of tourism for the development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritised manner. The project is aimed at the development of quality infrastructure in the country with the objective of providing better experience and facilities to the visitors on one hand and on other hand fostering the economic growth. The 13 thematic circuits under the Swadesh Darshan scheme are North East India Circuit, Buddhist Circuit, Himalayan Circuit, Coastal Circuit, Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Rural Circuit, Spiritual Circuit, Ramayana Circuit, Heritage Circuit and Wildlife Circuit. Swadesh Darshan Scheme is a 100 per cent centrally funded scheme and also provides for leveraging voluntary funding under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of Central Public Sector Undertakings and corporate sector.

12) The Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) which would be the core of ISRO’s future manned missions was inaugurated at the ISRO headquarters in Bengaluru. The Human Space Flight Centre will implement the first development flight of Gaganyaan with the support of existing ISRO Centres. The Human Space Flight Centre would be responsible for end-to-end mission planning, development of engineering systems for crew survival in space, crew selection and training and also pursue activities for sustained human space flight missions. Gaganyaan: Gaganyaan which is India’s first manned space mission has been accorded highest priority by ISRO and the plan is to have the first unmanned mission in December 2020 and second for July 2021. The manned mission will happen in December 2021. The Gaganyaan project is headed by R. Hutton, who was the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Director. The Gaganyaan project takes the Indian astronauts into space to a height of 350-400 km above the Earth and orbits around the planet for at least a week. The Indian astronauts would be conducting experiments in the space.

13) The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has been renamed as the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Mandate for the Newly Named Department: The newly named department will work under the Union Ministry of Commerce. The order issued by the President states that the department would deal with matters related to start-ups, facilitating ease of doing business among others. The subject matter of internal trade which was under the ambit of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has been transferred to the newly named department. With this new mandate, both internal and external trade has been brought under a single Ministry (Ministry of commerce and industry). This will ensure better coordination and help in promoting the growth of both segments of the trade. Why the new mandate? For a long time Confederation of All India Traders Association (CAIT) was demanding for a separate Ministry of Internal Trade. CAIT sees the creation of a separate department by merging Internal and external trade is a step forward in the creation of a separate Ministry.

14) The Union Minister of Railways and Coal, Piyush Goyal has been awarded the Carnot Prize 2018 for the transformational changes brought by him during his tenure as Union Minister of Power. Piyush Goyal during his tenure as Union Minister of Power, coal, new and renewable energy, and mines brought in transformational changes in the Power Sector which includes fast-track electrification of nearly 18,000 villages in some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the country, rolling out a comprehensive power sector reform plan UDAY, the world’s largest LED bulb distribution program, and the world’s largest renewable energy expansion program. The award honours his exceptional service towards reforming the power sector in the country. Accepting the award Piyush Goyal announced that government has embarked on an ambitious programme to ensure 100 per cent electrification of Railway’s grid in the next five years. About Carnot Prize: The Carnot Prize is the annual recognition by the US-based Kleinman Center for Energy Policy for distinguished contributions to energy policy through scholarship or practice. The prize has been named after French scientist Sadi Carnot, who in 1824 published Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire, which became the basis for the second law of thermodynamics. Carnot recognized that the power of the steam engine would “produce a great revolution” in human development. The Carnot Prize is awarded to honour those who have revolutionized our understanding of energy policy.

15) In the backdrop of the meeting of the P5 (UK, US, France, Russia and People’s Republic of China) to discuss issues related to nuclear disarmament, China has again reiterated its previous stand that India’s accession to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is pre-requisite for its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) or else there should be a common guidelines for the membership of the non-NPT states. India has refused to sign the NPT citing the discriminatory provisions which provide undue advantages to the nuclear weapon designated states. Reasons cited by China for opposing India’s Bid- China justifies its stand by citing the following justifications: There should be no double standards in enforcing the NPT. NPT is the cornerstone for the international nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and post-war international security system. China has played important role in all the three aspects and China is committed to all three important goals of the treaty. The international community should stick to multilateralism and promote progress the three pillars namely non-proliferation, disarmament and peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Hence China opposes double standards in enforcing the treaty. Is there a hidden agenda? All the members of P5 except China have endorsed India’s membership of NSG e based on India’s non-proliferation record. After India’s application to the NSG, Pakistan also applied for the same. Pakistan is also a non-signatory to the NPT. Pakistan dubious record and its alleged role in technology transfer to North Korea have put a black mark in its track record. Pakistan is a close ally of China and China is demanding a two-step approach which states that NSG members first need to arrive at a set of principles for the admission of non-NPT states into the group and then move forward discussions of specific cases. This insistence of China has become a roadblock in attaining the membership of the NSG.

16) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial at Dandi in Navsari district, Gujarat. The memorial is conceived as an experiential journey recreating the spirit and the energy of the 1930 Dandi March led by Mahatma Gandhi and 80 of his fellow Satyagrahis. The memorial takes the visitors step by step through visualisation of events to aid them in understanding the methodology of Satyagraha, which finally led to India’s Independence from the British colonial rule. The Memorial is the project of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is advised by a High-Level Dandi Memorial Committee (HLDMC) with IIT Bombay as a Design Coordination Agency. Historical Background of the Salt Satyagraha: From the very beginning of British Rule in India, the salt tax was considered to be a good source of income. The beginning was made in the form of ‘land rent’ and ‘transit charges’, and in 1762, it was consolidated into duty. As a result of the duty, India and in particular Bengal and its surrounding provinces were rendered dependent upon imported salt from Liverpool and elsewhere. The indigenous industry oppressed with the burden of extravagant charges was unable to compete with its English rival. The salt tax/duties on the annual requirement of a family amounted at one time up to nearly two months’ wages of a labourer. The Indian National Congress from the very inception opposed the salt tax. Nationalist leaders such as Dadabhai Naoroji and GK Gokhale had particularly raised their voice against it. Gandhiji had begun raising opposition to oppressive duties on common salt right from his student days in London. All these culminated in Gandhiji selecting Satyagraha against salt taxes as the key issue in 1930 while leading the civil disobedience movement for India’s freedom from the British colonial rule. The Salt tax was chosen by Gandhi during the civil disobedience movement because it not only appeared to be basically unjust in themselves but also because it symbolised an unpopular, unrepresentative alien government.

17) January 30 is celebrated as Martyrs Day to honour the brave martyrs of India who have sacrificed their lives for the country. Why January 30 is celebrated as Martyrs Day? January 30 marks the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. On January 30, 1948, at the age of 78, Mahatma Gandhiji, Father of the Nation was assassinated by Nathuram Godse. Godse held that Gandhiji favoured the political demands of India’s Muslims during the partition of India. There were warnings about life threats to Gandhiji, Gandhiji refused to toe the government’s stand that he required security. Gandhiji threatened to leave Delhi if protection was thrust upon him. His associates cite that had he accepted security his assassination could have been averted. How it is celebrated? On the occasion of Martyrs Day, the President, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Defence Minister, and the three Service Chiefs gather at the Gandhiji’s samadhi at Raj Ghat memorial and lay wreaths. Bugles are blown sounding the Last Post. A two-minute silence in memory of Indian martyrs is observed across the country at 11 AM and participants hold all-religion prayers and sing tributes in the honour of Martyrs. March 23: March 23 which is the death anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Shivaram Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar is also celebrated as Martyrs Day in the State of Punjab.

18) UNESCO has declared 2019 as the International Year of the Period Table of Chemical Elements to commemorate the 150th birthday of the periodic table of chemical elements. The Periodic table of the Chemical elements was first published by Russian scientist Dmitry Mendeleev in the year 1869. What is this Periodic Table of Chemical Elements? The Periodic Table of Chemical Elements is the tabular arrangement of the chemical elements, arranged by atomic number, electron configuration, and recurring chemical properties. The important features of the periodic table are: The seven rows of the table are called as periods and generally accommodate metals on the left and non-metals on the right. The columns of the table are called groups and contain elements with similar chemical behaviours. The elements from atomic numbers 1 (hydrogen) to 118 (oganesson) have been discovered in nature or synthesized in laboratories. The first 98 elements listed in the periodic table occur naturally, though some are found only in trace amounts and a few were discovered in nature only after having first been synthesized. Elements from 99 to 118 have only been synthesized in laboratories or nuclear reactors. Efforts are on to elements having higher atomic numbers these elements would begin the eighth row, and theoretical work has been done to suggest possible candidates for this extension. To celebrate the International Year of the Period Table of Chemical Elements the UNESCO would be organising events like online competition to test high school students’ knowledge of the table, and scientific experiments brought to schools around the world.

19) El-Nino disturbs the atmospheric conditions across the world. El-Nino occurs every two-to-seven years with very strong El Niño’s occurring about every 15 years results in droughts, floods, wildfires, dust and snow storms, fish kill, and even elevated risks of civil conflicts. The El-Nino is measured by studying the averages sea surface temperature anomalies over the central-eastern tropical Pacific. A study which analyses the impact of global warming on El-Nino has been published in the journal Nature in December 2018. Findings of the Study: The important findings of the study are: The study serves a warning to the countries on all continents that suffer from these extreme weather events during strong El Niño events such as the ones during 1982-83, 1997-98 and 2015-16. The study notes that eagerly-awaited winter rain and snow storms over California did not occur during the latest extreme El Nino. Hence it is unclear whether global warming is already affecting El Nino and its remote impacts. The study argues that it is unclear if the impact of global warming on El Nino can easily be extracted considering its intrinsic tendencies and its dependency on so many factors that are not easily predictable. The study concludes that various models to study El-Nino deliver a slightly different rendition of El Niño compared to nature. Hence it is imperative that models be held to very stringent standards on their performance of El Niño behaviour during historic periods, especially the 20th century, as a test of their reliability for future projections. As a result it is difficult to conclude how reliably the models can project El Niño response to global warming in addition to how the models perform in reproducing floods and droughts of 20th century.

