Snake Island

 

POEM

• PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM)
• PS4 - Stabilized platform

Single Use Plastic

• The ban on Single-use plastic comes into effect from 1 July. 
• Ministry of Environment, forest, and climate change
• bisphenol A (BPA) - chemical used in plastics

Risotto Dish

 Risotto Dish: Italy

• Rice

Po River

Po River: Italy

Source: Cottian Alps

Mouth: Adriatic Sea

Gig Economy

Reference:

1. https://www.techtarget.com/whatis/definition/gig-economy

Ranji Trophy

• MP won the first time

Wetland: Rajasthan: two Lakes: Brahma and Dhandh

 Rajasthan's Ramsar Site:

• Keoladeo Ghana (Bharatpur)
• Sambhar Salt Lake (Jaipur)

Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 2021

•  US Supreme court declared abortion is not a fundamental right.

Context of India

• Abortion is legal but with conditions.

Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 2021

• permissible up to 24 weeks 
• Opinion of a medical practitioner
• For pregnancies between 20-24 weeks old, the opinion of two doctors is required.
• beyond 24 weeks, only on the ground of fetal abnormalities can be taken by a Medical Board.

Salt: Central Subject

• Gujarat produces approx. 28.5 Million tonnes of Salt a year. (80% of  India's Production)
• World 3rd largest producer of Salt.
• British put salt production as mining. (still, this law is governed)

Juvenile Justice (Care and Protections) Amendment Act 2021

 Non-Cognisable

• A police officer has no authority to arrest without a warrant.

G-20

• 2023
• Jammu and Kashmir

Kerala: Own Regional red list of Birds

• Kerala Agriculture University and The Bird Count India.
• Endangered Species: Banasura Chilappan, Nilgiri Chillappan
• Critically Endangered Species: Red-headed vulture,White-rumped vulture

Zika Virus

• Vector-borne flavivirus
• Transmitted by the bite of infected Aedes mosquitoes.
• Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus

26-06-2022

1. VL-SRSAM  Missile
2. Non-humanoid robot for autism
3. Eco-Sensitive Zone
4. Alzheimer
5. Consumer expenditure Survey
6. Gamling: State List, Game of Chance, and Game of chance: Article  19(1)(g)
7. Abortion Right
8. Polio Virus Found in the UK
9. Card Tokenisation

Polio Virus Found In UK

Mozambique

 

Yamuna River

The catchment of the Yamuna the river system covers parts of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Delhi states.

• The famous river has its source in the Yamunotri Glacier 
• The important tributaries of the Yamuna River are Tons, Chambal, Hindon, Betwa and Ken. Other small tributaries of the Yamuna River include the Giri, Sind, Uttangan, Sengar and the Rind. The main Yamuna and Tons are fed by glaciers, viz., the Bandar Punch Glacier and its branches and originates from the Great Himalayan range.

Geography and Wildlife

•  Asian Elephant
• Khair (Acacia), Sal, and Rosewood (Sissoo) trees and the Chir Pine woodlands of the Shivalik Mountains.
• Assan Barrage: Bird Sanctuary
• Ganges-Yamuna Doab: Basmati Rice

Source:

1. Central Water Commission
2. India-WRIS
3. Maps of India

Fertilizers

The Indian Express

Source:The Indian Express 

MO Bus

• Odisha
• UN Public Service Award -'gender-responsive public services ' - SDGs

Sao Joao Festival

• Goa
• Every Monsoon
• St John The Baptist
• Playing the traditional gumott, a boat festival, Servings of feni, and a place of pride for a new son-in-law
• Konkani Songs
• Musical instruments: gumot and cansaim
• jumping into well is part of festival

Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI)

 Before SEBI,

• Capital Issues Control Act 1956
• Securities Contract Act, 1956

are the governing law of the Security market in India.

SEBI:

• Statutory Body
• HQ: Mumbai
• Est. in 1988
• Statutory Power (SEBI Act, 1992)
• The watchdog which regulates the securities and commodities market

It has also sought clarity on whether cryptocurrencies can be legally classified as securities. Right now, they aren’t.

• SEBI has said that crypto assets are not part of the definition of what constitutes  securities under the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Act of 1956
• celebrities should not be allowed to endorse cryptocurrencies

RECENT UPDATES

**The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed to bring the purchase and sale of mutual fund (MF) units under the purview of the insider trading rules.

