INS Vikrant: All about India’s first indigenous aircraft carrier

The nation’s first Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC-1) , INS Vikrant is set to be commissioned on September 2, the Indian Navy has announced. About INS Vikrant The name ‘INS Vikrant’ originally belonged to India’s much-loved first aircraft carrier, a source of immense national pride over several decades of service before it was decommissioned in 1997.… Continue reading

Why Nepal postponed Gorkhas’ recruitment under the Agnipath scheme?

Nepal has postponed the recruitment rallies which were to be held in that country to recruit Gorkha soldiers for the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme. Why has Nepal postponed Agnipath recruitment rallies? Nepal is of the opinion that this new form of entry into the Indian military is not covered under the Tripartite Agreement… Continue reading

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) eyes procurement of ₹2 lakh crore

Government e-Marketplace (GeM), a national procurement portal, is eyeing annual procurement worth ₹2 lakh crore during FY23. Such a huge amount it is! Government e-Marketplace GeM is an online platform for public procurement in India by various Government Departments / Organizations / PSUs. The initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce… Continue reading

Green finance for green future

Context Inclusion of climate change and green finance in policy is crucial for a strong economy. What is green finance? Green finance is a phenomenon that combines the world of finance and business with environment friendly behaviour. It may be led by financial incentives, a desire to preserve the planet, or a combination of both.… Continue reading

National Digital Health Mission

Context The covid-19 pandemic has presented a watershed moment, bringing the world’s healthcare systems to a halt, forcing us to rethink existing healthcare delivery models and embrace the digital health transformation of the sector. Definition of digital health care Digital health is a discipline that includes digital care programs, technologies with health, healthcare, living, and… Continue reading

Arth Ganga Model: New govt model for the River’s Sustainable Development

The Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, spoke about the Arth Ganga Model during his virtual keynote address to the Stockholm World Water Week 2022. What is Arth Ganga Model? PM Modi first introduced the concept during the first National Ganga Council meeting in Kanpur in 2019. He urged for a shift… Continue reading

Robust Sport governance for national pride

Context The judicial push for reforms in sport governance of various sporting bodies, football, hockey, table tennis and the Indian Olympic Association has understandably received mixed reactions. Why in news? The national sports federation’s usual governance practices do not place either the sport or the athlete front and centre; that space is reserved for official… Continue reading

Manusmriti: the controversial ancient Sanskrit text

The Vice Chancellor of a renowned university recently criticized the Manusmriti, the ancient Sanskrit text, over its gender bias. What is the news? The VC said that the Manusmriti has categorised all women as shudras, which is extraordinarily regressive. What is Manusmriti? The Mānavadharmaśāstra, also known as Manusmriti or the Laws of Manu, is a… Continue reading

What is Floor Test?

Bihar Chief Minister has won the floor test in the Assembly. What is a floor test? A floor test is a measure to check whether the executive is enjoying the confidence of the legislature. It is a constitutional mechanism under which a Chief Minister appointed by the Governor can be asked to prove majority on… Continue reading

Explained: The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022

The long-awaited Bill to amend the Competition Act, 2002, was finally tabled in the Lok Sabha recently. What is the Indian Competition Act? The Indian Competition Act was passed in 2002, but it came into effect only seven years later. The Competition Commission primarily pursues three issues of anti-competitive practices in the market: anti-competitive agreements,… Continue reading

Benami Law can’t be applied retrospectively: SC

The Supreme Court has declared as “unconstitutional and manifestly arbitrary” the amendments introduced to the Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 in 2016, which apply retrospectively and can send a person to prison for three years even as it empowers the Centre to confiscate “any property” subject to a benami transaction. What is Benami Property? Benami… Continue reading

Iran drops some of its key demands for Nuclear Pact

Iran has dropped some of its main demands on resurrecting a deal to rein in Tehran’s nuclear programme, including its insistence that international inspectors close some probes of its program, bringing the possibility of an Iran–US agreement closer. Which agreement is this article referring to? It is an alternative name of the Joint Comprehensive Plan… Continue reading

Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM)

The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy has successfully flight-tested the indigenously developed Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur off the coast of Odisha. What is Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM) ? VL-SRSAM has been designed and developed jointly by… Continue reading

Equitable education and health care needed for better future

Context To create the foundation for the next century, we need to invest in equitable education and health care in the next 25 years not just for the elite, but for all. What is current status of education? Expenditure on Education: The expenses on education as a percentage to GDP, India lags behind some developed/… Continue reading

Tomato Flu cases found in India

With cases of tomato flu reported from at least four states — Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, and Odisha — the Union Health Ministry has issued a set of guidelines on prevention, testing, and treatment of the infection. Researchers believe that it is a different clinical presentation of hand-foot-and mouth disease (HFMD) caused by a group… Continue reading

Data diplomacy

Context The government has withdrawn the Personal Data Protection Bill from Parliament after several amendments were proposed by the Joint-Parliamentary Committee. Definition of data Data is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted. What… Continue reading

Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC): the Digital Rupee

Reports have said the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) digital rupee — the Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) — may be introduced in phases beginning with wholesale businesses in the current financial year. What is Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)? CBDC is a central bank issued digital currency which is backed by some kind of… Continue reading

What are Cloudbursts? Why are they rising across India?

Over 20 people have been killed in destruction caused by cloudbursts and flash floods in different parts of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand over the last three days. What are Cloudbursts? A cloudburst is a localised but intense rainfall activity. Short spells of very heavy rainfall over a small geographical area can cause widespread destruction, especially… Continue reading

Pandurang Khankhoje: Ghadarite revolutionary and a hero of Mexico

Lok Sabha Speaker, who is currently in Canada for the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, will travel to Mexico where he will unveil statues of Swami Vivekananda and Maharashtra-born freedom fighter and agriculturalist Pandurang Khankhoje. Who was Pandurang Khankhoje (1883-1967)? Born in Wardha, Maharashtra, in the late 19th century, Pandurang Khankhoje came in contact with other… Continue reading

Tribute to women freedom fighters

Context Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day speech underlined the role of women veeranganas in our freedom movement. The initiative highlighting the brave women of our freedom struggle, under the broader celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, will mark a turning point in Indian feminist history writing from an Indic perspective. What veerangana means? Veerangana means a… Continue reading

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