Why are Forest Fires Common in Himalayas?
Although two-thirds of the total geographical area of Himachal Pradesh is legally classified as forest area, much of this area …
K-shaped Recovery amid Covid-19
What is a K-Shaped Recovery? Typical economic recoveries can include V, W, Z, U and L.However, economists are starting to …
What is Polar Vortex?
It was during the extremely cold winter of 2014 that the term Polar Vortex became popular. The term polar vortex is …
Avian(Bird) Influenza( Flu) Virus
Amid the pandemic, there are reports of another scare in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala and Himachal Pradesh .Samples OF dead …
Champaran Satyagarha,1917
Background: Champaran is a district in North Western Bihar. It formed part of the Tirhut division in the province of Bihar …
Third Battle of Panipat(1761)
The Third Battle of Panipat took place on 14 January 1761, at Panipat, about 60 miles (97 km) north of Delhi. The battle was fought …
Tso Kar Wetland Complex as Ramsar Site
Ladakh’s Tso Kar Wetland Complex has been recognised as a wetland of international importance, becoming India’s 42nd Ramsar site. This is the …
GalSafe Pigs
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved an Intentional genomic alteration (IGA) in a line of domestic pigs, referred to …
New Genus of Malaria reported in Kerala
A new genus of malaria, identified as ‘plasmodium ovale’ has been identified in Kerala, in a soldier with travel history …
Science and Technology(Free Course)
Enroll Now Students may enroll even after the course starts The Course will cover the entire GS Science &technology syllabus …
CSAT(Punjab PCS) Free Revision Course
Enroll Here CSAT(Punjab PCS Prelims) This course is FREE of cost for aspiring students. Starts-15th December The course covers importants …
Punjab PCS Notification 2020
The Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination-2020 (PSCSCCE- 2020) is being conducted by the PPSC and the Notification is …
What is ‘Havana Syndrome”?
What is Havana Syndrome? ‘Havana Syndrome’ was the name given to a mysterious neurological illness which started to afflict American diplomats and …
Invest India Receives UN award
The UNCTAD has declared ‘Invest India’ as winner of the 2020 United Nations Investment Promotion Award, according to a release …
Minimum Support Price
Minimum Support Price (MSP) Minimum Support Price (MSP) is a form of market intervention by the Government of India to …
Farm Laws-Pros and Cons
The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance …
Dairy Production in Indus Valley Civilisation
This is the first time it’s been proved scientifically that dairy production was in place in the Indus Valley civilization …
Miyawaki Method of Urban Afforestation
What is Miyawaki method? The Miyawaki method, developed by a Japanese botanist after whom it is named, involves planting saplings …
Migration of Mangroves:
In 2008, Punarbasu Chaudhuri, mangrove ecologist from the University of Calcutta spotted an interesting mangrove plant at the bank of …
‘Feluda’ Test for Covid
It uses CRISPR-Cas technology for the detection of genes specific to SARS-CoV-2 virus.This has been developed by the CSIR-IGIB and …
Gene Editing and CRISPR/Cas9
French scientist Emmanuelle Charpentier and American Jennifer A. Doudna have won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for developing a method …
Hepatitis C
Americans Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice, and British scientist Michael Houghton were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine …
National Clean Air Program(NCAP)
A time bound national level strategy for pan India implementation to tackle the increasing air pollution problem across the country …
Warli Paintings
Noida-based National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), a central Public Sector Undertaking, and country’s leading fertilizers manufacturer, is promoting warli painting.The paintings, …
India’s ASTROSAT discovers oldest galaxy
A global team led by scientists of the Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) has discovered one of …
Vitamin C,D and E
Vitamin C The best-defined function of vitamin C is its role in the synthesis of collagen, the principal connective tissue …
Immunity and it’s types
Immunity is derived from Latin word “immunis” which means free from burden. In this case burden refers to disease caused …
Indus Water Treaty
Indus Water Treaty: India suggests video-conference while , Pakistan insists on meeting at Wagah border In a letter last week, …
National Education Policy 2020
The new Education policy aims to pave way for transformational reforms in school and higher education systems in the country. …
Bhakti Movement
THE BHAKTI MOVEMENT- ‘Bhakti was born in Dravida; Ramanand took it to North; Kabir spread it all over the world …
Renaissance in detail
Renaissance literally means rebirth. It is the revival of anything which has long been in decay or passing into a …
Compulsory License
Compulsory license is generally defined as “authorization permitting a third party to make, use, or sell a patented invention without …
Raman Spectroscopy
Mumbai-based Tata Memorial Centre has turned to Raman Spectroscopy to detect RNA viruses present in saliva samples This conceptual framework …
What is Temperature Inversion?
