Current Context: India has imposed anti-dumping duties on five Chinese goods, including aluminium foil, to protect domestic industries from cheap imports. Purpose: Protects domestic industries from unfairly cheap imports (dumping). Framework: Governed by WTO’s Anti-Dumping Agreement and Article 6 of GATT. Recommended by Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR)under the Commerce Ministry. Significance: Restores fair competition and ensures a level-playing field for domestic producers.Read More

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Revised Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM) with an enhanced financial outlay of ₹3,400 crore under the 15th Finance Commission cycle (2021-26), including an additional ₹1,000 crore. Key Objectives: Enhance milk production, genetic improvement, and farmer incomes. Preserve and improve indigenous bovine breeds through scientific interventions. New Initiatives: Heifer Rearing Centres: ₹35% one-time assistance for housing 15,000 heifers. Interest Subvention: 3% for loans on High Genetic Merit (HGM) IVF heifers. Achievements: 55% increase in milk production over the last decade. Per capita milk availability rose to 471 grams/day in 2023-24. 39....Read More

The Union Cabinet has approved the Revised NPDD with an additional budget of ₹1000 crore, raising the total to ₹2790 crore (2021-26) to modernize dairy infrastructure and boost rural incomes. Key Features Objective: Enhance milk procurement, processing, and quality control. Coverage: 18.74 lakh farmers benefited, 30,000+ jobs created. Budget: ₹2790 crore. Key Components Component A – Infrastructure Development Strengthening milk chilling plants, testing labs, and dairy cooperatives, especially in NER, hilly regions & UTs. Establishment of two new Milk Producer Companies (MPCs). Component B – Dairying through Cooperatives (DTC) Partnership with JICA for dairy development in nine states. Expected Outcomes....Read More

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has collaborated with DigiLocker to provide investors with seamless access to their securities holdings and reduce unclaimed assets in the Indian financial market. About the Initiative DigiLocker Integration for Financial Assets Investors can now store and retrieve demat holdings, mutual fund statements, and Consolidated Account Statements (CAS) through DigiLocker. Expands DigiLocker’s role, which already includes bank statements, insurance policies, and NPS statements. New Nomination Facility for Legal Heirs Investors can appoint Data Access Nominees within DigiLocker. Upon the investor’s demise, nominees receive read-only access to financial documents, ensuring smooth asset transition. Automated....Read More

India’s goods trade deficit fell to a 42-month low of $14.05 billion in February 2025, as per the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. The decline is attributed to reduced imports of gold, silver, and crude oil, alongside an overall contraction in imports. Key Factors Behind the Decline Reduced Gold & Silver Imports: Fell to $2.7 billion, the lowest since June 2024. Lower Crude Oil Imports: Valued at $11.89 billion, marking a 30% YoY reduction due to falling global crude prices and lower domestic demand. Overall Import Contraction: Total imports dropped to a 22-month low of $50.9 billion, reflecting a 16.3%....Read More

The Ministry of Cooperation launched White Revolution 2.0 on September 19, 2024, to enhance milk production, processing, and dairy infrastructure in India. Key Implementing Agency: The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) is driving this initiative through Rashtriya Gokul Mission for indigenous breed development and multiple dairy development schemes, including: National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) Supporting Dairy Cooperatives & Farmer Producer Organisations (SDCFPO) Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) Dairy Sector Growth: India’s milk production in 2023-24 reached 30 million metric tonnes, marking a 63.56% increase over the last decade. The goal is to increase cooperative sector milk....Read More

Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal inaugurated GRIDCON 2025 on March 9, 2025, in New Delhi. Organiser:Organized by POWERGRID under the Ministry of Power. Theme: “Innovations in Grid Resilience”, focusing on renewable energy integration, grid stability, smart asset management, and digital transformation. Key Discussions: AI-driven grid solutions, energy storage, automation, and cybersecurity to enhance power infrastructure. Exhibition: Showcasing next-gen power technologies, smart metering, and green hydrogen solutions. Significance: Aims to drive grid modernization, policy formulation, and India’s transition to a low-carbon economyRead More

The Central Government has recently conferred Navratna status upon IRCTC and IRFC, elevating them to the ranks of India's 25th and 26th Navratna CPSEs. Navratna Status – Definition: A prestigious classification for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) recognizing exceptional financial and operational performance. Authority: Granted by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) under the Ministry of Finance. Benefits: Provides greater investment autonomy and decision-making flexibility to eligible CPSEs. Eligibility Criteria for Navratna Status: A CPSE must be a Miniratna-I company with a positive net worth. Have an “Excellent” or “Very Good” MoU rating in three of the last five years.....Read More

According to recent news, market experts, including Samir Arora, are strongly criticizing India's newly introduced capital gains tax on foreign investors, deeming it a 'significant policy misstep. The tax is perceived as a deterrent to Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs), potentially reducing foreign investment in Indian markets. About Capital Gains Tax:Levied on profits from the sale of capital assets. Capital assets include: Stocks Mutual funds Property Gold Types of Capital Gains Tax Short-Term Capital Gains (STCG): Applies when assets are sold within a short period. Taxed at a higher rate to discourage speculative trading. Long-Term Capital Gains (LTCG): Applies when assets....Read More

The U.S. government has announced the creation of a Crypto Strategic Reserve, a move aimed at integrating cryptocurrencies into the country’s financial system. This initiative marks a significant step in acknowledging digital assets as part of national economic strategy. ABOUT: The Crypto Strategic Reserve will function as a national stockpile of digital assets, similar to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, but for cryptocurrencies. It will be managed under a federal regulatory framework to ensure security, transparency, and compliance with financial laws. The reserve will consist of five major cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC) – The first and most widely recognized cryptocurrency. Ethereum (ETH)....Read More