‘General Consent’ to CBI Withdrawn by Maharashtra: Its Effects
It was reported on October 28, 2020, that the Maharashtra government has withdrawn ‘general consent,’ given to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe cases in the state. Therefore, the central agency will now have to get consent from the state government...
Consultation for the New STIP policy
On October 22, 2020, Union minister Harsh Vardhan, via a virtual meeting, held detailed consultations with various state ministers and senior officials of the Ministry of Science and Technology for the formulation of Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP)...
Feluda Test for Covid-19 Approved by DCGI
As reported on September 27, 2020, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) approved an accurate and low-cost paper-based test strip to detect Covid-19 in less than 30 minutes, for commercial launch. The test strip is developed by a research team led by Debojyoti...
More Kids in Government Schools Enrolled due to Covid-19: ASER Survey
A phone-based survey, Annual Status of Education Report (ASER), done by NGO Pratham in September that studied the sixth month of national school closures, was released on October 28, 2020, which shows a shift in enrolment from private to government schools due to...
Covid-19 Antibodies can be Detected after Seven Months: Study
As reported on October 24, 2020, a new research study, led by Marc Veldhoen from Instituto de Medicina Molecular (IMM) in Portugal and published in the European Journal of Immunology, states that antibodies against novel coronavirus remain detectable up to seven...
Yellow Dust from China could be Carrying Covid-19
On October 21, 2020, North Korean state media warned its citizens of a vicious storm of 'yellow dust' cloud blowing in from China and urged them to remain indoors to avoid contact as, it might bring Covid-19 with it. North Korea claims it has had no cases of the novel...
Keeladi (or) Keezhadi Excavations
Keezhadi or Keeladi is a place in Sivagangai district of Tamil Nadu. During an excavation by archaeological residues were found the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at Keeladi in 2013-14, in the excavation site located 12 km southeast of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. The...
Badshahpur Baoli
Baolis or step wells played an important part in the medieval period (between the 6th century and the 18th century) in many cities of India for ensuring water supply to the population. Badashapur baoli, in Badshahpur in Gurugram, Haryana is one such baoli, which was...
Magellan’s Expedition
In September 1519, Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese explorer, sailed from Spain to find a western passage to the Indies. The Portuguese king did not support him and so he took the support from King Charles I of Spain. He planned his expedition to reach the Moluccas...
Padma Awards
The Padma Awards are among the highest civilian honours of India and are given under three categories, namely: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. The recommendations for Padma Awards are received from the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations,...
Rafale Vendors have not Delivered Offsets Yet: CAG
The national auditor severely criticised the government’s offset policy for defence procurement in its latest reports tabled in Parliament on September 23, 2020. The CAG referred to the 36 Rafale fighter jets bought from Dassault Aviation and stated that the French...
Two Winged Insects from Neighbouring Countries Tagged in India
A report published in the latest issue of a quarterly newsletter for research on life forms, Bionotes, states that two insects have been recorded by citizen scientists (non-professionals who contribute to scientific research and data collection) for the first time in...
Discovery of Phosphene Gas under Attack
It was reported is October 2020 that the announcement regarding discovery of phosphine gas in the atmosphere of Venus seems to have annoyed a section of astrobiologists at the global professional body of astronomers, known as the International Astronomical Union...
Delhi’s Baseline for Pollution Achieved during Covid-19 Lockdown
As per the news reports in October 2020, a new study, based on real time pollution data during Covid-19 lockdown from February 20 to April 14, carried out by scientists from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology...
Air Quality in Delhi Worsens as Mercury Drops
As reported on October 5, 2020, Delhi is inching towards an air pollution spike, with winds slowing down and the mornings getting colder. As the winds in the city become calm and the minimum temperature drops air quality in the national capital begins to dip from...
Nobel Peace Prize for World Food Programme
The World Food Programme (WFP) was declared the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize on October 9, 2020. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, in-charge of selecting the award winners every year, gave the award to the WFP “for its efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to...
Study Shows Effect of Climate Change on Butterflies and Moths in Himalayan Region
As reported on October 12, 2020, a survey, funded by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and carried out by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), has found that rising average temperatures in the Himalayan region (home to more than 35 per...
Non-stop Avian Flight of 12,000km by Kuaka
As per the news reports in October 2020, a male bar-tailed godwit bird has set a world record by flying non-stop for more than 12,000 km in 11 days from Alaska to New Zealand, which was tracked through a 5 gm satellite tag harnessed on its lower back, compared to the...
Land Scam in J&K Under Roshni Act
As reported in October 2020, the Roshni case resulting a loss of Rs 25,000 crore to the J&K treasury, is the biggest ever land scam in the history of Jammu and Kashmir. the scam involves top politicians and bureaucrats mishing law to corner valuable properties and...
Gupkar Declaration: Six Kashmir Parties Come Together to Forge People’s Alliance
Mainstream political parties in Jammu and Kashmir held a meeting on October 15, 2020 and formed an alliance for restoration of the special status of the erstwhile state’s pre-August 5, 2019 constitutional status. The meeting was held at the residence of National...