Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: P.N. Panicker and his contribution
Mains level: Not Much
The President of India has recently unveiled the statue of Shri P.N. Panicker at Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram.
P.N. Panicker (1909-1995)
- Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker is known as the Father of the Library Movement of Kerala.
- June 19, his death anniversary, has been observed in Kerala as Vayanadinam (Reading Day) since 1996.
- In 2017, PM has declared June 19, Kerala’s Reading Day, as National Reading Day in India.
- The following month is also observed as National Reading Month in India
Contributions
- Panicker led the formation of Thiruvithaamkoor Granthasala Sangham (Travancore Library Association) in 1945 with 47 rural libraries.
- The slogan of the organization was ‘Read and Grow’.
- Later on, with the formation of Kerala State in 1956, it became Kerala Granthasala Sangham (KGS).
- He traveled to the villages of Kerala proclaiming the value of reading.
- Grandhasala Sangham won the ‘Krupsakaya Award’ from UNESCO in 1975.
- It became the Kerala State Library Council, with an in-built democratic structure and funding.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Seed Village Concept
Mains level: Not Much
The govt is implementing Seed Village Programme (Beej Gram Yojana) since 2014-15 to upgrade the quality of farmers’ saved seeds.
What do you mean by Seed Village?
- It is a village, wherein a trained group of farmers are involved in the production of seeds of various crops and cater to their needs themselves.
Seed Village Programme
- This program aims at upgrading the quality of farm-saved seeds.
- Under this, financial assistance is available for up to one acre per farmer for distribution of foundation/certified seeds at:
- 50% of seed cost for cereal crops
- 60% for pulses, oilseeds, fodder, and green manure crops
Objectives of the program
- Increasing the seed production
- Increasing the seed replacement rate
- Organizing seed production in cluster (or) compact area replacing existing local varieties with new high yielding varieties
- Self-sufficiency and self-reliance of the village
Implementation
The present program of seed village scheme is having two phases:
- Seed production of different crops: The area which is suitable for raising a particular crop will be selected, and raised with a single variety of a kind.
- Establishing seed processing unit: If the seeds are not processed and handled properly, all the past efforts in production may be lost. Thus seed processing and packaging is a very important aspect of seed production.
Benefits offered
- Seed is available at the doorsteps of farms at an appropriate time.
- Seeds are available at affordable costs even lesser than the market price.
- It has increased the confidence among the farmers about the quality because of known sources of production.
- It facilitates the fast spread of new cultivars of different kinds.
Back2Basics: Seed Replacement Rate
- It is the percentage of area sown out of the total area of the crop planted in the season by using certified/quality seeds other than the farm-saved seed.
- In simple terms, it is a measure of the cropped area covered with quality seed.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Online Lokpal
Mains level: Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
The (first) Chairperson, Lokpal of India, Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose has inaugurated’ a digital Platform for Management of Complaints called ‘Lokpal-Online’.
Lokpal-Online
- Lokpal-Online is an end-to-end digital solution for the management of complaints against public servants filed under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
- It is a web-based facility, which will quicken the disposal of complaints in an accountable, transparent and efficient manner with benefits to all stakeholders.
- It facilitates handling of complaints during the complete lifecycle of the Complaint, right from its filing to the final disposal.
- It aims to bring more transparency and efficiency to the complaint handling mechanism.
Notable features of Online-Lokpal
- Convenience to complainants for filing complaints online from anywhere anytime
- Information to the complainant about action on the complaint at every stage through e-mails and SMS
- Facility to the complainant to ascertain the status of complaint at anytime
- Identity of the complaint is kept confidential
- The CVC, CBI and other inquiry agencies can upload their reports directly on the ‘Lokpal-Online’ platform.
- Reminders to inquiry agencies through e-mails and SMS
- Generation of analytical reports as per requirement
Back2Basics: Lokpal
- The Lokpal, the apex body to inquire and investigate graft complaints against public functionaries, came into being with the appointment of its chairperson and members in March 2019.
- In March 2019, former SC judge Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose was selected as the first head of the Lokpal.
Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013
- The Lokpal Act 2013 is anti-corruption legislation that seeks to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal.
- It seeks to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain important public functionaries including the PM, cabinet ministers, MPs, Group A officials of the Central Government, etc.
- The Bill was introduced in the parliament following massive public protests led by anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and his associates.
- The Bill is one of the most widely discussed and debated Bills in India in recent times.
