Category: Strategy Sessions

Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- UN report for social inclusion

ESCAP

1. The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) is the regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region.
2. It is established in 1947 with its headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand.
3. Parent Organisation: UN ECOSOC
4. ESCAP works to overcome some of the region’s greatest challenges by providing results-oriented projects, technical assistance, and capacity building to member States in the following areas:

• Macroeconomic Policy and Development including the publishing of Asia-Pacific Development Journal (APDJ) twice a year
• Trade and Investment
• Transport
• Social Development
• Environment and Sustainable Development
• Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction
• Statistics
• Sub-regional activities for development

B2B #2: From news- Commission approves modern animal-free testing for drugs

Pyrogen Test

1. The pyrogen test is carried out to check impurity or substance that can cause adverse side-effects
2. For the test, the drug is injected into a rabbit and the animal is closely observed for feverish symptoms
3. The abnormal toxicity test is carried out to check potential hazardous biological contamination in vaccine formulations
4. This batch test is done before the product is approved for marketing. In this, mice or guinea pigs are injected with the vaccine. The scientists observe if there is the death of any animal.

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name : AgniII

Defence Forces : Army

Module Type : Missiles

Brief Intro : 1.Agni-II, is a strategic ballistic missile. The Agni missile family is envisaged to be the mainstay of the Indian missile-based strategic nuclear deterrence. 2.The Agni-II is a medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) with two solid fuel stages and a Post Boost Vehicle (PBV) integrated into the missile’s Re-entry Vehicle (RV). . 3.The Agni-IIA is a more advanced version of Agni-II, albeit with more sophisticated and lighter materials, yielding a better range and operating regime. Agni-IIA was later renamed as Agni-IV plugging the gap between Agni-II and Agni-III. Range: 2000 Km

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Test 32 as per schedule (Click2View) is Misc Test 8

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Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- Western Ghats forest cover vital for Tamil Nadu’s South-West monsoon rainfall

Western Ghats

1. It is also known as Sahyadri (Benevolent Mountains) is a mountain range that runs parallel to the western coast of the Indian peninsula, located entirely in India
2. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight “hottest hot-spots” of biological diversity in the world It is sometimes called the Great Escarpment of India
3. The range runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain, called Konkan, along the Arabian Sea
4. A total of thirty-nine properties including national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests were designated as world heritage sites – twenty in Kerala, ten in Karnataka, five in Tamil Nadu and four in Maharashtra

B2B #2: From news- Niti Aayog partners with Google to grow India’s artificial intelligence ecosystem

Machine Learning

1. Machine learning is the science of getting computers to act without being explicitly programmed.
2. It is an application of artificial intelligence (AI) that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed.
3. Machine learning focuses on the development of computer programs that can access data and use it learn for themselves.
4. The process of learning begins with observations or data, such as examples, direct experience, or instruction, in order to look for patterns in data and make better decisions in the future based on the examples that we provide.
5. In the past decade, machine learning has given us self-driving cars, practical speech recognition, effective web search, etc.
6. Examples: Google Assistant, Google Allo etc.

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name : International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)

Recently in News because : Neeru Chadha won a crucial election to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), becoming the first Indian woman to be elected as judge to the tribunal

Objective : To adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea

Members : The Tribunal is composed of 21 independent members elected by secret ballot by the States Parties to the Convention

Headquarters : Hamburg, Germany

Year Founded : Created by UNCLOS in 1982 (Came in force in 1994)

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Test 31 as per schedule (Click2View) is Misc Test 7 (Govt. Schemes)

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Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- Jaipur Foot to be exhibited at the U.N.

