PRE-Cure 2020

1. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 1

Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple Tiruchirapalli Srirangam Ranganathaswamy Temple, Tiruchirapalli In news: Won the UNESCO Award of Merit Awarded by UNESCO Asia Pacific region for the reconstruction activities undertaken in temple without affecting its traditional splendour About the Temple: A temple at Srirangam is mentioned in Tamil literature of the Sangam era (1st to the 4th century CE), including…

2. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 1

BIMSTEC The leaders of the member states of BIMSTEC were invited to the swearing ceremony of PM-Narendra Modi. It was regarded as a key aspectofIndia’s‘neighbourhoodfirst’and‘ActEast’policy. Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation is what BIMSTEC stands for. Comprising of seven member states, it is a regional organization. India along with Bangladesh, Bhutan,…

3. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 1

DIGHI PORT The port is located on the bank of Rajpuri creek, in the Raigad District of Maharashtra. The unique feature of the port is its ideal location within a natural harbor and exclusive channel offering a depth of 14.5 m, making it one the deepest port of Maharashtra. Dighi Port is the first Greenfield…

4. PRECURE – Environment – WEEK – 1

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY (WED) World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated on 5th June every year. World Environment Day is the United Nations day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. Since it began in 1974, the event has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in…

5. PRECURE – SCI & TECH – WEEK – 1

Nipah Virus In 2018, Kerala witnessed its first outbreak of the Nipah virus Nipah is a zoonotic disease A disease transmitted from animals to humans Virus belongs to a new genus termed Henipavirus About the Virus It is a fragile virus It may survive in the environment for several hours up to a couple of…

6. PRECURE – GEO – WEEK – 1

GEO-POLITICS QUADILATERAL MEET Quadrilateral meet among India, Japan, Australia and the United States ➢ Bangkok, Thailand. THE QUAD GROUP: The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD, also known as the Quad) is an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia and India that is maintained by talks between member countries. The dialogue was initiated in…

7. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 2

Losar Bahubali Khaju Losar • Losar is characterized especially by dancing, music, and a general spirit of merrymaking. • The celebrations are an amalgamation of ancient rituals, staged dance dramas, the dance of the Ibex deer and lots of music, dance, and revelry for the people. • Houses are decorated with good-luck signs. • Prayer…

8. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 2

Recognition of Parties in India: • Last week, Meghalaya’s National People’s Party led by Conrad Sangma was recognised as a “national party”. The NPP is the eighth party to get that recognition — after Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP, CPI, CPI(M) and Trinamool Congres— and the first from the Northeast. • The Election Commission lists political…

9. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 2

GDP-PPP Big Mac Index The Big Mac Index is published by The Economist as an informal way of measuring the purchasing power parity (PPP) between two currencies and provides a test of the extent to which market exchange rates result in goods costing the same in different countries. Sugar production Uttar Pradesh is the highest sugarcane producing…

10. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 2

Asiatic Golden Cat The Asiatic golden cat (Catopuma temminckii) is listed as near threatened on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of threatened species. It is found across eastern Nepal through north-eastern India to Indonesia. Golden is no longer the only colour the elusive Asiatic golden cat can be associated with. Its…

11. PRECURE – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – WEEK – 2

Table of Contents Hong Kong Protests BIMSTEC Shanghai Cooperation Organisation ASEAN+3 Hong Kong Protests As a result, Hong Kong has its own legal system and borders, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech are protected The Chinese government said in 2014 it would allow voters to choose their leaders from a list approved…

12. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 2

GEOMORPHOLOGY PACIFIC RING OF FIRE ➢ Mount Sinabung volcano ➢ Sumatra Island, Indonesia. RING OF FIRE: ➢ Ring of Fire is a major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur. ➢ The Ring of Fire is sometimes called the circum-Pacific belt. ➢ About 90% of the world’s…

13. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 3

Jagannath Temple and Mithila Paintings

14. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 3

Speaker and Pro-Tem Speaker in Lok Sabha: • The Speaker of the Lok Sabha is the presiding officer of the Lok Sabha. The speaker is elected generally in the very first meeting of the Lok Sabha following general elections. • Serving for a term of five years, the speaker is chosen from sitting members of…

15. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 3

WTO – Subsidies India has submitted a new proposal to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), suggesting that developing countries and the least developed countries (LDCs) should be exempted from prohibitions for granting certain fisheries subsidies if the fishing occurs within waters under a country’s own authority. At the Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires in December…

16. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 3

INDEX  India to host UN meet on land degradation in September  The United Kingdom (UK) is on track to become the first G7 country to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050.  Environment and energy ministers meet of the Group of 20 major economies  REN21’s Renewable 2019 Global Status Report (GSR)…

