C/2020 F3 Neowise
What is it? The C/2020 F3 is a comet and is also called as NEOWISE. It will be visible to the naked eye for 20 minutes every day for 20 days across India. What are Comets? Comets are “dirty snowballs” and are mostly made of dust, rocks and ice. The word comet comes from the […]
Current Affairs for UPSC IAS Exam – 14 July 2020
Contents Iran drops India from Chabahar rail project Iran and China draft 25-year trade, military agreement Pakistan to allow Afghan exports through Wagah border SC on Padmanabhaswamy Temple administration Aircraft carriers to get Indian jets by 2032 IRAN DROPS INDIA FROM CHABAHAR RAIL PROJECT Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? Four years after India […]
NCRB and NATGRID
Why in news? The National Intelligence Grid (NATGRID) has signed an MoU with the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to access the centralised online database on FIRs and stolen vehicles. About NATGRID NATGRID initially started in 2009 is an online database for collating scattered pieces of information and putting them together on one platform. It […]
China, Iran close to reaching trade and military partnership
Why in news? Iran and China have quietly drafted a sweeping economic and security partnership that would clear the way for billions of dollars of Chinese investments in energy and other sectors More about the deal would vastly expand Chinese presence in banking, telecommunications, ports, railways and dozens of other projects. In exchange, China would […]
Mizoram quake zone
Why in news? Mizoram experienced at least eight moderate earthquakes between June 21 and July 9. The tremors ranged from 4.2 to 5.5 on the Richter scale The epicentre of most of these quakes was beneath Champhai district bordering Myanmar, Mizoram’s zone of “scary” earthquakes is caught between two subterranean faults, a geologist assigned to […]
Punjab farmers find a better way to grow paddy
Why in news? Many farmers in Punjab chose the direct seeding method for the crop during COVID-19. More about news Farmers and agricultural experts say that large scale use of DSR to plant paddy could solve the staggering problem of stubble burning, a key cause of air pollution across the northern region. What is ‘Direct […]
EC’s power to hold elections
Why in news? recently as March this year, elections to 18 Rajya Sabha seats were postponed by the Commission due to the COVID19 pandemic. More about elections The EC is mandated under law to hold elections at any time within six months before the five-year term of the Lok Sabha or Legislative Assembly expires. The […]
Smart Cities Mission
The ‘Smart Cities Mission’, a flagship programme of the government, completed five years, in June 2020. Highlights of mission The Mission had sought to make 100 selected cities “smart”. Cities are being developed under “Area-Based Development” model. Under this model, a small portion of the city would be upgraded by retrofitting or redevelopment. Many of the projects undertaken […]
The sum and substance of the EU’s China dilemma
Why in news? European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, publicly proclaimed that “China is without doubt one of the key global players and its crucial for EU to engage with CHINA. He added that, Foreign actors and certain third countries, in particular Russia and China, have engaged in targeted influence operations […]
Solar power
Why in news? Prime Minister recently restated the importance of solar power in restarting the economy and moving towards sustainable development. Government efforts towards solar power. inauguration of a 750 MW photovoltaic project at Rewa, in Madhya Pradesh India expanded its solar generation capacity 8 times from 2,650 MW in May, 2014 to over 20 […]