DEFENCEREALETEDINFO

 1. ‘RIGHT TO REPAIR’ LAW TO COME IN THIS SUMMER  Appliances such as fridges, washing machines and TV’s should last longer and be cheaper to run under new rules.  Ministers have confirmed that from the summer consumers will have a right to repair on goods they buy.  They are keeping a promise to implement EU rules aimed at cutting energy and bills ° and reducing the need for new materials.  Many consumers have complained that goods don’t last long enough, then can't be fixed in the home.  Manufacturers will be legally obliged to make spare parts for products Available to consumers for the first time a new legal right for repairs.  The aim of the new rules is to extend the lifespan of products by up to 10 years, and officials estimate that higher energy efficiency standards will save consumers an average of $75 a year on bills over their lifetimes. .  'Protectin: the Environment’ The new rules will be estimated to reduce the 1.5 million tonnes of e...

 1. INDIA RANKS 139 IN WORLD HAPPINESS REPORT PAK HAPPIER AT 105: India ranks 139 in World Happiness Report, Pak happier at 105: Here's list of 20 happiest nations  The World Happiness Report 2021 has been released by the UN sustainable development solutions network and Finland was once again crowned as the world’s happiest country. india has been ranked 139 out of 149 countries in the list of UN world happiness report 2021. In 2019 India was ranked 140".  What is World Happiness Report?  The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that runs 149 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. The World Happiness Report 2021 focuses on the effects of covid-19 and . how people all over the world have fared.  The annual report ranks nations based on gross domestic product per person, healthy life expectancy and the opinions of . residents. Surveys ask respondents to indicate on a 1-10 scale how much social suppo...

 1. NEW SCRAPPING POLICY: MANDATORY FITNESS TEST FOR VEHICLES INCENTIVES FOR OWNERS Under the new vehicle scrappage policy, owners of old vehicles will strong incentives to scrap old and unfit vehicles. “We have issued an advisory to all vehicles manufacturers to offer 5° o discount while selling a new vehicle against a scrapping certificate,” Gadkari ' said in Lok Sabha.  In case of failure to get a fitness © certificate, commercial vehicles will be de-registered after 15 years. Private © vehicles will be de-registered after 20 years if found unfit or in case of a failure to renew registration certificates, the minister said.  2.WHO IS DEB HAALAND, THE FIRST NATIVE AMERICAN CABINET SECRETARY IN US HISTORY?  «The US Senate voted to confirm Deb Haaland as US President Joe Biden’s | Interior Secretary on March 15,2021. Haaland has become the first-ever Native American Cabinet Secretary 3. SERIOUS ISSUE IF 3 CRORE RATION CARD WERE CANCELLED, SAYS SUPREME COURT The Supr...

 GENDER DISCRIMINATION ALLEGED IN NDA ADMISSION  The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the government to respond to a plea alleging discrimination against women by barring them from taking the exam for admission to the prestigious National Defence academy and the Naval academy.  A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sharad A. Bobade issued notice to the government and the Union Public Service Commission on a petition filed by advocate Kush Kalra, who said eligible and willing women who aspire for a career in the Armed Forces are prohibited entry into these _ centres of excellence solely on the ground of gender.  Mr. Kalra said their exclusion is sheer violation of their fundamental right to equality and equal opportunity. He said the discrimination shown to women was a dishonour of the constitution.  The petition referred to the apex court’s judgement in February last year which helped women officers gain a level playing ground and complete on a par with their ma...

 1. SMS SCRUBBING COMES INTO EFFECT. HICCUPS FOR BANKING E-COMM OPS AS OTPS FAIL The functioning of banks and ecommerce firms were hit on Monday as telecom service providers (TSPs) Started implementing the second phase of SMS regulation. The move disrupted several crucial services, specially sending of one time password (OTP) by banks and ecommerce firms for various services. "The telecom regulatory Authority of India (TRAD guideline that the verification process of every SMS content will have to be done before it is delivered known as scrubbing was implemented on . Monday after several delays. As result, unverified and unregistered SMS messages were blocked by telecom operators.  2. FIRST EVER 'UAD SUMMIT ON MARCH 12 "The first ever Summit of the leaders of the Quadrilateral Framework or 'QUAD’ will take place virtually on March 12, the ministry of external affairs announced on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in the discussion which will also w...

 1, MODI INAUGURATES 'MAITRI SETU’ BETWEEN INDIA AND BANGLADESH  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on  Tuesday virtually inaugurated the India-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge (Maitri Setu) over the Feniriverat _ Sabroom in South Tripura.  1.The bridge 'Maitri Setu’ has been built over the  Feni River which flows between the Indian boundary in Tripura State and Bangladesh.  -The construction was taken up by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited at a project cost of rupees 133 crore.  The 1.9 km long bridge joins Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.  The bridge, which was first mooted A decade ago, would immensely benefit Northeast India in trade matters as the same would connect the Chittagong Sea port just 100km from Agartala.  With the inauguration of the bridge, Tripura is set to become the ‘gateway of North East’ with access to Chittagong port of Bangladesh, which is just 80kms from Sabroom.  2. SIKH...

 1. UN REPORT SHOWS CLOSE TO 931 MILLION TONNES OF FOOD WERE WASTED GLOBALLY IN 2019  Recently, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released the FoodWaste Index Report 2021. “It has revealed that 17% of all food available at consumer level (11% in households,5% in food service and 2% in retail) was wasted in 2019 and around 690 million people had to go hungry.  “It presents The most comprehensive food waste data collection, analysis and modelling to date, . generating a new estimate of global food waste.  This reports estimates that around 931 million tonnes of food waste was generated in 2019. 61% of which came from households, 26% from food service and 13% from retail.  «Wasta:es across allincome ours:  Food waste generation is found to be equally relevant across all income countries such as high, ~ upper middle and lower middle income countries.  Developed countries like Austria produce very low amounts of waste at 39 kg/capita/ year. On...

 1. BHARAT BIOTECH’S COVAXIN HAS AROUND 81%EFFICACY: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR INDIA?  Bharat Biotech has reported around 81% ’. interim efficacy for COVAXIN, its vaccine against the noble coronavirus infection, in large scale human clinical trials.  "Efficacy is a measure of how much the shot protects people against a virus or bacteria, compared with the situation in which they were not vaccinated. Efficacy looks at the ability of the vaccine to protect the inoculated population using various parameters ranging from the ability of the short to prevent mild to severe symptoms from showing even if you have been infected, to preventing you from getting infected with the disease altogether.  COVAXIN is one of the two vaccines being used in India’s Mars vaccination program against covid-19.A higher efficacy would mean a higher chance at protecting the vulnerable population against the disease.  2. WORLD HEARING DAY 2021: A LOOK AT SOME INNOVATIONS IN HEARING HEALTH CA...

 1. INDIA IS ‘PARTLY FREE’, SAYS U.S. THINK-TANK  U.S. based Human Rights watchdog Freedom House has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of “driving India toward authoritarianism with a “hamfisted lockdown”, scapegoating of Muslims, and a crackdown on critics, and downgraded India’s status from 'Free’ to 'Partly Free’, in its annual report.  “Under Modi, India appears to have abandoned it’s potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating narrow Hindu nationalist interests at the expense of its founding values of inclusion and equal rights for all,” said Freedom in the World 2021, which was released on Wednesday.  2 INDIA,17 COUNTRIES FACE US ANTI-DUMPING TAX  The U.S. Department of Commerce is preparing to tax aluminium sheet exporters from 18 Countries after determining on Tuesday that they had benefited from subsidies and dumping.  The US International Trade Commission (ITC), an ; independent body,must approve the final decision ...

 1. "LATERAL ENTRY’S INTO BUREAUCRACY: REASON PROCESS AND THE CONTROVERSY  Earlier this month, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) issued an advertisement seeking applications ‘from talented and motivated Indian nationals willing to contribute towards nation building” for 3 posts of joint secretary e and 27 of director in Central Government departments.  These individuals, who would make a “lateral entry” in to the government secretariat, would be contracted for 3 to 5 years. “These posts were “unreserved”, meaning were no quotas for SCs, STs and OBCs.  WHAT IS 'LATERAL ENTRY’ INTO GOVERNMENT?  NITI Aayog, in its three year action agenda, and the Sectoral group of Secretaries (SGoS) on Governance in its report submitted in February 2017, recommended the induction of personnel at middle and senior management levels in the central government. These ‘lateral entrants’ would be part of the central secretariat which in the normal course has only career bureauc...