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Recently, Maharashtra Government issued a government resolution which will allow sugar mills to pay the basic Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) in two tranches. The first installment would have to be paid within 14 days of delivery of cane, and would be as per the average recovery of the district. Farmers would get the second installment …

Saltwater Crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), used to be found in Vietnam and southern China, became extinct in these areas due to human activity. It is the largest of the 23 species of ‘extant’ or living crocodilians. This includes ‘true crocodiles’, alligators and caimans. The saltie is also called the ‘estuarine crocodile’ …

In the Budget 2022-23, the government announced to set up ‘Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics’ (AVGC) task force to “build domestic capacity to serve Indian markets and global demand.” Earlier, the Karnataka High Court delivered a judgement striking down major portions of the Karnataka Police (Amendment) Act, 2021 which …

Recently, a joint team of scientists from Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, for the first time in the country successfully demonstrated Quantum Key Distribution link between Prayagraj and Vindhyachal in Uttar Pradesh, a distance of more than 100 kilometres. With this success, …

Recently the Forest Administration and SHGs (Self Help Groups) have started an awareness Campaign to manage fires in Similipal Biosphere Reserve this year. Earlier, scientists unravelled the mystery behind Odisha’s ‘Black Tigers’ in Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR). Similipal derives its name from ‘Simul’ (silk cotton) tree. It was formally designated a tiger reserve in 1956 and …

Recently, the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) released a draft policy framework on 14th February 2022 for DRE livelihood applications. The aim is to achieve the objective of a decentralised and distributed renewable energy supply in the country, particularly for rural populations with little or no access to power. MNRE proposed forming a committee to monitor the progress …

Recently, the Astronomers of National Center of Radio Astrophysics (NCRA-TIFR) in Pune and the University of California in the US have used the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) to map the distribution of atomic hydrogen gas from the host galaxy of a Fast Radio Burst (FRB) for the first time. The first FRB was discovered …

According to a report, the sales of Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) surged USD 25 billion in 2021 as the crypto asset exploded in popularity. However, some experts believe NFTs are a bubble that might pop. About: Anything that can be converted into a digital form can be an NFT. Everything from drawings, photos, videos, GIFs, music, in-game items, selfies, …

‘Lavender Cultivation’ under CSIR-IIIM’s Aroma Mission will be started in Ramban district (Jammu Kashmir) as a part of Purple Revolution. Aromatic Plants include lavender, damask rose, mushk bala, etc. Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is a contemporary R&D organization under the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Purple or Lavender Revolution was launched in 2016 …

On the Occasion of the 1st Anniversary of the Release of Geospatial Data, the Government said that geospatial technology along with Drones will survey all the over 6 lakh Indian villages under the SVAMITVA scheme. Also the pan-India 3D Maps will be prepared for 100 Indian cities. Geospatial Policy will be announced soon as the liberalisation of the guidelines has yielded very …

Recently, the Ministry of Power has notified Green Hydrogen/Green Ammonia Policy for production of Green Hydrogen or Green Ammonia using renewable sources of energy. National Hydrogen Mission launched in 2021 aims to aid the government in meeting its climate targets and making India a green hydrogen hub. Under the policy, the government is …

Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change announced the Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2022, which notified the instructions on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for plastic packaging. Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016 has been amended to fast-track the elimination of single-use plastics and promote alternatives. The term Extended Procedure Responsibility means the responsibility of a producer for the environmentally …

Recently, the Prime Minister of India chaired a meeting regarding the management of the cryptocurrency sector. Citing the unregulated nature of the crypto market, he called for taking progressive and forward-looking steps. At the moment, there is no legislature that covers cryptocurrencies in India. In India, owning cryptocurrencies is still not illegal. In 2020, the Supreme Court had struck …

NITI Aayog, in association with PhonePe (Digital Payment Service Provider), will be hosting the first-ever open-to-all Fintech Open Hackathon that aims to showcase path-breaking solutions for the fintech ecosystem. Fintech describes an emerging financial services sector in the 21st century. Originally, the term applied to technology applied to the back-end …

Researchers from Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed such a material, called Origami metamaterials which could have many uses. These combine the Japanese art of paper folding (origami) and the existing material of choice and fold it to obtain desired properties. Researchers have developed a special class of origami metamaterials which show a constant value …

Recently, the Prime Minister addressed the The Energy and Resources Institute’s (TERI) World Sustainable Development Summit. The World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) is the annual flagship event of TERI. It was earlier known as Delhi Sustainable Development Summit. Instituted in 200. It is the only Summit on global issues, taking place in the developing world. It …

River Devika project, built at the cost of over Rs 190 crore, will be complete by June, 2022. The work on the project was started in March 2019 under the National River Conservation Plan (NRCP). Under the project, bathing “ghats” (places) on the banks of the Devika River will be developed, encroachments …

Recently, the government-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) for its mega Initial Public Offering (IPO) with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The Government, which owns 100% of LIC, will be offloading 5% of its stake through the IPO. All the proceeds from the IPO, which is in …

Recently, Maharashtra has signaled that it may opt out of Pradhan MantriFasalBimaYojana Scheme. Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Bihar, Gujarat, Punjab and West Bengal – all predominantly agriculture states – have already opted out of the scheme. Launched in 2016 and is being administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. It replaced the …

Recently, Indian Space Research Organisation’s earth observation satellite EOS-04 and two small satellites (INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD) were successfully placed into the intended orbit by the PSLV-C52 rocket. This launch was the 54th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, and the 23rd of its most powerful XL-version that has six strap-on boosters. What are Earth Observation Satellites? Earth observation satellites are the satellites …