A total of 850 oxygen plants are being set up in various districts of the country from PM Cares Fund for catering to the needs of the country to fight the pandemic COVID-19, Dr C Satish Reddy, Secretary, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), highlighted at the Department of Science …

Recently, an agreement was signed for Development of 35 MLD (Mega Liters per day) Sewage Treatment Plant in Maheshtala (City situated on the east bank of River Ganga), West Bengal under Namami Gange Programme. The project was signed under Hybrid Annuity PPP mode. Important points: Namami Gange Programme is an …

Recently, a Chinese spaceship “Shenzhou-12” carrying a three-person crew docked with China’s new space station module Tianhe-1. his has come after the launch of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft, which carried vital supplies for the space station. Important points: The Shenzhou-12 craft connected with the Tianhe space station module about six …

The Ministry of Home Affairs has operationalised the national Helpline 155260 and Reporting Platform for preventing financial loss due to cyber fraud. The helpline was soft-launched on 1st April. The National Helpline and Reporting Platform provides a mechanism for persons cheated in cyber frauds to report such cases to prevent …

The central government issued a notification amending the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 thereby providing a statutory mechanism for redressal of grievances/complaints of citizens. These grievances/complaints are related to content broadcast by television channels in accordance with the provisions of the Cable Television Network Act, 1995. Important points: About the …

Recently, the Ministry of Labour and Employment and UNICEF have signed a Statement of Intent to improve employment outcomes for the youth in India. According to Census 2011, every fifth person in India is a youth (15-24 years). UNICEF is a special program of the United Nations (UN) devoted to …

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved the Inland Vessels Bill, 2021, which will replace the Inland Vessels Act, 1917 after passing in Parliament. The Bill will regulate safety, security and registration of inland vessels. Important points: A key feature of the Bill is a unified law for the entire country, instead …

Recently, the West Bengal Chief Minister described the Governor of the state as the central government’s own person. The Chief Minister, including several MPs, have written to the President of India demanding the withdrawal of the Governor. Important points: Article 153 says that there shall be a Governor for each …

According to the World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY), India maintained 43rd rank on the annual World Competitiveness Index. The World Competitiveness Index is a comprehensive annual report and worldwide reference point on the competitiveness of countries. Important points: Published by: WCY was first published in 1989 and is compiled by the …

Scientists tracing the concentration, size and evolution of aerosol particles smaller than 3 nanometres at an urban location in India have found frequent formation of sub-3nm aerosol particles in the atmosphere. This has critical importance as a major fraction of these newly formed particles can reach to sizes of cloud …

Recently, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution made it mandatory for the hallmarking of gold jewellery, which will be implemented in a phased manner. Important points: The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) which operates the gold and silver hallmarking scheme in India, defines hallmarking as the “accurate …

Recently, the defence minister addressed the 8th ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting (ADMM) Plus. The ADMM-Plus is a platform for ASEAN and its eight Dialogue Partners. Important points: India called for an open and inclusive order in Indo-Pacific based upon respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations. Supports freedom of …

The World Health Organization (WHO) in its recent report “Children and Digital Dumpsites” has underlined the risk that children working in informal processing are facing due to discarded electronic devices or e-waste. There are as many as 18 million children (as young as five years) and about 12.9 million women …

Recently, India has signed an agreement extending a USD 100 million Line of Credit (LOC) to Sri Lanka for projects in the Solar Energy Sector. The LOC is for a period of 20 years, with an interest of 1.75%. The agreement was signed between the Government of Sri Lanka and …

Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of India signed a USD 484 million loan for the Tamil Nadu Industrial Connectivity Project. The loan is to improve transport connectivity and facilitate industrial development in the Chennai – Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) in the state of Tamil Nadu. It …

Recently, the Union Cabinet approved a plan to corporatise the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). Important points: 41 factories across the country will be dissolved into seven new Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSU). The newly created entities will be 100% owned by the government. These entities will be responsible for different …

Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) on the Deep Ocean Mission (DOM). The blueprint of the DOM to explore the deep recesses of the ocean was unveiled in 2018. Earlier, MoES had also rolled out the draft Blue …

Supported by BIRAC under Fast Track COVID-19 Fund COVID-19 pandemic has played a havoc role for humans across the globe. The first line of defense against the prevailing situation have been sanitisers, face masks and COVID appropriate behaviour. Masks have been recommended by WHO as well to protect against and …

Recently, the 31st edition of India-Thailand Coordinated Patrol (Indo-Thai CORPAT) between the Indian Navy and the Royal Thai Navy was conducted in the Andaman sea close to the Strait of Malacca Important points: India and Thailand have been carrying out CORPAT along their International Maritime Boundary Line twice a year …

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways and the Ministry of Civil Aviation signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Development of Seaplane Services in India. India’s first seaplane service started operation between Kevadia and Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad in October 2020, under Sagarmala Seaplane Services. Important points: This MoU envisages …