Current Affairs Question - January 2020

Explanation :

• Yellow rust or stripe rust (Puccinia striiformistritici) is an important disease of wheat (Triticum aestivum), especially in cool climates.
• Ripe rust of wheat is caused by the basidiomycete fungus Puccinia striiformis in the order Uredinales.
• It is considered to be an obligate parasite.
• The symptoms are symmetrical “stripe” lesions along the leaf, bearing orange-yellow pustules. These are located just underneath the upper leaf layer (epidermis), and are much less compact than brown rust pustules.
• The ideal growth conditions for yellow rust are temperatures of between 8-13°C for spore germination and penetration, and 12-15° C for further development and with free water.

Explanation :

• The Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) is smaller and paler than the African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus). It has more fur everywhere on the body, espeically on the back of the neck and the belly, a smaller head and longer neck, the Asian species usually have red eyes and they have a more cat-like appearance, while on the other hand the African cheetah looks like a panther.
• The Asiatic cheetah is constantly said to be a different animal and sub-species than the African cheetah in genetic composition.
• The Asiatic cheetah is listed as critically endangered species while the African Cheetah is listed as vulnerable by the IUCN.
• In the 2015 update of the IUCN Red List, the Asiatic cheetah is considered regionally extinct in Iraq, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. At present however, the Asiatic cheetah is believed only to survive in isolated parts of Iran.

Explanation :

• Under the Article 72 of the Constitution, the President of India can grant a pardon or reduce the sentence of a convicted person, particularly in cases involving capital punishment.
• It says that the President shall have the power to grant pardons, reprieves, respites or remissions of punishment or to suspend, remit or commute the sentence of any person convicted of any offence.
• A similar and parallel power vests in the Governors of each state under Article 161.
• However, the pardoning power of the president is not absolute. He is advised by the council of ministers under article 74 even though he is not bound to act on their suggestions.
• The power of the President to grant pardon extends in cases where the punishment or sentence is by a Court Martial but Article 161 does not provide any such power to the Governor.
• The President can grant pardon in all cases where the sentence given is sentence of death but pardoning power of Governor does not extend to death sentence cases.

Explanation :

• The Assam Legislative Council was the unicameral legislature of Assam in India from 1913 to 1935 and then the upper house of the bicameral legislature from 1935 to 1947, when it was disbanded by the India (Provincial Legislatures) Order, 1947.
• After Assam, West Bengal had abolished its Legislative Council in 1969.
• The Punjab Legislative Council (Abolition) Act, 1969 was adopted in 1969. Through this legislation the Punjab Legislative Council was abolished. The law came into effect on 7 January 1970.

Explanation :

• Mineral Accretion Technology, also known as Biorock Technology, is a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallize on structures, growing into a white limestone similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches.
• Mineral accretion devices utilize a well-known process called electrolysis, which is also used for other applications such as plating metals, removing rust, creating hydrogen batteries, and more.
• The advantages corals gain from mineral accretion are cancelled if they no longer receive current, at which point weeds will overgrow the corals. If the current is maintained, coral reefs can often be restored even in areas where water quality would prevent their recovery by any other method.

Advantage

• This technique has been shown to greatly increase the settlement, healing, growth and survival of corals and to enable resistance in corals, intertidal salt marsh grasses and coral forming marine organisms to stresses such as extreme high temperatures, sedimentation, and eutrophication.

Explanation :

• The Oslo Accords are a set of agreements between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO): the Oslo I Accord, signed in Washington, D.C.,in 1993 and the Oslo II Accord, signed in Taba, Egypt, in 1995.
• Oslo I, formally known as the Declaration of Principles (DOP), established a timetable for the Middle East peace process. It planned for an interim Palestinian government in Gaza and Jericho in the West Bank.
• Oslo II, officially called the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza, expanded on Oslo I. It included provisions for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from six West Bank cities and about 450 towns. Additionally, the pact set a timetable for elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council.
• On May 4, 1994, the first phase of the Oslo Accords was implemented, as Israel and the PLO signed the Cairo Agreement, giving the Palestinians control over Gaza and Jericho.

