- 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
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
UDAN flight service
The Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) – UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik), a government-backed initiative to improve infrastructure and connectivity in India, especially in remote and underserved regions, completes six years. It is a vital component of India’s National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016, launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) on October 21, 2016, with a 10-year vision.
The first RCS-UDAN flight was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on April 27, 2017, connecting Shimla to Delhi. The scheme focuses on improving unserved air routes in underserved regions of the country and fulfilling the aspirations of the common citizens.
So far, RCS-UDAN has facilitated travel of more than 130 lakh passengers, demonstrating its success in enhancing air travel accessibility.
Over the period of 6 years, various versions of UDAN Scheme were launched, as follows:
- UDAN 1.0: 5 airlines companies were awarded 128 flight routes to 70 airports (including 36 newly made operational airports)
- UDAN 2.0: 73 underserved and unserved airports were announced and for the first time, helipads were also connected.
- UDAN 3.0: In coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, Tourism Routes were included. In addition to Seaplanes for connecting Water Aerodromes, several routes in the North-East Region came under the ambit of the scheme.
- UDAN 4.0: Gave impetus to North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands. The operation of helicopters and seaplanes incorporated.
B Health
Another Ayush Milestone
With the launch of Module-2 of International classification of Diseases-11(ICD-11), Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha (ASU) systems of medicines will now have same morbidity codes across the globe. Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi pointed it out in his “Mann Ki Baat”, on Sunday, 28 January 2024 episode and termed it as an achievement of India that will mitigate the problems of patients seeking recourse to these traditional medicine systems.
ICD-11, Chapter 26, Module 2 was recently launched by World Health Organisation in a function organised in Delhi. Prime Minister in his latest episode of “Mann Ki Baat” referred to this launch, and pointed out, while underlining the significant achievement, the problem faced till now by patients following ASU treatments by stating, “There must be many people among you, who get help from Ayurveda, Siddha or Unani system of medicine for treatment. But such patients face problems when they go to some other doctor of the same system. In these medical practices, a common language is not used for the terminology of diseases, treatments and medicines. Every doctor writes the name of the disease and methods of treatment in one’s own way. This sometimes makes it very difficult for other doctors to understand.”
The launch of ICD-11 Module 2 has resolved this problem to an extent and PM pointed this out.” A solution to this problem that has been going on for decades has now been found.
Prime Minister said “I am happy to share that the Ministry of Ayush has categorized the data and terminology related to Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicine, with the help of the World Health Organization as well. Through the efforts of both, the terminology related to disease and treatment in Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medicine has been codified. With the help of this coding, all doctors will now write the same language on their prescriptions or slips.”
“One advantage of this would be that if you go to another doctor with that slip, the doctor will get complete information about it from just that slip. That slip will help one in knowing one’s illness, treatment, what medicines one has been taking, for how long the treatment has been going on, what things one is allergic to. Another benefit of this will accrue to those people, who are associated with research work.” PM added further.
The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), Module 2 will also help in furthering research related to ASU as stated by PM in his Mann Ki Baat address, Scientists from other countries will also get complete information about the disease, medicines and their effects. As the research expands and many scientists come together, these medical systems will field better results and people’s inclination towards them will rise. Prime Minister expressed hope that doctors associated with ASU will adopt this coding as soon as possible.
The International Classification of Diseases maintained by WHO is the key instrument for member countries like India to collect primary as well as secondary data on various communicable (like malaria, TB, etc.) and non-communicable (diabetes, cancer, kidney disease etc.) diseases and mortality statistics.
The groundwork for ICD-11 TM 2 initiative was commenced during the Ayurveda day celebration 2017, when “National Ayush Morbidity and Standardised terminologies Electronic (NAMASTE) Portal (http://namstp.ayush.gov.in/”) was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister along with the inauguration of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi.
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
Govt. of India working in mission mode to develop robust quality ecosystem in India
The Government of India has been working in mission mode to develop a robust quality ecosystem in India, the hallmark being the accent on superior and safety compliant products to take the economy to higher echelons of growth and development. As part of this endeavor, Quality Control Orders (QCOs) are being rapidly introduced by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for critical products impacting consumer safety like Electrical Accessories, Laboratory Glassware, Hinges, Copper Products and Door Fittings. These QCOs have the right ingredients for strengthening the quality standards of ‘Made in India’ products, without compromising on the range of goods being made available to the Indian consumer. This focused approach for restricting the circulation of sub-standard products shall be a crucial driver for establishing India as a manufacturing powerhouse synonymous with best-in-class quality products.
With a view to establish India as a global leader in providing superior quality and safety compliant products, a plethora of reforms have been undertaken for ensuring that the ‘Made in India’ brand resonates with internationally recognized brands that offer premium quality. The guiding force behind this reform centric approach is the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, that “If there’s a “Made in India” product on any table in the world, the world should have confidence that there is nothing better than this. This will be ultimate. Be it our produce, our services, our words, our institutions, or our decision-making processes, everything will be supreme. Only then can we carry forward the essence of excellence.”
