What does the Constitution say about the sovereignty of India?

Central Idea The article revolves around the issue of a political party filing a complaint against a politician of foreign origin with the Election Commission of India (ECI). She had allegedly been advocating the secession of Karnataka from India in her election speeches. Definition of sovereignty Sovereignty is the idea of having supreme authority over… Continue reading

UTF (Uthuru Thila Falhu- Island) Harbour Project

Central Idea: The article discusses the recent commissioning of the Indian grant-in-aid UTF (Uthuru Thila Falhu- Island) Harbour Project, the coastal surveillance radar system, in the Maldives. The project is a significant milestone in the growing defence ties between the two countries. What is the UTF Project? The UTF project was announced during External Affairs… Continue reading

What is Project Dantak?

The Prime Minister has praised the initiative by Border Roads Organisation Project Dantak to commemorate 64th Raising Day. What is Project Dantak? Description Establishment Established on April 24, 1961, as per the agreement between the third king of Bhutan and then Prime Minister of India Jawahar Lal Nehru. Objective Identify the most important aspects of… Continue reading

India operationalizes Sittwe Port in Myanmar

Central Idea The Sittwe Port in Myanmar has been made operational with the departure of the inaugural shipment, the MV-ITT LION (V-273), from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata. This development is part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport project, which aims to provide alternate connectivity from the eastern coast of India to the northeastern… Continue reading

FDA approves first vaccine for Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first vaccine ‘Arexvy’ for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) to lower respiratory tract disease in people older than 60 years. What is Respiratory Syncytial Virus? Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that can cause illness in people of all ages. It is the most… Continue reading

Scientists help find new kind of Molecular Motor

Central Idea: Researchers from the National Centre for Biological Sciences have discovered a new kind of molecular motor that has potential applications in biology and medicine. What is a molecular motor? Cells use molecular motors to move things like organelles and molecules, and disruption of these processes can lead to diseases. Molecular motors use biochemical… Continue reading

Govt. program for Non-Communicable Diseases renamed

Central Idea: The article discusses the decision by the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to rename and expand its program for the control and prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). What are Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs)? NCDs are also known as chronic diseases, which are not caused by infectious agents and are not transmissible from… Continue reading

Covid is no longer an Emergency: what changes?

Central Idea: The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared an end to the global emergency status for COVID-19. It had in 2020 declared the disease as Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC). Practical effects of WHO declaration The classification of COVID-19 as a global emergency is meant to warn political authorities of an extraordinary… Continue reading

Rail Vikas Nigam gets Navratna Status

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) was recently granted Navratna status by the Ministry of Railways. About RVNL RVNL was incorporated in 2003 with the aim of implementing rail infrastructure projects quickly and raising extra budgetary resources for SPV projects. The company started operating in 2005 after the appointment of its board of directors. RVNL was… Continue reading

All India Radio (AIR) to be renamed Akashvani

Central idea: The Centre has ordered that public broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) be exclusively referred to as Akashvani in all broadcasts and programmes. All India Radio: Through history The journey of radio broadcasting in India began with the first commercial transmission sent out by the Radio Club of Bombay in 1923. In 1927, the… Continue reading

Europe de-recognizes 6 Indian clearing corporations

Central Idea The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has de-recognised 6 clearing corporations in India as Third Country Central Counterparty (TC-CCP) with effect from April 30. However, it allowed European banks to continue business with them till April 2023 without penal consequences. What are Clearing Corporations? Clearing corporations, also known as central counterparties (CCPs),… Continue reading

Article 355 imposed in Manipur

Central Idea Recently, unrest in the state of Manipur was triggered by a decision of the High Court to pursue a 10-year-old recommendation to grant Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the non-tribal Meitei community. In view of the prevailing unprecedented burning situation, the Centre has imposed Article 355 in the state, in an effort to… Continue reading

CBDC for efficient Cross-Border Payment

Central Idea: RBI Deputy Governor T. Rabi Shankar commented on CBDC platforms and their potential impact on cross-border payments during the G20 TechSprint. About Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) CBDC is a central bank-issued digital currency which is backed by some kind of assets in the form of either gold, currency reserves, bonds and other… Continue reading

What is the Washington Declaration?

Central Idea: The context is the recent visit of the South Korean President to the US to commemorate the 70th anniversary of US-South Korea bilateral relations. During the visit, the two countries signed the “Washington Declaration” as a nuclear deterrence strategy against North Korea’s regional aggression. Washington Declaration: Key Terms Nuke deployment by US: According… Continue reading

All Cantonments to be disbanded: Centre

Central Idea: The Union government has kicked off a plan to abolish the 62 cantonments around the country as “archaic colonial legacies”. The first cantonment to be renamed a military station is Yol in Himachal Pradesh. What is the plan? The plan is to carve out the military areas in all cantonments and convert them… Continue reading

Govt. to release Manual for Organ Donation & Transplantation

Central Idea: The National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation (NOTTO) is working on a transplant manual as a step-by-step guide for the implementation of organ donation and transplantation programmes in hospitals and a standard course for training transplant coordinators. Organ transplant in India: Key statistics According to data accessed from the Health Ministry, the number… Continue reading

EU’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act

Central idea: The European Parliament has recently reached a preliminary deal on a new draft of the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, after two years of drafting and negotiations. Regulating AI The need for regulation of AI technologies has been highlighted worldwide. EU lawmakers have urged world leaders to hold a summit to brainstorm ways… Continue reading

India drops 11 places to rank 161 in World Press Freedom Index

Central Idea: India’s ranking in the 2023 World Press Freedom Index has slipped to 161 out of 180 countries, according to the latest report released by global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF). What is Press Freedom Index? The PFI is an annual ranking of countries compiled and published by Reporters without Borders since 2002.… Continue reading

Central Committee to find alternative for Death by Hanging

Central Idea: The government informed the Supreme Court that it is considering the formation of a committee to examine the need for a painless and more dignified alternative to death by hanging. Background Information Death by hanging is a mode of execution in India. In March, the Supreme Court had asked the government to provide… Continue reading

US seeks sanctions on Indian agencies over Religious Freedom Violations

The Commission for International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged to impose targeted sanctions on Indian government agencies and officials responsible for “severe violations” of religious freedom by freezing their assets. What is USCIRF Report? The USCIRF report assesses the status of religious freedom around the world. It provides a comprehensive analysis of the state of… Continue reading

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