Details of Oslo Accords:

• Israel to withdraw from Jericho and Gaza, and eventually the West Bank.
• Five years of limited autonomy for Palestinians in those areas.
• Election of Palestinian Legislative Council within nine months.
• Establishment of a Palestinian police force.
• The question of Jerusalem was left undecided.

Explanation :

• A-SAT is essentially a missile that can destroy or jam an enemy country's satellite in space.It can also be used to access critical information about troop movements or incoming missiles.

Types

1. Kinetic A-SATs, like ballistic missiles, physically strike an object in order to destroy it.
2. Non-Kinetic A-SATsuse non-physical means to disable or destroy space objects, which include frequency jamming, blinding lasers or cyber-attacks.

• USA first tested the ASAT technology in 1958 which was followed by USSR in 1964.China joined the club in 2007.India is now the 4^th country to acquire such a specialised and modern capability.
• On March 27, 2019 India conducted Mission Shakti, an anti-satellite missile test, from the Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam Island launch complex.This was a technological mission carried out by DRDO. The satellite used in the mission was one of India’s existing satellites operating in lower orbit.
• India used Kinetic Kill, a space technology in which India has developed capability.
• The range of an ASAT is limited and depends on where it is launched from. Satellites above the range of 20,000 kilometres are out of range. The US and Russia have the capabilities of launching an ASAT from the ship, land and space, while India, presently, has used a land installation.

Explanation :

• Shamlat is one of three categories of common land in Punjab villages. ‘Shamlat’ land is owned by the village panchayat.
• The second category, ‘Jumla Mushtraka Malkan’ is land in a common pool made with villager’s personal contributions, and is managed by the panchayat.
• The third category, ‘Gaucharan’, too belongs to the panchayat, and is for cattle grazing. Over time, however, all such lands have come to be known as Shamlat land.
• Shamlat land is mainly used for cultivation, and is allotted for this through an open auction that is conducted by the Rural Development and Panchayat Department every year.
• One-third of Punjab’s Shamlat lands are reserved for Dalits. Around 25,000 to 26,000 families in the state, mostly Dalits, depend on this land for their livelihood.
• Over half of Punjab’s Shamlat land is concentrated in the six districts of Patiala (highest at 15.5%), Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Kapurthala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Amritsar.

Explanation :

• Hypersonic weapons refer to weapons that travel faster than Mach 5 and have the capability to maneuver during the entire flight.
• Hypersonic weapons incorporate the speed of a ballistic missile with the maneuvering capabilities of a cruise missile.
• These missiles are capable of delivering conventional or nuclear payloads at ultra-high velocities over long ranges.
• Hypersonic missiles are delivered in two ways: (1) they can be fired from the last stages of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) or Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM) and skip along the top of the atmosphere using specialized jet engines to accelerate to hypersonic speeds; or (2) they can be launched independently or released from a bomber—similar to cruise missiles—before accelerating to ultra-high speeds.
• Hypersonic vehicles typically consist of a Supersonic Combustion Ramjet, or Scramjet propulsion system to enable such high speeds.

Explanation :

• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are a large group of compounds, whose structure is very close to that of Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), but including one or more hydrogen atoms.
• These contain carbon, hydrogen, chlorine and fluorine.
• Under normal conditions, HCFCs are gases or liquids which evaporate easily. They are generally fairly stable and unreactive.
• HCFCs do not usually dissolve in water, but do dissolve in organic (carbon-containing) solvents. HCFCs are also part of a group of chemicals known as the volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
• Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are ozone depleting substances and potent greenhouse gases that are controlled under the Montreal Protocol.
• HCFCs are used in a wide variety of applications, including refrigeration, air conditioning, foam blowing, solvents, aerosols and fire suppression.

Explanation :

• On 17th January, 2020, the Ministry of Law and Justice issued an Extraordinary Gazette Notification, declaring the United Arab Emirates to be a “reciprocating territory” under Section 44 A of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908. The notification also declared a list of courts in the UAE to be “Superior Courts” under the same section.
• Apart from UAE, the other countries declared to be “reciprocating territories” are: United Kingdom, Singapore, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago, New Zealand, the Cook Islands (including Niue) and the Trust Territories of Western Samoa, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Aden.