Jaipur Foot

1. The Jaipur Foot, also known as the Jaipur Leg, is a rubber-based prosthetic leg for people with below-knee amputations
2. Designed in and named after Jaipur, India, the prosthetic leg was designed to be inexpensive, water-resistant, and quick to fit and manufacture
3. The Jaipur Foot is made of polyurethane
4. It is fitted free of cost by Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahyata Samiti
5. The government of India supports Bhagwan Mahavir Viklang Sahyata Samiti with financial aid to carry out the work done by the organization

B2B #2: From news- Inter-country child abduction: Central panel questions key principle of Hague Convention

Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction

1. Hague Abduction Convention is a multilateral treaty developed by the Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) that provides an expeditious method to return a child internationally abducted by a parent from one member country to another
2. The Convention was drafted to ensure the prompt return of children who have been abducted from their country of habitual residence or wrongfully retained in a contracting state not their country of habitual residence
3. The Convention applies only to children under the age of 16
4. The Convention requires that a court in which a Hague Convention action is filed should not consider the merits of any underlying child custody dispute, but should determine only that country in which those issues should be heard
5. The Convention mandates return of any child who was “habitually resident” in a contracting nation immediately before an action that constitutes a breach of custody or access rights
6. The Convention provides special rules for admission and consideration of evidence independent of the evidentiary standards set by any member nation
7. The Convention was concluded 25 October 1980 and entered into force between the signatories on 1 December 1983

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name of the scheme : Digital India

Objectives : To transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy

Salient Features : The Digital India programme is centred on three key vision areas: – Digital Infrastructure as a Utility to Every Citizen -Governance & Services on Demand -Digital Empowerment of Citizens It aims to provide the much needed thrust to the nine pillars of growth areas, namely : -Broadband Highways, -Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity, – Public Internet Access Programme, -e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology, -e-Kranti – Electronic Delivery of Services, -Information for All, Electronics Manufacturing, -IT for Jobs and -Early Harvest Programmes

Nodal Ministry : The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

 

Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- Accelerate efforts to end rabies: WHO to India, South East Asian countries

GAVI- the Vaccine Alliance

1. Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization is a public-private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunization in poor countries
2. It is a global Vaccine Alliance with the goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries
3. Gavi brings together developing countries and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialized and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists
4. Gavi was launched in 2000
5. It is based in Geneva, Switzerland

 

B2B #2: From news- MHA fast-tracks security clearance for overseas investment proposals

Revised National Security Clearance Policy, 2015

1. The Ministry of Home Affairs had formulated a new national security clearance policy in 2015 after the government decided to speed up projects, which were stuck for lack of approval by Intelligence Bureau (IB) or other agencies including the State police
2. It has introduced the National Security Clause as an important component of this Policy
3. It aims to extend fast-track security clearance to foreign investment proposals in the critical sectors such as telecom, private security, and defense while ensuring that national interests are not endangered
4. The clearance process aims to boost government’s ease-of-doing-business and Make in India initiative.
5. The policy has 15 parameters on which inputs from security agencies are sought. Once it has got an application from an investor, the Ministry decides on the status of security clearance to the company within 4-6 weeks.
6. As per the policy, the promoters, owners, and directors of the company are mandated to give self-declarations regarding any criminal history on their part, which reduced the period required to give security clearance from 2-3 months earlier to just 4-6 weeks now
7. Security inputs from the Intelligence Bureau, the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate and other agencies are sought only in cases of serious crimes and not in case of minor offenses

 

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name : G-7

Brief Intro : The Group of Seven (G7) is an informal bloc of industrialized democracies—Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States—that meets annually to discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security, and energy policy.

Objective : To discuss issues such as global economic governance, international security, and energy policy.

Type : Summit/ Conference

Category : Economy

Year : 1975

Importance (wr. Prelims) : High

Key Terms/ Institutions spinoffs : Russia belonged to the forum from 1998 through 2014—then the Group of Eight (G8)—but was suspended after its annexation of Crimea in March of that year.

