UPSC 2017-18: PIB Summary and Analysis Nov 28

Smt Maneka Sanjay Gandhi launches an intensive program to train Elected Women Representatives(EWR) of Panchayati Raj Institutions

• This capacity building program is being organized by National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) of the WCD Ministry which will ultimately train approximately twenty thousand EWRs covering nearly 50 EWRs from each district

Why was this done?

• Women sarpanches and EWRs do not come forward to take up their responsibilities and mostly allow their husbands to take the lead. So to overcome this governance deficit the training is conducted.
• The Capacity building of Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) is critical to empower women to participate effectively in the governance processes. This will help them assume the leadership roles expected of them and guide their villages towards a more prosperous future.
• About 150 master trainers and 450 EWRs attended today’s program.
• This is for the first time ever an initiative of this scale has been taken up to train EWRs who will go out and administer the villages professionally

Training two lakh women sarpanches across the country will help bring following important changes: 

• It will help to create model villages.
• It will help prepare women as political leaders of the future. 

Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)

• Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY) is a village development project launched by Government of India in October 2014, under which each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019.
• The goal is to develop three Adarsh Grams or model villages by March 2019, of which one would be achieved by 2016. Thereafter, five such Adarsh Grams (one per year) will be selected and developed by 2024. (Sansad refers to Parliament, Adarsh refers to model, Gram refers to village and Yojna means Scheme)
• The Project was launched on the occasion of birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan and is inspired by the principles and values of Mahatma Gandhi. It aims to provide rural India with quality access to basic amenities and opportunities.
• The Scheme has a holistic approach towards development. It envisages integrated development of the selected village across multiple areas such as agriculture, health, education, sanitation, environment, livelihoods etc. Far beyond mere infrastructure development, SAGY aims at instilling and nurturing values of national pride, patriotism, community spirit, self-confidence people’s participation, dignity of women, etc. in the people.
• The scheme is implemented through Members of Parliament (MPs) with District Collector being the nodal officer. The MP would be free to identify a suitable gram panchayat for being developed as Adarsh Gram, other than his/her own village or that of his/her spouse. Gram Panchayat, which has a population of 3000-5000 in plain areas and 1000-3000 in hilly, tribal and difficult areas, would be the basic unit for development.
• A village development plan would be prepared for every identified gram panchayat with special focus on enabling every poor household to come out of poverty. The constituency fund, MPLADS, would be available to fill critical financing gaps.
• The outcomes include 100% immunization, 100% institutional delivery, reduced infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, reduction in malnutrition among children etc.

International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency (INSPIRE 2017) 

• The first edition of the International Symposium to Promote Innovation & Research in Energy Efficiency (INSPIRE 2017) was kicked off in Jaipur
• The five-day symposium is being organized by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) in partnership with The World Bank, and Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy (AEEE).

What is it?

• INSPIRE 2017 is an International Conference that brings together various stakeholders such as policy makers, innovators, financiers, influencers to showcase best practices in the sector.
• It provides a platform for energy efficiency community to discuss energy efficiency policies, market transformation strategies, emerging technologies, delivery and business-model driven transformations.
• The event is further designed to provide global and national thought-leaders and implementers to expand perspectives on energy efficiency and spur ideas and solutions that will help leverage the full potential of energy efficiency and bring its multiple co-benefits to the fore. 

Participants

• Several global organizations like the Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, International Finance Corporation, The World Bank, International Energy Agency, International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation, Clean Energy Ministerial, Copenhagen Center on Energy Efficiency, GIZ, will also share their perspectives at INSPIRE. 

Mobile App launch

• A mobile app for EESL’s various programmes was launched.
• This app will allow consumers to connect with the organisation for its various programmes, lodge complaints and track real time complaint status. Further, citizens can now access the real-time status of Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) dashboard at state, district and Urban Local Body (ULB) levels across the country.