UPSC PT Pointers

The Mukhyamantri Gramin Solar Street Light Yojana is a scheme that aims to provide street lights in villages and cities in Bihar. The scheme is expected to be completed by March 2023 but not implemented in some areas till now.

Syndiniales & Corallicolids

The international team of researchers collected samples of corals from across the Mediterranean Sea and analysed the bacteria that live with the corals. The researchers found that the presence of a group of parasitic single-celled organisms called Syndiniales made it more likely that a coral could survive heat stress. The presence of Corallicolids, a group of single-celled organism related to the parasite that causes malaria, was more common in corals that die&

India's stock market

India overtakes Hong Kong to become 4th-largest stock market recently. India's stock market capitalization crossed USD 4 trillion for the first time, with about half of that reportedly coming in the past 4 years. The top 3 stock markets are the U.S., China, and Japan.

Naiyandi Melam

A naiyandi melam is a type of percussion instrument that is unique to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and parts of South India. It is performed by artistes of different communities. The word, naiyandi, means making fun. Naiyandi melam follows a set of tunes, beginning with ‘thooku’.

Pinanga Subterranea

Pinanga subterranea is a species of palm tree native to Borneo. It's the 1st known species of palm to flower and fruit almost exclusively underground. This rare phenomenon has only been recorded in one other plant group, the orchid Rhizanthella.

Peregrine Lunar Lander

The Peregrine Lunar Lander, also known as Peregrine Mission One, is a lunar lander built by Astrobotic Technology, U.S. It was launched recently carrying payloads for NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services program.

International Education Day

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared January 24 as the International Day of Education in 2018. The day celebrates the role of education in peace and development and aims to raise awareness of the value and impact of quality education. In 2024, UNESCO is focusing on promoting anti-racist guidelines and addressing racism in textbooks with the theme - ‘learning for lasting peace’.

Religious processions

The Supreme Court ruled that the concentration of a religious community in a particular area is not a valid reason to deny permission to another religious community to hold events or prayer meetings. The court also ruled that religious processions cannot be rejected based on religious grounds.

Operation AMRITH

The Kerala Drug Control Department launched Operation Amrith (AMRITH - Anti Microbial Resistance Intervention for Total Health) recently. It is a strategy launched to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The initiative aims to reduce the use of antibiotics by conducting surprise raids on retail medical shops to detect the sale of antibiotics without a prescription.

Parakram Diwas

PM to participate in programme marking Parakram Diwas (Day of Valor) at Red Fort. The programme will commemorate the legacy of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the Azad Hind Fauj. January 23, 2024 was commemorated as the 126th birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose.