#Bugyals
Bugyals are high altitude alpine grasslands or medows in Uttarakhand (at an elevation between 3400m and 4000 m).
These are referred as ‘nature’s own gardens’. The topography of the terrain is either flat or sloped. The surface of these bugyals is covered with natural green grass and seasonal flowers. They are used by tribal herdsmen to graze their cattle.
During the winter season the alpine meadows remain snow- covered.
Bugyals have a very fragile ecosystem.
#Van_Gujjars
They are a nomadic tribe of pastoralists who dwell in the Himalayan region.
Van Gujjars pursue seasonal migration from the Terai-Bhabar and Siwalik region of Uttarakhand to the higher bugyals in the Western Himalayas in summer and vice versa in winter.
The Forest Rights Act (FRA) has ensured that even pastoralists possess rights to access grazing pastures in lieu of the Community Forest Resource right they are eligible for, which applies for Van Gujjars
#Pobitora_Wildlife_Sanctuary—Assam
It is situated in the flood plains of River Brahmaputra.
It harbors the highest density of Rhino in the world and second highest concentration of Rhino in Assam after Kaziranga National Park.
It is often called 'Mini Kaziranga' due to similar landscape and vegetation.
The natural boundary of the wildlife sanctuary is the Garanga Beel on the south and the river Brahmaputra on the North.
About 72% of Pobitora Sanctuary consists of wet savannah of Arundo donax and Saccharum. The remaining area is covered by water bodies.
Water hyacinth (an invasive aquatic plant) is a major problem to the area especially to waterfowl, as it forms thick mats on the water surface.
#Greater_One_Horned_Rhinoceros
Vulnerable
Schedule I, WPA, 1971
Appendix I of CITES
The Greater One-Horned Rhino is one among the five different species of Rhino. The other four are:
Black Rhino: Smaller of the two African species.
White Rhino: Recently, researchers have created an embryo of the northern white rhino by using In vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.
Javan Rhino: Critically endangered
Sumatran Rhino: Recently gone extinct in Malaysia.
There are three species of rhino in Asia—Greater one-horned (Rhinoceros unicornis), Javan and Sumatran.
Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in India.
It is the largest of the rhino species.
It is identified by a single black horn about 8-25 inches long and a grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives it an armor-plated appearance.
They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.
It lives in northern India and southern Nepal, in riverine (floodplain) grasslands and adjacent woodland.
They are semi-aquatic and often take up residence in swamps, forests and riversides, and anywhere that is near nutritious mineral licks.
#Pre_Revision
Bugyals are high altitude alpine grasslands or medows in Uttarakhand (at an elevation between 3400m and 4000 m).
These are referred as ‘nature’s own gardens’. The topography of the terrain is either flat or sloped. The surface of these bugyals is covered with natural green grass and seasonal flowers. They are used by tribal herdsmen to graze their cattle.
During the winter season the alpine meadows remain snow- covered.
Bugyals have a very fragile ecosystem.
#Van_Gujjars
They are a nomadic tribe of pastoralists who dwell in the Himalayan region.
Van Gujjars pursue seasonal migration from the Terai-Bhabar and Siwalik region of Uttarakhand to the higher bugyals in the Western Himalayas in summer and vice versa in winter.
The Forest Rights Act (FRA) has ensured that even pastoralists possess rights to access grazing pastures in lieu of the Community Forest Resource right they are eligible for, which applies for Van Gujjars
#Pobitora_Wildlife_Sanctuary—Assam
It is situated in the flood plains of River Brahmaputra.
It harbors the highest density of Rhino in the world and second highest concentration of Rhino in Assam after Kaziranga National Park.
It is often called 'Mini Kaziranga' due to similar landscape and vegetation.
The natural boundary of the wildlife sanctuary is the Garanga Beel on the south and the river Brahmaputra on the North.
About 72% of Pobitora Sanctuary consists of wet savannah of Arundo donax and Saccharum. The remaining area is covered by water bodies.
Water hyacinth (an invasive aquatic plant) is a major problem to the area especially to waterfowl, as it forms thick mats on the water surface.
#Greater_One_Horned_Rhinoceros
Vulnerable
Schedule I, WPA, 1971
Appendix I of CITES
The Greater One-Horned Rhino is one among the five different species of Rhino. The other four are:
Black Rhino: Smaller of the two African species.
White Rhino: Recently, researchers have created an embryo of the northern white rhino by using In vitro Fertilization (IVF) process.
Javan Rhino: Critically endangered
Sumatran Rhino: Recently gone extinct in Malaysia.
There are three species of rhino in Asia—Greater one-horned (Rhinoceros unicornis), Javan and Sumatran.
Only the Great One-Horned Rhino is found in India.
It is the largest of the rhino species.
It is identified by a single black horn about 8-25 inches long and a grey-brown hide with skin folds, which gives it an armor-plated appearance.
They primarily graze, with a diet consisting almost entirely of grasses as well as leaves, branches of shrubs and trees, fruit, and aquatic plants.
It lives in northern India and southern Nepal, in riverine (floodplain) grasslands and adjacent woodland.
They are semi-aquatic and often take up residence in swamps, forests and riversides, and anywhere that is near nutritious mineral licks.
#Pre_Revision
#Horticulture_Cluster_Developmen_Programme (CDP)
It is a central sector programme implemented by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
The programme aims at growing and developing identified horticulture clusters to make them globally competitive.
#National_Horticulture_Board (NHB)
It was set up in 1984 on the basis of recommendations of the "Group on Perishable Agricultural Commodities", headed by Dr M. S. Swaminathan.
Headquartered at Gurugram.
#Mission_for_Integrated_Development_of_Horticulture (MIDH)
Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables and other areas.
Under MIDH, Government of India contributes 60% of the total outlay for developmental programmes in all the states (except North Eastern and Himalayan states where GOI contributes 90%) & 40% is contributed by State governments.
It has five major schemes on horticulture-
National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH)
National Horticulture Board (NHB)
Coconut Development Board (CDB)
Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), Nagaland
#Nano_Urea_Liquid
It is a nutrient to provide nitrogen to plants as an alternative to the conventional urea.
The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has launched the Nano Urea Liquid.It is the world’s first nano liquid urea.
It is developed to replace conventional urea and it can curtail the requirement of the same by at least 50%.
It contains 40,000 ppm of nitrogen in a 500 ml bottle which is equivalent to the impact of nitrogen nutrient provided by one bag of conventional urea.
The conventional urea is effective 30-40 per cent in delivering nitrogen to plants, while the effectiveness of the Nano Urea Liquid is over 80 per cent.
#Pre_Revision
It is a central sector programme implemented by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
The programme aims at growing and developing identified horticulture clusters to make them globally competitive.
#National_Horticulture_Board (NHB)
It was set up in 1984 on the basis of recommendations of the "Group on Perishable Agricultural Commodities", headed by Dr M. S. Swaminathan.
Headquartered at Gurugram.
#Mission_for_Integrated_Development_of_Horticulture (MIDH)
Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables and other areas.
Under MIDH, Government of India contributes 60% of the total outlay for developmental programmes in all the states (except North Eastern and Himalayan states where GOI contributes 90%) & 40% is contributed by State governments.
It has five major schemes on horticulture-
National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
Horticulture Mission for North East and Himalayan States (HMNEH)
National Horticulture Board (NHB)
Coconut Development Board (CDB)
Central Institute of Horticulture (CIH), Nagaland
#Nano_Urea_Liquid
It is a nutrient to provide nitrogen to plants as an alternative to the conventional urea.
The Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO) has launched the Nano Urea Liquid.It is the world’s first nano liquid urea.
