India’s first underwater transport tunnel spanning the Hooghly River

Central idea: The East-West Metro corridor, the second line of Kolkata’s Metro network that is currently under construction, will connect Kolkata and Howrah, and one of its highlights is India’s first underwater transport tunnel spanning the Hooghly river. Hooghly River: Some facts Description Name Bhagirathi Hooghly River (Anglicized alternatively spelled Hoogli or Hugli) Source Close… Continue reading

Species in news: Olive Ridley Turtles

Millions of baby Olive Ridley Turtles crawled towards the Bay of Bengal after emerging from eggshells along Odisha’s Rushikulyabeach in the Ganjam district. Olive Ridley Turtles Description Scientific name Lepidochelys olivacea Habitat Warm and tropical waters Found in Pacific and Indian Oceans Nesting sites Rushikulya rookery in Odisha Largest mass nesting site Coast of Odisha… Continue reading

India’s Fighter Jet Conundrum

Central idea: The article discusses the challenges faced by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in modernizing its fighter jet fleet due to unending delays in procurement and limited resources. Why discuss this? Against the sanctioned strength of 42 fighter squadrons, the IAF has only 31 squadrons today. And this number is expected to remain the… Continue reading

Oceans absorb 90% of human-induced planet warming: Study

The study published in the journal Earth System Science Data estimates that almost 90% of the warming that has occurred in the last 50 years has been absorbed by the ocean, with the remaining heat absorbed by the land, cryosphere and atmosphere. Earth’s energy balance: A quick recap It is the balance between the amount… Continue reading

NASA develops Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS)

NASA is developing a snake-like robot- Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS), which it says can boost space exploration through its diverse adaptability to various terrains. Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor (EELS) Details Purpose Designed to explore internal and enclosed dynamic terrain structures to assess evidence for life. Focus To explore ocean-world-inspired terrain, and besides Enceladus, it… Continue reading

Exercise INIOCHOS-23

The Indian Air Force (IAF) will be participating in a multi-national air exercise called Exercise INIOCHOS-23, which will be hosted by the Greece Air Force. Ex. INIOCHOS-23 Exercise INIOCHOS-23 will be conducted at the Andravida Air Base in Greece. The IAF will be participating with four Su-30 MKI and two C-17 aircraft. The objective of… Continue reading

Critical Minerals and India

Central idea A recent working paper from Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) extends the earlier minerals assessment for 23 minerals by assessing the criticality levels of 43 select minerals for India. This is based on their economic importance (demand-side factors) and supply risks (supply-side factors) which are determined through the evaluation of specific… Continue reading

Centre gives nod for National Quantum Mission (NQM)

Central idea: The Union Cabinet has approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) with a budget of ₹6,003 crore. The mission aims to fund research and development in quantum computing technology and associated applications. What is Quantum Computing? Explanation What is it? A type of computing that uses quantum-mechanical phenomena to perform operations on data. Qubits… Continue reading

India’s population to edge ahead of China’s by mid-2023: UN

Central idea: India is set to overtake China as the world’s most populous country by mid-2023, according to data released by the United Nations. State of World Population Report The report is an annual report published by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), which provides a global overview of population trends and issues. The report… Continue reading

Windfall Tax back on local crude oil

The government has revised a windfall tax on domestically-produced crude oil. According to an official notification, the windfall tax rate of Rs 6,400 per tonne. What is a Windfall Tax? Windfall taxes are designed to tax the profits a company derives from an external, sometimes unprecedented event — for instance, the energy price-rise as a… Continue reading

How Web3 differs from Web2?

Central idea: The article discusses the key features of Web3, including its decentralized nature, peer-to-peer transactions, and greater control over data and digital assets for users. What is Web3? Web3, also known as Web 3.0, is the next generation of the World Wide Web that emphasizes decentralization, security, and user privacy. It is essentially a… Continue reading

Repeating radio signal detected from nearby Exoplanet YZ Ceti b

Central idea: Astronomers have detected a repeating radio signal from the YZ Ceti exoplanet that suggests the presence of a magnetic field around it. What is YZ Ceti b? YZ Ceti b is an earth-sized exoplanet (a planet that orbits a star other than our sun). It is located barely 12 light-years from Earth, and… Continue reading

What are Stablecoins?

The US Congress (Parliament) has made another attempt to create a legislative framework for the increasingly popular stablecoins, a sort of cryptocurrency that is pegged to a particular commodity or currency. What are Stablecoins? Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to maintain a stable value, typically by being pegged to a stable asset such as the US… Continue reading

Indian scientists identify and probe EMIC waves

Central idea Scientists working at the Indian Antarctic Station, Maitri, have identified and probed Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron (EMIC) waves to study their characteristics. The study aims to understand the impact of energetic particles in the radiation belts on low orbiting satellites. About Indian Antarctic Station, Maitri Description Name Maitri Antarctic Station (Friendship Research Centre) Establishment… Continue reading

ISRO to launch TeLEOS-2 Satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch Singapore’s TeLEOS-2 satellite this week, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. What is TeLEOS-2? TeLEOS-2 is a Singaporean Earth Observation satellite built by ST Electronics (Satellite Systems). It carries a made-in-Singapore Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capable of providing 1 m resolution data. It will be… Continue reading

What is Civil Union, how is it different from Marriage?

Central idea The Indian judiciary is currently hearing arguments about the legal recognition of same-sex unions under the Special Marriage Act. The Centre has contested the maintainability of the petitions, and the judiciary’s right to confer legal recognition on the “socio-legal institution” of marriage. However, the CJI has clarified that the scope of the hearing… Continue reading

Plant ‘cries’: Recalling Jagadish Chandra Bose

Central idea A recent discovery by researchers from Tel Aviv University in Israel, that plants make distinct sounds in the ultrasonic range when faced with stress, made headlines around the world. However, Indians who had grown up hearing about Jagadish Chandra Bose’s work, more than a century ago, on plant physiology and their ability to… Continue reading

What is the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI)?

Central idea The Consumer Confidence Survey was conducted in the first half of March 2023 across 19 cities. This article analyses the survey results, released this month, and breaks down the findings under different sections. What is Consumer Confidence Survey? The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) conducts a Consumer Confidence Survey to measure consumers’ perceptions… Continue reading

Mapping India’s Export Hotspots

Central idea: The article discusses the top exporting districts in India and their contribution to the country’s overall exports. It also provides information on the top exported commodities in each district. Top Exporting Districts in India Rank District State Share of India’s Exports 1 Jamnagar Gujarat 24% 2 Surat Gujarat 4.5% 3 Mumbai Suburban Maharashtra… Continue reading

What is Ninth Schedule of the Constitution?

Central idea: Chhattisgarh CM has written to the Prime Minister seeking the inclusion of two amendment Bills allowing for higher quotas in jobs and educational institutions in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution. What is Ninth Schedule? The Ninth Schedule is a legal provision in the Constitution of India that provides immunity to certain laws… Continue reading

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