Chief of Defence staff: Its creation was recommended in 2001 by a Group of Ministers (GoM) that was tasked with studying the Kargil Review Committee (1999) report. He heads the newly created Department of Military Affairs (DMA) in the Ministry of Defence. As the head of DMA, CDS is also the Permanent Chairman-Chiefs of Staff Committee. The CDS is also vested with the authority to provide directives to the three chiefs. However, he does not enjoy any command authority over any of the forces. CDS is first among equals, he enjoys the rank of Secretary within the DoD (Department of Defence) and his powers will be confined to only the revenue budget. He will also perform an advisory role in the Nuclear Command Authority (NCA).
SCALE (Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees):The SCALE app was launched by the Minister of Education and Skill Development Dharmendra Pradhan during his visit to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) on September 20, 2022. The newly launched app provides a one-stop service for skilling, learning, assessment and job opportunities for the leather industry. The application was developed by the Leather Skill Sector Council (LSSC). It provides online live streaming classes from a studio at the LSSC’s office. These classes can be accessed by anyone interested in the leather crafts.
Railway Protection Force: The contingent of RPF is an Armed Force of the Union of India. It is a security force under the ownership of Indian Railways, Ministry of Railways. The history of the RPF dates back to 1882 when various railway companies appointed their own guards for protection of railway property. The force was declared as statutory force in the year 1957 by an enactment of Parliament subsequently declared as an Armed Force of the Union of India in the year 1985.
Windfall Tax: Windfall taxes are designed to tax the profits a company derives from an external, sometimes unprecedented event— for instance, the energy price-rise as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. These are profits that cannot be attributed to something the firm actively did, like an investment strategy or an expansion of business. A windfall is defined as an “unearned, unanticipated gain in income through no additional effort or expense”. Governments typically levy a one-off tax retrospectively over and above the normal rates of tax on such profits, called windfall tax.
Central Bureau of Narcotics: In one of the biggest destruction operations conducted over 2 weeks in Himachal Pradesh, officers of Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) destroyed 1032 hectares (12,900 bighas) of illicit cannabis (ganja) cultivation. Central Bureau of Narcotics is affiliated with India’s Department of Revenue and regulated by the country’s Central Board Indirect Taxes and Customs. The main function of CBN is to stop opium production and trade, and to issue licenses for production of legal synthetic drugs.
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