OFFICERS' PULSE MARK BOOSTER NOTES FOR PRELIMS 2019
MINISTRY WISE SCHEMES AND DEVELOPMENTS
OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Table of Contents Year end review Yearend review 14 Ministry of Home Affairs 14 Major achievements of MHA 14 Jammu and Kashmir 14 Peaceful North-East 15 AFSPA 15 Internal security 16 Border Management 17 Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System 17 Ministry of Power 18 Saubhagya 18 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGKY) 18 Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) 19 Generation capacity 19 One Grid One Nation 19 UDAY 20 Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation 20 Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) 21 Transport Sector 21 BEE Star Labelling 22 Perform Achieve Trade (PAT) 22 Digital initiatives 23 Steps taken to fight pollution 23 Ministry of Labour and Employment 25 Female labour participation 25 Protection of domestic workers 25 Major Achievements in Labour Welfare 26 Major Steps Taken by ESIC 29 Ministry of New and Renewable Energy 31 Solar energy 31 Wind energy 32 Bio power 33 Small hydro power 33 Page | 1 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
International Solar Alliance (ISA) 34 Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 34 ADIP schemes 34 Accessible India Campaign (AIC) 35 Unique Disability Identification (UDID) Project 35 Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas 36 Exploration & Production 37 Natural Gas 37 Marketing 38 Refinery 39 Auto Fuel Vision and Policy 39 Swachh Bharat Abhiyan 41 Department of Sports (Ministry Of Youth Affairs & Sports) 42 Khelo India School Games (KISG), 2018 42 National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) 42 Commonwealth Games, 2018 43 National Sports University 44 National Sports & Adventure Awards 2018 44 Asian Games, 2018 45 Department of Youth Affairs 47 Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram 47 Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) 49 Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment 50 Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana 50 Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Students 51 Ministry of Information & Broadcasting 52 Information Sector 52 Broadcast Sector 52 Film Sector 52 Department of Atomic Energy 54 Apsara – U Reactor 54 Cyclone-30 54 Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation 56 Swachhata Pakhwada 56 Namami Gange 56 Page | 2 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Swachhata Action Plan (SAP) 57 Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) 57 Satyagraha Se Swachhagraha campaign 57 GOBARdhan scheme 57 Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) 57 Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC) 57 Swajal 58 Ministry of Corporate Affairs 59 Injeti Srinivas Committee 59 Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code Amendments 59 National Financial Reporting Authority 60 e-governance 60 National Company Law Tribunal 60 Indian Accounting Standards 61 Dematerialisation Of Securities Of Unlisted Public 61 Companies 61 Investor Education & Protection Fund 61 Competition Matters 61 Department of Food & Public Distribution 63 National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) 63 Recent Developments 63 Public Distribution System 63 History 64 Computerization of TPDS Operations 64 Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) 64 Sugar Sector 65 Ministry of Earth Sciences 66 High Performance Computing (HPC) 66 Improved Weather and Cyclone Predictions 66 Agro-Meteorological Advisory Services (AAS) 66 Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) Advisories 66 Desalination of water 66 Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) 67 Ocean Science and Technology for Islands 67 Coastal Research 67 Page | 3 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi 68 SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting) 68 Chennai Flood Mitigation 68 Department of Consumer Affairs 69 Amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 69 Initiatives taken for Regional Reference Standards Laboratories (RRSL) 69 Action taken to stop fraudulent practices in Petrol/ Diesel dispensers 69 Time Dissemination 69 Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) 70 Strengthening of Price Monitoring Cell (PMC) 70 Consumer Protection Bill 2018 70 Bureau Of Indian Standards (BIS) 70 About BIS 71 Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation 71 National Indicator Framework 71 National Statistics Day 72 Other initiatives 72 United Nations Statistical Commission 73 Ministry of Shipping 74 Ports 74 Sagarmala 74 Project UNNATI 75 Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS) 75 National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts(NTCPWC) 75 Inland Water Transport (IWT) and Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) 75 National Waterways 76 Ministry of Tourism 77 Tourism Statistics 77 PRASHAD Scheme 77 Adopt A Heritage Project 78 Bharat Parv 79 Paryatan Parv 79 India Tourism Mart 2018 79 Incredible India Website & Mobile App 80 International Buddhist Conclave-2018 80 Page | 4 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Promotion & Publicity 80 Ministry of Minority Affairs 81 Skill Development 81 Education 81 Haj 81 Waqf 82 Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram 82 Schemes for the empowerment of minorities 82 Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship 84 Skill India– Highlights 2018 84 I. Policy, Framework & Standards 84 II. Programs/Initiatives 84 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 84 Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) 84 National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) 85 Establishing Academic Equivalence 85 SANKALP 85 STRIVE 86 National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) 86 Jan Shikshan Sansthan(JSS) 86 Skill India for farmers 86 Aspirational Skilling Abhiyan 87 Industry’s Participation in Skill Training 87 Setting up of Indian Institute of Skills (IISs) 87 Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region 89 NITI Forum for Northeast 89 North Eastern Council (NEC) 89 North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme 89 Bogibeel Rail cum Road Bridge 89 Pakyong Airport 90 Northeast Venture Fund 90 Bamboo 90 Information & Communication Technology (ICT) 91 Ministry of Food Processing Industries 92 Integrated Cold Chain 93 Page | 5 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Operation GREENS 94 Ministry of Defence 96 Department of Defence Production (DPP) 96 Indian Army 97 Indian Navy 98 Overseas Operations 98 Naval Operations/activities 98 Foreign Cooperation 99 Other Events 99 Indian Air force 100 Indian Coast Guard (ICG) 100 Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) 101 Border Roads Organisation 102 Ministry of Road Transport and Highways 103 Digital Initiatives to ensure transparency 103 Bharatmala Pariyojana 104 SetuBharatam 104 Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna 104 Eastern Peripheral Expressway– Western Peripheral Expressway 104 Road Safety 104 Green Initiatives 105 INAM-Pro + 106 Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises 107 Global Mobility Summit 107 FAME scheme 107 National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 107 Automotive Industry 107 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSES) 108 International Centre For Automotive Technology (ICAT) 108 Automotive Research Association Of India (ARAI) 109 Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs 109 Swachh Survekshan 2019 109 Swachh Manch web portal 109 Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban 110 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-U) 110 Page | 6 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
RERA 112 Urban Transport 112 Ministry of Railways 115 Initiatives taken to improve Passenger Amenities and Cleanliness 115 Go Green Initiatives in Indian Railways 116 Connectivity to North East 117 Mission Raftaar 117 Heritage Preservation in Indian Railways 117 Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers 119 Department of Fertilizers (DoF) 119 Neem Coating of Urea 119 Department of Pharmaceuticals 120 Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana 120 National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) 121 Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (DoCPC) 121 Ministry of Textiles 123 Silk Industry 123 Powerloom Sector 124 Handloom Sector 124 Jute Sector 125 Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises 126 Introduction 126 Key initiatives of the government 126 Schemes for the MSME sector 126 MoU with AYUSH 128 Khadi And Village Industries Commission (KVIC) 128 Regulation of Functions of MSMEs 128 Other developments/ initiatives 129 Ministry of Tribal Affairs 129 Migration of Tribals 129 Eklavya Model Residential (EMR) Schools 130 Construction of Museums for Tribal Freedom Fighters 131 Initiatives for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGS) 131 Van Dhan Yojana 131 Van Dhan Vikas Kendra 132 Page | 7 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Aadi Mahotsav 132 NGO Grants 132 Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) 132 Ministry of Culture 133 70 years of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India 133 Mumbai’s Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Building 133 Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2018 133 Ganga Sanskriti Mahotsav- Ras Banaras 134 Project ‘Mausam’ 134 Ministry of Finance 135 Insolvency Bankruptcy Code 135 Banking Regulation – Related information in News 138 Fugitive Economic Offender 138 SARFAESI ACT 139 Powers of RBI 140 Fundamentals of the Economy 141 Steps to curb Black Money 142 FATCA 142 Push to MSME Sector – 12 Diwali Gifts 143 World Customs Organisation 144 Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) 145 Indo – Japan: Currency Swap Agreement 146 Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement 147 GST Evasion 147 Demonetization and Unearthing Black Money 148 Direct Tax 148 Advance Pricing Agreements 148 Jan Dhan Darshak 149 Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana 149 Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana 150 Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme 151 Atal Pension Scheme 151 Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (Accidental Death Insurance) 152 Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana 152 Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana 152 Page | 8 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Public Financial Management System 153 Ministry of Agriculture 155 Doubling of Farmers’ Income 155 National Food Security Mission 156 Krishi Unnati Mela, 2018 156 Mahila Kisan Diwas 157 Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture 157 M-Kisan portal 157 Kisan Suvidha app 157 Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) 158 Agricultural Mechanization-Crop Residue Management Scheme 159 National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) 159 Soil Health Card Scheme 160 Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) 161 MOVCDNER: Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region 161 PM-AASHA 162 e-NAM:National Agriculture Market 163 Upgradation and development of rural haats as Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) 163 Model Contract Farming Act 163 Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: 164 Agricultural Credit 165 International Cooperation 166 National Bamboo Mission 166 Ministry of Commerce & Industry 167 Vision Of A New India 167 12 Champion Sectors 167 AgricultureExportPolicy, 2018 168 Transport Subsidy Scheme 168 PromotionOfTrade 168 ExportsOnTheRise 168 TradeInfrastructureForExportScheme 169 IndiaImproves RankingInEaseOfDoingBusiness 169 MakeInIndia 169 MassiveGrowthOfStartups 169 Multi -ModalLogisticsParks Policy 170 Page | 9 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
DevelopingLogisticsPortal 170 LogisticsDataBank 170 SezPolicy 170 IndustrialCorridors 170 IndiaTradePromotionOrganisation 171 TradePromotionCouncilOfIndia 171 Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme (IFLADP) 171 GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GeM) ADDS SPARKLE 171 Promotion of GI products 171 More Power To India’s Ethnic Geographical Indications (GI): 172 Reforms For Strengthening And Modernising The Wto 172 RCEP 172 Centre for WTO Studies 172 Centre for Regional Trade (CRT) 173 The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) 173 Quality Council of India 173 New Industrial Policy 173 Establishment of Defence Parks 173 Neid Scheme 174 Establishment of NIMZs 174 Anti-Dumping Duty on Chinese Goods 174 Credit Guarantee Fund for Start-UPS 174 Department of Science & Technology (DST) 175 National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems 175 The Global Cooling Prize 175 1st ASEAN-India InnoTech Summit 176 WAYU (Wind Augmentation and purify Ying Unit) 176 Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) 176 India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4 Fund) 176 Teacher Associate ship for Research Excellence (TARE) 177 Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship (OVDF) 177 SERB Distinguished Investigator Award (DIA) 177 India’s first supercritical Brayton Cycle CO2 test facility 177 Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR) 177 Draft Policy Document Scientific Research Infrastructure and Maintenance Networks (SRIMAN) 178 Page | 10 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Ministry of Human Resource Development 178 Several steps have been taken to promote e-Education in the country 178 SWAYAM 179 SWAYAM PRABHA 179 Scholarship Schemes for North-East Students 179 Various Scholarship Schemes 181 Study in India Program 181 Samagra Shiksha scheme 181 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 182 AYUSHMAN BHARAT 182 NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY 2017 183 Allied And Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 184 Notification For Medical Devices Rules, 2017 185 National Medical Commission Bill, 2017 185 National Nutrition Mission (NNM) 185 Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 186 HIV & AIDS (Prevention & Control) Act, 2017 186 Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) 187 National Viral Hepatitis Control Program 188 Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative - Laqshya 188 Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) 188 Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) 188 Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) 189 National Deworming Day (NDD) 189 Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) 189 Mission Parivar Vikas (MPV) 189 Swachhta Hi Sewa 189 National Programme For Prevention And Control Of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases And Stroke (NPCDCS) 190 Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme 190 IT Initiatives 190 National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) 191 Medical Education 191 Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) 191 Ministry of Women and Child Development 192
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) 192 Women Welfare 193 Gender Budgeting (GB) 194 SWADHAR GREH 194 Ujjwala scheme 194 POSHAN Abhiyaan 194 Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana 194 Women of India Festivals 195 Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) Scheme 196 Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change 196 World Environment Day 196 Green Good Deeds Campaign 197 Clean Air Campaign 197 Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) 197 National Bamboo Mission(NBM) 198 National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) 199 8 National Missions 199 National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) 200 UNEP Award 201 Department of Biotechnology 202 The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018 202 Area wise achievements for the year 2018-19 205 Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology 206 Digital India 206 CSC 2.0 207 Cyber Swachhta Kendra 208 DigiLocker 208 Electronic Development Fund (EDF) 209 Jeevan Pramaan 209 Government e-Marketplace (GeM) 209 MyGov 209 National Scholarship Portal 210 Open Government Data (OGD) 210 UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) 210 Soil Health Card 210 Page | 12 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Rapid Assessment System (RAS) 210 e-NAM 211 National Knowledge Network (NKN) 211 e-Districts 211 Digitize India Platform (DIP) 212 Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (MSIPS) 212 Electronic Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) 212 Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) 212 Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan 213
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Year-end review Ministry of Home Affairs
Major achievements of MHA . Smooth conduct of local body elections in J&K. . AFPSA lifted from parts of North-East, peaceful rollout of NRC in Assam. . Improvement in LWE scenario. . Smart fence on Western border. . Launch of single digit pan-India emergency phone number ‘112’. . First India-China Agreement on Bilateral Security Cooperation and Unveiling of the National Police Memorial. Highlights . The Internal Security scenario during the year 2018 remained largely peaceful while the situation on the borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar and China has significantly improved. . On the Western borders, the Security Forces have retaliated with equal measure to ceasefire violations and neutralised infiltration attempts. . Under the Modernization of Police Forces (MPF) programme, two pilot projects of smart fencing were unveiled along the Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu. . Launch of a single digit pan-India emergency phone number ‘112’, under the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS), has been heralded in Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland. . MHA set up a new Division to address Women’s Safety issues while two separate portals, namely – Cyber Crime Prevention against Women and Children (CCPWC) and National Database on Sexual Offenders (NDSO), furthered Women’s Safety issues. . Home Ministry has launched an online ‘e-Sahaj’ portal for grant of Security Clearance to conference/seminar/workshop organized in India. This has enabled the Indian Missions abroad to issue Conference Visa for foreign nationals/delegates intending to attend such events. . Enhancement of Centre’s share in the State Disaster Response Fund from 75% to 90%, tremendous success of e-Visa, First India-China High Level Meeting on Bilateral Security Cooperation, conduct of regular meetings of the Zonal Councils, dedication of the National Police Memorial to the nation at the hands of Prime Minister and new Police Medals instituted are some of the other highlights of the Ministry of Home Affairs during the year 2018.
Jammu and Kashmir . In J&K, concerted anti-militancy Operations have resulted in the elimination of a large number of terrorists while the local body elections were conducted smoothly. The urban local body elections were held after 2005 and Panchayat elections after 2011. . The security operations were suspended during the holy Ramzan month, to win the trust of the people. To enhance the representation of women in the State Police and to curb the crimes against women effectively, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has approved raising two women Battalions for Jammu and Kashmir Police. . The Leh and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councils have been strengthened . with more powers to levy and collect taxes, enhancing grassroots governance and . democracy. What is Operation All Out?
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. Operation All-Out is a joint offensive launched by Indian security forces started in 2017 to flush out militants and terrorists in Kashmir until peace returns. . Operation All-Out includes the Indian Army, CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police, BSF and IB. It was launched against numerous militant groups including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and Al-Badr. . The operation All Out was initiated following the unrest in 2016 due to the death of Burhan Wani and subsequent militant and terrorist attacks in the region.
Peaceful North-East . In the North-East, the security scenario has vastly improved during the last four years with the result the AFPSA been lifted from Meghalaya & in some parts of Arunachal Pradesh in 2018. . The year 2018 recorded the lowest insurgency incidents and casualties among the civilians and security forces in two decades since 1997. . The Draft NRC in Assam was published without any incidence of violence and the Final NRC is on course. About the initiatives:North Eastern Council . Headquarter: Shillong . Chairman: Minister of Home Affairs. . Constituted: By an Act of Parliament in 1971 i.e it is an statutory body. The NEC act has been amended in 2002 to add Sikkim and restructure it as the regional planning body for the North Eastern Region. . The council consists of eight states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The chief ministers and governors represent them. . The North Eastern Council is the nodal agency for the economic and social development of the North Eastern Region. . It is an apex level body for securing balanced and coordinated development and facilitating coordination with states. . The Council is an advisory body and may discuss any matter in which the north-eastern states have a common interest and advise the Central Government as to the action to be taken on any such matter. . The funding of council mainly lies with the central government with small portions contributed by the state governments as well.
AFSPA . AFSPA was enacted in 1958 amid the nascent Naga insurgency. It gives powers to the army and state and central police forces to shoot to kill, search houses and destroy any property that is “likely” to be used by insurgents in areas declared as “disturbed” by the home ministry. . Security forces can “arrest without warrant” a person, who has committed or even “about to commit a cognizable offence” even on “reasonable suspicion”. It also protects them from legal processes for actions taken under the act. Which states are under AFSPA? . It is in force in Assam, Jammu and Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur (except the Imphal municipal area) and parts of Arunachal Pradesh. How is a region declared ‘disturbed’? . Section (3) of the AFSPA empowers the governor of the state or Union territory to issue an official notification in the Gazette of India, following which the Centre has the authority to send in armed forces for civilian aid. . Once declared ‘disturbed’, the region has to maintain status quo for a minimum of three months, according to The Disturbed Areas (Special Courts) Act, 1976. Page | 15 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
What is state government’s role? . The state governments can suggest whether the act is required to be enforced or not. But under Section (3) of the act, their opinion can be overruled by the governor or the Centre. Is the act uniform in nature? . Initially, it was meant only for Assam and Manipur, where there was an insurgency by Naga militants. After the reorganisation of the northeast in 1971, the creation of new states like Manipur, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh paved the way for the AFSPA to be amended, so that it could be applied to each of them. The amendments contain different sections as applicable to the situation in each state. National Register of Citizens, 1951 . The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a document prepared by the Government which contains the names of Indian citizens. . updation of the NRC is a periodical process. It requires to be updated at regular intervals so as to ensure proper documentation of the citizens as well as to check possible illegal migration. . In Assam, the updation of NRC could not be carried out since 1951 due to several political compulsions. . The Assam Movement in 1980’s, the language Movement and such other identity movements fought on ethnic lines have heavily impinged on the system of governance in the state thereby leading to a stalemate on the NRC updation issue. . After five decades of the stalemate, the present government has initiated steps to update the NRC under the direct supervision of the Supreme Court of India.
Internal security Fight against Left Wing Extremism (LWE) . Incidents of violence have seen a sharp decline while the geographical spread of LWE violence also shrunk from 76 districts in 2013 to just 58 districts. Besides, just 30 of these districts account for 90% of the LWE violence in the country. . At the same time certain new districts have emerged as the focus of expansion by the Left Wing Extremists. . The ‘Bastariya Battalion’ that came into existence on 1st April 2017, has been created to enhance local representation in CRPF’s combat layout in the Bastar area. What is the Bastar Dialogue? . Around 150 people, from various States affected by the Maoist insurgency, undertook a 186-km long ‘Peace Padyatra’ (peace march) to appeal to “all sides to give peace a chance.” . The marchers symbolically walked the same path that the Maoists took in 1980 to enter the Dandakarnya forest. . The Dandakarnya forest is spread across six states in central India and has been the epicenter of operation of the Maoist movement. This march also seeks to appeal to Maoists to drop arms and tread the path of non-violence to put across their demands. Alternative Peace Process . While one of the ideas of this march is to appeal to Maoists to drop their arms, however, the motive of the march goes much beyond just that. It is being referred to as an & alternative peace process. . It is aimed at creating a platform for the Adivasi community to raise their issues. Also, there are plans to provide the community with a solution to improve their livelihood using the traditional skills and knowledge they have.
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Border Management Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System AboutCIBMS . The CIBMS would provide for round-the- clock laser-guided surveillance of the borders. . It is a web of surveillance, communication and data storage devices. It will enable surveillance during difficult weather conditions and reduce the need for physical patrolling of the borders. It will rely on thermal imaging, infrared and laser-based intruder alarms to stop infiltration. . The smart border fencing projects built under the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) programme, have got hi-tech surveillance system that create an invisible electronic barrier on land, water and even in air and underground and help the BSF detect and foil infiltration bids in most difficult terrains. . Two pilot projects of smart fencing each 5.5 km stretch has been inaugurated along the Indo-Pak International Border in Jammu.
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Ministry of Power
Access to reliable and affordable energy supply is an important factor affecting the quality of life and economic development in any country. . the Government is committed to ensure 24*7 power supply for all by 31st March, 2019. . this goal, each and every village was electrified under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). . Now, the focus is on electrifying every household under Saubhagya scheme.
Saubhagya About the scheme . Saubhagya or Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana. . Ministry of Power announced the scheme on September 2017. Objective . Aims at providing last mile electricity connectivity to all rural and urban households. Scheme . Under the scheme, government will provide free electricity to all households identified poor under Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) data 2011. . The BPL cardholders will get free electricity connections. . The Central Government will provide funds to all states/UTs up to 90% for special category states and up to 75% for non-special category states. . The Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC) is the nodal agency for the operationalisation of the scheme throughout the country. Achievements of the scheme . In 2018, nine states achieved 100% household electrification under this scheme, namely Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, J& K, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Tripura, Mizoram and Telangana. . Totally 16 States in the country, now have 100 % household electrification. . Total 2 crore households has been electrified.
Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGKY) About the scheme . Ministry of Power launched the scheme on 2015. Objective . To augment power supply to the rural areas . To strengthen sub-transmission and distribution systems Scheme . It focuses on feeder separation (rural households & agricultural) and strengthening of sub- transmission & distribution infrastructure including metering at all levels in rural areas. . This will help in providing round the clock power to rural households and adequate power to agricultural consumers. . The Central Government will provide funds to all states/UTs up to 90% for special category states and up to 75% for non-special category states. . The earlier scheme for rural electrification viz. Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) has been subsumed in this scheme. Achievements of the scheme: . 100 per cent village electrification achieved. . Around 4 lakh distribution transformers installed. As per the DDUGJY definition, a village would be declared as electrified, if Page | 18 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Basic infrastructure such as Distribution Transformer and Distribution lines are provided in the inhabited locality as well as the Dalit Basti hamlet where it exists. . Electricity is provided to public places like Schools, Panchayat Office, Health Centers, Dispensaries, Community centers etc. . The number of households electrified should be at least 10% of the total number of households in the village.
Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) About the scheme . Ministry of Power launched IPDS in 2014. Objective . To ensure 24×7 power supply Scheme . It envisages strengthening of sub-transmission network, Metering, IT application, Customer Care Services, provisioning of solar panels and the completion of the ongoing works of Restructured Accelerated Power Development and completion of the Reforms Programme (RAPDRP). . The scheme will help in reduction in AT& C losses, establishment of IT enabled energy accounting / auditing system, improvement in billed energy based on metered consumption and improvement in collection efficiency . All Discoms including private Discoms and State Power Departments will be eligible for financial assistance under this scheme.
Generation capacity Achievements in generation capacity . All India Generation Installed Capacity has increased by 39.2% from 248 GW as on March 2014 to 346 GW as on Oct 2018. . India emerges as net exporter of electricity as it supplies power to Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. . Energy deficit reduced from 4.2% in FY 2013-14 to 0.6% in Current FY 2018-19 (Upto October 2018). (Energy deficit – Overall electricity deficit in the country) . Peak Deficit also reduced from 4.5% in FY 2013-14 to 0.8% in Current FY 2018-19 (Upto October 2018). (Peak deficit – Demand at peak times that cannot be met with available power.) . Peak Demand Met has increased by 35.2% to 175 GW during the current year (April- October 2018) from 129 GW during same period in 2013-14. (Peak Demand Met - Demand at peak times that has been met with available power.) . Energy Availability has also increased by 35.2% to 764.627 BU (Billion Units) during the current year (April-October 2018) from 565.698 BU during same period in 2013-14.
One Grid One Nation About the scheme . The Indian Power system for planning and operational purposes is divided into five regional grids. . The integration of regional grids, and thereby establishment of National Grid will lead to optimal utilisation of power. Achievements of the scheme . Expansion of transmission grid by around 1.1 lakh km from 2014-15 to 2018-19. . Transformation capacity addition of 338 GW from 2014-15 to 2018-19. . Inter-regional transfer capacity addition more than tripled from 16 GW in FY 2010-14 to 54.7 GW during FY 2014-15 to 2018-19.
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UDAY About the scheme . UDAY stands for Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana. . Launched in 2015 by ministry of power. Objective . Financial turnaround and revival of Power Distribution companies (DISCOMs) and ensure a sustainable permanent solution to the problem. Scheme . It has an ambitious target of making all discoms profitable by 2018-19. . The scheme will ease the financial crunch faced by power distribution companies that has impaired their ability to buy electricity. . It is based on the premise that it is states’ responsibility to ensure that discoms become financially viable. . States shall take over 75% of DISCOMs debt as per this scheme in a phased manner. . Government of India has not included the debt taken over by the States as per this scheme in the calculation of fiscal deficit of respective States for a prescribed period. . States will issue non-SLR including SDL bonds in the market or directly to the respective banks / Financial Institutions (FIs) holding the DISCOM debt to the appropriate extent. . DISCOM debt not taken over by the State shall be converted by the Banks / FIs into loans or bonds. Achievements of the scheme . More than Rs.34,000 Crores interest cost saved by DISCOMs under UDAY within two years. . Reduction in AT& C (Aggregate Technical & Commercial losses) in 22 States within two years of operation. . AT&C losses have come down to 18.76% in FY18 as compared to 20.77% in FY16. . Revenue gaps bridged by 72 per cent within two years operation of UDAY. . India’s rank improved to 24 in 2018 from 137 in 2014 on World Bank’s Ease of doing business - & Getting Electricity& Ranking.
Energy Efficiency and Energy Conservation Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LED for All (UJALA) About the scheme . UJALA – National LED Programme. . Ministry/Department: Ministry of Power Ojebctive . To save energy consumption by distributing energy efficient LED bulbs. Scheme . It is zero-subsidy scheme that aims to promote efficient lighting, enhance awareness on using efficient equipment which reduce electricity bills and preserve environment. . The scheme is being implemented by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a joint venture of PSUs under the Union Ministry of Power. . Under the LED based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP), LED Bulbs are distributed. . It wants every home in India to use LED bulbs so that the net power or energy consumption rate comes down and the carbon emission rates can also be checked. . The scheme will not only help reduce consumers their electricity bills but also contribute to the energy security of India. . LED bulbs have a very long life, almost 50 times more than ordinary bulbs, and 8-10 times that of CFLs, and therefore provide both energy and cost savings. Page | 20 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Achievements of the scheme . 31.68 crore LED bulbs distributed under UJALA scheme resulting in estimated cost saving of INR 16,457 crore per year. . Estimated energy savings of 41.14 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand 8,237 MW and GHG emission reduction of 33.32 million tonnes of CO 2 per year. . 88 percent reduction in LED bulb procurement cost through demand aggregation.
Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) About the scheme . Ministry/Department: Ministry of Power, Energy Efficiency Services Limited . The programme aims to install LED bulbs street-lighting across different cities in the country. . The initiative is part of the Government’s efforts to spread the message of energy efficiency in the country. . It will result in energy savings and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Achievements of the scheme . 74.79 lakh LED street lights have been installed resulting in estimated energy savings of 5.02 billion kWh per year with avoided peak demand of 837 MW and GHG emission reduction of 3.46 million t CO2 per year.
Transport Sector National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 About the Mission . Ministry : Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises . It was unveiled in 2013. . This Mission Plan has been designed mainly considering the Fuel Security and Environmental Pollution in the country. Aim . To promote electric mobility in the country. . NMEM aims for a cumulative fuel saving of about 9500 million litres. . This results in reduction of pollution and greenhouse gas emission of 2 million tonnes with targeted market penetration of 6-7 million vehicles by 2020. FAME . FAME stands for Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles . Aims to support hybrid/electric vehicles market development and manufacturing ecosystem. . Launched in 2015 under National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) . The overall scheme is proposed to be implemented over a period of 6 years, till 2020. . It is intended to support the hybrid/electric vehicles market development and its manufacturing eco- system to achieve self-sustenance at the end of the stipulated period. . The scheme is one of the green initiatives of the Government of India . It will be one of the biggest contributors in reducing pollution from road transport sector in near future. . The scheme has 4 focus areas i.e. . Technology development, . Demand Creation, . Pilot Projects and . Charging Infrastructure . The FAME India Scheme is aimed at incentivizing all vehicle segments i.e. 2 Wheeler, 3Wheeler Auto, Passenger 4 Wheeler Vehicle, Light Commercial Vehicles and Buses. Page | 21 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Achievements of the scheme . No licence required for charging stations. . Procurement of 10,000 e-cars concluded for Government institutions.
BEE Star Labelling About BEE . Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) was established in March 2002, as a statutory body by the Government of India under the Energy Conservation Act 2001. . It is responsible for spearheading the improvement of energy efficiency of the economy through various regulatory and promotional instruments. . The primary goal of BEE is to reduce the energy intensity in the Indian economy. . The ‘Star Rating’ is linked to the Standards and Labelling database and provides the use a platform to compare personalized energy saving devices across the same class and get a real-time feedback from consumers and other stakeholders so they can make an informed purchase decision. Achievements . The Chiller Star Labelling Program has been launched by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) to encourage the deployment of Energy Efficient chiller systems. . The program envisages providing star rating in terms of its energy performance. Initially, the program is launched on voluntary basis and will be valid up to 31st December 2020. . LED and inverter AC have been notified under mandatory regime. Star labelling program for Variable speed Air Conditioners and LED lamps were notified in mandatory domain during the year 2017. The implementation of the same has begun at 1st January, 2018. . Star labelling program saved energy worth INR 22,500 crore during the year 2017-18.
Perform Achieve Trade (PAT) About the scheme . The Perform Achieve Trade (PAT) is an innovative, market-based trading scheme announced by the Indian Government in 2008 under its National Mission on Enhance Energy Efficiency (NMEEE) in National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). . In 2012, the Government had set targets to save energy in eight energy-intensive sectors, under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. . Those eight Energy Intensive Sectors included are Chlor-alkali, Pulp & Paper, Textile, . Aluminum, Thermal Power plants, Fertilizer, Iron & Steel and Cement. . It is a market-based mechanism in which sectors are assigned efficiency targets. The Industries which successfully surpass the assigned targets are given incentives in the form of energy saving certificates (ESCert). These ESCerts are tradable at two energy exchanges i.e, Power Exchange India and Indian Energy Exchange. . Those industries which fail to achieve the assigned efficiency targets can buy the ESCerts from any of the two energy exchanges. . Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) is the Market Regulator and Bureau . Energy Efficiency is Administrator for the trading of ESCerts. POSOCO (Power System Operation Corporation limited) has been appointed as Registry for making Designated Consumers as eligible entities for trading of ESCerts and book-keeping of ESCerts. . The 2010 amendment to the Energy Conservation Act (ECA) provided a legal mandate to PAT. Participation in the scheme is mandatory for Designated Consumers under the ECA. . PAT cycle I stretching from 2012-13 to 2014-15, was applicable on eight energy- intensive sectors. There are about 478 numbers of Designated Consumers in these 8 sectors accounting for about 165 Page | 22 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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million tonnes oil equivalent of energy consumption annually i.e, 33% of India’s primary energy consumption. . PAT cycle II stretching from 2016 to 2018-19 shall include 3 new sectors i.e, petroleum refineries, discoms and railways, along with the previous 8 energy intensive sectors of PAT cycle I. PAT cycle III stretching from 2017-20 shall include 116 new units under it and have . been given a reduction target of 1.06 million tonnes of oil equivalent. Achievements of the scheme . Energy efficiency measures through PAT in large industries saved energy worth Rs.9500 crore annually. . Notification of PAT cycle IV for 846 DCs from 13 sectors has been issued.
Digital initiatives . Enabling payments through NPCI platforms such as BHIM, BBPS, Bharat QR etc. for . electricity bill payments. To bring transparency and to disseminate information to public at large, the following digital applications are launched by the Ministry of Power. PRAAPTI About the portal . Payment Ratification and Analysis in Power procurement for bringing Transparency in Invoicing of generators. . PRAAPTI App and web portal has been developed to bring transparency in power purchase transactions between Generators and Discoms. . The App and Web Portal will capture the Invoicing and payment data for various long term Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) from the Generators. . This will help the stakeholders in getting month-wise and legacy data on outstanding amounts of Discoms against power purchase. . The app will also allow users to know the details related to the payments made by the Discoms to the power generation company and when they were made. . It will also enable the consumers to evaluate financial performance of their Discoms in terms of payments being made to the generation companies. . The Portal would also help DISCOMs and GENCOs to reconcile their outstanding payments. . It will also help make transactions in the power Sector more transparent. Ash Track About the app . Union Ministry of Power launched ASH TRACK Mobile App for better management of fly ash produced by thermal power plants. . It provides a platform for better management of the ash produced by thermal power plants by providing an interface between fly ash producers (Thermal Power Plants) and potential ash users such as – road contractors, cement plants etc. . The APP would manage200 million tonnes of fly ash by tracking coal based power plantssituated within 100 km and 300 km from given location and availability of fly ash, along with prospective users within the same radius.
Steps taken to fight pollution Biomass pellets . Pellet fuels (or pellets) are biofuels made from compressed organic matter or biomass. . Ministry of Power has issued a policy to use 5-10% of biomass pellets along with coal for power generation in thermal power plants. . To promote use of the Biomass pellets, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has written to all Central/State Utilities, State Governments, Power Equipment Manufacturers/Integrated Power Page | 23 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Producers/Generating Companies that all fluidized bed and pulverized coal units of power generating utilities (coal based thermal power plants) except those having ball and tube mill, shall endeavour to use 5-10% blend of Biomass pellets made, primarily, of agro residue along with coal after assessing the technical feasibility, viz., the safety aspects etc. Reforms in Electricity sector . In order to encourage Renewable Generation, Ministry of Power extended the waiver of Transmission charges and losses for Solar and Wind based Projects upto March 2022. . In order to achieve the Renewable target of 175 GW of Renewable capacity by 2022,Ministry of Power has issued Long Term Growth trajectory Renewable Purchase Obligation (RPO) for Solar as well as Non-Solar till the year 2022. . Renewable Purchase Obligation refers to the obligation imposed by law on some entities to either buy electricity generated by specified andgreen sources, or buy, in lieu of that, and renewable energy certificates (RECs) from the market. . With the aim of promoting renewable generation and reduction of emission, Ministry of Power has issued a scheme on Flexibility in generation and scheduling of Thermal Power Stations to reduce emissions, which will also help in reducing the overall cost of generation as well as cost of power to consumer. . Major reform initiatives are being taken by Ministry of Power which includes addressing various issues being faced by electricity sector through draft amendments proposed in Electricity Act 2003 and Tariff Policy, 2016.
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Ministry of Labour and Employment
. The Ministry of Labour and Employment is committed towards job security, wage security and social security for each and every worker. . Along with bringing transparency and accountability in enforcement of Labour Laws, the Ministry has taken important initiatives during the year to realize and establish the dignity of every worker through provision of social security, enhancing the avenues and quality of employment.
Female labour participation . The decline in female work force participation rate may be attributed to factors like increased educational attendance and higher level of participation in education and insufficient formal wage employment opportunities etc. . Government has been targeting this issue by taking up several initiatives to improve the employability of youth including women. . Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has been established to coordinate the skill development schemes across various sectors. . Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes. Government measures to increase female labour participation: MaternityBenefit(Amendment) Act,2017 . It increases the paid maternity leave for pregnant women working in the organised sector from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. . The 26 weeks of leave will be for the first two pregnancies. . For the third child, it will be of 12 weeks and 6 weeks for the fourth. . It allows 12 weeks of paid maternity leave to mothers who are adopting a child below the age of three months and also to commissioning mothers who opt for surrogacy. . It mandates employers to provide crèche facilities and to allow a woman to work from home. Laws to support equal remuneration . The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976 provides for payment of equal remuneration to men and women workers for same work or work of similar nature without any discrimination. . The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, the wages fixed by the appropriate Government are equally applicable to both male and female workers and the act does not discriminate on the basis of gender.
Protection of domestic workers . The Central Government has not enacted any separate law to protect the interest of domestic workers. . Discussion is under way regarding a National Policy for domestic workers to protect them from exploitation. . Though the central legislations such as Unorganised workers’ social security act, 2008 and Sexual harassment of women at workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) act, 2013 covers the domestic workers too but does not address their specific vulnerabilities. Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008 . In order to provide social security benefits to the workers in the unorganised sector, the Government has enacted the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008. . The 2008 Act stipulates formulation of suitable welfare schemes for unorganised workers on matters relating to: . life and disability cover, Page | 25 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. health and maternity benefits, . old age protection and . any other benefit as may be determined by the Central Government through the National Social Security Board. . Various Schemes, formulated by the Government to provide social security cover to the unorganized worker, listed in the Schedule I of the above Act are as under: o Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme. (Ministry of Rural Development) o National Family Benefit Scheme. (Ministry of Rural Development) o Janani Suraksha Yojana. (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare) o Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. (Ministry of Textiles) o Handicraft Artisans’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. (Ministry of Textiles) o Pension to Master Craft Persons. (Ministry of Textiles) o National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension. (Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries) o Aam Admi Bima Yojana. (Department of Financial Services) o Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. (Ministry of Health and schemes Family Welfare) . Central Government has also launched following three for all citizen targeting unorganised workers to provide them comprehensive social security. Atal Pension Yojna (APY) . Under the APY, subscribers would receive a fixed minimum pension at the age of 60 years, depending on their contributions, which itself would vary on the age of joining the APY. . The Central Government would also co-contribute 50 percent of the total contribution or Rs. 1000 per annum, whichever is lower, to each eligible subscriber account, for a period of 5 years, who are not members of any statutory social security scheme and who are not Income Tax payers. . The pension would also be available to the spouse on the death of the subscriber and thereafter, the pension corpus would be returned to the nominee.The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. . The benefit of fixed minimum pension would be guaranteed by the Government. Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) . Under PMJJBY, life insurance of Rs. 2 lakh would be available on the payment of premium of Rs. 330 per annum by the subscribers. . The PMJJBY will be made available to people in the age group of 18 to 50 years having a bank account from where the premium would be collected through the facility of “auto-debit”. Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY) . Under PMSBY, the risk coverage will be Rs. 2 lakh for accidental death and full disability and Rs. 1 lakh for partial disability on the payment of premium of Rs. 12 per annum. . The Scheme will be available to people in the age group 18 to 70 years with a bank account, from where the premium would be collected through the facility of “auto-debit”.
Major Achievements in Labour Welfare Labour Codes . In line with recommendations of Second National Commission on Labour, the Ministry has taken steps for formulating of four Labour Codes on (i) Wages; (ii) Industrial Relations; (iii) Social Security and Welfare and (iv) Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions by amalgamating, simplifying, and rationalizing the relevant provisions of the existing Central Labour Laws. Code on Wages Bill Page | 26 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. National minimum wage: The code ensures minimum wages to one and all and timely payment of wages to all employees irrespective of the sector of employment without any wage ceiling. . It introduces concept of statutory National Minimum Wage for different geographical areas. It will ensure that no state government fixes minimum wage below the National Minimum Wages for that particular area as notified by Union Government. . It specifies that central or state governments will revise or review minimum wage every five years. . Advisory boards: The central and state governments will constitute their respective advisory boards to advise respective governments on aspects of fixing minimum wages and increasing employment opportunities for women. . These boards will have representation from employees, employers, and independent persons. Further, one-third of total members will be women. . Payment of Wages: The code proposes payment of wages through cheque or digital/electronic mode along with conventional cash payments. . It mentions deduction of employee’s wages on certain grounds by not exceeding 50% of employee’s total wage. . Redressal of grievances and settlement of claims: It proposes appellate authority between Claim Authority and Judicial Forum for speedy, cheaper and efficient redressal of grievances and settlement of claims . Offences: The Code specifies penalties for offences committed by an employer. Such penalties vary depending on nature of offence have been rationalized with the amount of fines varying as per gravity of violations. . Moreover it specifies that compounding of offences are not punishable. Code on Industrial Relations: . The proposed Labour draft code seeks to replace the three laws viz. Trade Unions Act, 1926,Industrial Employment Act, 1946 and the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. The key Provisions of the Draft Bill are as follows: . The draft bill will increase the employee limit from 100 to 300 above which, the government approval is needed for layoff/retrenchment/closure. . The draft code provides that 10 per cent of workers shall apply (be applicant) for registering a trade union. . For employers employing less than 50 employees, the requirement to provide a minimum of 1 months’ notice and retrenchment compensation (severance) is to be removed. . The draft code raises the retrenchment/closure compensation payable to workers from 15 days wages to 45 days wages for every completed year of service. . It also prohibits a person holding office in more than 10 unions. The registration of a trade union may be cancelled if it fails to hold bi-annual elections and fails to submit annual returns. Code on Social security . The Union Labour Ministry has proposed a labour code which will provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country, including self-employed and agricultural workers. . In this regard, it has proposed a draft code on Social Security and Welfare with an aim to provide social security cover to the entire workforce in the country of about 45 crore workers. . It will cover every working person whether he/she belongs to the organised sector or
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the unorganised sector in the country under it. . Thus, for the first time, agricultural workers along with self-employed people will be covered under the social security cover. Even factories employing single worker will contribute towards social security scheme. . It will cover any factory, mine, shop, plantation, charitable organisations and all establishments or households employing casual, fixed-term, part-time workers. . It proposes, National Council (Social Security NSSC),chaired by the Prime Minister to streamline and make policy on social security schemes related to all Ministries. Code on Occupational Safety Health & Working Conditions . The Centre has proposed to make it compulsory for companies to conduct health checks of factory workers every year. . Appointment letters for all workers, underlying their rights to statutory benefits . A portion of penalty levied on employers could go towards providing some relief to families of workers who die or are seriously injured while working . Employers will need to register under one law, instead of six central laws . A National Occupational Safety and Health Advisory Board proposed to recommend standards on these matters. Shram Suvidha Portal . Shram Suvidha is a web portal that envisages to bring transparency and accountability in enforcement of labour laws and ease complexity of compliance. It provides a single platform for all labour related issues. . A unified portal for all compliance pertaining to Chief Labour Commissioner of India, Director General Mines and Safety, Employee State Insurance Corporation, and Employee Provident Fund Organization. There are 16 laws that are covered here like Payment of Wages Act, Minimum Wages Act, Contract Labour (Abolition and Regulation) Act etc. . Creation of a unique number known as the Labour Identification Number or LIN to supplement all other registration numbers such as PF Establishment Code, ESIC Registration Number, Contract Labour Registration Number, etc. . Transparent Labour Inspection Scheme through computerized system based on risk based criteria and uploading the inspection reports within 48 hours by the Labour inspectors. . Online servicing of notices from the labour department and online submission of answers with document. . Employee grievances can now be received online and employer has to clear them and submit proof of clearance. Step Taken for improved Safety of Mine workers . The software for “Risk-based Inspection System” for coal mines has been developed by NIC and implemented by incorporating it in Shram Suvidha Portal. The inspections will be generated for online assignment through shram suvidha portal prioritizing on the actual risk rating of the mines of all categories. . A joint project by the Director General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and the National Institute of Miners’ Health (NIMH), Nagpur on “Multi-Centric Study of Dust Related Disease in Stone Mines and Development of Sustainable Preventive Programme”, established that around 5 % of the mine workers surveyed are affected by silicosis. Fixed Term Employment . Ministry of Labour and Employment has included the category of and Fixed Term Employment Workman & for all sectors in the Industrial Employment (Standing Orders)
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Act, 1946. . The objective of Fixed Term Employment on one hand is to provide flexibility to the employers in order to meet the challenges of globalization, new practices and methods of doing businesses while on the other, this would be beneficial for workers as it gives the and FTE Workman and the same statutory benefits as that of regular workers in a proportionate manner. . This would also substantially decrease exploitation of contract workers as the employer would directly hire the worker without any mediator in the form of contract for a fixed term. Major Steps Taken by EPFO . An online functionality for filing nomination to the members at Member interface of Unified Portal was provided. . In online nomination, Aadhaar based eSign is being used to authenticate the nomination submitted by member. . Hence, there is no need for employer’s undertaking that nomination has been signed before him/her. . A pensioners’ portal was launched in March 2018 through which all EPFO pensioners can get all the details of pension related information. Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) . Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana (PMRPY) was launched on 2016 with the objective to incentivise employers for creation of employment. . Under the scheme, Government of India is paying Employer’s full contribution i.e. 12% towards EPF and EPS both for a period of three years to the new employees and to the existing beneficiaries for their remaining period of three years through EPFO. . The scheme is targeted for employees earning upto Rs. 15,000 per month. This scheme has a dual benefit, where, on the one hand, the employer is incentivised for increasing the employment base of workers in the establishment, and on the other hand, these workers will have access to social security benefits of the organized sector.
Major Steps Taken by ESIC Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana . A new scheme named ‘Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana’ for Insured Persons (IP) covered under the Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 has been approved by the ESIC. . It aim is to financially aid people who lost jobs because of the changing employment patterns. . The benefit under the scheme will be payable in cash directly to bank account of insured persons in case of unemployment. . It will be provided to the beneficiaries even while searching for jobs. . The money will be paid from their own contribution towards ESI scheme, in cash through bank account transfer. The scheme will be applicable to all factories and establishments employing at least 10 workers. . Workers will be able to draw 47% of their total contributions towards ESIC after remaining unemployed for at least three months from date of leaving their previous jobs. . They have an option to get the amount as whole or in installments. ESIC “Chinta Se Mukti“ mobile app
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. It is available on UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) platformof Govt. of India. With this app, the Insured Persons can view their contribution history,personal profile, claim status and also their entitlement to benefits. About Employee State Insurance (ESI) . It is a self-financing social security and health insurance scheme for Indian workers. . It is managed by Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) according to rules and regulations stipulated there in the ESI Act 1948. . It is a statutory autonomous corporation under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Steps taken to promote employment generation . National Career Service (NCS): National Career Service Project brings employers, trainers and unemployed on single platform. NCS has partnered with Department of Posts to extend registration of job seekers through the Post Offices. To enhance the reach and enrich the employment opportunities available to youth, strategic MOUs have been signed with leading job portals, placement organizations and institutions of repute. Government of India has recently made it mandatory for government vacancies to be posted on the NCS Portal. . The NCS provides a variety of employment related services like job matching, career counselling, information on skill development courses, apprenticeship, internships etc. The NCS makes available a rich repository of career content on over 3600 occupations across 52 sectors. The NCS Portal also facilitates organization of job fairs where both employers and job seekers can interact. . Model Career Centres: 107 Model Career Centres have been established and being operationalised in collaboration with states and other institutions. These Centres will have adequate facilities and infrastructure for delivery of various services to the stakeholders and can be subsequently replicated by states at other locations. In addition, all the 1.5 lakh plus Common Service Centres are strategic partners for extending the reach of NCS to remote locations.
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Highlights . India attains global 4th and 5th positions in wind and solar power installed capacities. . India attains global 5th position for overall installed renewable energy capacity. . A total of 101.83 billion units (BU) of power were generated in the country during the year 2017-18 from renewable energy. . Keeping in view of our commitment to a healthy planet and our Nationally Determined Contributions as per the Paris Accord on Climate Change, India made a pledge that by 2030, 40% of installed power generation capacity shall be based on clean sources, it was determined that 175 GW of renewable energy capacity will be installed by 2022. . This includes 100 GW from solar, 60 GW from wind, 10 GW from bio-power and 5 GW from small hydro power. . Share of total Energy: Thermal(221.76 GW) – 63.8 % Renewable(73.35 GW) – 21.1 % Hydro(45.48 GW) – 13.1 % Nuclear(6.78 GW) – 2 % . A total of around 73.35 GW of renewable energy capacity has been installed in the country as on October, 2018 from all renewable energy sources which includes around 34.98 GW from Wind, 24.33 GW from solar, 4.5 GW from Small Hydro Power and 9.54 GW from Bio-power.On 14th June, 2018, the Ministry of Power has notified the long term RPO trajectory from 2019-20 to 2021-22. . RPO is Renewable Purchase Obligation. This is a mechanism by which the State Electricity Regulatory Commissions are obliged to purchase a certain percentage of power from renewable energy sources. . RPO is being implemented throughout the country to create demand for renewable energy. Amendments in Tariff Policy 1. Enhancement in solar renewable purchase obligations to 8% by March 2022. 2. Introduction of renewable generation obligation for new coal/lignite basedthermal plants. 3. Waving off inter-state transmission charges for solar and wind power 4. The government is providing generation based incentives, capital and interestsubsidies, viability gap funding, concessional finance, fiscal incentives etc. forproviding financial support to various schemes. 5. Ministry has taken steps for strong enforcement of Renewable PurchaseObligation (RPO) and providing Renewable Generation Obligation (RGO), Incorporating measures in Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) forencouraging distribution companies and making net-metering compulsory andraising funds from bilateral and international donors as also the Green ClimateFund to achieve the target.
Solar energy . The Government has revised the target of Grid Connected Solar Power Projects from 20 GW to 100 GW by the year 2021-22 under the National Solar Mission. . The tariff for grid-connected solar power projects is determined through competitive bidding process involving reverse e-auction. This has helped in bringing down the tariff significantly. . A reverse auction is a type of auction in which the roles of buyer and seller are reversed. In an Page | 31 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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ordinary auction, buyers compete to obtain goods or services by offering increasingly higher prices. But in reverse auction, sellers compete to sell their goods or services for a relatively lower price. . Solar Parks are being set up in the country. 47 solar parks of aggregate capacity 26.7 GW has been approved in 21 States up to November, 2018. Solar Parks . MNRE along with its affiliate Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) have launched Solar Park scheme to encourage the construction of solar parks that can generate electricity above between 500 MW and 1000 MW. . It is a concentrated zone of development of solar power generation projects and provides developers an area that is well constructed, with proper infrastructure, access to amenities and by minimizing paper works for project implementation. . Power Purchase Agreement should be signed by the solar park developer (may be a private sector entity) with state and central government utilities who purchases power. Price will be set in accordance with the regulations of Central Electricity Regulation Authority. . The Ministry is also taking up projects for new emerging technologies such as floating solar power.
Wind energy . The country currently has the fourth highest wind installed capacity in the world with total installed capacity of 34.98 GW as on October, 2018 against a target of 60 GW by 2022. . National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE) indicates a gross wind power potential of 302 GW in the country at 100 meter above ground level. . The capacity additions till 2017 were through Feed In Tariff (FIT) mechanism. Subsequently, the tariff regime has been shifted from Feed-In-Tariff (FIT) to bidding route. . Feed-In tariffs (FIT) are fixed electricity prices that are paid to renewable energy (RE) producers for each unit of energy produced and injected into the electricity grid. . The payment of the FIT is guaranteed for a certain period of time that is often related to the economic lifetime of the respective RE project. . FIT are usually paid by electricity grid, system or market operators, often in the context of Power purchasing agreements (PPA). . The National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy was issued in May 2018. The main objective of the policy is to provide a framework for promotion of large grid connected wind-solar PV hybrid system for optimal and efficient utilization of wind and solar resources, transmission infrastructure and land. . The wind - solar PV hybrid systems will help in reducing the variability in renewable power generation and achieving better grid stability. . The National Offshore wind energy policy was notified in October 2015 with an objective to develop the offshore wind energy in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) along the Indian coastline. . National targets for offshore wind capacity additions of 5 GW by 2022 and 30 by 2030 declared. . LIDAR was commissioned on the monopile platform in November 2017 at Gulf of Khambhat, of Gujarat coast for wind resource assessment. . LIDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses light in the form of a pulsed laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the Earth. Page | 32 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. LIDAR also used to produce more accurate shoreline maps, make digital elevation models for use in geographic information systems, to assist in emergency response operations, and in many other applications. . The expansion of the wind industry has resulted in a strong ecosystem, project operation capabilities and a manufacturing base. State-of-the-art technologies are now available in the country for the manufacture of wind turbines. All the major global players in this field have their presence in the country. . Wind turbines and components are being exported to the US, Australia, Europe, Brazil and other Asian countries. Around 70-80% indigenization has been achieved with strong domestic manufacturing in the wind sector.
Bio power . MNRE has been promoting programmes to promote Biomass Power and Bagasse Cogeneration in the country with an objective to utilize country’s available biomass resources like bagasse, rice husk, straw, cotton stalk, coconut shells etc. for power generation. . Waste to Energy projects are also being set up for generation of Energy from Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Waste / Residues such as municipal solid wastes, vegetable and other market wastes, slaughterhouse waste, agricultural residues and industrial wastes & effluents. . A total capacity of 9.54 GW of grid connected bio-power has been installed in the country as on October 2018 against a target of 10 GW bio-power by 2022. This includes 8.73 GW from bagasse cogeneration, 0.68 GW from non-bagasse cogeneration and 0.13 GW from waste to energy.
