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2018-06-29 12:51:33+00:00
Strategic Petroleum Reserve Programme
The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve (ISPR) is an emergency fuel store.
Strategic crude oil storages are at 3 underground locations in Mangalore, Visakhapatnam and Padur (near Udupi).
All these are located on the east and west coasts of India which are readily accessible to the refineries.
These strategic storages are in addition to the existing storages of crude oil and petroleum products with the oil companies and serve in response to external supply disruptions.
FM Arun Jaitley in his 2017-18 budget speech has announced that two more such caverns will be set up Chandikhole in Jajpur district of Odisha and Bikaner in Rajasthan as part of the second phase.
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2018-06-29 12:50:54+00:00
UGC (University Grants Commission)
The University Grants Commission of India (UGC India) is a statutory body set up by the Indian Union government in accordance to the UGC Act 1956 under Ministry of Human Resource Development.
The UGC has two primary responsibilities:
providing funds to educational institutions; and
coordinating, determining and maintaining standards in institutions of higher education.
Its main functions are:
promoting and coordinating education in universities,
determining and maintaining standards for teaching, examination and research in universities,
framing regulations on minimum standards for education,
disbursing grants to universities and colleges,
liaising between the CG, State governments and higher educational institutions, and
advising the CG and State governments on possible policy measures to improve higher education in India.
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2018-06-23 14:33:40+00:00
RBI and Monetary Policy Committee
Syllabus linkage—GS3—Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of
resources, growth, development and employment.
Related concepts
● RBI- Formed on April 1 1935 based on the recommendations of Hilton Young Commission
● Umbrella Acts which provides the legal framework of RBI
o Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934: governs the Reserve Bank functions
o Banking Regulation Act, 1949: governs the financial sector.
● MPC-The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) is a committee of the RBI headed by its
Governor, which is entrusted with the task of fixing the benchmark policy interest rates to
contain inflation within the specified target level.
Functions of MPC
RBI will be responsible for containing inflation targets at 4% (with a standard deviation of
2%) in the medium term.
RBI would have to give an explanation to Central govt in case of breach of inflation targets.
Publishing a Monetary Policy Report every six months.
Constitution and decision making at MPC
MPC will have six members—the RBI Governor (Chairperson), the RBI Deputy Governor in
charge of monetary policy, one official nominated by the RBI Board and the remaining three
members would represent the Government of India.
The MPC takes decisions based on majority vote.
Analysis
Why MPC is significant?
Focused inflation targeting..
Involvement of govt and the RBI.
Long run harmony of fiscal and monetary policies.
Positives with Inflation targeting
● Predictability in policy making.
● Anchor inflation expectations.
● Accountability of RBI.
Problems with inflation targeting
● Food inflation outside monetary policy.
● Weak transmission mechanism.
● Trade-off between growth and inflation.
Advantages of MPC
Stability in financial system
Expert panel opinions.
Unbiased decision making.
End to skirmishes between the Government and the RBI.
Concerns with MPC
Eroding the autonomy of RBI.
Political interests.
How to make MPC work effectively?
Information dissemination.
Minimize internal conflicts among member
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2018-06-20 14:58:20+00:00
Year of Pulses
Syllabus Linkage: GS1—factors responsible for primary sector industries; GS2—Issues relating
to poverty and hunger; GS3—Major crops, cropping patterns of various part of the country,
transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints, food
security
Related Concepts
Food security, nutritional aspects and agricultural advantages of pulses, MSP
Facts you need to know
● India grows the largest variety of pulses in the world, accounting for about 32 per cent of the
area under cultivation and 25 per cent of the world production.
Analysis
● Cropping Pattern
o Pulse crops are cultivated in Kharif, Rabi and Zaid seasons.
o Stress resistant crops.
● Why Pulses?
o Food security
➢ It provides affordable source of protein.
➢ Give more food by using less land.
➢ Involves less risk.
➢ Fodder for animals.
o Nutritional Security
➢ Contains 3-4 time higher protein content than cereals crops.
