CURRENT AFFAIRS

According to the University Grants Commission (UGC), Indian universities and Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) will now be allowed to give admissions biannual on the basis of foreign universities.

The heads of state and government of Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius and Seychelles attended the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as special guests. This reflects the country's continued focus on its neighbourhood and the Indian Ocean region as part of India's foreign policy initiatives.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has moved 100 metric tonnes of its gold stored in the UK to domestic vaults in India. Gold reserves are gold held by a country's central bank, which serves as a backup and store of value for financial commitments.

Climate change has significantly affected agriculture and aquatic food production around the world. To cope with this, important strategies and practices are needed to develop resilient food systems, which can ensure sustainability and food security for future generations.

Recently, there have been talks between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) about liberalising bilateral rights in the aviation sector. However, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson has sought to restrict market access for foreign airlines in the Indian aviation sector.

No single party has got absolute majority for the 18th Lok Sabha. In the real sense, there will now be a coalition government. In terms of economic governance, the last two Lok Sabhas were considered positive in the direction of economic reforms because for the first time after the beginning of economic reforms in the year 1991, there was a majority government of a single party.

As global temperatures continue to rise and human populations expand, large parts of the Earth are becoming vulnerable to desertification, or the permanent loss of once-cultivable land. Artificial intelligence (AI) is a valuable ally in combating desertification, but we must be aware of the challenges that must be addressed to make new AI solutions effective.

The Department of Consumer Affairs and the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) recently held a joint consultation with stakeholders on the menace of ‘dark patterns’.

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for the enactment of a UCC, pointing out the anomaly of having varying laws for different categories of citizens.

Recently, the UN adopted the Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) or the High Seas Treaty.