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1) The International Day of Happiness 2019 was celebrated on March 20 with the theme Happier Together, focusing on what we have in common, rather than what divides us. International Day of Happiness: International Day of Happiness recognises the importance of happiness in the lives of people around the world. The concept of International Day of Happiness was conceptualised and materialised by UN special advisor Jayme Illien to inspire and spread a happiness movement globally and the first ever international day of happiness was observed on March 20, 2013. Further to take forward the agenda of Happiness the United Nations has launched the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that seek to end poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet which are the three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness. Why March 20? March 20 was chosen for International Day of Happiness 2019 for its significance as the March equinox. March equinox is a universal phenomenon felt simultaneously by all of humankind, and which occurs the moment when the plane of Earth’s equator passes through the centre of the Sun’s disk.

2) The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network has released the World Happiness Report 2019. The report ranks countries on six key variables that support well-being: income, freedom, trust, healthy life expectancy, social support and generosity. The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network ranks the world’s 156 countries on “how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be”. Findings of the Report: Finland topped the index of for the second year in a row and the report notes that Finland has succeeded in generating recipe that’s not dependent on economic wealth. Finland is followed by Denmark, Norway, Iceland and The Netherlands. The report notes that there has been an increase in negative emotions, including worry, sadness and anger across the world and the overall world happiness has fallen over the past few years. None of the world’s major economic powerhouses made it to the top 10. The United Kingdom stood at a rank of 15 (from 18 last year), Germany went down from the 15th spot to the 17th and the United States dropped from the 18th to the 19th. Japan, Russia and China finished at 58 (down from 54th), 68 (down from 59th ) and 93rd place (down from 86th) respectively. India has witnessed a sustained drop with a 140th place this year compared with the 133rd place in 2018. India featured in the list of five countries that had the largest drop since 2005-2008 in the index, along with Yemen, Syria, Botswana and Venezuela. The World Happiness Report offers the world’s governments and individuals the opportunity to rethink public policies and individual life choices, to raise happiness and well-being.

3) Social media platforms and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) presented a ‘Voluntary Code of Ethics for the General Election 2019 to the Election Commission of India. Voluntary Code of Ethics: The code aims to identify measures that the platforms can take to increase confidence in the electoral process to safeguard against misuse that vitiates the free and fair character. The platforms will deploy appropriate policies and processes to facilitate access to information on electoral matters where appropriate and keeping in mind the principle of freedom of expression. The platforms have voluntarily undertaken to establish a high-priority communication channel with the nodal officers designated by the ECI. The Election commission together with platforms has developed a notification mechanism by which the electoral body can notify them of potential violations under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act and on other matters. As per the code, the platforms will acknowledge these notifications within three hours of receipt and will act upon expeditiously based on the nature of the reported violation. The platforms will deploy a high-priority dedicated reporting mechanism for the EC and appoint dedicated persons for the purpose. Platforms will ensure that political advertisements by parties or their candidates are pre-certified. Participants including BIGO, ByteDance, Facebook, Google, Sharechat and Twitter have agreed to take action on the content reported by the nodal officer, expeditiously, in accordance with the law.

4) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Shaktikanta Das called for permanent status to Finance Commission. RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das is also the member of the fifteenth finance commission. Necessity of the Permanent Status: The permanent status will ensure consistencies between finance commissions so that there is some certainty in the flow of funds to states. The permanent status will also provide for continuity between the successive finance commissions. The permanent status will also provide for the finance commission to function as a leaner entity in the intervening period until the next finance commission is set up in a full-fledged manner. The establishment of the finance commission through permanent status will also enable it to address issues arising from the implementation of the recommendations of the finance commission during the intervening period. The RBI governor also called on for a robust expenditure planning without compromising on fiscal consolidation as fiscal federalism gathers momentum in the era of uniform goods and services tax (GST). He said that it is equally important to undertake robust expenditure planning based on a ‘commonly agreed expenditure code’ to address the socio-economic challenges without diluting the goals of fiscal consolidation.

5) The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has expressed concerns over the increasing menace of Crop-damaging armyworms in Asia. Concerns Expressed by FAO: Farming in several Asian countries is under threat from a type of crop-damaging insects that have munched their way from the Americas and across Africa. These flying insects arrived in India in July and have since spread to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand and China’s Yunnan province. These insects feed mostly on maize and can feed on several species of crops, including rice and sugarcane. Armyworms which are native to the Americas have been moving eastwards since 2016 sweeping across Africa where they caused $1-3 billion in damage, before arriving in Asia. The FAO had convened a meeting of officials from affected countries and experts for discussing ways to limit armyworm infestations amid a “growing sense of alarm”. FAO called on the nations to work together since pest has no respect for international boundaries and it threatens food security, economy, domestic and international trade.

6) The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has finalised the first draft of the comprehensive amendments to the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The amendments provide definitions to important terms that were missing from the law. Features of the Amendments: The draft amendment defines community as “a group of persons specified on the basis of government records living in a specific locality and in joint possession and enjoyment of common property resources, without regard to race, religion, caste, language and culture”. Under the proposed amendment Forest is defined to include “any government or private or institutional land recorded or notified as forest/forest land in any government record and the lands managed by government/community as forest and mangroves, and also any land which the central or state government may by notification declare to be forest for the purpose of this Act.” The amendments shift the focus of the Indian Forest Act from laws related to transport of forest produce and the tax on it to conservation, enrichment and sustainable management of forest resources and matters connected therewith to safeguard ecological stability to ensure provision of ecosystem services in perpetuity and to address the concerns related to climate change and international commitments. The amendment provides that if the state government, after consultation with the central government, feels that the rights under Forest Rights Act will hamper conservation efforts, then the state may commute such rights by providing compensation to maintain the social organisation of the forest-dwelling communities or alternatively set out some other forest tract of sufficient extent, and in a locality reasonably convenient, for the purpose of such forest dwellers. The amendment introduces a new category of forests namely production forests which will be forests with specific objectives for production of timber, pulp, pulpwood, firewood, non-timber forest produce, medicinal plants or any forest species to increase production in the country for a specified period. The amendments have been proposed based on the inputs of a core committee Inspector General of Forests (Forest Policy) Noyal Thomas.

7) Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries had organised a Conclave on India-Africa Project Partnerships in association with Confederation of Indian Industry and EXIM Bank of India. The conclave is held every year since its inception in 2005 brings together senior Ministers, policymakers, officials, business leaders, bankers, technologists, start-up entrepreneurs and other professionals from India and Africa on a common platform in a spirit of partnership. Features of the Conclave: The conclave marks the pre-eminence of India-Africa partnership in the area of South-South Cooperation at a time when the global economy is faced with intractable challenges that stem from rising protectionism and trade conflicts. The conclave acknowledges India’s ascendency as the fastest growing major economy, as well as Africa’s new economic dynamism illustrated by some of the Sub-Saharan economies which are among the top 10 fastest growing economies in the world. The conclave is in line with the Indian Government’s broader vision of long-term engagement with Africa. India’s unflinching commitment to expanding the canvas of India-Africa economic partnership which is evident from the increase in bilateral trade between India and Africa by nearly 22% from last year touching USD 62.66 billion in the year 2017-18. The deliberations during the conclave focused upon the potential areas for bilateral economic and business partnerships, core capabilities of Indian and African enterprises and opportunities for joint ventures thereof, innovative financing of significant development projects, skill development and capacity building.

8) India and Sri Lanka will conduct joint military exercise Mitra Shakti VI from 26 March to 8 April at Sri Lanka. Features of Mitra Shakti 2018-19: At the Military Exercise Mitra Shakti VI India would be represented by the Bihar Regiment. Gemunu Watch Battalion of Sri Lankan Army will be representing the Sri Lankan side. The exercise aims to build and promote close relations between armies of both the countries and to enhance the ability of joint exercise commander to take military contingents of both nations under command. The exercise also involves tactical level operations in an international Counter Insurgency and Counter Terrorist environment under the United Nations mandate. Mitra Shakti exercise conducted annually as part of military diplomacy and interaction between armies of the two countries will go a long way in further cementing the relationship between both the nations and act as a catalyst in bringing synergy and cooperation at grassroots levels between both the armies.

9) Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) and Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to assist and co-operate with each other for the effective implementation of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code. Components of the MoU: Sharing of information between the two parties. Sharing of resources available with each other to the extent feasible and legally permissible. Periodic meetings to discuss matters of mutual interest, including regulatory requirements that impact each party’s responsibilities, enforcement cases, research and data analysis, information technology and data sharing, or any other matter that the parties believe would be of interest to each other in fulfilling their respective statutory obligations. Cross-training of staff in order to enhance each party’s understanding of the other’s mission for effective utilisation of collective resources. Capacity building of insolvency professionals and financial creditors. Joint efforts towards enhancing the level of awareness among financial creditors about the importance and necessity of swift insolvency resolution process of various types of borrowers in distress under the provisions of the Code. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code: The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code provides for a time-bound process to resolve insolvency and it creates various institutions to facilitate resolution of insolvency. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code consolidates and amends the laws relating to reorganization and insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals in a time bound manner for maximization of the value of assets of such persons, to promote entrepreneurship, availability of credit and balance the interests of all the stakeholders.

10) Japanese spacecraft, Hayabusa2 has surveyed the asteroid Ryugu’s surface and landed multiple robotic probes on its rocky terrain. The findings of the probe are: Asteroid Ryugu is far drier than expected. Ryugu is quite young (by asteroid standards), at around 100 million years old, this suggests its parent body was much largely devoid of water, too. Ryugu has an oblate “spinning top” shape, which suggests that the rocky body may have once spun at twice its current rate. Hayabusa2 has completed the touchdown manoeuvre to collect samples from Ryugu’s surface, which will be brought back to Earth in a return capsule in late 2020. Hayabusa2: Hayabusa2 is an asteroid sample-return mission of the Japanese space agency, JAXA. It is the successor of Hayabusa which had returned asteroid samples in 2010. Hayabusa2 arrived at Ryugu on 27 June 2018 and would survey the asteroid Ryugu for a year and a half during which time it will also collect samples. The mission plan is expected to depart in December 2019 and return the samples to Earth in December 2020. Asteroid Ryugu: Asteroid Ryugu is a near-Earth object and a potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group. Asteroid Ryugu is a primitive carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid. Asteroid Ryugu is expected to preserve the most pristine materials in the Solar System, a mixture of minerals, ice, and organic compounds that interact with each other. The studies of Asteroid Ryugu is expected to provide additional knowledge on the origin and evolution of the inner planets and, in particular, the origin of water and organic compounds on Earth and all relevant to the origin of life on Earth.

11) India Post released a special stamp cover on Ice Stupa in Leh at an event in the presence of Himalayan Institute of Alternatives Ladakh founder Sonam Wangchuk who spearheaded the Ice Stupa initiative. Ice Stupa: Ice Stupas refer to the artificial glaciers which freeze and hold the water that keeps flowing and wasting away down the streams and into the rivers throughout the winter. Instead, the water from these artificial glaciers melt in the springtime, just when the fields need. Leh lies in the cold desert region and most villages in the region face acute water shortage, particularly during the two crucial months of April and May when there is little water in the streams whereas in June there is an excess of water and even flash flooding due to the fast melting of the snow and glaciers in the mountains. By September all farming activities end and yet a smaller stream flow throughout the winter steadily but wastefully going into the Indus river without being of use to anybody. Hence the idea of ice stupa from artificial glaciers which store this wasting winter water in the form of ice mountains that melt and feed the farms when water is most needed by the farmers was initiated. Ice Stupas are aimed at reducing water crisis in the region and also to convey a message to the world that how the Mountain people are forced to do such innovative ideas to solve the water crises, Ice Stupas also sends a message to all the people who live in big cities to not use resources in such a way that it creates problem for mountain people.

