QUICK REVISION CURRENT AFFAIRS

Target Prelims

NOVEMBER 2021
ONLYIAS
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

ECONOMY

1. Samudrayaan Mission | First Manned Ocean Mission| in Chennai| send men into the deep
sea| in a submersible vehicle| deep-ocean exploration and mining of rare minerals| vehicle
MATSYA 6000 to a depth of 6000 metres| part of the Rs 6000-crores Deep Ocean Mission| India
will join the elite club of nations such as the USA, Russia, Japan, France and China.
MATSYA 6000: indigenously developed manned submersible vehicle. Polymetallic nodules:
mineral concretions on the sea bottom formed of concentric layers of iron and manganese
hydroxides around a core.
2. MGNREGA | Centre’s flagship rural employment scheme| guarantees 100 days of work a year|
enhance the livelihood security| National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005| Act currently
covers all districts| Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) in association with the state governments
monitors the implementation of the scheme.
3. Revised Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework| banks with weak financial metrics
are put under watch by the RBI| introduced the PCA framework in 2002 as a structured early-
intervention mechanism for banks| aims to check the problem of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs)
in the Indian banking sector| two types of restrictions, mandatory and discretionary.
Revised framework: Capital, asset quality and leverage will be the key areas for monitoring.
4. Technical Textiles | target 5 times increase in export of Technical Textiles in 3 years| Technical
textiles are textiles materials and products manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, primarily
for technical performance and functional properties| divided into 12 broad categories-
Agrotech, Buildtech, Clothtech, Geotech, Hometech, Indutech, Mobiltech, Meditech, Protech,
Sportstech, Oekotech, Packtech.
India’s share: India shares nearly 6% of world market size of 250 Billion USD.
Government efforts in this regard: government issued 207 HSN Codes for technical textiles|
National Technical Textiles Mission in February last year.
5. National Company Law Tribunal | Government of India has appointed eight judicial and ten
technical members at the NCLT| NCLT is a quasi-judicial body constituted under section 408 of
the Companies Act, 2013 in 2016| established based on the recommendation of the V.
Balakrishna Eradi committee.
6. Community Resource Persons-Enterprise Promotion (CRP-EP)| under Start-up Village
Entrepreneurship Programme(SVEP), 102 Community Resource Persons – Enterprise Promotion
(CRP-EPs) were certified| SVEP is a sub-scheme under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-
National Rural Livelihoods Mission(DAY-NRLM)| supports the Self-Help Group (SHG) members and
their family members to set up small enterprises in the non-farm sector| CRP-EP provides Business

1|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

Support Services in rural areas. The services provided by them include| preparation of business
plans, training, and accessing loans from Banks.
7. Marquee Institutional Investors |an investor well known for investing in companies that turn
into success stories at a later date| This person could be either an individual or a corporate/
institutional investor| one should not just look at the presence of marquee investors, but the
potential of those companies and then invest.
8. Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), Rules 2011| A new provision has been
introduced to indicate the unit sale price on pre packed commodities, which will allow easier
comparison of the prices of the commodities at the time of purchase.
9. LEADS Report 2021| Logistics Ease Across Different States|report by Ministry of Commerce and
Industry| launched in 2018|report ranks the states and UTs on the basis of their logistics
ecosystem | highlights the key logistics related challenges faced by the stakeholders and
includes suggestive recommendations | Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab have emerged as the top
performers | Delhi stands at the top rank among Other UTs.
10. Minerals Concession (Fourth Amendment) Rules, 2021|The rules have allowed part
surrender of mining lease area allowed in all cases. Presently, part surrender was allowed only in
case of non-grant of forest clearance|The rules have added a provision allowing disposal of
overburden/ waste rock/ mineral below the threshold value which is generated during the course
of mining.
11. New RBI initiatives| two customer-centric initiatives of RBI|The RBI Retail Direct Scheme and
The Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme|Retail Direct Scheme allows retail investors
to invest in government securities (G-Sec) by opening a gilt security account with the
RBI|account opened will be called Retail Direct Gilt(RDG) Account|retail investors can buy
bonds sold by the central government, state development loans, or bonds issued by state
governments, and sovereign gold bonds, whose price is linked to gold.
Reserve Bank-Integrated Ombudsman Scheme: aimed at further improving the grievance
redress mechanism for resolving customer complaints against entities regulated by the central
bank|Ombudsman is a public authority that consumers can approach if they are not satisfied
with the grievance redressal mechanism of a financial institution.
12. G.N. Bajpai Committee| to identify key areas for the development of insurance and
reinsurance business from IFSC | Constituted by ➔ The International Financial Services Centres
Authority (IFSCA)| Chairmanship ➔ Mr. G.N. Bajpai, former Chairman LIC and SEBI.
13. LINAC-NCDC Fisheries Business Incubation Centre| in Haryana’s Gurugram| country’s
first-of-its-kind | Implementing Agency ➔ National Cooperative Development Corporation
(NCDC)|Aims To nurture fisheries start-ups under real market-led conditions.

2|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

14. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana|continuation of PMGSY|Launched on ➔ 25th

December, 2000|To provide rural connectivity, by way of a single all-weather road, to the eligible
unconnected habitations of designated population size (500+ in plain areas and 250+ in North-
Eastern States, Himalayan States and Himalayan Union Territories as per 2001 census) | PMGSY-II
in 2013|PMGSY-III in 2019.
Road Connectivity Project of Left Wing Extremism Affected Areas (RCPLWEA): Started in ➔ 2016|To
improve connectivity in 44 Left Wing Extremism(LWE) affected districts in 9 states.
15. USOF scheme | To provide 4G based mobile services in the uncovered villages of Aspirational
Districts across five States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra & Odisha.
Universal Service Obligation Fund: Established in 2002|aim to provide universal telecom services
and ensure that even the unconnected areas in the country reap the benefits of inclusive
development.
16. Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme|‘Bhumi Samvaad’National
Workshop on Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme (DILRMP)| DILRMP-Central
Sector Scheme|Launched in ➔ 2008|Aim ➔ To digitize and modernize land records and develop
a centralised land record management system.
National Generic Document Registration System(NGDRS): a cloud-based application | by ➔
National Informatics Centre (NIC)| For registering land documents and properties digitally.
Unique Land Parcel Identification Number (ULPIN): unique system wherein a 14 digit unique ID
based on Geo-coordinates of the parcels is generated and assigned to the plots|to share the
computerized digital land record data among different States/Sectors and a uniform system of
assigning a unique ID to the land parcel across the country.
17. Tight Oil| known as shale oil, shale-hosted oil or light tight oil | is light-gravity crude oil found in
petroleum-bearing shale or tight sandstone formations of low permeability | Tight oil is different
from oil shale, which contains kerogen | through a process called hydraulic fracking | Tight oil is
processed into gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels| Top Producers ➔ Russia and the US.
18. Sustainable Development Cell|To promote environmentally sustainable coal mining in the
country and to address environmental concerns during mining operation and till the
decommissioning or final closure of mines | It will advise, mentor, plan and monitor the mitigation
measures taken by coal companies.
19. Operation Molten Metal| launched to nab several Indian and foreign nationals suspected to
be indulging in smuggling gold into India from Hong Kong using the air cargo route.
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI): apex anti-smuggling agency of India, constituted in
1957|Nodal Ministry ➔ It works under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC),
Ministry of Finance | DRI has also been designated as the lead agency for the Anti-Smuggling
National Coordination Centre (SCord).

3|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

20. Fly Ash| byproduct from burning of coal in electric power generating plants| is transported from
the combustion chamber by exhaust gases | Fly ash includes substantial amounts of silicon
dioxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), ferric oxide (Fe2O3) and calcium oxide (CaO).
Fly ash particles are toxic air pollutants. They can trigger heart disease, cancer, respiratory
diseases and stroke.
21. Central Consumer Protection Authority| CCPA has been established in 2020|under the
Section 10 of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019|CCPA aims to promote, protect and enforce the
consumer rights by cracking down on unfair trade practices, and false & misleading ads that are
detrimental to the interests of the public and consumers.
22. National Apprenticeship Training Scheme| continuation of the National Apprenticeship
Training Scheme (NATS) from 2021-22 to 2025-26|It is the flagship programme of the Ministry of
Education for Skilling Indian Youth|It is a one year programme equipping youth with practical
knowledge and skills required in their field of work.| imparted training by industry and
commercial organisations.
23. O-SMART Scheme| Ocean Services, Modelling, Application, Resources and Technology (O-
SMART)"| of Ministry of Earth Sciences | Launched by ➔ Ministry of Earth Sciences| Objectives of
the scheme ➔To provide forecasts and services based on the continuous observation of oceans|
To develop technologies and exploratory surveys for the sustainable harnessing of oceanic
resources (both living and nonliving) | and promotion of front-ranking research in ocean
sciences | The scheme includes seven sub-schemes – 1) Ocean Technology 2) Ocean Modelling
and Advisory Services (OMAS) 3) Ocean Observation Network (OON) 4) Ocean Non-Living
Resources 5) Marine Living Resources and Ecology (MLRE) 6) Coastal Research and Operation
and 7) Maintenance of Research Vessels.
24. Wage Rate Index | report by Expert Group| on base revision of Wage Rate Index (WRI) to
2016=100 from base 1963-65=100| base year 2016=100| compiled and maintained by Labour
Bureau, an attached office of Ministry of Labour & Employment| WRI Series with base 2016=100
would be compiled twice a year on point-to-point half yearly basis, as on 1st January and 1st
July of every year.
25. Anti-Bacterial Fabric | Union Minister for MSME launched the unique anti-bacterial fabric|
Developed by ➔ Kumarappa National Handmade Paper Institute, Jaipur under Khadi and Village
Industries Commission(KVIC)| The fabric is treated with an anti-bacterial agent extracted from
cow dung| use in hospitals and other medical facilities.
eco-friendly products made by KVIC: Khadi Prakritik Paint ➔ Based on cow dung as its main
ingredient| Plastic Mixed Handmade Paper ➔ developed under Project REPLAN| (REducing
PLAstic from Nature) of KVIC.

