1.

https://indianexpress.com/article/health-wellness/world-environment-

day-how-microplastics-in-foods-beverages-affect-gut-health-8646041/

A

2.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/cdc-links-india-made-eye-drops-

to-outbreak-of-rare-strain-in-us-8569479/

D

3.

Habeas Corpus – is an order issued by the court to a person who has detained another person, to produce the body of the latter before it. The court will then examine the cause and legality of detention. Can be introduced against

person and public authority.

B

4.

https://www.livemint.com/news/india/padma-shri-awardee-shah- rasheed-ahmed-quadri-speaks-on-controversy-for-thanking-prime-minister- narendra-modi-11680831159685.html

Bidriware is a popular handicraft of Hyderabad and is one of the major export handicrafts of India. It derives its name from Bidar taluka in Karnataka and serves a variety of showpiece structures for home decor. Some famous ones include animal designs like duck and elephant, flower vase, table accessories, jewellery boxes and different engraved designs.

Bidri  is  created  by  a process of casting, polishing, engraving, inlay, and

blackening alloy. Damascene work is used in the Bidri art form, which involves encrusting gold or silver on iron items. Metals like silver, gold, or brass are inlaid in designed items that are formed of an alloy of zinc and copper. It needs “special soil” to produce complex works of art.

Bidri is a metal art close to 500 years old and originated in Persia. It was developed during the Bahmani rule. In the  14th  century,  Persian  sultans ruling Bidar brought the art to India.

Experts from Persia came to Bidar and trained local artisans to create masterpieces for royal families. The Hyderabadi nizams then invited artists to Hyderabad. Although the craft is quite famous and in demand in Hyderabad, artists originally migrated there from Bidar. Hyderabad, as ofnow, has a greater number of commercial and export prospects.

B

5.

https://indianexpress.com/article/india/kerala/first-graphene-innovation- centre-kerala-pinarayi-vijayan-7753377/

·         Researchers     found    that graphene    displays an    anomalous Giant magnetoresistance (GMR) at room temperature.

Magnetoresistance & Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR)

·         Magnetoresistance is the tendency of a material to change the value of its electrical resistance in an externally-applied magnetic field.

·         Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) is the large change in the electrical resistance which is induced by the application of a magnetic field to thin films composed of alternating ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic layers.

·         The 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg for the discovery of GMR.

·         The magnetoresistance observed in the graphene-based device was “almost 100 times higher than that observed in other known semimetals in this magnetic field range.”

·         The team attributed this to the presence of a ‘neutral’ plasma and the electrons’ mobility.

Applications of GMR

·         It is used in hard disk drives and magneto-resistive RAM in computers, biosensors, automotive sensors, micro-electromechanical systems, and medical imagers.

·         GMR-based devices are particularly used to sense magnetic fields.

D

Graphene

·         Graphene is an allotrope of carbon consisting of a single layer of atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice.

·         It has exceptionally high tensile strength, electrical conductivity, transparency, and thinnest two-dimensional material in the world.

·         It is almost perfectly transparent since it only absorbs 2 percent of light.

·         Graphene is also known as a wonder material due to its vast potential in the energy and medical world.

Applications of Graphene

·         Electronics: It has the potential to create the next-generation of electronics like Faster transistors, bendable phones etc.

·         Biomedical: ??Graphene’s unique properties allow for ground- breaking biomedical applications. Targeted drug delivery, improved brain penetration etc.

·         Battery: Graphene could dramatically increase the lifespan of a traditional lithium-ion battery i.e., devices can be charged quicker – and hold more power for longer.

·         Sensors: Ultra-sensitive sensors made from graphene could detect minute dangerous particles, helping to protect potentially dangerous environments.

·         Graphene Membranes: Graphene oxide membranes are capable of forming a perfect barrier when dealing with liquids and gasses. They

have even been proven to stop helium, the hardest gas to block.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/giant-magnetoresistance-

graphene-room-temperature-andre-geim/article66728864.ece

6.

