• The President of India has recently presented Bharat Ratna Awards to Shri Nanaji Deshmukh (posthumously), Dr Bhupendra Kumar Hazarika (posthumously) and Shri Pranab Mukherjee at an Investiture Ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• ‘Bharat Ratna’, the highest civilian Award of the country, was instituted in the year 1954.
• Any person without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex is eligible for these awards.
• It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
• The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President.
• No formal recommendations for this are necessary.
• The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
• It is also not mandatory that Bharat Ratna be awarded every year.
• On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion.
• The Award does not carry any monetary grant.
• In terms of Article 18 (1) of the Constitution, the award cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the recipient's name.
• However, should an award winner consider it necessary, he/she may use the following expression in their biodata to indicate that he/she is a recipient of the award:
• ‘Awarded Bharat Ratna by the President’

or

• ‘Recipient of Bharat Ratna Award’

• World Biofuel Day is observed every year on 10th of August to create awareness about the importance of non-fossil fuels as an alternative to conventional fossil fuels and highlight the various efforts made by Government in the biofuel sector.

• As an important step to catalyse a cultural shift in youth for entrepreneurship, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has instituted the National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA).
• It aims to recognise and honor outstanding young first generation Entrepreneurs and their Ecosystem Builders for their outstanding contribution in entrepreneurship development.
• The National Entrepreneurship Awards (NEA 2019) is the 4th edition in the NEA series.
• The awards seek to instill and entrench the entrepreneurial attitude among the future generations and the Youth of India.

• The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is a Government of India initiative by NITI Aayog
• It aims to promote and support aspiring as well as established women entrepreneurs in India, assist and handhold them in their journey from starting to scaling up and expanding their ventures.

• Under the PM-KMY, a new Central Sector Scheme, a monthly pension of 3,000 rupees will be provided to the eligible farmers with up to two acres of land-holding on attaining the age of 60years.
• It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme for the farmers in the entry age group of 18 to 40 years.
• The farmers will have to make a monthly contribution ranging from 55 to 200 rupees depending on their age of entry in the Pension Fund till they attain the age of 60 years. 

• Tungareshwar Wildlife Sanctuary – Maharashtra
• Kanjirankulam Bird Sanctuary – Tamil Nadu
• Vaduvoor Bird Sanctuary – Tamil Nadu

• Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xenotransplants. It is contrasted with allotransplantation (from other individual of same species), Syngeneic transplantation (Grafts transplanted between two genetically identical individuals of the same species) and Autotransplantation (from one part of the body to another in the same person) .
• Xenotransplantation of human tumor cells into immunocompromised mice is a research technique frequently used in pre-clinical oncology research. Human xenotransplantation offers a potential treatment for end-stage organ failure, a significant health problem in parts of the industrialized world. It also raises many novel medical, legal and ethical issues.
• Xenotransplantation is the transplantation of living cells, tissues or organs from one species to another.Such cells, tissues or organs are called xenografts or xenotransplants. It is contrasted with allotransplantation (from other individual of same species), Syngeneic transplantation (Grafts transplanted between two genetically identical individuals of the same species) and Autotransplantation (from one part of the body to another in the same person) .
• Xenotransplantation of human tumor cells into immunocompromised mice is a research technique frequently used in pre-clinical oncology research. Human xenotransplantation offers a potential treatment for end-stage organ failure, a significant health problem in parts of the industrialized world. It also raises many novel medical, legal and ethical issues.

• This type of rainfall is independent of relief or convection. It is purely associated with cyclonic activity whether in the temperate regions (depressions) or tropical regions (cyclones). Basically it is due to the convergence (meeting) of two different air masses with different temperatures and other physical properties. As cold air is denser, it tends to remain close to the ground. The warm air is lighter and tends to rise over the cold air as shown in figure. In ascent, pressure decreases the air expands and cools, condensation takes place and light showers called cyclonic or frontal rain occur. The heavier and colder air masses eventually pushes up the warmer and lighter air and the sky is clear again

• Most rivers in Africa are not navigable due to waterfalls, weeds and being seasonal. Africa need to combine forces to utilise this rivers for irrigation, hydro electric power and combat the big problem of transport by overcoming weeds and waterfalls.