1. Indian Heritage

UNESCO Intangible Heritage List

Garba of Gujarat’ has been inscribed in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity by UNESCO, under the provisions of the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage during the 18th meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage from 5th -9th  December, 2023 in Kasane, Botswana.

Garba of Gujarat is the 15th ICH element from India to join this list. This inscription underscores Garba’s pivotal role as a unifying force that fosters social and gender inclusivity. Garba as a dance form is entrenched deeply in ritualistic and devotional roots, involving people from all walks of life and it continues to thrive as a vibrant living tradition bringing communities together. The inscription further highlights the commitment and efforts of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India towards the safeguarding, promotion and preservation of our intangible cultural heritage.

2. Culture

3. Modern Indian history

4. The Freedom Struggle

 

5. Post-independence

6. Indian Society

1. population and associated issues
2. poverty and developmental issues

C.urbanization

7. Geographical features

        8.Indian Constitution

9. Polity

10. Governance
11. institutions
12. regulatory
13. Government policies
14. role of NGOs
15. measures
16. Social Justice
17. Welfare schemes

Department of Consumer Affairs conducting country-wide multimedia awareness campaigns titled “Jago Grahak Jago”

The Department has been conducting country-wide multimedia awareness campaigns titled “Jago Grahak Jago”. Through simple messages, consumers are made aware of fraudulent practices or problems and the mechanisms to seek redressal. The campaigns have been carried out through print media, TV, radio, cinema theatres, websites, hoardings / display board etc

In order to create awareness amongst the people living in rural & backward areas, the Department takes part in important fairs / festivals / events of various States / UTs, in view of the fact that such fairs / festivals / events draw a large number of people from rural and backward areas. The Department also releases Grant-in-Aid to States / UTs for carrying out consumer awareness activities with local content.

Further, the Department is using social media to generate awareness of consumers through creatives/ captions on consumer rights and redressal mechanisms. The digital social media channels are being professionally managed and creative content relevant to consumer awareness and protection of consumer rights is posted in the social media channels of the department.

“Jagriti”, a mascot for empowering consumers and generating awareness of their rights has also been launched by the Department.

Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, a three tier quasi-judicial mechanism, commonly known as ‘Consumer Commissions’, have been established at the District level (District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission), State level (State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission) and National level (National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission) levels for the protection of the rights of consumers and to provide simple and speedy redressal of consumer disputes. The consumer commissions are empowered to give relief of a specific nature and award, wherever appropriate, compensation to consumers.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has been established under the provisions of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 to regulate matters relating to consumer rights violations, unfair trade practices, and false or misleading advertisements that harm the public and consumer interests.

The Department of Consumer Affairs has also set up a National Consumer Helpline (NCH) to attend to consumer grievances. The website – www.consumerhelpline.gov.in has been launched by the Department of Consumer Affairs to create awareness, advise and redress consumer grievances and act as a central registry for lodging consumer grievances. Under the convergence model, which is an out of court dispute redressal mechanism, NCH partners with companies who have a proactive approach for efficient consumer complaint resolution. NCH escalates and follows up the complaints received at NCH with the convergence company and grievances pertaining to them, as soon as it is submitted, almost instantly.

Section 38(7) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 prescribes that every complaint shall be disposed of as expeditiously as possible and endeavour shall be made to decide the complaint within a period of three months from the date of receipt of notice by the opposite party where the complaint does not require analysis or testing of commodities and within five months if it requires analysis or testing of commodities.

Schemes sponsored by NCDC

The objective of National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC) is to promote, strengthen and develop farmer cooperatives for increasing production and productivity and instituting post harvest facilities. The Corporation’s focus is on programmes of agricultural marketing and inputs, processing, storage, cold chain and marketing of  agriculture  produce and the supply of seeds, fertilizer and other agricultural inputs etc. In the non-farm sector, the Corporation endeavors to equip cooperatives with facilities to promote income generating activities, with special focus on weaker sections such as dairy, livestock,  handloom,  sericulture, poultry, fishery, scheduled caste & scheduled tribes, women cooperatives, etc.

