November 2024
Download PDFDaily Current Capsules 05th October 2020
Prelims Factoids
Dalle Khursani
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Dalle Khursani + about GI tag)
What's the NEWS
- Dalle Khursani, the famous red hot cherry pepper of Sikkim, is set to get a geographical indication (GI) tag from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
- An application filed by the Guwahati-based North Eastern Regional Agricultural Marketing Corporation Limited (Neramac) for the GI tag of Sikkim's Dalle Khursani has been accepted by the DPIIT.
Know! about Dalle Khursani
- Considered one of the world's hottest chillies, it has a range of 1,00,000 to 3,50,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units).
- The Scoville scale is a measurement of spiciness or heat of chillies.
- The famous Bhut Jolokia, grown in neighbouring Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Manipur, has an SHU range of 8,55,000 to 10,41,427.
Know! all about GI tag
- Geographical indication or GI is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- Geographical Indications are part of the intellectual property rights that comes under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
- In India, Geographical Indications registration is administered by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act of 1999.
- Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products.
Social Issues
Largest Market of Tribal Products ‘Tribes India e-Marketplace' launched
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about handicraft and organic products marketplace, Tribes India E-Marketplace) + Mains ( GS II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the performance of these schemes
What's the NEWS
- Union Minister for Tribal Affairs launched India's largest handicraft and organic products marketplace, Tribes India E-Marketplace (market.tribesindia.com) on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti(October 2, 2020)
Know! about it
- This initiative of TRIFED under Ministry of Tribal Affairs will showcase the produce and handicrafts of tribal enterprises from across the country and help them market their produce/ products directly, is also a major leap towards the digitisation of tribal commerce.
Tribes India e-Marketplace India E-Marketplace
- It is an ambitious initiative through which TRIFED aims to onboard 5 lakh tribal producers for sourcing of various handicraft, handloom, natural food products across the country and brings to you the best of tribal produce.
- The suppliers comprise of individual tribal artisans, tribal SHGs, Organisations/ Agencies/ NGOs working with tribals.
- The platform provides the tribal suppliers with an Omni-channel facility to sell their goods through their own retailers and distributors, TRIFED's network of Outlets and eCommerce partners as well as their own account in e-Marketplace.
Pakur Honey:
- The tribal Santhal community of Pakur District, Jharkhand have set an example by exploring the potential of beekeeping commercially.
- The collection of honey is carried out in an eco-friendly manner on sustainable basis by the local youth.
Health Sector
Ayush Grid
Relevance IN. - Prelims ( about Ayush Grid and its objective) + Mains ( GS II governance + Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
What's the NEWS
- The operational integration of Ayush Grid, the emerging IT backbone for AYUSH Sector with the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), was endorsed
Ayush Grid project.
- In the last two years Ayush Grid project succeeded in bridging the digital gap in the Ayush Sector and also in implementing various critical healthcare IT projects.
- The Ayush Grid project was initiated by the Ministry in 2018 for creating a comprehensive IT backbone for the entire sector.
- Digitalization of the entire Ayush Sector will lead to its transformation in fields of health care delivery at all levels, including research, education, various health programmes and drug regulations.
AYUSH Health Management Information System (AHMIS).
- The most significant among the different initiatives implemented so far in the project is the AYUSH Health Management Information System (AHMIS).
- Originally based on THERAN, an HMIS developed in-house by the Siddha Research Council, Chennai, the AHMIS has now emerged into a robust, cloud-based Information System used by nearly100 Clinical establishment of the AYUSH Ministry.
Know! more about Ayush Grid initiative
- An ambitious project to support Ayush education is being launched with the name Ayush Next. This has been developed, and is expected to go online soon.
- The components of Ayush Grid initiative will cover all the verticals of the Ayush Sector, like Health Services, Education, Ayush Research, Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Training Programmes, Citizen Centric Services, Drug Licencing Portal, and Media Outreach.
- The Ayush Grid is steadily developing through its constituent projects. It is expected to emerge as a comprehensive IT backbone serving 8 lakh Ayush physicians and nearly 50 crore citizens within three years.
Governance
Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about DGQI) + Mains ( GS II Governance + transparency and accountability)
What's the NEWS
- Department of Fertilizers under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has been ranked 2nd amongst the 16 Economic Ministries / Departments and 3rd out of the 65 Ministries / Departments with a score 4.11 on a scale of 5 on Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI)
- A Survey conducted by Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), Niti Ayog to assess different Ministries /Departments' performance on the implementation of Central Sector Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI)
- The DMEO, Niti Aayog has undertaken DGQI exercise: Self-assessment based review of data preparedness levels across Ministries / Departments to produce a DGQI score card.
Objective of this Survey
- Assessing data preparedness of Ministries / Departments on a standardized framework to drive healthy competition among them and promote cooperative peer learning from best practices.
Know! the methodology
In this survey, an online questionnaire was prepared under six major themes of DGQI:
- Data Generation;
- Data Quality;
- Use of Technology;
- Data Analysis, Use and Dissemination;
- Data Security and HR Capacity and Case Studies.
- Weightages were assigned to the themes and sub-weightages to each question within every theme to arrive at final DGQI scores ranging between 0 to 5 for every scheme.
