About:

• Doing Business 2019: Training for Reform, released by World Bank, is the 16th in a series of annual reports measuring the regulations that enhance & constraint business activity.
  
  
• Doing Business measures regulations affecting 11 areas of the life of a business.
  • 10 of these areas are included in this year’s ranking: (1) starting a business, (2) dealing with construction permits, (3) getting electricity, (4) registering property, (5) getting credit, (6) protecting minority investors, (7) paying taxes, (8) trading across borders, (9) enforcing contracts and (8) resolving insolvency.
    
    
  • Doing Business also measures labor market regulation, which is not included in this year’s ranking.
    
    
  
  
  
• The DBR ranks countries on the basis of Distance to Frontier (DTF), a score that shows the gap of an economy to the global best practice.
  
  
• Data in Doing Business 2019 are current as of May 1, 2018.
  
  

Key findings:

• Top 5 economies: (1) New Zealand, (2) Singapore, (3) Denmark, (4) Hong Kong and (5) South Korea.
  
  
• The economies with the most notable improvement in Doing Business 2019 are Afghanistan, Djibouti, China, Azerbaijan, India, Togo, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Turkey and Rwanda.
  • For the second consecutive year, India has been recognized as one of the top improvers.
    
    
  • India is the first BRICS and South Asian country to be recognized as top improvers in consecutive years.
    
    
  
  
  
• One-third of all business regulatory reforms recorded were in the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa.
  
  
• Training opportunities for service providers and users are positively associated with the ease of doing business score.
  
  

Indian scenario:

• India is ranked at 77 among 190 countries as compared to its rank of 100 in previous edition.
  
  
• India has improved its rank by 53 positions in last two years and 65 positions in last four years.
  
  
• India’s DTF score improved to 67.23 from 60.76 in the previous year.
  
  
• India has improved its rank in 6 out of 10 indicators: (1) Construction Permit, (2) Trading across Borders, (3) Starting a Business, (4) Getting Credit, (5) getting electricity and (6) enforcing contracts.
  
  
• The most dramatic improvements have been registered in the indicators related to
  • Grant of 'Construction Permits' (in which India's rank improved from 181 in 2017 to 52 in 2018, an improvement of 129 ranks in a single year) and
    
    
  • Trading across Borders (in which India's rank improved by 66 positions moving from 146 in 2017 to 80 in 2018.
    
    
  
  
  
• India has moved closer to international best practices (Distance to Frontier score) on 7 out of the 10 indicators.
  
  
• India is now placed at first position among South Asian countries as against 6th in 2014.
  
  

About:

• Pashmina is a fine type of Kashmiri wool which comes from 4 distinct breeds of the Cashmere goat namely:
  • Changthangi (or Kashmir Pashmina goat) from the Changthang Plateau in Kashmir region, Malra from Kargil area in Kashmir region,
    
    
  
  
  

• Chegu from Himachal Pradesh
  
  
• Chyangara (or Nepalese Pashmina goat) from Nepal.
  
  

• Pashmina (also known as 'cashmere' in the West) literally translates to "Soft Gold" in Kashmiri.
  
  
• It is used to make shawl, scarf and wrap/stole.
  
  
• Kashmir Pashmina has been assigned Geographical indication (GI) tag under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
  
  

About:

• Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon. It is the largest coastal lagoon in India.
  
  
• Location: It is spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
  
  
• Environmental significance:
  • Chilika lagoon is visited by lakhs of migratory birds every year.
    
    
  • In 1981, it was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention due to its rich biodiversity
    
    
  
  
  
• Nalbana Island is a major island in the center of the Chilika lake. It has been notified as a Nalbana Bird Sanctuary under the Wildlife Protection Act.
  
  

Waterdome project:

• A ‘water aerodrome’ refers to an area of open water that can be used by seaplanes and amphibious aircraft to land and take off.
  
  
• On August 11, Union Government gave in-principle approval to the proposed waterdome project in Chilika lake.
  
