Kalanamak Rice Latest News

The Uttar Pradesh government, in consultation with the commerce ministry, plans to promote the export of Kalanamak rice to countries with majority or large Buddhist populations.

About Kalanamak Rice

• Kalanamak is a traditional variety of paddy with black husk and strong fragrance.
• It is considered a gift from Lord Buddha to the people of Sravasti when he visited the region after enlightenment.
• It is traditional, non-basmati aromatic rice grown in eastern Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Siddharth nagar, where it has been designated as an ODOP (one district one product) item.
• It is also grown in 11 districts of the Terai region of north-eastern Uttar Pradesh and in Nepal, the traditional variety has been prone to ‘lodging’, a reason for its low yield.
  • Lodging: Lodging is a condition in which the top of the plant becomes heavy because of grain formation, the stem becomes weak, and the plant falls on the ground.
• It is a nutritional powerhouse. It is rich in iron and antioxidants, has a low glycemic index, and is naturally gluten-free, making it a healthy dietary choice, especially for diabetics.
• It is protected under the Geographical Indication (GI) tag system.

Kalanamak Rice FAQs

Q1: Who developed kalanamak rice?

Ans: Dr. R. C. Chaudhary

Q2: Which district is Kala Namak Rice grown in?

Ans: Siddharthnagar

Source: LM

Quality Council of India Latest News

The Minister of State for Commerce and Industry recently inaugurated the new unified headquarters of the Quality Council of India (QCI) at the World Trade Centre in New Delhi.

About Quality Council of India

• It is a non-profit autonomous organisation registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• It was set up in 1997 jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry represented by the three premier industry associations, i.e., Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), with Mr. Ratan Tata as its first Chairman.
• It is under the administrative control of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• QCI works as the national accreditation body.
• QCI has been established to create a mechanism for independent third-party assessment of products, services, and processes.
• Besides the role of putting in place the accreditation structure, it also promotes the adoption of quality standards relating to Quality Management Systems (ISO 14001 Series), Food Safety Management Systems (ISO 22000 Series), and Product Certification and Inspection Bodies through the accreditation services provided by the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB). 
• It plays a pivotal role at the national level in propagating, adoption, and adherence to quality standards in all important spheres of activities that have significant bearing on improving the quality of life and well-being of the citizens of India.
• It leads a nationwide quality movement in the country through the National Quality Campaign.
• QCI functions through the governing body and other executive bodies (boards/committees) for implementing the strategy, policy, and operational guidelines as set out by its governing council.
• The council comprises 38 members, with equal representation from the Government, Industries and other stakeholders.
• Indian industry is represented in QCI by three premier industry associations, namely ASSOCHAM, CII, and FICCI.
• Boards/Divisions under QCI:
  • National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL)
  • National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)
  • National Accreditation Board for Education & Training (NABET)
  • National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB) 
  • National Board for Quality Promotion (NBQP).
• Every board is functionally independent and works within its area of expertise.

Quality Council of India FAQs

Q1: Who was the first Chairman of Quality Council of India (QCI)?

Ans: Mr. Ratan Tata

Q2: Which Ministry provides administrative control over the Quality Council of India (QCI)?

Ans: Ministry of Commerce and Industry (DPIIT)

Q3: Which industry associations jointly set up QCI along with the Government of India?

Ans: CII, FICCI, and ASSOCHAM

Source: NOA

International Emergency Economic Powers Act Latest News

A U.S. federal court recently blocked President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) doesn’t give him authority to impose sweeping import taxes.

