Showcasing & discovering culture heritage of Ganga will begin at Gangotri on 14 February, 2016 (at the time of sunrise)
Concentrating on pursuing of cultural exchange
Art forms from confluence
During the Yatra, a survey and documentation on the art forms and cultural heritage of Ganga will be published at the commencement of the series
Objective-
To showcase and discover the cultural diversity and heritage of Ganga river basin
To spread necessary awareness to the masses about its safeguarding and rejuvenating
To safeguard the cultural heritage festival namely,“Ganga Sanskriti Yatra” has been planned
Organised from– Gangotri to Gangasagar (14 Feb-13 March, 2016) in 262 different venues connecting with over 2.5 crore people
Main Concentration of the festival-
To present art forms of Ganga basin which are deeply associated with the river, including Folk songs, Folk dances, Folk Theatre, Dance Drama, Documentary/ Films Shows, Street Plays, Kavi sammelan, Photography exhibitions, film shows, quiz competitions, seminars and Poster campaigns
Cultural diversity and heritage of Ganga river basin and challenges for its safeguarding will be discussed
Ganga-
One of the major rivers of the Indian subcontinent
Ganga is the lifeline and national heritage of India and is also the multiple streams of Indian Culture
Longest river in India and flows for around 1,569 miles (2,525 KM) from the Himalayan Mountains to the Bay of Bengal and heavily populated with over 400 million people living in the basin
From origin to confluence, the Ganga flows through the state of Uttaranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal are under the EZC
Declared as a National Heritage by Government of India and above all is the River of India
History-
Ganga has held India’s heart captive and drawn uncounted millions to her banks since the dawn of history
Story of Ganga is the history of Indian civilization and culture
Great Janapadas and Empires flourished on the bank of Ganga
Ganga is also the river of creation and cultural diversity of the Ganga basin is highly considerable In the mythology and epics, Ganga has been considered as a holy river and is regarded by all religions and paths
EZCC-
Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) under Union Ministry of Culture has Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Islands as the member States
Every Zonal Culture Centres have to organize a series of festivals namely (as per scheme)- Cultural Yatra, beyond their zone
Swach Bharat Abhiyan has also been taken up by EZCC
GS-2
Conference of Governors
(Topic: Governance, Constitutional posts, Powers, Functions and Responsibilities of various Constitutional Bodies)
Conference deliberated on the following agenda items-
Security: Internal and External with special focus on terrorism and insurgency activities
Creating jobs for youths: Special focus on skill development for school dropouts
Implementation of flagship programmes: Government programmes like-
Swachh Bharat Abhiyan
Housing for all by 2022 and Smart Cities
Improving quality of Higher Education
Giving impetus to “Make in India” programme and employability
Act East Policy and development of North Eastern Region
Make in India Week
(Topic: Government Policies and Interventions for Development in various sectors and Issues arising out of their design and Implementation)
About-
Event to provide greater momentum to the Make in India initiative, to showcase to the world the achievements of the nation in its manufacturing sector and to promote India as preferred manufacturing destination globally
Week long calendar would offer-
Unprecedented access,
Insights and opportunities to connect and collaborate with India and global industry leaders,
Week would spark a renewed sense of pride in India’s manufacturing and take corporate and public participation to the next level
Creating a confluence of– Policymakers + Industry + Entrepreneurs + Academia
It is to- Showcase, Connect and Collaborate, as well as Highlight the people, policies and partnerships driving India’s new manufacturing revolution
Delegation from– 49 nations and business delegations from 68 countries during the Week
Week-long event organized to-
Showcase India’s manufacturing prowess
Drawing the attention towards the Centre’s view on States being partners to realize the nation’s potential for achieving higher rates of growth and creating employment for masses
FDI in India is growing at 48 per cent while globally there is a sharp fall
To showcase the nation’s accomplishments in manufacturing and position India as investment, innovation and manufacturing hub
Emphasizing that the world has now started to recognise India as a trusted investment destination
Event Highlights-
Leading Institutions from the world over would come together and develop solutions to address problems in three important areas –
Water,
Transportation and
Energy
