Recently, two Supreme Court (SC) judges have recused themselves from hearing cases relating to West Bengal. Important points: It is the act of abstaining from participation in an official action such as a legal proceeding due to a conflict of interest of the presiding court official or administrative officer. When …

Recently, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee has recommended that the Australia’s Great Barrier Reef should be added to a list of “in danger” World Heritage Sites Placement on the ‘‘in-danger list’’ is not considered a sanction. Some nations have their sites added to gain international attention and help to save …

Recently, Shyam Sundar Jyani, a Rajasthan-based climate activist, has won the prestigious United Nations’ Land for Life Award for his environment conservation concept, Familial Forestry. The winner was announced on 17th June 2021 which is the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought Familial Forestry means transferring the care of …

A recent survey has found the presence of antibodies against the Nipah virus (NiV) in some bat species from a cave in Mahabaleshwar, a popular hill station in Maharashtra. The survey was conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV). Important points: The …

Recently, the Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff has inaugurated the construction of the second frigate of the Krivak or Talwar class. The construction of the first ship was laid in January, 2021. It would be delivered in 2026 and the second ship after six months. Important points: The Krivak class …

A 50 kWp Solar rooftop in Solan, Himachal Pradesh was inaugurated under Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) of the MInistry of Power. The project further reinforces the ‘Go Green’ Initiative of the government envisaged in the Urban Distribution scheme. Important points: December 2014. Power Finance Corporation Ltd. (PFC), a Navratna …

The government proposed changes to the Consumer Protection (e-commerce) Rules 2020, banning all “flash sales” in order to monitor the deep discounts offered on e-commerce websites. Important points: Conventional flash sales by third party sellers are not banned on e-commerce platforms but only the predatory ones. Small businesses complain of …

The Central Government has asked the States Governments to buy electronic weighing machines for ration shops from electronic Point of Sale devices (ePoS) savings. For this, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs has amended the Food Security (Assistance To State Government Rules) 2015 to encourage the states to generate savings through …

Recently, the Tripura High Court has discovered that an oversight in drafting the 2014 amendments to the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 had unintentionally rendered a key provision (Section 27A) of the Act inoperable. Important points: India is a signatory to the United Nations (UN) Single Convention …

Recently, the delimitation exercise has started in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The completion of the delimitation exercise will mark the political process in the Union Territory (UT) that has been under Centre’s rule since June 2018. Important points: Delimitation is the act of fixing or redrawing the limits or boundaries …