05 March 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

March 5th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER)
2. COVID-19
3. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)
4. Solar Charkha Mission
5. Ministry of Minority Affairs
6. Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019
7. Fuel Cell Technology
8. India-European Union Flagship Call
9. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)
10. Jal Shakti Abhiyan

1. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER)

NERCORMP:

• North Eastern Region Community Resources Management Project (NERCORMP).
• It is a livelihood project being implemented in four states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya, running under the North Eastern Region Community Resource Management Society (NERCRMS).
• NERCORMP is a livelihood and rural development project aimed at transforming the lives of the poor and marginalized tribal families in North East India.
• The project adopts a holistic approach of development with two broad focus areas:
  • Social mobilization, organization and capacity building to tap and realize the great latent potential of the communities by employing time-tested traditional value systems and culture of the region.
  • Intervene with the economic and social activities and infrastructure with predominant thrust on income-generating activities to achieve economic transformation.
• Major project activities:
  • Capacity building of communities and participating agencies.
  • Economic and livelihood activities.
  • Extension and technology transfer.
  • Revolving fund for credit support to communities through SHGs, etc.
  • Social sector activities like safe drinking water and better health care and sanitation.
  • Village roads and rural electrification.
  • Community-based biodiversity conservation/natural resource management & communication.
  • Marketing support for farm and non-farm products.

2. COVID-19

Context:

Update on COVID-19 cases.

Details:

• The total number of positive cases of COVID-19 is now 30.
• These include the previous three cases from Kerala, who have now been discharged.
• In addition, there are three from Delhi and NCR, (two with travel history from Italy and one with travel history of Iran); six contacts of the first Delhi Case with travel history of Italy; one from Telangana with a history of Dubai travel and Singapore contact; 16 Italians and one driver (Indian) who was with the Italian tourist group.
• Update on travel advisory:
  • In addition to Visa restrictions already in place, passengers traveling from/having visited Italy or the Republic of Korea and desirous of entering India will need a certificate of having tested negative for COVID-19 from the designated laboratories authorized by the health authorities of these countries.

Read more on the COVID 19.

3. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM)

Context:

DAY-NULM signed an MoU with Amazon for e-marketing of products made by Self Help Groups (SHGs) across the country in urban areas.

Details:

• With an underlying narrative of women empowerment, the collaboration aims to provide access to a wider customer base for products made by SHGs and strengthening the mission of creating sustainable livelihoods in urban areas.
• By promoting the products made by SHGs, the initiative will be helpful in documenting and preserving the unique traditional art and crafts of different states.
• The Mission had previously undertaken a similar collaboration with Flipkart.

About Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM):

• The Mission functions under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Its chief aim is to reduce poverty and vulnerability of the urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities, resulting in an appreciable improvement in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis, through building strong grassroots level institutions of the poor.
• The mission would aim at providing shelters equipped with essential services to the urban homeless in a phased manner.
• In addition, the mission would also address livelihood concerns of the urban street vendors by facilitating access to suitable spaces, institutional credit, social security and skills to the urban street vendors for accessing emerging market opportunities.
• The core belief of the mission is that the poor are entrepreneurial and have an innate desire to come out of poverty.
• DAY-NULM would aim at universal coverage of the urban poor for skill development and credit facilities. It will strive for skills training of the urban poor for market-based jobs and self-employment, facilitating easy access to credit.
• Street vendors constitute an important segment of the urban population at the bottom of the pyramid.
  • Street vending provides a source of self-employment, and thus acts as a measure of urban poverty alleviation without major government intervention.
  • They have a prominent place in the urban supply chain and are an integral part of the economic growth process within urban areas.
  • DAY-NULM aims at facilitating access to suitable spaces, institutional credit, social security and skills to the urban street vendors for accessing emerging market opportunities.
• Urban homeless persons who live without shelter or social security/ protection are the most vulnerable class, even while they contribute towards sustaining cities with their cheap labour.
  • Life on the streets involves surviving continuously at the edge, in a physically brutalized and challenging environment.
  • There is a need for appropriate policy intervention to address the challenges faced by homeless people, with regard to shelter, social housing and social protection.
  • Accordingly, DAY-NULM aims at providing shelter equipped with essential services to the urban homeless in a phased manner.
• DAY-NULM would aim at partnership with the private sector in providing skill training, employment and operation of shelter for homeless.
  • It will strive for active participation of private and civil society sectors in providing shelter to the urban homeless, skill training and placement of the urban poor and also in facilitating technological, marketing and hand holding support for the urban poor entrepreneurs who want to be self-employed and set up their own small businesses or manufacturing units.

Background (Need for such a mission/scheme):

• Urban poverty being multi-dimensional, various vulnerabilities faced by the poor in cities and towns: occupational, residential and social need to be addressed simultaneously in a comprehensive and integrated manner with a targeted focus on the vulnerable groups so that a definitive impact can be made on ground.
• Residential vulnerability issues are being addressed through programmes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban).
• The other two vulnerabilities: occupational and social can be best addressed by creating opportunities for skill development leading to market-based employment and helping them to set up self-employment ventures.
• Urban poverty alleviation programmes need to be based on skill development and easy access to credit.
• It is in this context that a mission-mode approach to urban livelihoods is considered necessary in the form of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM).

For more on the Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), click  here.

4. Solar Charkha Mission

Context:

Subsidy to artisans under Solar Charkha Mission.

