21 hours ago
The Post Matric scholarship program for scheduled castes has been revised. The funding method of the plan has been changed from the committed liability formula to a fixed sharing ratio between the center and the states of 60:40 (90:10 in the Northeastern State) This significantly increases the cost of the program.
Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC:
♦ Other changes include many improvements to the process to avoid delays in the payment of scholarships using the DBT system.
♦ It is a centrally sponsored program and is implemented through the state government and UT administration.
♦ The program provides financial assistance to students of the intended caste who enroll after enrollment or after secondary school so that they can complete their studies.
♦ Students whose parents/guardians' total income does not exceed Rs. Rs. will receive scholarships. 250,000/- per year.
♦ The scholarship includes living allowance, expense reimbursement, study tour expenses, book allowance, etc.
21 hours ago
The Post Matric scholarship program for scheduled castes has been revised. The funding method of the plan has been changed from the committed liability formula to a fixed sharing ratio between the center and the states of 60:40 (90:10 in the Northeastern State) This significantly increases the cost of the program.
Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for SC:
♦ Other changes include many improvements to the process to avoid delays in the payment of scholarships using the DBT system.
♦ It is a centrally sponsored program and is implemented through the state government and UT administration.
♦ The program provides financial assistance to students of the intended caste who enroll after enrollment or after secondary school so that they can complete their studies.
♦ Students whose parents/guardians' total income does not exceed Rs. Rs. will receive scholarships. 250,000/- per year.
♦ The scholarship includes living allowance, expense reimbursement, study tour expenses, book allowance, etc.
11 days ago
Jal Jeevan Mission was initiated by PM Modi on August 15, 2019, and its goal is to provide tap water for everyone by 2024. Recently, this has achieved a new achievement, which is to provide tap water to 40 million rural households.
Highlights:
♦ At present, more than one third of rural households with 72 million kronor obtain drinking water through tap water.
♦ PM Modi launched the Jal Jeevan mission in 2019, aiming to provide all people with water connections (Har Ghar Jal) by 2024.
♦ At present, according to the mission, tap water has been provided to 40 million rural families.
♦ Goa is the first state in India to provide 100% tap water supply.
♦ Goa is followed closely by Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which provide 100% tap water supply.
♦ Currently, 56 regions and 86,283 villages have functional household tap connections (FHTC).
♦ PM Modi launched the "Catch the Rain" campaign on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22.
15 days ago
The Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare conducted a nationwide review of Pradhan Mantri's Fasal Bima Yojana.
Highlights:
♦ Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched in 2016 to provide comprehensive insurance for crop damage or loss caused by accidents, thereby helping to stabilize farmers’ income and encouraging them to adopt innovative practices. The plan is managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmer Welfare.
♦ Crops covered: oil crops; all food crops; annual commercial/horticultural crops
♦ Insurance premium: All farmers of harif crops will pay a uniform cost of 2%, and all farmers of rabbi crops will uniformly pay 1.5% of the cost. For annual commercial and horticultural crops, the premium paid by farmers is 5%.
♦ Coverage: Designed to cover the losses suffered by farmers, such as losses before planting, post-harvest losses caused by hurricane rainfall, and losses caused by non-seasonal rainfall in India. It also covers losses caused by local disasters (such as floods, hail and landslide risks).
♦ Exclusions: Losses due to war and nuclear risks, malicious sabotage and other preventable risks are not included in this plan.
♦ The plan is implemented by experienced general insurance companies. Funding for this project comes from Krishi Kalyan Kosh. Krishi Kalyan Kosh (Farmers’ Welfare Fund) is an emergency fund used to provide support to farmers when their crops are damaged due to low yields and natural disasters, and to provide assistance when the minimum support price is delayed MSP).
♦ Last year, the Union Cabinet approved the transformation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana to achieve fast and accurate earnings estimates, thereby speeding up claims settlement. Registration of the program has been voluntarily provided to all farmers, including those who have loans for existing crops.
♦ Starting from the Harif season in 2020, the center will reduce its share of premium subsidies under PMFBY from 50% to 25%, and the share of non-irrigated areas from 30%. Areas with 50% or more irrigated area will be considered as irrigated area/area.
♦ The northeastern states increased the central share of premium subsidies from the existing 50:50 distribution model to 90%. Technical solutions such as Smart Sampling Technology (SST) will be used in the assessment exercise.
♦ The center has provided states/UTs with options to choose any number of other risk cover/functions, such as preventing seeding, local disasters, mid-season adversity, and post-harvest losses.
19 days ago
PMFME scheme to adopt the " One District One Product " approach to obtain scale gains from the procurement of inputs, provision of public services and product marketing.
Highlights:
♦ Under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PM FME Scheme) initiated by the central government, the Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI) provides financial, technical and business support for upgrading existing micro-food processing companies.
About One District One Product (ODOP):
♦ The purpose of the concept is to transform each district of the country into an export center by:
♦ Identify products with export potential in the district
♦ Solve the bottleneck of exporting these products
♦ Support local exporters and manufacturers to expand production scale and look for potential buyers outside India.
♦ The purpose is to promote exports, promote manufacturing and service industries in the districts and create employment opportunities in the districts.
♦ To this end, each district has established a District Export Promotion Committees (DEPC).
♦ These committees may be led by DM/Collector/DC/District development officials in the district and co-chaired by a Regional Authority designated by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
♦ The main function of DEPC is to cooperate with all relevant stakeholders at the center, state and districts levels to formulate and take action on the district export action plan.
20 days ago
The information was provided by the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Shri Santosh Kumar Gondwar, Lok Sabha.
Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan:
This is the pension plan of the central department to ensure pension protection for unorganized workers. It was launched in March 2019. It is managed by the Ministry of Labor and Employment and implemented through the Indian Life Insurance Corporation and the Public Service Center (CSC). LIC will act as the pension fund manager and be responsible for pension payments.
Unorganized workers whose monthly income does not exceed 15,000 rupees/month and belong to the entry age group of 18 to 40 are eligible to participate in the program. The New Pension Plan (NPS), the employee's national insurance company (ESIC) plan or the employee's provident fund organization (EPFO) should not cover these plans. He/she should not be an income tax payer.
20 days ago
The government stated that as of February this year, more than 5.7 trillion rupees had been paid under the Attar Pension Yojana plan.
Highlights:
♦ Atal Pension Yojana (APY) solves the problem of old-age income security for the working poor and solves the longevity risk of workers in the unorganized sector.
♦ It encourages workers in the unorganized sector to voluntarily save for retirement. The government launched the plan on June 1, 2015.
