Relevance IN - Prelims (about Ekam Fest) + Mains (GS II •Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections.

What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment inaugurate the week long Exhibition-cum-Fair "EKAM Fest" organised by National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation (NHFDC) under M/o Social Justice & Empowerment

Know! about EKAM (Entrepreneurship, Knowledge, Awareness, Marketing) Fest

• EKAM Fest is an effort for promoting entrepreneurship and knowledge among Divyangjan community, generating awareness among society about potentialities of PwDs & providing a major marketing opportunity to PwDs entrepreneurs.
• NHFDC Foundation is making efforts for development of a brand and platform for marketing of products of these determined entrepreneurs.
• The word Ekam represents the inclusiveness, oneness and unity which appropriately describe the efforts being put in by NHFDC to develop the marketing platform and aggregation of the products through promotion of entrepreneurship, knowledge sharing, Awareness creation and marketing initiatives amongst the Divyangjan.
• In the first Ekam Fest, Divyang Entrepreneur and Artisans from all over the country have been invited with representation from J&K to Puducherry and from Nagaland to Gujarat.

National Handicapped Finance Development Corporation

• NHFDC is an Apex corporation under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and is working since 1997.
• It is registered as a company not for profit and provides financial assistance to the Divyangjan/Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan/PwDs) for their economic rehabilitation and provides number of skill development programmes to empower them to grow & sustain their enterprises.

Science and Technology
Scientists discover animal that doesn't need oxygen to survive
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Henneguya salminicol)
What's the NEWS

• Researchers discovered a unique organism that doesn't need to breathe.
• Instead, the tiny parasite lives in salmon tissue and evolved so that it doesn't need oxygen to produce energy.

Know! more about the parasite called Henneguya salminicol

• The animal which is a relative of jellyfish and corals, gave up breathing and consuming oxygen -- or became anaerobic -- to produce energy.
• Aerobic respiration was thought to be ubiquitous in animals, but now we confirmed that this is not the case
• The discovery shows that evolution can go in strange directions.
• Aerobic respiration is a major source of energy, and yet we found an animal that gave up this critical pathway
• Some other organisms like fungi, amoebas or ciliate lineages in anaerobic environments have lost the ability to breathe over time
• The new study demonstrates that the same can happen to an animal -- possibly because the parasite happens to live in an anaerobic environment
• The researchers noted that the parasite's anaerobic nature was an accidental discovery.
• While assembling the Henneguya genome, the researchers found that it did not include a mitochondrial genome.
• The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell where oxygen is captured to make energy, so its absence indicated that the animal was not breathing oxygen.
• It's not yet clear to us how the parasite generates energy.

It may be drawing it from the surrounding fish cells, or it may have a different type of respiration such as oxygen-free breathing, which typically characterises anaerobic non-animal organisms

• It is an animal whose evolutionary process is the opposite.
• Living in an oxygen-free environment, it has shed unnecessary genes responsible for aerobic respiration and become an even simpler organism

Agriculture
11^th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about KVK) + 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 11^th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference -2020 inaugurated by the Ministry for Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare

Know! about KVK

• A Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is an agricultural extension centre in India created by ICAR (Indian Council for Agricultural Research) and its affiliated institutions at district level to provide various types of farm support to the agricultural sector.
• These centres serve as the ultimate link between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and farmers, and aim to apply agricultural research in a practical, localized setting.
• As per the mandate of Indian Council of Agricultural Research, K.V.K. will operate under the administrative control of State Agricultural University (SAU) or Central Institute situated in a particular area.
• Different scientists from different disciplines as per the specific requirement of that particular area are posted in the Krishi Vigyan Kendra
• At present there are 713 KVKs, out of which 498 are under State Agricultural Universities (SAU) and Central Agricultural University (CAU), 63 under ICAR Institutes, 101 under NGOs, 38 under State Governments, and the remaining under other educational institutions.
• The mandate of KVK is Technology Assessment and Demonstration for its Application and Capacity Development.

To implement the mandate effectively, the following activities are envisaged for each KVK.

1. On-farm testing to assess the location specificity of agricultural technologies under various farming systems.
2. Frontline demonstrations to establish production potential of technologies on the farmers' fields
3. Capacity development of farmers and extension personnel to update their knowledge and skills on modern agricultural technologies
4. To work as Knowledge and Resource Centre of agricultural technologies for supporting initiatives of public, private and voluntary sectors in improving the agricultural economy of the district.
5. Provide farm advisories using ICT

• In addition, KVK would produce quality technological products (seed, planting material, bio-agents, livestock) and make it available to farmers, organize frontline extension activities, identify and document selected farm innovations and converge with ongoing schemes and programmes within the mandate of KVK.