What is Temperature Inversion? An atmospheric condition in which the typical lapse rate(The rate at which the temperature decreases for …
Gaganyaan
Gaganyaan is India’s first Indian human mission that will be launched by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) by 2022. The …
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna(PMGKY)
The Union Finance & Corporate Affairs Minister Smt. Niramla Sitharaman today announced Rs 1.70 Lakh Crore relief package under Pradhan …
Global Education Monitoring (GEM) Report 2020
Global Education Monitoring(GEM) Report 2020 is titled and focusses on Inclusion and Education. Even before Covid-19, one in five children, …
Punjab PCS 2020 General Studies Batch
Punjab PCS General Studies(Full Syllabus) Batch Details: STARTS 25TH JUNE 85 PLUS ONLINE CLASSES APPROX. 170 PLUS HOURS OF …
Virtual NAM Summit
The virtual Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Contact Group Summit on “United against Covid-19” through video conferencing was held recently. The meeting …
Punjab PCS 2020 Prelims Test Series
Punjab PCS 2020 Prelims Test Series- BATCH 2 (Begins 11th July) Revise the complete Punjab PCS Preliminary Exam Syllabus along …
What are ‘Social Bubbles’?
Social Bubbles are small groups of close contacts made up of friends and family may be the best way to …
Demo Classes Punjab PCS Prelims 2020
Demo Classes Punjab PCS Prelims 2020 Click Here To Enroll Demo Lecture-1 World History (Demo Punjab PCS)Geography-Syllabus and Strategy Discussion …
Punjab PCS Prelims 2020 Course
Click here to Enroll View Demo Classes Punjab PCS Prelims 2020-Course details Punjab PCS Prelims Course starts on 20th June. …
Growing Importance of Biotechnology
Biotechnology can be broadly defined as “using organisms or their products for commercial purposes. Biotechnology utilizes cellular and biomolecular processes …
What is DSR(Direct Seeding of Rice)?
Owing to exodus of migrant labourers amid the ongoing lockdown, and Covid-19 situation, farmers in Punjab seem to be preparing …
Global Vaccine Summit
The Global Vaccine Summit, hosted by the UK, raises US$ 8.8 billion to immunise 300m children and support the global …
Punjab PCS Syllabus
The Punjab PCS exam is conducted in Three stages-Punjab PCS Prelims, Mains and Interview.The pattern and Punjab PCS Syllabus have …
Punjab PCS 2020 Notification (PSCSCCE- 2020)
Punjab PCS Detailed Notification Punjab PCS Prelims Online Batch View Demo Classes The Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination-2020 …
SpaceX’s Demo-2 Mission Launch
SpaceX, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s private rocket company, was forced by foul weather to scrub a planned launch on Wednesday …
What is the WHO ‘Solidarity’ Trial for Covid-19?
The World Health Organization (WHO) said Monday that due to safety concerns, it is temporarily halting a clinical trial of …
India-Nepal Border delineation(Sugauli Treaty)
Context: Amid tension with India over constructing of a road till the Lipulekh pass; Nepal is planning to start three armed …
Naming a Tropical Cyclone
Tropical cyclones can last for a week or more; therefore there can be more than one cyclone at a time. …
‘Travel Bubbles’ amid Covid-19
All around the world, as countries decide how to restart international travel amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of a …
Shekatkar Committee Recommendations
Government has accepted and implemented three important recommendations of Committee of Experts (CoE) under the Chairmanship of Lt General D …
Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020
Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020 (FRA 2020)-Key Findings. Global Forest Resources Assessment is published by the United Nations Food and …
Covid-19 Test based on CRISPR Instead of RT-PCR
The new Test for COVID-19 detection based on CRISPR Technology confirms presence of viral DNA in samples faster and more …
Buddhism(Ancient India)
Jainism and Buddhism, both arose as a reaction to the existing social and religious order. Background: The society after the …
Age of Rig Veda(Early Vedic Period)
The Age of Rig Vedic Period Arrival of the Indo-Aryans The Indo Aryans arrived from two areas.The first area is …
COVID KAVACH ELISA-Indigenous Antibody Detection Test
The Pune-based National Institute of Virology (NIV) has developed an immunological assay — enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) — to detect …
Mission Sagar
India launched Mission Sagar on Sunday as part of the government’s outreach initiative towards five Island nations in the Indian …
The Later Vedic Period
The later Vedic Period-The information about this period is obtained from the three later Vedic texts-Sama Veda,Yajur Veda, Atharva …
Monoclonal Antibodies
Human body’s immune system attacks foreign substances by making a large numbers of antibodies. An antibody is a protein that …
BoBBLE Experiment-Indian Monsoon
Large-scale weather events, such as monsoons and tropical cyclones, can now be more accurately predicted, findings from a joint India-UK …
What is Herd Immunity?