4|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)| statutory body| apex organisation under the
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
26. River Cities Alliance| partnership of the two Ministries i.e., Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs| It is a dedicated platform for river cities in India to ideate, discuss and
exchange information for the sustainable management of urban rivers| Themes ➔ The alliance
will focus on three broad themes- Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support|
Participating Cities ➔ The 30 member cities in the alliance include: Dehradun, Haridwar,
Rishikesh, etc.

ENVIRONMENT

1. Milu Deer | rare and endangered species| known as Pere David's deer| native and endemic
to the river valleys of China| IUCN ➔ Extinct in the Wild.
2. Gangetic River Dolphin | Ministry of Jal Shakti has released a document for the safe rescue
and release of stranded Ganges river dolphins| prepared by the Turtle Survival Alliance and the
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department (EFCCD) of the Uttar Pradesh Government.
Ganges Dolphin: the national aquatic animal of India| IUCN Red List: endangered| The Indian
Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972): Schedule I| CITES: Appendix I| only live in freshwater and is
essentially blind.
3. Infrastructure for Resilient Island States (IRIS)| First major initiative by the Coalition for
Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) started by India in 2019| seeks to operationalise the CDRI
initiative| aimed at achieving sustainable development through a systematic approach to
resilient, sustainable and inclusive infrastructure in Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Small island developing states(SIDS): are a distinct group of 38 UN Member States and 20 Non-UN
Members/Associate Members of UN regional commissions that face unique social, economic,
and environmental vulnerabilities.
Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure: India’s second international climate initiative by India
in 2019; the first was the International Solar Alliance, launched in 2015| to promote resilient
climate-proof critical infrastructure in member countries| 26 countries, including US, Germany,
UK, Australia, Brazil, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka are already part of
the coalition| aim of CDRI is to minimise the damage and disruptions.
4. Global Methane Pledge | launched at the UN COP26 climate conference in Glasgow| This
pledge is an effort led jointly by the US and the European Union| Purpose ➔ It is essentially an
agreement to stop deforestation and cut down global methane emissions by up to 30% from 2020

5|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

levels by 2030| Methane is the second-most abundant greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, after
carbon dioxide.
5. Continuous Learning and Activity Portal (CLAP)| Developed by ➔ National Mission for
Clean Ganga (NMCG) in association with Tree Craze Foundation| an interactive portal that is
working towards initiating conversations and action around the rivers in India| Funded and
supported by ➔ The World Bank.
Ganga Atlas: Developed by ➔ IIT Kanpur| It documents the changes in River Ganga over the
past 5-6 decades in terms of channel morphology, land use & land cover, river dynamics and
associated issues.
Ganga Mashal: It is an expedition led by the Ganga Task Force (GTF)| sensitize the local people
and organizations like Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan(NYKS) and Voluntary groups.
Ganga Quest | It is a national online quiz on Ganga, rivers, and the environment.
6. Indian Flapshell Turtles| presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron| Indian flapshell
turtle is a freshwater species of turtle and is found in many states| They are found in Pakistan,
India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh (Indus and Ganges drainages), and Myanmar (Irrawaddy
and Salween Rivers)| IUCN Red List: Vulnerable| CITES: Appendix II| Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972: Schedule I| KURMA App- built-in digital field guide covering 29 species of freshwater turtles
and tortoises of India| World Turtle Day is observed every year on 23rd May.
7. Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero| Launched in April 2021| by UN Special Envoy for
Climate Action and Finance and UK Prime Minister’s Finance Adviser for COP26 in partnership with
the Race to Zero campaign| To provide a forum for leading financial institutions to accelerate
the transition to a net-zero global economy.
Race to Zero campaign: UN-backed global campaign rallying non-state actors- to take rigorous
and immediate action to halve global emissions by 2030.
8. Network for Greening the Financial System| It is a group of central banks and supervisors
willing to share best practices and contribute to the development of environment and climate
risk management in the financial sector.| created at the Paris One Planet Summit in December
2017| hosted by the Banque de France| seeks to mobilise mainstream finance to support the
transition towards a sustainable economy| It includes central banks and financial supervisors|
RBI) has joined as a Member in April,2021.
9. Climate Change Performance Index 2022 | by ➔ Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute,
and the Climate Action Network| Aim ➔ To enhance transparency in international climate
politics and enable comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual
countries.|first three ranks of the overall rankings were kept empty| Denmark has been placed
4th. India: India has been ranked in 10th place.

6|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

10. Global Resilience Index Initiative| launched at COP26| GRII is a public-private partnership
initiative| Aim ➔ To help global economic sectors understand the value of building climate
resilience and the costs of doing nothing. This will help address the data emergency that is
contributing to the climate crisis| wants to achieve two immediate goals- to provide global open
reference risk data & to provide shared standards and facilities applicable| It will be the world’s
first curated, open-source reference index.
11. Ganga Connect exhibition | Organized by National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), c-
Ganga and the High Commission of India| It is an effort to present the level of development in
the Ganga river basin to the global community of environmental stakeholders who have
gathered in Glasgow for the United Nations (UN) Conference of the Parties (COP-26) meeting.
cGanga: Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (cGanga) was established at
the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) in 2016| Purpose ➔ The Centre is a Centre of
Excellence for data collection, the creation and dissemination of knowledge and information for
the sustainable development of the Ganga River Basin.
12. Issi Saaneq| new genus of dinosaur fossil | in eastern Greenland| It was a predecessor of the
sauropods, the largest land animals ever to live| This is the first evidence of a distinct Greenlandic
dinosaur species.
13. Zero-Emission Vehicles Transition Council | It is a global forum on enhancing political
cooperation on the transition to zero-emission vehicles| formed in November 2020| Purpose- The
Council brings together ministers and representatives of some of the world’s largest automobile
markets to collectively address key challenges in the transition to ZEVs to enable a faster,
cheaper and easier transition to EVs for all.
e-AMRIT Portal- (Accelerated e-Mobility Revolution for India’s Transportation)| web portal for
creating awareness about electric mobility in India. Developed by- NITI Aayog and the UK
Government| Purpose-To serve as a ‘one-stop site’ to provide all the information related to the
adoption of electric vehicles in India.
14. Yamuna River Frothing| Froth formation is a phenomenon that takes place on many lakes and
streams| The froth is a sign of a polluted river. river Yamuna is a major tributary of river Ganges|
Originates from the Yamunotri glacier near Bandarpoonch| meets the Ganges at the Sangam in
Prayagraj| Tributaries - Chambal, Sindh, Betwa and Ken.
15. International Methane Emissions Observatory| Launched by UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) with support from the European Union | Objective-The observatory aims to provide
credible data to track countries progress on meeting methane reduction pledges and to promote
best practice.
United Nations Environment Programme: UNEP is a leading global environmental authority
established on 5th June 1972| Functions- It sets the global environmental agenda, promotes the

7|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

sustainable development within the United Nations system, and serves as an authoritative
advocate for global environment protection| Major Reports ➔ Emission Gap Report, Adaptation
Gap Report, Global Environment Outlook, Frontiers, Invest into Healthy Planet| Major Campaigns
➔ Beat Pollution, UN75, World Environment Day, Wild for Life| Headquarters ➔ Nairobi, Kenya.
16. Clydebank Declaration | United Kingdom has announced the launch of the Clydebank
Declaration on Green Shipping Corridors at the COP26 conference in Glasgow| Aims to set up
green shipping corridors, which are zero-emission maritime routes between 2 (or more) ports|
Signatory countries -Around 19 countries| India has not signed the declaration yet.
17. Kaiser-i-Hind State butterfly of Arunachal Pradesh| Butterfly is found in Nepal, Bhutan,
Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam and southern China | IUCN Status: Near Threatened| CITES: Appendix
II| Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule II.
18. Cryptocaria Muthuvariana | new tree species of the genus Cryptocarya was spotted in
Edamalakkudy in Idukki district of Kerala| named so to honour the Muthuvar tribe| Cryptocarya
comprises over 300 species| distributed over South America, South Africa, Madagascar, Asia,
Australia and Oceania| Significance-ecological importance| medicinal value.
Muthuvar/Muthuvan Tribe: speak a dialect of their own| debased form of Tamil| mainly a
landowning community| Muthuvans claims that they are Hindus.
19. Albatross | large flying seabirds| longest wingspans of any extant birds| found widely in the
Southern Ocean and the North Pacific| The “divorce rate” in the study population varied
substantially across years and was directly modulated by temporal environmental variability|
Albatross divorce is basically just cheating| The “divorce” is triggered by breeding failure but,
crucially, that it is also promoted by environmental harshness”.
20. SAFAR System of Air Quality and Weather Forecast and Research| system is indigenously
developed by the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and is operationalized by
the India Meteorological Department (IMD)| national initiative to measure the air quality of a
metropolitan city, by measuring the overall pollution level and the location-specific air quality of
the city| It monitors all weather parameters like temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed, and
wind direction, UV radiation, and solar radiation.
21. Christmas Island Red Crabs | species of land crab| endemic to the Christmas Island and
Cocos Islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean.
Christmas Island: administered as an external territory of Australia| first sighted in 1615 by Richard
Rowe| summit of an oceanic mountain whose highest point on the island is Murray Hill| main
settlement and chief port is at Flying Fish Cove.