Reciprocating Territory

• Essentially, orders passed by certain designated courts from a ‘reciprocating territory’ can be implemented in India, by filing a copy of the decree concerned in a District Court here.
• The courts so designated are called Superior Courts.
• It simply means that the foreign civil decrees passed by courts in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can now be executed in India.

Limitations

• The scope of the Section is restricted to decrees for payment of money, not being sums payable in respect of taxes or other charges of a like nature or in respect of a fine or other penalty.

Impact

• The move is widely seen to act as a major deterrent for those fleeing to India after committing major financial fraud, including bank loan default in UAE.

Explanation :

• The Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) is the Indian Ocean counterpart of the Pacific El Nino and La Nina.
• It is defined by the difference in sea surface temperature between two areas (or poles, hence a dipole) – a western pole in the Arabian Sea (western Indian Ocean) and an eastern pole in the eastern Indian Ocean south of Indonesia.
• The IOD is one of the key drivers of Australia's climate and can have a significant impact on agriculture. This is because events generally coincide with the winter crop growing season.
• The Indian Monsoon is invariably influenced by the IOD.
• The IOD has three phases: neutral, positive and negative. Events usually start around May or June, peak between August and October and then rapidly decay when the monsoon arrives in the southern hemisphere around the end of spring.

Positive Event:

• warmer sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean relative to the east
• easterly wind anomalies across the Indian Ocean and less cloudiness to Australia's northwest
• less rainfall over southern Australia and the Top End

Negative Event:

• cooler sea surface temperatures in the western Indian Ocean relative to the east
• winds become more westerly, bringing increased cloudiness to Australia's northwest
• more rainfall in the Top End and southern Australia

Explanation :

• A Blue Corner Notice is issued by the international police cooperation body to collect additional information from its member countries about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a crime.
• It makes it mandatory for member countries to share the whereabouts of a person.
• There are seven types of notices — Red Notice, Yellow Notice, Blue Notice, Black Notice, Green Notice, Orange Notice, and Purple Notice.

Explanation :

• Scientists in the United States have named the millimetre-wide robots Xenobots (world’s first living machines) — after the species of aquatic frog found across sub-Saharan Africa from Nigeria and Sudan to South Africa,Xenopus laevis.
• Scientists have repurposed living cells scraped from frog embryos and assembled them into entirely new life-forms.

Application

• The xenobots can move toward a target, perhaps pick up a payload (like a medicine that needs to be carried to a specific place inside a patient) — and heal themselves after being cut.

Explanation :

• The Anti-Defection Law was passed in 1985 through the 52nd amendment to the Constitution. It added the Tenth Schedule to the Indian Constitution.
• It lays down the process by which legislators may be disqualified on grounds of defection by the Presiding Officer of a legislature based on a petition by any other member of the House.
• A legislator is deemed to have defected if he either voluntarily gives up the membership of his party or disobeys the directives of the party leadership on a vote.
• The law applies to both Parliament and state assemblies.
• The law does not specify a time-period for the Presiding Officer to decide on a disqualification plea. Given that courts can intervene only after the Presiding Officer has decided on the matter, the petitioner seeking disqualification has no option but to wait for this decision to be made.

Explanation :

• A letter of intent (LOI) is a document declaring the preliminary commitment of one party to do business with another. The letter outlines the chief terms of a prospective deal.
• A memorandum of understanding (MOU or MoU) is an agreement between two or more parties outlined in a formal document. It is not legally binding but signals the willingness of the parties to move forward with a contract. It is often used at the beginning of a business partnership.
• A Term Sheet is used to show interest in an investment opportunity. Often it is used to outline a potential agreement between an entrepreneur (or startup company) and investors. Term Sheets are used to start the process of establishing agreeable terms. Once both parties are agreed, a formal legal contract can be written.

Explanation :

• On 17^th January, 2020 the Union Minister of Law and Justice inaugurated the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Blockchain Technology set up by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
• It has been set up with the aim of providing blockchain as a service and to help all stakeholders to benefit from shared learning, experiences and resources.
• It will focus on building a robust infrastructure to provide Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS).

Blockchain Technology

• Blockchain, sometimes referred to as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT), makes the history of any digital asset unalterable and transparent through the use of decentralization and cryptographic hashing.
• It is an especially promising and revolutionary technology because it helps reduce risk, stamps out fraud and brings transparency in a scaleable way for myriad uses.

