Headline : IMF members delay quota changes, agree to maintain funding Details : In News Members of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have agreed to maintain its funding at $1 trillion but postponed changes to its voting structure. Highlights of the deal The deal will allow an extension of non-permanent, supplementary sources of funds, such as the New Arrangement to Borrow (NAB) and
Read moreHeadline : Explained: Why interest rates aren’t falling Details : Context for the article: This article explores why, despite significant repo rate cuts by the RBI, the interest rates in the banking system are not falling much. Rate cuts by the RBI: Since February, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has aggressively cut the repo rate. Repo rate is the interest
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Read moreHeadline : Electrifying India’s transport Editorial 7th May’19 TimesOfIndia Details : Rapid urbanization and transport problems: India’s urban population will nearly double in the next decade. More than half a billion people will live and work in Indian cities. Travel within and between cities will grow exponentially. This rapid growth poses several social, economic and environmental challenges. Converting this into opportunities:
Read moreHeadline : External affairs ministry sets up Indo-Pacific wing Details : The News: In a recent move, India has just set up an Indo-Pacific division in the foreign office, which will integrate the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), Asean region and the Quad to the Indo-Pacific table. Background: The US has recently renamed its Pacific Command to the Indo-Pacific Command
Read moreUgadi/ Losar/ Gudi Padawa Ugadi is celebrated as New Year’s Day in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The name Ugadi is derived from the name “Yuga Adi”, which means ‘the beginning of a new age’. It is celebrated on the first day of the Hindu month Chaitra, which marks the onset of spring. The festival of Losar marks the beginning of New
Read moreMust Read, Nothing Required. 0. Syllabus+ Past Papers 1. Polity- Laxmikant, 11th NCERT 2. Geography – 11th or 12th NCERT + World ATLAS 3. History- TN NCERT/ OLD NCERT/ THEMES + Spectrum 4. Art and Culture- 11th- Introduction to Arts 5. Environment – Shankar IAS 6. Economy – Sanjiv Verma + Reddy Sir Notes + Eco Survey (Crux) 7. Newspaper
Read moreHeadline : PSLV to launch military’s eye in the sky Details : The News ISRO will launch India’s first electronic intelligence satellite, EMISAT onboard PSLV-C45. PSLV-C45 Mission PSLV-C45 mission, for the first time, will launch satellites in 3 different orbits EMISAT, electronic intelligence satellite in the low earth orbit, 749 km above the surface of the earth. 28 foreign satellites
Read moreHeadline : WhatsApp yet to comply with data localisation norms: RBI Details : The News Recently, the RBI has made the revelations that WhatsApp is not in compliance with RBI’s data localisation norms. This is the first time ever that the Reserve Bank has made any statement about WhatsApp’s payments business and compliance with data localization norms. Data localisation norm
Read moreHeadline : Poisoned cattle carcass kills 37 vultures Details : The news Around 37 vultures belonging to three endangered species died after feeding on pesticide-laced cattle carcass in eastern Assam’s Sivasagar district. Background Vultures are scavenger birds which feed on the carcasses of large animals. Vultures in the country have reduced from 40 million (in 1990) to less than 60
Read moreRamappa Temple for world heritage site: Telangana is expected to get its first site, the Ramappa Temple at Palampet, included in UNESCO World Heritage Site in the 43rd session of the World Heritage Committee. Background India has already got 37 sites inscribed in the World Heritage List. There are total 29 cultural sites, 7 Natural sites and 1 mixed site
Read moreHeadline : India’s carbon dioxide emissions up 5% Details : Topic in News Global Energy and CO2 Status Report of International Energy Agency News Summary According to Global Energy and CO2 Status Report released by IEA, the global energy demand increased by 2.3% in 2018. As a result the energy-related CO2 emissions rose by 1.7% to 33 gigatonnes in 2018. In focus: Global Energy and
Read moreOnestop IAS: What is a government shutdown? A US government shutdown happens if lawmakers in Congress do not pass enough funding to run government operations and agencies. The federal government shuts down when spending bill lapse and Congress and the President are unable to break the deadlock.The government workforce is placed on an unpaid leave of absence, known as a
Read moreDhar Commission There was a demand from different regions, mainly South India, for reorganization of States on linguistic basis. Consequently, in June 1948, the Government of India appointed the Linguistic Provinces Commission under the chairmanship of S.K.Dhar to study the feasibility of organizing states on Linguistic basis. The Commission, later on, rejected the linguistic basis of reorganization of States and
Read moreSources of the Constitution 1. Government of India Act of 1935: Federal Scheme, Office of governor, Judiciary, Public Service Commissions, Emergency provisions and administrative details. 2. British Constitution: Parliamentary government, Rule of Law, legislative procedure, single citizenship, cabinet system, prerogative writs, parliamentary privileges and bicameralism. 3. US Constitution: Fundamental rights, independence of judiciary, judicial review, impeachment of the president, removal
Read moreThe Union List or List-I is a list of 100 items (the last item is numbered 97) given in Seventh Schedule in the Constitution of India on which Parliament has exclusive power to legislate. The legislative section is divided into three lists: Union List, State List and Concurrent List. Unlike the federal governments of the United States, Switzerland or Australia,
Read moreUnitary Features of Indian constitution: 1. The States of Indian Don’t have their own constitution as in the states of USA and Australia have their own constitution. 2. Uniform and single Citizenship in India (Australia and USA have double citizenship). 3. Parliament can make the changes of territorial extent of a State without its consent. 4. Parliament has full control
Read moreThe main federal features of the Indian Constitution are as follows: 1. Written Constitution: The Indian Constitution is a written document containing 395 Articles and 12 schedules, and therefore, fulfils this basic requirement of a federal government. In fact, the Indian Constitution is the most elaborate Constitution of the world. 2. Supremacy of the Constitution: India’s Constitution is also supreme
