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GENERAL STUDIES -3 (SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY) 1.India’s third lunar odyssey commenceswith perfect launch Ambitious mission: The rocket carrying Chandrayaan-3 lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space

1. India’s third moon mission all set to be launched today Chandrayaan-3 at the launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Thursday.PTI Chandrayaan-3

1.June inflation quickens to 4.8% as food prices climb Food price inflation increases to 4.5% from less than 3% in the previous month due to rising

1. Centre’s view on Kashmir situation has no bearing on Article 370 case: says SC A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Tuesday said

1. Record rainfall: Chandigarh, Kullu see wettest days in history In July this year, 10 tributaries in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand surpassed their highest-ever flood

1.  Objections overruled, Forest Bill goes to House unchanged Parliamentary committee endorses proposed amendments to Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 in its entirety; Environment Ministry denies charge

1. Coming, women-only courts for alternative dispute resolution The Union government is set to launch an initiative under which women-only courts will be set up

Daily Current Affairs 08.07.23 1. Artist, sculptor Namboodiri leaves behind a legacy of indelible images 1 of 2 Namboodiri, and, right, one of the artist’s paintings. Special Arrangement

1. Services Dept. makes L-G’s call official: 437 appointments by AAP govt. declared ‘void’ L-G V.K. Saxena had ordered terminating services of the consultants, Raj

1. SCO calls for multipolar world order as Iran joins grouping Indicating a lack of consensus, India stays out of statements on economic cooperation and on

1. India needs a Uniform Civil Code M. Venkaiah Naidu is a former Vice President of India. India, being a diverse nation, is home to

1. Pending for two years, SC to take up pleas against dilution of Article 370 on July 11 A Constitution Bench, led by Chief Justice

1. Kerala govt. to move SC against Governor sitting on many Bills Faced with an unprecedented constitutional crisis following the Kerala Governor “sitting” on nine

1. Water mission may miss 2024 target Only three out of four rural households are likely to have drinking water tap connections by 2024; work

1. Centre to issue norms against ‘dark patterns’ in online advertisements The Union Consumer Affairs Ministry has urged consumers to flag such manipulative online practices

1. India’s largest radio telescope plays vital role in detecting universe’s vibrations India’s Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) was among the world’s six large telescopes

1. Centre plans ‘market’ scheme to promote sustainable living It aims at incentivising a host of activities such as afforestation, water conservation and waste management by

1. Vikram, Pragyan to return for another tryst with the moon Chandrayaan-3 lander, rover named after those in the previous mission; India’s third moon exploration

1. As part of UAV deal with U.S. firm, India is expected to develop some components locally An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle developed by General Atomics

1. Jet engine deal ensures 80% technology transfer to HAL; first engine in three years Except for a small component, the F414-INS6 will be entirely

1. G-20 Education Ministers agree on equitable use of AI G-20 members have agreed on the need to work together for a resilient, equitable, inclusive and

1. Heat and state Poor living conditions have exacerbated the effects of heatwaves In the brutal heatwave beating down on Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, one

1. Semiconductor fab: the unfinished agenda Ajay Kumar, former Defence Secretary, is Distinguished Visiting Professor, IIT Kanpur. To set up a semiconductor fabrication plant in

1. Archaeologist finds Mesolithic-era rock painting in Andhra’s Guntur Painting of a man tilling land found at cave shelters at Orvakallu village in Guntur district. 

1. Experts warn of a severe dengue outbreak in Kerala, call for improved clinical surveillance Taking precaution: Mass fogging to chase away dengue-causing mosquitoes being held

1. Railway safety — listen to the voices from below Nothing focuses the nation’s collective attention on the Indian Railways as a major accident. The

1. GDP expanded 6.1% in 2022-23’s last quarter Full-year manufacturing GVA slid to 1.3% from 11.1%; only three of eight sectors, including farming and services,

1. Scientist team discovers new exoplanet with mass 13 times that of Jupiter A new Jupiter-size exoplanet with the highest density known till this date

1. Faster, stronger India must use its supercomputers beyond weather forecasts Later this year, India will have a new ‘supercomputer’ or, more correctly, an upgraded

1. Why is the 1.5 degree Celsius target critical? Intense heat: A man crosses the dry and cracked bed of the Koparli dam in Peth Taluka

1. Army chief begins two-day visit to Manipur to assess ground situation Army chief General Manoj Pande reached Manipur on Saturday on a two-day visit.

