Relevance IN - Prelims (about SPMRM and its objective) + Mains (GS II • Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
What's the NEWS

• The 4^th Anniversary of the launch of Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) observed on 21^st February
• The objective is to develop the clusters by providing all the basic amenities, infrastructure as well as economic development opportunities in an integrated and timebound manner.

• The SPMRM focuses on cluster-based integrated development through Spatial Planning.
• Rurban clusters are identified across the country's rural areas showing increasing signs of urbanization - i.e. increase in population density, high levels of non-farm employment, presence of growing economic activities and other socioeconomic parameters.
• The Mission aims to transform these Rurban clusters by stimulating local economic development, enhancing basic services, and creating well planned Rurban clusters.
• This would lead to holistic development of the region and encourage integrated and inclusive rural development.
  
  

• Under the mission 300 Rurban clusters are envisaged to be developed in a timebound manner.
• Of these 296 clusters have been selected and number of Integrated Cluster Action Plans (ICAPs) approved are 288 and Detailed Project Reports of 240 have been approved.

1. Convergence through various Central sector schemes, centrally sponsored schemes, State sector/ sponsored schemes/ programmes, CSR funds, and
2. Critical Gap Funds (CGF) - It provides for CGF upto Rs. 30 crore per cluster for Non-tribal clusters, and upto Rs. 15 crore per cluster for Tribal and Hilly State clusters.
3. Infrastructure planned in these clusters includes provision of 24/7 water supply to all households, Solid and Liquid Waste Management facilities at the household and cluster level, provision of Inter and Intra village roads within the cluster, adequate street lights and public transport facilities using green technologies.
4. Economic amenities in a cluster comprise various thematic areas in the sectors of Agri Services and Processing, Tourism, and Skill Development to promote Small and Medium Scale Enterprises.
5. NITI Aayog has recently proposed a new and extended programme for over 1,000 clusters in next three years. In Sikkim, three such clusters are being developed in the South, East and West districts.

What's the NEWS

• The Indian Navy Hydrographic Survey Ship, INS Jamuna is on a deployment to carry out Joint Hydrographic Survey off the South - West coast of Sri Lanka
• The ship has undertaken several survey activities as part of the Foreign Cooperation Survey along with the Sri Lanka Navy hydrographers.

Know! about INHD,NHO and IHO

• The Indian Naval Hydrographic Department (INHD) functions under the Chief Hydrographer to the Government of India.
• The Department, being the nodal agency for Hydrographic surveys and Nautical charting in India, has a very well established organizational setup.
• The National Hydrographic Office (NHO) is located at Dehradun
• NHO is the National Authority for publication of nautical charts and publications.
• NHO provides coverage for marine safety information in the NAVAREA VIII region (in accordance with IHO Publication S-53) comprising of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
• As part of NHO, Indian Naval Hydrographic Department has eight naval ships assisting in Survey duties and a well established 'National Institute of Hydrography' which is recognized as the Centre for Imparting training in Hydrography' for South East Asia by IHO.
• Surveys are conducted in strict compliance with the 'IHO standards for Hydrographic surveying (S-44)'.
• The department also pioneered in making official Electronic Navigational Charts (ENCs) for Indian waters.

International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO)

• Established 21 June 1921, International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO), Monaco oversees the safety of sea navigation during a passage for all ships and sets the Standards for various procedures and Survey equipment to be complied with for the Survey work.
• Every year, the date of 21 June is celebrated as ‘World Hydrography Day' to mark the importance of IHO's role.
• Various seafaring countries are a member of IHO and abide by IHO's hydrographic and nautical charting standards.
• As a member country of IHO, India too regularly shares its part of obligations through the Chief Hydrographer to the government of India, who is a Vice Admiral rank naval officer.

Bilateral Relations
Launch of joint research initiatives and teaching programmes and establishment of Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Transportation Systems by Indian Railway
Relevance IN - Prelims (about the objective of research initiative and about NRTI) + Mains (GS II bilateral relations + GS III infrastructure development - railways)
What's the NEWS

• Indian Railways has announced the launch of a Joint Masters programme in Railway Systems Engineering and Integration in academic year 2020-2021 by the National Rail Transportation Institute (NRTI) in partnership with the University of Birmingham
• The programme that has been launched leads to dual M.Sc. that would see NRTI students obtaining two post graduate degrees from both institutions, after spending a year studying at each institution.
• This initiative will benefit NRTI students by providing them access to world class expertise and facilities in railway systems at the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE).
• BCRRE is also expected to gain valuable insights into India's transport sector and get involved in related research and development issues in the country.
• The initiative has been taken under the Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Transportation Systems that had been set up by an MoU between the National Rail Transport Institute with the University of Birmingham on December 18^th, 2019.