17. PRECURE – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – WEEK – 3

Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) •It is an intergovernmental forum for enhancing cooperation towards promoting peace, security, and stability in Asia •It is a forum based on the recognition that there is a close link between peace, security, and stability in Asia and in the rest of the world •It pursues…

18. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 3

ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY: GI TAG ➢ Kolhapuri chappal ➢ jointly received by Karnataka and Maharashtra GI TAG ➢ A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on products which correspond to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g. a town, region, or country). ➢ The use of a geographical indication, as a type of…

19. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 4

20. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 4

21. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 4

22. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 4

INDEX • US EPA scraps Obama-era plan limiting coal emissions • Bihar bans tree-felling • Ozone pollution in Delhi worse this summer than last: CSE • Among the world’s worst polluters, ASEAN vows to tackle ocean waste • Device to trap ocean plastic waste relaunches • Indian temple helps nurture ‘extinct’ turtle back to life…

23. PRECURE – SCI & TECH – WEEK – 4

Astrobee •It is a free-flying robot system that will help researchers test new technologies in zero gravity and perform routine work alongside astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) ✓They can move in any direction and turn on any axis in space ✓Astrobee system consists of three cubed-shaped robots, software and a docking station used…

24. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 5

Bhakti Movement Bhakti It is derived from the Sanskrit root word Bhaja whose literal meaning is ‗to utter‘. The significance of the word Bhaja is ‗to adore‘ or ‗to love with honour‘. In the devotional literature the word is used to mean ‗unquestionable faith and utter devotion to God‘. Thus in a general sense Bhakti…

25. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 5

Leader of Opposition: The Congress has demanded the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha both as the second largest party in the Lok Sabha and as leader of the United Progressive Alliance which had 92 seats. Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest party that has not less than a…

26. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 5

INDEX 316 out of 651 protected areas under final ESZ notification: Environment Ministry MOSAiC mission Alarm sounded over the shrinking of frigid zones Winged wonder: Tamil Yeoman declared state butterfly of Tamil Nadu Jal Shakti Abhiyan 316 out of 651 protected areas under final ESZ notification: Environment Ministry Over 30% of India‘s protected area has…

27. PRECURE – SCI & TECH – WEEK – 5

International Pulsar Timing Array Context Pune-based National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) hosted the ﬁve-day annual International Pulsar Timing Array (IPTA) meet in June o The meet is a collaboration of radio astronomers from a dozen countries across the globe Upgrade of the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) in Pune and the Ooty Radio Telescope…

28. PRECURE -GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 5

INFRA: NATIONAL GRID Water Grids One Nation, One Grid What is National Water Grid? The National Water Grid is a large scale engineering proposal for the management of water resources in India by the interlinking of the Indian rivers through networks of reservoir and canals. The idea is to divert excess water from surplus regions…

29. PRECURE -POLITY – WEEK – 6

Foreigners Tribunals: Foreigners‘ Tribunals are a key player in the exercise to identify illegal immigrants in Assam, and in focus now ahead of the July 15 publication of the final National Register of Citizens (NRC). The Foreigners‘ Tribunals — 100 existing and 200 more to be functional by September 1 — are quasi-judicial bodies meant…

30. PRECURE -ECONOMY- WEEK – 6

INDEX Utkarsh 2022 Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS) SEBI gets teeth to probe new-age cases Govt widens RBI‘s scope in bid to change narrative on regulator‘s autonomy Women Startup Summit 2019 Farmer earnings skewed across States, show data US drags India to WTO Basel finds some RBI large exposure rules stricter than required NHAI…

31. PRECURE -ENVIRONMENT- WEEK – 6

INDEX Environment Ministry plans to use immunocontraceptives for wildlife population management Honour for ‗Plan Bee‘ that helped save jumbos Bengal port records country‘s highest sea level rise in 50 years India‘s first elephant rehabilitation centre in the works at Kerala‘s Kottoor A Japanese touch to Telangana green drive  CPCB pulls up 52 firms over handling…

32. PRECURE -INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS & SCIENCE & TECH- WEEK – 6

33. PRECURE -GEOGRAPHY- WEEK – 6

34. PRECURE – HISTORY- WEEK – 7

Bhakti Movement –Part II: Origin Originated inSouth India, during the seventh to eighth century C.E., spread northwards from Tamil Nadu throughKarnatakaand gained wide acceptance in fifteenthcenturyBengalandnorthern India. Started with the SaivaNayanarsand the VaisnavaAlvars, who lived between 5th and 9th century C.E. Their efforts ultimately helped spreadbhaktipoetry and ideas throughout India by the 12th–18th century CE….

