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CURRENT

AFFAIRS

DIGEST

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1. Scientists create AI-based

system that translates thoughts

into speech

The first time, Scientists have created

an artificial intelligence (AI) based system

that directly translates thoughts into

intelligible, recognizable speech.

The research will help people who cannot

speak regain their ability

to communicate with the outside world.

The technology developed by

researchers from Columbia University in

the United States can reconstruct the

words a person hears with unprecedented

clarity.

2. Civil Aviation Ministry

launches first GI Store in Goa

The Union Civil Aviation minister Suresh

Prabhu has inaugurated country‘s first

Geographical Indication (GI) Store

at International Airport at Dabolim, Goa.

The store jointly set up by Airport

Authority of India (AAI) and The Cashew

Export Promotional Council of

India (CEPCI).

The GI stores will promote local products

made by the artisans and handicrafts at

the airport.

3. Telangana govt declares 2nd

February to be appointing day

The Telangana government has declared

2nd February as 'appointing day' for the

newly elected Sarpanches of the Gram

Panchayats in the state.

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The Telangana State Election

Commission has held elections to

over 12000 Gram Panchayats and over 1

lakh 13 thousand ward members in three

phases during the month following the

High Court order.

Over 34 thousand candidates contested

for Sarpanch posts while over 2 lakh

candidates competed forward members

during these apolitical elections.

4. Alphons inaugurates First

Swadesh Darshan project in

Sikkim

The Union Minister for Tourism K J

Alphons inaugurated the project

―Development of North East Circuit‖ in

Gangtok.

The NE circuit consists of Rangpo–

Rorathang- Aritar- Phadamchen- Nathang-

Sherathang- Tsongmo - Gangtok-Phodong-

Mangan-Lachung-Yumthang-Lachen-

Thangu-Gurudongmer-Mangan-Gangtok-

Tuminlingee-Singtam.

The project implemented under Swadesh

Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism,

Government of India was sanctioned by

the Ministry in June 2015 for Rs 98.05

crores.

Scientists develop an artificial

pancreas smartphone app for

diabetics

Scientists have developed an artificial

pancreas smartphone (iAPS) app that will

help in regulating blood sugar levels in

diabetes patients.

This app is capable of interfacing

wirelessly with glucose monitors, insulin

pump devices, and decision-making

algorithms.

The app is effective in regulating glucose

levels under challenging conditions and is

suitable for use in unconstrained

environments..

5. Mithali raj becomes the first

woman to play 200 ODI matches

India‘s women's cricket team

Captain Mithali Raj (36-year) has become

the first woman to play 200 matches in the

ODI (One-day Internationals) format when

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she played against New Zealand in

Hamilton.

She already holds the record for being the most capped woman in one-day

internationals. Mithali's international career is fourth-

highest behind only Sachin

Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, and Javed

Miandad.

6. Polar vortex Meteorologists have blamed a

phenomenon called the polar vortex for

the bitter cold that has descended on

much of the central and eastern United

States this week, forcing residents to

huddle indoors, closing schools and

businesses and cancelling flights

It is described as a whirling cone of low

pressure over the poles that is strongest

in the winter months due to the increased

temperature contrast between the polar

regions and the mid-latitudes, such as the

US and Europe.

The polar vortex spins in the stratosphere

The split higher up in the atmosphere can

give rise to both, sudden and delayed

effects, much of which involves declining

temperatures and extreme winter weather

in the eastern US along with northern and

western Europe.

Nuclear Suppliers Group1. Suman

Kumari becomes Pakistan’s first Hindu

woman judge

Justice Suman Kumari has become the

first Hindu woman in Pakistan to be

appointed as a civil judge. The first judge from the Hindu

community was Justice Rana

Bhagwandas (the acting chief justice

between 2005 and 2007) Hinduism remains the second (only

2%) largest religion in Pakistan after

Islam.

7. Sultan Abdullah sworn in as

new Malaysian King

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Sultan Abdullah Ibni Sultan Ahmad

Shah was sworn as the 16th King of

Malaysia.

He was elected after Sultan Muhammad

V abdicated the throne earlier this

month.

Malaysia practices the system of a

constitutional monarchy.