♦ Any citizen of India can join the APY program. The age (Subscriber) should be between 18-40 years old. If the subscriber joins in advance, the contribution level will be different and will be very low; if the subscriber joins later, the contribution level will increase.
♦ The benefits of the program will be brought to subscribers when they reach 60 years of age.
♦ The fixed pension for subscribers is between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,000. If he/she joins and donates between the ages of 18 and 40, it is 5000. After the subscriber dies, the same pension shall be paid to the spouse.
♦ Return the indicative pension wealth to the nominee after the death of the spouse. According to the plan, individuals who register before March 31, 2016 will receive a joint contribution from the government, which will be 50% of the user's contribution, up to a maximum of Rs. Thousand's joint contribution from 2015-16 to 2019-20 will last for 5 years.
♦ APY is managed by the Pension Fund Management and Development Bureau.
33 days ago
All major schemes of the Ministry of Women and Child Development are classified as "3 Umbrella Schemes", ie. Mission Poshan 2.0, Mission Vatsalya and Mission Shakti.
Highlights:
Mission Poshan 2.0:
♦ The Government is merging the Supplementary Nutrition Program with Poshan Abhiyan to launch the Mission POSHAN 2.0.
♦ This will include Umbrella ICDS – Anganwadi Service, Poshan Abhiyan, Scheme for Adolescent Girls, National Creche Scheme
Mission Shakti:
♦ This will include schemes and policies to empower and protect women.
♦ It will include a One-Stop Centre, Mahila Police Volunteer, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Women's service helpline and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana.
Mission Vatsalya:
♦ Will study national child welfare services and child protection services.
41 days ago
The Union Education Minister presided over a review meeting on Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan.
About the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA):
♦ This is a scheme initiated by the central government and launched in 2013.
♦ It aims to provide strategic funding for qualified state higher educational institutions.
♦ Central funding (60:40 for general categories states, 90:10 for special categories states, and 100% for union territories) is based on norms and depends on the results.
♦ Funds flow from the central ministry through the state government/union territory to State Higher Education Council before reaching the identified institution.
♦ State funding will be based on a rigorous evaluation of State Higher Education Plans, which will solicit state strategies to address the issues of equity, access to opportunities, and excellence in higher education.
♦ This is a scheme under the Ministry of Education (formerly HRD).
57 days ago
Under the scheme, the widow’s pension will be provided to widows belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households.
Highlights:
Under the scheme, the widow’s pension will be provided to widows belonging to Below Poverty Line households. This is a sub-scheme of the National Social Assistance Program (NSAP) of the Ministry of Rural Development. According to the scheme, the central assistance @ Rs. 300/- per month is provided to widows in the 40-79 age group. When they reach 80, the pension amount will be increased to Rs 500/- per month.
57 days ago
The Ministry of Women and Child Development, implements the Centrally-sponsored Child Protection Services (CPS) scheme (formerly the Integrated Child Protection scheme) under the protection of the Integrated Child Development Services scheme, to provide support for children in difficult circumstances in all states/UTs.
About the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS):
♦ The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented by the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development 2009-10.
♦ The objective of ICPS is to create a safe and secure environment for children who violate the law and children who need care and protection.
♦ The scheme is based on the basic principles of “protection of child rights” and the “best interest of the child”. This is an all-inclusive scheme that brings several existing child protection programes under one roof and improves norms.
♦ The scheme includes other basic interventions aimed at addressing issues that have not been covered by earlier schemes so far.
60 days ago
Institutional deliveries under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) has increased.
Janani Suraksha Yojana:
♦ Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a safe motherhood intervention of the National Rural Health Mission (NHM).
♦ The purpose of this scheme is to reduce maternal and infant mortality by promoting institutional delivery of pregnant women.
♦ Janani Suraksha Yojana was established in April 2005 by revising the National Maternity Benefit Scheme (NMBS).
♦ JSY is a centrally sponsored scheme that combines cash assistance with delivery and post-delivery care.
♦ The scheme focuses on poor pregnant women, and provides special subsidies for states with low institutional delivery rates.
♦ The scheme also provides performance-based incentives to women health volunteers called ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) to promote institutional delivery of pregnant women.
61 days ago
The purpose of launching Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY) is to incentivize employers to create new jobs as well as social security benefits and restore lost jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY):
♦ The Indian government will provide a two-year subsidy for new employees hired between October 1, 2020 or later, and upto June 30, 2021.
♦ For new employees in companies that employ up to 1,000 employees, the Indian government will pay employees 12% of employee dues and 12% of employer dues, which is 24% of the salary paid by EPF ( two years).
♦ The Indian government will only pay employees’ EPF contribution share, which is 12% of 12% of wages in respect of new employees in establishments employing more than 1000 employee for two years.
♦ The monthly salary of employees is less than Rs. 15000 /-If you have not worked in an organization registered with the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) before October 1, 2020, and you do not have a Universal Account Number or EPF Member Account before October 1, 2020, you are eligible for this benefit.
♦ From March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, EPF members who quit their work during the Covid pandemic and have a Universal Account Number (UAN) with a monthly salary of less than 15,000 rupees and have not joined any EPF-protected organization up to September 30 will also be eligible for benefits.
61 days ago
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan was established in June 2020 to increase employment and livelihood opportunities for returned migrant workers and citizens who are also affected in rural areas.
About Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan:
♦ The large-scale rural public works scheme is launched to increase livelihood opportunities in rural India.
♦ The districts will join the program through the Common Service Center and Krishi Vikas Kendras (KVKs).
♦ The campaign will last 125 days and aims to work in task mode to help immigrant workers.
♦ It will involve strengthening and centralizing the implementation of 25 different types of jobs to provide employment opportunities and build infrastructure in rural areas.
♦ The total expenditure for the programme is Rs. 50,000 crores.
♦ Workers will be hired to work on rural housing and rural connectivity, including Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, national highways, railway projects, community health complexes, gram panchayats, Angnawadis, water conservation, digging of wells, Plantation and gardening.
♦ The scheme will be coordinated among 12 different Ministries/Departments.
61 days ago
According to reports from Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and 14 major Private Sector Banks, as of January 2021, a total number of 41.75 crore accounts have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). This information is provided by Union MoS, a Finance and Corporate Affairs.
About Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana:
♦ Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a national mission that aims to provide access to various financial services, including Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension, Banking Savings & Deposit Accounts in an affordable manner
Objectives:
♦ Ensure access to financial products and services at reasonable prices.
♦ Use technology to reduce costs and expand the scope of influence.