 Details of different schemes implemented/ activities assisted by NCDC are as follows:

1. SCHEMES IMPLEMENTED:

1. NCDC Sponsored Schemes:
   1. YUVA SAHAKAR – Cooperative Enterprise Support and  Innovation  Scheme: The scheme aims at encouraging newly formed cooperative societies with new and/ or innovative ideas. It is linked to a Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund created by NCDC.

1. 1. AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR: The Scheme has a comprehensive approach to cover hospitals, healthcare, medical education, nursing education, paramedical education, health insurance and holistic health systems such as AYUSH.

1. 1. NANDINI SAHAKAR: The scheme aims to improve socio-economic  status  of women and supports entrepreneurial dynamism of women through  women cooperatives. It will converge critical inputs of women’s enterprise, business plan formulation, capacity development, credit and subsidy and/ or interest subvention of other schemes.

1. 1. DAIRY SAHAKAR: It is a cooperative dairy business focused framework  of  financial assistance for encouraging cooperatives to achieve higher outcomes in ESG (environmental, social, governance) linked activities. It includes creation of infrastructure by cooperatives for new projects and modernization and/or expansion of existing projects.

1. 1. DIGITAL SAHAKAR: Aligned with the principles of Digital India, NCDC has conceived a focused financial assistance framework for Digitally Empowered Cooperatives for handholding and credit linkage by NCDC, dovetailed with grant, subsidy, incentives etc. from Government of India / State / UT / agencies with the objective of cooperatives actively partaking in Digital India. 

1. 1. SWAYAM SHAKTI SAHAKAR YOJNA: New scheme for providing NCDC’s financial assistance to Agricultural  Credit  Cooperatives for  providing  loan/advances to Women Self Help Groups (SHGs).

1. 1. DEERGHAVADHI KRISHAK PUNJI SAHAKAR YOJNA: New Scheme for extending NCDC’s long term financial assistance to Agricultural Credit Cooperatives towards their onward lending of long term loans/advances for activities/commodities/services under the purview of NCDC.

1. Other Central Schemes being implemented by NCDC:
   1. Agri Infrastructure Fund Scheme – DA&FW, Ministry of  Agriculture  and Farmers Welfare
   2. Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI) sub scheme of Central Sector Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Marketing (CSISAM) for  Storage  and  other than Storage Infrastructure
   3. Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) – DA&FW, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

1. 1. PM Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) – Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying
   2. PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing  Enterprises  (PMFME)- Ministry of Food Processing Industries
   3. PM ‘Formation and Promotion of 10,000 FPOs’ scheme – DA&FW, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
   4. Fisheries & Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) Scheme – Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

1. OTHER ACTIVITIES ASSISTED BY NCDC:

1. a)  Marketing:

• Margin Money /Working capital assistance
• Strengthening share capital base of primary / district cooperative marketing societies
• Purchase of furniture and fixtures, transport vehicles including refrigerated vans
• Development / Strengthening of Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure, Grading and Standardization

1. 1. Processing:

• Setting up of new sugar factories (Investment Loan)
• Modernisation and Expansion / Diversification of existing Sugar Factories (Investment loan and term loan)
• Establishment of new/ Modernization/ Expansion/ Rehabilitation of existing spinning mills
• Modernization/ Expansion of existing and establishment  of  modern  cotton ginning & pressing units
• Small /medium scale agro & allied sector processing units, pre/post loom processing/ garment & knitting units
• Setting up of other Processing units, such as Foodgrains/Oilseeds /Plantation  Crops /Fruits & Vegetables /Maize Starch/Particle Board etc.
• Margin money /Working capital assistance
• Share capital participation by State Government in new spinning mills

1. 1. Storage:

• Construction of godowns and repair / renovation of existing godowns
• Margin money / Working capital assistance

1. 1. Cold Chain:

• Construction / expansion / modernization of cold storages
• Establishment of Cold Chain components which broadly include (i) Integrated  pack house, (ii) Reefer transport, (iii) Cold storage (Bulk-near  farm  gate),(iv) Cold storage (Hub-near market) and (v) Ripening units etc.
• Margin money / Working capital assistance

