Schemes for Electronic Manufacturing

The Union Cabinet has approved financial assistance to the Modified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC2.0) Scheme Background To build and create requisite infrastructure ecosystem for electronics manufacturing; Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology notified Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) Scheme which was open for receipt of applications upto October, 2017. A period of 5 years is available… Continue reading

The double whammy that India’s economy now faces

Context India is currently in the grip of dual shocks: Covid-19 and a financial one. The supply and demand shock Containing outbreak at economic cost: Even as infection rates have tapered in China, they are rising elsewhere. Countries that have succeeded in containing it have done so at an economic cost, by quarantining people, implementing… Continue reading

[pib ] Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum

Indian students will undertake a research internship at Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California, LA, USA under the IUSSTF Program. What is IUSSTF? IUSSTF is an acronym for the Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum. It is established under an agreement between the Governments of India and the USA in March 2000. It is… Continue reading

Supreme Court Removes Manipur MLA Under The 10th Schedule

The Supreme Court has removed a Minister against whom disqualification petitions were pending before the Speaker since 2017. The court invoked its discretionary powers under Art. 142 of the Indian Constitution. What is Article 142? Article 142 of the Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to pass such decree or make such order as is necessary… Continue reading

What are Supplementary Grants?

Supplementary Grants Lok Sabha recently held voting on supplementary demands for grants for Jammu and Kashmir and passed the proposals on voice vote. What are Supplementary Grants? The additional grant required to meet the required expenditure of the government is called Supplementary Grants. When grants, authorised by the Parliament, fall short of the required expenditure,… Continue reading

PCR Test for Diagnosis of the COVID-19

The diagnosis of COVID-19 can be done with the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) Test which is explained as under: The PCR Test It uses a technique that creates copies of a segment of DNA. ‘Polymerase’ refers to the enzymes that make the copies of DNA. Kary Mullis, the American biochemist who invented the PCR… Continue reading

Dumping of Radioactive Nuclear Waste

In a controversial move, Japan has decided to dump the radioactive heavy water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Sea. The dumping of nuclear waste is considered to be the easiest way to get rid of it. What is Heavy Water? Heavy water (deuterium oxide) is a form of water that contains a… Continue reading

Nominated members of Rajya Sabha

Former CJI Ranjan Gogoi has been nominated as a member of Rajya Sabha. Nominated members in RS As per the Fourth Schedule to the Constitution of India on 26 January 1950, the Rajya Sabha was to consist of 216 members of which 12 members were to be nominated by the President and the remaining 204… Continue reading

Danube-Oder-Elbe Canal

Environmental organisations from across central and Eastern Europe have criticised a major project intending to link three rivers and provide seamless navigation between three of Europe’s peripheral seas, according to a statement. Danube-Oder-Elbe Canal For centuries Europe’s rulers have dreamed of construction of a huge Y-shaped canal connecting the Elbe, Oder and Danube rivers,… Continue reading

Count work, not workers

Context India is one of the few countries in the world where women’s work participation rates have fallen sharply — from 29 per cent in 2004-5 to 22 per cent in 2011-12 and to 17 per cent in 2017-18. What could be the possible explanations for the decline? No consensus among economists: Trying to explain… Continue reading

Speaker vs Governor Tussle

With the Supreme Court set to hear on a plea seeking a directive to the government in Madhya Pradesh to take a floor test “within 12 hours”, the spotlight is back on the legal debate on the powers of the Governor and the Speaker under the Constitution. Primacy to Floor Test Since 2014, the legal-political… Continue reading

Short Selling of Stocks

The stock exchanges have clarified that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) was not considering any proposal regarding a ban on short selling to curb the ongoing volatility and equity sell-off. What is Short Selling? Short-selling allows investors to profit from stocks or other securities when they go down in value. In order… Continue reading

What is Herd Immunity?

As Europe was declared the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak last week, Britain announced a different strategy to tackle the situation. Officials said that Britain would contain the spread of the virus but would not suppress it completely to build up a degree of ‘herd immunity’. Herd Immunity Herd immunity is when a large… Continue reading

[pib] Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0

The Union Minister for Human Resource Development has informed Lok Sabha about the progress of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan (UBA). Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 is the upgraded version of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 1.0. The scheme is extended to all educational institutes; however, under UBA 2.0 Participating institutes are selected based on… Continue reading

[pib] Employees’ Pension Scheme (Amendment) Scheme, 2020

The Union Ministry of Labour & Employment has informed about the total enrollments under EPS. Employees Pension Scheme (EPS) EPS is a social security scheme that was launched in 1995 and is facilitated by EPFO. The scheme makes provisions for pensions for the employees in the organized sector after retirement at the age of 58… Continue reading

Excise Duty on Petrol and Diesel

The Central levies on petrol and diesel were hiked amid sliding global crude oil prices. But the price of petrol and diesel registered a decline after oil companies further cut auto fuel prices in light of the substantial fall in global crude oil prices. What is Excise Duty? Excise duty is a form of tax… Continue reading

[pib] National Creche Scheme

The WCD Minister has informed about some progress in the National Creche Scheme. As of today, 6453 creches are functional across the country under the Scheme. National Creche Scheme Earlier named as Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme, the NCS is being implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/UTs with effect from 1.1.2017. It aims to… Continue reading

What is a Pandemic and various other terms?

What is the news: The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. What is a pandemic? Simply put, a pandemic is a measure of the spread of a disease. When a new disease spreads over a vast geographical area covering several countries and continents, and most people do not have immunity… Continue reading

[pib] The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020

Parliament has passed The Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020 for amendments in Mines & Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act 1957 and The Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015. The bill will transform the mining sector in the country boosting coal production and reducing dependence on imports. Acts to be amended The MMDR Act regulates the… Continue reading

Sahyadri Megha

The University of Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences (UAHS), Shivamogga (K’taka) has developed ‘Sahyadri Megha’, a new red variety of paddy that is resistant to blast (a fungal disease) and rich in nutrients. Sahyadri Megha It is a red variety of paddy that is resistant to blast disease and rich in nutrients. It was developed under… Continue reading

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