EducatorIAS

Debt status Report of Government of India  Salient features of Central Government Debt are as under: i. Central Government Debt stood at 45.7 per cent of GDP at end-March 2019, witnessing a marginal decline from 45.8 per cent at end-March 2018. ii. General Government Debt (GGD)-GDP ratio worked out to 68.6 per cent at end-March 2019, slightlylower compared to 68.7 per cent at end-March 2018. iii. 94.1 per cent of total Central Government debt at end-March 2019 was domestic debt. Sovereign external debt constituted 2.7 per cent of GDP at end-March 2019, implying low currency risk to GoI debt portfolio. The sovereign external debt is entirely from official sources, providing safety fromvolatility in the international capital markets. iv. The share of marketable securities in internal debt stood at 84.4 per cent at end-March 2019, slightlylower than 86.1 per cent at end-March 2018. v. Public debt in India is primarily contracted at fixed interest rates, with floating internal debt con...

 Earth quake and practises : Some recent tremors around Delhi have triggered discussions on earthquakes, particularly the consequences of their occurrence in densely populated urban areas. Unfortunately, it has also given rise to some rumours and fear mongering. So, let’s first be clear on a few things. Earthquakes cannot be predicted. Not yet. Also, they cannot be prevented. They will happen. There is no particular time when the probability of an earthquake happening is higher, or lower. In fact, in areas classified as seismic risk zone IV and V, there is always a probability of a big earthquake of magnitude 6 and above. The Delhi region and the entire Himalayas are in this risk zone. But tremors, even a series of them in a short period of time, are not a forewarning of any upcoming big event. There is ongoing research across the world on identifying precursors to an earthquake, but as of now there is no change in the situation. But, as has been pointed out in this newspaper a few...

Why South China sea is important for India?  South China Sea is an arm of western Pacific Ocean in Southeast Asia.It is south of China, east & south of Vietnam, west of the Philippines and north of the island of Borneo. What makes it so important? This sea holds tremendous strategic importance for its location as it is the connecting link between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. (Strait of Malacca) According to the United Nations Conference on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) one-third of the global shipping passes through it, carrying trillions of trade which makes it a significant geopolitical water body. As the importance of securing trade routes and accessing fast-depleting energy resources grow, the region is experiencing greater volatility and tension over the territorial disputes in the SCS. China, in particular has been an increasingly aggressive actor, using its political and military might to dominate smaller states at different points Why south China sea matters...

Background: There are about 25 lakh unregistered food processing enterprises which constitute 98% of the sector and are unorganized and informal. Nearly 66 % of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family-based enterprises. This sector faces a number of challenges including the inability to access credit, high cost of institutional credit, lack of access to modern technology, inability to integrate with the food supply chain and compliance with the health &safety standards. Strengthening this segment will lead to reduction in wastage, creation of off-farm job opportunities and aid in achieving the overarching Government objective of doubling farmers' income Details of the Scheme:   Objectives: Increase in access to finance by micro food processing units. Increase in revenues of target enterprises. Enhanced compliance with food quality and safety standards. Strengthening capacities of support systems. Transition from the unorganized sector to the form...

Department of Higher Education, M/o Human Resource Development, has mission to provide quality education to students across all Universities & HEIs. For this, M/o HRD has developed an e-Governance platform, SAMARTH(Enterprises Resource Planning) ERP, under National Mission of Education in Information and Communication Technology Scheme (NMEICT). ERP, SAMARTH, is an Open Standard Open Source Architecture, Secure, Scalable and Evolutionary Process Automation Engine for Universities and Higher Educational Institutions. It caters to faculty, students and staff at a University/Higher Educational Institutions. Now, the ERP, SAMARTH, has been implemented at  National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra,  a participating unit under the World Bank supported Technical Education Quality Improvement Program (TEQIP). The objective of this initiative is to automate the processes of the Institute.

As per the Food Corporation of India report dated 12.05.2020, FCI currently has 271.27 LMT rice and 400.48 LMT wheat. Hence, a total of 671.75 LMT food grain stock is available (excluding the ongoing purchase of wheat and paddy, which have not yet reached the godown).About 60 LMT food grains is required for a month under NFSA and other welfare schemes. Since the lockdown, about 80.64 LMT foodgrains have been lifted and transported through 2880 rail rakes. Apart from the rail route, transportation was also done through roads and waterways. A total of 159.36 LMT has been transported. 15,031 MT grains was transported through 11 ships. Total 7.36 LMT food grains have been transported to the North-Eastern States.Under the NFSA and PMGKAY, for next 3 months total 11 LMT food grainis required in NE States. Open Market Sales Scheme During the lockdown, NGOs and social institutions running relief camps can purchase wheat and rice directly from FCI Depots at Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS) r...