Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SATAT Scheme, CBG
Mains level: SATAT scheme
Oil and Gas Marketing Companies (OGMCs) are inviting potential entrepreneur to procure Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) under the SATAT scheme.
Try this MCQ:
Q.SATAT is an initiative of the Government of India, aims at:
(a) Promoting Self Help Groups in rural areas
(b) Providing financial and technical assistance to young start-up entrepreneurs
(c) Promoting affordable transportation
(d) Providing affordable and quality education to the citizens for free
SATAT Scheme
- SATAT stands for Sustainable Alternative Towards Affordable Transportation.
- It is an initiative aimed at setting up Compressed Bio-Gas production plants and makes them available in the market for use in automotive fuels by inviting Expression of Interest from potential entrepreneurs.
- The initiative was launched in October 2018 by the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas in association with the PSUs- Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
Its implementation
- CBG plants are proposed to be set up mainly through independent entrepreneurs.
- CBG produced at these plants will be transported through cascades of cylinders to the fuel station networks of OMCs for marketing as a green transport fuel alternative.
- The 1,500-strong CNG stations network in the country currently serves about 32 lakh gas-based vehicles.
- The entrepreneurs would be able to separately market the other by-products from these plants, including bio-manure, carbon-dioxide, etc., to enhance returns on investment.
- So far 9 CBG plants have been commissioned and started supply of CBG under the scheme.
- These plants are located in Andhra Pradesh (1No.), Gujarat (3 No.), Haryana (1 No.), Maharashtra (3 No.) and Tamil Nadu (1No.).
Benefits of the programme
There are multiple benefits from converting agricultural residue, cattle dung and municipal solid waste into CBG on a commercial scale:
- Responsible waste management, reduction in carbon emissions and pollution
- Additional revenue source for farmers
- Boost to entrepreneurship, rural economy and employment
- Support to national commitments in achieving climate change goals
- Reduction in import of natural gas and crude oil
- Buffer against crude oil/gas price fluctuations
Back2Basics: Compressed Bio Gas (CBG)
- Biogas is produced naturally through a process of anaerobic decomposition from waste / bio-mass sources like agriculture residue, cattle dung, sugarcane press mud, municipal solid waste, sewage treatment plant waste, etc.
- After purification, it is compressed and called CBG, which has a pure methane content of over 95%.
- CBG is exactly similar to the commercially available natural gas in its composition and energy potential.
- With calorific value (~52,000 KJ/kg) and other properties similar to CNG, CBG can be used as an alternative, renewable automotive fuel.
- Given the abundance of biomass in the country, CBG has the potential to replace CNG in automotive, industrial and commercial uses in the coming years.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Stand-Up India Scheme
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Finance has informed that more than 81% of account holders are Women under Stand Up India Scheme.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2016:
Q.With reference to ‘stand up India scheme’, which of the following statement is/are correct?
- Its purpose is to promote entrepreneurship among SC/ST and women entrepreneurs.
- It provides for refinance through SIDBI.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Stand-Up India Scheme
- Stand Up India Scheme was launched on 5 April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship at the grass-root level of economic empowerment and job creation.
- This scheme seeks to leverage the institutional credit structure to reach out to the underserved sector of people such as SCs, STs and Women Entrepreneurs.
- The objective of this scheme is to facilitate bank loans between Rs.10 lakh and Rs.1 crore to at least one SC or ST borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a Greenfield enterprise.
- The offices of SIDBI and NABARD shall be designated Stand-Up Connect Centres (SUCC)
- It is similar to but distinct from Startup India.
Back2Basics: Start-Up India Scheme
- Startup India Scheme is an initiative of the Indian government, the primary objective of which is the promotion of startups, generation of employment, and wealth creation.
- It was launched on the 16th of January, 2016.
- A startup defined as an entity that is headquartered in India, which was opened less than 10 years ago and has an annual turnover of fewer than ₹100 crores (US$14 million).
- The action plan for this initiative is based on the following three pillars:
- Simplification and Handholding
- Funding Support and Incentives
- Industry-Academia Partnership and Incubation
- An additional area of focus is to discard restrictive States Government policies within this domain, such as License Raj, Land Permissions, Foreign Investment Proposals, and Environmental Clearances.
- It was organized by The Department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPI&IT).