About International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977

• It is a United States act which was legislated on 28 October 1977. 
• It gives the president broad powers to regulate various financial transactions upon declaring a national emergency.
• The IEEPA empowers the US president to proclaim an unusual and exceptional threat to the federal security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States that originates in whole or in considerable part outside the United States. 
• It also empowers the president to restrict transactions and freeze assets in response to such a statement.
• In the case of an actual attack on the United States, the president has the authority to seize property associated with a nation, group, or individual that assisted in the attack. 
• In addition, because the IEEPA is governed by the terms of the National Emergencies Act (NEA), an emergency proclaimed under the Act must be renewed annually in order to stay in existence.
• IEEPA is a treaty that extends executive power over crises during times of peace.
• The IEEPA empowers the president to respond to uncommon and extraordinary risks to national security by altering the United States' economic policy. 
• The IEEPA serves as the governing authority for much of the US sanctions regime.
• The US Congress initially passed IEEPA in an attempt to restrict the emergency economic powers granted to the president under the Trading with the Enemy Act, a 1917 law that gave the president expansive authority to regulate international transactions during wartime. 
  • President Richard M. Nixon used the precursor statute to briefly impose a 10 percent universal tariff in 1971.
• No president has previously used IEEPA to put tariffs on imported goods.
• Instead, presidents have imposed tariffs in response to national security threats using Section 232 of a 1962 trade law. 
  • That legal provision differs from IEEPA in part because it requires an investigation and report that has to be issued within 270 days. 
  • The provision also focuses on certain imports that threaten to impair U.S. national security.

International Emergency Economic Powers Act FAQs

Q1: When was the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) enacted?

Ans: October 28, 1977

Q2: What is the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)?

Ans: It gives the US president broad powers to regulate various financial transactions upon declaring a national emergency.

Q3: IEEPA was originally intended to limit presidential powers granted by which war-time statute?

Ans: Trading with the Enemy Act

Source: ET

MPOWER Framework Latest News

Unlike in other countries where higher prices have deterred smoking, prices remain low in India; tobacco affordability undermines the World Health Organization’s MPOWER framework and weakens control, hindering efforts to reduce tobacco-related cancers.

About MPOWER Framework

• In line with the World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), WHO introduced the MPOWER measures in 2008. 
• MPOWER are a set of six cost-effective and high-impact measures that help countries reduce demand for tobacco. These measures include:
  • Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies.
  • Protecting people from tobacco smoke.
  • Offering help to quit tobacco use.
  • Warning about the dangers of tobacco.
  • Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.
  • Raising taxes on tobacco.
• The MPOWER measures have played a significant role in encouraging smokers to consider the most effective way to quit smoking. 
• Each letter in MPOWER stands for a measure intended to assist governments in achieving the FCTC's objectives.

Key Facts on WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

• It is the first treaty negotiated under the auspices of the WHO.
• It is an evidence-based treaty that reaffirms the right of all people to the highest standard of health.
• It was adopted by the World Health Assembly on 21 May 2003 and entered into force on 27 February 2005.
• Since its entry into force in 2005, this international treaty has become one of the most rapidly and widely embraced treaties in United Nations (UN) history. 
• To date, 180 countries globally have ratified the WHO FCTC, including 50 WHO European Member States. 
• The WHO FCTC asserts the importance of strategies to reduce both demand and supply and provides a framework for tobacco control measures to be implemented at the national, regional, and international levels. This includes actions to:
  • Protect public health policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry (Article 5.3).
  • Adopt price and tax measures to reduce the demand for tobacco (Article 6).
  • Protect people from exposure to tobacco smoke (Article 8).
  • Regulate the contents of tobacco products (Article 9).
  • Regulate tobacco product disclosures (Article 10).
  • Regulate the packaging and labelling of tobacco products (Article 11).
  • Warn people about the dangers of tobacco (Article 12).
  • Ban tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (Article 13).
  • Offer people help to end their addictions to tobacco (Article 14).
  • Control the illicit trade in tobacco products (Article 15).
  • Ban sales to and by minors (Article 16).
  • Support economically viable alternatives to tobacco growing (Article 17).
• In addition, Article 7 of the Treaty requests that the Conference of the Parties (COP) propose guidelines for the implementation of the Convention, with the aim to assist Parties in meeting their obligations under the Convention.

MPOWER Framework FAQs

Q1. What are the objectives of MPOWER?

Ans. MPOWER are a set of six cost-effective and high-impact measures that help countries reduce demand for tobacco.

Q2. Which organisation introduced the MPOWER framework?

Ans. World Health Organization (WHO)

Q3. What does the “M” in MPOWER stand for?

