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Recently, a paper published in the international journal Nature Geoscience has come up with a new reason behind the first mass extinction, also known as the Late Ordovician mass extinction. It notes that the cooling climate likely changed the ocean circulation pattern. This caused a disruption in the flow of …

Recently, forest officials from Odisha found 40 Indian flapshell turtles in baskets in an alleged smuggling racket. Important points: The Indian flapshell turtle is a freshwater species of turtle and is found in many states. The “flap-shelled” name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These …

A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) committee has come out with a host of suggestions in a bid to streamline the functioning of Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs). Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARCs) It is a specialized financial institution that buys the Non Performing Assets (NPAs) from banks and financial institutions so …

Recently, India announced that it will reach carbon neutrality by 2070 as part of a five-point action plan that included reducing emissions to 50% by 2030. India made this pledge at the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 climate summit in Glasgow, where it also urged developed countries to deliver …

Recently, the Union Minister of Earth Sciences visited the Indian Subcontinent’s Pioneer Ocean Research Vessel (ORV) Ship SagarNidhi. Earlier, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has launched India’s first manned ocean mission “Samudrayaan” in Chennai. Important points: It was commissioned in 2008 for the country’s marine research programme. It is …

Recently, the 7th Indian Navy Frigate of P1135.6 class, named Tushil, was launched at Yantar Shipyard, Kaliningrad, Russia. The Indian and Russian governments had in October 2016 signed an agreement to construct four additional P1135.6 class ships — two each in Russia and India. Important points: Designed and built by …

The first ever scientific assessment of the amounts of greenhouse gases emitted from and absorbed by forests (2001-2020) in UNESCO World Heritage sites has found that forests in World Heritage sites play a vital role in mitigating climate change Important points: World Heritage sites play a vital role in mitigating …

Recently, the 100-km long body of ice in Antarctica, which has been experiencing rapid melting, was formally named Glasgow after the Glasgow climate summit. The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 26) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Glasgow, …

Recently, the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has launched India’s first manned ocean mission “Samudrayaan” in Chennai. With this Unique Ocean Mission, India joined the elite club of nations such as the US, Russia, France, Japan, and China to have niche technology and vehicles to carry out subsea activities. Important points: It is India’s first unique manned ocean …

Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)’s Emissions Gap Report 2021 has been published. This is the twelfth edition of the UNEP Emissions Gap Report It informs that the new national climate pledges combined with other mitigation measures put the world on track for a global temperature rise of 2.7°C by the end of the century. Important points: Following …

Recently, the Supreme Court has directed the Supervisory Committee to take an immediate and firm decision on the maximum water level that can be maintained at Mullaperiyar dam amidst torrential rains in Kerala. The Ministry of Jal Shakti has constituted a three-member Supervisory Committee to settle the issue of Mullaperiyar dam between Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Important points: For Kerala, where it is …

Recently, a report named G20 Climate Risk Atlas from the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) has said that G20 (Group of 20) countries including the wealthiest like the US, European countries, and Australia will bear extreme impacts of climate change over the coming years. The first study of its kind, it provides climate scenarios, information, data and future …

Recently, the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) has launched an e-National Level Awareness Programme SAMBHAV. Important points: It is a mass outreach programme under the Ministry of MSME in which students from different colleges/ITIs from all parts of the country will be encouraged by 130 field offices of the Ministry to take up entrepreneurship. During the campaign …

Recently, Indian Scientists have designed a photochemical method (Photocatalyst) to convert Carbon Dioxide (CO2)to Methane (CH4). A photochemical method is a chemical reaction initiated by the absorption of energy in the form of light. Important points: A polymer has been designed to absorb visible light and catalyse the reaction which reduces CO2. Most catalysts contain toxic and …

Recently, the Union Minister of Civil Aviation has released KrishiUdeDeshKaAamNaagrik (UDAN) 2.0 to facilitate movement of agricultural produce by air. It lays out the vision of improving value realization through better integration and optimization of agri-harvesting and air transportation and contributing to agri-value chain sustainability and resilience under different and dynamic conditions. Earlier, ahead of UDAN Day (21st October), the Ministry …

Recently, the National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has developed a poly-herbal medicine called Mastirak Gel to treat Mastitis in Dairy Cattle. NIF is an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), which renovates indigenous technologies based on farmer’s wisdom. Important points: It can improve the udder (Milk producing part) health. It reduces inflammation which is detrimental to …

Recently, a report titled “Mapping India’s Climate Vulnerability – A District-level Assessment” has been released by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) (not-for-profit policy research institution). The report has also launched the first-of-its-kind Climate Vulnerability Index. The index has analysed 640 districts in India and found that 463 of these are vulnerable to extreme floods, droughts …

According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, the abundance of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere once again reached a new record last year (2020), with the annual rate of increase above the 2011-2020 average. This is despite the approximately 5.6% drop in fossil fuel CO2 emissionsin 2020 due to restrictions related to the pandemic. Earlier, the WMO released …

Recently, The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) successfully flight-tested Abhyas High-speed Expendable Aerial Target (HEAT) from the Integrated Test Range in Chandipur, off the Bay of Bengal coast in Odisha. DRDO is the Research & Development wing of the Ministry of Defence, Govt of India, with a vision to empower India with cutting-edge defence …

Recently, the International Financial Services Centre Authority (IFSCA) announced a new liberal regulatory regime for facilitating formation of various international and Indian insurance businesses in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City). The regulations for setting up International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) Insurance Offices (IIOs) and IFSC Insurance Intermediaries Offices (IIIOs) were notified by the IFSCA earlier, in …