CA PART 1 Flashcards
Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurates 3 new CIPET at Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh
Government increased the number of CIPETs from 23 to 47 in last 10 years in order to meet the needs of petrochemical Industry: Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya
Union Health Minister Launches Indian Public Health Standards for AYUSH healthcare facilities
Dr. Mandaviya made announcement of setting up of Ayush - ICMR Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research (AI-ACIHR) at select AIIMS across the nation and announcement on Multicentre clinical trial on Anaemia.
Registrations of Informal Micro Enterprises on Udyam Assist Platform cross 1.50 crore
Udyam Assist Platform was launched by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises on 11th January 2023 to facilitate registration of Informal Micro Enterprises (IMEs) through generation of Udyam Assist Certificate
SIDBI is the implementing agency for the project. IMEs not having GSTN are allowed to register on Udyam Assist Platform. During the last 14 months, total registrations of IMEs on the Udyam Assist Platform have crossed the figure of 1.50 crore
CSIR-CSIO and ALIMCO Join Forces to Advance Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology for Divyangjan
the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIR-CSIO) and Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in the design, development, and manufacturing of rehabilitation and assistive technology (AT).
Empowering Persons with Disabilities: DEPwD Signs Three Groundbreaking MoUs
first MoU → igned jointly with Inclusive Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Foundation (I-STEM), Dhananjay Sanjogta Foundation (operating under the brand name - Mission Accessibility), and National Association for the Blind, Delhi, aims to provide technical support and infrastructure to enhance the mobile application. Through the incorporation of AI technology, the platform will efficiently disseminate relevant and targeted information, thereby empowering Divyangjans nationwide.
second MoU → In a bid to ensure the availability of reliable and up-to-date information on various schemes offered by state and central governments, the second MoU was inked in collaboration with Vision Divyang Foundation, Rohini, Delhi. This partnership seeks to leverage AI tools and suitable technological platforms to offer guidance on the eligibility of PwDs for government schemes, thereby enhancing accessibility to essential services.
Third MOU → signed with the esteemed National Association for the Blind, Delhi, a leading organization dedicated to the welfare of persons with visual disabilities, aims to make approximately 10,000 pages of documents accessible to PwDs. These documents include government schemes, guidelines, CCPD orders, legal reliefs for PwDs, annual reports, and more.
Krishi Sakhi Training Programme
- a joint initiative of
joint initiative of Ministry of Agriculture and Famers Welfare and
Ministry of Rural Development
Purpose of Krishi Sakhi Training Programme
It is to certify 70,000 Krishi Sakhis as “Para-Extension Workers”
Till date close to 3500 Krishi Sakhis have already been trained and the program is being simultaneously implemented in 13 states
Krishi Sakhis play a pivotal role in implementing schemes like
National Mission of
Natural Farming (NMNF), Bio Resource Centres, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana
(PMFBY), etc.
Certified Krishi Sakhis become para-extension workers, community resource
persons for creating awareness and building capacity of farmers
and also acts as a
link between farmers, KVKs, Agriculture and Allied Departments.
Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institutes’ (CFQCTI’s) portal - inaugurated by
jointly inaugurated by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Rural Development in New Delhi.
Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institutes’ (CFQCTI’s) portal - Purpose
fertilizer sample testing
Central Fertilizer Quality Control and Training Institutes’ (CFQCTI’s) portal - Key initiatives
Introduction of OTP/SMS Application - sample collection at
Ports and testing
• OTP for Sample Verification - authorized persons of the
Importer, verify by Fertilizer Inspector in Form-J (FCO,1985)
• Verification Process: can refuse to give otp if anomalies
• Automated Sample Allotment:
• Analysis Report Distribution: sent to the email-id of authorised person
Upcoming Phases:
• In second phase, the Portal can be updated for indigenously manufactured fertilizers sampling including live sampling at ports/dealer sale point etc.
Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released the Final
Estimates of 2022-23 and First Advance Estimates of 2023-24 of Area and
Production of various Horticultural Crops:
Total Horticulture
in 2021-22
Area (in Million Ha) : 28.04
Production (in million tonne) : 347.18
2022-23 (final estimates)
Area (in Million Ha) : 28.44 (1.41 % increase)
Production (in million tonne) : 355.48 (2.39% increase)
2023-24 (first advance estimates)
Area (in Million Ha) : 28.77
Production (in million tonne) : 355.25
Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released the Final
Estimates of 2022-23 and First Advance Estimates of 2023-24 of Area and
Production of various Horticultural Crops: In that fruit production
is estimated to be 110.21 Million Tonnes in 2022-23 (Final
Estimates)
- It is mainly due to increases in production of
Apple,
Banana,
Grapes,
Mango and
Watermelon
Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has released the Final
Estimates of 2022-23 and First Advance Estimates of 2023-24 of Area and
Production of various Horticultural Crops: In that VEGETABLES production
has increased from 209.14 Million Tonnes in 2021-22 to
212.55 Million Tonnes in 2022-23 (Final Estimates).
- This is mainly contributed by increase registered in all vegetables except Chillies
(Green), Onion, Radish, Tapioca and Tomato.
National Workshop on National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship
New Delhi.
• Presided by: Economic Adviser, Department of School Education & Literacy,
Ministry of Education
New features of the National Scholarship Portal from 2024-25 are added
• Aadhaar Payment Bridge being introduced.
• Features for registration and verification to be introduced during 2024-25.
• Bio-authentication of Heads of Institutes and Institute Nodal Officers.
National Means-cum Merit Scholarship launched on
2008
Time period of National Means-cum Merit Scholarship
FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26
Total Allocation of National Means-cum Merit Scholarship
Rs. 1827 Crore
Funding of NMMS
Central Sector Scheme.