It is developed to replace conventional urea and it can curtail the requirement of the same by at least 50%.
It contains 40,000 ppm of nitrogen in a 500 ml bottle which is equivalent to the impact of nitrogen nutrient provided by one bag of conventional urea.
The conventional urea is effective 30-40 per cent in delivering nitrogen to plants, while the effectiveness of the Nano Urea Liquid is over 80 per cent.
#Pre_Revision
#Litoria_Mira
It is a species of frog lives in the rainforests of New Guinea that appears to be made from chocolate.
It has a well-known relative i.e. the common green tree frog of Australia called Litoria cerulean.
It can be distinguished from all other Litoria by its unique combination of moderately large size, webbing on hand, relatively short and robust limbs, and small violet patch of skin on the edge of its eyes.
The reason that the chocolate frog from New Guinea and the Australian green tree frog are similar is that Australia and New Guinea used to be linked by land for much of the late Tertiary period.
It was discovered in one of the world’s most unpleasant places for humans i.e. a hot rainforest swamp infested with malarial mosquitoes, spiky trees and crocodiles and without roads.
#Aparanta
Aparanta was a geographical region of ancient India. It corresponded to the northern part of the Konkan region on the western coast of India.
It was a bone of contention between the sakas and the satavahanas and is mentioned in Nasik inscription of Gautami Balasri.
According to Mahavamsa, the third Buddhist council deputed Great elder Dharmarakshita to do missionary work in Aparanta region.
#AmbiTag
It is an Internet of Things (IoT) device which records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood.
The device has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub – AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub), a Govt of India project and it’s Startup ScratchNest.
It continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge.
The recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation.
#FICCI
It is the largest and oldest apex business organization in India, established in 1927.
It is a non-government, not-for-profit organization.
It is the first port of call for Indian industry, policy makers and the international business community.
#Pre_Revision
It is a species of frog lives in the rainforests of New Guinea that appears to be made from chocolate.
It has a well-known relative i.e. the common green tree frog of Australia called Litoria cerulean.
It can be distinguished from all other Litoria by its unique combination of moderately large size, webbing on hand, relatively short and robust limbs, and small violet patch of skin on the edge of its eyes.
The reason that the chocolate frog from New Guinea and the Australian green tree frog are similar is that Australia and New Guinea used to be linked by land for much of the late Tertiary period.
It was discovered in one of the world’s most unpleasant places for humans i.e. a hot rainforest swamp infested with malarial mosquitoes, spiky trees and crocodiles and without roads.
#Aparanta
Aparanta was a geographical region of ancient India. It corresponded to the northern part of the Konkan region on the western coast of India.
It was a bone of contention between the sakas and the satavahanas and is mentioned in Nasik inscription of Gautami Balasri.
According to Mahavamsa, the third Buddhist council deputed Great elder Dharmarakshita to do missionary work in Aparanta region.
#AmbiTag
It is an Internet of Things (IoT) device which records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood.
The device has been developed under Technology Innovation Hub – AWaDH (Agriculture and Water Technology Development Hub), a Govt of India project and it’s Startup ScratchNest.
It continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from -40 to +80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge.
The recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation.
#FICCI
It is the largest and oldest apex business organization in India, established in 1927.
It is a non-government, not-for-profit organization.
It is the first port of call for Indian industry, policy makers and the international business community.
#Pre_Revision
#H10N3-- #bird_flu_or_avian_flu
Infected birds shed avian flu in their saliva, mucus, and poop, and humans can get infected when enough of the virus gets in the eyes, nose, or mouth, or is inhaled from infected droplets or dust.
H10N3 is a low pathogenic or relatively less severe strain of the virus in poultry and the risk of it spreading on a large scale is very low.
Mass outbreaks in humans are rare. The last human epidemic of bird flu in China occurred in late 2016 to 2017, with the H7N9 virus.
H5N8 is a subtype of the Influenza A virus (also known as the bird flu virus). While H5N8 only presents a low risk to humans, it is highly lethal to wild birds and poultry.
In April, a highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu was found in wild birds in northeast China’s Shenyang city.
Classification:
Influenza viruses are classified into subtypes based on two surface proteins, Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA). For example, a virus that has an HA 7 protein and NA 9 protein is designated as subtype H7N9.
#e_Gopala_App (Generation of wealth through Productive Livestock)
It is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.
It provides platform to farmers in the country for managing livestock including
Buying and selling of disease free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc)
Availability of quality breeding services (Artificial Insemination, veterinary first aid, vaccination, treatment etc)
Guide farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate ayurvedic medicine/ethno veterinary medicine.
There is a mechanism to send alert (on due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving etc) and inform farmers about various government schemes.
#Sustainable_Alternative_Towards_Affordable_Transportation (SATAT)
It is an initiative aimed at setting up of Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and make it available in the market for use in automotive fuels by inviting Expression of Interest from potential entrepreneurs.
The initiative was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in association with Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) viz. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
The scheme envisages to target production of 15 MMT of CBG from 5000 plants by 2023
#Pre_Revision
Infected birds shed avian flu in their saliva, mucus, and poop, and humans can get infected when enough of the virus gets in the eyes, nose, or mouth, or is inhaled from infected droplets or dust.
H10N3 is a low pathogenic or relatively less severe strain of the virus in poultry and the risk of it spreading on a large scale is very low.
Mass outbreaks in humans are rare. The last human epidemic of bird flu in China occurred in late 2016 to 2017, with the H7N9 virus.
H5N8 is a subtype of the Influenza A virus (also known as the bird flu virus). While H5N8 only presents a low risk to humans, it is highly lethal to wild birds and poultry.
In April, a highly pathogenic H5N6 avian flu was found in wild birds in northeast China’s Shenyang city.
Classification:
Influenza viruses are classified into subtypes based on two surface proteins, Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA). For example, a virus that has an HA 7 protein and NA 9 protein is designated as subtype H7N9.
#e_Gopala_App (Generation of wealth through Productive Livestock)
It is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for direct use of farmers.
It provides platform to farmers in the country for managing livestock including
Buying and selling of disease free germplasm in all forms (semen, embryos, etc)
Availability of quality breeding services (Artificial Insemination, veterinary first aid, vaccination, treatment etc)
Guide farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate ayurvedic medicine/ethno veterinary medicine.
There is a mechanism to send alert (on due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving etc) and inform farmers about various government schemes.
#Sustainable_Alternative_Towards_Affordable_Transportation (SATAT)
It is an initiative aimed at setting up of Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and make it available in the market for use in automotive fuels by inviting Expression of Interest from potential entrepreneurs.
The initiative was launched in 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in association with Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) viz. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
The scheme envisages to target production of 15 MMT of CBG from 5000 plants by 2023
#Pre_Revision
#State_of_Finance_for_Nature_Report
It was jointly produced by the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Economic Forum and the Economics of Land Degradation.
Its purpose is to provide up-to-date information about public and private sector finance that is channelled to activities and assets that can be considered nature based solutions(NbS) and to present estimates of the future needs.
The public funds make up 86 per cent and private finance 14 per cent of these investments.
The public sector spending for the same is dominated by the United States and China, followed by Japan, Germany and Australia.
The countries such as Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia are likely spending large amounts of money too, but they do not report internationally comparable data.
#Protected_Planet_Report
It was issued by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with support from the National Geographic Society,a global non-profit.
These are biennial landmark publications that assess the state of protected and conserved areas around the world.
The report is the first in the series to include data on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) in addition to protected areas.
#Roadmap_to_Net_Zero_by_2050— report by International Energy Agency (IEA)
#International_Energy_Agency (IEA)
The IEA was founded in 1974 by industrialised countries within the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in response to the oil embargo.