According to its Constitution, the King is

elected every five years from among the

nine Sultans on a rotational basis.

8. 8th Annual Pulicat Day was observed

The day is celebrated as the world

wetlands day, with activities like

catamaran race, rangoli competition,

quiz and drawing competition for

children, heritage walk and folklore

programs.

This year‘s World Wetlands Day under

the theme of ―Wetlands and Climate

Change‖.

The wetland was one of the northeast

monsoon clouds attracting regions in the

country.

9. Govt. renames DIPP as

Department for Promotion of

Industry and Internal Trade

In an official order, The Department of

Industrial Policy and

Promotion (DIPP) has been renamed as

the Department for Promotion of

Industry and Internal Trade with a

mandate to deal with matters related to

start-ups, facilitating ease of doing

business among others.

The order has been approved by

President Ram Nath Kovind.

The newly-named department under the

Ministry of Commerce and Industry will

look into matters related to promotion of

internal trade, including retail trade,

welfare of traders and their employees,

facilitating ease of doing business and

start-ups.

10. Qatar wins Asian Football

Champions 2019

Qatar national football team beat Japan 3-1 to

win the AFC Asian Cup 2019 crown in Abu

Dhabi. Takumi Minamino scored for Japan.

For the first time, the Asian Cup final

tournament was contested by 24 teams.

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The 2019 AFC Asian Cup (17th edition) was

the quadrennial international men's football

championship of Asia organised by the Asian

Football Confederation (AFC).

11. NSG China has refused to dilute its stand on

India‘s entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers

Group (NSG), asserting that New Delhi must

sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty to gain

entry as there is no precedent for the

inclusion of non-NPT countries.

India has been seeking entry into NSG,

but China has repeatedly stonewalled its

bid.

India is not a signatory to the NPT. China has

stuck to its stand that new members should

sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

(NPT), making India‘s entry difficult as the

group is guided by the consensus principle.

Membership will increase India‘s access to

state-of-the-art technology from the other

members of the Group.

Access to technology and being allowed to

produce nuclear equipment will give a boost

to the Make in India program. That will, in

turn, boost the economic growth of our

country.

12. Rishi Kumar Shukla takes

charge as CBI Director

Senior IPS officer 58-year- old Rishi

Kumar Shukla (1983 batch- Madhya

Pradesh Cadre) has been appointed as

the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)

Director for a period of two years.

Rishi Kumar Shukla has served as the DGP of Madhya Pradesh.

Earlier, M Nageswara Rao was

appointed as interim chief of the

CBI (No. 3) after the government stepped

in between the fight of CBI Director Alok

Verma and Special Director Rakesh

Asthana.

13. Nilambar Acharya appointed

Country’s ambassador to India

Former Nepal‘s law minister Nilambar

Acharya has been appointed as

the Country’s Ambassador to India.

Mr. Acharya was Law Minister in the

interim government (in 1990).

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An ambassador is a diplomatic

representative that attends international

meetings, banquets and parties and acts

as a figurehead for their country of origin.

An ambassador is the ranking

government representative stationed in a

foreign capital.

14. World Cancer day

The world cancer day is being observed

on 4th February every year to raise

awareness about cancer, its treatment

and to encourage methods of its

prevention.

The primary goal of the day is to reduce

the illness and related deaths by 2020. This year, Union for International

Cancer Control (UICC) is launching a

new three years (2019-2021) campaign

with the theme: ―I Am and I Will.‖

The Union Government has started AMRIT

scheme in order to provide relief to poor

people from the rising cost of Cancer

drugs.

15. 4th Feb: Sri Lanka celebrates

71st Independence Day

Sri Lanka celebrated the 71st

Independence Day in a grand ceremony

at the Galle Face Green in Colombo. Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed

Solih attended the function as the guest of

honour.

Ending 133 years of colonial rule, Sri

Lanka, then Ceylon, gained independence from Great Britain on 4th

February 1948.

16. National Road Safety Week

launched today

The Union Ministry of Road

Transport and Highways has

launched the National Road Safety

Week with a host of initiatives planned

for generating awareness and

sensitizing people about safe road

usage. The Union Ministers Nitin

Gadkari flag off a motor car rally to

commemorate the 150th Birth

Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi at

Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti,

Rajghat, New Delhi.

