Enforcement Directorate

 Syllabus: GS Paper-2-Polity 

Why in News?

The Supreme Court of India has asked the ED Director to quit four months before his retirement. 

 Origin: 

 · It was originated in the year 1956 with the name Enforcement Unit with its headquarters in Delhi. 

 · It had two other branches in Bombay and Calcutta. 

 · It was renamed as Enforcement Directorate in the year 1957. 

 Functions: · It is mandated with investigation of offences of money laundering.

 · It deals with the violation of foreign exchange laws. 

 Ministry: · It works under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance.

 Headquarters: 

 · The headquarters of ED is located in New Delhi.

 · It even has 5 regional offices at Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Delhi.

 Structure:

 · It is headed by the Director of Enforcement. 

 · It has 10 zonal offices and 11 sub-Zonal Offices.

 · Each zonal office is headed by the Deputy Director. 

 · Whereas the sub-Zonal offices are headed by an Assistant Director. 

 Tenure: 

 · Two years

 · The tenure of Director can be extended from 2 years up to 5 years.

MGNREGA 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-2-Governance-Important Policies

Why in News? 

 About 50 million job cards of MGNREGA workers were deleted.

 Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act:

 · It was enacted on August 25, 2005.

· It provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment every year. 

 · The work will be provided to the adult member of any rural household. 

 · The wage for the work should be paid according to the statutory minimum wages specified under Minimum Wages Act, 1948. 

 · It works under the Ministry of Rural Development.

· Its main aim is to improve the purchasing power of the rural people.

 · According to the scheme, at least one-third beneficiaries should be women. 

 · Those who have applied for the work must get the work within 15 days. 

 · The adult member of the rural households should submit their name, age and address in the Gram Panchayat.

 · The employment should be provided within 5km of radius. 

 · If it is above 5km of radius, extra wages will be paid. 

 Eligibility:

 · He/she must be a citizen of India 

 · The job seeker must have completed 18 years of age.

· The job seeker must belong the same village from where he has employed. 

 Issues: 

 · Delay in funds

 · Insufficiency of funds

 · Ineffective role of Panchayats

 · Fake Job cards etc.

Kuno National Park 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Environment & Ecology 

 Why in News? 

 One more cheetah which was translocated to Kuno National Park has died

 Kuno National Park: · It lies in the Madhya Pradesh state with an area of 748 sq.km.

 · It was first created as wildlife sanctuary. 

 · Later it was designated to a National Park in 2018.

 · It was named after the Kuno river which flows through it. 

 · It is one of the major tributaries of Chambal river. 

 · Under the Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah in India Kuno National Park was chosen. 

 Reintroduction of Cheetahs:

· Reintroduction of species means releasing the species in an area where it is capable of surviving. 

 · Under this plan, 50 cheetahs will be introduced in the different National Parks. 

 · They will be introduced in a span of 5 years. 

 · This the first time in the world that a large carnivore is relocating from one continent to another. 

 · By February 2023, Twenty cheetahs were relocated from South Africa. 

 Cheetahs:

· It is fastest land animal in the world. 

 · Its historical range extends from sub-Saharan Africa and extends eastward to India.

 · It is the only large carnivore in India that became Extinct. 

 · It is due to the overhunting and habitat loss.

 · The last Cheetah had died in Chhattisgarh in 1947.

· The species was declared extinct in India in the year 1952.

Multidimensional Poverty Index 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Important Reports 

Why in News?

· About 415 million people have come out of multidimensional poverty in 15 years. 

 · The report mentions that 25 countries including India has halved their global MPI value. 

 Multidimensional Poverty Index: 

 · It was started in the year 2010. 

 · It is released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).

· It uses 10 indicators to measure the poverty.

 · It includes health, education and standard of living.

 Calculation: 

 · The people are identified as multidimensionally poor if their deprivation score is 1/3^rd or even higher.

· It calculates by multiplying the incidence and intensity of poverty.

 · The score of MPI ranges from 0 to 1. 

 · Higher the score higher the poverty. 

 UNDP: 

· It is UN global development network works in 170 countries. 

 · Its headquarters are located in New York city.

 · Its main aim is to eradicate poverty and reduce inequality. 

 · It aims to build democratic governance and rule of law. 

 · It connects countries to share knowledge, experience and resources. 

 Reports released by UNDP: 

 · Global Inequality Index

· Education Development Index 

 · Human Development Report.

Kher Puja

Syllabus: Prelims-Important Festivals 

Why in News? 

  Prime Minister of India greets the people of Tripura on the occasion of Kher Puja 

 About: 

· It is an important festival in the state of Tripura.

 · The people of Tripura observe the day to worship Kher, the deity of Vastu Devata.

 · It is generally observed at the end of Karachi Puja. 

 · Karachi Puja is conducted to worship the fourteen gods who had formed the dynasty deity of Tripura people.

 · The festival is celebrated for 2-3 days.

 · During this festival the entrances of the capital city of Tripura, Agartala will be closed. 

 · The participants should not wear shoes, dance, sing and even light a fire. 

 · The people should not make any loud noises during the festival. 

 · It is generally believed that by doing this festival the worshipping deity save people from natural calamities.

Guillain-Barre 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Science & Technology

Why in News? 

There is surge in the cases of Guillain-Bare in Peru. 

 Guillain-Barre:

· It is a rare autoimmune disorder

· In this disorder the immune system attacks the nerves of the patient. 

 · It even attacks the peripheral nervous system which includes brain and spinal cord.

 · It will lead to affect on limb functions.

 · It is not a contagious disease. 

 · It is common in the adults aged above 50 years. 

 Cause:

· The cause of the disease is still not known. 

 · But in most of the cases it is preceded by an infection.

