About:

• Status: The Nehru Memorial Museum & Library (NMML) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
  
  
• Background: It was established in 1964 in the memory of First Prime Minister (PM) of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 - 1964).
  
  
• Location: It is located in the Teen Murti House, Delhi (the official residence of the first PM).
  
  
• Administration: Prime Minister of India Is the President of the NMML.
  
  
• NMML Society: It is responsible for all the key decisions regarding the functioning of the memorial.
  
  
• Units: It has four major constituents namely –
  1. a Memorial Museum,
     
     
  2. a Library on modern India,
     
     
  3. a Centre for Contemporary Studies and
     
     
  4. Nehru Planetarium.
     
     
  
  
  

Recent Development:

• The new NMML society members are –
  • Ram Bahadur Rai: Former journalist, He is also the chairman of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts,
    
    
  • Jaishankar: Former Foreign Secretary
    
    
  • Arnab Goswami: Journalist
    
    
  • Vinay Sahasrabuddhe: Bharatiya Janata Party MP; also the president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
    
    
  
  
  
• The term of the nominated members will be up to April 26, 2020, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
  
  
• The order comes days after the foundation stone for the “Museum for all Prime Ministers” was laid on the Teen Murti Estate premises despite objections from the Congress.
  
  

About:

• The Award will be offered annually to the leader of a Nation.
  
  
• It focuses on the triple bottom-line of People, Profit and Planet.
  
  
• The award to PM Modi was presented by the World Marketing Summit India. The WMS has previously only given awards to recognise achievements in advertising and marketing.
  
  
• The awards are named after Prof. Philip Kotler, a world-renowned Professor of Marketing at North-western University, Kellogg School of Management. He is a celebrated marketing and management guru, who is also the founder of the World Marketing Summit (WMS) Group.
  
  
• PM Modi is selected for his outstanding leadership for the nation. Initiatives such as Make in India, Start-up India, Digital India, and Swachh Bharat, have positioned India as one of the most lucrative manufacturing and business destinations in the world.
  
  

Recent directions by Supreme Court to Centre and states:

• Conduct Periodic National Surveys to determine the prevalence rate.
  
  
• Formulate a comprehensive community-based rehabilitation scheme which shall cater to all basic needs of the leprosy-afflicted persons and their families.
  
  
• Integrate treatment of leprosy into general health care, which will usher in a no-isolation method in general wards and OPD services.
  
  
• Give wide publicity to the activities of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP).
  
  
• Discontinue using “frightening images” of people afflicted with leprosy in the awareness programmes and instead use “positive images of cured persons sharing their experiences of being cured of leprosy”.
  
  
• Ensure that drugs for management of leprosy and its complications are available free of cost and that they do not go out of stock in Primary Health Centres (PHCs).
  
  

Key findings:

• Suicide was the leading cause of death in India in 2016 for those aged 15-39 years; 2% of the suicide deaths among women and 57.7% among men were in this age group.
  
  
• The suicide rate among the elderly has increased over the past quarter century.
  
  
• Suicide Death Rate (SDR) in India is higher especially for women. India’s proportional contribution to global suicide deaths is high and increasing. 37% of such deaths among women globally occur in India.
  
  
• The highest age-specific SDR among women in 2016 was for ages 15-29 years.
  
  
• India’s contribution to global suicide deaths increased from 25.3% in 1990 to 36.6% in 2016 among women, and from 18.7% to 24.3% among men.
  
  
• Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, consistently had a higher SDR for both men and women.
  
  

About:

• The Chakmas and Hajongs are ethnic people. Chakmas are predominantly Buddhists; Hajongs are Hindus.
  
  
• They were inhabitants of the Chittagong Hill Tracts of erstwhile East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) who migrated to India due to –
  • Submergence of their land by the Kaptai dam on the Karnaphuli River in the 1960s.
    
    
  • religious persecution they faced in East Pakistan as they were non-Muslims.
    
    
  
  
  
• The Indian government set up relief camps in Arunachal Pradesh and a majority of them continue to live there even after 50 years.
  
