- 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
The Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC)
The Codex Alimentarius Commission(CAC)is an international food standards body established jointly by the Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO)in May 1963 with the objective of protecting consumer’s health and ensuring fair practices in food trade.
The Agreement on Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS)of the World Trade Organization (WTO) recognizes Codex standards, guidelines and recommendations as reference standards for international trade and trade dispute settlement
Currently the Codex Alimentarius Commission has 189 Codex Members made up of 188 Member Countries and 1 Member Organization (The European Union). India became the member of Codex Alimentarius in 1964.,
Organizational structure [+]
CODEX COMMITTEES
The food standards development work of the Commission is assisted by its Executive Committee and subsidiary bodies –General subject/Commodity Committees, Coordinating Committees and Task Forces. [+]
Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC)
The Executive Committee acts on behalf of the Commission as its executive organ and assists in the management of its programme of standards development, mainly by conducting a critical review of its work programme, making proposals regarding general orientation and strategic planning.
India, as the Regional Coordinator for FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA) is a member of the CCEXEC”
Subsidiary bodies
- Committees, which prepare draft standards for submission to the Commission; may be either General Subject or Commodity specific
- Coordinating Committees , through which regions or groups of countries coordinate food standards activities in the region, including the development of regional standards. Currently there are six Codex regions.
- Task Forces , ad hoc Intergovernmental Task force with very limited terms of reference established for a fixed period of time.
Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance with an objective of developing guidance on the management of foodborne antimicrobial resistance is currently active.
“India is the host secretariat for the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs”
CODEX STANDARDS/TEXTS
“Voluntary in nature, Codex standards can be general or specific and are recognised by WTO Agreements as reference standards”
General Standards, Guidelines and Codes of Practice
These core Codex texts, typically deal with hygienic practice, labelling, contaminants, additives, inspection & certification, nutrition and residues of veterinary drugs and pesticides and apply horizontally to products and product categories.
Commodity standards
Codex commodity standards refer to a specific product although increasingly Codex now develops standards for food groups.
Regional standards
Standards developed by the respective Regional Coordinating Committees, applicable to the respective regions
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
CSR in India
Enactment of Companies Act, 2013 by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India was one of the world’s largest experiments of introducing the CSR as a mandatory provision by imposing statutory obligation on Companies to take up CSR projects towards social welfare activities. This has made India the only country which has regulated and mandated CSR for some select categories of companies registered under the Act. This CSR Initiative will push the nation towards achievement of sustainable development goals and public-private partnership in transforming India.
About: National CSR Data Portal
The National Corporate Social Responsibility Data Portal is an initiative by Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India to establish a platform to disseminate Corporate Social Responsibility related data and information filed by the companies registered with it.
The Corporate Social Responsibility concept in India is governed by Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013 (‘Act’), Schedule VII of the Act and Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014 wherein the criteria has been provided for assessing the CSR eligibility of a company, Implementation and Reporting of their CSR Policies. India having the most elaborated CSR mechanism and implementation strategy has started its journey to set a benchmark in attaining sustainability goals and stakeholder activism in nation building.
The CSR ambit is getting bigger and for upcoming years it would turn as a unique knowledge base for analyzing and achieving sustainability goals as among various large economies. India is a country which has assured by mandating CSR through its legislative action.
About: Ministry of Corporate Affairs
The Ministry is primarily concerned with administration of the Companies Act 2013, the Companies Act 1956, the Limited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 & other allied Acts and rules & regulations framed there-under mainly for regulating the functioning of the corporate sector in accordance with law.
The Ministry is also responsible for administering the Competition Act, 2002 to prevent practices having adverse effect on competition, to promote and sustain competition in markets, to protect the interests of consumers through the commission set up under the Act.
Besides, it exercises supervision over the three professional bodies, namely, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) and the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) which are constituted under three separate Acts of the Parliament for proper and orderly growth of the professions concerned.
The Ministry also has the responsibility of carrying out the functions of the Central Government relating to administration of Partnership Act, 1932, the Companies (Donations to National Funds) Act, 1951 and Societies Registration Act, 1980.
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
GDP surges 7.6% in Q2, goes past RBI forecast
Despite a tangible growth downturn in the farm and services sectors as well as consumer spending, India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at a higherthanexpected 7.6% in the JulySeptember 2023 quarter, as per initial estimates from the National Statistical Office.
