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What is a TRP? 1. Anyone watching television for more than a minute is considered a viewer. 2. The TRP or  Target Rating Point is the metric used by the marketing and advertising agencies to evaluate this viewership. Who records TRP in India?   1. The TRP is recorded by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) using Bar-O-Meters that are installed in televisions in selected households. 2. The BARC has installed these meters in 44,000 households across the country till date. How is the TRP calculated?   1. Audio watermarks are embedded in video content prior to broadcast. 2. These watermarks are not audible to the human ear, but can easily be detected and decoded using dedicated hardware and software. 3.  Viewing details and the watermarks are recorded by the Bar-O-Meters. How are the households selected? 1. A large-scale face-to-face survey of a sample of approximately 3 lakh households from the target population is done annually. 2. Out of these, the household...

What is an anti-radiation missile? Anti-radiation missiles are designed to detect, track and neutralise the adversary’s radar, communication assets and other radio frequency sources, which are generally part of their air defence systems. Such a missile’s navigation mechanism comprises an inertial navigation system — a computerised mechanism that uses changes in the object’s own position — coupled with GPS, which is satellite-based.

Privatization of Railways - Economic Development 1. Of the Rs 50 lakh crores planned to be infused for development of Indian railways, only a part can be financed through the Budget 2020 and the rest to be met by Private players. 2.  So, GoI (Government of India) decided to open some of the busiest passenger train routes to private players. Why are Private players required? 1. During normal times, demand for train seats is more than the supply. This leads to huge wait-lists, overcrowding of trains and loosing of business to other modes like road and air. 2. The Indian Railways (IR) passenger segment is a loss-making business as only 57% of cost is met through sale of tickets and the rest is cross-subsidized through freight operations. 3. There is stiff competition between passenger trains and freight trains on the overcrowded IR network. 4. The opening up of Dedicated Freight Corridor will easen the IR network for passenger train segments and will be an opportunity to engage privat...

1. T he current global scenario provides greater maneuverability for a ‘middle power’ like India. 2. As the US is not as assertive as it was in the past, many countries also started acting autonomously. Critical Analysis 1. As India was never a part of an alliance system, India maintained its strategic autonomy even in the post cold war era. 2. So, India is expected to take a more proactive stance on issues like terrorism, maritime security, connectivity and climate change. 3. India cannot be fully autonomous unless it becomes a self-sustaining economic power, not dependent on FDI and military supplies from other powers. 4. In the cold war era, India focussed more on the nation’s security and political interests damaging relations with the US and other powers. 5. But India moved closer to the US in the post-Cold War era due to large-scale privatization and globalization. 6. India should also be open to the inclusion of the European Indian ocean powers like France to be a part of the Qu...

शोधकर्ताओं ने पाया है कि SARS-CoV-2 का स्पाइक प्रोटीन एक मानव कोशिका से जुड़ने के बाद, अपने आप को मोड़ता है और एक कठोर हेयरपिन आकार ग्रहण करके अपना रूप बदलता है। शोधकर्ताओं का मानना ​​है कि यह ज्ञान टीका विकास में मदद कर सकता है। इसके बारे में:  • यह एक ऐसा प्रोटीन है जो कोरोनोवायरस की सतह से निकलता है, जैसे किसी मुकुट का स्पाइक या corona  - इसलिए इसका 'कोरोनावायरस' नाम है।  • SARS-CoV-2 कोरोनावायरस में, यह स्पाइक प्रोटीन है जो मानव कोशिका में संक्रमण की प्रक्रिया शुरू करता है।  • यह  एक मानव एंजाइम, ACE2 रिसेप्टर से जुडने के बाद कोशिका मे प्रवेश करता है और स्वयं की कई प्रतियाँ \कोपीस बनाता है।

