1st Aug to 7th Aug, 2016GS-1 Treasures/ Artefacts Found by ASI During Excavation (Topic: Indian culture will cover the salient aspects of Art Forms, Literature and Architecture from ancient to modern times.) What: The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has discovered artefacts and found evidence of valuable treasures of rulers of different time periods of India. 1. Binjore, District, Shri Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan, 2015-16 Two cultural assemblage found i.e. Early-Harappan and Mature-Harappan Represented by various antiquities such as fish-hook, arrowheads, knife, Celt, bangles, terracotta bangles, faience bangles, shell bangles, beads of carnelian, agate, faience, gold foil and ring, terracotta toy cart frame, cake mustika & bull figurine Harappan seal made of steatite depicting figure of unicorn with five letters on Harappan script. The early Harappan level has revealed pottery similar to the Kot-diji, which includes vase, basin, jar and goblet. Lots of storage pots have been found placed over stand to store the food grains. The structures of Early-Harappan period were made of mud bricks In the Early-Harappan phase Hakara ware (incised and mud appliqué design) has also been found. 2. Rukministhan, District, Nalanda, Bihar, 2015-16 The mound revealed several structures like votive stupas, brick walls, steps to the north of the temple containing colossal image of Buddha and rammed floors etc. These structures as per their nature and associated antiquities and potteries are ranging from Gupta to Pala period. The important antiquities like terracotta sealing, inscribed tablets, fragments of sculptures of Ganesh and Avalokiteshvara, beads, sling balls, etc. were found during excavation. The pottery revealed from excavation consists of red ware and red slipped ware. 3. Suabarei, District Puri (Odisha) V, Bhubaneswar, 2015-16 It was an important Neo-Chalcolithic site in between the Daya River and the Gangua rivulet. They were subsisted by hunting, gathering, fishing and farming as evident from the charred animal bones, fish bones, fish hook and charred grains. Circular huts with post holes, series of hearths, floor levels, burning activities with ash & charcoal and flood deposits have also been encountered Although the excavation has not yielded the any evidence of human burial, however, evidence of animal burial represented by animal bones along with miniature pots probably with favourite grave goods have been found which indicate the burial practice for their favourite animal. Presence of carnivorous canine teeth also indicates the hunting of wild animals etc. 4. Vadnagar, District, Mehsana, Gujarat, 2015-16 A multidisciplinary approach involving archaeology (geo and landscape archaeology), geo-informatics and sedimentology. The earliest deposit of the sites goes back to 1st- 2nd Century BCE at Baba –no Tekdo locality as more than 300 coins of various metals and alloys such as copper, lead, potin, billon etc. of different periods At Kirti Torana revealed remains of the 9th-10th Century CE so far. A few burnt brick structures like remains of houses, walls, floors, drains and a unique furnace was found 5. Keeladi, District, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 2015-16 Revealed early historic remains (c. 3rd BCE – 3rd CE) in the form of brick structures Evinced interesting finds like Rouletted and Arretine pot sherds suggesting trade contacts maintained by this settlement with western world. At a later date these varieties were imitated and manufactured locally at the site. Inscribed pot sherds having names of individuals written in Tamil – Brahmi script over them. 6. Vangchhia, District Champai, Mizoram- 2015-16 Discovered one of the Biggest Necropolis (Burials/related structures) in India. GS-2 Issue of fisheries subsidies in WTO (Topic: Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate) What: India alongwith other WTO members such as South Africa and other African, Caribbean and Pacific group of countries have been seeking effective Special and Differential (S&D) treatment for developing countries and LDCs Why: For developmental needs, poverty reduction, livelihood and food security concerns. Fisheries subsidy India and some of the WTO member countries had earlier submitted papers before the Negotiating Group detailing the need and importance of S&D provisions particularly for the small, marginal and artisanal fisheries in the developing countries and LDCs. Capacity building assistance would be a part of the S&D provisions. Negotiations on fishery subsidies discipline, which was on hold since 2011, restarted just prior to Nairobi Ministerial Meeting held in December, 2015. Since then, members have been showing interest for recommencing negotiations on fishery subsidy discipline. In these negotiations, India and some of the WTO member countries have reiterated the need for S&D provisions, as an integral part of fishery subsidy discipline. Indian Leather Development Programme (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.) What: ILDP, a central sector scheme, is under implementation with an approved outlay of Rs. 990.36 crore during 12th Plan period Six sub schemes 1. Integrated Development of Leather Sector (IDLS) Assistance is provided for technology up-gradation/modernization of leather units Investment grant @30% to small & micro units and @20% to other units through nationalized banks with maximum assistance of Rs.2 crore for each product line. 2. Human Resource Development (HRD) Assistance is provided for placement linked skill development training to unemployed persons @ Rs. 15,000 per person Assistance is provided for skill up-gradation training to employed workers @ Rs. 5,000 per employee. Placement of 75% of trained persons is mandatory for availing assistance related to skill development training component. 3. Mega Leather Cluster scheme Providing infrastructure support to the Leather Industry by establishment of Mega Leather Cluster. Minimum land area required for Mega Leather Cluster is 25 acres to be set up without tanneries and 40 acres with tanneries Assistance upto 50% of the project cost is provided by the Government of India, limited to Rs. 125 crores 4. Support to Artisan scheme For formation of Self-help groups (SHGs), product development, capacity building, providing centralized common facilities centers and marketing linkages. 5. Leather Technology, Innovation & Environmental Issues Assistance is provided for up-gradation/installation of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) @ 50% of the project cost. Pilot Projects under Technology Benchmarking for leather units, organizing Environment Related Workshops and Pilot projects for Solid Waste Management are also eligible for assistance 6. Establishment of Institutional Facilities Establishment of two new branches of Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI), with assistance of Rs. 100 crore for each branch, in the States of Punjab and Gujrat. Measures Taken by the Government for Upliftment of Women in Agriculture Sector (Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.) What: As per Census 2011, Sixty five percent (65%) of the total female workers in India are engaged in agriculture. Of the total cultivators (118.7 million), 30.3% are female. Out of 144.3 million agricultural labourers 42.6 % are Women. In 2001, female agricultural labourers were 21% which increased to 23% in 2011 About: The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare implements various programmes of farmers including women in agriculture sector. Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) Implemented by Ministry of Rural Development To empower women in agriculture by making systematic investments to enhance their participation and productivity, as also create and sustain agriculture based livelihoods of rural women. Under the Pariyojana, projects are conceived in such a manner that the skill base of the women in agriculture is enhanced to enable them to pursue their livelihoods on a sustainable basis. Measures taken by the Government for upliftment of women in the agriculture are: 1. Support to States Extension Programme for Extension Reforms Ensuring utilization of minimum 30% of resources on programmes and activities for women farmers and women extension functionaries. To encourage women farmers’ participation in planning and decision making process, their representation in farmers’ advisory committee at block, district and state level has been provided under the scheme 2. Sub Mission on Seed and Planting Material (SMSP) Training is provided under the components of the Scheme Seed Village Programme and Quality Control Arrangement of Seeds in which women farmers are equally benefitted. 3. National Food Security Mission (NFSM) 30% of allocation of fund is being earmarked for women farmer. An intervention under NFSM providing cropping system based training to farmers including SC, ST and women farmers to create awareness on improved technology for increasing production and productivity of crops. 4. National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) 30% of budgetary allocation is being earmarked for women beneficiaries/farmers. Concerned implementing agencies will be responsible for monitoring implementation of these components i.e. allocation of resources for SC/ST/Women beneficiaries and maintenance of database for the same. 5. Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM) 31 drudgery reducing technologies for women in agriculture developed by ICAR are promoted through training, demonstration and financial assistance. Women beneficiaries are also provided 10% additional financial assistance for purchase of various agricultural machines and equipment. 6. National Horticulture Mission Women are organized into Self Help Groups and farm inputs and technological & extension supports are provided to make women self-reliant. 7. (ICAR) has established a network of 645 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) Aiming at assessment and demonstration of technologies/products and its dissemination through number of extension programmes including training of farmers to update their knowledge and skill. During 2015-16, as many as 205 women specific income generation technologies related to technological empowerment of rural women were assessed 8. ICAR- Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA) Forefront undertaking research on issues affecting women in agriculture. Focused on participatory action research in different technology based theme areas involving rural women To catalyse and facilitate R & D institutions to bring in farm women perspectives in their programmes. Working to catalyse and facilitate R & D institutions to bring in farm women perspectives in their programmes. 35 crore. Government has been regularly issuing advisories and holding meetings. “Giftmilk” imitative in 3 schools -2 in Delhi & 1 in Telangana “Giftmilk” is presently supported by NDDB’s subsidiaries who have contributed fro their CSR commitment.09. the coverage under TPDS has been delinked from poverty estimates and the eligible households covered under the Act comprises of Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority households. The supply of milk / milk product would be facilitated through dairy cooperatives only. NDDB is implementing National Dairy Plan phase-1(NDP-1).2013. conferences.) What: Government has approved a proposal for setting up an Institution for promotion of nutrition through milk/milk products (especially for children) utilizing Corporate Social Responsibility funds of NDDB’s subsidiaries and other voluntary donation. which has come into force with effect from 05. NDDB To promote. etc. ensuring timely availability of foodgrains at Fair Price . State/UT Governments are requested for review of list of beneficiaries. Giftmilk NDDB registered a trust/ society known as ‘NDDB Foundation for Nutrition’(NFN) to implement this initiative known as “Giftmilk” to improve child nutrition thought consumption of milk & milk products by providing milk free of cost.) What: Government of India has enacted the National Food Security Act. Strengthening Public Distribution System (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.07. As per the above coverage and based on 2011 census population. plan and organize programmers for the purpose of development of dairy and other agriculture based and allied industries and biological on an intensive and nationwide basis and to render assistance in the implementation of such programs. mechanisms. Government of India to increase milk production in the country. improving the offtake of allocated foodgrains.Drudgery faced by farm women in various agricultural operations including household are being addressed with quantifiable data on the required parameters and designing/ refining women friendly farm tools & equipment. laws. institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections. 2013 (NFSA) on 10. “Giftmilk” Scheme to Improve Child Nutrition (Topic: Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes. TPDS Strengthening and streamlining of Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) is a continuous endeavour. a central sector scheme of Ministry of Agriculture. Under NFSA.2013 for receiving subsidized foodgrains under TPDS upto 75% of the rural population and upto 50 % of the urban population of the country. the number of persons eligible for subsidized foodgrains under TPDS in the country is estimated at about 81. To improve functioning of TPDS and effective implementation of it. Improving delivery of services to the stakeholders using e-Governance Include enabling online learning licenses. Most of the States have expressed reservations In the present Motor Vehicle Act.5 lakh people lose their lives Government is committed to reduce the accidents and fatalities by 50% in five years To address the issue of road safety. As part of beneficiary data digitization. . citizens’ facilitation while dealing with the Transport Department. 2013 also contains measures for reforms in TPDS. Reforms include cash transfer. 10 lakh in road accidents fatalities. last mile connectivity and public transport. public transport. automation and computerization and enabling online services. increasing validity period for driving licenses. Government has initiated a plan scheme on ‘End-to-end Computerization of TPDS Operations during 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) on cost sharing basis with the States/UTs. door-step delivery of foodgrains at the FPS. registration at the end of the dealer is being enabled and restrictions have been imposed on temporary registration.) What: Cabinet approved Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 which is a historical Step towards making roads safe and save lakhs of innocent lives Amendment aims to improve Every year 5 lakh road accidents are reported in the country in which 1.Shops (FPSs). 25000 to Rs. Bill proposes offences committed by Juveniles. Provision for payment of compensation upto Rs. improved monitoring and vigilance at various levels. greater transparency in functioning of TPDS. etc. 2 lakhs. doing away with the requirements of educational qualifications for transport licenses are some of the features Bill propose to improve the transport scenario in the country by permitting the States to grant exemptions in Stage carriage and contract carriage permits for promoting rural transport. etc. there are 223 Sections out of which the Bill aims to amend 68 sections whereas Chapters 10 has been deleted and a Chapter 11 is being replaced with new provisions to simplify third party insurance claims and settlement process. improving the viability of FPS operations. Registration of Motor Vehicle to be cancelled To improve the registration process for new vehicles. to be under taken progressively by the Central and State/UT Governments. States/UTs have been requested to seed the Aadhaar numbers wherever available so as to weed out the ineligible/bogus/duplicate beneficiaries. a draft Road Transport & Safety Bill was prepared soon after NDA Government came to power. The important provisions include increase in compensation for Hit & Run cases from Rs. Strengthening rural transport. last mile connectivity and for passenger convenience and road safety. Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016 (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. The amendments mainly focus on issues relating to improving road safety. (NFSA). The Guardian / owner shall be deemed to be guilty in cases of offences by the Juveniles and Juvenile to be tried under JJ Act. application of information and communication technology tools including end to end computerization preference to public institutions/bodies in licensing of FPS. including replenishment of input or duty remission. The policy which was originally conceived as an economic initiative. This would reduce corruption in the Transport Department while improving the road worthiness of the vehicle To bring harmony of the registration and licensing process. Stricter provisions are being proposed in respect of offences like juvenile driving. strategic and cultural dimensions. Good Samaritan guidelines have been incorporated in the Bill. power.) 1. To facilitate transport solutions for Divyang. Duty Free Import Authorisation (DFIA) and Duty Drawback (DBK) Scheme enable duty free import of inputs for export production. airports and telecom connectivity. Duty Exemption/Remission Schemes Advance Authorisation (AA). inland water transport. Interest Subvention Scheme to Boost Exports (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. Interest Equalisation Scheme on Pre & Post Shipment Rupee Export Credit Scheme is available to manufacturers for all exports under 416 specified tariff lines [at ITC (HS) Codes at 4 digit level] and to exports made by manufacturers in Micro. The Bill also proposes to mandate the automated fitness testing for the transport vehicles with effect from 1st October 2018. Schemes to promote exports of Gem & Jewellery . drunken driving. it is proposed to create National Register for Driving Licence and National Register for Vehicle registration through “Vahan” & “Sarathi” platforms. On the domestic front. the bottlenecks have been removed in respect of grant of driving licenses as well as alterations in the vehicles to make it fit for use of Divyang. dangerous driving. Rate of interest equalisation is 3% per annum 3. Act East Policy (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation. This will facilitate uniformity of the process across the country. driving without licence. To help the road accident victims. has gained political. bill proposes to increase penalties to act as deterrent against traffic violations. the Government has taken measures for time bound completion of critical infrastructure projects in the North Eastern Region (NER) relating to road. Small and Medium Enterprises across all ITC (HS) Codes. overloading etc.In the area of road safety. over-speeding.) What: The Act East Policy (AEP) focuses on the extended neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region AEP provides an interface between India and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) It was introduced in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2015-20 Aims to incentivize export of merchandise which is produced/ manufactured in India 2. rail. Stricter provisions for helmets have been introduced along with provisions for electronic detection of violations. A minimum compensation of Rs 3.200. in Medak District of Telangana. human trafficking etc. Compensation to victims of acid attacks (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) What: A new Section 357A has been inserted in the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 vide the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act. 2008 To: provide for compensation to victims of crime. Exporters etc. crime against children.4. Scheme provides assistance to Export Promotion Organizations/Trade Promotion Organizations/National Level Institutions/ Research Institutions /Universities /Laboratories. Details: In July 2016. Launch of Mission Bhagirath (Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) What: PM launched Mission Bhagiratha at Komatibanda Village. Market Access Initiative (MAI) Scheme Envisaged to act as a catalyst to promote India’s exports on a sustained basis. Market Development Assistance (MDA) Scheme Under operation through the Department of Commerce To assist exporters for export promotion activities abroad Assist Export Promotion Councils(EPCs) to undertake export promotion activities for their product(s) and commodities To assist approved organizations/ trade bodies in undertaking exclusive non-recurring innovative activities connected with export promotion efforts for their members. 5. Gajwel. Provide financial support to victims of various crimes like sexual offences including rape.00 Crore under the Nirbhaya Fund To support and supplement the existing Victim Compensation Schemes notified by States / UT Administrations To reduce disparity in quantum of compensation amount notified by different States/ UTs for victims of similar crimes To encourage States/UTs to effectively implement the Victim Compensation Schemes (VCS) notified by them under the provisions of section 357A of CrPC. Implementation: a Victim Compensation Scheme (VCS) is required to be framed by the State Governments/ Union Territories in coordination with the Central Government.00 lakh has been allocated for the victim of acid attack under this scheme. For enhancement of exports through accessing new markets or through increasing the share in the existing markets. acid attacks. Objective: to provide safe drinking water to all The Mission includes important development projects: 1600 MW Thermal Power station of NTPC at Ramagundam . the Central Government has launched the Central Victim Compensation Fund (CVCF) Scheme for women with one time grant of Rs. Introduction of cleaner / alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG. air pollution. Notification of National Ambient Air Quality Standards. How: These Rules emphasizes waste minimization. 1986 and under Section 18(1)(b) of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. Taxing polluting vehicles and incentivizing hybrid and electric vehicles. community participation. biomass. 3. resource recovery for recycling and reuse. setting up of Sewage Treatment Plants etc. . buses. 2. Setting up of monitoring network for assessment of ambient air quality. Promotion of cleaner production processes. Warangal Manoharabad-Kothapalli Railway line GS-3 Getting Rid of Filth and Pollution from Wastes (Topic: Conservation. source segregation. 4.). Preparation of action plan for sewage management and restoration of water quality in aquatic resources by State Governments. improper waste disposal etc. waste to energy. enhanced scope for waste reuse / recycle in different application like usage in road. 12. municipal solid waste. hazardous waste and electronic waste. 2015. plastic waste. vehicle maintenance. 18. 6. 5. and notification of construction and demolition waste management Rules during March–April.revival of a Fertilizer Plant at Ramagundam Kaloji Narayana Rao University of Health Sciences. 10. 7. Formulation of environmental regulations / statutes. 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. biomedical waste. 9. involvement of waste pickers and self-help group. Revision of existing environmental standards and formulation of new standards for prevention and control of pollution from industries. promotion of waste minimization strategies. 14. 15. environmental impact assessment) What: Comprehensive revision of Waste Management Rules for solid waste. extended producer responsibility. environmental pollution and degradation. setting up of Treatment and Disposal Facilities for hazardous and biomedical waste. Ban on burning of leaves. lane discipline. 1. 11. 16. 2020. Issuance of directions under Section 5 of Environment (Protection) Act. Installation of on-line continuous (24×7) monitoring devices by major industries. Capacity Building for Industrial Pollution Management. LPG etc. 8. electric/improved wood crematoria and river front development. Decision taken to leapfrog directly from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards by 1st April. Launching of National Air Quality index by the Prime Minister in April. 1981. Pollution Under Control. 13. 17. Steps to address issues related to water pollution. e-rickshaws and promotion of carpooling. 2016. ethanol blend etc. Implementation of Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV) norms in 63 selected cities and universalization of BS-IV by 2017. Regular co-ordination meetings at official and ministerial level with Delhi and other State Governments within the NCR. Promotion of public transport network of metro. Implementation of schemes for setting up of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP). Implementation of National River Conservation Plan for abatement of pollution in identified stretches of various rivers and undertaking conservation activities including education and awareness creation.. industrial pollution. waste to oil etc. (viii) launching of 20 satellites in a single launch mission Now what? ISRO has taken up the development of critical technologies as part of pre-project activities for the Manned Space Programme. 2014 and the re-entry characteristics and the recovery of the Crew Module were successfully demonstrated.19. Major activities identified under Pre-Project are Crew Module (CM) systems. Insertion of India’s Mars Orbiter around the planet Mars 2. deployment of an indigenously built S-Band Unfurlable Antenna (6 meter) in space for satellite based mobile communications 7. realisation of indigenous Cryogenic engine and building indigenous capability of launching 2 Ton class satellites 3. bundling of renewable power with power from plants in case of fully depreciated power plants whose Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) have expired Exemption of renewable energy from inter-state transmission charges. Environmental Control & Life Support System (ECLSS). environmental impact assessment) It will achieve about 40 percent cumulative electric power installed capacity from nonfossil fuel based energy resources by 2030 With the help of transfer of technology Low cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF) India has set renewable power deployment target of 175 GW by the year 2022. Re-categorisation of industries based on the pollution potential. which includes 100 GW from solar and 60 GW from wind energy. As of now. India’s INDC Targets (Topic: Conservation. The Crew module was flight tested in the experimental mission of GSLV MkIII on December 18. ISRO is developing critical technologies relevant for human spaceflight for building future capacity. Renewable Generation Obligation on new coal/lignite based thermal plants. Manned Space Programme (Topic: Achievements of Indians in science & technology. indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Manned Space Programme is not an approved programme. No cooperation or assistance has been sought from any other country during the last two years in this regard. placement of an observatory in space “ASTROSAT” enabling simultaneous multiwavelength (from Ultraviolet to X-Ray) observations of stars and galaxies 6. technology demonstration of reusable launch vehicle. The revised Tariff Policy has several provisions aimed at accelerating deployment of renewable energy in the country 8% solar Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) by the year 2022. Currently. Flight Suit and Crew Escape System (CES). environmental pollution and degradation. realisation of space based services for en-route navigation & safety-of-life applications in aviation sector 4. .) The major advancements in India’s space programme during the last two years include 1. completion of Indigenous satellite navigational system–NavIC 5. The National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF) has not been set up. Administration and Management: To modernize and strengthen service-oriented IPR administration.2016. 7. has been done. and cannot be said to lack specifics.06. 3. Generation of IPRs- To stimulate the generation of IPRs. National Disaster Mitigation Fund (Topic: Disaster and disaster management) About: The Government of India has released the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) on 01. institutions and capacities for teaching. IPR Awareness: Outreach and Promotion. 6. Certain points like transfer of Copyright and Semiconductor Integrated Circuits LayoutDesign to Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion have been acted upon and the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules accordingly changed. Human Capital Development: To strengthen and expand human resources. the Government feels that at present there are sufficient schemes to take care of mitigation measures in different projects and the need for creation of separate NDMF has not been felt. Enforcement and Adjudication: To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for combating IPR infringements. Augmentation of manpower. Objective for creation of NBMF is for the projects exclusively for the purpose of mitigation which is being served by the existing Centrally Sponsored Schemes / Central Sector (CS) Schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana Krishonnati Yojana National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture MGNREGA Major Irrigation projects Namami Gange-National Ganga plan River Basin Management National River Conservation Plan and Water Resource Management Keeping in view the above. The policy lays down the following seven objectives: 1. training. social and cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society. . including recruitment of 458 Patent Examiners. New IPR Policy (Topic: issues relating to intellectual property rights) What: The Government has approved the National IPR Policy on 12th May 2016.Generation of IPRs: To create public awareness about the economic. 5. 4. research and skill building in IPRs IPR policy: Lays the roadmap for future development in the field of IPRs Comprehensive and holistic. Commercialization of IPR: Get value for IPRs through commercialization. Legal and Legislative Framework: To have strong and effective IPR laws. Lists specific action points to be implemented towards fulfilment of the aforementioned objectives. which balance the interests of rights owners with larger public interest. 2. Upto 31. which provides assistance for setting up of coir units with a maximum cost of project upto Rs. 55% as loan from Banks and 5% as beneficiary contribution. Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) and Coir Board is implementing schemes to promote cottage and agro-based rural industries: 1. 3. 2.07. Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) Launched in 2005-06 for making Traditional Industries more productive and competitive by organizing the Traditional Industries and artisans into clusters. . Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) A credit linked subsidy scheme. companies. Up to 2016-17 (upto 30. NGOs. mobilization of resources.6.10 lakh in the service sector. 4./ M. Scheme is open to all individuals. 13 lakh jobs have been created from these units.80 lakh micro enterprises have been set up by utilizing margin money amounting to rs. growth. Training is provided in spinning of coir yarn/various coir processing activities. Status of Cottage and Agro-Based Rural Industries (Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning. 45 clusters have been granted final approval with a total project cost of Rs.13 crore. which shall not exceed 25% of the project cost. Subsidy. teaching program.12 crore benefiting around 37356 artisans. Developments in Bio-Technology Sector (Topic: Awareness in the field of bio-technology) What: India’s research performance in Pharmacology and Biotechnology indicates that India’s scholarly output based on publication data is nearly 5 % of the world’s total in 2014 and showing strong average growth of over 12 % annually. etc. Mahila Coir Yojana An exclusive skill development programme for rural women artisans in coir sector. 3.Financial management of disasters is undertaken as per the mechanisms available in DM Act. The Department of Bio-Technology (DBT) is implementing an integrated human resource development programme. Fellowships for doctoral and post-doctoral research in biotechnology Biotechnology Industrial Training program for post graduate students for skill upgradation Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowships also provided to 50 scientists each year.86. development and employment) What: Ministry of Micro. SHGs. The pattern of assistance is 40% as Govt. Coir Udyami Yojana Formerly known as REMOT Scheme A credit linked subsidy scheme. 