The Union Cabinet has approved the restoration of the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) for the remaining part of Financial Year 2021-22 till 2025-26. It will be co-terminus with the period of the 15th Finance Commission The scheme was suspended for two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22). …

Recently, the Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan was held. The meeting was composed of National Security Advisors’ (NSA) of regional countries and chaired by the Indian NSA. The meeting called for “urgent humanitarian assistance” to the Afghan people and urged close cooperation and consultation among the regional countries over …

Recently, the fourth Scorpene Submarine ‘INS Vela’ of Project P-75 has been delivered to the Indian Navy Important points: The submarines in the Project-75 Scorpene Class are powered by diesel-electric propulsion systems. Scorpene is one of the most sophisticated submarines, capable of undertaking multifarious missions including anti-surface ship warfare, anti-submarine …

Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated Srinagar as a part of UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) After Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi and Jaipur, Srinagar is the sixth Indian city to achieve this distinction. Important points: The Srinagar city has been designated the creative city in …

The National Legal Services Day (NLSD) is celebrated on 9th November every year to spread awareness for ensuring reasonable fair and justice procedure for all citizens. Important points: NLSD was first started by the Supreme Court of India in 1995 to provide help and support to poor and weaker sections …

Recently, a global coalition of ten organisations launched the Global Resilience Index Initiative (GRII). Important points: It was launched during the Conference of Parties (CoP) 26 adaptation day (8th November 2021), it will be the world’s first curated, open-source reference index. It has been launched to build a universal model …

Experts say India has lost a decade in modernising its submarine fleet, while China has marched ahead in its larger naval and more specific submarine capabilities. Submarines first became a major factor in naval warfare during World War I (1914–18), also played a similar role on a larger scale in …

Recently, the President of India presented the Padma awards to 119 recipients for the year 2020 at Rashtrapati Bhavan. The list comprises 7 Padma Vibhushans, 10 Padma Bhushans and 102 Padma Shri awards. Important points: The Padma Awards are announced annually on Republic Day (26th January). It was instituted in …

Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released the Logistics Ease Across Different States (LEADS) Report (Index) 2021. Important points: The LEADS report is aimed at gauging the logistics performance of states and Union Territories (UT) and identifying areas where they can improve logistics performance. It was launched in …

Recently, India has launched a direct flight between Srinagar and Sharjah (UAE) operated by budget airline GoFirst (formerly known as GoAir). The flight was to operate through Pakistani airspace. However, the flight was denied permission to enter Pakistan and the flight had to take a longer route to reach the …

In the coming days, India will be hosting the ‘Delhi Regional Security Dialogue on Afghanistan’. The meeting will be held at the level of National Security Advisors (NSAs) and will be chaired by India’s NSA Ajit Doval. Important points: India’s top security establishment, the National Security Council Secretariat, has taken …

Recently, the inaugural Global Drug Policy Index was released by the Harm Reduction Consortium. It is a data-driven global analysis of drug policies and their implementation which comes at a time when the Indian government is reviewing the provisions of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic substances act 1985. The Harm …

Arunachal Pradesh is planning to make a documentary on Kaho, a village on the China border to mark the 75th year of Independence. Important points: Kaho is the first village from the China border in Anjaw district. Anjaw is one of the 11 districts of Arunachal Pradesh that share their …

A study was conducted in Punjab that showed pollution from stubble burning significantly reduced lung function and was particularly harmful to women in rural Punjab. The study was conducted in two phases: The first was in October 2018 and again the following summer from March to April 2019. Important points: …

Recently, at the India-France strategic dialogue, both countries resolved to expand the defence and security partnership by enhancing intelligence sharing, bolstering capabilities, expanding military drills and pursuing new initiatives in maritime, space and cyber domains. Important points: Support to ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’: France reiterated its commitment to India’s vision of “Atmanirbhar …

Recently, a paper published in the international journal Nature Geoscience has come up with a new reason behind the first mass extinction, also known as the Late Ordovician mass extinction. It notes that the cooling climate likely changed the ocean circulation pattern. This caused a disruption in the flow of …

Recently, the Prime Minister has unveiled a 12-foot statue of Adi Shankaracharya at Kedarnath (Uttarakhand). Important points: Known as Adi Shankara, born 11th May 788 AD, at Kaladi near Kochi, Kerala. Took Samadhi at the age of 33, at Kedar tirth. He was a devotee of Shiva. Propounded the Doctrine …

Recently, forest officials from Odisha found 40 Indian flapshell turtles in baskets in an alleged smuggling racket. Important points: The Indian flapshell turtle is a freshwater species of turtle and is found in many states. The “flap-shelled” name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These …

Recently, the landslides caused by an earthquake of 3.4 magnitude close to the border with China has led to mass fish death in the Kameng river in Arunachal Pradesh. The region has been placed into Seismic Zone V, thus most vulnerable to earthquakes. Important points: The earthquake happened in the …

A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee has come out with a host of suggestions in a bid to streamline the functioning of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) It is a specialized financial institution that buys the Non Performing Assets (NPAs) from banks and financial institutions so …