Category: Test 1

Rise in obesity, vision-related issues in Indian schoolchildren, says study A report titled “Enhancing the Effectiveness and Impact of Schools: Insights from School Health Screening Program” has noted that obesity, vision and dental issues are the major health problems faced by school-going children across India. The report has been published by Jarma Wellness, an organisation… Continue reading Rise in obesity, vision-related issues in Indian schoolchildren, says study

Promotion & protection of ancient Indian Languages is need of the hour: Vice President The Vice President of India has conferred around 100 ‘President’s Certificate of Honour’ and ‘Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman’ Awards on scholars in Classical Languages for the years 2016,2017 and 2018. Maharshi Badrayan Vyas Samman were introduced in the year 2002.It is… Continue reading Promotion & protection of ancient Indian Languages is need of the hour: Vice President

NuGen Mobility Summit 2019 The International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) will organize a NuGen Mobility Summit, 2019 at Manesar, NCR from 27th to 29th November 2019. The objective of the Summit is to (a)share new ideas (b)learnings (c)global experiences (d)innovations and (e)future technology trends for faster adoption, assimilation and development of advanced automotive technologies… Continue reading NuGen Mobility Summit 2019

Election Commission to SC: Taken steps to curb criminalisation of politics The Election Commission (EC) has told the Supreme Court that it has taken measures to curb criminalization of politics. Criminalization of politics means the rising participation of criminals and people facing criminal charges in politics. EC’s response in Supreme Court comes in the backdrop… Continue reading Election Commission to SC: Taken steps to curb criminalisation of politics

Time to push for a sustainable food system, say scientists At a recent event organised in New Delhi, EAT- Lancet Commission has launched Eat-Lancet Report-India. The event was organised by FSSAI with the support of Tasting India and Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN). The Eat-Lancet Report was first launched in Oslo, Norway in January,… Continue reading Time to push for a sustainable food system, say scientists

18 Advance Pricing Agreements signed in March: CBDT The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has entered into 18 Advance Pricing Agreement(APAs) in the month of March 2019 which includes 3 Bilateral APAs(BAPAs).With this, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT as of now stands at 271,which also includes 31 BAPAs. APA… Continue reading 18 Advance Pricing Agreements signed in March: CBDT

Health Ministry forms a Solidarity Human Chain; reaffirms commitment towards Universal Health Care Recently, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI along with the World Health Organization (WHO) had formed a Solidarity Human Chain as part of the World Health Day celebrations. The theme of World Health Day 2019 is Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere.… Continue reading Health Ministry forms a Solidarity Human Chain; reaffirms commitment towards Universal Health Care

SC agrees to hear plea challenging release of Modi biopic The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a plea seeking a stay on the release of the biopic “PM Narendra Modi”. The opposition parties have alleged that the release of the film ahead of elections would violate the Model Code of Conduct. The film has… Continue reading SC agrees to hear plea challenging release of Modi biopic

EC inquiry against Meghalaya Minister The Election Commission has initiated an inquiry into alleged violation of model code of conduct by a Meghalaya Minister. He had used an official vehicle for election campaigning. According to the Model Code of Conduct, no government transport including official air-crafts, vehicles etc. should be used for electioneering work. Model… Continue reading EC inquiry against Meghalaya Minister

RBI cuts repo rate to 6%, lowers GDP forecast to 7.2% The six-member Monetary Policy Committee of the Reserve Bank of India has cut its benchmark policy rate, repo rate by 0.25% to 6%. Repo stands for ‘Repurchasing Option’. It refers to the rate at which commercial banks borrow money from the RBI. The rate… Continue reading RBI cuts repo rate to 6%, lowers GDP forecast to 7.2%

UAE confers prestigious Zayed Medal on Narendra Modi The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has awarded Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the Zayed Medal, the highest civilian award granted by its government. PM Modi has received the award in appreciation of his efforts in maintaining strategic ties with UAE. UAE-India relations got momentum after Prime… Continue reading UAE confers prestigious Zayed Medal on Narendra Modi

SC rejects Christian body’s plea to defer elections The Supreme Court has refused to hear an urgent plea by a Christian body seeking rescheduling of the Lok Sabha polling date in Tamil Nadu. The petition had said that the scheduled date of polling for the Lok Sabha election in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry falls during… Continue reading SC rejects Christian body’s plea to defer elections

