Recently, the armies of India and Nepal have started the 15th edition of joint military exercise ‘Surya Kiran’ at Pithoragarh in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Important points: The biannual exercise, which takes place alternately in both countries. The main objective of this exercise is to: Establish military relations in inaccessible mountainous areas by the soldiers of both countries, …

Recently, a high-yielding curcuminoid-rich variety of turmeric named CIM-Pitamber and the NBRI’s (National Botanical Research Institute) Keshari variety have been introduced in Nabarangpur (One of the Aspirational Districts) of Odisha. Important points: It is a high-yielding curcuminoid-rich variety of turmeric developed by Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) High yielding varieties (HYV) of seeds are those seeds which produce huge …

Recently, Foundation for Environment Education (FEE), Denmark has awarded the Blue Flag Certification to Kovalam (Tamil Nadu) and Eden (Puducherry), taking the total number of such beaches in the country to 10. A waving “Blue Flag” is an indication of 100% compliance to the 33 stringent criteria and sound health of the beach. …

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released new Global Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs). Under these guidelines, WHO has further lowered the recommended levels of pollutants that can be considered safe for human health. This is the first-ever update of WHO since 2005. The goal of the guideline is for all countries to achieve recommended air quality …

Recently, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) formally launched negotiations on the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) Looking to build on the progress made by both countries under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2017, both countries expressed a desire to reach a mutually beneficial economic deal. Important points: It is a …