GS-III

Sensex drops 500 points intraday A combination of global and domestic factors affected investor sentiment on Monday with the benchmark indices registering their biggest single-day fall in almost six months. While renewed concerns over an escalation of trade war between the U.S. and China pulled down global markets, the domestic …

‘Many producers planning to expand capacity’ India is set gain the top slot in farmed shrimp production, overtaking China in 2019-20, said Ravi Kumar Yellanki, president, Society of Aquaculture Professionals. “We have already overtaken China in shrimp exports last year but are on par with regard to farmed shrimp production. …

‘Pichai sought two more months for Google Pay to comply’ Technology giant Google has sought two more months from the Indian government to comply with RBI guidelines mandating storing of data by digital payment services providers locally. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in April this year, had directed payment …

Currency among worst performers in emerging markets; widening current account deficit weighs, more rate hikes may be on the cards The rupee breached 72.5 a dollar on Monday and touched all-time low of 72.67 intraday as the current account deficit widened to five- year high in the first quarter of …

The lives of the former spy and Putin, two former intelligence agents from the Soviet-era, intersected at key points Sergei V. Skripal was a little fish. This is how British officials now describe Mr. Skripal, a Russian intelligence officer they recruited as a spy in the mid-1990s. When the Russians …

The state-owned oil marketing companies again increased the price of petroleum products such as petrol and diesel in the country on Monday, with Mumbai paying the highest among the four major metros. Petrol costs Rs. 88.12 a litre and diesel Rs. 77.32 in the city, according to the daily price …

Senior Congress leader raises demand after neighbouring Rajasthan reduced tax on petrol, diesel on Sunday Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Monday demanded that the State government reduce VAT on fuel two times of what has been done in neighbouring Rajasthan. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje had on Sunday …

The first ever mid-air refuelling of the indigenously developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas was successfully carried out Monday, placing India in an elite group of countries which have developed the air-to-air refuelling system for military aircraft. With this first trial, the aircraft gets much closer to the important battle-ready …

‘What happens if illegal immigrants shift to another State?’ Defending the National Register of Citizens exercise, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday recommended such an exercise in all States. “The unabated influx from Bangladesh cannot be seen as a standalone problem of Assam. Assam accounts for just a fraction …

Minister accuses the AWBI of not enforcing rules that specify how animals can be depicted in films and television shows Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi has locked horns with the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), accusing it of being lax in enforcement of rules that specify …

Cyborg cockroach could aid rescue missions Scientists have developed a cyborg cockroach powered by a tiny neuro-controller that could be used in search and rescue missions to find people trapped under collapsed buildings. The neuro-controller is part of a tiny electronic ‘backpack’ that can be attached to the insect with …

It hopes to clear half of the infamous ‘garbage patch’ in next five years, once all systems are deployed A supply ship towing a long floating boom designed to corral ocean plastic has set sail from San Francisco for a test run ahead of a trip to the Great Pacific …

ONGC Videsh Ltd. (OVL) has rejected Venezuela’s offer for additional stake in an oilfield as it fears the Latin American nation may use it as an excuse to not pay $449 million of dues, a top official said. State oil firm Petroleos de Venezuela SA had last year offered a …

Stresses need for special package for rain-affected crops A high-level meeting will be held on Monday at the Coffee Board to discuss the impact of the floods on coffee-growers, a majority of whom are small cultivators. The meeting is likely to be attended by senior officials of the Union Commerce …

Almost fourfold rise in tax compensation to States for June-July prompts move Alarmed by a nearly fourfold rise in GST compensation to States for June-July, the Finance Ministry is crafting a strategy to shore up tax revenues and engaging with States to identify issues hindering their collections. Finance Secretary Hasmukh …

External developments need to be watched, though. Oil prices and exchange rate volatility can sting beyond endurance Those with a long memory must be consumed by a sense of deja vu over developments in the past few weeks. In many ways, the present turbulent times are reminiscent of what happened …

Case relates to faulty hip implants A Johnson & Johnson subsidiary caught in a controversy over faulty hip replacement systems has opposed RTI disclosure of crucial documents it submitted to the country’s drug regulator for seeking import clearance for these devices, the CIC has said. The commission, however, said it …

Court frames charges via messaging app Popular among users for its ease and speed, instant messaging service WhatsApp caused raised eyebrows in the Supreme Court this week when it was informed that a criminal case was conducted via the service. The case, involving a former Jharkhand minister Yogendra Sao and …

Increasing awareness has seen eco-friendly Ganesh idols making steady inroads into a sea of plaster of paris gods Ganesh Chaturthi observances today owe much to Bal Gangadhar ‘Lokmanya’ Tilak. Under British rule the festival, which had been celebrated with gusto in Maharashtra under the Peshwas, became a smaller family occasion. …

Pilots being sent to France again for training; Rs. 400 crore sanctioned for readying bases Though the Rafale jet deal has been caught in a political firestorm, the Indian Air Force is quietly readying infrastructure for the new fleet and training its fighter pilots to fly the aircraft. Official sources …