Prashant Mavani, is an expert in current affairs analysis and holds a MSc in Management from University of Surrey (U.K.).

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1 Prashant Mavani, is an expert in current affairs analysis and holds a MSc in Management from University of Surrey (U.K.). Above all he is a passionate teacher.

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5 Less than 12 months after the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code came into force Goal of easing the resolution of corporate insolvency Central government has passed an ordinance that significantly amends the original law The aim of the changes:...to strengthen further the insolvency resolution process, it has been considered necessary to provide for prohibition of certain persons from submitting a resolution plan, who, on account of their antecedents, may adversely impact the credibility of the processes. The category of people barred is too broad and risks the very objectives of the original code. IBC is not intended to serve as a mere instrument of liquidation Instead, it is to provide an enabling legal framework for the reorganisation and insolvency resolution of corporate persons... in a time bound manner for maximisation of value of assets of such persons and to promote entrepreneurship, among other goals. Point number 3 Not all bad loans are a result of mala fide intent on the borrower s part

6 Unfair to both the entrepreneur and the enterprise itself. For instance, steel companies were among the worst hit in the wake of the global downturn in commodity prices and depressed demand. It has been reported that the promoters of some of these debt-laden steelmakers were considering participating in bids to restructure the debt and businesses and hoping to run them again. Making the amendments retrospective to cover even those cases already referred to the National Company Law Tribunal, the Centre may have ended up, unintentionally, throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

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For the same reasons, counter-insurgency in

8 Egypt s Sinai, a region historically neglected by Cairo and with a vast terrain of desert, mountain and long coasts, is an ideal operational base for the IS. For the same reasons, counter-insurgency in the Sinai is a challenging task even for a formidable military force.

9 The murderous attack on Friday at a Sufi mosque in the Sinai Peninsula that killed at least 305 people. This is the bloodiest attack in modern Egypt s history. Egyptian Islamists who were fighting for ISIS have returned home and joined local networks. Over the past three years, groups operating from the Sinai peninsula, particularly a local arm of the Islamic State, have carried out several terror attacks. President Abdel Fattah el-sisi, the general who had captured power through a coup in 2013 promising stability and security, has vowed to respond with brutal force. General Sisi had made similar promises after terrorist strikes in the past The IS s strategy in Egypt is similar to that in Syria and Iraq. The group is targeting Christians, who make up about 10% of the Egyptian population, and minority sects within Islam. its plan to deepen the sectarian divisions For the same reasons, counter-insurgency in the Sinai is a challenging task even for a formidable military force.

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11 The recent revival of the Quadrilateral (or Quad) and the consequent talk of an Asian NATO have brought the India-China rivalry back to the limelight. President Xi Jinping s new China, the days of of the Deng era are finally over China-led alliances, Chinese client states and the establishment of Chinese spheres of influence. The alleged China connection to the recent regime change in Zimbabwe is perhaps a harbinger of things to come. Moreover, it would ensure that its access to overseas resources/markets and the oceanic trade routes are unhindered. In doing so, it is increasingly seeking to build military facilities overseas and offset the U.S.-led coalition in the region. Nuclear Suppliers Group Blocking UN sanctions against Pakistan-based terrorists China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh

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13 South China Sea New Delhi has chosen to adopt an unequivocal U.S.-centric strategy to deal with Beijing U.S. is a quickly-receding extra-regional power U.S.-China relations are far more complex than we generally assume Australia is caught between the U.S. and China. Military preparedness to offset any potential Chinese aggression is something that India can and should invest in. $70 billion-strong trading relationship We need a strategy of smart-balancing, towards Beijing, one that involves deep engagements and carefully calibrated balancing, at the same time.

14 Co-binding China in a bilateral/regional security complex India-China joint anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden. A mutual complex interdependence in economic, security and other domains should be strengthened and front-loaded over zero-sum competition. Indo-Pacific India should cooperate with and trust China while at the same time keeping its (gun) power dry, for after all, in the anarchic international system that we inhabit, the role of military strength in guaranteeing national security cannot be underestimated. Around 30,000 Chinese nationals currently reside in Pakistan (and over 71,000 Chinese nationals visited Pakistan last year) and these numbers will only increase over time which will perforce motivate Beijing to work with Islamabad on the terror question. That is precisely where New Delhi should use its diplomatic skills to make an impact. India urgently needs to develop a clear vision for a stable regional security order

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16 Geographical Indications (GIs) is linked to the terroir GIs support local production and are an important economic tool for the uplift of rural and tribal communities. Unlike other Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) which guarantee the protection of individual interest, GI is a collective right. World Trade Organisation-Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (WTO- TRIPS). United States was not a supporter of GI, and it was lobbying by the European Union (EU) that ensured its inclusion in TRIPS. Interestingly, the debate on GI in India has never gone beyond Article 23 of TRIPS, which gives a preference to wines and spirits over other goods. Scholars in India have always observed that the additional protection of wines and spirits is a huge setback for GI trade related to the developing countries whose GIs are largely related to agricultural and handicraft products.

