PIB Analysis : 9th & 10th August 2022

PIB Analysis for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

1. Gem for cooperative
2. PMAY – Urban
3. Universal Postal Union
4. Action Plan for introduction of Cheetah in India
5. Tiger Range Countries
6. Smile 75 Initiative
7. Facts for Prelims

1 . Gem for cooperative

PIB Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850290 

Context: The Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Shri Amit Shah launched the onboarding of cooperatives on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) portal. 

About the news

• The move will allow cooperatives to procure through the GeM portal like other government buyers—Central and state ministries, departments, public sector enterprises, autonomous institutions and local bodies. 
• The cooperatives are also asked to register for supply on GeM to increase their market, as most of the government departments buy through GeM 

Significance of the move

• India’s cooperative system is 115 years old, the laws are also very old, though small changes have taken place from time to time, radical changes and modernization according to the times have not taken place. 
• There is immense potential in the cooperative sector and the GeM portal will be a very useful platform for the expansion of this sector. 
• The GeM portal will be very useful in bringing in transparency in the cooperative sector and when there is transparency, the trust of farmers and milk producers will also increase on the committees and their members. 
• This will further the Atmanirbhar Bharat Drive of the government. 

Measures for cooperatives, ministry is working on: 

• The Cooperative policy is being prepared with a holistic approach from PACS to APEX. 
• The ministry is also creating a national level database of different category of cooperatives 
• Establishment of a cooperative university is progressing, and will help in training those working in the cooperative sector as well as new employees 
• An export house is also being registered, for which the process will be completed by December, it will be a platform for export of products by cooperatives 

2 . PMAY –U

PIB Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850679 

Context: Cabinet approves continuation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) – “Housing for All” Mission up to 31st December 2024. 

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U)

• PMAY-U: Housing for All is one of the major flagship programmes being implemented by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to provide all weather pucca houses to all eligible beneficiaries in the urban areas of the country.  
• The scheme covers the entire urban area of the country, i.e., all statutory towns as per Census 2011 and towns notified subsequently, including Notified Planning/ Development Areas.  
• While Govt of India provides financial assistance, State Govt/UTs implement the scheme including selection of beneficiaries. 
• The scheme is being implemented through four verticals:  
  • Beneficiary Led Construction/ Enhancement (BLC), 
  • Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP),  
  • In-situ Slum Redevelopment (ISSR) and  
  • Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (CLSS).  

3 . Universal Postal Union

PIB Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850576 

Context: The Union Cabinet, has approved the ratification of amendment contained in the the Eleventh Additional Protocol to the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (UPU). 

Universal Postal Union (UPU) 

• Established in 1874, It is a specialized agency of United Nations that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to worldwide postal system. 
• Headquartered in Berne, Switzerland. 
• It is primary forum for cooperation between postal sector players among member countries. 
• India joined the UPU on July 1, 1876. 
• It sets rules for international mail exchanges and makes recommendations for growth in mail, financial and parcel services volumes and also to improve quality of service for customers. 

4 . Global Summit for Democracy

PIB Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850418 

Context: The Election Commission of India hosted a virtual meet of the ‘Asian Regional Forum’ on the theme “Making our Elections Inclusive, Accessible and Participative”.

Asian Regional Forum

• This Regional Forum meet is precursor to the “Global Summit for Democracy” to be hosted by the National Electoral Institute of Mexico in the coming month. 
• The meet had participation from Election Management Bodies of Mexico, Mauritius, Philippines, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Maldives and Representatives from International IDEA, Association of World Election Bodies (A-WEB) and International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES).          
• This Asian Regional Forum (ARF) meet had two sessions 

5 . Action Plan for introduction of Cheetah in India

PIB Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850587  

Context: India plans to restore the only large carnivore, the Cheetah, that has become extinct in independent India. 

Action Plan for introduction of Cheetah: 

• Goal: Establish viable cheetah metapopulation in India that allows the cheetah to perform its functional role as a top predator and provide space for the expansion of the cheetah within its historical range thereby contributing to its global conservation efforts. 
• Objectives of the project are- 
  • To establish breeding cheetah populations in safe habitats across its historical range and manage them as a metapopulation. 
  • To use the cheetah as a charismatic flagship and umbrella species to garner resources for restoring open forest and savanna systems that will benefit biodiversity and ecosystem services from these ecosystems. 
  • To enhance India’s capacity to sequester carbon through ecosystem restoration activities in cheetah conservation areas and thereby contribute towards the global climate change mitigation goals. 
  • To use the ensuing opportunity for eco-development and eco-tourism to enhance local community livelihoods. 
  • To manage any conflict by cheetah or other wildlife with local communities within cheetah conservation areas expediently through compensation, awareness, and management actions to win community support. 
• Successful conservation introductions are a blend of best science, technology, sociological aspects and commitment of financial resources. These aspects are integrated in this Action Plan based on the modern scientific approach recommended by the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines for reintroduction and other conservation translocations. 