The countries seeking to become members of the IEA must also be members of the OECD.
In addition, the country must demonstrate several requirements such as:
Crude oil and/or product reserves equivalent to 90 days of the previous year’s net imports, to which the government has immediate access;
A demand restraint programme to reduce national oil consumption by up to 10%;
Legislation and organisation to operate the Co-ordinated Emergency Response Measures (CERM) on a national basis;
Legislation and measures to ensure that all oil companies under its jurisdiction report information upon request;
Measures in place to ensure the capability of contributing its share of an IEA collective action.
The IEA’s founding members were Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
They were followed by Greece, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, Finland, France, Hungary, Czech Republic, Republic of Korea, Slovak Republic, Poland, Estonia and Mexico.
#Pre_Revision
It was jointly produced by the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Economic Forum and the Economics of Land Degradation.
Its purpose is to provide up-to-date information about public and private sector finance that is channelled to activities and assets that can be considered nature based solutions(NbS) and to present estimates of the future needs.
The public funds make up 86 per cent and private finance 14 per cent of these investments.
The public sector spending for the same is dominated by the United States and China, followed by Japan, Germany and Australia.
The countries such as Brazil, India and Saudi Arabia are likely spending large amounts of money too, but they do not report internationally comparable data.
#Protected_Planet_Report
It was issued by UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with support from the National Geographic Society,a global non-profit.
These are biennial landmark publications that assess the state of protected and conserved areas around the world.
The report is the first in the series to include data on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) in addition to protected areas.
#Roadmap_to_Net_Zero_by_2050— report by International Energy Agency (IEA)
#International_Energy_Agency (IEA)
The IEA was founded in 1974 by industrialised countries within the framework of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in response to the oil embargo.
The countries seeking to become members of the IEA must also be members of the OECD.
In addition, the country must demonstrate several requirements such as:
Crude oil and/or product reserves equivalent to 90 days of the previous year’s net imports, to which the government has immediate access;
A demand restraint programme to reduce national oil consumption by up to 10%;
Legislation and organisation to operate the Co-ordinated Emergency Response Measures (CERM) on a national basis;
Legislation and measures to ensure that all oil companies under its jurisdiction report information upon request;
Measures in place to ensure the capability of contributing its share of an IEA collective action.
The IEA’s founding members were Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.
They were followed by Greece, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, Finland, France, Hungary, Czech Republic, Republic of Korea, Slovak Republic, Poland, Estonia and Mexico.
#Pre_Revision
#IPO_grey_market
An IPO grey market is an unofficial market where IPO shares or applications are bought and sold before they become available for trading on the stock market.
The IPO grey market is an unofficial market that performs outside SEBI’s purview.
#Kostak_rate
It relates to an IPO application. So, the rate at which an investor buys an IPO application before the listing is termed the Kostak rate.
#UN_Special_Rapporteurs
They are independent experts working on behalf of the United Nations. They work on a country or a thematic mandate specified by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
They have mandates to report and advise on human rights (civil, cultural, economic, political, and social) from a thematic or country-specific perspective.
Rapporteurs do not receive any financial compensation for their work from the United Nations.
#Sinovac_Vaccine
It is an inactivated vaccine.
It works by using killed viral particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus without risking a serious disease response.
It is the second Chinese vaccine to receive the green light from the WHO, after Sinopharm.
One of Sinovac's main advantages is that it can be stored in a standard refrigerator at 2-8 degrees Celsius.
It prevented symptomatic disease in 51% of those vaccinated and prevented severe symptoms and hospitalisation in 100% of samples.
#Isothermal_Forging
Due to the lower heat loss smaller machines can be used to make the Isothermal forging.
Here the work piece is maintained at its maximum elevated temperature throughout the entire operation
Isothermal Forging Technology for Aero engines is achieved by DRDO to develop a jet engine with the thrust to power a fighter in combat.
This technological involves developing complex titanium and nickel-based alloys that can withstand temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius.
#Bal_Swaraj
This portal of the NCPCR has been created with a purpose for online tracking and digital real time monitoring mechanism of children who are in need of care and protection.
The Commission has extended the use of this portal for tracking children who have lost both its parents or either of the parent during COVID-19 and provided a link under the name of “COVID-Care” for uploading of data of such children by the concerned officer/department on the portal.
#Pre_Revision
An IPO grey market is an unofficial market where IPO shares or applications are bought and sold before they become available for trading on the stock market.
The IPO grey market is an unofficial market that performs outside SEBI’s purview.
#Kostak_rate
It relates to an IPO application. So, the rate at which an investor buys an IPO application before the listing is termed the Kostak rate.
#UN_Special_Rapporteurs
They are independent experts working on behalf of the United Nations. They work on a country or a thematic mandate specified by the United Nations Human Rights Council.
They have mandates to report and advise on human rights (civil, cultural, economic, political, and social) from a thematic or country-specific perspective.
Rapporteurs do not receive any financial compensation for their work from the United Nations.
#Sinovac_Vaccine
It is an inactivated vaccine.
It works by using killed viral particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus without risking a serious disease response.
It is the second Chinese vaccine to receive the green light from the WHO, after Sinopharm.
One of Sinovac's main advantages is that it can be stored in a standard refrigerator at 2-8 degrees Celsius.
It prevented symptomatic disease in 51% of those vaccinated and prevented severe symptoms and hospitalisation in 100% of samples.
#Isothermal_Forging
Due to the lower heat loss smaller machines can be used to make the Isothermal forging.
Here the work piece is maintained at its maximum elevated temperature throughout the entire operation
Isothermal Forging Technology for Aero engines is achieved by DRDO to develop a jet engine with the thrust to power a fighter in combat.
This technological involves developing complex titanium and nickel-based alloys that can withstand temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius.
#Bal_Swaraj
This portal of the NCPCR has been created with a purpose for online tracking and digital real time monitoring mechanism of children who are in need of care and protection.
The Commission has extended the use of this portal for tracking children who have lost both its parents or either of the parent during COVID-19 and provided a link under the name of “COVID-Care” for uploading of data of such children by the concerned officer/department on the portal.
#Pre_Revision
#Model_Tenancy_Act (MTA)
Under the act, separate rent authorities, courts and tribunals will be set up in every districts to protect the interest of both the owner and tenant.
States and Union territories can adopt the Model Tenancy Act by enacting fresh legislation or they can amend their existing rental laws suitably.
The MTA will be applicable prospectively and will not affect the existing tenancies.
Under the Act, written agreement is a must for all new tenancies.
The agreement will have to be submitted to the concerned district 'Rent Authority'.
Rent and duration of tenancy will be fixed by mutual consent between owner and tenant through a written agreement.
No landlord or property manager can withhold any essential supply to the premises occupied by the tenant.
Tenant will not be evicted during the continuance of tenancy agreement unless otherwise agreed to in writing by both the parties.
Maximum limit for security deposit
Residential premises: Maximum two months' rent
Commercial property: Maximum six months' rent
#Cycles4Change_challenge
Launched under the Smart Cities Mission by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
#SDG_India_Index
Launched by Niti Ayoag
The Index, developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India, measures the progress at the national and sub-national level in the country’s journey towards meeting the Global Goals and targets of SDGs
#Section_51 of the #Disaster_Management_Act, 2005:
The Section prescribes “punishment for obstruction” for refusal to comply with any direction given by or on behalf of the Central government or the State government or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority under the Act.
It says that violation shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to one year or with a fine or both upon conviction.
It adds that if “such refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years”.