  
• However, environmentalists fear that, sound pollution will discourage migratory birds from coming to Chilika. It will also affect the fish and other marine life in the lake, thereby affecting the livelihood of the fishermen.
  
  

About:

• It is a viral disease (genus Alphavirus) which is transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes, most commonly, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, two species which can also transmit other mosquito-borne viruses, including dengue.
  
  
• These mosquitoes can be found biting throughout daylight hours, though there may be peaks of activity in the early morning and late afternoon.
  
  
• It causes fever and severe joint pain.
  
  
• The disease shares some clinical signs with dengue and Zika, and can be misdiagnosed in areas where they are common.
  
  
• It occurs mainly in Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent.
  
  

About:

• Location: Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.
  
  
• Established in:
  
  
• Mandate: INS Satavahana is the premier Submarine Training establishment of the Indian Navy for imparting all facets of submarine training.
  
  
• School of Advanced Undersea Warfare (SAUW): SAUW was established in 2006 inside the premises of INS Satavahana, to train the crew of submarines of the nuclear submarines.
  
  
• Nomenclature:
  • It is named after the “Satavahana” dynasty that once ruled the eastern coast of peninsular India (184 BC to 300 AD).
    
    
  • During the reign of Satkarni, the third Satavahana King, the Indian sails ventured off the present day’s islands of Malaysia and Indonesia.
    
    
  
  
  
• It is the only integrated training establishment in the Indian Navy, as it carries out training for all branches of officers and sailors of the Submarine Arm.
  
  

Comment:

• Training in damage control and firefighting assumes even greater importance as India inducts nuclear submarines into its ageing submarine fleet.
  
  
• In 2013, submarine INS Sindhurakshak sank in the Mumbai harbour after an explosion on board, killing 18 sailors. In 2014, fire on board INS Sindhuratna killed two officers.
  
  

About:

• Full Name: Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption.
  
  
• Objectives:
  • To protect children and their families against illegal or ill-prepared Inter-Country adoptions.
    
    
  • To prevent the abduction, the sale of, or trafficking of children. 
    
    
  
  
  
• The Convention establishes minimum standards, but does not intend to serve as a uniform law of adoption.
  
  
• Background:
  • The Convention was developed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
    
    
  • It was concluded in 1993 and entered into force in 1995.
    
    
  
  
  
• This Convention gives effect to the Article 21 of UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
  
  

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA):

• Functions: CARA is the nodal body for adoption of Indian children. It regulates in-country and inter-country adoptions (in accordance with the Hague Convention which was ratified by Government of India in 2003).
  
  
• Status: It is an autonomous body of the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  
  

Australia imposed a ban on India 8 years ago, on the reported charges of trafficking of children for Inter-country adoption by some of the recognized Indian placement agencies.

 Comment:

• These new Silk worm breeds, developed for specific agro-climatic condition are essential for increasing the productivity of cocoons.
  
  

About:

• Region: The chicken is traditionally reared by Jhabua’s adivasi communities of Madhya Pradesh.
  
  
• Nomenclature:
  • The ''Kali Masi'' is a local breed of chicken which is completely black in colour: feathers, flesh and even bones.
    
    
  • Locals believe that the meat will give the eater new strength and vigor, which is why it is called Kadaknath.
    
    
  
  
  
• Nutritious Value:
  • Breeders claim that its cholesterol content is just 0.73-1.05%, in comparison with the 13-25% level in regular white chickens.
    
    
  • Also, it has very high levels of protein, iron and amino acids.
    
    
  
  
  
• Recognition: The chicken was granted a Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the government registry last year.
  
  

About:

• Umeed is a Special programme for Jammu & Kashmir, implemented under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
  
  
• It is Implemented by the Jammu & Kashmir State Rural Livelihoods Society.
  
  
• Union cabinet has recently also decided that Funds to J&K under DAY – NRLM will be provided without linking it with poverty ratio.
  
