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A recent study has raised the issue of ambiguity about definitions of child labour and forced labour in India, especially for sugarcane producing states of Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. The study was commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and The Coca-Cola Company. Important Points Findings …

Recently, the Indian Rupee depreciated to a nine-month low of 75.4 against the USD, it is one of the biggest losers among the emerging market currencies. Over the last three weeks since 22nd March 2021, Rupee has lost 4.2% against the USD. Important Points Reasons for the Decline: Rising Covid-19 …

Multinational military exercise Shantir Ogroshena, which went for 10 days in Bangladesh, concluded on 12th April 2021. The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Bangladesh. Important points: The exercise was organised to commemorate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s Father of …

Black Sea is an inland sea located between far-southeastern Europe and the far-western edges of the continent of Asia and the country of Turkey. It connects to the Mediterranean Sea first through the Bosporus Strait, then through the Sea of Marmara and the Dardanelles Strait, then south through the Aegean …

According to a report released by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), illegal sale of Danube Sturgeon, one of the most endangered species in the world, is rampant in the lower Danube (River) region, especially in Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine. Danube is the second longest river in Europe after the …

Researchers from Sweden’s University of Gothenburg have been able to obtain data from underneath Thwaites Glacier, also known as the ‘Doomsday Glacier’. They find that the supply of warm water to the glacier is larger than previously thought, triggering concerns of faster melting and accelerating ice flow. Important points: Called …

The second phase of the National Supercomputing Mission (NSM) will be completed by September 2021, taking India’s total computational capacity to 16 Petaflops. Important points: NSM was announced in 2015, with an aim to connect national academic and R&D institutions with a grid of more than 70 high-performance computing facilities …

Recently, the President appointed Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra as the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC). He replaces Sunil Arora who has retired. Important points: Election Commission of India: The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering Union and State election processes in India. It was …

Recently, Northern Ireland, the United Kingdom (UK) saw the worst violence in years. Parts of Northern Ireland are split along sectarian lines, 23 years after a peace deal largely ended Northern Ireland’s troubles. Important points: Historical Conflict: Geographically, Northern Ireland is part of Ireland. Politically, it’s part of the UK. …

Recently, the Defence Minister of India held bilateral talks with the Defence Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan in New Delhi. The two Ministers had last met in Moscow (Russia) in September 2020 on the sidelines of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting. Important points: Agreed that both sides …

The Ganges river dolphin is found in parts of the Ganges, Meghna, and Brahmaputra river systems in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh. They are locally known as Susu, which refers to the noise the dolphin is said to make when it breathes. The Gangetic river dolphin is India’s national aquatic animal. …

Widely known as the world’s “Atoms for Peace and Development” organization within the United Nations family, the IAEA is the international centre for cooperation in the nuclear field. The IAEA was created in 1957 in response to the deep fears and expectations generated by the discoveries and diverse uses of …

Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have agreed to temporary measures to offset Iran’s decision to restrict access to inspectors. In December 2020, Iran’s Parliament passed the law demanding a suspension of some inspections if the USA failed to lift sanctions. Important points: Iran will stop the implementation …

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre and four States to file their response within three weeks on a plea seeking a direction to repeal the provisions criminalising begging. Important points: The plea has referred to the August 2018 verdict of the Delhi High Court which had decriminalised begging in …

Egypt announced the discovery of what is being touted as the most important find since the unearthing of King Tutankhamun’s tomb almost 100 years ago. A three-millennia-old “lost golden city” from the era of 18th-dynasty king Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt from 1391 to 1353 B.C., was found in …

In the Antarctic floats a massive glacier, roughly the size of Britain, whose melting has been a cause of alarm for scientists over the years. Now, a new study has pinned the cause of the melting to the presence of warm water at a vital point beneath the glacier. The …

Three labourers were killed and two others injured during an operation to douse a forest fire at Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve (NNTR) in Maharashtra. Important points: It is situated in Gondia and Bhandara districts of Maharashtra. Gondia District shares common boundaries with the state of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in the …

Recently, India’s Prime Minister (PM) and the PM of the Netherlands held a Virtual Summit. It was the first high level Summit attended by the PM of Netherlands after the general elections held in March 2021. Earlier in 2019 the King and Queen of the Netherlands visited India to give …

The US Treasury Secretary has urged G20 nations to move towards a global minimum corporate tax. It is an attempt to reverse a “30-year race to the bottom” in which countries have resorted to slashing corporate tax rates to attract multinational corporations (MNCs). Important points: The US proposal envisages a …

A neutrino is a subatomic particle that is very similar to an electron, but has no electrical charge and a very small mass, which might even be zero. Neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe. Because they have very little interaction with matter, however, they are …