1. All-in-one policy plan to spread insurance in India IRDA is devising an affordable product covering health, life, property, accident risks to give citizens protection, expedite

1. Ties that bind The Modi visit to Australia adds to the bipartisan strength of growing bonds Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day visit to Australia

1.  The paradox of BRICS, its new pathway Mysterious are the ways in which multilateral groupings prosper and wither away. The Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and

1. Prime Minister extols value of Pacific island nations at third FIPIC summit Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivers his opening remarks at the FIPIC summit

1. Jaishankar, Blinken meet in Hiroshima, discuss plans for PM’s U.S. visit in June Retreat with President Biden outside Washington, diaspora events on the cards;

1. Ordinance an insult to SC, we will challenge it: Kejriwal Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the Aam Aadmi Party government would

1. RBI to pull out ₹2,000 notes from active circulation The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday decided to withdraw ₹2,000 denomination banknotes from

1.  Warming warning India must invest in infrastructure that boosts defence against disasters. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued its annual update on its

1. Two judgments and the principle of accountability M.R. Madhavan is with PRS Legislative Research, New Delhi. Two Constitution Benches of the Supreme Court of

1. Khasi council order on father’s surname sets off war of words in matrilineal Meghalaya The Khasis, numbering about 1.39 lakh, are one of the

1. If law is drafted well, judiciary won’t get opportunity to overstep it: Shah Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said if a law

1. Agra: from medieval structures to modern systems A CCTV camera zooms in on a stray cow roaming the streets of Agra in Uttar Pradesh.

1. Study on butterflies’ migration opens door for conservation Winged beauties: (From left) Striped tiger, Blue tiger, Dark blue tiger and Plain tiger.Special Arrangement Millions of

1. Asymmetry, power Top court ruling on services is a boost for representative government in Delhi Asymmetric federalism has been a positive feature of India’s

1. Delhi govt. has control over officers, says Supreme Court Delhi Cabinet Ministers greet Arvind Kejriwal as he arrives at the Secretariat after the SC

1. Snap judgment Every birth or death should not be seen as success or failure of Project Cheetah It is almost three months since South

1.  Assam plans to ban polygamy Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati on Tuesday.  The drive against child marriage provided the government with information about

1. The crisis in Manipur is a humanitarian problem: SC The Supreme Court on Monday called the Manipur crisis a “humanitarian problem” while noting that

1. More than a story False narratives and propaganda should be countered, but not through a ban. The demand for a ban on The Kerala Story,

1. Proposed oil refinery project leaves villages in the Konkan belt fuming Facing the heat: Protests began on April 25, with nearly 1,000 people showing up

1. Central security forces flood crisis-hit Manipur At least 10 people are believed to have been killed by mobs, while many villages were destroyed in

1. Voters express concern over breach of data and privacy Many voters are getting calls where they are being asked whom they will vote for.

1. April PMI signals services sector had best expansion in 13 years India’s services sector recorded its highest uptick in new business and output levels

1. In gig economy, ‘lesser pay is better than no pay’ Blinkit workers who went on strike resume work after holding out for barely a

1. SC says it can end wait for consensual divorce SC says it can use its extraordinary power under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant

1. 11 dead after inhaling toxic gas in Ludhiana On alert: A National Disaster Response Force team at the site of the gas leak in the

1. Nicobar project violates tribal rights: ST panel The project intends to use about 7.114 sq. km of tribal reserve forest land. The National Commission

1. Core sectors’ output dipped to 5-month low of 3.6% in March Growth in India’s eight core sectors’ output fell to a five-month low of

1. Mindless violence The Maoist attack in south Bastar is reflective of the group’s potency Less than two years ago, the Union Home Minister Amit

1. Call to protect historically significant structures at Thirunelly temple in Kerala Loss of heritage: ‘Vilakkumadom’, an exquisite granite structure, at the Sree Mahavishnu Temple at

1. After death of two cheetahs, M.P. seeks new site for the felines On Sunday, the Kuno Park had its second cheetah fatality in less

1. Eye on polls, Gehlot targets gig workers with welfare law With nearly six months left for the Assembly election, the Rajasthan government is working

1 ISRO launches PSLV-C55 with two Singapore satellites Successful take off: PSLV-C55 lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, on Saturday. The Indian Space

1. Sloth bear falls into well, drowns after being darted during rescue mission Tragic incident: The sloth bear which drowned after falling into a well at

1. India’s population to edge ahead of China’s by mid-2023, says UN India’s population projected to reach 142.86 cr. against China’s 142.57 cr.; contrary to

1. Arunachal hosts Buddhist meeting at Dalai Lama’s first halt in 1959 Zemithang, the first stop of the 14th Dalai Lama during his flight from

1. Chinese shenanigans on Arunachal Pradesh The views expressed are personal The State represents the finest of India’s cultural and civilisational heritage, and there is

