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Government e Marketplace (GeM) was announced as the winner in the Best Use of Digital Technology category at the CIPS Excellence in Procurement Awards 2021 (CIPS Awards). GeM was shortlisted as a finalist in two additional categories as well, i.e., ‘Public Procurement Project of the Year’ and ‘Best Initiative to Build a Diverse Supply Base’. Important …

Recently, the President of India conferred the National Service Scheme (NSS) Awards for 2019-20. Important points: Under NSS Awards 2019-20, 42 awardees in different categories such as University or (+2) Councils, NSS Units and their programme officers and NSS volunteers were conferred with these awards. The NSS Awards were instituted by the Ministry …

Recently, the armies of India and Nepal have started the 15th edition of joint military exercise ‘Surya Kiran’ at Pithoragarh in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Important points: The biannual exercise, which takes place alternately in both countries. The main objective of this exercise is to: Establish military relations in inaccessible mountainous areas by the soldiers of both countries, …

Recently, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) formally launched negotiations on the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) Looking to build on the progress made by both countries under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership signed in 2017, both countries expressed a desire to reach a mutually beneficial economic deal. Important points: It is a …

Recently, the Union Government has put restrictions on funding for 10 international Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO’s) working on Child Rights, Climate Change and environmental projects. In February 2021, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued new regulating guidelines to banks under Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010. Important points: The Reserve Bank of India had previously asked for several foreign organisations to …

Recently, the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare has released the 3rd State Food Safety Index (SFSI). Also, 19 Mobile Food Testing Vans (Food Safety on Wheels) have been flagged off to supplement the food safety ecosystem across the country. Important points: The index is developed by FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) to measure the …

The third edition of maritime exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ between India and Indonesia will be conducted from 20th-22nd September, 2021 in the Sunda Strait. Important points: In pursuance of India’s Act East Policy, Exercise ‘Samudra Shakti’ was conceived in 2018 as a bilateral IN-IDN exercise. The exercise aims to strengthen the bilateral relationship, enhance mutual understanding and interoperability …

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 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 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. …

The 21st Summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)Council of Heads of State was held recently via video Conferencing in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. At the meet the focus was primarily on the ground situation in Afghanistan and its global repercussions. Iran has been accepted as the ninth full member of the organisation. Important points: It took a strong stance against radicalisation and extremism, urging …

Recently, while addressing the G-33 Virtual Informal Ministerial Meeting, India’s Commerce and Industry Minister pointed out the imbalances in the Agreement on Agriculture at the World Trade Organization (WTO) He claimed that it was in favour of developed countries and historical asymmetries and imbalances must be corrected to ensure a rule-based, fair and equitable order. He urged that …

The 6th edition of Exercise Peaceful Mission is being hosted by Russia in the Orenburg Region of South West Russia from 13th to 25th September 2021. India participated for the first time in the 5th edition of the Exercise (2018). Important points: It is a Multilateral and Joint Counter Terrorism Exercise, which is conducted biennially as part of military diplomacy between Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states. The …

Recently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has added a new variant of Covid-19 in the list of Variants of Interest (VOI) and named it Mu (B.1.621). It has also added C.1.2 as a new VOI. According to INSACOG (Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium), India has so far not seen Mu and C.1.2, and the Delta variant and its sub-lineages continue …

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 …