Author: GS TIMES STAFF

Singapore becomes first country to ratify RCEP

Singapore has ratified the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and deposited its ratification instrument, becoming the first participating country to complete the official process. According to the Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry, the country has deposited its instrument of ratification on April 9, 2021. All 10 ASEAN members and Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea signed the trade pact, the world’s largest, at the 4th RCEP Summit in November Read More …

‘Lost golden city’ discovered in Egypt

Archaeologists in Egypt have announced the discovery of a three-millennia-old “lost golden city” from the era of 18th-dynasty king Amenhotep III, who ruled ancient Egypt from 1391 to 1353 B.C. The discovery is being touted as the most important find since the unearthing of King Tutankhamun’s tomb almost 100 years ago. The newly discovered old city is located on the west bank of the Nile river near Luxor. According to Read More …

भारत की आर्थिक वृद्धि 12.5 प्रतिशत अनुमानित-अंतरराष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष

अंतरराष्ट्रीय मुद्रा कोष (IMF) ने चालू वित्त वर्ष (2021-22) के लिए भारत की आर्थिक वृद्धि का अनुमान 1 प्रतिशत बढ़ाकर 12.5 प्रतिशत कर दिया है। हालाँकि विशेषज्ञों की मानें तो कोविड के बढ़ते मामलों और देश के कुछ राज्योंं में लॉकडाउन को देखते हुए यह बहुत महत्त्वाकांक्षी वृद्धि अनुमान है। आईएमएफ के ‘वल्र्ड इकोनॉमिक आउटलुक’ में भारत को फिर से सबसे तेजी से बढऩे वाली बड़ी अर्थव्यवस्था बताया गया है। Read More …

Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Board

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat has decided to remove the management of 51 temples from under the control of the Char Dham Devasthanam Board and reconsidered its formation. Akhadas, seers, priests of Char Dham and Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders had raised the issue of the management board, demanding its dissolution in the interests of local priests who have been traditionally managing these shrines. The Uttarakhand Char Dham Devasthanam Board Read More …

Muon g-2 experiment

The result of the Muon g-2 experiment on muon-one of the fundamental particles of Universe, shows that it do not match the predictions of the Standard Model, on which all particle physics is based. Everything in the universe is found to be made from a few basic building blocks called fundamental particles, governed by four fundamental forces. The muon is one of the sub-atomic particles which are considered building blocks of Read More …

India H2 Alliance (IH2A)

Many energy companies from India and abroad have come together to form a coalition named ‘India H2 Alliance (IH2A)’ for commercializing hydrogen technologies and creating a hydrogen economy. This alliance led by Chart Industries and Reliance Industries Ltd comes against the backdrop of the proposed National Hydrogen Energy Mission. According to the alliance’s press statement, the India H2 Alliance will work together to build the hydrogen economy and supply chain Read More …

Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure

Why in the news? The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance on April 1, 2021 said that it has released an amount of Rs. 11,830 crore to States under the scheme “Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure”. What is Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure? The scheme of “Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure was announced by the Finance Minister on 12th October, 2020 as part of Aatma Read More …

डॉ. शरणकुमार लिम्बाले को वर्ष 2020 का सरस्वती सम्मान

प्रसिद्ध मराठी लेखक डॉ. शरणकुमार लिम्बाले (Dr Sharankumar Limbale) को उनकी पुस्तक ‘सनातन’ के लिए वर्ष 2020 का सरस्वती सम्मान (पुरस्कार का 30 वां संस्करण) के लिए चुना गया है । डॉ. लिम्बले की ‘सनातन’ पुस्तक 2018 में प्रकाशित हुई थी। यह पुस्तक दलित संघर्ष का एक महत्वपूर्ण सामाजिक और ऐतिहासिक दस्तावेज है। वर्ष 1991 में स्थापित सरस्वती सम्मान हर साल संविधान की आठवीं अनुसूची में उल्लिखित किसी भी भारतीय Read More …

Marathi writer Dr Sharankumar Limbale to receive Saraswati Samman 2020

Noted Marathi writer Dr Sharankumar Limbale was selected for the 2020 Saraswati Samman (the 30th edition of the prize) for his book Sanatan. Dr Limbale’s Sanatan has been published in 2018. The book is an important social and historical document of dalit struggle. The Saraswati Samman, instituted in 1991, is given every year to an outstanding literary work written in any Indian language mentioned in Schedule VIII to the Constitution Read More …

Recurring online transactions deadline extended

On March 31, 2021 the Reserve Bank of India announced to extend the timeline for processing of recurring online transactions till September 30, 2021. However, the RBI clarified that any further delay in ensuring complete adherence to the framework beyond the extended timeline will attract stringent supervisory action. It means, for auto-payments from debit and credit cards or via wallets, an additional authentication will be required by the customer from Read More …

World Happiness Report 2021

The World Happiness Report 2021 was released on March 19, 2021 by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network. Finland was once again crowned as the world’s happiest country followed by Iceland, Denmark, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Norway. India has been ranked 139 out of 149 countries. In 2019, India was ranked 140th. Pakistan is on 105th, Bangladesh on 101st and China on 84th in the report. Zimbabwe is on 148th, Read More …

European Commission Proposes Digital Green Certificate

On 17 March 2021, the European Commission presented a proposal to create a Digital Green Certificate to facilitate the safe free movement of citizens within the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital Green Certificates will be valid in all EU Member States. A Digital Green Certificate is a digital proof that a person has either been vaccinated against COVID-19, received a negative test result or recovered from COVID-19. National authorities are in Read More …

Anne Lacaton & Jean-Philippe Vassal Win Pritzker Prize 2021

Architects duo Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal, founders of French studio Lacaton & Vassal, have been named the 2021 winners of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. They were named the winners of the award for their body of work that “reflects architecture’s democratic spirit” and their “commitment to a restorative architecture”. Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal were recognised for the numerous social housing projects they have undertaken as principals of the Paris-based studio Lacaton & Read More …

भारत में हथियारों के आयात में 33 फीसदी की कमी-सिपरी

स्टॉकहोम इंटरनेशनल पीस रिसर्च इंस्टीट्यूट (सिपरी) की 15 मार्च 2021 को जारी रिपोर्ट के अनुसार भारत में वर्ष 2011-15 और 2016-20 के बीच हथियारों के आयात में 33 फीसदी की कमी आई है और इसका सर्वाधिक प्रभाव रूस पर पड़ा है। रिपोर्ट के अनुसार देश की जटिल खरीद प्रक्रिया और रूसी हथियारों पर निर्भरता कम करने के प्रयास के तहत भारतीय हथियार आयात में कमी प्रतीत होती है। हालांकि अमेरिका Read More …

SIPRI Report: India’s arms imports drop 33 per cent

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) report published on March 15, 2021, the five largest arms exporters in 2016-20 were the US, Russia, France, Germany and China, while the top importers were Saudi Arabia, India, Egypt, Australia and China. The report says that India’s arms imports fell 33% between 2011-15 and 2016-20. The report attributed the drop in India’s arms imports mainly to an attempt to reduce its Read More …