A group of in IIT-Madras is developing a robot to clean septic tanks. Such inventions are particularly significant amidst frequent deaths of manual scavengers in India. According to the Safai Karmachari Andolan (SKA) at least 1,470 manual scavengers died at work between 2010 and 2017. Manual scavenging is the practice of manually cleaning, carrying, disposing… Continue reading Coming soon — a robot to clean septic tanks
Author: ForumIAS
Is death by mosquito bite insurable? SC answers the question in a judgment
The Supreme Court has observed that where a disease is caused or transmitted by insect bite/virus in the natural course of events, it would not be covered by the definition of an accident. The observation comes in the background of a case where the question arose whether a death due to malaria from a mosquito… Continue reading Is death by mosquito bite insurable? SC answers the question in a judgment
Sharp rise in H1N1 cases
Recently, there has been a sharp rise in cases and deaths from H1N1 influenza. The data on H1N1 cases has been collected by Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme, National Centre of Disease Control, Delhi. Influenza is an infectious disease caused by an influenza virus belonging to the family Orthomyxoviridae. Influenza viruses are divided into three broad… Continue reading Sharp rise in H1N1 cases
Stubble burning menace emerges in Kuttanad
Stubble burning i.e. agricultural residue burning has emerged as a major problem in Kuttanad, which is popularly known as the “Rice bowl of Kerala”. Stubble burning is the practice of intentionally setting fire to residues which remains after the harvest of a crop. It is usually done to clear the field quickly for the next… Continue reading Stubble burning menace emerges in Kuttanad
BJD symbol promotes folk dance form
Biju Janta Dal’s (BJD) election symbol Conch (Sankha) has been playing a major role in promoting “Jodi Sankha” (double conch). Jodi Sankha is a traditional folk dance native to Ganjam district, Odisha. The Jodi Sankha is a combined presentation of rural music along with Badya and Nrutya. The dance form is martial in nature. Other… Continue reading BJD symbol promotes folk dance form
India’s carbon dioxide emissions up 5%
A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) has revealed that India’s carbon dioxide emissions increased by 4.8% in 2018 from last year. The growth in emissions was higher than that of the United States and China. The rise in emissions has been attributed to increased coal consumption. Globally, carbon dioxide emissions rose 1.7% in… Continue reading India’s carbon dioxide emissions up 5%
RBI receives aggressive bids, infuses ₹34,500 cr. liquidity
The Reserve Bank of India has successfully concluded a forex swap auction intended to ease liquidity conditions.The central bank bought the targeted $5 billion as part of the long term Dollar/Rupee swap auction with a three-year tenor.In turn, Rs 34,561 crore was infused into the Indian banking system. Recently,RBI has decided to inject long-term liquidity… Continue reading RBI receives aggressive bids, infuses ₹34,500 cr. liquidity
Shift to formal trade slower than expected
According to a recent report,Goods and Services Tax (GST) which was introduced in 2017 has seen the Indirect tax collections increased.However, shift in trade towards a formal economy has been slower than expected. The report also said that under GST regime,the manufacturing sector witnessed an increase in working capital requirements while the services sector has… Continue reading Shift to formal trade slower than expected
U.S. upset as Russian planes land in Venezuela
The Russian foreign ministry has said that two planes consists of Russian specialists has landed in Venezuela.The presence of Russian specialists in Venezuela is governed by a military-technical cooperation agreement between the two countries that was signed in 2001. Russia has long been an ally of Venezuela,and has provided military and economic support.Russia has also… Continue reading U.S. upset as Russian planes land in Venezuela
Tamil Nadu sees highest seizure ahead of polls
Election Commission has seized cash,liquor and freebies of nearly Rs 540 crores within two weeks of the implementation of the model code of conduct. Tamil Nadu recorded the maximum seizure of these illegal inducements, suspected to have been routed and used to bribe voters followed by Uttar Pradesh,Andhra Pradesh and Punjab. The EC has deployed… Continue reading Tamil Nadu sees highest seizure ahead of polls
