TRIUMPH IAS ACADEMY MUMBAI

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Rani Gaidinliu was a Naga Spiritual and political leader who led a revolt against British colonial rule in India. She was born on 26 th January 1915 at Nungkao, a Rongmei village in Manipur. Ranima, as she was known with respect and affection, had humble beginnings. At the age of 13 she came under the influence of Haipou Jadonang, the leader who launched a religious movement that sought to reform the Zealiangrong Naga communities. The movement grew into a political struggle to uproot British Colonialism from Manipur and the nearby Naga-inhabited area.           By the late 1920s, British officials began to view the political underpinnings of the movement with deep suspicion as they saw it as undermining their authority. After the execution of Jadonang in 1931, Rani Gaidinliu took up the leadership of the movement for independence. She was arrested in 1932 by the British authorities. She became a political prisoner ...

Index of Eight Core Industries (Base: 2004-05=100) June, 2015 1.         The summary of the Index of Eight Core Industries (base: 2004-05) is given at the Annexure . 2.         The Eight Core Industries comprise nearly 38 % of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).  The combined Index of Eight Core Industries stands at 171.2 in June, 2015, which was 3.0 % higher compared to the index of June, 2014. Its cumulative growth during April to June, 2015-16 was 2.4 %. Coal 3.         Coal production (weight: 4.38 %) increased by 6.3 % in June, 2015 over June, 2014. Its cumulative index during April to June, 2015-16 increased by 7.3 % over corresponding period of previous year. Crude Oil 4.         Crude Oil production (weight: 5.22 %) declined by 0.7 % in Jun...

The Educational Consultants India Limited (Ed.CIL) is a Government of India undertaking under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. It has established credentials in Education Sector for providing quality services. It is categorised as a 'Mini Ratna Organisation' by the Government of India. EdCIL as Public Sector Enterprise of the Govt.of India is duty bound to follow the Government guidelines in respect of financial norms. A joint feasibility study for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (Bullet Train) Corridor co-financed by India and Japan, which started in December 2013, has been completed in July, 2015. Government has initiated a feasibility study for Diamond Quadrilateral Network of High Speed Trains comprising of four sides i.e. (i) Delhi-Mumbai, (ii) Mumbai-Chennai, (iii) Chennai-Kolkata, (iv) Kolkata-Delhi; and both diagonals i.e. (v) Delhi-Chennai and (iv) Mumbai-Kolkata. During the year 2015-16, under Budget Estimates, Rs.600 crore have been alloc...

Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with an outlay of Rs.50,000 crores for a period of 5 years (2015-16 to 2019-20) to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level. Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources; and On Farm Water Management (OFWM) component of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. PMKSY is to be implemented in an area development approach, adopting decentralized state level planning and projectised execution, allowing the states to draw their irrigation development plans based on district/blocks plans with a horizon of 5 to 7 years. States can take up projects based on the District/State Irrigation Plan. All the States and Union Ter...

Government is encouraging the production of organic manure from bio-waste under the Capital Investment Subsidy Scheme (CISS) of “National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)”  programme.  Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided @ 100%  upto a maximum limit of Rs.190 lakh to State Govt./Govt. Agencies and @ 33% upto a maximum limit of Rs.63.00 lakh per unit to individuals/private agencies through NABARD as capital investment for setting up of mechanized Fruit/Vegetable market waste/Agro waste compost production unit of 3000 TPA production capacity. Government is encouraging the use of organic/bio fertilizer through various schemes/programmes viz: National Mission for sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)/Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY), Rashgtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Mission on Oilseeds & Oil Palm (NMOOP), National Biogas and Manure Management Programme (N...

The Government of India has recently launched three portals namely Participatory Guarantee System-India (PGS-India), Fertilizer Quality Control System (FQCS) and Soil Health Card (SHC). PGS-India portal :       PGS is a process of certifying organic products in accordance with the laid down standards and with active participation of stakeholders including producers/farmers, traders and consumers in the certification system. The PGS-India portal is a web based application having online facility for (i) Registration (ii) Approval (iii) Documentation (iv) Record of inspection and (v) Certification. It can be accessed at the URL www.pgsindia-ncof.gov. in . The portal enables small and marginal farmers to have easy access to the organic certification system. It also promotes transparency in the certification process and results in creation of a database of (i) Organic producers and (ii) area under PGS certification with due traceability....

The National Mission for a Green India aims at following: Enhancing quality of forest cover and improving ecosystem services from 4.9 million hectares (mha) of predominantly forest lands, including 1.5 mha of moderately dense forest cover, 3 mha of open forest cover, 0.4 mha of degraded grass lands. Eco-restoration/afforestation to increase forest cover and eco system services from 1.8 m ha forest/non forest lands, including scrub lands, shifting cultivation areas, abandoned mining areas, ravine lands, mangroves and sea-buckthorn areas. Enhancing tree cover in 0.2 mha Urban and Peri-Urban areas (including institutional lands) Increasing forest cover and eco-system services from Agro-forestry and Social Forestry on 3 mha of non-forest lands Restoration of 0.1 mha of wetlands and the eco system services thereof. The Central Government has approved National Mission for a Green India in February 2014 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for a total cost of Rs 13,000 Crore, having ...

