Scotland’s proposed law to make sanitary products free for all:

The Scottish Parliament recently passed the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Bill that aims to make sanitary products free for women of all age groups👀.

When passed, Scotland may become the first country in the world to end ‘period poverty’👀.

What is ‘period poverty’?

‘Period poverty Scotland’ website mentions some circumstances that make menstruation a “difficult experience” for women. These include homelessness, coercive, controlling and violent relationships and health conditions such as endometriosis. “Some trans people may also experience difficulties in accessing sanitary products,” it says.

WHO raises global risk of coronavirus to ‘very high’, what does this mean?

WHO characterises risk of spread and impact of a disease on a scale that ranges from “low risk” to “very high” level of risk.

It defines the different characterisations of risk as follows:

Low Risk: “Managed according to standard response protocols, routine control programmes and regulation (e.g. monitoring through routine surveillance systems)”.

Moderate Risk: “Roles and responsibility for the response must be specified. Specific monitoring or control measures required (e.g. enhanced surveillance, additional vaccination campaigns)”.

High Risk: “Senior management attention needed: there may be a need to establish command and control structures; a range of additional control measures will be required some of which may have significant consequences”.

Very High Risk: “Immediate response required even if the event is reported out of normal working hours. Immediate senior management attention needed (e.g. the command and control structure should be established within hours); the implementation of control measures with serious consequences is highly likely”.

Ekam Fest:

Exhibition-cum-Fair “EKAM Fest” is being organised by National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation (NHFDC)👀 under M/o Social Justice & Empowerment👀.

Aim: To promote craftsmanship & products of divyang (physically-challenged) artisans and entrepreneurs.

Eurasian Otter:

IUCN Red List: Near Threatened

Protection: CITES: Appendix I, Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule II.

Habitat: Found throughout Europe and in Asia. In India, the species is distributed in the Himalayan foothills, southern Western Ghats and the central Indian landscape.

Spotted in Chilika lake.

Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)

It is an attached office of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry👀, formed in 1991. It is involved in the regulation and promotion of foreign trade through regulation. It has been assigned the role of a “facilitator”. The DGFT also issues scrips/authorization to exporters and monitors their corresponding obligations through its network of regional offices.

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT):

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013 for hearing appeals against the orders of National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT), with effect from 1st June, 2016.

It is also the appellate tribunal for hearing appeals👀 against orders passed by NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC)👀, the Competition Commission of India (CCI)👀.

Composition:

• Chief Justice of India or his nominee- Chairperson.
• A senior judge of the Supreme Court or a Chief Justice of High Court.
• Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
• Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice.
• Secretary in the Department of Financial Services.

Appeal:

NCLAT decisions can be challenged👀👀 in the Supreme Court on a point of law.

Deccan Queen express:

 India’s Deccan Queen Express will be upgraded to German design Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches👀. With the up gradation to LHB coaches, the train will have better safety features and improved travelling experience – better suspension system and better riding comfort.

Key facts:

1. Indian Railways’ Deccan Queen, which has been running between Mumbai and Pune👀 since 1930, is the country’s first superfast train👀.
2. Deccan Queen is the first long-distance electric-hauled train, first vestibuled train, first train to have a ‘ladies only’ car and the first train to feature a dining car👀.
3. It is operated by the Central Railway Zone of the Indian Railways👀.

Schemes/policies for minorities in various States:

1. Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme – Provide fellowships in the form of financial assistance.
2. Naya Savera – Free Coaching and Allied Scheme – The Scheme aims to provide free coaching to students/candidates belonging to minority communities for qualifying in entrance examinations of technical/ professional courses and Competitive examinations.
3. Padho Pardesh – Scheme of interest subsidy to students of minority communities on educational loans for overseas higher studies.
4. Nai Udaan – Support for students clearing Prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), State Public Service Commission (PSC) Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc.
5. Nai Roshni – Leadership development of women belonging to minority communities.
6. Seekho Aur Kamao – Skill development scheme for youth of 14 – 35 years age group and aiming at improving the employability of existing workers, school dropouts etc.
7. Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) restructured in May 2018 earlier known as MsDP – Implemented for the benefit of the people from all sections of the society  in identified Minority Concentration Areas for creation of assets in education, skill and health sectors.
8. Jiyo Parsi – Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis in India.
9. USTTAD (Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development) launched in May 2015.
10. Nai Manzil – A scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts launched in  Aug. 2015.
11. Hamari Dharohar- A scheme to preserve rich heritage of minority communities of India under the overall concept of Indian culture implemented since 2014-15.

Pragyan Conclave 2020:

It is a two-day Indian Army International Seminar👀, organised recently by Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS)👀 at New Delhi.

The seminar provided a platform for deliberations on emerging ideas, perspectives and narratives that define the ‘New Age Warfare’ which is increasingly witnessing a change in its character as well as battlespace with the usage of new ‘means’ to pursue the ‘ends’.

What is Swap Ratio?

Swap ratio is the ratio at which an acquiring company will offer its own shares in exchange for the target company’s shares during a merger or acquisition.

How is it calculated? To calculate the swap ratio, companies analyze financial ratios such as book value, earnings per share, profits after tax, and dividends paid, as well as other factors, such as the reasons for the merger or acquisition. The current market prices of the target and acquiring company’s stock are compared along with their respective financial situations. A ratio is when configured which states the rate at which the target company’s shareholders will receive acquiring company shares of stock for every one share of target company stock they currently hold.

 👀Eight state-owned banks have announced swap ratios for the proposed mergers.

What is ‘mac-binding’, the condition specified for Internet use in J&K?

According to a recent order issued by the government, Internet has been restored in Jammu and Kashmir, but the connectivity will be made available with “mac-binding”👀.

What is Mac-binding?

Every device has a Media Access Control (MAC) 👀address, a hardware identification number that is unique to it. While accessing the Internet, every device is assigned an IP address.

• Mac-binding essentially means binding together the MAC and IP addresses👀, so that all requests from that IP address are served only by the computer having that particular MAC address.
• In effect, it means that if the IP address or the MAC address changes, the device can no longer access the Internet. Also, monitoring authorities can trace the specific system from which a particular online activity was carried out.

