28 Nov 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Ex gratia from PMNRF for the victims of West Bengal road accident
2. PM expresses gratitude to the people of Kongthong for special tune in his honour for 
promoting village tourism
3. Colombo Security Conclave Focused Operation Between India, Maldives And Sri Lanka
4. Union Minister address at seventh edition of India International Science festival

1. Ex gratia from PMNRF for the victims of West Bengal road accident

Context:

Recently, the PM announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for victims of road accidents in West Bengal.

Details:

Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF)

• The Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) was founded in 1948 in response to a public appeal by then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. It was set up in the backdrop of the partition.
• Individuals and institutions can voluntarily donate to the PMNRF.

Features of the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF): –

Utilisation of the Fund:

• The PMNRF’s resources are currently mostly used to provide emergency aid to the families of those deceased in natural disasters like floods, cyclones, and earthquakes, as well as victims of severe accidents and riots.
• PMNRF also helps to partially offset the costs of medical treatment such as heart operations, kidney transplants, cancer therapy, and acid attack treatment, among other things.
• The fund is exclusively funded by public contributions and does not receive any funding from the government.
• The fund’s assets are invested in a variety of ways with commercial banks and other institutions.
• Because the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund was not established by Parliament, it is classified as a trust under the Income Tax Act.
• For national reasons, the fund is controlled by a governing board that includes the Prime Minister or several representatives.

2. PM expresses gratitude to the people of Kongthong for special tune in his honour for promoting village tourism

Context:

Recently, the PM expressed gratitude to the people of Kongthong for promoting the village as a prime tourism destination.

Details:

Kongthong

• Kongthong village is located in the East Khasi Hills district, which is 60 km from Meghalaya’s capital city Shillong.
• The ‘Whistling Village,’ as Kongthong is known, is a famous tourist destination.
• Women in the village have a very unique tradition of calling their children by a melody rather than a name.
• The villagers here have two names: one is a conventional name, and the other is a song name, such as Eeooow or Ooeeo. This unique tradition is called ‘Jingrwai Iawbei’.
• Jingrwai iawbei is a tune (jingrwai) sung in honour of the clan’s first mother or root ancestress (iawbei).

Village Tourism

• Village tourism is becoming more popular as a more environmentally friendly option, since it stresses the active participation of the local population as a driver for tourism growth.
• It is relevant to the new tourist development model, which emphasises social, ecological, and community-based tourism.
• With the growing popularity of village tourism, numerous villages in India that were formerly completely unknown to the nation and the rest of the world have risen to prominence and are now visited by visitors every year. This has resulted in the village communities’ economic progress.
• The following are the main benefits of village tourism:
  • Learning something different from urbanization.
  • Getting an opportunity to visit farmlands.
  • Getting introduced to artisans and even purchasing locally manufactured handicrafts.
  • Socio-economic development of the village.

Challenges to Village Tourism

• The locals are generally not fluent in the language of the clients they will be serving, which can cause a significant loss for the tourist business.
• Lack of government support, trained manpower, physical communications are major impediments hindering the success of the rural tourism model in India.

Way Forward:

• Because the majority of international tourists are interested in cultural and health tourism, tour operators must highlight them as their top items while offering village tourism products to them.
• High focus must be given to making the best use of local resources and circumstances. Sustainability is seen as a noble goal, and as such, it must be considered while establishing and constructing any strategy with respect to rural tourism.
• Local culture must be prioritised since it has the potential to contribute significantly to the success of rural tourism development. Local culture may also be employed as a major tourist attraction.
• The success of rural tourism depends heavily on the basic education of the inhabitants. If the people are ignorant, there will be a significant skill gap, which will undoubtedly jeopardise the rural tourist development approach. The locals should be provided required language education and also be imparted with requisite skill sets.

3. Colombo Security Conclave Focused Operation between India, Maldives and Sri Lanka

Context:

Recently, ‘Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Focused Operation’ is being conducted between the lead Maritime Security Agencies of India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.

Details:

‘Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Focused Operation’

• Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) Focused Operation’ is a trilateral maritime drill conducted by the coast guards of India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
• It aims to bolster security in the Indian Ocean.
• It exemplifies a trilateral commitment to promoting peace and security in the region.

Aims and Objectives:

• To secure part of the Indian Ocean Region for safe commercial shipping and international trade.
• To conduct legitimate maritime activities.
• To build understanding and interoperability between the lead maritime security agencies.
• To facilitate the institution of measures to prevent and suppress transnational crimes in the region.
• To enhance the operational synergy by exchange of information and conduct of coordinated operations to handle maritime incidents/ accidents.

4. Union Minister address at seventh edition of India International Science festival

Context:

Recently, the Union Minister for Science and Technology inaugurated the seventh edition of India International Science festival at Panaji, Goa.

Details:

India International Science festival (IISF)

• The India International Science Festival (IISF) is a collaboration of the Ministries of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Vijnana Bharati (VIBHA), a Bharat swadeshi movement.
• The inaugural IISF programme took place in 2015, and the sixth edition of this yearly event will take place in 2020.
• The IISF’s major goal is to bring people in India and around the world together to appreciate science.
• IISF will assist flagship programmes such as ‘Swach Bharat Abhiyan,’ ‘Swasth Bharat Abhiyan,’ ‘Make in India,’ ‘Digital India,’ ‘Smart Villages,’ ‘Smart Cities,’ ‘Namami Gange,’ and ‘Unnath Bharat Abhiyan,’ as well as information and idea exchange.’

Read previous PIB here.

November 28th, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here