CONTEXT: A review meeting regarding the progress of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Scheme (UBA) was held via video conferencing. MAIN POINTS: Identify three to five core issues common amongst all the villages and few issues based on local conditions and work on these. Efforts should be made to maximise the number …

CONTEXT: Japan’s Hayabusa2 spacecraft left the asteroid Ryugu a year ago and is expected to reach Earth and drop a capsule containing the precious samples in southern Australia on December 6. The soil samples and data from the asteroid could provide clues to the origins of the solar system. Hayabusa2 …

CONTEXT: The Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR – Uttar Pradesh) recently bagged international award TX2 for doubling the number of tigers in the past four years.TX2 Award goes to one site that has achieved remarkable and measurable increase in its tiger population since 2010. IMPORTANT POINTS: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) PTR …

CONTEXT: The World AIDS Day is observed on 1 December every year all over the world. MAIN POINTS: It was founded in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and was the first ever global health day with a motto of raising public awareness about Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). …

CONTEXT: Recently, the Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment has virtually inaugurated an Assistance to Disabled Persons (ADIP) Camp for free distribution of assistive aids and devices to Divyangjan or Divyang.These are Hindi word meaning the ‘one with a divine body’ MAIN POINTS: The camp was organized by the Artificial …

CONTEXT: Recently, the Honey Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO) Programme of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) was virtually inaugurated.It is inauguarted by Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. IMPORTANT POINTS: The programme has been launched under the Formation and Promotion of FPOs. It is a new …

CONTEXT: In an address at the virtual meet of the council of heads of government of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu particularly mentioned about cross-border terrorism and called for combating the menace under a collective approach. BACKGROUND: SCO SCO is a significant organization that has …

CONTEXT: The President of India has greeted the citizens on the occasion of Guru Nanak Jayanti. It is a sacred festival of the Sikh community and is celebrated to commemorate the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, who is believed to be born on Poornima (full moon) of the Kartika …

CONTEXT: Recently, the Minister of Railways has inaugurated the newly electrified Dhigawara- Bandikui section of North Western Railway and flagged off the first train on this electrified route from Dhigawara station in Alwar District, Rajasthan. BACK GROUND: 1832: The first railway proposals for India were made in Madras. 1837: The …

CONTEXT: The Government of India has announced the stimulus package of Rs. 900 crore for the Mission COVID Suraksha, the Indian Covid-19 Vaccine Development Mission, which will help the development process of the vaccine candidates. AIM: Accelerating pre-clinical and clinical development. Licensure of Covid-19 vaccine candidates that are currently in …

CONTEXT: ARTPARK (AI & Robotics Technology Park) is a joint initiative of the Indian Institute of Science & AI Foundry, set up as a Section 8 company (Not for Profit) with a seed grant from the Department of Science and Technology (Govt. of India). MAIN POINTS: It is set up …

CONTEXT: As per estimates released by the National Statistical Office, India’s GDP contracted 7.5% in the second quarter of 2020-21. MAIN POINTS: India has now entered a technical recession with two successive quarters of negative growth. Agriculture, which was the only sector to record growth between April and June this …

CONTEXT: India has targeted to have it’s Islands- A&N and Lakshadweep as Green Energy says Shri R.K Singh at Country session of Maldives during 3rd Global Re-Invest.Power Minister assures full cooperation to Maldives in its efforts promote RE projects BACKGROUND: Shri R K Singh, Union Minister of New & Renewable …

CONTEXT: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Invest India have launched the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Investor Map for India. MAIN POINTS: It laid out 18 Investment Opportunities Areas (IOAs) in six critical SDG enabling sectors, that can help the country push forward on the trajectory of Sustainable Development. The …

CONTEXT: Recently, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has launched the ‘India Climate Change Knowledge Portal’. MAIN POINTS: AIM: The Portal will help in disseminating knowledge among citizens about all the major steps the Government is taking at both national and international levels to address climate change issues. …

CONTEXT: The Union Government’s fiscal deficit further widened to ₹9.53 lakh crore, or close to 120% of the annual budget estimate, at the end of October of the current fiscal (2020-21). DETAILS: The deficit widened mainly due to poor revenue realisation. The fiscal deficit or gap between the expenditure and …

CONTEXT: Inauguration of Honey FPOs under the “Formation & Promotion of 10,000 FPOs” Scheme. IMPORTANT POINTS: The Honey FPO Programme of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) has been inaugurated. The Honey FPOs made by the Indian Society of Agribusiness Professionals (ISAP) under the aegis of …

CONTEXT: India and Finland sign MoU for developing cooperation in the field of environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. DETAILS: The MoU is a platform to further advance Indian and Finnish partnership and support, exchange best practices in areas like prevention of air and water pollution; waste management; promotion of circular …

CONTEXT: The Central Government made the rules under the powers conferred by the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. The Act came into effect on 10 January 2020, which is the first concrete step towards ensuring welfare of transgender persons. BACKGROUND: In 2014, the Supreme Court of India, in …

CONTEXT: Recently, the Prime Minister of India has addressed the concluding session of the 80 All India Presiding Officers Conference via videoconference, at Kevadiya (Gujarat) on the occasion of Constitution Day (26 November). MAIN POINTS: The idea is about structuring the Indian election cycle in a manner so that elections …