LESSONS FROM THE GREAT DEPRESSION FOR INDIA
Introduction The Great Depression, which gripped the United States (US) in the 1930s, is being discussed in the context of the economic aftermath of Covid-19. The economic downturn began in the US around the end of 1929, with a sharp dip in production and GDP, and a sharp increase in unemployment. Production also dropped significantly […]
OPERATION VANILLA
What is it? Indian Navy conducted “Operation Vanilla”, with INS Airavat delivering relief material such as food, clothing, medicines and water to flood prone Madagascar. More about indian ocean rim association. The IORA is a regional forum, tripartite in nature, bringing together representatives of Government, Business and Academia, for promoting co-operation and closer interaction among them. It is […]
MANUFACTURING ACTIVITY REACHES A NEAR 8-YEAR HIGH IN JANUARY
Why in news? Sharp rise in demand drives growth of new business, exports, jobs: IHS Markit Details: The country’s manufacturing sector activity climbed to a near eight-year high in January, driven by a sharp rise in new business orders amid a rebound in demand conditions that led to a rise in production and hiring activity […]
SUPER CYCLONE AMPHAN
Why in news? The storm system in the Bay of Bengal, Amphan, developed into a super cyclone on 18th May 2020 and is expected to make landfall along the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast on 20th May 2020, according to the Indian Meteorological Department. Details Windspeeds are expected to hit 240 kmph and extensive damage along the coast is expected […]
1ST CASE OF COVID INFLAMMATORY SYNDROME IN TN
Why in news? An eight-year-old boy from Chennai has become India’s first case of acute illness because of hyper-inflammatory syndrome associated with the coronavirus disease. This syndrome describes inflammation in the entire body, including vital organs, which leads to multiorgan failure and shock. There have also been reports of similar cases from the U.S. and […]
POTENTIAL OXFORD VACCINE FAILS TO PREVENT CORONAVIRUS
Why in news? A high-profile potential vaccine for COVID-19 being tested by researchers at Oxford University failed to protect vaccinated monkeys from being infected by the nCoV-2 virus. On a positive side, the test animals appeared to be protected from pneumonia. Details The vaccine candidate: ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 – is a weakened form a common cold […]
73RD WORLD HEALTH ASSEMBLY VIDEOCONFERENCE
Focus: GS-III International Relations, Prelims Why in news? The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare participated in the 73rd World Health Assembly (WHA) through Video Conference on 18th May 2020. World Health Organization (WHO) The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. It is headquartered […]
SHEKATKAR COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Why in news? The Government has accepted and implemented three important recommendations of Committee of Experts (CoE) under the Chairmanship of Lt General D B Shekatkar (Retd) relating to border Infrastructure. These were related to speeding up road construction, leading to socio economic development in the border areas. Details of what was accepted: On the […]
“ONE CLASS, ONE CHANNEL”
Why in news? Several initiatives to boost education sector were announced on 17th May including “One nation, One digital platform” and “One class, One channel”. Highlights of announcements The education sector has taken this opportunity to plan several interventions, particularly in the area of adopting innovative curriculum and pedagogies, concentrating energies on the gap areas, […]
GOVT. PLAN TO SELL AIRPORTS MAY FIND FEW TAKERS
Why in news? The government’s move to raise capital by privatizing half a dozen airports through 50-year concessions might find few takers when the aviation industry is facing acute financial stress, industry experts said. Very few serious bidders = No Fair value It is expected that if the government proceeds with the privatization plan, it […]