IASbhai DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS(THE HINDU+LIVEMINT+PIB)
With our thoughts, we make the world.-Buddhist proverb
ORANGE COLOUR: Important for Prelims.
RED COLOUR: Important for Mains.
BLACK COLOUR: Must Read !
BLUE COLOUR : Important Links/Survey.
PINK COLOUR: Reports/Themes/Summits.
Page Contents:
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
HEADLINES:
Impact of Climate Change on Farmers/National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA)
WHY IN NEWS:
The country has initiated action to address the problems likely to arise due to climate change.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Agriculture
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS it is important to know NMSA and inter-dependent schemes.
For MAINS go through the objectives and keep a track on the challenges these schemes are facing.
ISSUE:
NATIONAL MISSION FOR SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE (NMSA)
National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), one of the Missions under National Action Plan for Climate Change (NAPCC), includes programmatic interventions like :
- Soil Health Card (SHC),
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY),
- Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER),
- Rainfed Area Development (RAD),
- National Bamboo Mission (NBM) and
- Sub-mission on Agro Forestry (SMAF).
UNDER NMSA FOLLOWING TEN DELIVERABLES ARE MONITORED:
i) Area under organic farming,
ii) Production of Bio-fertilizers,
iii) Precision Irrigation,
iv) SRI/ Direct Seeded Rice from Transplantation,
v) Crop diversification,
vi) Additional Area under plantation in Arable land,
vii) Climate Resilient Varieties (CRV) Identified/ Released,
viii a) Identification of genotypes of crops with enhanced CO2 fixation potential and less water consumption & Nutrients,
viii b) Climate Resilient genotypes with greater adaptation to drought, flood, salinity and high temperature,
ix) Coverage of milch animals under ration balancing programme and
x) Establishment of bypass protein feed making unit.
OTHER PROGRAMMES
Prime Minister Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) are ensuring judicious use of natural resources.
National Food Security Mission (NFSM) for inter alia stress tolerant/climate resilient varieties of food grains.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed 45 models for climate resilient Integrated Farming Systems (IFS)
An atlas on vulnerability of Indian agriculture to climate change has been prepared by Central Research Institute of Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad.
Climate resilient villages have been developed, one in each of 151 districts under the project National Innovations in Climate Resilient Agriculture (NICRA).
District Agriculture Contingency Plans for 648 districts have been prepared for managing weather aberrations for sustainable agriculture.
IASbhai WINDUP:
This follows a multi-pronged strategy encompassing strategic research on adaptation, mitigation and demonstration of technologies on farmers’ fields to create awareness, aiming mainly to evolve crop varieties tolerant to climatic stresses like floods, droughts, frost, inundation due to cyclones and heat waves.
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Battle-ready LCA Tejas takes to the skies
HEADLINES:
Battle-ready LCA Tejas takes to the skies
WHY IN NEWS:
It signifies exemplary team work between various stakeholders, says HAL
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Defence:LCA tejas
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS it is important to know the specifications of LCA Tejas and its role in enhancing Aerial Power of Indian Air force.
For MAINS nothing much here!
ISSUE:
Up in the air: Light Combat Aircraft Tejas in 2017.
LIGHT COMBAT AIRCRAFT TEJAS
Tejas is a single engined, light weight, highly agile, multi-role supersonic fighter.
It has quadruplex digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System (FCS) with associated advanced flight control laws.
The aircraft with delta wing is designed for ‘air combat’ and ‘offensive air support’ with ‘reconnaissance’ and ‘anti-ship’ as its secondary roles.
Extensive use of advanced composites in the airframe gives a high strength to weight ratio, long fatigue life and low radar signatures.
Aeronautical Development Agency is the designated project manager for the development of LCA.
ADVANCED FEATURES
The FOC aircraft are equipped with advanced features such as Air-to-Air refuelling and Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile system.
IASbhai WINDUP:
This flight signifies exemplary team work among the stakeholders of the LCA Tejas programme such as HAL.“This would pave the way for production of remaining 15 fighters from FOC [Final Operational Clearance] block, which are planned to be delivered during the next financial year.”
