MGNREGA 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-2-Governance-Important Policies 

 Why in News? 

 · Union Ministry of Rural Development has announced that it will introduce drones into service to monitor both the progress and quality of assets produced. 

 · According to a standard operating procedure recently issued by the Ministry, the drones will be used for four types of monitoring. They are: 1. Surveying the ongoing works 2. Inspecting the completed works 3. Impact assessment 4. Special inspection 

 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.

WHO

Syllabus: GS Paper-2-Important Organisations 

Why in News?

WHO Chief lauds India’s digital health initiative AYUSH 

 WHO: · WHO stands for World Health Organization 

 · It was established on 7^th April, 1948. · It is a specialized agency of the United Nations which is responsible for the international public health.

 · Its headquarters is located in Geneva, Switzerland

· It has 6 regional offices and also 150 field offices 

 · The main objective of the WHO is “the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible levels of health” 

 Functions:

 · It acts as the coordinating authority on international health work. · It maintains the effective collaborations with UN, specialized agencies, governmental health administrations etc. 

 · It assists governments to strengthen the health services.

 · It advances the work to eradicate epidemic and endemic diseases. 

 Governance:

 · Governance takes place through the World Health Assembly, which is the supreme decision-making body 

 · The Executive Board gives effect to the decisions and policies of the Health Assembly. · The Organization is headed by the Director-General, who is appointed by the Health Assembly on the nomination of the Executive Board. 

 Membership:

· WHO consists of 194 members. · A country will become the member of WHO after ratifying the treaty known as the Constitution of WHO. 

 Funding: · WHO is funded by the contributors from the member states and also outside donors.

Chandrayaan-3 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science & Technology 

 Why in News? 

 · After 34 days on board the Chandrayaan-3 spacecrafts, the propulsion module and the lander module have parted ways. 

 · They will now have their respective journeys 

 Chandrayaan Mission: 

 · It is the India’s lunar exploration programme.

 · It consists of robotic missions which aims to explore the Moon and its resources. Chandrayaan-1: 

 · It was launched in 2008 which was the India’s first lunar mission.

 · It is first to discover water on the Moon.

 · It involved an orbiter and impactor built by ISRO.

 · It was launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. 

 Chandrayaan-2: 

 · It was launched in 2019 by the Launch Vehicle MK-3. 

 · It involves a lander known as Vikram and the rover known as Pragyaan. 

 · It was India’s first to attempt a soft landing near the south pole of the Moon.

 Chandrayaan-3:

  · It is the India’s third moon mission.

 · It is the successor of Chandrayaan-2.

· It will be launched by the Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3)

· It will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space centre at Sriharikota.

· The mission will have three major modules. They are: 1) Propulsion Module 2) Lander Module 3) Rover

 · The Propulsion Module will carry the lander and rover till the 100 km lunar orbit.

 · The name of the Lander is Vikram named after the father of the Indian Space Programme 

 · It has the capability to soft land at a specified lunar site and deploy the Rover. 

 · The name of the Rover is Pragyan which mean Wisdom. 

 · It will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science & Technology 

 Why in News? 

ALS Patients and caregivers struggle with multiple issues related to disease 

 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis:

· It is a progressive brain disorder

 · It is characterized by the loss of motor neurons which controls skeletal muscles, leading to paralysis.

 · This disease is common among white males, and persons aged 60-69 years. 

 · The younger and older people can also develop this disease. 

 · Men are affected more when compared to women 

 Signs and Symptoms:

 · This disorder causes the muscle weakness.

 · Affected persons lose the ability to initiate and control all the voluntary movements.

 · Some people even develop dementia. 

 · Sensory nerves and the automatic nervous system are generally unaffected which indicates that the majority of people with ALS maintains hearing, sight, touch, smell and taste. 

 Early symptoms of ALS: · Muscle cramps and muscle twitching 

 · Weakness in hands, legs, feet or ankles

 · Difficulty in speaking or swallowing 

 Causes of ALS:

 · The cause of the ALS is not known.

 · Scientists generally believes that genetic mutations are involved.

 · They propose that ALS is a disorder with genetic, clinical and pathological overlap.

 Treatment: 

 · There is no cure for ALS. 

 · Treatment for ALS involves to relieve symptoms and improve the quality of life for individuals with disorder.

