Resolution to repeal Article 370 approved
Union Minister for Home Affairs, Shri Amit Shah, introduced two bills and two resolutions regarding Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) in Lok Sabha. These are as follows:
Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Order, 2019 {Ref. Article 370(1) of Constitution of India} – issued by President of India to supersede the 1954 order related to Article 370.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21164-resolution-to-repeal-article-370-approved
#Resolution #Article370 #India #AmitShah #JammuKashmir #Pakistan


Consumer Protection Bill 2019 gets Parliamentary nod
The Parliament on 7 August 2019 gave its nod to the landmark Consumer Protection Bill, 2019 which aims to protect the rights of consumers by establishing authorities for timely and effective administration and settlement of consumers’ dispute.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21163-consumer-protection-bill-2019-gets-parliamentary-nod
#Consumer #Protection #Bill2019 #Parliamentary #CCPA #LokSabha

Eviction Bill 2019
The Upper house on 6 August 2019 passed a Bill for speedy eviction of unauthorised occupants from government residential accommodations, with Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri saying the legislation will have a deterrent effect.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21162-eviction-bill-2019
#EvictionBill2019 #HardeepSinghPuri #PPEAct #RajyaSabha #Amendment

Bill to increase number of SC judges
Parliament on 7 August 2019 passed a bill which seeks to increase the number of Supreme Court judges from the present 30 to 33 with a view to reducing pendency of cases. Moving "The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019" for consideration and return, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21161-bill-to-increase-number-of-sc-judges
#SC #CJI #Amendment #NarendraModi #Parliament #RanjanGogoi

Moon, Mercury may contain more water ice than thought
The Moon and Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, may contain significantly more water ice than previously thought, according to a new analysis of data from NASA spacecraft.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21160-moon-mercury-may-contain-more-water-ice-than-thought
#Moon #NASA #telescopic #LRO #spacecraft #planet

First country to issued BSID
India has become the first country in the world to issue smart ID card to seafarers containing their facial biometric details which will replace the existing Continuous Discharge Certificate (CDC)—a passport-like document.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21339-first-country-to-issued-bsid
#BSID #CDC #PoS #IDs #India #IDcard #LaunchofSeafarers #Identification

Repeal of Articles 104, 193
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said he would soon approach the Union government and make a request for bringing a Constitutional (amendment) Bill in the Parliament to repeal Article 104 and Article 193 of the Indian Constitution which have now become irrelevant.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21338-repeal-of-articles-104-193
#Articles104 #LokSabha #Speaker #OmBirla #amendment #NeVA

China’s One Country Two Systems policy
Protests in Hong Kong, now in its 13th consecutive week, have brought a decades-old policy of the People’s Republic of China back into focus — One Country Two Systems.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21337-china-s-one-country-two-systems-policy
#China #OneCountry #TwoSystems #policy #HongKong

New clues on humans evolution
A “remarkably complete” 3.8-million-year-old skull of an early human has been unearthed in Ethiopia, scientists announced on August 28, a discovery that has the potential to alter our understanding of human evolution.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21336-new-clues-on-humans-evolution
#Newclues #humans #evolution #MRD #London

Helicopter with Mars 2020 rover
Scientists at NASA have attached the Mars Helicopter to the Mars 2020 rover which the US space agency intends to send to the neighbouring red planet next year.
Read More: http://www.ksgindia.com/index.php/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21335-helicopter-with-mars-2020-rover
#Helicopter #Mars #NASA #JPL #planet #aircraft

India gets tactical advantage in the Doklam
Ahead of the India-China informal summit later this month, India has opened up an alternate road which will make it easy for the Indian forces to move faster than before in the Doklam area.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21629-india-gets-tactical-advantage-in-the-doklam.html
#India #Doklam #LAC #BRO #JNU #LAC #BRDB

Mizoram rejects Forest Act amendment
The Mizoram government has rejected the Centre’s proposal to amend the “anti-indigenous people” Indian Forest Act, 1927, as its provisions are in conflict with the special provisions the State enjoys under Article 371G of the Constitution.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21628-mizoram-rejects-forest-act-amendment.html
#Mizoram #ForestAct #amendment #Article371G #MNF #JFMC

Army inducts 'tank killers’
Indian infantry soldiers now finally have a new weapon to destroy advancing enemy tanks on the western front with Pakistan.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21627-army-inducts-tank-killers.html
#Army #tankkillers #ATGMs #Pakistan #DRDO #PSU

India's first corporatised train
Chief minister Aditya Nath Yogi flagged off the first corporatised train of Indian Railways, Tejas express, from Lucknow Junction station's cabway, on 4 October 2019, to New Delhi.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21626-india-s-first-corporatised-train.html
#India #corporatised #train #AdityaNathYogi #IndianRailways #IRCTC

Old giant continents near Earth’s mantle
The underground rocky continents which are deep inside the Earth might have formed from an ancient magma ocean which got solidified during the starting of the formation of the Earth approximately 4.5 billion years ago, according to a new study.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/21625-old-giant-continents-near-earth-s-mantle.html
#Earth #Oldgiant #mantle #AGU #Moon

Code on IR Bill approved
The Centre approved the Code on Industrial Relations (IR) Bill, 2019 — considered to be the most contentious labour law amendments. The central government has withdrawn its proposal to give flexibility to big companies, in terms of manpower, to retrench or lay off workers and shut shop without seeking official consent, a government official said, requesting anonymity.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22065-code-on-ir-bill-approved.html
#IR #Bill #UttarPradesh #IndustrialRelationsBill #DignityofLabour #amendment

Unified regulator for IFSC
The government will set up a unified regulator for International Financial Services Centres. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet. The International Financial Services Centres Authority Bill, 2019 will be introduced in the Lok Sabha after withdrawal from the Rajya Sabha.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22064-unified-regulator-for-ifsc.html
#Unified #IFSC #CCEA #Irdai #RajyaSabha #IFSCAB

National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa
The Union Cabinet approved setting up of the National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa in Leh as an autonomous organization. Sowa-Rigpa is a traditional Tibetan system of medicine practised in the Himalayan belt of India.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22063-national-institute-for-sowa-rigpa.html
#NationalInstitute #SowaRigpa #NISR #AYUSH #NarendraModi #UnionCabinet

TOT model for national highways
The government approved amendments proposed to the toll-operate-transfer (TOT) model for national highways. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has given its approval to the amendments proposed in the TOT model by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22062-tot-model-for-national-highways.html
#TOT #CCEA #COD #NHAI #EPC #BOT #NirmalaSitharaman

Singapore to use ITR at Chandipur
The armed forces of Singapore, which already use Indian military facilities for training of their mechanized forces, artillery and F-16 fighter jets, will soon also begin to use the integrated test range (ITR) for firing of missiles at Chandipur in Odisha as well.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22061-singapore-to-use-itr-at-chandipur.html
#ITR #Chandipur #RajnathSingh #Singapore #SITMEX

India is seventh-most affected by terror
India is at seventh place in a global think tank’s list of countries most affected by terrorism. The annual report by the Sydney-based Institute for Economics and Peace states that the country most affected by terrorism in 2018 was Afghanistan (7,379 killed), displacing Iraq (1,054 killed) as the deadliest country.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22060-india-is-seventh-most-affected-by-terror.html
#India #Iraq #Afghanistan #JeM #GTI #TerrorFactfile

Sri Lanka’s new prime minister
Sri Lanka’s former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa on 21 November 2019 took oath as the new prime minister of the island nation after incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe formally stepped down from his post.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22059-sri-lanka-s-new-prime-minister.html
#SriLanka #MahindaRajapaksa #PGR #LTTE #illegal

International children's peace prize
The Hague: Swedish teen activist Greta Thunberg was awarded an international children's peace prize on 20 November 2019, for her work in the struggle against climate change which has resonated with schoolchildren across the world.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22058-international-children-s-peace-prize.html
#Internationalchildren #DivinaMaloum #PeacePrize #DKR

GDP base year
The government told Parliament that the Advisory Committee on National Accounts Statistics (ACNAS) has recommended to the ministry of statistics and programme implementation to consider 2020-21 as the next base year of National Accounts in view of the structural reforms in the economy.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22137-gdp-base-year.html
#GDP #ACNAS #CSO #GDP #RBI #UNSNA #NationalAccounts #MCA21

First NBFC to list commercial paper
Non-bank lender Aditya Birla Finance on 28 November 2019 became the first company to list its commercial papers borrowing of Rs 100 crore on the bourses.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22136-first-nbfc-to-list-commercial-paper.html
#NBFC #CPs #AdityaBirla #NSE #Sebi #RBI #CPs #Kumarmangalam

Millions line of credit to Sri Lanka
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on 29 November 2019 financial assistance of $450 million to Sri Lanka including $50 million for counter-terrorism after holding talks with the visiting Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22135-millions-line-of-credit-to-sri-lanka.html
#SriLanka #NarendraModi #LOC #GotabayaRajapaksa #Millionsline

