PM CARES Fund corpus triples to Rs 10,990.17 crore in FY 2020-21
The total corpus under the PM CARES Funds in 2020-21 was Rs 10,990.17 crore. While Rs 3,976.17 crore was spent from the fund in 2020-21, according to the latest audited statement of PM CARES Funds. As on March 31, 2021, the Fund had an unspent balance of Rs 7,013.99 crore. The government has used a part of the money to buy medical equipment, including ventilators, to boost the battle against the COVID-19 and has also provided relief to migrants.
The highest amount was spent on Procurement of 6.6 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccine i.e. Rs 1,392.82 crore. The Fund was established on March 27, 2020. PM CARES fund is a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Prime Minister is the ex-officio Chairman of the PM CARES Fund. The fund was set up as a public charitable trust “keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected”.
NITI Aayog and USAID annouces tie-up under SAMRIDH initiative
Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have announced a new partnership under the Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) initiative. It aims to improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and rural and tribal regions. It aims to mobilize a capital pool of $100+ million from the private sector and bilateral organizations. It leverages this fund to offer both grant and debt financing provision to support the expansion of market-based health solutions.
Under this partnership:
- AIM and SAMRIDH have announced a Call for Proposals for healthcare innovators and entrepreneurs in India. Through this initiative, they will focus on innovations across the healthcare landscape.
- This new partnership announced will enhance SAMRIDH’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations, leveraging AIM’s expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship.
- The collaboration would focus on innovations across the healthcare landscape with the common goal to mount an effective response to the ongoing third wave of COVID-19 and build health system preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks and health emergencies.
PMKSY extended till March 2026 with an allocation of Rs 4,600 crore
The ‘Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)’ has been extended till March 2026 with an allocation of Rs 4,600 crore. The scheme is administered by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries. The scheme aims for the overall growth and development of the food processing sector. In May 2017, the Central Government had launched SAMPADA (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) with an allocation of Rs 6,000 crore. The scheme was renamed as PMKSY in August 2017.
About the scheme:
The scheme will boost the growth of the food processing sector but also help in providing better prices to farmers and creating huge employment opportunities. PMKSY is an umbrella scheme incorporating ongoing schemes of the ministry like Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure, Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters, Creation /Expansion of Food Processing and Preservation Capacities and Operation Greens.
Amitabh Bachchan named as brand ambassador of MediBuddy
MediBuddy, one of India’s largest digital healthcare platforms, has signed legendary Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan as the official brand ambassador. As part of the deal, Bachchan will be seen endorsing various services available on the platform, while highlighting the need to prioritise one’s health.
With the deal in place, MediBuddy is looking at further amplifying its reach across India. Leveraging the veteran actor’s popularity, especially across tier II and tier III cities, the brand aims to position itself as a household name.
Kanchoth festival celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir
The ancient festival of Kanchoth is annually celebrated, mainly by the Nag followers, during the Shukla Paksha of Magh month which usually falls in January or February. The festival is celebrated with religious fervour across the Chenab valley region of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
The 3-day festival is celebrated by married women who pray for the long life of their husbands. Kanchoth or Gauri Tritya is widely celebrated in hilly kishtwar, Ramban and Doda of Jammu province. The festival is celebrated across Bhaderwah (also known as mini-Kashmir), Kotli, Mathola, Ghata, Khakhal, Gupt Ganga, Chinnote, Kapra, Bhalra, Bheja, Chinchora and other regions.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- J&K Lieutenant Governor: Manoj Sinha;
- J&K Formation (Union territory): 31 October 2019.
Kerala signed an MoU with Social Alpha to develop clean energy tech
Kerala Government has signed an MoU with the Social Alpha’s Energy Lab – “Clean Energy International Incubation Centre (CEIIC)” to support innovative and clean energy technology programmes in Kerala. The Government of Kerala signed this agreement through Kerala Development & Innovation Strategy Council (KDISC) and Energy Management Centre (EMC).
The EMC Kerala represents the Power Department agencies including the Kerala State Electricity Board, Electrical Inspectorate and ANERT (Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology). To establish a clean energy incubation centre to boost green energy development and energy conservation activities in Kerala.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Kerala Capital: Thiruvananthapuram;
- Kerala Governor: Arif Mohammad Khan;
- Kerala Chief Minister: Pinarayi Vijayan.
Sonata Software tie-up with Microsoft for its launch of ‘Microsoft Cloud’
A global IT Services, and Technology Solutions Company, Sonata Software has announced its partnership with Microsoft for its launch of ‘Microsoft Cloud for Retail’. The company has been a partner with Microsoft for over three decades. The ‘Microsoft Cloud for Retail’ collaboration is expected to further strengthen the relationship. Sonata Software delivers solutions for retailers worldwide, leveraging world-class IPs, in-house migration and modernisation tools.