#Pre_Revision
Under the act, separate rent authorities, courts and tribunals will be set up in every districts to protect the interest of both the owner and tenant.
States and Union territories can adopt the Model Tenancy Act by enacting fresh legislation or they can amend their existing rental laws suitably.
The MTA will be applicable prospectively and will not affect the existing tenancies.
Under the Act, written agreement is a must for all new tenancies.
The agreement will have to be submitted to the concerned district 'Rent Authority'.
Rent and duration of tenancy will be fixed by mutual consent between owner and tenant through a written agreement.
No landlord or property manager can withhold any essential supply to the premises occupied by the tenant.
Tenant will not be evicted during the continuance of tenancy agreement unless otherwise agreed to in writing by both the parties.
Maximum limit for security deposit
Residential premises: Maximum two months' rent
Commercial property: Maximum six months' rent
#Cycles4Change_challenge
Launched under the Smart Cities Mission by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
#SDG_India_Index
Launched by Niti Ayoag
The Index, developed in collaboration with the United Nations in India, measures the progress at the national and sub-national level in the country’s journey towards meeting the Global Goals and targets of SDGs
#Section_51 of the #Disaster_Management_Act, 2005:
The Section prescribes “punishment for obstruction” for refusal to comply with any direction given by or on behalf of the Central government or the State government or the National Executive Committee or the State Executive Committee or the District Authority under the Act.
It says that violation shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to one year or with a fine or both upon conviction.
It adds that if “such refusal to comply with directions results in loss of lives or imminent danger thereof, shall on conviction be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years”.
#Pre_Revision
#Seed_Minikit_Programme
The mini kits are being provided by the Central Agencies National Seeds Corporation (NCS), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and Gujarat State Seeds Corporation.
The programme has been wholly funded by the Government of India through the National Food Security Mission.
It is a major tool for introducing new varieties of seeds in the farmers’ fields and is instrumental for increasing the seed replacement rate.
#National_Seeds_Corporation_Limited
National Seeds Corporation Limited
National Seeds Corporation Ltd. (NSC) is a Schedule ‘B’-Miniratna Category-I company wholly owned by Government of India under the administrative control of Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmer’s Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
NSC was established in March-1963 to undertake production of foundation and certified seeds.
#NAFED
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) is an apex organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.
It was founded on 2 October 1958(Hq. New Delhi) to promote the trade of agricultural produce and forest resources across the nation.
It is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act.
NAFED is now one of the largest procurement as well as marketing agencies for agricultural products in India.
Functions of the NAFED
To facilitate, coordinate and promote the marketing and trading activities of the cooperative institutions, partners and associates in agricultural, other commodities, articles and goods
To undertake purchase, sale and supply of agricultural, marketing and processing requisites, such as manure, seeds, fertilizer, agricultural implements and machinery etc.
To act as a warehouseman under the Warehousing Act and own and construct its own godowns and cold storages
To act as agent of any Government agency or cooperative institution, for the purchase, sale, storage and distribution of agricultural, horticultural, forest and animal husbandry produce, wool, agricultural requisites and other consumer goods
To act as an insurance agent and to undertake all such work which is incidental to the same
To collaborate with any international agency or a foreign body for the development of cooperative marketing, processing and other activities for mutual advantage in India or abroad
#Seed_Replacement_Rate (SSR)
Aka Seed Replacement Ratio is a measure of how much of the total cropped area was sown with certified seeds in comparison to farm saved seeds
#Pre_Revision
The mini kits are being provided by the Central Agencies National Seeds Corporation (NCS), National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) and Gujarat State Seeds Corporation.
The programme has been wholly funded by the Government of India through the National Food Security Mission.
It is a major tool for introducing new varieties of seeds in the farmers’ fields and is instrumental for increasing the seed replacement rate.
#National_Seeds_Corporation_Limited
National Seeds Corporation Limited
National Seeds Corporation Ltd. (NSC) is a Schedule ‘B’-Miniratna Category-I company wholly owned by Government of India under the administrative control of Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmer’s Welfare, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
NSC was established in March-1963 to undertake production of foundation and certified seeds.
#NAFED
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) is an apex organization of marketing cooperatives for agricultural produce in India.
It was founded on 2 October 1958(Hq. New Delhi) to promote the trade of agricultural produce and forest resources across the nation.
It is registered under the Multi-State Co-operative Societies Act.
NAFED is now one of the largest procurement as well as marketing agencies for agricultural products in India.
Functions of the NAFED
To facilitate, coordinate and promote the marketing and trading activities of the cooperative institutions, partners and associates in agricultural, other commodities, articles and goods
To undertake purchase, sale and supply of agricultural, marketing and processing requisites, such as manure, seeds, fertilizer, agricultural implements and machinery etc.
To act as a warehouseman under the Warehousing Act and own and construct its own godowns and cold storages
To act as agent of any Government agency or cooperative institution, for the purchase, sale, storage and distribution of agricultural, horticultural, forest and animal husbandry produce, wool, agricultural requisites and other consumer goods
To act as an insurance agent and to undertake all such work which is incidental to the same
To collaborate with any international agency or a foreign body for the development of cooperative marketing, processing and other activities for mutual advantage in India or abroad
#Seed_Replacement_Rate (SSR)
Aka Seed Replacement Ratio is a measure of how much of the total cropped area was sown with certified seeds in comparison to farm saved seeds
#Pre_Revision
#SWASTIIK_Technology
It was developed by the CSIR-NCL, Pune, with the support from the Water Technology Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
The technology involves boiling of a liquid as a result of pressure reduction (cavitation) and also uses natural oils having antimicrobial properties.
This technology can eliminate harmful bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, economically.
It not only integrates Indian traditional knowledge of Ayurveda for complete disinfection of water but also may offer possible health benefits of natural oils.
#Council_of_Scientific_and_Industrial_Research
CSIR is the largest research and development (R&D) organisation in India
Established: September 1942
Located: New Delhi
CSIR is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology and it operates as an autonomous body through the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
President: Prime Minister of India (Ex-officio)
Vice President: Union Minister of Science and Technology (Ex-officio)
Governing Body: The Director-General is the head of the governing body.
The other ex-officio member is the finance secretary (expenditures).
Other members' terms are of three years.
CSIR Advisory Board: 15-member body Member ;terms are of three years.
#National_Chemical_Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, established in 1950, is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
#Pre_Revision
It was developed by the CSIR-NCL, Pune, with the support from the Water Technology Initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India.
The technology involves boiling of a liquid as a result of pressure reduction (cavitation) and also uses natural oils having antimicrobial properties.
This technology can eliminate harmful bacteria, including antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, economically.
It not only integrates Indian traditional knowledge of Ayurveda for complete disinfection of water but also may offer possible health benefits of natural oils.
#Council_of_Scientific_and_Industrial_Research
CSIR is the largest research and development (R&D) organisation in India
Established: September 1942
Located: New Delhi
CSIR is funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology and it operates as an autonomous body through the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
President: Prime Minister of India (Ex-officio)
Vice President: Union Minister of Science and Technology (Ex-officio)
Governing Body: The Director-General is the head of the governing body.
The other ex-officio member is the finance secretary (expenditures).
Other members' terms are of three years.
CSIR Advisory Board: 15-member body Member ;terms are of three years.
#National_Chemical_Laboratory (CSIR-NCL), Pune, established in 1950, is a constituent laboratory of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).
#Pre_Revision
#Venus
The planet's atmosphere is primarily suffocating CO2 and sulfuric acid clouds. It appears bright because of its thick cloud cover that reflects and scatters light.
It is earth's closest planetary neighbour. Aka earth's twin. Similar in structure but slightly smaller than earth.
