- ECONOMY
A GROUND PLAN FOR SUSTAINABLE MASS EMPLOYMENT
- Sustainable Mass Employment
- Employment Policy Initiatives:
- Ambitious Targets: The government aims to create jobs and skill opportunities for 14 crore youth with a ₹12 lakh crore outlay over five years.
- Focus on Dignity: Employment policies should prioritize wages and working conditions to ensure dignity in mass employment.
- Skills and Education: Vocational Training: Integrate vocational courses with undergraduate programs to increase employability.
- Tech Integration: Introduce technology and enterprise subjects in upper primary and high schools to build relevant skills early.
- Decentralized Employment: Local Government Role: Empower local governments and women’s collectives to identify skill needs and implement employment initiatives, ensuring accountability and community-driven development.
- Holistic Approach: Employment should be linked with health, education, nutrition, and sanitation, improving overall human development indicators.
- Sector-Specific Focus: Health Care and Allied Services: Standardize and scale up courses in nursing, caregiving, and health care to meet international benchmarks.
- Tourism and Services: Expand vocational training in sectors like tourism and hospitality to enhance job readiness.
- Women’s Employment: Creche Facilities: Create community-run creche services to support working women, funded and managed by local bodies.
- Gender-Inclusive Policies: Implement policies that specifically address the employment needs of women.
- Financing and Innovation: Cluster-Based Approach: Focus on regional economic clusters to create tailored employment strategies.
- Financial Inclusion: Expand access to finance for small businesses and startups, leveraging schemes like MUDRA and SVEP.
- Public-Private Partnerships: Collaboration: Encourage partnerships between government, private sector, and educational institutions to align skills training with market needs.
- Accountability in Implementation: Ensure rigorous monitoring and assessment of employment programs for effective outcomes.
2. NATIONAL
RATION SHOPS TO BE NAMED JAN POSHAN KENDRAS
- The government has launched a pilot project to rename Fair Price Shops (FPS), commonly known as ration shops, as Jan Poshan Kendras.
- Pilot Project Scope: 60 ration shops across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh will be part of this initiative.
- Objective: The Jan Poshan Kendras will offer a wider range of nutritionrich food items to consumers and provide additional income opportunities for FPS dealers.
- Storage Provision: 50% of the products in these Kendras will be dedicated to nutrition-related items, while the remaining space will be for other household goods.
3. BILATERAL
TRADE, DEFENCE, CULTURAL TIES TO BE IN FOCUS DURING PM’S VISIT TO POLAND
- Significance: The visit marks the first by an Indian Prime Minister to Poland in 45 years, underscoring the importance of strengthening bilateral ties.
- Focus Areas: ○ Trade: Poland is seen as a gateway to Europe for India, with potential to expand trade, particularly in sectors like IT, pharmaceuticals, and manufacturing.
- Defence: Discussions on enhancing defense cooperation, with India recently appointing a defense attaché at its embassy in Poland.
- Cultural Ties: The visit will also highlight shared cultural ties, including Poland’s role in sheltering Indian students during the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- Economic Engagement: Poland has the sixth-largest economy in the European Union, and bilateral trade with India stands at around $6 billion. There is potential for further growth, but challenges remain in promoting Indian businesses in Poland.
- Strategic Importance: Poland’s upcoming presidency of the EU Council and its interest in strengthening ties with India are crucial for future collaborations.
4. SOCIAL ISSUES
CENTRE PLANS TO TAKE CASTE COUNT DURING CENSUS
- Caste Enumeration in Upcoming Census
- Active Discussions: The Union government is considering the inclusion of a caste column in the next Census, although no final decision has been made yet.
- Persistent Demands: The move is in response to demands from various political parties, including Congress and NDA partners, to conduct a caste census.
- Historical Context: Previous Attempts: A caste-wise count has not been part of the Census in Independent India. The last major attempt was the SocioEconomic and Caste Census (SECC) in 2011, but the data were not publicly released due to reported inaccuracies.
- Recent Developments: Bihar recently conducted its own caste census, publishing the report in 2023.
- Challenges: Delayed Census: The Census, last conducted in 2011, has been delayed multiple times, with a lapsed deadline to freeze administrative boundaries contributing to further delays.
- Complexity of Data Collection: Concerns have been raised about the accuracy of caste data and the potential complications in enumeration due to the vast number of castes and sub-castes.
5. ENVIRONMENT
KERALA HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUES ALERT AGAINST MPOX
- Kerala Health Department issued an alert against mpox (formerly known as Monkeypox), following a WHO declaration considering the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.
- Background: Mpox came into prominence in 2022 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Kerala reported two cases in March 2023.
- The disease is caused by a virus related to smallpox and is transmitted through close contact, including skin-to-skin and sexual contact.
- Government Response: Kerala has a Standard Operating Protocol (SOP) in place since 2022 when the first case was reported.
- Surveillance teams are deployed at airports, and travelers from affected regions are advised to report symptoms.
ONE LINER
- Union Home Minstry create five new district such as Zanskar, Drass, Sham, NUbra, and Changthang in Union Territory of Ladakh
- Under New India Literacy Programme the Education Ministry has defined “ Literacy” to achieve full literacy
