Tripura’s Darlong community in included in ST List

The Lok Sabha recently passed a bill to amend a constitutional order to include Darlong, a tribal clan in Tripura which was among the generic Halam community till now, in the list of Scheduled Tribes (ST). Who are Darlongs? Darlong is a tribal community of 11,000 people. Despite its small population, the community has a… Continue reading

What is a Look Out Notice?

Delhi High Court has sought the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED’s) response on a journalist’s challenge to its action of restraining her from leaving the country. She was stopped in Mumbai on Tuesday evening based on a look out circular (LOC) issued by the ED. Look out notice: What is it, when is it issued? An LOC… Continue reading

[pib] Festivals in news: Gudi Padwa

The President of India has sent his greetings to fellow citizens on the eve of Chaitra Sukladi, Ugadi, Gudi Padwa, Cheti Chand, Navreh and Sajibu Cheiraoba. Gudi Padwa Gudi Padwa is a spring-time festival that marks the traditional New Year for Marathi and Konkani Hindus, but is also celebrated by other Hindus as well. It… Continue reading

[Burning Issue] Groundwater Depletion in India

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here) Context The theme of this year’s World Water Day was ‘Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible’. The primary focus is to draw attention to the role of groundwater in water and sanitation systems, agriculture, industry, ecosystems, and climate change adaptation. Groundwater helps reduce… Continue reading

Areas under AFSPA regime reduced: Home Ministry

The Union Home Ministry has considerably reduced the “disturbed areas” under the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA) in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. AFSPA: A Backgrounder The AFSPA, 1958 came into force in the context of insurgency in the North-eastern States decades ago. It provides “special power” to the Armed Forces applies to the Army,… Continue reading

Dam Safety Act can end disputes, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has found in the Dam Safety Act of 2021 a panacea to end the “perennial” legal battle between Tamil Nadu and Kerala over the Mullaperiyar dam. What is the Dam Safety Act, 2021? The Act comprehensively postulates for surveillance, inspection, operation and maintenance of dams to prevent disasters. Its key features are… Continue reading

India to set up Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Colombo

India and Sri Lanka have signed an MoU for the Indian public sector Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to set up a state of the art Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Colombo. What is MRCC? MRCCs are part of an international network under the UN’s International Maritime Organisation. They aim to monitor the sea lanes… Continue reading

Old Pension Scheme vs New Pension Scheme

Many states are trying to restore Old Pension Scheme and discontinue the National Pension System (NPS). What is the Defined Pension Benefit Scheme (old)? The scheme assures life-long income, post-retirement. Usually the assured amount is equivalent to 50% of the last drawn salary. The Government bears the expenditure incurred on the pension. The scheme was… Continue reading

FASTER digital platform for Judiciary

‘FASTER’, an abbreviation of ‘Fast and Secured Transmission of Electronic Records’, a digital platform was formally launched by Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana. What is FASTER? The FASTER system proposes transmission of e-authenticated copies of the interim orders, stay orders, bail orders and record of proceedings to the duty-holders for compliance and due… Continue reading

The Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2021

Context The Lok Sabha has approved a Bill to amend the Chartered Accountants Act, 1949, the law that governs the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI). What are the changes proposed in the Bill? Introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 17, 2021, and titled the Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and… Continue reading

India’s Lithium Dependency Worries

Lithium has been among the most sought-after mineral during the past few years, largely on the back of its usage in battery manufacturing. India is at odds with a major import source for the mineral, China. About Lithium Lithium is a chemical element with the symbol Li and atomic number 3. It is a soft,… Continue reading

What is Project NETRA?

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is building up its orbital debris tracking capability by deploying new radars and optical telescopes under the Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) project. Project NETRA The project will give India its own capability in space situational awareness (SSA) like the other space powers — which is… Continue reading

[Sansad TV] Perspective – NLMC: Utilising Unused Land

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here) Context Earlier this month, the Union Cabinet has approved the setting up of the National Land Monetization Corporation (NLMC) to monetize surplus land and building assets of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and other agencies linked to the Government. In this article,… Continue reading

Rhino population up by 200 in Kaziranga

The population of the greater one-horned or Indian rhinoceros in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has increased by 200 (from 2413 in 2018) in four years, the latest census of the flagship animal has revealed. About Indian Rhino The Indian rhinoceros also called the greater one-horned rhinoceros and great Indian rhinoceros is a… Continue reading

Places in news: Sariska Tiger Reserve

A massive fire has broken out in the Sariska Tiger Reserve and Air Force helicopters equipped with water sprays are battling to bring it under control. Sariska Tiger Reserve Sariska Tiger Reserve is a tiger reserve in Alwar district, Rajasthan. It stretches over an area of 881 sq km comprising scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous… Continue reading

[Sansad TV] Perspective – NLMC: Utilising Unused Land

[Sansad TV] Perspective: India-Australia Ties

UPSC 2022 countdown has begun! Get your personal guidance plan now! (Click here) Context Earlier this week, PM Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison held a virtual summit – the second one since June 2020. Both nations agreed to unlock the untapped potential in bilateral trade and investment. They highlighted the need to conclude… Continue reading

A good foreign policy must also make a difference at home

Context This is the edited excerpts from the lecture delivered by India’s External Affairs Minister at St. Stephen’s College, Delhi on March 24. Relevance of foreign policy at personal level Through a good foreign policy, our everyday needs from the world must be better met. And since we are a collective as a country, our… Continue reading

Common University Entrance Test

Context UGC introduced the Common University Entrance Test (CUET) for admissions in undergraduate courses in 45 central universities in the country. Benefits of Common University Entrance Test (CUET) Deals with the issue of uneven quality of different boards: In a country like ours, because of the uneven quality of different school boards, there is a… Continue reading

RBI cannot ignore inflation

Context Despite being legally mandated to keep inflation in check, RBI has persisted with easy monetary policy, even as inflationary pressures have increased. We need to understand why, and what could be the repercussions. Inflation problem in India For most of the past two years, CPI (consumer price index) inflation has been hovering close to… Continue reading

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