The planet’s thick and toxic atmosphere traps heat and is the reason that it is the hottest planet in the solar system, despite coming after Mercury.
The surface temperatures on Venus can go up to 471 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to melt lead.
It is the second-brightest object in the sky after the moon.
It moves forward on its orbit around the Sun but spins backwards around its axis slowly which implies that on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the East.
One day on Venus is equivalent to 243 Earth days because of its backward spinning, opposite to that of the Earth’s and most other planets.
Venus also does not have a moon and no rings
NASA has selected two missions to the planet Venus.The missions are part of the space agency’s Discovery Program, which began in 1992.
#DAVINCI+ is short for ‘Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging’.
It is the first US-led mission to the planet’s atmosphere since 1978.
It will try to understand Venus’ composition to see how the planet formed and evolved.
It also consists of a descent sphere that will pass through the planet’s thick atmosphere and make observations and take measurements of noble gases and other elements.
It will also try to return the first high resolution photographs of a geological feature that is unique to Venus.
#VERITAS is short for ‘Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy’.
It will map the planet’s surface to determine its geologic history and understand the reasons why it developed so differently from Earth.
It will orbit Venus with a radar that will help to create a three dimensional reconstruction of its topography which might be able to tell scientists if processes such as plate tectonics and volcanism are still active there.
It will also map the emissions from Venus’s surface that may help in determining the type of rocks that exist on Venus.
It will also determine if active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the atmosphere.
#Pre_Revision
The planet's atmosphere is primarily suffocating CO2 and sulfuric acid clouds. It appears bright because of its thick cloud cover that reflects and scatters light.
It is earth's closest planetary neighbour. Aka earth's twin. Similar in structure but slightly smaller than earth.
The planet’s thick and toxic atmosphere traps heat and is the reason that it is the hottest planet in the solar system, despite coming after Mercury.
The surface temperatures on Venus can go up to 471 degrees Celsius, which is hot enough to melt lead.
It is the second-brightest object in the sky after the moon.
It moves forward on its orbit around the Sun but spins backwards around its axis slowly which implies that on Venus the Sun rises in the west and sets in the East.
One day on Venus is equivalent to 243 Earth days because of its backward spinning, opposite to that of the Earth’s and most other planets.
Venus also does not have a moon and no rings
NASA has selected two missions to the planet Venus.The missions are part of the space agency’s Discovery Program, which began in 1992.
#DAVINCI+ is short for ‘Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases, Chemistry, and Imaging’.
It is the first US-led mission to the planet’s atmosphere since 1978.
It will try to understand Venus’ composition to see how the planet formed and evolved.
It also consists of a descent sphere that will pass through the planet’s thick atmosphere and make observations and take measurements of noble gases and other elements.
It will also try to return the first high resolution photographs of a geological feature that is unique to Venus.
#VERITAS is short for ‘Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and Spectroscopy’.
It will map the planet’s surface to determine its geologic history and understand the reasons why it developed so differently from Earth.
It will orbit Venus with a radar that will help to create a three dimensional reconstruction of its topography which might be able to tell scientists if processes such as plate tectonics and volcanism are still active there.
It will also map the emissions from Venus’s surface that may help in determining the type of rocks that exist on Venus.
It will also determine if active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the atmosphere.
#Pre_Revision
#Industrial_Deep_Decarbonization_Initiative (IDDI)
It is a global coalition of public and private organisations who are working to stimulate demand for low carbon industrial materials.
In collaboration with national governments, IDDI works to standardise carbon assessments, establish ambitious public and private sector procurement targets, incentivise investment into low-carbon product development and design industry guidelines.
Coordinated by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The IDDI is co-led by the UK and India and current members include Germany and Canada.
#Clean_Energy_Ministerial (CEM)
It was established in December 2009 at the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change conference of parties in Copenhagen.
CEM is a high-level global forum to promote policies and programs that advance clean energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices, and to encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy.
29 countries are part of CEM including India.
The Framework for the Clean Energy Ministerial, adopted at the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial in 2016, defines the CEM governance structure and outlines the mission statement, objectives, membership, and guiding principles.
CEM11- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2020
CEM12-Chile
#United_Nations_Development_Industrial_Organisation
UNIDO is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.
170 Member countries including India
Hq. Vienna, Austria
The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013.
UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”.
#Pre_Revision
It is a global coalition of public and private organisations who are working to stimulate demand for low carbon industrial materials.
In collaboration with national governments, IDDI works to standardise carbon assessments, establish ambitious public and private sector procurement targets, incentivise investment into low-carbon product development and design industry guidelines.
Coordinated by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
The IDDI is co-led by the UK and India and current members include Germany and Canada.
#Clean_Energy_Ministerial (CEM)
It was established in December 2009 at the UN’s Framework Convention on Climate Change conference of parties in Copenhagen.
CEM is a high-level global forum to promote policies and programs that advance clean energy technology, to share lessons learned and best practices, and to encourage the transition to a global clean energy economy.
29 countries are part of CEM including India.
The Framework for the Clean Energy Ministerial, adopted at the seventh Clean Energy Ministerial in 2016, defines the CEM governance structure and outlines the mission statement, objectives, membership, and guiding principles.
CEM11- Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2020
CEM12-Chile
#United_Nations_Development_Industrial_Organisation
UNIDO is the specialized agency of the United Nations that promotes industrial development for poverty reduction, inclusive globalization and environmental sustainability.
170 Member countries including India
Hq. Vienna, Austria
The mission of UNIDO, as described in the Lima Declaration adopted at the fifteenth session of the UNIDO General Conference in 2013.
UNIDO’s mandate is fully recognized in SDG-9, which calls to “Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation”.
#Pre_Revision
#Anti_hail_guns
An anti-hail gun is a machine which generates shock waves to disrupt the growth of hailstones in clouds.
The gun is “fired” by feeding an explosive mixture of acetylene gas and air into its lower chamber, which releases a shock wave (waves which travel faster than the speed of sound, such as those produced by supersonic aircraft).
These shock waves supposedly stop water droplets in clouds from turning into hailstones, so that they fall simply as raindrops.
#Hail
Hail is produced by cumulonimbus clouds, which are generally large and dark and may cause thunder and lightning.
In such clouds, winds can blow up the water droplets to heights where they freeze into ice.
The frozen droplets begin to fall but are soon pushed back up by the winds and more droplets freeze onto them, resulting in multiple layers of ice on the hailstones.
This fall and rise is repeated several times, till the hailstones become too heavy and fall down.
#Precipitation
The process of continuous condensation in free air helps the condensed particles to grow in size. When the resistance of the air fails to hold them against the force of gravity, they fall on to the earth’s surface. So after the condensation of water vapour, the release of moisture is known as precipitation. This may take place in liquid or solid form.
Precipitation in the form of drops of water is called rainfall, when the drop size is more than 5 mm.
It is called #virage when raindrops evaporate before reaching the earth while passing through dry air.
#Drizzle is light rainfall with drop size being less than 0.5 mm, and when evaporation occurs before reaching the ground, it is referred to as #mist
When the temperature is lower than the 0° C, precipitation takes place in the form of fine flakes of snow and is called #snowfall. Moisture is released in the form of hexagonal crystals. These crystals form flakes of snow. Besides rain and snow, other forms of precipitation are sleet and hail, though the latter are limited in occurrence and are sporadic in both time and space.
#Sleet is frozen raindrops and refrozen melted snow-water. When a layer of air with the temperature above freezing point overlies a subfreezing layer near the ground, precipitation takes place in the form of sleet.
