UPSC Daily Current Affairs

Biofuels

Aug 07, 2023

Food vs. Fuel Trade-off and Ethanol Blending in India: Q: What is the concept of "food vs. fuel" trade-off in the context of ethanol blending in India? A: The "food vs. fuel" trade-off refers to the potential conflict between using agricultural crops for producing biofuels, such as ethanol, and using the same crops for food production. When crops like sugarcane and grains are used to produce ethanol for blending in petrol, it diverts these crops from the food supply chain, potentially affecting food availability and prices. Read More...

Rating Agencies and Fitch Ratings

Aug 07, 2023

Q: What is a rating agency? A: A rating agency is an independent organization that evaluates the creditworthiness and risk associated with debt securities, bonds, or other financial instruments issued by governments, corporations, or other entities. They assign credit ratings to these instruments, indicating the likelihood of the issuer defaulting on their obligations. Q: What are credit ratings? A: Credit ratings are grades assigned by rating agencies to debt securities or issuers. These ratings assess the creditworthiness and risk of default... Read More...

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023

Aug 07, 2023

Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023: Reasons for the Bill Q1: Why was the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 introduced? A1: The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 was introduced to address new challenges in forest conservation, ecological preservation, and tackling climate change at both national and international levels. The aim is to strengthen the country's commitment to preserving forests, biodiversity, and achieving carbon neutrality. Q2: What are the key reasons behind proposin... Read More...

Licensing Requirement for Importing Laptops, Tablets, and All-in-One PCs

Aug 07, 2023

Q: What is the recent notification issued by the Directorate-General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)? A: The DGFT issued a notification imposing a licensing requirement for the import of laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, and ultra-small form factor computers and servers falling under HSN 8741, effective immediately. Q: What is the purpose of imposing the licensing requirement? A: The move aims to address India's security concerns, especially regarding items shipped from China, and to boost local manufacturing. The government aims to encourage dome... Read More...

Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022 and Changes to Drugs and Cosmetics Act

Aug 07, 2023

Q: What is the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2022, and what does it aim to do? A: The Jan Vishwas Bill, 2022, decriminalizes about 180 minor offenses across 42 central laws in various sectors, including pharma, media, agriculture, environment, and industry. It converts or "compounds" prison sentences into fines and penalties, providing businesses with more leniency for minor deviations. Q: What has been the recent debate around the Bill, particularly concerning the Drugs and Cosmetics Act? A: The recent... Read More...

Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute

Aug 07, 2023

Q. What is the Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute? A. The Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute is a legal and historical controversy surrounding the Gyanvapi Mosque located in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. The dispute involves claims and counterclaims regarding the origins of the mosque and whether it was built on the site of the original Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Q. When did the Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute reach the Supreme Court? A. In 2022 Q. What are the main issues in the Gyanvapi Mosque Dispute? ... Read More...

Carbon Market in India

Aug 07, 2023

Indian Carbon Market (ICM) The Indian government has released a draft framework for a carbon market in India. The market will be called the Indian Carbon Market (ICM) and will be based on the Energy Conservation Act. The ICM will be a hybrid market, with both compliance and voluntary components. The governing body of the ICM will be the ICM Governing Board (ICMGB), which will be co-chaired by the secretaries of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Ministry of Power (MoP). The ICMGB wi... Read More...

China's Double Standards on Terrorism

Aug 07, 2023

India's Proposal for UN Counter-Terrorism Sanctions Regime Q. What is India's proposal regarding UN counter-terrorism sanctions regime within BRICS? India has proposed that BRICS nations should jointly prepare a list of terrorists and their proxies under the UN counter-terrorism sanctions regime. The objective is to ensure a fair and unbiased approach to countering terrorism within BRICS countries and avoid the use of double standards in dealing with terrorist entities. Q. How has China responded to the proposal? Read More...

Black Sea Grain Deal: On and Off

Aug 05, 2023

The Black Sea Grain Initiative was launched in Istanbul by the Russian Federation, Türkiye, Ukraine and United Nations on 22 July 2022. Through this initiative, a mechanism was established for the safe exports of grain, related foodstuffs and fertilizer, including ammonia, from designated Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea to global markets. The purpose of the Initiative is to contribute to the prevention of global hunger, to reduce and address global food insecurity, and to ensure the safety of merchant ships delivering grain and foodstuffs. What has the initiative achieved so far? Read More...

Meri Mati Mera Desh campaign

Aug 05, 2023

What is the 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi? Answer: The 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' campaign is an initiative launched to honor the brave hearts who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of the country. It involves installing special inscriptions in panchayats across the nation in memory of these heroes. The campaign was announced during the monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast by PM Modi. What is the 'Amrit Kalash Yatra' under the campaign? Answer: The ... Read More...

All India Services (Leave) Rules, 1955 Amended for Childcare by Father

Aug 05, 2023

Single Male Officers' Two-Year Paid Childcare Leave 1. Who is eligible for the two-year paid childcare leave? Single male officers belonging to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Forest Service (IFS) are eligible for the two-year paid chldcare leave. 2. When did this change come into effect ? The change allowing single male officers to avail two-year paid childcare leave came into effect on July 29. Read More...

ISRO launched seven Singaporean satellites

Aug 05, 2023

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched seven Singaporean satellites using its PSLV rocket from Sriharikota. The main payload, was DS-SAR satellite was developed in Singapore. It will support the satellite imagery requirements of various Singaporean government agencies. The PSLV-C56 mission also carried six co-passenger customer satellites, including technology demonstration microsatellites, nanosatellites, and an experimental satellite. The launch placed all seven satellites into near-equatorial orbits at an altitude of 535 km. This successful launch m... Read More...

North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) :Expansion and Implications for India

Aug 04, 2023

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance among 31 member states – 29 European and two North American. The most recent country to join is Finland and Sweden is set to join. Article Five Article 5 is the North Atlantic Treaty, which is the founding document of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Article 5 is commonly referred to as the "collective defense clause" and is the essence of NATO's principle of mutual defense. Article 5 means that if any NATO member country faces an armed attack, ... Read More...

Tamil Question in India-Sri Lanka Relations

Aug 04, 2023

What is the "Tamil question" in India-Sri Lanka relations? The "Tamil question" refers to the longstanding issue of the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern and Eastern provinces, seeking greater autonomy and devolution of powers. The Tamil community has faced historical grievances, including concerns over language, culture, and political representation, leading to tensions in bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka. What was the outcome of President Ranil Wikramasinghe's visit? The leaders ... Read More...

Green Bonds and Blue Bonds

Aug 04, 2023

What are green bonds ? Green bonds are financial instruments that are specifically used to fund environmentally friendly projects and initiatives. They are issued by governments, municipalities, corporations, or other organizations to raise capital for projects that have positive environmental impacts. (Inke proceeds ko exclusively environmentally sustainable projects ke liye use kiya jata hai jaise renewable energy development, energy efficiency improvements, sustainable agriculture, waste management, energy efficiency.) The proceeds from green bonds are exclusively used for projects such as r... Read More...