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Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the extension for the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY-Phase V) for a period of another 4 months i.e. December 2021 till March 2022. Important points: PMGKAY is a part of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Package (PMGKP) to help the poor fight the …

Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (Meity) inaugurated a 3-day workshop titled ‘Aadhaar 2.0- Ushering the Next Era of Digital Identity and Smart Governance’. The Workshop aims to analyze the reach of Digital Identity in major reforms and schemes launched by the Government. It also aims to look …

According to the recently released Global Nutrition Report (GNR, 2021), India has made no progress on anaemia and childhood wasting. Important points: At the current rate of progress, the global nutrition targets will not be achieved by 2025 globally and in most countries worldwide. There is substantial variation in data …

According to the recently released Global State of Democracy Report, 2021, the number of countries moving towards authoritarianism in 2020 was higher than that of countries becoming more democratic. Important points: The report aims to influence the global debate and analyses current trends and challenges to democracy, exacerbated by the …

Recently, after a gap of four years, the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) was convened between the United States and India. The Forum resolved to take economic ties between the two countries to the ‘next high level’ and exchanged views on ‘potential targeted tariff reductions’. Important points: To activate working groups …

Recently, Pratham, a civil society organisation has been conferred the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2021. Pratham is dedicated to improving the quality of education among underprivileged children in India and across the world. Important points: The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development was …

Recently, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) has completed 5 years on 20th November, 2021. Earlier, it was reported that due to adverse impact of Covid-19, only 5.4% of the sanctioned houses under the PMAY-G, have reached completion for the year 2020-2021. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs …

According to a recent report, life expectancy among the poorest is lower by 9.1 years and 6.2 years among men and women, respectively, compared to the richest in urban areas. Important points: The report explores health vulnerabilities and inequalities in cities in India. It also looks at the availability, accessibility …

Recently, the Union Cabinet has approved the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) scheme for provisioning of 4G-based mobile services in uncovered villages of aspirational districts across five states — Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha. NITI Aayog’s Aspirational Districts programme aims to quickly and effectively transform 112 most under-developed …

Recently, the Prime Minister announced the repeal of the three contentious farm laws The Parliament has the authority to enact, amend, and repeal any law. The farm laws had witnessed protests from farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, on the borders of Delhi for more than a year. Important points: …

The new National Education Policy 2020 lays emphasis on imparting teaching in the mother tongue in primary classes. However, when seen from the context of the diverse language-base of tribal people, the task appears to be quite onerous. In this scenario, Odisha’s decade-long experiment in multilingual education may come in …

According to a nationwide survey conducted by Indian Police Foundation (IPF), police in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh scored the lowest among all States when it came to perception of “sensitivity”. Earlier, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the State Governments …

Recently, the Allahabad High Court has called upon the Central government to initiate the process for implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) The court’s direction came in the context of a bunch of 17 petitions filed by interfaith couples, who contracted marriage upon conversion, seeking protection of their life, liberty …

Recently, the Prime Minister delivered the keynote at the inaugural Sydney Dialogue via video conferencing. He spoke on the theme of India’s technology evolution and revolution. Important points: The international order should ensure cryptocurrencies do not end up in the wrong hands. Citing the unregulated nature of the crypto market, …

According to the World Bank’s Migration and Development Brief, India has become the world’s largest recipient of Remittances, receiving USD 87 billion (a gain of 4.6 % from previous year) in 2021. India is followed by China, Mexico, the Philippines, and Egypt. The United States being the biggest source, accounting …

Recently, Bribery Risk Matrix 2021 was released by TRACE, an anti-bribery standard setting organisation. Important points: It measures business bribery risk in 194 countries, territories, and autonomous and semi-autonomous regions. It was originally published in 2014 to meet a need in the business community for more reliable and nuanced information …

Recently, the 16th edition of the Annual Status of Education Report (ASER 2021) survey was released. The survey analysed the impact of Covid-19 on learning. It shows an increase in dependence on private tuitions and an absence of ready access to smartphones. Specific attention is needed to help make up …

Recently, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has launched a week-long awareness campaign on SafaiMitra Suraksha Challenge (SSC) as part of the ‘World Toilet Day’ (19th November) celebrations, to run up to the ‘Swachh Amrit Diwas’. The Swachh Amrit Diwas is an award ceremony to recognize the role …

Recently, President Joe Biden of the United States and Chinese President Xi Jinping met for the first virtual bilateral meeting. The meeting ended with the clear divergences in the positions taken by the two sides. US-China confrontation is on multiple fronts including ideological and cultural hegemonic rivalry, trade wars which …

Recently, the Union Government has conducted the National Achievement Survey (NAS) across India, assessing about 38 lakh students from 1.23 lakh schools in 733 districts in 36 States and Union Territories. The survey was last conducted in 2017 and was scheduled to take place in 2020. However, due to the …