Explanation :

• The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus), also known as the duck-billed platypus, is a semiaquatic egg-laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania.
• Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young. These are among the few venomous mammals.
• Males have a spur on the back of their hind feet that is connected to a venom-secreting gland.
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recently downgraded the platypus conservation status to Near Threatened from Least Concern.

Ecological Significance

• The Platypus eats all kinds of insect larvae, molluscs, crustacean, fish eggs and sometimes frogs. Since the platypus is a carnivore, it plays the typical role of the carnivore in an ecosystem. It keeps the populations of species in lower levels of the food chain in check.

Explanation :

• The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) is the centre piece of global efforts to prevent the further spread of nuclear weapons, to foster the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of nuclear disarmament.
• The NPT entered into force in 1970.
• It is aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons including three elements: (1) non-proliferation, (2) disarmament, and (3) peaceful use of nuclear energy.
• The Treaty defines nuclear weapon states (NWS) as those that had manufactured and detonated a nuclear explosive device prior to 1 January 1967. All the other states are therefore considered non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS). The five nuclear weapon states are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• The treaty is reviewed every five years in meetings called Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty of Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

Explanation :

• Jallikattu or Eruthazhuvuthal, the traditional bull taming event, dates back to the Tamil Classic period (400-100 CE). Jallikattu is an annual event where men try to tame and hug the bull and has been a part of the traditional celebrations of the four-day Tamil Nadu harvest festival, Pongal.
• The word Jallikattu has two components, Jalli also known as salli or kasu, which translates into coins, and kattu which means bundle or pouch. This is a reference to a yellow pouch of coins, which is tied to the bull’s horns.

There are three versions of Jallikattu:

Manju Virattu

• This version takes place mostly in the districts of Madurai, Pudukottai, Theni, Thanjavur and Salem and has been popularised by television and movies.

Vaeli Virattu

• This version is more popular in the districts of Sivagangai, Manamadurai, and Madurai. The bulls are released into open ground without any restrictions (no rope or determined path).

Vadam Manju Virattu

• Vadam means rope in Tamil. The bull is tied to a 50 feet long rope and is free to move within this space. A team of 7 or 9 members attempt to subdue the bull within 30 minutes. This version is very safe for spectators as the bull is tied and spectators are shielded by barricades.

Explanation :

• On 14^th January, 2020, the Punjab Cabinet gave its approval to a Punjab Right to Business Bill, 2020, a law aimed at ensuring ease of doing business for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector.
• Notably, Punjab is home to approximately two lakh MSME units, which are one of the most important pillars of the industrial growth.
• The Act would encompass various regulatory services, including sanction of building plans, issuance of completion/occupation certificate for buildings, registration of new trade license under the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911 and the Punjab Municipal Corporation Act 1976.

Advantages

• The MSMEs in the state will get a big relief from the tedious process of getting regulatory approvals before setting up of the units.

Explanation :

• Article 131 of the Constitution of India grants original jurisdiction to the Supreme Court on all cases involving the enforcement of fundamental rights of citizens.It involves the following cases:
  • Any dispute between the Indian Government and one or more States.
  • Any dispute between the Indian Government and one or more States on one side and one or more States on the other side.
  • Any dispute between two or more States.
• Article 131 can be invoked by a state whenever there is a difference of opinion between the Centre and state on the question of interpretation of the Constitution, which will affect the exercise of government powers that are attributes of a state.
• This cannot be used to settle political differences between state and Central government headed by different parties.

Explanation :

• India’s telecommunication satellite GSAT-30 was successfully launched into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) on 17^th January, 2020 from Kourou launch base, French Guiana by Ariane-5 VA-251.
• GSAT-30 is configured on ISRO’s enhanced I-3K Bus structure to provide communication services from Geostationary orbit in C and Ku bands. The satellite derives its heritage from ISRO’s earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series.
• Weighing 3357 kg, GSAT-30 is to serve as replacement to INSAT-4A spacecraft services with enhanced coverage.
• The satellite provides Indian mainland and islands coverage in Ku-band and extended coverage in C-band covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia.
• India's high power communication satellite GSAT-30 is aimed at providing high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services.
• In-orbit operational life of GSAT-30 is more than 15 years.

