1. Centre releases guidelines for Mission Vatsalya
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The Centre has issued certain guidelines for getting access to central funds and benefits under Mission Vatsalya. Mission Vatsalya is an umbrella scheme for child protection services in the country.
What are the new guidelines?
The states will have to retain the official name given by the Centre.
Only correct translation in the local language will be allowed.
Funds to the states will be sanctioned through Mission Vatsalya Project Approval Board (PAB), which will be headed by the Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development.
States/UTs have also been directed to focus on special needs of children with physical or mental disabilities.
Institutions will now have to provide specialized teachers, doctors and nurses to provide occupational therapy, speech therapy, verbal therapy and other remedial classes.
The employees of these special units will have to know sign language, braille etc. as per the new guidelines.
Mission Vatsalya, in partnership with states and districts, will implement a 24×7 helpline service for children.
Mission Vatsalya
It promotes family-based non-institutional care of children in difficult situations based on the 'principle of institutionalization of children' as a last resort.
Before the year 2009, three schemes were implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for children in need of protection -
Juvenile justice programs for children as well as children in need of care and protection
Integrated Program for Street Children
Child Home Assistance Scheme
In the year 2010, these three schemes were merged into a single scheme which is known as Integrated Child Protection Scheme.
In the year 2017 its name was changed to "Child Protection Services Scheme" and in the year 2021-22 it was also changed to Mission Vatsalya.
It aims to ensure a healthy and happy childhood for every child in the country.
2. 'Nari Ko Naman' scheme launched by Himachal Pradesh government for women
Tags: Government Schemes State News
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur launched the “Nari Ko Naman” scheme for the women of the state.
This scheme has been started in line with the announcement made before the state assembly elections.
Under the scheme, the Himachal Pradesh government has announced a 50% discount on ticket prices to women in state government buses.
The Himachal Pradesh government will spend Rs 60 crore annually to provide a 50% discount on ticket prices to women in the state.
According to an estimate, 1.25 lakh women travel in HRTC buses daily.
Minimum fare reduction / other announcements
Apart from giving concessions to women in tickets to women, the government also announced reduction of minimum fare in HRTC buses from Rs 7 to Rs 5.
In addition, 25 posts of women drivers will be filled in HRTC 'Ride with Pride' taxis.
In HRTC, 265 posts of Motor Mechanic, Electrician etc. will also be recruited.
About Himachal Pradesh
It was made the eighteenth state of India on 25 January 1971 under the Himachal Pradesh State Act, 1971.
Himachal Pradesh is also called the Land of Gods.
Himachal Pradesh is part of the Shivalik range of the Himalaya Mountains.
Major rivers and dams- Sutlej (Bhakra Dam, Gobind Sagar Reservoir, Koldam Dam), Vyas (Pandoh Dam, Maharana Pratap Sagar Reservoir), Ravi (Chamera Dam), Parvati
Major Lakes- Renuka, Revalsar, Khajjiar, Dal, Beas Kund, Dasaur, Brighu, Parashar, Mani Mahesh, Chander Tal, Suraj Tal, Kareri, Sarolsar, Govind Sagar, Nako Lake
National Parks- Great Himalayan National Park, Pin Valley National Park, Khirganga, Inderkilla and Simbalbara National Parks
Capital- Shimla
Governor- Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar
Chief Minister- Jai Ram Thakur
Legislative Assembly seats- 68
Rajya Sabha seats- 3
Lok Sabha seats - 4
3. PM Modi launches 'Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance' scheme
Tags: Economy/Finance Government Schemes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the 'Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance' (RAMP) scheme under the Entrepreneur India Program at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
RAMP Scheme
The scheme was announced by the Finance Minister in the Union Budget 2022-23.
Recommendations for RAMP Scheme KV Kamath Committee, UK Sinha Committee and the Prime Minister's Economic Advisory Council (PMEAC).
It is a World Bank assisted central sector scheme under which the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) is providing necessary support to address the challenges related to COVID-19.
The total financial outlay for the RAMP scheme is Rs 6,062.45 crore ($808 million).
The World Bank will provide a loan of Rs 3750 crore ($500 million) for this program and the remaining Rs 2312.45 crore ($308 million) is being funded by the central government.
Program Objective
The objective of the scheme is to improve access to credit and markets, as well as strengthen institutions and governance in the state and at the Centre.
It will also look at improving Centre and State partnerships as well as resolving issues related to delayed payments.
MSME capacity will also be increased through this program and MSME coverage will also be increased in the states and union territories.
The scheme will promote skill development, capacity building, technology up-gradation, quality enhancement, outreach, digitization, marketing promotion etc.
Plan implementation and monitoring
Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) will be prepared for the implementation of RAMP and all the States and Union Territories of the country will be invited to provide inputs.
