PIB Analysis : Date 27/12/2018

PIB ANALYSIS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

Topics Covered

1. National Investment & Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs)
2. National IPR Policy
3. Ajeevika Grameen Express Yojana
4. Mobile Audio Guide App
5. MSP on Minor forest produce
6. Second Delta Ranking
7. Based on the questions asked in the Parliament

1 . National Investment & Manufacturing Zones (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.
• Besides these, eight Investment Regions along the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project have also been declared as NIMZs.

Difference between SEZ and NIMZ

• The main objective of Special Economic Zones is promotion of exports, while NIMZs are based on the principle of industrial growth in partnership with States and focuses on manufacturing growth and employment generation.
• NIMZs are different from SEZs in terms of size, level of infrastructure planning, governance structures related to regulatory procedures, and exit policies.

2 . National IPR Policy

About National IPR Policy

• The National IPR Policy is a vision document that aims to create and exploit synergies between all forms of intellectual property (IP), concerned statutes and agencies.
• It sets in place an institutional mechanism for implementation, monitoring and review.
• It aims to incorporate and adapt global best practices to the Indian scenario. This policy shall weave in the strengths of the Government, research and development organizations, educational institutions, corporate entities including MSMEs, start-ups and other stakeholders in the creation of an innovation-conducive environment, which stimulates creativity and innovation across sectors, as also facilitates a stable, transparent and service-oriented IPR administration in the country.

Vision Statement

• An India where creativity and innovation are stimulated by Intellectual Property for the benefit of all; an India where intellectual property promotes advancement in science and technology, arts and culture, traditional knowledge and biodiversity resources; an India where knowledge is the main driver of development, and knowledge owned is transformed into knowledge shared.

Mission Statement:

Stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced intellectual property rights system in India to:

• Foster creativity and innovation and thereby, promote entrepreneurship and enhance socio-economic and cultural development
• Focus on enhancing access to healthcare, food security and environmental protection, among other sectors of vital social, economic and technological importance.

Objectives

• IPR Awareness: Outreach and Promotion – To create public awareness about the economic, social and cultural benefits of IPRs among all sections of society.
• Generation of IPRs – To stimulate the generation of IPRs.
• Legal and Legislative Framework – To have strong and effective IPR laws, which balance the interests of rights owners with larger public interest.
• Administration and Management – To modernize and strengthen service-oriented IPR administration.
• Commercialization of IPRs – Get value for IPRs through commercialization.
• Enforcement and Adjudication – To strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatory mechanisms for combating IPR infringements.
• Human Capital Development – To strengthen and expand human resources, institutions and capacities for teaching, training, research and skill building in IPRs.

3 . Ajeevika Grameen Express Yojana

About Ajeevika Grameen Express Yojana

• Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY), a sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is to facilitate transport facilities in the rural areas and also provide job opportunities to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) under DAY-NRLM. 

 Objectives

• To provide safe, affordable and community monitored rural transport services to connect remote villages with key services and amenities (including access to markets, education and health) for the overall economic development of the area by making use of the supports available within the framework of DAY-NRLM.
• To provide an alternative source of livelihoods to members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and their families under DAY-NRLM by facilitating them to operate public transport services in backward rural areas, as identified by the States.

4 . Mobile Audio Guide App

MoU signed to develop a mobile Audio Guide App for five iconic sites
Letters of Intent issued to seven agencies under ‘Adopt a Heritage’ Project for Vision Bidding

• Mobile guide app will be developed under Adopt a Heritage Project.
• The Adopt a Heritage (Apni Dharohar, Apni Pehchaan) project is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Culture and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and State/UTs Governments. It aims to involve public sector companies, private sector companies and corporate citizens/individuals to take up the responsibility for making our heritage and tourism more sustainable through development, operation and maintenance of world-class tourist infrastructure and amenities at ASI/ State heritage sites and other important tourist sites in India.
• The five iconic sites for which the mobile Audio Guide App is to be developed are Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Kaziranga (Assam), Colva Beach (Goa), Kumarakom (Kerala) and Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar).

