State Specific

KALIA Chhatra Bruti scholarship

Relevance IN – Prelims( about KALIA scheme) + Mains (GS III issues related to direct and indirect farm subsidies)

What’s the NEWS

·         The government of Odisha has launched the KALIA Chhatra Bruti scholarship for the children of farmers.

 ·         The Scholarship is under the KALIA, Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation, a scheme for financing farmers in Odisha.

·         The government has launched the ‘KALIA Chhatra Bruti’ programme so that the children of the farmers excel in the future.

Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation

·         Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation (KALIA) is a support scheme of Odisha whose primary targets are small farmers, cultivators and landless agricultural labourers.

·         Under the Scheme, Odisha would spend Rs 10,180 crore over three years until 2020-21 in providing financial assistance to cultivators and landless agricultural labourers benefitting  92% of the cultivators in the state and including every category from big farmers to landless cultivators.

·         The government would provide Rs 10,000 per family as assistance for cultivation, Rs 5,000 each in the Kharif and Rabi seasons, for five cropping seasons between 2018-19 and 2021-22. 

·         The financial assistance under the scheme is not linked to the quantum of land owned.

·         The scheme also targets landless households, specifically SC and ST families; They will be supported with a unit cost of Rs 12,500 for activities like goat rearing, mushroom cultivation, beekeeping, poultry farming and fishery. 

·         The Scheme also provides a life insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh and additional personal accident coverage of the same amount for 57 lakh households.The Scheme also proposes interest-free crop loans up to Rs 50,000.

·         KALIA scheme was introduced by the government of Odisha as an alternative to the demand of farm loan waiver. 

·         KALIA scheme strives to target rural activities as a whole by supporting farming on a small scale, sharecropping, fishing and animal herding which doesn’t get covered under loan waiver schemes

 

Government Policies

National Electronics Policy 2019

Relevance IN – Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of technology + indigenization of technology and developing new technology)

 

What’s the NEWS 

·         The Union Cabinet has approved a National Electronics Policy 2019.

·         The Policy aims to position India as a global hub for Electronics System Design and Manufacturing – (ESDM) by encouraging and driving capabilities in the country for developing core components, including chipsets, and creating an enabling environment for the industry to compete globally. 

·         The National Electronics Policy 2019 proposes to build on that foundation to propel the growth of the ESDM industry in the country.

Know! the objectives of the Policy 

·         Create eco-system for globally competitive ESDM sector and Promoting domestic manufacturing and export in the entire value-chain of ESDM.

·         Providing incentives and support for manufacturing of core electronic components in India. 

·         Providing a special package of incentives for mega projects which are extremely high-tech and entail huge investments, such as semiconductor facilities display fabrication, etc.

·         Formulate suitable schemes and incentive mechanisms to encourage new units and expansion of existing units. 

·         Promote Industry-led R&D and innovation in all sub-sectors of electronics, including grass root level innovations and early stage Start-ups in emerging technology areas such as 5G, loT/ Sensors, Artificial Intelligence (Al), Machine Learning, Virtual Reality (VR), Drones,   Robotics,   Additive   Manufacturing,   Photonics,   Nano-based devices, etc.

·         Providing incentives and support for significantly enhancing the availability of skilled manpower, including re-skilling.

·         Create a Sovereign Patent Fund (SPF) to promote the development and acquisition of IPs in the ESDM sector. 

·         The implementation of various schemes and programmes under the National Policy on Electronics 2012 (NPE 2012) has successfully consolidated the foundations for a competitive Indian ESDM value chain.

 

Government Schemes

Cabinet approves implementation of National Rural Economic Transformation Project

National Rural Economic Transformation Project 

Relevance IN – Prelims( about NRETP and DAY – NRLM) + Mains ( GS II Social issues)

What’s the NEWS 

·         The Union government has proposed a new rural Livelihood Scheme, the National Rural Economic Transformation Project under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

National Rural Economic Transformation Project 

·         The Union government has proposed a new rural Livelihood Scheme namely National Rural Economic Transformation Project (NRETP) under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) through loan assistance (IBRD Credit) from World Bank.

·         The technical assistance provided by NRETP and the higher level interventions facilitated by the project will enhance the livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihood interventions.

 

·         DAY-NRLM lays special emphasis on targeting the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable communities and their financial inclusion. 

·         Innovative projects will be undertaken under NRETP to pilot alternate channels of financial inclusion, creating value chains around rural products, introduce innovative models in livelihoods promotion and access to finance and scale-up initiatives on digital finance and livelihoods interventions.

·         DAY-NRLM provides for mutually beneficial working relationship and formal platforms for consultations between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and Community Based Organizations(CBOs). 

·         NRLM has also developed activity map to facilitate convergence in different areas of interventions where NRLM institutions and PRIs could work together which has been disseminated to all state Rural Livelihood Missions.

Know! about DAY-NRLM 

·         Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) aims to create efficient and effective institutional platforms for the rural poor to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.

·         Originally called as Aajeevika – National Rural Livelihoods Mission, the programme was renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) in 2015. 

·         DAY-NRLM aims to organize the poor into SHGs and make them capable of self-employment with a special focus on women empowerment including a dedicated component for promoting farm and non-farm based livelihoods for women farmers in rural areas.

·         The scheme aims to help rural poor to set up self-employment ventures by ensuring easy access to credit. 

