Mapping Source: TH North Korea conducted a test of its new Hwasong-18 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) using solid propellants. The test has drawn reactions from neighbouring countries, with Japan, South Korea, and the United States expressing concerns about regional stability and emphasizing the need for closer cooperation and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. North …
Source: TH Context: The conservation status of the hoolock gibbon, India’s only ape species, has become a matter of concern at a global event on gibbons held in China. About Gibbons: It is the smallest and fastest ape and is found in tropical and subtropical forests in Southeast Asia. The hoolock gibbon, unique to …
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Source: TH Context: Recent research demonstrates that synthetic life forms with minimal genomes can evolve and out-compete non-evolved versions. What is evolution? Evolution is the process of gradual change and development in living organisms over time. It involves the passing on of traits from one generation to the next, leading to the diversity …
Source: PIB Context: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, has launched a new campaign titled BHARAT (Banks Heralding Accelerated Rural & Agriculture Transformation) under the Agri Infra Fund (AIF). The one-month-long campaign aims to raise Rs 7200 crore and will run from July 15, 2023, to August 15, 2023. About the AIF: AIF …
Source: PIB Context: NITI Aayog is releasing the third edition of the Export Preparedness Index (EPI) for States/UTs of India for the year 2022 The report discusses India’s export performance, followed by an overview of the country’s sector-specific export performance. The report further highlights the need to develop our districts as export hubs in …
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Source: IE
Facts for Prelims (FFP) Source: TH Context: A study by researchers at the Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, focused on genetic differences among South Asian populations, particularly in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The researchers found distinct genetic patterns among different regions, including smaller geographies within India, attributed to endogamous practices like …
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Content for Mains Enrichment Source: IE Context: J Robert Oppenheimer used this quote to display regrets about his invention of nuclear weapons. The quote “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” is not directly from the Bhagavad Gita but rather a paraphrase of a verse in the Gita. Translated into English, this …
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GS Paper 4 Syllabus: Ethics of War/nuclear weapon Source: IE Robert Oppenheimer was the scientific director of the Manhattan Project, the USA’s World War II program to develop the first nuclear weapons. He is known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb”. However, after witnessing the destructive power of nuclear weapons, Oppenheimer became a …
GS Paper 3 Syllabus: Disaster Management Source: TH Context: The Indian Union government is reluctant to declare lightning a natural disaster, as it believes that deaths caused by lightning can be prevented through awareness of safety measures. India currently has an early warning system for lightning, providing forecasts from five days to up …
GS Paper 2 Syllabus: Social Justice Source: TH Context: Preeti Aghalyam, the first woman to become the Director of an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), highlighted the underrepresentation of women on IIT campuses. Her appointment coincides with a broader effort by various IITs to address the gender imbalance on their campuses. The …
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GS Paper 2 Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors Source: TH Context: The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) has constituted a Standing Committee on Statistics (SCoS) to reform the statistical system in India. About the SCoS: It will replace: The Standing Committee on Economic Statistics (SCES), which …
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GS Paper 2 Syllabus: Pressure Groups & Formal/informal Associations & Their Role in Polity Source: TH Context: 24 years after its formation, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) split over the question of succession. Similar cases: The Shiv Sena, Samajwadi Party (SP) have gone through this churn. The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) seems …
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GS Paper 2 Syllabus: Structure, Organization and Functioning of the Judiciary Source: TH Context: The SC Collegium under CJI DY Chandrachud has quietly and transparently streamlined the appointment process of judges to the constitutional courts. The Collegium system: About: The collegium system, which has evolved through judgments of the SC, is the way by …
