- 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
GST Appellate Tribunal
The Department of Revenue (DoR), Ministry of Finance has invited applications for appointment to the posts of the Judicial Members, Technical Members (Centre) and Technical Member (State) in the Principal bench and States benches of GST Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT).
GSTAT is the second Appellate Authority established under the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (CGST Act) to hear various appeals under the said Act and the respective State/UT GST Acts. GSTAT will have one Principal Bench located at Delhi and 31 State benches located at various locations across States.
Details of posts and eligibility in brief are given below:
| Name of the Post | # of Posts | Eligibility |
| Judicial Member | 63 | Judge of the High Court, or Serving or retired District Judge or Additional District Judge with 10 years of combined experience, or Lawyers with 10 years of experience with substantial experience in litigation in matters relating to indirect taxes |
| Technical Member (Centre) | 32 | Officers with atleast 25 years of experience in Group A in Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Tax), or All India Service with at least 3 years in indirect taxes or finance and tax in the Central Government. |
| Technical Member (State) | 1 | Officers with atleast 25 years of experience in Group A or equivalent in the State Government not below the rank of Additional Commissioner of VAT of SGST, or All India Service with at least 3 years in indirect taxes or finance and tax in the State Government. |
Minimum age to apply is 50 years (as on last date of application). Pay is ₹ 2,25,000 (fixed) per month. All other allowances and other terms and conditions of service (DA, Medical etc.) shall be the same as applicable to Central Government officers carrying the same pay (presently an officer at Pay Level 17).
Further details about the eligibility and other details are mentioned in the vacancy circular published in the DoR website (https://www.dor.gov.in/gstat-recuitment). Eligible candidates are required to apply online, details of which are also available on the DoR website. Online application portal would be accessible from 19.02.2024 and shall be open until 1700 Hours on 31.03.2024. Interested candidates may go through details posted on the website and apply online as per their eligibility and the procedure mentioned therein.
The Government shall appoint the Members on the recommendations of a Search-Cum-Selection Committee. The Applications received would be scrutinised with respect to suitability of application for the posts having regard to the qualifications and relevant experience of candidates. Shortlisted candidates may be called for personal interaction by the Committee, if deemed necessary and proper. The Committee shall recommend a panel of suitable candidates, on the basis of overall evaluation, to the Government to make the appointments.
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, organized the ‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana’ (RVY) across 60 locations nationwide, marking a significant effort to empower senior citizens across the country. It was virtually inaugurated by Dr. Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, and attended by Secretary Shri Saurabh Garg, Joint Secretary Monali P. Dhakate, along with other senior officials nationwide.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Dr. Virendra Kumar highlighted that RVY aligns perfectly with the principles of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas”, stressing the need for collective efforts to ensure the well-being and empowerment of senior citizens. He also spoke about the significance of RVY in providing support and assistance to the elderly, fostering a sense of social responsibility towards our elders, and ultimately contributing to the holistic development of the nation. Till date, 12,91,013 assistive devices have been distributed to 3,15,823 beneficiaries through 307 camps across the country.
Under RVY Scheme, these camps are distributing various types of aid and assistive devices to over 48,258 pre identified senior citizens. These include wheelchairs with commode, spectacles, dentures, tripods, knee braces, and walkers. These assistive devices aim to make beneficiaries self-reliant and empower them. The distribution camps are organized by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India in coordination with the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO).
B Health
National Ayush Mission
Ministry of Ayush is supporting the efforts of State/UT Governments for implementation of different activities as proposed by them through their respective State Annual Action Plans (SAAPs) under Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM). NAM is being implemented with the vision and objectives to provide Ayush health care services throughout the country by strengthening and improving Ayush health care facilities, to provide informed choice to the needy public. The Union Cabinet has approved for operationalization of 12,500 Ayush Health and Wellness Centres (AHWCs) by the Ministry of Ayush through State/UT Governments as a component of NAM by the year 2023-24.
Ministry of Ayush has so far released Rs 1712.54 Crores to 07 States (Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal) under NAM since 2014-15. Ministry has also supported 58 Integrated Ayush hospitals in States till 2022-23 and out of that 14 are operational as reported by them. Out of 12,500 AHWCs, Ministry has already supported 4235 AHWCs in these 07 States and out of that 3439 are reported functional by them.
Under NAM, Ministry has also supported for setting up of a New Ayurvedic Medical College at Ayodhya, New Homoeopathic Medical College at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh during 2022-23 and Yoga and Naturopathy College at Howrah, West Bengal.
National Mental Health Programme
To address the huge burden of mental disorders and shortage of qualified professionals in the field of mental health, Government of India has been implementing National Mental Health Program (NMHP) since 1982. The district Mental Health Program was added to the Program in 1996. The Program was re-strategized in 2003 to include two schemes, viz. Modernization of State Mental Hospitals and Up-gradation of Psychiatric Wings of Medical Colleges/General Hospitals. The Manpower development scheme (Scheme-A & B) became part of the Program in 2009.
Objectives
- To ensure the availability and accessibility of minimum mental healthcare for all in the foreseeable future;
- To encourage the application of mental health knowledge in general healthcare and in social development;
- To promote community participation in the mental health service development; and
- To enhance human resource in mental health sub-specialties.
Components:
- District and sub-district level activities under NHM:
- District Mental Health Program:
- Envisages provision of basic mental health care services at the community level:
- Service provision: provision of mental health out-patient & in-patient mental health services with a 10 bedded inpatient facility.
