01 March 2019: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Read the daily PIB update and stay up-to-date on current affairs for the UPSC exam

March 1^st 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

Five Year Achievements & Initiatives of Ministries of Railways and Coal

Highlights:

Railways:

• Best ever safety record in 2018-19: 81% drop in number of deaths (upto Jan 31, 2019) compared to 2013-14 – achieved due to holistic measures including the elimination of Unmanned Level Crossings from broad gauge network, production of LHB coaches etc.
• Total capital expenditure between 2014-19 is more than double of total during 2009-14.
• Bogibeel Bridge, longest rail-cum-road bridge in India fast-tracked and completed.
• First indigenous semi high speed train Vande Bharat Express launched.
• Make in India: Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh completed world’s 1st ever conversion of diesel locos into electric loco
• 100% Electrification of Broad Gauge Routes of Indian Railways by 2021-22
• Railways is working towards a complete makeover of stations by installing modern facilities

1. Modern trains and coaches have been introduced for ease and convenience of passengers such as Tejas and Humsafar
2. Catering a focus area with compulsory printing of MRP on all food items and use of CCTVs to monitor food preparation
3. High speed WiFi service at more than 800 stations
4. Making a Swachh Rail with Bio toilets, mechanised cleaning and On board Housekeeping Service (OBHS)
5. Various measures including E- reverse auction policy introduced to boost transparency and accountability
6. Rail Drishti: Empowering people with information
7. India’s first National Rail & Transportation Institute: 1st academic session with two under-graduate programmes started

Coal:

• Enhanced drilling, production & off-take of coal leading to energy security for the nation & lower imports.
• To boost the power sector, superior Coal Quality has been ensured with steps such as third party sampling procedures and 100% crushed coal to power plants.

Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers

Consumer price Index Numbers for Industrial Workers is designed to measure a change over time in prices of a given basket of goods and services consumed by a defined population (i.e. Industrial Workers).

• It includes selected services and is measured on the basis of retail prices, and is used to determine the dearness allowance of employees in both the public and private sectors.
• It is the appropriate indicator of general inflation.

Construction Technology India-2019 Expo-Cum-Conference

Context:

Construction Technology India is being organised to identify proven, innovative and globally established technologies for use in the Indian context.

Details:

• The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India has conceptualized a Global Housing Technology Challenge – India (GHTC- India) which aims to identify and mainstream a basket of innovative technologies from across the globe, that are sustainable and disaster-resilient.
• Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Urban (PMAY-U) targets the construction of 1 Crore housing units by 2022.
• Within the ambit of the overarching PMAY (U), a Technology Sub-Mission (TSM) was set up, to facilitate the adoption of innovative, sustainable, green and disaster-resilient technologies and building materials for low-cost, speedier and quality construction of houses.
• The GHTC-India platform aspires to provide an eco-system for the adoption of innovative technologies in the housing construction sector in a holistic manner.

Benefits of the Expo-Cum-Conference:

• Potential technology providers can benefit from the support provided by Affordable Sustainable Housing Accelerators- India (ASHA-India) initiative.
• Proven technologies which are identified during CTI – 2019 will be further invited to design and build lighthouse projects
• GHTC-India will also contribute substantially towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as laid out by the United Nations (UN), the New Urban Agenda and the Paris Climate Accord to which India is a signatory and similar international commitments by gradually migrating from inefficient & carbon intensive processes to cleaner and compliant options.
• GHTC-India will bring about a paradigm shift in the manner in which construction is not only done but also received and perceived in the country.

Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme

The umbrella Central Sector Scheme – “Scheme to Promote Voluntary Action for Persons with Disabilities” was revised and was renamed as the “Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS)” in 2003.

• To facilitate delivery of various services to persons with disabilities by voluntary organizations, the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment is administering DDRS scheme and providing grants-in-aid to NGOs for multiple projects.
• A major revamp has been carried out in its provisions with effect from 01.04.2018. The scheme has been revised for making it more impactful for rehabilitation of PwDs. Improvements made in the scheme include increase of honorarium and other cost norms by 2.5 times, streamlining the process of application and processing of proposals, rationalising the number of model projects from 18 to 9, etc.

The objectives of the scheme are:

• To create an enabling environment to ensure equal opportunities, equity, social justice and empowerment of persons with disabilities.
• To encourage voluntary action for ensuring effective implementation of the People with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities and Protection of Rights) Act of 1995.

The maximum level of support could be up to 90% of the eligible amount of grant for the project.

Government to celebrate ‘Poshan Pakhwada’

Context:

The Minister for Women and Child Development announced that the Government will celebrate the first anniversary of POSHAN Abhiyaan on 8^th March, 2019 by organising Poshan Pakhwada across the Country.

Details:

• Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Rural Development, Human Resource & Development, Information & Broadcasting, Panchayati Raj, Tribal Affairs, Housing and Urban Affairs, Electronics and Information Technology, Minority Affairs, AYUSH, Sports & Youths Affairs,   Social Justice and Empowerment, Ministry of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare and Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution will partner with WCD Ministry during the Poshan Pakhwada.
• At the grass root level platform like Gram Sabhas, SHGs, and Field functionaries across various Ministries & Schemes will be used.

POSHAN Abhiyan:

• POSHAN Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to ensure attainment of malnutrition free India by 2022.
• The objective of POSHAN Abhiyaan to reduce stunting in identified Districts of India with the highest malnutrition burden by improving utilization of key Anganwadi Services and improving the quality of Anganwadi Services delivery.
• It aims to ensure holistic development and adequate nutrition for pregnant women, mothers and children.
• There are a number of schemes directly/indirectly affecting the nutritional status of children (0-6 year’s age) and pregnant women and lactating mothers. In spite of these, level of malnutrition and related problems in the country is high. There is no dearth of schemes but lack of creating synergy and linking the schemes with each other to achieve common goal. POSHAN Abhiyaan through robust convergence mechanism and other components would strive to create the synergy.

Targets under the scheme:

• It targets to reduce level of under-nutrition and other related problems by ensuring convergence of various nutrition related schemes.
• It also targets stunting, under-nutrition, anaemia (among young children, women and adolescent girls) and low birth rate.
• It will monitor and review implementation of all such schemes and utilize existing structural arrangements of line ministries wherever available.
• Its large component involves gradual scaling-up of interventions supported by on-going World Bank assisted Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Systems Strengthening and Nutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP) to all districts in the country by 2022.

Read previous Best of PIB.

March 1^st 2019 PIB:-Download PDF Here

Also Read: