50th anniversary of Meghalaya’s Statehood

The Meghalaya Assembly has given an indigenous touch to the National Anthem ahead of the 50th anniversary of Meghalaya’s Statehood in 2022. About Meghalaya Meghalaya meaning “abode of clouds” was formed by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills on 21 January… Continue reading

Places in news: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

A herd of around 25 elephants from Nepal’s Shuklaphanta National Park reached the tiger reserve in Uttar Pradesh almost a month back. Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Pilibhit Tiger Reserve is located in Pilibhit district of Uttar Pradesh and was notified as a tiger reserve in 2014. It is one of the few well-forested districts in Uttar… Continue reading

Financial inclusion

Context There are 63.4 million MSMEs in India and 99 per cent of which are micro-enterprises with less than Rs 10 lakh in investment. Financial inclusion and integration is key to bring these businesses into the formal economy. Financial integration What is Financial inclusion? On the front of “financial inclusion”, which refers to the accessibility of… Continue reading

In Manipur, a case for asymmetric federalism

As a normative idea and an institutional arrangement that supports the recognition and provision of an expansive ‘self-rule’ for territorially concentrated minority groups, asymmetric federalism has recently received bad press in India. India’s Federalism: A backgrounder Nations are described as ‘federal’ or ‘unitary’, depending on the way in which governance is organised. In a unitary… Continue reading

Thawing Permafrost

The latest IPCC report has warned that increasing global warming will result in reductions in Arctic permafrost and the thawing of the ground is expected to release greenhouse gases like methane and carbon dioxide. What is Permafrost? ‘Permafrost’ or permanently frozen ground is land that has been frozen at or below 0 degrees Celsius for… Continue reading

National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA)

Audit regulator National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) wants to be positioned as a regulator for the entire gamut of financial reporting, covering all processes and participants in the financial reporting chain. What is NFRA? NFRA is an independent regulator to oversee the auditing profession and accounting standards in India under Companies Act 2013. It came… Continue reading

Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD)

India and the US has together launched the “Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD)”. What is CAFMD? The CAFMD is one of the two tracks of the India-U.S. Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership launched at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021, by PM Modi and US President Mr. Biden. The… Continue reading

[pib] Who was Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh?

The PM has laid the foundation stone of Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh State University in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh. UPSC is exploring deeper for social reformers involved in the freedom struggle. This is very much visible from the questions based on Rakhmabai, Gopal Baba Walangkar, Sakharam Deuskar etc. in CS Prelims 2020. Raja Mahendra Pratap Singh… Continue reading

What the Q1 GDP numbers say

Context India’s GDP data for Q1 of 2021-22 was released on August 31, 2021. The data revealed the real GDP growth at 20.1% in Q1. Making sense of the growth Base effect: Real GDP growth at 20.1% in Q1 of 2021-22 is largely because of the contraction of 24.4% in the corresponding quarter of the… Continue reading

Allahabad HC verdict disqualifying then PM

The 1975 verdict of Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha of the Allahabad high court, disqualifying then PM Indira Gandhi on charges of electoral malpractices was a judgment of “great courage” that “shook” the nation, said CJI in his speech. What was the case? It all started with the 1971 Lok Sabha elections, where the Congress (R), which… Continue reading

National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID)

The PM is soon expected to launch the National Intelligence Grid or NATGRID that aims to provide cutting-edge technology to enhance India’s counter-terror capabilities. What is NATGRID? NATGRID is an intelligence sharing network that collates data from the standalone databases of the various agencies and ministries of the Indian government. It is a counter terrorism… Continue reading

124 years of the Battle of Saragarhi

This September 12 marks the 124th anniversary of the Battle of Saragarhi that has inspired a host of armies, books and films, both at home and abroad. What is the Battle of Saragarhi? The Battle of Saragarhi is considered one of the finest last stands in the military history of the world. Twenty-one soldiers were… Continue reading

Thamirabarani Civilization is 3200 years old

A carbon dating analysis of rice with soil, found in a burial urn at Sivakalai in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu has yielded the date of 1155 BC, indicating that the Thamirabarani civilization dates back to 3,200 years. About Thamirabarani River The Thamirabarani or Tamraparni or Porunai is a perennial river that originates from… Continue reading

Why we must focus on Human Development not GDP growth?

The much-anticipated estimates of gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2021-22 were released on 31 August. This has seen an unprecedented decline in GDP at 24.4%. Why debate this? An increasing GDP is often seen as a measure of welfare and economic success. However, it fails to account for… Continue reading

What is a Solar Storm?

Studies have found that a powerful solar storm can cause a disruption of the internet, damage submarine cables, and communication satellites. What is a Solar Storm? A solar storm or a Coronal Mass Ejection as astronomers call it is an ejection of highly magnetized particles from the sun. These particles can travel several million km… Continue reading

First Dugong Conservation Reserve to be built in India

India’s first Dugong conservation reserve will be built in Tamil Nadu for the conservation of Dugong, a marine mammal. Try answering this PYQ: With reference to ‘dugong’, a mammal found in India, which of the following statements is/are correct? It is a herbivorous marine animal. It is found along the entire coast of India. It… Continue reading

Festival in news: Nuakhai

In Odisha, Nuakhai, an important agrarian festival in the State is being celebrated today. Nuakhai Nuakhai or is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Odisha and Southern Chhattisgarh in India. It is observed to welcome the new rice of the season. As per the customary practice, people offer the new grains of… Continue reading

[pib] Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products

The Centre has revised “Transport and Marketing Assistance” (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products’. What is the TMA Scheme? The TMA Scheme was introduced in 2019 to provide assistance for the international component of freight, to mitigate the disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the Indian exporters of agriculture products. All exporters, duly registered… Continue reading

The national security discourse is changing

Context From a rising China to the pressures of climate change; from the challenges of counter-terrorism to the COVID-19 pandemic (the four Cs), the old order is collapsing much faster than the ability of nations to create the foundations of a new one. The reduced difference between the domestic and foreign policy of the U.S.… Continue reading

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