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The British authorities began to view the Arts and Culture peasant protests and gatherings as grounds for sedition.
Patharughat Uprising in Assam: On 28 January 1894, when the British officers were refusing to listen to the farmers’ grievances, things heated up and there was a lathi charge, followed by an open firing which killed around 140 peasants (according to unofficial sources) who were gathered at Patharughat, a small village nearly 60km northeast of Guwahati.
Patharighat is known as Assam's Jallianwala Bagh. Since 2000, the army has Nearly 25 years before the Jallianwallah been paying homage to the martyrs in full Bagh massacre (1919), more than a hundred military honour on 29 January every year peasants fell to the bullets of the British on and has also set up martyrs' column in January 28, 1894 in Patharighat, previously memory of those killed. known as Patharughat in Assam. Every year the, on 28 January the Nearly 25 years before the Jallianwallah government and local people pay respects Bagh massacre (1919), more than a hundred to the martyrs of the incident. This day is peasants fell to the bullets of the British. observed as Krishak Swahid Diwas. These unarmed peasants were protesting in Recently, Assam chief Minister Sarbananda Patharughat against the increase in land Sonowal on January 28, 2021 attended the revenue levied by the colonial Krishak Swahid Diwas where he offered administration, when the military opened floral tributes to farmer martyrs of the fire. historic Patharughat uprising. On the After the British annexation of Assam in occasion, the chief minister felicitated 1826, surveys of the vast lands of the state progressive farmers of the state for their began. On the basis of such surveys, the contribution to the agricultural sector. British began to impose land taxes. In 1893, Assam CM also inaugurated an Integrated the British government decided to increase Training and Skill Development Centre for agricultural land tax reportedly by 70-80% the farmers near the site that will be much to the resentment of the farmers. equipped to teach farmers new skills and Previously the peasants would pay taxes in technology. kind or provide a service in lieu of cash. Assam: Assam is a state in northeastern As a result, peasants began protesting the India known for its wildlife, archeological British move of increasing taxes by sites and tea plantations. It is situated organising Raij Mels, or peaceful peoples’ south of the eastern Himalayas along the conventions across Assam. Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam is known for Assam tea and Assam
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silk. The state was the first site for oil between Gandhi and Dr Babasaheb drilling in Asia. Its capital is Dispur. The Ambedkar was signed within the premises. current Governor and the Chief Minister of The visitors will also get to see the faasi Assam are Professor Jagdish Mukhi and Sarbananda Sonowal respectively. yard, the area where the death sentence is executed. Jail Tourism of Maharashtra: Faasi yard is the place where Chapekar brothers were executed in 1899 for the assassination of British Plague Commissioner of Pune WC Rand.
The last execution that the faasi yard witnessed was in November 2012 of Ajmal Kasab, a convict of 26/11 attacks, who was The Prison Department of Maharashtra buried inside the prison premises. launched its jail tourism initiative, starting with more than 150-year-old Yerawada Note: There are 16 functioning prisons in Central Prison in Pune. The jail tourism Maharashtra. initiative was inaugurated by Maharashtra They were built in the 19th century. Chief Minister Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on January 26, 2021 on the The oldest jail is the Byculla District occasion of 72nd Republic Day. Prison in Mumbai which started in 1840.
The initiative was launched in a move to Maharashtra: Maharashtra is a state in the help students learn about historical western peninsular region of India experiences. occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. Yerawada Jail: Yerawada jail was constructed in 1866, and is the largest jail It was formed on 1 May 1960 by merging in Maharashtra. It is one of the largest the western and south-western parts of the maximum security prisons in the country. Bombay State, Berar and Vidarbha, and the north-western parts of the Hyderabad State This 150 years old jail is where several and splitting Saurashtra (in present-day freedom fighters, including Mahatma Gujarat) by the States Reorganisation Act. Gandhi, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Sarojini Naidu, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lokmanya Its capital is Mumbai. The Chief Minister Tilak and Subhas Chandra Bose were and the Governor of Maharashtra are imprisoned. Uddhav Thackeray and Bhagat Singh Koshyari respectively. Historical Significance: Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned at Yerawada jail three It is famous for its caves and rock-cut times — from March 1922 to February 1924, architecture as in Ajanta Ellora Caves that from January 1932 to May 1933, and for is also one of the UNESCO as World three days in August 1933. The cell where Heritage Site. Mahatma Gandhi was lodged is called the Gandhi Yard. The historic Poona Pact
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Bharat Parv 2021: the rich and varied cultural diversity of the country.
The event is organized in front of the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of Republic Day Celebrations.
The handicrafts, music, dance, handlooms, paintings, literary material and other features from across the country are The Bharat Parv 2021, a festival to showcased at the event. celebrate the spirit of India was recently organized from 26th January till 31st of It is organized by the Ministry of Tourism January. in collaboration with other ministries such as Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Ayush, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla inaugurated media units of I & B Ministry, Ministry of ‘Bharat Parv-2021’ organised by the Railways, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Tourism. The festival was Archaeological Survey of India, Lalit Kala organized on a virtual platform Academy, National Museum, National www.bharatparv2021.com. due to the Gallery of Modern Arts, Khadi & Village ongoing circumstances created by the Industries Commission. COVID-19 pandemic, this year. Kala Utsav 2020: It is being organized with the overall theme focusing on the Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
Ministry of Tourism reserved three virtual pavilions, Dekho Apna Desh, Statue of Unity, and Incredible India.
In addition to that, the Bharat Parv 2021 showcased other pavilions, including The Ministry of Education recently Central Ministries, State themed pavilions, organized the Kala Utsav 2020 annual food festival/studio kitchen from various event to promote the development of arts states and UTs, handicrafts, handlooms, in education. folk performances, performances by cultural troupes from different states and At the event, the Union education minister Union Territories, etc. Ramesh Pokhriyal addressed the valedictory function of Kala Utsav on Background: Bharat Parv is a festival to January 28, and lauded the introduction of celebrate spirit of India. This event is being indigenous toys and games for promoting celebrated as part of Republic Day the ‘vocal for local’ initiative. celebrations since 2016. Background: Kala Utsav is an initiative of The mega event is organized with an aim the Ministry of Education (MoE) to to generate patriotic fervour and showcase
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promote the development of arts in IN FAC T-81: education.
Kala Utsav 2020 was launched online on 10 January 2021 through a digital platform. The Indigenous Toys and Games segment was introduced in Kala Utsav 2020.
It keeps pace with the recommendations of the National Education Policy 2020, which emphasizes the promotion of art and It refers to the Indian Naval Fast Attack culture through education. Craft T-81. The IN FAC T-81 of the Super Dvora MK II class, was decommissioned on Kala Utsav National Competition was 28 January 2021 at Naval Dockyard, launched in 2015. Mumbai after having served the nation for more than 20 years. The programme was initiated by Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Rear Admiral V Srinivas, Flag Officer has now been merged with other schemes Commanding Maharashtra Naval Area was under the "Samagra Shiksha- an integrated the Chief Guest on the occasion. scheme for School Education". IN FAC T-81: It is a 25 meters long vessel Kala Utsav aims to cultivate and showcase with 60 tonnes displacement built at Goa the artistic talents of secondary stage Shipyard Ltd in collaboration with M/s school students in the country. Ramta of Israel. She was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 1999. Children with special needs too will have the opportunity to display their talents. The ship, specially designed for shallow waters, could achieve speeds up to 45 knots It also plays an important role in raising and had the capability of day/night awareness of India’s rich cultural heritage surveillance and reconnaissance, Search & and its vibrant diversity with 'Ek Bharat Rescue, beach insertion, extraction of Shreshtha Bharat' effect. Marine Commandoes and high speed The other initiatives taken for promoting interception of intruder craft. arts are - Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana The ship’s crest depicts a Blue and Black (Ministry of Culture) and Scheme for ‘Sea Horse’ with the characteristic curved Safeguarding the Intangible Cultural tail against a Blue background. Heritage (Ministry of Culture). This has relevance to Indian mythology,
where it is identified as Lord Varun’s ‘Vahana’. The ship has proudly lived up to her motto ‘First Fast Fearless’.
Gallantry Awards:
Defence
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year, will be posthumously awarded with Maha Vir Chakra.
All the 20 soldiers who had died fighting the Chinese troops in hand-to-hand combat at Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on June 15, in which the Chinese had used
rods, batons wrapped with barbed wire and The President of India Ram Nath Kovind other objects, have been awarded gallantry recently approved awards of 455 Gallantry awards posthumously. and other Defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of The awards to these soldiers comprise 1 72nd Republic Day celebrations. Maha Vir Chakra, 4 Vir Chakras and 15 Sena Medals. One soldier who survived the These include clash has been awarded a Vir Chakra.
▪ 1 Mahavir Chakra About the awards: These gallantry awards ▪ 5 Kirti Chakras are announced twice in a year. First, the ▪ 5 Vir Chakras awards are on the occasion of the Republic ▪ 7 Shaurya Chakras Day and then second, on the occasion of ▪ 4 Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry) the Independence Day. ▪ 130 Sena Medal (Gallantry) ▪ 1 Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry) The Order of precedence of these awards is ▪ 4 Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry) the Param Vir Chakra, the Ashoka Chakra, ▪ 30 Param VishishtSeva Medal the Mahavir Chakra, the Kirti Chakra, the (PVSM) Vir Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra. ▪ 4 UttamYudhSeva Medal (UYSM) Background: Three gallantry awards ▪ 51 AtiVishishtSeva Medal (AVSM) namely Param Vir Chakra, Maha Vir ▪ 11 YudhSeva Medal (YSM) Chakra and Vir Chakra were instituted by ▪ 3 Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion to the Government of India on 26th January, Duty) 1950. ▪ 3 Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty) including 02 COVID Warriors, Thereafter, other three gallantry awards i.e. ▪ 8 Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Du- the Ashoka Chakra Class-I, the Ashoka ty) Chakra Class-II and the Ashoka Chakra ▪ 14 Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Class-III were instituted in 1952. Duty) These awards were renamed as Ashoka ▪ 3 Bar to VishishtSeva Medal (VSM) Chakra, Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra including one COVID Warrior respectively in 1967. ▪ 131 VishishtSeva Medal (VSM) in- cluding 12 COVID Warriors
Colonel B Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of 16 Bihar Regiment, who lost his life during the Galwan Valley clash last PTM:
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It refers to the President’s Tatrakshak A large-scale tri-service joint amphibious Medal. President Ram Nath Kovind, on the exercise AMPHEX – 21 was conducted in occassion of the 72nd Republic day 2021, Andaman & Nicobar group of islands from awarded President’s Tatrakshak Medal 21 to 25 Jan 2021. (PTM) and Tatrakshak Medal (TM) to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) personnel for The Naval ships, amphibious troops of the their act of conspicuous gallantry and Army and different types of aircraft from distinguished/meritorious service. the Air force participated in this exercise.