Parliament clears chit fund Bill
Parliament passed a bill which seeks to raise the monetary limits for chit funds and commission for foreman. The Chit Funds (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was passed by voice vote in Rajya Sabha.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22134-parliament-clears-chit-fund-bill.html
#RajyaSabha #chitfundBill #Amendment #LokSabha #Parliament

Real-time billionaires list
With a net worth of $60 billion, Reliance Industries (RIL) chief Mukesh Ambani has been ranked the 9th richest person globally, according to 'The Real-Time Billionaires List' of Forbes, that was topped by Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.
Read Here: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22133-real-time-billionaires-list.html
#billionaires #RIL #CEO #LVMH #RelianceIndustries #AmazonFounder

COP25 meet begins
Amid concerns that the collective actions of all nations together is not enough to save the world from the ill effects of global warming, the UN climate change conference kicked off in Madrid where representatives of nearly 200 countries will work on giving finishing touches to the rules governing the Paris Accord in the next 11 days.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22261-cop25-meet-begins.html
#COP25 #WRI #Article6 #NDCs #G20 #netzeroemissions

India-EU Summit
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on 3 December 2019 and expressed his desire to work together for strengthening India-EU partnership.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22260-india-eu-summit.html
#India #NarendraModi #EuropeanUnion #UrsulavonderLeyen

NASA satellite finds crashed Vikram lander
A NASA satellite orbiting the Moon has found India's Vikram lander which crashed on the lunar surface in September, the US space agency has said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22259-nasa-satellite-finds-crashed-vikram-lander.html
#NASA #LRO #satellite #Vikram #Chandrayaan2 #GSLV

Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill 2019 passed
The Lok Sabha passed a Bill to replace an Ordinance for effecting reduction of corporate tax rates.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22258-taxation-laws-amendment-bill-2019-passed.html
#TaxationLaws #Amendment #MAT #IncomeTaxAct #LokSabha

India, Sweden ink 3 pacts
Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf on 2 December 2019 held extensive talks with President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expand overall bilateral cooperation in diverse areas including in trade and investment, innovation and culture.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22257-india-sweden-ink-3-pacts.html
#India #Sweden #RamNathKovind #NarendraModi #SKCXVIG

Citizenship Amendment Bill approved
The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 December 2019 cleared the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, paving the way for its introduction in Parliament during the ongoing Winter session.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22266-citizenship-amendment-bill-approved.html
#NarendraModi #CAB #Amendment #OCI #LokSabha #Article14

Data Protection Bill cleared
he long-awaited Data Protection Bill got a nod from the Union Cabinet on 4 December 2019, paving the way for it to be tabled in the Parliament in the ongoing Winter Session.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22265-data-protection-bill-cleared.html
#DataProtectionBill #PrakashJavadekar #UnionCabinet #DataProtection

ILP areas exempted from Citizenship Bill
Taking into consideration the concerns of Northeastern states, the inner line permit (ILP) areas of Arunachal, Nagaland and Mizoram and regions under the Sixth Schedule in the North East have been exempted from the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was cleared by the Union Cabinet on 4 December 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22264-ilp-areas-exempted-from-citizenship-bill.html
#ILP #CitizenshipBill #CAB #Mizoram #Amendment

India's first open source geospatial data observatory
India Observatory, country's first socio, economic and ecological open-source integrated Geospatial data platform was launched at Hyderabad in GeoSmart India conference.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22263-india-s-first-open-source-geospatial-data-observatory.html
#India #NGOs #FES #GIS #IFMT #MGNREGA #IndiaDataPlatform

Night trial of Prithvi-2 missile
India on 3 December 2019 successfully conducted another night trial of its indigenously developed nuclear-capable Prithvi-2 missile as part of a user trial for the armed forces from a test range in Odisha coast.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22262-night-trial-of-prithvi-2-missile.html
#Prithvi2 #missile #Odisha #ITR #IGMDP #NAMICA #DRDO

Global Climate Risk Index 2020
India is the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change, according to a report released by Environment think tank, Germanwatch.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22280-global-climate-risk-index-2020.html
#GCRI #COP25 #GlobalClimate #RiskIndex2020 #Germany

