UniFocus IAS ( UNIFOCUS UNIVERSAL )

  A single drop of water journeys across the land filtering through rocks and sand to become the invaluable resource we rely on—clean groundwater. This essential source supports life, fuels agricultural productivity and secures water for millions. In 2024, total annual groundwater recharge experienced a significant increase of   15 BCM (Billion Cubic Meters), while extraction decreased by 3 BCM compared to the 2017 assessment.   This progress underscores the importance of understanding groundwater's availability, usage, and the challenges ahead. Country’s Groundwater Resources [2] The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), in collaboration with State Groundwater Departments, releases annual reports on groundwater resources. The  'National Compilation on Dynamic Ground Water Resources of India, 2024'  offers a comprehensive state-wise overview, serving as a foundation for effective policies and management strategies. According to the latest report, the total annual g...

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) on Thursday notified amendment in the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023 to include Para 1.07A and 1.07B  to bring legal backing in the FTP to make it necessary to do consultation with stakeholders to seek views, suggestions, comments or feedback from relevant stakeholders, including importers/exporters/industry experts concerning the formulation or amendment of the Foreign Trade Policy. It also provides the mechanism to inform reasons for not accepting views, suggestions, comments or feedback concerning the formulation or amendment of the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023. The latest amendments in the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023 reflect upon the Central Government’s commitment towards strengthening the scope of Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) in India by encouraging stakeholder and expert participation through consultation in the decision-making process. The key objective of the amendments is to encourage the participation of all stakeholders in the d...

The Government of India has decided to constitute a Working Group for base revision of the current series of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) from base 2011-12 to 2022-23. The composition of the Working Group is as follows:   1. Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog Chairman 2. Additional Director General, Field Operations Division, Ministry of Statistics & P.I. Member 3. Deputy Director General, Economic Statistics Division, Ministry of Statistics & P.I. Member 4. Deputy Director General, National Accounts Division, Ministry of Statistics & P.I. Member 5. Deputy Director General, Enterprise Survey Division, Ministry of Statistics & P.I. Member 6. Economic Adviser, Department of Economic Affairs, ...

  India’s  4 th  Biennial Update Report (BUR-4)   to the United Nations  Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was submitted on 30 th  December, 2024. The BUR-4 updates the Third National Communication (TNC) and contains the National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventory for the year 2020.  In 2020, India’s total GHG emissions decreased by 7.93 per cent with respect to 2019. The emissions, excluding Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), were 2,959 million tonnes of CO 2 e and net emissions of 2,437 million tonnes of CO 2 e with the inclusion of LULUCF. The energy sector contributed the most to overall emissions (75.66 percent), followed by the agriculture (13.72 percent), Industrial Processes and Product Use (8.06 percent), and Waste (2.56 percent). In 2020, India's forest and tree cover, along with other land use, sequestered approximately 522 million tonnes of CO 2 , equivalent to reducing 22% of the country's total carbon dioxide emiss...