CONTEXT: China sold negative-yield debt for the first time. 5-year bond was priced with a yield of – 0.152%, and the 10-year and 15-year securities with positive yields of 0.318% and 0.664%. What are negative yeild bonds? These are debt instruments that offer to pay the investor a maturity amount …

CONTEXT: Recently, India has successfully test-fired a land-attack version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The test by the Army comes over a month after the Naval version of BrahMos was successfully test fired from Indian Navy’s indigenously-built stealth destroyer INS Chennai. Features : …

CONTEXT: PM pays tribute to Lachit Borphukan on Lachit Diwas. Background: During the last phase of the Battle of Saraighat 1671, when the Mughals attacked the Assamese forces through the river in Saraighat, many Assamese soldiers began losing their will to fight. It was Lachit’s clarion call to all the …

CONTEXT: China has launched an unmanned spacecraft to bring back lunar rocks, the first attempt by any nation to retrieve samples from the Moon in four decades. MAIN POINTS The Chang’e-5 mission, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, will seek to collect lunar material to help scientists …

CONTEXT: Recently, the NITI Aayog has released “Accelerating Progress On Nutrition In India: What Will It Take”, the third progress report on the National Nutrition Mission or the Poshan Abhiyaan. MAIN POINTS Launched in 2018, it is the Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant …

CONTEXT: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, has launched an international version of the government’s UMANG app.The international version of UMANG app called ‘UMANG International’ was launched to mark three years of UMANG (UMANG App was launched in 2017). MAIN POINTS: …

CONTEXT: Union Education Minister inaugurates 46 online ATAL Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) organised by AICTE. KEY POINTS: 46 online AICTE Training and Learning (ATAL) Academy Faculty Development Programmes (FDPs) were inaugurated to train teachers of higher education institutions associated with the All India Council of Technical Education in thrust and …

CONTEXT: AAI observes Aviation Safety Awareness Week 2020. About Aviation Safety Awareness Week: The AAI observes Aviation Safety Awareness Week during the last week of November every year.  To raise awareness of aviation safety, AAI undertook various employee engagement programs at the airports and ANS stations like reviewing documents and …

CONTEXT: Recently, Copernicus Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich satellite was launched from the Vandenberg Air Force base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. MAIN POINTS: Sentinel-6-Satellite is a part of the mission dedicated to measuring changes in the global sea level. The mission is called the Jason Continuity of Service …

CONTEXT: 27 E-Lok Adalats organized in 15 states. BACKGROUND: During the pandemic-induced lockdown, the various legal services authorities adapted to the new normal and moved Lok Adalats to the virtual platform. From June to October, 27 E-Lok Adalats had been organised in 27 states leading to the disposal of more …