The basic purpose of the scheme:
♦ ♦ Banking the unbanked- open a basic savings bank deposit (BSBD) account with minimal paperwork, easy KYC, e-KYC, account open in camp mode, zero balance & zero charges.
♦ ♦ Securing the unsecured- issue local debit cards to withdraw cash and pay at merchant locations, and provide free accident insurance coverage of Rs. 2 lakhs.
♦ ♦ Funding the unfunded- Other financial products such as micro-insurance, overdraft consumption, micro pensions and micro-credit.
62 days ago
The Central Sector Scheme entitled "Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization to manage Crop Residues On-Site in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi" has been implemented in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
Highlights:
♦ It was announced in the 2018 budget.
♦ The objectives of the scheme are:
♦ Protect the environment from air pollution, and prevent the loss of nutrients and soil microorganisms due to the burning of crop residues.
♦ Promote the on-site management of crop residues by using appropriate mechanized inputs to retain and blend in the soil.
♦ Through demonstration, capacity building activities and differentiated information, education and communication strategies, build awareness among stakeholders to effectively use and manage crop residues.
♦ The scheme was further extended to 2020-21.
♦ Compared with 2016, the number of residue burning incidents in Punjab, Haryana and UP will be reduced by -30% in 2020. In Punjab, residue combustion decreased by 22.7%, Haryana decreased by 63.8%, and UP decreased by 52.01%.
63 days ago
PM is responsible for the 348 km Dobhi-Durgapur Natural Gas Pipeline section across the country, which is part of the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project.
About the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project:
♦ This is a natural gas pipeline project that aims to provide cooking gas to people.
♦ It was launched in Varanasi in 2016 and later expanded to people in the states of Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand.
♦ The government is actively connecting the eastern states with the national gas grid.
♦ The total length of the pipeline under the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga project is approximately 3,384 kilometers, of which 766 kilometers of pipelines are located in Orissa, and the remaining 2,618 kilometers are located in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Assam.
♦ The project will not only provide Compressed Natural Gas for automobiles and cooking gas to household kitchens in cities along the route, but also provide natural gas for industries that meet their raw material or fuel needs.
♦ GAIL is implementing the project.
64 days ago
The government has introduced Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata (HSS) Yojana for the welfare of handloom weavers.
About HSS Yojana:
The government has introduced Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata (HSS) Yojana for the welfare of handloom weavers. The scheme was launched in 2015-16 and was renamed Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata Yojana in December 2016. The scheme was introduced to promote technological upgrading in the field of handlooms by providing 90% of subsidies to weavers to purchase looms and accessories.
Scheme objectives:
♦ Promote the upgrading of loom unit technology.
♦ Encourage the development of the ability to create jobs in emerging technological areas.
♦ The scheme is under the Ministry of Textiles.
♦ Technical upgrades aim to improve fabric quality and increase the productivity of handloom weavers.
64 days ago
The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) has been approved for a period of four years starting from 2021-22.
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme:
♦ The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to start-ups for proof of concept, prototype development, product testing, market entry and commercialization.
♦ It will be effective from April 1, 2021.
♦ In the next 4 years, Rs. 945 Crore corpus will be divided and to provide seed funding for qualified start-ups through qualified incubators across India.
♦ The scheme is expected to support approximately 3,600 startups.
♦ The implementing agency of the scheme is the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
♦ These 3,600 entrepreneurs will represent start-ups in various industries registered by DPIIT and were established not more than two years ago when applying for the scheme.
♦ The selected start-up company will be offered up to Rs 20 lakhs as a grant for proof of concept and provide up to Rs 50 lakhs to commercialize products through convertible debentures or debt or debt-linked instruments.
♦ The start-ups selected under the scheme are preferably from the following fields: social impact, waste management, water management, financial inclusion, education, agriculture, food processing, biotechnology, healthcare, energy, transportation, defence, aerospace, railway, oil and natural gas, textiles, etc.
68 days ago
The government has taken the following steps to educate/train farmers across the country to learn about the latest machinery and technology so as to improve the quality of crops and increase yield and income by adopting the latest farming technology.
Highlights:
♦ Since 2005, a Centrally-Sponsored Scheme is being implemented, that is, " Support to State Extension Programs for Extension Reforms", popularly called ATMA Scheme.
♦ ATMA stands for Agricultural Technology Management Agency.
♦ It is being implemented in 691 districts in 28 states and 5 UTs in the country.
♦ This scheme promotes a decentralized farmer-friendly extension system in the country.
♦ Under the scheme, grants were issued to the State Government to support the state Government’s efforts to provide farmers with the latest agricultural technology and good agricultural practices in different agricultural thematic areas and related fields.
♦ Scheme Objectives: The scheme aims at making the extension system farmer-driven and farmer accountable by way of new institutional arrangements for technology dissemination in the form of an Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) at the district level to operationalize extension reforms.
♦ ATMA actively participates in the participation of farmers/farmer groups, NGOs, Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Panchayati Raj Institutions and other stakeholders operating in the district level and below.
The release of funds under the ATMA scheme is based on the State Extension Work Plans (SEWPs) formulated by the State Government.
68 days ago
Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) was merged with the State Health Schemes.
Highlights:
States/UTs implementing AB-PMJAY can flexibly run their own Health Protection Schemes jointly with AB-PMJAY at their own expense. Under this arrangement, each state/UTs can use the "Health Benefit Packages", general IT platform, and PMJAY's comprehensive hospital network.
68 days ago
A group of female weavers in the northern buffer zone of the Dade Tiger Reserve in Terai, Uttar Pradesh, are very happy. The women of Tharu Hath Karga Gharelu Udyog of the Self-Help Organization (SHG) will see a significant increase in their merchandise sales income in 2020, thanks to technical intervention to improve the loom.
Highlights:
♦ The Science for Equity, Empowerment & Development (SEED) Division, Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, implemented the Technological Advancement for Rural Areas (TARA) Scheme.
♦ This scheme provides long-term Core Support for Science and Technology based Non-Governmental Organizations to promote their development and cultivation of “S&T Incubators”/“Active Field Laboratories” in rural areas and other disadvantaged areas, and provide technical solutions and effective technologies delivered for livelihood and social benefits.
♦ It focuses on innovation, long-term actions, applicability, and enterprise models, and shifts to non-farm and service sectors.
♦ If the project is approved, it will provide five to ten years of core funding, which can be extended to 15 years.
76 days ago
The “Ayushman CAPF” scheme was launched to extend the benefits of the central health insurance program to all members of the Country’s Armed Police Forces.
