Education
Government launches YUVA - Prime Minister's Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about YUVA scheme) + Mains ( GS II Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health,Education, Human Resources.)

What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Education, Department of Higher Education today launched YUVA- Prime Minister's Scheme For Mentoring Young Authors, an Author Mentorship programme to train young and budding authors (below 30 years of age) in order to promote reading, writing and book culture in the country, and project India and Indian writings globally.

Know! all about the scheme

• The launch of YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors) is in tune with PM's vision to encourage young writers to write about India's freedom struggle.
• YUVA is a part of India@75 Project (Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav) to bring to the fore the perspectives of the young generation of writers on themes like Unsung Heroes, Freedom Fighters, Unknown and Forgotten Places and their role in National Movement, and other related themes in an innovative and creative manner.
• This scheme will thus help to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote Indian heritage, culture and knowledge system.
• The National Book Trust, India under the Ministry of Education as the Implementing Agency will ensure phase-wise execution of the Scheme under well-defined stages of mentorship.
• The books prepared under this scheme will be published by National Book Trust, India; and will also be translated into other Indian languages ensuring the exchange of culture and literature, thereby promoting 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat'.
• The selected young authors will interact with some of the best authors of the world; participate in literary festivals etc.
• NEP 2020 has emphasised on the empowerment of the young minds and creating a learning ecosystem that can make the young readers/learners ready for leadership roles in the future world.
• In this context, YUVA will go a long way in laying the foundation of the future leaders of the creative world.

Highlights of YUVA (Young, Upcoming and Versatile Authors):

• A total of 75 authors will be selected through an All India Contest to be conducted through https://www.mygov.in/ from 1 June - 31 July 2021.
• The winners will be announced on 15 August 2021.
• The young authors will be trained by eminent authors/mentors.
• Under the mentorship, the manuscripts will be readied by 15 Dec. 2021 for publication.
• The published books will be launched on 12 January 2022 on the occasion of National Youth Day (Yuva Diwas).
• A consolidated scholarship of Rs.50,000 per month for a period of six months per author will be paid under the Mentorship Scheme

Social Justice
PM-CARES for Children scheme

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about PM-CARES for Children + Bal Swaraj Portal) + Mains ( GS II Social issues + welfare scheme for the vulnerable section)
What's the NEWS

• The government announced a special "PM-CARES for Children" scheme for all those orphaned due to COVID-19, which will include a corpus of Rs.10 lakh for each child till he or she reaches 18.

Know! more about the scheme

• Children who have lost both parents or their lone surviving parent or their legal guardian or adoptive parent due to COVID-19 will be supported under the scheme.
• The Women and Child Development Ministry has said that there are a total 577 COVID-19 orphans identified across the country.
• When a child turns 18, he or she will draw a monthly stipend from the corpus of Rs.10 lakh in order to meet expenses for personal needs and higher education. On reaching 23, the child will get the entire Rs.10 lakh
• The government will also assist such children with school education.
• They will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.
• If the child is admitted in a private school, the school fees will be paid from the PM CARES fund as per norms under the Right To Education Act, 2009.
• PM CARES will also meet expenses on uniform, text books and notebooks.
• Children in the age group of 11-18 years will also have the option to study in a residential school under the Central government such as Sainik School and Navodaya Vidyalaya.
• These children will also be supported during their higher education through either scholarship equivalent to the tuition fees or educational loans where the interest on the loan will be paid by the PM CARES fund.
• All children will be enrolled as a beneficiary under Ayushman Bharat Scheme with a health insurance cover of Rs.5 lakh, where the premium amount will be paid by PM CARES till a child turns 18.

Know! more about the Bal Swaraj Portal

• In view of the growing problem related to children affected by COVID-19, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has devised an online tracking portal "Bal Swaraj (COVID-Care link)" for children in need of care and protection
• The portal has been created with the purpose of tracking and monitoring children who need care and protection in real-time, digitally.
• The portal will also be used to track children who have lost both their parents during COVID-19.
• The "COVID-Care" link on the portal has been provided for the concerned officer or department to upload the data of such children.

• The children who have lost family support or are without any ostensible means of subsistence are children in need of care and protection under Section 2(14) of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015 and all procedures given under the Act for such children must be followed to ensure the well-being and best interest of children
• The "Bal Swaraj-COVID-Care" aims at tracking the children affected by COVID-19 right from their production before the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), to the restoration of the children to their parent, guardian, or relative, and its subsequent follow-up.
• The Commission will be able to get information about whether the child is getting his/her entitlements, benefits, and entitled monetary gains, through the data filled in the portal by the District officers and State officers for each child.
• This will also allow the Commission to know whether the child has been produced before the CWC and if the orders are being passed for him/her.
• This will also allow them to identify if the State needs any financial assistance in getting more funds for giving benefit under implemented schemes to the children

Governance
13 more District Collectors empowered to grant citizenship to applicants from 3 countries
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about latest notification and its provisions + about Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) + 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 Home Ministry empowered 13 more District Collectors in five States - Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab - to grant citizenship certificates to applicants belonging to six minority communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Know! about the latest notification

• The latest notification is a reiteration of similar orders issued in 2016 and 2018 and is not related to the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) that is yet to come into effect.
• The CAA passed in 2019 seeks to grant Indian citizenship to six undocumented communities that came to India till December 31, 2014.
• The May 28 notification intends to benefit legal migrants (who entered on passport/visa) from the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who have already applied for Citizenship under Section 5 (by registration) and Section 6 (naturalisation) of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• The only way CAA could have helped the legal minority migrants is in fast-tracking their applications as it reduced the mandatory requirement of 11 years aggregate stay in India to five for citizenship.

