CURRENT AFFAIRS

Drilling for India's first geothermal power project has begun in the geothermal-rich Puga Valley, about 190 km from Leh.

A seven-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud delivered a landmark verdict in Davinder Singh vs State of Punjab case that Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) can be sub-classified for reservation.

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government has introduced a new bill to amend the “Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Act, 2021” which aims to make the law more stringent and effective.

On the issue of ecological crisis and environmental degradation in India, Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Kirti Vardhan Singh presented the details of the efforts made by the Government of India for environmental protection in the Rajya Sabha.

Questions have been raised on the role of the Governor due to the intervention of the Supreme Court in the case of Punjab on the bills passed by the State Assemblies and the inaction of the Governors in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and West Bengal.

With the formation of the 18th Lok Sabha, Om Birla, MP from Kota, Rajasthan, was elected by voice vote for the post of Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

Recently, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi completed a two-day visit to Russia to participate in the 22nd India-Russia Annual Summit. This is Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Russia after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

India's efforts to boost its renewable energy sector have not only helped reduce greenhouse gas emissions from thermal power plants but also spurred economic growth.

7-8 per cent of global biodiversity is found in India. But such diversity is of no use if the country is unable to conserve it, ensure its sustainable use or secure the benefits that accrue from its use for the communities who have conserved the resources for generations.

In Budget 2024-2025, the government has announced customs duty exemption on three targeted cancer drugs trastuzumab deruxtecan, osimertinib and durvalumab.