Small hydro power . A total capacity of 4.5 GW of grid connected small hydro power has been installed in the country as on October 2018 against a target of 5 GW small hydro power by 2022. . The categories of hydro power projects based on their power generation capacity can be seen below. Initiatives undertaken in the renewable energy sector . With an objective to strive towards leadership in the energy storage sector by creating an enabling policy and regulatory framework, a comprehensive National Energy Mission (NESM) has been developed. . The Mission focuses on demand creation, indigenous manufacturing, innovation and necessary policy support for proliferation of Energy Storage in the country. . The Ministry is implementing off grid and Decentralized renewables programme for meeting energy demand for cooking, lighting, motive power, space heating, hot water generation, etc. . The Ministry also supports deployment of decentralized solar applications like solar lanterns, solar street lights, solar home lights, solar pumps, etc. in the country, . A Technology Development and Innovation Policy (TDIP) is also being finalised. It is based on a development robust ecosystem for support for research, innovation and validation for technology and demonstration, testing and standardization, awards for innovation inked with start-ups. . As part of Human Resource Development programme of the Ministry of New and Renewable energy, a robust Renewable Energy education and training system is Page | 33 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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developed. . Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) lighting systems, Solar Thermal systems, Solar Hydraulic Pump (SHP) have been incorporated in the regular syllabus of 2 years certificate programme for seven trades i.e Electronics, Electrician, Machinist, Welder, Carpenter, Fitter and Plumber.
International Solar Alliance (ISA) . The International Solar Alliance (ISA) became first international intergovernmental organization headquartered in India on December, 2017. ISA is part of India’s vision to provide clean and affordable energy to all. . The First Assembly of the ISA was held on 3 October, 2018 in India. 37 ISA member Countries, including India and France, attended the Assembly. . In addition, 25 countries that have signed the Framework Agreement of ISA but yet to Ratify 13 Prospective Member countries that are yet sign the Framework Agreement of the ISA and 3 Partner countries that are beyond inter-tropical zone attended the Assembly as Observers. . In the First Assembly, India’s resolution for amending the Framework Agreement of the ISA for opening up the ISA membership to all countries that are members of United Nations was adopted.
Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities
Introduction . In order to give focused attention to policy issue and meaningful thrust to the activities aimed at welfare and empowerment of the person with disabilities, a separate Department of Disability Affairs was carved out of the Ministry of Social justice & Empowerment on May 2012. . The Department was renamed as Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPWD) on December 2014. . The Department is primarily entrusted with the task of empowerment of person with disabilities to build an inclusive society in which equal opportunities are provided for the growth and development of person with disabilities so that they can lead productive, safe and dignified live. . The department strives to provide the following rehabilitation measures: . Physical rehabilitation, which includes early detection and intervention counselling and medical rehabilitation and assistance in procuring appropriate aids and appliances for reducing the effect of disabilities; . Educational rehabilitation including vocational education; . Economic rehabilitation and social empowerment.
ADIP schemes (Assistance to disabled persons for purchase/fitting of aids and appliances): . ADIP Camps are organized for distribution of Aids & Assistive devices to the Divyangjan and Senior Citizens through ALIMCO, a CPSE under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India. Page | 34 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. ALIMCO is “Not For Profit” Central Public Sector Undertaking working under the administrative control of Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment. . For past 40 years, it has been relentlessly manufacturing various types of aids and appliances on mass scale to meet the requirements of PwDs including orthopedically, visual and hearing impaired etc. . The Vice-President of India gave away the National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) in New Delhi on 3 rd December 2018 on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Accessible India Campaign (AIC) . It is also known as Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan . Launched on December 2015, for creating universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities in Built Environment, Transport, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) ecosystem. . The scheme strives to convert government buildings in important cities and towns in to fully accessible disabled-friendly buildings in a phased manner. . A remarkable feature of the scheme is that a website will also be made where the people can put their views on the accessibility of any building. . The international airports in the country and railway stations which come under A1, A and B categories will be made fully disabled-friendly. Under the scheme, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will give free motorized tricycles to persons with 70-90% disability. . A Sugamya Bharat mobile app which can provide information on disabled-friendly public facilities in a city, will be launched under the scheme. Achievements . All 34 International Airports and 48 Domestic Airports have been provided with accessible features viz. ramps, accessible toilets, lifts with Braille symbols and auditory signals. . Out of 709 ‘A-1’, ‘A’ & ‘B’ category Railway Stations, 670 railway stations have been provided with all Short-Term Facilities and 639 railway stations have been provided with all Long-Term Facilities. . Out of 917 identified websites of State Governments /UTs which are in the process of being made accessible through ERNET India, 217 States/UTs websites have been made live. . So far, Access Audit of 1662 buildings in 50 cities has been completed by the auditors. . ‘Divyang Sarathi’—Accessible and Comprehensive Mobile Application for easy information dissemination to ‘Divyangjans’ had been launched.
Unique Disability Identification (UDID) Project . The Department has initiated Unique Disability Identification project with a view to create national database for PWDs, to issue Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card along with disability certificate to everyone. . Once the project covers all persons with disabilities, UDID Card will be made mandatory for availing various governments benefits. Other important achievements . The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities, launched the Inclusive India Initiative. To spread the initiative, workshops were organized to spread awareness on Inclusion of Page | 35 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. . First Indian Sign Language Dictionary of 3000 words, developed by Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi, was launched. . A Composite Regional Centre for Persons with Disabilities at Narsingarh, West Tripura was inaugurated. . A National workshop on Skill Development for Persons with Disabilities was held in New Delhi. . A National Conference was organised in New Delhi to create awareness about important components of revised scheme of District Disability Rehabilitation Centres (DDRC). . An Indian delegation headed by Hon’ble Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, attended the Global Disability Summit held at London on 24 th July, 2018. The conference was attended by global leaders of more than 40 countries. . A National Workshop on Physical and Mental Disabilities in the light of Global Best Practices in Care, . Rehabilitation and Research was held in New Delhi. The workshop was hosted by National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities (NIEPMD), Chennai. The outcome of the workshop will support protocol development in the service deliveries and encourage adaptation of global best practices in Indian context. . An MoU has been signed between the Government of Australia and the Government of India for cooperation in the disability sector. . The ‘Inclusive India Initiative’ of National Trust is specifically catering to persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities. . The three core focus areas of Inclusive India Initiative are Inclusive Education, Inclusive Employment and Inclusive Community Life. National Trust . The National Trust is a statutory body of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, set up under the “National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Retardation and Multiple Disabilities” Act. . The National Trust was envisaged with a core mission of providing opportunities for capacity development of Persons with Disabilities and their families, fulfilling their rights, and promoting the creation of an enabling environment and an inclusive society.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Main highlights . Under OALP (Open Acreage Licensing Policy) Bid Round I, 55 Blocks have been Awarded. . Second Bidding Round under DSF (Discovered Small Field)Policy offering 59 discoveries launched. . Development of additional 13500 Km long gas pipeline under way. . More than 5.83 crore LPG connections released under Ujjawala scheme. . Supply of BS-VI fuel commences in NCT of Delhi. . Remunerative price fixed for ethanol procurement based on raw material utilized for ethanol production. Focus . Energy is a key driver of economic growth and the Government’s focus has been to bring about transformational changes in the energy landscape of India to fulfil the twin
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objectives of energy justice and climate justice. . The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has endeavoured to “Reform, Perform and Transform’ the sector. . The government has taken several reforms and accomplished major task with far- reaching impacts in the sectors of Exploration and Production, Refinery, Marketing, Natural Gas and international cooperation.
Exploration & Production Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP)/ Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) . This is a paradigm shift from Production Sharing Contract (PSC) regime to Revenue Sharing Contract (RSC) regime based on the principle of ease of doing business. . It provides for single License for exploration and production of conventional as well as non- conventional Hydrocarbon resources; Pricing and Marketing Freedom; reduced rate of royalty for offshore blocks. Open Acreage Licensing Policy means option to select the exploration blocks without waiting for formal bid round. . Expression of Interest can be submitted round the year and Bidding is carried out every 6 months. Promote and Incentivize Enhanced Recovery Methods for Oil and Gas . Government has approved the Policy framework to promote and encourage adoption of Enhanced Recovery (ER)/Improved Recovery (IR)/Unconventional Hydrocarbon (UHC) production
Methods/techniques through fiscal incentives and an enabling ecosystem to improve productivity of existing fields and enhance overall production of domestic hydrocarbons. . The Policy provides for systemic assessment of every field for its ER potential, appraisal of appropriate ER techniques and fiscal incentives to de-risk the cost involved in ER Projects and to make it economically viable. DSF (Discovered Small Field) Policy . Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas India launched the DSF in 2016, with the motive for extracting the Oil, Natural gas from the un-monetized small oil/gas discoveries that could not be monetized for years due to various reasons such as isolated locations, technological constraints etc.. . It provides an easy investment option for new and existing players with minimal risk. . These contract areas are awarded under the new regime of Revenue Sharing Model. . Award of contract is expected to provide faster development of fields and facilitate production of oil and gas. National Seismic Programme of Un-appraised areas: . NSP aims to undertake a fresh appraisal in all sedimentary basins across India in order to have better understanding of the hydrocarbon potential of the country. . Under this programme launched in 2016, high-resolution 2D seismic Acquisition, Processing and Interpretation (API) survey will be conducted across India especially in the sedimentary basins. . The survey will be conducted by state owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL). The survey project will be completed by March 2019.
Natural Gas Natural Gas Grid . In order to promote the usage of natural gas as a fuel/feedstock across the country and move towards a gas based economy, the development of additional 13500 Km long gas pipeline is under way to complete the Gas Grid. Page | 37 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga Project (Jagdishpur – Haldia & Bokaro – Dhamra Pipeline (JHBDPL) . It is an ambitious gas pipeline project which aims to provide piped cooking (PNG) gas to residents of the eastern region of the country and CNG gas for the vehicles. . The project is being implemented by state-run gas utility GAIL. It envisages laying a 2,050-km pipeline connecting Jagdishpur (UP) to Haldia (West Bengal). . The project is considered as a major step towards collective growth and development of the Eastern region of India and will cater to the energy requirements of five states, namely Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal. . Under it, overall 20 lakh households will get PNG connections. Barauni to Guwahati Pipeline . To extend the Gas Grid upto North East, development of a 729 Km long pipeline from Barauni (Bihar) to Guwahati (Assam) has been allowed as an integral part JHBDPL (Jagdishpur – Haldia & Bokaro – Dhamra Pipeline) project. . This pipeline will pass through the Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim and Assam . This project is scheduled to be commissioned by December 2021. North East Region(NER) Gas Grid . To further extend the gas grid to all the states of North-East and Sikkim, a Joint Venture (JV) company, named as Indradhanush Gas Grid Ltd, has been formed by five Oil and Gas Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) i.e. IOCL, ONGC, GAIL, OIL, and NRL. . On completion, NER grid will ensure uninterrupted availability of natural gas across the region and boost industrial growth in the region. City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network: . To make available natural gas to public at large, Government has put strong emphasis on expansion of City Gas Distribution (CGD) network coverage across the country.
. CGD networks ensures the supply of cleaner fuel (i.e. PNG) to households, Industrial and commercial units as well as transportation fuel (i.e. CNG) to vehicles. . Till 2017, only 19% of the country’s population spreading over 11% of the country’s area was covered for development of CGDs in 96 Geographical areas. . The growth of CGD coverage has potential to attract huge investment in gas value chain with generation of about 3 lakh employment opportunities in coming years.
Marketing Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) . In order to provide clean cooking fuel LPG to Below Poverty Line (BPL) households in the country, the Government has launched “PMUY” scheme to provide 5 crore deposit-free LPG connections to women belonging to the BPL families, which were subsequently increased to 8 crore connections. . Beneficiaries are identified through Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC) list and in case the names are not appearing in the SECC list, beneficiaries are identified from categories i.e. SC/STs households, beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) (Gramin), Antodaya Anna Yojana (AAY), Forest dwellers, Most backward Classes (MBC), Tea & Ex-Tea Garden Tribes and people residing in Islands/ river islands. . The initial target of 5 crore connections was achieved well before the target i.e.31st March, 2019. Implementation of PMUY has resulted in significant increase in national LPG coverage, in general and Eastern States, in particular. . The World Health Organization (WHO) has appreciated the efforts of the Government Page | 38 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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and termed it as a decisive intervention to check the indoor health pollution being faced by the women of the country. PAHAL - Direct Benefits Transfer for LPG (DBTL) Consumers Scheme . Government, as a measure of Good Governance, has introduced well targeted system of subsidy delivery to LPG consumers through PAHAL. Currently, the Scheme is under implementation in 715 districts. . Under the Scheme, the LPG cylinders are being sold at non-subsidised price and subsidy, as admissible, is transferred to consumers directly into his/her bank account subject to applicable cap on subsidized refills. The initiative of the Government was aimed at rationalizing subsidies based on approach to cut subsidy leakages, but not subsidies themselves. . PAHAL has entered into Guinness book of World record for being largest Direct Benefit Transfer scheme. . PAHAL has helped in identifying ‘ghost’ accounts, multiple accounts and inactive accounts. This has helped in curbing diversion of subsidized LPG to commercial purposes. . There has been a significant expansion of digital payment infrastructure at retail outlets. All the LPG Distributors and City Gas distribution companies are enabled with BHIM UPI.
Refinery . Out of the 23 refineries operation in the country, 18 are in public sector, 3 are in private sector and 2 as a joint venture with a total refining capacity of 247.566 MMTPA (Million Metric Tonne Per Annum). . Out of the total refining capacity in the country, 57.4 % is in the public sector, 7 % in joint venture and the balance 35.6 % is in the private sector. . The country is not only self-sufficient in the refining capacity for its domestic consumption but also exports sufficient quantity of petroleum products.
Auto Fuel Vision and Policy Introduction of BS-IV & BS-VI fuels in the Country . BS-IV Auto Fuels has been implemented in the entire country from 1st April 2017. . The country will leapfrog directly from BS-IV to BS-VI fuel standards and BS-VI standards will be implemented in the country from 1st April 2020. Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme . It was launched in 2003 on pilot basis which has been subsequently extended to promote the use of alternative and environmental friendly fuels. . It aims at blending ethanol with petrol, thereby reducing import dependency for energy requirements and give boost to agriculture sector. . Since 2014, the government fixes remunerative price for ethanol procurement basedon raw material utilized for ethanol production such as C-heavy molasses, B-heavymolasses etc.. Further, the government has also allowed production of ethanol from damaged food grains. . Subsequent to amendment in Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951, giving control on production, movement and storage of ethanol to the Central Government, the centre has been regularly interacting with the State Governments and other stakeholders to resolve the bottlenecks in smooth implementation of EBP Programme. Till now, Nine States have already implemented the amended provisions. . Government has reduced the GST rate on ethanol meant for EBP Programme from 18% to 5%.
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. Department of Food & Public Distribution has introduced a Scheme for extending financial assistance to sugar mills for enhancement and augmentation of ethanol production capacity. Bio-diesel Programme . Biodiesel is vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. It is used as a blend to Petro Diesel and denoted by B factor. This means that 100% biodiesel is referred to as B100, while 20% biodiesel, 80% petro diesel is labelled B20. Similarly 5% biodiesel, 95% petro diesel is labelled as B5. Second Generation Ethanol . Subsequent to opening up of alternate route i.e. Second Generation (2G) route for ethanol production, Oil Marketing Companies are in the process of setting up 2G bio-refineries. . 2G fuels are produced from non-food crops such as wood, organic waste, food crop waste and specific biomass crops. Cellulosic ethanol technology fits in here, as do non- food crop technologies such as jatropha-based biofuels. National Policy on Biofuels 2018 . The Government has notified National Policy on Biofuels 2018 which is expected to give boost to the biofuel programme of the country. . Categorization of biofuels as “Basic Biofuels” viz. First Generation (1G) bio ethanol & biodiesel and “Advanced Biofuels” – Second Generation (2G) ethanol, bio-CNG etc. to enable extension of appropriate financial and fiscal incentives under each category. . Expanding the scope of raw material for ethanol production by allowing use of sugarcane Juice, sugar containing materials like sugar beet, sweet sorghum, starch containing materials like corn, cassava, damaged food grains like wheat, broken rice, rotten potatoes, unfit for human consumption for ethanol production. . The Policy allows use of surplus food grains for production of ethanol for blending with petrol with the approval of National Biofuel Coordination Committee. Joining the ‘Advanced Motor Fuels’ programme . Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas joined Advanced Motor Fuels (AMF), a Technology collaboration programme (TCP) under International Energy Agency (IEA) as Member in May 2018. . It is an international platform to promote collaboration in R&D for developing advanced motor fuels / alternate fuels with greater focus on improving fuel efficiency and reduced GHG emissions. SATAT Initiative . Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has launched Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation (SATAT) aimed as a developmental effort that would benefit both vehicle-users as well as farmers and entrepreneurs. . The initiative was launched with PSU Oil Marketing Companies IOC, BPCL and HPCL. . Under this initiative, Expression of Interest (EoI) have been invited from potential entrepreneurs to setup Compressed BioGas (CBG) production plants and make available biogas in market for use in automotive fuels. . The SATAT initiative has potential to boost availability of more affordable transport fuels, better use of agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste, as well as provide additional revenue source to farmers. International Cooperation . Important Agreements / Contracts: 1. Saudi Aramco and ADNOC signed a MoU in June 2018 to jointly develop and build an integrated refinery and petrochemicals complex promoted by Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Ltd. (RRPCL) at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra.
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2. India and USA launched Strategic Energy Partnership Ministerial level Energy Dialogue process on 17th April 2018. 3. A tripartite MoU was signed between Petronet LNG of India, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, and a Japanese company in April, 2018 to set up LNG terminal at Colombo. . Major International Conferences / Meetings: 1. India hosted the 16th International Energy Forum (IEF) Ministerial Meeting from 10-12th April 2018 in New Delhi. 2. The 2nd meeting of the International Think Tank (ITT) was held on 13th October 2018 to discuss the challenges and the way forward for the Indian Oil and Gas Sector for the future. 3. 3rd meeting of India-OPEC Energy Dialogue was held on 17th October 2018 4. Minister PNG inaugurated the 2nd annual India Energy Forum by CERAWeek in New Delhi, from 14 - 16 October 2018. 5. In October, 2018 Road Shows were held by ISPRL in New Delhi, Singapore and London to finalize PPP model for construction and filling of Phase-II Strategic Petroleum Reserves facilities proposed for construction.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan . Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas received Swachh Bharat National Award for Swachhata Action Plan (SAP) 2017-18 in Swachh Bharat National Award ceremony held on Gandhi Jayanti, 02nd October, 2018. . As a precursor to the launch of the 150th birth year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi, MoPNG observed Swachhata Hi Seva 2018 (SHS) from 15th September to 2nd October, 2018. MoPNG led the SHS campaign from the front. . Ministry has undertaken various initiatives which inter-alia include organizing Shramdaan at various locations, conducting rallies/walkathon/cyclothons to generate awareness about sanitation; distribution of jute bags to general public to make plastic free zone; organizing cleaning drives at tourist places; constructing toilets in schools, public places, etc., distributing sanitary and hygiene products and organizing health talks and health camps.
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Department of Sports (Ministry Of Youth Affairs & Sports)
Highlights . The year 2018 has turned out to be the landmark for India in terms of achievements in Sports arena. . Government’s two pronged approach to sports – nurture top sports talent and find untapped sports stars at the grassroots, has yielded positive outcome. . India recorded its best ever performance this year in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games with 66 Medals, Jakarta Asian Games with 69 Medals and Para Asian Games with 72 Medals.
Khelo India School Games (KISG), 2018 Khelo India Program . It has been implemented to improve sports culture in India at grass-root level. . It helps in selecting young talent from schools and make them as future sports champions. . Each athlete selected under the scheme shall receive an annual scholarship worth Rs. 5.00 lakh for 8 consecutive years. . The Programme aims to promote 20 universities across the country as hubs of sporting excellence. Khelo India School Games (KISG), 2018 . 1st Khelo India School Games, 2018 were held between 31st January to 8th February, 2018. . It was held across 16 disciplines in Under-17 age category. Players from 29 states and 7 union territories participated in this event. Scholarship programme under Khelo India: . A new scholarship programme under Khelo India Talent Identification Development scheme has been framed. . The scholarship programme is designed to take care of their expenses including training, development, boarding and lodging and tournament exposure apart from offering them out of pocket expense allowance. . Under this programme, an annual stipend of Rs. 1.2 lakhs will be given to the players on a quarterly to meet their out of pocket expenses, treating injuries etc.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) . The National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) was established in 1998 under Charitable Endowments Act, 1890 with the aim of promotion of sports in the Country. . National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) was established with the objective of promotion of excellence in sports through support to top level sportspersons who are medal prospects in Olympics and other major international competitions and creation of sports infrastructure in priority disciplines etc. . The Fund accepts contributions from private/public corporate sectors, other legal bodies like Trusts/Societies, individuals etc. Advantages of contributing to NSDF Page | 42 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Donor can suggest execution of specific projects while making donations to the Fund. . Fulfilment of CSR obligations of companies under the Companies Act, 2013. . Sports activities like training to promote sports and creation and maintenance of sports infrastructure are covered under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). . Contribution to the Fund is exempt from Income Tax under Section 80 (G) of the IT Act.
Commonwealth Games, 2018 Overview . Started in 1930, Commonwealth Games was initially known by various names such as the British Empire Games, Friendly Games and British Commonwealth Games. . Since 1978, they came to be known as the Commonwealth Games. . Members of the Commonwealth of Nations that majorly formed a part of the British Empire during the colonial rule participate in it. . It is governed by Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) . It has been conducted once in four years. Commonwealth of Nations . It is an international intergovernmental organisation of countries that were mostly former territories of the British Empire. . It was established by the London Declaration in 1949. . Current membership includes 53 counties (including India). Headquarters at London, UK. . Queen Elizabeth II is Head of Commonwealth. . Some members of the Commonwealth recognize the Queen as head of state. These members are known as Commonwealth Realms. India in Commonwealth Games, 2018 . In 2018, XXI Commonwealth Games (CWG) were held on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. . India finished 3rd for the tournament with 26 Gold medals and a total of 66 medals (26 Gold, 20 Silver and 20 Bronze). It was India's best position since the 2010 Commonwealth Games. . The 2022 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XXII Commonwealth Games will be held in Birmingham, England. . National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) was set up as registered society under the Societies Registration Act of 1890 in 2005 with a mandate for Dope free sports in India. . The primary objectives are to implement anti-doping rules as per World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, regulate dope control programme, to promote education and research and creating awareness about doping and its ill effects. . It comes under Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. . It was constituted under the Societies Registration Act in 2006, after signing the 2004 Copenhagen Declaration on Doping in Sports. Functions . To implement the Anti-Doping Code to achieve compliance by all sports organizations in the Country. . To promote anti-doping research and education to maintain the value of dope free sports. . To adopt best practice standards and quality systems to enable effectiveness of the program . NADA is responsible to implement an effective number of in-competition and out-of-competition tests on the athletes. . Develops a test distribution plan and allocates the number of samples for each sport required for effective regulation. World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) . WADA is global Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) that aims at maintaining anti-doping regulations in all sports and countries. Page | 43 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. It is collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee. . It was established in 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland under so called Declaration of Lausanne to coordinate, promote and monitor the fight against drugs in sports. . Its headquarters is in Montreal, Canada. . As per the annual statistics report published by World Anti-Doping Agency, the number of anti- doping rule violation in India has come down. Such decrease in the number of doping incidence brought India from 3 rd place to 6 th place globally in doping violations.
National Sports University National Sports University Act, 2018 . The Act seeks to establish a National Sports University in Manipur. . The specialized university, the first of its kind, will promote sports education in the areas of sports sciences, sports technology, sports management and sports coaching besides functioning as the national training centre for select sports disciplines by adopting best international practices. . The University will impart Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral programmes in Sports Coaching, Sports Sciences and physical Education in various disciplines. . The Executive Council will be responsible for all administrative affairs of the University. . Members of the Council will be nominated by the central government and will hold office for two years. Functions of University . To prescribe courses of study and conducting training programmes, . Granting degrees, diplomas, and certificates . Providing facilities through a distance education system Recent Developments . With the foundation stone laid at Imphal West in Manipur,the temporary campus is working from Khuman Lampak Sports Complex of Imphal. . First academic session started with Bachelor of Physical Education and Sports (BPES) and B.Sc. (Sports Coaching) Courses.
National Sports & Adventure Awards 2018 . The Union Government distributes National Sports Awards every year to recognize and reward excellence in sports in India. This year these awards were conferred to 32 sportspersons/coaches from various disciplines. . These awards include Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, Dronacharya Award, Arjuna Award, Dhyan Chand Award, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy and Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar. . Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award was conferred to 10 persons in categories of Land Adventure, Water Adventure and one (1) award to Life Time Achievement category. Award Given For
Rajiv Gandhi Khel India’s highest sporting Ratna award given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of
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four years. Dronacharya For coaches who produce Award medal winners at international sports events. Arjuna Award It is India’s second highest sporting award given to sportsperson for consistently outstanding performance for four years. Dhyan Chand To sportspersons for life time Award contribution to sports development. Maulana Abul To the top performing Kalam Azad university in sports. (MAKA) Trophy Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar . Under this scheme, the awards are given to Institutions promoting sport in the country in the following four categories; o Identification and nurturing of budding/young talent o Encouragement of sports through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) o Employment of sportspersons and other welfare measures o Sports for Development
Asian Games, 2018 Overview . It is pan-continental multi-sporting event held every four years between athletes from all over Asia. . It is also known as Asiad. It is organised by Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). . The first Asian Games were held in New Delhi, India in 1951. . India had hosted Asian Games two times in 1951 (inaugural) and 1982, both in NewDelhi. Asian Games, 2018 . The 18th edition of Asian Games was hosted by Indonesia. . It was held in two cities – Jakarta (capital of Indonesia) and Palembang (capital of Indonesia’s province of South Sumatra). . It is second time Indonesia hosting Asian Games. For first, it was held in Jakarta in 1962. . Mascots: Trio of Bhin Bhin (bird of paradise), Kaka (one horned rhino) and Atung (deer) are mascots of 2018 Asian Games. India’s Performance . It was India’s best performance in the Asian Games till now. . India finished at eight position and it was India’s highest ever medal tally. . India won 69 medals (15 Gold, 24 Sliver and 30 Bronze) . In 2018 Asia Games, track and field events remained most productive for India as it won in seven events. . Indian athletes had claimed two gold medals in shooting and wrestling and one each in boxing, bridge, rowing and tennis. Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) . The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia, currently with 45 member National Olympic Committees. . The OCA was formed in 1982 and has its permanent headquarters in Page | 45 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Kuwait. . The main objective of the OCA is to develop sport, culture and education of Asian youth as well as to promote international respect, friendship, goodwill & peace through sports.
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Department of Youth Affairs
Overview . The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports now has a new umbrella Scheme called & Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakaram& (RYSK) by merging the earlier 8 schemes. . There are two other schemes namely National Service Scheme (NSS) and Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) for the development of adolescents and youth of the country.
S. No. Names of Schemes Names of Schemes (Before (After Restructuring) Restructuring)
1. Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS)
2. National Youth Corps Merged into a new (NYC) ‘umbrella’ Scheme called “Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram 3. National Programme for Youth & RYSK)”. Adolescent Development (NPYAD)
4. International Cooperation
5. Youth Hostels (YH)
6. Assistance to Scouting & Guiding Organisations 7. National Discipline Scheme (NDS) 8. National Young Leaders Programme (NYLP) 9. National Service National Service Scheme Scheme (NSS) (NSS) 10. Rajiv Gandhi National Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Institute of Youth Development Development (RGNIYD) (RGNIYD)
Rashtriya Yuva Sashaktikaran Karyakram Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) . NYKS has been working all over the Country to develop the personality of the youth and to engage them in nation-building activities by enrolling youths in youth clubs. Page | 47 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Blood donation, planting of saplings, sports meets, yoga, water conservation, swacch bharat, clean ganga, are some of the schemes where the youth had played an active role. National Programme for Youth Development and Adolescent . Under this programme, Youth Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas has been held on 21st January, 2019 at Varanasi, Uttar Prades. Pravasi Bharatiya Divas . Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) is celebrated on 9th January every year to mark the contribution of Overseas Indian community in the development of India. . January 9 was chosen as the day to celebrate this occasion since it was on this day in 1915 that Mahatma Gandhi, returned to India from South Africa. . It is sponsored by the Ministry of External Affairs of the government of India and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). . Youth PBD seeks to reconnect young overseas Indians with their Indian roots and enhance their awareness of both contemporary India and the culture and heritage of India. International Cooperation . The Department seeks to operate international Youth exchange programmes with various countries to collaborate with various international agencies on youth development. . Youth delegations from Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Sri Lanka had visited India. . Indian youth delegations had visited countries such as Nepal, China, Tunisia, and also attended Y20 summit in Argentina, BRICS Youth summit in South Africa and 2 nd International Youth Education and Cultural Festival in Cambodia. Scheme (National Service NSS) . National Service Scheme (NSS) was introduced in 1969 with the primary objective of developing the personality and character of the student youth through voluntary community service. . It is a central sector scheme. . ‘Education through Service’ is the purpose of the NSS. . The Motto of NSS & Not Me But You& reflects the essence of democratic living and upholds the need for selfless service. . The core activities could be in the field of education and literacy, health, family welfare and nutrition, sanitation and cleanliness, environment conservation, social service programmes, programmes for improving status of women, production-oriented programmes, disaster relief and rehabilitation etc . NSS volunteers had been actively participating in various programs such as Swacch bharat mission, Immunization camps, Creating awareness about GST and Digital transactions around different parts of the country. Central Sector Schemes . They are the schemes that are entirely and directly funded and executed by the central government. . Examples- Namami Gange, Crop Insurance Scheme, recapitalisation of public sector banks. Centrally Sponsored Schemes or CSS . They are schemes that are implemented by state governments with central assistance. . The cost of these schemes is borne on a shared basis in the ratio of 50:50, 70:30, 75:25 or 90:10. . Under the cost ratio, the larger portion is always borne by the Centre. Schemes under CSS
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are formulated on the areas covered under the State List. Examples- MGNREGA, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission.
Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) About RGNIYD . The Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, is an Institution of National Importance under the Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports, Government of India. . The RGNIYD was set up in 1993 under the Societies Registration Act, XXVII of 1975. . As the apex institute at the national level, it works in close cooperation with the NSS, NYKS and other youth organizations in the implementation of training programmes. . The Institute is a nodal agency for training youth as a facilitator of youth development activities in rural, urban as also tribal areas. India Youth Development Index (YDI) . RGNIYD brought out the India Youth Development Index and Report - 2017 as part of its documentation activity of the National Youth Resource Centre. . It was constructed using definition of youth as used in National Youth Policy 2014 and World Youth Development Report of Commonwealth (15–29 years). . It tracks the trends in Youth Development across the States. . Dimensions on which the YDI 2017 has been formed are: Education, Health, Political Participation, Civic Participation, Work and Social Inclusion. . Indian Youth Development Index includes an additional category ‘Social inclusion’ compared to Global Youth Development Index. . The Social Inclusion helps to assess the inclusiveness of societal progress as structural inequalities persist in Indian society. . This report helps to identify the gaps in policy implementation. Global Youth Development Index . Global Youth Development Index (YDI) is a composite index that measures multi-dimensional progress on youth development, which is compiled by the Commonwealth Secretariat. . YDI has five domains measuring levels of education, health and well-being, employment and opportunity, political participation and civic participation for young people. . India has been ranked 133rd out of 183 countries in the 2016 Global Youth Development Index (YDI).
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Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
Introduction . The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment makes policies and programmes that aims at 1. Educational, economic and social empowerment of Scheduled Castes (SCs), Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Transgender persons, Beggars, Economically Backwards Classes (EBCs) and De-notified and Nomadic Tribes (DNTs). 2. Supporting Senior Citizens by way of their maintenance, welfare, security, health care, productive and independent living. 3. Prevention and treatment of Alcoholism and Substance (Drugs) Abuse. . The vision of the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment is to build an inclusive society wherein members of the target group can lead productive, safe and dignified lives with adequate support for their growth and development.
Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana Phase-I . Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY) aims for integrated development of selected villages having more than 50% Scheduled Caste (SC) population. . It has been done by implementation of existing schemes of Central and State Governments. . The scheme was launched in 2009-10 on a trial basis, for the integrated development of 1000 villages in 5 States such as Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Assam. . It was further extended to 1500 various villages of various states in 2015. Adarsh village . For a village to be declared as Adarsh village, a minimum of three of the targets listed below have to be achieved by the end of the third year of implementation of PMAGY. 1. As far as possible, elimination of poverty, but reduction in its rate by at least 50% within three years. 100% enrolment of children at the elementary school (I-VIII). 2. Reduction of infant mortality rate (per thousand live births) to 30 and maternal mortality rate (per lakh) to 100, by 2012. 3. Village should be 100 % open defecation free 4. Access to safe drinking water facility to all villagers on a sustainable basis. 5. 100% institutional deliveries for pregnant women 6. Full immunization of children 7. Achieving all weather road connectivity to the village 8. 100% registration of deaths and births in the village 9. No child marriages, and child labour 10. No public consumption of liquor and other intoxicating substances 11. 100% allotment of Pradhan Mantri Gramin Awaas Yojana (PMGAY) houses to all eligible families Modified Scheme (Phase-II) . The salient features of the modified Scheme under the Phase-II are as under: . Those districts are considered which have villages having total population ≥500 and with more than 50% persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes. . Up to 10 such villages in descending order of SC population are proposed to be selected from each such district for implementation of the scheme in this new phase. . For every new village selected, the scheme provides for a total of Rs. 21 lakhs.
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. The ‘Village Development Plan’ (VDP) will be based on the data collected as part of the Need Assessment exercise and it will have listing of both the cost based and costless efforts required for improvement in the village. . For better project monitoring and implementation of the Scheme there will be committees at State, District and Village Level.
Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Students Post-Matric Scholarship for Scheduled Caste Students . Post Matric Scholarship scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. . The Scheme provides financial assistance to the Scheduled Caste students studying at post- secondary stage (college) to enable them to complete their education. . These scholarships are available for studies in India only. National Overseas Scholarship Scheme . This Scheme provides financial assistance to the finally selected candidates for pursuing Master level courses and Ph.D abroad in the accredited Institutions/University by an authorized body of that country. Scheme for Top Class Education . Central Sector Scholarship Scheme of Top-Class Education for Scheduled Caste Students has been revised to cover more Institutions with increased number of slots (scholarships). . Provision for 30% reservation has also been made for Girl Students. . The eligibility criteria has also been changed by increasing the total family income to Rs.6.00 lakh per year from 4.50 lakh per year previously.
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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting represents the face of the government in reaching out to the masses. The Ministry is entrusted with the task of disseminating information about government policies, schemes and programmes through the different mediums of communication. . The Ministry took several key initiatives in the year 2018 to meet these objectives, a snapshot of which is presented below.
Information Sector . Bureau of Outreach and Communication formed through integration of Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP), Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP) and Song & Drama Division (S&DD) for ensuring synergy between the media units. . Reconstitution of Committee on Journalist Welfare Scheme - for the first time, journalists were also made members of the Committee. . Deen Dayal Upadhyay Scholarship announced for people of Indian Origin who have done exemplary work in the field of development journalism. . Special Yojana issue on ‘employment and self-employment’ released - covered wide ranging issues including those related to livelihood opportunities, entrepreneurship, employment data. . “The Republican Ethic” and “LoktantraKeSwar” book released - selected speeches of President Shri Ram Nath Kovind, brought out by Directorate of Publications Division.
Broadcast Sector . 15th Asia Media Summit organized in Delhi with the theme, ‘Telling Our Stories – Asia and More’. It encouraged dialogue and cooperation in Media Sector in the Region. . All India Radio streaming services launched on Amazon Alexa Smart Speakers – a synergy of the old and modern forms of communication. The initiative will also benefit Indian diaspora since now anyone from any part of the world can listen to the programmes in All India Radio through Alexa. . New Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) vans of Doordarshan has been dedicated for Gangtok, Kohima, Imphal and Agartala. With this step, the development stories of the people of North-East will further reach out to people.
Film Sector . Agreement on Film Co-production between India and Israel signed - to facilitate mutual exchange of art and culture, create goodwill and better understanding among the people of both the countries as well as various aspects of film making. The Agreement will also help in generation of employment among artistic, technical as well as non-technical personnel. . 65th National Film Awards organized . ASEAN India Film Festival organized in Delhi - the festival acts as a vehicle of cultural exchange and facilitates people to people contact in member countries, especially amongst youth.
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. Dedicated web portal launched by Film Facilitation Office to disseminate information on filming locations and the facilities available in India for film production/post production and to allow foreign film makers to make online application for permission of shooting of feature films, reality TV shows and commercial TV series in India. . India Pavilion was organized at Cannes Film Festival 2018 to showcase diversity in Indian films while furthering collaborations with various other countries. India Pavilion was also set up in Berlin Film Festival and Toronto International Film Festival. . India hosts European Union Film Festival – European films have been screened at film festivals that has been hosted in 11 Indian cities. . India Pavilion organized at Videocitta 2018 in Rome Film Festival. India was the partner country at Videocitta 2018, an event focussing on Virtual Reality, Video gaming, Animation, Film Making, etc. . 49th International Film Festival of India the Festival.organized in Goa. Israel was the country in focus and Jharkhand was the state in focus during
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Department of Atomic Energy
Achievements . Unit-1 of Kaiga Generating Station in Karnataka has registered 941 days of continuous operation in December 2018 surpassing the earlier world record of 940 days held by Heysham-2 (Unit-8) of UK. This landmark has demonstrated that nation’s capability in nuclear power generation technology of PHWR has fully matured. It evidences the excellence in design, construction, safety, quality and operation & maintenance practices of National Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). . In March 2018, the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) was operated at 30 MWt, a major milestone in its history.
Apsara – U Reactor . “Apsara”, the first research reactor in Asia became operational in Trombay campus of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in August 1956. . The reactor was shut down in 2009. . A swimming pool type research reactor “Apsara-upgraded” of higher capacity was setup at Trombay in September 2018. . The reactor, made indigenously, uses plate type dispersion fuel elements made of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU). . By virtue of higher neutron flux, this reactor will increase indigenous production or radio-isotopes for medical application by about fifty percent and would also be extensively used for research in nuclear physics, material science and radiation shielding. . Neutron flux – It is a measure of the intensity of neutron radiation, determined by the rate of flow of neutrons. It is the total length travelled by all free neutrons per unit time and volume.
Apsara – U pool (Top view) Cyclone-30 . Cyclotrons are used to produce radioisotopes for diagnostic and therapeutic use for cancer care.
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. Cyclone-30, the biggest cyclotron in India for medical application became operational in September 2018. . The Cyclone-30 machine situated at Kolkata-based Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, which comes under the Department of Atomic Energy, will start regular production by mid-2019. . It will produce 18F (Fluorine-18 isotope) for the preparation of Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), Germanium-68, Palladium-103 and other isotopes. . It will also work on studies related to installation of Iodine isotope. . This facility will provide for affordable radio isotopes and related radiopharmaceuticals for the entire country especially, for Eastern India. . This facility also have export potential for Germanium-68/Gallium-68 generator for in-situ production of gallium-68 and palladium-103 isotopes. . Gallium-68 and Palladium-103 isotopes are used for breast cancer diagnosis and prostate cancer treatment respectively.
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Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation
. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MDWS) has been allocated the charge of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen). . Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM) was launched on 2 October, 2014 to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage in India and promote access to safe sanitation in India. . The SBM aims at achieving an Open Defecation Free (ODF) nation by 2 October, 2019. . The SBM identifies behaviour change as the primary and fundamental tool for the achievement of ODF outcomes. Achievements . Rural sanitation coverage has increased significantly from 38.7% at the launch of SBM (G) in 2014 to 96.88% in 2018. . 534 districts have been declared as ODF districts. . 25 states/UTs have been declared as ODF States/UTs. Schemes/programmes Swachhata Pakhwada . Swachhata Pakhwada started in April 2016 with the objective of bringing a fortnight of intense focus on the issues and practices of cleanliness by engaging GOI Ministries/Departments in their jurisdictions. Namami Gange . The Namami Gange Programme is an initiative of Ministry of Water Resources (MOWR). . As an inter-ministerial initiative, making villages on the bank of river Ganga ODF and interventions dealing with solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) are being implemented by the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. . It was launched in 2015 with the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga. . The program would be implemented by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), and its state counterpart organizations i.e., State Program Management Groups (SPMGs). . Its implementation has been divided into Entry-Level Activities (for immediate visible impact), Medium-Term Activities (to be implemented within 5 years of time frame) and Long-Term Activities (to be implemented within 10 years). . ‘Namami Gange’ will focus on pollution abatement interventions namely Interception, diversion & treatment of wastewater flowing through the open drains through bio- remediation / appropriate in-situ treatment / use of innovative technologies / sewage treatment plants (STPs) / effluent treatment plant (ETPs); rehabilitation and augmentation of existing STPs and immediate short term measures for arresting pollution at exit points on river front to prevent inflow of sewage etc. Main pillars . Sewerage treatment infrastructure . River front development . River surface cleaning . Bio-diversity . Afforestation . Public awareness . Industrial effluent monitoring Page | 56 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Ganga gram
Swachhata Action Plan (SAP) . This is an inter-ministerial collaborative project which commenced in April 2017, whereby Ministries and Departments were advised to go beyond business as usual and implement innovative and outcome-based Swachhata activities.
Swachh Iconic Places (SIP) . It is an initiative focusing on cleaning up 100 places across India that is “iconic” due to their heritage, religious and/or cultural significance. . The goal of the Initiative is to improve the cleanliness conditions at these places to a distinctly higher level. . This initiative is a partnership between Ministries of Housing and Urban Affairs, Tourism and Culture with Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation being the nodal ministry. . All Iconic Sites have designated PSUs/Corporates for financial and technical support.
Satyagraha Se Swachhagraha campaign . Mahatma Gandhi launched the Champaran Satyagraha over a century ago, on 10th April, 1917 . To commemorate this landmark, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, in coordination with the Government of Bihar, is working to spread the message of Swachhata across the country by initiating the “Satyagraha se Swachhagraha”campaign, from 3rd to 10th April, 2018.
GOBARdhan scheme . Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme is aimed at keeping villages clean while increasing the income of farmers and cattle owners by promoting local entrepreneurs to convert cattle dung, and other organic resources, to biogas and organic manure. . The scheme envisages the implementation of 700 bio-gas units in different states of the country in 2018-19.
Swachhata Hi Seva (SHS) . This scheme aims at generating greater public participation towards Swachhta. . It is being organized in the run up to the fourth anniversary of the Swachh Bharat Mission, on October 2nd, 2018, which will also mark the commencement of the 150th year celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi.
Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC) . The Mahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention (MGISC) brought together Ministers of sanitation and sector specialists from around the world. Approximately 200 delegates from 67 countries attended the Convention in New Delhi. . The participating countries shared sanitation success stories and best practices, along with learning from the experience of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Page | 57 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Swajal
. Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation launched Swajal, a community demand driven, decentralized, single village, preferably solar powered, mini PWS (Piped Water Supply) programme for the 117 aspirational districts identified by NITI Aayog. . These schemes aims to provide villages with piped drinking water supply powered by solar energy. . Gram Panchayats in partnership with rural communities and State sectoral agencies would be involved in the execution of the scheme and also operate and maintain the scheme. . The scheme will train hundreds of rural technicians for operation and maintenance of Swajal units.
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Ministry of Corporate Affairs
. In pursuance to objective of providing greater “Ease of Doing Business” to all stakeholders, bring about greater transparency in corporate structure and better Corporate compliance so as to enhance the efficiency of the processes under Companies Act ,2013 , the Ministry of Corporate Affairs ( MCA) has taken several landmark initiatives / decisions in 2018. Highlights . Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 . Establishment of National Financial Reporting Authority (NFRA) . Amendments in Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code eKYC drive for Directors of all companies . India has improved its ranking on the World Bank’s “Doing Business” 2019 report. India moved up 23 spots to 77th position as compared to 100th position in 2017 by improving its rank in six out of ten parameters relating to starting and doing business in India. Ministry of Corporate Affairs has contributed towards starting a business, insolvency resolution and protection of minority interests.
Injeti Srinivas Committee . The Committee to review the existing framework dealing with offences under the Companies Act, 2013 chaired by Corporate Affairs Secretary Injeti Srinivas submitted its report to the Union Minister for Finance Corporate Affairs. . The Committee recommended that the existing rigour of the law should continue for serious offences whereas for lapses that are essentially technical or procedural in nature may be shifted to in-house adjudication process. . This would serve the twin purposes promoting of Ease of Doing Business and better corporate compliance. It would also reduce the number of prosecutions filed in the Special Courts, which would, in turn, facilitate speedier disposal of serious offences and bring serious offenders to book. . Most sections under review and recommendation have been notified for commencement. Based on the recommendations of the Committee the Government promulgated the Companies (Amendment) Ordinance, 2018 in November 2018.
Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code Amendments . IBC was framed in 2016 with the intention to expedite simplify the process of Insolvency and Bankruptcy proceedings in India. The code permits a maximum of 180 days (subject to a one-time extension by 90 days) for resolution of a distressed company. . The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) is the adjudicating authority for companies. For individuals the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) adjudicates the insolvency resolution. . In January 2018, Parliament passed The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Act, 2018 to prohibit (i) wilful defaulters, (ii) promoters or management of the company if it has an outstanding non-performing debt for over a year, and (iii) disqualified directors, among others-- from submitting a resolution plan in case of defaults. . Further, The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Second Amendment) Act, 2018 was
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passed in August to allow home buyers to be treated as financial creditors, provide relief to MSME sector and promote resolution over liquidation of corporate debtor by lowering the voting threshold of committee of creditors.
National Financial Reporting Authority . In the wake of accounting scams and frauds in the corporate sector, National Financial Reporting authority (NFRA) was notified as an independent regulator for auditing profession which is one of the key changes brought in by the Companies Act 2013. . NFRA will review the quality of corporate financial reporting and take disciplinary action against auditors/audit firms for not discharging their statutory duties with due diligence. . The decision is expected to result in higher foreign/domestic investments, acceleration of economic growth while supporting greater globalization of business by conforming to international standards and assisting in the evolution of audit profession. . The jurisdiction of NFRA for investigation of Chartered Accountants and their firms would extend to listed companies and large unlisted public companies. e-governance . To provide for faster and transparent processes, the MCA took the following major initiatives towards Ease of Doing Business and standardisation. . Introduction of “RUN – Reserve Unique Name”: It is a web service used for reserving a name for a new company or for changing its existing name. The web service helps to verify whether the name chosen for a company is unique. . Re-engineering the process of allotment of Director Identification Number (DIN). By allotting DIN through the combined SPICe (Simplified Proforma for Incorporating Company Electronically) form only at the time of an individual’s appointment as Director. . Exemption of MCA fee for company incorporation. Zero fee for incorporation of new companies with authorized capital upto Rs 10 lakh or those companies with no share capital but have upto 20 members. . eKYC drive for directors of all companies. MCA has introduced a mandatory e-form ‘DIR-3 KYC’ for all DIN holders. This drive is aimed at verification of individual DIN holders and weed out non-existent/dummy DIN holders and ultimately to clean up the Directors’ e-Registry. . Setting up Central Registration Centre (CRC) for “name reservation” and “incorporation” for LLPs (Limited Liability Partnership). CRC of Companies was already put in place.
National Company Law Tribunal . To speed up matter related to resolution of bankruptcy and insolvency, MCA proposed setting up 8 special courts under the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to deal with the insolvency cases. . These courts are proposed to be set up in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad. The proposal aims to reduce the mounting burden on the tribunal despite it having 11 benches all over India. . The aim is also to strengthen the insolvency process for faster resolution of NPAs.
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Indian Accounting Standards . In order to bring more transparent accounting, MCA has notified Indian Accounting Standard (Ind AS) 115 effective from 1st April 2018. . Ind AS 115 is a new revenue recognition standard for customer contracts in line with the International Financial Reporting Standards which will help in more transparent accounting of revenues with an impact on companies operating in diverse sectors, including technology, real estate and telecom. . Objective of Ind AS 115 is to establish the principles that should be applied when reporting useful information to users of financial statements.
Dematerialisation Of Securities Of Unlisted Public Companies . In order to bring about greater transparency in corporate structure and in view of advantages of dematerialisation of securities, and the Government’s focus on “Digital India”, the Ministry has amended the relevant rules to apply the dematerialisation requirements to unlisted public companies, in addition to listed companies. . Rules were amended in 2018 to mandate issue and transfer of securities by unlisted public companies in Demat form only. . Dematerialisation is a process through which physical securities such as share certificates and other documents are converted into electronic format and held in a Demat Account.
Investor Education & Protection Fund . The Investor Education Protection Fund (IEPF) Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Common Services Centres (CSC) e-governance Services India, wherein the latter would identify village level entrepreneurs for investor awareness projects, among other activities. . A new portal namely www.iepfportal.in has been developed for increasing the outreach of Investor Awareness Programme (IAP) and monitoring the programmes conducted by the professional institutes, CSC e-governance and other partner institutions.
Competition Matters . To enlarge the scope of debate of competition in India and to bring the best practices from around the world on competition issues, Competition Commission of India (CCI) successfully hosted the 17th International Competition Network (ICN) Annual Conference in March 2018 in New Delhi. . The MCA constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee for carrying out “Competition Assessment of existing policies” under the chairmanship of Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, to look into issues of anti-competition aspects and to focus on any restrictions/provisions in laws that pose great threat to competition. . Further, in pursuance of its objective to ensure that legislation is in sync with the needs of strong economic fundamentals, the Government constituted a Competition Law Review Committee under Injeti Srinivas, Secretary Corporate Affairs. The Committee is mandated to review the Competition Act/Rules/Regulation, to look into international best practices and sectoral interfaces etc.
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Department of Food & Public Distribution
(under Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution) National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA) . The NFSA aims to provide subsidized food grains to approximately two thirds of the total Indian population. . It covers 75% population in rural areas and 50% population in urban areas. . It gives guarantee through legislation to the food security programmes of the Central Government. . It includes the Midday Meal Scheme, Integrated Child Development Services scheme and the Public Distribution System. . Grains like wheat, rice and coarse grain will be distributed at the subsidized price of Rs. 3, Rs. 2 and Rs. 1 respectively. . The Act also has a special focus on the nutritional support to women and children . Beneficiaries Given Women pregnant/lactating free meals at Anganwadi & (6 months postbirth) Rs.6000 cash support in Instalments child: 6-month up child: 6-month up to 6 years to 6 years child 6 years to 14 years free midday meal at school
Recent Developments . The great efforts of government have resulted in universal implementation of the NFSA, 2013 in all 36 States UTs, benefiting around 80 crore persons in the country. . During the Financial Year 2018-19, for the first time under NFSA, funds have been released to State Governments as Central assistance to meet the expenditure for intra-State movement handling of food grains. Public Distribution System . The Public Distribution System (PDS) evolved as a system of management of scarcity and for distribution of food grains at affordable prices. . The PDS makes available fixed quotas of food grains to households through ration shops at a subsidised ration price. . PDS is operated under the joint responsibility of the Central and the State Governments. The Central Government, through Food Corporation of India (FCI), has assumed the responsibility for procurement, storage, transportation and bulk allocation of food grains to the State Governments. . The operational responsibility including allocation within State, identification of eligible families, issue of Ration Cards and supervision of the functioning of Fair Price Shops (FPSs) etc., rest with the State Governments. . PDS programme plays an important role in poverty alleviation and is the most significant anti-poverty programme of the government.
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History . Till 1992, PDS was a general entitlement scheme for all consumers without any specific target. . But in 1992, PDS became RPDS (Revamped PDS) with a view to strengthen and streamline the PDS as well as to improve its reach in the far-flung, hilly, remote and inaccessible areas where a substantial section of the poor live. . In 1997, RPDS became TPDS (Targeted PDS) with focus on the poor. The target population was divided as Below Poverty level (BPL) population and Above Poverty level (APL) population with differential subsidised price rates for each group.
Computerization of TPDS Operations . Due to digitization of Ration Card, de-duplication due to Aadhaar seeding, transfer/migration/deaths and change in economic status of beneficiaries, a total of 2.75 Crore ration cards have been deleted/cancelled by State/UT Governments during the years 2013 to 2017. . To modernize and to bring about transparency in the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), the Department is implementing scheme on End-to-end Computerization of TPDS. . The Scheme provides for digitization of ration cards beneficiary records, computerization of supply chain management, setting up of transparency portals and grievance redressal mechanisms. . As part of the scheme, electronic Point of Sale (ePoS) devices are being installed at Fair Price Shops (FPSs) for distribution of food grains through authentication and electronic record-keeping of the sale transactions. . Intra state portability of ration cards: This facility enables PDS beneficiaries to lift their entitled food grains from any fair price shop in their state has been started in some states. . ‘Integrated Management of PDS’ (IM-PDS): A new Central Sector Scheme has been approved to be implemented during FY 2018-19 and FY 2019-20 for establishing Public Distribution System Network (PDSN) to implement national level portability, central data repository and central monitoring system of PDS operations. . Annavitran Portal been implemented to display electronic transactions made through ePoS devices for distribution of subsidized food grains to beneficiaries.
Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) . The process of registration of warehouses with WDRA has been simplified. . The new rules will promote increase in the number of warehouses registered with WDRA. . It could enable the farmers to easily access the Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWR) Page | 64 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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system. . Electronic Negotiable Warehousing Receipt (eNWR) System and WDRA Portal has been launched to transform the process of registration of warehouses online and to issue e-NWR instead of paper-NWR which will be a more credible financing tool. Negotiable Warehouse Receipts (NWR) . NWRs are documents issued by warehouses to depositors against commodities deposited in warehouses. . NWRs can be traded, sold, swapped and used as collateral to support borrowing or loans from banks. . These receipts were made negotiable under Warehouse (Development and Regulation) Act, 2007 and are regulated by Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA). . e-NWR will have no chances of any tempering, mutilation, fudging, loss or damage and also no possibility of any multiple financing.
Sugar Sector . Due to surplus sugar production and depressed ex-mill prices of sugar (Amount paid by sugar mills to farmers for the procured sugarcane in the previous season), the liquidity position of sugar mills was adversely affected leading to accumulation of cane price dues to alarming levels. . With a view to improve the liquidity position of sugar mills and enabling them to clear cane price arrears of farmers, the Government has taken the following measures during last few months. . In order to prevent cash loss and to facilitate sugar mills to clear cane dues of farmers in time, the Government has fixed a minimum selling price of sugar at Rs.29/kg for sale at factory gate in domestic market, below which no sugar mill can sell sugar. . Extending Assistance to sugar mills for defraying expenditure towards internal transport, freight, handling and other charges to facilitate export of sugar from the country in sugar season 2018-19. . Government has also notified new National Policy on Bio-Fuels, 2018 under which sugarcane juice has been allowed for production of ethanol. Further, the Government has fixed remunerative price of ethanol produced from C-Heavy molasses and B-Heavy molasses/sugarcane juice separately for supply under EBP during ethanol season 2018- 19.
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Ministry of Earth Sciences
. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) is mandated to provide services for weather, climate, ocean and coastal state, hydrology, seismology, and natural hazards; to explore marine living and non- living resources in a sustainable way and to explore the three polar-regions (Arctic, Antarctic and Himalayas).
High Performance Computing (HPC) . The Ministry of Earth Sciences has installed HPC facility at two of its constituent units namely, Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune named ‘Pratyush’ with 4.0 Peta Flops capacity and National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida named “MIHIR” with 2.8 Peta Flops capacity. . India’s ranking has moved to the top 30 in the Top500 list of HPC facilities in the world. . India is now placed at the 4 th position after Japan, UK and USA for dedicated HPC resources for weather/climate community.
Improved Weather and Cyclone Predictions . The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has commissioned a very high resolution (12 km grid scale) state-of-the-art global Ensemble Prediction Systems (EPS) in June 2018. . The resolution (12 km) of the EPS is the highest among all the global operational weather forecast centres in the world. . The EPS will enhance the weather information being provided by the current models by quantifying the uncertainties in the weather forecasts and generate probabilistic forecasts. . The probabilistic forecasts of severe weather events at 12 km grid scale across India will greatly help the disaster management authorities and other users in making better emergency response decisions by explicitly accounting for the uncertainty in weather forecasts. . The probabilistic forecasts will also be very useful for various sectors of the economy including agriculture, water resources, tourism and renewable energy.
Agro-Meteorological Advisory Services (AAS) . The Ministry in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)provides the district level Agromet Advisory Services (AAS) for the benefit of farmers. . Farmers make use of these services for planning the operations like sowing, irrigation, application of fertilizer and pesticide, harvest and protection of crops from weather disasters.
Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) Advisories . The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad continues to provide its flagship service of Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories, which contains information on the regions of fish availability. . PFZ advisories are generated based on the satellite data on Sea Surface Temperature (SST) and ocean colour along with other environmental parameters such as water clarity and sea level.
Desalination of water . The works for the world’s first ever Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) powered desalination project in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep has been started.
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. OTEC is a renewable form of energy utilizing thermal gradient (temperature differences) present across the ocean depth. . The proposed plant will utilize clean and green energy provided by OTEC to power desalination and would not only pave the way for setting up of more environmentally friendly self-sustainable desalination plants but also help in scaling up the OTEC technology for mainland uses. Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) . Ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) is a process or technology for producing energy by harnessing the temperature differences (thermal gradients) between ocean surface waters and deep ocean waters. . Energy from the sun heats the surface water of the ocean. In tropical regions, surface water can be much warmer than deep water. . Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems use a temperature difference (of at least 77degree Fahrenheit) to power a turbine to produce electricity. . Warm surface water is pumped through an evaporator containing a working fluid. The vaporized fluid drives a turbine/generator. . The vaporized fluid is turned back to a liquid in a condenser cooled with cold ocean water pumped from deeper in the ocean. . OTEC systems using seawater as the working fluid can use the condensed water to produce desalinated water.
Ocean Science and Technology for Islands . The Atal Centre for Ocean Science and Technology for Islands in Port Blair was inaugurated on September 2018. . The activities are focused towards offshore open sea cage culture for marine fishes, deep sea microbial technology aimed at the production of novel bioactive compounds from actinobacteria and other deep sea microorganisms, isolation and production of bio-molecules from macro algae and seawater quality monitoring.
Coastal Research . The coastal research in India recognizes the importance of diverse and productive ecosystems of Indian Coast such as estuaries, lagoons, mangroves, mudflats, rocky shores and coral reefs. . The National Centre for Coastal research (NCCR), Chennai, is an attached office of the MoES with a mandate to provide scientific and technical support to the coastal states for conservation and sustainable management of the resources to address blue economy in association with the coastal states. . This would provide a strong institutional and scientific backing to solve the critical coastal issues and aid in the Nation building exercise. . Under the Sea Water Quality Monitoring (SWQM) program along Indian Coast, NCCR has seasonal data on various parameters pertaining to physico-chemical, biological and microbiological characteristics of seawater and sediment are systematically collected and analyzed using standard protocols. . The coastline of India is undergoing changes due to various anthropogenic and natural interventions. Population explosion along the coastal area has added to an increase demand for coastal resources. Precise information on shoreline changes is essential to address the various coastal problems such as coastal erosion; closure of river / lagoons/creeks mouths, etc.
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Air Quality Early Warning System for Delhi . A new early warning system of air quality in Delhi developed in collaboration with National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), USA was launched in October 2018. . The system will assimilate data from around 36 monitoring stations run by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), and System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). . Information from satellites on stubble burning in northwest India or dust storms along with the prevalent meteorological factors will help improve the initial conditions of the dynamical chemistry transport model thereby resulting in accurate prediction of air-quality. . This newly developed system will enable the Graded Response Action Plan to be implemented in advance. SAFAR (System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting) . The state-of-the-art air quality and weather forecast system– SAFAR was installed in New Delhi. . The system, first of its kind in the country, was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune and operationalized by India Meteorological Department. . The system gives out real-time air quality index on 24x7 basis with colour coding along with 72-hour advance forecast. . It will monitor all weather parameters like temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed and wind direction. . It will also measure sun’s UV-Index and will provide measurement of online automatic ultrafine particles PM1 and Mercury, both of which have direct relevance to human health. Based on UVI, skin advisories will be issued on display. . In addition to regular air quality parameters like PM2.5, PM10, Sulfur Dioxide, Ozone, Nitrogen Oxides, Carbon Monoxide, the system will also monitor the existence of Benzene, Toluene and Xylene.
Chennai Flood Mitigation . National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) has developed the Chennai Flood Warning System (C- FLOWS) for Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). . The design of the system involved coupling of regional weather forecast model, tide forecast model, tidal flood model, along with flood forecasting and inundation models. . The system will provide information about flood-levels ward-wise within 1 hour (for real time simulation) and 30 minutes (from expert system) after the weather forecast is received.
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Department of Consumer Affairs
Amendments to the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 . The amendment was made to safeguard the interest of consumers and ease of doing business. Goods displayed by the seller on e-commerce platform shall contain declarations required under the Rules. . No person shall declare different MRPs (dual MRP) on an identical pre-packaged commodity. . Size of letters and numerals for making declaration is increased, so that consumer can easily read the same. . Barcode/ QR Coding is allowed on voluntarily basis. . Provisions regarding declarations on Food Products have been harmonized with regulation under the Food Safety Standards Act. . Medical devices which are declared as drugs, are brought into the purview of declarations to be made under the rules.
Initiatives taken for Regional Reference Standards Laboratories (RRSL) . All RRSLs and Indian Institute of Legal Metrology, Ranchi have been accredited by National Accreditation Board of Laboratories (NABL). . Two new Regional Reference Standards Laboratories are being established at Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and Nagpur, Maharashtra. . The up gradation of RRSL, Bangalore is in progress to make it at par with the best International Laboratories in the field of Legal Metrology.
Action taken to stop fraudulent practices in Petrol/ Diesel dispensers . E-sealing: To prevent the manipulation in petrol/ diesel dispensing units, e-sealing has been introduced at petrol/ diesel retail outlets on pilot basis. . The decision comes after a number of petrol pumps were found to be dispensing less fuel than what is reflected on the electronic display , mainly by using an electronic chip to manipulate the pulsar card that measures the amount of fuel being pumped in. . The permission was granted to install the Vapour Recovery System for green environment and to reduce the petrol vapours at the Retail Outlets. . The Oil Marketing Companies are also asked to upgrade their existing Dispensers.
Time Dissemination . In India, dissemination of Time, one of the seven base units, is being maintained at only one level which is at National Physical Laboratory (NPL), New Delhi. . Presently, Indian Standard Time (IST) is not being adopted mandatorily by all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs). Non-uniformity of time across different systems creates problems in investigation of cybercrime by the law enforcement agencies (LEAs). . Hence, synchronisation of all networks and computers within the country with a national clock is a must, especially for the real time applications in strategic sector and national security. . To enable dissemination of Indian Standard Time in the country, budget provision has been made for the dissemination of the same through the five Regional Reference Standards Laboratories located at Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad and
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Guwahati with the cooperation of NPL. . Accurate time dissemination as well as precise time synchronization has significant impact on all societal, industrial, strategic and many other sectors like monitoring of the power grid failures, international trade, banking systems, automatic signalling in road railways, weather forecasting, disaster managements, searching for natural resources under the earth’s crust requires robust, reliable and accurate timing systems.
Price Stabilization Fund (PSF) . PSF was set up in 2014-15 to help regulate the price volatility of important agri- horticultural commodities like onion, potatoes and pulses. . Buffer stock of pulses built through domestic procurement and import, for effective market intervention to stabilize their prices. . Food Aid has also been provided to Afghanistan as well as towards Flood-relief measures undertaken in Kerala. Pulses are also being disposed through auction in Market. . These interventions ensured that prices of pulses and onions remain at reasonable level throughout the year.
Strengthening of Price Monitoring Cell (PMC) . PMC in the Department of Consumer Affairs, is responsible for monitoring prices of selected essential commodities. The activities of the cell include monitoring of the retail and wholesale prices, spot prices and future prices of selected essential commodities on a daily basis. . It analyses the price situation and gives advance feedback for taking preventive measures to help policy interventions at appropriate time to prevent undesired shortfall in the availability of essential commodities. . The PMCs at the state level has been strengthened with increased funding support in 2018-19.
Consumer Protection Bill 2018 . The Consumer Protection Bill 2018 has been introduced in the Parliament in January, 2018 in the Parliament. The Bill envisage to replace the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. . The Bill enforces consumer rights, and provides a mechanism for redressal of complaints regarding defect in goods and deficiency in services. . Consumer Disputes Redressal Commissions will be set up at the District, State and National levels for adjudicating consumer complaints. . The Bill sets up a Central Consumer Protection Authority to promote, protect and enforce consumer rights as a class. . If a consumer suffers an injury from a defect in a good or a deficiency in service, he may file a claim of product liability against the manufacturer, the seller, or the service provider. . The Bill defines contracts as ‘unfair’ if they significantly affect the rights of consumers. It also defines unfair and restrictive trade practices. . The Bill establishes Consumer Protection Councils at the district, state and national levels to render advice on consumer protection.
Bureau Of Indian Standards (BIS) . The Bureau of Indian Standards Act 2016, which established the Bureau of Indian Standards as the National Standards Body of India, was brought into force with effect from October 2017. Various rules and regulations have been framed and notified in Page | 70 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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2018 under the BIS Act for its effective implementation. . Also, Gold and Silver artefacts have been notified as the precious metal articles to be marked with Hallmark.
About BIS . BIS is the National Standard Body of India which works for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods. . BIS has been providing traceability and tangibility benefits to the national economy in a number of ways – providing safe reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; promoting exports and imports substitute; control over proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification and testing.
Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation
National Indicator Framework . National Indicator Framework has been developed by Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI). . It for monitoring progress on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Targets . Statistical indicators of NIF will be the backbone of monitoring of SDGs at the national and state level and will scientifically measure the outcomes of the policies to achieve the targets under different SDGs. . Based on statistical indicator, the MoSPI will bring out national reports on implementation of SDGs. . The Report will facilitate assessment of progress, identify challenges and give recommendations for follow up at the national level. . High Level Steering Committee will review the National Indicator Framework on regular basis for its improvement. . Advanced IT tools will be used for close and effective monitoring. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) . The UN General Assembly in its 70th Session in 2015 adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the next 15 years. . The 17 SDGs came into force with effect from 1st January, 2016. . They are not legally binding. . Countries are expected to take ownership and establish a national framework for achieving these Goals. . Countries would be responsible for follow-up and review at the national level, with regard to the progress made in implementing the Goals and targets.
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National Statistics Day Overview . The National Statistics Day is celebrated every year on June 29 in India for the birth anniversary of Late Prof. P. C. Mahalanobis. . It is done to create public awareness about the importance of statistics in socio-economic planning and policy formulation. . The day also acknowledges notable contribution of Late Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis in fields of statistics, statistical system and economic planning. . The 2018 theme is “Quality Assurance in Official Statistics”. PC Mahalanobis . He was born on 29 June 1893 in Kolkata. . In 1933, he had founded the first Indian statistical journal Sankhya. . He had founded the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) and contributed to the design of large-scale sample surveys. . He was also a member of the Planning Commission from 1955 to 1967. The Second Five-Year Plan had relied on Mahalanobis’s description of Indian economy. . This plan had encouraged the development of heavy industry in India and later became known as Nehru-Mahalanobis model or Basic Industry strategy of economic growth.
Other initiatives . Government constituted a Committee for Sub-National Accounts under the Chairmanship of Prof. Ravindra H. Dholakia, to upgrade existing norms and evolve new ones for computation of economic data at State and District levels for revision of the base year of GDP. The earlier such Committee was set up in the year 1972. . The Ministry notified General Guidelines on Socio-Economic Indices in April, 2018 to help the Government agencies in improving the quality of indices like the CPI, IIP and WPI. . The Ministry notified General Guidelines on Quality Assurance for Official Statistics
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in April, 2018 for voluntary compliance by Government agencies for improving quality of statistical products as per the Generic National Quality Assurance Framework endorsed by the United Nations Statistical Commission.
United Nations Statistical Commission . The United Nations Statistical Commission, established in 1947, is the highest body of the global statistical system. . It brings together the Chief Statisticians from member states from around the world. It is the highest decision making body for international statistical activities especially the setting of statistical standards, the development of concepts and methods and their implementation at the national and international level. . The Statistical Commission oversees the work of the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), and is a Functional Commission of the UN Economic and Social Council.
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Ministry of Shipping Ports . Ports in India handle 90% by volume and 70% by value of India’s external trade. . The Model Concession Agreement (MCA) has been amended with a view to obviate the problems being faced in execution of PPP Projects on account of certain provisions of the present MCA, in order to enhance confidence of investors and make the investments in the Port Sector attractive. . 100% FDI is being allowed in PPP Projects in the Port Sector. . A new Major Ports Authorities Bill to replace existing Major Port Trusts Act 1963 to provide greater autonomy and modernization of institutional structure is under the consideration of Parliamentary Standing Committee. . Various parameters for reducing dwell time and transaction costs in the Major Ports were introduced. . These include elimination of manual forms, accommodation for laboratories to Participating Government Agencies (PGAs), Direct Port Delivery, Installation of Container Scanners, E-delivery orders; RFID based Gate-automation System, etc . Logistics Data Bank Service under Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation Ltd. (DMICDC), for enabling track trace movement of EXIM container has been implemented at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) and is being implemented at other Major Ports. . A centralized web-based Port Community System (PCS) has been operationalized across all Major Ports which enables seamless data flow between the various stakeholders. Model Concession Agreement . Model Concession Agreement (MCA) forms the core of public private partnership (PPP) projects in India. . The MCA spells out the policy and regulatory framework for implementation of a PPP project. . The Model Concession Agreements for various sectors like National Highways, State Highways, Urban Rail Transit System and Ports are available.
Sagarmala . The prime objective of the Sagarmala project is to promote port-led direct and indirect development and to provide infrastructure to transport goods to and from ports quickly, efficiently and cost- effectively. Benefits . Reduce logistics cost for EXIM and domestic trade with minimal infrastructure investment. . Reducing cost of transporting domestic cargo through optimizing modal mix. . Improving export competitiveness by developing port proximate discrete manufacturing clusters. . Optimizing time/cost of EXIM container movement Components . Port Modernization New Port Development . Port Connectivity Enhancement . Port-linked Industrialization . Coastal Community Development New port locations . Vadhavan (Maharashtra), Enayam (Tamil Nadu), Tajpur (West Bengal), Paradip Outer Harbour (Odisha), Sirkazhi (Tamil Nadu), Belekeri (Karnataka) Coastal Berth Scheme
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. The Coastal Berth Scheme is a key initiative under the Sagarmala Programme to promote the development of dedicated infrastructure for coastal shipping of goods and passengers across India’s Major and Non-Major Ports. . The scheme provides financial aid for projects which promote coastal shipping at Indian ports.
Project UNNATI . The aims and objectives of Project UNNATI of the Ministry of Shipping are as follows: . Benchmark operational and financial performance of the 12 major ports, with selected Indian private ports and best-in-class international ports for identifying improvement areas. . Undertake capability maturity assessment for key processes and functional capabilities (e.g., IT, HR, Environment, and Health) and identify gaps and areas for further strengthening. . Detailed deep-dive diagnosis and root cause analysis for the identified opportunity areas in each of the 12 major ports to understand underlying reasons for performance bottlenecks. . Develop practical and actionable solutions on the basis of root cause findings, and develop a comprehensive improvement roadmap for each of the 12 major ports.
Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS) . A Centre of Excellence in Maritime & Shipbuilding (CEMS) has been setup at Vizag and Mumbai. . The objective of the center is to meet the domestic skill requirement in ship design, manufacturing, operating and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). . The long term purpose is to become an international nodal centre in South Asia, attracting students from neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia for skill development in the port and maritime sector.
National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts(NTCPWC) . Ministry of Shipping has set up the National Technology Centre for Ports, Waterways and Coasts (NTCPWC), at IIT Madras in Chennai to provide innovative and research based engineering solutions to various issues related to ports, waterways and coasts in the country. . NTCPWC will act as a technology arm of Ministry of Shipping for providing the needful technological support to Ports, Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and all other related institutions.
Inland Water Transport (IWT) and Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) . The Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) on NW-1 is being implemented with the financial and technical support of the World Bank. . The Project entails development of fairway with 3 meters depth between Varanasi and Haldia (Phase-I) covering a distance of 1380 km. . The route of the project covers states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Major Impact . Alternative mode of transport that will be environment friendly and cost effective. The project will contribute in bringing down the logistics cost in the country. . Mammoth Infrastructure development like multi-modal and inter-modal terminals, Roll on - Roll off (Ro-Ro) facilities, ferry services, navigation aids, navigation lock at Farakka, Page | 75 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Integrated Ship Repair and Maintenance Complexes and provision of River Information System (RIS) and Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS). . It provides Socio-economic impetus and has huge employment generation potential.
National Waterways . There are 111 officially notified Inland National Waterways (NWs) in India identified for the purposes of inland water transport, as per The National Waterways Act, 2016. . Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Shipping, is the statutory body in charge of the waterways in India. . National Waterway-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system from Allahabad to Haldia) . National Waterway-2 (River Brahmaputra from Dhubri to Sadiya) . National Waterway-3 (West Coast Canal from Kottapuram to Kollam along with Udyogmandal and Champakara Canals) . National Waterway-4 (Kakinada- Puducherry canals along with Godavari to Krishna rivers) . National Waterway-5 (East Coast Canal integrated with Brahmani river and Mahanadi delta rivers) . National Waterway-6 (Lakhipur to Bhanga along the Barak River)
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Ministry of Tourism
About the Ministry . The Ministry of Tourism is the nodal agency to formulate national policies and programmes for the development and promotion of tourism. . The Ministry consults and collaborates with other stakeholders in the sector including various Central Ministries/ agencies, the State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations and the representatives of the private sector. . Tourism is a major engine of economic growth and an important source of foreign exchange earnings in many countries including India. . It has a great capacity to create large scale employment of diverse kind – from the most specialized to the unskilled and hence can play a major role in creation of additional employment opportunities. . It can also play an important role in achieving growth with equity. . It has the main objective of increasing and facilitating tourism in India. . Augmenting tourism infrastructure, easing of visa regime, assurance of quality standards in services of tourism service providers, etc. are some of the responsibilities of the Ministry. Key highlights . First edition of the India Tourism Mart organized in New Delhi. . Ministry launches the new ‘Incredible India’ Website and Mobile App. . 10 MoUs signed under Adopt a Heritage project. . Indian Culinary Institute campuses inaugurated in Noida and Tirupati.
Tourism Statistics . During 2018, Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) registered a growth of 5.6% and tourists arriving on e- Tourist Visa registered a growth of 41.5% compared to 2017. . During 2018, Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) registered a growth of 11.9% compared to 2017. . There is also a growth in domestic tourist visits. Development of tourism infrastructure . Development of tourism infrastructure is being given priority to provide a better tourism experience to the tourists. . Theme based circuits are being developed under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme spanning the entire country. . Swadesh Darshan Scheme: Ministry of Tourism 1. Objective : To develop theme based tourist circuits in the country. 2. The scheme is 100% centrally funded for the project components undertaken for public funding. 3. To leverage the voluntary funding available for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of Central Public Sector Undertakings and the corporate sector. 4. Funding of individual project will vary from state to state and will be finalized on the basis of detailed project reports prepared by PMC (Programme Management Consultant). 5. A National Steering Committee (NSC) will be constituted with Minister in charge of Ministry of Tourism as Chairman, to steer the mission objectives and vision of the scheme. 6. A Mission Directorate will help in identification of projects in consultation with the States/ UTs governments and other stakeholders. 7. PMC will be a national level consultant, appointed by the Mission Directorate.
PRASHAD Scheme (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) Page | 77 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. It was launched in 2014-15 by Union Ministry of Tourism. . It aims at integrated development of pilgrimage destinations in planned, prioritised and sustainable manner to provide complete religious tourism experience. . It focuses on the development and beautification of the identified pilgrimage destinations. . Objectives: 1. Harness pilgrimage tourism for its direct and multiplier effect upon employment generation and economic development. 2. Enhance tourist attractiveness in sustainable manner by developing world class infrastructure in the religious destinations. 3. It also seeks to promote local art, culture, handicraft, cuisine, etc. 4. Development of entry points (road, rail and water transport), last mile connectivity, basic tourism facilities like Information/interpretation centers, ATM/ money exchange. 5. Development of eco-friendly modes of transport, lighting and illumination with renewable energy sources, drinking water, parking, toilets, waiting rooms, first aid centers, craft bazars/haats/souvenir shops/cafeteria, rain shelters, telecom facilities, internet connectivity etc.
Adopt A Heritage Project . Ministry of Tourism in close collaboration with Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) launched “Adopt a Heritage Project” to provide world class tourist facilities at the various natural/cultural heritage sites, monuments and other tourist sites. . The project plans to entrust heritage sites/monuments and other tourist sites to private sector companies, public sector companies and individuals for the development of various tourist amenities. . Under it, selected public sector companies, private sector companies and individuals will develop tourist amenities at heritage sites. They are being called as ‘Monument Mitra’ and adopt the sites essentially under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity. . MoUs have been signed for developing tourist amenities at the following sites:
Area surrounding Gangotri Temple & Trail Uttarakhand to Gaumukh
Mt. Stok Kangri Trek, Ladakh ,Leh Palace Jammu & Kashmir Red Fort New Delhi Gandikota Fort Andhra Pradesh Surajkund Haryana Jantar Mantar,Qutub Minar Delhi Ajanta Caves Maharashtra Hampi (Hazara Rama Temple) Karnataka
. Ministry of Tourism has identified 17 Sites in 12 Clusters for Development as Iconic Tourist Sites. 1. Taj Mahal Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh). 2. Ajanta and Ellora (Maharashtra). 3. Humayun Tomb, Qutub Minar and Red Fort (Delhi). Page | 78 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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4. Colva Beach (Goa). 5. Amer Fort (Rajasthan). 6. Somnath and Dholavira (Gujarat). 7. Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh). 8. Hampi (Karnataka). 9. Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu). 10. Kaziranga (Assam). 11. Kumarakom (Kerala). 12. Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar).
. The development of iconic tourist destinations will be implemented under the ongoing Swadesh Darshan Scheme of Ministry of Tourism. . There is no separate allocation of funds for this project.
Bharat Parv . It is a national festival to arouse patriotic feelings and portray that India is a land of unity in diversity, which was organised by the Ministry of Tourism. . It was held at the Red Fort in Delhi as part of the Republic Day celebrations. . The Bharat Parv event includes display of Republic Day Parade Tableaux, Performances by Armed Forces Bands, Cultural Performances from different regions of country, Multi-Cuisine Food Court, Craft Mela and Photo Exhibition by Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP). . The focus of the Bharat Parv’ 2018 is ‘Dekho Apna Desh’. To celebrate the diverse and fascinating culture, cuisine and handicrafts of our diverse country, a large number of people participated in the Parv. . Some of the programmes presented during the Parv, are: . The artists from Chhatisgarh presented ‘Lokmanya’ programme. . The artists from Jammu and Kashmir presented ‘Dogri/Bhand Pather’ programme. . The artists from Uttarakhand presented ‘Chapeli’. . The artists from Telangana presented ‘Perini Natyam Oggu Dollu’. . The artists from Andhra Pradesh presented ‘Kuchipudi’ dance.
Paryatan Parv . The Ministry of Tourism, in collaboration with other Central Ministries, State Governments and Stakeholders organised “Paryatan Parv” across the country. . The programme is being organized with the objective of drawing focus on the benefits of tourism, showcasing the cultural diversity of the country and reinforcing the principle of “Tourism for All”.
India Tourism Mart 2018 . The first edition of India Tourism Mart (IMT) was organised in New Delhi to create a global tourism mart for India on lines of major international travel marts. . It was organized by Ministry of Tourism in partnership with Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH). . India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) coordinated the whole event. . It will provide platform for all stakeholders in tourism and hospitality industries to interact and transact business opportunities.
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. It will provide platform for States to showcase their products to international buyers, opinion makers and bloggers and attract more tourists to their respective states. About ICPB . ICPB (India Convention Promotion Bureau) is the only travel industry body with participation from the entire MICE (Meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) industry, with members from state governments, hotels, airlines, tour operators, travel agents, professional conference organisers, event managers, educational institutions and more. . The endeavour of ICPB is to have highly developed convention centres all over the country to make India the preferred destination of the world. . ICPB is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism.
Incredible India Website & Mobile App . Ministry of Tourism launched the new Incredible India website and Incredible India Mobile App. . They showcase India as a holistic destination, revolving around major experiences, such as, spirituality, heritage, adventure, culture, yoga, wellness and more. . They follow the trends and technologies of international standards with an aim to project India as a “must-visit” destination. International Buddhist Conclave-2018 . Ministry of Tourism organized the International Buddhist Conclave-2018 (IBC-2018) on the theme “Buddha Path—The Living Heritage” in collaboration with the State Governments of Maharashtra, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. . The event was followed by site visits to Ajanta (Maharashtra), Rajgir, Nalanda Bodhgaya (Bihar) and Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh). . Japan was the ‘Partner Country at IBC-2018.
Promotion & Publicity . Ministry of Tourism released Global Media Campaigns in overseas markets covering leading as well as potential source markets for Indian tourism. . Active promotions were undertaken on the Social Media accounts of the Ministry of Tourism. . The Ministry organized a Social Media Key Influencers’ Campaign “The Great Indian Blog Train”, involving bloggers from across the world, who were invited to travel to destinations in the country on the Luxury Trains operating in different States. . e-Visa has 5sub-categories i.e. e-Tourist visa, e-Business visa, e-Medical visa, e-Medical Attendant visa and e-Conference visa. . At present the e-Visa Scheme is available to nationals of 166 countries.
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Ministry of Minority Affairs
Skill Development . The Ministry organised several “Hunar Haats” in the country to provide employment opportunities, as well as domestic and international exposure to master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts from across the country. . It has provided platform to master artisans and craftsmen to display their rich heritage and skills. . The theme of “Hunar Haat” organized by the Ministry of Minority Affairs was “Development with Dignity”. . More than 1 lakh 50 thousand artisans and people associated with them have been provided employment and employment opportunities during about last one year through Hunar Haat.
Education . The Ministry of Minority Affairs has implemented a scheme namely “Free Coaching and Allied Scheme for the candidates and students belonging to minority communities” all over the country including North Eastern States, under which, free coaching is provided to students belonging to six notified minority communities through selected or empanelled coaching institutions or organisations. . The coaching is for preparation of qualifying examinations for admission in technical and professional courses and competitive examinations for recruitment to Group “A” , “B” and “C” services and other equivalent posts under the Central and State governments including public sector undertakings, banks, insurance companies etc. . The Ministry has launched a pilot project for minority- “Cyber Gram” for digital literacy in a minority dominated village Chandauli in Alwar district of Rajasthan. . The “Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme” is awarded for pursuing professional and technical courses, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, in institutions recognized by the appropriate authority. . The Ministry, in collaboration with Jamia Millia Islamia University, had started “Bridge Course” to bring Madrasa students and school dropouts into mainstream education system. . The Ministry launched the country’s first National Scholarship Portal Mobile App (NSP Mobile App). The portal will ensure a smooth, accessible and hassle-free scholarship system for students from poor and weaker sections. . A world class educational institute, being established with the assistance of Minority Affairs Ministry, Govt. of India, at Kohrapipli village of Alwar district in Rajasthan. . World class skill development centre, educational facilities for primary to higher studies, Ayurveda and Unani science and sports facilities will be established here. Forty per cent reservation is proposed for girls in this institution. . The institution will be proved to be a milestone in the direction of affordable, accessible and quality education to poor, weaker sections including Minorities.
Haj . Saudi Arabia has accepted to revive the option of sending Haj pilgrims through sea route also and both the countries will discuss on all the necessary formalities and technicalities so that Haj pilgrimage through sea route can be started in the coming years. . Sending pilgrims through ships will help cut down travel expenses significantly. The practice of ferrying Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways was stopped from 1995. . This time Haj 2018 has been made 100 per cent digital. For the first time about 1300 Page | 81 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Muslim women from India went to Haj without “Mehram” (male companion). . India’s Haj Quota has been increased for the second consecutive year. The number of pilgrims increased even without Haj subsidy.
Waqf . The Central Government has launched a scheme in 2009 namely “Computerization of Records of State Waqf Boards‟ with a view to streamline record keeping, introduce transparency, and to computerize and digitize the records of waqf properties of the State/UT Waqf Boards (SWBs). . The scheme has now been modified and renamed as Qaumi Waqf Board Taraqqiati Scheme (QWBTS). . Central Waqf Council is providing financial help to state waqf boards for digitisation of records so that state waqf boards can complete the task within time frame. . Under the “Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram” (PMJVK), the Minority Affairs Ministry will construct schools, colleges, ITIs, skill development centres, multi-purpose community centres “Sadbhav Mandap”, “Hunar Hub”, hospitals, business centres etc on waqf properties across the country.
Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram . It was earlier known as Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP). . The scheme has been proved to be a milestone in the direction of socio-economic- educational empowerment of Minorities and other weaker sections of the society. . The Central Government, keeping in mind the educational empowerment and employment oriented skill development of Minority girls, is providing school, college, polytechnic, girls hostel, ITI, skill development centre etc under the scheme in those “backward and ignored” areas which had been deprived of these facilities since the Independence. . It was implemented in identified Minority Concentration Blocks, Minority Concentration Towns, and Minority Concentration District Headquarters Clusters of Villages for infrastructure development. . This has led to significant improvement in lives of weaker sections, Minorities especially women.
Schemes for the empowerment of minorities . The schemes/ programmes implemented by this Ministry for the minority communities notified under National Commission for Minorities Act 1992 viz Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis are: 1. Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme, Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship Scheme – for educational empowerment. 2. Maulana Azad National Fellowship – for research fellows’ empowerment. 3. “Naya Savera” Free coaching and Allied Scheme - to enhance skills and knowledge of students and candidates for employment through competitive examination and admission in technical and professional courses. 4. Padho Pardesh – Scheme for interest subsidy on educational loans for overseas studies in technical and professional courses. 5. Nai Udaan - Support for students clearing Preliminary Examination conducted by UPSC, SSC, State Public Service Commissions, etc. 6. Jiyo Parsi – Scheme for containing population decline of Parsis. 7. Nai Roshni – Scheme for leadership development of minority women.
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8. Seekho Aur Kamao – Skill development initiative for minorities. 9. Nai Manzil – Scheme for formal school education skilling of school dropouts. 10. USTTAD - Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/crafts for Development. 11. Hamari Dharohar - Scheme to preserve rich heritage of minority Communities under the overall concept of Indian Culture. 12. Garib Nawaz Skill Development Centre Scheme - to provide job-oriented skill development courses 13. Equity to National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) for providing loans at concessional interest rates to minorities for self- employment and income generating activities.
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Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
Skill India– Highlights 2018 . Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) completed its four successful years (created in 2014), in keeping its core focus on converging all skill development initiatives in the country under one National Skills Qualification Framework(NSQF). . Annually, more than One Crore youth, have been joining and benefitting from the Skill India program, which equip youth with skills for better livelihood.
I. Policy, Framework & Standards . National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship which is the first ever comprehensive policy framework for skill development of the country was launched in 2015. . National Skill Development Mission which was developed to create convergence across sectors and States in terms of skill training activities, has also been launched in 2015. . Common Norms – launched in 2015 to provide harmonization of training costs, processes, assessments, certification and outcome. Presently over 20 Ministries are implementing skill development schemes. . Enforcement of National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) –more than 2,000 Qualification Packs developed in four years.
II. Programs/Initiatives Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) . Ministry: Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. . It is a skill certification and monetary reward scheme. . National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the implementing agency. . The training includes soft skills, personal grooming, behavioural changes etc. . The Skill training would be based on the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) and industry led standards. . Under the scheme, a monetary reward is given to trainees on assessment and certification by third party assessment bodies. . Focus on improved curricula, better pedagogy and better trained instructors. . Besides catering to domestic skill needs, the scheme will also focus on skill training aligned to international standards for overseas employment. . This scheme enables large number of prospective youth which also includes tribal community, persons with disability and other disadvantaged youth, to take up Short Term Training (STT) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) through accredited and affiliated training centres. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)with Best in Class Employers: . RPL certifies the skills of people with prior experience or those trained informally. . Since 2016, the program has benefitted close to 8 lakh people across the country. . To scale up this initiative, MSDE launched RPL with Best in Class Employers in 2018 – an initiative to directly collaborate with reputed employers across various sectors.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) . It is an initiative towards creation of “Model Training Centers” with standardized infrastructure for delivery of skill development training.
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. It is to be opened in every district of India. PMKK has the potential to become the benchmark of skill development infrastructure, training, and placement in the respective district and also in the country. Its objective is to make skill development quality oriented, sustainable and aspirational.
National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) . The scheme is aimed to increase the involvement of industries and employers in engaging youth as apprentices and providing on-the-job skill training to create a ready workforce. The government reimburses part of stipend paid by the employer. . Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship have brought about comprehensive reforms in the Apprenticeship Act in 2014 and the Apprenticeship rules in 2015 to make apprenticeship more industry friendly. . MSDE launched an Operational Framework for the Apprenticeship Act in 2018 which provides operational guidelines listing out roles & responsibilities of the stakeholders at the National and State level. . This also provides detailed information regarding the execution of National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) which incentivize corporates to engage apprentices across different sectors. . It was earlier restricted to only the manufacturing sector; but the government sees more opportunity for engagement of apprentices in service sector now. . The employers are also given the freedom to build their own curriculum to conduct the apprenticeship scheme. These reforms help both the industry and the candidate to get more benefit and equal opportunities of growth.
Establishing Academic Equivalence . Skill India aims to make skilling aspirational and bring vocational training in equivalence with the academic education system, especially to provide horizontal and vertical mobility pathway to candidates pursuing vocational education. . The Directorate General of Training wing under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) under Ministry of Human Resource Development have signed a MoU to put in place a system for academic equivalence to vocational/ITI qualification. . This MoU opens gateway to meet aspirations of ITI candidates to attain high academic qualification in addition to their skills and also opens pathway for ex- trainees of ITI, holding National Trade Certificate (NTC) to earn secondary/senior secondary qualification. Grading of ITIs: . Directorate General of Training under the aegis of MSDE, launched grading exercise for ITIs to provide “Star Rating” to the performing institutes. Capacity building in long term skill development: . One of the initiatives towards building capacity of the skill ecosystem is uniform nomenclature of all the skill institutes across country as National Skill Training Institutes (NSTIs), and merging of NSTIs, with courses in ITIs, establishment of Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) etc.
SANKALP . SANKALP- Skills Acquisition and Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion. . SANKALP scheme envisages setting up of Trainers and Assessors academies with self- sustainable models. The project is implemented through World Bank support.
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. The project was made effective in January 2018 with 28 States and 7 UTs across the country having submitted their consent for participating in SANKALP. . To strengthen the decision making and brining more transparency in the vocational education and skill training system, the Skill India portal has been launched under SANKALP.
STRIVE . “Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement (STRIVE)” is a central sector project, with half of the project outlay as World Bank assistance. . STRIVE is an outcome-based project, marking a shift in government’s implementation strategy in vocational education and training from inputs to results building in a strong shift to an outcome- based skill ecosystem. . The STRIVE project aims at creating awareness through industry clusters/ geographical chambers that would address the challenge of involvement of Micro, Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (MSMEs). . The Project would also aim at integrating and enhancing delivery quality of ITIs.
National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET) . The Union Cabinet approved the merger of the existing regulatory institutions in the skills space – National Council for Vocational Training (NCVT) and the National Skill Development Agency (NSDA) into the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET). . NCVET will regulate the functioning of entities engaged in vocational education and training, both long-term and short-term, and establish minimum standards for the functioning of such entities. . The primary functions of NCVET will include – recognition and regulation of awarding bodies, assessment bodies and skill related information providers; approval of qualifications developed by awarding bodies and Sector Skill Councils (SSCs); indirect regulation of vocational training institutes through awarding bodies and assessment agencies; research and information dissemination; and grievance redressal.
Jan Shikshan Sansthan(JSS) . The JSS component of scheme of support to voluntary agencies for adult education has been transferred from Ministry of Human Resource Development to Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship in July, 2018. . Jan Shikshan Sansthans are imparting vocational skill training programmes at the door step of the beneficiaries with a minimum cost and infrastructure. . JSS is funded through 100% annual grant from the Government of India.
Skill India for farmers . In order to develop skills and increase productive of the rural youth, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW) inked an agreement that recognizes the importance of providing employable skills to the youth, to improve their livelihood. . Under the MoU signed, MSDE will identify job roles to attract rural youth towards agriculture sector in order to fulfill their needs and aspirations. . To begin with the Pilot at a few selected Krishi Vikas Kendras involving aspirational and technologically oriented job roles (Micro irrigation Technician, Green House Operators, Green House Fitter, Aquaculture technicians) under Agriculture / Allied Sector, Food Processing and related sectors can lay a very strong foundation for new Pan India Model. Page | 86 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. The MoU has been signed for duration of five years and aims to encourage youth to undergo skill training on various vocations in agriculture for gainful wage or self- employment.
Aspirational Skilling Abhiyan . It has been conceived to aid and complement the Transformation of Aspirational Districts program. . The campaign will support the skilling initiatives/component of the aspirational districts by addressing district level challenges. . Through this program, MSDE endeavours to facilitate strengthening of governance andinstitutional infrastructure in the aspirational districts. . Aspirational District Programme) aims to quickly and effectively transform some of India and most underdeveloped districts. It will identify areas of immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.
Industry’s Participation in Skill Training . The government has taken adequate measures to enhance industry’s participation in skill training so as to reduce the post placement dropout rate of trainees. . A scheme namely “Dual System of Training” (DST) with an objective to enable industry to partner with ITIs for conducting training programmes in high employability courses as per industry requirement has been launched from year 2016. . The scheme is amalgamation of theoretical training imparted in ITIs and practical training imparted in the industry premises.
Setting up of Indian Institute of Skills (IISs) . The ministry has approved the proposal to set up Indian Institute of Skills (IISs) in 3 locations viz. Kanpur, Mumbai and Ahmedabad on Not-for-profit Public Private Partnership (N-PPP) basis. . The IISs are conceptualized with an objective to provide advanced skills in highly specialized areas – for example defence, aerospace, oil and gas and other emerging business domains – to develop highly skilled technical manpower to meet the demands of organizations that are currently operating and are likely to set up their production/manufacturing and business facilities in India. . They are expected to emerge as premier training institutions in the country and make vocational training aspirational for the youth. Other Developments . MSDE has signed an MoU with social media platforms like Facebook and Adobe, to leverage their platform for youth empowerment. . MSDE made collaborations with corporates like NASSCOM, SAP, IBM, Adobe which helped to create curriculum aligned with jobs of the future. The programme will help to facilitate development of . skills, including in areas of new-generation technology like artificial intelligence, automation, robotics and block-chain technology. . Skill India Portal: The Skill India portal aims to bring the entire candidate and training partner database on a single platform. This would be a unified interface which would act as an integrated platform for all skilling initiatives and schemes run by various Central Ministries, state governments, NSDC and Corporates among others. . Skill Saathi: A Mega Counselling Program - Skill India has also created a platform to provide skill- based career counselling to potential candidates through initiatives like Skill Saathi, recognising that guidance and counselling is an important aspect of developing skilful youth. Special Projects under PMKVY especially focused on tribal populations
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(i) Bru Project: The project aims for skilling of BRU TRIBE of Mizoram, who were displaced and currently living in the Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps in the districts of North Tripura. (ii) Katkari primitive tribe: Project aims to skill people from the Katkari tribe in Maharashtra. (iii) Skill Development scheme for LWE districts: Skill Development scheme for the 47 districts affected by Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The scheme is assisting State Governments to establish 1 new ITI in each of 47 affected Districts. Out of the 47 districts, 39 districts are Aspirational. Apart from that, 2 Skill Development Centres are also being established in each of 34 affected districts. It will help the local youth to lead a decent livelihood by way of acquiring skill in these institutes. International collaborations and events: . MoC with Government of Japan: A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on Technical Intern Training Program (TITP) was signed between the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Government of Japan at Tokyo. . India Skills 2018, the biggest skills competition of the country, designed to encourage and prepare the youth for the global stage, ended on a grand note in New Delhi in October 2018. The finalists will represent India at the 45 World Skills Competition to be held in Kazan in Russia in 2019. . Euro Skills 2018: Euro Skills is the European Championship of young professionals, a promotion of latest skill development around Europe, was held at Budapest, Hungary, in September 2018. . It has more than 28 countries participating in the competition out of which India was one of the guest countries.
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Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
NITI Forum for Northeast . The Union Ministry for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) has set up the ‘NITI Forum for North-East’. It has been created to remove the constraints and recommend suitable solutions for sustainable growth in North east region. Composition . The forum will be chaired by Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog and co- chaired by the Minister of State (I/C) for the Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER). It will have its Secretariat in the Ministry of DoNER. . The members of the forum include CEO, NITI Aayog, and Chief Secretaries of North Eastern States, Secretaries of key Ministries / Departments, retired bureaucrats, economists and academicians. . This Forum will work to identify various constraints on the way for accelerated, inclusive but sustainable economic growth in the North East Region of the country and to recommend suitable interventions for addressing identified constraints. Key Highlights of 1st meeting of NITI forum for North East held in Agartala: . The forum decided to promote sectors like horticulture, tourism and food processing in the region. . Other missions will cover bamboo-based handicrafts and medium scale industries with focus on ‘Make in North-East’. . The focus of development projects in region will be based on the concept of “HIRA” which stands for Highways, Internet ways, Railways and Airways.
North Eastern Council (NEC) . Union cabinet approved repositioning of NEC with Hon’ble Home Minister as ex officio Chairman & Hon’ble Minister, DoNER as Vice-Chairman. . Schemes of NEC revamped with new projects under 100% central funding instead of the earlier block grant on 90:10 basis. . Previously, there was no fixed arrangement for distributing the funds into State or Central component. Now, the total funds available to NEC are proposed to be bifurcated in two components (State component-60% and Central component-40%). . North East Road Sector Development Scheme (NERSDS) extended till March, 2020.
North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme Overview . Central government had created North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) for the development of infrastructure in various specified sectors. . NESIDS Scheme will result in infrastructure development which includes better connectivity, power, education, health, water supply and tourism. . The primary objective of this scheme is to promote industrialization in the north- eastern states. . It will be 100% funded by Central Government to fill up gaps in creation of infrastructure in specified sectors in North east till March, 2020.
Bogibeel Rail cum Road Bridge . Bogibeel Bridge in Assam, spans nearly five-km across the Brahmaputra river. . It connects Dibrugarh on the Brahmaputra’s south bank to Dhemaji on the north bank.
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. It will link Dibrugarh with North Lakhimpur district of Assam and parts of eastern Arunachal Pradesh. . It is the country’s longest road-cum-rail bridge, and its fourth longest of any kind above water. Significance . The bridge has two railway lines on the lower deck and a three-lane road on the upper, strong enough to withstand movement of even heavy military tanks. . It is designed in a way to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.0 and more on the Richter scale. The region falls in seismic zone-V, the most vulnerable to earthquakes with magnitudes more than seven on the Richter scale. . It could provide opportunities for the expansion of tourism, industrial development and trade. . It is also a key infrastructure for the defense of the northeastern border. It will facilitate faster movement of troops and supplies to Arunachal Pradesh that shares the border with China.
Pakyong Airport . Sikkim’s first-ever airport at Pakyong, which is India’s 100th functional airport, was inaugurated. Before the inauguration this airport, Sikkim was only state in India remaining without a functional airport. . It is located on top of hill about 4,500 feet above sea level. . Operationalization of Pakyong airport will give huge big boost to connectivity and tourism to north- eastern state of Sikkim. . Indian Air Force (IAF) can use this airport for landing and taking off of its aircrafts during critical situations.
Northeast Venture Fund About . North Venture Fund is first dedicated venture capital fund for North-Eastern region. . It has been set up by North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi). . Its purpose is to encourage entrepreneurship in North-eastern region, primarily by offering support to first-generation entrepreneurs. . The Venture fund aims to remove constraints faced by youngster who wants to start his own business. . Further it seeks to tap vast unexplored avenues in Northeast for generating livelihood particularly in fruit, food, and handicraft and tourism industry. North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited . The North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) is a Public Limited Company registered under the Companies Act 1956. . The shareholders of the Corporation are IDBI, SBI, LIC, SIDBI, ICICI and its subsidiaries. . NEDFi provides financial assistance to micro, small, medium and large enterprises for setting up industrial, infrastructure and agri-allied projects in the North Eastern Region.
Bamboo . Bamboo is one of the natural resources of NER as it hosts above 60% of the growing stock of Bamboo in the country. . MDoNER initiated celebration of Annual World Bamboo Day on 18 September, to advocate the versatile bamboo & dissemination of using bamboo as building material.
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. MDoNER in collaboration with CSIR-CBRI (Central Building Research Institute), Roorkee convened a national workshop on “Utilization of Bamboo as Building Material in NER”. Recognizing that NER is in high seismic zone, MDoNER is advocating usage of bamboo as building material. . MDONER as Co-chair of the National Bamboo Mission being managed by Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (MOAFW) continues to play a proactive role in the implementation of the NBM across 8 states of NER.
Information & Communication Technology (ICT) . The Ministry of DoNER has collaborated closely with Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in formulation of the Digital North East Vision document. . One of the key deliverables of this vision is a GIS based Decision Support System (DSS) for field functionaries like Deputy Collectors and other district level officials to aid in development planning. . This was achieved through DoNER and close collaboration with National Centre of Geo Informatics (NCOG, MeitY) and North East Space Application Centre (NESAC). . In another encouraging development which has positive implications for the Government of India in its ACT EAST thrust, NESAC is slated to host Research Scholars in the field of GIS and Space technology from the BIMSTEC countries as part of India& outreach into BIMSTEC and South East Asia. Others . Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Medical and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) had been created to source the resources and absorb its potential. It suggests actionable measures for enhancing the livelihood and economic transformation based on cultivation and sustainable management of MAPs resource. . Global Investors’ summit, 2018, in Guwahati, showcased the NERs investment potential to countries in South and South East Asia. . Government has announced North-East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS) to incentivize the MSME Sector in the region. . North East Rural Livelihood Project (NERLP) funded by World Bank, strives to improve rural livelihood, especially that of women, unemployed youth and the most disadvantaged, in four North Eastern States of Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. . North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Project (NERCORMP), to improve the livelihood of vulnerable groups in a sustainable manner. NERCORMP is a joint initiative of the North eastern Council, Ministry of DoNEAR and International fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). . Science and Technology Interventions in North East (STINER) has been initiated to bring relevant technologies from S&T institutions to the farmers/artisans of NER.
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Ministry of Food Processing Industries
. The efforts of the Ministry of Food Processing Industry have led to 24 % rise in FDI in the Indian food processing sector in 2017-18. Mega Food Parks: . Ministry of Food Processing Industries is focusing on boosting the food processing industry so that agriculture sector grows exponentially and become a major contributor to doubling farmer’s income and aid ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government. . To give a major boost to the food processing sector by adding value and reducing food wastage at each stage of the supply chain with particular focus on perishables, Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing Mega Food Park Scheme in the country. . Mega Food Parks create modern infrastructure facilities for food processing along the value chain from farm to market with strong forward and backward linkages through a cluster based approach. . Common facilities and enabling infrastructure is created at Central Processing Centre and facilities for primary processing and storage is created near the farm in the form of Primary Processing Centres (PPCs) and Collection Centres (CCs). . Under the Scheme, Government of India provides financial assistance upto Rs. 50 Crore per Mega Food Park project. . The execution, ownership and management of the Mega Food Park are vested with a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV). SPV shall be a body corporate (company) registered under companies act. . It mobilizes funds, expertise and experience of more than one organization toward a common goal. . For example a company will be formed by pooling funds of interested parties and this company will be called SPV. . Definition, functions etc. of SPV can differ from case to case. In this case it is responsible for ‘execution, ownership and management’ of Mega Food Parks. . Special Fund in NABARD: Government of India instituted a Special Fund in National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for providing direct term loans to establish infrastructure in the Mega Food Parks as also to the individual processing units to be set up in the designated Food Parks, at affordable rate of interest of around 10% p.a.
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Integrated Cold Chain . Ministry of Food Processing Industries is implementing the Scheme of Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure as one of the component of Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana with the objective of arresting post-harvest losses of horticulture & non-horticulture produce and providing remunerative price to farmers for their produce. . The integrated cold chain and preservation infrastructure can be set up by individuals, groups of entrepreneurs, cooperative societies, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), NGOs, Central/State PSUs, etc. . The scheme is primarily private sector driven and proposals under this scheme are invited through Expression of Interest (EOI)(The EOI indicates a serious interest from the buyer that their company would be interested to pay a certain valuation and acquire the seller & company through a formal offer).
Towards cleanliness: . Efforts towards cleanliness were undertaken under Swachhta Pakhwada which was observed from 16th to 31st October. . On the first day the Minister launched the campaign with the inauguration of a book “Waste to Wealth Technology” prepared by Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. . During the campaign industry bodies like ASSOCHAM, FICCI, DICCI, PHDCCI, AIFPA and CII organised Swachhta Awareness Programme and training camps for street vendors on food safety across New Delhi. Swachhta Pakhwada: . Started in April 2016. . The objective is to bring a fortnight of intense focus on the issues and practices of Swachhta by engaging GOI Ministries/Departments in their jurisdictions. . An annual calendar is pre-circulated among the Ministries to help them plan for the Pakhwada activities. . The Ministries observing Swachhata Pakhwada are monitored closely using online monitoring system of Swachhata Samiksha where action plans, images, videos related to Swachhata activities are uploaded and shared. Advances in Food Processing Technology: . International Conference on Recent Advances in Food Processing Technology (iCRAFPT) was organised at Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology, Thanjavur in Tamilnadu.
