PM – YASASVI Scheme: Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is implementing an umbrella scheme namely PM Young Achievers Scholarship Award Scheme for Vibrant India (PM –YASASVI) for OBC and others. This is an umbrella Scheme formulated for OBC, EBC and DNT Students by clubbing the existing Scholarship Schemes and Hostel Scheme. It aims to award scholarships to eligible candidates belonging to Other Backward Class (OBC), Economically Backward Class (EBC), and De-Notified, Nomadic & Semi Nomadic Tribes (DNT/SNT) categories. National Testing Agency has been entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the YASASVI ENTRANCE TEST. Students of Class IX will be provided with financial benefit of Rs.75,000 per year. Students of Class XI will be provided with financial benefit of Rs.1,25,000 per year. A candidate must fall in one of the following categories: OBC/ EBC/ DNT SAR/ NT/ SNT. Students studying in Class IX and Class XI identified Schools across India. The yearly income of the applicant’s parents should not exceed Rs.2.5 lakh. The award of scholarships is at two levels: For students who are studying in Class IX and For students who are studying in Class XI.
National Voters’ Day (NVD): It has been celebrated on January 25 every year since 2011, across the country to mark the foundation day of the Election Commission of India, i.e. 25th January 1950.The main purpose of the NVD celebration is to create electoral awareness amongst citizens and encourage them to participate in the electoral process. Dedicated to the voters of the country, the National Voters’ Day is also used to facilitate enrolment of voters, especially the newly eligible young voters. New voters are felicitated and handed over their Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) in the NVD functions held across the country. NVD is celebrated at the national, state, district, constituency and polling booth levels, which makes it one of the largest celebrations in the country. NVD 2024 theme - ‘Nothing Like Voting, I Vote For sure’. On January 25, 2024, the Election Commission of India celebrates its 75th year of service to the Nation.
Disease X: It is referred to as a hypothetical pathogen or threat that can cause a major pandemic in future. It could be a new agent, a virus, a bacterium, or a fungus without any known treatment. The term coined by scientists and the World Health Organization could be any of the 25 families of viruses that have the capability to cause illness in people. Disease X was included in the WHO’s updated Blueprint list of diseases back in 2018. Scientists are of the opinion that Disease X could be 20 times more deadly than SARS-Covid virus that caused pandemic recently. It represents an illness which is currently unknown but could pose a serious microbial threat to humans in the future.
Halwa Ceremony: It is a tradition performed every year ahead of the budget and signifies the official initiation of the printing process of various documents related to the budget. It involves the preparation of the traditional dessert ’halwa’ in a massive kadhai (wok), which is then served to all those who are associated with budget making. It serves as a formal ‘send-off’ for the ministry officials and staff engaged in preparing the Union government’s annual financial statement. Subsequently, the top officials involved with the budget enter a designated ‘lock-in’ period, isolating themselves within the ministry premises and cutting off from their families to preserve the confidentiality surrounding the final budget document.
