29 December 2025 Current Affairs (With PDF)

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25 Years of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)

Why in News

• Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has completed 25 years since its launch in Dec7 2000.
• As of December 2025, the scheme has achieved nearly 95% physical progress, emerging as one of India’s most impactful rural infrastructure programmes.

Performance Snapshot (as of December 2025)

• Total rural roads sanctioned: ~8.25 lakh km
• Roads completed: ~7.87 lakh km
• Physical progress: ~95%
• PMGSY has significantly improved last-mile connectivity, rural mobility, and access to essential services.

About PMGSY

1. Ministry:

• Ministry of Rural Development

2. Nature:

• Centrally Sponsored Scheme

3. Launch Year:

• December 2000

4. Core Objective:

• Provide all-weather road connectivity to eligible unconnected rural habitations
• Use rural connectivity as a tool for poverty alleviation and inclusive growth

5. Infrastructure Scope:

• Construction and upgradation of rural roads
• Building/modernisation of bridges along road alignments

Road Connectivity in LWE-Affected Areas

• Launched: 2016
• Objective: Improve rural connectivity in LWE-affected districts
• Implementation: Operates as a vertical under PMGSY, addressing security and development deficits simultaneously.

Phases of PMGSY

1. Phase I (2000) – Universal Access:

• Established the foundation of rural connectivity.
• Linked villages to markets, schools, and healthcare facilities.

2. Phase II (2013) – Network Consolidation:

• Focused on upgradation and consolidation of the existing rural road network.

3. Phase III (2019) – Connectivity Strengthening:

• Strengthened links between rural habitations and key socio-economic institutions.

4. PMGSY–IV (2024–2028) – Last-Mile Inclusion:

• Target: Connect 25,000 habitations
• Road length: ~62,500 km
• Focus on remaining unconnected habitations with refined population criteria.

CAG Flags Gaps in Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

Why in News

• The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audited the implementation of PMKVY (2015–2022) and highlighted serious operational, financial, and governance shortcomings.
• The audit covered the first three phases of PMKVY, assessing outcomes, fund utilisation, and data integrity.

Key Findings of the CAG Audit

1. Skill–Gap Mismatch:

• Training programmes were not adequately aligned with actual labour market needs.
• Skill courses did not consistently reflect priorities identified under the National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (NPSDE).

2. Underutilisation of Funds:

• Nearly 20% of funds released for State components remained unspent (as of March 2024).
• Indicates weak planning, absorption capacity, and Centre–State coordination.

3. Data Integrity Issues:

• The Skill India Portal (SIP) suffered from severe data lapses: Around 95% of candidate records had invalid or missing information (email IDs, bank accounts, etc.).
  - Presence of duplicate bank accounts and identical photographs.

4. Technical Qualification Lapses:

• For job roles requiring prior technical education, about 85.40% of certified candidates possessed only basic literacy, undermining employability.

5. Fictitious and Ineligible Agencies:

• Certifications were issued through non-existent or ineligible training agencies, pointing to weak accreditation and oversight.

6. Poor Employment Outcomes:

• Placement rate only 41%, raising concerns about the scheme’s effectiveness in improving employability.

CAG’s Key Recommendations

• Align training programmes with sector-wise and State-wise skill gaps based on market demand.
• Strengthen PMKVY processes by expediting the formulation of the National Skill Development Plan.
• Strict enforcement of IT controls under PMKVY 4.0, along with a robust data retention policy.
• Enhance oversight mechanisms, ensuring strict system validation and audit trails.
• Integrate UDISE data with PMKVY to verify educational qualifications and avoid duplication.

About Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

1. Launched:

• 2015

2. Ministry:

• Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE)

3. Objective:

• Provide short-term skill training, upskilling and reskilling
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
• Focus on youth, including rural and disadvantaged sections

4. Phases of PMKVY:

• PMKVY 1.0 (2015–16): Pilot phase
• PMKVY 2.0: ~1.10 crore candidates trained
• PMKVY 3.0: Customised Crash Course Programme for COVID Warriors
• PMKVY 4.0: Emphasis on new-age skills: Industry 4.0, Web 3.0, AR/VR

5. Overall Achievement:

• Over 1.6 crore youth trained since inception & 45% beneficiaries are women

India’s Tsunami-Ready Villages Initiative

Why in News

• India aims to make 100 coastal villages tsunami-ready under the UNESCO–IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP).
• 24 coastal villages in Odisha have already been recognised as Tsunami Ready by UNESCO, following verification by India’s National Tsunami Ready Recognition Board (NTRB).

