Over the last decade, States have been relying more and more on transfers and grants from the Centre. In the last decade (FY16 to FY25), 23-30% of the total revenue of States was collected from the Centre as transfers. However, in the 2000s and the first half of 2010, the share was 20-24%. Also, close … Read more
A new study has for the first time described a phenomenon researchers refer to as ‘contagious urinations’. The study of 20 captive chimpanzees living at the Kumamoto Sanctuary in Japan shows that, when one chimpanzee pees, others are more likely to follow. The researchers documented peeing behaviours in the Kumamoto chimpanzees over more than 600 hours, … Read more
In the week since the fires in the Los Angeles County broke out, which have destroyed thousands of homes, at least 24 lives have been lost and 16 people were reported missing. The 24 deaths were attributed to the two major fires raging across the county: the Eaton fire, which accounted for 16 of them … Read more
Dinosaurs long dominated the earth’s land ecosystems with multiple forms, including plant-eating giants like Argentinosaurus, meat-eating brutes like Tyrannosaurus, and weirdos like Therizinosaurus, with its Wolverine-like claws. But the origin of dinosaurs — precisely when and where they first appeared — remains a bit of a puzzle. Researchers are now proposing a surprising location for … Read more
Originally intended for small and marginal farmers, the PM-KISAN was later extended to all farmers who owned lan | Photo Credit: G.N. Rao The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), which provides yearly income support of ₹6,000 to eligible farmer families in three instalments, has been through highs and lows both in terms of coverage … Read more
ISRO’s launch vehicle GSLV-F15 carrying the NVS-02 satellite at the launch pad ahead of its launch, at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh on January 25, 2025. | Photo Credit: PTI via @isro/X ISRO on Sunday (January 26, 2025) said integration of its rocket GSLV-F15 with satellite NVS-02 is complete. The GSLV-F15 rocket … Read more
Palestinians celebrate the announcement of a ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza Strip, on Wednesday. | Photo Credit: AP Israel and Hamas agreed on the first draft of a ceasefire deal on Wednesday (January 15, 2025), signalling the biggest step yet toward an end to the conflict. Among other things, … Read more
Just as 2024 was the year India developed a vision for its space programme, 2025 is likely to have the programme in mission mode. The PSLV-C60 mission, underway as the year began, laid the foundations for Chandrayaan-4 and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station. Forthcoming test flights will move India closer to human spaceflight, soon to receive … Read more
(1) Trump returns to the White House Donald Trump is all set to return to the White House with his second inauguration as president of the United States. Mr. Trump, 78, will formally be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States at 12 p.m. ET (1700 GMT) on Monday (January 20, 2025). … Read more
An undated artist’s impression of WASP-127b, a giant gas planet located about 520 light years from Earth, shows its newly discovered supersonic winds. | Photo Credit: ESO/L. Calcada/Reuters In the earth’s upper atmosphere, a fast-moving band of air called the jet stream blows with winds of more than 442 km per hour, but they are … Read more
In July 2024, the EU sourced close to 15% of its crude oil from the U.S | Photo Credit: Peter Boer U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on many countries if they do not fulfil certain conditions. In November last year, he said he would impose sweeping tariffs on imports from Canada, China, … Read more
M. Mohan has been appointed as director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) located in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. Mr. Mohan, who is currently Director (Projects) at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), succeeds V. Narayanan as the LPSC director. ISRO issued his appointment order on January 25. Mr. Mohan was director of the Human Space … Read more
More than 80% of government schools in India are equipped with functional electricity, ramps, boys’ and girls’ toilets, handwash, and libraries. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Government schools have notably improved in the provision of basic infrastructure facilities to students over the past 10 years, and are almost on a par with private schools, data … Read more
Scientists and students engage in fieldwork at Bonebed 10 in Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta, Canada, in this July 11, 2023, image. | Photo Credit: Reuters About 76 million years ago, a juvenile of one of the largest flying creatures in the earth’s history, called Cryodrakon boreas, walked along a riverbank on a lush coastal … Read more
