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G.S.PAPER-2

Topic: Polity

1. NITI Aayog offers a chance to learn: PM

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/niti-aayog-offers-a-chance-to-

learn-pm/article18192495.ece

What’s in news?

NITI Aayog’s Governing Council meeting, scheduled for Sunday, it gives

an opportunity to learn about the best practices of various states.

Making recommendations for reforms in agriculture and promoting

digital payments are among the significant achievements of NITI Aayog

over the last three years.

2. CJI pitches for zero govt. role in arbitration process

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-becoming-hub-of-

international-arbitration-cji/article18189439.ece

What’s in news?

Highlights of Engaging Asia Arbitration Summit:

Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar favored keeping the government away

from the arbitration process to help promote confidence of the business

community in international arbitration (International Commercial

Arbitration (ICA)) available in India.

Two key initiatives which promote confidence of the trading company in

international arbitration are:

a. The zero interference- will give room for understanding of foreign

traders in India that the process is neutral.

b. Courts appointing arbitrators in an international arbitration from a

neutral country.

International Arbitration: International arbitration is arbitration between

companies or individuals in different states, usually by including a provision for

future disputes in a contract

Topic: Bilateral Relation

3. A step forward for Indo-Bangla ties

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/a-step-forward-for-

indo-bangla-ties/article18191945.ece

What’s in news?

Infrastructure projects near the border:

Construction of India-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge over river Feni

(The construction of the 150-metre bridge which will connect Sabroom of

India and Ramgarh in Bangladesh) that demarcates boundaries between

the two countries in south Tripura- Tripura government has commenced

the land acquisition process.

The bridge would facilitate implementation of a protocol India earlier

signed with Bangladesh to use Chittagong sea port as a ‘port of call’. The port is 72 kilometre away from Sabroom.

Four-lane approach road and a connecting road on Indian side in

southern Tripura..

India is also expanding rail network up to Sabroom to handle cargo

consignments that would arrivef rom Chittagong port.

Ultimate connectivity plan is to benefit Tripura and other landlocked

northeastern States with international and domestic shipments using the

sea port.

Topic: Health

4. New hepatitis figures show infection spike

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/new-hepatitis-figures-show-

infection-spike/article18191434.ece

What’s in news?

As per UN estimates- 325 million people are living with hepatitis B or C

The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) latest hepatitis report identifies the condition as a grave public health threat that needs an “urgent response.”

Lack of awareness among those infected is driving the virus’s spread. Lack of access to testing and treatment leaves millions of people at risk

of a slow progression to chronic liver disease, cancer and death.

Key fact:

Hepatitis killed 1.34 million people in 2015, a toll roughly in-line

with HIV and tuberculosis.

But in contrast to HIV and TB, hepatitis deaths are increasing,

the WHO says, recording a 22% mortality rise from 2000 to 2014.

Hepatitis is often symptom-free, but types B and C can trigger

liver cirrhosis and cancer if untreated.

Hepatitis B — which is spread through bodily fluids such as blood

and semen

Hepatitis C, primarily spread through blood. Most commonly

spread through unsafe injections, notably among drug users

Geographic distribution-

The hepatitis B problem is most acute in the WHO’s Western Pacific Region, which includes China, Malaysia

and Southeast Asia.

Second worst is Africa, with 60 million hepatitis B cases.

Europe and the eastern Mediterranean region are afflicted

with the most hepatitis C cases at 14 million and 15 million

respectively.

An effective vaccine exists for hepatitis B. Whereas hepatitis C

has no vaccines

5. New cause of high BP discovered

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/new-causeof-high-bp-

discovered/article18191668.ece

What’s in news?

Researchers have discovered a new cause of high blood pressure

New cause - Connshing syndrome which is linked to the over

production of the stress hormone cortisol.

In up to 10% of hypertensive patients, the over production of the

adrenal hormone aldosterone — a condition known as primary

aldosteronism or Conn syndrome — is the cause of disease.

G.S.PAPER-3

Topic: Environmental Science and Ecology

1. Kerala’s high ranges sit on a powder keg Environmental disaster has been unfolding in the State’s highlands

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/keralas-high-ranges-sit-

on-a-powder-keg/article18191364.ece

What’s in news?

The Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) Study,2011 in

Udumbanchola taluk in Idukki:

The advancing dry climate and errant rainfall were playing havoc

with the ecosystem of the Cardamom Hill Reserves (CHR) in

Idukki.

The ecological disaster was gaining dangerous acceleration owing

to logging, poaching and land grab in the cardamom plantations

and adjoining forests and grasslands. Though notified as a reserve

forest by the erstwhile Travancore government, large areas of the

CHR were leased out for cardamom because the land was suitable

for the cash crop.

The Centre for Development Studies report,1985

Indiscriminate human interaction had seriously affected the

ecological processes in general, and the cardamom plant in

particular.

The high density of population and the land hunger legitimized by

the politics of petty gains were encouraging land grabs in the CHR

and aggravating the man-animal conflicts in the region.

In his report on the Idukki package, eminent agricultural scientist M.S.

Swaminathan had described Idukki as the virtual ‘roof of Kerala’ and

termed the influence of this roof over the weather within the district and

other regions in the State ‘phenomenal.’ Present status of Munnar:

Munnar is an ecological disaster in the making, the cumulative

outcome of mindless human intervention such as encroachments,

deforestation, massive changes in land-use pattern and

indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides, besides climate change.

The evergreen forests that once covered a major chunk of Idukki

have been heavily depleted owing to encroachments and tree

felling.

The loss of forest cover has led to tangible changes in the

microclimate of the region, with significant impact on

agricultural productivity.

Topic: Economics

2. NITI to present new plan approach

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/niti-to-present-new-plan-

approach/article18191109.ece

What’s in news?

Meeting of the governing council of NITI Aayog

Areas of focus in the meeting:

Anew three-year policy action plan to replace the old system of

five-year plans will be discussed. (15-year vision document that is

to be supplemented by a seven-year strategy and three-year action

plans.)

Discussion on issues such as increasing farmer incomes and

urban development.

Economic policy document will also focus on judicial reforms and

how to improve law and order and the police system

3. India to help global defence firms to set up units: Jaitley

http://www.thehindu.com/business/india-to-help-global-defence-firms-to-

set-up-units-jaitley/article18191695.ece

What’s in news?

Changed policy strategy- India is formulating policy to help major global

defence companies set up manufacturing units in the country in

collaboration with Indian firms.

Topic: Science and Technology

4. IISc team unravels how vitamin C helps kill bacteria

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/iisc-team-unravels-how-

vitamin-c-helps-kill-bacteria/article18191223.ece

What’s in news?

Known facts:

Vitamin C, an anti-oxidant agent, boosts and strengthens immunity.

Vitamin C also has the ability to speed-up recovery from tuberculosis

and impede the TB causing bacteria from causing disease, and even kill

the bacteria in culture at high concentration.

New discovery:

The molecular mechanism by which vitamin C impedes and even kills

Mycobacterium smegmatis, a non-pathogenic bacterium that belongs to

the same genus as the TB-causing mycobacteria.

Mechanism: not important

During times of stress or hostile conditions, such as increased

temperature and presence of antibiotics, bacteria tend to come together

and form a biofilm to protect themselves.

The stress response pathway is crucial for bacteria to survive during

hostile conditions. So blocking this pathway is a sure way of killing the

bacteria.

In mycobacterium, the (p)ppGpp (Guanosine pentaphospahte or

Guanosine tetraphosphate) is a key molecule in the stress response

pathway. The (p)ppGpp is synthesised by Rel protein, which in turn is

made by the Rel gene.

Vitamin C structure is similar to (p)ppGpp. So, Vitamin C should be

competing to bind to the Rel enzyme and inhibiting (p)ppGpp synthesis.

The more the vitamin C concentration, the greater the possibility of

vitamin C binding to the Rel enzyme, thus inhibiting (p)ppGpp

synthesis.

5. Liver carcinogen traced to sunflower seeds

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/liver-carcinogen-traced-to-

sunflower-seeds/article18193178.ece

What’s in news?

Research Finding: Sunflower seeds are frequently contaminated with a

toxin which has the potential to cause liver cancer.

Toxin - Frequent occurrence of aflatoxin — a toxin produced by

Aspergillus moulds that commonly infect corn, peanuts, pistachios and

almonds — in sunflower seeds and their products. It is one of the most

potent liver carcinogens known.

Chronic exposure to aflatoxin causes an estimated 25,000-155,000

deaths worldwide each year, from corn and peanuts alone.

6. More aerosol in atmosphere results in heavier rainfall

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/more-aerosol-in-atmosphere-

results-in-heavier-rainfall/article18191175.ece

What’s in news?

Earlier belief: pre-monsoon aerosol loading results in decrease in seasonal

rainfall due to aerosol-solar radiation interactions.

New Findings:

Long-term (2002-2013) satellite observational study and model-based

analysis by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)

Kanpur has found that higher aerosol loading results in delayed but

more rainfall over Central and Northern India.

Higher aerosol loading changes cloud properties in terms of size

(both height and width) and microphysics, which results in more

rainfall.

When aerosol particles are higher, the number of nucleation sites

increases resulting in far too many number of droplets. Under such

circumstances, it takes time for the droplets to grow in size through

condensation.

Formation of Clouds mechanism:

Two forces — gravity and updraft (vertical velocity) — tend to act on

droplets.

Under high aerosol loading, rather than falling down as raindrops, the

smaller droplets tend to rise upwards in convective atmosphere due to

updraft

As the droplets are lifted up they tend to cross the freezing level and

turn into ice particles. The process of water droplets turning into ice

particles releases more latent heat of freezing and further invigorates the

cloud.

Ice turns into water by absorbing heat. Similarly, when water turns into

ice it gives off heat. This release of heat further fuels the convection

process and the clouds grow taller.

As the height of clouds increases, the ice particles generated at top of

the cloud come in contact with numerous water and ice particles and

become bigger in size.

This results in more ice mass in the cloud and eventually more rainfall

when the ice particles fall down due to gravity.

Suppression of convection

In the absence of cloud, aerosol particles tend to absorb solar radiation

and this leads to warming or less decrease in temperature with height.

As a result, there is suppression of convection leading to further

suppression of cloud formation.

7. IIT Bombay: Bird’s eye view and quantum biology

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/iit-bombay-birds-eye-view-

and-quantum-biology/article18191268.ece

What’s in news?

A group from IIT Bombay has found out the way migratory birds navigate

across the earth. As per them, it is due to the interplay of chemical reactions,

electron spins and the magnetic fields birds are able to navigate far distance.

Migratory birds have biological sensors that can sense the earth’s magnetic field, and guide them in their long journeys spanning continents.These sensors

are located in the right eye. The “compass” in question is generated by interplay of the electron and nuclear “spins.”

Application:

Understanding how the quantum spin in avian compass works might afford

useful lessons to us in engineering quantum mechanical systems, such as

sensing or computing hardware that is incomparably more powerful than what

we have today.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Who chairs Group of 20?

A. U.S

B. U.K

C. Germany

D. Japan

Correct Answer: C

Type: G.K

Level: Easy

Explanation: Germany currently chairs the Group of 20

2. Consider the following statements

1. Hepatitis B has vaccine where as there is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.

2. Hepatitis C has vaccine where as there is no vaccine for Hepatitis B.

3. Hepatitis types B and C can trigger liver cirrhosis and cancer if untreated.

Choose the correct options

A. 1 only

B. 1 and 3 only

C. 2 only

D. 2 and 3 only

Correct Answer: B

Type: General Science

Level: moderate

Explanation:

An effective vaccine exists for hepatitis B. Whereas hepatitis C has

no vaccines

Hepatitis is often symptom-free, but types B and C can trigger

liver cirrhosis and cancer if untreated.

Hepatitis B — which is spread through bodily fluids such as blood

and semen

Hepatitis C, primarily spread through blood. Most commonly

spread through unsafe injections, notably among drug users

3. Identify the correct statement with reference to Connshing syndrome

A. Connshing syndrome is related to Hypertension

B. Connshing syndrome is related to Hypotension.

C. Connshing syndrome is linked to over production of stress

hormone cortisol

D. Both A and C.

Correct Answer: D

Type: Current Affairs

Level: moderate

Explanation:

Researchers have discovered a new cause of high blood pressure

New cause - Connshing syndrome which is linked to the over

production of the stress hormone cortisol.

4. Consider the following statements

1. Higher aerosol loading results in delayed but more rainfall over Central

and Northern India.

2. Higher aerosol loading results in earlier but less rainfall over Central and

Northern India.

3. Aerosol has no effect on the monsoon

Choose the correct options

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. 1 and 3 only

D. 2 and 3 only

Correct Answer: A

Type: Geography

Level: moderate

Explanation:

More aerosol in atmosphere results in heavier rainfall

What’s in news?

Earlier belief: pre-monsoon aerosol loading results in

decrease in seasonal rainfall due to aerosol-solar radiation

interactions.

New Findings:

Long-term (2002-2013) satellite observational study

and model-based analysis by researchers from the

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur has found

that higher aerosol loading results in delayed but

more rainfall over Central and Northern India.

Higher aerosol loading changes cloud properties

in terms of size (both height and width) and

microphysics, which results in more rainfall.

When aerosol particles are higher, the number of

nucleation sites increases resulting in far too many

number of droplets. Under such circumstances, it

takes time for the droplets to grow in size through

condensation.

GS 2

Topic : Polity

1. Step up spending on infra, PM tells States

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/pm-tells-states-to-step-up-infra-

spending/article18197006.ece

Key Points :

Expressing that the vision of 'New India' must be acknowledged if all States

cooperate, Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged them to accelerate capital

use and framework creation.

This is the third meeting of the Governing Council of the NITI Aayog.