The rally will travel through places

historically associated with Gandhiji,

both in India, as well as in Bangladesh and Myanmar.

It will conclude at Yangon in Myanmar

on the 24th of this month, covering a

total distance of 7250 km.

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17. National Grid:

PM Modi recently dedicated the 220 kV

Srinagar- Alusteng – Drass- Kargil – Leh

Transmission Line to the Nation. With this, Ladakh is now connected to the National

Grid.

Benefits of this project: It will result in

minimizing the massive use of diesel

generating sets during winters, and thus

will help in protection of beautiful

environment, of pristine Ladakh region.

This would also give huge boost to the

tourism sector and enhance socio-

economic development of Ladakh.

NAT grid is the high-voltage electric

power transmission network in mainland

India, connecting power stations and

major substations and ensuring that

electricity generated anywhere in

mainland India can be used to satisfy

demand elsewhere.

18. Know My India Programme: The National Foundation for Communal

Harmony (NFCH) is organizing a special

workshop for 42 Youth in the age group of

15 to 22 years, who have been victims of

communal violence in the past, under the Know My India Programme.

To help the children deal with the post-

traumatic stress, provide them life tools to

manage their emotions and eliminate

disturbing impressions of the past events.

To have them experience deep relaxation

and peace, give them a broader and more

inclusive view of the world and how each

individual is connected with the others

beyond social identities.

19. Kerala sets up drug price

monitor:

Kerala has become the first State to set

up a price monitoring and research unit

(PMRU) to track violation of prices of

essential drugs and medical devices

under the Drugs Price Control Order

(DPCO).

The move comes more than five years after the National Pharmaceutical

Pricing Authority (NPPA) proposed such

a system for the States and the Union

Territories.

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The State Health Secretary would be the

Chairman of the society and the Drugs

Controller would be its member

secretary. Its members include a State

government representative,

representatives of private pharmaceutical

companies, and those from consumer

rights protection fora. The society would

also have an executive committee headed

by the Drugs Controller.

20. NGOs and regulation of their foreign

funding

Greenpeace has been forced to close two

of its regional offices and ―considerably‖

reduce its staff in India because of a

government crackdown on allegedly

unlawful foreign funding of NGOs

Greenpeace India had its foreign funding

blocked in 2015 as part of a nationwide

crackdown on charities.

NGOs play an important role in the

upliftment of the weaker sections of the

society and their overall development.

This is especially true in the case of India,

where a vast majority of its population

continues to remain under the poverty line

and

have

little

or no

access to even basic facilities provided by

the government.

21. Millet Village scheme

With ‗superfood‘ and ‗eat smart‘ strategies

forming the main ingredients of the latest

dietary mantras, Kerala State Agriculture

Department is earmarking farm space in

more districts for growing nutrient-rich

millets.

The state is also planning to expand its Millet Village scheme to various other

districts.

It is a special scheme to promote the

cultivation of cereals such as millet, ragi,

bajra and maize by setting up a millet

village at Attappady. The project aimed at

protecting seeds of traditional varieties of

millets and ensures food security and

livelihood for tribals.

22. The ‘Operation Smile-V’

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The ‗Operation Smile-V‘ initiative

launched by Hyderabad Police has

helped in rescuing 325 children, who

were either working as labourers or

begging on the streets, since January

1 this year.

To trace the missing children and

rescue child labourers, Operation

Smile-V was launched on January 1

across Telangana.

Operation Smile also called as

Operation Muskaan is an initiative of

the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to

rescue/rehabilitate missing children.

23. Target Olympic Podium Scheme

(TOPS)

The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports is

implementing Target Olympic Podium

Scheme (TOPS) within overall ambit of

National Sports Development Fund

(NSDF) for providing financial assistance

to elite athletes included in TOPS for their

customized training in world class training

institutes/academies within the country

and abroad.

The NSDF supports sportspersons to excel

in the field by providing opportunities to

train under coaches of international

repute with technical, scientific and

psychological support and also in getting

exposure to international competitions.

Financial assistance is also provided to

specific projects for promotion of sports

and games sponsored by reputed

Organizations/Institutes, provided the

facilities so created are made available to

a sizeable population of the area/region.