Ans. Monitoring tobacco use and prevention policies

Source: TH

Open Interest Latest News

SEBI recently announced a sweeping overhaul of its equity F&O framework, introducing a new Future Equivalent (FutEq) method to assess open interest more accurately. 

About Open Interest

• It is a term commonly used in Futures and Options (F&O) trading, where the number of open contracts changes on a daily basis. 
  • In simple terms, every trade has two sides: a buyer and a seller. Whenever an F&O contract is traded, it is considered open until one of the parties closes their position through offsetting. 
• Open Interest is the total number of active options and futures contracts that have not yet been settled against an asset at a given time in the trading arena. 
• It is primarily used as an indicator to identify market positions of securities that have not yet been closed for an unknown reason. 
• To summarise, it is referred to as a measure of liquidity in conjunction with market activity. 
• Like any other security traded in the market, it is subject to market changes.
• When new contracts are created or opened, it rises. A rise in the number of them indicates that there are more buyers and sellers for a specific security. 
• It decreases when positions in existing contracts are closed out by buyers (or holders) and sellers. 
• Investors might make conclusions about the day's market activity by monitoring changes in the open interest at the end of each trading day.
• Importance of Open Interest in Stock Market:
  • Open interest plays a significant role in helping options traders understand the liquidity of an option.
  • It is a measure of market activity. It indicates if a market will trendor be range-bound, often known as choppy. 
  • An increase in open interest indicates that the number of new positions is increasing. This suggests that the market is being traded actively and is more likely to trend, while decreasing open interest indicates money flowing out of the market.
  • After a sustained price gain, a levelling off of Open Interest is usually an early indicator of the end of a bull market phase.
  • To summarise, this type of indicator can be a significant piece of information when evaluating a possible investment.

What are Futures and Options (F&O)?

• F&O are the major types of stock derivatives trading in a share market. 
• These are contracts signed by two parties for trading a stock asset at a predetermined price on a later date. 
• Such contracts try to hedge market risks involved in stock market trading by locking in the price beforehand.
• F&O are contracts which derive their price from an underlying asset (known as underlying), such as shares, stock market indices, commodities, ETFs, and more.
• Futures contracts obligate the buyer to purchase an underlying asset, while the seller must deliver it at a predetermined price and date. 
• In options contracts, the buyer has the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell the underlying asset at a predetermined price and date, while the seller must honour the contract if the buyer chooses to exercise their option.
• F&O basics allows individuals to reduce future risk with their investment through pre-determined prices. 
• However, since a direction of price movements cannot be predicted, it can cause substantial profits or losses if a market prediction is inaccurate. 
• Typically, individuals well versed with the operations of a stock market primarily participate in such trades.

Open Interest FAQs

Q1: What does “Open Interest” (OI) represent in Futures & Options trading?

Ans: The total number of active contracts not yet settled.

Q2: When does Open Interest increase?

Ans: When new contracts are created or opened.

Q3: A leveling off of Open Interest after a sustained price gain typically signals what?

Ans: The end of the bull market phase.

Source: NIE

Yashoda AI Latest News

Recently, the ‘Yashoda AI: Your AI SAKHI’ to advance women’s AI literacy and digital awareness was held at the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University, Bareilly.

About Yashoda AI

• It is the initiative of the National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Future Shift Labs (FSL).
• It will empower women to contribute meaningfully to a Viksit Bharat driven by technology and inclusion.
• The Yashoda AI Abhiyan wants to stand as India's effort to empower women, especially from rural and semi-urban communities, with essential skills in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, and Digital Safety.
• The program aims to go beyond traditional learning by hosting in-depth discussions on critical issues such as AI-driven crimes, digital privacy, and practical safety strategies.
• It will actively engage students, educators, and women from the police force, Yashoda AI Abhiyan wants to experiment in community-driven digital education, ensuring that women are not only participants but leaders in shaping India's tech-savvy future.

Key Facts about National Commission for Women

• It is an autonomous and statutory body established in 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, to protect and promote women’s rights in India.
• Composition: The Commission shall consist of a Chairperson, 5 Members, and a Member-Secretary who are nominated by the Central Government.
• Term: The Chairperson and every Member shall hold office for a period of three years.
• Powers: The Commission, while investigating, shall have all the powers of a civil court in respect of the following matters
  • Summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him/her on oath.
  • Requiring the discovery and production of any document.
  • Receiving evidence on affidavits.
  • Requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office.
  • Issuing commissions for the examination of witnesses and documents

Yashoda AI FAQs

Q1: What is Yashoda AI?

