1. PM Modi announces PM-SHRI Scheme for upgrading 14500 school across country on Teachers Day
Tags: National Government Schemes
On the occasion of Teacher's Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced a new initiative, Pradhan Mantri Schools For Rising India (PM-SHRI) Yojana on 5 September 2022.
Under the Yojana, the development and upgradation of 14 thousand 500 schools across the country will be undertaken.
In a series of tweets, Mr Modi said, these PM-SHRI schools will become model schools which will encapsulate the full spirit of National Education Policy.
He said, emphasis will be given on a discovery oriented, learning centric way of teaching.
The Prime Minister said, the focus will also be on modern infrastructure including latest technology, smart classrooms, sports and more.
Teacher’s day is observed on 5 September every year to celebrate the birth anniversary of Dr S. Radhakrishnan.
2. Uttarakhand CM launched Mukhyamantri Udyman Khiladi Unnayan Yojana
Tags: Sports Government Schemes State News
On the occasion of National Sports Day, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami has launched Mukhyamantri Udyman Khiladi Unnayan Yojana in the state.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Under the scheme sports scholarships of Rs 1500 will be provided every month to the players between the age group of 8 to 14 years.
A total of 3900 budding sports persons will benefit from Mukhyamantri Udyman Khiladi Unnayan Yojana, in which 1950 boys and 1950 girls will be included.
Other announcements made by the Chief Minister on this occasion :
The Chief Minister said that a sports development fund would be set up in the state. Under this, eight sports coaches will be appointed in each district.
The Malkhamb game will be included in sports policy.
Along with this, the contract trainers in the Sports Department will be given the same honorarium as the contract trainers of the Sports Authority of India.
He also announced efforts to re-implement four percent reservation for skilled sportspersons in state services.
About Uttarakhand State :
Formation - 09 November 2000
Capital - Dehradun
Number of Divisions - 02 (Garhwal and Kumaon)
State bordering the state - 2 (Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh)
Countries bordering the state - 2 (Nepal, Tibet (China))
State flower - Brahma Kamal (local name - Kaulpadya) (Scientific name - Sosuria ablevets)
State Tree - Buransh (Rhododendron)
State animal - musk deer (Muscus chrysogaster)
State Bird - Monal (Lopoporus impejanus)
state sport - football
Number of Vidhan Sabha Members - 70
Number of Members in Lok Sabha - 5
Seats for Rajya Sabha - 3
Chief Minister - Pushkar Singh Dhami
Governor - Gurmeet Singh
3. Arth Ganga Model
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The Director General of the National Mission for Clean Ganga mentioned the Arth Ganga model during his virtual keynote address to the Stockholm World Water Week 2022 on 26 August.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
About Arth Ganga Model :
PM Modi first introduced the concept of Arth Ganga Model during the first National Ganga Council meeting in Kanpur in 2019.
During the meeting he urged for a shift from Namami Gange (cleaning of Ganga) to the model of Arth Ganga.
Arth Ganga focuses on the sustainable development of the Ganga and its surrounding areas, by focusing on economic activities related to the river.
The Arth Ganga model seeks to use economics to connect people to the river.
The scheme seeks to contribute at least 3% of the GDP from the Ganga basin.
Features of Arth Ganga Model :
Zero Budget Natural Farming - This includes chemical free farming on 10 km on either side of the river and promotion of use of cow dung as manure through Govardhan Yojana.
Monetization and Reuse of Sludge & Wastewater - It envisages reuse of treated water for irrigation, industries and revenue generation for Urban Local Bodies (ULBs).
Creation of livelihood opportunities - For example- ‘Ghat Mein Haat’, promotion of local products, Ayurveda, medicinal plants, capacity building of volunteers like Ganga Praharis.
Increase public participation - To enhance synergy among the stakeholders associated with the river.
Promotion of cultural heritage and tourism - To promote cultural heritage and tourism in and around the Ganga through conduct of boat tours, adventure sports and yoga activities.
Improved water governance - To promote institutional building by empowering local administration for better water administration.
4. The One Nation One Fertiliser scheme
Tags: Government Schemes
The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has announced that the One Nation One Fertilizer (ONOF) scheme will be implemented from October 2.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The Government is introducing a “Single Brand for Fertilisers and Logo” under the fertiliser subsidy scheme named “Pradhanmantri Bhartiya Janurvarak Pariyojna” (PMBJP).
As part of the initiative, crop nutrients -- urea, di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) or muriate of potash (MOP) will be sold under a single brand name, ‘Bharat’.
The ministry has issued directions to all companies to use the new brand name 'Bharat' and logo of the subsidy scheme on the bags.
What is One Nation One Fertiliser Scheme?
Under this scheme, all the fertilizer companies of the country will have to sell their products under the brand name of 'Bharat'.
Companies have been allowed to display their name, brand, logo and other relevant product information on only one-third of their bags.
The remaining two-thirds will have the "Bharat" brand and the Prime Minister Bhartiya Jan Fertilizer Project logo on it.
The scheme will be applicable to both public and private sector companies.
Why is the government introducing this scheme?
The maximum retail price of urea is fixed by the government, which also compensates companies for the high cost of manufacturing or importing it.
