DAILY GK: 2,3 MAY 2021

 DAILY GK: 2,3 MAY 2021

1.CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES INR 15,000 CRORE TO STATES

•     The Ministry of Finance, Government of India is set to provide an additional amount of INR 15,000 Crore to State Governments as Interest free 50-year loan for spending on Capital projects for the FY 2021-22.

•     The loan will be provided to the States under ‘Scheme of Financial Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure’.

•     The Scheme was launched in 2020.

 

2.INDIAN NAVY LAUNCHES OPERATION SAMUDRASETU-II

•     Indian Navy has launched Operation SamudraSetu-II for shipment of Liquid oxygen-filled cryogenic containers & associated medical equipment to India from other countries.

•     It is part of the ongoing national mission for meeting Oxygen requirements in India. The demand for Oxygen has increased in India due to COVID-19.

•     Operation SamudraSetu was launched in May 2020 as part of the Vande Bharat Mission.

 

3.FRENCH FIRM ALSTOM DELIVERS 100TH ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVE TO IR

•     Alstom, a French multinational rolling stock manufacturer successfully manufactured and delivered its 100th Electric Locomotive to the Indian Railways.

•     It is part of the  3.5 Billion Euro (~ INR 25, 000 Crore – during time of signing) contract signed between the Ministry of Railways, India & Alstom in 2015 for delivery of 800 fully electric high-powered double-section locomotives of 12,000 HorsePower (HP).

•     The Locomotives are manufactured at Madhepura plant in Bihar.

•     The plant is India’s largest integrated greenfield manufacturing facility.

 

4.FOOD GRAINS PRODUCTION TARGET AT 307 MILLION TONNES

•     Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar has stated that the Government has set Foodgrains Production target for the crop year 2021-22 at 307 Million Tonnes (MT), the production target for 2020-21 was 301.92 MT.

•     Season wise target – 151.43 MT in Kharif season & 155.88 MT during Rabi season.

 

5.US APPROVES SALE OF 6 P-8I PATROL AIRCRAFT TO INDIA

•     The United States State Department has approved the proposed sale of 6 Poseidon-8I (P-8I) Patrol Aircraft and other equipment to India.

•     The deal is estimated to cost USD 2.42 Billion (~ INR 18, 000 Crore).

•     It is being procured by the Indian Government for use by the Indian Navy.The P-8I Patrol Aircrafts are produced by Boeing, an American Aerospace & Defense Company.

 

6.SIDBI LAUNCHED SHWAS & AROG

•     In order to manage the national emergency and distress caused by COVID 19, the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) has launched SHWAS & AROG, two new quick credit delivery schemes to help Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).

•     SHWAS (SIDBI assistance to Healthcare sector in War Against the Second wave of COVID-19) – This scheme will fund MSMEs who are engaged in manufacturing of oxygen cylinders, oxy-generators, oxygen concentrators, liquid oxygen or providing services in transportation, storage, refilling to supply of these items.

•     AROG (SIDBI Assistance to MSMEs for Recovery & Organic Growth during COVID-19 pandemic) – will fund for MSMEs engaged in manufacturing of Pulse Oximeters, Permitted drugs (Remdesivir, Fabiflu, Dexamethasone, Azithromycin), Ventilators, and Personal protective equipment(PPEs).

 

7.‘IMMUNE INDIA DEPOSIT SCHEME’

•     The Central Bank of India launched the “Immune India Deposit Scheme” a special deposit scheme to provide an additional interest rate of 25 basis points in addition to the applicable card rate for the vaccinated people.

•     The Immune India Deposit Scheme has a maturity of 1111 days.

•     The senior citizens are also eligible for the extra interest as applicable.

 

8.AMIT BANERJEE APPOINTED AS THE CMD OF BEML LTD

•     The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), has appointed Amit Banerjee the Director (Rail & Metro Business) of BEML limited, as the new Chairman and Managing Director(CMD) of BEML (Bharat Earth Movers Limited) Limited, a Miniratna Defence Public sector undertakings under the Ministry of Defence.

 

9.SMALLEST BLACKHOLE IN MILKY WAY GALAXY

•     Scientists have discovered the smallest known black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy and the closest black hole to the solar system.

•     This black hole has been nicknamed “the Unicorn”.

•     The black hole is around 3 times the mass of the Sun, is located around 1500 light-years from earth.

 

10.2020-21 LEAGUE CUP TITLE

•     Manchester City clinched a fourth consecutive 2020-21 League Cup or EFL Cup or Carabao Cup Football title after beating Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium, England.

