Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Indian Sign Language (ISL) + ISLRTC) + Mains ( GS II Social issues - steps taken by the government for the welfare of vulnerable section of population)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment virtually released the 3rd edition of the Indian Sign Language (ISL) Dictionary with 10,000 terms (including 6,000 earlier terms)

• The Dictionary has been brought out by the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), an autonomous Institute under the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.
• The 3^rd edition of the ISL Dictionary contains total 10,000 terms of everyday use, academic terms, legal & administrative terms, medical terms, technical terms and agricultural terms.
• The Dictionary also contains regional signs used in different parts of the country.
• The 1^st edition of the ISL Dictionary was launched on 23^rd March 2018 with 3000 terms and the 2^nd edition with 6000 terms (including earlier 3000 terms) was launched on 27th February 2019.

Indian Sign Language Research and training Center ( ISLRTC)

• It is an autonomous organization under the administrative and financial control of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities(Divyangjan) Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India.
• In Accordance with the provisions of societies registration act,1860. ISLRTC established on 28th of September, 2015.
• Indian Sign Language (ISL) is used in the deaf community all over India. But ISL is not used in deaf schools to teach deaf children.
• Teacher training programs do not orient teachers towards teaching methods that use ISL. There is no teaching material that incorporates sign language. Parents of deaf children are not aware about sign language and its ability to remove communication barriers.
• ISL interpreters are an urgent requirement at institutes and places where communication between deaf and hearing people takes place but India has only less than 300 certified interpreters.
• Therefore, an institute that met all these needs was a necessity.
• After a long struggle by the deaf community, the Ministry approved the establishment of ISLRTC at New Delhi on 28th September, 2015.

Government Schemes
Pey Jal Survekshan

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Pey Jal Survekshan under Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions for the development of various sectors)
What's the NEWS

• A Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan under Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban has been launched

Pey Jal Survekshan

• Pey Jal Survekshan will be conducted in cities to ascertain equitable distribution of water, reuse of wastewater and mapping of water bodies with respect to quantity and quality of water through a challenge process.
• Ministry has decided to launch a pilot on Pey Jal Survekshan in 10 cities namely Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur.
• Based on the learnings of the pilot, this survekshan will be extended to all the AMRUT cities
• Data on drinking water, waste water management, non-revenue water and condition of 3 water bodies in the city will be collected through face-to-face interviews with citizens and municipal officials as per the approved questionnaire, on-call interviews, water sample collection and laboratory testing, and field survey for non-revenue water.
• Mission will be monitored through a technology-based platform on which beneficiary response will be monitored along with progress and output-outcome.
• Funding from Government for projects will be in three tranches of 20:40:40.
• Third instalment will be released based on functional outcomes achieved and credible exclusion will be exercised while funding.

Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) (JJM (U))

• It is designed to provide universal coverage of water supply to all households through functional taps in all 4,378 statutory towns in accordance with SDG Goal- 6.
• Sewerage/septage management in 500 AMRUT cities with the objective of making them water secure are the major focus areas under JJM (U).
• Rejuvenation of water bodies to augment sustainable fresh water supply and creating green spaces and sponge cities to reduce floods and enhance amenity value through an Urban Aquifer Management plan are other focus areas.
• JJM (U) will promote circular economy of water through development of city water balance plan for each city focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation.
• 20% of water demand to be met by reused water with development of institutional mechanism.
• Mission also has a reform agenda, under which City Water Potability Index, reduction in non-revenue water, municipal finance reforms, rain water harvesting, recycle water to meet at least 20% total water demand by 2025 and rejuvenating three water bodies per ULB are the key proposed reforms.
• The ULBs will be incentivized for successful implementation of the reforms.

Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

• It was launched by Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi in June 2015 with the focus to establish infrastructure that could ensure adequate robust sewage networks and water supply for urban transformation by implementing urban revival projects.
• Rajasthan was the first state in the country to submit State Annual Action Plan under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
• The scheme is dependent with public-private partnership(PPP) model.
• If required, various other schemes like Swachh Bharat Mission, Housing for All 2022, along with the local state schemes like that related to water supply and sewerage and other infrastructure related schemes can be linked to AMRUT.

The purpose of Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) is to

• (i) ensure that every household has access to a tap with assured supply of water and a sewerage connection;
• (ii) increase the amenity value of cities by developing greenery and well maintained open spaces (e.g. parks); and
• (iii) reduce pollution by switching to public transport or constructing facilities for non-motorized transport (e.g.walking and cycling).

Social Justice
Devendra Kula Vellalar community
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Devendra Kula Vellalar community)
What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has said that the reports appearing in media about delisting of Devendra Kula Vellalar community from SC soon are completely misinformed.
• The Cabinet has approved for categorising (7) SC communities into Devendra Kula Vellalar which would also be a part of the Scheduled Castes list of Tamil Nadu.
• The statement that they will be delisted from SCs and would be made OBCs is completely incorrect and it may be clarified that the statement does not reflect the correct position.
• A Bill for categorising (7) SC communities into Devendra Kula Vellalar under SC list to Tamil Nadu is already introduced in the Lok Sabha.

