Recently, the Supreme Court of India (SC) has challenged the government to produce material showing its reasons for introducing the Tribunal Reforms Bill of 2021. The Bill replaces the Tribunals Reforms (Rationalisation and Conditions of Service) Ordinance, 2021which was quashed by the Supreme Court. Important points: There was lack of discussion over the bill, and the …

Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) Collegium, led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) has recommended to the government nine names for appointment as SC judges. The Collegium has for the first time, in one single resolution, recommended three women judges. It has thus sent a strong signal in favour of representation of women in the highest judiciary. Important …

The Odisha Forest and Environment Department is starting ecotourism packages for tourists to islands inside the Hirakud reservoir Cattle island, one of three islands in the Hirakud reservoir, has been selected as a sightseeing destination. Important points: It is located in one of the extreme points of Hirakud Reservoir. It is completely inhabited by wild animals, and without any trace …

Recently, a group of botanists has discovered an algal species with an ‘umbrella head’ from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are home to Coral Reefs and are rich in marine biodiversity. In March 2021 two new red algal Seaweed species were discovered along India’s coastline. Algae Algae are defined as a group of predominantly …

Recently, the statue of Maharaja Ranjit Singh which was installed in 2019, vandalised by a member of radical outfit Tehrik-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), a religious organisation at the Lahore Fort in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Important points: He was born on 13th November, 1780 in Gujranwala, now in Pakistan. He was the only child of Maha Singh, on whose death in …

Recently, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has unveiled the first composite Financial Inclusion Index (FI-Index). The annual FI-Index for the financial year ended March 2021 crossed the halfway mark to 53.9, as compared to 43.4 for the year ended March 2017. Important points: The index has been conceptualised as a comprehensive index incorporating details of banking, investments, insurance, postal …

Unregulated inflow of relief to the Sundarbans has resulted in a new crisis in the cyclone-battered region as plastic has been accumulated in the area. The threat posed by plastic is so great for the Sundarbans because the region is witnessing frequent tropical storms, which lead to devastation. Important points: Plastic pollution is caused by the accumulation of plastic waste in …

India is water-stressed due to changing weather patterns and repeated droughts And the worst sufferers of this crisis are mostly women. Water scarcity in India is expected to worsen as the overall population is expected to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2050. Important points: Although India has 16% of the world’s population, the country possesses …

Recently, a former militant of the Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC), was killed in a police encounter that has led to a crisis in Meghalaya. The encounter was reportedly carried out by the police team of East Khasi Hills and East Jaintia Hills. Important points: Meghalaya shares a border with Bangladesh and …

Recently, some environmentalists demanded that Tamil Nadu’s Kadavur Reserve Forest be declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in order to conserve Slender Loris (Loris tardigradus). The wildlife census conducted during 2016-17 showed an appreciable population of 3,500 slender loris in the Karur Reserve Forest. Important points: The slender lorises (Loris) are a genus of loris native to …

The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has set a target to provide employment opportunities to 7 lakh 50 thousand artisans, craftsmen through 75 “Hunar Haat”. To be organised across the country, the 75 Haats will be a part of the ‘Amrit Mahotsav’ and will mark 75 years of India’s Independence Also, 75 “Amrit Mahotsav Parks” will be constructed …

Recently, the Ministry for Social Justice and Empowerment has launched an online portal TAPAS (Training for Augmenting Productivity and Services). The idea of TAPAS was conceptualised at a time when exploring the online medium for work and education had become imperative due to the outbreak of Covid 19 pandemic Important points: It offers various courses in …

Recently, the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare inaugurated the world’s second-largest refurbished state-of-the-art National Gene Bank at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR). Gene Banks are a type of biorepository which preserve genetic material. A collection of seed plants, tissue cultures etc. A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity. Genes are …

Under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) approximately 20.32 lakh Covid-19 tests and 7.08 lakh treatments were authorised from April 2020 to July 2021. Important points: It offers a sum insured of Rs.5 lakh per family for secondary care (which doesn’t involve a super specialist) as well as tertiary care (which involves a …

Recently, the Ministry of Home Affairs has said in the Lok Sabha that owing to the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, Census 2021 and other Census-related field activities have been postponed until further orders. In India, a census is conducted every decade and Census 2021 will be the 16th national census of the country. Important points: The earliest …

Recently, the Taliban has seized Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan, raising questions over the US and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) trained Afghan Forces. The Taliban have proclaimed that there will be no witch hunt, that it will respect a transitional process, and that it will work for a future Islamic system that is …

Recently, scientists have found two nearly perfectly preserved cave lion cubs which lived 28,000 years ago, nicknamed Boris and Sparta. They were found in Siberia’s permafrost, Russia. The cubs were found 15 metres apart but are not only from different litters but were also born thousands of years apart. Important points: The Cave Lion (Panthera spelaea), often …

Recently, India and Saudi Arabia started their first-ever Naval joint exercise called the Al-Mohed Al-Hindi Exercise. The decision on this Bilateral exercise was taken in the Riyadh Summit held in 2019. Important points: Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kochi is participating in the exercise. The exercise comprises several coastal and sea-based exercises between the two navies. INS Kochi is the second …

Recently, a resolution has been reintroduced in the US House of Representatives to posthumously award the Congressional Gold Medal to Mahatma Gandhi for his contributions made through his methods of non-violence. If given the award, Mahatma Gandhi would become the first Indian to receive the Congressional Gold Medal, which is the highest civilian award in the US. …

Navroz festival is being celebrated in India on 16th August in India. Across the world, Navroz is celebrated at the time of the vernal equinox (marking the start of spring) in the Northern Hemisphere. Important points: Navroz is also known as Parsi New Year. In Persian, ‘Nav’ stands for new, and ‘Roz’ stands for the day, which literally …