CURRENT AFFAIRS

The latest decline in population of the world’s most populous country by as much as 8,50,000 in 2022 marks a watershed moment with lasting consequences for China and the world.

Ten years have passed since the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, enacted in consequence to India’s ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1992, came into effect on November 14, 2012. 

The World Employment and Social Outlook: Trends 2023 (WESO Trends), released by the ILO said the total working hours per person are still below pre-pandemic levels in the Asia Pacific region.

A new study by researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln have reported that a particular genus of plankton can consume viruses as well as “grow and divide given only viruses to eat”.

Recently, Law Minister Kiren Rijiju has written to Chief Justice of India (CJI) D.Y. Chandrachud suggested a nominee of the Union government in the Supreme Court Collegium and a State representative in each of the High Court collegiums.

The project, called ‘Improvement of Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystems Management and Livelihoods’, is running to increase income as well as conserve biodiversity.

According to reports, a ‘pre-feasibility report’ on the 11,000 MW project in arunachal pradesh, or more than five times the size of the largest such projects in India – has been submitted to the Central Electricity Authority for appraisal in December by the National Hydropower Corporation (NHPC) recently.

The Union Cabinet’s recent decision to earmark ₹2,600 crore for providing banks with an incentive to promote digital payments has focused attention on India’s welcome push to broaden and deepen alternatives to the most widely accepted method of payment worldwide, cash.

Quad partners are not only coming up with bilateral and other agreements among themselves but also bringing in other countries from Europe, such as France and the United Kingdom which reflects their seriousness about security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

While existing measures by the government can reduce particulate matter, significant reduction is possible only if the territories spanning the airsheds implement coordinated policies, says the report, Striving for Clean Air: Air Pollution and Public Health in South Asia, released by the World Bank.