Prime Minister launched 10,000 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) all over the country
Relevance IN - Prelims (about FPO + about SFAC + PM-KISAN) + 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

• Prime Minister launched a campaign to set up 10,000 new farmer producer organisations (FPOs) across the country in the next five years.

Know! about FPO

• A new FPO will be set up to increase the income of the farmers and to empower them. This will enable the farmers to market and process the crops along with producing them.
• Farmers Producer Organisations FPOs will help small, marginal and landless farmers in order to give them access to technology, quality seed, fertilizers and pesticides including helping them in marketing of their products. The Centre will provide fund of Rs 15 lakh to each FPO.

What's the need and benefits of FPO

• Nearly 86% of farmers are small and marginal with average land holdings in the country being less than 1.1 hectare.
• These small, marginal and landless farmers face tremendous challenges during agriculture production phase such as for access to technology, quality seed, fertilizers and pesticides including requisite finances.
• They also face tremendous challenges in marketing their produce due to lack of economic strength.
• FPOs help in collectivization of such small, marginal and landless farmers in order to give them the collective strength to deal with such issues.
• Members of the FPO will manage their activities together in the organization to get better access to technology, input, finance and market for faster enhancement of their income.

Completion of One Year of PM-KISAN

• Pradhan MantriKisanSammanNidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme
• It is an income support scheme for farmers to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.
• Under the Scheme, benefit is provided to the eligible beneficiary to the tune of Rs.6000/- per year.
• It is payable in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs.2000/- each. The payment is made online directly into the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries under Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
• The Scheme was launched on 24^th February, 2019 and has successfully completed one year of implementation on 24^th February, 2020.
• In a historic decision in its first cabinet meeting Modi 2.0 Government has decided to extend the PM-KISAN scheme to all the farmers.

Special drive to saturate PM-KISAN beneficiaries with Kisan Credit Cards (KCC)

• The Prime Minister also launched a saturation drive for distribution of Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) to all the beneficiaries under the PM-KISAN Scheme, on the 29th February 2020.
• Over 6.5 Crore of the approximately 8.5 Crore beneficiaries under PM-KISAN Scheme, possess the Kisan Credit Cards.
• The saturation drive shall ensure that the remaining about 2 Crore PM-KISAN beneficiaries are also distributed the Kisan Credit Cards.

Know! about Farmer Producer Organisation (FPO)

• FPO is one type of PO where the members are farmers. Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is providing support for the promotion of FPOs
• It can be a producer company, a cooperative society or any other legal form which provides for sharing of profits/benefits among the members.
• A Farmer Producer Company is a hybrid between cooperative societies and private limited companies.
• The objective of the concept of FPC is to organize farmers into a collective to improve their bargaining strength in the market.
• It is a legal entity formed by primary producers, viz. farmers, milk producers, fishermen, weavers, rural artisans, craftsmen.

Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC)

• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is an Autonomous Society promoted by Ministry of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers' Welfare, Government of India.
• It was registered under Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860 on 18^th January, 1994
• Society is pioneer in organising small and marginal farmers as Farmers Interest Groups, Farmers Producers Organisation and Farmers Producers Company for endowing them with bargaining power and economies of scale.
• It provides a platform for increased accessibility and cheaper availability of agricultural inputs to small and marginal farmers and in establishing forward and backward linkages in supply chain management.
• To support farmers in various aspects ranging from input procurement to market linkages, Government of India through Small Farmers' Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC), a registered society under Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare, Government of India, is promoting Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) by mobilizing the farmers and helping them in registering as companies.

Defence
Indian Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Varad commissioned

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Varad )
What's the NEWS

• The Indian Coast Guard's Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Varad has been commissioned

Know! more about it

• The ship Varad will be based at Paradip in Odisha, under the operational control of the Coast Guard North Eastern Region.
• The 98 meter long vessel has been designed and built by the L&T at its yard at Kattupalli near Chennai, as per the specifications of the Coast Guard.
• The ship is fitted with modern navigation and communication equipment, sensors and machinery.
• It is equipped with 30 mm and 12.7 mm guns. It has special onboard features like the Integrated Bridge System, Platform Management System, Automated Power Management System and High Power External Fire-Fighting system.

The ship Varad can carry a twin engine helicopter and four high speed boats for swift boarding operations, search and rescue, law enforcement and maritime patrol.

