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Recently, the Centre announced to stop the purchase of excess parboiled rice after which Telangana Chief Minister and members of his Cabinet staged a dharna demanding a uniform paddy procurement policy. The dictionary meaning of ‘parboil’ is ‘partly cooked by boiling’. Thus, the expression parboiled rice refers to rice that …

Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has relaxed various procedures under the Export Promotion Capital Goods (EPCG) scheme in order to reduce compliance requirements and facilitate ease of doing business. Capital goods are physical assets that a company uses in the production process to manufacture products and services that …

Recently, the government had left out sectors such as iron and steel, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, from the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RoDTEP) scheme. These sectors were omitted from the scheme, as iron and steel were ‘already booming’ and the pharma industry’s business had also increased during …

Recently, the UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNagrik) Scheme has been selected for Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration 2020 under the category “Innovation (General) – Central”. The Ministry of Civil Aviation will receive the award on 21st April,i.e. Civil Service Day. The government of India celebrates Civil Services Day, every year …

In 2020, the National Cyber Security Strategy was conceptualised by the Data Security Council of India (DSCI) headed by Lt General Rajesh Pant. The report focused on 21 areas to ensure a safe, secure, trusted, resilient, and vibrant cyberspace for India. However, amid a surge in cyberattacks on India’s networks, …

Recently, the rare butterfly Palmking (Amathusiaphidippus) was sighted for the first time in Tamil Nadu. It is the 321st species of butterfly found in Tamil Nadu among the 1,500 species in India. Palmking was first recorded in South India by British scientist H.S.Ferguson in 1891. More than a Century later, it was rediscovered in 2007. Palmking belongs to the Nymphalidae …

Recently, Ukraine claimed that it has damaged the Russian Black Sea Fleet Flagship ‘Moskva’ by Neptune Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles. The Neptune is a coastal anti-ship cruise missile that is capable of the destruction of naval vessels in a range of 300 km. The Missile system was inducted into the Ukrainian Defence Forces in March 2021 after being in …

Recently, the US State Department released a strong and critical report on human rights in India in 2021. The report is submitted each year to the US Congress which is retrospective and contains a country-wise discussion of the state of internationally recognised individual, civil, political and worker rights, as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human …

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs has approved continuation of the revamped Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) for implementation during the period from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2026 . The scheme is now co-terminus with the 15th Finance Commission period. The scheme is aimed to develop governance capabilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs). Background: The scheme was first …

Karnataka is set to provide eggs under the Midday Meal Scheme (MDMS) for school children. MDMS is amongst the largest initiatives in the world to enhance nutrition levels of school-going children through hot cooked meals. However, the inclusion of eggs has often been controversial. It is the largest school feeding programme of its kind in the …

Recently, the Indian Army has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for the Canister Launched Anti-Armour Loiter Ammunition (CALM) System of its mechanised forces. Earlier, the Indian Army had issued a RFI for the supply of Articulated All-Terrain Vehicles to be deployed in Ladakh and Kutch The CALM System is a pre-loaded canister with loiter ammunition or a dron. Loiter munitions are a mix …

Recent Government data has shown that the concessional corporate tax rate announced by the Union government in September 2019 saw two out of every five new domestic manufacturing companies incorporated in 2019-20 (April-March) opting for the reduced 15% tax rate. Corporation tax is a direct tax placed on a company’s net income or profit from its operations. …

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched an indigenous Onboard Driver Assistance and Warning System (ODAWS), Bus Signal Priority System and Common SMart IoT (Internet of Things) Connectivity (CoSMiC) software. It has been launched under Intelligent Transportation System Endeavor Phase-II (InTranSE -II). Intelligent Transportation System(ITS) is a revolutionary state-of-the-art technology. It …

India has successfully flight-tested Helina, an Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM), in Pokhran. According to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it is one of the most advanced Anti-Tank Weapons in the world. The test was part of user validation trials of the third generation ‘fire and forget’ class missiles developed by the DRDO. About: Helina has been developed by …

In 2021, a high-level panel was established to examine the failed Geosynchronous Satellite GSLV-F10/Earth Observation Satellites (EOS)-03 mission and recommended measures for making the Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) more robust. The Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) with improvements added to its CUS is expected to be ready in the second half of this year. GSLV is a space …

Recently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences informed the Lok Sabha that of the 6,907.18 km long Indian coastline of the mainland, a significant area is under varying degrees of Coastal erosion. About 34% is under varying degrees of erosion, while 26% of the coastline is of an accreting nature, and the …

The Enhanced Pinaka Mk-I Rocket System (EPRS) was successfully test fired in the Pokhran range in Rajasthan. As part of the same set of trials, the Area Denial Munition (ADM) was also successfully tested. The tests also validated the performance of different variants of munitions and fuzes that can be used in the Pinaka rocket system. ADMs …

Recently, India successfully flight tested Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) Booster, a missile system, at the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur off the Odisha coast. The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) began developing SFDR first in 2017 and had conducted successful tests in 2018 and 2019 as well. It is a …

Recently, the Noida authority announced that they might shift the plant to another location that was supposed to be the site for a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) after residents protested against the setting up of an Automatic Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant. Biogas It mainly comprises hydro-carbon which is combustible and can produce heat and energy …

Recently, for the eleventh time in a row, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its latest Monetary Policy review has decided to keep the main policy rate – Repo rate – unchanged at 4%. It has also retained its accommodative stance, but indicated it will engage in a gradual and calibrated withdrawal of surplus …