About Solar Charkha Mission:

• The mission was launched by the Ministry of MSME.
• The scheme is envisaged to generate direct employment for nearly one lakh persons.
• It envisages setting up of ‘Solar Charkha Clusters’ which will have 200 to 2042 beneficiaries (spinners, weavers, tailors and other skilled artisans). Each spinner will be given two charkhas of 10 spindles each.
• As part of the scheme no subsidy is given, however, subsidy to the tune of Rs.9.60 crore is provided for the procurement of charkha and looms to the Implementing or Promoting Agency for a full-scale Solar Charkha Cluster involving a total investment of about Rs.38.625 crore.
• The pilot solar charkha cluster was set up at Khanwa village, Nawada District, Bihar in 2016. It was a success and benefited 1180 artists. Based on this success, the government set out to establish 50 such clusters under this Mission.
• These solar charkhas are to be operated using solar power which is a renewable energy source. It will help in the development of a green economy as it is an environment-friendly programme. It will also generate sustainable employment for the artisans.
• The Mission is implemented by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).
• Scheme Objectives:
  • To ensure inclusive growth by generation of employment, especially for women and youth, and sustainable development through solar charkha clusters in rural areas.
  • To boost rural economy and help in arresting migration from rural to urban areas.
  • To leverage low-cost, innovative technologies and processes for sustenance.

5. Ministry of Minority Affairs

Context:

The Ministry of Minority Affairs is implementing various schemes for the socio-economic and educational empowerment of six centrally notified minorities (Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Zoroastrians, Jains and Buddhists).

Details:

The details of the various schemes, as given by the Minister, are mentioned below:

Educational Empowerment of Minorities:

• Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme – For Class I to X
• Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme – For Class XI to Ph.D.
• Merit-cum-means based Scholarship Scheme – For Professional and Technical Courses.
• Maulana Azad National Fellowship – For M.Phil. and Ph.D.
• Free Coaching and Allied Scheme (Naya Savera) – For Competitive Examination of Professional Courses and Government Jobs.
• Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship for Meritorious Girls.
• “Padho Pardesh”– Scheme of Interest Subsidy on Educational Loans for Overseas Studies.
• Nai Udaan – Support for students clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC, SSC, State Public Service Commission, etc.

Economic Empowerment of Minorities:

• Seekho Aur Kamao: It is a placement linked skill development programme.
• Nai Manzil: A scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts.
• Gharib Nawaz Employment Training for providing short-term job oriented skill development courses to youths belonging to minority communities.
• National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC): It provides concessional loans to minorities for self-employment and income generating ventures.

Improving Living Conditions of Minorities:

Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK): this programme seeks to provide better socio economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities particularly in the field of education, health & skill development which would further lead to lessening of the gap between the national average and the minority communities with regard to backwardness parameters. Read more on the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) here.

6. Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019

Details:

Read more on the Act at:

7. Fuel Cell Technology

Context:

ARCI develops Fuel Cell Technology for Disaster Management.

Details:

• Scientists at International Advanced Research for Powder Metallurgy & New Materials (ARCI), Hyderabad, an autonomous R&D Centre of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have developed Polymer Electrolyte Membrane fuel cells (PEMFC).
• PEMFC, in its entireness, have an advantage of operational capability at low-temperatures with applications in decentralised power generation systems.
• The ARCI at its Centre for Fuel Cell Technology, Chennai has developed in-house PEMFC systems in the power range of 1 to 20 kilowatt (kW) and demonstrated the same in stationary (1-20 kW) and transport applications (1,3,5 kW).
• Emergency Operation Centres (EOC) backed with 10 kW systems along with fuel cell stack (providing sustainable electricity using hydrogen gas without the need of grid power), air moving subsystems, power control devices and control and monitoring system are being planned as a natural disaster management measure.
• Background:
  • Natural disasters are consequences of calamities like earthquake, landslide, cyclone, flood, tsunami, and so on that affects human activities.
  • Tamil Nadu is generally affected by five to six cyclones every year, of which two to three are severe.
  • There has been a paradigm shift in the focus of Disaster Management, from response-centric (rescue, relief, rehabilitation, and reconstruction) to laying greater emphasis on the other elements of disaster management cycle (prevention, mitigation, and preparedness) as a means to avert the impact of future emergencies.
  • The latest concept in disaster management all over the world is about conversion of Control Rooms to Emergency Operation Centres (EOC).
  • EOCs respond immediately during an emergency situation with State-of-the-Art communication systems. This helps in providing immediate support during the Golden Hour of the disaster.

8. India-European Union Flagship Call

Context:

India-European Union Flagship Call announced on Integrated Local Energy Systems at India Smart Utility Week.

Details:

• This partnership between India and the European Union will help in Clean Energy and Climate and this partnership will foresee strengthened cooperation in energy research and innovation, mainly in renewable energy and its integration in the energy system.
• The collaboration can make energy supply cleaner, more efficient and affordable to all.
• This Indo-EU flagship call is fully in line with both the European Union’s and India’s involvement in Mission Innovation (MI), a global initiative of 24 countries and the European Commission (on behalf of the European Union), committed to reinvigorate and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely affordable.
• This Indo-EU Flagship call will give novel solutions encompassing local integration across various energy vectors and increase the share of renewables in the energy mix and high energy efficiency.

9. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)

Context:

The Union Minister of Women & Child Development released a book to celebrate leaders of BBBP scheme.

Read more on the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao campaign here.

10. Jal Shakti Abhiyan

Details:

The Government of India launched the Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA), a time bound campaign with a mission mode approach intended to improve water availability including ground water conditions in the water stressed blocks of 256 districts in India.

To read more on the topic, check the article, Jal Shakti Ministry.

Context:

The above information was given by the Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.

March 5th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

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