Blog

1. How boiling oil prices Impact Budget India is the world’s third largest oil importer. It imports 86% of its crude oil requirements to make the petrol and diesel. Iraq is the top oil supplier. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Nigeria and the US are other key sellers. Therefore, any geopolitical tension affecting the supply of crudeRead more

1. Fed move and Indian markets The US Federal Reserve has signalled a possible hike in interest rates soon, leading to a nervous reaction in Indian markets. Impacts on India: When interest rates rise in US, the gap between those and rates in countries such as India reduces, giving less incentive for foreign investors toRead more

1. Taxing Drama (Retrospective Taxation) It allows a country to pass a rule on taxing certain products, items or services and deals and charge companies from a time behind the date on which the law is passed. Countries use this route to correct any anomalies in their taxation policies that have, in the past, allowedRead more

1. Spread in the Community (Community transmission) India has acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic is now in the community transmission stage. It is a stage where it becomes difficult to establish the chain of infections, or determine who infected whom. Stages of spread according to WHO: No active cases: If no new cases are detectedRead more

1. Ranking of States on Faster Green Nods The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Changehas decided to rank states, specifically the state Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs), based on the speed with which they grant Environmental Clearances (EC) to development projects. It was decided to incentivize states through a star-rating system based on EC grantefficiency and timeliness. The SEIAARead more

1. IAS officers and central posting The centre has proposed amendments to IAS Cadre rules (1954) to exercise greater control in central deputation of IAS officers. Current role: “A cadre officer may, with the concurrence of the State Governments concerned and the Central Government, be deputed for service under the Central Government or another StateRead more

The red-crested pochard: is a large diving duck. Its breeding habitat is lowland marshes and lakes in southern Europe and it extends from the steppe and semi-desert areas on the Black Sea to Central Asia and Mongolia, wintering in the Indian Subcontinent and Africa. IUCN status is Least Concern. Northern Pintail: is a duck speciesRead more

Chabahar Port: It is located on the Gulf of Oman and is only 72 km away from the Gwadar port in Pakistan which has been developed by China. The port serves as the only oceanic port of Iran and consists of two separate ports named Shahid Beheshti and Shahid Kalantari. Bad Bank: The bad bankRead more

Central Asian Countries: Lokayukta: is an anti-corruption authority or ombudsman – an official appointed by the government to represent the interests of the public. Most importantly, it investigates allegations of corruption and mal-administration against public servants and is tasked with speedy redressal of public grievances. Cold Wave: rapid fall in temperature within 24 hours toRead more

Spot billed pelicans: The Grey Pelican also called the Spot Billed Pelican is listed in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act and in the Red Data Book. It is in “Near Threatened” list in IUCN. The first-ever Pelican Bird Festival was held at the Atapaka Bird Sanctuary on Kolleru lake in Andhra Pradesh onRead more