05 Jan 2022: PIB Summary & Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Smart Cities and Academia Towards Action & Research
2. Launch of six One District One Product Brands
3. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
4. UJALA Scheme

1. Smart Cities and Academia Towards Action & Research

Syllabus: GS 1, Social issues urbanization, their problems and their remedies.

Prelims: Facts about Smart Cities Mission

Mains: Significance of Smart Cities Mission in Urban Planning

Context: The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the National Institute of Urban Affairs took a joint step and collaborated with 15 premier architecture and planning institutes to document 75 urban projects under the Smart Cities Mission. The joint collaboration has led to the launch of the Smart Cities and Academia Action and Research (SAAR).

Image Source: PIB

Aim of the Programme:

• The first activity under SAAR aims to prepare a compendium of 75 urban projects that are innovative, multi-sectoral and have been implemented across geographies.

About SAAR:

• Under the SAAR programme, the documents of projects related to smart cities will capture the learning from best practices providing opportunities for the engagement of students in urban development projects.
• SAAR acts as a platform that offers a real-time flow of information between urban practitioners and academia.
• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the National Institute of Urban Affairs will provide linkages between institutions and smart cities for specific landmark projects that are to be documented under the program.
• The institutes will document the outcomes of these projects and their impact on the lives of urban citizens.
• The workflow of the compendium will include field investigation, data analysis, documentation, national research methodology workshop for participating students, peer review of the first draft and final submission by research students to their respective institutions.

Read more about the Smart Cities Mission in the linked article.

2. Launch of six One District One Product Brands

Syllabus: GS 3, Economy, Food Processing and Related Industries in India

Prelims: Important features of ODOP scheme, NAFED, PM FME.

Mains: Developmental initiatives taken to boost the local products and micro food processing industries.

Context: The National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) launched six One District One Product brands under the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme.

Important facts:

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries has signed an agreement with NAFED for the development of 10 brands selected under One District One Product.
• To benefit the consumers all the products are packed in a unique way that is attractive, ensuring a longer shelf life of the products and keeping the moisture content and sunlight at bay.
• All products will be available at NAFED bazaars, e-commerce platforms and all retail stores across India.
• Each brand would be supported with investments in brand communication in relevant markets and a strong push on digitization in the value chain.

Products launched:

1. Amrit Phal – This consists of amla juice added with lemon juice for several health benefits developed under the ODOP concept for Gurugram, Haryana. Amla helps to boost immunity, promote heart health and keeps the liver healthy.
2. Cori Gold – This product is made from coriander powder which is a demarcated product of Kota, Rajasthan. It has distinct flavours that bring up the regional speciality.
3. Brand Kashmiri Mantra – This brings out the flavours of spices from Kulgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
4. Brand Madhu Mantra – It is developed under the ODOP concept for honey from Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh. The multiflora honey is collected by free-range bees (Those bees that fly at their desire without being captured in a controlled environment).
5. Whole Wheat Cookies – This product has been developed under Dilli bakes reflecting the speciality of Delhi bakeries. It contains whole wheat, jaggery instead of sugar, and butter instead of vanaspati.
6. Brand Somdana – This is developed under the ODOP scheme for the concept of millets from Thane, Maharashtra. It is composed of ragi flour which is gluten-free, rich in iron, fibre and calcium.

Significance:

• This initiative will enable the promotion of local products, encouraging the micro food processing enterprises across the country towards the vision, efforts of the government to make them self-reliant.

Also, read about PM FME in the linked article.

3. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)

Syllabus: GS 3, Environment and Ecology, Conservation

Prelims: About NTCA

Mains: Status of tiger conservation in India

Context: The 19th meeting of NTCA was conducted to formulate an action plan for the introduction of the Cheetah in India and strengthen tiger conservation.

Details:

• The action plan that was discussed in the meeting emphasized the introduction of 50 Cheetahs in various parks in 5 years.
• Major concerns surrounded the endangered status of tigers and the situation demands active management to conserve the tiger species.
• The experts await the 5th cycle of All India Tiger Estimation which is at present underway and will guide policy decisions.
• There are 51 tiger reserves in the country and efforts are made to expand the network as 35 rivers originate from these areas, it becomes crucial in terms of water security.
• Poaching activities in the northeastern states, excessive visits to core areas of the reserves by the tourists are some major challenges that need to be addressed and regulated.
• 14 tiger reserves have been accredited under CA|TS (Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards) categories. The CA|TS is a set of criteria that examines the management of tiger sites to gauge the success rates of tiger conservation.
• A water atlas has been launched to map the water bodies in the tiger bearing areas of India. Landscape wise information has been outlined which includes the Shivalik hills, Gangetic plains, Central Indian landscape, North Eastern Hills, Brahmaputra flood plains, Sundarbans, Eastern and Western Ghats.

About CA|TS:

• This has been a tiger reserve accreditation tool developed by the global coalition of Tiger Range Countries (TRC) including the inputs of the tiger and protected area experts.
• There are 13 Tiger Range Countries such as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao, Malaysia, Myanmar, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
• The Global Tiger Forum (an NGO working on tiger conservation) and the World Wide Fund are the two implementing partners of NTCA for CA|TS assessment in India.
• Tiger Reserves with CA|TS accreditation include:
  • Manas, Kaziranga and Orang Tiger Reserves in Assam
  • Satpura, Kanha and Panna Tiger Reserves in Madhya Pradesh
  • Pench Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra
  • Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar
  • Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh
  • Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in West Bengal
  • Parambikulam Tiger Reserve in Kerala
  • Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka
  • Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserves in Tamil Nadu

Read more about NTCA in the linked article.

4. UJALA Scheme

Syllabus: GS 3, Infrastructure, Energy

Prelims: Salient feature of the scheme

Context: The UJALA scheme completed 7 years of energy-efficient and affordable distribution of LED lights which was launched on the 5th of January, 2015. It has taken the households of the country towards a sustainable way of energy consumption.

Read more about UJALA Scheme in the linked article.

Read previous PIB here.

January 5th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here