2020 Archives | UPSC Current Affairs

Editorial Analysis: Why Indian SAT is answer to rising grade inflation

Indian SATApprox Read Time: 4 min Indian SAT Grade inflation in India: The practice of 'grade inflation' - awarding of higher grades than students deserve - is seen as quite common in India.This is because of over-reliance on senior-secondary (class XII) scores for entry into higher education in India, with many colleges posting very very high cut-offs.For instance, while the economics honours programme had a cut-off of 90% in top-rung…

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January 26, 2021

Current Affairs / Economics

PM Inaugurates the New Bhaupur- New Khurja Section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor

New Bhaupur - New Khurja Section of Eastern Dedicated Freight CorridorApprox Read Time: 5 min In News: Prime Minister recently inaugurated the 351-km ‘New Bhaupur- New Khurja section’ in Uttar Pradesh of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC).He also inaugurated the EDFC’s Operation Control Centre (OCC) at Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh.The OCC will be the command centre for the entire route of the EDFC and will control and monitor all systems, including train operation and power supply…

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January 3, 2021

Current Affairs / International Relations

Jaishankar meets Qatar leaders, talks economic and security ties

Jaishankar meets Qatar leadersApprox Read Time: 5 min Jaishankar meets Qatar leaders In News: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently visited Qatar. On his visit, Mr. Jaishankar met Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani as well as other top leaders of the Gulf country. Highlights of the visit: The agenda of the visit to Qatar included discussions on bilateral, regional as well as international issues.Discussions were held on ways to strengthen…

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January 3, 2021

Current Affairs / Environment and Ecology

How biofuels can double farm incomes

Advantages of biofuels for farmersApprox Read Time: 5 min Advantages of biofuels for farmers India's per-capita energy consumption is low: India currently consumes only one-third of the global average consumption of energy. Increased consumption will come with new challenges: As India moves towards more robust energy consumption figures, the country faces the unique challenge of merging together often-conflicting needs:Addressing a fast increasing demand while cutting dependence on importsGreening the grid…

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January 3, 2021

Current Affairs / Science and Technology

What is Winter Solstice, which made December 21st the shortest day of the year?

What is Winter Solstice?Approx Read Time: 4 min In News: December 21st is the day of Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, and it is the shortest day (day with the shortest day-time) of the year.This year, the day-time of December 21st in Delhi was approximately 10 hours 19 minutes long. About: Winter and Summer Solstices The winter solstice, hiemal solstice or hibernal solstice occurs when one of the Earth's poles has…

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December 27, 2020

Current Affairs / Miscellaneous

Singapore’s hawkers gets recognised by UNESCO

Intangible Cultural HeritageApprox Read Time: 4 min In News: Singapore’s street hawker food culture has been designated as 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' by the UNESCO.Hawker culture refers to the community of vendors who cook and sell meals in the 114 hawker centres across Singapore. News Summary: Singapore’s street hawker food culture, one of its most popular attractions, has been designated as 'Intangible Cultural Heritage' by the UNESCO.The award took place at a virtual…

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December 27, 2020

Current Affairs / Science and Technology

Jupiter and Saturn will meet again — but the Great Conjunction is still on

The Great Conjunction between Jupiter and SaturnApprox Read Time: 3 min In News: For the last several days, a rare cosmic event is taking place - the Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn.During this event, Jupiter and Saturn appear to merge in the night sky.The planets appeared closest to each other on the night of December 21. About: Great Conjunction Astronomers use the word conjunction to describe pairing of planets and other objects in the…

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December 27, 2020

Current Affairs / Economics / Polity and Governance

How Vadodara corporation plans to raise money via municipal bonds

Municipal BondsApprox Read Time: 4 min In News: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is expected to launch municipal bonds in January, 2021.VMC will become the third Urban Local Body (ULB) in Gujarat to use this method to raise money to fund development work sanctioned under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).Ahmedabad was the first city in south Asia to launch a municipal bond of Rs 100 crore in 1998. Surat…