Participatory Notes (P-Notes)

Investment through P-notes Decline

• Issued by foreign institutional investors to invest in Indian Stock Markets.
• Regulated by SEBI

Association of Southeast Asian Nations(ASEAN)

• Established on 8 August 1967 (Bangkok, Thailand)
• Bangkok Declaration

Members (10 members)

• Founding members (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand)
• Brunai-(1984)
• Vietnam (1995)
• Laos and Myanmar(1997)
• Combodia(1999)

Relation with India

• 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-India Dialogue Relation (16 June 2022)

More Info

• Visit

Virtual Digital Assets

Income Tax Act

Finance Act, 2022

From July 1

• A TDS of 1% will be levied on the transfer of the Virtual Digital Assets( exceed Rs. 10,000 in a Year)

Regarding Maharashtra Crisis

Anti-defection Law

• If 2/3rd of the party's members leave a political party (Shiv Sena).

Speaker's Role

• Floor Test
• SC judgment in S R Bommai Case
• time(no specific time given in the constitution)
• Judicial review possible

Governor's Role

• May or may not dissolve the legislature.
• If Council of Ministers is not in majority then the Governor used his discretionary power: Dissolve Legislature or asked another party to form a government if they have a majority.

BRICS

 Member Country

• Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa

2022: Hosted by China(Virtually)

Significance:

• Combined population of 3.23 Billion (40% of the world's Population)
• more than a quarter of the world's land area over 3 continents.
• >25% of the global GDP
• 2 fastest-growing nation: INDIA, China

World Trade Organization

• Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies(AFS)
• Special And Differential Treatment(S&DT)

Blue Economy

• India has set a target of exporting marine products worth $14 million by 2025.

Indoor Solar Cooking System

 Developed by The Indian Oil Corporation

Pattachitra Painting

 CM(Odisha) presented a Pattachitra Painting to Pope.

About

• 12th Century
• Painted on a piece of cloth
• Closely Related to the cult of Shri Jagannath and the temple Traditions in Puri.

Materials Used

• natural substances

Popular Themes

• Thia Badhia: Depiction of temple of Jagannath
• Krishna Lila:
• Dasabatara Patti: Ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu
• Panchmukhi: Related to Lord Ganesh

Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA)

• enacted during the Emergency in 1976
• An amended FCRA was enacted in 2010 to “consolidate the law” on the utilization of foreign funds, and “to prohibit” their use for “any activities detrimental to the national interest”.
• The law was amended again in 2020, giving the government tighter control and scrutiny over the receipt and utilization of foreign funds by NGOs.

Law

1. registered under the Act
2. to open a bank account for the receipt of the foreign funds in State Bank of India, Delhi
3. to utilize those funds only for the purpose for which they have been received and as stipulated in the Act.

Source: IE

Visit

1. https://indianexpress.com/

G7 Summit

• Germany

Current Account Deficit(CAD)

 Fiscal deficit:

• The amount of money that the government has to borrow in any year to fill the gap between its expenditures and revenue.

Capex

• money spent towards creating productive assets such as roads, buildings, ports,...

Current Account Deficit(CAD)

• Import and export of goods - "Trade Account"
• Import and Export of Services-" Invisibles account"

A widening CAD tends to weaken the domestic currency. 

Updates:

• CAD narrows to 1.5 % of GDP in Q4
• Heavy FPI outflow
• Fiscal deficit touched 12.3% of FY23 
• External debt rose $47.1 bn to $620.7 bn in FY22 

Source: The Indian Express

Summer Solstice

• June 21: Longest day in the Northern Hemisphere
• Because of the Earth's tilt-23.5

PYQs

In the northern hemisphere, the longest day of the year normally occurs in the :[CSE 2022]

(a) First half of the month of June 

(b) Second half of the month of June 

(c) First half of the month of July 

(d) Second half of the month of July

ANS:[B]

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)

• Monetary Policy managed by MPC
• Headed by RBI Governor
• 6-member committee
• 3- from the RBI, three members will be appointed by the central government. 

INFLATION

• The rate at which prices rise
• The inflation target of the Reserve Bank of India is 4% (+/- 2%).
• India is a current account deficit country, therefore depreciation is bad,  making imports more expensive.

