15 Aug 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Bal Aadhar Initiative
2. Revamped National Panchayat Awards

1. Bal Aadhar Initiative

Syllabus: GS 2, Government Policies and Interventions.

Prelims – UIDAIs Bal Aadhar Initiative.

Context – Enrolment of children aged 0 – 5 under the Bal Aadhar Initiative.

Details –

• More than 79 lakh children in the 0 – 5 age group have been enrolled under the UIDAI’s (Unique Identification Authority of India) Bal Aadhar Initiative during the first four months of the current financial year (April – July 2022).
• States like Himachal Pradesh and Haryana have covered more than 70% of the targeted age group.
• Aadhar saturation among adults is almost 100%. It acts as a catalyst for both ease of living and ease of doing business.
• Bal Aadhar acts as a facilitator in availing several welfare benefits and acts as a digital photo identity for children right from birth.
• The facial image of the child is taken for enrolment. Biometric authentication of the parent/guardian and a proof of relationship document, preferably a birth certificate are collected at the time of enrolment. 
• Bal Aadhar is issued in blue colour (differentiating it from normal aadhar).
• On attaining the age of five, a child is required to furnish his/her biometrics at an Aadhar Seva Kendra to complete a process called mandatory biometric update (MBU), and is then issued a normal aadhar.

2. Revamped National Panchayat Awards

Syllabus: Devolution of Powers and Finances up to Local Levels and Challenges Therein.

Prelims – Revamped National Panchayat Awards.

Context – The National Writeshop on Preparedness of Road Map for Revamped National Panchayat Awards.

Details – 

• The National Writeshop is to provide orientation on revamped National Panchayat Awards.
• Under the revamped system, the Awards will be given to Gram, Block and District Panchayats in two categories namely, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (for individual theme-wise performance) and Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar (for aggregate performance under all the themes).
• Some special categories of awards to Gram Panchayats like Gram Urja Swaraj Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar for adoption and usage of renewable sources of energy; Carbon Neutral Vishesh Panchayat Puraskar for exemplary work towards achieving Net-Zero carbon emissions; Nanaji Deshmukh Sarvottam Panchayat Satat Vikas Puraskar for GPs which qualify and get shortlisted for National Panchayat Awards during the subsequent years also; Panchayat Kshamta Nirmaan Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar for Institutions which have provided institutional support to GPs in achieving LSDGs (Localisation of Sustainable Development Goals) and Best Participating State/UT/District/Block Panchayat.
• Earlier in December 2021, the report on LSDGs through Panchayat Raj Institutions had identified nine themes aggregating 17 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) for action at local (Gram Panchayat) levels as a way forward for the attainment of SDGs by 2030.
  • These 9 themes are (i) Poverty free and enhanced livelihoods village, (ii) Healthy village, (iii) Child friendly village, (iv) Water sufficient village, (v) Clean and Green village, (vi) Self-sufficient infrastructure in village, (vii) Socially secured village, (viii) Village with good governance and (ix) Women-friendly village (earlier called as Engendered development in village).

About the National Panchayat Awards –

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) has been incentivizing the best performing Panchayats/States/UTs through National Panchayat Awards under the Incentivization of Panchayats scheme, one of the central components of the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of revamped Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). These awards are usually given annually on 24th April, celebrated as National Panchayati Raj Day to commemorate the 73rd Constitution Amendment Act, 1992 which came into force on 24th April, 1993.

Read previous PIB here.

August 15th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here