Its history
- The term Lokpal was coined in 1963 by Laxmi Mall Singhvi, a member of parliament during a parliamentary debate about grievance mechanisms.
- The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) headed by Morarji Desai submitted an interim report on “Problems of Redressal of Citizen’s Grievances” in 1966.
- In this report, ARC recommended the creation of two special authorities designated as ‘Lokpal’ and ‘Lokayukta’ for a redress of citizens’ grievances.
- Maharashtra was the first state to introduce Lokayukta through The Maharashtra Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act in 1971.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: NPK fertilizers, Soil Health Card
Mains level: Soil Health Management
National Productivity Council (NPC) has carried out a study on ‘Soil Testing Infrastructure for Faster Delivery of Soil Health Card in India’ in 2017.
What did the study find?
- In the study it was found that application of fertilizer and micronutrients based on Soil Health Card (SHC) recommendations resulted in 8-10% of savings.
- It has led to an overall increase in the yield of crops to the tune of 5-6% reported by adopting the SHC recommendations.
About Soil Health Card Scheme
- Soil Health Card (SHC) scheme is promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.
- An SHC is meant to give each farmer soil nutrient status of his/her holding and advice him/her on the dosage of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments, that s/he should apply to maintain soil health in the long run.
- SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings.
- It will be made available once in a cycle of 2 years, which will indicate the status of soil health of a farmer’s holding for that particular period.
- The SHC given in the next cycle of 2 years will be able to record the changes in the soil health for that subsequent period.
Parameters of SHC:
- N, P, K (Macro-nutrients)
- Sulfur (S) (Secondary- nutrient)
- Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micronutrients)
- pH, EC (Electrical conductivity) , OC (Organic content)
Try this PYQ:
Q. The nation-wide ‘Soil Health Card Scheme’ aims at:
- expanding the cultivable area under irrigation.
- enabling the banks to assess the quantum of loans to be granted to farmers on the basis of soil quality.
- checking the overuse of fertilizers in farmlands.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Post your answers here.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Myusur Declaration
Mains level: Not Much
The Participants from 16 States signed the Mysuru Declaration and resolved to roll out the Common Minimum Service delivery by Panchayats across the country from April 1, 2022.
Mysuru Declaration
- The Mysuru declaration is aimed at recognising Citizen Centric Services as the “Heart of Governance”.
- It provides key inputs on various aspects of service delivery that are either provided by the panchayats directly or services of other departments that are facilitated by panchayats.
Highlights of the Declaration
WE, the Representatives and Officials recognise the efforts to promote inclusive and accountable Local Self Governments in delivery of services, in consonance with the priorities and the aspirations of our citizens.
We accept responsibility for seizing this moment to strengthen our commitments to promote transparency, empower citizens, and harness the power of new technologies towards timely and quality delivery of services; enhancing citizen service experiences
We uphold the value of openness in our engagement with citizens to improve services, incorporating diverse views when designing and delivering services. We embrace principles of transparency and open government with a view towards achieving greater prosperity, well-being, and human dignity for sustainable development of local communities.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: DILRMP
Mains level: Land records management
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj has recently held a workshop on Digital India Land Record Modernization Programme (DILRMP).
About DILRMP
- The DILRMP was previously known as the National Land Record Modernization Programme (NLRMP).
- It was launched in 2008 with the purpose to digitize and modernizing land records and developing a centralized land record management system.
- The DILRMP is the amalgamation of two projects:
- Computerization of Land Records (CLR)
- Strengthening of Revenue Administration and Updating of Land Records (SRA & ULR)
- The district will be taken as the unit of implementation, where all activities under the programme will converge.
Components of DILRMP
The DILRMP has 3 major components
- Computerization of land record
- Survey/re-survey
- Computerization of Registration
Key features: Unique Land Parcel Identification Numbers
- It is just like the Aadhar Number of land parcels.
- A unique ID based on Geo-coordinates of the parcels is generated and assigned to the plots.
- This has been introduced to share the computerized digital land record data among different States/Sectors and a uniform system of assigning a unique ID to the land parcel across the country.
Benefits offered
The citizen is expected to benefit from DILRMP in one or more of the following ways;
- Real-time land ownership records will be available to the citizen
- Property owners will have free access to their records without any compromise in regard to the confidentiality of the information
- Abolition of stamp papers and payment of stamp duty and registration fees through banks, etc. will also reduce interface with the Registration machinery
- These records will be tamper-proof
- This method will permit e-linkages to credit facilities
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: E-Amrit
Mains level: Not Much
India today launched ‘E-Amrit’, a web portal on electric vehicles (EVs), at the ongoing COP26 Summit in Glasgow, UK.
It is a must-go portal for every aspirant. Click here to visit E-Amrit.
E-Amrit Portal
- E-Amrit is a one-stop destination for all information on electric vehicles—busting myths around the adoption of EVs, their purchase, investment opportunities, policies, subsidies, etc.
- The portal has been developed and hosted by NITI Aayog under a collaborative knowledge exchange programme with the UK government.
Features of the portal
- It intends to complement initiatives of the government on raising awareness about EVs.
- It aims to sensitize consumers on the benefits of switching to electric vehicles.
Need for E-Amrit
- In the recent past, India has taken many initiatives to accelerate the decarbonization of transport and adoption of electric mobility in the country.
- Schemes such as FAME and PLI are especially important in creating an ecosystem for the early adoption of EVs.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Integrated Ombudsman Scheme, RBI Retail Direct Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
The PM will launch two innovative customer-centric initiatives of the Reserve Bank of India.
What are the schemes?
[A] Integrated Ombudsman Scheme
- It aims to further improve the grievance redress mechanism for resolving customer complaints against entities regulated by RBI.
- The central theme of the scheme is based on ‘One Nation-One Ombudsman’ with one portal, one email and one address for the customers to lodge their complaints.
- There will be a single point of reference for customers to file their complaints, submit the documents, track status and provide feedback.
- A multi-lingual toll-free number will provide all relevant information on grievance redress and assistance for filing complaints.
[B] RBI Retail Direct Scheme
- It is aimed at enhancing access to government securities market for retail investors.
- It offers them a new avenue for directly investing in securities issued by the Government of India and the State Governments.
- Investors will be able to easily open and maintain their government securities account online with the RBI, free of cost.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Manipur dance
Mains level: Paper 1- Dance forms
As part of the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, a celebration of Destination North East India, dance and music of Manipur was organised.
Manipuri Raas Leela
- The Raas Leela, also referred to as Manipuri Dance, is one of the major Indian classical dance forms, originating from the state of Manipur.
- The dance form is based on Hindu Vaishnavism themes, and exquisite performances of love-inspired dance drama of Radha-Krishna called Raas Leela.
Notable features
- It is marked by a performance that is graceful, fluid, sinuous with greater emphasis on hand and upper body gestures.
- It is accompanied with devotional music created with many instruments, with the beat set by cymbals (kartal or manjira) and double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mrdanga) of sankirtan.
- The dance drama choreography shares the plays and stories of Vaishnavite Padavalis, that also inspired the major Gaudiya Vaishnava-related performance arts found in Assam and West Bengal.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2017:
With reference to Manipuri Sankirtana, consider the following statements:
It is a song and dance performance.
Cymbals are the only musical instruments used in the performance.
It is performed to narrate the life and deeds of Lord Krishna.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3.
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1 only
Post your answers here.
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: M. Thevar, Forward Bloc
Mains level: Not Much
The Prime Minister has recalled the rich contributions of Pasumpon Muthuramalinga Thevar on Thevar Jayanthi.
Who was M. Thevar (1908-1963)?
- Muthuramalingam was a politician and a patriarch of Thevar community in the state of Tamil Nadu.
- He was elected three times to the national Parliamentary Constituency.
His legacy:
(a) Association with INC
- Thevar attended the 52nd annual session of the Indian National Congress, held in Tripuri in March 1939.
- At this meeting the presidency of Subhas Chandra Bose was challenged by Pattabhi Sitaramayya. Sitaramayya had the active support of Gandhi.
- Bose was elected president again over Gandhi’s preferred candidate Pattabhi Sitaramayya.
- Thevar strongly supported Bose in the intra-Congress dispute and joined the Forward Bloc.
(b) Opposition to the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA)
- The CTA had been enacted in 1920 by the government of the Madras Presidency and was subsequently implemented in a piecemeal fashion.
- CTA criminalized entire communities by designating them as habitual criminals.
- Adult males of the groups were forced to report weekly to local police, and had restrictions on their movement imposed.
- Thevar mobilised resistance to it, touring villages in the affected areas and leading protest rallies for the rights of the individuals registered under it.