President’s Tatrakshak Medal The main aim of this exercise is validating (Distinguished Service) India’s capabilities to safeguard the territorial integrity of it’s island territories. ▪ IG Dev Raj Sharma, TM (5015-V) ▪ IG Arun Shrivastav, TM (4025-V) It also sought to enhance operational synergy and joint war fighting capabilities Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry) amongst the three Services.
▪ DIG Anurag Kaushik (0428-V) The exercise involved multi-faceted ▪ Pratap Narayan, P/Adh(ME), 02433- maritime operations by synergized L employment of amphibious assault ships, ▪ Yaduraj Yadav, P/Adh(ME), 02497- surveillance platforms, execution of Z maritime air strikes and complex ▪ Ravi Kumar, U/Nvk(ME), 13104-M maneuvers at sea.
Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service) The Ex KAVACH for defence of Andaman ▪ DIG Kailash Negi(0311-E & Nicobar Islands formed a part of ▪ Som Lal, P/Adh(RP), 00826-H AMPHEX – 21.
These awards are being given to the A joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance exercise under the aegis of personnel of Indian Coast Guard on Republic Day and Independence Day every HQ Integrated Defence Staff was also run year, since 26 Jan 1990 onwards. concurrently to achieve Maritime Domain Awareness by employment of a multitude of sensors.
AMPHEX – 21: Bhawana Kanth:
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for their function in taking care of the flow of goods across the world borders. On this day, members of the World Customs Organization (WCO) also showcase their efforts and activities.
The theme for 2021 as given by World Customs Organization (WCO) is “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain”.
In India, the Central Board of Indirect Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth created Taxes and Customs (CBIC) observed the history by becoming the first woman International Customs Day, 2021. fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade. The day celebrated the 30th anniversary of the first CCC session. In 1994, the CCC was She was a part of the Indian Air Force's renamed the WCO. Today, the WCO is the (IAF's) tableau that showcased mock-ups only international body dedicated of the light combat aircraft, light combat exclusively to international customs and helicopter and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane. border control matters. She is currently posted at an airbase in It was on January 26, 1953 that the Customs Rajasthan where she flies the MiG-21 Bison Cooperation Council (CCC) had held its fighter plane. inaugural session in Brussels which was Kanth is also one of the first women fighter attended by representatives from 17 pilots in the IAF. European countries.
In 1983, the CCC created International Customs Day. Economics In 1994, CCC was renamed as World Customs Organization (WCO).
ICD: ironment WCO: World Customs Organization (WCO) is the only international body
looking after international customs and matters concerning border control. It is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. WCO currently has custom organizations from 182 countries as its members. More than 98% of world trade is administered by
WCO. It refers to the International Customs Day. What is customs? ICD is celebrated on 26 January globally every year. It is the day designated to honour the custom officials and agencies
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Customs is the body in charge of tariffs on recommendations of the Commission collection in a country. The flow of goods for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). (ranging from personal items, animals, The government has increased MSP for precarious objects) in and out of the country is monitored by the customs. The Fair Average Quality (FAQ) of milling ₹ aim of this agency is to safely bridge gaps copra by 375 from 2020. Thus, the Copra would cost ₹10,335 per quintal and while borders continue to demarcate. The agencies believe that by lending support contributes in boosting the farmers’ and guidance to the customs income. This hike in MSP for copra will be impacting the farmers of 12 coastal states. administration process, they connect countries. The cost of production for both the Customs management works towards variants of copra is Rs. 6,800 and the creating a sustainable future by facilitating government will be giving 52% and 55% more than the cost of production. economic, social, environmental needs in the process The National Agricultural Cooperative CBIC: It is an acronym for the Central Marketing Federation of India Limited Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs. CBIC (NAFED) and National Cooperative Consumer Federation of India Limited is the nodal national agency responsible for (NCCF) will continue to act as Central administering Customs, GST, Central Excise, Service Tax and Narcotics in India. Nodal Agencies to undertake price support It comes under the Department of operations at the MSP in the coconut growing States. Revenue, Ministry of Finance. It was founded on 1 January 1964. The current What is Copra? CBIC is M. Ajit Kumar. Copra is the dried meat or kernel of the MSP for Copra: coconut, which is the fruit of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Coconut oil is extracted from copra, making it an important agricultural commodity for many coconut-producing countries.
Minimum support price (MSP):
The MSP is an agricultural product price which is set by the Government of India The Cabinet Committee on Economic (GoI) to purchase the commodities directly Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime from the farmer. The MSP is not enforcable Minister Narendra Modi recently gave its by Law. MSP seeks to safeguard the farmer approval for the Minimum Support Price interest by providing them a minimum (MSP) of copra for 2021 season. profit for their harvest in case the open The MSPs was approved for for milling market has lesser price than the actual cost copra and ball copra. The approval is based incurred.
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The price of the 23 commodities is set by with a tentative target to skill 8 the government twice a year. lakh candidates including migrants.
The MSP is fixed based on the recommendations of the Commission for Economic Survey 2020-21 - Bare Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP). Necessities:
CACP sets the price since 2009 on the basis of cost of production, demand & supply, price fluctuations, market price trends, international market prices and agricultural wage rate.
Economic Survey 2020-21 - Skill Development: The Union Minister for Finance and The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in Parliament on 29th January 2021. Economic Parliament on 29th January 2021. The Survey 2020-21 constructs a Bare Economic Survey 2020-21 states that only Necessities Index (BNI) at the rural, urban 2.4% of the workforce of age 15-59 years and all India level. has received formal vocational/technical Key Highlights: training and another 8.9% of the workforce received training through informal sources. ❖ The BNI summarizes 26 indicators on five dimensions viz., water, sani- Key Highlights: tation, housing, micro- ❖ Out of the 8.9% workforce who re- environment, and other facilities. ceived non-formal training, the ❖ The BNI has been created for all largest chunk is contributed by on- States for 2012 and 2018 using data the-job training (3.3 per cent), fol- from two NSO rounds viz., 69th lowed by self-learning (2.5 per cent) and 76th on Drinking Water, Sani- and hereditary sources (2.1 per tation, Hygiene and Housing Con- cent) and other sources (1 per cent). dition in India. ❖ Among those who received formal ❖ In most of the States the access to training, the most opted training the Bare Necessities for the house- course is IT-ITeS among both males hold in 2018 is significantly better and females. compared to 2012. ❖ The Unified Skill Regulator- Na- ❖ Access to drinking water to house- tional Council for Vocational Edu- holds in most of the States has im- cation and Training (NCVET) was proved in 2018 compared to 2012 in operationalized recently. rural as well as urban areas. ❖ Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas ❖ Regional disparity in access to sani- Yojana 3.0 was rolled out in 2020-21 tation has declined as the States
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having low access to sanitation in ❖ In the Agriculture year 2019-20 (as 2012 have gained more. per Fourth Advance Estimates), to- ❖ Survey observes improvement in tal food grain production in the Housing Index also indicating im- country is estimated at record provement in access to housing and 296.65 million tonnes which is reduction in inter-States disparities higher by 11.44 million tonnes than with disproportionate benefits for the production of food grain of the lowest income group in 2018 285.21 million tonnes achieved dur- vis-à-vis 2012. ing 2018-19. ❖ The economic Survey also notes ❖ In 2019-20, the major agricultural improvement in micro environ- and allied export destinations were ment for all States in 2018 except USA, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Nepal and for Assam in rural and Odisha and Bangladesh. Assam in urban areas as compared ❖ The top agriculture and related to 2012. products exported from India were ❖ Survey also points to a positive cor- marine products, basmati rice, buf- relation between access to bare ne- falo meat, spices, non-basmati rice, cessities and better health and edu- cotton raw, oil meals, sugar, castor cation outcome. It observes im- oil and tea. provement in child survival, decline ❖ The contribution of livestock in to- in still births, malnutrition, and in- tal agriculture and allied sector fant mortality with improved access GVA (at Constant Prices) has in- to sanitation and clean drinking creased from 24.32 per cent (2014- water. 15) to 28.63 per cent (2018-19). Live- stock sector contributed 4.19 per Economic Survey 2020-21 - Agriculture: cent of total GVA in 2018-19. The Union Minister for Finance and ❖ During the last 5 years ending 2018- Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman 19, Food Processing Industries (FPI) presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in sector has been growing at an Aver- Parliament on 29th January 2021. The age Annual Growth Rate (AAGR) of Agriculture and Allied activities clocked a around 9.99 per cent as compared growth of 3.4 per cent at constant prices to around 3.12 per cent in Agricul- during 2020-21 (first advance estimate) says ture and 8.25 per cent in Manufac- the Economic Survey 2020-21. turing at 2011-12 prices.
Key Highlights:
❖ As per the Provisional Estimates of
National Income released by CSO
on 29th May, 2020, the share of Ag-
riculture and Allied Sectors in
Gross Value Added (GVA) of the
country at current prices is 17.8 per cent for the year 2019-20.