17 Shortcomings in Indian Act It is important to note that TRIPS only provides a minimum standard of protection. Nowhere is there an insistence on a particular framework for protection of GI. In fact, TRIPS does not even mandate a sui generis mode of protection for GI. Proof of origin is a mandatory criterion for registering GIs in India. This provision is borrowed from the EU s regulations on GI protection. The point here is about the rationale behind including such a provision in our law as there was no mandate under TRIPs to do so. The case of Assam One such example is a traditional rice wine called Judima which is made by the Dimasa tribe of Dima Hasao, one of the autonomous hill districts of Assam. U.S. patent for the use of turmeric in wound healing. CSIR was asked by US to provide evidence CSIR was compelled to launch a project of translating ancient Sanskrit texts which were later produced as evidence, and accepted.

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19 Policymakers in India need reliable disease burden data at subnational levels. Planning based on local trends can improve the health of populations more effectively. India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative 250 scientists 100 institutions 1990 to 2016 Its report was released by the Vice President of India, and a technical paper published in the journal Lancet recently. Disability-adjusted life years (DALY), which is the sum of the number of years of life lost due to premature death and a weighted measure of the years lived with disability due to a disease or an injury. Inequalities among States most infectious and childhood diseases has fallen non-communicable disease has increased Injuries has increased

20 Substantial increases in health spending by the government and expansion of suitable preventive and curative health services are necessary to prevent this potentially explosive situation. Disease burden can be reduced by addressing the risk factors for major diseases. Child and maternal undernutrition, Air pollution Life style These findings reported by the India State-Level Disease Burden Initiative provide the most comprehensive mapping so far of the magnitude of diseases and risk factors in every State, their age and sex distributions, and trends over a quarter century all in a single standardised framework. The chances of achieving the overall health targets for India and of reducing health inequalities among States would be higher now if the biggest health problems and risks identified for each State are tackled on priority basis National Health Policy 2017 and the NITI Aayog Action Agenda

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22 Both cases have been linked to harassment by financiers accused of demanding high interest on loans given to the victims. The campaign against high-interest lending, while well-intended, fails to differentiate between ordinary lenders who charge high interest on loans and thugs who are ready to launch physical attacks against borrowers and mentally abuse those who fail to pay up. Instead, when aggressive and politically powerful lenders deal with weak borrowers, the inability to repay leads to violence. The blame for deaths caused due to such harassment should lie squarely on the government s inability to uphold the law and protect borrowers. Any attempt to outlaw all high-interest, or usurious, lending, meanwhile, would be to throw the baby out with the bathwater. It will make life worse for borrowers who genuinely benefit from informal lending Allow the free flow of capital in search of investment opportunities that offer abnormal returns

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24 We may not have the Internet as we know it after December 14, The vote on the draft order of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman, Ajit Pai, which completely eradicates Net neutrality, will take place on that date, and it looks like the Republican Chairman may have his way with the voting. Why should Indians worry about the FCC s ruling? The fact is that most of the communication regulators in the world whether it is the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India or the U.K. s Ofcom draw the substantial part of their rules, guidelines and pricing for communication technology from the FCC. This includes the way in which spectrum is apportioned among private players and the competition rules that govern telecom companies. During the Obama administration, the FCC had passed the landmark Open Internet Order, which helped to retain the Internet as a public good despite multiple sly attempts by technology giants. With platform companies sponging off advertising revenue and ISP providers getting the power to convert cyberspace into a controlled premium space, it looks like the Internet is set to lose its status as rebel angel.

Why don t you trust PM, Law Minister asks judiciary In sharp criticism of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) judgment which revived the Supreme Court collegium, Union Law Minister

25 Why don t you trust PM, Law Minister asks judiciary In sharp criticism of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) judgment which revived the Supreme Court collegium, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Sunday that at the core of the verdict is the judiciary s distrust in the capability of the Law Minister and the Prime Minister to appoint a fair judge. Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra responded to Mr. Prasad by pointedly saying that the judiciary reposed as much trust in a popularly elected PM as the public does. Though repeatedly saying that the government respects the NJAC verdict, Mr. Prasad asked why doubts were raised in the judgment about the Prime Minister s role in appointing a fair judge when the Constitution had already given him the principal player role in the appointments of the President, the Vice-President, the three Armed Forces chiefs, the Chief Election Commissioner and other constitutional bodies.

