CURRENT AFFAIRS DESTINATION FOR UPSC & STATE CIVIL SERVICES EXAMINATIONS
A historic flight powered by indigenously produced aviation biofuel based on patented technology of CSIR-IIP Dehradun was flagged off on August 27, 2018 from Dehradun airport by Uttarakhand CM Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat. The Spicejet flight, featuring a latest generation Q400 aircraft powered by, was received at Delhi airport by Union Ministers Shri Nitin Gadkari, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Shri Suresh Prabhu and Union Minister of State for Read More …
By Dr. Aditi Jain (Twitter handle:@AditiJain1987) New Delhi, August 21 : Legumes, a source of high protein, holds a special place in Indian diets. Among legumes, peas which are rich in vitamins and proteins are cherished for its taste and are a part of various cuisines. Now scientists from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research have developed a pea variety that bears moreflowers per stalk and therefore yields more peas Read More …
By Dinesh C Sharma (Twitter handle: @dineshcsharma) New Delhi, August 20 : A new study has suggested that the government must consider changes occurring due to climate change while planning new hydropower projects. The generation of hydropower from top seven hydropower projects in India has suffered due to climate variability in the past six decades. Future projected climate change may also hit reservoir operation for power generation from these projects, Read More …
By Sarah Iqbal Bengaluru, August 17 : Large swathes of forests in the Northeast are an abode for the Indian elephant. But a new study has warned that parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh are losing canopy cover at an alarming rate. Researchers from the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun, examined the pace of deforestation in the elephant landscape of the Northeast, covering 42,000 square kilometers in Assam Read More …
By Rayies Altaf (Twitter handle: rayies_sts) New Delhi, August 16 : Air pollution is a serious problem in Delhi and vehicular traffic is generally thought to be the main culprit. But a new study done in the national capital has found that traffic density alone doesn’t have much impact on the amount or intensity of air pollution in the city. There are other environmental factors which play a vital Read More …
World Elephant Day was celebrated across the world on August 12, 2018. In India the main event was organised at Indira Gandhi Centre for National Arts in New Delhi, which was inaugurated by Mr. Suresh Prabhu. In a brief address, brand ambassador of Wildlife Trust of India, Ms. Dia Mirza said that the only way to involve more and more people in conservation efforts is to build a narrative of engagement. Read More …
Union Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on August 12, 2018 dedicated India’s only facility for conservation of endangered species. The Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES), a dedicated facility of CSIR’s Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad uses modern biotechnologies for conservation of endangered wildlife. Here off-springs of blue rock pigeon, spotted deer and blackbuck are produced, which were Read More …
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of World Biofuel Day 2018 on August 10, announced to establish 12 modern biofuel refineries worth ten thousand crore rupees across the country. According the PM,this will provide employment to 1.5 lakh youth. He said that biofuel can bring revolutionary changes in the lives of the farmers and that the government is making a huge investment towards converting biomass into biofuel. As per Read More …
महाराष्ट्र सरकार ने ‘महाराष्ट्र प्लास्टिक डिपॉजिटरी स्कीम’ लागू करने की घोषणा की है। यह अपशिष्ट प्लास्टिक पीईटी बोतल बायबैक योजना है। भारत में यह अपने तरह की पहली योजना है। ज्ञातव्य है कि महाराष्ट्र प्लास्टिक एंड थमोकॉल प्रोडक्ट्स एक्ट 2018 के तहत राज्य में एकल उपयोग प्लास्टिक एवं थर्मोकॉल को प्रतिबंधित कर दिया गया है परंतु इसी एक्ट के तहत पीईटी बोतल एवं मिल्क पाउचेज बायबैक स्कीम का भी प्रावधान Read More …
Union Science& Technology, Earth Sciences; Environment, Forest & Climate Change Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan on July 21. 2018 unveiled a state-of-the-art Air Quality and Weather Forecast System– SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting)at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. The giant true colour LED display gives out real-time air quality index on 24×7 basis with colour coding alongwith 72-hour advance forecast. The system, first of its kind in the country, Read More …
By Raghu Murtugudde Pune, July 19 : The All India Monsoon Rainfall has been a target of monsoon prediction since the times of Sir Gilbert Walker back in the 1930s. It has a bearing on total food production but is of little value for farmers and water managers at local levels.The dynamic forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD)is now targeting rainfall at district level but the focus remains Read More …
Dr. Ravi Mishra Twitter handle:@Ravimishra1970 Vasco-da-gama, July 18 : Tidal mudflats of Gulf of Khambhat on west coast constitute an important ecosystem on India’s coastline. Scientists have now found that these mudflats are experiencing severe erosion which is threatening the vital habitat. Scientists from Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre (SAC) of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have reported extensive erosion of mudflats by studying sequential satellite images. Scientists analysed temporal satellite Read More …
According to the Union Minister of Earth Sciences, Dr. Harsh Vardhan, in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on July 18, 2018, the average annual temperature, over the country as a whole, was 26.200C for the last ten years (2008 to 2017). The latest IPCC report (2014) highlights that mean surface temperature of the globe has risen by 0.850C ± 0.180C. However, all-India mean temperature has risen Read More …
In an attempt to engage with the people of India on the important issues of water conservation and water management, the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has launched a video contest titled “Jal Bachao, Video Banao, Puruskar Pao”. The Ministry has joined hands with MyGov portal of the Government of India to run the contest. The fortnightly contest which was launched through MyGov yesterday, will last Read More …
Indian scientists have identified two variables which could be used assess resilient capacity of indigenous breeds of goats. Severe heat stress leads to production of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) which improves cell survival and prevents protein degradation. Two breeds – Osmanabadi and Salem Black – were assessed for their climate adaptability. By S Suresh Ramanan Twitter handle: @sureshramanan01 Jammu, July 10: Climate change is posing a challenge not Read More …
