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Current Affairs Material (September – 2017)

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Current Affairs Material (September – 2017) MONTHLY FACTLY EXCLUSIVE CURRENT AFFAIRS FOR PRELIMS SEPTEMBER 2017 Page 1 of 28 ForumIAS Current Issues (September) POLITY AND GOVERNANCE SCHEMES AND PROGRAMMES 1. DIKSHA PORTAL Recently, government has launched Diksha Portal - National Digital Infrastructure for Teachers. Implemented by HRD ministry The portal aims to equip all teachers across the nation with advanced digital technology Teacher can learn and train themselves for which assessment resources will be available 2. FARMERZONE It is a collective open-source data platform for smart agriculture by using biological research and data to improve lives of small and marginal farmers. It was announced by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of Ministry of S & T, at Smart Agriculture Conclave in New Delhi The Smart Agriculture conclave was organised by DBT in partnership with UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Research Councils UK (RCUK) Farmer Zone will be a multi-purpose window which will provide solutions to farmer ranging from climate change based information to weather predictions, soil, water, and seed requirements to market linkages The information can be accessed by the farmers throughout the world It also includes Market Zone where farmers can directly sell their produce and the produce can also be directly picked from their farms. It will also help to reduce technological gap in data acquisition & transfer from farm to cloud and vice versa This also ensure localised technology based solutions and develop PPP based service delivery mechanism 3. SAUBHAGYA SCHEME The Ministry of Power launched Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA) Objective of the scheme is to achieve universal household electrification in all parts of country by providing last mile electricity connectivity to all rural and urban households. The States and Union Territories are required to complete the works of household electrification by the 31st of December 2018. Under the scheme, government will provide free electricity connection to all households identified under Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data 2011 Electricity connections will be given to APL families for Rs.500 Nodal agency: The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) Monthly Factly for Prelims by ForumIAS 1st Floor, IAPL House, #19, Pusha Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110005 | [email protected] *This study material is a part of ForumIAS Current Affairs Classes Page 2 of 28 ForumIAS For covering un-electrified households located in remote and inaccessible areas, solar power packs will be provided The scheme is being funded to the extent of 60% by central grants, 30% by bank loans and 10% by states To ensure on-the-spot registration, mobile applications will be used. There will be no subsidy component for monthly electricity consumption Gram Panchayat and public institutions in the rural areas will be authorised to carry out billing and collection tasks which have been pain points for the DISCOMs SAUBHAGYA WEB PORTAL Launched to ensure every state to fill current status of progress of electrification works which will enable accountability for State DISCOMs/utilities. It offers feature on village electrification camps that will be organised by DISCOMs in villages for facilitating instant filling up of application forms and to complete requisite documentation to expedite release of electricity connections to households 4. REVAMPED ‘KHELO INDIA’ PROGRAMME The Union cabinet has approved a revamped Khelo India scheme The Programme aims at mainstreaming sport as a tool for individual development, community development, economic development, and national development. The revamped programme for period 2017-18 to 2019-20 It aims to impact entire sports ecosystem, including infrastructure, talent identification, community sports, coaching, competition structure and sports economy It provides for Pan Indian Sports Scholarship scheme, 20 Sports Universities, National physical fitness drive 5. INSTITUTIONS OF EMINENCE The University Grants Commission (UGC)announced the beginning of a 90-day application process for universities — public and private — to seek the status of institutions of eminence, which will provide them freedom from the regular regulatory mechanisms. Twenty institutions — 10 public and 10 private — will be given this status with the aim to give them freedom to become world-class institutions. The 10 state-run institutions will have an additional benefit — provision of ₹10,000 crore over a period of 10 years, over and above the regular grants. The aim of the scheme is to help institutions break into the top 500 global rankings in 10 years, and then eventually break into the top 100 over time Eligibility to apply: top 50 universities of the National Institute Ranking Framework or those who have secured ranking among top 500 of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, QS University Rankings or Shanghai’s Academic Ranking of World Universities The selected institutions will have the liberty to enrol up to 30% foreign students. Selected public institutions will be able to recruit up to 25% foreign faculty, while there will be no such limit for selected private institutions OTHER SUCH INITIATIVES IN EDUCATION SECTOR The Higher Education Finance Agency (HEFA), The Uchchatar Avishkar Yojana Monthly Factly for Prelims by ForumIAS 1st Floor, IAPL House, #19, Pusha Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110005 | [email protected] *This study material is a part of ForumIAS Current Affairs Classes Page 3 of 28 ForumIAS The Prime Minister’s proposed scholarships of ₹75,000 a month UGC Set up in 1953, and given statutory backing through an act of Parliament in 1956 For, o Promoting and coordinating university education, determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities, o Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education; o Disbursing grants to the universities and colleges. o Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher learning. o Advising the Central and State governments on the measures necessary for improvement of university education. 6. MODERNISATION OF POLICE FORCE SCHEME The Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS) has approved implementation of umbrella scheme of Modernisation of Police Forces (MPF) To be implemented from 2017 to 2020 To strengthen country’s law and order mechanism, modernise police forces and effectively fight against terrorism It has financial outlay of Rs.25,060 crore out of which Central Government share will be Rs.18,636 crore and states’ share will be Rs.6,424 crore It covers internal security, law and order, women security, availability of modern weapons, mobility of police forces, upgradation of police wireless, logistics support, National Satellite Network, CCTNS project, hiring of helicopters, E-prison project etc. Centre’s special outlay for J&K, North Eastern and LWE States Integration of Police Stations which will aid in integrating police stations to set up national data base of crime and criminals’ records Upgrading forensic science laboratories and setting up of state-of art forensic science laboratory in Amravati (Andhra Pradesh) 7. DEENDAYAL HASTKALA SANKUL Recently, Prime Minister of India inaugurated Deendayal Hastkala Sankul – a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts – at Varanasi. The Sankul will facilitate the weavers/artisans/exporters in promotion of handlooms/handicrafts in both domestic and international markets. The Crafts Museum in the Sankul will preserve the traditional handloom/handicrafts products of Varanasi and showcase the handloom & handicraft products 8. JAN SAMPARK PROGRAM The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) of the Ministry of Women & Child Development has started a monthly “Jan Sampark” program To enable the public to have interaction with its officials and staff for seeking information related to adoption as well as flagging their concerns. Monthly Factly for Prelims by ForumIAS 1st Floor, IAPL House, #19, Pusha Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi – 110005 | [email protected] *This study material is a part of ForumIAS Current Affairs Classes Page 4 of 28 ForumIAS Details pertaining to Immediate Placement and Special Needs Adoption Module of Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS) as well as the newly launched Grievance/Query portal will be shared with all the stakeholders. Also many of the Prospective Adoptive Parents (PAPs) will be counselled and motivated to go for adopting older children. 9. DAM REHABILITATON AND IMPOROVEMENT PLAN (DRIP) Objective: Repair and rehabilitation of Dams (Total 225) across seven states namely Jharkhand (DVC), Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand (UJVNL) Started in April 2012 It is an externally-aided project World Bank loan -80%, States and Centre – 20% It aimed to improve the safety and operational performance of selected existing dams and associated appurtenances in a sustainable manner, and to strengthen the dam safety institutional setup of participating States / Implementing Agencies 10. VAJRA SCHEME The Ministry of S&T’s Visiting Advanced Joint Research (VAJRA) FacultyScheme has received 260 applications from foreign scientists of whom 70 will be shortlisted. ABOUT The scheme is meant to attract top international talent to country’s research and development (R&D) ecosystem. Implemented by: The Science and Engineering
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