E-Daakhil Portal
- E-Daakhil portal for online redressal of consumer grievances is now operational in 15 States/UTs.
- This portal, developed by National Informatics Centre, was launched by National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission (NCDRC) in 2020.
- As provided in the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, the portal empowers the consumers to file the consumer complaints and payment of requisite fees online for the redressal of their complaints.
- It also facilitates the consumer commissions to scrutinize the complaints online to accept, reject or forward the complaint to the concerned commission for further processing.
- To facilitate the rural consumers for e-filing, it has been decided to integrate the Common Service Centres (CSC) with the e-daakhil portal.
Chandrayaan-3
- Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be launched in 2022 (earlier scheduled to be launched in late 2020).
- Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO’s) Chandrayaan-3 is India's third mission to Moon.
- It aims to make a soft-landing in the Lunar South Pole’s Aitken basin.
- It will consist of only a lander and rover, as the orbiter of Chandrayaan-2 is still functioning and providing data.
Gaganyaan
- ISRO is targeting December, 2021 to launch the unmanned test mission of Gaganyaan project (earlier scheduled for December 2020).
- ISRO’s Gaganyaan is India's first manned space mission.
- It envisages sending three Indians to space by 2022. Four pilots have been selected for the mission and they are undergoing training in Russia.
- Gaganyaan will involve Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle GSLV Mark III rocket with a modified upper stage compatible with a crew module and crew escape system.
CPI for Industrial Workers
- All-India Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Industrial Workers for January, 2021 was released and it is decreased from December, 2020.
- The base year for CPI for Industrial Workers is 2016 (=100).
- The maximum downward pressure in current index came from Food & Beverages group contributing 0.90 percentage points to the total change.
- To know more about Consumer Price Index, click here.
Index of Eight Core Industries
- This index for January, 2021 was released by the Office of the Economic Adviser, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
- Eight Core Industries - Coal, Crude Oil, Natural Gas, Petroleum Refinery Products, Fertilizers, Steel, Cement, Electricity.
- These Core Industries comprise 40.27% of the weight of items included in the Index of Industrial Production (IIP).
- Since 2014, Electricity generation data from Renewable sources are also included.
- Since 2019, a new steel product called Hot Rolled Pickled and Oiled (HRPO) under the item ‘Cold Rolled (CR) coils’ within the production of finished steel has also been included.
COVAX Program
- Ghana has become the first country in the world to receive a shipment of coronavirus vaccines under the COVAX program.
- Covid-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is a global initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
- It is led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI), the World Health Organization (WHO), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and others.
- It wants to vaccinate roughly 20% of the population in the 92 Advance Market Commitment (AMC) countries, which include middle and lower-income nations that cannot afford to pay for COVID-19 vaccines.
- This means countries with a Gross National Income (GNI) per capita of less than US $4000 and some other countries which are eligible under the World Bank International Development Association (IDA).
- The funding is partly coming from high and middle-income countries that will also receive a share of the vaccines produced for COVAX.
Source: AIR, PIB, The Indian Express, The Hindu, Business Line, Down To Earth, Business Standard, SpaceNews
