UPSC PIB Summary Analysis Jan 24

National Girl Child Day

• National girl child day is celebrated every year on 24th of January as a national observance day for the girl child. This celebration was started to offer more supports and new opportunities to the girls in the country.
• It is celebrated to increase the awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by the girl child in the society. Inequality about girl child is a vast problem which includes many areas like inequality in education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, protection, honor, child marriage and so many.

New Programmes of DST and SERB for young scientists and researchers

• Union Minister for Science & Technology, Dr. Harsh Vardhan announced four schemes to promote young scientists and researchers in the country.
• The scheme primarily aims at early recognition and reward to young talent in the field of science.
• “The schemes focus on youth to empower, recognize and motivate them,”

Teacher Associateship for Research Excellence (TARE) Scheme

• TARE Scheme of SERB, DST aims to tap the latent potential of faculty working in state universities, colleges and private academic institutions who are well trained but have difficulty in pursuing their research due to varied reasons including lack of facilities, funding and guidance.
• This scheme facilitates mobility of such faculty members to carryout research in well-established public funded institution such as IITs, IISc, IISERS and other National Institutions (NITs, CSIR, ICAR, ICMR labs, etc) and Central Universities located preferably nearer to the institution where the faculty member is working.
• Up to 500 TAs will be supported under this scheme.

Overseas Visiting Doctoral Fellowship of SERB

• It has been instituted for enhancing the international mobility of Indian research students which has the potential to create a talented pool of globally trained manpower.
• The scheme provides an opportunity for research students to gain exposure and access to top class research facilities in academia and labs across the world.
• This scheme offers opportunities for up to 100 PhD students admitted in the Indian institutions for gaining exposure and training in overseas universities / institutions of repute and areas of importance to country for period up to 12 months during their doctoral research.
• The selected fellows will be paid a monthly fellowship amount equivalent to US $ 2000, one-time Contingency / Preparatory allowances of Rs. 60,000/- to cover visa fee, airport transfer charges, medical insurance etc.

SERB Distinguished Investigator Award (DIA)

• It has been initiated to recognize and reward Principal Investigators (PIs) of SERB/DST projects who have performed remarkably well.
• The scheme aims not only to reward the best PIs of completed projects but also to motivate the ongoing PIs to perform exceedingly well.
• This positive reinforcement strategy would effectively improve the productivity of the research undertaken and the overall efficiency of the research ecosystem.
• DIA is a one-time career award devised to specifically cater to the younger scientists who have not received any other prestigious awards or fellowships.
• The award carries a fellowship of Rs. 15,000/- p.m. and an optional research grant for three years, based on peer review of the project proposal submitted.

AWSAR (Augmenting Writing Skills for Articulating Research)

• AWSAR of National Council of Science and Technology Communication (NCSTC), DST has been initiated to encourage, empower and endow popular science writing through newspapers, magazines, blogs, social media, etc. by young PhD Scholars and Post-Doctoral Fellows during the course of their higher studies and research pursuits.
• As over 20,000 youth are awarded PhD in S&T every year in India, the scheme aims to tap this tremendous potential to popularize & communicate science and also to inculcate scientific temperament in the masses.

Management Information System (MIS) portal for Anganwadi Services Training Programme

• The Anganwadi Services Training Programme under the Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme and the overall administration, management and monitoring of the implementation of the Scheme are being done by the respective State Government/UT Administration.
• The training provided to the Anganwadi Workers (AWWs)/Anganwadi Helpers (AWHs) and the Supervisors at the Anganwadi Workers Training Centres (AWTCs)/Middle Level Training Centres (MLTCs) is a part of the Anganwadi Services.

Details

• The Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with National Informatics Centre (NIC), has developed a Management Information System (MIS) portal for submitting applications/estimates by NGOs for carrying out Anganwadi Services (ICDS) Training through AWTCs/MLTCs.
• The first phase of the portal will enable NGOs to submit proposal to the respective States/UTs.
• They, in turn, process the proposals and recommend requirement of funds for running the Programme in the States/UTs.
• The Central government would further examine the proposal and release the funds. It will ensure that funds are released timely and reach the beneficiaries for training purpose.

Rapid Reporting System for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls

• It is a a web based on line monitoring for the Scheme for Adolescent Girls
• The RRS will facilitate the monitoring of the scheme and taking corrective measures by ensuring faster flow of information, accurate targeting of the beneficiaries and reduction of leakages.
• This Portal has been developed in collaboration with National Informatics Centre (NIC).

Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG)

• The Government realizing the multi-dimensional needs of out of school adolescent girls (11-14 years) owing to the onset of second growth spurt during this period and with a aim to motivate these girls to join school system, approved continuation of the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) for out of school girls in the age group of 11-14 years.
• The scheme aims at providing them nutritional support @ Rs.9.50/beneficiary/day for 300 days in a year, motivating out of school girls to go back to formal schooling or skill training under non-nutrition component of the scheme.
• SAG aims at empowering out of school adolescent girls of 11 to 14 years by improving their nutritional and health status, upgrading their skills.
• In addition to the nutritional support under the scheme, the girls are equipped with information on health, hygiene and guidance on existing public services.
• The Scheme aims to mainstream out of school girls into formal education or non-formal education. The scheme is being implemented using the platform of integrated child Development Services Scheme.
• Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) are the focal point for the delivery of the services.
• Presently, MWCD is implementing the Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) in selected 508 districts across the country.

Funding

• Scheme for Adolescent Girls is a centrally sponsored scheme, implemented through Centre and State share in the ratio of 50:50, for nutrition component 60:40 for the rest of the activities for State and UTs with legislation, 90:10 for NE and three Himalayan States and 100% for UTs without legislation.

Jeevan Raksha Padak Awards

• Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given to a person for meritorious act of humane nature in saving the life of a person.
• The award is given in three categories, namely, Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, Uttam Jeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak.
• Persons of either sex in all walks of life are eligible for these awards.
• The award can also be conferred posthumously.
• The decoration of the award (medal, certificate signed by the Home Minister and lump sum monetary allowance) is presented to the awardee in due course by the respective State Government to which the awardee belongs.

Bharat Parv

• The ‘Bharat Parv’ event  is  being  organized  by the Government  of  India  at  the   Red Fort, Delhi  from  26th to 31st  January, 2018   as  part of  the  Republic  Day  2018   
• The prime objective of organizing the event  is  to  generate  a  patriotic  mood,  promote  the  rich  cultural  diversity  of the country and  to  ensure  wider  participation  of the  general 
• The Ministry of Tourism  has  been  designated  as the nodal  Ministry for the  event, the highlights of  which  include Display  of  Republic Day Parade Tableaux, Performances  by  the Armed  Forces  Bands (Static as  well  as  dynamic),  a  Multi-Cuisine  Food  Court,  Craft Mela,  Cultural  Performances from  different  regions of the country  and   Photo Exhibition  by the Directorate  of  Advertising and  Visual  Publicity   (DAVP).  
• The Cultural Performances include choreographed  Fork/ Tribal Dances and Music arranged through the North Zonal  Cultural  Centre as well as performances by  cultural troupes from the different States / UTs of the country.  The  Food  Court  will have  stalls  set  up  by the States/ UTs,  National  Association  of  Street  Vendors of  India (NASVI)  showcasing  street  food  from  different  regions  as  well  as  by the Institutes  of Hotel  Management   
• There will be   Theme  State  Pavilions  where  each  State  would  showcase  their  strengths  along with  tourism   
• DAVP is also setting up an exhibition on the theme “Naya Bharat Hum Karke Rahenge”.

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