Skill development and demography
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•Youth Employment Initiatives:
1. The government will provide Rs 5,000 per month to one crore graduates for interning with 500 top companies in India.
2. Training expenses will be covered by the companies' Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds.
3. This initiative aims to enhance employability and make vocational training more socially acceptable.
Current Employment Statistics:
1. Only 51% of Indian graduates are currently employable, an improvement from 34% in 2017-18 due to skill development initiatives.
2. Vocational training still faces societal stigma and is often viewed as a last resort.
Industry Initiatives: Employee Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) Schemes:
1. Introduction of employment-linked incentives to encourage hiring and productivity.
2. Reimbursement of employer EPFO contributions up to Rs 3,000 per month for new hires.
Agricultural Initiatives:
1. Development of climate-resistant varieties for 32 crops.
2.Support for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
3. National Policy for Co-operation for FPOs.
4. Promoting self-sufficiency in oilseeds and vegetables.
5. Natural farming promotion & target of 1 crore farmers.
Affordable Housing Initiatives:
Significant allocations for constructing 3 crore houses under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) and 1 crore houses in urban areas.
Healthcare and Social Welfare Initiatives:
Healthcare Improvements:
1.Custom duty:-Exemption of three essential cancer medicines from customs duty to make them more affordable.
2. Women's Empowerment: A 218.8% increase in funding for women's empowerment compared to a decade ago,establishment of women's hostels to boost female workforce participation.
3 Middle-Class Benefits: The Income Tax Act of 1961 will be comprehensively reviewed, with the standard deduction increasing from Rs 50,000 to Rs 75,000.
•Regional Development:
•Purvodaya Scheme:
1. Focus on developing eastern states, particularly Odisha, as a tourist destination.
2.Efforts to attract tourists to cultural and historical sites like Nalanda, Rajgir, Bodh Gaya, and Vishnupad temple complexes.
Siddha drugs
1. Reduce anemia:-A study in the *Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge* found that Siddha drugs (ABMN) effectively reduce anemia in adolescent girls.
2.Treatment:- Conducted by the National Institute of Siddha, it involved 2,648 girls, with 2,300 completing the 45-day treatment.
3.Key indicator:- The treatment improved hemoglobin levels, PCV, MCV, and MCH, key indicators of anemia.
4.Symptoms:- Symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and dizziness were also alleviated.
5.Cost effective:-Siddha medicine proved to be a cost-effective, accessible solution for anemia.
6.Public health:-The study highlights Siddha’s role in public health, particularly for adolescent girls.
7.Region:-Siddha medicine, originating in Tamil Nadu, balances elements in the body for healing.
8. Treatment approach:-It uses herbs, minerals, and metals in a holistic treatment approach.
9.Traditional to modern:- The study emphasizes integrating traditional medicine into modern healthcare.
10.Potential:-This research supports Siddha’s potential in addressing anemia at a public health level.
Air quality management Exchange platform
1. Improvement:-The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) launched the Air Quality Management Exchange Platform (AQMx) to improve global air quality.
2.Resolution:- Developed in response to a UNEA-6 resolution for increased global cooperation.
3.Better policies:-Facilitates sharing of best practices and data for better policies and health outcomes.
4.Founded:-It is founded in 2012 by CCAC,under UNEP includes many governments and organization.
5. Reduce air pollution:-India joined CCAC to reduce air pollution in 2019.
6.Focus on pollutants:-CCAC focuses on reducing short-lived climate pollutants like methane and black carbon.
7.Improvement:- WHO Air Quality Guidelines provide limits for pollutants such as PM2.5, O3, and NO2.
8.Limits:-Guidelines were updated in 2021 to reflect stricter pollutant limits.
9.WHO recommends PM2.5 levels not exceed 15 µg/m³ (24-hour) and 5 µg/m³ (annual).
Tax on mining activities
•The Supreme Court Ruling
1. Date: Last week (specific date not mentioned)
2. Bench: Nine-judge Constitution Bench
3. Case: Mineral Area Development Authority v M/s Steel Authority of India
4. Key Decision: States have power to tax mining activities
5. Overturned: 1989 judgment (India Cement Ltd v State of Tamil Nadu)
•Previous Ruling (1989): India Cement Ltd v State of Tamil Nadu.
1. Verdict: Royalty is a tax, and states can only collect royalties, not impose taxes on mining activities.
2. Impact: Limited state powers in taxing mining operations.
Royalty vs. Tax:
1.State List (Entry 50): States have exclusive power to make laws relating to “Taxes on mineral rights”.
2.Union List (Entry 54): Centre has power over “Regulation of mines and mineral development”.
3. MMDR Act 1957: Requires leaseholders to pay royalties for minerals removed.
4. Court’s Decision: Royalty under Section 9 of the MMDR Act is not a tax.
Implications of the Rulings
1. Potential for increased state revenues
2. Possible "unhealthy competition" between states (Justice Nagarathna's dissent)
3. Risk of uneven increase in mineral costs
4. Potential adverse impact on India's economy
5. Concern about "breakdown of the federal system" in mineral development
Future Considerations
1. Need for policy guardrails to mitigate potential adverse consequences
2. Likely challenges in implementation due to Centre-State and inter-State Politics.