• The ship is also capable of carrying pollution response equipment for oil spill response at sea.
• The ship will be deployed extensively for the surveillance of India's Exclusive Economic Zone and to safeguard the maritime interests of the country.

Infrastructure Development
Infrastructure Projects on PMG Portal reviewed by the Commerce Ministry
Relevance IN - Prelims (about PMG Portal + Invest India)
What's the NEWS

• Minister of Commerce & Industry, chaired a meeting for the review of 17 large-size infrastructure projects in Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). Project Monitoring Group (PMG).

Know! about PMG

• Project Monitoring Group (PMG) is an institutional mechanism of DPIIT to expedite resolution of issues and removal of regulatory bottlenecks in projects, with investments upward of ₹ 500 crores in India.
• Invest India provides implementational support to PMG in identifying and following up on issues with the States.
• PMG enlists unresolved project issues of all Public, Private and ‘Public-Private Partnership' (PPP) projects and undertakes fast-tracking of approvals, sectoral policy issues and removal of bottlenecks for expeditious commissioning.
• It has till date resolved more than 3500 issues in 809 projects and has unlocked anticipated financial investment of more than ₹ 32 lakh crores.
• At the moment, PMG and Invest India are handling 588 issues in 260 projects, with total anticipated investment of ₹10 lakh crore.

INVEST INDIA

• National Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of India and act as the first point of reference for investors in India.
• Invest India, set up in 2009, is a non-profit venture under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.

Government Schemes
80,000 Micro Enterprises to be Assisted in Current Financial year under PMEGP

Relevance IN - Prelims (about PMEGP + about CGTMSE)
What's the NEWS

• Some of the key schemes of Ministry of MSME which generate large number of jobs with low capital investment were reviewed recently in a meeting
• The focus of the meeting was on the Prime Minister's Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), a flagship scheme of the Ministry of MSME, and Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

Know! about PMEGP

• PMEGP is a credit linked subsidy scheme launched by the Ministry of MSME which promotes self-employment through setting up of micro enterprises, where subsidy up to 35 percent is provided by the Government through Ministry of MSME for loans up to Rs. 25 lakhs in manufacturing and Rs 10 lakhs in service sector.
• Self Help Groups, Institutions registered under Societies Registration Act 1860, Production Co-operative Societies, Charitable Trusts and any individual above 18 years of age are eligible.
• The Scheme is implemented through Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) at the national level and at the State level it is implemented through State Khadi and Village Industries Commission

Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE).

• Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India launched Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) to make available collateral-free credit to the micro and small enterprise sector.
• Both the existing and the new enterprises are eligible to be covered under the scheme.
• The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, GoI and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), established a Trust named Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) to implement the Credit Guarantee Fund Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises.
• CGTMSE has introduced a new "Hybrid Security" product allowing guarantee cover for the portion of credit facility not covered by collateral security.

Infrastructure Development: Energy
11 ‘REMCs' to be commissioned
Relevance IN - Prelims (about REMCs)
What's the NEWS

• Eleven ‘Renewable Energy Management Centres' (REMC) inaugurated by Union Power Minister

Know! about REMC

• These REMCs, built at a cost of ₹409 crore, will make it possible for the country to have more of renewable energy, particularly wind.
• Without these, absorption of large packets of intermittent electricity from wind and solar plants would not be possible.
• Public sector major Power Grid Corporation of India is overseeing the setting up of these REMCs on behalf of the Ministry of Power.
• One REMC will come up in the National Load Dispatch Centre, three in as many Regional Load Dispatch Centres and seven in the State Load Dispatch Centres

Load dispatch centres

• Load dispatch centres are like the control room that oversees how much and where the electricity is coming from and whom it should go to.

Know! the working of REMCs

• REMCs are a unit of load dispatch centres that keep an eye on renewable energy plants.
• These centres will essentially perform three functions: forecasting of renewable energy from each plant
• scheduling of renewable energy to customers
• tracking of generation from the RE plants

What's the need of REMCs

• The problem with wind and solar energy is its intermittency.
• Energy flows when wind blows and stops when wind stops; likewise, when a cloud passes over the sun, electricity from the solar plants dips.
• This ebb-and-tide of power through the cables is a headache for the grid manager who has to keep a steady supply of electricity at the consumers' end.
• REMC is a "hub for all information regarding renewable energy power generation", which would have a "dedicated team for managing forecast RE generation, dispatch and real-time monitoring to ensure safe, secure and optimal operation of the grid

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