April 3rd, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. ECI further defers Rajya Sabha poll in view of COVID-19 2. Measures to ensure farmers do not suffer during the lockdown period 3. Lifeline UDAN Flights 4. Hack the Crisis – India 5. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) 6. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
1. ECI further defers Rajya Sabha poll in view of COVID-19
What’s in News?
Election Commission of India (ECI) has deferred the Rajya Sabha Polls in view of the current unforeseen situation of a public health emergency,.
- ECI, invoking its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution of India read with section 153 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 has further extended the period of Rajya Sabha election beyond the prescribed term(s) of 18 seats across seven States.
Article 324:
Article 324 of the Constitution provides that the power of superintendence, direction and control of elections to parliament, state legislatures, the office of president of India and the office of vice-president of India shall be vested in the election commission.
2. Measures to ensure farmers do not suffer during the lockdown period
What’s in News?
For ensuring that the farmers do not suffer from any adverse fall out during the lockdown period, the Department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare is taking several measures for smooth harvesting of Rabi Crop and sowing of the summer crop.
- Video conference has been conducted with all States and Insurance companies to review the payment of claims, crop loss survey and implementation of Smart Sampling Technique.
- For facilitating farm insurance, letters have been issued to all States to issue passes to representatives of concerned Insurance companies for co-witnessing Crop Cutting Experiments and to relax the norms for conducting field level survey for intimation received for Post-Harvest crop losses due to unseasonal rainfall and hailstorm.
- Phytosanitary certification for export consignments and Import releases of plant and plant products are continuing.
- For providing support to horticulture crops necessary coordination is being done with growers, aggregators, wholesalers, mandi associations, State Horticulture Missions, for smooth transport of the commodities and to sort out all difficulties.
- Kisan Call Centres are being operated by diverting calls to individual mobile numbers of Farm Tele Advisors, who are now operating from homes.
What’s in News?
Over 1 lakh km of aerial distance covered by Lifeline UDAN flights.
- As part of India’s war against the novel Coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched “Lifeline Udan”.
- Under this initiative, flights are being operated for the movement of essential and medical supplies across the nation.
- The flights under Lifeline Udan are planned using a hub and spoke model.
- Cargo hubs have been set up at Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
- The flights connect these hubs and therefrom to different parts of India.
- The North East Region, island territories and the hill states are being given special focus.
- On the international front of this initiative, Air India has established a cargo air-bridge between China and India.
- Regular cargo flights are likely to be operated by Air India for transporting critical medical equipment and supplies between the two countries.
Read more about UDAN Scheme.
What’s in News?
Minister of State Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Human Resource Development launched Hack the Crisis – India.
- Hack the Crisis – India is an Online Hackathon to find working solutions for overcoming COVID 19 pandemic.
- This hackathon is part of a global initiative and is being organised by ‘Hack A Cause – India’ and ‘Ficci Ladies Organization Pune’ and supported by Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MEITY).
- Aim of this hackathon is to strengthen the fight against COVID19 (also known as Wuhan Coronavirus)
- The winning ideas from a few top participating teams, as implementable solutions on corona crisis, are expected to help India and global citizens.
5. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY)
What’s in News?
Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel interacted with hundreds of District Nodal Officers (DNOs) of Oil Marketing Companies, to assess the distribution of LPG cylinders in districts, following the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown.
- DNOs are responsible for LPG deliveries in their assigned areas.
Read more about Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana
6. Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
What’s in News?
The Ministry of Rural Development is releasing the lump sum amounts @ Rs. 500/- per woman to Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) for April 2020.
- The Centre has announced a ₹1.7 lakh crore relief package – Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan (PMGK) Yojana in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and countrywide lockdown, providing free food and cash transfers to support the poorest and most vulnerable citizens during the crisis.
- There have been recent updates on the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana as declared by the Finance Minister on March 26th, 2020.
- Garib Kalyan package is a range of measures that the Government of India will take to alleviate the economic, health, and food-related distress of India’s poor.
Read more about Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
April 3rd, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here
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