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• Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) Ltd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for fabrication, supply, erection and launching of 27 carriageway double lane galvanised modular bridges of 7.5 meters with Indian Road Congress (IRC) Load Class 70.
• The BRO had successfully trial evaluated an "Indigenous 140 feet Double Lane Modular Bridge" of IRC Load Class 70 last year, supplied by GRSE Ltd.
• The first of its kind indigenous bridge was dedicated to the Nation by Defence Minister on December 28, 2021.
• The bridge was constructed on important "Flag Hill-Dokala" Road in Sikkim at an altitude of 11,000 feet by Karamyogis of Project Swastik in February 2021.

• The double-lane Modular Steel Bridge developed by the GRSE is the only one-of-its-kind bridge available in India and is 100 per cent indigenous.
• These bridges could be launched within 45 days of handing over the site by the units.
• This will certainly be a game-changer in road infrastructure development in the country.
• The construction of such modular bridges with IRC Load Class 70 classification will also enhance the operational preparedness of the security forces in the forward areas.

• This classification is given by Indian Roads Congress.
• The bridges and vehicle are given load class based on load classification system, which is based on standard hypothetical vehicle class.
• Indian load classification considers 11 hypothetical vehicles for classification of bridge and vehicle.
• These hypothetical vehicles are classified as 3, 5R, 9R, 12R, 18R, 24R, 30R, 40R, 50R, 60R and 70R with both tracked and wheeled configurations, as given in IRC -06 2017
• The load classification system is designed to prevent a particular vehicle from crossing a particular bridge

• It is the premier technical body of highway engineers which was formed in 1934 as India's national body for laying down and designing standards for roads and highway construction and provides a stage for exchanging expertise and latest research developments relating to it.
• It was set up after the recommendation of Jayakar Committee also known as Indian Road Development Committee.
• Currently the association has 13,500 members from various fields of engineering consisting of varied ranks in Border Roads Organisation, state and Central governments, engineering services in Army, Institutes in Road Research, engineering colleges, local bodies and private enterprises.

• It is one of India's leading shipyards, located in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• It builds and repairs commercial and naval vessels.
• Presently GRSE has also started building export ships in a mission to expand its business.
• Founded in 1884 as a small privately owned company on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River, it was renamed as Garden Reach Workshop in 1916.The company was nationalised by the Government of India in 1960.
• It was awarded the Miniratna status, with accompanying financial and operational autonomy in September 2006.
• It is first Indian shipyard to build 100 warships.

Know! the initiaitves taken by ICARDA in India

• The ICARDA enabled access to global germplasm for use in the Indian breeding programmes.
• Ten high yielding varieties of Lentil, Chickpea and Barley have been released by ICARDA along with ICAR for commercial cultivation in India during the last three years.
• Of these, six were released in 2019, three in 2020 and one in 2021.
• The ICARDA is engaged in the research and development of improved varieties of food crops (Wheat and Barley) and nutritionally rich pulses (Chickpea, Lentil, Grasspea/Lathyrus and Faba bean).
• Besides, ICARDA also works on different natural management systems like cropping systems, water productivity modelling, conservation agriculture technology, fodder cactus, etc. in association with the ICAR institutions, the State/Central Agricultural Universities and the Central and State Departments.
• The Government of India has helped ICARDA in the establishment of a Food Legume Research Platform in Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh in 2014-15.
• Later, the ICARDA established a Satellite Hub on Pulses in West Bengal and one on Natural Resource Management in Rajasthan for the benefit of Indian farming community.

• The International Center for Agriculture Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), a member of the CGIAR, supported by the CGIAR Fund, is a non-profit agricultural research institute that aims to improve the livelihoods of the resource-poor across the world's dry areas.
• ICARDA addresses the challenges facing the world's non-tropical dry areas: rising temperatures, critical water scarcity, diminishing natural resources, and an insecure food and nutritional future under often unstable social conditions.

• Headquarters (West Asia)
• North Africa, with a Platform in Morocco
• Sub-Saharan Africa, with a Platform in Ethiopia
• South Asia, with a Platform in India: Building on the existing partnership with ICAR (Indian Council of Agricultural Research), and focused especially on food legumes systems. India also hosts two CRP Dryland Systems Action Sites.

• CGIAR (formerly the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) is a global partnership that unites international organizations engaged in research about food security.
• CGIAR research aims to reduce rural poverty, increase food security, improve human health and nutrition, and sustainable management of natural resources.
• It is carried out at 15 centers (CGIAR Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centers) that collaborate with partners from national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations, and the private sector.
• These research centers are around the globe, with most in the Global South and Vavilov Centers of agricultural crop genetic diversity.
• CGIAR is an ad-hoc organization funded by its members.
• Members include the USA, Canada, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Australia and Japan, the Ford Foundation, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the European Commission, the Asian Development Bank, the African Development Bank, and the Fund of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC Fund).

#Prelims Factoids

• As per the Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin of Registrar General of India (RGI), the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has reduced from 39 per 1000 live births in 2014 to 30 per 1,000 live births in 2019 at National Level.
• As per the SRS Report of RGI, the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) has reduced from 8.8 in 2014-16 to 6.5 in 2017-19 at National Level.
• As per the SRS based Abridged Life Tables report of RGI, the Life Expectancy at the time of Birth is 69.4 years during 2014-18 in comparison to 69.0 years during 2013-17 at National Level.