India-U.S. Military Cooperation Group (MCG):

Context: The India-U.S. Military Cooperation Group (MCG)👀 dialogue, scheduled for later this month, has been cancelled👀 in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.

What is MCG?

The MCG is a forum to review the progress of defence cooperation between India’s Integrated Defence Staff👀 and the the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM)👀 at the strategic and operational levels.

The Integrated Defence Staff was responsible for coordination among the armed forces before the appointment of the Chief of Defence Staff.

Red Panda:

IUCN status- endangered.

State animal of Sikkim👀.

It is the only living member of the genus Ailurus.

Habitats in India: Sikkim, Meghalaya, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.👀 About 5,000-6,000 red pandas are estimated to be present in these four Indian states. This is the second-largest population after China (6,000-7,000)👀. Nepal accounts for 580 animals, while Bhutan and Mynamar have no estimate of the animal’s population.

Protection: CITES — Appendix I.

Protected areas:

1. Kanchendzonga National Park (NP) — Sikkim
2. Neora Valley NP – West Bengal
3. Namdapha National Park – Arunachal Pradesh
4. Singalila National Park – West Bengal

Why in News?

A new study recently conducted by wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC found that Red Pandas are falling to traps laid for other animals, such as the musk deer and wild pigs. 

Sahyadri Megha:

• It is a new variety of paddy resistant to blast disease and rich in nutrients.
• It was developed by the University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga, as part of its initiative to prevent decline in the area under paddy cultivation.

‘Kishori shakti karyakram’:

• It is a campaign started by 14 teenage girls from Odisha’s👀 Berhampur to empower young girls living in slums of the city.
• The campaign includes making adolescents and the community aware about menstrual hygiene, right age for marriage, motivating school and college drop-outs to restart studies, promoting gender equality, skill development and formation of a wards.

WTI Awards are NITI Aayog’s initiative to highlight the commendable and ground-breaking endeavours of India’s women leaders and changemakers.

Since 2018, the Awards have been hosted under the aegis of NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform👀 with a special focus on entrepreneurship.

What is Women Entrepreneurship Platform?

Launched in 8^th March 2018, it is the first of its kind facilitation platform which is mandated to work in collaboration with public as well as private sector organizations and bring them on a single platform by listing their women focused entrepreneurship schemes, initiatives and programmes on WEP website.

It also enables sharing of best practices amongst women entrepreneurs and partner organizations and promote evidence based policy making.

WISTEMM program

Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medicine (WISTEMM)”program👀 is implemented by the Department of Science and Technology(DST)✔.

Aim: To provide opportunities to Indian Women Scientists, Engineers & Technologists to undertake international collaborative research in premier institutions in U.S.A, to enhance their research capacities and capabilities.

The programme is run for two categories of women scientists: Women Overseas Student Internship (Module I) for women students pursuing PhD, and Women Overseas Fellowship (Module II) for women with PhD degree and holding regular positionat any recognized institution/laboratory in India.

Eligibility: The fellowship is for bright Indian women Citizen within the age bracket of 21 to 45 years✌.

‘Attukal Pongala’ fest:

‘Attukal Pongala’ is one of the largest religious congregations of women.

Preparing ‘pongala’ (a sweet offering) is considered an auspicious all-women ritual as part of the annual festival of the Attukal Bhagavathy Temple👀, which is popularly known as the “Women’s Sabarimala”👀

As per local legend, the Pongala festival commemorates the hospitality accorded by women in the locality to Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil epic Silappadhikaram while she was on her way to Kodungallur in Kerala, after destroying Madurai city to avenge the injustice to her husband Kovalan.

Attukal Temple is called the “Women’s Sabarimala”👀 as only women perform rituals, just as predominantly men undertake the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Lord Ayyappa.

 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):

• It is a statutory organisation.
• Constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
• It was also entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• It is the apex organisation in country in the field of pollution control, as a technical wing of MoEFC👀
• The board is led by its Chairperson, who is generally a career civil servant.

Why in News?

CPCB has said that there are 128 sites in India contaminated by toxic and hazardous substances. West Bengal led the list with 27 sites followed by Odisha at 23.

What is Shared economy?

The sharing economy, also known as collaborative consumption or peer-to-peer-based sharing, is a concept that highlights the ability of individuals to rent or borrow goods rather than buy and own them👀

The ‘shared economy’ includes segments such as co-working (Awfis, WeWork India), co-living (Stanza Living, OYO Life, Oxford Caps), shared mobility (Uber, Ola, Shuttl) and furniture rental (Furlenco, Rentomojo.)

Why in News?

The shared economy in India is estimated to be an about $2 billion industry by the end of the current year, according to a recent report by Maple Capital Advisors.

India’s coal imports rise:

1. India’s thermal coal imports rose 12.6 percent to nearly 200 million tonnes in 2019. This is the second straight year of growth in shipments of the fuel👀
2. Imports of coking coal – used mainly in the manufacturing of steel – fell marginally, following two straight years of increase.

Key facts:

Coal is among the top five commodities imported by India, the world’s largest consumer, importer and producer of the fuel👀.

(Note: The topic is highly relevant for Prelims. Hence, it is advised to study in depth about Coal, various types, where they are found in India and other related facts.)

India and Bangladesh border:

Bangladesh and India share a 4,156-kilometre-long international border, the fifth-longest land border👀 in the world.

This includes 262 km in Assam, 856 km in Tripura, 180 km in Mizoram, 443 km in Meghalaya, and 2,217 km in West Bengal.

Why in News?

According to the recent government data, there has been no unusual increase in apprehension of illegal infiltrators along the Bangladesh border in 2019 compared to the trend observed in the past six years.

Gaur back in Valmiki Reserve:

Gaur (Bos Gaurus) have not only returned to Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR)👀, but are also breeding there due to an increase in grassland cover. They have been attracted to VTR due to the increase in grassland cover.

Key facts:

1. Gaur is the largest extant bovine in the world.
2. Gaur are grassland specialists👀 and their main food is grass.
3. Native to south and southeast Asia.
4. The species is listed as ‘vulnerable’ on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species since 1986.

About VTR:

VTR was set up in the early 1990s. It is spread over 899 square kilometres in Bihar’s West Champaran district, bordering Nepal’s Chitwan National Park to its north and Uttar Pradesh to its west.

