#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️India is looking to enter the SMR value chain with private sector interest. SMRs (30-300 MWe) are key for nuclear energy competitiveness.
➡️India aims to become a leader in SMRs as part of its clean energy transition, with Russia and China also in the race. India is exploring technical feasibility with government-private collaboration.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The 'Draft Guidelines for Withdrawal of Life Support in Terminally Ill Patients,' was released by the Union Health Ministry. Feedback and suggestions have been invited from the stakeholders on the draft by October 20.

While doctors have been informally advising families to withdraw care for terminal patients, there was no formal legal framework.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️About 12 textile companies are set to receive the first set of incentive payment under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme.
➡️The World Bank reported that India’s share in global exports of labour-intensive sectors has stagnated, while countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam have gained market share, aided by free trade agreements and duty concessions.
➡️The Bank suggested that India could benefit from diversifying exports, leveraging geopolitical shifts, and reducing trade barriers to boost the textile sector's growth.
➡️The Ministry of Textiles has outlined a roadmap to create 4.5 to 6 crore jobs in the textile sector by 2030 and expand the market size to $350 billion from the current $165 billion.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️ The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) recently released the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) for 2022-23.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The Supreme Court issued a series of directives to the Centre and states to ensure that no inmate is subjected to work assignments or housing arrangements based on their caste. The SC declared this provision in various jail manuals “unconstitutional” for violating the inmates’ right to dignity, equality and non-discrimination.

➡️Directives to Centre, States, and UTs: Enforce guidelines from Arnesh Kumar Vs State of Bihar (2014) and Amanatullah Khan Vs Commissioner of Police, Delhi (2024) to ensure procedural safeguards, especially for vulnerable communities.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️Following the searches, the Income Tax (I-T) department recently concluded that some of the NGOs had allegedly violated provisions of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) 2010, cancelling their FCRA licences.
This relates to the “mismatch” in annual returns and statements of foreign currency bank accounts and “misutilisation” of funds in foreign currency.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The central government has opposed the criminalisation of marital rape in the Supreme Court, stating that matter relating to marital rape needs a "comprehensive approach" rather than a "strict legal approach".

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️NITI Aayog has released an Expert Group report titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response —A Framework for Action’. This report has provided a blueprint for the country to prepare for any future public health emergency or pandemic and have a rapid response system in place.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️India's struggle with hunger and malnutrition has been underscored by its ranking in the 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI), where it stands 105th out of 127 countries with a score of 27.3, categorising it in the 'serious' range.

➡️Despite being one of the fastest-growing economies globally, India continues to lag behind several of its South Asian neighbours, highlighting the urgent need for effective interventions.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️A review of the India-ASEAN trade deal by 2025 was included in Indian Prime Minister’s 10-point plan at the 21st ASEAN-India Summit. This review stems from concerns over the growing trade imbalance favoring ASEAN and increased Chinese investments in the region.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The Delhi High Court recently issued directions to improve the availability of orphan drugs, which are used to treat rare diseases.
The Centre provides financial assistance to Centres of Excellence (CoE) for treatment, but stakeholders have approached the courts, citing difficulties in accessing these funds.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The World Development Report 2024, published by the World Bank, highlights the challenge of the middle-income trap, where countries experience a slowdown in growth as they reach higher income levels.
➡️The report identifies the 3i approach—investment, infusion, and innovation—as essential strategies for countries aiming to transition from middle-income to high-income status.
➡️This approach requires dynamic state policies, particularly relevant to India's ambitions for sustainable economic growth.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The Fairwork India Ratings 2024 report examines the changing nature of platform work as platforms increasingly take control of when and for how long workers can provide services, or gigs.
➡️The report titled ‘Fairwork India Ratings 2024: Labour Standards in the Platform Economy’ is the sixth consecutive annual study of this nature conducted by the Fairwork India Team.
➡️It is a joint effort by the Centre for IT and Public Policy (CITAPP), International Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore (IIIT-B), in association with Oxford University.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to American biologists Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun by the Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden.
➡️The scientists won the esteemed prize for the discovery of microRNA and its role in post-transcriptional gene regulation.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️Judicial activism is a judicial philosophy that allows judges to consider broader societal implications of their decisions, and sometimes go beyond the applicable law. It can also refer to a judicial decision or the practice of judges making rulings based on their policy views.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The Centre has introduced new guidelines to prevent companies from making false or misleading claims about their products' environmental benefits.
➡️These rules, issued by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), require companies to provide scientific evidence to support their claims.
➡️These norms would complement the existing Guidelines for Prevention of Misleading Advertisements and Endorsement for Misleading Advertisements 2022, which deal with false or exaggerated claims in advertisements in general.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️A recent report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) highlights how climate change disproportionately affects poorer farmers in India.
➡️Titled “The Unjust Climate: Measuring the Impacts of Climate Change on Rural Poor, Women, and Youth,” the report reveals the vulnerabilities faced by marginalized farming communities due to climate-induced stresses such as heat stress, floods, and droughts.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence has prioritized 17 subjects for deliberation, with a key focus on India’s preparedness to counter hybrid warfare.
➡️Hybrid warfare describes a conflict in which non-kinetic (non-military) tactics are employed to complement military action.

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️In a surprising twist, a Darjeeling-based company, Alt Carbon, is turning mining dust into a climate-friendly solution.
With $500,000 in investments from carbon-credit companies, Alt Carbon is utilising a geo-chemical process known as enhanced rock weathering to tackle atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2).

#StudyWithVajiram | ➡️A recent study by iForest (International Forum for Environment, Sustainability and Technology) reveals that India will need over $1 trillion (Rs 84 lakh crore) over the next 30 years for a just transition away from coal. The study, the first of its kind, estimates the costs of phasing down coal mines and plants while ensuring socio-economic stability in coal-dependent regions.