10 Sep 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

September 10th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. AMRUT Scheme
2. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA)
3. National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB)
4. SAROD-Ports
5. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)
6. Five Star Villages Scheme
7. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
8. COVID-19 Testing
9. India and Japan sign agreement

1. AMRUT Scheme

Context:

The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme was launched in 2015 in 500 cities across India covering about 60% of the urban population.

To know more about the AMRUT scheme, click on the linked article.

2. Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA)

Context:

61^st Foundation Day celebration of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie.

Every IAS officer’s training starts at the LBSNAA. To know more about the facilities at LBSNAA, click on the linked article.

3. National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB)

Context:

A report on the journey of the NSTEDB in catalyzing innovation, entrepreneurship, and incubation was launched by the Secretary, Department of Science and Technology (DST).

About NSTEDB:

• The NSTEDB was established in 1982 by the Government of India under the aegis of the DST.
• It is an institutional mechanism to help promote knowledge-driven and technology-intensive enterprises.
• The Board, having representations from socio-economic and scientific Ministries/Departments, aims to convert “job-seekers” into “job-generators” through Science & Technology (S&T) interventions.
• Its broad objective is to promote gainful self-employment amongst the Science and Technology (S&T) manpower in the country.

Objectives of NSTEDB:

• To promote knowledge-based and innovation-driven enterprises.
• To facilitate the generation of entrepreneurship and self-employment opportunities for S&T persons.
• To facilitate information dissemination.
• To network with various Central & State Government agencies for S&T based entrepreneurship development.
• To act as a policy advisory body to the Government agencies for S&T based entrepreneurship development.
• To generate employment through technical skill development using S&T infrastructure.

The various institutional mechanisms under the Board include the following:

1. National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations (NIDHI)
2. NewGen Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre ( NewGen IEDC)
3. Science & Technology Entrepreneurship Development (STED) Project
4. Innovation – Science and Technology based Entrepreneurship Development (i-STED)
5. Science & Technology Entrepreneurs Park (STEP)
6. Technology Business Incubator (TBI)

4. SAROD-Ports

Context:

Union Minister of State for Shipping launches ‘SAROD-Ports’ (Society for Affordable Redressal of Disputes – Ports).

About SAROD-Ports:

• SAROD-Ports is a dispute redressal mechanism to facilitate affordable and timely resolution of disputes for the maritime sector.
• It has been established under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 for affordable and timely resolution of disputes in a fair manner.
• SAROD-Ports consists of members from the Indian Ports Association (IPA) and Indian Private Ports and Terminals Association (IPTTA).
• It will advise and assist in the settlement of disputes through arbitrations in the maritime sector, including ports and shipping sector in Major Port Trusts, Non-major Ports, including private ports, jetties, terminals and harbours.
• The mechanism is similar to the provision available in the highway sector in the form of SAROD-Roads constituted by the National Highways Authorities of India (NHAI).
• Objectives of SAROD-Ports:
  • Affordable and timely resolution of disputes in a fair manner.
  • Enrichment of Dispute Resolution Mechanism with the panel of technical experts as arbitrators.

5. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G)

Context:

PM to inaugurate 1.75 lakh houses built under PMAY-G in Madhya Pradesh.

To know more about PMAY-G, check PIB dated Nov 20, 2019.

6. Five Star Villages Scheme

Context:

India Post launches Five Star Villages Scheme to ensure 100% rural coverage of postal schemes.

About Five Star Villages Scheme:

• The Department of Posts has launched a scheme called Five Star Villages, to ensure universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural areas of the country.
• The scheme seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages.
• All postal products and services will be made available and marketed and publicized at the village level, under the scheme.
• Branch offices will function as a one-stop-shop to cater to all post office-related needs of villagers.
• The schemes covered under the Five Star scheme include:
  • Savings Bank Accounts, Recurrent Deposit Accounts, NSC/KVP certificates
  • Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/PPF Accounts
  • Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts
  • Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy
    Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account/Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account.
• If a village attains universal coverage for the four schemes from the above list, then that village gets a four-star status; if a village completes three schemes, then that village gets a three-star status and so on.