8|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

1. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine | under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP)|

is given to prevent pneumococcal disease| caused by pneumococcal bacteria| bacteria can
cause many types of illnesses, including pneumonia, which is an infection of the lungs.
Universal Immunisation Programme(UIP): launched by the Government of India in 1985| being
provided free of cost against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
2. Dengue fever| a mosquito-borne tropical disease caused by the dengue virus| transmitted by
several species of mosquito within the genus Aedes, principally Aedes aegypti| mosquito also
transmits chikungunya, yellow fever and Zika infection| Aedes is a day time feeder| There is no
specific medicine to treat dengue infection.
3. Polarised light| is made up of waves with vibrations at only one angle| Light can be polarised
by passing it through a polarising filter| sunglasses can be polarised to reduce brightness and
glare without compromising the vision.
4. Cervical Cancer| research has found that the Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine (Cervarix)
reduces the risk of Cervical Cancer significantly in women| It is a type of cancer that occurs in
the cells of the cervix - the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina.
Human papillomavirus: most common viral infection of the reproductive tract.
Types of HPV Vaccines: Quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil) ➔ It protects against four types of HPV
(HPV 16, 18, 6 and 11). The latter two strains cause genital warts| Bivalent vaccine (Cervarix)|
Non valent vaccine (Gardasil 9)| These vaccines prevent cervical cancer in women and girls
who have not yet been exposed to the virus.
5. Molnupiravir | enzymes to enable faster manufacture of molnupiravir, an investigational oral
antiviral being developed for the treatment of Covid-19| These drugs work by preventing the
process of replication of the virus inside human cells.
6. Swarna Jayanti Fellowship Scheme| provides special assistance and support to a selected
number of young scientists with a proven track record to enable them to pursue basic research
in frontier areas of science and technology.
7. DBT-Star College Mentorship Programme| aims to have a ‘Star College’ in every district of
the country supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT)| the Star Status Colleges will
mentor the newer colleges through hand-holding and peer learning and bringing them under the
aegis of Star College Scheme.
Star College Scheme: Initiated by the Department of Biotechnology(DBT) in 2008| Aim ➔ To
improve critical thinking and encourage ‘hands on’ experimental science at undergraduate level

9|Page
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

in basic science subjects. It also aims to encourage more students to take up higher education
in science.
8. Leonids Meteor Shower | Originally discovered in 1833| contains debris that originated from
a small comet called 55P/Tempel-Tuttle in the constellation Leo, which takes 33 years to orbit the
sun| Every 33 years, a Leonid shower turns into a meteor stor.
Meteor Shower: are bits of rock and ice that are ejected from comets as they manoeuvre around
their orbits around the sun.
9. Critical noise treatment algorithm| algorithm that can increase the accuracy of data from
exoplanets by reducing the contamination by the Earth’s atmosphere and the disturbances due
to instrumental effects and other factors| Exoplanets are planets that orbit a star other than our
sun.
How exoplanets are studied at present? using the ground-based optical telescopes| space
telescope “Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite(TESS)“.
10. Norovirus| an animal-borne disease| It causes gastrointestinal illness including inflammation of
the lining of the stomach and intestines, severe vomiting and diarrhoea| No specific treatment
for the infection.
11. NASA’s DART mission | first planetary defense test mission| Double Asteroid Redirection Test
(DART)| The mission will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket| main aim of the mission is to
test the newly developed technology that would allow a spacecraft to crash into an asteroid and
change its course| DART is a low-cost spacecraft, weighing around 610 kg at launch and 550 kg
during impact.
12. Kamo’oalewa| quasi-satellite of the Earth | tracking the Earth’s orbit around the Sun, could be
a fragment from the moon| spotted in 2006 by the PanSTARRS telescope in Hawaii| Trojans are a
group of asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet.
13. Matosinhos Manifesto | approved by European Space Agency (ESA) Council| to accelerate
the use of space in Europe| Matosinhos Manifesto aims to tackle the unprecedented societal,
economic and security challenges faced by Europe and its citizens.
European Space Agency (ESA): an intergovernmental organisation that was formed in 1975| aim
of developing Europe’s space capabilities| has 22 member states.
14. Fastest Spinning White Dwarf | This star, named LAMOST J0240+1952, is part of a binary star
system| the size of the Earth but at least 200,000 times more massive.
White Dwarf: stars that have burned up all of the hydrogen they once used as nuclear fuel| Such
stars have very high density.
Black Dwarf ➔ A white dwarf cools until it becomes a black dwarf, which emits no energy.
15. GSAT-7 Satellites | Launched in 2013 for the Indian Navy| known as Rukmini| an advanced
communication satellite built by ISRO| to monitor the Indian Ocean Region and provide real-
10 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

time data to all the Indian submarines, warships and aircraft| GSAT-7A is an advanced military
communications satellite launched by ISRO in 2018| satellite is currently being used by Indian Air
Force (IAF) and Indian Army| GSAT-7C will be launched in the next 2 to 3 years by ISRO.
Software Defined Radios (SDRs): provides enhanced data transmission capability, enhanced
voice clarity and data transmission accuracy in spectrally noisy environments.
16. Grey Matter | refers to unmyelinated neurons and other cells of the Central Nervous System|
present in the brain, brainstem and cerebellum, and present throughout the spinal cord| greyish
appearance| is involved in muscle control, and sensory perception such as seeing and hearing,
memory, emotions, speech, decision making, and self-control| White matter consists of fibres of
the tracts covered with the myelin sheath, which gives an opaque white appearance to the layer.
Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM) programme: conceptualized in 2015
by the DST| under its Cognitive Science Research Initiative (CSRI)| To foster scientific research on
the effects of yoga and meditation on physical & mental health and on cognitive functioning in
healthy people as well as in patients with disorders.
17. PASIPHAE Project | Polar-Areas Stellar-Imaging in Polarisation High-Accuracy Experiment| an
international collaborative sky surveying project| To study the polarisation in the light coming
from millions of stars| survey will use two high-tech optical polarimeters to observe the northern
and southern skies, simultaneously.
Wide Area Linear Optical Polarimeter (WALOP) instrument for PASIPHAE Project| mounted on two
small optical telescopes to detect polarised light signals emerging from the stars along high
galactic latitudes.
GAIA: GAIA is a European Space Agency astronomical observatory mission| aim is to chart a
three-dimensional map of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, in the process revealing the composition,
formation and evolution of the Galaxy.
18. James Webb Space Telescope| is scheduled to be sent into orbit no earlier than December
2022| JWST is a joint venture between the US (Nasa), European (Esa) and Canadian space
agencies (CSA)| an orbiting infrared observatory that will complement and extend the
discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, with longer wavelength coverage and greatly
improved sensitivity| Webb will not actually orbit the Earth, instead it will sit at the Earth-Sun L2
Lagrange point,5 million km away.
19. WISER Program| Women’s Involvement in Science and Engineering Research (WISER)
program| to promote women in the field of research and development by lateral entry.
Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC): to foster innovation through Indo-German
R&D networking including industrial research partnership in PPP mode.
2+2 Project: flagship programme of the Indo-German Science & Technology Centre (IGSTC)| To

11 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

catalyse innovation-centric R&D projects by synergizing the strength of research/academic

institutions and public/industry from India and Germany.
20. SWADESH| a unique brain initiative focussing on certified neuroimaging, neurochemical,
neuropsychological data and analytics that are made accessible to researchers for managing
brain disorders| developed by DBT-National Brain Research Centre (DBT-NBRC)| SWADESH is
supported by JAVA-based workflow environment and Python| Backed by a dedicated storage
system, it provides quality control, data analysis reports, and data backups.
National Brain Research Centre(NBRC): Established in the year 1999| under the Societies
Registration Act of 1860| autonomous institute funded by the Department of Biotechnology and
is also a Deemed-to-be University| To study brain functions in health and diseases using
innovative multidisciplinary approaches in basic and translational research| Location ➔
Manesar, Haryana.

GEOGRAPHY

1. Strait of Hormuz| the waterway separates Iran and Oman, linking the Gulf to the Gulf of Oman
and the Arabian Sea| The Strait is 21 miles (33 km) wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping
lane is just two miles (three km) wide in either direction.
2. Glasgow Glacier|100-km long body of ice in Antarctica|experiencing rapid melting|14
glaciers in this region are thinning by an average of 25% between 1994 and 2018 due to climate
change.
Other glaciers named after cities: Geneva ➔ Named after the world’s first climate conference in
1979|Rio ➔ Commemorates the first Earth Summit in 1992|Berlin ➔ It is named after the first
Conference of Parties (COP) in 1995|Kyoto ➔ It commemorates the formal adoption in 1997 of
the protocol | Bali ➔ It marks the release of the IPCC fourth assessment report (AR4) in
2007|Stockholm ➔ It honours the IPCC fifth assessment report (AR5) approval session in
2014|Paris ➔ It memorializes the agreement of a legally binding treaty in 2015|Incheon ➔ It
marks the meeting of the IPCC in 2018 to consider the special report on the impacts of 1.5 degrees
of warming and the difference in risks of going to 2C.
3. Zuari Bridge| new Zuari bridge is expected to be ready by September 2022|largest river in the
state of Goa, India | tidal river that originates at Hemad-Barshem in the Western Ghats | Zuari is
likewise alluded to as the Aghanashani |Zuari and Mandovi Rivers structure an estuarine system.
12 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

4. Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Project| Constructed on ➔ River Marusudar |a tributary of Chenab|

