Q What is the context ?A China’s status as a ‘developing country’ at the World Trade Organization (WTO) has become a contentious issue with a number of countries raising concerns. Q What are conditions for Defining a country’s ‘Development’ ?AThere are no WTO definitions of “developed” or “developing” countries.Developing countries in the WTO are designated on the basis of self-selection although this is not necessarily automatically accepted in all WTO bodies.The WTO however recognizes as least-developed countries (LDC... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A Red Sanders (Red Sandalwood) has fallen back into the ‘endangered’ category in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List.A recently released and trending Telugu movie plot provides a fictional account of red sandal smuggling.Q What is About Red Sanders ?AThe species, Pterocarpus santalinus, is an Indian endemic tree species, with a restricted geographical range in the Eastern Ghats.It is endemic to a distinct tract of forests in Andhra Pradesh.It is mainly found in Chittoor, Kadapa, Nandhyal, Nello... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A Taking cognizance of multiple complaints that photographs of women had been posted on a mobile app for fake auctions, the police in Delhi and Mumbai have registered cases.Q What is the controversy?AHundreds of women in India including journalists, social workers, and other prominent personalities found their images and derogatory content about them on a new app.The app was created on hosting platform Github, offered an online “auction” of women (esp from a particular community).This controversy is part of the routine harassment women faced ... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A India has appealed against a ruling of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) trade dispute settlement panel on domestic sugar subsidies, stating that the panel had committed “certain errors of law” in its report.Q What is the case? AIndia’s Minimum Selling Price system for Sugarcane was brought to notice to the WTO by Brazil, Australia and Guatemala.Q What was the complaint against India?A Australia, Brazil, and Guatemala said India’s domestic support and export subsidy measures appeared to be incons... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court opposing the implementation of the Inner Line Permit System (ILPS) in Manipur.Q What is Inner Line Permit?A A concept drawn by colonial rulers, the Inner Line separated the tribal-populated hill areas in the Northeast from the plains.The concept originates from the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation Act (BEFR), 1873.To enter and stay for any period in these areas, Indian citizens from other areas need an Inner Line Permit (ILP).Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram are protected ... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The government has accepted the report by a committee under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which examined the income criteria for determining who are to be included among the EWS.Q What is background of EWS Quota ?A On July 29 last year, the Centre had issued a notification for implementing 10% reservation for EWS along with 27% for OBC within these courses.Following the petitions, the Supreme Court has stayed counseling for admission until the matter is decided.The NEET notification followed the same criteria for determining E... Read More...
Q What is the context ? A The Mediation Bill, 2021 was introduced in Parliament in December 2021. It seeks to ‘promote mediation (including online), and provide for enforcement of settlement agreements resulting from mediation’. Q What is need to popularise mediation ? A The Chief Justice of India (CJI), N.V. Ramana, had said that mediation should be made mandatory as a first step in dispute resolution and that a law should be framed in this regard. He emphasised the point that a movement needs to be ... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The latest in the series of aggressive Chinese actions is the use of lawfare through the passing of the “Land Boundary Law” on October 21 which became effective this week.Q What is background of the Chinese approach ?A The last residue of the Qing dynasty was wiped out in the 1911 revolution when China was established as a republic.The republic was again overthrown in 1949 by the Chinese Communist Party.Three successive Chinese governments in China refused to delineate or demarcate the boundary with either Tibet or India.British ar... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A The Centre has informed the Delhi HC that it was awaiting the report of the Law Commission of India, which is examining various issues relating to the Uniform Civil Code.Q What is a Uniform Civil Code?A A Uniform Civil Code is one that would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc.Article 44, one of the directive principles of the Constitution lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the ci... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has released the First Advance Estimates (FAE) for the current financial year (2021-22 or FY22).Q What is GDP?A GDP measures the monetary value of all goods and services produced within the domestic boundaries of a country within a timeframe (generally, a year).It is slightly different from the other commonly used statistic for national income — the GNP.The Gross National Product (GNP) measures the monetary value of all goods and services by the people and companies of a country ... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A A Moscow-led military alliance called Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) dispatched troops to help quell mounting unrest in Kazakhstan.Q What is the ongoing situation in Kazakhstan ?A Long seen as one the most stable of the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia, energy-rich Kazakhstan is facing its biggest crisis.There are ongoing protests over rising fuel prices escalated into widespread unrest.The nationwide protests are also signifying a wider, region-wide longing for political change.Under increasing pressure, Kaz... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has informed that Airtel Payments Bank Ltd. has been categorized as a Scheduled Bank.Q Why such a move?A With this, the bank can now pitch for government-issued Requests for Proposals (RFP) and primary auctions.It can undertake both Central and State Government businesses participating in government-operated welfare schemes.Q What are Scheduled Banks?A Scheduled Banks refer to those banks which have been included in the Second Schedule of Reserve Bank ... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A Omisure -India’s first home-grown testing kit has recently received approval from the Drugs Controller General of India.Q What are key details about Omisure ?A Omisure is an omicron detecting RT-PCR kit developed by the Mumbai-based Tata Medical and Diagnostics Ltd (TATA MD) in partnership with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).It can differentiate the omicron strain of the novel coronavirus from the delta, alpha and the other variants in under four hours.It can diagnose this variant in a single stepQ ... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The Delhi Assembly has passed an amendment Bill to the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act, 1971, recognizing Takht Damdama Sahib as the fifth Takht of Sikhs.Q What is a Sikh Takht?A A Takht, which means a throne, is a seat of temporal authority for Sikhs.There are five Sikh Takhts, three in Punjab and one each in Maharashtra and Bihar.1. Akal TakhtLocated in Amritsar, it is the oldest of the Takhts, and considered supreme among the five.It was set up in 1606 by Guru Hargobind, whose succession as the sixth G... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A China is building a bridge across the Pangong Tso area connecting the North and South Banks which will significantly reduce the time for moving troops and equipment between the two sides.Q What are some details about Pangong Tso ?A Pangong Tso or Pangong Lake is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m.It is 134 km long and extends from India to the Tibetan Autonomous Region, China.Approximately 60% of the length of the lake lies within the Tibetan Autonomous Region.The lake is 5 km wide at its b... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A A Canadian court has ordered the seizure of more than $30 million worth of Airport Authority of India’s assets.Q What is the background ?A In 2005, Devas Multimedia signed an agreement with Antrix —a commercial arm of the IISRO —to provide multimedia services to mobile users using the leased S-band satellite spectrum to be provided by Antrix.In 2011, the UPA-2 government canceled this agreement on the ground that it needed the S-band satellite spectrum for national security and other social purposes.This led to arbitration between Antrix ... Read More...
Q What is the context ?A Vaccines like Biological E’s Corbevax and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin that are made by traditional methods are “just as effective” as the latest mRNA technology-based vaccines according to US scientists.Q What are Vaccines?A A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease.It typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins. Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A The recent visit by United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to Southeast Asia underscores the importance that is being accorded to this region by the Joe Biden administration.Q What are Take aways from the visit ?A 1.Projecting the US as reliable partner The idea was to present the U.S. as a reliable partner in meeting the challenges that the Indo-Pacific region is facing.For instance, completely aware that the Southeast Asian nations are averse to choosing sides in this U.S.-China competition, Mr. Blinken made it a point to... Read More...
Q What is the context ? A Recently, the Missionaries of Charity established by Nobel Laureate Mother Teresa was in the news for the cancellation of its permission under the FCRA. Q Why is there issue with FCRA permissions ? A The levels of due diligence and the information sought on the one hand and the annual declarations to be given by the board members of civil society organisations on the other have increased significantly. The mandatory opening of bank accounts for foreign contributions has been centralised in one branch of the State Ban... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ?A Superapp CryptoWire recently launched India’s first cryptocurrency index, IC15, which will measure the performance of the 15 most widely traded cryptocurrencies listed on leading crypto exchanges by market capitalization.Q What is IC15?ACryptoWire constituted an Index Committee of domain experts, industry practitioners, and academicians that will select cryptocurrencies from the top 400 coins in terms of market capitalization.The eligible cryptocurrency should have traded on at least 90% of the days during the review period and be among the 100 most liquid... Read More...