20) The Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC India) has elected Punit Goenka MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) as the Chairman. Punit Goenka as a founder Chairman of BARC had played a key role in institutionalizing BARC. Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC India): Broadcast Audience Research Council of India (BARC India) is a collaborative Industry Company founded in 2010 by stakeholder bodies that represent Broadcasters, Advertisers, and Advertising and Media Agencies. The promoters of BARC India are Indian Broadcasting Foundation, Indian Society of Advertisers and Advertising Agencies Association of India. BARC India was set up as per guidelines of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. BARC India has evolved a transparent, accurate, and inclusive TV audience measurement system on the foundation of robust and future-ready technology backbone. Together with the audience measurement system, BARC India provides a suite of Insight products designed for Broadcasters, Advertisers and Agencies. The data generated and the insights provided by BARC India aids in making efficient decision making by the stakeholders. BARC India analyses the viewership habits of over 197 million TV households (accounting for 836 million TV viewing individuals). This makes it the world’s largest television audience measurement service. BARC India’s measurement system is based on the sample of 44000-panel homes.

21) National Statistical Commission was established in 2005 based on the recommendations of the Rangarajan Commission. The commission was established through an executive order and it works under the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The Rangarajan Commission recommended the establishment of a permanent National Commission on Statistics to serve as a nodal and empowered body for all core statistical activities of the country, evolve, monitor and enforce statistical priorities and standards and to ensure statistical co-ordination among the different agencies involved. Composition of the Commission: The Commission consists of a part-time Chairperson, four part-time Members, an ex-officio Member and a secretary. The Chief Statistician of India who is the Head of the National Statistical Office is the Secretary of the Commission and the Chief Executive Officer of the NITI Aayog is the ex-officio Member of the commission. Mandate of the Commission: The mandate of the National Statistical commission include: To identify the core statistics, which are of national importance and are critical to the development of the economy. To constitute professional committees or working groups to assist the Commission on various technical issues. To evolve national policies and priorities relating to the statistical system. To evolve standard statistical concepts, definitions, classifications and methodologies in different areas in statistics and lay down national quality standards on core statistics. To evolve national strategies for the collection, tabulation and dissemination of core statistics, including the release calendar for various datasets. To evolve national strategies for human resource development on official statistics including information technology and communication needs of the statistical system. To evolve measures for improving public trust in official statistics. To evolve measures for effective coordination with State Governments and Union Territory Administrations on statistical activities including the strengthening of existing institutional mechanisms. To exercise statistical co-ordination between Ministries, Departments and other agencies of the Central Government. To exercise statistical audit over the statistical activities to ensure quality and integrity of the statistical products. To recommend to the Central Government, or any State Government, as the case may be, measures to effectively implement the standards, strategies and other measures related to statistics. To advise the Government on the requirement of legislative measures on statistical matters including the statute for the National Statistical Commission. To monitor and review the functioning of the statistical system in the light of the laid down policies, standards and methodology. The commission has also been entrusted with the functions of the Governing Council of the National Sample Survey Office which include overseeing the conduct of National Sample Surveys (NSS) on various socioeconomic subjects through the NSSO and the State Directorate of Economics and Statistics.

22) The central banks of the UAE and Saudi Arabia will launch a common digital currency called Aber. Aber will be used for financial settlements between the two countries through Blockchains and Distributed Ledgers technologies. Benefits of the Digital Currency: The digital currency would be launched to explore the following benefits: The digital currency would aid in studying the impact on the improvement and reduction of remittance costs and the assessments of risks. Aber will establish an additional means for the central financial transfer systems of the two countries and enable banks to directly deal with each other in conducting financial remittances. Initially, the use of the digital currency will be restricted to a limited number of banks. By studying the various technical, economic and legal requirements, the use of the digital currency would be expanded. Digital Currency Aber relies on the use of a distributed database between the central banks and the participating banks from both sides. Digital Currency is part of the efforts to adopt new technologies like Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, etc., in line with the Fourth Industrial Revolution that is reshaping governments and corporates around the world.