Parliament okays corporate tax cut
Parliament on 5 December 2019 approved the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 that replaces an ordinance promulgated to cut the base corporate tax rate, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman stating that mining companies, software developers and book printers will not be eligible for the lower 15 per cent rate available for new manufacturing companies.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22279-parliament-okays-corporate-tax-cut.html
#Parliament #corporate #tax #Amendment #NirmalaSitharaman #FDI

India, 6 others object to restrictions on services trade
India led seven countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in objecting to some nations trying to bring in rules to erect barriers to services trade and cross-border movement of professionals through qualification and licensing requirements, and technical standards.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22278-india-6-others-object-to-restrictions-on-services-trade.html
#India #WTO #WPDR #restrictions #EuropeanUnion

India in World Malaria Report 2019
Seven states account for about 90% of the burden of malaria cases in India, according to the World Malaria Report 2019 released by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22277-india-in-world-malaria-report-2019.html
#India #WorldMalariaReport2019 #WHO #malaria

Parker spacecraft unlocks solar mystery
NASA's Parker Solar Probe -- which has flown closer to the Sun than any spacecraft ever -- has beamed back the first observations from its close encounter with the Sun, revealing a "spectacular trove" of data about the solar wind and space weather, the US space agency said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22276-parker-spacecraft-unlocks-solar-mystery.html
#spacecraft #NASA #spacecraft #solarmystery #Sun #spectaculartrove

India in Human Development Index 2019
India ranks 129 out of 189 countries on the 2019 Human Development Index, marking incremental improvement from the previous year’s ranking (130 of 189).
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22300-india-in-human-development-index-2019.html
#India #HumanDevelopmentIndex #UNDP #HDR #HDI

None of river linking projects at implementation stage
None of the river linking projects in the country have reached the implementation stage and only symbolic budgetary allocations have been made for them, a Parliamentary committee has told the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22299-none-of-river-linking-projects-at-implementation-stage.html
#GangaRejuvenation #riverlinking #LokSabha #NWDA

Evidence of Saraswati’s existence
There has been a strong belief that the Harappan civilization depended on monsoons.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22298-evidence-of-saraswati-s-existence.html
#Evidence #Saraswati #PRL #IITBombay #Ahmedabad #RigVeda

Arms (Amendment) Bill passed
Makers of illegal arms and those carrying such guns will face maximum punishment of life in jail if convicted under a proposed legislation passed by Lok Sabha on 9 December 2019.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22297-arms-amendment-bill-passed.html
#Arms #Amendment #LokSabha #1AA #arms #firearms

Largest number of multidrug-resistant TB cases
India has the largest number of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis cases, 27 per cent of the global total, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey has said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22296-largest-number-of-multidrug-resistant-tb-cases.html
#TB #AshwiniChoubey #MDR #RNTCP #IEC #UDST #ACF

SpaceX delivers 'mighty mice'
SpaceX made an early holiday delivery to the International Space Station on 8 December 2019, dropping off super muscular "mighty mice," pest-killing worms and a smart, empathetic robot.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22295-spacex-delivers-mighty-mice.html
#SpaceX #mightymice #NASA #ISS #ILP #spacecraft #Kazakhstan

Longest UN climate talks end
Marathon international climate talks ended on 15 December 2019 with negotiators postponing until next year a key decision on how to regulate global carbon markets.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22345-longest-un-climate-talks-end.html
#COP25 #LongestUN #climatetalks #Madrid #Glasgow #greenhousegas

India in CCPI 2020
India is among the top 10 nations as per the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) which is based parameters like renewable power and energy use efficiency, Power Minster R K Singh said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22344-india-in-ccpi-2020.html
#CCPI2020 #India #RKSingh #COP #NDCs #CCPI

Khyber Pass economic agreement
Pakistan and the World Bank has signed a project agreement worth $406.6 million for financing the Khyber Pass Economic Corridor (KPEC) project with an aim to promote economic development.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22343-khyber-pass-economic-agreement.html
#Khyber #KPEC #WorldBank #Pakistan

MCA's 2019 Review
In its year-end review, the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) on 15 December 2019 mentioned the various steps it undertook in 2019 for ease of doing business and creating a robust insolvency framework.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22342-mca-s-2019-review.html
#MCA #SPICe #NCLT #CCI #DVRs #WorldBank #GreenChannel #Amendment

Draft guidelines to treat rare genetic diseases
In a bid to attract the pharmaceutical industry for pooling investments in drugs for treating rare diseases, country’s apex research body Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has come up with national guidelines for gene therapy related clinical trials.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22341-draft-guidelines-to-treat-rare-genetic-diseases.html
#ICMR #PID #CDSCO #NDCTR #India #CAGR #orphandrug

