Recently, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) flagship State of World Population Report 2021 titled ‘My Body is My Own’ was launched. This is the first time a United Nations report has focused on bodily autonomy, defined as the power and agency to make choices about your body without fear …

Sputnik V, the vaccine against Covid-19 developed by Russia, has been cleared for emergency use by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI). It is now the third coronavirus vaccine to get emergency use approval, after Covishield (Serum Institute of India) and Covaxin (Bharat Biotech). Important Points About the Sputnik …

The nation celebrated the 130th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar on 14th April 2021. Dr. Ambedkar was a social reformer, jurist, economist, author, polyglot (knowing or using several languages) orator, a scholar and thinker of comparative religions. Important Points Birth: Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was born in 1891 in …

Researchers from IIT Guwahati have developed a technique to improve the performance of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which power most of the portable devices used today. Important Points The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was jointly awarded to Stanley Whittingham, John Goodenough and Akira Yoshino for work that led to the …

Recently, Astronomers have discovered a new active galaxy called Narrow-Line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) which has been identified as the farthest gamma-ray emitting galaxy. Important Points Scientists from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in collaboration with researchers from other institutions, studied around 25,000 luminous Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) from …

The Government launched the “Online Grievance Management Portal of National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC)” on the occasion of 130th birth anniversary of Dr. B R Ambedkar. The portal would make it easier for the SC population to register their complaints. Important Points: It has been designed in collaboration with …

Recently, the government of India launched a mobile app, MANAS (Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation System) to promote mental wellbeing across age groups. MANAS was endorsed as a national program by the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). PM-STIAC: It is an overarching Council that facilitates the …

A recent study has raised the issue of ambiguity about definitions of child labour and forced labour in India, especially for sugarcane producing states of Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. The study was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Coca-Cola Company. Important Points Findings …

Recently, the Indian Rupee depreciated to a nine-month low of 75.4 against the USD, it is one of the biggest losers among the emerging market currencies. Over the last three weeks since 22nd March 2021, Rupee has lost 4.2% against the USD. Important Points Reasons for the Decline: Rising Covid-19 …

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed SpO2 (Blood Oxygen Saturation) supplemental Oxygen Delivery System for soldiers posted at extreme high-altitude areas. Developed by Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Bengaluru of DRDO, the system delivers supplemental oxygen based on the SpO2 levels and prevents the person from …