An outreach plan will be made to mobilise and identify MSMEs through SIPs.
The National MSME Council, which will be chaired by the Minister of MSME and comprising representatives from other ministries as well as a Secretariat, will monitor and evaluate the scheme.
4. Himachal Pradesh government will start single use plastic buy back scheme
Tags: Government Schemes
In line with the decision of the Central Government to ban the use of single-use plastic, Himachal Pradesh has launched the “Single-Use Plastic Buy Back Scheme”.
Under the Single Use Plastic Buy Back Scheme, the Himachal Pradesh government will buy single use plastic items from students of schools and colleges.
Under this, students will be encouraged to bring single-use plastic items from home and deposit them in schools.
For this, the government will pay Rs 75 per kg to the students.
The scheme has been started with the aim of inculcating the habit of environmental protection among the youth.
Single use plastic ban
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.
These rules were notified to prohibit specific single-use plastic items.
There will be a ban on the manufacture, import, storage, distribution, sale and use of single-use plastics as per the rules from July 1, 2022.
This ban will not apply to items made of compostable plastic.
The permissible thickness of plastic bags has been increased from 50 microns to 75 microns with effect from September 30, 2021 and to 120 microns with effect from December 31, 2022.
Single use plastic
Single use plastic is also known as disposable plastic.
They are used only once.
This plastic is so convenient and cheap that it has replaced other materials in the packaging industry.
India produces 9.46 million tonnes of plastic waste every year, of which 43 per cent is single-use plastic.
5. Kerala government will start medical insurance scheme-Medicep from July 1
Tags: Government Schemes
Kerala government is going to start the MEDISEP scheme from July 1, 2022.
It is a medical insurance scheme for state government employees, pensioners and their eligible family members.
It will provide cashless medical assistance with comprehensive coverage up to Rs 3 lakh per year.
Under this State Employees and Pensioners Medical Insurance Scheme (Medicep), the annual premium for 2022-24 will be Rs 4800 and 'GST'.
Monthly premium of insurance will be Rs.500.
The much-awaited 'cashless' medical assistance has been approved to be implemented through Oriental Insurance Company Limited.
About Kerala State -
Formation - 1 November 1956
It is the world's first child harmony state recognized by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation.
Kerala is the most literate state in India.
Capital- Thiruvananthapuram
Governor- Arif Mohammad Khan
Chief Minister- Pinarayi Vijayan
Assembly seats- 140
Rajya Sabha seats - 9
Lok Sabha seats - 20
6. 'Chief Minister Bal Gopal Yojana' will be implemented in Rajasthan
Tags: Government Schemes Latest
On the initiative of Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, the 'Mukhyamantri Bal Gopal Yojana' has been approved for the children of class 1 to 8 in the state.
IMPORTANT FACTS -
Under the scheme, milk will be provided to the children of class 1 to 8 in the state two days a week.
Under the scheme, about 69 lakh 21 thousand children studying in government schools will be provided milk prepared from powder, twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays.
If these days are a holiday, milk will be made available on the next academic day. 150 ml milk will be distributed to children of classes 1 to 5 and 200 ml to children of classes 6 to 8.
The scheme was announced in the state budget for the financial year 2022-23.
With the implementation of this scheme, there will be an improvement in the nutritional level of children from class 1 to 8, enrollment and attendance in government schools will increase and dropout of students will also be stopped.
For this, powder milk will be procured from Rajasthan Co-operative Dairy Federation and district wise allocation of powder milk will be done through Mid-Day Meal Commissionerate.
Doorstep delivery of powdered milk will be done to the schools as per the allocation by RCDF itself.
Other major schemes of Rajasthan -
Prashasan gaon ke sang abhiyan
Chief Minister Anupriti Coaching Scheme
Chief Minister Kisan Mitra Energy Scheme
Smile on Wheels Project
Ghar Ghar Aushadhi Scheme
Chief Minister Chiranjeevi Yojana
7. One Nation, One Ration Card scheme implemented in Assam
Tags: Government Schemes State News
Assam has become the 36th state of the country to implement the One Nation One Ration Card scheme.
After being implemented in Assam, this scheme has been successfully implemented in 36 states and union territories across the country.
The scheme has made a significant contribution in ensuring subsidized food grains to the beneficiaries especially the migrant beneficiaries during the COVID pandemic.
In a very short span of time, it covered 80 crore beneficiaries.
Since the scheme's implementation in August 2019, around 71 crore portable transactions have taken place under it, food grains equivalent to Rs 40 thousand crore have been distributed as food subsidy.
Mera Ration mobile app
Mera Ration mobile application was launched to make this scheme more seamless and faster.
This mobile app is providing useful real time information to the beneficiaries and is available in 13 languages.
