Punjab Mandi Board has decided to send a ‘digital form J’ on the WhatsApp number of farmers from this Rabi procurement season.   What is it? How it will be beneficial? The move, aimed at bringing transparency as well as empowering farmers, will make Punjab the first state in the country to provide digitised form… Continue reading J-Form

Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting has launched the Broadcast Seva Portal in New Delhi.   What is it? The portal will provide a single point facility to the stakeholders to request for required permission, registrations and licences. The Broadcast Seva Portal will reduce the turnaround time of applications and at the same time help… Continue reading Broadcast Seva Portal

As per the Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) data for India, India’s manufacturing activity grew at a slower pace in the country in March 2022 compared to February.   What does the data suggests? As per data released by S&P Global, Manufacturing PMI was 54 in March, falling from 54.9 in February. A figure of… Continue reading Purchasing Managers’ Index

Union Minister of Minority Affairs has launched the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM-VIKAS) to focus upon socio-economic-educational empowerment of minorities with special emphasis on artisan communities, women and youth. What is the PM VIKAS scheme? It is being implemented from April 2022. The scheme shall focus on the socio-economic empowerment of minorities with special… Continue reading PM-VIKAS Scheme

Recently, the United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA) flagship State of World Population Report 2022 titled “Seeing the Unseen: The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy” was launched.   Findings of the report – There are around 121 million or 12.1 crore unintended (unplanned or unwanted) pregnancies across the world every year,… Continue reading State of World Population Report, 2022

Union Minister of Tribal Affairs has informed the Lok Sabha about the functioning of the National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC).   About the NSTFDC – The National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), a PSU under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, extends concessional loans to the eligible Scheduled Tribe persons for… Continue reading NSTFDC

A Parliamentary Standing Committee has expressed its displeasure at the Central Government’s delay in categorising Denotified and Nomadic Tribes as Dalits, Tribals or Backwards.   About the Denotified Nomadic Tribes – DNTs are the tribes which were notified as criminal tribes under Criminal Tribes Act, 1871, by the British colonial government. Under this Act, millions… Continue reading Denotified and Nomadic Tribes of India

While hearing death sentence appeals since September 2021, the Supreme Court has repeatedly expressed concern over the manner in which trial courts and High Courts have carried out sentencing with very little (relevant) information.   Correcting the procedures – While the Bench headed by Justice L Nageswara Rao has commuted death sentences citing errors committed… Continue reading Death Penalty – ‘Bachan Singh Framework’

Union Minister of Civil Aviation has told the Rajya Sabha that 53 airports are included under Krishi Udan Scheme.   Background – Krishi Udan Scheme was launched in August, 2020 on international and national routes to assist farmers in transporting agricultural products so that it improves their value realisation. Krishi Udan 2.0 was announced in… Continue reading Krishi Udan Scheme

Nepal Prime Minister, on his visit to India, raised border issue with the Indian Prime Minister. However, he agreed not to politicise the border dispute matter. Nepal had in the last 2-3 years highly politicised the dispute over the Kalapani area, including passing a new Constitutional Amendment showing this region in Nepal for the first… Continue reading India-Nepal Border Dispute