Under “Jai Bhim Mukhyamantri Pratibha Vikas Yojana, around 15,000 students have enrolled for coaching classes in the year 2021.
Under the scheme, students can avail the benefit of free coaching classes across 46 coaching centres. Coaching teaches for competitive exams like UPSC, CDS, medical & engineering entrance, banking exams, management school exams and law university entrance.
This scheme was launched in 2018. That year it was launched only for SC & ST students. Around 5,000 students were enrolled under it. In the year 2019, it witnessed the enrolment of 15,000 students as scheme was opened for students belonging to OBC and EWS category.
On November 1, 2021, at COP26 climate summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced 2070 as the India’s target to reach net zero carbon emissions.
A net-zero target is defined as date by which a country will only emit carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases that can be absorbed by forests, soil, crops, and developing technologies such as carbon capture technology.
China, United States, India and Russia are the top greenhouse gas emitters. India is the third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and is among the countries which are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. As per Global Climate Risk Index 2021, India is the seventh-most affected nation by extreme weather events.
India’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070 is far-fetched. Thus, to support this goal, four other aggressive pledges were made. These targets are:
Reserve Bank of India (RBI) modified its prompt corrective action (PCA) framework on November 3, 2021 to exclude the profitability parameter from its triggers list.
PCA framework are put in place with the objective of enabling supervisory intervention at appropriate time. It requires the supervised Entity to implement remedial measures in a time bound manner, for restoring its financial health.
The PCA framework was introduced in December 2002. It acts as a tool for effective market discipline. These regulations were revised in April 2017, on the recommendations of working group of Financial Stability & Development Council. Under this framework, RBI puts banks with weak financial metrics under watch. It aims to check the Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) problems in banking sector of India. It helps in alerting regulator, investors and depositors in case bank heading for trouble.
PCA framework is applicable only to commercial banks. Co-operative banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) are not covered under it.
A Reserve Bank of India (RBI) panel has suggested for overhauling rules to govern Asset Reconstruction Companies (ARC).
RBI panel recommends for:
ARC is a specialized financial institution which buys the Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) from banks and financial institutions in order to clean up their balance sheets. ARC helps banks to concentrate in normal banking activities. It provides opportunities for banks to sell bad assets to ARCs, at mutually agreed value, rather than going after the defaulters.
ARCs in India have been constituted under the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest (SARFAESI) Act, 2002. SARFAESI Act helps in reconstruction of bad assets, and nullify the intervention of courts. ARCs are required to have a minimum net owned fund of Rs 2 crores, as per amendment in SARFAESI Act 2016.
Yahoo Inc. has pulled out of China on November 2, 2021 because of an increasingly challenging business and legal environment.
In 2007, Yahoo was criticized by lawmakers after it handed over data on two Chinese dissidents to Beijing. It led to the imprisonment of Chinese dissidents. Yahoo had previously stopped its operations in China. In the year 2015, it closed down its office in Beijing.
Yahoo withdrawal from China is largely symbolic because China had already blocked Yahoo services & its web portal. China also stopped music and email services of Yahoo on its mainland during 2010s. China does not allow international social media sites and search engines like Facebook & Google to operate there. Users in China access these services by using a virtual private network (VPN).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for ‘One Sun, One World, One Grid’ on November 2, 2021 for improving the viability of solar power.
This project is about setting a ‘trans-national electricity grid to supply solar power across the world. The vision behind OSOWOG is ‘The Sun Never Sets’. It is a constant at some geographical location, across the globe, at any given point of time. This is the most ambitious schemes undertaken by India and is significant in terms economic benefits. It has been taken up under the technical assistance program of the World Bank. This plan will also leverage the International Solar Alliance (ISA).
Ministry of Rural Development of Government of India (MoRD) and Flipkart has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).
MoU is a part of the Flipkart Samarth program. It was signed with the aim of providing skilled & underserved communities of weavers, craftsmen, and artisans with national market access using the Flipkart marketplace. It will also provide them with dedicated support for knowledge and training. Flipkart Samarth programme seeks to break entry barriers for local communities by providing time-bound incubation & support with onboarding, marketing, business insights, cataloguing, account management, and warehousing. It will increase avenues for business and trade inclusion as well as help in creating & sustaining better livelihood opportunities.
NRLM is a poverty alleviation project, which is implemented by Ministry of Rural Development. This project focuses on promoting self-employment and organization of poor across rural India. It seeks to organize the poor into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and make them capable for self-employment.
Ministry of Rural Development had restructured the ‘Integrated Rural Development Programme (IRDP) in 1999 and launched Swarnajayanti Grameen Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY) in order to promote self-employment among rural poor. SGSY has now been remodelled to NRLM. NRLM was launched in 2011 with a budget outlay of $5.1 billion.
Flipkart Samarth program was launched in the year 2019 as a sustainable and inclusive platform for empowering underserved domestic communities & businesses by providing them opportunities and livelihoods. It is currently supporting the livelihoods of more than 950000 artisans, weavers and craftsmen in India.