(c) Temple entry movement
- The Temple Entry Authorisation and Indemnity Act was passed by the government of C. Rajagopalachari in 1939.
- This removed restrictions prohibiting Dalits from entering Hindu temples.
- Thevar supported this reform and on 8 July 1939 he helped the activist A. Vaidyanatha Iyer take Dalits to Meenakshi Temple in Madurai.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mission Samudrayan
Mains level: Deep Ocean Mission
Union Minister of Earth Sciences has launched India’s First Manned Ocean Mission Samudrayan at Chennai.
Mission Samudrayan
- The Samudrayan project has been undertaken by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
- It will be a part of the Rs 6,000 crore Deep Ocean Mission.
- It is designed to carry 3 persons in 2.1meter diameter Titanium Alloy Personnel Sphere with an operational endurance of 12hrs and systems to support emergency endurance up to 96hrs.
- It could work at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters.
Objectives
- Samudrayan shall facilitate carrying out deep ocean exploration of the non-living resources such as polymetallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts.
- The mission would carry out subsea activities such as high-resolution bathymetry, biodiversity assessment, geo-scientific observation, search activities, salvage operation and engineering support.
Focus areas of the Project
- Ocean climate change advisory services
- Underwater vehicles
- Underwater robotics-related technologies
- Deep-sea mining: Exploitation of polymetallic nodules
Components of the mission
Some of the critical subsystems of the manned submersibles are:
- Development of Titanium Alloy Personnel Sphere, Human support and safety system in enclosed space, low density buoyancy modules, Ballast and Trim System
- Pressure compensated batteries and propulsion system, control and communication systems and Launching and Recovery System.
Progress till date
- The preliminary design of the manned submersible MATSYA 6000 is completed.
- Sea trials of 500 metre rated shallow water version of the manned submersible are expected to take place in the last quarter of 2022 and the MATSYA 6000.
- The deep-water manned submersible will be ready for trials by the second quarter of 2024.
Why need such mission?
- This manned submersible mission provides a feel of direct physical presence for researchers and has better intervention capability.
- With the advancing subsea technologies, the recent Fendouzhe manned submersible developed by China in 2020 has touched ~11000m water depths.
- With Samudrayan, India joins the elite club of nations such as USA, Russia, Japan, France and China to have such underwater vehicles for carrying out subsea activities.
Back2Basics: India and International Seabed Authority (ISA)
- The ISA, an autonomous international organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, allots the ‘area’ for deep-sea mining.
- India was the first country to receive the status of a ‘Pioneer Investor’ in 1987 and was given an area of about 1.5 lakh sqkm in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) for nodule exploration.
- In 2002, India signed a contract with the ISA, and after a complete resource analysis of the seabed, India surrendered 50%, and the country retained an area of 75,000 sqkm.
- Further studies have helped narrow the mining area to 18,000 sqkm, the ‘First Generation Mine-site’.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: E-KAUSHAL, Krishi UDAAN
Mains level: Agricultural promotion
The Union Minister of Civil Aviation has launched Krishi UDAN 2.0.
Krishi UDAN 2.0
- The scheme proposes to facilitating and incentivizing movement of Agri-produce by air transportation.
- It lays out the vision of improving value realization through better integration and optimization of Agri-harvesting and air transportation.
- It works by contributing to Agri-value chain sustainability and resilience under different and dynamic conditions.
- It will be implemented at 53 airports across the country mainly focusing on Northeast and tribal regions and is likely to benefit farmer, freight forwarders and Airlines.
Key highlights of the scheme
- Facilitating and incentivizing movement of Agri-produce by air transportation: Full waiver of Landing, Parking, TNLC and RNFC charges for Indian freighters and P2C at selected Airports. Primarily, focusing on NER, Hilly, and tribal regions.
- Strengthening cargo-related infrastructure at airports and off airports: Facilitating the development of a hub and spoke model and a freight grid.
- Concessions sought from other bodies: Seek support and encourage States to reduce Sales Tax to 1% on aviation fuels for freighters / P2C aircraft as extended in UDAN flights.
- Resources-Pooling through establishing Convergence mechanism: Collaboration with other government departments and regulatory bodies.
- Technological convergence: Development of E-KUSHAL (Krishi UDAN for Sustainable Holistic Agri-Logistics).
What is E-KAUSHAL?