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Economic Survey 2020-21 - Pradhan adopted PMJAY versus those that Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY): did not. ❖ The proportion of people ensuring family planning rose across all the states between the two surveys, the increase is much more significant in the states that adopted PM-JAY indicating its effectiveness. ❖ The proportion of women with to-
tal unmet family planning needs The Union Minister for Finance and decreased by 31% in the PMJAY Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman states, the decline in the non- presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in PMJAY states was merely 10%. Parliament on 29th January 2021. The PMJAY: It is a fully-funded government Economic Survey 2020-21 said the PM-JAY health insurance scheme that provides Rs 5 reveals strong positive impact on Health lakh medical insurance coverage per year Outcomes. This was stated in the for 107.4 million families identified as per Economic Survey 2020-21 which was laid by the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011. Union Minister for Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt Nirmala Sitharaman in Economic Survey 2020-21 - Saving a Life Parliament. That Is In Jeopardy Is The Origin Of Dharma: Key Highlights:
❖ PM-JAY is being used for high fre- quency but low-cost care such as dialysis.is being used for high fre- quency but low-cost care such as dialysis. ❖ The proportion of households with any usual member covered under health insurance or financing The Union Minister for Finance and scheme increased by 54 per cent Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman from NFHS 4 to NFHS 5 in the presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in states that adopted PMJAY, it de- Parliament on 29th January 2021. creased by 10 per cent in the states that did not adopt PMJAY, reflect- Economic Survey is all about how the ing the success of PMJAY in en- governments, at the centre and states, have hancing health insurance coverage. handled this once in a century crisis. ❖ The reduction in Infant Mortality “Saving a life that is in jeopardy is the Rate (IMR) was 20 per cent vis-à-vis origin of Dharma”, the Economic Survey 12 per cent in PMJAY and non- quotes from the epic Mahabharat while PMJAY states respectively, an in- explaining the India’s policy response to crement of 8 per cent for states that the pandemic wherein the trade-offs
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between lives and livelihood was inherent Economic Survey 2020-21 - Employment: in the crisis triggered by COVID-19.
Key Highlights:
❖ COVID-19 pandemic engendered a once-in-a-century global crisis in 2020 where 90 per cent of countries are expected to experience a con- traction in GDP per capita and In- dia’s efforts focused on saving lives The Union Minister for Finance and and livelihoods by its willingness to Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman take short-term pain for long term presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in gain. Parliament on 29th January 2021.
❖ The Economic Survey states the ex- The Economic Survey 2020-21 states that ample of Spanish Flu to prove the the years 2019 and 2020 are landmark years point that the timing matters - ear- in the history of labour reforms. ly and extensive lockdowns leading The country saw the nearly 29 Central to greater delays in reaching peak Labour laws being amalgamated, mortality, lower peak mortality rationalized and simplified into four labour rates and overall lower mortality codes viz.: burden. 1. The Code on Wages, 2019, ❖ 40 day lockdown period was used 2. The Industrial Relations Code, for scaling up the necessary medical 2020, and para-medical infrastructure for 3. The Occupational Safety, Health active surveillance, expanding test- and Working Conditions Code, ing, contact tracing, isolation and 2020 and management of cases and 4. The Code on Social Security, 2020. educating citizens about social distancing and masks. COVID-19 has exposed the vulnerability of urban casual workers, who account for 11.2 ❖ The Survey credits the flattening of per cent of urban workforce (All-India) as curve and lives saved to the early per Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS), lockdown imposed by the govern- January-March, 2020. ment. The size of labour force in 2018-19 was
estimated at about 51.8 crore persons: ❖ While the lockdown resulted in a about 48.8 crore employed and 3.0 crore 23.9 per cent contraction in GDP in unemployed. Q1, the recovery has been a V- shaped one as seen in the 7.5 per Industry-wise estimates on workforce cent decline in Q2 and the recovery shows that the largest, about 21.5 crore across all key economic indicators. persons are employed in 'Agriculture',
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which is still the largest employer with 42.5 employing up to 1000 employees per cent of workforce. (contributing EPF members with UAN) during the period from October, 2020 to Next important industry is ‘other services’ June, 2021 and also to re-employ who lost where about 6.4 crore persons (13.8 per their jobs due to COVID-19. cent) were engaged. 2. Only employees' share of EPF 'Manufacturing' and ‘Trade, hotel & contribution (i.e. 12 per cent) of wages in restaurants’ each employed about 5.9 crore respect of new employees in persons with the share of nearly 12.1 per establishments employing more than 1000 cent and 12.6 per cent respectively, while employee during the period from October ‘Construction’ sector employed about 5.7 2020 to June 2021, and also to re-employee crore persons in 2018-19 with share of 12.1 who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. per cent. Other Measures: Economic Survey 2020-21 - AatmaNirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana The Survey says that to provide relief to the (ABRY): organized sector employees, a notification issued on 28th March, 2020 by the Government provisioning non-refundable advance of 75% of outstanding balance or 3 months’ wages whichever is lower, allowed to the members of EPFO.
Under Prime Minister’s Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) financial assistance was given to building & other construction The Union Minister for Finance and workers (BOCW) which largely included Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman migrant workers from the funds collected presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in under BOCW’s cess. Parliament on 29th January 2021. 31 State/UT Governments have announced The Economic Survey says that ABRY, a cash benefits, ranging from Rs. 1000 to Rs. component of Aatmanirbhar Bharat 6000 per month to around 2.0 crore package announced in November, 2020 has workers and total amount of Rs. 4973.65 total estimated outlay of Rs 22,810 crore for crore was disbursed. the scheme period i.e., up to wage month 31st May, 2023. Economic Survey 2020-21 - Combined Social Sector Expenditure: The scheme proposes to pay:
1. Entire employees’ and employers’ contribution (12% of employees’ EPF and 12% of employers' EPF contribution or statutory rate applicable to establishment) i.e. 24% of wages towards EPF in respect of new employees in establishments
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The Union Minister for Finance and sovereign credit ratings methodology to be Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman made more transparent, less subjective and presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in better attuned to reflect an economy’s Parliament on 29th January 2021. The fundamentals. Economic Survey 2020-21 states that the combined (Centre and States) social sector Highlights: expenditure as per cent of GDP has ❖ Never in the history of sovereign increased in 2020-21 compared to last year. credit ratings, has the fifth largest Key Highlights: economy in the world been rated at the lowest rung of the investment ❖ The expenditure on social services grade (BBB-/Baa3) except in the (education, health and other social case of China and India. sectors) by Centre and States com- ❖ Reflecting on the economic size bined as a proportion of GDP in- and thereby ability to repay debt, at creased from 7.5% in 2019-20 (RE) all other times, the fifth largest to 8.8% in 2020-21 (BE). economy has been predominantly ❖ According to the Survey, India’s rated AAA. rank in HDI 2019 was recorded 131 ❖ The Survey points out that the Sov- compared to 129 in 2018, out of a to- ereign Credit Ratings can be pro- tal 189 countries. cyclical and affect equity and debt ❖ By looking at the sub-component FPI flows of developing countries, wise performance of HDI indica- causing damage and worsening cri- tors, India's "GNI per capita (2017 sis. PPP $)" has increased from US$ ❖ Hence, it has called for addressing 6,427 in 2018 to US$ 6,681 in 2019, the bias and subjectivity inherent in and "life expectancy at birth" has sovereign credit ratings methodol- improved from 69.4 to 69.7 years ogy respectively. ❖ India has already raised the issue of pro-cyclicality of credit ratings in Economic Survey 2020-21 - Sovereign G20. Credit Ratings: Economic Survey 2020-21 - Banking Sector:
The Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in
Parliament on 29th January 2021. The Economic Survey 2020-21 has called for
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The Union Minister for Finance and ❖ Credit growth of banks slowed Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman down to 6.7 per cent as on January presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in 1, 2021. The credit off take from Parliament on 29th January 2021. banking sector also witnessed a broad-based slowdown in 2020-21. According to Economic Survey 2020-21, Gross Non-Performing Assets ratio of Future Investment Initiative Forum Scheduled Commercial Banks decreased 2021: from 8.21 per cent at the end of March 2020 to 7.49 per cent at the end of September The Union Minister for Health and Family 2020. Welfare Dr. Harsh Vardhan recently addressed the 4th edition of the Future Key Highlights: Investment Initiative (FII) Forum, through Video Conference. ❖ This has to be seen in conjunction with the asset classification relief The purpose of this year's forum was to provided to borrowers on account find solutions on how business and of the pandemic, says the Economic government can expand access to Survey. healthcare, train healthcare workers, ❖ Further, the Survey notes that Capi- remove regulatory barriers and encourage tal to risk-weighted asset ratio of investment in advanced health Scheduled Commercial Banks in- technologies creased from 14.7 per cent to 15.8 per cent between March 2020 and The Future Investment Initiative (FII) is an September 2020 with improvement annual investment forum. It is held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to discuss trends in in both Public and Private sector banks. the world economy and investment ❖ The recovery rate for the Scheduled environment. It is hosted by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (PIF). Commercial Banks through Insol- vency & Bankruptcy code-IBC The first event was held in October 2017. (since its inception) has been over 45 per cent. MoU between India and Japan: ❖ Due to the pandemic, initiation of Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) was suspended for any default. The suspension along with continued clearance has al- lowed a small decline in accumu- lated cases.
❖ The financial flows to the real economy however remained con- A formal MoU (Memorandum of strained on account of subdued Understanding) signing ceremony was credit growth by both banks and recently held between Textiles Committee, Non-Banking Financial Corpora- Ministry of Textiles, Government of India tions.
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(GoI) and M/s. Nissenken Quality The Indo-French Year of the Environment Evaluation Centre Japan. was recently launched by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest & Climate The key aim of the MoU is to provide Change Prakash Javadekar along with required support to textile’s trade and Barbara Pompili, the French Minister for industry for ensuring quality as per the Ecological Transition. requirement of Japanese buyers through Testing, Inspection & Conformity The basic objective of this collaboration is Assessment. to strengthen Indo-French cooperation in sustainable development, increase the It is expected that the MoU will strengthen effectiveness of actions in favour of global the bilateral trade by enhancing India’s environment protection and give them export of Textile and Apparels (T&A) to greater visibility. Japan, which is the third largest export destination of the world. The Indo-French Year of the Environment will be implemented over the period 2021- Textiles Committee: The Textiles 2022 on five main themes. They are as Committee is a statutory body under the follows: Ministry of Textiles to ensure quality of all textiles and textile products for domestic 1. Environmental protection and export markets. It was established in 2. Climate change the year 1963 by an Act of Parliament. It is 3. Biodiversity conservation the only body which provides for all the 4. Sustainable urban development quality related needs of the entire Textiles 5. Development of renewable energies Value Chain (TVC) in an integrated format and energy efficiency on a pan-India basis. This collaboration and the Indo-French Environment year will be held under the Environment Ministry of Ecological Transition, in association with the Ministry of Europe Indo-French year of Environment: and Foreign Affairs along with the support of the Embassy of France in Delhi and its partners from the French side.