  
• Impact: This will help in covering all the vulnerable rural households in the State (estimated at two thirds of the total number of households) within a definite time frame.
  
  
• It was launched in J&K in 2013 to encourage rural women to make small savings so that their Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to eventually become bankable at reduced rate of interest.
  
  

Key points of the Scheme of amalgamation:

• Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank are transferor banks and Bank of Baroda (BoB) is transferee bank. This would mean that the merged entity would be known as the Bank of Baroda (BoB).
  
  
• The scheme shall come into force on April 1, 2019.
  
  
• Upon commencement of the scheme, the undertakings of the transferor banks as a going concern shall be transferred to and shall vest in the transferee bank.
  
  
• Every permanent and regular officer or employee of the transferor banks shall become an officer or employee and shall hold his office or service therein in the transferee bank.
  
  

Significance:

• The amalgamation will be the first-ever three-way consolidation of banks in India, with the amalgamated bank being India's second largest Public Sector Bank.
  
  
• Strengths of individual banks - such as Dena Bank's relatively higher access to low-cost CASA deposits, Vijaya Bank's profitability and availability of capital for growth, and the extensive and global network and offerings of BoB will translate into advantages in terms of market reach, operational efficiencies and the ability to support a wider offering of product.
  
  
• The amalgamation will help create a strong globally competitive bank with economies of scale and enable realisation of wide-ranging synergies.
  
  

About:

• Background: This approval is a part of a plan by Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to implement Safe City projects in 8 selected cities, namely, Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Lucknow.
  
  
• Project Objective: To strengthening safety and security of women in public places.
  
  
• Parent Scheme: The project has been approved at a total cost of Rs.194.44 crore under the Nirbhaya Fund Scheme.
  
  
• Funding: The project, approved at a total cost of Rs.194.44, would be implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) with Centre and State sharing the funding in 60:40 ratio.
  
  
• Bodies Involved: The projects are being implemented in consultation with Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of Information Technology, respective Municipal & Police Commissioners of the cities and civil society organizations.
  
  
• The major components of the Safe City project in Lucknow include:
  • Setting up Pink Out-posts (exclusively administered by Women police) for facilitating ease of filing complaint by women; Pink Patrols of Women police;
    
    
  • Augmentation of existing Asha Jyoti Kendra;
    
    
  • Implementing Safety measures in buses; Improving Street Lighting in Hot Spot areas;
    
    
  • Setting up Pink Toilets;
    
    
  • Integration of Women power-help line with single Emergency number ‘112’;
    
    
  • Gender sensitization awareness campaigns Etc.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Objective of the Ganga Jal Project is to provide better and more assured water supply in Agra.
  
  
• Gangajal project aims to bring 140 cusecs of Ganga water to Agra from Palra headworks in Bulandshahr's Upper Ganga canal.
  
  
• This will help meet the drinking water demands in the city.
  
  
• Agra is mainly dependent on the Yamuna River for water. Yamuna water, being highly polluted with toxins, needs to be diluted by Ganga water.
  
  

About:

The data was tabled at a time when multiple agencies are involved in the rescue of 15 miners trapped in a rathole mine in Meghalaya.

Summary data:

• Of the 377 deaths, 129 occurred in 2017 alone. As many as 145 died in 2016, while the figure was 103 in 2015.
  
  
• Coal mine deaths:
  • Coal mines have accounted for the highest number of casualties due to accidents in mines. Of the 377, more than half, 210, were killed in coal mines.
    
    
  • Jharkhand, which recorded 69 deaths in the three years, has accounted for the highest death of coal mine workers in accidents inside mines.
    
    
  • Goda in Jharkhand witnessed one of the biggest open cast mine accidents in 2016 when 23 workers died in December that year.
    
    
  
  
  
• Metal mines death:
  • During the period, 152 persons died in accidents in metal mines across the country.
    
    
  • Rajasthan, one of highest mineral producing States in the country, accounted for 48 deaths while Andhra Pradesh recorded 29 deaths.
    