Brunei’s LGBT community lives in fear Brunei has introduced a new sharia law that makes adultery and homosexuality punishable by stoning to death. It makes Brunei the first country in Southeast Asia to have a sharia penal code at the national level. The new law mostly applies to Muslims though some aspects will also apply… Continue reading Brunei’s LGBT community lives in fear

In SC, govt. defends electoral bonds The Government has opposed in the Supreme Court on the concerns raised by the Election Commission on issuing electoral bonds. Earlier, the Election Commission of India had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court. It said that the introduction of electoral bonds and the removal of the cap on… Continue reading In SC, govt. defends electoral bonds

Linking small loans to external benchmark after further talks The Reserve Bank has said that it will hold further discussions with banks on linking interest rates on personal, home, auto and MSME loans with the external benchmark rates. In December 2018, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had proposed a major change in the way banks… Continue reading Linking small loans to external benchmark after further talks

Stressed assets circular to be revised soon The RBI governor has said that Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will issue a revised circular for resolution of stressed assets following the Supreme Court verdict striking down its February 12,2018 circular as ultra vires which means that the RBI had gone beyond its powers in issuing the… Continue reading Stressed assets circular to be revised soon

In the name of transparency, we cannot destroy institution of judiciary, says CJI The Supreme Court has reserved its verdict in a case whether the Chief Justice of India’s (CJI) office is covered under the purview of the Right to Information Act (RTI). The Supreme Court was hearing a plea filed by the Supreme Court… Continue reading In the name of transparency, we cannot destroy institution of judiciary, says CJI

Starting May, ISRO to launch a string of ‘defence’ satellite The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is expected to launch a number strategic earth observation (EO) satellites in 2019-2020. The satellites which are expected to be launched are: a) RISAT-2B, b) Cartosat-3, c) RISAT-2BR1, d) GISAT-1(ne series), e) RISAT-2BR2, f) GISAT-2, g) RISAT-1A, and h)… Continue reading Starting May, ISRO to launch a string of ‘defence’ satellite

Manufacturing PMI at 6-month low According to Nikkei India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data, manufacturing activity has slowed to a six-month low of 52.6 in March due to lower levels of new orders and production. PMI or a Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is an indicator of business activity — both in the manufacturing and… Continue reading Manufacturing PMI at 6-month low

Jaitley rules out rethink on special status Union Finance Minister has said that it is not possible to give Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh as 14th Finance Commission had removed the granting of SCS to any State. Further, he said that special financial package given to Andhra Pradesh was similar to the Special… Continue reading Jaitley rules out rethink on special status

Pakistan airspace closure hits Afghan, Kazakh, Russian airlines The closure of Pakistan’s airspace, since the Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes in Balakot has affected international flights to and from India. The worst affected are airlines from West and Central Asia as their proximity to India and Pakistan means that they have to now take a… Continue reading Pakistan airspace closure hits Afghan, Kazakh, Russian airlines

Pakistan could be blacklisted by FATF due to ‘lobbying by India’, says Qureshi Pakistan foreign minister has said that Pakistan could be blacklisted by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) due to lobbying by India. He estimated that Pakistan could suffer $10 billion loss annually if it remains on the FATF grey list. In June… Continue reading Pakistan could be blacklisted by FATF due to ‘lobbying by India’, says Qureshi

AFSPA ‘disturbed area’ tag extended for 3 Arunachal districts, withdrawn from 3 others The Union Government has extended the “disturbed area” tag under Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) for three districts of Arunachal Pradesh for another six months, while withdrawing it partly from three other districts bordering Assam. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act… Continue reading AFSPA ‘disturbed area’ tag extended for 3 Arunachal districts, withdrawn from 3 others

12 NCR districts, Agra switch to BS-VI fuel According to Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), supply of ultra-clean BS-VI grade petrol and diesel has begun in cities adjoining Delhi. In April 2018, Delhi became the first city in the country to switch from BS-IV grade petrol and diesel to BS-VI fuels. Further, cities in the national… Continue reading 12 NCR districts, Agra switch to BS-VI fuel

Enzyme to arrest bacteria cell growth discovered Scientists at the Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) have discovered a new enzyme which helps in breaking cell walls of bacteria. The study has been published in the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA. The discovery could help in providing new antibiotic drugs to combat anti-bacterial… Continue reading Enzyme to arrest bacteria cell growth discovered

