30 Apr 2018: UPSC Exam PIB Summary & Analysis

Exercise Harimau Shakti 2018

• It is an excise between the Indian Army and the Malaysian Army commenced on 30 April at WardieburnCamp, Kuala Lumpur with a brief and impressive handing over of troop’s ceremony. 
• Lt Col Irwan Ibrahim, Commanding officer of the 1st Royal Ranger Regiment of Malaysian Army welcomed the Indian contingent and wished the Indian and Malaysian troops for a successful and mutually beneficial joint exercise. 
• Exercise Harimau Shakti is a positive step in the bilateral relations between the two nations. The conduct of such exercises in future will enable mutual capacity enhancement and assist in building strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between India and Malaysia.

Swachh Bharat Mission launches GOBAR-DHAN

• Union Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation, Sushri Uma Bharti launched the GOBAR (Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources – DHAN scheme at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) Auditorium, Karnal.
• The scheme aims to positively impact village cleanliness and generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.
• The scheme also aims at creating new rural livelihood opportunities and enhancing income for farmers and other rural people.
• The Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) comprises two main components for creating clean villages – creating open defecation free (ODF) villages and managing solid and liquid waste in villages.
• With over 3.5 lakh villages, 374 districts and 16 States/UTsof the country being declared ODF, the stage is set for ODF-plus activities, including measures to enhance solid and liquid waste management.
• The GOBAR-DHAN scheme, with its focus on keeping villages clean, increasing the income of rural households, and generation of energy from cattle waste, is an important element of this ODF-plus strategy.
• The scheme envisages the implementation of 700 bio-gas units in different states of the country in 2018-19.
• Under GObar-Dhan, cooking gas would be provided to rural habitations and technical support would ensure that the schemes functioned on a sustainable basis.

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