#Related Terminologies
Infant mortality rate (IMR)

• It is the number of deaths per 1,000 live births of children under one year of age. The rate for a given region is the number of children dying under one year of age, divided by the number of live births during the year, multiplied by 1,000.

Maternal mortality ratio (MMR)

• It is defined as the number of maternal deaths (women in the ages 15-49) during a given time period per 100,000 live births during the same time period.

RESERVATION POLICY

#Prelims Factoids/Mains GSII

• Hon'ble Supreme Court in its judgment dated 16th November, 1992 in the Indra Sawhney case W.P. (C) No.930 of 1990, has decided that reservation under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) of the Constitution should not exceed 50%.
• The total reservation given to SC, ST and OBC under these Articles does not exceed 50%.
• The reservation given to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) has been provided by the Government under provisions of Articles 15(6) and 16(6), which were inserted vide the Constitution 103rd Amendment Act 2019.
• Thus the 10% reservation given to EWS, does not violate the 50% limit on reservations given under Articles 15(4) and 16(4).
• The 10% reservation give to EWS under the provisions of Articles 15(6) and 16(6) are distinct from the reservation given to SC, ST & OBC under Articles 15(4) and 16(4) and these are legally protected.

SMILE SCHEME

#Government Schemes

• The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched an umbrella scheme "SMILE - Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise"on 12.02.2022, which includes two sub-schemes - ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons' and ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging'.
• This umbrella scheme covers several comprehensive measures including welfare measures for both transgender persons and persons who are engaged in the act of begging with focus extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development, economic linkages etc with the support of State Governments/UTs/Local Urban Bodies, Voluntary Organizations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and institutions and others.

OLD AGE HOMES

#Government Schemes #Ministry of Social Justice

• As per census 2011 report, there are 10.38 crore senior citizens in India.
• The data regarding number of destitute senior citizens in the country is not maintained in this Ministry.
• Assistance to the States for running old age homes is not provided by the Ministry.
• However, under the State Action Plan for Senior Citizens (SAPSrC) (component under Atal Vayo Abhyuday Yojana), this Ministry provides funds to States/ UTs to improve the quality of life of the Senior Citizens, by encouraging productive and active ageing through the Institutions of the State/UT Governments/Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)/ Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) / local bodies and the community at large.

Integrated Programme for Senior Citizens (IPSrC)

• It provides grants in aid to implementing agencies like NGOs/Societies/Trusts/Voluntary Organizations for maintenance of senior citizen homes to provide food, shelter, healthcare facilities etc. to indigent senior citizens.
• This Scheme also includes Continuous care homes, Mobile medical units and physiotherapy clinics.
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)
• The Ministry is also implementing a Central Sector Scheme namely Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) under which free of cost assistive devices are provided to those senior citizens who suffer from age related disabilities/infirmities, and belong to BPL category.
• Since 2020-21, senior citizen who have a monthly income upto Rs. 15,000/- can also avail the benefit.

RASHTRIYA VAYOSHRI YOJANA

• As per 2011 Census, total number of Senior Citizens in the country is 10.38 Crore.
• Data on total number of senior citizens suffering from age related disabilities and living below poverty line are not maintained in this Ministry.
• However before distribution of assisted devices assessment is done regarding senior citizens who suffer from age related disabiliteis/ infirmities.
• The Ministry is implementing a Central Sector Scheme namely Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) under which free of cost assistive devices are provided to those senior citizens who suffer from age related disabilities/infirmities, and belong to BPL category.
• Since 2020-21 senior citizens who have a monthly income upto Rs. 15,000/- can also avail the benefit.
• RVY is implemented across the country. There is no regional focus for RVY.

DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSGENDERS

• As per the Census 2011, 4,87,803 Persons have been classified as ‘others' which includes Transgender Persons.
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment enacted "The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019" for protection of rights of transgender people and their welfare, and provisions of the same came into force on 10th Jan, 2020.
• Ministry has launched a scheme "SMILE - Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise" on 12.02.2022, which includes sub scheme - ‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons'.
• The focus of the sub-scheme is on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities and intervention, counseling, education, skill development, economic linkages to the transgender persons.
• On 21st Aug, 2020, National Council for Transgender Persons was constituted to advise Government on policies, programmes, legislation and projects with respect to transgender persons.
• The Ministry has launched National Portal for Transgender Persons on 25th November, 2020. Any Transgender applicant can obtain Certificate of Identity and Identity Card without any physical interface with the office of issue.
• The person who has been issued a certificate of identity are entitled to change the first name in the birth certificate and all other official documents relating to the identity of such person.
• Ministry has initiated 12 pilot shelter homes namely 'Garima Greh': Shelter Home for Transgender Persons.
• The main aim of these shelter homes is to provide safe and secure shelter to Transgender persons in need.
• The Ministry has planned to impart skill development training to the Transgender beneficiaries of the SMILE Scheme through PM-DAKSH - a skill development scheme of the Ministry.

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