1. Government identified 1275 railway stations under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
Tags: Government Schemes National News
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The government has identified 1275 railway stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme for the development of railway stations in India.
An overview of the news
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav gave this information in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on March 29.
The scheme envisages development of stations on a sustained basis with a long term approach.
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme
Amrit Bharat Station Scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Railways in December 2022
The objective of the scheme is to prepare a master plan for railway stations and implement the master plan in a phased manner to enhance facilities.
Facilities Planned under this Scheme
Provision for creation of Roof Plaza in future
Free Wi-Fi, 5G Mobile Tower
Widening of roads, removal of unwanted structures, properly designed signage, dedicated walkways, well planned parking areas, access to better lighting etc.
High level platforms at all stations with a length of 600 meters
Special facilities for the disabled.
2. New India Literacy Program
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The government has recently launched a new centrally sponsored scheme named 'New India Literacy Programme' with a financial outlay of over Rs 1000 crore for implementation during the financial years 2022-23 to 2026-27.
An overview of the news
The scheme aims to cover five crore illiterates in the age group of 15 years and above.
Beneficiaries under this scheme are identified through door to door survey on mobile app by the surveyors in the States and Union Territories.
Illiterate can also avail the benefits of the scheme through direct registration from any place through mobile app.
About New India Literacy Program
The program has been launched for the period FY 2022-2027 to align with the National Education Policy 2020 and cover all aspects of adult education.
The scheme has been approved with a financial outlay of Rs 1037.90 crore, which includes central share of Rs 700.00 crore and state share of Rs 337.90 crore.
The center and state share for all states is in the ratio of 60:40 while for North Eastern Region (NER) and Himalayan states the share between center and state is in the ratio of 90:10.
The scheme will cover non-literates in the age group of 15 years and above in all the States/UTs of the country.
It aims to cover 1 crore learners per year (total target of 5 crore) using "Online Teaching, Learning and Assessment System (OTLAS)" in collaboration with National Informatics Centre, NCERT and NIOS.
Five components of the scheme
Foundational Literacy and Numeracy
Critical Life Skills
Vocational Skills Development
Basic Education
Continuing Education
Objectives of the Scheme
To impart basic literacy and numeracy.
Promoting important life skills such as financial literacy, digital literacy, commercial skills, health care and awareness, child care and education and family welfare.
3. Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022 passed by Lok Sabha
Tags: National National News
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On March 29, 2023, the Lok Sabha passed the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022. The Bill aims to reduce the time limit for CCI to pass orders on such transactions from 210 days to 150 days.
An Overview of the News
The Bill proposes a framework for settlement and commitment to more quickly resolve investigations into anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position.
Certain offences under the Competition Act, such as failure to comply with CCI orders and directions of the Director General relating to anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position, will be decriminalised under the Bill. The nature of punishment for these offences will change from fine to civil punishment.
The Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2022 and was referred to the Standing Committee in the same month. The Standing Committee submitted its report in December 2022.
About Competition Act of 2002
It is a law enacted by the Parliament of India to promote fair competition and prevent anti-competitive practices in the Indian market.
It aims to create a level playing field for businesses, protect the interests of consumers and encourage innovation and efficiency.
The Act establishes the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as the primary regulatory body to enforce competition laws and prevent abuse of dominant positions by companies.
The CCI has the power to investigate and impose penalties on companies found to be indulging in anti-competitive practices such as price-fixing, bid-rigging, and abuse of dominant market positions.
4. Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022 passed by Lok Sabha
Tags: National National News
On March 29, 2023, the Lok Sabha passed the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2022. The Bill aims to reduce the time limit for CCI to pass orders on such transactions from 210 days to 150 days.
An Overview of the News
The Bill proposes a framework for settlement and commitment to more quickly resolve investigations into anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position.
Certain offences under the Competition Act, such as failure to comply with CCI orders and directions of the Director General relating to anti-competitive agreements and abuse of dominant position, will be decriminalised under the Bill. The nature of punishment for these offences will change from fine to civil punishment.
The Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022 was introduced in the Lok Sabha in August 2022 and was referred to the Standing Committee in the same month. The Standing Committee submitted its report in December 2022.
