Shipki-La Pass : In News China has agreed in principle to the proposal of resuming trade through Shipki-La in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh during the recent visit of its Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India. Shipki-La Pass is a motorable mountain pass situated at an altitude of 3,930 meters, bordering India and China in […]
About: Kumari Sonali
Posts by Kumari Sonali:
Vaquita
Vaquita: A report by the North American Environmental Commission has criticized Mexico for failing to protect the endangered vaquita porpoise, with only 10 remaining. Vaquita is a shy member and the smallest of the porpoise family. Vaquitas are the most endangered of the world’s marine mammals. It is the smallest range of any whale, dolphin, […]
INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri
INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri: Indian Navy is set to commission the latest state of the art Project 17A multi-mission stealth frigates Udaygiri and Himgiri at Naval Base, Visakhapatnam, on 26 Aug 2025 Udaygiri and Himgiri are built under the Project 17 (Shivalik) class frigates. Udaygiri, built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd. (MDL), Mumbai, and […]
Parliamentary Committee Observations and Recommendations on the Fertilizer Sector
Parliamentary Committee Observations and Recommendations on the Fertilizer Sector: A parliamentary committee has urged the government to reclassify the fertilizer sector as ‘strategic’, criticizing its current ‘non-strategic’ status as inconsistent with India’s self-reliance goals under Atmanirbhar Bharat, especially in light of growing import dependency and food security concerns. Parliamentary Committee Observations and Recommendations on the […]
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority: The Parliamentary Standing Committee has criticized the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) for allowing a 50% price increase on 11 essential drug formulations in 2024. In 2024, NPPA approved price hikes for drugs including those used for treating bacterial infections, asthma, and bipolar disorder in line with the Drugs Prices Control […]
Nepal Enters the International Big Cat Alliance
Nepal Enters the International Big Cat Alliance: Nepal has officially joined the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA). International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) is an India-led global multi-country, multi-agency coalition of more than 90 big cat range and non-range countries dedicated to conserving 7 big cat species and their habitats. It was proposed by the Prime […]
Women’s Employment Rate in India
Women’s Employment Rate in India: The Labour Ministry reported that women’s employment rate in India nearly doubled from 22% in 2017-18 to 40.3% in 2023-24, while female unemployment fell from 5.6% to 3.2%.Women’s Workforce Participation Rate (WPR) as measured by PLFS, reflecting the share of women engaged in economic activities (self-employment, regular jobs, casual labour). […]
Chalk9 gene responsible for rice chalkiness
Chalk9 gene responsible for rice chalkiness: Scientists in China have discovered the Chalk9 gene responsible for rice chalkiness, a trait that makes grains brittle and opaque during milling, lowering yield and commercial value.Rice is the staple food for most Indians, cultivated on about 25% of the total cropped area, and India ranks as the second-largest […]
Sir Bani Yas Island
Sir Bani Yas Island: A 1,400-year-old Christian cross has been unearthed from the ancient monastery on Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Similar artifacts found in Iraq and Kuwait, linked to the historic Church of the East, point to the legacy of cultural harmony in the Gulf region. Sir Bani Yas Island: It is the […]
India’s Fossil Heritage
India’s Fossil Heritage: India’s fossil heritage is under threat as rare specimens like the 47-million-year-old snake Vasuki indicus risk theft, vandalism, and illegal auctions abroad due to the absence of a national fossil protection law or repository. India preserves fossils from the Precambrian to Cenozoic eras, including earliest plant life, dinosaur nests and eggs, giant […]
