Insights August 2018 Current Affairs

160 Pages·2017·4.9 MB·English

INSIGHTSIAS
SIMPLIFYING IAS EXAM PREPARATION
- I A S S E L F S T U D Y G U I D E -

CURRENT AFFAIRS

AUGUST 2018
© INSIGHTS ACTIVE LEARNING
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

GS PAPER - I _______________________ 8 7. Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace
Act ___________________________________ 18
Paper 1 Topic: Indian culture will cover the
8. Kanyashree scheme ___________________ 19
salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and
Architecture from ancient to modern times. __ 8 9. NCRB to track complaints on sexual violence
_____________________________________ 20
1. 11th World Hindi Conference ____________ 8
10. Sweden launches ‘feminist foreign policy’
2. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) ___ 8
manual _______________________________ 21
3. Heritage Circuit and North East Circuit _____ 9
11. Marriage certificate must for official work in
4. Project Navlekha _____________________ 10 Meghalaya ____________________________ 21
Paper 1 Topic: Modern Indian history from about Paper 1 Topic: Population and associated issues,
the middle of the eighteenth century until the poverty and developmental issues, urbanization,
present- significant events, personalities, issues. their problems and their remedies. ________ 22
____________________________________ 10
1. Ease of Living index ___________________ 22
1. Pingali Venkayya _____________________ 10
2. Global Liveability Index ________________ 22
Paper 1 Topic: The Freedom Struggle – its
3. China may scrap limit on number of children
various stages and important contributors
_____________________________________ 24
/contributions from different parts of the
GS PAPER - II _____________________ 26
country. _____________________________ 11
Paper 2 Topic: Separation of powers between
1. Quit India Movement _________________ 11
various organs dispute redressal mechanisms
Paper 1 Topic: History of the world will include
and institutions. _______________________ 26
events from 18th century. _______________ 12
1. Uttarakhand high court appoints itself legal
1. International Day for the Remembrance of the
guardian of cows in state _________________ 26
Slave Trade and its Abolition _____________ 12
Paper 2 Topic: Parliament and State Legislatures
Paper 1 Topic: Indian society and Diversity;
– structure, functioning, conduct of business,
Social empowerment ___________________ 13
powers & privileges and issues arising out of
1. Cabinet clears Bill to restore the provisions of these. _______________________________ 27
SC/ST Act _____________________________ 13
1. Odisha approves proposal for legislative
Paper 1 Topic: Role of women and women’s council________________________________ 27
organization. _________________________ 14
Paper 2 Topic: Functions and responsibilities of
1. Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) ____________ 14 the Union and the States, issues and challenges
pertaining to the federal structure, devolution of
2. Criminal Law (Amendment) Bill, 2018 ____ 14
powers and finances up to local levels and
3. All-women expedition to Mt. Manirang ___ 16
challenges therein. _____________________ 28
4. Indecent Representation of the Women
1. Article 35A __________________________ 28
(Prohibition) Act, 1986 __________________ 16