• ‘National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme’ scholarships are awarded to
meritorious students of economically weaker sections to arrest their drop
out at class VIII and encourage them to continue their education up to the
secondary stage
Under NMMS, One lakh fresh scholarships are awarded to selected students
from class IX every
year and their continuation/renewal in classes X to XII for students studying in
State Government, Government-aided and local body schools
Under NMMS, The awardees should get minimum of 60% marks in Class X for continuation of
scholarship (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST candidates) in next higher classes
For
continuing the scholarship in class X and XII, the awardees should get clear
promotion form class IX to class X and from class XI to class XII in the first
attempt
Eligibility criteria of NMMS
Parental income is not more than Rs. 3,50,000 per annum.
minimum of 55% marks or equivalent grade in the
Class VII examination to appear in the selection test for the award of a
scholarship (relaxable by 5% for SC/ST students).
Government,
Government-aided and local body school.
Students of NVS, KVS and residential schools are not entitled for the
scholarship
Disbursement amount, mode of NMMS
Rs. 12000 per annum
DBT thru PFMS mode
National Scholarship Portal (NSP) from 2018-19 - a one-stop
platform for scholarship schemes given to students.
National Mission for Mentoring (NMM)
NEP 2020 - Mentoring for teachers - through dedicated digital platform - Bluebook on NMM in 22 languages, Braille and audiobooks
National Professional Standards for Teachers (NPST)
improving the teachers’ personal and professional development by providing them with an understanding of what is expected in terms of their performance and what needs to be done.
passionate teachers for all levels of students
22 scheduled languages, Braille and Audiobooks
52 Primers in Indian languages
transformational step for young learners, especially for Early
Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), providing them access to education in
their mother tongue/local language.
Launch of 200 DTH TV Channels
launched under PMeVidya initiative.
multi-mode access to education
quality eContents for free thru TV, radio
NCERT has made National Vidya Samiksha Kendra functional for facilitating
research and development and capacity building program
It has currently enabled visibility, insights, and actionability across 11 programs
- National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement
(NISHTHA)
- DIKSHA
- Energized Textbooks (ETBs)
- NIPUN Bharat initiative for Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
- NCERT Quiz
- National Achievement Survey
- Performance Grading Index (PGI)
- Unified District Information System for Education Plus
- PM Poshan
- National Curriculum Framework (NCF)
Micro-Improvements program (recognition of best pedagogy practices) &
PRASHAST (A Disability Screening Checklist for Schools)
- PM SHRI.
National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA)
• Launch Year: 2018
• Targets: Comprehensive and integrated teacher training program designed to improve learning outcomes of students at the elementary level. Focuses on developing competencies across subject areas, along with social-emotional and foundational literacy and numeracy aspects.
DIKSHA (Digital Infrastructure for Knowledge Sharing)
• Launch Year: 2017
• Targets: A national platform offering a variety of digital learning resources for teachers, students, and parents. Provides engaging e-learning content aligned with curriculums, aids teacher training, and facilitates online assessments.
Energized Textbooks (ETBs)
• Launch Year: Varies by state, early initiatives around 2015
• Targets: Integration of technologies like QR codes into textbooks. Linking these codes to online resources, videos, animations, and supplementary material to enhance learning experiences and make textbooks more interactive.
NIPUN Bharat (National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy)
• Launch Year: 2021
• Targets: Aims to ensure all children in the country achieve foundational literacy and numeracy skills by the end of Grade 3 (by 2026-27). Focuses on teacher capacity building, development of high-quality resources, and assessment.
National Curriculum Framework (NCF)
• Launch Year: The NCF has been revised periodically, with the latest iteration in 2022
• Targets: This is the overall guiding framework for the development of Indian school education, including syllabi, textbooks, and teaching practices. Its goal is to create a holistic, student-centered approach to education.
NCERT Quiz
• Launch Year: Varies, likely has been ongoing for an extended period.
• Targets: Quizzes developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) to assess student understanding of concepts across various subjects. These are likely used by teachers as formative assessment tools.
National Achievement Survey (NAS)
• Launch Year: Periodically conducted, the first cycle was in the 1990s.
• Targets: A large-scale assessment to gauge learning outcomes and competencies of students in classes 3, 5, 8, and 10. Measures the health of the education system and helps in identifying areas for improvement.
Performance Grading Index (PGI)
• Launch Year: 2019
• Targets: An index to evaluate, and subsequently improve, the performance of school education systems across States and UTs in India. Uses various indicators across governance, infrastructure, learning outcomes, and equity.
Unified District Information System for Education Plus (UDISE+)
• Launch Year: The original UDISE was established in the 1990s and UDISE+ is an enhanced version.
• Targets: A comprehensive data management system for school education. It collects detailed information on schools, teachers, enrollment, infrastructure, etc. This data is used for planning and policymaking in the education sector
PM Poshan (formerly Mid-Day Meal Scheme)
• Launch Year: 1995 (under the initial name). Re-named PM POSHAN Shakti Nirman in 2021.
• Targets: Provides cooked mid-day meals to children in government and government-aided schools. Aims to improve nutritional status, promote school attendance, and support the overall development of children.
Micro-Improvements program (recognition of best pedagogy practices) & PRASHAST (A Disability Screening Checklist for Schools)
• Targets: Focused on smaller initiatives – micro-improvements would likely highlight and reward creative teaching methods that boost success, and
second one aims for early identification of disabilities in school settings.