Know! about Citizenship

• Citizenship is a Central subject and the Home Ministry periodically delegates powers to States through gazette notification under Section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.
• Indian citizenship can be acquired on eight grounds - based on registration made by a person of Indian origin, by a person married to an Indian, minor child, whose parents are registered as citizens of India, by a person whose either parent was a citizen of Independent India, overseas citizens of India, by naturalisation and registration of a child at an Indian consulate.

Connect the dots (the provision of long-term visas (LTV)

• The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government in 2011 decided to give LTVs to hundreds of Hindus and Sikhs who came to India claiming religious persecution in Pakistan.
• Many came on a pilgrim visa and continued to stay here after the expiry of the papers. According to data, the LTVs granted to Pakistani Hindus from 2011-2014 stood at 14,726.
• LTV is a precursor to citizenship.
• In 2015, the ministry amended the citizenship rules and legalised the stay of such foreign migrants belonging to the six communities who entered India on or before December 2014 due to persecution on grounds of religion by exempting them from provisions of the Passport Act and Foreigners Act.
• It also allowed them to take up employment opportunities in non-government sectors and empowered District Magistrates in select States to allow purchase of property and issue of driving licence.
• As per Section 2 (b) Citizenship Act, 1955, "illegal migrant" means a foreigner who has entered India "without a valid passport or other travel documents or with a valid passport or travel document but remains therein beyond the permitted period of time." The definition was inserted in 2004 through an amendment to the Act.

Defence
Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel Sajag commissioned by National Security Advisor

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ICG OPV Sajag + about OPV and the role of ICG)
What's the NEWS

• National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval commissioned Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Sajag through digital means and dedicated it to the nation for safeguarding the maritime interests on May 29, 2021.

Know! about Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Sajag

• OPV Sajag is constructed by M/s Goa Shipyard Limited.
• The Offshore Patrol Vessel is a highly versatile ship, designed to perform Economic Exclusion Zone management roles, including the provision of maritime security to coastal areas and effective disaster relief.

Know! about ICG and its role

• The concept of forming ICG came into being post 1971 war, when it was assessed that maritime borders are equally vital as land borders.
• The blueprint for a multi-dimension Coast Guard was conceived by the visionary Rustamji Committee even as the United Nations Convention of the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) was being negotiated and India's assets off Mumbai high were growing.
• The ICG, which was created through an Act of Parliament in 1978, has traversed a long journey in the last four decades.
• Goa shipyard indigenously developing ships for the Maritime Armed forces on time with state-of-the-art machinery and latest technology sensors and equipment that will enable ICG to undertake varied charter of duties within and beyond Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
• ICG ships are being built within the country in various shipyards, including private yard in line with Government's vision of ‘Make in India'.
• ICG is a multifarious force, undertaking concurrent operations and being the first responder for any developing situation at sea.
• Their personnel work in very diverse conditions and circumstances to safeguard the vast coastline. Shri Doval lauded Coast Guard for the support to Coastal populace as also to undertake diverse roles like rescue operations during cyclones, marine pollution response and anti-narco operations.
• ICG plays an important role for supporting the neighbouring countries in IoR.
• It plays critical role in anti-smuggling and anti-narcotics, both nationally and internationally.
• ICG is the 4th largest in the world with almost 160 ships and 62 aircraft

Prelims Factoids
Fibre & protein rice ‘village rice' from Tamil Nadu exported to Ghana & Yemen

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about village rice + red rice + non basmati rice and APEDA)
What's the NEWS

• In a major boost to India's non-basmati rice exports potential, two consignments 4.5 MT of patented ‘village rice' sourced from Kumbakonam, Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu by a start-up Udaya Agro Farm was exported to Ghana & Yemen via air & sea routes.

Know! more about village rice + red rice

• Enriched with protein, fibre, and a variety of minerals, ‘village rice' is sourced directly from farmers of Thanjavur, also known as rice bowl of Tamil Nadu. APEDA assisted Udaya Agro Farm plans to increase volume of exports of ‘village rice' in the coming months.
• During the 2020-21, the shipment of non-basmati rice witnessed an impressive spike.
• The non-basmati rice exports were Rs 35,448 crore (4796 US$ Million) during April-March, 2021 against Rs 14,400 crore (2020 US$ Million) reported during April-March, 2020 period.
• The exports of non-Basmati have witnessed a growth of 146 % in Rupee terms and 137 % Dollar terms in 2020-2021.
• Earlier this month, a consignment of rice was exported from the Paradip International Cargo Terminal, Odisha to Vietnam. This was for the first time in recent years, non-basmati rice was exported from Paradip Port.
• In March, 2021, the first consignment of ‘red rice' from Assam was exported to the USA.
• Iron rich ‘red rice' is grown in Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer. The rice variety is referred as ‘Bao-dhaan', which is an integral part of the Assamese food.
• Non-basmati rice exports to African and Asian countries are undertaken from various ports of India such as Kakinada, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai, Mundra and Krishnapatnam. Paradip will soon emerge as one of the major rice-exporting port of the country.
• The sharp spike in rice exports especially during a phase where globally the COVID19 pandemic has disrupted supply changes many commodities, has been attributed to the government taking prompt measures to ensure exports of rice while taking all the COVID19 related safety precautions.
• APEDA has promoted rice exports through collaborations with various stakeholders in the value chains.
• The government had set up the Rice Export Promotion Forum (REPF), under the aegis of the APEDA.
• REPF has representations from rice industry, exporters, officials from APEDA, ministry of commerce and directors of agriculture from major rice producing states including West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL IAS