12) The Economist Intelligence Unit has released the report of the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2019. Findings of the Survey: For the first time in its 30-year history, three cities have been accorded the title of the world’s most expensive city in the Worldwide Cost of Living Survey from The Economist Intelligence Unit. Singapore which top’s of the rankings for the sixth consecutive year is joined there by Hong Kong and Paris. Zurich in Switzerland stood at the fourth position followed by Japan’s Osaka which shared fifth place with Geneva, also in Switzerland. Seoul (South Korea), Copenhagen (Denmark) and New York (US) were jointly placed at the seventh spot. Los Angeles (US) along with Israel’s Tel Aviv was named the 10th most expensive city in the world. The cost of living in Chinese cities remains relatively stable, while Southeast Asian destinations were moving up the ranks. Weaker local currencies have pushed all five Australian and two New Zealand cities surveyed down in the ranking. While parts of Asia remain the most expensive places on Earth, Asian Cities also makes several appearances at the bottom of the list. World’s cheapest cities include Caracas (Venezuela), Damascus (Syria), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Almaty (Kazakhstan), Karachi (Pakistan), Lagos (Nigeria), Buenos Aires (Argentina) as well as the three Indian cities of Bengaluru, Chennai and Delhi. The Survey compares more than 400 individual prices across 160 products and services in cities around the world by keeping New York as the benchmark city.

13) The 33rd edition of India-Indonesia coordinated patrol (IND-INDO CORPAT) was inaugurated at Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The IND-INDO CORPAT 2019 is held from 19 Mar to 04 Apr 2019. Navies of both countries have been carrying out coordinated patrolling twice a year since 2002 in an effort to keep the Indian Ocean region (IOR) safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade. The coordinated patrol reflects shared concerns between two countries for the peaceful Indian Ocean for benefit of the international community. It also enhances mutual understanding and interoperability between the two navies. IND-INDO CORPAT 2019: From the Indonesian Side Naval Ship, KRI Sultan Thaha Syaifuddin and Maritime Patrol Aircraft CN-235 are taking part. Commodore Ashutosh Ridhorkar, Naval Component Commander, Andaman and Nicobar Command is leading the Indian side. During the exercise ships and aircraft from both the countries would undertake the patrolling on the respective sides of 236 nautical miles long International Maritime Boundary line. Patrolling would be conducted in three phases, followed by a closing ceremony at Belawan, Indonesia, which is scheduled from April 1. 33rd IND-INDO CORPAT which coincides with 70 years of India-Indonesia diplomatic ties will contribute towards the Indian Navy’s efforts to consolidate inter-operability and forge strong bonds of friendship across the seas.

14) The Mizoram Assembly has unanimously passed The Mizoram Maintenance of Household Registers Bill, 2019 that seeks to detect foreigners illegally residing in the north-eastern state of Mizoram. Features of the Bill: The bill aims to provide credible individual identification system and to prevent “usurpation” of benefits of developmental schemes by those who are not entitled and also provides for a comprehensive database of residents to be maintained. The bill defines citizens as a person registered as such or having requisite qualification as prescribed under the Citizenship Act, 1955. The bill aims to address the challenge wherein the benefits of development are found to have been eaten away to a large extent by foreigners who “clandestinely” stay back and get assimilated with the people of the State by taking advantage of the mistaken identity and of difficulties in detecting them. The bill empowers President of the village council, town committee as the registering authority. They are required to maintain two registers, one will list the residents in the area and another non-residents. The register will be updated every three months. An offence committed under this act a citizen may be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine of Rs 3000 for willfully making a false statement or destroy the whole or any part of the form. The Bill seeks to detect foreigners illegally residing in the State of Mizoram which shares over 700-km-long border with Bangladesh and Myanmar.

15) International Workshop on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure was organised at Delhi by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in collaboration with United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), and in partnership with the Global Commission on Adaptation, United Nations Development Programme and the World Bank. International Agreement for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure: Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), 2015-2030 The agreement is the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda which identifies investing in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) for resilience and to build back better in reconstruction as priorities for action towards reducing disaster risk. Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 9 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognizes disaster resilient infrastructure as a crucial driver of economic growth and development. Objectives of the Workshop: Identify good practices of disaster risk management in key infrastructure sectors. Identify specific areas and pathways for collaborative research on DRI (Transport, Energy, Telecom and Water). Discuss and co-create the broad contours of the Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as well as a notional roll-out plan for the next three years. Build a forum for members to work on areas of common interest and make specific commitments. The workshop brought together countries from different parts of the world, multilateral development banks, UN agencies, academia and research institutions, the private sector, academics and policy think tanks to discuss and collaborate on promoting policies and practices towards achieving disaster resilience of large infrastructure systems.

16) A study has shown that Fishing, coral reef degradation threaten parrotfish in Andaman. Findings of the Study: Protection of coral cover along the existing protected marine areas in the Andaman and Nicobar islands is necessary for the conservation of the endangered Bumphead Parrotfish. Large body size, aggregating behaviour and limited activity at night make Bumphead Parrotfish an easy target for spear-fishers. Further slow growth and low replacement rates have resulted in population declines across the Indo-Pacific and the Red Sea regions. Bumphead Parrotfish occurs unevenly, with most sightings from only two islands, and with an apparently very small density. Freediving spear-fishers exclusively target the aggregations of this fish during the night. The presence of a protected area, live coral and algal cover, significantly influenced the distribution and abundance of Bumphead Parrot Fish. Incidental catch by fishers and degradation of coral reef habitats are two potential threats to the species. The Study calls to ban night fishing for the species and to implement regulations regarding reef fishing.

