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During the 11th round of discussions between the senior military commanders of India and China on April 9, to resolve the over 11-month long standoff in eastern Ladakh, China had refused to vacate two of the four original friction points. Important points: At two friction points, Patrolling Point 15 (PP15) …

Every year, the United Nations marks April 18 as the International Day for Monuments and Sites, in many countries also celebrated as World Heritage Day. The theme for this year is “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures”. Globally, the day is promoted by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). ICOMOS …

Important points: World Heritage Day, also known as International Day for Monuments and Sites, is being observed on 18 April every year. The day is dedicated to the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage through various activities undertaken by the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). To mark World …

The new pterosaur fossil was discovered in the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning, China, and is thought to be 160 million years old. It has been named Kunpengopterus antipollicatus, also dubbed “Monkeydactyl”. Tiaojishan Formation Geographically, the Tiaojishan Formation is widely distributed in western Liaoning Province and the neighboring northern Hebei Province …

The nation celebrated the 130th birth anniversary of B R Ambedkar on 14th April 2021. Dr. Ambedkar was a social reformer, jurist, economist, author, polyglot (knowing or using several languages) orator, a scholar and thinker of comparative religions. Important Points Birth: Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar was born in 1891 in …

Black Sea is an inland sea located between far-southeastern Europe and the far-western edges of the continent of Asia and the country of Turkey. It connects to the Mediterranean Sea first through the Bosporus Strait, then through the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles Strait, then south through the Aegean …

Egypt announced the discovery of what is being touted as the most important find since the unearthing of King Tutankhamun’s tomb almost 100 years ago. A three-millennia-old “lost golden city” from the era of 18th-dynasty king Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt from 1391 to 1353 B.C., was found in …

Recently, the Chief Justice of India (CJI) launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) based portal ‘SUPACE’ in the judicial system aimed at assisting judges with legal research. SUPACE is short for Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency. Earlier, the E-Courts Project was conceptualised on the basis of “National Policy and Action Plan for Implementation of Information and Communication Technology …

The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has launched “Sankalp se Siddhi” – Village and Digital Connect Drive. The main aim of this drive is to activate the Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) in the villages. Sankalp se Siddhi Drive: The drive …

In a marked flare-up in tensions within Jordan’s royal household, Prince Hamzah bin Al Hussein, the former crown prince and half-brother of ruling monarch Abdullah, has reportedly been placed under house arrest as part of a crackdown on critics. Jordan is an Arab country in the Levant region of Western …

The PM greeted the people of Odisha on Utkala Dibasa. Utkala Dibasa or Odisha Day is observed on 1 April every year to mark the formation of the state as a separate state out of Bihar and Orissa Province in 1936. At that time, Koraput and Ganjam were also added …

Dust-laden winds swept Delhi on Tuesday, pushing the air quality into the poor category and increasing the concentration of coarse particles in the air. Important points: According to forecasts, strong winds that are carrying dust to Delhi from Rajasthan are expected to continue until Thursday. The concentration of particulate matter …

Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has ruled out the possibility of the dreaded asteroid Apophis causing any damage to the Earth for the next 100 years. Important points: Apophis is a near-Earth asteroid with a relatively large size (about 335 meters wide). Named after the ancient Egyptian …

The study, published in Nature Geoscience, highlighted this through a global map of 168 countries facing pollution risk caused by 92 chemicals commonly used in agricultural pesticides. The study examined risks to soil, the atmosphere and surface and ground water. Findings: Around 64 per cent of land used for agriculture …

 The Maharaja Chhatrasal Convention Centre has been inaugurated at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh. The Convention Centre, named after the legendary Bundelkhand King Maharaja Chhatrasal, was built under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Ministry of Tourism. Khajuraho It is one of the nineteen identified iconic destinations in the country. The Ministry …

The Earth Hour is being observed on 27th March 2021. Earth Hour is the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF)’s annual initiative that began in 2007. It is held every year on the last Saturday of March. It encourages people from more than 180 countries to switch off the lights …

Recently, a study has identified 193 sites having either intact or ruins of Garhwal forts and fortalices spread along the north, east and southern regions of the Garhwal Himalayas. This is the first of its kind database. A total of 36 major forts and 12 prominent fort clusters have been …

Health should be shifted to the Concurrent list under the Constitution, and a developmental finance institution (DFI) dedicated to healthcare investments set up, Fifteenth Finance Commission Chairman N.K. Singh said recently. Enhancing spending: Making a case for enhancing government spending on health to 2.5% of GDP by 2025, Mr. Singh …

The father of the nation of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the late Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Said Al Said are to be awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize for 2020 and 2019 respectively. About the Gandhi Peace Prize: Institution of Award: The annual award was instituted by the Government of India in 1995 during the commemoration of the 125th birth anniversary of Mahatma …

The Centre has written to the Uttarakhand government about the need for stringent measures to control the spread of Covid-19 during the ongoing KumbhMela in the state (at Haridwar). Important points: KumbhMela comes under UNESCO’s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity KumbhMela is the largest peaceful congregation of pilgrims on earth, …