- Indian Heritage
Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur on his birth centenary. The Prime Minister said that on this special occasion, our Government has had the honour of conferring the Bharat Ratna to Karpoori Thakur.
Shri Modi also shared his thoughts on Karpoori Thakur’s unparalleled impact on society and polity.
The Prime Minister posted on X;
“I bow to Jan Nayak Karpoori Thakur Ji on his birth centenary. On this special occasion, our Government has had the honour of conferring the Bharat Ratna on him. I’ve penned a few thoughts on his unparalleled impact on our society and polity.”
- 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
14th National Voters’ Day (NVD) to be celebrated on 25th January 2024
Election Commission of India is celebrating 14th National Voters’ Day (NVD) on 25th January 2024. Hon’ble President of India Smt. Droupadi Murmu will be the Chief Guest at the national function being organized in New Delhi by the Election Commission of India. Union Minister of State for Law and Justice (Independent Charge), Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal will grace the function as Guest of Honour. The event will also be attended by Heads and representatives of Election Management bodies viz. Maldives, Philippines, Russia, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan. Dedicated to the voters, NVD 2024 theme – ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For sure’ is a continuation from last year’s theme.
During the event, Hon’ble President will present the Best Electoral Practices Awards for the year 2023. Awards will be presented to State and District level officers for their outstanding performance in the conduct of elections during 2023 in different spheres such as IT initiatives, Security Management, Election Management, Accessible Election, Electoral Roll and contribution in the field of voter awareness and outreach. Awards will also be given to important stakeholders including government departments, and media organizations for their valuable contribution towards voters’ awareness.
The first copy of the ECI Publication ‘ECI initiatives for General Elections 2024’ will be presented to the Hon’ble President by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the initiatives undertaken by each division of the ECI to ensure free, fair, inclusive, accessible, and participatory conduct of elections.
A short voter awareness film – ‘My Vote My Duty’ produced by ECI in association with renowned filmmaker Shri Raj Kumar Hirani will also be screened. The short film features several celebrities with their messages evoking the spirit of democracy and power of one vote.
On January 25, 2024, the Election Commission of India celebrates its 75th year of service to the Nation. To mark this momentous occasion, and in light of the 2024 Parliamentary Elections – a commemorative postage stamp themed “Inclusive Elections” will be released.
On the occasion, an innovative multi-media campaign for Voter Education and Awareness for the forthcoming Parliamentary Elections 2024 will also be launched.
A multimedia exhibition showcasing the grandeur of Indian elections, electoral reforms, technological advancements and election management innovations will also be displayed.
Since 2011, National Voters’ Day has been celebrated on January 25 every year, across the country to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India, i.e. 25th January 1950. The main purpose of the NVD celebration is to create electoral awareness amongst citizens and encourage them to participate in the electoral process. Dedicated to the voters of the country, the National Voters’ Day is also used to facilitate enrolment of voters, especially the newly eligible young voters. New voters are felicitated and handed over their Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) in the NVD functions held across the country.
10. Governance
A. institutions
B. regulatory
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP)
In order to strengthen institutional mechanisms for skill development and increase access to quality and market-relevant training for youth across the country, Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP) was launched on 19th January, 2018 with an implementation period till March, 2023. SANKALP is a World Bank loan assisted scheme with the present agreement between Government of India and the World Bank for $250 million (Rs. 1650 Crore). The releases(disbursement) from the World Bank to Government of India is upon achievement of the agreed Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs). SANKALP has three result areas namely (i) Institutional Strengthening at National, State and District level; (ii) Quality Assurance of skill development programmes; and (iii) Inclusion of marginalized population in skill development programmes.
The World Bank undertakes periodic implementation support missions to review the progress of the scheme. As per the aide memoire of the sixth implementation support mission conducted by the World Bank during 13-16 September, 2021, the scheme has been rated as “Satisfactory” on the overall implementation progress of the scheme while the progress towards achievement of program development objectives has been rated as “Highly Satisfactory” which is the highest rating as per the World bank rating criteria.
There are 08 DLIs for SANKALP with year-wise targets. As per the requirement of the World Bank, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has onboarded Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Indore as the Independent Verification Agency (IVA) to verify the DLI wise achievements. Till date, IVA has verified the achievements against the targets set for FY 2017-18 to FY 2019-20 and accordingly the World Bank has disbursed an amount of US$ 166.52 Million (Rs.1099 Croreapprox) to the Government of India under SANKALP.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
Background
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) was launched in 2015 to encourage and promote skill development inthe country by providing free short duration skill training and incentivizing this by providing monetary rewards to youth for skill certification. The overall idea is to boost both industry and employability of youths. During its pilot phase in 2015-16, 19.85 lakh candidates were trained.