From the Indian side, it will be coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) along with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), Ministry of New and Renewable The Indo-French Year of the Environment Energy and other concerned is the Indo-French partnership on Ministries/Departments/Organizations. Environment, Biodiversity, Climate Change and other allied areas to be undertaken Note: India-France alliance is the main throughout 2021. pillar of the International Solar Alliance launched by PM Narendra Modi.
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❖ Reducing threats to marine species and their habitats, National Marine Turtle Action Plan: ❖ Rehabilitation of degraded habitats, ❖ Enhancing people’s participation, ❖ Advance scientific research and ex- change of information on marine mammals and marine turtles and their habitats.
Marine biodiversity in India: India has rich marine biodiversity along a vast coastline of over 7,500 km. It comprises of colorful The Ministry of Environment Forest and fish, sharks, including Whale Sharks, Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has recently turtles and big mammals like whales, released ‘Marine Mega Fauna Stranding dolphins and dugongs to bright corals. Guidelines’ and ‘National Marine Turtle Action Plan’. The need for action plan:
National Marine Turtle Action Plan and Marine habitats not only harbor diverse Marine Mega Fauna Stranding Guidelines species but also provide resources essential have been released acknowledging the for human wellbeing. Millions of people need for a conservation paradigm for depend on these resources ranging from marine turtles and marine megafauna. The maritime trade and transport, food, main objective is conserving both floral mineral resources, cultural traditions, and faunal diversity including marine spiritual values and inspiration that draws biodiversity. tourists from around the world.
Both these documents contain ways and But sadly, the marine mega fauna species means to promote inter-sectoral action for and marine turtles face a wide variety of conservation. They also guide improved challenges which include stranding and coordination amongst the government, entanglement. civil society and all relevant stakeholders on the response to cases of stranding, Thus, India needs to conserve the marine entanglement, injury or mortality of resources to meet the demands and marine mammals and also conservation of increasing people’s participation. marine turtles. CAS 2021: The key highlight of these two documents is as follows:
❖ Actions to be taken for handling stranded animals on shore stranded or entangled animals in the sea or on a boat, ❖ Management actions for improved coordination,
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It refers to the Climate Adaptation ❖ The summit saw the launch of a Summit 2021. The CAS 2021 was recently comprehensive Adaptation Action addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Agenda (AAA), setting out clear Modi. commitments to deliver concrete new endeavors and partnerships to Key points of Pm Modi's Address: make our world more resilient to ❖ India is targeting 450 gigawatt of the effects of climate change. renewable energy capacity by 2030. ❖ India is promoting LED lights and National saving 38 million tons of carbon-di- oxide emissions annually. ❖ By the year 2030 India will restore India-Japan Act East Forum: 26 million hectares of degraded land. ❖ India is providing clean cooking fuel to 80 million rural households. ❖ India is connecting 64 million households to piped water supply.
About the Summit:
❖ The Government of Netherlands The 5th joint meeting of the India-Japan government hosted an online in- Act East Forum (AEF) was recently held by ternational Climate Adaptation India and Japan in New Delhi. Summit (CAS Online) on 25 Janu- ary 2021. The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign ❖ The climate adaptation summit was Secretary Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, and built on the advances of the UN Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to Climate Action Summit. India. ❖ It also showcased the pioneering During the 5th meeting, AEF reviewed the solutions of the climate emergency progress of ongoing projects in the North and sustaining momentum through Eastern Region of India under the UNFCCC’s COP26. assistance of Japan in various areas ❖ Climate adaptation summit 2021 including connectivity, hydropower, will help in delivering the action sustainable development, harnessing of and inspire the change to help the water resources, and skill development. societies build back better. ❖ The organizers of the 2021 summit Both the sides discussed several new also called for major new funding projects being undertaken under India- for agricultural research. Japan bilateral cooperation. ❖ They also expanded the access to farmer advisory services, risk man- They also exchanged views on cooperation agement and financial services. in new areas such as healthcare, agro- industries and SMEs, bamboo value chain
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development, smart city, tourism and More than five lac lectures will be people-to-people exchanges. organized across the nation by Ayurveda Physicians for citizens of India. The ongoing ODA projects supported by Japan amounts to more than 231 billion yen The key objective of the campaign is (appx. INR 1,600 crore). creating awareness through Lecture series and to make common people aware about AEF ofIndia-Japan: The AEF was the theme “Ayurveda for COVID 19 established in 2017 to provide a platform Pandemic”. for India-Japan collaboration in the North Eastern (NE) Region under India’s “Act NGCD: East Policy” and Japan’s vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.
Japan: Japan is an island country located in East Asia. It is made up of 6,852 islands. The Japanese name for Japan is Nihon or Nippon which means sun origin.
It is bordered by the Sea of Japan to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east, and It refers to the National Girl Child Day. The spans from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north NGCD is celebrated on 24th January every to the East China Sea and Philippine Sea in year in India. The day is celebrated to raise the south. awareness about the rights of girls and to highlight the inequalities that they face in Tokyo is the capital of Japan. The currency their lives. used there is Japanese Yen. The current Prime Minister of Japan is Shinzo Abe. The theme for this year was “A girl is flower, not a thorn”. AYU SAMVAD: Apart from Girl child day, Women and Child Development Department will also celebrated National Girl Child Week from January 24 to 30.
During the week, many important programmes like “Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao” (BBBP) signature campaign,
plantation and name plate drive in the "AYU SAMVAD" (My Health My names of daughters, awareness campaign Responsibility) is one of the largest public on women’s rights and mass oaths for girl awareness campaign programme on child protection was administered. AYURVEDA and COVID 19 PANDEMIC.
It is being organized by All India Institute NGCD was started by the Ministry of of Ayurveda New Delhi, as envisioned & Women and Child Development in 2008. supported by Ministry of AYUSH. The main objective behind is:
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• to highlight the inequalities faced Inclusion Fund for targeting the by girls, to promote awareness in- development of girl child. The fund will cluding the rights of a girl child, the focus on ensuring 100% enrolment of girls importance of education, health, in schooling and a record participation rate and nutrition. Nowadays also gen- in higher education. der discrimination is a major prob- PMRBP: lem that girls or women face throughout their life • to generate awareness on the issue of declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and create a positive environment around valuing the girl child.
An event was organized by the Women and Child Development Ministry in Delhi to observe the anniversary of 'Beti Bachao Beti It refers to the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Padhao' scheme. Women and Child Bal Puraskar. It is awarded to the children Development Minister Maneka Gandhi was with exceptional abilities and outstanding the Chief Guest at the event. achievement in the fields of innovation, scholastic achievements, sports, arts & The Government of India (GoI) has taken culture, social service and bravery. several steps over the years to change this and improve the conditions of girls. Several The Government of India (GoI) confers the campaigns and programs such as Save the Bal Shakti Puraskar under Pradhan Mantri Girl Child, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, free or Rashtriya Bal Puraskar. subsidized education for the girl children, reservations for women in colleges and This year, 32 applicants from across the universities have been initiated to reduce country, under different categories of Bal this discrimination. Shakti Puraskar, have been selected for PMRBP-2021. BBBP Scheme: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme was launched by Prime Minister Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on 25th Narendra Modi in January 2015 at Panipat January 2021, interacted with the ‘Pradhan in Haryana. Through this scheme, many Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar’ awardees important issues related to girls and via video conferencing and lauded their women are raised. Many inhuman contributions. practices towards women such as feticide Vaccine Maitri: are now reduced. These campaigns have helped change the mindset of the people, especially in rural areas, there has been a lot of awareness about the education of girls.
NEP-2020: National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 has introduced “Gender
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Vaccine Maitri is the name given to an initiative launched by India to gift COVID- International 19 vaccines to neighbouring countries.
Recently, Sri Lanka and Bahrain have WEF's Common Trust Network: received the COVID-19 vaccines from India under the initiative. Sri Lanka has received 5 lakh Covid-19 vaccines while Bahrain will receive 10,800 vaccines.
India has already delivered over 5 million doses to seven countries in the neighbourhood under the initiative before Sri Lanka and Bahrain. Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare The 7 countries are as follows: Dr. Harsh Vardhan, recently addressed the event on Restoring Cross Border Mobility 1. Maldives (100,000 vaccines) by World Economic Forum’s Common 2. Bhutan (150,000 vaccines) Trust Network through Video Conference. 3. Nepal (1 million vaccines) 4. Bangladesh (2 million vaccines) The main purpose of the event was to 5. Myanmar (1.5 million vaccines) discuss the policies, practices and 6. Mauritius (100,000 vaccines) partnerships needed to reopen borders and 7. Seychelles (50,000 vaccines) enable essential travel, tourism and commerce in a safe and sustainable way. Commercial supplies of Covishield have also been sent to Morocco, Brazil, (2 Background: The countries around the million doses each), and Bangladesh (5 world are working to overcome the million doses). COVID-19 pandemic and restart their economies. They are all facing the COVID-19 Vaccination Programme in challenge of how to reopen their borders India: The COVID-19 vaccination and allow travel and commerce to resume programme started in India on January 16, while protecting their populations’ health. 2021, with the two approved vaccines (Emergency-use) – Covishield and Covaxin. So to address this challenge, The Commons In phase 1, health workers are being Project Foundation and the World vaccinated followed by people above the Economic Forum have launched the age of 50 years. Common Trust Network in collaboration with a broad voluntary network of public and private stakeholders.
The Common Trust Network is designed
a) to empower individuals with digital access to their health information,
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b) to make it easier for individuals to Abu Dhabi at the 2019 Reaching the Last understand and comply with each Mile Forum, hundreds of partners signed destination’s requirements, and up to mark World NTD Day and demand action to Face NTDs and End The Neglect. c) to help ensure that only verifiable lab results and vaccination records from The WHO Executive Board recommended trusted sources are presented for the support of World NTD Day, an important purposes of cross-border travel and milestone in adding the day to the official commerce. global calendar.
