Appointments and Awards till April 2019

Rishi Kumar Shukla appointed as CBI director replacing Alok Verma. 

Saraswati Samman for 2018 to Telugu poet K Siva Reddy.

Bharat Ratna 2019: Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh & Bhupen Hazarika.

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General Studies for Exams: Mahamastakabhisheka Celebrations

10-day  long  Mahamastakabhisheka  for  39-foot high Bahubali  statue was celebrated
in Dharmasthala, Karnataka.

In 2019, the 4th mahamastakabhisheka  of Lord Bahubali since its  installation

in 1982 was performed. 

Lord Bahubali was the son of the first Jain Tirthankara, lord Rishabhanatha, .

The sculpture is in  the  digambara form of Bahubali,  representing complete

victory over earthly desires and needs.

The word Mahamastakabhisheka is a combination of  three words viz: Maha

(great), Masthaka (head) and Abhisheka (anointing) which literally means
‘the head anointing ceremony’.

The ceremony is performed only once in 12 years.

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Wage Code Bill, 2019

2017: Introduced in Lok Sabha first.

Subsumes following 4 Acts:

Payment of Wages Act, 1926.

Minimum Wages Act, 1948.
Payment of Bonus Act, 1965.
Equal Remuneration Act, 1976.

Object: To transform old and obsolete labour laws.

Universalizes the provision of minimum wages and timely payment of wages to
employees, irrespective of sectors.
Central Government will fix floor wages taking into account living standard of
workers.

It may also fix different floor wages for different geographical areas.
Minimum wages to be fixed higher than floor wages.

Advisory boards to be constituted by the Central Government and state

governments to advise government on issues of fixation of minimum wages,
increasing employment opportunities for women etc.
Prohibits gender discrimination in matters of payment of wages and
recruitment.
Constitutional Provisions:
 Article 43: state shall endeavor to secure to all workers a living
wageand conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life.
Labour is the subject of Concurrent List.   

Expert committee headed by Anoop Satpathy, submitted report onDetermining

the Methodology for Fixation of the National Minimum Wage.

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April-2019: Minor topics.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana.

The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has launched it.

Voluntary and contributory pension scheme  for workers in
theunorganised sector.
Age-specific contribution by the beneficiary and the matching contribution
by the Central Government.
Eligibility: 

The unorganised sector workers, with income of less than Rs 15,000

per month within age group of 18-40 years.
Not covered under New Pension Scheme (NPS), Employees’ State
Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme or Employees’ Provident Fund
Organisation (EPFO).
Not an income tax payer.

Minimum assured  monthly pension of Rs 3000  after attaining the age of 60

years.
LIC is the Pension Fund Manager.

Operation Digital Board (ODB).

 Human Resource Development Minister Shri Prakash Javadekar launched
Operation Digital Board to leverage technology in order to boost quality
education in the country.
On the lines of Operation Blackboard of 1987. 

Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog.

For conservation, protection and development of cattle population in the

country including development and conservation of indigenous breeds.

Gross Domestic Knowledge Product (GDKP).

The Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation in collaboration with

Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). 
Provides a fundamental measure of growth by including factors that involve the
creation and accumulation of knowledge.

The e-AUSHADHI portal. 

For online licensing of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and

related matters.

Systematic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP).

The flagship program of  the Election  Commission of India for  voter
education,voter awareness and voter literacy in India.

Generalised System of Preferences (GSP).

U.S. trade program  designed to  promote economic growth in the

developing world by providing preferential duty-free entry for up to 4,800
products from 129 designated beneficiary countries and territories.
India is the largest beneficiary.

GSAT-31
 India’s communication satellite.

Launched by Ariane 5 rocket from French Guyana (South America).

Placed in Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator). 

Salt Satyagraha Memorial.

Inaugurated at Dandi in Navsari district, Gujarat. 

It was dedicated by the PM to the nation on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s
th
71st death anniversary (30  January).

POSHAN Abhiyaan (National Nutrition Mission). 