2005 and there is no fund namely Disaster Management Fund.10 lakhs plus working capital. It comprises of Sc.2016).2016.25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and rs. for setting up of new micro-enterprises and to generate employment opportunities in rural as well as urban areas The maximum cost of projects is rs. Institutes. Tech.7735. Import. The EEAPP has been launched by EESL to replace the old and inefficient pump sets of farmers free of cost. Solarisation of Ports (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy. 1. It is proposed to set up an independent regulator for bio-technology including Genetically Modified (GM) crops for which the Biotechnology Regulatory Authority Bill (BRAI) Bill. if taken on EMI The EMI is adjusted against electricity bills of consumers. EESL would also provide smart control panels to enhance the ease of operation of pumps by the farmers.150 per unit on upfront payment.200. startups. . BRAI Bill 2013 has now been revised taking into consideration recent developments in genetic engineering technologies for reintroduction through appropriate legislative process. Since its inception. Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro-organisms/ Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells (Rules. BIRAC has provided funding to entrepreneurs. Ports) What: The Government proposes to implement utility-scale Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant projects at various major ports across the country. 1989) of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA). has designed innovative programmes Called: Energy Efficient Fans Programme (EEFP) and Energy Efficient Agriculture Pumps Programme (EEAPP) For: enhancing energy efficiency in domestic and agriculture sectors. The proposed Office of Biotechnology Regulation will have an Inter-Ministerial Board represented by senior officials of concerned ministries for overall supervision along with strengthened risk assessment and management system through a functional unit of multidisciplinary scientists NEEFP and NEEAPP Schemes – A Novel Step Towards Achieving Energy Efficiency (Topic: Science and Technology. The energy efficient pumps. which are 4 or 5 star rated. 50 watt fans are provided by EESL at Rs.developments and their applications and effects in everyday life) What: the Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL). ensure a minimum of 30% reduction in energy consumption. 677 crores which has helped innovation research to bring high quality and affordable products towards commercialization. Use. The reduction of energy consumption in agriculture would result in reduction in subsidy that the State Government provides to distribution companies. 1. Details: Under this programme. As an interim measure to implement the best practices contained in the BRAI Bill. 1986. establish a separate office dealing with biosafety issues it is proposed to get Genetically Engineered products within the existing regulatory framework under the Rules for the Manufacture. 2013 was introduced in 15th Lok Sabha and was lapsed with the tenure of the same. a joint venture company of four Power Sector PSUs. or at total of Rs.The Department established Biotechnology Industry Research Assessments Council (BIRAC) as a Section 8 (not for profit) Public Sector Enterprise in 2012 with a mandate to build the biotechnology innovation ecosystem in the country. SMEs and translational organizations to the tune of Rs. River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has circulated a Model Bill to all the States/UTs to enable them to enact suitable ground water legislation for its regulation and development which includes provision of rain water harvesting. Punjab. in priority areas.7±4. priority has been given for construction of farm ponds in the year 2016-17 to harvest rain water. Result: ground water is depleting in the aforementioned four States at a mean rate of 4. interalia. One of the major activity under the ‘Watershed Development Component’. which envisages construction of different types of Artificial Recharge and Rainwater Harvesting structures in the Country. based on field data and bring out smaller scale variations in the ground water storage pattern over a vast region. Launched ‘Jal kranti Abhiyan’ (2015-16 to 2017-18) in order to consolidate water conservation and management in the Country through a holistic and integrated approach . CGWB estimations are. 2002 to October. Haryana and Delhi. In addition. The Ministry of Water Resources. Depletion of Ground Water (Topic: Conservation.Funding: The funds for establishment of solar power projects are arranged by the major ports from their own resources and no funds have been released from the Ministry. Area of study: about 4. Part of the Green Port Initiative launched by this Ministry. Steps by government to improve groundwater level “Master Plan for Artificial Recharge to Ground Water in India” has been prepared.0 cm/year equivalent height of water (17. includes rainwater harvesting CGWB has undertaken the Demonstrative Rain Water Harvesting and Artificial Recharge Projects during XI Plan under the Scheme of “Ground Water Management & Regulation”. Meeting with Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) as mandated by State Governments. 3.0±1. Contributing to reduction in carbon emissions and consequently improving environment. however. 2008. 2. Department of Land Resources. environmental pollution and degradation. 4.4 lakh sq. as a single unit without actual field mapping of ground water levels. Government _of India is implementing ‘Watershed Development Component’ of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchaai Yojana (PMKSY) since 2015-16. Special focus is given through Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) for water conservation and water harvesting structures to augment ground water. Reduce cost of power purchased from grid by utilization of solar power for power generation.5 cubic km/year) Analysis of Central Ground Water Board (CGWB): GRACE mission’s ground water storage studies are satellite based estimates and coarse resolution of GRACE data limits its applicability to study ground water dynamics. environmental impact assessment) What: The scientists of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and University of California. United States of America had made an attempt to estimate ground water depletion in north-western India Used: Terrestrial Water Storage (TWS) change observations from NASA Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite data for the period from August.km covering the States of Rajasthan. Objectives: 1. including estimation of FICN in circulation.involving all stakeholders. transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints) What: Department of Agriculture. Contingency for awareness. Farm mechanization and value addition 3. monitoring. Result: the face value of FICN in circulation was found to be about Rs. assistance is being provided for four major components / interventions viz. training. alternate crop demonstrations 2. Kolkata under the overall supervision of National Investigation Agency (NIA). implementation. cotton and agro forestry system. 1. Site specific activities 4. as ‘Jal Grams’ to ensure optimum and sustainable utilization of water. Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) is implementing Crop Diversification Programme in Original Green Revolution States of Punjab. etc Other schemes promoting crop diversification National Food Security Mission (NFSM) Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI) National Mission on Oilseeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP) National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) National Mission on Agricultural Extension & Technology (NMAET) Soil Health Card Scheme Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) Ministry of Food Processing Industries Implementing various schemes to boost farmers’ income promotion and development of food processing sector in the country Mega Food Parks Scheme for Modern Abattoirs Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure Scheme for Creation/Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Scheme for Quality Assurance and Scheme for Human Resources and Institutions Security features of currency notes (Topic: Indian Economy) What: A study on Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) issues. different types of irrigation and irrigation systems storage. ‘Jal Gram Yojana’ component of ‘Jal Kranti Abhiyan’ envisages selection of two villages in every district. maize. Focus on Crop Diversification and Allied Activities (Topic: Major crops cropping patterns in various parts of the country. Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh as a sub scheme of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) since 2013-14 To: divert the area of water guzzling paddy to alternate crops like pulses. Under Crop Diversification Programme. making it a mass movement. oilseeds. It was found the value remained constant for the last 4 years. preferably ‘over-exploited ‘ or facing acute water scarcity. . has been undertaken by Statistical Institute (ISI). 400 crores. Poor saving habit (Topic: Indian Economy) What: A survey by HSBC (Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited) named ‘Generations and Journeys’ Result: A large number (47 per cent) of working age people in India have either not started saving for their retirement or have stopped or faced difficulties while saving for their future. etc. The strong bullion preference of Indian households. steps taken are: Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) About 22. 21 per cent of the working age population surveyed have not even started saving for retirement. It is not clear from the published report of the HSBC Survey whether it refers only to the financial savings of the Indian labour force.4 percentage points and financial savings consisted of 7.2 per cent of the rural households and 81. in consultation with Reserve bank of India (RBI). To improve financial inclusion and the channels for financial savings. Details: Household saving has two components Financial saving Financial assets like bank deposits. their possession of machinery and equipment and valuables.Security features: The design and security features of banknotes are decided by the Government of India from time to time. to a great extent. National Accounts Data.2014-15 Indian households saved about 19. along with the generally high inflation and inadequate access to banking and financial channels that prevailed during the last decade. 2013 Survey on Household Assets and Liabilities revealed that about 82.1 per cent of the of the Gross domestic product.65 crore of bank accounts have been created till 27th July 2016 A balance of over Rs. shares and debentures. Re-launch of the certificate savings scheme called Kisan Vikas Patra Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to contribute to the financial security to the girl child .40750 crore in these accounts. Physical saving Household construction. An FICN Coordination Group (FCORD) has been formed in the Ministry of Home Affairs to share the intelligence/information amongst different security agencies of States/Centre to counter the menace Government has recently introduced revised numbering pattern in all denominations of banknotes.1 per cent of the urban households reported possession of bullion and ornaments. explained the saving behavior of Indian households. of which their physical savings consisted of 11.7 percentage points National Sample Survey Office. etc. which would make compliance easy and transparent. etc. The uniformity in tax rates and procedures across the country will also go a long way in reducing the compliance cost. Skill India. Removal of cascading: A system of seamless tax-credits throughout the value-chain. thereby increasing certainty and ease of doing business. This will increase the competitiveness of Indian goods and services in the international market and give boost to Indian exports. In other words. GST would make doing business in the country tax neutral. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Goods and Services Tax (GST) Following are the answers to the various frequently asked questions relating to GST: Question 1. Credits of input taxes paid at each stage will be available in the subsequent stage of value addition.Increase in the limit of deduction under the Income Tax Act for health insurance premium. Gain to manufacturers and exporters: The subsuming of major Central and State taxes in GST. contribution to specific pension funds and contribution by the employees to National Pension Scheme Increasing the access to formal financial system by utilizing the postal network Government’s initiatives like Make-in-India. The final consumer will thus bear only the GST charged by the last dealer in the supply chain. right from the manufacturer to the consumer. complete and comprehensive set-off of input goods and services and phasing out of Central Sales Tax (CST) wouldreduce the cost of locally manufactured goods and services. Start-up India. irrespective of the choice of place of doing business. Improved competitiveness:Reduction in transaction costs of doing business would eventually lead to an improved competitiveness for the trade and industry. Stand-up India and other measures to boost productive activities and employment are also likely to improve the savings of Indian labour force. would ensure that there is minimal cascading of taxes. GST is a single tax on the supply of goods and services. which makes GST essentially a tax only on value addition at each stage. all tax payer services such as registrations. which will make India one unified common market. What are the benefits of GST? Answer: The benefits of GST can be summarized as under: For business and industry Easy compliance: A robust and comprehensive IT system would be the foundation of the GST regime in India. and across boundaries of States. with set-off benefits at all the previous stages. Uniformity of tax rates and structures: GST will ensure that indirect tax rates and structures are common across the country.What is GST? How does it work? Answer: GST is one indirect tax for the whole nation. would be available to the taxpayers online. Question 2. returns. payments. Therefore. For Central and State Governments . This would reduce hidden costs of doing business. Question 4. Higher revenue efficiency: GST is expected to decrease the cost of collection of tax revenues of the Government. Better controls on leakage: GST will result in better tax compliance due to a robust IT infrastructure. the overall tax burden on most commodities will come down. Under GST. Service Tax 4. GST would be simpler and easier to administer than all other indirect taxes of the Centre and State levied so far. A brief chronology outlining the major milestones on the proposal for introduction of GST in India is as follows: 1. there would be only one tax from the manufacturer to the consumer. leading to transparency of taxes paid to the final consumer. Luxury tax 6. Question 3. Purchase Tax 5. 2010 was first mooted in the Budget Speech for the financial year 2006-07. the following taxes are being subsumed: 1. which will benefit consumers. Due to the seamless transfer of input tax credit from one stage to another in the chain of value addition. Relief in overall tax burden:Because of efficiency gains and prevention of leakages. Since the proposal involved reform/ restructuring of not only indirect taxes levied by the Centre but also the States. What are the major chronological events that have led to the introduction of GST? Answer: GST is being introduced in the country after a 13 year long journey since it was first discussed in the report of the Kelkar Task Force on indirect taxes. In 2003. the responsibility of preparing a Design and Road Map for the . lead to higher revenue efficiency. Central Sales Tax (levied by the Centre and collected by the States) 3. there is an in-built mechanism in the design of GST that would incentivize tax compliance by traders. Entertainment Tax (other than the tax levied by the local bodies). the Kelkar Task Force on indirect tax had suggested a comprehensive Goods and Services Tax (GST) based on VAT principle. Subsuming of State Value Added Tax/Sales Tax 2. Additional Excise Duty 3. the following taxes are being subsumed: 1. Taxes on lottery. Additional Customs Duty commonly known as Countervailing Duty 5. Special Additional Duty of Customs At the State level. Central Excise Duty 2. and will therefore. A proposal to introduce a National level Goods and Services Tax (GST) by April 1. For the consumer Single and transparent tax proportionate to the value of goods and services: Due to multiple indirect taxes being levied by the Centre and State. betting and gambling.Simple and easy to administer: Multiple indirect taxes at the Central and State levels are being replaced by GST. Which taxes at the Centre and State level are being subsumed into GST? Answer: At the Central level. 