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Recently, the Election Commission of India (ECI) delisted Ex-Telecom Minister A. Raja from the list of star campaigners. He has also been reprimanded for violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for making certain remarks during election times. Star Campaigners: A star campaigner is a celebrity vote seeker in an election for a party. This …

The demand for an autonomous state within Assam has been raised by some of the sections of the society in Assam under the provisions of Article 244A of the Constitution. Important points: In the 1950s, a demand for a separate hill state arose around certain sections of the tribal population of undivided Assam. After prolonged agitations, Meghalaya …

  The Union Cabinet has approved the Central Sector Scheme – “Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry (PLISFPI)” with an outlay of Rs. 10900 crore. The objectives of the Scheme are to support food manufacturing entities with stipulated minimum Sales and willing to make minimum stipulated investment for …

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has decided to use sensor-based IoT devices to effectively monitor the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in more than six lakh villages. Important points: For this, National Jal Jeevan Mission in collaboration with Tata Community Initiatives Trust (TCIT) and Tata Trusts recently completed pilot …

The India-Mauritius CECPA will enter into force on 01 April 2021. Important points:  India and Mauritius signed the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) on 22 February 2021. The CECPA is the first trade Agreement signed by India with a country in Africa. The India-Mauritius CECPA provides for an …

The Union Commerce and Industry Ministry announced extension of the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) of Government of India. Important points: The present Policy which came into force on 1st April 2015, was for 5 years and was extended thereafter upto 31st March, 2021. In view of the persisting COVID-19 pandemic, …

In recognition of the continuing adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic on certain service sectors, the Government has now extended the scope of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) through introduction of ECLGS 3.0. Important points: ECLGS 3.0 will cover business enterprises in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Leisure & Sporting sectors …

The nomination process for this year’s Prime Minister’s Yoga Awards (PMYA) will begin from 30/03/2021, with the last date for the submission of the entries being 30/04/2021. One of the key initiatives of the Ministry of AYUSH (MoA), the International Day of Yoga (IDY), has gained international recognition. PM Narendra …

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog launched AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers on Innovations, Market-Readiness & Entrepreneurship), an initiative to promote and support science-based deep-tech start-ups & ventures across India. In this regard, AIM has joined hands with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) to launch this nationwide program which will …

Indian Army Formally Closes Down Military Farms. Military Farms were set up with sole requirement of supplying hygienic cow’s milk to troops billeted in various garrisons across British India. First Military farm was raised on 01 Feb 1889 at Allahabad. After independence Military Farms flourished with 30,000 heads of cattle …

The government has sharply slashed the rates on all small savings instruments for the first quarter of 2021-22. It has brought the rate of return on the Public Provident Fund down from 7.1% to 6.4% and effecting cuts ranging from 40 basis points (0.4%) to 110 basis points (1.1%) through …

A report ‘Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2021: Towards post-Covid-19 resilient economies’ has recently been released by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). According to the report, India is estimated to record an economic growth of 7% in 2021-22, …

 The US State Department, in its 2020 Human Rights Report, pointed out several Human Rights Issues in India. The report, which is submitted each year to the US Congress, is retrospective and contains a country wise discussion of the state of human rights. Earlier in March 2021, Freedom in …

 India has fallen 28 places in the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2021. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, One Stop Centre (OSC) Scheme, Ujjawala Scheme are some the initiatives launched by the government to address the issue of gender inequality. Further, the principle of gender equality is enshrined …

 Union Minister Prakash Javadekar flagged off DEMU train from Phaltan to Pune via Lonand on 30.3.2021 through video conferencing. Phaltan is a town, a taluka and a municipal council in Satara district in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The town is about 59 kilometres northeast of the city of Satara …

The 11th edition of Indo-US Joint Special Forces Exercise VAJRA PRAHAR was conducted at Special Forces Training School located at Bakloh, HP in March 2021. The joint exercise by the Special Forces of both the countries is conducted alternatively between India and the United States. Objective is to share the …

Union Education Minister inaugurates Ānandam: The Center for Happiness in IIM Jammu, to help students live a stress-free life. Important points: Incorporating happiness in the academic curriculum of students is a very crucial step towards empowering our nation. This step will take our education system to newer heights, similar to …

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare digitally participated in a panel discussion on vaccine production and distribution across Asia at the “World Immunisation and Logistics Summit”. Important points: The HOPE Consortium’s World Immunisation & Logistics Summit opened on March 30, 2021 to enhance collaboration in the …

Financing agreements for developing STPs and Sewerage network for Digha and Kankarbagh zones of Patna were signed between DK Sewage Project Pvt Ltd (a subsidiary of VA Tech Wahagh) and PFS. Important points: The scope of the project includes development of Sewage Treatment Plants of 150 MLD capacity along with …

NITI Aayog Releases Report ‘Investment Opportunities in India’s Healthcare Sector’. Important points: The report outlines the range of investment opportunities in various segments of India’s healthcare sector, including hospitals, medical devices and equipment, health insurance, telemedicine, home healthcare and medical value travel. India’s healthcare industry has been growing at a …