Aircrafts and Military Exercise for UPSC Exam
Apache Helicopter Eight US made Apache AH-64E stealth attack helicopters, has been inducted into IAF. The IAF has signed a contract with ‘The Boeing’ and the US government for 22 Apache attack helicopters. Apache is the most advanced multi-role heavy attack helicopter in the world. It’s modern capabilities includes, fire-and-forget, anti-tank missiles, air-to-air missiles, rockets, […]
CENS’S GOLD NANOSTRUCTURE SUBSTRATE
Why in news? Scientists have developed a substrate (the surface or material on which an organism lives, grows) for optical sensing applications using a gold nanostructure. Such substrates are sensitive to change in the refractive index of the surrounding medium and can detect biologically important molecules and chemicals in the laboratory. The substrate has potential […]
ORGANIC PSEUDOCAPACITOR: LOW-COST ENERGY STORAGE SOLUTION
Why in news? Scientists have developed a stable material for pseudocapacitors or supercapacitors which store electrical energy by electron charge transfer. The material can offer a low-cost scalable energy storage solution as an alternative to batteries. Details The team has developed the pseudocapacitive material, a hybrid xerogel structure (a solid formed from a gel by […]
WHY GOLD PRICES HAVE BEEN RISING BEFORE AND DURING COVID-19?
Introduction to rising Gold Prices Much before Covid-19’s impact reverberated across economies and led to a crash in global stock markets, gold prices had started their upward glide since May 2019 to culminate into a nearly 40 per cent jump in less than a year. The present gold prices in India are even higher, as […]
A VIRUS, SOCIAL DEMOCRACY, AND DIVIDENDS FOR KERALA
Kerala’s Success in Flattening the curve Though Kerala was the first State with a recorded case of coronavirus and once led the country in active cases, it now ranks 10th of all States and the total number of active cases (in a State that has done the most aggressive testing in India) has been declining […]
A SEASON OF CHANGE: METEOROLOGICAL DEPARTMENT
IMD’s Monsoon Forecast In the season of the abnormal, the IMD has announced that the monsoon this year would likely be normal. The agency follows a two-stage forecast system: indicating in April whether there are chances of drought or any other anomaly and then a second update, in late June, with a more granular look […]
SHORT ON LABOURERS, A LONG HARVEST
Lockdown’s Impact on Harvesting Usually, 90% of the wheat in Punjab and neighbouring Haryana is harvested using combine harvester machines. But with physical distancing norms in place now, for many small farmers, that system has been thrown out of gear as they can’t jointly hire the machine and the produce must be brought to the […]
MINOR FOREST PRODUCES IN EXEMPTION LIST
Why in news? In the latest set of lockdown relaxations, the Ministry of Home Affairs has added the collection, harvesting and processing of minor forest produce to the list of activities that will be permitted. Exclusions in the Lockdown The new MHA guidelines have also expanded the types of plantations that will be permitted to […]
KISAN RATH TO LINK FARMERS TO TRANSPORT OPTIONS
Why in news? In a bid to ease the disruption of agricultural supply chains, especially for perishable produce, the Agriculture Ministry has launched a Kisan Rath mobile application, which will connect farmers and traders to a network of more than 5 lakh trucks and 20,000 tractors. Details The application, developed by the National Informatics Centre, […]
DEATH BY FIREWORKS: VIOLATIONS OF RULES IN HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIES
Why in news? Unsafe working conditions and improper handling of inflammable raw materials continue to endanger lives in the fireworks industry. Tragedies have not been confined to Sivakasi, deemed the fireworks capital of the world, where most such units are concentrated. In and around Sivakasi, the manufacturing of firecrackers in makeshift unlicensed units, rough handling […]