State of Child Custody Cases abroad

Central idea: Activists are calling on the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to take a stronger interest in child custody cases in Western countries. The call comes as the movie Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway, which focuses on the diplomatic row between India and Norway in 2011. The movie sheds light on cases where parents lose… Continue reading

International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant against Vladimir Putin

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for war crimes for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova-Belova, Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights. Charges against Putin The ICC issued the warrants because it believes that Putin bear individual criminal responsibility for the war crime of – Unlawful deportation of population and Unlawful… Continue reading

PM MITRA Scheme: 7 States to get textile parks

The Centre has selected seven states in India to set up new textile parks under the PM MITRA (Mega Investment Textiles Parks) Scheme. What is PM MITRA Scheme? The scheme was announced in October 2021, and the parks will be established by 2026-27. MITRA aims to enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract… Continue reading

E-Postal Ballot for Overseas Indian Voters

Central idea: The Election Commission of India (EC) has proposed to facilitate the electronically-transmitted postal ballot system for overseas Indian voters. Why such a move? The total number of overseas voters on January 1, 2023, was over 1.15 lakh. Measures taken The Representation of the People (Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the Lok Sabha… Continue reading

Africa’s splitting plates could give birth to a new Ocean: Study

Central idea Scientists predict a new ocean will be created as Africa splits into two separate parts connected to the East African Rift This geological process will inevitably divide the continent resulting in new coastlines and sub-sea internet infrastructure but also will have significant repercussions What is Rifting? The Earth’s lithosphere, comprising the crust and… Continue reading

What is GPT-4 and how is it different from ChatGPT?

Central idea: OpenAI announced GPT-4 as the next big update to the technology that powers ChatGPT and Microsoft Bing. What is GPT-4? GPT-4 is a large multimodal model created by OpenAI that accepts images as input, making it a more advanced version of GPT-3 and GPT-3.5. It exhibits human-level performance on various professional and academic… Continue reading

Foreign lawyers, firms can operate in India: Bar Council

Central Idea: The Bar Council of India (BCI) has opened up law practice in India to foreign lawyers and law firms. It has framed the ‘Bar Council of India Rules for Registration of Foreign Lawyers and Foreign Law Firms in India, 2021’. About Bar Council of India (BCI) The BCI is a statutory body… Continue reading

India’s Foreign Trade Policy set to be revised from April 1

Central idea: The revision of India’s Foreign Trade Policy, which has been unchanged since 2015 and due for three years, may finally be announced by the end of this month. What is a Foreign Trade Policy? India’s Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) is a set of guidelines for goods and services imported and exported. These… Continue reading

Smart Cities Mission: With 2023 deadline looming, a status check

Central idea: The Govt asks 20 worst-performing cities to improve as June 2023 Smart Cities Mission deadline nears. What is the Smart Cities Mission? The Smart Cities Mission is an initiative of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry that was launched by PM on June 25, 2015. Cities across the country were asked to… Continue reading

Why are India’s garbage landfill burning?

The Kochi landfill site has caught fire. This is a stark reminder that Indian cities need to be prepared for more such incidents as summer approaches. What are Landfills? Garbage landfills, also known as waste disposal sites or dumps, are areas where waste materials are disposed of by burying them in the ground. They are designed… Continue reading

Australia to buy US nuclear submarines under AUKUS

Australia will buy up to 5 US nuclear-powered submarines and build a new model with US and British technology under the AUKUS. AUKUS: A Backgrounder This new partnership is known as AUKUS and the major highlight of this arrangement is the sharing of US nuclear submarine technology with Australia. The first major initiative of AUKUS… Continue reading

Antiquities abroad: What Indian, international laws say

Central idea: Indian authorities are pushing for restitution of stolen antiquities and ancient religious artefacts. What is an antiquity? An antiquity is defined by the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 as- Any coin, sculpture, painting, epigraph or other work of art or craftsmanship; Any article, object or thing detached from a building or cave;… Continue reading

What is the Moscow-dominated security pact ‘CSTO’?

Central idea: Armenia’s PM accused the Moscow-dominated security alliance Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) of leaving Armenia in the cold amid renewed hostilities with Azerbaijan. What did Armenia say? Armenia has repeatedly criticized the CSTO for its failure to protect itself. Russia has maintained a delicate diplomatic balancing act between Armenia and Azerbaijan, avoiding any… Continue reading

Who were Alluri Sitharama Raju and Komaram Bheem?

A Telugu movie with its story and characters rooted in the lives of Indian freedom fighters Alluri Sitharama Raju and Komaram Bheem is garnering attention on the global stage. Who was Alluri Sitharama Raju? Raju is believed to have been born in Andhra Pradesh in 1897 or 1898. He is said to have become a… Continue reading

Explained: Understanding the Saudi-Iran Reconciliation

Central idea: Saudi Arabia and Iran, two of West Asia’s major powers that have been at odds with each other for decades, agreed to restore diplomatic relations last week in an agreement brokered by China. Saudi-Iran Ties: A timeline Pre-1979: Saudi Arabia and Iran compete for regional dominance. 1979: Iranian Revolution brings down the monarchy… Continue reading

India remains biggest Arms Importer during 2018-22: SIPRI

Central idea India is the world’s largest arms importer for the five-year period during 2018-22, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). However, India’s arms imports have dropped by 11% between 2013–17 and 2018–22. Top Arms Suppliers to India Russia was the largest supplier of arms to India in both 2013–17 and 2018–22. France… Continue reading

India bats for Sovereign Credit Rating upgrade

Central idea: India is seeking an upgrade to its sovereign credit rating, currently at the lowest-possible investment grade, as it believes its economic metrics have improved considerably since the pandemic. What are Sovereign Credit Ratings? A sovereign credit rating is a measure of a country’s creditworthiness, or its ability to meet its financial obligations. It… Continue reading

In news: One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme

The government told the Supreme Court that paying all dues to 1.6 million army pensioners under the OROP scheme in one go may not be in the nation’s larger interest as it could disrupt allocations for other public purposes. What is OROP Policy? OROP means the same pension, for the same rank, for the same… Continue reading

What are Oscar Awards?

A notable Indian song and a documentary has won the Oscar Award this year. What are Oscar Awards? The Oscar Awards, also known as the Academy Awards, are an annual awards ceremony honouring excellence in the film industry. The awards are presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a professional honorary… Continue reading

Explained: Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Crisis

Central idea: The shutdown and takeover of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) by US regulators has raised questions on how it impacts India’s startup industry. It was an important partner for the global startup economy. Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) It is a financial institution that provides banking services to the technology industry and venture capital firms.… Continue reading

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