Relevance IN - Prelims (about RalDer-X)

What's the NEWS

• RaIDer-X, a new explosive detection device, was unveiled at the National Workshop on Explosive Detection (NWED-2020).
• RaIDer-X has the capability to detect explosives from a stand-off distance.
• RaIDer-X has been co-developed by High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) Pune and Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

Know! more about NWED and HEMRL

• The NWED-2020 was inaugurated by DRDO. The two-day workshop has been organised by HEMRL Pune on its diamond jubilee celebration.
• HEMRL Pune is a premier laboratory of DRDO. It provides a platform to scientists, technocrats and users to share knowledge, experience and updated information on the technological advancements made in the recent past.
• The workshop will help in the further development of explosive detection devices and keep abreast on the recent development and advancements in the field of explosive detection.

Social Justice
PM Modi Distributes Assistive Aids, Devices To Divyangjan & Senior Citizens In Prayagraj

Relevance IN - Prelims ( AIDP and RVY scheme) + 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

• The PM dispensed assistive aids and devices to senior citizens and people with disabilities under the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana and Assistance to Disabled persons for purchasing/fitting of aids/appliances (ADIP) scheme.
• This is the biggest ever distribution camp being conducted in the country in terms of the number of beneficiaries covered, number of appliances distributed and value of aids and appliances distributed.
• The objective is to provide assistance through these aids and devices to the daily living and socio - economic development of the Divyangjan and the Senior Citizens.

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment)

• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) is a scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to the BPL category.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme which is fully funded by the Central Government.

ADIP Scheme (Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment)

• The main objective of the ADIP scheme is to assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation, by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhance their economic potential.
• AIDP scheme is implemented through National Institutes under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment ,ALIMCO (a PSU that manufactures artificial limbs) and various NGOs

A person with disabilities fulfilling following conditions would be eligible for assistance under ADIP Scheme through authorized agencies:

• He/she should be an Indian citizen of any age.
• Should be certified by a Registered Medical Practitioner that he/she is disabled and fit to use prescribed aid/appliance. Holds a 40% Disablement Certificate.
• Person who is employed/self-employed or getting pension and whose monthly income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 20,000/- per month.
• In case of dependents, the income of parents/guardians should not exceed Rs. 20,000/- per month.
• Persons who have not received assistance from the Government, local bodies and Non-Official Organisations during the last 3 years for the same purpose. However, for children below 12 years of age this limit would be 1 year.

Prelims Factoids
Kudumbashree to bring products to houses

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Kudumbashree Mission or SPEM)
What's the NEWS

• Kudumbashree will organise the ‘Veetiloru Kudumbashree Ulpannam' campaign
• The State-level one-day campaign on March 15 is aimed at taking Kudumbashree products to each household in the State to increase their popularity and ensure a steady local market for them.
• The campaign is being held against the backdrop of observance of the 2019-20 financial year as the ‘Year of Livelihood' by Kudumbashree and International Women's Day celebrations.

Know! more about Kudumbashree Mission

• The State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM), popularly known as Kudumbashree Mission is the State government's arm for poverty eradication under the Local Self-Government Department.
• The Mission has a Governing Body chaired by the Minister for Local Self-Government and an Executive Committee chaired by the Principal Secretary, Local Self-Government Department.
• The Mission is the agency that promoted and supports the community network.
• It supports programmes in economic and social empowerment and works as an agency for enhancing women's citizenship.
• The Mission provides policy support for the programmes and ensures convergence of the community network and local government institutions. It facilitated partnerships at the district and State levels.

Infrastructure Development
Odisha is going to be the nerve centre of Mission Purvodaya

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Mission Purvodaya)

What's the NEWS

• With Japan as the partner country, the government is looking forward to make Odisha the nerve centre of Purvodaya in steel sector.
• It was stated by the Ministry of Steel in the workshop on "Enabling Procedures for Increase of Steel Usage for the Growth of Economy" in Bhubaneswar.
• This workshop was organised by ministry of steel in partnership with the ministry of economy, trade and industry, Government of Japan and industry body Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).

Know! about PURVODAYA: Accelerated development of eastern India through integrated steel hub

• Purvodaya in steel sector is aimed at driving accelerated development of Eastern India through establishment of integrated steel hub.
• Eastern states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal) and Northern part of Andhra Pradesh collectively hold ~80% of the country's iron ore, ~100% of coking coal and significant portion of chromite, bauxite and dolomite reserves.
• The proposed Integrated Steel Hub, encompassing Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Northern Andhra Pradesh, would serve as a torchbearer for socio-economic growth of Eastern India.
• The objective of this hub would be to enable swift capacity addition and improve overall competitiveness of steel producers both in terms of cost and quality.

