The Mines and Mineral (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act, 1957) was amended on 27th Mar 2015 through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015. One of the amendment provisions relates to introduction of section 9B which provides for the establishment Read More …
Category: PRELIMS TERMINOLOGY
Sufficient stock of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient is available in country-Govt
In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha, Chemical and Fertilizer Minister, D.V. Sadananda Gowda on March 20, 2020 said that sufficient stock of Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient, API is available in the country for manufacturing of medicines. He also said Read More …
What is ‘Herd Community’?
Why in the news: Recently the United Kingdom’s Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance hinted that Britain needed to do was “build up some kind of herd immunity so more people are immune to this disease and we reduce the Read More …
What is “One Health” approach?
With world goes into emergency mode to tackle the potentially catastrophic impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), India has an example of One Health approach based Kerala Model. In 2018, Kerala reacted quickly and efficiently to tackle the Nipah virus Read More …
What are AT-1 Bonds?
Why in the news? According to a release sent by the cash-strapped Yes Bank to stock exchanges on March 15, 2020, bank’s additional tier 1 (AT1) bonds worth Rs 8,415 crore will be written down to zero. This is in Read More …
Two Odisha villages set to get UNESCO ‘Tsunami Ready’ Tag
Two Odisha villages are set to get the UNESCO ‘Tsunami Ready’ Tag. The Odisha Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA) is preparing its 328 vulnerable villages to face the natural disaster- tsunamis. After preparation all these villages will achieve ‘tsunami-ready tag’. Meanwhile, Read More …
What is Sepsis?
Many coronavirus patients worldwide have died of sepsis — when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive. Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by the body’s immune system overreacting in response to an infection. This overactive, toxic response can lead to Read More …
Who is “Patient 31”?
Patient 31 is one particular member of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus in South Korea. It is thought to have caused the rapid rise in novel Coronavirus cases. That is why it has even been referred to as a “superspreader”. Read More …
What is Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedures?
Rotterdam Convention on Prior Informed Consent Procedures (PIC) for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade is a legally binding instrument, which was adopted on 10th September 1998 by a Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Rotterdam. It entered into force Read More …
What are Persistent organic pollutants (POPs)?
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are chemicals of global concern due to their potential for long-range transport, persistence in the environment, ability to bio-magnify and bio-accumulate in ecosystems, as well as their significant negative effects on human health and the environment. Read More …
Geo-Heritage Sites in India
Geological Survey of India (GSI) declares geo-heritage sites/ national geological monuments for protection and maintenance. The State-wise details are given in Annexure. GSI or the respective State governments take necessary measures to protect these sites. State-wise details of the geological heritage Read More …
Red pandas are not one but two separate species
According to a recent study, based on sequencing of the whole genomes of 65 red pandas, there are two separate species of red panda: the Chinese red panda (Ailurus styani) and the Himalayan red panda (Ailurus fulgens). The Yalu Zangbu Read More …
What is Pandemic?
As on February 29, 5,233 confirmed cases of COVID-19 outbreak (caused by novel coronavirus: SARS-CoV-2) ) have been reported from 60 countries. Yet World Health Organisation has not declared it a “Pandemic”. What is a Pandemic? The Pandemic description is reserved for Read More …
What is Coldbest-PC and Diethylene glycol?
Recently 12 children died in Udhampur district of Jammu due to poisoned cough syrup Coldbest-PC. A team of doctors at the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research, Chandigarh, attributed these deaths to the presence of diethylene glycol in Read More …
What is ‘watermelon snow’ in Antarctica?
Recently Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science, shared a Facebook post of country’s Vernadsky Research station on an island just off the coast of Antarctica’s northernmost peninsula covered in “blood snow”, also called ‘watermelon snow’. It was red-pigmented, microscopic algae Read More …