MALABAR series of maritime exercises commenced in 1992 as a bilateral IN-USN exercise and has grown in stature over the years to include four prominent navies in the Pacific and Indian Ocean Region.
It is carried out between navies of Australia, India, Japan, and the USA
The exercise provides an opportunity for common-minded navies to enhance inter-operability, gain from best practices and develop a common understanding of procedures for Maritime Security Operations.
Significance
The exercise will see the participation of all four Quad countries.
Indian Navy also conducted a number of Passage Exercises (PASSEX) with navies from Japan, Australia and the US.
Another Exercise in news: Ex Konkan 2021
Exercise Konkan 2021 was held between INS Tabar and HMS Westminster on 16 Aug 21 in the English Channel.
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Hallmarking scheme is turning out to be a grand success with more than 1 crore pieces of Jewellery hallmarked in a quick time” with more than 90000 Jewelers registered in a same time period.
What is Hallmark Gold?
The process of certifying the purity and fineness of gold is called hallmarking.
Bureau of Indian Standards, the National Standards Body of India, is responsible for hallmarking gold as well as silver jewellery under the BIS Act.
If you see the BIS hallmark on the gold jewellery/gold coin, it means it conforms to a set of standards laid by the BIS. Hallmarking gives consumers assurance regarding the purity of the gold they bought.
That is, if you are buying hallmarked 18K gold jewellery, it will actually mean that 18/24 parts are gold and the rest is alloy.
At present, only 30% of Indian Gold Jewellery is hallmarked.
Here are the four components one must look at the time of buying gold (they are mentioned in the laser engraving of a hallmark seal):
BIS Hallmark: Indicates that its purity is verified in one of its licensed laboratories
Purity in carat and fineness (corresponding to given caratage KT)
22K916 (91.6% Purity)
18K750 (75% Purity)
14K585 (58.5% Purity)
What is HUID?
HUID is a unique code that will be given to every piece of jewellery at the time of hallmarking.
It will be helpful in identifying the jeweller or the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) which had hallmarked the jewellery.
It will be a six-digit alphanumeric code, with which every piece of jewellery will be tagged.
At the hallmarking centre, the jewellery is stamped with the unique number manually.
What are the new hallmarking rules?
The government has made it mandatory for jewellers to hallmark gold jewellery, but with some relaxation.
Jewellers with an annual turnover of up to Rs 40 lakh will be exempted from mandatory hallmarking.
Similarly, jewellery for international exhibitions and government-approved business-to-business domestic exhibitions will also be exempted.
It will also allow hallmarking of additional carats — 20, 23, and 24.
Issues with HUID
Jewellers say the HUID process has increased the time required to get the hallmarking on jewels and this has created huge backlogs at AHCs.
Since the process is being done manually, there are also chances of a mismatch of the code, he adds.
The inventory pile-up at the centres is also raising concerns about the security of the jewellery.
Several industry stakeholders point out the limited number of AHCs, which will not be enough to hallmark the large number of pieces that are sold in India every year.
Answer this PYQ from CSP 2017
Q.Consider the following statements:
The Standard Mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes.
AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
[wpdiscuz-feedback id=”3yrxgg00qw” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]
You have done all the hard work and are now in the last stretch of your UPSC marathon. This is the time to use smart techniques to score more in your Interviews. We have compiled a list of real interview transcripts and we know how you can score even higher in your interviews.
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Researchers have come forward with some interesting findings on Turmeric.
Turmeric
Turmeric has about 3% of the active component molecule called curcumin, a polyphenol diketone (and not a steroid).
Researchers point out that there is another molecule in turmeric called piperine, which is an alkaloid, responsible for the pungency of pepper that we use every day in our cooking, along with turmeric.
Piperine enhances curcumin absorption in the body. It gives turmeric its multivariate healing and protective power.
Benefits of turmeric consumption
Turmeric has been known for over 4,000 years in the Indian subcontinent, West Asia, Burma, Indonesia and China, and is used as an essential part of our daily food – what the colonials called curry powder.