Common Trust Registry: The Common Why 30th January? Trust Network is enabled by a global registry of trusted laboratory and 30th January was marked as the World NTD Day because it marks the anniversary vaccination data sources, standard formats for lab results and vaccination records, and of the 2012 London declaration on NTDs. standard tools to make those results and The declaration unified the partners across the sectors, countries and disease records digitally accessible. communities to enable greater investment It is also enabled by a common global and action on NTDs. registry for governments and other destinations to publish their health 2021 World NTD Day: screening entry rules in a common format, On World NTD Day this year, more than making it easier for travellers and the travel 50 landmarks representing 25 nations industry to understand and comply with across the world will be lit up to celebrate each destination’s requirements. how far we have come together in beating World NTD Day: NTDs. India too will join these countries, by illuminating UNESCO world heritage site Qutub Minar.
What are NTDs?
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of 20 conditions that affect more than a billion people in rural regions, poor It refers to the World Neglected Tropical urban areas and conflict zones, with Diseases Day. January 30, 2021 marked the devastating health, social and economic second annual World Neglected Tropical consequences – but they are preventable Diseases (NTD) Day, highlighting the and treatable. global community’s commitment to ending Neglected Tropical Diseases. These NTDs are common in low-income populations in developing regions of Background: World Neglected Tropical Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Diseases Day was celebrated for the first time on 30 January 2020. Originally They are caused by a variety of pathogens announced by the Crown Prince Court of such as viruses, bacteria, protozoa and
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parasitic worms (helminths). They include Organisation for Economic Co-operation dengue, rabies, blinding trachoma, Buruli and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the ulcer, endemic treponematoses (yaws), wake of the 1973 oil crisis. leprosy (Hansen disease) etc. The IEA is made up of 30 member These diseases are contrasted with the big countries. In addition, the IEA family also three infectious diseases (HIV/AIDS, includes eight association countries which tuberculosis, and malaria), which generally include Brazil, China and India. receive greater treatment and research funding. Three countries are seeking accession to full membership, Chile, Israel and One in five people around the world are Lithuania. affected by NTDs. World Economic Forum’s Davos India is home to the world’s largest Dialogue: absolute burden of at least 11 of these major neglected tropical diseases.
International Energy Agency (IEA):
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently addressed the World Economic Forum’s Davos Dialogue on 28th January, 2021 via video conferencing. The Framework for Strategic Partnership between the International Energy Agency Key Highlights: (IEA) members and the Government of The virtual session was attended by more India GoI) was recently signed. than 400 top industry leaders from across Objective: Its main objective is to the world. strengthen mutual trust and cooperation & PM Modi will be delivered his speech on enhance global energy security, stability the “Fourth Industrial Revolution- using and sustainability. technology for the good of humanity”. He This partnership will lead to an extensive also interacted with the CEOs during the exchange of knowledge and would be a Davos Dialogue. stepping stone towards India becoming a This is the 51st annual meeting of the full member of the IEA. World Economic Forum. The Davos About IEA: The International Energy Dialogues agenda marks the launch of the Agency (IEA) is a Paris-based autonomous World Economic Forum’s Great Reset intergovernmental organization. It was Initiative in the post COVID world. established in the framework of the
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The WEF annual meeting in Davos helps to U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration bring together the top leaders of the world recently announced that it was restoring who will help in shaping the regional, relations with the Palestinians and global and industry agendas for 2021. renewing aid to Palestinian refugees.
Great Reset Initiative: The Great Reset It is a reversal of the Donald Trump Initiative organised in June 2020 was the administration’s cutoff and a key element 50th annual meeting of WEF. The initiative of its new support for a two-state solution had brought together the high profile to the decades-old conflict agreed to by business and political leaders who were Israelis and Palestinians. convened by WEF and Prince of Wales. Palestine: Palestine, recognized officially as The meeting was organised under the the State of Palestine by the United theme of Rebuilding the society and Nations and other entities, is a de jure economy in a sustainable way for the post- sovereign state in Western Asia claiming COVID-19 world. the West Bank (bordering Israel and Jordan) and Gaza Strip (bordering Israel WEF: It refers to the World Economic and Egypt) with Jerusalem as the Forum. designated capital, although its The WEF is headquartered in Cologny, administrative center is currently located Geneva Canton, Switzerland. in Ramallah.
It is an international NGO, founded in The entirety of territory claimed by the January 1971. State of Palestine has been occupied since 1948, first by Egypt and Jordan and then by The WEF's mission is stated as "committed Israel after the Six-Day War in 1967. to improving the state of the world by engaging business, political, academic, and The region (or at least a part of it) is also other leaders of society to shape global, known as the Holy Land and is held sacred regional, and industry agendas". among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Since the 20th century it has been the The annual meeting of WEF is held in object of conflicting claims of Jewish and Davos, Switzerland every year at the end of Arab national movements, and the conflict the month January. has led to prolonged violence and, in several instances, open warfare. The founder and Executive Chairman of WEF is Klaus Schwab. Estonia:
US and Palestine:
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Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country on the eastern coast of the India Polity Baltic Sea in Northern Europe.
It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Union Budget Mobile App: Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Lake Peipus and Russia.
The territory of Estonia consists of the mainland and of 2,222 islands in the Baltic Sea. The capital of Estonia is Tallinn.
The currency used here is Euro. The Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman recently launched the “Union Recently, the former Member of the Budget Mobile App” ahead of the European Parliament, Kaja Kallas, the presentation of the Union Budget on leader of the Reform Party has become February 1, 2021. The App was launched by Estonia’s first female prime minister. her during the hosting of the customary Halwa ceremony at the North Block on the The Reform Party, led by Kallas, won the 30th of January 2021. 2019 parliamentary election in Estonia with 34 MPs in the country’s 101-seat parliament, The mobile app was launched for hassle- Riigikogu. free access of Budget-related documents by Members of Parliament (MPs) and the With this win, Estonia has currently general public. become the only country in the world where both the president Kersti Kaljulaid The budget will completely be paperless for and the prime minister are women. the first time after. This decision was taken in the light of ongoing coronavirus About Kaja Kallas: The 43 years old Kaja pandemic. Kallas is a lawyer and the former European Parliament Member. She is the daughter of This will be the first time since the Sim Kallas who founded the Reform Party presentation of independent India's first and was PM of Estonia from 2002-2003. Budget on November 26, 1947, that the documents containing income and
expenditure statement of the Union Government along with the Finance Bill, detailing new taxes and other measures for the new financial year, will not be physically printed.
About the Union Budget Mobile App:
The mobile app will provide complete access to 14 Union Budget documents,
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including the Annual Financial Statement In 2016, Narendra Modi shifted the date of or the Budget, Demand for Grants (DG) Budget presentation to February, 1. and the Finance Bill, etc. as prescribed by The printing of budget documents starts the Constitution. with the customary Halwa ceremony in The App has a user-friendly interface which the Halwa is served by the Finance comprising of features like downloading, Minister. printing, search, zoom in and out, The tradition of carrying budget in a bidirectional scrolling, table of contents and external links, etc. leather briefcase was also changed in July 2019 when the finance minister carried the It is bilingual (English & Hindi) and will be budget in a Bahi-Khata. available on both Android and iOS What is Halwa Ceremony? platforms. Halwa ceremony has been a tradition The App has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under which has continued for long. the guidance of the Department of As part of the ritual, a sweet dish or Indian Economic Affairs (DEA). dessert ‘halwa’ is prepared in a big ‘kadhai’ (vessel) and served to the officials of the Union Budget: Finance Ministry and support staff, who are The “Annual Financial Statement” is directly involved in the Budget making and commonly known as Budget. However, the printing process. term Union Budget has not been mentioned in the constitution. In a bid to prevent the leak of information, the officials are required to stay in the This annual financial statement is prepared ministry and remain cut off from their in accordance with Article 112 of the families till the presentation of the Budget Constitution of India. by the finance minister in the Lok Sabha.
The Union Budget comprises Capital The ceremony also recognizes and lauds Budget, Revenue Budget, Expenditure the efforts of every staff who have been a Budget, and this also has the next fiscal part of the budget-making process. year's estimates. In 2016, the Rail Budget was also merged with union budget. NIC: It refers to the National Informatics Centre. NIC works under the Ministry of The Capital Budget part of the Union Electronics and Information Technology Budget has accounts for capital payment (MeitY). and receipts which are government- related. It provides infrastructure that support the delivery of IT services by the government Until 1999, the Union Budget was and the delivery of initiatives under the announced at 5:00 pm on last working day Digital India Mission February but since the Budget 1999, the timing was changed to 11 am. Budget Session 2021: The first part of the Budget Session started on January 29 and will continue till February 15, 2021 and the
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second part of the session will be from years. The Sixty-First Amendment Bill of March 8 to April 8 2021. 1998 lowered the voter's eligibility age in India. The Rajya Sabha will function from 9 am to 2 pm and Lok Sabha from 4 pm to 9 pm During the event, the President conferred with Zero Hour and Question Hour. the National Awards for the year 2020-21 and also launched the Election Members of Parliament have been Commission of India's Web Radio: 'Hello requested to undergo an RT-PCR test to Voters' – an online digital radio service. prevent spread of Covid-19. The National Awards for the Best Electoral NVD: Practices was conferred on State and District level officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections in different spheres such as IT initiatives, Security Management, Election Management during COVID-19, Accessible Election and contribution in the field of
voter awareness and outreach. National It refers to the National Voters Day. The Awards will also be given to important NVD has been celebrated on the 25th of stakeholders like national icons, CSOs and January every year since 2011, all across the media groups for their valuable country to mark the foundation day of contribution towards voters’ awareness. Election Commission of India (ECI), i.e. ECI’s Web Radio:‘Hello Voters’: This online 25th January 1950. digital radio service will stream voter The main objective of the NVD celebration awareness programmes. It will be is to encourage, facilitate and maximize accessible through a link on the ECI enrolment, especially for the new voters. website.
New voters are felicitated and handed over The programming style of Radio Hello their Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) in Voters has been envisaged to match that of the NVD functions popular FM radio services. It will provide information and education on electoral Recently, the 11th National Voters Day was processes through songs, drama, celebrated on 25th January 2021 by ECI. discussions, spots, stories of elections etc. President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, in Hindi, English and regional languages virtually graced and addressed the event from all over the country. held at Ashok Hotel, New Delhi.
