CAATSA: the US law to sanction transactions with Russia

A US senator has said the US government must not impose sanctions on India under the Countering America’s Adversaries through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) for its purchase of S-400 missile weapons system from Russia. What is the CAATSA? CAATSA is a law that came into effect in the US in 2017, meant to punish countries having… Continue reading

KHADC to invite talks on Instrument of Accession

The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) in Meghalaya has called for a meeting of traditional heads to revisit the Instrument of Accession that made the Khasi domain a part of the Indian Union. About KHADC KHADC is an autonomous district council in the state of Meghalaya in India. It is one of the three… Continue reading

What are Cloudbursts?

At least eight people have died after a cloudburst occurred at the Amarnath Cave Shrine near Pahalgam in south Kashmir. What is a Cloudburst? Cloudbursts are short-duration, intense rainfall events over a small area. According to the IMD, it is a weather phenomenon with unexpected precipitation exceeding 100mm/h over a geographical region of approximately 20-30… Continue reading

Explained: Sub-categorizing OBCs

The Centre has extended the tenure of The Commission to Examine Sub-categorisation of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) headed by Justice G Rohini, former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court. Why in news? The Commission, constituted nearly five years ago, has got 10 extensions so far. It now has a deadline until January 31 next year… Continue reading

Forest Rights Act 2006

The Odisha government is chasing an ambitious target of completing the implementation of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) by granting all kinds of rights mandated under the historic Act by 2024. What is Forest Rights Act (FRA)? The symbiotic relationship between forests and forest-dwelling communities found recognition in the National Forest Policy, 1988. The policy… Continue reading

Derecho: A storm that turned the sky green in the US

States of Nebraska, Minnesota and Illinois in the US were hit by a storm system called a Derecho which turned the skies green. What is a Derecho? A derecho is a widespread, long-lived, straight-line windstorm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. The name comes from the Spanish word ‘la… Continue reading

Who are the Pasmanda?

In a political conclave in Hyderabad, PM made a special mention for the Pasmanda muslim community and their social upliftment. Who are the Pasmanda Muslims? The word Pasmanda is derived from the Persian language meaning ‘left behind’. The Pasmanda community comprise of Dalits and Backward Muslims who are fighting a different social battle inside the… Continue reading

A ‘no’ to pharma freebies

Context The judgment by a two-judge Bench of the Supreme Court dismissed the Special Leave Petition by Apex Laboratories to claim deduction on freebies given to doctors. About the case In the said case, the company was giving out freebies to doctors in order for them to create awareness about a health supplement it was manufacturing called Zincovit.… Continue reading

Draft Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill

The Centre plans to table the Development of Enterprise and Service Hubs (DESH) Bill in the monsoon session of the Parliament, which will overhaul the special economic zones (SEZ) legislation. What are SEZs? A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the… Continue reading

Nominated Members in Rajya Sabha

Olympic sprinter PT Usha and music composer Ilaiyaraaja among others have been nominated to the Rajya Sabha in the category of eminent persons nominated by the President. Nominated Members in RS Twelve members are nominated to the RS by the President of India for six-year term. This is for their contributions towards arts, literature, sciences,… Continue reading

What is the EU’s Sustainable Finance Taxonomy?

Activists have been widely criticizing the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy as a “greenwashing” exercise that puts the European Union’s climate change targets at risk. What is the EU Taxonomy? The EU taxonomy is a complex system to classify which parts of the economy may be marketed as sustainable investments. It includes economic activities, as well… Continue reading

New Rules to keep Advertisements in Check

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) recently issued guidelines to prevent false or misleading advertisements. Guidelines on Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsements for Misleading Advertisements, 2022: Key takeaways (1) Conditions for non-misleading and valid advertisement An advertisement shall be considered to be valid and not misleading: If it contains truthful and honest representation; Does… Continue reading

Odisha tops first-ever NFSA State Ranking Index

Odisha has topped the list of 34 states and Union territories (UTs) in the first-ever NFSA State Ranking Index. Ladakh was ranked last on the index. NFSA State Ranking Index The GoI has come up with a first-ever state ranking index to capture the implementation of the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) under the National Food… Continue reading

What are Critical Minerals?

India and Australia have decided to strengthen their partnership in the field of projects and supply chains for critical minerals. What is the news? Australia has confirmed that it would commit A$5.8 million to the three-year India-Australia Critical Minerals Investment Partnership”. What are Critical Minerals? Critical minerals are elements that are the building blocks of… Continue reading

Malnutrition in India

Context More than seven decades after independence, India still suffers from the public health issues such as child malnutrition attributing to 68.2% of under-five child mortality. What is malnutrition? Malnutrition refers to deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in a person’s intake of energy and/or nutrients. The term malnutrition covers 2 broad groups of conditions. One is ‘undernutrition’—which includes stunting… Continue reading

Hotels cannot force customers to pay Service Charge: Centre

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) issued guidelines asking hotels and restaurants not to collect service charge from customers. We often get to hear in news. Once a person had used a loo at a hotel in our national capital. She was charged ₹499 as a service charge in return of purchasing a water bottle!… Continue reading

What is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)?

The world’s most powerful particle collider, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), will begin smashing protons into each other at unprecedented levels of energy beginning July 5. What is the LHC? The Large Hadron Collider is a giant, complex machine built to study particles that are the smallest known building blocks of all things. Structurally, it… Continue reading

Species in news: Chenkurinji

This newscard is an excerpt from the original article published in The Hindu. Chenkurinji Chenkurinji (Gluta travancorica) is a species endemic to the Agasthyamala Biosphere Reserve. Belonging to the Anacardiaceae family, the tree was once abundant in the hills on the southern parts of the Aryankavu Pass in Kerala’s Kollam district. The Shendurney Wildlife Sanctuary… Continue reading

Custodial deaths

Context The recent spate of custodial deaths in Tamil Nadu has yet again highlighted the methods used by the police during interrogation. Custodial deaths in India It is not uncommon knowledge that the police, when they grow increasingly frustrated with the trajectory of their interrogation, sometimes resort to torture and violence which could lead to… Continue reading

Earthquake in Afghanistan

Recently a powerful earthquake of magnitude 5.9 on the Richter scale struck a remote town in Afghanistan, killing over a thousand and injuring many more. How do earthquakes happen? According to the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth’s crust and upper mantle are made of large rigid plates that can move relative to one another.… Continue reading

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