Explanation :

• Bru also known as Reang is a tribal group living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.
• They are the second most populous tribe in Tripura after the Tripuris. They are ethnically different from the Mizos, with their own distinct language and dialect and form one of the 21 scheduled tribes of Tripura.
• They speak the Reang dialect of Bru language which is of Tibeto-Burmese origin and is locally referred to as Kau Bru.

Explanation :

• Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) has been set up as an autonomous body of the Ministry of Women and Child Development which functions as a nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoption.
• CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Conventions on Inter-Country Adoptions, 1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003.
• It primarily deals with adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated/recognised adoption agencies.

Explanation :

• Taal Volcano is a large complex volcano filled with a 15 km × 20 km lake located on Luzon Island in the province of Batangas, in the Philippines.
• It is the second most active volcano in the Philippines.
• Because of its proximity to populated areas and its eruptive history, the volcano was designated a Decade Volcano, worthy of close study to prevent future natural disasters.
• The Philippines lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” which is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world.

Explanation :

• Till date, six languages have been conferred the status of ‘Classical Language’ in India.The first language to be accorded with that status is Tamil in 2004. In 2005 Sanskrit was accorded with this status.
• In 2008, Telugu and Kannada were conferred with the status followed by Malayalam in 2013. Odia is the latest addition to the list and received the status in 2014.
• Of the six classical languages, five of them are regional languages except for Sanskrit which is not specific to any region. Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam are Dravidian languages while Sanskrit and Odia are Indo-Aryan languages.

Criteria for Classical Language in India

• High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years
• A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers.
• The literary tradition to be original and not borrowed from another speech community.
• The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.

Explanation :

• On 9^th January, 2020, the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) approved Green Credit Scheme that would allow forests to be traded as a commodity.
• The scheme allows agencies like private companies, village forest communities, etc. to identify lands for forest cultivation and ensures plantations carried out.
• After 3 years, these identified lands would be considered as compensatory forest land after meeting forest department’s criteria.
• An industry that needs forest land could approach these agencies and pay them for such forested land. This would then be transferred to the forest department and also recorded as forest land.

Impact

• Will encourage plantation by individuals outside the traditional forest area.
• Will also help in solving land acquiring issues of various industries which find it hard to acquire appropriate non-forest land.
• Will help in meeting international commitments such as Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contributions.

Explanation :

• MARPOL refers to Marine Pollution.The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes.
• The MARPOL Convention was adopted on 2 November 1973 at IMO. The Protocol of 1978 was adopted in response to a spate of tanker accidents in 1976-1977. As the 1973 MARPOL Convention had not yet entered into force, the 1978 MARPOL Protocol absorbed the parent Convention. The combined instrument entered into force on 2 October 1983.
• The Convention includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships - both accidental pollution and that from routine operations - and currently includes six technical Annexes:
  • Annex I: Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil (entered into force 2 October 1983).
  • Annex II: Regulations for the Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk (entered into force 2 October 1983).
  • Annex III: Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form (entered into force 1 July 1992).
  • Annex IV: Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships (entered into force 27 September 2003).
  • Annex V: Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships (entered into force 31 December 1988).
  • Annex VI: Prevention ofAir Pollution from Ships (entered into force 19 May 2005)

Explanation :

• The Chinese paddlefish (Psephurus gladius),native to the Yangtze River was one of the world's largest species of freshwater species.
• It was one of only two living species of paddlefish, the other being the American paddlefish (Polyodon spathula) part of an ancient group of fish known to have existed since the Lower Jurassic, 200 million years ago. It was also the only species in the genus Psephurus.
• Referred to as the “aquatic panda of rivers”, the Chinese paddlefish was an elusive and long-protected species. Capable of growing up to 7 meters long, it had a distinctive elongated nose.
• Prior to the extinction, it was listed as “critically endangered,” by the IUCN.
• It is the third species unique to the Yangtze River ecosystem to be declared extinct, following the Baiji dolphin in 2006 and the Chinese shad in 2015.

