upsc gs pt pickups | pt pointers

FSSAI's Amended Rules on Capping Trans Fats in Food Products FSSAI has amended rules to cap trans-fatty acids (TFAs) in food products to 2% by 2022 TFA's are mainly found in baked and fried foods, pre-packaged snacks & cooking oils They increase the shelf life of food by lowering their oxidation potential They are less costly than animal fat like butter They increase the bad cholesterol (LDL) and reduce the good cholesterol (HDL) They increase the risk of coronar

General Thimaiyya Museum inaugrated at Madikeri by the President

General Thimaiyya Museum inaugrated at Madikeri by the President President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated General Thimayya Museum at Madikeri. He regarded him as one of India's greatest soldiers. He had served as the Chief of Military staff between 1957-1961 Additional Info about Madikeri: lies in the Western Ghats and is known for its coffee plantations It is also the source for River Cauvery from Baba Budan Hills nearby.

Currency Swap Agreement between SL & India

Currency Swap Agreement between SL & India The Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) settled a $400 million currency swap facility from the Reserve Bank (RBI) of India. What is a Currency Swap Facility? The term swap means exchange. Under this agreement, two contracting countries loan each other a specified amount in local currencies. Currency swap agreements involve trade in local currencies, where countries pay for imports and exports at pre-determined rates of exchange without

What are Micro Biomes?

What are Micro Biomes? Microbiome refers to microorganisms living inside humans and animals. Eating too much fat and sugar as a child can alter one’s microbiome forever. The balance of useful and harmful components, if disturbed, results in ill health.

Magnetic fields in plants

Magnetic fields in plants A recent study from Germany found that the Venus flytrap (a carnivore) plant is capable of generating small magnetic fields. When the plant sends electrical signals to trigger the closure of its traps, a biomagnetism phenomenon was observed. The trap gets electrically excited due to touch, osmotic energy & even heat and cold.

Budget Announcement for One Person Companies

Budget Announcement for One Person Companies Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced measures to ease norms on setting up one-person companies (OPCs). What is a one-person company? A one-person company is a company that can be formed by just one person as a shareholder How are they different from other companies? These companies are different to private companies which require a minimum of two members to establish. the person and the company are considered sep

IT Act, 2000: Important Provisions vis-a-vis Social Media Regulation

IT Act, 2000: Important Provisions vis-a-vis Social Media Regulation Tackling harmful content such as hate speech, rumours, inflammatory and provocative messages and child pornography needs cooperation between technology services companies and law enforcement agencies. Information Technology Act, 2000, as amended from time to time, governs all activities related to the use of computer resources. Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 It covers all ‘intermediaries&rs

Concept of Bad Bank as Proposed in the Budget

Concept of Bad Bank as Proposed in the Budget Finance Minister in her Budget speech revived the idea of a ‘bad bank’ by stating that the Centre proposes to set up an asset reconstruction company to acquire bad loans from banks. What is a ‘bad bank’? A bad bank is a financial entity set up to buy non-performing assets (NPAs), or bad loans, from banks. The aim of setting up a bad bank is to help ease the burden on banks by taking bad loans off their balan

Retail Direct Gilt Securities Account for Retail Customers by RBI

Retail Direct Gilt Securities Account for Retail Customers by RBI The RBI's proposal to provide direct access to retail investors to its government securities investment platform opens the door to this risk-free investment for retailers. Retail investors can now directly open their gilt accounts with the RBI through the 'Retail Direct’ facility to access both the primary market – where investors buy directly from the issuer — and secondary markets where trading