About the National Rail Transport Institute

• The National Rail Transport Institute has been set up as a deemed to be university and has been operational since 2018.
• NRTI aims to develop interdisciplinary Centres of Excellence which would be collaborative constructs to promote research and education to the transportation sector.
• NRTI's strategy is focussed upon sourcing the best expertise from around the world from leading global institutions through institutional partnerships for collaborating on developing curriculum, research projects and executive education programs

About University of Birmingham

• The University of Birmingham is home to the Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) with over 150 academics, researchers and professional services staff, delivering world-class research, education and leadership to the global rail industry.
• The BCRRE is the largest university-based centre for railway research and education in Europe, involved in developing world-leading new technologies alongside higher education programmes, research and innovations in Climate Change, Aerodynamics and International Benchmarking, Power Systems and Energy Use, Railway Control and Operations Simulation.

Prelims Factoids
RailMadad gets Silver award under Category II of National e-Governance Awards - ‘Excellence in providing Citizen Centric Delivery'

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Rail Madad portal)
What's the NEWS

• RailMadad, the grievance redressal portal of Indian Railways, has been awarded Silver under Category II of National e-Governance Awards - "Excellence in providing Citizen-centric Delivery".
• This award was conferred during the 23^rd National Conference on e-Governance
• To recognize and promote excellence in implementation of e-Governance initiatives, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) presents National e-Governance Awards every year.

Know! about Rail Madad Portal

• RailMadad portal can be accessed by Railways customers using RailMadad Helpline 139 (with IVRS, voice and SMS facility), RailMadad website: railmadad.indianrailways.gov.in & RailMadad App

RailMadad adds to ‘ease of living' of Railway customers in the following ways:

1. Convergence & Integration: RailMadad is now the single portal for grievance, inquiry and assistance, for all railway customers - passenger, freight & parcel. Customers can also give their suggestions on RailMadad.
2. Ease of Access: Customers can access RailMadad through RailMadad no. 139, Web, App, SMS, Social media & Manual Dak.
3. Ease of Registering complaints: RailMadad is linked with Railways' existing ticketing systems like PRS & NTES. Hence journey details of passengers are automatically fetched when passenger enters PNR details, making complaint registration process simpler and easy.
4. Delayering - Redressal on fast forward: RailMadad is linked with NTES. So, complaint goes automatically to the concerned field unit, which accelerates grievance redressal.
5. Accountability: For every registered grievance, the complainant gets a unique CRN (complaint reference number), using which one can check the status of one's grievance.
6. Citizen empowerment: RailMadad incorporates citizen charter commitment of Indian Railways.

EdCIL (India) Limited

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

• EdCIL (India) Limited, a Mini Ratna Category-I CPSE under Ministry of HRD, Government of India, has paid a dividend of Rs 9.5 Crore for the year 2018-19.

Know! about Educational Consultants India Limited (EdCIL)

• EdCIL offers Project Management and Consultancy solutions across education verticals covering ICT/IT Solutions, Online Testing and Assessment Services, Advisory Services, Infrastructure, PMC, Procurement and Overseas Education Services.
• The Government of India has designated Education Consultants of India (Ed.CIL) as the Single Window agency to facilitate the admission of children of Indian Diaspora and foreign students
• The company is executing a mega-project of Ministry of HRD called "Study in India" to increase the number of inbound foreign students to India.
• The program includes setting-up of a large portal, call centre, social media campaign, branding, event management and setting-up of facilitation centres.

Nature Ranking Index-2020
CSIR tops scientific research institutional ranking
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Nature Ranking Index)
What's the NEWS

• Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has been ranked first in the Nature Ranking Index-2020.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, has been ranked second.

Know! more about the Nature Ranking Index

• The rankings are based on total research output which the institutions have carried out from December 01, 2018 to 30^th November, 2019.
• CSIR-New Delhi has achieved the top position with 142 counts (C) and a share percentage (SP) of 87.74 while IISC-Bengaluru stands second with 211 counts and 83.61 in share percentage.
• The total research output indicated the counts which mean total citations in numbers and shares which mean the sharing percentage per article.
• The top subjects so associated with the research work includes: Earth and Environmental Sciences, Physical Science, Chemistry and Life Sciences.
• The third place in India is secured by Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR-Mumbai) with a research count of 232 and share percentage of 62.18.
  
  

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