One Nation One Subscription:

One Nation One Subscription: Context The One Nation One Subscription (ONOS) initiative is a transformative step aimed at democratizing access to global scholarly knowledge for researchers and students across India. The initiative is aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the ViksitBharat@2047 vision, which collectively strive to enhance India’s research and education

Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan:

Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan: Introduction: On the occasion of the 9th anniversary of the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign), Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted the campaign's significant strides toward creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for persons with disabilities. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan, launched in 2015, marked a turning point in India's effor

Eklavya Platform: Online Learning for the Indian Army

Eklavya Platform: Online Learning for the Indian Army Why in News? The Ministry of Defence has launched the Eklavya platform, an online learning platform aimed at improving the professional education and training of Indian Army officers. This initiative is part of the Decade of Transformation (2023-2032) and aligns with the 2024 theme: Year of Technology Absorption. Key Features of Eklavy

Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and the Kakori Train Action

Centenary Celebration of the Kakori Train Action Event: The Government of Uttar Pradesh has launched year-long celebrations starting August 9 to mark the centenary of the Kakori Train Action of 1925. Special Feature: The ‘Kakori Shaurya Gatha Express’ will travel across various cities in Uttar Pradesh to educate youth and school children about the Kakori Train Action and its hi

Mental health of students

The mental health of students has become a major concern in India, with alarming rates of mental health issues and suicides, particularly among medical students. The National Task Force for Mental Health and Wellbeing of Medical Students recently submitted its report, highlighting the prevalence of depression and suicidal thoughts among students. Key Findings: High prevalence of mental he

Railway Board

Satish Kumar has been appointed as the new Chairman and CEO of the Railway Board, following the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). He succeeds Miss Jaya Verma Sinha, who was the first woman to hold the position and has now been appointed as an administrative member of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT). Key Points: Satish Kumar takes over as the top execut

National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS)

The National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS), launched by the Union Government of India on August 15, is an innovative AI-based platform designed to enhance pest management for farmers across the country. This initiative aims to improve agricultural productivity while promoting sustainable practices by reducing reliance on pesticides. Key Features of NPSS AI-Driven Analysis: The NPSS ut

National Task Force (NTF)

The recent spotlight on healthcare professional safety stems from the first meeting of the National Task Force (NTF) constituted by the Supreme Court of India, after the tragic murder of a postgraduate doctor at RG Kar Medical College Hospital in Kolkata. The NTF is tasked with developing strategies to improve safety, working conditions, and overall well-being of medical professionals across India

Guidelines to Prevent Stereotyping and Discrimination of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs)

Background of the Ruling In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court of India established comprehensive guidelines to address the portrayal of persons with disabilities (PwDs) in visual media, such as films and documentaries. This was in response to a plea against the film Aaankh Micholi for its derogatory portrayal of PwDs, although the Court decided not to ban the film or interfere with the Centr

NCERT’s New Report Card to Track Post-School Plans and Life Skills

About PARAKH National Assessment Centre-PARAKH: Establishment: Set up in 2023 under the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). Objective: To set norms, standards, and guidelines for student assessment and implement activities as mandated by the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020. Focus Areas: Capacity Development in Competency-Based Assessment: Project Vi

State of Food Security and Nutrition Report, 2024

Prepared By: FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO. Theme: The report focuses on financing strategies to end hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition in all its forms. Need for a New Definition: Challenges with Existing Definitions: Lack of Coherent Picture: There is no unified understanding of how financial resources are allocated to food security and nutrition. Multiple Definition

GLOBAL GENDER GAP REPORT 2024

The report is released annually by the World Economic Forum (WEF). It is based on the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI), which is a framework for benchmarking the current state and evolution of gender parity. The GGGI looks at 14 indicators across 4 key dimensions: Economic participation and opportunity Educational attainment Health and survival Political empowerment