How will the scheme be implemented?

• The scheme will be implemented by a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village for the marketing of all products, savings and insurance schemes of the Department of Posts.
• This team will be headed by the Branch Post Master of the concerned Branch Office.
• The mail overseer will keep personal watch on the progress of the team on a daily basis.
• The teams will be led and monitored by the concerned Divisional Head, Assistant Superintendents Posts and Inspector Posts.
• The team of Gramin Dak Sevaks will conduct a door-to-door awareness campaign on all schemes, covering all eligible villagers.
• Wide publicity will be given by displaying the information on notice boards of Branch Offices.
• Prominent places of targeted villages like Panchayat Offices, schools, village dispensaries, bus depots, markets will also be used for advertising and pamphlets will be distributed.
• Small melas will be organized, considering COVID-19 safety guidelines.

7. Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)

Context:

17^th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Culture Ministers’ Meeting.

Details:

• To promote the mutual bonding between the SCO members, the National Museum of India is in the process of organizing the first SCO Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage this year.
• The Exhibition marks India’s Chairpersonship of the Council of Heads of Government in 2020. The exhibition will be held in digital format due to the prevailing pandemic situation.
• The Sahitya Akademi is also translating ten Indian literary works into the SCO languages of Russian and Chinese with the objective of sharing Indian literature with fellow nations of SCO.
• 2021 is the 20^th anniversary of the SCO and there is a proposal to declare 2021 as the ‘Year of Culture of the SCO’ to mark the occasion. India has extended support for this proposal.

8. COVID-19 Testing

Context:

Health Ministry urges States/UTs to mandatorily retest all symptomatic negative cases of Rapid Antigen Tests through RT-PCR.

ICMR Guidelines:

• Both ICMR guidelines and the Union Health Ministry state that the following two specific categories of persons must necessarily be retested through RT-PCR tests:
  • All symptomatic (fever or cough or breathlessness) negative cases of Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT).
  • Asymptomatic negative cases of RAT that develop symptoms within 2 to 3 days of being tested negative.

Why retesting is necessary?

• The Ministry has noted that in some large states, symptomatic negative cases tested by Rapid Antigen Tests (RAT) are not being followed up by RT-PCR testing.
• According to the Ministry, this retesting is necessary to ensure that such symptomatic negative cases do not remain untested and do not spread the disease among their contacts.
• This will also ensure early detection and isolation/hospitalization of such false negatives.
• The Ministry has also reiterated that while the RAT is being used to increase access and availability of testing in the field, RT-PCR remains the gold standard of COVID tests.

Nine States:

• Recent data released by the Ministry show that more than 74% of the total active cases were in the nine most-affected states in the country.
• Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh contribute 49% of the total active cases.

Read more on RT-PCR in CNA dated May 15, 2020.

9. India and Japan sign agreement

Context:

India and Japan sign agreement on Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between Forces of both countries.

Details:

• India and Japan signed an Agreement between the two countries concerning the Reciprocal Provision of Supplies and Services between the Armed Forces of India and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan.
• This agreement establishes the enabling framework for closer cooperation between the Armed Forces of India and Japan in the reciprocal provision of supplies and services while engaged in bilateral training activities, United Nations Peacekeeping Operations, Humanitarian International Relief and other mutually agreed activities.
• The agreement will also enhance the interoperability between the armed forces of India and Japan thereby further increasing the bilateral defence engagements under the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between the two countries.
• The agreement is mainly aimed at greater maritime cooperation and can dramatically upgrade India-Japan naval exercises as the participants are expected to share maritime facilities for mutual benefit.

Read previous PIB here.

September 10th, 2020, PIB:- Download PDF Here