For entrepreneurship spirit of India’s youth and to catalyse start up community to drive the entire value chain from innovation to manufacturing in India, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and Qualcomm India would organize India’s largest start-up contest “QPrize™ Make in India” awarding Rs. 2 Crore in equity investment as prize money for the winning company
Make in India Week help in-
Forging enormous global engagement with Indian industry in the form of partnerships and investments paving the path for a transformation of the world’s largest democracy into the world’s most powerful economy
Serve as a crucible of ideas and innovation with industry-academia interaction featuring manufacturing success stories
‘Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016’
(Topic: Government Authority, Structure, Organisation and Functioning)
TELECOM REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF INDIA (TRAI) issued the ‘Prohibition of Discriminatory Tariffs for Data Services Regulations, 2016’
It is to- Disallow service providers to offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content being accessed by a consumer
Highlights-
TRAI had earlier issued a Consultation Paper on ‘Differential Pricing for Data Services’ in December, 2015
Consultation primarily sought the views of the stakeholders on whether the service providers should be allowed to charge differential tariffs based on the websites/applications/platforms being accessed on the internet
Based on the responses received and the internal deliberations, the Authority has now issued these Regulations
There were views suggesting both in support and against ex ante steps for regulating differential tariff for data services based on content
After careful examination of all the comments and feedback, the Authority has decided that ex ante regulation, rather than a case by case tariff intervention regime would be more appropriate as it would give the much needed certainty to industry participants
Such a step is also warranted in view of the high costs of regulation in terms of time and resources that will be required for investigating each case of tariff discrimination
Aim-
Ensuring that consumers get an unhindered and non-discriminatory access to the internet
Intend to make data tariffs for access to the internet non discriminatory on the basis of the content
Authority mandated the following:
No service provider shall offer or charge discriminatory tariffs for data services on the basis of content
No service provider shall enter into any arrangement, agreement or contract, by whatever name called, with any person, natural or legal, that has the effect of discriminatory tariffs for data services being offered or charged by the service provider for the purpose of evading the prohibition in this regulation
Reduced tariff for accessing or providing emergency services at times of public emergency has been permitted
Financial disincentives for contravention of the regulation have also been specified
TRAI will keep a close watch on the implementation of the mandate by the service providers and may undertake a review after two years or at an earlier date as it may deem fit.
DESTINATION NORTH EAST – 2016
(Topic: Government Policies and its Implementation)
Aim-
To bring the rest of India closer to North East India
North East will play an important role in India’s Act East Policy
To ‘Act East’ effectively on foreign policy, it is necessary to ‘Act East’ within our borders
Destination North East–
To showcase the richness of North-East to the rest of India
Event include theme specific Business Summit consisting of sectors like-
Tourism,
Agriculture,
Food Processing,
Skill Development & Entrepreneurship,
IT,
Handloom & Handicrafts,
Livelihood,
Micro-Finance and Start ups
Enable various Ministries to showcase their initiatives in North East India
Cultural programmes to showcase the rich culture and folk dances of North East India
Next venues for Destination North East will be Mumbai and Bengaluru, followed by other parts of the country
Each State of North-East India will be known by its distinct identity and for its uniqueness such as Mizoram as Bamboo State and Sikkim as Organic State
Government urges Banks to pitch in for Swachhta Mission
(Topic: Government Policies and Schemes and its Implementation)
Government asked the Banks and Micro-Finance institutions to-
Come forward in a big way for credit-disbursal to achieve the goal of Swachh Bharat Mission of making India Open Defecation Free by 2019
Incentive of Rs 12,000 for toilet construction for BPL families
To achieve the universal coverage, there is need for easy financing by banks and other financial institutions
Included water and sanitation as new sectors for priority sector lending by commercial banks
Sanitation is closely linked with poor health, low education status, malnutrition and poverty
SMB-
Since the launch of the Swachh Bharat Mission on 2nd October, 2014, more than 14.7 million toilets were constructed in the rural areas, but still close to 50 percent of our rural population still does not have access to a toilet
