1. NIPCCD organized a Refresher Training Programme on Mission Vatsalya
Tags: Government Schemes National News
NIPCCD organized a Refresher Training Programme on Mission Vatsalya from 29- 31 May, 2023 at NIPCCD Regional Centre, Mohali. 33 participants attended the training Programme.
The programme involved discussions on the following themes:
Improve functioning of statutory bodies
Strengthen service delivery services
Upscale Institutional care/ services Encourage non-intuitional community based care
Training and Capacity building of duty holders
About 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 -
1. Juvenile justice programs for children as well as children in need of care and protection
2. Integrated Program for Street Children
3. Child Home Assistance Scheme
In theyear 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.
National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD)
It is an autonomous organisation and its Headquarter is in New Delhi.
It functions under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Its objective is to take a comprehensive view of child development and develop and promote programmes in pursuance of the National Policy for Children.
2. India approves world's largest food storage scheme in co-operative sector
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The Union Cabinet on 31st May approved forming and empowering an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) to create the “world’s largest grain storage plan in the cooperative sector” by converging 8 ongoing schemes of three ministries.
An overview of the news
This ₹1 trillion scheme will be the world's largest grain storage scheme in the cooperative sector.
The scheme will help cooperatives set up decentralized storage facilities across the country, which is likely to reduce the burden on the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
This will reduce wastage of agricultural produce and help farmers to plan their sales better.
Implementation of the scheme
An Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) will be constituted under the chairmanship of the Cooperation Minister.
The Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Minister of Food Processing Industries and concerned Secretaries will be the members of this Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC).
The Ministry of Cooperation will implement a pilot project in at least 10 selected districts of different States/UTs of the country.
8 Schemes identified for convergence
Schemes of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF)
Agricultural Marketing Infrastructure Scheme (AMI)
Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
Sub Mission on Agricultural Mechanization (SMAM)
Schemes of Ministry of Food Processing Industries
Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME)
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojana (PMKSY)
Schemes of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Allocation of food grains under the National Food Security Act
Procurement operations at Minimum Support Price
3. 'Mo Ghara' housing scheme launched by Odisha
Tags: Government Schemes State News
The Odisha government launched the 'Mo Ghara' (My Home) housing scheme on May 29, 2023.
An Overview of the News
The scheme provides credit-linked financial assistance to economically and socially weaker families and the scheme is fully funded from the state budget.
Applications for the loan will open from June 15, 2023 and the scheme covers families who were earlier excluded from the housing schemes.
Beneficiaries can avail housing loans up to Rs.3 lakh.
The state government waives off registration fee, stamp duty and processing fee for bank loan approval.
The 'Mo Ghara' housing scheme is in addition to the Biju Pakka Ghar Yojana (BPGY) and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin.
About Odisha
Capital - Bhubaneswar
Governor - Ganeshi Lal
Chief Minister - Naveen Patnaik
4. Maharashtra Government launched Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana
Tags: Government Schemes State News
The Maharashtra government has approved a new financial scheme under which Rs 6,000 will be paid annually to over one crore farmers in the state.
An overview of the news
On May 30, the 'Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Yojana' was approved in a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in Mumbai.
Chief Minister Shinde said that this amount is in addition to the Rs 6,000 being given to farmers by the Center under PM Kisan Yojana.
The Maharashtra cabinet also approved the implementation of 'Gender Inclusive Tourism Policy' named 'Aai' to empower women in the tourism sector.
The cabinet also approved the starting of women bike-taxi service at some tourist places.
About Maharashtra
It is a state located in the western part of India and covers a significant part of the Deccan Plateau.
Chief Minister - Eknath Shinde
Governor - Ramesh Bais
Official Animal - Indian giant squirrel
Official Bird - Yellow-footed Green Pigeon
Official Dance - Lavani
5. Telangana achieves 100% coverage of PMJDY
Tags: Government Schemes State News
The state of Telangana achieved 100 percent household coverage of banking services through the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY).
