China’s interventions in the Horn of Africa

China recently held the first China-Horn of Africa Peace, Governance and Development Conference. Why in news? China has been investing across the African continent throughout the last decade. The conference held in Ethiopia witnessed the participation of foreign ministries from the following countries of the Horn: Kenya, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda.… Continue reading

PM visits United Arab Emirates (UAE)

PM Modi expressed gratitude to President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) al Nahyan for taking great care of 3.5 million Indian community in the UAE during the pandemic. India- UAE Relations: A backgrounder The relation has greatly flourished especially after the accession of H. H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al… Continue reading

What is the GST Council, what does it do?

The 47th meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council began in Chandigarh, almost marking five years of the tax system coming into effect on July 1, 2017. What is the GST Council? The GST regime came into force after the Constitutional (122nd Amendment) Bill was passed by both Houses of Parliament in 2016. More… Continue reading

Commonwealth adopts ‘Living Lands Charter’

All 54 Commonwealth members have agreed to voluntarily dedicate a ‘living land’ in their respective countries to future generations, in line with the strategy set for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Living Lands Charter The non-binding mandates that member countries will safeguard global land resources and arrest land degradation while acting against climate change,… Continue reading

Downturn in tech startup ecosystem

Context The startup ecosystem which has been in overdrive for the past few years — propelled by a combination of factors, but largely, by the era of cheap money — is now showing signs of weakness. Factors that helped fuel the tech startups With the combination of accelerated financial inclusion (bank accounts), ease of identification… Continue reading

online marketplace

Context The proliferation of a wide range of e-commerce platforms has created convenience and increased consumer choice. However, these platforms also have given rise to several concerns as well. What is e-commerce ? Electronic commerce or e-commerce is a business model that lets firms and individuals buy and sell things over the Internet. Propelled by… Continue reading

India’s gig workforce to reach 2.35 Cr by 2030: NITI Aayog

A NITI Aayog report has identified that is expected to grow to 2.35 crore by 2029-30. Do you know? According to a study released by NITI Aayog, the number of gig workers in India is estimated to be 77 lakh in 2020-21. Isn’t it too low to imagine? Seems like there is huge under-reporting. What… Continue reading

Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) Initiative

To reinforce its Indo-Pacific strategy, the US – along with Australia, New Zealand, UK and Japan – announced a new Partners in Blue Pacific (PBP) initiative. What is Partners in the Blue Pacific (PBP) initiative? The PBP is a five-nation “informal mechanism” to support Pacific islands and to boost diplomatic, economic ties in the region.… Continue reading

What is Small Savings Scheme?

Economists expect the Centre to raise the interest rates paid on small savings schemes for the July to September 2022 quarter. Small Savings Scheme Small Savings Schemes are a set of savings instruments managed by the central government with an aim to encourage citizens to save regularly irrespective of their age. They are popular as… Continue reading

Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D)

The Ministry of Education has released the Performance Grading Index for Districts (PGI-D) for 2019 which studied 83 indicators grouped in six categories. What is PGI-D? The 83-indicator-based PGI for District (PGI-D) has been designed to grade the performance of all districts in school education. The data is filled by districts through an online portal.… Continue reading

G-20

The Jammu and Kashmir administration has constituted a committee to coordinate with the delegates of G-20 countries scheduled to participate in a meeting to be held in the Union Territory (UT) next year. Why such move? The participation of the delegates from G-20 countries will be a major boost to the efforts of the Centre… Continue reading

Political crisis in Maharashtra underscores ineffectiveness of anti-defection law

Context The political crisis in Maharashtra has brought focus back on the anti-defection law. By all accounts, the law has failed to shore up the stability of elected governments. About Anti-defection law The Anti-Defection Law under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution punishes MPs/ MLAs for defecting from their party by taking away their membership… Continue reading

Centre asks firms to arrange Tricolours

The Centre has reached out to manufacturers and e-commerce sites to boost the availability of the Tricolour, according to officials aware of the programme. Why in news? The Centre is set to launch a large-scale campaign to encourage Indians to fly the National Fag at their homes to mark the 75th Independence Day. The aim… Continue reading

What does our Current Account Deficit (CAD) show?

The data for the country’s current account balance for the fourth quarter of FY 2021-22 shows a decrease in the deficit to 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) from 2.6% of GDP in Q3 FY 2021-22. What is Current Account Deficit (CAD)? A current account is a key component of balance of payments, which is… Continue reading

India’s new VPN Rules

On April 28, Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) passed a rule mandating VPN (virtual private network) providers to record and keep their customers’ logs for 180 days. What is VPN? VPN describes the opportunity to establish a protected network connection when using public networks. It encrypts internet traffic and disguise a user’s online identity. This… Continue reading

What is GST Compensation Cess?

The Centre has extended the time for levy of GST compensation cess by almost four years till March 31, 2026. What is the news? The Goods and Services Tax (Period of Levy and Collection of Cess) Rules were notified in 2022 by the Finance Ministry. The levy of cess was to end on June 30… Continue reading

Typhi: A more drug-resistant Typhoid

The bacteria causing typhoid fever is becoming increasingly resistant to some of the most important antibiotics for human health. What is the news? The largest genome analysis of Salmonella Typhi (S. Typhi) also shows that resistant strains — almost all originating in South Asia — have spread to other countries nearly 200 times since 1990.… Continue reading

Four new corals recorded from Indian waters

Scientists have recorded four species of corals for the first time from Indian waters. These new species of azooxanthellate corals were found from the waters off the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. What are Azooxanthellate Corals? The azooxanthellate corals are a group of corals that do not contain zooxanthellae and derive nourishment not from the sun… Continue reading

Issues with use of NMMS app in NREGA

Context The National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) app seeks to improve citizen oversight and increase transparency in NREGA works. This causes significant difficulty for NREGA workers. About NMMS app National Mobile Monitoring Software (NMMS) App was launched by the Minister of Rural Development on May, 21 2021. The National Mobile Monitoring App is applicable for… Continue reading

Parameswaran Iyer will be new NITI Aayog CEO

Parameswaran Iyer, a senior official who helmed the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, will be the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NITI Aayog. What is the news? Iyer replaces Amitabh Kant, who completes his term in the office on June 30. Kant was appointed CEO of the National Institutions for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog on… Continue reading

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