13 April 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

April 13th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. President’s greetings on the eve of Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
2. First harvest festivals of the year
3. Jallianwala Bagh massacre
4. e-NAM 
5. Lifeline Udan
6. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2020-21
7. ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign
8. Business Correspondent Sakhis and Bank Sakhis
9. Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF)
10. CollabCAD

1. President’s greetings on the eve of Birth Anniversary of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

What’s in News?

Father of the Indian Constitution, Dr. Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born on 14 April 1891 at Mhow in the Central Provinces in British India (currently in Madhya Pradesh). This day is observed as ‘Ambedkar Jayanti’ in India.

• Ambedkar was a key figure in the Constituent Assembly of India and was the chairman of the Drafting Committee. 
• For his role in the preparation of the Constitution, he is revered as the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’.
• He also served as India’s first Law Minister in the Interim government in 1947.

Read more about Dr. B. R. Ambedkar

2. First harvest festivals of the year

What’s in News?

The President of India’s greetings on the occasion of Vaisakhi, Vishu, Rongali Bihu, Naba Barsha, Vaisakhadi, Puthandu, Pirappu, which are being celebrated in different parts of the country on 13th and 14th April, 2020.

• Vaisakhi, Vishu, Puthandu, Masadi, Vaishkhadi and Bahag Bihu which are being celebrated in different parts of the country.
• These are the first harvest festivals of the year. 
• Vaisakhi, also pronounced as Baisakhi is a historical and religious festival in Sikhism as well as a celebration of the New Year.
• Vishu is a Hindu festival celebrated in the South Indian state of Kerala, Tulu Nadu region in Karnataka, bordering areas of Tamil Nadu and their diaspora communities. 
• Puthandu, also known as Puthuvarusham or Tamil New Year, is the first day of year on the Tamil calendar and traditionally celebrated as a festival.
• Poila Boishakh is celebrated in West Bengal, and parts of Tripura. According to the Bengali calendar, it is the first day of the first month.
• Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu also called Xaat Bihu is a festival celebrated in the state of Assam and other parts of north-eastern India, and marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. 
• Maha Bishuba Pana Sankranti is the traditional new year day festival of Buddhists and Hindus in Odisha.

3. Jallianwala Bagh massacre

What’s in News?

The Prime Minister pays tributes to the martyrs of the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

• On 13 April 1919, British troops fired at a gathering of unarmed Indians at the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar leading to the deaths of at least a thousand people.

Read more about Jallianwala Bagh massacre.

4. e-NAM

What’s in News?

National Agriculture Market portal e-NAM to complete four Years on 14th April 2020. 

• e-NAM or the e-trading platform (online trading portal) for the National Agriculture Market (NAM) was launched by the Prime Minister on April 2016.
• e – National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) is a pan-India electronic trading portal which nets the prevailing Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMC) Mandis for making a united national market for agricultural commodities.
• The portal has helped in realizing the vision of “One Nation, One Market” for Agri-produce.

Read more about e-NAM

5. Lifeline Udan

What’s in News?

Airlines cover more than 2 lakh km under Lifeline Udan to transport medical supplies across the nation.

• As part of India’s war against the novel Coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has launched “Lifeline Udan”.

Lifeline UDAN has been covered in 3rd April 2020 PIB Summary and Analysis. Click here to read.

6. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme 2020-21

What’s in News?

The Government of India, in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, has decided to issue Sovereign Gold Bonds. The Sovereign Gold Bonds will be issued in six tranches from April 2020 to September 2020.

• The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme was introduced in the Union Budget 2015-16 by the Union Cabinet.
• The scheme was launched as an initiative to reduce the demand for physical gold. 
• It aims to invest a part of these physicals gold bars and coins that are purchased every year into financial savings in the form of gold bonds.

Read more about Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme.

7. ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign

• ‘Bharat Padhe Online’ campaign is a one week long campaign for Crowd sourcing of Ideas for Improving Online Education ecosystem of India.
• The campaign aims to invite all the best brains in India to share suggestions/solutions directly with HRD Ministry to overcome constraints of online education while promoting the available digital education platforms.

