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GS-3 DRINKING WATER According to information provided to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources, Only half of government schools and anganwadis have tap water supply, despite a 100-day campaign for 100% coverage being launched by the Jal Shakti Ministry in October 2020. Important points: Less than 8% of schools …

GS-2 50% CAP ON QUOTA The Supreme Court decided to examine whether its nearly three-decade-old judgment which fixed reservation for the marginalised and the poor in government jobs and educational institutions at 50% needs a relook. In the Indira Sawhney verdict of 1992, a nine-judge Bench of the court had …

GS-3 WHALE SHARK Recently, fishers in Odisha rescued a whale shark. Important points: Whale sharks are the largest shark, and indeed largest of any fishes alive today and they travel large distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size, and to reproduce. The whale shark is a ‘filter feeder shark’ which means it does not eat …

GS-3 MSME CREDIT HEALTH INDEX The latest MSME Credit Health Index indicates that MSME credit growth has accelerated in the quarter ending September 2020 as compared to the quarter ending in June 2020. The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECGLS) has helped in the credit growth for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) …

GS-2 RIGHTS OF OVERSEAS CITIZENS OF INDIA Recently, the government has notified a consolidated list of rights of the Overseas Citizens of India (OCI). The rights and restrictions are not new, they have been notified previously in 2005, 2007, and 2009. They were also mentioned in an OCI brochure published by the Ministry of …

GS-2 NEW RULE ON AIRBAGS The union government has passed a new notification making airbags compulsory for all vehicles in the country. The new notification is said to be a new safety feature and has been initiated on the advice of the Supreme Court of India. Details  The announcement is …

GS-3 AGROFORESTRY IN THE SILK SECTOR The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare signed a MoU with the Central Silk Board on a convergence model for the implementation of Agroforestry in the silk sector under the ongoing Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (SMAF) Scheme. About: This initiative in sericulture sector is especially …

GS-2 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY International Women’s Day 2021 is being celebrated on 8th of March with theme #ChooseToChallenge. It indicates that a “challenged world is an alert world, and from challenge comes change”. About: Date: International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. History: IWD has occurred for …

GS-2 SANAʽA A Saudi-led military coalition mounted air strikes on Yemen’s Houthi-controlled capital Sana’a after it intercepted 10 drones launched by the Iran-backed rebels. About: Sanaa also spelled Sanaʽa or Sana, is the largest city in Yemen. Under the Yemeni constitution, Sanaʽa is the capital of the country, although the …

GS-2 CHINESE DAM ON BRAHMAPUTRA A draft of China’s new Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), which is set to be formally approved on March 11, 2021, has given the green light for the first dams to be built on the lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo river, as the Brahmaputra is known in …

GS-2 JANAUSHADHI DIWAS 7th March 2019 to be celebrated as ‘Janaushadhi Diwas’ across India. As part of the celebrations, PM will interact with owners of Janaushadhi Kendras and beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) across the country.   About PMBJP: ‘Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana’ is a campaign launched by …

GS-1 CONSERVATION WORK OF SINGORGARH FORT LAUNCHED The President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, laid down the foundation stone for conservation works of Singorgarh Fort at the Singrampur village of Damoh district in Madhya Pradesh on March 7, 2021. Highlights On the occasion, the President also inaugurated the Jabalpur Circle …

GS-3  ‘MAITRI SETU’ The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, will inaugurate the ‘Maitri Setu’ between India and Bangladesh via video conferencing on March 9, 2021. He will also inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of several infrastructure projects in Tripura on the occasion. About ‘Maitri Setu’ The ‘Maitri Setu’ …

GS-3 BIJU PATNAIK The birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik was celebrated (5 March). He is remembered as a freedom fighter, an Indian politician, an aviator and a businessman. Brief Profile: Bijayananda Patnaik was born on 5 March 1916, he is popularly known as Biju Patnaik. He was an ace pilot …

GS-3 PENCH TIGER RESERVE Recently, a female cub of ‘man-eater’ tigress Avni has been released into the wild in the Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) of Maharashtra.  Important points: It is located in Nagpur District of Maharashtra and named after the pristine Pench River. The Penchriver flows right through the middle …

GS-3 DUMPING INERT WASTE IN ASOLA BHATTI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY The Supreme Court-mandated Ridge Management Board has decided to constitute an expert committee to look into the proposal of dumping inert (non-reactive) waste in the mines of Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary (Delhi). Inert Waste: Inert was te is waste which is …

GS-3 SOLID FUEL DUCTED RAMJET TECHNOLOGY The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has successfully conducted the test of the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology, which is crucial for the indigenous development of long range air-to-air missiles. Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) Technology: SFDR technology is a missile propulsion …

GS-2 QS WORLD SUBJECT RANKINGS 2021 25 programmes offered by higher education institutions in India ranked among the top 100 in the world in their respective subject categories, according to the latest edition(11th) of the QS World University Rankings by Subject. About the QS World Subject Rankings: Quacquarelli Symonds (QS): …

GS-2 ROAD TO GENDER INEQUALITY: UNDP Recently, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its latest report named “Protecting Women’s Livelihoods in Times of Pandemic: Temporary Basic Income and the Road to Gender Equality” has proposed a Temporary Basic Income (TBI) for poor women in developing countries. The proposal comes …

GS-2 INDIA – SWEDEN RELATIONS Indian Prime Minister held a Virtual Summit with the Prime Minister of Sweden to discuss bilateral issues and other regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest. The Summit provided an opportunity to discuss the international situation and response to the Covid-19 pandemic as well as …