Third Edition of Bilateral Maritime Exercise between Royal Australian and Indian Navies – AUSINDEX-19 set to begin The third edition of AUSINDEX (Australia India Exercise) has commenced off the coast of Vishakhapatnam. AUSINDEX is a biennial bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The focus of the 3rdAUSINDEX is on anti-submarine… Continue reading Third Edition of Bilateral Maritime Exercise between Royal Australian and Indian Navies – AUSINDEX-19 set to begin

EC pulls up Railways, AI over model code The Election Commission (EC) has expressed displeasure over the lackadaisical approach of Air India and the Railways in enforcing the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Earlier in March, the EC had issued a show cause notice to the Railways and Civil Aviation ministries over the use of… Continue reading EC pulls up Railways, AI over model code

Poll panel steps in to allow launch of book on Rafale deal An election flying squad had stayed the release of a book on the Rafale aircraft deal titled Nattai Ulukkum Rafale Bera Oozhal (The Rafale scam that is rocking the country), and seized its copies. Officials said that the release of the book was… Continue reading Poll panel steps in to allow launch of book on Rafale deal

India space debris may have doubled after Mission Shakti The NASA has criticised India’s Mission Shakti, the anti-satellite missile test. The Mission was carried out by shooting down Microsat-R, an Indian imaging satellite. NASA stated that the anti-satellite missile test has endangered the International Space Station (ISS) and led to the creation of nearly 400… Continue reading India space debris may have doubled after Mission Shakti

LS polls: EC ropes in community radio stations to educate voters The Election Commission has organised a workshop for training and capacity building of the community radios for voter education and awareness. The workshop was organised under the EC’s Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation(SVEEP) programme. Further, Community radio stations have assured the EC to… Continue reading LS polls: EC ropes in community radio stations to educate voters

Call for poll boycott in Mizoram An umbrella organisation of major civil societies and student associations in Mizoram have decided to boycott the April 11 election to the lone Mizoram Lok Sabha seat and organise a State-wide indefinite bandh from April 8. This decision was taken after the Election Commission of India has decided to… Continue reading Call for poll boycott in Mizoram

Facebook purges pages for ‘coordinated’ fake behaviour Facebook has announced that it has removed over 700 pages, groups and accounts from India. The accounts taken down includes those which are associated with different political parties. Facebook said it has removed these accounts after detecting coordinated inauthentic behaviour ahead of the upcoming elections in India. It… Continue reading Facebook purges pages for ‘coordinated’ fake behaviour

GST revenue hits a record high in March Goods and Services Tax (GST) collection in March rose 15.6% from a year ago to hit Rs 1.06 lakh crore. It is the highest collection since the new indirect tax system took effect on July 1,2017. However, it is still short of the Union government’s target for… Continue reading GST revenue hits a record high in March

India gets surveillance satellite ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in its 47th mission (PSLV-C45) has launched EMISAT, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in coastal Andhra Pradesh. EMISAT is India’s first electronic surveillance satellite. EMISAT is a satellite built around ISRO’s Mini Satellite-2 bus weighing about 436 kg. It has been jointly developed by… Continue reading India gets surveillance satellite

Kuki militants to cast vote by postal ballots The Election Commission (EC) has notified that the cadres of Kuki militant groups who signed Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with both the Centre and the Manipur government will cast their votes in postal ballots. The Suspension of Operation (SoO) agreement is a pact to ensure peace… Continue reading Kuki militants to cast vote by postal ballots

Core sector growth quickens in February According to the Government data,India’s eight core industries grew by 2.1% in February 2019.It is due to fall in output of crude oil and refinery products. The eight core sectors which include (a)coal, (b)crude oil (c)natural gas (d)refinery products (e)fertilizers (f)steel (g)cement and (h)electricity had recorded a growth of… Continue reading Core sector growth quickens in February

U.S. modifies Zika advisory The US government’s Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has modified its advisory against travelling to India. In 2018, CDC had issued the advisory after zika cases were reported in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The travel advisory stated that India has an ongoing outbreak of the disease in Rajasthan and… Continue reading U.S. modifies Zika advisory