1. Despite court stay, OTT platforms face pressure on content OTT, or over-the-top, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are facing pressure

1. Army may build Bailey bridges in Kaziranga to protect rhino’s domain Vital change: These bridges will essentially replace wooden structures in flood-prone vulnerable pockets of

1. Goods exports grew 6%, imports 16.5% in 2022-23 Monthly exports contracted for the fourth time in six months this March with a 13.9% drop amid

1. Efforts on to open Zojila Tunnel ahead of deadline: Gadkari All-weather link: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, along with J&K Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha, inspecting the

1. Data Protection Bill in Monsoon Session It will be tabled in Parliament in July, govt. informs Supreme Court, which is hearing petitions against WhatsApp sharing

1. Murmu becomes third President to fly a sortie on a Sukhoi fighter jet President Droupadi Murmu takes a sortie on the IAF’s fighter aircraft

1. India’s tiger population tops 3,000, shows census The population has grown the most in the Shivalik hills and Gangetic flood plains, but there is a

1. NGT sets up panel to revisit clearance given to Great Nicobar Island project A view of the Great Nicobar Island.  The eastern Bench of

1. Online platforms must take down PIB-flagged ‘fake news’ Centre amends IT law; intermediaries cannot bank on Section 79 that now gives them immunity for content

1. A garbage dump that was recast into a lush mini-forest Major facelift: Biji Abraham with visiting students at the Christian College’s mini-forest at Chengannur.  Visiting

1. On same-sex union, faith leaders show rare unity Muslim, Jain, Sikh and Christian leaders, along with the RSS, are opposing same-sex marriage as the SC

1. Bountiful beginnings Hailing the harvest: Tiwa tribesmen taking part in a dance to celebrate the Yangli festival at Gobha village in Morigaon district of Assam

1. Cheetah boom Cool cats: Siyaya, one of the cheetahs translocated last September from Namibia to the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, gave birth to

1. Constitutional bodies fighting corruption under attack, says PM Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday launched a scathing attack against what he termed conspiracies by

1. Sarus crane turns albatross around U.P. man’s neck Winged companion: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav with Arif Khan and the rescued sarus crane in Amethi’s

1. A.P. passes resolution to provide SC status for Dalit Christians In a unanimous resolution passed on Friday, the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly supported the

1. India rejects J&J’s attempt to extend patent on TB drug In a victory for patients fighting for wider access to the crucial anti-tuberculosis drug

1. Govt. will attempt to open corridor to Sharda Peeth in PoK for devotees: Shah The Maa Sharda Devi temple in Kupwara, which was inaugurated

1. Japan PM Kishida to visit India today; G-7, G-20, Indo-Pacific ties on        agenda Fumio Kishida Synchronising plans for the G-7 summit in Hiroshima in

1. India suits up for deepest dive yet All eyes: MATSYA’s journey will be filmed by 12 cameras, fitted along the submersible to capture a 360-degree

1. Maharashtra, U.P. among 7 States to get textile parks Centre expects the parks to attract investments worth ₹70,000 crore, generate jobs for 20 lakh

1. Wait continues in T.N. for Centre’s Pennaiyar tribunal In contention: T.N. opposes work on a check-dam across the Markandeya, a Pennaiyar tributary, by Karnataka.  Three-month

1. RBI has permitted banks from 18 countries to trade in rupee: Centre Trade in local currencies have been mooted as a solution to avoid

1. Same-sex union can rock societal values: Centre Any change in human relationship should come from legislature, not court, Centre says in its affidavit in

1. Sickle cell screening meets only 1% of target, hurting ambitious elimination goal With barely two weeks left in the fiscal year, the Health Ministry

1.  U.S. is trying to ‘encircle’ China: Foreign Minister America’s Indo-Pacific Strategy seeks to target China through creation of ‘exclusive blocs’, provokes confrontation and tries

1. IAF choppers to help contain smoke from Kochi dumpyard Gasping for air: Vehicles moving through a flyover as toxic haze from a waste dump fire

1. ‘Regulator’s proposal on Rajasthan power lines flouts SC orders, threatens bustard’ The population of the critically endangered species has dipped to less than 150. 

