Q. Why is this in news? A. Government e-Marketplace achieves a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) of Rs. 1.5 Lakh Crores. GeM has been effectively contributing to the government’s commitment of “Minimum Government, Maximum Governance”. Q. What is Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)? A. GMV refers to the value of goods sold via customer-to-customer or e-commerce platforms. It is calculated prior to the&nbs... Read More...
Q What is this Deforestation Declaration? A It was signed by 142 countries, which represented over 90 percent of forests across the world. The declaration commits to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030 while delivering sustainable development and promoting an inclusive rural transformation. The signatories committed $19 billion in private and public funds to this end. Q Why did India abstain from joining? A India had concerns about the linkage the declaration makes between defo... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ? A Cryptocurrency will be discouraged via taxation and capital gains provisions. This was the message from the Finance Minister during the Budget discussion in Parliament. Q Why is there Growing worry about the cryptocurrencies ? A The Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, in February, highlighted two things. First, “private cryptocurrencies are a big threat to our financial and macroeconomic stability”. Second, “these cryptocurrencies have no underlying (asset). Clearly, sta... Read More...
Q What is Section 295A? A Section 295A, define the contours of free speech and its limitations with respect to offences relating to religion. It prescribes punishment for deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs. It calls for imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to [three years], or with fine, or with both. It has been invoked on a wide range of issues from penalising political satire and seeking bans on or withdrawal of books to even political critique on ... Read More...
Q What is Enforcement Directorate (ED) ? A It goes back to May 1, 1956, when an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed in the Department of Economic Affairs. It then aimed for handling Exchange Control Laws violations under the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act (FERA). The ED today is a multi-dimensional organisation investigating economic offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, Foreign Exchange Management Act and FERA. Q From where does the ED get its powers? A... Read More...
Q What is the context ? A Russia has supplied the first batches of more reliable and cost-efficient nuclear fuel over the existing one, the TVS-2M nuclear fuel, to India for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP). Q What is TVS-2M Nuclear Fuel? A The TVS-2M FAs contain gadolinium-oxide which is mixed with U-235 enrichments. The core does not contain BARs (Burnable Absorbers Rods). Q How are they prepared? A Once the uranium is ... Read More...
Q What is IN-SPACe? A The establishment of IN-SPACe was announced in June 2020. It is an autonomous and single window nodal agency in the Department of Space for the promotion, encouragement and regulation of space activities of both government and private entities. It also facilitates the usage of ISRO facilities by private entities. It comprises technical experts for space activities along with safety expert, academic experts and legal and strategic experts from other departments. It also comprises members from PMO and MEA of Government of India. ... Read More...
Q Why is the IES debate back in the news? A The Supreme Court was responding to a petition whose counsel pointed out that the matters of environment required special expertise. Currently, matters of environmental regulation rest on scientists of the Ministry of Environment and Forests as well as bureaucrats from the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). The apex court expressed reluctance at getting into administrative matters of the Government but nevertheless asked the Centre if it expects to go about constituting such a mechanism. Q What are All Indi Serv... Read More...
Q What is a Uniform Civil Code? A A Uniform Civil Code is one that would provide for one law for the entire country, applicable to all religious communities in their personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, adoption etc. Article 44, one of the directive principles of the Constitution lays down that the state shall endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for the citizens throughout the territory of India. These, as defined in Article 37, are not justiciable (not enforceable by any court) but the principles laid down therein are fundamental in governance. ... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ? A The Government has extended the scope of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) through introduction of ECLGS 3.0 to cover business enterprises in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Leisure & Sporting sectors. Q What is ECLGS 3.0 ? A It would involve extension of credit of upto 40% of total credit outstanding across all lending institutions. The tenor of loans granted under ECLGS 3.0 shall be 6 years including moratorium period of 2 years. Further, the validity of ECLGS i.e. ECLGS 1.0, ECL... Read More...
Q What is NFC and how does it work? A NFC is a short-range wireless connectivity technology that allows NFC-enabled devices to communicate with each other and transfer information quickly and easily with a single touch - whether to pay bills, exchange business cards, download coupons, or share a document. NFC transmits data through electromagnetic radio fields, to enable communication between two devices. Both devices must contain NFC chips, as transactions take place within a very short distance. NFC-enabled devices must be either physically touching or within a few centimetre... Read More...
Q What is the Central Tibetan Relief Committee? A It was launched in 2015. The main objective of the committee is to coordinate Individual, Voluntary Agencies and Indian Government’s efforts to rehabilitate and settle Tibetan Refugees. Includes members from each of the 53 Tibetan settlements in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Is dedicated to preserving the cultural and religious heritage of Tibet and building and maintaining sustainable, democratic communities in exile. Is dependent on generous international assistance from governments, espe... Read More...
Q What is Fincluvation? A Fincluvation will be a permanent platform of IPPB to co-create inclusive financial solutions with participating start-ups. IPPB and Department of Post (DoP) collectively serve close to 430 million customers through post offices and at their doorsteps via more than 4,00,000 Post Office employees and Gramin Dak Sevaks - making it one of the largest and most trusted postal networks in the world. It is an Industry first initiative to create a powerful platform to mobilize the start-up community towards building meaningful financial pro... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ? A After its proposal to amend the All India Service Rules that would allow it to call any IAS, IPS or IFoS officer on central deputation with or without the state’s consent, the Centre has issued another order on central deputation of Deputy Inspector General-level IPS officers. Q What is the order? A The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has said that IPS officers coming to the Centre at DIG level would no longer be required to be empanelled at that level with the Union Government. According to existing rules... Read More...
Q What is Article 244(A)? A Article 244(A) allows for the creation of an ‘autonomous state’ within Assam in certain tribal areas. Inserted into the Constitution in 1969 by the then government, it also has a provision for a Legislature and a Council of Ministers. Q. How is it different from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution? A The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution — Articles 244(2) and 275(1) — is a special provision that allows for greater political autonomy and decentralize... Read More...
Q Why is it in News ? A The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will meet civil society leaders from Ladakh amid persistent demands and protests in the Union Territory for statehood and constitutional safeguards under the sixth schedule of the Constitution. Ladakh is a region in the northernmost part of India, bordering China and Pakistan. The region is home to several ethnic groups, including the Ladakhi people, who are predominantly Buddhist. Q Why is there demand for Sixth Schedule in Ladakh ? A There has been a deman... Read More...
Q What is the context ? A Central Idea Engineers India (EIL) is conducting a feasibility study for developing salt cavern-based strategic oil reserves in Rajasthan, India, to increase the country’s storage capacity. If successful, it would be India’s first oil storage facility using salt caverns, different from the existing rock cavern-based strategic storage facilities. Read More...
Q What is Solar Storm ? A A solar storm or a Coronal Mass Ejection as astronomers call it is an ejection of highly magnetized particles from the sun. These particles can travel several million km per hour and can take about 13 hours to five days to reach Earth. Earth’s atmosphere protects us, humans, from these particles. But the particles can interact with our Earth’s magnetic field, induce strong electric currents on the surface and affect man-made structures. Q How did they impact SpaceX satellites? A ... Read More...
Q. Why is this in News? A. At COP27, a broad coalition of 18 governments joined together to create a new high-level group ‘Ambition on Melting Ice (AMI) on Sea-level Rise and Mountain Water Resources’. Q. What is AMI Group? A. The “AMI” group aims to ensure impacts of cryosphere loss is understood by political leaders and the public, and not only within mountain and polar regions, but throughout the planet. The founding governments of the group inclu... Read More...