23) The Beating Retreat Ceremony marks the conclusion of Republic Day celebrations. Through this ceremony, the defence forces which had come to the national capital to be a part of Republic Day celebrations are sent back to their barracks by the President. The Beating Retreat Ceremony is held every year on January 29th at Vijay Chowk. Traditionally the bands of the three wings of the military, the Indian Army, Indian Navy and Indian Air Force, and pipe bands from the Army participated in the Beating retreat ceremony. From 2016 bands of the Central Armed Police Forces and the Delhi Police are also participating in the event. The bands play traditional Indian tunes like ‘Herana Heran”, ”Mushkoh Valley”, ”Tejas”, ”The Great Marshal”, ”Namaste India”. A popular western tune ”Abide with me” would also be played by the bands. The ceremony comes to a conclusion with the popular tune ”Sare Jahan se Acha”. Once the bands conclude ”Sare Jahan se Acha”, the Raisina Hill complex would be lit up in the riot of colours. Genesis in India: Beating Retreat is a centuries-old military tradition, at the sounding of retreat, the troops ceased fighting, sheathed their arms and withdrew from the battlefield, returning to their camps at sunset. The Beating Retreat Ceremony was started in the early 1950s when the government had asked Indian army to design a ceremony for the display by the massed bands.

24) The Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development was inaugurated by the Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at Rome. The centre has been opened by the Italian government in association with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO). About the Centre: The important aspects of the Africa Centre for Climate and Sustainable Development are: The centre’s origin can be traced to a declaration endorsed by the G7 meeting of the Environment Ministers in 2017. The centre would facilitate coordination among the G7 and African countries on common initiatives in Africa to achieve the goals set by the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. The Centre would contribute towards addressing the needs of Africa by providing a platform for G7 countries to steer their cooperation to contrast environmental degradation and promote sustainable economic growth in the region. The centre will provide a fast-track, demand-driven mechanism for African countries to access grant resources that support policies, initiatives, and best practices on climate change, food security, access to water, clean energy, and accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Africa. The centre would be hosted by UNDP which would utilise its extensive country office network and programmatic hubs, and global expertise and knowledge, to enable the African countries to access the resources available through it. Attaining the Sustainable Development Goals: Africa referred to as Dark Continent still has up to 330 million of its population living in poverty and up to 60% of unemployed Africans are young people. The centre will help to speed up progress and quickly resource national development priorities in the African countries to address these challenges and achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

25) Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International ranks countries and territories based on how corrupt a country’s public sector and judiciary are perceived to be by experts and business executives. It is the most widely used indicator of corruption worldwide and it does not consider corruption in the business sector. The corruption perception index draws on 13 surveys and expert assessments to measure public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories. The scores indicate the perceived level of public sector corruption on a scale of 0-100. A score of 0 points that a country is perceived as highly corrupt and a 100 points that a country has sound integrity systems. Where does India stand? The Corruption perception index makes the following observations about India: India’s score has been marginally improved 41 from 40 in 2017. India’s ranking increased from 81st in 2017 to 78 in 2018. India had slid from 79th rank in 2016. The report cities countries like India along with Malaysia, Maldives and Pakistan will be important to watch moving forward. The report notes that all these countries mentioned above have witnessed massive public mobilisation against corruption coupled with significant political participation and voter turnout resulting in new governments that promised extensive anti-corruption reforms. The report mentions that these encouraging developments are yet to show some tangible solid action, especially when it comes to combating elusive forms of grand corruption. The report noted that since India gears up for general elections, there was a little significant movement in its CPI score, which moved from 40 in 2017 to 41 in 2018. The report notes that in spite of spectacular public mobilisation in 2011, where citizens demanded the government to take action against corruption and advocated for the passage of the comprehensive Jan Lokpal bill, the efforts ultimately fizzled and fell flat, with little to no movement on the ground to build the specialist anti-corruption infrastructure required. These findings gain importance at the time Supreme Court has set the ball rolling for the appointment of Lokpal by setting a deadline for the search committee to recommend names for selection committee headed by Prime Minister.

26) The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has submitted the affidavit with the findings of the first Survey of Elephants in Captivity to the Supreme Court. Findings of the Survey: The Survey was undertaken after the order of the Supreme Court which had asked the Union Government to identify elephants in captivity and whether their owners have an ownership certificate while hearing a writ petition filed by Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre. The findings of the Survey are: There are 2,454 elephants in captivity across the country of which 560 are in possession with forest departments and 1,687 with private individuals. 664 of the total captive elephants in the country are without ownership certificate while there are 85 in zoos, 26 in circuses and 96 in temples. 58 per cent of all captive elephants is concentrated in two states: 905 in Assam and 518 in Kerala. The affidavit also points at some discrepancies in data especially from the State of Bihar. The Survey was ordered after the Animal Welfare Board of India failed to produce data on the number of elephants held captive. Animal Welfare Board of India: The Animal Welfare Board of India was established under the Provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,1960 to oversee the implementation of the animal welfare laws in the country. The Board consists of 28 Members including 6 MPs (4 from Lok Sabha and 2 from Rajya Sabha). Previously based in Chennai, it is now headquartered at Ballabhgarh in Haryana.

