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Recently, the US announced that the first in-person meeting of the Quad countries is going to be held in New York, US. The heads of all the four countries (India, Japan, Australia, and the US) are going to attend the meeting. Reacting to the upcoming summit, China criticized the Quad and said the formation of “exclusive cliques …

Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs will set up an Atmanirbhar Bharat corner in 100 Indian Missions/ Embassies across the world. The first Atmanirbhar Bharat corner was inaugurated at the Indian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, on Independence Day. TRIFED is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of the Ministry of …

Recently, the Ministry of Education released the India Rankings 2021 instituted by the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) (sixth edition). Important points: The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) was approved by the Ministry of Education (Erstwhile Ministry of Human Resource Development) in September 2015. It is the first-ever effort by the government to rank Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in the country. …

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 Tamil Nadu government has tabled a bill to amend Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act, 1947. The bill sought to add a subsection to mandatorily provide seating facilities for the employees. Important points: The proposed Section 22-A to the Act reads that the premises of every establishment shall have suitable seating arrangements for all employees so …

India’s tallest air purifier will be inaugurated in Chandigarh on the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies. Earlier, in August 2021 country’s first ‘smog tower’ was inaugurated in Connaught Place, New Delhi. Important points: It is a 24 meter long outdoor air purification tower and is capable of purifying the air of a radius of around 1 …

Recently, the 8th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) for the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge), has commenced. Important points: It is aligned with the ‘Start-up India’ initiative and is being executed by DST (Department of Science and Technology) with National Innovation Foundation – India (NIF), an autonomous body of DST. Under the …

Recently, the Common Services Centres (CSC) has received approvals to manage and operate Passport Seva Kendra kiosks in rural areas. Important points: It is an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY). The CSC is a strategic cornerstone of the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP), approved by the Government in May 2006, as part of …

The Times Higher Education (THE) recently released its World University Rankings 2022 edition. THE, formerly known as The Times Higher Education Supplement (THES), is a magazine reporting specifically on news and issues related to higher education. Earlier, Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) released the QS World University Rankings 2022. Important points: The rankings cover the four main areas of university activity: …

Recently, India and Singapore have carried out 28th edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX). Important points: Initiated in 1994, SIMBEX is the Indian Navy’s longest uninterrupted bilateral maritime exercise with any foreign navy. 28th edition of SIMBEX was a mega naval wargame in the southern fringes of the South China Sea, in reflection of their growing …

Recently, Chandigarh Railway Station has been awarded a 5- star Eat Right Station certification. It is the fifth station in India to get this recognition. The other four stations are Anand Vihar Terminal Railway Station (Delhi), Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Mumbai), Mumbai Central Railway Station (Mumbai) and Vadodara Railway Station. The certification is part of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement. Important points: The ‘Eat Right Station’ certification is …

Recently, the WHO (World Health Organisation) released a report ‘Global status report on the public health response to dementia’. It takes stock of progress made to date towards the 2025 global targets for dementia laid out in the WHO’s ‘Global Dementia Action Plan’ published in 2017. Important points: It is a syndrome – usually of a chronic …

Recently, the Prime Minister of India (PM) addressed the plenary session of the 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) via video-conferencing. The PM highlighted the importance of India-Russia relations and potential areas of cooperation in line with the ‘Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership’. Important points: Applauded Russia’s vision for the development of the Russian Far …

Recently, the new (Joe Biden) US administration has indicated that it is no longer interested in securing a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India. The US is India’s largest trading partner, and one with whom it has a significant trade surplus. This calling off of the US-India mini-trade deal provides an opportunity for India to holistically review its stance …

Recently, the Ministry of Finance has released an amount of Rs. 13,385.70 crore to 25 States for providing grants to the Rural Local Bodies. This Grant-in-aid is the 1st installment of Tied grants of the year 2021-22. The grants have been released as per the recommendations of the 15th Finance Commission. Important points: The Union Budget provides funds to local bodies, state disaster …

Recently, the Ministry for Women and Child Development inaugurated Poshan 2.0 and urged all Aspirational Districts to establish a Poshan Vatika (nutrition garden) during the Nutrition Month (Poshan Mah) from 1st September. A month-long celebration of the POSHAN Abhiyan mission places special attention on Severe Acute Malnourished (SAM) children. Important points: It is an umbrella scheme covering the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) (Anganwadi Services, Poshan …

Recently, the Indian and Algerian navies participated in a maiden naval exercise off the Algerian coast in a bid to increase maritime cooperation. The naval exercise with Algeria is crucial for India as it is strategically located in the Maghreb region (region of North Africa bordering the Mediterranean Sea and is the largest country of …