The second quarter (Q2) growth was slightly lower than the 7.8% rise in the previous quarter, but well over the central bank’s projected uptick of 6.5%. Growth in the Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy eased slight to 7.4% in the second quarter of 202324,
Growth is likely to moderate in the second half of the year
from 7.6% in Q1. But the GVA growth in the farm sector skidded sharply to just 1.2% from 3.5% in Q1 while it more than halved for services sectors such as trade, hotels and transport from 9.2% in Q1 to 4.3%.
Construction push
The first half of 202324 has thus provisionally recorded a 7.7% growth in GDP, with the GVA rising 7.6%, led by a 10.5% growth in construction and 9.3% uptick in manufacturing.
While growth is expected to moderate in the second half of the year, economists expect the strong first half numbers to lift the full year performance by 0.1% to 0.2% over current projections. The RBI and the government expect GDP to grow 6.5% this year. “Considering that the RBI expects Q3 and Q4 GDP growth at 6% and 5.7% respectively, the annual growth is estimated at 6.7%,” said EY India chief policy adviser D.K. Srivastava.
Mr. Srivastava attributed the buoyant first half growth “largely” to government spends dominated by frontloaded capex.
Manufacturing GVA which had shrunk almost 4% in Q2 of last year when the overall GVA grew 5.4%, recorded the fastest uptick in nine quarters to rise 13.9% between July and September. Mining GVA also jumped 10%, thanks to favourable base effects from a contraction last year.
Construction GVA jumped 13.3% this Q2, while electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services added 10.1% over last year’s performance, to lift the overall growth numbers, even as private final consumption expenditure (PFCE) tanked sequentially as well as yearonyear.
The share of PFCE, which indicates consumer spending, in the GDP was 56.8% in Q2, the NSO estimated, visavis 59.3% in the same quarter of 202223 and 57.3% in Q1 of this year. PFCE growth halved to 3.1% from 6% in Q1, partly reflecting the weakness in rural demand, ICRA chief economist Aditi Nayar noted.
B. industrial
India’s focus on infrastructure empowering the economy:
India’s focus on infrastructure is empowering the economy and giving it a fillip, said Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister for Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles while addressing the Inaugural session of ‘3rd India Debt Capital Market Summit 2023 – Onwards & Upwards’.
The Union Minister said that massive investments both from the government and from the private sector, directed towards infrastructure is boosting the infrastructural capabilities of the country. He said competitive source of financing is attracting investments from those who are looking for greater safety. He said the stock market is also hitting a 4 trillion mark for the first time and India being amongst the top five global markets has huge opportunities. He pointed out that the country is the fifth largest economy in the world and the fastest growing economy at 7.6%, this quarter. “The world trusts India today,” Shri Goyal said mentioning that the country stands at the cusp of a very bright future as a trusted partner of the world and as a vibrant democracy where people recognize and respect the rule of law.
Shri Goyal said that in the Amrit Kal, we dream of a Viksit Bharat where we are on our journey towards developed and prosperous India. He said India will add $30 trillion to our 3.7 trillion by 2047.
Shri Goyal said a resilient debt capital market will be the catalyst for innovation, entrepreneurship and infrastructure development. He noted that massive urbanization will happen over the next few decades even as Tier 2 cities are also going to become metropolitan cities. Rural Areas incomes are rising, raising spending power across the country. Futuristic sectors like AI, semiconductors, electric vehicles, will be powering our future. Green and sustainable energy will be the way forward and the capital markets and debt markets are playing their role in our energy transition to a low carbon economy. Shri Goyal urged the corporate world to Invest in India without the fear of missing out.
The Minister said between 2010 and 2013, there was weak macro-economic fundamentals, foreign exchange crisis and FCNR bonds were raised in 2013 paying a significantly higher interest rate on foreign currency borrowings, inflation used to persistent at elevated levels of 10%to 12%, bank debts was growing irrationally, fiscal deficits were high. It was then in 2014 when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took over. He said that PM was very focused on ease of doing business and reduction of compliance burden, decriminalizing several laws, removing some of the redundant laws from the statute book. “It was a holistic plan, which helped India double its foreign exchange reserves in the last 10 years,” he said adding on that the country is in a sweet spot today where it can be confident that for many years to come, it won’t have a crisis of the sort that was seen in 2013.
SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference
o give a boost to Compressed Biogas (CBG) sector and accelerate Waste to Wealth & Circular Economy, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) organized the ‘SBM-GOBARdhan Biogas Conference in partnership with GIZ, Circular Waste Solutions and UNIDO at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The day-long conference covered a range of engaging topics like, transformative policies for waste to CBG projects, policies for off-take arrangements, financing CBG plants, scaling up CBG in Germany, facilitating investments in CBG projects, and promoting global initiatives for CBG. The sessions were attended by over 400 participants from 25 States, 150 cities, 150 industry experts championing sustainability. The panel of delegates comprised of representatives from central ministries such as MoPNG and MNRE, officials from OGMCs, development partners, and Biogas Associations.
The utilization of biogas in India’s waste-to-energy transition holds significant potential for ensuring energy security and affordability, fostering entrepreneurship, creating employment opportunities, and stimulating local economies. Additionally, it effectively addresses the waste management challenge in India through the implementation of circular economy models.The primary objective of SBM-U 2.0 is to create a garbage-free urban India by prioritizing sustainable sanitation practices, efficient waste management, and the promotion of a circular economy. The target is to establish 15,000 TPD Bio-CBG plants by 2026. MoHUA has additionally instructed States/Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) to assist Oil and Gas Marketing Companies (OGMCs) in establishing Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants. This assistance includes offering long-term concession agreements and land leases, ensuring a continuous supply of segregated organic municipal waste etc.
E.issues
14. Technology
15. Environment
COP-28 Presidency’s Session on Transforming Climate Finance
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the COP-28 Presidency’s Session on “Transforming Climate Finance” on 1 December 2023 in Dubai, UAE. The event focussed on making climate finance more available, accessible, and affordable to developing countries.
During the session, the leaders adopted the “UAE Declaration on a New Global Climate Finance Framework”. The declaration includes elements on, inter alia, delivering on commitments and achieving ambitious outcomes and widening the sources of concessional finance for climate action.
During his address, Prime Minister voiced the concerns of the Global South and reiterated the urgency of making the means of implementation, particularly climate finance, available to the developing countries to achieve their climate ambitions and implement their NDCs.
Prime Minister welcomed the operationalisation of Loss and Damage Fund and establishment of the UAE climate Investment Fund at COP-28.
Prime Minister called for the COP-28 to deliver on the following issues related to Climate Finance:
- Progress in New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance
- Replenishment of Green Climate Fund & Adaptation Fund
- Affordable Finance to be made available by MDBs for Climate Action
- Developed countries must eliminate their carbon footprint before 2050
Green Credit Programme’ at COP-28
Dubai: In a landmark announcement at the COP28 ,Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Green Credit Initiative,’ a pathbreaking program aimed at reshaping global environmental policies. The Prime Minister also launched the official portal of the Green credit initiative at COP28. The Prime Minister highlighted the limitations of the current carbon credit system, influenced by commercial interests and lacking a sense of social responsibility, paving the way for a new philosophy embodied in the ‘Green Credit’ concept.
Speaking at the high-level event on the Green Credits Programme, Modi emphasized, “We will have to emphasize a new philosophy in a holistic manner, and that is the foundation of Green Credit.”The ‘Green Credit Initiative’ is positioned as a pro-planet, proactive, and positive step towards fostering a sustainable future.
“Prakriti rakshithi rakhihitha,” Modi underscored the need to protect and preserve nature, emphasizing that the environment will protect those who protect it. He described ‘Green Credit’ as the Earth’s health card, a crucial instrument for ensuring a greener, clearer, and better future.
Modi detailed the key features of the ‘Green Credit’ system, envisioning it as a fully digital and tradable instrument for environmental sustainability. He stressed the importance of launching the ‘Green Credit Portal,’ a repository documenting plantations and environmental projects to shape global demand for future policies.
The ‘Green Credit Initiative’ has garnered international support, with leaders expressing enthusiasm and commitment to the cause.Ulf Kristersson Johnson, Prime Minister of Sweden, praised the initiative, citing Sweden’s success with the Climate Leap, reducing climate emissions by 3.3 million tonnes per year through collective action.
Filipe Nyusi President of Mozambique, aligned the ‘Green Credit Initiative’ with Mozambique’s sustainable forest management initiative, inviting global collaboration. He urged inclusion on the Global Green Credit web platform, set to launch, and extended an invitation to join the international conference on forest conservation in Washington DC.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, lauded Modi’s leadership and expressed the European Union’s commitment to ambitious climate goals. Michel emphasized the importance of robust, transparent, and impactful green credit systems and advocated for reforming global financial institutions to meet current challenges.