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: World heritage sites in India
Mains level: Not Much
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has provided some useful information about the World Heritage Sites By UNESCO in India.
We regret for the distorted view of this newscard on the app. Pls refer to the webpage link.
[pib] Declaration of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO
World Heritage Sites in India
- At present, India has 38 World Heritage Properties. All the sites under the Ministry are conserved as per ASI’s Conservation Policy and are in good shape.
- ‘Dholavira: A Harappan City’ has been submitted for the nomination of World Heritage Site in 2019-2020.
- Nomination dossiers of ‘Santiniketan, India’ and ‘Sacred Ensemble of Hoysalas’ have been submitted to UNESCO for the year 2021-22 cycle.
WORLD HERITAGE SITES IN INDIA (38)
CULTURAL SITES:
Under Protection of Archaeological Survey of India (22)
| S.No. |
Name of Site |
State |
| 1 |
Agra Fort (1983) |
Uttar Pradesh |
| 2 |
Ajanta Caves (1983) |
Maharashtra |
| 3 |
Ellora Caves (1983) |
Maharashtra |
| 4 |
Taj Mahal (1983) |
Uttar Pradesh |
| 5 |
Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984) |
Tamil Nadu |
| 6 |
Sun Temple, Konark (1984) |
Odisha |
| 7 |
Churches and Convents of Goa (1986) |
Goa |
| 8 |
FatehpurSikri (1986) |
Uttar Pradesh |
| 9 |
Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986) |
Karnataka |
| 10 |
Khajuraho, Group of Temples (1986) |
Madhya Pradesh |
| 11 |
Elephanta Caves ( 1987) |
Maharashtra |
| 12 |
Great Living Chola Temples at Thanjavur, Gangaikondacholapuram and Darasuram (1987 & 2004) |
Tamil Nadu |
| 13 |
Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987) |
Karnataka |
| 14 |
Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989) |
Madhya Pradesh |
| 15 |
Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993) |
Delhi |
| 16 |
Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993) |
Delhi |
| 17 |
Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003) |
Madhya Pradesh |
| 18 |
Champaner-Pavagarh Archaeological Park (2004) |
Gujarat |
| 19 |
Red Fort Complex, Delhi (2007) |
Delhi |
| 20 |
Hill Forts of Rajasthan
- Kumbhalgarh, Jaisalmer and Ranthambhore, Amber and Gagron Forts) (2013)
(Amber and Gagron Forts are under protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums) |
Rajasthan |
| 21 |
Rani-ki-Vav (The Queen’s Stepwell) at Patan (2014) |
Gujarat |
| 22 |
Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara (Nalanda University) at Nalanda (2016) |
Bihar |
Under Protection of Ministry of Railways (2)
| 23. |
Mountain Railways of India Darjeeling,(1999), Nilgiri (2005), Kalka-Shimla (2008) |
West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh |
| 24. |
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004) |
Maharashtra |
Under Protection of Bodhgaya Temple Management Committee (1)
| 25 |
Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya, (2002) |
Bihar |
Under Protection of Rajasthan State Archaeology and Museums (1)
| 26. |
The Jantar Mantar, Jaipur (2010) |
Rajasthan |
Under Protection of Chandigarh Administration (1)
| 27. |
The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement (2016) |
Chandigarh |
Under Protection of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (1)
| 28. |
Historic City of Ahmedabad (2017) |
Gujarat |
Under Protection of Bombay Municipal Corporation (1)
| 29. |
Victorian and Art Deco Ensemble of Mumbai (2018) |
Govt of Maharashtra |
Under Protection of Jaipur Municipal Corporation (1)
| 30. |
Jaipur City, Rajasthan (2019) |
Govt of Rajasthan |
NATURAL SITES: (7)
Under Protection of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes
| 31. |
Kaziranga National Park (1985) |
Assam |
| 32. |
Keoladeo National Park (1985) |
Rajasthan |
| 33. |
Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985) |
Assam |
| 34. |
Sunderbans National Park (1987) |
West Bengal |
| 35. |
Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988, 2005) |
Uttarakhand |
| 36. |
Western Ghats (2012) |
Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra,Tamil Nadu |
| 37 |
Great Himalayan National Park (2014) |
Himachal Pradesh |
MIXED SITE: (1)
Under Protection of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Changes
| 38. |
Khangchendzonga National Park (2016) |
Sikkim |
Back2Basics: UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area, selected by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance, which is legally protected by international treaties.
