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IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB) – Year End Review-2016

GS-2

Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship

First ever Indian Institute of Skills at Kanpur

Conceptualized from the Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education.
Making India the Skill Capital of the World by empowering its youth to be more employable and self-sustainable.

Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)

India’s largest skill certification scheme
Objective– to enable and mobilize a large number of Indian youth to take up outcome based skill training and become employable and earn their livelihood.
It is being implemented through the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC).
The scheme has a target to train 1 crore Indian youth from 2016-20

NAPS (National Apprentice Promotion Scheme)

National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS) is a new scheme of Government of India to promote apprenticeship training and increase the engagement of apprentices from present 2.3 lakh to 50 lakh cumulatively by 2020.
The scheme focuses on sharing of 25% of prescribed stipend subject to a maximum of Rs. 1500/per month per apprentice to all apprentices with the employers.

Ministry of Women and Child Development

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana

Aim–to address the issue of declining child sex ratio (CSR)
Objective— Preventing sex selective abortion, ensuring survival and protection of a girl child Ensuring education of the girl child

New Passport Rules

Objective–to benefit single/divorced mothers and their children as well as adopted/adoptable children.
Provisions
- Separated or divorced applicants will not have to mention the name of her or his spouse in the application form.
- Orphaned children who do not have any proof of DOB now can submit a declaration given by the Head of the Orphanage/Child Care Home as DOB proof.
- Sadhus and sanyasis can now mention the names of their spiritual gurus instead of biological parents.

Panic Button on Mobile Phones

All new feature phones will have the facility of panic button configured to the numeric key 5 or 9 and all smart phones will have the panic button configured to three times short pressing of the On off button.
All new mobile phones will be required to have the facility of identifying the location through satellite based GPS

National Policy on Women

Replaces the National Policy for the Empowerment of Women, 2001.
Features
- To address all forms of violence against women
- To improve child sex ratio (CSR)
- To prevent trafficking at source, transit and destination areas for effective monitoring of the networks
- To carry out skill development and provide equal employment opportunities
- To provide suitable benefits related to maternity and child care services

SABLA Scheme for Adolescent Girls

Objectives
- Enable the Adolescent girls for self-development and empowerment
- Improve their nutrition and health status.
- Promote awareness about health, hygiene, nutrition, adolescent reproductive and sexual health (ARSH) and family and child care.
- Mainstream out of school adolescent girls into formal/non formal education.
- Provide information/guidance about existing public services such as PHC, CHC, Post Office, Bank, Police Station, etc.

‘Khoya Paya’ web portal

Website to exchange information on missing and found children.
Citizens can upload the information related to the found children. They will be encouraged to provide information about the abandoned, lost children and those children who are sighted with the suspicious persons.
Most of the missing children are trafficked for labour, for sexual exploitation, abducted, or kidnapped, or due to crimes against children.

Adopt a Home (Child Care Institution) programme

To enhance the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and moral development of children staying in the Children’s Homes with assistance from Corporate sector/ business houses under Corporate Social Responsibility.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs

National Resource Centre on Tribal Livelihood (Vanjeevan)

Serve as an apex central institution within Ministry of Tribal Affairs to act as research and technical hub to socioeconomic development of tribal communities through comprehensive interaction of the 3Es employment, employability and entrepreneurship.

Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment

Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPWD) Bill 2016

Disability has been defined based on an evolving and dynamic concept and the types of disabilities have been increased from existing 7 to 21 and the Central Government will have the power to add more types of disabilities. Speech and Language Disability and Specific Learning Disability have been added for the first time. Acid Attack Victims have been included.
Reservation in vacancies in government establishments has been increased from 3% to 4% for certain persons or class of persons with benchmark disability.

Sugamya Pustakalayaan online library for persons with visual disabilities.

A step towards an Accessible Digital India

Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Amendment Rules,2016

Amendments done in Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Rules, 1995.
Increase in the existing quantum of relief amount i.e. between Rs. 75,000/- to Rs. 7, 50,000/-, depending upon the nature of the offence, by around 10%, as rounded of i.e. between Rs.85,000/- to Rs. 8,25,000/-, depending upon the nature of the offence.
Establishment of Exclusive Special Courts and specification of Exclusive Special Public Prosecutors.

Accessible India Campaign

Program is to serve the differently-able community of the country.
The program comes with an index to measure the design of disabled-friendly buildings and human resource policies.
The initiative in line with the Article 9 of UNCRPD(UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) to which India is a signatory.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA)

PMSMA is aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates through safe pregnancies and safe deliveries.
Provides special free antenatal care to about 3 crore pregnant women across the country in order to detect and prevent high risk pregnancies.
Provides fixed day assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care to pregnant women on the 9th of every month.

MAA–Mother’s Absolute Affection

Focus on promotion of breastfeeding and provision of counseling services for supporting breastfeeding through health systems.
The programme has been named ‘MAA’ to signify the support a lactating mother requires from family members and at health facilities to breastfeed successfully.

Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI)

LASI is the largest study on older population in the country.
LASI will help in expanding the scope of health and social security policy and programmes for older population.

Ministry of Human Resource Development

IMPRINT INDIA

Aims at direct research in the premier institutions into areas of social relevance.
10 domains have been identified which could substantially impact the living standards of the rural areas: (1) Health care technology, (2) Energy security, (3) Rural urban housing design, (4) Nano technology, (5) Water/river system, (6) Advanced materials, (7) Computer science and ICT, (8) Manufacturing technology, (9) Advanced security and (10) Environment/climate change.

Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY)

Launched to promote industry-specific need-based research so as to keep up the competitiveness of the Indian industry in the global market.

SWAYAM PRABHA

A project for operationalising 32 Direct to Home (DTH) Television Channels for providing high quality educational content to all teachers, students and citizens across the country interested in lifelong learning.

GS-3

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana

It envisages a uniform premium of only 2 per cent to be paid by farmers for Kharif crops, and 1.5 per cent for Rabi crops. The premium for annual commercial and horticultural crops will be 5 per cent.
This insurance scheme, unlike the previous ones, covers local calamities too, such as landslide, hailstorm, inundation, etc. Inundation was not covered by the previous schemes.

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana

Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (Traditional Farming Improvement Programme) has been to support and promote organic farming and thereby improving soil health.
This will encourage farmers to adopt eco-friendly concept of cultivation and reduce their dependence on fertilizers and agricultural chemicals to improve yields.

Soil Health Card Scheme

Scheme issues soil cards to farmers which will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients and fertilisers required for the individual farms to help farmers to improve productivity through judicious use of inputs.
All soil samples are to be tested in various soil testing labs across the country.

National Agriculture Market (NAM)

e-NAM (National Agricultural Market) is a pan-India electronic trading portal launched to facilitate farmers, traders, buyers, exporters and processors with a common platform for trading commodities.
Traders and exporters need to get themselves registered with the portal to access its services.

One license for a trader valid across all markets in the State.

Neem Coated Urea

Due to neem coated urea, diversion of unauthorized use of urea by Chemical Factories has been stopped.
Cost of production is being reduced by 10-15% with the use of neem coated urea.
Productivity will also increase with the use of neem coated urea.

Agroforestry

For the first time, Sub-Mission on Agroforestry has been initiated which will accelerate the programme “Medh Par Ped”.
In addition, trees would also be grown as strip and intermittent plantation on farm land along with crops/ cropping system and as block plantation in cultivable waste land.
Implementation of the scheme only in the states having liberalized transit regulations for transport of timber and will be extended to other states as and when such relaxations are notified by them. So far, the scheme is being implemented in 8 states.

Pashudhan Sanjivani

An animal Wellness Programme; encompassing provision of Animal Health cards (‘Nakul Swasthya Patra’) along with UID identification of animals in milk and a National Data Base.
This will play crucial role in control of spread of animal diseases. This will also lead to increase in trade of livestock and livestock products.

National Bovine Genomic Center for Indigenous Breeds (NBGC-IB)

In developed dairy countries genomic selection is used to increase milk production and productivity for attaining faster genetic gain.
In order to increase milk production and productivity of indigenous cattle, a National Bovine Genomic Centre will be established in the country.
By using genomic selection indigenous breeds can be made viable within few generations.
This center will play crucial role in identification of disease free High genetic merit bulls.

Attracting and Retaining Youth in Agriculture (ARYA)

The ARYA project will attract and empower the youth in rural areas to take up various agri-enterprises in agriculture, allied and service sector for sustainable income and gainful employment.

Department of Atomic Energy

India becomes Associate Member of CERN

Participation in CERN programmee is a success story of scientific collaborations and cooperation where researchers from large number of national Institutes and Universities from India work together in forming active collaborations in the pursuit of fundamental knowledge, achieving scientific and engineering breakthrough as well as training the next generation of scientists.

DHRUVA reactor

It is India’s largest nuclear research reactor
DHRUVA reactor at Trombay, Mumbai producing medical isotopes, operated at full power throughout the year.

Ministry of Power

Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS)

A scheme to provide quality and reliable 24×7 power supply in the urban area.

Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All (UJALA)

UJALA scheme is LED-based Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP) that aims to promote efficient lighting, reducing energy consumption and energy savings.
Benefits: Electricity savings, Reduction of load, Reduction of consumer bills, Greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY)

UDAY is the financial turnaround and revival package for electricity distribution companies of India (DISCOMs)
The scheme comprises four initiatives – improving operational efficiencies of discoms, reduction of cost of power, reduction in interest cost of discoms and enforcing financial discipline on discoms through alignment with state finances.

Ministry of Road Transport & Highways

National Road Safety Policy

Promoting awareness, establishing road safety information data base, encouraging safer road infrastructure, enforcement of safety laws etc.
A multi-pronged strategy to tackle the problem based on the 4 E’s viz Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles) Enforcement and Emergency Care.
National Road Safety Council had also been constituted as the apex body to take policy decisions in the matter of road safety.

Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Bill 2016

The Bill addresses road safety issues by providing for stiffer penalties, permitting electronic enforcement, improving fitness certification and licensing regime, statutory provisions for protection of good Samaritans and recognition of IT enabled enforcement systems.
The Bill also paves way for reforms in public transport which in turn will help in improving road safety.
The Bill contains provisions for treatment of accident victims during golden hour which will help in saving precious lives.

National Green Highways Project

The mission aims to provide a green canopy along 100,000 km of highways and create jobs for 1 million youth.
It has been initiated to engage corporates, Public Sector units, Government organizations and other institutions for developing green corridor along National Highways through plantation and allied activity on median, avenue and other available nearby land patches.
The funds for the mission will be met by Green Fund corpus which is 1 per cent of the total project cost set aside for plantation purposes.
In future, the mission will be linked with the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme.

Kisan Harit Rajmarg Yojana

It is a pilot scheme to extend green belt beyond the existing ‘Right of Way’ of highways. It seeks to engage farmers and also provide alternative livelihood option to the nearby communities.

Ministry of Shipping

Sagarmala Programme

Transforming the existing Ports into modern world class Ports and integrate the development of the Ports, the Industrial clusters and hinterland and efficient evacuation systems through road, rail, inland and coastal waterways resulting in Ports becoming the drivers of economic activity in coastal areas

Ministry of Textile

Bunkar Mitra–Handloom Helpline Centre

Bunkar Mitra-Handloom Helpline Centre where professional queries of weavers will be answered by the experts in the field.
This helpline aims to overcome the problem of unavailability of single point of contact where weavers can seek solutions for their technical issues/problems.
Currently there 28 Weavers’ Service Centres (WSCs) functioning across the country to provide technical assistance to handloom weavers in improving their skills.
But for seeking assistance, weavers have to personally visit the WSCs.

Ministry of Science & Technology

Local Treatment of Urban Sewage Streams for Healthy Reuse (LOTUS)

The project aims to demonstrate a novel holistic waste water management approach, that will produce clean water that can be reused for various proposes (e.g. industry, agriculture, construction etc.), while simultaneously recovering nutrients and energy from the urban waste water.
Special attention will be paid to pathogen removal and removing conventional and emerging pollutants.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy

“Surya Mitra” mobile App

It is a skill development program to create skilled manpower in commissioning, installation, O&M of solar power plants and equipment. It primary objective is to provide entrepreneurship and employability opportunites to rural and urban youth & women.

International Solar Alliance

A special platform for mutual cooperation among 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn to develop and promote solar energy, with its headquarter at Gurgaon, Haryana.

Ministry Of Defence

INDIAN ARMY

India-France Joint Military ‘Exercise Shakti – 2016′
India-Nepal Combined Military Training ‘Exercise Surya Kiran IX’
India–Indonesia Joint Training ‘Exercise Garuda Shakti IV’
‘Exercise Force -18’–Largest ground forces multinational field training exercise on ‘Humanitarian Mine Action and Peacekeeping Operations’. Lt Col Sofia Qureshi was selected to lead the Indian army she was the first woman to lead the Indian Army in an 18-nation military exercise.
‘Exercise Jalrahat’— a step towards achieving the goals of National Disaster Management Plan 2016.
‘Exercise Maitree’— A joint exercise of the Indian Army and Royal Thailand Army. The aim was to train contingents of both armies on conduct of counter-terrorist operations in an urban environment.
‘Exercise Yudh Abhyas’–Joint military exercise of India and USA
‘Exercise Indra – 2016’– Joint military exercise of India and Russia
‘Hand – in – Hand 2016’— Joint military exercise of India and China
‘Exercise Prabal Dostyk’ — India –Kazakhstan Joint military exercise

INDIAN NAVY

Kalvari – First Scorpene Class Submarine
Naseem-Al-Bahr maritime exercise— Indian Navy and the Royal Navy of Oman
Exercise MALABAR 2016—India, USA and Japan maritime exercise
Exercise RIMPAC– Is the largest multilateral naval exercise in the world and is held biennially in the Western Pacific Ocean.
EXERCISE KONKAN 16— Annual bilateral maritime exercise between the India and the Royal Navy(U.K)
INSV Mhadei– sails to Mauritius/ Cape Town with an All Women Crew in Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Mhadei (INSVMhadei).
INS Kadmatt: Second ship of Project 28 (P-28) class Anti-Submarine Warfare Corvettes, indigenously designed by the Indian Navy.

INDIAN AIR FORCE

‘Operation Sankat Mochan’– Indian nationals were evacuated from Juba, the capital of war-torn South Sudan.
Desert Eagle II– This was the second in the series of bilateral exercises between the IAF and the United Arab Emirates Air Force (UAE AF).
Exercise Iron Fist 2016: A day-night exercise demonstrating the combat and fire power of the IAF.

IASbaba Press Information Bureau, Press Information Bureau UPSC IAS

IASbaba Press Information Bureau (PIB)- Year End Review-2016