24. Rules To Allow Employment of

Women in Mines

In exercise of the power conferred under

Mines Act, 1952, the Central Government

has exempted the women employed in any

mine above ground and in any mine below

ground from the provisions of section 46 of

the Mines Act, 1952.

The owner of a mine may deploy women

between the hours of 7 pm and 6 am in the

mine above ground including opencast

workings;

The deployment of women shall be after

obtaining the written consent of the

concerned woman employee;

women so deployed shall be provided

with adequate facilities and safeguards

regarding occupational safety, security

and health;

25. Indian Ocean Rim Association

(IORA).

The Ministry of Home Affairs in

collaboration with the Ministry of External

Affairs and National Disaster Management

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Authority (NDMA) is organising a meeting

of Indian Ocean Rim Association

(IORA) Cluster Group on Disaster Risk

Management (DRM) in New Delhi.

The Indian Ocean Rim Association was set

up with the objective of strengthening

regional cooperation and sustainable

development within the Indian Ocean

Region

India, Australia, Iran, Indonesia, Thailand,

Malaysia, South Africa, Mozambique,

Kenya, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Bangladesh,

Singapore, Mauritius, Madagascar, UAE,

Yemen, Seychelles, Somalia, Comoros

and Oman are among the members of

IORA.

26. Elephant corridors

Asian Elephant Alliance, an umbrella

initiative by five NGOs, has come

together to secure 96 out of the 101

existing corridors used by elephants

across 12 States in India.

The joint venture aims to secure the 96

remaining elephant corridors, old and

new, in the next ten years

The alliance joined hands to raise the

mammoth sum as money was the main

constraint in securing the land.

Elephant corridors are narrow strips of

land that connect two large habitats of

elephants.

27. Hoveizeh long-range cruise

missile:

o Iran has announced the successful test

flight of Hoveizeh long-range cruise

missile.

The Hoveizeh Cruise Missile is part of the

Soumar family of cruise missile and has a

range of over 1,350 km (840 miles).

It is designed to use against ground

targets.

The Hoveizeh missile needs a very short

time for its preparedness and can fly at a

low altitude and is manufactured by the

Aerospace Industries Organization of

Israel.

28. Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)

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The Scheme aims at providing Senior

Citizens, belonging to BPL category and

suffering from any of the age related

disability/infirmity Low vision, Hearing

impairment, Loss of teeth and Locomotor disability, with such assisted-living

devices which can restore near normalcy

in their bodily functions, overcoming the

disability/infirmity manifested.

This is a Central Sector Scheme, fully

funded by the Central Government. The

expenditure for implementation of the scheme will be met from the “Senior

Citizens‟ Welfare Fund“.

Under the scheme, free of cost

distribution of the devices,

commensurate with the extent

29. Asia LPG Summit

2nd edition of the Asia LPG Summit is

being held in New Delhi.

The summit is being organized by the

World LPG Association (WLPGA) in

association with major Indian public-

sector oil companies (OMCs) Indian Oil,

Hindustan Petroleum, and Bharat

Petroleum.

The summit will offer a unique opportunity

to the global LPG industry to interact with

development agencies, NGOs and non-

profit organizations who have facilitated

last-mile access to LPG for the

beneficiaries.

The World LPG Association (WLPGA) is the authoritative global voice for the

liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry

and the worldwide industry

association which represents the

interests of the LPG industry globally.

30. Safe City project

Empowered Committee of Officers for

Nirbhaya funds scheme has approved pilot Safe City projects in eight

selected metropolitan cities, namely,

Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai,

Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and

Lucknow with a view to provide safety to

women in public places.

The project would be implemented as a

Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Centre

and State sharing the funding in 60:40

ratio.

The major components of the Safe City

project include, Setting up an Integrated

Smart Control Room;Pink Patrols of

Women police;Improving Street Lighting

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in identified Hot Spot areas;Setting up

Pink Toilets etc

31. Sentinelese Tribe:

The entire North Sentinel Island along with

5 km coastal sea from high water mark is notified as tribal reserve.

