Current affairs

Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ)

What are Coastal Regulation Zones ? The coastal stretches of seas, bays, estuaries, creeks, rivers and back waters which are influenced by tidal action are declared as Coastal Regulation Zone. CRZ are divided in 4 Categories: CRZ (I-A): Ecologically Sensitive...

Why is RBI bringing back its Gold Assets?

Why RBI shipping back its Gold? Improved Capacity: RBI’s capacity to keep its gold has improved in the recent years. Hence, it is now feasible for RBI to store more Gold in the country. Strategic Reserve Management: The RBI aims...

Uranium

About Uranium It is a heavy metal used as fuel in nuclear reactors for energy generation and also for military applications in nuclear weapons. Global Uranium Reserves: (1) Australia, (2) Kazakhstan, (3) Canada, (4) Russia. Kazakhstan is the world’s top...

NICeMail service

Context The Union government recently issued the 2024 Email Policy, mandating government departments and agencies to use the National Informatics Centre's (NIC) NICeMail service. The policy establishes job-specific email addresses for government roles, along with a name-based email address that...

Asset Recovery Inter-agency Network-Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP, CARIN)

Context India, represented by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), has joined the steering committee of the Asset Recovery Inter-agency Network-Asia Pacific (ARIN-AP). About ARIN-AP ARIN-AP was founded in 2013 to support the tracing, freezing and confiscation of criminal assets across...

Global Nature Conservation Index

About Nature Conservation Index (NCI) It is developed by the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (Israel) in collaboration with BioDB.com (a non profit website dedicated to maintaining biodiversity data). It evaluates...

Methanol Production

Context NTPC has developed Indigenous Catalyst for Methanol production from Flue Gas CO2. About Methanol Methanol, also known as wood alcohol, is a colourless, volatile liquid with a chemical formula of CH₃OH. It is the simplest alcohol and is produced...

Protected Planet Report 2024, Objectives, Challenges and Recommendations

The Protected Planet Report 2024 was unveiled during the COP16 summit, providing critical updates on global biodiversity conservation efforts. This report primarily tracks progress against the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), particularly the ambitious 30×30 target, which aims to protect...

What Challenges Does India Face In Fertilizer Imports?

Challenges to Fertilizer Self-Sufficiency in India High Import Dependency: India imports a large portion of its fertilizer needs, including 100% of Muriate of Potash (MOP), 50-60% of DAP, and 20% of urea (according to Standing Committee Report (August 2023). This...

Junk Model Code of Conduct

The argument for scrapping or "junking" the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in India has recently gained attention, especially as its effectiveness is questioned. Originally designed to ensure fair, unbiased elections, the MCC has faced criticism for its perceived inefficacy,...