Tag: India

NATIONAL mean a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state. CITIZEN is preferred for one owing allegiance to a state in which sovereign power is retained by the people and sharing in the political rights of those people.  the rights of a free citizen SUBJECT implies allegiance to a personal sovereign such as a monarch.  the king’s subjects NATIONAL designates one who may claim the protection of a state and applies especially to one living or traveling outside that state.

Center to introduce Bhagavad Gita in NCERT syllabus.

On Monday, 19 December, the Centre informed the Lok Sabha that the National Council of Education Research and Training (NCERT) should include Shlokas from Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and knowledge from Vedas in textbooks in Sanskrit from classes 11th to 12th. Besides, references from Bhagavadgita should be incorporated in NCERT textbooks of classes 6th to 7th. 

Annapurna Devi, Minister of State for Education, stated in a written response that the ministry formed the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) Division in the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) in 2020 with the goal of promoting interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary research on all facets of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS), preserving and disseminating IKS knowledge for further research and societal applications.

Minister Devi stated that NCERT has begun the development of National Curriculum Frameworks (NCF) where inputs from various ministries, departments, states, and union territories are invited from grass root levels. 

She added that the National Education Policy (NEP) 2022, paragraph 4.27, refers to Indian traditional knowledge that is both sustainable and strives for the welfare of all. She also laid emphasis on teaching the world the “Indian way of doing things.”

Nation to hold mock drill for covid emergency responses.

During a virtual meeting with health ministers and senior officials of states in view of the recent surge in coronavirus cases in some parts of the world, he said, “The Centre and states need to work in tandem and in a collaborative spirit as was done during the previous surges for Covid prevention and management.”

“A mock drill for an emergency response to deal with Covid 9 cases will be conducted at hospitals across the country on Tuesday, 27th December, the Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya will also be participating in the Mock drill,” official sources told ANI.The mock drill is being conducted amid fear of a Covid surge in the country in the wake of a spurt of Covid cases reported in China and other countries. The Union Ministry in India has started taking several proactive steps in this direction.

According to officials, travel guidelines have been revised and issued. 2% random screening of international passengers to be re-initiated from Saturday, December 24, the random screening charges will be charged to the passengers.

India doubled its steel production capacity in the past 8 years, to become world 2nd largest steel producing country.

India’s steel production has reached a historic level of 120 million tonnes per year making it the world’s second-largest producer of Steel, the government informed the Rajya Sabha.

Steel Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said India intends to double its steel production to 300 million tonnes per annum by 2030.

“There has been a doubling in the last eight years of steel production in the country, which has been historic and which is why we have become the second largest steel producer in the world today,” he informed the Rajya Sabha during question hour.

The minister informed that steel production in the country has increased at a historic level. In 2013-14, we had only close to about 60 million tonnes per annum production of steel, we are today at 120 million tonnes,” he said.

Health minister holds a meeting today on covid rising concern.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya today reviewed the COVID-19 situation in the country in view of a sudden spurt in cases in some parts of the world, and directed officials to be alert and strengthen surveillance. “Use a mask if you are in a crowded space, indoors or outdoors. This is all the more important for people with comorbidities or are of higher age,” he said. “Only 27-28% of people have taken precaution dose. We appeal to others, especially senior citizens, to take precaution dose. Precaution dose is mandated and guided to everyone.”

In view of the rise in cases in Japan, the United States of America, Republic of Korea, Brazil and China the Union Health Ministry, urged all states and Union territories to ramp up the whole genome sequencing of positive samples of Covid to keep track of emerging variants.

In India, more than 220 crore vaccination doses have been administered, including booster shots. Many got reinfected or have already been exposed to omicron, its sub-variants, and sub-lineages. As a result, many Indians have developed ‘hybrid immunity’ or ‘super immunity’, due to a combination of extensive vaccination and natural infection. Nevertheless, in view of the sudden spurt of cases abroad, the government is reviewing the situation and has directed all relevant agencies to be alert.

Central Government raised more than 4 lakh crore trough disinvestment since 2014.

The government raised over Rs4.04 lakh crore through disinvestment and strategic sale of public-sector enterprises (PSEs) since the Modi government came into power in 2014, the Finance Ministry said on 20 decm.

Of this, the largest amount totalling over Rs1.07 lakh crore through offer for sale in 59 cases. This was followed by a stake sale through Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF) in 10 tranches, aggregating to Rs98,949 crore. Strategic sales in 10 companies, including Air India, yielded Rs69,412 crore to the exchequer in the last 8 years. Share buyback in 45 cases fetched Rs45,104 crore.

17 CPSEs were listed since 2014-15, which yielded Rs50,386 crore. Of this, the initial public offering (IPO) of LIC alone fetched the government Rs20,516 crore. The additional market capitalisation of Rs7.31 lakh crore was achieved through new listings, the ministry said. Besides, the government has sold its residual stake in Paradeep Phosphate Ltd, IPCL, and Tata Communication for Rs472 crore, Rs219 crore and Rs8,847 crore, respectively. 

After Russia, Sri Lanka to use Indian rupee(INR) for internation trade.