Installed Capacity ➔ 1000 MW| Marusudar River: largest tributary of the Chenab River | Its source
is the Nunkun Glacier located in Warwan valley.
5. Kameng river|the right-bank tributary of the Brahmaputra river| rises in the Tawang district in
the eastern Himalayas| it flows through the Sonitpur district before joining the Brahmaputra at
Tezpur| Kaziranga National Park and the Pakkhui Wildlife Sanctuary are located near the
Kameng river.
6. Kaho Village|in Arunachal Pradesh |village on the China border| helped Indian armed forces
during the 1962 Chinese aggression |people of Kaho village belong to the Meyor community.
Lohit River: a tributary to the Brahmaputra River.
7. Chile|located in western South America |a long, narrow strip of land in between Andes and
Pacific Ocean|Chile is the southernmost country of the world, located near Antarctica |shares
border with Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Drake Passage.
8. Earth’s First Landmass|A new study suggests that the Earth's first continents, known as the
cratons, emerged from the ocean between 3.3 billion and 3.2 billion years ago |new study has
challenged the widely accepted view that the continents rose from the oceans about 2.5 billion
years ago|also found that the earliest continental landmass to emerge may have been
Jharkhand’s Singhbhum region|study was conducted by researchers from India, Australia and
the US.
9. Scientific Expedition to Antarctica|India has successfully launched the 41st scientific
expedition to Antarctica|first batch of its contingent at southern Antarctica|has two major
programmes: geological exploration of the Amery ice shelf at the Bharati station|reconnaissance
surveys and preparatory work for the drilling of 500 metres of ice core near Maitri|help improve
the understanding of the Antarctic climate, westerly winds, sea-ice and greenhouse gases from
a single climate archive for the last 10,000 years.
India’s Antarctic Expeditions: Began in 1981|first trip consisted of a team of 21 scientists|support
staff led by Dr SZ Qasim|Research Base Stations ➔ Dakshin Gangotri (1983), Maitri (1988) and
Bharati (2012)| Currently, Maitri and Bharati are fully operationalNodal agency ➔ The National
Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) manages the entire Indian Antarctic program.
National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research: an autonomous Institution of the Department of
Ocean Development (DOD), Ministry of Earth Sciences in Goa.
10. National Interlinking of Rivers Authority| Government of India is planning to set up a National
Interlinking of Rivers Authority(NIRA)|as independent autonomous body for planning,
investigation, financing and the implementation of the river interlinking projects in the country|
NIRA will replace the existing National Water Development Agency (NWDA)| It will coordinate
with neighbouring countries and concerned states and departments on river interlinking projects|

13 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

It will have powers on issues related to the environment, wildlife and forest clearances under river
linking projects and their legal aspects| have the power to set up a Special Purpose Vehicle
(SPV) for individual link projects.
Inter-Linking of Rivers Programme first mooted during the British Raj when Sir Arthur Cotton| The
InterLinking of Rivers programme (ILR) programme is aimed at linking different surplus rivers of the
country with deficient rivers so that the excess water from surplus regions could be diverted to
deficient regions.
11. Rezang La| November 18 marks the 59th anniversary of the Battle of Rezang La| Troops from
the 13 Kumaon Regiment defeated several waves of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army in
1962.
Rezang La: It is a mountain pass on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh| It is located between
village of Chushul and the Spanggur Lake that stretches across both Indian and Chinese
territories,
12. Lithuania| country in the Baltic region of Europe| one of three Baltic states and lies on the
eastern shore of the Baltic Sea| shares land borders with Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east
and south, Poland to the south, and Russia (Kaliningrad Oblast) to the southwest| Its capital and
largest city is Vilnius.
13. Taiwan Strait| Taiwan Strait is a 110-mile-wide channel that separates mainland China from the
island of Taiwan| known as the Formosa Strait or the Tai-hai (the Tai Sea)| makes up part of the
South China Sea, and its northern portion is linked to the East China Sea| strait borders the south
eastern part of China and runs along the eastern part of China’s Fujian Province.
14. Lithium| It is a soft, silvery-white metal| Under standard conditions, it is the lightest metal and
the lightest solid element| highly reactive and flammable| good conductor of electricity| Lithium
is a key element for new technologies and finds its use in ceramics, glass, telecommunication
and aerospace industries.
15. ACROSS Scheme| "Atmosphere & Climate Research-Modelling Observing Systems & Services
(ACROSS)"| scheme pertains to the atmospheric science programs of the Ministry of Earth
Sciences (MoES)| There are eight sub-schemes under ACROSS- 1) Commissioning of Polarimetric
Doppler Weather Radars (DWRs) 2) Upgradation of Forecast System 3) Weather & Climate Services
4) Atmospheric Observations Network-IMD 5) Numerical Modelling of Weather and Climate 6)
Monsoon Mission III 7) Monsoon Convection, Clouds and Climate Change(MC4) and 8) High-
Performance Computing System (HPCS)| will provide improved weather, climate and ocean
forecast and services.
16. Solomon Islands| is a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller
islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu| The Solomon
Islands are famous as a battleground of World War II, the pivotal Battle of Guadalcanal named

14 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

after the country’s largest island where the restive capital Honiara is located| The South Pacific
nation of 700,000 people — mostly Melanesian but also Polynesian, Micronesian, Chinese and
European — is, like neighboring Australia and New Zealand, a constitutional monarchy with
Queen Elizabeth II the head of state.
17. Dead Sea & Sinkholes| sinkhole is an opening more or less circular at the top and funnel-
shaped towards the bottom| Some of these form solely through solution action| Solution sinks
are more common than collapse sinks| Sinkholes are very common in limestone/karst areas.
Dead Sea: The Dead Sea or Salt Sea is the landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan
located at the lowest point on earth| It is one of the four saltiest bodies of water in the world|
deepest hypersaline lake| plants and animals cannot flourish.
18. English Channel| part of the Atlantic Ocean| It separates the island of Britain (part of the UK)
from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean| It’s approximately 350 miles
long, and at its narrowest in the Strait of Dover| It is the busiest shipping area in the world.

POLITY

1. Comptroller and Auditor General of India |CAG India and Auditor General of Maldives
have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the audit process of public
finance|CAG is the head of the Indian Audit and Accounts Department| guardian of the public
purse and controls the entire financial system of the country at both the levels- the centre and
state| His duty is to uphold the Constitution of India and the laws of Parliament in the field of
financial administration| The CAG is mentioned in the Constitution of India under Article 148 –
151| CAG is appointed by the President of India by a warrant under his hand and seal| holds
office for a period of six years or upto the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
2. Whistle Blower Portal | launched as a part of ‘Vigilance Awareness Week 2021’| IREDA
employees can raise concerns related to fraud, corruption, abuse of power etc| portal is a part
of IREDA's “zero tolerance” of corruption| IREDA is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of
India Enterprise.
Whistleblowing: According to the Companies Act 2013, whistleblowing is an action aimed at
drawing the attention of stakeholders to instances of unethical practices in an organization| A
whistleblower can be anyone who chooses to expose wrong practices and has evidence to
support the allegations.
Vigilance Awareness Week celebrated every year in the birthday week of Sardar Vallabbhai
Patel, often referred to as the 'Bismark of India'| observed by the Central Vigilance Commission|
observed from 26th October to 1st November.

15 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

3. Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill 2021| Bill is envisaged to provide the “equitable
distribution” of parental property among siblings – both male and female| Bill would let parents
decide who they want to will their property to.
Matrilineal System of Inheritance: three tribes of Meghalaya — Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos —
practise a matrilineal system of inheritance| lineage and descent are traced through the
mother’s clan. In other words, children take the mother’s surname.
4. Draft Mediation Bill | The draft Bill proposes for pre-litigation mediation and at the same time
safeguards the interest of the litigants to approach the competent adjudicatory forums and courts
in case an urgent relief is sought| mediation process protects the confidentiality of the mediation
undertaken and provides for immunity in certain cases against its disclosure| The draft bill also
says that registration of Mediation Settlement Agreement has been provided for with State, District
and Taluk Legal Authorities within 90 days to ensure maintenance of authenticated records of the
settlement so arrived| It also provides for the establishment of the Mediation Council of India.
5. Parliamentary Sessions | summoning of Parliament is specified in Article 85 of the
Constitution| Constitution does not specify when or for how many days Parliament should meet|
maximum gap between two sessions of Parliament cannot be more than six months.
By convention (i.e. not provided by the Constitution), Parliament meets for three sessions in a year
➔ Budget Session, Monsoon Session, Winter Session.
6. MPLADS Scheme | Announced in ➔ December 1993 | a Central Sector Scheme fully funded
by the Government of India| Nodal Ministry ➔ Ministry of Statistics and Programme
Implementation| To enable MPs to recommend works of developmental nature with emphasis
on the creation of durable community assets in the areas of drinking water, primary education,
public health, sanitation and roads, etc. primarily in their Constituencies| MPs receive Rs. 5 crore
in two instalments of Rs. 2.5 crore each. Funds under MPLADS are non-lapsable.
7. Privilege Motion | Parliamentary Privileges are certain rights and immunities enjoyed by
members of Parliament, individually and collectively, so that they can “effectively discharge their
functions”| Article 105 of the Constitution expressly mentions two privileges, that is, freedom of
speech in Parliament and right of publication of its proceedings|Apart from the privileges as
specified in the Constitution, the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908,| When any of these rights and
immunities are disregarded, the offence is called a breach of privilege and is punishable under
law of Parliament| A notice is moved in the form of a motion by any member of either House
against those being held guilty of breach of privilege.
8. Extend tenure of ED, CBI| two ordinances to extend the tenure of Enforcement Directorate
(ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) directors up to 5 years| Currently, the tenure of
chiefs of ED and CBI is two years. While they can not be removed (with some exceptions) before
their tenure ends, an extension can be given by the government| The Delhi Special Police

