GS-III

Petitioners said loan rates were not being reduced in tandem The Supreme Court on Monday directed the RBI to come up with a decision on a representation that banks are delaying passing on the benefit of lower interest rates to those who have taken loans at floating interest rates. A …

‘Rafale aircraft, S-400 missile systems will further enhance our capabilities’ The Indian Air Force is “ever prepared” to meet any contingencies and the recent largest-ever pan-India exercise Gagan Shakti 2018 showcased the “operational capability and readiness of the IAF,” said Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa on Monday. “During the exercise, …

The companies go ahead despite U.S. call for sanctions Seemingly in defiance of the U.S. call for sanctions on Iran, two Indian state-run oil companies have placed orders for Iranian oil to be delivered in November, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday. U.S. sanctions targeting Iran’s crude oil exports …

The attacks on girls and women every day are symptomatic of a deep malaise Where curriculum designers fear to tread, film directors take relaxed, bold strides. Few will consider ghosts and witchcraft as suitable topics for a textbook. Killing of women on the suspicion that they are practising witchcraft occasionally …

Neanderthals passed on viral defences to humans Modern humans inherited genetic defences against viral diseases like hepatitis from Neanderthals, when the two species interbred 50,000 years ago, a study has found. Many modern Europeans and Asians harbour about 2% of Neanderthal DNA in their genomes.PTI Source :  https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/modern-humans-inherited-viral-defences-from-neanderthals/article25152190.ece

NASA’s Voyager 2 probe is approaching interstellar space and has detected an increase in cosmic rays that originate outside our solar system, the U.S. space agency said. Launched in 1977, Voyager 2 is a little less than 17.7 billion km away from the earth.PTI Source :  https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/nasa-probe-nearing-interstellar-space/article25152188.ece

Scientists have developed a new test that can reveal the amount of DNA people shed, a tool that could be used by forensic experts to nab criminals using genetic clues left at crime scenes. A single tap of a finger on items like door handles, glass or even shaking hands …

The devices will be ‘biodegradable’ Scientists have developed a thin, flexible semiconductor, partly using organic materials, that can efficiently convert electricity into light and could help make bendable smartphones. The invention, by researchers at the Australian National University (ANU), also opens the door to a new generation of high-performance electronic …

They can catch and destroy BPA, a synthetic chemical commonly used to coat the insides of food cans Scientists have created tiny spheres that can catch and destroy bisphenol A (BPA), a synthetic chemical used to make plastics that often contaminates water. BPA is commonly used to coat the insides …

In simulations, robots move around by exploring, observing and drawing from previous experiences As robots may struggle with navigational concepts, a team of researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have devised a new way to help them navigate environments more as humans do. The novel motion-planning model lets …