- The sites are judged to be important for the collective and preservative interests of humanity.
- To be selected, a WHS must be an already-classified landmark, unique in some respect as a geographically and historically identifiable place having special cultural or physical significance (such as an ancient ruin or historical structure, building, city, complex, desert, forest, island, lake, monument, mountain, or wilderness area).
- It may signify a remarkable accomplishment of humanity, and serve as evidence of our intellectual history on the planet.
- The sites are intended for practical conservation for posterity, which otherwise would be subject to risk from human or animal trespassing, unmonitored/uncontrolled/unrestricted access, or threat from local administrative negligence.
- The list is maintained by the international World Heritage Program administered by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, composed of 21 “states parties” that are elected by their General Assembly.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee
- The World Heritage Committee selects the sites to be listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including the World Heritage List and the List of World Heritage in Danger.
- It monitors the state of conservation of the World Heritage properties, defines the use of the World Heritage Fund and allocates financial assistance upon requests from States Parties.
- It is composed of 21 states parties that are elected by the General Assembly of States Parties for a four-year term.
- India is NOT a member of this Committee.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Exercise Dustlik-II
Mains level: NA
The Second Edition of Joint Exercise Dustlik is scheduled from tomorrow.
Must read:
[Prelims Spotlight] Various Defence Exercises in News
Exercise Dustlik-II
- It is a bilateral defence exercise held between the Indian Army And Uzbekistan Army.
- It is named after Dustlik, a town in the Jizzakh region of Uzbekistan.
- The first edition of the exercise, Dustlik-I was held in Uzbekistan, near Tashkent, from November 3-13, 2019.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had flagged off the exercise along with his Uzbek counterpart, Major General Bakhodir Kurbanov in 2019 for the first time.
- The joint exercise focused on counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations in urban settings.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Maitri Bridge
Mains level: Recent trends in India-Bangladesh ties
PM will inaugurate ‘Maitri Setu’ between India and Bangladesh tomorrow.
Maitri Setu
- The bridge ‘Maitri Setu’ has been built over the Feni River which flows between the Indian boundary in Tripura State and Bangladesh.
- The 1.9 Km long bridge joins Sabroom in India with Ramgarh in Bangladesh.
- The construction was taken up by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd.
Try this PYQ:
Q. Recently, which of the following States has explored the possibility of constructing an artificial inland port to be connected to the sea by a long navigational channel?
(a) Andhra Pradesh
(b) Chhattisgarh
(c) Karnataka
(d) Rajasthan
Significance of the bridge
- With this inauguration, Tripura is set to become the ‘Gateway of North East’ with access to Chittagong Port of Bangladesh, which is just 80 kms from Sabroom.
- The name ‘Maitri Setu’ symbolizes growing bilateral relations and friendly ties between India and Bangladesh.
About Feni River
- Feni is a river in southeastern Bangladesh and Tripura.
- It is a trans-boundary river with an ongoing dispute about water rights.
- It originates in the South Tripura district and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh.
- The question of sharing the waters of the river between India and Pakistan was first discussed in 1958.
Other associated projects
Sabroom Check Post
- PM will lay the foundation stone for setting up an Integrated Check Post at Sabroom.
- It will help ease the movement of goods and passengers between the two countries provide new market opportunities for products of North-East states and assist the seamless movement of passengers to and from India and Bangladesh.
- The project is being taken up by the Land Ports Authority of India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Brown Rice
Mains level: Indian Exports
In a major boost to India’s rice exports potential, the first consignment of ‘red rice’ was flagged off today to the USA.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2019
Q.Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years?
(a) China
(b) India
(c) Myanmar
(d) Vietnam
Red Rice
- Iron rich ‘red rice’ is grown in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, without the use of any chemical fertilizer.
- The rice variety is referred to as ‘Bao-dhaan’, which is an integral part of Assamese food.
- Much like brown rice and white rice, red rice also comes with many incredible health benefits.
- Due to the presence of a component called anthocyanin, this rice is usually consumed either partially hulled or unhulled.