SEZs deemed to be multi-sector SEZs
The central government has notified that all notified and existing Special Economic Zones (SEZs) shall be deemed to be multi-sector economic zones. This would release land parcels in single commodity SEZs for other sectors.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22400-sezs-deemed-to-be-multi-sector-sezs.html
#SEZs #EPZ #amendment #Asia #TamilNadu #manufacturing

Threat to outer space security
Rising space power China on 23 December 2019 attacked the newly created US Space Force as a "direct threat to outer space peace and security". Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters that China is "deeply concerned about it and resolutely opposed to it".
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22399-threat-to-outer-space-security.html
#SpaceForce #DRDO #satellite #orbit #OST #BNSS

What is Wi-Fi calling?
Wi-Fi calling is the buzz word in the Indian telecom industry right now. Airtel has already launched its Wi-Fi calling service in the country (available only in some areas for now), while Reliance Jio is still testing it in some circles and is expected to announce it very soon.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22398-what-is-wi-fi-calling.html
#WiFiCalling #RelianceJio #TamilNadu #telecom #Indiantelecom

China, South Korea, Japan meet
The leaders of China, Japan and South Korea are holding a trilateral summit in China this week amid feuds over trade, military maneuverings and historical animosities. Most striking has been a complex dispute between Seoul and Tokyo, while Beijing has recently sought to tone down its disagreements with its two neighbors.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22397-china-south-korea-japan-meet.html
#China #THAAD #Asiantroika #ShinzoAbe #Japan #nuclear

DNA repair Proteins
The Indian Institute of Technology - Hyderabad (IIT-H) researchers have unravelled the working of a protein that repairs damaged DNA. Nature has evolved techniques to not only protect DNA, but also repair damaged DNA so that a catastrophic damage can be averted.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22424-dna-repair-proteins.html
#DNA #Proteins #ArunGoyal #IITH #ALKBH3 #RAD51C #AnindyaRoy

India ranking in GHPI
India ranks 47th in the world in terms of appreciation in housing prices as rates grew by only 0.6 per cent during the July-September quarter over the year-ago period on slow demand, global property consultant Knight Frank said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22423-india-ranking-in-ghpi.html
#GHPI #India #Amendment #Prohibition #YoY #ranking

Malaria parasite traffics
In a first, researchers have created a comprehensive map of how the malaria parasite traffics between human host cells, an advance that sheds more light on the mechanisms behind parasitic infections of the blood.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22422-malaria-parasite-traffics.html
#Malaria #parasite #SBP1 #cytoplasm #worldwide #Plasmodiumfalciparum

Third batch of Starlink satellites
SpaceX launched its third batch of 60 mini-satellites into orbit, part of its plans to build a giant constellation of thousands of spacecraft that will form a global broadband internet system.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22584-third-batch-of-starlink-satellites.html
#Starlink #FCC #satellites #ITU #LEO #spacecraft #SpaceX

New amendment in IBBI
A secured creditor cannot sell assets of a company undergoing liquidation process to any person barred from submitting an insolvency resolution plan, as per a new amendment made to the norms by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22583-new-amendment-in-ibbi.html
#IBBI #amendment #Bankruptcy #stakeholder #insolvency

Another Earth found
NASA said on 6 January 2020 that its planet hunter satellite TESS had discovered an Earth-sized world within the habitable range of its star, which could allow the presence of liquid water.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22582-another-earth-found.html
#NASA #TESS #satellite #Earth #TOI700d #Hawaii #KeplerSpaceTelescope

IOA disaffiliates KAI
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has disaffiliated the Karate Association of India (KAI) for violating its constitution and guidelines.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22581-ioa-disaffiliates-kai.html
#IOA #KAI #WKF #AGM #Olympic #LikhaTara

Bodo agreement 2020
The central government, Assam government and Bodo representatives on 27 January 2020 signed a Bodo accord to fulfill the groups’ key political and economic demands.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22714-bodo-agreement-2020.html
#Bodo #agreement2020 #NDFB #SarbanandSonowal #BTAD #BTC

Notice on fresh petitions challenging CAA, NPR
The Supreme Court on 27 January 2020 issued a notice to the Central government on fresh petitions filed before it challenging the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, and National Population Register (NPR) process.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22713-notice-on-fresh-petitions-challenging-caa-npr.html
#CAA #NPR #SupremeCourt #Amendment #RGI #doubtfulness