Ans: Yashoda AI is more than a training program—it's a movement toward a digitally inclusive India. 

Q2: What is an AI?

Ans: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of technologies that enable computers to perform a variety of advanced functions, including the ability to see, understand and translate spoken and written language, analyze data, make recommendations, and more.

Source: TH

Know Your DIGIPIN’ and ‘Know Your PIN Code Web Portals Latest News

Recently, the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications launched two transformative digital platforms: ‘Know Your DIGIPIN’ and ‘Know Your PIN Code’.

About Know Your DIGIPIN

• The DIGIPIN (Digital Postal Index Number) is an open-source, interoperable, geo-coded, grid-based digital address system developed by the Department of Posts in collaboration with IIT Hyderabad and NRSC, ISRO.
• Vision: To offer Address-as-a-Service (AaaS) — an array of services associated with address data management to support secure and efficient interactions between users, government entities, and private sector organisations.
• The ‘Know Your DIGIPIN’ portal enables users to:
  • Retrieve their DIGIPIN based on precise geolocation.
  • Input latitude and longitude coordinates to fetch corresponding DIGIPINs and vice versa.

Advantages Of Know Your DIGIPIN

• This initiative simplifies location mapping, enhances logistics and emergency response, and ensures last-mile delivery, especially in rural and underserved areas.
• Incorporating DIGIPIN as an additional address attribute enables the leveraging of GIS capabilities, laying the foundation for future GIS-based digitalisation of service delivery across various organisations in a cost-effective manner.
• DIGIPIN will enhance location accuracy across multiple sectors by providing precise geographic coordinates, ensuring accurate service delivery and reducing emergency response times.
• A complete repository of the DIGIPIN technical documentation and source code has been made available on GitHub, promoting open collaboration and nationwide adoption.
• It is now available to all Ministries, State Governments, institutions for integration into their workflows, and users for their own use.

About Know Your PIN Code Web Application

• It is the six-digit PIN Code system, introduced in 1972.
• The Department undertook a national geofencing exercise across all postal jurisdictions to geo-reference all the pin code boundaries of the country.

Features of Know Your PIN Code Web Application

• Identify the correct PIN Code based on the location.
• Submit feedback on PIN Code accuracy for continuous refinement of pin code dataset.
• The geo-fenced PIN Code boundaries dataset has also been uploaded on Open Government Data Platform under the title “All India PIN Code Boundary geo-json”.

Know Your DIGIPIN’ and ‘Know Your PIN Code Web Portals FAQs

Q1: What is the digi pin code?

Ans: A DIGIPIN code is a 10-character alphanumeric sequence. It's a pure function of your location's latitude and longitude, making it unique for each approx.

Q2: What is the full form of PIN code?

Ans: PIN code stands for Postal Index Number code.

Q3: Can digipin be used for rural or remote areas?

Ans: Yes, DIGIPIN works for all areas, including rural, remote, and urban regions.

Source: PIB

Tral Wildlife Sanctuary Latest News

Recently, the Central government has officially designated an Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the Tral Wildlife Sanctuary.

About Tral Wildlife Sanctuary

• It is located in the Pulwama District of Jammu and Kashmir.
• It forms an important corridor for the movement of Hangul.
• It is among the few areas outside Dachigam National Park where a population of this critically endangered Hangul deer still survives.
• Vegetation: The vegetation of the Sanctuary is typically Himalayan moist temperate forest, sub-alpine forest, and alpine forest types.

Flora and Fauna of Tral Wildlife Sanctuary 

• Aesculus indica, Fraxinus hookeri, Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana, and Juglans regia. The dominant shrubs include Indigofera heterantha, Lonicera species, Viburnum, Skimmia laurel, Jasminum species etc.
• The area harbours Halgul population. Besides, 15 species of mammals, including some rare ones are also found in the limits of the sanctuary. It is also home to more than 200 species of birds.
• It functions as a protected wildlife corridor for the endangered Kashmir Stag, also called Hangul.
• It is home to various endemic species like Kashmir Red Deer (Cervus hanglu hanglu), Kashmir Musk Deer (Moschus cupreus) and Kashmir Gray Langur.