The government also decides where they can sell. This is done through the Fertilizers (Movement) Control Order, 1973.
So, when the government is spending huge amounts on fertilizer subsidies, it wants to take credit and send this message to the farmers.
Criticism of the Scheme
This will hinder the fertilizer companies in undertaking marketing and brand promotion activities.
They will now be restricted to contract manufacturers and importers for the government.
Opposition parties criticized the 'One Nation One Fertilizer' initiative as an exercise of self-promotion.
5. Uttar Pradesh ranks first across the country in the Amrit Sarovar scheme
Tags: National Government Schemes
According to the official website of Mission Amrit Sarovar, Uttar Pradesh ranks first across the country in the Amrit Sarovar scheme launched by the Government of India for the purpose of water conservation and harvesting.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- Madhya Pradesh is in second place and Jammu and Kashmir in third place.
Under this dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, started in the year of Independence Amrit Mahotsav, 15415 Amrit Sarovars were selected to be developed in Uttar Pradesh.
Of these, the construction of 8343 lakes has been completed.
In view of the importance of the scheme, a target of development of at least two Amrit Sarovars (about 1.20 lakhs) per Gram Panchayat was fixed in all the more than 58 thousand Gram Panchayats of Uttar Pradesh.
Under the Amrit Mahotsav of Independence, it was decided to hoist the flag on Independence Day this year while developing 7500 Amrit Sarovars. In relation to this, flag hoisting was done near 8288 Amrit Sarovars in the state.
Amrit Sarovar Mission :
The Amrit Sarovar Mission was launched on 24 April 2022 with the aim of water conservation.
The objective of the mission is to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district of the country as part of the celebration of Amrit Mahotsav of Azadi.
The Ministries Involved :
The mission has been launched with a holistic government approach with 6 Ministries/Departments -
1. Rural Development Department
2. land resources department
3. Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
4. Department of Water Resources
5. Ministry of Panchayati Raj
6. Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
Technical Partner :
Bhaskaracharya National Institute of Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) has been appointed as the technical partner for the mission.
Target :
Mission Amrit Sarovar is to be completed by 15 August 2023.
About 50,000 Amrit Sarovars are to be built in the country.
Each of these Amrit Sarovar will be in an area of 1 acre with a water holding capacity of 10,000 cubic metres.
6. Govt launches 2nd phase of Grameen Udyami Project
Tags: Government Schemes National News
National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in partnership with Seva Bharti and Yuva Vikas Society on 20 August launched the second phase of Grameen Udyami Project to augment skill training in tribal communities for their inclusive and sustainable growth.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The second phase of the pilot project was launched in Ranchi.
The Central Government has sanctioned a budget of 85 thousand crore rupees exclusively for tribal areas.
The initiative aims to provide multi-skilled and functional skills to the youth of India to enable their livelihood.
The Prime Minister has emphasised on inclusion of tribal communities in the workforce, ensuring their holistic development so as to make them self-reliant and integrated into their respective geographical areas.
Grameen Udyami Project :
It has been implemented under the Parliamentary Package Scheme.
It is a unique multi-skill project, funded by NSDC, which aims to train 450 tribal students in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.
The project is being implemented in six states- Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Gujarat.
Minister of State Rajiv Chandrashekhar and tribal MPs embodied this concept.
In the first phase of training, candidates from rural and tribal areas of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat were included.
The training under the project :
Electrician & Solar PV Installation Technician
Plumbing & Masonry
2-Wheeler Repair & Maintenance
IT/ITES with e-Governance
Farm Mechanisation
Objectives of the project :
Increase in Rural/Local Economy
Enhance employment opportunities
Reduce forced migration due to lack of local opportunities
Conservation of natural resources
7. Over one lakh villages across the country turned ODF plus
Tags: National Government Schemes
According to Jal Shakti Ministry Over one lakh villages have declared themselves as open defecation-free (ODF) Plus.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- These villages maintain their ODF status and have systems in place for solid and liquid waste management.
They are also working towards making their villages clean, green and healthy.
The Swachh Bharat Mission reinforces the government's commitment to promoting rural sanitation and improving the quality of life of its citizens.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi started the Swachh Bharat Mission with the aim of making the country open defecation free.
Rural India has become open defecation free 11 years ahead of the SDG-6 target set by the United Nations.
The top five performing states :
These states are Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Himachal Pradesh.
In these states the maximum number of villages have been declared as ODF Plus.
What are ODF Plus Villages ?
'Open Defecation Free' (ODF) is a term used to describe communities that are using toilets instead of open defecation.
A village that maintains Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, ensures solid and liquid waste management and is visually clean is called "ODF Plus Village".
Toilet facilities should be ensured in all households, primary schools, panchayat houses and Anganwadi centers in these villages.
At least 80% of households should manage their solid and liquid waste effectively and have minimum litter and minimum stagnant water.
ODF Plus villages have been divided into three categories -Aspiring, Rising and Model.
About the Swachh Bharat Mission :
Launched - on 2nd October 2014
Launched by - Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Aims - to achieve the vision of a ‘Clean India’ by 2nd October 2019.