    
  
  
  
• Oil mines death:
  • During this period, 15 deaths were reported in oil mines, most of them occurring in Assam and Gujarat.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• The Sustainable Blue Economy Conference is the first global conference on the sustainable blue economy.
  
  
• Objective: To identify how to harness the potential of the blue economy to create jobs and combat poverty and hunger.
  
  
• Main Theme: The blue economy and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
  
  
• Hosts: Kenya hosted the conference with Canada and Japan as co-hosts.
  
  
• Duration: The three-day conference was held from November 26 to 28, 2018.
  
  
• Participants: The conference was attended by over 4,000 participants from around the world.
  
  

About:

• Exoskeletons can also be referred to as: robotic suit, powered Armor, exo-frame or exosuit, wearable machine, power jacket, etc.
  
  
• These are wearable devices that work in tandem with the user.
  
  
• Exoskeletons are placed on the user’s body and act as amplifiers that augment, reinforce or restore human performance.
  
  
• Exoskeletons can cover the entire body, just the upper or lower extremities, or even a specific body segment such as the ankle or the hip.
  
  
• These Exoskeletons can be made out of rigid materials such as metal or carbon fiber, or they can be made entirely out of soft and elastic parts.
  
  
• These can be powered and equipped with sensors and actuators, or they can be entirely passive.
  
  
• In summary, exoskeleton is the application of robotics and biomechatronics towards the augmentation of humans in the performance of a variety of tasks.
  
  

Recent developments in U.S.:

• The technology is being developed by Lockheed Martin Corp with a license from Canada-based B-TEMIA, which first developed the exoskeletons to help people with mobility difficulties.
  
  
• Lockheed Martin recently won a $6.9 million award from the U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Centre to research and develop the exoskeleton, called ‘ONYX’, under a two-year, sole-source agreement.
  
  
• Reason for the U.S. military to invest in this technology is because soldiers deployed into war zones carry heavy but critical gear like body armour, night-vision goggles and advanced radios. Altogether, that can weigh anywhere from 40-64 kg, when the recommended limit is just 23 kg.
  
  

About:

• Anti-Dumping Duty: These are additional import duties which are imposed to check dumping. Dumping refers to export/sale of a commodity in foreign country by a company at a price which is lower than domestic market price. As per WTO Norms, Member countries can impose Anti-Dumping duty if:
  • Exporter is dumping goods &
    
    
  • It is adversely affecting domestic industries.
    
    
  
  
  
• Counter-veiling duty: It is an additional import duty which is imposed to counter or offset the impact of Indirect tax differential or subsidy provided by the exporting country’s government.
  
  

About:

• Location: Gurdwara Darbar Sahib is located at Kartarpur in Pakistan’s Narowal district. It stands on the bank of the River Ravi, about 120 km northeast of Lahore. The shrine is visible from the Indian side.
  
  
• Significance: It was here that the First Sikh Guru (Nanak Dev) assembled a Sikh community and lived for 18 years until his death in 1539. It is the final resting place of Guru Nanak.
  
  
• Background: The gurdwara was opened to pilgrims after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee paid a visit to Pakistan in 1999. Since then Sikh Pilgrims are visiting the shrine regularly.
  
  

About:

• Objective: Under the cluster-based development model, the Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, under Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers has identified 4 PCPIRs to promote investment and industrial development in these sectors.
  
  
• List of PCPIRs: The 4 approved PCPIRs are in the state of: (1) Gujarat (Dahej), (2) Odisha (Paradeep), (3) Andhra Pradesh (Vishakhapatnam) and Tamil Nadu (Cuddalore and Naghapattinam).
  
  
• Features:
  • Each PCPIR is a specifically delineated region having an area of about 250 sq. km. wherein 40% of the area has to be for processing activities.
    
    
  • The PCPIR is envisioned to reap the benefits of co-siting, networking and greater effiencies through use of common infrastructure and support services.
    
    
  • The State Government carry out Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and lead the project implementation.
    