1. With overfishing, great seahorses bolt from Coromandel Found vulnerable: The great seahorse, one of the nine species found in the Indian coastal ecosystem, is among

1. Select Central staff can opt for Old Pension Scheme Govt. allows one-time option for those who applied for jobs advertised before Dec. 22, 2003, the

1. 1,300-year-old Buddhist stupa found in Odisha’s Jajpur Initial assessment showed that the stupa could be 4.5-metre tall and may belong to the 7th or

1. SC asks govt. what it has done to end manual scavenging The Supreme Court has directed the government to place on record within six

1. Man-animal conflict: Kerala to conduct elephant, tiger surveys The Kerala Forest Department is set to launch surveys to enumerate wild elephant and tiger populations

1. It’s Centre’s call, says SC on menstrual leave policy Petitioner can approach the Ministry of Women and Child Development, says Bench, which also flagged

1. 60% of India’s voters linked Aadhaar to voter ID: RTI While Tripura leads the way with over 92% of voters having provided their Aadhaar

1. India remains a ‘bright spot’, to contribute 15% of global growth in 2023: IMF India continues to remain a relative “bright spot” in the

1. Centre may notify emissions trading scheme by June For a cleaner future: Generation of solar thermal power is among the activities that will be eligible

1. Indians go West, take up ‘residence by investment’ High net-worth individuals are making a beeline for such programmes in U.S., Portugal, Australia, Malta and Greece

1. Over 1,000 pangolins poached and trafficked in India in past five years An Indian Pangolin at the Kanha reserve in Madhya Pradesh. Two species

1. Modi opens Aadi Mahotsav, says world has a lot to learn from tribes Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Aadi Mahotsav, the mega National Tribal

1. Eye on China, Cabinet clears 7 ITBP battalions Adding muscle: The strength of the ITBP will increase to 97,000, making it the fourth largest Central

1. Wholesale inflation eased to 4.7% in January India’s wholesale price inflation cooled further in January to a two-year low of 4.73% from 4.95% in

1. The cuts run deep From geopolitics and religion to the police, the Central Board of Film Certification’s ambit has grown beyond traditional concerns The

1. Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-D2 will lift off from Sriharikota today It will inject three satellites — ISRO’s EOS-07, U.S.-based Antaris’s Janus-1 and Chennai-based Space Kidz’s

1. CAR T-cell therapy: the next step towards a holistic treatment of cancer  Scanning electron micrograph of a healthy human T-cell; a 3D render of

1. SC to ascertain if woman is detained at home to prevent contact with her same-sex partner The Supreme Court on Monday decided to ascertain

1. Five new appointments in SC signal that collegium has prevailed over Union govt. Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud is scheduled to read

1. IBC boosted ‘ease of doing business’ rank, says Justice Kaul Supreme Court judge Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul on Saturday credited India’s rise in the

1. 5 collegium-picked judges to be posted soon: Centre Govt. response comes after SC flags delay in appointment to its Bench; court gives Centre 10

1. ‘Govt. can seek rethink on collegium recommendations’ Asserting that the Union government can seek a reconsideration of the names recommended by the Supreme Court

1. Odisha may prove to be first mover on PVTG Development Mission As Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced to launch the Pradhan

1. GDP to grow 6.5% in 2023-24: Survey ‘Pandemic-induced blues are over, India on a stronger wicket now’ Need to stay vigilant on inflation and

1. Lessons from Ukraine war: UAVs, missiles are likely future threats Protective cover: Efforts are under way by the Army to put in place a layered

India sends notice to Pak. to amend 1960 Indus pact Islamabad approaches court of arbitration in The Hague raising concerns over two hydropower projects in J&K;

1. ‘India’s first mission to study the sun to begin by June-July’ VELC, the primary payload on board Aditya-L1, was handed over to ISRO by

1. PM calls for prison reforms and repeal of obsolete laws At the annual police meet that concluded on Sunday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi suggested

1. Ahom burial sites to vie for UNESCO tag The Centre has decided to nominate Assam’s Charaideo Maidams — the Ahom equivalent of the ancient

1. Wayanad becomes country’s first district to provide basic documents to all tribal people Wayanad Sub-Collector R. Sreelakshmi collecting details of tribal persons at the

1. SC Collegium firm on appointing gay lawyer as HC judge Govt. had objected to the proposal citing Kirpal’s relationship with Swiss national and possibility of

1. Central panel asks Arunachal to review hydropower project The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Union Environment Ministry has asked the Arunachal Pradesh government

1. Pak. PM moots ‘serious, sincere’ talks with Modi Pakistan wants peace with India, but what is happening in Kashmir should be stopped… we have

1. ₹2,600-cr. incentive for banks to promote digital payments The Union Cabinet approved an outlay of ₹2,600 crore to promote payments using RuPay cards and

1. We won’t pay a farthing more, says Union Carbide Govt. walking a ‘slippery slope’ by seeking more funds for Bhopal gas leak victims over and

1. Opposition parties flay EC’s remote voting plan Questions raised: The Election Commission has called an all-party meeting on January 16 for consultations. It will discourage

1. PMO reviews situation in ‘sinking’ Joshimath town Grim situation: Activists address residents of Joshimath in the presence of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on