Raindrops, which leave the warmer air, encounter the colder air below. As a result, they solidify and reach the ground as small pellets of ice not bigger than the raindrops from which they are formed. Sometimes, drops of rain after being released by the clouds become solidified into small rounded solid pieces of ice and which reach the surface of the earth are called hailstones. These are formed by the rainwater passing through the colder layers.Hailstones have several concentric layers of ice one over the other.
#Pre_Revision
An anti-hail gun is a machine which generates shock waves to disrupt the growth of hailstones in clouds.
The gun is “fired” by feeding an explosive mixture of acetylene gas and air into its lower chamber, which releases a shock wave (waves which travel faster than the speed of sound, such as those produced by supersonic aircraft).
These shock waves supposedly stop water droplets in clouds from turning into hailstones, so that they fall simply as raindrops.
#Hail
Hail is produced by cumulonimbus clouds, which are generally large and dark and may cause thunder and lightning.
In such clouds, winds can blow up the water droplets to heights where they freeze into ice.
The frozen droplets begin to fall but are soon pushed back up by the winds and more droplets freeze onto them, resulting in multiple layers of ice on the hailstones.
This fall and rise is repeated several times, till the hailstones become too heavy and fall down.
#Precipitation
The process of continuous condensation in free air helps the condensed particles to grow in size. When the resistance of the air fails to hold them against the force of gravity, they fall on to the earth’s surface. So after the condensation of water vapour, the release of moisture is known as precipitation. This may take place in liquid or solid form.
Precipitation in the form of drops of water is called rainfall, when the drop size is more than 5 mm.
It is called #virage when raindrops evaporate before reaching the earth while passing through dry air.
#Drizzle is light rainfall with drop size being less than 0.5 mm, and when evaporation occurs before reaching the ground, it is referred to as #mist
When the temperature is lower than the 0° C, precipitation takes place in the form of fine flakes of snow and is called #snowfall. Moisture is released in the form of hexagonal crystals. These crystals form flakes of snow. Besides rain and snow, other forms of precipitation are sleet and hail, though the latter are limited in occurrence and are sporadic in both time and space.
#Sleet is frozen raindrops and refrozen melted snow-water. When a layer of air with the temperature above freezing point overlies a subfreezing layer near the ground, precipitation takes place in the form of sleet.
Raindrops, which leave the warmer air, encounter the colder air below. As a result, they solidify and reach the ground as small pellets of ice not bigger than the raindrops from which they are formed. Sometimes, drops of rain after being released by the clouds become solidified into small rounded solid pieces of ice and which reach the surface of the earth are called hailstones. These are formed by the rainwater passing through the colder layers.Hailstones have several concentric layers of ice one over the other.
#Pre_Revision
#Giant_Metrewave_Radio_Telescope (GMRT)
It is a unique facility for radio astronomical research using the metre wavelengths range of the radio spectrum.
Located near Pune.
It consists of 30 fully steerable gigantic parabolic dishes of 45m diameter each spread over distances of upto 25 km.
It has been set up by National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), a center of the school of natural sciences of the TIFR.
Goals of Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)
To detect the highly redshifted spectral line of neutral Hydrogen expected from proto-clusters or proto-galaxies before they condensed to form galaxies in the early phase of the Universe and
To search for and study rapidly-rotating Pulsars in our galaxy
Epoch of Galaxy Formation: Theories of the formation of structure in the Big-Bang Universe predict the presence of proto galaxies or proto clusters of galaxies made up of clouds of neutral Hydrogen gas before their gravitational condensation into galaxies.
Pulsars and Neutron Stars: GMRT should also be an ideal instrument for the study of Pulsars (rapidly rotating neutron stars with extremely high densities of about 200 million tons per cubic cm).
Galactic and Extragalactic Radio
Sources: Because of its large collecting area and wide frequency coverage, GMRT will be an invaluable and highly versatile instrument for studying many other problems at the frontiers of astrophysics.
#China’s_‘artificial_sun’_EAST
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor is an advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device.
It is located at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) in Hefei, China.
It is one of three major domestic tokamaks that are presently being operated across the country.
It first became operational in 2006.
It is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facility, which will become the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor when it becomes operational in 2035.
The project includes the contributions of several countries, including India, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.
It is designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process carried out by the sun and stars.
The nuclear fusion is a process through which high levels of energy are produced without generating large quantities of waste.
Unlike fission, fusion does not emit greenhouse gases and is considered a safer process with lower risk of accidents.
For nuclear fusion to occur, tremendous heat and pressure are applied on hydrogen atoms so that they fuse together.
The nuclei of deuterium and tritium, both found in hydrogen, are made to fuse together to create a helium nucleus, a neutron along with a whole lot of energy.
With the help of a strong magnetic field, the plasma is kept away from the walls of the reactor to ensure it does not cool down and lose its potential to generate large amounts of energy.
#Pre_Revision
It is a unique facility for radio astronomical research using the metre wavelengths range of the radio spectrum.
Located near Pune.
It consists of 30 fully steerable gigantic parabolic dishes of 45m diameter each spread over distances of upto 25 km.
It has been set up by National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), a center of the school of natural sciences of the TIFR.
Goals of Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)
To detect the highly redshifted spectral line of neutral Hydrogen expected from proto-clusters or proto-galaxies before they condensed to form galaxies in the early phase of the Universe and
To search for and study rapidly-rotating Pulsars in our galaxy
Epoch of Galaxy Formation: Theories of the formation of structure in the Big-Bang Universe predict the presence of proto galaxies or proto clusters of galaxies made up of clouds of neutral Hydrogen gas before their gravitational condensation into galaxies.
Pulsars and Neutron Stars: GMRT should also be an ideal instrument for the study of Pulsars (rapidly rotating neutron stars with extremely high densities of about 200 million tons per cubic cm).
Galactic and Extragalactic Radio
Sources: Because of its large collecting area and wide frequency coverage, GMRT will be an invaluable and highly versatile instrument for studying many other problems at the frontiers of astrophysics.
#China’s_‘artificial_sun’_EAST
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor is an advanced nuclear fusion experimental research device.
It is located at the Institute of Plasma Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (ASIPP) in Hefei, China.
It is one of three major domestic tokamaks that are presently being operated across the country.
It first became operational in 2006.
It is part of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facility, which will become the world’s largest nuclear fusion reactor when it becomes operational in 2035.
The project includes the contributions of several countries, including India, South Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States.
It is designed to replicate the nuclear fusion process carried out by the sun and stars.
The nuclear fusion is a process through which high levels of energy are produced without generating large quantities of waste.
Unlike fission, fusion does not emit greenhouse gases and is considered a safer process with lower risk of accidents.
For nuclear fusion to occur, tremendous heat and pressure are applied on hydrogen atoms so that they fuse together.
The nuclei of deuterium and tritium, both found in hydrogen, are made to fuse together to create a helium nucleus, a neutron along with a whole lot of energy.
With the help of a strong magnetic field, the plasma is kept away from the walls of the reactor to ensure it does not cool down and lose its potential to generate large amounts of energy.
#Pre_Revision
#Nuclear_Fission
The nucleus of an atom splits into two daughter nuclei.
This decay can be natural spontaneous splitting by radioactive decay, or can actually be simulated in a lab by achieving necessary conditions (bombarding with neutrons, alpha particles, etc.).
The resulting fragments tend to have a combined mass which is less than the original. The missing mass is usually converted into nuclear energy.
Currently all commercial nuclear reactors are based on nuclear fission.
#Nuclear_Fusion
Nuclear Fusion is defined as the combining of two lighter nuclei into a heavier one.
Such nuclear fusion reactions are the source of energy in the Sun and other stars.