27) The Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM JAY) proposes three models through which the states can implement the scheme. They are- Insurance Model: Under this Model, the premiums are paid to the insurance company, which administers and pays the claim. Trust-based model: Under this Model, each State forms its own trust to manage the scheme and claims will be disbursed from a corpus created from central and State government contributions. Hybrid model: Under this Model, a part of the claim comes under the insurance model while the balance gets processed under the trust. Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM JAY): Pradhan Mantri – Jan Arogya Yojana (PM JAY) is a scheme of the government under Ayushman Bharat which aims to reduce the financial burden on poor and vulnerable groups arising out of catastrophic hospital episodes and ensure their access to quality health services was conceived. Under the PM-JAY scheme about 10.74 crore poor, deprived rural families and identified occupational categories of urban workers’ families as per the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data (approx. 50 crore beneficiaries) will have health benefit cover of Rs Five Lakhs per family per year at free of cost. The health benefit cover includes more than 1,350 medical packages covering surgery, medical and daycare treatments, cost of medicines and diagnostics. PM-JAY seeks to accelerate India’s progress towards the achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and Sustainable Development Goal 3 which calls for ensuring healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.

28) The Lokpal Search Committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Ranjana Prakash Desai held its first meeting and discussed modalities related to the appointments of the chief and members of Lokpal. The other members of the committee include former chief of State Bank of India (SBI) Arundhati Bhattacharya, Prasar Bharati chairperson Surya Prakash, former Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) head A S Kiran Kumar, former Allahabad High Court judge Sakha Ram Singh Yadav, former Gujarat Police head Shabbirhusein S Khandwawala, retired IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre Lalit K Panwar and Ranjit Kumar. Supreme Court Sets a Deadline: The Supreme Court has set a February-end deadline for the search committee to send a panel of names who could be considered for the appointment as chairman and members of Lokpal by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led selection committee. Selection of Lokpal: The names proposed by the search committee would be scrutinised by the selection committee headed by Prime Minister and comprising of Speaker of Lok Sabha, leader of opposition in Lok Sabha, Chief Justice of India or a sitting Supreme Court judge nominated by CJI and an Eminent jurist to be nominated by President of India on basis of recommendations of the first four members of the selection committee through consensus. Upon the recommendation of the selection committee, President has nominated Mukul Rohatgi, former Attorney General of India as ’eminent jurist’ member of the panel against the vacancy arising following the death of senior advocate P P Rao.

29) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked for a performance guarantee of Rs 10 crore each from the governments of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh expressing dissatisfaction over the cleaning of river Yamuna. The order comes after the interim report filed by the monitoring committee comprising of expert member B S Sajwan and former Delhi chief secretary Shailaja Chandra. Recommendations of the Monitoring Committee: The committee tasked with developing an action plan and a detailed report had made the following recommendations in its interim report: A study to assess the environmental flow of the river Yamuna for the stretch between Hathanikund and Okhla and notes that it would not be possible to rejuvenate it unless minimum environmental flow was provided. Creating ponds and pits in various localities to facilitate idol immersion. Building awareness about why the flood plains are sacrosanct and why they need conservation. Involvement of citizens by dissipating knowledge about why the river is important and why it is worth preserving and restoring. River Yamuna is a unique birding destination and there is a need for the Delhi Development Authority to preserve the birding hot spots. Other observations made by the National Green Tribunal: The other observations include: The performance guarantee would be forfeited if the work was not carried out as per the recommendations of the monitoring committee. The monitoring committee was asked to expeditiously submit its final report. Steps to be taken by the three states at the earliest for disposal of municipal solid waste, cleaning of drains and ensuring cleaning of garbage. Haryana pollution control board to conduct a study of water quality and the flow of Yamuna at the point it enters Haryana, and submit the list of industries located in the catchment area. NGT also noted that almost 67 per cent of the pollutants that enter the Yamuna would be treated by two sewage treatment plants at Delhi Gate and Najafgarh under the first phase of the Maili se Nirmal Yamuna Revitalisation project.

30) The government of Uttar Pradesh has approved the construction of the Ganga Expressway. The government has said that it would be the longest expressway in the world. The expressway will provide for better connectivity of the Prayagraj (Allahabad) to Western Pradesh. Expressway: Expressways are the highest class of roads in the road network in India. National Expressways Authority of India under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is responsible for the construction and maintenance of expressways. Expressways are controlled-access highway, the highest-grade type of highway with access ramps, lane dividers, etc., for high-speed traffic. This 600km Ganga Expressway would be constructed at an approximate cost of Rs 36,000 crores over 6,556 hectares of land. The expressway starting from Meerut will pass through Amroha, Bulandshahr, Badaun, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Hardoi, Kannauj, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Pratapgarh before reaching Prayagraj.

