21 Sep 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES)
2. PM KISAN
3. International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement
4. ICG Samudra Prahari
5. International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf)

1. ​​General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES)

Syllabus: GS-2, Governance; GS-3, Agriculture

Prelims: General Crop Estimation Survey (GCES)

Context:

The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) launched the mobile application and the web portal for GCES (General Crop Estimation Survey).

General Crop Estimation Survey:

• General Crop Estimation Surveys are conducted annually to obtain the estimates of average yield per hectare (productivity) and total production of principal crops by conducting crop-cutting experiments.
  • A crop-cutting experiment for any specified crop involves marking an experimental plot of a specified size in the selected field, harvesting, threshing and weighing the produce obtained from it.
• This is done to get the crop yield estimates of major and minor crops.
• It is conducted by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation.
• The GCES covers around 68 crops (52 food and 16 non-food) in 22 States and 4 Union Territories. 
• Around 5,00,000 experiments are conducted every year with the help of State revenue and agricultural staff.

Portal and Mobile App for GCES:

• The portal and mobile app have been launched considering the need for real-time information and technology in agriculture.
• The accuracy of the data is a very important component for truthful and reliable outcome generation.
• Key features of the portal and app:
  • Includes a comprehensive repository of yield estimation including village-wise GCES plan and plot details where the crop cutting experiments are conducted, post-harvesting crop weight and driage weight of the crop.
  • Geo-referencing which enables the primary worker to draw the boundary of the experimental plot and upload photos of the plot as well as of the crops through it. 
• The portal and app are expected to resolve the problem of delays in reporting and improve transparency in the process.

2. PM KISAN

Syllabus: GS-2, Govt Schemes

Prelims: PM KISAN

Context:

AI Chatbot launched for PM KISAN scheme.

Details:

• The AI Chatbot acts as a comprehensive guide for the scheme beneficiaries, providing them with timely and accurate responses to their queries related to the scheme. 
• This is the first that AI Chatbot is integrated with a major flagship scheme of the Union government. 
• It has been developed and improved with the support of the EKstep Foundation and Bhashini. 
• The AI chatbot will assist farmers in seeking information related to their application status, payment details, ineligibility status, and other scheme-related updates. 
• Currently, the Chatbot is available in English, Hindi, Bengali, Odia, and Tamil. It is planned to be released in all 22 scheduled languages of the country.

Know more about the PM KISAN scheme in the linked article.

3. International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement

Syllabus: GS-3, Science & Technology

Prelims: International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement, NCCBM

Context:

India wins bid to host 17th International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement.

Details:

• India has won the bid to host the prestigious International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement (ICCC) in New Delhi in 2027.
• The bid was presented by the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM) along with IIT Delhi at the ongoing 16th ICCC in Bangkok, Thailand.

International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement:

• The International Congress on the Chemistry of Cement is the largest and most prestigious event of its kind which reviews the progress of research in the area of cement and concrete. 
• The congresses have been held generally at intervals of four to six years since 1918.
• The 9th Congress was organized in New Delhi in 1992 by NCCBM.

National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCCBM):

• NCCBM is an apex R&D organization under the administrative control of DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce & Industry. 
• It engages in research, technology development & transfer, education & industrial services for cement, allied building materials & construction industries. 
• It was founded in 1962 as the Cement Research Institute of India (CRI).
• It is headquartered in Ballabgarh, Haryana.

Cement Industry in India:

• The Indian cement industry is the second-largest in the world with an installed cement capacity of 600 million tonnes.
• It plays a key role in the circular economy framework in the country by utilizing various industrial wastes.
• It has one of the lowest CO2 footprints in the world and is very efficient.

4. ICG Samudra Prahari

Syllabus: GS-3, Security, Environment

Prelims: Samudra Prahari, Indian Coast Guard

Context:

Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Pollution-Control Vessel ‘Samudra Prahari’ carried out a comprehensive Pollution Response Table-Top exercise and demonstration at Khlong Toei Port in Bangkok, Thailand in Sep 2023.

Details:

• The exercise involved personnel from Thailand’s Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre (MECC), Customs Department, Marine Department, Royal Navy, Fisheries Department and other government officials.
• The exercise involved a scenario that devised and tested Thailand’s Maritime Pollution Response contingency plan in collaboration with the Indian Coast Guard. 
• It fostered knowledge sharing and an interactive environment among the services, ensuring seamless cooperation during real-life oil pollution scenarios. 
• The exercise demonstrated ICG’s pollution response capabilities and India’s shared commitment towards the region.
• The visit of ‘Samudra Prahari’ to Bangkok under the India-ASEAN initiative marks a significant milestone in elevating the ties between the ICG and Thai MECC in the maritime domain and highlighting India as a dependable maritime partner, in line with the Sagar Vision.

5. International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf)

Syllabus: GS-2, Social Justice

Prelims: International Week of the Deaf (IWDeaf)

Context:

The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) is observing the International Week of the Deaf from 18 to 24 September 2023.

Details:

• During this period, the Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), an autonomous organization under the DEPwD and the nodal institute for research, development, training and spreading awareness about Indian Sign Language (ISL) across the country has been conducting various theme-based activities.
• These themes include awareness about the Declaration of the Rights of the Deaf Child, Building Capacity across the globe, realizing the motto of “Nothing without us”, Putting Deaf people on the Agenda, achieving sign language rights for all and focusing on building inclusive deaf communities.

Read the previous PIB articles here.