While there has been a 40% expansion in general reserve portion to States

between 2014-15 and 2016-17, the rate of assets attached to focal plans has

declined from 40% of the prior aggregate to 25% of the improved aggregate, with

a comparing increment in the unfastened share.

Basic Info :

NITI Aayog or the National Institution for Transforming India is a Government

of India policy think-tank established by the Narendra Modi government to

replace the Planning Commission which followed the top-down model.

The stated aim for NITI Aayog's creation is to foster involvement and

participation in the economic policy-making process by the State Governments

of India.

The emphasis is on bottom-up approach and make the country to move

towards cooperative federalism .

The Union Government of India announced the formation of NITI Aayog on 1

January 2015, and the first meeting was held on 8 February 2015.

The Prime Minister serves as the Ex-officio chairman.

The governing council consists of all state Chief Ministers,Lieutenant Governors

of union territories,and vice chairman nominated by the Prime Minister. In

addition to full members, there are two part-time members and four ex-officio

members and a chief executive officer. The temporary members are selected

from the leading universities and research institutions.

2. Tale of two sections: On vexatious criminal prosecution

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/tale-of-two-sections/article18195720.ece

It's chance 295A and 153A of the IPC are returned to, to end vexatious criminal

indictment.

The Supreme Court has interceded to extra cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni

the difficulty of confronting a criminal trial for professedly offending the Hindu

religion by being highlighted in the resemblance of a divinity on the front of a

business magazine.

The court suppressed a criminal protestation documented against him in

Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code :

It makes a deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage reli-gious feelings

of any class by insulting its religion or reli-gious beliefs a punishable offence.

What the court said ?

The court said there was no consider goal with respect to the cricketer or the

magazine to hurt religious suppositions.

Other Points:

Legal alleviation comes at last, however the astringent truth is that the

procedure is the discipline; it is time our lower courts quit taking reflexive

cognisance of insignificant or vexatious cases recorded on the premise that the

religious, position or social sensitivities of some gathering have been outraged.

A nearby cousin of this arrangement is another quite abused segment of the

IPC — 153A.

Planned to rebuff the individuals who advance animosity between various

gatherings on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, home and dialect, and

doing acts biased to the upkeep of agreement, this segment has been utilized to

pester authors and craftsmen and cast a chill on free expression.

The issue with affront laws, independent of the shape they expect, is that they

are characteristically subjective.

They should be perused down, their degree limited in a way that ethical

vigilantes and the individuals who influence an enthusiastic victimhood can no

longer adventure the law to serve their restricted closed-minded closures.

Topic : International Relations

1. Now, Australia wants a LEMOA

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/now-australia-wants-a-

lemoa/article18195694.ece

What’s in news ?

Australia has advanced a proposition to have a coordinations bolster

concurrence with India on the lines of the one closed with the US.

Be that as it may, India would rather have its concurrence with the U.S.

operationalised first.

India and Australia have been growing their military-to-military participation,

particularly in the sea space, given their mutual advantages and worries in the

Indian Ocean, with the fast extension of China's maritime nearness in the

locale.

Basic Info :

LEMOA is an encouraging assention that sets up fundamental terms,

conditions, and systems for corresponding arrangement of Logistic Support,

Supplies, and Services between the military of India and the United States.

Calculated Support, Supplies, and Services incorporate sustenance, water,

billeting, transportation, oil, oils, ointments, apparel, correspondence

administrations, therapeutic administrations, stockpiling administrations,

preparing administrations, save parts and segments, repair and upkeep

administrations, adjustment administrations, and port administrations.

Proportional strategic support would be utilized only amid approved port visits,

joint activities, joint preparing, and philanthropic help and catastrophe

alleviation endeavors.

Coordinations bolster for some other helpful endeavors might just be given on a

case-by-case premise through earlier shared assent of the Parties, steady with

their particular laws, controls and approaches.

Arrangement of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services from one Party to the

next would be as an end-result of either money installment or the equal

arrangement of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services.

The Agreement does not make any commitments on either Party to complete

any joint action. It doesn't accommodate the foundation of any bases or basing

game plans.

2. Beijing’s Belt-Road plan overshadows BCIM meet

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/third-bcim-meet-in-kolkata-from-tuesday-

china-sending-30-member-team/article18195668.ece

What’s in news ?

The two-day meeting of the Joint Study Group, a sub-regional group of the

BCIM, is to review economic integration of the region focussing on trade and

energy cooperation while facilitating the construction of an economic corridor

from Kumning in south-west China to Kolkata.

BCIM Economic Corridor

The Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar Economic Corridor is an activity

conceptualized for noteworthy increases through sub-provincial monetary

participation inside the BCIM.

The multi-modular passage will be the principal freeway amongst India and

China and will go through Myanmar and Bangladesh.

These points of interest are visualized to accumulate from more prominent

market access for merchandise, administrations and vitality, end of non-levy

obstructions, better exchange assistance, interest in foundation advancement,

joint investigation and improvement of mineral, water, and other regular assets,

improvement of significant worth and supply chains in view of similar favorable

circumstances, by making an interpretation of relative focal points into upper

hands, and through nearer individuals to individuals contact.

GS 3

Topic : Economy

1. Centre mulls nodal body for transport

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/centre-mulls-nodal-body-for-

transport/article18195484.ece

Incited by the Prime Minister's Office, the Center has started examinations to

set up a national level nodal body for all vehicle related matters crosswise over

modes including aeronautics, railroads, surface transport and conduits.

The proposed 'Coordinations and Integrated Transport Board' will at first work

on enhancing between ecclesiastical co-appointment to encourage a proficient

multi-modular transport framework in India.

The point, notwithstanding, is to bit by bit set up a solitary brought together

transport service by consolidating the services of Aviation, Railways, Surface

Transport and Shipping to guarantee more noteworthy simplicity of working

together and lift India's inner and outer exchange.

It is likewise in accordance with the NDA government's motto of 'least

government and most extreme administration'.

2. Delay in quota reforms to erode IMF’s credibility, says Jaitley

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/delay-in-quota-reforms-to-

erode-imfs-credibility-says-jaitley/article18196835.ece

What’s in news ?

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has expressed disappointment over the slow pace

of International Monetary Fund (IMF) quota reforms and said any further delay

would erode the legitimacy and credibility of the multi-lateral organisation.

Basic Info : IMF Quota Reforms

Voting privileges of developing business sector economies, for example, India

and China have expanded at the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which has

at long last told administration quantity changes received in 2010.

India's share at IMF has now expanded to 2.75% from 2.44%, making it the

eighth-biggest shareholder in the multilateral office, climbing three scores.

The approval of the 2010 changes additionally makes room for the

establishment to start the following round of audit of its amounts to talk about

the size and sythesis of IMF assets and the appropriation of standard shares

among the Fund's enrollment.

IMF's Board will completely comprise of chose Executive Directors. It will end

the present class of arrangement of Executive Directors by five biggest amounts

holders. China's vote at the IMF would increment to 6 for every penny from 3.8

for each penny. It would make it the third-biggest shareholder from its past 6th

position.

India's voting rights will likewise ascend to 2.6 for each penny from the current

2.3 for each penny. US's amount share drop from 16.7 for each penny to 16.5

for every penny except it will hold its veto control.

Topic : Science and Technology

1. 3D-printing conquers glass

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/3d-printing-conquers-

glass/article18195807.ece

Researchers have built up a novel approach to 3D-print objects utilizing glass, a

propel that could be utilized to make little optical segments for complex PCs.

Specialists from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany blended

nanoparticles of high-immaculateness quartz glass and a little amount of fluid

polymer and enabled the blend to be cured by light at particular focuses — by

methods for stereolithography.

Stereolithography is a type of 3D-printing innovation utilized for making

models, models, examples and creation parts in a layer by layer design utilizing

photopolymerisation, a procedure by which light makes chains of atoms

connection, shaping polymers. The material, which remains a fluid, is washed

out in a dissolvable shower, leaving just the coveted cured structure. The

polymer still blended in this glass structure is in this way expelled by warming.

Practice Questions :

1. Who is the chairman of Niti Aayog ?

a) Finance Minister

b) Home Minister

c) Prime Minister

d) One of the chief ministers of the states elected for the purpose

Answer : C

Topic : Polity

Type : Factual

NITI Aayog or the National Institution for Transforming India is a Government of India

policy think-tank established by the Narendra Modi government to replace the

Planning Commission which followed the top-down model.

The stated aim for NITI Aayog's creation is to foster involvement and participation in

the economic policy-making process by the State Governments of India.

The emphasis is on bottom-up approach and make the country to move towards

cooperative federalism .

The Union Government of India announced the formation of NITI Aayog on 1 January

2015, and the first meeting was held on 8 February 2015.

The Prime Minister serves as the Ex-officio chairman.

2. Which of the following constitutes governing council of NITI Aayog ?

1. All state Chief Ministers

2. Lieutenant Governors of union territories

3. All state Finance Ministers

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 1 only

c) 1 and 3 only

d) All of the above

Answer : A

Topic : Polity

Type : Factual

The governing council consists of all state Chief Ministers,Lieutenant Governors of

union territories,and vice chairman nominated by the Prime Minister. In addition to

full members, there are two part-time members and four ex-officio members and a

chief executive officer. The temporary members are selected from the leading

universities and research institutions.

3. Recently, India and the United States have signed the Logistics Exchange

Memorandum Of Agreement (LEMOA). Consider the following statements :

1. LEMOA is a facilitating agreement that establishes basic terms, conditions, and

procedures for reciprocal provision of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services between

the armed forces of India and the United States.

2. The Agreement creates obligations on either Party to carry out joint activity.

3. It provides for the establishment of any bases or basing arrangements.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) 1 and 2 only

b) 1 and 3 only

c) 1 only

d) 2 and 3 only

Answer : C

Topic : International Relations

Type : Factual

The Agreement does not create any obligations on either Party to carry out any joint

activity. It does not provide for the establishment of any bases or basing

arrangements.

The Agreement will significantly enhance the operational capacity of the Indian Armed

Forces, including in their response to humanitarian crises or disaster relief.

4. Which of the following countries is /are not associated with BCIM economic corridor

?

1. Bangladesh

2. Bhutan

3. Malaysia

4. China

5. Mayanmar

a) 1, 2 and 3 only

b) 2, 3 only

c) 2,3 and 5 only

d) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

Answer : B

Topic : International Relations

Type : Factual

The associated countries are Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar.

5. Recently, Stereolithography was in news. What is it ?

a) Study of ancient scripts

b) technology for mining of minerals

c) 3D printing technolgy

d) None

Answer : C

Topic : Science and technology

Type : Factual

Stereolithography is a form of 3D-printing technology used for creating models,

prototypes, patterns and production parts in a layer by layer fashion using

photopolymerisation, a process by which light causes chains of molecules to link,

forming polymers.

G.S. Paper -2

Topic: Polity

1. Corruption, the top pain: poll

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/graft-remains-the-top-pain-

poll/article18195978.ece

Source: The poll for pledges taken under the New India campaign run by Prime

Minister Narendra Modi on March 12

Outcomes: Corruption and the ways to fight it remain a major concern for the

people

Nearly 70% of the respondents voted for a pledge to fight corruption

This was followed by Swachch Bharat and the campaign for Accessible India, of

making public spaces accessible for the physically challenged

About the campaign: PM Modi, after the results of the Assembly polls in the five

States in March, started this campaign by launching the poll on pledges to be

taken on various issues of interests by those who had downloaded his personal

App, the Narendra Modi App

The findings of the polls are significant in that the “government may tap into the enthusiasm” while prioritising issues

2. Tale of two sections: On vexatious criminal prosecution

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/tale-of-two-

sections/article18195720.ece

Context:

Supreme Court has intervened to spare cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni

the ordeal of facing a criminal trial

Trial was for allegedly insulting the Hindu religion by being featured in

the likeness of a deity on the cover of a business magazine

Act under which complaint was filed:

Provision under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code makes “deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings” a punishable offence

Court’s interpretation:

The court said there was no deliberate intent on the part of the cricketer

or the magazine to hurt religious sentiments

It drew upon the interpretation given to Section 295A by a Constitution

Bench in 1957 that it only “punishes the aggravated form of insult to religion when it is perpetrated with the deliberate and malicious

intention of outraging the religious feelings of that class”

Satisfying that the highest court intervenes to stymie attempts by those

claiming that their religious sentiments are offended by some act or

remark of celebrities and dragging them to courts in different parts of the

country

What needs to be done:

Judicial relief does come in the end, but the bitter truth is that the

process is punishment

It is time our lower courts stop taking reflexive cognisance of trivial or

vexatious cases filed on the basis that the religious, caste or cultural

sensitivities of some group have been offended

Section 295A:

Section 295A is a thinly disguised blasphemy law

The only difference is that it is ‘secular’ insofar as it applies to all religions or all forms of religious insult

Another provision is much misused section of the IPC — 153A

Intended to punish those who promote enmity between different groups

on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence and language, and

doing acts prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony, this section has

been employed to harass writers and artists and cast a chill on free

expression

Insult laws:

The problem with insult laws, irrespective of the form they assume, is

that they are inherently subjective

There is no guessing what causes insult/offence/hurt to people, leaving

it open for such provisions to be blatantly misused

There is no saying what will scandalise a judge and therefore no saying

when and for what contempt may be invoked

G.S. Paper -3

Topic: Economics

1. NITI to present new plan approach

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/niti-to-present-new-plan-

approach/article18191109.ece

Context: A meeting of the governing council of NITI Aayog chaired by Prime

Minister

A new three-year policy action plan to replace the old system of five-year plans

will be discussed

The three-year action plan will also include a strategy to spruce up the law and

order situation

Besides the new planning process, the council is likely to take up for discussion

issues such as increasing farmer incomes and urban development

This is the first time that an economic policy document will also focus on

judicial reforms and how to improve law and order and the police system. There

will be an entire chapter dedicated to it

Background: The practice of five-year plans, being followed for over six decades,

ended with the 12th Plan that concluded on March 31 this year

NITI Aayog which was set up in December 2014 after abolishing the Planning

Commission, will now come out with a 15-year vision document that is to be

supplemented by a seven-year strategy and three-year action plans

Farmer incomes: The Council, that includes all chief ministers as members, will

be presented with “detailed plans on doubling of farmers’ income” The Prime Minister had in February last year urged all state governments to

give priority to boosting the agriculture sector with a target of doubling farmers’ income by 2022

