What does the direction state? The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas issued directions to oil marketing companies in February 2019, to sell 10% ethanol blended petrol in all states and union territories (except Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep) from April 1, 2019. The central government may modify the areas and the percentage of ethanol blending, and specify the period for the same. Read More...
What is Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission? In Feb 2019 Department of Biotech announced key mission at the foundation day ceremony including Atal Jai Anusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI), which is expected to transform Health, Agriculture and Energy sectors during the next 5 years. This mission includes: GARBH-ini → A Mission to promote Maternal and Child Health and develop prediction tools for pre-term berth, it builds upon a 2015 progra... Read More...
What is Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS)? Discuss with objectives. Impactful Policy Research in Social Science (IMPRESS) aims to encourage social science research in policy relevant areas so as to provide vital inputs in policy-formulation, implementation and evaluation. The IMPRESS is an initiative of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India and is being implemented by the Indian Council of Social Science Research. The scheme was sanctioned in August 2018 at a total cost of Rs.414 Cr for implementation up to 31.3.202... Read More...
Q. Why in news? A. The government promulgated an ordinance to amend the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) whereby fresh insolvency proceedings will not be initiated for at least six months starting from March 25 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Q. What is insolvency and bankruptcy? A. Insolvency is a situation where individuals or com... Read More...
What is the purpose Higher Education Financing Agency? How it plans to mobilise funds? The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of the Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) to give a major push for creation of high quality infrastructure in premier educational institutions and to fund projects to the tune of Rs. 100,000 crore by 2022. The HEFA would be jointly promoted by the identified Promoter and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) with an authorised capital of Rs. 2,000 crore. The Government equity would be Rs. 1,000 crore. The HEFA would be formed as a SPV within a PSU Bank/ Government-owned-NBFC (Promoter) ... Read More...
What is NAP? The scheme titled National Afforestation Programme (NAP) has been formulated by merger of four 9th Plan centrally sponsored afforestation schemes of the Ministry of Environment & Forests. The Scheme will be operated by the National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board, Ministry of Environment and Forests as a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme. The overall objective of the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme is ecological restoration of degraded forests and to develop the forest resources with peoples’ participation, with focus on improv... Read More...
What is the news? The National Tiger Conservation Authority in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India has published a document titled “Connecting Tiger Populations for Long-term Conservation”, which has mapped out 32 major corridors across the country, management interventions for which are operationalized through a Tiger Conservation Plan, mandated under section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. What are these Tiger corridors? A tiger corridor is a stretch of land linking tiger hab... Read More...
What is 'Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP)' finalised and released by HRD Ministry? Mention it’s main focus areas. In accordance with the decision of the Prime Minister for finalizing a five-year vision plan for each Ministry, the Department of Higher Education of HRD Ministry has finalized and released a five-year vision plan named Education Quality Upgradation and Inclusion Programme (EQUIP). EQUIP is a vision plan aiming at ushering transformation in India’s higher education system by implementing strateg... Read More...
Why is Toll Operate Transfer (TOT) model for monetising highways amended? The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways approved certain changes in the Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) model for monetising National Highways. In August 2016, the Union Cabinet had authorised the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to monetise certain public funded National Highway projects. The revenue generated from this monetisation would be utilised by the central government for the future development, ... Read More...
What is Hong Kong International Convention, 2009? Discuss the merits of India's decision of accession to the Hong Kong International Convention in 2019? The Hong Kong International Convention, 2009 is for the safe and environmentally sound recycling of ships. It has not yet entered into force. The convention has been designed to try to improve the health and safety of current ship breaking practices. The Hong Kong Convention recognised that ship recycling is the most environmentally sound way to dispose of a ship at the end of its life, as most of the ship’s materials can be reused. The Unio... Read More...
What is the magnitude of current global refuge crisis? According to the UN, by the end of 2018, there were around 70.8 million people around the world who had left their home countries because of conflict and persecution. Of these 70.8 million, roughly 30 million are refugees. Globally, more two-thirds of all refugees come from five countries: Syria (6.7 million), Afghanistan (2.7 million), South Sudan (2.3 million), Myanmar (1.1 million), and Somalia (0.9 million). According to the UN’s Global Trends report released in June 2019 this year, there are 37,000 new di... Read More...
What is Scheme for Transformational and Advanced Research in Sciences (STARS)? National Science Day 2019 celebrated on February 28 in memory of Indian scientists and Nobel laureate Sir CV Raman saw yet another scheme launched by the Union Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry called STARS’ or Scheme for Translational and Advanced Research in Science. It is a Rs 250 crore scheme to fund science projects. STARS is taken up for promoting tr... Read More...
Why in news? Recent report titled “Global Social Mobility Report 2020: Equality, Opportunity and a New Economic Imperative” by world economic Forum(WEF) has held that for India ,“It will take 7 generations for India’s poor to reach mean income”. What is Global Social Mobility Repor... Read More...
What is ISFR 2019? India State of Forest Report (ISFR) is Biennial report published by the Forest Survey of India (FSI) which has been mandated to assess the forest and tree resources of the country including wall-to-wall forest cover mapping in a biennial cycle. Starting 1987, 16 assessment have been completed so far. ISFR 2019 is the 16th report in the series. What are the major findings of the report? According to ISFR 2019 the total forest and tree cover of the country is 80.73 million hectare which is 24.56 per... Read More...
What are Shola forest? Shola forests are tropical Montane forests found in the valleys separated by rolling grasslands and only in the higher elevations. They occur only in the valleys where there is least reach of the fog and mist. Why they are Unique? In general, mo... Read More...
Discuss the chronology of Iran’s nuclear programme along with the nuclear deal: Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). After rising tensions with USA Iran said it would abandon limitations on enriching uranium, refusing to adhere to the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with six major powers, but would continue to cooperate with the UN nuclear watchdog. The E3 group of countries, Britain, France, and Germany have subsequently called on Tehran to resume its commitments under the deal. Iran’s announcemen... Read More...
What is The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed by Parliament all about? The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by Parliament. The Bill amends provisions related to reservation of seats for Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The Constitution provides for reservation of seats for SCs and STs and representation of the Anglo-Indian community by nomination, in Lok Sabha and Legislative Assemblies of states. This has been extended every ten years so far and will expire on January 25, 2020. The Bill seeks to extend the reservation for... Read More...
Why in news? In a significant first, India piloted resolution on Sustainable Nitrogen management at the fourth session of United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) which was held in Nairobi March 2019. Why does nitrogen matter so much? Nitrogen plays significant role on our planet. Without nitrogen there would be no life on earth – no chlorophyll, no hemoglobin, no plants or animals. Carbon provides the basic skeleton of organic matter but nitrogen allows that matter to take on different forms and roles. Amin... Read More...
What ? A composite indicator which provides a reflection of national social health.It is a feature of the World of Work Report (by ILO) since 2011. It measures the frequency of events that create unrest, like demonstrations and strikes. There was an increase in both at the global level and in 7 out of 11 regions between 2009 and 2019. How is it measured? ... Read More...
Why in new? The government has amended the minimum land requirement from 500 to 50 hectares and categorization of special economic zones. The new rules will now enable co-existence of any SEZ from any sector with others. The steps may help unlock the potential of SEZs to attract investments and boost exports. What is a special economic zone? Read More...