Explanation :

• Coastal stretches of creeks, bays, seas, rivers and back waters that are affected by the tidal actions of up to 500 metres from the High Tide Line and the land between the Low Tide Line and the High Tide line are Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ).
• The coastal areas have been classified into four categories—CRZ-I, CRZ-II, CRZ-III and CRZ-IV.
• CRZ-I: these are ecologically sensitive areas; these are essential in maintaining the ecosystem of the coast. They lie between low and high tide line. Exploration of natural gas and extraction of salt are permitted here.
• CRZ-II: these areas are urban areas located in the coastal areas. Now under new coastal zone regulations 2018, the floor space index norms have been de-freezed.
• CRZ-III: these are rural and urban localities which fall outside the CRZ-I and CRZ-II. Only certain activities related to agriculture even some public facilities are allowed in this zone.
• CRZ-IV: this lies in the aquatic area up to territorial limits. Fishing and allied activities are permitted in this zone. Solid waste should be let off in this zone. This zone has been changed from 1991 notification, which covered coastal stretches in islands of Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep.

Explanation :

• Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki that helps build dense, native forests.
• It involves planting dozens of native species in the same area, and becomes maintenance-free after the first three years.
• In this, multi-layered saplings are planted close to each other. This blocks sunlight from reaching the ground and prevents weeds from growing, thus keeping the soil moist. The close cropping further ensures that the plants receive sunlight only from the top thus enabling them only to grow upwards than sideways.
• The approach is supposed to ensure that plant growth is 10 times faster and the resulting plantation is 30 times denser than usual.

Explanation :

• Epiphany is a feast day, or a day of commemoration, which in Christianity marks the visit of the Magi (meaning the Three Wise Men or Three Kings) to the Infant Jesus (Christ from his nativity until age 12).
• According to Christian belief, the Magi — Balthasar, Melchior, and Gaspar (or Casper), the kings of Arabia, Persia, and India, respectively — followed a miraculous guiding star to Bethlehem, where they paid homage to the Infant Jesus.
• The visit is believed to signify Jesus’ physical manifestation to the Gentiles (non-Jewish people).
• It is among the three oldest and major festival days in Christianity, the two others being Christmas and Easter. It is celebrated on January 6 by a number of Christian sects, including Roman Catholics, and on January 19 by some Eastern Orthodox churches.
• In Goa, the celebration is known by its Portuguese name ‘Festa dos Reis’, and in parts of Kerala by its Syriac name ‘Denha’.

Explanation :

• On 9^th January, 2020, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy launched Amma Vodi Scheme in Chittoor district. It is one of the nine flagship programmes of Andhra Government.
• The scheme will be commencing from 26^th January, 2020 on the eve of Republic Day.
• Amma Vodi is available to ration card holders, who fall under the Below Poverty Line and clear a few more criteria related to their economic status.
• The scheme aims at benefitting school students studying in classes I to XII. It includes both public and private schools.
• Amma Vodi scheme will be exclusively offered for students who are undergoing their education in Government and private schools in AP, and Intermediate students pursuing in government and private colleges.
• Under the scheme, an amount of Rs.15,000 per year will be offered to support a student towards his education.

Explanation :

• Seke means "golden language" which originated in the Mustang district of Nepal.
• According to the Endangered Language Alliance (ELA), Seke is one of the over 100 indigenous languages of Nepal and is mainly spoken in the five villages of Chuksang, Chaile, Gyakar, Tangbe and Tetang in the Upper Mustang district.
• It is one of the endangered languages in the world. There are just 700 Seke speakers left in the world.
• According to ELA, difficult conditions at home and job prospects elsewhere have brought speakers of Seke to places such as Pokhara, Kathmandu and even New York. Therefore, the vulnerability of the language is linked to the migration of people to places where Seke is not spoken, which has reduced the intergenerational transmission of the language. Furthermore, the younger generation does not find much use in learning the language, giving preference to Nepali and English.