For the short-term, the Aayog is likely to recommend measures such as direct

purchase from farmers by private players, direct sale by farmers to consumers,

to allow farmers to get the larger share of the prices that the end consumer

pays

One of the long term strategies will be to encourage farmers to move to high-

value products such as Animal Husbandry and Fishery

Report card: The Aayog is also likely to place before the council a report card

on its two years as an institution

It has a different way of thinking. The Planning Commission used to also

allocate funds to the states. NITI’s relation with the states is more equal

2. SEBI lines up reforms to check flow of black money

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-business/sebi-lines-up-

reforms-to-check-flow-of-black-money/article18196836.ece

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), will soon put in place stricter

norms to check any flow of black money into stock market though controversy-

ridden P-Notes and also initiate steps for allowing mutual fund investments

through e-wallets

Besides, SEBI will consider new norms for allowing options trading in

commodity derivative market

Rules would be relaxed for registration of foreign investors and for common

license to brokers to deal in equities and commodities

It will also consider making it easier for banks and financial institutions to get

shares of the companies they have exposure to by way of conversion of loan into

equity — a move seen as a major boost to the steps for handling the bad loan

menace

It will also take stock of long-pending investigations and cases, involving some

big corporates, and will consider putting in place an internal guidance note for

dealing with quasi-judicial matters

Besides, it would also discuss the implementation of graded surveillance

measures by the stock exchanges to check any manipulation of share price

It will also consider new guidelines for dealing with offshore derivative

instruments, commonly known as participatory notes (P-Notes), which have

been long seen as being possibly misused for routing of black money from

abroad

3. Rebooting PSBs

http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/editorial/rebooting-public-

sector-banks-in-india/article9654193.ece

Context:

The Government is mulling ideas to rid PSBs of their present stockpile of

bad loans

It should also initiate structural reforms to prevent their recurrence

Banks Board Bureau:

Bank Boards Bureau (BBB) was constituted in April last year and was

chaired by former CAG Vinod Rai

It fired up expectations that the governance overhaul would move quickly

ahead

But a year on, the bureau has taken baby steps towards this objective

The fault lies mainly with the Centre which has hamstrung its efforts

through a very restrictive mandate

Reasons of Bad debts:

Bad lending decisions at PSBs can be traced mainly to governance

issues:

Poor risk management and credit appraisal systems,

Dual regulation by the RBI and the finance ministry,

Political interference in lending and top level appointments,

Poor compensation and brief tenures of their boards

Role of BBB:

The BBB is empowered only to address the last aspect

It can advise the Government on the appointments of chairmen and

whole-time directors

The bureau’s suggestions are also vetted, and sometimes turned down,

by the finance ministry

Given this context, it is unclear if the BBB’s latest missive mooting a new Governance, Reward and Accountability Framework for PSBs will be

implemented any time soon

In fact, the PJ Nayak committee on bank governance had envisaged the

BBB only as an interim step in governance reforms

Government’s reluctance:

To ring-fence bank boards from political interference and grant them

autonomy, the committee had suggested that the Government transfer

its holdings in these banks to a separate Bank Investment Company, and

then dilute its equity stake to 50%

But so far, the Centre has been reluctant to act

Given the precarious health of many PSBs and the large deposit base

they command, it seems to be wary of alarming depositors by

withdrawing its perceived sovereign backing

It is also not able to find sufficient capital given fiscal constraints to

nurse the distressed banks back to health

Therefore, the time is quite ripe for the Centre to let go of its stranglehold

on PSBs

Road ahead:

Vesting government equity in a holding company may not be enough as

this entity may still be tied to its apron strings

To really professionalise PSB boards and convince their employees that

they are accountable only to their consumers and shareholders, the

Centre will need to do more

It can consider divesting shares in select PSBs through public offers to

retain a minority stake

It can also push through legislative changes and modify reporting

structures at PSBs so that they fall under the ambit of the Companies

Act rather than the Bank Nationalisation Act for a level playing field with

private firms

Only this will send a clear signal, both to bank boards and their

employees, that the umbilical cord with the ‘parent’ ministry has been

cut for good

4. From plate to plough: The faraway fields

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/farmer-subsidies-

modi-government-agriculture-policies-growth-farmer-protest-4625288/

Context:

A preview of Modi government’s performance in agriculture sector in the past three years

Agriculture engages 47% of the work force, as per the Labour Bureau,

and without whose development “sabka saath, sabka vikas” is not possible

Records:

In the first three years of the Modi government, agri-GDP grew by just

1.7% per annum

This is less than half of what was achieved during the last three years of

the UPA government (3.6%)

Reason and the steps taken:

Such a poor performance was caused primarily by droughts in 2014 and

2015

In order to tackle droughts more effectively, the Modi government

tweaked and improvised existing schemes and launched the Pradhan

Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) and Pradhan Mantri Fasal

Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

A new scheme, e-National Agriculture Market (e-NAM), was launched to

link 585 regulated agri-markets across the country

Analysis:

These steps are in the right direction though implementation has been

rather weak in most cases

Without a champion for agriculture in the government, these schemes

may fall far short of their promises and claims

PMKSY:

PMKSY was launched on July 1, 2015, to give “har khet ko paani” (water to every field) and improving water use efficiency through “more crop per drop”

The implementation of various components of this scheme depends on

three different departments — Agriculture, Water Resources, and Rural

Development

A new mission directorate for PMKSY is set up under the Ministry of

Water Resources

The government identified 99 projects for early completion under the

Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), which together will

irrigate 76 lakh hectares (ha) upon completion

Financial support was to be given through NABARD’s Long Term Irrigation Fund of Rs 40,000 crore

Of these 99 projects, 26 are in Maharashtra which had seen long delays

and allegations of corruption

The component of micro irrigation (MI) in PMKSY has done better and

8.13 lakh ha of additional area is said to have been brought under MI

The total area under MI is about 9 million ha while the potential for MI is

almost 10 times more

The government would do better if MI is treated at par with AIBP in terms

of funding

MI can move faster with much better results in terms of water-use

efficiency

PMFBY:

For the first time, farmers’ share of the premium was pegged at 2% for kharif crops and 1.5% for rabi crops

As a result, the area covered under insurance increased from 27.2

million ha in kharif 2015 to 37.5 million ha in kharif 2016, and the sum

insured increased from Rs 60,773 crore to Rs 1,08,055 crore over the

same period

However, the system of crop damage assessment has not changed much

and most of the states could not even procure smartphones that were

supposed to facilitate the faster compilation of crop cutting experiments

Some state governments did not take the cost of cultivation as the

amount to be insured with a view to saving their outgo on the premium

subsidy

Many state governments did not pay the premium on time, as a result of

which the farmers’ claims could not be settled expeditiously

In sum, there is still much work to be done on the implementation side,

else the large expenditure from the government kitty will be spent

without accruing commensurate benefits to farmers

e-NAM:

The idea was to enable buyers located in distant places to purchase agri-

commodities from any mandi

The GoI also decided that state governments can apply for a grant of Rs

30 lakh per mandi (enhanced to Rs 75 lakh from this year) for related

infrastructure and hardware, provided they undertake some reforms in

their Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) rules

These included a single trading license to operate in any mandi in the

state, single point levy of market fee, and provision for e-auction of

agricultural commodities in the rules and regulations of the state

So far, 417 mandis located in 13 states are claimed to have been

connected to the e-NAM portal

In most mandis the sales through traditional auctions are being shown

as turnover through e-NAM

An enquiry revealed that very few auctions are being conducted by using

the software

So far, there are no inter-mandi auctions and there is no evidence that

farmers have gained from this system either in terms of cutting down

commissions of arhtiyas or better price realization

The ambition of creating an all-India agri-market, therefore, still remains

a distant dream

The e-NAM can be a game changer only if it is steered as diligently as the

GST

Lacunas:

All these flagship programmes are dwarfed when one looks at the money

being spent on food and fertiliser subsidies, which exceeds Rs 3,00,000

crore (including arrears) in 2017

One had hoped that the Modi government will take bold decisions to

streamline these by moving towards Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to

beneficiaries’ accounts

The progress on this front has been tardy and one doubts whether any

bold reforms are coming soon

Miscellaneous

1. Army plans to raise inclusiveness

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/army-takes-aim-at-its-

structure/article18195717.ece

Source: A recently concluded Army Commanders’ Conference

Outcomes: It debated ways of optimum utilisation of personnel

Various measures to enhance transparency and inclusiveness were also

deliberated

Army: Its core values have not changed, and rapid “societal changes and discernible impact of socio-economic aspirations on Army” had been a focus area of the conference

Issues:

Pyramidal: The Service has a “highly pyramidal structure” and hence over “50% personnel are not promoted despite being highly competent”

Orderly system: This meeting comes against the backdrop of concerns

on the sahayak system in the Army after a series of videos had surfaced

on social media recently

o In it, serving personnel alleged that they were forced to do menial

jobs

o Under the orderly system, jawans are assigned to officers to

perform certain specified personal tasks

o The government has promised a full review of the system, but no

proposal has been made to abolish it

Practice questions:

1. The Lokpal Act, in its present form, provides for a five-member panel to select

the anti-corruption ombudsman, comprising the

1. Prime Minister

2. Lok Sabha Speaker

3. Rajya Sabha Chairman

4. Chief Justice of India

5. Leader of the Opposition in the lower House

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

b) 2 and 5 only

c) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

d) 1, 3 and 4 only

Correct answer: C

Topic:Polity

Level:Moderate

Explanation:“The law now provides for a five-member panel to select the anti-

corruption ombudsman, comprising the Prime Minister, the Lok Sabha Speaker, the

Leader of the Opposition, the Chief Justice of India and an eminent jurist. The hitch is

that there is no recognised LoP in the lower House.”

2. Consider the following statements with regard to the official post of ‘Leader of the Opposition’ (LoP) in the Lower House:

1. That the speaker can recognise as LoP only the leader of the principal

opposition party that has 10 per cent of the total number of Lok Sabha

seats is based on precedent, not law.

2. The LoP in the Lok Sabha was accorded statutory recognition in 1977.

3. India’s first LoP was also appointed as the Law Minister.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a) 1 only

b) 1 and 2 only

c) 2 and 3 only

d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: B.

Topic:Polity

Level:moderate

Explanation:

The rule that the Speaker can recognise as LoP only the leader of the principal

opposition party that has 10 per cent of the total number of Lok Sabha seats is based

on precedent.

The only legal provision defining the ‘Leader of the Opposition’ is a 1977 law concerning the office-holder’s salary. The definition says the LoP shall be the leader of the party in opposition with “the greatest numerical strength” and “recognised as such by the Speaker”.

It was in 1969 that an official LoP was recognised for the first time. The LoP in both,

Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, were accorded statutory recognition in 1977.

3. The parent organisation of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations is the

a) Ministry of Culture

b) Ministry of Tourism

c) Ministry of External Affairs

d) It is an autonomous organisation.

Correct Answer:D

Type:Current Affairs

Level:Moderate

Explanation:The “ICCR has not only instituted this award, but also co-ordinated with

counterparts in other countries to take this initiative further”. The first Indologists’ Conference was hosted by the President at his residence. The 2nd Indologists’ Conference is being hosted in the People’s Republic of China (this year).”

4. Solid Waste Management in a particular urban area entails the following

steps:

1. Collection

2. Recycling

3. Segregation between wet waste and the rest

4. Biomethanation

5. Deposition of waste in landfills

In what sequence should these steps ideally be implemented?

a) 1-3-2-4-5

b) 1-3-4-2-5

c) 3-1-4-5-2

d) 3-1-2-4-5

Correct Answer:D

Type:Environmental Science and Ecology

Level:Moderate

Explanation:

Where does waste-to-energy fit in Solid Waste Management?

Ideally, it fits in the chain after segregation (between wet waste and the rest),

collection, recycling, and before getting to the landfill, although this is not always the

case. The energy from waste is a crucial element of waste management because it

reduces the volume of waste for disposal and also helps in converting the waste into

renewable energy and organic manure. It is not necessarily the most efficient or most

economical means of generating energy.

“Biomethanation is a process in which biological or organic compounds are degraded

to generate biogas and manure. Biogas is a mixture containing carbon dioxide and

methane in varying proportions and a small quantity of hydrogen sulfide gas. Methane

is a harmful gas if released in the environment as it is one of the four major gases

responsible for global warming. But it is an excellent fuel”. Biomethanation is an example of a first step in the waste-to-energy generation process.

5. ‘Technosphere’, a term which recently appeared in the news, refers to all

a) urban regions of the developed world.

b) urban regions of our planet.

c) structures that humans have constructed in urban areas.

d) structures that humans have constructed to keep them alive on the planet

including farms.

Correct Answer:D

Type:Science and Technology

Level:Moderate

Explanation:

An international team led by geologists at University of Leicester in the UK has made

the first estimate of the sheer size of the physical structure of the planet’s technosphere. It is a major new phenomenon of this planet – and one that is evolving

extraordinarily rapidly.

It is comprised of all of the structures that humans have constructed to keep them

alive on the planet – from houses, factories and farms to computer systems,

smartphones and CDs, to the waste in landfills and spoil heaps.

Researchers suggest that the bulk of the planet’s technosphere is staggering in scale, with some 30 trillion tonnes representing a mass of more than 50 kilogrammes for

every square metre of the Earth’s surface.

