. PATH of UPSC: NATIONAL G.K.

🔘

2.EMPLOYMENT

3.REPORTS

4.HEALTH & WOMEN

5.ENVIRONMENT

6.CORPORATION & INDUSTRIES

7.Science and Tech , Persons in news

8.BODIES

9.GOVERNMENTAL Official

1.ECONOMY

Methanol Economy Fund :

NITI AAYOG is to set up a Methanol Economy Fund worth Rs 4,000-5,000 crore to promote production and use of the clean fuel , aiming at generation of the fuel by converting high ash content coal into methanol and such a plant is expected to be set up by Coal India.

India imports methanol from Saudi Arabia and Iran at present.
Methanol blend with gasoline in low-quantities and used in existing road vehicles, or it can be used in high-proportion blends such as M85-M100 in flex-fuel or dedicated methanol-fuelled vehicles, can be used as a diesel substitute.

Methanol is a clean-burning fuel that produces fewer smog-causing emissions — such as sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter — and can improve air quality and related human health issues.
Methanol is most commonly produced on a commercial scale from natural gas.
It can also be produced from renewable sources such as biomass and recycled carbon dioxide.
As a high-octane vehicle fuel, methanol offers excellent acceleration and power. It also improves vehicle efficiency.

FSDC Financial Stability and Development Council

An apex-level body constituted by GOI as an autonomous, Non-statutory body dealing with macro prudential and financial regularities in the entire financial sector of India.
The recent global economic meltdown has put pressure on governments and institutions across the globe to regulate their economic assets hence the council is created as super regulatory body was first mooted by the Raghuram Rajan Committee in 2008.
It envisages to strengthen and institutionalise the mechanism of maintaining financial stability, financial sector development, inter-regulatory coordination along with monitoring macro-prudential regulation of economy.
No funds are separately allocated to the council for undertaking its activities.

Composition : Finance Minister as CHAIRPERSON, Other members are

Governor Reserve Bank of India (RBl)
Finance Secretary and/or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs (DEA),
Secretary, Department of Financial Services (DFS),
Secretary, Ministry of Corporate Affairs(MCA),
Chief Economic Advisor, Ministry of Finance,
Chairman, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI),
Chairman, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) —> HQ at Hyderabad,
Chairman, Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA),
Chairman, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI),
Additional Secretary, Ministry of Finance, DEA, will be the Secretary of the Council,
The Chairperson may invite any person whose presence is deemed necessary for any of it’s meeting(s).

Aims :

Financial Stability
Financial Sector Development
Inter-Regulatory Coordination
Financial Literacy
Financial Inclusion
Macro prudential supervision of the economy including the functioning of large financial conglomerates
Coordination with International bodies like Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Financial Stability Board (FSB) and any such body as may be decided by the Finance Minister from time to time.
The institutional structure for India’s Financial Inclusion/Literacy programme is unique as it has an apex body in FSDC, headed by the Finance Minister , mandated, inter alia, to focus on attaining financial Inclusion/Literacy goals.

Crisid Index or CriSidEx :

India’s First MSE Sentiment Index, has been launched by CRISIL and SIDBI.
Composite index based on a diffusion index of 8 parameters and measures MSE business Sentiment on a scale of 0 (extremely negative) to 200 (extremely positive).
have 2 indices, one for the ‘survey quarter’ and another for the ‘next quarter’
Its benefit is that its readings will flag potential headwinds and changes in production cycles and thus help improve market efficiencies.
by capturing the sentiment of exporters and importers, it will also offer actionable indicators on foreign trade.

CRISIL Credit Rating Information Services of India Limited :

Founded in 1987 as HQ at Mumbai. Also traded on BSE, NSE.
Global analytical company providing ratings, research, and risk and policy advisory services.
CRISIL’s majority shareholder is Standard & Poor's, a division of McGraw Hill Financial and provider of financial market intelligence

CEO : Ashu Suyash

UIDAI The Unique Identification Authority of India is a statutory authority established on 12 July 2016 by GOI under MEITY Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, under the provisions of the Aadhaar Act 2016.

Digital Life Certificate: Under ‘Jeevan Praman’ scheme, there is no requirement of pensioner to be physically present. Pensioner’s details will be accessed digitally through Aadhaar linked Digital Life certificate.
Aadhaar will be must for making transactions above Rs. 50, 000.
SEBI: Aadhaar is now accepted as a proof of address (including proof of identity) by SEBI for investing in stock market.
Mobile number: it is mandatory for all existing mobile subscribers (prepaid and postpaid) to link Aadhaar to the mobile number.

Aadhar can be used as a single proof of identity and address for any resident in India. Whereas the SSN (Social Security Number) is used to track worker’s earnings and keep a record of social security benefits to be received by them. Temporary workers are also allowed to obtain SSN in certain cases. SSN is based on demographic data.

UIDAI’s Blue Coloured New Aadhaar Card: also known as ‘Baal Aadhaar’ card for children below the age of 5 years. It’s data does not include biometric information like fingerprints and iris scan. Once the child crosses the age of five, biometrics should be updated.

OALP Open Acreage Licensing Policy :

is announced by Union Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas for oil and gas (including Natural gas, Shale gas), coal bed methane, gas hydrate etc. exploration by maximising the potential of already discovered hydrocarbon resources in the country.
In order to allow bidders to carve out areas where they want to drill, to help energy hungry India to attract greater investment to boost output.
It offers single license to explore conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources to propel investment in and provide operational flexibility to the investors.
The selection of oil blocks will be based on seismic and well data provided by Directorate-General of Hydrocarbons in National Data Repository which offers total of 160TB data of India’s 26 sedimentary basins.
part of the strategy to make India a business and investor friendly destination and cut import dependence by 10% and government will not micromanage, micro monitor with producers rather only share revenue.
Government will conduct auction of oil and gas blocks twice a year as Govt. will call for competitive bids after obtaining necessary environmental and other clearances.
The new policy will open up 2.8 million square kilometres of sedimentary basins for exploration and eventual production.
as part of the new fiscal regime in exploration sector called HELP or Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy

HELP Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy

is to reduce import dependency on oil and gas by 10% by 2022 and to promote ease of doing business in the oil and gas sector in India.
will replace the earlier New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) by enhancing transparency and reducing administrative discretion.
aims to augment domestic production of Petroleum and expedite the appraisal of Indian sedimentary basins by providing Investors a ready access to huge amount of Geo-scientific data available in National Data Repository (NDR), flexibility to carve out exploration acreages through an open acreage licensing process(OALP) and increased operational autonomy through a new Revenue Sharing model.
Marketing and pricing freedom for the crude oil and natural gas produced.
It opens up India’ entire sedimentary basin for investment from domestic and foreign players under a simplified, transparent and investor -friendly fiscal and administrative regime.
National Data Repository (NDR) manifested through an open acreage licensing (OAL) process will be a key facilitator by providing seamless access to India’s entire E&P data process through a digital medium to all investors with the objective of harnessing the potential of India’s large basinal area.

National Data Repository (NDR) is a data bank that seeks to preserve and promote a country’s natural resources data, particularly data related to the petroleum exploration and production (E&P) sector. NDR is a turn key project on Build, Populate and Operate basis. Below are the data classes of NDR:

Seismic Data
Well & Log Data
Spatial Data
Other G&G data like Drilling, Reservoir, Production, Geological, Gravity & Magnetic
Reports and Documents

National Data Registry (NDR)

An important step towards Digital India It will compile and serve metadata of different agencies and re-engineer the feature data sets for improving their use.
The registry will also serve as a source of authenticated information. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) will be the nodal coordinating agency of the NDR.
NDR will require all agencies state, private and academic, collecting and storing geospatial data to provide details of data they store.
The registry aims to create a catalogue that will prevent duplication of data sets and to help users locate the right agencies to source information.
It will be a ‘meta-data’ repository to only inform about the nature of the data a service provider has.
It can operate across a wide range of formats and can source information automatically. Thus, Survey of India can vet it for accuracy and see whether it contains information that contravenes national security.

Ending Coal India's monopoly, government opens coal mining to private sector firms — on Date 20 Feb 2018

CCEA approved for auction of coal mines for sale of coal, reform since its nationalisation in 1973 by Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973.
It will open coal mining for private sector firms and challenge state-run Coal India's monopoly as CIL currently accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output.
India have coal reserves of up to 300 billion tonnes. West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh are major coal bearing sates.
Benefits —> increase competitiveness, use of best possible technology, direct and indirect employment, foster economic development in the regions, lead to greater energy security. There will be no end use restriction or price restriction for coal that is mined from these blocks.
Coal will be sold in an e-auction to private domestic and global miners
help ramp up domestic production and reduce dependence on imports. Also will help in bringing down power tariffs.
Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 provides allocation of coal mines by way of auction and allotment for the sale of coal to bring transparency and accountability

Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Programme

To ensure energy security, GOI (in 1998 by Atal Govt.) had decided to set up 5 million metric tons (MMT) of strategic crude oil storages at three locations namely, Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Padur (near Udupi).
In the 2017-18 budget, the two more such caverns were announced to be set up at Chandikhole in Jajpur district of Odisha and Bikaner in Rajasthan as part of the second phase.
The construction of Strategic Crude Oil Storage facilities is being managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL), a SPV, which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB) under Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas.

Recently in 2016 India signed a deal with UAE that allows the Gulf OPEC country to fill half of the underground crude oil storage facility of ISPRL at Mangalore. Therefore, the UAE’s Abu Dhabi National Oil Company will store about 6 million barrels of oil at Mangalore.

IPESS Indian Petroleum & Explosives Safety Service

To remove acute stagnation in all grades and uplift the morale of the workforce and enhance its performance, it has been decided to form Group ‘A’ Service of the technical cadre of PESO in the name of IPESS and restructure the newly - formed service. The measure will enhance the capacity and efficiency of the organization and it will also enhance career progression of its Group ‘A’ officers.

PESO Petroleum & Safety Organization : HQ at Nagpur

A subordinate office under DIPP Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion(Ministry of Commerce) serving the nation since 1898 as a nodal agency for regulating safety of substances such as explosives, compressed gases and petroleum other hazardous substances in India.
The orgn deals with wide range of subjects related to explosives, petroleum, compressed gases, pressure vessels, gas cylinders, cross-country pipelines, LNG , CNG , Auto LPG etc
It administers the responsibilities delegated under Explosives Act 1884 and Petroleum Act 1934.
Procurement of raw materials for fireworks does not come under the purview of the Explosives Act.
The PESO has been testing samples of crackers only for adherence to the sound limit of 125 decibels at a distance of four metres.

RECENTLY Union Cabinet approved the Cadre review and formation of Group ‘A’ service of the technical cadre of Petroleum & Safety Organization (PESO) in the name of Indian Petroleum & Explosives Safety Service (IPESS).

FRDI Bill Financial Resolution and Deposit Insurance Bill, 2017

The Resolution Corporation will exercise certain powers including:

(i) classification of firms based on risk,
(ii) directing the management of a firm to return their performance based incentive.

Apply to banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges, depositories, payment systems, NBFCs, and their parent companies.
Establish a Resolution Corporation (RC) by replacing the existing Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).
Monitor the financial firms against market failure and also provide deposit insurance up to a certain limit, in case of bank failure.
Provides resolution instruments such as merger and sale, bail-in, bridge institution, and run-off entity for insurance.
Specified that bail-in clause will be used only if the creditor has given the consent for it and there is a provision for compensation in case of failure of adherence to the norms.

Bail-In Clause: Under bail-in, the Resolution Corporation can internally restructure the firm’s debt by:

(i) Cancelling liabilities that the firm owes(बकाया) to its creditors(ऋणदाता),

(ii) Converting its liabilities into any other instrument (e.g. converting debt into equity).

It is different from Bail-out where public funds are used to inject capital into an ailing(बीमार) company.

Bridge institution – It is a bridge service provider, a company limited by shares, created by the corporation for the purpose of resolving a specified service provider.

Run-off entity – An insurance entity under resolution is classified as run-off entity to allow the present insurance policies to run to their expiration dates.

Indian Extradition Act, 1962 :

It provides India’s legislative basis for extradition. To consolidate and amend the law relating to the extradition of fugitive criminals and to provide for matters connected therewith, or incidental thereto, the Extradition Act of 1962 was enacted.
It consolidated the law relating to the extradition of criminal fugitive from India to foreign states.
The Indian Extradition Act, 1962 was substantially modified in 1993 by Act 66 of 1993.
CPV Division, Ministry of External Affairs, GOI is the Central/Nodal Authority that administers the Extradition Act and it processes incoming and outgoing Extradition Requests.

Any offence punishable for one or above years is qualified for extradition.
India requested extradition of warren Anderson and Ottavio Quattrocchi who were foreign nationals.
India-has extradition treaty with 42 countries (including UAE)

Fugitive Economic Offenders bill :

to confiscate assets of those who flee the country and refuse to return after committing frauds in excess of Rs. 100 crore.
to allow Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the premier technical snoop wing under Finance ministry, to file an application for the declaration of fugitive economic offender for confiscation of their assets.
The courts under PMLA would be entrusted with the responsibility to try the case.
The bill has provision for appointment of an administrator to dispose off the property to pay off the creditors. Besides, the provisions of the proposed law will override provisions of other existing laws. The burden of proof for establishing that an individual is a fugitive economic offender will be on the authorities.

FIU-IND Financial Intelligence Unit – India

Set by GOI vide O.M. dated 18th Nov 2004 as the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analyzing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions.
Also responsible for coordinating and strengthening efforts of national and international intelligence, investigation and enforcement agencies in pursuing the global efforts against money laundering and related crimes.
FIU-IND is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by FM the Finance Minister.

The main function of FIU-IND is to receive cash/suspicious transaction reports, analyse them and, as appropriate, disseminate valuable financial information to intelligence/enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities.

EIC Economic Intelligence Council :

Formed in 1990, The apex forum overseeing government agencies responsible for economic intelligence and combating economic offences in India
The Council is also the apex of 18 regional economic intelligence committees, and is part of the Union Ministry of Finance.
Chairperson of EIC is Finance Minister of India.
Its chief members include RBI Governor , Chairman of SEBI & Directors of CBI, NCB and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.
Members from the Finance Ministry include the Secretaries of Finance, Revenue, Company Affairs and the Additional Secretary of Banking.

NFRA National Financial Reporting Authority :

will be established and functions as per section 132 of Companies Act 2013.
The powerful autonomous regulating authority will audit the auditors.
Proposed to be established as an oversight body to investigate matters of professional misconduct by chartered accountants or CA firms.
will set standards and will possess advisory as well as regulatory powers
will supervise the service of audit
can cease the CA(charted accountant) company for 10 yrs if found guilty
will act as Civil court as per Civil Procedure act 1908. It means , it can summon, possess fine and punish the defaulters.
It will work over SEBI and other hence cannot be overruled by others.
As per section 132 of Companies act 2013, Once NFRA start investigating a case no other agencies (SEBI , ICAI ) can interrupt or indulge in the case. Overall NFRA will be more powerful than NACAS, SEBI & others.
It is an independent regulator for auditing profession which is one of key changes brought in by the Companies Act, 2013.

NACAS National Advisory Committee on Accounting Standard :

was established under Companies act 1956 and have only advisory role and do not take any actions against auditors or defaulters functioning include scrutinise of balance sheet and profit loss of listed and non-listed companies
Body set up under Companies Act, 1956 by GOI advises the Central Government on the formulation and laying down of accounting policy and accounting standards for adoption by companies
ICAI has responsibility of preparing the accounting standards and recommend them to NACAS.

ICAI Institute of Charted Accountants of India

Formed on 1 July 1949 as statutory body established by an Act of Parliament of India, The Chartered Accountants Act, 1949′, to regulate the profession of Chartered Accountancy in India.
the second largest professional Accounting & Finance body in world
It works closely with GOI, RBI and SEBI in formulating and enforcing such standards.

NAAC

Finance Act, 2018 :

To amend PMLA, 2002 for widen its scope and take care of certain procedural difficulties faced by ED.
SEBI to get more powers to impose monetary penalties on important market intermediaries such as stock exchanges and clearing corporations and also act against newer categories of participants likes investment advisers, research analysts, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and infrastructure investment trusts (InvITs).
The capital markets regulator to impose a monetary penalty of at least ₹5 crore on stock exchanges, clearing corporations and depositories for non-compliance with regulatory norms.
SEBI to act against entities that furnish false or incomplete information to the regulator. Earlier, it could act only if the entity did not furnish any information.
The 3 whole-time members of SEBI have also been given additional powers to act against wrongdoers.
The Bill allows SEBI to impose a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh per day for the period of non-compliance.
Also allowed the regulator to pursue cases against the legal representatives of defaulters if in case a defaulter passes away during the course of regulatory proceedings.

On 9 April 2018 , NABARD came out with a ‘Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) Framework’ for regional rural banks (RRBs), much like the revised one the RBI unveiled for scheduled commercial banks nearly a year ago. The PCA will be invoked if RRBs breach trigger points on three parameters:

Capital to risk-weighted assets (CRAR) ratio,
Assets (NPAs), and
Profitability (ROA)

When an RRB is put on PCA, the bank’s management should identify the cause of deterioration and take corrective measures promptly.

“RRBs (1975 , Narsinghan Committee) are jointly owned by Central government , the State government concerned and sponsor (usually public sector) bank with the issued capital shared in the proportion of 50 percent, 15 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively. As at end-March 2017, there were 56 RRBs.”

PCR Public Credit Registry: will be an extensive database of credit information for India that is accessible to all stakeholders. The idea is to capture all relevant information in one large database on the borrower and, in particular, the borrower’s entire set of borrowing contracts and outcomes. It will be managed by a public authority as RBI and the lenders will have to mandatorily report the loan details.

PCR will assist RBI in

Credit assessment and pricing by the bank
Risk-based, countercyclical and dynamic provisioning of bank
Supervision and early intervention by regulator
Understanding the transmission of monetary policy working and bottlenecks
Restructuring the stressed bank credit.

Indian Stamp Act 1899 : for the charging of stamp duty on instruments recording transactions.The act was amended by "Enforcement of Security Interest and Recovery of Debts Laws and Miscellaneous Provisions (Amendment) Bill, 2016", passed by Lok Sabha on 2 August 2016.

Citizen's Charter is basically a set of commitments made by an organization regarding the standards of service which it delivers. It is an instrument which seeks to make an organization transparent, accountable and citizen friendly.

Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) :

nodal national agency responsible for administering Customs, GST, Central Excise, Service Tax & Narcotics in India
The Customs & Central Excise department was established in the year 1855 by the then British Governor General of India, to administer customs laws in India and collection of import duties / land revenue. It is one of the oldest government departments of India
Currently the Customs and Excise department comes under Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance

CBEC launched ‘SWIFT’ (Single Window Interface for Facilitating Trade) an initiative to speed up clearances for consignments and improve ‘ease of doing business.’

ICEGATE (Indian Customs Electronic Commerce/Electronic Data interchange (EC/EDI) Gateway) — a portal that provides e-filing services to the trade and cargo carriers and other clients of Customs Department.

PMKKKY Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana :

It focused on safeguarding the health, environment and economic conditions of the tribals & other affected persons in mining areas and providing them with opportunities to benefit from the vast mineral resources that are extracted from the areas where they live.
It will be implemented by the District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) of the respective districts using the funds accruing to the DMF.mUsing the funds generated by this contribution, the DMFs are expected to implement the PMKKKY.
The mining companies will need to contribute 10 to 30% of royalty for welfare of people directly or indirectly affected by mining.

DMF District Mineral Foundation :

Trust set up as non-profit body, in those districts affected by the mining works, to work for the interest and benefit of persons and areas affected by mining related operations.
It is funded through the contributions from miners.
operation comes under the jurisdiction of the relevant State Government
miners will have to contribute an amount equal to 30% of the royalty payable by them to the DMFs.
Every holder of a mining lease or a prospecting licence-cum-mining lease shall, in addition to the royalty, pay to the District Mineral Foundation of the district in which their mining operations are carried on.
Mines and Minerals (Development & Regulation) Amendment Act, 2015, mandated the setting up of District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) in all districts in the country affected by mining related operations.

On August 18, 2015; Odisha became the first state in India to issue rules for the District Mineral Foundation.

NMP National Manufacturing Policy :

In order to bring about a quantitative and qualitative change and to give necessary impetus to the manufacturing sector, DIPP has notified NMP with the objective of enhancing the share of manufacturing in GDP to 25% and creating 100 million jobs over a decade or so.
The policy is based on the principle of industrial growth in partnership with the States.
The Central Government will create the enabling policy frame work, provide incentives for infrastructure development on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis through appropriate financing instruments, and State Governments will be encouraged to adopt the instrumentalities provided in the policy.
DIPP has taken up the implementation of the policy in consultation with concerned Central Government agencies as well as the States.
National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) are an important instrumentality of the Policy.
These zones have been conceived as large integrated industrial townships with state-of-art-infrastructure; land use on the basis of zoning; clean and energy efficient technology; necessary social infrastructure; skill development facilities, etc. to provide a conducive environment for manufacturing industries.
So far 14 NIMZs have been granted in-principle approval outside the DMIC region, out of which NIMZs at Prakasam in Andhra Pradesh; Medak in Telangana and Kalinganagar, Jajpur district in Odisha have been granted final approval.

2.EMPLOYMENT

National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 :

also knowns as NREGA or MGNREGA

an Indian labour law and social security measure that aims to guarantee the 'right to work'.

The act was first proposed in 1991 by P.V. Narasimha Rao.

It aims to enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing at least 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work.

Another aim is to create durable assets (such as roads, canals, ponds and wells).

Employment is to be provided within 5 km of an applicant's residence and minimum wages are to be paid.

If work is not provided within 15 days of applying, applicants are entitled to an unemployment allowance. Thus, employment under MGNREGA is a legal entitlement.

It is to be implemented mainly by gram panchayats (GPs). The involvement of contractors is banned.

Labour-intensive tasks like creating infrastructure for water harvesting, drought relief and flood control are preferred.

It helps in protecting the environment, empowering rural women, reducing rural-urban migration and fostering social equity, among others.

It is hailed by the government as "the largest and most ambitious social security and public works programme in the world".

In its World Development Report 2014, the World Bank termed it a "stellar example of rural development".

Challenges of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) with respect to MGNREG Scheme :

Most of the unskilled labourers are illiterate and are not aware of banking system.

Since under DBT, the wages will be directly transfer into their bank account, the labourers feel uncomfortable to getting money from banks.

Connectivity of the banks and Post offices to the rural areas is still not properly accomplished which has been a hurdle for rural labourers to get benefit by DBT with MGNREGA.

Tendency of Labourers to get cash money in their hand by end of the day makes them unhappy with DBT scheme.

SCBTS Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector : approved by CCEA as new skill development scheme

covering the entire value chain of the textile sector excluding Spinning & Weaving in organised Sector.

It will have National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) compliant training courses with funding norms as per MSDE.
For all sections of the society across the country including rural, remote, LWE affected, North East, J&K by imparting skills in the identified job roles. Preference will be given to various social groups, SC, ST, differently abled, minorities and other vulnerable groups.
skilling programmes would be implemented through textile Industry , Reputed training institutions ,Institutions of Ministry of Textiles /State govts.

