Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the Reserve Bank of India released Draft Reserve Bank of India (Government Securities Lending) Directions, 2023. The RBI proposed introduction of securities lending and borrowing in Government Securities (G-sec) with an aim to facilitate wider participation in the securities lending market by providing investors an avenue to deploy idle securities and enhance portfolio returns. Q. What are the Draft Norms? A. ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the Supreme Court has ruled that children have the right to protect their genetic information from being revealed in Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)Tests without their consent. The judgment came in a petition filed by a man who questioned his second child’s paternity while accusing his wife of an adulterous relationship. The apex court concluded on the facts of the case that no adverse inference could be drawn on the ground that the mother declined to subject the child to a paternity test. ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. With climate change, Deforestation has become a critically sensitive issue globally in recent years, making imperative for Forest Certification to regulate the entry and sale of forest-based products. At the Glasgow climate meeting in 2021, more than 100 countries made a pledge to stop, and start reversing, deforestation by 2030. Q. What is Forest Certification? A. Need: Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. At the launch of the ‘Har Payment Digital’ mission during the Digital Payments Awareness Week (DPAW) 2023, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has launched a programme to adopt 75 villages and convert them into digital payment enabled villages in observance of 75 years of independence. Q. What is this Initiative? A. About & Aim: Under the initiative, Payment System Operators (PSOs) will adopt thes... Read More...
Q. Why is this News? A. SWAMIH (Special Window for Affordable and Mid-Income Housing) Investment Fund has completed 20,557 homes since inception in 2019. It is India’s largest social impact fund specifically formed for completing stressed and stalled residential projects. Q. What is the SWAMIH Investment Fund? A. About: It is a government backed fund, set up as a Category-II AIF (Alternate Investment Fund) debt fund registered with ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Bureau of India Standards (BIS) has prohibited the sale of hallmarked gold jewelry or gold artefacts without 6-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification Number (HUID) after 31st March 2023. However, Hallmarked jewelry lying with consumers as per old schemes shall remain valid. Earlier, the old hallmarked jewelry with 4 marks without HUID was also permitted to be sold by the jewelers along with the 6-digit HUID mark. Q. What is Hallmarking? A. About: Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will soon come up with the Digital India Act, 2023 which will replace the Information Technology Act (IT Act) of 2000. The Indian parliament plans to implement the Digital India Act alongside the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022, proposed in November 2022, where the two legislations will work in tandem with each other. Q. What is the Need for a New Act? A. Since the IT Act of 2000... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recent studies on Himalayan glaciers show that the variability in retreat rate and mass balance in different sectors of the mountain range is primarily linked to topography and climate. However, variable retreat rates of glaciers and inadequate supporting field data make it challenging to develop a coherent picture of climate change impact. Q. What are the Factors Influence Glacial Dynamics? A. ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. An Army court has recommended life imprisonment for a Captain involved in the staged killings of three men at Amshipora in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian district in 2020. The sentence will be final after it is confirmed by the Northern Army Commander. The Captain was court-martialled after a Court of Inquiry (CoI) and subsequent summary of evidence found that troops under his command had exceeded their powers under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Q. What is the Pr... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide, with coronary heart disease being a major concern among researchers. Q. What is Coronary Heart Disease? A. About: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is a condition in which the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood become narrow due to the buildup of fatty deposits (plaques) inside the arteries. ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has been facing allegations of irregularities in its functioning. Q. What is NAAC? A. About: Established in 1994, it is an autonomous body under the University Grants Commission (UGC) responsible for assessing the quality of higher educational institutions in India. Functions of NAAC: Throug... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the UN (United Nations) members agreed on a High Seas Treaty to ensure the protection and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction. It was agreed during talks led by the UN during the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) in New York, the US. The treaty is yet to be formally adopted as members are yet to ratify it. Once adopted, the treaty will be legally bi... Read More...
Q What is the context ? A There has been debate on the issue of MSP with some arguing against it while some favouring it. Q What are issues with MSP ? A The broad strands of argument against MSP are: MSP hinders the price discovery: Providing MSP does not allow the market to discover the prices; if market cleared prices are less than MSP, then the only buyer would be the government; this would render the government bankrupt. FPO as a mechanism to deal with markets: If markets have any distort... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. The Supreme Court of India rejected a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) regarding menstrual leave for workers and students across the country. The court called it a policy matter and pointed out that menstrual pain leave has different dimensions and may also act as a disincentive for employers from engaging female employees. Q. What Kind of Menstrual Leave Policies are in Place Globally? A. About: Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. A new study suggests that blue food sourced from aquatic environments can help reduce nutritional deficiencies and contribute to employment and export revenue in India. Q. What is Blue Food? A. About: Blue food is food derived from aquatic animals, plants or algae that are caught or cultivated in freshwater and marine environments. Si... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news? A. 20 Russian banks have opened Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVA) with partner banks in India for the settlement of payments in rupee for trade between India and Russia. Also, all major domestic banks have listed their nodal officers to sort out issues faced by exporters under the arrangement. Q. What is the Background? A. In July 2022, the RBI had unveiled a mechanism to settle international transactions in rupee to promote the growth of global trade, w... Read More...
Q What is Collegium System? A The Collegium of judges is the Indian Supreme Court’s invention. It does not figure in the Constitution, which says judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts are appointed by the President and speaks of a process of consultation. In effect, it is a system under which judges are appointed by an institution comprising judges. After some judges were superseded in the appointment of the CJI in the 1970s, and attempts made subsequently to effect a mass transfer of High Court judges across the country. Hence there was a perception that the indepen... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. Recently, the Supreme Court (SC) observed that there is a growing consensus around hate speech and stressed there is no scope for hate crimes on the basis of religion in a secular country like India. And, it is the primary duty of the State to protect citizens from hate crimes. Q. What are Hate Crimes? A. About: Hate crimes refer to violent or... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. The recent data presented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) revealed that the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is currently functioning with less than 50% of its sanctioned strength. Q. What is the NCST? A. Formation: NCST was set up in 2004 by amending Article 338 and by inserting a new article 338A in the Constitution through the 89th&... Read More...
Q. Why is this in news? A. The Supreme Court has launched an online portal that will help citizens file and access applications under the Right to Information (RTI) Act in matters related to the court. Q. What is the online RTI portal? A. The online RTI portal has been initiated to make it convenient for people to access information about the Supreme Court. So far, RTI applications at the Supreme Court had to be filed only via post. Various public interest litigation (PILs) had been filed before the Supreme Court seeking an online RTI po... Read More...