The Government respects their way of life style, therefore, has adopted an „eyes-on

and hands-off‟ practice to protect and

safeguard the Sentinelese tribe.

A protocol of circumnavigation of the

North Sentinel Island has been notified.

The ships and aircrafts of Coast Guard and

boats of Marine Police make sorties

around North Sentinel to keep

surveillance.

32. Magnetic north pole drifting

fast towards Russia

News publications across the world have been reporting that the magnetic north

pole is drifting fast from the Canadian

Arctic and towards Russia.

Currently, the magnetic north pole is

located somewhere over northern

Canada, a fact discovered in 1831 by Sir

James Clark Ross. Since then the magnetic

north pole has been moving across the

Canadian Arctic towards Russia, and has

moved hundreds of miles over the last

several decades. This phenomenon is

known as the Polar Shift Theory.

The entire transportation sector,

especially aviation and shipping, depends

on correctly knowing the position of

magnetic north to chart out their

navigation paths. Similarly, it is crucial for

militaries, who need to know this for firing

their missiles or for other purposes. Knowing the magnetic north is

vital for a number of civilian

applications as well.

33. India‟s communication satellite

GSAT-31 launched from French

Guiana

Indian Space Research Organisation‘s latest communication satellite, GSAT-

31 was successfully launched by

Arianespace aboard its launch

vehicle Ariane 5 from the spaceport in

French Guiana recently.

A telecommunications satellite

designed and manufactured by the

Indian Space Research Organisation

(ISRO).

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It will also provide DTH Television

Services, connectivity to VSATs for

ATM, Stock-exchange, Digital Satellite

News Gathering (DSNG) and e-

governance applications. The satellite

will also be used for bulk data transfer

for a host of emerging

telecommunication applications.

Help bridge the digital divide in the

Indian subcontinent as part of an

ambitious Indian space program,

whose objectives are to develop India

while pursuing scientific research and

planetary exploration.

34. Flamingo sanctuary:

A committee, chaired by Union

Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, has

accorded wildlife clearance to the

Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed train

corridor that encroaches upon a flamingo

sanctuary and the Sanjay Gandhi National

Park, the home to leopards, in Mumbai.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park is spread

over three districts – Palgar, Thane and

Mumbai Suburb. The National Park is

home to a number of endangered species

of flora and fauna and harbours

approximately 800 species of flowering

plants, 45 species of mammals, 43 species

of reptiles among others.

35. Chennai Police launches

mobile app ‘Digicop’

Tamil films actor Vijay Serthupathi has

launched a mobile app ―DigiCop‖ at the

Commissioner‘s office, Vepery in Chennai.

Using the App, people can track the status

of stolen two-wheelers and cell phones

(details of 18,000 mobile phones stored),

know the nearest police station and traffic

alerts.

Serthupathi also released a DVD on CCTV

awareness and several other police

campaigns to make the police department

people friendly.

Now, if someone is buying a phone from a

second-hand shop, they can verify the

phone (stolen or genuine).

36. Smriti Mandhana scores

India’s fastest-ever T20 fifty

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Indian left-handed batswoman Smriti

Mandhana (22-year) scored 50 off 24

deliveries (India vs NZ - T20I in

Wellington) to register the fastest T20I

fifty by an Indian woman.

She bettered her own record of a fifty in

25 balls, which she created in 2018

against England.

Earlier, Smriti Mandhana (second Indian

woman) was crowned women's cricketer

of the year by the sport's world governing

body ICC.

37. RBI cuts repo rate by 25 basis

points to 6.25%

The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of

the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to

reduce the key policy rate or the repo

rate by 25 bps to 6.25% in bimonthly

policy review of 2018-19.

The three-day policy review meeting by

the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

began headed by RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das in Mumbai.

Reduce the policy repo rate under the

liquidity adjustment facility (LAF) by 25

basis points from 6.5% to 6.25% with

immediate effect.

The reverse repo rate under the LAF

stands adjusted to 6.0 per cent. The marginal standing facility (MSF)

rate and the Bank Rate to 6.5 per cent.

38. Macedonia signs accord to join

NATO

Macedonia formally signed an

agreement to join NATO (the North

Atlantic Treaty Organization) to become

the 30th member of the US-led alliance.