31) The Election Commission of India has sought an amendment to the Representation of People Act 1951 to prevent print media, social media and other digital platforms from carrying political advertisements in the last 48 hours before the polling begins. Why the amendment is necessary? Section 126 of the Representation of People Act 1951 prevents electronic media from airing any political advertisements in the silent period (48 hours before polling begins), The Election Commission has also made it mandatory to seek pre-certification of the campaign material to be published in newspapers during the 48 hours. But the Social media platforms which are have gained huge prominence for their ability to influence election outcomes, are completely out of the purview of the pre-screening and prohibition rules. The committee headed Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha had noted that an anomalous situation exists in Section 126 of having differential treatment to print media as compared to other media platforms. The committee noted that while Section 126 explicitly bans television channels from broadcasting political matter during the silent period, lack of backing by law has led to Print media carrying political advertisements during the silent period despite the curbs imposed by the EC. What are the amendments sought? The Election Commission of India has written to the Union Ministry of Law suggesting to extend the provisions under Section 126 to digital and print media as well. The Commission has sought inclusion of ‘print media’ and ‘other entities’ within the ambit of Section 126 (1) (b). The other entities would refer to all social media formats.

32) The second edition Pariksha Pe Charcha 2.0 was held on January 29. On this occasion, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with several students, parents and teachers from across the country and shared his personal experiences with the young audience. During the interaction, Prime Minister interacted with students, parents and teachers and responded to their queries on a host of subjects related to examinations particularly, dealing with exam-centric anxiety. The event was held at Talkatora Stadium in Delhi where 2000 students, teachers and parents will gathered to interact with the Prime Minister. They were selected through the competitive route out of 1 lakh applicants. Not just students from India, Indian students residing in Russia, Nigeria, Iran, Nepal, Doha, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Singapore also participated in the event.

33) Fast Bowler Mohammed Shami has become the fastest Indian to claim 100 wickets in One-day Internationals. Mohammed Shami achieved this feat in his 56th ODI game. Mohammed Shami’s wicket number 100 was New Zealand opener, Martin Guptill. Before Mohammed Shami, the record was held by Iran Pathan who had reached the 100-wicket mark in 59 ODIs. Other Indians in the list of fastest Indians to reach 100 ODI wickets are Zaheer Khan (65 matches), Ajit Agarkar (67) and Javagal Srinath (68). Mohammed Shami: Mohammed Shami, a reverse swing specialist made his first-class debut in 2010 against Assam. He was selected for the West Indies tour of India A squad in 2012. Mohammed Shami made his ODI debut against Pakistan in January 2013 and Test debut against West Indies in November 2013.

34) India will preside and host the G20, or Group of 20 nations meeting in 2022. G20 provides a unique opportunity for India to transform from rule-taker to rule-maker. Being a host India would set an annual agenda, wielding vast direct and indirect influence on the G20 nations’ economies. To exploit this opportunity to the full extent, India must address organisational challenges, where the country has an infrastructure, management and intellectual gap. Organisational Challenges: The organisational challenges before India are: G20 summit brings together several global leaders with their attending delegations and independent experts. Since it is a small powerful group it demands good airports, accommodation, conference facilities, and communications infrastructure all year round. G20 is tasked with leading and managing the global economic agenda for the year. It cannot be a task of a single ministry or agency. Various ministries and regulators must come together in contributing to the formulation of global financial regulations. The logistical requirement for G20 is monumental and unprecedented for India. G20 demands an energetic secretariat to organise over 150 high-level ministerial, sub-ministerial and sub-forum meetings through the year; at least 50 task forces lead scores of meetings including those by sub-forums for think tanks and business, content management, negotiation and feedback processes and developing and executing the year-long agenda. India needs to augment its intellectual capacity to be able to deliver inter-disciplinary research on the international monetary system, global financial architecture, global trading system, global climate, energy and sustainability issues. The global economic framework is largely driven by the West, and increasingly by China neither of which are suitable for an India. G20 presidency has given an opportunity for India to take the lead and give direction to global economic policy framework. If India doesn’t augment its capacity to set the agenda, India would again be reduced to passive rule-taker, not rule-maker or designer of global economic rules.

