Union Cabinet approves changes introduced in Surrogacy (Regulation) bill

On February 26, 2020, the Union Cabinet approved the changes introduced to the Surrogacy (Regulation) bill, 2019. The changes were introduced by the 23-member select committee of Rajya Sabha. Highlights The changes approved include not only close relatives but “any ..

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2020

Poverty in India

US president Donald Trump highlighted India’s success in lifting ‘more than 270 million people out of poverty’ in a decade, during his visit to India. 1) What is absolute poverty? Poverty is generally defined as ‘condition in which an individual ..

CPGRAMS 7.0

The ministry of personnel, public grievances and pensions recently launched the CPGRAMS version 7.0. The upgraded version will enable better public grievance redressal. What is CPGRAMS? CPGRAMS stands for Centralized Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System. It is an online ..

Sirsa’s Ther Mound

The presence of a population of 50,000 people over the Ther Mound in Sirsa, Haryana is posing problems for the ASI to confirm the site’s historicity. Where is Sirsa’s Ther Mound? Ther Mound is located in Sirsa in Haryana. Sirsa ..

2019 World Air Quality Report

The 2019 report from Greenpeace and pollution tracker IQAir said that two thirds of the most polluted cities in the world are in India. Is PM2.5, covered in the report, the smallest of polluting particulates? PM2.5 are particulates that have ..

Katharine Johnson

NASA mathematician, Katharine Johnson, passed away at the age of 101 recently. She is noted for not only for her mathematical prowess but also for her role in breaking racial and gender barriers. Who was Katharine Johnson? Katharine Johnson was ..

Costa Rican indigenous communities’ land dispute

The dispute over ancestral land claims between the indigenous Costa Ricans and current occupants has led to killings. The indigenous people have resorted to squatting on lands they have claims over. What is ‘recovered land’ or ‘recuperaciones’ in this context? ..

IAF AN-32 test flight

The Prime Minister hailed the Indian Air Force’s test of the AN-32 aircraft which flew using 10% bio-jet fuel that was indigenously produced. What is the significance of the AN-32 test flight of IAF in February? The Indian Air Force ..

Henneguya salminicola

Scientists have discovered that the parasitic animal, Henneguya salminicola, doesn’t require oxygen for survival. This makes it the only known animal to be capable of living in anaerobic environment. What is Henneguya salminicola? Henneguya salminicola is a parasitic animal that ..

Ajrak

The Ajrak block printed shawls of the Sindh region found mention in the Prime Minister’s Mann ki Baat 2.0 address. What is Ajrak? Ajrak is a unique block printed shawl which is considered as a symbol of Sindhi culture and ..