IRAN APPROVES NEW CURRENCY- TOMAN
Why in news? The Iran’s parliament has passed a bill allowing the government to slash four zeros from the Iranian ‘rial’. Iran’s national currency will be changed from the Iranian rial to the ‘Toman’, which is equal to 10,000 rials, under the bill. Why did they need a new currency? There was a sharp fall in the […]
CHINA LAUNCHES NEW ROCKET AND PROTOTYPE SPACECRAFT
Why in news? China on 5th May 2020 successfully launched a new rocket and prototype spacecraft, in a major test of the country’s ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon. Details ‘The Long March 5B’ rocket took off from the Wenchang launch site in the southern island of Hainan and […]
HUMAN TRIAL BEGINS FOR COVID-19 VACCINE IN US
Why in news? The American pharmaceutical giant Pfizer along with German biotech company BioNTech has begun human trials of a potential COVID-19 vaccine in the US. What is being tested? The candidate is known as an mRNA vaccine, and it is meant to contain the instructions for making viral proteins that can trigger an immune […]
SC REJECTS TO QUASH CASES AGAINST LOCKDOWN VIOLATORS
Why in news? The Supreme Court on 6th May dismissed a petition filed by a former Director-General of Police of Uttar Pradesh to quash FIRs registered against ordinary citizens for violating the COVID-19 lockdown. Arguments for the quashing of Section 188 IPC: According to the Centre for Accountability and Systemic Change (CASC) data: 848 FIRs were […]
INDIA HAS MORE INTERNET USERS IN RURAL AREAS THAN URBAN
Why in news? Internet users in rural areas surpassed those in urban areas for the first time, according to the ‘Digital in India’ report by the Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). Another highlight from the report is that the increase in female internet users (26 million) was more than that of male internet […]
PLEA CHALLENGING APPOINTMENT OF ADDITIONAL JUDGE
Why in news? The Supreme Court on 4th May, rejected a petition filed by a district judge challenging the appointment of a ‘junior’ judicial officer as an additional judge of the Karnataka High Court on the ground that it breaches the seniority rule. Details SC Said that it generally does not interfere with the President’s order […]
DEBT RECOVERY TRIBUNAL
Why in news? Amid the COVID-19 lockdown, the Debt Recovery Tribunal I (DRT 1), Incharge of DRT II (DRT 2), Chennai, has decided on a 23-year-old case and tendered the judgment by holding a virtual court via video conferencing, which is one-of-its-kind in the entire South India for a DRT. What are Debt Recovery Tribunals […]
MOST COVID-19 CASES IN STATES WITH HIGH SWINE FLU RATES
Why in news? Five States — Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Tamil Nadu — account for about 70% of India’s confirmed COVID-19 cases – and these are also States that consistently accounted for the bulk of swine flu cases, or seasonal influenza (H1N1) since 2015. Details Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi and Maharashtra accounted for 54 % of […]
INDIA ON PAKISTAN’S ELECTIONS IN GILGIT BALTISTAN
Why in news? The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a “strong protest” on 4th May over an order by the Pakistan Supreme Court allowing the Imran Khan government to hold elections in the region of Gilgit-Baltistan of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Details The government said it had issued a demarche to protest what it called Pakistan’s […]