➢ Rich in micro nutrients.
Sustainability
➢ Pulses lead to nitrogen fixation.
➢ Pulses have low carbon and water footprints.
o Reduces poverty
➢ Pulses give 2-3 times higher market price.
➢ These are locally produced.
● Flipsides/Challenges
o Cultivation related :
➢ Low production area for pulses.
➢ Low involvement of private sector.
o Storage related
➢ Lack of proper storage facilities.
➢ Attack by pests and pathogens.
o Market related :
➢ Inflationary Prices of pulses
➢ There is a demand - supply mismatch.
What is done?
● Govt: initiatives
○ Short term measures :
■ Extension of ―Zero import duty‖ on pulses.
■ Price Stabilisation Fund
■ Importing from different countries
○ Long term measures :
■ Crop development Programs
■ Accelerated Pulses Production Programme (A3P)
■ Special initiatives for pulses and oilseeds in dryland areas.
■ Form a part of the ―Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India‖ programme.
Suggestions to improvement in scenario of pulses
● Enhancing cultivation knowledge.
● Mechanization of pulse production.
● Irrigational support.
● Creation / development of storage facility.
● Inter cropping of pulses with suitable crops.
Way forward
● Appropriate policy intervention can help in reducing price volatility.
● The farmers should be empowered with latest crop production technologies
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2018-06-19 00:34:21+00:00
Hunger in India
Syllabus linkage: GS 2—Issues relating to poverty and hunger; GS-3—Inclusive growth and
issues arising from it.
Related concepts
• Global Hunger Index-GHI is multidimensional measure that describes state of hunger
situation on regional, national and global level. It is published annually by International Food
Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) since 2006.
• Article 47 of the Constitution, inter alia, provides that the state shall regard the raising of the
level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health
as among its primary duties.
• October 16- World Food Day
Analysis
Why hunger continues to plague India?
Many people not having enough money to spend on food.
Poor nutritional outcomes.
Poor water sanitation and inadequate health services.
Insufficient access to food.
Arguments against GHI index- Does it truly represent Indian hunger crisis?
Doesn‘t account for hunger.
NFHS data gives a different account.
• FAO data also shows a different picture.
Under nourishment has been coming down in India but it still higher than global average. Hence there
is a need to address the malnourishment problem.
Way forward- How to kill hunger?
Initiating the National Nutrition Mission.
Strengthening National Food Security Act 2013.
Diversification of PDS basket.
Biofortification
UBI.
Mandatory social audits
Through these interventions, India could realize the SDG goals 1 and 2 which aims at eliminating
poverty and hunger
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2018-06-16 11:40:42+00:00
Name : The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA)
Brief Intro : The Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) is an inter-governmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia. It is a forum based on the recognition that there is close link between peace, security and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world.
Objective : enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia
Type : Summit/ Conference
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2018-06-16 11:40:26+00:00
Kolleru Lake
Kolleru Lake is a freshwater lake and is known as Ramsar site no. 1209.
It is located between Krishna and Godavari deltas of Andhra Pradesh
As a haven for a wide-variety of water birds, the Forest Department has declared 673 sq.km (Con.+5) as the Kolleru Wildlife Sanctuary.
It is an Important Bird Area on the Central Asian Flyway.
It is important habitat for resident and migratory birds, including the grey or spot-billed pelican (Pelecanus philippensis). Many birds migrate here in winter, such as Siberian crane, ibis, and painted storks.
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2018-06-16 11:39:53+00:00
European Union
The EU consists of 28 countries, has the world's largest economy and its third largest population, after China and India.
The Maastricht Treaty established the European Union in 1993 and introduced European citizenship.
They have set up common institutions so that decisions on matters of joint interest can be made democratically at European level.
By creating a frontier-free single market and a single currency (the euro) which has been adopted by 19 Member States, the EU has given a significant boost to trade and employment.
UK was the last member to leave EU after Greece , popularly known as Brexit.