‘United for Biodiversity’

The European Commission (EC)👀 has launched the ‘United for Biodiversity’👀 coalition.

It was launched on World Wildlife Day 2020- 3^rd March.

What is it?

1. The coalition is made up of zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, national parks, and natural history and science museums from around the world.
2. The coalition offers the opportunity for all such institutions to “join forces and boost public awareness about the nature crisis, ahead of the crucial COP-15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China👀 in October 2020.

A common pledge adopted:

The coalition adopted a common pledge, citing the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)👀 Global Assessment finding that one million species were already at risk of extinction, and appeals to visitors to each of their institutions to “raise their voice for nature.”

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS)

What is it?

Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) are a new class of engineered systems that integrate computation and physical processes in a dynamic environment. CPS encompasses technology areas of Cybernetics, Mechatronics, Design and Embedded systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI) among others.

About National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS):

To harness the potential of this new wave of technology and make India a leading player in CPS, the Union Cabinet approved the launch of National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS) in 2018👀

It had a total outlay of INR 3,660 crores for a period of five years.

YUva VIgyani KAryakram(YUVIKA):

Launched by Indian Space Research Organisation.

It is a special programme for School Children, in tune with the Government’s vision “Jai Vigyan, Jai Anusandhan”👀.

Aim: The Program is primarily aimed at imparting basic knowledge on Space Technology, Space Science and Space Applications to the younger ones with the intent of arousing their interest in the emerging areas of Space activities.

Participants: It is proposed to select 3 students each from each State/ Union Territory to participate in this programme covering CBSE, ICSE and State syllabus.

Eligibility: Those who have just completed 9th standard will be eligible for the online registration. The selection is based on the 8th Standard academic performance and extracurricular activities. Students belonging to the rural area have been given special weightage in the selection criteria. In case there is tie between the selected candidates, the younger candidates will be given priority.

Why in News?

ISRO has shortlisted 358 high school students from across the country to be part of this programme.

Forcible dispossession of a person’s property is a human rights violation:

The Supreme Court has reiterated that forcible dispossession of a person of his private property without due process of law is a violation of human rights.

In a recent judgment, the court stressed that right to property is both a human right and a constitutional right👀 — the latter under Article 300A of the Constitution.

Parliament passes amendment allowing Putin to stay in power:

• Constitutional changes allowing Vladimir Putin to run for President again in 2024 were passed recently in Russia’s lower house of Parliament.
• New amendments make way for Putin to potentially stay in power until 2036👀.
• Putin is currently required by the Constitution to step down in 2024 when his second sequential and fourth presidential term ends. But the amendment would formally reset his presidential term tally to zero.
• The “reset to zero” proposal would mean “removing the restriction for any person, any citizen, including the current president, and allowing them to take part in elections in the future, naturally in open and competitive elections”.

CRIME MULTI AGENCY CENTRE (Cri-MAC):

Union Home Minister👀 launched Crime Multi Agency Centre (Cri-MAC).

• Cri-MAC aims to share information between various police forces on heinous crimes👀.
• It is meant to share information on heinous crimes and other issues related to inter-state coordination. 

Only one white giraffe left in the world:

 Poachers have killed two extremely rare white giraffes in northeast Kenya, leaving just one such animal in the world.

Key facts:

• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) had classified giraffes as vulnerable👀 in the Red List in December 2016.
• They are listed under Appendix II👀 of the CITES.

Why is the white colour?

The white appearance of the giraffe is due to leucism,👀 a genetic condition that causes skin cells to have no pigmentation.

Leucism is different from albinism where no melanin is produced at all. 

India becomes first country to suspend visas of all foreign nationals:

• The Indian government has suspended visas for foreign nationals from all across the globe owing to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak👀. The decision will come into effect from March 13, 2020.
• India is the first 👀among more than 120 countries affected by this outbreak to take such a drastic step.
• The visa-free travel facility granted to Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card holders👀 has also been kept in abeyance till April 15, 2020.

Oculudentavis khaungraae:

• It is the smallest dinosaur discovered yet.
• The scientists found the fossilised skull of a dinosaur👀 — the size of a modern hummingbird — trapped in a 99-million-year-old amber in northern Myanmar.
• The fossil represented the smallest dinosaur from the Mesozoic era — about 250 million to 65 million years ago.

‘Restaurant’ for vultures in HP wild life sanctuary:

• It is a feeding station for vultures in the Pong Dam Lake Wild Life sanctuary in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh👀
• It has been set up as a part of state wildlife wing’s ongoing project to conserve the big scavenging bird in natural habitat, whose numbers showed a critical decline in the past decades in Indian sub-continent.
• Measuring 100 meters x 100 meters with seven feet high fencing at an open space in Suknara near Nagrota Surian in Pong wetland👀,the ‘Vulture Restaurant’ provides deskinned carcasses to vultures.
• There are seven species of vultures in the new world and 16 species in the old world that includes Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, etc. Out of 16 in the old world, eight species (including Himalayan Griffon, Eurasian Griffon) have been reported in Kangra district also.

PIB one line facts 

(Note: Many facts are being mentioned by various ministers at the ongoing session of the Parliament. So, in this section, we are trying to provide such one- line facts which are relevant mainly for Prelims.)