An ambitious push for values, ethics in higher education

Context: The University Grants Commission (UGC) has been issuing regulations, guidelines and directives at break neck speed that some of the important ones miss drawing the attention of the higher education community. One such guideline is Mulya Pravah 2.0, a modified version of Mulya Pravah, which was notified in 2019.  Issues Associated with Higher Education System: Unethical Conduct:

Janaushadhi Kendras

Context: With the expansion of Janaushadhi Kendra to more than 10,000 centers the pharma companies are facing losses.  Generic Medicines and Their Impact on the Pharmaceutical Industry: The increasing prevalence of generic medicines is negatively affecting the growth of the domestic pharmaceutical market valued at Rs 1.9 lakh crore. Janaushadhi Kendra: Janaushadhi Kendras a

Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar

Context: The Prime Minister paid tributes to Savitribai Phule and Rani Velu Nachiyar on their Jayanti. Savitribai Phule Savitribai Phule was a Maharashtra-based social reformer and educator who, along with her husband Jyotirao Phule, played a significant role in promoting women's rights in India. Here are some key points about her life and work: - Born on January 3, 1831, in Naigaon,

National Youth Award 2024

Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has selected Bisathi Bharat of Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh for the National Youth Award (NYA) recently. It is an award conferred annually to individuals and voluntary organisations serving in the arena of youth development.

Ministry of Minority Affairs-Year review

The Ministry was carved out of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment in 2006. Objective- To ensure a more focused approach towards issues relating to the notified minority communities - Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Sikhs, Parsis and Jain. As per Census 2011, around 19.3% of the population belongs to minorities. Mandate- To formulate, coordinate, evaluate and review the over

PM interacts with beneficiaries of Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra

Context: Since its launch on 15th November, 2023, Prime Minister has regularly interacted with the beneficiaries of the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra all across the country.  The interaction has happened thrice through video conferencing (30th November, 9th December and 16th December). Also, Prime Minister has interacted with Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra beneficiaries physically on two consecuti

Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) portal

Context: Registration of youth on the Mera Yuva Bharat portal has crossed 35 Lakhs About the portal: The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has launched a tech-driven platform Mera Yuva Bharat (MY Bharat) portal, aimed at fostering youth development and empowering young people to lead positive change. Key Goals: Developing Youth Leaders: To nurture leadership skills and equip

Veer Bal Diwas

Veer Bal Diwas CONTEXT: Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare and Tribal Affairs Shri Arjun Munda participated in the historic programme marking Veer Bal Diwas at Gurudwara Saheeb Baba Deep Singh Ji at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand today. Veer Bal Diwas is commemorated annually on December 26th to honor the sacrifice of Guru Gobind Singh's four sons, who bravely fought ag

Warli tribe

The Warli are an indigenous of Maharashtra and Gujarat. The name "Warli" comes from the word "Warla", which means "piece of land" or "field". The Warli are considered by some to be a sub-caste of the Bhil tribe, and their history dates back to the 10th century AD. The Warli people speak Varli or Warli, an Indo-Aryan language.

IEC Campaign on Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN)

Context: The Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs has launched an Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaign for the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN). News: The campaign aims to reach 22,000 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) majority tribal habitations and families in 200 districts nationwide. PM-JANMAN was inaugurated on November 15,

OBCS AND SUBCATEGORIES

Why in the News?  The state of Andhra Pradesh has said that it would begin a backward classes census to gather data to better know the numerical strength of 139 backward-class communities in the state. This comes after the publication of the results of the caste survey in Bihar earlier this month. It has also raised the possibility that other states too wou

LEGAL ARGUMENTS FOR SAME-SEX MARRIAGES

Why in the News? The five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme court, which decided on the same-sex marriage case, in a 3:2 majority, held that non-heterosexual couples cannot claim an unqualified right to marry. Why is there a demand for legalising same-sex marriages? Navtej Singh Johar vs. Union of India, 2018- decriminalised homosexuality by striking off Section 377 IPC Put