- It is a platform to be developed to facilitate information dissemination to all the stakeholders.
- This will be a single platform that will provide relevant information at the same time will also assist in coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the scheme.
- Furthermore, integration of E-KUSHAL with the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is proposed.
Airports under the scheme
| Proposed timeline |
Locations |
| 2021 – 2022 |
Agartala, Srinagar, Dibrugarh, Dimapur, Hubballi, Imphal, Jorhat, Lilabari, Lucknow, Silchar, Tezpur, Tirupati, Tuticorin |
| 2022 – 2023 |
Ahmedabad, Bhavnagar, Jharsuguda, Kozhikode, Mysuru, Puducherry, Rajkot, Vijayawada |
| 2023 – 2024 |
Agra, Darbhanga, Gaya, Gwalior, Pakyong, Pantnagar, Shillong, Shimla, Udaipur, Vadodara |
| 2024 – 2025 |
Holangi, Salem |
7 focus routes & products
| Routes |
Products |
| Amritsar – Dubai |
Babycorn |
| Darbhanga – Rest of India |
Lichis |
| Sikkim – Rest of India |
Organic produce |
| Chennai, Vizag, Kolkata – Far East |
Seafood |
| Agartala – Delhi & Dubai |
Pineapple |
| Dibrugarh – Delhi & Dubai |
Mandarin & Oranges |
| Guwahati – Hong Kong |
Pulses, fruits & vegetables |
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: CNA, CVE Program, CERT-IN
Mains level: Cyber security challenges for India
CERT-In has partnered with the Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) Program and has been authorized as a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA) for vulnerabilities impacting all products designed, developed and manufactured in India.
What is CVE Program?
- CVE is an international, community-based effort and relies on the community to discover vulnerabilities.
- The vulnerabilities are discovered then assigned and published to the CVE List.
- Information technology and cybersecurity professionals use CVE Records to ensure they are discussing the same issue, and to coordinate their efforts to prioritize and address the vulnerabilities.
- Partners publish CVE Records to communicate consistent descriptions of vulnerabilities.
Mission of the Program
- The mission of the CVE Program is to identify, define, and catalog publicly disclosed cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
- The vulnerabilities are discovered then assigned and published by organizations from around the world that have partnered with the CVE Program.
Who are the CNAs?
- CNAs are organizations responsible for the regular assignment of CVE IDs to vulnerabilities, and for creating and publishing information about the Vulnerability in the associated CVE Record.
- The CVE List is built by CVE Numbering Authorities (CNAs).
- Every CVE Record added to the list is assigned by a CNA.
- The CVE Records published in the catalog enable program stakeholders to rapidly discover and correlate vulnerability information used to protect systems against attacks.
- Each CNA has a specific Scope of responsibility for vulnerability identification and publishing.
Back2Basics: Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN)
- CERT-IN is an office within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- It is the nodal agency to deal with cyber security threats like hacking and phishing. It strengthens the security-related defense of the Indian Internet domain.
- It was formed in 2004 by the Government of India under the Information Technology Act, 2000 Section (70B) under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Floating Rate Bonds
Mains level: Not Much
The Government of India has announced the Sale (Re-issue) of Floating Rate Bonds, 2028’.
What are Bonds?
- Bonds are investment securities where an investor lends money to a company or a government for a set period of time, in exchange for regular interest payments.
- Generally, bonds come with a fixed coupon or interest rate. For example, you can buy a bond of Rs 10,000 with a coupon rate of 5%.
- Once the bond reaches maturity, the bond issuer returns the investor’s money.
- Fixed income is a term often used to describe bonds, since your investment earns fixed payments over the life of the bond.
Why are bonds launched?
- Companies sell bonds to finance ongoing operations, new projects or acquisitions.
- Governments sell bonds for funding purposes, and also to supplement revenue from taxes.
What are Floating Rate Bonds?
- A floating rate bond is a debt instrument that does not have a fixed coupon rate, but its interest rate fluctuates based on the benchmark the bond is drawn.
- Benchmarks are market instruments that influence the overall economy.
- For example, repo rate or reverse repo rate can be set as benchmarks for a floating rate bond.
How do floating rate bonds work?
- Floating rate bonds make up a significant part of the Indian bond market and are majorly issued by the government.