Solid and liquid waste management component of the Swachh Bharat Mission, provides scope for small and medium private sector institutions to engage in waste management and improvisation of village environmental management infrastructure
Need for creating strong synergy between: Self Help Groups + Swachh Bharat Mission across the country
(MoU)—Ministry of Railways and Governments of Chhattisgarh
(Topic: Agreements involving development in various sectors)
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between- Ministry of Railways and State Government of Chhattisgarh
It is for- “Formation of Joint Venture Companies for Development of Railway Infrastructure in the State of Chhattisgarh”
Help- Joint Venture Companies with the State Governments will go a long way in faster commissioning of critical rail infrastructure projects as it will—
Help in mobilization of funds
Facilitating various clearances and land acquisition
MoU-
In view of the growing demands for railway lines in various states and huge requirement of funds to execute them, Minister for Railways announced in his budget speech regarding setting up of Joint Ventures with states for focused-
Project development,
Resource mobilization,
Land acquisition,
Project implementation and
Monitoring of critical rail projects
17 State Governments consented for formation of Joint Venture Companies in collaboration with the Ministry of Railways for development of rail infrastructure in their respective States
MoUs have already been signed by the Ministry of Railways with the State Governments of Odisha, Maharashtra, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
Signing of MOU
To be a stepping stone for formation of JV companies
Envisages formation of a Joint Venture companies having 51% stakes of the respective State Government and 49% stakes of Ministry of Railways
JV companies shall be fully owned by the Government
Companies will primarily identify projects and possible financing avenues in addition to Govt. of India and the State Government
SPVs-
After finances for a project are tied up, project specific SPVs or special purpose vehicles shall be formed
SPVs can have other stake holders from Industries, Central PSUs, State PSUs etc
JV companies shall be mandatory stake holders with minimum 26% shares in the SPVs
Most important aspect of this MoU is that the ownership of the land shall vest with the SPVs which is a departure from previous practice
Give financial leverage to the company to exploit commercial potential of the land
Likely to result in making project viable which are otherwise not viable
At the end of concession period, the railways will have option to take over the assets at a nominal price
Ministry of Railways will sign a concession agreement of 30 years with the project SPV for-
+ Safe and Sound operation
+ Revenue sharing
+ Providing technical & marketing logistics to the SPV
Revenue Sharing- Based on already established formulas being used for inter zonal apportionment of revenue
Indian Railway-
Indian Railways has been playing a major role in national integration by connecting the remotest places and bringing people closer to each other
Railways receive a large number of demands for network expansion as a railway line acts as an engine of growth for the area it serves
To expedite the projects, Railways have been trying to mobilize resources through other than Gross Budgetary Support
Aquifer Mapping
(Topic: Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/ Services relating to Health, Education, and Human Resources)
Advanced technologies like heli-borne geophysical surveys are being used for mapping in certain areas
Sophisticated softwares like RockWorks, ARC GIS, Modflow, Map Info etc have been used in preparation of Management plans
States selected inter-alia in the first phase include
Andhra Pradesh,
Gujarat,
Haryana,
Karnataka,
Punjab,
Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu and
Telangana; where the ground water situation has reached a critical level
As a precursor, pilots were launched in five States of
Bihar,
Rajasthan,
Maharashtra,
Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu; which has helped in proving the efficacy of various techniques in aquifer mapping
Intensive and unregulated groundwater pumping in many areas has caused rapid and widespread groundwater decline, including in the northern “bread basket” states where an estimated 15% of India’s food-grains is being produced
Aquifer Mapping and Management (NAQUIM)-
NAQUIM activities to involve and create awareness about the programme to potential players in the water sector
To bring the programme in Mission mode with clearly defined timelines and financial outlays
Efforts of CGWB in mapping of aquifers and preparation of management plans, re-emphasized the importance of this programme which would usher in security to sustainable level of food grain production
Target-
Focus would be on use of IT tools and ITES in monitoring of-
Ground water levels,
Water quality,