1. 1. Distribution of essential consumer articles through cooperatives:

• Establishment of infrastructure such as shopping centre, diesel, Kerosene bunk/warehouse / new / expansion / modernization  of  wholesale  consumer  cooperative store / departmental consumer cooperative store /  consumer  federation
• Purchase of furniture and fixture, transport vehicles including refrigerated  vans  for distribution of consumer articles
• Margin money / Working capital assistance

1. 1. Industrial:

• All types of Industrial Cooperatives, Cottage & Village Industries, Handicrafts / rural crafts etc.

1. Credit & Service Cooperatives/ Notified Services :

• • • Agriculture Credit / Agriculture Insurance
    • Water Conservation works / services
    • Irrigation, micro irrigation in rural  areas
    • Animal care / health /disease  prevention
    • Rural Sanitation, Drainage, Sewage system through Cooperatives
    • Tourism, Hospitality, Transport
    • Generation & Distribution of power by New, Non-Conventional & Renewable sources of energy
    • Rural Housing
    • Hospital / Health Care and Education
    • Creation of infrastructure for credit cooperatives

1. 1. Cooperative Banking Unit:

• Assistance to PACS for creation of infrastructure relating to Modern  Banking Unit

1. 1. Agricultural Services :

• Cooperative Farmers Service Centres
• Agro Service Centres for Custom Hiring
• Establishment of Agricultural inputs manufacturing and allied units
• Irrigation / water harvesting programmes

1. 1. District Plan Schemes:

• Integrated Cooperative Development Projects in selected districts

1. 1. Cooperatives for Weaker Sections:

• Fisheries, Dairy & Livestock, Poultry, Schedule Caste, Tribal Cooperatives,Handloom, Coir, Jute, Sericulture, Women, Hill area, Tobacco & Labour

1. Assistance for Computerisation of Cooperatives:

• Assistance is provided for purchase / installation of computers/ hardware, system  & application software, networking, maintenance cost, technical manpower and capacity development and training.

1. Promotional and Developmental programmes:

• Consultancy for studies / project reports, management studies,
• Market survey & evaluation of programmes, etc.

Government to implement the component of “Nari Adalat” in a phased manner under Mission Shakti,

The Government of India implements ‘Mission Shakti’ – an integrated women empowerment programme as umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women for implementation during the 15th Finance Commission period across the country aimed at strengthening interventions for women safety, security and empowerment. It seeks to realise the Government’s commitment for ‘women-led development’ by addressing issues affecting women on a life-cycle continuum basis and making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence and citizen-ownership. It also focuses on strategies for improving convergence across Ministries/ Departments and at different levels of governance.

‘Mission Shakti’ comprises of two sub-schemes ‘Sambal’ and ‘Samarthya’ for safety and security of women and empowerment of women respectively. The schemes of One Stop Centres (OSC), Women Helplines (181-WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) and Nari Adalat are part of ‘Sambal’ sub- scheme; while the components of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Palna, Shakti Sadan, Sakhi Niwas and Hub for Empowerment of Women are part of ‘Samarthya’ sub scheme.

The total approved outlay of ‘Mission Shakti’ for the 15^th Finance Commission period is Rs. 20,989 crore, with Central Share of Rs. 15,761 crore and State Share of Rs 5,228 crore. The budget allocation under Mission Shakti for the financial year 2023-24 is Rs. 3143.96 crore, out of which for ‘Sambal’ sub scheme, the budget provision is Rs 562.00 crore and actual expenditure as on 30.11.2023 is Rs. 140.33 crore. For ‘Samarthya’ sub scheme, the budget provision is Rs 2581.96 crore and actual expenditure as on 30.11.2023 is Rs 141.83 crore.

 

 

B Health

1. Education
2. Human Resources
3. poverty and hunger
4. International relations
5. India and its neighbourhood
6. groupings and agreements

C.Indian diaspora

13. Economic Development
14. Government Budgeting
15. industrial

Startup India initiative to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, startups and encouraging investments in the country

The Startup India initiative was launched by the Government on 16th January 2016 to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation, startups and encouraging investments in the startup ecosystem of the country. This information has been provided by the Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Shri Som Parkash in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today. 