3D Printed Post Office 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science & Technology 

 Why in News? 

Prime Minister of India has hailed the India’s first 3D printed Post Office. 

 3D Printed Post Office:

 · It is located at Cambridge Layout in Ulsoor, Bangalore

· It is implemented by Larsen & Turbo which has experience in constructing 3D-printed buildings. · 

 It is a 1,100 square feet building

 · It is expected to cost 30-40% less than the conventional buildings because of the technological intervention 

 · It is built at a cost of 23 lakh rupees. 

 Importance:

· It may encourage the other government organization to explore the use of 3D printing technology in construction.

 · It paves the way for more innovation and costs savings in the public infrastructure. 

 3D-Printing: 

 · It is a process of making three-dimensional solid objects from a digital file. 

 · The 3D printed objects are created by using additive processes.

 · In this process, an object is created by laying down the successive layers of the material till the certain object is created 

 · These layers can be seen as a thinly sliced cross-section of the object. 

 · It enables you to create complex shapes by using less material than the traditional manufacturing methods.

STEREO 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science & Technology 

 Why in News? 

NASA’s STEREO-A spacecraft passed between the Sun and the Earth, marking the first Earth flyby of the nearly 17-year-old mission 

 STEREO: 

 · It stands for Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory. 

 · It was launched on 25^th October, 2006.

 · It was launched from Cape Canaveral. 

 · Its main objective is to provide a stereoscopic view of the Sun by enabling a multi-perspective understanding of solar phenomena. 

 · This mission consists of twin spacecraft. They are: 1. STEREO-A (Ahead) 2. STEREO-B (Behind) 

 · The STEREO-A’s recent approach has offered a unique opportunity for the scientific observations. 

 · It has combined its views with other spacecrafts which includes the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). 

 · This stereoscopic vision will enable the scientists to gain depth perception. · It will enable them to explore features like active regions and coronal loops in unprecedented detail. 

 · The passage of STEREO-A through the Earth’s vicinity will allow for an in-depth study of solar eruptions which are known as Coronal Mass Ejections (CME) which impacts the Earth’s technology. 

 Milestones:

 · In the year 2011, a significant milestone was achieved because both STEREO-A and STEREO-B has achieved a remarkable 180 degree separation in their orbits, which provided us the full sphere image of the Sun.

Microplastics 

 Syllabus: GS Paper-3-Science & Technology 

 Why in News? 

Microplastics have been found in the human heart for the first time. 

 Microplastics: 

 · Microplastics are those particles which are less than 5 millimetres.

 · They are generally divided into two types. They are: · Primary Microplastics are those which are directly designed for commercial purposes such as: 

 · Microbeads which are used in the products like scrub. 

 · Synthetic fibres such as nylon. · Nurdles which are made up of melted and moulded micro plastics to make larger plastic shapes.

 · Secondary Microplastics are those which are formed as large, original plastic pieces break down into millions of smaller pieces. 

 Effects: 

 · They initially affect the larger soil organisms.

 · Then they penetrate the entire food web.

 · They are found in the water bottles, food items such as honey, sea salt, tea etc.

 · Oceans and marine life have the major impact from microplastics. 

 · Human body’s excretory system can eliminate the micro plastics.

 · More than 90% of micro plastics can be disposed through faeces. 

 · However, some studies suggests that micro plastics with certain characteristics will impact the immune system. 

 · It may cause inflammation in intestines, tissues, necrosis etc.

Questions

1.Consider the following statements regarding MGNREGA:

 Statement-I: It provides a legal guarantee for one hundred days of employment every year 

 Statement-II: Those who have applied for the work must get the work within 30 days 

 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

2.Consider the following statements regarding WHO: 

 1. It was established on 7^th April, 1944. 

 2. Its headquarters is located in New York 

 3. The Executive Board is the supreme decision-making body

 How many of the above statements are correct? 

 a) Only One 

 b) Only two

 c) Only three 

 d) None

3.Consider the following statements regarding STEREO: 

 1. It was launched in the year 2004. 

 2. Its main objective is to provide a stereoscopic view of the Moon 

 3. This mission consists of twin spacecrafts 

 How many of the above statements are correct? 

 a) Only One

 b) Only two

 c) Only three 

 d) None