Social sector

Context Recent initiatives like the PM Vishwakarma scheme and the National Education Policy (NEP) treat caste as a cultural and occupational identity. While these efforts aim to promote inclusion, they raise concerns about achieving real equality.   Key Concepts Culturalisation of Caste Caste is increasingly seen as part of culture, …

Context: India’s elderly population (those aged 60 and above) is expanding rapidly. In 2023, there are 149 million elderly individuals, making up 10.5% of the total population. By 2050, this figure is projected to reach 347 million, or 20.8% of the population. Challenges of an Ageing Population Increasing Dependency Ratio: …

The National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) is a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. It was established in 1989 with the objective of providing financial assistance, concessional loans, and skill development training to members of Scheduled Castes (SCs) for …

Skill development plays a crucial role in creating jobs in India. With over 60% of its population being young, the country has a favourable demographic profile. However, to harness the full potential of such a vast workforce, enhancing employability is imperative.   The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) …

Context:  With the increasing pace of urbanisation along with the baggage of problems it comes. Urbanisation: Urbanisation is the process of transformation that occurs as a society evolves from predominantly rural to predominantly urban areas. It involves the increase in the proportion of a country’s population residing in urban areas, leading to the expansion and growth of cities and towns. Urbanisation is …

Context:  Recently, the ICMR Bioethics Unit posted the consensus policy statement for the ethical conduct of controlled human infection studies (CHIS), also known as human challenge studies, in India. Key details: Traditional human clinical trials have been carried out in the country for a very long time. The inclusion of human challenge studies will …

Manasvi Khandelwal talks about the loneliness that has stayed with her for a few months now, ever since she moved to Atlanta, the United States, after her wedding. “My husband and I are in a very happy relationship,” she says. “But there is some sense of grief because we are …

IRDA is devising an affordable product covering health, life, property, accident risks to give citizens protection, expedite claim settlements by linking death registries onto one industry platform If India’s insurance regulator’s plans fructify, households across the country could soon be able to get an affordable single policy that covers health, life, …

Even after 14 years of implementation of the Right to education, the proportion of single-teacher schools in India is still a high 14.7%. The Right to Education Act states that every school must have at least two teachers. The Act also requires presence of a primary school within one kilometer of every habitation. In some …

The Indian council for Medical Research (ICMR) highlighted the need to reduce the Salt intake. A healthy, active adult need between 200 and 500 mg of sodium per day. According to WHO, the world is off track to achieve its global target of reducing salt intake by 30% by 2025. Only 5% of …

India’s edible oil imports set for a record high. The Global prices of edible oils, which hit an all-time high after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have crashed. Sunflower has seen the greatest volatility in the prices in the last one year. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s global vegetable oils price index soared to an …

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the Ministry of AYUSH signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) to enhance collaboration and cooperation in health research in the field of integrated medicine. What is integrative medicine? Integrative medicine focuses on you as a whole person and not just your illness or disease. It seeks …

Newly synthesised biocompatible drug delivery system combined with anti-inflammatory drugs brings potential solution for rheumatoid arthritis Scientists explored the potential of the anti-inflammatory FDA-approved drug 9-aminoacridine (9AA) and the natural compound caffeic acid (CA), generally found in coffee or wine conjugated to nano micelles, an amphiphilic molecule that forms spherical structure when immersed in water, for …

India recorded the second highest number of attacks on defenders protesting harmful business practices in 2022, according to a new report. The report is prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), an international non-profit. India saw 54 such incidents of attacks, which is lower only than Brazil’s record of 63. India’s Jindal Steel Ltd (JSW) …

The Supreme Court agreed to take up Muslim women’s petitions challenging the validity of talaq-e-hasan under the Muslim personal law. What is Talaq-e-Hasan? In Islam, Talaq-e-Hasan is an extra-judicial form of divorce that can be practised by men. Under Muslim personal laws, this form of divorce is revocable. Talaq-e-Hasan is considered to be approved by …

Some members of the Meitei community in Manipur, which has been seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for decades, have now said that they intend to file contempt proceedings against the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Assembly, which recently passed a resolution opposing their inclusion. Recently the Manipur High Court ordered …

Affairs, has asked States and Union Territories to develop 100 eat right food streets in 100 districts across the country. The aim of this project is to encourage safe and healthy practices to reduce food-borne illnesses and improve overall health outcomes. Safe food practices would not only boost the “eat right campaign” and food safety but also improve the …

More than 181 members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community from Karnataka are stuck in violence-hit Sudan, even as the government is making efforts to bring them back. Who are the Hakki Pikki? The Hakki Pikki is a tribe that lives in several states in west and south India, especially near forest areas. …

The CJI clarified that the hearing of a batch of petitions seeking legal recognition of same sex marriage scope would be limited to developing a notion of a “civil union” that finds legal recognition under the Special Marriage Act. A “civil union” refers to the legal status that allows same-sex couples specific rights and responsibilities normally conferred …

National Health Authority (NHA) invites participation on the ‘National Health Claims Exchange (HCX)-Sandbox’ under Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) National Health Authority has been collaborating with insurance regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai) for developing the Health Claims Exchange. NHA announced HCX as a new initiative under the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) National …