It takes considerable energy to force the nuclei to fuse. The conditions needed for this process are extreme – millions of degrees of temperature and millions of pascals of pressure.
The hydrogen bomb is based on a thermonuclear fusion reaction.
However, a nuclear bomb based on the fission of uranium or plutonium is placed at the core of the hydrogen bomb to provide initial energy.
#Devika_River
It is revered by Hindus as the sister of river Ganga.
In the Nilmat Puran that was written in the 7th century by Nela Muni, it is mentioned that the Devika River is a manifestation of the mother Goddess Parwati herself to benefit the people of Mader Desha.
It originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple in Udhampur district and flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan) where it merges with the Ravi River.
#Green_Gold_Collection
For marketing of the Bamboo Goods,it is a unique initiative of the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and Govt e-Marketplace (GeM).
#Indemnity_clause
In simple terms, indemnity means security against a loss or other financial stress.
In legal terms, it means a contractual obligation of one party to compensate another party due to the acts of the former.
#Bridging_trials
‘Bridging trials’ are localised clinical trials which generate data related to the impact of foreign medicines/vaccines on the indigenous population before they are rolled out for the public.
#SAGE_Portal
The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, launched the SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal to support India’s elderly persons.
The portal will be a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups.
A fund of upto Rs.1 crore as one-time equity will be granted to each selected start-up.
#Pre_Revision
The nucleus of an atom splits into two daughter nuclei.
This decay can be natural spontaneous splitting by radioactive decay, or can actually be simulated in a lab by achieving necessary conditions (bombarding with neutrons, alpha particles, etc.).
The resulting fragments tend to have a combined mass which is less than the original. The missing mass is usually converted into nuclear energy.
Currently all commercial nuclear reactors are based on nuclear fission.
#Nuclear_Fusion
Nuclear Fusion is defined as the combining of two lighter nuclei into a heavier one.
Such nuclear fusion reactions are the source of energy in the Sun and other stars.
It takes considerable energy to force the nuclei to fuse. The conditions needed for this process are extreme – millions of degrees of temperature and millions of pascals of pressure.
The hydrogen bomb is based on a thermonuclear fusion reaction.
However, a nuclear bomb based on the fission of uranium or plutonium is placed at the core of the hydrogen bomb to provide initial energy.
#Devika_River
It is revered by Hindus as the sister of river Ganga.
In the Nilmat Puran that was written in the 7th century by Nela Muni, it is mentioned that the Devika River is a manifestation of the mother Goddess Parwati herself to benefit the people of Mader Desha.
It originates from the hilly Suddha Mahadev temple in Udhampur district and flows down towards western Punjab (now in Pakistan) where it merges with the Ravi River.
#Green_Gold_Collection
For marketing of the Bamboo Goods,it is a unique initiative of the National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and Govt e-Marketplace (GeM).
#Indemnity_clause
In simple terms, indemnity means security against a loss or other financial stress.
In legal terms, it means a contractual obligation of one party to compensate another party due to the acts of the former.
#Bridging_trials
‘Bridging trials’ are localised clinical trials which generate data related to the impact of foreign medicines/vaccines on the indigenous population before they are rolled out for the public.
#SAGE_Portal
The Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, launched the SAGE (Seniorcare Aging Growth Engine) initiative and SAGE portal to support India’s elderly persons.
The portal will be a “one-stop access” of elderly care products and services by credible start-ups.
A fund of upto Rs.1 crore as one-time equity will be granted to each selected start-up.
#Pre_Revision
#SPAG9
India's first indigenous tumour antigen SPAG9 was discovered by Dr Anil Suri in 1998 who is heading the Cancer Research Program at NII.
In a recent development, the SPAG9 antigen has received the trademark ASPAGNIITM.
Currently, ASPAGNIITM is being used in dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will also be used in breast cancer.
The ASPAGNIITM is a true example of translational cancer research and the Atmanirbhar Bharat spirit.
It will eventually be helpful to patients in India and the world.
#Immunotherapy
It is a new approach that exploits the body’s inner capability to put up a fight against cancer.
With this approach, either the immune system is given a boost, or the T cells are “trained’’ to identify recalcitrant cancer cells and kill them.
In this personalised intervention, those patients expressing SPAG9 protein can be treated with DC-based vaccine approach.
In DC-based vaccine, patient’s cells called monocytes from their blood are collected and modified into what are called dendritic cells.
These dendritic cells are primed with ASPAGNIITM and are injected back to the patient to help the ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in the body to kill the cancer cells.
DC-based immunotherapy is safe, affordable and can promote antitumor immune responses and prolonged survival of cancer patients
#Red_Tourism
Launched in 2004, Red Tourism involves visiting places that are of historical and cultural importance to the Chinese Communist Party’s history
#XraySetu_Platform
It is a new AI-driven platform which will facilitate early-COVID interventions over Whatsapp with the help of Chest X-ray interpretation.
It is developed by ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park) in collaboration with Bangalore based HealthTech startup Niramai and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
The platform can also detect 14 additional lung-related ailments, including tuberculosis and pneumonia, alongside others.
#ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park)
It is an autonomous section-8, not-for-profit Company.
It is established by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, with support from the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
It is initiated under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).
It is further collaborating with infrastructure partners like C-DAC (for leveraging AI supercomputer ParamSiddi), Nvidia & AWS to scale this free service to all the doctors in rural India.
#Pre_Revision
India's first indigenous tumour antigen SPAG9 was discovered by Dr Anil Suri in 1998 who is heading the Cancer Research Program at NII.
In a recent development, the SPAG9 antigen has received the trademark ASPAGNIITM.
Currently, ASPAGNIITM is being used in dendritic cell (DC) based immunotherapy in cervical, ovarian cancer and will also be used in breast cancer.
The ASPAGNIITM is a true example of translational cancer research and the Atmanirbhar Bharat spirit.
It will eventually be helpful to patients in India and the world.
#Immunotherapy
It is a new approach that exploits the body’s inner capability to put up a fight against cancer.
With this approach, either the immune system is given a boost, or the T cells are “trained’’ to identify recalcitrant cancer cells and kill them.
In this personalised intervention, those patients expressing SPAG9 protein can be treated with DC-based vaccine approach.
In DC-based vaccine, patient’s cells called monocytes from their blood are collected and modified into what are called dendritic cells.
These dendritic cells are primed with ASPAGNIITM and are injected back to the patient to help the ‘fighter’ cells, or T-cells, in the body to kill the cancer cells.
DC-based immunotherapy is safe, affordable and can promote antitumor immune responses and prolonged survival of cancer patients
#Red_Tourism
Launched in 2004, Red Tourism involves visiting places that are of historical and cultural importance to the Chinese Communist Party’s history
#XraySetu_Platform
It is a new AI-driven platform which will facilitate early-COVID interventions over Whatsapp with the help of Chest X-ray interpretation.
It is developed by ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park) in collaboration with Bangalore based HealthTech startup Niramai and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
The platform can also detect 14 additional lung-related ailments, including tuberculosis and pneumonia, alongside others.
#ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park)
It is an autonomous section-8, not-for-profit Company.
It is established by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, with support from the Department of Science & Technology (DST).
It is initiated under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).
It is further collaborating with infrastructure partners like C-DAC (for leveraging AI supercomputer ParamSiddi), Nvidia & AWS to scale this free service to all the doctors in rural India.
#Pre_Revision
#Defence_Acquisition_Council (DAC)
It is chaired by the Union Minister of Defence.
Its objective is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces in terms of capabilities sought.