2. Octroi and Entry tax 4. with incomplete or no input tax credits available at progressive stages of value addition. the cost of most goods and services in the country today are laden with many hidden taxes. Backed with a robust end-to-end IT system. The 115th Constitutional (Amendment) Bill. In order to amend the Constitution to enable introduction of GST. Committee on Place of Supply Rules and Revenue Neutral Rates. 2009. which submitted its report on 22. the Cabinet on 17. 17. Meanwhile. a ‘Committee on GST Design’.2015. for the introduction of GST introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2011 lapsed with the dissolution of the 15th Lok Sabha. 3.05. 2013 to the Lok Sabha. In June 2014. This Committee did a detailed discussion on GST design including the Constitution (115th) Amendment Bill and submitted its report in January. consisting of the officials of the Government of India. The Empowered Committee in the Bhubaneswar meeting also decided to constitute three committees of officers to discuss and report on various aspects of GST as follows:2. The EC once again made certain recommendations on the Bill after its meeting in Shillong in November 2013. 4. 2010.How would GST be administered in India? . in pursuance of the decision taken in a meeting between the Union Finance Minister and the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers on 8th November. It was then referred to the Select Committee of Rajya Sabha. Based on inputs from Govt of India and States. 2011. 2009. Certain recommendations of the Empowered Committee were incorporated in the draft Constitution (115th Amendment) Bill. 2011. 6. the draft Constitution Amendment Bill was sent to the Empowered Committee after approval of the new Government. 2012. 5. the EC recommended certain changes in the Constitution Amendment Bill in their meeting at Bhubaneswar in January 2013.2014 approved the proposal for introduction of a Bill in the Parliament for amending the Constitution of India to facilitate the introduction of Goods and Services Tax (GST) in the country. The revised draft was sent for consideration of the Empowered Committee in March. State Governments and the Empowered Committee was constituted.implementation of GST wasassigned to the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers (EC). Based on this Report. Question 5. Most of the recommendations made by the Empowered Committee and the Parliamentary Standing Committee were accepted and the draft Amendment Bill was suitably revised.2014. the EC released its First Discussion Paper on Goods and Services Tax in India in November. the Bill was referred to the Standing Committee on Finance of the Parliament for examination and report.2015. As per the prescribed procedure. 2014.07.12. threshold and exemptions. 2009. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on 19. The Parliamentary Standing Committee submitted its Report in August. 2013. the Constitution (115th Amendment) Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2011. The final draft Constitutional Amendment Bill incorporating the above stated changes were sent to the Empowered Committee for consideration in September 2013.12. Committee on dual control. Committee on IGST and GST on imports. In order to take the GST related work further. Therecommendations of the Empowered Committee and the recommendations of the Parliamentary Standing Committee were examined in the Ministry in consultation with the Legislative Department. 1. and was passed by the Lok Sabha on 06. Based on a broad consensus reached with the Empowered Committee on the contours of the Bill. a Joint Working Group consisting of officers from Central as well as State Government was constituted in September. Figure 1: GST within State Question 7. both would be levied on the same price or value unlike State VAT which is levied on the value of the goods inclusive of Central Excise. and States would levy and collect the State Goods and Services Tax (SGST) on all transactions within a State. A diagrammatic representation of the working of the Dual GST model within a State is shown in Figure 1 below. the credit of SGST paid on inputs would be allowed for paying the SGST on output. The input tax credit of CGST would be available for discharging the CGST liability on the output at each stage.Answer: Keeping in mind the federal structure of India. goods which are outside the purview of GST and the transactions which are below the prescribed threshold limits. . Tax will be levied on every supply of goods and services. Centre would levy and collect Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST). Question 6. Similarly. How would a particular transaction of goods and services be taxed simultaneously under Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST)? Answer: The Central GST and the State GST would be levied simultaneously on every transaction of supply of goods and services except on exempted goods and services. there will be two components of GST – Central GST (CGST) and State GST (SGST). No cross utilization of credit would be permitted. Further.Will cross utilization of credits between goods and services be allowed under GST regime? Answer: Cross utilization of credit of CGST between goods and services would be allowed. Both Centre and States will simultaneously levy GST across the value chain. The IGST would roughly be equal to CGST plus SGST. How will IT be used for the implementation of GST? Answer: For the implementation of GST in the country. How will be Inter-State Transactions of Goods and Services be taxed under GST in terms of IGST method? Answer: In case of inter-State transactions. Figure 2 Question 9. non-Government . The Centre will transfer to the importing State the credit of IGST used in payment of SGST. The importing dealer will claim credit of IGST while discharging his output tax liability (both CGST and SGST) in his own State. The exporting State will transfer to the Centre the credit of SGST used in payment of IGST. However. A diagrammatic representation of the working of the IGST model for inter-State transactions is shown in Figure 2 below. The IGST mechanism has been designed to ensure seamless flow of input tax credit from one State to another. all SGST on the final product will ordinarily accrue to the consuming State. CGST and SGST on his purchases (in that order). the Central and State Governments have jointly registered Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) as a not-for-profit.Similarly. the Centre would levy and collect the Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) on all inter-State supplies of goods and services under Article 269A (1) of the Constitution. the cross utilization of CGST and SGST would not be allowed except in the case of inter-State supply of goods and services under the IGST model which is explained in answer to the next question. Question 8. Since GST is a destination-based tax. The inter-State seller would pay IGST on the sale of his goods to the Central Government after adjusting credit of IGST. the facility of cross utilization of credit will be available in case of SGST. exemption list and threshold limits. the States where imported goods are consumed will now gain their share from this IGST paid on imported goods. Central Sales Tax (levied by the Centre and collected by the States). audits. Additional Customs Duty commonly known as Countervailing Duty. Most returns would be self-assessed. appeals. All taxes can also be paid online. There would no manual filing of returns. assessments. and Special Additional Duty of Customs. Creation of Goods and Services Tax Council to examine issues relating to goods and services tax and make recommendations to the Union and the States on parameters like rates. Subsuming of various Central indirect taxes and levies such as Central Excise Duty. Service Tax. Petroleum and petroleum products shall be subject to the levy of GST on a later date notified on the recommendation of the Goods and Services Tax Council. are also preparing their IT infrastructure for the administration of GST.Company to provide shared IT infrastructure and services to Central and State Governments. etc. as well as the backend IT modules for certain States that include processing of returns. returns and payments to all taxpayers. Dispensing with the concept of ‘declared goods of special importance’ under the Constitution. etc. Purchase Tax. As per explanation to clause (1) of article 269A of the Constitution. Question 10. Octroi and Entry tax. All mis-matched returns would be auto-generated. How will imports be taxed under GST? Answer: The Additional Duty of Excise or CVD and the Special Additional Duty or SAD presently being levied on imports will be subsumed under GST. tax payers and other stakeholders. Unlike in the present regime. Model GST laws. taxes. GST to be levied on all goods and services. except alcoholic liquor for human consumption. and there would be no need for manual interventions. Luxury tax. cesses and surcharges to be subsumed. Entertainment Tax (other than the tax levied by the local bodies). Subsuming of State Value Added Tax/Sales Tax. accounting authorities. Additional Excise Duties. registrations. All States. Levy of Integrated Goods and Services Tax on inter-State transactions of goods and services. IGST will be levied on all imports into the territory of India. RBI and banks. Compensation to the States for loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the Goods and Services Tax for a period of five years. 2014? Answer: The salient features of the Bill are as follows: Conferring simultaneous power upon Parliament and the State Legislatures to make laws governing goods and services tax. . betting and gambling. and Taxes on lottery. The Council shall function under the Chairmanship of the Union Finance Minister and will have all the State Governments as Members. What are the major features of the Constitution (122nd Amendment) Bill. The key objectives of GSTN are to provide a standard and uniform interface to the taxpayers. Question 11. GSTN is working on developing a state-of-the-art comprehensive IT infrastructure including the common GST portal providing frontend services of registration. and shared infrastructure and services to Central and State/UT governments. Single point interface for challan generation. Human Resources) . Question 12. Deemed approval within three days. Small taxpayers: Small taxpayers who have opted composition scheme shall have to file return on quarterly basis. Unified application to both tax authorities. Each dealer to be given unique ID GSTIN. What are the major features of the proposed payment procedures under GST? Answer: The major features of the proposed payments procedures under GST are as follows: 1. Filing of returns shall be completely online. Common set of authorized banks 7. return for purchases. Use of single challan and single payment instrument 6. What are the major features of the proposed returns filing procedures under GST? Answer: The major features of the proposed returns filing procedures under GST are as follows: Common return would serve the purpose of both Centre and State Government. NEFT/RTGS and through cheque/cash at the bank 4. Common challan form with auto-population features 5.GSTN 3. There are eight forms provided for in the GST business processes for filing for returns. Most of the average tax payers would be using only four forms for filing their returns. Question 13. 2016 GS-2 Popularization of AYUSH System of Medicine (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/ Services relating to Health. Post registration verification in risk based cases only. monthly returns and annual return. Education. New dealers: Single application to be filed online for registration under GST. Ease of payment – payment can be made through online banking. Question 14. These are return for supplies. What are the major features of the proposed registration procedures under GST? Answer: The major features of the proposed registration procedures under GST are as follows: Existing dealers: Existing VAT/Central excise/Service Tax payers will not have to apply afresh for registration under GST. Credit Card/Debit Card. All taxes can also be paid online. The registration number will be PAN based and will serve the purpose for Centre and State. Common Accounting Codes 8th Aug to 14th Aug. Electronic payment process– no generation of paper at any stage 2. etc. entrepreneurs. Kakori. road shows and trade fairs. Thailand (for Ayurveda Chair) and Armenia (for Homoeopathy Chair). a festival to celebrate India’s 70 years of Independence will help foster the spirit of unity and integrity amongst the people across the country.About- To promote AYUSH systems of medicine across the globe. Photo Exhibition – ‘Azadi 70-Yaad Karo Qurbani’ (Topic: Promote the contribution made by freedom strugglers) About- Bharat Parv. Indonesia. Amendment in Section 309 and 377 of IPC (Topic: Constitutional amendments) About- Law Commission of India. workshops. conferences. . Incentives are also being provided to AYUSH drug manufacturers. for generating awareness amongst the participating public about the Indian Medicines Registration of AYUSH products with regulatory agencies of different countries to enhance export of these products. For participating in International exhibitions. Second segment tracks the progress since independence including the adoption of the Constitution. Nature of amendmentsAmendments in the Criminal Justice System are a continuous process in order to make the laws in sync with social changes. Exhibition is broadly divided into two broad sections-the first section covers the period from the First War of Independence in 1857 to freedom in 1947 and how the public angst spread from Bengal to South India. It is being celebrated in remembrance of heroes of the freedom struggle. in its 210th Report: “Humanization and Decriminalization of Attempt to Suicide” had recommended that Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) of IPC needs to be effaced from the statute book. efforts at developing nuclear capabilities including the Pokhran test. seminars. AYUSH institutions. Bharat ParvGovernment as a part of celebrations has developed a massive programme of 75 Ministers going all over the country and visiting the birthplace of great heroes and places of historical importance like Jallianwala Bagh. the Ministry has set up Academic Chairs in three countries namely Hungary and Trinidad & Tobago (Ayurveda Chair) and South Africa (Unani Chair) ObjectiveTo promote academic and collaborative research activities on AYUSH systems abroad To develop quality standards of AYUSH education in foreign educational institutes To create awareness about strength of AYUSH systems Steps takenMoUs for setting up of AYUSH Academic Chairs have also been signed with Universities in Russia. etc. Twenty AYUSH Information Cells have been set up in 19 countries (two in Indonesia) in the premises of the Indian Missions/ICCR Cultural Centre for dissemination of authentic information about AYUSH systems of medicine. Slovenia. etc. Impose penalty for failure to display provisions of Employee’s Compensation Act Section 30 provides for Appeal to high court whenever the disputed amount is more than Rs 300/-.000/. It is proposed to omit Section 30(A)—With this omission.which may extend to Rs.Amendments in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) are carried out from time to time based on the recommendations of the Law Commission of India. Under Section 30A. the amount can be withheld only when there is a stay or order to that effect by the High Court. 