WATER IN ATMOSPHERE
• Water vapour varies from 0% to 4% by volume of the atmosphere and plays an important role in the weather phenomena. • Water is present in the atmosphere in three forms namely gaseous, liquid and solid. • The moisture in the atmosphere is derived from water bodies through evaporation and from plants through transpiration. […]
PMO DENIES RTI PLEA SEEKING INFO ON PM-CARES
Focus: GS-II Governance Why in news? The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has denied a Right to Information request related to the PM-CARES Fund on the grounds that providing it would “disproportionately divert the resources of the office.” However, a High Court judgment and multiple orders of the Central Information Commission (CIC) have previously held that, […]
ISSUES FACING ONLINE EDUCATION
Focus: GS-III Social Justice Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the education sector globally as classes have been suspended to enforce social distancing and educational institutions, from schools to universities, have shifted to online methods of teaching and evaluation. This has encouraged some sort of a permanent tilt, if not a complete shift, to online […]
INDIA EYES GLOBAL FRONT RUNNERS: COVID VACCINE
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, Prelims Why in news? Covid-19 vaccines being developed by UK’s Oxford-AstraZeneca and United States’s Moderna-NIAID are the top candidates India is looking at for possible acquisition discussions. Details India is at present waiting for trial data for the Russian candidate, which became the first coronavirus vaccine to be approved […]
SARS-COV-2-SPECIFIC T CELL IMMUNITY
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? A recently published research paper says natural exposure or infection with the novel coronavirus may “prevent recurrent episodes of severe COVID-19”. This is because, once infected with SARS-CoV-2, the immune system elicits “robust, broad and highly functional memory T cell responses”. Details The study found SARS-CoV-2-specific T […]
MADRAS HC: LAW TO BAR CRIMINALS IN ELECTION
Focus: GS-II Governance Why in news? The Madras High Court has directed the Centre to explain in two weeks as to why it should not enact a law prohibiting people with criminal background from contesting in parliamentary, Assembly and local body elections. Details The High Court issued the direction after taking note of media reports […]
KUKI: WEIGH ‘GENOCIDE’ BY NSCN (IM) IN NAGA PEACE AGREEMENT
Focus: GS-I Indian Society Why in news? An apex body of the Kukis, one of the three major ethnic groups of Manipur, has asked the Centre to weigh the “acts of genocide” against the community by the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland, or NSCN (IM), before sealing the final peace deal […]
SUO MOTU CONTEMPT POWER IS INHERENT: SC
Focus: GS-II Polity, Governance Why in news? The Supreme Court said the prior consent of the Attorney General (AG) of India is not required to suo motu initiate the inherent contempt powers of the Supreme Court. A three-judge Bench held that the suo motu contempt powers of the top court is drawn from Article 129 […]
DEFENDING REWA VILLAGES EMPOWERED WOMEN
Focus: GS-I Indian Society The story of women being empowered for self-protection Women, children and the old and infirm were left behind every year as Majhiyar’s men travelled miles looking for agricultural labour, except in the rainy season, often not returning for months. Dacoit ‘Dadua’ and his gang members used to barge into our houses, […]
INDIA, AUSTRALIA SHARE VIEWS ON 5G
Focus: GS-II International Relations Why in news? India and Australia are sharing experiences on protecting critical infrastructure, including 5G networks, said a senior Australian High Commission official while talking of the huge increase in cybersecurity cooperation between the two countries, however, clarifying that Australia has no intention of banning Chinese apps like India has done. […]