5 . MSP on Minor Forest Produce

Government introduces Minimum Support Price for 17 new items of Minor Forest Produce; revises MSP for 23 items of MFP; 

Background

• Government of India has taken a number of initiatives for socio economic development of tribals like introduction of Forest Rights Act, PESA Act and has been implementing schemes for development of MFP by providing financial support to State TDCCs and TRIFED for market development of MFPs.
• Recognizing the critical importance which MFP hold for tribals and its potential to create large scale employment opportunity thereby, helping in reducing poverty and increasing empowerment of tribals particularly women and poor people of the poorest and backward districts of the country, Govt. of India has now decided to introduce an ambitious scheme of providing fair price for the MFP collected by tribals through Minimum Support price (MSP).

About the Scheme

• The scheme has been started with the objective of providing fair price to MFP gatherers, enhance their income level and ensure sustainable harvesting of MFPs.
• The MSP scheme seeks to establish a framework to ensure fair prices for the produce collected by them, assurance of buying at a particular price, primary processing, storage, transportation etc while ensuring sustainability of the resource base. It is a holistic scheme for development of MFP trade and covers 24 non-nationalized / non-monopolized MFPs namely
• Karanj Seed, Mahua Seed, Sal Leaf, Sal Seed, Lac (Rangini & Kusumi), Chironjee, Wild Honey, Myrobalan, Tamarind, Gums (Gum Karaya), Kusum Seed, Neem Seed, Puwad Seed, Baheda, Hill Broom Grass, Shikakai, Guggul (exudate), Bael (dried & without crust), Nagarmotha, Palash Kesuda (Flower), Shatavari (dried), Madhunashini, Kalmegh,  Tamarind (de-seeded).
• New 17 more items are added into the list now

Nodal Agency

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Government of India is the Nodal Ministry for implementation of the scheme which will announce Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the selected MFPs with the technical support from TRIFED. 
• TRIFED will act as the Central Nodal Agency for implementation and monitoring of the scheme through State level implementing agencies. State designated agencies will undertake procurement of notified MFPs directly from MFP gatherers (individual or collectives) at haats notified procurement centers at grass root level at prefixed Minimum Support Price and ensure full & timely on the spot payment to MFP gatherers.

Click here for complete list of MSP provided for Minor Forest Produce

6 . Second Delta Ranking

NITI Aayog Releases Second Delta Ranking of the Aspirational Districts

About the Release

• The NITI Aayog released the Second Delta ranking for the Aspirational Districts which measures the incremental progress made by them between June 1, 2018 and October 31, 2018, across six developmental areas of Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion, Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure.
• The delta ranking of the Aspirational Districts combines the innovative use of data science with pragmatic administration, keeping the district at the locus of inclusive development. This positioning is expected to aid the District Magistrates/Collectors to focus more on these sectors and improve their ranking in future.

Result

• Most improved State – Virudhunagar (TN)
• Least Improved – Kiphire (Nagaland)
• Fast movers – Kupwara (J&K)

About ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ programme

• Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ programme aims to quickly and effectively transform some of the most underdeveloped districts of the country.
• The broad contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and Competition among districts driven by a Mass Movement or a Jan Andolan.
• With States as the main drivers, this program will focus on the strength of each district, identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.
• To enable optimum utilization of their potential, this program focuses closely on improving people’s ability to participate fully in the burgeoning economy. Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion & Skill Development, and Basic Infrastructure are this programme’s core areas of focus.
• After several rounds of consultations with various stakeholders, 49 key performance indicators have been chosen to measure progress of the districts. Districts are prodded and encouraged to first catch-up with the best district within their state, and subsequently aspire to become one of the best in the country, by competing with, and learning from others in the spirit of competitive & cooperative federalism.

