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Justice Ravindra Bhat, one of the judges on the Constitution Bench hearing the question of 50% ceiling limit on reservation, asked why welfare should be dependent on caste quota benefits alone. “Why stop at reservation? Why can’t other things also be done? Why not promote education, establish more institutes? Somewhere this …

Built water reservoir capacity per person is decreasing globally as reservoir expansion has not been able to keep pace with population growth, said the United Nations World Water Development Report released on March 22, 2021 observed as World Water Day.  Important points: While the world population is expected to reach …

The United Nations observes March 21 as the International Day of Forests, commemorating the green cover around the world and reiterating its importance. The theme of the International Day of Forests for 2021 is “Forest restoration: a path to recovery and well-being”. Why is the International Day of Forests celebrated? The United Nations …

Recently, US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) initiative has been launched to scale up the science and technology relationship between India and the United States. Important points: US India Artificial Intelligence (USIAI) is an initiative of Indo-US Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) which was established in March 2000. The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government …

Scientists from the ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) have developed an on-farm green energy refrigeration system (Pusa-FSF) and a technology for extraction of gluten from wheat dough and its regeneration in bajra (pearl-millet) and makka (maize) flour.   Pusa-FSF: Pusa Farm Sun Fridge (Pusa-FSF) is a 100% solar-powered battery-less cold store that can preserve around 2 tonnes of freshly-harvested produce at 3-4°C during the day …

The Reserve Bank of India(RBI) has decided to conduct simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities (G-Sec) under Open Market Operations (OMOs) for an amount of Rs. 10,000 crore each. Important points: Simultaneous purchase and sale of government securities under OMOs, popularly known as operation twist, involves purchasing G-Sec of longer maturities and selling equal amounts …

State-owned Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. has entered into a joint venture with Israel-based battery technology startup Phinergy to develop aluminium-air technology based battery systems for electric vehicles and stationary storage, as well as hydrogen storage solutions. About: Top automakers, including Maruti Suzuki and Ashok Leyland, have already signed letters of …

TIGER Six tigers — four adults and two sub-adults — have been unaccounted for since March 2020 in the Ranthambore tiger sanctuary, Rajasthan. However, State forest officials are not willing to label them “missing” and denied reports that they may have been poached. About: The National Tiger Conservation Authority, a …

The Delhi government should consider launching a scheme guaranteeing jobs at a fixed minimum daily wage to tackle the alarming surge in the city’s unemployment rate during the pandemic-induced lockdown. The unemployment rate in Delhi rose from 11.1% in January-February 2020 to 28.5% in October-November, according to a Delhi government-commissioned survey. It …

A carcass of a five-year-old tigress was found in the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (Uttar Pradesh). About: It is located in Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. It was notified as Tiger Reserve in 2014. In 2020, it bagged international award TX2 for doubling up the number of tigers in the past four years. It forms …

On the commencement of the ‘AzadiKaAmritMahotsav (India@75)’, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has proposed about 392 routes under UDAN 4.1 bidding process. About UDAN 4.1: The UDAN 4.1 focuses on connecting smaller airports, along with special helicopter and seaplane routes. Some new routes have been proposed under the Sagarmala Seaplane services Sagarmala Seaplane …

The World Air Quality Report, prepared by Swiss organisationIQAir, mentions that 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities globally are in India. The Report aggregated PM2.5 data from 106 countries. PM 2.5 It is an atmospheric particulate matter of diameter of fewer than 2.5 micrometres, which is around 3% the diameter of a human hair. …

Making a case for an upgrade in India’s sovereign rating, former New Development Bank president K.V. Kamath recently said the new development finance institution (DFI) cleared by the Union Cabinet must be careful about preventing ‘excessive reliance’ on foreign funds. K.v. Kamath: With all the efforts that the government is making, the sovereign …

Recently, a research team at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi has developed a new method for efficient removal of heavy metals from water Background: Several methods like chemical precipitation, ion exchange, adsorption, membrane filtration, reverse osmosis, solvent extraction, and electrochemical treatment have been used to remove heavy metals from contaminated water. Many …

To meet the aggressive target of raising around Rs 2.5 lakh crore through asset sales, the government has lined up plans to monetise assets including roads, electricity transmission, oil and gas pipelines, and telecom towers, sports stadia, among others. The assets shortlisted come under the purview of eight ministries. Alongside these core sector …

India needs to bring CNG under the GST regime and tackle challenges such as high vehicle cost and limited boot space for the growth of the natural gas vehicle market, according to a report by Nomura Research Institute Consulting & Solutions India. Report: The report on ‘natural gas vehicle (NGV) market’ stated that the CNG …

Britain wants to expand its influence among countries in the Indo-Pacific region to try to moderate China’s global dominance, a document laying out post-Brexit foreign and defence policy priorities said recently. The document sets out a planned increase of Britain’s nuclear warhead stockpile by more than 40% to weigh against evolving global security …

Delhi remained the most polluted capital city in the world but India, on the whole, had improved its average annual PM2.5 (particulate matter) levels in 2020 than in 2019, according to a report from IQ Air, a Swiss air quality technology company specialising in protection against airborne pollutants, and developing air …

For the first time ever, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started work on reopening the crucial Baralacha Pass in Himachal Pradesh much before schedule to restore connectivity to Leh in Ladakh. Important points: Bara-lacha la also known as Bara-lacha Pass is a high mountain pass in Zanskar range, connecting …

The National Institutes of Food Technology, Entrepreneurship and Management Bill, 2019 was introduced in Rajya Sabha by the Minister of Food Processing Industries, Ms. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, on February 13, 2019. The Bill declares certain institutes of food technology, entrepreneurship, and management as institutions of national importance. These institutes are …