PIB ANALYSIS FOR UPSC CIVIL SERVICES EXAM 2018
Topics Covered
- GSAT 11
- Soil Health Card Scheme
- Monetary Policy Statement
- Namami Gange Programme
1 . GSAT 11
India’s heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 launched successfully from French Guiana
About the Release
- Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11 was successfully launched from the Spaceport in French Guiana
- The launch vehicle Ariane 5 VA-246 lifted off from Kourou Launch Base, French Guiana carrying India’s GSAT-11 and South Korea’s GEO-KOMPSAT-2A satellites
- Ariane 5 is one of three launch vehicles operated by Arianespace along with Soyuz and Vega.
About GSAT 11
2 . Soil Health Card
Distribution of Soil Health Cards (SHC) for optimal utilization of fertilizers
About the scheme Covered under October 29 PIB Analysis Click Here
About the Release
- Soil Health Card Scheme has been taken up for the first time in a comprehensive manner across the country.
- Under the scheme soil health cards are provided to all farmers so as to enable the farmers to apply appropriate recommended dosages of nutrients for crop production and improving soil health and its fertility.
The unique features of SHC scheme are:-
- Collecting soil samples at a grid of 2.5 ha in irrigated area and 10 ha in un-irrigated areas.
- Uniform approach in soil testing adopted for 12 parameters viz. primary nutrients (NPK); secondary nutrient (S); micronutrients (B,Zn, Mn. Fe & Cu); and other (pH, EC & OC) for comprehensiveness.
- GPS enabled soil sampling to create a systematic database and allow monitoring of changes in the soil health over the years.
Implementation of the Scheme
- In the 1st cycle which was implemented in year 2015 to 2017, 2.53 crore soil samples were analysed and 10.73 crore soil health cards distributed to farmers.
- The 2nd cycle (2017-19) was started from 1st May, 2017 and against target of 2.73 crore soil samples, 1.98 crore samples tested and 6.73 crore cards have been distributed to farmers. The target is to cover 12.04 crore farmers.
- To enable quick soil sample testing and distribution of soil health cards, the soil test infrastructure has been upgraded, 9263 soil testing labs have been sanctioned to States. In addition, 1562 village level soil testing projects have been sanctioned to generate employment for rural youth.
3 . Monetary Policy Statement
About Monetary Policy Committee
About Monetary Policy Statement
- The RBI has a government-constituted Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) which is tasked with framing monetary policy using tools like the repo rate, reverse repo rate, bank rate, cash reserve ratio (CRR). The report provided by the committee is known as Monetary Policy Statement
- It is a bi-monthly report.
4 . Namami Gange Programme
After approving projects for pollution hotspots along River Ganga, Namami Gange programme focusses on the tributaries of the river
The National Mission for Clean approves projects worth Rs. 841 crore on tributaries of Ganga in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal
Also approves an STP project on Ganga in Bihar at a cost of Rs. 41.36 Crore
About the Release
- The National Mission for Clean Ganga is now focusing on cleaning the tributaries of River Ganga .
- In the 18th meeting of its Executive Committee yesterday, NMCG approved projects worth Rs. 841. crore on Ganga tributaries in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal .
About Namami Gange Programme
- Namami Gange Programme, is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
- 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).
Main Pillars of Namami Gange Programme
- Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure
- River front Development
- River surface cleaning
- Biodiversity
- Afforestation
- Public awareness
- Industrial effluent monitoring
- Ganga Gram
The key achievements under Namami Gange programme
- Creating Sewerage Treatment Capacity:- 63 sewerage management projects under implementation in the States of Uttarakhand,Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.12 new sewerage management Projects Launched in these states.Work is under construction for creating Sewerage capacity of 1187.33 (MLD).
- Creating River-Front Development:-28 River-Front Development projects and 33 Entry level Projects for construction, modernization and renovation of 182 Ghats and 118 crematoria has been initiated
- River Surface Cleaning:-River Surface cleaning for collection of floating solid waste from the surface of the Ghats and River and its disposal are afoot and pushed into service at 11 locations
- Bio-Diversity Conservation:- Several Bio-Diversity conservation projects are namely: Biodiversity Conservation and Ganga Rejuvenation, Fish and Fishery Conservation in Ganga River, Ganges River Dolphin Conservation Education Programme has been initiated. Bio-Diversity center’s at Dehradun, Narora, Allahabad, Varanasi and Barrackpore has been developed for restoration of identified priority species
- Afforestation:- Forestry interventions for Ganga through Wildlife Institute of India; Central Inland Fisheries Research Institute and Centre for Environment Education has been initiated.
- Public Awareness:- A series of activities such as events, workshops, seminars and conferences and numerous IEC activities were organized to make a strong pitch for public outreach and community participation in the programme. Various awareness activities through rallies, campaigns, exhibitions, shram daan, cleanliness drives, competitions, plantation drives and development and distribution of resource materials were organized and for wider publicity the mass mediums such as TV/Radio, print media advertisements, advertorials, featured articles and advertorials were published. Gange Theme song was released widely and played on digital media to enhance the visibility of the programme.
- Industrial Effluent Monitoring:- Real Time Effluent Monitoring Stations (EMS) has been installed in 572 out of 760 Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs). Closure notice have been issued to 135 GPIs so far and others have been given deadlines for compliance to stipulated norms and for installations of online EMS
- Ganga Gram:- Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDWS) identified 1674 Gram Panchayats situated on the bank of River Ganga in 5 State (Uttarakhand,Uttar Pradesh,Bihar,Jharkhand,West Bengal). Rs. 578 Crores has been released to Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation (MoDWS) for construction of toilets in 1674 Gram Panchayats of 5 Ganga Basin States. Out of the targeted 15, 27,105 units, MoDWS has completed construction of 8, 53,397 toilets. Consortium of 7 IITs has been engaged in the preparation of Ganga River basin Plan and 65 villages has been adopted by 13 IITs to develop as model villages. UNDP has been engaged as the executing agency for rural sanitation programme and to develop Jharkhand as a model State at an estimated cost of Rs. 127 Crore