Dispute Resolution Scheme (eDRS)
e-DRS application must be filed within one month from the date of receipt of specified order.
- Notified by – Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)
- Aim – To reduce litigation and provide relief to eligible taxpayers.
- Taxpayers can opt for e-Dispute Resolution against a ‘specified order’ if
- aggregate sum of variations proposed or made does not exceed Rs.10 lakh and
- returned income for the relevant assessment year does not exceed Rs. 50 lakh.
- Act also provides for the constitution of Dispute Resolution Committees (DRC)
Aravalli engines
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has entered into an agreement with SAFHAL Helicopter Engines Private Limited to develop and produce the Aravalli engine.
- Developed for powering next-gen helicopters of HAL -Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) and Deck-Based Multi-Role Helicopter (DBMRH).
- SAFHAL – A joint venture between France-based Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL
Joint Bank Account for Queers
Both the Finance Ministry and RBI issued clarification that persons of Queer community can open joint bank accounts and declare their partners as nominees.
- Navtej Singh Johar (2018) case, SC decriminalized same-sex relations although, same sex marriages are not recognized in India.
- Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 provides for their welfare
Ambipolar Electric Field
Measurements from NASA’s Endurance mission confirmed the existence of the AEF responsible for shaping Earth’s ionosphere.
- Bidirectional weak electric field in the upper atmosphere.
- Hypothesized 60 years ago and originates at around 250 Km altitude, where atoms break into electrons and positively charged ions.
- In the absence of this field, the two charges would have eventually drifted apart.
- The effect of this field is the extension of the atmosphere’s height, causing some ions to escape with the polar wind.
Colombo Security Conclave
The Member States of the CSC signed the Charter and the MoU for the Establishment of the CSC Secretariat.
- A regional security grouping.
- Aim – To make maritime security, marine pollution response and maritime search & rescue priorities for the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
- Members – India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Maldives and recently joined by Bangladesh.
- 5 pillars of cooperation – Maritime Security; Countering Terrorism; Combating Transnational Organised Crime; Cyber Security; and Humanitarian Assistance