G.S. Paper -2

Topic: Polity

1. Hindi being ‘promoted’ as per Act: Rijiju

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/hindi-being-promoted-as-per-

act-rijiju/article18201379.ece

Criticism: Central government is unfairly imposing Hindi on non-Hindi-

speaking States

Govt: Is only promoting the language as per an Act of Parliament

Background: In March, the Department of Official Language of the Home

Ministry pulled out a 2011 report of a Committee of Parliament on Official

Language and sent it to the President for approval

The “progressive” use of Hindi in the Central government offices is reviewed by

this Committee every 10 years under the Official Languages Act, 1963 and the

Rules framed under it

As many as 110 out of the 117 recommendations in this report were accepted

by the President

The Home Ministry has issued an advisory to all States and government

departments to implement the recommendations

Recommendations:

Giving students the option of writing their exams in Hindi

making minimum knowledge of Hindi compulsory for government jobs

ensuring that the government spends more on Hindi advertisements than

English ones

the railway ministry should buy equipment with lettering in Devnagri script

railway tickets should be bilingual, with Hindi being one of the two

languages

Hindi should be an option for UPSC aspirants

Cabinet ministers should deliver their speeches in Hindi as much as

possible

Making it mandatory at railway stations in ‘C’ category (non-Hindi speaking)

states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and

Kerala to have announcements in Hindi

2. SC for broad anti-torture legislation

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/frame-anti-torture-law-sc-tells-

govt/article18200856.ece

Supreme Court: India may be finding it tough to secure extraditions

because there is a fear within the international community that the

accused persons would be subject to torture here

It is a matter of both Article 21 (fundamental right to life and dignity)

and of international reputation that the government must consider

promulgating a standalone, comprehensive law to define and punish

torture as an instrument of “human degradation” by state authorities

The court referred to the setback suffered by the CBI in its efforts to

get Kim Davy — a Danish citizen and prime accused in the Purulia

arms drop case of 1995 — extradited from Denmark

A Danish court had rejected the plea on the ground that he would

risk “torture or other inhuman treatment” in India

Convention: India has signed the UN Convention against torture way

back in 1997, but has still not ratified it. The Convention defines

torture as a criminal offence

Petition: No steps have been taken to implement the Prevention of

Torture Bill 2010 even six years after it was passed by the Lok Sabha

on May 6, 2010 and recommended by a Select Committee of the Rajya

Sabha

Centre has also avoided an independent legislation on torture, saying

that some States were not in favour of such a law and the Indian

Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code were more than

sufficient

A standalone legislation will certainly go a long way in creating the

necessary environment to prevent abuse of custodial torture and

human dignity of citizen

Support from States: 90% of the States had no objection for a

special law on torture and the NHRC itself had strongly supported the

need for such a law

The Indian Penal Code does not specifically and comprehensively

address the various aspects of custodial torture and was grossly

inadequate in addressing the spiralling situation of custodial violence

across the country

NHRC kept count: The NHRC kept count of incidents of custodial

torture only if the inhuman treatment led to death and not otherwise.

So a majority of cases simply went unreported

Unlike custodial deaths, the police are not required to report cases of

torture which do not result in deaths to the NHRC

Topic: Issues related to Education

3. Moderation system to end

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/moderation-system-to-

end/article18201377.ece?homepage=true

No moderation: Central and State school boards have decided to discontinue

the practice of raising board examination marks through moderation

All boards including the CBSE, ICSE and State boards will do away with

spiking of marks through moderation

Rationale: Spiking of marks by some boards is denying students across India a

level playing field in admission to higher education courses

There are cases where boards increase marks across the board for all students

by as much as 10-15% . Students were getting marks as high as 99% in some

States

However, in the CBSE, just 0.9% students could cross the 95% mark last year

Students and parents may now have to be prepared for a scenario where

astronomical percentages — which were becoming common in the last several

years — could be a thing of the past

Delhi University cut-offs have also in the past few years increased to levels

where admission to reputable colleges becomes a matter of chance

With different boards adopting different criteria for marking and moderation,

there was no level playing field, with students from some States occupying more

seats in key colleges like Sri Ram College of Commerce, where the first cut-off

hovers around 98%

The decision will, however, no longer affect admissions to the IITs, as the

government has decided to do away with Class 12 marks’ weightage.

4. Committed to grant ST status of 6 ethnic communities in Assam:

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/committed-to-grant-st-status-of-6-

ethnic-communities-in-assam/1/937998.html

What’s in news?

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said the central and State

governments are both committed to granting Scheduled Tribe status to six

ethnic communities of the State.

Basic Information:

Article 342. Scheduled Tribes

(1) The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and

where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public

notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups

within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this

Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or

Union territory, as the case may be

(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled

Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause ( 1 ) any tribe or tribal

community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but

save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be

varied by any subsequent notification

Topic: Health

5. Ghana, Kenya and Malawi to pilot GSK malaria vaccine from 2018

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/ghana-kenya-and-malawi-to-

pilot-gsk-malaria-vaccine-from-2018/article18200927.ece

Ghana, Kenya and Malawi will pilot the world’s first malaria vaccine from 2018, offering it for babies and children in high-risk areas as part of real-life trials

The injectable vaccine, called RTS,S or Mosquirix, was developed by British

drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline to protect children from the most deadly form of

malaria in Africa

In clinical trials it proved only partially effective, and it needs to be given in a

four-dose schedule, but is the first regulator-approved vaccine against the

mosquito-borne disease

Combined with existing malaria interventions, such a vaccine would have the

potential to save tens of thousands of lives in Africa

Key Fact: Malaria kills around 430,000 people a year, the vast majority of them

babies and young children in sub-Saharan Africa

Global efforts in the last 15 years cut the malaria death toll by 62 percent

between 2000 and 2015

The WHO pilot programme will assess whether the Mosquirix’s protective effect in children aged 5 to 17 months can be replicated in real-life

It will also assess the feasibility of delivering the four doses needed, and explore

the vaccine’s potential role in reducing the number of children killed by the disease

Malawi, Kenya and Ghana were chosen for the pilot due to several factors,

including having high rates of malaria as well as good malaria programmes,

wide use of bed-nets, and well-functioning immunisation programmes

RTS,S was developed by GSK in partnership with the non-profit PATH Malaria

Vaccine Initiative and part-funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Topic: Bilateral Relations

6. Three decades of mistrust

http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/three-decades-of-

mistrust-sri-lanka-india-buddha-jayanti-celebrations-4626873/

Context:

Delhi and Colombo intensify their high-level political engagement

However, new opportunities for elevating the partnership are coloured by

enduring suspicions in Sri Lanka

The country’s prime minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is travelling to India this week and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will head to Sri Lanka next month to

join the special international celebrations of the Buddha Jayanti in Colombo

For India:

For Modi, it will be the second visit to Sri Lanka in barely two years

This reflects his determination to overcome the unfortunate legacy of three

difficult decades that saw a cruel civil war, India’s failed intervention and the

accumulated distrust of Delhi in Colombo

Media reports from Sri Lanka suggest that Wickremesinghe is bringing

proposals for the development of the Trincomalee area as a regional

hydrocarbon hub in the Bay of Bengal and the eastern Indian Ocean

These proposals include the construction of a new LNG terminal and the

renewal of the Second World War-era oil tank farms in Trincomalee in

partnership with India

Protests in Sri Lanka:

There is resistance in Sri Lanka to economic cooperation with India

Protesting the modernisation of the Trincomalee oil tank farms, the workers of

the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation have announced a strike

Deep political reservations in Sri Lanka, held up the implementation of a 2003

agreement with India on the development of tank farms

Learning from neighbours:

Twists and turns in this story are part of a familiar but unfortunate South

Asian pattern — the politicisation of economic projects

Our neighbours in East Asia, have learnt to separate political differences from

mutually beneficial economic engagement

China and Taiwan don’t even recognise each other’s political legitimacy, but that has not stopped them from productive commercial cooperation

The idea of an all-encompassing Sino-Indian rivalry for regional influence has

further created negativity in the region

China’s role:

Since Sri Lanka has given port projects in Colombo and Hambantota to China,

the story goes, it is now trying to compensate an unhappy India with

infrastructure projects elsewhere in the emerald island

China is a major economic partner for Colombo and other regional capitals

can’t be a surprise, after all, China is now the world’s second largest economy

Beijing has encouraged its companies to embark on a “go out” strategy and has infrastructure projects underway all across the world.

Question on India?

How come Delhi, despite its size and proximity, has to “compete with Beijing” in the Subcontinent?

India should have been the preferred economic partner to all of its neighbours,

but it is not

One part of the damning answer is that India had checked out of the business

of regional integration after Independence

Delhi deliberately chose to discard economic regionalism — in the name of self-

reliance

In the reform era that began at the turn of the 1990s, Delhi has surely tried to

undo the damage

But the effort was too weak to overcome the political burdens that weighed

down India’s neighbourhood policy

Unfortunately for India, it also coincided with China’s rise and the dramatic expansion of its regional commercial influence

“Neighbourhood First” policy:

It is in essence about promoting regional economic integration

Sustained diplomacy has begun to pay off with Bangladesh

Delhi might need lots of patience, much hard work and a bit of luck to produce

similar economic advances with Colombo

7. China wants government-level talks on Kolkata-Kunming trade corridor

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/china-wants-government-level-

talks-on-kolkata-kunming-trade-corridor/story-

tI02Nh9BiV8DOjaf7JF1JK.html

What’s in news?

Highlights of Third meeting of Joint group on BCIM at Kolkata:

Joint group : representatives from government departments and

business and research organisations from the four countries

Negotiations at government level: China stressed on the need to

upgrade negotiations on the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar

Economic Corridor (BCIM–EC) to the government level .

About BCIM:

The corridor stretches over about 3,000km — from Kolkata to Kunming

in China via Silchar and Imphal in India, Dhaka and Jessore in

Bangladesh, and Mandalay in Myanmar.

The first meeting of the joint study group was held in China in 2013 and

Bangladesh hosted the second in 2014.

India’s Act East policy vision : Envisages mutual development and prosperity

in our shared region

G.S. Paper -3

Topic: Economics

1. Merging PSU banks will help: RBI’s Patel

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/merging-psu-banks-will-help-

rbis-patel/article18209533.ece

What’s in news?

Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel recommendation about Indian

PSU banking system mergers

Banking sector could be better off if some public sector banks are

consolidated.

Consolidation would help in dealing with the problem of stressed

assets.

Public sector banks need to do is to raise private capital from the

market and not rely on government largesse

Present Scenario:

India’s central bank was grappling with large stressed banking sector

balance sheets.

2. Tax farm income above a threshold: NITI Aayog

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/KWhwurID6UxGzbgt1FOJpL/Farmers-

should-pay-income-tax-says-NITI-Aayog.html

What’s in news?

NITI Aayog’s vision document that will set the economic and social goals for

the Union and state governments recommends

a) Three-year action plan - warrants executive action across sectors

b) Seven-year strategy that requires legislative changes and

c) 15-year vision that warrants institutional changes including amendments

to parts of the Constitution.

NITI Aayog new proposals:

Bringing agricultural income within the personal income tax net, to broaden

the tax base and thereby enable the government to reduce the tax rate.

Why Tax agricultural Income?

Excluding income from farming, which accounts for about 15% of

India’s $2.2 trillion gross domestic product, out of the tax net forces the government to keep personal income tax rate high.

Taxing farm income above a threshold will also prevent evasion of

taxes misusing the exemption given to farm income.

Threshold limit to tax agricultural income: more or less at par with

the personal income tax exemption limit, this at present is Rs2.5

lakh. The threshold for taxing farm income could be the average over

a period as incomes could vary year after year.

Out of the 220 million households in the country, about two-third live

in rural areas and only about half of the 7.5 crore households in

urban areas come under personal income tax bracket after

accounting for the Rs2.5 lakh a year exemption limit.

The proposal assumes significance also because the tax department

had found suspected cases of non-farm income being shown as farm

income to avoid taxes.

Problems in implementation:

How to compute costs of cultivation?

How to arrive at profits or net earnings?

Farmers do faces implicit taxes : Controls on exports and stock

limits which suppress farm gate prices are actually implicit taxes on

India’s peasantry.

Other proposals:

Three-year action plan proposed a medium-term spending framework

and lowering fiscal deficit to 3% of GDP by 2018-19, down from 3.2%

projected for the current fiscal.

To resolve the high level of bad debt among state-owned banks it

recommended auction of largest of those assets to be auctioned to

private asset reconstruction companies.

Ending cross-subsidy in the power sector, that makes industrial

power tariff costly.

Setting up a coal regulator and encouraging commercial mining also

were part of the action plan.

Competition should be promoted in the economy by reviewing all

sectoral regulations.

Topic: Internal Security

3. Sukma Maoist attack: ‘Boots on the ground alone won’t help’ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/security-experts-call-for-coherent-

policy/article18209598.ece

Context:

Deadly attack on CRPF personnel

Unprecedented scenes of protests in Kashmir.

Expert’s suggestion: Security experts are calling on the government to deploy a

cohesive response to internal security challenges.

Government’s failure: Government has pulled back on a lot of Central government funding for Maoist-

affected areas.

India’s key counter insurgency force against Maoists and a key presence in Kashmir — does not have a full-time Director General for two months.

Looking at these internal problems — LWE or Jammu and Kashmir — with a

very narrow security-centric approach like how many terrorists killed and so

on.

The military veteran said what the Army calls human terrain, such as ground

conditions, impact of social media, radicalisation and so on — are not being

taken on board for policy making.

Need of the hour –

A whole of Government approach is required like reaching out, development,

and political moves.

