Krishik IAS -mysore

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Government Schemes

1. Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana: Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana is a National Mission on Financial Inclusion that provides an integrated approach to bring about a robust financial inclusion and ultimately provide banking services to all households in the country.

2. Make in India: PM Narendra Modi launched the ‘Make in India’ campaign that will facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhanced protection for intellectual property and build best in manufacturing infrastructure.

‘Make in India’ has identified 25 sectors in manufacturing, infrastructure and service activities and detailed information is being shared through interactive web-portal and professionally developed brochures.

3. Swachh Bharat Mission: Swachh Bharat Mission was launched in the entire country as a national movement. The campaign aims to achieve the vision of a ‘Clean India’ by 2nd October 2019. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is the most significant campaign with regards to sanitation by the Government of India.

4. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: The goal of this scheme is to make girls socially and financially self-reliant through education.

5. Atal Pension Yojna: Atal Pension Yojana is a pension scheme mainly aimed at providing a universal pension scheme for those who are a part of the unorganized sector such as maids, gardeners, delivery boys, etc. This scheme replaced the previous Swavalamban Yojana which wasn’t well-received by the people.

6. Digital India Mission: The Digital India programme is a flagship programme of the Government of India with a vision to transform India into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy.

7. Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan: It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, under which the subscriber would receive the following benefits:

(i) Minimum Assured Pension: Each subscriber under the PM-SYM, shall receive minimum assured pension of Rs 3000/- per month after attaining the age of 60 years.

(ii) Family Pension: During the receipt of a pension, if the subscriber dies, the spouse of the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50% of the pension received by the beneficiary as a family pension. Family pension is applicable only to a spouse.

(iii) If a beneficiary has given a regular contribution and died due to any cause (before age of 60 years), his/her spouse will be entitled to join and continue the scheme subsequently by payment of regular contribution or exit the scheme as per provisions of exit and withdrawal.

8. Gold Monetisation Scheme: Gold Monetisation Scheme was launched by Government of India in 2015, under this scheme one can deposit their gold in any form in a GMS account to earn interest as the price of the gold metal goes up.

9. PM CARES Fund -Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situation Fund: Is a public charitable trust initiated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This national trust is created with the objective to meet the distressed and dreadful situation like COVID-19 in times ahead. PM CARES was initiated on March 28, 2020, under the chairmanship of the Indian Prime Minister with Ministry of Home Affairs, Defence Minister and Finance Minister as the ex-officio Trustee.

10. Aarogya Setu: The Government of India took the initiative to fight the Coronavirus pandemic. It launched a mobile application to spread the awareness of COVID_19 among the citizens of India through an app called Aarogya Setu. The Aarogya Setu mobile app has been developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) that comes under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. For detailed information, visit the link of Aarogya Setu given above.

to be contd...

CURRENT AFFAIRS 16-02-2021

INDIA
Indian Navy gets third Scorpene submarine, to be commissioned as INS Karanj
The Indian Navy got its third Scorpene submarine, which commissioned as INS Karanj, of Project P-75 on February 15, 2021 in Mumbai. INS Karanj is the third Scorpene submarine constructed by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited after Khanderi and Kalvari.

UP launches Abhyudaya scheme to provide free coaching for competitive exams
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on February 15, 2021 launched the Abhyudaya scheme to provide free coaching for competitive exams like NEET and IIT-JEE to students at the district level. He through video conference also interacted with some of the 50,192 students selected under the scheme.

‘Maa’ scheme to provide meal at Rs 5 to poor people in West Bengal launched
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on February 15, 2021 launched the ‘Maa’ scheme under which her government would provide a meal at a nominal cost of Rs 5 to poor people. They will get a platter of rice, dal, a vegetable and egg curry for Rs 5. The state government will bear a subsidy of Rs 15 per plate.

Economy & Corporate
RBI forms expert panel to explore consolidation of urban cooperative banks
The Reserve Bank of India has set up an expert committee on urban co-operative banks (UCBs) to provide a road map for strengthening the sector and also evaluate the prospects for consolidating the sector. The committee will be headed by former deputy governor of RBI, N. S. Vishwanathan and has been asked to submit its report within three months.

WPI inflation at 2.03% on costlier manufactured items, food prices ease
The wholesale price-based inflation rose to 2.03 per cent in January 2021, even as food prices cooled. The WPI inflation was 1.22 per cent in December 2020 and 3.52 per cent in January 2020.

India liberalises restrictions on geospatial data for map-making
Announcing a sweeping change in India’s mapping policy, the Centre on February 15, 2021 liberalised regulations on geospatial data, making it freely available in the country for innovation and IT companies. Under the new guidelines, the sector will be deregulated and aspects like approvals have been done away with.

Final production batch of LRSAM Missiles flagged off at DRDL, Hyderabad
The final production batch of Long-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (LRSAM) was flagged off at DRDL, A P J Abdul Kalam Missile Complex in Hyderabad on February 14, 2021. It has been designed and developed by DRDO M/s Israel Aerospace Industries to equip the latest ships of the Indian Navy. The LRSAM Missile system can provide point and area defence against various aerial targets including fighter aircrafts and missiles.