1. As per the recent report of National Family Health Survey (NFHS) –4 conducted by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare👀 in 2015-16, 9% women (15-49 years of age) are underweight👀(BMI less than 18.5 kg/m2).The top States having highest percentage of malnutrition among women are Jharkhand (31.5%) and Bihar (30.4%)👀.
2. The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing a centrally sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) Scheme👀 (erstwhile Integrated Child Protection Scheme) for supporting the children in difficult circumstances. CPS also provides for “After care” services after the age of 18 years to help sustain them during the transition from institutional to independent life.
3. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has various components Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), PMKSY –Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP)👀 including Command Area Development and Water Management (CADWM), Surface-Minor Irrigation (SMI) and Repair, Renovation and Restoration (RRR) of Water Bodies [Implemented by DoWR, RD & GR, MoJS],  PMKSY-Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) [Implemented by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare]👀 and PMKSY- Watershed Development Component(WDC) [Implemented by Department of Land Resources].
4. Water being a State subject,👀 initiatives on sustainable water management including conservation and water harvesting in the Country is primarily States’ responsibility.  
5. Schemes by various States in the field of water conservation/harvesting: ‘Mukhyamantri Jal Swavlamban Abhiyan’ in Rajasthan,‘Jalyukt Shibar’ in Maharashtra, ‘Sujalam Sufalam Abhiyan’👀 in Gujarat, ‘Mission Kakatiya’ in Telangana,Neeru Chettu’👀 in Andhra Pradesh, Jal Jeevan Hariyali 👀in Bihar, ‘Jal Hi Jeevan’👀 in Haryana among others.
6. Ministry of Tribal Affairs supports the proposals for construction of vocational training centres received from State Governments through Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution and under the scheme of Special Central Assistance to Tribal Sub-Scheme (SCA to TSS). These centres are managed by concerned State Governments only. 
7. Athena SWAN (Scientific Women’s Academic Network) is a charter established and managed by the UK Equality Challenge Unit in 2005 that recognises and celebrates good practices in higher education and research institutions towards the advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success for all.
8. Under Nidhi Rules, 2014, ‘Nidhi’ is a company which has been incorporated as a Nidhi with the object of cultivating the habit of thrift and saving amongst its members, receiving deposits from, and lending to, its members only, for their mutual benefit. Nidhi Company is a type of Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC)👀.

What is Dearness Allowance?

• Dearness allowance is a cost of living adjustment allowance👀 paid to government employees, public sector employees and pensioners and is calculated as a percentage of basic salary to mitigate the impact of inflation.
• It can be basically understood as a component of salary which is some fixed percentage of the basic salary, aimed at hedging the impact of inflation.

Bull and Bear Markets:

The terms bull and bear market are used to describe how stock markets are doing in general—that is, whether they are appreciating or depreciating in value. 

A bull market is a market that is on the rise and is economically sound👀, while a bear market is a market that is receding, where most stocks are declining in value👀.

What are blue chip stocks?

• Blue chip stocks are shares of very large and well-recognised companies👀 with a long history of sound financial performance👀.
• These stocks are known to have capabilities to endure tough market conditions and give high returns in good market conditions.
• Blue chip stocks generally cost high👀, as they have good reputation and are often market leaders in their respective industries. 

What is sepsis, a common cause of death from coronavirus?

• Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by the body’s immune system overreacting in response to an infection. This overactive, toxic response can lead to tissue damage, multiple organ failure and death.
• Viruses, bacteria, fungi or parasites — sepsis can be triggered by a variety of pathogens.
• The causes of sepsis are usually pneumonia, wound infections, urinary tract infections or infections in the abdominal cavity.
• Ebola and yellow fever viruses, dengue, swine flu or bird flu viruses can also cause sepsis.

What is Pi Day?

MARCH 14 is Pi Day, a celebration of the beloved constant pi. 

It is dedicated to pi, whose value up to five decimal places is 3.14159.

• The idea originated in the United States👀, where the convention is to write dates in a format that expresses March 14 as 3/14. These three digits match the value of pi up to two decimal places, at 3.14.
• Coincidentally, March 14 is also Albert Einstein’s birthday👀.
• By definition, pi is the ratio of the circumference of a circle — any circle — to its diameter. The ratio is always constant.
• Pi is also the area of a circle divided by the square of its radius — again a constant ratio for any circle. 

What is circuit breaker in stock market?

In June 2001, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) implemented index-based market-wide circuit breakers.

• Circuit breakers are triggered to prevent markets from crashing👀, which happens when market participants start to panic induced by fears that their stocks are overvalued and decide to sell their stocks.
  This index-based market-wide circuit breaker system applies at three stages of the index movement, at 10, 15 and 20 per cent.
• Implications: When triggered, these circuit breakers bring about a coordinated trading halt in all equity and equity derivative markets nationwide.

COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund:

The United Nations Foundation and the Swiss Philanthropy Foundation👀 have created the solidarity fund to support WHO and partners in a massive effort to help countries prevent, detect, and manage the novel coronavirus 👀– particularly those where the needs are the greatest.

What is Google subsidiary Verily?

• Verily is a subsidiary of Google’s parent company Alphabet “focused on life sciences and healthcare👀”.
• Launched in 2015, Verily claims its mission is to “make the world’s health data useful so that people enjoy healthier lives”.
• So it “develops tools and devices to collect, organise and activate health data”, and “creates interventions to prevent and manage disease”.

Why in News?

It is helping the US government develop a website “to determine whether a test is warranted and to facilitate testing at a nearby convenient location”.

The site will be part of Verily’s Project Baseline. Project Baseline was launched by Verily in 2017 “with the goal of bridging the gap between research and care”.

Herd immunity:

Herd immunity is when a large number of people are vaccinated against a disease👀, lowering the chances of others being infected by it. When a sufficient percentage of a population is vaccinated, it slows the spread of disease. It is also referred to as community immunity or herd protection👀.

Key characteristics:

• Herd protection of the unvaccinated occurs when a sufficient proportion of the group is immune.
• The decline of disease incidence is greater than the proportion of individuals immunized because vaccination reduces the spread of an infectious agent by reducing the amount and/or duration of pathogen shedding by vaccines, retarding transmission.

Why in News? The UK’s Chief Scientific Adviser has said a degree of herd immunity will help the UK population as Covid-19 spreads.

Stafford Act:

 US President Donald Trump has declared a national emergency in the country invoking the Stafford Act👀.

Key features:

• As per this act, the federal government contributes about 75% to the cost of relief for states👀.
• The Act authorises the President to provide financial and other assistance to local and state governments, certain private nonprofit organisations, and individuals following declaration as a Stafford Act Emergency (limited) or Major Disaster (more severe).

What is excise duty?

Excise duty refers to the taxes levied on the manufacture of goods within the country👀, as opposed to custom duty that is levied on goods coming from outside the country.

Not covered under GST: In July 2017 the Centre introduced GST that subsumed a number of indirect taxes including excise duty. This means excise duty, technically, does not exist in India except on a few items such as liquor and petroleum👀.

Key facts:

• For the items and services outside the purview of GST, excise duty is a form of indirect tax which is generally collected by a retailer or an intermediary from its consumers and then paid to the government.
• The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)👀 is responsible for collecting excise duty.
• The rates of Central Excise Duty are defined by the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985. 

