- 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
Sixteenth Finance Commission
The Government of India, with the approval of the President of India, has constituted the Sixteenth Finance Commission, in pursuance to Article 280(1) of the Constitution.
The Finance Commission normally takes about two years to make their recommendations. As per the clause (1) of article 280 of the Constitution, the Finance Commission is to be constituted every fifth year or earlier. However, as the recommendations of the 15th FC cover the six-year period up to 31st March 2026, the 16th FC is proposed to be constituted now. This will enable the Finance Commission to consider and appraise the finances of the Union and the States for the period immediately, preceding the period of its recommendations. In this context, it is pertinent to mention that there are precedents where the Eleventh Finance Commission was constituted six years after the Tenth Finance Commission. Similarly, the Fourteenth Finance Commission was constituted five years and two months after the Thirteenth Finance Commission.
The Advance Cell of the 16th FC was formed in Ministry of Finance on 21.11.2022, to oversee preliminary work, pending formal constitution of the Commission.
Terms of Reference for the Sixteenth Finance Commission:
The Finance Commission shall make recommendations as to the following matters, namely:
- The distribution between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes which are to be, or may be, divided between them under Chapter I, Part XII of the Constitution and the allocation between the States of the respective shares of such proceeds;
- The principles which should govern the grants-in-aid of the revenues of the States out of the Consolidated Fund of India and the sums to be paid to the States by way of grants-in-aid of their revenues under article 275 of the Constitution for the purposes other than those specified in the provisos to clause (1) of that article; and
- The measures needed to augment the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources of the Panchayats and Municipalities in the State on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance Commission of the State.
B. regulatory
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
B Health
Observes World Leprosy Day on Mahatma Gandhi’s Punyatithi
World Leprosy Day, traditionally celebrated on the last Sunday of January globally, holds a special significance in India as it coincides with Mahatma Gandhi’s Punyatithi on January 30 every year.
The primary objective of observing World Leprosy Day is to raise awareness among the general public about the stigma associated with this disease and to educate people that leprosy is caused by a type of bacteria and can be easily treated.
C. Education
D. Human Resources
E. poverty and hunger
12. International relations
A. India and its neighbourhood
B. groupings and agreements
C.Indian diaspora
13. Economic Development
A. Government Budgeting
B. industrial
index of Eight Core Industries increases by 3.8 per cent (provisional) in Dec 2023 as compared to Dec 2022
he combined Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) increased by 3.8per cent (provisional) in December 2023 as compared to the Index of December 2022. The production of Coal, Natural Gas, Steel, Fertilizers, Refinery Products, Cement and Electricity recorded positive growth in December 2023. The details of annual and monthly indices and growth rates are provided at Annex I and Annex II respectively.
The ICI measures combined and individual performance of production of eight core industries viz. Cement, Coal, Crude Oil, Electricity, Fertilizers, Natural Gas, Refinery Products and Steel. The Eight Core Industries comprise 40.27 percent of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
The final growth rate of Index of Eight Core Industries for September2023 is revised to 9.4per cent. The cumulative growth rate of ICI during April to December, 2023-24is 8.1per cent(provisional) as compared to the corresponding period of last year.
The summary of the Index of Eight Core Industries is given below:
Cement – Cement production (weight: 5.37 per cent) increased by 1.3 per cent in December, 2023 over December, 2022. Its cumulative index increased by 9.2 per cent during April to December, 2023-24 over corresponding period of the previous year.
Coal – Coal production (weight: 10.33 per cent) increased by 10.6 per cent in December, 2023 over December, 2022. Its cumulative index increased by 12.5 per cent during April to December, 2023-24 over corresponding period of the previous year.
Crude Oil – Crude Oil production (weight: 8.98 per cent) decreased by 1.0 per cent in December, 2023 over December, 2022. Its cumulative index declined by 0.3 per cent during April to December, 2023-24 over corresponding period of the previous year.
