Space Awareness
Atal Innovation Mission launches Space challenge in collaboration with ISRO & CBSE across India

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the space challenge) + Mains ( GS II Government policies and interventions + education + GS III space awareness)
What's the NEWS

• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) successfully launched the ATL Space Challenge 2021 for all school students across the country.

Know! about the Space challenge

• The challenge has been designed for all the school students, mentors and teachers across the country who not only are associated with schools having ATL labs but for all the non ATL schools as well.
• This is to ensure that students of classes 6 to 12 are given an open platform where they can innovate and enable themselves to solve digital age space technology problems.
• The ATL Space Challenge 2021 aligns with the World Space Week 2021 which is being observed from 4 to 10 October each year at the global level in order to celebrate the contributions of space science and technology.
• The aim of this challenge is to enable innovation among young school students to create something in space sector that will not only help them learn about the space but create something that space programme can use itself.
• Students (from ATL and Non-ATL schools) can submit their entries be it a solution or an innovation in team of up to three members.
• Teams must be aligned to one of the Challenge Themes under which the problems can be identified.

Students can create a solution that can be implemented and adopted leveraging technologies such as:

1. Explore Space
2. Reach Space
3. Inhabit Space
4. Leverage Space

• The application for the Space Challenge can be submitted on the AIM online portal.
• Each team based on their interest and understanding, must select one problem which falls under any one of the Space Challenge themes.
• Each unique solution must be submitted under one theme only.
• Individual member entry is not allowed
• School Teachers, ATL In-Charges and mentors have been advised to support the student teams.

Flagship schemes/initiatives of NITI Aayog
Atal Tinkering Lab

• In ATLs, students of class 6th to 12th acquire a problem-solving attitude, develop innovative solutions leveraging technologies like 3D printers, robotics, miniaturised electronics, IOT and programming and DIY kits, with support from teachers and mentors.

Atal Innovative Mission

• AIM is the Government of India's flagship initiative to promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• AIM's objective is to develop new programmes and policies for fostering innovation in different sectors of the economy, provide platform and collaboration opportunities for different stakeholders, create awareness and create an umbrella structure to oversee innovation ecosystem of the country.

Six major initiatives of AIM:

• Atal Tinkering Labs-Creating problem-solving mindset across schools in India.
• Atal Incubation Centers-Fostering world class start-ups and adding a new dimension to the incubator model.
• Atal New India Challenges-Fostering product innovations and aligning them to the needs of various sectors/ministries.
• Mentor India Campaign- A national Mentor network in collaboration with public sector, corporates and institutions, to support all the initiatives of the mission.
• Atal Community Innovation Centre- To stimulate community centric innovation and ideas in the unserved /underserved regions of the country including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
• ARISE-To stimulate innovation and research in the MSME industry.

Generation Unlimited

• Generation Unlimited is a new UNICEF-led global partnership that aims to ensure that every young person age 10-24 is in some form of school, learning, training, self-employment, or age-appropriate employment by 2030.
• It aims to co-create and scale up proven solutions related to secondary age-education, skills for learning, employability and decent work, and empowerment, with a focus on girls.

Governance
Exemption of District Mineral Foundations (DMF) from Income Tax

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about DMF + Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana)
What's the NEWS

• The Union Mines, Coal Minister, thanked Hon'ble Prime Minister for exempting 165 District Mineral Foundation Trusts (DMF), from Income Tax payment.
• Ministry of Finance has taken measures to get the DMF trust exempted from Income Tax. Section 10(46) of the Act was amended by Finance Act 2018 so that all the DMF Trusts could be notified as ‘Class of Authority'.

Know! about Mineral Foundation Trusts (DMF)

• Government of India has made provision for establishment of District Mineral Foundation in all the districts affected by mining.
• As per the amendment in Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 2015, in every district affected by mining-related operations, the state government shall, by notification, establish a trust as a non-profit body to be called the District Mineral Foundation.
• The object of the District Mineral Foundation is to work for the interest and benefit of persons, and areas affected by mining related operations in such manner as may be prescribed by the State Government.
• So far, DMFs have been set up in 600 districts in 22 States in the country which have framed DMF rules.
• Mining companies contribute 10-30% on the royalty amount that they pay to the government to DMF Trust in the district they are operating in.
• The idea behind the contribution is that local mining-affected communities, mostly tribal and among the poorest in the country, also have the right to benefit from natural resources extracted from where they live.
• The functioning of the DMF trusts and the fund use governed by states' DMF Rules incorporate the mandates of a central guideline, Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana (PMKKKY) that specifies high priority areas of investments.

Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana

• PMKKKY is a scheme by the Ministry of Mines for the welfare of people & affected areas by using the funds accrued under District Mineral Foundation (DMF).

