Recently, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has launched the country’s first Mobile Honey Processing Van at Village in Uttar Pradesh. Mobile Honey Processing Van that will process beekeepers’ honey at their doorsteps and thus save them the hassle and the cost of taking the honey to processing plants …

Recently, the government of India has announced that it will soon start issuing ePassports to citizens applying for a new passport or renewing their expiring passport. Important points: The announcement is under an agreement signed between the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Tata Consultancy Services Limited (TCS) which will …

Recently, former Reserve Bank of India (RBI) governor Urjit Patel has been appointed vice-president of the Beijing-based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). In October 2021, the Union Minister of Finance participated in the 6th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of AIIB. Important points: It is a multilateral development …

According to some studies, DNA floating in the air (i.e. e-DNA) can boost biodiversity conservation efforts across the world. Important points: Researchers from two teams have independently shown that environmental DNA (e-DNA) can potentially identify and monitor terrestrial animals. Animals shed DNA through their breath, saliva, fur or faeces into …

Recently, Uttar Pradesh bagged the first prize for efforts towards water conservation in the National Water Awards (NWA) 2020 organised by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu bagged the second and third prizes, respectively, in the best state category. Important points: The awards are organised by the …

Recently, the Ministry of Tourism inaugurated various components of the “Development of Govardhan, Mathura ” project under PRASHAD Scheme. The government also allocated funds under the Swadesh Darshan scheme for strengthening Tourism infrastructure within the state of Uttar Pradesh through various spiritual circuits such as the Ramayana and Buddha circuits. …

Recently, the Union Cabinet has cleared a plan to build a new bridge connecting India and Nepal over the Mahakali river and link Dharchula in Uttarakhand with Nepal’s Dharchula. Important points: The bridge will be completed within three years. It will strengthen the relationship between the two countries. India and …

Recently, the Ministry of Law and Justice said in response to a PIL filed in 2019 that the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), a directive principle under the Constitution (Article 44), is a matter of public policy and that no direction in this regard can be issued by …

Recently, in a historic decision, the Odisha state cabinet has approved amendments to the Sri Jagannath Temple Act of 1954. Important points: In the year 1806, the then British government had issued regulations for management of the Jagannath temple which was referred to as the Juggernaut temple by the colonial …

Recently, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries and NAFED (National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited) today launched six, One District One Product (ODOP) brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme. The Ministry has signed an agreement with NAFED for developing 10 brands …

Recently, in order to secure Consumer Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Telecommunication Engineering Centre (TEC), under Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications, has released a report “Code of Practice for Securing Consumer Internet of Things(IoT)”. These guidelines will help in securing consumer IoT devices & ecosystem as well as managing …

Recently, a government committee report told the Supreme Court (SC) that “income” is a “feasible criterion” for defining the “Economical Weaker Sections” (EWS). In October 2021 NEET aspirants filed a petition asking how ‘Rs 8 lakh’ has been taken as an annual income criterion to identify EWS for grant of …

Amid the spread of the Omicron Variant of coronavirus, the discovery of a new strain named ‘IHU (Instituts Hospitalo-Universitaires)’ that emerged in France raises fears across the world. Important points: Its discovery was announced by researchers from Méditerranée Infection in Marseille, part of France’s Instituts hospitalo-universitaires (IHU, or University Hospital …

A new study has found that converting annual crops to perennial bioenergy crops can induce a cooling effect on the areas where they are cultivated. The researchers simulated the biophysical climate impact of a range of future bioenergy crop cultivation scenarios. Eucalyptus, poplar, willow, miscanthus and switchgrass were the bioenergy …

Recently, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Anglican archbishop and anti-apartheid campaigner Desmond Tutu died. He was very passionate about protecting the environment and taking necessary actions. In concurrence of his passion to save the environment, his body underwent aquamation, a green alternative to traditional cremation methods. The process of aquamation …

Recently, a Judge of the Madras High Court has said that a recent order passed by another judge of the same court, mandating the installation of CCTV cameras inside spas [massage and therapy centres], appears to run counter to the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement in K.S. Puttaswamy case (2017). In …

Recently, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has celebrated the 64th Foundation Day on 1st January, 2022. Important points: DRDO is the R&D (Research and Development) wing of the Ministry of Defence with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence technologies. Its pursuit of self-reliance and successful indigenous development …

With a view to make a common tariff structure for hospitals, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has proposed a separate regulator for the healthcare segment or it must be allowed to regulate hospitals. It has been noticed that the rate of inflation of hospital charges at …

Recently, the Github, an open-source software repository service was used to create and share an offensively named app that sexually harassed a women in India. The app used pictures of the women stolen from their social media handles and invited “users” to bid for them. GitHub has blocked the user, …

Recently, the Five permanent United Nations Security Council members (China, France, Russia, the U.K. and US) pledged to prevent atomic weapons spreading and to avoid nuclear conflict. The pledge was made in a rare joint statement ahead of a review of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) 1970. The statement comes as …