1923 (Topic: Constitutional amendments) Objective- To modify the provisions of Employees’ Compensation Act. Amendment to the Maternity Benefit Act. It is proposed to revise this amount to Rs 10.000 for such higher amount as the Central Government may prescribe so as to reduce the litigations. various Court judgments and the reports of any other committees specially constituted for the purpose.life balance of the women workers Beneficiaries- Organized work force in the country is around 2. including the interval for rest allowed to her Every establishment to intimate in writing and electronically to every woman at the time of her initial appointment about the benefits available under the Act. well being and growth of the future generation in the country Positive impact on women’s participation in labour force Improve the work. the Commissioner could exercise discretion to withhold payment to an employee whenever an appeal to High Court is filed. 1961 (Topic: Constitutional amendments) About: Increasing maternity benefit to woman covered under the Maternity Benefit Act. Major impactOn the health. who will be benefited. making mandatory in respect of establishment having fifty or more employees To have the facility of crèche either individually or as a shared common facility within such distance as may be prescribed by rules & also to allow four visits to the crèche by the woman daily. Major ImpactMore deterrence and hence better compliance More litigations likely to be closed at the level of Commissioner . 1923 to rationalize the penalties and strengthen the rights of the worker under the Act OutcomeIncrease of penalty for contravention of Act from present 5000/.to Rs 50. Amendment of the Employees’ Compensation Act. where the appeal has been filed. of which 18 lacks are women. 1961 from 12 weeks to 26 weeks up to two surviving children in order to allow the mother to take care of the child during his/her most formative stage Details: Providing maternity benefit of 12 weeks to Commissioning mother (in case of surrogate child) andAdopting mother (in case of adoption) Facilitate “work from home” to a mother with mutual consent of the employee and the employer.8 crores. 1 lakh. Signing of the new Agreement between India and Croatia would be a step in continuity as the existing Agreement expired in November. SWAYAM Portal— Scheme under Online Courses (Topic: Government schemes and policies) About-Government will be launching the SWAYAM portal for providing online learning courses offered by the best teachers to anyone desirous of learning. BenefitIt would be possible for any student or any school drop-out to join virtual classes offered by the best teachers in the country. This will induce FDI and spurt economic activities.Employer cannot withhold Employee compensation. . minimum capitalisation norms as mandated under FDI policy have been eliminated as most of the regulators have already fixed minimum capitalisation norms. information and also financing Theme- Countering Cross-Border movement of Terrorism Agreement between India and Croatia—Economic Cooperation (Topic: Bilateral. unless stay by High Court Number of beneficiaries- It will benefit around 3 crore work force in organized sector in the country. Foreign investment in other Financial Services sector approved (Topic: Cabinet decision and undertakings) Outcome of amendmentEnable inflow of foreign investment in “Other Financial Services” on automatic route provided such services are regulated by any financial sector regulators (RBI. can be made on approval route. 2016 –First of its kind meeting being hosted by Indonesia. at anytime of his choice and to be accessed anywhere in the Country. take tests. 2009. SEBI. Indonesia on 10th August. which are not regulated by any regulators / Government Agency. interact with the teacher. Further. 1994 with an aim to promote and develop bilateral trade and economic relations. earn academic credits and transfer them on their academic record. regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) AgreementIndia and Croatia had earlier signed an Agreement on trade and economic cooperation in September. Foreign investment in “Other Financial Services”. Aims at- Strengthening the international cooperation network in addressing the growing threat of cross-border movement of terrorism from the aspects of actor. International Meeting on Counter Terrorism in Indonesia (Topic: International meets) About- International Meeting on Counter Terrorism to be held at Bali. It will cover whole India and is not limited to any State/Districts.) / Government Agencies. PFRDA etc. especially mothers. disease and poverty and according to the latest scientific evidence. breastfeeding is most enduring investment in physical.The courses offered in this portal will cover 9th Class to Post Graduation levels. It can be much more if indirect losses due to reduced work capacity. the content provided under SWAYAM would also be telecast through the free-to-air Direct-To-Home TV channels that are going to be launched. abortions. As per the estimates by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). 20. direct loss due to milk and meat is to the tune of RS. subsequent infertility and sterility (that account for the reduced milk production subsequently) are taken into account. Breastfeeding is a child’s first inoculation against death. Why- Breastfeeding is the most natural. and sense of well-being. Matter of concern- Around 20% new-born deaths and 13% under-five deaths can be prevented by early initiation of breastfeeding ‘FMD Mukt Bharat’ (Topic: Government schemes and policies) IssueFoot & Mouth Disease (FMD) is one of the most economically devastating contagious viral animal diseases affecting all susceptible cloven-footed animals. cognitive and social capacity development. FMD-CP- . ImportanceEarly initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth and thereafter exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is essential for the wellness of the child as a simple act of breastfeeding can ensure for the child the right nutrients to start their life.000 crores per annum. It creates a special bond between mother and baby and the interaction between the mother and child during breastfeeding has positive impact for life. security and how the child relates to other people. behaviour. In order to benefit the areas without internet access. on the benefits of breastfeeding. MAA Programme: Promotion of Breastfeeding (Topic: Government schemes and policies) About- Launch of MAA – Mothers Absolute Affection. These courses would be available throughout the country. a flagship programme to ensure adequate awareness is generated among masses. in terms of stimulation. This is an enormous resource that every child should have access to. Agenda- To reduce the under-five mortality of children MAA-Mother’s Absolute AffectionChief components of the MAA Programme are— Community awareness generation Strengthening inter personal communication through ASHA Skilled support for breastfeeding at Delivery points in Public health facilities Monitoring and Award/recognition Programme will be monitored by UNICEF. speech. cost effective and significant intervention and should be promoted at all levels. a location specific programme called ‘Foot and Mouth Disease Control Programme (FMD-CP)’ is under implementation since 10th Plan Period. The existing CAR has been reviewed and the revised CAR will be effective from 1st September. 2016. Looking at the economic importance of the control disease. which specifies the requirements of Flight Duty and Flight Time Limitation (FDTL) for cabin crew. Roads. Ports. the Department has conceived ‘FMD Mukt Bharat’ GS-3 Diamond Quadrilateral Network in Indian Railway (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy. Feasibility studies for Delhi-Nagpur portion of Delhi-Chennai corridor and Mumbai-Nagpur portion of Mumbai-Kolkata corridor are being undertaken through Government to Government cooperation. Chennai & Kolkata) have been identified for feasibility studies for high speed rail connectivity. Ports. Airports. depending upon threat perceptions.In order to prevent economic losses due to Foot and Mouth Disease. Mumbai. deployment of Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) at . and Railways etc) About- DGCA has issued Civil Aviation Requirement (CAR). To strengthen security arrangements include time bound deployment of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at major airports. Delhi-Kolkata and Mumbai-Chennai have been awarded in September. 879 FMD outbreaks were reported in 2012 throughout the country which have been reduced to 109 in 2015. Airports. 2015. Revised CAR lays down the provision for extension of FDTL of cabin crew under unforeseen operational circumstances. Feasibility studiesFeasibility studies for Delhi-Mumbai. 2016 (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy. and Railways etc) About- Six corridors on Diamond Quadrilateral connecting metropolitan cities and growth centres of the country (Delhi. Six corridors includeDelhi-Mumbai Mumbai-Chennai Chennai-Kolkata Kolkata-Delhi Delhi-Chennai Mumbai-Kolkata routes. Roads. Revised ‘CAR’ will be Effective from 1st September. disease occurrence has drastically been reduced particularly in FMD-CP States e.g. Security system at airports in IndiaIt is also reviewed from time to time and upgraded as per requirements with involvement of all security agencies and stakeholders. Scope of the programme will be extended to cover remaining States in a phased manner so as to have geographically contiguous areas to yield desired results for the creation of FMD Free Zones depending upon availability of resources. With robust implementation of FMD-CP in the States. with China and Spain respectively. Corporates and PSUs/Corporate Houses under their Corporate Social Responsibility free of charge to passenger or to the Railway.major airports and regular monitoring of security arrangements through inspections and dummy checks. . Safety and security of women and children in the country is of utmost priority for the Government. Yarn Banks. and other centres in the country are working at sub-optimal capacities due to high input costs and reduced off-take of fabrics. The low off-take has resulted in partial stoppage of power-looms in some clusters. Ports. Erode. Varanasi. Steps taken to overcome problemsTechnology Upgradation Fund Scheme for upgradation of technology In-situ Upgradation Scheme for upgrading plain power-looms Group Work-shed Scheme for giving assistance for constructing work-shed for powerloom sector Integrated Scheme for Power-loom Sector Development (ISPSD) for extending support in the form of Buyer Seller Meets. Ports. Solapur. Steps to Rescue Power-loom Weavers from Financial Crisis (Topic: Industrial development) Issue- Power-looms in Malegaon. setting up of Common Facility Centres. NGOs. Roads. Battery-Operated Car Service—Railway Stations (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy. Airports. It is for- Disabled. Charitable institutions. Surat. Ichalkaranji. Video Surveillance to be installed at 1000 Railway Stations under Nirbhaya Fund (Topic: Infrastructure: Energy. Roads. Bhiwandi. Trusts. Steps taken for women safetyMinistry of Women and Child Development is implementing scheme of One Stop Centre to provide integrated support and assistance to women affected by violence and a Scheme for Universalisation of Women Helpline to provide 24 hours immediate and emergency response to women affected by violence. organising Seminar/ Workshops Group Insurance Scheme for social security Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) for skill upgradation. and Railways etc) About- Zonal Railways have been authorized to introduce Battery Operated Vehicles (BOVs) at major railway stations. there has been some impact on decentralized power-loom industry which has resulted in the reduction of operational shifts in some clusters. Main cause of reduction- On account of input costs and lower demand. elderly and ailing passengers on ‘first come first served’ basis through sponsorship from individuals. and Railways etc) About- The proposal of Ministry of Railway namely- Integrated Emergency Response Management System has been appraised by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under Nirbhaya Fund which includes installation of video surveillance at 1000 railway stations. Airports. but without any technological collaboration/ Licensing Agreement with foreign companies. Bengaluru. Reduction in CO2 percentagePower generation from coal contributes to about 38% of CO2 pollution in the atmosphere. Progress made- Proposed technology is still in research stage and is still not matured or demonstrated anywhere in the world. Development of Deep Brain Stimulator . BenefitEnable Indian industries to design.developments and their applications and effects in everyday life) A Consortium of three Government Entities- Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). ‘Atmospheric turbulence or Seeing measured in arc-second’.developments and their applications and effects in everyday life) About- Hanle in Ladakh has been identified as one of the potential alternate sites for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT). 20% reduction in CO2 emission at source combined with 20% saving in coal consumption compared to a sub-critical plant and by about 11% compared to a supercritical plant are the primary reasons justifying this project. Hanle – A potential site for the Thirty Meter Telescope (Topic: Science and technology. Indian scientists leading this project. viz. Indira Gandhi Centre of Atomic Research (IGCAR). This will be the first time large power plant equipment will be manufactured with advanced technologies. envisaging reduced coal consumption as well as Carbon Di-Oxide (CO2) emission.Financial support to BHEL: R&D project for development of Advanced Ultra Super Critical Technology (Topic: Science and technology. DST has received clearances from the Ministry of Defence. manufacture and commission higher efficiency coal fired power plantswith indigenously developed technology and manufacturing processes. Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of External Affairs for hosting TMT at Hanle in Ladakh. Participation of IndiaIndia’s participation in the TMT project is being jointly funded and overseen by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). visited the region and have completed measurements of the key scientific parameter. led by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics. with DST as the Lead Agency. Use of this technology in all future large power plants will ensure energy security for the country for a longer period. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) have proposed a R&D project for the development of AUSC Technology for Thermal Power Plants of future. Previously- The original site for TMT was Mauna Kea in Hawaii in the United States of America but the construction work for TMT at Mauna Kea had to be stalled due to revocation of Permit by orders of the Supreme Court of Hawaii. along with a greener environment. The 1st prototypes are planned to be available in 3 years. The planned joint development is targeted to provide an affordable alternative. DBS consists of implanted pulse generator. It will play the lead role in developing the pan-India road map for trade facilitation. changes in industrial policy and their effects on Industrial growth) About- Consequent to India’s ratification of the WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation (TFA) in April 2016. The establishment of the Committee is part of the mandatory. DBS is used in typical neurological conditions of Essential tremor. Parkinson’s disease and Dystonia. Role of Private Sector and State Governments in Development of Food Parks (Topic: Food processing and related industries in India. the National Committee on Trade Facilitation (NCTF) has been constituted. Electronics Division. Reactor Control Division and Centre for Design & Manufacture of BARC will participate in the development of various subsystems. National Committee on Trade Facilitation. and the regular electrical pulses generated by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in upper chest regulates the abnormal impulses of the brain. institutional arrangement of the TFA.Road map for trade facilitation (Topic: Effects of liberalization of economy. location. New Delhi. limiting its wider usage due to the high cost.scope and significance. in the Directorate General of Export Promotion. Devices are currently being imported. Let’s know more about NCTFType- This is a prime. indigenization of technology and developing new technology) About- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST). ObjectiveTo have a national level body that will facilitate domestic co-ordination and implementation of TFA provisions. upstream and downstream requirements. electrodes and extension cables which interface with external Programmer module and wireless battery charger. Deep Brain StimulatorDBS involves implanting electrodes within certain areas of brain. Chaired by- Cabinet Secretary Housed by- Its Secretariat will be housed within the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). It will be instrumental in synergizing the various trade facilitation perspectives across the country and will also focus on an outreach programme for sensitization of all stakeholders about TFA.