The 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, brokered by the World Bank and signed by then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and former Pakistan President Ayub Khan, administers how the waters of the Indus River and its tributaries that flow in both the countries will be utilised.Drones, their operators and pilots will have to be mandatorily registered on … Continue reading PRELIMS REVISION-45

Census 2021 will for the first time collect data on Other Backward Classes (OBC). The exercise will involve 25 lakh trained enumerators and the use of maps/geo-referencing at the time of house listing is also under consideration. The 2011 Census collected information in 29 categories that included a separate column for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribes. The … Continue reading PRELIMS REVISION-44

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) is being implemented with a view to promote organic farming in the country.  This will improve soil health and organic matter content and increase net income of the farmer so as to realise premium prices. Under this scheme, an area of 5 lakh acre is targeted to be covered though … Continue reading PRELIMS REVISION – 4 (FROM JULY, 2018)

Mission Kakatiya is a programme for restoring all the minor irrigation tanks and lakes in Telangana State, India. The programme helps in rejuvenating 46,531 tanks and lakes, storing 265 TMC water across the state in five years. In the aftermath of the Kerala floods, the State is battling a disase called leptospirosis, commonly known as ‘rat … Continue reading PRELIMS REVISION-43

International Astronomical Union (IAU), in 2006, voted to remove Pluto’s planetary status. The IAU, in 2006, designated Pluto a ‘dwarf planet’ along with Ceres in the asteroid belt and Xena, an object in the Kuiper belt, which is an icy ring of frozen objects that circle the solar system beyond Neptune’s orbit. The meeting defined … Continue reading PRELIMS REVISION-42

The Kolkata Municipal Corporation, with the support of the Asian Development Bank, recently launched the country’s first flood forecasting and early-warning system, which will provide real-time data on inundation, rainfall intensity, temperature, air quality and other climate-related data.India successfully conducted an interceptor missile test for the Prithvi Defence Vehicle mission from Abdul Kalam Island in … Continue reading PRELIMS REVISION-41

BrahMos has a strike range of around 290 km and is described as the world’s fastest supersonic cruise missile. Brahmos, the world-class weapon with multi-platform, multi-mission role is capable of being launched from Land, Sea and Air. Brahmos is a joint venture between India and Russia. The missile has been jointly developed by India’s Defence … Continue reading Prelims Revision – 3 (From July, 2018)

An ancient circular lake created by a meteorite strike in Maharashtra and a hexagonal mosaic of basaltic rocks in an island off Udupi are poised to become global geoparks, under a Geological Survey of India (GSI) plan. Lonar Lake in Maharashtra and St. Mary’s Island and Malpe beach in coastal Karnataka are the GSI’s candidates … Continue reading PRELIMS REVISION-40

Leprosy is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, an acid-fast, rod-shaped bacillus. The disease mainly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes. Leprosy is curable and treatment in the early stages can prevent disability. Read more at World Health Organisation. Leprosy continues to be a ground … Continue reading Prelims Revision – 2 (From July, 2018)

Meghalaya is the first state to pass a social audit legislation, the Meghalaya Community Participation and Public Services Social Audit Act. This act mandates social audit over 21 schemes and 11 departments. Social audits are mandatory as per the 73rd CAA, 1993, through with the Village communities are empowered to conduct social audit of all … Continue reading Prelims Revision – 1 (From July, 2018)