National Culture Fund: It was set up by the Government of India as a Trust under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890 through a Gazette Notification in 1996.It was established as a funding mechanism distinct from the existing sources and patterns of funding for the arts and culture in India. It will enable institutions and individuals to support arts and culture directly as partners with its government. It is managed and administered by a Council and an Executive Committee to actualize those policies. The Council is chaired by the Union Minister of Culture and has a maximum strength of 24 including both the Chairman and Member Secretary. It has members representing the corporate and public sector, private foundations and non-profit organisations. The Executive Committee is chaired by the Secretary, Ministryof Culture. The donations to the national Culture Fund will be eligible for tax benefit under the Income Tax Act.
Late Blight disease: It is caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans. It is the most important disease of potato that can result in crop failures in a short period if appropriate control measures are not adopted. It is common in humid regions with temperatures. The first symptoms of late blight appear as small, light to dark green, circular to irregular-shaped water-soaked spots. During cool, moist weather, these lesions expand rapidly into large, dark brown or black lesions, often appearing greasy. A pale green to yellow border often surrounds the lesions. The infected tumers and the infected soil may serve as a source of primary infection. The diseased tubers are mainly responsible for persistence of the disease from crop to crop. The air borne infection is caused by sporangia. This disease can be controlled by the prompt destruction of infected crop residue from the field to prevent the spread of the disease to nearby fields.
Akash Missile (SAM) Defence System: It is a Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (SRSAM) Defence System to protect vulnerable areas and points from air attacks. It was indigenously designed and developed by the DRDO. It can simultaneously engage multiple targets and destroy manoeuvring targets, including unmanned aerial vehicles, fighter aircraft, cruise missiles, and missiles launched from helicopters. It has built-in Electronic Counter-Counter Measures (ECCM) features. The entire weapon system has been configured to be launched from static or mobile platforms such as battle tanks and wheeled trucks, providing flexible deployment. It is road and rail transportable, with quick mobilisation and deployment capabilities. It can engage aerial targets up to a range of approximately 25 km.
Chit Funds: Chit funds are a financial instrument that is used in both borrowing and saving aspects. Chit fund is also termed Kuri and Chitty. Chit funds are a kind of financial arrangement wherein a few individuals gather and pool a fixed sum of money at regular intervals. This is done with an understanding or agreement that a single member of the group will receive the total sum of money collected during each interval. This process continues until every member has received their share of the pooled money. This type of financial instrument is generally conducted by a chit-fund company that is responsible for the smooth carrying out of this process. Under a chit fund scheme, a number of individuals make contributions towards the chit value at regular intervals for a period equal to the total number of subscribers or members (investors).A person, chosen through an auction or a lucky draw, receives the money collected. Through an auction allotment system, an individual who agrees to receive the lowest amount (with the lowest bid) gets the money. It is known as a reverse auction system.
