Implications of UP’s ‘love jihad’ ordinance for freedom of conscience

The U.P. government’s ordinance seeking the prevention of illegal conversion has several provisions that go against the Constitution and restricts the freedom of conscience. Objective of the ordinance The Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 seeks to prevent “love jihad” in the state The ordinance makes it a criminal offence for a… Continue reading

Right to Marriage is a Fundamental Right

An individual’s right to marry a person of his or her choice is a fundamental right that cannot be denied on the basis of caste or religion by anybody, re-iterated the Karnataka High Court. Discuss the various ethical and rights issues involved in interfaith marriages. Right to Marriage The right to marry is a part… Continue reading

Jadav Payeng: The Forest Man of India

Jadav Payeng, known as ‘The Forest Man of India’, takes us through his journey of grit that saw a desert turning into a forest. His story is been depicted through an upcoming trilingual film. We knew about the mountain man in India. We have also had the Forest Man of India who is also a… Continue reading

[pib] E-Sanjeevani Telemedicine Service

In a landmark achievement, eSanjeevani, Health Ministry’s national telemedicine initiative today completed 9 lakh consultations. Although telemedicine brings with it many benefits, there are some downsides to it as well. Discuss. What is E-Sanjeevani? Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has launched two variants of eSanjeevani namely – doctor to doctor (eSanjeevani AB-HWC) in the… Continue reading

What is the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Drugmakers?

The US drugmaker Moderna said it was applying for emergency use authorisation for its vaccine in India. Practice question for Mains: Q. What is Vaccine Nationalism? Discuss various ethical issues involved and its impact on vulnerable populations across the globe. Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) Vaccines and medicines, and even diagnostic tests and medical devices, require… Continue reading

[pib] XP100: The premium grade Petrol

The Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has launched world-class premium-grade Petrol (with Octane number 100) in the country. What is XP100? It is petrol developed by Indian Oil with octane number 100. The availability of XP100 puts India in an elite group of countries, having access to such high-quality oil. It will provide high… Continue reading

World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) Sites

Four sites in India have received the World Heritage Irrigation Structure (WHIS) tag this year. Try this PYQ: Q.The FAO accords the status of ‘Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)’ to traditional agricultural systems. What is the overall goal of this initiative? To provide modern technology, training in modern farming methods and financial support to… Continue reading

India and the OIC

India has hit out at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) for making factually incorrect and unwarranted references to Jammu and Kashmir. What is OIC? The OIC — formerly Organisation of the Islamic Conference — is the world’s second-largest inter-governmental organisation after the UN, with a membership of 57 states. The OIC’s stated objective is… Continue reading

Swasthya Sathi Health Insurance Scheme

West Bengal CM has recently extended the Swasthya Sathi health insurance scheme to cover the entire population of the state. Do you know? Delhi, Telangana, Odisha and West Bengal have not implemented the Ayushman Bharat Scheme. Swasthya Sathi The scheme was launched in West Bengal in 2016. It is a basic health cover for secondary… Continue reading

In new: Annapurna Idol

PM has announced that an ancient idol of the goddess Annapurna, stolen from India about a century ago, is being brought back from Canada. Must revise: Gandhara and Mathura school of Art [Static Revision] Chapter 6 | Post Mauryan Period (200BC to 300AD) Annapurna Idol Annapurna, also spelt Annapoorna, is the goddess of food. This… Continue reading

Is allowing Ayurvedic doctors to perform surgery legally and medically tenable?

The Central Council of Indian Medicine, a statutory body set up under the AYUSH Ministry has allowed postgraduate (PG) Ayurvedic practitioners to receive formal training for a variety of general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology and dental procedures. Debate over Ayurvedic surgeries The Indian Medical Association (IMA) decrying it as a mode of allowing mixing of systems… Continue reading

RT-LAMP: a new technology for detecting COVID-19

Indian Council of Medical Research has recently validated the LAMP technology for COVID-19 testing. What is RT-LAMP? RT-LAMP stands for Reverse Transcriptase loop-mediated isothermal amplification) technology. Agappe Diagnostics has recently developed the technology indigenously, and their kit has been validated and approved by the ICMR for marketing. It is named LUME Screen nCoV. How does it work?… Continue reading

To be taken seriously, Quad needs military heft

The article suggests projection of naval power to ensure the stability in the Indian Ocean. Quad conducts Malabar exercise In November, the Quad converged to continue the Malabar series, with a total of just eight ships. The idea of Quad is to form a grouping of democratic nations in the Indian Ocean, and use naval… Continue reading

Stepping out of the shadow of India’s malnutrition

The article takes stock of the food insecurity and malnutrition in India with the aid of two recently published reports. Reports about food security in India Two recent reports — “The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2020” by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the 2020 Hunger… Continue reading

Linking Aadhaar to residence for targeted aid

The article suggests the provision for a safety net with geographic targeting in case of disasters as most disasters are location specific. Safety net in the U.S. The US Congress enacted in March a Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to sends $1,200 to each individual below the income threshold of $75,000. Nonetheless,… Continue reading

Gender Advancement through Transforming Institutions (GATI) Initiative

One of the focuses of the new Science, Technology and Innovation Policy, currently being drafted by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) is to increase the participation of women in science. Connect the dots: Women in STEM presents a dismal picture of gender equality in India. GATI The DST is incorporating a system of… Continue reading

BrahMos Missiles and their significance for Armed Forces

India’s Armed forces are conducting back-to-back tests of various versions of BrahMos missile. Take a quick look at India’s missile arsenal: [Prelims Spotlight] Missiles The BrahMos Missiles A combination of the names of Brahmaputra and Moskva rivers, BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by DRDO… Continue reading

Sea sparkle: Bloom of Noctiluca Scintillans

The blooms of Noctiluca Scintillans, commonly known as “sea sparkle” are being witnessed along the coasts of Maharashtra and Karnataka. A stand-alone species being mentioned in the news for the first time find their way into the prelims. Note this down. Noctiluca Scintillans Scintillans is a bioluminescent specie that brightens the seawater during the night.… Continue reading

What is J&K Roshni Act?

The J&K High Court has declared Roshni Act “illegal, unconstitutional and unsustainable” and a CBI probe has been ordered into the allotment of land under this law. Must read: [Burning Issue] One Year since the Repeal of Art. 370 What is the Roshni Act? The J&K State Lands (Vesting of Ownership to the Occupants) Act,… Continue reading

National Maritime Domain Awareness Centre (NMDAC)

The Navy’s Information Management and Analysis Centre (IMAC), the nodal agency for maritime data fusion will soon become a National Maritime Domain Awareness (NMDA) centre. Try this question: Q“To be secure on Land, we must be Supreme at Sea”. In this context, discuss why India is primarily a Maritime Nation? What is IMAC? The IMAC… Continue reading

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