- 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
National Mission for Deep Ocean Exploration (DOE)
To scientifically explore the deep oceans towards improving our understanding of the blue frontier. The information from this mission will address issues arising from long term changes in the oceans due to climate change. The focus areas cover the development of technologies for deep sea exploration and exploitation of living (biodiversity) and non-living (minerals) resources; development of underwater vehicles and underwater robotics; development of ocean climate change advisory services; technological innovation and conservational methods for sustainable utilization of marine bio-resources; offshore based desalination techniques; and renewable energy generation.
8.Indian Constitution
9. Polity
10. Governance
A. institutions
B. regulatory
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW)
The National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) was operationalised during 2011-12 with the aim of achieving holistic empowerment of women. The focus was to bring convergence of efforts through inter-sectoral coordination amongst different ministries and programmes, with the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) acting as the nodal agency. Following the restructuring during the 12th Plan period, NMEW was approved for continuation as a sub-scheme of the Umbrella Scheme for Protection and Development of Women. Under the revised Scheme, technical support to MWCD is being provided by domain experts who are involved in the implementation and monitoring of new initiatives of the Ministry like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP Scheme), One Stop Centres, Women Helpline etc. and also facilitates convergence of schemes/programmes of different Ministries/Departments with focus on women.
The objective of NMEW is to strengthen the processes that promote holistic development of women, gender equality and gender justice through inter-sectoral convergence of programmes impacting women, forging synergy amongst various stakeholders and creating an enabling environment conducive to social change. It will also strive to integrate gender concerns into the training curriculum of the training institutes (administrative, academic, police, legal, health, skill development, rural development etc.) as well as prepare training modules for functionaries at various levels. It would also undertake research, evaluation and reviews of programmes and legislation, gender audit and outcome assessment to build evidence for policy intervention and programmatic reform.
NMEW would also focus on Training and Capacity Building to enhance and strengthen understanding of gender issues, and build a Resource Pool (trainers) at the National and State level to bridge gaps between knowledge and practice. At the national level, experts would be engaged in the area of:
(i) Poverty alleviation and economic empowerment
(ii) Health and nutrition
(iii) Gender budgeting and Gender mainstreaming
(iv) Gender rights, gender based violence and law enforcement
(v) Empowerment of vulnerable and marginalised groups
(vi) Social empowerment and education
(vii) Media and advocacy
(viii) Information technology.
B Health
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
E.issues
14. Technology
SECI unveils India’s largest solar-battery project, pioneering renewable energy innovation
The Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited (SECI), under the aegis of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, has successfully commissioned India’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which stores energy using solar energy. The 40 megawatts (MW) / 120MWh BESS with a solar photovoltaic (PV) plant which has an installed capacity of 152.325 megawatt hour (MWh)and dispatchable capacity of 100MW AC (155.02 MW peak DC) is located in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. The energy would be purchased by the state of Chhattisgarh, thus contributing to meeting the peak energy demand of the state using green electrons andalso towards its renewable purchase obligations.The project has been dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi via video conferencing today, February 24, 2024.
The project using solar panels and battery storage represents a monumental leap forward in generation and use of renewable energy. The project utilizes battery storage for storing solar energy when the sun is shining and using it later during hours of peak demand in the evening, for meeting the electricity demand in the state. The project has deployed bifacial modules, which reflect the light from the ground, thus generating more electricitythan monofacial modules, hencesetting a new standard for large-scale renewable energy projects.
A unique aspect of this project is its strategic use of previously unused land. Through a tripartite land-use permission agreement among the Energy Department of the Government of Chhattisgarh, Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL), and SECI, 451 acres of waste land across 9 villages in Tehsil Dongargarh and Dongargaon, District Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, have been repurposed. The project has thus adopted a sustainable approach to energy project development, while minimizing environmental impact.
New study tracking pollen from soil of Kaziranga National Park can interpret climate & vegetation change & help inform National Biodiversity Mission
New research has developed a modern analogue for pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) of Kaziranga National Park that can help in the interpretation of the past vegetation and climate in a region.
Climate change is a dynamic process for the periodic vegetation shifts in a region. Nevertheless, the national parks are highly protected areas for the biodiversity conservation. The extreme and unpredictable weather, and an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural disasters, is one of the prime drivers for the biodiversity loss in National Parks. In these circumstances, the precision in future climatic assessment is important and requires rigorous climate models which are built utilizing modern and past climatic data inputs which emerged from well-dated proxy based palaeo-reconstructions. The Kaziranga National Park (KNP) in Assam, a corridor for immigration of members of the Indo-Malayan fauna into the Indian sub-region, is a critical reserve for tropical species, having served as a gene reservoir for these taxa during glacial periods.
