Keep up-to-date with all that is happening in welfare policy with this curated selection of news, published every fortnight.

Policy News

• Central Drugs and Standards Committee (CDSCO) has formally approved vaccines for COVID-19 by Bharat Biotech and Serum Institute of India (SII). Both the approvals accorded are for “restricted use in emergency situation”
• According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) will contract by 7.7 per cent in 2020-21.
• The Union government has approved a new industrial development scheme worth ₹28,400 crore for Jammu and Kashmir with the aim to bring industrial development.
• After Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, Telangana became the third State to implement the urban local body reform. The State has now become eligible for additional borrowing of ₹7,406 crore.
• Punjab government announced a number of welfare schemes, including free sanitary pads for school and college-going girls in the state.

Others

• India began its eighth term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). It will chair three important committees of the UNSC.