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 …