Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS/Civil Services

Table of Contents

Vice President’s Secretariat

• Prime Minister Shram Awards
•India is the economic hope of the globe and that the picture is both fascinating and complex as our economy is fast expanding.
• Millions of workforces are working round the clock to keep the wheels of economy running as he complimented the winners of Shram Awards.
Vice President’s Secretariat –
•He further said that this is the ‘real GDP’ festival.
• By this I mean, the ‘Growth Driving Power’ from among whom the ‘Great Dedicated Persons’ are being honoured today and these two GDPs are critical for th
•If workers produce more per hour, there is more of output and income to share.
•He further said that ‘Shakti’ is the force that drives all processes including biological and mechanical.
• We have gathered here today to underline and acknowledge the importance of ‘Shram Sakti’ that is driving a range of processes of production which are critical to economic growth and development, he added.
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• Secularism is in the DNA of the people of India and one need not remind the same.
•He was addressing the gathering after releasing the book titled ‘Sahas Ka Doosra Naam Zindagee’ authored by Shri Sanjeev Gupta, here today.
•It is very important to provide training to all the children of the country to make them responsible citizens and they must be shining examples for the next generation.

Human Resource Development

• The Centre is planning to reduce the syllabus of NCERT by half.
• Briefing media persons in New Delhi today, Human Resource Development Minister Prakash Javadekar said, NCERT and HRD Ministry have asked the teachers, parents and educationists
for their suggestions within two months for reducing the syllabus.
• The process will take 7-8 months and it will be implemented in 2019-20 or 2020-21 academic session.
• The Minister said, the syllabus will be reduced by half so that students get time for other activities for their all-round development.

Home Minister

• The High Level Committee for Central Assistance Chaired by Home Minister Rajnath Singh today approved assistance of
• 1711 crore rupees for Bihar which was affected by floods last year.
• 1055 crore rupees for Gujarat which was also affected by floods.
• 838 crore rupees have been sanctioned for West Bengal
• 420 crore rupees each have been sanctioned for Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh which were also affected by floods.
• Tamil Nadu will receive 133 crore rupees and Kerala will receive 169 crore rupees which were affected by cyclone Ockhi.
• Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh will get 836 crore and 396 crore rupees. The two states were affected by kharif drought last year.

Finance Ministry-

• Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said, the priority sector lending target of 11 lakh crore rupees is achievable next fiscal and it will help farmers double their income by 2022.
• Addressing the board of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, NABARD in New Delhi, Mr Jaitley stressed on the need for all stakeholders to collaborate to improve income of farmers.
• He said, the banking sector must invest in long term assets to improve the capital formation in agriculture sector.

MEA

• European Union today warned Maldives government of targeted measures if the country’s situation does not improve.
• At a meeting in Brussels the EU Council called on everyone in the Maldives, especially law enforcement, to act with restraint. It said in a statement that the current situation in Maldives is not in accordance with the principles of democratic rule and separation of powers.
• The council called upon the Government to engage with the opposition leaders in a genuine dialogue that paves the way for credible, transparent and inclusive Presidential elections.
• It called to immediately lift the state of emergency and restore all constitutionally guaranteed rights.
• India has already expressed its desire that emergency should be lifted in that country.

MEA-

• The King of Jordan Abdullah-II bin Al-Hussein will be visiting India from tomorrow on a three day visit.
• The King will be accompanied by a business delegation.
•India and Jordan will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
• The Jordan King will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• President Ramnath Kovind will host a banquet in the honour of the King on 1st of next month.

Vice-President

Venkaiah Naidu and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will call on the visiting dignitary

PMO-

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said, the NDA government has increased the Minimum Support Price of crops by one-and-a-half times in 48 months of its rule to benefit farmers.
•He said the government is heading towards doubling MSP in five years.
• Mr. Modi said, that his Government is working to change the fate of the country by changing the fortune of its villages and farmers.
PMO-
• Government is working with the mission of Transforming India from an old civilization into a modern society, and from an informal economy into a formal economy.
• Addressing the second India-Korea Business Summit in New Delhi today, Mr Modi said, the government has worked towards creating a stable business environment. “We have worked towards creating a stable business environment ensuring the rule of law in removing arbitration
in decision making. We sit positively in day-to-day transactions. We are widening the areas of trust rather than digging into doubts.”
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• The Prime Minister said, the county is on a de-regulation and de-licensing drive.
• Mr Modi pitched for foreign investments saying India is one of the most open economies in the world. “In FDI, we are one of the most open countries now. Most of the sectors of our economy are open for FDI. More than 90% approvals have been put on automatic route. There is practically no requirement of government approval for investments in manufacturing sector accept for defence sector.”

Finance Ministry

• Finance Ministry today directed Public Sector Banks (PSBs) to probe all Non-Performing Assets (NPA) accounts of over 50 crore rupees for possible fraud and accordingly report the cases to CBI.
• Financial Services Secretary Rajiv Kumar said, the managing directors of PSBs have been directed to detect bank frauds and refer cases to the CBI.
• PSBs have also been asked to involve Enforcement Directorate and Directorate of Revenue Intelligence for violations of PMLA, FEMA or Export Import norms.

MEA

• The United Nations says, fighting has continued in Syria’s rebel-held Eastern Ghouta area outside Damascus, despite a five-hour pause ordered by Russia.
• Activists said, the government carried out a number of air and artillery strikes, while state media accused rebels of shelling a humanitarian corridor meant to allow civilians to leave.
• As a result, there are no humanitarian aid deliveries or medical evacuations.