Recently, the Indian Navy carried out a Maritime Partnership Exercise with the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea. Earlier Indo-UK Naval Exercise, ‘Konkan 2021 was held in the English Channel. Important points: It will strengthen bilateral collaboration in the maritime domain towards a collective aim of ensuring a stable, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific This is in a series of …

Recently, the Delhi High Court has asked the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to consider as representation a petition to stop the alleged illegal construction of bridges and walls within tiger breeding habitat of the Corbett Tiger Reserve National Tiger Conservation Authority It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change. It …

Recently, the Ministry of Rural development has launched a new geospatial planning portal, ‘Yuktdhara’ to help in facilitating the new MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) assets with the use of remote sensing and GIS (Geographic Information System) based information. It is a new portal under ‘Bhuvan’. Important points: It is a culmination of joint efforts of …

A new study has identified for the first time that specialised immune cells (phagocytic cells) exist in certain varieties of sea corals and anemones. It will help in better understanding how reef-building corals and other reef animals protect themselves from foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses found in and around coral reefs. Phagocytosis It is the …

Recently, the government has announced that India is going to have 35 more earthquake observatories by the end of the 2021 and aims to add 100 more earthquake observatories by 2026. The announcement came at the inaugural function of the Joint Scientific Assembly of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy (IAGA) – International Association of …

World Sanskrit Day (Viswa Samskrita Dinam) was celebrated on 22nd August 2021. In India, Sanskrit is a Classical and an Eighth Schedule language. In 2020, the Uttarakhand Government decided to develop ‘Sanskrit Grams’ across the state to teach use of Sanskrit regularly. Important points: It is an annual event aimed to promote revival and maintenance of Sanskrit Language. It is celebrated …

According to a new clause in the adoption regulations, Indian diplomatic missions abroad will now be in charge of safeguarding adopted children whose parents move overseas with the child within two years of adoption. So far, Indian missions have had a role in inter-country adoption of Indian children limited to kids adopted by Non Resident Indians …

Recently, a Reserve Bank of India (RBI)-appointed committee has suggested a four-tier structure for the Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs). In June 2020, the Central government approved an Ordinance to bring all urban and multi-state co-operative banks under the direct supervision of the RBI. In January 2020, the RBI revised the Supervisory Action Framework (SAF) for …