Data processing & analytics and data dissemination / sharing
Significant portion of the proposed works will be outsourced which include generation of-
Geophysical data,
Geochemical data and
Drilling of bore-wells / tube-wells
Help-
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing rock, from which groundwatercan be extracted
Mapping would assist in estimating the quantity and quality of ground water in an aquifer and would help in assessment of sustainable level of ground water extraction
Helps in making the Country climate change resilient
Mapping is being undertaken by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB)
To prepare Management Plans, in consultation with stakeholders and State Governments, this will identify the recharge and other measures to replenish the declining trend of groundwater
Help in predicting the ground water scenario, the recharge potential and possibilities and would also help in educating the stakeholders in water use efficiency
India Handloom Brand Goes Online
(Topic: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance- applications, models, success, limitation, and potential; citizens charters, transparency and accountability and institutional and others)
One stop platform for all services to consumers, bulk buyers and handloom producers
Provide full details of all registered India Handloom producers which will facilitate verification of genuine India Handloom product by customers
Able to verify the genuineness of the Brand logo through the registration no. which is printed on every label on the produce
Provide information about the retail stores and e-commerce platform from where India Handloom branded products can be purchased
Contain brief description of every product category and tips to identify genuine products
Contact details of India Handloom Brand producers are available for bulk buyers like retail stores, garment manufacturers who will able to directly access the handloom producers registered under the Brand
Section where handloom producers can apply online for registration under the Brand and can also track status of their application
Government Efforts-
Committed to raise the market positioning of handloom products for development of handloom industry and for increasing wages of handloom weavers
Website will be an important platform for achieving these objectives and would be user- friendly both for consumers as well as handloom producing agencies
‘India Handloom’ Brand
Launched on 7thAugust, 2015, the first National Handloom Day, to endorse the quality of handloom products in terms of-
Raw material,
Processing,
Embellishment,
Weaving,
Design and other parameters besides social and environment compliance
Main objective is to promote the production of quality products with new designs for winning the trust and confidence of customers by giving particular attention to defect free, hand woven, authentic niche products with zero defect and zero impact on environment
Registration under the brand is given after stringent testing of samples in Govt. of India laboratory
Several e-commerce platforms and leading retail stores have been engaged for marketing of India Handloom branded products
Employment and Handlooms-
More than 43 lakh persons are engaged in this sector with annual production of 720 crore sq.mtrs which is 14% of the total textile sector
Provides livelihood to large number of rural women and backward sections of the society
Supported by 28 Weavers’ Service Centres and 10 Indian Institutes of Handloom Technology
National Handloom Development Corporation is responsible for supply of quality yarn, dyes and chemicals
In order to address the main challenges of competition from power-loom sector, concerns of consumers about quality, and stagnant wages for weavers, new strategy aims at increasing production ofhigh value good quality products leading to consumers satisfaction and remunerative earnings to the weavers
Block Level Cluster Approachto support quality production and ‘India Handloom’ Brand for market positioning are two key elements of new strategy
Number of handlooms along with new jobs have increased wherever market linked design intervention has been taken up for supporting weaving of quality handloom products
Such efforts are being further strengthened by launch of ‘India Handloom’ Brand
India-Australia Collaboration: Mining Skill Development for Labour Safety, Health and Efficiency
(Topic: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s Interests)
About-
Union Minister of State (IC) for Coal, Power and New and Renewable Energy held an industry and academia roundtable on Skill development and initiated collaboration Queensland government’s centre for virtual mining SIMTARS (Safety in Mines Testing and Research Station)
India is co-chairing 3rd India-Australia energy security dialogue in Brisbane, Australia
Highlight-
Significant opportunities for skill development in India
Prime Minister’s vision of affordable energy access for all and consequent doubling of output of Coal India