ADB to give Rs 100 cr loan to hospital chain Medanta to combat Covid-19
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on February 15, 2021 said it will provide Rs 100 crore loan to hospital chain Medanta for healthcare services and medical equipment to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

World
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appointed as new head of WTO
Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was on February 15, 2021 appointed as the new Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) by representatives of the 164 member countries. She is the first African official and the first woman to hold the job. Her predecessor, Roberto Azevedo, stepped down August 31, 2021, a year before his term expired.

US: Joe Biden reverses Trump’s designation of Yemen’s Houthis as terrorists
Joe Biden’s US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on February 12, 2021, recognizing the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, announced the reversal of former President Trump’s designation of Ansarallah (the Houthis Movement) as a foreign terrorist organisation and specially designated global terrorist group. The decision comes into effect on 16 February.

China overtakes US as EU’s biggest trading partner in 2020
In 2020, China overtook the United States as the EU’s biggest trading partner, the EU statistics agency Eurostat said on February 15, 2021. Eurostat said the trade volume with China reached 586 billion euros ($711 billion) in 2020, compared to 555 billion euros ($673 billion) for the US. EU exports rose by 2.2% to 202.5 billion euros while at the same time, imports from the People’s Republic of China increased by 5.6% to 383.5 billion euros.

Sports
R. Ashwin becomes 1st bowler to dismiss left-handers 200 times in Tests
Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin on February 14, 2021 became the first player in the 143-year history of Test cricket to take 200 wickets against left-handed batsmen. He achieved the feat during the second day of India’s second Test against England here at the MA Chidambaram Stadiumcurrent

Current Affairs – January 28, 2021

Home Ministry extends COVID-19 guidelines till February 28
The Ministry of Home Affairs issued an order on January 27, 2021 extending the COVID-19 “guidelines for surveillance, containment and caution” till February 28. The guidelines permit opening of cinema halls and theatres at a higher capacity as opposed to 50% seating strength allowed till now. Swimming pools have also been permitted to open for all.

Statue Govind Ballabh Pant unveiled at its new location in Delhi
A statue of freedom fighter Govind Ballabh Pant that was removed from the Parliament premises recently was unveiled at its new location, a roundabout opposite Gurdwara Rakab Ganj on Pandit Pant Marg in New Delhi on January 27, 2021. Pant served as Union Home Minister from 1955 to 1961.

Economy & Corporate
International Customs Day observed on Jan 27
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) observed the International Customs Day on January 27, 2021. The theme for this year as given by World Customs Organisation (WCO) is “Customs bolstering Recovery, Renewal and Resilience for a sustainable supply chain”.

Textiles Ministry signs MoU with Nissenken Quality Evaluation Centre, Japan
The Textiles Committee of the Ministry of Textiles has signed a Memorandum of Understanding- MoU with Nissenken Quality Evaluation Centre, Japan to boost export of Textile and Apparel to Japanese market. The main objective of the MoU is to provide required support to textile’s trade and industry for ensuring quality as per the requirement of Japanese buyers.

India’s new farm laws have potential to raise farm income: IMF
India’s recently-enacted agri laws have the potential to increase farmers’ income, but there is a need to provide a social safety net to the vulnerable cultivators, IMF’s Chief Economist Gita Gopinath has said.

World
India inks MoU with IEA for global energy security, sustainability
India on January 27, 2021 inked a strategic partnership agreement with the International Energy Agency (IEA) to strengthen cooperation in global energy security, stability and sustainability. This partnership will lead to an extensive exchange of knowledge and would be a stepping stone towards India becoming a full member of IEA. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by Power Secretary Sanjiv Nandan Sahai and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

India pledges $150,000 for UN peacebuilding as a token of engagement
S. Tirumurti, permanent representative of India to the United Nations, on January 26, 2021 announced a pledge of USD 150,000 to activities of the UN fund this year.
International Holocaust Remembrance Day observed on Jan 27
International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust (International Holocaust Remembrance Day) was observed on January 27, 2021. The day commemorates the tragedy of the Holocaust during the Second World War. On January 27, 1945, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest N**i concentration and death camp, was liberated by Soviet Union’s Red Army.

Russia’s lower house approves extension of arms control treaty with US
Russia’s lower house of parliament, State Duma, on January 27, 2021 approved an extension of the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with the United States for five years. The treaty limits the numbers of strategic nuclear warheads, missiles and bombers that Russia and the United States can deploy. The Kremlin said that the two countries had reached a deal to extend the pact which was signed in 2010 and is set to expire by the end of January 2021.

Indonesia: 2,968-m Mount Merapi volcano erupts
Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, erupted on January 27, 2021 with a river of lava and searing gas clouds flowing down its slopes. The 2,968-meter volcano is on the densely populated island of Java and near the ancient city of Yogyakarta. Merapi’s last major eruption in 2010 killed 347 people.

Italy: PM Giuseppe Conte resigns
Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte resigned on January 26, 2021. He tendered his resignation to President Sergio Mattarella who invited him to stay on in a caretaker capacity. The coalition government has been fatally weakened by the withdrawal of Italia Viva party.

Antony Blinken sworn in U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken was sworn in U.S. Secretary of State on January 26, 2021 after his 78 to 22 confirmation at the Senate.