PYQs

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Monetary Policy Committee(MPC)? [CSE 2017]

1. It decides the RBI's benchmark interest rates.
2. It is a 12-member body including the Governor of RBI and is reconstituted every year.
3. It functions under the chairmanship of the Union Finance Minister.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

(A) 1 only

(B) 1 and 2 only

(C) 3 only

(D) 2 and 3 only

ANS:[A]

Vice- President

Article 63: there shall be a Vice-President of India

Article 64: shall be ex officio Chairman of the Council of the States (Rajya Sabha)

• 2nd highest constitutional office
• is modeled on the lines of the American VP office
• Work as chairman of Rajya Sabha

Article 66: Election

• Single transferable vote
• indirectly by the electoral college
• only MOP(both elected and nominated) are the electorate
• secret ballot
• >35 years
• 20 electors as proposers and 20 electors as seconders

Election Dispute

• decided by the Supreme Court whose decision shall be final.

Oath

• By President or some person appointed by him.

Removal of  VP

• effective majority

**16th Vice-Presidential Election, 2022

**S Radhakrishnan, the First Vice-President, was elected President in 1962

Vietnam

Capital: Hanoi
Climate: tropical climate zone and a temperate climate zone

Dutch disease

Dutch Disease in economics refers to a phenomenon wherein a country witnesses uneven growth across sectors due to the discovery of natural resources. e.g. vast oil reserves.

• In the 1960s, the Netherlands discovered gas reserves in the North Sea.
• ‘Dutch disease’ was first coined by The Economist in 1977 to describe the decline of the manufacturing industry in the Netherlands.
• Dutch disease is a “purely domestic phenomenon” which cannot be “exported.”

Pardoning power of the President

•  Article 72

1. Pardon: Completely absolves the offender of all the convictions and the punishment

2. Reprieve:  a temporary stay 

3. Respite: reducing the weight or the severity of the punishment on some special grounds

4. Remission: Reduction in a sentence w/o changing its character.

5. Commutation: substituting one form to another (lighter).

**News

• Bilkis Bano gang rape case

Ordinance Making Power Of The President: Article 123

• Article 123 
• Same effect as an act of Parliament
• Used to issue new legislation or to amend or repeal already existing ordinances. 
• Exercised when one or both the houses of the Parliament are not in session.

Possible measures to prevent their misuse:

• Subject to Judicial Review
• Approved by both the houses within 6 weeks of reassembly

e.g.

1. D.C. Wadhwa case(1987) - Bihar

Discretionary Powers of the President

1. Article 74, The President of India can send back the advice of the COM for reconsideration at his discretion.
2. Article 85, The houses of the Parliament shall be summoned in such a way that no more than 6 months period lapse between two successive sessions of the Parliament.
3. Uses Suspensive and Pocket Veto at his own discretion.
4. To invite the leader of any political party to form the govt. ( If there is no majority)

Veto Power of the President

1. Absolute Veto

• withholding of assent to the bill passed by the legislation
• only when asked by the union COM.

2. Suspensive Veto

• can be overridden by the legislature with an ordinary majority

3. Pocket Veto

• taking no action on the bill passed by the legislature.
• The pocket of The Indian President is bigger than that of the American President.

4. Qualified Veto

• overridden by the legislature with a higher majority

In the context of India, NO qualified veto for the Indian President

The 24th CAA,1971 made it obligatory for the President to give his assent to a CAA Bill.

Bill

 

Africa

Country In News:

1. Ethiopia
2. Rwanda
3. Tunisia
4. Somalia: Drought Condition
5. Mozambique
6. The Horn of African Country: China's Infrastructure Project

Economy

1. WTO
2. Black Swan Event
3. Taper Tantrum
4. Bretton Wood
5. Inflation
6. Sovereign Gold Bond
7. Surety Bond

JUNETEENTH DAY

• End of Slavery In US
• Emancipation Day
• Abraham Lincoln

West Seti Power Project

• India-Nepal
• National Hydro Power Corporation(NHPC)
• Arun Three Project Eastern Nepal -India's Sutlej Vidhut Nigam under BOOT Scheme

Ethiopia

• Capital: Addis Ababa
• ethnic attack

Palm Oil

• India's edible oil import bill in 2021-22 crossed $19 billion.
• PM launched the National Edible Oil Mission- Oil Palm (NEOM-OP)- 2021
• Objective of this Mission is to bring in at least 1 MH under oil palm by 2025-26

Chess Olympiad

• India is hosting the first time
• torch relay (First time)

