28 February 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

February 28th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. National Science Day
2. PM-KISAN Scheme
3. Bhutan - India Start-Up Summit 2020
4. Krishi Vigyan Kendra
5. Project Monitoring Group (PMG) Portal
6. Index of Industrial Production (IIP)
7. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme
8. Renewable Energy Management Centers (REMCs)
9. ICGS Varad
10. Prime Minister to distribute Daily Living Aids and Devices to senior citizens and Divyangjan

1. National Science Day

• National Science Day is celebrated in India on 28 February each year to mark the discovery of the Raman Effect by Sir C. V. Raman on 28 February 1928.
• For his discovery, Sir C.V. Raman was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930.
• The basic purpose of the National Science Day is to spread the message of the importance of science.
• The themefor National Science Day 2020 is “Women in Science”.

Raman Effect:

• Raman Effect is a phenomenon in spectroscopy, which shows that a change in the wavelength of light occurs when a light beam is deflected by the molecules.
  • When a beam of light traverses a dust-free, transparent sample of a chemical compound, a small fraction of the light emerges in directions other than that of the incident (incoming) beam.
  • Most of this scattered light is of unchanged wavelength. A small part, however, has wavelengths different from that of the incident light; its presence is a result of the Raman Effect.

Initiatives of the Government:

• Vigyan Jyoti is an initiative that will create a level-playing field for the meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in their higher education.
• The Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) will develop a comprehensive Charter and a framework for assessing the Gender Equality in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).
• An online portal for science and technology resources for women will provide E-resources related to all women-specific government schemes, scholarships, fellowships, career counselling with details of subject area experts from various disciplines in science and technology.

2. PM-KISAN Scheme

What’s in News?

The Prime Minister will launch 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations all over the country at Chitrakoot.

• Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme was launched as an income support scheme for farmers to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.
• Under the Scheme, benefit is provided to the eligible beneficiary to the tune of Rs.6000/- per year.
• It is payable in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs.2000/- each.
• The payment is made online directly into the bank accounts of the eligible beneficiaries under Direct Benefit Transfer mode.
• The Scheme was launched on 24th February, 2019 and has successfully completed one year of implementation.
• In a historic decision in its first cabinet meeting, the Government has decided to extend the PM-KISAN scheme to all the farmers.

Read more about PM-KISAN

3. Bhutan – India Start-Up Summit 2020

What’s in News?

Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry is in Bhutan as the head of a High Level Business Delegation in connection with the Bhutan – India Start-Up Summit 2020.

India – Bhutan:

• India and Bhutan share a special and time-tested partnership, anchored in mutual understanding and respect, reinforced by a shared cultural heritage and strong people to people links.
• Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Bhutan in August 2019 provided fresh momentum to further deepen and diversify the partnership into mutually beneficial areas of cooperation between the two countries.

The following concrete deliverables emerged as a consequence of the meetings: 

• Based on the request of Bhutan, the Railway Board has commissioned a survey to establish the Mujnai (India) – Nyoenpaling (Bhutan) line that will provide a cross border rail link between India and Bhutan.
• The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has announced that it will mentor 30 Bhutanese start-ups in Indian incubation centers with a view to growing the entrepreneurial culture in Bhutan. They will also open their first South Asia Office in Bhutan.
• Government of India will be fully sponsoring training of 100 Bhutanese trainers and youth on Entrepreneurship at the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India.

India will commission a feasibility study for setting up an Entrepreneurship Development Institute in Bhutan.

4. Krishi Vigyan Kendra

What’s in News?

The Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, inaugurated the 11th National Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) Conference.

• A Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) is an agricultural extension center in India. The name means “farm science center”.
• Usually associated with a local agricultural university, these centers serve as the ultimate link between the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and farmers, and aim to apply agricultural research in a practical, localized setting.
• All KVKs fall under the jurisdiction of one of the 11 Agricultural Technology Application Research Institutes (ATARIs) throughout India.

