PIB Analysis for UPSC CSE
Topics Covered
- Relaxation of the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar Seeded data for release of PM KISAN Funds
- India International Cooperatives Trade Fair’(IICTF)
- Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI)
- Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme (PMILP)- ‘DHRUV’
- Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar
- WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023
- SUMAN, Visitors Award
1 . Relaxation of the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar Seeded data for release of PM KISAN Funds
Context : The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the relaxation of the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar Seeded data as a pre-condition for release of funds to the beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-Kisan) scheme.
Background
- The Central Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri KisanSamman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) provides income support to land-holding farmers’ families, subject to certain exclusions, by way of payment of Rs.6000/- per year.
- The amount is released in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs.2000 /- each directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries through DBT mode.
- A total amount of more than Rs.27000 crores has already been released under the scheme through the 1st instalment to 6,76,76,073 beneficiaries, 2nd instalment to 5,14,27,195 beneficiaries and 3rd instalment to 1,74,20,230 beneficiaries.
About the Aadhaar Seeded database
- Under this scheme, after 1st August, 2019, release of 3rd installment onwards to those beneficiaries who got first installment during December, 2018 – March, 2019 and 2nd installment during April-July, 2019 is to be made only on the basis of Aadhaar seeded database.
- Similarly, after 1st August, 2019, release of 2nd installment onwards to those who got 1st installment during April-July, 2019 is to be made only on the basis of Aadhaar seeded database.
- Again, after 1st August, 2019, release of 1st installment onwards to the rest of the beneficiaries after 1st August, 2019 is to be made only on the basis of Aadhaar seeded database. Farmers in the States of Assam, Meghalaya and J&K, where there has not been enough Aadhaar penetration, have been exempted from this requirement till 31.3.2020.
- However, it has not been possible to get 100% Aadhaar seeding for release of funds as per the prescribed time schedule before release of installments after 1st August, 2019. Since the farmers are still gearing up for Rabi season, they are in dire need of money to take care of various farming activities like procurement of seeds, preparation of soil and other associated activities like irrigation, maintenance and mobilization of machinery and tools.
- Over and above these pressing needs, the just started festive season will put further stress on the financial condition of the poor farmers’ households in the country. Non-seeding of beneficiaries’ details with Aadhaar number will delay the release of further instalments and will cause discontentment among the farmers.
- Therefore, the mandatory requirement of Aadhaar seeding for release of benefits after 1st August, 2019 has been relaxed till 30th November, 2019.
- This will enable immediate release of benefits to a large number of farmers who are not able to avail the same due this requirement. This mandatory requirement will remain applicable for release of benefits w.e.f. 1st December, 2019 onwards. The Government will take adequate measures to validate the data before payment is made.
2 . India International Cooperatives Trade Fair’(IICTF
Context : The first ever ‘India International Cooperatives Trade Fair’(IICTF) is going to be held at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi
About India International Cooperative Trade Fair
- As 94% of total farmers in India are members of at least one cooperative institution, IICTF is aimed at furthering government’s vision and goal of doubling farmers’ income by promoting cooperative-to-cooperative trade within India & abroad and promoting exports of key agriculture commodities and products leading to enhanced rural and farm prosperity.
- IICTF is conceived as a major platform to promote exports of Indian cooperative produce and is packed with exhibitions, B2B/C2C meetings, conferences, cultural programmes etc.
- IICTF covers exhibitors / sellers / buyers from India and abroad focussing on sectors such as agriculture and its allied sectors’ complete value chains, cold chain, dairy, commodities, exports, technology, climate smart agriculture, processing, packaging, storage, machinery, brand promotion, marketing, cooperative banking, agri-tech and various other sectors.
- IICTF also offers a huge opportunity for the industry and business houses from India and abroad to build alliances, business networking, product sourcing and above all, interacting with the primary producers of a wide range of products and service providers.
- The fair is jointly organised by the NCDC in association with the Bangkok-based international organisation NEDAC and leading organisations in India (NAFED, APEDA, ITPO) with the support of Ministries of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Commerce and Industry and External Affairs.
Yuva Sahakar Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme
- In line with Government’s focus on programmes like Start-up India and Stand-up India aimed at young entrepreneurs with new and innovative ideas, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has formulated Yuva Sahakar Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme 2019 which will be launched at the opening ceremony of the fair. The Scheme has an annual outlay of 100 crores.
- The Scheme is liberal to cooperatives in the North Eastern Region, cooperatives registered and operating in Aspirational Districts as identified by NITI Aayog, cooperatives with 100 % women/SC/ST/ PwD members.
3 . Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI)
Concept : For seamless and effective dissemination of emergency information and communication on disaster warnings, Potential Fishing Zones (PFZ) and Ocean States Forecasts (OSF) to fishermen, the Government today launched the Gagan Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information (GEMINI) device.
About GEMINI
- Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) joined hands with Airports Authority of India (AAI) to utilize the GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation) satellite system to transmit the PFZ, OSF and disaster warnings to fishermen with GAGAN system consisting of three geosynchronous satellites (GSAT-8, GSAT-10 and GSAT-15).
