CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR IB ACIO- A GLIMPSE
MINISTRY OF MINIORITY AFFAIRS
1.PM VIKAS
WHY IN NEWS?
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs and Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri
George Kurian, launched a skill training and women entrepreneurship development project
under the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) scheme at the Indian Institute
of Information Technology (IIIT), Kottayam
ABOUT THE SCHEME
Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), is a skilling initiative from MoMA
focussing on the skilling, entrepreneurshipand leadership training requirements of the minority and
artisan communities across the country. The scheme is intended to be implemented in convergence
with the ‘Skill India Mission’ of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and through
integration with the Skill India Portal (SIP).
Key Features
1. Comprehensive Skill Development: PM VIKAS provides both traditional and non-
traditional skill training tailored to current market demands, enhancing employability
among minority youth.
2. Educational Support for Dropouts: The program facilitates formal education and
certification for school dropouts upto the 8th, 10th and 12th standards to bridge educational
gaps.
3. Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development: Special focus on empowering women
through leadership and entrepreneurship training, promoting self-reliance and community
leadership.
4. Art and Craft Village Model: The ‘Hub and Spoke’ model, including Art and Craft Villages,
aims to integrate arts with tourism creating ‘Vishwakarma Villages’ to enhance the cultural
and economic vitality of artisan communities.
5. Market and Credit Linkages: PM VIKAS establishes connections with financial institutions
to support artisans’ businesses, making credit more accessible for entrepreneurial ventures.
2. Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)
WHY IN NEWS?
Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Shri George Kurian inaugurated a Rs 7.92 Cr
Skill Development Centre and a Rs 9.97 Cr Girls Hostel under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas
Karyakram(PMJVK) scheme at Nilambur, Malappuram, Kerala
It is a program focused on improving the socio-economic conditions of minority communities in
India by providing better infrastructure in areas like education, health, and skill development. It's
implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Purpose:
PMJVK aims to reduce the gap between minority communities and the national average in terms
of backwardness indicators, specifically in education, health, and skill development.
Target Areas:
The program focuses on Minority Concentration Areas (MCAs) identified based on Census 2011
data, socio-economic indicators, and basic amenities.
Key Sectors:
Education, health, and skill development are the primary focus areas.
Implementation:
The Ministry of Minority Affairs is responsible for implementing the scheme.
Prioritization:
At least 33-40% of the resources are earmarked for creating facilities for women and
girls. Historical Context:
PMJVK is a restructured and renamed version of the earlier Multi-sectoral Development
Programme (MsDP).
Funding:
It's a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, and the Government of Mizoram has received grants under the
scheme.
MINISTRY OF FINANCE
1.Nationwide Financial Inclusion Saturation Campaign
The Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, launched a three-month
nationwide saturation campaign, effective from 1st July 2025 to 30th September 2025 to bolster
the outreach of flagship schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
(PMJDY), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri
Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY), and Atal Pension Yojana (APY). This campaign seeks to
achieve comprehensive coverage across all Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Urban Local Bodies
(ULBs), ensuring that every eligible citizen is able to avail the intended benefits of these
transformative schemes.
In the two weeks since the launch of the campaign on 1st July 2025, a total of 43,447 camps have
been conducted across various districts to facilitate beneficiary enrolment under key schemes and
promote financial literacy. The progress reports have been compiled for 31,305 camps thus far.
Key Activities Undertaken:
• Account Opening:
o New PMJDY Accounts: 1,39,291
• Re-verification of Know Your Customer (KYC) details for inactive accounts:
o PMJDY Accounts: 96,383
o Other Savings Accounts: 1,01,778
• Update of Nomination Details:
o PMJDY Accounts: 66,494
o Other Accounts: 63,489
• Enrolment under Social Security Schemes:
o Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY): 1,83,225
o Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY): 2,88,714
o Atal Pension Yojana (APY): 67,668
• Claims settled under PMJJBY and PMSBY: 1,665
• Financial literacy programme on digital fraud awareness, access to unclaimed
deposits & available Grievance redressal.
2. Operation Fire Trail”,
In a major crackdown on smuggling of Chinese firecrackers and fireworks into India, the
Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), in an operation codenamed “Operation Fire Trail”,
successfully traced, intercepted, and seized huge quantities of Chinese firecrackers/fireworks,
valued at approximately Rs. 35 crore, found concealed in seven containers destined for or lying
at Nhava Sheva Port, Mundra Port, and Kandla SEZ.
These Chinese fireworks, weighing 100 metric tonne were illicitly imported in the name of a
KASEZ unit and certain IEC holders, by misdeclaring them as goods such as “Mini Decorative
Plants,” “Artificial Flowers”, and “Plastic Mats”.
Notably, some of these consignments were routed through Kandla SEZ by a KASEZ unit
with an intent of diversion into the Domestic Tariff Area (DTA)..
The import of firecrackers is ‘Restricted’ under ITC (HS) Classification of the Foreign Trade
Policy, and requires licences from DGFT and Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation
(PESO) under the Explosive Rules 2008. Firecrackers and fireworks are harmful as they
contain banned chemicals like red lead, copper oxide, lithium, etc.