Read moreThe main reasons for farm crises are: Slow agriculture growth: Agriculture shrank to just 18 percent of the GDP in 2013-14; and further shrinking is projected given agriculture’s lower growth rate compared to other sectors. The agriculture growth rates have been unsteady in the recent past. 2012-13: 1.5% 2013-14: 5.6% 2014-15: (-) 0.2% 2015-16: 0.7%. The provisional estimate puts it
Read moreStrategic partnership: Defence ties Both the countries have agreed to enhance exchanges between their forces with more bilateral exercises and exchanges in the field of technology at a time when India wants to increase domestic defence production. The Armies of both nations will hold a joint exercise on anti-terrorism in 2018 for the first time. The talks are on to
Read moreOIL SPILL: An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon or naturally extracted oil into the environment, especially marine areas, due to human activity and is a form of pollution. Remedies: 1.Dispersant: Dispersants are chemicals that when applied to oil floating on the surface greatly increases the rate of dispersal and breakdown of the oil. Dispersants assist
Read moreFine Particles, Particulate Matter 2.5: Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is an air pollutant that is a concern for people’s health when levels in air are high. PM2.5 are tiny particles in the air that reduce visibility and cause the air to appear hazy when levels are elevated. Outdoor PM2.5 levels are most likely to be elevated on days with little
Read moreWhat is a commodity? Commodities are products that can be bought, sold or traded in different kinds of markets. Commodities are the raw materials that are used to create products which are consumed in everyday life around the world, from food products in India to building new homes in Europe or to running cars in the US. There are two
Read moreHazardous Substance Management To promote safe management and use of hazardous substance in order to avoid damage to the health and env. International conventions Basel convention – control the transboundary mvmt of hazardous waste Non binding agreement Reduce the movement of hazardous waste between nations Prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed country USA, UK dumping e-waste in India,
Read moreRight to Freedom of religion Art 25: P3 -Profess,Practice,Propagate Conscience – inner freedom Profess -declare openly Practice – rituals and use signs Propagate – spread but not force Opinion & belief – no state interference Conduct & practice – state can Art 26: Religious denomination Est. institutions for religion and charity Manage its affairs Right to property Administer its property State can take over with
Read moreNature Conservation Under Biodiversity conservation scheme, there are two main subcomponents Bio Diversity Bio Safety Bio Diversity Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Legally binding Aichi target India enacted the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 to give effect to the provisions of CBD. National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) was created to implement the provisions of BDA, 2002. Located at Chennai Autonomous body Statutory body Regulatory body
Read morewhat are Smart Cities? A ‘smart city’ is an urban region that is highly advanced in terms of overall infrastructure, sustainable real estate, communications and market viability. It is a city where information technology is the principal infrastructure and the basis for providing essential services to residents. There are many technological platforms involved, including but not limited to automated sensor
Read moreWhat is Cyberwar? Cyberwar is a form of war which takes places on computers and the Internet, through electronic means rather than physical ones. With an increasing global reliance on technology for everything from managing national electrical grids to ordering supplies for troops, cyberwar is a method of attack which many nations are vulnerable to. In cyberwar, people use technological
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MSS bonds bear an interest rate that can boost banks’ income. This incentivizes banks to participate effectively in demonetization drive. MSS as SLR bonds: MSS bonds can also be used to calculate banks’ mandatory bond holding. MSS bonds does not increase Government’s fiscal deficit. According to CRISIL, the stock of G-secs with the RBI, necessary to conduct reverse repo operations,
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Dolphins are one of the oldest creatures in the world along with some species of turtles, crocodiles and sharks. Platanista gangetica , the biological name of the Gangetic river dolphin, also called the “blind” river dolphin or the “side-swimming dolphin” is unique to India and an endangered species. Ganges river dolphins once lived in the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna and Karnaphuli-Sangu river systems of Nepal, India,
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Amur falcons are the longest travelling raptors in the world. They weigh just 150 grams Males are mostly grey in colour and the females have dark-streaked cream or orange underparts. The species flies non-stop from Mongolia to northeast India covering 5,600 km in five days and nights, a small part of its 22,000 km circular migratory journey. The birds halt briefly
Read moreRajyasabha Our Parliament comprises of the President and the two Houses—Lok Sabha (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The origin of the Rajya Sabha (Council of States) can be traced to the Montague-Chelmsford Report of 1918. The Government of India Act, 1919 provided for the creation of a ‘Council of State’ as a second chamber of
Read moreIt is a Swiss nonprofit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva. The forum was founded in 1971 by Klaus Schwab, a German-born business professor at the University of Geneva. Recognized by the Swiss authorities as the international institution for public-private cooperation, its mission is cited as “committed to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and other
Read moreBiodiversity hotspots? Biodiversity hotspots are a method to identify those regions of the world where attention is needed to address biodiversity loss and to guide investments in conservation. The idea was first developed by Norman Myers in 1988 to identify tropical forest ‘hotspots’ characterized both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and serious habitat loss, which he then expanded to
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It is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity. This sub-regional organization came into being on 6 June 1997 through the Bangkok Declaration. The regional group constitutes a bridge between South and South East Asia and represents a reinforcement of relations among these countries.