It targets to reduce stunting, undernutrition, anemia (among young children,

women and adolescent girls) and reduce low birth weight.
Swasth Bharat Preraks will be deployed one in each district for fast and
efficient execution of the Abhiyaan across the country and act as catalyst for
fast tracking the implementation of the Abhiyaan.

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Saturday, March 21, 2020
 y, ,
Labels: 2019, April, communication, General Studies for Exams, GSAT 31, labour, Operation Digital Board (ODB). Rashtriya
Kamdhenu Aayog., Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Yojana, UPSC

General Studies: Small Topics.

National People's Party recognized as a National Party.

First political party from  Northeastern

India to have attained this status.

8th national party in the country.

Conrad Sangma is its president.

Ground of recognition:  state party in 4

statesof  Manipur,  Nagaland,  Arunachal
Pradesh and Meghalaya. 

Its election symbol is a book.

Paryatan Parv 2019 (October 2019)

Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and  Minister of Steel, Shri

Dharmendra Pradhan inaugurated atNew Delhi.

Dedicated to 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Components: 

Dekho Apna Desh:  To encourage Indians to visit their own

country.
Tourism for All:  Tourism Events at sites across all States in the
country.
Tourism & Governance:  Interactive Sessions & Workshops with
Stakeholders on varied themes.

Fit India Movement.

On the occasion of National Sports Day 29th August 2019. 

Prime Minister launched it across many schools across the country.

10th Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Ministerial Meeting (10th MGC MM).

Held on 01 August 2019 in Bangkok.

 MGC is a Sub-regional cooperation organisation. Its 6 members are:

India,Combodia,Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. 

China is not member.
Except India, others are Mekong River Basin countries.

Stride Scheme:

Fund research projects that are socially relevant, locally need-based,

nationally important and globally significant.
Initiated by UGC.

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General Studies for Exams: National Education Policy (NEP)

Points to remember:

The first National Education Policy was framed in 1986 and modified in 1992.

The draft of National Education Policy (NEP), 2019 was developed by a
committee chaired by K. Kasturirangan. 
The Draft Policy is built on foundational pillars of Access, Equity, Quality,
Affordability & Accountability.
Aims:

1. Extension of  Right to Education Act -  RTE, 2009 will cover all  Indians between
ages 3 and 18 by 2030 (from pre-school to class XII).
2. Age-appropriate foundational literacy and numeracy for every student to be
achieved by 2025.
 3. It proposes new Curricular and Pedagogical Structure, with 5+3+3+4 designfor
children in the age group 3-18 years. 
4. MHRD will be called the Ministry of Education (MoE).
5. Protect and promote our culture through the study of  classical  languages,
mother tongues, and regional languages.
6. Promote school education, higher education and professional education(includes
agricultural education, legal education, medical education and technical
education).
7. Rashtriya Shiksha Aayog or the National Education Commission - apex body -
to be constituted. 

It will be chaired by the Prime Minister.

Developing, articulating, implementing, evaluating, and revising the
vision of education in the country.

Oversee the implementation and functioning of several bodies

including the National Council of Educational Research and Training
(NCERT), the proposed National Higher Education Regulatory
Authority, and National Research Foundation.

8. The National Higher Education Regulatory Authority (NHERA) will be the

only regulator for all higher education including professional education.
9. National Research Foundation: A National Research Foundation (NRF) to
grant competitive funding for outstanding research proposals across all
disciplines.

Read Full Draft

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General Studies for Exams: Pradhan Mantri KisanSamman Nidhi (PM-

KISAN)
Points to remember:

1. Scheme to provide direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year.
Amount to transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary
farmers, in three equal installments of Rs. 2,000 each.
Transfer to be made in Aadhar linked-bank accounts of farmers.
2. Totally Centrally funded Scheme to benefit around 14.5 crore beneficiaries.
3. Launched by Prime Minister in February 2019, in Gorakhpur.
4. All land holding eligible farmer families (subject to the prevalent exclusion
criteria) would avail of the benefits under this scheme. It excludes:
Former or present holders of any constitutional posts;
Former or Present (Ministers, State Ministers, MPs of Lok Sabha
and Rajya Sabha, State Legislative Councils or Assemblies, Mayors
of Municipal Corporations and Chairpersons of district panchayat).
Income Tax payers.
5. State/UT Governments will be responsible for identification of
beneficiaries.
Source

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General Studies for Exams: National Register for Citizens (NRC).