The theme for this year’s NVD, ‘Making Our Voters Empowered, Vigilant, Safe and Informed’.
Note: Earlier the eligibility age of the voter was 21 years but in 1988 it was lowered to 18
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• Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Persons in News Chithra - Art
• Tarun Gogoi (Posthumous) - Public Padma Awards 2021: Affairs • Chandrashekhar Kambara - Litera- ture and Education • Sumitra Mahajan - Public Affairs • Nripendra Misra - Civil Service • Ram Vilas Paswan (Posthumous) - Public Affairs • Keshubhai Patel (Posthumous) - Public Affairs • Kalbe Sadiq (Posthumous) - Others: Spiritualism • Rajnikant Devidas Shroff - Trade This year, On the evening of 72nd Republic and Industry Day, the President approved conferment of • Tarlochan Singh - Public Affairs 119 Padma Awards from diverse field including 1 duo case (in a duo case, the Padma Shree was awarded to 102 Awardees. Award is counted as one). This year the President of India has approved About Padma Awards: Padma Awards are conferment of 119 Padma Awards. In the one of the highest civilian Awards of the list, there are 7 Padma Vibhushan, 10 country conferred in three categories, Padma Bhushan and 102 Padma Shri namely – Awards. Women awardees counts at 29. It 1. Padma Vibhushan: For Exceptional also includes 10 persons from the category and distinguished service. of Foreigners or NRI or PIO or OCI,16 2. Padma Bhushan: For Distinguished Posthumous awardees and 1 transgender service of high order. awardee. 3. Padma Shri: For distinguished ser- • Padma Vibhushan (7) vice in any field. • Shinzo Abe (Japan) - Public Affairs Padma Vibhushan: It is the second-highest • Belle Monappa Hegde - Medicine civilian award of the Republic of India. The • Narinder Singh Kapany (Posthu- award was instituted on January 2, 1954. mous) - Science and Engineering This award is given for the “exceptional • Maulana Wahiduddin Khan - Oth- and distinguished service”. It does not ers: Spiritualism differentiate between race, occupation, • B. Lal - Others: Archaeology position, or sex. The award is given for the • S P Balasubramaniam (Posthu- exceptional and distinguished service. mous) - Art • Sudarshan Sahoo – Art Satyendra Nath Bose, Zakir Hussain, Balasaheb Gangadhar Kher, Nand Lal Bose Padma Bhushan (10) were among the first recipient of the award in 1954.
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Padma Bhushan: It is the third-highest submitted to the PM and the President for civilian award in India. The award is approval. preceded by the Bharat Ratna & Padma The awardees are then presented a Vibhushan while followed by the Padma Shri. The award was Instituted on January certificate and a medallion. The recipients 2, 1954. are also given a small replica of the medallion, which they can wear during any Padma Shri: It is the fourth-highest civilian ceremonial/State functions etc., if the award of India after Bharat Ratna, Padma awardees so desire. Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. It is awarded by the Government of India every The award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the year on the occasion of republic day since 1954. awardees’ name.
These awards are conferred by the The total number of awards to be given in a President of India at ceremonial functions year (excluding posthumous awards and to NRI/foreigners/OCIs) should not be more at Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is given in various disciplines and fields of activities than 120. including the art, public affairs, social The award is normally not conferred work, Trade and industry, science and posthumously. However, in highly engineering, medicine, literature, deserving cases, the Government could education, sports and civil service. consider giving an award posthumously.
All persons without distinction of race, A higher category of Padma award can be occupation, position or sex are eligible for conferred on a person only after a gap of these awards. However, Government five years. However, in highly deserving servants including those working with cases, a relaxation can be made by the PSUs, except doctors and scientists, are not Awards Committee. eligible for these Awards. Nandita Hazarika: The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year. These awards are conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions which are held at Rashtrapati Bhawan usually around March/ April every year.
The nomination process is open to the public. Even self-nomination can be made. All nominations received for Padma She is a conservationist who has recently Awards are placed before the Padma been appointed by the Supreme Court of Awards Committee headed by the Cabinet India as Member of a Technical Committee Secretary, which is constituted by the constituted by it on October 14 last year to Prime Minister every year. The hear complaints by land owners against the recommendations of the committee are action taken by the Nilgris Collector, which
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included “arbitrary variance in acreage of forms, especially the Jogati Nritya and the elephant corridor.” Janapada songs, practiced in rural Karnataka, Maharashtra, and parts of About: On October 14, the top court Andhra Pradesh. upheld the Tamil Nadu government’s authority to notify an ‘elephant corridor’ Now in her early 60s, Manjamma Jogati, and protect the migratory path of the originally named Manjunath Shetty by her animals through the Nilgiri biosphere parents. She began to identify as a woman reserve, the largest protected forest area in in her teens. Her family from Ballari India, spanning across Tamil Nadu, district then disowned her by making her Karnataka and Kerala.The corridor is part of a transgender community in rural situated in the ecologically fragile Sigur Deccan that reveres the fiery Goddess plateau. Renuka Yellamma. Members of this community are considered married to the Sigur Plateau: It is a plateau in the north goddess. The community's lifestyle and the and east of Nilgiri District in the Nilgiri plight of its members were highlighted in Hills of Tamil Nadu. It connects the the national award-winning 2009 Marathi Western and the Eastern Ghats and movie Jogwa. sustains elephant populations and their genetic diversity. It has the Nilgiri Hills on Subhash Bose Aapda Prabandhan its southwestern side and the Moyar River Puraskar: Valley on its north-eastern side. The elephants cross the plateau in search of food and water.
Manjamma Jogathi:
The Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2021 has recently been conferred upon Dr Rajendra Kumar Bhandari in the Individual category and Sustainable Environment and Ecological She is a transgender who has been included Development Society (SEEDS) in in the list of Padma awards recipients this Institutional category. year. She is from Karnataka who has over the past many decades practised and The award carries a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh single-handedly popularised rural folk arts. and a certificate for an institution and Rs 5 The Padma Shri came to Manjamma lakh and a certificate in case of an Jogathi after decades of social and financial individual. struggle. About: The Government of India (GoI) Overcoming personal odds, Manjavva announces the award every year on January Jogati held aloft the cause of these art 23, the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhash
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Chandra Bose, to recognise and honour the chairman of the House Foreign invaluable contribution and selfless service Subcommittee on Asia, Pacific, Central rendered by individuals and organisations Asia and Non-proliferation. in India in the field of disaster management. Bera is the longest-serving Indian American currently in Congress. R. S. Sharma:
Places in news
Meghalaya:
R. S. Sharma has recently been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CRO) of the Ayushman Bharat scheme or the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana which is an insurance scheme by the National Health Authority’s (NHA). He will replace It is a state in northeastern India. Indu Bhushan. He will be assuming the Meghalaya was formed by carving out two office as CEO, NHA from February 1, 2021. districts from the state of Assam: the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and RS Sharma has worked as the Chairman of the Garo Hills on 21 January 1972. Its capital the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is Shillong. The current Governor and (TRAI). He is also the head of the Chief Minister of Meghalaya are satya Pal Empowered Group on Technology and Malik and Conrad Sangama respectively. Data Management to combat the Covid-19 and the Covid-19 vaccine delivery Recently, Meghalaya won the National technology platform—Co-WIN. He also Award for Best Electoral Practices 2020. works as a member of the National Expert President Ram Nath Kovind virtually Group on Covid-19 Vaccine conferred the award to Meghalaya CEO Administration. F.R. Kharkongor at the National Voters’ Day Award function held in New Delhi. Ami Bera: The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Meghalaya was selected for a Special Award for Information Technology applications in Elections by the Election Commission of India (ECI), in the National Best Electoral Practices Awards-2020.
The ECI has consistently been He is the US veteran Indian-American championing the use of Technology Congressman who has been re-elected as covering non-election period, such as voter
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portal, voter helpline app, SMS, 1950 displayed the eco-friendly traditions to helpline, political party registration and achieve the self-reliance in the socio- online tracking. economic parameters.
The ECI on Monday also launched digital The third best tableau award was presented radio “Hello Voters “ with a view to to the tableau of Uttarakhand. connect and engage with young voters. Uttarakhand Tableau was displayed with the theme of the “Dev Bhoomi– The Land About the award: The award recognizes the of the Gods”. sustained and consistent IT application efforts in electoral activities being made by Other Awards: the Office of the CEO in the entire Enrolment to Elections (E2E) process and Out of 9 tableaux of the different ministries, departments, and paramilitary for leveraging technology for the benefit of all categories of voters, both general and forces, the Department of Biotechnology persons with disabilities (PWDs). tableau was chosen for the top award. The department had presented the Tableau Republic Day Parade 2021 Awards: with the theme of “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan: COVID vaccine development”.
Apart from that, the tableau of Central Public Works Department (CPWD), with the theme ‘Amar Jawan’, bagged a special prize for paying tribute to the fallen heroes of the armed forces.
The award for best cultural performance The Union Sports Minister, Kiren Rijiju was given to student of Mount Abu Public presented the Republic Day Awards for School and Vidya Bharti School Rohini, 2021 Parade Tableaux. Delhi. In their performance they had In the parade of 72nd Republic Day, 32 displayed the vision for Self-Reliant India- tableaux participated. These Tableaux were Atmanirbhar Bharat. selected from the 17 States and Union Selection of tableauxs: Territories (UTs). Six of the Tableaux were from the Defence Ministry while Nine were • The tableaux are selected by the from other ministries, departments and Ministry of Defence (MoD) for the paramilitary forces. Republic day parade. • In order to shortlist the tableaux, Best Tableau Award: an expert committee is set up by The Uttar Pradesh tableau was given the the defence ministry comprising of award for best tableau out of total 32. The the distinguished people from vari- theme of the UP tableau was “Ayodhya: ous fields of arts. Cultural Heritage of Uttar Pradesh”. • The expert committee consists of prominent persons from the field of The tableau of Tripura was chosen as the art, painting, culture, music, archi- second-best tableau. The Tripura tableau
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tecture, sculpture and choreogra- silica, basalt, sandstone and quartile. The phy. crushed sand is of cubical shape with • States are given representation on a rounded edges, washed and graded to as a rotational basis. construction material. The crushed material is then segregated and used in Rajasthan's New M-sand Policy 2020: differently based on the size. In order to reduce the impurities, the sand is washed after crushing it to make it more durable and suitable for construction process.