Why in News?

The government has raised excise duty on petrol and diesel by ₹3 each to boost revenue collections taking advantage of the declining global crude oil price.

Who will represent Delhi Police?

The Central government has decided that the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi may, at his own discretion, appoint law officers to represent the Delhi Police and the NCR government before constitutional courts. The order was passed by the Union Home Ministry.

Boko Haram:

Who are they? Boko Haram is a violent Islamist insurgent group that has spread from northeast Nigeria👀 to neighbouring West African nations of Niger, Chad and Cameroon in the Lake Chad Basin.

Emergence: In the 2000s, Boko Haram emerged in Nigeria as a small Sunni Islamic sect advocating a strict interpretation and implementation of Islamic law. The group, officially called Jama’a Ahl as-Sunna Li-da’wa wa-al Jihad,👀 is more commonly known as Boko Haram, a nickname given by the country’s local Hausa-speaking population, because of the group’s call for rejection of Western education and culture that it viewed as un-Islamic—haram or forbidden—guided by Salafism, a conservative interpretation of Islam.

Emergency covid-19 fund for Saarc nations:

 PM Modi proposes emergency covid-19 fund for Saarc nations.

• It will be an emergency fund based on voluntary contributions from all SAARC members👀.
• India has already pledged $10 million towards this fund✌.

1. What is SAARC?

   The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.

   • The member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
   • It has a permanent secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal👀.
   • The organization was started to promote economic and cultural ties amongst its member states.

What is community transmission?

It is one of the levels of transmission defined by the World Health Organization (WHO)👀. Simply put, community transmission means that a virus is circulating in the community and can affect people with no history of travel to affected areas or of contact with an infected person.
Why in News?
India’s current emphasis on social distancing and discouragement of public gatherings is aimed at checking community transmission.

Categorisation of industries:

Industries are categorised based on their pollution load👀 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)👀.
Criteria: (MoEFCC) has developed the criteria of categorization of industrial sectors based on the Pollution Index👀 which is a function of the emissions (air pollutants), effluents (water pollutants), hazardous wastes generated and consumption of resources.
Categories:

1. Red category:Includes Cement industry, Petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, sugar, paper and pulp, nuclear power plants, organic chemicals, fertilizers, fire crackers.
2. Orange category:Includes coal washeries, glass manufacturing, paints, stone crushers, and aluminium and copper extraction from scrap.
3. Green category:Includes aluminium utensils, steel furniture, soap manufacturing and tea processing.
4. White category: Includes the industries that are “practically non-polluting”. These industries, like air cooler or air conditioning units, chalk factories, biscuit tray units, won’t need a green clearance enabling easier financing.
5. Industries scoring 60 and above on a scale of 1 to 100 have been rated red. An index between 41 and 59 earns an orange category, while a score between 21 and 40 gets a green. Pollution index lower than 20 have been rated white.

Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD):

LOCATION: Benishangul-Gumuz region, Ethiopia.

Formerly known as the Millennium Dam👀, is under construction in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia, on the Blue Nile River👀, which is located about 40km east of Sudan👀.

Why in News?

As the July deadline draws closer for the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the river Nile to become functional, the dispute between Ethiopia and Egypt👀, with Sudan caught in between, has escalated into a diplomatic stand-off. Differences were laid bare recently when Ethiopia skipped the latest round of tripartite negotiations with Egypt and Sudan in Washington, being mediated by the U.S. and the World Bank.

Country’s first women-only medical college:

Context: Symbiosis to set up country’s first women-only medical college👀

• It will be called the Symbiosis Medical College for Women (SMCW)👀.
• It will be the first medical college in the country to offer free medical education. 
• The college will be located at the campus of the Symbiosis International University at Lavale, Pune👀.

University for Peace (UPEACE):

• It is an intergovernmental organization with university status.
• Established by treaty at the United Nations General Assembly in 1980 and having its main campus in Costa Rica👀
• The University has the unique status of not only being a dedicated institution for higher education in Peace and Conflict studies, but also an international treaty body organization mandated by the United Nations General Assembly.

Article 80 of the Constitution of India:

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of Article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, President recently nominated Shri Ranjan Gogoi 👀to Council of States to fill the vacancy.

Pakke tiger reserve:

The Arunachal Pradesh government has decided to “keep in abeyance”👀 the survey work for a road 👀through the Pakke Tiger Reserve (PTR). 

A 40-km stretch of the East-West Industrial Corridor👀 road proposed to connect Seijosa in Pakke Kessang district and Bhalukpong in West Kameng district of the State passes👀 through PTR, a biodiversity hotspot of the eastern Himalayas.

Key facts:

1. Pakke Tiger Reserve is also known as Pakhui Tiger Reserve.
2. This Tiger Reserve has won India Biodiversity Award 2016👀 in the category of ‘Conservation of threatened species’👀 for its Hornbill Nest Adoption Programme.
3. It is bounded by Bhareli or Kameng River👀i n the west and north, and by Pakke River in the east.
4. Neighbours:Papum Reserve Forest in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam’s Nameri National Park, Doimara Reserve Forest and Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary.
5. The main perennial streams in the area are the Nameri, Khari and Upper Dikorai. West of Kameng River is Sessa Orchid Sanctuary.

Safe Hands Challenge:

It is a campaign launched by the World Health Organization👀 in the wake of 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic.

The campaign urges everyone to wash their hands regularly for 40 seconds👀 to keep themselves safe and prevent the transmission of disease.

Danube-Oder-Elbe Canal:

It intends to connect the Danube, Oder and Elbe rivers👀 and thus provide another navigable link from the Black Sea to the North and Baltic Seas.

Why in News? Environmental organisations from across central and eastern Europe are criticising this project. They say, the project, if constructed, would destroy the region’s river landscapes, in violation of EU environmental laws.

 Open market operations (OMO):

• Open market operations is the sale and purchase of government securities👀 and treasury bills by RBI or the central bank of the country.
• The objective of OMO is to regulate the money supply in the economy.
• RBI carries out the OMO through commercial banks and does not 👀directly deal with the public.

Defence Acquisition Council (DAC):

What is it? 