- For example, the RBI issued a floating rate bond in 2020 with interest payable every six months. After six months, the interest rate is re-fixed by the RBI.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: ATUFS
Mains level: Textile sector of India
Union Minister of Textiles has reviewed the Amended Technology Up-gradation Fund Scheme (ATUFS) to ease of doing business, bolstering exports & fuelling employment.
What is ATUFS?
- The Ministry of Textiles had introduced Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) in 1999.
- It is a credit linked subsidy scheme intended for modernization and technology up-gradation of the Indian textile industry.
- It aims at promoting ease of doing business, generating employment and promoting exports. Since then, the scheme has been implemented in different versions.
- The ongoing ATUFS has been approved in 2016 and implemented through web based iTUFS platform.
- Capital Investment Subsidy is provided to benchmarked machinery installed by the industry after physical verification.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Ramappa Temple, UNESCO Heritage sites
Mains level: Ancient temple architecture
The Union Minister for Culture, Tourism has unveiled the UNESCO World Heritage Listing plaque at Ramappa – Kakatiya Rudreshwara Temple in Palampet.
Rudreswara Temple
- The Rudreswara temple was constructed in 1213 AD during the reign of the Kakatiya Empire by Recharla Rudra, a general of Kakatiya king Ganapati Deva.
- It is also known as the Ramappa temple, after the sculptor who executed the work in the temple for 40 years.
- The main temple is flanked by the collapsed structures of the Kateshwarayya and Kameshwarayya temples in Palampet, about 220 km from Hyderabad.
- An inscription dates the temple to 1135 Samvat-Saka on the eighth day of Magha (January 12, 1214).
- It is India’s 39th UNESCO World Heritage Site. (Total 40 in number after Dholavira).
Its architecture
- The temple complexes of Kakatiyas have a distinct style, technology, and decoration exhibiting the influence of the Kakatiyan sculptor.
- The temple stands on a 6 feet high star-shaped platform with walls, pillars, and ceilings adorned with intricate carvings that attest to the unique skill of the Kakatiyan sculptors.
- The foundation is built with the “sandbox technique”, the flooring is granite, and the pillars are basalt.
- The lower part of the temple is red sandstone while the white gopuram is built with light bricks that reportedly float on water.
- European merchants and travelers were mesmerized by the beauty of the temple and one such traveler had remarked that the temple was the “brightest star in the galaxy of medieval temples of the Deccan”.
Surviving through ages
- According to the temple priest, some of the iconography on the temple was damaged during the invasion of Malik Kafur in 1310.
- Treasure hunters vandalized the rest.
- But the biggest test for the temple was an earthquake in the 17th century (one of the biggest was that of 7.7-8.2-magnitude on June 16, 1819).
Answer this PYQ in the comment box:
Q.Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom? (CSP 2017)
(a) Kakinada
(b) Motupalli
(c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam)
(d) Nelluru
Post your answers here.
Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific, or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
- The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
- To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
- It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
- The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
- The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee
- The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund, and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
- It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
- India is NOT a member of this Committee.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: GIS Energy Map
Mains level: Not Much
The NITI Aayog has launched the Geospatial Energy Map of India.
What is the GIS Energy Map?
- NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a comprehensive Geographic Information System (GIS) Energy Map of India.
- The GIS map provides a holistic picture of all energy resources of the country.
- It enables visualization of energy installations such as conventional power plants, oil and gas wells, petroleum refineries, coal fields and coal blocks.
- It also provides district-wise data on renewable energy power plants and renewable energy resource potential, etc through 27 thematic layers.
Significance of the map
- The map attempts to identify and locate all primary and secondary sources of energy and their transportation/transmission networks.
- It is a unique effort aimed at integrating energy data scattered across multiple organizations and presenting it in a consolidated, visually appealing graphical manner.
- It leverages the latest advancements in web-GIS technology and open-source software to make it interactive and user-friendly.
Benefits offered
- The map would provide a comprehensive view of energy production and distribution in a country.
- It will be useful in planning and making investment decisions.
- It will also aid in disaster management using available energy assets.
- This may also help in resource and environmental conservation measures, inter-state coordination on infrastructure planning including different corridors of energy and road transport highways.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Central Public Sector Enterprises, Its categories
Mains level: Profit making CPSEs
The Centre has accorded ‘Maharatna’ status to the state-owned Power Finance Corporation Ltd (PFC), thus giving PFC greater operational and financial autonomy.
About PFC Ltd.
- Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC) is an Indian financial institution under the ownership of Ministry of Power.