What is a Tsunami-Ready Village?

A tsunami-ready village demonstrates high levels of:

• Community awareness about tsunami risks
• Hazard mapping and preparedness planning
• Public display of evacuation routes and safe zones
• 24×7 warning dissemination systems
• Regular mock drills and community participation
• Coordination with disaster management agencies

UNESCO–IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition Programme (TRRP)

1. About TRRP:

• A voluntary, community-based global initiative led by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC).
• Objective: Strengthen coastal risk prevention and disaster mitigation against tsunamis.

2. Evaluation Framework:

• Villages are assessed on 12 standardized preparedness indicators.
• Recognition validity: 4 years, after which reassessment is required.

3. Implementation in India:

• Implementing Authority: National Tsunami Ready Recognition Board (NTRB)
• Administrative Ministry: Ministry of Earth Sciences
• Chairperson: Director, INCOIS
• Key Members: INCOIS, NDMA, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and other stakeholders.

India’s Broader Tsunami Risk Reduction Efforts

1. Policy and Guidelines:

• NDMA Tsunami Risk Management Guidelines emphasise: Public awareness, Capacity building, Education and training, Research and development

2. Early Warning Systems:

• Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC): Provides tsunami advisories for India and Indian Ocean Rim countries
  - Strengthens last-mile connectivity in coastal regions

3. Technology Deployment: Bottom Pressure Recorders (BPRs) and buoy systems:

• Satellite-based communication networks for rapid warning dissemination

About UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)

• Established: 1960
• Secretariat: Paris, France
• Membership: 152 Member States (India is a member)
• Mandate: Promote international cooperation in marine sciences and ocean governance
• Key Role: Leads the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030)
   

NITI Aayog Report on Good Practices for Gender Parity at the Workplace

Why in News

• NITI Aayog, in collaboration with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), released the report “From Intent to Impact”, outlining a roadmap to achieve gender parity in Indian workplaces.
• The report links women’s workforce participation to India’s ambition of becoming a $30 trillion economy by 2047, aligned with SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth).

About the Report: “From Intent to Impact”

• Nature: Compendium of good practices and policy pathways.
• Objective: Transition organisational commitment on gender equality from policy intent to measurable outcomes.
• Economic Imperative: India needs to add an estimated 145 million women to the workforce to achieve long-term growth targets.

Key Barriers to Gender Parity

1. Entry-Level Barriers:

• Unconscious bias in recruitment and gendered job stereotypes.
• STEM paradox: Women constitute ~43% of STEM graduates, but only ~27% of the STEM workforce in India.

2. Retention Challenges:

• “Maternity penalty” leading to stalled careers or workforce exit.
• Around 75% of working mothers report career setbacks post-childbirth.

3. Growth and Leadership Barriers:

• Limited access to informal professional networks (“old boys’ clubs”).
• Inadequate leadership pipelines and mentoring for women.

4. Systemic and Social Constraints:

• Women perform nearly 76% of global unpaid care work, constraining time and mobility for paid employment.

Global and Indian Best Practices Highlighted

1. Equal Pay and Legal Safeguards:

• Germany: Wage Transparency Act enabling salary information access.
• New Zealand: Equal Pay Amendment Act ensuring sector-wide pay equity.

2. Shared Care and Parental Responsibility:

• Norway: Mandatory father’s quota in parental leave.
• Spain: Equal parental leave of 16 weeks for both parents.

3. Flexible Work and Return-to-Work Pathways:

• UK: Legal right to request flexible working hours.
• India: Returnship programmes by companies like Tata Group and Accenture.

4. Structural Enablers:

• Denmark: Universal subsidised childcare.
• France: Public crèches and tax incentives for employer-supported childcare.

Personality in News: Shaheed Udham Singh (1899–1940)

Why in News

• The 126th Birth Anniversary of Shaheed Udham Singh was observed on 26 December 2025.

About Shaheed Udham Singh

• Born: 1899, Sangrur district, Punjab (undivided India)
• Died: 1940 (executed by the British government)
• Role: Revolutionary freedom fighter

Key Contributions

• Avenger of Jallianwala Bagh (1919): Assassinated Michael O’Dwyer (former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab) in London, 1940.
• O’Dwyer was responsible for endorsing the repression that culminated in the massacre.
• Symbolic Identity: Used the name “Ram Mohammad Singh Azad”, reflecting Composite nationalism, Secular unity, Resistance to colonial divide-and-rule policies
• Revolutionary Associations: Ghadar Party & Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA)
   

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