    
  • Government of India is ensuring infrastructure development in the PCPIRs through highways, rail link, ports, airport etc. through Public Private Partnership (PPP) projects to the extent possible.
    
    
  
  
  
• Benefits: The 4 PCPIRs are in advanced stages of implementation. Upon completion, these PCPIRs will have an estimated investment of approximately Rs. 8 lakh crores and are expected to generate employment for approximately 40 lakh people.
  
  

About:

• Background: Flexi Fare Scheme was launched with effect from 9th September, 2016.
  
  
• Working:
  • The scheme was introduced for premier trains — 44 Rajdhani, 52 Duronto and 46 Shatabdi Express trains.
    
    
  • Under the dynamic pricing system, the fares increase 10% with every 10% of the seats sold, subject to prescribed limit. There was no change in the existing fare for first AC and economy class.
    
    
  
  
  
• Recent Review:
  • The scheme generated high revenue, however initially there was a drop of passengers which picked up later on.
    
    
  • In this background, Railways has decided to remove flexi fares in 15 premium trains with less than 50% occupancy in the previous year, while the scheme will be discontinued in 32 other trains during lean periods when occupancy dips to 50-75%.
    
    
  • The Rationalisation of scheme has been done based on the recommendation of the Review committee and Comptroller and Auditor General’s report.
    
    
  • The reduction of Flexi Fares will benefit both the passengers who can now avail tickets at cheaper rates, as well the Railways that will see a surge in demand and occupancy.”
    
    
  
  
  

Sunil Arora:

• Sunil Arora, a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS), superannuated in 2016 as Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India. During the 36 years of his service, he served in several key positions, including chairman and managing director of Indian Airlines.
  
  
• He was appointed election commissioner in September 2017. He will have a nearly two-and-a-half-year tenure as CEC with 2019 General Elections to be conducted under his leadership.
  
  

Appointment of election commissioners:

• Election Commission of India is a permanent Constitutional Body.
  
  
• Setup: Originally the commission had only a Chief Election Commissioner. It currently consists of Chief Election Commissioner and two Election Commissioners.
  • For the first time two additional Commissioners were appointed on 16th October 1989 but they had a very short tenure till 1st January 1990.
    
    
  • Later, on 1st October 1993 two additional Election Commissioners were appointed.
    
    
  • The concept of multi-member Commission has been in operation since then, with decision making power by majority vote.
    
    
  
  
  
• Appointment of Commissioners: The President appoints Chief Election Commissioner and Election Commissioners.
  
  
• Tenure of Commissioners: They have tenure of six years, or up to the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier. The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed from office only through impeachment by Parliament.
  
  
• Status: They enjoy the same status and receive salary and perks as available to Judges of the Supreme Court of India.
  
  

About:

• Department of Biotechnology (under Ministry of Science & Technology) and The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) signed a MoU for setting up of India’s first ever Integrated Bioenergy and Bioproduct Centre.
  
  
• This is also the DBT’s fifth Centre of Excellence in Bioenergy with other being located at the
  • Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi;
    
    
  • Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati;
    
    
  • Transtech Green Power Limited, Jaipur; and
    
    
  • ONGC Energy Centre, Delhi NCR.
    
    
  
  
  
• Its mandate is to carry out R&D research work along-with creation of products in the area of bio-commodities and bioenergy that can be finally commercialized.
  
  
• The unique concept of integrated production of advanced biofuels and bio-commodities is based on the multidisciplinary research expertise of TERI.
  
  
• Benefits: Advanced biofuels production technologies in bio-refinery approach would aid in;
  • Reducing dependence on the finite fossil fuel reserves,
    
    
  • Reducing crude oil imports,
    
    
  • Reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from energy utilization and
    
    
  • Can open new economic streams, in sustainable management of waste generated from agriculture, industrial or urban sector.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Ethnicity: Dongria Kondh people are members of the Kondhs, of the Munda ethnic group.
  