The admittance of a new member

highlighted that all European nations who

meet the entrance criteria could join the

regional alliance. The Macedonia-NATO accord follows a

deal with Greece ending a 27-year-old

dispute over Macedonia's name.

39. Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, Qutub

Minar among top 10 Revenue-

Generating Monuments

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The Culture Minister Mahesh

Sharma has revealed the top revenue-

generating monuments in the country

between 2015 to 2018.

The top revenue-generating monuments

during 2015-18 is Taj Mahal.

Others in the top 10 list for the period of

2015-2018 include Agra Fort, Red Fort,

Qutub Minar, Sun Temple in Konark,

Humayun's Tomb, Mamallapuram, Ellora

caves, the group of monuments in

Khajuraho, and the Ajanta caves in

Aurangabad.

Tourism contributes nearly 9.4% of the

country's GDP and supports 8% of its total

employment.

40. Small Grants Programme(SGP) A workshop on Small Grants Programme

(SGP) was recently held in New Delhi.

It was launched in 1992 with 33

participating countries..

Environment degradation such as the

destruction of ecosystems and the species

that depends upon them, increasing level

of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse

gases in the atmosphere, pollution of

international waters, land degradation

and the spread of persistent organic pollutants are life – threatening

challenges that endanger us all.

However, it is the poor and vulnerable

communities that are most at risk as

they are directly dependent on natural

resources for their livelihoods and

subsistence.

SGP aims to support these vulnerable

communities through community led

approaches towards environmental

conservation and livelihoods

enhancement.

41. Ujjwala Utsav Ujjwala Utsav observed recently to

celebrate the stellar role played by

various stakeholders in making PMUY a

success.

The event was organised under the aegis

of Ministry of Petroleum &Natural

Gas to encourage, motivate as well as

felicitate all frontline field force for their

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outstanding contribution to PMUY.

The occasion also saw the launch of the PMUY anthem – Ujjwala Bharat

Ujjwala – composed and developed by

eminent singer and film industry

personality Padma Shri Kailash Kher.

Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana aims to

provide LPG (liquefied petroleum gas)

connections to poor households.

42. River Information System

To boost cargo movement on Ganga, the second phase of river information system

(RIS) was recently inaugurated between

Farakka and Patna

It is a combination of modern tracking

equipment related hardware and

software designed to optimize traffic and

transport processes in inland navigation.

RIS is being implemented under the overall responsibility of Inland Waterway

Authority of India, a statutory body

administered by the Ministry of Shipping.

43. The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS,

Tuberculosis and Malaria (or simply

the Global Fund) is an international

financing organization that aims to

“attract, leverage and invest

additional resources to end the

epidemics of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis

and malaria to support attainment of

the Sustainable Development Goals

established by the United Nations.”

Founded in 2002, the Global Fund is a

partnership between governments,

civil society, the private sector and

people affected by the diseases.

The organization maintains its secretariat in Geneva, Switzerland.

44. Unlawful Activities (Prevention)

Act (UAPA)

The Union Home Ministry has banned the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM)

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under the Unlawful Activities

(Prevention) Act for promoting

terrorism and radicalising and

recruiting youth for terrorist activities

in India.

Set up in the 1990s, TuM claims to be

fighting for the “liberation of

Kashmir.”

This law is aimed at effective prevention

of unlawful activities associations in

India.

Its main objective is to make powers

available for dealing with activities

directed against the integrity and

sovereignty of India.

45. Women‟s Global Development

and Prosperity Initiative:

Launched by the US, it is an effort aimed

at helping 50 million women in the

developing world get ahead

economically over the next six years.

It is a government wide project led by the

senior adviser and daughter to President

Donald Trump- Ivanka Trump. The

initiative will involve the State

Department, the National Security Council

and other agencies.

It aims to coordinate current programs

and develop new ones to assist women in

areas such as job training, financial

support, and legal or regulatory reforms.

It seeks to reach 50 million women in the

developing world by 2025 through U.S.

government activities, private-public

partnerships, and a new, innovative fund

at USAID.

46. Kerala to get country’s 2nd

longest rail tunnel: A 10.7-km railway line, including a 9.02-

km tunnel, has been proposed to connect the upcoming Vizhinjam International

Multipurpose Deepwater Seaport to the

railway network.

