The Mekedatu Project: Karnataka has demanded that the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) give clearance for the detailed project report (DPR) of Mekedatu Balancing Reservoir Project in its next meeting. Tamil Nadu has protested against Karnataka’s move to build a reservoir on river Cauvery at Mekedatu. However, the Karnataka Government has asserted that there […]
Category: Current Affairs
Chillai Kalan: Kashmir
Chillai Kalan: Kashmir is in a deep freeze as the 40-day harshest spell of winter, locally called ‘chillai kalan’, started on December 21, 2021, with the minimum temperature already sub-zero in the entire Valley. Chillai Kalan or Chillia Kalan is a Persian word which literally means forty days of intense cold. It is the local […]
Definition of the Word ‘Anti-National’
Anti-National: The word ‘anti-national’ has not been defined in statutes, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informed the Lok Sabha. It added that ‘anti-national activity’ was inserted in the Constitution during Emergency in 1976 but was removed later. The Constitution (Forty–Second Amendment) Act, 1976 inserted in the Constitution Article 31D (during Emergency) which defined ‘anti-national […]
SEBI Bans Derivative Trade In Agriculture Commodities
SEBI Bans Derivative Trade In Agriculture Commodities: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has banned the derivative trade of seven agricultural commodities on the future’s platform of National Commodities and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX) for a year. The regulator has banned derivative contracts trade in chana, wheat, paddy (non-basmati), soyabean and its derivatives, mustard […]
Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
Organisation Of Islamic Cooperation (OIC): A meeting of foreign ministers from the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) agreed to establish a humanitarian trust fund to address the growing economic crisis in Afghanistan which has left millions facing hunger over the winter. The meeting is the biggest major conference on Afghanistan since the fall of the […]
The Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021
The Narcotic Drugs And Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021: The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was recently passed in Parliament. It seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated on September 30 this year. Objective of the Bill: The bill was introduced by the government to rectify an error that made provisions in Section […]
Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021
Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021: Government has recently introduced the Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in Lok Sabha. Highlights of the Bill: The Bill seeks to reduce the pressure on wild medicinal plants by encouraging the cultivation of medicinal plants. The Bill proposes to exempt AYUSH practitioners from intimating biodiversity boards for accessing biological resources […]
Open Acreage Licensing Policy
Open Acreage Licensing Policy: India has offered eight blocks of oil and gas in the seventh bid round of Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP). The objective is to bring more area under exploration, leading to increase in domestic production and reduction of imports. OALP Launched under the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) in 2017. […]
Jammu And Kashmir Delimitation Commission
Jammu And Kashmir Delimitation Commission: The Jammu and Kashmir Delimitation Commission has proposed to increase six seats for the Jammu division and one for the Kashmir division, besides reserving 16 seats for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and the Scheduled Tribes in the Union Territory. The Kashmir division currently has 46 seats and Jammu 37. The […]
Fugitive Economic Offenders
Fugitive Economic Offenders: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman informed the Lok Sabha that banks have recovered ₹13,109.17 crore by selling the assets of fugitives like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Talking about the recovery of ₹13,109.17 crore from the sale of assets of wilful defaulters, who have now fled the country, the Finance […]