Objective

• To implement various developmental and welfare projects/programs in mining affected areas that complement the existing ongoing schemes/projects of State and Central Government.
• To minimize/mitigate the adverse impacts, during and after mining, on the environment, health and socio-economics of people in mining districts.
• To ensure long-term sustainable livelihoods for the affected people in mining areas.

Implementation:

• At least 60% the fund will be utilized for "High Priority Areas" like Drinking water supply, Environment preservation & pollution control measure, Health care, Education, etc.
• Rest of the fund will be utilized for "Other Priority Areas", such as Physical infrastructure, Irrigation, Energy & watershed development and Measures for enhancing environmental quality.

Prelims Factoids
PM greets everyone on Nukhai

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Nukhai)
Know! about Nukhai

• Nuakhai or Navakhai or is an agricultural festival mainly observed by people of Western Odisha and Southern Chhattisgarh in India.
• Nuakhai is observed to welcome the new rice of the season.
• According to the calendar it is observed on panchami tithi (the fifth day) of the lunar fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada or Bhadraba (August-September), the day after the Ganesh Chaturthi festival.
• This is the most important social festival of Western Odisha and adjoining areas of Simdega in Jharkhand, where the culture of Western Odisha is much predominant.

Personalities IN News(PIN)
Acharya Vinoba Bhave

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Acharya Vinoba Bhave)
What's the NEWS

• The Prime Minister, has paid rich tributes to Acharya Vinoba Bhave on his Jayanti.
• Mahatma Gandhi described him as someone who was absolutely against untouchability, unwavering in his commitment to India's freedom and a firm believer in non-violence as well as constructive work.
• Acharya Vinoba Bhave carried forward the noble Gandhian principles after India attained independence.

Know! all about Acharya Vinoba Bhave (1895 - 1982)

• India's freedom fighter, social worker and famous Gandhian leader.
• His original name was Vinayak Narhari Bhave.
• He is considered as a National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi.
• He was an eminent philosopher.
• The Gita has also been translated into Marathi language by him with the name as Geetai means mother Geeta.
• During the Second World War, India was being forcibly thrown into the war by the United Kingdom, against which an 'Vyaktigat Satyagraha' was started on October 17, 1940 and Vinoba was made 'The First Satyagrahi' by Gandhiji.
• The 'Bhoodan movement' was a voluntary land reform movement started by Saint Vinoba Bhave in 1951.
• He was also in controversy because of calling the emergency declared by Indira Gandhi as 'Discipline Festival'(Anushashan Parv).
• He spent the last years of his life in the ashram of Ponar, Maharashtra.
• In 1958 Bhave was the first recipient of the international Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.
• He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1983.

Subramania Bharati's 100th death anniversary

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Subramania Bharathi)
What's the NEWS

• On 100^th death anniversary of Subramania Bharathi, Prime Minister has announced to set up a chair on his name in the Banaras Hindu University (BHU). ‘Subramanya Bharati Chair' on Tamil Studies will be established in Faculty of Arts of BHU

Know! all about Subramania Bharathi

• The great Tamil poet fondly called Mahakavi (great poet) has a connection with Varanasi.
• He had obtained his early education from the city.
• Subramanian was an academic, journalist and social reformer and PM had in 2018, quoted from his poetry on Independence Day.
• He was born in 1882 as C. Subramania in Ettayapuram, now Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.
• He was all of 11, when the then Raja of Ettayapuram impressed with his poetry had given him the title of ‘Bharati' which means the one blessed by Goddess Saraswati.
• While some of his most famous work is in his native tongue Tamil, Bharti is said to have had proficiency in 14 languages including three foreign languages.
• He used his writings to imbibe feelings of national pride among Indian citizens.
• He also raised concern against child marriage, stood for reforming Brahminism and religion. He was also in solidarity with Dalits and Muslims.
• He used to write patriotic songs during the Indian Independence movement.
• He fought for the emancipation of women, against child marriage, stood for reforming Brahminism and religion.
• He was also in solidarity with Dalits and Muslims
• He faced actions from Britishers for his writings and had spent most of his life in exile.
• He had escaped to Pondicherry, which was then under French rule.
• From there he edited and published the weekly journals.
• He edited and published the weekly journal India, Vijaya, a Tamil daily, Bala Bharatham, an English monthly, and Suryodayam, a local weekly in Pondicherry.
• Three of his greatest works namely, Kuyil Pattu, Panchali Sapatham and Kannan Pattu were composed during 1912.
• He also translated Vedic hymns, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra and Bhagavat Gita to Tamil.
• He died at the young age of 38 in 1921.