Tral Wildlife Sanctuary FAQs

Q1: What is meant by eco-sensitive zone?

Ans: Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) or Ecologically Fragile Areas (EFAs) are areas in India notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India around Protected Areas, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries.

Q2: Where is Hangul found in India?

Ans: It is found in dense riverine forests in the valleys and mountains of Jammu and Kashmir and northern Himachal Pradesh.

Source: news18

Shangri-La Dialogue Latest News

Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan will visit Singapore to attend the 22nd edition of the Shangri-La Dialogue, hosted annually by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

About Shangri-La Dialogue

• It is Asia’s premier defence and security summit that brings together defence ministers, military chiefs, policymakers and strategic experts across the globe.
• Since its birth in 2002, it has developed into the most influential multilateral security exchange platform in the Asia-Pacific region.
• It is held in June every year in Singapore's Shangri-La Hotel.
• It is organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, UK, and co-organized by Singapore's Ministry of Defence. 
• The agenda of the Shangri-La Dialogue is closely related to the security situation and development trend in the Asia-Pacific region, covering traditional and non-traditional security and other fields. 
  • These include traditional security issues such as territorial disputes and military cooperation, as well as non-traditional security issues such as terrorism, cybersecurity, and climate change. 
  • Such agenda setting enables the dialogue to fully reflect the security challenges and cooperation needs of the Asia-Pacific region.
• Around the above issues, Shangri-La Dialogue is divided into two forms: open general assembly exchanges and closed-door group meetings. 
  • Open exchanges at the conference allow delegates to make speeches and discuss issues of common interest, enhancing mutual understanding and trust. 
  • Closed-door breakout sessions are more in-depth and specific, allowing participants to discuss and negotiate on a topic in depth and seek cooperation and solutions.

Shangri-La Dialogue FAQs

Q1: What is the Shangri-La Dialogue?

Ans: Asia’s premier defence and security summit.

Q2: Where is the Shangri-La Dialogue held each year?

Ans: Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel

Q3: Which organization primarily organizes the Shangri-La Dialogue?

Ans: It is organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in London, UK, and co-organized by Singapore's Ministry of Defence. 

Source: TH

Exercise Nomadic Elephant Latest News

Recently, the Indian Army contingent departed for the 17th edition of India- Mongolia Joint Military Exercise NOMADIC ELEPHANT which is scheduled to be conducted in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

About Exercise Nomadic Elephant

• It is an annual joint military exercise conducted alternatively in India and Mongolia.
• Last edition of the same exercise was conducted at Umroi, Meghalaya in July 2024.
• The Indian contingent comprising 45 personnel will be represented mainly by troops from a battalion of the ARUNACHAL SCOUTS. 
• Aim of the exercise is to enhance interoperability between the two forces while employing a joint task force in semi conventional operations in semi urban/ mountainous terrain under United Nations mandate.
• The scope of this exercise involves Platoon level Field Training Exercise. During the exercise, Indian and Mongolian troops will engage in various training activities.
• In addition, to enhance complexity of exercise, aspects pertaining to Cyber Warfare are also being incorporated in this edition of the exercise.
• The exercise underscores the shared commitment of India and Mongolia towards regional security, peace and stability.
• The exercise reinforces the India-Mongolia relationship as a cornerstone of regional cooperation, fostering strong military ties and promotion of cultural understanding.
• A testament to the enduring bond of friendship, trust and cultural linkages between India and Mongolia, the exercise sets the stage for meaningful professional engagement, highlighting the unwavering commitment of both nations to broader defence cooperation.

Exercise Nomadic Elephant FAQs

Q1: What is the first edition of nomadic elephant exercise?

Ans: 2004

Q2: What is the United Nations?

Ans: The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization that was established with the purpose of promoting international cooperation and maintaining peace and security among its member states.

Source: PIB