- Red rice derives this eye-grabbing colour from this component and has much more nutrient value as compared to other varieties of rice.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Devasthal Optical Telescope
Mains level: India's astronomical feats
Indian Scientists have indigenously designed and developed a low-cost optical spectrograph called Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT).
Devasthal Optical Telescope
- The ‘Made in India’ optical spectrograph is named as Aries-Devasthal Faint Object Spectrograph & Camera (ADFOSC).
- It is indigenously designed and developed by Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital.
- DOT locates sources of faint light from distant quasars and galaxies in a very young universe, regions around supermassive black-holes around the galaxies, and cosmic explosions.
- Such spectroscopes were so far imported from abroad involved high costs.
Try this PYQ:
Q.“Event Horizon” is related to:
(a) Telescope
(b) Black hole
(c) Solar glares
(d) None of the above
Special features
- It is about 2.5 times less costly compared to the imported ones and can locate sources of light with a photon-rate as low as about 1 photon per second.
- It has been successfully commissioned on the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT), the largest in the country and in Asia, near Nainital Uttarakhand.
- This instrument uses a complex arrangement of several lenses made of special glasses, polished to better than 5-nanometer smoothness to produce sharp images of the celestial sky.
- Photons coming from distant celestial sources, collected by the telescope, are sorted into different colours by the spectrograph and are finally converted into electronic recordable signals.
- It uses an in-house developed Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera cooled to an extremely low temperature of -120 0
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Better Than Cash Alliance
Mains level: Not Much
The Government of India, FICCI, and the Better Than Cash Alliance has come under the partnership to achieve the industry level commitment of responsible digitization of merchants.
Make a note here that it is a BTCA is a global partnership with diverse funding, a UN office as its secretariat and Indian being its member.
Better Than Cash Alliance
- The Better Than Cash Alliance is a global partnership of 75 governments, companies, and international organizations that accelerates the transition from cash to digital payments in order to reduce poverty and drive inclusive growth.
- It was created in September 2012 by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (Secretariat), the US Agency for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Visa Inc. among others.
- Based at the UN, the Alliance has over 50 members, works closely with other global organizations, and is an implementing partner for the G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion.
- India became a member of the alliance in 2015 to digitize payments to achieve financial inclusion and to share success stories from PM Jan Dhan Yojana, the world’s largest financial inclusion program.
Working method
The Better Than Cash Alliance partners with governments, companies, and international organizations that are the key drivers behind the transition to make digital payments widely available by:
- Advocating for the transition from cash to digital payments in a way that advances financial inclusion and promotes responsible digital finance.
- Conducting research and sharing the experiences of our members to inform strategies for making the transition.
- Catalyzing the development of inclusive digital payments ecosystems in member countries to reduce costs, increase transparency, advance financial inclusion– particularly for women– and drive inclusive growth.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
Mains level: Disable friendly infrastructure
Union Minister for Social justice and Empowerment has launched the “Sugamya Bharat App”.
Sugamya Bharat App
- The Sugamya Bharat App is a simple to use Mobile App with an easy registration process, requiring only 3 mandatory fields, namely, Name, Mobile number and Email-id.
- Registered users can raise issues related to accessibility being faced.
- The App is made accessible for ease of use for persons with disabilities also with features such as font size adjustment, color contrasting option, text to speech, and having an integrated screen reader in Hindi and English.
- It is available in 10 regional languages, namely, Hindi, English, Marathi, Tamil, Odiya, Kannada, Telugu, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Malayalam.
- The App also has the provision of easy photo uploads with a geotagging option of the premise where accessibility intervention is required.
Its features
- The app, a Crowdsourcing Mobile Application is a means for sensitizing and enhancing accessibility in the 3 pillars of the Accessible India Campaign i.e. built environment, transportation sector and ICT ecosystem in India.
- The app provides for five main features, 4 of which are directly related to enhancing accessibility, while the fifth is a special feature meant only for Divyangjan for COVID related issues.
The accessibility-related features are:
- Registration of complaints of inaccessibility across the 3 broad pillars of the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyaan;
- Positive feedback of examples and best practices worth emulating being shared by people as jan-bhagidhari;
- Departmental updates and guidelines and circulars related to accessibility.