5. Triple talaq bill _______________________ 17

6. Delhi Police gets India’s first all-women SWAT
team _________________________________ 18
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Paper 2 Topic: Statutory, regulatory and various 6. National Sports University Bill, 2018 ______ 43
quasi-judicial bodies. ___________________ 29
7. Ujjwala programme ___________________ 44
1. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural
8. Social media hub plan dropped __________ 45
Heritage (INTACH) ______________________ 29
9. One District One Product (Ek Zila – Ek Ut
2. Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (ATE) ___ 29
padan) Scheme _________________________ 46
3. FSSAI notifies standards for honey & its
10. World Biofuel day 2018 _______________ 46
products to curb adulteration _____________ 30
11. Arbitration & Conciliation (Amendment) Bill,
Paper 2 Topic: Appointment to various
2018 _________________________________ 47
Constitutional posts, powers, functions and
12. Swadesh Darshan Scheme _____________ 48
responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies.
13. NITI Aayog launches “Pitch to MOVE” ___ 49
____________________________________ 31
14. Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework
1. 123rd Constitutional Amendment Bill _____ 31
_____________________________________ 49
2. Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha ________ 31
15. Health policies to cover mental illness ___ 50
3. President appoints Governors of seven states
16. Brus of Mizoram _____________________ 51
_____________________________________ 32
17. Interlinking of Rivers _________________ 51
Paper 2 Topic: Salient features of the
Representation of People’s Act. __________ 33 18. Plea challenges changes in SC/ST law ____ 53
1. Representation of the People (Amendment) 19. Pradhan Mantri Awas YojAna __________ 53
Bill, 2017 _____________________________ 33
20. Strategic Partnership (SP) model ________ 54
2. NOTA in Rajya Sabha __________________ 34
21. Odisha to come up with single revenue code
3. Criminalization of Politics ______________ 35 _____________________________________ 55
Paper 2 Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable 22. Anti-lynching measures _______________ 56
sections of the population by the Centre and
Paper 2 Topic: Issues relating to development
States and the performance of these schemes;
and management of Social Sector/Services
mechanisms, laws, institutions and bodies
relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
constituted for the protection and betterment of
____________________________________ 57
these vulnerable sections. _______________ 37
1. Common service centres to implement
1. Restricted Area Permit (RAP) regime _____ 37 Ayushman Bharat _______________________ 57
2. SC to constitute panel to look into issues in 2. World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 to 7) 58
prisons across country ___________________ 37
3. Vidyalakshmi Portal ___________________ 59
3. Members of Parliament Local Area
4. Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)
Development Scheme (MPLADS) __________ 38
_____________________________________ 59
Paper 2 Topic: Government policies and
5. Scrub typhus _________________________ 61
interventions for development in various sectors
and issues arising out of their design and 6. Global Innovation Index________________ 62
implementation. ______________________ 39 7. Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana ____________ 63
1. Homoeopathy Central Council (Amendment) 8. ILO report flags wage inequality in India __ 64
Bill 2018 ______________________________ 39
9. Poshan Maah (National Nutrition Month) _ 66
2. Seva Bhoj Yojna ______________________ 40
10. Centre asks states to ban e-cigarettes ___ 66
3. Concessional Financing Scheme (CFS) ____ 40

4. Reconsider the ban on oxytocin _________ 41

5. Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Act ____ 42
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Paper 2 Topic: Development processes and the 3. Indian Ocean Conference _______________ 82
development industry the role of NGOs, SHGs,
Paper 2 Topic: Effect of policies and politics of
various groups and associations, donors,
developed and developing countries on India’s
charities, institutional and other stakeholders.
interests. _____________________________ 83
____________________________________ 68
1. US gives India Strategic Trade Authorisation-1
1. SBM- Gramin ________________________ 68
status ________________________________ 83
2. Startup India’s Academia Alliance Programme
2. Caspian Sea Agreement ________________ 83
_____________________________________ 69
3. Impact of the falling rupee on economy ___ 84
Paper 2 Topic: Important aspects of governance,
4. Quad grouping _______________________ 85
transparency and accountability, e-governance-
applications, models, successes, limitations, and 5. North American Free Trade Agreement
(NAFTA) ______________________________ 86
potential; citizens charters, transparency &
accountability and institutional and other 6. Venezuela crisis ______________________ 87
measures. ___________________________ 69
Paper 2 Topic: Important International
1. Bhoomi Rashi and PFMS linkage _________ 69 institutions, agencies and fora, their structure,
mandate. ____________________________ 88
2. Digital Literacy Library _________________ 70
1. Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting
3. Defence India Startup Challenge ________ 70
Development __________________________ 88
4. UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-
age Governance) _______________________ 71 2. Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and
Numbers (ICANN) _______________________ 89
5. Niryat Mitra mobile app _______________ 71
3. Regional Comprehensive Economic
6. PARIVESH ___________________________ 72
Partnership (RCEP) ______________________ 89
7. NPCI launches UPI 2.0 _________________ 73
4. US Space Force _______________________ 90
8. National Logistics Portal _______________ 73
5. International Nitrogen Initiative _________ 92
9. CJI Launches Applications to Facilitate Litigants
6. ICOMOS ____________________________ 93
and Lawyers ___________________________ 74
7. Asian Electoral Stakeholder Forum _______ 93
10. Report on “Worngful Prosecution ______ 75
8. United Nations Environment Programme
11. Innovation Cell ______________________ 76
(UNEP) _______________________________ 94
12. Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation
9. International Energy Agency (IEA) ________ 94
Achievements (ARIIA) ___________________ 76
10. RCEP Ministerial Meeting _____________ 95
Paper 2 Topic: India and its neighbourhood-
relations. ____________________________ 77 GS PAPER - III _____________________ 97
1. ‘8888’ uprising _______________________ 77 Paper 3 Topic: Indian Economy and issues
relating to planning, mobilization of resources,
2. Uighurs _____________________________ 78
growth, development and employment. ____ 97
3. Australia recommences its adoption
1. TReDS platform ______________________ 97
programme with India __________________ 79
Paper 3 Topic: Effects of liberalization on the
4. Postal Highway ______________________ 80
economy, changes in industrial policy and their
Paper 2 Topic: Bilateral, regional and global
effects on industrial growth. _____________ 97
groupings and agreements involving India
and/or affecting India’s interests. _________ 80 1. Participatory notes ____________________ 97
2. Barriers to cashless economy ___________ 98
1. SCO Peace Mission Exercise ____________ 80

