Q Why is it in News ? A India lost more than 95% of its vulture population through the 1990s and by the mid-2000s. Today, the country requires urgent conservation efforts to save vultures from becoming extinct. Q What are some details about vultures ? A Vultures belong to the Accipitridae family whose members include eagles, hawks and kites. They are relatively social birds with an average lifespan of 10-30 years in the wild. Vultures are slow breeders and so the survival of every individual is very crucial. Generally, vultures rel... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted the flight acceptance hot test of the CE-20 cryogenic engine that will power the cryogenic upper stage of the launch vehicle for the Chandrayaan-3 mission. The test was successfully conducted at the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu. Q. What are the Highlights of the Test? A. The hot test was carried out Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, researchers studied a supernova explosion that occurred over 450 years ago using NASA's Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE). The explosion, called Tycho, was visible to people on Earth in 1572, and the shock wave from the blast is still propagating through the cosmos. Q. What is Tycho? A. Tycho is classified as a Type Ia supernova, which occurs when ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Researchers at India’s National Centre for Biological Sciences, in collaboration with nine other institutions in India, Africa, and the US, have developed India’s first and only DNA vaccine candidate for dengue fever. In preliminary trials on mice, the candidate generated a robust immune response and improved survival rates after exposure to the disease. Q. What is DNA Vaccine? A. A DNA vaccine is a type of vacci... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news? A. 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. Q. What is OROP Policy? A. OROP means the same pension, for the same rank, for the same length of service, irrespective of the date of retirement. The concept was provoked by the then decision by Indira Gandhi-led government, in 1973, two years after the historic victory in the 1971 Bangladesh wa... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ? A The European Parliament and European Union (EU) Member States announced that they had reached a political agreement on the Digital Services Act (DSA), 2022. It is a landmark legislation to force big Internet companies to act against disinformation and illegal and harmful content, and to “provide better protection for Internet users and their fundamental rights”. The proposed Act seeks to end the era of self-regulation by tech companies and give ‘practical effect to the principle that what is illegal offline, should be illegal onlin... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Researchers propose a new model to tap into helium reserves to address shortage issues and a recent new study suggests that reservoirs of this gas, with no carbon footprint, likely exist in geological formations beneath the Earth. The helium production process comes with a high carbon footprint as its production is related to drilled natural gas or oil. Q. What is the Proposed Model to Tap Helium Reserve? A. Th... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs suspended the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) licence of the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). CPR (not-for-profit society), along with Oxfam India and the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation (IPSMF), was surveyed by the Income Tax department earlier. Q. What is the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act? A. About: FCRA was ena... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. A five-judge bench of the Supreme Court (SC) unanimously ruled that the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and the Election Commissioners shall be made by the President on the advice of a Committee consisting of the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition of the Lok Sabha and Chief Justice of India (CJI). In case no leader of Opposition is available, the leader of the largest opposition Party in the Lok Sabha in terms of numerical strength will be a part of such committee. ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. A new report suggests that plastic consumption in G20 countries will almost double by 2050, with the volume of plastic consumption rising to 451 million tonnes from 261 million tonnes in 2019. The report, "Peak Plastics: Bending the Consumption Curve," explores the potential impact of policies being considered by the United Nations' plastic treaty negotiators. Q. What does the Report on Plastic Consumption Suggest? Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recent investigation by International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) revealed that India has become the second largest importer of "conflict wood" from Myanmar, after China. India hasn’t banned the import of teak from Myanmar, which is being exported to the US & EU. These supplies of teak not only chip away at the Myanmar’s forest cover but also provide sustenance to the military regime of Myanmar. Q. Why is Teak Imported from Myanmar Described as “Confl... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. India scored above the regional average in the World Bank's Women, Business and the Law 2023 report. For India, report used data on laws and regulations in Mumbai, India's main business city. India received a perfect score for laws related to freedom of movement, women's work decisions, and marriage constraints. Q. What is Women, Business and the Law 2023 Report? A. About: Women, Business and the Law 2023 is the 9th in a series of... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news? A. Japan looks forward to supporting India’s clean energy transition by including India in the Asia Energy Transition Initiative (AETI). Japan’s AETI, launched in 2021, initially supported the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries towards achieving net zero emissions, including financial assistance of USD 10 billion for renewable energy. Q. What is Asia Energy Transition Initiative?... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. A study indicated that extensive fishing off the Coromandel coast could be forcing the great seahorse to migrate towards Odisha. Though, fishing is less intense off the Odisha coastline but still it may not be the new comfort zone for the Seahorse due to lack of suitable habitat. Q. What are the Key Facts about Seahorse? A. About: Sea horses are tiny fish that are named for the shape of their head, which looks like... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) under Article 142 ruled that the lawyers and professionals with 10 years of experience will be eligible for appointment as President and member of the state consumer commission and district forums. The SC upheld the Bombay High Court judgement quashing the provisions of Consumer Protection Rules, 2020, under section 101 of Consumer Protection Act 2019, which prescribe a minimum professional experience of 20 years and 15 years for adjudi... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Rural Tourism and Rural Homestays (CNA – RT and RH) under the Ministry of Tourism has identified six niche experiences for tourists wanting to visit rural India, including agritourism, art and culture, ecotourism, wildlife, tribal tourism, and homestays. The Ministry of Tourism is also working on launching the State assessment and ranking criteria to help foster competition and reach the overarching objectives of promoting sustainable and responsible tourism. Q. What are the Key Points of t... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Hearing a case related to the Maharashtra crisis in 2022 and whether a speaker facing a notice for his removal can disqualify MLAs in his assembly, the Supreme Court (SC) on February 15, 2023 maintained that Speakers should be the first authority to decide on disqualification. Earlier in 2016, the SC in the Nabam Rebia case had held that a Speaker or Deputy Speaker facing notice of removal cannot decide disqualification proceedings against legislators. Q. What are the Debates ove... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Microsoft's new version of Bing search engine includes a chatbot that can answer questions in clear language. However, some of the answers generated by the chatbot have been inaccurate, misleading, or bizarre. This has led to concerns that the chatbot has become sentient or aware of the world around it. Q. What is a Chatbot? A. Chatbots are computer programs designed to simulat... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. According to a News Study, “Measuring Underwater Noise Levels Radiated by Ships in Indian Waters”, the rising Underwater Noise Emissions (UNE) from ships in the Indian waters are posing a threat to the Marine Ecosystem. The measurement of the ambient noise levels was carried out by deploying a hydrophone autonomous system around 30 nautical miles from the Goa coastline. Read More...