An Overview of the News
According to the Social Security Administration survey, the state achieved 100 percent coverage of 135 welfare schemes and programs in 20 departments.
Telangana has more than 1 crore 11 lakh Jan Dhan bank account holders with a total balance of over Rs 3 thousand crore.
Around 61 lakh people in rural areas have opened Jan Dhan accounts, while in urban areas around 50 lakh people have zero balance accounts.
Over 84 lakh Jan Dhan account holders in Telangana actively use RuPay cards, which provide additional benefits like credit facilities.
About Telangana
It is a state located in south-central India on the high Deccan Plateau.
It is the eleventh largest state of India by area.
Telangana was carved out of the northwestern part of Andhra Pradesh on 2 June 2014 and became the newly formed state of Telangana with Hyderabad as the capital.
Telangana is bordered by Maharashtra to the north, Chhattisgarh to the northeast, Karnataka to the west, and Andhra Pradesh to the east and south.
As of 2019, the state of Telangana is divided into 33 districts.
Governor - Tamilisai Soundararajan
Chief Minister - K Chandrasekhar Rao
Council - (40 seats)
Legislative Assembly - (119 seats)
Rajya Sabha - 7 seats
Lok Sabha - 17 seats
6. SAMARTH Abhiyan launched by Union Minister Giriraj Singh
Tags: Government Schemes
Union Minister Giriraj Singh launched the SAMARTH campaign to promote digital transactions at the Gram Panchayat level.
An Overview of the News
- The campaign aims to empower women and promote digital transactions in rural areas.
- The campaign was launched in Lucknow as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
- It is an initiative of the Ministry of Rural Development.
- It aims to promote digital transactions in 50,000 gram panchayats across India.
- The campaign is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to mark 75 years of India's independence.
- The campaign started on February 1, 2023 and will run till August 15, 2023.
7. Ministry of Civil Aviation launches UDAN 5.1
Tags: Government Schemes National News
The Ministry of Civil Aviation in India has launched UDAN 5.1 on 24 May, a special edition of the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, with a special focus on helicopter routes.
The main features of UDAN 5.1
For the first time under Regional Connectivity Scheme RCS-UDAN, this round is designed specifically for helicopter routes.
There will be an increase in the scope of operations for the operators, which will now also allow routes where one of the origin or destination points is in the priority zone.
The airfare ceiling has been reduced by 25% to make flying in helicopters more affordable for passengers.
The Viability Gap Funding (VGF) cap for single and twin-engine helicopter operators has been substantially increased to enhance the financial viability for operating the routes.
So far 46 helicopter routes have been operationalized under the scheme, benefitting many hilly and North East states and UDAN 5.1 is targeting coverage of a much larger number of routes.
About UDAN Scheme
Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) was launched in 2016 as a Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Its objective is to make affordable, economically viable and profitable air travel on regional routes available to the common man even in small towns.
It seeks to improve air connectivity to tier-2 and tier-3 cities through revival of unused and underused airports.
The scheme will be jointly funded by the central government and state governments.
The scheme will run for 10 years and can be extended thereafter.
8. More than 90% of funds allocated under Smart Cities Mission utilised
Tags: National Government Schemes National News
Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has announced that more than 90% of the funds allocated under the Smart Cities Mission are being utilized and 73% of the projects have already been completed.
An overview of the news
The smart city project was to be completed within five years of the selection of the city.
However, in 2021, the ministry changed the deadline to June 2023 for all cities.
About Smart Cities Mission
Smart Cities Mission is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs which was launched in 2015.
It aims to transform urban areas into sustainable, citizen-friendly and technologically advanced cities.
The mission's primary objective is to enhance the quality of life for citizens by providing them with improved infrastructure, better governance, and increased economic opportunities.
Between January 2016 and June 2018 (when the last city, Shillong, was selected), the ministry selected 100 cities for the mission in five rounds.
Selection Process
The mission follows a competitive approach where cities submit proposals based on specific criteria, including the adoption of smart solutions, citizen engagement, and sustainable development.
The selected cities undergo redevelopment in a phased manner.
