Recently, the Trifed (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India)inked an agreement with the Jharkhand-based Purty Agrotech for the promotion of pearl farming  in tribal areas. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs. It came into existence in 1987. It …

Recently, the NITI Aayog launched an initiative with BYJU’S (an edutech giant) to provide free access to tech-driven learning programmes to children from India’s 112 aspirational districts. Important points: Students of Classes 6-12 in government schools across 112 ‘Aspirational Districts (AD)’ will get free access to the company’s “premium learning resources”. ADs are the districts which are affected …

Recently, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways concluded the two-day review of the work progress on the eight-lane Delhi-Mumbai Expressway. It will be the world’s longest highway once completed. It is expected to be completed by March 2023. Important points: It is a 1380-km eight-lane expressway that can be expanded to a …

Recently, the Ministry of Power has issued an order for the setting up of District Level Committees to improve the quality of electricity supply in the country. Important points: All States and Union Territories will have to notify and ensure establishment of these District Electricity committees, under intimation to the Ministry of Power. It will oversee all power related …

Recently, the Ministry of Railways launched Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY) under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY). Important points: This is a skill development programme, where training will be provided to youth with a special focus on jobs that are relevant to the Railways. The training will be provided in four trades viz. Electrician, Welder, Machinist and …

The central banks of India and Singapore will link their respective fast digital payment systems – Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and PayNow – for “instant, low-cost, cross-border fund transfers”. The linkage is targeted to be operationalised by July 2022. Important points: The Unified Payments Interface (UPI)-PayNow linkage is a significant milestone in the development of infrastructure for …

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in 2018, released the Draft Food Safety And Standards (Labelling And Display) Regulation. However, even after so many expert panel recommendations and regulations, India still does not have a clear labelling or Front-of-pack (FoP) Labelling System, which can warn consumers about harmful levels of fat, …

Recently, at the virtual ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) summit on Future of India-ASEAN Connectivity Partnerships, the Indian government underlined the importance of cross-border connectivity between India and Southeast Asian nations. ASEAN brings together ten Southeast Asian states – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – into one organisation. …

Recently, two Indians (Vinisha and Vidyut) among 15 finalists were selected for the first ever Earthshot Prize 2021, which will be held in London. A 14-year-old Tamil Nadu schoolgirl’s solar-powered ironing cart and a Delhi entrepreneur’s agricultural waste recycling concept named among finalists. Important points: The prize was launched by Britain’s Prince William in …

Recently, a petition has been submitted by some activists to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to reclassify toxic 3 Os (Oxybenzone, Octinoxate and Octocrylene) used in sunscreen. They demanded that chemicals be shifted to “Not Generally Recognized As Safe & Effective” (GRASE Category II). Important points: Oxybenzone (OBZ), avobenzone (AVB), octocrylene (OCR) and …