Herd immunity happens when a population is immune to an infectious contagious disease either through vaccination or immunity developed through …
Kashmir Saffron gets GI Tag
Kashmiri saffron, which is cultivated and harvested in the Karewa (highlands) of Jammu and Kashmir, has been given the Geographical …
Kovilpatti kadalai mittai gets GI tag
After a five-year wait, Kovilpatti kadalai mittai — peanut candy from the southern part of Tamil Nadu — was granted …
GI tag for Manipur Black Rice Chak-hao
Chak-Hao, the black rice of Manipur and the Gorakhpur terracotta have bagged the Geogrphical Indication (GI) tag.The famous Kovilpatti kadalai …
Hydrogen Fuel
NTPC Ltd on Sunday said it has invited global expression of interest (EoI) to provide Hydrogen Fuel Cell (FC) based …
Reverse Vaccinology
Tamil Nadu Dr. MGR Medical University has developed a vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 through ‘reverse vaccinology’.In the first phase, the …
Sivasagar – Iconic Site in Budget 2020
Sivasagar, previously spelled Sibsagar (“the ocean of Lord Shiva”), is a town in Upper Assam, about 360 kilometers (224 mi) …
Dholavira- An Iconic Site in Budget 2020
Budget 2020 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has placed unprecedented importance on cultural development. To facilitate tourism and cultural development, …
Indian Ocean Commission
Following a request from New Delhi, the Indian Ocean Commission granted observer status to India on March 6 at the …
Oil Prices at Historic Low
Oil prices fell below zero for the first time in history last night as the global lockdown decimated demand for …
Special Drawing Rights(SDR)
There have been calls from many in recent days for the IMF to boost its power to extend finance to …
DST Innovations to Fight Covid-19
India is likely to soon roll out two new innovations developed by institutes under the science and technology ministry to …
Biofortification to fight Malnutrition
Biofortification is the process by which the nutritional quality of food crops is improved through agronomic practices, conventional plant breeding, …
Grace-FO
The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO) mission is a partnership between NASA and the German Research Centre for …
Rakhigarhi to emerge as tourist Destination
Rakhigarhi in Haryana will soon emerge as a major tourist destination on the map of India. Rakhigarhi hit headlines after …
Anti Smog Guns
More than two months after the Supreme Court ordered the installation of anti smog guns at all large construction sites …
SunRISE Mission
Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment(SunRISE Mission) aims to pinpoint places where giant particle storms are launched into space. About SunRISE: …
AIIB and ADB
The central government is in talks with Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and ADB to secure these loans to further …
Geo-fencing
What is Geo-Fencing? Geo-fencing is a service that triggers an action when a device enters a set location. Geo-fencing is a …
Black Tiger Shrimp Ban lifted
Japan has lifted the inspection order on Indian black tiger shrimps (Penaeus monodon) after the export consignments were found to …
National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC)
The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan recently launched the National Teleconsultation Centre (CoNTeC) . The …
Telemedicine in times of Covid-19
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare with NITI Aayog on Wednesday released the official guidelines for telemedicine practices in …
The Great Barrier reef bleaches again
The Great Barrier Reef just underwent a third mass bleaching event in five years.The event was the third such mass …
What is the BCG Vaccine?
The Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG vaccine), administered to millions of Indian children soon after birth to protect against tuberculosis, could be …
Important Definitions:Science and Technology
Important Definitions:Science and Technology BIONICS It refers to design and development of technology inspired by biological methods.Bionics or biologically inspired engineering …
Covid-19 Testing-Genetic vs Antibody
On Wednesday, the Indian Council of Medical Research invited bids for an estimated 10 lakh antibody kits (for serological tests) for the diagnose of COVID-19. The …
How Technology is Helping to Fight Coronavirus?
Goa Ministry of Health introduces its App( Test Yourself Goa) to fight Coronavirus-India’s First Automated Self-evaluation Assessment to Identify At-Risk …
Tools of Monetary Policy
Tools of Monetary Policy are as follows: REPO RATE (Tools of Monetary Policy) • Repo rate (rate of repurchase) refers …
Nanotechnology
NANOTECHNOLOGY Nanotechnology is the study of controlling matter on an atomic and molecular scale, i.e., at a size of 1-100 …
Gene Therapy
GENE THERAPY Genes, which are carried on chromosomes, are the basic physical and functional units of heredity. Genes are specific sequences of bases that …
Genetically Modified Organism
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISM A genetically modified organism (GMO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using techniques of …
Stem Cells
STEM CELLS Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body. Serving as …
Urban Commons
What are ‘Urban Commons’? Commons, then, as the historian Peter Linebaugh (2009) reminds us, involve “being-in-common”, or using resources in …
What are Technical Textiles?
Technical textiles are functional fabrics that have applications across various industries including automobiles, civil engineering and construction, agriculture, healthcare, industrial …
Coronavirus and deglobalisation
The coronavirus that has seeped out of China, insinuating itself into at least 81 countries while killing more than 3,200 …
Net Zero Emissions
Net Zero by 2050 Net Zero by 2050 is the new buzzword to stay on the right side of 1.50C. …
Earthquakes
EARTHQUAKES An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust. At the earth surface …