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Test 29 as per schedule (Click2View) is MISC Test 5

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Here are 3 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news-  India gold demand seen rising

World Gold Council

1. The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. It works across all parts of the industry, from gold mining to investment, and their aim is to stimulate and sustain demand for gold
2. They frequently publish research that demonstrates gold’s strength as a preserver of wealth – both for investors and countries
3. They also provide analysis of the industry, offering insights into the drivers of gold demand. They have also launched various products such as SPDR GLD and gold accumulation plans in India and China
4. The World Gold Council is an association whose members comprise the world’s leading gold mining companies
5. It helps to support its members to mine in a responsible way and developed the Conflict Free Gold Standard
6. Headquartered in London United Kingdom, they have offices in India, China, Singapore, Japan and the United States

B2B #2: From news- What Railways hope to learn from German Rail

Linke Hoffman Busche (LHB) coaches

1. LHB coaches are the passenger coaches of Indian Railways that have been developed by Linke-Hofmann-Busch of Germany
2. These coaches are produced by Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, Punjab
3. The coaches are designed for an operating speed up to 160 km/h and could go up to 200 km/h
4. During derailment or collision, these coaches do not climb over each and crash because of a special type of CBC (center buffer coupler)

B2B #3: From news- [op-ed snap] Acting against a judge

Impeachment of a Supreme Court Judge

1. Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India states: “A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity”
2. 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs is the minimum number of signatories required to issue the notice
3. The notice has to be handed over either to the Speaker if it is from Lok Sabha MPs or to the Chairman if it is Rajya Sabha MPs
4. If and when the motion is admitted, the Speaker or the Chairman will have to constitute a three-member committee to investigate the charges leveled against the Supreme Court judge
5. This committee will consist of a senior Supreme Court judge, a High Court judge, and a ‘distinguished jurist’ — who is a highly qualified law professor who has been appointed as a Supreme Court judge by the President of India

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Key words related to History : Rajsuya

Dynasty/era : Vedic period

Meaning : – basically a ceremony for the consecration of a kind. It lasted for a day of prayers and sacrifices and extracting soma, but preceded by a long period, extending to maybe a year, during which time various preliminary rites were observed. During this ritual, the king received a bow and an arrow (or other weapons as the priest was advised) and declares himself the king. He performed various acts symbolising his conquests and was finally anointed by a priest, a kshatriya and a vaishya.

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Test 28 as per schedule (Click2View) is CA March+ April’18

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Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- [op-ed snap] Protect patents: on revoking Monsanto’s Bollgard-2 patent

Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt)

1. It is a soil-dwelling bacterium, commonly used as a biological pesticide
2. It occurs naturally in the gut of caterpillars of various types of moths and butterflies plant leaves etc.
3. Bt produces insecticidal action when used in the genetic modification of crops
4. Bt cotton was the first genetically modified crop to be approved for cultivation in India in 2002, with the introduction of Monsanto’s GM cotton seeds
5. Other Bt crops used in India: Bt Brinjal, Bt/GM Mustard
6. Issues with Bt modified crops:  Costly seeds, Gene pool contamination,  Increasing incidence of pest resistance, the toxicity of food crops etc

B2B #2: From news- Govt. doubles PMVVY pension investment limit to ₹ 15 lakh; extends scheme by two years

Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)

1. The government has launched the PMVVY to provide social security during old age and to protect elderly persons aged 60 and above against a future fall in their interest income due to uncertain market conditions
2. The PMVVY is being implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)
3. The scheme provides an assured pension based on a guaranteed rate of return of 8 percent per annum for ten years, with an option to opt for the pension on a monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annual basis
4. The difference between the return generated by LIC and the assured return of 8 percent annually will be borne by the government of as a yearly subsidy

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name :  Cartosat-2 series

Details :  The launch marks the roll out of the 100th satellite by ISRO. 30 other satellites – 28 foreign and 2 Indian. 2nd time that ISRO has been able to place satellites in 2 different orbits This was done through the “multiple burn technology” under which the rocket’s engine is switched off and then switched on to control its height.