16 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

Establishment (DSPE) Act,1946 and the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) Act, 2003 have been
amended.
Central Bureau of Investigation: Set up in 1963| a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs| CBI
was recommended by the Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Corruption (1962–1964)| CBI
is not a statutory body| derives its powers from the DSPE Act, 1946| CBI has jurisdiction to
investigate offences pertaining to 69 Central laws, 18 State Acts and 231 offences in the IPC.
Enforcement Directorate: specialized financial investigation agency under the Department of
Revenue, Ministry of Finance| ED enforces- Foreign Exchange Management Act,1999 (FEMA) &
Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA).
9. Panchayats Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act 1996| PESA seeks to protect the
principle of Jal, Jungle , Jameen (Water, forest and land) for the tribals |Panchayats (Extension
to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 or PESA is a law enacted by the Government of India to cover the
"Scheduled areas", which are not covered in the 73rd amendment or Panchayati Raj Act of the
Indian Constitution| It was enacted on 24 December 1996 to enable Gram Sabhas to self-govern
their natural resources.
10. Section 7 of POCSO Act| Section 7 mandates that “whoever with sexual intent touches the
vagina, penis, anus or breast of the child or makes the child touch the vagina, penis, anus or
breast of such person or any other person, or does any other act with sexual intent which involves
physical contact without penetration is said to commit sexual assault”| “The act of touching a
sexual part of the body with sexual intent will not be trivialised and not excluded under Section 7
of the POCSO Act,” the Bench held| The conclusion that “sexual intent” mentioned in the
provision should be ex facie skin to skin would defeat the object of the provision. It would, rather
than giving effect to the rule, destroy it.
11. Process for Repealing a Law| Repealing a law is one of the ways to nullify a law| A law is
reversed when Parliament thinks there is no longer a need for the law to exist| Legislation can
also have a “sunset” clause, a particular date after which they cease to exist| For laws that do
not have a sunset clause, Parliament has to pass another legislation to repeal the law| Article 245
of the Constitution gives Parliament the power to make laws for the whole or any part of India,
and State legislatures the power to make laws for the state|Laws can be repealed in two ways
through Ordinance, or Legislation.
12. Registration of political parties| According to the Election Commission, any party seeking
registration under the Election Commission has to submit an application to it within a period of 30
days following the date of its formation| This is in keeping with the guidelines prescribed by the
Commission in exercise of the powers conferred by Article 324 of the Constitution and Section
29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951| If a party is recognised as a State Party’, it is
entitled for exclusive allotment of its reserved symbol to the candidates set up by it in the State in

17 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

which it is so recognised, and if a party is recognised as a `National Party’ it is entitled for exclusive
allotment of its reserved symbol to the candidates set up by it throughout India| Recognised
`State’ and `National’ parties need only one proposer for filing the nomination and are also
entitled for two sets of electoral rolls free of cost at the time of revision of rolls and their candidates
get one copy of electoral roll free of cost during General Elections| They also get
broadcast/telecast facilities over Akashvani/Doordarshan during general elections| The travel
expenses of star campaigners are not to be accounted for in the election expense accounts of
candidates of their party.

13. SDG Urban India index| NITI Aayog under the Indo-German Cooperation released the
inaugural Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Urban Index and Dashboard 2021–22| It is an
SDG progress monitoring tool at the Urban Local Bodies(ULB) level| For each SDG, the urban areas
are ranked on a scale of 0-100| A score of 100 implies that the urban area has achieved the
targets set for 2030; a score of 0 implies that it is the farthest from achieving the targets among
the selected urban areas.
Key rankings: Top Performers ➔ Shimla, Coimbatore, Chandigarh, Thiruvananthapuram and
Kochi| Worst Performers ➔ Dhanbad, Meerut, Itanagar, Guwahati and Patna.
14. Mysuru Declaration| is aimed at recognising Citizen Centric Services as the “Heart of
Governance”| talks about both the services delivered by panchayats directly and services of
other departments that are facilitated by panchayats through a monitoring mechanism| It aims
to recognise the efforts to promote inclusive and accountable Local Self Governments in delivery
of services, in consonance with the priorities and the aspirations of our citizens| During the
workshop, participants from 16 States signed the Mysuru Declaration.

IR

1. BASIC Countries| BASIC group was formed on November 28, 2009| as an agreement signed
by the four countries|Brazil, South Africa, India and China|To act together at the Copenhagen
Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2009|Stand at a common position on reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and raising the massive funds that are needed to fight climate change|not legally
binding.
G77 Group: largest intergovernmental organization|of developing countries in the
UN|established in 1964 by 77 developing countries.|to promote its members’ collective
economic interests and create an enhanced joint negotiating capacity in the United Nations|G-
77 have increased to 134 countries|India is one of the members of the G77.

18 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

2. UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan| United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

(UNAMA)| a UN Special Political Mission|established in 2002|original mandate was to support
the implementation of the Bonn Agreement. Reviewed annually, this mandate has been altered
over time to reflect the needs of Afghanistan.
3. Defence Technology and Trade Initiative| India, U.S. held 11th Defence Technology and
Trade Initiative (DTTI) group meeting | Launched in 2012|DTTI meetings are normally held twice
a year alternating between India and the U.S.| To bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral
defence trade relationship and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of
defence equipment| India and the US have signed a deal to jointly develop air-launched
unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs).
4. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)| Established ➔ 1989|It is a regional economic
forum to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific| Aim -to create greater
prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative
and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration| New Zealand is hosting
this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum| India is not a Member.
5. Digital Atlantic Charter initiative|It is created in the spirit of the Atlantic Charter and following
the recent AUKUS trilateral security partnership between Australia, U.K. and the U.S| to protect
and ensure the resilience of their critical infrastructure| India is not a Member.
Atlantic Charter: a joint declaration issued during World War II (1939-45) by the United States and
Great Britain that set out a vision for the postwar world.
6. ASEAN| Established in 1967|signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration)|
Association of Southeast Asian Nations is a regional organization which was established to
promote political and social stability amid rising tensions among the Asia-Pacific’s post-colonial
states| motto of ASEAN is ➔ “One Vision, One Identity, One Community”| ASEAN Secretariat ➔
Indonesia, Jakarta.
7. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)| 20th SCO Council of Heads Meeting was held
in Nur-Sultan in virtual| chairmanship of Kazakhstan |is a permanent intergovernmental
international organisation| created in 2001|SCO Charter entered into force in 2003|It’s a Eurasian
political, economic and military organisation aiming to maintain peace, security and stability in
the region|Official Languages ➔ Russian and Chinese| SCO Secretariat in Beijing.
Eight member states: India, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and
Uzbekistan|Four observer states: Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia.
8. Green Energy collaboration| India-UK Science & Technology (S&T) collaboration has been
growing rapidly, while the joint research programme of both the countries has gone from zero
base to 300-400 million pounds now|UK has emerged as the second largest international
research & innovation partner of India.

19 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

India-UK Initiatives: Science and Innovation Council(SIC)| Newton-Bhabha Fund|Industry-

Academia Partnership Programme.

SOCIETY

1. National Formulary of India| 6th Edition|launched by Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission

(IPC), Ministry for Health and Family Welfare|NFI- Published by ➔ Indian Pharmacopoeia
Commission(IPC)| To promote rational use of medicines in the country.
Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission: Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare|IPC set standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs required from health care
perspective of human beings and animals|It further promotes rational use of generic medicines
by publishing National Formulary of India|IPRS are the official standards to be used in cases of
arbitration.
2. Bhasha Sangam initiative for schools|initiative of the Ministry of Education|to teach basic
sentences of everyday usage in 22 Indian languages (Eighth Schedule languages)| It is
developed by NCERT|The idea is that people should acquire basic conversational skills in an
Indian language other than their mother tongue|available on DIKSHA, ePathshala and through
22 booklets.
Bhasha Sangam Mobile App| App initially has 100 sentences of everyday usage in 22 Indian
languages. These sentences are available in both Roman script and in the script of the given
language and also in audio format.
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Quiz App|quiz game targeted toward children and youngsters for
helping them learn more about our different regions, states, culture, national Heroes, monuments,
traditions, tourist locations, languages, geography, history and topography|
Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat: launched in 2015|to promote engagement amongst the people of
different States/UTs.
3. Central Sector Plan Scheme| is ‘’In-service Training & Sensitization of Key functionaries of
Central & State Governments and Local Bodies and other service providers” at national level
w.e.f. 2015 -16|Nodal agency ➔ Rehabilitation Council India (RCI) as nodal agency for
implementation of its Central Sector Plan Scheme.
Rehabilitation Council of India: It is a Statutory Body under the Department of Empowerment of
Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment|RCI was set
up as a registered society in 1986.

20 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

4. SMILE Scheme|new Scheme after the merger of existing Schemes for Beggars and
Transgenders | SMILE stands for Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and
Enterprise”. Focus of the scheme is on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling,
basic documentation, education, skill development, economic linkages etc.
5. National Achievement Survey|nationally representative large-scale survey of students’
learning| undertaken by the Ministry of Education|To provide structured feedback on student
learning levels at District, State, and national levels. These inputs are used for policy planning and
designing pedagogical interventions to improve quality and ensure equity in learning|survey
covered students of Class 3rd, 5th, 8th and 10th standard.
6. STARS Project|Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program| to improve the
quality and governance of school education in six Indian states| Implemented as a new
Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of
Education.
7. Autism Spectrum Disorder| Indian researchers have developed a compound called “6BIO”|
that can provide a better method to treat Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) / Intellectual disability
(ID)| t is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and
socialises with others, causing problems in social interaction and communication.
8. HomoSEP:“homogenizer of septic tanks”| a portable robot| if deployed extensively, put an
end to this practice of sending people into septic tanks.
Various policy initiatives: Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their
Rehabilitation (Amendment) Bill, 2020|It proposes to completely mechanise sewer cleaning,
introduce ways for ‘on-site’ protection and provide compensation to manual scavengers in case
of sewer deaths.| Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act,
2013|Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan|Prevention of Atrocities Act|Judicial intervention.
9. National Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Beggars: launched by Ministry of
Social Justice and Empowerment|The pilot project was launched in 10 cities namely Delhi,
Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna and
Ahmedabad.|scheme will be part of the SMILE Scheme.
10. National Multidimensional Poverty Index | by NITI Aayog|is a contribution towards
measuring progress towards target 1.2 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030
Agenda| index has used the globally accepted and robust methodology developed by the
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP) for Global MPI.| The index is based on three equally weighted dimensions –
health, education and standard of living – which in turn are represented by 12 indicators| Bihar
has the maximum percentage of population living in poverty| Kerala registered lowest
population poverty levels (0.71%).

