The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-in) may soon be exempt from responding to queries under the Right to Information Act.  Key details: A proposal was reviewed to include CERT-in in the Second Schedule to the RTI Act, which deals with exempted organisations like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Border Security Force. The exemption would allow CERT-in …

Mahila Samman Savings Certificates made available in Post Offices. Mahila Samman Savings Certificate scheme is a small savings scheme backed by the government. It does not have any credit risk. This scheme is a one-time small savings scheme that will be made available for a period of two years, up to March 2025. Eligibility It can be done only in …

The Finance Ministry pared the disinvestment target for 2023-24 to a nine-year low of ₹51,000 crore and publicly acknowledged the multiple challenges it is facing in privatising public sector enterprises (PSEs) and raising funds through minority stake sales, a drive that has stalled since Air India’s sale. What is Disinvestment? …

ISRO releases images of Earth captured by its EOS-06 satellite EOS-6 is the third-generation satellite in the Oceansat series. This is to provide continuity services of Oceansat-2 spacecraft with enhanced payload specifications as well as application areas. Payloads Ocean Color Monitor (OCM-3) Sea Surface Temperature Monitor (SSTM) Ku-Band Scatterometer (SCAT-3) ARGOS Mission Objectives To ensure the data continuity of Ocean colour …

The closure of the Indira Gandhi Canal, considered the lifeline for northern and western Rajasthan districts, for repair and relining of feeders, is set to have an impact on the drinking and irrigation needs of 1.75 crore people in the State. Indira Canal: The Indira Gandhi Canal, originally called, Rajasthan Canal is …

The lower house of Parliament passed the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2023 which seeks to amend the Competition Act, 2002. The Bill seeks to amend the Competition Act, 2002, to regulate mergers and acquisitions based on the value of transactions. The Act prohibits any person or enterprise from entering into a combination which may cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition. Deals with transaction …

Rapidly melting Antarctic ice is dramatically slowing down the flow of water through the world’s oceans, and could have a disastrous impact on global climate, the marine food chain and even the stability of ice shelves, new research has found. Key findings of the study: The “overturning circulation” of the …

While informing the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it has not been able to arrest a fugitive pro-Khalistan preacher, the Punjab government said Amritsar Rural police has issued a “hue and cry notice” against him. Police issues a ‘hue and cry notice’ when it requires help of public in cases such as: …

Quality Control Orders (QCO) have been issued for fibres — cotton, polyester and viscose — that constitute the basic raw materials for majority of the Indian textile and clothing industry. While the standards were available earlier too, these are now revised and made mandatory for a few, and yet to be finalised for others. International …

For the first time, scientists have reported evidence of the piezoelectric effect in liquids. The effect has been known for 143 years and in this time has been observed only in solids. The effect was found in ionic liquids (liquids which are made of ions instead of molecules) at room temperature. What is …