Object: move of government to update NRC in Assam, in order to identify illegal
migrants to Assam from erstwhile East Pakistan (now called Bangladesh) on and
after25th March 1971 (cut-off date for the deportation of illegal migrants). 
Timeline:

1951:  The register was first prepared  after the 1951 Census of India. But
remained updated until recently.

1985: Assam Accord: After 1971, a the six-year-long movement led by the All

Assam Students' Union (AASU)  from 1979 to 1985, for deporting illegal
migrants. 

It demanded the updating of the NRC and the deportation of all illegal
migrants who had entered Assam after 1951.

The movement culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord in 1985.

March 25, 1971  was set as the cut-off date for the deportation of
illegal migrants.

2013: Assam Public Works and Assam Sanmilita Mahasangha & Ors filed a writ
petition before the Supreme Court demanding the deletion of illegal migrants'
names from voter lists in Assam.
2014: Supreme Court ordered for updation of NRC  in accordance with
Citizenship Act, 1955 and Citizenship Rules, 2003 in all parts of Assam.
August 31, 2019:  The updation process officially started in  2015  and the
updated final NRC was released on August 31.

Over 1.9 million applicants failing to make it to the NRC list.

This led to protests.
However, the excluded people have about 120 days to  appeal
against their exclusion to the foreigner tribunals.
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General Studies for Exams: PM Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY).

Points to remember.

1. Voluntary andcontribution
based Pension scheme for
farmers.
Thursday, March
2. Launched 19, Minister
by Prime 2020
at Ranchi in September
2019.
3. Beneficiaries: all
landholding Small and
 Marginal Farmers (with land
holdings areless than 2 hectares of land).
4. A fixed pension ofRs.3,000/- to beneficiaries.
5. Eligibility:  farmers of the age between 18 and 40 years.
6. The
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)shall be the Pension Fund
Manager. 
7.   Farmers to make a monthly contribution of Rs.55 to Rs.200, depending on their age
of entry, in the Pension Fund till they reach the retirement- 60 years. The Central
Government will also make an equal contribution of the same amount.
8. Beneficiariesof PM-Kisan Scheme can allow their contribution debited from
the benefit of that Scheme directly.

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Bihar PCS J 2018 G.K. (Prelims) Paper.

Bihar PCS J 2018 G.K. by anoopuni4u on Scribd

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General Studies for Exams: SUMAN Scheme

Points to remember.

1. Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan(Suman) Scheme.

2. Aims to bring down the maternal and infant mortality  rates (MMR and IMR) in
India.
3. Eligibility:  All pregnant women, newborns and mothers up to 6 months of
delivery.
4. Inaugurated by Union Minister forHealth & Family Welfare  Dr. Harsh Vardhan
at 13th Conference of Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW).
 5. Benefits:  free healthcare to all
beneficiaries, respectful care with
privacy and dignity. Also it
includes, ante natal check-ups, at least
one checkup under Pradhan Mantri
Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, Iron Folic
Acid supplementation, Tetanus diptheria
injection.

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General Studies for Exams: Col Chewang Rinchen bridge.

Points to remember.

1. Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh

inaugurated this strategically important
bridge.
2. Col Chewang Rinchen was a highly
decorated officer of Indian Army from
Ladakh region. He is known as the
“Lion of Ladakh”.
3. Bridge
has been built by  Border Roads
Organisation (BRO) over River Shyok.
4. Itconnects  Durbuk and Daulat Beg
Oldie in Eastern Ladakh.
5. 430-metrebridge built at an altitude of about 15,000 feet using  Micro Piling
Technology.
6. India's highest altitude all-weather permanent bridge.
7. will lead to development of border areas and villages across Shyok River.