Finder

• The Act is an extension of the Vishaka Guidelines issued by the Supreme Court in Vishaka and others v. State of Rajasthan, 1997. 

• The Supreme Court of India, for the first time, recognized sexual harassment at the workplace as a violation of human rights. 

• The 2013 Act is designed to ensure women's right to workplace equality, free from sexual harassment.

• By focusing on three key elements: prohibition, prevention, and redressal.

Key Provisions

• Definition of Sexual Harassment: The Act clearly defines sexual harassment as unwelcome sexually charged behavior that creates a hostile or intimidating work environment.
  
  

• Applicability: The Act applies to all workplaces, including government, private, and non-governmental organisations, as well as any institution, undertaking, or establishment.
  
  

• Internal Committee (IC): The Act mandates that every workplace with more than ten employees must establish an Internal Complaints Committee (IC). 

• Responsible for addressing complaints of sexual harassment and ensuring a safe working environment.
  
  

• Local Committee (LC): For workplaces without an IC, such as those with fewer than ten employees, a district officer must establish a Local Committee to handle complaints.

• Complaint Procedure: The Act outlines a detailed procedure for filing complaints, conducting inquiries, and resolving cases of sexual harassment. 

• Ensures confidentiality and the timely resolution of complaints.
  
  

• Penalties: If found guilty of sexual harassment, penalties under the Act may include a fine or termination of employment, depending on the severity of the offense.

• The 2+2 dialogues involve the participation of high-level representatives, typically the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, from two nations.

• It aims to expand the scope of dialogue and collaboration between these countries.

• It enables comprehensive discussions on strategic concerns, mutual sensitivities, and political factors.

• India has 2+2 dialogues with the following countries:

• United States: This is the oldest and most comprehensive 2+2 partnership India has.

• Australia: As part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD), India has a 2+2 with Australia.

• Japan: Another QUAD member, India also has a 2+2 dialogue with Japan.

• Russia: India maintains a strong strategic partnership with Russia, including a 2+2 format.

• Brazil: India and Brazil held their first-ever 2+2 dialogue in 2023, signifying growing cooperation between the two countries.

• United Kingdom: India and the UK held their inaugural 2+2 Foreign and Defence Dialogue in October 2023.

• The Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 provides for the compulsory registration of births and death.

• CRS is the process of continuous, permanent, compulsory and universal recording of births and deaths(including stillbirth) in the country.

• The CRS falls under the Concurrent list of the Constitution of India.

• The Registrar General, India (RGI) at the Central Government level coordinates and unifies the activities of registration throughout the country.

• However, the implementation of the statute is vested with the State Governments.

• India recently carried out a “successful” maiden flight test of long-range glide bomb (LRGB) Gaurav from a Su-30 MK-I fighter jet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).

• A glide bomb, or stand-off bomb, is a type of weapon that uses aerodynamic surfaces (like wings) to extend its range and accuracy compared to a traditional gravity bomb.

• Key Features:

• Long Range: Capable of hitting targets at long distances over 100km, enhancing the IAF's standoff capability.

• High Accuracy: Equipped with a hybrid navigation system for pinpoint accuracy.

• Large Payload: A 1000 kg class bomb, carrying a substantial warhead.

• Platform Integration: Designed to be launched from the Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft.

• Detection: Unlike traditional free-fall bombs, Gaurav can glide towards its target, making it harder to detect and intercept.

• Gaurav has been designed and developed indigenously by the Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad

• RCI is a DRDO laboratory responsible for research and development of Missile Systems, Guided Weapons and advanced Avionics for Indian Armed Forces.

• Gautham is another glide bomb under testing, which can glide 30 km without a wing. It can go up to a maximum height of 10 km.

• Assisted Reproductive Technology is  defined as all techniques used to obtain a pregnancy by handling the sperm or egg cell outside the human body and transferring the embryo into the woman’s reproductive tract.

• These include sperm donation, in-vitro-fertilisation (IVF) (where the sperm is fertilised in a lab), and gestational surrogacy (child is not biologically related to surrogate).

Assisted Reproductive Technology (Regulation) Act 2021

• It is a significant legislation in India that aims to regulate and supervise assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics and banks passed in 2021.

