COVID-19 DECLARED PANDEMIC BY WHO, STATES TO BE ASKED TO INVOKE EPIDEMIC DISEASE ACT
Focus: GS-III Disaster Management, Science and Technology, Prelims Why in news? The World Health Organisation (WHO) on March 11 said that according to its assessment, COVID-19 “can be characterised as a PANDEMIC.” WHO has been assessing this outbreak round-the-clock and we are deeply concerned both by the alarming levels of spread and severity, and by […]
PM MODI CALLS FOR COVID-19 EMERGENCY FUND FOR SAARC
Focus: GS-II International Relations, GS-III Science and Technology, Disaster Management, Prelims Why in news? The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) should create a fund to fight the threat of COVID-19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 15th March 2020 – Addressing the first ever video conference among the heads of governments of the […]
WATER CRISIS LOOMS LARGE IN HIMALAYAN REGIONS
Focus: GS-III Environment and Ecology Why in news? Eight towns in the Himalayan region of Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Pakistan were nearly 20%-70% deficient in their water supply, says a survey. Unplanned urbanisation and climate change are the key factors responsible for the state of affairs. Dependence on Springs The places surveyed are extremely dependent […]
RESCUE OPERATION IN ZANSKAR RIVER IN THE UT OF LADAKH
Focus: Prelims (Map) Why in news? IAF Rescues More than 107 Individuals from the Frozen Zanskar River in the UT of Ladakh Details People were a part of the ongoing ‘Chadar Trek’, got stranded when some portions of the frozen Zanskar River melted Stranded trekkers managed to move to Niraq, a small camp site upstream […]
TAAL VOLCANO
Why in News? Volcano south of Manila spewed Lava and broad columns of ash spewed Background Volcano south of Manila, Philippines is situated around Ring of Fire, which is a belt of high volcano density. The Philippine Sea Plate or the Philippine Plate is a tectonic plate comprising of oceanic lithosphere that lies beneath the […]