Iran has recently begun producing uranium enriched to 60 percent at the Fordo underground facility.   Details – 60 percent enriched uranium still is not technically weapons-grade (weapons require uranium enriched to 90 percent or higher), but having a significant stockpile of it could reduce the time Iran would need to make a bomb.  … Continue reading Fordow Underground Facility

India and Gabon recently held the first Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi.   Details – Both sides carried out a comprehensive review of the existing bilateral relations, including strengthening of cooperation in trade and economic relations, defence and maritime. The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest, including… Continue reading India and Gabon relations

National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) recently celebrated the Diamond Jubilee anniversary of its establishment.   Details – It was established by the erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development (now Ministry of Education), Government of India. It is a premier organisation dealing with capacity building and research in planning and management of education… Continue reading National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration

The fourth edition of the Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue (IPRD) will start in Delhi on November 23, 2022.   Details – IPRD is an apex level international annual conference of the Indian Navy. The idea of an annual IPRD was first conceptualised and conducted in 2018, as the apex level conference of the Indian Navy. The… Continue reading Indo-Pacific Regional Dialogue

The three day-long celebration of 400th birth anniversary of Ahom General Lachit Barphukan will begin in New Delhi on November 23, 2022.   Who are the Ahoms? Ahom, tribe that ruled much of Assam from the 13th century until the establishment of British rule in 1838. Their power in Assam reached its peak during the… Continue reading Lachit Borphukan

The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) has recently issued a working paper that says that the decline in India’s rankings on a number of global opinion-based indices are due to the “serious problems” with the methodology used in these perception-based indices.   Details – The Paper has analysed three perception-based indices —… Continue reading Economic Advisory Council to the PM

The Tamil Nadu government recently issued a notification declaring Arittapatti and Meenakshipuram villages in Madurai district the first biodiversity heritage site in the State.   Details – It aims to prevent the loss of biodiversity and preserve the cultural and architectural heritage, the government, as recommended by the Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Board, has declared Arittapatti… Continue reading Arittapati and Meenakshipuram Villages

A Forest Range Officer (FRO) was brutally killed allegedly by a group of Gutti Koya Adivasis with axes and sickles over a “podu land” issue in Errabodu forest area in Chandrugonda mandal of Telangana’s Bhadradri Kothagudem district.   About Koyas – The Koya population is concentrated in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. The Koyas… Continue reading Gutti Koya Tribals

The Central government recently unveiled the new standard – Indian Standard (IS) 19000:2022 on “Online Consumer Reviews” and ratings, which has been prepared by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).   Why? To combat the threat of fraudulent and deceptive product and service reviews, all e-commerce players, travel and ticketing portals and online food delivery… Continue reading Fake reviews on e-Commerce sites

India got rules for export of timber-based products made of Shisham or North India Rosewood eased under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of wild fauna and flora (CITES). The 19th meeting of the Conference of Parties to CITES is being held in Panama from 14th to 25th of November 2022.   Background… Continue reading Shisham