केंद्र सरकार ने कश्मीर घाटी में उगाए गए केसर के लिए भौगोलिक संकेतक (जीआई) पंजीकरण का प्रमाण पत्र जारी किया है। इसके बारे में: यह क्या है? जीआई प्रमाणन विशिष्ट भौगोलिक उत्पत्ति स्थापित करता है और उत्पाद के कुछ विशिष्ट गुणों को प्रमाणित करता है और उन लोगों को सक्षम करता है जिनके पास साइन का उपयोग करने का अधिकार हो एवं तीसरे पक्ष को इसका इस्तेमाल करने से रोकता है। कश्मीर केसर के लिए फैसले का महत्व? जीआई टैग के साथ, कश्मीर केसर निर्यात बाजार में अधिक प्रमुखता हासिल करेगा और किसानों को बेहतर पारिश्रमिक मूल्य प्राप्त करने में मदद करेगा। यह कश्मीर केसर की व्यापक मिलावट को भी रोक देगा और इस तरह से प्रमाणित केसर के लिए बहुत बेहतर दाम मिलेगा।

भारत से पहली कंटेनर ट्रेन (एफएमसीजी उत्पादों और अन्य वस्तुओं को लेकर) 26 जुलाई, 2020 को बांग्लादेश के बेनापोल रेलवे स्टेशन पर पहुँच गई है। इस ट्रेन की यात्रा की शुरुआत 24 जुलाई, 2020 को कोलकाता के पास माझेरहाट स्टेशन से हुई थी। इसके बारे में: कंटेनर ट्रेन सेवा भारतीय रेलवे नेटवर्क के विभिन्न टर्मिनलों को बांग्लादेश के विभिन्न स्टेशनों से जोड़ने वाली एक नियमित सेवा होने जा रही है। पृष्ठभूमि: भारत से बांग्लादेश के लिए कंटेनर ट्रेनों की आवाजाही की सुविधा की प्रक्रिया 2017 में शुरू हुई, जब कंटेनर कॉरपोरेशन ऑफ इंडिया (सीओएनसीओआर) और बांग्लादेश कंटेनर कंपनी लिमिटेड द्वारा एक समझौता ज्ञापन पर हस्ताक्षर किए गए। इसके बाद अप्रैल 2018 में कोलकाता से बंगबंधु सेतु पश्चिम स्टेशन (बीबीडब्ल्यू) तक पहली कंटेनर ट्रेन का ट्रायल रन किया गया था।

मुद्रा स्वैप?  • स्वैप व्यवस्था में, एक देश एक विदेशी केंद्रीय बैंक को डॉलर प्रदान करता है, जो उसी लेन देन के समय के बाजार के विनिमय दर के आधार पर अपनी मुद्रा में  बराबर धनराशि पहले देश को प्रदान करता है।  • पार्टियां भविष्य में निर्दिष्ट तिथि पर अपनी दो मुद्राओं की समान मात्राओं को वापस स्वैप करने के लिए सहमत होती हैं, जो कि अगले दिन या दो साल बाद  भी हो सकती हैं।इसमे पहली लेन-देन के समय की समान विनिमय दर का उपयोग किया जाता है।  श्रीलंका के मामले में, यह दो साल से अधिक है।  • लाभ:   •ये स्वैप ऑपरेशन कोई विनिमय दर या अन्य बाजार जोखिम नहीं उठाते हैं, क्योंकि लेन-देन की शर्तें पहले से निर्धारित होती हैं।  विनिमय दर जोखिम की अनुपस्थिति इस तरह की सुविधा का प्रमुख लाभ है।  • यह सुविधा  डॉलर पाने वाले देश को लचीलेपन प्रदान करती है  कि किसी भी समय इस भंडार का उपयोग भुगतान का संतुलन या अल्पकालिक तरलता का उचित स्तर बनाए रखने के लिए किया जा सके।

1. Iran and China are close to concluding a 25-year strategic partnership. 2. This has generated considerable apprehensions in India. 3. Iran also has decided to undertake the construction of the Chabahar-Zahedan railway line on its own because of delays by India. Iran-China 1. Iran is a key source of energy supplies and a significant component of the Belt and Road Initiative of China. 2. Iran is also a lucrative market for its project exports and manufactures. 3. But similar to Indian projects, other projects including China’s are delayed in Iran due to US sanctions. 3. Even, Chinese purchases of Iranian oil have decreased substantially. 4. The overall bilateral trade between Iran and China fell. 5. In 2016, an ambitious target of $600-billion trade in 10 years was announced but it has not taken off. 6. Despite this, Iran’s interest in the 25-year strategic partnership with China is to safeguard itself from getting isolated in the global arena by the US. 7. Also, Iran is cautious of i...