It has also been known as a medicine for ages, and to have anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Herbal medicine experts have used turmeric to treat painful symptoms of arthritis, joint stiffness, and joint pain.
They have also claimed that turmeric helps cure acute kidney injuries. Some of these claims need to be checked using controlled trials.
Against COVID-19
Most recently, an exciting study has recently been published by a group in Mumbai which shows that turmeric aids in the treatment of COVID-19 patients.
The researchers did a trial of about 40 COVID-19 patients and found that turmeric could substantially reduce morbidity and mortality.
Even with a similar syllabus and similar study materials, most candidates fall in one of the following four categories when it comes to their Prelims score:
1) Prelims score 0-40: They need to work on improving their knowledge and learn answering tricks 2) Prelims score 50-70: They have decent knowledge and decent answering tricks. 3) Prelims score 80-100: They have good knowledge but they need to develop answering tricks. 4) Prelims score 120+: They have excellent knowledge and know all the answering tricks.
So, what to do? Clearing Prelims is all about Knowledge + Answering Tricks (Tikdams). And while you are studying hard to improve your knowledge, Sajal sir will help you improve your answering techniques, for absolutely FREE!
Let’s look at a few examples. Sajal sir will explain how you can answer these questions with smart techniques, even if you DON’T know the answer.
A) With reference to ‘fuel cells’ in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity, consider the following statements :(UPSC 2016)
If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by-products.
Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers.
Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
B) In India, under cyber insurances for individuals, which of the following benefits are generally covered, in addition to payment for the loss of funds and other benefits? (UPSC 2020)
1. Cost of restoration of the computer system in case of malware disrupting access to one’s computer.
2. Cost of a new computer if some miscreant willfully damages it, if proved so.
3. Cost of hiring a specialized consultant to minimize the loss in case of cyber extortion.
4. Cost of defense in the court of law if any third party files a suit.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2, and 4 only
(b) 1,3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
C) Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2015)
The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the land.
Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
You can solve these questions with the help of techniques that Sajal sir will teach you in the webinar.
This is your opportunity to learn the tricks that can help you score 120+ in your Prelims. Join Sajal sir for a free webinar and this is what you can learn:
1. 10 Different types of elimination/intelligent guess techniques like (hard to verify facts, For this and NOT for this) through Solving Previous year UPSC questions.
2. How to master the Elimination techniques, used by toppers.
3. Ideal strategy for the Last 50 days for UPSC prelims 2021.
4. How to prepare for 2022 Prelims.
5. Which Topics to focus more upon while preparing for UPSC prelims (eg: Map should be given utmost importance while studying geography for prelims)
6.Open Q&A with Sajal sir
7.The art of Tikdam booklet by Dr V (Rank 20)
We are inviting all the serious aspirants to grab this FREE opportunity to learn the tricks that toppers use to score more than everyone else.
There are limited slots available so we request you to enroll now!
Note: We will send you joining links over e-mail by 2 pm today
Dear aspirants,
Even with a similar syllabus and similar study materials, most candidates fall in one of the following four categories when it comes to their Prelims score:
1) Prelims score 0-40: They need to work on improving their knowledge and learn answering tricks 2) Prelims score 50-70: They have decent knowledge and decent answering tricks. 3) Prelims score 80-100: They have good knowledge but they need to develop answering tricks. 4) Prelims score 120+: They have excellent knowledge and know all the answering tricks.
So, what to do? Clearing Prelims is all about Knowledge + Answering Tricks (Tikdams). And while you are studying hard to improve your knowledge, Sajal sir will help you improve your answering techniques, for absolutely FREE!
Let’s look at a few examples. Sajal sir will explain how you can answer these questions with smart techniques, even if you DON’T know the answer.
A) With reference to ‘fuel cells’ in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity, consider the following statements :(UPSC 2016)
If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by-products.
Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers.
Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
B) In India, under cyber insurances for individuals, which of the following benefits are generally covered, in addition to payment for the loss of funds and other benefits? (UPSC 2020)
1. Cost of restoration of the computer system in case of malware disrupting access to one’s computer.
2. Cost of a new computer if some miscreant willfully damages it, if proved so.
3. Cost of hiring a specialized consultant to minimize the loss in case of cyber extortion.
4. Cost of defense in the court of law if any third party files a suit.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2, and 4 only
(b) 1,3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
C) Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2015)
The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the land.
Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
You can solve these questions with the help of techniques that Sajal sir will teach you in the webinar.
This is your opportunity to learn the tricks that can help you score 120+ in your Prelims. Join Sajal sir for a free webinar and this is what you can learn:
1. 10 Different types of elimination/intelligent guess techniques like (hard to verify facts, For this and NOT for this) through Solving Previous year UPSC questions.
2. How to master the Elimination techniques, used by toppers.
3. Ideal strategy for the Last 50 days for UPSC prelims 2021.
4. How to prepare for 2022 Prelims.
5. Which Topics to focus more upon while preparing for UPSC prelims (eg: Map should be given utmost importance while studying geography for prelims)
6.Open Q&A with Sajal sir
7.The art of Tikdam booklet by Dr V (Rank 20)
We are inviting all the serious aspirants to grab this FREE opportunity to learn the tricks that toppers use to score more than everyone else.
There are limited slots available so we request you to enroll now!
Maintaining consistency is one of the biggest issues faced by IAS Aspirants. Streak’s initiative is to help Aspirants in their day-to-day preparation. You can follow the monthly, weekly, and daily timetables and continue this streak until you find yourself on the final list.
The Indian market for corporate debt needs buoyancy and this has been high on the agenda of our regulator
Background
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) stopped the automatic monetization of the fiscal deficit in 1997 and made the government borrow money from the market.
There are primary dealers or PDs, who pick up the Centre’s bond and provide buy and sell quotes in the secondary market for government bonds and thus help ensure sufficient liquidity.
The PDs came to be known as market makers and are paid a commission for playing that role.
Liquidity challenge in the corporate bond market
Unlike the market for government bonds, in the case of the country’s corporate bond market, the challenge is different.
It’s typically remunerative for a buyer to buy a security and hold on to it till its maturity.
Therefore, insurance companies, provident funds, and pension funds hold such long-term paper, as they can match the tenure of their assets with liabilities.
But this does not add liquidity to the market, and anyone buying a corporate bond today may not find someone to sell it to tomorrow as this market has little trading depth.
Even in the G-Sec market, where we assume plenty of liquidity, it is a thinly-traded market, even though the perception is that it is very liquid.
Why do we need market makers for the corporate bond market
To deal with the lack of depth and liquidity in the corporate debt market, the Securities and Exchange Board of India’s (Sebi) idea of creating market makers holds immense significance.
The fundamental problem here is that a bond is different from a share.
A company’s share can be exchanged seamlessly because every share in the market is the same slice of ownership.
Lack of quotes for different bonds of different tenure: In the case of bonds, however, there are several issuances of a company.
A single financial institution or non-bank financial company could have as many as 10 issuances a year of varying maturities and interest rates, making each of them a unique instrument.
Company XYZ may have issued in October 2015 a bond with a face value of ₹100 that pays 6% interest and is due for redemption in 2030, which will be quoted on exchanges for trading (if it’s being traded).
But, in 2021, it is no longer a 15-year bond, but a 9-year paper.
Therefore, the security loses importance, as the market normally uses benchmarks like 5 or 10 or 15 years; and every bond drops in the pecking order once it crosses these thresholds.
Therefore, we need to have market makers who will offer quotes for all major securities and thereby ensure that critical bonds are still available for trading.
Suggestions
Provide waivers: Playing market maker will involve a cost and hence there should be certain waivers provided to them on trading fees.
Preferential access: They can be given preferential access to new issuances, so as to build up an inventory.