Election Commission takes steps so that the disabled can ride to vote The Election Commission has taken steps to help differently-abled voters reach polling booths. The EC has decided to provide pick-up and drop facility to disabled voters in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The commission has developed a mobile application named as PWD, using… Continue reading Election Commission takes steps so that the disabled can ride to vote

How will you trace the ‘undeclared foreigners’ in Assam, SC asks State govt. The Supreme Court has rebuked the Assam government on its failure to come up with a future course of action to track down absconding illegal foreigners and thousands other undeclared ones in the state. An illegal foreigner is declared so my Foreigners… Continue reading How will you trace the ‘undeclared foreigners’ in Assam, SC asks State govt.

Forest fires threatening Odisha’s flora and fauna As per statistics generated by SNPP (Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite, there has been an increase in forest fires in Odisha. The SNPP is a weather satellite operated by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), India defines forest fire… Continue reading Forest fires threatening Odisha’s flora and fauna

Fugitive Offenders Act won’t help banks: Mallya Fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya has told the Bombay High Court that confiscation of his properties under the newly-enacted Fugitive Economic Offenders Act (FEOA) was draconian and it will not help the creditors. Earlier, he had approached the high court challenging a January 5 order of a special court… Continue reading Fugitive Offenders Act won’t help banks: Mallya

Coronary stents to cost more Drug price regulator, National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has approved hike in prices of coronary stents by 4.2%. It was increased after taking into consideration the inflation of the previous year. As per the new prices notified by the NPPA, a bare metal stent (BMS) would now cost Rs. 8,261… Continue reading Coronary stents to cost more

India, Pakistan scramble jets after UAV sighting The Indian Air Force deployed two Sukhoi-30 fighters from an airbase in Punjab after a Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV) was spotted close to the border. This resulted in Pakistan also deploying two of its F-16 fighter aircrafts close to the border. However, no side violated the air space,… Continue reading India, Pakistan scramble jets after UAV sighting

MiG-27 crashes in Jodhpur, pilot ejects to safety A MIG-27 fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force has crashed in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.However,the pilot was ejected out successfully.Further,Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the incident. This is the second time in 2019 a MiG 27 has crashed.Earlier,MiG 27 aircraft went down near Pokhran range in… Continue reading MiG-27 crashes in Jodhpur, pilot ejects to safety

SC suspends eco clearance for international airport in Goa The Supreme Court has suspended the environmental clearance (EC) granted for an international airport at Mopa in Goa. It has directed Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) to look into its decision keeping in mind the impact of the project on ecology. In 2015, The EAC had recommended… Continue reading SC suspends eco clearance for international airport in Goa

In a first, India to post women as defence attaches abroad India has decided to send its first batch of women officers as defence attaches to overseas missions. The government has asked the three Services to identify women officers who are qualified to take up these assignments. These officers are expected to be posted to… Continue reading In a first, India to post women as defence attaches abroad

Buyers can’t wait indefinitely for flat, says SC on 7 Year delay The Supreme Court has upheld orders of a state consumer commission and the national consumer commission. The commission had asked the developer to refund the payment with interest to a homebuyer for over seven years delay in handing over possession of the flat.… Continue reading Buyers can’t wait indefinitely for flat, says SC on 7 Year delay

Release list of convicted officials, CIC orders Customs Department The Central Information Commission (CIC) has directed the Customs Department to make public the list of officers caught red-handed for smuggling gold, heroin and other illegal activities. CIC has said that the information should be disclosed voluntarily for the sake of transparency and accountability in the… Continue reading Release list of convicted officials, CIC orders Customs Department

Arab leaders condemn U.S. move on Golan During the 30th Arab league summit in Tunisia, Arab countries have rejected US President’s decision to recognise Israel’s claim to sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Arab leaders denounced the step and warned it would further inflame tensions in the Middle East region. Recently, US President has signed a… Continue reading Arab leaders condemn U.S. move on Golan

PSLV-C45 successfully injects EMISAT into orbit: ISRO Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), in its 47th mission (PSLV-C45) has successfully launched EMISAT from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Further, 28 nano satellites of global customers were also launched. The 28 international customer satellites are from four countries, viz. Lithuania, Spain, Switzerland and USA. These satellites have… Continue reading PSLV-C45 successfully injects EMISAT into orbit: ISRO