  
• An estimated 1 lakh Chakma and Hajong refugees are staying in India. When they came in 1964, there were about 15,000 Chakmas and about 2,000 Hajongs.
  
  

About:

• GSAT-11 is an advanced communication satellite employing a new class of bus weighing 5,700 kg, making it the heaviest Indian communication satellite built to date.
  
  
• The commercial payload includes Ka x Ku-Band Forward Link Transponders and Ku x Ka band Return Link Transponders. 
  
  
• It is built to provide the Indian region superior communication and 12 GBPS connectivity with its multiple spot beams in Ka and Ku bands.
  
  
• The satellite is scheduled to be launched in December 2018 onboard Ariane-5 Launch Vehicle from the European spaceport in French Guiana. It is because ISRO's own GSLV Mk III rocket can only lift a satellite weighing not more than 4 tonnes to Geostationary transfer orbit.
  
  
• It returns to the Guiana Space Centre, the South American port for the second time in six months. It was Recalled to Bengaluru in April for tests after GSAT-6A was lost in space.
  
  

 National Policy on Biofuels – 2018: Salient Features

• Categorisation of Biofuels: Biofuels have been categorised into 3 categories to extend appropriate fiscal incentives –
  • First Generation (1G): Bio-Ethanol produced from molasses and bio-diesel from non-edible oilseeds (a.k.a Basic Biofuels).
    
    
  • Second Generation (2G): Bio-ethanol produced from municipal solid waste (a.k.a Advanced Biofuels).
    
    
  • Third Generation (3G): Fuels like bio-CNG.
    
    
  
  
  
• Expansion of Scope of raw material for ethanol production: Starch containing materials like Corn, Damaged food grains like wheat, Rotten Potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production can be used.
  
  
• Surplus food grains can be used for ethanol production:
  • It allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee.
    
    
  • This will benefit Farmers who are at a risk of not getting appropriate price for their produce during the surplus production phase.
    
    
  
  
  
• Viability gap funding: With a thrust on Advanced Biofuels, the Policy indicates a viability gap funding scheme for 2G ethanol Bio refineries.
  
  

Rajasthan’s strategy:

• It will emphasise on increasing production of oilseeds and establish a Centre for Excellence in Udaipur to promote research in the fields of alternative fuels and energy resources.
  
  

About:

• Mahila Kisan Awards is a reality show to be telecast from 17th December, that will see participation of women farmers from across the India.
  
  
• Format of show:
  • The selection of contestants for the show has been done by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).
    
    
  • The format of the show will include two woman farmers talking about their achievements in each episode. Judges will score these contestants based on their assessment.
    
    
  • The five contestants who get the highest scores during the show will reach the finals, where one of them will be declared the winner.
    
    
  
  
  
• Significance:
  • Through the show, each participant will have an opportunity to learn from the experiences of other participants.
    
    
  • The show is also expected to act as a source of inspiration for lakhs of women across the country watching the show.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Founded in: Until 1968, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), which is responsible for India’s internal intelligence, also handled external intelligence.
  
  
• Working: It was founded primarily to counter China’s influence, but over time it has shifted its focus to India’s other traditional rival, Pakistan.
  
  
• Mandate: Gathering foreign intelligence, engaging in counter-terrorism, promoting counter-proliferation and advancing India's foreign strategic interests. It is also involved in the security of India's nuclear programme.
  
  
• Role in foreign policy: RAW claims that it contributed to several foreign policy successes –
  • the creation of Bangladesh in 1971;
    
    
  • India’s growing influence in Afghanistan;
    
    
  • the northeast state of Sikkim’s accession to India in 1975;
    
    
  • the security of India’s nuclear program;
    
    
  • the success of African liberation movements during the Cold War.
    
    
  
  
  
• HQ: New Delhi.
  
  
• Administration: It works under the direct command of the Prime Minister, and reports on an administrative basis to the Cabinet Secretary of India, who reports to the Prime Minister.
  
  

About:

• Location: The Republic of Macedonia is a country in the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe.
  
