On 11 September 2024, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the fourth phase of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY).
It is implemented by Ministry of Rural Development.
The PMGSY was launched on 25 December 2000 to connect rural areas with all-weather roads to reduce poverty.
PMGSY-IV will run for five years (2024-2029) with a total cost of Rs 70,125 crore, shared by the central and state governments.
The target is to build and upgrade 62,500 km of roads to connect 25,000 unconnected villages.
Previous phases focused on upgrading rural roads to improve access to markets, schools, and hospitals.
2. Where will the All India Official Language Conference 2024 be organized? – New Delhi
Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lallan Singh recently launched the “Rangeen Machhli” mobile app in Bhubaneswar.
This app will provide multilingual information on popular ornamental fish species in eight Indian languages.
5. Which ministry has released the report “India’s Health Mobility (Infrastructure and Human Resources) 2022-23“? – Ministry of Health
Government Schemes
6. Which scheme has been approved by the Central Government to promote electric mobility in the country? – PM E-Drive
7. The Union Cabinet has decided to include people above how many years of age in the Ayushman India Jan Arogya Yojana? – 70 years
Science & Technology
8. ‘Ahaetulla longirostris’, recently seen in the news, belongs to which species? – Snake
A new snake species, Ahaetulla Longirostris, was discovered in India with a unique long snout.
This snake, called the long-snouted vine snake, was found in Bihar and Meghalaya.
It has a slender, elongated body and can grow up to 4 feet long.
Its color ranges from bright green to orange-brown, with an orange belly.
The head is triangular, and the snout is 18% of the head’s length.
The species can live in both forests and urban areas, showing adaptability to different environments.
Sports
9. Which Para Olympians has been declared as the National PWD Icon of the Election Commission by the Election Commission? – Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar
Short News
Appointments
10. The Ministry of External Affairs has recently appointed R Ravindra as the next Ambassador of India to which country? – Iceland
Natural geographic isolation is occurring among Asiatic lions in Gujarat, so translocation isn’t needed, says the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) director.
IBCA was launched by the Indian Prime Minister on 9 April 2023, during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger.
Its goal is to conserve seven big cat species—tiger, lion, leopard, snow leopard, cheetah, jaguar, and puma—and their habitats globally.
14. Which mission has been approved by the Cabinet to make weather forecastsmore accurate in the country? – ‘Mission Mausam’