The Global Methane Pledge was launched on November 2, 2021 at the ongoing UN COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
The Global Methane Pledge was first announced in September 2021 by the US and EU. It is an agreement to reduce global methane emissions. This pledge was announced with the aim of reducing methane emissions by 30 per cent by the year 2030, as compared to 2020 levels.
As per Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, methane accounts for around half of the 1.0 degrees Celsius net increase in global average temperature as compared to pre-industrial era. As per UN, 25 percent of the warming is because of methane.
Methane is a greenhouse gas and a component of natural gas. Its presence in the atmosphere increases the temperature on Earth. Methane comes from human as well as natural sources. Human sources of methane comprise of oil & natural gas systems, landfills, coal mining, agricultural activities, wastewater treatment, and industrial processes. Human sources accounts for 60 percent of the global methane emissions, among which Oil & gas sectors are the largest contributor.
An independent conservation organisation in New Zealand, Forest & Bird, organised its annual Bird of The Year Award, recently.
Pekapeka-tou-roa is also known as long-tailed bat. It is one among New Zealand’s two land mammals. This species of bat was added to the Bird of the Year list by Forest and Bird as these species of bat as well as native birds are threatened by the same problems like habitat loss, predators and climate change. Thus, the first time in 2021, the organisation has let a native mammal to enter the competition.
New Zealand’s long-tailed bat is among two surviving species which are endemic or native to New Zealand. They can be found throughout the mainland as well as on some offshore islands in the country. This species is a small-sized bat comprising of a long tail. New Zealand’s long-tailed bat is associated to five other wattled or lobe-lipped bats in Australia.
As per New Zealand Department of Conservation, long-tailed bats are classified as ‘nationally critical’ while the short-tailed bat subspecies are classified as ‘nationally vulnerable’ to ‘recovering’. However, they are in danger of extinction if they are not protected.
Bird of the Year competition was started by ‘Forest and Bird organisation’ to raise awareness on native wildlife of New Zealand, their habitats & threats they face.
On November 2, 2021, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that, Central government has extended the benefits of “Ayushman CAPF healthcare scheme” to the personnel of all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).
Scheme was launched in line with the commitment of Modi govt to ensure healthcare facilities of CAPF personnel so that they can discharge their duties with full concentration.
The Ayushman CAPF healthcare scheme was first launched on January 23, 2021 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
It covers all Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) officials & serving personnel as well as their dependents from seven forces namely, Border Security Forces (BSF), Assam Rifles, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and National Security Guard (NSG).
Under this scheme, CAPF personnel & their families would be able to avail cashless in-patient and out-patient healthcare facilities across the hospitals that comes under Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.
PM-JAY is a national public health insurance fund, launched with the aim of providing free access to health insurance coverage for low-income earners in India. Around bottom 50% of the people in India qualifies for this scheme. Under the scheme, free secondary health care is provided to those requiring specialist treatment as well as tertiary health care for those needing hospitalization. Ministry of Health and Family welfare launched this scheme in 2018.
National Ayurveda Day was celebrated on November 2, 2021 by the Ministry of AYUSH, across the country.
In the year 2021, the day was observed under the theme “Ayurveda for Poshana (Nutrition)”.
India celebrates Ayurveda Day each year on the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras. This day celebrated since 2016 on the occasion of Dhanvantari Jayanti. This day is celebrated to raise awareness on importance of Ayurveda in our daily lives. It also focuses on strengths of Ayurveda and its unique treatment principles.
Lord Dhanvantari is the god of Ayurvedic medicine. Thus, Dhanteras is observed every year for the wellbeing of everyone. Lord Dhanvantari is the healer of all ailments. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Dhanvantari (a physician of the gods) appeared before Devas and the Asuras during Samudra Manthan. He was holding Amrita (or nectar of immortality) and Ayurveda text in his hand. Devas and Asuras wanted the Amrita to become immortal. This led to a fight between both the groups. Later, Garuda protected the nectar from the Asuras.
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is set to excavate ‘five kingdoms’ related to Dadanite and Lihyanite civilisations.
In the year 2019, Saudi Arabia opened a flagship tourist destination called Al Ula. It is a 2000-year-old city that have been carved into rocks by the Nabateans. It is known for majestic tombs of Madain Saleh. They were pre-Islamic Arab people and they built Petra in Jordan.
Madain Saleh is also called as Hegra. It is an archaeological site situated in the area of Al-‘Ula in the Medina Province of Hejaz, Saudi Arabia. Majority of the remains belong to Nabataean Kingdom that existed during 1st century AD. This site is the southernmost settlement of Saudi Arabia. It is the second largest city after Petra. On this site, traces of Lihyanite and Roman occupation can also be found.
UNESCO proclaimed Mada’in Saleh as a site of patrimony in the year 2008. Thus, this site is the first World Heritage Site of Saudi Arabia. It was selected for its well-preserved remains from late antiquity, like 131 monumental rock-cut tombs, with their ornamented facades.
Extensive settlement of the Madain Saleh took place during the 1st century AD, after it came under the rule of the Nabatean king Aretas IV Philopatris (Al-Harith IV). He made Mada’in Saleh the second capital of Saudi Arabia, after Petra.