2. G20 Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting _ 81
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Paper 3 Topic: Inclusive growth and issues Paper 3 Topic: Science and Technology-
arising out of it. _______________________ 99 developments and their applications and effects
in everyday life Achievements of Indians in
1. NABARD study on farm household _______ 99
science & technology; indigenization of
Paper 3 Topic: Major crops cropping patterns in
technology and developing new technology. 112
various parts of the country, different types of
1. Ballistic Missile Interceptor AAD ________ 112
irrigation and irrigation systems storage,
transport and marketing of agricultural produce 2. India’s first Blockchain district in Telangana
and issues and related constraints; e-technology ____________________________________ 112
in the aid of farmers. __________________ 100 3. IMPRINT-2 _________________________ 113
1. Zero Budget Natural Farming __________ 100 4. Uakitite ____________________________ 114
2. Recently Developed Races of Silk Worm Seed 5. Thermal battery _____________________ 114
____________________________________ 101
6. Iris Scan Authentication feature for Aadhaar-
3. International year of millets ___________ 102 based transactions by Axis bank __________ 115
4. SAARC Agri Cooperative Business Forum _ 103 7. Aerogel- Super-insulating gel___________ 116
Paper 3 Topic: Issues related to direct and 8. Human space flight Programme ________ 116
indirect farm subsidies and minimum support
9. Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave
prices; Public Distribution System objectives,
Observatory (LIGO) project ______________ 117
functioning, limitations, revamping; issues of
10. Microcystallites ____________________ 118
buffer stocks and food security; Technology
missions; economics of animal-rearing. ___ 103 11. World Bank launches world-first blockchain
bond ________________________________ 119
1. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana
(PMKSY) _____________________________ 103 Paper 3 Topic: Awareness in the fields of IT,
Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology,
Paper 3 Topic: Food processing and related
bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual
industries in India- scope and significance,
property rights. ______________________ 120
location, upstream and downstream
requirements, supply chain management. _ 105 1. Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS)
____________________________________ 120
1. International Conference on Recent Advances
in Food Processing Technology (iCRAFPT) __ 105 2. Scutoid: a new shape discovered _______ 120
Paper 3 Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, 3. India unveils geographical indication logo,
tagline _______________________________ 121
Roads, Airports, Railways etc. ___________ 106
4. Gaofen-11 __________________________ 121
1. Policy Framework for exploration and
exploitation of Unconventional Hydrocarbons 5. Kadaknath chicken meat from Jhabua gets GI
____________________________________ 106 tag __________________________________ 122
2. ‘State Energy Efficiency Preparedness Index’ 6. RISECREEK __________________________ 122
____________________________________ 107
7. Chandrayaan-2 ______________________ 123
3. Strategic Investment Fund under NIIF ___ 107
8. India’s first genetic bank for wildlife
4. Jal Marg Vikas Project ________________ 108 conservation __________________________ 124
5. National Energy Storage Mission _______ 109 9. Parker Solar Probe ___________________ 124
6. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana ____ 110 10. NASA’s New Horizons mission _________ 125
7. UDAN scheme for international routes __ 110 11. Chandrayaan- 1 ____________________ 126
8. O-SMART scheme ___________________ 111 12. Interior Exploration using Seismic
Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport
(InSight) _____________________________ 127
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13. OSIRIS-REx spacecraft _______________ 128 3. CERT-In report on cyber attacks ________ 149