PM SHRI (Pradhan Mantri Schools for Rising India)
• Launch Year: 2022
• Targets: To develop a network of exemplary, model schools across the country. These will emphasize modern infrastructure, a holistic learning environment aligned with the New Education Policy (NEP) 2020, and act as ‘lighthouse’ institutions for other schools.
Financial assistance, totalling to Rs 9000 crores, will be provided to States/UTs
for the physical upgradation of all 613 District Institutes of Education and
Training (DIETs).
It aims to develop them as DIET of Excellence in the country in a phased manner in the next five years
Upto Rs. 15 Crore per DIET will be provided under the Centrally Sponsored
Scheme of Samagra Shiksha for improving various infrastructural facilities.
National Urban Cooperative Finance and Development Corporation
Limited (NUCFDC)
inaugurated by Ministry of Cooperation
New Delhi
Certificate of Registration from RBI as NBFC
SRO for the sector
to raise 300 crore capital base
Umbrella organization for Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs).
Bharat Pashudhan
digital database for livestock animals in the country.
‘Bharat Pashudhan’ utilizes a unique 12-digit Tag ID allocated to each livestock
animal
Developed under the National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM).
Scheme Under Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Diarying
Under the Bharat Pasudhan, out of an estimated 30.5 crore bovines,
about 29.6 crore have
already been tagged and their details are available in the database.
‘Bharat Pashudhan’ will empower the farmers by providing
a traceability system
for the bovines and also help in disease monitoring and control.
1962 Farmers App
records all data and information present under the ‘Bharat
Pashudhan’ database
First Pey Jal Survekshan Awards to be conferred by President
launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in September 2022
and the field assessments were conducted from December 2022 -November 2023
Pey Jal Survekshan (PJS), as part of AMRUT 2.0 mission
aims to evaluate the
service level achievements in the
quality,
quantity, and
coverage of water supply, sewerage and
septage management;
the extent of reusing and recycling of
wastewater
and the conservation of water bodies within the city
First edition of Pey Jal Survekshan awards focuses on the provision of water-linked services
covers
all 485 AMRUT cities
PeyJal Survekshan has 3 components to capture the data
- Service Level Assessment
- Citizen Feedback Survey
- Direct Observation Including Lab Test of Water Sample
Under PeyJal Survekshan Cities will be graded
on a star rating scale, ranging from 5 stars to No stars.
AMRUT MITRA initiative Launched and its aims are
aims to actively involve women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in the
urban water sector, designating women as key contributors and emphasizing their
role in household water management
SHG Women who are AMRUT Mitras will be
engaged in executing AMRUT 2.0 projects, focusing on
activities such as billing, collection, leak detection, plumbing works, water quality
sampling, and maintenance of infrastructure.
Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal launched a digital platform to facilitate farmers in getting loans against their produce stored in registered godowns and said it would help boost the farming community’s income and make agriculture an attractive proposition
digital gateway named ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’, which aims to facilitate farmers in obtaining post-harvest loans from banks against their stocks stored in the WDRA registered warehouses.
7% interest rate; Collateral free
5500 registered warehouses under WDRA and 1 lakh agri warehouses
Mr. Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)’s ‘Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP)’ for coordination among the stakeholders to curb misuse of telecom resources in cyber-crime and financial frauds
Chakshu facility on Sanchar Saathi portal, a pioneering initiative empowering citizens to proactively report suspected fraud communication.
(https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/),
Government has been persistently making efforts to check cyber-frauds under the secure India project, at three levels-National, Organisational and Individual.
In a gazette notification, the Union Law Ministry amended the Conduct of Elections Rules-1961 to change the definition of senior citizens who are eligible to choose the postal ballot facilit
from those “above 80 years” to those “above 85 years”.
rules enable postal ballot voting for a “notified class of electors”, which includes essential services workers, persons with disabilities, Covid-19infected or suspected cases and senior citizens.
Under Ayushman Bharat PMJAY, the first state in the country to issue five crore Ayushman cards.
Uttar pradesh has become the first state
3716 hospitals,
92.48% settlement rate
average admission of patients per day under this scheme was 2,000, which has now increased to about 8,000 per day
Chapchar Kut festival is associated with which state
Mizoram’s biggest festival - celebrated with traditional enthusiasm and joy across the state - traditional and cultural richness of the Mizo community - first Friday of the month of March.
Prime Minister inaugurated the Vikramaditya Vedic Clock, which is mounted on an
85 foot tower within Jantar Mantar in Ujjain.
First vedic clock
Lucknow based Sanshta Arohan
Ujjain is located at the precise point of interaction with zero meridian and Tropic of Cancer.
Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and Easytrip Planners Limited (EMT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in the travel and tourism sector.
signed a Memorandum of Understanding to support Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)‘s SHG Didis for livelihoods opportunities in the travel and tourism sector
Who are ticket wali didis
SHG didis under MOU between MoRD and Easemytrip (EMT)
The eligibility criteria for selection of the ticket wali Didis
basic knowledge of reading & writing English / Hindi and knowledge of using a Computer & browsing the internet.
EMT will ensure that the profit earnings of the SHG members managing the ticket book enterprise (post training)
is of at least Rs. 10000.00 (Rs. Ten Thousand) per month each to become a Lakhpati during the pilot of 3 months
EMT will conduct the Pilot project across 10 Blocks in Districts identified by the MoRD
Patna,
Begusarai,
Vadodara,
Rajkot,
Surat,
Bhopal,
Ujjain,
Ayodhya and
Varanasi.