Slogan - One step towards cleanliness
It is a restructured version of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan launched in 2009.
The first phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission lasted till October 2019.
Phase 2 is being implemented between 2020-21 and 2024-25.
8. Goa is the first Har Ghar Jal State in the country and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu the first Union Territory
Tags: National Government Schemes
According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Goa has become the first 'Har Ghar Jal' certified state in the country, where now all households have access to clean water through taps.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- The people of all the villages in both these states and union territories have declared their village as 'Har Ghar Jal' through a resolution passed by the Gram Sabha and certified that safe drinking water is provided to all the households in the villages through taps.
The ministry said potable water is available through tap connections to all 2.63 lakh rural households in Goa and 85,156 households in Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
All two lakh 63 thousand rural households of Goa and more than 85 thousand families of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are now getting clean and safe drinking water through taps.
First 'Har Ghar Jal' certified district in the country :
Last month, the ministry had informed that Burhanpur district of Madhya Pradesh has become the first 'Har Ghar Jal' certified district in the country.
Till then, Burhanpur was the only district in the country where people from each of the 254 villages had declared their villages as 'Har Ghar Jal' through a resolution passed by the Gram Sabha.
Jal Jeevan Mission :
It is a flagship programme of the Government of India which was announced from the ramparts of Red Fort by the Prime Minister on August 15, 2019.
The objective of the mission is to supply potable tap water in adequate quantity, prescribed quality and on a regular and long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024.
It is implemented by the Government of India in partnership with the States/Union Territories.
This mission comes under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Funding Pattern :
The fund sharing pattern between the Center and the states under the mission is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern states and 50:50 for other states.
In the case of Union Territories, 100% contribution is made by the Centre.
9. Cabinet approves interest subvention of 1.5% per annum on Short Term Agriculture Loan upto Rs 3 lakh
Tags: National Government Schemes Economics/Business
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister has approved restoration of interest subvention on short-term agricultural loans to 1.5 percent for all financial institutions.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
- This decision has been taken to ensure adequate credit flow to the agriculture sector.
Against short term loans of up to Rs 3 lakh given to farmers for the financial years 2022-23 to 2024-25 to lending institutions (public and private sector banks, small finance banks, regional rural banks, co-operative banks) 1.5 percent interest subvention will be given.
Under this, an additional budgetary provision of Rs 34,856 crore would be required for the period from 2022-23 to 2024-25 for increasing the interest subvention.
Background :
Ensuring uninterrupted credit to farmers at affordable rates has been the top priority of the Government of India.
Keeping this in mind, the Kisan Credit Card scheme was launched for the farmers, to empower them to buy agricultural products and services by taking loans at any time.
To ensure that farmers can pay the minimum rate of interest to the bank, the Government of India launched the Interest Subvention Scheme (ISS), which has now been renamed as the Revised Interest Subvention Scheme (RISS).
Its objective is to provide short term loans to farmers at low interest rates.
Benefit to farmers :
The increase in interest subvention will help in ensuring stability of credit flow to the agriculture sector.
This will ensure the financial position and viability of the lending institutions especially the Regional Rural Banks and Co-operative Banks.
This will ensure adequate agricultural credit to the rural economy.
More and more farmers will get the benefit of agriculture loan.
This will help in employment generation, as short term agricultural loans are provided for all activities including animal husbandry, dairy, poultry, fisheries.
Kisan Credit Card Scheme :
It provides loans to farmers all over India so that farmers can reduce the financial crunch during farming.
It was introduced in 1998 by National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development on the recommendation of R V Gupta.
In 2004, it was extended for investment in non-farm activities keeping in view the credit requirement of farmers.
In Budget-2018-19, the government announced the extension of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) facility to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers.
10. Taxpayers will no longer be part of Atal Pension Yojana
Tags: Economy/Finance Government Schemes
According to a gazette notification issued by the Ministry of Finance Any citizen who is or has been an income-tax payer, shall not be eligible to join Atal Pension Yojana (APY). The rule will come into effect on October 1, 2022.
Important facts
As per notification those who are already participating in the scheme will cease to be a part of it from October 1. However, they will receive the money deposited in their respective accounts.
If a subscriber, who has joined on or after October 1, 2022, is later found to be an income tax payer on or before the date of application, the APY account will be closed and the pension amount accumulated till now will be given to the subscriber
Income tax payer is a person who is liable to pay income tax as per the Income Tax Act, 1961 as amended from time to time.
About Atal Pension Yojana (APY)
Launched - 2015
Purpose
To provide social security to the people working in the unorganized sector as the people working in such sectors mainly belong to the low income group.
Eligibility
Any Indian citizen in the age group of 18-40 years having a savings bank account / post office savings bank account.
The minimum period of contribution by the subscriber under APY shall be 20 years or more.
It is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA).
Pension under the APY
Under the scheme a subscriber receives a minimum guaranteed pension of Rs 1000 to Rs 5000 per month from the age of 60 years, depending upon his contribution.
In the event of the death of the pensioner, the amount of pension will be given to his/her spouse.
In case of death of both the subscriber spouse, the pension amount deposited till the age of 60 years of the subscriber will be returned to the nominee.