  
• Neighbours: A landlocked country, it has borders with Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south, and Albania to the west
  
  
• Capital city:
  
  
• Membership of International Organizations: it is a member of the UN and of the Council of Europe. Since 2005 it has also been a candidate for joining the European Union and has applied for NATO membership.
  
  

Naming dispute:

• When Macedonia peacefully gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, Greece objected at the name, saying it implied territorial ambitions toward Greece.
  
  
• Greece also has a region called Macedonia. It's in the northern, mountainous part of the country and includes Greece's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, and ancient Philippi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  
  
• The United Nations has been calling it the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM).
  
  
• In addition to causing confusion, the similar names have been a stumbling block for the nation of Macedonia to join the European Union and NATO because of Greece's objections.
  
  
• In June 2018, Greece and Macedonia signed an the “PRESPA AGREEMENT”, to rename the latter the Republic of North Macedonia.
  
  

About:

• Centre has hiked ethanol prices, with a special incentive for ethanol directly produced from 100% sugarcane juice, in a dual bid to reduce both surplus sugar production and fuel import bill.
  
  
• The ethanol produced from sugar is blended with petrol.
  
  

Background:

• Surplus sugar production has been depressing sugar prices. Record production of more than 31 million tonnes this year is far higher than domestic consumption rates of 25 million tonnes.
  
  
• As a result, sugar mills have struggled to pay their dues to cane farmers, and despite various government measures to improve liquidity, the arrears to farmers stand at more than Rs. 13,000 crore.
  
  
• Paying remunerative prices to ethanol suppliers will help in reduction of cane farmers’ arrears, in the process contributing to minimising the difficulty of sugarcane farmers.
  
  

About:

• Components: Satkosia Tiger Reserve comprises of two adjoining Sanctuaries of central Odisha named as Satkosia Gorge Sanctuary and Baisipalli Sanctuary.
  
  
• Establishment: These two sanctuaries together covering an area of 963 sq.km. have been notified as Satkosia Tiger Reserve in 2007.
  
  
• Location: It is located in the Angul district of Odisha where the Mahanadi River passes through a 22 km long gorge in the Eastern Ghats mountains. The area is also a part of the Mahanadi elephant reserve.
  
  
• Biodiversity: Satkosia is the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India; the Deccan Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats, contributing to immense biodiversity. The major plant communities are mixed deciduous forests including Sal and riverine forest.
  
  

About:

• The Dawoodi Bohrasare a sect within the Ismaili branch of Shia Islam. Ismailism is a branch of Shia Islam.
  
  
• How many? The worldwide number of Dawoodi Bohras is estimated at just over one million. 
  
  
• In which regions do they live? Dawoodi mainly reside in the western cities of India and also in Pakistan, Yemen and East Africa. The majority of adherents reside in Gujarat state in India and the city of Karachi, Pakistan.
  
  
• History: The sect adopted Islam from Egypt, spread to Yemen and trace their ancestry to early conversion to Ismaili Shi’ism during the reign of the Fatimid Caliph – Imam al Mustansir.
  
  

 Khatna:

• “Khatna” or “khafd” is a pre-pubescent coming of age ceremony carried out in the Dawoodi Bohra community in India. Dawoodi Bohras use the word “khatna” or circumcision to refer to the removal of the prepuce from the genitalia of both boys and girls.
  
  
• Female khatna can be classified under the World Health Organization’s (WHO) definition of Type I Female Genital Mutilation or Female Genital Cutting.
  
  

About:

• Sharada Peeth is an abandoned Hindu temple and ancient centre of learning.
  
  
• Location: It is located in the village of Sharda in the valley of Mount Harmukh, along the Neelam River in the Pakistani administered territory of Azad Kashmir. It lies 16 miles to the northwest of the Line of Control.
  
  
• As a centre of Learning:
  • Between the 6^th and 12^th centuries CE, it was one of the foremost centres of higher learning, hosting scholars such as Kalhana, Adi Shankara, Vairotsana etc.
    
    
  • It is also said to be where Paṇini and Hemachandra completed and stored their writings on Sanskrit grammar.
    