(Topic: Achievements of Indians in Science and Technology. supply chain management) . MoUBARC will develop the device as per specifications provided by SCTMIST and SCTMIST will be responsible for clinical trials. inter – ministerial body on trade facilitation. testing and qualification. Thiruvananthapuram (an institute of national importance under DST) have agreed to join hands to develop ‘Deep Brain Stimulator’ (DBS). The Mega Food Parks may be set up by private promoters as well as State Government / its entities / cooperatives. for the MFP and the units located in the MFP Monitor the implementation of project Nominating a suitable officer to be appointed as Ministry’s nominee Director in the SPV. It has also posed a challenge for the survival of wild life as well as human beings. our farmers are facing challenges due to the limited availability of natural resources along with increasing pressure on agricultural land. Organised by- National Workshop organized on Indian Green Agricultural Project was carried out under the joint efforts of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. Ministry of Environment. MFP Scheme- Financial assistance is provided as grants-in-aid @50% of the eligible project cost in general areas and 75% of eligible project cost in difficult and hilly areas i. Important role has been envisaged of the State Government in implementation of the projects. North East Region including Sikkim. Solved the problem of food-grain to some extent. VAT/Sales Tax exemption etc. Himachal Pradesh. and eradication of wet land and conversion of meadows into agricultural sector.00 crore per project. Jammu & Kashmir. wherever needed.e. however. there are challenges to feed a growing population. Uttarakhand and Integrated Tribal Development Projects (ITDP) notified areas of the States subject to a maximum Rs. Providing a fast track single window agency to facilitate clearances and permissions required for the project. for setting up the MFP and its components thereof and providing the necessary assistance for power. Fifth national report submitted in Bio-Diversification Summit by India indicates thatThere is an acute pressure on the productivity potential of land in various pockets of the country due to the extension in the area of agriculture and continuous use of the land. On one hand. Workshop on Transformational Change in Policy and Practices for Sustainable Agriculture (Topic: Sustainable Agriculture practices) Issue- Indian agricultural sector is facing a number of challenges.About-Ministry is implementing Mega Food Park (MFP) Scheme to create modern infrastructure for food processing. water. Forest and Climate Change as well as Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). 50. Pressure owes its existence particularly to deforestation. Steps taken to overcomeSchemes launchedClimate smart agriculture Sustainable land use and management . roads and other external infrastructure to the project Providing flexible and conducive labour environment and considering special facilities like exemption of stamp duty. disintegration of forest areas. as under: Providing assistance to Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) in procurement/purchase of suitable land Providing all the requisite statutory clearances including permission for sub-leasing of land by SPV. it has triggered a scarcity in bio diversification. on the other hand. Problems emerging due to- Climate change and consequent to it the adverse circumstances are clear on the scenario. Rajasthan. to implement it in various parts of five states viz Uttarakhand. Cooperation and Farmers Welfare is implementing Cotton Development program Focus on. For the first time. Telangana. Sustainable forest management because it is directly related to the adaptation of climate change process. Madhya Pradesh. thrust is given for transfer of latest technology to cotton growers through Front Line Demonstration (FLD) on Integrated Crop Management (ICM). States can support cotton development programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY). Tamil Nadu. Orissa and Mizoram. Uttar Pradesh & West Bengal Scheme – Under the scheme. Haryana. Reasons for the downwards cotton production estimates areAcreage under cotton has decreased by around 7% as against previous year due to switching over to other crops in Northern & Central Regions White fly attack in Northern zone and pink boll-worm attack in Gujarat region Delayed rains in Central & Southern region and deficit rains across all cotton growing areas. Andhra Pradesh.Cropping system approach under National Food Security Mission (NFSM) in 15 major cotton growing states viz. Cotton Advisory Board (CAB) has revised the cotton production estimate at 338 lakh bales as against its earlier estimates of 352 lakh bales. Bio diversification. Global Environment Facility (GEF) has approved the project related toMinistry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare on the subject “to obtain revolutionary change on the strategies and methodologies for sustainable agriculture in India”. Corrective measures taken/being taken by the Government to prevent the reduction in production of cotton are as underDepartment of Agriculture. . Tripura. GEF provides: Financial support for environmental improvements. Extra Long Staple Cotton. Madhya Pradesh. Assam. Karnataka. is being implemented Global Environmental Facility (GEF)Started in India in-1991 Has mandate to: Resolve problems related to global environment. Span of GEF is for- Five years Works on: Sustainable agriculture development. Land degradation. Besides. Gujarat. National Level Programmes launchedNational Mission for Sustainable Development of Agriculture (NMSA) Integrated Horticulture Development Mission (MIDH) National Livestock Development Mission as well as Traditional Agriculture Development Scheme (PKVY) etc. Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Rajasthan. Punjab. Orissa. Maharashtra. Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) etc. Desi Cotton. Scheme is being implemented through State Department of Agriculture (SDA). High Density Planting System. State Agriculture Universities (SAUs). Corrective Measures to Prevent Reduction in Cotton Production (Topic: Measures taken to prevent major crops) About- For the cotton season 2015-16.Bio-production Use of local and traditional knowledge along with the agriculture bio diversification conservation. Cooperation & Farmer Welfare has fixed minimum support price for medium staple length cotton at Rs.With a view to promote Cotton farming. 2016’ in Chennai Suggestion come forwardTimelines for repatriation of trafficked victims should be included in the Act itself. Digital and Technology driven crime. held Regional consultations with Civil Society Organizations on the draft ‘Trafficking of Persons Bill. Conference envisages toProvide an annual national platform to all the officers of law enforcement agencies engaged in investigation tasks Adoption of latest technology in forensic sciences for expeditious and professional investigation and to share best practices followed by different investigation agencies which could be implemented by others. Project Abhayam- . First National Conference of Investigating Agencies (Topic: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security) Organised by- Two-day conference is being organised by the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) in coordination with National Investigation Agency (NIA). Conference offers sessions by investigation experts of national repute on themes of Combating Economic and Organized crime. Help inImproving the quality of investigation which has been a long felt demand of public. There will be sessions on show-casing the best practices in investigation being followed in various States/UTs and investigation agencies. 2016 GS-2 Birth certificates and AADHAR Cards to street children (Topic: Women and child development) About- Minister of Women and Child Development. and to deliberate on new legislation/ criminal law amendments and systematic changes for meeting new challenges in investigation. Ministry of Agriculture. Terrorist Crime Investigation.per quintal. 3860/. 4160/. Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) Limited has been entrusted with procurement of cotton from farmers at Minimum Support Price (MSP) to protect the interest of farmers by giving MSP to their produce to avoid distress sale. 15th Aug to 21th Aug.per quintal and for long staple at Rs. during cotton season 2016-17. Leading experts and practitioners in these areas would present their views. Legal issue relating to Investigation and Ideas from States: Sharing good practices. Begging is an important area where trafficking is rampant and should be taken up seriously under the Act. Objective– To discuss the latest laws and judgments and their implications for investigation and prosecution. Initiative with railways on missing children. which is likely to go up even further Progress: About 122 cities have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status so far and a total of 739 cities will achieve ODF status in this financial year. experiences and also to know the good practices this will help to bridge the gaps in SBM Steps for increasing citizens’ participationSwachh Survekshan. Childline. New Juvenile Justice Act. protection and care of children— Children’s helpline i. Purpose. Gujarat and Kerala have committed to be 100% ODF by March 2017. Launch of ‘TARANG’ ‘e-Trans’ & ‘DEEP’ .drivers and change agents for social behaviour change Engaging nearly 20. thematic drives with citizen participation.For safety. setting up waste-to-compost and waste-to-energy plants for waste processing To encourage production of city compost from solid waste.e. Measures being taken by Government for safety. engaging students and Self-Help Groups. New Foster Care programme Reform of Adoption System Scaling up Citizens’ Participation in SBM (U) (Topic: Government policies and scheme and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) About- Union Minister for Urban Minister inaugurated a consultative workshop on Scaling up Citizens’ Participation in Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) {SBM (U)} to a ‘Jan Andolan’ in New Delhi.000 swachhagrahisacross the country to motivate communities to stop open defecation Intensive PR and social media campaigns being run continuously to engage with citizens to trigger and sustain their motivation to participate in cleanliness drives Creation of infrastructure. Three States – Andhra Pradesh.be it construction of individual and community/public toilets. Organised by- Ministry of Urban Development & Tata Institute of Social Sciences Help- To share ideas. Establish a Citizen Council for child safety— initiative of bringing citizens together for protecting children Steps taken by WCD MinistryIt will be starting a new initiative for providing birth certificates and AADHAR Cards to street children— will help street children obtain an identity for their future use to move ahead in life. it has now been made mandatory for fertilizer companies in states to purchase the compost produced by city compost manufacturers. setting up technology-enabled collection and transportation systems for solid waste. rescue and rehabilitation of children in the city of Chennai. facilitate waste processing into value-added products. India is now looking at a potential compost production of 23 lakh MT per annum by March 2017.Abhayam is an initiative of the NGO Dayaa Foundation. Russia. TARANG shall also include status of stalled/delayed transmission systems in country which would enable the stakeholders viz. regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and affecting India’s interests) About- 2nd Meeting of BRICS (Brazil. developed by Rural Electrification Corporation Transmission Projects Company Limited (RECTPCL). The provision of multiple progressive bidding based on the fuel choice has also been incorporated in the system. thereby significantly benefiting the ultimate consumers. Aim- To enhance transparency in power transmission sector of the country by launching TARANG- a powerful monitoring tool that tracks upcoming transmission projects and monitors the progress of Inter-State & Intra-State transmission systems in the country. and China & South Africa) Ministers for Disaster Management will be held in Udaipur. the time span of the complete bidding process and the cost of procurement of power is expected to be reduced substantially. would also be monitored through TARANG and help to meet our ambitious targets in same on time. ‘TARANG’ (Transmission App for Real Time Monitoring & Growth) Mobile App & Web Portalhas been developed by RECTPCL. for expeditious completion of such projects. Coal. ‘e-Trans’ & ‘DEEP’ e-bidding web portals. in New Delhi. 2nd Meeting of BRICS: Disaster Management (Topic: Bilateral. Better price discovery shall ultimately benefit the power consumers in India. an important component of our renewable energy mission. Introduction of the electronic platform shall enhance ease. 2016.(Topic: Government policies and scheme and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation) About- Union Minister of State (IC) for Power. Ministry of Power.. BenefitsIntroduction of e-Bidding and e-reverse auction process for medium term (1-5 years). under the guidance of Ministry of Power. all private sector transmission developers and PSUs like Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.web platform for e-bidding and e-reverse auction for Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) in transmission projects DEEPLaunch of the ‘DEEP (Discovery of Efficient Electricity Price) e-Bidding’ portal for medium term (1-5 years) purchase of power Portal will provide a common e-bidding platform with e-reverse auction facility to facilitate nation-wide power procurement through a wider network so as to bring uniformity and transparency in the process of power procurement. being developed through Regulated tariff mechanism as well as Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) route. State Governments. a subsidiary of REC Ltd. Green Energy Corridors. e-Trans. accountability & transparency and would boost confidence of investors in power transmission sector. Rajasthan on August 22-23. Focus on- . System of e-reverse auction is being introduced with concept of L-1 matching. India. New & Renewable Energy and Mines launched the ‘TARANG’ Mobile App. All the five BRICS countries have signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Declaration also acknowledged the fruitful discussions on natural disasters within the context of BRICS cooperation in Science. The Ufa Declaration signed by BRICS Nations at the 7th BRICS Summit on July 9. Industrial use of treated waterMoU was also signed to this effect between National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). 