26 May 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. NIRDESHAK VESSEL
2. Project ‘NIGAH’
3. Lavender Festival
4. Recent Road Accidents Parameters
5. Central Government Health Scheme

1. NIRDESHAK VESSEL

Syllabus: GS III, Security; Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. 

Prelims: Nirdeshak Vessel and Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Project

Context

The Nirdeshak vessel was launched in Kattupalli, Chennai.

Nirdeshak vessel

• The Nirdeshak vessel is the second of the four Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Project.
  • The first vessel named “Sandhayak” was launched in December 2021.
• It is being built as a Public-Private Partnership model by Garden Reach Shipbuilders Engineers (GRSE), a defence PSU in collaboration with L&T shipbuilding for the Indian Navy.
• The ship has been named after the Nirdeshak Vessel which was an Indian Naval Survey ship decommissioned after 32 years of service in 2014.

Survey Vessels (Large) (SVL) Project

• The SVL vessels will replace the Sandhayak Class survey ships equipped with modern and advanced generation hydrographic equipment that helps collect oceanographic data. 
• The key function of these vessels would be to undertake full-scale coastal and deep-water hydrographic surveys of ports and navigational channels.
• The body of these vessels is made from indigenously developed DMR 249-A steel manufactured by the Steel Authority of India Limited.
• The SVL ships have a deep displacement of about 3400 tons and can accommodate about 235 personnel.
• The ships are designed to operate at a cruise speed of 14 knots and a maximum speed of 18 knots.
• Bow & Stern Thrusters have been provisioned for better manoeuvring at low speeds required during shallow water survey operations.
• These ships can carry four Survey Motor Boats and an integral helicopter.

2. Project ‘NIGAH’

Syllabus: GS III, Security; Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate. 

Prelims: Project NIGAH

Mains: Details about ICD Container Tracking Module and its advantages 

Context

Project NIGAH was launched by the Delhi Customs in Gurugram.

Project NIGAH

• Project NIGAH is an initiative to track containers by using ICTM (ICD Container Tracking Module).
  • Inland Container Depot (ICD) – ICDs are also called dry ports as they handle all customs formalities related to the import and export of goods at these locations.
  • ICDs are common user facilities with public authority status equipped with fixed installations and offering services for handling and temporary storage of import/export laden and empty containers carried under Customs control.
• ICTM has been developed in collaboration with the custodian Gateway Rail Freight Limited (GRFL).
• Project NIGAH will facilitate better visibility of the container movement inside the ICD.
• The project will assist Customs to expedite long-standing containers and monitor timely clearances, thereby enhancing the Ease of Doing Business and ensuring lead preventive checks.

Advantages of using ICTM under Project NIGAH

• Helps in better container visibility after arrival at ICD
• Fastens the container clearance process
• Real-time tracking and location of the container
• Helps in identifying hazardous containers and segregation
• Provides container wise Shipping Bill information

3. Lavender Festival

Syllabus: GS III, Agriculture; Marketing of agricultural produce 

Prelims: About Lavender Festival and Aroma Mission

Mains: Significance and achievements of the Aroma Mission

Context

India’s ‘First Lavender Festival’ was inaugurated in Bhaderwah.

Lavender Festival

• The country’s first ‘Lavender Festival’ was inaugurated in Bhaderwah which is regarded as the birthplace of India’s Purple Revolution.
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) which functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Science and Technology conducted the Lavender Festival 2022.
• The festival was conducted as a part of the Union Government’s Aroma Mission which is in line with the “One Product one District” initiative.
• The aim of the festival is to increase the income of farmers associated with Aroma Mission by encouraging and motivating them to adopt the value addition of the aromatic plant they are growing in their fields.

Significance and achievements of the Aroma Mission

• The CSIR-AROMA Mission, under the Ministry of Science & Technology, aims to develop and spread awareness about aroma-related science and technology to the farmers, industry and society as a whole.
• Lavender cultivation has become an avenue of employment generation and research which has resulted in comprehensive development for the region.
• The start-ups under the purple revolution in J&K have become one of the remarkable examples of start-ups under ‘Start-up India, Stand-up India’
• Lavender Cultivation has increased farmers’ incomes by about four times.
• Lavender cultivation has employed around 5,000 farmers and young entrepreneurs in geographically remote areas of J&K.
• Aroma Mission is attracting Start-ups and agriculturists from across the country.
  • During the Phase-I of the mission, 6000 hectares of land were cultivated for lavender and over 44,000 individuals got training
  • In the second phase of the Mission, over 45,000 individuals would be skilled which would benefit over 75,000 farming families

4. Recent Road Accidents Parameters

Syllabus: GS III, Infrastructure: Roads 

Mains: Recent Road accidents parameters

Context

Road accident parameters have registered a significant decline in 2020.

Details of road accidents parameters in 2020

• Total accidents in 2020 had reduced on an average by 18.46%, the number of persons killed decreased by 12.84% and the number of injuries decreased by 22.84% compared to 2019.
• According to the “Road accidents in India 2020” report, prepared by the Transport Research Wing (TRW) of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the number of road accidents has been reducing since 2016 except for a marginal increase in 2018.
  • The report provides information on various facets of road accidents in the country during the calendar year. 
  • The information provided in the report is sourced from police departments in standard format as provided by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) under the Asia Pacific Road Accident Data (APRAD) base project.
• The fatal road accident victims largely constitute young people with young adults in the age group of 18 – 45 years constituting 69% of victims in 2020 and people in the age group of 18 – 60 years constituted about 87.4% of total road accident fatalities.
• Major States that achieved a significant reduction in road accidents in 2020 are Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka. 
• Major States that achieved a significant reduction in road accident fatalities in 2020 are Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.

5. Central Government Health Scheme

Syllabus: GS II, Health; Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health 

Prelims: Central Government Health Scheme

Mains: Significance of Central Government Health Scheme

Context

The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, hosts ‘CGHS Panchayat’ in Chennai.

Details

• CGHS Panchayat is an initiative to provide an open platform for all CGHS stakeholders which includes pensioners, beneficiaries and healthcare organizations to raise their concerns. 
• CGHS Panchayat will help the policymakers understand the issues in the implementation of the scheme and thereby improve it.

Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS)

• The Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) was introduced in 1954 to provide comprehensive medical facilities to the Central Govt employees, other entitled categories and their family members.
• Mission: Preventive, promotive and curative health and wellness services that are responsive, accountable and cost-effective, providing financial risk protection and ensuring healthy lives.
• The scheme also provides service to members and former members of parliament, judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts, freedom fighters, former Governors and former Vice-Presidents of India.
• CGHS provides health care facilities through
  • Allopathic
  • Homoeopathic
  • Indian system of medicine
    • Ayurveda
    • Unani
    • Siddha and
    • Yoga
• The scheme has been successful in providing holistic medical services for the last six decades.
• The scheme has about 38.5 lakh beneficiaries covered in about 75 cities across the country.

Read previous PIB here.

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