Explanation :

• Tulu belongs to the southern branch of the family of Dravidian languages. It descends directly from Proto-Southern Dravidian, which in turn descends directly from Proto-Dravidian, the hypothesized mother language from which all Dravidian languages descend.
• Tulu is a text book example of linguistic discrimination. Its speakers are concentrated in two coastal districts of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district of Kerala.
• Kasaragod district is called ‘Sapta Bhasha Samgama Bhumi (the confluence of seven languages)’, and Tulu is among the seven.
• The cities of Mangaluru, Udupi and Kasaragod are the epicentres of Tulu culture.
• Apart from Tulu Nadu, a significant emigrant population of Tulu speaking people is found in Maharashtra, Bengaluru, Chennai, the English-speaking world, and the Gulf countries.
• The oldest available inscriptions in Tulu are from the period between 14th to 15th Century AD.These inscriptions are in the Tigalari script and are found in areas in and around Barkur which was the capital of Tulu Nadu during the Vijayanagar period.

Explanation :

• Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) was set by the Government of India on 18th November 2004 as the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions.
• It is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister.
• FIU-IND is a multi disciplinary body with a sanctioned strength of 75 personnel. These are being inducted from different organizations namely Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Department of Legal Affairs and Intelligence agencies.
• FIU-IND is responsible for coordinating and strengthening efforts of national and international intelligence, investigation and enforcement agencies in pursuing the global efforts against money laundering and financing of terrorism.

Explanation :

• The idea of creation of Zonal Councils was mooted by the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1956 when during the course of debate on the report of the States Re-organisation Commission.
• The Zonal Councils are the statutory (and not the constitutional) bodies, established by an Act of the Parliament- States Reorganisation Act of 1956.
• The act divided the country into five zones- Northern, Central, Eastern, Western and Southern and provided a zonal council for each zone.
• North Eastern Council (NEC) is a statutory advisory body constituted under the NEC Act 1971 and came into being on the 7th November, 1972 at Shillong. Eight States of Northeast India viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim, are members of the council, with their respective Chief Ministers and Governors representing them.

Composition

• The Zonal Council meetings are chaired by the Union Home Minister. The Chief Ministers and two Ministers from the member States are the members ineach Zonal Council. In case of UTs, there are two members from each UT.

Zonal Councils and Member States

• The Northern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, , Punjab, Rajasthan, National Capital Territory of Delhi and Union Territories of Chandigarh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh
• The Central Zonal Council, comprising the States of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
• The Eastern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Sikkim and West Bengal.
• The Western Zonal Council, comprising the States of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and the Union Territories of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli.
• The Southern Zonal Council, comprising the States of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry.

Explanation :

• The structure, known as the ‘Taj of the Deccan’ because of its striking resemblance to the Taj Mahal, was commissioned by Emperor Aurangzeb in 1660 in the memory of his first wife Dilras Banu Begum (posthumously known as Rabia-ud-Daurani).
• Also called the Tomb of the Lady, Bibi Ka Maqbara was designed by Ataullah, the son of Ahmad Lahauri, the architect of the Taj Mahal which explains its appearance heavily based on the prime marvel.

Explanation :

• Yakshagana is a traditional Indian theatre form, developed in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Shimoga and western parts of Chikmagalur districts, in the state of Karnataka and in Kasaragod district in Kerala.
• It combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form.
• It is traditionally presented from dusk to dawn.It typically begins in the twilight hours, with an initial beating of the drums of several fixed compositions, called abbara or peetike.
• Yakshagana evolved as a dance form during the Bhakti Movement. Narahari Tirtha, a disciple of Madhvacharya, is said to be the first person to introduce Yakshagana in Udupi. Its stories are drawn from Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata and other Hindu epics.

Types

• TenkutittuStyle: It is prevalent in Dakshina Kannada. Tenkutittu is noted for its incredible dance steps; its high flying dance moves; and its extravagant rakshasas (demons).
• Badagutittu Style: It is prevalent in Uttara Kannada District and places more emphasis on facial expressions, matugarike (dialogues), and dances appropriate for the character depicted in the episode.

Explanation :

• On 2^nd January, 2019, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) set up New, Emerging and Strategic Technologies (NEST) division, as a nodal division within the ministry to deal with issues like new and emerging technologies.
• NEST will help the country to collaborate with other countries in the field of 5G and artificial intelligence which are in line with India’s security goals.