    
  
  
  
• Religious significance:
  • Sharada is the most revered religious place for Kashmiri Pandits. They believe that Sharada in Kashmir is a tripartite embodiment of the goddess Shakti: Sharada (goddess of learning), Saraswati (goddess of knowledge), and Vagdevi (goddess of speech).
    
    
  • It is one of the 18 Maha Shakti Peethas throughout South Asia that commemorate the location of fallen body parts of the Hindu deity Sati.
    
    
  
  
  

Global Cooling Prize:

• Duration: It is an international competition which will run over the course of the two-year.
  
  
• Objective: To incentivize the development of a residential cooling technology that will have at least five times less climate impact than the standard Room Air Conditioning (RAC).
  
  
• Agencies involved:
  • The prize is supported by Mission Innovation, the Government of India through the Department of Science and Technology and its partner organizations namely Ministry of Power, Bureau of Energy Efficiency, and Ministry of Environment.
    
    
  • It will be administered by a coalition of leading research institutes—Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), Conservation X Labs and CEPT University – which will support mass adoption of the breakthrough technology around the world, starting from India.
    
    
  
  
  
• Prize money:
  • Over US$3 million will be awarded in prize money over the course of the two-year competition. The winning technology will be awarded at least US$1 million.
    
    
  • Up to 10 short-listed competing technologies will be awarded up to US$200,000 each
    
    
  
  
  

Significance:

• There are currently 1.2 billion Room Air Conditioning (RAC) units in service around the world, which will increase to at least 4.5 billion by 2050. India alone will see over 1 billion air conditioning deployed in the market by 2050.
  
  
• The energy consumption associated with comfort cooling represents one of the largest end-use risks to the climate, putting the most vulnerable populations at risk.
  
  
• It is believed that a winning technology of the global cooling prize could prevent up to 100 gigatons (GT) of CO₂-equivalent emissions by 2050.
  
  

Background:

• After no Indian University found a place in World University Rankings in 2017, the government proposed to set up Institutions of Eminence in India.
  
  
• A notification in this regard was released by University Grants Commission (UGC) in September, 2017, which proposed to establish 20 such world class institutes (10 public and 10 private) in the country to provide quality education to Indian students.
  
  

Benefits of status:

• Autonomy: The IOEs will enjoy greater autonomy in terms of deciding their fee structure and course duration & structure. They will be exempt from approvals of government or UGC for academic collaborations with foreign institutions.
  
  
• Funding: The 10 public institutions selected, will also get Rs 1,000 crore each from the HRD Ministry to achieve world-class status. No financial assistance will be offered to the private institutions.
  
  

Eligibility for applying for Institutes of Eminence (IoT) Tag:

• The educational institutes selected, need to be a good mix of Central Universities as well as Arts, Management and Technical Institutes.
  
  
• To get the status, they should be among: (1) Top 50 in the National institution Ranking Framework in their category; (2) Top 500 in internationally recognised rankings like the Times Higher Education World University Rankings or Q.
  
  
• Following Public Institutes that are eligible to apply under Institutes of Eminence are as follows: (1) Central Universities, (2) Government-owned and controlled Deemed to be Universities, (3) institutions of National importance such as IITs, NITs, etc. and (4) State Universities set up under a law made by Legislative Assembly of a State.
  
  

Institutes selected:

• In July 2018, the HRD Ministry granted ‘Institutions of Eminence’ status to three public and three private institutes.
  
  
• Private institutes selected: Jio Institute by Reliance Foundation, Manipal Academy of Higher Education and BITS Pilani.
  
  
• Public institutes selected: IIT-Delhi, IIT-Bombay and the Bengaluru-based Indian Institute of Science (IISc).
  
  
• The move came as part of a scheme of the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry to select 20 IoEs — 10 public and 10 private — which will enjoy complete academic and administrative autonomy.
  
  

About:

• Bent-toed geckos are a diverse genus of a type of small lizard.
  