21 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

SECURITY

1. Long Range Bomb|DRDO and Indian Air Force (IAF) have jointly flight-tested Long-Range
Bomb(LRB)| Developed by ➔ Research Centre Imarat (RCI), a DRDO laboratory located at
Hyderabad|India’s first indigenously-developed guided bomb|attack land-based targets|a
range of around 100 kilometres|
2. Sagar Nidhi|Indian Subcontinent’s Pioneer Research Vessel, Ship|commissioned in 2008|for
the country's marine research programme|the third research vessel after Sagar Purvi and
SagarPaschimi|Purpose ➔ 1. Exploring the ocean resources, 2. Participation in search and
rescue operations and in implementation of Deep Ocean Mission, 3. Carrying out geoscientific,
meteorological and oceanographic research|First Indian flagged research ship that reached the
Antarctic waters|Research Vessel( ships ) namely Sagar Nidhi, Sagar Manjusha, Sagar Kanya,
Sagar Sampada, Sagar Tara and Sagar Anveshika.
National Institute of Ocean Technology: established in November 1993|an autonomous
society|under the Ministry of Earth Sciences|aim of NIOT is to develop reliable indigenous
technologies to solve various engineering problems associated with harvesting of non-living and
living resources in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone(EEZ) which is about two-thirds of the land
area of India.
3. Indian Navy Frigate Tushil|Designed and built by Russia for the Indian Navy, the ship is
formally named as ‘Tushil’|Project 1135.6 is also known as Talwar Class — a class of guided-
missile frigates|feature “stealth technology”.
4. Y 12704 (Visakhapatnam)| the lead ship of Project 15B stealth guided missile destroyers|built
at Mazgaon Docks Limited (MDL)| 163 metres long warship|full load displacement of 7400 tonnes
and maximum speed of 30 knots.
Project-15B: Guided missile Destroyers of Project 15B (P 15B) are under construction at M/s
Mazagaon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai. The contract for construction of these four ships
was signed in 2011.
5. INS Vela|fourth Scorpene-class submarine named ‘Vela’|under Project 75 for the Indian
Navy|It is a diesel-electric attack submarine based on the Scorpène class|It can operate in all
theatres, including tropics.
Project 75: includes the construction of six submarines of Scorpene design|three submarines
namely INS Karanj, INS Kalvari and INS Khanderi are functional.
6. EX SHAKTI 2021|between India and France|6th Edition of the biennial training exercise “EX
SHAKTI 2021”| will focus on Counter Terrorism operations in backdrop of semi-urban terrain under

22 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

United Nations Mandate with an aim to enhance military cooperation and inter-operability
between the two Armies.
7. Exercise SITMEX| third edition| trilateral naval exercise Singapore-India-Thailand Maritime
Exercise (SITMEX)| annual maritime exercise | To enhance mutual interoperability and imbibing
best practices between the Indian, Singapore and Thailand Navy..
8. Indian Ocean Naval Symposium|7th edition | is a voluntary and inclusive initiative that
brings together navies of Indian Ocean Region (IOR) littoral states to increase maritime co-
operation and enhance regional security| The chairmanship of IONS has been held by India
(2008-10), UAE (2010-12), South Africa (2012-14), Australia (2014-16), Bangladesh (2016-18) and
Islamic Republic of Iran (2018-21).
9. Zircon hypersonic cruise missile| Zircon hypersonic cruise missile |travel more than five
times the speed of sound| carried out by Russia.
10. Operation Sankalp| started in June 2019|Indian Navy's ship Trikand is currently deployed in
the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman as part of Operation Sankalp | It was launched to assure
the safety and security of the Indian vessels.
Gulf of Oman: is a gulf that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then
connects to the Persian Gulf |t borders Iran and Pakistan on the north, Oman on the south and
the United Arab Emirates on the west.
11. AK-203|It is an assault rifle designed by Russia|is considered to be the latest and most
advanced version of the AK-47 rifle. They will be replacing the Indian Small Arms System(INSAS)
rifles.
Igla-S: Man-Portable Air Defence System is a Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD) System
manufactured by Russia.
12. Dosti Trilateral Exercise|15th edition of the biennial trilateral coast guard exercise ‘Dosti’
involving India, the Maldives and Sri Lanka is underway in the Maldives|The aim of this exercise
is to further fortify the friendship, enhance mutual operational capability, and exercise
interoperability and to build cooperation|2021 marks 30 years since these exercises were first
launched.
13. Deep Dive Training program| National e-Governance Division under the Ministry of
Electronics and IT is conducting a six-day Deep Dive Training program|Ministry of Electronics and
IT under the Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative|It is a six day training programme that aims to create
awareness around cyber security and develop an empowered and strong cyber ecosystem in
Government organisations in India.
Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative: by ➔ Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
in 2018|To spread awareness about cybercrime and build capacity for safety measures for Chief
Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments.

23 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

14. National Automated Facial Recognition System (NAFRS)| way of identifying or confirming
an individual’s identity using their face|to identify people in photos, videos, or in real-
time|mobile and web-based application.
Mechanisms of some of the identification methods-Fingerprint|Voice Recognition|Retina Scan|
Keystroke dynamics.

HISTORY & CULTURE

1. World Pedestrian Day| Punjab Police has recently proposed that the birth anniversary
(Gurpurab) of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev be declared as ‘World Pedestrian Day’| To spread
the message of oneness and to break barriers across faiths by engaging in spiritual dialogues,
the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev, travelled far and wide during the 15th and 16th
centuries| From Mecca to Haridwar, from Sylhet to Mount Kailash, Guru Nanak visited hundreds
of interfaith sites| travels were documented in texts called ‘janamsakhis’.
Guru Nanak| born in Talvandi near Lahore| there is only one God| that all human beings can
have direct access to God with no need of ritualsor priests. introduced the concept of god- that
is ‘Vahiguru’, an entity that is shapeless, timeless, omnipresent and invisible.
2. Adi Shankaracharya| 12-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath| acharya is
believed to have attained samadhi at the age of 32 in the ninth century| was born in 788 AD| in
Kerala| devotee of Shiva| Propounded the Doctrine of Advaita (Monism)| opposed to Buddhist
philosophers| Major Work ➔ Brahmasutrabhasya (Bhashya or commentary on the Brahma Sutra),
Bhajagovinda Stotra, Nirvana Shatakam, Prakaran Granths. Established four Mathas in the four
corners of India at Shingeri, Puri, Dwaraka and Badrinath.
Advaita Vedanta: It articulates a philosophical position of radical nondualism, a revisionary
worldview which it derives from the ancient Upanishadic texts.
3. Vanniyars | Madras High Court on Monday quashed the 10.5 per cent special internal
reservation provided by the Tamil Nadu government to Vanniyars, a most backward caste|
Vanniyars were one of the largest and most consolidated backward communities that had a
consistency in retaining political representation from 1940s and 1950s.
4. Kadar Tribe | small tribe of southern India| in Tamilnadu |one of the five primitive tribal groups
in Kerala| Kadar live in the forests and do not practice agriculture| speak the Dravidian
languages of Tamil and Kannaḍa| Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Kerala, but not
in Tamil Nadu.

24 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

5. UNESCO Creative Cities Network | selected Srinagar as part of the UNESCO Creative Cities
Network (UCCN)| under the Crafts and Folk Arts category| Launched in 2004| To foster mutual
international cooperation with and between member cities committed to invest in creativity as a
driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.
6. Onake Obavva | Karnataka government to celebrate ‘Onake Obavva Jayanti’| November
11| a woman warrior who fought the forces of Hyder Ali single-handedly| in Chitradurga in the
18th century| She died protecting the Chitradurga Fort| ruled by Madakari Nayaka in the 18th
century| Obavva is considered to be the epitome of Kannada pride.
7. Janjatiya Gaurav Divas| dedicated to remember the contributions of tribal freedom fighters
for the country| A tribal freedom fighter museum at Ranchi|15th November also marks the birth
anniversary of Birsa Munda.
Birsa Munda: born on 15th November 1875| belonged to the Munda tribe| spearheaded an
Indian tribal religious Millenarian movement during British rule in the late 19th century across the
tribal belt of modern-day Jharkhand and Bihar.
8. Acharya Kriplani | Prime Minister paid tribute to freedom fighter Acharya Kripalani| Born on
11 November 1888 in Hyderabad, Sindh| actively involved in movements like Non-Cooperation
Movement, Quit India Movement, and Salt Satyagraha| Kripalani joined the All India Congress
Committee (AICC)| He became one of the founders of the Kisan Mazdoor Praja Party (KMPP)|
elected to the Lok Sabha in 1952, 1957, 1963 and 1967 as a member of Praja Socialist Party| He
moved the first-ever No confidence motion in Lok Sabha in 1963, immediately after the India-
China War (1962)| He was a critic of Nehru's policies and Indira Gandhi’s rule. He was arrested
during Emergency (1975)| earned the moniker ‘Acharya’ around 1922 when he was teaching at
the Gujarat Vidyapith, founded by the Mahatma a couple of years before.
9. Rani Kamlapati | The name of Bhopal’s Habibganj railway station has been changed to Rani
Kamlapati station| Gond queen of the Bhopal region in the 18th century |one of the seven wives
of Gond ruler Nizam Shah| Kamlapati was the “last Hindu queen of Bhopal.
Gond: are a Dravidian ethno-linguistic group| one of the largest groups in India| spread over the
states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Andhra
Pradesh, Bihar and Odisha. They are listed as a Scheduled Tribe| Gondi language is related to
Telugu.
10. Devasahayam|A Hindu man from Tamil Nadu, who converted to Christianity in the 18th
century, is set to become the first Indian layman to be declared a saint by the Vatican for
“enduring increasing hardships” to embrace Christianity.
11. Kartarpur Corridor| government is considering reopening the Kartarpur Sahib Gurudwara
corridor to Pakistan this week to allow Sikh pilgrims to cross over| it was shut down due to the
Coronavirus pandemic| Kartarpur corridor connects the Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Narowal