2015 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015. NMCG and IOC sign MoU for industrial use of treated water (Topic: Bilateral.Collaboration between institutions of respective BRICS countries in the area of flood risk management and extreme weather related events. and episodes of extreme rainfall– particularly in the context of a changing climate To identify opportunities for. A number of SDGs have specific targets related to Disaster Risk Management (DRM). regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and affecting India’s interests) About- Foundation laying of STP in Mathura which will provide treated water for industrial use. It also reiterated BRICS commitment to mitigate the negative impact of climate change. Technology and Innovation. Challenges for Disaster Risk ManagementMainstreaming DRR in key development sectors Capacity building at local level Strengthening of response mechanism Forecasting and early warning on floods and extreme weather eventsKey early warning challenges Highlights of recent scientific and technical developments Lessons learnt for ensuring last mile connectivity/community level action on early warning Disaster risk in a changing climate Emerging disaster risks as a result of climate change DRM practices evolving in view of emerging disaster risks in a changing climate. They are also parties to the adoption of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in March. . Flood forecasting and Early warning and emergency response To share experiences on current systems in each country for forecasting extreme weather events — heat and cold waves.Flood Risk Management Forecasting of Extreme Weather Events in the context of Changing Climate. 2015 identified the need to promote cooperation in preventing and developing responses to emergency situations. Objectives of this meeting areTo share experiences on flood risk management particularly with regards to Flood risk assessment. BRICS countries have identified Disaster Management as an important area of collaboration. Outcome ofRecognizing the common challenge posed by natural and man-made disasters. Human Resources) About-National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) of the Ministry of AYUSH will launch a National campaign on Medicinal Plants on 20th – 21st August. NMPBNMPB has been working for the growth and development of medicinal plants in the country since its inception in year 2000. Health Minister inaugurates 3rd World Trauma Congress (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of social sector/ services relating to Health. Need of such programRoad traffic injuries are among the three leading causes of death for people between 5 and 44 years of age.and middle-income countries. road traffic injuries are predicted to become the 5th leading cause of death in the world. marketing. 2016 at Jaipur. Human Resources) About- Health Ministry will soon come out with a National Injury Control Program to provide trauma healthcare and save lives of the lakhs of persons lost in accidents and to injury. Participants- Approximately 500 farmers who are cultivating medicinal plants from across the country will participate. resulting in an estimated 24 lakh deaths each year.5% of the Gross National Product (GNP) in the low. Every effort will be made to stop the flow of polluted water of Yamuna from Delhi to Mathura Vrindavan. quality and other activities under Central Sector Scheme for “Conservation. Objectives- To exchange ideas. Durgapura. Use of pressure technology in irrigation we would be able to save about 60 percent water of Ganga and Yamuna which will help to maintain good e-flow of water in these rivers. cultivation. Education. Unless immediate and effective action is taken. Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants” and Medicinal Plants component under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission for cultivation of medicinal plants. Campaign will be organised at- State Institute of Agriculture Management (SIAM). At present. in Jaipur. Benefit- Most of the stakeholders will be benefited through this event. mass causality incidents. research. experiences and lessons learned about the role of internationally accepted systems and protocols in the field of trauma care.Adoption of hybrid annuity mode by NMCG the complexion of Yamuna will change completely in Mathura-Vrindavan by the year 2018. NMPB to launch National campaign on Medicinal Plants at Jaipur (Topic: Issues relating to development and management of social sector/ services relating to Health. NMPB promotes medicinal plants conservation. Road injuries and deaths cause a colossal economic cost of up to 1. Education. and disasters. Latest statistic- . and these injuries are an important cause of disability worldwide. LTV for five years instead of two years.In India 52 persons died every hour in various accidents in 2014. the major causes of accidental deaths in India are “Traffic accident. $130.200 and Rs. Jains.100. facilities for education and employment.500 instead of existing amount of $30. About 2 to 5 crore more people sustain non-fatal injuries from a collision. Bangladesh and Pakistan. Rs. trained manpower and proper organization in a definite geographical area In-hospital trauma care infrastructure presently cannot cater to the needs of ‘multiply injured patients’ due to lack of trained manpower and resources Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Legislation is not uniformly adapted Only state of Gujarat has enacted it. As per the statistics quoted in the report of the action for road safety. etc. each year nearly 16 lakh people die globally as a result of a road traffic collision— more than 3000 deaths each day—and more than half of these people are not travelling in a car. and Poisoning” and “Accidental fire. Permission to apply for LTV from the place of present residence when the applicants have changed place without permission. India has the highest Road crash mortality in the world. Buddhists. Aim- To provide them fair opportunities for a more comfortable living and hassle-free movement and pursuit of economic activities within the territory of India. such as affidavit in place of renunciation certificate. Sikhs. PAN card and Aadhar number Allowing free movement within the State/UT where they are staying Transfer of LTV papers from one State to other Reduction of penalty amount to Rs. $230 on non–extension of short term Visa /LTV. namely Hindus. Lack of authentic data and trauma related research Non-existent or few rehabilitation facilities WTC1st WTC: ‘Rio de Jenario’ 2nd WTC: Frankfurt 3rd WTC: India Additional facilities extended to persons residing in India on Long-Term Visa (LTV) (Topic: Steps taken for upliftment of minority community) About- Central Government has extended certain facilities in last two years to persons from Minority community of Afghanistan. Parsis and Christians staying on Long Term Visa (LTV) in India. Ninety percent of road traffic deaths occur in low-income and middle-income countries. Important reasons of increased mortalityNon-availability of trauma systems which include care from the injury site till rehabilitation Pre-hospital care is absent in many states. which claim less than half the world’s registered vehicle fleet. . and in some states very primitive without the state of the art ambulances. “Drowning”. Government has decided to extend the following additional facilities to this class of LTV holdersPermission to open bank account Permission for purchase of property for self occupation and suitable accommodation for carrying out self–employment Permission to take self employment Issuance of driving licence. 5 bn. including new ports development. railway infrastructure and coastal shipping. Focusing on the total demand and supply situation of major EXIM flow of key commodities currently being handled by ports.Energy. Ports. Globally. maritime nations such as China. It is therefore essential for India to optimize logistics cost and identify capacity additions required at different ports to prepare for future traffic flow. Some of the key drivers identified for this are promoting coastal shipping of bulk commodities like coal.GS-3 India set to seize big opportunity in logistic costs saving through Sagarmala (Topic: Infrastructure. NHAI collaborates with PFC—Adopt a Green Highway Program (Topic: Infrastructure. (PFC) for plantations work on NH 7 in Nagpur region (Borkhedi – Wadner. South Korea and Japan have effectively used their coastline for ‘port-led development’.000-40.5 bn MMTPA by 2025 Establishing new trans-shipment port. Railways etc) About- National Green Highways Mission (NGHM) under NHAI has collaborated with Power Finance Corporation Ltd. setting-up coastal clusters for bulk commodities like cement & steel. Airports. MMTPA by 2025. Identifying the opportunity of increase in cargo traffic to 2.Energy. Airports. The origin destination study on cargo traffic projections & logistics bottlenecks lays emphasis on the need for creation of efficient infrastructure at requisite demand and logistic chain centres. setting up storage capacities at origin-destination ports to shorten turnaround time and developing adequate ship-repair facilities in the maritime states Scope of Sagarmala impliesPartnership with and support from key stakeholders Aligning with the government’s ‘Make in India’ campaign. India’s logistic cost— Currently 95% of India’s trade by value and 70 % by volume take place through maritime transport. creating dedicated coastal berths ports for coastal shipping. . Railways etc. Ports. and providing last-mile connectivity of ports with National Highways and Railway network.) Augmenting operational efficiency of ports & optimizing logistics evacuation can give boost to Indian trade and help seize the big opportunity of growth in Indian cargo traffic at ports which is estimated to increase to 2. Programme aimsTo change the way logistics evacuation happens in India Save logistics costs nationwide for cargo handling and evacuation through seaports Boost overall economic development through ports Empower coastal communities. the report suggestsOpportunities to optimize logistics cost for existing and future cargo capacities Capacity additions or reconfigurations needed at various ports to prepare for future traffic flow. private-sector participation through PPP models will be explored for developing port infrastructure. Roads.000 Crores per annum by optimizing logistics flows for key commodities by 2025. Study estimatesPotential to save around INR 35. Roads. The method can be used for limited water samples with errors due to conversion of Cr (III) to Cr (VI) and vice versa during transport and storage. indigenization of technology and developing new technology) About ChromiumChromium is widely used in various industries like leather. 3 are start-ups. 13 crore for plantation and five year maintenance under their CSR funds. transportation to the laboratory. storage and finally analysis. thereby enhancing livelihood opportunity. Out of these four agencies. NGHM has engaged four empanelled agencies to execute plantation and maintenance work. The later is toxic and the World Health Organization has classified it as carcinogenic and can cause stomach ulcers. Color chartColor develops within 5 minutes and the distinction can be made with naked eye. BARC develops portable kit for detection of Chromium-contamination of water (Topic: Achievements of Indians in science and technology. As per Indian standard IS10500 for drinking water. Power Finance Corporation Ltd. BARCBARC has developed a simple. institutions and individuals under CSR and Public Private Partnership for developing green corridor along NHs This will open new vistas for PSUs & Corporate houses to utilize their CSR funds for greening of highways and creation of ecological assets. chrome plating. Detection of Cr (VI)At such low levels is not only technically challenging but also expensive and time consuming since it involves collection of water samples from affected areas. Public Sector Units. Governmental organizations. steel. Procedure involves adding a specified amount of specific reagents to the water sample and identifying the developed color. the maximum permissible concentration of Cr (VI) in drinking water is 50 microgram per litre. which meets IS10500 as well as EPA criterion. Discussions with other PSUs such as Coal India Ltd and other corporates are under process to promote Greening of Highways. Chromium in the environment primarily exists as Trivalent Chromium Cr (III) and Hexavalent Chromium Cr (VI). . wood preservation etc. quick and cost effective kit for onsite determination of Cr (VI). It provides the much needed solution to measure the level of Chromium contamination in drinking water and tap water. and cancers and severe damage to kidneys and liver. paint manufacturing. lakes. has provided financial assistance of Rs. The agencies have been mandated to engage at least 70% work force from the local community.& Khatara – Kelapur) covering 87 km stretch. Adopt a Green Highway ProgramThis event is historic as this marks the first collaboration with the National Green Highways Mission – NHAI under their ‘Adopt a Green Highways’ Adopt a Green Highway Program is an initiative by NGHM to engage Corporates. user friendly. rivers as well as ground water. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends a still lower permissible concentration of 10 microgram per liter. For the proposed work in Nagpur. which is in line with the vision of PM to promote start-up India campaign. Untreated effluents from these industries cause widespread contamination of water as been reported in several parts of the country. elimination of use of sophisticated instruments for analysis. Petersburg in Russia Agreed on a road map for implementation of the Joint Action Plan where all have resolved to work together on exchange of Information/experiences on disaster management. BRO also plans to conduct numerous activities to create awareness amongst the people. launched a massive tree plantation drive in the Northern & Eastern states of India. . by way of organizing community participation. Roadmap for implementation of the three-year Joint Action Plan (JAP) for BRICS emergency services (2016-18) was also finalised. Aim is to protect the ecology and increase the green cover along the border areas of the Country Apart from planting of the saplings. Plantation DriveAlmost two lakh saplings will be planted across the country under this programme. environmental impact assessment) About- Border Roads Organisation (BRO). which is one of the premier road construction agencies of the country. Water samples can be immediately categorized as being safe or toxic for drinking from Chromium (VI) point of view. Kit provides several advantages including onsite detection and instantaneous results. the most important thing is to ensure their maintenance and care. 22nd Aug to 28th Aug. environmental pollution and degradation.For ease of comparison a color chart is provided with the kit. 2016 GS-2 BRICS Disaster Risk Reduction meet adopts Udaipur Declaration (Topic: Global grouping and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) Udaipur DeclarationUdaipur meeting has successfully adopted the Udaipur Declaration whereby have resolved to set up a dedicated Joint Task Force for Disaster Risk Management for-> Regular dialogue+ Exchange + Mutual support + Collaboration among BRICS Countries. under Ministry of Defence. competitions for children and by organizing a mini-marathon with the theme ‘Run for the Roads’ in the near future. JAP was agreed upon at the first meeting of BRICS Ministers for Disaster Management at St. Effort is also aimed at saving the precious life and land from soil erosion and consequent flash floods caused by the incessant rains and also to make the people aware about the importance of tree plantation. low investment on infrastructure for production of the kit. BRO Launches Ambitious Tree Plantation Drive (Topic: Conservation. easy availability of raw materials and very good accuracy for the intended purpose. 