Highlights:
♦ According to this scheme, approximately 28 lakh personnel of CAPF, Assamese rifles and the National Security Guard (NSG) and their families will be covered by "Ayushman Bharat: Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana" (AB PM-JAY).
♦ Key Features of PM-JAY: The world's largest health insurance/guarantee scheme fully funded by the government.
♦ It provides insurance of 5 lakhs per family per year for secondary and tertiary nursing hospitalizations in public and private intensive hospitals in India.
♦ Insurance: More than 1.074 million poor and vulnerable eligible families (approximately 50 crore beneficiaries) are eligible for these benefits.
♦ Provide beneficiaries with cashless access to health services at the service point.
♦ Eligibility: There are no restrictions on the number of families, age or gender. From the first day, all pre-existing conditions are covered. Cover up to 3 days before hospitalization and up to 15 days after hospitalization, such as diagnosis and medicines. The benefits of the scheme can be used throughout the country. The service includes approximately 1,393 procedures, covering all costs related to treatment, including but not limited to drugs, supplies, diagnostic services, physician fees, room fees, surgeon fees, OT and ICU fees, etc. The health care service reimbursement of public hospitals is the same as that of private hospitals.
82 days ago
The Prime Minister will provide financial assistance to the 6 lakh beneficiaries of UP under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin.
Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G):
♦ The PMAY-G scheme was launched in 2016, and its goal is to provide pucca houses with basic facilities for all homeless households and families living in kutcha and dilapidated houses by 2022.
♦ Convenience facilities include water, gas, toilet and electricity supply for all households.
♦ Under PMAY-G, new technologies are being used to build houses.
♦ Due to the use of the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) platform, the time to build houses under the scheme was reduced from 314 days in 2015-16 to 114 days.
♦ According to PMAY, the minimum size of the house has also been increased to 25 square meters.
♦ Based on appropriate verification by Gram Sabha, the beneficiaries are determined based on the housing deprivation parameters and exclusion criteria specified in the 2011 Social and Economic Caste Census (SECC).
84 days ago
PCRA has launched a one-month mass awareness campaign "SAKSHAM" to spread awareness about "Green and Clean Energy".
About SAKSHAM:
♦ The SAKAHAM (Sanrakshan Kshamta Mahotsav) is a campaign launched by Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA).
♦ The main aim of this campaign is to make the public aware of the protection and effective use of petroleum products, which will bring better health and the environment.
♦ The campaign aims to raise awareness of the adverse health and environmental effects of increased carbon footprint.
♦ The idea behind the initiative is to persuade consumers to switch to cleaner fuels and make behavioural changes to use fossil fuels intelligently.
♦ The campaign carried out various pan-Indian activities, such as cyclothon, farmer workshops, seminars, painting competitions, CNG car driving competitions, etc., will popularize the benefits of using clean fuels among the general public.
♦ Key driving factors include: moving toward a gas-based economy, using fossil fuels more cleanly, relying more on domestic resources to drive biofuels, achieving renewable targets within a prescribed period, and increasing the use of electric vehicles to reduce carbon emissions from transportation, clean fuels such as hydrogen, and digital innovations in all energy systems.
Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA):
PCRA is a registered society. It is established under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of India. As a non-profit organization, PCRA is a national government agency dedicated to promoting energy efficiency in various economic fields. Help the government to propose petroleum protection policies and strategies to reduce the country’s excessive dependence on oil demand.
96 days ago
Govt of India’s UJALA (Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All) and SLNP (Street Light National Programme) completes six years of Illuminating India efficiently. Both plans were first implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a PSU joint venture under the Ministry of Electricity of the Government of India.
UJALA:
The plan was launched in 2015. The goal is to replace 770 million incandescent lamps with LED bulbs and eliminate the high cost of LEDs, which have previously been used in energy-saving systems. Implement this program to establish phased LED distribution. The purpose is to promote efficient lighting and increase awareness of using efficient equipment to reduce electricity bills and protect the environment. This is the largest home lighting project in the world.
SLNP:
The National Street Lamp National Plan is a government initiative aimed at improving energy efficiency in the country.
98 days ago
Swachh Swasth Sarvatra is a joint venture of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
Highlights:
♦ Swachh Swasth Sarvatra is a joint venture of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
♦ The program was launched in 2016 and aims to achieve better health outcomes by improving sanitation and increasing people’s awareness on healthy lifestyles.
♦ In this case, one-time one-time grant of Rs. 10 lakh is provided to the non-Kayakalp winner Community Health Center (CHC) located in the ODF block.
♦ Kayakalp is an award for public health facilities in recognition of their contributions to Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
♦ The purpose of the grant is that the resource will help CHC become a Kayakalp winner.
110 days ago
The new route under the UDAN scheme has been labeled Belgaum – Surat – Kishangarh. UDAN, which stands for ‘Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik’, aims to make air travel affordable and widespread.
UDAN Scheme:
The scheme is a part of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) and is jointly funded by the Government of India and State Governments. The following are its main functions:
The duration of the scheme is 10 years.
Airlines participating in UDAN are selected through a competitive bidding process
The central government will provide the following:
- Subsidies to bridge the Value Gap Funds (VGF) of participating airlines
- Concessional GST on tickets booked using the scheme
- Code sharing for flights according to this policy
The state government will expand the following measures:
- Reduce GST to 1% within ten years
- Coordinate with oil companies to promote refueling facilities
- Provide land for airport and auxiliary development
- Trained security personnel
- Utility subsidy rate
- 20% of VGF
Airport operators (such as AAI) will provide the following benefits:
- There are no parking, landing and storage fees at participating airports
- No TNLC (Terminal Navigation Landing Charges)
- Allow airlines selected through the bidding process to perform ground handling services
- The Airports Authority of India discounts the RNCF (Route Navigation and Facilitation Charges) to 42.4% of the normal rate
127 days ago
A team from the National Jal Jeveen Mission (NJJM) will visit Andhra Pradesh to provide technical assistance to the state to achieve the goal of "HarGhar Jal" under the flagship program "Jal Jeveen Mission", And identify different issues and challenges, and document good practices.
Key Facts:
♦ This is a flagship program of the Union Government, which aims to provide all rural households with sufficient drinking water of prescribed quality on a regular and long-term basis.
♦ The Union and state governments are working together to achieve this ambitious goal of providing guaranteed drinking water to rural households.
127 days ago
MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy) issued guidelines for the implementation of feeder-level Solarisation under component C of the PM-KUSUM scheme.
Highlights:
♦ The KUSUM program consists of three parts.
