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Aircraft lessors (in the Go First Airlines case) sought deregistration and repossession of 20 aircraft leased to the Wadia Group airline by filing applications with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) using their Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA). Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation, or IDERA, empowers lessors to get their …

The Prime Minister has praised the initiative by Border Roads Organisation Project Dantak to commemorate 64th Raising Day. Project DANTAK is commemorating its Diamond Jubilee in Bhutan. Project DANTAK was established on April 24, 1961 by the Third King of Bhutan and then Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. DANTAK was tasked to construct the pioneering motorable roads in Bhutan. Over the years, …

Context: The ongoing violence between the Kuki-Zomi tribals and the largely Hindu Meiteis in Manipur is the first time in three decades that the state has witnessed direct clashes between two ethnic groups. The Manipur valley is encircled by skirts of low hills that spread into Nagaland and Mizoram. In these hill areas live 15 Naga tribes and the Chin-Kuki-Mizo-Zomi …

India recorded the second highest number of attacks on defenders protesting harmful business practices in 2022, according to a new report. The report is prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), an international non-profit. India saw 54 such incidents of attacks, which is lower only than Brazil’s record of 63. India’s Jindal Steel Ltd (JSW) …

Delhi’s first ‘Haunted Heritage Walk’ to kick off from Malcha Mahal. Organized by Delhi Tourism department. Among the other sites that the walk will cover include: Bhooli Bhatiyari ka Mahal, Feroze Shah Kotla and the Tughlaqabad Fort. Aim: The Tourism department is identifying “haunted” sites in the national capital to conduct heritage walks. A detailed plan on …

The Centre ordered that public broadcaster, previously known as All India Radio (AIR), be exclusively referred to as Akashvani in all broadcasts and programmes. Previously, the two names were used interchangeably. Guglielmo Marconi sent out the first radio transmission in 1895. In India, the Radio Club of Bombay sent out the first commercial transmission in 1923. The Calcutta Radio Club was …

With the situation worsening in violence-hit Manipur, the state government authorised all District Magistrates to issue “shoot at sight orders” in “extreme cases”. A shoot-at-sight or firing order may be passed in terms of the statutory powers relating to the arrest or prevention of offences or for disbanding unlawful assemblies under the CrPC, 1973. Section 144 of the CrPC enables …

Secretary, the Ministry of MSME presided over BizAmp, an outreach programme organized by the Ministry of MSME. It was organized in association with NSIC Venture Capital Fund Limited (NVCFL) under its Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund. Aim: The programme, aimed at empowering MSMEs from the North Eastern States and amplifying their businesses utilizing benefits under SRI Fund. BizAmp is the first …

The penumbral lunar eclipse happened recently. A penumbral lunar eclipse is a celestial event that occurs when the moon passes through the outer part of the Earth’s shadow, known as the penumbra. Although it is not as visually striking as a total or partial lunar eclipse. During a penumbral lunar eclipse, the alignment of the Earth, Moon, …

Go Airlines (India) Ltd (Go First) said that it was filing for voluntary insolvency proceedings with the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) What is insolvency? Insolvency is a state of financial distress for an individual or company. It occurs when that entity is no longer able to meet the financial obligations they have agreed upon with …

Odisha is preparing for the first cyclone of 2023, Cyclone Mocha. It is expected to form over the Bay of Bengal. Odisha is particularly vulnerable to cyclones. The 1999 super cyclone that hit Odisha was one of the deadliest natural disasters in Indian history. The cyclone made landfall with wind speeds of up to 260 kmph, causing massive destruction and claiming …

A new portal dedicated to leopards (Panthera pardus) was launched by a predator conservation working group, on International Leopard Day, 2023 to promote and celebrate leopards worldwide. The leopard is one of the five extant species in the genus Panthera. It is a member of the cat family, Felidae. Range: Sub-Saharan Africa Western and …

The Supreme Court agreed to take up Muslim women’s petitions challenging the validity of talaq-e-hasan under the Muslim personal law. What is Talaq-e-Hasan? In Islam, Talaq-e-Hasan is an extra-judicial form of divorce that can be practised by men. Under Muslim personal laws, this form of divorce is revocable. Talaq-e-Hasan is considered to be approved by …

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in its latest update revealed that among the 1,47,517 listed animal species, 41,459 are threatened with extinction including the King Cobra. The reptile is a threatened species in India and was added to the Red List over a decade ago, in 2011. The Agumbe Rainforest Research Station (ARRS) has …

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard seized a Panamanian-flagged oil tanker in the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Key details: The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Arabian Gulf to the open ocean. It is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points. …

An investigation revealed that more than half — 16 — of India’s 30 national sports federations do not have an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), a legal requirement under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act, 2013. As many as 16 of the 30 national sports federations of disciplines in which India has …

In the past decade, debt-for-climate swaps have grown relatively popular among low- and middle-income countries. Debt-for-climate swaps allow countries to reduce their debt obligations in exchange for a commitment to finance domestic climate projects with the freed-up financial resources. It was introduced as a debt restructuring device that aims to combat climate change by ensuring that debt-ridden countries do …

A government panel that looked into allegations of sexual harassment by some of the nation’s top wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India chief found that there was no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), as mandated by law under the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act. As many as 16 of the …

An India Habitat Trust team is conducting a survey of the critically-endangered grassland species Bengal Florican at Dudhwa National Park. The Bengal florican: It has not been spotted for last few years now indicating a fall in numbers or extinction. The Bengal florican  also called the Bengal bustard, is a bustard species. It is native to the Indian subcontinent, Cambodia, …

India slips in press freedom index, ranks 161 out of 180 nations In 2022, India was ranked at 150. Comparison with neighbours: In comparison, Pakistan has fared better when it comes to media freedom as it was placed at 150. Sri Lanka also made significant improvement on the index, ranking 135th this year as against 146th in 2022. Norway, Ireland and Denmark occupied the top …