Back2Basics: Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan
- Accessible India Campaign or Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan is a program that is set to be launched to serve the differently-able community of the country.
- The flagship program has been launched on 3 December 2015, the International Day of People with Disabilities.
- The program comes with an index to measure the design of disabled-friendly buildings and human resource policies.
- The initiative also in line with Article 9 of the (UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) which India is a signatory since 2007.
- The scheme also comes under the Persons with Disabilities Act, 1995 for equal Opportunities and protection of rights which provides non-discrimination in Transport to Persons with Disabilities.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: City Innovation Exchange (CiX)
Mains level: Urban transformation initiatives
The City Innovation Exchange (CiX) platform was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
City Innovation Exchange (CiX)
- The CiX will connect cities to innovators across the national ecosystem to design innovative solutions for their pressing challenges.
- The platform will ease the discovery, design & validation of solutions through a robust, transparent and user-centric process that will reduce barriers for innovators and cities to discover fitting solutions.
- Built on the concept of ‘open innovation’, the platform will help in the flow of ideas ‘outside in and inside out, enhancing the skills and capacity required to deliver smart urban governance.
- Through interaction with Academia and Businesses/Startups, the platform will benefit cities in the transfer of ideas from ‘labs’ to the real environment.
- Similarly, by helping urban governments interact with citizens, the platform will ensure the adoption of tested solutions that will be impactful and sustainable.
Benefits of CiX
- The CiX platform will be a significant addition to the growing innovation ecosystem of India and focuses on fostering innovative practices in cities.
- CiX, through an ‘open innovation’ process, engages with innovators to design-test-deliver on solutions to pressing urban challenges.
- This initiative is among the ongoing efforts to realize PM’s vision of New and AtmaNirbhar Bharat, by making cities more self-reliant and enabled to meet the needs of and provide services to their citizens.
- The platform in due time will help our cities in adopting solutions that will enhance the quality of life for their residents and significantly improve the Ease of Doing Business.
Try this PYQ:
Q.The Constitution (Seventy-Third Amendment) Act, 1992, which aims at promoting the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the country, provides for which of the following?
- Constitution of District Planning Committees.
- State Election Commissions to conduct all panchayat elections.
- Establishment of State Finance Commissions.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) Only 1
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: PM-KISAN
Mains level: Cash support schemes for farmers
The PM-Kisan scheme, launched with an aim to ensure a life of dignity and prosperity for farmers has completed two years of successful implementation.
PM-KISAN
- Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land upto 2 hectares, will be provided direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year.
- This income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal instalments of Rs. 2,000 each.
- This programme will be entirely funded by the Government of India.
Note: Aadhaar was made optional for availing the first instalment (December 2018 – March 2019). But now it is mandatory.
Exclusion categories
The following categories of beneficiaries of higher economic status shall not be eligible for benefit under the scheme.
- All Institutional Landholders
- Farmer families in which one or more of its members belong to the following categories
- Former and present holders of constitutional posts
- Former and present Ministers/ MP/MLAs/Mayors /Chairpersons of District Panchayats
- All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees)
- All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is ₹10,000/-or more (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of the above category
- All Persons who paid Income Tax in the last assessment year
- Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out the profession by undertaking practices.
Do you know?
West Bengal is yet to implement the PM-KISAN scheme while the farmers have completed their registrations!
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: One Nation One Standard, BIS
Mains level: One Nation One Standard
It’s time to embark on Mission “One Nation One Standard” and make India the leader in setting global benchmarks in setting standards, highlighted the Food and Consumer Affairs Minister.
One Nation One Standard
- The purpose of setting standards and enforcing them is not to bring back “inspection raj” but to ensure that quality products are made available to consumers.
- The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the only national body that frames standards, has come out with more than 20,000 standards for various products and services so far.
- Besides this, there are about 50-odd agencies that have framed about 400 standards in the country.
- There are multiple standards in the country for a single product/service. The new mission is to converge such standards with the BIS.
Main objectives:
- No one should feel the need to go abroad to get the quality certification.
- Lab testing in India should be of world standards. Modern equipment and the latest technologies would be used there.
Why such a move?
- Having uniform national standards will help in making it mandatory for more products.
- The government proposes to set Indian standards in line with the global benchmarks, just like other countries enforce their standards on imported products.