25 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

district of Pakistan with the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in India’s Punjab
province| corridor was built to commemorate 550th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Nanak
Dev, founder of Sikhism on 12th November 2019| agreement will facilitate visa-free movement|
Indian pilgrims of all faiths and persons of Indian origin can use the corridor
12. Babasaheb Purandare| Balwant Moreshwar Purandare (1922 - 2021), popularly known as
Babasaheb Purandare is a writer and theatre personality from Maharashtra| demise of writer,
historian and theatre personality| books- Thinagya, Raja Shiva Chatrapati and Kesari| drama
Jaanta Raja| awarded Padma Vibhushan2019| Maharashtra Bhushan Award2015.
13. Pochampally Village| elected as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World
Tourism Organisation (UNWTO)| Pilot initiative by UNWTO to highlight those villages where tourism
preserves cultures and traditions, celebrates diversity, provides opportunities and safeguards
biodiversity| aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations
and showcase good practises in line with its specified nine evaluation areas.
Pochampally Village| town in Nalgonda district of Telangana| referred to as the Silk City of India/
sarees called Ikat| Ikat received a Geographical Indicator(GI) tag in 2004.
United Nations World Tourism Organisation: United Nations Specialised Agency responsible for
the promotion of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism |Est. in 1975 with
headquarters at Madrid, Spain.
14. Sabz Burj| Built in 1530, Sabz Burj is one of the earliest Mughal-era monuments in Delhi| tomb
does not have any markings pointing to the identity of those buried under it| ceiling on its double
dome structure painted in pure gold and lapis.
15. Puri Heritage Corridor Project| to soon lay the foundation stone| aims to transform the holy
town of Puri into an international place of heritage| Funds have been allocated under the state
government’s Augmentation of Basic Amenities and Development of Heritage and Architecture
at Puri (ABADHA) scheme| project includes redevelopment of Puri lake and Musa river revival
plan.
Puri Jagannath Temple: onstructed in the 12th century by King Anatavarman Chodaganga Deva
of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty| called the “White Pagoda” and is a part of Char Dham pilgrimages
(Badrinath, Dwaraka, Puri, Rameswaram)| World famous Rath Yatra (Car Festival) & Bahuda
Yatra.
16. Jaffna Cultural Centre| Jaffna Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka’s Northern Province awaits
inauguration nearly two years after its construction |developed as an iconic building that will
emerge as a cultural forum that embodies coexistence and cooperation amongst the various
communities on the island.| Indian grant of $11 million and was completed in early 2020.
17. Rani Gaidinliu| Born on January 26, 1915 at Luangkao village in Manipur, Rani Gaidinliu was a
spiritual and political leader of the Rongmei Naga tribe|nion Home Minister laid the foundation

26 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

stone for the ‘Rani Gaidinliu Tribal Freedom Fighters Museum’ in Manipur| She preserved the
identity and culture of her community - Zeme, Liangmai, Rongmei and Inpui - a cognate of tribes
referred to as Zeliangrong and are spread across Assam, Manipur & Nagaland| Rani started a
serious revolt against the British and was eventually imprisoned for life. She was released after 14
years, in 1947| Jawaharlal Nehru called her the “Daughter of the Hills” and gave her the title
“Rani” or queen.
18. Bharat Gaurav Scheme| the Railways has announced the ‘Bharat Gaurav’ Schem| Under this
Scheme, theme-based tourist circuit trains, on the lines of the Ramayana Express, can be run
either by private or State-owned operators| These trains are not regular trains.
19. Namda Craft| Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has launched two
projects| Revival of Namda craft of Kashmir as a special pilot project under Pradhan Mantri
Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0 & Upskilling of artisans and weavers of Kashmir under
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), component of PMKVY| To boost and preserve the traditional
Namda craft of Kashmir and upskill the local weavers and artisans to enhance their productivity
through RPL assessment and certification.
Namda Craft: form of matting| Namda is usually a sandwich of many layers of wool|originated
in the 11th century during the reign of Mughal emperor Akba.r.
20. Ramappa Temple| received UNESCO tag| in Telangana’s Warangal| Constructed in 1213 AD
during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati
Deva| deity is Ramalingeswara Swamy| named after its architect, Ramappa. is a masterpiece
of Kakatiya-era architecture| foundation of the temple is built with the “sandbox technique”|
technique acts as a cushion in case of earthquakes.

MISCELLANEOUS

1. Climate change disclosure laws | New Zealand passes climate change disclosure laws for
financial firms in world first| The bill requires banks, insurers, firms and investment managers to
report the impacts of climate change on their business| assess their own investments and also
evaluate the companies they are lending money to in terms of their environmental impact| will
disclose how they would manage climate-related risks and opportunities.
2. Lamkhaga Pass trek| death of 21 trekkers| Lamkhaga Pass (5,282 m / 17,320 ft) is one of the
toughest pass which connects Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh with Harshil in Uttrakhand|
pass is located near Indo - Tibetan border.
3. Dairy Sahakar Scheme | Aim ➔ To encourage the cooperative dairy businesses in the country
which will help realize the vision of “from cooperation to prosperity”| Implementing Agency ➔
National Cooperative Development Corporation ( NCDC) under the Ministry of Cooperation.

27 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

4. Ayushman CAPF | The scheme is a joint initiative of the Home Ministry, Health Ministry and
National Health Authority (NHA)| The scheme covers serving personnel and their dependents
from Assam Rifles, Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Reserve Police
Force(CRPF), Central Industrial Security Force(CISF), National Security Guard(NSG) and Indo-
Tibetan Border Police(ITBP).
5. Har Ghar Dastak campaign | is the Government of India’s mega COVID-19 vaccination
campaign| month-long door-to-door vaccination campaign.
6. Building climate resilience in the Asia Pacific region report | released by International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)| The Asia-Pacific region is home to two-thirds of the
world’s poorest people. Climate change is posing an additional threat to the region, and the rural
population dependent on rainfed agriculture has been affected.
Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP): Launched by the IFAD in 2012| is the
organisation’s flagship programme for channelling climate and environmental finance to
smallholder farmers| programme has helped smallholder farmers in 41 countries| These included
rural development projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Laos, Nepal and Vietnam.
7. Lakhpati SHG women initiative | launched by Ministry of Rural Development| Aim ➔ The
initiative aims to enable rural Self Help Group (SHGs) women to earn at least Rs.1 lakh per annum|
Target ➔ To provide livelihood support to 25 million rural SHG women in the next 2 years.
8. LZTFL1| the gene responsible for doubling the risk of respiratory failures from COVID-19| higher
risk version of the gene possibly prevents the cells lining the airways and the lungs from
responding to the virus properly|But while the gene impacts the response of the lungs, it does not
impact the immune system, therefore, researchers believe that people carrying this version of the
gene should respond normally to the vaccines.
9. Global Drug Policy Index | Released by the Harm Reduction Consortium| is a data-driven
global analysis of drug policies and their implementation|75 indicators running across five broad
dimensions of drug policy: criminal justice, extreme responses, health and harm reduction,
access to internationally controlled medicines, and development.
Norway, New Zealand, Portugal, the UK and Australia as the five leading countries on humane
and health-driven drug policies| India’s rank is 18 out of 30 countries.
10. Darjeeling Himalayan Railway | India has registered the logos of the Darjeeling Himalayan
Railway (DHR) as its intellectual property| also known as the DHR or the Toy Train, is a narrow-
gauge railway built between 1879 and 1881| located in the foothills of the Himalayas in West
Bengal |railway runs between New Jalpaiguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal| In 1999. UNESCO
declared the DHR a World Heritage Site.
About Logos: use of these logos anywhere in the world will now require written permission from
India and the payment of a fee.

28 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

WIPO’s Vienna Classification: VCL is an international classification system established in 1973 by

the Vienna Agreement Establishing an International Classification of the Figurative Elements of
Marks, and administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)| WIPO is one of
the oldest specialized agencies of the United Nations.
11. Non-Muslim civil marriage | Abu Dhabi allows non-Muslim civil marriage under new law|
Non-Muslims will be allowed to marry, divorce and get joint child custody under civil law in Abu
Dhabi according to a new decree issued by its ruler| It aims to “enhance the position and global
competitiveness of the emirate as one of the most attractive destinations for talent and skills.
12. Padma awards | Padma awards to 119 recipients for the year 2020|A higher category of
Padma award can be conferred on a person only where a period of at least five years has
elapsed since conferment of the earlier Padma award|Announced annually on Republic Day|
Objective ➔ It seeks to recognize achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an
element of public service is involved|The award does not add up to a title and cannot be used
as a suffix or prefix to the recipient’s name|Padma Vibhushan is highest in the hierarchy of Padma
Awards| The Awards are given in various disciplines/ fields of activities, viz.- art, social work,
public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education,
sports, civil service etc.
13. Tele-Law on Wheels campaign| Conducted with aid of Common Service Centers(CSCs) e
Governance which has a network of 4 lakh + digitally enabled CSCs across the country|CSCs
have been branded as Kanooni Salah Sahahyak Kendra for this purpose.
Tele-Law Mobile App: Launched by the Ministry of Law and Justice|It would connect the
beneficiaries directly with Panel Lawyers offering legal advice and consultation.
14. Goa maritime conclave|3rd edition|at Naval War College, Goa|to harness the collective
wisdom of practitioners of maritime security and the academia towards garnering outcome
oriented maritime thought| Theme ➔ Maritime Security and Emerging Non-Traditional Threats: A
Case for Proactive Role for IOR Navies.
15. World Table Tennis Contender Lasko 2021|Manika Batra and Archana Girish Kamath from
India have won the women’s doubles title at World Table Tennis Contender Lasko 2021|Started in
1926. Tournament have been held biennially since 1957.
Recent Game: , Batra & Kamath, are ranked at 36th|Indian duo saved four-game points in third
set to won the match.
16. Leadership Group for Industry Transition(LeadIT)| Summit 2021 was held in hybrid mode
presided by India and Sweden|was launched by the Prime Ministers of Sweden and India with
support from the World Economic Forum (WEF) during the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action
Summit in 2019, in New York|hosted by Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), Sweden|Purpose
➔ Voluntary initiative for promoting low-carbon transition through active participation of private