Ministries / Departments were classified in 6 (six) categories:
- Administrative,
- Strategic,
- Infrastructure,
- Social,
- Economic and
- Scientific.
- Inputs have been collected from 65 Ministries / Departments implementing 250 CS / CSS schemes and their scores were accordingly calculated.
- Department of Fertilizers ranked 2nd amongst the 16 Economic Ministries / Departments and ranked 3rd out of the 65 Ministries / Departments with a score 4.11 on a scale of 5.
Benefits
- The effort of DMEO, Niti Aayog to bring out such a report card of the Ministries / Departments
- It will immensely help improve the implementation framework of government policies, schemes and programmes to achieve the desired goals.
Defence
India Successfully Test-fires New Version of Nuclear-capable Shaurya Ballistic Missile
Relevance IN - Prelims (about nuclear-capable Shaurya missile)
What's the NEWS
- India successfully test-fired a new version of nuclear-capable Shaurya missile off the coast of Odisha which can strike targets at around 800 kms.
- The new version of the missile was test fired successfully and would be inducted in the strategic forces to complement one of the existing missiles in the same class
- In the last phase while moving close to its target, the missile moves at hypersonic speeds
Recent missile tests
- India also successfully test fired the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile which can hit targets at over 400 km strike range which is at least more than 100 kms from the previous capability of the missile.
- India moves terrain-hugging Nirbhay missiles with 1,000-km range to defend LAC
- The Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile will be inducted into the army and navy after the seventh trial
Defence
Nirbhay long range subsonic cruise missile
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile)
What's the NEWS
- India will formally induct the Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile into the Indian Army and Navy after the seventh trial scheduled next month but has already moved a limited number of the missiles to the Line of Actual Control where Indian soldiers are locked in a tense standoff with China's PLA.
Nirbhay subsonic cruise missile
- The 1,000 km range solid rocket booster missile has a single shot kill ratio of more than 90 per cent.
- It has been developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
- The Defence Acquisition Council headed by defence minister Rajnath Singh has cleared the formal induction of the Nirbhay subsonic missile.
- The military, has already moved some of them(Nirbhay subsonic missile) to defend the LAC against China.
- The missile, which travels at a speed of 0.7 Mach, has both terrain-hugging and sea-skimming capability that helps it avoid detection and counter-measures.
Defence
Exercise Bongosagar and IN-BN Corpat
Relevance IN - Prelims (about Exercise Bongosagar + IN - BN Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)
Exercise Bongosagar
- The second edition of Indian Navy (IN) - Bangladesh Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise Bongosagar commences in Northern Bay of Bengal on 03 October 2020.
- Exercise Bongosagar, whose first edition was held in 2019, is aimed at developing inter-operability and joint operational skills through conduct of a wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations.
- In the upcoming edition of Exercise Bongosagar, ships from both navies will participate in surface warfare drills, seamanship evolutions and helicopter operations.
IN - BN Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)
- The 3rd edition of IN - BN Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) begins in Northern Bay of Bengal from 4 to 5 October 2020, wherein IN and BN units will undertake joint patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL).
- Conduct of CORPATs has strengthened understanding between both the navies and instituted measures to stop conduct of unlawful activities.
- Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kiltan, an indigenously built Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvette and INS Khukri, an indigenously built Guided-Missile Corvette are participating
- India and Bangladesh have a close, long-standing relationship covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions, which has strengthened over the years.
- The people of India and Bangladesh also share close cultural bonds and a shared vision of democratic society and a rules-based order.
Mujib Barsho
- This edition of Exercise Bongosagar assumes greater significance since it is being conducted during Mujib Barsho, the 100th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
SAGAR
- Exercise Bongosagar and IN - BN CORPAT will be undertaken over three days and reflects the priority that Indian Navy accords to Bangladesh Navy as part of Prime Minister's vision of SAGAR (Security And Growth for All in the Region).
Government Schemes
100-days Mission Mode Campaign to provide potable piped water supply in Schools & Anganwadi Centres launched
Relevance IN - Prelims (about special mission mode campaign + Jal Jeevan Mission) + 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 Union Minister of Jal Shakti, launched a special mission mode campaign to provide potable piped water supply in all Schools & Anganwadi Centres across the nation within a short span of 100 days.
- This mission was envisaged by the Prime Minister while releasing the ‘Margdarshika' for Gram Panchayats and Paani Samitis for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Know! about the mission
- Provisions have been made under Jal Jeevan Mission for ensuring safe water through tap water connection in schools, anganwadi centres, health care centres, etc.
- National Jal Jeevan Mission has reached out to States/ UTs to ensure that during this campaign, Gram Sabhas are convened at the earliest to pass a resolution for providing safe water in all schools, anganwadi centres and other public institutions in the village in the next 100 days.
- These facilities will be operated and maintained by the Gram Panchayat and/ or its sub-committee i.e. Village Water & Sanitation Committee or Paani Samiti.
- This campaign will go a long-way in ensuring safe water supply to our children that will positively impact their health and overall development.
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)
- Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims at the universal coverage of provision of tap water connection to every rural home by 2024.
- Under the mission, special focus is on women and children.
- Ensuring safe water to children is a priority, as they are the most vulnerable to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, etc.
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