Functions
In-principle approval of 15 Year Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan for Defence Forces;
Accord of Acceptance of Necessity to acquisition proposals;
Categorization of the acquisition proposals relating to 'Buy', 'Buy & Make' and 'Make';
Issues relating to Single vendor clearance; and
Decision regarding 'offset' provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs. 300 crores
#Equal_Access_to_Green_cards_for_Legal_Employment (EAGLE) Act,2021 of #USA
The bipartisan act seeks to phase out the seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas.
It raises the per-country limit on family-sponsored visas from seven per cent to 15 per cent. It provides for a nine-year period for the elimination of this limit.
It ensures that no country may receive more than 25 per cent of reserved visas and no country may receive more than 85 per cent of unreserved visas.
#INS_Sandhayak
It is Hydrographic survey ship, the first of its class indigenously designed and built.
#Op_Pawan – assisting the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987
#Op_Sarong, #Op_Rainbow - rendering humanitarian assistance post Tsunami of 2004
Participation in maiden joint INDO-US HADR Exercise ‘Tiger-Triumph’
#Teachers_Eligibility_Test
Teachers Eligibility Test is the minimum qualification required in India for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher for Classes I to VIII.
The test is mandatory for teaching jobs in Indian government schools.
The TET is conducted by both the central and state governments of India.
The test is conducted to meet the objectives of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
Now valid for life time.
#Pre_Revision
It is chaired by the Union Minister of Defence.
Its objective is to ensure expeditious procurement of the approved requirements of the Armed Forces in terms of capabilities sought.
Functions
In-principle approval of 15 Year Long-Term Integrated Perspective Plan for Defence Forces;
Accord of Acceptance of Necessity to acquisition proposals;
Categorization of the acquisition proposals relating to 'Buy', 'Buy & Make' and 'Make';
Issues relating to Single vendor clearance; and
Decision regarding 'offset' provisions in respect of acquisition proposals above Rs. 300 crores
#Equal_Access_to_Green_cards_for_Legal_Employment (EAGLE) Act,2021 of #USA
The bipartisan act seeks to phase out the seven per cent per-country limit on employment-based immigrant visas.
It raises the per-country limit on family-sponsored visas from seven per cent to 15 per cent. It provides for a nine-year period for the elimination of this limit.
It ensures that no country may receive more than 25 per cent of reserved visas and no country may receive more than 85 per cent of unreserved visas.
#INS_Sandhayak
It is Hydrographic survey ship, the first of its class indigenously designed and built.
#Op_Pawan – assisting the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka in 1987
#Op_Sarong, #Op_Rainbow - rendering humanitarian assistance post Tsunami of 2004
Participation in maiden joint INDO-US HADR Exercise ‘Tiger-Triumph’
#Teachers_Eligibility_Test
Teachers Eligibility Test is the minimum qualification required in India for a person to be eligible for appointment as a teacher for Classes I to VIII.
The test is mandatory for teaching jobs in Indian government schools.
The TET is conducted by both the central and state governments of India.
The test is conducted to meet the objectives of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009.
Now valid for life time.
#Pre_Revision
#Cosmic_Infrared_Background_Experiment (CIBER)-2
The scientists have estimated that on average each galaxy consists of about 100 million stars in order to roughly estimate the number of stars in the Universe.
The instrument will launch aboard a sounding rocket, a small suborbital rocket that will carry scientific instruments on brief trips into space before it falls back to Earth for recovery.
The aim of this mission is to count the number of stars that exist in the Universe.
It is designed to continue the spectro-photometric and fluctuation campaign of the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) in the near infrared.
It will help to evaluate and find the true figures of the stars, as the highest estimated number of the celestial bodies from the massive universe might not be enough.
It is a near-infrared rocket-borne instrument designed to conduct comprehensive multi-band measurements of extragalactic background light (EBL) anisotropy on arc-second to degree angular scales.
Working of CIBER-2
It will survey a patch of sky that will include dozens of clusters of galaxies.
The instrument will not actually count individual stars but it will instead detect the extragalactic background light, which is all of the light that has been emitted throughout the history of the Universe.
It will focus on a portion of the cosmic infrared background, which is emitted by some of the most common stars.
It is aiming to look at how bright this light is to give scientists an estimate of how many of these stars are out there.
Extragalactic Background Light and Cosmic Infrared Background
The EBL is a background glow of the collective photons produced in the universe over time.
It was used in the first CIBER mission to determine the total light from stars through optical to ultraviolet scale.
The objective is to use cosmic infrared background to point out the common types of stars such as M and K dwarfs.
The sounding rocket will measure the number of stars not by counting the physical bodies themselves, but by the traces of lights that are emitted by stars in faint galaxies.
#OneWeb
It is a global communications company that aims to deliver broadband satellite Internet around the world through its fleet of LEO satellites.
#Low_Earth_Orbit (LEO) technology
The LEO satellites have been orbiting the planet since the 1990s, providing companies and individuals with various communication services.
The LEO satellites are positioned around 200km-2000km from earth, compared to stationary orbit satellites which are approximately 36,000km away.
As LEO satellites orbit closer to the earth, they are able to provide stronger signals and faster speeds than traditional fixed-satellite systems.
They also have the potential to rival if not exceed existing ground-based networks because signals travel faster through space than through fibre-optic cables.
LEO satellites travel at a speed of 27,000 kph and complete a full circuit of the planet in 90-120 minutes.
#Pre_Revision
The scientists have estimated that on average each galaxy consists of about 100 million stars in order to roughly estimate the number of stars in the Universe.
The instrument will launch aboard a sounding rocket, a small suborbital rocket that will carry scientific instruments on brief trips into space before it falls back to Earth for recovery.
The aim of this mission is to count the number of stars that exist in the Universe.
It is designed to continue the spectro-photometric and fluctuation campaign of the Extragalactic Background Light (EBL) in the near infrared.
It will help to evaluate and find the true figures of the stars, as the highest estimated number of the celestial bodies from the massive universe might not be enough.
It is a near-infrared rocket-borne instrument designed to conduct comprehensive multi-band measurements of extragalactic background light (EBL) anisotropy on arc-second to degree angular scales.
Working of CIBER-2
It will survey a patch of sky that will include dozens of clusters of galaxies.
The instrument will not actually count individual stars but it will instead detect the extragalactic background light, which is all of the light that has been emitted throughout the history of the Universe.
It will focus on a portion of the cosmic infrared background, which is emitted by some of the most common stars.
It is aiming to look at how bright this light is to give scientists an estimate of how many of these stars are out there.
Extragalactic Background Light and Cosmic Infrared Background
The EBL is a background glow of the collective photons produced in the universe over time.
It was used in the first CIBER mission to determine the total light from stars through optical to ultraviolet scale.
The objective is to use cosmic infrared background to point out the common types of stars such as M and K dwarfs.
The sounding rocket will measure the number of stars not by counting the physical bodies themselves, but by the traces of lights that are emitted by stars in faint galaxies.
#OneWeb
It is a global communications company that aims to deliver broadband satellite Internet around the world through its fleet of LEO satellites.
#Low_Earth_Orbit (LEO) technology
The LEO satellites have been orbiting the planet since the 1990s, providing companies and individuals with various communication services.
The LEO satellites are positioned around 200km-2000km from earth, compared to stationary orbit satellites which are approximately 36,000km away.
As LEO satellites orbit closer to the earth, they are able to provide stronger signals and faster speeds than traditional fixed-satellite systems.
They also have the potential to rival if not exceed existing ground-based networks because signals travel faster through space than through fibre-optic cables.
LEO satellites travel at a speed of 27,000 kph and complete a full circuit of the planet in 90-120 minutes.
#Pre_Revision