India’s rupee trade settlement mechanism, which was set up by the Reserve Bank of India in July 2022, is attracting interest from more countries apart from Russia.

The mechanism is a means of using rupees instead of dollars and other big currencies for international transactions in order to promote growth of global trade with emphasis on exports from India and to support the increasing interest of global trading community in the rupee.

Dollar-strapped Sri Lanka and sanctions-hit Russia will be the first countries to use the Indian rupee trade settlement mechanism.

Sri Lanka has agreed to use Indian rupee (INR) for international trade. It comes days after the Government of India said it is looking at ways to bring countries that are particularly short of dollars into the ambit of Indian rupee trade settlement mechanism. Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) said it is waiting for RBI’s (Reserve Bank of India) approval to designate Indian rupee as foreign currency of Sri Lanka.

Tajikistan, Cuba, Luxembourg and Sudan have begun talking to India about using the mechanism, reported Reuters, quoting two sources and an official document. It has already been used by Russia following the imposition of sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.

Key points of UN COP15 summit held at Canada.

After four years of fractious talks, nearly 200 countries, including India, approved a historic Paris-style deal on Monday to protect and reverse dangerous loss to global biodiversity following an intense final session of negotiations at the UN COP15 summit here in Canada.

The UN Development Programme said the “historic agreement” meant people around the world could hope for real progress to halt biodiversity loss.

The main points include:

  • Maintaining, enhancing and restoring ecosystems, including halting species extinction and maintaining genetic diversity
  • “Sustainable use” of biodiversity – essentially ensuring that species and habitats can provide the services they provide for humanity, such as food and clean water
  • Ensuring that the benefits of resources from nature, like medicines that come from plants, are shared fairly and equally and that indigenous peoples’ rights are protected
  • Paying for and putting resources into biodiversity: Ensuring that money and conservation efforts get to where they are needed.

Furthermore, the framework also calls for increasing the amount of money sent to poor countries to at least $20 billion every year by 2025 which could be increased by $10 billion each year by the end of the decade. However, the document only calls for identifying subsidies by 2025 which can be reformed or phased out and work on reducing them by 2030. 

The draft comprised four broad goals and 22 targets addressing the protection of nature and sharing its benefits which included, the management of wildlife, working on the restoration of habitats and using less plastic. 

Indian Navy commissions guided missile destroyer INS Mormugao.

The Indian Navy’s latest  indigenous guided stealth destroyer Mormugao – which is armed with surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles and Barak-8 long range surface-to-air missiles – was commissioned.

INS Mormugao was built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL) as part of the Project 15B destroyers or the Visakhapatnam-class.

The ship is constructed using Indigenous Steel DMR 249A and is amongst the largest destroyers constructed in India, with an overall length of 164 meters and a displacement of over 7,500 tons. The ship is a potent platform capable of undertaking a variety of tasks and missions, spanning the full spectrum of maritime warfare. It is armed with supersonic Surface-to-Surface ‘BrahMos’ missiles and ‘Barak-8’ Long Range Surface to Air Missiles. Towards undersea warfare capability the Destroyer is fitted with indigenously developed anti-submarine weapons and sensors, prominently the hull mounted Sonar Humsa NG, heavy weight torpedo tube launchers and ASW rocket launchers.

The ship can accommodate a crew of 312 persons, has an endurance of 4,000 nautical mile and can carry out a typical 42 days mission with extended mission time in out of area operation.

Enhanced stealth has also been achieved, making the ships difficult to detect. With a significantly increased indigenous content, P15B destroyers are a hallmark of self-reliance in warship design and building, and a shining example of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The indigenous content in P15B class destroyers is 72per cent which is a notch above their predecessors P15A (59per cent) and P15 (42per cent) Class Destroyers, reaffirming the Government’s focus in the ‘Make in India’ programme.

The first Ship of P15B – INS Visakhapatnam was commissioned last year on 21 November,  2021. 

Russia remains India's top oil supplier for the month of november too.

Russia has for the first time emerged as top oil supplier to India replacing Iraq as refiners last month snapped up oil from Moscow fearing a price cap from Dec. 5 could hit supplies and choke payment avenues, data obtained from trade sources showed.

India’s oil imports from Russia rose for the fifth straight month, totaling 908,000 barrels per day (bpd) in November, up 4% from October, the data showed.

The Group of Seven nations, Australia, and the 27 European Union countries have imposed a price cap of $60 a barrel on Russian seaborne oil from Dec. 5 as the West tries to limit Moscow’s ability to finance its war in Ukraine.

India, which rarely used to buy Russian oil because of costly logistics, has emerged as Russia’s second biggest oil client after China as refiners snap up discounted crude shunned by Western nations since the February invasion of Ukraine.

Higher purchases of Russian oil dragged down Indian imports from the Middle East and member nations of Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) declined to the lowest ever in November, the data showed.

What is hooch tragedy, which is happening in Bihar recently.

The toll of dead in Bihar’s Chhapra Hooch tragedy has soared to 50, succumbing after consuming spurious liquor in the Saran district. People have died and several others hospitalised in India’s Bihar state after drinking toxic alcohol, authorities and local media said.

