1. GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 - ECONOMY)

Context: The Government e-Marketplace (GeM), an online platform for public procurement of goods and services, plans to seek the Centre’s approval to enable work contracts for construction and building projects.

Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

• About: It is the national procurement portal of India.
• Launched: in 2016
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• Owned by: The platform is owned by GeM SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) which is a 100% Government-owned, non-profit company under the MoC&I
• Objectives: To facilitate procurement of goods and services by various government departments and organisations.
• Organisation: Open to all organizations, including autonomous bodies, public sector businesses, and government departments.
• Developed by: DGS&D with technical support from the National e-Governance Division (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology)
• Country of Origin Mandatory: Every time a new product is registered on GeM, sellers are required to list the Country of Origin.
• Mandatory under rule: Procurement of goods and services by Ministries and the Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) is mandatory for goods and services available on GeM under Rule 149 of the General Financial Rules, 2017.
• e-bidding and reverse e-auction: Provides tools of e-bidding and reverse e-auction to facilitate users to get best price for their goods.
• Private players: Private players cannot purchase but can sell products to government through the portal.
• Product and services categories: The portal features over 11,000 product categories with more than 29 lakh listed products, as well as over 270 service categories with more than 2.5 lakh service offerings.

Advantages of GeM:

• Enhance seller access.
• Provision of easy return policy.
• Transparent and easy procurement.
• New product suggestion facility available to sellers.
• Price can be changed based on market conditions.
• Seller friendly dashboard for selling and monitoring supplies and payments.

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2. FOREIGN CONTRIBUTION (REGULATION) ACT Syllabus GS Paper 2 - Governance)

Context: The Union Home Ministry extended the validity of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA) registration of non government organisations (NGOs) and associations till June 30.

Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA)

• About: Regulates the receiving and use of foreign contributions by individuals and corporations established in India. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 has come into effect from 2011.
• Objectives: The law sought to regulate foreign donations to individuals and associations so that they functioned “in a manner consistent with the values of a sovereign democratic republic.
• Extend to: It extends to the whole of India.
• Apply to:

oCitizens of India outside India.

oAssociate branches or subsidiaries, outside India, of companies or bodies corporate, registered or incorporated in India.

• Validity: Once granted, FCRA registration is valid for five years.
• Renewal: NGOs are expected to apply for renewal within six months of the date of expiry of registration.
• Expiry: In case of failure to apply for renewal, the registration is deemed to have expired, and the NGO is no longer entitled to receive foreign funds or utilise its existing funds without permission from the ministry.
• FCRA requires every person or NGO seeking to receive foreign donations:

oRegistered under the Act.

oTo open a bank account for the receipt of the foreign funds in State Bank of India, Delhi.

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3. ARMED FORCES (SPECIAL POWERS) ACT (AFSPA) (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Internal security)

Context: Assam govt has extended imposition of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa), 1958, in its four districts, for six months from April 1.

Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958

• About:An Act to enable certain special powers to be conferred upon members of the armed forces in disturbed areas.
• History: The Act in its original form was promulgated by the British in response to the Quit India movement in 1942. After Independence, Government decided to retain the Act, which was first brought in as an ordnance and then notified as an Act in 1958.
• Imposition Of AFSPA: It has been imposed on the Northeast states, Jammu & Kashmir, and Punjab during the militancy years. Punjab was the first state from where it was repealed,

oIt remains in force in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, J&K, and parts of Arunachal Pradesh.

• Powers to declare areas to be disturbed areas: Governor of that State or the administrator of that Union Territory or the Central Government.
• Ground For declaration: If in the opinion of concerned authority, Disturbed or dangerous condition that the use of armed forces in aid of the civil power is necessary, the authority, may by notification, declare the whole or such part of such State or Union territory to be a disturbed area.

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4. GREAT INDIAN BUSTARD (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Environment)

Context:The Supreme Court said it will review its April 2021 order to bury underground all power lines in the habitat of the Great Indian Bustard.

