GS-III

Does an old military truck or a dismantled part of an old car or a broken bicycle have any place in a restaurant or a lounge bar where one would go to enjoy food or wine? Shouldn’t these things belong to the junkyard and stay there?No, if you ask 44-year-old …

The U.S. is our biggest customer. There, one sees a GDP growth of around 2% and that is a very refreshing change compared to the previous years. E-commerce is getting an upside. With the GDP growth, customers are coming out to retailers to buy.Departmental stores are struggling but tier two …

Slowing inflation is likely to prompt the monetary policy committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to hold the key policy rate or the repo rate in the fifth bimonthly monetary policy review of 2018-19 scheduled for Wednesday.The retail inflation rate — the yardstick used by the RBI …

While much of the slowdown in economic growth in the second quarter can be attributed to systemic and structural issues such as a base effect and the impact of rising oil prices, the impact of election season and the corresponding uncertainty on investment sentiment cannot be ruled out, according to …

Thirty-four years after the Bhopal gas tragedy, survivors continue to demand proper rehabilitation, adequate compensation and proper medical treatment for ailments caused by the toxic leak.In what is termed as the world’s worst industrial disaster, over 15,000 people were killed after methyl isocyanate leaked on the intervening night of December …

Muthupet in Tiruvarur district was among the coastal towns that faced the wrath of Cyclone Gaja. But considering the extent of the damage elsewhere, this town seems to have been spared the worst, thanks to its mangrove forests.“They functioned as a shield and broke the velocity of the wind. In …

Rotavirus infection is one of the leading causes of gastroenteritis in children under five years By studying the complex interplay between the sugars and microbes in mother’s milk and the baby’s gut microbes, an international team of researchers has tried to understand neonatal rotavirus infection. Rotavirus infection is one of …

The isolation of single sheets of carbon, known as graphene, was awarded the Nobel Prize in 2010. This discovery has ushered in an era of two-dimensional materials. It offers immense possibilities in building electronics using similarly thin films. A family of materials that have been investigated in this area are …

At a time when tiger deaths dominate national news, a new study offers hope for wild tiger populations across countries by showing that under optimal conditions, tiger numbers can triple in 18 sites across the world, including eight in India. These are Anamalai-Vazhachal (in Tamil Nadu-Kerala), Sathyamangalam (Tamil Nadu), Balaghat …

A novel anode developed by researchers at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune for use in lithium-ion batteries has five times more capacity than carbon-based electrodes and can be fully charged in about 15 minutes. The team led by Satishchandra Ogale from the Department of Physics at …

Progesterone treatment prior to surgery reduces chances of migration and invasion ability of primary cancer cells to other parts Researchers from Mumbai-based ACTREC-Tata Memorial Centre (TMC) have uncovered the biological mechanism by which a single injection of progesterone administered prior to surgery benefits breast cancer patients immaterial of whether progesterone …

India on Friday presented a nine-point agenda before G20 countries, calling for “strong and active cooperation” to deal with fugitive economic offenders comprehensively. Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented the agenda in the second session of the G20 Summit on international trade, international financial and tax systems here. “Cooperation in legal …

Between June and October this year, officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) seized more than 150 exotic birds and other species being smuggled into the country. The interceptions were a major success not only because the seizures included birds like Pygmy falcons, Eclectus parrot, Javan sparrows and Kookaburras, …

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Saturday approved procurements estimated at Rs. 3,000 crore. These include BrahMos cruise missiles for two stealth frigates to be bought directly from Russia and armoured recovery vehicles for the Arjun tanks. “As a follow-up to the decision of the Cabinet Committee on Security in …

Church sceptical of link, contends allowing liquor sales hasn’t curbed drug use The quantity of heroin seized in Mizoram has increased steadily since 2014 when the State government replaced total prohibition with controlled prohibition. While enforcement officials attribute this trend to the 2013 countrywide ban on the sale of painkiller …

Researchers, including one of Indian origin, have developed six Zika virus antibodies which may help diagnose as well as treat the mosquito-borne disease that has infected over 1.5 million people worldwide.The antibodies “may have the dual utility as diagnostics capable of recognising Zika virus subtypes and may be further developed …

Leh, Kargil solar unit tenders likelyThe government is planning to issue tenders for 7,500 MW of solar projects in the Leh and Kargil region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) by December 15.As part of the initiatives under the National Solar Mission, the Ministry of New and Renewable energy (MNRE) has …

Shares of home loan firms went up on Friday after the Reserve Bank of India eased norms for securitisation, which would help the companies raise more funds.On Thursday, RBI decided to relax the Minimum Holding Period (MHP) requirement for NBFCs, as they are now allowed to securitise loans of more …

The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) rejected a plea by the insolvency professional against Union Ministry of Coal’s termination of mining agreement with Monnet Ispat & Energy Ltd., citing the moratorium period under the insolvency and bankruptcy code (IBC).The company was brought under the insolvency process in a case …

Mergers and amalgamations are set to turn costlier for corporates in Tamil Nadu, thanks to a circular clarifying the applicability of stamp duty on transfer of property under the Companies Act.A circular issued by the Inspector General of Registration in Chennai on November 20 said that the scheme of arrangements …