•     It has now matched Liverpool’s record of eight League Cup titles.

 

11.PANDIT DEBU CHAUDHURI PASSES AWAY

•     Sitar Maestro Pandit Devabrata(Debu) Chaudhuri passed away in Delhi due to covid-19.

•     He was born in 1935 in Mymensingh (now in Bangladesh).

•     He was also a teacher and writer, who penned six books.Apart from being an artist he was a disciple of Mushtaq Ali Khan.

 

12.INTERNATIONAL LABOUR DAY 2021

•     The International Labour Day is annually observed across the globe on May 1st to recognise the achievements of the workers and to create awareness about the exploitation of workers.

•     The International Labour Day is also known as International Workers Day or May Day.

 

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DAILY GK: 1 MAY 2021

DAILY GK: 1 MAY 2021

 1. MAXIMUM SUM ASSURED UNDER EDLI SCHEME HIKED

•     Ministry of Labour & Employment implemented the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) board’s decision to increase the maximum sum assured payable under the Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance (EDLI) Scheme, 1976 to Rs 7 lakh from Rs 6 lakh and approved the extension of minimum assurance benefit of Rs 2.5 lakh payable to family members of deceased employees who die while in service.

 

2. INDIA’S CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION FELL BY 5%

•     According to the data of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas(MoPNG), the crude oil production of India fell by 5% to 30.5 million tonnes in FY21 from 32.17 million tonnes in 2019-2020. 

•     The data also shows that Natural Gas production has also fallen by 8% to 28.67 billion cubic metres(BCM) in FY21 from around 31BCM in FY20.

•     The production of petroleum products fell by 11.2% at 233.4 million tonnes.

 

3. IEA REPORT

•     ‘Global EV Outlook 2021’ – the recently released Annual Report of International Energy Agency (IEA) has stated that the sale of Electric Vehicles (EVs) will be more than 30% in new vehicle sales in India by 2030.

•     In 2020 the global car sales fell by 16% in 2020 due to COVID-19, but the Global EV sales increased by 41% to around 3 Million vehicles in 2020.

 

4. HIGH-YIELDING AND PEST-RESISTANT VARIETY OF SOYBEAN

•     High-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean named MACS 1407 has been developed by Indian Scientists by the method of conventional cross breeding.

•     This variety of Soya bean has been developed by Scientists from MACS (Maharashtra Association for the Cultivation of Science Research Institute)-Agharkar Research Institute, Pune, in collaboration with Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR), New Delhi.

 

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DAILY GK: 30 APRIL 2021

 DAILY GK: 30 APRIL 2021

1. INDIA, RUSSIA TO ESTABLISH ‘2+2 MINISTERIAL DIALOGUE’

•      PM Narendra Modi & Russian President Vladimir Putin have agreed to establish a ‘2+2 Ministerial Dialogue’ at the Foreign & Defence Minister level between the two countries.

•      It is expected to boost the Bilateral Strategic partnership between India & Russia.

•      Russia is the 4th Country & 1st Non-Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) member country with which India has established the ‘2+2 Ministerial Dialogue’ mechanism.

 

2.GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI (AMENDMENT) ACT

•      Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notified the ‘Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) (Amendment) Act, 2021’.

•      The Act amends the ‘Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991’.

•      The amended act states that  “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (2) of section 1 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act 2021 (15 of 2021), the Central Government hereby appoints the 27th April 2021 as the date on which the provisions of the said Act shall come into force,”.

 

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DAILY GK: 29 APRIL 2021

 DAILY GK: 29 APRIL 2021

1. BILATERAL EXERCISE ‘VARUNA-2021’

·         The 19th Edition of the Indian and French Navy Bilateral Exercise ‘VARUNA-2021’ took place in the Arabian Sea.

·         The Indian side was led by Rear Admiral Ajay Kochhar, while the French side was led by Rear Admiral Marc Aussedat, Commander Task Force 473.

 

2. ‘SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE INITIATIVE’

·         During a trilateral Ministerial Meeting, the Trade Ministers of India, Japan & Australia virtually launched the ‘Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI)’.

·         Objective – SCRI aims to build a resilient supply chain with focus on free, transparent trade & investment environment in the Indo-Pacific region.

·         It will reduce the dependency of the 3 countries on China and counter its dominance on Trade.

 

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DAILY GK: 27,28 APRIL 2021

 DAILY GK: 27,28 APRIL 2021

1. INDIA’S FIRST LNG FSRU ARRIVED IN MAHARASHTRA.

•      India’s first Liquified Natural Gas(LNG) Floating Storage and Regasification Unit(FSRU) has arrived at H-Energy’s Jaigarh Terminal in Maharashtra.