PM lays stress on balance of power Paying homage to the members of the Constituent Assembly on the occasion of National Law Day on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the balance of power among

26 PM lays stress on balance of power Paying homage to the members of the Constituent Assembly on the occasion of National Law Day on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the balance of power among the executive, the legislature and the judiciary had been the backbone of the Constitution. Mr. Modi said. Each organ should do its own duty under the Constitution. The Prime Minister said equality for all and sensitivity towards all was the characteristic of the Constitution. It guaranteed fundamental rights to all, let they be the underprivileged or oppressed, the backward or deprived, a tribal person or a woman.

were killed. Mr. Modi said humanity must unite to fight terrorism which has become a global threat.

27 Humanity must unite to fight terrorism, says Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday recalled the deadly terror attack on Mumbai exactly nine years back, leading to loss of lives of security personnel and common citizens, as the country paid tributes to those who were killed. Mr. Modi said humanity must unite to fight terrorism which has become a global threat. 26/11 is our Constitution Day but how can the nation forget that on this very day nine years ago, terrorists had launched an attack on Mumbai, Pak. will be isolated: Jaitley

Rajnath leaves for Russia, to sign 2 pacts India and Russia will sign two key agreements for cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism and smuggling of narcotics, during a three-day visit by

28 Rajnath leaves for Russia, to sign 2 pacts India and Russia will sign two key agreements for cooperation in tackling all forms of terrorism and smuggling of narcotics, during a three-day visit by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Moscow, officials said here on Sunday. Mr. Singh, who left for Russia, will sign an agreement on cooperation withthe Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation, to combat terrorism and organised crime. The pact will reinforce the bilateral relationship between the two nations through the exchange and sharing of information, expertise, and help in curbing terrorism and enhancing security in the region, a Home Ministry official said. The proposed pact, which will replace the agreement of October 1993, is a step towards consolidating the benefits accrued in the field of security and seeks to jointly fight new and evolving risks and threats. The Minister will hold discussions with Vladimir Kolokoltsev, Minister for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation, and other senior Russian leaders. The discussions will cover bilateral, regional and international matters.

lands in the middle of political maelstrom, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking at Tejas, the indigenously

29 IAF banks on Tejas, new fighter to bolster fleet It has a sanctioned strength of 42 squadrons and a projected requirement of 45 to face the threat of a two-front war As the deal with the French government for 36 Rafale jets lands in the middle of political maelstrom, the Indian Air Force (IAF) is looking at Tejas, the indigenously developed light combat aircraft, and a single-engine fighter to be procured soon to arrest the dramatic fall in its squadron strength.

Nepal s historic polls see 65% turnout Nepalis across the country s mountainous north voted on Sunday in elections that could herald change after 20 ruinous years marked by a bloody Maoist

30 Nepal s historic polls see 65% turnout Nepalis across the country s mountainous north voted on Sunday in elections that could herald change after 20 ruinous years marked by a bloody Maoist insurgency, a devastating earthquake and crippling political instability. The historic vote marks the final step of a peace process, which began in 2006 with the end of the civil war between the Maoists and the state. Over two million people around 65% of the voters cast their ballot for representatives in national and provincial parliaments. The two-phase elections will establish the first provincial assemblies as laid out in a postwar Constitution that aims to devolve power from the central government to seven provinces. The second phase of polling will be held on December 7.

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34 Answers 1. When was the concept of Human Developmental Index introduced by UN Development Progremme? A B C D Tropical Savanna type of climate is in the region A. Coastal areas of Kerala B. Northern Madhya Pradesh C. North-Western Gujarat D. Peninsular Plateaus 3. Fundamental Duties were included in CoI on the recommendation of A. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee B. Lyngen Committee C. Swarn Singh Committee D. Thakkar Committee

35 Questions 1. Who among the following Mughal Emperors had the longest reign? A. Bahadur Shah B. Jahandar Shah C. Farrukhsiyar D. Muhammad Shah 2. The Indian Constitution provides for the appointment of Adhoc Judges in A. Supreme Court B. High Courts C. District and Session Courts D. All of the above 3. Which one of the following activities is not a secondary sector activity? A. Iron smelting B. Making garments C. Catching fish D. Basket weaving

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Be Happy, Share & Help Each Other!!!

Be Happy, Share & Help Each Other!!! A Lecture 1- Quote 2- Editorials 3- Vocabulary 4- Subjective Q 5- Current Affair Q 6- News Analysis 7- Capital & Currency 8- Prelims Focus Facts 9- Revision(Base Knowledge) 10- Maps Practice-(Q- Philippines)