Syllabus subtopic: Distribution of Key Natural Resources across the world (including South Asia and the Indian sub-continent)
Prelims and Mains focus: about the details of the findings; about India’s gold reserves
News: The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has discovered gold deposits to the tune of around 3,000 tonnes in Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh,
Details
India’s Gold reserves
Source: Indian Express
Syllabus subtopic: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their Design and Implementation.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the key changes proposed in the bill; about CCI
News: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has put the draft Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2020, in the public domain seeking feedback from all stakeholders.
About the draft Bill
Source: Livemint
Syllabus subtopic: Effect of Policies and Politics of Developed and Developing Countries on India’s interests, Indian Diaspora.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the details of the visit; about India-US trade dispute
News: US President Donald Trump is on his first official state visit to India on 24th February. He is scheduled to travel to Ahmedabad, Agra and New Delhi on a three-stop visit that will end on 25th February.
Background
“Fair trade" and “America First" have been central planks of Trump’s presidency and a pact with India will burnish his credentials as a deal maker, as well as to show his constituency that he has kept his poll promises.
Deal or No Deal?
Source: Livemint
Syllabus subtopic: India and its Neighborhood- Relations.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the details of the meeting; about India- Maldives relations
News: Union Home Minister met his Maldivian counterpart and discussed bilateral cooperation in the fields of counter-terrorism and counter-radicalisation, among other things.
About the meeting
India-Maldives relations
Background
Development of bilateral relations
The current situation between India and the Maldives:
Source: The Hindu
Syllabus subtopic: Various Security Forces and Agencies and their Mandate.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the details of new structure and its significance; about GRIHA
News: Defence Minister performed the stone-laying ceremony for the proposed ‘Thal Sena Bhawan’ of the Army in Delhi cantonment.
About Thal Sena Bhawan
Significance
About Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment (GRIHA)
Source: The Hindu
Syllabus subtopic: Conservation, Environmental Pollution and Degradation, Environmental Impact Assessment.
Prelims and Mains focus: about the findings of the report; challenges and steps taken
News: The latest telemetry report by the Bihar Minor Water Resources Department was released recently.
Key findings of the report
Why water table is dipping in Bihar?
Uneven distribution of rains, lack of water-harvesting measures and encroachment upon water bodies are being cited as the major reasons for the alarming dip in water table across Bihar. A recent survey by the state government showed that 34,559 water bodies had been encroached upon. So far, temporary encroachment has been cleared from 20,432 water bodies and permanent encroachment from 2,123 water bodies.
Challeneges and their remedies
Source: Indian Express
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