Ministry of Jal Shakti has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA)with Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore
Establishment of an International Centre of Excellence for Dams (ICED) under externally supported Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) Phase II and III
MoJS MoA with IISc Bangalore - valid for
ten years or till the duration of the DRIP Phase-II and III Scheme, whichever is earlier, from the date of signing this MoA.
ICED will act as a technological arm of the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) to provide
to provide specialized technical support in investigations, modelling, research and innovations, and technical support services for the Indian and overseas dam owners.
ICED under MoJS MoA IISc Bangalore will carry out research in two core areas
(i) Advanced construction and rehabilitation materials & Material testing for dams and
(ii) Comprehensive (multi-hazard) risk assessment of dams.
The MoJS under MoA with IISc Bangalore will provide grant of Rs. 118.05 Crore
for procurement of goods, machinery for establishment of new laboratories as well as strengthening of existing laboratories.
ICED, IISc Bangalore is the second International Centre in the area of Dam Safety
The first ICED has been institutionalized at IIT Roorkee upon signing of MoA in February 2023.
NIGEL (NLC India Green Ltd) has signed the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited (GUVNL)
for the proposed 600 MW Solar Power Project at Khavda Solar Park, Bhuj District, Gujarat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector.
Inauguration of a pilot project being carried out in 11 states by primary agricultural credit societies under this plan. • Government is looking to “set up a storage infrastructure of 700 lakh metric tons”.
Food Corporation of India currently has a storage capacity of 361.62 lakh tonnes and
state government agencies have capacities of another 400.74 lakh tonnes.
Union Budget 2023-24 flagged the initiation of the process of computerisation of 63,000 PACS
with an investment of Rs 2,516 crore
NABARD is extending financial support to PACS by refinancing them at highly subsidized rates of around 1 percent, after incorporating the benefits of 3% interest subvention under AIF scheme for projects
financial support to PACS
up to Rs. 2 Crore.
Pilot project of storage of grains - inplemented by
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) with the support of NABARD, Food Corporation of India (FCI), Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC), NABARD Consultancy Services (NABCONS), National Buildings Construction Corporation (NBCC),
“Sahakar-se-Samriddhi”
(Cooperation for Prosperity).
The Pilot Plan of grains storage is being implemented by utilizing the approved outlays of the following Government of India (GoI) schemes for creation/ modernization of infrastructure facilities at PACS level
• The MoAFW’s Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF), Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), and Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM).
• Two schemes of the Ministry of Food Processing Industries: PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME), and PM Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY).
• Two schemes of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution: allocation of food grains under the National Food Security Act, and Procurement operations at Minimum Support Price
Wheat procurement target for 2024-25
range of 30-32 million tonnes for rabi marketing seasons
lower target has been fixed despite the Ministry of Agriculture hoping for a record production of 114-115 million tonnes in the 2023-24 crop year (JulyJune).
a rabi paddy procurement target
range of 9-10 million tonnes.
government has also set a procurement target of 6,00,000 tonnes for rabi coarse grains /millets (Shri Anna).
In the 2023-24 season - wheat procurement
26.2 million tonnes against target of 34.15 million tonnes
In 2022-23, wheat procurement was
only 18.8 million tonnes against the target of 44.4 million tonnes
NITI Aayog organised the ‘National Conference on Accelerating Sustainable Development Goals’ in partnership with
in partnership with the host Government of Rajasthan and technical partners UNDP and UN in India in Jaipur
Three knowledge portals, UNDP ‘SDG Knowledge hub’, ‘Food and Nutrition Security Analysis Dashboard’ of Government of Rajasthan, ‘SDG -2 (Zero Hunger) Dashboard’ of Government of Rajasthan were inaugurated
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that it has certified - Eat Right Stations.
150 RAILWAYS STATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Prime Minister inaugurated Indian Oil’s 518-km Haldia-Barauni Crude Oil Pipeline
developed at a cost of about Rs 2,790 crore.
• This pipeline passes through Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Prime Minister inaugurated three projects related to wastewater treatment and sewerage in West Bengal.
These projects, developed at a cost of about Rs 600 crore have been funded by the World Bank.
Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant, Jharkand
Developed at a cost of more than Rs 8900 crores, the fertilizer plant is a step towards self-sufficiency in the Urea Sector
third fertilizer plant to be revived in the country, after the revival of fertilizer plants at Gorakhpur and Ramagundam in December 2021 and November 2022
Bharat Tex 2024 with a unified Farm to Fashion focus concluded on 29th February, 2024 in New Delhi
IndiaTEX, Launch of Textile Grand Innovation Challenge
It was inspired by the 5F Vision of the Hon’ble Prime Minister
‘5F’ Formula encompasses - Farm to fibre; fibre to factory; factory to fashion; fashion to foreign
Prime Minister Narendra Mod inaugurated India’s first underwater Metro line in Kolkata .
built under Kolkata’s Hooghly River
4.8 km under the Hooghly river.
Three out of six stations will be underground.
Howrah will be the deepest Metro station (33 meters below the surface) in the country.
Union Minister of Education and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, launched Project ODISERV
in Sambalpur to prepare young graduates of Odisha for employment opportunities in the financial services sector.
1100 students in Odisha have already been trained and a few of them have also received job offers.
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Bajaj Finserv Ltd. unveiled their first skill development initiative
Project Odiserv at Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) in Sambalpur, Odisha
will impart knowledge and skills to graduates, especially first-generation graduates, through Bajaj Finserv’s Certificate Programme for Banking Finance & Insurance (CPBFI) programme. Target of 20,000 students initially, 100-hour programme
22 states across India, covering over 400 colleges
5 thousand out of 8,000 registered Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) have been registered on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) portal
for selling the produce online to consumers across the country.
onboarding of FPOs on ONDC to reach out to their buyers in any part of the country is in line with the Central government objective of providing growers with better market access.