In the case of naxal areas intelligence and equipment for paramilitary forces

need to be urgently stepped up

4. Surgical strikes here to stay

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/surgical-strikes-now-part-of-standard-

response-to-terror-strikes/article18209872.ece

What’s in news?

New add-on’s to the India’s latest military doctrine, ‘joint doctrine Indian armed forces’ - Surgical strikes, including across the border.

Surgical strikes are response to terror provocations.

Key Fact: In the last two years, the Army had carried out surgical strikes across the

border with Myanmar and Line of Control (LoC) Pakistan, targeting terrorist camps.

Way Forward: Formulation of other keystone doctrines like information warfare,

training and so on should be thought of in the future.

Articles in news:

Article 342. Scheduled Tribes

(1) The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it

is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification,

specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or

tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed

to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or Union territory, as the case

may be

(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled

Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause ( 1 ) any tribe or tribal

community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but save as

aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be varied by any

subsequent notification

Practice questions:

1. “MIP Vaccine” – the first of its kind in the world to be developed in India – will

be piloted in Bihar and Gujarat as a part of the country’s efforts at eradicating which of the following diseases?

a) Rotavirus

b) Leprosy

c) Rubella

d) Japanese Encephalitis

Correct Answer: B

Type: Health

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

“With nearly 60% of all new cases of leprosy every year being recorded in India, the Indian government has launched an intensive programme to

eliminate the dreaded disease.”

“Prof Gursaran Prasad Talwar first developed the Mycobacterium indicus pranii (MIP) vaccine in the 1980s at the National Institute of

Immunology, an autonomous state-funded institution under the

government’s Department of Biotechnology.”

“An ambitious house-to-house survey was also launched in July and the

Leprosy Case Detection Campaign promises to screen more than 32

million people in problem areas. Dr Swaminathan, who says the vaccine

is totally safe, highlights its effective use for other treatments, including

bladder cancer.”

“But vaccination is only part of the solution. Sanitation must be improved too. Transmission is human-to-human contact, but we think

environment is also playing a role. Dr Sengupta, who has studied the

disease for more than 40 years, points to findings that show how the

bacteria that causes leprosy – Mycobacterium leprae – can live outside a

host for prolonged periods in wet soils and pools of water.”

2. The town of ‘Tamu’ in Myanmar is located closest to which Indian state on the India-Myanmar border?

a) Arunachal Pradesh

b) Nagaland

c) Mizoram

d) Manipur

Correct answer:D

Type: Current Affair

Level:Moderate

Explanation: “We have offered to scale up power supply from Moreh in

Manipur to Tamu in Myanmar.”

3. The ___________ may with respect to any State or Union territory, and where it

is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public notification,

specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups within tribes or

tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this Constitution be deemed

to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or Union territory, as the case

may be. Fill in the gap ?

A. President

B. Governor

C. Prime Minister

D. Chief Minister

Correct answer:A

Type: Polity

Level:Easy

Explanation:

Article 342. Scheduled Tribes

(1) The President may with respect to any State or Union territory, and

where it is a State, after consultation with the Governor thereof, by public

notification, specify the tribes or tribal communities or parts of or groups

within tribes or tribal communities which shall for the purposes of this

Constitution be deemed to be Scheduled Tribes in relation to that State or

Union territory, as the case may be

(2) Parliament may by law include in or exclude from the list of Scheduled

Tribes specified in a notification issued under clause ( 1 ) any tribe or tribal

community or part of or group within any tribe or tribal community, but

save as aforesaid a notification issued under the said clause shall not be

varied by any subsequent notification

4. Which of the following countries are members of the Indian Ocean Rim

Association

1. Kenya

2. United Arab Emirates

3. China

4. Malaysia

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a) 1, 2 and 3

b) 2,3 and 4

c) 1,3 and 4

d) 1, 2 and 4

Correct Answer: D

Type: Current Affair

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

China is not a member. “It was India that took the diplomatic initiative at the beginning of this decade to revive the moribund idea of Indian Ocean

regionalism. That move suggested that Delhi’s sea-blindness was finally

giving way to a belated recognition of the nation’s maritime imperative.

India’s growing sea-borne trade and a historic power shift in the Indian

Ocean compelled Delhi to pay greater attention to securing a sustainable

regional order in the vast littoral.”

5. The Central Statistical Organisation, which is responsible for the preparation of

national accounts, is an organisation under the aegis of

a) Reserve Bank of India

b) Ministry of Finance

c) Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation

d) Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Correct Answer: C

Type: Current Affairs

Level: Moderate

Explanation: The Central Statistical Organisation, which is responsible for the

preparation of national accounts, is an organisation under the aegis of Ministry

of Statistics and Programme Implementation

G.S. Paper -1

Topic: Social Issues

1. ‘Religious freedom deteriorating in India’ http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-international/religious-freedom-

deteriorating-in-india/article18235589.ece

What’s in news?

Highlights of the annual report of the U.S Commission on International

Religious Freedom

Religious tolerance and religious freedom continued to deteriorate in

India in 2016.

Hindu nationalist groups — such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

(RSS), Sangh Parivar, and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) — and their

sympathisers perpetrated numerous incidents of intimidation,

harassment, and violence against religious minority communities and

Hindu Dalits

These violations were most “frequent and severe” in 10 of India’s 29 States

National and State laws that restrict religious conversion, cow slaughter,

and the foreign funding of non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

helped create the conditions enabling these violations.

It also blames police and judicial bias and inadequacies that “have created a pervasive climate of impunity in which religious minorities feel

increasingly insecure and have no recourse when religiously motivated

crimes occur”.

G.S. Paper -2

Topic: Polity

1. Aadhaar-PAN linkage meant to plug tax leaks, says SC

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tax-evasions-necessitate-new-laws-sc-

on-aadhaar-pan-linkage/article18224295.ece

What’s in news?

Supreme Court view on the mandatory linking of Aadhaar to the Permanent

Account Number (PAN) and Income Tax returns:

Commendable move: Linking is government’s efforts to bring new and

new laws to stop leakages.

To fight against tax evasion in the country.

Justice A.K. Sikri observation: “When tax evasions are there, the government will try to bring new and new laws to stop leakages. We as citizens are like

that... we don’t want to pay taxes, shame on us. This conduct and character is seen for example at the time of matrimonial alliance. Then the groom has the

best income. The moment the estranged wife files a maintenance application,

the same boy is a

pauper,” Petition: filed by Ramon

Magsaysay award winner

Bezwada Wilson, former

Kerala Minister Binoy

Viswam and ex-Army

officer S.G. Vombatkere.

Challenge?

Constitutionality of

Section 139AA inserted

in the Income Tax Act by

the Finance Act, 2017.

Section 139AA: The provision makes Aadhaar mandatory for getting a PAN.

Possession of Aadhaar card is necessary for the continuing validity of an

existing PAN and for filing returns under the income tax law.

Menace of Fake Aadhar:

Attorney-General Mukul Rohatgi said there were five to 10 lakh fake PAN

cards generated every year. Mr. Rohatgi also said the biometric

technology used in Aadhaar left no chance for duplication.

Key fact: 132% of the population of Delhi is shown to have taken

Aadhaar cards and 104% all over the country.

34,000 agencies which dealt with collecting data for Aadhaar were

blacklisted.

2. SC seeks law to regulate NGO funds

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/sc-seeks-law-to-regulate-ngo-

funds/article18219163.ece

What’s in news?

The Supreme Court suggested that the government ought to frame a statutory

law to regulate the flow of public money to the NGOs.

The Centre on April 4 handed over to the Supreme Court the new guidelines

framed for accreditation of nearly 30 lakh NGOs and voluntary organisation in

the country.

A three-judge Bench led by Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar suggested

introducing a law after perusing guidelines handed over by the government to

the court, appointing NITI Aayog as the nodal agency for NGO registration.

But the court said the guidelines might not prove sufficient for “systematising the entire process of accreditation, fund utilisation and audit of NGOs”.

Topic: Issues related to Health

3. Doctors wary as Centre push for generic drugs

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/doctors-wary-as-centre-pushes-for-

generic-drugs/article18227834.ece

What’s in news?

Recently Union Government issued advisory notice to the physicians to

prescribe drugs with generic names.

Doctors arguments against the move:

Any change in drug — especially for patients with chronic illnesses and

critical care — may risk patients not getting the full benefit of a

particular drug.

Argue there is no concrete evidence to show that generic drugs are equal

to branded drugs, with respect to bioavailability, potency, efficacy and

impurity content

There can be complications and some of the ailments and diseases can

go out of control.

Some of the branded drugs are available at a lower cost than generic

drugs as they have been price capped under the National List of

Essential Medicines (NLEM).

Same company manufacturing a branded drug also manufactures a

generic drug means that there is a shift in quality.

Bioavailability of a generic drug molecule is not assured by quality

control or clinical trials

Stringent quality checks of generic drugs are missing in India.

How generic drugs are manufactured? companies manufacturing

generics see the composition of a particular drug and manufacture them

without any research and clinical trials. “It is a reverse process and there is no quality check

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) welcomes the push for generic drugs, but

insists on “discretionary and non-mandatory” usage of generic drugs.

Way forwards:

The concern of the medical profession regarding spurious and

substandard drugs has to be addressed as more such drugs might get

into the market under the guise of generic drugs

Appointment of drug inspectors: The government has only around

1,800 drug inspectors for the entire country, which is grossly

inadequate.

Indiscriminate dispensing of antibiotics and other prescription drugs by

doctors not qualified in modern medicine, quacks, and by Over The

Counter Sales has to be curtailed. This has led to emergence of serious

resistant micro-organisms.

Quality test: The government admits that less than 0.01% of the drugs

produced in the country are tested for quality.

All drugs are to be price capped.

While writing the generic name of the drug, Company name should also

be mentioned.

Topic: World Affairs

4. Eyeing West Pacific, China launches first domestically-made aircraft

carrier

http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/china-launches-first-

domestically-built-aircraft-carrier/article18212685.ece

What’s in news?

China has launched its second aircraft carrier, marking an incremental rise

in its capacity to project power in the West Pacific

The aircraft carrier is called Type 001-A before it acquires a formal name

It is likely to christened Shandong, will supplement the Liaoning — China’s first aircraft carrier that was purchased from Ukraine, and commissioned in

2012

The Type 001-A is expected to enter service of the People’s Liberation Army

(Navy) or PLAN by 2020

The launch coincided with the start of the installation of the Terminal High

Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system by the United States onto a golf

course in Seongju, South Korea, in stated response to the North Korean

threat

Some Chinese experts propose that China would require five to six aircraft

carriers, a capability nowhere in the horizon, to project power

simultaneously in the West Pacific, as well as the Indian Ocean-India’s core area of concern

On the other hand, the U.S. has 10 carrier strike groups, with at least four

deployed in the Asia-Pacific region

G.S. Paper -3

Topic: Economy

1. Farm incomes not to be taxed, says Jaitley

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/agricultural-income-wont-be-taxed-

assures-jaitley/article18215643.ece

Context: NITI Aayog proposed to tax agricultural income above certain

threshold level.

Response by the executive: Union Finance, Defence and Corporate Affairs

Minister Arun Jaitley ‘categorically’ dismissed any prospect of the government bringing agricultural income into the income tax net.

2. Reorient social sector subsidies: NITI Aayog

http://www.thehindu.com/business/reorient-social-sector-subsidies-niti-

aayog/article18226290.ece

What’s in news?

NITI Aayog’s recommendation on curtailing subsidy: India’s social sector subsidies should be reoriented so that beneficiaries

don’t become dependent on them.

Reduction in food subsidies as a proportion of GDP by 2019-20 through

better targeting and rationalisation measures.

NITI Aayog’s Observation: Within revenue expenditures, subsidies have tended to crowd out the socially

more productive expenditures such as those on education and health.

The efficiency of social expenditure must be improved to deliver better

outcomes. This may be done for example through better targeting and the use

of direct benefit transfers.

Open ended schemes that can absorb rising expenditures and lack clearly

identified beneficiaries must be avoided.

3. SEBI to grant one licence to brokers, clearing members

http://www.thehindu.com/business/sebi-to-grant-one-licence-to-brokers-

clearing-members/article18226115.ece

What’s in news?

Market regulator SEBI decided to grant a unified licence to brokers and

clearing members to operate in commodity derivative as well as equity markets.

SEBI’s board approved a proposal for integration of stock brokers in equity and

commodity derivative space.

Advantages of Unified licence:

Abroker or clearing member dealing in the securities markets will be

allowed to buy, sell or deal in commodity derivatives without setting up a

separate entity and vice-versa.

It will increase economic efficiency in terms of meeting operational and

compliance obligations at the member level, potentially resulting in ease

of doing business.

Help in widening market penetration and facilitate effective regulatory

oversight by stock exchanges and SEBI.

Stricter P-Note norms:

SEBI also decided to bar resident as well as non-resident Indians from making

investments through participatory notes.

Why such a move?

The decision is part of efforts to strengthen the regulatory framework for

offshore derivative instruments (ODIs), commonly known as participatory

notes (P-Notes), which have been long seen as being possibly misused for

routing of black money from abroad.

What are Participatory notes?

Participatory notes, also referred to as "P-notes," are financial

instruments used by investors or hedge funds that are not registered

with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to invest in

Indian securities.

Any dividends or capital gains collected from the underlying securities

go back to the investors. Indian regulators are against participatory notes

because they fear that hedge funds acting through participatory notes

will cause economic volatility in India's exchanges.

Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) provide quick money entering the

Indian capital market. Because of the short-term nature of investing,

regulators have fewer guidelines for FIIs. To invest in Indian stock

markets without the hassle of involvement with the regulatory approval

process, FIIs trade P-notes.

P-notes are easily traded overseas through endorsement and delivery.