·         It is implemented across the country in all States and Union Territories (except Chandigarh and Delhi) and it is one of the world’s largest initiatives to improve the livelihood of poor

 

Environment Conservation

Union Home Minister inaugurates “Waste to Wonder” Park in South Delhi

Relevance IN – Prelims( about the park)

What’s the NEWS 

·         The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh inaugurated  the “Waste to Wonder” Park under the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC).

·         For the first time scrap has been used to create ‘Wealth from waste’.

Know! more about the park

·         The main attractions of the “Seven Wonders Park” are the different sized tall replicas of the Taj Mahal (20 ft.), the Great Pyramid of Giza (18 ft.), the Eiffel Tower (60 ft.), the Leaning Tower of Pisa (25ft.), Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue (25 ft.), Rome’s Colosseum (15 ft.), and New York’s Statute of Liberty (30 ft.). 

·         The seven replicas have been made with the scrap of automobile parts and other metal waste like fans, rods, iron sheets, nut- bolts, bicycle & bike parts, defunct sewer lines and age old appliances gathering dust in the 24 Municipal Stores. In all 150 ton scrap/waste has been used.

 

Indian History and Culture

President of India unveils statue of Mahatma Gandhi at Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Chennai

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha ) + Mains (GS I Modern Indian history)

 

What’s the NEWS

·         The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, unveiled a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha

 

·         The Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, founded by Mahatma Gandhi, has completed 100 years.

 

 

Know! all about Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha"

 

·         It was established in the year 1918 by our beloved Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi with the sole aim of propagating Hindi in southern states. The first Pracharak was none other than Devadoss Gandhi son of Mahatma Gandhi.

 

·         "Hindi Prachar" was a movement that emerged as part of Freedom Movement and the leaders who led the nation to "FREE INDIA" felt the necessity of making a single Indian Language the National Language, and through that language unify the people and thereby intensify National Integration.

 

·         1927 saw the emergence of Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha as an independent organisation and Mahatma Gandhi was its President till he breathed his last.

 

Defence

BEL Launches Atmospheric Water Generator safe Drinking Water, Straight From the Air

Relevance IN – Prelims( about atmospheric Water Generator + Mains GS III environment conservation)

What’s the NEWS

·         Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has unveiled its new product, the Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG)

·         Chief of the Army Staff General Bipin Rawat, inaugurated the AWG 

Know! more about BEL's Atmospheric Water Generator

·         BEL's Atmospheric Water Generator  can be used to generate water straight from the humidity present in the atmosphere. 

·         BEL's Atmospheric Water Generator employs a novel technology to extract water from the humidity present in the atmosphere and purify it.

·         It uses heat exchange for condensing the atmospheric moisture to produce pure, safe and clean potable water. 

·         The AWG comes with a Mineralisation Unit, which is used to add minerals which are required to make the water potable.

·         The AWG is configurable in static and mobile (vehicular) versions and is available in 30 litres/day, 100 litres/day, 500 litres/day and 1,000 litres/day capacities. 

·         The Atmospheric Water Generator can be used to provide drinking water in community centres and public places like health care centres, schools, colleges, offices, railway stations, bus stands, airports, sea ports, off-shore oil rigs, military establishments, remote field areas and remote establishments and residential complexes.

·         The Atmospheric Water Generator is being manufactured by BEL in collaboration with CSIR-IICT and MAITHRI, a start-up company based in Hyderabad.

 

NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission releases ATL Drone Module at Aero India

Relevance IN – Prelims( about ATL drone module + Mains GS III  science and technology + indigenization of technology)

What’s the NEWS

·         NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) and Drona Aviation, an IIT Bombay start-up, launched the ‘ATL Drone module: Get, Set, Go’ for Atal Tinkering Labs at the ongoing Aero India 2019 in Bengaluru.

·         The idea of flying has always been a fascinating concept for all young as well as old. “With the ATL Drone Module, young students of India will learn how to create their own drones and use them for solving community problems in India 

Know! more about the module

·         In the age of the Fourth industrial revolution, drones are one of the most promising technologies integrating the concepts of physics, maths, chemistry, engineering and sensor technologies creating a tremendous range of innovative solutions that can be developed using them 

·         Drona Aviation is India’s first developer drone company, with a focus on drone innovation.

·         The ATL Drone Module aims at building this open source community of tinkerers who will learn and build on drone ideas to showcase their many possible application.  

Know! more about AIM and ATLs 

·         Atal Innovation Mission(AIM), housed at NITI Aayog, is Government of India’s flagship initiative to foster a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship across India. 

·         With the vision to empower our young generation with the 21^st century skills of design thinking, problem solving, collaboration, critical thinking and so on, AIM has selected more than 5000 Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) where young innovators get access to latest technologies of microelectronics, Internet of Things (IoT), 3D printing, robotics, drone technology, artificial intelligence and so on. 

·         Previously, an ATL Space Module was also launched to inspire young innovators to reach for the stars. The drone module is set to give further impetus to their ambitions in an imaginative way.

Prelims Practise Question

Consider the following statements

1.       BEL's Atmospheric Water Generator employs a novel technology to extract water from the humidity present in the atmosphere and purify it. 

2.       Atal Innovation Mission(AIM), housed at NITI Aayog, is Government of India’s flagship initiative to foster a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship across India. 

3.       The Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, founded by Mahatma Gandhi  was established in the year 1918 with the sole aim of propagating Hindi in southern states.

Find the correct statement from the option given below 

A  1 and 2

a. 

B  1 2 and 3

C  2 and 3

D 1 and 3

 

 

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