Central Sector Scheme titled “Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Produce Organizations (FPOs)” launched in 2020
budgetary provision of Rs 6,865 crore
Over 8,000 FPOs have been registered against government target of 10,000
FPOs are provided financial assistance up to Rs 18.00 lakh per FPO for a period of 3 years.
provision has been made for matching equity grant up to Rs. 2,000 per farmer member of FPO with a limit of Rs. 15.00 lakh per FPO and a credit guarantee facility up to Rs. 2 crore of project loan per FPO from eligible lending institution to ensure institutional credit accessibility to FPOs.
FPO 10000 scheme - One District One Product” cluster
to promote specialization and better processing, marketing, branding & export
FPO 10000 scheme - Agriculture value chain organizations forming FPOs and facilitating
60% of market linkages for members produce.
key objectives of the FPO 10000 scheme
provide handholding and support to new FPOs up to 5 years from the year of creation in all aspects of management of FPO, inputs, production, processing and value addition, market linkages, credit linkages and use of technology etc
The Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) has been mandated by the Ministry of Agriculture
to support the State Government in the formation of Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
Tripura’s traditional tribal attire ‘risa’
received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag - handwoven cloth used as a female upper garment and also as headgear, a stole, or a present to express respect
common in almost all 19 indigenous tribal communities of Tripura
famous Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) of
Odisha has been given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai.
Banglar muslin is the one of the popular traditional handloom craft
of Bengal got GI tag
Ratlam Riyawan Lahsun (Garlic), a variety named after Riyawan village
in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh also bagged the GI tag
Ambaji White Marble, which is formed when limestone is re-crystallised under the earth’s crust due to intense pressure and heat
of MP got GI tag
Lac Bangles, Majuli Mask & Majuli Manuscript Painting of
Hyderabad
Assam got GI tag
The government’s Genome India initiative announced the successful sequencing of 10,000 whole genomes of healthy persons from across the country, creating a genetic map of the population
each sequence requiring 80 GB storage space, the huge dataset of 8 petabytes will be stored at the Indian Biological Data Centre in Faridabad
The Genome India project was approved by the government in 2020 with the aim of creating a comprehensive catalogue of genetic variations found in the Indian population
Researchers who analysed 5,750 of the genome sequences have already identified 135 million genetic variants found in India.
The human genome is essentially a biological instruction manual that we inherit from our parents. It is a tome written with just four letters, A,C,G, and T — the four bases that come together to create everyone’s unique genetic makeup.
India’s bio-economy has grown 13 folds in the last 10 years from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024.
The first whole human genome was sequenced with the collaboration of an international team. It took 13 years and $3 billion, and was completed in 2003. India announced its first complete human genome in 2009.
Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI) and IIT Madras researchers
have recently developed Garbhini-GA2. India-specific AI model designed to accurately estimate the gestational age (GA) of fetuses in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy
GARBH-Ini program is a flagship programme supported by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated India’s first-ever dolphin research centre in Patna. The NDRC is the first of its kind not only in India but also in entire Asia.
The National Dolphin Research Center is the first of its kind not only in India but also in entire Asia.
Built at a cost of Rs 30 crore,
Bihar - 3000 gangetic dolphins
Keyi Panyor became the 26th district
of Arunachal Pradesh
created on demand by the people of the Nyishi community.
The 27th district, Bichom, is scheduled to be inaugurated early next week.
India successfully flagged off its first commercial trial shipment of Pomegranates
to the US via sea under the aegis of Agricultural Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) by InI Farms from IFC facility, MSAMB, Vashi (Navi Mumbai).
Coal India Limited (CIL) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai and IIM Sambalpur
partnership aims to align coal transportation infrastructure with the ambitious PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan 2021, enhancing multimodal connectivity across the country.
• Under this initiative, a one-year PGP-Ex programme in “Logistics and Operations Excellence through Digitisation” is to be conducted for the Executives of Coal India, serving in MCL and other subsidiaries.
Chhattisgarh-based Coal India subsidiary South Eastern Coalfield Limited’s Gevra mine is set to become the largest coal mine in Asia.
mine has been granted environmental clearance to expand production capacity to 70 million tons per annum from the current 52.5 million tons.
Union Minister for Minority Affairs and Women and Child Development Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, inaugurated the two days’ Training of Trainers Programme as part of preparations towards Haj 2024 at Vigyan Bhavan
Haj Suvidha app launched - developed by BISAG-N
Haj guide 2024 launched in 10 languages
Ministry of Ayush joined hands with Ministry of Women and Child Development for Nutritional Improvement in adolescent girls through Ayurveda interventions
Joint Public Health Initiative for “Anaemia Control among adolescent girls using Ayurveda interventions in the five districts under Mission Utkarsh was announced
Anemia Mukt Bharat strategy is implemented to reduce anaemia among six beneficiaries age group
children (6-59 months), children (5-9 years), adolescents (10-19 years), pregnant and lactating women and in women of reproductive age group (15-49 years) in life cycle approach through implementation of six interventions via robust institutional mechanism.
The scheme is being dealt with the support of 13.97 lacs Aanganbaadis across the country.
Anaemia reduction through ayurvedic interventions - first phase
Both the Ministries jointly decided that in the first phase, the focus may be given to improve the anemic status of adolescent girls (14-18 years) in five aspirational districts of five states namely Assam–Dhubri, Chhattisgarh- Bastar, Jharkhand – Paschimi Singhbhum, Maharashtra – Gadchiroli, and Rajasthan – Dhaulpur.