With this in mind scientists from Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP), an autonomous institution of DST have developed a modern analogue dataset based on pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) from different vegetation settings across the Kaziranga National Park of Assam for the interpretation of the past vegetation and climate in a region. This study evaluates both the strength and weaknesses of the biotic proxy and assesses how reliably modern pollen and NPP analogue can identify different ecological environments and could be used as a baseline in interpreting Late Quaternary palaeo-environmental and ecological changes more accurately in this region.
Modern pollen analogue being a prerequisite in this high precipitation tropical region for deciphering the past and future climatic scenario, the palaeo-ecological data would assist in better understanding the sustainable future projections in and around the national park.
Compared to single-proxy interpretation, the combination of pollen and NPP can reveal more detailed information and strengthen subsequent palaeo-environmental reconstructions. The research is the first holistic approach towards developing modern pollen and NPP analogue that would be an accurate reference tool for the past herbivory and ecological studies in the tropical region of northeast India.
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM)
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) including Self-Employment and Talent Utilization (SETU) is Government of India’s endeavour to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. It shall act as a platform for promotion of world-class Innovation Hubs, Grand Challenges, Start-up businesses and other self-employment activities, particularly in technology driven areas.
AIM shall have two core functions: Entrepreneurship promotion through Self-Employment and Talent Utilization, wherein innovators would be supported and mentored to become successful entrepreneurs and Innovation promotion: to provide a platform where innovative ideas are generated.
i) Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL)
With a vision to ‘Cultivate one Million children in India as Neoteric Innovators’, AIM is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India. This shall greatly help in fostering curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.
Through ATL, young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to better understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). ATL would contain educational and learning ‘do it yourself’ kits and equipment on – science, electronics, robotics, open source microcontroller boards, sensors and 3D printers and computers.
In order to foster inventiveness among students, different activities ranging from regional/ national level competitions, exhibitions, workshops on problem solving, designing and fabrication of products, lecture series etc. may be conducted at periodic intervals.
ii) Atal Incubation Centres (AIC)
One of the objectives of AIM is to support the establishment of new incubation centres called Atal Incubation Centres (AICs) that would nurture innovative start-up businesses in their pursuit to become scalable and sustainable enterprises.
The AICs would facilitate the creation of world class incubation facilities across various parts of India with state-of-the-art infrastructure in terms of capital equipment and operating facilities, along with the availability of sectoral experts for mentoring the start-ups, business planning support, access to seed capital, industry partners, trainings etc. Moreover, AICs would be established in subject specific areas such as manufacturing, transport, energy, health, education, agriculture, water and sanitation etc.
iii) Scale-up Support to Established Incubation Centres
This scheme envisages to augment the capacity of the Established Incubation Centres in our country. It aims to radically transform the start-up ecosystem in the country by upgrading the Established Incubation Centres to world-class standards by providing financial scale-up support and other such requirements.
National Mission for Artificial Intelligence
There are now incredible advances in data collection, processing and in computation power. Intelligent systems can now be deployed in a variety of tasks and decision-making to enable better connectivity and enhance productivity. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) mission will focus on efforts that will benefit India in addressing societal needs in areas such as healthcare, education, agriculture, smart cities and infrastructure, including smart mobility and transportation.
This mission will work with extensive academia- industry interactions on developing core research capability at national level which will include international collaborations. It will push technology frontiers through the creation of new knowledge and in developing and deploying applications.
National Mission for Electric Vehicles
This mission is critical for India to reduce fossil fuel consumption and mitigate emissions. Electric vehicles (EVs) are a major component of India’ mobility plans. For EVs to become economically viable and scalable, focussed research, development and innovation are needed to build indigenous capability. Vehicles need to be energy efficient, use light-weight and efficient batteries that function well in Indian conditions with materials that are recyclable. Developing vehicle sub-systems and components for Indian requirements including rare-earth based electric motors, Lithium-ion batteries, power electronics, etc. will be addressed using academia-industry collaborations.
15. Environment
National Biodiversity Mission
This mission will involve a comprehensive documentation of India’s biodiversity with the potential for cataloguing and mapping all life forms in India including associated cultural and traditional practices; assessment of the distribution and conservation status of India’s biodiversity; development of a cadre of professionals adept at handling large sets of environmental data for management and monitoring of biodiversity; expansion of knowledge in ecosystem functioning that will inform restoration efforts; establishment of a vibrant biodiversity based economy on a solid foundation of reliable information; engagement with the public; enhanced options for agricultural production and livelihood; security and general well being of society.
