- Indian Heritage
- Culture
- Modern Indian history
- The Freedom Struggle
- Post-independence
- Indian Society
A. population and associated issues
B. poverty and developmental issues
C.urbanization
7. Geographical features
8.Indian Constitution
9. Polity
10. Governance
A. institutions
B. regulatory
Prevention and Regulation of Misleading Advertisement in Coaching Sector
The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) conducted first meeting of the Committee constituted to prepare Guidelines with respect to misleading advertisements in coaching sector on 8th January, 2024. The Committee discussed Draft of the Guidelines.
The Chairman of the Committee is Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary Department of Consumer Affairs and Chief Commissioner of CCPA along with other members Commissioner (CCPA), representatives from Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT), Ministry of Education, National Law University (NLU), Delhi, FIITJEE, Khan Global Studies and Ikigai Law. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) who participated in the meeting.
Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary (Consumer Affairs) & Chief Commissioner (CCPA) stated that protection of consumer’s interest is a paramount concern to CCPA. He highlighted the need for clarity, specifically in addressing certain aspects related to advertisements in coaching sector. He further stated that CCPA firmly believes in safeguarding the rights of consumers and ensuring no false or misleading advertisement is made of any goods or services which contravenes the provisions of Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
The Guidelines shall be applicable to all the coaching institutes whether online or physical and cover all forms of advertisement regardless of form, format or medium. The Guidelines prescribe conditions when an advertisement by a coaching institute shall be construed to be misleading advertisement as defined under the Consumer Protection Act 2019 which inter-alia include concealing important information related to the course opted by the successful candidates [courses opted by successful candidates (whether free or paid), duration of course etc.
The Guidelines also provide that coaching institutes shall not make false claims regarding success rates or number of selections and any other practices that may lead to consumer misunderstanding or subvert consumer autonomy and choice.
The guidelines also prescribes DO’s and DON’T’s that need to be observed before coming up with advertisements:-
- Coaching Institute shall mention requisite information with successful candidate photo:-
- Rank secured by successful candidate
- Course opted by successful candidate
- Duration of course
- Whether it is paid or free
- Coaching institutes shall not make claim 100% selection or 100% job guaranteed or guaranteed preliminary or mains.
- The font of disclaimer/Disclosure/Important information in the advertisement shall be the same as that used in the claim/advertisement. The placement of such information shall be at a prominent and visible place in the advertisement.
It was also clarified that penalty for misleading advertisement by coaching sector will be governed as per Consumer Protection Act, 2019 and the Guidelines are just in the nature of clarification to the stakeholders and violations of the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019 shall continue to be governed under the existing provisions of the Consumer Protection Act 2019.
The Committee observed that there is an urgent need to issue the Guidelines and the Draft as discussed in the Meeting should be issued at the earliest.
CCPA had taken sou moto action against misleading advertisement by coaching institutes. In this regard, CCPA has issued notices to 31 coaching institutes for misleading advertisement and imposed fine on 9 of them for misleading advertisement.
CCPA has observed that some of the coaching institutes mislead consumers by deliberately concealing important information with respect to course opted by successful candidates, duration of the course so attended & the fees paid by the candidates. CCPA also observed that some of the coaching Institutes also indulge in making claims like 100% selection, 100% job guaranteed and guaranteed preliminary and main examination without providing verifiable evidence.
C. Government policies
Regional Conference on the theme “e- Governance”
A two-day Regional Conference on the theme “e- Governance” organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) in collaboration with Government of Assam began in Guwahati today. Governor of Assam, Shri Gulab Chand Kataria and Union MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh graced the inaugural event.
Addressing the gathering in the inaugural session, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space said that, PM Modi’s governance reforms have helped in mainstreaming the Northeast. Path-breaking decisions were taken by this government for the development of Northeast, that are visible in the quality of life of the people of this region. “Northeast today is being cited as an example of Modi’s development model,” he said.
The Minister further said that the reforms were brought in by the Union government for ease of governance and ease of delivery of services. “The Prime Minister’s Awards were brought in. An objective criteria was made based on flagship schemes. The idea was to let all the districts compete. As a result, now we have participation of more than 750 districts and we have received some of the best excellence awards from NE.”
The Minister said that mainstreaming has to happen on the level of thoughts and the best practices. “We started the Swacchata campaign and 1162 crore rupees was raised by just selling garbage. The initiative brings positive changes across the country,” he informed.
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
International Purple Festival – Goa 2024 Elevates Hope and Inclusivity for Persons with Disabilities
In a grand ceremony at D.B Ground in Panaji, Goa, the International Purple Festival kicked off on 08 January 2024, heralding six days of celebration and empowerment for Persons with Disabilities. The festival, a collaborative effort between the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, the Directorate of Social Welfare under the Government of Goa, and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Shri. Ramdas Athawale.Secretary DEPwD emphasized that festivals of this nature have the potential to catalyze a profound shift in societal perspectives, fostering a positive impact on mindset and attitudes.