Anaemia reduction through ayurvedic interventions - five districts
These five districts identified for this first phase of the program mostly consist of tribal population and the status of anemia among women in reproductive age in these five districts is approximately 69.5 per cent.
With Ayush we have done more 2.7 crore Ayush based activities
with “Poshan Maah” and “Poshan Pakhwada”.
What is the state of extreme poverty in India?
• India has reduced extreme poverty to below 3% of its population.
• This marks a significant achievement towards the first UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) aiming to eradicate poverty by 2030.
What is the World Poverty Clock?
• A tool that provides real-time poverty estimates for most countries.
• Monitors progress against the UN’s SDG to end extreme poverty.
• Funded by IFAD and the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany.
How does the World Poverty Clock define “extreme poverty”?
Individuals living on less than $2.15 a day.
nearly 3.44 crore people are living in extreme population in 2024
against 4.69 crore in 2022.
As a share of total population, number of people living in extreme poverty has come down to 2.4 per cent from 3.3 per cent in 2022. This is second big indication on fight against poverty.
A recent discussion paper by NITI Aayog, titled ‘Multidimensional Poverty in India since the year 2005-06,’ said that multidimensional poverty
has declined sharply from 29.17 per cent in 2013-14 to 11.28 per cent in 2022-23, resulting in 24.82 crore individuals escaping multidimensional poverty during the 9-year period.
For added perspective, the World Bank also tracks poverty at $3.65 a day, the typical line for lower-middle-income countries, and
$6.85 a day, typical for upper-middle-income countries.
India’s ranked improved to 113 out of 190 countries in the World Bank’s Women, Business and Law index.
While India’s score has been constant at 74.4% since 2021, its ranking in the index has declined from 122 in 2021 to 125 in 2022 and 126 in the 2023 index.
World Bank’s Women, Business and Law index - Scale, edition and Full score
scale from 0 to 100, where 100 means equal legal rights for men and women.
10TH EDITION - none of the countries has a full score -
Indian women enjoyed 60% of the legal rights given to men as per the new report,
lower than the global average of 64.2% legal rights of women against men
The new World Bank’s Women BUsiness and Law index measures performance on legal frameworks across 10 indicator
safety, mobility, workplace, pay, marriage, parenthood, childcare, entrepreneurship, assets and pension.
safety and childcare added newly, helped india, otherwise India got 129th rank
latest Women, Business, and the Law report shows that between October 1, 2022, and October 1, 2023, only 18 countries
— less than 10 percent of those assessed — implemented legal reforms across these indicators.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mauritius Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth virtually inaugurated an air strip and a jetty
to ensure maritime security and connectivity to Mauritius’ Agalega islands that lies approximately 650 nautical miles (1,050 km) north of Mauritius.
PM Modi flagged concerns over challenges in the Indian Ocean region and said India and Mauritius are “natural partners” in the maritime domain to deal with them.
Three years after objecting to a Chinese energy project in northern Sri Lanka, barely 50 km off Tamil Nadu, India is set to implement a hybrid power project in three islands off Jaffna peninsula with a $11-million grant.
Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, the Government of Sri Lanka, and Indian company U-Solar Clean Energy
Solutions on March 1 signed the contract for building “Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems” in Delft or Neduntheevu, Nainativu and Analaitivu islands off Jaffna peninsula in the island’s north.
Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, Union Minister of Women & Child Development and Minority Affairs, Government of India launched the logo and the website for the Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality.
India is the first country to make a financial case for women emancipation.
alliance is a collective of Governments, Industry and Development organisations.
logo unveiled symbolises the collective nature of the alliance and draws inspiration from Lord Ganesha, reinforcing the message of collective wisdom and strength for Gender equity and equality.
Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality. Launched in Davos 2024
aims to bring together global good practices, knowledge sharing and investments in the field of women’s health, education, and enterprise and aligns with several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-Being;4- Quality Education; 5 - Gender Equality and Empowerment;17 - Global Partnership for Development and more
Alliance for Global Good – Gender Equity and Equality. Supported by -
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and anchored by the CII Centre for Women Leadership with
the World Economic Forum as a ‘Network Partner’ and
Invest India as an ‘Institutional Partner’.
Alliance for Global Good logo forms the alphabet “e” which
represents Equality and Equity.
parallel stroke in Alliance for Global Good
reflect collective action by Governments, industry and institutions enabling women to achieve their economic potential, globally. The Tricolours symbolize the values of the Alliance - saffron for strength and courage, white for truth and green for growth. The red dot denotes prosperity
A defence cooperation agreement has been signed between China and the Maldives to foster stronger bilateral ties.
After a diplomatic row with India, the Maldives is set to get free military assistance from China
According to RBI’s quarterly Basic Statistical Return (BSR) data for December,
share of term deposits in scheduled commercial banks (SCBs) total deposits increased to 60.3 per cent in December 2023 from 57.2 per cent in March 2023.
The weighted average domestic term deposit rate (WADTDR) on fresh and outstanding deposits
increased by 246 basis points (bps) and 180 bps, respectively, during May 2022 to December 2023 period
On an incremental basis, TDs accounted for nearly 97.6 per cent of the total deposits during April-December 2023
and the share of current account and savings account (CASA) deposits went down during Apr-Dec 2023
As of December 29, 2023, SCBs total deposits stood at about ₹201 lakh crore.
Of this, TDs accounted for 88 per cent and balance was CASA deposits.
Rural and semi-urban branches together accounted for 67.2 per cent of incremental CASA deposits during April-December 2023,
Rural and semi-urban branches combined share in total term deposits during October-December 2023 was much lower at 21.7 per cent.