To counter corruption and speed up decision- making in military procurement👀, the government of India in 2001 decided to set up an integrated DAC. It is headed by the Defence Minister👀.

Objective: The objective of the DAC is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces, in terms of capabilities sought, and time frame prescribed, by optimally utilizing the allocated budgetary resources.

Functions: The DAC is responsible to give policy guidelines to acquisitions, based on long-term procurement plans. It also clears all acquisitions, which includes both imported and those produced indigenously or under a foreign license.

Navroz:

• Navroz is a 3,000-year-old Zoroastrian tradition👀, a ritual celebration that signals the start of Spring and the Persian new year👀.
• In 1079 AD, an Iranian king named Jalaluddin Malekshah👀 introduced the Navroz (New Year) festival to generate revenue and collect taxes from people👀.
• In India, the Parsi community👀, who follow Zoroastrianism, celebrate Navroz with full fervour.

What is Quorum?

“Quorum“-The minimum number of members required to be present at a sitting of the House or a Committee for valid transaction of its business, which is one-tenth of the total number of members of the House, as provided under article 100(3) of the Constitution.

UNEP Colombo Declaration 

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) member states recently adopted the “Colombo Declaration” which calls for tackling global nitrogen challenge👀.

How Nitrogen turned into pollutant from nutrient how it is affecting health and environment?

1. Nitrogen is an inert gas👀 that’s necessary for life. But we’re changing it into forms that are harmful, overloading the environment with it, and throwing the natural nitrogen cycle out of whack.
2. Nitrogen compounds running off farmland have led to water pollution problems around the world, while nitrogen emissions from industry, agriculture and vehicles make a big contribution to air pollution.
3. Over 80% of the nitrogen in soil is not utilised by humans👀. While over four-fifths of the nitrogen is used to feed livestock, only about six per cent reaches humans in case of non-vegetarian diet, as compared to the 20% that reaches the plate of a vegetarian.
4. Nitrogen becomes a pollutant when it escapes into the environment and reacts with other organic compounds👀. It is either released into the atmosphere, gets dissolved in water sources such as rivers, lakes or groundwater, or remains in the soil. While it might lead to favourable growth of species that can utilise this nutrient, nitrogen as a pollutant is often detrimental to the environment and health.
5. According to the World Health Organization, nitrate-contaminated drinking water can cause reduced blood function, cancer and endemic goiters👀. Surplus inputs of nitrogen compounds have been found to cause soil acidification.

About GAZA:

The Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea👀. It borders Egypt on the southwest👀 and Israel on the east and north👀. Gaza and the West Bank are claimed by the State of Palestine👀.

What is Devonian period?

It is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic👀, spanning 60 million years from the end of the Silurian, 419.2 million years ago, to the beginning of the Carboniferous, 358.9 Mya.

Key features:

• It is named after Devon, England, where rocks from this period👀 were first studied.
• The first significant adaptive radiation of life on dry land occurred during the Devonian.
• Free-sporing vascular plants began to spread across dry land, forming extensive forests which covered the continents.
• By the end of the period the first seed-bearing plants appeared👀.
• Various terrestrial arthropods also became well-established.
• Fish reached substantial diversity during this time, leading the Devonian to often be dubbed the Age of Fishes.
• The ancestors of all four-limbed vertebrates (tetrapods)👀 began adapting to walking on land, as their strong pectoral and pelvic fins gradually evolved into legs.
• The first ammonites,👀 species of molluscs, appeared.
• The palaeogeography was dominated by the supercontinent of Gondwana to the south👀, the continent of Siberia to the north👀, and the early formation of the small continent of Euramerica👀 in between.

CARISSA KOPILII:

Why in News? The Carissa kopilii is threatened by the very river it is named after — Kopili in central Assam👀. It is a distant cousin of multi- utility wild berry.

Properties: It has medicinal and utilitarian properties.

Reasons: a hydroelectric project on the river and water turned acidic because of coal mining in Meghalaya upstream👀.

Distribution: The “sun-loving” plant is distributed sparsely, rooted in rocky crevices along the Kopili riverbed at altitudes ranging from 85-600 metres above sea level.

Rushikulya rookery coast:

Gahirmatha marine sanctuary and Rushikulya rookery coast in Ganjam district👀 are main Olive Ridley👀Nesting sites in Odisha. Of these sites, Gahirmatha marine sanctuary is largest rookery👀 (mass nesting site) of Olive Ridley turtles👀.

Olive Ridley is listed as Vulnerable👀 under IUCN Red List.

Reunion Island:

India and France👀, For the first time, have conducted joint patrols from the Reunion Island👀.

India has so far carried out Coordinated Patrols (CORPAT) only with maritime neighbours and had rejected a similar offer by the US.

Reunion is an overseas department and region of the French Republic👀 and an island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and 175 km southwest of Mauritius👀.

What is Adjournment, Prorogation and Dissolution of the Lok Sabha?

1. An adjournment terminates the sitting of the House which meets again at the time appointed for the next sitting👀.  An adjournment also signifies brief break of the sitting of the House which re-assembles at the appointed time on the same day.
2. Prorogation means the termination of a session of the House by an order made by the President👀 under article 85(2)(a) of the Constitution. Usually, prorogation follows the adjournment of the sitting of the House sine die.
3. Dissolution of the House means the end of the life of the Lok Sabha either by an order made by the President under article 85 (2) (b) of the Constitution or on the expiration of the period of five years from the date appointed for its first meeting.

Yakshagana:

 More than 900 Yakshagana scripts, including the ones printed in 1905 and 1907, have now been digitised👀 and made available online for free, thanks to the voluntary community effort by some Yakshagana lovers who did it under the banner Yakshavahini, a registered trust.

Key facts:

1. Yakshagana is a traditional theatre form of Karnataka👀.
2. It is a temple art form that depicts mythological stories and Puranas.
3. It is performed with massive headgears, elaborate facial make-up and vibrant costumes and ornaments.
4. Usually recited in Kannada, it is also performed in Malayalam as well as Tulu (the dialect of south Karnataka)👀.
5. It is performed with percussion instruments like chenda, maddalam, jagatta or chengila (cymbals) and chakratala or elathalam (small cymbals).

What is Parole?

Parole is a system of releasing a prisoner with suspension of the sentence. The release is conditional, usually subject to behaviour, and requires periodic reporting to the authorities for a set period of time.

