IASbaba PIB Weekly: Press Information Bureau – 13th Aug to 19th Aug , 2017

ARCHIVES

GS-2

The Ganga Gram initiative

(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)

Under this, the villages the villages located along the main stem of river Ganga which have historic, cultural, and religious and/or tourist importance, will be developed as model villages by developing sustainable sanitation infrastructure and cleanliness practices

The Ganga Gram initiative would help in the river Ganga rejuvenation process by:

• Making the village open defecation free
• Abate direct discharge of untreated liquid wastewater from such villages into river Ganga
• Facilitate adequate infrastructure for crematoria
• Develop proper solid waste disposal facilities in order to avoid any pollution to river Ganga
• Promote better sanitation practices in the villages through IEC activities

Must Read:

Rivers as a living entity: Implications and Challenges

Rivers as a Living being

Rivers of India

Solve: Question

Launch of GeMSamvad: The GeM -Industry forum

(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)

GeM Samvaad – A participative and collaborative approach with the industry for promoting Indian industry and entrepreneurship

As part of this initiative GeM & the Indian industry shall work together to:

• Create GeM related awareness and onboard industry members from across the country.
• Create a GeM-Industry Forum for collaboration with the Indian Industry for, seeking inputs on the technical specifications of products and SLAs of services to be procured by the Government agencies, improving the quality of products/services procured especially from the MSMEs, organize annual Public Procurement Convention of all stakeholders and set up GeM Resource Centres at CII Regional Offices

MoU between India and Sweden in the field of Intellectual Property (IPRs)

(Topic: Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests)

• Both countries can exchange best practices and work together on training programs and technical exchanges to raise awareness on IPRs and better protect intellectual property rights.
• Will enable India to exchange experiences in the innovation and IP ecosystems that will substantially benefit entrepreneurs, investors and businesses on both sides.
• The exchange of best practices between the two countries will lead to improved protection and awareness about India’s range of Intellectual creations which are as diverse as its-people.
• It will be a landmark step forward in India’s journey towards becoming a major player in global Innovation and will further the objectives of National IPR Policy, 2016.

Features

• Exchange of best practices, experiences and knowledge on IP awareness among the public, businesses and educational institutions of both countries
• Collaboration in training programmes, exchange of experts, technical exchanges and outreach activities
• Exchange and dissemination of best practices, experiences and knowledge on IP with the industry, universities, R & D organisations and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through participation in programs and events in the matter, organized singly or jointly by the Parties
• Exchange of information and best practices for disposal of applications for patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyrights and Geographical Indications, as also the protection, enforcement and use of IP rights
• Cooperation in the development of automation and implementation of modernization projects, new documentation and information systems in IP and procedures for management of IP
• Cooperation to understand how Traditional Knowledge is protected; and the exchange of best practices, including traditional knowledge related databases and awareness raising of existing IP systems
• Exchange of information and best practices regarding Intellectual Property law infringements in the digital environment, especially regarding Copyright issues

Must Read:

India and IPR- what now and what next

Solve: Question

GS-3

Metro Rail Policy

(Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.)

Aim: To enable realization of growing metro rail aspirations of a large number of cities in a responsible manner

• PPP component mandatory for availing central assistance for new metro projects – Private investment and other innovative forms of financing of metro projects have been made compulsory to meet the huge resource demand for capital intensive high capacity metro projects.
• A catchment area of five kms on either side of metro stations – to provide necessary last mile connectivity through feeder services, Non-Motorised Transport infrastructure like walking and cycling pathways and introduction of para-transport facilities
• Mandates Alternate Analysis, requiring evaluation of other modes of mass transit like BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System), Light Rail Transit, Tramways, Metro Rail and Regional Rail in terms of demand, capacity, cost and ease of implementation
• Mandatory to set up Urban Metropolitan Transport Authority (UMTA) to prepare Comprehensive Mobility Plans for cities for ensuring complete multi-modal integration for optimal utilization of capacities
• Mandates Transit Oriented Development (TOD) to promote compact and dense urban development along metro corridors since TOD reduces travel distances besides enabling efficient land use in urban areas
• States need to adopt innovative mechanisms like Value Capture Financing tools to mobilize resources for financing metro projects by capturing a share of increase in the asset values through ‘Betterment Levy’. States would also be required to enable low cost debt capital through issuance of corporate bonds for metro projects.
• States can take up metro projects exercising any of the three options for availing central assistance (WITH MANDATORY PRIVATE PARTICIPATION) –
  • PPP with central assistance under the Viability Gap Funding scheme of the Ministry of Finance, Grant by Government of India under which 10% of the project cost will be given as lump sum central assistance
  • 50:50 Equity sharing model between central and state governments

The Policy stipulates a shift from the present ‘Financial Internal Rate of Return of 8%’ to ‘Economic Internal Rate of Return of 14%’ for approving metro projects, in line with global practices.

FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection (ETC)

(Topic: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways, etc.)

National Highways Authority of India launched two mobile Apps – MyFASTag and FASTag Partner, to facilitate the availability of FASTags for Electronic Toll Collection.

