Donation to Political Parties from unknown sources

As much as 67% of donations to national parties in 2018-19 came from “unknown sources,” an increase from 53% in the previous financial year, said a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms. About ADR The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) is an Indian non-partisan, non-governmental organization which works in the area… Continue reading

How plants dissipate excess sunlight as heat?

Photosynthesis is a life-sustaining process by which plants store solar energy as sugar molecules. However if sunlight is in excess it can lead to leaves being dehydrated and damaged. What is Photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process used by plants, algae and certain bacteria to harness energy from sunlight and turn it into chemical energy. There… Continue reading

Pyramid of Djoser

Last week, Egypt reopened the Pyramid of Djoser, the first pyramid ever built, after a 14-year restoration. The structure is believed to be designed by Imhotep, described by some as the first architect of the world. The Pyramid of Djoser The 4,700-year-old pyramid is 60 metres tall, and consists of six stacked steps… Continue reading

Don’t blame it on NSO

Context The latest GDP data witnessed significant revisions that have gone largely unnoticed. The GDP data revision and its criticism Revisions an act of due diligence: In the last few years there has been a lot of noise regarding the data revisions. The need for closer examination: While part of revision requires closer examination, we… Continue reading

What is ‘Yes Bank Crisis’?

On the advice of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the government imposed a moratorium on Yes Bank with effect from 6 p.m. on March 5 up to April 3. This has created a furore among the account holders of the bank. What restrictions did RBI put? The RBI superseded the private sector lender’s board… Continue reading

Species in news: Red Panda

According to a report by the TRAFFIC report, there has been a considerable reduction in the poaching of Red Panda (ailurus fulgens). The report also recommended trans-boundary law enforcement co-operation through the use of multi-government platforms like SAWEN (South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network). Red Panda IUCN Red List Status: Endangered The red panda… Continue reading

The role of women in developing a knowledge economy

The role of women in developing a knowledge economy Context Indian economic success requires scientific skills that can foster a knowledge economy, the emergence of which depends on how gender-balanced the workforce is. Half the scientific potential squandered The requirement of the skilled workforce: A rapidly growing India requires a highly skilled technical workforce that… Continue reading

Supreme Court upholds 2018 order on land acquisition

The Supreme Court reaffirmed its February 2018 ruling on Section 24 on land acquisition compensation awards given by a three-judge bench led by Justice Arun Mishra in the Indore Development Authority. It also has overruled an earlier co-ordinate Bench ruling in the Pune Municipal Corporation case of 2014 under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency… Continue reading

Foreign Funding of Public Organizations

The Central government cannot brand an organisation ‘political’ and deprive it of its right to receive foreign funds for using “legitimate forms of dissent” like bandh, hartal, road roko or jail ‘bharo’ to aid a public cause, the Supreme Court held. Why such Judgement? The verdict came on a petition filed by Indian Social Action… Continue reading

N95 Mask

In a new mandate to curb unnecessary demand, the Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration said that chemists cannot sell N95 masks without a doctor’s prescription. The FDA also warned that serious action would be taken against those who are found selling masks at high prices or hoarding them. Why such a move? Personal Protective Equipment… Continue reading

Persons in news: Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

Former PM Indira Gandhi and freedom fighter Rajkumari Amrit Kaur are mentioned in TIME magazine’s list of the 100 most powerful women who defined the last century in a new project that aims to feature those women who were “often overshadowed”. Who was Amrit Kaur? Amrit Kaur was the first woman in independent… Continue reading

[pib] Person in news: Gaura Devi

Union HRD Minister along with senior women officers of the Ministry planted a sapling in memory of Gaura Devi, Chipko Activist in New Delhi. Gaura Devi Gaura Devi was born in 1925 in a village named Lata in the state of Uttarakhand. She moved to a nearby village named Reni by the Alaknanda… Continue reading

An unrest, a slowdown and a health epidemic

Context India faces imminent danger from the trinity of social disharmony, economic slowdown and a global health epidemic. Social disharmony Violence in Capital: Delhi has been subjected to extreme violence over the past few weeks. We have lost nearly 50 of our fellow Indians for no reason. Several hundred people have suffered injuries. Communal tensions have been… Continue reading

When does Speaker suspend MPs from Lok Sabha?

Seven MPs of a political party were suspended for unruly behaviour in the Lok Sabha. The motion was passed by a voice vote. What is the reason for suspending an MP? The general principle is that it is the role and duty of the Speaker of Lok Sabha to maintain order so that the House… Continue reading

Freedom in the World 2020

India has become one of the world’s least free democracies, according to a global survey. Freedom in the World Report It is a yearly survey and report by the U.S. based non-governmental organization Freedom House. It measures the degree of civil liberties and political rights in every nation and significant related and disputed territories… Continue reading

World University Rankings by Subject 2020

Indian higher-education institutes have improved their performance on the global stage, with a greater number getting ranked in the top-100 programs, according to the latest edition of the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2020. Major findings of the report IIT Bombay (44), IIT Delhi (47), IIT Kharagpur (86), IIT Madras… Continue reading

[pib] Law for Rain Water Harvesting

The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has issued the Model Building Bye Laws, 2016 for guidance of the States/UTs and has a chapter on ‘Rainwater Harvesting’. Why such move? These laws aim to regulate the over-exploitation and consequent depletion of ground water. It would enable States/UTs to enact suitable ground water legislation… Continue reading

[pib] Mega Consolidation in Public Sector Banks

The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the mega consolidation of ten PSBs into four which include the – Amalgamation of Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank of India into Punjab National Bank Amalgamation of Syndicate Bank into Canara Bank Amalgamation of Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank into Union Bank of… Continue reading

A disconnected pedagogy

Context The gap between jobs, needs and knowledge, and the absence of role models, could be turning India’s demographic dividend into a nightmare. National curriculum and problems with it What is in our national curriculum? It is a fixed set of topics prescribed in all subjects — from physics to geography, and engineering to planning.… Continue reading

Biju Patnaik: The flying ace who helped Indian and foreign freedom movements

Recently, 104th birth anniversary of former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik was celebrated. He was a decorated freedom fighter. PM tweeted an Intelligence Bureau document from 1945 to show how Patnaik bravely lent his flying skills to rescue freedom fighters like Ram Manohar Lohia. Biju Pattnaik Bijayananda Patnaik (1916-1997), popularly known as Biju… Continue reading

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