GS-III

Opposition parties in Maharashtra demand arrest of Sudhir Mungantiwar and investigation by CBI Opposition parties today demanded the arrest of Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who has been under pressure for allegedly ordering the killing of tigress Avni. The Congress, Shiv Sena and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded his dismissal …

Opposition parties in Maharashtra on Saturday demanded the arrest of Maharashtra Forest Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who has been under pressure for allegedly ordering the killing of tigress Avni on November 3. The Congress, Shiv Sena and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) demanded his dismissal or, they said, protests would be held …

A major factor holding back development of wearable biosensors for health monitoring is the lack of a lightweight, long-lasting power supply. Now, scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the US have developed a method for making a charge-storing system that is easily integrated into clothing. “Batteries or other …

Anti-tobacco activists have expressed concern that comparing the ill-effects of air pollution to that of smoking will result in trivialising the catastrophic effects of smoking. They say that such comparisons also promote the theory that it is all right to smoke as the air that we breathe is equally harmful. …

India continues to have the highest burden of pneumonia and diarrhoea child deaths in the world, with 1,58,176 pneumonia and 1, 02,813 diarrhoea deaths in 2016. This was stated in the ‘Pneumonia and Diarrhoea Progress Report’ released on Friday by the International Vaccine Access Centre (IVAC) at the Johns Hopkins …

Chinese state broadcaster unveils world’s first AI anchor China’s state-controlled news broadcasters have long been considered somewhat robotic in their daily recitation of pro-government propaganda and a pair of new presenters will do little to dispel that view. Calling it a “world first”, Xinhua news agency this week debuted a …

Tech giant moves to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers Google on Thursday outlined changes to its handling of sexual misconduct complaints, hoping to calm outrage that triggered a worldwide walkout of workers last week. “We recognize that we have not always gotten everything right in the …

A crucial meeting of Trade Ministers of RCEP member- countries, including India and China, will take place in Singapore on November 12-13 amid pressure being mounted on New Delhi to conclude talks for the proposed mega trade deal at the earliest, sources said. Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a …

Plans to increase production to 14 million tonnes by 2021 The Indian foundry industry expects nearly 14% growth in the next two years, from the 5% to 7% now, according to members of the Institute of Indian Foundrymen here. The Indian foundry industry, the third-largest castings producer globally, is looking …

The capital markets regulator’s revised guidelines effectively cap such bids to 50% of the issue size A small but important amendment to the listing and disclosure regulations will soon see public issues reporting realistic subscription numbers especially in the segment reserved for high net worth individuals (HNIs) that is known …

Demand from firms, NFBCs drive loan growth; however, deposits grow slower In what could be an indication of a pick-up in private investment, loan growth of commercial banks is at a five-year high on the back of strong demand, latest data released by Reserve Bank of India (RBI) showed. According …

The National Health Mission has said the recent Zika virus outbreak in Rajasthan was under control after the detection of over 150 cases of infection, including those among pregnant women. Source  :  https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/zika-outbreak-in-rajasthan-under-control-nhm/article25459232.ece

The rift between the two became public last month after a speech by RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya in which he cautioned that “governments that do not respect central bank independence will sooner or later incur the wrath of financial markets… ignite economic fire, and come to rue the day …

Initial contract is to despatch 50,000 tonnes to COFCO In a boost to sugar mills sitting on surplus stocks, India will start raw sugar exports to China in early 2019, and is in talks to finalise exports to Indonesia and Malaysia as well. In a statement on Thursday, the Commerce …

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has constituted a three-member team of independent wildlife experts to probe how the man-eating tiger Avni (T1) was killed. After animal activist and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi criticised the killing of Avni (which was legally sanctioned by Maharashtra’s wildlife authorities) last Sunday, the NTCA …

Emerging from the shadow of the Bofors scandal, the Army on Friday inducted its first artillery gun systems in three decades. The M777 Ultra Light Howitzers from the U.S. and K9 Vajra-T self-propelled artillery gun from South Korea were inducted at the Devlali Field Firing Ranges in Maharashtra. The third …

Mamallapuram and Bommayarpalayam among sites chosen for study to provide solutions In the past two decades, Tamil Nadu has reportedly lost 41% of its shoreline to erosion. As an effort to protect the coastline, National Centre for Coastal Research is preparing a report to identify vulnerable areas and propose solutions …

China unveiled on Tuesday a replica of its first permanently crewed space station, which would replace the international community’s orbiting laboratory and symbolises the country’s major ambitions beyond the earth. The 17-metre core module was a star attraction at the biennial Airshow China in the southern coastal city of Zhuhai. …

Whitewash, single-use, vegan, plogging among key words “Single-use” was named the Collins Dictionary word of the year on Wednesday, following a four-fold increase in its usage since 2013, in a reflection of increased concerns about sustainability. It edged out “MeToo” and “whitewash” to top the list of 10 new and …

Suggests eliminating or limiting fear and violence in a parent-child relationship Parents should not spank their children, the American Academy of Pediatrics said in a strongly-worded policy statement. The group, which represents about 67,000 doctors, also recommended that paediatricians advise parents against the use of spanking and said to avoid …