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. The conference saw encouraging participation from speakers, both national and international, and provided a strong platform for knowledge sharing and meaningful discussion among the industry, academia, researchers and farmers which would potentially take the food sector growth to a newer heights. . Collaboration with industry also got a fillip in the NIFTEM-Industry Forum organised at National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) in Sonepat, Haryana. . The meeting aimed to identify challenges being faced by the Indian Food Industry, to bridge industrial and academic gap by industry oriented research projects, promote science & technology collaboration based on innovation by developing new technologies, new product development, refine exciting technological infrastructure which can be commercialized in future for the development of food processing sector. On the occasion, the Minister mooted the idea of a ‘Brand NIFTEM’ for processed food which would be healthier, fresher and cheaper. . The year saw NIFTEM expanding its infrastructure and adding an Incubation centre and Food Testing Laboratory to its repertoire. . The laboratory would not only serve as a Centre for certification of food products but would also undertake research and innovation for solving the problems of the food industry and the other stakeholders of the food sector.
Operation GREENS . Operation Greens was announced in the Budget speech of 2018-19 with an outlay of Rs 500 crores to stabilize the supply of Tomato, Onion and Potato (TOP) crops and to ensure availability of TOP crops throughout the country round the year without any price volatility. . Two pronged strategy for operationalization of the scheme: (i) Short term Price Stabilisation Measures consisting of a provision of 50% of the subsidy on Transportation of Tomato Onion Potato (TOP) Crops from production to storage and hiring of appropriate storage facilities for TOP Crops. (ii) Long Term Integrated value chain development projects: 1. Capacity Building of FPOs & their consortium 2. Quality production 3. Post-harvest processing facilities 4. Agri-Logistics 5. Marketing / Consumption Points 6.Creation and Management of e-platform for demand and supply management of TOP Crops. . The Ministry declared that organisations eligible for the grant would include State Agriculture and other Marketing Federations, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPO), cooperatives, companies, Self- help groups, food processors, logistic operators, service providers, supply chain operators, retail and wholesale chains and central and state governments and their entities/organizations. . Better connectivity for grievance redressal and launch of an in-house toll-free Interactive Voice Response service. International Outreach: . MoFPI has made numerous forays even at the international level by way of participation in international events and hosting of international dignitaries and representatives of foreign companies at the Ministry,prominent among these being the inauguration of SIAL Paris. . SIAL Paris exhibition is the largest international market place for food service professionals, which is held every two years. . Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) has inaugurated a special Indian pavilion in the ongoing mega exhibition for the participating companies. Page | 94 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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About TPCI: . TPCI is an apex trade and investment promotion organization notified in the Foreign Trade Policy. . TPCI is also recognized and supported by the Department of Commerce, Govt. of India. . The council provides strategies for expanding business internationally, by organizing specialized business events and simultaneously working with the Government by providing policy suggestions which are essentially based on inputs collated from research and industry stakeholders. . The functions of the council include, (i) Advanced Trade Research: Supporting India’s trade policy and economic diplomacy through research. (ii) Trade Promotion: Exploring international trade opportunities in untapped markets and promoting new exporters. (iii) Trade Facilitation: Identifying bottlenecks and bridging the gap between industry and authority by continuous interaction. (iv) Investment Promotion: Exploring scope and facilitating investment in potential business and sectors. Skill Development: . The Ministry launched a new sub-scheme i.e. Scheme for Human Resources and Institution – Skill Development (SHRISD) for assisting skilling infrastructure and Development of Course Curriculum with following two components. . Development of Course Curriculum / Training Module in English, Hindi and translation of the same in recognized regional languages based on the Qualification Packs (QPs) validated by National Skill Development Corporation( (NSDC) as National Occupational Standards. . Establishing Training Centre (TC) / Expansion of Existing Training Centre to impart skill/ training on various job roles in food processing as per the National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF).
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Ministry of Defence
Key highlights . Government of India took policy decision to set up two Defence Production Corridors, one each in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Tamil Nadu. . It was also a year of another milestone for women empowerment in the country when the first-ever all-women crew circumnavigated the globe in an indigenously built Indian Navy Sailing Vessel, ‘INSV Tarini’. . The 10th edition of biennial & DefExpo and was organised in April, 2018 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu successfully. The tagline of the event was ‘India: The Emerging Defence Manufacturing Hub’. . India joined the elite group of nation which have developed the Air-to-Air refuelling system for military class aircraft when Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) & Tejas and successfully completed mid-air refuelling trial. . ‘Mission Raksha Gyan Shakti’ was launched in November, 2018. The main idea behind this is to migrate from the culture of seeking Transfer of Technology (ToT) from foreign sources to generating Intellectual Property in India, to achieve the goal of self- reliance in Defence sector. . Parakram Parv : Indian Army conducted surgical strikes in 2016. To showcase the courage, valour and sacrifice of Armed Forces, ‘Parakram Parv’ was observed from 28- 30 September 2018. . The temporary bridge on the old Ferozepur-Lahore highway over river Satluj River (Hussainiwala Barrage) connecting Hussainiwala Enclave from Ferozpur has been replaced by constructing a new bridge. . Hussainiwala is the place where freedom fighters Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Sukhdev, who made supreme sacrifice for their motherland, were cremated. . Whenever the nation has faced calamities, the Armed Forces have been standing firm with helping hand in trying times. Armed Forces played pivotal role in Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) during natural disasters that include cyclone ‘Titli’, Kerala floods, cyclone ‘Gaja’ saving many lives, livestock and property.
Department of Defence Production (DPP) . Government of India has decided to set up two Defence Production corridors, one each in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Tamil Nadu. These would go a long way in making India self- reliant in defence production through ‘Make in India’ initiatives. . Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) a scheme of Department of Defence Production (DDP), formulated in collaboration with Start Up India and Atal Innovation Mission, with the objective of bringing Start-ups to solve problems of defence production, innovate new technologies required by defence forces and reduce dependence on imported technology was launched during DefExpo 2018. . A Defence Investor Cell has been made functional in Department of Defence Production (DDP). It will play an important role in acting as one-step solution for all types of defence production related queries. . 3rd Scorpene Submarine of Project-75, & Karanj was launched by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in January 2018. . Tata Boeing Aerospace facility, a joint venture between Boeing Corporation and the Tata Group firm Tata Advanced Systems (TASL), for manufacturing of the fuselage for the AH- 64 Apache combat helicopters was inaugurated at Hyderabad. . Prime Minister of Sri Lanka commissioned Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL) built & SLNS Sindurala in Sri Lanka Navy at Colombo Port. With delivery of this vessel, GSL has successfully completed this
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prestigious export project for constructing two large sized Advanced Offshore Patrol Vessels (AOPVs) for SriLankan Navy. . An Intellectual Property Rights Facilitation Cell has been created in DGQA with members drawn from OFB and DPSUs to facilitate innovations from the Ordnance Factories and DPSUs. It is established to create a structured mechanism and to boost IP culture which would enhance the intellectual capital i.e., vital for encouraging in house R&D in these organisations. . A comprehensive CyberSecurity Framework for DDP has been formulated to ensure a strong, robust and resilient Cyber Security environment within DDP and organizations under it. . All DPSUs have registered on Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform which enables buyers to negotiate better terms with MSME vendors and facilitates financing of Trade receivables of MSME. . Defence India Startup Challenge; was launched in Bengaluru in August 2018 with the overall objective of making India self-reliant for meeting the requirements of national defence. In addition, following initiatives were also launched in this event. (i) SPARK: Support for Prototype & Research Kickstart (in Defence) (ii) Framework for iDEX Partners (iii) Promotion of Startups under Make-II procedure of DPP 2016. . The 12th edition of & Aero India 2019 and will be held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, from 20 to 24 February, 2019. This five-day event will combine a major trade exhibition for the aerospace and defence industries with public air shows. Aero India is a flagship event of MoD held every two years. . India-US Ministerial 2+2 Dialogue was held in New Delhi in September, 2018. Celebrating over 70 years of diplomatic cooperation, that India and the US, as sovereign democracies founded on the values of freedom, justice and commitment to the rule of law, must continue to lead global efforts to promote peace, prosperity and security.
Indian Army . Despite a lot of challenges, the security situation in J&K has been brought under control. . Intelligence based operations have been launched along the India-Myanmar border to maintain peace in the region and to effectively neutralise the terrorists. Indian Army has continued the people friendly operations to help the locals in the North East. Training Events & Military Exercises of 2018 . lndo-French joint military exercise was conducted at Mailly Le Camp, France. . The first ever joint exercise between Indian and Malaysian armies “HARIMAU SHAKTI – 2018” was held in the forests of Sengai Perdik Hulu Langat, Malaysia that aimed at training of troops in counter insurgency operations in jungle terrain. . lndo-Nepal Joint Military Exercise: “SURYA KIRAN – XIII” was conducted in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand. The exercise focused on counter terrorism operations in mountainous terrain. . lndo-Thai Joint Military Exercise “MAITREE” was held in Thailand. . India participated for the first time in the 5th edition of the joint multinational military exercise SCO Peace Mission held in Chebarkul, Russia. All the eight SCO member countries had participated in the exercise. . The 14th edition of lndo- US Joint military Exercise “YUDH ABHYAS 2018” was conducted at Chaubatia, Uttarakhand. . The 3rd edition of joint military training exercise “Ex KAZIND 2018” between Indian Army and Kazakhstan Army was held in Kazakhstan. . lndo-Japan joint military exercise “DHARMA GUARDIAN 2018” was held at Counter- Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) in Vairengte, Mizoram. Page | 97 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. lndo-Russia Joint Military Exercise: 10th edition of lndo-Russian joint military Exercise “INDRA 2018” was held in Jhansi, UP. . lndo-Maldives Joint Military Exercise: 9th edition of lndo-Maldives joint military exercise “EKUVERIN 2018” was conducted in Maldives. . Officers’ Training Academy (OTA), Chennai training Afghan lady officers: As part of a continued effort of training being imparted by the Army to women officers from abroad, the women officers of the Afghan Army and Air Force were trained on basic military aspects including physical training, weapon training, tactics, communication skills and leadership at OTA. . lndo-China Joint Military Exercise: 7th Sino -India joint exercise “Hand-in-Hand 2018” was held in Chengdu, China. Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief . Indian Army has provided disaster relief operations in floods in North Eastern States (June 2018) and Kerala floods (August 2018) and saved many lives, livestock and property. . Indian Army rescued locals and tourists who were stuck in sub-zero temperature in an unexpected heavy snowfall (March 2018) near Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh. Other works & initiatives . Kashmir Super-30 (Medical) Initiative was conceptualised and inaugurated by the Indian Army which is a residential programme providing medical coaching and guidance to children for medical entrance exams. . Samba Super 40 Project was initiated to provide quality training to young NOA/CDS aspirants of Samba area as per UPSC curriculum. The project involved identification, screening and selection of potential candidates.
Indian Navy Overseas Operations Western Fleet (WF) Overseas Deployment (OSD) . Western Fleet ships comprising INS Mumbai and INS Trikand were deployed for Western Fleet Overseas Deployment and they along with P8I aircraft participated in Phase III of EX-VARUNA, at/off Reunion Island. . Western Fleet ships comprising INS Kolkata and INS Trikand participated in exercise IBSAMAR at Simons Town, South Africa. Malabar 18 and RIMPAC . Eastern Fleet ships comprising IN ships Sahyadri, Kamorta and Shakti were deployed for Eastern Fleet Overseas Deployment and they along with P8I aircraft participated in Exercise Malabar at Guam. . INS Sahyadri participated in exercise RIMPAC at Hawaii and Kakadu at Darwin. International Fleet Review at Jeju . Eastern Fleet ship INSRana was deployed for Eastern Fleet Overseas Deployment, participated in International Fleet Review at Jeju, South Korea. . INS Rana participated in IND-INDO Bilateral exercise at Surabaya, Indonesia.
Naval Operations/activities Mission Based Deployments . Mission Based Deployments were implemented by Indian Navy (IN) in a phased manner, with an aim to safeguard national maritime interests and maintain continuous/near continuous presence in areas of significant maritime importance in the IOR.
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. These deployments are in consonance with the vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region (SAGAR). . Since the inception of Mission Based Deployment in June 2017, IN ships and aircraft are being regularly deployed in the Gulf of Oman/Persian Gulf, Gulf of Aden/Red Sea, South and Central Indian Ocean Region (IOR), off Sunda Strait, Andaman Sea/ approaches to Malacca Strait and Northern Bay of Bengal IN Operational Exercises . In order to remain combat ready at all the time IN conducted Command level operational exercises ENCORE-18 (Eastern Naval Command), XPL-18 (Western Naval Command) and SHIKSHA-18 (Operational level war gaming exercise). . These exercises also saw participation from the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard. . The exercises facilitate refining of IN war plans, address Op Logistics issues and provide platform for smooth transition from peace to conflict.
Foreign Cooperation Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) . The IONS presently has 24 member countries with eight countries with observer status. Iran is the current ‘Chair’ of IONS. . During the Conclave of Chiefs held in Tehran in April 2018, it was decided to conduct the IONS Anti- piracy exercise by Iran in 2019 and India assumed Chairmanship of IWG Information Sharing and Interoperability (ISI). MILAN-18 . It was conducted at Port Blair. More than 30 delegates from 16 countries and 11 ships from eight countries participated in this exercise. . A Table-Top Exercise focussing on ‘Enhancing Regional Cooperation for Combating Unlawful Activities at Sea’ and a seminar on the theme ‘In pursuit of Maritime Good Order – Need for Comprehensive Information Sharing Apparatus was conducted during the ‘Harbour Phase’. . In the ‘Sea Phase’ participating ships undertook various exercises aimed at harnessing inter- operability in a variety of maritime scenarios including ‘Search and Rescue’ and ‘Maritime Interdiction Operations’.
Other Events . The 18 th North Indian Ocean Hydrographic Commission (NIOHC) Conference was conducted in April 2018 at Vasco-da-Gama, Goa by the Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD). . In pursuance of Govt. of India’s initiative for harnessing technological advancements in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI), a Task Force to study strategic implementation of AI for National Security and Defence was set up by MoD/DDP in February 2018. . The Navy continued to provide rescue assistance to local authorities for Search and Rescue (SAR) operations. . Cyclone Berguitta – Mauritius: INS Sarvekshak handed over relief material comprising provisions, clothing items and medicines to the Government of Mauritius. . IN ship Airavat was deployed for transhipment of Humanitarian aid to Chittagong. . An all women Naval Mountaineering Expedition to Mt Deo tibba (situated in the Pir Panjal Range of mountains in the Manali region of Himachal) was successfully conducted. . A ten member mountaineering expedition to Mt Menthosa (in Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh) was also conducted.
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Indian Air force Acquisition . Rafale is an omni-role fighter aircraft which will provide long range capability to engage targets in depth and will provide a strong weapons and systems capability edge over our adversaries. The weapon package includes air-to-air Beyond Visual Range (BVR) METEOR missile and long range SCALP precision guided air-to-ground weapon. In addition, the Rafale for IAF has specific enhancements, including capability for high altitude engine start for undertaking high altitude operations. . Hercules C-130J-30, a medium sized, all weather transport aircraft capable of airlift operations and Chinook Heavy Lift Helicopters will also be procured. Make in India Projects . AEW&C (Indigenous): The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) sanctioned the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) Project on October 2004. Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) was designated as nodal agency to indigenously design and develop operational AEW&C systems for IAF. The AEW&C System is a system of systems consisting of Primary Radar (PR), Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR), Electronic Support Measures (ESM) system, and Communication Support Measures (CSM) system, Self-Protection Suits (SPS), Mission Communication System (MCS) and Data Links on board Embraer-145 aircraft. The aircraft is capable of air-to-air refuelling for achieving extended endurance. . Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS-India) consists of sensors mounted on a transport aircraft for locating airborne and sea surface targets and picking up hostile emissions. . The aircraft sensors provide comprehensive information to the onboard mission controllers and ground stations through a sophisticated communication data link. The system provides advance warning for approaching low flying hostile targets. Exercises . IAF conducted PAN India Exercise Gagan shakti 2018. The aim of the exercise was real time coordination and employment of air power in a short and intense battle scenario. . Ex Pitch Black (Ex PB) is a biennial exercise conducted by Royal Australian Air Force at Darwin, Australia. IAF participated for the first time in this exercise. . Ex Aviaindra-2018 was conducted by the Indian and Russian Air forces in two phases. Phase-I was held at Jodhpur, India and Phase-II was held at Lipetsk, Russia. . United States Air Force and Indian Air Force participated in an exercise, ‘Cope India’ conducted in West Bengal. Observers from Japan Air Self Defence Force also participated in the exercise. Other initiatives . In line with Digital India initiative of Government of India, IAF has provided e-training programmes for air-warriors. . The IAF has been at the vanguard of providing greater opportunities to women and has pioneered the entry of women as officers in the flying and ground duty branches. Since 1993, women are being inducted as Short Service Commissioned officers in all branches and streams of the IAF except the fighter stream. The IAF has recently revised Short Service Commission (SSC) scheme to induct women into the fighter stream on an experimental basis for a period of five years. The first batch of three women officers were commissioned into the fighter stream in 2016. . IAF also participated in humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations including Kerala floods.
Indian Coast Guard (ICG) . In addition to undertaking maritime surveillance in Maritime Zone of India, ICG ships and aircraft are also deployed for undertaking maritime surveillance of littoral states. In 2018, ICG undertook three extended EEZ deployments in the Maldivian EEZ, by ICG ship Sarathi, ICGS Samarth. Page | 100 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Indian Coast Guard, in coordination with Navy, has been undertaking patrolling and surveillance of the entire coastline. . In order to enhance efficacy of M-SAR (Maritime Search and Rescue) construct, series of Beacon exercises are being conducted. . National Maritime Search and Rescue Workshop & Exercise (SAREX-18) conducted. The SAR exercise was in series of the biennial exercise conducted by ICG. . Consequent to formation of cyclone Luban in South East Arabian Sea and cyclones Titli and Gaja in Bay of Bengal, ICG launched a large scale rescue and relief operations. . ICG has participated in joint exercises with coast guards of Japan (January 2018) and Bangladesh (May 2018). Both these exercises were conducted at Chennai, Tamilnadu. . ICG has signed an MoU for Cooperation on the response to Oil and Chemical Pollution in the South Asian Seas Region (comprising of maritime nations – India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka).
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) . Long Range Surface-to-Surface Ballistic Missile “Agni-5” was successfully flight tested. . Interceptor missiles have been developed by DRDO as a strategic weapon against ballistic missile attacks. Successful trials of endo interceptor missile (AAD) and exo interceptor missile (PDV) were carried out. . DRDO is involved in the design and development of New Generation Anti-Radiation Missile (NGARM) having a range of 100 km. . Beyond visual range air-to-air missile ‘Astra’ possessing high single shot kill probability has been developed by DRDO to engage and destroy highly manoeuvring supersonic aerial targets. . Man-Portable Anti-Tank Guided Missile (MPATGM), Stand-off Anti-Tank (SANT) Guided Missile, Smart Anti Air Field Weapon (SAAW) have also being developed. SAAW is long- range, stand-off, precision air-to-surface weapon capable of engaging ground targets. . Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ‘TAPAS BH” is a multi- mission UAV which is being developed with an endurance of 24 hours to carry out the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) roles for the three Armed Forces. . Guided Pinaka Rocket system is being developed by DRDO to engage targets from 20 km to 80 km range. The rocket uses propulsion system developed for Pinaka Mk-II rocket and has canard based aerodynamic control and Inertial Navigation System (INS)/Global Positioning System (GPS) based guidance. . New Family of Munitions (NFMS): Six types of munitions are being designed and developed by DRDO viz. Soft Target Blast Munition NIPUN, Anti-Tank Point Attack Munition “VIBHAV”, Anti-Tank Bar Munition VISHAL, Directional Fragmentation Munition “PARTH”, Anti-Tank Munition PRACHAND and Jumping Fragmentation Munition ULKA to improve the existing munitions and enhance its performance. . Advance Light Towed Array Sonar (ALTAS) is an efficient sensing system for detection, localization and classification of submarines operating especially in the below surface layer ocean conditions. It is useful in Anti- Submarine Warfare (ASW) operations and is the apt sensor for warships to locate silent submarines capable of launching high speed torpedoes. . Portable Diver Detection Sonar (PDDS): DRDO/NPOL (Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, Cochin)is involved in the design and development of a PDDS system that is capable of detecting small targets such as divers and diver delivery vehicles in and around harbours. It will be deployable and retrievable as and when required. . Advanced Light Weight Torpedo (ALWT) is an anti-submarine torpedo launched from ship, helicopter or fixed wing aircraft. Page | 101 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Air Defence Fire Control Radar (ADFCR) ‘Atulya’ in conjunction with anti-aircraft guns, forms a ground based air defence system whose main purpose is effective point defence against all air threats at short and very short ranges during day and night.
Border Roads Organisation . At present, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working on 883 roads of length 27,404.18 kilometres, out of which 352 roads of length 7,991.98 kilometres are under maintenance only and balance roads are under construction/improvement to double lane. . BRO is also maintaining seven airfields besides snow clearance to ensure connectivity of border regions with rest of the country. . Launching 200 ft Bailey bridge (Bailey bridge is a type of portable, pre-fabricated, truss bridge) at Gelensiniak (the first single span bridge over the River Subansiri). . The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna is an ambitious initiative to improve connectivity to the Char Dham pilgrimage centres in the Himalayas (Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri in Uttarakhand). It is implemented by BRO in collaboration with the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways.
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Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
Introduction . The year 2018-19 was declared as the year of construction and development by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRD&H). . The Ministry took a decision to complete all ongoing projects that had been awarded upto 2015-16, and placed the highest ever target of constructing at least 12,000 kms of national highways as against 9829 kms achieved during 2017-18, and make special efforts to take this length to 16000 km. Gradually the construction of roads has been increasing over the years. . In order to achieve this target the Ministry brought in policies, guidelines and practices for expediting pre-construction activities and bringing in more efficiency and transparency in the process.
Digital Initiatives to ensure transparency Bidder Information Management System (BIMS) . BIMS portal aims at streamlining process of pre-qualification of bidders for EPC Mode (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) of contracts for National Highway works with enhanced transparency and objectivity. . It works as data base of information about bidders, covering basic details, civil works experience, cash accruals and network, annual turnover etc. . It allows assessment of pre-qualification of bidders from data already stored in portal to carry out technical evaluation at much faster rate. . It will be used by all project implementation agencies of MoRT&H for maintenance of technical information of civil works of contractors, concessionaires and for online technical evaluation of civil works bids. Bhoomi Rashi . Bhoomi Rashi portal has been developed by MoRT&H and National Informatics Centre (NIC). It comprises entire revenue data of country, right down to 6.4 lakh villages. . It makes entire process flow from submission of draft notification by State Government to its approval by Minister of State (MoS) for RT&H and publication in e-Gazette is online. . The portal has been created for expediting process of publication of notifications for land acquisition and will play an instrumental role in reducing time taken for approval and publication of notifications pertaining to land acquisition. PFMS linkage with Bhoomi Rashi . The Bhoomi Rashi portal has been integrated with Public Financial Management System (PFMS) to facilitate payment related to compensation for land acquisition to all beneficiaries directly through Bhoomi Rashi system. . It will make payment of Compensation by MoRTH to beneficiaries in real time and without any parking of funds. . PFMS is web-based online software application developed and implemented by Office of Controller General of Accounts (CGA) to facilitate sound public financial management system for Central Government. . It provides various stakeholders with real time, reliable and meaningful management information system and effective decision support system, as part of Digital India initiative of Central Government.
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Bharatmala Pariyojana . It is an umbrella project for the highways sector under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, launched in 2017. The project aims to optimize the efficiency of road traffic movement across the country by bridging critical infrastructure gaps. . 34,800 km of National Highways are to be constructed under the Phase-I of the programme between 2017-18 to 2021-22 in a phased manner. . It focuses on the new initiatives like development of Border and International connectivity roads, Coastal & port connectivity roads, improving efficiency of National Corridors, Economic corridors, Feeder corridors, Greenfield Expressways and others. . A network of 35 Multimodal Logistics Parks (MMLP) had been identified for development in the Phase-I of Bharatmala Pariyojana. (MMLP as a freight-handling facility with various modes of transport access, and comprising mechanized warehouses, specialized storage solutions such as cold storage, facilities for mechanized material handling and inter-modal transfer container terminals, and bulk and break- bulk cargo terminals)
SetuBharatam . Objectives: Development of Road over bridges (ROB)/ Road Under Bridges (RUB) for safe and seamless travel on National Highways. . The project aims to make all National Highways free of railway level crossings by 2019. . This is being done to prevent the frequent accidents and loss of lives at level crossings. . The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has also established an Indian Bridge Management System (IBMS) at the Indian Academy for Highway Engineer in Noida, U.P. . The IBMS has been established to develop the data in digital form, to identify the number of bridges and other structures on National Highways, to carry out the condition survey and inventorization of bridges/structures and to identify the distressed bridges which need immediate attention and to sensitize the concerned implementation agency for taking corrective measures such as repair, rehabilitation reconstruction/ new construction etc.
Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna . The project envisages development of easy access to the four prominent Dhams, namely, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedranath and Badrinath, situated in the state of Uttrakhand. These four Dhams are prominent pilgrimage centres. . This project is implemented by MoRT&H in collaboration with Border Roads Organisation under Ministry of Defence.
Eastern Peripheral Expressway– Western Peripheral Expressway . The two projects of Peripheral Expressways around Delhi, comprising 135 km Eastern Peripheral Expressway (EPE), and 135 km Western Peripheral Expressway (WPE) connecting NH-1 and NH-2 from Western and Eastern side of Delhi was completed and inaugurated in 2018. . The two expressways were envisaged with the twin objectives of decongesting and de-polluting the national capital by diverting the traffic not destined for Delhi.
Road Safety Reduction in number of road accidents . There has been some marginal reduction in the number of road accidents (reduced by 3.3 %) and fatalities (reduced by 1.9%) in 2017 as compared to 2016.
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. The Ministry has been making concerted efforts to address the problem of road safety through a series of measures that include improving road infrastructure, road safety audits, identification and rectification of black spots on roads and strengthening the automobile safety standards, organizing road safety awareness programmes and strengthening enforcement etc. Guidelines for setting up Driver Training Schools in districts . The Ministry has been working in association with States, Vehicle manufactures and NGOs for strengthening the training of drivers. Institute of Driving training and Research (IDTRs), Regional Driving Training Centres (RDTCs) and Driving Training Centre (DTC) have been established which act as model Driving Training Centres with state of art infrastructure. Guidelines for financing NGOs for road safety advocacy . The Ministry has issued guidelines associating Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) for promoting awareness about road safety under a scheme titled “Grant of financial assistance for administering Road Safety Advocacy and awards for the outstanding work done in the field of Road Safety". . It is envisaged that the NGOs will undertake activities for creating road safety awareness among citizens. SukhadYatra App and Toll-Free Emergency Number . A mobile App and Toll- free Emergency number 1033 for highway users, developed by NHAI, were launched in 2018. . The SukhadYatra mobile application provides information on toll gates. . The key feature of the app includes a provision for the user to enter road quality-related information or to report any accident or pothole on the highway. . It also provides users with real-time data related to waiting time expected at toll plazas and various facilities like points of interest, highway nest/ nest mini, etc. . The app can also be used to purchase FASTags. . The toll-free number 1033 will enable users to report an emergency condition, or highway-related feedback, across the highway. The service has also been integrated with ambulance / tow away services along the roads.
Green Initiatives Methanol Blending . Methanol is a clean burning fuel which can replace both petrol & diesel in transportation, and LPG, Wood, Kerosene in cooking fuel. . It can also replace diesel in Railways, Marine Sector, Gensets, Power Generation and Methanol based reformers could be an ideal complement to Hybrid and Electric Mobility. . Methanol Economy is the “Bridge” to the dream of a complete “Hydrogen based fuel systems”. . Methanol is a scalable and sustainable fuel, that can be produced from a variety of feedstocks like Natural Gas, Coal (Indian High Ash Coal), Bio-mass, Municipal Solid waste and most importantly from CO2. . The Concept of “Methanol Economy” is being actively pursued by many countries. 10% of fuel in China in transport Sector is Methanol. Advantages of Methanol . Methanol burns efficiently in all internal combustion engines, produces no particulate matter, no soot, almost nil SOX and NOX emissions (NEAR ZERO POLLUTION). . The gaseous version of Methanol – DME can be blended with LPG and can be excellent substitute for diesel in large buses and trucks. . To adopt Methanol as a transport fuel, it requires minimal infrastructure modifications and capital both in vehicles and in terminal and distribution infrastructure. Page | 105 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Methanol 15 % blend (M15) in petrol will reduce pollution by 33% & diesel replacement by methanol will reduce by more than 80%. Urban Transport contributes to close to 40% towards urban air pollution. Ethanol Blending . The ethanol blending is process of mixing petrol with ethanol. . The mixture is called as Ethanol Fuel / Gasohol which is considered as a quasi- renewable energy. . Ethanol is biofuel derived from Sugarcane molasses (by-product in the conversion of sugarcane to sugar), corn, sorghum etc. . In India, practice of blending ethanol was started in 2001. . Ethanol blending for first time was mention in the Auto fuel policy of 2003. . Later, the National Policy on Bio-fuels, 2009 made mandatory for oil companies to sell petrol blended with at least 5% of ethanol. Benefits of ethanol blending . It reduces the vehicular emissions especially carbon monoxide emissions. . It is cheaper than petrol as it is cheaper to manufacture. . It decreases a nation dependence on foreign oil. . Ethanol has a higher octane rating than ethanol-free petrol. . In case of India, ethanol production can give higher sugarcane price for farmers which can help in rural prosperity. New initiatives INAM-Pro + . INAM-Pro+ is an upgraded version of INAM-Pro which is a web portal launched by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. . INAM Pro is a common platform to bring cement buyers and sellers together and made it very convenient for the buyers to procure cement at reasonable rates in a transparent manner. . INAM-Pro+ is upgraded to include the A to Z of construction materials, equipments and services like purchase/hiring/lease of new/used products in the domains of construction materials viz, cement, steel, bitumen, stone aggregates, concrete, bricks, wood, sanitary items, paint etc.
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Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises
Global Mobility Summit . Global Mobility Summit, known as MOVE, is the first of its kind summit to be organized by NITI Aayog, in collaboration with various ministries and industry partners. The main aim of the summit is to promote new cleaner, accessible modes of transport. . The summit endorsed 7 Cs: Common, Connected, Convenient, Congestion-free, Charged, Clean and Cutting-edge transport. . It also aims to encourage cooperation between indigenous industries such as automobile manufacturing, information technology, electronics, and telecommunications to integrate with global supply chains. . It will help to drive government’s goals for vehicle electrification, renewable energy integration and job growth and also speed up India’s transition to a clean energy economy. . International representation from embassies and the private sector included US, Japan, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, New Zealand, Austria, Germany, and Brazil.
FAME scheme . The FAME India scheme was launched in 2015 under National Electric Mobility Mission Plan (NEMMP) with an aim to promote eco-friendly vehicles in the country. . Its objectives are to provide incentives for adoption and market creation of both hybrid and electric technology vehicles in the country. . It will also support the hybrid or electric vehicles market development and its manufacturing eco- system in the country in order to achieve self-sustenance in stipulated period. . It is being administered by the Heavy Industries Ministry. This scheme is aimed at incentivizing all vehicle segments like 2-Wheelers, 3-Wheelers, 4-Wheeler Vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicles and Buses. . The scheme has 4 focus areas, o Technology development, o Demand Creation, o Pilot Projects and o Charging Infrastructure.
National Electric Mobility Mission Plan 2020 . It was unveiled in 2013. The main aim is to promote electric mobility in the country. . This Mission Plan has been designed mainly considering the Fuel Security and Environmental Pollution in the country.
Automotive Industry . The automotive industry is a pillar of Indian economy and a key driver of macro- economic growth and technological advancement with contribution of 7.1% to the total GDP. . Strong domestic demand along with supportive Government policies have led to the Indian automotive industry climbing up the ranks to be one of the global leaders. . India is the largest manufacturer of two-wheelers, three-wheelers and tractors in the world . India is the fifth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world.
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. Government of India has demonstrated its intention to curb vehicular pollution through pivotal initiatives such as (FAME) scheme, and regulatory measures such as early introduction of Bharat Stage- VI in 2020. . Also, fuel consumption standards for Indian vehicles came into force in India in April 2017 for petrol, diesel, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) passenger vehicles. . These standards are based on a Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) system and targets to bring about around 18% improvement in fuel consumption of passenger vehicles by 2022, compared to 2012. . Automotive Mission Plan 2016-26 (AMP 2026) envisions that by the year 2026, India will be the third in the world after China and USA in engineering, manufacturing and export of vehicles and auto components.
Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSES) . Prime Minister of India addressed heads and senior officials of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) at the CPSE Conclave-Vision 2022 in New Delhi in April 2018. . This was the first time in 75 years that a conclave of all CPSEs was held. It was envisaged that the conclave will be a new beginning to transform CPSEs into Profit and Social Benefit Generating Enterprises. . The conclave outlined three mantras for CPSEs- Incentives, Imagination and Institution building in order to bring about transformation. . The Union Cabinet approved the revised guidelines of the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) on time bound closure of sick and loss making Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and disposal of movable and immovable assets. . The revised guidelines would reduce delays in implementation of closure plans of sick and loss making CPSEs. . The guidelines give first priority for utilization of land of CPSEs under closure for affordable housing as per guidelines of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
International Centre For Automotive Technology (ICAT) . ICAT is the first of new world class centers established under the National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) with the main objective of carrying out Research & Development besides extending homologation (authority to grant approvals) facilities in the field of Automotive Engineering. . ICAT is the premier certification agency authorized by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) for providing testing and certification services to the vehicle and component manufacturers situated within India and abroad. . In addition to the certification services, ICAT is providing extensive testing services for product development and validation. . ICAT completed the first BS-VI certification for a heavy duty engine model. The engine has been developed and manufactured indigenously by Volvo Eicher in India. . The successful completion of the compliance test of the engine, much ahead of the implementation date of 1 April, 2020, gives sufficient time for product stabilization to make it more robust and cost competitive for the end consumers. . National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRIP) was inaugurated at the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) at Manesar in Haryana. ICAT has been rendering services of automotive testing & certification to the industry since 2006. . NATRIP is the largest and most significant initiative in the automotive sector which represents collaboration between the Government of India, a number of State Governments and Indian Page | 108 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Automotive Industry to create a state of the art testing, validation and R&D infrastructure in the country.
Automotive Research Association Of India (ARAI) . ARAI, established in 1966, is a leading Automotive R&D organization affiliated to Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises and is recognized by Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. . ARAI is one of the premier Testing and Certification Agencies and plays a vital role in formulating regulations for the Indian automotive industry. . An ISO 9001, 14001, 27001 and OHSAS 18001 certified organization, ARAI is accredited by National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL). ARAI is equipped with state-of- the-art facilities in the areas of emission evaluation, noise vibration and harshness, structural dynamics, engine design & development, computer aided engineering, vehicle evaluation, components safety evaluation, material evaluation, automotive electronics and calibration. Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Key highlights . Swachh Survekshan 2018 was conducted by ranking 4203 Cities. With the aim of covering all the cities in India, Swachh Survekshan -2019, paperless and digital, will commence from 4th Jan, 2019. . Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) : 4124 Cities & Urban Areas of 21 States / UTs Declared ODF. . Solid Waste Management (SWM) processing capacity has increased from 14% in 2014 to 46% in 2018. . More than 68.7 Lakh Houses Sanctioned Under PMAY- (U) and this has provided huge Job Opportunities in Construction & Allied Sectors.
Swachh Survekshan 2019 . With an aim to increase the coverage of the ranking exercise, MoHUA now proposes to conduct its fourth survey – Swachh Survekshan 2019 to rank all the cities under Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U). . The distinctive features of the survey includes encouraging large scale citizen participation, ensuring sustainability of initiatives taken towards garbage free and open defecation free cities, providing credible outcomes which would be validated by third party certification etc. Highlights of Swachh Survekshan 2018 1. 79% of residents find their area cleaner than last year and many waste pickers were provided formal livelihood. 2. 33% cities of >1 lakh population have ICT based monitoring of their Community and Public Toilets. 3. Indore, Bhopal and Chandigarh have emerged as the top 3 cleanest cities in the country.
Swachh Manch web portal . It is a web-based platform which aims to bring together every stakeholder contributing to the Swachh Bharat Mission under a common platform. . It will allow stakeholders to create/invite/participate in volunteering opportunities around neighborhoods. . The Swachh Manch will also be integrated with the existing Swachhata App to act as a citizens’ grievance redressal platform.
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Swachh Bharat Mission - Urban . The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan or Mission, launched on 2nd of October 2014, is so far the largest programme on sanitation by Indian Government. . It has two sub-Missions viz. Swachh Bharat Mission (Rural) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban). . While rural mission comes under the purview of Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation; the urban mission comes under Ministry of Urban Development. . SBM (Urban) aims to ensure that 1. No households engage in the practice of open defecation: 2. No new insanitary toilets are constructed during the mission period, and 3. Pit latrines are converted to sanitary latrines. . To enable people to easily locate public toilets and give feedback on the same, a major initiative of mapping all public toilets in the country on Google Maps has been launched. SBM ODF+ and ODF++ Protocol 1. The SBM ODF+ protocol focuses on sustaining community/ public toilet usage by ensuring their functionality, cleanliness and maintenance. 2. The SBM ODF++ will focus on achieving sanitation sustainability by addressing complete sanitation value chain, including safe containment, processing and disposal of fecal sludge and septage. . ‘Star Rating Protocol or garbage free cities’ to motivate cities to achieve garbage free status. It is a single metric rating system, based on 12 parameters of Solid Waste Management.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY-U) . PMAY (U) aims provide houses to all poor in urban areas by 2022. . It is new version of Prime Minister’s Housing For All by 2022 vision. . Its objective is to construct two crore houses across nation and covers entire urban area with initial focus on 500 Class I cities. . Intended beneficiaries of scheme are Poor people (BPL) and People living under Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and LIG (Low income Group) categories in urban establishments of the country. . It also targets people living under MIG (middle income Group). The Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS) is a component under the PMAY-Urban. . Under the scheme, the central government provides interest subsidy or purchase/construction/extension/improvement of a house to cater Economical Weaker Section (EWS)/Lower Income Group(LIG)/Middle Income Groups (MIG). Achievements 1. The Ministry is organizing Global Housing Technology Challenge (GHTC) to co-opt internationally acclaimed rapid mass housing construction technologies and to help States/UTs to construct sanctioned houses under PMAY(U) to address housing shortage in the urban areas by 2022. 2. A National Urban Housing Fund for Rs. 60,000 crore has been set up for raising Extra Budgetary Resources (EBR) for the rapid implementation of PMAY (U). 3. The Affordable Housing Fund (AHF) was established in National Housing Bank (NHB) with an objective to improve the affordability of the target group to own their homes. 4. The huge investment of 3.6 Lakh crore in housing sector is providing more job opportunities in construction and allied sectors with the help of induced effect and contributing to overall health of the economy. SMART CITY MISSION . Launched in 2015. Under the SCM, 100 Smart Cities have been selected in 4 Rounds based on All India Competition. All 100 cities have incorporated Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
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. These cities to be developed as satellite towns of larger cities and by modernizing the existing mid- sized cities.
. Eight critical pillars of India’s Smart City Program are: 1. Smart Governance 2. Smart Energy 3. Smart Environment 4. Smart Transportation 5. Smart IT & Communications 6. Smart Buildings 7. Smart Health Hospitals 8. Smart Education. . 4 approaches are adopted for development of Smart Cities: 1. Retrofitting will introduce planning in an existing built-up area to achieve smart city objectives, along with other objectives, to make the existing area more efficient and liveable. In retrofitting, an area consisting of more than 500 acres will be identified by the city in consultation with citizens. 2. Redevelopment will effect a replacement of the existing built-up environment and enable co- creation of a new layout with enhanced infrastructure using mixed land use and increased density. Redevelopment envisages an area of more than 50 acres, identified by Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in consultation with citizens. 3. Greenfield development: Introduce most of the Smart Solutions in a previously vacant area (more than 250 acres) using innovative planning, plan financing and plan implementation tools (e.g. land pooling/ land reconstitution) with provision for affordable housing, especially for the poor. Ex. GIFT City 4. Pan-city development envisages application of selected Smart Solutions to the existing city-wide infrastructure. Ease of Living Index . It is an initiative under Smart Cities Mission. . The index help cities to assess their liveability vis-à-vis global and national benchmarks and encourage cities to move towards an ‘outcome-based’ approach to urban planning and management. . The Ease of Living assessment standards are closely linked to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and will provide a strong impetus to India’s effort for systematic tracking progress of SDGs in the urban areas. . This framework comprises four pillars namely Institutional, Social, Economic and Physical which are further broken down into 15 categories and 78 indicators.
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. It will also have a comparison feature that will allow users to analyse the performance across cities on various liveability parameters. . Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 were held. The objective of the awards is to guide, motivate, recognize and reward the Smart Cities for promoting digital payments and carrying out innovative payment initiatives. Surat smart city from Gujarat was selected for ‘City Award’.
RERA . Real Estate (Regulation and Development) Act, 2016 (RERA) heralded a new era of transformation in the real estate sector. The core objective of this legislation is to ensure regulation and promotion of real estate sector in an efficient manner and to protect the interest of home buyers. . All the States/UTs have notified rules under RERA except Jammu & Kashmir (as RERA is not applicable there). . West Bengal has enacted its own Act I.e. Housing & Industry Regulation Act (HIRA), however state has been advised to notify the rules under Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act, 2016. . Municipal bonds are an important instrument to mobilise financial resources for investment in Urban Infrastructure. Municipal bonds . A municipal bond is a debt obligation issued by a local authority with the promise to pay the bond interest on a specified payment schedule and the principal at maturity. . General obligation bonds: Principal and interest are secured by full faith and credit of the issuer and usually guaranteed by either the issuer’s unlimited or limited tax paying power. . Revenue bonds: Principal and interest are secured by revenues of ULBs derived from tolls, charges or rents from the facility built with the proceeds of the bond issue. . Public projects financed by revenue bonds include toll roads, bridges, airports, water and sewage treatment facilities, hospitals and subsidised housing. . The GOI issued guidelines for issue of tax-free municipal bonds in February 2001. . It has been clearly specified that the funds raised from these tax-free municipal bonds are to be used only for capital investments in urban infrastructure like potable water supply, sewerage or sanitation, drainage, solid waste management, roads, bridges and flyovers; and urban transport. . Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was the first Urban Local Body (ULB) in India to issue tax-free municipal bonds for water and sewerage projects followed by Tamil Nadu Urban Development Fund (TNUDF) in 2003 and Government of Karnataka used the concept of pooled financing to raise debt from investors. . On July 2015, SEBI notified a new regulatory framework for issuing municipal bonds in India for streamlining the system of the municipal bond market in India. 1. Investment grade ratings for ULBs, 2. No default in last 365 days and positive net worth, 3. A mandated guarantee from the State Government or Central Government, 4. Compliance with the state’s municipal account standards or the National Municipal Accounts Manual to be eligible for the issue, etc.
Urban Transport . At present, Metro Rail systems are operational in 10 cities and further expansion of metro rail systems and Rapid Rail Transit Systems (RRTS) are under planning in various cities. . In order to promote “Make in India” and indigenization of various metro rail system, standard specification of rolling stock, signalling system, electrical & electromechanical metro rail components and civil engineering structures have been issued.
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. I-Metros (Indian Metro Rail Organisations’ Society) - a platform to exchange ideas, pooling of knowledge and sharing of experience, best practices, innovations etc. among the Indian metro rail companies to nurture excellence in performance was launched in March 2018. Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) . It is Centrally Sponsored Scheme implemented by Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. . Its objective is to uplift urban poor people by enhancing sustainable livelihood opportunities through skill development. . Its intended beneficiaries are urban poor (street vendors, slum dwellers, homeless, rag pickers); unemployed and differently abled. . It provides for employment through Skill Training and Placement through City Livelihood Centers to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households. . It also provides social mobilization and institution development through formation of Self-Help Groups (SHG) for training members and hand holding, an initial support of 10,000 is given for each group. . It also provides subsidy to urban poor i.e. interest subsidy of 5% – 7% for setting up individual micro-enterprises with loan of up to 2 lakhs and for group enterprises with loan limit of up to Rs.10 lakhs. . Personalized After-training Rapid Assessment (PARAS) system has been launched to get direct feedback from skill trained candidates regarding quality of skill training through SMS/ online feedback. . A centralised web portal named PAiSA, developed in collaboration with the Allahabad Bank, has been launched for subvention of interest to DAY-NULM beneficiaries under SEP(Simplified Employee Pension) component through Direct Benefit Transfer mode. . Swachhata Excellence Awards were distributed among the Area Level Federations (ALFs) of Self Help Groups (SHGs) from various States for their exemplary performance in creating awareness about sanitation, elimination of open defecation, bringing out behavioural change towards healthy sanitation practices etc. . DAY-NULM, in collaboration with Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is facilitating City Livelihood Centres (CLCs) in standardization of products and their specifications, identification of products to be launched on e-marketplace and registration on GeM portal as ‘seller’. . It has been decided to develop two Model Shelters for urban homeless in each state, one in the state capital and one in another big city, having sizable population of urban homeless. . Also, two Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) in each state, one in a million plus city and one in another big city are to be developed as Model ULBs for urban street vendors. AMRUT . Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) along with smart cities were jointly planned and launched by the government to transform urban living conditions through infrastructure upgradation. . It is a centrally sponsored scheme that aims to transform 500 cities and towns each with a population of one lakh and above into efficient urban living spaces over a period of five years. . The components of the AMRUT consist of capacity building, reform implementation, water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, urban transport and development of green spaces and parks. . Under this scheme, the AMRUT cities are incentivised for issuing municipal bonds to tap the resources needed for the development of these cities. . The World Bank has recently released the Doing Business Report (DBR) 2019 and the country’s rank in Construction Permits indicator has gone up to 52 from 181, a year ago. This could be
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possible due to the reforms implemented and consistent efforts of the Municipal Corporations of Delhi and Mumbai in facilitating Ease of Doing Business in construction permits. HRIDAY . The National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana (HRIDAY) was launched in January 2015 for the period until 31st March, 2019. . This scheme will be completely funded by the Central Government to create infrastructure and provide facilities around the heritage sites to attract more tourists. . HRIDAY is being implemented in 12 cities, namely, Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwaraka, Gaya, Kancheepuram, Mathura, Puri, Varanasi, Velankanni and Warangal. . In 2018, 20 projects amounting to Rs. 140.14 Crores have been completed. . All the HRIDAY cities have been asked to develop a sustainability model for their cities with focus on revenue generation through facilities developed under HRIDAY for their cities.
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Ministry of Railways
. Indian Railways achieved all- round progress during the year with firm focus on safety and passenger services by leveraging the latest in technology and marshalling the inherent strength of a highly dedicated workforce. Steps taken to enhance safety . Indian Railways (IR) has taken the following proactive measures to ensure safety and to prevent accidents at unmanned level crossings: (i) Elimination of unmanned level crossings through closure/merger/grade- separator/ manning etc. on a programmed basis. (ii) Social awareness campaigns to educate road users with the use of various print and electronic media for observance of safe practices prescribed in Motor Vehicles Act and Indian Railways Act. (iii) Nukkad Nataks (Street theatre) organized at public places with theme “Safety at Level Crossings”. (iv) Level crossing awareness week is organized each year by the Zonal Railways, which also includes the ‘International Level Crossing Awareness Day (ILCAD)’. (v) To ensure safety, all unmanned level crossings have been provided with Gate Mitra to counsel/warn the road users for observance of safe practices while negotiating the unmanned level crossings. . In addition, following technology upgradation has been adopted by the Indian Railways to prevent rail accidents and to enhance safety in railway operation and pertaining to infrastructure: (i) Smart coaches with diagnostic system that provides advance information on health of bearing wheel & track, wheel slip protection monitoring, fire safety through fire and smoke detection unit integrated with passenger announcement and information system for emergency evacuation to enhance safety and security. Modified Centre Buffer couplers, Bogie Mounted Air Brake System (BMBS) are also being implemented. (ii) On-line Monitoring of Rolling Stock (OMRS) monitors the health of each rolling stock and identifies the defective bearings and wheels and generate defect reports on real time basis. (iii) Simulator training is imparted to all Loco Pilots to gain hands on experience on the locomotives. (iv) Vehicular Ultrasonic Flaw Detection (USFD) Self Propelled Ultrasonic Rail Testing Cars (SPURT Cars) to cover entire Indian Railways network for monitoring and identifying propagation of rail/weld defects for improving safety of track. (v) Ground Penetration Radar (GPR) for monitoring health of track ballast bed and to prioritize deep screening of track. (vi) Fog PASS Device, a GPS based hand held portable device, is given to Loco Pilots in fog affected sections. It serves as an aid for the crew during foggy weather through audio visual alarm, whenever any landmark comes within the geo-fence range. (vii) Switch over to the manufacture of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) coaches from 2018-19 onwards and stopping the manufacture of ICF coaches. The LHB coaches having superior design and better safety features like anti-climbing features etc. (viii) Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)- As announced in Budget 2017-18, a fund had been introduced with a corpus of Rs 1 lakh crore over a period of five years from 2017-18 onwards for critical safety related works.
Initiatives taken to improve Passenger Amenities and Cleanliness . Upgradation of coaches of Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains under Project Swarn and upgradation of coaches of some express trains under Project Utkrisht, are being implemented. Page | 115 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Introduction of improved passenger services in Humsafar trains (Completely 3-tier AC sleeper trains) and Antyodaya trains (Long distance fully unreserved trains). . Tejas trains : Ultra-modern trains with the speed capacity of 200kmph. . Vistadome Coaches: These coaches are provided with enhanced viewing area including on roof to enable tourists to enjoy panoramic view while travelling. . ‘Coach Mitra’ facility has been introduced in several trains. ‘Coach Mitra’ is a single window interface to register coach related requirements of passengers such as cleaning, disinfection, linen, train lighting, air conditioning and watering of coaches. . Bio-Vacuum Toilet: Vacuum flushing system toilets substantially reduce the requirement of water for flushing, while ensuring effective/ proper flushing of faecal matter from the pans. . Pace of installation of Bio-toilets in Coaches has been intensified. It is planned to install bio-toilets in the entire Broad Gauge (BG) coaching fleet of Indian Railways by 2019.
Go Green Initiatives in Indian Railways . Ministry of Railways has planned to set up 1000 Mega Watt (MW) solar power by 2020- 21 which would help Railways to source about 10% of its electrical energy from renewable source. Indian Railways have already installed about 71.19 MW of Solar plants over rooftops at Railways stations and service buildings. . Indian Railways have started providing solar panels on rooftop of trains. Solar system works during sunlight and generates battery backup of approx. 4 to 5 hours. System does not work properly during fog/rain and winter season and battery backup goes down to 2 to 3 hours depending upon weather condition. . Use of LED lights on electrified railway stations and service buildings. All electrified Railway stations (except those under gauge conversion) and 99% of service buildings have been fitted with 100% LED luminaries over Indian Railways. . Blending of 5% bio-diesel in High Speed Diesel (HSD) for diesel locomotives was started in June, 2015. . 20% Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) substitution in diesel engines of 23 Diesel Power Cars of Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) trains and introduction of Solar energy based DEMUs. . Tree plantation to increase green cover in Railway Premises. Track side boundary plantation also started in 2016. . Pace of installation of environment friendly bio-toilets in passenger coaches has been increased. . In 2016, a policy decision was taken for allocating 1% cost in all sanctioned works for execution of environment related works. . With a view to transforming Indian Railways into “Green Railways” and to capture the economic benefits of electric traction in an accelerated manner, Indian Railways has planned to electrify balance BG routes by 2021-22. Make in India: . Induction of semi-high speed Train-sets to European standard: ICF took up manufacturing of Semi High Speed (160 Kmph) Self Propelled Train-set with indigenous efforts, termed Train-18, with contemporary features as per global standards. . 70% of existing fleet of machines have been manufactured by a world’s leading manufacturer with a local content in the range of 20% to 50%. Now the local content is being further increased to minimum 51% to 80% under Make in India Policy. . Encouraged by Make in India, one more manufacturing plant by a world’s leading manufacturer of track machines is being set up in Gujarat and expected to start production by May’2019. . Under ‘Make in India program’, it is proposed to set up an Electric Locomotive Factory in Madhepura, Bihar and a Diesel Locomotive Factory in Marhowra, Bihar. Page | 116 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Indian Railways has created history by first-ever conversion of a locomotive from diesel to electric traction. The conversion of Diesel locomotive into Electric locomotive is a highly specialized and unique work which was not done earlier in traction application worldwide. . Chittaranjan Locomotive Works (CLW) in west Bengal become the largest loco manufacturer in the world under single roof. . Robotics and Industry 4.0 in PU production: Industry 4.0 is Smart manufacturing based on Cyber Physical system. It includes end-to-end digitization and integration into digital eco-system with all value chain partners interacting seamlessly.
