Syllabus: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability Context ‘Personal data bill will boost digital economy, says Nasscom.’ This industry response to the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Bill 2023 that was introduced in Parliament reveals the real purpose of the Bill — legalising data mining rather than safeguarding the …

Syllabus: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests. Context China might need to come up with an alternative theory of modernity if it hopes to beat the West’s free market concepts and beliefs, but the odds are stacked Changes unseen in a Century Chinese …

Syllabus: Parliament and State legislatures—structure, functioning, conduct of business, powers & privileges and issues arising out of these. Why in NEWS With LoP reinstatement coming a day before the Lok Sabha takes up the no-confidence motion against the present government on Tuesday, he could be initiating the debate. No-confidence motion …

Context:  With the increasing pace of urbanisation along with the baggage of problems it comes. Urbanisation: Urbanisation is the process of transformation that occurs as a society evolves from predominantly rural to predominantly urban areas. It involves the increase in the proportion of a country’s population residing in urban areas, leading to the expansion and growth of cities and towns. Urbanisation is …

Context:  Shaligrams, the sacred fossils that have been worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists for over 2,000 years, are becoming rarer because of climate change Key details: For more than 2,000 years, Hinduism, Buddhism and the shamanic Himalayan religion of Bon have venerated Shaligrams. What are Shaligrams? These are ancient fossils of ammonites, a class of extinct sea …

Context:  Artists from Rajasthan perform ‘Kalbelia’ dance during the National Folk and Tribal Art Festival in Bhopal. Key details: Kalbelia dance is a folk dance of Rajasthan. It is well known by other names like ‘Sapera Dance’ or ‘Snake Charmer Dance’. Kalbelia dance is particularly performed by a Rajasthani tribe called ‘Kalbelia’. Rajasthan’s Kalbelia dance and songs are …

Context:  The National Health Authority (NHA) announces the extension of its Digital Health Incentives Scheme (DHIS) under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) till December 2023. Digital Health Incentives Scheme (DHIS): The DHIS was launched as part of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission. The scheme proved to be a significant catalyst …

Context:  AICRP (ICAR-IIRR) launched a revolutionary IoT-based automated soil testing and agronomy advisory platform, Bhu-Vision (also known as KRISHI-RASTAA Soil Testing System). Bhu-Vision: The KRISHI-RASTAA Soil Testing System represents a new era in precision agriculture. The technology is a testament to the power of collaboration, having been jointly developed by ICAR-IIRR and KrishiTantra. …

Context: National Handloom Day is observed across India on August 7 every year. The primary goal of celebrating Handloom Day is to promote handloom and to recognize the efforts as well as skills of the community of weavers engaged in the sector. National Handloom Day 2023 The National Handloom Day was first observed in …

Context:  In northern Italy, palm manuscripts from the 18th Century, titled Gnanamuyarchi, have been discovered in an Armenian monastery. About Findings: This significant finding sheds light on the rich history and cultural exchange between different regions during that time. This translation is most likely by Michele Bertoldi, known in Tamil as Gnanaprakasasamy. This is a prose text from …