1. Centre clears ₹19,744 cr. Green Hydrogen Mission Plan is to reduce fossil fuel imports, decarbonise major sectors of the economy and turn the country into

1. No need for extra curbs on free speech of Ministers: SC A statement by a Minister cannot be attributed vicariously to government by invoking principle

1. India asks Pakistan to free prisoners, says ready to solve humanitarian matters. India is committed to addressing “all humanitarian matters, including those pertaining to

 1. Core sector output rises 5.4% in uneven recovery Overall production levels in November remain the same as in the previous month; cement,coal, steel, electricity

 1. A failed attempt at decriminalisation What is the Jan Vishwas Bill tabled by the Union government in Parliament and what are its objectives? Is

1. Centre yet to make its stand clear on Ram Setu petition The statement by the Union government in Parliament that satellite imagery cannot provide

1. President inaugurates ‘PRASAD’ project to create a slew of facilities at Srisailam President Droupadi Murmu inaugurated the ‘PRASAD’ project at the tourism facilitation centre

1. The emerging Omicron sublineages What led to the recent outbreak of COVID-19 cases in China? What are the SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in the country?

1. Scientists freeze Great Barrier Reef coral in world-first trial Scientists working on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef have successfully trialled a new method for freezing

1. India and China to keep dialogue channels open The 17th round of senior-level military talks was held on December 20 ‘in an open, constructive manner’,

1. Three more sites added to tentative list of UNESCO Gujarat’s Vadnagar town, the iconic Sun Temple at Modhera, and the rock cut sculptures of

1. COP-15 summit adopts historic biodiversity deal Kunming-Montreal Agreement is aimed at saving the lands, oceans and species from pollution, degradation and climate change, and is

1. Citizenship path to be eased for 6 minority groups from 3 nations Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Christians, Buddhists, Jains from Pak., Afghanistan and Bangladesh will be

1. Rajasthan sanctuary gets protection against ESZ shrinking The famous Tal Chhapar blackbuck sanctuary in Churu district of Rajasthan has received a protective cover against

1. Crude oil imports rose 52.6% to $147 bn in April-November Commerce Ministry data shows coal and coke imports almost doubled in the period to $37.25

1. States can enact laws on uniform civil code, Law Minister tells Rajya Sabha The States are empowered to enact personal laws that decide issues

1. Specific date will be given for pleas on Article 370, says SC The removal of special status deprived Jammu and Kashmir of privileges; the

1. Analysing U.S.-China bilateral ties What events led to the unprecedented downturn of relations between the two countries? Is there a growing effort from both

1. Why is there friction between the government and the judiciary? What is the trigger for the current conflict? Why did the Supreme Court strike

1. Stop grading terrorists as good and bad: India in UN Political convenience must not dictate such decisions and there cannot be an exception or justification

1. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is Himachal Pradesh CM Congress leadership makes the announcement after two days of deliberations, MLAs meet Governor Arlekar to stake claim

1. India not as decoupled, still on a sticky path: economists China’s absence as a shock absorber for global economy is conspicuous this time, says

1. AAP secures win with 134 seats in municipal polls, ends 15-year rule of BJP The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) recorded its maiden victory in

1. Europe’s concerns about the U.S. IRA What are the provisions of the new Inflation Reduction Act of the United States? Why has the French

1. SC offers to find solution to ‘deceitful conversions’ Bench says it will examine ‘veiled intentions’ behind religious conversions through allurement by offering food, medicines, treatment;

1. In rare gesture, Iran shuts morality police The move comes after over two months of protests over the death in custody of a young woman

1. A week more of electoral bond sales from tomorrow The government has opened yet another week-long window for electoral bond sales, starting December 5,

1. How will global layoffs impact India? Why did many U.S. tech companies let their employees go? What are the trends on jobs, attrition, operating

1. The Assam-Meghalaya border firing What is the boundary dispute between the two States? Does the current incident have bearing on this dispute? What has

1. On the entry of women in masjids Why did the Jama Masjid in Delhi prohibit the entry of single women or women in groups

1. Anguish over NJAC order behind posting delays: SC Supreme Court had struck down the National Judicial Appointments Commission, which gave the government an equal

1. Toward legalising same-sex marriage How do the fresh pleas in the Supreme Court seek to recognise same-sex marriage? What are the existing rights of

1. IRDAI allows PE funds to invest directly in insurers Insurance regulator introduces slew of proposals to improve ease-of-doing business, including allowing promoters to dilute

1. Riots at China’s iPhone assembly plant What led to the mass protests by workers at the Foxconn factory in Zhengzhou in China? How is

