Taliban, opposition battle for Panjshir
Context: Fresh fighting was reported between the Taliban and resistance forces in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley, as the hardline Islamists are in the process of finalising a government that will set the tone for their rule. Taliban sources said that its fighters had taken the Valley, although the resistance denied it had fallen. Relevance: Prelims, GS-I: […]
Footprints of 3 dinosaur species found in Thar desert
Context: In a major discovery, footprints of three species of dinosaurs have been found in the Thar desert in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer district, proving the presence of the giant reptiles in the western part of the State, which formed the seashore to the Tethys Ocean during the Mesozoic era. Relevance: Prelims, GS-I: Geography (Geomorphology) Dimensions of […]
IMF raises India’s special drawing rights allocation
Context: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has sharply increased its allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to India, in line with the country’s existing quota in the fund. The IMF has made an allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) 12.57 billion (equivalent to around $17.86 billion at the latest exchange rate) to India. Now, the […]
Ladakh adopts State animal and bird
Context: Ladakh adopted two endangered species, snow leopard and black-necked crane, as State animal and State bird, two years after it was carved out as a separate Union Territory (UT) from the erstwhile State of J&K. Relevance: Prelims, GS-III: Environment and Ecology (Species in News) Dimensions of the Article: About the Snow leopard About the […]
Odisha district only place in India with all 3 crocodile species
Context: With the sighting of mugger and gharial crocodiles, all three species of crocodiles have been found in the river systems of the Odisha’s Kendrapara district. Relevance: Prelims, GS-III: Environment and Ecology (Species in News, Conservation of Ecology and Biodiversity) Dimensions of the Article: Crocodile Species Found in India About the recent Gharial sightings in […]