ROSL Rebate of State Levies : In a bid to boost employment generation in the employment intensive textiles and apparel sector the Government notified the scheme for Remission of State Levies on export of garments and made ups through the mechanism of rebate.

The two schemes have been merged under the Scheme for Rebate of State Levies on Export of Garments and Made-ups. ROSL, thus, makes the garment export more competitive.

NSDC NATIONAL SKILL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in India, works under MSDE.
A not-for-profit company set up in 2009 by Finance Ministry, under Section 25 of the Companies Act, it has an equity base of Rs.10 crore, of which the GOI holds for 49%, while the private sector has the balance 51%.
It aims to promote skill development by catalyzing creation of large, quality and for-profit vocational institutions.
It provides funding to build scalable and profitable vocational training initiatives

NSDC acts as a catalyst in skill development by providing funding to enterprises, companies and organisations that provide skill training. It will also develop appropriate models to enhance, support and coordinate private sector initiatives.

SSC Sector Skills Councils :

As Autonomous Industry led bodies through NSDC create NOSs(National Occupational Standards ) and QP(Qualification Packs) for each job role in the sector and conducting trainings.

Multi Skill Development Centre (MSDC), a CSR initiative of Airports Authority of India (AAI) in collaboration with NSDC and supported by Aerospace and Aviation Sector Skill Council (AASSC) was inaugurated in Chandigarh. The course curriculum and assessments of the training have been designed by AASSC in accordance with NSQF.

NSDF National Skill Development Fund :

set up in 2009 by GOI for raising funds both from Government and Non Government sectors for skill development in the country.
A public Trust set up by GOI is the custodian of the Fund.
The Trust accepts donation, contribution in cash or kind from the Contributors for furtherance of objectives of the Fund.
The Fund meets its objectives through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).

ICPB India Convention Promotion Bureau :

set up in 1988 under Ministry of Tourism to promote India as a venue for International Conferences and Exhibitions.
It is a non-profit organization, with members comprising national airlines, hotels, travel agents, tour operators, tourist transport operators, conference organizers, etc.
It participates in International Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) Tourism trade fairs like IMEX in Frankfurt and Las Vegas, EIBTM- Barcelona and AIME- Melbourne along with the India tourism overseas offices.

PMKVY : Skill development initiative of GOI for recognition and standardisation of skills. It will have industry relevant, skills based training. Also It will help the youth to get the job and track the scheme.

DDU GKY : A placement linked skill development scheme for rural youth , launched as component of NRLM National Rural Livelihood mission.

National Action Plan for skills development and training with a scope to increase employment for Differentially abled Persons with trainers from Govt and Non-Govt sectors and establish vocational rehabilitation centres.

National Policy on Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, 2015 aims to meet challenge of skilling at scale with speed and standard (quality) and to provide an umbrella framework to all skilling activities being carried out within the country, to align them to common standards and link the skilling with demand centres.

In addition to laying down the objectives and expected outcomes, the effort will also be to identify the various institutional frameworks which can act as the vehicle to reach the expected outcomes. The national policy will also provide clarity and coherence on how skill development efforts across the country can be aligned within the existing institutional arrangements.This policy will link skills development to improved employability and productivity.

EPFO Employees' Provident Fund Organisation

An orgn tasked to assist CBT Central Board of Trustees, a statutory body formed by Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 and is under administrative control of Ministry of Labour and Employment.
EPFO assists Central Board in administering a compulsory contributory Provident Fund Scheme, a Pension Scheme and an Insurance Scheme for the workforce engaged in the organized sector in India.
It is also nodal agency for implementing Bilateral Social Security Agreements with other countries on a reciprocal basis.
The schemes cover Indian workers as well as International workers (for countries with which bilateral agreements have been signed.
As of now 17 Social Security Agreements are operational).
It is one of the largest social security organisations in India in terms of the number of covered beneficiaries and the volume of financial transactions undertaken.
The EPFO's apex decision making body is Central Board of Trustees (CBT).
The total assets under management are more than ₹8.5 lakh crore ( US$128 Billion ) as of 18 March 2016.

On 1 Oct 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched UAN Universal Account Number for Employees covered by EPFO to enable PF number portability.

Medical benefits : In India, government provides this for its employees, and the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) provides it to private sector employees in respect of pensions and provident funds.

ESIC: Employees State Insurance Corporation

It is an autonomous corporation by a statutory creation under Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Employees’ State Insurance is a self-financing social security and health insurance scheme for Indian workers.
This fund is managed by ESIC according to rules and regulations stipulated there in the ESI Act 1948.
ESIC manages corpus for 1.2 crore subscribers for 65 industries with 10+ employees.

RSBY Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana for Unorganised sectors to cover health insurance and social security with maternity benefits.

Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Suraksha Yojana

a special social security scheme which includes Pension and Life Insurance, introduced by Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs( currently MEA ) for the overseas Indian workers in possession of Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports.
It is a voluntary scheme designed to help workers to meet their three financial needs: saving for retirement, saving for their return and resettlement, and providing free life insurance offering coverage for death from natural causes

NSAP National Social Assistance Programme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of GOI & administered by Ministry of Rural Development that provides financial assistance to the elderly, widows and persons with disabilities in the form of social pensions.

APY Atal Pension Yojana : operational from June 1, 2015

will be focussed on all citizens in the unorganised sector, who join NPS ( National Pension System ) administered by PFRDA Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority and who are NOT members of any statutory social security scheme.
Under the APY, the subscribers would receive the fixed pension of Rs. 1000 per month, Rs. 2000 per month, Rs. 3000 per month, Rs. 4000 per month, Rs. 5000 per month, at the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions, which itself would vary on the age of joining the APY.
The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years.
PFRDA has planned to conduct State specific Atal Pension Yojana (APY) mobilization Campaigns under the title “People First”. The People First campaign will be a series of campaigns conducted at various states across the country to increase APY outreach.
Central Government would also co-contribute 50% of the total contribution.

NPS (National Pension Scheme):

It was launched on the 1st of Jan’04 and was aimed at individuals newly employed with the central government and state government, but not including ones in the armed forces.
NPS currently manages corpus of 50 lakh people in state and central government organisations.
NPS is an easily accessible, low cost, tax-efficient, flexible and portable retirement savings account.
Under the NPS, the individual contributes to his retirement account.
NPS is designed on Defined contribution basis wherein the subscriber contributes to his own account.
Contributions in NPS :

Minimum Contribution at the time of account opening - Rs.500
Minimum amount per contribution - Rs.500
Minimum contribution - Rs. 6000/- per annum

It is open to any NRI, between 18-60 years complying with KYC norms.
PIOs/ OCIs are not eligible for the scheme.

GPF (Government Provident Fund):

The total number of Government employees is 2 crores (1.67 crores in State Government & Parastatal State Government Units and 33 lakh in Central Government & Parastatal Central Government Units)

NCLP National Child Labour Project : Under the project children in age group of 9-14 years should be withdrawn or rescued and will be enrolled with NCLP training centres. They will be provided education, healthcare, mid day meal before aligned with mainstream.

Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is for children under age group of 5-8 Years with formal educational system.

NSQF	Competency-based framework that organises all qualifications according to a series of levels of knowledge, skills and aptitude. Obtained through formal, non-formal or informal learning.
Recognition of prior learning (RPL)	Process used by regulatory bodies to evaluate skills and knowledge acquired outside for the purpose of recognising competence against a given set of standards, competencies, or learning outcomes. Certifying the skills acquired by construction workers through traditional channels but NOT Trainees.
ISDS Integrated Skill Development Scheme	introduced by Ministry of Textiles as a pilot scheme to address the critical gap of skilled manpower in textile industry through industry-oriented training programmes. The scheme is largely aligned with the common norms of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship MSDE.

Trade Union Act 1926 :

was enacted in 1926 and it legalizes the trade unions.
Any 7 workers could form a trade union and seek registration to take part in collective bargaining negotiations.
This act allowed unionization in both organized and unorganized sector.
By various amendments it is now established that:

A minimum of 10% of the labour workforce, or 100 workers are required to form a trade union.
75% of the officers in a trade union must be employed in the corresponding industry.
The second condition mentioned above makes it sure that 25% officers of the Trade Union are permitted to be mem

Hampers productivity and economic growth.
Lack of democracy in trade unions, leading to inexplicable behaviour of the unions and their office bearers.
Loss of person days in strikes and lock outs
Management needs to discuss with those who have nothing to do with the organization.
The process of registration of a trade union is not transparent. The right to register a trade union was at the heart of the Maruti strike, which went on for more than a month.

The first clearly registered trade-union : Madras Labour Union founded by B.P. Wadia in 1918,

while the first trade union federation to be set up : All India Trade Union Congress in 1920

Trade Unions :

The right to form trade unions and become its members are available to all Indian citizens who are legally eligible to work, i.e. children above 15 years of age.
Statistics on Trade Unions are collected annually by the Labour Bureau of the Ministry of Labour, Government of India.
Trade Unions in India are registered and file annual returns under the Trade Union Act (1926).
Statistics on Trade Unions are collected annually by the Labour Bureau of the Ministry of Labour, Government of India.
Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh is the Largest Trade union of India.
Largest Federations in the country represent labour at the National level and are known as Central Trade Union Organisations (CTUO).

NPC National Productivity Council:

Established by Ministry of Industry, GOI in 1958 as national level orgn to promote productivity culture in India
it is an autonomous, multipartite, non-profit organization(NGO) with equal representation from employers’ & workers’ organizations and Government, apart from technical & professional institutions and other interests.
NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an Inter Governmental Body, of which Government of India is a founder member.
Union Minister for Industry is President of NPC, and the Secretary (Industrial Policy and Promotion) is its Chairman.

NPC teams up with its clients to work out solutions towards accelerating productivity, enhancing competitiveness, increasing profits, augmenting safety and reliability and ensuring better quality. It provides reliable database for decision-making, improved systems and procedures, work culture as well as customer satisfaction both internal & external. The solutions can be all-encompassing or specific depending on the nature of the problem. The council also helps monitor, review and implement the identified strategies.

NTA National Testing Agency :

Union Cabinet has approved creation of National Testing Agency (NTA) as a Society registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, and as an autonomous and self-sustained premier testing organization to conduct entrance examinations for higher educational institutions.
The NTA would initially conduct those entrance examinations which are currently being conducted by the CBSE. Other examinations will be taken up gradually after NTA is fully geared up.
The entrance examinations will be conducted in online mode at least twice a year, thereby giving adequate opportunity to candidates to bring out their best.
In order to serve the requirements of the rural students, it would locate the centres at sub-district/district level and as far as possible would undertake hands-on training to the students
NTA will be chaired by an eminent educationist appointed by MHRD.

Payment Of Gratuity (Amendment) Bill, 2018 :

After the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, the ceiling of gratuity amount for central government employees was doubled to Rs. 20 lakh.
The Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972 allows for the payment of gratuity to employees in any establishment, factory, mine, oil field, plantation, port, railways, company, or shop employing 10 or more workers.
Maternity Leave Benefits: The amendment to the payment of gratuity law comes in the backdrop of Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 enhancing the maximum maternity leave period to 26 weeks. So, it means the maternity leave of 26 weeks will be considered as continuation of service for the purpose of calculating the amount of gratuity.

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

National Safety Council :

a premier, non-profit, self-financing and tripartite apex body at the national level in India.
an autonomous body set up by Ministry of Labour and Employment in 1966 to generate, develop and sustain a voluntary movement on Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) at the national level.
was registered as a Society under Societies Registration Act 1860 and as a Public Trust under Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950.
To fulfil its objective NSC carries out activities like organising and conducting specialised training courses, conferences, seminars & workshops; conducting consultancy studies such as safety audits, hazard evaluation & risk assessment; designing and developing HSE promotional materials & publications.

National Safety Awards are adjudged and declared every year by the National Safety Council.

3.REPORTS And AWARDS

Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation ( MoSPI) : Its Department of Statistics also known as National Statistical Office (NSO) has two wings CSO, NSSO.

Central Statistics Office (CSO)

Responsible for coordination of statistical activities in the country and for evolving and maintaining statistical standards
Activities are compilation of National Accounts; conduct of Annual Survey of Industries(ASI) and Economic Censuses, compilation of Index of Industrial Production (IIP), as well as Consumer Price Indices(CPI).
Headed by a Director-General who is assisted by 5 Additional Director-Generals looking after the National Accounts Division, Social Statistics Division, Economic Statistics Division, Training Division and the Coordination and Publication Division.
CSO is located in New Delhi. The Industrial Statistics Wing of CSO is located in Kolkata. Computer Centre under CSO is located in New Delhi.

National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)

It is responsible for conducting socio-economic surveys.
The surveys on Consumer Expenditure, Employment – Unemployment, Social Consumption (Health, Education etc.),Manufacturing Enterprises, Service Sector Enterprises are carried out once in 5 years.
And survey of Land and Livestock Holding and Debt & Investment are carried out once in 10 years.
Field operation division collecting primary data for all portion of economy.
Annual survey of industry (ASI) for industrial sector, agriculture statistics for agriculture sector and service sector data.
NSSO headed by a Director General is responsible for conduct of large scale sample surveys in diverse fields on All India basis.
Primarily data are collected through nation-wide household surveys on various socio-economic subjects, Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), etc.
Besides these surveys, NSSO collects data on rural and urban prices and plays a significant role in the improvement of crop statistics through supervision of the area enumeration and crop estimation surveys of the State agencies.
It also maintains a frame of urban area units for use in sample surveys in urban areas.

——> NDB National Data Bank of Socio-Religious categories is developed with a view to provide users access to all data, pertaining to various aspects of socio-economic life of population falling in different social/religious categories, from a single window.

here their link ..
http://mospi.nic.in/sites/default/files/national_data_bank/ndb-rpts-70.htm

MPLAD Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme :

Launched in December, 1993, to provide a mechanism for MPs to recommend works of developmental nature for creation of durable community assets and for provision of basic facilities including community infrastructure, based on locally felt needs.
Non-laps able Funds are released in the form of grants in-aid directly to the district authorities.
The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme.
The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works sanction funds and select the implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and monitor the scheme at the ground level.

i. The Lok Sabha Members can recommend works in their respective constituencies.

ii. The elected members of the Rajya Sabha can recommend works anywhere in the state from which they are elected.

iii. Nominated members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha may select works for implementation anywhere in the country.

Under MPLADS, the role of the MPs is limited only upto recommendation of works. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the District Authority to sanction, execute and complete the works recommended by Members of Parliament within the stipulated time period.

Dept. of Programme Implementation under MoSPI monitors the implementation of the various works/activities under MPLADS.

Prime Minister’s Shram Awards:

This national award instituted in 1985 by GOI have objective to recognise the outstanding contributions made by workmen as defined in the Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 in organisations both in public and private sector and who have distinguished record of performance, devotion to duty of a high order, specific contribution in the field of productivity and proven innovative abilities among others.

Such Four types of awards:

Shram Ratna: Rs. 2 lakhs and recognition of their contribution to their field (a Sanad)
Shram Bhushan : RS. 100000 and a Sanad
Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana: RS. 60000 and a Sanad
Shram Devi / Shram Shree: RS. 40000 and a Sanad

BHARAT RATNA :

Highest civilian award of the Republic of India, Instituted in 1954, given "in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order", without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex.
The award was originally limited to achievements in the arts, literature, science, and public services, but Govt. expanded the criteria to include "any field of human endeavour" in December 2011.
The recommendations for the Bharat Ratna are made by Prime Minister to President, with a maximum of three nominees being awarded per year.
Recipients receive a Sanad (certificate) signed by President and a Peepal-leaf–shaped medallion in copper;
There is no monetary grant associated with the award.
Bharat Ratna recipients rank seventh in the Indian order of Precedence.
First recipients of the Bharat Ratna were politician C. Rajagopalachari, philosopher Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, and scientist C. V. Raman, who were honoured in 1954.
First time it was given to Lal Bahadur Shashtri posthumously.
It was withdrawn first and last from Netaji Subash Chandra bose in 1991.

Padma awards:

One of the highest civilian Awards in India in three categories Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri
Instituted in the year 1954 are given in various disciplines/fields of activities, viz- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc.

Padma Vibhushan is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service;( it is a second degree honour).
Padma Bhushan is awarded for distinguished service of high order. (it is a third degree honour).
Padma Shri is awarded for distinguished service in any field. (it is a fourth degree honour).

The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day every year.

India Code Information System :

consists of all the Central Acts of Parliament as on Date right from 1836 onwards.
This includes all the Sections, Schedules, Short Title,Enactment Date and also very significant Foot-Notes in every act.
Search facility is available on the following fields:

Act Year
Act Number
Short Title
Act Objective

A Free Text Search is also available. but acts are not up-to-date.

SoCH awards: 6th Foundation Day on 20^thMarch, 2018 of BIRAC witnessed preliminary winners of the SoCH (Solutions for Community Health) awards with two themes, platform technologies for reducing disease burden (communicable and noncommunicable diseases) and sanitation and waste recycling.

‘Exam Warriors’: is a book authored by PM Narendra Modi for students facing exams. It aims to get through to students across the country on the threshold of examinations, and hopes to help them thread the needle with ease.

Samta Diwas : On April 5 , 2018 marks nationalist politician Babu Jagjivan Ram 111^th birth anniversary. It emphasizes on bringing about equality among all spheres of the society. He took part in India’s independence struggle and was founder member of the All India Depressed Classes League, an organisation dedicated to attaining equality for untouchables. He had also led the rural labour movement.

National Calendar of India :

a normal calendar with year of 365 days was adopted from 22 Mar 1957 along with Gregorian calendar for the following official purposes:

Gazette of India.
News broadcast by All India Radio.
Calendars issued by the Government of India.
Government communications addressed to the members of the public.

Dates of the national calendar have a permanent correspondence with dates of the Gregorian calendar, 1 Chaitra(first month of NC) falling on 22 March normally and on 21 March in leap year.

Kendriya Hindi Samiti

was constituted in 1967, chaired by Prime Minister
It is the apex policy making body which lays the guidelines for the propagation and progressive use of Hindi as official language of the Union.
The Committee of Parliament on official language was constituted in 1976 to periodically review the progress in the use of Hindi as the official language of the Union and to submit a report to the President.

World Hindi Secretariat (WHS), is the name of an international organisation representing countries and regions where Hindi is the first ("mother") or customary language, where a significant proportion of the population consists of Hindi speakers or where there is a notable affiliation with North Indian culture. The organisation was set up by the governments of India and Mauritius to promote Hindi across the world. PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the secretariat in Mauritius.

11th World Hindi Conference (WHC)

is being organized in August 2018 in Mauritius by Ministry of External Affairs while last time 10th World Hindi Conference held in Bhopal, India in Sep 2015.
The event, held once in three years, is dedicated to Hindi language. The main theme of the Conference is “Vaishvik Hindi Aur Bharatiy Sanskriti”.
The first World Hindi Conference was held in 1975 in Nagpur, India. Since then, 10 such Conferences have been held in different parts of the world.

The MEA has also set up the World Hindi Secretariat in Mauritius. The main objective of the WHS is to promote Hindi as an international language and further its cause for recognition at the United Nations as an Official Language.

NADA National Anti Doping Agency was set up as registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1890 on November 24, 2005 with a mandate for Dope free sports in India. The primary objectives are to implement anti- doping rules as per WADA code, regulate dope control programme, to promote education and research and creating awareness about doping and its ill effects.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is a foundation initiated by the International Olympic Committee based in Canada to promote, coordinate and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. India is one of the Foundation Members of World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) (1999-2002).

4.HEALTH & WOMEN

Primary Healthcare

Primary healthcare denotes the first level of contact between individuals and families with the health system.
It included care for mother and child which included family planning, immunization, prevention of locally endemic diseases, treatment of common diseases or injuries, provision of essential facilities, health education, provision of food and nutrition and adequate supply of safe drinking water.
In India, Primary Healthcare is provided through a network of Sub centres and Primary Health Centres in rural areas, whereas in urban areas, it is provided through Health posts and Family Welfare Centres.
The Sub centre consists of one Auxiliary Nurse Midwife(ANM) and Multipurpose Health worker and serves a population of 5000 in plains and 3000 persons in hilly and tribal areas.
The Primary Health Centre (PHC), staffed by Medical Officer and other paramedical staff serves every 30000 population in the plains and 20,000 persons in hilly, tribal and backward areas. Each PHC is to supervise 6 Sub centres.

Secondary Health Care

It refers to second tier of health system, in which patients from primary health care are referred to specialists in higher hospitals for treatment.
In India, the health centres for secondary health care include District hospitals and Community Health Centre at block level.

Tertiary Health Care

It refers a third level of health system, in which specialized consultative care is provided usually on referral from primary and secondary medical care.
Specialised Intensive Care Units (ICU), advanced diagnostic support services and specialized medical personnel on the key features of tertiary health care.
In India, under public health system, tertiary care service is provided by medical colleges and advanced medical research institutes(AIIMS).

ICDS Integrated Child Development Services Scheme :

It provides food, pre-school education, and primary healthcare to children under 6 years of age and to meet nutritional needs of pregnant women and lactating mothers.
Launched in 1975 but Morarji Desai Government discontinued it in 1978 but however from Tenth five year plan GOI relaunched it.
Tenth five year plan also linked ICDS to Anganwadi centres established mainly in rural areas to fight malnutrition and ill health and to combat gender inequality.
The following services are sponsored under ICDS to help achieve its objectives:

Immunization ——————————> by MoHFW
Health checkup ——————————> by MoHFW
Referral services ——————————> by MoHFW
Supplementary nutrition ——————————> by MoWCD
Pre-school non formal education ——————————> by MoWCD
Nutrition and Health information ——————————> by MoWCD

UICDS : Recently, rationalization, restructuring and continuation of below four child centric schemes of the Ministry under ‘Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services’ Scheme has been approved by the Government
(a) Anganwadi Services (in place of ICDS)
(b) Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) (in place of SABLA)

(c) Child Protection Services (in place of Integrated Child Protection Scheme)
(d) National Crèche Scheme (in place of Rajiv Gandhi National Crèche Scheme)

Anganwadi Services Training Programme under ICDS

Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the overall administration, management and monitoring of the implementation of the Scheme are being done by the respective State Government/UT Administration.
The training provided to the Anganwadi Workers (AWWs)/Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and the Supervisors at the Anganwadi Workers Training Centres (AWTCs)/Middle Level Training Centres (MLTCs) is a part of the Anganwadi Services.
AWTCs/MLTCs are run either by the respective State Governments/Union Territory Administrations or by NGOs under the supervision of respective State Governments/UT Administrations.
The Central Govt. releases funds to the State Governments/UT Administrations for implementation of the Scheme.
Management Information System (MIS) portal for Anganwadi Services Training Programme developed by Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) in collaboration with National Informatics Centre (NIC) for submitting applications/estimates by NGOs for carrying out Anganwadi Services (ICDS) Training through AWTCs/MLTCs.