17) US Mathematician Karen Uhlenbeck has been chosen for the Abel Prize 2019 for her fundamental work in geometric analysis and gauge theory, which has dramatically changed the mathematical landscape. Karen Uhlenbeck’s theories have revolutionised the understanding of minimal surfaces, such as those formed by soap bubbles, and more general minimization problems in higher dimensions. Karen Uhlenbeck is the first women to win the Prestigious Abel Prize. With this feat, Women took another step forward in the still male-dominated world of science. Able Prize: Able Prize established by the Oslo government in 2002 honour outstanding scientific work in the field of mathematics, a discipline not included among the Nobel awards. Able Prize is named after the 19th century Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel. Able Prize comes with a monetary award of 6 million Norwegian Kroner (NOK). The sole Indian recipient of the Able Prize is Indian American mathematician S. R. Srinivasa Varadhan. He was awarded for his fundamental contributions to probability theory and in particular for creating a unified theory of large deviation.

18) The Supreme Court has censured the Uttarakhand High Court for framing a scheme to regularise hundreds of casual workers engaged by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under the Ministry of Defence in the construction of roads for Char Dham Yatra pilgrimage. What was the Issue? A case was filed in the Uttarakhand High Court by unions representing the casual workers, including the All India Trade Union Congress against the centre alleging that the Centre had not regularised the labourers though they had worked for BRO for years. Disposing of the petition the Uttarakhand High Court itself framed a scheme to regularise the services of the casual labourers and granted them benefits similar to those of regular employees under the labour law. Observations made by the Supreme Court: It is the sole prerogative of the government to frame schemes and courts should stay out of governance. High Court has failed to see that it is not the function of the courts to frame any scheme but it is the sole prerogative of the government to do it. All that the High Court could have done is exercising of its the extraordinary power under Article 226 of the Constitution to direct the government to consider framing an appropriate scheme. Article 226: Article 226 empowers the High Court’s to issue, to any person or authority, including the government directions, orders or writs, including writs in the nature of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, certiorari or any of them.

19) India has carried out Operation Sunrise to wipe out the insurgent camps planning to hit the Indian workers at the Kaladan Transit project. The Operation was reportedly carried between mid-February to early March. Operation Sunrise: Operation Sunrise was a joint operation carried out by both Indian and Myanmar armies. During the operation, at least 10 camps of an insurgent group in neighbouring Myanmar were attacked. The Indian Army did not cross into the Myanmar side but there was a massive mobilisation along the border, on the Mizoram side. Indian side supported Operation Sunrise by providing surveillance equipment and deploying additional troops on the Indian side. The target of the Operation Sunrise was the Arakan Army, an insurgent group trained by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) which is reportedly trained by China. India had carried out a similar operation in 2017 which had inflicted heavy casualties on the insurgent National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K) group during the retaliatory fire along the India-Myanmar border. Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project: Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project aims to connect seaport of Kolkata (India) with Sittwe seaport in Myanmar by sea. The project links Sittwe seaport to Lashio in Myanmar via Kaladan river through boat route and then from Lashio to Mizoram in India by road transport. The project would reduce the distance from Kolkata to Mizoram by approximately 1000 km and thereby cut travelling time to 3-4 days for transport of goods together with providing an alternative to current route from North East to Kolkata port via chicken neck which faces heavy traffic and transportation of cargo via this route takes many days to reach port.

20) Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Sunil Lanba took the debriefing of the recently concluded annual Theatre Level Readiness and Operational Exercise (TROPEX) 19. The lessons learnt from the Tropex exercise will provide Navy accurate assessments to fine-tune combat deployments, force structuring requirements, operational logistics, and material and training imperatives. Tropex 2019: Tropex is an inter-service military exercise involving the participation of the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy and the Coast Guard. TROPEX 19 had commenced with Tri-services Amphibious Exercise in the A & N islands with the participation of Army and Air Force. This was followed by the largest Coastal Defence Exercise Sea Vigil. About 60 ships of the Indian Navy, 12 ships of the Indian Coast Guard and 60 aircraft were part of TROPEX 19. The major combat units of the Indian Navy including the Carrier Battle Group with INS Vikramaditya, nuclear submarines and scores of other ships, submarines and aircraft swiftly transited from exercise to operational deployment mode as tensions between India and Pakistan escalated aftermath of Pulwama terror attack.

21) Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) has launched smart garbage bins made of stainless steel which integrates technology for smart waste management. Smart Garbage Bins: The Smart Garbage Bins will send signals to the garbage collection vehicle about the ‘fill-up’ position of the bin. This provides for better cleaning and lower human intervention. These Smart Garbage Bins made up of SAIL SALEM stainless steel will be installed in underground Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) pits at the Smart Garbage Station. This will help prevent the spread of stink and diseases. There will be separate bins for recyclable and non-recyclable wastes. The pits will be covered with a pit cover fabricated out of stainless steel slip-free sheets. Suitable openings on the pit cover will be provided to allow the sanitation crew to dump the collected garbage into the stainless steel bins placed underground. IOT (Internet of Things) enabled Gazelle sensors on the pit cover will transmit signals to the collection vehicle about the “fill-up” position. Compactor will lift the stainless steel bins from the underground pits and empty the garbage into the compactor vehicle. Initially, these Smart Garbage Bins will be placed at one each at Kamala Nagar in North and BhikajiCama Place in South Delhi. SAIL is looking for other municipalities as well as metro cities to take this initiative further. SAIL is looking to take up production of stainless steel garbage bins on a commercial scale depending upon the response.

22) Pramod Sawant, who was the speaker in the Goa assembly was sworn-in as the new chief minister of Goa following the demise of Manohar Parrikar. Pramod Sawant holds Bachelors degree in Ayurvedic Medicine and has completed his post-graduation studies in Medico-Legal System and also did his masters in social work. He Sawant plunged into politics in 2008. Pramod Sawant was elected as speaker after the 2017 polls. He was the youngest speaker from among all state legislative assemblies at that time. Ministers Sworn-In:Pramod Sawant took oath along with 11 other ministers viz. Sudin Dhavalikar, Vijai Sardesai, Manohar Ajgaonkar, Mauvin Godinho, Vishwajit Rane, Milind Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Vinod Palyekar, Jayesh Salgaonkar, Rohan Khaunte and Govind Gawade.