Connectivity to North East . All Meter gauge (MG) sections converted to Broad Gauge (BG) and there is no MG operation in entire North East Region. . The Seven Sister States of North Eastern India (Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh) have been connected by Rail Network. . As per Indian Railways’ vision for North East region, all eight North East state capitals are to be linked with broad gauge rail link by 2020-21. Previously, only Guwahati had broad gauge railway linkage. Further, Arunachal Pradesh & Tripura State capital has been connected.
Mission Raftaar . With a view to increasing speed of trains in Indian Railways, ‘Mission Raftaar’ was announced in the Railway Budget 2016-17. The mission envisages a target of doubling of average speed of freight trains and increasing the average speed of all non-suburban passenger trains by 25 kmph in the next 5 years. . Principal routes have been identified for raising of speed under Mission Raftaar. These are six routes on Golden Quadrilateral and diagonals namely, Delhi – Mumbai, Delhi – Howrah, Howrah- Chennai, Chennai – Mumbai, Delhi – Chennai and Howrah – Mumbai. These six routes carry 58% of freight traffic and 52% of coaching traffic with a share of only 16% of the network.
Heritage Preservation in Indian Railways . Ministry of Railways has initiated several measures to promote heritage preservation in the Railways. These include revival of Steam Locomotives, up-keeping Hill Railways, special delegation of powers to Divisions for promoting Hill and Steam tourism, strengthening Railway museums, conservation of built heritage, digitization of Railway Heritage and bringing it online for universal access etc. . Maintenance of five hill railways of India [Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR), Kalka Shimla Railway (KSR), Matheran Light Railway(MLR) and Kangra Valley Railway (KVR)] are undertaken as per extant nodal provision of Indian Railways and UNESCO Guidelines. Modernisation of Railway Stations . Railway stations are being modernized under ‘Adarsh’ Station Scheme based on identified need of providing better enhanced passenger amenities at stations. . The stations which have been upgraded under the scheme has various upgraded facilities such as drinking water, toilets, waiting rooms, catering services, lights and so on. Redevelopment of Railway Stations as Smart Railway Stations . An MoU between Rail Land Development Authority (RLDA) and National Building Construction Corporation Ltd. has been signed in 2017 for redevelopment of 10 stations as a part of the SMART City project launched by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
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. Government has recently approved Railways’ proposal for redevelopment of railway stations by Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Limited (IRSDC) as the Nodal Agency. . Station redevelopment is planned by leveraging commercial development of land & air space in and around stations, i.e. vacant railway land and air space not required by Railways for its immediate operational needs shall be leased out to interested parties for setting up commercial establishments. . The revenues realized from commercial development of stations should be sufficient to at least cover the entire cost of station redevelopment after meeting the full expenditure on real estate development and Maintenance obligations, i.e. station redevelopment project would be cost neutral to Railways. E-Drishti Software . An ‘e-Drishti’ interface has been unveiled for the Union Railway Minister, Minister of State and Board Members. This software includes an interface which provides summary information on punctuality of trains for the previous day. There is also an interface which provides information on current train running on the Indian Railway network. . In addition, there are interfaces providing details of freight earning, freight loading and passenger earnings for the previous day & month and cumulative for the year, in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year. Other Developments: . India’s first Rail and Transportation University: National Rail and Transportation Institute (NRTI), Vadodara has begun its first academic session with two under- graduate programmes. . A massive training programme named as ‘Project Saksham’ has been launched to provide job training to all 12 lakhs employees of Indian Railways. . A portal named as COMPTRAN (Common Portal for Mutual transfer) for employees desiring mutual transfer to their place of residence has been developed. . A ‘SAMANVAY’ portal (www.railsamanvay.co.in) has been developed for online reporting of issues pending with State Governments pertaining to infrastructural developmental projects which are being undertaken by different Railway agencies.
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Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Department of Fertilizers (DoF) Neem Coating of Urea About . Urea is the most popular Nitrogenous fertilizer around the world. . When Urea is applied to soil, it is first hydrolysed into Ammonical form (NH4+) and thento nitrite (NO2-), followed by to nitrate (NO3-) forms by the process called nitrification. . Thus, nitrification process is necessary for making nitrogen available to plants. However, if the process of nitrification is too rapid; nitrogen will escape to atmosphere and plants will not be able to recover it from Urea efficiently. . Usually, the plants are able to recover a fraction which is known as Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE). It stands between 30 to 50%. . Thus, two third of Urea Nitrogen escapes from the soil and is not used by the plants. . Further, faster conversion of nitrate into Urea also results in accumulation of nitrates in soil and underground water. . Once nitrate reaches underground water, it is most difficult to remove and causes diseases such as blue baby syndrome. . So, there is a need to regulate the urea hydrolysis and nitrification which is done by some chemical / natural agents which are called Nitrification inhibitors. However, most of the nitrification inhibitors are costly chemicals (examples nitrapyrin, dicyandiamide and ammonium thiosulphate) beyond reach of Indian farmers. . Coating Urea with Neem oil or Neem cake has been proved to be an effective natural alternative to these chemicals. . The current policy is that Government has mandated all indigenous producers of Urea to produce 100% of urea as Neem coated urea. Benefits of neem coated urea . Neem coating leads to more gradual release of urea, helping plants gain more nutrient and resulting in higher yields. . Improvements in soil health. . Reduction in usage of plant protection chemicals. . Reduction in pest and disease attack. Due to slow release of Nitrogen, Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) of Neem Coated Urea increases resulting in reduced consumption of NCU as compared to Normal urea. . Lower underground water contamination due to leaching of urea. . Neem serves as a natural insecticide. . Collection of neem seeds is needed for manufacturing of neem coated urea. This would generate employments in rural areas. New Urea Policy – 2015 . It came into effect from June 2015. Its objectives are: (i) To maximize indigenous urea production (ii) To promote energy efficiency in the urea units (iii) To rationalize the subsidy burden on the Government of India. New Investment Policy- 2012 . The Government announced New Investment Policy (NIP)-2012 in January, 2013 and its amendment in October, 2014 to facilitate fresh investment in urea sector and to make India self- sufficient in the urea sector. Page | 119 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Under NIP- 2012, a Coal Bed Methane (CBM) based Greenfield Ammonia-Urea complex is to be setup at Panagarh, West Bengal with the installed capacity of 1.3 MMT per annum. . A brownfield project with the capacity of 1.34 MMT is to be setup at Gadepan, Rajasthan. Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) . The DoF has successfully implemented DBT in the entire country. The Pan India rollout of DBT has been completed in March 2018. . 100% subsidy on various fertilizer grades being released to fertilizer companies on basis of actual sales made by the retailers to beneficiaries. . Sale of all subsidised fertilizers to farmers/buyers is made through Point of Sale (PoS) devices installed at each retailer shop and the beneficiaries to be identified through Aadhaar Card, Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), and Voter Identity Card etc. . A Project Monitoring Cell setup in the Department to oversee implementation of DBT exclusively. State Coordinators appointed across all States to monitor the on-going DBT activities. . A dedicated 15-member Multi-lingual Help Desk set up to provide quick response to the queries of wide range of stakeholders across the country as a preparatory to DBT implementation. Policy on Promotion of City Compost: . The Government of India approved a policy on promotion of City Compost in 2016 granting Market Development Assistance of Rs. 1500/- for scaling up production and consumption of city compost. . To increase the sale of compost, compost manufacturers willing to market city compost allowed to sell city compost in bulk directly to farmers. This has boosted city compost sales to a great extent. . Fertilizer companies marketing city compost covered under the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) for Fertilizers. . Fertilizer Companies adopted 384 villages for promoting the use of City Compost. Use of Space technology in Fertilizer Sector: - . DoF commissioned a three year Pilot Study on “Resource Mapping of Rock Phosphate using Reflectance Spectroscopy and Earth Observations Data” by National Remote Sensing Centre under ISRO, in collaboration with Geological Survey of India(GSI) and the Atomic Mineral Directorate (AMD).
Department of Pharmaceuticals Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana Overview . The scheme was launched in 2015 by Department of Pharmaceuticals to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to masses through special Jan Aushadi stores. . The major vision of the scheme is to bring down the healthcare budget of every citizen of India through providing Quality generic Medicines at Affordable Prices. Mission . Create awareness among public regarding generic medicines. . Create demand for generic medicines through medical practitioners. . Create awareness through education and awareness program that high price need not be synonymous with high quality. . Provide all the commonly used generic medicines covering all the therapeutic groups. . Provide all the related health care products too under the scheme. Implementation Agency . BPPI (Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India), under the administrative control of the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals& Fertilizers, is the implementation agency for the PMBJP.
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. BPPI has been established under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, with the support of all the Pharma CPSUs for coordinating procurement, supply and marketing of generic drugs through the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras.
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) About . The NPPA is a governmental agency which falls under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers was formed in 1997. . Its functions are (i) To fix the controlled drugs prices and formulations. (ii) Enforce prices and availability of the medicines under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013. (iii) Recover amounts overcharged by manufacturers for the controlled drugs from the consumers. (iv) Monitor the prices of decontrolled drugs in order to keep them at reasonable levels. . The National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) 2011 is adopted as the primary basis for determining essentiality, which constitutes the list of scheduled medicines for the purpose of price control. . The DPCO 2013 contains 680 scheduled drug formulations spread across 27 therapeutic groups. However, the prices of other drugs can be regulated, if warranted in public interest. Medical Devices Sector . According to the new guidelines, certifications are not mandatory for those medical devices for which Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) standards exist. This move is expected to boost manufacturing of indigenous medical devices. . The Department approved a sub-scheme termed as Development of Common Facility Centre for Medical Devices (DCFC-MD) under the umbrella scheme for Development of Pharmaceuticals Industry. . It aims to give financial assistance for creation of Common Facility Centres (CFC) in the upcoming Medical Device Parks. This is expected to lower down the cost of manufacturing of indigenous medical devices and hence making it more competitive. . Scheme for Development of Pharmaceutical Industry is a Central Sector Scheme that aims to ensure drug security in the country by increasing the efficiency and competitiveness of domestic pharmaceutical industry. NPPA has made Cardiac Stents to cost 85% lesser and Knee Implants to cost 69% lesser. . A stent is a small mesh tube that’s used to treat narrow or weak arteries. Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood away from your heart to other parts of your body.
Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals (DoCPC) . Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIRs): The Government of India approved setting up of 4 PCPIRs in the States of Gujarat (Dahej), Andhra Pradesh (Vishakhapatnam– Kakinada), Odisha (Paradeep) and Tamil Nadu (Cuddalore- Nagapattinam). . Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology (CIPET): CIPET focuses on ‘STAR’ – Skill Development, Technology Support Services, Academic and Research in all the domains of Polymer Science & Technology. . Two new Plastic Parks in the States of Jharkhand & Madhya Pradesh (Bilaua) are proposed to be setup. . The DoCPC is the nodal Department for implementing the provisions related to procurement of goods and services related to ‘Chemicals’ sector. India Chem 2018 Page | 121 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. The largest event of Chemicals and Petrochemical Industry in India. . The 10th Biennial International Exhibition & Conference was held in Mumbai. . Theme “Chemicals and Petrochemicals – Advantage India”. . It had participation of 24 countries. . Partner States: West Bengal, Gujarat, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. . States Participated: Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand. . It had seen participation of 285 companies around the world.
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Ministry of Textiles
. Textiles industry in India is one of the largest in the world with a huge raw material base and manufacturing strength across all value chains. The strength of India’s textiles industry lies both in the hand woven sector as well as mill sector. . Traditional sectors like handloom, handicrafts and small scale power loom are the biggest source of employment for millions of people in rural and semi-urban areas. . This industry contributes to 7% of industrial output in value terms, 2% of India’s GDP and 15% of the country’s export earnings.
Silk Industry Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry . The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the Central Sector Scheme & Integrated Scheme for Development of Silk Industry for three years from 2017-18 to 2019-20. . The Scheme has four components: (i) Research & Development (R&D), training, transfer of technology and IT initiatives (ii) Seed organizations and farmers’ extension centres (iii) Coordination and market development for seed, yarn and silk products and (iv) Quality Certification System (QCS) by creating amongst others a chain of silk testing facilities, farm based & post-cocoon technology up-gradation, and export brand promotion. . The scheme envisages increased production of bivoltine silk (high quality silk which India imports more, especially from China), increased productivity of silk per hectare of plantation. . The scheme aims to achieve self-sufficiency in silk production by 2022. . The scheme will promote women empowerment and livelihood opportunities for SC and ST and other weaker sections of the society. It will also help to increase productive employment opportunities. New Races of Silk Worm Seed . Central Silk Board under the Ministry of Textiles is engaged in applied research for developing new breeds of races of silkworm seed. It has newly developed the races of silkworm seed of mulberry and Vanya silk for increasing the productivity of cocoons and to increase the income of the farmers engaged in sericulture. . Silk worm breeds for specific agro-climatic condition are essential for increasing the productivity of cocoons. . The newly developed races are Tropical Tasar Silkworm (BDR-10) race, Multivoltine Bivoltine Mulberry hybrid (PM x FC2)race and Eri silkworm (C2)race. INTEGRATED SKILL DEVELOPMENT SCHEME (ISDS) ‘Samarth’- Scheme for Capacity Building in Textile Sector: . The broad objective of the scheme is to skill the youth for gainful and sustainable employment in the textiles sector covering the entire value chain of textiles, excluding spinning and weaving. . It is intended to provide demand driven, placement oriented National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) compliant skilling programmes to incentivize and supplement the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the textiles sector. . The scheme targets to train 10 lakh persons (9 lakh in organised and 1 lakh in traditional sector) over a period of 3 years (2017-20). . The ISDS addresses the critical gap of skilled manpower in textile industry through industry- oriented training programmes and the major thrust is given to PPP mode where a partnership has been developed with the industry in establishing a demand- driven skilling ecosystem. Page | 123 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Powerloom Sector . The Government has launched PowerTex India, a comprehensive scheme for powerloom sector development in 2017. . The major components of PowerTex India scheme is as follows: (i) In-situ Upgradation of Plain Powerlooms : To provide financial assistance to economically weaker sections for upgrading existing plain looms to semi- automatic/shuttleless looms to improve quality and productivity of the fabrics being produced and enable them to face the competition in domestic and international markets. Group Workshed Scheme (GWS): To organise powerloom units in a cluster and to provide improved working condition in terms of more space, work environment, improve the work efficiency to enhance their competitiveness in the global market. (ii) Yarn Bank Scheme: To provide interest free corpus fund to Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) / Consortium to enable them to purchase yarn at wholesale rate and give the yarn at reasonable price to the small weavers and to avoid middle man/ local supplier’s brokerage charge on sales of yarn. . The scheme also provides for setting up of Common Facility Centres (CFCs), market development initiatives and subsidised credit avenues.
Handloom Sector . National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) is an umbrella scheme which encompasses many initiatives in the handloom sector. . Developing block level clusters, providing financial assistance to weavers, providing skill upgradation trainings and other such initiatives are provided under this scheme. . Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata Scheme: Under this scheme, Government of India assists the weaver by bearing 90% of the cost of procurement of new looms. . Weaver Mudra Scheme: Under this scheme, credit at concessional interest rate is being provided to the handloom weavers. . ‘Bunker Mitra’ helpline has been launched to address the queries of handloom weavers. . The India Handloom Brand was launched on the occasion of First National Handloom Day on 7 August 2015 for branding of high quality handloom products, authentic designs with zero defect and zero effect on environment. Promotion of Handicrafts . The Government implements various schemes for promotion and development of handicrafts sector under “National Handicraft Development Programme (NHDP)” and Comprehensive Handicrafts Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS). . Ambedkar Hastshilp vikas yojana for the development of handmade crafts. . The CHCDS has following components: 1. Mega Cluster 2. Special projects under Integrated Development and Promotion of Handicraft . To preserve all the antique handicrafts products of the country, the Government has established crafts Museum at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, which is popularly known as National Handicrafts and Handloom Museum. . The Government has also established 18 Museums throughout the country under Infrastructure and Technology Support scheme to preserve traditional art and craft products of the country including 35 endangered crafts for which Government provides financial, technical assistance under Guru Shishya Parampara, Skill Upgradation Training, Marketing Support and Infrastructure Support for development of artisans. Page | 124 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme . Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) is implemented for development of mega handloom clusters, having at least 15000 looms per cluster. . The scheme is under implementation in eight mega handloom Clusters i.e. Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Sivasagar (Assam), Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu), Murshidabad (West Bengal), Prakasam & Guntur districts (Andhra Pradesh), Godda & neighbouring districts (Jharkhand), Bhagalpur (Bihar) and Trichy (Tamil Nadu). . Under the CHCDS, need based funding is provided for various interventions like technology upgradation, product development, setting up of Value Addition Centre, Common Facility Centre (CFC), Marketing Complex, Dye House and Corpus Fund for Yarn Depot. Jute Sector Extension of Norms for Mandatory Packaging in Jute Materials: . The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs accorded its approval to expand the scope of mandatory packaging norms under the Jute Packaging Material (JPM) Act, 1987 as follows: . 100% of the food grains and 20% of the sugar will be mandatorily packed in diversified jute bags. The decision to pack sugar in diversified jute bags will give an impetus to the diversification of the jute industry. . Initially 10% of the indents of jute bags for packing foodgrains will be placed through reverse auction on the GeM portal. This will gradually usher in a regime of price discovery. . The decision will give a fillip to the development of jute sector in increasing the quality and productivity of raw jute, diversification of jute sector and also boosting and sustaining demand for jute product. Government support to the Jute Sector: . In order to improve the productivity and quality of raw jute through a carefully designed intervention, called the Jute ICARE, the Government has been supporting close to one lakh jute farmers by disseminating improved agronomic practices. . The National Jute Board has collaborated with National Institute of Design to support diversification of jute sector and a Jute Design Cell has been opened at Gandhinagar. Further, promotion of Jute Geo Textiles and Agro-Textiles has been taken up with the State Governments particularly those in the North Eastern region. . With a view to boost demand in the jute sector, Government of India has imposed Definitive Anti- Dumping Duty on import of jute goods from Bangladesh and Nepal with effect from January, 2017. Other developments/ initiatives: . To enhance exports of textiles including woolen, silk and cellulose fibers from India, the Government has enhanced the rates under Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS). . Government has introduced Silk Samagra Scheme to promote R&D and brand image of Indian silk at the global level and provide support to beneficiaries from nursery to fabric production stage for improvement in productivity and quality. . Entire 12% of employer’s Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contribution for apparel and made-ups is borne by Government under Pradhan Mantri Paridhan Rozgar Protsahan Yojana (PMPRPY). . Fixed Term Employment for apparel sector introduced making fixed term workman at par with permanent workman in terms of working hours, wages, allowances and other statutory dues. . To boost indigenous production and Make in India, Government has increased Basic Customs Duty from 10% to 20% on 501 textile products.
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Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Introduction . Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector has emerged as a highly vibrant and dynamic sector of the Indian economy over the last five decades. MSMEs play a crucial role in providing employment opportunities. . MSMEs are complementary to big industries and contribute greatly to the socio- economic development of the country. . The MSME sector is the second largest employment generating sector in India after agriculture. . In order to promote a culture of entrepreneurship Government of India has launched programs like Start Up India and Stand Up India which has resulted in India having the third largest start up ecosystem in the world. . There are five key aspects for facilitating the MSME sector: 1. access to credit 2. access to market 3. technology upgradation 4. ease of doing business 5. sense of security for employees. Key initiatives of the government . The government has unveiled some key initiatives which will help in the growth, expansion and facilitation of MSMEs. (i) Loans upto 1 crore within 59 minutes through an online portal. (ii) Interest subvention of 2% for all GST registered MSMEs on fresh or incremental loans. (iii) All companies with a turnover of more than 500 crores to be mandatorily on TReDS platform to enable entrepreneurs to access credit from banks. (iv) All PSUs to compulsorily procure 25 percent from MSMEs. Out of the 25 percent procurement mandated from MSMEs, 3 percent is reserved for women entrepreneurs. All CPSUs to compulsorily procure through GeM portal.100 Technology Centres to be established at the cost of Rs 6000 crore. (v) Govt. of India to bear 70 percent of the cost for establishing Pharma clusters. (vi) Returns under 8 labour laws and 10 Union regulations to be filed once in a year. (vii) Establishments to be visited by an Inspector will be decided through a computerised random allotment. (viii) Single consent under air and water pollution laws. Returns will be accepted through self- certification. (ix) For minor violations under the Companies Act, entrepreneurs no longer have to approach court but can correct them through simple procedures.
Schemes for the MSME sector . National Manufacturing Competitiveness Program scheme will help in technology upgradation and thereby increase the competitiveness in the MSME sector. . The Credit Guarantee Fund has been enhanced to boost credit growth and employment generation in the sector. . The allocation under ASPIRE (A Scheme for Promotion of Innovation, Rural Industry and Entrepreneurship) has been raised with an aim to set up 100 livelihood business incubators and 20 technology business incubators. This will accelerate entrepreneurship and employment generation.
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. The allocation for National SC/ST Hub has been raised with a view to giving an impetus to the growth of the business of SC/ST entrepreneurs. The overall allocations for the north-eastern region, for SC/ST components under various schemes have also witnessed significant increase. . Extension of reduced rate of 25 percent available at present for companies with turnover of less than 50 crore to companies reporting turnover up to Rs. 250 crore in Financial Year 2016-17. . Contribution of 8.33% of Employee Provident Fund (EPF) for new employees by the Government for three years. . Contribution of 12% to EPF for new employees for three years by the Government in sectors employing large number of people like textile, leather and footwear. Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) –To Continue till 2019-20 . Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) is a major credit-linked subsidy programme being implemented by the Ministry of MSME since 2008-09. . The Scheme is aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro- enterprises in the non-farm sector by helping traditional artisans and unemployed youth in rural as well as urban areas. . Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the nodal implementation agency at the national level. At the State/district level, State offices of KVIC, Khadi and Village Industries Boards (KVIBs) and District Industry Centres (DIC) are the implementing agencies. . The scheme has been extended up to the financial year 2019-20 and the allocation has been increased. There is more than 60% increase over the previous year in terms of funds disbursed by the banks, no of projects with funds disbursed and the employment generated. . A minimum target of 75 projects per district is awarded to all districts of the country to achieve Inclusive Growth. Higher rate of subsidy (25% to 35%) will be applicable for women, SC/ST, OBC, Physically Disabled, NER applicants in rural areas. Targets are fixed taking into account: (i) Extent of backwardness of State; (ii) Extent of unemployment; (iii) Extent of fulfilment of previous year targets; (iv) Population of State/Union Territory; and (v) Availability of traditional skills and raw material. . Any individual above 18 years of age is eligible. For setting up of projects costing above Rs.10 lakh in the manufacturing sector and above Rs. 5 lakh in the business /service sector, the beneficiaries should possess at least VIII standard pass educational qualification. . The maximum cost of projects is Rs. 25 lakh in the manufacturing sector and Rs. 10 lakh in the service sector. . Benefit may be availed under PMEGP for setting up of new units only. 111 Proposals of SFURTI Clusters Approved in Last Three Years . Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has approved 111 proposals of clusters under Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries’ (SFURTI) scheme. This scheme is expected to boost employment generation in the traditional and rural industries. . Under the Scheme, financial assistance is provided for development of Khadi, coir and village Industries clusters. For major clusters with more than 500 artisans the budget limit is Rs. 5.00 crore and for Regular Clusters with upto 500 artisans, the budget limit is 2.5 crore rupees. . Further, an online portal for SFURTI Scheme is operational which is updated regularly for monitoring its effective implementation. The SFURTI scheme revamped in 2015 and will continue till 2019-20.
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MoU with AYUSH . Ministry of MSME and Ministry of AYUSH signed an MoU in June, 2018. The MoU has created synergies through the institutions and schemes of both Ministries for the development of AYUSH enterprises in the country. . The objective of this partnership is to position India as a world leader in “Holistic Healthcare”. . AYUSH is a rising sector, having immense potential for preventive, curative and rehabilitative health and has been part of Indias socio-cultural heritage. . AYUSH industry include the Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy drug manufacturing units as well as the healthcare delivery centers in public & private sectors and are essentially dominated by MSMEs, which need handholding in the areas of entrepreneurship development, capacity building and financial assistance in order to grow and increase the market share of AYUSH. . The domestic market for AYUSH sector has been increasing steadily over the past decade. There is also an acceptance of traditional medicines worldwide. . Export of AYUSH products like food supplements, nutraceuticals and herbal extracts has increased significantly. In order to benefit from this the Ministries of MSME and AYUSH agreed to join hands for developing enterprises in this sector. . Both Ministries are organizing regional workshops for entrepreneurship development in AYUSH sector and Ministry of MSME has framed new schemes for AYUSH industries to get the benefits of SIDBI.
Khadi And Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Solar Charkha Mission: . This scheme was launched in June 2018 and it envisages to harness non-conventional solar energy to further employment generation. . Solar Charkha Units have been classified as village industries. The Mission will cover 50 clusters and every cluster will employ 400 to 2000 artisans. . The scheme will generate direct employment to nearly one lakh persons in rural areas and will also contribute to the green economy. Honey Mission: . In order to increase the production of honey, KVIC has launched the honey mission. . Beekeeping is suited to rural areas and available local resources and KVIC is playing a vital role in utilizing these resources for the benefit of villagers. . KVIC established a separate department called the Directorate of Beekeeping in Mumbai and Central Bee Research and Training Institute at Pune and started beekeeping in modern and scientific methods.
Regulation of Functions of MSMEs . In order to promote the Ease of Doing Business, MSME has introduced various initiatives: (i) MSME SAMADHAAN Portal- for empowering micro and small entrepreneurs across the country to directly register their cases relating to delayed payments. (ii) MSME SAMBANDH Portal- to help in monitoring the implementation of public procurement policy for micro and small enterprises. (iii) MSME SAMPARK Portal – A digital platform wherein jobseekers (passed out trainees/students of MSME Technology Centres) and recruiters get connected. (iv) Digital Payments- to pass on the benefits of the schemes of Ministry of MSME through digital payment gateway.
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Other developments/ initiatives . On the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8 2018, the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) launched a portal for women entrepreneurs of India: www.udyamsakhi.org. . This year, for the first time, KVIC collaborated with Lakme Fashion Week to showcase Khadi as a fabric of sustainable development. . Udyam Sangam-2018: To mark the UN SME Day on 27 June,2018, the M/o MSME organized the Convention- Udyam Sangam-2108 for the MSME sector in the country. The Conclave was organized with the purpose of encouraging dialogue and partnerships among various stakeholders of the MSME ecosystem for promoting innovation and knowledge sharing on MSME related issues. . UdyamSamvad conference: The aim of the conference was to give wide publicity to the successful ventures of the MSME Ministry like clusters and tool rooms so that many more could be set-up in the country. . India has signed agreements with South Korea, Taiwan, Morocco and Russia to enhance the MSME sector and Indian delegation also attended 8th European SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) Congress in Poland. . The MSME Ministry has launched an International Cooperation Scheme for the Indian MSMEs with the objective of technology infusion and upgradation and their modernization and promotion of exports.
Ministry of Tribal Affairs
. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is the nodal Ministry for overall policy, planning and coordination of programmes for development of Scheduled Tribes. The Scheduled Tribes comprise about 8.6% of Indias population (according to the 2011 census). . Allocation of Business Rules (ABR) of Government, now mandates the Ministry of Tribal Affairs to monitor ‘Tribal Sub-Plan’ (now recoined as ‘Scheduled Tribe Component’) funds of Central Ministries based on the framework and mechanism propounded by NITI Aayog.
Migration of Tribals Cultivators to labours . As per the Report of the Expert Committee on Tribal Health called ‘Tribal Health in India- Bridging the Gap and a Roadmap for the Future”, 104 million tribal people in India are largely concentrated in ten states and in the North-East. . The expert committee on Tribal affairs was constituted by Ministry of Health &family welfare and Ministry of Tribal affairs in 2013. . Almost 90% of the tribal population of the country lives in rural areas. . There are 90 districts with more than 50% tribal population and they account for nearly 45% of the Scheduled Tribe (ST) population in the country. . As per 2011 Census, over two-thirds of the tribal population is working in the primary sector and is heavily dependent on agriculture either as cultivators or as agricultural labourers. . The tribal people are increasingly moving from being cultivators to agricultural labourers. . A comparison between 2001 Census and 2011 census shows that the proportion of cultivators reduced by more than 10%, while the proportion of agricultural labourers increased by 9% among the ST population. . It is estimated that, in the last decade, about 3.5 million tribal people have left agriculture and agriculture-related activities to enter the informal labour market. Page | 129 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Displacement and enforced migration have also led to an increasing number of Scheduled Tribes working as contract labourers in the construction industry and domestic workers in major cities. Constitutional provisions . Constitutional provisions under Schedule – V provide safeguards against displacement of tribal population because of land acquisitions. The Governor of the State which has Scheduled Areas is empowered to prohibit or restrict transfer of land from tribals and regulate the allotment of land to members of the Scheduled Tribes in such cases. Government acts and provisions . Government has also enacted several Laws which have specific provisions with regard to displacement, rehabilitation and resettlement of tribal people. These include: . The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 seeks to recognize and vest the forest rights and occupation in forest land in forest dwelling STs and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (OTFDs) who have been residing in forests for generations. The responsibility for implementation of the Act lies with the States/UTs. . The Panchayats (extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 provides that the Gram Sabha or Panchayats at the appropriate level shall be consulted before making the acquisition of land in the scheduled areas for development projects and before resettling or rehabilitating persons affected by such projects in scheduled areas. . As per the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (RFCTLARR) Act, 2013, as far as possible, no land is to be acquired in the Scheduled Area. In case of acquisition or alienation of any land in the Scheduled Areas, prior consent of Gram Sabha or the Panchayats or the Autonomous District Councils, is required to be obtained. The Act also lays down procedure and manner of rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) wherein R&R is an integral part of the land acquisition plan itself. . National Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC), under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, extends financial assistance at concessional rates of interest to Scheduled Tribes for undertaking income generation activities. Eklavya Model Residential (EMR) Schools About . Eklavya Model Residential School is a central government scheme for setting up model residential schools for Scheduled Tribes across India. . It was started in the year 1998. . The scheme aims to bridge the gap in literacy level between the general population and tribal population. . The major objective of the scheme is said to maintain the physical, mental and social development of the students who are enrolled in this scheme. . It also supports the development of infrastructure that provides education, physical and cultural needs of student life. Recent Developmentsa . The cabinet committee on economic affairs has decided that every block with more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons will have an Eklavya Model Residential School by 2022. . It has also be decided to set up an Autonomous Society under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs similar to Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti to run the Eklavya Model Residential (EMR) Schools. . There is a provision to provide reservation of 20% seats under sports quota and 10% for non-ST students. Navodya Vidyalayas . They were established with the primary objective to provide good quality modern education to the talented children mostly from the rural areas. Page | 130 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. They are run by the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Department of School Education and Literacy, Govt. of India. . The Chairman of NVS is the Minister of Human Resource Development.
Construction of Museums for Tribal Freedom Fighters . The Government has decided to construct Museums for Tribal Freedom fighters of national importance in the following places. 1. Garudeshwar (Gujarat) – dedicated to various tribal movements in the country. 2. Ranchi (Jharkhand) – dedicated to Birsa Munda. 3. Lambasingini (Andhra Pradesh) – dedicated to Alluri Sita Rama Raju. 4. Atal nagar (old name: Naya Raipur) (Chhattisgarh) – dedicated to the movement led by Veer Narayan Singh. 5. Kozhikode (Kerala)- dedicated to freedom fighters under the leadership of Thalakkal Chandu 6. Chhindwara (Madhya Pradesh) – dedicated to various tribal leaders from Madhya Pradesh.
Initiatives for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGS) . The allocation of funds has been enhanced for the development of PVTGs. In order to ensure the overall development of PVTGs, emphasis is being given on Micro planning using GIS mapping of tribes. . Importance is also given to developmental approach that preserves traditional architecture, traditional health practices, food culture besides maintaining the heritage and culture of PVTGs. Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) . The PVTGs are the marginalized section of the Scheduled tribes of India. They are a section who are relatively isolated, educationally and socio-economically backward. . PVTG is not a constitutionally recognized category. It is a government of India classification, created with the purpose of enabling improvement in the conditions of certain communities with particularly low development. . There are almost 75 PVTGs in India.
criteria followed for determination of criteria followed to be identified as PVTGs Scheduled Tribes
Pre-agriculture level of Technology Primitive traits Stagnant or declining population Distinctive culture Extremely low literacy Shyness of contact with the outside Subsistence level of economy. world Geographical isolation Backwardness – social and economic
Van Dhan Yojana About . The scheme aims at promoting primary level value addition to Non-Timber Minor Forest Produce (MFP) at grassroots level through establishing Van Dhan Vikas Kendras. . It also aims to promote MFPs-centric livelihood development of tribal gatherers and artisans. Page | 131 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Through this initiative, the share of tribal in the value chain of Non-Timber Forest Produce is expected to rise from present 20% to around 60%. . It will be implemented through Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) as nodal agency at the national Level.
Van Dhan Vikas Kendra . TRIFED will facilitate establishment of MFP-led multi-purpose Van Dhan Vikas Kendras in the tribal areas. . These kendras will be cluster of 10 SHGs comprising of 30 tribal MFP gatherers each. . They will provide skill upgradation and capacity building training and setting up of primary processing and value addition facility. Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) . They are any product or service other than timber that is produced in forests. . They include fruits and nuts, vegetables, fish and game, medicinal plants, resins, essences of barks, and fibres such as bamboo, rattans, grasses etc. Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED) . TRIFED is multi-State Cooperative Society under Ministry of Tribal Affairs. . It aims at promoting economic development of tribal communities of country through marketing development and sustained upgradation of their skills and products. . It also organizes exhibitions like National Tribal Craft Expo called “Aadi Mahotsav” etc. to promote and market tribal products.
Aadi Mahotsav Overview . Aadi Mahotsav is a National Tribal Festival being organized by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and TRIFED to celebrate and promote the spirit of tribal craft, culture, cuisine and commerce. . The Mahotsav will comprise of display and sale of items of tribal art and craft, tribal medicine &healers, tribal cuisine and display of tribal folk performance.
NGO Grants . Ministry has been funding NGOs in service deficient areas in sectors such as Health, Education etc. . Implementation of Online application system “NGO Grants Online Application &Tracking System” for processing NGO proposals under the scheme of “Grant-in-aid to Voluntary Organizations working for welfare of Scheduled Tribes”. . It has resulted in quicker information flow and smoother implementation of the scheme besides increasing the number of applications. Minimum Support Price for Minor Forest Produce (MFP) . Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) and development of Value Chain for MFP” (known as, MSP for MFP) is a centrally-sponsored scheme launched in 2013-14. . It has been introduced to ensure fair and remunerative price to MFP gatherers. . The scheme will help provide better prices to the MFP gatherers, who are mostly exploited by local traders and also ensures sustainable harvesting of MFPs. . The list of MFPs included in the scheme has been increased over the years and the scheme is made applicable all over the country. Minor Forest Products
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. The forest products can be generally divided into two parts such as Major Forest Produce and Minor Forest Products. . The Major Forest Products comprise Pulpwood, Sandalwood, Fuel and Timber. . The Minor Forest Products include the items such as tamarind, curry leaf, Tendu Patta, gallnut, Soapnut, Bamboo etc.
Ministry of Culture
. The mandate of the Ministry of Culture revolves around the functions like preservation and conservation of the country’s cultural heritage and promotion of all forms of art and culture, both tangible and intangible. . The Ministry’s task is to develop and sustain ways and means through which the creative and aesthetic sensibilities of the people remain active and dynamic. . The functional spectrum of this Ministry is wide ranging from generating cultural awareness at grassroots level to promoting cultural exchanges at international level.
70 years of Accession of Jammu and Kashmir to India . Ministry of culture organised an exhibition at New Delhi with the theme “INDIA @ 70: THE JAMMU &KASHMIR SAGA” on the occasion of 70 years of Accession of Jammu &Kashmir to India. . Jammu and Kashmir accessed to India by signing the Instrument of Accession, signed between Nehru &Maharaja Hari singh on 26th Oct, 1947 . Under this, India acquired jurisdiction over the subjects of Defence, External affairs &communication of the state of Kashmir.
Mumbai’s Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Building . Mumbai’s Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Building has been declared as World Heritage by UNESCO. . This ensemble of 94 buildings, comprise of two architectural styles, the 19th century collection of Victorian structures and the 20th century Art Deco buildings along the sea, conjoined by means of the historical open space of the Oval Maidan. . The Art Deco styled buildings to the west of the Oval Maidan were raised in early 20th century on the newly reclaimed lands at Marine Drive and symbolized the shift in expression to represent contemporary aspirations. . This makes Mumbai city the second city in India after Ahmedabad to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. . India now has overall 37 World Heritage Inscriptions with 29 Cultural, 07 Natural and 01 Mixed sites. . While India stands second largest in number after China in terms of number of World Heritage properties in ASPAC (Asia and Pacific) region, it is overall sixth in the world.
Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav-2018 . To celebrate the idea of unity in diversity, the Ministry of Culture is organising Rashtriya Sanskriti Mahotsav under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme. . The Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme was launched in 2016 to promote engagement amongst the people of different states/UTs so as to enhance mutual understanding and bonding between people of diverse cultures, thereby securing stronger unity and integrity of India.
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. The Mahotsav will cover a profusion of art forms from classical and folk, music and dance, theatre to literature and the visual arts and would offer the chance to experience the best in established and emerging virtuosity. 1st ever International Kala Mela in India . The 1 st ever International Kala Mela is being organised by the Lalit Kala Akademi in partnership with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) of the Ministry of Culture in Delhi with the participation of many countries across the globe. . It is meant to focus on direct interaction between the artist and the connoisseur and also educating and raising awareness about art, which has been the mandate of Lalit Kala Akademi. 1st ever Theatre Olympics in India . The 8th Theatre Olympics was inaugurated at the Red Fort in Delhi, travelled to 17 Indian cities and concluded at the iconic Gateway of India in Mumbai. The event saw the participation of about 25000 artisans from around the world. It was the first ever Theatre Olympics to be held in India.
Ganga Sanskriti Mahotsav- Ras Banaras . Celebrating the creative and cultural industries of Varanasi, Sanskriti Mahotsav organised by the Ministry of Culture as “Ras Banaras – Swachhagrah – Bapu ko Kaaryaanjali” in Varanasi . . Integrating the tangible and intangible heritage along the river-belt; different institutions/missions like the National Mission for Clean Ganga and Namami GangaJagriti Yatra, the academia, artists, artisans, writers, poets, environmental and cultural forums came together giving the cultural expressions to the conservation and protection of the river. Archaeological Survey of India’s excavations in Uttar Pradesh . In the excavations at the Sadiqpur Sanauli village of Bhagpat, Uttar Pradesh, eight number of burial remains were unearthed in which three are Coffin burials, three secondary burial including one twin burial and two symbolic burials. . All burials are unique having individual characteristics with some common features. All burials have pottery, placed all around the skeleton generally big pots kept near the legs and bowls and flasks are arranged near the head indicating North West direction. These hint that the Burials belong to Warrior Class habitants and that they drove a Chariot powered by an animal. . This discovery puts Indian Civilization on par with other ancient civilizations like Mesopotamia and Greece, where Chariots were extensively used. . It is for the first time that Swords dating to this era has been found in a Burial Pit in India. . These Preliminary findings reveal that based on the archaeological evidences, Sanauli Grave Culture goes back to around 2000 BCE to 1800 BCE (Copper Bronge age). 1st ever International Print Biennale held in Delhi . With the participation of 17 countries, Lalit Kala Akademi of New Delhi hosted the very first International Print Biennale of India. . The prime focus of the event was to discover new trends in print making nationally and internationally.
Project ‘Mausam’ . It is an initiative of Ministry of Culture which aims to understand how the knowledge and manipulation of the monsoon winds has shaped interactions across the Indian Ocean and led to the spread of shared knowledge systems, traditions, technologies and ideas along maritime routes. . The main objective of the project is to inscribe places and sites identified under Project Mausam as trans-national nomination for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
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. It is being implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency with research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum as associate bodies. . The duration of the project has been extended up to 2020. Other developments . The Archaeological Survey of India, an organisation under the Ministry of Culture decided to allow photography within the premises of all centrally protected monuments/sites. . National Archives of India (NAI) hosted Exhibition on Banned Literature during Freedom Movement. . The Ministry of Culture has launched a new scheme ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’. The scheme envisages to reimburse the Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) and Integrated Goods and Service Tax (IGST), so as to lessen the financial burden of such as Religious / Charitable Institutions who provide Food/Prasad/Langar (Community Kitchen)/Bhandara free of cost without any discrimination to Public/Devotees.
Ministry of Finance Insolvency Bankruptcy Code Insolvency . Insolvency is a term for when an individual or organization can no longer meet its financial obligations with its lender or lenders as debts become due. Bankruptcy . Bankruptcy is a legal declaration of one’s inability to pay off debts What is the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016? . A law to regulate insolvency amongst individuals and other entities. Who can initiate Insolvency Resolution Process (IRP)? . Debtor . Creditor (Financial or Operational) Note: . Financial creditor is any person to whom a financial debt is owned . Operational Creditor means a person to whom an operational debt is owed and includes . They are suppliers of good or services to any company or operational debtor. Adjudicating Authority . National Company Law Tribunal for Companies . Debt Recovery Tribunal for Individuals For Individuals . Minimum default amount is INR 1000 . The Code envisages two distinct processes automatic fresh start and insolvency resolution. . Under the automatic fresh start process, eligible debtors can apply to the Debt Recovery Tribunal (DRT) for discharge from certain debts not exceeding a specified threshold, allowing them to start afresh. . The insolvency resolution process consists of preparation of a repayment plan by the debtor, for approval of creditors. . If approved, the DRT passes an order binding the debtor and creditors to the repayment plan. . If the plan is rejected or fails, the debtor or creditors may apply for a bankruptcy order. For Corporate Debtor . To initiate an insolvency process for corporate debtors, the default should be at least INR 100,000
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. The Code proposes two independent stages: 1. Insolvency Resolution Process 2. Liquidation 3. Insolvency Resolution Process, during which financial creditors assess whether the debtor's business is viable to continue and the options for its rescue and revival; and 4. Liquidation, if the insolvency resolution process fails or financial creditors decide to wind down and distribute the assets of the debtor. When IRP is on…. . Creditors claim frozen for 180 days . Within that 75% of creditors (Committee) must agree for resolution plan . No agreement within 180 days, then the firm automatically goes into liquidation. . Maximum of 90 days extension time can be given. . For smaller companies it is 90 days and maximum of 45 days extension time can be given. Resolution Professional . During the 180 days moratorium period NCLT appoints an insolvency professional or Resolution Professional to administer IRP. . Resolution Professional identifies the financial creditors and constitutes a creditors committee. . Primary function is to take over the management of the corporate borrower and operate under the directions of a committee of creditors. . Creditors drive the business of the debtor with the Resolution Professional acting as their agent. Institutional Infrastructure 1. Insolvency Regulator 2. Insolvency Resolution Professionals 3. Information Utilities 4. Adjudicatory Authorities Insolvency Regulator . Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has been appointed as a regulator and it can oversee and regulates these proceedings. . IBBI has 10 members from Finance Ministry, Law Ministry and RBI. Insolvency Resolution Professionals . Insolvency professional verifies the claims of the creditors, constitutes a creditors committee, runs the debtor's business during the moratorium period and helps the creditors in reaching a consensus for a revival plan. . In liquidation, the insolvency professional acts as a liquidator and bankruptcy trustee. Information Utilities . The Code requires creditors to provide financial information of debtors to the Utilities. . It collects and disseminate financial information of debtors in Centralised Electronic Database. . Such information would be available to creditors, resolution professionals, liquidators and other stakeholders in insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings. . National e-Governance Services Ltd is a government entity which established Information Utility under Insolvency Bankruptcy Code. Adjudicating Authority . National Company Law Tribunal for Companies . Debt Recovery Tribunal for Individuals . Appeals from NCLT orders lie to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal and thereafter to the Supreme Court of India.
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. For individuals and other persons, the adjudicating authority is the DRT, appeals lie to the Debt Recovery Appellate Tribunal and thereafter to the Supreme Court. Changes brought through amendments . The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) has amended the corporate insolvency resolution process . The amendments will ensure that prior to approval of a resolution plan about the credit worthiness and credibility of a resolution applicant are taken into account by the Committee of Creditors. . Details with respect to the resolution applicant in terms of convictions, disqualifications, criminal proceedings, categorisation as willful defaulter as per RBI guidelines, debarment imposed by SEBI, if any, and transaction, if any, with the corporate debtor in the last two years. . An allottee under a real estate project will be considered a financial creditor. . An allottee includes any person to whom a plot, apartment, or building has been allotted, sold, or transferred by a promoter. . The Code specifies that all decisions of the committee of creditors be taken by a majority of at least 75% of the financial creditors. The amendment lowers this threshold to 51%. . For certain decisions of the committee, the voting threshold has been reduced from 75% to 66%. These include: (i) appointment and replacement of the resolution professional, (ii) approval of the resolution plan, and (iii) approval of certain actions of the resolution professional during the insolvency resolution process. . The actual Code prohibits a person from being a resolution applicant if he has been convicted of an offence punishable with two or more years of imprisonment. Under the amendment, this provision will be applicable only for certain specified offences, and will not apply after two years from the date of his release from imprisonment. . The Actual Code prohibits a person from being a resolution applicant if his account has been identified as a non-performing asset (NPA) for more than a year. The amendment provides that this criterion will not apply if such applicant is a financial entity . Earlier the guarantor of the firm was disqualified from submitting resolution plan. Now the amendment amends the provision in such a way that such bar will apply if such guarantee has been invoked by the creditor and remains unpaid. . Ineligibility criteria for resolution applicants regarding NPAs and guarantors will not be applicable to persons applying for resolution of MSMEs. . The amendment provides that for a corporate applicant to initiate an insolvency resolution process, they will have to submit a special resolution. The special resolution must have been passed by at least three-fourth of the total number of partners of the corporate debtor. . A resolution applicant may withdraw an application, filed to initiate an insolvency resolution process, from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), after such process has been initiated. Such withdrawal will have to be approved by a 90% vote of the committee of creditors. . The amendment specifies that the NCLT must ensure that a resolution plan has provisions for effective implementation, before approving it. . Further, once the plan has been approved, the resolution applicant must obtain any necessary approvals, required by law, within a period of one year from such approval. Banking Regulation Act 1949 – Amendment . Amends the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 by inserting provisions for handling cases related to stressed assets.. . Stressed assets are loans on which the borrower has defaulted or it has been restructured. . The RBI may, from time to time, issue directions to banks for resolution of stressed assets.
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. The Central Government can authorise the RBI to issue directions to banks for initiating proceedings in case of a default in loan repayment. . These proceedings would be under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. . The RBI may also form committees to advise banks on the resolution of stressed assets. The members will be appointed or approved by the RBI.
Banking Regulation – Related information in News Regulation in Public Bank Vs Private Bank – Problem of Dual Control . Governance and prudential regulation are the two aspects to the regulation and supervision of banks . The governance relates to the fit and proper criteria of the board of directors, the senior management and their role in the functioning of the banks. . The RBI regulates both governance and prudential norms of private banks. For public banks, the government exercises the powers relating to governance ( like appointment of Board of Director while leaving prudential regulation to RBI. . The Narasimhan Committee on banking had identified this as a problem and recommended to put an end to it. . “The problem of dual control has to end. Public sector banks which are established under statutes of Parliament should be reorganised as entities under Companies Act, duly licensed by the RBI as a bank” – Y.V.Reddy . Note: The problem of “dual control” had been pointed out by Narsimhan Committee in the 1990s and also suggested the need to put an end to it. February 12, 2018 Circular – RBI . The Reserve Bank of India tightened norms for bad loan resolution by setting timelines for resolving large NPAs, failing which banks will have to mandatory refer them for insolvency proceedings. . It also withdrew existing debt restructuring schemes such as SDR and S4A. . According to the new rules, for such accounts, where the banking sector’s aggregate exposure is Rs2,000 crore above, lenders must implement a resolution plan within 180 days, starting 1 March 2018. . “If a RP (resolution plan) in respect of such large accounts is not implemented as per the timelines specified, lenders shall file insolvency application, singly or jointly, under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code 2016 (IBC) within 15 days from the expiry of the said timeline . RBI said that for other accounts with aggregate exposure below Rs2,000 crore but and, at or above Rs100 crore, it intends to announce, over a two-year period, reference dates for implementing the resolution plans to ensure calibrated, time-bound resolution of all such accounts in default. . Banks must also vet the resolution plan through credit rating agencies for independent credit evaluation (ICE) of residual debt. Accounts with aggregate exposure of Rs500 crore there must require two such ICEs, and one for in other cases.
Fugitive Economic Offender Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 . Act has been enacted to deter economic offenders from evading the process of Indian law by remaining outside the jurisdiction of Indian courts, provides for attachment of property of a fugitive economic offender, confiscation of such offender’s property and disentitlement of the offender from defending any civil claim. Fugitive Economic Offender:
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. A fugitive economic offender is any individual against whom warrants for arrest is issued for his involvement in select economic offences involving amount of at least Rs 100 crore or more and has left India so as to avoid criminal prosecution. Law: . The new law allows designated special court to declare a person as fugitive economic offender and to confiscate his property, including 'benami' ones. . All the rights and title in the confiscated property shall, from the date of the confiscation order, vest in the central government, free from all encumbrances . The Enforcement Directorate will be the investigative agency under the Act SARFAESI ACT Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act) Act was framed to address the problem of NPAs (Non-Performing Assets) or bad assets. . It gives detailed provisions for the formation and activities of Asset Securitization Companies (SCs)and Reconstruction Companies (RCs). . The Act provides the legal framework for securitization activities in India . It gives the procedures for the transfer of NPAs to asset reconstruction companies for the reconstruction of the assets. . The Act enforces the security interest without Court’s intervention . The Act give powers to banks and financial institutions to take over the immovable property that is hypothecated or charged to enforce the recovery of debt. What is Securitization? . Securitization is the process of pooling and repackaging of financial assets (like loans given) into marketable securities that can be sold to investors. What is Asset Reconstruction? . Asset reconstruction is the activity of converting a bad or non-performing asset into performing asset. 2016 amendment: . To empower the ARCs (Asset Reconstruction Companies) . To rejuvenate Debt Recovery Tribunals (DRTs) . To enhance the effectiveness of asset reconstruction under the new bankruptcy law. . The amendment has given more regulatory powers to the RBI on the working of ARCs. . RBI will get more powers to audit and inspect ARCs and will get the freedom to remove the chairman or any director. . It can also appoint central bank officials into the boards of ARCs. . Regarding DRTs, the amendment aims to speed up the DRT procedures. . Online procedures including electronic filing of recovery applications, documents and written statements will be initiated. . The Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act) has been amended to provide for three months’ imprisonment in case borrower does not provide asset details, and for lender getting possession of mortgaged property within 30 days. Logistics Development Committee . The Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) constituted a Logistics Development Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. Bibek Debroy, Chairman EAC-PM to assess key challenges in logistics development and associated commerce and suggest policy reforms for ease of doing trade in India. . The committee has prepared a comprehensive logistics and trade facilitation reform agenda.
