19 Mar 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

March 19th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Exercise DUSTLIK II
2. National Monsoon Mission
3. PMFME Scheme
4. World Leprosy Day
5. GRAM UJALA Programme
6. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
7. Prelims Facts

1. Exercise DUSTLIK II

Context:

The second edition of the Indo-Uzbekistan Joint Field Training Exercise, EXERCISE DUSTLIK-II culminated.

Know more about Ex DUSTLIK II in PIB dated March 10, 2021.

2. National Monsoon Mission

Context:

Forecast regarding Monsoon changes.

Details:

• Under the National Monsoon Mission initiative, the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), NOIDA have built a state-of-the-art coupled ocean atmospheric model for:
  • Improved prediction of monsoon rainfall on extended range to seasonal time scale (16 days to one season)
  • Improved prediction of temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events on short to medium range time scale (up to 15 days)
• Forecasts, early warning of severe weather events and advisories are issued by the IMD at national, regional and state levels.
• The information regarding the onset of monsoons along with crop advisories are disseminated to farmers through different print/visual/Radio/IT based media including short message service (SMS) and Interactive Voice Response Service (IVRS) facilitating for appropriate field level actions.

Read more about the National Monsoon Mission in the linked article.

3. PMFME Scheme

Context:

The PMFME (Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises) Scheme was approved by the Cabinet in May 2020.

Read more on the PMFME Scheme in PIB dated Dec 24, 2020.

4. World Leprosy Day

Context:

In India, Anti Leprosy Day is observed on 30th January every year, i.e., Mahatma Gandhiji’s martyrdom day, as Gandhiji was deeply committed to the cause of leprosy.

Details:

• To commemorate the anti-leprosy day, Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaigns (SLAC) are being organized since 2017 in order to reduce stigma and discrimination against persons suffering from leprosy.

Know more about leprosy in PIB dated Feb 6, 2020.

5. GRAM UJALA Programme

Context:

Union Minister launched the GRAM UJALA programme.

About GRAM UJALA Scheme:

• The scheme aims to offer LED (light-emitting diode) bulbs in rural areas at Rs 10 per piece, without any government support or subsidy.
• Around 1.5 crore LED bulbs will be sold in rural areas at a price of Rs 10 as part of the first phase of the Gram Ujala programme launched by Convergence Energy Services Ltd (CESL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Energy Efficiency Services Ltd.
• The first phase will cover some villages in Bihar, UP, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and western Gujarat.
• The bulbs will carry a warranty of three years and will be given to rural consumers against the submission of working incandescent bulbs.
  • Consumers can exchange a maximum of five bulbs.
  • Participating rural households will also have metres installed in their houses to account for usage.
• Further, carbon credit documentation will be sent to UN-accredited validators for inclusion into the Shine Program.
• Carbon credits will be prepared under the Shine Program with an option for verifying under the Voluntary Carbon Standard, depending on the needs of carbon credit buyers.
• Buyers of carbon credits will also be sought through an open process based on initial discussions with the market.
• The balance cost and margin on the LED cost will be recouped through the carbon credits earned.
• Gram Ujala will not only give a fillip to our fight against climate change by increasing energy efficiency, but also usher in a better standard of life, financial savings, and better safety for the citizens in rural areas.

6. Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

Context:

82^nd Raising Day of CRPF.

Details:

• The CRPF was raised in 1939 as the Crown Representative’s Police.
• In 1950, its name was changed to the present one.
• Its primary mission is to engage in counter-insurgency operations.
• It is one of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

Know more about CRPF and other security forces in India in the link.

7. Prelims Facts

• Ventilation Index
• It is a measure of the volume rate of horizontal transport of air within the mixing layer, per unit distance, normal to the wind. Units are measured in square meters per second or knot-feet.
• In simple words, it is a metric that indicates how efficiently pollutants are dispersed in the atmosphere.
• The ventilation index is the product of windspeed and mixing height.
• Risks to air quality occur when ventilation index values are low and harmful pollutants are held close to the ground.
• Risks to visibility also occur when ventilation index values are low.
• It is a useful tool for air pollution management.

2) Japan-India Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH)

• India and Japan commenced a bilateral Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) programme between the two countries in November 2019.
• As per the bilateral agreement between the Indian Patent Office (IPO) and the Japan Patent Office (JPO), Indian Patent Office will receive patent applications related to certain specific technical fields only, which includes, Electrical, Electronics, Computer Science, Information Technology, Physics, Civil, Mechanical, Textiles, Automobiles and Metallurgy while JPO may receive applications in all fields of technology.
• The Patent Prosecution Highway comprises a set of initiative actions, for accelerating the process of patent prosecution, through sharing of information among patent offices of participating countries.
• It can serve an advantageous purpose for each participating patent office by benefitting it from the work previously done by the patent offices of the other participating countries, and hence, examination workload can be reduced and patent quality can be improved through simultaneous working.

Read previous PIB here.

March 19th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here