Connect to the Past

• During his visit to Tamil Nadu Prime Minister announced that the Union government has accepted the demand to bring seven sub-sects of the Devendrakula Vellalar community under one umbrella.
• Henceforth, instead of being called by their individual caste names, they will all be called Devendrakula Vellalar.
• The demand had been long pending, and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami had announced that he will send a recommendation to the Union government to include the seven sub-sects under Devendrakula Vellalar.
• Owing to their socio-economic conditions, the community will continue to enjoy the same reservations in education and jobs - that is, they will continue to be on the Scheduled Caste list
• Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment has tabled the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment) Bill, 2021 in order to bring the seven sub-sects under the Devendra Kula Velallars umbrella.

Know! the present development

• The Devendra Kula Vellalar community is a Scheduled Caste community that has seven sub-sects and comprise over 17.05 per cent of the Scheduled Caste community in Tamil Nadu, according to Census 2011.
• The community has been demanding to be given a Most Backward status and remove SC status from their community, as they are agrarian and not manual scavengers.
• They also demanded a 6 per cent reservation for the community.
• This community is currently identified by seven different sub-sects, i.e., Devendrakulathan, Kudumban, Pannadi, Kaaladi, Kadayan, Pallan and Patharia.
• They had been demanding to bring all these sub-sects under one umbrella.
• On February 14, PM Modi on his visit to Tamil Nadu announced that the Union government has accepted the demand to bring seven sub-sects of the Devendrakula Vellalar community under one umbrella.
• Thus, now rather than being called by their independent sect name, they will all be called Devendrakula Vellalar.

Government Schemes
PLI Scheme for Telecom Sector
Relevance IN - Prelims (Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme -benefits) + Mains (GS II governance + government schemes and initiatives)
What's the NEWS

• The Union Cabinet, chaired by the Prime Minister, has approved Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Telecom and Networking Products with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 12,195 crore.

Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for telecom sector

• It intends to promote manufacture of Telecom and Networking Products in India
• It proposes a financial incentive to boost domestic manufacturing and attract investments in the target segments of telecom and networking products in order to encourage Make in India.
• The scheme will also encourage exports of telecom and networking products 'Made in India'.
• Support under the Scheme will be provided to companies/entities engaged in manufacturing of specified telecom and networking products in India.
• Eligibility will be further subject to achievement of a minimum threshold of cumulative incremental investment over a period of four years and incremental sales of manufactured goods net of taxes (as distinct from traded goods) over the Base Year 2019-2020.
• The cumulative investment can be made at one go, subject to annual cumulative threshold as prescribed for four years being met.

Know! more about the scheme

• This scheme is part of the umbrella scheme approved by the cabinet in November 2020 for implementation of PLI under various Ministries/ Departments including Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
• It will give a boost to domestic manufacturing in the country .
• The Scheme will be operational from 1st April 2021.
• There will be a minimum investment threshold of Rs.10 crore for MSME with incentives from 7% to 4 % and Rs. 100 crore for others with incentives from 6% to 4 % over 5 year above Base Year.
• The applicants with higher investments than specified threshold under MSME and Non MSME categories will be selected through transparent process.
• With this scheme, India will be well positioned as a global hub for manufacturing of Telecom and Networking Products.
• Incremental production around Rs. 2 Lakh crore is expected to be achieved over 5 years. India will improve its competitiveness in manufacturing with increased value addition.

Benefits

• Globally Telecom and Networking Products exports represent an US$100 billion market opportunity, which can be exploited by India.
• With support under the scheme, India will augment capacities by attracting large investments from global players and at the same time encourage promising domestic champion companies to seize the emerging opportunities and become big players in the export market.
• It is expected that scheme will bring more than Rs. 3,000 crore investment and generate huge direct and indirect employments.
• Through this policy, India will move towards self-reliance. By incentivizing large scale manufacturing in India, domestic value addition will increase gradually.
• Provision of higher incentive to MSME will encourage domestic telecom manufacturers to become part of the global supply chain.

Know! about PLI

• In order to boost domestic manufacturing and cut down on import bills, the central government in March 2020 introduced a scheme that aims to give companies incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in domestic units.
• Apart from inviting foreign companies to set shop in India, the scheme also aims to encourage local companies to set up or expand existing manufacturing units.
• So far, the scheme has been rolled out for mobile and allied equipment as well as pharmaceutical ingredients and medical devices manufacturing.
• These sectors are labour intensive and are likely, and the hope is that they would create new jobs for the ballooning employable workforce of India.

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