Relevance IN - Prelims ( about the Second edition of Ranking of States on Support to Startup Ecosystems - Highlights) + Mains ( GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of
their design and implementation + GS III Economic development)
What's the NEWS

• Gujarat has again emerged as the best performer in developing startup ecosystem for budding entrepreneurs, according to the ranking of states and union territories by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Gujarat was categorised as the best performer among all states and one union territory (UT) Delhi, barring north-eastern states and other UTs.
• Among all the north-eastern states except Assam and all UTs barring Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands has emerged as the best performer.

Know! about the States' Startup Ranking Exercise

• The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) conducted the second edition of the States' Startup Ranking Exercise, with the key objective to foster competitiveness and propel States and Union Territories to work proactively towards uplifting the startup ecosystem.
• It has been implemented as a capacity development exercise to encourage mutual learning among all states and to provide support in policy formulation and implementation.
• The States' Startup Ranking Framework 2019 has 7 broad reform area, consisting of 30 action points ranging from Institutional Support, Easing Compliances, Relaxation in Public Procurement norms, Incubation support, Seed Funding Support, Venture Funding Support, and Awareness & Outreach.
• To establish uniformity and ensure standardization in the ranking process, States and UTs have been divided into two groups.
• While UTs except Delhi and all States in North East India except Assam are placed in Category ‘Y'. All other States and UT of Delhi are in Category ‘X'.
• A total of 22 States and 3 Union Territories participated in the exercise.
• Evaluation Committees comprising independent experts carried out a detailed assessment of responses across various parameters.

• Best Performers
• Top Performers
• Leaders
• Aspiring Leaders and
• Emerging Startup Ecosystems.

Leaders across 7 Reform Areas
The top scoring States across each reform area have been recognised as a leader.

Science & Technology
National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about NSTEDB + NIDHI + CAWACH) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of science and technology)
What's the NEWS

• A report on the journey of the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) in catalyzing innovation, entrepreneurship, and incubation was launched by the Secretary Department of Science and Technology

Know! the role played by NSTEDB

• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has played a significant role in fostering and nurturing the fledgling startup ecosystem by steering it through its strong network of Incubators through the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB).
• The concerted efforts of NSTEDB, DST during last 5 years for supporting innovation-driven entrepreneurship and fuelling incubation activity in institutions of higher learning has gained momentum and traction with speed and scale
• Programs like National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovation (NIDHI-) initiated by NSTEDB, aligning its activities with the National Initiative of Startup India and Standup India has played a significant role in energizing the incubator led innovation value chain.
• The collective strength and power of NIDHI program, the DST Incubator network and its startups was tested successfully during the COVID 19 pandemic through the Centre for Augmenting WAR with COVID-19 Health Crisis (CAWACH) program by supporting various solutions to resolve the crisis.

Know! about National Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB)

• It was established in 1982 by the Government of India under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology
• It is an institutional mechanism to help promote knowledge driven and technology intensive enterprises.
• The Board, having representations from socio-economic and scientific Ministries/Departments, aims to convert "job-seekers" into "job-generators" through Science & Technology (S&T) interventions.

Objectives:

• To promote and develop high-end entrepreneurship for S&T manpower as well as self-employment by utilising S&T infrastructure and by using S&T methods.
• To facilitate and conduct various informational services relating to promotion of entrepreneurship.
• To network agencies of the support system, academic institutions and Research & Development (R&D) organisations to foster entrepreneurship and self-employing using S&T with special focus on backward areas as well.
• To act as a policy advisory body with regard to entrepreneurship

Know! about NIDHI (National Initiative for Development and Harnessing Innovations)

• It is an umbrella programme conceived and developed by the Innovation & Entrepreneurship division, Department of Science & Technology, Government of India, for nurturing ideas and innovations (knowledge-based and technology-driven) into successful startups.
• The programme would work in line with the national priorities and goals and its focus would be to build an innovation driven entrepreneurial ecosystem with an objective of socio-economic development through wealth and job creation.
• NIDHI aims to nurture start-ups through scouting, supporting and scaling of innovations.
• The key stakeholders of NIDHI includes various departments and ministries of the central government, state governments, academic and R & D institutions, mentors, financial institutions, angel investors, venture capitalists and private sectors.
• NIDHI is developed keeping in line the new national aspirations and on the basis of DST's experience of three decades, in promoting innovative start-ups.

The key components of NIDHI are -
1. NIDHI-GCC - Grand Challenges and Competitions for scouting innovations;
2. NIDHI-PRomotion and Acceleration of Young and Aspiring technology entrepreneurs (NIDHI-PRAYAS) - Support from Idea to Prototype;
3. NIDHI- Entrepreneur In Residence (NIDHI-EIR) - Support system to reduce
risk;
4. Startup-NIDHI through Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres
(IEDCs) in academic institutions; encouraging Students to promote start-ups;
5. Start-up Centre in collaboration with MHRD; Inculcating a spirit of
entrepreneurship in National Institutions of Higher Learning;
6. NIDHI-Technology Business Incubator (TBI) - Converting Innovations to start- ups;
7. NIDHI-Accelerator - Fast tracking a start-up through focused intervention;
8. NIDHI-Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)- Providing early stage investment;
9. NIDHI Centres of Excellence (NIDHI-CoE) - A World class facility to help startups go global;
Economy
EASE 2.0 Index

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about EASE Banking Reforms Index+ reforms taken by PSBs) + Mains ( GSIII Economic development)
What's the NEWS

• Union Finance Minister inaugurated Doorstep Banking Services by Public Sector Banks (PSBs), to provide the convenience of banking services to people at their doorsteps.
• The services can be rendered by doorstep banking agents deployed by selected Service providers at 100 centres across the country
• The Finance Minister also participated in the awards ceremony to felicitate best performing banks on EASE Banking Reforms Index.