Counting Caste

Counting Caste   Why in the News? The Bihar govt. has released the results of its survey of castes in the state, which was a result of unanimous decision of an all-party meeting in the state. It is the first such large-scale exercise where results have been made public (comprehensive caste data collected by Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, as well as the Union government

Bihar Survey

Bihar Survey Why in the News? The Bihar govt. has released the results of its survey of castes in the state, which was a result of unanimous decision of an all-party meeting in the state. The survey involved a 17-question form on caste, religion, and economic status. An app was used to collect the data for tabulation and processing. Key findings of the Caste survey: T

Smartphones in Schools

Why in the News? The UNESCO recently recommended a Universal ban on smartphones in the schools citing its potential of its negative impacts on Students’ learning outcomes. Over 1.2 billion people in India use mobile phones, with nearly 600 million smartphone users, which is expected to cross a billion by 2026.   Need for Smartphones in the digital era for school students:

Preserving Tribal Culture

Why in the News? The Odisha government’s Special Development Councils Model has achieved significant progress towards achieving Preservation of Tribal Culture. The Special Development Councils (SDCs) of Odisha: It was introduced in 2017 to preserve the culture and heritage along with economic development of 62 tribal groups in the state including 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal

Chapter 7: 5G Cyber Security Challenges

Introduction: 5G refers to the fifth generation of mobile networks. After 1G, 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, it is a new global wireless standard. It provides a new type of network capable of connecting nearly everyone and everything, including machines, objects, and gadgets. Internet speeds in the 5G high-band spectrum have been tested to reach as high as 20 Gbps (gigabits per second), while

Chapter 3: Potential of India’s Edtech sector

EdTech is the use of technology - either software or hardware - to improve teaching and learning. Smartphones with EdTech apps are now synonymous with education. The Indian ICT Revolution Over the previous quarter-century, the Indian ICT industry has expanded quickly. In fiscal year 2022, the industry's total sales will exceed $200 billion, with a workforce of 5 million people. It i

India's National Older Persons Policy

A Central Sector Scheme of the Integrated Program for Senior Citizens is operate by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (IPSrC). Data About Old Person The percentage of seniors in the population is expected to increase from 7.5% in 2001 to roughly 12.5% by 2026 and surpass 19.5% by 2050, according to the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister's (EAC-PM) Quality of Liv

Chapter 1: Initiatives for New India

Introduction The world is a massive gym where we go to build ourselves up. Swami Vivekananda India has one of the youngest populations in the world with 27.2 per cent of the nation's population belonging to 15-29 years age- group. Such a demographic dividend has the power to improve the country and boost living standards for all. The nation's youth will be a crucial resource for

Chapter 2: Nurturing Excellence of Our Yuva Shakti

Introduction Rig Veda: The youth are the ones who pave the way for a better world. India now has a youth bulge, with the median age being 29. Under PM Modi's vision for India @2047, young empowerment is viewed as a crucial first step towards building an empowered future. The working-age population in India, or those aged 15 to 64, makes up 67% (or 80 crores) of

Chapter 3 : FIT India: Towards a Healthy Future Introduction

With the enhancement of physical and psychological wellbeing, sports promote holistic development. Moreover, it enhances cognitive capacity. Students gain a solid understanding of core values through athletics, including cooperation, discipline, teamwork, fair play, and tolerance. Physical education and sports are incorporated into the curriculum as part of a comprehensive ed

Chapter 4: Youth and Health

Introduction Although there are different definitions of youth, those between the ages of 15 and 44 are generally regarded as youth. Thus, this age range encompasses early adulthood(15 to 19 years)  and late youth (20 to 44 years). One of the healthiest subgroups of the population is young people. The mortality and disease load is lowest for this age group. Nonetheless, there

Chapter 8: Youth Icons of India

Introduction The youth are an essential demographic and an essential force for development and change. They have the power to alter social institutions, affect markets, and create policy. These are essential to achieving the goals of AatmaNirbhar Bharat. Indian youth icons include people like: SUNDAR PICHAI He runs Google as its CEO and in the year 2022, he received the Padm