Black Carbon has a significant adverse effect on human health and leads to premature mortality, says a new study. The study could help in the estimation of future burden of mortality associated with air pollutants more accurately. The Indo-Gangetic plain is exposed to black carbon (BC) with serious implications on …

Recently, India’s Defence Minister reviewed the ongoing work on the Indigenous Aircraft Carrier (IAC), INS Vikrant (IAC-1), which is a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat. INS Vikrant, is likely to be commissioned in 2022. At present, India has only one aircraft carrier, the Russian-origin INS Vikramaditya. Earlier, the Defence Acquisition Council …

Recently, the Union Environment Minister in a virtual event released the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) based survey of forest areas in ten states. The 10 mapped states are Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura. Important points: The project …

Recently, the Mumbai Police has arrested five people and seized nearly 9 kg of Ambergris. Important points: Ambergris, French for grey amber, is generally referred to as whale vomit. It is a solid waxy substance originating in the intestine of the sperm whale. Ambergris is produced only by an estimated …

For the first time, a pan-India study has found a direct correlation between air pollution and Covid-19. The study found that areas with poor air quality and higher emissions of particulate matter (PM) 2.5 are more likely to have Covid-19 infections and related deaths. Particulate Matter (PM) 2.5 It is …

Nagaland has not reported fresh cases of African Swine Flu in the last two weeks. The disease was first reported in November-December, 2019 from the areas of China bordering Arunachal Pradesh. Earlier in April 2020, there were reported deaths of pigs due to the Classical Swine Fever (CSF). Important points: …

Recently, the Ministry of Agriculture has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft to run a pilot programme for 100 villages in 6 states. The MoU requires Microsoft to create a ‘Unified Farmer Service Interface’ through its cloud computing services. This comprises a major part of the ministry’s plan of …

Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organised an online event to commemorate six years of the three transformative Urban Missions vis. Smart Cities Mission (SCM), Atal Mission for Urban Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U). The day also marked the 45 years …

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) decided to retain Pakistan on “increased monitoring list’. “Increased monitoring list” is another name for the Grey List. Important points: The FATF had issued the 27-point action plan after placing Pakistan on the ‘Grey List’ in June 2018. The action plan pertains to curbing …

Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in its World Drug Report 2021, has highlighted that the lockdown restrictions during Covid-19 have accelerated drug trafficking using the Internet. By drugs, the Report refers to substances controlled under international drug control conventions, and their non-medical use. Important points: …