Rapid reporting system (RRS):

A web based on line monitoring for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls(11-14 years).
Will facilitate the monitoring of the scheme and taking corrective measures by ensuring faster flow of information, accurate targeting of the beneficiaries and reduction of leakages. This Portal has been developed in collaboration with National Informatics Centre (NIC).
MWCD is implementing the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) in selected 508 districts across the country.
The scheme is being implemented using the platform of ICDS Scheme.
Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) are the focal point for the delivery of the services.
The Scheme for Adolescent Girls is a centrally sponsored scheme, implemented through Centre and State share in the ratio of 50:50, 90:10 for NE states and three Himalayan States and 100% for UTs without legislation.

National Nutrition Mission (NNM) :

Approved by cabinet with a three year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18.

To reduce stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia among young children, women and adolescent girls. To reduce low birth weight
Adding a strong ICT based Real Time Monitoring system
Will create synergy and link the existing nutrition schemes
Incentivizing States/UTs for meeting the targets
Setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres
Will be responsible for achieving ‘Mission 25 by 2022’
Involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation on nutrition through various activities
It will be funded by Government Budgetary Support (50%) and 50% by International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD aka World Bank).

NHP National Health Policy 2017

It aims at providing healthcare in an “assured manner” to all by addressing current and emerging challenges arising from the ever changing socio-economic, epidemiological and technological scenarios.
Also to raise public healthcare expenditure to 2.5% of GDP from current 1.4%.
It envisages providing a larger package of assured comprehensive primary healthcare through the ‘Health and Wellness Centers’.
It proposes free diagnostics, free drugs and free emergency and essential healthcare services in all public hospitals in order to provide healthcare access and financial protection.
It seeks to establish regular tracking of disability adjusted life years (DALY) Index as a measure of burden of disease and its major categories trends by 2022.
Easing drugs and devices manufacturing to promote Make in India and also reforming medical education.
It aims to reduce total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1 at sub-national and national level by 2025.
Aims to reduce infant mortality rate and Maternal mortality rate by 2020.
Reduce neo-natal mortality and still birth rate to ‘single digit’ by 2025.

——> DALYs express the premature death and disability attributable to a particular cause, and are made up of two components: years of life lost (YLLs) and years of life lived with disability (YLDs).

National eHealth Authority (NeHA) : set up in 2015 as a promotional, regulatory and standards-setting organization To ensure development and promotion of eHealth ecosystem in India for enabling, organization, management and provision of effective people-centred health services to all in an efficient, cost-effective and transparent manner.

Affordable Medicines and Reliable Implants for Treatment (AMRIT) scheme:

Aims to provide affordable life-saving cancer, cardiac drugs and medical disposables.
Its pharmacies offer an average discount of 63% on medicines.
launched in Nov 2015 and implemented by mini-ratna PSU HLL Lifecare Ltd (HLL) which will set up pharmacies at major hospitals across country to dispense the medicines.
Primary goal is to make available and accessible, at very affordable rates, all drugs, implants, surgical disposables that are not dispensed free of cost by the hospitals.

ICMR Indian Council of Medical Research :

Apex body in India for formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of oldest and largest medical research bodies in world. set up in 1911 as IRFA renamed as ICMR in 1949.
Funded by GOI through Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The Governing Body of ICMR is presided over by Union Health Minister.
ICMR’s 26 National Institutes address themselves to research on specific health topics like tuberculosis, leprosy, cholera and diarrhoeal diseases, viral diseases including AIDS, malaria, kala-azar, vector control, nutrition, food & drug toxicology, reproduction, immuno-Haematology, oncology, medical statistics, etc.
Its 6 Regional Medical Research Centres address themselves to regional health problems, and also aim to strengthen or generate research capabilities in different geographic areas of the country.
It priorities coincide with National health priorities such as control and management of communicable diseases, fertility control, maternal and child health, control of nutritional disorders, developing alternative strategies for health care delivery, containment within safety limits of environmental and occupational health problems; research on major non-communicable diseases like cancer, cardiovascular diseases, blindness, diabetes and other metabolic and haematological disorders; mental health research and drug research (including traditional remedies).
e.g. National JALMA institute for Leprosy & Other Mycobacterial Diseases, Agra , National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR), Noida are in UP.

MCI Medical Council of India :

first established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933 which was repealed and replaced with a new Act in 1956.
Statutory body for establishing uniform and high standards of medical education in India.
It grants recognition of medical qualifications, gives accreditation to medical schools, grants registration to medical practitioners, and monitors medical practice in India. The current President of MCI is Dr. Jayshreeben Mehta.
Its functions includes maintenance of standards in medical education through curriculum guidelines, inspections and permissions to start colleges, courses or increasing number of seats.
The NITI Aayog has recommended the replacement of Medical Council of India (MCI) with National Medical Commission (NMC). The decision has been approved by most states and after its approval by Prime Minister it will be proposed as final bill in upcoming parliamentary sessions.
Hence reform the MCI : Like a license-raj permit controller, MCI has for long focused too much on licensing of medical colleges and stipulating impractical conditions, while ignoring its other mandate of maintaining ethical conduct in the profession. It has failed to stop the sale of medical seats in private colleges for capitation fees going up to Rs.50 lakh.

Over the years, it has emerged as a single, all-powerful agency heavily influenced by corporate hospitals to provide accreditation to institutions and assess their quality, ignoring blatant conflicts of interest.

RECENTLY in News Medical Council of India (MCI) proposal to amend Screening Test Regulations 2002 has been approved by Health Ministry. It is now mandatory to qualify NEET to pursue foreign medical course.

IMA Indian Medical Association

is a national voluntary organisation of Doctors of Modern Scientific System of Medicine in India, which looks after the interest of doctors as well as the well being of the community at large and as a society registered under Societies Act of India.
was established in 1928 as the All India Medical Association, renamed "Indian Medical Association" in 1930 and HQ at Delhi.
It is With over 220,000 member doctorsthrough more than 1,700 active local branches in 29 States and Union Territories in India,it is the largest association of physicians and medical students in India.
The general control management and direction of the policy of the Association is vested in the ‘Central Council’ to which local branches send representatives and which meets once a year to lay down policies. It delegates its powers to a Working Committee (A representative body of all state Branches) for implementation of programmes and activities.This committee meets at least three times a year to execute various activities for welfare of members and the people in matters of health.
Indian Medical association is a founder member of World Medical Association.

NPPA National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority :

Organisation of GOI established, inter alia, to fix/revise the prices of controlled bulk drugs and formulations and to enforce prices and availability of the medicines in the country, under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995.
Also entrusted with the task of recovering amounts overcharged by manufacturers for the controlled drugs from the consumers.
Also monitors the prices of decontrolled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels.
NPPA fixes ceiling price of essential medicines of Schedule I under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) 2013.
It functions under the aegis of Dept. of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers.
Some medical implants such as cardiac stents and knee implants are considered as drugs under Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

Scheduled formation —> National list of essential medicines (comes under regulation of NPPA, 1871 medicines)

Non Scheduled formation —> which are not under regulation of NPPA.

CDSCO Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation

As National Regulatory Authority (NRA) of India it is under Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GOI
Under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, CDSCO is responsible for approval of New Drugs, Conduct of Clinical Trials, laying down the standards for Drugs, control over the quality of imported Drugs in the country and coordination of the activities of State Drug Control Organizations by providing expert advice with a view of bring about the uniformity in the enforcement of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
Further CDSCO along with state regulators, is jointly responsible for grant of licenses of certain specialized categories of critical Drugs such as blood and blood products, I. V. Fluids, Vaccine and Sera.

DTAB Drugs Technical Advisory Board is the highest decision-making body under the Union Health Ministry on technical matters.

Director General of Health Services (DGHS) is the ex-officio chairman of this statutory body which is constituted by the ministry under section 5 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.

Schedule H Drugs is a class of prescription drugs listed under Drugs and Cosmetics Rules,1945 which governs manufacture and sale of all drugs in India. These drugs cannot be purchased over counter without the prescription of a doctor.

QCI Quality council of India

set up as a public private partnership PPP model, where although National Accreditation body NAB was not owned by the government, yet it was supported by it and was exceedingly used as a third party agency to improve quality in departments and industry.
QCI came to be organized as an independent autonomous body that worked towards assuring quality standards across all spheres of economic and social activities.
Set up jointly by GOI with Key industry associations, i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) & Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry(FICCI) became the promoters of the organizers and QCI got established under Societies Registration Act 1860 in 1997 to provide accreditation services in various sectors for product, services and persons.
The Council is independent and works under the directions of its Governing Body (GB) having equal representation of government, industry and industry associations.
It does NOT get funded by Government and is a self-sustaining non-profit organization with its own Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Rules. QCI is governed by a Council comprising of 38 members including the Chairman and Secretary General.
Chairman of QCI is nominated by Prime Minister of India and is a non-executive post.

National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH)

set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organisations.
The board is structured to cater to much desired needs of the consumers and to set benchmarks for progress of health industry.
The board while being supported by all stakeholders including industry, consumers, government, has full functional autonomy in its operation.
NABH also follows a internationally accepted benchmark of quality and is a member of the International Society for Quality ISQua.

Besides the Boards, which have their own functional governance structure, there are divisions which predominantly play a crucial role in implementing projects of the government or the Industry. These divisions are housed in the QCI, and the work is overseen directly by the officers of the Council. These divisions report directly to the Secretary General. These divisions include:

1. Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Division

2. Project Analysis and documentation Division (PADD)

3. Project Planning and Implementation Division (PPID) for speeding up assessment to implementation of projects in national interest.

Accreditation : Process or action by which officially recognising someone or declaring or giving a status to someone.

“Financial Support to MSMEs in ZED Certification Scheme”

The objective of the scheme for promotion of Zero Defect and Zero Effect (ZED) manufacturing amongst MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises) and ZED Assessment for their certification.

Quality Council of India (QCI) is the National Monitoring & Implementing Unit (NMIU) for implementation of ZED.

NCPEDP National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People:

an unusual entity both within the NGO community and among institutions working in the area of disability
NCPEDP is a cross-disability, non-profit organization, working as an interface between Government, Industry, International Agencies, and the Voluntary Sector towards empowerment of persons with disabilities.
NCPEDP advocates for the need to move away from traditionally held views of charity and welfare to those of productivity and enabling of disabled people.

Passive euthanasia means withdrawing life support to induce death in a natural way. In contrast, active euthanasia means injecting legal drugs to induce death.

Passive euthanasia is legal in India. 7 March 2011 SC legalised passive euthanasia by means of the withdrawal of life support to patients in a permanent vegetative state.Forms of Active euthanasia, including the administration of lethal compounds, are illegal in India.

Passive euthanasia is at some extent logical if provided with substantive evidence of medically critical chances. But active euthanasia is a kind of promotion to social evil . This can be treated as opportunity to victimize people. And ethically the idea of courage to survive in opposite circumstances will be demotivated, leading to induce people to quit who are mentally frustrated

Right to die peacefully is part of Fundamental Right to Life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. Article 21 provides that “no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law”.

Prayopavesa is a practice in Hinduism that denotes the suicide by fasting of a person, who has no desire or ambition left.

Santhara, Samadhi-marana is a supplementary vow to ethical code of conduct of Jainism. It is the religious practice of voluntarily fasting to death by gradually reducing the intake of food and liquids.

NCPCR National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)

a statutory body established under Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act in December 2005.
The commission works under the aegis of MoWCD Min. of Women and Child development
Its Mandate is “to ensure that all Laws, Policies, Programmes, and Administrative Mechanisms are in consonance with the Child Rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Definition of a child: As defined by the commission, child includes those up to the age of 18 years.

FSSAI Food Safety and Standards Authority of India : HQ at New Delhi

Autonomous body established under MoH&FW Ministry of Health & Family Welfare under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 which consolidates various acts & orders that have hitherto handled food related issues in various Ministries and Departments.
It is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.
It was created for laying down science based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.
Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GOI is Administrative Ministry for the implementation of FSSAI.
The Chairperson and CEO of FSSAI are appointed by GOI. The Chairperson is in the rank of Secretary to GOI.

Ashish Bahuguna is the current Chairperson for FSSAI and Pawan Kumar Agarwal is the current CEO for FSSAI

Ministry of AYUSH :

formed on 9th Nov 2014 to ensure the optimal development and propagation of AYUSH systems of health care.
Earlier it was known as the Department of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H) which was created in Mar 1995 and renamed as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in Nov 2003, with focused attention for development of Education and Research in Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
Efforts of Ministry of AYUSH to promote Yoga in India and abroad :

It has constituted a National Board for Promotion and Development of Yoga & Naturopathy (NBPDYN) for regulation of education & practice of Yoga & Naturopathy.
It has developed a scheme for voluntary certification of Yoga professionals in association with Quality Council of India (QCI)

Ayurveda : Life in Ayurveda is conceived as the union of body, senses, mind and soul. The living man is a conglomeration of 3 humors (Vata, Pitta & Kapha), 7 basic tissues (Rasa, Rakta, Mansa, Meda, Asthi, Majja & Shukra) and the waste products of the body i.e. mala, mutra and sweda. Thus the total body matrix comprises of 3 humors, 7 tissues and 3 waste products of the body. The growth and decay of this body matrix and its constituents revolve around food which gets processed into humors, tissues and wastes. Ingestion, digestion, absorption, assimilation and metabolism of food have an interplay in health and disease which are significantly affected by psychological mechanisms as well as by bio - fire (Agni).

Panchamahabhutas : earth, water, fire, air and vacuum (ether)

Treatment of disease by Ayurveda

Shodhana therapy (Purification Treatment)
Shamana therapy (Palliative Treatment)
Pathya Vyavastha (Prescription of diet and activity)
Nidan Parivarjan (Avoidance of disease causing and aggravating factors)
Satvavajaya (Psychotherapy)
Rasayana therapy (use of immuno - modulators and rejuvenation medicines)

—> All india institute of ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi.

Naturopathy is an art and science of healthy living and a drugless system of healing based on well founded philosophy. It has its own concept of health and disease and also principle of treatment. According to Naturopathy, “Food is only the Medicine”, no external medications are used. Performing prayer according to one’s spiritual faith is an important part of treatment (According to Gandhiji “Rama Nama" is the best Natural Treatment). Modern Naturopathy movement was started in Germany and other western countries with Water Cure (Hydrotherapy) therapy.

Unani System of Medicine has a long and impressive record in India & was introduced in India by the Arabs and Persians sometime around the 11th century. Today, India is one of the leading countries in so for as the practice of Unani medicine is concerned. It has the largest number of Unani educational, research and health care institutions. Unani system originated in Greece laid by Hippocrates.

There is National Institute of Unani Medicine, Bangalore.
As per Avicenna, one of greatest scholars of Unani Tabb , Human body is considered to be made up of the following 7 components:

Arkan (Elements)
Mizaj (Temperament)
Akhlat (Humors)
Aaza (Organs)
Arwah (Spirits)
Quwa (Faculties)
Afaal (Functions)
Arkan (Elements)

Siddha system is one of the oldest systems of medicine in India . The term Siddha means achievements and Siddhars were saintly persons who achieved results in medicine. 18 Siddhars were said to have contributed towards the development of this medical system. Siddha literature is in Tamil and it is practised largely in Tamil speaking part of India and abroad. The Siddha System is largely therapeutic in nature.

This principles and doctrines of this system, both fundamental and applied, have a close similarity to Ayurveda, with specialization in Iatro-chemistry. National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Chennai is an autonomous organization under control of Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,

National Institute of Homoeopathy (NIH) Kolkata was established on 10 December 1975 in Kolkata as an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,

‘Sowa-Rigpa’ : Tibetan system of medicine “Sowa-Rigpa” commonly known as Tibetan system of medicine is one of the oldest, Living and well documented medical tradition of the world. It has been originated from Tibet and popularly practice in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia and Russia. The majority of theory and practice of Sowa-Rigpa is similar to “Ayurveda”.

5.ENVIRONMENT & Tribal

India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2017

started in 1987 prepared by Forest Survey of India (FSI) after every two yrs i.e. biennial.
Released by MoEFCC, revealed that total forest and cover in India has increased of 8,021 sq km which is 1% increase from 2015. (in the forest cover as 6,778 sq km and tree cover as 1,243 sq km)
Total forest and tree cover is 24.39% of geographical area of the country.
The increase in Very Dense Forest (VDF) which absorbs maximum carbon direct from the atmosphere, followed by increase in forest cover in open forest.
3 states – Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala – have shown the maximum increase in forest cover but it is decreased in Mizoram, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura and Meghalaya in 2017.
Increase in the extent of water bodies except Arunachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
MP has largest forest cover in the country in terms of area, followed by Arunachal Pradesh and Chhattisgarh but In terms of percentage Lakshadweep (90.33%) has highest forest cover, Mizoram (86.27%) and A & N Island.
India is ranked 10th in world, with 24.4% of land area under forest and cover, even though it accounts for 2.4% of the world surface area and sustain needs of 17% of human and 18% livestock population.
India was placed 8th in list of Top Ten nations reporting the greatest annual net gain in forest area.

Mangrove: Total mangrove forests have increased by 181sq kms. 7 out of the 12 mangrove states have shown an increase in mangrove cover and none of them show any negative change.
Bamboo Cover: There has been an increase of 1.73 million ha in bamboo areas.

BAMBOO IS NO LONGER A TREE :

President has cleared an ordinance amending the Indian Forest Act (IFA) 1972, to exempt bamboo grown in non-forest areas from the definition of trees with the requirement of felling/transit permit for its economic use.
It will promote cultivation of bamboo in non- forest areas to achieve twin objectives of increasing the income of farmers, especially in North-East and Central India and also increasing the green cover of the country.
Bamboo, though, taxonomically a grass, was defined as a tree under the Indian Forest Act, 1927 hence bamboo grown in the forest areas shall continue to be governed by the provisions of Indian Forest Act, 1927.
National Agro-Forestry & Bamboo Mission (NABM) : implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation (DAC), Ministry of Agriculture as a sub scheme under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH).

Disaster Management Act, 2005

The Act extends to the whole of India. The Act provides for "the effective management of disasters and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto." This act envisaged a three tier Disaster Management structure in India at National, States and District levels. Under the act, the NDMA, SDMA, NEC, NDRF, NIDM and disaster related funds were established.

NDMA National Disaster Management Authority

Established with Prime Minister as ex-officio CHAIRMAN and have no more than 9 members nominated by PM including a Vice-Chairperson. The meetings are called for as and when PM thinks fit.
The tenure of the members of the NDMA shall be five years.
It is responsible for "laying down policies, plans and guidelines for disaster management" and to ensure "timely and effective response to disaster". It is responsible for laying "down guidelines to be followed by the State Authorities in drawing up the State Plans”.
Approve plans prepared by the Ministries or Departments of the Government of India in accordance with the National Plan.
In case of a disaster of severe magnitude, the NDMA is empowered to recommend relief in repayment of loans or for grant of fresh loans to the persons affected by disaster.
Also Lays down broad policies and guidelines for the functioning of the National Institute of Disaster Management.
Recommend provision of funds for the purpose of mitigation
Provide such support to other countries affected by major disasters as may be determined by the Central Government

NEC National Executive Committee

Was constituted to assist NDMA.
The NEC is composed of Secretary level officers of GOI in the Ministries of home, agriculture, atomic energy, defence, drinking water supply, environment and forests, finance (expenditure), health, power, rural development, science and technology, space, telecommunication, urban development, and water resources, with the Home secretary serving as the Chairperson, ex officio.
The Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, is an ex officio member of the NEC.
The NEC under section of the Act is responsible for the preparation of the National Disaster Management Plan for the whole country and to ensure that it is "reviewed and updated annually.
Implementing the plans and policies of NDMA
Ensuring compliance with the directives of Central Government
To act as a coordinating and monitoring body for disaster management
Prepare the National Plan to be approved by the NDMA. GOI would finance measures to be carried out as per the plan.
Prepare guidelines for different ministries with respect to disaster management.
Provide technical assistance to state governments and authorities.
Monitor the implementation of the National Plans and plans of various ministries
Monitor implementation of the guidelines laid down by the NDMA
Coordinate response in case of a disaster.
Advise and assist various ministries and departments.

SDMA State Disaster Management Authority

All State Governments are mandated under Section 14 of the act to establish SDMA.
The SDMA consists of Chief Minister of State, who is Chairperson, and no more than eight members appointed by CM.
State Executive Committee is responsible (Section 22) for drawing up the state disaster management plan, and implementing the National Plan.
The SDMA is mandated under section 28 to ensure that all the departments of the State prepare disaster management plans as prescribed by the National and State Authorities.
Recently in September 2014 Kashmir-floods NDRF played a vital role in rescuing the armed forces and tourists, for which NDRF was awarded by the government of India.

DDMA District Disaster Management Authority :

The Chairperson will be the Collector or District Magistrate or Deputy Commissioner of the district. It consists of Chairperson and seven members.
The elected representative of the area is member of the DDMA as an ex officio co-Chairperson. In the Sixth Schedule areas, the Chief Executive Member of the district council of autonomous district, shall be the co-Chairperson.
Set up by state government via a notification in the state budget.
The members will include Superintendent of the Police(SP), Chief Medical Officer(CMO) and other district level officers as nominated by the state government.
It will coordinate with the upper two tiers of the structure and will plan the implementation of the prevention, mitigation and preparedness at local level.

NDRF National Disaster Response Force

Constituted "for the purpose of specialist response to a threatening disaster situation or disaster" under a Director General to be appointed by the Central Government. Senior IPS officer Sanjay Kumar was recently appointed as Director General (DG) of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
It functions under Ministry of Home Affairs.
It is responsible for organizing Public Awareness Campaigns.
Specialized response during disasters.
Proactive deployment during impending disaster situations
Acquire and continually upgrade its own training and skills
Liaison, Reconnaissance, Rehearsals and Mock Drills
Impart basic and operational level training to State Response Forces (Police, Civil Defence and Home Guards).
Community Capacity Building Programme
Organize Public Awareness Campaigns.
It is force of 12 battalions, organised on para-military lines and manned by persons on deputation from the para-military forces of India:
3 BSF, 3 CRPF, 2 CISF, 2 ITBP and 2 SSB
NDRF in addition to being able to respond to natural disasters has four battalions capable of responding to radiological , nuclear, biological and chemical disasters.

NIDF National Institute of Disaster Management

Established as a statutory body under the Act responsible for planning and promoting training and research in the area of disaster management, documentation and development of national level information base relating to disaster management policies, prevention mechanisms and mitigation measures.
Its key functions include:

Development of training material
Formulate a comprehensive human resource plan
Provide inputs to governments
Develop educational materials for disaster management including academic and professional courses
Promote awareness
Conduct study courses

National Disaster Response Fund : for meeting any threatening disaster situation or disaster, The central government will be able to use the money from this fund to meet expenses for emergency response, relief and rehabilitation. Erstwhile National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) which was constituted as per the recommendations of the 11th Finance Commission has been merged into National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) in line with the recommendation of the 13th Finance Commission. The amount collected from National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) is transferred to the NDRF.

Sustainable Banking Network started by World Bank’s IFC and led by developing countries focus on to promote sustainable finance.

