Phthalates

• A study has warned that people who eat too much fast-food may be exposed to potentially harmful chemicals “Phthalates” that disrupt hormone balance.
• The study was published in the journal Environment International.
• This study suggests food prepared at home is less likely to contain high levels of phthalates.
• These chemicals linked to fertility problems, pregnancy complications and other health issues.
• A group of chemicals used in food packaging and processing materials, are known to disrupt hormones in humans and are linked to a long list of health problems.

Chakravat

• Kochi along with Indian Navy is hosting multi-agency rescue exercise- Chakravat. It is for the first time that the yearly exercise is being conducted in Kochi.
• It is a multi-agency humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) exercise to review the response mechanism in the event of a cyclonic storm.
• Chakravat’ meaning ‘cyclone’ will see participation by the three Services, the Coast Guard, State administration, State Disaster Management Authority, National Disaster Response Force, Fisheries Department, Coastal Police, and members of the fishing community.

Boao Forum for Asia

• The Boao Forum for Asia is a non-profit organisation that hosts high-level forums for leaders from government, business and academia in Asia and other continents to share their vision on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large.
• BFA is modelled on the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland.
• Its secretariat is located in Beijing.
• The forum is also known as the “Asian Davos”.
• The forum takes its name from the town of Boao, located in China’s southern Hainan province, which has been the permanent venue for its annual conference since 2002.

Prompt Corrective Action (PCA)

• A prompt Corrective action is a qualitative tool introduced by the Reserve Bank of India under which direct action is taken on weak banks to ensure the financial health of a bank is maintained and it does not go bust.
• It does so by putting some trigger points that will help in assessing, monitoring, controlling and taking corrective measures on troubled banks.

Manas National Park

• Manas National Park is a national park, UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger reserve, an elephant reserve and a biosphere reserve in Assam, India.
• Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.
• The Manas river flows thorough the west of the park and is the main river within it. It is a major tributary of Brahmaputra river and splits into two separate rivers, the Beki and Bholkaduba as it reaches the plains.
• The Manas river also serves as an international border dividing India and Bhutan.
• The bedrock of the savanna area in the north of the park is made up of limestone and sandstone, whereas the grasslands in the south of the park stand on deep deposits of fine alluvium.
• The combination of Sub-Himalayan Bhabar Terai formation along with the riverine succession continuing up to Sub-Himalayan mountain forest make it one of the richest areas of biodiversity in the world.
• The park is well known for species of rare and endangered wildlife that are not found anywhere else in the world like the Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog.

Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve

• The reserve spreads across the Vidarbha region in eastern Maharashtra.
• One of the most significant reserves in central India, the Reserve is said to be hosting more than 50 tigers.
• Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the reserve.
• The Tadobha National Park is Maharashtra’s oldest and largest National Park.
• Tadoba Lake is the crucial perennial water source for the region.
• It represents Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Teak Forests in the Tiger habitat.

“Desert Tiger 5”

• It is a joint military exercise between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Malaysia. It is aimed at sharing expertise and enhancing joint military actions.
• The drill was also aimed at raising the level of performance and combat efficiency and working together based on a strategy to improve the overall ability and combat readiness of the ground forces.

Phosphorus pentoxide

• The government has imposed anti-dumping duty on import of Phosphorus pentoxide from China to protect the domestic manufacturers from cheap shipments.
• Phosphorus Pentoxide is used as a powerful desiccant and dehydrating agent and is a useful building block and reagent in the chemical industry.
• Phosphorus pentoxide is not flammable.
• It reacts vigorously with water and water-containing substances like wood or cotton, liberates much heat and may even cause fire. It is corrosive to metal.

Champaran Satyagraha:

• It was undertaken in the erstwhile undivided Champaran district in northern Bihar. Mahatma Gandhi went there in April, 1917 on learning about the abuses suffered by the cultivators of the district, forced into growing indigo by British planters/estate owners.
• Even Gandhi was reluctant to commit himself to task in the beginning. But he was so thoroughly persuaded by Rajkumar Shukla, an indigo cultivator from Champaran that he decided to investigate into the matter.
• Gandhi’s method of inquiry at Champaran was based on surveys by the volunteers. The respondents who willingly gave statements should sign the papers or give thumb impressions.
• For those unwilling to participate, the reasons must be recorded by the volunteers. The principal volunteers in this survey were mostly lawyers like Babu Rajendra Prasad, Dharnidhar Prasad, Gorakh Prasad, Ramnawami Prasad, Sambhusaran and Anugraha Narain Sinha.

Kaleshwaram project

• The Kaleshwaram project is an off-shoot of the original Pranahitha-Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme taken up by the Congress government in 2007 when Andhra Pradesh was not divided. After the formation of Telangana in 2014, the TRS government redesigned the project on the ground that the original plan had too many environmental obstacles and had very low water storage provision — only about 16.5 tmc ft.
• After conducting a highly advanced Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey for a couple of months, the government separated the original component serving the Adilabad area as the Pranahitha project and renamed the rest as Kaleshwaram by redesigning the head works, storage capacity and the canal system based on the data of availability of water at different locations along the course of the Godavari and its tributaries.

Equatorial Guinea

• President of India is visiting Equatorial Guinea.
• This is the first time ever that a head of state from India is visiting Equatorial Guinea. 
• Equatorial Guinea is a small country on the west coast of Africa.
• Equatorial Guinea is the only sovereign African state in which Spanish is an official language.
• It is made up of a mainland territory called Rio Muni, and five islands including Bioko, where the capital Malabo is located.

Silappathikaram 

• It is one of the Five Great Epics of Tamil Literature according to later Tamil literary tradition.
• A poet-prince from Kodungallur near Kochi, referred to by the pseudonym Ilango Adigal, is credited with this work.
• The epic revolves around Kannagi, who having lost her husband to a miscarriage of justice at the court of the Pandyan Dynasty, wreaks her revenge on his kingdom.

National Commission for Safai Karamcharis

• National Commission for Safai Karamcharis is an Indian statutory body was established through National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993. It aims to promote and safeguard the interests and rights of Safai Karamcharis.
• The National Commission for Safai Karamcharis seeks to study, evaluate and monitor the implementation of various schemes for Safai Karamcharis as an autonomous organisation and also to provide redressal of their grievances.

STCW convention

• The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (or STCW), 1978 sets qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships.
• STCW was adopted in 1978 by conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, and entered into force in 1984. The Convention was significantly amended in 1995.
• The 1978 STCW Convention was the first to establish basic requirements on training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers on an international level.
• The Convention prescribes minimum standards relating to training, certification and watchkeeping for seafarers which countries are obliged to meet or exceed.
• One important feature of the Convention is that it applies to ships of non-party States when visiting ports of States which are Parties to the Convention.
• The Manila amendments to the STCW Convention and Code were adopted on 25 June 2010, marking a major revision of the STCW Convention and Code.