Union Executive

• Part V( Article 52 to 78)
• President
• Vice-President
• PM
• Council of Minister
• Attorney GOI

PM Visit: Gujarat

• new 357­km Palanpur­-Madar section of a dedicated freight corridor (DFC) track.
• redevelopment of Surat, Udhna, Somnath , and Sabarmati railway stations in the State.
• Pradhan Mantri Avas Yojna (PMAY) scheme: He dedicated 1,38,000 houses worth ₹1,800 crore in urban areas and ₹1,530 crores in rural areas scores.
• “Mukhyamantri Matrushakti Yojana” nutrition scheme for pregnant and nursing mothers.
• The Poshan Sudha Yojana, another program that addresses the nutritional needs of pregnant women, has been expanded to all tribal-dominated areas of Gujarat

Source: The Hindu

Mahakali temple in Pavagadh, Gujarat

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi unfurled a flag after inaugurating the revamped Mahakali temple, which was destroyed by the 15th-century Gujarat ruler Mahmud Begda. 

the temple is said to have been destroyed by 15th-century Gujarat ruler Sultan Mahmud Begda (1458 to1511), who had set up his capital in Champaner near Pavagadh after defeating the Rajput rulers. Begda was the most prominent ruler of the Gujarat Sultanate and had earned the title Begda after conquering the 15th-century main forts of Gujarat: Junagadh and Pavagadh.

Source: The Hindu

Rwanda

 

Updates

24/06/2022: Commonwealth meeting at Kigali

Tunisia

 News: Tunisians oppose Constitution referendum

Glischropus meghalayanus: Bats Species: bamboo ­dwelling bat

•  Nongkhyllem Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghalaya
•  Eudiscopus denticulus: disk­ footed bat  

Meghalaya

• A state with a small geographical area, harbors the highest bat diversity in the country with 67 species, which is about 51% of total bat species in the country.

For Essay: Quotes, Lines

 Environment

• "Mother can take the most ruthless form when it comes to saving her child, same applies to Mother Nature."                                                                                                                                        

Quotes

1. MS Swaminathan - "Future belongs to the nation with grains and not with guns"

President

Qualification

• 35  Years
• not hold any office of profit under any govt. post
• subscribed by at least 50 electors as proposers and 50 electors seconders.

Election:

• indirectly by an electoral college
• Secret ballot
• wip is not issued
• single transferable vote
• 1971 census (GPSC)
• secretary general LS and Secretary general RS are the ex-officier 

Electoral College

• elected members of both the Houses of Parliament
• elected members of Legislative Assemblies of the states
• elected members of Legislative Assemblies of the UT of Delhi & Puducherry(70th CAA, 1992)

Vote Value

(GPSC 2021)

Disputes related to the election

• SC decision is final and binding.

Oath

• Administered by Chief Justice of India

Term: 5 Years

• eligible for re-election n no. of times

Impeachment

• quasi-judicial procedure
• for violation of the Constitution
• initiated by either of the houses
• 14 days' notice
• special majority
• Only Member of Parliament can vote in this process
• no President has been impeached so far.

Vacancy of the post should be filled within 6 months.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO](also called the Washington Treaty) of April 4, 1949.

• A political and Military Alliance

• Recently joined Montenegro(2017) and North Macedonia(2020)

• The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was created in 1949 by the United States, Canada,(North American) and 28 Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union.
• It was the US’s first peacetime military alliance outside the western hemisphere.
• HQ: Brussels, Belgium.

Source

• The Indian Express
• NATO

Pink washing

• LGBTQ+ community has emerged as a unique consumer base, one that corporations market to in the name of support. This concept is called pinkwashing.
• June month: Pride month for LGBTQ+ community

Inter - State Council

•  Article 263 of the constitution empowers the President of constitutes such a body if the need is felt
• 1988: Sarkaria Commission suggestion
• 1990: it came to existence through a Presidential Order

The Payments Vision 2025

• 4E
• E-Payments for everyone, everywhere, every time

Notes from Newspaper

Polity

Supreme Court from Uttar Pradesh considers shelter as a fundamental right. 

In U.P. Avas Evam Vikas Parishad vs Friends Coop. Housing Society Ltd (1996) it was held that “The right to shelter is a fundamental right, which springs from the right to residence assured in Article 19(1)(e) and the right to life under Article 21 (of the Constitution)”. 

