Polaris Dawn Mission
Context If it succeeds, Polaris Dawn mission will be the first non-government mission to perform a spacewalk. But not only that — it’ll do that about 700 kilometers (435 miles)…
India adds 3 new Ramsar sites
Context Union Environment Minister announced three new Ramsar sites in Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh taking the total of such sites in India to 85. The new additions are the Nanjarayan Bird…
Tanager-1 satellite of NASA to track methane emissions
Context Tanager-1, a satellite developed by a coalition of companies and organisations, including NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base…
Listeria outbreaks in the US and Canada
C0ntext Two separate outbreaks of listeria, a bacteria which can contaminate food, have been reported in the United States and Canada in recent weeks. What is listeria and listeriosis?…
Charaideo Moidams added to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites
Context Assam’s Charaideo Moidams burial sites have been added to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Heritage Sites list. These are royal burial sites of the Ahom…
U-WIN Portal
Context On the government’s 100-day health agenda is the countrywide rollout of U-WIN, an online vaccine management portal for childhood vaccination — similar to CoWIN used during the Covid-19 pandemic. About…
Economic Survey 2023-24
Context Union Finance Minister released the Economic Survey 2023-24, the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament. The survey typically comes out on January 31, a day before the…
What are rogue waves?
Context Rogue waves — unusually large waves compared to ones which come before and after — pose a threat to ships, coastal and offshore infrastructure, and human lives. Unfortunately, there…
60 µg/l uranium in drinking water safe: BARC Study
Context A new study by scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has concluded that concentration of uranium, a radioactive substance, up to 60 micrograms per litre (millionth of…
Article 361 of the Constitution of India
Context The Supreme Court recently agreed to examine the question of immunity to Governors from any kind of criminal prosecution, granted under Article 361 of the Constitution of India. Key…