Blog

1) Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM): Russia test fires Bulava ICBM from its new Borei-class nuclear submarine —Imperator Alexander III.   It is 12-metre long and has a range of about 8,000 km.   Borei-K class submarines are equipped with a hydrodynamic hull that reduces boats’ acoustic signature (combination of acoustic emissions of sound emitters in ships andRead more

Bulava Ballistic Missile: It is a new Russian submarine-launched Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).Development of this missile commenced in 1998. The first powered flight test of the Bulava missile occurred in September 2005. It’s first submerged test launch followed in December. It was designed to be deployed onto Russia’s Borey-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).It is a three-stage solid-fuelRead more

Taurid meteor shower: The Taurid meteors are debris from the periodic Comet 2P/Encke, which has the shortest known orbital period for a comet (it takes only 3.3 years to make one complete trip around the sun).These showers are named after the constellation Taurus. It is unique in that it comprises two distinct streams (i.e., Southern and NorthernRead more

1) Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori): Indian researchers have developed a two-step PCR (polymerase chain reaction) based assay for H. pylori bacteria.   It can help detect H. pylori infection and identify clarithromycin-resistant bacteria in seven hours.   Currently, it takes weeks to identify drug sensitivity.   There is an increasing trend of clarithromycin-resistant H. pylori in India leadingRead more

Lucy Mission: It is a first-of-its-kind mission of NASA that will explore Jupiter’s elusive Trojan asteroids. It was successfully launched on October 16, 2021, from the Kennedy Space Centrein Florida, US. Over its 12-year mission, Lucy will explore a record-breaking number of asteroids: it will fly by two in the belt of asteroids that circleRead more

1) Amnesty Scheme: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs, Ministry of Finance announced the amnesty scheme. According to it taxpayers, will now have additional time (till January 2024) to file appeals against demand orders. Demand orders are issued under Section 73 and 74 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017. SectionsRead more

1) Legal Identity and Rights-Based Return Management Conference: It was organized by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Copenhagen (Denmark). It discussed globally, that a billion people lack a legal identity, becoming state-invisible, restricting service access and mobility. It was organized within framework of IOM’s Global Programme Enhancing Readmission and Legal Identity Capacities (RELICA),Read more

1) Electoral Bonds Scheme: A 5-judge Constitution Bench remarked that the Electoral Bonds Scheme suffers from “selective anonymity” leading to an “information hole”. Donors, instead of investing a big sum to purchase the bond, may aggregate bonds for smaller amounts from different buyers. It is easier for the party in power to get that informationRead more

29th December #Edufacts: Important Facts of the Day for UPSC IAS Current Affair 1) In 2021, non-profit Pesticide Action Network (PAN) International released a list of highly hazardous pesticides, of which over 100 pesticides are currently approved for use in India 2) India has close to 50-100 million people affected by rare diseases or disorders.Read more

1) Rajaji Tiger Reserve: Uttarakhand government decided to establish Rajaji Tiger Reserve Conservation Foundation.   Named after freedom fighter C. Rajgopalachari popularly known as “Rajaji”.   Situated along the hills of Shiwalik ranges and in transition zone between temperate western Himalaya and central Himalaya.   Forest type: Ranges from semi-evergreen to deciduous and from mixed broad-leaved to TeraiRead more