Lothal: ‘Oldest Dock in the World’, to get heritage complex

Prime Minister has reviewed the construction of the National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) site at Gujarat’s Lothal via video conferencing. Where is Lothal? Lothal was one of the southernmost sites of the Indus Valley civilization, located in the Bhal region of what is now the state of Gujarat. The port city is believed to have… Continue reading

GRAP Stage II kicks in as Delhi’s air quality may turn ‘very poor’

The Commission for Air Quality Management directed New Delhi authorities to enforce stage II of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) with immediate effect. Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) In 2014, when a study by the WHO found that Delhi was the most polluted city in the world, panic spread in the Centre and the… Continue reading

India’s Direct Benefit Transfer Schemes

Context Last week, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) lauded India’s Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme as a “logistical marvel” that has reached hundreds of millions of people and specifically benefitted women, the elderly and farmers. Paolo Mauro, Deputy Director in the IMF’s Fiscal Affairs Department, praised the role of technological innovation in achieving this feat.… Continue reading

International Solar Alliance approves funding mechanism

To bolster investments in solar power projects, the International Solar Alliance (ISA), in its General Assembly approved the ‘Solar Facility’, a payment guarantee mechanism. What is Solar Facility? It is expected to stimulate investments into solar projects through two financial components: Solar Payment Guarantee Fund and Solar Insurance Fund The thrust of the facility is… Continue reading

What are Foreign Currency Non-Resident (FCNR) deposits?

The RBI’s 2013 FCNR scheme to buffer the rupee against steep declines and rebuild foreign exchange reserves is unlikely to prove fruitful in the current crisis as economic fundamentals are different. What are FCNR deposits? Back in 2013, the RBI had offered to swap the U.S. dollars banks had raised via foreign currency non-resident (FCNR)… Continue reading

Japan seeks GI tag for Nihonshu, an alcoholic beverage

The Embassy of Japan, New Delhi, has filed an application seeking Geographical Indication (GI) tag for nihonshu/Japanese sake, an alcoholic beverage. Why in news? It is learnt that this is the first time a product from Japan has filed for a tag at the Geographical Indication Registry in Chennai. What is Nihonshu? Nihonshu is regarded… Continue reading

What are Green Crackers?

Many states have outlawed firecrackers and mandated the production, sale, and usage of only green firecrackers in light of Diwali’s impending arrival and the air pollution crisis. What are green crackers? Green Crackers are fireworks that are healthy to the environment and can lessen the air pollution that conventional firecrackers produce. The Council for Scientific… Continue reading

Food Security, Success Story and Challenges Ahead

Context The Hunger Hotspots Outlook (2022-23) a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP) forebodes escalating hunger, as over 205 million people across 45 countries will need emergency food assistance to survive. 16 October is celebrated as World Food Day. What is the current… Continue reading

Making India’s Quantum Cyberspace resilient

Context The Army has collaborated with industry and academia to build secure communications and cryptography applications. This step builds on last year’s initiative to establish a quantum computing laboratory at the military engineering institute in Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. What is mean by quantum computing? Quantum computing is an area of study focused on the development of… Continue reading

What are Digital Banking Units (DBUs)?

PM has dedicated 75 digital banking units to the nation, taking forward an announcement that was made in the 2022-23 Union Budget. What are DBUs? A digital banking unit is a specialized fixed point business unit or hub, housing a certain minimum digital infrastructure for delivering digital banking products and services. It aims at servicing… Continue reading

What is China’s ‘Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy?

Chinese President Xi Jinping will get an endorsement for a third term as President. His “wolf warrior” style of diplomacy has particularly attracted attention. What does Wolf Warrior’ Diplomacy mean? A term that gained popularity, especially after Xi became President, “wolf warrior diplomacy” is a tactic for the Chinese government to extend its ideology beyond… Continue reading

SLBM launch by INS Arihant

The indigenous ballistic missile nuclear submarine INS Arihant has successfully launched a nuclear capable Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) in the Bay of Bengal with very high accuracy. About INS Arihant Launched in 2009 and Commissioned in 2016, INS Arihant is India’s first indigenous nuclear powered ballistic missile. It is capable submarine built under the… Continue reading

Species in news: Neelakurinji

As visitors keep pouring in to witness the blooming of neelakurinji on a vast area on the Kallippara hills at Santhanpara in Idukki, Kerala, an expert team has identified six varieties of the plant across the region. Neelakurinji Kurinji or Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthianus) is a shrub that is found in the shola forests of the… Continue reading

Ensuring Internal Security by Securing Communication Networks

Context In a bid to upgrade the Indian Telegraph Act 1885, a law that is more than a century old, the Department of Telecommunications, or DoT, issued the Draft Indian Telecommunications Bill 2022 on 21 September. Among other things, the proposed legislation brings digital communications applications like Signal and Telegram under telecommunications law and regulation… Continue reading

Living Planet Report 2022: Wildlife populations decline by 69% in 50 years

There has been a 69 per cent decline in the wildlife populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and fish, across the globe in the last 50 years, according to the latest Living Planet Report by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). What is Living Planet Report? The Living Planet Report is published every 2 years… Continue reading

Global Hunger Index is out, India in ‘serious’ category at rank 107

India ranks 107 out of 121 countries on the Global Hunger Index in which it fares worse than all countries in South Asia barring war-torn Afghanistan. Global Hunger Index (GHI) The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe. It determines hunger on a 100-point scale, where 0… Continue reading

What is Carbon Dating?

A Varanasi district court has rejected the plea to conduct carbon-dating of the disputed structure known to have been found inside the premises of the Gyanvapi mosque. What is Carbon Dating? Carbon dating, also called radiocarbon dating is method of age determination that depends upon the decay to nitrogen of radiocarbon (Carbon-14). This method was… Continue reading

Reality check on India’s Population policy

Context Earlier this year, the United Nations published data to show that India would surpass China as the world’s most populous country by 2023.According to the 2018-19Economic Survey, India’s demographic dividend will peak around2041, when the share of the working age population is expected to hit 59%. What is the Present status of India’s population?… Continue reading

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