14. ICESat-2 satellite ___________________ 129 4. Government announces Regulations for
Drones ______________________________ 150
15. BIS to set standards for the services sector
____________________________________ 129 Facts for Prelims _________________ 152
16. Aeolus Satellite ____________________ 130
1. Mukhya Mantri-Yuva Nestham _________ 152
17. Higgs boson _______________________ 131
2. Move Hack, a global mobility hackathon _ 152
18. ‘Horizon 2020’ _____________________ 132
3. Fields Medal ________________________ 152
19. Spitzer telescope ___________________ 133
4. Mosquito Terminator _________________ 152
Paper 3 Topic: Conservation, environmental
5. Maitree 2018 _______________________ 153
pollution and degradation, environmental
6. Xingkong-2 _________________________ 153
impact assessment. ___________________ 133
7. International Day of the World’s Indigenous
1. Rajasthan first State to implement biofuel
Peoples 2018 _________________________ 153
policy _______________________________ 133
8. Train Captain Service _________________ 153
2. World Network of Biosphere Reserves __ 135
9. Joint issue of postage stamp between India
3. Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act ___ 136
and South Africa _______________________ 153
4. RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) initiative
10. In News- PENCIL’ Portal ______________ 153
____________________________________ 137
11. Colour for Registration Mark of Battery
5. Odisha to showcase its biodiversity _____ 138
Operated Vehicles _____________________ 153
6. Ban on Petcoke _____________________ 139
12. Operation ‘Madad’ __________________ 154
7. World’s largest 3D-printed reef installed in
13. Important terms related to Mughal
Maldives to help save corals _____________ 139
Administration- useful for Prelims ________ 154
8. Sustainable Development in Indian Himalayan
14. Indian Army Mountaineering Expedition to
Region ______________________________ 140
MT Kamet and MT Makalu ______________ 154
9. Commute-related pollution: Kolkata shines
15. Report on cleanliness of the country’s railway
among megacities _____________________ 141
stations ______________________________ 154
10. Cheetah reintroduction project _______ 142
16. Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman Award 155
11. Close watch on climate change ________ 143
17. World Congress of Philosophy _________ 155
12. NTCA to take over Corbett Tiger Reserve 144
18. Asian Games _______________________ 155
13. India’s National Redd+ Strategy _______ 144
19. Coloured stickers to indicate nature of fuel
Paper 3 Topic: Disaster management. ____ 145 ____________________________________ 155
1. National Disaster Response Force ______ 145 20. Maitree 2018 ______________________ 156
2. Telangana govt launches Disaster Response 21. Exercise Pitch Black _________________ 156
Force _______________________________ 146
22. HELINA ___________________________ 156
3. What is a ‘national disaster’? __________ 146
23. Decoding complex wheat genome _____ 156
Paper 3 Topic: Challenges to internal security
24. Panini Language lab in Mauritius ______ 156
through communication networks, role of media
25. What is lemons problem in economics? _ 156
and social networking sites in internal security
challenges, basics of cyber security. ______ 147 26. Kowsar ___________________________ 156
27. International Buddhist Conclave 2018 __ 157
1. National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
____________________________________ 147
2. Data localisation ____________________ 148
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28. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) becomes the first 31. Vostok-2018 (East-2018) _____________ 157
Indian company to cross ₹ 8 trillion market
32. Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and
capitalization _________________________ 157
Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC) ___ 158
29. India’s first biofuel-powered plane ____ 157
33. Nilgiri tahr _________________________ 158
30. Lakhwar Multipurpose Project ________ 157
34. ‘Call for Code’ initiative ______________ 158

