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Recently, Jawaharlal Nehru Port became the first major port of the country to become a 100% Landlord port of India having all berths being operated on PPP model. In this model, the publicly governed port authority acts as a regulatory body and as a landlord, while private companies carry out port operations—mainly cargo-handling activities. …

With crude oil prices easing amid fears of a global recession, the Indian government has cut the recently imposed cesses and levies on diesel and aviation turbine fuel (ATF) and removed the cess on exports of petrol. A windfall tax is a higher tax rate on sudden big profits levied on a particular company or industry. Additional excise duties equal to Rs 6 …

Recently, the Government has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of judicial cooperation between India and the Judicial Service Commission of Maldives. It is the eighth MoU signed between India and other countries in the field of Judicial Cooperation. Earlier, the National College for Policing and Law Enforcement (NCPLE) was inaugurated …

Recently, during question hour in Lok Sabha, the Ministry of Home Affairs provided data related to left extremism in India. The incidents of Naxal violence in the country have dropped by 77 % between 2009 and 2021, and deaths of security force personnel due to Maoist violence have more than doubled in Chhattisgarh in the past …

Recently, Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) released India’s Bioeconomy Report 2022. During the release, the government launched a special Biotech Ignition Grant call for North East Region (BIG-NER) and announced financial support of up to Rs 50 Lakhs each to 25 startups and entrepreneurs from North East Region to develop biotech solutions. BIRAC is …

Recently, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the construction of Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road new rail line. The total length of the new rail line will be 116.65 kms. The project will be completed by 2026-27, it will generate direct employment during construction for about 40 lakh man days. The …

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will conduct two unmanned ‘Abort Mission’ in 2022 to ensure crew safety during the Gaganyaan mission. This is a part of ISRO’s roadmap for the country’s first manned flight to space. The first test vehicle for this purpose will be launched in September 2021. Abort Mission Before Gaganyaan The abort missions …

Recently, the Union Government set up a committee headed by the former Union Agricultural secretary to further look into the issues of Minimum Support Price (MSP) and Natural Farming. What was the Purpose of forming the Committee? It has been constituted as a follow-up to an announcement by Prime Minister when he had declared …

Recently, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Meta (formerly Facebook) have launched the second phase of the GOAL Programme (GOAL 2.0). GOAL (Going Online as Leaders) was launched as a pilot project in May 2020 and it was completed by December 2021. It aimed at digital empowerment of tribal youth and women through the concept of mentor and mentee. The programme is fully funded by …

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has notified amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Rules, making several exemptions to gaining environmental clearance. A new EIA Notification was promulgated by the MoEFCC in 2006 to scrutinize all relevant information about a project or activity in order to assess (and accordingly mitigate) …

Recently, the Indian Navy decommissioned its Kilo class Submarine, INS Sindhudhvaj from its service at Vishakapatnam after 35 years of service. With its decommissioned Navy has left with only 15 conventional submarines in service. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in June 1987. It was one of the 10 Kilo-class submarines, India acquired …

Recently, Prime Minister unveiled ‘SPRINT Challenges’ during Naval Innovation and IndigenisationOrganisation (NIIO) seminar ‘Swavlamban’. ‘SPRINT (Supporting Pole-Vaulting in R&D through iDEX NIIO and TDAC) Challenges’ is aimed at giving a boost to the usage of indigenous technology in Indian Navy. Importance of Self Reliance in Defense The defence sector was identified as an …

The Ministry of Home Affairs stated that over 1.6 lakh Indians renounced their Indian citizenship in 2021. The numbers marked a sharp increase in comparison to the 85,256 people who gave up their Indian citizenship in the Covid-hit year of 2020, and a somewhat smaller increase over the 1.44 lakh who surrendered their …

Recently, while hearing a petition, the Supreme Court has said that the Minority status of religious and linguistic communities is “State-dependent”. What was the Petition about? Petition complains that followers of Judaism, Bahaism, and Hinduism are the real minorities in Ladakh, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Kashmir, Punjab and the North-East States. However, they cannot establish and administer educational institutions of their choice because …

Recently, at the 17th Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Exim Bank Conclave on India-Africa Growth Partnership (New Delhi, India), India has emphasized upon the need for a trade and investment agreement between India and Africa. Earlier, the Indian Vice President visited Senegal and three MoUs (Memorandums of Understanding)for cultural exchange, cooperation in youth matters and …

Recently, the Consultative Committee meeting of the Ministry of Civil Aviation was held in New Delhi to discuss ‘DIGI YATRA’. It is a project conceived to achieve contactless, seamless processing of passengers at Airports, based on Facial Recognition Technology (FRT). The project envisages that any traveller may pass through various checkpoints at the airport through a paperless …

Farmers in Kerala are protesting against Supreme Court’s order to establish Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs). The SC has directed to have a mandatory ESZ of minimum one kilometre measured from the demarcated boundary of every protected forest, including the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. The Kerala State Assembly demands the Centre to notify the zones by …

Recently, the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction, 2022 (GP DRR 2022) took place in Indonesia. The outcome was summarised in the Bali Agenda for Reilience From Risk to Resilience: Towards Sustainable Development For All in a Covid-19 Transformed World. It was the first global gathering for disaster risk reduction (DRR) actors since the Covid …

The Prime Minister of India unveiled the 6.5 metre-tall National Emblem on top of the under-construction new Parliament building recently. The State Emblem of India is the national emblem of the Republic of India and is used by the union government, many state governments, and other government agencies. History: The State emblem is an adaptation from …

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recommended a ban on cryptocurrencies citing ‘destabilising effects’ for the country’s monetary and fiscal health. China has declared all cryptocurrency transactions illegal, effectively imposing a complete ban, whereas El Salvador has permitted Bitcoin as legal tender. At the moment, there is no legislature that covers cryptocurrencies in India. In India, owning cryptocurrencies …