The government has decided to release pending claims worth Rs. 56,027 crore in FY 2021-22 for merchandise as well as service exports under various export promotion schemes. Merchandise exports for April-August, 2021 was nearly $164 billion, which is an increase of 67% over 2020-21 and 23% over 2019-20. Important points: It is expected …

Recently, the National Statistical Office (NSO) released the quarterly bulletin of Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for October-December 2020. This dataset differs from the Annual Report of Periodic Labour Force Survey, which covers both rural and urban areas. Unemployment data for urban areas is released quarterly. NSO is the central statistical agency of the Government mandated under …

Recently, the Prime Minister chaired the annual summit of the BRICS which was held virtually. The theme for the Summit was ‘BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS cooperation for continuity, consolidation and consensus’. Important points: Highlighted the achievement of several new initiatives during India’s Chairship this year (2021), i.e. an Agreement on cooperation in the field of remote-sensing satellites; a virtual BRICS …

Recently, the Prime Minister has released a special commemorative coin of Rs 125 to mark the 125th birth anniversary of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) founder Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Important points: The ISKCON, founded in 1966, is commonly known as the “Hare Krishna movement”. ISKCON has translated the Shrimad Bhagavad Geeta and other Vedic literature …

Recently, India and Australia have participated in the 4th edition of AUSINDEX Naval Exercise. It comes on the heels of the Malabar Naval Exercise, one of the largest wargaming exercises of India, in which all the four members of the Quad had participated – India, Australia, the US and Japan – in the last week of August. …

Recently, the Ministry of Defence has released the Delegation of Financial Powers to Defence Services (DFPDS), 2021 rules. The primary focus of the enhanced delegation of financial powers is to overcome procedural delays, bring about greater decentralisation and operational efficiency. The DFPDS 2021 rules is another big step in defence reforms to strengthen security infrastructure. Important …

Recently, a report named Renewable Energy and Land Use in India by Mid-Century suggested that careful planning today can maximise the benefits and minimise the costs of India’s history-making energy transition It was released by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) which examines issues related to energy markets, trends and policies. It’s mission is to …

Recently, the Union cabinet has approved the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the textile sector. PLI scheme for Textiles is part of the overall announcement of PLI Schemes for 13 sectors made earlier during the Union Budget 2021-22, with an outlay of Rs. 1.97 lakh crore. PLI for Textiles along with RoSCTL RoDTEP and other measures of Government in the …

The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) has cleared procurement of 56 C-295 MW medium transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force under the Make-in-India initiative in the aerospace sector The C-295MW aircraft will be purchased from Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain. Important points: The C-295 MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology. …

Recently, the Union Government has entered into a Ceasefire Agreement with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (K) Niki Group for a period of one year. This initiative is a significant boost to the Naga peace process and in line with Prime Minister of India’s vision of ‘insurgency free, prosperous North East’. Important points: After …