Cheetah

• The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at 80 to 128 km/h. 
• IUCN Conservation status: Vulnerable 

6. Tiger Range Countries

PIB Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850581 

Context: Pre-summit meeting of the Tiger Range Countries, as a prelude to the Tiger Range Countries Summit scheduled to be held at Valadivostak, Russia, was recently held in New Delhi. 

Tigers in India

• India is home to 52 Tiger Reserves covering approximately 75,000 Sq Km area in 18 States with approximately 75% population of the wild tiger at global level.  
• India achieved the goal of doubling the tiger numbers in 2018 itself, four years in advance from the targeted year 2022.   
• Also, so far 17 Tiger Reserves in the country have got CA|TS international accreditation and two Tiger Reserves have got International Tx2 Award.  

Government’s conservation efforts: 

• Union Ministery for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is committed to realise the vision of integrating the wildlife safeguards in infrastructure projects through adopting landscape level conservation approach and mitigation measures. 
• MoEF&CC is also committed to bringing all the potential tiger habitats within the country under tiger reserve network and support funding through the Centrally Sponsored Scheme – Project Tiger. 
• The ministry also acknowledged the importance of more inclusive conservation efforts by involving local communities who live in close proximity to tiger reserves. 
• India is having bilateral agreements and MoU with several Tiger Range Countries and is working very closely with Cambodia, for technical assistance towards bringing back wild tigers.  
• A technical partnership has been firmed up with the Land of the Leopard National Park in Russia for sharing best practices in science based wildlife monitoring. 
• As the Founding Member of the Global Tiger Forum, an inter governmental platform, India intends to further partnerships and collaboration with all the Tiger Range Countries to secure the future of wild tigers both in India and as well at global level. 

Tiger Range Countries

• Historically, tigers once ranged widely across Asia, but in recent decades, populations have been restricted to 13 countries, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Viet Nam, collectively known as Tiger Range Countries. 

Global Tiger Forum

• Global Tiger Forum is an international intergovernmental body exclusively set up for the conservation of tigers in the wild in the range countries.  
• Out of the 13 tiger range countries, seven are currently members of GTF: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Vietnam besides non-tiger range country U.K.  
• The secretariat is based in New Delhi, India.  
• GTF’s goal is to highlight the rationale for tiger preservation and provide leadership and a common approach throughout the world in order to safeguard the survival of the tiger, its prey, and its habitat. The GTF is to attain the goal through a set of objectives. 

7 . SMILE-75 Initiative

PIB Release – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850579 

Context: Government has identified 75 Municipal Corporations to implement comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of begging under “SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise” named as “SMILE-75 Initiative”. 

SMILE-75 Initiative

• The objective of SMILE- 75 is to make our cities/town and municipal areas begging-free and make a strategy for comprehensive rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of begging through the coordinated action of various stakeholders.  
• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment envisions to develop a support mechanism for holistic rehabilitation of those engaged in the act of begging and build an India where no person is forced to beg in order to survive and fulfil their basic needs. It includes sub-scheme of comprehensive rehabilitation for persons engaged in begging which covers identification, rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, and education, skill development for decent job and self-employment / entrepreneurship. 
• Under it the Ministry acknowledged, the important role of Local Urban Bodies, Civil Society Organisations/Non-Government Organisations to address this persisting social issue with concerted efforts. 

Implementation

• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has allocated a total budget of Rs.100 crore for the SMILE project for coming years till 2025-26. 
• Under the SMILE-75 initiative, seventy five (75) Municipal Corporations in collaboration with NGOs and other stakeholders will cover several comprehensive welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging with focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, awareness, education, skill development, economic linkages and convergence with other Government welfare programmes etc. 

8 . Facts for Prelims

– World Lion Day 

• To spread awareness about conservation of lions, every year August 10 is celebrated as World Lion Day. 
• The day looks to enhance awareness among public about different programmes and the urgent need for conservation of lions. 
• Just in the past five decades, the global lion population has decreased by 95%. According to data available, there are approximately 30,000 to 100,000 lions left worldwide.  
• Lions in India: The number of the wild cats has been on a rise in India for some time. 
  In Gujarat’s Gir forest, which is home to lions, their population has been increasing gradually. The number of these lions has risen from 523 to 674 in a span of five years from 2015 to 2020. 
• The species has been designated as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.  

IREDA 

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna (Category – I) Government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). 
• IREDA is a Public Limited Government Company established as a Non-Banking Financial Institution in 1987 engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy and energy efficiency/conservation 
•  Motto: “ENERGY FOR EVER” 

Lumpi-ProVac – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1850589 

• Lumpi-ProVac^Ind is an indigenous vaccine to protect livestock from Lumpy Skin disease.  
• The vaccine has been developed by the National Equine Research Center, Hisar (Haryana) in collaboration with the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izzatnagar (Bareilly).  
• Lumpy skin disease is an infectious disease in cattle caused by a virus of the family Poxviridae, also known as Neethling virus. The disease is characterized by fever, enlarged superficial lymph nodes and multiple nodules on the skin and mucous membranes.