DART Mission: NASA Just two weeks after its launch, NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft has opened its “eye” and returned its first images from space — a major operational milestone for the spacecraft and DART team. DART will reach its target on September 26, 2022. The main aim of the mission is to […]
Category: Current Affairs
Golan Heights
Golan Heights: Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett recently said the country intends to double the number of settlers living in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights with a multimillion-dollar plan meant to further consolidate Israel’s hold on the territory. The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau with an area of 1,800km² on the border between Israel and […]
Young India’s Aspiration Worries
Young India’s Aspiration Worries: A recent report released by Lokniti-CSDS in collaboration with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, which interviewed 6,277 youth aged 15-34 across 18 states in July-August 2021, offers insights on their career aspirations, job preferences and expectations, their opinions on institutions of kinship, and their mental health. Occupation status: Two-fifths (39%) of India’s youth […]
UAE’s Golden Visa
UAE’s Golden Visa: Bollywood actor Tusshar Kapoor awarded Golden Visa. He joins a growing list of Indian movie stars, including Mohanlal and Shah Rukh Khan, who have received the coveted 10-year residency. In 2019, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) implemented a new system for long-term residence visas, thereby enabling foreigners to live, work and study […]
Flex Fuel Vehicles
Flex Fuel Vehicles: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, has for long been advocating the use of flex-fuel to power cars and motorcycles sold in India. Recently, at an industry event, the transport minister revealed that he has issued an advisory to all carmakers to introduce flex-fuel engines in their vehicles. Carmakers […]
Who was P.N. Panicker?
P.N. Panicker: The President of India recently unveiled the statue of Shri P.N. Panicker at Poojappura, Thiruvananthapuram. P.N. Panicker (1909-1995): Puthuvayil Narayana Panicker is known as the Father of the Library Movement of Kerala.\ June 19, his death anniversary, has been observed in Kerala as Vayanadinam (Reading Day) since 1996. In 2017, PM declared June […]
Olive Ridley Turtles
Olive Ridley Turtles: Researchers of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) are carrying out tagging of the Olive Ridleys at three mass nesting sites — Gahirmatha, Devi River mouth and Rushikulya. The tagging would help them identify the migration path and places visited by the marine reptiles after congregation and nesting. The Olive ridley turtles […]
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA)
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA): India and Australia are fast-tracking negotiation regarding the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). India’s exports to Australia amounted to $4.04 billion while imports were $8.24 billion in FY21. Major Indian exports to Australia are petroleum products, medicines, polished diamonds, gold jewellery, apparel etc, while key Australian exports to India […]
Meendum Manjappai Scheme: Tamil Nadu
Meendum Manjappai’ Scheme: Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has launched the ‘Meendum Manjappai’ campaign aimed at creating awareness on the usage of cloth bags instead of single-use plastic bags. The Tamil Nadu government has already banned 14 types of plastic materials. The government also needs to address important structural issues such as […]
Tablighi Jamaat: Banned by Saudi Arabia
Tablighi Jamaat: The Islamic missionary organisation made headlines again this month as it was banned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Literally, it means a society for spreading the faith. It is a conservative Muslim organisation. It is a Sunni Islamic missionary movement. The aim is to reach out to ordinary Muslims and revive their […]