Waiver of mark-to-market: The mark-to-market (MTM) rules could be waived for a specified period, as valuation differences can affect their profit and loss accounts.
Capital at lower cost: Capital can be made available at a lower cost to market makers, as they require funding for the same.
Fifth, trade among market makers can be awarded benefits in terms of fees or easier taxes on gains made.
Create bond index: We need to have tradable-bond indices that reflect the price movements of a basket of bonds that they track.
Made public, such indices will provide appropriate arbitrage opportunities for investors to come in, and this should generate liquidity in the market for these bonds.
Consider the question “Why bond market in India lacks the depth as compared to equity markets. What are the factors responsible for this? Suggest the way forward.”
Conclusion
Market makers are a way out. While success cannot be guaranteed, the idea should be adopted nonetheless, as with credit default swaps. It’s a work-in-progress. Let’s speed it up.
The monetization of deficit was in practice in India till 1997, whereby the central bank automatically monetized government deficit through the issuance of ad-hoc treasury bills.
Two agreements were signed between the government and RBI in 1994 and 1997 to completely phase out funding through ad-hoc treasury bills.
And later on, with the enactment of the FRBM Act, 2003, RBI was completely barred from subscribing to the primary issuances of the government from April 1, 2006.
Even with a similar syllabus and similar study materials, most candidates fall in one of the following four categories when it comes to their Prelims score:
1) Prelims score 0-40: They need to work on improving their knowledge and learn answering tricks 2) Prelims score 50-70: They have decent knowledge and decent answering tricks. 3) Prelims score 80-100: They have good knowledge but they need to develop answering tricks. 4) Prelims score 120+: They have excellent knowledge and know all the answering tricks.
So, what to do? Clearing Prelims is all about Knowledge + Answering Tricks (Tikdams). And while you are studying hard to improve your knowledge, Sajal sir will help you improve your answering techniques, for absolutely FREE!
Let’s look at a few examples. Sajal sir will explain how you can answer these questions with smart techniques, even if you DON’T know the answer.
A) With reference to ‘fuel cells’ in which hydrogen-rich fuel and oxygen are used to generate electricity, consider the following statements :(UPSC 2016)
If pure hydrogen is used as a fuel, the fuel cell emits heat and water as by-products.
Fuel cells can be used for powering buildings and not for small devices like laptop computers.
Fuel cells produce electricity in the form of Alternating Current (AC).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
B) In India, under cyber insurances for individuals, which of the following benefits are generally covered, in addition to payment for the loss of funds and other benefits? (UPSC 2020)
1. Cost of restoration of the computer system in case of malware disrupting access to one’s computer.
2. Cost of a new computer if some miscreant willfully damages it, if proved so.
3. Cost of hiring a specialized consultant to minimize the loss in case of cyber extortion.
4. Cost of defense in the court of law if any third party files a suit.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
(a) 1, 2, and 4 only
(b) 1,3 and 4 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
C) Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements: (UPSC 2015)
The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the land.
Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
You can solve these questions with the help of techniques that Sajal sir will teach you in the webinar.
This is your opportunity to learn the tricks that can help you score 120+ in your Prelims. Join Sajal sir for a free webinar and this is what you can learn:
1. 10 Different types of elimination/intelligent guess techniques like (hard to verify facts, For this and NOT for this) through Solving Previous year UPSC questions.
2. How to master the Elimination techniques, used by toppers.
3. Ideal strategy for the Last 50 days for UPSC prelims 2021.
4. How to prepare for 2022 Prelims.
5. Which Topics to focus more upon while preparing for UPSC prelims (eg: Map should be given utmost importance while studying geography for prelims)
6.Open Q&A with Sajal sir
7.The art of Tikdam booklet by Dr V (Rank 20)
We are inviting all the serious aspirants to grab this FREE opportunity to learn the tricks that toppers use to score more than everyone else.
There are limited slots available so we request you to enroll now!