Responsibilities of KVKs:

• On-Farm Testing: Each KVK operates a small farm to test new technologies, such as seed varieties or innovative farming methods, developed by ICAR institutes.
• Front-line Demonstration: Due to the KVK’s farm and its proximity to nearby villages, it organizes programs to show the efficacy of new technologies on farmer fields.
• Capacity Building: In addition to demonstrating new technologies, the KVK also hosts capacity building exercises and workshops to discuss modern farming techniques with groups of farmers.
• Multi-sector Support: Offer support to various private and public initiatives through its local network and expertise. It is very common for government research institutes to leverage the network of KVKs when performing surveys with a wide range of farmers
• Advisory Services: Due to the growing use of ICT, KVKs have implemented technologies to provide farmers information, such as weather advisories or market pricing, through radio and mobile phones.

5. Project Monitoring Group (PMG) Portal

What’s in News?

Minister of Railways and Commerce & Industry reviews Infrastructure Projects on PMG Portal.

• Project Monitoring Group (PMG) is an institutional mechanism of Department of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) to expedite resolution of issues and removal of regulatory bottlenecks in projects, with investments upward of Rs. 500 crores in India.
  • DPIIT is mandated as the nodal body for the review of public and private projects facing challenges and facilitates their resolution through PMG.
• PMG was set up as a special cell in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India in 2013 and was subsequently brought under the administrative control of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in 2015.
• Invest India provides implementational support to PMG in identifying and following up on issues with the States.
• PMG enlists unresolved project issues of all Public, Private and ‘Public–Private Partnership’ (PPP) projects and undertakes fast-tracking of approvals, sectoral policy issues and removal of bottlenecks for expeditious commissioning.

6. Index of Industrial Production (IIP)

• The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is an index that indicates the performance of various industrial sectors of the Indian economy.
• The eight core industries of India represent about 40% of the weight of items that are included in the IIP.

Read more about Index of Industrial Production

7. Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme

The Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme was introduced in the Union Budget 2015-16 as an initiative to reduce the demand for physical gold.

Read more about Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme

8. Renewable Energy Management Centers (REMCs)

• India is among a league of few nations, which have state-of-the-art management centers for renewable energy integration.
• Government of India had approved the implementation of the REMCs as a Central Scheme and had mandated POWERGRID, a Maharatna CPSE under Ministry of Power as Implementing Agency.
• These REMCs are being managed by Power System Operation Corporation of India Ltd. (POSOCO) at Regional and National level and at State level by State Load Despatch Centres (SLDCs).
• The REMCs are equipped with Artificial Intelligence based RE forecasting and scheduling tools and provide greater visualization and enhanced situational awareness to the grid operators.

Presently, 55 GW of Renewable (Solar and Wind) is being monitored through the eleven REMCs.

9. ICGS Varad

What’s in News?

The Indian Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Vessel, ICGS Varad has been commissioned into service.

• ICGS Varadis the fifth in the series of seven offshore patrol vessels, being constructed by Larsen and Toubro as a part of their 2015 contract with the Union Ministry of Defence.
• The vessel is thefirst major defence ship to clear all the sea trials in one single sea sortie, creating a record of sorts in the Indian shipbuilding industry.
• The ICGS Varadwill be deployed at Paradip in Odisha, under the operational control of the North-Eastern Region’s Coast Guard.
• ICGS Varadwill be deployed for the surveillance of India’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
• Commissioning of ICGS Varad will enhance the ICGS fleet of ships which will contribute in monitoring and constant vigil for coastal security of Indian maritime borders.

The ship also has the capacity to carry four high-speed boats and a twin-engine helicopter for search and rescue operations and law enforcement and maritime patrol. The vessel can also carry pollution response equipment in case of an oil spill at the sea.

10. Prime Minister to distribute Daily Living Aids and Devices to senior citizens and Divyangjan

What’s in News?

The Prime Minister will distribute Daily Living Aids and Devices to senior citizens and Divyangjan at biggest ever Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) & ADIP camp at Prayagraj.

Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)

• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana is scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to BPL category.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government.
• The expenditure for implementation of the scheme is being met from the “Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund”.
• The Scheme is being implemented by the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

ADIP Scheme

• The main objective of the  Assistance to Disabled persons for purchasing / fitting of aids / appliances (ADIP) Scheme is to assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation, by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhance their economic potential.
• The scheme is implemented through implementing agencies such as the NGOs, National Institutes under this Ministry and ALIMCO.

February 28th, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

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