India Ratings decrease GDP growth at 8.6% for FY22
India Ratings has revised downwards its GDP growth forecast for 2021-22 to 8.6 per cent from the consensus 9.2 per cent projected earlier. According to an India rating analysis, National Statistical Organisation (NSO) is likely to peg the FY22 real gross domestic product growth at Rs 147.2 lakh crore. This translates into a GDP growth rate of 8.6 per cent, down from the 9.2 per cent forecast in the first advance estimate released on January 7, 2022.
What is the major reason for downward revision?
The major reason for the likely downward revision is the upward revision of FY21 GDP to Rs 135.6 lakh crore in the first revised estimate of national income for FY21, which was released on January 31, 2022.
Exercise Cobra Warrior 22: India to participate in multi-nation Exercise in March
Indian Air Force will participate in a multi-nation air exercise named ‘Exercise Cobra Warrior 22’ at Waddington, in the United Kingdom from March 06 to 27, 2022. IAF Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas will participate in the exercise along with fighter aircraft of the UK and other leading Air Forces. Five Tejas aircraft will fly to the United Kingdom. IAF C-17 aircraft will provide the necessary transport support for induction and de-induction.
What is the aim of the exercise?
The exercise is aimed at providing operational exposure and sharing best practices amongst the participating Air Forces, thereby enhancing combat capability and forging bonds of friendship. This will be a platform for LCA Tejas to demonstrate its manoeuvrability and operational capability.
Key points of the exercise:
- Exercise Cobra Warrior is one of the largest annual exercises by the Royal Air Force (RAF).
- India will be participating in the exercise for the first time. Other countries participating are the United Kingdom, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and Bulgaria.
- The exercise will provide operational exposure and share best practices amongst the participating Air Forces, to further enhance their combat capability and forging bonds of friendship.
Russia-Ukraine Border Conflict Live Updates with All Dates
The Russia-Ukraine Border Conflict, have been simmering for more than two months, with diplomatic efforts to resolve the issue showing little sign of progress. Russia has more than 100,000 troops on its border with Ukraine, sparking Western warnings of an imminent invasion. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, meanwhile, voiced concerns that Russia continues to build up troop numbers along Ukraine’s borders, including in Belarus.
Background of the Russia-Ukraine Border Conflict:
The Border conflict in Ukraine began with protests in the capital city of Kiev in November 2013 against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to reject a deal for greater economic integration with the European Union. After a violent crackdown by state security forces unintentionally drew an even greater number of protesters and escalated the conflict, President Yanukovych fled the country in February 2014.
In March 2014, Russian troops took control of Ukraine’s Crimean region, before formally annexing the peninsula after Crimeans voted to join the Russian Federation in a disputed local referendum. Russian President Vladimir Putin cited the need to protect the rights of Russian citizens and Russian speakers in Crimea and southeast Ukraine. The Border conflict heightened ethnic divisions, and two months later pro-Russian separatists in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine held a referendum to declare independence from Ukraine.
In July 2014, the situation in Ukraine escalated into an international conflict and put the United States and the European Union (EU) at odds with Russia when a Malaysian Airlines flight was shot down over Ukrainian airspace, killing all 298 onboard.
Timeline of the main Russia-Ukraine Border Conflict events so far:
24th of February 2022
- President of Russia, Vladimir Putin has announced a military operation in Ukraine, and he is warning other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.
- Putin called on Ukrainian soldiers to lay down their arms and justified the operation by claiming the government was overseeing a “genocide” in the east of the country.
- US President Joe Biden has denounced the “unprovoked and unjustified” attack on Ukraine, pledging the world will “hold Russia accountable”.
- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges Putin to “stop troops from attacking Ukraine”.
23rd of February 2022
- The US and the West reacted by imposing the first tranche of sanctions against Russia for launching an invasion of Ukraine. This includes sanctions against two large Russian financial institutions and Russian sovereign debt, and sanctions against Russian elites and their family members
- Former US President Donald Trump has termed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s move declaring a portion of Ukraine as independent as “genius” and said Putin will have the “strongest peace force”.
- Australia became the latest country to announce sanctions against Russia. Australia will enact travel bans as well as targeted financial sanctions on eight members of the Security Council of the Russian Federation.