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December 27, 2020

PM unveils project for affordable housing
Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of six Light House Projects (LHPs) in six cities across six States as part of the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC-India) initiative.
Editorial Analysis: Why Indian SAT is answer to rising grade inflation
The practice of ‘grade inflation’ – awarding of higher grades than students deserve – is seen as quite common in India. This is because of over-reliance on senior-secondary (class XII) scores for entry into higher education in India, with many colleges posting very very high cut-offs.
Renewed interest in Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun
Astronomers with the “Breakthrough Listen Project” are investigating a mysterious radio wave signal from the direction of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to Earth’s Sun.
PM Inaugurates the New Bhaupur- New Khurja Section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor
Prime Minister recently inaugurated the 351-km ‘New Bhaupur- New Khurja section’ in Uttar Pradesh of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC).
Jaishankar meets Qatar leaders, talks economic and security ties
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently visited Qatar. On his visit, Mr. Jaishankar met Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani as well as other top leaders of the Gulf country.
How biofuels can double farm incomes
India currently consumes only one-third of the global average consumption of energy.
What is Winter Solstice, which made December 21st the shortest day of the year?
December 21st is the day of Winter Solstice in the northern hemisphere, and it is the shortest day (day with the shortest day-time) of the year.
Singapore’s hawkers gets recognised by UNESCO
Singapore’s street hawker food culture has been designated as ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage’ by the UNESCO. Hawker culture refers to the community of vendors who cook and sell meals in the 114 hawker centres across Singapore.
Jupiter and Saturn will meet again — but the Great Conjunction is still on
For the last several days, a rare cosmic event is taking place – the Great Conjunction between Jupiter and Saturn. During this event, Jupiter and Saturn appear to merge in the night sky.
How Vadodara corporation plans to raise money via municipal bonds
The Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) is expected to launch municipal bonds in January, 2021. VMC will become the third Urban Local Body (ULB) in Gujarat to use this method to raise money to fund...
Fight against pollution: India set to achieve Paris targets
The Paris agreement that India signed in 2015, was India’s inflexion point (moment of dramatic change) in its fight against pollution.
EU & UK clinch narrow Brexit accord
The EU and the UK have sealed a limited UK-EU post-Brexit trade deal that aims to lay the groundwork for long-term future cooperation.
Cairn wins arbitration ruling against India in tax dispute
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague has ruled that the Indian government was wrong in applying retrospective tax on Cairn Energy Plc.
New Parliament building will reflect India’s aspirations: Modi
The Indian Prime Minister held the ground-breaking ceremony for the new Parliament building. The old building, which was built nearly 100 years ago, will be turned into a museum.
India, Uzbekistan sign 9 pacts, vows to fight terror
India and Uzbekistan held talks on the Afghan peace process, combating terrorism together and confirmation by India on a $448 million line of credit. Both sides emphasized on an Afghan led and Afghan controlled peace process and plan to cooperate on connectivity projects in Afghanistan.
How Mount Everest got 3 feet higher, endorsed by both Nepal and China
Nepal and China have jointly certified the height of Mount Everest to be 8848.86 meters (29,031 feet) above sea level, which is 86 cm higher than what has been recognized since 1954.
HelpAge India presented UN Population Award for 2020
NGO HelpAge India has received the 2020 UN Population Award for its work regarding the welfare of elderly people.
Heart disease behind 16% of global deaths in 2019: WHO report
The World Health Organization recently released the 2019 Global Health Estimates. The report gives comprehensive data for population health, including life expectancy, mortality and morbidity, and burden of disease at global, regional and country levels.
Govt readies 3D printing policy for local firms to join new global market
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) will soon come up with a policy aimed at promoting 3D printing on an industrial scale.
Home Minister pays homage to Khudiram Bose
The Union Home Minister visited the native village in West Bengal of Khudiram Bose, one of the youngest leaders of the Independence movement.
Shigella: The intestinal infection is not deadly in most cases
Health officials in Kozhikode district of Kerala recently conducted emergency meetings after six cases of shigella infection and nearly two dozen suspected cases were detected.
Concern over new strain, India stops UK flights until Dec 31
India has suspended all flights to and from the UK until December 31, due to concerns of a new variant of SARS-CoV-2, that is spreading & growing rapidly in UK.
India, Vietnam to boost Indo-Pacific Cooperation
India and Vietnam, in the bilateral virtual summit, agreed to cooperation in the Indo-pacific region in the face of growing Chinese aggression in the region. While India is currently locked in a military standoff with China in the Ladakh sector of LAC, Vietnam is embroiled in an issue over the South China Sea dispute.
Government caps school bag’s weight at 10% of kid’s
The Ministry of Education recently released the Policy on School Bag 2020. The Policy includes various recommendations based on surveys and studies conducted by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT).
Cabinet OKs Rs 23,000 Cr. outlay for EPFO contribution scheme
The Union Cabinet has given its approval for the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY), and approved an outlay of Rs 22,810 crore to the scheme. The scheme was announced by the Finance Minister in November to boost employment.

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PM unveils project for affordable housing January 26, 2021
Editorial Analysis: Why Indian SAT is answer to rising grade inflation January 26, 2021
Renewed interest in Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun January 3, 2021
PM Inaugurates the New Bhaupur- New Khurja Section of Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor January 3, 2021
Jaishankar meets Qatar leaders, talks economic and security ties January 3, 2021