Prelims in Focus, an IAS Abhiyan Initiative to quickly navigate through the important facts, current affairs, static portion to enrich aspirant’s knowledge base along with conceptual clarity. Our Prelims in Focus initiative will surely be an added advantage for UPSC Prelims Examinations. This initiative will help the aspirants to focus to the main points of a topic quickly at the same time. In this initiative, we will cover 10-15 important facts on a daily basis. You can also join our Telegram Channel too to read these articles. Click here to Join. We will continue our Monthly Pre-Bits Flash Liner along with this initiative. 

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Prelims in Focus-Part-12

1. The Equator Principles (EP)
   ____________
   ➖Framework used by financial institutions to determine, assess and manage environmental and social risk in projects

   ➖Adopted and applied voluntarily by what’s known as ’Equator Principles Financial Institutions’, or EPFIs

   ➖Based on the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability, and on the World Bank Group’s Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines

   ➖IDFC Becomes the First Indian Financial Institution to Join the Equator Principles Association

2. International Consortium on Combating Wildlife Crime(ICCWC)
   ______
   🔹Collaborative effort of the CITES Secretariat, INTERPOL, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the World Bank and the World Customs Organization (WCO).

   🔹Aim: To strengthen criminal justice systems and provide coordinated support at national, regional and international level to combat wildlife and forest crime.

3. Neglected Tropical Diseases

1. Multi-Barrel Rocket System PINAKA
   __________
   ➖An area weapon system to supplement the existing artillery gun

   ➖Ranges beyond 30 kms (Existing), having quick reaction time and high rate of fire has been accepted after extensive trials

   ➖Developed by DRDO

   ➖Earlier Pinaka system was an unguided one, has been transformed into a guided version with the upgraded version of Pinaka rocket successfully test-fired in 2018.

   ➖Upgraded version has a range of around 70 km in comparison to 40km of the earlier one

2. Tamralipti – The Ancient Copper Port
   ________
   🔹Old ports of Lothal, Sopara, Baroach and Muziris

   🔹Located in the present day town of Tamluk, in Midnapur, West Bengal

   🔹Tamralipti or Tamralipta means ‘coated with copper’

   🔹Banks of the Rupnarayan River, ships sailed along the coasts of Bengal and Myanmar to the Malaya Peninsula, Indo-China

   🔹Sailing Vessels laden with Indigo, silk and copper went out to Ceylon (Sri Lanka), the coast of Africa and the ports on the Arabian Sea

   🔹Flourished from 3rd century BCE to 8th century CE

   🔹Most prominent port of Kalinga kingdom and later, in the spread of Buddhism to South East Asia

   🔹Played a big role in making big urban centres like Sisupalgarh thrive Tamralipti became an important port in the Mauryan empire

   🔹Connected Mauryan capital Pataliputra to Tamralipti

   🔹King Asoka sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to transport the Bodhi Tree to Sri Lanka, and introduce Buddhism to Sri Lanka through this port

   🔹Visited by renowned Chinese pilgrims like Fahien, Hiuen Tsang and Itsing

   🔹Buddhist center of learning

   🔹Roman amphorae and Greco-Roman gold coins were excavated

3. 📌 An inscription found dated to the late sixth century recorded the donations of vast quantities of uncultivated lands by a Gupta administrator to Buddhist monastic teacher Shakyabhikshu Acharya.
4. 📌 The Governor may repeal or amend any Act of Parliament or of Legislature of the State or any existing law after obtaining the assent of the President.
5. Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
   ____________
   ➖Bloodborne virus and cause sliver diseases

   ➖Refers to an inflammatory condition of the liver

   ➖Presently there is no vaccine available for HCV. However, it can be treated with antiviral medication

   ➖Hepatitis A and B are preventable by vaccine

6. Tax Shelter
   ___________
   ➖A financial vehicle that an individual can use to help them lower their tax obligation and, thus, keep more of their money.

   ➖Legal way for individuals to “stash” their money and avoid getting it taxed

   ➖Entirely different from a tax haven because the latter exists outside the country and its legality can, at times, be questionable.

   ➖Tax shelter, is entirely legal and keeps all monies within an individual’s home country.

7. 📌 The definition for a reference Indian adult man and woman were modified with regard to age (19-39 years) instead of (20-39 years) and a body weight of 65 kg and 55 kg respectively were fixed for a normal Body Mass Index (BMI). Though termed ‘ideal’, it is more appropriately a measure of the average weight of Indians.