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Context: The National Green Tribunal has ordered a stay on the Rs 41,000 crore Great Nicobar Island project and formed a committee to re-examine the environmental clearance granted. What is the National Green Tribunal? The National Green Tribunal, established in 2010, as per the National Green Tribunal Act is a specialised judicial body equipped with …
Read MoreContext: Major oil-producing countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, as well as Russia, have announced cuts in oil production that will start in May and last until the end of 2023. What is OPEC and OPEC+? OPEC was formed in 1960 and its 13 current member states hold more than 80% of …
Read MoreNews: The renowned Basohli Painting from Jammu’s Kathua district, known for its miniature art form, has received the Geographical Indication (GI) Tag. Jammu and Kashmir’s Basholi area is where Basholi paintings first appeared. It is a renowned school of tiny paintings distinguished by its intense, evocative hues, strong lines, and detailed facial patterns. It is …
Read MoreNews: Following an increase in seismic activity, residents of the higher slopes of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz volcano are being evacuated. The Andes Mountains of Colombia, South America, are home to the ice-covered stratovolcano known as Nevado del Ruiz. It is a stratovolcano made up of numerous layers of magma that alternate with pyroclastic rocks …
Read MoreNews: The deepest documented fish ever captured on camera was a snailfish that was swimming 8,336 metres below sea level near Japan. In the Izu-Ogasawara Trench near Japan, researchers dropped an autonomous “lander” camera to record the snailfish. The Izu-Ogasawara Trench is situated at the meeting point of the Pacific Plate and the Philippine Sea …
Read MoreNews: A comprehensive investigation into the effects of atmospheric pollution, including black carbon, on the Himalayan glacier system has recently been suggested by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources. Black carbon is the dark sooty substance released by fossil fuel-burning devices such as petrol and diesel engines, coal-fired power stations and other devices. It …
Read MoreNews: India will enter into a weaponry agreement with the US to purchase American weapons, such as Mark 54 anti-submarine torpedoes. The main anti-submarine warfare weapon used by U.S. Navy surface ships, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters is the Mark 54 Anti-Submarine Torpedo. It was created in conjunction with the US Navy by Raytheon Integrated Defense …
Read MoreContext: Farmers have innovated and shared seeds without any intellectual property rights (IPR) for centuries. They also haven’t sought exclusive rights over seeds and germplasm to prevent others from innovating on the seeds. However, with the emergence of the global IPR regime over plant varieties, there was a dire need to ‘open-source’ seeds. What are …
Read MoreContext: Recently, the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) issued a circular directly to banks, indicating that they can now levy charges on merchant transactions made through Prepaid Instrument wallets using UPI. After the information was leaked to the media, the NPCI issued a clarification stating that normal bank-to-bank UPI transactions will not be charged …
Read MoreNews: Next week will see the start of the India-US “Cope India” air drill. At the Kalaikunda airfield in West Bengal, an exercise with the US Air Force (USAF) will get underway. The Indian Air Force (IAF) and the United States Air Force are participating in a bilateral joint drill. (USAF). Cope India was founded …
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