Ire over toy train monetization plan

GS Paper 3: Topic covered: Issues related to economic growth and planning   Context: Concerns expressed over Centre’s proposal to monetize the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways (DHR). More on this news: There are four fully functional and operational railways networks in mountains and hilly terrains in India — the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) located in the …

Vande Bharat Express

GS Paper 3: Topic covered: Indigenization of technology   Context: The Indian Railways plans to operate 102 Vande Bharat trains by March 2024.   About Vande Bharat Express: The Train18, later named Vande Bharat Express, was rolled out by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai under the Indian government’s Make in India initiative. The train was launched on 15 …

Korea may have restarted N-reactor: IAEA

GS Paper 2: Topic covered: Important international institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.   Context: The UN atomic agency has observed that North Korea might have resumed its plutonium-producing reprocessing reactor More on this news: This observation is based on the resumption of work on the 5-megawatt reactor in Yongbyon — North Korea’s main …

Indian supports Palestine peace process

GS Paper 2: Topics covered: Important international institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.   Context: India extended its support to restart the peace process between Israel and Palestine in a recent UN Security Council meeting More on this news: India reiterated its commitment to ‘the establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable state of …

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination

GS Paper 2: Topic covered: Issues related to Health   Context: 100years has passed since the Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine was introduced to combat tuberculosis (TB) on 18 July, 1921.   What is BCG Vaccine? Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) vaccine is a vaccine primarily used against tuberculosis (TB). BCG was developed by modifying a strain of Mycobacterium …

Can’t curtail right to move freely or reside anywhere on flimsy grounds

GS Paper 2: Topic covered: Significant provisions of the Indian constitution   Context: Recent opinion tendered by the Supreme Court of India on an externment order passed by Maharashtra police More on this issue What is an externment order? Externment orders prevent the movement of a person in certain areas. Grounds for issuing such an …