They are popular because investors anonymously take positions in

Indian markets, and hedge funds anonymously carry out their

operations. Some entities route their investments through P-notes to

take advantage of certain countries’ tax laws. However, because of the anonymity, Indian regulators face difficulty

determining a P-note’s original and end owner. Therefore, much unaccounted money enters the country through P-notes. In addition,

SEBI has no jurisdiction over trading P-notes. Although FIIs must

register with SEBI, the P-notes trading among FIIs are not registered. For

this reason, India’s government is concerned that P-notes are being used

for money laundering.

For this reason, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) wants stricter

compliance measures put in place for trading P-notes. However, when

the government proposed putting trading restrictions on P-notes in the

past, the Indian market became extremely volatile. For example, around

the time the government began talking about curbing P-note trading in

October 2007, the market dropped 1744 points. Because FIIs help fuel

the growth of the Indian economy, industries and capital market, and

because increasing regulations on P-notes would increase the difficulty of

foreign money entering the market, the Indian government and investors

reacted with fear. The government ended its discussion on regulating P-

notes.

Topic: Environmental Science and Ecology

4. A shrinking home for endemic birds

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/a-shrinking-home-

for-endemic-birds/article18230258.ece

What’s in news?

Birds endemic to the biodiverse Western Ghats appear to be in greater danger

than they were thought to be, because the range of places they live in may have

been overestimated.

Problem with the range distribution estimates: Researchers from four

American universities who analysed range maps used by the influential global

authority, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), found that

for 17 of 18 bird species, the distribution was smaller than IUCN estimates.

The ‘Red List’ classifications of the IUCN serve to guide protection policies

- ‘less vulnerable’ species receive a lower conservation focus. The study argues that IUCN overestimated the habitat of these bird species by

up to 88%.

Of the 18 species, habitats of 12 were overestimated by over 50%.

Example:

The Malabar grey hornbill which IUCN classifies as ‘Least Concern’ and believes is distributed across 2.3 lakh sq.km in Kerala and Karnataka.

But when researchers used a spatial modelling technique, they found

its range was just 43,060 sq. km, or, nearly 81% less than the estimates.

This would put the bird in the ‘Near Threatened’ category. Nilgiri pipit appears to have lost 88% of its habitat, making it

“endangered” rather than “vulnerable”.

Outcomes: Underestimating threat and overestimating habitat reduces policy

response.

Method used:

IUCN uses expert sightings and other records.

The study used land cover, forest type (satellite imagery), temperature,

precipitation and ‘citizen science’ using the eBird online birding checklist.

Topic: Science and Technology

5. Finally, NASA’s super balloon lifts off to collect near space data

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/finally-nasas-super-balloon-takes-

off-to-collect-near-space-data/article18220889.ece

What’s in news?

A stadium-sized pressure balloon launched by NASA in New Zealand began

collecting data in near space (It will collect data from 34 km above the earth).

The balloon, designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to

detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the galaxy as they

penetrate the earth’s atmosphere, is expected to circle the planet two or three times.

The balloon’s monitoring was only the start of a long quest which would next involve a space mission currently being designed by NASA.

6. Scientists create 'artificial womb' that could save premature babies' lives

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/health/artificial-womb-save-premature-

babies-lives-scientists-create-childrens-hospital-philadelphia-nature-

a7701546.html

What’s in news?

Scientist have devised an artificial womb filled with clear liquid, successfully

tested on pre-natal lambs, could help extremely premature babies avoid death

or life-long disability.

The new system mimics life in the uterus and could, if approved for human use,

dramatically improve the chances of premature babies death or life long

sufferings.

Extremely premature infants who survive often have chronic lung infections

and other crippling health problems.

The researchers are working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to

prepare human trials, which could start within three years.

Apparatus:

The foetus — breathing liquid, as it would in the womb — lies in a clear-

plastic sack filled with a synthetic amniotic fluid.

The umbilical cord is attached via tubes to a machine outside the bag,

which removes CO2 and adds oxygen to blood passing through it. There are

no mechanical pumps — it is the foetus’ heart that keeps things moving. Advantage: avoidance of heart failure, which comes from the imbalance of blood

flows created with pump circuits

Experiment on lamb:

For the study, the researchers tested six preterm lambs transferred from

their mothers’ wombs to the device at 105 to 112 days of gestation — the

equivalent of 23 to 24 weeks in a human. They remained in the artificial

wombs for up to 28 days.

Sheep have long been

used in experiments for

prenatal treatment,

especially because lung

development is highly

similar.

While nestled in the

devices, “the lambs showed normal breathing

and swallowing, opened

their eyes, grew wool, became more active, and had normal growth,

neurological function and organ maturation,” .

Miscellaneous

1. ‘Govt. school teachers often away on duty’ http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/govt-school-teachers-often-

away-on-duty/article18228366.ece

What’s in news?

Highlights of Survey on teachers absenteeism in government schools in

Karnataka and five other states:

Survey conducted by Azim Premji Foundation (APF), covered 2,861

teachers in 619 government schools across Karnataka, Chhattisgarh,

Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh; there were 371

teachers from 60 schools in Karnataka alone. Nearly 19 % of the teachers

were not present in school at the time of the survey.

Nearly 7% of the teachers were absent on account of a range of official

duties outside the classroom.

2.5% of the teachers were found to be absent from school without any

reason.

Main reason teachers were away from school was not neglect of duty, but

rather “systemic issues” that required them to take up other tasks.

Reasons for not being at School:

Official academic duty- deputation to other schools, training, and

cluster meetings.

Administrative duty- submission of report on midday meals,

children with special needs and other incentive schemes.

Other duties- elections, health issues, panchayat meetings and

department schemes.

The data is based on a day’s visit to each school during August-September 2016.

The study also found that more female teachers (83.8%) were present in

school than males (78.4%). About 80.5% of the regular teachers were

present in school, as opposed to 83.5% of headmasters.

Prelims worthy Factual Information:

1. Mission Kakatiya:

Flagship programme of Telangana State government

Aim: desilting and restoration of tanks in rural areas.

Key improvement: Research by groundwater department found a

significant rise in water table levels wherever tanks were restored.

2. Gasification:

Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil fuel based

carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon

dioxide. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures

(>700 °C), without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen

and/or steam. The resulting gas mixture is called syngas (from

synthesis gas) or producer gas and is itself a fuel.

The power derived from gasification and combustion of the resultant gas

is considered to be a source of renewable energy if the gasified

compounds were obtained from biomass.

The advantage of gasification is that using the syngas is potentially more

efficient than direct combustion of the original fuel because it can be

combusted at higher temperatures or even in fuel cells.

Syngas may be burned directly in gas engines, used to produce

methanol and hydrogen

Gasification can also begin with material which would otherwise have

been disposed of such as biodegradable waste.

In addition, the high-temperature process refines out corrosive ash

elements such as chloride and potassium, allowing clean gas production

from otherwise problematic fuels.

Gasification of fossil fuels is currently widely used on industrial scales to

generate electricity.

Topics in news:

1. Endemic: (of a disease or condition) regularly found among particular people or

in a certain area or (of a plant or animal) native or restricted to a certain place.

2. Bioavailability: Fraction of a dose of drug that is absorbed from its site of

administration and reaches, in an unchanged form, the systemic circulation.

Practice question:

1. India Water Stewardship Network and Alliance for Water Stewardship is a

network created by

A. U.N

B. W.H.O

C. WWF

D. IMF

Correct Answer: C

Type: Current Affair

Level: Moderate

Explanation: The court also stressed the need to seek guidance of the World

Wildlife Fund, which has created a network called the India Water

Stewardship Network and Alliance for Water Stewardship, “to ensure sustainable water management”.

2. As per the Constitutional Allocation of Powers, who has the jurisdiction to

impose tax on agricultural income?

A. Union government

B. State government

C. Local government

D. Both Union as well as State government.

Correct Answer: B

Type: Polity

Level: Easy

Explanation: It comes under state government jurisdiction.

State list

Item no. 46: Taxes on agricultural income.

3. Consider the following statement with reference to Mission Kakatiya , which

was in news recently.

1. It is a flagship programme of AndraPradesh State government.

2. It is a poverty eradication programme .

Choose the correct statement

A. Only 1

B. Only 2

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2.

Correct Answer: D

Type: Schemes

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

Mission Kakatiya:

Flagship programme of Telangana State government

Aim: desilting and restoration of tanks in rural areas.

Key improvement: Research by groundwater department found a

significant rise in water table levels wherever tanks were restored.

4. Consider the following statement with reference to the recently launched

NASA’s Super ballon

1. It started its journey from U.S.

2. It is used to detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the

galaxy.

Choose the correct statement

A. Only 1

B. Only 2

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2.

Correct Answer: B

Type: Science and technology

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

NASA’s super balloon lifts off to collect near space data

A stadium-sized pressure balloon launched by NASA in New Zealand began

collecting data in near space (It will collect data from 34 km above the earth).

The balloon, designed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to

detect ultra-high energy cosmic particles from beyond the galaxy as they

penetrate the earth’s atmosphere, is expected to circle the planet two or three times.

The balloon’s monitoring was only the start of a long quest which would next involve a space mission currently being designed by NASA.

4. Consider the following statement with reference to Gasification process.

1. Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil fuel based

carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon

dioxide.

2. It produces a gas known as Syngas.

Choose the correct statement

A. Only 1

B. Only 2

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2.

Correct Answer: C

Type: Science and Technology

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

Gasification is a process that converts organic or fossil fuel based

carbonaceous materials into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and carbon

dioxide. This is achieved by reacting the material at high temperatures

(>700 °C), without combustion, with a controlled amount of oxygen

and/or steam. The resulting gas mixture is called syngas (from

synthesis gas) or producer gas and is itself a fuel.

G.S. Paper -1

Topic: Geography

1. Himalayan rocks may up flood risk, finds study

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/himalayan-rocks-

may-up-flood-risk-finds-study/article18259890.ece

Highlights of the study conducted by researchers at the University of Edinburgh

in the U.K.:

Provides insight into the long-term impacts of earthquakes and storms in the

Himalayan region.

Earthquakes and landslides in the Himalayas — that lead to large volume of

hard rocks being dumped into rivers — can increase flood risk up to hundreds

of kilometres downstream, potentially affecting millions of people in India and

neighbouring countries.

They found that large landslides in the southern, lower elevation ranges of the

Himalayas are more likely to increase flood risk than those in the high

mountains further north.

For the first time, scientists have traced the path of rocks washed down from the

Himalayan Mountains onto the Ganga Plain

Rocks in the south are extremely hard and travel only a short distance —

less than 20 km — to reach the Plain. This means much of this rock — such as

quartzite — reaches the Ganga Plain as gravel or pebbles, which can build up in

rivers, altering the natural path of the water, the research team said.

Rocks from more northerly regions of the Himalayas tend to be softer, and

the team found they often travel at least 100 km to reach the plain. These types

of rock, including limestone and gneiss, are gradually broken down into sand

which, unlike gravel and pebbles, is dispersed widely as it travels downstream.

Risk Assessment: The findings could help researchers improve flood risk maps for the

Ganga Plain, a low-lying region covering parts of India, Nepal and Pakistan — one of

Earth’s most densely populated areas.

G.S. Paper -2

Topic: Polity

1. No barrier to naming Lokpal: SC

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/no-barrier-to-naming-lokpal-

sc/article18261677.ece

What’s in news?

What do the Lokpal and Lokayukta Act of 2013 say?

The appointments to Lokpal are made by a high-level selection committee of the

Prime Minister, Lok Sabha Speaker, LoP, Chief Justice of India and an eminent

jurist chosen by them.

Present scenario:

The 16th Lok Sabha does not have a recognised LoP — the Congress

could not get the required 10% membership in the Lok Sabha in the

2014 parliamentary polls — the implementation of the Lokpal Act was

stalled.

Lokpal and Lokayuktas and Other Related Law (Amendment) Bill, 2014,

containing the proposed amendments in the law has been gathering dust

from the date of its introduction in parliament on December 18, 2014.

Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted its report on December 3,

2015, fully supporting the amendment to replace the LoP with the single

largest opposition party leader in the Lok Sabha.

Government’s contention: Appointment of Lokpal Chairperson and members is not currently

possible, and would have to wait till the 2013 Act is amended to replace

the LoP with the single largest Opposition party leader.

Supreme Court ruling:

India is committed to ‘zero tolerance against corruption’. Existing law cannot be put on hold merely because Parliament is working

on a better law.

The court pointed to sub-section (2) of Section 4 of the original 2013

Lokpal Act, which makes it clear that an appointment of the Chairperson

or Members of Lokpal will not be invalidated merely because one of the

members of the Selection Committee — the LoP — is missing. Thus, the

available members of the Lokpal Selection Committee could recommend

suitable persons to the President for appointment to the Lokpal.

The judgment described the Lokpal Act 2013 as “an eminently workable piece of legislation and there is no justification to keep the enforcement

of the Act under suspension till the amendments, as proposed, are

carried out”. Supreme Court added that it could not push the issue any further. It

said no matter how strongly the populace feels about the imminent need

for the Lokpal law and its beneficial effects on the citizenry of a

democratic country, it cannot overstep its jurisdiction and encroach into

the legislative domain.

Key Fact: India has ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption

way back in May 2011.

2. Lokpal panel: CJI among equals

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nothing-wrong-in-cjis-opinion-not-

having-primacy-over-lokpal-appointment-sc/article18260981.ece

What’s in news?

The Supreme Court upheld the provision of the Lokpal law giving no primacy

to the Chief Justice of India's opinion on who should be appointed as Lokpal

Chairperson and Members.

The Chief Justice of India's opinion need not always get primacy. It is the

prerogative of the legislature to decide whether the opinion of the Chief Justice

of India should get primacy.

It is not the mandate of the Constitution that in all matters concerning the

appointment to various offices in different bodies, primacy must be accorded to

the opinion of the Chief Justice or his nominee.