Government has established the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) with a budget provision of Rs.350 crores for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17, with an estimated requirement of Rs.181.5 crores for financial year 2017-18. The objective of the fund is to assist State and Union Territories that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been appointed as National Implementing Entity (NIE) responsible for implementation of adaptation projects under the (NAFCC). The templates for project preparation and guidelines for implementation of the project have been prepared. The guidelines have outlined the objective, priorities, eligible activities, approval process, implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The focus of the fund is to assist adaptation projects and programmes to support concrete adaptation activities that redu...

The Constitution (122nd Amendment) (GST) Bill, 2014 Highlights of the Bill The Bill amends the Constitution to introduce the goods and services tax (GST). Parliament and state legislatures will have concurrent powers to make laws on GST.  Only the centre may levy an integrated GST (IGST) on the interstate supply of goods and services, and imports. Alcohol for human consumption has been exempted from the purview of GST.   GST will apply to five petroleum products at a later date. The GST Council will recommend rates of tax, period of levy of additional tax, principles of supply, special provisions to certain states etc.  The GST Council will consist of the Union Finance Minister, Union Minister of State for Revenue, and state Finance Ministers. The Bill empowers the centre to impose an additional tax of up to 1%, on the inter-state supply of goods for two years or more. This tax will accrue to states from where the suppl...

In this connection the Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IORARC), which is now known as Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) formed in 1997, by Australia, India, Mauritius, Oman, Singapore and South Africa provides an ideal platform. The Association was established with the primary focus on economic cooperation, to promote sustained growth and balanced development of the region and of its Member States, and create common ground for regional economic cooperation. At the 11th meeting of the IORA Council of Ministers that took place under India's Chairmanship in Bengaluru in November 2011, the members were unanimous in their approach to identify six priority areas for cooperation in coming years and those are: (i) Maritime Safety and Security; (ii) Trade and Investment Facilitation; (iii) Fisheries Management; (iv) Disaster Risk Reduction; (v) Academic and S&T Cooperation; and (vi) Tourism Promotion and Cultural Exchanges. We see IORA is as a...

“Suraksha Bandhan” drive aims to take forward the Government’s objective of creating a universal social security system in the country, targeted especially at the poor and the under-privileged. The envisaged social security initiative also includes the Atal Pension Yojana (APY) , launched along with the above two insurance schemes, which addresses the issue of old age income security by facilitating regular contributions during the working life of the subscriber for a guaranteed pension at the age of 60, with certain Government contribution for eligible subscribers who enroll by 31 st December, 2015. In order to build on the very encouraging response to the two very affordable and convenient to subscribe insurance schemes, namely the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) for accident and disability cover of up to Rs.2 Lakh at an annual premium of Rs.12 and the Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) for a term life cover of Rs.2 Lakh at an annual pre...

The Government of India and Reserve Bank of India signed a Monetary Policy Framework Agreement on 20th February, 2015. The objective of monetary policy framework is to primarily maintain price stability, while keeping in mind the objective of growth. As per the agreement, RBI would set the policy interest rates and would aim to bring inflation below 6 per cent by January 2016 and within 4 per cent with a band of (+/-) 2 per cent for 2016-17 and all subsequent years. The proposed reduction in fiscal deficit to 3.9 per cent of GDP in Budget Estimates 2015-16 is designed with a mix of reduction in total expenditure as percentage of GDP and improvement in gross tax revenue as percentage of GDP.

Introduction of the Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, gave its approval to introduce a new Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015. The new Bill will provide legislative framework for following new provisions other than the provisions in the existing Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which is proposed to be repealed: The main objectives of the proposed legislation are:- i. to establish the Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India; ii. The Bureau to perform its functions through a Governing Council, which will consist of its President and other members; iii. to include goods, services and systems, besides articles and processes under the standardization regime; iv. To enable the Government to bring under the mandatory certification regime such article, process or service which it considers necessary from the point of view of health, safety, environment, prevention o...

Launching the campaign, Shri Paswan said that the Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan initiative is extremely important and very relevant for all stakeholders, especially consumers. He said “food safety is an inseparable part of food security and no nation can guarantee food security if food in not completely safe. Food borne diseases which have severe health and economic consequences, both developed and developing countries can be prevented by food safety practices only”. Shri Paswan said that the initiative complements the widely popular multi-media campaign of his Ministry under the brand name of “Jago Grahak Jago” which empowers the consumers of its rights and demands. The campaign planned by CII and its partners including Consumer Organization VOICE, and National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), is an effort towards building a culture of food safety in the country. Under the campaign, nationwide sensitisation sessions on cleaning, hygiene & sanitation for safe...

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to a Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of National Agricultural Market through Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund (ATIF).   The Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC) will set it up through the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) by creation of a common electronic platform deployable in selected regulated markets across the country.    An amount of Rs. 200 crore has been earmarked for the scheme from 2015-16 to 2017-18.   This  includes provision for supplying software free of cost by DAC to the States and Union Territories (UTs) and for cost of related hardware/infrastructure to be subsidized by the Government of India up to Rs. 30 lakh per Mandi (other than for private mandis). The target is to cover 585 selected regulated markets across the country, with the following break-up: 2015-1...

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yoiana (PMKSY) The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval to a new scheme the “Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana” (PMKSY).  It will have an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore over a period of five years (2015-16 to 2019-20). The allocation for the current financial year is Rs. 5300 crore. The major objective of the PMKSY is to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level, expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (Har Khet ko pani), improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water, enhance the adoption of precision-irrigation and other water saving technologies (More crop per drop), enhance recharge of aquifers and introduce sustainable water conservation practices by exploring the feasibility of reusing treated municipal based water for peri-urban agriculture and attract greater private investment in prec...