23) The bomb cyclone swept has through the US Great Plains resulting in blizzard conditions, hurricane-like winds, snow and heavy rain and subsequent flooding. Bomb Cyclone or Bombogenesis: Bomb Cyclone or bombogenesis refer to a rapidly intensifying area of low-pressure winter storm when there is a pressure drop by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. The decrease of the pressure intensifies the storm. This pressure drop intensification and subsequent winter storms result in strong winds, beach erosion and coastal flooding, especially with high tide. Bombogenesis storm can be tropical or non-tropical and proximity to a large body of water, particularly an ocean, during cold months contributes to the creation of a bomb cyclone. Bomb Cyclone is caused by a collision of warm air and cold air which develop into rotating storm-like pattern and lead to an explosive deepening of pressure. Worldwide about 40 to 50 ‘bomb cyclones brew each year.

24) The British Army has announced that it would create a new Specialised Infantry Battalion by recruiting more than 800 Nepalese Gurkha servicepersons. Gurkhas have completed 200 years of service in the British Army and currently, they comprise up to 3% of the British Army. Gurkha and British Army: During the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814-16, Gorkha Kingdom had inflicted heavy casualties on the British Army even though they had lost the war. British India decided to recruit these soldiers starting in 1815 and the Gurkhas have fought on the side of the British Empire in almost every war, including both World Wars. After the Indian Independence in 1947, as per the Britain-India-Nepal Tripartite Agreement 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, and 10th Gurkha Rifles regiments were assigned to India, and the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th were assigned regiments to Britain. Further India created 11th Gurkha Rifles regiment to accommodate the Gurkhas who refused to depart with the now-British regiments. British later amalgamated the 2nd, 6th, 7th, and 10th battalions into Royal Gurkha Rifles (RGR) regiment. The Gurkhas are recruitment every year by the British Army and Gurkhas are held in high esteem in the British Army. Khukri, the signature weapon of Gurkhas forms part of the Gurkha regimental insignia in Britain as well as in India. Gurkhas have the same service conditions as the regular British Army, with the option of British citizenship upon retirement.

25) India’s Sai Praneeth fell short of creating history after losing in the finals of Men’s singles in the Swiss Open Badminton Tournament. Sai Praneeth who had upset World No.5 and Olympic champion Chen Long in the semi-final, lost to Shi Yuqi of China. Winners of the Swiss Open Badminton Tournament 2019: Men’s Singles: Shi Yuqi (China). Women’s Singles: Chen Yufei (China). Men’s Doubles: Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Rian Ardianto (Indonesia). Women’s Doubles: Chang Ye-na and Jung Kyung-eun (South Korea). Mixed Doubles: Mathias Bay-Smidt and Rikke Soby Hansen (Denmark). The Swiss Open is an annual badminton tournament held in Switzerland since 1955.

26) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prepare a noise pollution map and remedial action plan to solve the issue across the country. NGT Order: CPCB has been directed to prepare a noise pollution map and identify hotspots and categorise the cities with specified hotspots and propose a remedial action plan. Noting the establishment of the noise monitoring mechanism in seven cities, NGT asked CPCB to consider setting up of such mechanisms in all cities where noise pollution is beyond permissible limits. Further, the police departments of all the States and Union Territories are asked to obtain the noise monitoring devices within a period of three months and specification of such devices may be finalised in consultation with the respective state PCBs and pollution control committees. NGT asked for setting up of public address systems with equipment that can monitor the noise pollution parameters and alert authorities once the prescribed limits are crossed. NGT noted that the absence of implementation of noise pollution norms affects the health of citizens, especially infants and senior citizens. Noise pollution affects sleep, comfort, studies and other legitimate activities to address the issue of Noise Pollution.

27) Indian Writer Raghu Karnad has won the Windham-Campbell Prize $165,000 Windham-Campbell Prize in the non-fiction category for his debut book, The Farthest Field: An Indian Story Of The Second World War. Karnad is one of the eight winners chosen across four categories—fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry. The other awardee in the non-fiction category was American writer Rebecca Solnit for the diverse body of work she has produced over her career. Raghu Karnad is the second Indian to receive the award. Earlier in 2016, Jerry Pinto had won the award for his novel, Em And The Big Hoom. Raghu Karnad is the son of legendary writer and the Jnanpith awardee Girish Karnad. Windham-Campbell Prize: The Windham-Campbell Prize is administered by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University in the US and was established in 2013. The award was constituted with the generous gift from writer Donald Windham in memory of his partner Sandy Campbell. The jury selects two winners each for each of the category fiction, non-fiction, drama and poetry.

28) The decision to hold Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019, the first joint military exercise of Shanghai Cooperation Organization was announced at the during the 34th meeting of the RATS council held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The meeting also announced the holding of the first joint border operation Solidarity 2019-2021. The SCO member states China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan will participate in a joint counter-terrorism exercise ‘Sary-Arka-Antiterror 2019’ to be held in grasslands of Kazakhstan in the Sary Arka region. RATS Council: The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a permanent organ which serves to promote cooperation of member states against three evils of terrorism, separatism and extremism. RATS established in June 2004 is engaged in furthering cooperation and ties between member countries on concerns of terrorism, security, drug trafficking, crime and cyber warfare. Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation aimed at- Strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states. Promoting their effective cooperation in politics, trade, the economy, research, technology and culture, as well as in education, energy, transport, tourism, environmental protection, and other areas. Making joint efforts to maintain and ensure peace, security and stability in the region. Moving towards the establishment of a democratic, fair and rational new international political and economic order. The genesis of the SCO can be traced to the Shanghai Five mechanism created in 1996 of which the China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan were members. Later Uzbekistan was admitted to the grouping. In 2001 the declaration of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation was signed. In 2015 India and Pakistan were admitted to the grouping and they joined the grouping officially in 2017.