Launch Vehicle :  PSLV C40

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Test 27 as per schedule (Click2View) is MISC (Full syllabus)

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Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- DoT releases draft National Telecom Policy

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority

1. NPPA is a regulatory agency under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers of India which was established to fix/ revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995
2. It renders advice to the Central Government on changes/ revisions in the drug pricing policy
3. It regularly publishes lists of medicines and their maximum ceiling prices
4. It is also entrusted with the task of recovering amounts overcharged by manufacturers for the
   controlled drugs from the consumers
5. It also monitors the prices of decontrolled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels.

B2B #2: From news- India rejects U.S. request on medical device price caps

Universal Service Obligation Fund

1. USOF was formed by the Central Government in 1999 to help fund projects to provide widespread and non-discriminatory access to quality ICT services at affordable prices to people in rural and remote areas
2. The money for this fund comes through a Universal Access Levy (UAL) charged from the telecom
   operators as a percentage of various licenses fees being paid by them
3. The amount from UAL is deposited into the Consolidated Fund of India and require prior parliamentary approval to be dispatched
4. It is headed by the USOF Administrator who reports to the Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

 

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name : Barak

Defence Forces :  Army

Module Type :  Missiles

Brief Intro : 1.Barak 8 (the Hebrew word for Lightning) also known as LR-SAM or as MR-SAM is an Indian-Israeli surface-to-air missile (SAM), designed to defend against any type of airborne threat including aircraft, helicopters, anti-ship missiles, and UAVs as well as cruise missiles and combat jets. Both maritime and land-based versions of the system exist. 2.Barak 8 was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), India’s Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), Israel’s Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael and other companies. Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) produce the missiles.

Note4students (wherever applicable) : Also used by navy

Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- In a first, Gujarat to offer PNG subsidy

Prime Minister Ujjwala Yojna

1. It is a scheme launched by the Central Government on May 1, 2016 with the aim of bringing happiness to the faces of women of poor families of India
2. Under this scheme, poor women will get free LPG gas connections
3. This scheme started by the Central Government will give the poor women the freedom soon to get the clay stove
4. The main objective of this scheme is to promote the use of LPG instead of fossil fuels used for cooking in rural areas
5. One of the main objectives of the scheme is to promote women’s empowerment and protect their health
6. To provide free LPG connections to the women members of the poor family, the Cabinet has approved a plan of Rs.8000 crore

B2B #2: From news- Modi honours Tibetan institute

Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS)

1. CIHTS is a centrally funded institute that was started in 1967 following a discussion between Dalai Lama and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in the early 1960s
2. This was later turned into an autonomous body under the Ministry of Culture
3. It is situated in Sarnath
4. The Central Tibetan Administration, the authority of the Tibetans in exile has several programmes for cultural preservation at CIHTS and thus it is a unique institution in India

 

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name : UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR)

Recently in News because : Has ranked India as the world’s most disaster-prone country for displacement of residents.

Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- [op-ed snap] The Inter-State Council needs to be rejuvenated

Inter State Council(ISC)

1. The Inter State Council is a non permanent constitutional body setup by a presidential order on the basis of provisions in Article 263 of the Constitution of India
2. The body was formed by a Presidential Order dated 28 May 1990 on recommendation of Sarkaria Commission
3. The Council is formed to discussing or investigating policies, subjects of common interest, and disputes, among states

Aims of ISC

1. Decentralization of powers to the states as much as possible
2. More transfer of financial resources to the states
3. Arrangements for devolution in such a way that the states can fulfil their obligations
4. Advancement of loans to states should be related to as ‘the productive principle’
5. Deployment of central armed forces in the states either on their request or otherwise

B2B #2: From news- CSIR awarded National Intellectual Property Award 2018

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

1. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research was established by the Government of India in 1942 is an autonomous body that has emerged as the largest research and development organisation in India
2. It runs thirty-eight laboratories and thirty-nine field stations or extension centres throughout the nation, with a collective staff of over 12,000 scientists and scientific and technical personnel
3. Although it is mainly funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology, it operates as an autonomous body through the Societies Registration Act, 1860
4. The research and development activities of CSIR include aerospace engineering, structural engineering, ocean sciences, life sciences, metallurgy, chemicals, mining, food, petroleum, leather, and environmental science
5. Dr. Girish Sahni was appointed as director general of CSIR, with effect from August 24, 2015