- The US imposed sanctions against two Russian financial institutions as well as Russian sovereign debt. It also imposed sanctions against Russian elites & their family members.
- Apart from Australia and United States; other western nations viz., Canada, European Union, and Britain announced plans to target banks and elites. Germany has halted major gas pipeline projects from Russia.
22nd of February 2022
- President Vladimir Putin of Russia has delivered an emotional and aggrieved address laying claim to all of Ukraine as a country “created by Russia,” recognising the independence of two Russian-backed territories in eastern Ukraine and threatening the government of Ukraine that the bloodshed could continue.
- Immediately after the speech, state television showed Putin at the Kremlin signing decrees recognising the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, which were created after Russia fomented a separatist war in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
- Russia’s upper house of parliament has given President Vladimir Putin permission to use military force outside the country.
21st of February 2022
- At an emergency UNSC meeting on the situation in Ukraine, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said, “The escalation of tension along the border of Ukraine with the Russian Federation is a matter of deep concern. These developments have the potential to undermine peace and security of the region.
19th of February 2022
- NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Saturday that he had sent a letter to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to engage in dialogue within the NATO-Russia Council to avert a conflict in Ukraine.
- Russia welcomed India’s position on the Ukraine crisis, amid a spike in tensions between the NATO countries and Moscow over the situation in the eastern European nation. The reaction came a day after India said at the UN Security Council that ‘quiet and constructive diplomacy’ is the need of the hour and that any step that could escalate the tension should be avoided.
18th of February 2022
- As European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization officials sent out assurances that there’s still room for diplomacy, Russia expelled the second-highest U.S. diplomat in Moscow.
17th of February 2022
- Ukrainians defied pressure from Moscow with a national show of flag-waving unity, while the USA warned that Russia had added as many as 7,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders despite Kremlin declarations that forces were being pulled back from the region.
12th of February 2022
- Biden and Putin hold talks via video conference. The US president said a Russian invasion of Ukraine would cause “widespread human suffering” and that the West was committed to diplomacy to end the crisis but “equally prepared for other scenarios”.
- Putin complained in the call that the US and NATO have not responded satisfactorily to Russian demands that Ukraine be prohibited from joining the military alliance and that NATO pull back forces from Eastern Europe.
11th of February 2022
- Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, says US intelligence shows a Russian invasion could begin within days, before the Beijing Olympics end on February 20.
- The U.S. and the U.K. urge their citizens to leave Ukraine. President Biden announces the deployment of another 2,000 troops from the U.S. to Poland.
10th of February 2022:
- UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov hold fruitless talks.
8th of February 2022
- French President Emmanuel Macron meets Putin for marathon talks in Moscow and tells reporters Russia will not escalate the Ukraine crisis.
- However, the Kremlin denied that Macron and Putin struck a deal on de-escalating the crisis. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that “in the current situation, Moscow and Paris can’t be reaching any deals”.
6th of February 2022
- Russia has established 70 per cent of the military buildup it needs to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, according to American officials cited anonymously in US media.
1st of February 2022
- Putin denies planning an invasion and accuses the US of ignoring his country’s security demands.
31st of January 2022
- The US and Russia spar over the Ukraine crisis at a special closed session of the UN Security Council.
28th of January 2022
- Russian President Vladimir Putin says Russia’s main security demands have not been addressed but that Moscow is ready to keep talking.
27th of January 2022
- Joe Biden warns of a likely Russian invasion in February.
- China throws its political weight behind Russia and tells the US that Moscow’s “legitimate security concerns” should be “taken seriously”.
26th of January 2022
- Washington presents a written response to Russia’s security demands, repeating a commitment to NATO’s “open-door” policy while offering a “principled and pragmatic evaluation” of Moscow’s concerns.
24th of January 2022
- NATO puts forces on standby and reinforces its military presence in Eastern Europe with more ships and fighter jets. Some Western nations start evacuating non-essential embassy staff from Kyiv. The US puts 8,500 troops on alert.
10th of January 2022
- US and Russian officials meet in Geneva for diplomatic talks but differences remain unresolved as Moscow repeats security demands that Washington says it cannot accept.
3rd of January 2022
- Joe Biden reassures Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that the US will “respond decisively” if Russia invades Ukraine.
