Current Context: The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has proposed a 36% hike in stipend under the NAPS scheme.

ABOUT NAPS

• Launched in August 2016; extended as NAPS 2.0 from FY 2022–23.
• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• Funding:
  • Central Sector Scheme (100% funded by Central Government).
  • Part of the Skill India Programme.
• Objectives:
  • Financial incentives to establishments hiring apprentices under the Apprentices Act, 1961.

To promote apprenticeship training and skill development.

Current Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated India’s first 9,000 horsepower (HP) electric locomotive at the Dahod workshop in Gujarat.

ABOUT 

• Regenerative Braking: Converts kinetic energy during braking into electrical energy, which is fed back into the power grid, enhancing energy efficiency.
• Opposed to dynamic braking, where energy is lost as heat
• Capable of hauling freight trains weighing between 4,500 to 5,000 tonnes at speeds up to 100 km/h.
• Manufactured in collaboration with Siemens, with potential for export.
• Benefits:
  • Enhances energy efficiency, Reduces fuel consumption and operational costs and Minimizes brake wear and tear.

Current Context: The Ministry of Panchayati Raj has launched the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 portal to streamline data collection and evaluation of panchayat performance.

About PAI 2.0

• A multi-domain and multi-sectoral index designed to assess the holistic development, performance, and progress of Panchayats.
  • Helps in evidence-based governance.
• Developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC)
• Rationalisation of Indicators:
  • Number of indicators reduced from 516 to 147 to improve data quality and ease of reporting.

Current Context: Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted a 60% increase in honey production over the last decade during his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ address.

ABOUT HONEY PRODUCTION IN INDIA

• Production Growth:
  • Increased from approximately 70,000–75,000 metric tonnes to about 1.25 lakh metric tonnes in the last 11 years.
  • Represents a 60% rise in production.
• Global Standing:
  • India is the 7th largest producer of honey globally.
  • China is the top producer and exporter.
• Major Producing States (2022–23):
  • Uttar Pradesh (17%)
  • West Bengal (16%)
  • Also includes Punjab, Bihar, and Rajasthan.
• Export Trends:
  • Over 50% of India’s honey production is exported.
  • Major destinations: USA, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Libya.

Celebrated every year on May 30^th.

• Aim : to commemorate the launch of the first Hindi newspaper, “Udant Martand,” in 1826.
• Significance: “Udant Martand,” started by Jugal Kishore Shukla in Kolkata, marked the beginning of journalism in the Hindi language.

Goa celebrates its Statehood Day on May 30, marking its transition to full statehood in 1987.

• Historical Background: Goa was liberated from Portuguese rule in 1961 and became a Union Territory. It attained statehood on May 30, 1987, becoming the 25th state of India.

Celebrated annually on May 30^th.

• Aim : to recognizes the potato’s role in food security, nutrition, and poverty reduction.
• 2025 Theme: “Shaping history, feeding the future.”
• The United Nations declared 2008 as the International Year of the Potato.

Observed globally on 28 May.

• Objective : To raise awareness about the root causes of hunger and advocating for sustainable solutions.
• Theme 2025: “Sowing Resilience” – emphasizing the importance of building climate-resilient food systems to ensure food security for all.

Current Context: Raja Khas, a village in the Indora subdivision of Kangra district, has been designated as Himachal Pradesh’s first Solar Model Village under the Prime Minister’s Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana.

About the Initiative:

• Objective: To achieve 100% household solar electrification, reducing dependence on conventional energy sources.
• Funding: The central government has approved a grant of ₹1 crore for the development of solar infrastructure in the village.
• Implementation: The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board will oversee solar installations, while the Himachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency will monitor and evaluate the project’s progress.
• Demographics: It covers six hundred seventy-five point thirty-seven hectares, with an estimated population of three thousand.

Current Context: The Chief Minister of Sikkim has requested the central government to ban climbing on Mt. Khangchendzonga, citing its sacred status among local communities.

About Mt. Khangchendzonga:

• Location: Situated on the border between Sikkim, India, and Nepal.
• Elevation: 8,586 meters, making it the third-highest mountain in the world.
• Cultural Significance: Considered sacred by the people of Sikkim, who believe it is the abode of their guardian deity, Dzö-nga.
• Conservation Status: The Indian side of the mountain is part of the Khangchendzonga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Legal Status: Climbing banned on Indian side under Places of Worship Act, 1991.