# Covid-19

• Union health minister Harsh vardhan attacked Maharashtra government as maharashtra’s government was demanding universal vaccination.

• India reported 1,26,227 new covid-19 cases highest single day spike ever.

• The centre has decided to allow vaccination sessions at private and public work places with about 100 eligible/willing beneficiaries.

# RBI policy

• The RBI’s monetary policy committee voted unanimously to leave the policy repo rate unchanged at 4%.

• This was announced by RBI governor Shaktikanta Das on wednesday.

• RBI also retained GDP growth projection for 2021-22 at 10.5%.

# Opium yield

• The union government has decided to reopen the private sector to commence production of concentrated poppy straw from India’s opium crop to boost the yield of alkaloids.

• Alkaloids is used for medical purposes and exported to several countries.

• Among the few countries permitted to cultivate the opium poppy crop for export and extraction of alkaloids, India currently only extracts alkaloids from opium gum at facilities controlled by the Revenue department in the finance ministry.

# Production linked incentive

• The union cabinet on wednesday approved two PLI schemes for white goods (air conditioners and LEDs) and high efficiency solar photovoltaic modules.

• As a part of Atmanirbhar bharat (self reliant India) with the approval for the 6238 crore PLI scheme for air conditioners and LEDs.

• The prime objective of the PLI scheme is to make manufacturing in India globally competitive by removing sectoral disabilities, creating economies of scale and ensuring efficiencies.

# India-seychelles

• PM Narendra modi will hand over a fast patrol vessel to the seychelles coast guard on thursday.

• The handing over will be part of a high level virtual interactions between the Indian leader and president of the seychelles, Wavel Ramkalawan.

• This is the first interaction between the two leaders since mr ramkalawan won the october 2020 election in the seychelles.