Expedition to Ram Setu

In possibly a first, Indian scientists will undertake a scientific expedition to date the chain of corals and sediments forming the Ram Setu. Try this PYQ: Q.Which of the following have coral reefs? Andaman and Nicobar Islands Gulf of Kachchh Gulf of Mannar Sunderbans Select the correct answer using the code given below: (a) 1,… Continue reading

What is the ‘Top 25’ drive initiated by Mumbai police?

The Mumbai police have started a drive titled ‘Top 25’ aimed at keeping under check history-sheeters and those they believe could create trouble. Preventive detention laws in India have come to be associated with gross and frequent misuse. What is the ‘Top 25’ drive of the Mumbai police? The Mumbai police commissioner has asked all… Continue reading

What are Off-Budget Borrowings?

Finance Minister is all set to present the Union Budget 2021 on February 1st with all eyeing on off-budget borrowings to reduce Fiscal Deficit. Try this PYQ: With reference to the Union Government, consider the following statements: The Department of Revenue is responsible for the preparation of Union Budget that is presented to the Parliament.… Continue reading

Amendment to the CSR Rules

The Corporate Affairs Ministry has amended the rules for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) expenditure to allow companies to undertake multi-year projects, and also require that all CSR implementing agencies be registered with the government. Q.What do you mean by CSR? Discuss the role of CSR activities in social transformation. What is Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)?… Continue reading

‘The Inequality Virus’ Report

The ‘Inequality Virus Report’ was recently released on the opening day of the World Economic Forum in Davos. About the report The Inequality Virus Report was released by Oxfam. It inquired into different forms of inequities, including educational, gender and health during the pandemic. Highlights of the report ‘Rise’ in wealth Indian billionaires increased their… Continue reading

What is Herd Immunity?

The initial findings of the fifth round of serological survey conducted in Delhi suggest that over 56 percent of the people have developed antibodies against Covid-19 implying achievement of herd immunity. Herd Immunity Herd immunity is when a large number of people are vaccinated against a disease, lowering the chances of others being infected by… Continue reading

Leveraging government-private thought partnerships

Thought partnership between government and the external players can aid in informed policymaking. The article deals with these issues and suggest forging of more of such partnerships. Government working together with external partners Policymaking requires multiple rounds of consultations and co-working with different entities, including collaboration between the government and external partners. Over the last… Continue reading

Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) at UNSC

Seeking urgent reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), India has highlighted the failure of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) since 13 years of its establishment. Note various countries in the various groups. What is the news? India, along with Brazil, Japan and Germany are pressing for urgent reform of the UNSC and for a… Continue reading

What is Non-price Competition?

Data privacy can take the form of non-price competition and abuse of dominance can lower privacy protection, a study by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has said. Try this PYQ: Q.Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Which of the following in the Constitution of… Continue reading

What is The Great Reset?

This news card is an excerpt from the original article published in The Indian Express and is articulated by C. Raja Mohan. The Great Reset The Great Reset is a proposal by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to rebuild the economy sustainably following the COVID-19 pandemic. It was unveiled in May 2020 by the United… Continue reading

Green Tax for personal vehicles older than 15 years

The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has approved a proposal to levy a ‘green tax’ on old vehicles. Do read about Green Mobility, India’s FAME-I and II Scheme. Green Tax Personal vehicles will be charged a tax at the time of renewal of Registration Certification after 15 years. The policy will come into… Continue reading

Global Climate Risk Index 2021

India was ranked the seventh worst-hit country in 2019 in the Global Climate Risk Index 2021. The report holds much significance for prelims as well as mains. Just for the sake of information, we must be aware of India’s performance. Global Climate Risk Index The GCRI is released annually by the environmental think tank and… Continue reading

Ayushman Bharat for CAPFs

Union Home Minister has rolled out the ‘Ayushman CAPF’ scheme, extending the benefit of the central health insurance programme to the personnel of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the country. Who are the CAPFs? The CAPFs refers to uniform nomenclature of five security forces in India under the authority of the Ministry of… Continue reading

New WhatsApp Privacy Policy

Privacy policy update by the WhatsApp recently led to widespread protest from the user forcing company to put the update on hold. If India had made Personal Protection Bill into the law, the privacy policy update would have been illegal. The article deals with this issue. About WhatsApp WhatsApp’s unique blend of text, audio, and… Continue reading

A new framework around caste and the census

The article suggests the ways to make the most of the data collected through Census and the SECC. Census and issues with it The synchronous decennial Census has evolved over time and has been used by the government, policymakers, academics, and others. Though Census is both a data collection effort and a technique of governance,… Continue reading

Making a Law ‘Operational’

In the ongoing stalemate between protesting farmers and the Centre, the government has repeated its offer of keeping the three contentious farm laws on hold for one to one-and-a-half years. Bringing/removing a law Parliament has the power to make a law and to remove it from the statute books (a law can be struck down… Continue reading

[pib] Shramshakti Portal

The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs has launched the “ShramShakti” Portal. Earlier we had ONORC move, now a repository for migrant workers. Keep a tab on all such updates for the welfare of migrant workers. Shramshakti Portal It is a National Migration Support Portal. It will record various data including demographic profile, livelihood options, skill… Continue reading

China builds a new village in Arunachal Pradesh

Satellite images show that China has constructed a new village in Arunachal Pradesh, around 4.5 kilometres inside of the de facto border on the Indian side. Indian and Chinese soldiers have confronted each other in their deadliest clash in decades in Ladakh last year and the earlier one in Doklam. Now another front has been… Continue reading

What is Nitrogen-Use Efficiency (NUE)?

A group of Indian scientists have found a way to improve crops by reducing wastage of nitrogen fertilizers applied to them. Try this PYQ: Q.Which of the following adds/add nitrogen to the soil? Excretion of Urea by animals Burning of coal by man Death of vegetation Select the correct answer using the code given below:… Continue reading

[pib] Exercise Kavach

A large scale all-services exercise ‘Exercise Kavach’ will be conducted next week under the aegis of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), the only Joint Forces Command of the country. All-time generic question seeking ‘match the pairs’ can be asked from the news as such. Click here for more exercises. Exercise Kavach The tri-services exercise… Continue reading

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