•      It sailed from Keppel Shipyard,Singapore.

•      To provide the ability to enhance the pace of natural gas import capability in an environment friendly and efficient manner.

•      To increase the share of natural gas in India’s energy mix from present 6 percent to 15 percent by 2030.

 

2.LEADERS’ SUMMIT ON CLIMATE 2021

•      Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually participated in the Leaders’ Summit on Climate 2021 which was held virtually on April 22-23, 2021.

•      He participated in the summit at the invitation of US President Joseph R. Biden, the summit was hosted by the US.

•      Around 40 world leaders participated in the Summit.

•      Theme of the Summit – ‘Our Collective Sprint to 2030’.

•      On eve of the Leader’s Climate Summit, a group of 43 International Banks have joined a UN-convened pact to reach carbon neutrality by 2050.

•      The members will also establish the ‘Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ)’ for mobilising trillions of dollars towards building a global zero emissions economy & delivering the goals of Paris agreement.

 

3.IFSCA ALLOWED NBFC’S INVESTMENT IN GIFT CITY

•      International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) allowed the Non-Banking Finance Companies(NBFCs) (both local and global) to start their operations in Gujarat’s GIFT City (Gujarat International Finance Tec-City) to enable the local NBFCs to get global exposure.

 

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DAILY GK: 25,26 APRIL 2021

 DAILY GK: 25,26 APRIL 2021

1.“IGBC MISSION ON NET ZERO”

•      The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) part of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) launched the “IGBC Mission on Net Zero” on the occasion of World Earth Day (22nd April 2021).

•      Objective – The Mission was launched with an objective to abolish the carbon Emission in India.

•      Target – ‘Net Zero Carbon Emission’ by 2050.

•      India is committed to reduce the emission intensity by 33 to 35% by 2030 over 2005 levels.

 

2.IAF CHIEF RKS BHADAURIA’S VISITED FRANCE

•      Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) of Indian Air Force(IAF), Rakesh Kumar Singh (RKS) Bhadauria visited France for 5 days during his visit he flagged off four Rafale aircraft for India.

•      These jets once inducted into service will complete the first Rafale squadron No. 17 Golden Arrows based at Ambala.

 

3.INDIA BUILDS 3 EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN NEPAL

•      India with Financial Assisitance of Nepalese Rupee(NRs) 98.37 Million(~Rs.6.17 Crore) has build infrastructures of Three Educational Institutions in Palpa of Nepal.

The 3 educational institutes are

•      Shree Rambha Higher Secondary School at Tahun VDC, Palpa District

•      Shree Laxmi Higher Secondary School at Tansen-5,Bandi Pokhara,Palpa District

•      Shree Nava Adarsha Multiple Campus in Palpa District.

 

4.RBI RESTRICTED AMERICAN EXPRESS

•      The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has restricted American Express Banking Corp and Diners Club International Ltd, the payment system operators from on-boarding new domestic customers onto their card networks from May 1, 2021, due to the non-compliance with the directions on Storage of Payment System Data.

•      American Express and Diners Club are authorized to operate card networks in India under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 (PSS Act).

 

5.NEW DG OF NADA

•      IAS officer Siddharth Singh Longjam will take over as the Director General(DG) of National Anti Doping Agency(NADA).

•      He will succeed Navin Agarwal.

 

6.NASA LAUNCHED SHIELDS MISSION

•      SpaceX through its Falcon 9 rocket sent 4-astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) on a NASA commercial crew mission, “Crew-2 mission” from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA.

•      NASA launched the Spatial Heterodyne Interferometric Emission Line Dynamics Spectrometer (SHIELDS) mission from the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

 

7.SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN DELIVERY SYSTEM DEVELOPED BY DRDO

•      A SpO2(Blood Oxygen Saturation) based supplemental oxygen delivery system for soldiers serving in extremely high altitude areas & COVID-19 patients has been developed by Defence Bio-Engineering and ElectroMedical Laboratory (DEBEL) located in Bengaluru.

•      It operates under Defence Research and Development Organisation(DRDO).

•      The system delivers supplementary oxygen based on the Blood Saturation levels.

•      This will help soldiers from sinking into a state of Hypoxia.

•      Hypoxia is the state where oxygen reaching the tissues is inadequate to fulfill all the energy requirements of the body.

•      The same condition occurs in COVID-19.

