Recent Development: The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) launched the CGIAR 2030 Global Strategy for Resilient Drylands (GSRD) during the COP16 summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. About Drylands Definition: Areas characterized by water scarcity covering over 40% of Earth’s land surface. Global Drylands: Account for 46% of the …

Recent Update: The Supreme Court has directed the involvement of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and UNESCO’s Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) for restoring two heritage buildings in Mysore. Overview of INTACH What is INTACH? An autonomous non-profit organization dedicated to preserving India’s culture and …

Recent Development: The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution recently launched Anna Chakra and the Subsidy Claim Application for NFSA (SCAN) portal, aimed at saving approximately ₹250 crore annually. Anna Chakra What is Anna Chakra? Purpose: A tool to optimize the Public Distribution System (PDS) supply chain …

Recent Development: The Punjab & Haryana High Court recently quashed an FIR under the SC/ST Act because it failed to establish that the accused was aware of the complainant’s caste. About the Act: Objective: Prevent atrocities against Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) and ensure justice for these communities …

Why in News? The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has recommended that the Union Government avoid setting overly ambitious fiscal deficit targets to ensure sustainable economic growth. What is Fiscal Deficit? Definition: The fiscal deficit is the gap between the government’s total expenditure and its total revenue (excluding borrowings). Current …