(1) Thailand is third in Asia to enact same-sex marriage Hundreds of LGBTQ+ couples in Thailand made their wedded status legal on Thursday (January 23, 2025), the first day a law took effect granting them the same rights as heterosexual couples. The enactment of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the first country in Southeast … Read more
The Bengal Nagpur Railway had been tasked by the British Indian government with developing rail networks in eastern and central India. In 1900, when its workers were digging in Jharsuguda, now a district in Odisha, they stumbled upon large coal deposits. Nine years later, Jharsuguda’s first coal mine was established and a century later the … Read more
One in three consumers in India is eyeing electric vehicles (EVs) for their next purchase, says the ‘Think Mobility’ report by Google and BCG. Women are emerging as key decision-makers in the EV market. While EV-related challenges persist, innovations and localised manufacturing could pave the way for greater adoption, says the report. The report highlights … Read more
Belgian research scientist Clement Martin, who works with Belgium’s federal police to create a “perfume” that mimics the smell of dried human bones to help sniffer dogs find long lost remains, looks at human bones in his laboratory in Gembloux, Belgium January 15, 2025. | Photo Credit: Reuters A Belgian research scientist is working with … Read more
Migrants seeking asylum from Mexico, India and Ecuador waiting to be apprehended by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers after crossing over a section of border wall into the U.S. in Arizona | Photo Credit: Brandon Bell United States President Donald Trump introduced sweeping changes immediately after being sworn in, which could have a lasting … Read more
Seven years before wildfires tore through opposite ends of the Los Angeles area, the Tubbs Fire in Northern California’s Sonoma County jumped a six-lane freeway and decimated Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park subdivision, a suburban enclave similar to Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The fire destroyed about 5,000 homes in Santa Rosa and the surrounding area in … Read more
Village women work under MGNREGA scheme at Jagannath Prasad village in Odisha | Photo Credit: PTI The share of the Union Budget allocated for the social sector has declined rapidly in recent years. Data show that the outlays to most schemes under the rural development, education, health, and social welfare heads have either declined or … Read more
Image for representation purpose only. | Photo Credit: KRISHNAN VV Reliance Jio leads the wireless subscriber market in 12 of India’s 22 telecom circles, while Airtel dominates nine. This leaves Vodafone Idea as the leader in just one circle — Kerala. In the north-eastern and Jammu and Kashmir circles, Airtel leads the market, with around … Read more
If there is a leader in the aerospace industry, SpaceX is it. The company’s Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon spacecrafts are the current go-to vehicles to deliver astronauts and supplies to the International Space Station. NASA contracts awarded to SpaceX through 2030 alone are worth nearly US$5 billion and include research and development for the Artemis mission to return astronauts to … Read more
Daily Quiz | Challenger Space Shuttle disaster Barbara R. Morgan was part of the backup crew for the ill-fated mission. She later became the first teacher to go into space. START THE QUIZ 1 / 7 | How many crew members made up the ill-fated trip flight and what was the primary goal of shuttle … Read more
With the GSLV-F15 mission, ISRO will oversee the historic 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in the early hours of January 29, 2025. Photo: X/@isro The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in the early hours of Wednesday (January 29, 2025) will oversee the historic 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan … Read more
After the Indian Space Research Organisation successfully launched their GSLV-F15 carrying the NVS-02, ISRO Chairman, V. Narayanan expressed gratitude and said that the 100th launch is a significant milestone of India’s space programme. Addressing the event, Narayanan said, “I am extremely happy to announce from the spaceport of ISRO that the first launch of this … Read more
Watch: ISRO hits a ton in style: GSLV-F15 launched successfully from Sriharikota The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday (January 29, 2025) morning launched its historic 100th launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The GSLV-F15 with the NVS-02 satellite lifted off from the spaceport’s second launch pad at 6.23 a.m. and … Read more