The deaths happened mainly in two villages in the impoverished eastern state, where the sale and consumption of liquor were banned in 2016 after women’s groups campaigned against poor workers splurging their meagre incomes on drinking.

Such bans are in force in several Indian states, driving a thriving black market for cheap alcohol made in unregulated backstreet distilleries that kills hundreds of people every year.

Hooch is a commonly used term for poor quality alcohol, derived from Hoochinoo, a native Alaskan tribe that was known to produce very strong liquor. Unlike branded liquor which is produced in factories with sophisticated equipment and rigorous quality control, hooch is made in more crude settings without any quality checks.

All that matters is to produce alcohol that will intoxicate, and hooch surely does that. The only problem is that if prepared incorrectly, it can kill. Importantly, it is near impossible to tell whether hooch is safe to consume before actual consumption.

Amid border tension with China, India tested Agni-V missile.

The test-firing of the missile from the APJ Abdul Kalam Island off Odisha coast came amid India’s lingering border row with China.

The Agni-V project is aimed at boosting India’s nuclear deterrence against China which is known to have missiles like Dongfeng-41 having ranges between 12,000-15,000 km.

Agni-V can bring almost the entire Asia including the northernmost part of China as well as some regions in Europe under its striking range.

While the test was carried out days after the clashes, it had been planned earlier. India had announced its intention to test a long-range missile and issued a NOTAM or Notice to Airmen well before the incident in Arunachal’s Tawang.

Notably, Agni-5 is the most advanced missile in the Agni series with a strike range of over 5000 kms. Apart from Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) Agni-5, the Indian armoury of the Agni series includes Agni-1 with a 700 km range, Agni-2 with a 2,000 km range, Agni-3 and Agni-4 with a 2500 km to more than 3500km range.

What the employees around globe, thinks of recommending their profession to the next generation? Look at the report.

India ranked the highest with 66 percent of employees stating that they wouldn’t recommend their profession to their children or any young person that they care about, while 67 percent wouldn’t recommend their employers, according to The Workforce Institute at UKG.

The report, ‘We Can Fix Work’, provides insights into what parents, family members and mentors are telling children about what they should value in their jobs and employers — urging future generations to let purpose, not money, guide career choices.

It found that on a global scale, nearly half (46%) of employees would neither recommend their company nor their profession to their children or a young person they care about, and a startling 38 percent “wouldn’t wish my job on my worst enemy.”

The report also stated that 45 percent of employees worldwide don’t want to work anymore. There has been a recent rise in the anti-work mindset, globally, owing to the pandemic as 77 percent of employees around the world want to spend less time working and more time doing things that matter to them.

It further showed that too much overtime affects the employee-employer relationship. If employees tend to work overtime more than twice per week, it strains their relationship with the employer and they’re even less likely to recommend their jobs or their companies to the next generation.

Take a loot at a report related to employability of Indians published by Wheelbox India Skill.

The employability of Indians has gone up in the last one year according to The Wheebox India Skills Report. As per its evaluation, half of the candidates – at 50.3% were found to be employable as compared to the 46.2% last year.

This report is a result of the evaluation of 3.75 lakh candidates or freshers who took the Wheebox National Employability Test (WNET) across India and the participation of 150 corporations from over 15 different industries in the Early Career Edition of the India Hiring Intent Survey.

It is interesting to note that the percentage of the employable women workforce stands at 52.8%, compared to 47.2% for men.

“The consistent rise in women’s employability over the past ten years is a positive sign of radical changes in India’s developing labour market. Increased participation of women at work will give industries an edge with key roles already being occupied by women as we go into 2023,” the report said.

"Success rate of Indian startups is higher than rest of the world" said the commerce minister.

The success rate of startups in India is relatively higher than the rest of the world, Union commerce minister Piyush Goyal said while answering a question in the Lok Sabha on 14th december.

The number of recognised startups has increased from 452 in 2016 to 84,012 as on November 30, 2022, the Minister said.
Startups are offered the funding at various stages of their business cycles through the Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS), Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), and Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS).

The SISFS has been approved with a corpus of 945 crore and has also been sanctioned for four years beginning in 2021–22. It aims to give entrepreneurs financial support for concept proofing, prototype development, product trials, market-entry, and commercialization.

Vande Bharat trains has faced multiple accidents with cattles since operation.

Indian Railways’ premier train Vande Bharat Express which now operates on six routes across the country has recorded 68 instances of animal hit in the last six months starting from June this year.

This information was given by the Union Minister of Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw in a written reply to the Lok Sabha on 14 December in a query to the number of incidents of Vande Bharat Express trains hit by animals in the last six months. Union Railway Minister in another reply said that the shell structure of Vande Bharat coach is made of high-grade steel. However, the coupler cover fitted in front of the Vande Bharat train as part of nose cone which provides aerodynamic profile to the train is made of fibre reinforced plastic to absorb the impact of hit.

Replying to another question, Vaishnaw said currently the Vande Bharat trains are running with sitting capacity with a maximum distance of 500 to 550 km and once the Vande Bharat trains with sleeping facilities will ply, the trains will cover longer distances