Doorstep Banking Services by PSBs

• Doorstep Banking Services is envisaged to provide convenience of banking services to the customers at their door step through the universal touch points of Call Centre, Web Portal or Mobile App.

• At present only non-financial services viz. Pick up of negotiable instruments (cheque / demand draft / pay order, etc.), Pick up new cheque book requisition slip, etc are available to customers. Financial services shall be made available from October 2020.
• The services can be availed by customers of Public Sector Banks at nominal charges.
• The services shall benefit all customers, particularly Senior Citizens and Divyangs who would find it at ease to avail these services.

Performance of PSB on EASE 2.0 Index

• The overall score of PSBs increased by 37% between March-2019 and March-2020
• Significant progress is seen across six themes of the Reforms Agenda, with the highest improvement seen in the themes of‘Responsible Banking', ‘Governance and HR', ‘PSBs as Udyamimitra for MSMEs', and ‘Credit off-take'.

• Bank of Baroda, State Bank of India, and erstwhile Oriental Bank of Commerce were felicitated for being the top three (in that order) in the ‘Top Performing Banks' category according to the EASE 2.0 Index Results.
• Bank of Maharashtra, Central Bank of India &erstwhile Corporation Bankwere awarded in the ‘Top Improvers' category basis EASE 2.0 Index.
• Punjab National Bank, Union Bank of India, and Canara Bank were also recognized for outstanding performance in select themes.

Major Reform achievements

• Gross NPAs reduced from 8.96 lakh crore in March-2018 to 6.78 lakh crore in March-2020
• Record recovery of 2.27 lakh crore in FY19-FY20 driven by newly setup dedicated stressed account management verticals in PSBs;
• Asset quality has improved significantly, with the net NPA ratio reducing from 7.97% in March 2018 to 3.75% in March 2020
• Number of PSBs under PCA down to three;
• CRAR 197 bps above the regulatory minimum; and
• The highest provision coverage ratio of 80.9% in eight years.
• PSBs have adopted digital platforms such as online OTS, e-Bक्रय, e-DRT for expedited recovery. 88% of one-time settlement (OTS) cases are now tracked through dedicated IT systems.
• PSBs have adopted new ways of credit, such as PSBloansin59minutes.com and Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) for digital lending for MSMEs and retail. 73% of all PSB inland bills are now discounted through online TReDS.

• A common reform agenda for PSBs, EASE Agenda is aimed at institutionalizing clean and smart banking.
• It was launched in January 2018
• EASE 2.0 built on the foundation laid in EASE 1.0 and furthered the progress on reforms.
• Reform Action Points in EASE 2.0 aimed at making the reforms journey irreversible,
• The Index measures the performance of each PSB on 120+objective metrics across six themes.
• It provides all PSBs a comparative evaluation showing where banks stand vis-à-vis benchmarks and peers on the Reforms Agenda.

• The Index follows a fully transparent scoring methodology, which enables banks to identify precisely their strengths as well as areas for improvement.

Connect to the Past ( February 2020)

• FM Nirmala Sitharaman launches Ease 3.0 for tech-enabled banking.
• This move is expected to change the customer's experience at the Public Sector Banks (PSBs).
• Ease (Enhanced Access and Service Excellence) 3.0 reform agenda aims at providing smart, tech-enabled public sector banking for aspiring India.

Human Resource Development
Shikshak Parv

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

• Ministry of Education has been organising a two-day conclave on School Education in 21st Century under Shikshak Parv on 10th and 11th September, 2020 through online medium.

Know! about Shikshak Parv

• In the two days conclave discussions by Expert Practitioners will be held to demystify some of the important themes of NEP for school education.
• Some of the suggestions from teachers received on MyGov will also be shared.
• Shikshak Parv is being celebrated from 8th September- 25th September, 2020 to felicitate the Teachers and to take New Education Policy 2020 forward. T
• The Ministry will be organizing a series of webinars on NEP and its implementation. In these webinars, various important themes of NEP will be discussed by experts.
• Each theme will target different sets of stakeholders of the education system; however, it will be useful for all schools, teachers, parents, students as well.

Defence
Raksha Mantri launches Aero India 21 website

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Aero India 2021)
What's the NEWS

• The 13th edition of Aero India-21 will be held at Air Force Station, Yelahanka, Bengaluru, Karnataka from 3rd to 07th February 2021.
• Raksha Mantri, Shri Rajnath Singh launched the Aero India 2021 website giving the go ahead for space-booking.
• Aero India 2021 website will be a contactless online interface for Asia's largest Aeroshow and host all online services related to the event for both the exhibitors and visitors

Know! more about Aero India Exhibition

• Aero India exhibition is organized every alternate year.
• It is one of the major exhibition for aerospace and defence industries with a public air show.
• It enables industry professional to gain market insights, announce new developments and gain media coverage.
• Aero India offers a unique platform to international aviation sector to bolster business.
• Aero India 2021 is the 13 th edition of Aero India being organised at Bengaluru, Karnataka from 03-07 February 2021.
• Aero India 2021 provides opportunity to demonstrate products to the potential customer and investors.
• In Aero India 2021 Exhibitors are likely to showcase their products using latest technologies to the potential customers.
• This is an important international event likely to be attended by thousands of business visitors and lakh general visitors

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