• It seeks to prevent misuse, ensure safe and ethical practices, and address issues related to reproductive health.

Key Provisions

• The Act defines ART comprehensively, encompassing various techniques like in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), gamete donation, and embryo transfer.

• All ART clinics and banks must be registered with the National Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Registry.

• The Act establishes National and State Boards to oversee the implementation and regulation of ART services.

• It protects the rights of both gamete donors and recipients, ensuring confidentiality and ethical practices.

• It specifies penalties for violations, including illegal practices and exploitation.

• Tidal friction is the force caused by the Moon's gravity pulling on Earth's oceans. 

• This creates a bulge in the water, which lags behind the Moon due to Earth's rotation. 

• This friction slows Earth's rotation and pushes the Moon away, about 3 cm per year. 

• Over millions of years, Earth's day will lengthen, and it might eventually always show the same face to the Moon.

• The Moon already shows the same face to Earth due to past tidal friction, a phenomenon known as tidal locking. 

• George Darwin, son of Charles Darwin, first mathematically developed the theory of tidal friction and tidal locking in 1879.

• The Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 2004 to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens via ships' ballast water.

• It came into force on 8 September 2017

• Key Guidelines:

• Ballast Water Management Plan (BWMP): Ships must have an approved plan for managing ballast water and sediments.

• Ballast Water Exchange (Regulation D-1): Ships must exchange ballast water in open ocean areas.

• Ballast Water Performance Standard (Regulation D-2): Ships must treat ballast water to meet specific biological standards.

• Sediment Management: Proper management and disposal of ballast tank sediments are required.

• Record Keeping: Ships must maintain a record book for all ballast water operations.

• Certification: Ships need regular surveys and an International Ballast Water Management Certificate to confirm compliance.

• IHDS is a comprehensive, nationally representative panel survey that tracks the socio-economic conditions of Indian households.

• It aims to document changes in the lives of Indian households during a period of rapid transformation.

• Conducted in 1503 villages and 971 urban neighbourhoods across India, IHDS provides crucial data on various aspects such as health, education, employment, economic status, marriage, fertility, gender relations, and social capital.

• The survey is a collaborative effort between the National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), New Delhi, and the University of Maryland.

• The National Council of Applied Economic Research (NCAER), established in 1956 as a public-private partnership, is a leading economic research institution in India.

• Remote sensing is the process of collecting data about an object or location without making physical contact with it. 

• It's a type of geospatial technology that uses aircraft-based and satellite-based sensors to detect and monitor the physical characteristics of an area by measuring its reflected and emitted radiation at a distance.

• There are mainly two types of sensors used, which are as mentioned below:

• Active remote sensing utilises an artificial source of radiation as an investigation, and the resulting signal, which scatters back to the sensor, is recorded. Example: Radar & Lidar 

• Passive remote sensing systems measure energy that is naturally available and are called passive sensors. It depends  on solar radiation as its source of energy, which can be seen in multispectral, and hyperspectral sensors.

• Application of Remote Sensing: Natural hazard assessment, Mineral exploration,Sea surface temperature monitoring, Early warning systems,Crop monitoring and Pollution monitoring,etc. 

National Remote Sensing Day

• National Remote Sensing Day is celebrated in India every year on August 12th to honour the birth anniversary of Prof. Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space program.

• It is dedicated to acknowledging the significant contributions of remote sensing technology to various fields like agriculture, disaster management, environmental monitoring, and urban planning.

• National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is a ranking methodology adopted by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to rank institutions of higher education in India.

• It was approved by the former Ministry of Human Resource Development (now the Ministry of Education) and launched in 2015.

• While participation in the NIRF was initially voluntary, it became mandatory in 2018 for all government-run educational institutions.

• NIRF ranks the best institutions across 13 categories: overall national ranking, universities, engineering, college, medical, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, dental and research, innovation and agriculture & allied Sectors.

• The NIRF assisted institutions in gaining a better understanding of their annual performance as well as their competitors and peer performers.

Highlights of NIRF Rankings 2024

• IIT-Madras is the best institute in India.

• IISc Bengaluru is the top university followed by JNU New Delhi and JMI New Delhi in the second and third positions respectively.

• The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) has been ranked as the best management institute for the fifth consecutive year in the NIRF India Rankings 2024.