About ‘One Nation, One Ration Card' scheme
It was launched by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution in 2019 on a pilot basis in 4 states.
It aims to ensure hassle free delivery of subsidized food grains to all migrant beneficiaries anywhere in the country under the National Food Security Act (NFSA).
Under this scheme, migrant beneficiaries are entitled to get food grains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice anywhere in the country using their existing ration card with biometric authentication.
Benefits of the scheme
This will help in reducing the number of dual ration card holders.
This is in line with the motto of Minimum Government Maximum Governance.
Centralised authorised shop data can be used to formulate policies on inter- and inter-state migration.
It will help to improve India's ranking in the Global Hunger Index.
National Food Security Act, 2013
It was introduced by the Government of India in 2013.
The Act is in line with Goal Two of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations General Assembly.
Goal 2 aims to end hunger in all its forms by 2030 and create sustainable solutions to achieve food security.
The Mid-Day Meal Scheme (MDMS), Public Distribution System (PDS), and Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) are covered under this Act.
8. Amrit Sarovar mission
Tags: Government Schemes
The Union Government has asked the Ministry of Railways and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to utilize the soil/silt dug from ponds/tanks in all districts across the country for their infrastructure projects under the Amrit Sarovar Mission.
About Amrit Sarovar Mission
Amrit Sarovar Mission also known as Water Conservation Mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 24, 2022.
It aims to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district across all states as part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
At least 50,000 water bodies across the country are expected to be rejuvenated during this nationwide program that ends on August 15, 2023.
India's first Amrit Sarovar was built in Rampur.
Technical Partner of the Mission
Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Application and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N)
Ministries/Department Involved in the Mission
Department of Rural Development
Department of land resources
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation
Department of Water resources
Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Changes
Achievements
So far, 12,241 sites have been finalized by the States/Districts for the construction of Amrit Sarovars, out of which work has started on 4,856 Amrit Sarovars.
9. MHA to reserve 10 % vacancies for Agniveers in Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The Union Home Ministry on June 18 announced to reserve 10 per cent vacancies in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Assam Rifles for 'agniveers'.
The Ministry has also decided to relax the upper age limit of three years for Agniveers for recruitment in Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles.
The first batch of Agniveers will get a relaxation of 5 years over and above the prescribed age limit of 23 years, taking it up to 28 years.
The announcement comes amid widespread protests against the recently unveiled scheme for recruitment of soldiers in the armed forces on a short-term contractual basis.
The soldiers recruited under this scheme will be called 'Agniveer'.
Several states like Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Assam have also announced various measures to encourage the youth to apply under the Agnipath scheme and assured them reservation in their states.
Uttar Pradesh government said the 'Agniveer' will be given priority in police and related services.
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said his government will give preference to the 75 per cent soldiers who come back after four years as soldiers and seek government jobs.
About ‘Agnipath’ scheme
Under this scheme, to reduce the rising salary and pension expenses, short-term soldiers will be recruited on contract basis, which will be called 'Agniveer'.
Under the scheme the soldiers will be recruited initially for a period of four years and some of them would be retained.
Indian youth will be provided an opportunity to serve in the Armed Forces as 'Agniveer'.
Women will also be recruited into armed forces under the scheme.
This will help in ensuring optimum balance between youth and experience in the Army.
The "Agneepath" scheme, earlier named as "Tour of Duty", was initiated in the presence of the Chiefs of the three Services.
At present, the Army recruits youth under Short Service Commission for an initial tenure of 10 years, which can be extended up to 14 years.For more information please visit 14 and 17 June 2022 news
10. YSR Yantra Seva Scheme launched by Andhra Pradesh
Tags: Government Schemes State News
YSR Yantra Seva Scheme has been launched by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
About the Scheme
Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy started this scheme from the village of Chuttugunta.
Under this scheme, tractors and combine harvesters will be provided to the farmers at low rates.
The total cost of this scheme is 2016 crores.
The government will give a 40 percent subsidy on all machinery and loans will also be provided to the farmers.
Apart from this, it was also decided by the state government to set up custom hiring centres in the entire state.
In this program, an amount of Rs 175 crore was sent to the accounts of 5260 farmers under the Ritu Bharosa scheme.
The Andhra Pradesh government aims to set up a total of 10,750 YSR Yantra Seva Kendras (CHCs).
About Andhra Pradesh State
Historically, Andhra Pradesh has been called the "Rice Bowl of India".
Andhra Pradesh was formed on 1 November 1956.
Kuchipudi is the most famous classical dance form of the state.
Capital- Amravati
Official language - Telugu
Governor- Biswa Bhushan Harichandan
Chief Minister- Jagan Mohan Reddy (Congress)
Legislative Assembly seats- 176
Rajya Sabha Seats - 11
Lok Sabha seats - 25