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. The reform agenda comprises of a number of specific policy actions covering the entire logistics value chain and: 1) is designed to fundamentally re-engineer the existing business processes of the government; 2) is intended to facilitate an integrated “whole of the trade value chain” approach; 3) proposes a new institutional framework to leverage cooperation from all stakeholders towards a common shared goal of transforming this space. . The Committee’s report is being submitted to the Government for consideration. Anti-Profiteering . The primary objective of the goods and services tax (GST) is to remove the cascading effect of existing taxes, that is tax on tax and benefits should be passed on to the consumers. . However, if an entity in the supply chain, for instance, a wholesaler, decides to take benefit of a reduced tax rate courtesy the GST and not pass on such benefit to a consumer by hiking up his profit might result in inflationary situation. . To counter such undue benefit, the government inserted Section 171 into the Central Goods and Services Tax Act (CGST). . Section 171 of the CGST specifies that any benefit availed through extra input tax credit (as against earlier) or a reduction in rate of tax on any supply of goods or services has to be passed on to the consumer commensurately. . It provides enablement to the central government to set up the Authority or authorise an existing Authority to monitor and enforce compliance with the requirements of the provision - hence the Anti-profiteering Rules 2017 issued. National Anti-Profiteering Authority . They provide for the establishment of a five member National Anti-profiteering Authority at the heart of driving anti-profiteering efforts. . The Authority will be headed by a current or retired Secretary level officer, plus four technical members that are or were Commissioners of State or Central Tax (or its equivalent). . The Authority will be supported by a Standing Committee (made up of Centre and State officers), plus state level Screening Committees in every state It works in 3 stages . First of all the state level Screening Committees responsible for reviewing cases of alleged anti- profiteering. . The Screening Committees make recommendations to the Standing Committee, which will in turn (or together with a Screening Committee) "examine accuracy and adequacy of the evidence" to determine whether a case goes further. . When the Standing Committee is satisfied of as "prima facie" case to answer, then a referral will be made to the Director General of Safeguards as a second stage. . The DGS will initiate and conclude within 3 months (extendable by 3 months) an investigation, and file a report of findings to the Authority. . The Authority then finally at stage three has the power to punish or compensate a case proved. . It could order a reduction in prices, a return of an amount "not passed on", a penalty and potentially a cancellation of GST registration. . In the event where an affected or aggrieved party cannot be identified, the compensation due would go instead to a consumer welfare fund. Powers of RBI . The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulates and supervises Public Sector And Private Sector Banks. Under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, it can, inter alia― 1) Inspect the bank and its books and accounts 2) Examine on oath any director or other officer of the bank
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3) Cause a scrutiny to be made of the affairs of the bank 4) Give directions to secure the proper management of the bank 5) Call for any information of account details 6) Determine the policy in relation to advances by the bank 7) Direct special audit of the bank 8) Direct the bank to initiate insolvency resolution process in respect of a default, under the provisions of Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 . RBI has powers under other laws as well, which include, inter alia, the power under section 12 of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 to inspect for compliance with the Act and rules etc. made there under. . RBI also maintains the Central Repository of Information on Large Credits (CRILC) on aggregate fund-based and non-fund-based exposures of Rs. 5 crore and above of all banks. . Further, RBI maintains the Central Fraud Registry and banks report all frauds involving amount above Rs. 1 lakh to RBI. In addition, RBI’s Master Directions on Frauds lay out guidelines on categorisation, reporting and review of frauds, along with norms for consequent provisioning. . The powers of RBI are wide-ranging and comprehensive to deal with various situations that may emerge in all banks, including public sector banks. Fundamentals of the Economy Macroeconomic Indicator For Year 2018-19
GDP Growth Rate (%) 7.1 (Up to Q2)
CPI 3.9% (Q2)
WPI 4.64% (over November, 2017)
Current Account Deficit (CAD) US$ 15.8 billion (Q1)
Trade Deficit US$ 45.7 billion (Q1)
External Debt to GDP Ratio (%) 20.5% ( till March, 2018)
FDI Inflows US $16,868 million (April –June, 2018)
Foreign Exchange Reserves US$ 393.7 billion (As on November 30, 2018) GDP and the Economy . The share of Indian economy in world increased from 2.6 percent in 2014 to 3.2 percent in 2017. The average share of Indian economy in world during 1960 to 2013 was 1.8 percent. The average growth of the Indian economy during 2014-15 to 2017-18 was 7.3 per cent, fastest among the major economies in the world. . IMF has projected India to be the fastest growing major economy in 2018-19 and 2019-20. This is borne by GDP growth of 7.6 per cent in the first half of 2018-19.
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Steps to curb Black Money Automatic Exchange of India . Automatic Exchange of Information (AEOI) is systematic and periodic transmission of “bulk” taxpayer information by the source country to the residence country, which is possible under most of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements (DTAAs) . To tackle the menace of black money and detect unaccounted assets held by resident taxpayers in offshore jurisdictions, Government of India took a leading role in international fora, including at G20 and Working Party 10 of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). . An international consensus has now been built amongst major economies of the world that the problem of offshore tax evasion and flow of illicit money can only be addressed through free flow of financial account information, exchanged amongst countries on an automatic basis. . On the request of the G20, the OECD, working with all non-OECD G20 countries including India, developed a single uniform standard for automatic exchange of information, the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) on AEOI. . This new global standard was endorsed by the G20 Finance Ministers in their meeting in Cairns on 21st September,2014, and by the G20 Leaders in their summit at Brisbane on 16th November, 2014. . In keeping with its leadership role, India has joined the group of 48 countries as “early adopters” of the new standard and has committed to exchange information automatically by 2017. Some jurisdictions have committed to exchange information from the year 2018.
FATCA FATCA stands for the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. It is a new piece of legislation to help counter tax evasion in the US. Introduced by the United States Department of Treasury (Treasury) and the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the purpose of FATCA is to encourage better tax compliance by preventing US persons from using banks and other financial organisations to avoid US taxation on their income and assets. A significant number of countries and territories worldwide are expected to sign inter-governmental agreements (IGAs) relating to FATCA compliance with the United States government. These IGAs will result in the FATCA legislation becoming part of their local laws. On an annual basis, banks and other financial organisations will be required to report information on financial accounts held directly or indirectly by US persons. India has also entered into information sharing agreement with the USA under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) of USA. FATCA enables automatic exchange of financial information between India and the US. Indian financial institutions have to provide necessary information to Indian tax authorities, which will then
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be transmitted to the US. The inter-governmental agreement (IGA) with the US for implementing FATCA came into effect on August 31, 2015. Financial institutions were told to obtain self- certification and carry out due diligence procedure to determine the reasonableness of the self- certification in respect of all individual and entity accounts opened from July 1, 2014 to August 31, 2015.
Push to MSME Sector – 12 Diwali Gifts 1. 59-minutes loans The GST-registered micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will be sanctioned a loan of Rs 1 crore in just 59 minutes through a new portal. 2. Rebate in interest rate The GST-registered MSMEs will get 2% subvention or rebate on incremental new loans of up to Rs 1 crore. Interest subvention on pre- and post-shipment credit for exports by MSMEs has also been increased from 3% to 5%. 3. Cash flow certainty It is now mandatory for companies with a turnover of more than Rs 500 crore to join Trade Receivables e- Discounting System (TReDS) so that MSMEs do not face trouble in cash flow, PM Modi said. TReDS is an online mechanism for facilitating the financing of trade receivables of MSMEs through multiple financiers. It also enables discounting of invoices of MSME sellers raised against large corporate, allowing them to reduce working capital needs.
4. Procurement by PSUs Public sector companies, which were mandated to source 20% of their annual procurement from MSMEs, will now source at least a quarter of their requirement (25%) from the sector. 5. Women entrepreneurs Out of the 25% procurement mandated from MSMEs, 3% must now be reserved for women entrepreneurs. 6. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) All central public sector enterprises will have to take membership of the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) to facilitate online procurement of common use goods and services by various government departments and organisations. 7. Technological upgradation The government announced Rs 6,000 crore package to facilitate better technological support and tools to small industries. The money will be used for 20 hubs and 100 tool rooms for technology upgradation. 8. Pharma companies The government will form MSME pharma clusters. 70% cost of establishing these clusters will be borne by the government. 9. One annual return MSMEs will have to file just one annual return on eight labour laws and 10 central rules. 10. No more inspector raj Inspections of factories in the MSME sector will be sanctioned only through a computerised random allotment and inspectors will have to upload reports on the portal within 48 hours. 11. Relaxation in environmental clearances MSMEs will now need single air and water clearance and just one consent to establish a factory. 12. Ordinance in Companies Act
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An ordinance has been promulgated to simplify the levy of penalties for minor offences under the Companies Act.
World Customs Organisation . The World Customs Organization (WCO), established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations. . Today, the WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. . As a forum for dialogue and exchange of experiences between national Customs delegates, the WCO offers its Members a range of Conventions and other international instruments, as well as technical assistance and training services provided either directly by the Secretariat, or with its participation. . The Secretariat also actively supports its Members in their endeavours to modernize and build capacity within their national Customs administrations. . HQ: Brussels, Belgium . India became the Vice Chair of the Asia Pacific Region of World Customs Organisation (WCO) for a period of two years, from July, 2018 to June, 2020. AIIB . The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is a multilateral development bank with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia. . Headquartered in Beijing, . Began operations in January 2016 and have now grown to 93 approved members worldwide. . By investing in sustainable infrastructure and other productive sectors in Asia and beyond, we will better connect people, services and markets that over time will impact the lives of billions and build a better future. . can lend to members beyond Asia if the project delivers a clear benefit to the region.
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. AIIB is an open and inclusive multilateral financial institution. Our doors are always open to countries and regions dedicated to promoting economic and social development in Asia. Membership in AIIB shall be open to members of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the Asian Development Bank. . AIIB has invested USD 7.50 Billion in 35 projects. . AIIB is the first major multilateral development bank where principal contributors are the borrowing members themselves. . With the total project portfolios of US$4.4 Billion, India has been the largest borrower of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) lending since the time the Bank started its operations. . Furthermore, he said that AIIB will consider investing in projects outside Asia as long as they serve to benefit the Asian regions too. So far, AIIB has only invested in one solar power project in Egypt, Sir Alexander said. . While 75% of the capital is from Asia, several non-Asian regions like Europe, North America, some East African and Latin American countries have also joined the bank as members. . The third Annual Meeting of AIIB is being organized by Government of India, in collaboration with Government of Maharashtra at Mumbai during 25-26 June 2018. . Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) concluded its 3rd Annual Meeting on an optimistic note to raise its lending capacity to boost prosperity and security in the region. AIIB decided to invest $140M to improve Rural Connectivity in India. . India is the second largest shared holder in the bank which has an authorised capital of USD 100 billion. . China is the largest shareholder with 26.06 per cent voting shares in the bank. India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5 per cent followed by Russia 5.93 per cent and Germany with 4.5 per cent. . Borrowing from AIIB is preferred by a number of countries as it charges about one to 1.5 per cent interest with long term repayment including five-year grace period. ADB . The Asian Development Bank was conceived in the early 1960s as a financial institution that would be Asian in character and foster economic growth and cooperation in one of the poorest regions in the world. . The Philippines capital of Manila was chosen to host the new institution, which opened on 19December 1966, with 31 members that came together to serve a predominantly agricultural region. . The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development. . Takeshi Watanabe was ADB's first President. . During the 1960s, ADB focused much of its assistance on food production and rural development. . India is a founding member of the ADB and is currently the fourth largest shareholder and the largest borrower of the ADB sovereign lending since 2010.
Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) . About 40% of the Habitations in the country are still not connected by All-weather roads. It is well known that even where connectivity has been provided, the roads constructed are of such quality (due to poor construction or maintenance) that they cannot always be categorised as All-weather roads.
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. With a view to redressing the situation, Government have launched the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana on 25th December, 2000 to provide all-weather access to unconnected habitations. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme. . 50% of the Cess on High Speed Diesel (HSD) is earmarked for this Programme. . The Government has brought forward the target date by three years from 2022 to 2019 to achieve complete rural connectivity through all-weather roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, PMGSY. . The primary objective of the PMGSY is to provide Connectivity, by way of an All-weather Road (with necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures, which is operable throughout the year), to the eligible unconnected Habitations in the rural areas, in such a way that all Unconnected Habitations with a population of 1000 persons and above are covered in three years (2000-2003) and all Unconnected Habitations with a population of 500 persons and above by the end of the Tenth Plan Period (2007). . In respect of the Hill States (North-East, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttaranchal) and the Desert Areas (as identified in the Desert Development Programme) as well as the Tribal (Schedule V) areas, the objective would be to connect Habitations with a population of 250 persons and above. . The PMGSY will permit the Upgradation (to prescribed standards) of the existing roads in those Districts where all the eligible Habitations of the designated population size have been provided all- weather road connectivity. . However, it must be noted that Upgradation is not central to the Programme and cannot exceed 20% of the State’s allocation as long as eligible Unconnected Habitations in the State still exist. . In Upgradation works, priority should be given to Through Routes of the Rural Core Network, which carry more traffic
Indo – Japan: Currency Swap Agreement . “India and Japan agreed to enter into a bilateral swap arrangement of $75 billion. . This swap arrangement would be 50% higher than our last swap agreement Under the arrangement, India can acquire dollars from Japan in exchange for rupees. . Conversely, Japan can also seek dollars from India in exchange for yen. . The arrangement will be used only when required, and will help meet short-term liquidity mismatches. . India has taken several steps to contain its current account deficit, which could swell to an estimated 2.8% of GDP, and is seen as the root cause of rupee volatility. . Japan had offered a $50 billion currency swap in 2013 and, before that, one for $3 billion in 2008. . This New Swap Agreement should aid in bringing greater stability to foreign exchange & capital markets in India The facility will serve as a second line of defence for the rupee after the $393.5 billion of foreign exchange reserves that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has at its disposal.
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Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement . Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) also referred as Tax Treaty is a bilateral economic agreement between two nations that aims to avoid or eliminate double taxation of the same income in two countries. . India and Iran signed DTAA . Cabinet approved signing and ratification of protocol amending the agreement between India and China for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion. GST Evasion
E-Way Bill . Rolled out on February 1, 2018 . E-way bill, short form for electronic way bill, is a document to be generated online under the GST system, when goods of the value of more than ₹50,000 are shipped inter-State or intra-State.
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. The E-way bill must be raised before the goods are shipped and should include details of the goods, their consignor, recipient and transporter. . The transporter has to carry the invoice and the copy of E-way bill as support documents for the movement of goods. He can also carry the E-way bill number, mapped to an RFID (radio frequency identification device). . Though check-posts have been abolished under GST, a consignment can be intercepted at any point for the verification of its E-way bill. . If a consignment is found without an E-way bill, a penalty of ₹10,000 or tax sought to be evaded, whichever is greater, can be levied. . If goods are being transported by a non- motorised conveyance E-Way bill is not required. Demonetization and Unearthing Black Money . The larger purpose of demonetisation was to move India from a Tax Non-compliant society to a compliant society. . This necessarily involved the formalization of the Economy and a blow to the black money. . The impact of demonetization has been felt on collection of personal income tax. . Its collections were higher in Financial Year 2018-19 compared to the previous year by 20.2%. Even in the corporate tax the collections are 19.5% higher. . From two years prior to demonetization, direct tax collections have increased 6.6% and 9% respectively. . In the next two years, post demonetization the increase by 14.6% and an increase of 18% in the year 2017-18. Direct Tax . According to the Direct Tax Statistics released by CBDT: o There is a constant growth in direct tax-GDP ratio over last three years and the ratio of 5.98% in FY 2017-18 is the best DT-GDP ratio in last 10 years. o There is a growth of more than 80% in the number of returns filed in the last four financial years from 3.79 crore in FY 2013-14 to 6.85 crore in FY 2017-18. o The number of persons filing Return of Income has also increased by about 65% during this period from 3.31 crore in FY 2013-14 to 5.44 crore in FY 2017-18. Advance Pricing Agreements . An APA is a contract, usually for multiple years, between a taxpayer and at least one tax authority specifying the pricing method that the taxpayer will apply to its related-company transactions. . These programmes are designed to help taxpayers voluntarily resolve actual or potential transfer pricing disputes in a proactive, cooperative manner, as an alternative to the traditional examination process. What are the benefits of APA? . APAs gives certainty to taxpayers, reduce disputes, enhance tax revenues and make the country an attractive destination for foreign investments. These agreements would be binding both on the taxpayer as well as the government. Similarly, they lowers complaints and litigation costs. . The CBDT has entered into nine more Unilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (UAPAs) during the month of July, 2018. With the signing of these Agreements, the total number of APAs entered into by the CBDT has gone up to 232, which includes 20 Bilateral Advance Pricing Agreements (BAPAs). Reforms for addressing NPAs of PSBs 1. Recapitalisation of PSBs o Government moved proposal in Parliament for enhanced bank recapitalisation outlay from Rs.65,000 crore to Rs.1,06,000 crore in the current financial year to propel economic growth. o The enhanced provision is aimed at: 1. Meeting regulatory capital norms
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2. Providing capital to better-performing PCA Banks to achieve 9% Capital to Risk-weighted Asset Ratio (CRAR); 1.875% Capital Conservation Buffer and the 6% Net NPA threshold, facilitating them to come out of PCA 3. Facilitating non-PCA banks that are in breach of some PCA thresholds to not be in breach 4. Strengthen amalgamating banks by providing regulatory and growth capital 2. One market place for Public Sector Bank loans o The reforms agenda aimed at Enhanced Access & Service Excellence (EASE), encapsulates a synergistic approach to ensuring prudential and clean lending, better customer service, enhanced credit availability, focus on MSMEs, and better governance. 3. Consolidation of Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) o With a view to enable RRBs to minimize their overhead expenses, optimize the use of technology, enhance the capital base and area of operation and increase their exposure, the Government has sought comments of respective State Governments and Sponsor Banks on a roadmap for Amalgamation of RRBs within a State. 4. Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (SARFAESI Act) has been amended for faster recovery with a provision for three months imprisonment in case the borrower does not provide asset details and for the lender to get possession of mortgaged property within 30 days. Also, six new Debts Recovery Tribunal have been established to expedite recovery. 5. Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Regulations have been amended to debar wilful defaulters and companies with wilful defaulters as promoters/directors from accessing capital markets to raise funds. 6. Further, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has been amended to debar wilful defaulters from participating in the insolvency resolution process.
Jan Dhan Darshak . Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance and National Informatics Centre (NIC) has jointly developed a mobile app called Jan Dhan Darshak as a part of financial inclusion (FI) initiative . . As the name suggests, this app will act as a guide for the common people in locating a financial service touch point at a given location in the country. . Jan Dhan Darshak app will be in a unique position to provide a citizen centric platform for locating financial service touch points across all providers such as banks, post office, ATMs , etc. These services could be availed as per the needs and convenience of the common people. . Phone number of bank branches available in app, with the facility of call button for integrated dialing
Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana . It was launched on 28 August 2014 to ensure affordable access to financial services viz. Bank accounts, remittance, credit, insurance and pension. . Existing Over Draft (OD) limit of Rs 5,000 to be raised to Rs 10,000. . There will not be any conditions attached for OD upto Rs 2,000. . Age limit for availing OD facility to be revised from 18-60 years to 18-65 years. . Under the expanded coverage from "every household to every adult", accidental insurance cover for new RuPay card holders to be raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh to new PMJDY accounts opened after 28.8.18.
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. Under PMJDY 33.4 Crore beneficiaries banked so far Rs 85,494.69 Crore balance in beneficiary accounts as on 17th December, 2018 . A minimum monthly remuneration of Rs 5,000 to business correspondents who will provide the last link between the account holders and the bank. . Banking Correspondents (BCs) have been deployed in 1.26 lakh Sub Service Areas (rural areas), each catering to 1000-1500 households. . Nearly 13.16 crore Aadhaar Enabled Payment System (AePS) transactions have taken place through BCs during the month of July, 2018.
Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana . Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) is a Pension Scheme announced by the Government of India exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above which is available from 4th May, 2017 to 31st March, 2020. . Scheme provides an assured return of 8% p.a. payable monthly (equivalent to 8.30% p.a. effective) for 10 years. . Pension is payable at the end of each period, during the policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency of monthly/ quarterly/ half-yearly/ yearly as chosen by the pensioner at the time of purchase. . The scheme is exempted from Service Tax/ GST. . On survival of the pensioner to the end of the policy term of 10 years, Purchase price along with final pension installment shall be payable. . Loan upto 75% of Purchase Price shall be allowed after 3 policy years (to meet the liquidity needs). . Loan interest shall be recovered from the pension instalments and loan to be recovered from claim proceeds. . The scheme also allows for premature exit for the treatment of any critical/ terminal illness of self or spouse. . On such premature exit, 98% of the Purchase Price shall be refunded. . On death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years, the Purchase Price shall be paid to the beneficiary. . The ceiling of maximum pension is for a family as a whole, the family will comprise of pensioner, his/her spouse and dependants. . Minimum Entry Age: 60 years (completed) . Maximum Entry Age: No limit . Policy Term : 10 years . Investment limit : Rs 15 lakh per senior citizen . Minimum Pension: Rs. 1,000/- per month Rs. 3,000/- per quarter Rs.6,000/- per half-year Rs.12,000/- per year . Maximum Pension: Rs. 10,000/- per month Rs. 30,000/- per quarter Rs. 60,000/- per half-year Rs. 1,20,000/- per year . The Scheme can be purchased offline as well as online through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India which has been given the sole privilege to operate this Scheme. . The scheme was extended up to March 2020
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Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme . Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) is a small deposit scheme for the girl child launched as a part of the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign in 2015 to encourage savings for a girl child’s education. . It is currently fetches 8.1 per cent interest and provides income-tax benefit under section 80 C of the Income Tax Act,1961. . A Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened any time after the birth of a girl till she turns 10, with a minimum deposit of Rs 250 (Earlier it was Rs 1,000). . In subsequent years, a minimum of Rs 250 and a maximum of Rs 1.5 lakh can be deposited during the ongoing financial year. . The account can be opened in any post office or authorised branches of commercial banks. . The account will remain operative for 21 years from the date of its opening or till the marriage of the girl after she turns 18. . To meet the requirement of her higher education expenses, partial withdrawal of 50 per cent of the balance is allowed after she turns 18. . The account can be opened by the natural or legal guardian in the name of the girl from her birth till she turns 10. . One can't open two accounts for one girl. . The total money deposited in an account on a single occasion or on multiple occasions should not exceed Rs 1,50,000 in a financial year. . Deposits in the account can be made till the completion of 15 years, from the date of the opening of the account. . For a 9-year-old, deposits have to continue till the child turns 24. . Sukanya Samriddhi account will mature on completion of 21 years from the date of opening of account. . Between ages 24 and 30 (when the account matures), the account keeps earning interest on the balance. . Until 30 June, 2018 more than 1.39 crore accounts have been opened across the country in the name of girl-child securing an amount of Rs.25,979.62crore.
Atal Pension Scheme . It encourages the workers in unorganised sector to voluntarily save for their retirement. The Government had launched the scheme with effect from 1st June, 2015. Benefits: . Fixed pension for the subscribers ranging between Rs.1000 to Rs. 5000, if s/he joins and contributes between the age of 18 years and 40 years. . The contribution levels would vary and would be low if subscriber joins early and increase if s/he joins late. . The same pension is payable to Spouse after death of Subscriber. Eligibility for APY . Any Citizen of India. . Age between 18 years to 40 years. . Contribute till 60 years. . Applicant should be KYC compliant. . The minimum age of joining APY is 18 years and maximum age is 40 years. . Therefore, minimum period of contribution by the subscriber under APY would be 20 years or more.
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Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (Accidental Death Insurance) . Eligibility: Available to people in age group 18 to 70 years with bank account. . Annual Premium: Rs.12 per annum. . Payment Mode: The premium will be directly auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account on or before 1 st June of each annual coverage period under the scheme. . Risk Coverage . Death - Rs 2 Lakh . Total and irrecoverable loss of both eyes or loss of use of both hands or feet or loss of sight of one eye and loss of use of hand or foot - Rs 2 Lakh . Total and irrecoverable loss of sight of one eye or loss of use of one hand or foot – Rs.1 Lakh. . Eligibility : Any person having a bank account and Aadhaar number linked to the bank account can give a simple form to the bank every year before 1st of June in order to join the scheme. Name of nominee to be given in the form. . Terms of Risk Coverage : A person has to opt for the scheme every year. S/He can also prefer to give a long-term option of continuing in which case his/her account will be auto-debited every year by the bank. Who will implement this Scheme?: . scheme will be offered by all Public Sector General Insurance Companies and all other insurers who are willing to join the scheme and tie-up with banks for this purpose.
Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana . Eligibility : Available to people in the age group of 18 to 50 and having a bank account. . Premium : Rs.330 per annum. It will be auto-debited in one installment. . Payment Mode: The payment of premium will be directly auto-debited by the bank from the subscribers account. . Risk Coverage : Rs.2 Lakh in case of death for any reason. . Terms of Risk Coverage : A person has to opt for the scheme every year. He can also prefer to give a long-term option of continuing, in which case his account will be auto-debited every year by the bank. Who will implement this Scheme?: . The scheme will be offered by Life Insurance Corporation and all other life insurers who are willing to join the scheme and tie-up with banks for this purpose.
Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana . It enables a small borrower to borrow from all Public Sector Banks such as PSU Banks, Regional Rural Banks and Cooperative Banks, Private Sector Banks, Foreign Banks, and Non Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) for loans upto Rs 10 lakhs for non-farm income generating activities. . The scheme was launched on 8th April, 2015 by the Hon'ble Prime Minister. Eligibility . Any Indian Citizen who has a business plan for a non-farm sector income generating activity such as manufacturing, processing, trading or service sector and whose credit need is less than Rs 10 lakh. . (MUDRA) loans under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) . Types of loans provided . Under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, MUDRA has already created the following products / schemes. . Shishu : covering loans upto 50,000/- . Kishor : covering loans above 50,000/- and upto 5 lakh
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. Tarun : covering loans above 5 lakh and upto 10 lakh . The interventions have been named 'Shishu', 'Kishor' and 'Tarun' to signify the stage of growth / development and funding needs of the beneficiary micro unit / entrepreneur and also provide a reference point for the next phase of graduation / growth to look forward to. . It would be ensured that at least 60% of the credit flows to Shishu Category Units and the balance to Kishor and Tarun Categories.
Public Financial Management System . PFMS is an electronic fund tracking mechanism . It compiles, collates and makes available in real-time, information regarding all government schemes. . Besides, it will significantly provide government real-time information on resource availability and utilisation across schemes. . In addition it allow government expenditure to adopt a Just-in- Time (JIT) approach, with payments made only when they are needed. How will it benefit government? . It aims at promoting transparency and bringing about tangible improvements in overall Central Government Financial Management as well as implementation of various Central Government Schemes across the country. . The PFMS aims to help in complete tracking and monitoring flow of funds to implementing agencies and ensuring timely transfer of funds. . It will help government to ascertain actual status of utilization of funds by multiple implementing agencies of central and the state governments. . It will allow the government to monitor and access more than Rs.1 lakh crore of idle funds lying with it under various heads. . Once government access these funds through PFMS, it does not need to borrow that amount. . On 28th March, 2018, an historic amount of Rs. 71,633.45 crore has been digitally transacted/routed through PFMS Portal for 98, 19,026 transactions in a single day. FRBM Review Committee . The FRBM Review Committee headed by former Revenue Secretary, NK Singh was appointed by the government to review the implementation of FRBM. . In its report submitted in January 2017, titled, ‘The Committee in its Responsible Growth: A Debt and Fiscal Framework for 21st Century India’, the Committee suggested that a rule based fiscal policy by limiting government debt, fiscal deficit and revenue deficits to certain targets is good for fiscal consolidation in India. Recommendations of the NK Singh Committee . Public debt to GDP ratio should be considered as a medium-term anchor for fiscal policy in India. The combined debt-to-GDP ratio of the centre and states should be brought down to 60 per cent by 2023 (comprising of 40 per cent for the Centre and 20% for states) as against the existing 49.4 per cent, and 21per cent respectively. Fiscal deficit as the operating target: . The Committee advocated fiscal deficit as the operating target to bring down public debt. . For fiscal consolidation, the centre should reduce its fiscal deficit from the current 3.5% (2017) to 2.5% by 2023. . Justifying the target of 2.5% to be realized in the next six years, the Committee observed that debt sustainability analysis (DSA) conducted for the central government suggests such a target (for fiscal deficit) will help to achieve the public debt target of 40% for the centre by 2023. Revenue deficit target Page | 153 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. The Committee also recommends that the central government should reduce its revenue deficit steadily by 0.25 percentage (of GDP) points each year, to reach 0.8% by 2023, from a projected value of 2.3% in 2017. . The Committee advised government to follow the golden rule here ie., not to finance government’s day to day expenditure through borrowings. Formation of Fiscal Council to advice the government. . The Committee advocated formation of institutions to ensure fiscal prudence in accordance with the FRBM spirit. . It recommended setting up an independent Fiscal Council. . The Council will provide several advisory functions. . It will forecast key macro variables like real and nominal GDP growth, tax buoyancy, commodity prices. . Similarly, it will do a monitoring role, besides advising about the use of escape clause and also specify a path of return. . Escape Clause to accommodate counter cyclical issues: . The NK Singh Committee points out that there are disadvantages with set fiscal deficit target if some economic instabilities like an external crisis affects the Indian economy. . The Committee set 0.5% as escape clause for fiscal deficit target. What is escape clause? . The flexibility to adjust with cyclical fluctuations (boom/recession) is incorporated under the “escape clause” (in the case of recession) where temporary and moderate deviations can be made from the baseline fiscal path. This can be permitted under exceptional circumstances and in reaction to external shocks. The escape clause can be used only during the time of following essential circumstances: . Over-riding consideration of national security, acts of war, calamities of national proportion and collapse of agriculture severely affecting farm output and incomes. . Far-reaching structural reforms in the economy with unanticipated fiscal implications. . Sharp decline in real output growth of at least 3 percentage points below the average for the previous four quarters. . Deviation from the stipulated fiscal deficit target shall not exceed 0.5 percentage points in a year. The Escape Clauses can be invoked: (a) by the Government after formal consultations and advice of the Fiscal Council. (b) with a clear commitment to return to the original fiscal target in the coming fiscal year. Buoyancy: What the government has to do with fiscal deficit target when higher economic growth occurs? . The Committee also advocates that that the policy responses to sharp changes in output growth should be symmetric (to that of the escape clause). . This implies that during higher economic growth, fiscal deficit should be reduced accordingly. (Here, in the case of growth fall, fiscal deficit target can be raised using the escape clause). Fiscal consolidation responsibility for states . fiscal consolidation should also be made by the states. They should bring down their debt target to 20% of GDP from the current 21% Congruence of Fiscal and Monetary Policy . The FRBM Review Commitee observed that both monetary and fiscal policies must ensure growth and macroeconomic stability in a complementary manger. For this, the Inflation Targeting (IT) regime and Fiscal Rules (FRs) have to interact with each other. . The Finance Minister said that the government accepted key recommendations of the Fiscal Reform and Budget Management (FRBM) Committee relating to adoption of the Debt Rule and to
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bring down the Central Government’s Debt to GDP ratio to 40%. The Government also accepted the recommendation to use Fiscal Deficit target as the key operational parameter.
Ministry of Agriculture
. The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW) fixes target for the production of food grains in the country annually. . The production of food grains in the country during Kharif 2018 has been estimated at 141.59 million tonnes against 140.73 million tonnes. . Kharif food grainproduction is 11.94 million tonnes more than the average production of five years (2012-13 to 2016-17) of 129.65 million tonnes. . Kharif rice:estimated at 99.24 million tonnes. This is higher by 1.74 million tonnes than the last year’s production of 97.50 million tonnes. Further, it is higher by 6.64 million tonnes over the average production of Kharif rice during the last five years. . Nutri / coarse cereals: The total production of Nutri / coarse cereals in the country has decreased to 33.13 million tonnes as compared to 33.89 million tonnes during 2017-18. . Production of Maizeis expected to be 21.47 million tonnes which is higher by 1.23 million tonnes than that of last year’s production of 20.24 million tonnes. . Kharif pulses: The total production is estimated at 9.22 million tonnes which is lower by 0.12 million tonnes than the last year’s production of 9.34 million tonnes. . Kharif oilseeds:The total production in the country is estimated at 22.19 million tonnes as compared to 21.00 million tonnes during 2017-18, i.e., an increase of 1.19 million tonnes. . Production of Sugarcaneis estimated at 383.89 million tonnes which is higher by 6.99 million tonnes than the last year’s production of 376.90 million tonnes. . Estimated production of Cottonis 32.48 million bales (of 170 kg each) and Production of Jute & Mestaestimated at 10.17 million bales (of 180 kg each).
Doubling of Farmers’ Income . The Government has set a target of doubling of farmers’ income by the year 2022. . The Government has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of Chief Executive Officer, National Rainfed Area Authority, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare to examine issues relating to doubling of farmers’ income and recommend a strategy to achieve doubling of farmers’ income in real terms by the year 2022. . The committee has identified seven sources of income growth: 1) Improvement in crop and livestock productivity, 2) Resource use efficiency or savings in the cost of production, 3) Increase in the cropping intensity, 4) Diversification towards high value crops, 5) Improvement in real prices received by farmers, 6) Shift from farm to non-farm occupations, 7) Investments in and for agriculture(increasing public investments for agriculture-rural roads, rural electricity, irrigation). . The Government has been reorienting the agriculture sector by focusing on an income-centeredness which goes beyond achieving merely the targeted production. . The income approach focuses on achieving high productivity, reduced cost of cultivation and remunerative price on the produce, with a view to earn higher profits from farming.
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National Food Security Mission . view of the stagnating food grain production and an increasing consumption need of the growing population, Government of India has launched this Centrally Sponsored Scheme, ‘National Food Security Mission’ in October 2007 to increase the annual production of rice by 10 million tonnes, wheat by 8 million tonnes and pulses by 2 million tonnes by the end of the Eleventh Plan (2011-12). . The Mission met with an overwhelming success and achieved the targeted additional production of rice, wheat and pulses. The Mission continued during 12th Five Year Plan with new targets of additional production of food grains of 25 million tonnes of food grains comprising of 10 million tonnes rice, 8 million tonnes of wheat, 4 million tonnes of pulses and 3 million tonnes of coarse cereals by the end of 12th Five Year Plan. . From the year 2018-19, NFSM-Nutri-Cereals are being implemented in 202 districts . Based on past experience and performance of 12th Plan, the programme is being continued upto 2019-20, which is co-terminus with Fourteenth Finance Commission (FFC) period. . The targets to achieve are 13 million tonnes of additional food grains production comprising of Rice – 5 million tonnes, Wheat- 3 million tonnes, Pulses- 3 million tonnes and Coarse Cereals- 2 million tonnes. Major Components of NFSM 1) National Food Security Mission – Rice (NFSM-Rice) 2) National Food Security Mission – Wheat (NFSM-Wheat) 3) National Food Security Mission – Pulses (NFSM-Pulses) 4) National food Security Mission - Coarse cereals (NFSM-Coarse cereals) 5) National Food Security Mission – Nutri cereals (NFSM- Nutri cereals) 6) National Food Security Mission – Commercial crops (NFSM-Commercial crops) 7) National Food Security Mission – Oilseeds and Oilpalm (NFSM-Oilseeds) 8) National Food Security Mission – Seed village programme
New initiatives taken for increasing production and productivity of Nutri-Cereals from 2018-19 onwards:- . Breeder seed production of nutri-cereals. . Creation of seed hubs. . Certified seed production. . Seed mini kits allocation. . Strengthening/creation of Center of Excellence. . Publicity of nutri-cereals. . The proposal of Government of India for celebrating an International Year of Millets by UN was endorsed by FAO Council for 2023.
Krishi Unnati Mela, 2018 . Krishi Unnati Mela, an 3 day annual event that witnesses congregation of lakhs of farmers from across the country, showcases latest technology in agriculture and allied services. Farmers are also updated on various Government initiatives. . The Government is working towards “Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022” and the Krishi Unnati Mela is an ideal platform to showcase the efforts and initiatives. . It laid the foundation stone for 25 Krishi Vigyan Kendras and unveil a portal on organic farming. . PM Modi also conferred Krishi Karman Award (Given to best performing states in food grain production – Madhya Pradesh) and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhaya Krishi Vigyan Protsahan Puruskar (This award has been instituted to promote healthy competition among Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) at Zonal and National Level for application of science and technology in agriculture.
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Mahila Kisan Diwas . Mahila Kisan Diwas is being celebrated to increase the active participation of women in agriculture. . The focus of the event was to learn and address issues and constraints related to women farmers in Agriculture; Animal Husbandry, Dairying, Fisheries and other off-farm activities and their access to institutional credit and micro-financing and building agri-enterprises.
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture . Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root & tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo. Objectives 1. Promote holistic growth of horticulture sector, including bamboo and coconut through area based regionally differentiated strategies, which includes research, technology promotion, extension, post harvest management, processing and marketing, in consonance with comparative advantage of each State/region and its diverse agro-climatic features; 2. Encourage aggregation of farmers into farmer groups like FIGs/FPOs and FPCs to bring economy of scale and scope. 3. Enhance horticulture production, augment farmers, income and strengthen nutritional security; 4. Improve productivity by way of quality germplasm, planting material and water use efficiency through Micro Irrigation. 5. Support skill development and create employment generation opportunities for rural youth in horticulture and post harvest management, especially in the cold chain sector Achievement: 1. An additional area of 76015 ha. of identified horticulture crops has been covered. 2. Organic Farming: - An area of 200 ha. has been covered. 3. Horticulture Mechanization:-9343 horticulture mechanization equipments have been distributed. 4. Civil work of India park in International Expo to be held in Beijing, China in 2019, has been completed. 5. Under Indo-Israel Cooperation, 30 Centre of Excellence has been approved, out of which 4 has been inaugurated this year.
M-Kisan portal . SMS Portal . Gives timely, specific, holistic and need based knowledge dissemination among the farmers by leveraging the power of mobile telephony in such a way that all sectors use this platform to not only reach out to the farmers but also to address their concerns and queries. . Subsumes all mobile-based initiatives in the field of agriculture and allied sectors. . It brings together SMS, interactive voice response system, mobile apps and services. . Number of farmers registered on M-kisan portal for receiving agro-advisories increased during 2017-2018.
Kisan Suvidha app . The app has a simple interface and provides information on five critical parameters—weather, input dealers, market price, plant protection and expert advisories. . An additional tab directly connects the farmer with the Kisan call centre where technical graduates answer their queries. . The downloads of Kisan Suvidha app increased.
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Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) . Concerned by the slow growth in the Agriculture and allied sectors, the National Development Council (NDC), in its meeting held on 29th May, 2007 resolved that a special Additional Central Assistance Scheme (RKVY) be launched. . The NDC reaffirmed its commitment to achieve 4 per cent annual growth in the agricultural sector during the 11th plan. . The Department of Agriculture, in compliance of the above resolution and in consultation with the Planning Commission, has prepared the guidelines for the RKVY scheme, to be known as National Agriculture Development Programme Objectives . To incentivize the states that increase their investment in Agriculture and allied sectors . To provide flexibility and autonomy to the States in planning and executing programmes for agriculture . To ensure the preparation of Agriculture Plans for the districts and states . To achieve the goal of reducing the yield gaps in important crops . To maximize returns to the farmers . To address the agriculture and allied sectors in an integrated manner Features: . It is a state plan scheme . State should prepare State and District agricultural plan . The pattern of funding is 100% Central Government Grant. . The base line expenditure is determined based on the average expenditure incurred by the State Government during the three years prior to the previous year. . The eligibility of a state for the RKVY is contingent upon the state maintaining or increasing the State Plan expenditure for Agricultural and Allied sectors . The scheme encourages convergence with other programmes such as NREGS. . If the state lowers its investment in the subsequent years, and goes out of the RKVY basket, then the balance resources for completing the projects already commenced would have to be committed by the states. . It is an incentive scheme, hence allocations are not automatic . It will integrate agriculture and allied sectors comprehensively . It will give high levels of flexibility to the states . Projects with definite time-lines are highly encouraged
. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved the continuation of Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) as Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana- Remunerative Approaches for Agriculture and Allied sector Rejuvenation (RKVY-RAFTAAR) for three years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20.
. RKVY-RAFTAAR funds would be provided to the States as 60:40 grants between Centre and States (90:10 for North Eastern States and Himalayan States).
. The RKVY – Raftaar covers all sectors such as Crop Cultivation, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries, Dairy Development, Agricultural Research and Education, Forestry and Wildlife, Plantation and Agricultural Marketing, Food Storage and Warehousing, Soil and Water Conservation, Agricultural Financial Institutions, other Agricultural Programmes and Cooperation.
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. Major sub-schemes of RKVY – Raftaar are as follows: 1. Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India (BGREI), 2. Crop Diversification Program (CDP) 3. Reclamation of Problem Soil (RPS), 4. Foot & Mouth Disease – Control Program (FMD-CP), 5. Saffron Mission, 6. Accelerated Fodder Development Programme (AFDP). . Under this scheme, new agribusiness incubators will be established as well as existing agribusiness incubators strengthened as RKVY — RAFTAR Agribusiness Incubators (RABIs) with need-based infrastructure, equipment and manpower. . These R-ABIs will in turn invite applications from agripreneurs in different stages of the business life cycle (ideation/expansion) and provide them an opportunity to generate innovations in agriculture and allied sector.
Agricultural Mechanization-Crop Residue Management Scheme . A special scheme to support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi to address air pollution and to subsidize machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue for the period 2018-19 to 2019-20 has been approved. . The scheme is a Central Sector Scheme (100% Central share) being implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. . Under this scheme, the proceeds from central fund will be used to establish Farm Machinery Banks (FMBs) for Custom Hiring of in-situ crop residue management machinery. . The central fund will also be used to create awareness among farmers about in-situ management of crop residue. . The activities will involve mass awareness campaigns through documents, short and long films, radio and TV programmes, demonstration camps at various levels and capacity building programme etc. . It will also include advertisement in print media, star campaigning, award for village or gram Panchayat for achieving Zero Straw Burning etc.
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) . National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) has been formulated for enhancing agricultural productivity especially in rainfed areas focusing on integrated farming, water use efficiency, soil health management and synergizing resource conservation. Objectives . To make agriculture more productive, sustainable, remunerative and climate resilient by promoting location specific Integrated/Composite Farming Systems; . To conserve natural resources through appropriate soil and moisture conservation measures; . To adopt comprehensive soil health management practices based on soil fertility maps, soil test based application of macro & micro nutrients, judicious use of fertilizers etc.; . To optimize utilization of water resources through efficient water management to expand coverage for achieving ‘more crop per drop’ ; . To develop capacity of farmers & stakeholders, in conjunction with other on - going Missions e.g. National Mission on Agriculture Extension & Technology, National Food Security Mission, National Initiative for Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA) etc., in the domain of climate change adaptation and mitigation measures; . To pilot models in select blocks for improving productivity of rainfed farming by mainstreaming rainfed technologies refined through NICRA and by leveraging resources from other
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schemes/Missions like Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), RKVY etc.; and . To establish an effective inter and intra Departmental/Ministerial co - ordination for accomplishing key deliverables of National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture under the aegis of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). Four Major Components 1. Rainfed AreaDevelopment . Adopts an area based approach for development and conservation of natural resources along with farming systems. . This component introduces appropriate farming systems by integrating multiple components of agriculture such as crops, horticulture, livestock, fishery, forestry with agro based income generating activities and value addition. . Besides, soil test/soil health card based nutrient management practices, farmland development, resource conservation and crop selection conducive to local agro climatic condition are also promoted under this component. 2. Soil Health Management . To promote Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) through judicious use of chemical fertilizers including secondary and micro nutrients in conjunction with organic manures and bio-fertilisers for improving soil health and its productivity; . To strengthen soil and fertilizer testing facilities to give soil test based recommendations to farmers for improving soil fertility; . To ensure quality control requirements of fertilizers, bio-fertilizers under Fertiliser Control Order, 1985; . To upgrade skill and knowledge of soil testing laboratory staff, extension staff and farmers through training and demonstrations; . To promote organic farming practices, etc. 3. On Farm Management . OFWM focuses primarily on enhancing water use efficiency by promoting efficient on - farm water management technologies and equipment. . This not only focuses on application efficiency but, in conjunction with RAD component, also will emphasize on effective harvesting & management of rainwater. 4. Climate Change and Sustainable Agriculture: Monitoring, Modelling and Networking . Provides for dissemination of climate change related information and knowledge by way of piloting climate change adaptation/mitigation research/model projects in the domain of climate smart sustainable management practices and integrated farming system suitable to local agro - climatic conditions.
Soil Health Card Scheme . It is a printed report card issued to farmers once in three years indicating the status of his soil in terms of 12 parameters. . It is also accompanied by an advice on the various fertilizers and other soil amendments the farmer is supposed to make. . Every farmer in the country is proposed to be issued the Soil Health Card — 14 crore SHCs are envisaged to be issued over the next 3 years. Details in SHC . Information regarding Soil Fertility. . Dosage of fertilizer application in crops. . Information on soil amendments of saline or alkaline soil. Page | 160 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Recommendation on integrated nutrient management. Benefits of SHC . The existing Nitrogen – Phosphorous – Potassium (NPK) consumption ratio in the country is skewed at 8.2:3.2:1 (2012-13) as against the preferred ratio of 4:2:1. . Imbalanced application of fertilizers have caused deficiency of primary nutrients (i.e. NPK), secondary nutrients (such as Sulphur), and micronutrients (boron, zinc, copper etc.), in most parts of country. . SHC will ensure that farmers do not spend money unnecessarily on purchase of fertilizers by adding more than required. . Once there is economy on the use of chemical fertilizers, the cost of production is expected to decrease. . Promotion of integrated nutrient system is expected to reduce the consumption of chemical fertilizers by 20% thereby easing the fiscal strain on Government. Fertilizer sector accounts for a significant percentage of the total subsidies and power consumption in the country. . India imports large quantity of various fertilizers to meet the demand — the soil test based fertilizer usage will reduce import bill and will also ensure higher yields per unit. . Over a period of time SHC can determine changes in soil health that are affected by land management.
Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) . “Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana” is an elaborated component of Soil Health Management (SHM) of major project National Mission of Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). Under PKVY Organic farming is promoted through adoption of organic village by cluster approach and PGS certification. The Scheme envisages . Promotion of commercial organic production through certified organic farming. . The produce will be pesticide residue free and will contribute to improve the health of consumer. . It will raise farmer's income and create potential market for traders. . It will motivate the farmers for natural resource mobilization for input production. Programme implementation . Groups of farmers would be motivated to take up organic farming under Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY). . Fifty or more farmers will form a cluster having 50 acre land to take up the organic farming under the scheme. In this way during three years 10,000 clusters will be formed covering 5.0 lakh acre area under organic farming. . There will be no liability on the farmers for expenditure on certification. . Every farmer will be provided Rs. 20,000 per acre in three years for seed to harvesting of crops and to transport produce to the market. . Organic farming will be promoted by using traditional resources and the organic products will be linked with the market. . It will increase domestic production and certification of organic produce by involving farmers MOVCDNER: Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region . Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North East Region (MOVCD-NER) is a Central Sector Scheme, a sub-mission under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), launched by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for implementation in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura, during the 12th plan period. . The scheme aims to development of certified organic production in a value chain mode to link growers with consumers and to support the development of entire value chain starting from inputs, Page | 161 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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seeds, certification, to the creation of facilities for collection, aggregation, processing, marketing and brand building initiative.
PM-AASHA . Cabinet approves New Umbrella Scheme “Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan” (PM-AASHA) to give major boost to pro-farmer initiatives of Government. . The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to e farmers for their produce as announced in Union Budget for 2018. . It will help to protect farmers’ income which is expected to go long way towards the welfare of farmers. . Government has already increased the MSP of kharif crops by following the principle of 1.5 times the cost of production. It is expected that the increase in MSP will be translated to farmer’s income by way of robust procurement mechanism in coordination with the State Governments. . Three Components of PM-AASHA 1. Price Support Scheme (PSS), 2. Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS), 3. Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS). . PSS 1. Under it physical procurement of pulses, oilseeds and copra will be done by central model agencies with proactive role of state governments. 2. NAFED, Food Cooperation of India (FCI) will also take up PSS operations in states and districts. The procurement expenditure and losses due to procurement will be borne by Union Government as per norms. . PDPS 1. It will cover all oilseeds for which minimum support price (MSP) is notified. 2. Pre-registered farmers will be direct paid difference between MSP and selling or modal price for his produce in notified market yard through transparent auction process. 3. All payments under it will be done directly into registered bank account of farmers. 4. It will involve any physical procurement of crops as farmers are paid difference between MSP price and sale or modal price on disposal in notified market. Central Government’s support of central government for PDPS will be given as per norms. . PPPS 1. It will allow participation of private sector in procurement operation needs on pilot basis. Learnings from these outcomes will help to increase ambit of private participation in procurement operations. 2. Initially it will be applicable for procurement of oilseeds. States will have option to roll out this scheme on pilot basis in selected districts and APMCs of district involving participation of private stockiest. 3. The pilot district and selected APMCs will cover one or more crop of oilseeds for which MSP is notified. 4. The scheme shall substitute PSS/PDPS in pilot districts as it is similar to PSS scheme and involves physical procurement of notified commodity. 5. The selected private agency will procure commodity at MSP in notified markets during notified period from registered farmers in accordance with PPSS Guidelines, whenever prices in market fall below notified MSP and whenever authorised by state/UT government to enter the market. The maximum service charges up to 15% of the notified MSP will be payable.Agricultural Marketing:
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers) e-NAM:National Agriculture Market . e-NAM is pan-India electronic trading portal for farm produce which aims to create unified national market for agricultural commodities by integrating existing Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) markets. . It provides single window service for all APMC related services and information, such as commodity arrivals and prices, provision for responding to trade offers, buy and sell trade offers, among other services. . It was launched in April 2016. . Small Farmers’ Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead promoter of eNAM. . On this platform, farmers can showcase their produce online from their nearest market and traders can quote price from anywhere. . It aims to foster greater competition among traders and also ensure open price discovery and better returns to farmers. Achievements . 115 wholesale regulated markets have been integrated with e-NAM platform to achieve the target of total 585 e-NAM markets in 16 States and 2 Union Territories. . Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the proposal for integration of additional 415 wholesale regulated markets with e-NAM platform during 2018-20. . 22 Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs) were formed and registered involving 22000 farmers during January to December 2018. Upgradation and development of rural haats as Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs) . In Budget 2018, the government announced to convert the existing 22,000 rural haats in the country into Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs). . These GrAMs will allow farmers to sell their agricultural produce directly to consumers and bulk producers. . The physical infrastructure in the proposed GrAMs will be strengthened using MGNREGA and other schemes. . These GrAMs will be linked electronically to e-NAM and exempted from regulations of APMCs. . DAC&FW has formulated the operational guidelines for Operations and Management of Gramin Agricultural Markets (GrAMs), which has been approved by Hon’ble Union Agriculture Minister. The Operational Guidelines have been shared with all States/Union Territories as well as Ministry of Rural Development, Ministry of Panchyati Raj and Ministry of Tribal Affairs to guide them in operation and management of GrAMs. . Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure (AMI), sub scheme of Integrated Scheme of Agricultural Marketing (ISAM), has been re-open w.e.f. 22.10.2018 for the period coterminous with the 14th Finance Commission i.e. upto 2019-20. Model Contract Farming Act . Contract farming is a system in which companies enter into a contract with farmers to purchase a specific quantity of agricultural commodities at a pre-agreed price and quality. . Under such type of farming, the farmers are given seeds, fertilizers, technical knowhow etc. so as to get a desired quality of agricultural produce. . In turn it helps farmers in getting better price for their produce especially perishable commodities, avoid price volatility problems as well as reduce post-harvest losses. . In turn the companies will get the desired quality of produce and reduces the risk of non-availability of raw material. . The Key features of the model law are as follows:
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1. It ensures buying of entire pre-agreed quantity of contract farming produce as per contract in its framework for contract agreement. 2. It guides the contracting parties to fix pre-agreed price . 3. It makes provisions to decide sale-purchase price in case of violent movement (upswing / downswing) of market price vis-à-vis pre-agreed price as a win-win framework. 4. It provides for a contract farming facilitation group at village level to take quick and need based decision. 5. It provides to keep contract farming outside the ambit of APMC act. 6. It creates a dispute settlement mechanism at the lowest possible level for quick disposal of disputes. 7. It sets up Contract Farming (Development and Promotion) Authority. 8. The produce will be insured under the existing agriculture insurance schemes. 9. The modal act also make provisions for making farmer producer organisations(FPOs) under which a sort of cooperatives of small and marginal farmers will be formed.
Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana: . Objective: To provide comprehensive insurance coverage against crop loss. . It was formulated in line with One Nation–One Scheme theme by replacing earlier two schemes National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) and Modified National Agricultural Insurance Scheme (MNAIS) by incorporating their best features and removing their inherent drawbacks (shortcomings). . The scheme covers kharif, rabi crops as well as annual commercial and horticultural crops . New scheme will cover post-harvest losses apart from yield loss. . It will also provide farm level assessment for localised calamities including hailstorms, unseasonal rains, landslides and inundation, pests and diseases. . The scheme proposes mandatory use of remote sensing, smart phones and drones for quick estimation of crop loss to speed up the claim process. . The settlement of claims will be fastened for the full sum assured. About 25% of the likely claim will be settled directly on farmers account. . There will not be a cap on the premium and reduction of the sum insured. . It also provides insurance benefits to Landless labourers. What is new in this scheme? . It is open to all farmers . It is mandatory for farmers availing crop loans for notified crops in notified areas . It is optional for non-loanee farmers. . There is no capping in premium and one premium rate on pan-India basis. It is 1.5%, 2% and 5% for all Rabi, Kharif and annual horticultural/ commercial crops, respectively. . The balance premium will be paid by the government to provide full insured amount to the farmers. . There is no upper cap on government subsidy, even if the balance premium is 90 percent, the government will bear it . This scheme provides full coverage of insurance. While NAIS had full coverage, it was capped in the modified-NAIS scheme. . It also covers the localized risks such as hailstorm, landslide, inundation etc. Earlier schemes did not cover inundation. . It provides post-harvest coverage. The NAIS did not cover while the modified NAIS covered only coastal regions.
