Home Minister paid tributes to police personnel martyred in the encounter with Naxalites in Chhattisgarh in April 2021. Separate joint teams of security forces, over 2,000 in number, had launched a major anti-Naxal operation from Bijapur and Sukma districts in the South Bastar forests, considered as the Maoist stronghold. The …

The Godavari water is to be released into the irrigation canals in East and West Godavari districts from the Polavaram irrigation project site up to 15th April 2021 against the previous deadline of 31st March 2021. Work on the cofferdam is scheduled to commence in April. Godavari River: The Godavari is the largest Peninsular river system. It is …

Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the Central Sector Scheme – “Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI)” entailing an outlay of Rs. 10,900 crore. Important points: In order to boost domestic manufacturing and cut down on import bills, the central government in March 2020 introduced a PLIscheme that aims to give companies incentives on …

According to the recent data from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), India’s Foreign Exchange (Forex) reserves declined by USD 2.986 billion to reach USD 579.285 billion in the week ended 26th March 2021. The gold reserve component of the Forex Reserve increased whereas the other components – Special Drawing Rights (SDR), the Foreign Currency …

The Supreme Court has held that a public employer can reject a candidate as unsuitable if he/she had, in the past, been acquitted of a serious crime merely on the benefit of doubt. Benefit of doubt is granted to the accused when there is total absence of evidence or in the criminal jurisprudence requiring the case …

Recently, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has approved the National Rare Disease Policy 2021. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had directed the Centre to set up a Rare Diseases Committee, a Rare Diseases Fund and to finalise and notify the National Health Policy for Rare Diseases on or before 31st March, …

Recently, the government has extended the Rs. 3-lakh-crore Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS)until 30th June 2021, and also widened its scope to new sectors, including hospitality, travel and tourism. ECLGS was rolled out in May 2020 as part of the Centre’s Atmanirbhar packagein response to the Covid-19 crisis. The objective was to support small businesses struggling to …

Recently, the first farm-based solar power plant under the Prime Minister’s KisanUrja Suraksha EvamUtthanMahabhiyan (PM-KUSUM) schemehas come up in Jaipur (Rajasthan) district’s Kotputli tehsil with a provision for production of 17 lakh units of electricity every year. Important points: The PM-KUSUM scheme was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy …

Preliminary data released by the government showed that India’s trade deficit in goods widened to USD 14.11 billion in March 2021 from USD 9.98 billion during March 2020. Important points: Merchandise Exports: India’s merchandise exports in March 2021 were USD 34.0 billion as compared to USD 21.49 billion in March 2020, an increase of 58.23%. …

Recently, the External Affairs Minister of India participated in the 17th Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)Ministerial Meeting. The meeting, chaired by Sri Lanka, was held in virtual mode. India’s Commitment: To further build the momentum of regional cooperation under the BIMSTEC framework and make the organization stronger, vibrant, more effective and result-oriented. …