- Out-Reach Component:
- Satellite clinics: 4 satellite clinics per month at CHCs/ PHCs by DMHP team
- Targeted Interventions:
- Life skills education & counselling in schools,
- College counselling services,
- Work place stress management, and
- Suicide prevention services
- Sensitization & training of health personnel: at the district & sub-district levels
- Awareness camps: for dissemination of awareness regarding mental illnesses and related stigma through involvement of local PRIs, faith healers, teachers, leaders etc
- Community participation:
- Linkages with Self-help groups, family and caregiver groups & NGOs working in the field of mental health
C. Education
D. Human Resources
E. poverty and hunger
12. International relations
A. India and its neighbourhood
B. groupings and agreements
India and Peru Trade Agreement negotiations gains momentum
The round started with an opening ceremony with the participation of the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru, Ms. Teresa Mera; the Ambassador of India in Peru, Mr. Vishvas Sapkal; the Chief Negotiator of India, Mr. Vipul Bansal; the Chief Negotiator of Peru, Mr. Gerardo Meza; and the delegations of both countries.
During the ceremony, the Vice Minister of Foreign Trade of Peru and the Chief Negotiator of India gave brief introductory remarks reaffirming their commitment to continue working with efficiency, as India and Peru did before the pandemic with five successful rounds until August 2019. The negotiations resumed with the Special Virtual Round in October, 2023.
In this sense, both speakers emphasized the importance of taking forward the negotiation process with pragmatism, in order to find creative solutions and to reach consensus that allows to achieve this common objective in the short term. The Trade Agreement will create more trade opportunities for their citizens and enterprises, and also strengthen their economic and commercial ties.
In this round, nine working groups held in-person meetings: Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Movement of Natural Persons, Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation, Dispute Settlement, Initial Provisions and General Definitions, Final Provisions and Legal and Institutional Issues.
These meetings involved the participation of more than 70 delegates from both countries together, including their respective negotiating teams. From the Peruvian side, the delegation was led by the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism, with the participation of government officials from other entities such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Production, Customs Administration, among others. From the Indian side, the delegation comprised government officials and legal representatives from the Department of Commerce, Department of Revenue and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
Additionally, during this week and the following, other working groups such as, Technical Barriers to Trade, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, Trade Remedies and Cooperation will continue to hold virtual meetings. The next round is expected to be held in April 2024. The date will be set in the following days.
In the last two decades, the trade between India and Peru has increased significantly, from US$ 66 million in 2003 to around US$ 3.68 billion in 2023.
C.Indian diaspora
13. Economic Development
A. Government Budgeting
B. industrial
‘Sangam: Digital Twin’ initiative
Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has unveiled the ‘Sangam: Digital Twin’ initiative, an unparalleled venture inviting Expressions of Interest (EoI) from industry pioneers, startups, MSMEs, academia, innovators and forward-thinkers. Digital Twin technology offers a solution by creating virtual replicas of physical assets, allowing for real-time monitoring, simulation and analysis for experimental iterations and feedback loop to adapt to the changes for achieving the best outcomes.
Sangam: Digital Twin is a PoC distributed in two stages to be conducted in one of the major cities of India. First stage is Exploratory for clarity of horizon and creative Exploration to unleash potential. Second stage is for practical demonstration of specific use cases generating a future blueprint that may serve as a roadmap to scale and replicate successful strategies in future infrastructure projects through collaboration.
The initiative comes in the backdrop of past decade’s breakthroughs in communication, computation and sensing in the era of techade striving for the vision 2047. India has witnessed advancements in computational technologies, platforms, services and high-speed connectivity.
‘Sangam: Digital Twin’ symbolizes a collaborative leap towards reshaping infrastructure planning and design, combining the prowess of 5G, IoT, AI, AR/VR, AI native 6G, Digital Twin and next-gen computational technologies with the collective intelligence of public entities, infrastructure planners, tech giants, startups, and academia to break the silos and engage in a whole-of-nation approach.
Sangam brings all stakeholders on one platform aiming to transform innovative ideas into tangible solutions, bridging the gap between conceptualization and realization, ultimately paving the way for groundbreaking infrastructure advancements. Sangam champions a holistic approach to innovation, urging stakeholders to transcend traditional boundaries and harness unified data and collective intelligence.
Echoing global movements towards smart infrastructure and supported by India’s geospatial leapfrog, Sangam carves out a position of leadership for India in digital infrastructure and innovation, while acknowledging similar strides made by global leaders. It is a call to action for creating an ecosystem that maximizes the value of technological advancements for fulfilling the societal needs for efficient, effective and sustainable development.
It aims to demonstrate practical implementation of innovative infrastructure planning solutions, to develop a model framework for facilitating faster and more effective collaboration and to provide a future blueprint that may serve as a roadmap to scale and replicate successful strategies in future infrastructure projects.
The DoT invites industry pioneers, startups, MSMEs, academia, innovators and forward-thinkers to pre-register and actively participate in Sangam’s outreach programmes, and explore, create, and commit to transform the future of infrastructure planning and design.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
GeM is an online platform for public procurement in India envisaged by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. This initiative was launched on August 9, 2016 by Ministry of Commerce and Industry with the objective of creating an inclusive, efficient, and transparent platform for the buyers and sellers to carry out procurement activities in a fair and competitive manner.
This milestone is a reflection of collaborative efforts by MoD, Armed Forces, PSUs, Defence industry, and research institutions. It not only celebrates the success of GeM platform but also reaffirms the MoD’s dedication to bolstering national defence capabilities and securing a prosperous future for India.
E.issues
14. Technology
15. Environment
16. Security
17. Disaster Management