GS-II

Later in September, Hong Kong’s first high-speed train will head for Guangzhou, a port city and industrial power house. Its 200-km-an-hour sprint will finally end in nearby Shenzhen, the crucible of China’s reforms. The high-speed train will cover a short span of 141 km between Hong Kong’s West Kowloon station …

The two countries have signed an MoU to establish a 1,700 km corridor, connecting key areas China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) got a high-octane boost last week, when Myanmar — facing the heat from the West because of the Rohingya refugee crisis — inked an agreement with Beijing to …

Governor denies referring matter to Home Ministry Clarifying that no reference had been made to the Union Home Ministry in connection with the release of the convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Saturday said a decision would be taken in a just and …

The Border Security Force has prevented the influx of Rohingya into India after they fled Myanmar, Director General of the force K.K. Sharma said on Saturday. “About eight to 10 lakh Rohingya have entered Bangladesh. We have prevented their illegal influx in the country [India],” he said. The BSF guards …

Union Minister Ramdas Athawale of the Republican Party of India, an NDA ally, recently announced that he would move the Supreme Court against the Union government’s directive to the media discouraging the use of the word “Dalit” for the Scheduled Castes. He says there is no popular sentiment against the …

The BJP’s booth campaign strategy in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election will also involve an outreach to the Other Backward Classes and the Dalits. The strategy, prepared and circulated among members of the party’s Uttar Pradesh unit, makes this clear. The note lays down an explicit requirement: …

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Electoral Officer Shaleen Kabra on Saturday announced the dates of elections to the urban local bodies in the State despite a boycott threat by the regional parties. The National Conference and the Peoples Democratic Party described the decision as “unfortunate”. “The municipal polls will be conducted …

Smiling does not necessarily indicate that a person is happy, according to a study. It is widely believed that smiling means we are happy, and it usually occurs when we are engaging with another person or group of people. Researchers from the University of Sussex, U.K., show this is not …

‘They wouldn’t talk about that with previous administrations’ India has asked for a trade deal with the U.S. due to his tough policies, President Donald Trump told his supporters. Addressing a rally in South Dakota on Friday, he said countries have learned to respect the U.S. now. “India called us …

Trump seeks to force an ‘ultimate deal’ The United States has decided to close the Palestinian mission in Washington in the latest move against them by President Donald Trump, a Palestinian official said on Monday, denouncing it as a “dangerous escalation”. The closure comes as Mr. Trump seeks to force …