- The Centre, through this move, wants foreign goods coming into India to comply with Indian standards.
Try this PYQ:
Consider the following statements:
- The Standard Mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes.
- AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Back2Basics: Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
- BIS is the National Standards Body of India working under the aegis of the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986.
- The organisation was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and Supplies in September 1946.
- The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- A new Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) Act 2016 has been brought into force with effect from 12 October 2017.
- The Act establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: SFURTI Scheme
Mains level: Reviving MSME Sector
Union Minister for MSME has inaugurated 50 artisan-based SFURTI clusters, spread over 18 States.
SFURTI is an off-track scheme compared to other HRD schemes with Hindi acronyms. Similar is the SPARSH scheme for philately.
SFURTI Scheme
- Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) is an initiative by the Ministry of MSME to promote Cluster development.
- Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is the Nodal Agency for the promotion of Cluster development for Khadi.
- Under the Scheme, the MSME Ministry supports various interventions including the setting up of infrastructure through Common Facility Centers (CFCs), procurement of new machinery, design intervention, improved packaging and marketing etc.
Types of clusters
- SFURTI clusters are of two types i.e., Regular Cluster (500 artisans) with Government assistance of up to Rs.2.5 crore and Major Cluster (more than 500 artisans) with Government assistance up to Rs.5 crore.
- The scheme focuses on strengthening the cluster governance systems with the active participation of the stakeholders so that they are able to gauge the emerging challenges and opportunities and respond to them.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Sant Ravidas
Mains level: Bhakti Saints and their contribution
The President of India recently addressed the ‘Shri Guru Ravidas Vishva Mahapeeth Rashtriya Adhiveshan-2021’ in New Delhi.
Try this PYQ from CSP 2019:
Q.Consider the following statements:
1.Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar.
2.Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Who was Sant Ravidas?
- Ravidas was an Indian mystic poet-saint of the Bhakti movement and founder of the Ravidassia religion during the 15th to 16th century CE.
- Venerated as a guru (teacher) in the region of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and mainly Punjab and Haryana. He was a poet-saint, social reformer and spiritual figure.
- The life details of Ravidas are uncertain and contested. Scholars believe he was born in 1450 CE, in the cobbler caste.
- Ravidas’s devotional Verses were included in the Sikh scriptures known as Guru Granth Sahib.
- The Panch Vani text of the Dadupanthi tradition within Hinduism also includes numerous poems of Ravidas.
- He taught the removal of social divisions of caste and gender and promoted unity in the pursuit of personal spiritual freedoms.
Why his preaching is important?
- Philosophy and values of Sant Ravidas like social justice, equality and fraternity have been imbued in our constitutional values.
- He had envisaged a society that is based on equality and free from any kind of discrimination.
- He gave it the name ‘Be-gampura’ (a city near Lahore) where there is no place for any kind of grief or fear.
- Such an ideal city would be bereft of fear, vulnerability or scarcity. Rule of law based on the right ideas like equality and welfare of all would be the principle for governance.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Blue Economy
Mains level: Blue Economy and its contribution to GDP
The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has rolled out the Draft Blue Economy policy for India in the public domain inviting suggestions and inputs from various stakeholders.
Blue Economy Policy
- India’s draft blue economy policy is envisaged as a crucial framework towards unlocking country’s potential for economic growth and welfare.
- The draft policy outlines the vision and strategy that can be adopted by the govt to utilize the plethora of oceanic resources available in the country.
Objectives:
The policy aims to-
- Enhance the contribution of the blue economy to India’s GDP
- Improve the lives of coastal communities
- Preserve marine biodiversity and
- Maintain the national security of marine areas and resources
What comprises India’s blue economy?
- India’s blue economy is understood as a subset of the national economy.
- It comprises an entire ocean resources system and human-made economic infrastructure in marine, maritime, and onshore coastal zones within the country’s legal jurisdiction.
- It aids the production of goods and services that have clear linkages with economic growth, environmental sustainability, and national security.
- The blue economy is a vast socio-economic opportunity for coastal nations like India to utilize ocean resources for societal benefit responsibly.
Need for such policy
- With a coastline of nearly 7.5 thousand kilometres, India has a unique maritime position.
- Nine of its 29 states are coastal, and the nation’s geography includes 1,382 islands.