The size of manufactured sand (M-Sand) is less than 4.75mm. The M-sand meet the standards of ISO code 383: 2016.
The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok The need for M-sand Policy in Rajasthan: Gehlot, has recently released the new M- The need for this policy is felt in the state Sand Policy of Rajasthan. The M-sand of Rajasthan as the availability of sand is policy is in light with the government’s not as per the requirement of construction commitment to meet the quantity of sand works. There is a demand of around 70 which is needed for construction work. million tonnes of river sand for various The main aim of launching the M-sand construction works. But, only 20 M-sand policy is as follows: units are operating in the state and they produce 20,000 tonnes of M-sand every 1. To reduce the dependency on the day. Now, with this new M-sand policy it traditional sand from rivers. will promote it as a long-term alternative 2. To encourage the use and produc- to gravel and help in setting up of new tion of manufactured sand or M- mining units. sand in the state. 3. To solve the problem of waste gen- Usage of Manufactured Sand erated from the mines in the min- Due to the fast-growing construction ing areas of Rajasthan. industry, the demand for sand has 4. To create huge employment oppor- increased tremendously causing deficiency tunities at the local level. of suitable river sand in most parts of the The policy designated the M-sand units the world. Hence, to avoid the depletion of status of an industry. good quality river sand for the use of construction, the use of manufactured sand What is M-Sand? has been increased.
M-Sand means Manufactured sand. It is a Benefits of M-Sand: substitute of river sand for concrete construction. It is produced by crushed It is easily available and has less hard granite stone. transportation cost.
The sand is derived from the minerals ❖ It does not contain organic and sol- which are locally available such as granite, uble compounds that affect the set-
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ting time and properties of cement, community kitchen; and an Indo-Islamic therefore the required strength of Cultural Research Centre. concrete can be maintained.
❖ M-Sand does not have the presence India Policy of impurities such as clay, dust and silt coatings which help in produc- ing better quality concrete. PSU Privatization Policy: ❖ In addition, it can also be dust-free
and the sizes of m-sand can be con- trolled easily so that it meets the required grading for the given con- struction. ❖ It eliminates the environmental
impact that occurred due to the lift- ing of natural sand from the river bed. The Union Cabinet recently cleared the Dhannipur: policy on the privatization of public sector undertakings (PSUs). Detailed information regarding the policy will be announced in the upcoming Union budget that will be presented on February 1, 2021.
Important Features of the Policy:
❖ The policy will provide a roadmap It is a village of Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh for the existence of government- where the Dhannipur mosque project was owned entities in strategic and formally launched on Republic Day at the non-strategic areas. five-acre plot. ❖ This policy is part of the Aatma- Nirbhar Bharat package announced The plot was allotted by the Uttar Pradesh by the Minister of Finance in May (UP) Government on the directions of the 2020. Supreme Court in the Babri Masjid Ram ❖ This is a coherent policy announc- Janmabhoomi title suit. ing that all sectors will be open for private sector participation. The The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation government had also announced to (IICF) is overseeing the construction of the limit the presence of PSUs to one to mosque. four in strategic sectors. The project would take around 30 months ❖ The government wanted to privat- to be completed. ize, merge or bring the remaining companies under a holding compa- The project comprises three parts: a ny. After this policy will come into mosque based on a modern design; a force, the government will com- multi-speciality 200-bed hospital and
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pletely exit from the companies in STARS Project: non-strategic sectors. ❖ The timing of the privatization of non-strategic sector companies will be decided on a case-by-case basis. ❖ According to the initial draft of the policy, the Ministry of Investment and Public Asset Management had classified 18 departments as strate- gic departments. It includes- The full form of STARS project is fertilizer, telecommunications, Strengthening Teaching-Learning and power, banking, defense and insur- Results for States project. Agreement for ance. These industries have been the financial support of the classified as mining and explora- implementation of STARS project of tion, manufacturing and processing Ministry of Education (MoE) was recently and services. signed between Department of Economic ❖ Pubic Sector Undertaking (PSU): In Affairs (DEA) and World Bank along with India, state-owned enterprises are Ministry of Education. called public sector enterprises (PSU) or public sector enterprises. Earlier Union Cabinet has approved the The majority of the stock of the proposal of STARS project in October 2020. company in a PSU is owned by the The Program envisions improving the union Government or one of the overall monitoring and measurement state or territorial governments. It activities in the Indian school education can also be partially owned by two. system through interventions in 6 States PSUs are of two types. They are viz Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha and Kerala. 1. Central public sector enterprises (CPSUs, CPSEs) or Implementation of the STARS Project: 2. State level public enterprises ❖ STARS project would be imple- (SLPEs). mented as a new Centrally Spon- PSUs are administered by the Ministry of sored Scheme under the Depart- Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises. ment of School Education and Lit- eracy (DoSEL), MOE. PSUs in India: Till the year 1951, there were ❖ At the Naional level, the project will just 5 enterprises in the public sector. Over be implemented through DoSEL, the time the number has increased. As of MoE and at the State level, the pro- March 2019, the number has increased to ject will be implemented through 348. the integrated State Implementa- tion Society (SIS) for Samagra Shik-
sha.
Financing:
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❖ The total project cost of STARS pro- Economic Survey 2020-21: ject is Rs 5718 crore with the finan- cial support of World Bank amounting to US $ 500 million (ap- proximately Rs. 3700 crore) and rest coming as State share from the par- ticipating States, over a period of 5 years.
❖ The proposed World Bank support under STARS is primarily in the The Economic Survey 2020-21 was form of a results-based financing presented by the Union Minster for instrument called Program for Re- Finance & Corporate Affairs, Smt Nirmala sults (PforR). This will ensure major Sitharaman in the Parliament on 29 reforms at the State level through a January 2021. The survey is generally set of disbursement-linked indica- presented a day before the Union Budget. tors (DLIs). However, this year, the survey was ❖ A State Incentive Grant (SIG) will presented earlier because the day-before- be used to encourage States to meet budget is a Sunday. The major focus of this desired project outcomes. The SIG year’s economic survey is the losses and matrix has been aligned with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. intermediate outcome indicators as The survey will provide an assessment of per the requirement of the PforR how the Indian economy has been instrument. impacted by the deadly COVID-19 virus ❖ The Independent Verification and how it is improving. It will also project Agency (IVA) will verify each result India’s gross domestic product growth for before disbursement of funds. 2021-22. STARS project will be instrumental in the The Economic Survey document is implementation of various prepared by the Economics Division of the recommendations of National Education Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) Policy 2020. under the guidance of the Chief Economic The Program envisions improving the Advisor Krishnamurthy Subramanian. overall monitoring and measurement The Economic Survey 2020-21 will be activities in the Indian school education followed by the Union Budget 2020-21 system like Strengthening Early Childhood which will be tabled on February 1. Education and Foundational Learning, Improving Learning Assessment System, The theme of Economic Survey, 2020-21 ICT-enabled approaches in education, are: Teachers Development and Vocational education etc through interventions in ❖ #SavingLives&Livelihoods selected states. ❖ #VshapedRecover
Economic Survey: The Economic Survey is an annual document of the Ministry of
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Finance. It reviews the economic progress As a result of accommodative monetary of the country and issues in the last 12 policy during 2020, the RBI has cut the months. repo rate by 115 bps since March 2020, with 75 bps cut in first Monetary Policy The survey provides information related to Committee (MPC) meeting in March 2020 the performance of key developmental and 40 bps cut in second meeting in May schemes launched by the government. The 2020. document also explains the performance of major government policies and their Also, Systemic liquidity in 2020-21 impact. remained in surplus while RBI undertook various conventional and unconventional It not only discusses major fiscal measures to manage liquidity situation in developments, macroeconomic factors, the economy. inflation, and other economic factors but also highlights the impact of agriculture, The year 2020 saw an improvement in climate change, and employment on the transmission of policy repo rates to deposit economy of the country. and lending rates, as reflected in the decline of 94 bps and 67 bps in Weighted The 1st Economic Survey was tabled in Average Lending Rate on fresh rupee loans 1950-51. However, till the year 1964, it was and outstanding rupee loans respectively presented along with the budget. from March 2020 to November 2020. Economic Survey 2020-21- Monetary Similarly, the Weighted Average Domestic Policy Transmission: Term Deposit Rate declined by 81 bps during the same period.
Apart from the reduction in term deposit rates, many banks also lowered their saving deposit rates during the current easing cycle. The saving deposit rates of five major banks, which ranged 3.25-3.5 per cent prior to the introduction of the external The Union Minister for Finance and benchmark (in end September 2019), were Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman placed at 2.7-3.0 per cent as on January 15, presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in 2021. Parliament on 29th January 2021. The Economic Survey said that the monetary Economic Survey 2020-21 - Health: policy transmission has improved resulting in fast lowering of interest rate for borrowers.
The monetary policy was significantly eased from March 2020 onwards owing to the unprecedented COVID 19 pandemic and remained accommodative in 2020, states the Economic Survey 2020-21.
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The Union Minister for Finance and There was an enormous increase of the Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman percentage of enrolled children from presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in government and private schools owning a Parliament on 29th January 2021. The smartphone from 36.5 per cent in 2018 to Economic Survey 2020-21 has strongly 61.8 per cent in 2020 in rural India. recommended an increase in public PM eVIDYA which is a comprehensive spending on healthcare services from 1% to 2.5-3% of GDP, as envisaged in the initiative to unify all efforts related to National Health Policy 2017. digital/online/on-air education to enable multi-mode and equitable access to Key Highlights: education for students and teachers.
It notes that this can significantly reduce Around ninety two courses have started the Out-of-Pocket-Expenditure (OOPE) and 1.5 crore students are enrolled under from 65% to 35% of the overall healthcare Swayam MOOCs which are online courses spend. relating to NIOS.