000 (22. Project will be implemented in three selected clusters. system and processes followed in other BRICS countries. signed during the Indo. into the Indian context. Need to adapt elements of the German VET system to the Indian context to ensure that skill training in India is closely aligned with the requirements of industry. Why Germany? Germany has been one of countries which is on top of the manufacturing and innovation pyramid and continues to develop most high end products. regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About New projectIt will run for three years starting August 2016 with a budget of EUR 3. German technical assistance will be used to- Enhance industry institute partnerships between Indian and German organizations. It has some of the best . need for adequate funding to deal with rehabilitation and reconstruction after a disaster and the impact of climate change on disasters are common challenges faced by all of us. which include the Automobile cluster in Maharashtra and Electronics cluster in Bangalore. use of advanced technology in providing early warning. the current BRICS chair. Meeting discussed the advances in technology and knowledge sharing amongst member countries to enable them in leveraging it to reduce disaster risk. Highlights the importance of forecasting and early warning systems to help authorities in alerting the communities as well as responding swiftly to a situation. Provides a competitive edge to German industry and businesses.German intergovernmental consultations on 5th October 2015 in New Delhi. mitigation and preparedness.research & technology exchange on forecasting and early warning for floods and extreme weather events and capacity building of stakeholders for disaster management. Deliberations have been very useful and the participating countries got an opportunity to learn about the disaster management structure. noted for its close linkages between industry and training institutions.6 Crores INR) – made available by the German Government and aims to foster conditions which will help create and improve cooperative workplace-based vocational training in India’s industrial clusters. Possible solutionsMainstreaming of disaster risk reduction. Indo-German partnership– India recognize the fact that Germany’s dual system is widely acclaimed as one of the best in the world. 2016. build capacity of local training institutions and foster industry linkages which will help adapt elements of the German dual system. India. will host the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa in October. Project will be implemented under the umbrella of the ‘Joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the field of Skill Development and Vocational Education and Training (VET)’. India and Germany join hands on skill agenda (Topic: Bilateral. Play an important role in supporting MSDE’s existing programmes to scale up apprenticeship training. Issues discussedBRICS nations have made a clear move from relief-centric to a holistic approach to disasters with a greater emphasis on prevention.000. km. Engagement of private enterprises. exemption of custom duty and graded royalty rates. 2016 at Pretoria in pursuance to the Inter-Government Agreement between two countries for cooperation in Science & Technology. As part of the new bid round 2016. . Interactive Meet for Discovered Small Field Bid Round 2016 held at Dubai. as carriers for skill development will be crucial for the success. workshops. Launch of a new bilateral partner programme at the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE). MoU will provide a mechanism and help in creating an ecosystem that will promote inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship at the grass-root level in both countries with particular focus on indigenous knowledge systems and Agriculture Biotechnology. Germany is pleased to support the “Skill India” and “Make in India” initiatives with a new bilateral programme on vocational education and training. This initiative under the broad policy framework of Hydrocarbon and Exploration License Policy (HELP) is in line with PM’s vision of reducing import dependency on oil and gas by 10% by 2022 in India. spread over 1500 sq. Other incentives would include no signature bonus. based on Revenue Sharing Contract Model replacing the earlier Production Sharing Contract Model. regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) About- Union Cabinet chaired by the PM has been apprised of the signing of a MoU between India and South Africa to establish cooperation in Grassroots Innovation. Partnership with Germany will help strengthen our skill development initiatives.working models in sustainable workforce development which is the reason for the country’s economic progress. and training on matters related to innovation Share open source technologies with each other and jointly develop projects (and including partnering with relevant industries in the respective countries) to assist innovators in converting their ideas into commercially viable innovations leading to joint technology development and transfer of technology for Societal benefit. no mandatory work programme and fiscal incentives such as no oil cess. regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests) Interactive Meet for Discovered Small FieldDirectorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH). MoUBoth countries will jointly organise various programmes such as forums. The recent budget allocations that have been made for promoting apprenticeship programs in the country will help our plans see daylight Germany is known for its excellent vocational education system that relies on the strong participation and engagement of the private sector. MoU was signed on July 07. UAE (Topic: Bilateral. seminars. Having a very long standing partnership with India. a single uniform policy would be issued for exploration and development of conventional as well as unconventional hydrocarbon resources. the technical arm of MoPNG highlighted the offering of 46 Contract Areas consisting of 67 small fields for exploration and production of oil and gas in India having 625 Million Barrels of Oil and Oil Equivalent Gas (O+OEG) inplace volumes. MoU with South Africa: To establish cooperation in Grassroots Innovation (Topic: Bilateral. including German firms. In case of End User i. the advantages of the operating environment in India. Integrating libraries across India and the Globe.e. and also discussed India’s positive upstream investment environment and the attractiveness of the Indian economy. Key HighlightsPresentations given during the sessions highlighted the key statistics and overall macroeconomic scenario of Indian economy with oil and gas focus. DAISY players or even in braille using refreshable braille displays. compared to other Asian economies. Sugamya Pustakalaya. and on the facilities and infrastructure available near the offered fields for the use of prospective bidders. He can access all the books in the library at a click of a button. including the largest international library. He can read the publications on any device of his choice. computers. Presentations were also made on the Indian Taxation Regime for E&P sector discussing the direct and indirect tax law pertaining to the oil and gas sector. He could also request for a braille copy through member organizations that have Braille presses.Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan).There were multiple presentations with regards to Ease of Doing Business in India as well as on details of the new bid round. tablets. Created by. was also informed. GS-3 Electropreneur Park bolsters domestic electronics manufacturing with early stage start-up incubation . he can skip the laborious process of looking for volunteers to read them to him or scan and edit them. He will need to be a registered print-disabled member with one of the member DFI organizations to download the book or procure it offline through their member organization. Books are available in Accessible formats for people with visual impairment and other print disabilities. A virtual data room was launched to assist investors to view geoscientific and geophysical data online—to help investors have a broad and initial understanding of the financial viability of the contract areas on offer and a facilitation cell to handle queries. The library houses publications across diverse subjects and languages and multiple accessible formats. A quick search on the Sugamya Pustakalaya will help him access the book of his choice at the click of a button. ‘Bookshare’.mobile phones. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with member organizations of Daisy Forum of India and powered by TCS Access.An online library for persons with visual disabilities launched (Topic: Government Schemes) About- “Sugamya Pustakalaya: A step towards an Accessible Digital India” (An online library for persons with visual disabilities) It is an online platform that makes accessible content available to print-disabled people. person with Print Disability The next time a person with Print Disability needs to read a book. managed by Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and implemented by India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA). ObjectiveThe park will focus on IP creation and Product Development to result in increased domestic value addition and will witness a unique integration of academia. recruit. GeM will enable Government buyers to make use of new technologies to procure goods and services in a more transparent. and create breakthrough innovations in the ESDM sector First training program on Government e-Marketplace (GeM) for Government users (Topic: Marketplace and government programmes) Participants- The training session was attended by more than 60 procurement officers from about 20 Central Government organizations based in Delhi and is the first such training program to be followed by similar pan-India training sessions for all the Central Government procurement officers. Taking the vision forward. Efficient supply chain An eco-system that will bring in a bouquet of shared services and facilities to the incubatees like Taxation. Government of India. development and commercialization for the products. ‘Digital India’ and ‘Design in India ‘along with ‘Startup India’ taken by Government of India have injected new hopes in India’s electronics system design and product development space. the Electropreneur Park is an Incubation Centre under PPP mode in the Electronic Systems Design & Manufacturing (ESDM) sector. industry. South Campus to incubate 50 early stage start-ups and create atleast 5 global companies over a period of 5 years. business counselling. etc. Electropreneur Park has been set-up at University of Delhi. incubate. promote. Initiative was taken by- Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). Electropreneur Park will develop. Legal. Best-in-class facilities- Initiative will provide the selected entrepreneurs with State-of-art laboratories as per international standard. Training. Finance. conceptualized at Electropreneur Park. Platform will also encourage R&D. interns. accountable and efficient manner and with the same ease and efficiency that is presently offered by e-commerce sites. innovation. Patent Search. ESDM mentorship by industry veterans and academicians. government and other incubation eco-system elements. EP will also provide access to funding agencies to facilitate seed funding for the promising ventures and ensure a smooth transition from an incubatee to a self-sufficient electronics company. Entrepreneurship in the ESDM sector in India and provide assistance during prototyping. About Electropreneur Park – Funded by Ministry of Electronics & IT (MeitY). Accounting. . mentor. produced through the scheme for India and other growth markets. What is GeM? GeM is a completely online and end-to-end integrated e-procurement portal for products and services that has been developed by DGS&D with technical support from NeGD.(Topic: Electronics manufacturing) About- Initiatives like ‘Make in India’. Delhi poised to get New Air Force Aerospace Museum (Topic: Infrastructure. States to initiate a drive against those who indulge in hoarding. these being authenticity (Quality). The museum has an average footfall of 500 tourists daily and exhibits details about combat operations undertaken by the IAF depicting IAF’s rich history since its formation in 1932 to present date. IAF presently has a museum near the technical area of Air Force Station Palam. Roads. Indian Council for Fertilizers Research- . This would ensure the fertilizers security of the country which is essential for the food security. Minister also emphasized on the issue of soil security and ways to compost initiative. Airports. black-marketing. should be discouraged. Aim- New Aerospace Museum is not only meant to preserve the glorious tradition of the IAF but also to create awareness in general public about India’s rich Aerospace heritage. The new museum would be ready for the tourists within 3-5 years. provide adequate storage facilities. there used to be shortage of urea. Indian Fertilizer manufacturers for running the plants at over 100 per cent capacity and achieving an all time record of 245 lakh MT urea production last year. contribution of the States in timely distribution.Energy. along with the display of various aircraft and equipment on the IAF’s inventory. The IAF believes that the Museum would be a popular tourist attraction and a landmark in India’s capital city. GeM has a potential to grow and will bring in a lot of credibility and comfort in procurement decision making within the Government. efforts should be made to further reduce this time span as time is money and ultimately the cost of delayed payment is born by the Government. Minister said that the timely imports. pre-positioning of the fertilizers. Enforcement of quality checksState Government officials to enforce quality checks on the fertilizers. blackmarketing and smuggling.It has been made mandatory on GeM to make payment to the vendors within 10 days of receipt of goods/services. diversion and smuggling of fertilizers. Shortage and recovery of UreaTill two years back. Railways) About- Delhi will soon have a sprawling new Aerospace Museum close to the international airport focused mainly on Nation’s rich aviation history. leading to its hoarding. undertake district level planning for supply of fertilizers. Aim- Government should be able to provide last mile timely availability of quality fertilizers at affordable rates to the farmers. since its inception. and take benefit of pre-positioning. The unethical practices of the retailers/companies to tag certain items for selling to farmers along with the required fertilizers. and cooperation of the Railways through Good Rake Movement also helped in making the fertilizer position comfortable in the country. ensure early turnaround of rakes. Government is reviving the sick fertilizer PSU and the basic principle of producing where it is being consumed. which was established in 1967. storage and supply) About- Union Minister of Chemicals & Fertilizers and Parliamentary Affairs has advocated a “3 A” approach towards fertilizers in the country. Ports. availability and affordability. Government planning to set up Indian Council for Fertilizers Research (Topic: Fertilizers. Research is very much required to discover and develop various means and ways of producing quality fertilizers. issues in Fertilizer Monitoring System and promotion of city compost. Regional Connectivity Scheme (Topic: Infrastructure. Nasik. Discussion on various other aviation related issuesThe subject of rehabilitation of slums (that have come up right next to the Mumbai International Airport) was deliberated upon in details. transportation. application.Government is soon planning to set up Indian Council for Fertilizers Research. Early operationlization of several available airports and airstrips in the State (like Shirdi. etc. implementation of Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme. thereby becoming the first state in the country to do so. quality control of fertilizers. Sholapur etc) also figured prominently in the discussions. fertilization and neem-coating of urea. Emphasis on timely completion of the project by following timelines for all sub-activities . State Government of Maharashtra and Airports Authority of India today signed a tri-partite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). on the lines of ICMR and ICAR. storage. Central and the State Government officials dealing with the various aspects of fertilizers discussed various issues concerning the sector including- Availability and supply of fertilizers. hybrid fertilizers. fortified fertilizers. nutrients and various combinations which are good for the soil. Kolhapur. State Government of Maharashtra has formally agreed to– Provide the concessions required from the State Governments in the Regional Connectivity Scheme. Research has a role to play in the all aspects of the fertilizer chain which includes production. availability. thereby kicking off the collaborative process of the three agencies coming together for successful launch of the Regional Connectivity Scheme.Civil Aviation) About- Ministry of Civil Aviation.