 

8.POTAMOPHYLAX CORONAVIRUS NEW INSECT DISCOVERED

•      Kosovar Biologist Halil Ibrahimi has discovered a new insect species named ‘Potamophylax coronavirus’ in Accursed Mountains (Kosovo’s Western Bjeshket e Nemuna National Park).

•      The insect was named after Coronavirus(Covid-19)

•      The newly found species of Caddisfly is different from those found in the Balkans & it is endemic to the National Park.

 

9.NEW BOOK:“THE LIVING MOUNTAIN”

•      Noted Indian writer Amitav Ghosh has authored a new book titled “The Living Mountain: A Fable for Our Times”.

•      This book was written during the course of the pandemic.

•      It will be Published by Harper Collins India.

•      The Book is written in the Structure of a fable about Mahaparbat, the living mountain.

 

10.WORLD IMMUNIZATION WEEK 2021

•      World Immunization Week is observed annually across the globe in the last week of April to promote the use of vaccines to protect people against diseases.

•      The world Immunisation Week 2021 is observed from 24th April to 30th April 2021.

•      The theme of World Immunization Week 2021 is  “Vaccines bring us closer”.

 

11.INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR MULTILATERALISM AND DIPLOMACY FOR PEACE 2021

•      The United Nations(UN)’s International Day for Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace is annually observed across the globe on 24th April to promote the 3 pillars of the United Nations – Peace and Security; Development; and Human Rights.

 

12.NATIONAL PANCHAYATI RAJ DAY 2021

•      National Panchayati Raj Day or Panchayati Raj Diwas is annually observed across India on 24th April to recognise the work of the Panchayat leaders towards building an Atma Nirbhar Bharat. 

•      The day is annually commemorated by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

•      24th April marks the institution of Panchayat Raj through the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 which came into force in 1993.

 

13.CIL FIRST SOLAR POWER PURCHASE PACT WITH GUVNL

•      Coal India Limited(CIL) has signed its first solar power purchase agreement for the sale of 100 Mw solar power with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd (GUVNL) with a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for 25 years.

•      CIL entered into a PPA and supply the 100 Mw power generated to GUVNL within 18 months with a capital investment of Rs 442 crore.

 

14. PM MODI GREETS US PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN FOR JOINING LEADIT

•      The US has joined the India-Sweden climate initiative, the Leadership Group for Industry Transition, LeadIT.

•      Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed US President Joe Biden for joining LeadIT.

•      The Leadership Group for Industry Transition (LeadIT) gathers countries and companies that are committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions from industry by 2050.

 

15. DISTRIBUTION OF E-PROPERTY CARDS UNDER SVAMITVA SCHEME

•      Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the distribution of e-property cards under the SVAMITVA scheme.

•      SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) scheme was launched by the Prime Minister on 24th April last year as a Central Sector Scheme to promote a socio-economically empowered and self-reliant rural India.

 

16. UK NOW READY TO CONSIDER DIGITAL CURRENCY ‘BRITCOIN’

•      British authorities are exploring the possibility of creating a new digital currency that Treasury chief Rishi Sunak indicated could be known as Britcoin“.

•      The Bank of England and the Treasury said that they will work together to assess the benefits of a central bank digital currency, at a time when cash payments are generally on the decline, partly as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

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DAILY GK: 24 APRIL 2021

 DAILY GK: 24 APRIL 2021

1.PBOC REPORT DEMOGRAPHIC GROWTH

•     According to a report by People’s Bank of China (PBOC), China’s Central Bank, India’s Demographic Advantage (% of Younger Population) will overtake China’s Demographic Advantage by 2035.

•     The reason for the fall in China’s Demographic Advantage is due to its strict Birth policies, which has created the problems of ageing population and a declining work-force.

•     India has one of the youngest populations in an ageing world.

•     Around 90% of its population are under the age of 60, out of which ~ 35% is under 19 years old.

 

2.ASIA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2021

•     The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2021 took place in Boao, South China’s Hainan Province.

•     Theme – A World in Change : Join Hands to Strengthen Global Governance and Advance Belt and Road Cooperation.

•     Participants – Around 2500 participants from 60 countries participated in the event.

•     Asian Leaders such as Moon Jae-in, President of South Korea, Joko Widodo, President of Indonesia, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka & Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh virtually participated in the meeting.

•     Report released – During the meeting,an annual report on Asian Economy was released.

•     Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) is a Non-Profit Organisation formed in 2001.

•     It was initiated by 25 Asian countries & Australia (increased to 28 in 2006).

•     India is also a member of BFA.