The 9.02-km tunnel, mooted by Konkan

Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL), will

be the second longest railway tunnel in

the country. The 11.26-km Pir Panjal rail

tunnel, connecting Banihal and Hillar

Shahabad, is the longest.

47. LAIRCM Self-Protection Suites:

US has approved a foreign military sale to India — two 777 Large Aircraft Infrared

Countermeasures (LAIRCM) Self-

Protection Suites (SPS), for an estimated

$190 million.

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LAIRCM is a programme meant to

protect large aircraft from man-portable

missiles. It increases crew-warning time,

decreases false alarm rates and

automatically counters advanced infrared

missile systems

These systems will protect two Boeing-

777 Head-of-State aircraft. This would

bring the security of Air India One at par

with that of Air Force One, the aircraft

used by the American President.

48. Exercise Cutlass Express: Multinational training exercise „CUTLASS

EXPRESS – 19‟ was held recently.

It is an exercise designed to assess and

improve combined maritime law

enforcement capacity, promote national

and regional security in East Africa as well

as information sharing, planning and

operating.

Sponsored by U.S. Africa Command

(AFRICOM) and is conducted by U.S.

Naval Forces Africa.

The aim of the exercise: To improve law

enforcement capacity, promote regional

security and progress inter-operability

between the armed forces of the

participating nations.

49. GeM and CCI Sign MoU Government e Marketplace (GeM) and

Competition Commission of India

(CCI) entered into a Memorandum of

Understanding to enable a fair and

competitive environment in the e-

Marketplace.

GeM is a state-of-the-art national public

procurement platform of Ministry of

Commerce and Industries, that has used

technology to remove entry barriers for

bonafide sellers and has created a vibrant

e-marketplace with a wide range of goods

and services.

GeM aims to enhance transparency,

efficiency and speed in public

procurement.

It facilitates online procurement of

common use Goods & Services required

by various Government Departments /

Organisations / PSUs. It provides the tools

of e-bidding, reverse e-auction and

demand aggregation to facilitate the

government users, achieve the best value

for their money.

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50. Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR)

Defence Research and Development

Organisation (DRDO) successfully

flight tested the second indigenously

developed „Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet

(SFDR)‟ propulsion based missile

system.

Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR): It

is a missile propulsion technology

jointly developed by India and

Russia.

Ramjet is a form of air-breathing jet

engine that uses the vehicle‘s forward

motion to compress incoming air for

combustion without a rotating

compressor. Fuel is injected in the

combustion chamber where it mixes

with the hot compressed air and

ignites. A ramjet-powered vehicle

requires an assisted take-off like a

rocket assist to accelerate it to a speed

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KNOW THE SERVICE

Introducing all the 26

services one gets

on qualifying UPSC Civil

Service Examination

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INDIAN INFORMATION SERVICE

Brief History of IIS

Originally named the Central Information Service, this service was established on 1st March, 1960. In 1987, CIS

was split into IIS Group A and IIS Group B.Functions of IIS Group ‘A’ officers

Administering and coordinating the work of

the Press Information Bureau (PIB) .

Conducting the publicity work of the

government.

Controlling, supervising and guiding the news

service units including DD News and All India

Radio (AIR).

Organising press advertising and visual

publicity campaigns for spreading information

to the people about the various policies and

activities of the government through diverse

media.

Monitoring legal issues involved in the

verification of titles, registration and

circulation for newspapers in the country.

Planning and executing media strategies for the government.

Officers can also be posted abroad especially in association with Prasar Bharati.

IIS officers can be posted to other departments/ministries on deputation. They can also act as Personal

Secretaries in the Central Government on a co-terminus basis.

Training for IIS Officers

The IIS officers‘ training is in three stages.

Stage 1: Three months Foundation Course at the LBSNAA.

Stage 2: Nine months professional training at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi.

Stage 3: Twelve months on-the-job training during which the officers are attached to various media units under

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting including:

DD News

All India Radio

Press Information Bureau

Registrar of Newspapers for India

Directorate of Field Publicity

Publications Division

Electronic Media Monitoring Centre

New Media Wing of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity

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