Female customers made significant contribution in deposit accretion: during October-December 2023
their shares in incremental CASA, term and total deposits were 63.4 per cent, 36.1 per cent and 40.1 per cent, respectively
Female customers share in total deposits increased to 20.6 per cent in December 2023
Female customers share in total deposits from 20.2 per cent in September 2023
Senior citizens held 20.1 per cent of the total deposits in December 2023.
In January 2024, bank credit growth slowed to 16.2% year over year (y-o-y) from 16.7% the previous year.
This is a result of the industry, services, and personal loan sectors showing relatively mild credit growth.
According to RBI data on Sectoral Deployment of Bank Credit, the only sector that demonstrated improvement in credit growth was
agriculture and allied activities - 20.1% year over year, up from 14.4% the previous year
In January 2024, credit to industry expanded by 7.8% year over year,
compared to 8.7% in the same month the previous year
Among the main industries, credit growth (y-o-y) surged in January 2024.
to textiles and food processing
whereas growth in credit (y-o-y) to basic metal and metal products and chemicals and chemical products declined.
Retail loans issued by banks increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25.5%
between September 2021 and September 2023
Durng the same period - unseecured lending increased by 27%
Credit growth to services sector slowed to 20.7% y-o-y in January 2024
as compared 21.4% a year ago - Credit growth to services sector
Personal loans growth declined to 18.4% (y-o-y) in January 2024 from 20.7% a year ago.
Reserve Bank of India, in exercise of its powers under Section 45L(1)(b) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, directed IIFL Finance Ltd. (“the company”)
to cease and desist, with immediate effect, from sanctioning or disbursing gold loans or assigning/ securitising/ selling any of its gold loans - can continue to service its existing gold loan portfolio
The gold loan asset under management of the IIFL has grown 35 per cent year-on-year to
₹24,692 crore and 4 per cent quarter-on-quarter. Gold loan portfolio accounts for 32 per cent of the total assets under management of the company in the December quarter
RBI found deficiency in 67% of IIFL gold loan accounts put up for auction
Of the 18.9 lakh gold loan extended by IIFL in FY’23, 82,000 accounts have gone for auction due to default by the borrowers. Of these 82,000 accounts, RBI inspection has found deviation in 55,000 accounts at the time of auctions.
IIFL Finance announced that top shareholder Fairfax India (15%) will be providing up to
$200 million in liquidity support to the company. - to quell liquidity concerns among investors and lenders which were raised after RBI’s directive.
Reserve Bank of India has sanctioned the Scheme of Amalgamation of Fincare Small Finance Bank Ltd. (Transferor Bank) with
AU Small Finance Bank Ltd. (Transferee Bank).
Date of amalgamation - April 1, 2024
While 49% of Fincare’s branches are based in south India, AU had merely 2%. The merged will have 2334 branches.
The Amalgamation of Finacare and AU Small Fin bank Scheme has been sanctioned in exercise of the powers contained in sub-section (4) of Section 44A of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
a scheme of amalgamation must be approved by the required majority of shareholders. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) sanctions the scheme, and an order under sub-section (4) is conclusive proof that all requirements of the section have been met.
Section 44A of the Banking Regulation Act of 1949 governs the process for amalgamating banking companies.
As per the agreement between the two, shareholders of Fincare Small Finance Bank will receive 579 equity shares
of AU Small Finance Bank for every 2,000 shares held.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the Bank Indonesia (BI) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
for establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies viz., the Indian Rupee (INR) and the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) for cross-border transactions.
to promote the use of INR and IDR bilaterally.
INR IDR framework would enable exporters and importers to invoice and pay in their respective domestic currencies,
which in turn would enable the development of an INR-IDR foreign exchange market
RBI governor Shaktikanta Das said the central bank has approved a platform that will facilitate online merchants to receive payments from any bank via internet banking, without signing up for every bank.
Bharat Bill Payment System, an arm of the National Payments Corporation of India, will implement a new system of interoperable netbanking payments.
easier for smaller businesses to do ecommerce, as even small payment aggregators can provide this service
lower payment charges for merchants.
India accounts for nearly 46% of the world’s digital transactions as per 2022 data.
Das said retail digital payments have grown from 162 crore transactions in FY13
to 14,726 crore in FY24 (until Feb) - a 90-fold increase in 12 years
All Authorised Persons who are Indian Agents under the Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) were required to submit a quarterly statement (within 15 days from the close of the quarter to which it relates) on the quantum of remittances received through MTSS using the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) platform.
With the launch of the Reserve Bank’s next generation data warehouse viz., the Centralised Information Management System (CIMS), it has been decided that the reporting of the aforesaid statement will be done on CIMS portal (URL: https://sankalan.rbi.org.in/) with effect from the quarter-ending March 2024
‘R130’ on Centralised Information Management System (CIMS) of RBI
All Authorised Persons who are Indian Agents under the Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) were required to submit a quarterly statement
Money Transfer Service Scheme (MTSS) is a way of transferring personal remittances from abroad to beneficiaries in India
Only inward personal remittances into India such as remittances towards family maintenance and remittances favouring foreign tourists visiting India are permissible.
Under the MTSS scheme there is a tie-up between reputed money transfer companies abroad known as Overseas Principals and
agents in India known as Indian Agents who would disburse funds to beneficiaries in India at ongoing exchange rates
A cap of USD 2,500 has been placed on individual remittances under the MTSS scheme
thirty remittances can be received by a single individual beneficiary under the scheme during a calendar year.