 · The infection can be due to either bacteria or virus.

Symptoms:

· Itching sensation in the skin

 · Muscle weakness

 · Numbness

 · Paralysis etc. 

 Treatment: 

 · Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) helps in recovery patient. 

 · Sometimes Plasma therapy is also useful in the treatment.

INS Utkorsh 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Defence 

 Why in News? 

 The CDS general has inaugurates INS Utkorsh in Port Blair. 

 INS Utkorsh: 

· It is an Indian naval air station which is under the joint-services Andaman and Nicobar Command of the Indian Armed Forces. 

 Location: 

 · Port Blair, Andaman & Nicobar Islands. 

 Background:

· It was initially commissioned as INS Jarwa II. 

 · Later in the year 1985 it was commissioned as INS Utkorsh. 

 Importance:

· Its location helps in protecting the India’s maritime interests in Bay of Bengal.

 · It helps in undertaking humanitarian operations such as disaster relief and medical emergencies from the remote islands. 

 · The runway has the length of 11,000 feet.

· It handles the courier flights from Port Blair and civil flights to and from Port Blair 

 · It operates the D0-228 maritime patrol aircraft and a Search & Rescue flight.

 · Maritime patrol aircraft is designed to operate long durations in maritime patrol roles. 

 · Search and Rescue slight is provided to the survivors of aircraft accidents and aircrafts in distress.

 · The air traffic operations in the Port Blair are taken up by INS Utkorsh except the civilian terminal which is operated by the Airports Authority of India.

Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Important Awards 

Why in News?

The last date for the submission for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar has extended 

 About:

· It was initiated in the year 1979 with the name National Child Welfare Awards. 

 · It was renamed in the year 2018 as Bal Kalyan Puraskar. 

 Objective: 

 · Its main objective is to celebrate the energy, determination, zeal and enthusiasm of our children.

 Importance:

· These awards are announced on every December 26 on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas. 

 · Veer Bal Diwas is the tribute to the martyrdom of Guru Gobind Singh’s Son.

 · The awards will be presented by the President of India on January every year. 

 Eligibility:

· The Child must be citizen of India. 

 · He should not exceed 18 years of age.

 · The achievement should have been within the 2 years of the last date of receipt of application for the year of consideration.

 · The applicant should not be the previous recipient of the same award in any of the category. 

 Important Points: 

 · The award consists of Medal, Cash Prize of 1 lakh rupees, certificate and citation. 

 · The award is given in two categories. 

They are: 

 · Bal Shakti Puraskar- Exceptional achievements of children in various fields 

 · Bal Kalyan Puraskar-Recognition to individuals and institutions who made an outstanding contribution towards the service for children

Lambani Art 

 Syllabus: Prelims-Art & Culture 

 Why in News?

Lambani Art has achieved Guinness World Record for displaying 1755 lambani items during the 3^rd G20 Culture Working Group Meeting. 

 Lambani Art: 

 · It is a traditional artform practiced by the Lambani Community. 

 · The art and crafts are characterized by the vibrant colours, embroidery and mirror work. 

 · Kanguara patchwork is one of the important characteristic in the Lambani Art.

 · Lambani Art includes many products like:

 a) Clothes b) Textiles c) Home Décor Items d) Jewellery. Lambani 

Community:

· They are also known as Banjara community in the state of Karnataka.

· They are known for being the commercial nomads.

 · They are known by different names like: 

 a) Lambada or Lambadi in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

 b) Lambani and Banjaras in Karnataka.

  c) Gwar or Gwariya in the state of Rajasthan. 

 · Language-Gorboli or Brinjari

Questions

1.Consider the following statements regarding Enforcement Directorate:

 1. It was originated in the year 1956 with the name Enforcement Unit 

 2. It works under the Department of Economic Affairs. 

 3. It has regional offices in every state 

 How many of the above statements are correct? 

 a) Only One

 b) Only two

 c) Only three

 d) None

2.Consider the following statements regarding MGNREGA: 

 Statement-I: It was enacted in the year 2006. 

 Statement-II: It works under the Ministry of Rural Development 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

3.Consider the following statements regarding Cheetahs: 

 1. Under the Action Plan for Introduction of Cheetah 50 cheetahs will be introduced in the different National Parks 

 2. They will be introduced in a span of 3 years

 3. By February 2023, thirty cheetahs were relocated from South Africa 

 How many of the above statements are correct? 

 a) Only One 

 b) Only two 

 c) Only three

 d) None

4.Consider the following statements regarding MPI:

 Statement-I: It is released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI). 

 Statement-II: The score 0 indicates higher poverty. 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

5.Consider the following statements regarding Kher Puja:

 Statement-I: It is an important festival in the state of Arunachal Pradesh 

 Statement-II: It is generally observed at the end of Karachi Puja 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

6.Consider the following statements regarding Guillain-Barre Syndrome:

 Statement-I: It is a contagious disease which affects the nervous system. 

 Statement-II: It is common in the adults aged above 50 years. 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

7.Consider the following statements regarding INS Utkorsh: 

 Statement-I: It was initially commissioned as INS Jarwa II. 

 Statement-II: It is an Indian naval air station which is under the joint-services Lakshadweep Command of the Indian Armed Forces. 

 Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? 

 a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

 c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

 d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct.

8.Consider the following statements regarding PM Rahtriya Bal Puraskar:

 1. It was initiated in the year 1947 with the name National Child Welfare Awards 

 2. It was renamed in the year 2014 as Bal Kalyan Puraskar

 3. These awards are announced on every December 26 on the occasion of Veer Bal Diwas. 

 How many of the above statements are incorrect? 

 a) Only One 

 b) Only two 

 c) Only three 

 d) None

Comment the answers below.