After the successful implementation of pilot PMKVY (2015-16), PMKVY 2016-20 was launched by scaling up both in terms of Sector and Geography and by greater alignment with other missions of Government of India like Make in India, Digital India, Swachh Bharat, etc. The Scheme is aligned to Common Cost Norms and has a total budgetary outlay of Rs 12000 Crores.
Objectives of PMKVY 2016-20
- Enable and mobilize a large number ofyouths to take up industry designed quality skill training, become employable and earn their livelihood.
- Increase productivity of the existing workforce,and align skill training with the actual needs of the country.
- Encourage standardisation of the Certification process and put in place the foundation for creating a registry of skills.
- Benefit 10 million youth over the period of four years (2016- 2020).
Key Components of the Scheme
- Short Term Training (STT) – The Short-Term Training imparted at PMKVY Training Centres (TCs) is aimed towards the candidates who are either school/college dropouts or unemployed. Duration of the training varies according tothe job role, however, majority of courses range between 200-600 hrs (2 – 6 months). The Training is provided according to the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) with Soft Skills, Entrepreneurship, Financial and Digital Literacy curriculum, a part of the curriculum. Upon successful completion of their assessment and certification, candidates are provided placement assistance by Training Partners (TPs).
- Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) – Individuals with prior learning experience or skills are assessed and certified under the Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) component of the Scheme. RPL aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the NSQF. The duration of the training/orientation ranges between 12-80 hrs.
- Special Projects – Special Projects component of PMKVY envisages to encourage trainings in special areas and premises of Government bodies, corporates / industry bodies and trainings in special job roles not defined under the available Qualification Packs (QPs)/National Occupational Standards (NOSs).These are the projects which mayrequire some deviation from the terms and conditions of Short-Term Training under PMKVY.
B Health
C. Education
D. Human Resources
E. poverty and hunger
12. International relations
A. India and its neighbourhood
B. groupings and agreements
Cabinet approves Protocol for establishment of joint Economic and Trade Committee between India and Dominican Republic
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the proposal for signing of a protocol for establishment of Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) between the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic.
Bilateral relations between India and the Dominican Republic have been friendly and continue to deepen in all spheres. At present, there is no bilateral institutional mechanism between India and Dominican Republic on trade and commerce. India primarily imports gold from Dominican Republic and exports pharmaceuticals, marine products, motor vehicles, two and three wheelers etc. to them.
The establishment of JETCO will strengthen economic tie between India and the Dominican Republic and shall play a pivotal role and provide a platform for discussions, exchange of information, knowledge and ideas which would in turn facilitate trade and industry. The Protocol can be an effective gateway to the larger Latin American and Caribbean markets.
The Joint Committee will provide a platform for exchange of information between various authorities and their counterparts. This would help in facilitating trade of goods and services and consequentially help in better employment opportunities for professionals in both the countries.
The establishment of JETCO will facilitate mitigating challenges in export of Indian products of mutual dialogue and pave the way for boosting exports of pharmaceuticals, automobiles and engineering goods manufactured in India leading to more foreign exchange earnings for a Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and Oman on cooperation in the field of Information Technology
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi was apprised of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on 15th December, 2023, between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of the Sultanate of Oman on cooperation in the field of Information Technology.
The MoU intends to promote comprehensive cooperation between the Parties through mutual support, sharing of technologies, information and investments in the field of Information Technology.
The MoU shall come into effect from the date of signature of the Parties and shall be remain in force for a period of 3 years.
Both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of Information Technology will be enhanced.
MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.
Background:
MeitY has been mandated to promote international cooperation in emerging and frontier areas of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) under bilateral and regional frameworks of cooperation. MeitY is collaborating with a number of countries and multilateral agencies for fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the ICT domain.
Over the period, MeitY has entered into MoUs/Agreements with its counterpart organizations/agencies from various countries to promote cooperation and exchange of information in the ICT domain. This is in consonance with the various initiatives taken by Government of India such as Digital India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, Make in India etc. to transform the country into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. In this changing paradigm, there is an imminent need for exploring business opportunities, sharing of best practices and attracting investment in the digital sector with the objective of enhancing mutual cooperation.