  
• Genus:
  
  
• Number of gecko species under it: This genus has more than 250 described species at present. making it the largest of all gecko genera.
  
  
• Common name: They are called bent-toed or bow-fingered geckos, named after their bent toes.
  
  
• The six newly discovered species are –
  • Guwahati bent-toed gecko,
    
    
  • Kaziranga bent-toed gecko,
    
    
  • Jaintia bent-toed gecko
    
    
  • Nagaland bent-toed gecko,
    
    
  • Abhayapuri bent-toed gecko (found near Abhayapuri town in Assam’s Bongaigaon district) and
    
    
  • Jampui bent-toed gecko (found in Tripura’s Jampui Hills).
    
    
  
  
  
• The discovery increases the number of bent-toed geckos described from the Himalaya and north-eastern India to 15 (nine of which have been described this year alone).
  
  

About:

• The Paris Peace Forum is an international summit founded in 2018. It will be an annual event.
  
  
• Every year, it will be attended by representatives from Nations, international organizations civil society for the purpose of promoting peace.
  
  
• The initiative taken by the French government is to serve as a painful reminder of the two world wars and the current threats to peace and harmony in the current world.
  
  
• Key highlights:
  • The 2018 summit is being attended by 70 global leaders to look at the challenges to the multilateralism from growing protectionism.
    
    
  • In a veiled dig at Donald Trump's America-first policies and scepticism toward multilateralism, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that "lack of communication and unwillingness to compromise" can have deadly consequences.
    
    
  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned of "parallels" between the present day and the unstable and dangerous 1930s.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) drugs includes two or more active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) combined in a single dosage form, which is manufactured and distributed in fixed doses.
  
  
• Common examples of FDCs: Cough syrups Phensedyl and Corex, Vicks Action 500.
  
  

Advantages of FDCs:

• Burden of keeping track of several medications, understanding their various instructions, etc. is reduced which improves patient compliance and therefore improves treatment outcomes.
  
  
• The FDCs are more economic than single ingredient drugs.
  
  
• The manufacturing cost is quite low as compared to the cost of producing separate products
  
  
• Then there is Simpler logistics of distribution.
  
  

Disadvantages of FDCs:

• If an adverse drug reaction occurs from using an FDC, it may be difficult to identify the active ingredient responsible for causing the reaction.
  
  
• If the drugs combination is not appropriate, then it can lead to some patients getting too much of an ingredient and others getting too little. FDCs "limit clinicians' ability to customize dosing regimens." 
  
  

About:

• Background: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, in his Mann Ki Baat address on 31^st December 2017, had shared his idea of organizing Youth Parliaments for young people in every district of the country and celebrate it as the “National Youth Parliament Festival”.
  
  
• Objective:
  • To hear the voice of youth in this age bracket OF 18-25 who are allowed to vote but cannot contest in elections.
    
    
  • To encourage the youth to engage with public issues, understand the common man’s point of view, form their opinion and express these in an articulate manner.
    
    
  
  
  
• Theme: National Youth Parliament Festival 2019 is organised on the theme of “Be the Voice of New India” and “Find solutions and contribute to policy”.
  
  
• Levels: It will be conducted at three levels:
  • District Youth Parliament (DYP): A maximum of 100 best speakers shortlisted by the Screening Committee in each district, will participate in the DYP. Youth in the age bracket of 18-25 years are eligible to participate.
    
    
  • State Youth Parliament (SYP): The best three speakers selected by a Jury from each District Youth Parliament will participate at the SYP.
    
    
  • National Youth Parliament (NYP): Similarly, the two best speakers selected from each State Youth Parliament will participate as speakers in the NYP.
    
    
  
  
  
• Duration: 12^th of January till 24^th of February 2019.
  
  
• Cash Prize: The best three speakers at the National Youth Parliament will be awarded Rs. 2 Lakhs, Rs. 1.5 Lakhs and Rs. 1 Lakh respectively by the Prime Minister.
  
  

Arun Kumar Agarwal committee:

• An expert committee was constituted by the Health Ministry under the Chairmanship of Arun Kumar Agarwal, Ex-Dean and Professor of ENT, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi to examine the issues relating to faulty Articular Surface Replacement (ASR) Hip Implants.
  
