Recently, the Union Minister of State for Finance provided information about the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) in the Rajya Sabha. The national-level targets under the scheme have been consistently met since its inception, except for FY 2020-21 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The government launched it in 2015 for providing loans …

Recently, the Scientists in the United Kingdom said they have achieved a new milestone in producing nuclear fusion energy, or imitating the way energy is produced in the Sun. Energy by nuclear fusion is one of mankind’s long standing quests as it promises to be low carbon, safer than how nuclear energy is now produced and, …

Recently, a study conducted by Indian Institute of Science Education and Research revealed that India can slash emissions of Volatile Organic Molecules (VOC) by 76% in the next eight years by swapping all two- and three-wheelers with electric vehicles and all diesel-fuelled ones with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG). Gases escaping out of a vehicle’s exhaust account for 65-80% …

Atal Tunnel has officially been certified by World Book of Records as the ‘World’s Longest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet’. World Book of Records UK, is an organisation that catalogues and verifies extraordinary records across the world with authentic certification. It was built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The 9.02-km tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the …

Recently, Elon Musk’s Starlink has lost dozens of satellites that were caught in a geomagnetic storm a day after they were launched. The satellites were designed to burn up on reentry into the Earth’s atmosphere, and did not create debris in space. However, the loss of 40 satellites — most of a launch batch — in a …

In the annual Economic Survey, the Department of Economic Affairs said that there is an urgent need for Crop Diversification in view of the severe water stress in areas where paddy, wheat and sugarcane are grown as well as to increase oil seed production and reduce dependency on imports of …

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a new partnership under the Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) initiative. The collaboration will focus on innovations across the healthcare landscape with the common goal to mount an …

“Recently, in a bilateral meeting India has agreed to provide a grant to Sri Lanka to implement a ‘Unitary Digital Identity framework’, apparently modelled on the Aadhaar card. Both sides also discussed the fishermen’s issue and India provided financial assistance of 2.4 billion USD to Sri Lanka. Earlier, India and …

Recently, the Ministry of Minority Affairs has informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government has sanctioned Rs 26 crore under the Nai Roshni scheme in the last three years (2018-19 to 2020-21) through which around one Lakh women have been trained. Nai Roshni-a Leadership Development Programme for Minority Women is …

Recently, in a joint statement, China and Russia affirmed that their new relationship is superior to any political or military alliance of the Cold War era. The statement comes amid Russia’s standoff with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) on Ukraine. Despite being together in rejecting US unipolarity, the relationship between …

According to a study, marine heatwaves — or the ones that form on oceans — have been on the rise in the waters around India Emerging studies have reported their occurrence and impacts in the global oceans, but are little understood in the tropical Indian Ocean Also, according to the …

The Supreme Court in a recent judgement highlighted the growing misuse of Section 498A IPC, with friction rising in marriages The incorporation of section 498A was aimed at preventing cruelty committed upon a woman by her husband and her in-laws by facilitating rapid state intervention The court held that there …

With the onset of summer, the seasonal migration of wild animals has begun from the adjacent wildlife sanctuaries in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) in Kerala. The sanctuary is a haven for wild animals during summer owing to the easy availability of fodder and water …

A team of Argentine scientists is using microorganisms native to Antarctica to explore the idea of cleaning up pollution from fuels and, potentially, plastics in the pristine expanses of the white continent. The continent is protected by a 1961 Madrid Protocol that stipulates it must be kept in a pristine …

The centre is set to come up with rules to pool solar tariffs and is also aiming to increase bundling of renewable energy in existing thermal Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) to boost the procurement of renewable energy. The government is aiming to boost installed renewable energy capacity to 500 GW …