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GS PAPER - I

Paper 1 Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from
ancient to modern times.
1. 11TH WORLD HINDI CONFERENCE
What to study?
• For Prelims and Mains: Key facts on World Hindi Conference and its significance.
• Context: 11th World Hindi Conference is being held at Mauritius.
• Theme: “Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti“.
About the conference:
• The event, held once in three years, is dedicated to Hindi language. It sees participation from Hindi scholars,
writers and laureates from different parts of the world who contribute to the language.
Key facts for Prelims:
• The decision to organize the 11th edition of the Conference in Mauritius was taken at the 10th World Hindi
Conference held in Bhopal, India in September 2015.
• The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur, India. Since then, ten such Conferences have
been held in different parts of the world.
• The MEA has also set up the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius. The main objective of the WHS is to
promote Hindi as an international language and further its cause for recognition at the United Nations as an
Official Language.
Sources: the hindu.

2. BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY (BNHS)
What to study?
• For Prelims and Mains: Brief overview of BNHS, about Chilika.
• Context: The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), one of India’s premier avian research institutes, has
started operating its first regional centre on the campus of Wetland Research and Training Centre near
Chilika Lake.
Key facts:
• With opening up its branch in Odisha, the BNHS would be
engaged in identifying the air route of the foreign birds
flocking the Chilika lake during winter, sample collection,
training related to bird census, publishing bird migration
atlas books, examining various diseases among the birds
and to review the condition of the Nalabana bird
sanctuary along with counting the birds.
About Chilika Lagoon:
• It is the largest coastal lagoon in India and the second largest lagoon in the world after The New Caledonian
barrier reef in New Caledonia.
• It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on the Indian sub-continent.
• It is one of the hotspot of biodiversity in the country, and some rare, vulnerable and endangered species listed
in the IUCN Red List of threatened Animals inhabit in the lagoon for atleast part of their life cycle.
• On account of its rich bio-diversity and ecological significance, Chilika was designated as the 1st “Ramsar Site”
of India.
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• The Nalaban Island within the lagoon is notified as a Bird Sanctuary under Wildlife (Protection) Act, the
National Wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs Committee of Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government
of India, have also identified the lagoon as a priority site for conservation and management.
• Chilika Lagoon lies in the districts of Puri, Khurda and Ganjam of Odisha State along the eastern coast of India.
It is well connected to the Chennai and Kolkata through National Highway No 5, and the Chennai Kolkata rail
line passes along the western bank of the Lagoon Balugaon, with Balugaon, Chilika and Rambha being the
main stations along the Western shoreline of the lagoon.
About BNHS:
• The Bombay Natural History Society, founded on 15 September 1883, is one of the largest non-governmental
organisations in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research.
• BNHS is the partner of BirdLife International in India. It has been designated as a ‘Scientific and Industrial
Research Organisation’ by the Department of Science and Technology.
• Logo: The BNHS logo is the great hornbill.
• Internet of Birds: IT consultancy firm Accenture and the Bombay Natural History Society have developed
Internet of Birds platform that identifies bird species found in India using Artificial Intelligence technology,
including machine learning and computer vision, from digital photos that are uploaded by the public.
Sources: the hindu.

3. HERITAGE CIRCUIT AND NORTH EAST CIRCUIT
What to study?
• For Prelims and Mains: Various circuits covered under Swadesh Dashan scheme and key features of the
scheme.
• Context: The Ministry of Tourism has sanctioned two new projects under Heritage and North East Circuits of
Swadesh Dashan Scheme for Rs. 164.95 Crores in Punjab and Tripura.
Heritage Circuit:
• Under Heritage Circuit in the state of Punjab, the project covers sites of Anandpur Sahib – Fatehgarh Sahib –
Chamkaur Sahib – Ferozpur – Amritsar – Khatkar Kalan – Kalanour – Patiala at the cost of Rs. 99.95 crores.
o The project includes development of Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar for Rs. 8 Crores, development of Tourist
Infrastructure and Heritage Path at Anandpur Sahib for Rs. 28.99 crores, development of Tourist
Infrastructure at Fatehgarh Sahib among others.
o The facilities being developed include Virtual Reality Shows (Jallianwala and Hussainiwala Border),
beautification and landscaping, interpretation centres, façade development, wayside amenities, parking,
CCTV and Wi-Fi facilities, Cafeterias, Open Air Theatre, drinking water facility etc.
North East Circuit:
• Under North East Circuit in Tripura, the sites of Surma Cherra- Unakoti- Jampui Hills- Gunabati-
Bhunaneshwari- Matabari- Neermahal- Boxanagar- Chotta khola- Pilak- Avangchaarra are covered with total
project cost of Rs. 65 Crores.
• The project envisaged infrastructural development of the sites with special emphasis on developing an
Interpretation Centre, Tourist Visitor Centres, Cafeteria, Last Mile Connectivity, Illumination of sites and
monuments, Wayside Amenities, Floating Jetties, Camping Grounds, Parking Facilities, Adventure Activities,
Ghat Development at above sites.
About Swadesh Darshan Scheme:
• The Tourism Ministry had launched ‘Swadesh Darshan’ scheme with an objective to develop theme-based
tourist circuits in the country. These tourist circuits will be developed on the principles of high tourist value,
competitiveness and sustainability in an integrated manner.
Features of Swadesh Darshan Scheme:
• The scheme is 100% centrally funded for the project components undertaken for public funding.
• To leverage the voluntary funding available for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)initiatives of Central
Public Sector Undertakings and corporate sector.
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