Prelims Focus

Prelims Focus 21st April 2026

21/04/2026

16 3 minutes read

Harivansh Secures Third Term as RS Deputy Chairman

In News: Harivansh was re-elected as the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha unopposed in the third term.

Deputy Chairperson

Deputy Chairman is a constitutional office that was established by Article 89 of the Constitution, and stipulates that the Rajya Sabha shall select one of its MPs to be the Deputy Chairman as frequently as the office falls vacant.
The office becomes vacant either by resignation or removal from office or when the Rajya Sabha member’s term gets over.
Process: It can be nominated by any Rajya Sabha MP to the position of a Deputy Chairperson through a motion by another member but seconded by another member. The nominee should also sign to serve in the case of election.
All MPs are only allowed to move or to second one motion and nominations must be made before the deadline.Post: The Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha is not only elected by the members of the House but also it is a significant post that leads the House in the absence of the Chairperson and assists in the smooth running of the House.
Role: The Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha is elected only by its members and is an important position that presides over the House in the absence of the Chairperson and helps ensure its smooth functioning.

Government Expands Coverage of RELIEF Scheme

In News: The Government has also increased the RELIEF scheme under the Export Promotion Mission in order to rescue the Indian exporters who have suffered due to the increased freight rates and insurance premiums as well as maritime upheavals in West Asia.

Singapore Resilience Intervention Scheme Resilience & Logistics Intervention export facilitation (RELIEF) Scheme
RELIEF was initiated by the Government in March 2026 to help Indian exporters to bear increased freight rates, insurance premiums, and trade disruptions caused by the war in West Asia.
It is effected by ECGC and it offers insurance cover, risk coverage and reimbursement cover particularly to MSME exporters to past and future shipments..
It deals with consignments that are to be delivered or trans-shipped to such countries as UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Iraq, Iran, Israel and Yemen.

National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW)

In News: The recent factory worker unrest in the industrial belt in Noida has increased the Union Government initiatives to revise the long-standing stagnant National Floor Level Minimum Wage (NFLMW) in India, with ₹350/day- 450/day being floated.

General: What is National Floor Level Minimum Wage?
NFLMW is the minimum wage established by the Union Government, under which the state is not allowed to set its minimum wage.
States are allowed to charge their own rates and at least at this floor taking into consideration the local skill levels, geography and occupation.
It was the idea of the National Commission on Rural Labour (NCRL) under the chairmanship of Jhinabhai Darjee (1991) that first suggested it voluntarily to narrow the gap between interstate wages.
It was revised into a legally binding statutory floor in the Code on Wages, 2019, no longer a guideline.

First Water Neutral Coaching Depot in India

In News: India is the first country to have a water-neutral railway depot in the Kankaria Coaching Depot in Ahmedabad, where novel wastewater treatment and reuse systems are implemented.

Kankaria Coaching Depot: The first water-neutral railway depot in India.
It conserves approximately 1.60 lakh litres of water per day and approximately 5.84 crore litres of water per year, which saves reliance on freshwater.
It applies phytoremediation, in which plants aid in the purification of wastewater, after which wetlands are treated, then carbon and sand filtration.
Water is also purified through filtration and UV disinfection, whereby it can be reused in operations rather than being released into the environment.