Core components
Infrastructure development: Emphasis is placed on developing physical infrastructure such as transportation systems, water supply, sanitation, and affordable housing to meet the needs of the urban population.
Technology integration: The mission integrates technology to improve service delivery, including data analytics and smart grids devices for efficient resource management and real-time monitoring.
Citizen engagement: The mission focuses on citizen participation and engagement through mobile applications and feedback mechanisms, empowering them to contribute to decision-making processes and hold authorities accountable.
Sustainable practices: The mission promotes sustainable development by encouraging the use of renewable energy sources, green building practices, waste management systems, and efficient urban planning.
Funds Utilisation
Till 1 May 2023, a total of Rs 38,400 crore was released for the Smart Cities Mission.
Out of this amount, ₹35,261 crore has already been utilized for various projects.
Project Completion
The Smart Cities Mission includes around 7,800 projects worth Rs 1.8 lakh crore.
Of these projects, more than 5,700 projects worth Rs 1.1 lakh crore have been completed.
The remaining projects are expected to be completed by June 30, 2024.
Currently, only 22 out of 100 designated cities have successfully completed all the projects under the mission.
9. Ministry of Education and PARAKH organise the 1st National level workshop
Tags: National Government Schemes National News
Recently, the Ministry of Education organized a workshop in New Delhi to discuss the integration of 60 school examination boards operating in different states and union territories.
An overview of the news
The key component of the scheme is PARAKH, a National Assessment Center set up under the National Council of Educational Research and Training.
The central government is planning for uniformity of boards to facilitate seamless transition for students in different boards or regions.
It aims to align curriculum standards, grading system and evaluation methods so as to enhance the credibility and recognition of certificates and grades obtained across all boards.
The workshop highlighted the need to re-evaluate the rote-examination culture prevalent in the education system.
What is PARAKH?
PARAKH full name is -Performance Assessment, Review and Analysis of Knowledge for Holistic Development.
It will act as a constituent unit of the NCERT.
It will also be tasked with conducting periodic learning outcome tests like National Achievement Survey (NAS) and State Achievement Survey.
This framework will seek to curb the emphasis on rote learning as envisaged by the National Policy on Education (NEP) 2020.
It will be the proposed implementing agency and also will be part of the NEP proposal.
Its team will consist of leading assessment experts with a deep understanding of the education system in India and internationally.
10. Madhya Pradesh cabinet approves 'Mukhya Mantri Sikho Kamao Yojana' for unemployed youth
Tags: Government Schemes State News
The Madhya Pradesh cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, on May 17 approved the 'Mukhya Mantri Sikho Kamao Yojana' for unemployed youth.
About Mukhya Mantri Sikho Kamao Yojana
It was decided in the meeting that the name of Mukhya Mantri Kaushal Kamai Yojana will be 'Mukhyamantri Sikho-Kamao Yojana' (Chief Minister Learn-Earn Scheme).
Under the scheme, at least one lakh youths will be provided training in establishments.
All the youth who have done 12th pass, ITI, Diploma, Graduation and Post Graduation will be eligible for this scheme.
After the training, the State Council for Vocational Training (SCVT) certificate will be given by the Madhya Pradesh State Skill Development and Employment Generation Board (MPSSDEGB).
Prestigious industrial and private institutions of the country and the state will be connected with the scheme.
Establishments will be able to train student trainees up to 15 percent of their total workforce.
Under the scheme, youth will be taught work and in return they will be given stipend by the government.
Under the scheme, 12th passed trainees will be given 8 thousand rupees, ITI passed 8 thousand 500 rupees, diploma passed 9 thousand rupees and graduate passed or higher educational qualification will be given 10 thousand rupees per month stipend.
About Madhya Pradesh
In terms of area, it is the second largest state of India after Rajasthan.
According to the Indian Forest Status Report-2021, Madhya Pradesh has the maximum forest cover in the country in terms of area.
25.14% of its area is covered by forests.
Chief Minister - Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Capital - Bhopal