1. SEBI’s plans to tackle market rumours What are the measures proposed by the market regulator? Is misinformation affecting securities and impacting investor confidence? Do the

1. RBI’s concerns on slow deposit growth Why did senior officials of the apex banking regulator meet the MD and CEOs of public and certain

1. How different is the new data protection Bill? Has the right to portability and right to be forgotten been removed from the latest draft

1. A first look at the new data protection Bill How different is the latest draft of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022 from

1. India’s first private rocket lifts off from ISRO spaceport The six-metre-tall launch vehicle Vikram-S is named after Vikram Sarabhai; the rocket is developed by

1. Rhino horns trafficked with impunity: report In terms of weight, there has been an increase in the seizure of rhino horns after 2017, despite

1. Is climate change affecting global health? Why is the world’s reliance on fossil fuels increasing the prevalence of disease, food insecurity and other illnesses related

1. The significance of the Bali G-20 summit How important is this summit for the world and for India specifically? Which countries are not attending

1. G-20 summit to focus on food, energy security Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Bali on Monday to attend the G-20 summit on November

1. MBBS in Hindi lost in transliteration? Doctors, students, hospitals raise concerns about viability of programme and employability of students from bilingual stream in Madhya

1. SC orders release of all life convicts in Rajiv case The Supreme Court on Friday ordered the immediate release of six life convicts who

1. At COP-27, India insists on higher global climate finance target by 2024 Developing countries require “substantive enhancement” in climate finance beyond the floor commitment

1. In the hopes for a clear blue sky How far back does Delhi’s air pollution problem go? What policy measures have been taken over

1. The Supreme Court order on PF pensions What has the SC ruled in the case where the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation appealed various orders

1. The Uniform Civil Code What were the Constituent Assembly debates about the UCC? What were the different arguments? Is uniformity even desirable for a

1. Navy chiefs of Quad in Japan ahead of Malabar Exercise The meeting on the naval exercise, which was started in 1992 between India and

1. As Delhi gasps, Kejriwal says stubble burning major cause It is the responsibility of Punjab’s AAP government, will find solution by next November, says

1. India will insist on action, clear framework at COP27 Environment Minister says that clarity will be sought on climate finance and technology transfer from

1. The new hybrid variant of mustard How significant is the development of the Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11 (DMH-11)? Why are some activist groups opposing the

1. The C-295 and India’s aircraft industry How significant is the setting up of the C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara to India’s domestic

1. The amendments to the IT Rules, 2021 Why did the Ministry of Electronics and IT invite feedback to the draft amendments of the Information

1. Why was the Miya Museum sealed? How has a museum established by the Bengali-speaking or Bengal-origin Muslims in Assam generated controversy? Why did the

1. Kalanamak rice is now small, strong Indian Agriculture Research Institute has successfully tested two new dwarf varieties in Uttar Pradesh that give double the

1. 21.4 lakh TB cases notified in India in 2021: Health Ministry India’s TB incidence for the year 2021 is 210 per 100,000 population –

1. The Thoothukudi firing inquiry report Why was the Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission of Inquiry formed? What happened at the Sterlite Copper plant in 2018?

1. The FM’s call for industrial investment Why did the Union Finance Minister urge industry giants to invest in manufacturing? Is private sector financing at

1. Ethiopia: its past and current challenges How did the east African nation transition from a monarchy to its current makeup of a ‘federated Ethiopia’?

1. What is the Dharavi redevelopment project? What is the estimated cost for re-vamping one of Asia’s biggest cluster of slums? How many residential and

1. Are critically endangered Great Indian Bustards now migrating to Pakistan? The recent sighting of three Great Indian Bustards (GIBs) deep in Pakistan’s Cholistan desert

1. Saving the vultures of Tamil Nadu Which regions of the State have vulture populations? What are the reasons for the decline in vulture numbers?

1. Held up by the Chinese Why does China keep blocking the names India suggests for listing under the United Nations Security Council’s list of

1. Gambia child deaths and cough syrups Why is the West African nation reporting cases of kidney failure in children mostly below five? Are India-manufactured

1. Hindi imposition and its discontents What are the reported recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Official Language? When did the linguistic row initially start?