Coronavirus harder to contain than SARS
The coronavirus outbreaks has shown no signs of abating. As per the latest reports, 80 people have died in China and as many as 2,744 people have been confirmed with the deadly virus across the nation.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22712-coronavirus-harder-to-contain-than-sars.html
#Coronavirus #SARS #HIVdrugAluvia #CoV #GArunkumar

Israel to allow its citizens to visit Saudi Arabia
Israel's interior ministry said on 26 January 2020 that it will now allow Israelis to travel to Saudi Arabia for religious or business visits. The announcement is the latest sign of quiet but warming relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22711-israel-to-allow-its-citizens-to-visit-saudi-arabia.html
#Israel #SaudiArabia #Muslim #citizens

DefExpo 2020 inaugurated
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 5 February 2020 inaugurated the DefExpo, India's biennial military exhibition, which seeks to showcase the potential of the country to become a global defence manufacturing hub.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22784-defexpo-2020-inaugurated.html
#DefExpo2020 #NarendraModi #Goa #manufacturing #military


IIITs Laws (Amendment) Bill 2020
The Union Cabinet on 5 February 2020 gave its approval to confer the status of Institution of National Importance (INI) to five Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIITs).
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22783-iiits-laws-amendment-bill-2020.html
#IIITsLaws #Amendment #MTech #INI #NarendraModi

Proposal to allow 100% FDI in Air India
The government is working on a proposal to allow 100 per cent foreign direct investment in Air India as it moves ahead with disinvestment of the national carrier.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22782-proposal-to-allow-100-fdi-in-air-india.html
#FDI #AirIndia #NRIs #SOEC #PIM #DPIIT


Bill to amend Aircraft Act introduced
The government on 4 February 2020 introduced a bill in the Lok Sabha to amend the Aircraft Act wherein the fine amount for violations will be hiked from Rs 10 lakh to up to Rs 1 crore.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22781-bill-to-amend-aircraft-act-introduced.html
#Bill #AircraftAct #ICAO #BCAS #DGCA #LokSabha


U.N. takes no action against Myanmar
The U.N. Security Council on 4 February 2020 discussed the International Court of Justice’s order that Myanmar must do all it can to prevent genocide against the Rohingya Muslims, but failed to agree on a statement.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22780-u-n-takes-no-action-against-myanmar.html
#Myanmar #UNSecurityCouncil #Belgium #RohingyaMuslims


EU rejects Middle East peace plan
The European Union rejected parts of the new U.S. peace plan for the Middle East on 4 February 2020, saying the plan broke with "internationally agreed parameters", and any Israeli annexation of Palestinian land would be subject to challenge.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/22779-eu-rejects-middle-east-peace-plan.html
#EUrejects #MiddleEast #peaceplan #DonaldTrumps # Palestinianland

Parliament passes amendments to IBC
Parliament on 12 March 2020 passed amendments to the insolvency law that will help ring-fence successful bidders of insolvent companies from risk of criminal proceedings for offences committed by previous promoters.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23087-parliament-passes-amendments-to-ibc.html
#IBC #Amendment #NCLT #LokSabha #NirmalaSitharaman

Best bet to beat corona
NEW DELHI: With countries looking at lockdown mode to curb the spread of coronavirus that has reached almost every continent, here’s the lowdown on how viruses self-assemble into a functional active menace, and how they can be tackled with something as simple as soap.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23086-best-bet-to-beat-corona.html
#corona #NEWDELHI #RNA #Covid19 #coronavirus

Influential women in sports
Nita Ambani, the owner of Mumbai Indians cricket team franchise, has been named in the list of the 10 most influential women in sports for 2020 alongside the likes of tennis superstar Serena Williams and gymnast Simone Biles.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23085-influential-women-in-sports.html
#Influential #women #ICC #SreeVarma #NitaAmbani

Unspent under MPLAD scheme
A cumulative amount of Rs 5,275.24 crore remained unspent under Members of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme as on March 4, 2020, Parliament was informed on 11 March 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23084-unspent-under-mplad-scheme.html
#MPLAD #LokSabha #RaoInderjitSingh #MPs

Leh to host International Yoga Day
Leh, the capital of the Union territory of Ladakh will be the venue for the main event for International Yoga Day on June 21 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend it, AYUSH Ministry officials said.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23083-leh-to-host-international-yoga-day.html
#InternationalYogaDay #FICCI #NDMC #CII #NarendraModi

