World Day Against Child Labour

• The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day Against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it.
• Target 8.7 of the Sustainable Development Goals calls on the global community to: “Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms.”
• Theme this year: “Generation Safe & Healthy”.

Fast Patrol Vessel Project

• The last of the five Fast Patrol Vessel (FPV) project of Indian Coast Guard ‘Rani Rashmoni’ was commissioned into the Indian Coast Guard.
• The FPVs are equipped with advanced sensors and state-of-the-art equipment and are designed to perform multifarious tasks such as surveillance, interdiction, search and rescue, anti-smuggling and anti-poaching, operations.
• So far four such ships such as-
  (a) ICGS Rani Abbakka, 
  (b) ICGS Rani Avanti Bai, 
  (c) ICGS Rani Durgavati and 
  (d) ICGS Rani Gaidinliu

Sanchi Stupa

• Cabinet approves MoU between India and Viet Nam on Joint issue of postage stamp. Joint Issue depicts Sanchi Stupa of India and Pho Minh Pagoda of Viet Nam.
• When was it built: Commissioned in 3rd century BCE, Expansion/ additions/restoration works/ made in different periods
• Who built it: Commissioned by Emperor Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty
• Where is it located: Located 46 km north-east of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh, India  
• Architectural Style: Buddhist Art and Architecture

Why Stupa built

• At the Sanchi, there was the foundation of Buddhist Vihara, and one of the greatest Indian Emperors, Ashoka of the Maurya Dynasty included in the foundation of great Sanchi Stupa.
• The Indian emperor Ashoka reigned over almost the entire Indian subcontinent from c.268 to 232 BCE.
• The Ashoka was the religious person of the Buddhist, and he commissioned the construction of Stupa after redistributing the mortal remains of Lord Buddha. He also commissioned many of the stupas in different places of the India.
• In the relics of the Lord Buddha, he had presented the hemispherical edifice in double in diameter of the original brick structure, which looks great in Stupas.
• At the wooden railing, the hemispherical brick structure is used to surrounded and the Chhatra that is an Umbrella like structure, which made by the stone.
• The great stupas constructed under the supervision of wife of Ashoka and daughter of a merchant of Vidisha, who was born in Sanchi.

Speciality of Great Stupa

• The Great Sanchi Stupa is one of the most important Buddhist monuments, which reflects gem of Buddhist and architecture.
• The most famous speciality of stupas is that it located at the best place of Sanchi town and Madhya Pradesh is the most fabulous tourist area.
• It made by the oldest stone structure in India, and the best the thing is that it constructed during the period of Mauryan Empire.
• In the Sanchi Stupa, the Lord Buddha is placed, which can see in the Stupas several chambers.
• It is a most attractive place for the tourist, and hundreds of the visitors are visited here from across of the world.
• It enlisted as UNESCO world heritage site since 1989. It is the best conserved ancient Stupas of Central India, which counted in many old places.

Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP)

• The Union Environment Ministry had notified a ‘Graded Response Action Plan’ against air pollution for Delhi and the National Capital Region.
• The plan was prepared by the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA).
• The job of ensuring implementation of the action plan will be EPCA’s under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which will delegate the responsibility to the concerned departments.
• The graded response action plan has proposed stratified levels of action according to the air pollution levels classified by air quality index, which range from moderate to poor to very poor to severe to severe+ or emergency.
• The graded action plan implements if PM2.5 levels stay over 300 micrograms per cubic metre and PM10 levels stay above 500 micrograms per cubic metre.
• The Delhi specific comprehensive action plan was prepared by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

Nalanda

• Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university of the Indian Subcontinent. It engaged in the organized transmission of knowledge over an uninterrupted period of 800 years.
• The historical development of the site testifies to the development of Buddhism into a religion and the flourishing of monastic and educational traditions.
• It was a major Mahavihara or a large Buddhist monastery that also doubled up as an important centre of learning from the 5th to 1200 AD in the erstwhile kingdom of Magadh.
• The construction of Nalanda university began in 5th century AD and flourished under the Gupta rulers. It came to an end in the 12th century when it was destroyed in 1193 AD by the invading Turkish army led by its commander Bakhtiar Khilji.
• UNESCO has declared Bihar’s much awaited ancient site – the ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara – a World Heritage Site.

Galapagos islands

• The La Cumbre volcano, located on Fernandina Island in the Galapagos archipelago off the coast of South America, has exploded recently.
• The eruption occurred on the north-eastern sector of the volcano.
• Ongoing seismic and volcanic activity reflects the processes that formed the islands.
• They lie 1,000 km from the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean.
• According to UNESCO, “This archipelago and its immense marine reserve is known as the unique ‘living museum and showcase of evolution’.
• The 19 Galapagos Islands, a UNESCO heritage site, with their unique wildlife, inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution following his 1835 visit.
• Its geographical location at the confluence of three ocean currents makes it one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world.

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

• The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is the international “standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes.
• The ICD is published by the WHO.
• It forms a basis for the WHO and other experts to see and respond to trends in health.
• This latest version – known as ICD-11 – is completely electronic for the first time, in an effort to make it more accessible to doctors and other health workers around the world.

2018-2028 International Decade for Action, ‘Water for Sustainable Development’

• Sustainable development and integrated water resources management to implement SDG 6 through a lens of conflict prevention.
  Note-
  SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) 6- Clean Water and Sanitation.
• The United Nations General Assembly has proclaimed the decade 2018-2028 as the International Decade for Action ‘Water for Sustainable Development’.
• It began on World Water Day 22 March 2018 and will end on World Water Day, 22 March 2028.

Pinaka

• Pinaka is a multiple rocket launcher produced in India and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army.
• The system has a maximum range of-
  (a) 40 km for Mark-I 
  (b) 70 – 80 km for Mark-II
• It can fire a salvo of 12 rockets in just 44 seconds.
• The system is mounted on a Tatra truck for mobility.
• Pinaka saw service during the Kargil War, where it was successful in neutralising enemy positions on the mountain tops.

Warli Art

• Warli is a tribal art form that was mostly created by the Adivasis of the Western Ghats.
• It is one of the oldest art forms in India.
• It originated in Maharashtra and is still practised.
• Warli painting is registered with a geographical indication under the Intellectual Property Rights Act.
• Most of these paintings use a set of geometric shapes – circle, triangle and square.
• The circle represents the sun and the moon, while the triangle represents the mountains and pointed trees.
• The square, on the other hand, is a human invention, indicating a sacred piece of land or enclosure.
• In a ritualistic Warli painting, the central motif would be the square with a depiction of ‘Palaghata’, the mother goddess symbolising fertility.
• This central motif would be surrounded by scenes of hunting, farming, fishing, trees and animals.
• Festivals and dances are also common scenes found in a ritual painting.
• Apart from ritual paintings, Warli paintings also cover day-to-day activities of the village people.
• Most Warli paintings also depict the tarpa dance. 
• Tarpa is a trumpet-like instrument played by the village men.

Mt. Deo tibba

• It is the second highest peak (6001M) in the Pir-Panjal range in Himachal Pradesh.