1. PM for use of regional languages in legal system to bring ease of justice Delay in justice delivery big challenge, says Modi. ‘People’s faith

1. Global Hunger Index is out, India in ‘serious’ category at rank 107 The country ranks below Sri Lanka (64), Nepal (81), Bangladesh (84) and

1. A report on the north-east Delhi riots What are the main findings of the report titled ‘Uncertain Justice: A Citizens Committee Report on the

1. China’s “wolf warrior” era Xi Jinping’s worldview carries with it an inherent contradiction — that of a world that is simultaneously China’s to lead

1. IMF cuts India’s growth forecast to 6.8% this year The Fund cites Ukraine war, record-high inflation and effects of pandemic as key reasons; itexpects

1. How Xi remade China’s Party-State While Xi Jinping’s rapid accumulation of power through various policies such as a strict anti-corruption campaign and a remake

1. The action plan against Delhi’s air pollution How does the Graded Response Action Plan work? What are the four stages planned under it and

1. Technology eases path for the weary The nomadic communities of J&K have been offered smart cards and free transport to aid their biannual migration

1. ‘India can lead G20 on education, climate and debt sustainability’ World Bank President David Malpass points to India’s involvement in restructuring debts in Sri

1. Is it time for the gig economy? What is moonlighting and how is it affecting the companies in India? Is it a punishable offence

The Mediation Bill, 2021What are the changes which the Parliamentary Standing Committee has recommended to the draft Bill introduced in the Rajya Sabha last year?

1. The rise of the far-right in Italy How did the Brothers of Italy, a party formed only in 2012, gain such popular support? What

1. Indore bags cleanest city award for sixth year, M.P. ranks first among States President Droupadi Murmu presents awards as part of Azadi@75 Swachh Survekshan

1. Reserve Bank raises rates by 50 bps, brings down growth outlook to 7% The Reserve Bank of India’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Friday

1. The draft Telecommunication Bill, 2022 Does the new Bill dilute the powers of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India? What will be the effects

1. Centre bans PFI, 8 front bodies for five years under UAPA Action comes close on the heels of countrywide searches and arrest of hundreds

1. Centre’s push for NavIC system lands smartphone giants on unknown road The Union government is pushing tech giants to make smartphones compatible with its

1. Shifting monsoon patterns Why are certain regions of the country experiencing higher rainfall than normal? How is the triple dip El Nina effect contributing

1. No viable options: farmers in Punjab forced to persist with paddy, go against the grain Growers in the State are keen on shunning the

1. G4 countries highlight ‘urgent need’ for reform in UN Security Council Germany, Brazil, Japan and India reiterate support for each other’s bids to become

1. Analysing the Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan conflict What are the reasons behind the current clashes between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan? What led to the flare-up between both nations?

1. Rules for identifying criminals What do the recently notified rules of the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022 state? Is there scope for misuse? On

1. The lumpy skin disease How will the spread of the disease affect the diary industry of India? Are there vaccinations for the vector-borne disease?

1. Scandinavian social democracy The Nordic model of social democracy offers lessons to the developing world, including countries like India despite the myriad complexities of

1. The ban on the export of broken rice How is the ethanol blending programme connected to the rice export ban? How have rice-importing countries

1. ‘Crime scripts’ to unravel illegal trade of marine species Detailed analysis conducted by WCS-India showed that Tamil Nadu recorded most seizures between 2015 and

1. IAF to fly AN-32 on blended biodiesel for 200 hours Performance very satisfactory, says Air Vice-Marshal As part of efforts to reduce its carbon

1. The Eastern Economic Forum and India’s balancing act What are the benefits of investing in the Russian Far East? Which all countries are currently

1. Understanding Ukraine’s counter-offensive What are the territorial gains made by the Ukrainian forces? How has Kremlin reacted? Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian soldiers from

1. The fall in natural rubber prices in India Why are natural rubber farmers protesting against the government? What has led to the decline in

1. States told to implement adoption rules The instructions come despite concerns over jurisdiction of District Magistrates The Ministry of Women and Child Development has

1. The tedious process of adoption What laws determine adoption rules in India? Why is referring cases to District Magistrates cause for concern? From September

1. Why cloudburst forecast in India still remains elusive Monitoring stations on the ground can hardly capture cloudburst characteristics due to their highly localised and

1. India, China to take up remaining LAC issues India and China will take up remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) once

India, China troops disengage at LAC friction point in Ladakh Pullback begins from Patrolling Point-15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area India and China on Thursday announced

1. Content moderation on Wikipedia What are the mechanisms Wikipedia uses to ensure that users do not have unrestricted editorial privilege? India has summoned officials

1. The Chilean referendum for a new constitution What led to the referendum? What were some of the proposed amendments? The people of Chile resoundingly

1. Seat belts, head restraints and safety regulations What are the functions of seat belts and head restraints? Is India implementing its mandatory seat belt

1. Deploying 5G in a world built on 4G technology The switch to a pureplay 5G architecture is no more a question of whether or

1. Flight test of LCA-Mk2 to be completed by 2027 Cabinet Committee on Security sanctioned the development of the model earlier this week at a