About Competition Act of 2002
It is a law enacted by the Parliament of India to promote fair competition and prevent anti-competitive practices in the Indian market.
It aims to create a level playing field for businesses, protect the interests of consumers and encourage innovation and efficiency.
The Act establishes the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as the primary regulatory body to enforce competition laws and prevent abuse of dominant positions by companies.
The CCI has the power to investigate and impose penalties on companies found to be indulging in anti-competitive practices such as price-fixing, bid-rigging, and abuse of dominant market positions.
5. Conservation Plan for Great Indian Bustards
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is taking various measures for conservation and protection of Great Indian Bustard in the country, including in Rajasthan.
Important steps taken by the Ministry
The Great Indian Bustard is listed in Schedule-I of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. Highest degree of legal protection from hunting.
Important habitats of Great Indian Bustards have been designated as National Parks/Sanctuaries for their better protection.
This species has been identified for conservation efforts under the centrally sponsored scheme 'Species Recovery Programme'.
Breeding conservation of the Great Indian Bustard has been done in collaboration with the Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra Forest Departments.
Sites have been identified for setting up conservation breeding centers for Great Indian Bustard and Lesser Florican birds in consultation with the Wildlife Institute of India and international experts.
A satellite conservation breeding facility has been established at SAM, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
About Great Indian Bustard
It is considered India's most critically endangered bird species and is especially found in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
It is one of the heaviest flying birds endemic to the Indian subcontinent.
It is the state bird of Rajasthan.
These birds are on the verge of extinction, with barely 50 to 249 surviving, according to a 2021 report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
It is a large bird with brown-and-white feathers with black crown and wing markings. It is one of the heaviest birds in the world.
Its habitat is Arid grasslands.
IUCN Status - Critically Endangered.
Listed in Wildlife Protection Act’s Schedule 1.
The cause of the decline in numbers is Hunting, Intensification of agriculture, Power lines.
6. Axis Bank launches 'Micropay' on 'PIN on Mobile' technology
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
Axis Bank launched a groundbreaking payment solution called "Micropay" by Razorpay and MyPinpad in association with technology partners Ezetap.
An Overview of the News
Micropay is a "Pin on mobile" solution that enables a merchant's smartphone to act as a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal, providing a unique customer experience and simplifying digital payments.
This solution has the potential to revolutionise digital payments in India, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities where retail and grocery stores often have limited working capital and need cost-effective payment options.
The launch of Micropay by Axis Bank is expected to have a significant impact on small businesses, making digital payments more accessible and cheaper.
About 'Micropay' and 'PIN on Mobile' technology
The new Pin on mobile technology offers merchants an affordable way to accept payments through cards, UPI and BAR codes while maintaining high security standards.
Pin on mobile technology is a small, low-cost card reader that connects via Bluetooth to a merchant's smartphone.
Customers can enter their Pin directly on the merchant's device, in compliance with PCI standards for software-based Pin entry on COTS phones, ensuring the security of the Pin.
Harshil Mathur, CEO of Razorpay
Beas Nambisan, CEO of Ezetap
7. Employees' Provident Fund Organization increased the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund to 8.15%
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
Employees' Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) has fixed the interest rate on Employees' Provident Fund (EPF) deposits at 8.15% for the financial year 2022-23, which is higher than the previous year's interest rate of 8.10%.
An Overview of the News
Last year's interest rate of 8.10% The interest rate provided by EPFO for EPF deposits was the lowest in more than 40 years.
EPFO has sought approval from the Finance Ministry for the new interest rate.
The CBT will also review the annual accounts of EPFO along with the interest rate on EPF deposits for the financial year 2022-23.
EPFO has given four months time to the subscribers of Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 to opt for higher pension as per the order of the Supreme Court.
Members can opt for higher pension till May 3, 2023.
About Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO)
It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Labor and Employment, responsible for operating provident funds, pension schemes and insurance schemes for the organised sector workforce in India.
It manages a corpus of over Rs 17 lakh crore with over 6 crore clients.
EPFO aims to provide social security benefits to workers in the organised sector and ensure their financial stability and well-being.