With the advent of technology, customers are becoming increasingly particular about safety standard related aspects such as the performance parameters, durability, and dependency of the goods. It has become a common practice to check product quality reviews before making a purchase. Maintaining a balance between product quality, price, and innovation in terms of manufacturing strategy is, therefore, of great essence.
To enforce strong quality standards for enhancing consumer product safety, there is unprecedented policy focus on implementation of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) which is in line with the provisions of the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The Agreement recognizes that countries can take necessary quality control measures to maintain the quality of its exports, protect human, animal or plant life and safeguard the environment.
Implementation of QCOs will help India acquire a greater share of the global manufacturing market while enforcing strong quality standards to enhance consumer product safety, prevent circulation of sub-standard products in the Indian market, attract investments and prevent loss of life or any accidents. The imposition of QCOs shall help detect any kind of product defect and malfunction in the initial stage which will be beneficial for both the manufacturers and consumers by way of rationalized costs.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) which serves as the National Standard Body of India, is harmonized to a great extent with the relevant International Standards as laid down by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It is involved in standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and conformity assessment with the underlying objective of providing safe, reliable, and quality goods.
While the Standards issued by the BIS for any product or process are for voluntary compliance, those notified by the Central Government through issuance of Technical Regulations (TR) primarily through Quality Control Order (QCO) under Scheme-I and Compulsory Registration Order (CRO) under Scheme-II are mandatory in nature.
Factoring in the importance of inculcating the safety aspect, DPIIT has focused on developing a robust quality ecosystem for products under its purview to provide good quality products and promoting exports of Indian products. This has led to the issuance of more than 60 new QCOs covering approximately 300 product standards, which have not only ensured that reliable products are being made available to the consumers but also improved the manufacturing quality standards, thereby enhancing brand and value of ‘Made in India’ products.
While implementation of QCOs is being introduced for various product categories, there is increased focus on products, the violation of standards for which, can pose threat to safety of consumers by causing severe harms and injuries as they are widely present in households. Therefore, QCOs have been recently notified for ‘Steel Wires/ Strands, Nylon Wire Ropes and Wire Mesh’, ‘Hinges’, ‘Safes, Safe Deposits Locker Cabinets and Key locks’, ‘Laboratory Glassware’ and ‘Electrical Accessories’, among many others. All of the aforementioned products have great usage and applicability in everyday activities, highlighting the criticality of having well-defined standards for them to avoid any unforeseen incidents.
Venture Capitalists
A venture capitalist (VC) is a private equity investor that provides capital to companies with high growth potential in exchange for an equity stake. A VC investment could involve funding startup ventures or supporting small companies that wish to expand but have no access to the equities markets.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- A venture capitalist (VC) is an investor who provides young companies with capital in exchange for equity.
- Startups often turn to VCs for funding to scale and commercialize their products.
- Due to the uncertainties of investing in unproven companies, venture capitalists tend to experience high rates of failure.
- However, the rewards are substantial for those investments that do pan out.
National Highway projects
he arterial roads of the country for inter-state movements of goods and passengers. They traverse the length and width of the country connecting the National and State capitals, major ports and rail junctions and link up with border roads and foreign highways.
Further, Expressways offer superior highway facility with higher specifications. It provides for more lanes, better surface, divided carriageway, controlled access grade separations at cross-roads and fencing etc. Expressways permits only fast moving vehicles and are meant to carry through traffic. The Expressway may be owned by the Central Government or State Government depending upon whether the route is a National Highway or a State Road.
The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare any other highway to be a national highway and on the publication of such notification such highway shall be deemed to be specified in the Schedule.
This Ministry is primarily responsible for development and maintenance of National Highways (NHs). The Ministry keeps on receiving proposals from various State Governments/Union Territories (UTs) for declaration of State roads as new National Highways (NHs). The Ministry considers declaration of some State roads as new NHs from time to time based on requirement of connectivity, inter-se priority and availability of funds.
The declaration of State roads as new NHs are considered based on well established principles; the criteria for State roads for declaration as new NHs include roads running through length / breadth of the country, connecting adjacent countries, National Capitals with State Capitals / mutually the State Capitals, major ports, non-major ports, large industrial centers or tourist centers, roads meeting very important strategic requirement in hilly and isolated area, arterial roads which enable sizeable reduction in travel distance and achieve substantial economic growth thereby, roads which help opening up large tracts of backward area and hilly regions (other than strategically important ones), achieving a National Highways grid of 100 km, etc.