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Medical Device Parks
HEADLINES:
Medical Device Parks
WHY IN NEWS:
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:MED-PARKS: Miscellaneous
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS the objective of establishing any Med Park has to be understood .
For MAINS explain how can be India be a global leader in Medical devices Industry !
ISSUE:
Department of Pharmaceuticals has received four proposals under this sub-scheme from :
(i) Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone Ltd. (AMTZ), Andhra Pradesh,
(ii) Telangana Medical Device Park, Telangana
(iii) Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Kerala &
(iv) HLL, Medipark Ltd (HML), Tamil Nadu.
FEATURES
Financial assistance to the tune of Rs.25 Crore or 70% of the project cost, whichever is less is provided for creation of common facilities under any upcoming Medical Device Park promoted by State Governments/State Corporations.
IASbhai WINDUP:
The project of Andhra Pradesh Medtech Zone for creation of Common Facility Centre (CFC) for Superconducting Magnetic Coil Testing and Research was given recently.
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
UDAY 2.0 Scheme
HEADLINES:
UDAY 2.0 Scheme
WHY IN NEWS:
It was a Googly from PIB !
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Schemes
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS we have mentioned why there is a need for revival of DISCOMS and UDAY 2.0;
For MAINS note down the issues related to this scheme. Its very important what how and which kind of up gradation is given to such scheme.
ISSUE:
However, no new scheme regarding the above has been approved yet.
WHY WE NEED UDAY 2.0?
- tariffs not being reflective of costs;
- inadequate budgeting of subsidies;
- high aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses etc.
STATES HAVE BEEN ADVISED:
- To clear their Government Department dues and
- Ensure monthly clearance of the same;
- Put in place a strict system of energy accounting;
- Ensure timely payment of subsidy every month;
- Begin a campaign to reduce AT&C losses;
- and conversion of all consumer meters into smart prepaid meters/prepaid meters in a period of 3 years.
IASbhai WINDUP:
Decisions have also been taken in the Government to incentivize and enable states to undertake effective DISCOM reforms; and link central sector schemes to institutional reforms.
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana
HEADLINES:
Streamlining the process of disbursal of Pension to Freedom Fighters
WHY IN NEWS:
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri G. Kishan Reddy, in a written reply to a question on complaints regarding pension to freedom fighters, in Lok Sabha today, said that after sanction of Swatantrata Sainik Samman Yojana (SSSY) pension, the disbursement is done by the banks.
SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3:Schemes
LEARNING:
For PRELIMS this is a old scheme of 1980.Still relevant because it has been renewed in 2016.
ISSUE:
SWATANTRATA SAINIK SAMMAN YOJANA
ELIGIBLITY:
Samman pension is provided to Freedom fighter family include (if the freedom fighter is not alive) mother, father, widower/widow if he/she has not since remarried, unmarried daughters.
Only one person in the family is eligible for getting Samman pension.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SAMMAN PENSION
- DEFINITION OF A MARTYR: A martyr is a person who was killed due to participation in the freedom struggle of India.
- IMPRISONMENT : A person who had suffered minimum 6-month imprisonment of participation in freedom struggle is eligible to get pension. Note: Eligibility criteria for women & SC/ST are 3 months for women.
- PROPERTY : A person whose property was damaged or sold due to participation in the freedom struggle is eligible to get this pension.
- INCAPACITY : If a person became permanently incapacitated during firing or lathi charge in Freedom struggle, he/she is eligible for this pension.
- JOB: By participating in freedom struggle if a person lost his Government job he/she is eligible.
- PUNISHED: Any person was awarded the punishment of 10 strokes of caning/flogging/whipping due to his participation in freedom struggle. He/she is eligible to get Samman pension.
IASbhai WINDUP:
As per these guidelines, after death of the pensioner, the pension is transferred to the widow by the concerned bank itself if she applies within 6 months.
After 6 months, the application is referred to MHA for process & grant of pension.
MHA has set up a Pension Disbursement Monitoring Cell (PDMC) to monitor disbursement of freedom fighter pension.
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
Let us ‘Discuss’
IASbhai WINDUP:
Let us know what you think about this in the comment section.
SOURCES:THE HINDU/DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS for UPSC CSE Prelims & Mains