8. Business Correspondent Sakhis and Bank Sakhis

What’s in News?

Self Help Group women working as Business Correspondents for banks (BC Sakhis) and Bank Sakhis are playing a vital role in disbursement of first tranch of ex-gratia of Rs.500/- to women PMJDY accounts amidst COVID-19 Lockdown.

Details:

• COVID – 19 pandemic has resulted in a national lockdown leaving a large number of people without access to wages and employment. 
• Those worst hit by this unprecedented pandemic and lockdown are daily wage labourers, migrants, homeless, the poor and many who form the floating population. 
• The Union Government had announced the release of 500/- per month for 3 months in 20.39 Crore Women PMJDY accounts. 
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), Ministry of Rural Development was given the responsibility to transfer the fund with the support of the Department of Financial Services and Banks. 
• Government of India also released other DBT funds like Rs.2000/- to PM Kisan Yojana accounts, MGNREGA wages payments to all rural population to address the financial stress being faced by the community.
• Due to release of DBT funds, there was expected to rush at Bank premises for withdrawal of the amount.
• In most of the cases, the services of BC Sakhis (SHG women working as Business Correspondents for banks) were utilized for making payments to rural households.
• Most importantly, SHG members engaged as BC Sakhi/ Bank Sakhi are playing a vital role in ensuring the disbursement of financial relief packages provided by Government of India. 
• Because of them, rural community facing socio-economic distress,  have been able to access banking services at their door step in the unbanked areas through BC Point to meet their daily requirements during the lockdown period.

9. Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF)

What’s in News?

The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), has invited Proposals for ‘COVID-19 Indo-U.S. Virtual Networks’ that would allow Indian and U.S. scientists and engineers currently engaged in COVID-related research to carry out joint research activities through a virtual mechanism, leveraging existing infrastructure and funding.

The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF):

• The IUSSTF was established under an agreement between the Governments of India and the United States of America in March 2000.
• It is an autonomous bilateral organization jointly funded by both the Governments that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Innovation through substantive interaction among government, academia, and industry.
• The Department of Science and Technology, Governments of India, and the U.S. Department of State are respective nodal departments.

Significance:

• As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that the S&T communities work together and share resources to address this global challenge. 
• Science, Engineering, and Technology will play a critical role in finding solutions through the development of new vaccines, devices, diagnostic tools, and information systems, as well as strategies to help communities and nations manage and deploy resources to combat this pandemic. 
• Collaboration across nations and organizations can leverage and share expertise across S&T communities and facilitate the development of a diverse, globally-engaged science, engineering, and technology-abled workforce, which can proactively work towards solutions for the Pandemic.

10. CollabCAD

What’s in News?

Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and National Informatics Centre (NIC) have jointly launched CollabCAD.

CollabCAD:

• CollabCAD is a collaborative network, computer enabled software system, providing a total engineering solution from 2D drafting & detailing to 3D product design.
• The aim of this initiative is to provide a great platform to students of Atal Tinkering Labs (ATLs) across country to create and modify 3d designs with free flow of creativity and imagination. 
• This software would also enable students to create data across the network and concurrently access the same design data for storage and visualization.
• A customized version of CollabCAD for ATLs with features that are most relevant to school students to materialize their ideas and creativity into physical solutions has been developed to enable designing without constraints and, thus, allowing creativity and innovation to thrive.
• AIM’s collaboration with NIC’s CollabCAD is a great platform for students to utilize indigenous, state-of-the-art made-in-India software for 3D modeling/slicing to use 3D Printing.

Atal Innovation Mission:

• In 2016, India launched Atal Innovation Mission.
• The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative set up by the NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across the length and breadth of the country.
• AIM’s objectives are to create and promote an ecosystem of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country at school, university, research institutions, MSME and industry levels.
• AIM has set up state of the art Atal Tinkering Labs (dedicated innovation workspaces) in schools across all districts, across the country.

April 13th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

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