- Established in 1986, it is the financial backbone of Indian Power Sector.
- PFC is the 8th highest profit making Central Public Sector Enterprise (CPSE) as per the Department of Public Enterprises Survey for FY 2017–18.
- It is India’s largest NBFC and also India’s largest infrastructure finance company.
Benefits of Maharatna Status
- This new status will enable PFC to offer competitive financing for the power sector, which will go a long way in making available affordable & reliable ‘Power For All 24×7’.
- This will also impart enhanced powers to the PFC Board while taking financial decisions.
- It can make equity investments to undertake financial joint ventures and wholly-owned subsidiaries and undertake mergers and acquisitions in India and abroad.
- It can also structure and implement schemes relating to personnel and Human Resource Management and Training.
- It can also enter into technology Joint Ventures or other strategic alliances among others.
Back2Basics: Central Public Sector Enterprises
- The CPSEs are run by the Government under the Department of Public Enterprises of Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.
- The government grants the status of Navratna, Miniratna and Maharatna to them based upon the profit made by these CPSEs.
- The Maharatna category has been the most recent one since 2009, other two have been in function since 1997.
|
Maharatna |
Navratna |
Miniratna Category-I |
Miniratna Category-II |
| Eligibility |
Three years with an average annual net profit of over ₹2,500 crore
OR
Average annual Net worth of ₹10,000 crore for 3 years
OR
Average annual Turnover of ₹20,000 crore for 3 years
|
A score of 60 (out of 100), based on six parameters which include net profit, net worth, total manpower cost, total cost of production, cost of services, PBDIT (Profit Before Depreciation, Interest and Taxes), capital employed, etc.,
AND
A company must first be a Miniratna and have 4 independent directors on its board before it can be made a Navratna |
Have made profits continuously for the last three years or earned a net profit of ₹30 crore or more in one of the three years |
Have made profits continuously for the last three years and should have a positive net worth. |
| Benefits for investment |
₹1,000 crore – ₹5,000 crore, or free to decide on investments up to 15% of their net worth in a project |
Up to ₹1,000 crore or 15% of their net worth on a single project or 30% of their net worth in the whole year |
Up to ₹500 crore or equal to their net worth, whichever is lower |
Up to ₹300 crore or up to 50% of their net worth, whichever is lower |
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Geographical Indication
Mains level: Not Much
In Tamil Nadu, the Karuppur kalamkari paintings and the Kallakurichi wood carvings recently received the geographical indication (GI) tags.
[A] Kallakurichi Wood Carvings
- The Kallakurichi wood carvings are a unique form of wood carving practiced in Tamil Nadu.
- It involves the application of ornamentation and designs, derived from traditional styles by the craftsmen.
- They are mainly practiced in Kallakurichi, Chinnaselam and Thirukkovilur taluks of Kallakurichi district.
[B] Karuppur Kalamkari Paintings
- Kalamkari paintings are done on pure cotton cloth, predominantly used in temples for umbrella covers, cylindrical hangings, chariot covers and asmanagiri (false ceiling cloth pieces).
- Documentary evidence shows that kalamkari paintings evolved under the patronage of Nayaka rulers in the early 17th century.
Back2Basics: Geographical Indication
- A GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- Nodal Agency: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 w.e.f. September 2003.
- GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement.
- GI is granted for a term of 10 years in India. As of today, more than 300 GI tags has been allocated so far in India (*Wikipedia).
- The tag stands valid for 10 years.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now
Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: UFill
Mains level: NA
The Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) has launched an automated fuelling technology -UFill- to ensure that its customers have a better experience at outlets.
What is UFill?
- UFill functionality, which has been described as swift, secure and smart, has been launched in 65 cities and will soon be launched across the country.
- It does not need any app download, and is payment app agnostic.
- Customer can use any payment app already downloaded on his/her phone.
- It offers real time QR and voucher code through SMS and is accepted at all BPCL Fuel Stations where the functionality is enabled.
Key features
- UFill aims to improve customer’s turn-around time (TAT) at fuel outlet and increase transactional transparency, thereby providing enhanced retail like experience.
- The technology provides the customer with control of fuelling as well as touch less pre-payment solution.
- There is no need to check zero before fuelling or final reading, the dispensing unit will automatically dispense the exact quantity of fuel.
UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here)
Get an IAS/IPS ranker as your 1: 1 personal mentor for UPSC 2024
Attend Now