In Chameli Singh vs State of Uttar Pradesh (1996), it was held that “The right to shelter when used as an essential requisite to the right to live should be deemed to have been guaranteed as a fundamental right”.

Source: The Hindu

Stagflation

• persistent high inflation combined with high unemployment and stagnant demand in a country's economy.

Types of marriages

 Types of marriages

• Endogamy refers to marriage within a unit – this could be a kin group, caste, or a group living in the same locality.
• Exogamy refers to marriage outside the unit.
• Polygamy is the practice of a man having several wives.
• Polyandry is the practice of a woman having several husbands

Organization in News

BRICS

NATO

ASEAN

SCO

GCC

FATF

OIC

BIMSTIC

G-7

Lake Sawa: Iraq

Iraq’s Lake Sawa the lake dried up due to climate change and mismanagement.

For more info Watch:

PYQs

Which one of the following lakes of West Africa has become dry and turned into a desert ? 

(a) Lake Victoria 

(b) Lake Faguibine 

(c) Lake Oguta 

(d) Lake Volta

Ans: [b]

International Day of Yoga

• PM and MINISTRY of Ayush will organize an event in Mysuru to mark the eighth International Day of Yoga on June 21. 

Google chatbot: LaMDA: Artificial Intelligence technologies

LaMDA:  'Language Model for Dialogue Applications'

• artificial neural network (ANN)

Lifestyle for the Environment (LiFE) Movement

• The idea of LiFE was introduced by the Prime Minister during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow.
• The campaign was launched with a “call for papers”, inviting ideas and suggestions from academics, universities, and research institutes for promoting an environmentally conscious lifestyle.

Addition (11/08/2022)

• one charger for all devices

Gulf Cooperation Council

The six members of the GCC 

• Saudi Arabia (absolute monarchy), 
• Qatar (constitutional monarchy), 
• Oman (absolute monarchy), 
• UAE (federal monarchy), 
• Bahrain(constitutional monarchies)
• Kuwait (constitutional monarchies)

Jan Samarth Portal

•   one-stop digital portal that links the government credit schemes
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged bank chiefs to make it easier for people to get loans through the new Jan Samarth portal.

Agneepath Scheme

• candidates between the ages of 17-and-a-half years and 21 years will be eligible to apply. (Amid widespread protests, the Union government on Thursday increased the upper age limit to 23 from 21 for recruitment under the Agnipath scheme for the year 2022)
• training for six months and serving for the remaining .
• the starting salary will be Rs 30,000, which will go up to Rs 40,000 by the end of the fourth year

For more info:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/agnipath-scheme-for-recruiting-soldiers-7969432/

Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

 Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI): 

• Defence report

Buddhism

• Siddhartha, as the Buddha was named at birth.
• Sakya clan
• He was deeply anguished when he saw an old man, a sick man, and a corpse
• After this he came to be known as the Buddha or the Enlightened One

·    According to Buddhist philosophy, the world is transient (anicca) and constantly changing; it is also soulless (anatta) as there is nothing permanent or eternal in it. Within this transient world, sorrow (dukkha) is intrinsic to human existence

Buddha’s life –

• where he was born (Lumbini),
• where he attained enlightenment (Bodh Gaya),
• where he gave his first sermon (Sarnath) and
• where he attained Nibbana (Kusinagara)

The structure of the stupa

The stupa (a Sanskrit word meaning a heap) originated as a simple semi-circular mound of earth, later called Anda.

Books:

• The Vinaya Pitaka included rules and regulations for those who joined the sangha or monastic order;
•  the Buddha’s teachings were included in the Sutta Pitaka;
• the Abhidhamma Pitaka dealt with philosophical matters.

 Four Holy Relics of Lord Buddha are being taken to Mongolia

• Together, they are known as the ‘Kapilvastu Relics’ since they are from a site in Bihar believed to be the ancient city of Kapilvastu.

His relics from the funeral pyre were collected and divided into eight shares to be distributed among the

• Ajathsatrus of Magadha, 
• Licchavis of Vaishali, 
• Sakyas of Kapilavastu, 
• Mallas of Kushinagar, 
• Bullies of Allakappa,
• Mallas of Pava,
• Koliyas of Ramagrama  
• Brahmana of Vethadipa.