About the partnership:
The partnership with Microsoft Cloud for Retail will further enhance our capabilities, with its emphasis on leveraging data, elevating the shopping experience, building real-time, sustainable supply chains, and empowering store associates. The Sonata Connected Retail solution is available through Microsoft AppSource. Sonata Software is a Microsoft Gold Partner and is a member of the Microsoft Inner Circle for Business Applications.
- Sonata Software Headquarters: Bengaluru;
- Sonata Software Founded: 1986;
- Sonata Software MD & CEO: P. Srikar Reddy;
- Microsoft CEO and Chairman: Satya Nadella;
- Microsoft Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States.
PM Awas Yojana 2022 List: Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) is a government of India initiative, which aims at providing affordable housing to the urban poor by the year 2022. The scheme was first launched on 1 June 2015. The interest rate for the PMAY scheme starts at 6.50% p.a. and can be availed for a tenure of up to 20 years. The last date for availing the PMAY Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) and Low Income Group (LIG) categories has been extended to 31 March 2022.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana(PMAY) Beneficiaries List:
| Beneficiary | Annual Income |
| Middle Income Group I (MIG I) | Rs.6 lakh to Rs.12 lakh |
| Middle Income Group I (MIG II) | Rs.12 lakh to Rs.18 lakh |
| Lower Income Group (LIG) | Rs.3 lakh to Rs.6 lakh |
| Economically Weaker Section (EWS) | Up to Rs.3 lakh |
Identification and Selection of Beneficiaries under PMAY:
- The urban scheme caters mainly to the housing requirements of the urban poor. The scheme also caters to the housing requirement of slum dwellers residing in confined areas of slums with inadequate infrastructure, poor sanitation and drinking facilities.
- Beneficiaries of PMAY-U mainly include Middle Income Groups (MIGs), Low-income Groups (LIGs) and Economically Weaker Section (EWS).
- While the beneficiaries from the EWS category is eligible for complete assistance under the scheme, beneficiaries from LIG and LIG categories are only eligible for the Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) under PMAY.
- In order to be recognised as a LIG or EWS beneficiary under the Scheme, the applicant is required to submit an affidavit as income proof to the authority.
Type of PMAY Scheme:
There are two sub-sections of the PMAY scheme which are divided on the basis of the area on which they focus:
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G) was previously known as the Indira Awas Yojana and was christened as PMAY-G in 2016. The scheme is aimed at the provision of affordable and accessible housing units to eligible beneficiaries in rural regions of India (excluding Chandigarh and Delhi). Under this scheme, the Government of India and the respective state governments share the cost of development of housing units in the ratio of 60:40 for plain regions and 90:10 for North-Eastern and hilly regions.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban
The Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAYU), as the name suggests, is focused on the urban areas in India. At present, there are 4,331 towns and cities which are enlisted under this scheme. The scheme is set to function under three different phases:
- Phase 1: Under Phase 1, the government targeted to cover 100 cities in different states and UTs across the country from April 2015 to March 2017.
- Phase 2: Under Phase 2, the government targeted to cover 200 more cities in different states and UTs across the country from April 2017 to March 2019.
- Phase 3: Under Phase 3, the government targeted to cover the cities which have been left out in Phase 1 and Phase 2 and attain the target by the end of March 2022.
The PMAY scheme will be executed in three phases. Refer to the below tables for more details:
| Stage | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 |
| Start date | 04/01/15 | 04/01/17 | 04/01/19 |
| End date | 03/01/17 | 03/01/19 | 03/01/22 |
| Cities covered | 100 | 200 | Remaining cities |
The top 10 banks in India which offer loans under the PMAY scheme are listed below:
- Bank of Baroda
- State Bank of India
- Axis Bank
- IDFC First Bank
- Bandhan Bank
- Bank of India
- HDFC Bank
- IDBI Bank
- Punjab National Bank
- Canara Bank
Amazon India signed MoU with Karnataka to turn rural women into entrepreneurs
Amazon India signed an MoU with Karnataka State Rural Livelihood Promotion Society (KSRLPS) to support the growth of women entrepreneurs. Amazon India will launch ‘Sanjeevini-KSRLPS’ in its platform and extend benefits of the ‘Saheli’ Programme to train and empower thousands of rural women entrepreneurs and also provide online access to a wider market for their products. The Saheli Programme offers training and skill development workshops to help women entrepreneurs.
Through this, Amazon and the government bodies will come together to assist and empower lakhs of women entrepreneurs associated with them from the four states to register their business with Amazon India and access a wider market base.
