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Justice delayed is justice denied’ is a statement often used in the context of judicial cases that have been or are pending for long in courts of law. There could be several factors responsible for such a situation to arise. These include the complex nature of cases; a lack of …

Map Reading: English Channel

A determined battle by environmentalists in the Supreme Court of India against Delhi University’s genetically modified (GM) herbicide-tolerant (HT) mustard is all that stands between GM food and Indian farmers and consumers. GM crops are quite different from conventional varieties and hybrids, such as those developed by farmers, agricultural research …

The NOTA (none of the above) option will, hereafter, be a part of the electronic voting machines for urban local bodies (ULBs) in Tamil Nadu. This has been made possible by the State Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department through a notification issued in April. With this, the State …

The news that the Union Cabinet has approved the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill and will table it in the monsoon session of Parliament raises certain issues. The draft Bill was placed in the public domain in December 2022 but the final Bill has not been placed before the public. …

U.S. hands over 105 antiquities to India following agreement The countries had agreed to work towards preventing illegal trafficking of cultural artefacts during P.M’s state visit to the U.S. last month. The United States on Monday handed over 105 trafficked antiquities to India. India and the U.S. have also agreed to …

NITI Aayog is releasing the third edition of Export Preparedness Index (EPI) for States/UTs of India for the year 2022. Report Highlights The report discusses India’s export performance amid the prevailing global trade context in FY22, followed by an overview of the country’s sector-specific export performance. The report further highlights …

The Ministry of Steel has written to the Finance Ministry asking it to look at the possibility of levying customs duty on Chinese stainless steel shipments coming into India. Such a duty will benefit the domestic stainless steel industry which has been badly hit by such imports and is “facing …

One more cheetah has been found dead in the Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh, The fifth adult to have died since 20 of the beasts were translocated from Namibia and South Africa a year ago. The latest death of the cheetah, named Surya, comes two days after Tejas, was found …

To emphasise India’s commitment to the SCO, India dwelt on the political, economic and cultural initiatives the country had taken and the 134 meetings and events which it had convened during its SCO presidency. China’s acts as reason China’s actions towards India in 2020 and the evolving international order have …

The latest Consumer Price Index data showing a resurgence in retail inflation proves exactly why the RBI’s monetary authorities have reiterated the need to keep the policy approach firmly tilted towards ensuring price stability. CPI-based provisional inflation With food prices becoming unmoored and spiralling up, June’s CPI-based provisional inflation reading …

Semi-high-speed trains operating at an average speed of 125 km per hour will be able to cover the approximately 420-km Thiruvananthapuram-Kannur distance in three-and-a-half hours through standard gauge tracks in another six years The trains would be able to attain a maximum speed of 200 kmph and would halt at …

Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation Limited (TTDC) plans to allow tourism in the eco-sensitive area surrounding Pakkasuran Malai, a hill near Coonoor. Ecotourism Ecotourism is now defined as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education”. Principles …

Union Environment Minister planted mangrove saplings at Kovalam as part of the Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Incomes (MISHTI) programme. The plantation drive is the part of ongoing “ Hariyali Mahotsav ” with a particular focus of Mangroves. The Centre launched the programme recently to take up mangrove …

Imposition of President’s Rule in Manipur and creation of a separate administration for tribals were among the key demands from tribal leaders who met Union Home Minister recently. What is President’s Rule? President’s Rule refers to the suspension of a state government and the imposition of direct rule of the Centre. The central …

India’s External Affairs Minister is in Cape Town, South Africa, to attend a meeting of the foreign ministers of BRICS. The foreign ministers’ meeting will finalise the agenda for the 15th BRICS summit scheduled to be held in South Africa this year. The theme of BRICS 2023 is: “BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, …

A successful training launch of a Medium-Range Ballistic Missile, Agni-1 was carried out by the Strategic Forces Command from APJ Abdul Kalam Island, Odisha recently. Agni-1 ballistic missile The word “Agni” means fire. The medium-range Agni-1 ballistic missile has a strike range of over 700 kilometres and weighs around 12,000 kilograms. It is also capable of …

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu clashed over Mekedatu project What is the Mekedatu project? The Mekedatu dam project is located in Ramanagaram district about 100 km south of Bengaluru (Karnataka), close to where the Cauvery enters Tamil Nadu. Mekedatu is a multipurpose balancing reservoir project focussing on the generation of electricity and supply of drinking water in the …

Encroachment pushes Himalayan brown bears into Kashmir’s villages The Himalayan brown bear is also known as the Himalayan red bear, isabelline bear or Dzu-The. It is a subspecies of the brown bear occurring in the western Himalayas. It is the largest mammal in the region. It is omnivorous and hibernates in dens during the winter. Distribution The Himalayan brown bear occurs in the western Himalayas from northeastern Pakistan …

SEBI floated a consultation paper mandating additional disclosure norms from high-risk foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) that have either concentrated single group exposures and/ or significant overall holdings in their India equity investment portfolio. There is a need for additional disclosures for certain types of FPIs in order to have greater investor protection, and …