Source

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/buddha-relics-mongolia-state-guest-importance-7966266/
2. NCERT

Web 5.0

Web 5.0

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/what-is-web-5-0-blockchain-powered-digital-network-twitter-ex-ceo-7967663/

Sant Tukaram Shila Mandir: Dehu in Pune

• his work are central to the Warkari sect spread across Maharashtra.
• His message about a casteless society and his denial of rituals had led to a social movement.

For reference:

Source:

 https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/the-sant-tukaram-temple-and-its-significance-7963601/

Note:

 Read About BHAKTI MOVEMENT in India

Fortified rice

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) defines fortification as “deliberately increasing the content of essential micronutrients in a food so as to improve the nutritional quality of food and to provide public health benefits with minimal risk to health”.

Various technologies are available to add micronutrients to regular rice, such as coating, dusting, and ‘extrusion’.

• fortified rice kernels (FRKs)
• FRK has a shelf life of at least 12 months

Fortified rice will be packed in jute bags with the logo (‘+F’) and the line “Fortified with Iron, Folic Acid, and Vitamin B12”.

various government schemes

• public distribution system (PDS)
• midday meals in schools

Source:

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/what-is-fortified-rice-how-is-it-prepared-7860432/

Take a notes on given topics

1. remission
2. Governor
3.  Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)
4. Enforcement Directorate (ED)
5. inflation

Jama Masjid

• constructed in 1650–56 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahān
• Islamic Architecture
• Oriented toward the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Cryptocurrencies

News Updates

1. https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-the-world-of-crypto-lending-celsius-network-defi-7967952/ 

Apache, Chinook choppers

Diabetes

There are two type

1. Type-I: Genetic: injection of Insulin
2. Type-II: age-related: 45<:Lifestyle: 

TYPE-I DIABETES

•  Type­ I diabetes is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin.
•  It typically appears in adolescence and symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, hunger, fatigue, and blurred vision.  
• India has the highest number of incidents and prevalent cases of Type­1 diabetes in the world as per recent estimates from the International Diabetes Federation, and the Council has now published.

TYPE-II DIABETES

Preventable if  do the following:

• Exercise
• Food 
• Yoga

‘Hypersonic’ missile

Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore

Solomon Islands

 

Environmental Performance Index

• 
  Prepared by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World Economic Forum
•  EPI is a biennial index

For Reference:

Cambodia

 

Financial Action Task Force (FATF)

• watchdog for financial crimes such as money laundering and terror financing.
• It was established at the G7 Summit of 1989 in Paris to address loopholes in the global financial system.
• 39 members
• India became a member in 2010.
• The decision­ making body of the FATF, known as its plenary, meets thrice a year.
• The grey countries are designated as “jurisdictions under increased monitoring”. 
• 23 countries including Pakistan are on the grey list
• for the black list, it means countries designated as ‘high ­risk jurisdictions subject to call for action.
•  North Korea and Iran are on the blacklist.

Update

***Pakistan removed from the Grey List

Country

 News

• Israeli strike caused damage to Damascus airport: Syria
• Venezuela, Iran enter into a 20­year agreement 
• Shangri­La Dialogue security summit in Singapore

James Webb Space Telescope

Antarctica

 News

Microplastics found in Antarctica

Monkeypox

Monkeypox can spread through close skin ­to ­skin contact during sex, including kissing, touching, oral and penetrative sex with someone who has symptoms.

HIV spread is predominantly sexual/parenteral, while monkeypox is mainly direct contact.

Scabies  can be sexually transmitted by close contact during sex

Ukraine

 

Mandakini river

 Mandakini river: emerges from the Chorabari glacier in Kedarnath.

Mughals

CAG

nuclear fuel for Kudankulam

 Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)

CJI

RS election

Turkey

 

Presidential Election

• based on the 1971 Census population
• each candidate would require 50 members of the electoral college to propose their name and another 50 to second it.
•  Rajya Sabha Secretary-General declared as the Returning Officer.

Rhino

 Manas, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a tiger reserve.

• Rhino Vision 2020 was started in 2006.

Indian patent regime

A patent is an exclusive set of rights granted for an invention, which may be a product or process that provides a new way of doing something or offers a new technical solution to a problem.

• Indian Patent Act of 1970
• Trade ­Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
•  Berne Convention
• Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
• Budapest Treaty

Indian Patents Act did not grant patent protection to pharmaceutical products to ensure that medicines were available at a low price.

• Patent protection of pharmaceuticals were re­introduced after the 2005 amendment to comply with TRIPS

Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health was adopted on November 14, 2021, by the WTO member states.