  
• The committee’s recommendation were accepted by the Central Government.
  
  

R.K. Arya Committee:

• Based on the recommendations, the Government constituted a Central Expert Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. R.K. Arya, Director, Sports Injury Centre to determine the quantum of compensation.
  
  
• The committee prepared the following formula for determining compensation for the ASR victim patients –
  • (B x R x F)/99.37 + Rs 10 lakh towards non-pecuniary damages.
    
    
  • B is the base amount i.e., Rupees Twenty Lakh (Rs 20,00,000)
    
    
  • R is the Risk Factor-Disability
    
    
  • F is the Age Factor
    
    
  
  
  

Recent development:

• Now, the Government accepted the formula prepared by Central Expert Committee, paving the way for patients to secure compensation from M/S Johnson & Johnson Pvt Ltd in days to come.
  
  
• Compensation will be given to those patients who received (prior to August, 2010) faulty ASR hip implants manufactured by M/s. DePuy International Limited, U.K (M/S Johnson & Johnson Pvt Ltd).
  
  

SpiNNaker:

• Spiking Neural Network Architecture (SpiNNaker) is a massive parallel computing platform designed to simulate the human brain.
  
  
• It uses 1 million ARM processors in a massively parallel computing platform based on Spiking Neural Networks (SNN).
  
  
• SpiNNaker machine is capable of completing more than 200 million actions per second, with each of its chips having 100 million transistors.
  
  
• It is designed by the researchers at University of Manchester.
  
  

Working:

• Biological neurons are basic brain cells present in the nervous system that communicate primarily by emitting ‘spikes’ of pure electro-chemical energy.
  
  
• Neuromorphic computing uses large scale computer systems containing electronic circuits to mimic these spikes in a machine.
  
  
• SpiNNaker is unique because, unlike traditional computers, it does not communicate by sending large amounts of information from point A to B via a standard network.
  
  
• Instead it mimics the massively parallel communication architecture of the brain, sending billions of small amounts of information simultaneously to thousands of different destinations.
  
  

Human Brain Project (HBP)?

• SpiNNaker is being used as one component of the neuromorphic computing platform for the Human Brain Project (HBP).
  
  
• The Human Brain Project (HBP) is a large ten-year scientific research project started in 2013.
  
  
• It is based on exascale supercomputers and aims to build a collaborative ICT-based infrastructure to allow researchers across Europe to advance knowledge in the fields of neuroscience, computing, and brain-related medicine.
  
  
• The project is largely funded by the European Union. The project coordination office is in Geneva, Switzerland.
  
  

About:

• Makar Sankranti is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, in reference to deity Surya (sun).
  
  
• Date of observance: Makar Sankranti is observed according to solar cycles. It is held normally on the 14th of January, or a day before or after. In certain regions celebrations can go on for even four days and vary a lot in the rituals.
  
  
• Significance: It marks the –
  • first day of sun's transit into the Makara (Capricorn), marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.
    
    
  • end the inauspicious phase of the preceding month that is called Paush.
    
    
  • beginning of the end of chilling winter.
    
    
  • occasion to celebrate the hard work of millions of our farmers and people across the country (it is celebrated as a harvest Festival)
    
    
  
  
  
• Names: It goes by its standard all-India name, ‘Makar Sankranti’ in Odisha, Maharashtra-Goa, Andhra-Telengana, Kerala and most of the north India. It is also called as –
  • Paush Parbon in Bengal,
    
    
  • Pongal in Tamil Nadu,
    
    
  • Uttarayan in Gujarat,
    
    
  • Bhogali Bihu in Assam,
    
    
  • Lohri in Punjab and Jammu,
    
    
  • Maghi in Haryana and Himachal.
    
    
  • Makar Sankramana in Karnataka,
    
    
  • Saen-kraat in Kashmir.
    
    
  • Sukaraat in Madhya Pradesh,
    
    
  • Khichdi Parwa in parts of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh.
    