29) Tropical Cyclone Idai has caused huge deaths and economic losses in Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Cyclone Idai made landfall on Mozambique and later moved in a westerly direction. Idai is the deadliest Tropical cyclone witnessed in 2019. Idai originated from a tropical depression that formed off the eastern coast of Mozambique and made landfall in Mozambique. The depression later reemerged into the Mozambique Channel and was upgraded into Moderate Tropical Storm. Tropical Cyclone: Tropical Cyclone is an intense low-pressure area or a whirl in the atmosphere over tropical or sub-tropical waters, with organised convection, circulating either anti-clockwise (in the northern hemisphere) or clockwise (in the southern hemisphere). Conditions which favour Tropical Cyclone Formation: A source of warm, moist air derived from tropical oceans with sea surface temperature normally near to or in excess of 27 °C Winds near the ocean surface blowing from different directions converging and causing air to rise and storm clouds to form. Winds which do not vary greatly with height known as low wind shear. This allows the storm clouds to rise vertically to high levels. Coriolis force/spin induced by the rotation of the Earth. The formation mechanisms vary across the world, but once a cluster of storm clouds starts to rotate, it becomes a tropical depression. If it continues to develop it becomes a tropical storm, and later a cyclone/ super cyclone. Pressure increases outwards from the centre of a cyclonic storm. The amount of the pressure drop in the centre and the rate at which it increases outwards gives the intensity of the cyclones and the strength of winds.

30) India’s largest Bank State Bank of India (SBI) has announced the launch of YONO Cash through which customers can withdraw money from ATMs without using a card. How does the Cardless Cash Withdrawal work? This Cardless Cash Withdrawal process works with two-factor authentication and eliminates the risk of skimming and cloning. The customers have to set a 6-digit Yono PIN for withdrawing cash through the Yono app. Once the process is initiated the customer will receive a 6-digit reference code via SMS, which will then have to be entered into a Yono Cash Point. The cash withdrawal must be completed within the next 30 minutes at an ATM using both the PIN and the reference number. ATMs enabled with this service will be termed as Yono Cash Point. This cardless cash withdrawal will address the concerns over using debit cards at ATMs for cash withdrawals by eliminating the possible associated risks and also maximizes convenience and enhances the banking experience for its customers.

31) The winners of the Businessline Changemaker Award for 2019 are listed below: Changemaker Of The Year: Petitioners against Section 377. Changemaker Of The Year: GST Council. Iconic Changemaker: Bezwada Wilson (Safai Karmachari Andoloan). Social Transformation: The Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences. Digital Transformation: eNAM (Electronic National Agriculture Market). Young Changemaker: Anju Verma (promoting the education of underprivileged children). Young Changemaker: Kush and Arjun Pandey (developers of ScoutMe app for tapping football talent). Businessline Changemaker Awards: Businessline Changemaker Awards were constituted in the year 2018 to mark the completion of 25 years by the Hindu Business Line. The awards seek to celebrate the Changemaker maker individuals, entities and organisations, who through their work, have contributed to materially improve the condition of society, economy and the planet. The Awards honour the Changemakers who have impacted society in a very big and in a very positive way with their work which has helped enhance the quality of life and livelihoods and made the world a better place.

32) The name of former Supreme Court Judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose has been cleared by the Lokpal Selection Committee headed by the Prime Minister. The notification for the appointment is expected to be released soon. Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose would be the first Lokpal of India. Salient features of the Lokpal Act 2013: The Lokpal Act provides for setting up of an anti-corruption ombudsman called Lokpal at the Centre and Lokayukta at the State-level. The Lokpal would consist of a chairperson and a maximum of eight members of which 50 per cent shall be judicial members. 50 per cent of members of Lokpal shall be from SC/ST/OBCs, minorities and women. The ambit of Lokpal would cover all categories of public servants, including the Prime Minister with the exception of armed forces. The Lokpal Act mandated the states to institute Lokayukta within one year of the commencement of the Act. Lokpal will also have powers of superintendence and direction over any investigation agency including CBI for cases referred to them by the Lokpal. Lokpal is appointed based on the recommendation of the five-member panel comprising the Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist nominated by the President. President would appoint the eminent jurist based on the recommendations of the other members of the panel. The government has proposed an amendment to the Lokpal Act 2013 to enable the leader of the largest Opposition party to be the member of the selection panel in the absence of the leader of Opposition. To designate the leader as Leader of Opposition the largest opposition party must have a strength of at least 10% of the total members in the House and none of the parties managed to cross this mark in 2014 general elections.

33) Russian Soyuz spacecraft carrying NASA Astronaut Nick Hague and Christina Koch, and Cosmonaut (Russian Crew members are called as a cosmonaut) Alexey Ovchinin successfully docked International Space Station. Soyuz Spacecraft: Soyuz is a Russian Spacecraft carries people and supplies to and from the space station. Soyuz Spacecraft also function as lifeboats and one Soyuz spacecraft is always docked to the space station, so that in case of emergency the crew can return to earth through the spacecraft. After the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011, the Soyuz spacecraft has become the sole means of transportation for crew members going to or returning from the orbiting laboratory. International Space Station: The International Space Station is a habitable artificial satellite in low Earth orbit. The ISS maintains an orbit with an altitude of between 330 and 435 km (205 and 270 mi) by means of re-boost manoeuvres and circles the Earth in roughly 92 minutes and completes 15.5 orbits per day. The ISS programme is a joint project between five participating space agencies: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, Physics, Astronomy, meteorology, and other fields.

34) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has announced that SBI, ICICI and HDFC Banks would continue as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) for 2018. D-SIBs: The recognition as Domestic Systemically Important Banks (D-SIBs) implies that banks are too big to fail. This creates an expectation of government support for them in times of financial distress. As a result, banks enjoy certain advantages in funding markets. Inclusion in the list gives additional comfort to investors that these banks won’t be allowed to fail and therefore, borrowing costs of these banks from the markets are cheaper than their peers. Inclusion in D-SIB also implies that the failure of any of these banks would have a cascading effect on the Indian financial system. These D-SIBs are required to maintain an additional common equity requirement based on the bucket in which a D-SIB is placed. SBI in the third bucket was setting aside 0.45 per cent of its assets as an additional capital requirement and have to set aside 0.60 per cent of its risk-weighted assets.ICICI Bank and HDFC which are in the fifth bucket are required to set aside 0.20 per cent Bank’s capital requirement from 0.15 per cent now. RBI had initiated the recognition as D-SIBs from 2015 and places these banks in appropriate buckets depending upon their Systemic Importance Scores (SISs).

35) The Supreme Court has put on hold the Meghalaya High Court’s judgment holding The Shillong Times editor Patricia Mukhim and publisher Shobha Chaudhuri guilty of contempt and fining them Rs 2 lakh each. What was the Case? The Shillong Times has published an article titled “When judges judge for themselves” in pursuant to a high court order directing the government to amend rules so that spouses and children of retired judges become eligible for medical treatment. The matter was taken up the high court on its own and further the high court had also set aside the amendment to the rules that excluded protocol services and guest house facilities from being applicable to the retired judges and their spouses and children. The High Court had found the editor and publisher guilty for publishing the article “When judges judge for themselves”. The Supreme Court has now put on hold the judgment of Meghalaya High Court. Contempt of Court: Contempt of court refers to actions which defy a court’s authority, cast disrespect on a court, or impede the ability of the court to perform its function. The Contempt of Court provisions in India are enshrined under Articles 129 and 215 of the constitution for Supreme Court and High Court respectively and Contempt of Courts Act, 1971. Civil Contempt is defined as willful disobedience to any judgment, decree, direction, order, writ or other processes of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court. Criminal Contempt is defined as the publication (whether by words, spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise) of any matter or the doing of any other act which: Scandalises or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court, or Prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with the due course of any judicial proceeding, or Interferes or tends to interfere with, or obstructs or tends to obstruct, the administration of justice in any other manner. Section 20 of the Contempt of Courts Act of 1971 limits the period for initiating contempt proceedings is of one year from the date on which the contempt is alleged to have been committed.

36) The Geographical Indications Registry has approved the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for coffee varieties viz. Coorg Arabica Coffee, Wayanad Robusta Coffee, Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee, Araku Valley Arabica Coffee and Bababudangiri Arabica Coffee. Coorg Arabica Coffee: Kodagu district of Karnataka is famous for Coffee cultivation. The unique biotic and abiotic conditions provide uniqueness to the Coffee grown in the region of Kodagu. The broader landscape provides it with a unique aroma and flavour to the coffee when roasted. Wayanad Robusta Coffee: Wayanad Robusta Coffee both as a pure crop and as mixed crop along with pepper in the Wayanad region of Kerala. Wayanad produces almost around 90% of Kerala’s Coffee produce and forms the backbone of the coffee economy of Kerala. Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee: Chikmagalur Arabica Coffee is grown in Chikmagalur district, Karnataka. It is the region in India where the coffee cultivation first began. Bababudangiri Arabica Coffee: Bababudangiri Arabica Coffee is grown in the Bababudangiri region of Karnataka. Bababudangiri in Chikmanglur District of Karnataka is where the coffee was first grown in India. The coffee grown here is known for its unique flavour and aroma. Selectively hand-picked and processes by natural fermentation, the cup exhibits full body, acidity, mild flavour and striking aroma with a note of chocolate which makes it unique. Araku Valley Arabica Coffee: Araku Valley Arabica Coffee has a pleasant acidity with a citrus note of grapefruit and a mild jaggery-like sweetness with light to medium strength. It is grown in regions of Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh and Koraput district in Odisha.

37) The Special Olympics World Games 2019 was inaugurated at Abu Dhabi. The Special Olympics World Games 2019 is being hosted by the cities of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. For the first time, the Special Olympics is being held in the Middle East and North Africa region. The host UAE had introduced the term “people of determination” as part of a new National Strategy for Empowering People with Disabilities. Special Olympics: Special Olympics is a global movement of people creating a new world of inclusion, where every single person is accepted and welcomed, regardless of their ability or disability. The Special Olympics are held every two years and alternates between summer and winter. Previous Special Olympics were held in Austria (2017) and the next Special Olympics will be held in Sweden (2021). The motto of Special Olympics “Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt.’ embodies what every athlete wants to pursue in life by dispelling the myth that children with intellectual disabilities must be confined behind the walls of unique and uncommon societies.

38) Niti Ayog in association with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) organized the first workshop on the development of the India Energy Modelling Forum (IEMF). The workshop was organized under the Sustainable Growth Pillar of the India-U.S. Strategic Energy Partnership. India Energy Modelling Forum: IEMF is envisaged as a pan-stakeholder platform for debating ideas, scenario-planning & discussing India’s energy future. IEMF seeks to provide a platform for leading experts and policymakers to study important energy and environmental issues and ensure the induction of modelling and analysis in the informed decision-making process. IEMF aims to improve cooperation and coordination between modelling teams, the Government of India, knowledge partners and think-tanks, build the capacity of Indian institutions, and identify issues for joint modelling activities and future areas of research. The workshop featured eight expert sessions which saw discussions around the various aspects of setting up an India-centric energy modelling platform and was attended by various central government ministries and agencies. India-U.S. Strategic Energy Partnership: India-U.S. Strategic Energy Partnership affirms the strategic importance of energy cooperation to the U.S.-India bilateral relationship and sets the stage for deeper and more meaningful engagements through government and industry channels. Under the Strategic Partnership, the United States and India will pursue four primary pillars of cooperation: Oil and Gas. Power and Energy Efficiency. Renewable Energy and Sustainable Growth. Coal. The Strategic Energy Partnership elevates the role of energy in advancing shared goals, including universal energy access, strengthened energy security and increased energy efficiency.