Green Highways
Minister of Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari launched the Green Highways (Plantation, Transplantation, Beautification & Maintenance) Policy, 2015 at a function organized in New Delhi today. The aim of the policy is to promote greening of Highway corridors with participation of the community, farmers, private sector, NGOs, and government institutions.
Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that 1% of the total project cost of all highways projects will be kept aside for the highway plantation and its maintenance. He said that about Rs. 1000 crore per year will be available for plantation purpose. He also said that this policy will generate employment opportunities for about five lakh people from rural areas. He added that there will be strong monitoring mechanism in place by using ISRO’s Bhuvan and GAGAN satellite systems. Every planted tree will be counted and auditing will be done. The agencies performing good will be awarded. He called for suggestions from people for smooth implementation of the policy. He also asked the state governments to start programmes on similar lines. Shri Gadkari said that 1200 road side amenities will also be established. The Green Highway Policy will help in making India pollution free, the minister added. It will also help in curtailing the number of road accidents in India. He said that the vision of the policy is to provide dignified employment to local people and communities.
Addressing the conference, Minister of State for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Shri Pon. Radhakrishnan said that it is a historic occasion and a noble initiative that depicts the Government’s concern for conservation of environment. He said the present Government has taken various initiatives to cut pollution by promoting bio-fuel and e-rickshaws, and now the Green Highways Policy has been launched for roadside plantation in this respect.
Speaking at the conference, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways Shri Vijay Chhibber said that the vision of the policy is to involve the local communities in the plantation work. He said that the National Forest Policy envisages 33% of the geographical area should be under forest or tree cover, but the notified forest cover is only about 22%. The implementation of new Green Highways Policy can help in bridging this gap, he added. He said that the emphasis is not only on the trees planted, but also on how many of them survive and are useful for the local communities.
Key features of Green Highways Policy 2015
- Promote greening and development eco-friendly National Highway corridors across the country with participation of farmers, private sector and government institutions including Forest Department.
- It will address the issues that lie in the road of development and pave the way towards sustainable development.
- Objective: To reduce the impact of air pollution and dust by planting trees and shrubs along the National Highways. They will act as natural sink for air pollutants and arrest soil erosion at the embankment slopes.
- Stake holders: Contracts for greening highways will be given to NGOS, agencies, private companies and government organisations. These stakeholders will be responsible for the survival and health of trees.
- Planting of trees in any particular area will depend on the soil suitability and climatic conditions.
- Monitoring Agency: It will be responsible for monitoring the plantation status on continuous basis by carrying out the site visit for field verification to check survival, growth and size of plantation and maintenance of the same.
- Performance audit of executing agencies will be regularly conducted by the agency on an Annual basis. New contracts will be awarded to the agencies based on their past performance audit.
E.issues
14. Technology
15. Environment
The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program
Union Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav released the report on the Status of Snow leopards in India during the National Board for Wildlife meeting held in New Delhi today. The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) Program is the first-ever scientific exercise that reports Snow leopard population of 718 individuals in India.
The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) is the National Coordinator for this exercise that was carried out with support the support of all snow leopard range states and two conservation partners, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysuru and WWF-India.
The SPAI systematically covered over 70% of the potential snow leopard range in the country, involving forest & wildlife staff, researchers, volunteers, and contributions from knowledge partners. Covering approximately 120,000km2 of crucial Snow leopard habitat across the trans-Himalayan region, including UTs of Ladakh and J & K, and states such as Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, the SPAI exercise was conducted from 2019 to 2023 using a meticulous two-step framework. The first step involved evaluating Snow leopard spatial distribution, incorporating habitat covariates into the analysis, aligning with the guidelines of the National population assessment of snow leopards in India by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in 2019. This systematic approach included assessing the spatial distribution through an occupancy-based sampling approach in the potential distribution range. In the second step, Snow leopard abundance was estimated using camera traps in each identified stratified region.
During the SPAI exercise, total efforts included: 13,450 km of trails surveyed for recording Snow leopard signs, while camera traps were deployed at 1,971 locations for 180,000 trap nights. The Snow leopard occupancy was recorded in 93,392 km2, with an estimated presence in 100,841 km2. A total of 241 unique Snow leopards were photographed. Based on data analysis, the estimated population in different states are as follows: Ladakh (477), Uttarakhand (124), Himachal Pradesh (51), Arunachal Pradesh (36), Sikkim (21), and Jammu and Kashmir (9).
Until recent years, the snow leopard range in India was undefined due to a lack of extensive nationwide assessments for this vulnerable species. Before 2016, approximately one-third of the range (around ca. 100,347 km2) received minimal research attention, reduced to just 5% in pockets like Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh. Recent status surveys have significantly increased understanding, providing preliminary information for 80% of the range (about 79,745 km2), compared to 56% in 2016. To gather robust information on Snow leopard numbers, the SPAI exercise surveyed habitats using a substantial network of camera traps.
16. Security
17. Disaster Management