  
• Location: They are located in the Niyamgiri hills. Niyamgiri is a hill range spread over 250 sq.km which falls under the Rayagada and Kalahandi District in Odisha.
  
  
• Beliefs: They worship Niyam Raja (Niyamraja), the supreme god of the Niyamgiri jungle.
  
  
• Population: The Dongria Kondh community numbers approximately 8,000 people, inhabiting about 100 villages.
  
  
• Nomenclature: They derive their name from dongar, meaning ‘hill’ and the name for themselves is Jharnia: protector of streams.
  
  
• Language: The people of Niyamgiri use Kui language. Kui language is not written, but it is spoken among the people of Kondh community.
  
  
• Lifestyle: The Dongria have distinctive jewellery, tattoos and hairstyles. Women wear many rings through their ears and three through their noses, while boys wear two nose rings. Dongria girls wear clips in their hair and rings and beads around their necks.
  
  
• Economy: They sustain themselves from the resources of the Niyamgiri forests, practising horticulture and shifting cultivation.
  
  
• Mining dispute: They have been at the centre of a dispute over mining rights in the area.
  • Vedanta Resources planned to extract the estimated $2billion-worth of bauxite that lies under the surface of the hills.
    
    
  • The company planned to create an open-cast mine that would have violated Niyam Dongar, disrupted its rivers and spelt the end of the Dongria Kondh as a distinct people.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Background: The fund was setup in the year 1962.
  
  
• Objective: The Fund is used for the welfare of the members of the Armed Forces (including Para Military Forces) and their dependents.
  
  
• Type of funding: The fund is entirely dependent on voluntary contributions from the public and does not get any budgetary support.
  
  
• Administration:
  • It is administered by an Executive Committee, with PM as Chairperson, and Defence, Finance and Home Ministers as Members.
    
    
  • Finance Minister is the Treasurer of the Fund.
    
    
  • The Joint Secretary, PMO is Secretary of the Executive Committee.
    
    
  • Accounts of the Fund are kept with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
    
    
  
  
  

PM Scholarship Scheme under the NDF:

• Background: ‘Prime Minister’s Scholarship Scheme’ was introduced by Government of India w.e.f. Academic year 2006-2007.
  
  
• Funding: The scholarship is paid out of the National Defence Fund (NDF).
  
  
• Objective: To encourage higher, technical and professional education for the widows and wards of the deceased personnel of Armed Forces and Para Military Forces is being implemented.
  
  
• Implementing agencies:
  
  

About:

• The Future of Consumption in Fast-Growth Consumer Markets, a project in collaboration with Bain & Company, focuses on the emerging markets that comprise more than 40% of the world’s population.
  
  
• After studying China in 2017, for 2018 it turned its attention to India.
  
  

Highlights of the report:

• Consumer spending: India is set to become the world's third largest consumer market behind only USA and China by 2030. Consumer spending in India is expected to grow from 1.5 trillion US dollar at present to six trillion US dollar by 2030.
  
  
• Middle class: Nearly 80% of households in 2030 will be middle-income, up from about 50% today. The middle class will drive 75% of consumer spending in 2030. Growth of the middle class will lift nearly 25 million households out of poverty.
  
  
• Digitally influenced consumption will become the norm. By 2030, more than 40% of all purchases will be highly digitally influenced, up from 20-22% today.
  
  
• Over the next decade, consumption in fast-growth consumer markets such as China, India and Southeast Asia will be reshaped by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
  
  

About:

• AFSPA is imposed in areas declared as disturbed under section 2 of the act.
  
  
• Section 3 of the AFSPA Act empowers the ‘Governor’ of the state or Union territory to issue an official notification on The Gazette of India, following which the centre has the authority to send in armed forces for civilian aid. Once declared ‘disturbed’, the region has to maintain status quo for a minimum of three months.
  
  
• The ‘special powers’ of armed forces under Section 4 are:
  • ‘Power to use force, including open fire’ at an individual if he violates laws which prohibit (a) the assembly of five or more persons; or (b) carrying of weapons.
    