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2018-06-15 21:11:17+00:00
Success in everything you do, heart filled with love so true, home full of smiles and laughter and a happy life ever after, these are our wishes on Eid ul-Fitr for you.
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2018-06-13 18:22:31+00:00
Global Depository Receipts
Indian companies are allowed to raise equity capital in the international markets through the issue of GDR.
GDR are designated in USD / Euros or any other foreign currency.
The proceeds of GDR can be utilized for various purposes.
American Depository Receipts
These are like shares issued to US retail and institutional investors and are listed in NASADAQ/NYSE
They are entitled like share to bonus, stock spilt and dividend.
ADR route is taken as non-USA companies are NOT allowed to list on US stock exchanges by issuing shares.
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2018-06-11 09:24:11+00:00
💎Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works
♦️The Berne Convention deals with the protection of works and the rights of their authors
♦️It is based on three basic principles and contains a series of provisions determining the minimum protection to be granted, as well as special provisions available to developing countries that want to make use of them
♦️The three basic principles are the following:(a) Works originating in one of the Contracting States (that is, works the author of which is a national of such a State or works first published in such a State) must be given the same protection in each of the other Contracting States as the latter grants to the works of its own nationals (principle of "national treatment")(b) Protection must not be conditional upon compliance with any formality (principle of "automatic" protection)
(c) Protection is independent of the existence of protection in the country of origin of the work (principle of "independence" of protection). If, however, a Contracting State provides for a longer term of protection than the minimum prescribed by the Convention and the work ceases to be protected in the country of origin, protection may be denied once protection in the country of origin ceases
♦️India has been the Member of Berne Convention since 28th April 1928
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2018-06-09 12:18:06+00:00
Name : London Declaration
Brief Intro : The London Declaration on Neglected Tropical Diseases is a collaborative disease eradication programme launched on 30 January 2012 in London.
Objective : It was inspired by the World Health Organization 2020 roadmap to eradicate or negate transmission for neglected tropical diseases.
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2018-06-09 12:17:21+00:00
Pre-Columbian Chimu culture
The Chimú culture was centred on Chimor with the capital city of Chan Chan, a large adobe city in the Moche Valley of present-day Trujillo, Peru
The culture arose about 900 AD, succeeding the Moche culture
The Chimú people are best known for their distinctive monochromatic pottery and fine metal working of copper, gold, silver, bronze, and tumbaga (copper and gold)
The pottery is often in the shape of a creature or has a human figure sitting or standing on a cuboid bottle
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2018-06-05 13:55:29+00:00
Green GDP
Green GDP is a term used for expressing GDP after adjusting for environment degradations.
Green GDP is an attempt to measure the growth of an economy by subtracting the costs of environmental damages and ecological degradations from the GDP
The concept was first initiated through a System of National Accounts.
The System of National Accounts (SNA) is an accounting framework for measuring the economic activities of production, consumption and accumulation of wealth in an economy during a period of time.
When information on economy’s use of the natural environment is integrated into the system of national accounts, it becomes green national accounts or environmental accounting.
The process of environmental accounting involves three steps viz. Physical accounting; Monetary valuation; and integration with national Income/wealth Accounts:
Physical accounting determines the state of the resources, types, and extent (qualitative and quantitative) in spatial and temporal terms.
Monetary valuation is done to determine its tangible and intangible components.
Thereafter, the net change in natural resources in monetary terms is integrated into the Gross Domestic Product in order to reach the value of Green GDP
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2018-06-05 13:54:28+00:00
Name : Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
Objective : Lead international efforts to defeat hunger
Members : FAO has 194 Member Nations, two associate members and one member organization, the European Union
Headquarters : Rome, Italy
Year Founded : Established in 1945
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2018-06-04 22:23:24+00:00
With detailed analysis and wide discussions with aspirants Acumen group has reached on conclusion that Cut off for CSE 2018 predicted to be 96+3/96-3.
Best wishes ✌️