UPSC: PIB Summary and Analysis Dec 21

Darpan Launched

• DARPAN – “Digital Advancement of Rural Post Office for A New India” Project to improve the quality of service, add value to services and achieve “financial inclusion” of un-banked rural population.
• The goal of the IT modernization project with an outlay of Rs. 1400 Crore is to provide a low power technology solution to each Branch Postmaster (BPM) which will enable each of approximately 1.29 Lakhs Branch Post Offices (BOs) to improve the level of services being offered to rural customers across all the states.

Details

• The Project shall increase the rural reach of the Department of Posts and enable BOs to increase traffic of all financial remittances, savings accounts, Rural Postal Life Insurance, and Cash Certificates; improve mail operations processes by allowing for automated booking and delivery of accountable article; increase revenue using retail post business; provide third party applications; and make disbursements for social security schemes such as MGNREGS.

National Highways Investment Promotion Cell (NHIPC)

• The National Highways Authority of India has created a National Highways Investment Promotion Cell (NHIPC) for attracting domestic and foreign investment for highways projects.
• The cell will focus on engaging with global institution investors, construction companies, developers and fund managers for building investor participation in road infrastructure projects.
• The primary focus of NHIPC will be to promote foreign and domestic investment in road infrastructure.
• The NHIPC will be working in close co-ordination with various connected Ministries and Departments of Government of India, State Governments, Apex Business Chambers like CII, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, and InvestIndia etc.
• NHIPC will also work in close co-ordination with Foreign Embassies and Missions in India and Indian Embassies and Missions situated in foreign countries.

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana

• Rashtrya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) is a Central Sector Scheme. Under this Scheme, aids and assistive living devices are provided to senior citizens belonging to BPL category who suffer from age related disabilities such as low vision, hearing impairment, loss of teeth and loco-moto disabilities.
• The aids and assistive devices viz. walking-sticks, elbow-crutches, walkers, tripods/quad-pods, hearing aids, wheelchairs, artificial dentures and spectacles are provided to eligible beneficiaries.
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India is the nodal Ministry to oversee the implementation of the Scheme.
• The Scheme is being implemented by the “Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO)”, a Public Sector Undertaking under this Ministry.
• The State Government/UT Administration/District Level Committee utilises the data of BPL beneficiaries receiving Old Age Pension under the NSAP or any other Scheme of the State/UT for identification of senior citizens belonging to BPL category.
• The devices are distributed in the camp mode to the identified beneficiaries.

Scheme for Capacity Building in Textiles Sector (SCBTS)

• The scheme will have National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) compliant training courses with funding norms as per the Common Norms notified by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE).
• The objectives of the scheme are to provide demand driven, placement oriented skilling programme to incentivize the efforts of the industry in creating jobs in the organized textile and related sectors; to promote skilling and skill up-gradation in the traditional sectors through respective Sectoral Divisions/organizations of Ministry of Textiles; and to provide livelihood to all sections of the society across the country.

Details

• The scheme will be implemented for the benefit of all sections of the society across the country including rural, remote, LWE affected, North East, J&K by imparting skills in the identified job roles. Preference will be given to various social groups, SC, ST, differently abled, minorities and other vulnerable groups.
• Under previous scheme of skill development implemented by the Ministry of Textiles in the XII Plan period, more than 10 lakh people have been trained of which more than 70% were women. Considering that the apparel industry, a major segment to be covered under the scheme, employs majorly women (about 70%), the trend is likely to be continued in the new scheme.

Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India (SRISTI)

• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has proposed SRISTI — Sustainable Rooftop Implementation for Solar Transfiguration of India – scheme to incentivise the installation of rooftop solar projects in India.
• The concept, once approved, shall serve as the basis of revised scheme of MNRE for solar rooftop in Phase-II
• The scheme will integrate discoms as an implementing agency in Phase-II of the rooftop solar scheme
• The Ministry is implementing Grid Connected Rooftop Solar (RTS) Power Programme in which subsidy/incentives are being provided for residential, institutional, social and Government sector. States/UTs have also taken conducive policy and regulatory measures for promotion of solar rooftop.

Details

• The proposed scheme aims to achieve a national target of solar rooftop of 40 GW till 2021-2022.
• It is proposed that Central Financial Assistance will be provided only for installation of rooftop solar plants in residential sectors.
• The residential users may install the plant of capacity in line with their requirement and the respective State Electricity Regulatory Commission regulation. But, the subsidy support will be limited up to 5 kWp capacity of plant.

Cabinet approves Establishing India’s First National Rail and Transportation University at Vadodara

• The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the Ministry of Railways’ transformative initiative to set up the first ever National Rail and Transport University (NRTU) in Vadodara to skill its human resources and build capability.
• This innovative idea, inspired by the Prime Minister, will be a catalyst for transformation of rail and transport sector towards New India.
• A not-for-profit Company under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013 will be created by the Ministry of Railways which shall be the Managing Company of the proposed university

Significance

• This university will set Indian Railways on the path of modernisation and help India become a global leader in transport sector by enhancing productivity and promoting ‘Make in India’.
• It will create a resource pool of skilled manpower and leverage state-of-the-art technology to provide better safety, speed and service in Indian Railways.
• It will support ‘Startup India’ and ‘Skill India’ by channeling technology and delivering knowhow, and foster entrepreneurship, generating large scale employment opportunities.
• This will lead to transformation of railway and transportation sector and enable faster movement of people and goods. Through global partnerships and accessing cutting edge technologies, India will emerge as a global centre of expertise.

Vanbandhu Kalyan Yojana

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs
• VKY a strategic process. It aims at creating enabling environment for need based and outcome oriented holistic development of the tribal people.
• This process envisages ensuring that all the intended benefits of goods and services under various programmes/schemes of Central as well as State Governments actually reach the target groups by convergence of resources through appropriate institutional mechanism.
• It covers all tribal people and all areas with tribal population across the country.

Objectives

• Improving the quality of life in tribal areas
• Improving the quality of education
• Qualitative and sustainable employment for tribal families
• Bridging infrastructure gaps with focus on quality
• Protection of tribal culture and heritage

Cabinet approves MoU between India and Italy on cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine

The MoU covers the following areas of cooperation:-

• Exchange & training of medical doctors, officials, other health professionals and experts;
• Assistance in development of human resources and setting up of health care facilities;
• Short term training of human resources in health;
• Regulation of pharmaceuticals, medical devices and cosmetics and exchange of information thereon;
• Promotion of business development opportunities in pharmaceuticals;
• Procurement of generic and essential drugs and assistance in sourcing of drug supplies;
• Procurement of health equipment and pharmaceutical products;
• Collaboration in the prevention of NCDs of .mutual interest, such as neurocardiovascular diseases, cancer, COPDs, mental health and dementia, with an emphasis on SDG3 and related factors;
• Collaboration in the field of climate change impact on communicable diseases and vector borne diseases;
• Nutritional aspects of food intake, including malnutrition (over nutrition and undernutrition) in the light of the SDG2 and organization of nutritional services;