UNGA RESOLUTIONS TOPIC: IR Context- After abstaining from the UN Security Council Resolution 8979 condemning Russian action in Ukraine, India faces more difficult choices with the U.S. and European-led coalition now pushing for a vote at the UN General Assembly aimed at “isolating Russia”. Concept- UNGA Resolutions: United Nations resolutions are formal expressions […]
SWIFT TOPIC: Economy Context- The European Union, US, UK and allies have agreed to exclude a number of Russian banks from Swift, an international payment system used by thousands of financial institutions. Concept- What is Swift? Swift is the global financial artery that allows the smooth and rapid transfer of money across borders. […]
Chemistry Nobel for development of lithium-ion batteries TOPIC: Science & Tech Context- An American physicist, a British-American chemist and a Japanese chemist on October 9, 2019, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2019 “for the development of lithium-ion batteries. Concept- About Lithium Ion Batteries: A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type […]
Milky Way’s supermassive black hole exploded 3.5 million years ago: Study TOPIC: Science & Tech Context- The black hole, known as Sagittarius A, or Sgr A* (pronounced Sagittarius A-star) — about 4.2 million times more massive than the Sun — exploded due to nuclear activity, according to a team of scientists at Australia’s […]
FLUORIDE CONTAMINATION OF GROUNDWATER TOPIC: Environment Context- Continued fluoride contamination of groundwater is a glaring public health issue in central India. Concept- Fluoride Contamination: Fluoride is a chemical element that is found most frequently in groundwater and has become one of the most important toxicological environmental hazards globally. The occurrence of fluoride in […]
QUANTUM SUPREMACY TOPIC: Science & Tech. Context- Google and IBM are at odds over ‘quantum supremacy’. Google claims to have demonstrated something called “quantum supremacy”, in a paper published in Nature. But a team from IBM has published their own paper claiming they can reproduce the Google result on existing supercomputers. Concept- Quantum […]
Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits TOPIC: Geography Context- In the midst of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the spotlight has moved to the Black Sea after Ukraine urged Turkey to close the Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits to Russian ships under Monteaux Convention. Concept- Bosphorus and Dardanelles straits: The straits are also known as the Turkish Straits […]
CARBON MARKETS TOPIC: Environment Context- The COP-26 Summit at Glasgow in November last finally agreed on a “rule-book” for two new carbon market mechanisms that were created in the 2015 Paris Agreement. Concept- About Carbon Markets: Carbon markets allow for buying and selling of carbon emissions with the objective of reducing global emissions. […]
Topic 1: “War is what happens when language fails.” Topic 2: Changing world order.