39) The Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship (FINE) was inaugurated by President Ramnath Kovind at Grambharti near Gandhinagar in Gujarat. On the occasion, President conferred 10th Biennial National Grassroots Innovation Awards. Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship: The Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship is an initiative of the Office of the President of India to recognise, respect and reward grassroots innovations and foster a supportive ecosystem. The Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship is organised by the President’s office in association with National Innovation Foundation-India and Department of Science & Technology. The Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship aims to provide a platform to the innovators for building the linkages with potential stakeholders whose support can improve their prospects in the coming years for the larger social good. The Festival helps in promoting lateral learning and linkages among the innovators to enrich the ecosystem for new India. The Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship provides a window to the creative and innovative solutions for social development through grassroots innovations, student ideas and other technologies for agriculture, rural development, sanitation, health, women and child development, biotechnology and medical innovation for grassroots by providing a large number of open technological and other solutions for the developing and developed world.

40) The Bureau of Energy Efficiency has released the draft consultation paper for accelerating energy efficiency in India. The strategy document titled Unlocking National Energy Efficiency potential (UNNATEE) is first of its kind which clearly delineates the energy efficiency targets for the respective demand sectors up to the state levels. UNNATEE: The consultation paper describes a plain framework and implementation strategy to establish a clear linkage between energy supply-demand scenarios and energy efficiency opportunities. The consultation paper offers a comprehensive roadmap to address India’s environmental and climate change mitigation action through energy efficiency measures. The consultation paper is aimed at developing India’s blueprint of effective energy efficiency strategy is a leap towards stimulating energy efficiency ecosystem and enabling reduction of the pressure on demand. The consultation paper was developed by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency in association with PwC India. UNNATEE draft document has been released for public consultation. Bureau of Energy Efficiency: Bureau of Energy Efficiency is a statutory body set up under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency assists the government in developing policies and strategies with a thrust on self-regulation and market principles with the primary objective of reducing the energy intensity of the Indian economy within the overall framework of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.

41) Department of Science and Technology has decided to commission a study to assess the climate risks faced by States in India. This decision comes in the backdrop of completion of vulnerability study across 12 Himalayan States. Vulnerability Study by the Himalayan States: The study was undertaken in the 12 Himalayan states viz. Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. The vulnerability was measured on a scale 0-1 with 1 indicating the highest possible level of vulnerability. The study indicates that: Assam and Mizoram with a vulnerability score of 0.72 and 0.71 topped the vulnerability index. Sikkim with the score of 0.42 was relatively less vulnerable. The scores of other states are Jammu & Kashmir (0.62), Manipur (0.59), Meghalaya and West Bengal (both 0.58), Nagaland (0.57), Himachal Pradesh and Tripura (0.51 both), Arunachal Pradesh (0.47) and Uttarakhand (0.45). Assam is highly vulnerable to climate change because of factors like low per capita income, deforestation, a large number of marginal farmers, least area under irrigation, lack of alternative sources of income and high rates of poverty. The report finds that low per capita income, low open forest area per 1,000 households and lack of irrigation coverage as the most important drivers of vulnerability in Himalayan states. Other indicators include the percentage of area under slope, yield variability of food grains, forest cover, irrigation cover and access to healthcare. In Arunachal Pradesh, the key factors are low female literacy and a high percentage of population above BPL. In Nagaland, the key issues are the loss of forest cover, steep slope and high yield variability. The vulnerability score was calculated based on eight parameters such as percentage of area in districts under forests, yield variability of food grain, population density, female literacy rate, infant mortality rate, percentage of population below poverty line (BPL), average man-days under MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), and the area under slope > 30%.

42) March 15 every year is celebrated as World Consumer Rights Day. The theme of the World Consumer Rights Day 2019 is “Trusted Smart Products”. The theme aims to highlight what consumers want and need from a connected world and how important it is to put them at the heart of the development of these digital products and services. Genesis of the World Consumer Rights Day: The genesis of the World Consumer Rights Day can be traced to the special message to the US Congress on 15th March 1962 by President John F Kennedy. The special message probably the first formal address about consumer rights by a World Leader. The first World Consumers Day was celebrated at 1983 and since then every year March 15 is celebrated as World Consumers Day. World Consumers Day aims to highlight that rights of all consumers are respected and protected and to protest against market abuses and social injustices which undermine those rights. Consumer Rights in India: The Consumer Protection Act 1986 gives 6 basic rights to the consumers: Right to choose the product. Right to be protected from all kind of hazardous goods. Right to be informed about the performance and quality of all products. Right to be heard in all decision-making processes related to consumer interests. Right to seek redressal, whenever consumer rights have been infringed. Right to complete consumer education. March 15 is observed as World Consumer Rights Day to raise global awareness about consumer rights and needs.

43) IIT Kharagpur has signed an MoU with Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to set up a 1.3 Petaflop high-performance computing facility and data centre funded under the National Supercomputing Mission. The new supercomputing system would be used for specific challenge domains like cryptography, chemistry, molecular dynamics, drug discovery, artificial intelligence and data sciences where the new system would be utilized. PetaFlop: PetaFlop is the measurement of computing power based on the frequency of mathematical calculations that can be done per second. National Supercomputing Mission: National Supercomputing Mission initiated in 2015 is being implemented and steered jointly by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Department of Electronics and Information Technology (DeitY) at an estimated cost of Rs.4500 crore over a period of seven years. Objectives of the Mission: The Mission envisages empowering India’s national academic and R&D institutions spread by installing a vast supercomputing grid comprising of more than 70 high-performance computing facilities. To bring supercomputing within the reach of the large Scientific & Technology community in the country. To provide a significant qualitative and quantitative improvement in R&D and higher education in the disciplines of Science & Technology. To enable the country with a capacity of solving multi-disciplinary grand challenge problems. The mission envisages installing vast supercomputing grid comprising of over 70 high-performance computing facilities spread across the county.