 

3.NDB ISSUED USD 1.5 BILLION BENCHMARK BOND

•     New Development Bank (NDB) of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) issued a USD 1.5 billion benchmark bond with 5 years of maturity.

•     This is the 3rd USD benchmark bond offering of NDB in the international markets.

•     Purpose: NDB will use the total earnings of the Bond for financing sustainable development activities and to provide COVID-19 Emergency Program Loans to the member countries (BRICS).

 

4.WORLD’S 1ST QR ON CARD PROGRAM TO SUPPORT SMES

•     The Mastercard and Bank of Baroda Financial Solutions (BFSL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of Baroda came together to launch World’s 1st QR on Card Program, ‘ConQR’ – a Mastercard QR on Card solution to simplify digital payments of Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

 

5.RBI CANCELLED THE LICENCE OF BHAGYODAYA FRIENDS UCB

•     The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has cancelled the license of Bhagyodaya Friends Urban Co-operative Bank Limited, Maharashtra in April 2021, as the bank doesn’t have adequate capital to fund its depositors in full and as it did not comply with the various provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

•     Restriction: After the license has been cancelled, the bank is prohibited from acceptance of deposits and repayment of deposits.

•     Paying the depositors (as per the provisions of the DICGC Act, 1961)

 

6.NELSON MANDELA WORLD HUMANITARIAN AWARD 2021

•     Rumana Sinha Sehgal, Software engineer turned entrepreneur from Hyderabad, Telangana, won the Nelson Mandela World Humanitarian Award 2021 by the Diplomatic Mission Global Peace.

•     She was virtually awarded for her contribution to the field of developing innovative and functional green products by recycling varied materials and non biodegradable materials.

 

7.FIRST INDIAN WOMAN TO SCALE MT ANNAPURNA

•     A 28-year-old Priyanka Mohite from Maharashtra becomes the first Indian woman to scale Mt Annapurna(8,091 metres), the 10th highest mountain peak in the world.

•     She also climbed the world’s highest peak Mount Everest (8,849 metres) in 2013, Mount Lhotse (8,516 metres) in 2018, Mount Makalu (8,485 metres) and also Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres) in 2016.

•     Annapurna is a massif in the Himalayas located in Nepal.

 

8.1ST WOMAN CHAIRPERSON OF NASSCOM

•     Accenture India’s Chairperson and Senior Managing Director Rekha Menon has been appointed as the Chairman of IT industrial body ,National Association of Software and Services Companies(NASSCOM) for 2021-22.

•     Krishnan Ramanujan,President and Head of Business & Technology Services,

•     Tata Consultancy Services(TCS) has been appointed as the Vice Chairperson for 2021-22.

 

9.PART-TIME CHAIRMAN OF HDFC BANK

•     As per the information received from HDFC bank , the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has approved the appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as the part-time Chairman of the bank.

•     He has been appointed for a period of 3 years with effect from May 5 ,2021 or the date of his taking charge ,whichever is later.

 

10.ROSCOSMOS TO LAUNCH ITS OWN SPACE STATION BY 2025

•     Roscosmos, the Space Agency of Russia is set to launch its own Space Station in 2025.

•     Roscosmos’s work on the first module of the new space station is in progress.

•     The space module is being assembled by the Energia corporation with the cost estimation of 5 billion USD.

•     This is associated with Moscow’s consideration of withdrawing from the International Space Station(ISS)programme as its agreement with the international partners expires in 2024.

 

11.1ST SET OF LIGHT BULLETPROOF VEHICLES TO IAF

•     Hinduja Group owned Ashok Leyland delivered the first batch of Light BulletProof Vehicles (LBPV) to the Indian Air Force (IAF).

•     The LBPVs have been developed using ‘Transfer of Technology’ from Lockheed Martin to Ashok Leyland.

 

12.WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY 2021

•     World Book and Copyright Day is annually observed across the globe on 23rd April to promote the benefits of reading, publishing and copyright.

•     The annual observance of the world book and copyright day is organised by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

 

13. ‘COVID EMERGENCY LOAN SCHEME’

•     Haryana Government has launched the ‘Haryana COVID Emergency Loan Scheme’ for new and old entrepreneurs supplying medicines, oxygen and other medical facilities to COVID-19 patients in the state.

•     It has allocated a fund of INR 500 Crore for this purpose.

•     The interest on the loan taken by the bank will be borne by the State government for one year.

•     The Haryana government also approved the ‘HARIHAR’ (Homeless Abandoned and Surrendered Children Rehabilitation Initiative Haryana) policy.

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