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Recently, the European Union (EU) imposed sanctions against Belarus, including banning its airlines from using the airspace and airports of the 27-nation bloc EU. Important points: Europe’s longest-serving ruler, President of Belarus Lukashenko took office in 1994 amid the chaos caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Often described as Europe’s “last dictator”, he has tried …

The Ministry of Women and Child Development will set up One Stop Centres (OSCs) across 10 countries to provide assistance to Indian women who are survivors of gender-based violence. The missions where the OSCs will come up are Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, UAE, Jeddah and Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada and Singapore. It will also set …

The latest Draft Lakshadweep Development Authority Regulation, 2021, for the creation of a Lakshadweep Development Authority (LDA) is widely resented by the people of Lakshadweep. Important points: It empowers the government, identified as the administrator, to constitute Planning and Development Authorities under it to plan the development of any area identified as having “bad layout …

Recently, the Central Government has appointed ‘Subodh Kumar Jaiswal’ as a new Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) The Director of the CBI is appointed as per section 4A of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act of 1946. Important points: The CBI was set up in 1963 by a resolution of the Ministry of Home Affairs. …

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered all encroachments to be removed from Gujarat’s Banni grasslands within six months. The court also said the Maldharis (Pastoralists) will continue to hold the right to conserve the community forests in the area, granted to them as per the provisions in Section 3 of Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006. National Green Tribunal It …

India and Israel have signed “a three-year work program agreement” for development in agriculture cooperation. Important points: The programme aims to grow existing Centres of Excellence, establish new centers, increase CoE’s value chain, bring the Centres of Excellence into the self-sufficient mode, and encourage private sector companies and collaboration. Both countries are implementing the “INDO-ISRAEL Agricultural Project Centres of Excellence” and “INDO-ISRAEL Villages of Excellence”. …

Recently the 12th Annual Day of the Competition Commission of India (CCI) was observed on 20th May. Important points: Competition Commission of India is a statutory body responsible for enforcing the objectives of the Competition Act, 2002. CCI was established by the Central Government with effect from 14th October 2003, but it became fully functional on 20th May, 2009. A Chairperson and 6 Members appointed by the Central Government. The CCI was …

Recently, two US officials have shown symptoms of a mystery illness that is linked to Havana Syndrome. In 2020, a report by the National Academies of Sciences (NAS), US found directed microwave radiation to be the plausible cause of the Havana syndrome. Increasing number of cases is being considered a mass psychogenic illness. Mass psychogenic illness is when people in a group start feeling …

Recently, Lithuania quit China’s 17+1 cooperation forum with central and eastern Europe, by calling it “divisive”, now it is 16+1. Lithuania (Baltic Country) urged other EU (European Union) members to pursue “a much more effective 27+1 approach and communication with China.” Important points: The 17+1 (China and Central and Eastern Europe Countries) initiative is a China-led format founded in 2012 in Budapest with an aim to expand cooperation between Beijing and …

Recently, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) released its Net Zero Emissions (NZE) Roadmap – named ‘Net Zero by 2050’. It is the World’s first comprehensive energy roadmap which comes ahead of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 climate change convention in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021. ‘Net zero emissions’ refers to achieving an overall balance between greenhouse gas emissions …