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Recently, the Tracking SDG 7 – The Energy Progress Report 2022 was released which showed that the Russia-Ukraine war and Covid-19 crisis have considerably slowed down efforts towards attaining the Seventh Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 7) target. The Energy Progress Report is a product of close collaboration among the five SDG 7 custodian agencies in the form of a …

Recently, a proposal for setting up ‘Grievance Appellate Committees’ for hearing appeals regarding social media posts has been put forward by the government of India. One or more ‘Grievance Appellate Committees’ will be constituted by the Central Government as per the draft of the proposed amendments to the IT Rules, 2021. The appellate committees will …

Recently, India and Sweden hosted the Industry Transition Dialogue in Stockholm, as a part of their joint initiative i.e. Leadership for Industry Transition (LeadIT). This high level dialogue has contributed to the UN Conference ‘Stockholm+50’ and set the agenda for COP27 (Climate Change). LeadIT The LeadIT initiative lays specific focus on hard to abate sectors that are …

Sri Lanka plans to develop Trincomalee port into an industrial hub that would spark global interest. The proposal is a long-standing plan to monetise land that belongs to the Sri Lanka Port Authority, by getting foreign and local investment for a special economic zone, an industrial park, or an energy hub. Trincomalee …

Recently, the 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom (IRF) was released by the US Department of State. The document is distinct from the IRF report released by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). USCIRF is an independent, bipartisan federal government entity while the IRF is part of the US State Department. The former’s …

Recently, the Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with the Hyderabad-based public-sector Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL) for supply of the Astra Mark-1. Contract was signed at a cost of Rs 2,971 crore, for deployment on fighter jets of the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy. Astra Missile and its Variants The Astra …

India will be soon releasing cheetahs from South Africa and Namibia into the wild at KunoPalpur in Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh. It will initiate India’s ambitious plan of transcontinental relocation of cheetahs. The country’s last spotted cheetah died in Chhattisgarh in 1947 and it was declared extinct in the country in 1952. …

Recently, India’s biggest Drone Festival – Bharat Drone Mahotsav 2022 was inaugurated in New Delhi by the Prime Minister. A virtual award of drone pilot certificates, panel discussions, product launches, display of a ‘Made in India’ Drone Taxi prototype, flying demonstrations, among others were the key events. Drone is a layman terminology for Unmanned Aircraft (UA). Originally …

Recently, National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC Ltd.) has issued a renewed Biodiversity Policy 2022 to establish a comprehensive vision and guiding principle for conservation, restoration, and enhancement of biodiversity. It is an integral part of NTPC’s Environmental Policy and its objectives are aligned with environmental and sustainability policies. Objectives of the Policy The policy is designed to …

Recently, the UN-Habitat has identified issues associated with Jaipur city like multi hazard vulnerabilities, weak mobility and Green-Blue economy and has laid out a plan to increase sustainability in the city. The urban problems which persist in Jaipur are the same for other cities. UN-Habitat has based its findings on sustainable cities integrated approach pilot project and a …

According to a new study, world needs to target both non-CO2 pollutants and CO2 pollutants to achieve climate targets. Global temperatures are likely to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels by 2035 and 2°C by 2050 if the focus is merely on decarbonisation efforts. The Non-CO2 Pollutants include methane, black carbon, hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), …

At the QUAD Summit held at Tokyo, Indian PM carried with him gifts for leaders of the US, Australia and Japan showcasing India’s rich cultural heritage and art forms. The intricate sanjhi panel is based on the theme of Thakurani Ghat, which is one of the most famous ghats on the banks of …

Recently, the second-year anniversary of National AI Portalwas celebrated on 30th May, 2022. Launched in 2020, it is a joint initiative by the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies). Objectives: The portal focuses on creating and nurturing a unified AI ecosystem in …

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has approved the extension of the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) for five years till FY26. The PMEGP has now been approved for continuation over the 15th Finance Commission Cycle for five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs 13,554.42 crore. PMEGP Scheme …

Recently, India’s Finance Minister announced the execution of several rail, road and air connectivity projects worth Rs. 1,34,200 crore in the northeast. These projects will help in bringing the rest of India closer to the North-East and vice-versa. Connectivity with Southeast Asian countries will also remain an area of focus. Major Infrastructure Projects In …

The government is in the process of taking ‘advanced action’ to expedite the privatisation of public sector banks. The government is geared up to take further steps to rein in inflation as well as maintain economic stability and growth. Privatisation The transfer of ownership, property or business from the government to the private sector is termed privatisation. …

31st May is observed as ‘World No Tobacco Day’ every year to spread awareness around the deadly effects of tobacco consumption. The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. In 1988, Resolution …

Defence Minister undertook a sea sortie on a Scorpene class submarine ‘INS Khanderi’ at Karwar. During the trip he witnessed a wide range of operational drills with the submarine demonstrating the advanced sensor suite, combat system and weapon capability which provides it a distinct advantage in the subsurface domain. Scorpene Class Submarine …

Recently, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry has released the data, which showed that the US has surpassed China becoming India’s top trading partner in 2021-22. Major export items from India to the US include petroleum, polished diamonds, pharmaceutical products, jewellery, frozen shrimp, whereas major imports from the US include petroleum, rough diamonds, liquified natural gas, gold, coal, waste and scrap, …

Recently, the number of unicorns in India reached the 100-mark. One unicorn means a startup of at least Rs 7,500 crore turnover. The total valuation of these unicorns is USD 330 billion, that is over Rs 25 lakh crore. The average annual growth rate of Indian unicorns is more than that of …