# Union cabinet

• Citing economic recovery, the union cabinet on Wednesday restored the Members of Parliament local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) that was suspended in April 2020 subsuming the funds for the scheme in the Consolidated fund of India.

• The scheme was suspended for two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22) but the government on wednesday announced a partial rollback.

• The MPs will get 2 crore rupees instead of the annual approved 5 crore rupees.

• The cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) has approved a slew of measures to support farmers growing sugar cane, cotton and juice.

# National security advisors

• The third regional security dialogue on Afghanistan held here on wednesday called for “urgent humanitarian assistance” to the Afghan people.

• The call was given in the meeting chaired by National security adviser Ajit Doval.

• The statement emphasised that the aid should be provided in an “unimpeded, direct and assured manner”.

# Online certification

• After crossing $30 billion for seven successive months, India’s merchandise exports have hit a home grown stumbling block in the first 10 days of this month.

• It happened due to a new system mandating online issuance of certificates of origin (CoO) for every outbound consignment from November 1 that has put exporters in a tizzy.

• Several small exporters are facing challenges in registering on to the Directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) portal which requires high-quality digital signature certificates.

# Coringa

• Conservation biologists of the wildlife institute of India (WII), Dehradun, will begin collaring 10 fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) in Coringa wildlife sanctuary.

• In Asia a similar such project has been done in Bangladesh.