Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF)

1. AMIF  is a corpus of Rs. 2000 crore to be created with NABARD for development and up-gradation of agricultural marketing infrastructure in Gramin Agricultural Markets and Regulated Wholesale Markets.
2. It will provide the State/UT Governments subsidized loan for their proposal for developing marketing infrastructure in 585 Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and 10,000 Grameen Agricultural Markets (GrAMs).
3. States may also access AMIF for innovative integrated market infrastructure projects including Hub and Spoke mode and in PPP mode.
4. In these GrAMs, physical and basic infrastructure will be strengthened using MGNREGA and other Government Schemes.
5. The Scheme being demand driven, its progress is subject to the demands from the States and proposals received from them.

Zero Fatality Corridor (ZFC)

1. ZFC is to be run in partnership with SaveLIFE Foundation, a leading road safety non-profit organization.
2. The initiative is aimed at bringing down injuries and deaths due to road crashes.
3. It is in line with Delhi government’s plan of action to reduce fatalities due to road crashes by 30 per cent by 2020.
4. Through the ‘Zero Fatality Corridor’ pilot project the aim is to reduce the fatalities to near zero levels on this particular stretch.
5. After evaluating the impact of the initiative, the model will be replicated in other parts of the city.

World Economic Situation and Prospect 2019

• The report is a joint product of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN/DESA), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the 5 United Nations regional commissions.
• According to the 2019 report, Global growth is expected to remain at 3% in 2019 and 2020.
• However, the steady pace of expansion in the global economy masks an increase in downside risks that could potentially exacerbate development challenges in many parts of the world,. 
• The global economy is facing a confluence of risks, which could severely disrupt economic activity and inflict significant damage on longer-term development prospects.
• India will continue to remain the world’s fastest-growing large economy in 2019 as well as in 2020.
• India’s GDP growth is expected to accelerate to 7.6% in 2019
• China, it said the growth is expected to moderate to 6.3% in 2019 from 6.6% in 2018.

Generalized System of Preferences (GSP)

• Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a preferential tariff system under which developed nations extend reduced MFN tariffs (Most Favoured Nation) or duty-free entry of certain goods into their markets, to the developing nations.
• The developed countries, or the countries that extend this trade preference are called donor countries, and the benefit-receiving countries are called beneficiary countries.
• The GSP is an exemption from the MFN principle under which the WTO members are obliged to treat all other WTO members equally as their ‘most favoured’ trading partner-nation.
• GSP benefits Indian exporters indirectly through the benefits that are gained by the importers via reduced tariffs and/or duty-free entry.

River Information System (RIS)

• RIS is a combination of tracking and meteorological equipment with specialized software designed to optimize traffic and transport processes in inland navigation.
• The system enables swift electronic data transfer between mobile vessels and shore (base stations) through advance and real-time exchange of information so as to ensure navigation safety in inland waterways.
• It also provides virtual navigational aids to guide the vessel during navigation.
• It will help in crisis management and enhanced inland navigation safety by preventing ship-to-ship collisions, ship-bridge collisions, groundings etc.

Hilsa Fish

• Hilsa has a history of migrating to Allahabad in the Ganga river system from Bangladesh.
• Though it’s a saltwater fish, it migrates to sweet waters of the Ganges from the Bay of Bengal.
• It travels upstream of the river during the mating seasons and returns to its natural abode after spawning.

Exercise Cutlass Express 2019                                       

• Cutlass Express 2019 is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and is conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa.
• It is an exercise designed to assess and improve combined maritime law enforcement capacity, promote national and regional security in East Africa as well as information sharing, planning and operating.
• The aim of the exercise was to improve law enforcement capacity, promote regional security and progress inter-operability between the armed forces of the participating nations.
• During the exercise, Naval, Coast Guard and Marine Police personnel from a number of East African countries were jointly trained by mentors from USA, India, and Netherlands, with support of international organisations.

Flamingo sanctuary

• During the colder times of the year, many of the Great Flamingos in Asia migrate to warmer climates.
• Great Flamingos migrate to India between the months of December to February, important flamingo migration hotspots in India are as follows

1. Maharashtra – Sewri Mudflats, Thane Creek, Bhigwan.
2. Gujarat – Flamingo City, Thol Lake, Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary.
3. Rajasthan – Jawai Dam, Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary.
4. Odisha – Chilika lake
5. Telangana – Osman sagar lake
6. Andhra Pradesh – Pulicat Lake

XPoSat

• XPoSat is a 5-year Mission satellite of ISRO which will be used to learn more about cosmic radiation.
• The satellite will measure polarization (degree and direction) of X-ray photons from ~50 potential celestial sources of interest in the energy band of 5-30 keV.

INS Trikand 

• INS Trikand is equipped with a versatile range of sensors and weapons enabling her to address threats in all the three dimensions – air, surface and sub-surface.
• It is an ideal platform for prolonged deployments, including the present one, in which she is carrying out Presence and Surveillance missions and Anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and Western Arabian Sea.
• The ship is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet and operates under the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command, headquartered at Mumbai.