Read moreEast Asia Summit is a unique Leaders-led forum of 18 countries of the Asia-Pacific region formed to further the objectives of regional peace, security and prosperity. It has evolved as a forum for strategic dialogue and cooperation on political, security and economic issues of common regional concern and plays an important role in the regional architecture. Established in 2005, EAS
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The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966. which is headquartered in Ortigas Center located in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines, and maintains. It promote social and economic development in Asia. The bank admits the members of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP, formerly the Economic Commission
Read moreThe Eight Core Industries comprise nearly 38 % of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP). They are: Coal (weight: 4.38 %) Crude Oil(weight: 5.22 %) The Natural Gas(weight: 1.71 %) Petroleum Refinery (weight: 5.94%) Fertilizer (weight: 1.25%) Steel (weight: 6.68%) Cement (weight: 2.41%) Electricity generation (weight: 10.32%) - max weightage IIP IIP measures the quantum
Read moreWholesale Price Index (WPI) WPI measures the change in price level at wholesale market. WPI – consists of 676 commodities (services are not included in WPI in India). It is measured on year-on-year basis i.e., rate of change in price level in a given month vis a vis corresponding month of last year. This is also known as point to point
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Thucydides quotes The bravest are surely those who have the clearest vision of what is before them, glory and danger alike, and yet notwithstanding, go out to meet it. The secret to happiness is freedom… And the secret to freedom is courage. Be convinced that to be happy means to be free and that to be free means to be
Read moreIt’s an equalization levy It’s only for B2B transactions India became first country in the world to impose equalization levy
Read moreOrganic Farming : – Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PVKY): It is one of the schemes under NMSA (National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture) to promote organic farming. Under PKVY, Organic farming is promoted through cluster approach and local quality assurance systems. It is proposed to develop 10,000 clusters with a size of 20 hectare so as to increase the area 2 lakh hectare in 3 years. The assistance
Read moreNative to west Africa Sucks water leading to ground water depletion Invasive species No other species of plant can co exist along with it Used for fuel wood Scientific name : prosopis julifora
Read moreLadakh – Losar Andhra/Telengana – Ugadi Tamil – Chittirai Maharashtra – Gudi Padwa Rajasthan – Thapna Sindh – Cheti Chand Manipuri – Sajibu Nongma Panba Kashmir – Navreh
Read moreMeasles Measles is a deadly disease and one of the important causes of death in children. It is highly contagious and spreads through coughing and sneezing of an infected person. Measles can make a child vulnerable to life threatening complications such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and brain infection. Globally, in 2015, measles killed an estimated 1, 34,200 children—mostly under-5 years. In
Read moreMilitary Exercises Mitra Sakthi Slinex India – Sri Lanka Joint Military Exercise. India – Sri Lanka Naval exercise Sampriti India – Bangladesh Yudh Abhyas India – USA joint military training exercise Hand in Hand India – China military exercise Konkan Indian Navy and the Royal Navy maritime exercise Ekuverin India – Maldives Al Nagah India – Oman army to army
Read moreWhat is Human embryo? An embryo is an early stage of development of a multicellular diploid eukaryotic organism. In general, in organisms that reproduce sexually, an embryo develops from a zygote, the single cell resulting from the fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sperm cell. The zygote possesses half the DNA of each of its two parents.
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George Orwell Quotes Inn a time of universal deceit – telling the truth is a revolutionary act. If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever. Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than
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