⦁ India is expected to welcome the first batch of 12 cheetahs from South Africa this weekend, after eight of these big cats were ferried from Namibia ⦁ The cheetahs, five of them female, have taken off from Johannesburg aboard an Indian Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster aircraft. ⦁ They …

⦁ In a major tweak to the organ donation policy, the Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said the clause that people aged beyond 65 could not receive cadaver organ transplants had been removed. ⦁ “The government has decided to do away with the ceiling. Now, people beyond 65 in need …

⦁ The Supreme Court of India has given permission to fishermen using purse seine fishing gear to fish beyond territorial waters (12 nautical miles) and within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) (200 nautical miles) of Tamil Nadu, but observing certain restrictions. ⦁ The Court’s interim order of January 24, 2023, …

⦁ The Vibrant Villages Programme focuses on developing the rural areas in the northern border states and union territories ⦁ More than 663 villages will be developed under the programme. ⦁ It is to be implemented for two years, that is, between 2022-23 and 2025-26. ⦁ The Central Government allocated …

⦁ Authorities have confirmed the presence of a migratory bird for the first time inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR). The fourth bird survey held at the PTR has spotted 231 bird species in total, including 14 threatened and 20 endemic species. ⦁ The four-day survey began on January 26 …

⦁ Besides high-skill jobs, the generative AI revolution can be transformative for urban governance. ⦁ It does look like a ChatGPT revolution is beckoning us today just like the internet and Google did at the beginning of the millennium. ⦁ On the face of it, such AI-powered bots are quite …

⦁ The delayed process for the procurement of 114 multi-role fighter jets (MRFA) is set to take off soon and along with three different indigenous fighter development programmes, it will result in a mega 500-fighter aircraft acquisition process for the armed forces. ⦁ This will arrest the dwindling fighter strength …

⦁ Air India’s historic order for 470 aircraft — 400 single aisles and 70 wide bodies — has turned out to be an even bigger blockbuster at 840 planes. ⦁ And with a fleet as large as this, “connect India nonstop to every major city in the world” in a …

⦁ Online payment aggregators can onboard digital merchants and accept payments on their behalf after getting a licence from the RBI. ⦁ The central bank introduced a framework for such entities in March 2020. ⦁ The RBI has for the first time released a full list of the entities to …

⦁ Mehrauli is the oldest inhabited area of what we call Delhi. ⦁ Little more than an urban village today, Mehrauli has survived and thrived over the years as a spiritual centre, a trading post, a wholesale market and now, as a destination housing multiple high-end boutiques. The seven cities …

⦁ The MSC was founded by a German official and publisher Ewald-Heinrich von Kleist at the peak of the Cold War (1947-1991). ⦁ Starting in 1963, the conference initially only focused on military issues and was mainly attended by western countries and their high-profile officials, who “came together to display a united …

⦁ The perfect storm is coming. And there is no forecast model for it. ⦁ Artificial-Intelligence (AI)-driven and directed weapon systems are revolutionising warfare and battlegrounds. It’s the next arms race. The search is now for the “safety lever” before one puts the finger on the trigger. ⦁ There are …

⦁ India and Japan on Friday will kick off an exercise between their armies to hone their warfare skills and boost interoperability, which comes soon after the two countries conducted their first-ever joint air combat drills last month with an eye firmly on China. ⦁ The exercise ‘Dharma Guardian’ at …