- There are nearly 199 ports, including 12 major ports that handle approximately 1,400 million tons of cargo each year.
- Moreover, India’s Exclusive Economic Zone of over 2 million square kilometres has a bounty of living and non-living resources with significant recoverable resources such as crude oil and natural gas.
- Also, the coastal economy sustains over 4 million fisherfolk and coastal communities.
Key areas
The policy recognizes the following seven thematic areas.
- National accounting framework for the blue economy and ocean governance.
- Coastal marine spatial planning and tourism.
- Marine fisheries, aquaculture, and fish processing.
- Manufacturing, emerging industries, trade, technology, services, and skill development.
- Logistics, infrastructure and shipping, including trans-shipments.
- Coastal and deep-sea mining and offshore energy.
- Security, strategic dimensions, and international engagement.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Mahabahu-Brahmaputra
Mains level: Infrastructure in NE
PM will launch the ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’, lay the foundation stone of Dhubri Phulbari Bridge and perform Bhumi Pujan for construction of Majuli Bridge Assam.
Click here to read all North-East related news.
Mahabahu-Brahmaputra
- The program is aimed at providing seamless connectivity to the Eastern parts of India and includes various development activities for the people living around River Brahmaputra and River Barak.
- It will consist of the Ro-Pax vessel operations between Neamati-Majuli Island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari.
- The Ro-Pax services will help in reducing the travel time by providing connectivity between banks and thus reducing the distance to be travelled by road.
- PANI (Portal for Asset and Navigation Information) will act as a one-stop solution for providing information about river navigation and infrastructure.
Dhubri Phulbari Bridge
- PMwill lay the foundation stone for the four-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra between Dhubri (on North Bank) and Phulbari (on South Bank).
- The proposed Bridge will be located on NH-127B, originating from Srirampur on NH-27 (East-West Corridor), and terminating at Nongstoin on NH-106 in the State of Meghalaya.
- It will connect Dhubri in Assam to Phulbari, Tura, Rongram and Rongjeng in Meghalaya.
- It will reduce the distance of 205 Km to be travelled by Road to 19 Km, which is the total length of the bridge.
Majuli Bridge
- PM will perform Bhumi Pujan for the two-lane Bridge on the Brahmaputra between Majuli (North Bank) and Jorhat (South Bank).
- The bridge will be located on NH-715K and will connect Neematighat (on Jorhat side) and Kamalabari (on Majuli side).
- The Construction of the bridge has been a long demand of the people of Majuli who for generations have been dependent on the ferry services to connect with the mainland of Assam.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Fastag
Mains level: Fastag and its benefits for speedy transport
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways has decided that all lanes in the fee plazas on National Highways shall be declared as “FASTag lane of the fee plaza”.
Fastag went unnoticed this year. The RFID technology deployed in this holds an intuition for its relevance in CS prelims and many forthcoming exams.
What is ‘FASTag’?
- FASTags are stickers that are affixed to the windscreen of vehicles and use Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enable digital, contactless payment of tolls without having to stop at toll gates.
- The tags are linked to bank accounts and other payment methods.
- As a car crosses a toll plaza, the amount is automatically deducted, and a notification is sent to the registered mobile phone number.
How does it work?
- The device employs Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for payments directly from the prepaid or savings account linked to it.
- It is affixed on the windscreen, so the vehicle can drive through plazas without stopping.
- RFID technology is similar to that used in transport access-control systems, like Metro smart card.
- If the tag is linked to a prepaid account like a wallet or a debit/credit card, then owners need to recharge/top up the tag.
- If it is linked to a savings account, then money will get deducted automatically after the balance goes below a pre-defined threshold.
- Once a vehicle crosses the toll, the owner will get an SMS alert on the deduction. In that, it is like a prepaid e-wallet.
Must read:
[Burning Issue] Implementation of FASTags
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Creche scheme
Mains level: Maternity benefits act
The Union Minister of Women and Child Development have given information about the National Creche Scheme to the Lok Sabha.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?
- Pregnant women are entitled to three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave.
- Enterprises with creches must allow the mother a minimum of six crèche visits daily.
- Women with two children get reduced entitlements.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
National Creche Scheme
- The Ministry of WCD implements the NCS for the children of working mothers as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/ UTs with effect from 01.01.2017.