C.Indian diaspora
PRESIDENT OF THE 78TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY CALLS ON THE PRESIDENT
H.E. Mr. Dennis Francis, the President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) called on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhavan today (January 24, 2024).
Welcoming the President of the General Assembly to India, the President appreciated the important initiatives being undertaken under his Presidency, including on climate change and women’s empowerment.
President Murmu agreed that the theme chosen for the Presidency of 78th UNGA, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity”, is the need of the hour, at a time when the world is facing several challenges.
The President added that the General Assembly can contribute to supporting the Global South, including the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). She appreciated the attention given to reform of the UN Security Council, which is also a critical issue for the Global South.
13. Economic Development
A. Government Budgeting
B. industrial
Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in India Launched
NITI Aayog, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India, and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations jointly launched the ‘Investment Forum for Advancing Climate Resilient Agrifood Systems in India’ in New Delhi. It was launched during a two-day Multi-stakeholder Meeting held on January 18-19, 2024, at the India International Centre, New Delhi. This initiative aims to develop an investment and partnership strategy to advance climate resilient agrifood systems among the government, private sectors, and farmers’ organizations and financial institutions in India.
Delivering the keynote address at the inauguration, Prof Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog emphasized the need for awareness on how agriculture contributes to climate change, citing a contribution of a little more than 13% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the country. He observed that agriculture could play a role in carbon sequestration through tree plantation on farmland. Prof Chand also called for a new direction in economic analysis of agriculture production, considering impact on natural resources, climate change and future generations. He proposed incorporating metrics beyond financial prices to evaluate the economic impact of agricultural activities. Prof Chand also stressed the importance of aligning efforts with the larger UN approach for dealing with contemporary and long-term challenges.
Sri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, MoA&FW, Government of India highlighted the significance of a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing climate challenges in India. He stressed the importance of considering the perspective of small and marginal farmers, who constitute 85% of the farming population in India. He also discussed the spatial and temporal distribution of climate patterns affecting farming activities and called upon the need for localized responses. Sri Ahuja also highlighted the need to focus on investment structures to increase incentives for farmers in the country.
Mr. Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator in India emphasized that without an answer to financial crisis there can be no answer to the food crisis. She observed that with food demand predicted to grow by at least 50% by 2050, we urgently need to scale up investments in climate resilience in agriculture to ensure future generations have the resources needed to grow enough food. He reiterated UN’s support for climate initiatives in India, such as the Year of Millets and expressed the commitment to being a partner of choice for India.
The FAO Representative in India, Mr. Takayuki Hagiwara, applauded Indian Government’s strong leadership in building climate resilient agrifood systems through prioritized actions in mitigation and adaptation domains. He also highlighted the importance of de-risking. This includes considering the flow of working capital, labor availability, sustainability and impact on the environment, the role of women in agrifood systems, and other factors.
The two-day meet paved the way for discussions and deliberations among key stakeholders, and their perspectives on national priorities, investment opportunities, partnership, technical support and cooperation. The Forum facilitated discussions and deliberations on six key areas namely, (i) Climate resilient agriculture (experiences and pathways) (ii) Digital infrastructure and solutions (iii) Financing climate resilient agrifood systems (domestic and global) (iv) Climate resilient value chains(v) Production practices and inputs for climate resilience and (vi) Gender mainstreaming and social inclusion for climate resilience. The meet witnessed almost 200 attendees with senior representatives from the government, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management (MANAGE), World Bank, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), delegation of the European Union, International Finance Cooperation, and UN agencies.
E.issues
14. Technology
15. Environment
16. Security
EX- DESERT KNIGHT
On 23 Jan 24, the Indian Air Force (IAF) conducted Exercise Desert Knight along with French Air and Space Force (FASF) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force. While the French participation included the Rafale fighter aircraft and a Multi Role Tanker Transport, the UAE Air Force fielded the F-16. These aircraft operated from the Al Dhafra air base in the UAE. The IAF contingent comprised of Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Jaguar, AWACS, C-130-J and Air to Air Refueller aircraft. The exercise in Indian FIR was conducted over the Arabian Sea, with IAF aircraft operating from bases within India.
The main focus of Exercise Desert Knight was on enhancing synergy and interoperability between the three Air Forces. The interactions during the exercise facilitated the exchange of operational knowledge, experiences and best practices amongst the participants. Such exercises are indicative of the growing diplomatic and military interactions in the region, apart from showcasing the prowess of the IAF.
17. Disaster Management