The Survey has recommended that the PRAGYATA guidelines on digital education National Health mission (NHM) should be have been developed with a focus on continued in conjunction to with online/blended/digital education for Ayushman Bharat Yojana students who are presently at home due to closure of schools. Drawing from the lessons learned during the ongoing global pandemic of COVID-19, The MANODARPAN initiative for the Economic Survey makes a strong case psychological support has been included in for complete adoption of telemedicine for Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. meeting the last-mile challenges of India has attained a literacy level of almost healthcare delivery in the country. 96 per cent at the elementary school level. Economic Survey 2020-21 - Education: As per National Sample Survey (NSS), the literacy rate of persons of age 7 years and above at the All India level stood at 77.7 per cent.
Science and Technology
The Union Minister for Finance and PPP Research Reactor: Corporate Affairs Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Economic Survey 2020-21 in Parliament on 29th January 2021. The Economic Survey 2020-21 states that online schooling took off in a big way during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Key Highlights:
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Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), centre was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic the premier research organization of the Research Centre on 22 January 1967. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has AXIOM MISSION 1 (AX 1): recently evolved a design for the first PPP Research Reactor for production of Nuclear Medicines.
Key Highlights:
In the proposed partnership, the private entities will get exclusive rights to process and market the isotopes produced in the research reactor, in lieu of investing in the reactor and processing facilities. SpaceX Axiom Space-1 is a planned SpaceX Crew Dragon mission to the International Earlier, in May 2020, the Union Finance Space Station (ISS), operated by SpaceX on Minister had announced establishment of a behalf of Axiom Space. Research Reactor in PPP mode for production of medical isotopes as a part of The Axiom Mission 1 (AX 1) flight is the Aatma Nirbhar Bharat initiatives for DAE. first entirely-private orbital space mission.
Significance: This project will be a major A former Israeli fighter pilot, an American step towards making India self-reliant in technology entrepreneur and a Canadian key radio isotopes used in medical and investor are all set to be a part of the crew industrial applications. of this flight. The flight will launch in January 2022. Globally, nuclear medicine is a USD 6 Billion market and is expected to grow These three men are paying $55 million rapidly to reach USD 30 Billion by each to fly aboard a SpaceX rocket for an 2030.India produces all major isotopes in eight-day visit to the International Space the country under the aegis of BARC. Station, organized by Houston-based spaceflight firm Axiom. BARC: BARC is India's premier nuclear research facility, headquartered in The Axiom Mission 1 (AX 1) flight is being Trombay, Mumbai, Maharashtra.It is a arranged under a commercial agreement multi-disciplinary research centre with with NASA. The mission will be led by extensive infrastructure for advanced former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez- research and development covering the Alegria, who now works for Axiom space. entire spectrum of nuclear science, engineering and related areas. Previously, While private citizens have travelled to the Government of India (GoI) created the space before, the AX 1 mission will be the Atomic Energy Establishment, AEET with first to use a commercially built spacecraft, Homi J. Bhabha (also known as the "Father the SpaceX Dragon 2, best known for flying of Indian Nuclear Programme"), as the its first two crews to the ISS late last year. founding director on 3 January 1954. After Note: This is not the first time that civilians Homi Jehangir Bhabha's death in 1966, the have been launched into space. Private
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civilians have travelled to the space station rolled out the Silver Jubilee e-Brochure of before. NICSI.
Since 2001, Russia has been selling rides to • Tejas – a Virtual Intelligence tool the ISS to wealthy businessmen around the (NIC&NICSI-CEDA) that extracts world. They travelled onboard the Russian critical information from data to Soyuz aircraft along with professional make its meaningful information cosmonauts and NASA astronauts. for policy decisions and improving efficiency in government services NICSI: and citizen delivery; • e-Auction India – to cater to elec- tronic forward and reverse auction requirements of the Govt. organiza- tions serving online 24×7; • Work from Anywhere Portal (WAW) – a virtual environment, provisioned shall empower employ-
ees access routine applications like It stands for National Informatics Centre eoffice, calendar, mail, and other services Incorporated. NICSI celebrated 25 departmental applications and years of its establishment on 28 January communicate across through VC 2021. ensuring safety during this pan- demic with social distancing and The NICSI is a Public Sector Enterprise work assurance from anywhere; under National Informatics Centre(NIC), • NIC Products Portfolio- for Interna- Ministry of Electronics & Information tional Offering to augment Digital Technology (MeitY), Government of India India branding through promotion (GoI). of productized software applica- NICSI started its journey in the ICT service tions at global level. industry on 29th August 1995. It has LUNAR SAMPLE 76015,143: provided end-to-end IT solutions for e- governance projects for Central and State Governments and other PSUs across India. NICSI extends its services to the International level too in certain projects.
Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad, the Union Minister for Electronics and Information Technology, Communications and Law and Justice honoured the event as Chief Guest. NASA has loaned a Moon rock for display in the Oval Office of the White House at On this occasion, Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad the request of the Joe Biden launched: TEJAS - A Visual Intelligence administration. Tool, e-Auction India, Work from AnyWhere, NIC Products Portfolio and
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Reason: As per tradition in the United States (US), every incoming President gets Sports to redecorate the Oval Office – the \ commander-in-chief’s principal place of Anti-doping: business which is visited by the most powerful people in the world.
So, after taking office as the 46th US President on January 20, Democrat Joe Biden has made a couple of changes to the Oval Office, including replacing portraits, carpets, and removing the “Diet Coke button”. Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports The Moon rock now sits in the Oval Office Shri Kiren Rijiju recently launched a in symbolic recognition of earlier breakthrough Reference Material (RM) for generations' ambitions and use in chemical testing in the field of anti- accomplishments, and support for doping synthesized by collaborative efforts America's current Moon to Mars of National Dope Testing Laboratory exploration approach. (NDTL) and National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research About: The "Lunar Sample 76015,143" is (NIPER), Guwahati. from the Lunar Sample Laboratory Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center in This Reference Material (RM), has been Houston. Lunar Sample 76015,143, which identified by NDTL as one of the rarely weighs 332 grams, was collected by Apollo available RMs globally and would be used 17 astronaut Ronald Evans and to strengthen anti-doping measures in all moonwalkers Harrison Schmitt and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)- Eugene Cernan. accredited laboratories.
Apollo 17 was the last mission to send The Memorandum of Understanding humans to set foot on the lunar surface. (MoU) between NDTL and NIPER This sample was chipped from a large Guwahati was signed in August 2020 which boulder at the base of the North Massif in proposes to synthesize 20 rarely available the Taurus-Littrow Valley, 3km from the Reference Materials (RMs) during a period Lunar Module. It was collected in 1972. It is of 3 years. a 3.9-billion-year-old sample formed during the last large impact event on the The RMs are used essentially during dope nearside of the Moon, the Imbrium Impact testing for quality control purposes and Basin, which is 1,145 km in diameter. therefore their availability remains critical in sports dope testing, globally. Note: NASA plans to land the first woman and next man on the Moon by 2024. The availability of these RMs would help the anti-doping laboratories to strengthen their testing capacity. This will help in the
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greater cause of promoting fair play in According to this new rule, the 2K Time sports. Trial which has been set at 8 minutes and 15 seconds for fast bowlers and 8:30 for NDTL has taken several initiatives towards batsmen, spinners and wicketkeepers — further strengthening its research activities has become mandatory for India’s in collaboration with premier scientific centrally-contracted cricketers. institutes in India and also initiated the collaborations with other WADA What is the 2k time trial? accredited laboratories in Cologne, Tokyo and Rome and have exchanged thought On a standard athletics track, the timings and ideas for the furtherance of the anti- of the distance is covered in five laps of 400 metres each can be measured with a stop- doping efforts. watch or an electronic clock. The 2k time About NDTL: National Dope Testing trial is a speed-endurance test, according to Laboratory (NDTL) is an autonomous body Ramji Srinivasan, the 2011 World Cup- under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, winning Indian team’s strength and Government of India (GoI). It is conditioning coach. headquartered in Delhi. It is the only laboratory in the country responsible for What are the benefits of a time trial? human sports dope testing. If an athlete meets the standard set for the The NDTL in India was established in 2008 time trial, he or she can be termed ‘fit’. Another benefit of the time trial is that it with an aim to get permanently accredited by International Olympic Committee (IOC) will help to redraw the fitness schedule of a and World Anti Doping Agency to do the cricketer, if needed. testing for the banned drugs in human For example, a batsman is in the 90s, it is sports. extremely hot and humid outside. The time 2K Time Trial: trial will help in terms of when to push (and) when to sprint.
According to Srinivasan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and New Zealand also put cricketers through the time-trial test.
How is the time trial different from a Yo-Yo test?
In the Yo-Yo test, two cones are placed 20 metres apart. At the first beep, the athlete It refers to the two-kilometre time trial. starts and must reach the cone at the other The cricket world is growing so fast, so the end before the second beep, and then turn challenge is and so the demand for better and run back to cross the starting point physical fitness so the Indian cricket board before the third beep. has introduced mandatory 2-km time trials to measure speed and endurance levels in As the Yo-Yo test level gets tougher, the its training programme for top players. frequency of the beeps increases and the
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number of shuttles (up and down runs) current ACC Chairman is Amitabh also goes up before a player gets a short Choudhary. break. Note: The 2020 edition of the Asia Cup was Yo-Yo tests have been used in football for postponed to June this year because of the ages. COVID-19 pandemic. Pakistan was to originally host the tournament but the Yo-Yo has a lot of acceleration and tournament is now expected to be held in deceleration and rapid change of direction. either Sri Lanka or Bangladesh. Yo-Yo test is probably a far more sport- specific test for cricket.
The BCCI made clearing the Yo-Yo test mandatory for Indian cricketers in 2016. However, in recent years there seems to be a preference amongst certain sports scientists to be testing this 2-kilometre time trial with elite-level cricketers
Jay shah:
He is the secretary of BCCI who has been appointed as the new President of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). The 32 years old replaces the chief of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) Najmul Hasan Papon. He is also the youngest person ever to be appointed to the office.
About ACC: The Asian Cricket Council
(ACC) is a cricket organization which was established in 1983, to promote and develop the sport of cricket in Asia. It is headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka. It currently consists of 24 member associations. ACC is responsible for organizing the Asia Cup tournaments. The
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