CURRENT AFFAIRS: IMPORTANT DAYS
World AIDS Day -Dec 1
- World AIDS Day is observed across the world on 1st December every year.
- This year the theme of World AIDS Day is End inequalities. End AIDS and End Pandemics.
- The day provides an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for people living with HIV and to commemorate those who have died from an AIDS-related illness.
- With a special focus on reaching people left behind, WHO and its partners are highlighting the growing inequalities in access to essential HIV services.
- The day was first marked in 1988 and was also the first-ever international day for global health. Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a chronic disease that is caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
CURRENT AFFAIRS: NATIONAL NEWS
21.52 crore loans extended to women borrowers under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY)
- As 21.52 crore loans have been extended to women borrowers by Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) under the Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) since inception of the Scheme.
- This was stated by Union Minister of State for Finance Dr Bhagwat Kisanrao Karad in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha
- As per the existing guidelines, any individual who is otherwise eligible to take loan and has a business plan for non-farm income generating activities in sectors such as manufacturing, trading, services and activities allied to agriculture and whose credit need is up to Rs.10 lakh is eligible to avail credit under the Scheme.
About PMMY:
- Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana (PMMY) is a scheme launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on April 8, 2015 for providing loans up to 10 lakhs to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises
- These loans are given by Commercial Banks, RRBs, Small Finance Banks, MFIs and NBFCs.
NITI Aayog organises knowledge sharing workshop on Natural Farming
- As a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of progressive India, NITI Aayog is organizing a series of events from November 2021 to April 2022.
- In this connection, a national workshop on Natural Farming was organized by Agriculture vertical, NITI Aayog on 30th November 2021 involving Krishi Vigyan Kendras across India under the Chairmanship by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog
- An exclusive website on natural farming developed by NITI Aayog was launched by Dr. Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
- The website covers information regarding natural farming including coverage of the practice in India, various schemes and initiatives by Central and State Governments, success stories from farmers and relevant publications among others.
- The website can be accessed at https://naturalfarming.niti.gov.in/
About NITI Aayog:
- Headquarters: New Delh0069
- Chairperson: Narendra Modi
- Formed: 1 January 2015
Centre forms three-member committee to review criteria for EWS quota : Ex-Finance Secretary Ajay Bhusan Pandey to Head Panel
- On November 30, The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment announced the Centre has formed a three-member committee to review the criteria for reservation for the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) category.
Committee Members:
- jay Bhushan Pandey – former finance secretary, GOI (Chairman)
- Prof. V K Malhotra – Member secretary of Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR)
- Shri Sanjay Sanyal – Principal economic advisor to GOI (Member Convenor)
- The committee has been asked to complete its work within three weeks.
- The government constituted the committee in accordance with the commitment given to the Supreme Court to revisit the criteria for determining the economically weaker sections (EWS) in terms of the provisions of the explanation to Article 15 of the Constitution.
- The committee will have to review the criteria for determining the EWS category while keeping in mind the Supreme Court observations dated October 21, 2021.
- It will revisit the criterion in determining EWS category keeping in view the observations of the Supreme Court.
- It will also examine various approaches so far followed in the country for identifying economically weaker sections, and recommend criteria that may be adopted for identifying EWS category in future.
About Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment:
- Cabinet Minister: Virendra Kumar Khatik
- Minister of State : Ramdas Athawale, Pratima Bhowmik, A. Narayanaswamy
CURRENT AFFAIRS: INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Global trade likely to hit $28 trillion in 2021, grow 23% YoY: UNCTAD report
- Global trade is expected to reach about $28 trillion in 2021, growing 11 per cent over pre-pandemic levels, according to the global trade update report issued by UNCTAD.
- The outlook for 2022, however, remains very uncertain, due to slowing economic recovery, disruptions of logistics and rise in shipping costs, global semiconductor shortage, regionalization of trade flows, debt burden and governmental policies affecting international trade
- India’s trade growth accelerated in Q3 CY2021 — both in goods and services — while that of China remained relatively constant although at already high levels
- In 2021, the value of global trade in goods and services is expected to increase by about $5.2 trillion relative to 2020, and by about $2.8 trillion relative to 2019, the equivalent of an increase of about 23 per cent and 11 per cent, respectively.
- Global trade growth stabilised during the second half of 2021, increasing by about 1 per cent quarter-over-quarter.
About UNCTAD:
- Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
- Secretary-General: Rebeca Grynspan
- Founder: United Nations General Assembly
- Founded: 30 December 1964
CURRENT AFFAIRS: STATE NEWS
Himanta Biswa Sarma launches Assam MicroFinance Incentive and Relief Scheme 2021
- Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the ambitious Assam Micro Finance Incentive and Relief Scheme-2021 at Collegiate High School playground in Tezpur in Sonitpur district, Assam.
- He ceremonially distributed cheques to five women beneficiaries during the programme.
- The scheme would benefit 24 lakh women in the state, while 59,468 women would receive reliefs amounting to Rs 16,000-Rs 25,000 in the Sonitpur district.
- The Chief Minister inaugurated the first phase of the scheme for those borrowers who have been repaying microfinance and bank loans regularly.
- They will get a one-time incentive up to Rs 25,000 or an outstanding balance, whichever is less.