- It aims to provide daycare facilities to children (age group of 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers.
The Scheme provides an integrated package of the following services:
- Daycare facilities including sleeping facilities.
- Early stimulation for children below 3 years and pre-school education for 3 to 6 years old children
- Supplementary nutrition (to be locally sourced)
- Growth monitoring
- Health check-up and immunization
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Dayanand Saraswati
Mains level: Not Much
Information and Broadcasting Minister paid his tributes to Swami Dayanand Saraswati on his birth anniversary.
Dayanand Saraswati (1824-1883)
- Swami Dayanand Saraswati was a philosopher, social leader and founder of the Arya Samaj, a reform movement of the Vedic dharma.
- He was the first to give the call for Swaraj as “India for Indians” in 1876, a call later taken up by Lokmanya Tilak.
- Denouncing the idolatry and ritualistic worship, he worked towards reviving Vedic ideologies.
- Subsequently, the philosopher and then President, S. Radhakrishnan called him one of the “makers of Modern India”, as did Sri Aurobindo.
Try this PYQ:
Q.Which among the following event happened earliest?
(a) Swami Dayanand established Arya Samaj
(b) Dinabandhu Mitra wrote Neeldarpan
(c) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay wrote Anandmath
(d) Satyendranath Tagore became the first India to succeed in the Indian Civil Services Examination
His influence
- Those who were influenced by and followed him included Madam Cama, Shyamji Krishna Varma, Kishan Singh, Bhagat Singh, VD Savarkar, Bhai Parmanand, Lala Hardayal, Madan Lal Dhingra, Ram Prasad Bismil, MG Ranade, Ashfaq Ullah Khan, , Lala Lajpat Rai etc.
Philosophy
- He was ascetic from boyhood and a scholar.
- He believed in the infallible authority of the Vedas.
- He advocated the doctrine of Karma and Reincarnation.
- He emphasized the Vedic ideals of Brahmacharya, including celibacy and devotion to God.
His contribution
- Among Dayananda’s contributions were his promoting of the equal rights for women, such as the right to education and reading of Indian scriptures.
- He wrote his commentary on the Vedas from Vedic Sanskrit in Sanskrit as well as in Hindi.
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Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Various provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act
Mains level: Child rights and their protection
The Union Minister of Women and Child Development has given important information regarding the protection of child beggars in India under various acts and ministries.
Q.What are the various legislatures aimed at protecting Child Beggars in India? Discuss their efficacy in the prevention of child begging as well as abuse.
Protection of Child Beggars
(A) JJ Act, 2015
- The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (JJ Act) is the primary law for children in the country.
- The Section 2 (14) (ii) of the Act, 2015, considers a child being in force or is found begging, or living on the street as a “child in need of care and protection”.
- As per Section 76 of JJ Act, whoever employs or uses any child for the purpose of begging or causes any child to beg shall be punishable with imprisonment.
- The Act provides a security net of service delivery structures along with measures for institutional and non-institutional care, to ensure the comprehensive well being of children in distress situations.
- The primary responsibility of execution of the Act rests with the States/UTs.
(B) Child Protection Services (CPS)
- The Ministry implements a centrally sponsored scheme CPS under the umbrella Integrated Child Development Services scheme.
- It supports the children in difficult circumstances including child beggars and destitute children.
- Under the scheme, institutional care is provided through Child Care Institutions (CCIs), as a rehabilitative measure.
- The programmes and activities in CCIs inter-alia include age-appropriate education, access to vocational training, recreation, health care, counselling etc.
- The scheme supports 24×7 emergency outreach/ helpline service for children in distress conditions.
- The service is accessible through a dedicated toll-free number, 1098 from anywhere in India.
(C) Rehabilitation measures
- The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has undertaken a pilot project for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons engaged in the act of begging.
- It is currently held in ten (10) cities; namely Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmadabad, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Lucknow, Patna, Nagpur and Indore.
- The initiative aims for identification, rehabilitation, counselling, skill development of beggars.
- It includes education of children engaged in begging/children of persons engaged in the begging.
The children of today are assets of tomorrow. Yet education, which is a fundamental right to every child in our country, is still a dream for many children in India, especially the ones who are poor, downtrodden and in dire need.
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