GS-III

Output of eight core infrastructure industries contracted by 5.2% in September, indicating the severity of the economic slowdown. As many as seven of eight core industries saw a contraction in output in Septe-mber. Coal production fell steeply by 20.5%, crude oil by 5.4%, and natural gas by 4.9%. Output of …

Conservationists fear hundreds of koalas have perished in wildfires that have razed prime habitat on Australia’s east coast. Volunteers are hoping to begin their search of the fire zone for survivors among wildlife on Thursday. Source : https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-life/conservationists-fear-hundreds-of-koalas-died-in-wildfires/article29837496.ece

Waddling up the beach in single file, their heads held high with an almost self-important demeanour, king penguins are a major draw in the Falkland Islands’ tourism industry. Their fluffy brown chicks are nearly fearless of humans, meaning tourists at Volunteer Point, a peninsula on East Falkland Island, might get …

Cheaper imports from Vietnam via Sri Lanka, duty-free, blamed for distress A drastic fall in the price of black pepper and low production owing to climate vagaries are the major concerns of farmers in Kerala and Karnataka, the two major pepper producing States in the country. Black pepper prices have …

Telecom major seeks formulation of a ‘constructive mechanism in the best interest of all parties ‘ Bharti Airtel on Wednesday expressed hope that the government would take a ‘balanced approach’ on the issue of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) to ensure long-term viability of the industry. The statement comes a day …

President Sebastián Piñera of Chile said on Wednesday that his country, which has been rocked by a wave of recent protests, was not in a position to host a key UN climate change meeting and major Asia-Pacific trade summit later this year. The announcements underscored how destabilising the recent wave …

Beached dredging vessel Bhagvati Prem is definitely a hazard to environment, ecology and marine life if it continues to remain on the shore, said A. Senthil Vel, Dean, College of Fisheries, Mangaluru. Responding to queries from T he Hindu on the possible impacts of the ship remaining aground, Mr. Vel …

The U.K.’s Royal Mint plans to melt down and recycle the commemorative coins minted to mark Brexit on October 31, after the U.K.’s exit from the European Union (EU) was delayed by three months until January 31, 2020. The concept of a new 50-pence coin, featuring the U.K.’s scheduled departure …

India has emerged as the least active country among 18 countries including the U.S., the U.K., Japan and Singapore, according to a report by fitness solutions firm Fitbit. It said an Indian user walked an average of 6,533 steps daily. Indians were also the second-most sleep deprived after Japan, getting …

Change could not have happened without an exercise some biologists call “extreme conservation”, which has entailed monitoring every single ape in the rainforest Deep in the rainforest of Volcanoes National Park, a 23-year-old female gorilla named Kurudi feeds on a strand of wild celery. She bends the green stalks and, …