Q. Why is this in news?A .In May this year, some pilgrims offered prayers inside the Martand Temple, an Archaeological Survey of India-protected (ASI) monument Q. What About Martand Sun Temple?A. The Martand Sun Temple is a Hindu temple located near the city of Anantnag in the Kashmir Valley.It dates back to the eighth century AD and was dedicated to Surya, the chief solar deity.The temple was destroyed by Sikandar Shah Miri in a bid to undertake mass conversion and execution of Hindus in the valley.According to Kalhana, the Temple wa... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news?A.In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the Department of Science & Technology (DST) has announced the setting up of India’s first dark sky reserve at Hanle in Ladakh in the next three months. Q. What is a Dark Sky Reserve?A. A dark-sky reserve is an area, usually surrounding a park or observatory that is kept free of artificial light pollution.The purpose of a dark sky preserve is generally to promote astronomy.Because different national organizations have worked independently to create their programs, different terms hav... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. As per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reports, Assam recorded the most number of Sedition cases in the country in the last eight years. Q. What are the Findings of the NCRB?A.Out of 475 sedition cases registered in the country between 2014 and 2021, Assam accounted for 69 cases (14.52%).After Assam, the most number of such cases were reported from Haryana (42 cases), followed by Jharkhand (40), Karnataka (38), Andhra Pradesh (32) and Jammu and Kashmir... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. The United Nations has estimated that by the year 2050, four billion people will be seriously affected by water shortages, pushing the One Water approach towards all sources of water. Q. What is the One Water approach?A. About:One Water Approach, also referred to as Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), is the recognition that all water has value, regardless of its source.It includes ma... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, the Union Ministry of Rural Development has come up with penalties for any further delay in completing the flagship rural household scheme — Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin). Q. Why is the Need for Imposing Penalties?A. About:The penalty would be levied on the state government. If the sanction of the house is delayed for more than one month from the date of issue of the target, the State government will be penalised Rs 10 per house Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, Russia hosted the 7th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) at Vladivostok.The forum is a platform for entrepreneurs to expand their businesses into Russia’s Far East (RFE). Q. What is the Eastern Economic Forum?A. About:The EEF was established in 2015 to encourage foreign investments in the RFE.The EEF displays the economic potential, suitable business conditions and investment opportunities Read More...
Q. Why is this in news?A. The Varanasi District and Sessions Court has rejected the plea of the organization which manages the Gyanvapi mosque complex, challenging the maintainability of the civil suits filed by some women seeking the right to worship Goddesses on the outer wall of the complex. Q. What About Gyanvapi Mosque?A. The Gyanvapi Mosque was built in 1669 during the reign of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, who ordered the demolition of the existing Vishweshwar temple at the site, and its replacement by a mosque.The plinth of the temple was left ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news?A. The most ambitious Delhi’s Alcohol Policy 2021-22 which brought in big discounts for consumers was scrapped on July 31 amid allegations of corruption and irregularities in the drafting and implementation of the policy.After scrapping the new policy, the Delhi government decided to bring back the ‘old excise regime’ that was in force before.Definitely! We shall not nit-pick the old vs. new policy. Let us generally understand how alcohol is regulated in India. Q. What are the Alcohol laws of India?A. ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news?A. The Eurozone is almost certainly entering a recession, with surveys showing a deepening cost-of-living crisis and a gloomy outlook that is keeping consumers wary of spending. Q. What is Recession?A. A recession is a significant decline in economic activity that lasts for months or even years.Experts declare a recession when a nation’s economy experiences negative GDP, rising levels of unemployment, falling retail sales, and contracting measures of income and manufacturing for an extended period of time.Rec... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news?A. The bad news for India is that its global HDI rank has slipped from 129 in 2019 to 131 in 2020 and to 132 in 2021-22. Q. What is the meaning of human development?A. Human development is defined as the process of enlarging people’s freedoms and opportunities and improving their well-being. Human development is about the real freedom ordinary people have to decide who to be, what to do, and how to live. Q. What is meant by Human Development Index?A. Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, India summoned officials of Wikipedia, in response to a national cricketer’s Wikipedia page being edited with misleading information.The Minister of State for Electronics and IT has expressed that no intermediary operating in India can permit this type of misinformation, as it violated the government’s expectation of a safe and trusted internet.Content Moderation refers to the process of ensuring user-generated content upholds platform-specific guidelines and rules to establish the suitability of the content for publishing.... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, government has approved the inclusion of certain communities in the lists of Scheduled Tribes in Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, fulfilling long-pending demands from these states. Q. What is the Process of Inclusion in the ST List?A. The process to include tribes in the ST list begins with the recommendation from the respective State governments, which are then sent to the Tribal Affairs Ministry, which reviews and sends them to the Registrar General of India for approva... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. On the occasion of Teacher’s Day 2022, the Prime Minister of India announced a new initiative - PM SHRI Schools (PM ScHools for Rising India).It will be a laboratory for the new National Education Policy (NEP) and under the first phase, 14,500 schools will be upgraded. Q. Why is Teacher’s Day Celebrated in India?A. Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year, Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, The Union Health Ministry launched the new National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), where 384 drugs have been included in this list with addition of 34 drugs, while 26 from the previous list have been dropped.As per the World Health Organisation (WHO), Essential Medicines are those that satisfy the priority health care needs of the population. Q. What is the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM)?A. About:The National List of Essen... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced that India is hosting the G-20 (Group of 20) leaders’ summit in New Delhi next year 2023.The 17th G20 Heads of State and Government Summit will happen in November 2022 in Indonesia, after which India will assume the presidency of G20 from December 2022.India is assuming the Presidency of the G20 for one year. Q. What are the Key Points?A. Guest Countries:India, as G20 Pre... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, the Ministry of Finance has justified the imposition of Windfall Tax on domestic crude oil producers in July 2022, saying that it was not an ad hoc (made or done suddenly) move but was done after full consultation with the industry.Besides India, a wave of countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany have either already imposed a windfall profit tax on super normal profits of energy companies or are contemplating doing so. Q. What is a W... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Several petitions have been listed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of the practice of polygamy and Nikah Halala allowed by Muslim Personal Law.A five-judge Constitution Bench has issued notices to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Commission of Women (NCW) and the National Commission of Minorities.Earlier, the SC had stated the practice of divorce in Muslims through 'Talaq-e-Hasan' is not similar to triple talaq&nbs... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, Karnataka High Court said that Bhang is nowhere referred to as a prohibited drink or prohibited drug as per Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985.The court relied on two earlier judgments, Madhukar vs the State of Maharashtra, 2002 and Arjun Singh vs State of Haryana, 2004, where the courts had ruled that bhang is not ganja, and is therefore not covered under the NDPS Act.Earlier, Thailand has legalized cultivating and possessing Marijuana b... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. The Tamil Nadu Idol Wing CID has initiated steps to retrieve six Chola-era bronze idols, stolen from the Nareeswara Sivan temple, Tamil Nadu back in the 1960s, and currently kept at various museums in the United States.The idols were successfully traced to the US recently with the help of the images available with the Indo-French Institute, Pondicherry, which had documented nine bronze sculptures in 1956. Of them, seven were stolen five decades ago.The institute had provided images of antique Panchaloha idols of Tripuranthakam, Thirupurasundari, Nataraja, Dakshin... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News?A. Recently, to speed up the country’s fight against tuberculosis (TB) and achieve the target set by the Prime Minister of eliminating the disease by 2025, President launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan.Q. What is Tuberculosis?A. About: Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis.It commonly affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body.It is a treatable and curable disea... Read More...