GS-III

Stand in spite of SC scrapping Sec. 377 India on Friday abstained at the vote for extending the mandate of an important UN official who reports on violence and discrimination against sexual minorities. India’s abstention at the resolution for term-renewal of the independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity …

PM interacts with BJP women MPs As part of a series of interactions with BJP MPs, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with more than 30 of the 41 women MPs of the party at his residence, and urged them to focus on health, sanitation and eradicating malnutrition. Sources …

‘But it will invite investments for new technology’ There is “no question” of privatisation of the Indian Railways, but the Railway Ministry will invite investments for new technology, lines and projects in the national interest, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said in the Lok Sabha in response to the debate on …

Chandrayaan-2’s lander and rover were tested on a simulated surface Newly designed cars are tested for road-worthiness on terrain where they would be driven, while new aircraft are test-flown in the skies. But where on earth did the Chandrayaan-2 mission’s lander and rover, which will head for the moon on …

Greek find resets human migration clock A 2,10,000-year-old skull (image shows computer-generated model) discovered in a cave in Greece has been identified as the earliest modern human remains found outside Africa, putting the clock back on mankind’s arrival in Europe by more than 1,50,000 years. The remains are 16,000 years …

The rare reptiles were living in a tiny pool with a concrete base not conducive for nesting Five species of rare turtles crammed in a small pool and fountain within the complex of a Shiva temple in central Assam’s Nagaon have been rehabilitated in a wildlife sanctuary about 45 km …

It will collect samples from beneath the surface of Ryugu as part of an effort to understand the origins of the solar system Japan’s Hayabusa2 probe made a “perfect” touchdown on Thursday on a distant asteroid, collecting samples from beneath the surface in an unprecedented mission that could shed light …

Centre committed to privatise Air India The government is committed to disinvestment of Air India but wants the national carrier to remain in Indian hands, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. He also said though Air India is doing “extremely well”, the debt burden …

The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to ban multi-layered plastic wrappers in which consumables such as milk, oil, biscuits, snacks, chocolates and medicines are sold. It also ordered effective implementation of the ban already imposed by the State on products such as plastic bags. Source : …

Centre says it will aid law enforcement The Automated Facial Recognition System (AFRS) will not violate privacy of citizens and is only being developed to help the law enforcement agencies to identify criminals, missing children and unidentified bodies in a scientific and speedy manner, a senior government official said on …

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram said on Thursday that the crises in Karnataka and Goa might appear to be “political upmanship”, but it had a “damaging impact on the economy”. Foreign investors, rating agencies and international organisations did not read Indian newspapers and did not watch the tamed Indian television …

The Kerala government has decided to establish a permanent hub in Palakkad for handling inter-State river water disputes. The Inter-State River Water Hub will become a reality in three months. The decision was taken at the tri-monthly review meeting of the Irrigation Department convened by Water Resources Minister K. Krishnankutty …

Seeks report from mediation panel A Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi, on Thursday decided to commence hearing the Ayodhya title dispute appeals tentatively from July 25 on a day-to-day basis in case a conclusion is reached, on the basis of a mediation committee report, that …

NHA teams up with Amazon to provide medical advice for common ailments Britain’s state-run health service is teaming up with Amazon to provide medical advice for common ailments such as migraines and flu via the tech giant’s voice assistant Alexa, aiming to help more patients at home and cut down …

India Inc.’s foreign direct investment (FDI) in June fell by over two times from a year ago to $820.36 million, data from the Reserve Bank of India showed Wednesday. The outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) by the Indian firms stood at $2.29 billion in the same month the previous year, …