Key Highlights
1. Leadership Presence Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant expressed pride in Goa’s unique initiatives for the disabled community, citing praise from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He emphasized inclusivity, lauding the diverse talents of Persons with Disabilities.
2. Disability Information Line (DIL): A milestone was achieved with the launch of India’s first cloud-based IVRS for Disability Information Line (DIL). The 24×7 service offers information on 21 disabilities, accessible through the toll-free number 1800222014.
3. Purple Fest Playbook: The launch of the Purple Fest Playbook provided an overview of the event’s achievements and outlined actions for accessibility before, during, and after the festival.
4. Purple Anthem ‘Dhumal’The Opening Ceremony featured the Purple Anthem, ‘Dhumal,’ showcasing performances by Persons with Disabilities and renowned creators from the Indian Music Industry, symbolizing unity and inclusivity.
5. PURPLE TV BHARAT: A dedicated channel, PURPLE TV BHARAT, was introduced to showcase ideas, success stories, interviews, and achievements of the Person with Disability Community globally.
6. Purple Rain Finale: The festival concluded with the Purple Rain, featuring diverse performances, including the international Mando by children from the National Association for the Blind, traditional Goan folk dance Mussal, classical dance ‘Saraswati Vandana,’ and an engaging performance by Hema Sardesaai.
B Health
Launch of the Traditional Medicine Morbidity codes of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Chapter in International Classification of Diseaseas (ICD) 11 as Module 2
ICD 11 TM Module 2, Morbidity Codes, World Health Organization launch event will be held in New Delhi on 10th January, 2024. The data and terminology relating to diseases based on Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani systems will now be included in the WHOs ICD11 classification.
The data and terminology relating to diseases based on Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems will now be included in the ICD11 classification of WHO. This effort will lead to global uniformity in ASU (Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha) medicine as a code of vocabulary defining diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a classification series called International Classification of Diseases (ICDs) to classify diseases internationally. The global data on diseases currently available is mainly based on healthcare practices to be diagnosed through modern biomedicine. The classification of data and terminology relating to diseases based on Ayush systems such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani etc. is not yet included in the WHO ICD series.
irector, Integrated Health Services, WHO Geneva was present at the premises of Ministry of Ayush today (9th January ). Secretary, Ministry of Ayush along with all senior officials and members deliberated on the efforts of Ministry of Ayush and importance of inclusion of Traditional Medicine in ICD 11. Pradeep Dua, Technical Officer Tradition, Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Integrated Health Services, WHO also participated in the discussion.
Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) is an agency under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that serves as the WHO Collaboration Centre for ICD-related activities. It facilitates the collection and dissemination of data on various diseases and mortality. The Ministry of Ayush has already developed the Code for Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani Medicine through the National Ayush Morbidity and Standardized Electronic Portal (NAMSTE). The Ministry of Ayush in collaboration with WHO has prepared a categorization of data and terminology related to diseases based on Ayush – Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani systems under TM2 module of ICD11 series. The Ministry of AYUSH has also signed a Donor Agreement with the World Health Organization for the same.
C. Education
D. Human Resources
E. poverty and hunger
12. International relations
A. India and its neighbourhood
Public Policy and Governance for Civil Servants of Cambodia inaugurated today at NCGG, Mussoorie
The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), an apex-level autonomous institution of the Government of India, commenced the third training programme on Public Policy and Governance for 38 Civil Servants of Cambodia. The two-week program is scheduled from January 8th, 2024 to January 19th, 2024.
NCGG’s efforts align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, which emphasizes strengthening bilateral ties and fostering regional cooperation with neighbouring countries. The inaugural session was chaired by Shri V. Srinivas, Director General (DG) National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) & Secretary Department of Administrative Reform and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India who highlighted the role of technology in bringing citizens closer to government, while optimising transparency and accountability. He quoted honourable Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi’s mantra of “Minimum Government and Maximum Governance” emphasising how the nation is striving towards achieving it..
Shedding light on the next generation administrative reforms, he spoke about the digital transformation of government institutions and how it has led to simplification of service delivery. He discussed in detail about the service quality benchmarking and digital infrastructure development in India and how the central grievance redressal mechanism developed has led to pendency reduction and better delivery of services to citizens. He also explained about the central and state service delivery portals and the 10 step administrative reforms and how it is changing the governance landscape in scale, scope and learning paradigm. He highlighted the importance of innovations at district and state level and dissemination of best practices. It was told how 1400 e- services are being delivered in various sector and areas such as revenue, public works, drinking water among others which are assessed periodically under NESDA.