- Component A includes the installation of distributed ground-mounted renewable energy power plants.
- Component B includes the installation of an independent solar agricultural pump.
- Component C includes Solarisation for grid-connected agricultural pumps.
♦ The goal of Component-C of the PM-KUSUM plan is to provide farmers with reliable daytime electricity and increase their income by purchasing excess solar energy, thereby encouraging them to save water.
♦ In the case of feeder-level solarization, farmers will obtain reliable solar energy for irrigation during the day, but there is no provision to sell excess solar energy.
♦ Therefore, farmers can be encouraged to save water and increase income.
♦ DISCOM (Distribution Company) should evaluate the average electricity demand of farmers in a certain area based on various factors.
♦ This power requirement will be considered as baseline power consumption.
♦ DISCOM should encourage farmers to use electricity that is lower than the baseline electricity consumption.
♦ This kind of electricity saving should be regarded as surplus electricity injected by farmers, and DISCOM will use the surplus electricity to pay for these surpluses at a predetermined electricity price.
♦ This will be an important measure to maintain the groundwater level.
134 days ago
According to government regulations, the production-related incentive (PLI) program for bulk drugs and medical devices has shown an encouraging response from the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
Highlights:
♦ The plan provides production-related incentives to promote domestic manufacturing and attract substantial investment, including cell phone manufacturing and specific electronic components, including assembly, testing, marking and packaging (ATMP) units.
♦ The plan should expand the incentive range for incremental sales (beyond the base year) of goods manufactured in India and belonging to the target market segment (above the base year) to 4% to 6% within five years after the defined base year.
♦ The plan will be implemented through a node agency, which should act as a project management agency (PMA), responsible for providing secretarial, management and implementation support, and performing other duties assigned by the Ministry from time to time.
♦ The target market includes mobile phones and other electronic components such as transistors, diodes, thyristors, resistors, capacitors and nanoelectronic components such as microelectromechanical systems.
♦ According to the plan, companies that produce mobile phones priced above 15,000 rupees will receive up to 6% of the incremental sales of all such mobile phones produced in India.
♦ In the same category, companies that manufacture such phones owned by Indian nationals have been rewarded at Rs 2 billion for the next four years.
♦ The plan will attract a large amount of foreign investment in this field, while also encouraging domestic mobile phone manufacturers to expand their operations and operations in India.
136 days ago
Union Health Minister reviews implementation of the National Digital Health Mission and Ayushman Bharat – PMJAY. The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched by the government of India in 2013.
National Health Mission:
The National Health Mission (NHM) was launched by the government of India in 2013 subsuming the National Rural Health Mission and National Urban Health Mission. It was further extended in March 2018, to continue until March 2020. It is headed by Mission Director and monitored by National Level Monitors appointed by Government of India.
Some of the Objectives of the National Digital Health Mission:
- Establishment of Digital Health Systems.
- Creation of Registries
- Enforcement of adoption of open standards by all national digital health stakeholders
- Establishment of Standardized personal health records
- Enterprise-class health application systems.
Salient Features of National Digital Health Mission:
1. The institutional framework of the mission runs at different levels starting from the apex level, followed by the board of directors, CEO and operations.
2. It is an IT-enabled healthcare infrastructure system
3. Health ID – It will be a repository of all the health-related information. Every participating stakeholder including healthcare providers and Indian citizens will be part of this health ID system on a voluntary basis. A unique health ID will be created by every citizen interested to access the benefits of this mission.
4. Health data consent managers will be linked with unique health IDs of the patients; who will aid the seamless exchange of the health records between the patient and the doctors.
5. The healthcare services will be provided through a mobile app or through an official website.
6. Digi Doctor – He/she will be the one who will be responsible for providing healthcare services across the country. An interested healthcare professional can act as a digital doctor to provide prescriptions to patients sitting in a different location altogether. He/she will be assigned free digital signatures which can be used to prescribe medicines.
Ayushman Bharat Programme:
The Ayushman Bharat programme was launched in 2018 to address health issues at all levels – primary, secondary, and tertiary. It has two components: i) Pradhan Mantri Jan ArogyaYojana (PM-JAY), earlier known as the National Health Protection Scheme (NHPS) ii) Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs)
Ayushman Bharat is an integrated approach comprising health insurance and primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare. The HWCs are aimed at improving access to cheap and quality healthcare services at the primary level. PM-JAY will cover the financial protection for availing healthcare services at the secondary and tertiary levels. Ayushman Bharat is the largest government-funded healthcare programme in the world with over 50 crore beneficiaries. It has been dubbed ‘Modicare’.
Need for Ayushman Bharat:
♦ The 71st round of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) revealed many grim numbers about the country’s healthcare system.
♦ About 86% of rural households and 82% of urban households do not have access to healthcare insurance.
♦ Over 17% of the country’s population spend a minimum of 1/10th of their household budgets on availing health services.
♦ Unexpected and serious healthcare problems often lead families to debt.
♦ Over 19% and over 24% of the urban and rural households respectively meet their healthcare financial needs through borrowings.
♦ To address these grave concerns, the government, under the National Health Policy 2017, launched the Ayushman Bharat programme along with its two sub-missions, PMJAY and HWCs.
141 days ago
Release interest subsidy loans from the Micro Irrigation Fund (MIF).
Highlights
♦ The micro-irrigation fund created by NABARD with a scale of Rs 5000 crore was put into operation in 2019-20.
♦ The purpose of the fund is to promote the use of discount loans to expand the coverage of micro-irrigation by developing special and innovative projects, and to encourage micro-irrigation to exceed PMKSY-Per Drop More Crop regulations.
♦ Encourage farmers to install micro-irrigation systems.
Some of the Objectives of PMKSY:
♦ Increase the accessibility of irrigation facilities and the expansion of arable areas under guaranteed irrigation area (HarKhetkoPani).
♦ Improve farm water efficiency and reduce water waste.
♦ Integrate water source, distribution and efficiency through appropriate technology.
♦ Ensure the comprehensive development of the rain-fed area by the following methods:
♦ Groundwater regeneration
♦ Methods of watershed protection
♦ Run-off
♦ Provide livelihoods and other NRM (natural resource management)activities.
♦ Promote extension activities of farmers and field workers, such as:
♦ Catchment
♦ Water management
♦ Crop adjustment
Some of the major Components of PMKSY are:
♦ Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Program (AIBP)
♦ HarKhetKoPani (HKKP)
♦ Per Drop More Crop (PDMC)
♦ Watershed Development (WD)
141 days ago
The Union Education Minister held a review meeting on the progress of the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Plan (UBA) via video conference. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is inspired by the vision of transformative change in the rural development process, and it uses knowledge institutions to help build an inclusive Indian architecture.