India – Australia Collaboration-
Current, skill development engagement with Australia was at a scale of 20 people per year which will be scaled up to thousands through combination of-
Setup of Indian centres + e-learning + on-site training
Include leadership training as well as training on mine operations and safety
SIMTARS-
Virtual mining training showcased at SIMTARS included-
Labour safety,
Mine planning and
Refinery operations
Such training centres can significantly improve productivity while minimizing mine and plant accidents
Original plan was to setup one Indian centre in collaboration with SIMTARS and ISM, a larger collaboration with more than six centres in each of the large mining states esp. in East India
Help- Workers in these states to ramp up their skills and fully benefit from the fruits of development
Sports was also identified as a key enabler for the health of workers as well as bring significant benefits even at the workplace
Central Coalfields Limited (CCL):
A subsidiary of Coal India Limited has committed to setup a sports university in Ranchi and is also upgrading 14 stadiums in the city
CCL will collaborate with sports institutes in Australia with an aim to produce 100 Olympians from India in 10 years
Help- Bring the best sports training practices from Australia to India as well as promote traditional Indian sports like Kabaddi and Kho-kho back in Australia
India Exploring Australian Gas Supplies for Clean and Affordable Power
(Topic: Bilateral, Regional and Global Groupings and Agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s Interests)
Aim-
To meet its objective to providing affordable and clean energy for all
Collaboration on LNG and CBM is a big outcome focused step towards achieving this objective
Highlights-
Government of India is willing to consider long term fixed price contracts for the supply of gas which will enable power producer to enter into a power supply contract at an affordable price
Opportunities to control the entire value chain right from gas production, liquefaction, shipping, re-gasification and power generation can be evaluated at the current historic low prices of many of these activities
India is running one of the world’s largest renewable energy programme which aims to increase the capacity 5 times to 175 GW over the next seven years
It requires gas based plants which can act as spinning reserve and supply power during deficit times of day (like evenings) when renewable energy production reduces while stabilizing the grid
Since coal based power is available in India at less than 5 cents per unit, the LNG providers should consider supplying gas to India at a price that is comparable
India is the fourth largest energy consumer in the world
India has developed sufficient infrastructure in-
Pipeline transportation,
Regasification facilities
End consumers facilities such as gas based power plants
Facilities enable the consumption of around 300 MMSCMD, whereas the present consumption is less than 50% of the same
Provides good opportunities to countries which have a surplus of Natural Gas provided it is available at affordable prices
In order to explore the opportunities to affordably supply Australian LNG to India, an LNG sub-group has been created
Australian Companies highlighted–
Technologies have been highlighted to reduce cost of producing natural gas and clear shipping routes between Australia and India provide ample opportunities to provide LNG to India at competitive rates
Additionally, with large increase in coal exploration and production in India, Australian companies can provide Coal Bed Methane (CBM) technologies to India
GS-3
Improving Ease of doing Construction Business
(Topic: Effects of liberalization on the economy, changes in industrial policy and their effects on industrial growth)
Progress reported towards enhancing the ’ease of doing of construction business’ in urban areas by-
Streamlining the-
Procedures,
Adoption of appropriate technology and
By empowering urban local bodies to accord a wide range of approvals
Colour Coded Zonal Maps–
To begin with CCZMs will be evolved for four such airports viz., Pune, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Bagdogra by April, 2016
Enable respective urban local bodies accord height clearances in respect of almost all cases, doing away with the need to approach AAI for the same
Works of Defence Act, 1903 will be suitably amended to remove hurdles for construction activities near defence establishments
Distance from the actual storage point will be considered for restricting the construction instead of from the boundary wall of ammunition storage dumps at present, which will bring down the zone of restriction
(No Objection Certificate Application System) eliminating human interface and enabling faster issue of NOC through automatic calculations of permissible heights in airport zones with applicants being able to track the status
Personalised take away bedrolls service launched in Indian Railways