3. Judicial performance index mooted

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/judicial-performance-index-

mooted/article18260783.ece

What’s in news?

In a bid to fix justice system that is in ‘dire need of reform’ NITI Aayog has

proposed the introduction of a judicial performance index to reduce delays

and the outsourcing of non-core functions of the police to private

agencies or other government departments

NITI Aayog has proposed changes in criminal justice and procedural laws, a

repeal of all irrelevant legislation by March 2019 and reforms in land

ownership laws — which account for 67% of litigants in civil suits.

Judicial performance index:

Helps the High Courts and their chief justices keep track of the

performance and processes at district courts and subordinate levels for

reducing delay.

Entail fixing of ‘non-mandatory time frames for different types of cases

The index can also include certain progress on process steps already

approved by High Courts and such an annual evaluation should give

judges in High Courts ‘a sense of where they are failing and what they need to fix.’

Citing inordinate delays in India’s judicial system and its low rank on enforcing contracts in the World Bank’s ease of doing business report for

2017, the think tank has also called for streamlining judicial

appointments on the basis of online real-time statistics on the

workload of pending cases. Such data will help enable “priority appointment of judges at the lower judiciary levels keeping in mind a

scientific approach to assess the number of judges needed to tackle

pendency.

Reduce burden of work on Police:

To improve the quality of policing, the think tank has asked the Home

Ministry to create a task force to identify ‘non-core functions’ that can be outsourced to private agents or government departments.

Functions such as serving court summons and antecedents and address

verification for passport applications or job verifications can be

outsourced.

The Aayog has asked the Home Ministry to push for greater hiring of

women in the police force, with a target of 30% of all new recruits.

Key Fact: India’s police to population ratio should reach the United Nations norms of 222 per lakh population, over the next seven years, from the current

level of 137.

4. Prescribing generics won’t help work unless pharmacists regulated, say activists

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/make-pharmacists-stock-generics-say-

activists/article18260558.ece

Context:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced that his government will make

generic prescription writing mandatory for doctors.

Indian medical regulator,the Medical Council of India (MCI) issued a circular

stating that amendments made to the Indian Medical Council (Professional

Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulation, 2002 had made it mandatory for

doctors to prescribe drugs with generic names, legibly and preferably in

capital letters, and stipulated that they should ensure rationality in the

prescription and use of drugs.

Concerns raised by Public Activists:

Need of the hour is behavior change from the medical fraternity, which

mistakenly associates more expensive brands with quality.

The government’s decision will not have an impact unless the law can ensure that pharmacists also fall in line.

The government will also have to address the issue of high trade margins

that retail chemist shops enjoy. They just stock the branded medicines of

those companies which offer them the biggest mark-ups. Sometimes, a

medicine costs just a few rupees to produce but by the time it reaches the

patient, it costs hundreds of rupees. So, generic prescription regulations

must be matched by laws which ensure that chemist shops in India stock

and offer the more affordable brands of generic medicines to patients.

In the absence of universal availability of good quality generic name

medicines in retail pharmacy shops, merely getting doctors to start

prescribing medicines under generic names will end up in shifting the

discretion to pharmacists, who will are likely to dispense brands that give

them more commission.

Concerns raised by medical fraternity: the decision will compromise the quality of

the medicine.

Topic: Bilateral Issues

5. India, Sri Lanka sign energy pact

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-sri-lanka-sign-energy-

pact/article18261624.ece

What’s in news?

Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between India and Sri Lanka

Area of focus: both sides to collaborate in a host of energy and

infrastructure projects across the island.

a) Setting up of a Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) plant in suburban

Colombo and a solar power plant in Sampur in Trincomalee;

b) Indian assistance to enhanced use of natural gas in Sri Lanka;

c) Joint investment in the petroleum sector and partnerships in

highways and transportation,

d) Proposed joint venture to develop a World War-era oil storage

facility in Trincomalee, the strategically located port town on the

island’s east coast. e) Joint set up of Industrial Zones and Special Economic Zones in

Sri Lanka.

6. Bhutan backs out of motor vehicle pact

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/bhutan-backs-out-of-motor-vehicle-

pact/article18260565.ece

Background information:

The Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Initiative is a sub regional

architecture of countries in South Asia. It meets through official representation

of member states to formulate, implement and review quadrilateral agreements

across areas such as water resources management, connectivity of power,

transport, and infrastructure.

What’s in news?

India’s plan for a sub-regional motor vehicle agreement faced a setback on as

the Bhutan government announced that it is not ready to go ahead with the

process at present.

It asked the other members of the ‘BBIN’ grouping — India, Bangladesh and

Nepal — to continue to operationalise it without Bhutan.

Why such a drastic turn around?

Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay’s decision to step out of the BBIN process comes on the back of severe domestic opposition to the motor

vehicles agreement, primarily on fears of vehicular pollution and environmental

degradation if trucks from neighbouring countries are given access to Bhutan, a

country that prides itself on its “carbon neutrality” and preserving the

environment.

MVA agreement was signed on June 15, 2015, and ratified on its second

attempt in the lower house in July 2016, the upper house in Bhutan voted it

down in November 2016.

India, Bangladesh and Nepal have already completed the ratification of the

agreement.

Topic: Scheme related

7. PM launches low-cost regional flights

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/pm-launches-low-cost-regional-

flights/article18261722.ece

What’s in news?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first flight under the UDAN —

Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik — scheme for regional connectivity.

The first UDAN flight on the Shimla-Delhi route and simultaneously

flagged off flights on the Kadapa-Hyderabad and Nanded-Hyderabad

sectors through a video conference from Shimla.

Advantages:

The resumption of flights from Shimla airport, would double the hill

State’s tourism potential.

Other tourist destinations of the northeast also lack good connectivity,

providing air connectivity was also required for cultural integration of the

region with the other parts of the country.

8. Now, withdraw PF savings with a self-declared form to pay medical bills

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/employees-will-need-to-submit-a-self-

declaration-form-to-meet-serious-illness/article18248571.ece

What’s in news?

A move towards Self-declaration regime: By submitting a self-declared form

to Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO), provident fund savings can be withdrawn to pay hospital bills in case of serious illness.

Employees with EPF accounts are now allowed to withdraw provident fund

savings up to six months’ salary in cases of hospitalisation for at least a month, major surgical operation or in case they are suffering from tuberculosis,

leprosy, paralysis, cancer and heart ailments.

Simpler ways for withdrawing funds- the EPFO made withdrawing provident

fund savings simpler by introducing a composite single page form. EPF

subscribers are no longer required to submit evidential documents for

withdrawing PF for grant of advances in case of factory closure, marriage,

higher education of children, among other things.

Earlier practice:

It was mandatory for the EPF subscribers to get their employer’s approval or submit doctor certificates to withdraw provident fund savings

for medical purposes.

Even physically challenged employees were required to produce a

certificate from a medical practitioner to withdraw their EPF savings for

purchasing equipment or aids

Previously, employees were required to fill and submit three different

forms to the EPFO for withdrawing provident fund for such

purposes(factory closure, marriage, higher education of children, among

other things).

G.S. Paper -3

Topic: Economy

1. Direct tax base to soar in 3 yrs

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/direct-tax-base-to-soar-in-3-

yrs/article18259649.ece

What’s in news?

The NITI Aayog expects India’s direct tax base to rise significantly over the next three years, due to demonetisation and steps taken to curb black money by the

government, pegging the direct tax to GPD ratio at 6.3% in 2019-20 from 5.6%

in 2016-17.

Demonetisation had led to a significant increase in bank deposits which is

likely to result in disclosure of “a significant amount of income that would not have been done otherwise.” Therefore, it has argued that there could be a significant one-time increase in the direct tax revenues for 2017-18.

The Aayog has recommended a massive increase in outlays on healthcare

and railways and road sectors over the next three years, with the share of

healthcare spending in total government expenditure expected to rise from 1.7%

in 2015-16 to 3.6% by 2019-20.

It also highlighted the urgent need to develop the transportation infrastructure

to assist in economic growth

Health Expenditure:

Health expenditures contribute directly to enhancing the social welfare of

people and in developing human capital.

The increased allocation should be utilised towards public health, state

level grants, fiscal incentives and human resources for health to states to

improve health outcomes.

It cautioned that the current expenditure levels on health are low.

2. ‘Revival of fertiliser plants can make India an exporter’ http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/revival-of-fertiliser-plants-can-

make-india-an-exporter/article18258397.ece

What’s in news?

The Centre’s decision to revival of four fertiliser plants at a total cost of ₹50,000

crore has the potential to turn India into a fertiliser exporting country from

an importing one..

When all the plants (at Barauni, Singhri, Gorakhpur, and Talcher) start, they

will add about 75 lakh metric tonnes to the output, taking the total capacity to

about 320 lakh metric tones.

Centre plans to improve development in the eastern region of the country,

massive infrastructure investment in the region would be a boost to a ‘Second Green Revolution’ in the region.

3. Flexible pension for informal staff mooted

http://www.thehindu.com/business/flexible-pension-for-informal-staff-

mooted/article18260481.ece

What’s in news?

Highlights of The ‘Financial Security for India’s Elderly’ report by PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority) and Crisil :

Workers from the informal economy and the agricultural sector should

be allowed flexible contributions and withdrawals from pension plans

due to the vagaries of their incomes and the risk of disasters.

Recommended a specific pension scheme for young women along the

lines of the government’s Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme for young girls.

Since women, who account for 70% of the non-workers in India, are

financially dependent on their male counterparts, and generally outlive

men, the ‘feminisation’ of the elderly is going to be increasingly evident

in the years to come, and could bring with it huge fiscal burdens.

The contributions could be from the women’s families. Alternatively, the government could look at providing some tax relief to

the savings held in the form of pension. This segment, if tapped properly,

can ensure high coverage of the working age population (15-59 years).

4. Italy sees red-tape, taxes as hurdles

http://www.thehindu.com/business/italy-sees-red-tape-taxes-as-

hurdles/article18260438.ece

What’s in news?

According to Italian Trade Agency (ITA), major hurdles Italian companies face

while doing business in India are

Bureaucracy- Corruption, Red-tapism

Complex taxation

For doing business taking a long time

Procedures relating to starting companies (being) complex

Measures that protect local production compared to foreign production

The ITA is the Italian government body promoting the internationalisation of

Italian firms in line with their Economic Development Ministry’s strategies.

Topic: Environmental Science and Ecology

5. Vinegar to the rescue of Great Barrier Reef?

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/vinegar-to-the-rescue-of-

great-barrier-reef/article18261856.ece

What’s in news?

Scientists have found out that Common household vinegar may help protect

Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef by effectively and quickly killing the coral-munching crown-of-thorns starfish.

The innovative method of killing crown-of-thorns starfish (CoTS) is safe to other

marine life .

The Great Barrier Reef has been exposed to multiple disturbances in recent

years, including the 2016 and 2017 mass coral bleaching, three tropical

cyclones in the past three years, and the ongoing CoTS outbreak.

CoTS are breeding at epidemic levels and are one of the primary reasons for

the decline in live coral.

Basic Information:

Crown-of-thorns starfish:

The crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci, is a

large, multiple-armed starfish that usually preys upon

hard, or stony, coral polyps (Scleractinia).

The crown-of-thorns starfish receives its name from

venomous thorn-like spines that cover its upper surface,

resembling the biblical crown of thorns. It is one of the

largest starfish in the world.

A. planci has a very wide Indo-Pacific distribution. It is

perhaps most common in Australia, but can occur at

tropical and subtropical latitudes from the Red Sea and the east

African coast across the Indian Ocean, and across the Pacific Ocean

to the west coast of Central America. It occurs where coral reefs or

hard coral communities occur in this region.

Topic: Internal Security

6. All-women force to take on stone pelters

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/all-women-battalions-to-take-on-

stone-pelters/article18260792.ece

What’s in news?

In order to counter women stone throwers, the Centre plans to raise an all

women India Reserve Battalion (IRB) in Jammu and Kashmir. The decision to

raise an all women battalion comes days after girl students were seen throwing

stones at security forces in Srinagar.

The women battalion would also be assigned other law and order duties but its

personnel will be primarily deployed for tackling protesters

The Centre has also given directions to the State government to not use Special

Police Officers as “chowkidaars (guards)” at the houses of politicians and other government officials and to use them in active policing instead.

Schemes in news:

1. Sukanya Samriddhi Scheme:

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was launched by the Prime Minister Mr.

Narendra Modi on 21st January 2015

This scheme was launched to meet the expense of the Girl child’s higher

education and marriage.

Who is eligible under this scheme?

Gender: Girl child only

Citizenship: Child should be Indian citizen. NRI, OCI and other

cannot open account under this scheme.

Age limit: On the date of opening the account, the child’s age should 10 years or younger.

Who can Invest:

Parent or Legal Guardian of the eligible Girl child.

Investment limit:

In 1 year, minimum Rs 1000/- needs to be invested., thereafter in

multiples of 100/-

Maximum of Rs 1, 50,000/- can be invested.

Deposits can be made in lump-sum or spread out manner.

No limit on number of deposits either in a month or in a financial

year.

Mode of Deposit/Investment:

Cash, Cheque, Demand draft, Online payment. All methods are

acceptable.

Operation of the account:

The account will be opened and operated by the guardian of a girl

child till the girl child, in whose name the account has been opened,

attains the age of 10 years.

On attaining age of 10 years, the girl child may herself operate the

account if she wishes to do so. If not the gaurdian will continue

operating the account.

Tenure of the Scheme:

Deposit needs to made until 15 years from opening of account.

Deposit under scheme will mature 21 year after opening of the

account.

Practice Questions:

1. NASA’s Cassini Spacecraft is orbiting around which palnet?

A. Saturn

B. Uranus

C. Jupiter

D. Mars

Correct Answer: A

Type: G.K.

