Author: ForumIAS

Track II team holds talks in Pakistan What has happened? A group of Indian experts visited Pakistan to discuss all aspects of bilateral ties and revive the Track II diplomacy process with Islamabad, amid the chill in the relationship after a number of terror attacks in India by Pakistan-based outfits Neemrana dialogue The original Track… Continue reading Track II team holds talks in Pakistan

Call to action Context World Health Organization (WHO)’s latest report on pollution Highlights of the report The report, which summarised 2016 data for 4,300 cities, ranks 14 Indian cities among the 20 most polluted ones globally While Delhi comes in at number six, Kanpur, Faridabad, Varanasi, Gaya and Patna are ranked ahead of it, by… Continue reading Call to action

‘Glow-in-the-dark algae may be a sign of global warming’ Context The Noctiluca algae, commonly known as sea tinkle, is a parasite and occurs in patches or ‘blooms’ in the northern Arabian Sea. Their bioluminescence has earned them the name ‘sea sparkle’ What has happened? American and Indian scientists, after their year-long investigation into the phenomenon of glowing… Continue reading ‘Glow-in-the-dark algae may be a sign of global warming’

10,000 endangered tortoises rescued in Madagascar Context International conservationists in Madagascar have been treating more than 10,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises that were seized from traffickers who had crammed them into a home with no access to food or water Prelim relevant info Radiated Tortoise A critically endangered (CR) tortoise, radiated tortoises sport star patterns… Continue reading 10,000 endangered tortoises rescued in Madagascar 

Protest against heritage site adoption scheme in Assam Context Members of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) and other organisations protested against the ’Adopt a Heritage’ scheme Sites chosen from Assam The four sites chosen in Assam include Kaziranga National Park Rangghar, Asia’s oldest amphitheatre Kareng Ghar, a palace Shiva… Continue reading Protest against heritage site adoption scheme in Assam

Regulating cryptocurrencies  Context RBI & cryptocurrencies What is the RBI’s stance? In the most direct action taken so far by regulatory authorities on the issue of cryptocurrencies, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), during its monetary policy announcement on April 6, directed all regulated agencies, including banks, to stop doing any business with “any person… Continue reading Regulating cryptocurrencies 

Protect patents Context The Delhi High Court (HC) judgment revoking Monsanto’s Bollgard-2 patent is fraught with problems What is Bollgard-2? Bollgard-2 is an insecticidal technology which uses a gene called Cry2Ab from the soil bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) When inserted into a cotton plant, the gene confers resistance against cotton pests Monsanto’s 2008 patent on… Continue reading Protect patents

Govt. approves sugarcane subsidy of Rs. 5.5 per quintal Context Sugar production has hit record highs this year, crossing domestic consumption prices, and leading to a crash in prices. Industry lobbyist Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) estimates that wholesale sugar prices have fallen by Rs. 9 per kg over the past five months, and the… Continue reading Govt. approves sugarcane subsidy of Rs. 5.5 per quintal

SC questions passage of Aadhaar Act as Money Bill What has happened? The Supreme Court on Wednesday questioned the government’s justification for passing the Aadhaar Act as a Money Bill SC countered govt’s argument on any body corporate That the sole intent of the Aadhaar Act is to act as a weapon for delivering subsidies… Continue reading SC questions passage of Aadhaar Act as Money Bill

Cabinet clears constitution of 11th pay panel What has happened? The Cabinet cleared the constitution of the 11th Pay Revision Commission on Wednesday. Nearly 4.30 lakh government employees will benefit from its recommendations Key points The Cabinet decided to form the A.P. Virtual Classroom Corporation to facilitate effective digital learning by students and help in… Continue reading Cabinet clears constitution of 11th pay panel