Highlights:
♦ The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) launched UBA to connect higher education institutions including Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) with local communities Cooperation to meet development challenges through appropriate technology.
♦ The mission of the plan is to enable higher education institutions to work with people in rural India to jointly identify development challenges and develop appropriate solutions to accelerate sustainable growth.
♦ It also aims to establish a virtuous circle between society and an inclusive academic system by providing knowledge and practices for emerging industries, and to improve the capacity of the public and private sectors to respond to the needs of rural development in India.
♦ Currently, according to the UBA plan, 2,474 research institutes have adopted 13,072 villages.
♦ The technical interventions under the plan have been able to change the living conditions of the village.
♦ Technical interventions under UBA cover different topics, which are roughly classified as follows:
- Sustainable agriculture
- Water resources management
- Craftsmen, industry and people's livelihood
- Infrastructure (infrastructure and services) and rural energy system
♦ Through intervention in the above-mentioned fields, various new and old technologies have been developed, which have changed the living conditions in the countryside.
143 days ago
The problems faced by rural workers who rely on the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Program (MGNREGS).
Highlights:
♦ According to a study by the Indian company LibTech, many workers are forced to go to the bank multiple times, increasing travel costs and loss of income, and face the trouble of repeated refusal to pay, biometric errors and misinformation, just to make their own wages.
♦ The study found that almost 40% of workers must go to bank branches multiple times to withdraw money.
♦ The branch is usually located at the block headquarters, far from home. The time at the bank is three to four hours. Workers also lose their wages when they try to withdraw money.
♦ This effectively solves the situation where one-third of the weekly salary is spent.
♦ Studies have also found that only one in ten workers will receive a text message stating that their wages have been recorded. One-third of workers must visit bank branches to find out whether their wages have been credited.
♦ It was also discovered that although they were told that the salary was credited, they found that the money was not credited to the account.
♦ The challenge of the last mile makes it difficult for workers to get their wages in time.
♦ During the COVID-19 pandemic, this situation has worsened as transportation has become more difficult.
144 days ago
The Union Minister for Food Processing Industries inaugurates capacity building component as a part of PM-FME Scheme.
Highlights:
♦ The Minister also released GIS One District One Product (ODOP).
♦ The GIS One District One Product digital map of India provides detailed information on ODOP products in all states and provides convenience for stakeholders.
♦ The digital map also has indicators for tribes, SC, ST and ideal areas.
♦ This will enable stakeholders to make concerted efforts for the development of its value chain.
148 days ago
Union Cabinet has revealed the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme to encourage domestic manufacturing investments in ten key sectors.
Highlights:
♦ PLI centres to support homegrown assembling and cut down on imports by giving money motivators on gradual deals from items made in the nation.
♦ Other than welcoming unfamiliar organizations to set shop in India, the plan means to urge neighbourhood organizations to set up or extend, existing assembling units.
♦ 10 new areas added. The ten areas have been recognized based on their capability to make occupations and make India confident, which include:
- Advance ChemistryCell (ACC) Battery
- Electronic/Technology Products
- Automobiles& Auto Components
- Pharmaceuticals drugs
- Telecom & Networking Products
- Textile Products: MMF segment and technical textiles
- Food Products
- High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules
- White Goods (ACs & LED)
- Speciality Steel
155 days ago
The Union government has dispensed more than Rs. 42,700 crore to 20.6 lakh resigned defence personnel through the One Rank One Pension (OROP) scheme, which was told 5 years prior in 2015.
Highlights:
♦ OROP infers the payment of the uniform benefits to military officials for a similar position for a similar length of administration, independent of the date of retirement.
♦ OROP suggests overcoming any issues between the rate of pension of current and past retirees at intermittent spans.
♦ Prior to OROP, ex-servicemen used to get benefits according to the Pay Commission's suggestions of when they had resigned.
♦ Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have the most noteworthy number of OROP recipients. Military Personnel who had resigned till June 30, 2014, are covered under it.
♦ The execution of the plan depended on the proposal of the Koshiyari board, a 10 part all-party parliamentary board framed under the chairmanship of Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.
♦ The choice to actualize OROP was given by a request in November 2015, with the advantage compelling from July 2014 itself. This had been a long-standing interest of ex-servicemen in the nation.
♦ Military Personnel resigned up to 30.06.2014 were covered under this Order. OROP implies that each trooper who resigns in a similar position gets a similar pension, independent of his date of retirement.
155 days ago
Ministry of MSME, Government of India, has alerted the general public and potential entrepreneurs against cheating in the name of Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).
Highlights:
♦ The PMEGP is a central sector scheme launched in 2008. It is administered by Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
♦ The PMEGP programme is being implemented by the KVIC (Khadi and Village Industries Commission) at the national level. It is the only one nodal agency for the implementation of the programme.
♦ The Scheme is implemented through banks, District Industries Centres (DICs), State KVIC Directorates and State Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) at the state level.
♦ Individuals over the age of 18 years, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Cooperative Societies engaged with the creation, and establishments that are enlisted under the Societies Registration Act of 1860 are qualified for benefits under this program. There is no pay roof while setting up the undertaking.
♦ Help is given distinctly to the new units, units that have profited government appropriations under either the state or the central government plans; existing units are not qualified for subsidy under PMEGP.
♦ To accomplish comprehensive development the nation over, at least 75 activities will be granted to each area.
♦ Physically challenged, OBC, SC/STs, ladies, northeastern local candidates in rural regions are qualified for a higher pace of appropriation.
159 days ago
Union Cabinet Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda holds a review meeting of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). PMBJP (Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana) was launched in 2008 by the Department of Pharmaceuticals under the Janaushadi Campaign, which was renamed as PMBJP in 2015-16.
Highlights:
♦ PMBJP scheme has achieved sales of Rs. Three hundred fifty-eight crores worth of pharma products through 6600 Janaushadhi Kendras during the first seven months of the fiscal year 2020-21 (till October 31) and is likely to surpass Rs' sales. 600 crore for the entire year.
♦ The sales figure has seen a drastic increase from Rs 7.29 crore in 2014-15 to Rs. 433 crore in 2019-20.
♦ The BPPI (Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India) was appraised for ensuring the supply of medicines, drugs, and other pharma products like masks to people at affordable rates during the Covid-19 pandemic.