NCEF National Clean Energy Fund

Created in 2010-11 using carbon tax - clean energy cess - for funding research and innovative projects in clean energy technologies of public sector or private sector entities, upto the extent of 40% of the total project cost.
Assistance is available as a loan or as a viability gap funding, as deemed fit by the Inter-Ministerial group, which decides on the merits of such projects.
Designed as a non lapsable fund under Public Accounts of India and with its secretariat in Plan Finance II Division, Department of Expenditure, and Ministry of Finance.
An Inter-Ministerial Group, chaired by the Finance Secretary in Ministry of Finance (and comprising of Secretaries of other Departments) recommends projects eligible for funding under NCEF.

Upon recommendation by NCEF, the final approval is given by the Minister of the concerned nodal Ministry (which initially approved and decided to take the project submitted by the public or private entity to NCEF) if the project cost is below Rs. 150 Crore;

By Minister of Finance and Minister of the concerned nodal Ministry if the project cost is between Rs. 150 Crore and 300 crore;

By the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs if the project cost is above Rs. 300 Crore.

National Mission on Cultural Mapping of India :

Aims at converting the vast and widespread cultural canvas of India into an objective cultural map to preserve our cultural heritage.
It intends to

Create repository of information about cultural assets
Launch massive cultural awareness campaigns
Open a direct channel of communication of artists with the Government
Hold talent hunt competitions from Block level to National level

NAFCC National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change : launched in 2015

Union Government encourages States to come up with innovative and scalable projects to develop resilience against climate change and mainstream it in the planning processes.
The objective of the fund is to assist states/UTs that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation
The Scheme is designed to fulfil the objectives of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and operationalize the State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs).
NABARD is the National Implementing Entity (NIE) responsible for implementation of adaptation projects under NAFCC.

NAPCC National Action Plan on Climate Change in 2008 which has both mitigation and adaptation measures.

It laid down the principles and identified the approach to be adopted to meet the challenges of impact of climate change through eight national missions.

Solar , Energy Efficiency , Water, Sustainable Habitat, Himalaya Ecosystem, Green India, Sustain Agriculture, SK for CC

National Solar Mission :

NWM National Water Mission :

India-WRIS (Water Resource Information System), a portal for providing information on water resources was developed by Central Water Commission under National Water Mission. All the data pertaining to surface and ground water are available on this portal.
National Water Mission has initiated actions to prepare State Specific Action Plan (SSAP) for water sector covering irrigation, agriculture, domestic water supply, industrial water supply and waste water utilization in respect of all the states/UTs.
Water database under the mission is developed by Central Water Commission including both surface and ground water.

NMEEE National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency : implemented by BEE Bureau of Energy Efficiency (Ministry of POWER).

There are these 4 sub-schemes listed on the home page of BEE Net.

PAT Perform, Achieve and Trade : A regulatory instrument to reduce specific energy consumption in energy intensive industries, with an associated market based mechanism to enhance the cost effectiveness through certification of excess energy saving which can be traded.
MTEE Market transformation for Energy Efficiency : proposes accelerating the shift to energy efficient appliances in designated sectors through innovative measures to make the products more affordable.
EEFP Energy Efficiency Financing Platform : for creation of mechanisms which would help finance, demand side management programmes in all sectors by capturing future energy savings and for capacity building of financial institutions and ESCOs/Industries.
FEEED Framework for Energy Efficient Economic Development is for development of appropriate fiscal instruments to promote energy efficiency.

SEEP Super-Efficient Equipment Programme :

A new programme under MTEE designed to bring accelerated market transformation for super efficient appliances by providing financial stimulus innovativily at critical points of intervention.
Under this program, ceiling fan has been identifies as the 1st appliance to adopted. SEEP for ceiling fans aims to leapfrog to an efficiency level which will be about 50% more efficient than market average by providing a time bound incentive to fan manufacturers to manufacture super efficient (SE) fans and sell the same at a discounted price.
The goal is to support the introduction and deployment of super efficient 35W ceiling fans, as against the current average ceiling fan sold in Indian market with about 70W rating.

PAT Perform Achieve and Trade scheme

It is India’s main effort-defining policy.
It is overseen by the BEE and was introduced by the National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).
2010 amendment to ENERGY CONSERVATION ACT,2001 created PAT scheme as a market-based trading scheme enable industries to meet the mandatory energy efficiency standards that had begun to be developed under the original Energy Conservation Act. It provides a legal mandate to PAT which sets mandatory and specific targets for energy efficiency in 8 sectors.
Industries which over-achieve target get incentives in the form of energy saving certificates (ESCert) which are tradable at 2 energy exchanges viz. Indian Energy Exchange & Power Exchange India, where it can be bought by other industries which are unable to achieve their targets.

Use of Renewable Energy-The Electricity Act 2003 together with the National Electricity Policy 2005 (NEP) and the Tariff Policy (TP) mandate promotion of electricity generation from renewable sources.

GIM National Mission for Green India

It is one of the 8 key Missions outlined under NAPCC.
It aims at protecting, enhancing and restoring India’s decreasing forest cover and responding to climate change by a combination of mitigation and adaptation measures.
The mission acknowledges the influence forests on environmental amelioration through climate change mitigation, water security, food security, biodiversity conservation and livelihood security of forest-dependent communities.
It hinges on decentralized participatory approach by involving grass root level communities and organizations in decision making, planning, implementation and monitoring.

FLCTD Facility for Low Carbon Technology Deployment

5 years Project aims to promote innovation of low-carbon technologies and its deployment in which of these sectors of Indian Economy.
Jointly implemented by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) and United Nations Industrial Development Orgn (UNIDO).
FLCTD is supported by Global Environment Facility (GEF).
To facilitate adoption of improved low-carbon technologies in Indian economy via deployment and scaling up of innovative energy efficient technologies to address technology gaps and help to reduce specific energy consumption.

The project will conduct annual 'Innovation Challenge' competitions that will identify innovative low carbon technologies and solutions to improve efficient end-use of energy, which in turn will help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the long run. The project will promote the deployment of winning technologies.

International Solar Alliance :

The membership will be thrown open to all countries that want to join ISA, with no restrictions on duration of sunlight or geographical location.
121 nations situated between Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn and receiving 300 days of sunlight were deemed eligible for membership.
The Paris Declaration establishes ISA as an alliance dedicated to the promotion of solar energy among its member countries.
The objectives include global deployment of over 1,000GW of solar generation capacity and mobilisation of investment of over US$ 1000 billion into solar energy by 2030.
The alliance is a treaty-based inter-governmental organization.
The alliance is also called IASPA International Agency for Solar Policy and Application.
ISA is HQed in Gurugram, India.
It is now an intergovernmental body registered with United Nations under Article 102 of the UN Charter.

RECENTLY , ISA and Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), have signed the Host Country Agreement which will give ISA a juridical personality and gives it power to contract, to acquire and dispose off movable and immovable properties, to institute and defend legal proceedings.

Supreme Court order, the Graded Response Action Plan for the NCR involves stringent measures against burning of waste, industrial pollution and transport sector emissions. Chief secretaries of NCR states have been designated as nodal officers.

CPCB will monitor air quality from various stations located across Delhi-NCR. Daily reports will be sent to the Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA), the implementing authority of the plan, which will take a decision on the future course of action.

TRIFED :

an apex organisation at National Level and functioning under administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
organizes exhibitions like National Tribal Craft Expo called “Aadi Mahotsav” etc. in which it promotes and markets tribal products.
serving the interests of Tribals and ensure better remunerative price for their products as well as for the socio-economic betterment through Self Help Groups, Empanelled NGOs, State level Tribal Development Corporations, Forest Development Corporations for undertaking marketing development of the tribal products.

In order to have institutional support to marketing initiatives, TRIFED has formally signed an MOU with M/s Amazon Seller Services Pvt. Ltd for sale of tribal products through leading e-commerce giant www.amazon.in at a mutually agreed tnc.

“TRIBES INDIA” showrooms managed by TRIFED, offer a wide range of Tribal Products from different parts of the country, which include Metal Craft, Tribal Textiles. These can be outsourced to amazon for sell.

Note : Under its revised mandate TRIFED has stopped bulk procurement in Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) from Tribals. This procurement is now done by the State-level Tribal Cooperatives Societies/Federations.

“E-Tribes” : website and mobile app launched by Ministry of tribal affairs GOI for tribal products. It includes www.tribesindia.com, www.trifed.in and Retail Inventory Software and M-commerce app.

PVTG Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups

More vulnerable among the tribal groups.
In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups (PTGs) as a separate category, who are less developed among the tribal groups.
Among the 75 listed PVTG’s the highest number are found in Odisha (13), followed by Andhra Pradesh (12).
Mankidia, one of the 13 Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTG) in Odisha, are denied habitat rights inside the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) under the historic Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, as the State Forest Department has objected on grounds that tribals could be attacked by wild animals, especially tigers.
Chenchus - Hindu Aboriginal tribes residing in the central hill stations of Nallamalla hills, a part of Nagarjuna Sagar, the Tiger Sanctuary for centuries in Andhra Pradesh
Kolams - an agricultural community Scheduled Tribe in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
Betta Kurumba of Tamilnadu’s Nilgiri District
Gadba Tribes of Koraput & Vishakhapatnam Araku valley Andhra Pradesh

RECENTLY Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing the “Scheme of Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups(PVTGs)”.

It aims at planning their socio-economic development in a comprehensive manner while retaining the culture and heritage of the community.
Activities under the Scheme includes Livelihood, Employment opportunities and economic development of PVTGs through Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy, and Skilling/Vocational Training etc.
It further includes Education, Health (Gap filling for effective health service delivery beyond NHM etc) and Provision of safe drinking water.
Land distribution, land development, Social security, Connectivity (Road and Telecommunication), Supply of Electricity and irrigation are also taken care of including sports.
Housing and Habitat covers funds for housing for PVTGs, primarily through special assistance under IAY and additionally through this scheme, for gap filling and for enhancing scope of coverage.

Shompen or Shom Pen are the indigenous people of the interior of Great Nicobar Island, voted first time in 2014 LS election.

Forest Rights Act (FRA) 2006 is also known as the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.

Section 3(1)(e) of the Act provides for rights including community tenures of habitat and habitation for primitive tribal groups (also known as PVTGs) and pre-agricultural communities. Orissa has the distinction of having the largest number of PTGs (13 out of 75 identified across the country).
Under the Forest Rights Rules, the Panchayat is required to convene the first meeting of the Gram Sabha, for the purpose of constitution of the Forest Rights Committee and other preliminary decisions.
The decisions of the Gram Sabha and the Sub-Divisional Level Committee are subject to appeal and therefore can be re-considered at that stage.
As per the FR Rules, the titles for forest land and community forest rights are to be signed by the District Collector/Deputy Commissioner.
This power is in exercise of the functions of the District Level Committee under FR Rules, and therefore it cannot be delegated to the Revenue Divisional Officer or any other official.
It has been held by the Supreme Court in a landmark judgment in the Godavarman case that the term “forest land” occurring in Section 2 (of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980) will not only include “forest” as understood in the dictionary sense, but also any area recorded as forest in the Government record irrespective of the ownership.”
So, FRA is applicable in National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Tiger Reserves, as is apparent from the definition of ‘forest land’ under Section 2 (d) which describes forest land as “land of any description falling within any forest area and includes......Sanctuaries and National Parks”

EMRS Eklavya Model Residential Schools:

started in 1998 and first school was started in the year 2000 in Maharashtra.
EMRSs have been functioning as institutions of excellence for tribal students.
As per existing EMRS Guidelines of 2010, at least one EMRS is to be set up in each Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) / Integrated Tribal Development Project (ITDP) having 50% ST population in the area.
The capital cost for setting up the school complex, including hostels and staff quarters etc. has been earmarked at Rs. 12 crore with a provision to go up to Rs.16 crore in hill areas, deserts and islands.
Recurring cost during the first year for these schools would be Rs. 42000/-per child, with a provision of raising it by 10% every second year to compensate for inflation etc.
Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) funded by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs has developed an android based mobile application called “Tribal Diaries” for internal monitoring and for connecting with officers/officials concerned with implementation of schemes/programmes(like EMRS) for tribal development.

6.CORPORATION & INDUSTRIES

Uday Kotak Committee on Corporate Governance 2017-18 :

was considered by SEBI without modifications and applicable from 1 April 2018
The important recommendations are

Separation of the roles:

Roles of chairman and managing director at listed firms should be separated and chairmanship should be limited to only non-executive directors.
Listed firms with more than 40% public shareholding should have separate roles of chairperson and MD/CEO with effect from April 1, 2020.
After 2020, SEBI may examine extending requirement to all listed entities with effect from 2022.

Minimum board strength:

It should be increased to 6 members and at least one woman should be appointed as independent director.
At least five board meeting for listed firms should be held in year up from current practice of four meetings.
Firms’ board should at least once a year discuss succession planning and risk management.

Independent Directors:

At least half of board members to be independent directors at listed companies, while all directors must attend at least half of board meets.
Public shareholders’ nod must be mandatory for non-executive directors over 75 years of age.

Shareholder meeting and cash flow statement:

Top 100 firms by market capitalisation should webcast shareholder meeting and all listed firms should have cash flow statement every six months.
It should be mandatory disclosure of quarterly consolidated earnings by listed firms.

Credit ratings:

Updated list of all credit ratings obtained by the listed entity must be made available at one place, which would be very helpful for investors and other stakeholders.

Minimum remuneration:

Independent directors must get minimum remuneration of Rs 5 lakh per annum and sitting fee of Rs 20,000- 50,000 for each board meet.
It should be mandatory for firms to seek public shareholders’ approval for annual remuneration of executive directors from promoter family if amount is above Rs 5 crore or 2.5% of firm’s net profit.
In case of more than one such director, same condition should apply for aggregate annual remuneration exceeding 5% of the net profit.
The approval of shareholders must be required every year in which annual remuneration payable to single non-executive director exceeds 50% of total annual remuneration payable to all non-executive directors.

Risk management and IT committee:

Top-500 listed companies should have risk management committee of boards for cyber security. In addition, listed entities must constitute an information technology committee that will focus on digital and technological aspects.

Enemy Properties : When wars broke out between India and China in 1962, and India and Pakistan in 1965 and 1971, the central government took over properties of citizens of China and Pakistan in India under the Defence of India Acts. These Acts defined an ‘enemy’ as a country that committed an act of aggression against India, and its citizens.

Enemy properties Act:

After the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965, the Enemy Property Act was enacted in 1968, which regulates such properties and lists the custodian’s powers.
The government has vested the properties in the Custodian of Enemy Property for India, an office instituted under the Central government.
The government has initiated the process of sale of more than 9,400 enemy properties after the amendment of the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Act 2017 and the Enemy Property (Amendment) Rules, 2018.

5:20 or 5/20 rule of Aviation industry - proposes that An aircraft company who wants to extend its operation overseas , have to fulfil the requirement of 5 years operation in aviation sector and 20% or 20 aircrafts of total operated in domestic region.

NSS National Service Scheme Centrally Sector Scheme launched in the year 1969 aimed to developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service. The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. Very appropriately, the motto of NSS is “NOT ME, BUT YOU”.

NSS is being implemented in Senior Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities.

NCS National Career Service — launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment as a National ICT based portal is developed primarily to connect the opportunities with the aspirations of youth to facilitate registration of job seekers, job providers, skill providers, career counsellors, etc.

Under2 MOU - commitment by sub-national governments to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions toward net-zero by 2050.

The Climate Group acts as Secretariat to the Under2 Coalition and works directly with government signatories and partners of the Under2 MOU. eg. Telangana, Chhatishgarh.

NHFDC National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation :

Set up by the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, GOI on 24th January 1997.
The company is registered under Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956 as a Company not for profit.
It is wholly owned by GOI and has an authorised share capital of Rs. 400 crores.
The company is managed by Board of Directors nominated by GOI.

NHFDC functions as an Apex institution for channelizing the funds to persons with disabilities through the State Channelizing Agencies (SCAs) nominated by the State Government.

National Trust

Statutory Body under Dept. of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Set up under the “National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities” Act 1999.
Envisaged with a core mission of providing opportunities for capacity development of Persons with Disabilities and their families, fulfilling their rights, facilitating and promoting the creation of an enabling environment and an inclusive society.
Set up to discharge two basic duties – Legal and Welfare.

Legal duties are discharged through Local Level Committee (LLC) set up at district level under the chairmanship of the District Collector / District Magistrate and providing legal guardianship.
Welfare duty is discharged through the schemes and activities. The schemes and activities of the National Trust inter-alia include training, awareness and capacity building programmes and shelter, care giving and empowerment.

Union Cabinet has approved the proposal to amend the Act, 1999 to fix the term of the Chairperson and Members of the Board of National Trust for three years. The proposed amendments are aimed at eliminating any chance of prolonged continuation in the same post by any incumbent.

The Board shall consist of:

Chairperson to be appointed by GOI

Nine persons to be appointed from amongst the registered organisations

Eight persons not below the rank of Joint Secretary of GOI

Three Persons to be nominated by the Board

Chief Executive Officer, who is the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India, Member-Secretary, ex officio.

RECENTLY A Documentary Photo exhibition called “The Paths We Walk” organized by the National Trust under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment in collaboration with Society for Child Development to tackle negative myths of disability and employment of persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Intellectual Disability and Multiple Disabilities.

Companies Act 2013

An Act on Indian company law which regulates incorporation of a company, responsibilities of a company, directors, dissolution of a company.
The Act has replaced The Companies Act, 1956 (in a partial manner) after receiving the assent of President on 29 August 2013.
The Act came into force on 12 September 2013 with few changes like earlier private companies maximum number of member was 50 and now it will be 200.
A new term of "one person company" is included in this act that will be a private company and with only 98 provisions of the Act notified.
Ministry of Company Affairs MCA thereafter published a notification for exempting private companies from ambit of various sections under the Companies Act.
It added new concepts as

One Person Companies (OPC) : only one person as a member , deemed as Private company
Women Directors : Every Listed Company and Public Company with paid up capital of Rs 100 Crores or more/Public Company with turnover of Rs 300 Crores or more shall have at least one Woman Director.
Corporate Social Responsibility ( CSR ) : Every company having net worth of Rs. 500 Cr. or more, or turnover of Rs. 1000 Cr. or more or a net profit of Rs. 5 Cr. or more during any financial year shall constitute CSR Committee of Board consisting of three or more directors, out of which at least one director shall be an independent director.
Registered Valuers
Rotation of Auditors
Class Action Suits : a type of lawsuit where one of the parties is a group of people who are represented collectively by a member of that group
Dormant Company
Fast Track Mergers
Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) formed in 2003 Based on the recommendation of Naresh Chandra Committee under Ministry of Commerce Affairs and involved in major fraud probes and is the co-ordinating agency with the Income Tax Department and CBI.

NPCI National Payments Corporation of India :

Umbrella org. for all retail payment systems, which aims to allow all Indian citizens to have unrestricted access to e-payment services.
Founded in 2008 as Not-for-profit organisation registered under Companies Act 2013.
It was set up with the guidance and support of RBI and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
The organisation is owned by a consortium of major banks and has been promoted by RBI.
Its recent work of developing UPI Unified Payments Interface aims to move India to a cashless society with only digital transactions.
It has successfully completed the development of a domestic card payment network called RuPay.
It has launched — UPI , BHIM, AePS, Bharat QR code, RuPay Card

UPI Unified Payments Interface : founded in 2016

An instant real-time payment system developed by NPCI facilitating inter-bank transactions.
It is regulated by RBI and works by instantly transferring funds between 2 bank accounts on a mobile platform.
built over Immediate Payment Service (IMPS) for transferring funds and available 24*7

It uses VPA Virtual Payment Address (a unique ID provided by the bank), Account Number with IFS Code, Mobile Number with MMID (Mobile Money Identifier), Aadhaar Number, or a one-time use Virtual ID. An MPIN (Mobile banking Personal Identification number) is required to confirm each payment.

BHIM Bharat Interface for Money : An app for bank-to-bank payments and to pay and collect money using VPA virtual payment address (UPI ID).

AePS AADHAAR ENABLED PAYMENT SYSTEM is a bank led model which allows online interoperable financial inclusion transaction at PoS (MicroATM) through the Business correspondent of any bank using the Aadhaar authentication.

RuPay

an Indian domestic card scheme conceived and launched by NPCI.
was created to fulfil RBI’s desire to have a domestic, open loop and multilateral system of payments in India.
NPCI maintains ties with Discover Financial services (American co.) to enable the card scheme to gain international acceptance.

In India, 90% of credit card transactions and almost all debit card transactions are domestic; however, the cost of transactions was high due to monopoly of foreign gateways like Visa and Master card. RuPay facilitates electronic payment at all Indian banks and financial institutions.

NCLT National Company Law Tribunal

Quasi-judicial body in India that adjudicates issues relating to companies in India.
The NCLT was established under Companies Act 2013 and was constituted on 1 June 2016.
It have 11 branches in India out of which 2 are in Delhi.
Decisions of NCLT may be appealed to NCLAT( National Company Law Appellate Tribunal ) and the decisions of NCLAT may be appealed to SC of India.
The NCLT has the powers under Companies Act to adjudicate proceedings:

Initiated before the Company Law Board under the previous act (the Companies Act 1956);
Pending before the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR), including those pending under the Sick Industrial Companies (Special Provisions) Act, 1985;
Pending before the Appellate Authority for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction; and
Pertaining to claims of oppression and mismanagement of a company, winding up of companies and all other powers prescribed under the Companies Act.

RECENTLY In February, the Competition Commission of India imposed a 1.36 billion rupees ($20.95 million) fine on Google, saying it was abusing its dominance in online web search and online search advertising markets, in the latest regulatory setback for the world’s most popular internet search engine. Hence Google has filed an appeal at the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal against an order from India’s competition watchdog that found it guilty of “search bias” and abuse of its dominant position

NCLAT National Company Law Appellate Tribunal

was constituted under Companies Act, 2013 for hearing appeals against the orders of National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT), with effect from 1st June, 2016.
NCLAT is also Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by NCLT(s) under IBC Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.
NCLAT is also the Appellate Tribunal for hearing appeals against the orders passed by IBBI Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India under IBC.
NCLAT is also the Appellate Tribunal to hear and dispose of appeals against any direction issued or decision made or order passed by CCI Competition Commission of India.

President of NCLAT and the chairperson and Judicial Members of the Appellate Tribunal shall be appointed after consultation with CJI Chief Justice of India. The Members of the Tribunal and the Technical Members of the Appellate Tribunal shall be appointed on the recommendation of a Selection Committee consisting of:

CJI or his nominee — as Chairperson
A senior Judge of the Supreme Court or a Chief Justice of High Court — Member
Secretary in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs — Member
Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice — Member
Secretary in the Department of Financial Services in the Ministry of Finance — Member

ITAT Income Tax Appellate Tribunal :

quasi judicial institution set up in January, 1941 and specializes in dealing with appeals under Direct Taxes Acts.
was set up by virtue of Income Tax Act, 1922 & was first experiment in tribunalization in history of India.
The orders passed by the ITAT are final, an appeal lies to HC only if a substantial question of law arises for determination.
The orders passed by the ITAT can be subjected to appellate challenge, on substantial questions of law, before the respective HC.
It functions under Department of Legal Affairs in Ministry of Law and Justice & is kept away from control by Ministry of Finance.

Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, 2015 :

The Bill enables the creation of commercial divisions in high courts, and commercial courts at the district level.
Commercial courts, equivalent to district courts, may be set up in all states and UTs, by the state governments after consulting with their respective high courts.
Commercial appellate divisions may be set up in all high courts to hear appeals against:

(i) orders of commercial divisions of high courts;

(ii) orders of commercial courts; and

(iii) appeals arising from arbitration matters that are filed before the high courts.

Any appeal filed in a high court against the orders of certain tribunals (like Below) may be heard by the commercial appellate division of the high court if it relates to a commercial dispute.

(i) Competition Appellate Tribunal;

(ii) Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal;

(iii) Intellectual Property Appellate Board;

(iv) Company Law Board or the National Company Law Tribunal;

(v) Securities Appellate Tribunal;

(vi) Telecom Dispute Settlement and Appellate tribunal

A commercial dispute is defined to include any dispute related to transactions between merchants, bankers, financiers, traders, etc. Such transactions deal with mercantile documents, partnership agreements, intellectual property rights, insurance, etc.

RECENTLY The Union government has proposed to establish commercial courts in districts to further improve the ease of doing business parameters.

CAT Central Administrative Tribunal :

was established by an Act of Parliament namely Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 as sequel to the 42nd amendment of the Constitution of India inserting Article 323 A. The Principal seat of Central Administrative Tribunal is at New Delhi and it has 16 Outlying Benches scattered all over the Country.
The tribunal adjudicates disputes and complaints with respect to Recruitment and Conditions of Service of the persons appointed to the Public Services and Posts in connection with the affairs of Union or any State or of any other Local Authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India.
The Tribunal is headed by the Chairman and 65 Members, 33 from Judicial (including Chairman) and 33 from the Administrative stream. The Chairman is normally a retired Chief Justice of a High Court.

Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT)

It was established in pursuance of the provisions of the Constitution since Article 323-A provide for establishment of tribunals.
The CAT exercises original jurisdiction in relation to recruitment and all service matters of public servants covered by it. Its jurisdiction extends to the all-India services, the Central civil services, civil posts under the Centre and civilian employees of defence services.
Someone who has been a sitting or serving high court judge can chair the CAT.
It is guided by the principles of natural justice. These principles keep the CAT flexible in approach.

NGT (NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL) established under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources.

RERA Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016

An Act of the Parliament of India which seeks to protect home-buyers as well as help boost investments in the real estate industry.
came into force on 1 May 2016
The Act establishes Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) in each state for regulation of the real estate sector and also acts as an adjudicating body for speedy dispute redressal.
Central and state governments are liable to notify the Rules under the Act within a statutory period of six months
RERA to regulate transactions related to both residential and commercial projects and ensure their timely completion and handover.
The Appellate Tribunals will now be required to adjudicate cases in 60 days as against the earlier provision of 90 days and Regulatory Authorities to dispose of complaints in 60 days while no time-frame was indicated in earlier Bill.

Laghu Udyog Bharati :

a registered all India org. of Micro and Small Industries in India since 1994
It has membership in more than 400 Districts with 250 Branches all over the Country.
In a genuine effort to organise MSE sector Laghu Udyog Bharati is fighting the various ills plaguing the sector and to remove impediments coming in the way to MSEs.
Laghu Udyog Bharati render assistance to small scale industries as follows:

Removal of inspector raj & simplification procedures
Availability & distribution of power
Guidance for improving productivity
Quality & technological upgradation & modernisation
Sales promotion & marketing assistance
Encouraging women entrepreneurs
Creating congenial environment for better entrepreneur, worker and customer relations
Making various panels for better representation
Participation in Trade-Fairs and Exhibitions for better product exposure

Anti Dumping Duty :

Dumping is an unfair trade practice of exporting goods to another country at a price lesser than what is paid in the exporting nation or their normal production cost, thereby distorting international trade and causing injury to the domestic manufacturers of the goods in the importing country.
Anti dumping measure as an instrument of fair competition permitted by WTO is used to rectify the trade distortive effect of dumping and re-establish fair trade by levying it on distrustfully low-priced imports, so as to protect the domestic manufacturers & industry against the injury caused by dumping.

Recently in NEWS : Directorate General of Anti-dumping and allied Duties (DGAD) initiated a review of anti-dumping duty on flat base steel wheels from China to take a call on “the need for continued imposition of the duties in force.”

Urea Subsidy in India :

part of Central Sector Scheme (CSS) of Department and is wholly financed by Central GOI through budgetary support.
It also includes Imported Urea subsidy which is directed towards import to bridge gap between assessed demand and indigenous production of urea in the country.
Implementation of DBT in Fertilizer Sector will reduce diversion of fertilizers to non- agricultural use and plug leakages.
Department of Fertilizers is in process to roll out DBT in fertilizer sector nationwide.

IFFCO Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited :

a small scale fertiliser cooperative federation of India which is registered as a Multistate Cooperative Society, founded on 3 nov 1967.
It got deemed recognition under the provisions of Multistate Cooperative Societies Act 1984.
It is an amalgamation of over 36,000 Indian Cooperatives with diversified business interests ranging from General Insurance to Rural Telecom apart from our core business of manufacturing and selling fertilisers.
IFFCO commissioned

an ammonia – urea complex at Kalol and the NPK/DAP plant at Kandla in 1975
ammonia – urea complex was set up at Phulpur in 1981
ammonia – urea unit at Aonla in 1988
NPK/DAP and Phosphoric acid fertiliser unit at Paradeep in 2005

The marketing of IFFCO's products is channelled through cooperative societies and institutional agencies in over 29 states and union territories of India.

MMTC Metals and Minerals Trading Corporation of India :

Founded in 26 sep 1963 is one of the two highest earners of foreign exchange for India and India's largest public sector trading body.
Not only handling the export of primary products such as coal, iron ore, and manufactured agro and industrial products, MMTC also imports important commodities such as ferrous and nonferrous metals for industry, and agricultural fertilizers.
MMTC's diverse trade activities cover Third Country Trade, Joint Ventures and Link Deals and all modern forms of international trading. The Company has a vast international trade network, spanning almost in all countries in Asia, Europe, Africa, Oceania, America and also includes a wholly owned international subsidiary in Singapore, MTPL. It is one of the Miniratnas companies.
MMTC is one of the two highest foreign exchange earner for India (after petroleum refining companies).
It is the largest international trading company of India and the first public sector enterprise to be accorded the status of Five Star Export Houses by Government of India for long standing contribution to exports
Being the largest player in bullion trade, including retailing, MMTC's share was 146 tonnes of gold out of the total import of 600 tonnes of the precious metal in 2008-09.
The main objectives of the company was export of mineral ores and import of essential metals.
MMTC is Asia’s biggest gold and silver importer.

NAFED National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd

established in 1958, is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act 2002 with the object to promote Co-operative marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers.
Agricultural farmers are the main members of Nafed, who have the authority to say in the form of members of the General Body in the working of Nafed.
The objectives of the NAFED shall be to organize, promote and develop marketing, processing and storage of agricultural, horticultural and forest produce, distribution of agricultural machinery, implements and other inputs, undertake inter-state, import and export trade etc.

Recently It has signed the Debt Settlement Agreement with its eight lender banks.

NAFED — National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd.(NAFED)

It was established in1958. Nafed is registered under the Multi State Co-operative Societies Act. Its object is to promote Co-operative marketing of Agricultural Produce to benefit the farmers.
Under Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) Scheme NAFED took initiative for buffer stocking of pulses.
Nafed is one of the central Nodal Agencies for procurement of 16 notified agricultural commodities of Oilseeds, Pulses and Cotton under Price Support Scheme (PSS) and continues to be the sole central Nodal Agency for procurement of Milling, Ball Copra and De-husk Copra under Price Support Scheme.

Cotton corporation of India : It extending necessary marketing support to the cotton growers in selling their kapas produce at most competitive prices in the various market yards in all cotton growing States through timely intervention.

State Trading Corporation

Multi State Co-operative Societies Act 2002 :

An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to co-operative societies, with objects not confined to one State and serving the interests of members in more than one State, to facilitate the voluntary formation and democratic functioning of co-operatives as people's institutions based on self-help and mutual aid and to enable them to promote their economic and social betterment and to provide functional autonomy ,was being felt necessary by the various cooperative societies, and federation of various cooperative societies as well as by the Government. In order to achieve the objective The Multi State Cooperative Societies Bill was introduced in the Parliament.The bill having been passed by both the Houses of Parliament received the assent of the President on 3rd July 2002 and it came on the Statute Book as The Multi State Cooperative Societies ACT 2002 (39 of 2002).

7.Science and Technology

Smart India Hackathon 2018:

Organised by AICTE under aegis of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)
A non-stop digital product development competition, where problems are posed to technology students for innovative solutions to harnesses creativity & expertise of students and sparks institute-level hackathons.
It builds funnel for ‘Startup India’ campaign and crowdsources solutions for improving governance and quality of life.
Winners stand to get cash prizes and a chance to be part of the NASSCOM’s 10,000 Startups program.

Nation-wide Hackathon #OpenGovDataHack

Launched by Meity on September 12, 2017 as part of the Startup Eco-system Development program, NIC and IAMAI have collaborated to conduct Nation Wide Hackathon #OpenGovDataHack across 7 states of India.
The purpose of the hackathon is to support & showcase potentially great Ideas/Talent from Inner India by reaching out in their own State/City (7 Cities).
It is to enable them making their ideas developed into Apps/Infographics primarily by use of Open Government Data around the themes of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Transport, Education, Crime and Health to a stage, after which it can be evaluated by jury and be selected for Prizes and future support/funding.

Virtual ID (VID)

Introduced by UIDAI which can be used in lieu of his/her Aadhaar number at the time of authentication, besides sharing of ‘limited KYC’ with certain agencies.
a temporary 16-digit random number mapped with the Aadhaar number(12 Digits).
There can only be one active and valid VID for an Aadhaar number at any given time
Only the Aadhaar holder will be able to generate a VID and no other entity, including authentication user agencies (AUAs), can do it on their behalf.
Once storage of Aadhaar number is restricted and since VID is temporary, agencies need a mechanism to uniquely identify their customers within their system. For this, a 72 character alphanumeric ‘UID Token’ will be generated for “system use”.

E-way Bill :

The electronic billing system for traders who are moving their goods for sale beyond 10 km radius.
The transporters carrying goods worth Rs 50,000 will be required to get goods pre-registered before transporting them from one to another loc.
Transporters can visit the portal ‘ewaybill.nic.in’ and generate the e-way bill by registering themselves by giving the GSTIN.
Once generated E-way bill, however, cannot be cancelled for 24 hours.

E-way bill is a document required to be carried by a person in charge of the conveyance carrying any consignment of goods of value exceeding Rs. 50,000 for sales beyond 10 km in the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime.

VRCs Village Resource Centres :

ISRO has established around 473 Village Resource Centres (VRCs) on a pilot basis, in association with selected NGOs, Trusts and State Government Departments
This is one of the unique initiatives that use Satellite Communication (SATCOM) network and Earth Observation (EO) satellite data to reach out to the villages to address the needs of the local people in villages itself.

BIRAC Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council

a not-for-profit Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science and Technology GOI, to empower the emerging biotech industry to undertake strategic research and innovation.
BIRAC is a new industry academia interface and implements its mandate through a wide range of impact initiatives, be it providing access to risk capital through targeted funding, technology transfer, IP management and handholding schemes that help bring innovation excellence to Indian biotech firms and make them globally competitive.

Ministry of Urban Development (now Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs) has launched the City Liveability Index. The index will be used to measure 116 cities, which include smart cities, state capitals, and cities with a population of above one million.

I4C or Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre

It will be set up under the newly created Cyber and Information Security(CIS) division of the MHA(Ministry of Home Affairs).
CIS will have four wings, namely security clearance, cybercrime prevention, cyber security and information security. The I4C will assist in centralising cyber security investigations, prioritise the development of response tools and bring together private companies to contain the menace.
I4C to be set up in each district of every states by GOI's directions to deal with Cyber crimes. Here funds will be given under 'cyber crime prevention against women & children scheme.

NMEICT National Mission on Education through Information and Communication Technology :

An ambitious project undertaken by MHRD Ministry of Human Resource Development with a view to seamlessly providing quality educational content to all the eligible and willing learners in India.
It has envisaged content and connectivity as the twin pedals for initiating and accelerating ICT-enabled Higher Education.

3 guiding philosophies

[a] no talent of the country should be allowed to go waste.

[b] all the services available through the content delivery portal Sakshat should be free

[c] freely available material on the web should be used so as to avoid reinventing the wheel.

The Mission has 2 major components:

providing connectivity, along with provision for access devices, to institutions and learners;
Content generation

Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) is approved by CCEA in 2009.

The project initiated in June 2009 which aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing at the Police Station level.
will be done through adoption of principles of e-Governance as Mission Mode Project (MMP) under the National e-Governance Plan.
Objectives of 'CCTNS'

Make the Police functioning citizen friendly and more transparent by automating the functioning of Police Stations.
Improve delivery of citizen-centric services through effective usage of ICT.
Provide Investigating Officers of Civil Police with technology and information to facilitate investigation of crime and detection of criminals
Improve Police functioning in various other areas such as Law and Order, Traffic Management etc.
Facilitate Interaction and sharing of Info among Police Stations, Dists, State/UT HQs and other Police Agencies.
Keep track of the progress of Cases, including in Courts.
The Project will interconnect about 15000 Police Stations and additional 5000 offices of supervisory police officers across the country and digitize data related to FIR registration, investigation and charge sheets in all Police Stations.
Maharashtra became first state in the country to launch India’s first comprehensive CCTNS.
Punjab government has launched CCTNS, a project to keep digitised records of FIRs and information on crimes and criminals.
In 2015, an additional aim of establishing a basic platform for an Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) was added to Project.

ICJS has been mandated for integrating CCTNS (Police) with e-Courts, e-prisons, Forensics, Finger Print Bureaux and Prosecution, which are the key components of the Criminal Justice System.

Digital police portal recently launched by Ministry of Home Affairs is a part of CCTNS and allows citizens to file online crime related complaint.Central investigating and research agencies also have been provided logins to the portal to access crime statistics.

Crime-and-Criminal-Tracking-Network-and-Systems-CCTNS.png

USOF Universal Service Obligation Fund

Funding Bharatnet project & NOFN project.
Established in 2002, provides subsidies to ensure telegraph services are provided to everyone in India, especially in rural and remote areas.
Headed by the USOF Administrator who reports to the Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Funds come from the Universal Service Levy (USL) of 5% charged from all the telecom operators on their Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) which are then deposited into the Consolidated Fund of India, and require prior parliamentary approval to be dispatched.
It is a non - lapsable fund i.e. unspent amount under target financial year does not lapse, accrues for next years’ spending.
All credits to the fund require parliamentary approval and it has statutory support under Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act 2003.

The vision of USOF is to enabling rural Indians to achieve their fullest potential and participate productively in the development of the nation by virtue of being effectively connected through a reliable and ubiquitous telecommunications network, access to which is within their reach and within their means.

NOFN National Optical Fibre Network

an ambitious initiative to trigger a broadband revolution in rural areas that was envisaged as an information super-highway through the creation of a robust middle-mile infrastructure for reaching broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats.
It aims to connect all the 2,50,000 Gram panchayats in the country and provide 100 Mbps connectivity to all gram panchayats (GPs).
NOFN project was funded by USOF Universal Service Obligation Fund.
Based on NOFN experiences, newer, updated and upgraded version - BharatNet was conceived as a nation-wide broadband network.

BharatNet :

A Centre-State collaborative project of national importance to establish, by 2017, a highly scalable network infrastructure accessible on a non-discriminatory basis, to provide on demand, affordable broadband connectivity of 2 Mbps to 20 Mbps for all households and on demand capacity to all institutions, to realise the vision of Digital India, in partnership with States and the private sector.
The entire project is being funded by USOF Universal service Obligation Fund.
The objective is to facilitate the delivery of e-governance, e-health, e-education, e-banking, Internet and other services to rural India.

IRFC Indian Railways Finance Corporation

It is a dedicated financing arm of the Indian Railways for mobilizing funds from domestic as well as overseas Capital Markets.
It is a Schedule ‘A’ PSE Public Sector Enterprise and registered as SI-NDFC Systemically Important Non–Deposit taking Non-Banking Financial Company and Infrastructure Finance Company with RBI Reserve Bank of India.

India INX India’s International Stock Exchange

It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BSE Bombay Stock Exchange which is India’s FIRST international exchange at the International Financial Service Centre (IFSC) of GIFT (Gujarat International Financial Tech) City.
India INXs Global Securities Market (GSM) is India’s first debt listing platform which allows fund raising in any currency.
It is one of world’s most advanced and fastest trading technology platforms with turn-around time of 4 micro seconds.
It trades in equity derivatives, currency derivatives, commodity derivatives including Index and Stocks.
It also offers depository receipts and bonds.
It provides competitive advantage in terms of tax structure and supportive regulatory framework.
These include benefits in security transaction tax, commodity transaction tax, dividend distribution tax and long-term capital gain tax waivers and no income tax.
It will start when trading at Japanese stock exchange starts, and will end when USA stock exchange stops, from sunrise to sunset. So, it operates for 22 hours a day allowing international investors and NRIs to trade from anywhere across globe.

ETF Exchange Traded Fund is a type of fund that owns the underlying assets and is divided into different shares. It is a marketable security (in the form of shares) that contains a slice of cumulated shares/bonds/commodities/foreign currencies that is sliced into different shares.

Hence ETFs are index funds that offer the security of a fund and liquidity of stock. Their price changes daily as they are traded throughout the day.

Bharat 22 ETF

The ETF launched by Union Finance Ministry to Hasten Government’s disinvestment programme.
It comprises 22 companies, or investments, from among central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) and public sector banks (PSBs).
No sector crosses the 20% sectoral capping and there is a stock capping of 15%.
Apart from CPSEs and PSBs, this ETF also includes the government's strategic holding in Axis Bank, ITC and L&T held through the Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI).
The main objective of Bharat 22 is to mobilise funds through the selling of the ETF and thus to meet the disinvestment target Rs. 72000 Crore set under the Budget 2017-18.
Minimum application amount of Rs 5,000 (and in multiples of Re 1) is required for retail individual investors up to Rs 2 lakh.
It have a diversified portfolio of companies from 6 sectors (Basic Materials, Energy, Finance, FMCG, Industrials and Utilities).

UTI (Unit Trust of India) : HQ at Mumbai

carved out of the erstwhile Unit Trust of India (UTI) as a SEBI registered mutual fund from 1 February 2003.
The Unit Trust of India Act 1963 was repealed, paving way for the bifurcation of UTI into –

Specified Undertaking of Unit Trust of India (SUUTI);
UTI Mutual Fund (UTIMF)

UTI Mutual Fund is promoted by the four of the largest Public Sector Financial Institutions as sponsors, viz. SBI, LIC, BoB, PNB with each of them holding a 18.24% stake in the paid up capital of UTI AMC.
UTI Mutual Fund is the oldest and one of the largest mutual funds in India with over 10 million investor accounts under its 230 domestic schemes.

SUUTI is holding shares of nearly 50 companies through its predecessor - the UTI. The investment arm is having sizable shares in several big private sector companies like ITC, Axis Bank, L&T etc.

SKYREV360 -- automated data gathering and collection service developed by GOI's MII(make in india) initiative with help of IATA(Intnl Air Xport Assoc) collaboration with AAI (Airport authority of India). India will share it with LAOS.

IATA signed MoU with Ministry of Civil Aviation and National Aviation University to enhance human resource availability in India’s aviation industry.

IATA International Air Transport Association

The trade association for the world’s airlines, representing some 280 airlines or 83% of total air traffic.
Formed in April 1945, it is the successor to the International Air Traffic Association, which was formed in 1919.
It supports airline activity and helps formulate industry policy and standards, also provides consulting and training services in many areas crucial to aviation.
Also leverage “the existing infrastructure for training in India to expand the reach of vocational training in aviation disciplines”.
Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada with Executive Offices in Geneva, Switzerland.

GCNEP Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership

Located near Bahadurgarh in Haryana as 6th R&D unit under aegis of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
GCNEP will help in capacity building, in association with the interested countries and the IAEA, involving technology, human resource development, education & training and giving a momentum to R&D in enlisted areas.
It’s objectives are :

Mark Development of enhanced nuclear safeguards to effectively and efficiently monitor nuclear materials and facilities.
Mark Promoting the development of advanced, more proliferation resistant nuclear power reactors.
Mark Training manpower in the field of Nuclear Security and Radiological Safety.
Mark Educating in the field of Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, Isotopes and Radiation Technologies, nuclear forensic.
Mark Establishing accreditation facilities for radiation monitoring.

Recently India and Vietnam have signed an MoU on Cooperation between GCNEP and Vietnam Atomic Energy Institute (VINATOM) to enhance training and research collaboration possibilities. The two countries had signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in 2016.

CPCSEA Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals

A statutory Committee, which is established under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.
All establishments engaged in research and education involving animals, are required to comply with the various guidelines, norms and stipulations set out by CPCSEA.

Background: India is one of the pioneering countries to institute Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in 1960 whereas such Act was instituted in France in 1963 and in USA in 1966. The detailed rules for experimentation on animals were first enacted by the Ministry of Agriculture in 1968 and were implemented by CPCSEA.

11 states used to have ‘special category’ status, namely, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, (8 states of NE )Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

Universal social security plan

In an attempt to improve the life of the extremely poor people of India, the government has drafted a Rs 1.2 lakh crore plan to provide universal social security coverage for the poorest people of the country.

Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in Pune, an autonomous institute operating under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. India’s second FTII to be set up in Arunachal.

Prasar Bharati :

statutory autonomous body established under Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990 and came into existence in November 1997.
It is the Public Service Broadcaster of the country with objectives of public service broadcasting in terms of Prasar Bharati Act through All India Radio AIR and Doordarshan DD.
As per the act , Prasar Bharati Board consists of a chairman, a CEO, two whole-time members for finance and personnel, six part-time members, heads of Doordarshan and All India Radio and one representative of the I&B ministry. There is NO Provision to have a serving bureaucrat on the board.
As per act President of India will appoint the Board members decided by a selection committee which is headed by Vice President of India and includes the Chairman of the Press Council of India and a nominee of the President. The ministry( i.e. I&B Ministry) does not have a direct role in appointment of the chairman and whole-time members of the Board. The Board meetings must be held at least once in three months, every year.

Recently Prasar Bharati (PB) has TURNED DOWN a resolution moved by Union ministry of information and broadcasting (I&B) to appoint a serving IAS officer to its board, and deferred its proposal to bring in professionals to head the news service units of Doordarshan and All India Radio.

post-Emergency 1977-78 broadcast autonomy committee, in its report “Akash Bharati”, presented a blueprint for autonomy in broadcasting.

