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

ISRO proposes Bharat Krishi Satellite Programme

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has proposed dedicated satellites for supporting the country’s agriculture sector. Bharat Krishi Satellite Programme Minimum of two satellites are stipulated to guarantee adequate coverage of the entire agricultural area of the country. They will aid a gamut of farm-related activities related to crop forecasting, pesticide application, irrigation, soil data,… Continue reading

Next-Gen Launch Vehicle- NGLV to assume PSLV’s role

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a Next-Gen Launch Vehicle (NGLV), which will one day replace operational systems like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). What is the news? PSLV, often dubbed the ‘trusted workhorse’, “will have to retire” one day, said ISRO chairman. What is NGLV? NGLV will feature a simple, robust… Continue reading

Person in news: Jayaprakash Narayan (JP)

Union Home Minister unveiled a 15-foot statue of Jayaprakash Narayan or JP on his 120th birth anniversary at the socialist icon’s birthplace, Sitab Diara village in Bihar’s Saran district. Who was Jayaprakash Narayan? JP was born in 1902 in Bihar’s Sitab Diara, a village prone to frequent-flooding, after which his family moved to a village… Continue reading

3 Lakh RTI Pleas pile up across India

A good 17 years after India got the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the transparency regime in the country remains a mirage with nearly 3.15 lakh complaints and appeals pending with 26 information commissions across India. RTI Pendency in India According to a report by Satark Nagrik Sangathan, the backlog of appeals or complaints is… Continue reading

Israel and Lebanon reach an Agreement on Maritime Border

Israel has reached a US-brokered agreement with Lebanon to settle their long-disputed maritime border. This has been seen as a historic deal. Israel-Lebanon Boundary Issue The draft agreement aims to settle Israel and Lebanon’s competing claims over offshore gas fields in the region. A major source of friction was the Karish gas field, which Israel… Continue reading

UN World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC)

PM has inaugurated the second United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress (UNWGIC) in Hyderabad. What is UNWGIC? The first United Nations World Geospatial Information Congress was held in Deqing, Zhejiang Province, China in 2018. The United Nation Committee of Experts on Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) organizes the UNWGIC every four years. It is hosted… Continue reading

Migrant workers in India

Context India has used Aadhaar (digital identity) and UPI (digital payments) extensively to address the challenges of identification and financial inclusion in social protection delivery, particularly in the case of migrants. Who is a migrant worker? A “migrant worker” is a person who either migrates within their home country or outside it to pursue work.… Continue reading

Mental health in India

10th October, yesterday was observed as World Mental Health Day. What is the news? The Lancet released a new report calling for radical action to end stigma and discrimination in mental health. It stated that 90% of people living with mental health conditions feel negatively impacted by stigma and discrimination. Mental Illness in India Mental… Continue reading

Pakistan to take part in SCO anti-terror exercise hosted by India

Pakistan has been invited to the closing ceremony of the ongoing Joint Anti-Terror Exercise (JATE) within the ambit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) being hosted by India. What is the news? The National Security Guard (NSG) is hosting the multinational JATE “Manesar Anti-Terror 2022”, under the framework of the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS).… Continue reading

India’s Dark Sky Reserve

Context The union territory of Ladakh will host India’s first Dark Sky Reserve which will be set up in Hanle area in the next three months. The Dark Sky Reserve is being built as part of Ladakh’s high-altitude Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. What is Dark Sky Reserve (DSR)? Definition of Dark Sky Reserve: The International Dark… Continue reading

Classifying Merit and Non merit Freebies

Context The debate that began with an RBI 2022 report on state finances followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment on revdi culture aka freebies, has garnered substantial attention so much so that the Supreme Court is hearing on this issue. Freebies have now assumed more importance than ever. What are freebies? Freebies could be… Continue reading

Amendments to Bharat Series Rules

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has issued a draft notification proposing new rules to further increase the scope of implementation of the BH series vehicle registrations. Bharat series (BH-series) There was a procedure of re-registration of a vehicle while moving to another state. A vehicle bearing BH registration mark shall not require assignment… Continue reading

Moonlighting: Overemployment or Underpayment

Context In July, Kotak Securities said in a study that at least 60% of 400 employees surveyed said they themselves had, or knew someone who had engaged in moonlighting. What is mean by moonlighting? Moonlighting is a state where employees work for remuneration with entities other than their employers. It is not defined in any… Continue reading

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