CONTEXT: In an address at the virtual meet of the council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu particularly mentioned about cross-border terrorism and called for combating the menace under a collective approach. BACKGROUND: SCO SCO is a significant organization that has …

CONTEXT: The President of India has greeted the citizens on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. It is a sacred festival of the Sikh community and is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, who is believed to be born on Poornima (full moon) of the Kartika …

CONTEXT: Recently, the Minister of Railways has inaugurated the newly electrified Dhigawara- Bandikui section of North Western Railway and flagged off the first train on this electrified route from Dhigawara station in Alwar District, Rajasthan. BACK GROUND: 1832: The first railway proposals for India were made in Madras. 1837: The …

CONTEXT: The Government of India has announced the stimulus package of Rs. 900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha, the Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission, which will help the development process of the vaccine candidates. AIM: Accelerating pre-clinical and clinical development. Licensure of Covid-19 vaccine candidates that are currently in …

CONTEXT: ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park) is a joint initiative of the Indian Institute of Science & AI Foundry, set up as a Section 8 company (Not for Profit) with a seed grant from the Department of Science and Technology (Govt. of India). MAIN POINTS: It is set up …

CONTEXT: As per estimates released by the National Statistical Office, India’s GDP contracted 7.5% in the second quarter of 2020-21. MAIN POINTS: India has now entered a technical recession with two successive quarters of negative growth. Agriculture, which was the only sector to record growth between April and June this …

CONTEXT: India has targeted to have it’s Islands- A&N and Lakshadweep as Green Energy says Shri R.K Singh at Country session of Maldives during 3rd Global Re-Invest.Power Minister assures full cooperation to Maldives in its efforts promote RE projects BACKGROUND: Shri R K Singh, Union Minister of New & Renewable …

CONTEXT: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Invest India have launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Investor Map for India. MAIN POINTS: It laid out 18 Investment Opportunities Areas (IOAs) in six critical SDG enabling sectors, that can help the country push forward on the trajectory of Sustainable Development. The …

CONTEXT: Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the ‘India Climate Change Knowledge Portal’. MAIN POINTS: AIM: The Portal will help in disseminating knowledge among citizens about all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address climate change issues. …

CONTEXT: The Union Government’s fiscal deficit further widened to ₹9.53 lakh crore, or close to 120% of the annual budget estimate, at the end of October of the current fiscal (2020-21). DETAILS: The deficit widened mainly due to poor revenue realisation. The fiscal deficit or gap between the expenditure and …