(Topic: Government Schemes, Railways Development Models)
e-Bedrolls-
Bedrolls are disposable, passengers can take them home after journey
Type 1 – Bedroll kit packed in a non-woven fabric bag consisting of two cotton bed sheets and one pillow at a cost of Rs.140
Type 2 – Blanket kit packed in a non-woven bag consisting of one blanket at a cost of Rs.110
Cost is inclusive of all taxes and uniform across stations over Indian Railways
Government to support Ethanol blending of Petrol in a big way
(Topic: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation)
National Seminar aimed at- Accelerating the EBP programme in the country and to draw up a roadmap for establishing ethanol industry from lignocellulosic route thus
Reducing the foreign exchange outflow,
Generate rural employment and
Protect environment
Ethanol blended petrol-
It will not only help in value addition for the farmer’s produce but will also reduce foreign exchange expenditure
Benefits employment generation, entrepreneurship promotion and environment protection
Ethanol blended petrol was introduced in 2003 but the process got impetus only in 2014-15 when new government took policy decisions to incentivize petrol blending
There is a demand for Ethanol for blending with petrol but there are technological and financial challenges which needs to be overcome
Various departments of Government, State Governments, Academic and Research Institutions needs to work together to find solution to these challenges
Molasses to Ethanol conversion is already going on and the Government has taken up second generation of lignocelluloses to Ethanol production to utilize agricultural residues/wastes, and achieve the target of 10% Ethanol blending
NHAI aims for conservation and protection of wildlife
(Topic: Environment, Wildlife, Conservation)
About-
With a view to mainstream Sustainable Development and Environmental Management into highway development projects
National Highways Authority of India has taken the lead in creating a platform for dialogue where development goals and conservation needs can be resolved across the table by all stakeholders
NHAI
Initiated the dialogue with the representatives from the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Ministry of Environment, and Forest & Climate Change last month
NHAI propose using space technology for planning and monitoring of conflict zones and putting in place mitigation measures for environmental protection and conservation along the highways
Conservation of wildlife is the focus of attention
NHAI has assured to undertake all necessary measures to-
Avoid,
Minimize, and
Mitigate any impact on wildlife that may result in the course of development of National Highways
Provide the coordinates of all NH projects to WII for developing a Geological Information System (GIS) enabled map of all National Highways passing through Protected Areas
Emphasized the necessity of scientific designing of mitigation measures, so that the project designs could be optimized, safeguarding wildlife while maintaining the cost-effectiveness of the projects on long term basis
Expects to reduce the time factor in consultations, clearances and finalization of mitigation plans thereby saving huge costs to the society
National Research Development Corporation inks MOU with Indian Institute of Chemical Biology to Promote Entrepreneurship
(Topic: Agreements involving development in research and others)
National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) entered into an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Indian Institute of Chemical Biology to promote entrepreneurship
CSIR – Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Kolkata
Engaged in research on diseases and certain biological problems of global interest
To spin out these R&D outcomes and with a view to contribute country’s Startup movement, CSIR-IICB established a Translational Research Unit of Excellence (TRUE) which includes an Incubation Centre of about 10,000 sq. ft.
Help-
‘TRUE’ and the Incubation Centre would help in research getting translated into viable products
Partnership between NRDC and CSIR-IICB contributes to the “Startup India” and “Make in India” Missions of Govt. of India by way of promoting Entrepreneurships, Incubation, IPRs, Technology Transfer
National Framework for Elimination of Malaria
(Topic: Issues relating to development and management of social sector/ services relating to health)
Health Minister launched National Framework for Malaria Elimination (NFME) 2016-2030
Aim-
Elimination of the disease by 2030
Contribute to improved health and quality of life and alleviation of poverty
Outcome-
Eliminating Malaria will result in cutting down on expenditure on diseases control programme
Help in reducing out-of-pocket expenditure too
NFME-
India has sturdy health systems with trained manpower, and the learning from the Polio and Elimination of Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus will help in eliminating Malaria too