• How is it different from Furlough? Furlough is given in case of long-term imprisonment. While furlough is seen as a matter of right, to be granted periodically irrespective of any reason and merely to enable the prisoner to retain family and social ties, parole is not a matter of right and may be denied to a prisoner even when he makes out a sufficient case.
• Granting authority:Parole and furlough are covered under the Prison Act of 1894👀.Since prison is a subject of the state👀, the Prison Act of the particular state government defines the rules under which parole is granted. Parole is granted by the state executive. If parole is rejected, the convict can move the High Court challenging the order of the competent authority. Also, apart from regular parole, the superintendent of a jail can also grant parole up to a period of seven days in emergent cases.

Why in News? The Supreme Court has asked the State governments to consider giving parole to those facing up to seven-year jail term in a bid to decongest prisons on account of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Hindu New Year:

1. Andhra Pradesh and Telangana: Ugadi.
2. Karnataka: Yugadi /Ugadi.
3. Maharashtra: Gudi Padwa.
4. Sindhis: Cheti Chand.
5. Manipuris: Sajibu Cheiraoba.
6. Hindus of Bali and Indonesia also celebrate their new year on the same day as Nyepi.

What is hantavirus?

Case of hantavirus in Yunnan province of China.

Key facts:

• The hantaviruses are a family of viruses spread mainly by rodents. A person can get infected if he/she comes in contact with a rodent that carries the virus.
• It remains unclear whether human-to-human transmission of the virus is possible.
• A person infected with the virus may show symptoms within the first to eighth week after they have been exposed to fresh urine, faeces or the saliva of infected rodents.
• Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, muscle aches, headaches, chills and abdominal problems. Four to ten after being infected, late symptoms of HPS may start to appear, which include coughing and shortness of breath.

About the National Cente for Disease Control:

• The NCDC is an institute under the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare👀.
• It was previously known as the National Institute of Communicable Diseases👀.
• The institute engages in research, and it has several sections and laboratories dealing with different communicable diseases.

National Testing Agency:

In pursuance of the Budget Announcement 2017-18, the Union Cabinet, in November 2017, approved creation👀 of the National Testing Agency (NTA) as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country👀.

Constitution: 

NTA will be chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by MHRD.

The CEO will be the Director General to be appointed by the Government.

There will be a Board of Governors comprising members from user institutions.

The Director General will be assisted by 9 verticals headed by academicians/ experts.

Finances: NTA will be given a one-time grant of Rs.25 crore from the Government of India👀 to start its operation in the first year. Thereafter, it will be financially self-sustainable.

What is a Cantonment Board?

A Cantonment Board is a body corporate under the Cantonments Act, 2006👀 having perpetual succession.

As per Section 10(2) of the Act, every Cantonment Board is deemed to be a municipality under clause (e) of article 243P of the Constitution for the purpose of:

1. Receiving grants and allocations; or
2. Implementing the Central Government schemes of social sector, public health, hygiene, safety, water supply, sanitation, urban renewal and education.

How are they administered?

The overall municipal administration of the Cantt areas comes under Cantonment Boards which are democratic bodies.

Difference between Cantonments and Military Stations:

Cantonments are different from the Military Stations in that the Military Stations are purely meant for the use and accommodation of the armed forces and these are established under an executive order👀 whereas the Cantonments are areas which comprise of both military and civil population👀.

What is Force Majeure?

Indian Railways👀 has decided that the period from 22.03.2020 to 14.04.2020 shall be treated under “Force Majeure”👀.

During this period no demurrage, wharfage, stacking, stabling, detention and ground usage charge shall be leviable.

What is it? A force majeure (FM) means extraordinary events or circumstance beyond human control such as an event described as an Act of God (like a natural calamity).

What is Ossification test?

It is the primary test for age determination👀.

Human bones are remodelled and new layer of bone material is laid by a process called ossification👀 (or osteogenesis). Based upon this phenomenon, ossification test is carried out.

Under Indian law: Courts have held that medical opinion based upon ossification test is merely an expert opinion under the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. Therefore, it cannot be binding upon courts. In State of Madhya Pradesh v. Anoop Singh, court held that the ossification test is not sole criteria for determination of age👀.

Other key facts:

• This test only tells the ‘estimated’ age👀 of a person and not the exact age.
• The test is not useful when a person has crossed 25-27 years of age👀. This is primarily because nearly all the bones are completely ossified and the skeletal growth ceases by the age of 25 years.

Why in News?

Over a month after a boy was charged with rioting and arrested by police during the communal violence in north-east Delhi and subsequently sent to Mandoli jail, a Delhi court granted him bail recently following results of the bone ossification test confirming he is a minor.

Indian Scientists’ Response to CoViD-19 (ISRC):

• It is a voluntary group of scientists who regularly discuss the rapidly evolving situation with its dire need for science communication.
• With nearly 200 members, the group has scientists from institutions such as the NCBS, the IISc, the TIFR, the IITs, the IISERs and many others.
• The group aims to study existing and available data to bring out analyses that will support the Central, State and local governments in carrying out their tasks.
• This platform works through two channels — phone and WhatsApp to connect people in need with those who can provide help.

Arr-Rinam:

• It is a tribal lockdown ritual observed in Arunachal Pradesh👀.
• It is the Galo equivalent of lockdown imposed by consensus for 48 hours whenever an epidemic strikes👀.
• It has been imposed now on account of COVID- 19 spread.
• It was last performed almost four decades ago when a water-borne disease had affected many members of the community.
• The Adi community👀 inhabiting East Siang and Lower Dibang Valley districts too performed a similar ritual called Motor👀 that they believe lets shamans with legendary powers to locate wild herbs to combat an epidemic.

SOLIDARITY trial:

• World Health Organization (WHO)👀 announced a large global trial, called SOLIDARITY👀, to find out whether any can treat infections with the new coronavirus for the dangerous respiratory disease.
• The study has been designed to generate the robust data needed to show which treatments are the most effective.
• India has volunteered to participate in this trial.
• Many countries, including Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, France, Iran, Norway, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, and Thailand, have already confirmed that they will join the solidarity trial.
• The Solidarity Trial will test four different drugs or combinations —remdesivir👀a combination of two drugs, lopinavir and ritonavir👀, the two drugs plus interferon beta, and chloroquine👀— and will compare their effectiveness to what is called standard of care, the regular support hospitals treating COVID-19 patients use now.