Great Indian Bustard

• About: It is the State bird of Rajasthan and is considered India’s most critically endangered bird.
• Flagship species: It is considered the flagship grassland species, representing the health of the grassland ecology.
• Habitat:

oIts population is confined mostly to Rajasthan and Gujarat.

oSmall populations occur in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

• Protection Status:

oIUCN: Critically Endangered

oCITES: Appendix 1

oConvention on Migratory Species (CMS): Appendix 1

oWildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: Schedule 1

• Concerns: As Rajasthan shares the international border with Pakistan's Sindh and Punjab provinces, the birds will become easy prey for the gun-toting poachers there.
• Initiatives taken to protect GIB:

oIntegrated Development of Wildlife Habitats: GIB is kept under the species recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

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5. ANGEL TAX (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context:Commerce and industry minister said that the angel tax was introduced because fly-by-night entities were using this route to inflate value and create capital.

Angel Tax

• About: An income tax levied, when an unlisted company issues shares to an investor at a price higher than its fair market value.
• Under: Under Section 56(2)(viib) of the Indian Income Tax Act.
• Tax rate: The effective rate of the angel tax is 30.6%.
• Aim: To curb the practice of issuing shares at a premium much higher than their fair value, which could potentially involve money laundering or tax evasion.
• Applicability:

oAngel Tax was applicable to startups and unlisted companies that raised capital through the issue of shares.

oIf the issue price of the shares exceeded the fair market value, the excess amount was treated as income and taxed according.

Exemptions:

• The entity should be a DPIIT recognized Startup; Aggregate amount of paid up share capital and share premium of the Startup after the proposed issue of share, if any, does not exceed INR 25 Crore.

Eligibility Criteria for Startup:

• Turnover should be less than INR 100 Crores in any of the previous financial years.
• An entity shall be considered as a startup up to 10 years from the date of its incorporation.

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6. EXIT POLL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 – POLITY)

Context: The Election Commission has issued a notification imposing a ban on the conduct, publication, or publicizing of exit polls from 7.00 am on April 19 to 6.30 pm on June 1, coinciding with the voting period for the Lok Sabha and four state assembly elections.

Exit Poll:

• About: An exit poll is conducted immediately after voters have cast their ballots in an election.

oIt aims to assess the support for political parties and their candidates based on the responses of voters as they exit the polling station.

• Difference from Opinion Polls:

oExit polls differ from opinion polls, which gather voters' views on election-related issues before voting takes place.

oWhile opinion polls gauge general sentiments before elections, exit polls provide real-time data on voting patterns and outcomes.

• Section 126A of the Representation of people Act 1951: It prohibits conduct of Exit poll and dissemination of their results by means of print or electronic media during the period mentioned therein, i.e. between the hour fixed for commencement of poll in the first phase and half an hour after the time fixed for close of poll for the last phase in all the States.
• About C-VIGIL APP: cVIGIL is a user-friendly and easy to operate application that empowers Citizens to report Model Code of Conduct Violations such as bribery, free gift, liquor distribution, playing loudspeakers beyond the permissible time during the elections. By using a simple mobile app, the citizen captures the live photo or video. 

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7. UN SECURITY COUNCIL (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - I.R)

Context: In a significant development, the UN Security Council has issued a demand for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The resolution also called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

• United States, traditionally a staunch supporter of Israel and known for frequently exercising its veto power to shield Israel from UN actions, abstained from the vote.

UN Security Council (UNSC)

• About: The UNSC is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
• Function: Its primary functions include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the imposition of sanctions, and the authorization of military action.
• Membership: Comprises 15 member states: 5 permanent members with veto power (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States) and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the General Assembly.

oThe permanent members' veto power allows them to block any substantive resolution, regardless of the level of international support.

• Decision-Making Process:

oResolutions require the affirmative votes of at least nine members, including the concurring votes of all five permanent members, to pass.

oPermanent members may abstain from voting without exercising their veto power.

• Nature of UNSC Resolution: In general, UN General Assembly resolutions are in the nature of recommendations, which explicate the UN membership’s position on a certain matter. UNSC resolutions are normally seen as somewhat more prescriptive.

oHowever, there is a difference between UNSC votes under Chapter 6 and Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, with the latter considered as binding.

oIn any case, options for enforcing a UNSC resolution are limited if the country in question refuses to accept it.

oIf the UNSC wants to enforce its decision, it can decide to authorize travel bans, sanctions, or the sending of troops.