35. PRECURE – POLITY- WEEK – 7

36. PRECURE – ECONOMY- WEEK – 7

37. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT- WEEK – 7

38. PRECURE – SCI & TECH – WEEK – 7

39. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 7

40. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 8

41. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 8

Whip • The Ofﬁce of Whip is a purely British Institution. The Whips are not ofﬁcially recognised in the standing orders of the House of Commons or the House of Lords. but long tradition has given them a secure place in the parliamentary machine • According to Dr. Radha Kumud Mookerji the working of Buddhist…

42. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 8

Sugar Buffer Stock What Centre to create a Sugar Buffer Stock 4 million tonnes Why – Bumper domestic production – Pending sugarcane arrears of more than ₹ 15,000 crore The buffer stock will help maintain demand-supply balance and to stabilise sugar prices. Approved in the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) (headed…

43. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 8

INDEX Large-scale burning of grasslands detrimental to invertebrates: study Sarus Cranes Order to cull Himachal Pradesh’s ‘Vermin’ monkeys draws activists’ ire Researchers discover new tree species in Tanzania mountains Madhya Pradesh government to declare Ratapani sanctuary a tiger reserve Stubble Cutting Machines LARGE-SCALE BURNING OF GRASSLANDS DETRIMENTAL TO INVERTEBRATES: STUDY A recent study on “prescribed…

44. PRECURE – SCI & TECH – WEEK – 8

Public Health Emergency of International Concern WHO has declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) • Some serious public health events that endanger international public health may be determined under the Regulations to be public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC)…

45. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 9

46. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 9

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019: The Parliament passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 that makes all declaration of talaq, including in written or electronic form, to be void (i.e. not enforceable in law) and illegal. It defines talaq as talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form…

47. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 9

Amendments in the Companies Act Intended to bring: More discipline in the compliance of Corporate Social Responsibility De-clogging the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) Ease of doing business for small, medium, and large companies CSR Carrying forward the unspent corporate social responsibility (CSR) amount to a special account to be spent within three financial years….

48. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 9

INDEX Tiger Census Komodo Dragon Earth Overshoot Day Kerala – Elephants TIGER CENSUS – INTRODUCTION In 2010, at the Tiger Summit of St. Petersburg, world leaders committed to doubling tiger numbers by 2022. The tiger population of India is the largest for any country, accounting for >80% of the Global population of 3,159 adult free-ranging…

49. PRECURE – SCI & TECH – WEEK – 9

Public Health Emergency of International Concern WHO has declared the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) • Some serious public health events that endanger international public health may be determined under the Regulations to be public health emergencies of international concern (PHEIC)…

50. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 9

INDUSTRY SILK SAMAGRA SCHEME The scheme is being implemented by the Central Silk Board (CSB).= It focuses on improving the quality and productivity of domestic silk thereby reducing the country’s dependence on imported silk. It comprises the following four components: • Research & Development, Training, Transfer of Technology and I.T. Initiatives • Seed Organizations •…

51. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 10

Bhakti Saints – Part II Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486—1534): About: • Chaitanya also known as Sri Gauranga, was a popular Vaishnava saint and reformer from Bengal. • At the age of 25 he took to monastic life at the feet of Kesava Bharti. Some time later he went to Puri, where many disciples gathered round him….

52. PRECURE – POLITY – WEEK – 10

Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah, introduced two bills and two resolutions regarding Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in Lok Sabha on August 6, 2019. These are as follows: 1. Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 2019 {Ref. Article 370(1) of Constitution of India} – issued by President of India to supersede the…

53. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 10

GEOPOLITICS: INTERMEDIATE-RANGE NUCLEAR FORCES (INF) TREATY The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was an arms control treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union (and its successor state, the Russian Federation). U.S. President Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev signed the treaty on 8 December 1987. The United States Senate approved the treaty…

54. PRECURE – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – WEEK – 10

UNRWA • United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is a relief and human development agency which supports more than 5 million registered Palestinian refugees, and their patrilineal descendants, who ﬂed or were expelled from their homes during the 1948 Palestine war as well as those who ﬂed…

55. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 11

KISAN URJA SURAKSHA EVAM UTTHAAN MAHABHIYAN The Central Government has announced the Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan or KUSUM scheme which aims at furthering the production of solar power in India and also give the benefits of solar farming to farmers. KUSUM SCHEME DETAILS The Ministry responsible for this scheme is the New and…

56. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 11

SCED (Security Constrained Economic Dispatch) Power generating companies raise capacity utilisation of more efficient plants or of those units which are located closer to coal mines and thus have lower freight cost. As a result, the cost of power production goes down. It benefits both the distribution companies (discoms) and end consumers. The mechanism then…

57. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 11

INDEX World Biofuel Day Northeast Crowds List of States with Most Dense Tree, Forest Cover More Than Half of Forest Wildlife Declined since 1970: WWF India to Seek Boost to Protection Status of 5 Species at CITES Centre Unveils Plan for Coastal Zone Management Army vehicles to be exempted from BS-VI norms Global Coalition to…

58. PRECURE – SCI & TECH (DEFENCE) – WEEK – 11

Chief of Defence Staff PM Modi announced the creation of the post of CDS to provide “effective leadership at the top level” to the three wings of the armed forces, and to help improve coordination among them CDS is a high military ofﬁce that • oversees and coordinates the working of the three Services, and…

59. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 12

KHADI AND VILLAGE INDUSTRIES COMMISSION (KVIC) The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body formed by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, ‘Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956’. It is an apex organisation under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and…

60. PRECURE – POLITY & GOVERNANCE – WEEK – 12

National Digital Health Blueprint report: In order to fulfil the vision of National Health Policy 2017, the Committee constituted by the Health Ministry to create an implementation framework for the National Health Stack (NHS), has come up with the National Digital Health Blueprint after surveying the global best practices in adoption of digital technologies holistically….

61. PRECURE – INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – WEEK – 12

G7 • G7 (or Group of Seven) is an organisation made up of the world’s seven largest so-called advanced economies: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States • The group regards itself as “a community of values”, with freedom and human rights, democracy and the rule of law, and prosperity…

62. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 12

TRAFFIC REPORT • India, with the world’s largest wild tiger population, topped in the trafficking of tigers and tiger body parts over 19 years since 2000, a new TRAFFIC analysis from Geneva has revealed. The report titled ‘Skin and Bones Unresolved: An Analysis of Tiger Seizures from 2000-2018’ was the fourth in a series on…

63. PRECURE – ECONOMY – WEEK – 12

RIL-Aramco Deal Reliance Industries (RIL) decision to sell a 20 per cent stake in its refining and petrochemicals business to Saudi Aramco. Saudi Aramco is among the largest oil producers in the world. It will supply around 500,000 barrels per day, or 25 million tonnes per annum, of crude oil to RIL’s twin refineries at…

64. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 13

RESOURCES: COMPOSITE WATER MANAGEMENT INDEX (CWMI) The National Institute for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog has developed the Composite Water Management Index (CWMI) to enable effective water management in Indian states in the face of extreme water stress. The Index and this associated report are expected to: (1) establish a clear baseline and benchmark for state-level…

65. PRECURE – POLITY & GOVERNANCE – WEEK – 13

NISHTHA: • The Union Ministry for HRD launched the National Mission to improve Learning Outcomes at the Elementary level- NISHTHA, National Initiative for School Heads and Teachers Holistic Advancement. The Programme comes with NISHTHA Website, Training Modules, Primer Booklet and a Mobile App. This is the largest teachers’ training programme of its kind in the…

66. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 13

INDIA TO REJUVENATE 50,000 HECTARES OF DEGRADED LAND • India had committed to rejuvenate 50 lakh hectares (5 million) of degraded land between 2021 and 2030. • India faces a severe problem of land degradation, or soil becoming unfit for cultivation. • About 29% or about 96.4 million hectares are considered degraded. • 5 million…

67. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 14

GEOPOLITICS: RCEP: The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and its six FTA partners (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand). RCEP negotiations…

68. PRECURE – GOVERNANCE & POLITY – WEEK – 14

One Stop Solution to Verify & Authenticate Voter Details: • On the occasion of the nationwide mega million launch of Electors Verification Programme, a special camp was held at Election Commission of India Headquarters in New Delhi on September 1, 2019 where there was unveiling of the initiative on National Voters’ Service Portal (https://www.nvsp.in/) and…

69. PRECURE – ENVIRONMENT – WEEK – 14

GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP A MASTER PLAN FOR TIGERS AT HIGH ALTITUDE Union Environment Minister has released recently, a report on Status of Tiger Habitats in high altitude ecosystems. The reveals that ecology at high altitude is compatible for the tiger growth and the inputs from this study can be used to prepare a high altitude…

70. PRECURE – GEOGRAPHY – WEEK – 15

PRADHAN MANTRI UJJWALA YOJANA (PMUY) Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas Tagline : Swachh Indhan, Behtar Jeevan The PMUY is a scheme to provide LPG (liquid petroleum gas) to households below the poverty line. This is to have universal coverage of cooking gas in the country. The chief aim of this scheme to protect the…

71. PRECURE – HISTORY – WEEK – 15

Tulsidas (1532 – 1623 C.E.) Tulsidas was a great poet, a Vaishnava saint and a devotee of Rama. To Tulsidas, Rama was a personal and supreme God, who had feeling of compassion for the humanity which suffered. He is best known for his retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayana in the epic Ram Charit Manas in…

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