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. A cluster approach will be adopted under which a group of districts with variable risk profie will be allotted to an insurance company. . Union Government has decided to cover damages to crops in wild animal attacks under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna in select districts on an experimental basis. Achievements . Based on the experience gained in implementation of the scheme over two years and with a view to ensure better transparency, accountability and timely payment of claims to the farmers, Government has comprehensively revised the Operational Guidelines of the scheme recently. . These revised guidelines have come into effect from 1st October, 2018 i.e, from Rabi 2018-19 season. . Provision of Penalties/Incentives for States, ICs and Banks i.e, 12% interest rate per annum to be paid by the Insurance Company to farmers for delay in settlement claims beyond 10 days of prescribed cut off date for payment of claims. . Similarly, State Government has to pay 12% interest rate for delay in release of State share of Subsidy beyond three months of prescribed cut off date/submission of requisition by Insurance Companies. . Inclusion of hailstorm in post harvest losses, besides unseasonal and cyclonic rainfall. . Inclusion of cloud burst and natural fire in localized calamities in addition to hailstorm, landslide and inundation. . Detailed plan for publicity and awareness- earmarked expenditure – 0.5% of Gross premium per company per season. . Inclusion of Perennial horticultural crops (on pilot basis) under the ambit of PMFBY. . Use of Remote Sensing Technology (RST) in clustering/Risk classification. Agricultural Credit ● Agriculture is a dominant sector of our economy and credit plays an important role in increasing agriculture production. ● Availability and access to adequate, timely and low cost credit from institutional sources is of great importance especially to small and marginal farmers. ● Along with other inputs, credit is essential for establishing sustainable and profitable farming systems. ● The Government of India has initiated several policy measures to improve the accessibility of farmers to the institutional sources of credit. Interest Subvention Scheme 1. GoI had launched Interest Subvention scheme in the year 2006-07. 2. As per the extant guidelines of GoI for the year 2017-18 and 2018-19, Interest Subvention of 2% per annum is provided to Public Sector Banks, Private Sector Banks (in respect of loans given by their rural and semi urban branches), Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural Banks on their own funds used for short term crop loans upto Rs.3,00,000/- per farmer provided the lending institutions make available short-term credit at the ground level at 7% per annum to farmers. 3. In addition to above, a scheme was introduced from 2009-10 for providing additional interest subvention to the prompt paying farmers wherein presently 3% Interest Subvention as an incentive to prompt payee farmers is given. 4. This subvention is available to farmers on the short term production credit upto maximum amount of Rs.3.00 lakh availed during the year. Thus the prompt paying farmers are getting short term crop loans @4% per annum from various banks. 5. To provide relief to farmers affected by natural calamities, an interest subvention of 2 per cent per annum will be made available to banks for the first year on the restructured loan amount. 6. Such restructured loans will attract normal rate of interest from the second year onwards as per the policy laid down by the RBI.
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Master directions on Natural Calamities . The Reserve Bank of India has put in place a mechanism to address situations arising out of natural calamities and has issued guidelines in the form of Master Directions to banks on ‘Relief Measures by Banks in Areas affected by Natural Calamities’. . These guidelines automatically come into force after the state/district authorities declare the calamity. . The conveners are to ensure that District Consultative Committees (DCCs) and State Level Bankers’ Committees (SLBCs) meeting are held at the earliest to evolve a coordinated action plan for implementation of the relief programme in collaboration with State/District Authorities. . The banks’ contribution in providing relief relates to rescheduling of existing loans and sanctioning of fresh loan. . The precise details of credit assistance by the banks will depend on the requirements of the situation, their own operational capabilities and the actual needs of the borrowers. . The Bank has also developed a portal to capture data on natural calamities on real time basis.
International Cooperation Bilateral cooperation . MoU signed: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare signed s for cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors between India and Iran on 17th February 2018 and with Uzbekistan on 1st October 2018. . The inaugural meeting of the 'India-Nepal New Partnership in Agriculture' was held under the Chairmanship of Hon'ble Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Hon'ble Agriculture Minister of Nepal on 19.6.2018 at New Delhi. . Two training programmes on Organic Farming and Certification for 20 Nepalese participants each, is being organized by National Centre for Organic Farming (NCOF), Ghaziabad . . India officially joined SCO as full Member on 9 June 2017 at a summit in Astana. . Accordingly this Ministry participated in the meeting of the SCO Permanent Working Group (PWG ) on Agriculture and Agriculture Ministers' of SCO Member States held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan during 18-19 September 2018. . A 7-point SCO Action Plan for 2018-2019 on the implementation of the Agreement between the Governments of the SCO Member States on cooperation in agriculture was signed. . 70th Anniversary of India-Russia diplomatic relations in the field of Agriculture sector was celebrated during 13-14 February, 2018. . During the event, an Indo-Russian Agriculture Business Summit, 2018 was held at New Delhi . . A proposal of Government of India for celebrating an International Year of Millets by UN was endorsed by FAO Council for 2023. . This would be placed in the FAO Conference in June 2019 before communicating to UN General Assembly for final declaration.
National Bamboo Mission . The restructured National Bamboo Mission (NBM) has been launched in April, 2018 with an outlay of Rs.1290 crore for two year. The scheme aims to supplement farm income of farmers with focus on the development of complete value chain of bamboo sector to link growers with consumers. Major objectives of the Mission are: 1. To increase the area under bamboo plantation in non forest Government and private lands to supplement farm income and contribute towards resilience to climate change as well as availability of quality raw material requirement of industries.
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2. To improve post-harvest management through establishment of innovative primary processing units near the source of production, primary treatment and seasoning plants, preservation technologies and market infrastructure. 3. To promote product development keeping in view market demand, by assisting R&D, entrepreneurship & business models at micro small and medium levels and feed bigger industry. 4. To rejuvenate the underdeveloped bamboo industry in India. 5. To promote skill development capacity building, awareness generation for development of bamboo sector from production to market demand. 6. To re-align efforts so as to reduce dependency on import of bamboo and bamboo products by way of improved productivity and suitability of domestic raw material for industry, so as to enhance income of the primary producers. . So far 88 Bamboo Treatment Units, 464 Product Development /Processing Units, 135 infrastructure Projects for Promotion and Development of Bamboo Markets have been approved in 16 States as per the Annual Action Plans received for 2018-19. . Considering the need and demand from bamboo based stakeholders and to provide cheaper bamboo products to the consumers, the Government has reduced GST on bamboo furniture & bamboo flooring to 12%. . For popularizing use of bamboo & bamboo based products, 235 seminars, conferences, awareness campaign etc. at National, State & Districts Levels, & capacity building programmes for 15041 participants including farmers/artisans & field functionaries have been approved so far under the restructured NBM. Awareness is also created through print and electronic media and participation of NBM in fairs and other events.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry Vision Of A New India . The Ministry of Commerce & Industry is creating an action-oriented plan which will highlight specific sector level interventions to bolster India’s march towards becoming a USD 5 trillion economy before 2025. . The focused plans will be on boosting services sector contribution to USD 3 trillion, manufacturing to USD 1 trillion and Agriculture to USD 1 trillion. . The Ministry has created a corpus of USD 1 billion to boost 12 champion sectors in services and it is working on releasing the New Industrial Policy keeping in mind the demands of the future.
12ChampionSectors . It refers to the 12 identified service sectors where the Government wants to give focused attention for promoting their development, and realizing their potential. . These include Information Technology & Information Technology enabled Services (IT & ITeS), Tourism and Hospitality Services, Medical Value Travel, Transport and Logistics Services, Accounting and Finance Services, Audio Visual Services, Legal Services, Communication Services, Construction and Related Engineering Services, Environmental Services, Financial Services and Education Services. . A dedicated fund of Rs. 5000 crores has been proposed to be established to support initiatives for sectoral Action Plans of the Champion Sectors. . The share of India's services sector in global services exports was 3.3% in 2015. Based on this initiative, a goal of 4.2% has been envisaged for 2022. The share of services in Gross Value Added Page | 167 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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(GVA) was about 53% for India in 2015-16. This initiative is expected to raise the share of services in GVA to 60% by the year 2022.
AgricultureExportPolicy, 2018 . The Commerce Ministry has formulated India’s first ever Agricultural Export Policy with a focused plan to boost India’s agricultural exports to USD 60 billion by 2022 and to integrate Indian farmers and the high quality agricultural products with global value chains and to double India’s share in world agriculture. Key objectives of the export policy are: . To diversify exports by products and destination with focus on high value-added farm produce and perishables. . To promote novel, indigenous, organic, ethnic, traditional and non-traditional Agri products exports. . To provide an institutional mechanism for pursuing market access, tackling barriers and deal with sanitary and phytosanitary issues. . To set up specialised clusters in different states for different produce to push exports.
TransportSubsidyScheme . In order to facilitate the process of industrialization in hilly, remote and inaccessible areas, transport incentive is provided to the states of North Eastern Region (including Sikkim) under North Eastern Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS) - 2017, Jammu & Kashmir under Industrial Development Scheme - 2017 and Lakshadweep and A&N Islands under Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Island Development Scheme - 2018. . Under these schemes, all eligible industrial units can avail incentive on transportation of only finished goods through Railways or the Railway Public Sector Undertakings, Inland Waterways or scheduled airline (shipping for Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands also) for a period of five years from the date of commencement of commercial production / operation.
PromotionOfTrade . The Commerce Minister has identified 15 strategic overseas locations where the Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) are proposed to be created. India has great potential to generate greater volumes of export with these countries but at present trade with them stands as single digit numbers. . The locations where TPOs are proposed: Astana (Kazakhstan), Beijing (China) Cape town (South Africa), Dubai (UAE), Frankfurt (Germany), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Jakarta (Indonesia) Lima (Peru), London (U.K.), Melbourne (Australia), Mexico City (Mexico), Moscow (Russia), New York (USA), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Tokyo (Japan).
ExportsOnTheRise . India’s exports clocked highest growth in last 6 years. Sector specific interventions, focused export promotion initiatives, greater transparency and quick resolution of issues have led to an impressive export growth of 14.76% in 2017-18 (Oct-Sept) over previous year. . The Department of Commerce is making all efforts to diversify India’s export basket region wise and commodity wise. . India with consistent and continuous efforts has successfully pursued China to open its market to Indian exports. General Administration of Custom China (GACC) has approved total 24 Indian rice mills for exporting non-basmati rice to China. . Export of rapeseed meal to China, which was discontinued in 2012, has also been opened up. GACC has approved five rapeseed mills to supply rapeseed meal to China. Page | 168 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. China will also begin importing 50,000 tonnes of raw sugar from India early next year.
TradeInfrastructureForExportScheme . TIES was launched to enhance export competitiveness by bridging gaps in export infrastructure, creating focused export infrastructure, first mile and last mile connectivity for export-oriented projects and addressing quality and certification measures. . It provides assistance for setting up and up-gradation of infrastructure projects with overwhelming export linkages like the Border Haats, Land customs stations, quality testing and certification labs, cold chains, dry ports, SEZs and ports, airports cargo terminuses. . The Central and State Agencies, including Export Promotion Councils, Commodities Boards, SEZ authorities and apex trade bodies recognised under the EXIM policy of Government of India, are eligible for financial support under this scheme.
IndiaImproves RankingInEaseOfDoingBusiness . In 2018, India made a leap of 23 ranks in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Ranking to be ranked at 77. India now ranks first in Ease of Doing Business Report among South Asian countries compared to 6th in 2014. . India has improved its rank in 6 out of 10 indicators and has moved closer to international best practices on 7 out of the 10 indicators. There is a large improvement in areas such as ‘dealing with construction permits’, ‘trading across borders’, ‘getting electricity’, ‘getting credit’ and ‘starting a business’. . Many transformative measures like lower tax rates for MSMEs, quicker environmental clearances, abolition of inter-state check post after implementation of GST, enhanced input tax credit, electronic GST network, creation of commercial courts to fast track enforcement of contracts and faster security clearances have contributed to the improvement in India’s ranking.
MakeInIndia . Launched by Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi in 2014, the scheme set a target of creating 100 million jobs and achieving 25% of GDP from the manufacturing sector by 2022. . Ministry of Commerce is making all efforts to ensure that in public procurement preference is given to Make in India: o The minimum local content shall ordinarily be 50%. The Nodal Ministry may prescribe a higher or lower percentage in respect of any particular item and may also prescribe the manner of calculation of local content. o The margin of purchase preference shall be 20%. o A Standing Committee in Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, under the chairmanship of Secretary, DIPP oversee the implementation of the 2017 order giving preference to Make in India products. MassiveGrowthOfStartups . Start-up India is a flagship initiative of the Government of India, intended to build a strong ecosystem that is conducive for the growth of start-up businesses, to drive sustainable economic growth and generate large scale employment opportunities. . The Government through this initiative aims to empower start-ups to grow through innovation and design. . The number of DIPP recognised start-ups touched 14,545 in November 18 as compared to 4610 on October 2017 generating total employment for 130,424 persons.
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. The 19-Point Start-up India Action Plan envisages several incubation centres, easier patent filing, tax exemptions, ease of setting-up of business, a Rs. 10,000 crore corpus fund and a faster exit mechanism.
Multi -ModalLogisticsParks Policy . The Multi-Modal Logistics Parks (MMLPs) are a key policy initiatives of Government of India to improve the country’s logistics sector by lowering over freight costs, reducing vehicular pollution and congestion and cutting warehouse costs with a view to promoting moments of goods for domestic and global trade.
DevelopingLogisticsPortal . Department of Commerce is working on reducing the logistics cost from the current 14% of GDP to 10% by 2022 through an integrated approach. . A National Logistics Portal is being developed which will serve as a transactional e-marketplace by connecting buyers, logistics service providers and relevant government agencies. The portal will be a single window marketplace to link all stakeholders.
LogisticsDataBank . A technology innovation project of India-Japan bilateral cooperation, Logistics Data Bank Project has already been commissioned to track containers on a ‘near-real-time’ basis. . This is one of the initiatives of Government of India as part of its Ease of Doing Business initiative wherein RFID tags are placed on every container coming out of the ports to track its movement. . The project has already expanded to various ports in India and has covered around 90% of total container volumes in India.
SezPolicy . The Baba Kalyani led committee constituted by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry to study the existing SEZ policy of India has submitted its report. Key recommendations are: . Framework shift from export growth to broad-based Employment and Economic Growth (Employment and Economic Enclaves-3Es). . Formulation of separate rules and procedures for manufacturing and service SEZs. . Shift from supply driven to demand driven approach for 3Es development to improve efficiency of investment-based on certain industries, current level of existing inventory in the region. . Promote integrated industrial and urban development- walk to work zones, States and center to coordinate on the framework development to bring linkages between all initiatives. . Procedural relaxations for developers and tenants to improve operational and exit issues. . Dispute resolution through arbitration and commercial courts.
IndustrialCorridors . Industrial corridor programme envisages creation of world class infrastructure, connectivity and new greenfield smart cities as global manufacturing hubs which will create large employment opportunities. . The Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) Project has made substantial progress with trunk infrastructure development activities nearing completion at four locations in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. . Based on the initial success of DMIC project, the Government has also started planning and development activities in four other industrial corridor projects i.e. Amritsar Kolkata Industrial Page | 170 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Corridor (AKIC), Chennai Bengaluru Industrial Corridor (CBIC), Bengaluru Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC) and East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) from Kolkata to Chennai.
IndiaTradePromotionOrganisation . The ITPO is the trade promotion agency of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. ITPO holds the India International Trade Fair (IITF) since 1980 every year. It is a premier international trade fair and has evolved as a major event for business community.
TradePromotionCouncilOfIndia . In January 2018, Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) and Department of Commerce organized a two-day international food and beverage expo “Indus food” which saw Indian exporters bagging orders worth over USD 500 million.
Indian Footwear, Leather & Accessories Development Programme (IFLADP) . It is a Central Sector Scheme for employment generation in leather and footwear sector. . The scheme would lead to development of infrastructure for the leather sector, address environmental concerns specific to the leather sector, facilitate additional investments, generate employment and increase production.
GOVERNMENT E-MARKETPLACE (GeM) ADDS SPARKLE . GeM was launched in 2016 as a one-stop portal to facilitate online procurement of common use goods and services required by various government departments, organisations and public sector undertakings. It aimed to bring transparency and to streamline the government procurement process. . In 2017, the government made it mandatory for all the departments and ministries to source goods and services from the GeM. . Number of users (buyer & sellers) on GeM have grown 186% during last one year. Transactions have increased 772% in volume terms and 599% in value terms. More than 26% of vendors in GeM are MSMEs accounting for 56% of transactions by value, making it a truly open and inclusive platform.
Promotion of GI products . Geographical Indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. It confers legal protection to the registered GI which helps in preventing its misuse. The first product to get a GI tag in India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004. . GIs are registered as per the provisions of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999. As on 24.12.2018, 330 GIs have been registered. . The Government has undertaken several steps for promotion of Indian products registered as GIs like participation in trade fairs and other events to promote and create awareness on GIs and increase the sales of GI products, promotion of GIs through social media, involving State governments and Union Territory administration and other relevant organizations for facilitation of GI producers.
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More Power To India’s Ethnic Geographical Indications (GI):
. Gl logo and tagline have been launched by Union Commerce and Industry Minister, Suresh Prabhu for recognition of GI’s in India. . 312 GI’s have been registered in past 1 year including famous GI like Bangla Rasgulla and Alphonso. . A massive GI campaign has been launched for increasing awareness of the GI. Farmers, artisans and craftsmen are the direct beneficiaries of this initiative. GI products can benefit the rural economy in remote areas, by supplementing the incomes of artisans, farmers, weavers and craftsmen. Our rural artisans possess unique skills and knowledge of traditional practices and methods, passed down from generation to generation, which need to be protected and promoted.
Reforms For Strengthening And Modernising The Wto . The recent unilateral measures and countermeasures by some members in the WTO, the deepening impasse regarding the appointment of members in the appellate body and contentious debate on development has led the Department of Commerce to propose major initiatives on WTO reforms like the enhanced role of the secretariat and strengthening of Dispute Settlement Mechanism which India has co-sponsored with EU. . India desires for a more participatory engagement in the WTO with likeminded countries in order to defend India’s interest.
RCEP . Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership is a grouping of the ASEAN’s 10 members plus India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. . It envisages regional economic integration leading to the creation of the world’s largest regional trading bloc, accounting for nearly 45% of the world’s population with a combined GDP of $21.3 trillion. . Second RCEP leaders’ summit was held on 14th November 2018, where leaders acknowledged substantial progress in the negotiations.
Centre for WTO Studies . The Centre for WTO Studies was set up in the year 1999 to be a permanent repository of WTO negotiations-related knowledge and documentation. It was also envisaged that the Centre would evolve into a research unit with interest in trade in general and WTO in particular to finally develop into an independent think tank in the area. . It has been regularly called upon by the Government of India to undertake research and provide independent analytical inputs to help it develop positions in its various trade negotiations, both at the WTO and other forums such as Free and Preferential Trade Agreements and Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreements.
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Centre for Regional Trade (CRT) . CRT is an autonomous Think-Tank established by the Department of Commerce under the Centre for Research on International Trade (CRIT) at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. . It undertakes research in economics with a focus on trade and investment related issues relevant to international cooperation of India with specific regions and countries, including Latin America, Africa, South Asia, ASEAN, China, EU, Japan, Korea and USA.
The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL) . Established in the year 2016 by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, at the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) its primary objective is to provide sound and rigorous analysis of legal issues pertaining to international trade and investment law to the Government of India and other governmental agencies. . The Centre aims to create a dedicated pool of legal experts that who could provide technical inputs for enhancing India's participation in international trade and investment negotiations and dispute settlement. The Centre also aims to be a thought leader in the various domains of international economic law such as WTO law, international investment law and legal issues relating to economic integration. Quality Council of India . QCI is a non-profit autonomous society registered under Societies Registration Act to establish an accreditation structure in the country and to spread quality movement in the country by undertaking a National Quality Campaign. . The QCI is engaged in coal quality testing, assessment under Swachh Bharat Mission, Grievance analysis study and subsequent reform recommendations for the top 40 grievance receiving Ministries and Departments. . The Council is also creating a dashboard to monitor quality of project implementation in CPSEs. New Industrial Policy . The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has initiated the process of formulation of a new Industrial Policy in May 2017 and may get Cabinet approval soon. This will replace the 27-year-old existing policy. Since the last Industrial Policy announced in 1991. The new Industrial Policy will subsume the National Manufacturing Policy. . It is proposed that the new Industrial Policy will aim at making India a manufacturing hub by promoting Make in India. It will also suitably incorporate the use of modern smart technologies such as IOT, artificial intelligence and robotics for advanced manufacturing.
Establishment of Defence Parks . DIPP had received two project proposals to establish Defence Parks under Modified Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme (MIIUS). One proposal was from Government of Kerala to establish Defence Park at Pallakad (Kerala). The project at KINFRA Defence Park, Pallakad (Kerala) was sanctioned on 28.3.2016 with project cost of Rs.131.35 crore involving central grant of Rs.50 crore. . Another project proposal was received from Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation for establishment of Defence Park at Sanand. The proposal was not considered as MIIUS permits sanction of maximum two projects per State and when this proposal was received, two proposals had already been given ‘in-principle’ approval in Gujarat. . Consequent to the announcement in the Budget Speech (2018-19) by Finance Minister for setting up of two Defence Industrial Production Corridors in the country, the Government has decided to establish two such corridors, one in Tamil Nadu and the other in Uttar Pradesh. Page | 173 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Neid Scheme . North East Industrial Development Scheme (NEIDS), 2017 covers eligible industrial units in the manufacturing and service sectors Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim to promote industrialization and boost employment and income generation. . Under this scheme, a single unit can avail overall benefits up to Rs. 200 Crores.
Establishment of NIMZs . National Investment & Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) are one of the important instruments of National Manufacturing Policy, 2011. . NIMZs are envisaged as large areas of developed land with the requisite eco-system for promoting world class manufacturing activity. So far, three NIMZs namely Prakasam (Andhra Pradesh), Sangareddy (Telangana) and Kalinganagar (Odisha) have been accorded final approval and 13 NIMZs have been accorded in-principle approval. . NIMZs are based on the principle of industrial growth in partnership with States and focuses on manufacturing growth and employment generation.
Anti-Dumping Duty on Chinese Goods . Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) had conducted investigations on subsidies on Chinese goods and imposed countervailing/anti-subsidy duty on various products imported from China as per the provisions under Customs Tariff Act 1975. It includes castings for wind operated electricity generators, certain hot rolled and cold rolled stainless steel flat products, etc. . DGTR has also imposed anti-dumping duty in the range of USD 44.89 to USD 185.51 per MT on straight length bars and rods of alloy steel imported from China. Ministry of Steel has also issued the Quality Control Orders for 53 products to prevent sub-standard steel imports from China and other nations and is closely monitoring the impact of cheap steel imported from China on the domestic industry.
Credit Guarantee Fund for Start-UPS . The Government is planning to set up a Credit Guarantee Fund (CGF) for encouraging start-up companies with a view to providing funding facilities in the country. The scheme has yet to be made operational. . Incentives being provided to Startups under Startup India initiative are: i. Self-Certification under 6 Labour Laws & 3 Environmental Laws ii. Relaxations in Public Procurement Norms iii. Faster exit under the Bankruptcy Code iv. Rebates on Patent & Trademark filing fees, support from facilitators and expedited examination of Patent application v. Income Tax exemption vi. Exemption from Income Tax on investments received above fair market value vii. Guidance and facilitation support from Startup India Hub . 8,993 startups were recognised by DIPP during the year 2018.
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Department of Science & Technology (DST) Department of Science & Technology was established in May 1971, with the objective of promoting new areas of Science & Technology. It plays the role of a nodal department for organizing, coordinating and promoting S&T activities in the country
National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems . The NM-ICPS is a comprehensive Mission which would address technology development, application development, human resource development & skill enhancement, entrepreneurship and start-up development in CPS and associated technologies Objective . Establishment of 15 numbers of Technology Innovation Hubs (TIH), six numbers of Application Innovation Hubs (AIH) and four numbers of Technology Translation Research Parks (TTRP) . These Hubs & TTRPs will connect to Academics, Industry, Central Ministries and State Government in developing solutions at reputed academic, R&D and other organizations across the country in a hub and spoke model Structure . Strong Steering and Monitoring Mechanisms in the form of Mission Governing Board (MGB), Inter- Ministerial Coordination Committee (IMCC), Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and other Sub- Committees will guide and monitor the Mission implementation. . The Hubs & TTRPs have four focused areas along which the Mission implementation would proceed, namely (i) Technology Development; (ii) HRD & Skill Development; (iii) Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Start-ups Ecosystem Development; (iv) International Collaborations. Benefits . The Mission will feed the Central Ministries/ Departments and State Govts and also the Industry to effectively use the CPS technologies in their projects and schemes for the benefit of the society. Impact . The proposed Mission would act as an engine of growth that would benefit national initiatives in health, education, energy, environment, agriculture, strategic cum security, and industrial sectors, Industry 4.0, SMART Cities, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) etc. CPS is an integrated system of upcoming technology, which in turn is being taken up on priority basis by countries in the race for development. Outcomes . The mission implementation would develop and bring: o Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) and associated technologies within reach in the country, o Adoption of CPS technologies to address India specific National / Regional issues, o Produce Next Generation skilled manpower in CPS, o Catalyze Translational Research, o Accelerate entrepreneurship and start-up ecosystem development in CPS, o Give impetus to advanced research in CPS, Technology development and higher education in Science, Technology and Engineering disciplines, and o Place India at par with other advanced countries and derive several direct and indirect benefits.
The Global Cooling Prize . It is an innovation challenge that aims to spur development of a residential cooling solution that has at least five times (5x) less climate impact than today's standard products
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. The objective of this competition would be to develop a cooling technology that requires radically less energy to operate, utilizes refrigerants with no ozone depletion potential and with low global warming potential, and has the potential to be cost-effective at scale.
1st ASEAN-India InnoTech Summit . The first India-ASEAN InnoTech Summit was held in New Delhi. It was organized by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in association with Department of Science & Technology (DST) and Ministry of External Affairs. Objectives . Explore avenues of cross country partnerships with Indian R&D-based enterprises . Capture global trends in technology management and strategy . Advance progressive ideas for policy reforms and regulatory environment . Create avenues for industry-academia-government partnerships . Build capacities for market assessment and rapid commercialization of research . Promote best practices in financing, strategy, and leadership . Connect local and global research & development community for collaborative engagement
WAYU (Wind Augmentation and purify Ying Unit) . WAYU is developed by Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI) . WAYU (Wind Augmentation PurifYing Unit) has been setup at traffic junctions at ITO intersection and Mukarba Chowk in Delhi . The prototype device that has been indigenously developed has the capacity to purify air in an area of 500 meter square . The device works on two principles mainly Wind generation for dilution of air pollutants and Active Pollutants removal. . The device has filters for Particulate Matter removal and activated carbon (charcoal) and UV lamps for poisonous gases removal such as VOCs and Carbon Monoxide. . The device has one fan and filter for sucking and removing Particulate Matter. . There are two UV lamps and half kg of activated carbon charcoal coated with special chemical Titanium Dioxide.
Festival of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (FINE) . It is an initiative to recognise, respect, showcase, reward innovations and to foster a supportive ecosystem for innovators, is being organised by Rashtrapati Bhavan in association with the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and the National Innovation Foundation
India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4 Fund) . Department of Science and Technology and the National Technological Innovation Authority of Israel have jointly established US$ 40m “India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund (I4 Fund)” for a period of five years. . This fund will extend support to joint R&D projects aimed to co-develop innovative technology- driven products, services or processes that have potential for commercialization. . The Fund will provide opportunity for techno-economic cooperation between India and Israel by extending institutional support in building up consortia including private industry, enterprises and R&D institutions. Page | 176 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Teacher Associate ship for Research Excellence (TARE) . The Scheme aims to tap the latent potential of faculty working in state universities, colleges and private academic institutions who are well trained but have difficulty in pursuing their research due to varied reasons including lack of facilities, funding and guidance. . This scheme facilitates mobility of such faculty members to carryout research in a well-established public funded institution such as IITs, IISc, IISERS and other National Institutions (NITs, CSIR, ICAR, ICMR labs, etc) and Central Universities located preferably nearer to the institution where the faculty member is working.
Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship (OVDF) . This scheme offers opportunities for up to 100 PhD students admitted in the Indian institutions for gaining exposure and training in overseas universities / institutions of repute and areas of importance to country for period up to 12 months during their doctoral research.
SERB Distinguished Investigator Award (DIA) . DIA has been initiated to recognize and reward Principal Investigators (PIs) of SERB/DST projects who have performed remarkably well. . The scheme aims not only to reward the best PIs of completed projects but also to motivate the ongoing PIs to perform exceedingly well. . DIA is a one-time career award devised to specifically cater to the younger scientists who have not received any other prestigious awards or fellowships.
India’s first supercritical Brayton Cycle CO2 test facility . This next generation technology loop was developed indigenously by Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. . This is India’s first test-bed for next generation, efficient, compact, waterless super critical carbon dioxide Brayton cycle test loop for power generation . The technology is perhaps the first test loop coupled with solar heat source in the world. . Today’s thermal power plants use steam to carry heat away from the source and turn a turbine to generate power. However, it could generate more power if, instead of steam, supercritical CO2 (SCO2) is used . Brayton cycle - A thermodynamic cycle using constant pressure, heat addition and rejection to spin the blades of a turbine, which can be used to generate electricity . The term “supercritical” describes the state of carbon dioxide above its critical temperature of 31°C and critical pressure of 73 atmospheres making it twice as dense as steam.
Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research (AWSAR) . The scheme aims to communicate and disseminate Indian research stories among masses in a format that is easy to understand and interesting for a common person. . To strengthen the ecosystem of science communication in the country and to bring science closer to society Objectives . Encourage youth pursuing higher studies to submit at least one story/article based on their research work.
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. Foster, strengthen and create scientific temper through popular science writing and creating a culture of science communication/popularisation among the scholars. . Recognize the initiative and output of researchers on the specific aspects of natural, physical, mathematical and information sciences, applied science, technology, engineering, and multi- disciplinary science. . Conduct training Workshops for Early Career Researchers (PhD Scholars and PDFs) in popular science writing
Draft Policy Document Scientific Research Infrastructure and Maintenance Networks (SRIMAN) . To address various issues for effective utilization of its research infrastructure . Promote creation of a regional ecosystem, by galvanizing relevant stakeholders of scientific research infrastructure that provides wider access to scientists, researchers and industry professionals across the country . Help in creating a pool of trained operators for operation and maintenance of the equipment Components . Procurement and maintenance of equipment and infrastructure for research . Providing access and sharing of scientific equipment and infrastructure . Disposal of scientific equipment and infrastructure . Capacity Building of operators and technicians for efficient operations . Monitoring of usage of expensive scientific research infrastructure . Infrastructure Management for efficient operations Objective . Simplified but smarter ways of procurement and maintenance of scientific equipment and infrastructure . Providing greater access to instruments funded by the Government of India and its agencies through a network all over the country. . Providing a framework for smarter ways of disposal of dated equipment and infrastructure . Providing a framework to improve and promote efficiency of operations of research infrastructure . A broad template to monitor utilization of expensive research infrastructure
Ministry of Human Resource Development Several steps have been taken to promote e-Education in the country e-pathshala . E-Pathshala is a web portal which hosts educational resources for Students, Teachers, Parents, researchers etc. . It is a joint initiative of Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Govt. of India and National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT). . Many resources such as Access digital textbooks (e-textbooks) for all classes, Information about events, Access e-resources such as audios, videos, interactives, images, maps, question banks, etc. . It has been developed by NCERT (National Council for Educational Research and Training). . It is available through especially developed mobile app interface on Android, IOS and windows platforms for wider access. Shagun portal
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. Shagun is a dedicated web portal for monitoring the progress of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme. . The portal was developed by World Bank in collaboration with Union Ministry of Human Resource Development. . Its name has been derived from the words Shala (means schools) and Gun (Gunvatta meaning Quality). . Shagun portal was developed with double approach to monitor schools under the SSA and also the quality of education given by them. . Shagun will help in monitoring progress in implementation of SSA by assessing the performance of states/UTs on key parameters that will help Government to plan and deliver quality education to all. . It will collect and report data to enable the government and administrators to track the efficiency with which SSA funds are being utilized. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) . It is a centrally sponsored flagship scheme for providing universal access to education to children in the age group of six to fourteen years of age. . It seeks to open new schools in those places which do not have schooling facilities and strengthen existing school infrastructure through provision of additional class rooms, toilets, drinking water, maintenance grant and school improvement grants. . Existing schools with inadequate teacher strength are provided with additional teachers, while the capacity of existing teachers is being strengthened by extensive training. . SSA has a special focus on girl’s education and children with special needs. . SSA also seeks to provide computer education to bridge the digital divide.
SWAYAM . SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active –Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) programme aims to bridge digital divide among students. . It is an indigenous developed IT platform that facilitates hosting of all the courses, taught in classrooms from 9th grade till post-graduation. . Courses hosted by it can be accessed by anyone, anywhere at any time at free of cost. . Its objective is to achieve the three principles of education policy – access, equity and quality. . National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is promoting education through e-learning methods by providing courses on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on the portal.
SWAYAM PRABHA . It will provide high quality educational contents, developed by experts, through 32 DTH (direct to home) Television Channels. . It is done with an aim to bring uniformity in standards of education. . It will cover diverse disciplines of all levels of education in various languages. . It was launched in 2017. National Digital Library: . It is a large online library containing 6.5 million books. It provides free access to many books in English and the Indian languages.
Scholarship Schemes for North-East Students Ishan Vikas . It is a scheme which aims to create academic Exposure for North Eastern Students. . The scheme is coordinated by IIT Guwahati.
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. The selected school children from North Eastern States are brought in close contact with the Indian Institute of Technology (IITs), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISERs) and National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS) during the vacation period to motivate them to pursue science, technology, engineering and mathematics. . They are also option to facilitate internship opportunities for the engineering college students in various institutes of national importance. Ishan Uday . Ishan Uday is a Scholarship Scheme which is administered by University Grants Commission (UGC). . Under the scheme, scholarship is provided to the students whose parent’s income are up to Rs. 4.5 lakh per annum, from the North East Region. . It is given to students for pursuing general degree courses, technical and professional degree courses. . It has aimed to provide 10000 scholarships annually. Impacting Research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT) . It is joint initiative of Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc). . It seeks to develop road map for research to solve major engineering and technology challenges in 10 technology domains relevant for country. . These domains include health care, information and communication technology, energy, sustainable habitat, nano‐technology hardware, water resources and river systems, advanced materials, manufacturing, security and defence, and environment and climate. . The main objectives of IMPRINT scheme are to identify areas of immediate relevance that requires innovation in the society, ensure support and higher funding for research for identified areas and measure outcomes of innovation and research efforts and its impact on people’s standard of living. . It will motivate technical institutions to conduct research in areas where the country is heavily dependent on foreign technology. IMPRESS (Impactful Policy Research in Social Science) . The objective of this scheme is to identify and fund research proposals in social sciences with maximum impact on the governance and society. . Under the scheme, support is to be provided for projects on 11 broad thematic areas as follows State and Democracy, Urban transformation, Media, Culture and Society, Employment, Skills and Rural transformation etc . The Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) will be the project implementing agency. Unnat Bharat Abhiyan . The scheme aims to link higher education institutions with set of at least five villages, so that they can contribute to economic and social betterment of these village communities using their knowledge base. . Under this scheme, higher education institutions will participate in development activities, particularly in rural areas. . Objective of the scheme are to engage faculty and students of higher educational institutions in understanding rural realities, Identify and select existing innovative technologies to aid people and help in smooth implementation of various Government Programs. . Under it, institutes through their faculty and students, will carry out studies of living conditions in adopted villages, assess local problems and needs, workout possibilities of leveraging technological interventions and need to improve processes in implementation of various government schemes, prepare workable action plans for the selected villages. . The second edition (Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0) was launched in April, 2018.
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Various Scholarship Schemes National Means-Cum Merit Scholarship Scheme . Under the scheme, scholarship is awarded to the eligible merit students, whose parent’s income up to Rs.1.5 lakh per annum. . The main objective is to stop dropping out of students in class VIII and encourage them to continue education at secondary and higher secondary stage up to class XII. . 1,00,000 fresh scholarships are provided per annum. . The rate of scholarship is Rs.12,000/- per annum. Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students . Under the scheme, financial assistance is provided to those eligible merit students who scored above 80 % in class XII and having family income of less than Rs. 8 Lakhs per annum. . 82000 fresh scholarships are provided per year (41000 for boys and 41000 for girls) and have been divided amongst the State Education Boards based on the State’s population in the age group of 18- 25 years. . The rate of scholarship is Rs. 10,000/- per annum for the first three years and Rs. 20,000/- per annum for the fourth and fifth year. Special Scholarship Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir . The scheme aims to encourage the youth from Jammu & Kashmir to study in the educational institutions outside the state. . This helps them to interact with the other parts of the country. . 5000 fresh scholarships are provided per annum
Study in India Program . The Ministry of Human Resources Development (HRD) in collaboration with Ministry of External Affairs has approved ‘Study in India’ programme to attract foreign students to pursue higher education in India. . It aims at boosting country’s share of international students, improve global reputation and rankings of Indian educational institutions. . The programme will provide meritorious foreign students fee waiver and scholarship. . Government will offer complete fee waiver to top 25% meritorious applicants, 50% fee waiver to the next 25% applicants and 25% waiver to the next 25% foreign students. . It will target students from 30 countries, primarily in Asia and Africa, including Nepal, Vietnam, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan etc. . Currently, India is home to about 45,000 international students and the government is trying to increase this number using this scheme.
Samagra Shiksha scheme . Union Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) launched Samagra Shiksha scheme to improve quality of school education. . The scheme aims at improving quality of education, enhancing learning outcomes and using technology to empower children and teachers. . The scheme subsumes three existing schemes: Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shikskha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE) to treat school education holistically, from pre-school to Class XII. . The major objective of the scheme is to Enhance learning outcomes of students, Bridging social and gender gaps in school education, Providing annual grant of Rs 5,000 to Rs 20,000 per school for strengthening of libraries etc
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. Samagra Shiksha is first integrated scheme extending unified support to states from pre-school to senior secondary levels. . The scheme includes active participation of all stakeholders especially parents, school management committee (SMC) members, community and state functionaries towards efforts to ensure quality education to children.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare AYUSHMAN BHARAT . Ayushman Bharat is a centrally sponsored programme anchored in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). . It is an umbrella of two major health initiatives, namely Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojna (PMJAY). . Brief details of these components are as following: Ayushman Bharat-Health & Wellness Centres (AB-HWC) . Delivery of comprehensive primary health care services through Health &Wellness Centres(HWC)) is a critical component of the newly announced Ayushman Bharat scheme. . It places people and communities at the center of the health care delivery system, making health services responsive, accessible and equitable. . Nearly 1.5 lakh Sub-Centres and Primary Health Centres would be transformed as Health & Wellness Centres by 2022 to provide comprehensive and quality primary care close to the community while ensuring the principles of equity, affordability and universality. . Till date, 4503 HWCs have been operationalized in various states. Key components of AB-HWC: 1. Additional Human Resource - New cadre of health care professional- referred to as the Mid-Level Health Provider- who is a nurse or an Ayurvedic Practitioner trained and accredited for a set of competencies related to primary health care and public health. Mid-Level Health Provider will lead the team of MPWs and ASHAs at SHC level 2. Multiskilling/ Training of existing service providers - upgrading skills to provide expanded package of services 3. Efficient logistics system to ensure availability of wide range of drugs and point of care diagnostics 4. Robust IT system – to create unique health id and longitudinal health record of all individuals and provision of tele-consultation services 5. Provision of services related to indigenous health system and yoga etc for promotion of wellness 6. Linkages with schools to train Health and Wellness Ambassadors to enable creating healthy habits in schools The package of services envisaged at AB-HWC are: 1. Care in pregnancy and child-birth. 2. Neonatal and infant health care services 3. Childhood and adolescent health care services 4. Family planning, Contraceptive services and other Reproductive Health Care services 5. Management of Communicable diseases including National Health Programmes 6. Management of common communicable diseases and outpatient care for acute simple illness and minor ailments. 7. Screening, Prevention, Control and Management of non-communicable diseases. 8. Care for Common Ophthalmic and ENT problems Page | 182 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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9. Basic Oral health care 10. Elderly and palliative health care services 11. Emergency Medical Services 12. Screening and Basic management of Mental health ailments Key benefits for community under AB-HWC: . Expanded package of primary care services –ranging from maternal and child health, communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases. . Wide range of free drugs . Point of care diagnostics at the centres. . Tele-consultation services with Medical Officers for complications . Continuum of care ensured through referral linkages and protocols . Unique health id – longitudinal health record for each individual . Services related to indigenous health system and yoga for promotion of wellness. Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) . Ayushman Bharat – Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) aims to cover over 10 crore poor and vulnerable families (approx. 50 crore beneficiaries) providing coverage up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary hospitalization. . PMJAY has been launched on September 23, 2018. Key features: . PMJAY is an entitlement based scheme. This scheme covers poor and vulnerable families based on deprivation and occupational criteria as per SECC (Socio-economic caste census) data. . As on 30.12.2018: o Number of Hospitals Empanelled: 16,112 o Beneficiaries Admitted: 6,81,825 o E-cards Issued: 39,48,496 . PMJAY provides cashless and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service in any (both public and private) empanelled hospitals across India. . Under PMAJY, the States are free to choose the modalities for implementation. They can implement the scheme through insurance company or directly through the Trust/ Society or mixed model. . There is no restriction on family size, ensuring all members of designated families specifically girl child and senior citizens get coverage. . Out of these 31 States/UTs, 25 states/UTs have adopted this scheme. Augmentation Of Asha Benefits: . ASHA or Accredited Social Health Activist is a trained female community health activist as a key component of the National Rural Health Mission under National Health Mission. . She is selected from the village itself and works as a link between community and public health system. . The current year witnessed increased salary of ASHA, the insurance coverage eligibility of ASHA has been increased and the visiting package of ASHA has been increased.
NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY 2017 Highlights . It aims to raise public healthcare expenditure to 2.5% of GDP from current 1.4%, with more than two-thirds of those resources going towards primary healthcare. . It envisages providing a larger package of assured comprehensive primary healthcare through the ‘Health and Wellness Centers’. . It is a comprehensive package that will include care for major non-communicable diseases (NCDs), geriatric healthcare, mental health, palliative care and rehabilitative care services. Page | 183 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. It proposes free diagnostics, free drugs and free emergency and essential healthcare services in all public hospitals in order to provide healthcare access and financial protection. . It seeks to establish regular tracking of disability adjusted life years (DALY) Index as a measure of burden of disease and its major categories trends by 2022. . It aims to improve and strengthen the regulatory environment by putting in place systems for setting standards and ensuring quality of healthcare. . It also looks at reforms in the existing regulatory systems both for easing drugs and devices manufacturing to promote Make in India and also reforming medical education. . It advocates development of mid-level service providers, public health cadre, nurse practitioners to improve availability of appropriate health human resource. . Targets: It aims to ensure availability of 2 beds per 1000 population to enable access within golden hour. It proposes to increase life expectancy from 67.5 to 70 years by 2025. . It aims to reduce total fertility rate (TFR) to 2.1 at sub-national and national level by 2025. . It also aims to reduce mortality rate (MR) of children under 5 years of age to 23 per 1000 by 2025 and maternal mortality rate (MMR) to 100 by 2020. . It also aims to reduce infant mortality rate to 28 by 2019 and reduce neo-natal mortality to 16 and still birth rate to ‘single digit’ by 2025.
Allied And Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 . The Union Cabinet approved the Allied and Healthcare Professions Bill, 2018 on 22nd November 2018 for regulation and standardisation of education and services by allied and healthcare professionals. . The Bill provides for setting up of an Allied and Healthcare Council of India and corresponding State Allied and Healthcare Councils which will play the role of a standard-setter and facilitator for professions of Allied and Healthcare. Key features: . Establishment of a Central and corresponding State Allied and Healthcare Councils; 15 major professional categories including 53 professions in Allied and Healthcare streams. . Professional Advisory Bodies under Central and State Councils will examine issues independently and provide recommendations relating to specific recognised categories. . The Bill will also have an overriding effect on any other existing law for any of the covered professions. . The State Council will undertake recognition of allied and healthcare institutions. . Offences and Penalties clause have been included in the Bill to check malpractices. . The Bill also empowers the Central and State Governments to make rules. . Central Govt. also has the power to issue directions to the Council, to make regulations and to add or amend the schedule. Expected benefits: . Bring all existing allied and healthcare professionals on board during the first few of years from the date of establishment of the Council. . Opportunity to create qualified, highly skilled and competent jobs in healthcare by enabling professionalism of the allied and healthcare workforce. . High quality, multi-disciplinary care in line with the vision of Ayushman Bharat, moving away from a 'doctor led' model to a 'care accessible and team based’ model. . Opportunity to cater to the global demand (shortage) of healthcare workforce which is projected to be about 15 million by the year 2030, as per the WHO Global Workforce, 2030 report.
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Notification For Medical Devices Rules, 2017 . MoHFW has notified Medical Devices Rules, 2017 for comprehensive regulation of Medical devices notified under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, including their import, clinical investigation, manufacture, sale and distribution. . The new rules are harmonised with the international regulatory practices and provide comprehensive legislation for the regulation of Medical Devices to foster India specific innovation and provide a fillip to ‘Make in India’. . A separate and dedicated wing is set up under Drug Controller General of India for effective implementation of New Medical Devices Rules, 2017 with effect from 1.1.2018.
National Medical Commission Bill, 2017 . Cabinet approved the National Medical Commission Bill 2017 on 15th December, 2017 . The Bill envisages to: 1. replace the Medical Council 1956 Act. 2. enable a forward movement in the area of medical education reform. 3. move towards outcome-based regulation of medical education rather than process-oriented regulation. 4. ensure proper separation of functions within the regulator by having autonomous boards. 5. create accountable & transparent procedures for maintaining standards in Medical Education. 6. create a forward-looking approach towards ensuring sufficient health workforce in India. Expected benefits of the new legislation: . End of heavy handed regulatory control over medical education institutions and a shift towards outcome based monitoring. . Introduction of a national licentiate examination. This will be the first time such a provision is being introduced in any field of higher education in the country, as was the introduction of NEET and common counseling earlier. . Opening up the medical education sector will lead to significant addition in the number of UG and PG seats and substantial new investment in this infrastructure sector. . Better coordination with AYUSH systems of treatment. . Regulation of up to 40% seats in medical colleges to enable all meritorious students to have access to medical seats irrespective of their financial status.
National Nutrition Mission (NNM) . The Cabinet has recently approved the National Nutrition Mission, a joint effort of MoHFW and the Ministry of Women and Child development (WCD) towards a life cycle approach for interrupting the intergenerational cycle of under nutrition. . The impact of the mission is envisioned to reduce the level of stunting, under-nutrition, anemia and low birth weight babies. It will create synergy, ensure better monitoring, issue alerts for timely action, and encourage States/UTs to perform, guide and supervise the line Ministries and States/UTs to achieve the targeted goals. . The mission aims to benefit more than 10 crore people. . It shall be launched in December 2017 with a three year budget of Rs.9046.17 crore commencing from 2017-18, to cover 315 districts in 2017-18, 235 districts in 2018-19 and remaining districts in 2019-20. Major components/features of the Mission: Page | 185 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Mapping of various Schemes contributing towards addressing malnutrition . Introducing a very robust convergence mechanism . ICT-based real time monitoring system . Incentivizing States/UTs for meeting the targets . Incentivizing Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) for using IT based tools . Eliminating registers used by AWWs . Introducing measurement of height of children at the Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) . Social Audits . Setting-up Nutrition Resource Centres, involving masses through Jan Andolan for their participation on nutrition through various activities, among others.
Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 . The Act adopts a rights-based statutory framework for mental health in India and strengthens equality and equity in provision of mental healthcare services in order to protect the rights of people with mental health problem to ensure that they are able to receive optimum care and are able to live a life of dignity and respect. . The Act strengthens the institutional mechanisms for improving access quality and appropriate mental healthcare services. . The Act increases accountability of both government and private sectors in delivery of mental healthcare with representation of persons with mental health problem and their care-givers in statutory authorities such as Central and State Mental Health Authority. . The most progressive features of the Act are provision of advance directive, nominated representative, special clause for women and children related to admission, treatment, sanitation and personal hygiene; restriction on use of Electro-Convulsive Therapy and Psychosurgery. . Decriminalization of suicide is another significant facet of the Act, which will ensure proper management of severe stress as a precursor for suicide attempts.
HIV & AIDS (Prevention & Control) Act, 2017 . It aims to end the epidemic by 2030 in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. . A person living with AIDS cannot be treated unfairly at employment, educational establishments, renting a property, standing for public or private office or providing healthcare and insurance services. . The Act also aims to enhance access to healthcare services by ensuring informed consent and confidentiality for HIV-related testing, treatment and clinical research. . Every HIV infected or affected person below the age of 18 years has the right to reside in a shared household and enjoy the facilities of the household. . The Act prohibits any individual from publishing information or advocating feelings of hatred against HIV positive persons and those living with them. . No person shall be compelled to disclose his/her HIV status except with their informed consent, and if required by a court order. . Every person in the care and custody of the State shall have right to HIV prevention, testing, treatment and counselling services. . The Act suggests that cases relating to HIV positive persons shall be disposed' off by the court on a priority basis and duly ensuring the confidentiality.
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Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) . India’s UIP is one of the largest public health programmes in the world. It targets 3 crore pregnant women and 2.7 crore new borns annually. More than 90 lakh immunization sessions are conducted annually. It is the most cost-effective public health intervention and largely responsible for reduction of vaccine preventable under-5 mortality rate. New initiatives under UIP: . Mission Indradhanush: Government of India has launched Mission Indradhanush (MI) in December 2014, a targeted programme to immunize children who have either not received vaccines or are partially vaccinated. The activity focuses on districts with maximum number of missed children. Four phases of Mission Indradhanush have been completed wherein 3.38 crores children have been vaccinated, of which 81.67 lakh children have been fully immunized. In addition, 86.88 lakh pregnant women were vaccinated against tetanus. Under Mission Indradhanush, the annual rate of increase of full immunisation coverage has increased from 1% to 6.7 % during the two rounds. . The sixth phase of MI is ongoing in 75 districts across 17 States/UTs from October – December 2018. . Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) has been launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on 8th October 2017 from Vadnagar, Gujarat. The Intensified Mission Indradhanush has been carried out in 121 districts in 16 States, 52 districts in the North Eastern States and 17 urban areas where immunization coverage has been very low in spite of repeated phases of Mission Indradhanush and in UIP, with an aim to rapidly build up full immunization coverage to more than 90% by December 2018. Introduction of new vaccines . Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV): India is polio free but to maintain this status, the Inactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV) was introduced. Till August 2018, around 6.4 crore doses of IPV have been administered to children since its introduction. . Adult Japanese Encephalitis (JE) Vaccine: Japanese Encephalitis is a life-threatening viral disease affecting brain mainly in children aged less than 15 years. However, National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) had identified 31 high burden districts from Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal for adult JE vaccination in the age-group of 15-65 years. The Adult JE vaccination campaign has been completed in all 31 districts of Assam, UP, West Bengal, wherein more than 3.29 crore beneficiaries aged 15-65 years were vaccinated. . Rotavirus Vaccine: Rotavirus is one of the leading causes of severe diarrhoea and death among young children. At present, Rotavirus vaccine has been introduced in 9 States - Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Tripura. Approximately 2.6 crore doses of Rotavirus vaccine have been administered to children since its introduction till September 2018. . Measles-Rubella (MR) Vaccine: Rubella vaccine has been introduced in UIP as Measles-Rubella vaccine to provide protection against congenital birth defects caused by Rubella infection. The campaign has been completed in 20 states/UTs (namely, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Odisha, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Mizoram, Manipur, Punjab) and ongoing in 8 states/UTs (namely, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, J&K, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura). A total of 13.04 crore children vaccinated till 29th October 2018. . Pneumococcal Vaccine (PCV): PCV was launched in a phased manner in UIP in May’17 for reducing infant mortality and morbidity caused by pneumococcal pneumonia. It has been launched on 13th May, 2017. PCV is given in entire Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, 12 district of Uttar
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Pradesh and 9 districts of Rajasthan. Till September 2018, around 59.48 lakh children have been covered under it.
National Viral Hepatitis Control Program . MoHFW launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program on World Hepatitis Day, 2018 – 28th July. . MoHFW also released the Operational Guidelines for National Viral Hepatitis Control Program, National Laboratory Guidelines for Viral Hepatitis Testing and National Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Viral Hepatitis. . The program has been launched with the goal of ending viral hepatitis as a public health threat in the country by 2030. . The aim of the initiative is to reduce morbidity and mortality due to viral hepatitis.
Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative - Laqshya . MoHFW launched LaQshya to improve the quality of care that is being provided to the pregnant mother in the Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres, thereby preventing the undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth. . The goal is to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OT and ensure respectful maternity care. . The initiative will be implemented in Government Medical Colleges (MCs) besides District Hospitals (DHs), and high delivery load Sub- District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs). . Currently incentives are being given to facilities achieving the targets outlined: . Rs.6 lakhs for Medical Colleges . Rs.3 lakhs for District Hospitals . Rs.2 lakhs for SDH/CHCs . The initiative plans to conduct quality certification of labour rooms.
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) . The program aims to provide assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care, free of cost, universally to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month. . PMSMA has been rolled out in all States/ UTs. . Over 1.7 crore quality antenatal checkups have been conducted at PMSMA sites for comprehensive services under the programme.