♦ The implementing agency of the PMBJP is BPPI. BPPI was established in December 2008 under the Department of Pharmaceuticals and registered as an independent society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
Aim:
The scheme plans to extend the coverage of quality generic medicines, thus reducing the out-of-pocket expenditure on drugs and redefining the unit cost of treatment per person. PMBJP also aims to create awareness about generic medicines through education and publicity so that quality is not synonymous with only a high price.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras:
It is also known as Janaushadhi Kendras, were set up across the country under PMBJP to provide generic drugs. Generic drugs are marketed under an approved name rather than a brand name. Under this scheme, all drugs procured are tested for quality assurance at the NABL (National Accreditation Board Laboratories) accredited laboratories and are compliant with the World Health Organisation Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO GMP) benchmarks.
Janaushadhi Week:
This week was celebrated across the country from March 1 to March 7, 2020, to educate the general public about the benefits of price and quality of the medicines sold at Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
Janaushadhi Sugam Application:
This application was launched in August 2019 to help people in- Locating nearby Janaushadhi Kendra through Google Maps and searching for Janaushadhi generic medicines. It helps in Analysing product comparison of generic versus branded medicine in the form of Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and overall savings, etc.
164 days ago
Union Minister for Science & Technology launched “SERB-POWER (Promoting Opportunities for Women in Exploratory Research)” Scheme, designed exclusively for women scientists.
Highlights:
♦ The scheme will have two components: SERB-POWER Fellowship and SERB-POWER Research Grants
SERB-POWER Fellowship:
♦ Goal: Women researchers in 35-55 years of age. Up to 25 Fellowships per year and not more than 75 at any point in time.
♦ Components of support: Fellowship of Rs. 15,000/- per month in addition to regular income; Research grant of Rs. 10 lakh per annum; and Overhead of Rs. 90,000/- per annum.
♦ Duration: Three years, without the possibility of extension, once in a career.
SERB-POWER Research Grants:
♦ Level I (Applicants from IITs, IISERs, IISc, NITs, Central Universities, and National Labs of Central Government Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 60 lakhs for three years.
♦ Level II (Applicants from State Universities/Colleges and Private Academic Institutions): The scale of funding is up to 30 lakhs for three years.
♦ POWER Grant will be regulated through terms of reference conforming to SERB-CRG (Science and Engineering Research Board -Core Research Grant) guidelines.
♦ While a Search-cum-Selection Committee constituted for the purpose will help in identifying the POWER Fellowship, the existing Programme Advisory Committee (PAC) mechanism will be used to select the POWER Research Grants.
♦ It is proposed to institute 25 POWER Fellowships annually. A total of 50 POWER Grants each will be sanctioned in Level I & Level II per annum.
SERB:
The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) is a statutory body established through a SERB Act 2008. Supporting basic research in emerging areas of Science & Engineering is the primary and distinctive mandate of the Board. It is under the Department of Science and Technology. It serves as a premier agency for planning, promoting and funding of internationally competitive research in emerging areas. It Identifies major inter-disciplinary research areas, and individuals, groups or institutions and funds them for undertaking research.
165 days ago
PM Modi lauded beneficiaries of the PM Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, and also most of the beneficiaries were repaying their loans on time. So far, 24.76 lakh applications have been received, of which 12.37 lakh have been sanctioned, and over 5 lakh loans have been disbursed.
Highlights:
♦ The Scheme was launched on June 1, 2020, by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs for providing affordable Working Capital loans to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.
♦ By the Scheme, vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of 1 year. The loans would be without collateral.
♦ On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on a quarterly basis. There will be no penalty on early repayment of the loan. The Scheme promotes digital transactions through cashback incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month.
♦ The scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh street vendors. The duration of the Scheme is till March 2022.
♦ The lending institutions under the Scheme include Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Small Finance Banks, Cooperative Banks, NBFCs, Microfinance institutions and Self Help Group banks.
172 days ago
NDA government has launched various schemes for the empowerment of farmers emphasized by BJP President JP Nadda. The PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana scheme has deposited Rs. 6,000 in the account of 10 crore farmers.
Highlights:
♦ The BJP-led NDA government has deposited over Rs. 92,000 directly into the bank accounts of 10 crore farmers under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana Scheme.
♦ The soul of India resides in the farmers, and it is the farmer who is the backbone of India.
♦ PM Narendra Modi took up the cause of the farmers and implemented the report of MS Swaminathan.
♦ For the first time, Minimum Support Price (MSP) of one and a half times the cost was given to the farmers.
♦ The three Farm Acts are the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020, The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020 and The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020.
175 days ago
Central Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar launched AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme on October 19, 2020. The scheme is a special way to assist cooperatives to play an essential role in the creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country.
Highlights:
♦ AYUSHMAN SAHAKAR scheme has been designed by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC).
♦ National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC )would extend term loans to prospective cooperatives to the tune of 10 thousand crores in the upcoming years.
♦ The pandemic has brought into focus the requirement of creation of more facilities. The fund by NCDC would give a boost to the provision of healthcare services by cooperatives.
♦ The scheme will be a step towards strengthening farmer's welfare activities by the Union Government.
♦ Ayushman Sahakar scheme fund would also assist cooperative hospitals in taking up medical / Ayush education. NCDC’s scheme aligns itself with the focus of the National Health Policy, 2017, covering the health systems in all their dimensions.
♦ NCDC's scheme also provides working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements. The scheme provides interest subvention of one percent to women majority cooperatives.
♦ NCDC was established under an Act of Parliament in 1963 for the promotion and development of cooperatives. Since 1963, it has extended around Rs.1.60 lakh crore as loans to cooperatives.
179 days ago
Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank virtually launched the 'KAPILA' Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness campaign on October 15, 2020. 'KAPILA' Kalam Program for Intellectual Property Literacy and Awareness campaign was launched on the 89th birth anniversary of former President and Scientist Late Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam.
Highlights:
♦ The ‘KAPILA’ Kalam Program helps those students who pursuing education in higher educational institutions will get information about the correct system of the application process for patenting their invention and they will be aware of their rights.
♦ The Institution Innovation Council (IIC 2.0) annual report was also presented on the occasion and the launch of IIC 3.0 was announced and its website was also launched.
♦ It is also decided that the week of October 15th to 23rd will be celebrated as 'Intellectual Property Literacy Week'.
♦ Institution Innovation Council was established by the Ministry of Education in 2018.
♦ IICs have been established in about 1700 higher educational institutions and it was marked that IIC will be established in 5000 higher educational institutions under IIC 3.0.
♦ Intellectual Property Literacy Week will be celebrated by conducting a number of activities will be organized from October 15th to October 23, in which online awareness will be created about the system and the importance of the process of applying for a patent.