Article

What it says

A

36

Defines  State  as  same  as  Article  12  unless  the  context

otherwise defines.

37

Application of the Principles contained in this part.

38

It authorizes the state to secure a social order for the promotion

of the welfare of people.

39

Certain principles of policies to be followed by the state.

39A

Equal justice and free legal aid.

40

Organization of village panchayats.

41

Right to work, to education and to public assistance in certain

cases.

42

Provision   for   just   and   humane   conditions   of  work   and

maternity leaves.

43

Living wage etc. for workers.

43-A

Participation of workers in management of industries.

43-B

Promotion of cooperative societies.

44

Uniform civil code for the citizens.

45

Provision for early childhood care and education to children

below the age of six years.

46

Promotion of education and economic interests of SC, ST, and

other weaker sections.

47

Duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard

of living and to improve public health.

48

Organization of agriculture and animal husbandry.

48-A

Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding

of forests and wildlife.

49

Protection  of  monuments  and  places  and  objects  of  national

importance.

50

Separation of judiciary from the executive.

51

Promotion of international peace and security.

7.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/rbi-

latest-monetary-policy-inflation-interest-rates-8542841/

B

8.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/global-alliance-big-cat-ibca-

modi-launch/article66728181.ece

D

9.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/language-

used-in-courts-constitution-laws-8878248/

c

10.

Index of Industrial Production

§   IIP is an indicator that measures the changes in the volume of production of industrial products during a given period.

§   It is compiled and published monthly by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.

§   It is a composite indicator that measures the growth rate of industry groups classified under:

o    Broad sectors, namely, Mining, Manufacturing, and Electricity.

o    Use-based sectors, namely Basic Goods, Capital Goods, and Intermediate Goods.

§   Base Year for IIP is 2011-2012. So, if the current IIP reads as 121, it means that there has been 21% growth compared to the base year.

Significance of IIP

§   It is used by government agencies including the Ministry of Finance, the Reserve Bank of India, etc, for policy-making purposes.

§   IIP remains  extremely  relevant  for  the  calculation  of  the

quarterly   and    advance GDP    (Gross    Domestic Product) estimates.

Eight Core Sectors

▪ These comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
▪ The eight core sector industries in decreasing order of their weightage:

Refinery Products> Electricity> Steel> Coal> 
Crude Oil> Natural Gas> Cement> Fertilizers.

Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI)
• ICI measures the collective and individual performance of production in selected eight core           industries viz. Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Petroleum Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, 
  Cement and Electricity.
• The objective of the ICI is to provide an advance indication of production performance of              industries of ‘core’ nature before the  release of IIP by the Central Statistics Office.
• These industries are likely to impact general economic  activities as well as industrial activities.
• The Index is compiled and released by the Office of the Economic  Adviser (OEA), Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.

https://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/core-sector-output-dipsto-5-month-low-of-36-in-march/article66789350.ece

C

11.

Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975)

Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978)

Minerva Mills Ltd. v. Union of India (1980)

S. R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994).

12.

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1737180

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1945741

A

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/talking-therapy-asha-workers- offer-hope-in-rural-madhya-pradesh/article66786995.ece

13.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/amit-shah-launches-vibrant-villages-programme-what-is-this-scheme-8554872/

The federal government fully funds “central sector schemes,” whereas “centrally sponsored schemes” (CS) are partially supported by the federal government and implemented by the states (CSS).

D

14.

Holding Together Federation: In this type, powers are shared between various

constituent parts to accommodate the diversity in the whole entity. Here,

C

powers are generally tilted towards the central authority. Example: India, Spain, Belgium.

Coming Together Federation: In this type, independent states come together to form a larger unit. Here, states enjoy more autonomy as compared to the holding together kind of federation. Example: USA, Australia, Switzerland.

Asymmetrical Federation: In this type, some constituent units have more powers or special status than others due to historical or cultural reasons.