35) The Delhi government has decided to introduce the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers based on the recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers (NCF) headed by MS Swaminathan. Swaminathan Committee recommendations on MSP: The National Commission on Farmers (NCF) was constituted on November 18, 2004 under the chairmanship of Professor M.S. Swaminathan. The committee made some key recommendations on land reforms, irrigation, credit and insurance, food security, employment, the productivity of agriculture and farmer competitiveness. On the issue of MSP, the committee recommended providing farmers with a minimum support price at 50 per cent profit above the cost of production classified as C2 by the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Production costs in Agriculture: The Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) proposes three definitions of production costs in agriculture. They are: A2: It is the actual paid-out expenses incurred by farmers — in cash and kind on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, fuel, irrigation and other inputs from outside. A2+FL: It includes A2 cost plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour. C2: It accounts for the rentals or interest loans, owned land and fixed capital assets over and above A2+FL. The Swaminathan Committee recommended the MSP to be basic cost and prescribed MSP 50 per cent above C2.

36) The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is a triennial international survey which aims to evaluate education systems worldwide by testing the skills and knowledge of 15-year-old students. India would be participating in the PISA assessment in 2021. What is PISA? PISA coordinated by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a two-hour long test. PISA measures the 15-year-old students reading, mathematics, and science literacy. PISA does not test a student’s memory and curriculum-based knowledge rather PISA emphasizes functional skills that students have acquired as they near the end of compulsory schooling. PISA measures the student’s ability to use their ability to tackle the real-life challenge. Students who are 15-year-old and have completed or are near the end of their compulsory education and those have completed at least six years of formal schooling would be assessed. PISA is criticised for the fact that it is obsessed with standardised testing relying heavily on quantitative measures. India and PISA: India had participated in PISA 2009. The performance of Indian students was abysmally poor and India was ranked 72nd rank among 74 participating countries. Then government of India boycotted PISA, blaming “out of context” questions for India’s dismal performance. India would be taking part in the 2021 test. Kendriya Vidyalayas, Navodaya Vidyalayas, and all schools, private and government, in Chandigarh will participate in the 2021 test. OECD would also be conducting PISA-like assessment for students of Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) annually from 2019 to familiarise themselves with their testing pattern in the run-up to the grand assessment in 2021. Also to address the socio-cultural disconnect between the test questions and students, OECD would add an Indian touch to the questions like replacing the word avocado with more popular Indian fruit such as mango.

37) Three European Powers U.K., France and Germany are set to announce a plan to help companies trading to Iran to defy the sanctions on Iran. US sanctions on Iran: US President Trump had unilaterally walked out of the Joint comprehensive plan of action (JCPOA) agreement and reimposed the sanctions on Iran. Under the JCPOA agreement, Iran had agreed to curb its nuclear activities in return for the lifting of sanctions that had been imposed by the UN, US and EU. This unilateral action of US created a lot of resentment and other parties to agreement China, Russia, U.K., France and Germany reiterated their commitment to the deal. The sanctions would bar the companies with a presence in Iran to use the dollar as a medium of exchange. Iran trade promotion plan: Iran trade promotion plan has been proposed by the U.K., France and Germany as part of their commitment to save the nuclear deal with Iran. This plan proposes a special purpose vehicle to accept payments from companies that want to trade with Iran, either by receiving waivers for oil imports or permissible trade in goods like food and medicine. With no direct transfer of funds between Iran and European companies, it would theoretically insulate firms from U.S. penalties. This plan would shield European companies keen to do business with Iran from U.S. sanctions that could result from dollar-based transactions.

38) Australia celebrates 26th January as Australia Day which marks the landing of the First Fleet, a convoy of 11 ships carrying convicts, at Port Jackson in 1788. It also marks the founding of the colony New South Wales. How the Australia Day came into being? On the 30th anniversary of the founding of the colony in 1818, the Governor of New South Wales celebrated the day with a 30-gun salute and a holiday for all government employees. Initially, the celebrations were confined to New South Wales. The first founding day was celebrated on 1838, 50 years after the First Fleet arrived in New South Wales. By 1926, almost all states of Australia were celebrating the Australia Day and it was being referred to as Anniversary Day in New South Wales. From 1946, January 26 was celebrated as Australia Day all over the country with the public holiday. January 26 is also a day of Mourning: It is said that there are two Australia’s, one is the land occupied for more than 50,000 years by Indigenous people before the arrival of the First Fleet, and second is the Australia that was colonised in 1788. The colonisation of Australia led to disastrous consequences for the indigenous population. On 26th January 1938 Aboriginal people gathered in Sydney to mark a ‘Day of Mourning’ to protest against the callous treatment of our people by the white men during the past 150 years. In 2008 then-prime minister Kevin Rudd formally apologised to Australia’s Indigenous communities over historic government policies of forced child removal and Indigenous assimilation. There are now demands to change the date since the Australia Day should bring the country together not divide Australia.