179 days ago
Union Health Minister Dr.Harsh Vardhan launched the second phase of “Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna” on 14 October 2020. He launched the second phase of Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna for the underprivileged Thalassemic patients, virtually from Nirman Bhawan.
Aim:
The Scheme aims to provide a one-time cure opportunity for Haemoglobinopathies like Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease for patients who have a matched family donor.
Highlights:
♦ Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojna” was launched in 2017 and it is funded by Coal India Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
♦ This is the Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) program that aims to provide a one-time cure opportunity for Haemoglobinopathies like Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell Disease.
♦ In India every year nearly 10-12,000 children are born with thalassemia major.
♦ The eligibility for the scheme - Patients whose yearly family income is Rs. 5 lakhs and or less .
♦ Dr. Harsh Vardhan congratulated all the doctors who have done successful transplantation without physician fee.
♦ The scheme has been extended to cover Aplastic Anaemia patients for a total of 200 such patients from this year. Such cases can be prevented by counselling using the Ayushman Bharat – Health & Wellness Centres network.
200 days ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols' via virtual conferencing, on the first-anniversary occasion of the Fit India Movement.
Fit India Dialogue:
♦ Fit India Dialogue focuses on the fitness interests of every age group.
♦ The main objective is to bring into play different dimensions of fitness.
♦ The Dialogue aims to draw ideas of health and fitness from citizens in taking the Fit India Movement forward.
♦ The Age Appropriate Fitness Protocols are laid for three age groups namely 5–18, 18–65 and above 65.
Fit India Movement:
Fit India Movement is a nation-wide campaign. The movement aims to encourage drill physical activity and sports in their everyday lives. The entire program has been conceptualized by PM Modi. The movement was launched on the occasion of National Sports Day in 2019. National Sports Day is celebrated on 29 August every year, to honour the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand Singh.
206 days ago
Gujarat State government has announced a subsidy scheme to encourage use of electric vehicles. The scheme will augment e-vehicle charging facilities, the State government has also announced financial assistance of Rs.50 lakh to set up charging infrastructure. The scheme aims challenges posed by climate change.
Scheme Highlights:
♦ The scheme aims to provide subsidy support to students studying above Class 9 to purchase two-wheelers.
♦ Also, individuals and institutional beneficiaries will get subsidy support for three-wheelers.
♦ The scheme will offer subsidy of Rs.12,000 for a battery-operated electric two-wheeler, and Rs.48,000 for an e-rickshaw (three-wheeler).
♦ The subsidy will be provided for the first 10,000 two-wheelers and 5,000 three-wheelers.
♦ To support the initiatives for climate change, the Gujarat State government has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with 10 organisations for various objectives.
216 days ago
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is to digitally launch the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) on 10 September. He will also launch the e-Gopala App, which aims for a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace and information portal for the direct use of farmers. PM is expected to launch several other initiatives in the fisheries and animal husbandry sectors in Bihar.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana
PMMSY is a flagship scheme of the Government of India (GoI). The scheme is for the focused and sustainable development of the fisheries sector in the country. The estimated investment under the scheme is Rs. 20,050 crores for the implementation during a period of 5 years from FY 2020-21 to FY 2024-25. This is the highest ever in the fisheries sector. PMMSY scheme will be launched in all States/Union Territories (UTs) as a part of the AatmaNirbhar Bharat Package.
Highlights:
♦ PMMSY aims to enhance fish production by an additional 70 lakh tonne and increase fisheries export earnings to Rs.1,00,000 crore by 2024-25.
♦ The scheme focuses to double the incomes of fishers and fish farmers and to reduce post-harvest losses from 20-25% to about 10%.
♦ The scheme also aims to generate an additional 55 lakhs direct and indirect gainful employment opportunities in the fisheries sector and allied activities.
♦ PMMSY will address critical gaps in fish production and productivity, quality, technology, post-harvest infrastructure and management, modernization. It will strengthen traceability, value chain, establishing a robust fisheries management framework, and fishers' welfare.
♦ PMMSY envisage several interventions like Aquaculture in saline/alkaline areas, fishing vessel insurance, Nucleus Breeding Centres, support for new/up-gradation of fishing vessels/boats, Bio-toilets, E-Trading/Marketing, Sagar Mitras, Integrated Aqua parks, Aquatic Laboratories Network and Extension Services, Fisheries and Aquaculture start-ups, Incubators, Integrated coastal fishing villages development, Traceability, Certification and Accreditation, RAS, Biofloc & Cage Culture, Fisheries Management Plans, etc.
♦ The scheme will emphasize interventions for quality brood, seed, and feed, special focus on species diversification, critical infrastructure, marketing networks, etc.
♦ PMMSY scheme adopts ‘Cluster or Area-based approaches’ and the creation of Fisheries clusters through backward and forward linkages.
♦ It will focus on employment generation activities such as seaweed and ornamental fish cultivation.
About e-Gopala App
e-Gopala App is an information portal for the direct use of farmers. The app is a comprehensive breed improvement marketplace. Currently, there is no digital platform is available in the country for farmers to manage livestock including selling and buying of disease-free germplasm in all forms.
Highlights:
♦ The app will guide farmers for animal nutrition, treatment of animals using appropriate ayurvedic medicine/ethnoveterinary medicine.
♦ The app is expected to meet the need. The digital platform will manage the availability of quality breeding services like Artificial Insemination, veterinary first aid, vaccination, treatment, etc.
♦ The e-Gopala App will provide solutions to farmers by sending alerts on the due date for vaccination, pregnancy diagnosis, calving, etc and inform farmers about various government schemes and campaigns in the area.
216 days ago
Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched YSR Sampoorna Poshana and YSR Sampoorna Poshana Plus schemes on 7 September. The scheme aims to provide nutritious food to pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children.
Highlights:
♦ Under the schemes, Anganwadis will serve as pre-primary I and II schools. The scheme aims to lay a strong foundation for the first standard where the medium of instruction will be in English.
♦ So, 55,607 Anganwadis will impart bridge courses and prepare the children to enter the schools with basics besides having nutritious food.
♦ It is expected that over 30.16 lakh mothers and children will be benefited from the two schemes.
♦ The schemes will address malnutrition and anaemia among pregnant and lactating mothers and children aged between 6-72 months
♦ The schemes will provide supplementary nutrition through Anganwadi centres.
♦ The schemes will involve an expenditure of Rs.1,100 per beneficiary every month.
♦ More than 30.16 lakh pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children belonging to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families will be benefited from the new initiative.