1.The pharmaceutical industry in India is third largest in the world, in terms of volume, behind China and Italy, and fourteenth largest in terms of value. 2.It has a strong network of drug companies and manufacturing units with a domestic turnover of Rs 1.4 lakh crore in 2019, with exports to more than 200 countries. 3.Despite a very strong base, due to low-profit margins and non-lucrative industry, domestic pharmaceutical companies have gradually stopped manufacturing APIs and started importing APIs 4.APIs was a cheaper option with increased profit margins on drugs. 5.With the availability of cheaper APIs from China, the pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on imports. The imports from China have been increasing steadily and now stand around 68%. TIFAC Report 1.A report was brought out recently by Technology Information Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC), an autonomous organization under the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India. 2.To addre...

रोशनी नाडार-मल्होत्रा ने अपने पिता शिव नाडार की जगह एचसीएल की चेयरपर्सन के रूप में ली है। एचसीएल 9.9 बिलियन डॉलर की कंपनी है जिसकी स्थापना शिव नाडार ने 1976 में की थी। इसके बारे में: इसके साथ, वह एक सूचीबद्ध भारतीय आईटी सेवा कंपनी की पहली महिला चेयरपर्सन बन गई है। वह एचसीएल के संस्थापक शिव नाडार की एकमात्र संतान हैं। टीसीएस और इंफोसिस के बाद एचसीएल आज आईटी उद्योग में तीसरी सबसे बड़ी कंपनी है। शिव नाडार ने कैलकुलेटर और माइक्रोप्रोसेसर बनाने के लिए 44 साल पहले एचसीएल की स्थापना की थी।

How has China recovered? 1. While much of the global economies are impacted by the Covid-19, China’s GDP growth has recovered sharply. 2. This is a result of a bounceback in manufacturing output and a public spending boost. 3. China’s recovery points towards a V-shaped recovery – a sharp fall followed by an equally sharp recovery. 4. It has also effectively avoided a technical recession. Why is China’s recovery important? 1. The sharp recovery signals a major turnaround in the world’s second largest economy. 2. It also points to facts that a. The recovery in economic activity is directly linked to a country’s success in controlling the coronavirus spread b. The quality of policy support matters, even if the scale of spending is modest. 3. According to the IMF, China’s COVID-19 related support policies, amounted to just 2.5% of GDP, as compared to 11% for the US, over 20% for Japan, and 34% for Germany. 4. In China one-half of GDP is driven by consumption. 5. China focussed on maintaini...

1.  India expects Russia to be more involved in the Indo-Pacific and to look to its own interests in the region. 2. This will create a mutual basis for cooperation and dialogue. 3. Investments in Vietnam’s oil and gas sector is seen as one of the areas of cooperation as both India and Russia have planned to invest in this sector. 4. India also sees Russia as a very important Pacific power 5. Russia has an interest in the Indian Ocean and India has an interest in the Pacific Ocean. 6. As, Indo-Pacific is seen as a geographic continuum for cooperation and for certain principles, India wants Indo-Pacific region to be free and fair for everyone. 7. Russia views its engagement would create new divisions especially with respect to containment of China. 8. On the other hand, India neither views it as containment nor non-containment but as a positive construct that brings together countries on the basis of certain principles. South China sea 1. A stable Indo-Pacific assumes particular impo...

Global Supply Chains 1. The COVID 19 pandemic has disrupted the supply chains and countries are dependent on other countries for items of basic necessities including pharmaceuticals. 2. So, the nations should build supply chains inside the country. Where does it make an impact? 1. China has monopolized the world trade as more than 9 lakh companies are operating in China. So, during the pandemic i. The supply disrupted as manufacturing process stopped in China. ii. This has led to shortage of medicines, manufacturing, Infrastructure etc. across the world. 2. Every country would now move towards the protectionism, atleast in essential commodities like medicines, infrastructure etc. 3. As per WTO, global trade for 2020 will see a downfall ranging from 13% - 32%. 4. IMF has forecasted 3% economic slowdown that will surely jeopardize economic activities of many countries. 5. Idea of realigning towards self-sufficiency would be prioritized by the g...