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8. FOREX RESERVE (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy)

Context: India's forex reserves have scaled to a historic pinnacle, reaching an impressive $642.463 billion as on March 2024, marking a significant milestone for the country's economic landscape.

INDIA'S FOREX RESERVES

• Definition: These reserves are assets like foreign currencies, gold reserves, and treasury bills, among other things, maintained by a country’s central bank or other monetary authority.
• Nodal body in India: Reserve Bank of India.
• Legal status: RBI Act and the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 govern the foreign exchange reserves. 
• Components:  Four categories of foreign exchange reserves:

oForeign Currency Assets: Largest component, constituting more than 80% of the total portfolio.

üIndia heavily invests in US treasury bills, with about 75% of foreign currency assets in dollar-denominated securities.

üTreasury bills of foreign countries > Deposit in foreign central banks > Deposit in commercial banks abroad.

oGold Holdings: Represents physical gold reserves held by the central bank. 2nd largest component.

oSpecial Drawing Rights SDRs:  International reserve assets allocated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

üSupplemented to member countries' official reserves.

üThe SDR is not a currency, but its value is based on a basket of five currencies—the US dollar, the euro, the Chinese renminbi, the Japanese yen, and the British pound sterling.

oReserve Tranche Position: Portion of a country's IMF quota available for immediate use without conditions.

üProvides liquidity support during financial crises or balance of payments deficits.

üSmallest component.

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9. INDRA MOBILE APP (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – ENVIRONMENT)

Context:During the METOC seminar 'Meghayan-24', organized jointly by the School of Naval Oceanology & Meteorology (SNOM) and the Indian Naval Meteorological Analysis Centre (INMAC) as part of the World Meteorological Day celebrations, a significant milestone was achieved with the launch of the INDRA mobile application.

INDRA mobile application:

• It stands for Indian Naval Dynamic Resource for Weather Analysis.
• Objective: To disseminate weather related information and forecasts empowering optimal & quick decision making.
• Developed By: The application has been developed by BISAG (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics) in coordination with Directorate of Naval Oceanology and Meteorology, Indian Navy.

BISAG (Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics):

• Legal Status: BISAG is an Autonomous Scientific Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
• Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology  (MeitY).
• Objective: To undertake technology development & management, research & development, facilitate National & International cooperation, capacity building and support technology transfer & entrepreneurship development in area of geo-spatial technology.

World Meteorological Day:

• The World Meteorological Day is commemorated every year on 23rd March.
• It marks the origin of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) on 23 Mar 1950.

oA specialized agency of the United Nations whose mandate covers weather, climate and water resources. 

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10. SANCHAR SAATHI PORTAL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3– CYBER SECURITY)

Context:The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has issued a cautionary advisory to citizens regarding fraudulent calls impersonating DoT officials. Moreover  are encouraged to utilize the Sanchar Saathi portal.

Sanchar Saathi portal:

• Launched In: 2023.
• Nodal Ministry: Sanchar Saathi portal is a citizen centric initiative of Department of Telecommunications.
• Developed By: Designed, Developed and Hosted by Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT).
• Objective: To empower mobile subscribers, strengthen their security and increase awareness about citizen centric initiatives of the Government.
• Features:

oSanchar Saathi empowers citizens by allowing them to know the mobile connections issued in their name

oGet disconnected the connections either not taken by them or not required by them

oBlock and trace stolen/lost mobile phones and check genuineness of devices while buying a new/old mobile phone.

oSanchar Saathi facilitates citizens for reporting suspected fraud communication.

• Various modules:

oChakshu facilitates citizens to report the suspected or unsolicited communications received through call, SMS or WhatsApp which are intended for cyber-crime, financial frauds, impersonation.

oCentralized Equipment Identity Register (CEIR).

oTelecom Analytics for Fraud Management and Consumer Protection (TAFCOP)

oASTR (Artificial Intelligence and Facial Recognition powered Solution for Telecom SIM Subscriber Verification)

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