Electricity – Electricity generation (weight: 19.85 per cent) increased by 0.6 per cent in December, 2023 over December, 2022. Its cumulative index increased by 6.9 per cent during April to December, 2023-24 over corresponding period of the previous year.
Fertilizers – Fertilizer production (weight: 2.63 per cent) increased by 5.8 per cent in December, 2023 over December, 2022. Its cumulative index increased by 6.2 per cent during April to December, 2023-24 over corresponding period of the previous year.
One District One Product Sampark
Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) is conducting nationwide events under its ‘One District One Product Sampark’ initiative. These events create awareness about the initiative and showcase success stories emerging from various districts across the nation. In alignment with the goals of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, these narratives illustrate instances of ‘atmanirbharta’ or self- reliance, and the revival of indigenous industries. The workshops highlight collaborative efforts between districts, states, and centre, emphasizing a commitment to fostering balanced regional development.
The workshops, held in 15 states so far such as Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, Sikkim, Nagaland, Goa, Maharashtra, and Meghalaya, have successfully showcased ODOP success stories through local and national newspapers in multiple languages, including English, Hindi, and regional languages. The tangible impact of ODOP Sampark becomes apparent through live interactions with sellers in workshops, where identified gaps in market linkages have spurred proactive initiatives by DPIIT. These initiatives encompass providing support for e-commerce onboarding, collaborating with states to formulate ODOP policies, enhancing packaging strategies, and facilitating connections between sellers at the central level to boost domestic and global promotions.
Build Robust National Highway Network
objective to develop a robust national highways network, NHAI has joined hands with Geological Survey of India (GSI) to provide services for site-specific geotechnical consultancy.
The service also includes assistance to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) in vetting of detailed project reports (DPRs) from geotechnical point of view.
A memorandum of understanding was signed in presence of NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and Saibal Ghosh, deputy director general, GSI along with other senior officials from NHAI and GSI.
As per the agreement, GSI will provide site-specific geotechnical consultancy services related to preparation of geological map of the area providing detailed geological features, preparation of slope stability study of the road and providing necessary recommendations and identification of geologically-weak zones at various sites/stretches of national highways.
Additionally, GSI will suggest site specific remedial measures, 3D geological-logging of tunnels in the project, suggest necessary and relevant stabilisation measures and undertake detailed analysis of DPRs prepared by NHAI consultants.
This unique initiative of collaboration between two government organisations to share best practices, will go a long way in providing strong impetus to quality construction of national highways.
E.issues
14. Technology
Environment friendly, high-performance alternative to hard chrome plating can produce more durable coatings
A new technique of synthesizing thin hard surface coatings by high velocity air fuel spraying, has the potential of emerging as an environment friendly safer alternative to hard chrome plating used in on car parts, tools, and kitchen utensils.
Chrome plating is used as it is hard and wear resistant. However, it consists of chromates, fluorites, and hexavalent chromium making it carcinogenic in nature. This has initiated the researcher’s search for a safer, environment friendly alternative with an equivalent or superior wear resistance but crack-free coating. Deposition of thin coating with industrially acceptable surface roughness is economical as it requires less powder and elimination of several grinding processes.
Thermal spray is a group of techniques to deposit wide variety of coatings for various industrial applications to reduce wear and tear and improve corrosion resistance. While with conventional thermal spray techniques, thickness build up is high and several grinding and polishing operations are needed to acquire the required thickness and roughness. A new technique called high velocity air fuel (HVAF), involving low temperatures and high particle velocities can deposit coatings using finer sized powders (5-15 µm).
Scientists from ARCI, an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) carried out synthesis of thin hard coatings of a composite alloy of Tungsten, cobalt, and chromium (WC-10Co-4Cr) by high velocity air fuel spraying. Thin coatings were deposited with torches with different capacities and by employing different nozzle sizes.
Coatings with 50 µm thickness and surface roughness’s close to 1.5 µm were achieved on stainless steel substrates. The torch type and nozzle design influenced the coatings properties considerably. Superior sliding wear performance was noticed with HVAF sprayed thin WC-10Co-4Cr coatings against conventional Hard Chrome Plating (HCP). Similarly, corrosion studies carried out on the coating and compared with HCP showed that the new technique can be a better alternative to HCP for heavy load applications like hydraulic shaft, valves, piston rods, balls and so on.