17th of December 2021
- Russia presents detailed security demands to the West, including that NATO ceases all military activity in eastern Europe and Ukraine and that the alliance never accept Ukraine or other former Soviet nations as members.
7th of December 2021
- US President Joe Biden warns Russia of sweeping Western economic sanctions if it invades Ukraine.
November 2021
- Satellite imagery shows a new build-up of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine, and Kyiv says Moscow has mobilised 100,000 soldiers along with tanks and other military hardware.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams for Russia-Ukraine Border Conflict :
- Russia Capital: Moscow;
- Russia Currency: Rouble;
- Russia President: Vladimir Putin;
- Ukraine President: Volodymyr Zelensky;
- Ukraine Capital: Kyiv;
- Ukraine Currency: Ukrainian hryvnia.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh releases Rural Connectivity GIS Data in Public Domain
Giriraj Singh, who is the Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, has released the Rural Connectivity GIS Data in Public Domain. This data includes the GIS data for more than 8 lakh rural facilities which have been collected and digitised using the GIS platform developed for the PM-GSY scheme. Other than Giriraj Singh, other Union Ministers like Faggan Singh Kulaste and Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, were also present at the release event.
On this event, Giriraj Singh recalled that since the inauguration of this scheme:
- An estimate is that more than 6.90 lakh km of roads have been constructed, which connects 1,61,508 habitations with an expenditure of about 2.69 lakh crores of Indian rupees.
- Speed of the construction of rural roads under the PMGSY has seen massive growth during the last few years and the use of new technology has been emphasized which has resulted in a saving of about 5000 crores of Indian rupees.
- The data which has been made available in the public domain can be beneficial to the startups, entrepreneurs, businesses, civil society, academics and other government departments to build products, conduct research, and plan investments for a quicker disaster response.
What is PM-GSY?
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a scheme that was launched in the year 2000, with an objective to provide all-weather road connectivity to all the unconnected habitations throughout the nation which lie under the eligibility criteria. The plan was upgraded later. Since then, 7.83 lakh Km roads have been sanctioned and 6.90 lakh Km have been constructed with an expenditure of about 2.69 lakh crores of Indian rupees.
What is Gati Shakti?
Gati Shakti is a national master plan and digital platform which aims at the planning and execution of infrastructure projects in India to reduce logistics costs and enhance infrastructure.
Renowned Malayalam actress KPAC Lalitha passes away
Veteran Malayalam film and stage actress, KPAC Lalitha has passed away at 74. In a career spanning five decades, she starred in over 550 films in Malayalam and Tamil. Born as Maheswari Amma in Kayamkulam of Alappuzha, the actress had joined K.P.A.C (Kerala People’s Arts Club), a prominent drama troop in Kerala.
Lalitha won two National Film Awards for Best Supporting Actress along with four Kerala State Film Awards. She got the national award for the character in ‘Amaram’ in 1999 and for ‘Shantham’ in 2000. She also held the position of the Chairperson of Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy for five years.
Reliance Jio’s New Subsea Cable ‘India-Asia-Xpress’ To Connect Maldives
Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., India’s largest 4G mobile broadband and digital service provider, will land the next generation multi-terabit India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) undersea cable system in Hulhumale, Maldives. The high capacity and high-speed IAX system will connect Hulhumale directly with World’s major internet hubs in India and Singapore.
On the other hand, the India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) system connects Mumbai to Milan, landing in Savona, Italy, and includes additional landings in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Mediterranean. While IAX is expected to be ready for service by the end-2023, IEX will be ready for service in mid-2024.
Key points of Undersea cable systems:
- Undersea cable systems along with data centres support 5G and the digital economy that builds large integrated capacities to enable India’s digital ecosystem.
- This high capacity and the high-speed system will provide more than 200Tb/s of capacity at speeds of 100Gb/s, over 16,000 kilometres.
- Employing open system technology and the latest wavelength switched RoADM/branching units ensures rapid upgrade deployment and the ultimate flexibility to add/drop waves across multiple locations.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Maldives Capital: Male;
- Maldives Currency: Rufiyaa;
- Maldives President: Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.