Necessary guidance is expressed for rolling out the strategies and related interventions in each State/UT as per respective epidemiological situation
Objectives of the NFME are-
Eliminate malaria from all low (Category 1) and moderate (Category 2) endemic states/UTs (26) by 2022
Reduce incidence of malaria to less than 1 case per 1000 population in all States/UTs and the districts and malaria elimination in 31 states/UTs by 2024
Interrupt indigenous transmission of malaria in all States/ UTs (Category 3) by 2027
Prevent re-establishment of local transmission of malaria in areas where it has been eliminated and to maintain malaria-free status of the country by 2030
Milestones and targets are set for 2016, 2020, 2022, 2024, 2027 and 2030 by when the entire country has sustained zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria for 3 years and initiated the processes for certification of malaria elimination status to the country
NFME 2016-2030 also defines key strategic approaches such as programme phasing considering the varying malaria endemicity in the country
An enabled environment and necessary resources would remain critical to realize the objectives in the pathway to malaria elimination
Target-
By end of 2016: All states/UTs are expected to include malaria elimination in their broader health policies and planning framework
By end of 2017: All states are expected to bring down API to less than 1 per thousand population
By end of 2020: 15 states/UTs under category 1 (elimination phase) are expected to interrupt transmission of malaria and achieve zero indigenous cases and deaths due to malaria
Envisaged that in states with relatively good capacity and health infrastructure, such as, Gujarat, Karnataka and Maharashtra, accelerated efforts may usher malaria elimination sooner – within two to three years
As per the targets under the 12th Five Year Plan, the country is to achieve API<1 at state and district level by 2017 and pave way to malaria elimination in subsequent years
National Organic Farming Research Institute (NOFRI) at Gangtok, Sikkim
(Topic: Major cropping patterns in various parts of the country, different types of irrigation and irrigation systems and related constraints, e-technology in the aid of famrers)
During 87th Annual General Meeting of Indian Council of Agricultural Research announced establishment of National Organic Farming Research Institute (NOFRI) at Gangtok, Sikkim
Sikkim has recently been declared as the first organic state in the country
NOFRI
Institute will provide research and technological backstopping to Organic Production System in the country in general and North East Hills Region in particular
Institute will undertake basic, strategic and adaptive research on efficient, economically viable and environmentally sustainable organic farming systems for improving productivity, resource use efficiencies and quality of produce
It will impart vocational and advanced training to stakeholders for promotion of organic farming in the country
Required financial resources, manpower and infrastructure facilities will be made available accordingly
Counter IED Strategy
(Topic: Science and Technology)
Theme-“National Counter IED Strategy”
Provides a platform to the national and international experts of police and armed forces/law enforcement/ security/ intelligence/ forensic agencies and other allied organizations for exchange of expertise, ideas and experiences
NBDC- It has been the pioneer in collection, collation and analysis of various IED incidents since it came into being in 1988 which in turn helps in discerning the modus operandi of different terrorist organizations which help in formulating strategies to effectively counter the activities of such groups
Delegates from- Leading security agencies of India, experts from the US, Israel, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, Canada, Russia, Japan, Singapore, Philippines and Vietnam will be attending the seminar
Australian Clean Coal Technologies for Affordable and Clean Power in India
(Topic: Technology, Clean Energy, Environmental, Conservation, Pollution and Degradation)
Highlights-
During the roundtable extensive discussions were held over-
Efficient mining practices,
Exploration
Mining technologies for opencast as well as underground
Reclamation and rehabilitation of mined out areas,
Mine safety,
Clean Coal Technologies and Coal beneficiation etc.
In view of the proposed enhancement of coal production in the next five years India is focusing on-
Technological development
Modernization
Safety improvement
Skill development
In addition to coal mining there was also a focus on clean coal technologies, including- Coal washing + Coal bed methane development + Underground coal gasification
Australian companies presented their capabilities in different areas and highlighted the projects they are engaged in particularly Clean Coal Technologies (CCTs) viz-
Coal Bed Methane (CBM),
Coal Mine Methane (CMM),
Underground Coal Gasification (UCG),
Safety improvement,
Reclamation of mined out areas etc.
