THE MONETARY POLICY COMMITTEE [ECONOMY]
The Monetary Policy Committee is responsible for fixing the benchmark interest rate in India. The meetings of the Monetary Policy Committee are held at least four times a year (specifically, at least once a quarter) and it publishes its decisions after each such meeting.
The committee comprises six members – three officials of the Reserve Bank of India and three external members nominated by the Government of India. They need to observe a “silent period” seven days before and after the rate decision for “utmost confidentiality”.
HLVM3 [TECHNOLOGY]
HLVM3 is a three-stage vehicle with a payload capacity of about 10 tonnes to LEO. The vehicle is 53 meters tall and weighs 640 tonnes.
NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS [POLICY]
Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are non-binding national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement, where countries outline efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate impacts. Updated every five years, these plans aim to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Cornflour slime – liquid or solid?[SCIENCE]
- The cornflour-water mixture is an example of a non-Newtonian fluid. Newtonian fluids, such as water, maintain a constant viscosity (the measure of a fluid’s resistance to flow) unless the temperature or pressure changes. Non-Newtonian fluids are affected by other forces. In the case of the cornflour-water solution, when you apply force, it behaves like a solid.
- Cornflour is made up of lots of tiny starch particles and when it is mixed with water, the starch particles become suspended in liquid as the water moves in between them. The water acts as a lubricant so when you move the mixture slowly, the particles have time to move past each other and the mixture acts like a liquid. When you apply rapid force to the mixture, the starch particles move slightly and lock together. All the water that filled the cracks between the particles moves into little gaps. Instead of having lots of lubricated individual particles, the particles form into a solid structure which cannot flow and the mixture acts like a solid.
THE PROTOTYPE FAST BREEDER REACTOR (PFBR)[TECHNOLOGY]
- the prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam achieved criticality on April 6
- A nuclear reactor becomes critical when its chain reaction is able to sustain itself. That is, when an atom’s nucleus undergoes nuclear fission, it releases neutrons that trigger at least one more fission reaction in the surrounding nuclei.
THE FEDERATION OF INDIAN EXPORT ORGANISATIONS (FIEO) [NATIONAL BODIES]
The Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) popularly known as ‘FIEO’ is the apex body of trade promotion organisations in India, set up by the Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India in 1965 with the objective to focus the efforts of all stakeholders engaged in trade facilitation and catalyse the growth of goods and services exports from the country.
STATEMENT [INTRNATIONAL RELATIONS]
Greece to ban social media for under-15s from 2027
STATEMENT [INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS]
Pakistan-brokered Iran-U.S. ceasefire.
INSURANCE REGULATORY AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY OF INDIA(IRDAI) [NATIONAL BODIES]
- To protect the interest of and secure fair treatment to policyholders .
- To bring about speedy and orderly growth of the insurance industry (including annuity and superannuation payments), for the benefit of the common man, and to provide long term funds for accelerating growth of the economy;
- To set, promote, monitor and enforce high standards of integrity, financial soundness, fair dealing and competence of those it regulates;