Example: Canada (Quebec), Russia (Chechnya), Ethiopia (Tigray).

15.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-law/booked-sarus-

crane-wildlife-protection-act-explained-penalty-8522949/

A

16.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/in-pursuit-of-a-magic- number-physicists-discover-new-uranium-isotope/article66699249.ece https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/energy- investing/uranium-investing/uranium-producing-countries/

Australia  has   largest   reserves   of   uranium   followed   by   Canada   and

Kazakhstan.

A

17.

https://blog.ipleaders.in/equality-before-law-and-equal-protection-of-

law/#Reasonable_classification_-_an_exception_to_Article_14

C

18.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/rising-sea-

levels-threaten-agriculture-rainfall-social-fabric/article66781156.ece

A

19.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership is an 11- nation Indo-Pacific free-trade bloc, which includes Australia, Japan, Canada, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-global/britain- joining-trans-pacific-trade-pact-8532399/

C

20.

ED, unlike CBI, cannot register a case on its own. It is required by the agencies such as CBI or state police to register an offense based on which the ED Case Information Report is filed by Enforcement Directorate.

It functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance.

B

21.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/protests-in-hasdeo-aranya-10-

years-with-a-coal-mine-for-a-backyard/article66761579.ece

D

22.

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/isro-

reusable-launch-vehicle-mission-rlv-lex-explained-8534520/

A

23.

''Differentiated-Citizenship'' assures that Communities (e.g. Scheduled Castes or Dalits) which had in the past been victims of social discrimination and continue to be disadvantaged were able to compete on equal terms with the

rest of society.

c

24.

Olive Ridley turtles

Habitat: They are found in warm waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian oceans.

Features: Males and female Olive Ridley grow to the same size. However, the females have a slightly more rounded carapace(shell) as  compared  to  the male.

Diet: These turtles are carnivores. They feed mainly on jellyfish, shrimp, snails, crabs, molluscs and a variety of fish and their eggs.

Migration: They spend their entire lives in the ocean. Further, they migrate thousands of kilometres between feeding and mating grounds in a year.

Threats: The major threats to Olive Ridley turtles are: a) Poor  fishing practices, b) Development and exploitation of nesting beaches for ports, and tourist centres, c) Poaching for their meat, shell and leather.

Arribada (Mass Nesting) of Olive Ridley Turtles

They are best known for their unique mass nesting called Arribada. Under this, thousands of females come together on the same beach to lay eggs. Each female digs a sandpit lays 90 to 120 eggs and promptly closes the pit before leaving the shore.

The coast of Odisha in India is the largest mass nesting site for the Olive- ridley. This is followed by the coasts of Mexico and Costa Rica.

Nesting site in India:

D

The Odisha coast has three arribada beaches at Gahirmatha, the mouth of the Devi river, and in Rushikulya, where about 1 lakh nests are found annually.

The Gahirmatha marine  sanctuary in Odisha is considered  the  world’s

largest nesting beach for Olive Ridleys.

The Rushikulya river mouth is considered the second-biggest nesting site for Olive Ridley Turtles in India.

Recently, a new mass nesting site has been discovered in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. As per reports, it has more than 5,000 nests in a season. Initiatives to conserve Olive Ridley turtles

Indian Coast Guard undertakes “Operation Olivia” every year. It is an Olive Ridley Turtle protection program.

To reduce the accidental killing in India, the Odisha government has made it mandatory for trawls to use Turtle Excluder Devices(TEDs). It is a net specially designed with an exit cover that allows the turtles to escape while retaining the catch.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/millions-of-olive-

ridley-turtles-crawl-towards-sea-along-odisha-coast/article66763582.ece

25.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/nisar-satellite-to-map-

himalayas-seismic-zones/article66738274.ece

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-sci-tech/satellite- partnership-nasa-isro-nisar-mission-8427080/