About the Amazon Saheli programme:
Amazon Saheli programme will offer extensive training and skill development workshops for its participants to help women entrepreneurs associated with them understand the nuances of online selling and develop skills and capabilities necessary to grow their business on Amazon.in. These training workshops comprise sessions on the listing of products, imaging & cataloguing, packaging and shipping, inventory and account management, and customer servicing.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Amazon CEO: Andrew R. Jassy;
- Amazon Founded: 5 July 1994;
- Karnataka Capital: Bengaluru;
- Karnataka Chief Minister: Basavaraj S Bommai;
- Karnataka Governor: Thawar Chand Gehlot.
Disha Patani named as Brand Ambassador of Bata India
Bata India Limited has appointed Bollywood actress, Disha Patani as it’s Brand Ambassador. She will promote the brand and strengthen the youth connection to enhance footwear fashion among them. Previously, Bata has associated with celebrities including Kriti Sanon, Sushant Singh Rajput, and cricket player Smriti Mandhana for promoting various labels under Bata.
Regarded as the face of next-gen Bollywood, Patani is currently one of the most popular actors in the country. Known for her exceptional fashion sense and fitness, she is widely regarded as a trendsetter. The stylish actor enjoys a huge following on social media and has won millions of hearts with her charming smile and vibrant personality.
Important takeaways for all competitive exams:
- Bata India Limited Founded: 1931;
- Bata India Limited Headquarters: Gurugram, Haryana;
- Bata India Limited CEO: Gunjan Shah.
Akshay Kumar named as brand ambassador of Uttarakhand 2022
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami has appointed Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand ahead of the 2022 Assembly Elections. In 2017, Akshay Kumar was appointed as Uttarakhand’s brand ambassador for ‘Swachhata Abhiyan’. Akshay Kumar, is a Canadian-Indian actor, a film producer who has acted in more than 100 films.
In 2021, Indian cricketer Rishabh Pant, who hails from Roorkee, Uttarakhand was appointed as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand. Indian field hockey player, Vandana Katariya was appointed as the brand ambassador of the women and child development department of Uttarakhand as well as the brand ambassador of the Centre’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ scheme for Haridwar district.
‘Mahabharat’s Bheem’ actor Praveen Kumar Sobti passes away
Actor-athlete Praveen Kumar Sobti, best known for playing Bheem in the TV series “Mahabharat” and for winning an Asian Games gold medal, passed away. He represented the country across various athletic events in hammer and discus throw and even won four medals at the Asian Games, including two gold medals in 1966 and 1970.
Praveen Kumar Sobti also won a silver medal in Hammer Throw during the 1966 Commonwealth Games. The athlete gained further popularity after he began his acting career and was featured as Bheem in BR Chopra’s classic “Mahabharat” in 1988.
Safer Internet Day 2022 observed on 8 February
Safer Internet Day is observed every year on the second day of the second week of February with the aim of providing a safer and better internet, where every user gets to use the internet responsibly and without getting their data leaked. This year February 8 is being celebrated as Safer Internet Day across the world. This year marks the 19th edition of Safer Internet Day with actions taking place right across the globe.
The theme of this year’s Safer Internet Day:
This year, the occasion is being marked under the theme ‘Together for a better internet’, calling upon all stakeholders to join together to make the internet a safer and better place for all, and especially for children and young people.
History of the day:
Safer Internet Day started as an initiative of the European Union’s (EU’s) SafeBorders project in 2004 and was taken up by the Insafe network as one of its earliest actions in 2005, according to its website. It is now celebrated in nearly 200 countries across the world. From cyberbullying to social networking to digital identity, each year Safer Internet Day aims to raise awareness of emerging online issues and current concerns.
Ex-consultant to World Bank Pradip Shah named as Pfizer India chairman
Pfizer India has appointed Pradip Shah as the chairman of its board following the resignation of RA Shah. He is the ex-managing director and a founding member of Crisil. Prior to founding Crisil, he assisted in founding HDFC in 1977. He has also served as a consultant to USAID, the World Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.
Pradip is a director on the board of several reputed companies. He is also a member of various prestigious committees/commissions. He is presently the Chairman of Indasia Fund Advisors. He holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School and is also a chartered accountant and a cost accountant.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw kicks Off NITI Aayog’s Fintech Open Summit
NITI Aayog, in collaboration with PhonePe, AWS and EY, has organized a three-week-long virtual summit, ‘Fintech Open’, from 7–28 February. The summit was inaugurated by Union Minister for Railways, Communications, and Electronics and IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw in the presence of NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Dr Rajiv Kumar. A first-of-its-kind initiative, Fintech Open will bring together regulators, fintech professionals and enthusiasts, industry leaders, the start-up community, and developers to collaborate, exchange ideas and innovate.
An open platform is created using public investment, wherein numerous private entrepreneurs, start-ups and developers can join to create new solutions. For example, today, 270 banks are connected with the UPI and many entrepreneurs and start-ups have provided solutions that have helped increase the country’s fintech adoption rate—which is the highest globally at 87%.’