Roles and Responsibilities of NEST

• The NEST will be empowered to formulate India's external technology policy in coordination with domestic stakeholders which are in line with India's developmental priorities and national security goals.
• It will also assist in evaluating foreign policy and international legal implications of new and emerging technologies and technology-based resources.
• It will also recommend a suitable foreign policy choice. Further, in multilateral and plurilateral frameworks, it will negotiate technology governance rules, standards, and architecture that are best suited for India's condition.
• The division will also be holding responsibility for matters that involves negotiations with multilateral fora like the United Nations,G20. This will help to safeguard India’s interests as such forums govern the rules of access to such technologies.

Explanation :

• The Blue Flag beach is an Eco-tourism model endeavouring to provide to the tourists/beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities, amenities, safe and healthy environment and sustainable development of the area.
• This Certification is accorded by an international agency, ‘Foundation for Environment Education’, Denmark, based on 33 stringent criteria in four major heads i.e. (i) Environmental Education and Information, (ii) Bathing Water Quality, (iii) Environment Management and Conservation and (iv) Safety and Services in the beaches.
• It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001, when South Africa joined.
• Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
• The Chandrabhaga beach on the Konark coast of Odisha is the first in India to get the Blue Flag certification.

Features of a Blue Flag beach

• These beaches will have proper waste disposal systems and access to clean drinking water for the tourists. Knowledge about the coastal ecosystem and sensitive natural areas will also be given to the tourists.
• A choice of environment-friendly activities will be offered to all the visitors and fully functional toilets will be available to all.
• The rules and regulations will be very strict and no unauthorized camping or dumping is allowed.

Explanation :

• Open Market Operations (OMO)is the sale and purchase of government securities and treasury bills by the central bank of the country.
• The objective of OMO is to regulate the money supply in the economy.
• When the central bank wants to increase the money supply in the economy, it purchases the government securities from the market and it sells government securities to suck out liquidity from the system.
• It carries out the OMO through commercial banks and does not directly deal with the public.
• OMO is one of the tools that central banks use to smoothen the liquidity conditions throughout the year and minimise its impact on the interest rate and inflation rate levels.

Explanation :

• The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Bill was approved by the President on September 11, 1958. It became known as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.
• AFSPA gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. They have the authority to prohibit a gathering of five or more persons in an area, can use force or even open fire after giving due warning if they feel a person is in contravention of the law.
• The Ministry of Home Affairs would usually enforce this Act where necessary, but there have been exceptions where the Centre decided to forego its power and leave the decision to the State governments.
• Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission (2005) in its report recommended to repeal AFSPA, citing the Act a symbol of hate, oppression and instrument of high handedness .
• Presently, AFSPA is operational in entire States of Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (except Imphal Municipal area), three districts namely Tirap, Changlang and Longding of Arunachal Pradesh and the areas falling within the jurisdiction of the 8 police stations in the districts of Arunachal Pradesh, bordering the State of Assam.

Explanation :

• Senna spectabilis is a deciduos plant species of the legume family (Fabaceae) in the subfamily Caesalpinioideae native to South and Central America.
• It is a common garden ornamental plant that also invades; forest margins, savanna, riverbanks, roadsides, waste ground and plantations.
• It can invade disturbed forests, forest edges and gaps where it can establish and suppress the regeneration of native species.
• However, it has a few medicinal properties. The plant can be used as a treatment for ringworm and skin diseases.

Explanation :

• Merchant Discount Rate (alternatively referred to as the Transaction Discount Rate or TDR) is the sum total of all the charges and taxes that a digital payment entails.
• It is the fee that a merchant has to pay to a bank for every debit/credit card transaction.
• It is split between the bank which has issued the card, the lender whose point-of-sale terminal (PoS) is being used and payment gateways like MasterCard or Visa.
• MDR also includes the processing charges that a payments aggregator has to pay to online or mobile wallets or indeed to banks for their service.

Explanation :

• The Ghataprabha River is an important right-bank tributary of the Krishna River and flows eastward for a distance of 283 kilometers before its confluence with the Krishna River at Almatti.
• It originates in the Western Ghats near chaukul village, tehsil sawantwadi in the Sindhudurg district of Maharahtra.
• The river basin stretches across Karnataka and Maharashtra states.