Cesses and Surcharges: Arvind Panagariya, Chairman, 16th Finance Commission, recently termed the grievance of States regarding the Centre’s increasing reliance on cesses and surcharges as a “complicated issue.”Cess and surcharges are levied by the Central government for the purposes of the Union under Article 271 of the Constitution of India.
Month: December 2024
Ground Level Ozone Pollution
Ground Level Ozone Pollution: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) highlighted the steps being taken to control Ground Level Ozone Pollution(GLOP) in India.Ground-level ozone (O₃) pollution refers to the excess presence of ozone at the Earth’s surface, which is formed through chemical reactions in the atmosphere.Unlike the ozone layer in the stratosphere, […]
DHARINI 3D Foetal Brain Atlas
DHARINI 3D Foetal Brain Atlas: Researchers at Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT) Madras have developed a revolutionary tool known as DHARINI, a detailed 3D map of foetal (unborn offspring that develops in the uterus of a mammal) brain, that holds significant implications for understanding brain disorders.DHARINI is the world’s largest and most detailed high-resolution 3D […]
Ayush Visa for Medical Value Travel
Ayush Visa for Medical Value Travel: The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) highlighted the Ayush Visa, an initiative to promote medical value travel (MVT) for foreigners seeking treatment in India’s traditional medicine systems. Ayush Visa introduced in 2023 with four sub-categories: Ayush Visa (AY-1), Ayush Attendant Visa (AY-2), e-Ayush […]
Syria and Middle East Tension
Syria and Middle East Tension: The collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria after an 11-day offensive by rebel groups has triggered a geopolitical reshuffle in the Middle East.Assad’s rule, characterized by authoritarianism, ended after sustained pressure from rebel forces led by Abu Mohammed al-Jawlani, a former al-Qaeda operative. External supporters like Iran and Russia […]
6th edition of the Capacity Building Program
6th edition of the Capacity Building Program: The 6th edition of the Capacity Building Program for Sri Lankan Civil Servants commenced at the National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) in Mussoorie.The program hosted 40 mid-career civil servants from Sri Lanka, focusing on governance, policy frameworks, AI in governance, and India’s successful models in public administration. […]
Poppy Cultivation
Poppy Cultivation: Manipur recorded a 32.13% decline in poppy cultivation during 2023-24, as per a report by the Manipur Remote Sensing Applications Centre (MARSAC).Declined from 28,598.91 acres in 2021-22 to 11,288.1 acres in 2023-24. Major districts with eradication operations: Kangpokpi (4,454.4 acres), Ukhrul (3,348 acres), Churachandpur (2,713.8 acres).
AgeXtend
AgeXtend: Researchers at IIIT-Delhi have developed AgeXtend as a tool to efficiently cut down the time taken to identify viable molecules with geroprotectors, or age defying properties.AgeXtend is an Artificial Intelligence-based platform designed to identify compounds with geroprotective (anti-aging) properties.
Dulcibella camanchaca
Dulcibella camanchaca: The Atacama Trench, among the deepest oceanic regions, reveals unique biodiversity with the discovery of Dulcibella camanchaca, a new predatory amphipod.Found In Atacama Trench, South Pacific Ocean, at a depth of 7,902 meters
World’s First Carbon-14 Diamond Battery
World’s First Carbon-14 Diamond Battery: Scientists from the University of Bristol and the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) have created the world’s first carbon-14 diamond battery. It a carbon-14 diamond battery, a strange fusion of radioactive decay, synthetic diamonds and plasma chemistry. It uses carbon-14, a radioactive isotope of carbon of half-life of 5,700, because […]
