The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare virtually attended the World Food Safety Day (7th June) celebrations organized by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Important points: The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) jointly facilitate the observance of World Food Safety Day, in collaboration with Member States and …

Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM (G)] Phase-II is making steady progress amidst Covid-19 with 1249 villages declared ODF(Open Defecation Free) Plus. SBM (G) Phase-II was approved in February 2020 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. ODF Plus entails that ODF behaviours are sustained, and every village has access to solid and liquid waste management. Important points: It emphasizes the …

Recently, the Union Minister of Panchayati Raj released a Model Panchayat Citizens Charter. Important points: It is prepared by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) in collaboration with National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR). NIRDPR is an autonomous organisation under the Union Ministry of Rural Development. It has been developed for the delivery of the services …

Recently, the Defence Minister released an E-booklet titled ‘20 Reforms in 2020’ highlighting the major reforms undertaken by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in 2020. Important points: The appointment of India’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and creation of the Department of Military Affairs (DMA) were among the major decisions taken by the Government. General Bipin Rawat was appointed …

Recently, Turkey’s Sea of Marmara, which connects the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea, has witnessed the largest outbreak of ‘sea snot’. A ‘sea snot’ outbreak was first recorded in the country in 2007. Important points: It is marine mucilage that is formed when algae are overloaded with nutrients as a result of water pollution combined with the effects of climate change …

Recently, the Finance Ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations reached a landmark accord setting a Global Minimum Corporate Tax Rate (GMCTR). The agreement could form the basis of a worldwide deal. It will now be discussed in detail at a meeting of G20 financial ministers and central bank governors in July 2021. G7 also agreed …

Indian Scientists have developed a nanorods-based oxygen sensor which works at room temperature with assistance of UV irradiation and can detect oxygen gas concentrations in places such as underground mines, at higher altitudes, inside aeroplanes and research labs. Monitoring O2 concentration in very low ppm-level is of paramount importance, and a fast …

Recently, the 37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star was observed by the country. Important points: It is a code name given to an Indian Military Operation to remove the separatists who were hidden inside the Golden Temple at Amritsar on 5th June 1984. The operation was ordered by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, primarily to take control of …

Recently, on the occasion of World Environment Day (5th June), the Tourism Minister appreciated the Incredible India Tourist Facilitator Certification Programme (IITFC). Important points: IITFC Programme is a digital initiative of the Ministry of Tourism (MoT), for the citizens of India to become a part of the booming Tourism Industry. It is an online programme where one can …

On the occasion of the anniversary of Maratha king’s coronation day (6th June), the Goa government has released a short film on Chhatrapati Shivaji. Important points: He was born on 19th February, 1630 at Shivneri Fort in District Pune in the present-day state of Maharashtra. He was born to Shahaji Bhonsle, a Maratha general who held the jagirs …

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the issuance of a Request For Proposal (RFP) for the construction of six conventional submarines under Project-75I (India). RFP is a project announcement posted publicly by an organization indicating that bids for contractors to complete the project are sought. Important points: This project envisages indigenous construction of submarines equipped with the …

Recently, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) informed the United Nations (UN) that in 17 cases chemical weapons were likely or definitely used by Syria. OPCW was formed under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) 1997. Important points: A Chemical Weapon is a chemical used to cause intentional death or harm through its toxic properties. Munitions, devices and other …

Recently, the US suspended imposition of retaliatory tariffs against six countries, including India, that had begun imposing digital services tax on companies such as Google and Facebook. Other than India, the countries slapped with this tariff proposal are Austria, Italy, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Background: Tariffs were imposed after the office of the United …

The Union Education Minister has approved the release of Performance Grading Index (PGI) 2019-20 for States and Union Territories. The PGI is a tool to provide insights on the status of school education in States and UTs including key levers that drive their performance and critical areas for improvement. Important points: The PGI for …

Recently, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) has released the World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends (WESO) report 2021.   Important points: It has pushed over 100 million more workers into poverty worldwide. The world would be 75 million jobs short at the end of this year compared to if the pandemic had not occurred. Relative to 2019, an …

Astronomers tracking star formation activity of the young Universe billions of years ago have long been intrigued by the fact that star formation in galaxies which was at its  highest about 8-10 billion years ago, had declined steadily thereafter. Searching for the reason behind this, they have found that the …

The discrepancy between the abundance of lithium as inferred from observations of stars and the theoretically predicted amount has intrigued astronomers for a long time. Scientists from the Indian Institute of astrophysics have pinned down the mechanism behind the Lithium production in low mass red clump stars. Having found lithium …

Modern technology and Indian traditional knowledge of Ayurveda have been combined for a solution to disinfect water completely and also offer possible health benefits of natural oils. Disinfection of water is essential for removing pathogenic microorganisms that are responsible for causing a number of water-borne diseases. However, the common drawbacks …

A NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) funded CIBER-2 sounding rocket’s launch window will open at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, USA. The aim of CIBER-2 mission is to look for evidence of extra stars that may have been missed in stellar head counts. The ESA (European Space Agency) infrared space observatory Herschel also counted the number of galaxies …

Recently, the Prime Minister chaired a meeting of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Society through video conference. Earlier CSIR Floriculture Mission was approved for implementation in 21 States and Union Territories of India. It is also planning to undertake genome sequencing of a sample of nearly 1000 Indian rural youth to determine unique genetic traits, susceptibility …