He shared the vision for India in 2047, emphasising the significance of good governance practices and awareness programs such as the PM awards, National Civil Services Day, and Good Governance Week serve as celebrations, underscoring an unwavering commitment to continual enhancements in good governance. He encouraged officers to study the successful governance models implemented in India, and try to replicate them depending on their local needs and requirements.
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Kheng Piseth, Deputy Director General, General Department of Posts thanked Shri V. Srinivas as well NCGG team for conducting such a training programme for the Cambodian Civil Service officers. He was of the opinion that they are looking forward to such exposure and this will lead the officers to give better services to the people of their country and ultimately help in achieving good governance.
Dr. B.S Bisht, Associate Professor and course coordinator of the program gave a brief description of the course to the officers. The course includes Changing Paradigm of Governance, Public Policy and Implementation, Ethics in Administration, and Leveraging Technology in Disaster Management in Disaster Management, Climate Change and its impact on bio-diversity, Performance Optimization in Health Sector, Smart and Sustainable Cities, Leadership and Communication, E-Governance and Digital India, Gender and Development, GeM: Bringing Transparency in Government Procurement, Emotional Intelligence for Administrations along with visits plan to Smart City Project and Information Technology Development Agency (ITDA) Dehradun along with Budha temple visit. The other visits include a visit to District Muzzaffarnagar, a visit to AIIMS, Visit to Sanchar Bhawan and Visit to Dak Bhawan in New Delhi and a visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra.
The National Centre for Good Governance, established in 2014, is mandated to train civil servants from India and other countries. Over the years, the centre has successfully trained officers from various nations, including Bangladesh, Kenya, Tanzania, Tunisia, Gambia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Laos, Vietnam, Bhutan, and Myanmar.
B. groupings and agreements
C.Indian diaspora
17th Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas Convention 2023
Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) Convention is the flagship event of the Government of India. It provides an important platform to engage and connect with the overseas Indians and to enable the diaspora to interact with each other. The 17th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organized in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh Government from 08-10 January 2023 in Indore. The theme of this PBD Convention is “Diaspora: Reliable partners for India’s progress in Amrit Kaal”. Over 3,500 diaspora members from nearly 70 different countries have registered for the PBD Convention.
PBD Convention will have three segments. On 08 January 2023, the inauguration of the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas will be held in partnership with Ministry of Youth affairs and Sports. H.E. Ms. Zaneta Mascarenhas, Member of Parliament of Australia, will be the Guest of Honour at the Youth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas.
On 09 January 2023, the PBD Convention will be inaugurated by Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and will feature addresses by the Chief Guest, H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the President of Cooperative Republic of Guyana, and the Special Guest of Honour, H.E. Mr. Chandrikapersad Santokhi, Hon’ble President of the Republic of Suriname.
A Commemorative Postal Stamp ‘Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen’ will be released to underline the importance of safe, legal, orderly and skilled migration. Hon’ble Prime Minister will also inaugurate the first-ever digital PBD Exhibition on theme “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav – Contribution of Diaspora in Indian Freedom Struggle” to highlight the contribution of our diaspora freedom fighters in India’s Independence. In view of India’s ongoing Presidency of the G20, a special Town Hall will also be organized on January 09.
On 10 January 2023, Hon’ble Rashtrapati ji, Smt. Droupadi Murmu will confer Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards 2023 and preside over the Valedictory Session. Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awards are conferred to select Indian diaspora members to recognize their achievements and honour their contributions to various fields, both in India and abroad.
The PBD Convention will have five thematic Plenary sessions-
· First Plenary on ‘Role of Diaspora Youth in Innovations and new Technologies’, chaired by Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Anurag Singh Thakur.
Second Plenary on ‘Role of Indian Diaspora in promoting Indian Healthcare Eco-system in Amrit Kaal: Vision @2047’, chaired by Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya and co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh.
Third Plenary on ‘Leveraging the soft power of India – Goodwill through craft, cuisine & creativity’, chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs, Smt. Meenakashi Lekhi.
Fourth Plenary on ‘Enabling global mobility of Indian workforce – Role of Indian Diaspora’, chaired by Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan.
Fifth Plenary on ‘Harnessing the potential of diaspora entrepreneurs towards an inclusive approach to nation building’, chaired by Minister of Finance, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman.
All the Plenary Sessions will feature panel discussions inviting eminent diaspora experts.
he forthcoming 17th PBD Convention holds significance as it is being organized as a physical event after a gap of four years and first after the onset of Covid-19 pandemic. The last PBD Convention in 2021 was held virtually during the Pandemic.
13. Economic Development
A. Government Budgeting
B. industrial
E.issues
14. Technology
15. Environment
16. Security
17. Disaster Management