Since its inception in 1951, the EPFO has expanded its ambit to include pension and insurance benefits, and in 2014, it launched the Universal Account Number (UAN) to ease EPF account management and ensure transparency.
About Employees Provident Fund (EPF)
It is a mandatory retirement savings scheme in India for employees with income below a certain salary limit.
Both the employer and the employee contribute 12% of the employee's basic salary and dearness allowance to the EPF account every month.
Employees can withdraw their EPF balance after a certain period or in case of certain contingencies, and EPF is an important component of an employee's retirement plan.
8. Dilma Rousseff appointed as new President of BRICS New Development Bank
Tags: Person in news International News
Former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has been elected as the new President of the New Development Bank (NDB), also known as the BRICS Bank.
An Overview of the News
She replaced Marcus Troyjo as the President of NDB.
Rousseff is an economist who served as the President of Brazil for two consecutive terms from January 2011 to August 2016.
During her presidency, Rousseff prioritised social policies, including poverty reduction and increased access to education and healthcare.
The NDB has so far approved $23 billion in loans for projects including renewable energy and transportation infrastructure in its member countries.
About New Development Bank (NDB)
It is a multilateral development bank established in 2014 by the BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
It was created with the aim of mobilising resources for infrastructure and sustainable development projects in emerging economies.
It is headquartered in Shanghai, China and has regional offices in Johannesburg, South Africa and São Paulo, Brazil.
Its authorised capital is $100 billion, with each founding member contributing $10 billion.
Its main focus is on financing infrastructure projects including energy, transport and water supply.
It operates on the principle of "co-ownership, governance and shared benefit", which means that member states have equal representation and decision-making power.
It is seen as an alternative to established financial institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, which are dominated by Western countries.
9. Government imposes surcharge for Google Pay and other payment apps
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has issued a circular suggesting "Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI)" charges on merchant transactions on Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
An overview of the news
NPCI has introduced an interchange charge of up to 1.1 per cent on merchant UPI transactions done using prepaid payment instruments from April 1.
It will be levied on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 made to online merchants, large merchants and small merchants.
NPCI has clarified that there will be no charges for UPI payment from bank account to bank account or normal UPI payment.
With UPI, customers will have the option of using any bank account, RuPay credit card and prepaid wallet on a UPI-enabled app.
What is the interchange fee?
The interchange fee is levied to cover the costs of accepting, processing, and authorising transactions.
This is likely to make the transaction costlier.
Interchange fee is a fee paid by payment service providers to wallet issuers such as banks.
These wallets are mainly online payments like Paytm, PhonePe and Google Pay.
National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI)
NPCI, an umbrella organization for operating retail payment and settlement systems in India, has been initiated by the 'RBI' and the 'Indian Banks' Association' (IBA) under the 'Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007'.
It is a 'not-for-profit' company established under the provisions of Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956 (as amended in 2013), with the objective of providing physical and electronic payment infrastructure to the entire banking system in India.
10. For the first time in the country, the decision on bail in the case of 'murder' with the help of ChatGPT
Tags: Science and Technology National News
For the first time in the country, the Punjab and Haryana High Court used Artificial Intelligence based ChatGPT (ChatGPT) during the hearing of the bail plea in the murder case on March 27.
An overview of the news
Justice Anoop Chitkara used ChatGPT to assess the worldwide outlook on bail in a murder case.
He asked AI tool ChatGPT 'What is the jurisprudence on bail when the assailants brutally attack?'
ChatGPT then offered a comprehensive three-paragraph reply on bail jurisprudence in such cases.
Thereafter, the court refused the bail and dismissed the petition.
However, the court clarified that any reference to ChatGPT and any comment made was not an expression of opinion on the merits of the case.
The court also asked the trial court not to take into account the observations relating to the response of ChatGPT.
The Court noted that the petitioner had a criminal history of two cases of attempt to murder.
What is ChatGPT?
It is a natural language processing tool powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology that allows chatbots to do much more than just have human-like conversations.
This language model can answer questions and assist with tasks such as writing emails, essays and code.
ChatGPT was created by OpenAI, an AI and research company.
The company launched ChatGPT on 30 November 2022.
What is Artificial Intelligence?
It is a broad branch of computer science that deals with the creation of smart machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