Namami Gange – National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG)
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) – Namami Gange Programme is an Integrated Conservation Mission, a Flagship Programme launched by the Government of India in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of the National River Ganga. It is under the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation and has a budget outlay of Rs. 20,000 Crores. NMCG is being supported by State level Programme Management Groups (SPMGs). The main pillars of this Mission are: Sewage Treatment Infrastructure, River Front Development, River Surface Cleaning, Industrial Effluent Monitoring, Biodiversity, Afforestation, Public Awareness and Ganga Gram. The goal is to clean Ganga and its tributaries in a comprehensive manner. Namami Gange focuses on abatement of pollution with a radical approach to ensure pure water quality and sustainable development.
Ganga Rejuvenation and Biodiversity Conservation is an integral part of this Mission’s vision. This also indicates a shift from the hard engineering solutions to an ecology based restoration activities that aims to maintain or increase ecosystem goods and services and biodiversity value while protecting downstream and coastal ecosystems by involving multiple stakeholders. It encompasses
(i) Maintaining the continuity of the flow without altering the natural season variations
(ii) Restoring and maintaining the integral relationship between the surface flow and sub-surface water (ground water)
(iii) Restoration and maintenance of the property and quality of water in time bound manner
(iv) Regenerating and maintaining the lost natural vegetation in catchment area
(v) Regeneration and conservation of the aquatic and riparian biodiversity in river Ganga basin
(vi) Keeping the bank of river Ganga and its floodplains as construction free zone to reduce pollution and maintain its natural ground water recharge functions
(vii) Making public participation as integral part of process of rejuvenation, protection and management of the river.
Its implementation has been divided into: Entry-Level Activities (for immediate visible impact), Medium-Term Activities (to be implemented within 5 years time frame) and Long-Term Activities (to be implemented within 10 years). The Entry-Level Activities comprise River surface cleaning, Improving rural sanitation and construction of toilets, Renovation, modernization, and construction of crematoria repair and Modernization and construction of ghats. The Medium-Term Activities include Arresting the municipal and industrial pollution, Hybrid Annuity based Public Private Partnership model for project implementation, Biodiversity conservation ( Gharial, Dolphin, Golden Mahaseer etc.), Afforestation (30000 Hectares from 2016 onwards), Installation of Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring Stations etc. The Long-Term Activities would involve Restoration of the ecological flow, Increased water-use efficiency and Improved efficiency of surface irrigation.
16. Security
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C)
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) is an initiative of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India to deal with cyber crime in the country in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
I4C focuses on tackling all the issues related to Cybercrime for the citizens, which includes improving coordination between various Law Enforcement Agencies and the stakeholders, driving change in India’s overall capability to tackle Cybercrime and to improve citizen satisfaction levels.
Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre scheme was approved on 05th October 2018. Since its roll out, it has worked towards enhancing the nation’s collective capability to tackle cybercrimes and develop effective coordination among the Law Enforcement Agencies. The I4C was dedicated to the Nation on 10th January 2020 by Hon’ble Home Minister.
Cyber space cuts across global boundaries and handling Cybercrime requires coordination amongst different stakeholders in different jurisdictions at all levels. Cybercrime is one of the fastest growing forms of transnational crime. With the spurt in internet usage and fast changing technologies, an exponential increase in the number of Cybercrime committed in the world has been observed.
In order to address this problem, MHA constituted an Expert Group to study the gaps and challenges, prepare a roadmap for effectively tackling Cybercrime in the country and give suitable recommendations on all facets of Cybercrime.
The Expert Group identified the gaps and challenges in tackling Cybercrime and made specific recommendations to combat Cybercrime in the country. The Expert Group recommended creation of Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) to strengthen the overall security apparatus to fight against Cybercrime.
Objectives of I4C
- To act as a nodal point to curb Cybercrime in the country.
- To strengthen the fight against Cybercrime committed against women and children.
- Facilitate easy filing Cybercrime related complaints and identifying Cybercrime trends and patterns.
- To act as an early warning system for Law Enforcement Agencies for proactive Cybercrime prevention and detection.
- Awareness creation among public about preventing Cybercrime.
- Assist States/UTs in capacity building of Police Officers, Public Prosecutors and Judicial Officers in the area of cyber forensic, investigation, cyber hygiene, cyber-criminology, etc.
17. Disaster Management
INDIAN NAVY’S MISSION DEPLOYED DESTROYER PROVIDES CRITICAL EOD & MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO MV IN DISTRESS
Palau Flagged MV Islander caught fire after an attack likely by drone/ missile on 22 Feb 24. Responding swiftly to the Distress call, Indian Navy’s destroyer, mission deployed in the Gulf of Aden for maritime security operations, arrived in the vicinity of the vessel in the afternoon of 22 Feb 24.
Indian Naval EOD specialists embarked the vessel and sanitised it for any residual risk. The vessel was cleared for onward transit.
On Master’s request, the Medical team also embarked the ship and provided medical assistance to an injured crew member.
Relentless efforts by Indian Naval ships reaffirms Indian Navy’s steadfast commitment towards safety and security of merchant shipping and seafarers.