Intensified Diarrhea Control Fortnight (IDCF) . Observed during July-August every year since 2014 with the ultimate aim of ‘zero child deaths due to childhood diarrhoea’. . IDCF is being implemented as a campaign for control of deaths due to diarrhoea across all States & UTs. . Main activities include intensification of advocacy activities, awareness generation activities, diarrhoea management service provision, establishing ORS-zinc demonstration sites, ORS distribution by ASHA through home visitation, detection of undernourished children and their treatment, promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) activities by home visits by ASHA and establishing IYCF corners. . Nearly 28 crore under-5 children have been reached since 2014 by ASHA with Prophylactic ORS.
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Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) . Launched in February 2013 for child screening and free treatment for 4 Ds i.e. Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies and Development delays including disability. . Provisions free management of 30 selected health conditions. . As on date: . 11020 teams in 36 State/UTs are in place. . 92 District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs) are functional. . Nearly 82.5 crore children were screened and 1.96 crore children availed services for treatment since inception.
National Deworming Day (NDD) . To combat soil transmitted infections, the Health Ministry has adopted a single day strategy called NDD, wherein single dose of albendazole is administered to children from 1-19 years of age group through the platform of schools and anganwadi centres. . Till February 2018, 26.68 crore children have been administered albendazole. Further, more than 114 crore doses of Albendazole were administered to children 1-19 years, since 2015.
Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK) . Started in 2014 as a comprehensive programme focusing on Sexual Reproductive Health, Nutrition, Injuries and violence (including gender based violence), Non-Communicable Diseases, Mental Health and Substance Misuse with a promotive and preventive approach. . The interventions are carried out using health facilities, community and schools as platforms: . Adolescent Friendly Health Clinics (AFHCs): These act as the first level of contact of primary health care services with adolescents. . Weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) Programme: It entails provision of weekly supervised IFA tablets to in-school boys and girls and out-of-school girls and biannual albendazole tablets, besides Nutrition & Health Education. . Menstrual Hygiene Scheme: The scheme is being implemented for adolescent girls in the rural areas. From 2014 procurement of sanitary napkins has been decentralized. . Peer Education Programme: Under the programme four peer educators (Saathiya) - two male and two female are selected per 1000 population to orient the adolescents on health issues
Mission Parivar Vikas (MPV) . To deliver improved family planning services in 145 High Focus districts in seven states . These districts are located in the seven high focus states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Assam . The target of the government is to reach the replacement level fertility goals of 2.1 by the year 2025
Swachhta Hi Sewa . This is an initiative as part of the Swachchta Hi Sewa cleanliness and sanitation campaign being undertaken across various parts of the country. . The initiative has resulted in bringing significant improvement in the sanitation and hygiene, patient satisfaction, behavioural change in the staff & employees of the Hospitals/Institutions, patients and their attendants towards cleanliness. Public perception towards cleanliness & hygiene in public healthcare facilities has also been changing.
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National Programme For Prevention And Control Of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases And Stroke (NPCDCS) . In order to prevent and control major Non-Communicable Diseases, Government of India is implementing the NPCDCS in all States across the country with the focus on strengthening infrastructure, human resource development, health promotion, early diagnosis, management and referral.
Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme . The Government of India (GoI) launched the National TB Programme in 1962 to address TB in India. . The Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP), based on the internationally recommended Directly Observed Treatment Short-course (DOTS) strategy, was launched in 1997 expanded across the country by 2006. Achievements of RNTCP: . More than 2 Crore patients on treatment & saved more than 35 lakh lives in India. . Treatment success rates have tripled from 25% in pre-RNTCP era to 88% presently (TB India 2018) & TB death rates have reduced from 29% to 4%. Drug Resistant TB Services . It is estimated that there are 1.35 lakh drug resistant TB patients in India. . 41,250 drug resistant TB patients have been diagnosed from January to September 2018. . Bedaquiline is a new anti-TB drug, discovered after 40 years. . Expansion of rapid molecular diagnosis NIKSHAY Poshan Yojana . NIKSHAY Poshan Yojana for providing financial assistance for nutrition support at rate of Rs. 500/- per month has been initiated since April 2018. . E-Health advances - programme management and surveillance. . Programme is enhancing its ICT based surveillance tool NIKSHAY. . IT enabled adherence monitoring tool 99 DOTS have been used for all HIV-TB patients across the country. It has been expanded for all TB patients . NIKSHAY Aushadhi – drugs distribution management system has been implemented across the country – 24,846 stores are reporting through NIKSHAY Aushadhi (All State, District and Block level drug stores and 50% of PHC level stores are reporting drug inventory through NIKSHAY Aushadhi) . 20,000 tablets have been provided for accelerating NIKSHAY uptake and NIKSHAY Aushadhi implementation . Call Centre with capacity of 90 seats has been established to cater to Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh and expanded to other states gradually. . Echo – Technical capacity building sessions being conducted with all 148 nodal DR-TB centres
IT Initiatives . Allied & Healthcare Professionals’ Database Portal. More than 3000 professionals have already registered on the portal during the testing phase. The website portal is a2hp.mohfw.gov.in.The portal has a capacity of capturing more than 10 lakhs Allied and Healthcare Professionals’ data. It will help the Government to track the number of professionals and streams of allied and healthcare professions in the country. It may further prove helpful in expediting the envisaged processes viz. licensing of professionals, workforce policy planning and bringing transparency in the system by maintaining standards of educational and clinical practice etc.
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. National Health Portal (NHP) is functioning as citizen portal for healthcare providing health related information to citizens and stakeholders in different languages (currently six languages). . Hospital Information System (HIS) is being implemented in hospitals for automation of hospital processes to achieve better efficiency and service delivery in Public Health facilities upto CHC level. . A case based web based reporting system called NIKSHAY is established and this has been scaled-up nationwide to capture all TB cases in the public health system. . eRakt Kosh is being rolled out for all the licensed blood banks in public and private health facilities in States / UTs. eRakt Kosh piloted in blood banks in the State of Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and IRCS Delhi.
National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) Malaria . India is committed to malaria elimination by 2030 in response to the global call by WHO for eliminating malaria by the end of the year 2030. . In response to the above, India drafted National Framework for malaria elimination . Decrease in total malaria cases from 805804 in 2017 to 375845 (53.36% decline) in 2018 till November. Dengue & Chikungunya . Disease surveillance is carried out through identified Sentinel Surveillance Hospitals (SSHs) with laboratory facility networked across the country and linked with Apex Referral Laboratories (ARLs) with advanced diagnostic facility for backup support. . May 16 observed as National Dengue Day throughout country. . Dengue cases declined by 36% and deaths by 33% compared to 2017. . Chikungunya cases declined by 22% in 2018 compared to 2017. Japanese Encephalitis (JE) . Constitution of National Programme for Prevention and Control of JE to reduce morbidity, mortality and disability due to JE. . JE vaccination campaign in children (1-15 yrs) completed in 229 out of 231 JE endemic districts. . Adult vaccination (15-65 years): Completed in all 31 districts identified in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. . States have been requested to make JE a Notifiable disease. Kala-Azar . Kala-azar is a notifiable disease in all four endemic states. . Kala-azar elimination programme has made significant progress, Reduction of 70.6% in cases of Kala-azar from 13869 (2013) to 4073 (2018 Till Nov.). . Reported deaths due to Kala-azar have also reduced to 100% as being Nil deaths in 2017 as compared to 11 in 2014. There is Nil death reported in 2018 (Nov.) . Intensification of disease surveillance activities to identify the cases early and ensuring their complete treatment. Medical Education . A common National Entrance Exam viz. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) has been made mandatory for admission to all medical courses in the country
Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY) . The PMSSY envisages creation of tertiary healthcare capacity in medical education, research and clinical care, in the underserved areas of the country.
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. It aims at correcting regional imbalances in the availability of affordable/reliable tertiary healthcare services and also augmenting facilities for quality medical education in the country. . PMSSY has two components- setting up of new AIIMS like institutes in underserved regions of the country: and up-gradation of existing Govt Medical Colleges (GMCs).
Ministry of Women and Child Development Key highlights: . POSHAN Abhiyaan, PM’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment launched Enhancement of honorarium of anganwadi workers/helpers new initiatives to strengthen Gender Budgeting. . 279 OSCs operational, over 1.93 Lakh women supported. . More than 65.20 Lakh beneficiaries enrolled under MMMVY. . Mahila E-haat grows impacting over 32000 women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs and over 7.34 lakh beneficiaries. . 723 Child Welfare Committees and 702 Juvenile Justice Boards have been set up across the country.
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) . BBBP is one the flagship programmes of the Government. . It is a tri-ministerial, convergent effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development (MWCD),Health & Family Welfare(MHFW) and Human Resource Development(MHRD) with focus on Awareness and Advocacy Campaign. . The scheme is envisaged to bring an improvement in Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB) in the short term while Child Sex Ratio (CSR) with manifestation of over-all development such as improved health & nutrition, gender parity in education, better sanitation, opportunities and removal of asymmetries between the genders is endeavored in the long term. . Achievements: 1. The programme is going to complete in 4 years and in this short span of time, the clarion call of BBBP is resonating across the country. 2. This programme has been successful in establishing improvement in CSR as a National Agenda. 3. The awareness and advocacy campaign and multi-sectoral action in districts has resulted in increased awareness, sensitization and conscious building around the issue of declining CSR in the public domain. 4. As per Unified District Information System for Education (U-DISE) 2015-16, the girl’s enrolment in secondary education has increased to 80.97% against 76% in 2013-14. 5. Construction of girl’s toilets in every school in selected districts has been achieved. 6. Based on the successful implementation in 161 districts, the Government has expanded coverage of BBBP which included Multi-sectoral intervention in 244 districts in addition to existing 161 districts, where physical implementation of the scheme is happening under the leadership of Collector/DM/DC. 7. The District Level Centre for Women (DLCW) under Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) Scheme provides foothold for BBBP Scheme in the district. 8. At the state level, the State Task Force headed by the Chief Secretary will provide overall guidance for implementation of scheme. 9. 235 districts are to be covered through Alert District Media, Advocacy and Outreach, thus covering all the 640 districts (as per census 2011) of the Country to have a deeper positive impact on Child Sex Ratio. Page | 192 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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More about the scheme: . It is also called “Save girl child, educate girl child”. . Launched in 2015 from Panipat. . Child sex Ratio (0–6 years) in India was 927 girls per 1,000 boys in 2001, which dropped drastically to 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011.
WomenWelfare . One Stop Centre 1. Many women who face violent crimes do not know where to go for support. For them, One Stop Centres (OSCs) have been set up across the country. 2. The scheme of One Stop Centres was initiated in March 2015 for facilitating access to an integrated range of services including police, medical, legal, psychological support and temporary shelter to women affected by violence. 3. The Scheme is funded through Nirbhaya Fund. 4. So far, 279 OSCs have become operational. These centres have offered support to over 1.93 Lakh women. . Women Helpline 1. The Scheme of Universalization of Women Helpline is being implemented since 1st April 2015 and is intended to provide 24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence through referral (linking with appropriate authority such as police, One Stop Centre, hospital) and information about women related government schemes/programmes across the country through a single uniform number (181). 2. So far, women helplines have become operational in 32 States/UTs. 3. They have managed more than 20.23 lakh calls of women. The Scheme is funded through Nirbhaya Fund. . Sexual Harassment at Workplace 1. The Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 covers all women, irrespective of their age or employment status and protects them against sexual harassment at all workplaces whether organized or unorganized. Students, apprentices, labourers, domestic workers and even women visiting an officer are included in the Act. 2. In order to ensure the effective implementation of the Act, MWCD has developed an online complaint management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace. 3. SHe-Box portal offers the facility of making online complaints of sexual harassment at workplace to all women employees in the country, including all government and private employees. 4. In the year 2018, these empanelled institutes had organized more than 744 capacity building exercises attended by more than 50,000 people. . The Ministry has been taking action to end the practice of child marriage. . The Government of India proposes to amend “The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006”. . The proposed amendments would declare child marriage void ab initio(not legally binding) instead of being voidable at the option of the contracting parties who were child at the time of marriage. . The Ministry has taken up the training of elected women representatives (EWRs) in Panchayats to empower them to govern their villages effectively and develop into grassroots change makers. . The Grievance Redressal Cell of the Ministry deals with the online grievances that are received on issues related to women and children. Page | 193 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Citizens can send in complaints to [email protected] for a prompt response. . The cell has processed close to 39,347 complaints in the one year since its inception.
Gender Budgeting (GB) . Women face various forms of vulnerability and discrimination throughout their life cycle. . It was recognized that budgets are an important way to significantly reduce these vulnerabilities. . Under the scheme of Gender Budgeting (GB),steps are being taken to ensure the institutionalization of GB from policy formulation to outcome achievement in the Centre and across State Governments. . The scheme has three main focus areas: Advocacy and guidance to Gender Budget Cells; Training and capacity building of stakeholders; and Facilitating Gender Budget analysis and performance audit.
SWADHAR GREH . The Ministry has constructed a Home for Widows namely Krishna Kutir at Vrindavan, Distt. Mathura(UP) with a capacity of 1000 beds to provide safe and secure place of stay, health services, nutritious food, legal and counseling services to widows.
Ujjwala scheme . Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. . The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) or the Ujjwala Scheme was launched by PM Modi on May 1, 2016 in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. . The scheme aims to protect women and children from the smoke emitted from households using firewood for cooking purposes. . Under the scheme, families below the poverty line are to be provided with LPG connections with a support of Rs. 1,600 per connection in the next three years. . The ambitious scheme also laid down a condition that the LPG connections will be issued in the name of the women of the households. . The scheme promises to install five crore connections by the end of 2019. . Identified BPL families through the Socio Economic Caste Census Data (SECCD).
POSHAN Abhiyaan . POSHAN stands for Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nutrition. . Aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children. . Target of Abhiyaan is to bring down stunting of the children in the age group of 0-6 years from 38.4% to 25% by the year 2022. . More than 10 crore people will be benefitted by this programme. . September 2018 has been celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan Maah across the Country. . One of the key activities of Abhiyaan is implementation of ICDS-Common Application Software. . As on 30th November, 2018, ICDS-CAS has been rolled-out in 64 districts across 9 States/UTs.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana . PMMVY(2016) is a maternity benefit rechristened from erstwhile Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY). The IGMSY was launched in 2010. . The scheme is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for first live birth. Page | 194 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. It provides a partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices. . The maternity benefits under Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) are available to all Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) except those in regular employment with the Central Government or State Government or Public Sector Undertaking or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force. . PMMVY is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. . The Scheme envisages providing cash incentive amounting to ₹5,000/- directly to the Bank/Post Office Account of PW&LM in DBT Mode during pregnancy and lactation. . The Ministry celebrated the first anniversary of launch of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana as “Matru Vanadana Saptah” during first week of September, 2018. Media . SMS Campaign: For higher accessibility to the Ministry's schemes, a month-long campaign was undertaken in June with direct links of the various schemes of the Ministry being sent through SMS. . The Ministry effectively used its social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and YouTube with followers numbering in lakhs. . This medium was leveraged to disseminate information on the various schemes and programmes of the Government so as to increase citizen engagement. . To connect with netizens, numerous contests were hosted, wherein suggestions were sought and crowd sourcing was undertaken for various logos. Women of India Festivals . The 'Women of India Festival' is organized annually by the Ministry with the aim to encourage women entrepreneurs and farmers, and also actively promote organic products ranging from food and fabric to wellness and personal care. . The festival provided a national platform to nearly 570 participants from the remotest corners of the country at 287 stalls. . In 2018,the total sales by the women farmers and entrepreneurs who came from 26 States were a record of over Rs. 2.75 crore in comparison to that of Rs. 1.84 crore in 2017. . SATTVIK Food Festival has been organized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with SRISTI where Ministry has sponsored 50 stalls at Ahmedabad during 22nd to 25thDecember, 2018. Information Technology: . The Ministry has fully implemented e-Office Premium products and successfully migrated to paperless office concept for which the Ministry has been graded as Platinum Ministry by Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances (DAR&PG). . MWCD tops the list in terms of number of -e-files and percentage of e-files (100%) among all Ministries with zero physical file. . Ministry is in the process of formulation of Cyber Security Policy keeping in view of the development of more and more IT application for providing service to the citizens through digital mode. . Ministry’s IT services (under G2C, G2E and G2B) are being uploaded on “National Government Service Portal (https://services.india.gov.in ) which is being designed to provide a single window portal for all Central and State/UT Government information and transaction services, under G2C, G2E and G2B. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh: . Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is a society, registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860. . An apex micro-finance organization established in 1993 under the aegis of Ministry of Women & Child Development (MWCD) to meet the credit needs of poor and asset less
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women in the informal sector for various livelihood support and income generating activities at concessional terms in a client-friendly procedure to bring about their socio- economic development. . Simplification of Loan Procedures and Downward revision in Rate of Interest are main aim. . Mahila E-haat: 1. Launched by MWCD in March, 2016. 2. Vision: to empower & strengthen financial inclusion of Women Entrepreneurs in the economy by providing continued sustenance and support to their creativity. 3. Mission: to act as a catalyst by providing a web based marketing platform to the women entrepreneurs to directly sell to the buyers. 4. Goal: to support ‘Make in India’ through digital marketing platform. 5. Women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs from 31 States / UTs are showcasing over 7000 products and services and impacting over 32000 women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs and over 7.34 lakh beneficiaries.
Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) Scheme . Centrally sponsored scheme. . Government of India has approved a new scheme namely Mahila Shakti Kendra for 2017-18 upto 2019-20 to empower rural women through community participation. . The scheme is envisaged to work at various levels, and at the National level (domain based knowledge support) and State level (State Resource Centre for Women) technical support to the respective governments on issues related to women is provided. . Community engagement through College Student Volunteers is envisioned in 115 most backward districts as part of the Block Level initiatives. . Student volunteers will play an instrumental role in awareness generation regarding various important government schemes/ programmes as well as social issues. . Community engagement through College Student Volunteers is envisioned in 115 most backward/aspirational districts as part of the Block Level initiatives.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Key highlights: . The year 2018 was a testimony to India’s leadership and commitment on environmental issues as the Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi was awarded the United Nation's highest environmental honour - Champions of the Earth Award. . The UN recognised the Prime Minister in the Policy Leadership category for his bold environmental leadership on the global stage. . Pioneering work in championing the International Solar Alliance where the country heralded a global coalition of nations to tackle climate change by leveraging the power of solar energy which has been lauded globally.
World Environment Day . World Environment Day is the UN’s most important day for encouraging worldwide awareness and action for the protection of our environment. Since it began in 1974, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated in over 100 countries. . Considering India’s global leadership in environmental protection and climate change sectors, the UNEP had chosen India to be the global host for World Environment Day (WED) on 5th June, 2018. Page | 196 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. The theme for 2018 is Beating plastic pollution. . Above all, World Environment Day is the “people’s day” for doing something to take care of the Earth. That “something” can be focused locally, nationally or globally; it can be a solo action or involve a crowd. Everyone is free to choose. . single-use plastic pollution was being done through Eco-clubs in States/UTs.Some of the major activities undertaken were cleaning of identified beaches, river stretches and Mini- marathon on 3.6.2018.
Green Good Deeds Campaign . The societal movement launched by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change(MoEFCC),to protect environment and promote good living in the country, has earned worldwide accolades. . Green Good Deeds” is an idea to take environmental awareness to the people and get them involved. . Formally launched in January 2018, the campaign lauds small positive actions performed by individuals or organisations to strengthen the cause of environmental protection. . The Ministry has drawn up a list of over 600 Green Good Deeds and asked people to alter their behaviour to Green Good Behaviour to fulfill their Green Social Responsibility. . Students under Eco-clubs are implementing the Green Good Deeds (GGDs) initiative which seeks to transform the people’s behaviour into Green Good Behaviour and fulfil Green Social Responsibility. . A ten point agenda has been developed to implement the GGDs through Nodal agencies in State/UTs implementing the Ecoclub programme. . Various activities covered under GGDs like cleanliness drives within the school campus, carry out waste segregation into biodegradable and non-biodegradable, paper re-cycling and conducting tree plantation drives etc are being implemented across the country by the students.
Clean Air Campaign . Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change,launched a joint campaign, with Delhi Government, NDMC, CPCB and other municipal agencies, for clean air in Delhi from 10-23 Feb 2018. . The campaign is aimed to sensitise ground-level functionaries and general public to enforce the habit of environmental protection. CPCB: . The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of India is a statutory organisation under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). . It was established in 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of pollution) Act, 1974. . CPCB is also entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. . It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. . It Co-ordinates the activities of the State Pollution Control Boards by providing technical assistance and guidance and also resolves disputes among them.
Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) . In order to skill youth in environment, forest and wildlife sectors and enable them to be gainfully employed/ self-employed, MoEF&CC launched a Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) in June, 2017 on a pilot basis. Page | 197 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. The programme is now being scaled to an all India level. . It aims to train over 5.5 lakh workers in environment and forest sectors in the country through 30 courses by 2021 for sustainable conservation and management of natural resources. . GSDP-ENVIS mobile application was also launched to provide more information and applying to courses under GSDP programme. . In the first stage, pool of master trainers and specialists is being created, who can further train youth across the country. All skilling courses under this programme will be National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF) compliant. The MoEFCC will give certificates indicating skilling levels to all successful candidates. . The programme endeavours to develop green skilled workers having technical knowledge and commitment to sustainable development. . It will help in attainment of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Biodiversity Targets (NBTs) and Waste Management Rules 2016). Green (Harit) Diwali: . The Union Ministry of Environment has launched “Harit Diwali, Swasth Diwali campaign”. . The campaign was first launched in 2017-18 to encourage school children in Delhi and NCR to take the pledge to ensure a green and healthy Diwali by minimising the bursting of crackers. . The Environment Ministry has initiated the campaign on the similar lines this year but extended it to include pan-India. Reclassification of Bamboo & Removal from Category of Tree: . The Government of India has made concerted efforts to promote bamboo cultivation right from enabling regulatory provision, to supporting the bamboo plantation on a large scale by launching newly restructured National Bamboo Mission with a budget outlay of Rs 1290 crore. . The amendment in Indian Forest Act, 1927, will facilitate the inter-state movement of bamboo, as there will be no requirement of permit during transit from one State to another. . It will ultimately result in reducing the gap of availability of resources from bamboo-surplus states to bamboo-deficit states. . As a result, both producers and consumers will be benefitted.
National Bamboo Mission(NBM) . Centrally Sponsored Scheme started in the year 2006-07 under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA). . The scheme was later subsumed under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) for the years 2014-15 and 2015-16. . The scheme aims at promoting the growth of Bamboo sector through the area based regionally differentiated strategy. . The NBM has now been extended till 2019-20. . This extended mission aims at ensuring holistic development of the Bamboo Sector. It aims at establishing effective linkage between the industry and the producer. . Approval has been granted by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) to set up an executive committee for the enlisting the guidelines of the National Bamboo Mission, including the norms for different interventions at certain intervals according to the needs and recommendations of the states, with the Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare Ministry’s approval. Climate Change: . The Climate Change Division of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) looks after the issues related to climate change including the international negotiations and domestic policies and actions.
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. India is a Party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Paris Agreement and Kyoto Protocol. . The Division is also responsible for submission of National Communications (NATCOMs) and the Biennial Update Reports (BURs) to UNFCCC. . Several domestic programmes/ schemes have been initiated in the recent years for addressing climate change like National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC), Climate Change Action Programme (CCAP) and State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) . . In order to create and strengthen the scientific and analytical capacity for assessment of climate change in the country, different studies have also been initiated under CCAP.
National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) . Released in 2008. . Outlines existing and future policies and programs addressing climate mitigation and adaptation. . The plan identifies eight core “national missions” running through 2017. . Emphasizing the overriding priority of maintaining high economic growth rates to raise living standards, the plan “identifies measures that promote our development objectives while also yielding co-benefits for addressing climate change effectively.” 8 National Missions . National Solar Mission: 1. The NAPCC aims to promote the development and use of solar energy for power generation and other uses with the ultimate objective of making solar competitive with fossil-based energy options. The plan includes: o Specific goals for increasing use of solar thermal technologies in urban areas, industry, and commercial establishments; o A goal of increasing production of photovoltaic to 1000 MW/year; and o A goal of deploying at least 1000 MW of solar thermal power generation. 2. Other objectives include the establishment of a solar research centre, increased international collaboration on technology development, strengthening of domestic manufacturing capacity, and increased government funding and international support. . National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency: 1. Initiatives based on increasing the energy use efficiency were expected to yield savings of 10,000 MW by 2012. 2. Building on the Energy Conservation Act 2001, the plan recommends: o Mandating specific energy consumption decreases in large energy-consuming industries, with a system for companies to trade energy-savings certificates; o Energy incentives, including reduced taxes on energy-efficient appliances; and o Financing for public-private partnerships to reduce energy consumption through demand-side management programs in the municipal, buildings and agricultural sectors. . National Mission on Sustainable Habitat: 1. To promote energy efficiency as a core component of urban planning, the plan calls for: 2. Extending the existing Energy Conservation Building Code; 3. A greater emphasis on urban waste management and recycling, including power production from waste; 4. Strengthening the enforcement of automotive fuel economy standards and using pricing measures to encourage the purchase of efficient vehicles; and 5. Incentives for the use of public transportation. Page | 199 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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● National Water Mission: 1. With water scarcity projected to worsen as a result of climate change, the plan sets a goal of a 20% improvement in water use efficiency through pricing and other measures. . National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem: 1. The plan aims to conserve biodiversity, forest cover, and other ecological values in the Himalayan region, where glaciers that are a major source of India’s water supply are projected to recede as a result of global warming. . National Mission for a “Green India”: 1. Goals include the afforestation of 6 million hectares of degraded forest lands and expanding forest cover from 23% to 33% of India’s territory. . National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture: 1. The plan aims to support climate adaptation in agriculture through the development of climate-resilient crops, expansion of weather insurance mechanisms, and agricultural practices. . National Mission on Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change: 1. To gain a better understanding of climate science, impacts and challenges, the plan envisions a new Climate Science Research Fund, improved climate modelling, and increased international collaboration. 2. It also encourages private sector initiatives to develop adaptation and mitigation technologies through venture capital funds.
National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) 1. Launched in 2015. 2. Under NAFCC 100% central grant is provided to the State Governments for implementing climate change adaptation projects. 3. The Scheme has been designed to fulfill the objectives of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and operationalize the State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCCs). 4. The objective of the fund is to assist states/UTs that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation. 5. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is the National Implementing Entity (NIE) responsible for implementation of adaptation projects under the NAFCC. 6. Under this scheme, Union Government encourages States to come up with innovative and scalable projects to develop resilience against climate change and mainstream it in the planning processes. . During the year 2018, many important bilateral and multilateral meetings and negotiations on climate change were held in the run up to the 24th Conference of the Parties to UNFCCC (COP-24), in which Hon’ble Minister, EF&CC and senior officials of the Ministry participated. . The Ministry hosted international meetings of the Like-Minded Developing Countries (LMDC) on 1st and 2nd November 2018 and BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) countries on 19th -20th November 2018. . The meeting has helped in strengthening and securing common interest and positions of the developing countries in the run up to COP-24 to the UNFCCC. . Twenty Fourth Conference of Parties (COP-24) in Katowice, Poland was successful in adopting Paris Agreement Work Programme. . The conference was significant one which focused on other key issues including the conclusion of 2018 Facilitative Talanoa Dialogue and the stocktake of Pre-2020 actions implementation and ambition. Page | 200 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. An India Pavilion was also setup during Twenty Fourth Conference of Parties (COP 24) of UNFCCC held in Katowice, Poland from December 3rd to 14th, 2018. . The theme of pavilion this year was ‘One World One Sun One Grid’ based on an ambitious target set during the first assembly of the International Solar Alliance on October 2018 that 40 percent of its installed power capacity will be from non-fossil fuels by 2030. . India will be submitting its Second Biennial Update Report (BUR) to UNFCCC in late December 2018 to comply with the reporting obligations under the convention. Some Other important Initiatives/Policy decisions during - 2018: . A meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment Pollution of Rivers including Spring-fed Rivers and its impact on ecology was held. . The 1st India- Morocco Joint Working Group meeting was held in February, 2018 to serve as a platform for both the countries to explore different areas in the field of Environment for cooperation. . A new Indo-German Technical Cooperation project on Human-Wildlife conflict mitigation in India was conceptualized. The project is commissioned by Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and is being implemented by MoE&CC. . Prior Environment Clearance for all minerals (Major and Minor) irrespective of size of mine lease has been made mandatory for Aravali Region. . Under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP), administrative approval for expenditure of Rs. 94.66 Crores has been granted. 1. National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) is a centrally funded scheme launched in 1995 aimed at preventing the pollution of rivers. 2. Programs for river conservation are being implemented under National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) and NGRBA (National Ganga River Basin Authority). . Cabinet note for adoption of a strategy for increasing tree cover outside forests under tripartite agreement between land owning agencies, concerned State Govts. and public and private organizations for taking up plantation on non- forest government land has been drafted and circulated for consultation. . The National Action Plan of the Central Asian Flyway, one of the nine flyways in the world, has been launched by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change which will enable effective management of the migratory birds, connected wetlands and the entire ecosystem associated with it. . In order to train the Veterinary doctors in wildlife disease management, the Ministry has initiated a training course for the Veterinary doctors of the country in wildlife disease management at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. . A web-based portal currently provides real-time AQI, air quality status, information on likely health impacts associated with AQI values for the cities. Air quality bulletins are also issued on daily basis. . Notification of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Pet Shop) Rules, 2018 to make pet shops accountable and prevent the cruelty incurred to animals there.
UNEP Award: . Excellent work done in combating trans-boundary environmental crime by WCCB has been recognized by United Nation Environment Programme by awarding Asia Environment Enforcement Awards, 2018. . WCCB has been conferred this award in the Innovation category. . WCCB has adopted innovative enforcement techniques that have dramatically increased enforcement of trans-boundary environmental crimes in India.
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. Notably it has developed an online Wildlife Crime Database Management System to get real time data in order to help analyze trends in crime and devise effective measures to prevent and detect wildlife crimes across India.
Department of Biotechnology Key highlights . The year 2018 saw Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology pursue with increased vigour its vision of attaining new heights in biotechnology research, shaping biotechnology into a premier precision tool of the future for creation of wealth and ensuring social justice- especially for the poor.
. Major policy decisions, programs The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018
. Union Cabinet has approved “The DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2018. Background:
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. Forensic DNA profiling is of proven value in solving cases involving offences that are categorized as affecting the human body (such as murder, rape, human trafficking, or grievous hurt), and those against property (including theft, burglary, and dacoity). . The aggregate incidence of such crimes in the country, as per the statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2016, is in excess of 3 lakhs per year. . Of these, only a very small proportion is being subjected to DNA testing at present. It is expected that the expanded use of this technology in these categories of cases would result not only in speedier justice delivery but also in increased conviction rates, which at present is only around 30% (NCRB Statistics for 2016). Key features of the bill: 1. The Bill seeks to provide for the regulation of use and application of DNA technology. 2. DNA regulation board will certify labs authorized to carry out DNA testing and lay down procedure and guidelines for collection, storage, sharing and deletion of DNA information. 3. The Secretary of the Department of Biotechnology has been made the ex-officio chairman of the proposed DNA Regulatory Board. 4. A National DNA Databank and certain regional DNA Databanks will store DNA profiles received from DNA labs in a specified format. 5. The Bill states that DNA data contained in any DNA labs and Databank “shall be used for the purpose of facilitating identification of the person and not for any other purpose”. It will only be made available to facilitate the identification of persons in criminal cases. 6. The Bill states that disclosure of DNA information to unauthorized persons, or for unauthorized purposes, shall lead to penalties upto three years in jail or up to Rs 1 lakh as fine. 7. The proposed legislation will enable cross-matching of DNA of persons reported missing and unidentified dead bodies and also for establishing the identity of victims during mass disasters. 8. It seeks to ensure that DNA test results are reliable and the data is protected from misuse or abuse in terms of people’s privacy rights. . India - UK Cancer Research Initiative launched in collaboration with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) focussing on affordability of cancer prevention and care, and the potential to make significant progress against cancer consequences. . Indo-US collaboration on Genome Engineering/ Editing launched to provide opportunity to brightest Indian students and scientists to gain exposure and access to world class research facilities in leading U.S. institutions through students internship, overseas fellowship and visiting professorship programme. . First Clean Energy International Incubator has been set up under Mission Innovation. . The incubator will be set up to promote innovation in the field of clean energy and stimulate research, innovation, and entrepreneurship for the global initiative on clean energy. . Startups from 23 participating EU countries can potentially come & incubate in India and likewise startups from this incubator can go to the partnering countries facilitating access to global opportunities. Mission Innovation: 1. It aims to accelerate global clean energy innovation with following aims 2. To make clean energy affordable. 3. To address climate change. 4. To create green jobs and commercial opportunities. . It includes participating countries doubling their clean energy R&D investment . It is required to meet economic and energy security goals in timely manner
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. India is Founding Member of the Steering Committee and also a Member of the two sub-groups: Joint research and Capacity Building and Private Sector Engagement. . Department of Biotechnology (DBT) under Ministry of Science & Technology is nodal agency coordinating and steering activities of Mission Innovation (MI) in India. . It was announced by the leaders of 20 countries that have a shared desire to accelerate global clean energy innovation during COP 21 in Paris. . SAEN (Secondary Agriculture Entrepreneurial Network) was launched in 2018 which is led by The Punjab State Council & Technology (PSCST) and other partners, such as, National Agri Food Biotechnology Institution (NABI), Centre for Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing (CIAB) and BIRAC’s BioNEST – Panjab University (BioNEST-PU). . The project aims to promote new enterprises and to support existing industry in the secondary agriculture sector. . The secondary agriculture provides value addition toagricultural products, creating facilities for primary processing and stress management in agriculture and adds value to the basic agro commodities to allow farmers to get better returns from their harvest. . A major Mission program on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) was launched in October, 2018 with the vision to develop indigenous and cost-effective therapies against AMR, categorization of AMR- specific pathogen priority list of India,establishment of Bio-repository for AMR-specific pathogens and development of rapid and cost-effective diagnostic kits to identify AMR-specific pathogens. . Antimicrobial resistance occurs when microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites) become resistant to antimicrobial drugs (such as antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimalarials, and anthelmintics). . Accelerated Translational Grant for Commercialization (ATGC) was launched to encourage technological innovation by providing funding opportunities for fundamental research that is explicitly aimed towards application development. . A new regional center, BIRAC Regional Bio-innovation Centre (BRBC) was established at Venture Centre, Pune. . BRBC is mandated to be a high quality national resource center for regulatory guidance to startups, training of Incubator managers, etc. and to support and promote Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences. . The Union Ministry of Science and Technology has launched two new schemes Biotech-KISAN and Cattle Genomics in order to apply science to boost rural economy and to empower farmers, especially women farmers. Biotech-KISAN: . Its purpose is to connect farmers, scientist and science institution across country. Under it, fellowship will be given to women farmers for training and education in farm practice. . Under it scientists will spend time on farms and link communication tools to soil, water seed and market. . The main aim of the scheme is to understand individual problems of the small holding farmers and provide ready solutions. . It will be implemented in 15 agro-climatic zones of India in phased manner with objective of linking new technology to farm by understanding problem of local farmers. Cattle Genomics scheme: . The scheme aims at boosting selective breeding of the native livestock more accurately to ensure high-yielding, disease-resistant, resilient livestock. . Under it, government will undertake an ambitious project of genome sequencing of 40 registered indigenous cattle breeds of India. . Besides, a high-density DNA chips will be developed under this scheme to reduce the cost and time interval of breeding of the native livestock. Page | 204 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. Genome selection will use information on variations in DNA sequences between animals to predict the breeding value more accurately. Thus, help to transform livestock breeding
Area wise achievements for the year 2018-19 . A facilitation cell (FIRST HUB) for start-ups and innovators at Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) was set up. . Under the Startup India initiative, the Department of Biotechnology has sanctioned a biocluster at Pune and BIRAC has supported additional 4 new Bio-incubators during 2018 through BioNEST scheme.
Affordable health care for a Swastha Bharat: . DBT’s Indo-US Vaccine Action Programme (VAP) & the Vaccine Grand Challenge Programme (VGCP) scored high with achievements like the lowest cost Rotavirus vaccine which became part of the universal immunization programme & major strides towards vaccine for diseases like malaria & dengue. One out of every 6 children over the world receives vaccines manufactured in India. Rotavirus vaccine: . Rotavac became first Indigenously developed vaccine from India to be pre-qualified by World Health Organisation (WHO). . It means that vaccine can be sold internationally to several countries in South America and Africa. . It protects against childhood diarrhoea caused by the rotavirus. Rotavirus: . It is a most common causative agent of moderate-to-severe diarrhoea (MSD) among infants below 11 months age group in India. . It spreads from person to person due to bacterial and parasitizing agents that are primarily transmitted through contaminated food or water. . In India, diarrhoea caused by rotavirus, kills nearly 80 thousand children under age of 5 years and up to 10 lakh hospitalizations each year. . Vaccine for falciparum malaria is under toxicology assessment (JAIVAC2) and vaccine for vivax malaria has completed phase I trial (JAIVAC1). . Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is prevalent globally and the data for last two decades suggests that it may be widespread in India as well. . A call for proposals on “Vitamin D deficiency in India: Public Health Significance and interventions” was issued and the Department is in the process of implementing the selected projects to support research on the public health significance of VDD and potential interventions to address this malady. Page | 205 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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Agriculture for doubling farmer’s income and food security: . New Wheat variety Unnat PBW343, resistant to leaf rust and stripe rust was developed by PAU, Ludhiana through marker assisted backcross breeding approach. . DBT-PGGF “Plant Genotyping and Genomics Facility” (PGGF) anchored at NIPGR, New Delhi in PPP mode was established. This national facility is a “single-window service system” for advanced genomics technology services that could positively influence the Indian Seed industry. Clean Energy and Bioresource development: . Biorestoration technology was developed for Mangrove habitats of Sundarban. . Substantial progress has been made not only in understanding the community composition of mangroves in degraded and non-degraded habitats but also the stress factors impacting the mangrove in degraded sites in terms of osmolytes were identified. . A Microbial Repository Centre (MRC) has been established at IBSD, Imphal with the aim to act as the nodal centre for deposit, preservation, maintenance and supply of microbial resources originated from the rich and unique ecological niches of North East (NE) India. International Collaborations: . The Department of Biotechnology has signed a Programme of Cooperation (POC) with Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova), Sweden. . The broad subject areas of cooperation under the Protocol shall be, but not limited to Circular and bio-based economy, including biomaterials; Health and life sciences including biomedical devices and Start-ups, incubators, test beds and bio clusters. . The Department of Biotechnology has announced joint call for proposal under Horizon 2020 (biggest EU Research and Innovation programme). . The goal is to expertise and enable public as well as private sector to work together towards deliverin ensure free flow of knowledge,g solutions to big challenges facing our society. . A collaborative research centre called DAICENTER, an expansion of joint DBT-AIST International lab (DAILAB) at AIST, Tsukuba was formally launched at AIST, Tsukuba, Japan. . Under Indo-Philippines collaboration on training of women farmers, 35 Women farmers from 7 states attended training programme on “Advance in Rice Production for Women farmers” across India. Four women farmers were from the Aspirational Districts of Karnataka (Raipur) and Assam (Darrang). . In the Phase II of the programme, eight women farmers out of 35 farmers will undergo advanced training at Los Banos, Philippines.
Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology Digital India . The Digital India Programme of the Government aims to transform India into a knowledge-based economy and digitally empowered society by ensuring digital access, digital inclusion, digital empowerment and bridging the digital divide. Nine pillars . Broadband Highways . Universal Access to Mobile Connectivity . Public Internet Access Programme . e-Governance: Reforming Government through Technology . e-Kranti - Electronic Delivery of Services . Information for All . Electronics Manufacturing Page | 206 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. IT for Jobs . Early Harvest Programmes Aadhaar . Aadhaar number is a 12-digit random number issued by the UIDAI (“Authority”) to the residents of India . Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident of India, may voluntarily enrol to obtain Aadhaar number. . Person willing to enrol has to provide minimal demographic and biometric information during the enrolment process which is totally free of cost o Demographic information-Name, Date of Birth (verified) or Age (declared), Gender, Address, Mobile Number (optional) and Email ID (optional) o Biometric information-Ten Fingerprints, Two Iris Scans, and Facial Photograph . It is unique and robust enough to eliminate duplicates and fake identities and may be used as a basis/primary identifier to roll out several Government welfare schemes and programmes for effective service delivery thereby promoting transparency and good governance. . The Aadhaar number is a proof of identity, however, it does not confer any right of citizenship or domicile in respect of an Aadhaar number holder. . Aadhaar is a strategic policy tool for social and financial inclusion, public sector delivery reforms, managing fiscal budgets, increase convenience and promote hassle-free people-centric governance. . Aadhaar can be used as a permanent Financial Address and facilitates financial inclusion of the underprivileged and weaker sections of the society and is therefore a tool of distributive justice and equality. . The Government has provided digital identity to 122.9 crore residents of the country with 99% coverage of adult population
India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) . The India BPO Promotion Scheme (IBPS) , envisaged under Digital India Programme, seeks to incentivize establishment of 48,300 seats in respect of BPO/ITES operations across the country. . It is distributed among each State in proportion of State's population with an outlay of Rs. 493 Crore. . This would help in capacity building in smaller cities in terms of infra & manpower and would become basis for next wave of IT/ITES led growth. . This scheme has potential to create employment opportunities of around 1.5 lakh direct jobs considering three shift operations. Salient Features . Financial Support: Up to 50% of expenditure incurred on BPO/ITES operations towards capital expenditure (CAPEX) and/or operational expenditure (OPEX) on admissible items, subject to an upper ceiling of Rs. 1 Lakh/Seat. . Special incentives toward employment of women & specially enabled persons. . Incentive for generating employment beyond target & wider dispersal within state including rural areas. . Encouragement for local entrepreneurs. . Special consideration for Hilly states of HP, J&K and UK.
CSC 2.0 . CSC 2.0 aims to establish a self sustaining network of 2.5 lakh CSC centres at Gram Panchayat (GP) level under Digital India and deliver various citizen centric services.
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. It is envisaged as transaction-based and service delivery-based model, delivering a large bouquet of e-services through a single delivery platform, which would increase the sustainability of the CSCs across the Country. . The project proposes to strengthen the CSC network by ensuring standardization of service availability and ensuring capacity building of all stakeholders involved. Key Features . A self-sustaining network of 2.5 lakh CSCs in Gram Panchayats . Large bouquet of e-services through a single delivery platform . Standardization of services and capacity building of stakeholders . Localised Help Desk support . Sustainability of Village Level Entrepreneurs through maximum commission sharing . Encouraging more women as VLEs
Cyber Swachhta Kendra . Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning and Malware Analysis Centre) is a part of the Government of India's Digital India initiative to create a secure cyber space by detecting botnet infections in India and to notify, enable cleaning and securing systems of end users so as to prevent further infections. . It is set up in accordance with the objectives of the ‘National Cyber Security Policy’, which envisages creating a secure cyber eco system in the country. . The "Cyber Swachhta Kendra" is a part of the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT- In) . "Cyber Swachhta Kendra" will strive to create awareness among citizens to secure their data, computers, mobile phones and devices such as home routers. . The "Cyber Swachhta Kendra" collaborates with industry and academia to detect systems infected by bots. . It also collaborates with the Internet Service Providers to notify the end users regarding infection of their system and providing them assistance to clean their systems.
DigiLocker . DigiLocker is a platform for issuance and verification of documents & certificates in a digital way, thus eliminating the use of physical documents . Indian citizens who sign up for a DigiLocker account get a dedicated cloud storage space that is linked to their Aadhaar (UIDAI) number. . Organizations that are registered with Digital Locker can push electronic copies of documents and certificates (e.g. driving license, Voter ID, School certificates) directly into citizens lockers. . Citizens can also upload scanned copies of their legacy documents in their accounts . These legacy documents can be electronically signed using the eSign facility. Benefits . Citizens can access their digital documents anytime, anywhere and share it online. This is convenient and time saving. . It reduces the administrative overhead of Government departments by minimizing the use of paper. . Digital Locker makes it easier to validate the authenticity of documents as they are issued directly by the registered issuers. . Self-uploaded documents can be digitally signed using the eSign facility (which is similar to the process of self-attestation).
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Electronic Development Fund (EDF) . Electronic Development Fund (EDF) is set up as a "Fund of Funds" to participate in professionally managed "Daughter Funds" which in turn will provide risk capital to companies developing new technologies in the area of electronics, nano-electronics and Information Technology (IT). . The EDF will also help attract venture funds, angel funds and seed funds towards R&D and innovation in the specified areas Objective . To develop the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) sector so as to achieve “Net Zero Imports” by 2020 . To look at India as their next destination to cater to the domestic Indian demand as well as act as an exports hub in the ESDM sector eTAAL . eTaal is a web portal for dissemination of e-Transactions statistics of National and State level e- Governance Projects including Mission Mode Projects. . It receives transaction statistics from web based applications periodically on near real time basis. . eTaal presents quick analysis of transaction counts in tabular and graphical form to give quick view of transactions done by various e-Governance projects.
Jeevan Pramaan . Jeevan Pramaan is a biometric enabled digital service for pensioners. . Pensioners of Central Government, State Government or any other Government organization can take benefit of this facility . Digital Life Certificate for Pensioners Scheme of the Government of India known as Jeevan Pramaan seeks to address this very problem by digitizing the whole process of securing the life certificate. . It aims to streamline the process of getting this certificate and making it hassle free and much easier for the pensioners.
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) . Government e-Marketplace (GeM) is single window solution for online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments / Organizations / PSUs. . GeM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement. It also provides the tools for direct purchase, e-bidding and reverse e-auction to facilitate the government users to achieve the best value for the money. . The portal offers online registration facilities for all stakeholders namely Government Users, Product Sellers and Service Providers.
MyGov . MyGov platform is a unique path breaking initiative which was launched by the Prime Minister of India in 2014. . It is a unique first-of-its-kind participatory governance initiative involving the common citizen at large. . The idea of MyGov brings the government closer to the common man by the use of online platform creating an interface for healthy exchange of ideas and views involving the common citizen and experts with the ultimate goal to contribute to the social and economic transformation of India.
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National Scholarship Portal . NSP is a one-stop solution for end-to-end scholarship process right from the submission of student application, verification, sanction and disbursal to end beneficiary for all the scholarships provided by the Government of India. . This initiative aims at providing a Simplified, Mission-oriented, Accountable, Responsive & Transparent 'SMART' System for faster & effective disposal of Scholarships applications and delivery of funds directly into beneficiaries account without any leakages. . In the last three Academic Years(2015-18), National Scholarship Portal received 3.57 Cr. applications and ₹ 5276 Cr. has been disbursed to 1.8 Cr. students.
Open Government Data (OGD) . Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India is a platform for supporting Open Data initiative of Government of India. . It has been set-up by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) under MeitY in compliance with the Open Data Policy (NDSAP) of India . The portal is intended to be used by Government of India Ministries/ Departments their organizations to publish datasets, documents, services, tools and applications collected by them for public use. . It intends to increase transparency in the functioning of Government and also open avenues for many more innovative uses of Government Data to give different perspective.
UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) . UMANG (Unified Mobile Application for New-age Governance) is envisaged to make e-governance . . It is developed by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) and National e- Governance Division (NeGD) to drive Mobile Governance in India. . UMANG provides a single platform for all Indian Citizens to access pan India e-Gov services ranging from Central to Local Government bodies and other citizen centric services. . UMANG intends to provide major services offered by Central and State Government departments, Local bodies and other utility services from private organizations. . It provides a unified approach where citizens can install one application to avail multiple government services.
Soil Health Card . It aims at promoting Integrated Nutrient Management (INM) through judicious use of chemical fertilisers including secondary and micro nutrients in conjunction with organic manures and bio- fertilisers for improving soil health and its productivity . Strengthening of soil and fertiliser testing facilities to provide soil test based recommendations to farmers for improving soil fertility . Ensuring quality control requirements of fertilisers, bio-fertilisers and organic fertilisers under Fertiliser Control Order, 1985 . Upgradation of skill and knowledge of soil testing laboratory staff, extension staff and farmers through training and demonstrations; promoting organic farming practices etc.
Rapid Assessment System (RAS) . National e-Governance Division, a division of Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, has developed a Rapid Assessment System (RAS) for continuous feedback for e-services delivered by Government of India and State Governments. Page | 210 Plot No: 935,6th Avenue, Anna Nagar, Chennai-40 Ph: 044-40483555,9677120226,9677174226 Web: www.officersiasacademy.com
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. This system has multiple channels for receiving feedback and is backed by analytics. . These analytics will help integrated departments for continuous system improvement and better governance. . A citizen may provide feedback using RAS through various channels – Web Portal, Mobile App and SMS e-NAM . National Agriculture Market (NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which networks the existing APMC (Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee) mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. . The NAM Portal provides a single window service for all APMC related information and services. . This includes commodity arrivals and prices, buy and sell trade offers and provision to respond to trade offers, among other services. . While material flow (agriculture produce) continues to happen through mandis, an online market reduces transaction costs and information asymmetry.
National Knowledge Network (NKN) . National Knowledge Network (NKN) project is aimed at establishing a strong and robust Indian network which will be capable of providing secure and reliable connectivity. . Globally, frontier research and innovation are shifting towards multidisciplinary and collaborative paradigm and require substantial communication and computational power. . In India, NKN with its multi-gigabit capability aims to connect all universities, research institutions, libraries, laboratories, healthcare and agricultural institutions across the country to address such paradigm shift. Role of NKN . Establishing a high-speed backbone connectivity which will enable knowledge and information sharing amongst NKN connected institutes . Enabling collaborative research, development and innovation amongst NKN connected institutes . Facilitating advanced distance education in specialized fields like engineering, science, medicine etc. . Facilitating an ultra-high speed e-governance backbone . Facilitating connection between different sectoral networks in the field of research e-Districts . e-Districts are the de facto front-end of government where most Government-to-Consumer or G2C interaction takes place. . To improve this experience and enhance the efficiencies of the various Departments at the district- level, e-District project was envisaged to enable providing of integrated and seamless delivery of citizen services by district administration through automation of workflow, backend computerization and data digitization across participating departments. . e-district is one of the 44 mission mode projects under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). Objectives . Efficient delivery of services with improved Service Levels . Capacity Building of field functionaries . Access to efficient, reliable, transparent and accountable Services . Reducing service time & costs for the Government and Citizens . Enhancing perception & image of the Government
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Digitize India Platform (DIP) . Digitize India Platform (DIP) is an initiative of the Government of India under the Digital India Programme to provide digitization services for scanned document images or physical documents for any organization. . The aim is to digitize and make usable all the existing content in different formats and media, languages, digitize and create data extracts for document management, IT applications and records management.
Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (MSIPS) . Under M-SIPS, the Government will provide subsidy of 20 percent on capital investments in special economic zones (SEZs) and 25 percent on capital investments in non-SEZs for individual companies. . It also provides for re-imbursement of CVD/excise for capital equipment for the non-SEZ units. . For high technology and high capital investment units, like fabs, re-imbursement of central taxes and duties is also provided . The incentives are available for investments made in a project within a period of 10 years from the date of approval. . The Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (M-SIPS) encourages investments in the Electronics System Design and Manufacturing sector in India Special Manpower Development Program for Chips to System Design . Special Manpower Development Program for Chips to System Design is an umbrella program initiated under Digital India Program in December 2014 at 60 Academic and Research & Development institutions spread across the country including IITs, NITs, IISc, IIITs & other institutions . The objective is to train 50,000 specialized manpower over a period of 5 years in the area of VLSI design and inculcate the culture of System-on-Chip/System Level Design at Bachelors, Masters and Research level degrees.
Electronic Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) . Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) scheme was notified to make India a global player in the field of Electronics Manufacturing and to offset disabilities faced by industries for reliable infrastructure and provides support for creation of world-class infrastructure for attracting investments in the Electronics Systems Design and Manufacturing (ESDM) Sector . The EMCs scheme provides grant assistance for setting up of both Greenfield and Brownfield EMCs across the country. . The financial assistance under the scheme is in the form of grant-in-aid only.
Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) . Bharat Interface for Money (BHIM) is a payment app that lets you make simple, easy and quick transactions using Unified Payments Interface (UPI). . Direct bank payments can be made to anyone on UPI using their UPI ID or scanning their QR with the BHIM app. . Money can be requested through the app from a UPI ID. . It is developed by National Payment Corporation of India to bring in Financial Inclusion to the nation and a digitally empowered society. . In November, 2018, more than 173 lakh transactions of value ₹ 7,981 crore were made using BHIM app.
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OFFICERS IAS ACADEMY (Run by 4 IAS & 2 IRS Officers)
Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan . Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan is the scheme to make six crore persons in rural areas, across States/UTs, digitally literate, reaching to around 40% of rural households by covering one member from every eligible household by 31st March, 2019. . The Scheme aims to bridge the digital divide, specifically targeting the rural population including the marginalised sections of society like Scheduled Castes (SC) / Scheduled Tribes (ST), Minorities, Below Poverty Line (BPL), women and differently-abled persons and minorities.
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