WHO has also created a Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund👀, to help provide protective equipment for front-line health workers, equip diagnostic laboratories, improve surveillance and data collection and take other critical steps to scale up the public health response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Operation Namaste”:

Indian Army launched👀 “Operation Namaste” to contain the spread of Corona Virus in the country.

Under the operation, the army will help the Government of India fight against the deadly disease.

Under the operation, Indian Army has established 8 quarantine👀 so far. Also, Command wise help line numbers have been established.

Facilities for the families of the army men have been arranged to visit nearest camps in case of emergency while they are away serving the country.

Mo Jiban:

It is a new programme launched by Odisha Government👀, under which people of the State have to take a resolute vow to stay home and not to go outside during the lockdown period to remain safe from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Fight Corona IDEAthon:

It is a 2-day online event.

• It was organized to search for accessible and affordable technological solutions that can contain the rapid spread of infection, ease the mounting pressure and ensure a quick return to normalcy.
• The initiative was jointly organised by MHRD Innovation Cell, AICTE, MEITY Startup Hub, InnovatioCuris and other institutions of global and national prominence.

The focus area of the IDEAthon was:

1. designing reusable/washable masks.
2. system to disinfect currency notes/coins.
3. a non-invasive diagnostic kit.
4. Storage Kits to collect test samples from homes.

Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization:

• It is a department under Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade👀 under Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• It is a regulatory authority with autonomous status. 
• It was established during the British India in 1890s as Department of Explosives👀 and later expanded to various other activities.
• As a statutory authority, PESO is entrusted with the responsibilities under the Explosives Act, 1884; Petroleum Act, 1934; Inflammable Substances Act, 1952, Environment (Protection Act), 1986.

Why in News? Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization takes various measures to address the problems faced by Petroleum, Explosives, Oxygen and Industrial Gas Industries.

Himalayan Ibex:

A recent study by scientists of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) has proved that Himalayan Ibex, distributed in the trans-Himalayan ranges of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, is a distinct species👀 from the Siberian Ibex.

• To unravel the complexity in species recognition of Indian Ibex, the researchers, under a project funded through the National Mission on Himalayan Studies  implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change👀, undertook field surveys and collected faecal samples from Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh👀.

Key findings:

• The latest genetic analysis provided first evidence to claim that Himalayan Ibex is genetically different from all other ranges of Siberian Ibex👀.
• The results of the genetic analysis surprisingly revealed that I-T clade (referred to as Siberian Ibex)👀 was estimated to have diverged from Alpine Ibex during the Pleistocene epoch (2.4 million years ago) than the Siberian Ibex during the Miocene-Pliocene boundary (6.6 million years ago).

About Siberian Ibex:

• It is a species of wild goat👀 and is distributed in diverse habitats, ranging from cold deserts, rocky outcrops, steep terrain, high-land flats and mountain ridges to low mountains and foothills.
• Siberian ibex is a polytypic species, plausibly formed by lumping of at least 2 species and or 3 to 4 sub-species.
• IUCN status: Least concern.

Distribution:

• From Mongolia, its distribution extends towards Altai, Hangai, Gobi-Altai, the Hurukh mountain ranges as well as Sayan Mountains near Russia and scattered populations in the small mountains of Trans-Altai Gobi.
• In Asia, Ibex is distributed in the Montane habitats, ranging in elevations from 500 m to 6,700 m in countries like India, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Southern Siberia and China.
• In India, the Ibex is distributed mainly in the trans-Himalayan ranges of the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh up to the river Sutlej.

National Executive Committee:

The Disaster Management Act, 2005👀, under Section 8 enjoins the Central Government to Constitute a National Executive Committee (NEC) to assist the National Disaster Management Authority👀.

Composition: The Home secretary serving as the Chairperson, ex officio. The Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, is an ex officio member.

Functions: The NEC under section of the Act is responsible for the preparation of the National Disaster Management Plan for the whole country and to ensure that it is “reviewed and updated annually”.

Exercise Red Flag:

• The U.S. Air Force has cancelled Phase-I👀 of its flagship multilateral air exercise, Red Flag, scheduled in Alaska👀 from April 30.
• The Indian Air Force (IAF) was to take part in the exercise with its Sukhoi Su-30 fighter jets.

Key facts:

• Exercise Red Flag is a two-week advanced aerial combat training exercise held several times a year by the United States Air Force👀. It aims to offer realistic air-combat training for military pilots and other flight crew members from the United States and allied countries.
• Only countries considered friendly towards the United States take part in Red Flag exercises.

PM- CARES fund:

 PM Narendra Modi announces PM-CARES fund to fight coronavirus outbreak.

PM- CARES fund stands for Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund👀.

• It is a public charitable trust.
• Contributions by corporates to this fund will be considered as social welfare spending under the companies law.
• It will be an emergency situation fund. This Fund will also cater to similar distressing situations, if they occur in the times ahead.

How will the fund be administered?

The prime minister is the chairman of the new public charitable trust, its members include the defence minister, home minister and the finance minister.

What is Community Reserves?

Conservation reserves and community reserves in India are terms denoting protected areas of India👀 which typically act as buffer zones to or connectors and migration corridors between established national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserved and protected forests of India.

• Such areas are designated as conservation areas if they are uninhabited and completely owned by the Government of India👀 but used for subsistence by communities and community areas if part of the lands are privately owned.
• These protected area categories were first introduced in the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002 👀− the amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.
• These categories were added because of reduced protection in and around existing or proposed protected areas due to private ownership of land, and land use.

Sections 269 and 270 of the IPC:

• Sections 269 & 270 IPC are being invoked against persons who malignantly do any act which is likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life👀.
• Sections 269 (negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life)👀 and 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life)👀 come under Chapter XIV of the IPC.
• While Section 269 provides for a jail term of six months and/or fine, Section 270 provides for a jail term of two years and/or fine.
• In Section 270, the word ‘malignantly’ indicates a deliberate intention on the part of the accused.

                       Thank you for your kind attention

                      Good luck & Stay Strong always!!!✌