Kuril Islands

Mapping Source: IE The Kuril Islands dispute between Russia and Japan has gained attention amid the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The Kuril Islands dispute, known as the Northern Territories dispute in Japan, is a territorial dispute between Japan and Russia over the ownership of the four southernmost Kuril Islands. The Kuril Islands are …

North Sea

Mapping   Source: TH The U.K. Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced plans to grant more than 100 licenses for oil and gas exploration in the North Sea starting in the autumn. The goal is to slow the decline in oil and gas production to secure domestic supplies, even as the U.K. is committed to achieving …

Akira ransomware

Facts for Prelims (FFP) Source: TH   Context: The Akira ransomware is a type of ransomware that targets both Windows and Linux devices. It encrypts data on the affected devices, appends filenames with the “.akira” extension, and deletes Windows Shadow Volume copies to prevent data recovery. The ransomware also terminates Windows services to ensure uninterrupted …

Finger Minutiae Record – Finger Image Record (FMR-FIR) modality

Facts for Prelims (FFP) Source: IE Context: UIDAI (Unique Identification Authority of India) is employing artificial intelligence-based technology to address fraud in the Aadhaar-enabled Payment System (AePS). The technology is called Finger Minutiae Record–Finger Image Record (FMR-FIR) modality.    What is FMR-FIR? The Finger Minutiae Record–Finger Image Record (FMR-FIR) modality is an Artificial Intelligence / …

The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Facts for Prelims (FFP)  Source: IE, TH  Context: The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2023, introduced in Lok Sabha, aims to change the law governing the administration of Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The Bill proposes giving the government an expanded role in the appointment and removal of IIM Directors and initiating inquiries.   …

Lithium Extraction

Facts for Prelims (FFP) Source: Business Line  Context: India has successfully extracted lithium from the mineral concentrate on a laboratory scale. The country has demonstrated its capability to develop technologies for the beneficiation of lithium ore to lithium mineral concentrate. The processing and refining methods for lithium ore can vary depending on the type of …

Paharis and Paddaris

Facts for Prelims (FFP)   Source: IE  Context: The government has introduced the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2023 in Lok Sabha to include four communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes (STs) in Jammu and Kashmir. The four communities proposed for ST status are “Gadda Brahmin,” “Koli,” “Paddari Tribe,” and …

Skilling in Emerging Technologies

Content for Mains Enrichment Source: PIB The Directorate General of Training (DGT) is partnering with Amazon Web Services (AWS) India to offer skilling programs on emerging technologies. Aim: The collaboration aims to upskill students of Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs) in areas like cloud computing, data annotation, artificial intelligence (AI), …

Plastic Overshoot Days

GS Paper 3  Syllabus: Pollution, Environment Conservation   Source: Ground Report, DTE Context: In 2023, India experienced 157 days of plastic overshoot, which means that the country generated and accumulated a significant amount of plastic waste that exceeded its waste management capacity.   Also, in another news, a recent report highlights that India is one …

NITI Aayog: Towards Decarbonising Transport 2023

GS Paper 3  Syllabus: Environment Conservation   Source: NITI Aayog  Context: NITI Aayog released the “Towards Decarbonising Transport 2023″ report to support global discussions on sustainable transport during India’s G20 presidency.   What is Decarbonising Transport? Decarbonising Transport refers to the process of reducing or eliminating carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions from …

Impact of Climate Change on Children

GS Paper 2  Syllabus: Social Justice/ Indian Society   Source: DTE  Context: A recent study has highlighted how climate change contributes to violence against children.    How climate change contributes to violence against children?   Addressing violence against children due to climate change requires a multi-faceted approach: Integrated Policies: Develop context-specific policies that recognize the …