SARS-CoV-2 a product of natural evolution
A new study suggests that the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) that emerged from China's Wuhan city is a product of natural evolution. The study was published in the journal - Nature Medicine.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23135-sars-cov-2-a-product-of-natural-evolution.html
#SARSCoV2 #MERS #COVID19 #SARS #RBD #WHO


Guidelines for regulating payment aggregators
The Reserve Bank of India on 17 March 2020 released guidelines for regulating payment aggregators and payment gateways, nearly six months after it first proposed regulating these entities in a discussion paper.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23134-guidelines-for-regulating-payment-aggregators.html
#RBI #NaveenSurya #PCI #CompaniesAct


Coronavirus response fund increased
The World Bank has announced increasing to $14 billion the amount of fast-track financing to assist companies and countries in their efforts to respond to the rapid spread of COVID-19, adding $2 billion to the initial package.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23133-coronavirus-response-fund-increased.html
#Coronavirus #COVID19 #IFC #WorldBank


MTPA Bill cleared
The Lok Sabha 17 March 2020 passed a Bill to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks for “special categories of women”, including rape survivors, victims of incest, differently-abled and minors.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23132-mtpa-bill-cleared.html
#MTPA #Amendment #NitinGadkari #LokSabha


Aircraft (Amendment) Bill 2020
A Bill to improve India’s aviation safety ratings and provide statutory status to regulatory institutions like the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), got the Lok Sabha’s nod on 17 March 2020.
Read More: https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material/news-for-aspirants/23131-aircraft-amendment-bill-2020.html
#Aircraft #Amendment #AAIB #DGCA #BCAS #HardeepPuri

Today's Headlines - 28 July 2023
The Biodiversity Act approved for amendment
GS Paper - 3 (Environment)

Lok Sabha gave its approval to a Bill to amend some provisions of the Biological Diversity Act of 2002. The Biological Diversity (Amendment) Bill seeks to address concerns of several central ministries, state governments, researchers, industry, and other stakeholders, regarding the implementation of the 20-year-old law that is meant to preserve the country’s biological diversity and to ensure its sustainable use.

What is the biodiversity law, and why does India need one?

Biological diversity refers to all kinds of life forms — animals, plants and microorganisms — their gene pools, and the ecosystems that they inhabit.
The 2002 Act was a response to the global need to protect and conserve biological resources, which are under threat due to human activities.
The extent of the damage was highlighted, much later, in a landmark 2019 report by the Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a scientific body similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
That report issued a stark warning: about 1 million animal and plant species, out of a total of about 8 million, were facing the threat of extinction.
About 75 per cent of the Earth’s land surface and 66 per cent of the oceans had been “significantly altered”, it said.
But efforts to protect biological diversity had begun much earlier. In 1994, countries including India had agreed to a Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), an international framework agreement similar to the more famous one on climate change.
There was a general agreement on three things: (i) that indiscriminate use of biological resources needed to be halted, (ii) that sustainable use of these resources, for their medicinal properties for example, needed to be regulated, and (iii) that people and communities helping in protecting and maintaining these resources needed to be rewarded for their efforts.
India’s Biological Diversity Act of 2002 was enacted by the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee with these objectives in mind.
It set up a National Biodiversity Authority as a regulatory body, and prescribed the conditions in, and purposes for, which biological resources could be utilised. The purposes are mainly related to scientific research and commercial use.
What amendments have been proposed in the biodiversity law?

The Bill passed makes several amendments to the 2002 Act, addressing most of the concerns raised by the practitioners of traditional systems of medicine, the seed sector, and the pharmaceutical industry.
Certain categories of users of biological resources, like practitioners of Indian systems of medicine, have been exempted from making payments towards the access and benefit-sharing mechanism.
Companies registered in India and controlled by Indians are now treated as Indian companies, even if they have foreign equity or partnership, thereby reducing the restrictions on them.
Provisions have been included to speed up the approval process in cases of use of biological resources in scientific research, or for filing of patent applications. The penalty provisions for wrongdoing by user agencies have been rationalised.

#upsc #news #todayheadline #biodiversity #amendment #enviroment #bill #microorganisms #ecosystem #intergovernmental #IPBES #IPCC #extinction #CBD #national #authority #traditional #medicine #rationalised

Today's Headlines - 29 July 2023
India urges Sri Lanka to implement 13th Amendment
GS Paper - 2 (International Relations)

Sri Lanka President Ranil Wickremesinghe held an all-party meeting to discuss the issue of Tamil reconciliation and welfare. This comes days after his visit to India, during which Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveyed to him the need to “ensure a life of dignity” for the Tamil community in the island nation. The PM also expressed the hope that Wickremesinghe would be committed to implementing the 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution — which flows from the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 — and holding provincial council elections.

The Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987

The 13th Amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution was made after the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord between Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and President J R Jayewardene, on 29 July 1987, in Colombo.
Under the 1978 constitution, Sri Lanka had a unitary government, with all powers in the hands of the Centre.
The Tamil minority in Sri Lanka was concentrated in the Northern and Eastern provinces and the struggle for rights and greater autonomy here had flared up into the long and bloody civil war between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and the Sri Lankan government, with some other groups also involved.
The 1987 Accord aimed at amending the constitution to transfer some powers to the governments of the country’s nine provinces, thereby finding a constitutional solution to the civil war.
After the Accord, the constitution underwent the 13th Amendment to allow devolution of power to provinces.
Apart from the devolution of power, the Accord had other clauses, such as Tamil and English being adopted as official languages along with Sinhala, lifting of emergency on the “Eastern and Northern Provinces by 15 August 1987”, surrender of arms by militant groups, and “general amnesty to political and other prisoners now held in custody under The Prevention of Terrorism Act and other emergency laws”.
The Accord also says that “The Government of India will underwrite and guarantee the resolutions, and co-operate in the implementation of these proposals”.

What about the 13th Amendment’s implementation?

The separation of powers was never done fully, and while some are unhappy over too little devolution, the hardline nationalists raise alarms over the “weakening” of the Central government’s authority.
The Sinhala nationalists also oppose the 13th Amendment as they see it as imposed by India. Moreover, the regions that the devolution was primarily meant for never benefitted much from it.
Under the Accord, the North and Eastern provinces were to be merged into one, temporarily, and later, a referendum was to be held to decide if they should stay together or have two separate provincial councils.
Thus, elections to the merged North Eastern Province were held on 19 November 1988. However, little over three months later, Chief Minister Annamalai Varadaraja Perumal moved a motion in the Council to declare an independent ‘Eelam’.
This prompted the President, Ranasinghe Premadasa, to dissolve the council, and impose President’s rule, which lasted till December 2006.
The referendum on the two provinces was never held, and in 2006, Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court ruled that the merger had been illegal. Thus, the Northern and Eastern provinces were separated again, on 1 January 2007.
Since 2014, provincial elections are pending across Sri Lanka. This is because Parliament is yet to amend a 2017 Act in Parliament, for reforming the election process by introducing a hybrid system of first past the post and proportional representation from the current system of proportional representation.

#upsc #news #todayheadline #india #srilanka #implement #amendment #ranil #wickremesinghe #tamil #community #islandnation #constitution #civilwar #liberation #government #sinhala #eastern #northern #annamalai #varadaraja #proportional

Today's Headlines - 07 August 2023
Offshore mining and mineral auctions
GS Paper - 2 (Polity)

In a significant step toward exploiting India's offshore resources, the Council of States passed the Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill (OAMDR), 2023. The Bill represents a transformative change for the offshore mining sector, which has remained largely inactive since the enactment of the OAMDR Act in 2002.

More about the Bill

It aims to increase transparency in the allocation of minerals found in the country's offshore basins, permitting the granting of production leases exclusively through auctions and reserving some allocations for government entities and public sector units (PSUs).
The passage of the Bill marks a historic milestone, unlocking India's vast mineral-rich offshore areas.
This move promises strategic benefits, strengthening the nation's territorial waters, which have been frequently threatened by neighboring countries.
The extraction of minerals from these areas is expected to bolster India's strategic position further.

Auctions as primary means

The Bill stipulates a fixed 50-year production lease for offshore minerals. Under this new legislation, the government plans to introduce auctions as the primary means to award production leases for offshore minerals.
The amendment enables the granting of production leases to the private sector solely through competitive bidding auctions.
Under the composite licensing system, explorers will also have the right to develop and mine minerals under a single license.
The Bill introduces a four-year timeline for the start of production and dispatch following the execution of a composite license or production lease.
It also establishes a two-year timeline (extendable by one year) for the resumption of production and dispatch after a discontinuation.

#upsc #news #headline #offshore #mineral #polity #resources #development #regulation #OAMDR #bill #PSU #india #strategic #water #nations #territorial #award #production #lease #legislation #singlelicense #compositelicensing #historic #milestone #amendment