29 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

sector companies. Especially in the sectors like Iron & Steel, Aluminium, Cement and Concrete,
petrochemicals, fertilisers, bricks, heavy-duty transport.
17. HARBINGER 2021 Hackathon|RBI is set to organise its first global hackathon called
‘HARBINGER 2021–Innovation for Transformation’ focusing on digital payments|Theme ➔
“Smarter Digital Payments”|aims to invite participants that can identify and develop solutions|
The participants in the hackathon will get the opportunity to be mentored by industry experts,
exhibit their innovative solutions before an eminent jury and win prizes in each category.
18. PNS Tughril| China has handed over the first Type 054A/P frigate (warship) named PNS Tughril
to Pakistan|PNS Tughril is the largest and most advanced warship that China has ever
exported|world-class stealth capability.
19. Niracara Svayamsasita Vedh Shala|developed by IIT Kanpur|to monitor the “health” of the
River Ganga |This observatory has been developed with the help of the Department of Science
and Technology, the Government of India, and the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum
(IUSSTF)| It is a low-cost, water quality monitoring platform that would enable in situ monitoring,
real-time data transmission and web-based visualisation of River Ganga. With its large riverine
network, India battles frequent floods, foam-filled toxic water bodies, unexpected rise in water
levels, polluted rivers and so on.
20. Landraces| Rahibai Popere, popularly known as Seed mother, from Maharashtra won this year’s
Padma awards| Landraces refer to naturally occurring variants of commonly cultivated
crops|her work has helped save hundreds of landraces.
21. Octacopter|CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories(NAL)’s “Octacopter” drone has
successfully delivered 50 vials of Covid vaccines to a primary health centre in Karnataka|
Developed by :National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) a constituent of CSIR|Octacopter is an
indigenous medium-class drone.
22. Hazaras of Afghanistan|Hazaras are an ethnic and religious minority group largely found in
the rugged and mountainous central Afghan region of Hazarajat|They are believed to be
descendants of the founder of the Mongol empire, Genghis Khan, and his army that overran the
entire region during the 13th century.
23. India International Science Festival|7th edition|IISF is a joint program of the Ministry of
Science & Technology, Ministry of Earth Sciences and VijnanaBharati (VIBHA) a swadeshi
movement of Bharat|To celebrate science along with people in India and across the globe.| first
program of IISF was held in the year 2015|theme for 2021 ➔ ‘Celebrating Creativity in Science,
Technology and Innovation for Prosperous India’.
Vijnana Bharati: Swadeshi Science Movement was started in Indian Institute of Science-
Bengaluru by a few eminent scientists under the guidance of Prof. K I Vasu|to motivate young
scientists towards greater creativity and originality.

30 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

24. Duare Ration (ration at doorstep) scheme| West Bengal|dealers would deliver ration at the
doorstep of the beneficiaries.
25. Safai Mitra Suraksha Challenge|awareness campaign on SafaiMitra Suraksha Challenge
(SSC)| part of the ‘World Toilet Day’ (19th November) celebrations|to run up to the ‘Swachh Amrit
Diwas’|To prevent ‘hazardous cleaning’ of sewers and septic tanks and promote their
mechanized cleaning|Organising Loan Melas.
Loan Melas: National Safai Karamcharis Finance & Development Corporation (NSKFDC), Ministry
of Social Justice and Empowerment with the support of MoHUA|To help Safai mitras avail loans
for procurement of sewer/ septic tank cleaning machine/ equipment for mechanized cleaning.
26. Bribery Risk Matrix 2021|Released by : TRACE, an anti-bribery standard setting
organisation|Four parameters ➔ (1) business interaction with the government, (2) anti-bribery
deterrence, (3) transparency and (4) civil society oversight|India has slipped to 82nd position in
2021, five places down from 77th rank last year.
27. Migration and Development Brief Report|released by World Bank|Aim ➔ The report aims
to provide an update on key developments. Especially in the area of migration and remittance
flows and related policies over the past six months|report is produced twice a year|India is the
world’s largest recipient of remittances. It received $87 billion in 2021. India had received over
$83 billion in remittances in 2020.
28. Special Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme| The scheme aims to help in meeting the
technology related requirements of enterprises in the services sector|Subsidy is to be given via
institutional credit to the SC/ST micro and small enterprises (MSEs) without any sector specific
restrictions on technology degradation.
29. InFinity Forum| IFSCA’s flagship financial technology and global thought leadership event|The
forum will focus on how technology and innovation can be leveraged by the FinTech industry| In
this forum pressing problems, progressive ideas, innovative technologies from across the world
gets Discovered, Discussed and Developed into Solutions.
30. Healthcare equity in urban India Report|released by “Healthcare equity in urban India”|
report explores health vulnerabilities and inequalities in cities in India|It also looks at the
availability, accessibility and cost of healthcare facilities and possibilities in future-proofing
services in the next decade|Rise in Urban poverty: Close to 30% of people living in urban areas
are poor|Life expectancy among the poorest sections of society in urban areas is lower by 9.1
years and 6.2 years for men and women respectively.
31. Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace for 2021| Pratham, a pioneering civil society organisation has
been awarded the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize 2021|It consists of a monetary award of Rs 25 lakh
along with a citation|award is given to individuals or organisations.

31 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

Pratham: Set up in 1995|began its work in slum areas by setting up community-based pre-schools
and by offering remedial education to students who lagged behind in their classes|Its Annual
Status of Education Report (ASER), based on surveying 6,00,000 rural Indian children, is now used
as a model to assess educational outcomes and learning deficiencies in 14 countries over three
continents.
32. Global State of Democracy Report 2021| Released by ➔ International Institute for
Democracy and Electoral Assistance|Aim ➔ To review the state of democracy around the world
over the course of 2020 and 2021, with democratic trends since 2015 used as contextual
reference.
Key findings: India remained in the category of a mid-level performing democracy.
International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance(IDEA): an intergovernmental
organization that supports sustainable democracy worldwide| includes India as a member-state.
33. UNESCO-ABU Peace Media Awards 2021| TV and Radio shows produced by Doordarshan
and All India Radio respectively received multiple awards at the recently held ABU - UNESCO
Peace Media Awards 2021 at Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia |Given by ➔ UNESCO in collaboration
with Asia Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) under the ‘Together for Peace’ (T4P) initiative|Aim ➔
To highlight and promote the crucial role of independent, ethical journalism and citizens’ media
literacy for building positive peace in human minds.
Together for Peace (T4P) initiative: It is an initiative of UNESCO in collaboration with Japan’s
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Thailand’s Ministry of Education|To build and sustain ‘positive
peace’ in the Asia Pacific region.
34. Gallantry Awards| To honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of the officers/personnel of the
Armed Forces, other lawfully constituted forces and civilians|The Ministry of Defence invites
recommendations twice a year from the Armed Forces and Union Ministry of Home Affairs for
gallantry awards|first on the occasion of Republic Day & other on Independence Day|Post-
Independence, the First three gallantry awards namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir Chakra and
Vir Chakra were instituted by the Government of India on 26th January 1950 which were deemed
to have effect from August 15th,1947|Thereafter, other three gallantry awards i.e. Ashoka Chakra
Class-I, Ashoka Chakra Class-II and Ashoka Chakra Class-III were instituted by the Government
of India on 4th January 1952|Classified into two Categories: Wartime Gallantry Awards &
Peacetime Gallantry Awards.
35. El Salvador’s Bitcoin city|only country to recognise Bitcoin as a legal tender|would be funded
with the issuance of a $1 billion Bitcoin Bond|city will be located along the Gulf of Fonseca near
Conchagua volcano|already running a pilot Bitcoin mining venture at another geothermal
power plant.

32 | P a g e
 OnlyIAS Nothing Else

36. Global Nutrition Report 2021| It is a multi-stakeholder initiative, consisting of a Stakeholder

Group, Independent Expert Group and Report Secretariat|The report is the world’s leading
independent assessment of the state of global nutrition. It provides a concise data-focused
update on the state of diets and nutrition in the world.
Key findings: Over half of Indian women in the age group 15-49 years are anaemic|India has
made no progress or is worsening on reducing ‘childhood wasting’. Over 17% of Indian children
under 5 years of age are affected by wasting.
Global Nutrition Targets: In 2012, the World Health Assembly identified six nutrition targets for
maternal, infant and young child nutrition to be met by 2025.
37. World Congress on Disaster Management| Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh virtually
inaugurated the 5th World Congress on Disaster Management on November 24, 2021.
38. State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report 2021| The Food and Agriculture Organization’s
(FAO) has released the State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) report 2021– Making agrifood
systems more resilient to shocks and stresses|The report is an annual flagship report of FAO|It
aims at bringing to a wider audience balanced science-based assessments of important issues
in the field of food and agriculture.
Agri-Food Systems and its contribution? Agri-food systems include the web of activities involved
in the production of food and non-food agricultural products and their storage, processing,
transportation, distribution and consumption.
Key findings: Primary Agri production alone provides about a quarter of employment globally,
more than half in sub-Saharan Africa and almost 60% in low-income countries.
About FAO: a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat
hunger.

33 | P a g e