7 . Based on the questions asked in the Parliament

Make in India Initiative

The Make in India initiative was launched in 2014, which aims at promoting India as an important investment destination and a global hub in manufacturing, design and innovation. This initiative also aims to create a conducive environment for investment, development of modern and efficient infrastructure, opening up new sectors for foreign investment and forging a partnership between Government and industry through a positive mind set. With the objective to create an assured domestic demand for manufacturers who are genuinely making in India, an enabling provision to promote domestic value addition in public procurement has been made by issuing the Public Procurement (Preference to Make in India) Order 2017 

Schemes Implemented by Ministry of Rural Development

• The Ministry of Rural Development, inter alia, is implementing

1. Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS)
2. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM)
3. Deen Dayal Upadhyay – Gramin Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY)
4. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)
5. Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY)
6. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee National RuRBAN Mission
7. National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP)

• Schemes are implemented to bring about overall improvement in the quality of life of the people in rural areas, including in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, through employment generation, strengthening of livelihood opportunities, promoting self-employment, skilling of rural youths, provision of social assistance and other basic amenities

National Committee on Dam safety

• Union Government constituted National Committee on Dam Safety (NCDS) headed by Chairman, CWC and representatives from State Governments and PSUs. The objectives/mandates of NCDS are:

1. To oversee dam safety activities in various States and suggest improvements to bring these in line with the latest state-of-art consistently with Indian conditions.
2. To act as a forum of exchange of views on techniques adopted for remedial measures to relieve distress.
3. To monitor the follow-up action on the report on dam safety procedures.
4. To recommend any other measures connected with dam safety.

Revamped Khelo India

• The revamped Khelo India Scheme was launched during the financial year 2017-18 with a view to achieving the twin objectives of mass participation and promotion of excellence in sports.
• The vision of the revamped Khelo India is to infuse sports culture and achieve sporting excellence in the country.
• The mission as stated in the revamped scheme is to encourage sports for all thus allowing the population across gender and all age groups to harness the power of sports through its cross-cutting influence, namely, holistic development of children & youth, community development, social integration, gender equality, healthy lifestyle, national pride and economic opportunities related to sports development.
• Under the Khelo India the identified sports talents will be given the option to join SAI National Sports Academies, State Sports Academies or Sports Academies established by private sector.
• Grants-in-aid will be provided for establishment, operation and maintenance of sports academies in respect of identified disciplines to Sports Authority of India, State Governments or to private sector or sports person under Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode for facilitating and supplementing Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) programme (for 8 years).
• The best academies might be at National, Regional or State level, both in public and private sector.
• Academies will be identified for need-based support, both recurring and non-recurring, by inviting proposals from suitable entities. A system would be developed for rating of academics to facilitate selection of appropriate academics for support. At least one academy for Para Athletes will be supported.

 Significant initiatives under the Smart Cities Mission

• The “Ease of Living” Index is an initiative of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) to help cities 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 framework covers all the critical pillars of urban development (Physical, Institutional, Social and Economic) and uses 78 indicators across 15 categories (governance, identity and culture, education, health, safety and security, economy, affordable housing, land use planning, public open spaces, transportation and mobility, assured water supply, waste-water management, solid waste management, power, and quality of environment).

• Indian Smart City Fellowship and Indian Smart City Internship programs were launched on 9 July 2018. More than 3000 applications were received for Fellowship. The first batch of 30 young graduates/post graduates and PhDs in the fields of Urban Planning, Urban Design, Engineering, Information and Technology, Urban Mobility, Finance, Social Sector and Environmental issues has been selected by the Ministry in November 2018.
• An all-India Challenge named CITIIS (Cities Investments to Innovate Integrate and Sustain) was launched on July 9, 2018 in partnership with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and European Union. A Loan of EUR 100 million will be extended by Agence Française de Développement (AFD), which shall be given as a grant to Smart Cities for implementation of 15 innovative projects selected through the All-India Challenge. The projects would be in four sectors- sustainable mobility, public open spaces, urban governance & ICT and social and organizational innovation in low-income settlements. Technical support with global expertise will be provided for preparation and implementation of selected demonstrative projects. A preparatory Workshop on CITIIS was held with international experts in September 2018. Proposals submitted by cities are under evaluation.
• Smart Cities Digital Payments Awards 2018 were launched on 9 July, 2018. 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. 65 cities have participated in Stage II of the questionnaire. The submissions are under evaluation. Results will be declared shortly.