To understand how we communicate or send messages today via the Internet across continents – and then how this communication is disrupted – we first need to understand the fundamental nature of electrical force.Q. What is Electrons in communication?All matter consists of many, many electrons. Like the other Lego bricks, electrons have a property called mass, which indicates how strongly the gravitational force acts on them, and is therefore directly related to their weight.Another property of electrons called electric charge indic... Read More...
NHAI's InvIT will be a Trust established by NHAI under the Indian Trust Act, 1882 and SEBI regulations. The InvIT Trust will be formed the objective of investment primarily in infrastructure projects.Union Cabinet had approved the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) setting up Infrastructure Investment Trust(s) (InvIT) in December 2019, the company has recently started meeting investor groups, as it prepares to come up with its InvIT issue.The issue will enable NHAI to monetise its completed National Highways that have a toll collection track record of at least one year. The ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news?Eight Rajya Sabha MPs were suspended on September 21 for unruly behavior in the House. The Chairman of Rajya Sabha is empowered under Rule Number 255 to "direct any Member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately" from the House.Q. What is the reason for suspending an MP?The general principle is that it is the role and duty of the Presiding Officer Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha to maintain order so that the House can function smoothly... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news?Feluda test which uses indigenously developed CRISPR gene-editing technology to identify and target the genetic material of SARS-CoV2, the virus that causes Covid-19.An accurate and low-cost paper-based test strip to detect Covid-19 in less than 30 minutes has been approved for commercial launch by the Drugs Controller General of India. Developed by a research team led by of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Tata Group. Q. What is the new Feluda Covid-19 test? Read More...
Q. What are FinCEN Files?The FinCEN Files refer to a set of over 2,100 “Suspicious Activity Reports” (SARs) filed by banks with the United States Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crime Enforcement Network, the agency that serves as the leading global regulator in the battle against money laundering.The files identify at least $2 trillion in transactions between 1999 and 2017 flagged as possible evidence of money laundering or other criminal activity by compliance officers of banks and financial institutions.Q... Read More...
Context:The Supreme Court has asked the Chief Justices of High Courts to head Special Benches and immediately hear long-pending criminal cases against sitting and former legislators.Over 4,400 criminal trials have been held up, some for decades, because the powerful MPs and MLAs had approached the High Courts and got an interim stay. Some date back nearly 40 years. Most are stuck at the stage of framing of criminal charges. There are over 2,500 criminal cases against sitting legislators alone.The Supreme Court asked the Chief Justices to lis... Read More...
Background :DR REDDY’S Laboratories (DRL) announced on Wednesday that it will distribute 100 million (10 crore) doses of Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine in India after conducting final-stage human trials and receiving regulatory clearances here. Should India’s top drug regulatory body sign off on phase 3 trials in the country, Sputnik V will replace Serum Institute of India’s (SII’s) ‘Covishield’ as the front runner in the race to produce a Covid-19 vaccine for India.Q. What is Sputnik V? Read More...
Q. Why in news ?A. A motion for breach of privilege was moved in the Maharashtra Assembly against a news channel’s editor-in-chief. A similar motion was moved in the Maharashtra Legislative Council against an actor.Q. What are Parliamentary privileges?Parliamentary privilege refers to the right and immunity enjoyed by legislatures, in which legislators are granted protection against civil or crim... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news ?A. An international team of astronomers led by Jane S. Greaves of Cardiff University and University of Cambridge, U.K., has announced the discovery of traces of a molecule known as phosphine on Venus. This has caused great excitement because, given the chemical and geological composition of Venus, this can imply the existence of life forms that release this substance through bio-chemical pathways.Q. Have astronomers found definit... Read More...
Q. Why in News ? A. The Singapore Convention on Mediation has finally come into force.Q. What is Singapore Convention?It is aimed to provide a more effective way of enforcing mediated settlements of corporate disputes involving businesses in India and other countries that are signatories to the Convention.Also known as the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation, this is also the first UN ... Read More...
Q. Why in News?A. Finance Minister has tabled the first batch of Supplementary Demands for Grants for this financial year in the Lok Sabha.Q. What is Supplementary Demand for Grants ? Article 115 of the constitution provides for Supplementary, additional or excess grants. (Note: Article 116 provides for Votes on account, votes of credit and exceptional grants.)They are additional grants which are required to meet the expenditure of the government Read More...
Q. Why is this in news ?A. The scientists of Indian Council of Agriculture Research or ICAR have found a cure for one of the most dreaded diseases on Banana.Q. What is Panama Disease?The fungal disease, called Fusarium Wilt, is popularly known as the ‘Panama Disease’ and afflicts banana plants.For the first time, Indian scientists have brought out a biopesticide that can control the disease. This biopesticide has been made using another fungus. Read More...
Q. Why is this in news ?A. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is likely to introduce legislation in the ongoing Parliament session to amend a 1991 Act pertaining to the powers and function of the Delhi government and the Lieutenant Governor.Q. What are some of proposed amendments of the Bill?The Bill proposes to clearly spell out the functions of the Council of Ministers and the Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) by giving more discretionary powers to the L-G.As per the Bill,... Read More...
Q. What is Naga Issue?The key demand of Naga groups has been a Greater Nagalim (sovereign statehood) i.e redrawing of boundaries to bring all Naga-inhabited areas in the Northeast under one administrative umbrella.It includes various parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Assam and Myanmar as well.The demand also includes the separate Naga Yezabo (Constitution) and Naga national flag.Q. Who are Nagas?The Nagas are not a single tribe, but ... Read More...
Q. Why In News?After non-Bru communities, local Reangs of Tripura have opposed the large-scale resettlement of Bru refugees from Mizoram in their vicinity. Reang is another name of the Bru tribe, also called Tuikuk in Mizoram.Q. What is this Bru Refugee crisis ?Bru or Reang is a community indigenous to Northeast India, living mostly in Tripura, Mizoram and Assam. In Tripura, they are recognised as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group.In Mizoram, they have been targeted by groups th... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news ?Living Planet Report is recently released by international non-profit World Wide Fund for Nature.This year’s Living Planet Report, a collaboration between WWF International and the Zoological Society of London, is the 13th edition of the biennial publication tracking wildlife populations around the world.Q. What is Living Planet Report?It is published... Read More...
Q. Why in News ?A. Experts have warned that few provisions in the Pesticides Management Bill will hurt farmers’ livelihood. Therefore, they have called for wider consultations on the bill and asked it to place it before a select committee.Q. What is Pesticides Management Bill ?A. The Pesticides Management Bill, 2020 was approved by the Union Cabinet in February this year. It will replace the Insecticides Act, 1968. Read More...
Q. Why is this in news ?A. Every year 14th September is celebrated as Hindi divas in India .Q. What is National Hindi Day or Hindi Divas ?National Hindi Day:Hindi, written in the Devanagari script, was adopted as the official language of the Republic of India on 14th September, 194... Read More...
Q. Why in News?A. Recently, the researchers from the City University of Hong Kong have produced a laser-induced form of graphene masks that inactivate the coronavirus species.Q. What this research find out ?A. Initial tests deactivated two coronavirus species. The researchers are also planning to test this mask on the Covid-19(SARS-Cov-2) virus.The researchers also tested it on E coli (bacteria), Read More...
Q. Why is this in news ?SERUM INSTITUTE of India (SII) on Thursday said that it would pause the ongoing clinical trials in India of the Covid-19 vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford. The move follows a show-cause notice issued by the country’s drug regulator (ICMR) to the Pune-based company over a single adverse reaction that was detected at one of the global trial sites.Q. What is this vaccine?One of the most closely watched candidates globally,A... Read More...