Social Justice
Main Bhi Digital 3.0

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Main Bhi Digital 3.0) + Mains ( GS II Social issues - initiatives for the vulnerable section of population)
What's the NEWS

• Ministry of Housing and urban Affairs( MoHUA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) launched the pilot drive 'Main Bhi Digital 3.0' - A special Campaign for Digital Onboarding and Training for street vendors under PM SVANidhi scheme across 223 cities in the country today.

Know! about the drive

• The special drive aims to accelerate on-boarding of street vendors on the UPI QR code and handhold them to start accepting/making digital payment transactions.
• Five major aggregators including Paytm, Phone Pe, Bharat Pe, Mswipe and Aceware have agreed to participate in 45 days special drive for digitally onboarding the street vendors with BHIM-UPI QR code on pro-bono basis.
• The drive will cover 223 cities across the country with around 8,68,184 street vendors to be onboarded under various urban local bodies.
• Digital Payment Aggregators will educate the street vendors about the benefits of digital payments

Know! about PM Street Vendor's AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi)

• It was launched on June 1, 2020 as a Central Sector Scheme.
• The scheme facilitates affordable working capital loan of up to Rs.10,000 with an interest subsidy @7% on regular repayment.
• The street vendors are not required to pay any collateral for the loan.
• The scheme provides Graded Guarantee Cover, to Lending Institutions, on a portfolio basis.
• The scheme targets to cover 50 lakh street vendors, who had been vending on or before March 24, 2020.
• The street vendors also stand a chance to avail a loan of Rs.20,000 and Rs.50,000 in the second and third tranches respectively on timely repayment of the loan.
• To encourage digital transaction a cash back up to Rs.1,200 on digital transactions at Rs.100 per month is provided to the street vendors under the scheme.
• An Integrated IT Platform has been developed to provide end-to-end solution for the paper less loan processing.
• SIDBI has been appointed as the implementation agency for scheme administration.

Prelims Factoids
Samvatsari Parva

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Samvatsari Parva)
What's the NEWS

• It is a festival that is celebrated by Jains in mid-August and September.
• The festival is observed on Shukla Panchami in the month of Bhadrapada according to a Jain Calendar.

Know! all about Samvatsari

• It is believed to be one of the holiest and most important days in the Jain calendar.
• This festival is celebrated on the last day of ‘Parva Paryushana' which is the holiest festival for the Shwetambara sect of Jainism.
• The Festival of Samvatsari is the day of forgiveness for Jains.
• The Samvatsari Parva is observed on the 8th day of Paryushan Parva and is the most important of all.
• Jains say ‘michachhami dukkadam' to their friends and family on Samvatsari.
• The meaning of the phrase is ‘I want your forgiveness if I have offended you in any way, consciously or inadvertently, in thought, word, or deed.
• 'Kshama yachna divas (apology-seeking day), daya divas (kindness day), and ahimsa divas (non-violence day) are some of the other names given to this festival.

There are six prerequisites of Samvatsari such as:

1. Samayika means contemplating on the self and observing tranquillity and self-control.
2. Chauvisantho means offering prayers to a total of five supremes, 24 jinas, and four mangalas including the Dharma as narrated by the masters of the past.
3. Vandana meaning offering hearty prayers to the respective deities.
4. Pratikramana, which includes observance of meditation and the Vratas.
5. Kayotsarga means getting detached from the body by keeping self-restraint.
6. Pratyakhyana means making promises and swearing.

National
Transport and Marketing Assistance(TMA) scheme

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about TMA) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions + GS III farmers welfare)
What's the NEWS

• Centre has revised "Transport and Marketing Assistance" (TMA) scheme for Specified Agriculture Products'.

Know! about TMA

• In February 2019, the Department of Commerce had introduced ‘Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme' to provide assistance for the international component of freight, to mitigate disadvantage of higher freight costs faced by the Indian exporters of agriculture products.
• The scheme was initially applicable for exports effected during the period from 01.03.2019 to 31.03.2020 and was later extended for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.
• Now the Department has notified ‘Revised Transport and Marketing Assistance (TMA) for Specified Agriculture Products Scheme' for exports effected on or after 01.04.2021 up to 31.03.2022.
• The existing scheme will remain in operation for exports effected up to 31.03.2021.

Following major changes have been made in the revised scheme:

1. Dairy products, which were not covered under the earlier scheme, will be eligible for assistance under the revised scheme.
2. Rates of assistance have been increased, by 50% for exports by sea and by 100% for exports by air.

• The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) will notify the procedure for availing assistance under the revised scheme.
• Enhanced assistance under the revised scheme is expected to help Indian exporters of agricultural products to meet rising freight and logistics costs.

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