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) revised the framework for Bharat Bill Payment Systems (BBPS) Directions
enabling non-bank payment aggregators (PAs) to participate in the system as operating units.
These revised directions shall be called the Reserve Bank of India (Bharat Bill Payment System) Directions, 2024, and will be applicable from April 1 this year.
The banking regulator said entities that are authorised to operate as PAs, including those who have been granted inprinciple authorisation, can participate in BBPS as operating units.
Currently, 18 firms including names such as Razorpay, Cashfree, Amazon Pay, among others have received a final RBI nod to operate as payment aggregators
This is issued under Section 18 read with Section 10(2) of the Payment and Settlement Systems (PSS) Act, 2007.
Apart from non-bank PAs, banks including all scheduled commercial banks, regional rural banks, urban cooperative banks, state cooperative and district central cooperative banks, and other existing entities authorised as Bharat Bill Payment Operating Units (BBPOUs) can participate in BBPS as Operating Units
BBPOUs are the system participants in BBPS. A BBPOU may function either
as a Biller Operating Unit (BOU) or a Customer Operating Unit (COU) or both
Biller Operating Unit (BOU)
entity which onboards biller(s), either directly or through biller aggregator(s), on to the BBPS platform for collection of its bills.
due diligence
Customer Operating Unit (COU)
entity which provides its customers with an interface (physical / digital) to pay bills, either directly or through agent institution(s).
providing dispute resolution
taking responsibility of agent institutions
Agent Institution under BBPS directions 2024
An entity, certified by NBBL, which provides customer interface (physical / digital) for bill payments.
NPCI Bharat Bill Pay Limited (NBBL - a wholly owned subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India);
Payment System Provider for Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS).
Bharat Bill Pay Central Unit (BBPCU): BBPCU is the entity which operates BBPS; sets operational, technical and business standards, and also undertakes clearing and settlement functions.
BBPOU shall be deemed to be ‘designated payment system’ under Section 23A of the PSS Act, 2007 (as amended from time to time).
A non-bank BBPOU shall open an escrow account with a Scheduled Commercial Bank exclusively for BBPS transactions.
BBPS
net-worth of Rs 25 crore at the time of application for authorisation. The same amount was required to be maintained at all times
Reserve Bank of India has today, in exercise of its powers under section 45L(1)(b) of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, directed JM Financial Products Limited (JMFPL or ‘the company’)
to cease and desist, with immediate effect, from doing any form of financing against shares and debentures, including sanction and disbursal of loans against Initial Public Offering (IPO) of shares as well as against subscription to debentures.
continue to service its existing loan accounts
The central bank observed that it carried out a limited review of the books of the JM Financial Products ltd on the basis of the information shared by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI
serious deficiencies observed in respect of loans sanctioned by the company for IPO financing as well as NCD subscriptions
company repeatedly helped a group of its customers to bid for various IPO and NCD offerings by using loaned funds
Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) barred JM Financial, a registered merchant banker
from acting as a lead manager for any new public issue of debt securities.
For any existing mandates, can continue to act as a lead manager for public issue of debt securities for a period of 60 days from the date of order.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday tightened rules for credit and debit cards used for business accounts
business card-issuers to put in place an effective mechanism to monitor end use of funds.
RBI had ordered Visa to stop using an unauthorized route to make business-to-business card payments
which used fintech companies as an intermediary
The regulator said that card-issuers cannot share data of customers with outsourcing partners,
unless it is “essential to discharge the functions” of the outsourcing partners.
The RBI said if customers’ data needs to be shared,
explicit consent from the cardholder will need to be obtained.
It added the storage and ownership of card data
should remain with the card-issuer.
Failure on the part of the card-issuers to complete the process of closure within 7 working days
shall result in a penalty of ₹500 per calendar day of delay payable to the cardholder, till the closure of the account provided there is no outstanding in the account
In case a cardholder does not clear the total amount due within the payment due date, interest free credit period will be lost, and interest may be levied
from the date of transaction on the outstanding amount (adjusted for payments/refunds/reversed transactions as and when credited) and not on the total amount due
Before reporting default status of a credit cardholder to a Credit Information Company (CIC),
the card-issuers shall ensure that they adhere to the procedure, approved by their Board, and intimate the cardholder prior to reporting of the status
In the event the customer settles his/her dues after having been reported as defaulter,
the card-issuer shall update the status with CIC within 30 days from the date of settlement.
Prior approval shall not be required by the banks (all banks including Payments Banks, State Co-operative Banks and District Central Cooperative Banks) and NBFCs registered with the Reserve Bank (NBFCs – ICC, HFC, Factor, MFI, and IFC)
to become a co-branding partner of card-issuers.
If a complainant does not get satisfactory response from the card-issuer within a maximum period of 30 days from the date of lodging the complaint,
he/she will have the option to approach the Office of the RBI Ombudsman under Integrated Ombudsman Scheme for redressal of his/her grievance/s
UDGAM
Unclaimed Deposits-Gateway to Access inforMation – is an online portal developed by RBI.
Reserve Bank said 30 banks are facilitating people to search their unclaimed deposits/accounts through UDGAM portal
that facilitates the registered users to search unclaimed deposits/accounts across multiple banks in one place in a centralised manner.
The unclaimed deposits totalled
Rs 42,270 crore as of March 2023
Unclaimed Deposit Reference Number (UDRN)
unique number generated through Core Banking Solution (CBS) by banks and assigned to each Unclaimed account/ deposit transferred to Depositor Education and Awareness (DEA) Fund of RBI
The (DEA Fund) Scheme, formulated by the RBI launched on
May 24, 2014, i.e., the date of notification of the scheme in the Official Gazette of India.