 

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name of the scheme : Swachh Swasth Sarvatra

Objectives : To achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation and increased awareness and healthy lifestyles\

Salient Features : 1. ‘SwasthBaccheSwasth Bharat’ are pictoral books prepared by Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB) 2. Health messages shall be brought out that will educate the children and youth about healthy living habits and activities 3. The Ministry has distributed these books on healthy living across schools in India

Nodal Ministry : Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

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Test 23 as per schedule (Click2View) is IYB + Eco Survey

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Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- China, India, Canada top US list of intellectual property offenders

Priority watch list

1. The Special 301 Report is prepared annually by the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) under Section 301 as amended of the Trade Act of 1974
2. The reports identify trade barriers to U.S. companies and products due to the intellectual property laws, such as copyright, patents and trademarks, in other countries
3. The report contains a “Priority Watch List” and a “Watch List”, containing countries whose intellectual property regimes are deemed of concern
4. “Priority Watchlist countries” are judged by the USTR as having “serious intellectual property rights deficiencies” that require increased USTR attention
5. “Watch List” countries have been identified by the USTR as having “serious intellectual property rights deficiencies” but are not yet placed on the “Priority Watchlist”

B2B #2: From news- Fitch maintains India sovereign rating with stable outlook

Sovereign rating

1. A credit rating is an evaluation of the credit risk of a prospective debtor (an individual, a business, company or a government), predicting their ability to pay back the debt, and an implicit forecast of the likelihood of the debtor defaulting
2. A sovereign credit rating is the credit rating of a sovereign entity, such as a national government
3. The sovereign credit rating indicates the risk level of the investing environment of a country and is used by investors when looking to invest in particular jurisdictions, and also takes into account political risk
4. Obtaining a good sovereign credit rating is usually essential for developing countries in order to access funding in international bond markets

 

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name of the scheme : Swachh Swasth Sarvatra

Objectives : To achieve better health outcomes through improved sanitation and increased awareness and healthy lifestyles

Salient Features : 1. ‘SwasthBaccheSwasth Bharat’ are pictoral books prepared by Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB) 2. Health messages shall be brought out that will educate the children and youth about healthy living habits and activities 3. The Ministry has distributed these books on healthy living across schools in India

Nodal Ministry : Ministry of Health & Family Welfare

Link for the test: Click2Attempt  (Let us know your score in comments)

We have started our Open SIP program in conjunction with our PAID program (Click2Know all details of the program)

We will be running this special FREE initiative on daily basis providing students with revision questions for static subjects as well as current affairs starting from June 2017

Test 23 as per schedule (Click2View) is February’18 CA

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Here are 2 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- [op-ed snap] Outcome-based financing for development in India

Social impact bond

1. A Social impact bond, also known as Pay for Success Financing, a Pay for Success Bond or a Social Benefit Bond  or simply a Social Bond, is a contract with the public sector in which a commitment is made to pay for improved social outcomes that result in public sector savings
2. The term was originally coined by Geoff Mulgan, Chief Executive of the Young Foundation
3. The first Social Impact Bond was launched by UK-based Social Finance Ltd. in September 2010
4. Social Impact Bonds are a type of bond, but not the most common type. While they operate over a fixed period of time, they do not offer a fixed rate of return
5. Repayment to investors is contingent upon specified social outcomes being achieved
6. Therefore, in terms of investment risk, Social impact bonds are more similar to that of a structured product or an equity investment.

