In News In a huge defence reform, the Union Cabinet approved the corporatisation of the Ordnance Factory Board (OFB). About The ‘Reform’ plan  was first mooted two decades ago to streamline the functioning of the 41 ordnance factories across the country. In Reform, these 41 ordnance factories will be subsumed  into seven fully government owned […]

In News A recent study stated that the Midday meals have a long-lasting impact. About The paper was authored by a researcher from the University of Washington and economists and nutrition experts at the International Food Policy Research Institute.  It found that the midday meal scheme was associated with 13-32% of India’s improvement in height-for-age […]

In News Oxfam recently released a report titled, ‘Inequality Report 2021: India’s Unequal Healthcare Story’.  Key Findings Serious inequalities in healthcare:  India’s low spending on public healthcare systems and focus on supporting private healthcare has led to serious inequalities in access to healthcare, especially during the Covid 19 pandemic. States working towards reducing inequalities:  States […]

In News Recently, the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies led by Russia (OPEC+) have agreed to gradually withdraw Covid-19 related production cuts by September 2022. Background In April 2020, the OPEC+ group of countries entered into a two-year agreement, which entailed steep cuts in crude production to deal with a sharp […]

Facts in News Financial Action Task Force Recently, an evaluation by the global organisation Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to analyse the effectiveness of India’s anti-money laundering and countering terrorist financing regime has been postponed for the second time. FATF is an inter-governmental decision-making body, established in 1989 during the G7 Summit to develop policies […]

The Hindu Subject Pg No Headlines Relevance for Prelims and Mains   GS 3 1   7   9 Rahul, Prashant Kishor, ex-EC Lavasa on list of spyware targets   Surveillance reform is the need of the hour   Illegal surveillance is not possible in India (Science and Technology) Know about the Pegasus spyware and its […]

Indian Express Subject  Page No.                          Headlines                Relevance for Prelims and Mains   GS 2 4   One Nation One Ration Card scheme to be enforced across Delhi from today (Welfare Schemes) One Nation One Ration Card scheme, […]

In News Recently, the name of Tipu Sultan has been at the centre of controversy on naming a garden after him in Govandi, a suburb in Eastern Mumbai. About the Issue Background In January 2021, a Samajwadi Party corporator from Govandi suggested the Market and Garden Committee to name a newly developed garden after Tipu […]

In News Many politicians paid tribute to Mangal Pandey, the first revolutionary Indian freedom fighter, on his 194th birth anniversary. About Mangal Pandey Early Life: He was born on July 19, 1827, in a town near Faizabad, what is now eastern Uttar Pradesh state in northern India, although some give his birthplace as a small […]

In News Recently, the US, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan agreed to form a quad group to enhance regional connectivity. Background The parties considered long-term peace and stability in Afghanistan critical to regional connectivity and agreed that peace and regional connectivity are mutually reinforcing.  This development comes as the security situation in Afghanistan has been deteriorating […]