CBDT REVISING RETURN FORMS
Why in news? In order to enable income taxpayers to avail full benefits of various timeline extensions granted by the Government of India due to Covid-19 pandemic situations, the CBDT is revising the return forms for FY 2019-20 (Assessment Year 2020-21). CBDT The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is a Statutory Body functioning under […]
INDIA MUST ADOPT PLANS THAT AVERT THE WORST-CASE SCENARIO
Forecast of a Contraction in Economy Forecasting the sharpest contraction in world output since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the IMF slashed its projection by 6.3 percentage points from its January forecast for 3.3% growth to a 3% decline. In contrast, the recession of 2009 saw world output contract by a mere 0.1%. In […]
A SHOT OF HOPE WITH A GAME CHANGING VACCINE
Gravity of the situation Over the initial phase of the national lockdown (March 24 to April 14), India reported a 20-fold increase in confirmed SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 cases (468 to >10,000), and a 36-fold increase in deaths (9 to 330). Increased testing may partly account for this; but testing is still inadequate and this data represent underestimates. […]
EXPLAINED: TYPES OF HUMAN CORONAVIRUSES
What are coronaviruses? Coronaviruses are a large family of single-stranded RNA viruses that cause diseases in animals and humans. In humans, the viruses usually cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses such as the common cold. In the last two decades, more aggressive coronaviruses have emerged that are capable of causing serious illness and even […]
CONCERNS OVER CHINA’S MEASURES TO PREVENT ILLEGAL WILDLIFE TRADE
Why in news? China recently started a process to classify a step to rein in animals and birds from illegal trading in wildlife. China has drawn criticism from several quarters over its handling of wet animal markets after the outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19). China on April 8, 2020, circulated a list of […]
PREVENTING FOOD SHORTAGES IS HIGH PRIORITY FOR SOUTH ASIA
Adverse Impacts of the World Bank’s Forecast The forecasted scenarios translate for South Asia into sharp declines in exports, disruptions in global value chains, deterioration of investment sentiment, reversal of capital flows, and reduced remittances. An extended lockdown for three months and a more partial lockdown in subsequent quarters would lead to a negative growth […]
E-COMMERCE CAN’T SUPPLY NON-ESSENTIALS; GOA IS FIRST TO TURN VIRUS FREE
Why in news? The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on 19th April 2020 clarified that supply of non-essential goods by e-commerce companies will remain prohibited during the lockdown. Goa, on 19th April 2020, became the first zero COVID-19 State in the country with the last seven positive cases also turning negative. What did the ministry […]
Intellectual Property Rights News for UPSC Exam
What are Intellectual Property Rights? Intellectual property rights (IPR) are the rights given to persons over the creations of their minds: inventions, literary and artistic works, and symbols, names and images used in commerce. They usually give the creator an exclusive right over the use of his/her creation for a certain period of time. These […]
Innovations in Science and Technology for UPSC Exam
Short Wave Transmission Prasar Bharati has asked All India Radio to come up with a proposal to phase out Short Wave (SW) transmitters. About SW: Shortwave radio is radio transmission using shortwave radio frequencies, the range always includes all of the high frequency band (HF), and generally extends from 3-30 MHz (10 to 100 meters), […]
Diseases in India for UPSC Exam
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome Acute encephalitis syndrome is a severe case of encephalitis transmitted by mosquitoes and is characterized by high fever and inflammation of the brain. The World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2006, coined the term AES to signify a group of diseases which seem similar to one another but are difficult to differentiate in the chaotic environment of […]