UPSC Important Topics

The South China Sea Disputes ✓Since the 1970s, the South China Sea has been a nest of competing sovereignty claims over the island features and ocean spaces by a number of adjacent countries.  ✓The South China dispute is over territory, sovereignty and maritime rights and entitlement, particularly along the Paracel and the Spratly island chains. […]

SUN’S CORONAL HEATING. ◇ Scientists have recently discovered tiny flashes of radio light emanating from all over the Sun,which they say could help in explaining the long-pending coronal heating problem. ◇ These radio lights or signals result from beams of electrons accelerated in the aftermath of a magnetic explosion on the Sun. Magnetic explosions have

RCEP Negotiations: From Trade to Economic Partnership ✓While the India-ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement was inked and enforced from January 1,2010, India’s goods trade deficit with ASEAN widened from $4.98 billion in 2010-11 to $14.75 billion in 2015-16, and then narrowed to $9.56 billion in 2016-17.  ✓The huge goods trade deficit has led to questions

SEED VILLAGE PROGRAMME     ✓This program aims at upgrading the quality of farm-saved seeds. ✓Under this, financial assistance is available for up to one acre per farmer for distribution of foundation/certified seeds at: •50% of seed cost for cereal crops •60% for pulses, oilseeds, fodder, and green manure crops ✓Objectives of the program •Increasing the seed

ICZM Project-Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project. ✓ICZM aims to improve livelihood of coastal communities and conserve the coastal ecosystem. ✓It is a World Bank assisted project. ✓The National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), Chennai, will provide scientific and technical inputs. ✓The concept of ICZM was born in 1992 during the Earth Summit of Rio

CeNS: LOW COST CATALYST FOR HYDROGEN GENERATION. The scientists and researchers at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences operating under Department of Science and Technology have invented a low cost effective way to generate hydrogen from water using Molybdenum dioxide. □ KEY FINDINGS. The study says that Molybdenum dioxide can act as efficient

Sagar parikarma ✓The Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying will inaugurate the ‘Sagar Parikrama’ to know the problems of Coastal Fisher folk. ✓It is a navigation journey to be conducted in all coastal states/UTs through a pre-decided sea route to demonstrate solidarity with all fisherfolk, fish farmers and concerned stakeholders. ✓It is envisioned as

COVID – 19 DELTA PLUS VARIANT. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has warned people against the new Covid-19 strain ‘Delta Plus’. □ ABOUT :- ◇ Delta plus (B.1.617.2.1/(AY.1) is a new variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus formed due to a mutation in the Delta strain of the virus . It is technically

NEW SHEPHERD. – ( SPACE TOURISM ) A company called Blue Origin concluded the online auction for the first seat on New Shephard, a rocket system meant to take tourists to space.  □ ABOUT :- ◇ New Shephard has been named after astronaut Alan Shephard – the first American to go to space – and

European Space Agency (ESA) has an-nounced a new mission- EnVision mission to Venus. □ ABOUT :- ◇ It is an European Space Agency (ESA) led mission with contributions from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) .  ◇ It is likely to be launched sometime in the 2030s. Once launched on an Ariane 6 rocket,