• A consumer can purchase or recharge FASTags on this App
• The App also helps to keep track of transactions and provides for online grievance redressal.
• Will give the much needed push to the ETC project that aims to make travel more convenient, faster and environment friendly for people

Global Environment Facility (GEF) of the World Bank and India

(Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment)

Project: Ecosystems Service Improvement Project

Size of Project: USD 24.64 million (will entirely be financed by the World Bank out of its GEF Trust Fund)

Project’s duration: 05 years

States involved: Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh through Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education under the National Mission for Green India.

Objective of the Project: Strengthen the institutional capacity of the Departments of Forestry and Community Organizations to enhance forest ecosystem services and improve the livelihoods of forest dependent communities in Central Indian Highlands.

Global Environment Facility (GEF) – Established on the eve of the 1992 Rio Earth Summit to help tackle our planet’s most pressing environmental problems

‘Gaj Yatra’

(Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment)

What: A nationwide campaign to protect elephants on the occasion of World Elephant Day. The campaign is planned to cover 12 elephant range states.

• To prepare a strategy for a more even distribution of the elephant population in all the states of the country
• To bring to an end the chapter of man-animal conflict – a war must be waged against poachers and hunters who harm elephants and other wildlife
• To broad-base the movement for conservation of elephants and to involve people from all walks of life in the conservation of elephants and other wildlife

World Elephant Day

It is an annual global event celebrated across the world on August 12, dedicated to the preservation and protection of elephants

Goal of World Elephant Day –

• To create awareness about the plight of elephants and to share knowledge and positive solutions for the better care and management of captive and wild elephants.
• To improve enforcement policies to prevent illegal poaching and trade in ivory
• To conserve elephant habitats and provide better treatment for captive elephants
• Reintroduce captive elephants into sanctuaries

Statistics:

• African elephants are listed as “vulnerable” and Asian elephants as “endangered” in the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
• As per the available population estimates, there are about 400,000 African elephants and 40,000 Asian elephants.

World Honey Bee Day

(Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment)

Aim: To create awareness about Beekeeping and uses of its products including Honey

Importance: Beekeeping has been useful in pollination of crops, thereby, increasing income of the farmers/beekeepers by way of increasing crop yield and providing honey and other beehive products, viz. royal jelly, bee pollen, propolis, bees wax, etc. that serves a source of livelihood for rural poor. Therefore, honeybees/beekeeping has been recognized as one of the important inputs for sustainable development of agriculture/ horticulture.

Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED)

• Functions under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs
• Serving the interests of Tribals, who are engaged in collection of NTFP and making of Tribal Art & Handicraft Products for their livelihood so as to ensure better remunerative price for their products as well as for the socio-economic betterment through Self Help Groups, Empanelled NGOs, State level Tribal Development Corporations, Forest Development Corporations for undertaking marketing development of the tribal products.
• Playing a lead role in protecting, promoting and multiplication of Honey Bees by Scientific, Non-destructive collection practices, thereby increasing the livelihood of tribal people living in various forest areas of the country, contributing to the growth of Honey Bees population and reducing the mortality rate of Honey Bees drastically
• About 90% of the Scheduled Tribes of the country live in and around forest areas and the forests provide 60% of the food & medicinal needs of tribals and 40% of their income from Minor Forest Produce (MFP) mostly of which come from Honey.

Please Note:

1. The New India Movement 2017-2022 envisages an India free of Poverty, Corruption, Terrorism, Communalism, Casteism and Un-cleanliness – Sankalp Se Siddhi (Attainment through Resolve)
2. All 4480 villages on the bank of River Ganga in 52 districts and 5 states (Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand & West Bengal) were declared Open Defecation Free (ODF) under Namami Gange initiative.
3. Government has fixed the ceiling prices of orthopaedic implants used in knee surgeries – to prevent Unethical Profiteering and ensure Affordable and Quality Healthcare for the Last Man
   • World Health Organization (WHO) Estimates – By 2020, osteoarthritis is going to be the fourth largest cause of immobility in the world.
   • India has about 1.2 to 1.5 crore orthopaedic patients who require orthopaedic implant surgery, and most of the diagnosed people requiring knee surgery are not able to afford because of very high cost.
4. 2017 – 75th anniversary of Quit India, 100th anniversary of Champaran Satyagraha, 125th anniversary of Ganesh Utsav.
   • Lokmanya Tilak’s call “Swaraj is my birth right” – 2017 marks the 125th Anniversary of the Ganesh Utsav which led to the rise of community awakening through the celebrations.
   • Lal Bahadur Shastri had given the slogan “Jai Jawan Jai Kisan.”
5. The North Koel Reservoir is located in the most backward tribal areas in Palamau and Garhwa districts of Jharkhand The project is situated on North Koel river which is a tributary of Sone river finally joining the river Ganga. The Cabinet approved storage of water in dam restricted at lower level than envisaged earlier to reduce the submergence and to protect Betla National Park and Palamau Tiger Reserve.
6. Navika Sagar Parikrama is a project wherein a team of women officers of the Indian Navy would circumnavigate the globe on an Indian-built sail boat INSV Tarini. This is the first ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew.
7. The Government of India’s Street Lighting National programme (SLNP) has illuminated 50,000 KM of Indian roads with installation of 30 lakh LED street lights across the country.