1. Paddy cultivation sees decline 5.62% decrease in the area covered this year compared to 2021, data show The trend of decrease in paddy sowing

1. Vostok-2022 begins in Russia with India, China participating U.S. criticises India’s attendance in the joint military exercise An Indian Army contingent comprising troops from

1. The jurisprudence of bail The Supreme Court has time and again reiterated that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception” The jurisprudence

1. The concerns around Aadhaar-Voter ID linkage Why is the Election Commission keen on voters linking their Aadhaar with voter IDs? There have been instances

1. Centre picks 75 tribal districts for TB intervention project Move comes after door-to-door screening of over 68,000 villages in tribal districts After having run

1. SC to review PMLA order on two aspects Judgment had found no reason for ECIR to be shared with accused, shifts burden of proof

1. The Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022 Why is an amendment to the already existing Indian Competition Act necessary? As the dynamics of the market changes

1. Facing govt. action, Huawei to dial down R&D operations Decision comes after I-T searches and probes into ‘national security’ aspects Suhasini Haidar Mini Tejaswi

1. Improving rice yield with an additional gene Adding a second copy of one of its own genes has boosted the yield of a Chinese

1. Indian team deliberating on ocean diversity pact A key aspect of the agreement is deciding on the rights of companies that undertake exploration for

1. What is causing Arctic warming? Why is the Greenland ice sheet melting at an alarming rate? How is it affecting the monsoons? Due to

1. The conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh What are the various unresolved issues between Armenia and Azerbaijan which has led to consistent ceasefire violations? The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict

1. ‘Subsidies on power will continue’ Power Secretary says State governments will have the discretion to continue concessions The Centre’s move to introduce the Electricity

1. ‘29 elephant poaching cases in 3 years’ The period also saw 90 cases of seizure of tusks/ivory, Forest Ministry tells Lok Sabha In the

1. The new U.S. Bill on climate action Does the new Bill completely leave out fossil fuel industries? What are the listed incentives to switch

1. The workings of the Supreme Court collegium How is the collegium constituted and what are its responsibilities? Who is set to be the next

1. RBI raises rates, vows nimble policy Policy repo rate raised by 50 basis points to 5.4% With inflation remaining at ‘elevated levels’, the Monetary

1. The coal mining protests in the Hasdeo Aranya region Why has a private member resolution against coal mining in the Hasdeo forests been passed

1. Understanding the provisions for foreign visits of State government Ministers Why was Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal denied clearance to attend the World Cities

1. AlphaFold: A tour de force in science How have our methods of predicting protein structures changed with AI-based tools? What does this development signify

1. The need for a distinction between blasphemy and hate speech What is the history of Section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal Code? How

1. New e-waste rules threaten jobs, collection network System involving producer responsibility organisations dismantled; responsibility of recycling now with a handful of authorised recyclers A

1. Core sector output expands by 12.7% Crude oil output dropped 1.7% from a year earlier India’s eight core sectors’ output growth moderated to 12.7%

1. After the referendum: The challenges of a power grab in Tunisia What led to the political turmoil in Tunisia? Why did President Kais Saied

1. Warehousing Act However, the SKM fears it will help corporate houses gain more control The Union Food and Public Distribution Ministry has suggested major

1. Power tariff revisions and the state of DISCOMs Why are power distribution companies swimming in losses? Why are States reluctant to hike power prices?

1. The private sector boost in India’s space industry How does a strong space sector contribute to overall development? Why are private players being encouraged

1. A recap of the monkeypox outbreak By declaring monkeypox a public health emergency of international concern, how does the WHO plan to tackle and

1. The sweltering heat wave across Europe How has the ‘heat apocalypse’ wrecked devastation throughout Western Europe? On July 19, the U.K. posted its highest

1. The outrage over the new ‘National Emblem’ What are the various allegations raised against the revised sculpture atop the new Parliament House? The first

1. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation and its stature in the modern world What is the SCO and how does the grouping impact India? Is it

1. Why is Kerala protesting Supreme Court’s ESZ notification Why is the notification controversial in the State? What were the earlier efforts of the State

1. Rise in unvaccinated children in India Their number doubled to over two million owing to pandemic, says data published by WHO, UNICEF The number

1. Mediation Bill: Not getting the Act together While it contains many pluses, the Bill needs improvement in some crucial places The Bill recognises that

1. The search for dark matter What are distance scales? How do they help in proving the existence of dark matter? Dark matter is made

1. Twitter’s petition on Section 69A of the IT Act  What is main point of contestation between the microblogging platform and the Central government? On

1. 20 red pandas to make a home in the forests In first rewilding programme of these animals, Darjeeling zoo to release them in Singalila