Author: Deepak Tiwari

BACKGROUND – Saudi Arabia has long been an important Indian trade partner; the Kingdom remains a vital source of energy for India, which imports almost a fifth of its crude oil requirement from Saudi Arabia. Enhanced security cooperation has added a new dimension in the bilateral ties between New Delhi and Riyadh. The rise of jihadist extremism, the gradual decline of American power, and the rise of China have brought about transformational changes in India’s engagements with the Gulf region. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated an increased willingness to cooperate with Saudi Arabia on a variety of security…

Q.1 Which of the following statement is true about the Beti Bachao Beti Padahao yojana ? Launched in January, 2015 at Panipat in Haryana. It is a tri-ministerial effortof Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. It is a Central Sector Schemewith 100% financial assistance for District level component and the fund are directly released to the DC/DM’s account for smooth operation of the Scheme. Options: Only 1 & 2 Only 2 & 3 Only 1 & 3 Only 1,2 & 3 Q.2 Which of the following statement is not true about the National…

INTRODUCTION – In late 2018, the government decided to set up three new agencies — the Defence Cyber Agency, the Defence Space Agency and the Special Operations Division — in order to address the new age challenges to national security. While this is indeed a useful step in the right direction, it is also important to note that the constitution of these agencies is a far cry from the crucial recommendations given by the Naresh Chandra Task Force and the Chiefs of Staff Committee, both of which had suggested the formation of three separate joint commands to deal with new…

INTRODUCTION - India’s GDP is growing quite well, though there are disputes about whether it grew faster in the present time or in the previous years. There can be no dispute though that India needs to do much better to improve overall human development, in which it continues to be compared with countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Even its poorer sub-continental neighbours are improving health and education faster. Benefits of India’s economic growth must trickle down much faster to people at the bottom of the pyramid: to poorer farmers, landless rural labour, and hundreds of millions of workers living on the…

Q.1 Which of the following statement about the 70th Republic Day of India Parade is true? This is the first time in the history of Indian Army that a woman led the Army services corps. An all-women contingent of Assam Rifles, India’s oldest paramilitary force, participated for the first time. This is the first time in the history of Indian Army that a woman will lead the Army services corps. Options: Only 1 & 2 Only 2 & 3 Only 1 & 3 Only 1,2 & 3 Q.2 “A New Circular Vision for Electronics – Time for a Global Reboot” report regarding…

Introduction - In late December, the government approved the Draft Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2018, which had been earlier circulated by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The CRZ consists of designated areas along the coast that are regulated by the government. The government introduced the new CRZ 2018 notification as a promise of a ‘better life’ for coastal communities that would add value to the country’s economy. Various recommendations to the draft from research think tanks and coastal community groups during the year were largely ignored and consultation appears to have been limited to select…

The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) 2018 – ASER 2018 is a nation-wide household survey that provides a snapshot of children’s schooling and learning for a representative sample of children across rural India. The ASER survey covered almost 5 lakh children between the ages of 3 and 16 in 596 rural districts across the country. In an encouraging trend, it found that enrolment is increasing and the percentage of children under 14 who are out of school is less than 4%. A national survey was not conducted in 2015. Starting its second decade of existence in 2016, ASER surveys…