PCI Press Council of India

A statutory, quasi-judicial body which acts as a watchdog of the press. It adjudicates the complaints against and by the press for violation of ethics and for violation of the freedom of the press respectively.
first set up in the year 1966 by the Parliament on the recommendations of the First Press Commission with the object of preserving the freedom of the press and of maintaining and improving the standards of press in India.
headed by a Chairman: usually, a retired judge of SC with 28 other Members
funded by revenue collected by it as fees levied on the registered newspapers in the country on the basis of their circulation.
The Council's actions may not be questioned unless it is proved to be in violation of the constitution, which makes it an exceedingly powerful body.

CBFC Central Board of Film Certification

a statutory censorship and classification body under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, GOI

It is tasked with "regulating the public exhibition of films under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act 1952". Films can be publicly exhibited in India only after they are certified by the Board, including films shown on television. CBFC India is considered to be one of the most powerful film censor boards in the world due to its strict ways of functioning.

IMD India Meteorological Department :

Also referred to as the Met Department, is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
It is the principal agency responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting and seismology.
IMD is also one of the 6 Regional Specialised Meteorological Centres of WMO World Meteorological Organization.
It has the responsibility for forecasting, naming and distribution of warnings for tropical cyclones in the Northern Indian Ocean region, including the Malacca Straits, the Bay of Bengal, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf.

Bar Council of India

A statutory body established under the section 4 of advocates Act 1961 that regulates the legal practice and legal education in India.
Its members are elected from amongst the lawyers in India and as such represents the Indian bar.
It prescribes standards of professional conduct, etiquettes and exercises disciplinary jurisdiction over the bar.
It also sets standards for legal education and grants recognition to Universities whose degree in law will serve as a qualification for students to enrol themselves as advocates upon graduation.

Council for Trade Development and Promotion: constituted in July 2015 under the chairperson ship of the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, in pursuance to the provisions of Foreign Trade Policy statement 2015-20.

The objective was to ensure a continuous dialogue with the governments of states and Union Territories on measures for providing an international trade enabling environment in the states and to create a framework for making the states active partners in boosting India’s exports.

Ministry of labour and employment is considering to formulate a national policy for domestic workers under which ministry is set to give legal status to domestic workers in the country by formulating a national policy that will ensure minimum wages and equal remuneration for around 47.5 lakh domestic workers in India including 30 lakh women.

NISG National institute for smart government is a not-for-profit company setup in a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) in 2002 under the recommendations of the National Task force on Information Technology & Software Development, with 51% equity contributed by the private sector & 49% by the public sector.

Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN) is a Section 8 (under new companies Act, not for profit companies are governed under section 8), non-Government, private limited company. It was incorporated on March 28, 2013. The GOI holds 24.5% equity in GSTN and all States of the Indian Union, including NCT of Delhi and Puducherry, and the Empowered Committee of State Finance Ministers (EC), together hold another 24.5%. Balance 51% equity is with non-Government financial institutions.

Less than 0.1 percent of firms accounting for about 14 percent of turnover are in the social security net but not in the GST net. These are mostly firms that are in GST-exempted sectors (such as education, health, electricity), although there are many firms that appear to be outside the GST even though they are in the GST-included sectors.

NIF National Investment Fund :

CCEA in jan 2005 had approved the constitution of NIF with purpose to receive disinvestment proceeds of CPSE central public sector enterprises and to invest the same to generate earnings without depleting the corpus.
The earnings of the Fund were to be used for selected Central social welfare Schemes.
This fund was kept outside the Consolidated fund of India.
The fund became operational in 2005 by way of issue of Resolution published in the Gazette of India.
In 2013, CCEA in its meeting held in 2013 restructured the NIF and decided to do away with the management of the disinvestment proceeds by the Fund Managers of NIF.
It was decided by CCEA that the entire disinvestment proceeds from April 2013 will be credited to the existing ‘Public Account’ under the head NIF and they would remain there until withdrawn/invested for the approved purpose.
The allocations out of NIF will be decided in the annual Government Budget.

IIF Indian Infrastructure Fund :

A SEBI-registered domestic venture capital fund focused on long-term equity investments in a diversified portfolio of infrastructure projects.
IIF has been sponsored by IDFC Limited (IDFC), along with Citigroup Inc.(Citi) and India Infrastructure Finance Company Limited (IIFCL) as founder investors.
The establishment of IIF has received the strong support of GOI. The current size of IIF is INR 38 billion with investor commitments from institutional investors in India, USA, Canada, Europe, Japan and the Middle-East.
IIF aims to primarily invest equity for the long-term in companies that derive value from development and operation of infrastructure assets/projects comprise of greenfield, brownfield and operational assets/projects in core infrastructure sub-sectors including transport (toll roads, rail, ports, and airports), energy and utilities (power generation, renewables, pipelines, transmission, distribution and storage), telecommunications infrastructure and urban infrastructure in India.

RECENTLY AIIB has approved $150 million equity investment loan to IIF. This loan will be the bank’s first equity investment to fund private projects.

NIIF National Investment and Infrastructure Fund :

Set up in 2015 as an investment vehicle for funding commercially viable greenfield, brownfield and stalled projects in infrastructure sector.
NIIF will invest in areas such as energy, transportation, housing, water, waste management and other infrastructure-related sectors in India.
The corpus of the fund is proposed to be around Rs 40,000 crore, with the government investing 49% and the rest to be raised from third-party investors such as sovereign wealth funds, insurance and pension funds, endowments etc.
NIIF’s strategy includes anchoring equity, quasi-equity and debt funds in partnership with investors targeting investments across the relevant sectors in India.

NIIF has signed an investment agreement worth $1 billion with a wholly owned unit of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).

As part of the partnership agreement, ADIA will become the first institutional investor in NIIF’s Master Fund and a shareholder in NIIF’s investment management company.

GGEF Green Growth Equity Fund

will be the second investment platform to be set up by NIIF.
GGEF, which will invest in renewable energy assets, is a joint venture between NIIF and the UK government.
GGEF would be managed by a third-party investment manager, selected by NIIF Ltd. and UK government through an efficient and robust screening and selection process.

2a8c47aec26bc29e1abeb39b2056b680e796b4a71081a27079a62ee23aaaf2a2.png

AMASR Act, 1958 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 :

Government is planning for changes to Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (AMASR) Act, 1958 to allow “public works” near these structures.
The prohibition of new construction within prohibited areas of a protected area or protected monument is adversely affecting various public works and developmental projects of the central government. There has been amendment proposed recently which allows construction of public works within 100 meters of the archaeological structure for which approval for National monument authority is needed. But the original act doesn’t provide for such a provision.
Article 49 – Protection of monuments and places and objects of national importance It shall be the obligation of the State to protect every monument or place or object of artistic or historic interests, declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance, from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal or export, as the case may be. Only Fundamental Rights are justiciable within a Court of law, other constitutional provisions are non-justiciable though they can be invoked appropriately.

Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, 2017 :

India Myanmar Border “Free movement regime” is a bilateral agreement with Myanmar that allows free movement of Indian and Myanmarese citizens within 16 km of the border. it is misused by militants and criminals who smuggle weapons, narcotics, contraband goods and Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN)

Union Cabinet had approved the agreement between India and Myanmar on land border crossing to enhance economic interaction between people of the two countries. To give it shape, the Centre had asked four States — Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram — that share the unfenced border with Myanmar to distribute “border pass” to all the residents living within 16 km from the border.

India and Myanmar share a 1,643 km unfenced border along Arunachal Pradesh (520 km), Nagaland (215 km), Manipur (398 km) and Mizoram (510 km) and permit a ‘free movement’ regime upto 16 km beyond the border.

Amartya Sen

In 2007, he was appointed as chairman of Nalanda Mentor Group to examine the framework of international cooperation, and proposed structure of partnership, which would govern the establishment of Nalanda International University Project to revive the ancient Nalanda.
He is currently a Professor at Harvard University and member of faculty at Harvard Law School.
He was awarded Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1998 and India's Bharat Ratna in 1999 for his work in welfare economics.
In 2017, Sen was awarded the Johan Skytte Prize in Political Science for most valuable contribution to Political Science.

Udupi Ramachandra Rao

He is an internationally - renowned space scientist and former chairman of ISRO. He recently passed away.
He is credited with having played an instrumental role in building up Indian satellite programmes right from nation’s first satellite Aryabhatta.
He was awarded Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.
He is the first Indian space scientist to be inducted into the prestigious ‘Satellite Hall of Fame’ and also first in ‘International Astronautics Federation (IAF) Hall of Fame’.
The Society of Satellite Professionals International or SSPI is a non-profit organization, made up of members who worked as professionals in the satellite industry throughout their careers. It inducts members into its Satellite Hall of Fame.

*********************** 8.BODIES **********************

/////////////////GOVERNMENT Political

ACC Appointments Committee of the Cabinet includes only PM & HM

It decides appointments to several top posts under GOI.
composed of PM (as Chairman), Minister of Home Affairs but the minister of concerned ministry has been excluded from the committee.
The Establishment Officer’s Division (EO Division) processes all proposals for senior appointments in GOI that require approval of ACC under GOI Transactions of Business Rules, 1961.
These include Board level appointments in PSUs and appointments to the posts at the level of Joint Secretary.
In addition, all appointments by promotion that require ACC approval are processed through E.O. Division. For this purpose, the Establishment Officer functions as the Secretary to ACC.

The Establishment Officer(EO) is the ex-officio Member Secretary of the Civil Services Board that is chaired by the Cabinet Secretary. This Board makes recommendations for appointments in respect of the posts of Deputy Secretary, Director and Joint Secretary under the Central Staffing Scheme. In addition, the Board makes recommendations to the ACC for inclusion of officers in the Joint Secretaries suitability list.

Furthermore, the Establishment Officer is Member Secretary of the Screening Committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and comprising Secretary (P) and Finance Secretary that has been constituted for screening of cases of assignments under AIS (Cadre) Rules 1954 and assignments in international organisations in respect of JS level and above officers of organized Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ services.

The EO is also Member Secretary of the Central Establishment Board (CEB), which is chaired by Secretary (Personnel). This Board makes recommendations for deputing officers on foreign training, assessment of Central Secretariat Service officers for appointments to the posts of Deputy Secretary and Director in the Ministries/Departments as well as premature retirement under the relevant rules in respect of officers below the rank of Joint Secretary.

Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs

It is extra constitutional as not find mention in constitution & is set up and chaired by PM and often described as 'Super cabinet' as it is most important of all.
Political affairs committee deals with all policy matters pertaining to domestic and foreign affairs. Also CCPA is enjoined to deal with policy matters concerning foreign affairs that do not have external or internal security implications, as matters with such implications are required to be dealt with by Cabinet committee on Security(CCS).

CCS Cabinet Committee on Security

Under GOI, It decides on India's defence expenditure, matters of National Security and makes significant appointments.
CCS is chaired by PM and comprises the Minister of Defence, Minister of Finance, Minister of Home Affairs, and Minister of External Affairs.
PM , HM, DM, FM, MEA
CCS reviews the progress in the operationalising of India’s nuclear doctrine.

CCEA Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by PM directs and coordinates the governmental activities in the economic sphere.

Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs chaired by Home Minister deals with all policy matters pertaining to domestic and foreign affairs.

Cabinet Committee on Accommodation is chaired by Home Minister

CACP Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices :

is attached office of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, GOI came into existence in January 1965.
It recommends minimum support prices (MSPs) to incentivize the cultivators to adopt modern technology, and raise productivity and overall grain production in line with the emerging demand patterns in the country.
It is mandated to recommend minimum support prices (MSPs) separately for five groups of commodities namely Kharif crops, Rabi crops, Sugarcane, Raw Jute and Copra.
However CCEA takes a final decision on the level of MSPs and other recommendations made by CACP.
Currently, the Commission comprises a Chairman, Member Secretary, one Member (Official) and two Members (Non-Official).
Non-official members are representatives of farming community and usually have an active association with the farming community.

The Commission also makes visits to states for on-the-spot assessment of the various constraints that farmers face in marketing their produce, or even raising the productivity levels of their crops. Based on all these inputs, the Commission then finalizes its recommendations /reports, which are then submitted to the government. The government, in turn, circulates the CACP reports to state governments and concerned central Ministries for their comments.

NCB Narcotics Control Bureau :

nodal drug law enforcement and intelligence agency of India responsible for fighting drug trafficking and the abuse of illegal substances.
The Director General of NCB is an officer of the Indian Police Service(IPS) or the Indian Revenue Service(IRS).
NCB is HQ at New Delhi affiliated to Home Ministry, responsible for administering Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act,1985.

NCRB National Crime Records Bureau

an Indian government Nodal Agency for authentic source of Data on crime, accidents, suicides, and prisons for policy matters and research and responsible for collecting and analysing crime data as defined by IPC.
NCRB is head quartered in New Delhi and is part of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
was set up in 1986 based on recommendations of National Police Commission (1977-1981) and MHA’s Task force (1985) to function as a repository of information on crime and criminals so as to assist the investigators in linking crime to the perpetrators
To Empower Indian Police with Information Technology and criminal Intelligence to enable them to uphold law and protect people.
set up by merging Directorate of Coordination and Police Computer (DCPC), Inter State Criminals Data Branch of CBI, Central Finger Print Bureau of CBI and Statistical Branch of BPR&D.
NCRB is implementing & monitoring agency for implementation of CCTNS under National e-Governance Plan. The project aims at creating a comprehensive and integrated system for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of policing in the country.
NCRB also imparts training in Information Technology (IT) and Finger Print Science for Indian Police Officers as well Foreign Police officers.
Central finger print bureau is under administrative control of NCRB.

NCRB publishes 4 annual publications on Crime, Accidental Deaths & Suicides, Prison Statistics and Finger Prints on crime statistics for police and for criminologists, researchers, media and policy makers in India & abroad.

CBI (CENTRAL BUREAU of INVESTIGATION) under administrative control of DoPT (formed as SPE in 1946 but est. as CBI in 1963)

Premier investigating agency and security service of India, Formed in 1941 as the Special Police Establishment.
Overseen by Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions of the Federal government, headed by a Cabinet Minister who reports directly to the Prime Minister , having legal powers of investigation derived from the DSPE Act 1946 and established as well.
CVC has supervisory powers over CBI. However, CVC does not have the power to call for any file from CBI or to direct CBI to investigate any case in a particular manner.

Motto

Industry, Impartiality, Integrity

The DSPE acquired its popular current name,CBI through a Home Ministry resolution dated 1.4.1963.(Hence the establishment of CBI)
CBI is under administrative control of Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). This means that, the powers to appoint, transfer, suspend CBI officers lie with DoPT.
The amended Delhi Special Police Establishment Act empowers a committee to appoint the director of CBI. The committee constituted under The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013. Before this central vigilance commissioner, under CVC act, had this power. When making recommendations, the committee considers the views of the outgoing director
The committee consists the following people:

Prime Minister – Chairperson
Leader of Opposition – member
Chief Justice of India or a Supreme Court Judge recommended by the Chief Justice – member

ED Enforcement Directorate :

economic intelligence agency responsible for enforcing economic laws and fighting economic crime in India
Part of Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance.
ED is appointed on the approval of ACC headed by Prime Minister.
The prime objective of Enforcement Directorate is enforcement of two key Acts of GOI

Foreign Exchange Management Act 1999 (FEMA)
Prevention of Money Laundering Act 2002 (PMLA)

Other objectives which are primarily linked to checking money laundering in India.
There are five Regional offices at Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Delhi headed by Special Directors of Enforcement.
It comprises officers of Indian Revenue Service(IRS), Indian Police Service(IPS) and the Indian Administrative Service(IAS).
The origin of ED goes back to 1 May 1956, when an ‘Enforcement Unit’ was formed, in Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), for handling Exchange Control Laws violations under Foreign Exchange Regulation Act, 1947.
In the year 1957, this Unit was renamed as ‘Enforcement Directorate’.

For trial of an offence punishable under PMLA, Central Government (in consultation with the Chief Justice of HC), designates one or more Sessions Court as Special Court(s), called "PMLA Court".

Any appeal against any order passed by PMLA court can directly be filed in HC for that jurisdiction.

CVC Central Vigilance Commission : Autonomous , Advisory , 1964

an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption on the recommendations of the Committee on Prevention of Corruption, headed by Shri K. Santhanam, to advise and guide Central Government agencies in the field of vigilance.
It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority, charged with monitoring all vigilance activity under GOI, advising various authorities in central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.
The CVC is not an investigating agency. CVC has supervisory powers over CBI. However, CVC does not have the power to call for any file from CBI or to direct CBI to investigate any case in a particular manner. Therefore CBI is under the administrative control of CVC.
Central Government Departments are free to either accept or reject CVC's advice in corruption cases. Here CVC is only an advisory body.
The CVC is headed by a Central Vigilance Commissioner who is assisted by 2 Vigilance Commissioners. The Central Vigilance Commissioner and 2 Vigilance Commissioners are appointed by the President after obtaining the recommendation of a Committee consisting of:

The Prime Minister of India (Chairperson)
The Minister of Home Affairs
The Leader of the second largest party in the Lok Sabha i.e Leader of the Opposition in the House of the People

The Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner can be removed from his office only by order of the President on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity after the Supreme Court, on a reference made to it by the President, has, on inquiry, reported that the Central Vigilance Commissioner or any Vigilance Commissioner, as the case may be, ought to be removed.

LIMITs of CVC

CVC is only an advisory body. Central Government Departments are free to either accept or reject CVC's advice in corruption cases.
CVC cannot direct CBI to initiate inquiries against any officer of the level of Joint Secretary and above on its own. Such a permission has to be obtained from the concerned department.
CVC does not have powers to register criminal case. It deals only with vigilance or disciplinary cases.
CVC has supervisory powers over CBI. However, CVC does not have the power to call for any file from CBI or to direct CBI to investigate any case in a particular manner.

As a result, although CVC is relatively independent in its functioning, it has neither resources nor powers to inquire and take action on complaints of corruption that may act as an effective deterrence against corruption.

Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988

is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to combat corruption in government agencies and public sector businesses in India
This law defines who a public servant is and punishes public servants involved in corruption or bribery. It also punishes anyone who helps him or her commit the crime corruption or bribery.
An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to the prevention of corruption and for matters connected therewith.

TRAI — Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Independent regulator of the telecommunications business in India
Established in 1997 by an Act of Parliament to regulate telecom services and tariffs in India.
TDSAT (Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal ) was set up to resolve dispute between a licensor and a licensee, between two or more service providers, between a service provider and a group of consumers.
In addition, any direction, TRAI orders or decisions can be challenged by appealing to TDSAT.

Disputes settlement: In January 2000, TRAI act was amended to establish the Telecom Disputes Settlement Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) to take over the adjudicatory functions of the TRAI.

NTP National Telecom Policy

released by DoT Department of Telecom

Competition Act, 2002

Enacted by the Parliament of India and governs Indian competition law.
It replaced the archaic Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969 (MRTP Act).
Under this legislation, the Competition Commission of India(statutory body) was established to prevent the activities that have an adverse effect on competition in India to implement and enforce competition policy and to prevent and punish anti-competitive business practices by firms and unnecessary Government interference in the market.
Competition laws is equally applicable on written as well as oral agreement, arrangements between the enterprises or persons.The act extends to whole of India except J&K.

RTI Right to Information 2005 :

CBI is exempted from the provisions of the Right to Information Act. This exemption was granted by the government on 9 June 2011 (with similar exemptions to the National Investigating Agency (NIA), the Directorate General of Income Tax Investigation and the National Intelligence Grid ( NATGRID ) on the basis of national security. It was criticized by the Central Information Commission and RTI activists, who said the blanket exemption violated the letter and intent of the RTI Act. The exemption was upheld in Madras High Court.

NATGRID :

is an ambitious counter terrorism programme, which will utilise technologies like Big Data and analytics to study and analyse the huge amounts of data from various intelligence and enforcement agencies to help track suspected terrorists and prevent terrorist attacks.
Ashok Patnaik, a 1983-batch Gujarat cadre officer, who was serving as additional director in the Intelligence Bureau will now serve as the CEO of NATGRID.
A post Mumbai 26/11 attack measure, NATGRID aims to mitigate a vital deficiency — lack of real time information, which was considered to be one of the major hurdles in detecting US terror suspect David Headley's movement across the country during his multiple visits between 2006 and 2009.
NATGRID's data sources include records related to immigration entry and exit, banking and financial transactions & telecommunications.
The agencies concerned include the IB Intelligence Bureau, local police and revenue and customs departments.
The single database will be accessed by authorised officers from 10 central agencies like IB, R&AW, CBI, ED and DRI.

Law Commission of India :

An executive body established by an order of GOI have major function to work for legal reform.
Its membership primarily comprises legal experts, who are entrusted a mandate by the Government.
The Commission is established for a fixed tenure and works as an advisory body to Ministry of Law and Justice.
The 1st Law Commission was established during the British Raj era (chaired by Lord Macaulay) in 1834 by the Charter Act of 1833. It suggested various enactments to the British Government, most of which were passed and enacted and are still in force in India. such as Civil procedure code, 1859 , Indian Penal Code, 1860 , Criminal Procedure Code, 1861, Indian Evidence Act (1872) and Indian Contract Act (1872).
After that, 3 more Commissions were established in pre-independent India.
The 1st Law Commission of independent India was established in 1955 for a 3-year term. Since then, 20 more Commissions have been established.
The present Law Commission was established in 2015 as 21st LC of Independent India, and has tenure to 2018. Justice BS Chauhan, a former judge of the Supreme Court was appointed Chairman of the 21st Law Commission.

Lokpal and Lokayukta Act, 2013 :

an anti-corruption Act of Indian Parliament in India which "seeks to provide for the establishment of the institution of Lokpal to inquire into allegations of corruption against certain public functionaries including Prime Minister, ministers, MPs ,Group A,B,C,D officials of the Central Government and for matters connecting them".
The term Lokpal (Anti Graft Ombudsman) was coined in 1963 by Laxmi Mall Singhvi, a MP during a parliamentary debate about grievance mechanisms.
The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC) headed by Morarji Desai submitted an interim report on "Problems of Redressal of Citizen's Grievances" in 1966.
In this report, ARC recommended the creation of 2 special authorities designated as 'Lokpal' and 'Lokayukta' for redress of citizens' grievances.
The word was derived from the Sanskrit words "Lok" (people) and "Pala" (protector/caretaker), meaning 'Caretaker of People'.
Maharashtra was the 1st state to introduce Lokayukta through The Maharashtra Lokayukta and Upa-Lokayuktas Act in 1971.
The Lokpal bill was first introduced in the Lok Sabha in 1968.
The version enacted in 2013 was from a draft prepared in 2010.
The bill is an implementation of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
Eleven parliamentary panels have been formed to discuss the Lokpal bill.

