How is a ‘National Party’ in India defined?

The Election Commission of India recognised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as a national party, while revoking the status of the All India Trinamool Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI). What is National Party? The name suggests that a national party would be one that has a presence ‘nationally’,… Continue reading

Fishing Industry: India and Sri Lanka Needs a Boost

Central Idea The neglect of the fishing industry by India and Sri Lanka has resulted in an ongoing dispute over fishing rights in the Palk Strait. Developing the fishing industry could help resolve the conflict and boost the economies of both countries. What is Blue Economy? Origin of the concept: Gunter Pauli’s book, “The Blue… Continue reading

Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Legislative Procedures

Central Idea Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained worldwide attention, and many mature democracies are using it for better legislative procedures. In India, AI can be used to assist parliamentarians in preparing responses for legislators, enhancing research quality, and obtaining information about any Bill, legislative drafting, amendments, interventions, and more. However, before AI can work in… Continue reading

India’s Space Industry: Enormous Potential

Central Idea India needs an enabling policy and regulatory environment to tap into the potential of the Second Space Age and its rapidly growing space economy. What is mean by the Second Space Age? Commercialization: The Second Space Age refers to the recent era of increased commercialization and private sector involvement in space exploration, which… Continue reading

16th Finance Commission to be constituted in November

The Union government is gearing up to constitute the Sixteenth Finance Commission in November this year to recommend the formula for sharing revenues between the Centre and the States for the five-year period beginning 2026-27. What is the Finance Commission? The Finance Commission (FC) was established by the President of India in 1951 under Article… Continue reading

What is Article 371F?

Former Sikkim CM claimed that the Sikkimese people feel betrayed as Article 371F, which guarantees special provisions for Sikkim, was “violated”. What is Article 371F? Article 371F is a special provision in the Constitution of India that was created to provide for the unique status of Sikkim, a state located in the northeastern part of… Continue reading

CSIR scientists identify Rare-Earth deposits in AP

Scientists at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad have discovered the presence of rare-earth elements (REEs) in Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh. What are Rare-Earth Elements? Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 elements, including lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, yttrium, hafnium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, and scandium. These elements are widely used in modern… Continue reading

LIGO-India: India’s Node in Global Universe Probe

India has given the final approval to build its biggest scientific facility, Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), in the Hingoli district of Maharashtra. The facility will join the global project to detect and study gravitational waves. Gravitation and General Theory of Relativity Newton’s law of gravitation, proposed by Sir Isaac Newton in the 17th century,… Continue reading

Physicists discover new Uranium Isotope

Physicists in Japan have discovered a new isotope of uranium, with atomic number 92 and mass number 241. Uranium Uranium is a naturally occurring chemical element with the symbol U and atomic number 92. It is a heavy metal that is radioactive and found in small quantities in rocks and soils worldwide. Uranium has several… Continue reading

The Statistical Genius: C. R. Rao

Central idea: Indian-American statistician Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao has been awarded the 2023 International Prize in Statistics, which is considered the Nobel Prize for statistics. He is 102 YO. Who is C. R. Rao? R. Rao, is an Indian-American mathematician and statistician. He is currently professor emeritus at Pennsylvania State University and Research Professor at the… Continue reading

Poverty Estimates: Issues With PLFS Data

Central Idea The claim of poverty reduction in India during the pandemic year of 2020-21 is contested due to discrepancies in data and survey design. The PLFS data is used to make this claim, and there are recent papers that have come up with divergent claims on trends in poverty, showing both a rapid decline… Continue reading

Himachal Pradesh considering legalizing Cannabis Cultivation

Himachal Pradesh CM has announced that the state government is considering legalizing the cultivation of cannabis. What is Cannabis? Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the Cannabis plant used primarily for medical or recreational purposes. The main psychoactive component of cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is one of… Continue reading

TEMPO: NASA device to Monitor Air Pollution from Space

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched carrying a new NASA device named Tropospheric Emissions Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) designed to monitor air pollutants and their emission sources across North America from space more comprehensively than ever before. What is TEMPO? TEMPO is an instrument developed by NASA, which will enable scientists to monitor air pollutants… Continue reading

Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar Program

Central idea: The government has identified and documented the unique cultural heritage of more than one lakh villages across the country under the National Mission for Cultural Mapping’s Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar programme. Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar The National Mission for Cultural Mapping aims to develop a comprehensive database of art forms, artists, and other… Continue reading

India elected to UN Statistical Body

Central idea: India has been elected to the UN Statistical Commission for a four-year term. About United Nations Statistical Commission The UN Statistical Commission is the topmost body of the global statistical system, bringing together the Chief Statisticians from member states worldwide. Responsibilities of the Commission include setting statistical standards and developing concepts and methods,… Continue reading

RBI’s Pause On Repo Rate Hike: Concerns Over Inflation And Global Pressures Remain

Central Idea The RBI has decided to not increase the repo rate amid continuing hikes by important central banks such as the US Federal Reserve (Fed) and European Central Bank (ECB), and domestic inflation concerns. However, if incoming data point to rising inflation risks, this decision could prove to be only a pause in the… Continue reading

India-Bhutan Relationship Built On Faith and Mutual trust

Central Idea India-Bhutan’s exemplary relationship has been a key factor in ensuring the stability and security of the region. The recent visit of Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to India was focused on enhancing the bilateral relationship between the two countries. However, the unspoken part of the visit was the Bhutan-China boundary talks, which… Continue reading

Govt releases pre-draft of National Curriculum Framework

The Ministry of Education has released a pre-draft version of National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for School Education. National Curriculum Framework (NCF) Features Details What is it? A comprehensive framework for school education in India Provides guidelines for the development of curricula and syllabi, textbooks, and teaching practices for schools in India Developed by National Council… Continue reading

Union Cabinet gives nod to Indian Space Policy, 2023

Central idea: The Union Cabinet has approved the Indian Space Policy, 2023. Indian Space Policy, 2023 It aims to enhance the role of the Department of Space, boost the activities of ISRO missions, and encourage participation from research, academia, startups, and industry. Salient features (1) Outlining roles and responsibilities The Indian Space Policy, 2023 outlines… Continue reading

Principles of Natural Justice and Proportionality

Central idea The Supreme Court lifted a broadcasting ban on a Malayalam news channel ‘MediaOne’. The court blasted the government for silencing voices in the media who “speak truth to power” by branding them as “anti-establishment”. A quick recap of the case The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB) has earlier refused to renew broadcast… Continue reading

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