Mastercard tieup with SBI Payments to boost digital payments infrastructure
Mastercard, as an extension of its flagship campaign ‘Team Cashless India’ along with State Bank of India Payments partnered with the in Lucknow, Guwahati and Varanasi to boost the digital payments infrastructure. During these engagements, Mastercard Team Cashless India volunteers and SBI Payments spoke to micro-merchants about the convenience, safety, and other benefits of accepting digital payments.
The outreach was very well received across cities, generating incredible results:
- In Guwahati, Mastercard collaborates with All Assam’s Restaurant Association (AARA) in line with the Government’s ‘Digital Northeast Vision 2022’ which equips restaurant and hotel owners with a safe, seamless, secure mode of payment to consumers.
- In Lucknow, Mastercard partnered with local transport bodies, including the Auto Rickshaw Association, to enable more than 700 auto-rickshaw drivers to accept digital payments.
- In Varanasi, Mastercard partnered with the Boat Union to encourage over 1,000 members to accept digital payments from tourists and also local shopkeepers committed to digital payments which have increased tourism.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Mastercard Founded: 16 December 1966, United States;
- Mastercard Headquarters: New York, United States;
- Mastercard CEO: Michael Miebach;
- Mastercard Executive Chairman: Ajay Banga.
Paytm Payments Bank is now official acquiring partner for e-RUPI vouchers
Paytm Payments Bank Limited has announced that it is an official acquiring partner for ‘e-RUPI vouchers’. e-RUPI, which is a government initiative, is a cashless prepaid voucher that beneficiaries can present via SMS or QR Code. Paytm’s merchant partners can then scan, enter the amount to be paid and receive the payment directly in their bank account. This will benefit beneficiaries (users), even those who do not have access to formal banking services or smartphones to avail the convenience of digital payments.
Benefits:
- With this, merchants will be empowered with another digital payment collection method that will help them further increase their digital footprint and onboard more customers.
- PPBL is empowering merchants to accept e-RUPI vouchers, which gives it an opportunity to tap into a larger user base that is a beneficiary of this initiative. This will further encourage more merchants to embrace cashless transactions, leading to an increase of digital payments.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Paytm Payments Bank Founded: 2015;
- Paytm Payments Bank Headquarters: Noida, UP;
- Paytm Payments Bank Founder & CEO: Vijay Shekhar Sharma.
PM CARE for Children scheme extended by the Centre till 28th Feb 2022
The PM Cares for Children Scheme has been extended by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India till February 28, 2022. Previously, the scheme was applicable till December 31, 2021. A letter has been written in this respect to all Principal Secretaries/ Secretaries, Women and Child Development, Social Justice & Empowerment Departments of all States and UTs, with a copy to all District Magistrates/District Collectors.
To be eligible for the scheme, the child must be under the age of 18 at the time of their parents’ death, to be considered eligible for payments under this plan. All children who have suffered the following losses are covered under the scheme:
- Lost both parent due to COVID-19 Pandemic,
- Legal guardian/adoptive parents/single adoptive parent, from 11.03.2020, the day on which WHO proclaimed and defined COVID-19 as pandemic.
Those who are eligible can now be registered in the PM CARES for Children Scheme until February 28, 2022 via the website .
What is PM CARES?
The PM CARES for Children Scheme on May 29, 2021 was announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi for the children who have lost the parents or legal guardians, adoptive parents, or surviving parents as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic onset on March 11, 2020. The scheme intends to assist these children by providing them the long-term comprehensive care and protection, through a convergent strategy, gap financing for education and health, a monthly stipend begins at the age of 18, and prepare them for self-sufficiency with financial assistance of lump sum payment of Rs. 10 lakhs once they reach the age of 23.
Key Takeaways
- The PM Cares for Children Scheme has been extended by the Ministry of Women and Child Development of the Government of India till February 28, 2022.
- To be eligible for the scheme, the child must be under the age of 18 at the time of their parents’ death.
IIT Roorkee launched ‘KISAN’ mobile app in Uttarakhand
The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee has organized a regional farmers’ awareness programme as part of the ‘Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa’ (GKMS) project and launched KISAN mobile application for the farmers. The app will provide agro-meteorological services to the farmers. Farmers from Haridwar, Dehradun, and Pauri Garhwal districts participated in the program.
About the app:
- KISAN app provides farmers with easy access to weather forecasts and weather-based Agrometeorological Advisory Bulletins for all six blocks of Haridwar district through phones.
