11 Aug 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) Scheme
2. PLI Scheme
3. Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA)
4. Quality of Life for Elderly Index
5. EOS-03
6. Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA)
7. RS cleared two bills

1. Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) Scheme

Context:

3,964 existing Government funded vacant houses have been converted into ARHCs for urban migrants/poor.

To know more about the ARHC scheme, check PIB dated July 29, 2021.

2. PLI Scheme

Context:

Production Linked Scheme for Manufacturing of Advance Chemistry Cell to Reduce Import Dependence on ACC Battery.

Details:

• In May 2021, the government of India approved the Production Linked Scheme (PLI) for the manufacturing of Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) in the country with an outlay of Rs.18,100 crore for five years.
• The scheme envisages establishing a competitive ACC battery manufacturing set up in the country (50 Giga Watt hour-GWh).
• The scheme also covers 5 GWh of niche ACC technologies.
• The scheme proposes a production linked subsidy based on applicable subsidy per KWh and percentage of value addition achieved on actual sales made by the manufacturers who set up production units.
• The PLI scheme is expected to facilitate the reduction of import dependence for ACC battery.

3. Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA)

Context:

The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has launched Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in 272 identified vulnerable districts with an aim to create awareness about the ill-effects of substance abuse among the youth.

Read more about the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan in PIB dated June 26, 2020.

4. Quality of Life for Elderly Index

Context:

Quality of Life for Elderly Index released.

Details:

• The Quality of Life for Elderly Index has been created by the Institute for Competitiveness at the request of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).
• The report identifies the regional patterns of ageing across Indian States and assesses the overall ageing situation in India.
• The report presents a deeper insight into how well India is doing to support the well-being of its ageing population.
• The Index framework includes four pillars: Financial Well-being, Social Well-being, Health System and Income Security, and eight sub-pillars: Economic Empowerment, Educational Attainment & Employment, Social Status, Physical Security, Basic Health, Psychological Wellbeing, Social Security and Enabling Environment.
• The index highlights that the best way to improve the lives of the current and future generations of older people is by investing in health, education and employment for young people today.
• It goes far beyond the adequacy of pensions and other forms of income support.

Findings:

• The Health System pillar observes the highest national average, 66.97 at an all-India level, followed by 62.34 in Social Well-being. Financial Well-being observes a score of 44.7.
• States have performed particularly worse in the Income Security pillar because over half of the States have a score below the national average, i.e., 33.03 in Income Security, which is the lowest across all pillars.
• Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are top-scoring regions in Aged and Relatively Aged States, respectively.
• Chandigarh and Mizoram are top-scoring regions in Union Territory and North-East States category.
• The Aged States refer to States with an elderly population of more than 5 million, whereas Relatively Aged States refer to States with an Elderly population of less than 5 million.

5. EOS-03

Context:

ISRO’s EOS-03 launch failed.

About EOS-03:

• The EOS-03, formerly known as the Geo Imaging Satellite-1 or GISAT-1, is a geo imaging or Earth observation satellite.
• The EOS-3 satellite was among a new generation of earth observation satellites with capability of monitoring natural disasters such as cyclones and floods, apart from real-time monitoring of crops, forest cover and water bodies.

Why did the mission fail?

• However, India’s geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) failed to put the EOS-3 earth observation satellite into orbit due to a “technical anomaly” in the cryogenic upper stage, five minutes into the launch of the rocket.
• The cryogenic upper stage ignition did not happen, although the performance of the first and second stages were normal. Hence, the mission failed.
• The cryogenic upper stage has an indigenously developed cryogenic engine fuelled by liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at very low temperatures.
• The cryogenic stage is supposed to be more efficient and provides greater thrust to propel heavier rockets like GSLV that are designed to carry bigger payloads into space.
• But these are also more complex than conventional liquid and solid propellants, because of the extremely low temperatures, hundreds of degree Celsius below zero, that has to be maintained.
• ISRO has had a few difficulties with the cryogenic stage earlier as well, though several launches have been completed successfully as well.
• This is the first launch failure for ISRO since 2017 after a run of 14 consecutive successful launches.

6. Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA)

Context:

11th Annual Meeting of  the Forum of the Election Management Bodies of South Asia (FEMBoSA).

Details:

• India’s Chief Election Commissioner handed over Chair FEMBoSA role to Election Commission of Bhutan for 2021-22.

Know more about FEMBoSA in PIB dated Jan 23, 2020.

7. RS cleared two bills

Context:

Rajya Sabha clears National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Details:

• The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Amendment) Bill, 2021, seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 and help make available the Indian system of medical professionals across the country.
• The National Commission for Homoeopathy (Amendment) Bill, 2021, proposes to amend the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020 to provide a medical education system that improves access to quality and affordable medical education.

Read previous PIB here.

August 11th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here