Are deep-sea metals a vital resource or an environmental disaster in the making? Subject: Geo Sec: Eco Geo Context: Mining the valuable metals and rare earths found in the ocean floor could permanently damage fragile marine systems. The ocean floor holds vast quantities of metals and rare earths. But mining these valuable resources […]
New tech promises to kill weeds in rice and wheat fields, remove need for stubble-burning Subject: Environment Sec: Agriculture Context: A push for direct-seeded rice and zero-tillage wheat, using a new non-GM herbicide-tolerance technology, has the potential to reduce the environmental footprint of India’s two major cereal crops. More on News: Cultivating rice […]
Death toll rises to 11, searches on for over 40 missing Subject: Geography Sec: Climatology Context: Over 40 people are still missing after a series of cloudbursts occurred in Kullu’s Nirmand, Sainj and Malana, Mandi’s Padhar and Shimla’s Rampur subdivision on the night of July 31 and wreaked havoc. Cloudburst: According to the […]
Fighting mosquito menace with repellents, vaccines Subject: Science and Tech Sec: Health Context: Since 2007, WHO has called April 15 World Malaria Day to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment to malaria prevention and control. More on News: In 1902, Sir Ronald Ross received the Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine […]
Supreme Court verdict on sub-classification: How CJI underlined substantive equality Sub: Polity Sec : Constitution Context: In a landmark judgment, a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on August 1 reframed how the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) quota may operate for the very first time since reservations were introduced in […]
What do leading scientists make of the R&D Budget in Modi’s third term? Sub: Sci Sec: Schemes Context: There have been concerns about the sidelining of basic research and stagnation in research funding as a percentage of the GDP. More on the news? Continuing with the focus on ‘Viksit Bharat’ like last year, […]
SC Asks Banks to Identify MSME Stress Before Accounts Turn to NPA Sub: Eco Sec : Monetary policy Supreme Court’s Mandate: The Supreme Court has mandated that banks and creditors must identify incipient stress in the accounts of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) before these accounts turn into non-performing assets (NPAs). Judgment […]
Genetics confirms Berbers reached North Africa over 20,000 years ago; Arabs came in the 7th Century CE Sub: Sci Sec Biotech Context: The Imazighen (Berbers) of North Africa arrived over 20,000 years ago, while the Arabs migrated in the seventh century Common Era (CE), as confirmed by recent research. Research Findings: Scientists David […]