The Union Cabinet has approved an allocation of ₹8,800 crore to extend the national skill development program, “Skill India,” until the end of next year.
Under the Skill India initiative, three key programs have been integrated:
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Scheme
Life Skills Institution Program
Launched by the central government in 2015, the Skill India initiative aimed to provide skill development training to approximately 40 crore people by 2022, enhancing the workforce’s skills to international standards.
The program is implemented through the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, with training provided by institutions accredited by the National Skill Development Corporation.
The Union Cabinet has also approved an extension of the tenure of the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis by three years, until 2028. The commission consists of a chairman, vice-chairman, five members, a secretary, and an additional secretary.
Economic Sanctions on the International Court of Justice (ICJ):
Former U.S. President Donald Trump imposed economic sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is the judicial branch of the United Nations (UN).
The ICJ was established by the UN Charter in June 1945 and began functioning in April 1946. It is headquartered at the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands, and is the only major UN body not based in New York.
The ICJ’s role includes resolving legal disputes submitted by states and providing advisory opinions on legal matters referred by UN agencies and specialized organizations.
The court consists of 15 judges elected for nine-year terms by the UN General Assembly and the Security Council. It operates with the administrative support of the Registry, and its official languages are English and French.
Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Scheme:
The Pradhan Mantri National Apprenticeship Scheme was announced in the 2024-25 budget. Its goal is to provide apprenticeship opportunities to 1 crore youth in the first 500 companies over five years.
A pilot project for implementing this initiative was launched on October 3, 2024, with a target of providing 1.25 lakh apprenticeship opportunities in the 2024-25 financial year.
Quick Facts:
NASA has stated that the asteroid “YR4” has a 2.3% chance of hitting Earth.
104 Indians were deported from the U.S. with their hands and legs restrained. These individuals had crossed multiple borders through forests and mountains via a dangerous path known as the “Donkey Route,” named after the exhausting journey involved.
The Union Cabinet has approved the creation of the Southern Coastal Railway zone with Visakhapatnam as its headquarters. The Waltair division of the East Coast Railway has been split into two, with one zone operating under the Southern Coastal Railway and the other under the East Coast Railway with headquarters in Rayagada, Odisha.
A national-level science exhibition was held at VIT, Bengaluru.
Excavations at Vijayakarisalkulam, near Vembakottai in Virudhunagar district, uncovered a terracotta human foot, a crystal quartz stone, and an animal tooth.
In the National Games, Tamil Nadu’s men’s tennis team, including Abhinav Sanjeev, Manish Sureshkumar, and Nikki Poonacha, won the gold medal.
