WHATAPP’S NEW PRIVACY POLICY AND DATA PROTECTION Context Recently, the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY), Government of India has sent a notice to WhatsApp asking it to withdraw a controversial update to its privacy policy which might be a threat to Data Protection of Indians. Key Features...
NGT UPHOLDS RIGHTS OF PASTORALISTS IN BANNI GRASSLAND Context The National Green Tribunal (NGT) said the Maldharis (Pastoralists) will continue to hold the right to conserve the community forests in the area, granted to them. This is done as per the provisions in Section 3 of...
ONE HEALTH APPORACH Context Recently, to deal with zoonotic diseases, a need to operationalize “One Health’ policy in India was highlighted. Presently, India is dealing with COVID. The virus appears to have its origin in bats. Zoonotic Diseases The diseases, which “spillover” from animals to humans are referred to...
SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE INITIATIVE (SCRI) Context Trade ministers of India, Japan and Australia have formally launched the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI). In order to counter China’s dominance of supply chain in the Indo-Pacific region, What is it? The SCRI aims to create a virtuous cycle of enhancing supply chain resilience with a...
FARZAD-B GAS FIELD CONTEXT Iran gave the FARZAD-B GAS FIELD to Petropars, a domestic gas producer. This is a setback for India’s energy ties with Iran as ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL)had discovered the gas field in 2008 and has been part of the ongoing cooperation on that...
SEDITION Context: The arrest of an MP from Andhra Pradesh, on the grave charge of sedition, is yet another instance of the misuse of the provision relating to exciting “disaffection” against the government. The police in different States have been invoking sedition, an offence defined in Section 124A IPC, against critics of...
Antarctica gives birth to world's largest iceberg Details A giant slab of ice bigger than the Spanish island of Majorca has sheared off from the frozen edge of Antarctica into the Weddell Sea, becoming the largest iceberg currently afloat in the world The newly calved berg,...
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Context 'Teak and the Tiger’,a documentary,is an evocative trek through the evolution of Parambikulam Tiger Reserve Details Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is a protected area in Palakkad district of Kerala state. The wildlife sanctuary was established in 1973. It is in the Sungam range of hills between...
Context Indian Ministry of Culture has taken up the project of reprinting 108 volumes of Mongolian Kanjur under the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM). First five re-printed volumes of Mongolian Kanjur Manuscripts released Mangolin Kanjur Buddhist religious text that has 108 volumes (very prominent in Mangolia) ‘Kanjur’ which are...
Context Decision was taken to increase the subsidy for DAP fertiliser from Rs. 500 per bag to Rs. 1200 per bag, which is an increase of 140%. Increase in subsidies The price of fertilizers is undergoing an increase due to the rising prices of phosphoric acid, ammonia...
