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Ahead of the World Health Day (7th April), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has released Air Quality Database 2022, which shows that Almost the entire global population (99 %) breathes air that exceeds WHO’s air quality limits. The WHO for the first time has taken ground measurements of annual mean concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2). It also includes measurements of Particulate …

Recently, the Supreme Court struck down the 10.5% internal reservation to Vanniyakula Kshatriya community in Tamil Nadu The Supreme Court held that 10.5% internal reservation to Vanniyakula Kshatriya community violates the fundamental rights of equality, non-discrimination and equal opportunity of 115 other Most Backward Communities (MBCs) and De-Notified Communities (DNCs) in Tamil Nadu. The allotment …

Recently, India signed a historic trade agreement with Australia, the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (Ind- Aus ECTA). In February 2022, India and Australia announced that they were going to sign such an agreement. The negotiations for India-Australia ECTA were formally re-launched in September 2021 and concluded on a fast-track basis by the …

Recently, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) launched the World Energy Transitions Outlook 2022 at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue. The Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) has become a leading international forum for key stakeholders of the energy sector. Energy transition refers to the global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption …

Recently, the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) launched a three-month-long training programme for journalists. The programme was an initiative of the BRICS Media Forum The Forum was established in 2015 by media organisations from five countries, including The Hindu (India) , Brazil’s CMA Group, Russia’s Sputnik, China’s Xinhua and South Africa’s Independent …

Recently, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) flagship State of World Population Report 2022 titled “Seeing the Unseen: The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy” was launched. Key Findings of the Report Between 2015 and 2019, there were roughly 121 million unintended pregnancies globally each year. Globally, an estimated 257 million women who …

Recently, the Union government has told the Supreme Court (SC) that state governments can now grant minority status to any religious or linguistic community, including Hindus. The SC had sought the Union government’s response in a plea that sought directions for framing of guidelines identifying minorities at the state level. The expression “minorities” appears in …

Recently, the Union Minister for Law and Justice in response to a question in the Lok Sabha stated that the government is exploring the possibility of allowing online voting for Non-Resident Indians (NRI) In 2020, the Election Commission of India (ECI) in a proposal to the Law Ministry proposed to extend the facility of postal …

Recently, the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) got finalised. India-UAE CEPA was signed on 18th February 2022, during the India-UAE Virtual Summit The Agreement is expected to enter into force on 1st May 2022 CEPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries. Salient features of …

Recently, Australia has announced a new Defence Space Command Agency to counter the growing influence of Russia and China in space. It will help Australia in developing and advocating space-specific priorities within the government, industry, allies and even international partners. The agency will provide training to people to become space specialists, …

Russia signed an order to officially recognise the independence of two separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Know more about the background of the Russia Ukraine conflict which has been brewing since 2014 in the link given. Russia launched an all-out attack on Ukraine through land, air and sea. …

As the evidence of casualties in the civilian population continues to mount, the world will increasingly look to the Geneva Conventions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Geneva Conventions Guidelines for Wartime These are a set of four treaties, formalized in 1949, and three additional protocols, which codify widely accepted ethical and …

Recently, the Haryana government released the draft of the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religious Bill, 2022. The bill aims at prohibiting religious conversions which are affected through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage or for marriage by making it an offense. …

The State Government has exempted the Hindi feature film ‘The Kashmir Files’ from the State Goods and Services Tax for its exhibition in Madhya Pradesh, keeping in view the plot and other special social useful qualities. In the order issued by the Commercial Tax Department, this exemption has been given …

The 3rd edition of joint training exercise between Indian and Uzbekistan armies, EX-DUSTLIK is being conducted at Yangiarik, Uzbekistan from 22nd to 31st March 2022. The exercise would focus on Counter Terrorism operations in semi-urban terrain under a United Nations Mandate. The Grenadiers battalion is nominated for the exercise. The battalion is one of the highly decorated battalions of the Indian Army. The training schedule will focus …

NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) organized the fifth edition of the Women Transforming India Awards (WTI). The WTI Awards 2021 were conferred upon 75 women achievers to celebrate their contribution towards a ‘SashaktAur Samarth Bharat’. The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) anthem titled ‘Nari Shakti’-written, composed and sung by Kailash Kher was presented at the …

World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is observed on 24th March to spread awareness about the disastrous health, social, and economic consequences of TB and to take efforts to end the TB epidemic globally. Earlier in 2021, Centenary celebration was observed for the BacilleCalmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine which is presently the sole vaccine available for the prevention of TB. …

The United States and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are shipping weapons into Ukraine, including highly sensitive items such as shoulder-fired missiles called Man-Portable Air-Defence Systems (MANPADS) that can take down aircraft. Countries such as India, Pakistan, Germany, UK, Turkey and Israel have also used MANPADS in their defence efforts. Russia is by far the biggest exporter …

Recently, the MInistry of Jal Shakti expressed his displeasure over the slow pace of the approval process for Project Dolphin The initiative got in-principle approval in 2019 at the first meeting of the National Ganga Council (NGC), headed by the Prime Minister. Project Dolphin is one of the activities planned under Arth Ganga, an ambitious …

Recently, the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has informed the Lok Sabha that the amount of funds earmarked under PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi) Yojana during 2020-21 and 2021-22 are Rs.44.79 crores and Rs.79.48 crores respectively. Earlier, the Ministry launched ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App to make the skill development schemes …