    
  
  
  

About:

• ASEAN stands for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
  
  
• Objective:
  • It is a political and economic union of 10 Asian countries aimed at promoting the economic growth, political stability of individual countries, and regional stability among its members.
    
    
  • Apart from economic and political growth it also focuses on social progress, social-cultural evolution among member countries, and provision of mechanisms and strategies to resolve differences peacefully.
    
    
  
  
  
• History:
  • It was formed in 1967, by Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
    
    
  • Membership has been extended to include Vietnam, Burma, Laos, Cambodia, and Brunei.
    
    
  
  
  
• Secretariat: Jakartaa, Indonesia.
  
  

About:

• The report is a joint initiative of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  
  
• It is a comprehensive analysis of several major non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
  
  

Key Findings during the period of 1990 to 2016:

• Indians have registered a 50% increase in the prevalence of ischemic heart disease and stroke.
  
  
• The number of diabetes cases have climbed up from 26 million to 65 million.
  
  
• The number of people ailing from chronic obstructive lung disease went up from 28 million to 55 million
  
  
• The proportional contribution of cancers to the total loss of health in India has doubled from 1990 to 2016, but the incidence of different types of cancers varies widely between the States.
  
  

State-wise disease burden:

• Punjab has been ranked at the top for the burden of ischemic heart disease, followed by Tamil Nadu, and vice-versa for diabetes.
  
  
• West Bengal topped with the largest number of stroke cases followed by Odisha.
  
  
• Kerala was ranked at the top for the burden of cancer, followed by Assam.
  
  
• Being overweight was found to be a major risk factor for diabetes doubled in every State of India from 1990 to 2016.
  
  

About Global ICT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities:

• Organized by: Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in association with Rehabilitation International Korea.
  
  
• Objective: To leverage IT skills among youth with disabilities and also to spread awareness about the application of Information and Computer Technology (ICT) in enhancing the quality of life of persons with disabilities especially in Asia-Pacific region.
  
  
• Event duration: It was held from 9^th to 11^th November, 2018.
  
  
• Event details:
  • This year 96 youth with disabilities from 18 countries participated in the event.
    
    
  • The event comprised of 55 awards in various categories i.e. visual, hearing, physical and developmental/intellectual disability.
    
    
  
  
  
• India has been participating in the event since 2013.
  
  
• Last year the event was held in Vietnam.
  
  

About:

• The findings come Four-and-a-half years after the Union Government launched its flagship Namami Gange programme to clean up the Ganga.
  
  
• The third-party assessment done by the Quality Council of India (QCI), which was conducted in November and December 2018, was commissioned by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD).
  
  
• It covered 92 of the 97 towns along the river, located in five States: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
  
  
• The towns were assessed on four parameters: overall cleanliness; the availability of a municipal solid waste plant; the installation of screens placed over nullahs; and solid waste management services.
  
  

Key findings of the study:

• Of the 92 towns surveyed, 75% still have old or legacy dump sites on the Ghats. Only 19 towns have a municipal solid waste plant.
  
  
• 72% of towns have at least one nullah or drain flowing into the river.
  
  
• 85% of the drains discharging into the Ganga did not even have screens to stop garbage from entering the river.
  
  
• 1/3^rd of towns have solid waste floating on the river surface.
  
  

About:

• STT is levied on every purchase or sale of securities that are listed on the Indian stock exchanges. This would include shares, derivatives or equity-oriented mutual funds units.
  
  
• It was introduced by the then Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in the Union Budget 2004-05, to stop tax avoidance of capital gains tax.
  
  
• The rate of STT that is deducted is determined by the central government, and it varies with the type of transaction and security.
  
  

About:

• Mandate: The international research centre would focus on the fight against antibiotics resistance which affects almost half a million people worldwide.
  
  
• Timeline: The Centre is expected to open in Denmark in 2019
  • Agencies involved: To establish the centre, Denmark has signed a memorandum of understanding in Seattle (United States) with the international network of research centres CGIAR. The centre is financed by Denmark and private investors.