- The app was developed by Dr Khushboo Mirza, Senior Scientist, Regional Remote Sensing Centre (RRSC), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), New Delhi under the guidance of Dr C S Jha, an Outstanding Scientist and Chief General Manager at RRSC, NRSC, ISRO, Hyderabad.
- The Agrometeorological Advisory Services are offered jointly by the AMFU (Agromet Field Unit Roorkee) IIT Roorkee and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Key-points
- A farmer’s awareness program was organized by IIT Roorkee under the Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS) project.
- Farmers from Dehradun, Haridwar, and Pauri Garhwal districts took part in this program.
- The participating farmers were taught about the Agromet Advisory Services which is jointly provided by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and AMFU Roorkee.
- The Agrometeorological Advisory Services are offered jointly by the AMFU (Agromet Field Unit Roorkee) IIT Roorkee and the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
- Agromet Advisory Services are already being provided twice a week to the farmers of six blocks of Haridwar.
About Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa
- The Ministry of Earth Sciences launched Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa to provide farmers with crop-specific information twice a week via print, visual, radio, and IT such as SMS.
- GKMS has been implemented by the Indian Meteorological Department in association with different state agriculture universities and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.
India to set up its first IIT outside the country in UAE
The Indian Institute of Technology will establish its first branch outside India in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the India-UAE trade deal signed. The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between the UAE and India will usher in a new phase of joint strategic cooperation in all sectors. The two nations will also set up an India-UAE cultural council to facilitate and promote cultural projects, cross-cultural exchanges and exhibitions.
The two countries and realising the need to establish world-class institutions that encourage and support innovation and technological progress, the leaders agreed to establish an Indian Institute of Technology in the United Arab Emirates.
About the agreement
- The Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) signed between the UAE and India will usher in a new phase of joint strategic cooperation in all sectors.
- The two nations will also set up an India-UAE cultural council to facilitate and promote cultural projects, cross-cultural exchanges and exhibitions.
- The agreement was signed after a virtual summit held with an agenda to boost trade and investments between both countries and usher in a new era of economic progress.
- Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have participated in the summit.
- Realising the need to establish world-class institutions that encourage and support innovation and technological progress, the leaders agreed to establish an Indian Institute of Technology in the United Arab Emirates.
- At the meeting, it was decided that as part of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, a technology institute would be set up by India in the UEA.
About IITs
- Indian Institute of Technology – IITs are India’s premier technology schools that are set up and operated under the aegis of the Union Education Ministry.
- These institutes are devoted to pushing boundaries of technology and research ahead.
- The institutes are governed under the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961, which has declared them as Institutes of National Importance.
- Currently, there are a total of 23 IITs with a total intake of around 16,000 seats for undergraduate programmes.
Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh becomes 100th ‘Har Ghar Jal’ District
Jal Jeevan Mission has achieved the significant milestone of providing tap water to every home of 100 districts across the country. Chamba, in Himachal Pradesh, has become the 100th ‘Har Ghar Jal’ district, the fifth aspirational district to be covered under the initiative. The other four Har Ghar Jal Aspirational districts are Bhadradri Kothgudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Komram Bheem Asifabad (all in Telangana) and Mewat in Haryana.
To translate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of providing clean tap water to every home in the country by 2024, in a short span of two and half years and despite COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown disruptions, Jal Jeevan Mission, has provided tap water supply to more than 5.78 Crore rural households. As a result, today 100 districts in the country are enjoying the benefits of clean tap water supply and Jal Jeevan Mission is on track to fulfil the Government’s resolve to provide tap water supply to every rural household by 2024.
Key-points
- Chamba, in Himachal Pradesh, has become the 100th ‘Har Ghar Jal’ district, the fifth aspirational district to be covered under the initiative.
- The other four Har Ghar Jal Aspirational districts are Bhadradri Kothgudem, Jayashankar Bhupalpalli, Komram Bheem Asifabad (all in Telangana) and Mewat in Haryana.
- In the past two and a half years, Jal Jeevan Mission has provided tap water supply to more than 5.78 crore rural households.
- Under the Mission, the Center aims to provide tap water supply to every rural household by 2024.
- As of 15 August, 2019, when the mission was announced, out of 19.27 crore households, only 3.23 crore (17%) households in India had tap water connections.
