Daily Current Affairs
Prelims Exam
1.India to Acquire MQ-9B Predator Drones (30 Units)
Key Points:
- Boosts surveillance capabilities of Indian armed forces.
- High-altitude, long-endurance armed Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).
- Variant of MQ-9 Reaper developed by General Atomics.
- Used for:
- Surveillance
- Intelligence gathering
- Airstrikes
Features:
- Payload capacity: Up to 5,670 kg
- Fuel capacity: 2,721 kg
- Operational altitude: Exceeds 40,000 feet
- Stealthy operation: Can fly close to ground undetected
- Maximum endurance: 40 hours
- Top speed: 275 mph (442 km/h)
- Armament:
- 4 Hellfire missiles
- 450 kg bombs
- Capabilities:
- Land & maritime surveillance
- Anti-submarine warfare
- Anti-surface warfare
- Electronic warfare
- Expeditionary missions
- Automatic take-off and landing
- Integrates with civil airspace for real-time situational awareness
2.Capital Gains Tax (CGT) in India
- Definition: Tax levied on profits earned from selling capital assets (land, buildings, vehicles, patents, etc.).
- Taxation: Applies when assets are transferred between owners, impacting both individuals and businesses.
- Types of CGT:
- Short-term Capital Gains Tax (STCG): Applies to assets held for less than 36 months (24 months for immovable property). Taxed according to income tax slab rate (if STT not applicable) or 15% (if STT applies).
- Long-term Capital Gains Tax (LTCG): Applies to assets held for over 36 months (over 1 year for specific assets like equities). Taxed at 20% with some exceptions (e.g., LTCG on equity-oriented funds exceeding Rs. 1 lakh taxed at 10%).
Additional Notes:
- Taxpayers can utilize tax-saving strategies to minimize CGT burden.
3.Foreign Portfolio Investment (FPI) in India
- Definition: Investments made by foreign entities (individuals, corporations, institutions) in Indian financial assets like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds.
- Purpose: Aims for quick returns through participation in the Indian stock market.
- Regulation: Governed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
- Investment Instruments: Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, derivatives, fixed deposits, etc.
- Key Players: Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) registered with SEBI.
Participatory Notes (P-Notes):
- Financial instruments issued by registered FPIs to overseas investors seeking indirect access to Indian securities.
- Considered offshore derivative investments.
- No direct registration with SEBI required for the underlying investor.
- FPIs report all P-Note investments quarterly to SEBI, but investor identities remain undisclosed.
4.Sahyadri Tiger Reserve
- Location: Sahyadri Ranges of the Western Ghats in Maharashtra.
- Formed in 2010 by merging:
- Chandoli National Park
- Koyna Wildlife Sanctuary
- Key features:
- Undulating terrain with steep escarpments along the western boundary.
- Numerous barren rocky plateaus (“Sadas”) with minimal perennial vegetation.
- Presence of climax and near-climax vegetation.
- Vegetation: Moist evergreen, semi-evergreen, moist, and dry deciduous types.
- Diverse flora: Medicinal plants, fruit trees, and commercial hardwood trees.
- Fauna: Tigers, leopards, wolves, jackals, wild dogs, and various deer species.
- Other tiger reserves in Maharashtra:
- Melghat Tiger Reserve
- Bor Tiger Reserve
- Nawegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve
- Pench Tiger Reserve
- Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve
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