DISHA (District Development Committee)

The District is unit of administration responsible for implementation of almost all the centre and state level schemes.
The Municipalities, Nagar Nigam, block and village level bodies are generally executive in nature, while the district level body mostly has a co-ordinating and supervisory role.
As both centre and state governments are running various welfare schemes, these schemes are facing various challenges in implementation at district level such as crunch of financial resources, lack of manpower, etc. Thus the Union government has formed a District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) in place of the District Vigilance and Monitoring Committee (DVMC) for effective implementation of Central government schemes.
These Committees would monitor the implementation of 28 schemes and programmes of Ministry of Rural Development and other Ministries to promote synergy and convergence for greater impact.
Objectives:

to coordinate with Central and State and local Panchayat Governments.
for effective coordination and development of Central Government's programme for infrastructure development or Social and human resource development.
to ensure the participation of people's representative at all levels in it and successful implementation of programme of central government.
ensure that all programmes are implemented in accordance with the Guidelines.
Look into complaints/alleged irregularities received in respect of the implementation of the programmes, including complaints of wrong selection of beneficiaries, mis-appropriation / diversion of funds and recommend follow-up action.
Have authority to summon and inspect any record for this purpose.
refer any matter for enquiry to the District Collector/CEO of the Zilla Panchayat/Project Director of DRDA (or Poverty Alleviation Unit).
Suggest suitable action to be taken in accordance with the rules which should be acted upon by him within 30 days.
Closely review the flow of funds including the funds allocated, funds released by both Centre and the State, utilization and unspent balances under each Scheme.
The Member Secretary should ensure that meeting notice, agenda notes and proceedings of meetings are uploaded on the website of the Ministry of Rural Development and also the website of the State.
Structure of the DISHA:

The Chairperson of the committee will be the senior most Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) elected from the district, nominated by the Union Ministry of Rural Development.
The other Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) representing the district will be designated as Co-Chairpersons.
One MP (Rajya Sabha) representing the State and exercising option to be associated with the district level Committee of that district (on first come basis) will be designated as Co-Chairperson.
All Members of the State Legislative Assembly elected from the district, All Mayors / the Chairpersons of Municipalities, chairperson of the Zilla Panchayat, Five elected heads of Gram Panchayat including two women, One representative each of SC, ST and Women to be nominated by the Chairperson will be among other members of the committee.
The Member Secretary of DISHA should be the District Collector /District Magistrate/ Deputy Commissioner except in cases where specific exemption has been given by the Union Government.
It will ensure the participation of people's representative at all levels and successful implementation of flagship programme of central government which have clear time-bound deliverables like Swachh Bharat, Digital India besides looking at the programmes of rural development.
The meetings of the committee should be held once in every Quarter (Third Saturdays of April, July, October and February) and this has been made mandatory.

The few programmes to be covered under are:

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
Deen Dayal Antordaya Yojna - NRLM
Deen Dayal Upadhyay - Gramin Kaushalya Yojna (DDU-GKY)
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojna (PMAY-G)
Swachh Bharat Mission - Gramin (SBM- G)
Digital India Land Record Modernisation Programme (NLRMP)
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Rurban Mission - National Rurban Mission (NRuM)
Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojna (DDUGJY)
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Housing for All - Urban) etc

Disha Monitoring Portal would enable Members of Parliament to track progress in implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes in their constituency. Gram Samvaad Mobile app allows a citizen to access information on and implementation of Rural Development schemes at Panchayat level.

NGO-DARPAN :

started out as an initiative of PMO Prime Minister's Office, to create and promote a healthy partnership between Voluntary Orgs. VOs/NGOs and GOI.
The Portal is managed at present by NITI Aayog.
This is a free facility offered by the NITI Aayog in association with NIC to bring about greater partnership between government & voluntary sector and foster better transparency, efficiency and accountability.
VOs/NGOs play a major role in the development of the nation by supplementing the efforts of the Government.
This portal enables VOs/NGOs to enrol centrally and thus facilitates creation of a repository of information about VOs/NGOs, Sector/State wise.
The Portal facilitates VOs/NGOs to obtain a system generated Unique ID, as and when signed. The Unique ID is mandatory to apply for grants under various schemes of Ministries/Departments/Governments Bodies.

NCSK National Commission for Safai Karamcharis is an Indian statutory body was established through National Commission for Safai Karamcharis Act, 1993. It aims to promote and safeguard the interests and rights of Safai Karamcharis.

NCSKs seeks to study, evaluate and monitor the implementation of various schemes for Safai Karamcharis as an autonomous organisation and also to provide redressal of their grievances.

CSE Centre for Science and Environment :

It is a not-for-profit public interest research and advocacy organisation based in New Delhi
Established in 1980, CSE works as a think tank on environment-development issues in India, poor planning, climate shifts devastating India's Sundarbans and advocates for policy changes and better implementation of the already existing policies.
CSE uses knowledge-based activism to create awareness about problems and propose sustainable solutions.
The activities are carried out through lectures, field trips, publications, exhibitions on the various issues they take up, meetings and workshops.
Down to Earth - a fortnightly environment magazine is a prominent publication of CSE

Cotton Textile Export Promotion Council :

ICWA — Indian Council of World Affairs

The think-tank established in 1943 exclusively for the study of international relations and foreign affairs.
By an Act of Parliament, it has been declared an institution of national importance in 2001.
Vice President of India is the ex-officio President of ICWA, while Minister of External Affairs is its Vice-President.
It is housed in Sapru House, the name being derived from Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, who was also the founder President of the Council.
ICWA is a member of the United Nations Academic Impact.

ICWA has been called by media as one of India's most influential think-tanks, but is seen only as an extension of MEA.

ICCR Indian Council for Cultural Relations:

Autonomous organisation of GOI, tasked with strengthening India’s external cultural relations through exchanges with other countries and their people.
Founded in 1950 by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, independent India’s first Education Minister.
Objectives: to actively participate in the formulation and implementation of policies and programmes pertaining to India’s external cultural relations; to foster and strengthen cultural relations and mutual understanding between India and other countries; to promote cultural exchanges with other countries and people; and to develop relations with nations.

Cultural Centres overseas are ICCR’s important arms, which play significant role in promotion of India’s soft power strength through its variety of activities like facilitating teaching of Indian dance, music, yoga, Hindi etc, organizing cultural performances etc.

IICA Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs

Established in 2008 under the aegis and jurisdiction of Ministry of Corporate Affairs handling and dealing with various subjects, matters and affairs in the arena and spectrum of corporate affairs regulation, governance and policy.
It works and operates to deliver as well as create avenues and opportunities for research, education, training and advocacy.
Conceptually unique,It is the first institution in India to be formally set up as a ‘think-tank’ for a major Ministry of Government of India.
Indian Company Law Service(ICLS), wing of IICA conduct Training for probationary Officers (POs) recruited through Common Exam of Civil Services Examination conducted by UPSC and also have responsibility of implementation of Companies Act,1956, Companies Act, 2013 and Limited liability Partnership Act, 2008.
It also handles matters related to CSR Corporate Social Responsibility as enshrined in the Companies Act 2013.

IBEF

Gazette of India : HQ at Mumbai ( 1950, Weekly by MoHUA )

A public journal and an authorised legal document of GOI, founded in 1950, published weekly by Department of Publication, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
As a public journal, the Gazette prints official notices from the government.
It is authentic in content, accurate and strictly in accordance with the Government policies and decisions.
The gazette is printed by the Government of India Press in English & Hindi.
The publication of gazette is executed as per the Government of India (Allocation of Business Rules) issued from time to time by the Cabinet Secretariat.
Ordinary gazettes are published weekly on a particular day but Extraordinary gazettes on every day depends upon urgency.
The Ministry of Urban Development ( Now MoHUA ) began publishing an electronic version of the gazette in 2008

Cabinet Secretariat :

is responsible for the administration of GOI (Transaction of Business) Rules, 1961 and GOI (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961, facilitating a smooth transaction of business in Ministries/Departments of GOI by ensuring adherence to these rules.
Under the direct charge of the Prime Minister functions from the Secretariat Building, New Delhi, where most of the Cabinet of India sits.
The Secretariat assists in decision-making in Government by ensuring Inter-Ministerial coordination, ironing out differences amongst Ministries/Departments and evolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing/ad hoc Committees of Secretaries.
Through this mechanism new policy initiatives are also promoted.
Secretariat Building houses the MoD, MoF, MEA, MHA, PMO

Cabinet Secretariat ensures that the President, the Vice President and Ministers are kept informed of the major activities of all Ministries/Departments by means of monthly summary of their activities.

Management of major crisis situations in the country and coordinating activities of various Ministries in such a situation is also one of the functions of the Cabinet Secretariat.

Cabinet Secretary :

The top most executive official and senior-most civil servant in India, is the ex-officio head of the Civil Services Board, the Cabinet Secretariat, and head of all civil services under the rules of business of GOI.
The Cabinet Secretary is under the direct charge of Prime Minister.
Though there is no fixed tenure, the average tenure of the Cabinet Secretary has been less than 3 years. His or her tenure however, can be extended.
He doesn't belong to any particular ministry.
Functions of a Cabinet Secretary:

Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister
Provide assistance to the Council of Ministers
Handle senior appointments
Prepare the agenda of the Cabinet.
Attend the meetings of the Cabinet.
Ensure that the Cabinet decisions are implemented.
Act as the Chairman of the Committee of Secretaries on Administration.

///////// 9.GOVERNMENTAL Official

CGPB Central Geological Programming Board

the apex body at national level to overview the programme of geo-scientific activities including mineral exploration in the country.
established through GOI Resolution in 1966, and subsequently revamped in 2009 with constitution of 12 theme based committees.
CGPB meetings are held twice in a year.
The Secretary (Mines) is chairman of it while Geological Survey of India is the nodal department (Member Secretary) and the State Geology and Mining departments and Central Government institutions, permanent and special invitees are its participating members.
It coordinates activities on geological mapping, mineral prospecting, exploration and exploitation in the country.
It is responsible for providing the general strategic direction of geosciences activity; effecting programmatic coordination among agencies; enabling better interaction between central agencies and state level organizations; human resource, and research capability; identifying new areas and new technologies for geo-scientific activities; advising on geosciences partnerships between GSI, and State and Central – level agencies; actively promoting use of information technology; and approving five-year detailed sub-sectoral targets on a rolling plan basis.

GSI Geological Survey of India :

founded in 1851 by EIC, is a GOI Ministry of Mines organisation, one of the oldest of such organisations in the world and the second oldest survey in India after Survey of India (founded in 1767), for conducting geological surveys and studies of India, and also as the prime provider of basic earth science information to government, industry and general public, as well as official participant in steel, coal, metals, cement, power industries and international geo-scientific forums.

On 8 April 2017 GSI began pilot project, with the first ever aerial survey of mineral stocks by GSI, to map the mineral stocks up to a depth of 20 km using specially-equipped aircraft.

Key national survey organisations of India

GSI (geology)

ASI (archaeology) — founded in 1861 , Ministry of Culture GOI

BSI (botany) — founded in 1890 , Ministry of Environment Forests and Climate change GOI with objectives of exploring the plant resources of the country and identifying plant species with economic virtue.

FiSI (fisheries) — founded in 1983 by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

FSI (forests) — founded in 1976 and HQ at Dehradun, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

IIEE (ecology) — autonomous, non-profit to provide platform for research and consultancy in areas of ecology and environment.

NIO (oceanography) — autonomous to undertake scientific research and studies of special oceanographic features of Northern Indian Ocean, HQ at GOA.

RGCCI (population survey) and language survey)

SI (cartography)

ZSI (zoology)

Survey of India:

The National Survey and Mapping Organization of the country under DST Department of Science & Technology, is the oldest scientific department of GOI set up in 1767 and has evolved rich traditions over the years.
In its assigned role as the Nation’s principal mapping agency, Survey of India bears a special responsibility to ensure that the country’s domain is explored and mapped suitably to provide base maps for expeditious and integrated development and ensure that all resources contribute their full measure to the progress, prosperity and security of our country now and for generations to come.
The Survey of India acts as adviser to GOI on all survey matters, viz Geodesy, Photogrammetry, Mapping and Map Reproduction.

The history of the Survey of India dates back to the 18th Century. Forerunners of army of the East India Company and Surveyors had an onerous task of exploring the unknown.

In its assigned role as the nation's Principal Mapping Agency, Survey of India bears a special responsibility to ensure that the country's domain is explored and mapped suitably, provide base maps for expeditious and integrated development and ensure that all resources contribute with their full measure to the progress, prosperity and security of our country now and for generations to come.

NDSAP National Data Sharing and Accessibility Policy in 2012 :

The objective of the policy is to facilitate access to GOI owned shareable data and information in both human readable and machine readable forms.
NDSAP is applicable to all shareable non - sensitive data available either in digital or analog forms but generated using public funds by various ministries, departments, subordinate offices, organizations, and agencies of GOI as well as of the states.
All the data holding organizations will be re-classifying their data and prepare a negative list of sensitive data, keeping in view, the broad guidelines delineated in the RTI Act 2005.
This list will be periodically reviewed to see whether the data should remain in the restricted category or not.
Efforts will also be made to convert the analogue data into digital domain within the set time frame.
Department of Science & Technology (DST) would be the Nodal Department for all matters connected with overall co-ordination, formulation, implementation and monitoring of the policy.

C- DAC Centre for Development of Advanced Computing :

the premier R&D organization of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) for carrying out R&D in IT, Electronics and associated areas.

NKN National Knowledge Network

multi-gigabit pan-India network which facilitates the development of India’s communications infrastructure, stimulates research and creates next generation applications and services.
With its multi-gigabit capability, It aims to connect all universities, research institutions, libraries, laboratories, healthcare and agricultural institutions across the country to address such paradigm shift.
It enables collaboration among researchers from different educational networks such as TEIN4, GARUDA, CERN and Internet2.
It also enables sharing of scientific databases and remote access to advanced research facilities. The leading mission oriented agencies in the fields of nuclear, space and defence research are also part of NKN.

India has now decided to extend the NKN to the global research and education networks in all SAARC nations except Pakistan. The connection from Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka to India would be through a submarine cable for international connectivity.

CABE Central Advisory Board of Education :

highest advisory body to advise the Central and State Governments in the field of education.
the oldest and the most important advisory body of GOI in education was first established in 1920 and dissolved in 1923 as a measure of economy. It was revived in 1935 and has been in existence ever since.
The idea to establish it was first put forward by the Calcutta University Commission (1917-19).
Chairman of the board shall be Union Minister of Human Resource Development. Minister of State for Human Resource Development shall be the Vice- Chairman.
The tenure of office of members of the Board, other than the ex-officio members, shall be three years.

CPCB Central Pollution Control Board

Statutory organisation under Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC)
Established in 1974 under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Entrusted with the powers and functions under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Serves as a field formation and provides technical services to MoEF&CC under provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
It co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards(SPCBs) by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them.
It is the apex organisation in country in the field of pollution control, as a technical wing of MoEF.
The board is led by its chairman, who is nominated by GOI. The current acting chairman is Shri S.P. Singh Parihar IAS .

PNGRB Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board

was constituted under Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006 which provide for the establishment of PNGRB Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board to protect the interests of consumers and entities engaged in specified activities relating to petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas and to promote competitive markets and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The board has also been mandated to regulate the refining, processing, storage, transportation, distribution, marketing and sale of petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas excluding production of crude oil and natural gas so as and to ensure uninterrupted and adequate supply of petroleum, petroleum products and natural gas in all parts of the country.

EPCH Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts

Under aegis of Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, GOI is a NGO non-profit organization, established under the EXIM policy of GOI in the year 1986-87.
The objective is to promote, support, protect, maintain and increase the export of handicrafts.
Functions of the council:

It is an apex body of handicrafts exporters for promotion of exports of Handicrafts from country.
The Council has created necessary infrastructure as well as marketing and information facilities, which are availed both by the members exporters and importers.
The Council is engaged in promotion of handicrafts from India and project India’s image abroad as a reliable supplier of high quality handicrafts.

The Council is run and managed by team of professionals headed by Executive Director. The Committee of Administration consists of eminent exporters, professionals.

VRIKSH:

is a program by EPCH totally based on the timber legality assessment and verification standard for verification of legality and legal origin of wood and wooden products.
It is intended for entities who want to accurately track and make claims about the legal origin and transport of their products.
The VRIKSH standard conforms to all major compliance requirements including the new CITES notification.
To fulfil the obligation, the Vriksh shipment certificate, issued exclusively by EPCH is mandatory to go along with all shipments of two Dalbergia’s species (Rosewood and Sheesham) products.

IBEF India Brand Equity Foundation

established in 2003 by Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
have objective of promoting and creating international awareness of the Made in India label in markets overseas and to facilitate dissemination of knowledge of Indian products
IBEF endeavours to ensure consistent and effective messaging on the India growth story through brand building initiatives/campaigns undertaken in partnership with various stakeholders ranging from lead industry associations to export promotion councils.
IBEF Trust is headed by Commerce Secretary and has 14 other members representing the industry, trade, market, academia, media, advertising & publicity, and the government.
Digital media and web technologies are integral part of its nation brand campaigns both within India and overseas markets.

IREDA Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd

a Mini Ratna (Category – I) GOI Enterprise under administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
a Public Limited Govt. Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987 engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation with the motto: “ENERGY FOR EVER”.
It’s objectives are

financial support to specific projects and schemes for generating electricity through new and renewable sources
To maintain its position as a leading organization to provide efficient and effective financing in renewable energy projects
To increase IREDA`s share in the renewable energy sector by way of innovative financing.
Improvement in the efficiency of services provided to customers through continual improvement of systems, processes and resources.

Recently in News, European Investment Bank (EIB) and IREDA) signed a loan agreement for a 2nd line of credit (LoC) of Euro 150 million on non-sovereign basis.

The line of credit is for tenure of 15 years including a grace period of 3 years, and it will be used for financing Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects in India. More than 1.1 million households are expected to benefit from clean energy produced with these funds.

EESL Energy Efficiency Services Limited:

a joint venture of NTPC Limited, Power Finance Corporation(PFC), Rural Electrification Corporation(REC) and POWERGRID.
Set up under Ministry of Power (India) to facilitate implementation of energy efficiency projects.
is the largest public Super Energy Service Company (ESCO) in the world.
It acts as the resource centre for capacity building of State DISCOMs.
Able to successfully aggregate demand and has undertaken bulk distribution of LED bulbs that has led to more than 80% reduction of costs.
Started zero-subsidy UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable Lighting for All) Scheme to promote efficient lighting, using efficient equipment to reduce electricity bills and preserve environment at global level.

SAATHI initiative of Government in which EESL is participating concerns with Development of Power loom sector.

INSPIRE : 1st edition of International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency 2017 was held in Jaipur organized by EESL in partnership with World Bank & Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).

REC Rural Electrification Corporation

Established in 1969, it is a Navratna company under the Ministry of Power.
A navratna company is one which can invest up to Rs. 1000 crore without prior government approval.
It is also the nodal agency for the implementation of DDUGJY (Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana) and contributing agency for rolling out UDAY (Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojana).
Its first green bond has opened for trading at the London Stock Exchange. It is a Climate Bonds Initiative certified green bond.

Three statutory bodies, i.e., the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), the Bhakra-Beas Management Board (BBMB) and Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) are under the administrative control of the Ministry of Power.

Power Trading Corporation has also been incorporated primarily to support the Mega Power Projects in private sector by acting as a single entity to enter into Power Purchase Agreements.

BEE Bureau of Energy Efficiency

Agency of the GOI, under the Ministry of Power created in March 2002 under the provisions of the nation's 2001 Energy Conservation Act.
The agency's function is to develop programs which will increase the conservation and efficient use of energy in India.
The government has proposed to make it mandatory for certain appliances in India to have ratings by the BEE starting in January 2010.
The mission of Bureau of Energy Efficiency is to "institutionalise" energy efficiency services, enable delivery mechanisms in the country and provide leadership to energy efficiency in all sectors of the country.
The primary objective would be to reduce energy intensity in the economy.
BEE has developed the Energy Performance Index (EPI) for rating the building and especially targets air conditioned and non-air conditioned office buildings.

The Standards & Labeling Programme in 2006 is one of the major thrust areas of BEE to provide the consumer an informed choice about the energy saving and thereby the cost saving potential of the relevant marketed product. The scheme targets display of energy performance labels on high energy end use equipment & appliances and lays down minimum energy performance standards.

Mandatory Appliances :

Frost-free Refrigerator,
Tubular Fluorescent Lamps,
Room Air-Conditioners,
Distribution Transformer,
Colour TV,
Room Air Conditioner (Casettes, Floor Standing)
Direct Cool Refrigerator
Electric Geyser.

Voluntary Appliances :

Induction Motors
Electric geysers
Ceiling fans
Agricultural pump sets
Domestic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Stoves
Washing machine
Computer (Notebook/Laptops)
Ballast (Electronic/Magnetic)
Variable Capacity Air Conditioners
Office equipment's (Printer, Copier, Scanner, MFD's)
Diesel Generating sets
Diesel Engine Driven Mono set Pumps for Agricultural Purposes
Solid State Inventor
LED Lamps

NHAI National Highways Authority of India

An Autonomous agency of GOI, responsible for management of a network of over 70,000 km of National Highways in India.
It is a nodal agency of MoRT&H Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
NHAI was created through the promulgation of the National Highways Authority of India Act, 1988.
In February 1995, the Authority was formally made an autonomous body.

Central Road Fund (CRF) is a non-lapsable fund created under Central Road Fund Act 2000. It is procured out of the out of cess/tax imposed by the Union Government on the consumption of Petrol and Diesel. CRF should be used to develop and maintain National Highways, State roads (that have economic importance with inter-state connectivity), rural roads, railway under/over bridges etc, and national waterways (waterways from 2017 onwards only). CRF is that its revenue is increasing at a significant pace during the last few years.

Central Road Fund (Amendment) Bill, 2017 amends the Central Road Fund Act, 2000, through which the cess levied and collected on high speed petrol and diesel is distributed for development of rural roads, national highways, railways, state roads and border area roads.

The Bill provides that in addition to these the fund will also be used for the development and maintenance of national WATERWAYS.

The Bill seeks to decrease the allocation of cess towards the development and maintenance of national highways from 41.5% to 39%. It allocates 2.5% of the cess towards the development and maintenance of national waterways.

Inland Waterways Authority of India(IWAI) is the statutory authority in charge of the waterways in India. Its headquarters is located in Noida.

NWDA National Water Development Agency of the Union Ministry of Water Resources

set up in July 1982 as Autonomous Society under the societies registration act 1860, to carry out the water balance and other studies on a scientific and realistic basis for optimum utilization of water resources of the Peninsular river system for preparation of feasibility reports and thus to give concrete shape to Peninsular river development component of National perspective plan(NPP) prepared by Central Water Commission and the then Ministry of Irrigation (now MoWR, RD & GR).
In the year 1994, NWDA was also entrusted with the task of Himalayan Component of National Perspective Plan.
In 2006, it was decided that NWDA will explore the feasibility of intra-states links and to take up the work for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) of river.

CWC Central Water Commission

Functioning as an attached office of the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, GOI

The work of the Commission is divided among 3 wings namely, River Management Wing (RM), Designs and Research Wing (D&R) and Water Planning and Project WING.

HWB Heavy Water Board

A constituent unit under Department of Atomic Energy DEA primarily responsible for production of Heavy Water (D2O) which is used as a ‘moderator’ and ‘Coolant’ in nuclear power as well as research reactors. Other than Heavy Water, HWB is also engaged with production of different types of nuclear grade solvents and extraction of rare materials.