1. The National Population Register (NPR) was approved by the Union Cabinet. 2. But NPR is being opposed as it is seen as the first step towards the National Register of Citizens (NRC). What are NPR and NRC? NPR 1. National Population Register (NPR) is a register of usual residents of the country, except Assam state as NRC was completed. 2. A usual resident is one who has been residing in a local area for at least the last six months or intends to stay in a particular location for the next six months. 3. NPR contains information collected at the local, subdistrict, district, state and national level under provisions of, a) Citizenship Act, 1955 b) Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. 4. The objective is to create a comprehensive identity database of every usual resident in the country. NRC 1. It is an official record of those who are legal Indian citizens. The register was first prepared after the 1951 Census of India. 2. ...

1. Supreme Court has used extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant the divorce in a case of ‘irretrievable breakdown of marriage’. 2. Currently, Hindu marriage law does not include ‘irretrievable breakdown of marriage’ as a ground for divorce. Extraordinary powers 1. Article 142 (1) states that the Supreme Court in the exercise of its jurisdiction may pass necessary order for doing complete justice in any pending matter. 2. Such passed order would be enforceable throughout the territory of India having the effect of parliamentary law until provision on that matter is made. 3. The article entrusts ultimate power in the Supreme Court for ensuring ‘complete justice’. This power is usually used in cases involving human rights and environmental protection. Ground for divorce 1. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 lays down the law for divorce which applies to Hindus, Buddhists, Jains, and Sikhs. 2. Under Section 13 of the Act, t...

इकोनॉमिस्ट इंटेलिजेंस यूनिट ने हाल ही में ‘सेफ सिटीज इंडेक्स’ जारी किया है, इस सूचकांक में टोक्यो पहले स्थान पर है। इस सूचकांक में 60 देशों के शहरों को शामिल किया गया है, इसम...

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) clarified that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh continues to have Z plus security cover, after the withdrawal of Special Protection Group (SPG) from his security. Around 35 CRPF commandos will provide round-the-clock security to him under the changed set-up. About: In India, Government of India provides security to some high-risk individuals by the police and local government. Individuals under this security blanket include the President, Vice-President, Prime-Minister, Supreme Court and High Court Judges, Service Chiefs of Indian Armed Forces, Governors of State, Chief Ministers and Cabinet Ministers. Categories of security: Special Protection Group (SPG) category: Strength of security detail is Classified (only provided to the current and former Prime Ministers of India and their immediate family members.) Z+ category: It has a security cover of 55 personnel (Including 10+ NSG Commando) + (Police Personnel) Z category: It ha...

RBI has decided to transfer a sum of ₹1.7 Lakh crore to the Government of India – comprising of ₹1.2 Lakh crore of surplus for the year 2018-19 and ₹52,637 crore of excess provisions identified as per the revised Economic Capital Framework (ECF) adopted – to address the fiscal situation of the government to a great extent. About:  Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had constituted an “Expert Committee to Review the Extant Economic Capital Framework of the RBI” under the Chairmanship of Dr. Bimal Jalan. Major recommendations of the Committee with regard to risk provisioning and surplus distribution are as follows: RBI’s economic capital: A clearer distinction between the two components of economic capital (realized equity and revaluation balances) was recommended. Realized equity could be used for meeting all risks/ losses as they were primarily built up from retained earnings. Revaluation balances could be reckoned only as risk b...

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) handed over the design of Mobile Metallic Ramp (MMR) to the Indian Army. About: The MMR has been designed and developed by DRDO’s premier research laboratory, Centre for Fire, Explosive and Environment Safety (CFEES). With load bearing capacity of 70 metric ton (MT), MMR will provide the strategic mobility for Armoured and Mechanized units and formations of the Army. It is portable, modular in design, which can be easily assembled or disassembled.