Least Available Depth Information System (LADIS) portal

• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) launched a new portal called Least Available Depth Information System (LADIS).
• It was designed to facilitate the day to day operations of inland vessels plying on National Waterways and to avoid any hindrance in service and operation.
• It will enhance credibility and efficiency of information sharing to achieve seamless operations on National Waterways, besides pre-empting problems that may occur during movement of vessels.
• Vessel operators/ cargo owners will prepare their sailing plans strictly as per applicable waterways related information (Hydrographic survey reports, River Notices etc.) .

Election Commissioner

• Under article 324 Election commission (EC) consist of Chief election commissioner and such number of other election commissioners (fixed by president time to time), as of now the EC consist of one CEC and 2 Election commissioners.
• Chief Election commissioner and other election commissioners are appointed by the President of India.
• Chief Election commissioner is the chairman of election commissions, the CEC and other Election Commissioners have equal powers and receive equal salary and other emoluments similar to those of a Supreme Court judge.
• The Chief Election Commissioner or an Election Commissioner shall hold officefor a term of six years or until they attain the age of 65, whichever is earlier.
• Recently Supreme Court directed that the appointment process of Central Information Commissioner (CIC) is on the “same terms” of appointment of Chief Election commissioner.  

Most Favoured Nation

• Most Favoured Nation is a treatment accorded to a trade partner to ensure non-discriminatory trade between two countries vis-a-vis other trade partners.
• Article 1 of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), 1994, requires every member country of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to accord Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to all other member countries.
• Under WTO rules, a member country cannot discriminate between its trade partners.
• If a special status is granted to a trade partner, it must be extended to all members of the WTO.
• MFN essentially guarantees the most favourable trade conditions between two countries.
• These terms include the lowest possible trade tariffs, the least possible trade barriers and very crucial to trade relations– highest import quotas.
• The WTO rules allow discrimination in certain cases like in cases when a country signs free trade agreements in a region.
• In that situation, a country may grant special favours and trade concessions to a country as compared to non-member countries of that group.

PM Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) 

1. PM-SYM will be a Central Sector Scheme administered by the Ministry of Labour and Employment and implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India and CSCs.
2. LIC will be the Pension Fund Manager and responsible for Pension pay out.
3. The amount collected under PM-SYM pension scheme shall be invested as per the investment pattern specified by GoI.
4. The unorganised workers mostly engaged as home based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, landless labourers, etc. whose monthly income is Rs 15,000/ per month or less and belong to the entry age group of 18-40 years are eligible for the scheme.
5. They should not be covered under New Pension Scheme (NPS), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
6. Further, he/she should not be an income tax payer.

SPHEREx

• NASA will launch a new space telescope in 2023 called SPHEREx.
• It would provide a glimpse of the first moments in the history of the universe, and explore how common are the ingredients for life in our galaxy’s planetary system.
• SPHEREx is the Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer.
• NASA plans it as a two-year mission.
• It will survey the sky in optical as well as near-infrared light which serves as a powerful tool for answering cosmic questions.

International Intellectual Property Index

• The index was prepared by the US Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC).
• It ranks countries based on 45 indicators that are critical to an innovation-led economy supported by robust patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secrets protection.
• The Index analyses the IP climate in 50 global economies.
• The US, the UK, Sweden, France and Germany remained the top five economies on the intellectual property index in 2019.
• India ranks 36 in the IP Index
• India’s has jumped from 44th position in 2018.

Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO)

• Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO) and Safe City Implementation Monitoring Portal was also launched.
• It is meant for the law enforcement agencies in the country.
• The system is an online module available to law enforcement agencies at all levels – national, state, district and police station.
• It allows the state to undertake real-time monitoring and management for completion of investigation in rape cases.
• It would also strengthen the ability of states for analytics and prognosis for timely investigation and prosecution in rape cases.

District Cooling

1. District cooling means the centralized production and distribution of cooling energy.
2. Chilled water is delivered via an underground insulated pipeline to office, industrial and residential buildings to cool the indoor air of the buildings within a district.
3. Specially designed units in each building then use this water to lower the temperature of air passing through the building’s air conditioning system.
4. The output of one cooling plant is enough to meet the cooling-energy demand of dozens of buildings.
5. District cooling can be run on electricity or natural gas, and can use either regular water or seawater.

GeM Start-up Runway

1. Launched on 19th February 2019, “StartUp Runway” is a unique concept initiated by GeM to promote entrepreneurship through innovation.
2. This program is an opportunity for Startups to reach out to the Government Buyers by offering products and services that are unique in concept, design, process and functionality.
3. DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) certified Startups are invited to offer their products/services for procurement on GeM.
4. It seeks to support technology development, research and innovation by ensuring a conducive policy environment for industrial diversification and value addition to commodities.
5. It aligns with Government’s philosophy to turn Job-seekers into job-creators.

SWAYATT Initiative

1. It is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions on Government e Marketplace (GeM).
2. This will bring together the key stakeholders within the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem to Government e-Marketplace the national procurement portal.