DRIP DAM REHABILITATION AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Ministry of Water Resources (MoWR) with assistance from the World Bank aims to rehabilitation and improvement of about 223 dams within four states of Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Tamil Nadu. Later Karnataka, Uttarakhand (UNVNL) and Jharkhand (DVC) joined DRIP and total number of dams covered under DRIP increased to 250.

The Central Dam Safety Organisation of Central Water Commission, assisted by a Consulting firm, is coordinating and supervising the Project implementation.

India will be hosting the International Dam Safety Conference – 2018 at Thiruvananthapuram organised by CWC in association with Kerala Water Resources Department (KWRD) under DRIP scheme. Here a software programme – Dam Health and Rehabilitation Monitoring Application (DHARMA)- will also be launched during the conference. DHARMA is a web tool to digitize all dam related data effectively.

TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute) : Established in 1974, headquartered in New Delhi.

A leading think tank dedicated to conducting research for sustainable development of India and the Global South.
as an information centre on energy issues. However, over the following decades, it made a mark as a research institute, whose policy and technology solutions transformed people's lives and the environment.
TERI's key focus lies in promoting:

Clean energy
Water management
Pollution management
Sustainable agriculture
Climate resilience

It was ranked second among world’s best climate think tank by the International Centre for Climate Governance ICCG (which focuses on design of climate policy and related governance issues).

TERI's rating system GRIHA(Green Rating for Integrated Habitat Assessment) jointly developed with MNRE Ministry of new and Renewable energy, that measures the energy and environmental performance of buildings over its life cycle, now has 750 GRIHA registered projects in India.
Nearly 70% of oil refineries in India use the Oilzapper technology developed by TERI.
LIGHTING A BILLION LIVES ( LaBL) is a campaign by TERI that promotes the use of solar lanterns specially designed and manufactured on a decentralised basis. It involved Women SHGs , with Public- Private-People partnerships.

WSDS World Sustainable Development Summit :

TERI's annual event formerly known as Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS)
It brings together Nobel laureates, political leaders, decision-makers from bilateral and multilateral institutions, business leaders, high-level functionaries from the diplomatic corps, scientists and researchers, media personnel, and members of civil society; to deliberate on issues related to sustainable development.
Post SDGs and Paris agreement, WSDS aims to provide long-term solutions for benefit of global community by assembling various stakeholders on a single platform.
1st edition in 2016 in New Delhi with theme ‘Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress’.
In 2005, TERI established “Sustainable Development Leadership Award” to felicitate the efforts of global leaders in the field of sustainable development.
The theme for 2018 event is 'Partnerships for a Resilient Planet'.
During 2018 event , TERI launched Energy Transitions Commission India (ETC INDIA) to suggest pathways for energy and electricity sector transitions in India.

LEED Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is a rating system devised by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) to evaluate the environmental performance of a building and encourage market transformation towards sustainable design. The system is credit-based, allowing projects to earn points for environmentally friendly actions taken during construction and use of a building.

The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC)has adapted LEED system and has launched LEED India version for rating of new construction.

IGBC Indian Green Building Council was formed by the CII in the year 2001.

The vision of the council is, "To enable a sustainable built environment for all and facilitate India to be one of the global leaders in the sustainable built environment by 2025".
It also organises Green Building Congress, its annual flagship event on green buildings.
The council also closely works with several State Governments, Central Government, World Green Building Council, bilateral multi-lateral agencies in promoting green building concepts in the country.
The council is based out of the CII Green Business Centre, Hyderabad which is India’s 1st Platinum rated green building. The vision of the council is to enable ‘Sustainable built environment for all.
IGBC certifies the green projects which are conceptualized, designed, constructed and operated as per IGBC Ratings. Green projects rated by IGBC fall under one of these levels (in ascending order): Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum

IFC’s EDGE Prog :

IFC (arm of WB)and the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI), apex body of private real estate developers, have partnered to promote green buildings in the country through IFC’s EDGE certification.

ECBC Energy Conservation Building Code

launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE)
The code is set for energy efficiency standards for design and construction with any building of minimum conditioned area of 1,000 m2 and a connected demand of power of 500 KW or 600 KVA.
The energy performance index of the code is set from 90 kW·h/sqm/year to 200 kW·h/sqm/year where any buildings that fall under the index can be termed as "ECBC Compliant Building"
Moreover, the BEE launched a 5-star rating scheme for office buildings operated only in the day time in 3 climatic zones, composite, hot&dry, warm&humid on 25 February 2009. IGBC rated green buildings are also able to meet or exceed the ECBC compliance.
The CII Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre is a BEE 5 star-rated building.
RBI's buildings in Delhi, Bhubaneshwar in Orissa and in Kerala have been star rated.
In Tamil Nadu 11 buildings were star rated by BEE, in the year 2010, including RBI buildings.

Traditional buildings with energy efficient architecture on the below places:

Hawa Mahal - Articulated windows provides cool breeze in a desert area
Golkonda - Ventilation is designed to let in fresh cool breeze, in spite of summer.
The traditional building practices were utilized in constructing the Dhyanalinga. Mud mortar stabilized with lime, sand, alum and some herbal additives was used.

CII Confederation of Indian Industry, founded in 1895, is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry managed organization , it has over 8,300 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 200,000 enterprises from around 250 national and regional sectoral industry bodies. CII works with the Government on policy issues as business association in India.

SACEP South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme

In order to promote and support protection, management and enhancement of environment in the South Asian region, the Governments of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka established the SACEP in 1982 in Sri Lanka.
SACEP jointly with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) developed a “Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan” to facilitate international co-operation in preparing and responding to a major oil pollution incident in the seas around the Maritime States.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) will be the Competent National Authority and national operational contact point for implementation of “Regional Oil Spill Contingency Plan”.

GOI and SACEP signed mou for cooperation on the response to Oil and Chemical Pollution in the South Asian Seas Region.

Malé Declaration on control and prevention of air pollution and its likely transboundary effects for South Asia is another significant efforts which encourages intergovernmental cooperation to combat the transboundary air pollution problem.

Nalanda Project is an innovative Faculty Development Program of Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India, under its Information, Education and Communication (IEC) strategy for awareness, orientation and development of faculties of Minority Universities/Minority Managed Degree Colleges (MMDCs) and higher educational institutions located in minority concentration areas in the country. Project has been launched under the scheme of “Research/Studies, Monitoring, Evaluation of th Development Schemes

CIPAM Cell for IPR Promotion and Management

created as a professional body under the aegis of DIPP to take forward the implementation of the National IPR Policy that was approved by the Government in May 2016, with the slogan – “Creative India; Innovative India”.
CIPAM is working towards creating public awareness about IPRs in the country, promoting the filing of IPRs through facilitation, providing inventors with a platform to commercialise their IP assets and coordinating the implementation of the National IPR Policy in collaboration with Government Ministries/Departments and other stakeholders.

PMEAC Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister is a non-constitutional, non-permanent and independent body constituted to give economic advice to GOI , specifically PM. It advises PM on a whole host of economic issues like inflation, microfinance, industrial output, etc. The term of the PMEAC was parallel to that of the Prime Minister, hence the PMEAC also needs to resign.

The primary role of the PMEAC is to give a neutral viewpoint on economic policy matters that are referred to it by the Prime Minister.Additionally it prepares a monthly report of economic developments that need to be highlighted to the PM. For this purpose it closely monitors national and international economic developments and trends and develops appropriate policy responses for the PM. It publishes reports on the annual Economic Outlook and Review of the Economy of India.

There is no fixed definition on the exact number of members and staff of the PMEAC.

For administrative, logistic, planning and budgeting purposes, the Planning Commission of India serves as the Nodal Agency for the PMEAC.

ICHR Indian Council for Historical Research

An autonomous body of Ministry of Human Resource Development, which had been established by an Administrative Order of then Ministry of Education.
It provided financial assistance to the historians and direction to the research scholars in their multifarious topics of historical research through established historians and scholars of the country.
Based in Delhi with regional centres in Bengaluru (Karnataka) and Guwahati (Assam).
The only academic institution which chose to keep its deposit with a non-State bank of India with UCO Bank at Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi.
It is funded by grants-in-aid received dept of education (MHRD), various state govt, Cultural Exchange Programs (CEP) from foreign countries.
Two journals: the Indian Historical Review (bi-annually) and Itihas (in Hindi)
ICHR, unlike its sister research body, the Indian Council of Social Science Research, which had been formed by an Act of Parliament, has no office building of its own.
It has continued to be housed in a building belonging to the Jawaharlal Nehru University, at 35 Ferozeshah Road, New Delhi, since 1972.
ICHR Council consists of the following members

An eminent historian nominated by GOI who shall be Chairman of the Council Eighteen historians nominated by GOI.
Representative of UGC , Director of ASI , National Archives of India Four persons to represent government.

ICSSR Indian Council of Social Science Research

Established in 1969 as an autonomous body under GOI with office in New Delhi promotes research in the field of social sciences.
In the same year it started a division called National Social Science Documentation Centre (NASSDOC), (NASSDOC as a member of DELNET (Developing Library Network) whose primary aim is to provide library and information support services.
LIBSYS software is being used for library automation by NASSDOC.
It supports research to individual scholars by offering them fellowships at different levels in social science disciplines.

Under its scheme of 'Occasional Monograph Series', ICSSR brings out occasional monographs on themes of contemporary relevance and national importance.

Some of the recent approaches that have tried to measure various factors

GINI coefficient which was introduced in 1912 by Corrado Gini and adopted by World Bank, and measures the income inequality among a country’s citizens — but it fails to measure social benefits or interventions that reduce the gap or inequality between rich and poor.
GNH (Gross National Happiness) , which was introduced in the 1970s by the king of Bhutan, similarly measures the happiness levels of the citizens in a country while it ignores other important elements like gender equality, quality education and good infrastructure.
HDI(Human Development Indicators) , devised and launched in 1990 by Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq, is computed and published by the United Nations Development Programme. Many prospects of a healthy society, such as environmental sustainability and personal rights, are not included in HDI.
The National University of Educational Planning and Administration and the Government of India (Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy) compute an Educational Development Index for primary and upper primary levels of education that compare States on different aspects on education universalization.
NITI Aayog has rolled out the health, education and water index.

Social Progress Index (SPI) as complementary index begins by defining what it means to be a good society based around three dimensions.

Basic Human needs (Nutrition and Basic Medical care, Water and Sanitation, Shelter, Personal Safety)
Foundation of wellbeing (Access to basic knowledge, Access to info and Communication, Health and Wellness, Ecosystem sustainability)
Opportunity (Personal Rights, Personal freedom and choice, Tolerance and inclusion, Access to Advanced education)

The study released by Institute for Competitiveness, India in collaboration with Social Progress Imperative is the first edition of a sub-national Social Progress Index for India.
Global Social Progress Index ranks India at the 93rd position
Kerala emerges as the top performer by making remarkable progress across social indicators.

LEADS Logistics Ease Across Different States index

A perception-based index of mobility of goods and efficiency of logistics chain in composite indicator to assess international trade logistics across States and UTs.
Based on a stakeholders’ survey conducted by Deloitte for Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
Loosely based on the World Bank’s biannual Logistics Performance Index (LPI), on which India was ranked 35 among 160 countries in 2016, up from 54 in 2014.
Based on 8 parameters such as infrastructure, services, timeliness, track and trace, competitiveness of pricing, safety of cargo, operating environment and regulatory process.
Top ranks are Gujarat, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh

Major push to developing an integrated logistics framework in the country, including industrial parks, cold chains and warehousing facilities, the govt. in November granted infrastructure status to the logistics sector, enabling the industry to access cheaper finances.

UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. Network covers seven creative fields: Crafts and Folk Arts, Media Arts, Film, Design, Gastronomy, Literature and Music.

Chennai has been included in the UCCN for its rich musical tradition. Jaipur and Varanasi are also included.

Island Development Agency (IDA):

The IDA was set up on June 1, 2017 following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s review meeting for the development of islands. The meetings of the agency are chaired by the UNION HOME MINISTER with members of secretaries of Cabinet, home, Environment, Tourism and Tribal Affairs.

2nd Meeting held for holistic development of 09 islands – 4 in A&N Islands i.e. Smith, Ross, Long, Avis (code name LARS)

and five in Lakshadweep i.e. Minicoy, Bangaram, Thinnakara, Cheriyam, Suheli ( iBMTCS)

Recall it — WIPO ---> TISC —> its 2 centres in India ---> TISC signed with which dept. - - -> who is implement agency in India.

Ashgabat (capital of Turkmenistan) Agreement provides shortest trade route in central Asia was founded by Oman,Iran, Turkmenistan, Ujbekistan. It will pave the way for ITTC International transport and transit corridor. Later Kazakhstan, Pakistan and India has also joined it.

India was among a handful of countries that had skipped attendance in Beijing of the Belt and Road Forum in May, objecting to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which passed through Kashmir.

The About the Composition scheme

The composition scheme is an alternative method of levy of tax designed for small taxpayers whose turnover is up to Rs 1 crore — Rs 50 lakh in the case of eight north-eastern states and the hilly state of Himachal Pradesh.

objective behind it is to bring simplicity and reduce the compliance cost for small taxpayers.

DSB Dispute Settlement Body

The General Council convenes as the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) to deal with disputes between WTO members. Such disputes may arise with respect to any agreement contained in the Final Act of the Uruguay Round that is subject to the Understanding on Rules and Procedures Governing the Settlement of Disputes (DSU).

The DSB has authority to establish dispute settlement panels, refer matters to arbitration, adopt panel, Appellate Body and arbitration reports, maintain surveillance over the implementation of recommendations and rulings contained in such reports, and authorize suspension of concessions in the event of non-compliance with those recommendations and rulings.

FEMA ( FOREIGN EXCHANGE MANAGEMENT ACT )

KVIC Khadi and Village Industries Commission

statutory body established by an Act
Charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programs for the development of Khadi and other village industries in the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
Its functions also comprise building up of a reserve of raw materials and implements for supply to producers, creation of common service facilities for processing of raw materials as semi-finished goods and provisions of facilities for marketing of KVI products apart from organisation of training of artisans engaged in these industries and encouragement of co-operative efforts amongst them.
The broad objectives that the KVIC has set before it, are:

The social objective of providing employment
The economic objective of producing saleable articles
The wider objective of creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a strong rural community spirit
The KVIC is also charged with the responsibility of encouraging and promoting research in the production techniques and equipment employed in the Khadi and Village Industries sector.
It also aims at providing facilities for the study of the problems relating to it, including the use of non-conventional energy and electric power with a view to increasing productivity, eliminating drudgery and otherwise enhancing their competitive capacity and arranging for dissemination of salient results obtained from such research.
Further, the KVIC is entrusted with the task of providing financial assistance to institutions and individuals for development and operation of Khadi and village industries and guiding them through supply of designs, prototypes and other technical information

CSC e-Governance Services India Limited is a Special Purpose Vehicle (CSC SPV) incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, to monitor the implementation of the Common Services Centers Scheme.

ICAR Indian Council of Agricultural Research

Established in 16 July 1929 and registered society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
An autonomous body responsible for co-ordinating agricultural education and research in India.
Reports to the DARE Department of Agricultural Research and Education, Ministry of Agriculture.
The Union Minister of Agriculture serves as its President.
It is the largest network of agricultural research and education institutes in the world.
The Committee to Advise on Renovation and Rejuvenation of Higher Education (Yashpal Committee, 2009) has recommended setting up of a constitutional body — the National Commission for Higher Education and Research — which would be a unified supreme body to regulate all branches of higher education including agricultural education.
Presently, regulation of agricultural education is the mandate of ICAR, Veterinary Council of India (Veterinary sub-discipline) and Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education (Forestry sub-discipline).
The UPA government has included Yashpal Committee recommendations in its '100 days agenda'. premier institute of agriculture in India

Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC)

is an Autonomous Society promoted by Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare, GOI.
It was registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 on 18th January, 1994.
The Society is governed by Board of Management which is chaired, ex-officio, by Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare as the President and the Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is the ex-officio Vice-President.
SFAC is implementing the central schemes of Government of India namely VCA, EGCGS for economic inclusion of small and marginal farmers in agribusiness activities.

Veterinary Council of India (VCI)

a statutory body which regulates veterinary(related to disease and treatment of farm & domestic animals) practice in India.
Established under the Ministry of Agriculture of GOI in 1984, and based in New Delhi
The Council is governed by the Indian Veterinary Council Act, 1984.
The first members were nominated in 1989. The first elections to the Council took place in 1999.
Funding from grants-in-aid from the Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) is located at Izatnagar, Bareilly under ICAR

Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes

It is a publicly funded institute for water buffalo research, located at Hisar in Haryana.
It has a mandate to conserve superior animals of all buffalo breeds.
It is world’s largest buffalo research institute with the widest range of breeds under study.
It has created the world’s first online Buffalopedia in several languages.

CFSI Children's Film Society India

was founded soon after India's independence by Pt. JL Nehru, India's first Prime Minister, whose affection for children is well known.
Pt. Nehru established CFSI with the hope that indigenous and exclusive cinema for children would stimulate their creativity, compassion and critical thinking.
CFSI started functioning in 1955 as an autonomous body under MoI&B Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Since then CFSI has continued to produce, exhibit and distribute quality content for children: from feature films, shorts, animations to television episodes and documentaries.
CFSI is committed to strengthening the children's film movement within India and promoting Indian produced children's films across the globe.

Golden Elephant is a biennial festival that strives to bring the most imaginative and delightful international & national children’s cinema to young audiences in India. The festival presents features, shorts, live action and animation films over 7 days of festive celebrations attended by more than one hundred thousand children, hundreds of film professionals and eminent guests from around the world.

Land Pooling : Under land pooling mechanism, group of land-owners pool their land and hand it over to government agency for development of infrastructure projects. After the development of land, the agency redistributes the land after deducting some portion as compensation towards infrastructure costs.Generally, people who part with their land parcels get 60-70% of their holdings back after infrastructure is developed on it. This is done to develop potential infrastructure to reduce the load on the existing congested and saturated areas. This method already has been used in Gujarat, Maharashtra , Andhra Pradesh.

PLUGIN : It is an initiative of Intel India, sine branch of IIT Bombay and Department of Science and Tech to find, fund and help industries for the systems and Hardware based innovation in India.

H-1B visa

Non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year.
An H-1B visa is granted for three years, with the provision of three more with one extension after which visa holders return to their countries. If approved for Green Card, they wait in the US using extensions.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ graduate level workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The L-1 visa facilitates the temporary transfer of foreign worker to continue employment with an office of the same employer, its parent, branch, subsidiary or affiliate.

H-4 Visa holders are immediate family members of H-1B visa holders. Most H-4 visa holders are spouses who want to join their partner in a new country. They enjoy many of the benefits of living in USA, but some limitations exist. That’s why an H-1B visa is better.

When that visa expires, both the H-1B and H-4 holders are no longer eligible for American residency.

Bharat Stage IV to VI

GCCS Global Centre For Cyber Security

Launched by WEF in 2018 Davos annual meeting & will function as autonomous to safeguard world from hackers and growing data breaches, especially from nation-states.
HQ at Geneva and commenced its operation from march 2018
The aim of the centre is to establish the first global platform for governments, businesses, experts and law enforcement agencies to collaborate on cybersecurity challenges.
It will pave the way to prevent the Digital Dark age (i.e. ignoring electronic historical documents)

Digital dark age is a lack of historical information in the digital age as a direct result of outdated file formats, software, or hardware that becomes corrupt, scarce, or inaccessible as technologies evolve and data decays.

GCCS

FDI

100% FDI under automatic route for Single Brand Retail Trading.
100% FDI under automatic route in Construction Development.
Foreign airlines allowed to invest up to 49% under approval route in Air India.
FIIs/FPIs allowed to invest in Power Exchanges through primary market.
Definition of ‘medical devices’ amended in the FDI Policy.

FDI in Defence:

Upto 49% is permitted under the automatic route, foreign investment beyond 49% and upto 100% is permitted through Government approval, wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology or for other reasons to be recorded.
FDI in defence sector is subject to Industrial Licence under the Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951.
From July 2016 to January 2017, FDI to the amount of 0.61 lakhs has been received from M/s Elbit Systems Land and C41 Ltd, Israel in M/s BF Elbit Advanced Systems Pvt. Ltd.

National Population Register (NPR) is a Register of usual residents of the country.

It is being prepared at the local (Village level), sub District (Tehsil/Taluk level), District, State and National level under provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.

A usual resident of a local area, for the purpose of NPR, is defined as a person who has stayed in the local area for the past 6 months or a person who intends to stay in the local area for the next 6 months.

Citizenship Act 1955 relates to provisions for citizenship of people covered by the Assam Accord.

National Register of Citizens (Assam) :

NRC Assam, the Register containing names of Indian Citizens in Assam, was prepared in 1951 as a non-statutory process by recording particulars of all the persons enumerated during 1951 Census.
The Assam agitation (1979-85) against the illegal foreigners led to the signing of Assam Accord on 15th Aug 1985 between the Central Government, State Government, All India Students' Union (AASU) and All Assam GanSangramParishad (AAGSP), which stipulated 24th March, 1971 as the cut-off date for identification and deportation of illegal migrants from East Pakistan (Bangladesh).
Accordingly, the Citizenship Act, 1955 was amended by inserting section 6A as special provisions for Assam.
The NRC Assam is being updated as per the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955 and the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
It will include persons whose names appear in any of the electoral rolls upto the midnight of 24th March, 1971 or National Register of Citizens, 1951 and their descendants.
It is part of the action for the fulfilment of Assam Accord and understanding arrived in a tripartite meeting held in 2005 at the level of Prime Minister.
NRC Assam will contain the names of genuine Indian citizens and will help the government to check illegal immigration in India.
The Supreme Court is continuously monitoring the progress of NRC update and has given various directions from time to time.
Under directions of the Supreme Court, Assam is updating the NRC to find out number of undocumented immigrants who may have entered the State from neighbouring Bangladesh after the cut off date of March 24, 1971 (Division of East and West Pakistan in 1972-71).
The draft NRC was released in Guwahati on 30th July 2018 by Registrar General of India and NRC State Coordinator in the presence of Joint Director (Northeast) in the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Assam Accord: Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) signed between representatives of GOI and leaders of Assam Movement in New Delhi on 15 August 1985 to end the Assam Agitation and paved the way for the leaders of the agitation to form a political party and form a government in the state of Assam soon after.

As per the Accord, those Bangladeshis who came between 1966 and 1971 will be barred from voting for ten years. The Accord also mentions that the international borders will be sealed and all persons who crossed over from Bangladesh after 1971 are to be deported.

Spices Board was constituted on 26th February 1987 under the Spices Board Act 1986 (No. 10 of 1986) with the merger of the erstwhile _{Cardamom Board (1968) and Spices Export Promotion Council (1960).} Spices Board is one of the five Commodity Boards functioning under the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. It is an autonomous body responsible for the export promotion of the 52 scheduled spices and development of Cardamom (Small & Large).

Tea Board

Coffee Board

. PATH of UPSC

Configure 1st Line Links here

DropDowner

NATIONAL G.K.

Report Abuse