The Manda buffalo has been recognised as the 19th unique breed of buffaloes found in India by the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR). Four breeds of cattle – Binjharpuri, Motu, Ghumusari and Khariar – and two breeds of buffalo – Chilika and Kalahandi – and one breed of sheep, Kendrapada, have already received NBAGR recognition. Important points: They are found …

Recently, the 8th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) for the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge), has commenced. Important points: It is aligned with the ‘Start-up India’ initiative and is being executed by DST (Department of Science and Technology) with National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF), an autonomous body of DST. Under the …

Recently, the Common Services Centres (CSC) has received approvals to manage and operate Passport Seva Kendra kiosks in rural areas. Important points: It is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY). The CSC is a strategic cornerstone of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), approved by the Government in May 2006, as part of …

The development of Bitcoin and other Cryptocurrencies in a decade has changed the definition of money and generated a parallel universe of Alternative Financial Services (AFS). The development has allowed crypto businesses to move into traditional banking territory. AFS is a term often used to describe the array of financial services offered by providers that operate outside of …

Recently, the Prime Minister paid tribute to V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, the legendary freedom fighter on his 150th birth anniversary. He was popularly known as Kappalottiya Tamilan (The Tamil Helmsman) and Sekkizuththa Semmal (scholarly gentry who suffered at the oil press). Important points: Vallinayagam Olaganathan Chidambaram Pillai (VOC) was born 5th September 1872 to an eminent lawyer Olaganathan Pillai and …

The world’s largest and most inclusive environmental decision-making forum ‘IUCN World Conservation Congress 2020’ (postponed from June 2020 to September 2021) is being held in Marseille, France. It took critical policy decisions to address conservation priorities including the ongoing biodiversity crisis. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) conducts the World Conservation Congress …

The Times Higher Education (THE) recently released its World University Rankings 2022 edition. THE, formerly known as The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES), is a magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Earlier, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released the QS World University Rankings 2022. Important points: The rankings cover the four main areas of university activity: …

Recently, India and Singapore have carried out 28th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX). Important points: Initiated in 1994, SIMBEX is the Indian Navy’s longest uninterrupted bilateral maritime exercise with any foreign navy. 28th edition of SIMBEX was a mega naval wargame in the southern fringes of the South China Sea, in reflection of their growing …

Recently, Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5- star Eat Right Station certification. It is the fifth station in India to get this recognition. The other four stations are Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station (Mumbai) and Vadodara Railway Station. The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement. Important points: The ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is …

Recently, some astronomers have identified a new class of exoplanets – Hycean worlds. Important points: The word Hycean comes from the words hydrogen and ocean. Planet-wide oceans and hydrogen-rich atmospheres might cover these worlds. They are also uniquely alien, up to 2.6 times the diameter of Earth, with temperatures up to 200 degrees celsius and thick hydrogen atmospheres. This places them somewhere between …