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

Cassini finishes first dive between Saturn rings

NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has successfully executed its historic first-ever

dive through the narrow gap between the planet Saturn and its rings,

marking the beginning of the ‘Grand Finale’ of the 20-year-long journey. The

spacecraft is in the process of beaming back science data collected during

its passage.

2. Consider the following statement with

1. Neem coating of urea leads to more gradual release of urea, helping

plants gain more nutrient and resulting in higher yields.

2. Neen coated urea lowers underground water contamination due to

leaching of urea.

Choose the correct statement

A. Only 1

B. Only 2

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2.

Correct Answer: C

Type: Environmental Science and Ecology

Level: Moderate

Explanation: Following are the advantages of neem coated urea

Neem coating leads to more gradual release of urea, helping plants gain more

nutrient and resulting in higher yields.

Lower underground water contamination due to leaching of urea.

Neem serves as a natural insecticide Collection of neem seeds is needed for

manufacturing of neem coated urea. This would generate employments in rural

areas. Neem-coating will help check heavily subsidized urea’s pilferage to chemical industry and other uses such as making of adulterated milk.

3. Which one of the following countries does not border Caspian sea?

A. Armenia

B. Azerbaijan

C. Kazakhstan

D. Turkmenistan

Correct Answer: A

Type: G.K.

Level: Moderate

Explanation: Armenia is a landlocked

country

4 One of the latest amendments proposed to the GST Bill is that “the GST Council shall establish a mechanism to adjudicate any disputes”. The GST Council will consist of

a) Union Finance Minister as chairman and Chief Ministers of States as members

b) Union Finance Secretary as chairman and State Finance Secretaries as

members

c) Union Finance Secretary as chairman and State Chief Secretaries as members

d) Union Finance Minister as chairman and any Minister nominated by each State

Government as member

Correct Answer: D

Type: Polity

Level: Moderate

Explanation

Composition of the GST Council: The GST Council is to consist of the following

three members: (i) the Union Finance Minister (as Chairman), (ii) the Union

Minister of State in charge of Revenue or Finance, and (iii) the Minister in charge of

Finance or Taxation or any other, nominated by each state government.

5. Certain medications are marked by a red line on their packaging. What is this

supposed to convey?

a) The drug is on the National List of Essential Medicines

b) The drug can be bought only at Jan Aushadhi Stores

c) The drug must be used carefully, and to discourage unnecessary

prescription and over-the-counter sale

d) The drug is a generic drug

Correct Answer: C

Type: Current Affairs

Level: Moderate

Explanation

“Appreciating the need for media campaign for raising awareness about antibiotics, Shri J P Naddalaunched the “Medicines with the Red Line” media campaign at the function which creates awareness regarding rational usage of medicines which carry a red

line on their strip.

G.S.PAPER-2

Topic: Polity

1. Flying to become paperless soon

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/flying-to-become-paperless-

soon/article18283218.ece

What’s in news?

DigiYatra plan- paperless travel for air passengers, including digital

boarding passes at airports .

Government is woking on DigiYatra plan.

Either Aadhaar or passport will be made mandatory to book air tickets so

that passengers needn’t carry a printout of the ticket or document proof

while entering the airport.

Other features: passengers will soon be able to book taxi, make e-

payments and get digital boarding pass through mobile phones.

Pilot project:

The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Hyderabad had started a

pilot project in 2015 allowing passengers to enter Aadhaar

number at kiosks set up at one of the entry gates.

The Hyderabad airport plans to implement it soon at all the entry

gates.

2. Ganga receives first legal notice after getting human status

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/ganga-receives-first-legal-

notice-after-getting-human-status/articleshow/58422985.cms

Context:

The Uttarakhand High Court had earlier this year accorded the status of

"living human entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna rivers to help in

their "preservation and conservation".

Bestowing human status on the sacred but highly polluted rivers would,

according to the court's order, amount to harming a human being.

Officials made custodians of the Ganga when it was granted human

status by the high court- the chief secretary, the advocate general and

the director of Namami Gange project.

What’s in news?

Uttarakhand High Court issued first legal notice asking it (Ganga) to

explain why its land was given for construction of a trenching ground.

Issuing notice to Ganga, the Union government, central pollution control

board, state pollution control board and the Rishikesh municipality, the

court directed the respondents to file a reply. Custodians of the Ganga

should also respond to the legal notice served by the Court.

Topic: Bilateral Relations

3. India, Cyprus call for decisive action against hosts of ‘violence factories’ http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/prime-minister-narendra-modi-meets-

cyprus-president-nicos-anastasiades-in-new-

delhi/article18269163.ece?homepage=true

What’s in news?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and visiting Cyprus President Nicos

Anastasiades pitched for decisive action against states supporting, sheltering

and sustaining “violence factories” in their regions.

Detailed discussions were held on bilateral as well as regional and international

issues of mutual concern.

Ways to boost trade ties and U.N. Security Council reforms.

Four pacts signed - including one for air services and another on cooperation in

merchant shipping.

India’s stand:

India has always stood with Cyprus on crucial issues and firmly supports its

sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity.

Cyprus Stand on UNSC reforms:

Cyprus’ support to India’s bid for inclusion in the world body (UNSC) as a

permanent member.

4. Turkey seeks defence ties with India

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/turkey-seeks-defence-tieswith-

india/article18279467.ece

What’s in news?

Turkey is eager to build a defence partnership with India.

Apart from defence, Ankara wants to explore nuclear and space opportunities

with India and intends to join hands with it for a more just world order.

Turkey and Pakistan have been traditional friends since the 1950s when both

joined the Western Bloc. But now Turkey has decided to create space for

cooperation with India.

Topic: Health Issues

5. AIDS control programme running blind without enough testing kits

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/aids-control-programme-running-

blind-without-enough-testing-kits/article18280351.ece

What’s in news?

‘Test and treat’ policy for HIV patients:

The Health Ministry’s new policy.

This policy would entitle every person who tests positive for HIV to free

treatment.

In the offing: India will soon develop a National Strategic Plan for HIV

for next seven years and these seven years will be crucial for ending

AIDS.

Lack of testing kits:

Test center lacks viral load test leads to- immunological failure is being

detected very late, leading to continuation on failing regimen,

accumulation of mutations, and compromised future treatment options.

The government is unable to do viral load testing at the required scale

due to a shortage of kits.

The cause of this shortage: apparently, there are no takers for the

government’s tender for manufacture and distribution of kits

Key Fact:

Testing capacity, as of 2016-17, was only for 14,341 patients, but India

currently has more than a million patients on anti-retroviral therapy

(ART). Without regular testing, it is not possible to determine what level

of treatment (first line, second line or third line) a patient needs.

Basic Information:

There are two HIV tests: the ELISA detects infection, and viral load test, the

HIV’s RNA in an infected person. Viral suppression (reducing viral load to an undetectable level) is the treatment

goal.

India is party to a UNAIDS programme under which it must implement the ‘90-

90-90’ strategy: diagnose 90% of HIV-infected people in India; put 90% of

cases on ART; and achieve viral suppression among 90% of the ART recipients.

For early detection of treatment failure, and to achieve the 90-90-90 target by

2020, NACO wants a million viral load tests a year.

G.S.PAPER-3

Topic: Economy

1. Money laundering may be made criminal offence

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/money-laundering-may-be-made-

criminal-offence/article18279241.ece

What’s in news?

The Central government is considering a proposal to make money laundering a

separate criminal offence to be investigated by the Enforcement Directorate,

irrespective of a probe by other agencies.

Advantage: facilitate quick action against those indulging in money laundering.

The Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money has also been of the

view that money laundering investigations by the Enforcement Directorate

should be allowed without any dependence on registration of cases by other

police agencies under the legal provisions listed in the schedule of the

Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Present Scenario:

Money laundering cases depends on the probe and prosecutions in predicate

offences pursued by primary agencies.

Many in government agencies are of the view that certain restrictions on money

laundering investigations on several occasions cause impediments in taking the

cases to their logical conclusion.

Practice Elsewhere:

Money laundering in itself has been defined as a criminal offence in several

countries.

There are separate legislations for dealing with funds generated through

activities like drug trafficking or terror financing.

The United States has very stringent laws to check money laundering.

What needs to be done?

The government will have to bring about several amendments to the PMLA,

including the current definition of the “proceeds of crime” that is right now dependent upon the predicate offences as listed in the Act’s schedule.

What is a predicate offence?

A predicate offence is a crime that is a component of a more serious criminal

offence.

Topic: Environmental Science and Ecology

2. Air pollution can up risk of heart attack

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/air-pollution-can-up-heart-attack-stroke-

risk/1/940508.html

What’s in news?

As per new study, Tiny particles in polluted air can travel from the lungs into

our bloodstream and increase the risk of a heart attack or stroke.

Nanoparticles in air pollution have been associated with cardiovascular disease,

which can lead to premature death.

Key facts:

The World Health Organisation estimates that in 2012, about 72% of

premature deaths related to outdoor air pollution were due to ischemic

heart disease and strokes.

Pulmonary disease, respiratory infections and lung cancer were linked

to the other 28%.

Topic: Science and Technology

3. A safer alternative to lithium-ion batteries

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/04/170427144252.htm

What’s in news?

Scientists have developed a safer alternative to fire-prone lithium-ion

batteries, which are common in household devices such as smartphones and

laptops.

Researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) developed the nickel-

zinc (Ni-Zn) batteries in which a three-imensional Zn “sponge” replaces the powdered zinc anode, or positively charged electrode, traditionally used.

Advantages:

Recharge ability

ACTS IN NEWS

1. The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) forms the core of the legal framework put in place by India to combat money laundering. It came into force in 2005.

Objectives a. The PMLA seeks to combat money laundering in India and

has three main objectives. b. To prevent and control money laundering c. To confiscate and seize the property obtained from the

laundered money; and d. To deal with any other issue connected with money

laundering in India

PMLA defines money laundering offence and provides for the freezing, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of crime. Salient Features:

RBI, SEBI and IRDA have been brought under the PMLA, and

therefore the provisions of this act are applicable to all financial institutions, banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, and their financial intermediaries.

The agency monitoring the anti-Money laundering activities in India is the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND). This unit is responsible for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions. FIU-IND is also responsible for coordinating and strengthening efforts of national and international intelligence, investigation and enforcement agencies in pursuing the global efforts against money laundering and related crimes.

FIU-IND is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.

Punishment for offence of money laundering: There can be punishment of imprisonment upto 3-7 years with fine upto 5 lakh rupees. But in case of offences done under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act 1985, maximum punishment is extent to 10 years rather than 7 years.

TOPICS IN NEWS

1. Ischemia: Ischemia or ischaemia is a restriction in blood supply to tissues,

causing a shortage of oxygen and glucose needed for cellular metabolism (to

keep tissue alive). Ischemia is generally caused by problems with blood vessels,

with resultant damage to or dysfunction of tissue.

PRACTICE QUESTIONS

1. Recently Uttarakhand High Court accorded the status of living human entities

to which among the following river

A. Ganga and Narmada

B. Ganga and Brahmaputra

C. Ganga and Kaveri

D. Ganga and Yamuna

Correct Answer: D

Type: Current Affair

Level: Easy

Explanation:

The Uttarakhand High Court had earlier this year accorded the status of

"living human entities" to the Ganga and Yamuna rivers to help in

their "preservation and conservation".

2. Recently Government of India launched DigiYatra Plan, Idnetify the correct

statement with reference to the plan,

A. Plan aimed at paperless travel for air passengers, including digital

boarding passes at airports.

B. It is a plan aimed at subsidizing the air travel expenses of Hajj

pilgrimages.

C. It is a plan aimed at subsidizing the air travel expenses of those flying to

foreign country for medical services.

D. None of the above

Correct Answer: A

Type: Current Affair

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

E. DigiYatra plan- paperless travel for air passengers, including digital

boarding passes at airports.

3. Identify the correct statement with reference to ‘90-90-90’ strategy

1. It is a part of UNAIDS programme

2. Strategy seeks to diagnose 90% of HIV infected people.

3. Strategy seeks to treat 90% of HIV identified case on ART.

4. All of them above are correct.

Correct Answer: D

Type: Current Affair

Level: Moderate

Explanation:

India is party to a UNAIDS programme under which it must implement

the 90-90-90’ strategy; diagnose 90% of HIV-infected people in India;

put 90% of cases on ART; and achieve viral suppression among 90% of

the ART recipients. For early detection of treatment failure, and to

achieve the 90-90-90 target by 2020, NACO wants a million viral load

tests a year.

4. Which among the following agency monitors the anti –money laundering activities? A. Financial Intelligence unit B. Enforcement Directorate C. Central Bureau of Intelligence D. Reserve Bank of India.

Answer: a Topic: Economy and Internal Security Level: moderate Explanation:

The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) The Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) forms the core of the legal framework put in place by India to combat money laundering. It came into force in 2005. Objectives

a. The PMLA seeks to combat money laundering in India and has three main objectives:

b. To prevent and control money laundering c. To confiscate and seize the property obtained from the

laundered money; and d. To deal with any other issue connected with money

laundering in India

PMLA defines money laundering offence and provides for the freezing, seizure and confiscation of the proceeds of crime. Salient Features :

RBI, SEBI and IRDA have been brought under the PMLA, and therefore the provisions of this act are applicable to all financial institutions, banks, mutual funds, insurance companies, and their financial intermediaries.

The agency monitoring the anti-Money laundering activities in India is the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU-IND). This unit is responsible for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions. FIU-IND is also responsible for coordinating and strengthening efforts of national and international

intelligence, investigation and enforcement agencies in pursuing the global efforts against money laundering and related crimes.

FIU-IND is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.

Punishment for offence of money laundering: There can be punishment of imprisonment upto 3-7 years with fine upto 5 lakh rupees. But in case of offences done under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Act 1985, maximum punishment is extent to 10 years rather than 7 years.