    
  • ‘power to arrest’ without a warrant; (Under section 5 the Armed Forces have to hand over the arrested person to the nearest Police Station “with the least possible delay”.
    
    
  • ‘power to seize and search’ without any warrant any premise.
    
    
  
  
  
• These armed forces are immune from prosecution unless Union Government provides sanction to the prosecuting agencies,
  
  

AFSPA in Nagaland:

• to govt. the recent decision has been taken as killings, loot and extortion have been going on in various parts of the State which necessitated the action.
  
  
• The AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland for several decades. It has not been withdrawn even after a framework agreement was signed in August 2015, by the Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah and government of India.
  
  

About:

• ‘Pitch to MOVE’ is organised by NITI Aayog in collaboration with Invest India and Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
  
  
• Under it, Start-ups working in the various fields of mobility can pitch their ideas to industry leaders and Venture Capitalists for raising investments.
  
  
• The Start-ups can be from the domain of Public Mobility, Electric Vehicles, Last Mile Connectivity, Battery Technology etc.
  
  
• Winners of the event will be felicitated by the Prime Minister during “MOVE: The Global Mobility Summit 2018”.
  
  

About:

• Objective: It is a new conversation mission launched by ISRO to inspire students cutting across schools and colleges. Through the SwS initiative, ISRO aims to constantly engage youngsters across India to capture their scientific temperament.
  
  
• Highlights of first SwS: The first SwS event saw 40 wards and 10 teachers from select schools interact with ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan at the Anthariksh Bhavan (ISRO HQ) on a series of topics ranging from rockets, satellites, Chandrayaan, Gaganyaan and various space applications.
  
  

About:

• Sai Baba of Shirdi (died in 1918) was an Indian spiritual master who is regarded by his devotees as a saint and a fakir. He spent most of his life in Shirdi, Maharashtra.
  
  
• Sai Baba's real name remains unknown. Sai Baba denotes holy father, saintly father or (venerable) poor old man.
  
  
• He is revered by both his Hindu and Muslim devotees during, as well as after his lifetime. His teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam. His teaching combined elements of Hinduism and Islam.
  
  
• Sai Baba of Shirdi is especially revered and worshiped in the states of Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat.
  
  

Teachings:

• He condemned distinction based on religion or caste. He opposed all persecution based on religion or caste. One of his well-known epigrams, is Sabka Malik Ek (Everyone's Master is One).
  
  
• He criticized love towards perishable things. He emphasised on performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters
  
  
• Sai Baba encouraged charity and stressed the importance of sharing and helping others.
  
  
• He advised his devotees to develop two important features of character: devotion (Shraddha) and patience (Saburi).
  
  
• His teachings concentrate on inner peace and of being content regardless of the situation.
  
  
• He preached the importance of realization of the self.
  
  

About:

• OPEC is a permanent intergovernmental organization of 15 oil-exporting developing nations that coordinates and unifies the petroleum policies of its Member Countries.
  
  
• Origin: OPEC was founded in 1960 in Baghdad, Iraq by five countries namely Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.
  
  
• Present member countries: 15 (6 in the Middle East (Western Asia), 7 in Africa, and 2 in South America).
  
  
• HQ: Vienna, Austria.
  
  

Qatar Quitting OPEC:

• Qatar has been a member of OPEC since 1961.
  
  
• Qatar has stated that it wants to focus more on gas production, which is its core strength, instead of oil.
  • In September, Qatar announced its plans to boost gas production to 110 million tonnes a year by 2024.
    
    
  • Its oil production is around 6,00,000 barrels a day, making it the world’s 17th largest producer of crude. It also only holds around 2% of the world’s global oil reserves.
    
    
  
  
  
• Some analysts saw Qatar’s withdrawal as a “political decision to oppose Saudi Arabia”, which alongside the U.S. and Russia is the biggest producer in OPEC. Qatar is under a boycott by former neighbouring allies, including Saudi Arabia for 18 months.