39) Russian marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the devastating World War II siege by Nazi forces with a large military parade at ST. Petersburg which was then called as Leningrad. Siege of Leningrad: After the invasion of Soviet Union by Nazi Germany in June 1941, the German Army approached Leningrad from the west and their ally Finish Army approached the city from the south, down the Karelian Isthmus. Leningrad’s population joined hands to build antitank fortifications along the city’s perimeter in the support of the Red Army defenders. Even though the defence mechanisms soon stabilised, the city was almost completely encircled, with all the vital rail and other supply lines cut off by early November. This blockade and siege claimed more than 650,000 lives in 1942 alone. The minimal supplies which were coming kept the city’s arms factories operating and its two million inhabitants barely alive in 1942. Soviet launched an offensive in early 1943 and ruptured the German encirclement and allowed more copious supplies to reach Leningrad along the shores of Lake Ladoga. By January 1944 a successful Soviet offensive drove the Germans westward from the city’s outskirts, ending the siege. The government of the erstwhile Soviet Union awarded the Order of Lenin to Leningrad in 1945 and bestowed the title Hero City of the Soviet Union in 1965. A monument to commemorate the victims and heroism of the siege was unveiled in 1975.

40) The first-ever International Day of Education was celebrated on 24 January 2019 as per the resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly on December 3rd 2018 to celebrate the role of education in development. International Day of Education: The International Day of Education demonstrates the world’s political will towards providing quality education to all and achieving sustainable development by 2030. The celebration reiterates the importance of education for the world’s social and economic development and will nudge the member countries of UN to improve the quality of education and protect the rights of the student community. This will aid in the attainment of sustainable development goals by 2030. The International Day of Education is aimed at underscoring the fact that not only a fundamental right but also a necessity to achieve sustainable development.

41) India’s fastest indigenous train, Train 18 named as Vande Bharat Express will ply between Delhi and Varanasi. Train 18 is an indigenously developed world-class train under Make in India. The 16-coach train has been built completely in India by Indian engineers in a span of 18 months at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai. Features of the Vande Bharat Express: Vande Bharat Express is the energy efficient and the first locomotive-less train in the country and will be fully air-conditioned. These trains run on electric traction like Metro trains and will start replacing the Shatabdi Express fleet from next year. The fares in these world-class trains are 40-50 per cent higher than the Shatabdi Express. The train will cover 755 km distance in eight hours with stoppages at Kanpur and Prayagraj. It would be the fastest train on the route. The new train provides number of features to enhance passenger comfort which include inter-connected fully sealed gangways, automatic doors with retractable footsteps, onboard Wi-Fi and infotainment, GPS-based passenger information system, modular toilets with bio-vacuum systems, rotational seats which can be aligned in the direction of travel (available only in the executive class), roller blinds and diffused LED lighting and disabled-friendly toil.

42) The Chief Minister of Odisha announced the Jiban Sampark project of Odisha for the welfare of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups at the annual Adivasi Mela-2019. The annual Adivasi Mela showcases the art, artefacts, culture, tradition, and music of the tribal community. The Adivasi Mela strengthen the livelihood of the tribal communities by creating a sustainable market and business opportunities for tribal artisans. Jiban Sampark Project: The Jiban Sampark Project undertaken in association with UNICEF aims to generate awareness among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Odisha on various development and welfare initiatives of State Government, especially on women and child welfare. The focus areas of Jiban Sampark Project are skill development, empowering communities, cooperation and innovation among the groups. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs): The category of the PVTGs was created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the conditions of certain communities with particularly low development indices. A separate category of PVTGs was constituted based on the recommendations of the Dhebar Commission in 1975. PVTGs are identified by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs based on the recommendations from the state governments or Union territories. The highest numbers of PVTGs are found in Odisha.

43) The India Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Report 2018 has been released Kochi based Institute of Small Enterprises and Development at the South India MSME Summit 2019 in Bengaluru. Findings of the Report- The important findings of the report include: MSMEs need radical reforms to solve its pressing problems and to utilize its potential. Several studies on India’s MSMEs have brought out emerging challenges of the sector especially against the phenomenon of jobless growth. The government must act on the findings of these studies. There is a need to address the issues relating to finance and taxation which the MSME associations have brought before the government. The report notes that RBI has set up a committee to identify causes and propose long term solutions. The new definition of MSMEs brought about by union government is considered as an inroad into their constituency by large players. The mainstream debates on MSME problems are confined to the limited areas of technology, finance, and start-up support etc. The impact of more crucial external influences such as policy failures demonetization and GST implementation has remained unanswered. As a result, piece-meal solutions to MSME problems may not be effective. The report quotes RBI study which noted the share of credit extended to MSMEs in overall bank credit, declined steadily to around 14 per cent from about 17 per cent and within credit to the industrial sector and the share of medium enterprises has dropped significantly as compared to micro and small enterprises. Recommendations of the Report: The report recommends an entitlement approach that can have the potential of compelling all related stakeholders to work on a common national agenda and solutions under a scientifically structured framework. This approach demands the identification and analysis of major security threats to the MSMEs, and entrepreneurship at the grass root level.