The Integrated Steel Hub would focus on 3 key elements:

• Capacity addition through easing the setup of Greenfield steel plants
• Development of steel clusters near integrated steel plants as well as demand centres.
• Transformation of logistics and utilities infrastructure which would change the socio-economic landscape in the East

Miscellaneous
19^th World Productivity Congress

Relevance IN - Prelims (about WPC and its objective)

What's the NEWS

• World Productivity Congress, the world's largest convention for productivity development, is back in India after a gap of 45 years.
• The 19^th edition of World Productivity Congress (WPC) will be held on May 6 to May 8, 2020 at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, Bangalore.

Know! all about WPC

• The foremost future-shaping productivity deliberation event will be a key platform to deliberate on innovation and world-class practices that shape future productivity growth.
• WPC brings together a distinguished group of leading businessmen, industrialists, scholars, politicians, administrators and productivity experts from around the globe and from all sectors of industry, commerce and public services.
• Montreal headquartered World Confederation of Productivity Science (WCPS) has been organising this mega future-shaping convention since 1969. Last time, WPC was held in India was in the year 1974.
• WPC takes a broad, inclusive and holistic view of productivity, recognising that to be sustainable, businesses, governments and other organisations have to address social, environmental and economic productivities.
• The Congress is co-organised by PDA ventures Pvt Ltd, a group company of Trade Fairs Pvt Ltd, one of India's largest home-grown Trade fair organising companies.
• The takeaways from the 19th edition of the World Productivity Congress aims to be a catalyst for shaping future government approaches to enhance productivity for shaping future organisational strategies.
• Theme: The 19th World Productivity Congress themed "Industry 4.0 - Innovation and Productivity" which represents the Fourth Industrial Revolution that amalgamates the capabilities of humans and machines.
• I-4.0 uses innovations based on artificial intelligence, IoT and connectivity in industry, advanced manufacturing and the service sectors to increase productivity in a sustainable manner.
• The congress will focus on topics Digital Transformation, Technologies for I-4.0, Innovation in Service Industries, Implications for Global Challenges and Smart Manufacturing.

About World Confederation of Productivity Science(WCPS)

• It is an international association of industry, government, research centres, universities and scientists with an interest in progressing their economies and industries by the application of best practices in productivity science.
• Members of WCPS firmly believe that improving productivity increases wealth, and if that wealth is shared appropriately, conditions are created to enable a fairer society and a more peaceful world.
• Established in 1969, WCPS has hosted World Congress events, approximately every two or three years, usually involving the most senior leaders in government and industry, striving to enhance their economic and productivity strategies utilising the global knowledge and reach of WCPS.

There are two branches within WCPS:

• The World Academy of Productivity Science (WAPS) comprising over 500 recognised world leaders in productivity.
• The World Network of Productivity Organisations (WNPO) comprising approximately 23 countries that have established National Productivity Centers or National Productivity Organisations, usually in Private-Public partnerships, to make best practices in productivity more readily available to small to medium sized entities and government departments.

Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Completion of five years of Soil Health Card Scheme

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Soil Health Card) + Mains (GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.)
Know! about Soil Health Card

• Soil Health Card (SHC) is a Government of India's scheme promoted by the Department of Agriculture & Co-operation under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare.
• It is being implemented through the Department of Agriculture of all the State and Union Territory Governments.
• A SHC is meant to give each farmer soil nutrient status of his/her holding and advice him/her on the dosage of fertilizers and also the needed soil amendments, that s/he should apply to maintain soil health in the long run.
• SHC is a printed report that a farmer will be handed over for each of his holdings.
• Soil Health Card provides two sets of fertilizer recommendations for six crops including recommendations of organic manures.
• Farmers can also get recommendations for additional crops on demand.
• It will contain the status of his soil with respect to 12 parameters, namely N,P,K (Macro-nutrients) ; S (Secondary- nutrient) ; Zn, Fe, Cu, Mn, Bo (Micro - nutrients) ; and pH, EC, OC (Physical parameters).
• Based on this, the SHC will also indicate fertilizer recommendations and soil amendment required for the farm.
• The card will contain an advisory based on the soil nutrient status of a farmer's holding.
• It will show recommendations on dosage of different nutrients needed.
• Further, it will advise the farmer on the fertilizers and their quantities he should apply, and also the soil amendments that he should undertake, so as to realize optimal yields.
• Under this scheme Soil Health Cards are provided to all farmers at an interval of 2 years.

Achievements so far

• A 2017 study by the National Productivity Council (NPC) found that the SHC scheme has promoted sustainable farming and led to a decrease of use of chemical fertilizer application in the range of 8-10%.
• Besides, overall increase in the yield of crops to the tune of 5-6% was reported due to application of fertilizer and micro nutrients as per recommendations available in the Soil Health Cards.

Prelims Factoids
Araku Utsav 2020

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

• The two-day annual festival -- Araku Utsav 2020 begins at Araku Valley in Visakhapatnam district
• It is organised by the Andhra Pradesh Government

Know! about the fest

• The aim of organising such festivals was to spread the tribal tradition and culture to other regions. Such utsavs would also put Araku on global map
• People in large numbers from Araku and surrounding mandals thronged the utsav venue

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