Unveiled on October 13, 2023, by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Green Credit Program is an initiative within the government’s broader Lifestyle for Environment or Life Movement. In its initial phase, the Green Credit Program gives priority to two essential activities: water conservation and afforestation. At its essence, this innovative program serves as a pioneering market-based instrument meticulously crafted to encourage voluntary environmental actions across various sectors, involving individuals, industries, and local bodies.
Operating as a domestic voluntary market mechanism, the program utilizes green credits as distinctive units assigned to specific environmental activities. These green credits function as tradable commodities, which can be sold on a domestic market platform.
The program identifies eight specific activities, encompassing tree plantation, water conservation, sustainable agriculture, waste management, air pollution reduction, mangrove conservation and restoration, Eco Mark (a government scheme for identifying environmentally friendly products), and sustainable building and infrastructure. Each activity is subject to predefined thresholds and benchmarks.The administration of the Green Credit Program is entrusted to the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education. This institute acts as the program’s administrator, tasked with developing comprehensive guidelines, processes, and procedures for effective implementation. Furthermore, the institute will establish methodologies and standards, overseeing the registration process and associated measurement, reporting, and verification mechanisms.
The program’s overarching objective is to leverage a competitive market-based approach, motivating a diverse array of stakeholders to actively engage in voluntary environmental actions. This departure from the conventional focus on carbon emissions is widely acknowledged as a paradigm shift, recognizing and incentivizing a broader spectrum of efforts, including water conservation and waste management.
Air quality in Delhi dives even as paddy harvesting season comes to an end
Air pollution in the Capital on Thursday was over 13 times the permissible limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO), according to official data. The city’s air quality, which had improved over the past few days owing to spells of rain and strong winds, worsened over the day even as the contribution of stubble burning to Delhi’s air pollution was minimal with the paddy harvesting season (September 15November 30) coming to an end.
The Centre’s air quality panel — Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) — said the number of farm fire incidents this year during the paddy harvest season fell in Punjab and Haryana by 27% and 37%, respectively.
Punjab has recorded a drop in such incidents for the third straight year and Haryana for the second consecutive year, as per the CAQM data.
The air quality panel gave several reasons for the continued drop in the cases of crop residue burning. These include the formulation of districtspecific action plans, intensified monitoring at the level of the Chief Secretary, Deputy Commissioners, and other officers concerned, and the availability of machines to utilise paddy straw for industrial purposes.
Vinay Kumar Sehgal, Principal Scientist at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), said they expect the trend of the decline in farm fire cases to hold in the future as well. He added that the practice of using stubble for various industries is also rising. “However, to reach almost zero stubbleburning incidents, we have to come up with more economically viable options for farmers, industries, and entrepreneurs,” Mr. Sehgal added.
Mix of factors
The daily average air quality in Delhi was at its best during the 11 months from January to November this year compared to the corresponding period during the past six years, barring the pandemicaffected year of 2020, the CAQM said.
However, it added that in November, “The peak of the paddy harvesting activity in Punjab and Haryana coincided with the festival of Deepavali this year, further aggravating the air pollution scenario in Delhi/NCR.”
Poisonous particles
The concentration of poisonous pollutant PM2.5 in the city on Thursday was over 13 times the WHO’s permissible limit.
The contribution of stubble burning to PM2.5 in Delhi on Wednesday was only 2.1%, compared to a high of 35.4% earlier this month, according to Ministry of Earth Sciences data. It is estimated to be 2.4% on Thursday.
The air quality index (AQI) of the national capital slipped into the ‘severe’ category by Thursday evening from the upper end of the ‘very poor’ category in the morning. The AQI is likely to be ‘very poor’ for the next two days, according to official data.
16. Security
Aatmanirbhar Bharat: iDEX-DIO signs 300th contract for Defence Innovation in the niche field of Design and Development of Advanced Gallium Nitride Semiconductors
Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the flagship initiative of the Department of Defence Production, has reached a milestone with the signing of its 300th contract. The contract relates to the design and development of advanced Gallium Nitride Semiconductors which is essential for the next generation of wireless transmitters in defence applications ranging from radars to EW (Electronics Warfare) jammers. Currently, almost all GaN components are imported being a sensitive and cutting-edge technology whose export is controlled and restricted by many countries. The proposal aims to design, develop and manufacture GaN components for defence in India using completely indigenous GaN technology. This would significantly enhance the indigenous design & development capability, paving way for immense potential in the defence sector including exports.
