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Bhutan becomes the seventh nation to graduate from the United Nations’ (UN) list of Least Developed Countries (LDC). What is a Least Developed Country (LDC)? The LDCs are developing countries listed by the UN that exhibit the lowest indicators of socioeconomic development. According to the UN, an LDC is defined as a country that exhibits …

The Supreme Court rejected some applications for ‘compassionate appointment’ that were filed by the dependents of deceased government employees in West Bengal. The concept of compassionate appointments can be traced to the Indian Constitution’s Article 39, which is under the Directive Principles of State Policy, and talks about the right to livelihood. …

Stepping up from its ongoing initiative of providing potable water on six islands of Lakshadweep using low temperature thermal desalination (LTTD) technology, the Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is working at making this process free of emissions. Key details: Currently, the desalination plants are powered by diesel generator sets — …

Australia’s High Commissioner visits Jarracharra: Dry Season Wind Exhibition of Australian Textiles at National Crafts Museum. ‘Jarracharra: Dry Season Wind’ exhibition is organized by Ministry of Textile and Australian High Commission It showcases a powerful collection of Aboriginal women’s textile art from the Maningrida region in Western Arnhem Land, Australia. This exhibition features women pushing artistic barriers to depict ancient …

In a historic step to make Lakhpati Didis from the Self Help Groups (SHGs), Ministry of Rural Development signs MoU with Ministry of Ayush for skilling of rural youth and empowering women Under the ‘Lakhpati Didi’ (Women with annual earnings of Rs. 1 lakh and more) scheme for women belonging to Self Help …

Minister of Power and New and Renewable Energy informed that under the scheme a total 2.86 crore households have been electrified. Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana – Saubhagya  was launched in 2017. Achieving universal household electrification, by providing electricity connections to all un-electrified households in rural areas and all poor households in urban areas in the country. …

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy informed the Lok Sabha about the progress of Atal Jyoti Yojana. Atal Jyoti Yojana (AJAY) is a sub-scheme under Off- Grid and Decentralized Solar Application Scheme. It comes under the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). Aim: Under AJAY, Solar LED Lights are being installed in rural, semi-urban and urban areas which don’t have adequate …

President of India presents President’s colour to INS Dronacharya. The President’s Colour Award is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any military unit of India. It is also known as ′Nishaan′ which is an emblem that is worn by all unit officers on the left-hand sleeve of their uniform. It is an acknowledgement of the unit’s meritorious service. While the practice …

The Finance Ministry has amended money laundering rules to incorporate more disclosures for non-governmental organisations by reporting entities like financial institutions, banking companies or intermediaries. PMLA Act Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 was enacted to fight against the criminal offence of legalizing the income/profits from an illegal source. The Prevention …

Two researchers from Tamil Nadu have spotted a rare moth species, Mimeusemia cylonica for the first time in India in the buffer zone of the Kalakkad–Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR) after it was last sighted 127 years ago — at Trincomalee in Sri Lanka in 1893. Mimeusemia ceylonica is a moth of the …

India Bags Golden & Silver Star at The International ‘Golden City Gate Tourism Awards 2023 at ITB, Berlin 2023. The Golden City Gate Tourism Multi-media Awards are given annually in various categories related to the Tourism and Hospitality sectors. The ‘Golden City Gate’ is a creative multi-media international competition for countries, cities, regions and hotels. The Golden City Gate is the creative and innovative expression of …

The Indonesian government is in the process of leaving, moving Indonesia’s capital to the island of Borneo Jakarta is home to about 10 million people and three times that number in the greater metropolitan area. It has been described as the world’s most rapidly sinking city, and at the current rate, it is estimated that one-third …

NASA announced that it is partnering with the Italian Space Agency ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana) to build and launch MAIA, or the Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols missions. The joint mission will investigate the health impacts of air pollution in the world’s most populated cities. MAIA will make radiometric and polarimetric measurements needed to characterize the sizes, compositions and quantities of particulate matter in air …

Australian Prime Minister announced an ‘Australia-India education qualification recognition mechanism’. Degrees obtained in Australia will now be recognised in India, and, vice-versa, degrees obtained in India will be recognised in Australia. The Deakin University: Geelong’s Deakin University will be the first overseas university to open its branch campus in India. Geelong’s Deakin University will be the first ever foreign university …

For well over a century, the Kodaikanal Solar Observatory (KoSO) has been observing the Sun, capturing images of sunspots, and recording changes in its behaviour. KoSO is owned and operated by Indian Institute of Astrophysics. It is one of the world’s oldest observatories studying the Sun. The idea was first proposed by the astronomer Norman Pogson, …

The Delhi High Court stayed the pruning of over 800 trees in the city and set aside an order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), observing that a more detailed assessment needs to be carried out before trees are trimmed. General guidelines for the pruning and felling of trees …

Last December, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan spoke of the need “to repopulate vast unoccupied areas, located even far away from the last villages of the state towards the border” and emphasised the importance of promoting border tourism in such areas. The Government of India has made unprecedented …

Early February, a group of saffron-clad Buddhist monks gathered near the Sri Lankan Parliament and burnt a copy of the 13th Amendment. They were registering their rage and protest after President Ranil Wickremesinghe vowed to implement the law in full. He had told an all-party conference that it was his …

AI is the digital distillation of a technological revolution that is facilitating the long-overdue evolution of the human mind. AI, as fear-inducing as anything disruptive and new is, can trigger new avenues of intelligence in human minds. These new avenues enable us to understand and attack society’s greatest challenges today. …

In a park, a group of three-year-old children are playing together, with their mothers watching. One toddler, Arun, is off to the side, looking up at the trees and squinting at the light. His mother calls several times but he does not respond. He doesn’t seem interested in the other …