In order to meet these objectives, the Government unveiled an Action Plan for startups comprising of schemes and incentives envisaged to create a vibrant startup ecosystem in the country. The Action Plan comprises of 19 action items spanning across areas such as “Simplification and hand holding”, “Funding support and incentives” and “Industry-academia partnership and incubation”. 

For attaining specific objectives, various programs are implemented by the Government under the Startup India initiative. As a result of sustained efforts, the Government has recognised 1,14,902 entities as startups as on 31st October 2023. 

Realising the action items of the Startup India Action Plan, the Government is implementing flagship Schemes under Startup India initiative namely, Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) to support startups at various stages of their business cycle to enable startups to graduate to a level where they are able to raise investments or seek loans

GeM portal

The Ministry is actively fostering and streamlining the registration process for cooperative societies as buyers on GeM through a multi-pronged approach. All stakeholders including GeM authorities, National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI), Central and State Registrars of Cooperative Societies are taking various initiatives  for  encouraging  and  ensuring smooth registration and onboarding of cooperative societies. Some of the initiatives include –

1. 1. Focussed advocacy, outreach, awareness initiatives in  physical  and  online training sessions by GeM and NCUI with concerned stakeholders in various State Governments and Union Territories apart from setting up of dedicated Help desks for onboarding support to Cooperative Societies,
   2. State-wise list with contact details of GeM and NCUI nodal officers has been shared with Cooperative Societies for buyer registration, support and training mechanism/ materials through RCS,
   3. RCSs of all States/UTs have been issued advisories and requested through video conferencing also to encourage the cooperatives for onboarding.

Purchases through GeM would  allow  the  cooperative  societies  to  get  competitive  prices through an open and transparent process from over 67 lakh vendors, thereby economically benefiting the members of these societies.  Following the  standard  procedures on GeM would reduce procurement time and administrative burden.  It would also enhance the credibility of the cooperatives by increasing transparency.

E.issues

14. Technology

Government is working on new technologies such as Small Nuclear Reactors to make clean energy transition

The Government today informed that it is working on new technologies such as Small Nuclear Reactors to make clean energy transition.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said, nuclear power is considered as one of the most promising clean energy options for power generation.  

There is a thrust world over for a strategy to use nuclear power that could reduce reliance on fossil fuels over the coming years.  Small capacity atomic power plants, popularly called Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with their unique features of modularity, scalability, small footprint and improved safety present themselves as an attractive option for repurposing of retiring coal-based thermal power station sites.  Deploying Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) across the country especially in locations not suitable for large nuclear plants, can produce large amount of low-carbon electricity.  In order to move away from fossil fuel consumption, SMRs can be installed and operated for repurposing the aging fossil fuel-based power plants.

However, SMRs are not expected to serve as replacement to conventional large-sized nuclear power plants, which serve as base load plants.

Nuclear power plants are installed and operated in line with stringent regulatory requirements to contain radiation and to avoid exposure to public in all circumstances.   The techno-commercial aspects of SMRs are still in initial stages even globally and its large-scale deployment depends on various factors including regulatory harmonization globally by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), especially considering emergency planning zone and public acceptance. 

 

 

 

15. Environment

 

As fireworks light up night sky, air pollution spikes to 120 times WHO limit

16. Security

 

 

 

 

17. Disaster Management

Prime Minister condoles loss of lives due to Cyclone Michaung

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has expressed deep grief over the loss of lives due to Cyclone Michaung, especially in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry.

Shri Modi also prayed for those injured or affected in this cyclone and said that authorities are working tirelessly on the ground to assist those affected and will continue their work till the situation fully normalises.

In a X post, the Prime Minister said;

“My thoughts are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones due to Cyclone Michaung, especially in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Puducherry. My prayers are with those injured or affected in the wake of this cyclone. Authorities have been working tirelessly on the ground to assist those affected and will continue their work till the situation fully normalises.”