15. Environment
Ramsar sites (Wetlands of International Importance) to 80 by adding Five more wetlands to the list on the eve of World Wetlands Day 2024 (2nd February)
The theme of WWD-2024 is ‘Wetlands and Human Wellbeing’ which underscores the critical role wetlands play in enhancing our lives. It highlights how wetlands contribute to flood protection, clean water, biodiversity and recreational opportunities, all of which are essential for human health and prosperity.
List of newly designated Ramsar Sites
- Ankasamudra Bird Conservation Reserve is a humanmade Village Irrigation Tank built centuries back and is spread over an area of 98.76ha (244.04 acre) adjoining the Ankasamudra village. It is an ecologically important wetland, rich in biodiversity, comprising over 210 species of plants, 8 species of mammals, 25 species of reptiles, 240 species of birds, 41 species of fishes, 3 species of frogs, 27 species of butterflies and 32 species of odonates. Over 30’000 waterbirds nest and roost at this wetland, which also supports more than 1% of the biogeographic population of Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) and Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus).
- Aghanashini Estuary, spread over an area of4801 ha, is formed at the confluence of Aghanashini River with the Arabian sea. The brackish water of the Estuary provides diverse ecosystem services including flood and erosion risk mitigation, biodiversity conservation and livelihood support. The wetland also provides livelihoods to 6000-7500 families by supporting fishing, agriculture, collection of edible bivalves and crabs, shrimp aquaculture, traditional fish farming in the estuarine rice fields (locally known as Gazni rice fields), bivalve shell collection and salt production. Additionally, the mangroves bordering the estuary help to protect the shores against storms and cyclones. The estuary regularly supports over 43,000 counts of over 66 waterbird species and over 1% of the biogeographic population of 15 waterbird species (which includes river tern, oriental darter, lesser black-backed gull, woolly- necked stork, Eurasian oystercatcher and others).
- Magadi Kere Conservation Reserve, is a human-made wetland with an area of nearly 50 hectares which was constructed to store rainwater for irrigation purposes. It is home to over 166 species of birds, of which 130 are migratory. The wetland harbours two vulnerable species, namely Common pochard (Aythya ferina) and River tern (Sterna aurantia) and four near-threatened species, namely Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster), Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Woolly- necked Stork (Ciconia episcopus) and Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala). Nearly 8,000 birds visit the site during winter. Magadi Kere is also one of the largest wintering grounds for the Bar-headed goose (Anser indicus) in Southern India. The wetland is a designated Important Bird Area (IBA) and also listed as a priority area for conservation in India.
- Karaivetti Bird Sanctuary spanning 453.72 ha is one of the largest inland wetlands of Tamil Nadu, and is a significant source of groundwater recharge for the area. Water from the wetland is utilized by the villagers for cultivating agricultural crops such as paddy, sugar cane, cotton, corn, and split red gram. Karaivetti has one of the largest congregations of waterbirds in the State of Tamil Nadu. About 198 species of birds have been recorded here; some of the important visitors being the Bar headed Goose, Pin-tailed duck, Garganey, Northern Shoveler, Common Pochard, Eurasian Wigeon, Common teal and Cotton teal.
- The Longwood Shola Reserve Forest derives its name from the Tamil word, “Solai”, which means a ‘tropical rain forest’. The ‘Sholas’ are found in the upper reaches of the Nilgiris, Anamalais, Palni hills, Kalakadu, Mundanthurai and Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. These forested wetlands serve as habitats for the globally endangered Black-chinned Nilgiri Laughing thrush (Strophocincla cachinnans), Nilgiri Blue Robin (Myiomela major), and vulnerable Nilgiri Wood-pigeon (Columba elphinstonii). As many as 14 out of 26 endemic birds species of the Western Ghats are found in these wetlands.
16. Security
17. Disaster Management