Taking the process forward and also to augment availability of domestic coal thereby reducing dependence on imported coal, the Government has finalised the methodology of allocation of coal mines for commercial mining to Central/State PSUs
Many of these blocks can explore usage of Australian clean coal technologies thus helping reduce emissions while also helping reduce cost of production thus helping meet the aim of affordable power for all
Railway Minister inaugurates three IT enabled projects
(Topic: Technology- Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life)
Paperless unreserved ticketing through mobile phone in suburban section of South Central Railway
Pilot Project of hand Held Terminals for TTEs on Northern Railway and
E-booking of disposable linen on trains at New Delhi Railway Station and Nizamuddin Railway Station
Hand Held Terminals for TTEs-
With the help of Hand held Terminals for TTEs, after all allotments, remaining vacant berths will be sent back to HHT Application Servers and can be viewed on PRS terminal as well as web site (indianrail.gov.in)
Information of all NT passengers will be sent to coaching refund system to get speedier refund and eliminate the preparation of manual Exception Data Reports (EDR)
Occupancy chart can be viewed on HHT device to dispense with the manual preparation of food-chart/occupancy chart
Outcome of the Project are-
Revenue Yield Maximization, by making onboard accommodation availability visible to downstream Stations so that they can do current bookings against these vacant seats, realizing additional revenue against the same as presently these seats usually go vacant up to the terminal stations due to non-availability of this information with the prospective Passengers
Application ensures greater transparency in the allotment of Accommodation onboard
Ensure better productivity norms amongst TTE’s as the process of ticket checking will get simplified considerably
Paperless Unreserved Ticketing Mobile Application
To move forward in line with Digital India, Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS) has developed a paperless Unreserved Ticketing Mobile Application “UTSONMOBILE”,both for Android and Windows platforms
Application, features enable booking of paperless unreserved journey tickets, season tickets and platform tickets through mobile phones
Outcome of Project-
Application provides necessary on-screen alerts to guide the passenger during the booking process
Payment for the ticket is done through the “Railway Wallet” feature in the “App”.
After booking the ticket, the passenger will get the ticket confirmation screen which contains limited information of the ticket
Paperless tickets will be stored in the local mobile application database in the encrypted form which cannot be tampered with
Ticket booked in paperless mode cannot be cancelled in order to prevent claiming of refund after travel
Journey ticket has distinct colorscheme on daily basis and it is embedded
with Quick Response (QR) code
E-booking of Disposable Linen on Trains
Pilot project of E-Bedroll allows passengers to avail bedroll kits through online booking and from over the counter at select outlets set up by the IRCTC on the stations
Facility can be availed by passengers having confirmed e-tickets at the time of ticketing or up to four hours prior to the scheduled departure of the train on the basis of online payment
Minister for Telecom & IT to Launch Electronics Development Fund (EDF)
(Topic: Advancement in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-Technology, bio-technology)
Electronics Development Fund (EDF)-
Aninitiative of IT Department is formulated as a “Fund of Funds” to participate in “Daughter Funds” which in turn will provide risk capital to companies developing new technologies in the area of electronics, nano-electronics and Information Technology (IT)
EDF therefore enables creation of an ecosystem for providing risk capital to both industry and academia to undertake research and development in these technology areas
Enrich the intellectual property in the country and encourage more entrepreneurs towards product and technology development
Target beneficiaries of the EDF will be Daughter Funds (set up to achieve the objectives of the EDF policy) registered in India and abiding by the relevant rules and regulations including the SEBI regulations on Venture Funds
Corpus of a Daughter Fund will be determined by market requirements and the capacity of its Fund Manager to cater to the requirements of the Fund
Supported Daughter Funds will promote innovation, R&D and product development within the country in the specified fields of electronics, nano-electronics and IT
Support acquisition of foreign companies and technologies for products imported in India in large volume
Core focus of the Daughter Funds would be to develop domestic design capabilities
Daughter Funds supported will create a resource pool of IP within the country in the specified fields
Madhya Pradesh Gets its First Mega Food Park
(Topic: Food Processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management)
Mega Food Park
Park will have facilities of 3000 MT Cold Storage, 9000 MT Dry Warehouse, Instant Quick Freeze (IQF) 5 MT per hour, modern Quality Control lab and other processing facilities for fruits and vegetables
Create a modern infrastructure for arresting post-harvest losses of horticultural and non-horticultural produce and provide impetus to the growth of food processing sector in Madhya Pradesh
Help in providing better prices to farmers, reduce wastage of perishables, add value to agricultural produce and create huge opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment for the youth of the State
Mega Food Park is expected to provide direct and indirect employment to about 6000 people and benefit about 25,000 to 30,000 farmers in its catchment area.