- In Goa, Haryana, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, every rural household has tap water supply, the data showed.
- Punjab (99%), Himachal Pradesh (92.4%), Gujarat (92%) and Bihar (90%) are on the verge of achieving the feat in 2022.
- The ‘Har Ghar Har Jal’ scheme was provided ?60,000 crore in the Union Budget 2022-23.
About Jal Jeevan Mission
- Jal Jeevan Mission is a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- It aims to ensure access to piped water for every household in India.
- The mission’s goal is to provide to all households in rural India safe and adequate water through individual household tap connections by 2024.
GoI launches the “Janbhagidari Empowerment” portal in J&K
The Central Government launched the “Janbhagidari Empowerment” portal in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, in line with the government’s digital mission. The portal was hosted on a different server with higher bandwidth, in order to provide easy and ready accessibility to the general public.
It is a one-stop interactive and user-friendly digital platform. It provides detailed insights to people into nature, status as well as the number of developmental works that are being executed in their areas.
Works could be searched with respect to their location in each block or municipality, village and district. The portal has also been linked with schemes like MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), PM Awas Yojana, and PM Gram Sadak Yojana, under execution in Government. Users will have to click on these links to gain instant access to works that are being carried out under these schemes.
Importance of the portal:
- It is a one-stop interactive and user-friendly digital platform. It provides detailed insights to people into nature, status as well as the number of developmental works that are being executed in their areas.
- Works could be searched with respect to their location in each block or municipality, village and district. The portal has also been linked with schemes like MGNREGA, Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural), Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban), PM Awas Yojana, and PM Gram Sadak Yojana, under execution in Government.
- Users will have to click on these links to gain instant access to works that are being carried out under these schemes.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha.
Central Excise Day 2022
Central Excise Day, which is observed on February 24 commemorates the Central Excise and Salt Act which was enacted on 24th February 1944. This annual event is celebrated to highlight the essential role played by the Central Excise Department in the industrial development of the country.
Central Excise Day 2022
| Title | Central Excise Day 2022 |
| Date | February 24, 2022 |
| Day | Thursday |
| Central Excise and Salt act | Got passed on 24 February 1944 |
Central Excise Day 2022 Purpose
The purpose of celebrating the day is to inform the common public of the country about the importance of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Several events are organized by the central board on this day, which includes seminars, workshops, educational and cultural programmes, awareness programmes, competitions, and award ceremonies.
HOW IS CENTRAL EXCISE DAY CELEBRATED?
To celebrate the occasion, several programs like seminars, workshops, educational and cultural events, awareness programs, competitions, and award ceremonies are organised all over the country. In addition to that, awareness programs are also run by the concerned departments and higher authorities.
HISTORY OF CENTRAL EXCISE DAY:
From the starting of the civilisations, salt has been an important commodity. Salt was considered to be one of the sources of revenue by the native governments in India in various forms, such as excise duties, transit tax and much more. There was generally no uniformity in the matter of administrative control for the collection of salt revenue.
The myriad provinces and the other contemporary Indian states had their own mechanism of administration and tax collection. In 1944, the Indian tax system was reformed by the Indian government to make payment of taxes easier. The Central Excises and Salt Act consolidated and amended the laws relating to central duties of Excise and salt having special provisions relating to salt.
This act repealed all the previous legislations relating to production and transport of salt like including the Bombay Salt Act, 1890, Madras Salt Act, 1884 and Indian Salt Act, 1882.
About CBIC:
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is a branch of the Department of Revenue which lies under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India. Work done by it is the calculations of policy related levy and collection of Customs, Central Excise duties, CGST and IGST, prevention of smuggling and administration of matters relating the above mentioned subjects, and Narcotics to the extent under CBIC’s purview.
The subordinate organisations of the Board are the administrative authority and consists of Custom Houses, Central Excise and Central GST Commissionerate, and the Central Revenues Control Laboratory.
Question 1: When do we celebrate Central Excise Day?
Answer: We celebrate Central Excise Day on February 24.
Question 2: Why do we celebrate Central Excise Day?
Answer: The Central Excise and Salt act was enacted on February 24, 1944.
Question 3: Is excise duty abolished in India?
Answer: Yes.
