COVID-19 CASES
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology, Prelims Why in news? COVID-19 Cases rise to 29 in India, of which 2 cases with high viral load were detected in Telangana. The infection broke out in China’s Wuhan city in December 2019 and has spread to over 60 countries, killing more than 3,000 and infecting over 90,000. COVID-19 […]
SPECIES IN NEWS: SWAMP WALLABY
Focus: GS-III Environment and Ecology Why in news? The swamp wallaby is likely the only mammal pregnant and lactating all life long, researchers have said. How is it possible? Female wallabies and kangaroos have two uteri and two separate ovaries. At the end of a pregnancy in one uterus, a new embryo develops in […]
CUT IN BUDGETARY ALLOCATION WILL JEOPARDISE TOURISM: HOUSE PANEL
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy, Economic Development Why in news? The Finance Ministry’s move to cut down the budgetary allocation for the Tourism Ministry in the 2019 financial year will ‘seriously jeopardise’ the targeted tourism outcomes during 2020-21, a Parliamentary panel has said in its report. Details The huge mismatch between the projected demand for funds […]
RUPEE IN FREE FALL ON COVID-19 FEARS; RBI SOOTHES MARKET
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy Why in news? The rupee fell for the third consecutive session on 3rd March 2020 on concerns over the deadly COVID-19 spreading in India amid the central bank stepping in to calm investor sentiment. The rupee dropped below the 73-a-dollar level even as the equity markets bounced back, snapping a seven-day […]
GOVERNMENT YET TO NOTIFY CVC, CIC APPOINTMENTS
Focus: GS-II Governance, Prelims Why in news? Two weeks after a high-power committee (HPC), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, selected the new Chief Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) and the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC), the Centre is yet to officially notify the appointments. Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) — the nodal Ministry that handles government […]
BLACK CARBON LEVELS SPIKE AT HIMALAYAN GLACIERS
Focus: GS-III Environment and Ecology, Prelims Why in news? Black carbon concentrations near the Gangotri glacier rose 400 times in summer due to forest fires and stubble burning from agricultural waste, and triggered glacial melt, says a study by scientists at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG). Details The team of scientists from WIHG- […]
HE SARS-COV-2 IS MUTATING, SAY SCIENTISTS
Focus: Science and Technology Why in news? Senior scientists at Australia’s national science agency, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), have said the virus dubbed SARS-CoV-2 is mutating, after analysing the 115 published genome sequences from the current COVID-19 outbreak. Some of these ‘errors’ in the virus known as ‘mutations’ may be significant […]
APEX BODY ON RIVER LINKING IN PIPELINE
Focus: GS-II Governance, Prelims Why in news? The Central government is working on the establishment of an exclusive body, called the National Interlinking of Rivers Authority (NIRA), to implement projects for linking rivers. NIRA is expected to take up both inter-State and intra-State projects. It will also make arrangements for generating up funds, internally and […]
Current Affairs for UPSC IAS Exam – 17 March 2020
Contents: India still in second transmission stage West Bengal invokes Epidemic Diseases Act Denied chance to ask supplementary question? Lok Sabha passes Appropriation Bill Ranjan Gogoi nominated to Rajya Sabha RBI’s focus on liquidity is correct INDIA STILL IN SECOND TRANSMISSION STAGE Focus: GS-III Disaster Management, Science and Technology Why in news? Senior scientists and […]
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 […]