PIB summary for UPSC

• INS Mangrol is the third Mahe-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, built by Cochin Shipyard Limited.
• The ship uses waterjet propulsion for manoeuvrability in shallow and confined waters.
• The ship carries forward the name of an earlier minesweeper.

An example of indigenisation in defence shipbuilding and strengthened coastal defence in the Indian Ocean Region.

• IMD's Cyclone Warning and Marine Weather Services Decision Support System is a WebGIS-based platform.
• IMD's pre-cyclone exercise meeting has been held since 2008 to review preparedness before the cyclone season.

Supports answers on early warning systems and disaster preparedness, building on forecasts for cyclones Phailin (2013) and Hudhud (2014).

• RSETIs are Rural Self Employment Training Institutes; the MoU aims at uniform training standards and capacity building across them.
• Candidate registration will use Kaushal Panjee and the Aadhaar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS).

Feeds questions on skilling for rural self-employment and inclusion of vulnerable groups in entrepreneurship.

2023 · GS2 · 15 marks Skill development programs have succeeded in increasing human resources supply to various sectors. In the context of the statement analyze the linkages between education, skill and employment.

How to use it: The plan to train 6.35 lakh rural youth, including women, SC/ST and persons with disabilities, through NSQF-aligned courses links skilling to self-employment.

• Negotiations on the India-UK CETA began in January 2022.
• Indian exporters use the eCoO 2.0 platform to self-certify origin and claim CETA preferences.
• The 17th JETCO meeting will be held in the UK in 2027.

Useful for India's new-generation trade agreements and how implementation mechanisms help businesses use preferences.

• PM GatiShakti covers seven engines: roads, railways, ports, waterways, airports, mass transport and logistics infrastructure.
• The Network Planning Group and the Empowered Group of Secretaries are part of its institutional framework.
• Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, set up in 2022, is a university for transport and logistics.

An example of data-driven, multimodal infrastructure planning; the page cites reduced overlap with forest land in expressway planning.

• The mission targets production of 350 lakh tonnes and a yield of 1,130 kg per hectare by 2030-31, and plans to expand the area under pulses by 35 lakh hectares.
• NCCF and NAFED are authorised for 100% assured procurement of tur, urad and masoor for four years, 2025-26 to 2028-29.
• The SATHI portal provides seed traceability from production to certification.

GS3 agriculture and food security: an example of a value-chain approach to cutting import dependence and raising farm incomes.

• VOC Port is at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
• According to the release, India's metro network grew from 5 cities and about 250 km in 2014 to 25 cities and over 1,100 km.
• PM Matsya Sampada Yojana is the flagship scheme for the fisheries sector, and fishermen can get working capital through Kisan Credit Cards.

GS3 infrastructure and blue economy: an example of port-led development and urban transport investment.

• The Drugs Rules, 1945, are framed under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
• The change follows the 93rd meeting of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, a statutory body.
• The draft inserts sub-rule (22) under Rule 65 of the Drugs Rules.

GS2 health regulation: limiting promotion of drugs needing medical supervision, such as certain antibiotics, guards against self-medication.

• Mangrol is named after a coastal town in Gujarat and continues the legacy of the minesweeper INS Mangrol (M85).
• It is propelled by three diesel engines driving waterjets.

GS3 defence: indigenous shallow-water ASW craft protect ports and coastal approaches and show progress in Aatmanirbhar shipbuilding.

• KVIC is a statutory body under the Ministry of MSME.
• Ponduru Khadi has a Geographical Indication tag.

GS3 inclusive growth and GS1 women: decentralised, low-footprint khadi production offers rural employment, especially for women.

• Private Final Consumption Expenditure (PFCE) is household spending on goods and services to meet individual needs.
• Gross Fixed Capital Formation (GFCF) measures additions to fixed assets such as machinery, buildings and infrastructure.
• The draft also aims to build capacity in State Directorates of Economics and Statistics.

GS3 on data quality: comparable State accounts help evidence-based policy and fiscal federalism.

• The maximum general penalty falls from Rs 25,000 to Rs 10,000.
• E-way bill interception will need specific intelligence and authorisation by a Joint Commissioner-rank officer.
• Small e-commerce sellers may take simple PAN-based registration in other States if ITC passed on does not exceed Rs 2.5 lakh a month.

GS3 on indirect tax reform: automation and lighter penalties aim to cut compliance costs while revenue keeps growing.

2019 · GS3 · 10 marks Enumerate the indirect taxes which have been subsumed in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in India. Also, comment on the revenue implications of the GST introduced in India since July 2017.

How to use it: On revenue implications: the GST taxpayer base grew from 60 lakh in 2017 to about 1.70 crore, and April to September 2026 collections rose 11.6% year on year.