What is a geographical indication (GI) and what benefits does it carry?The geographical indication (GI) tag is a name or sign used on products originating in a specific geographical location. The tag refers not only to the location but also the quality, and method used to produce something. It protects the consumers; quality; producers and local incomes.Is it privately owned?It is not privately owned and belongs to a registered body designated by the Government.Is it like trademark?... Read More...

What is an aquifer?Groundwater is the water that seeps through rocks and soil and is stored below the ground.  The rocks in which ground water is stored are called aquifers.  Aquifers are typically made up of gravel, sand, sandstone or limestone.Why does India extract so much ground water?India is the world’s largest user of groundwater, Since the 1980s the groundwater tables have been continuously dropping. Ninety percent of the groundwater extracted is used for irrigation that covers 60 percent of the total irr... Read More...

What is currency manipulation?Countries can weaken their currency by intervening in currency markets and purchasing U.S. dollars. This makes dollars more expensive and the other country’s currency weaker. It is manipulation as it does not allow normal market forces of demand and supply through international trade and capital flows to prevail. It is currency devaluation most of the time as devaluation has many gains. What are the gains?Once the currency is weaker, goods from that country become cheaper on int... Read More...

Who are the Kurds and where are they?Kurds are an ethnic group native to Western Asia which includes southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq, and north-eastern Syria.The reason for Kurds to be in news is their actions in Syria.Where is Rojava and why is it important?Kurds in Syria are the largest ethnic minority in Syria.The northeastern Kurdish inhabited region seek political... Read More...

Is methane a greenhouse gas?Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 32 times more potent than CO2 over a 100-year time period. Methane emissions from agriculture have increased.What are the major sources of methane emissions from land?The major sources of methane emissions from land are currently “ruminants and the expansion of rice cultivation”.“Ruminants” are animals that have specialised stomach bacteria capable of digesting tough and fibrous material such as grass. The dig... Read More...

What are the special reports of IPCC?Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) published its special report on climate change and land recently.The IPCC first published a special report on 1.5C of warming in 2018.The land report is the second special report from the IPCC.  Third – on oceans and the cryosphere – is due in September 2019.The aim of these special reports is to provide “an assessment on a specific issue”. They complement the main “assessment reports” that the IPCC publis... Read More...

What is desalination?Desalination refers to the removal of salts and minerals from a target substance Saltwater is desalinated to produce water suitable for human consumption or irrigation.  Desalination is used on many seagoing ships and submarines. Why do we need it?Most of the modern interest in desalination is focused on cost-effective provision of fresh water for human use. Is it costly relatively... Read More...

POCSO (Amendment) Act 2019 Highlights: • It will make punishment more stringent for committing sexual crimes against children including death penalty. • The amendments also provide for levy of higher fines and imprisonment to curb child pornography. • Amendments are also proposed to protect children from sexual offences in times of natural calamities and in other situations where children are administered, in any way, any hormone or any chemical... Read More...

What does the National Medical Commission do?The National Medical Commission Act, 2019 repealed the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956. It provides for a medical education system which ensures:Availability of adequate and high quality medical professionals,Adoption of the latest medical research by medical professionals,Periodic assessment of medical institutions, andAn effective grievance redressal mechanism.   Read More...

Ans.1. A major example is the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918, which killed between 20-50 million. 2. Cholera pandemics have been declared multiple times between 1817 and 1975. 3. In 1968, an pandemic was declared for H3N2 that caused about a million deaths. The last pandemic declared by the WHO was in 2009, for H1N1.4. As far as COVID-19 is concerned, China announced the outbreak on December 31 and declared a public health emergency on January 30. 5. The WHO w... Read More...

1. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. There is no fixed number of cases or deaths that determine when an outbreak becomes a pandemic.2. 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 against it, the outbreak is termed a pandemic. 3. It implies a higher level of concern than an epidemic, which the US Centers of Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) defines as the spread of a disease in a loc... Read More...

Ans.1. In a report titled ‘Designed to Exclude’, Amnesty International has asserted that the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court had enabled the FTs to create a statelessness crisis in Assam.2. Amnesty International has raised allegations over the functioning of the Foreigners Tribunals (FTs) in Assam.3. The organization has observed that the FTs that determined the paramount right to citizenship in Assam were often dismissive, used derogatory language, controlled their own procedures and applied them in arbitrary ways. Read More...

Ans.1. Recently, the Parliament has passed the Mineral Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2020.2. The Bill replaces the ordinance for amendment of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) and the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 (CMSP Act) which was promulgated on 11th January 2020.3. The Bill is expected to open a new era in Indian coal & mining sector especially to promote Ease of Doing Business.4. The amendment leads to removal of restriction on end-use of coal. Read More...

Ans.1. Recently, the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) experienced the second biggest single-day fall in its history as it fell by 8.2 per cent, slightly lower than the 11 per cent fall it saw during the 2008 financial crisis. 2. This fall began in January, when China started reporting a sharp increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. 3. Since the indexes plunged more than 10 per cent recently, a circuit breaker was triggered for the first time since 2009 halting trading for 45 minutes.4. In June 2001, ... Read More...

Ans.1. Northeastern states of India Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura – and Andaman and Nicobar Islands was demanding different time zone as theses face difficulty in managing their routine work schedule. 2. In Northeastern states the sun rises and sets earlier than the official working hours. 3. This natural phenomenon gives birth to some practical problems like it affects the productivity and makes electric consumption much higher. 4. Early sunrise l... Read More...

What are the challenges in conducting tests for higher levels of education in India?To assess competence of candidates for admissions and recruitment has always been a challenge in terms of matching with research based international standards, efficiency, transparency and error free delivery.Why is National Testing Agency set up in 2017?The National Testing Agency is entrusted to address all such issues using best in every field, from test preparation, to test delivery and to test marking.N... Read More...

Why is it in news?Government will be holding auction for spectrum, which includes airwaves that will be used to offer 5G or fifth-generation services, in the current calendar year. While some countries such as South Korea and the U.S. have begun rolling out commercial 5G services, India is yet to begin trial for these even as the government is targeting 2020 as the launch year for 5G in the country. What is 5G?  It is the next generation cellular technology that will provide faster and more reliable communicat... Read More...

What is a flood?A flood is the accumulation of water over normally dry land. It’s caused by the overflow of inland waters (like rivers and streams) or tidal waters, or by an unusual accumulation of water from sources such as heavy rains or dam or levee breaches.How do you classify major types of floods?1. River Flooding2. Coastal Flooding3. Flash Floods and Read More...

What is the issue?In recent weeks the relationship between Japan and South Korea has worsened significantly as Japan has removed South Korea from its “whitelist” of trusted export partners for certain chemicals that are vital to Korea’s high-tech industries.Why is it done?Japan says this move was driven by security concerns over South Korea’s enforcement of sanctions on North Korea. Also, Japan says the measures are designed to clean up export control procedures.Is ther... Read More...

What is India's PMNP?India’s exclusive rights to explore polymetallic nodules from seabed in Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) have been extended by five years to 2022. These rights are over 75000 sq. km of area in international waters allocated by International Seabed Authority for developmental activities for polymetallic nodules. What are the metals in the nodules? The estimated polymetallic nodule resource potential is 380 million tonnes, containing 4.7 million tonnes of nickel, 4.29 million tonnes of co... Read More...