 

B2B #2: From news- Strong winds in Atlantic create high waves off Indian coasts over 10,000 km away

Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)

1. INCOIS is an autonomous organization of the Government of India, under the Ministry of Earth Sciences
2. ESSO-INCOIS is a unit of the Earth System Science Organization (ESSO)
3. ESSO- INCOIS is mandated to provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean observations and constant improvements through systematic and focused research

 

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Key words related to History : Vidhata

Dynasty/era : Vedic period

Meaning : 1.Vidatha appears for 122 times in the Rig-Veda and seems to be the most important assembly in the Rig Vedic period. Vidatha was an assembly meant for secular, religious and military purpose. 2.The Rig-Veda only once indicated the connection of woman with the Sabha whereas Vidatha is frequently associated with woman women actively participated in the deliberations with men. 3. Vidatha was the earliest folk assembly of the Aryans, performing all kinds of functions- economic, military religious and social. The Vidatha also provided common ground to clans and tribes for the worship of their gods.

Link for the test: Click2Attempt  (Let us know your score in comments)

We have started our Open SIP program in conjunction with our PAID program (Click2Know all details of the program)

We will be running this special FREE initiative on daily basis providing students with revision questions for static subjects as well as current affairs starting from June 2017

Test 22 as per schedule (Click2View) is Environment ( Full Syllabus)

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Here are 3 Back2Basics collections from today’s news items

B2B #1: From news- More institutions to work for rural development

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan

1. This is an HRD Ministry initiative launched in 2014 with the two-fold aim to provide rural India with professional resource support from institutes of higher education in the field of STEM
2. And Building institutional capacity in Institutes of higher education in research & training relevant to the needs of rural India
3. This programme will be launched in collaboration with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Indian Institutes of Science Education & Research (IISERs) and the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) throughout the country
4. Each IIT/NIT/IISER will identify 10 villages in its neighborhood and work out technologies to solve the most pressing issues of the region
5. Various teams from these institutes will visit the villages, identify problems and then aim to find financially-viable schemes.

 

B2B #2: From news- Expand national programmes to eliminate malaria by 2030: WHO

National framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME)

1. NFME outlines the strategies for eradication of the disease by 2030
2. It classifies districts or states/UTs depending upon their Annual Parasite Incidence (API) or malaria
   endemicity into categories 0,1,2,3
3. API number gives the number of cases affected by malaria per 1000 population per annum
4. The milestones and targets are set for 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2027 and 2030 by when the entire country has sustained zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria for 3 years and initiated the processes for certification of malaria elimination status to the country
5. The objectives of the NFME are to:

• Eliminate malaria from all low (Category 1) and moderate (Category 2) endemic states/UTs (26) by 2022
• Reduce the incidence of malaria to less than 1 case per 1000 population in all States/UTs and the districts and malaria elimination in 31 states/UTs by 2024
• Interrupt indigenous transmission of malaria in all States/ UTs (Category 3) by 2027;
• Prevent re-establishment of local transmission of malaria in areas where it has been eliminated and to maintain the malaria-free status of the country by 2030

 

B2B #3: From news- Press freedom: India falls to 138, North Korea remains most repressive country in RSF rankings

Press Freedom Index

1. The Press Freedom Index is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters Without Borders based upon the organization’s own assessment of the countries’ press freedom records in the previous year
2. It intends to reflect the degree of freedom that journalists, news organizations, and netizens have in each country, and the efforts made by authorities to respect this freedom
3. A smaller score on the report corresponds to greater freedom of the press as reported by the organization
4. The index only deals with press freedom and does not measure the quality of journalism nor does it look at human rights violations in general
5. The report is partly based on a questionnaire which asks questions about pluralism, media independence, environment and self-censorship, legislative framework, transparency, and infrastructure
6. Violence against journalists, netizens, and media assistants, including abuses attributable to the state, armed militias, clandestine organizations or pressure groups, are monitored by RSF staff during the year and are also part of the final score

 

As a part of revision for Prelims 2018, Here’s a Factoid to brush up your concepts

Name : HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite)

Details : Earth observation satellite, using a critical chip it has developed called “optical imaging detector array”