- GAGAN foot-print covers the entire Indian Ocean round the clock. To receive the messages transmitted through the GAGAN satellites, INCOIS together with AAI developed a low-cost GAGAN system-enabled GEMINI (GAGAN Enabled Mariner’s Instrument for Navigation and Information) device and electronically designed and manufactured by a private industry M/S Acord, Bangalore under Make in India Program.
- The GEMINI device receives and transfers the data received from GAGAN satellite/s to a mobile through Bluetooth communication.
- A mobile application developed by INCOIS decodes and displays the information in nine regional languages.
Need
- Potential Fishing Zone Advisories provide information on the probable locations on fish aggregation in the seas, Ocean States Forecast provide the accurate state of the ocean.
- Ocean State Forecasts include the forecasts on winds, waves, ocean currents, water temperature, etc. at every 6 hrs on daily basis for next 5 days helping fishermen in maximizing their earnings, ensuring safety and in planning of fishing activities”.
- Though the advisories and forecasts are disseminated through multiple communication modes, none of them could provide such information, including the disaster warnings when the fishermen move away from the coast beyond 10-12 km (typical ranges of mobile phones and VHF).
- That remained as a major limitation in disseminating the information to fishermen who go in the sea beyond 50 nautical miles; sometimes up to 300 nautical miles and beyond to conduct multiday fishing.
- This communication gap resulted in loss of life, serious injuries to those rescued and severe damages to fishing boats and fishing gear.
4 . Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme (PMILP)- ‘DHRUV’
Context : Union Human Resource Development Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ will launch the Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme- ‘DHRUV’ from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Headquarters at Bengaluru tomorrow.
About Dhruv
- Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme is being started to identify and encourage talented children to enrich their skills and knowledge.
- In centres of excellence across the country, gifted children will be mentored and nurtured by renowned experts in different areas, so that they can reach their full potential.
- The objective of the Pradhan Mantri Innovative Learning Programme program would be to allow talented students to realize their full potential and contribute to society
- 60 outstandingly talented students have been selected in the first batch. A programme of around 14 days duration will be conducted with these 60 with a Valedictory function on 23rd October, 2019, he informed.
Salient Features
- The programme will be called DHRUV (after the Pole Star) and every student to be called ‘DHRUV TARA’. The students will thus both shine through their achievements and light a path for others to follow.
- It will cover two areas i.e. Science and Performing Arts.There will be 60 students in all, 30 from each area.The 60 students come from across the country
- The students will be broadly from classes 9 to 12, from all schools including government and private.
- This is only the first phase of the programme which will be expanded gradually to other fields like creative writing etc.
5 . Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar
About Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar
- Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar (1919-74, reigned 1940-50), was an exceptional ruler and able administrator, as well as a noted philosopher, music exponent, political thinker and philanthropist.
- When India won independence, he was the first among the rulers of India”s princely states to accept the Instrument of Accession
- The Maharaja signed the pact on August 9, 1947 and the Union Government accepted it on August 16.
- Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wadiyar, who remained titular maharaja till his death in 1974, was not only an exceptional scholar of Indian philosophy himself but also promoted scholarship through the “Jayachamaraja Grantha Ratna Mala”.
- As the ruler of the Mysore state, he actively encouraged the establishment of an industrial facility in Bengaluru by a company called Hindustan Aircraft in 1940 which become Hindustan Aeronautics
6 . WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023
Context : Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan as he launched ‘The WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023: A Time of Transition’
About the Country Cooperation Strategy
- The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) is a document to guide WHO’s work in countries. CCS is a medium-term vision for WHO’s technical cooperation with a given Member State, and supports the country’s national health policy, strategy or plan. The CCS time frame is flexible to align with national cycles and processes. It is the basis for aligning WHO’s collaboration with other United Nations bodies and development partners at the country level.
About WHO India Country Cooperation Strategy 2019–2023: A Time of Transition’
- The Country Cooperation Strategy (CCS) provides a strategic roadmap for WHO to work with the Government of India towards achieving its health sector goals, in improving the health of its population and bringing in transformative changes in the health sector.
- Four areas identified for strategic cooperation of WHO with the country encompass: to accelerate progress on UHC; to promote health and wellness by addressing determinants of health; to protect the population better against health emergencies; and to enhance India’s global leadership in health.
- The India CCS is one of the first that fully aligns itself with the newly adopted WHO 13th General Programme of Work and its ‘triple billion’ targets, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and WHO South-East Asia Region’s eight Flagship Priorities. It captures the work of the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework for 2018–2022.
- The CCS outlines how WHO can support the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare and other allied Ministries to drive impact at the country level.
- The strategy document builds on other key strategic policy documents including India’s National Health Policy 2017, the many path breaking initiatives India has introduced — from Ayushman Bharat to its National Viral Hepatitis programme and promotion of digital health amongst others.
7 . Facts for Prelims
Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan(SUMAN)
- Main aim of SUMAN is to ensure Zero Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths
Visitors Award
- The President of India, in his capacity as Visitor of the Central Universities, annually confers Visitor’s Awards to promote healthy competition amongst Central Universities and motivate them to adopt best practices from around the world in pursuit of excellence.
- Presently, the Visitor’s Awards is categorised in the following categories and sub-categories
- Visitor’s Award for Innovation
- Visitor’s Award for Research (Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences)
- Visitor’s Award for Research (Physical Sciences)
- Visitor’s Award for Research (Biological Sciences)
- Visitor’s Award for Technology Development