The contract was signed by Additional Secretary (Defence Industries Production) & CEO/DIO T Natarajan with M/s Agnit Semiconductors Private Limited in the presence of Defence Secretary Shri Giridhar Aramane and other senior civil & military officials of Ministry of Defence in New Delhi on December 01, 2023. The iDEX achieved the milestone within nine month of the signing of its 200th contract with a winner of the Indian Navy Prime challenge launched under the SPRINT initiative on February 15, 2023. The 150th Contract of iDEX was signed in December, 2022.
In his address, the Defence Secretary lauded the innovators on their success and reiterated the need for accelerated development of indigenous technologies. He complimented iDEX on the signing of the 300th contract and asked the Officials to maintain the impressive tempo of connecting innovators with the Defence Sector.
In another development, continuing with the commitment towards ‘Make in India’ initiative and iDEX being a ‘path to procurement’ for the innovators, BEL signed a procurement contract with the iDEX Winner M/s Blurgs Innovations Private Limited for their solution TRIDENT, which is an intelligent maritime domain awareness tool with a robust solution designed to enhance maritime security. This solution assists in building superior maritime domain awareness by relying on anomalous detection and would aid in quicker decision making. This is a first procurement order placed by a Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) under the iDEX scheme.
The iDEX framework was launched by the Prime Minister in 2018 with the objective to provide a platform of co-creation and co-development in the defence sector, engage start-ups and develop defence and aerospace set up in the country. The iDEX is being implemented by the Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO), established under the Department of Defence Production.
17. Disaster Management
National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) meets to review preparedness for impending cyclone ‘Michaung’ in Bay of Bengal
National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC) under Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba met today to review preparedness of State governments and Central Ministries/ Departments for impending cyclone ‘Michaung’ in Bay of Bengal.
Director General, India Meteorological Department (IMD), briefed the Committee about the current status of cyclone ‘Michaung’. The depression over Southeast and adjoining Southwest Bay of Bengal moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 13 kmph during past 06 hour and lay centered at 1130 hours IST of today over the same region near Latitude 9.5°N and Longitude 86.0°E, about 730 km east-southeast of Puducherry, 740 km east-southeast of Chennai, 860 km southeast of Nellore, 930 km southeast of Bapatla and 910 km southeast of Machilipatnam.
It is likely to move west-northwestwards, intensify into a Deep Depression by 2nd and further into a Cyclonic Storm over Southwest Bay of Bengal around 3rd December. Further, it would move northwestwards and reach near south Andhra Pradesh and adjoining north Tamil Nadu coasts by 4th December forenoon. Thereafter, it would move nearly northwards almost parallel to south Andhra Pradesh coast and cross South Andhra Pradesh during forenoon of 5th December between Nellore and Machilipatnam as a Cyclonic Storm with a wind speed of 80-90 Kmph gusting to 100 Kmph.
Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha and Finance Secretary, Puducherry apprised the Committee of the preparatory measures being taken to protect the public and property in the expected path of the cyclone and measures being taken by the local administration. Fishermen have been asked not to venture out into the sea. Adequate shelters, power supply, medicine and emergency services are being kept in readiness.
National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has made 18 teams available toTamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry and 10 additional teams have been kept ready. Rescue and relief teams of the Coast Guard, Army and Navy along with ships and aircrafts have been kept ready on standby.
Reviewing preparedness measures of the central agencies and Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry, Cabinet Secretary stressed that all necessary preventive and precautionary measures should be taken by the authorities of States Governments. The aim should be to ensure that there is no loss of lives and to minimize damage to property and infrastructure. Further, all essential services should be restored in the shortest possible time.
It should be ensured that fishermen at sea return to safety. Safety of manpower deployed in oil rigs, vessels etc. should be ensured. Cabinet Secretary assured the Governments of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Puducherry that all the central agencies are ready and will be available for their assistance.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, Secretary Finance, Puducherry, Union Home Secretary, Secretary, Department of Fisheries, Secretary, Ministry of Power, Additional Secretary, Ministries of Ports, Shipping & Waterways/ Petroleum & Natural Gas/ Telecom, Member Secretary NDMA, DG IMD, DG Coast Guard, DCISC IDS, IG NDRF and senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs.