Judicial Pendency

What is Tele-Law Scheme?

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Tele Law Scheme

Mains level: Pendency issue in Indian Judiciary

The Law Ministry recently commemorated an event to mark the coverage of more than nine lakh beneficiaries of the government’s tele-law scheme, using common service centres (CSCs) to provide justice across the country.

Tele-Law Scheme

  • The concept of Tele-Law is to facilitate the delivery of legal advice through a panel of lawyers stationed at the State Legal Services Authorities (SALSA) and CSC.
  • Tele-Law means the use of communications and information technology for the delivery of legal information and advice.
  • The project initiates to connect citizens with lawyers through video conferencing facilities by the Para-Legal Volunteers stationed at identified 50,000 CSCs.
  • This e-interaction between lawyers and people would be through the video-conferencing infrastructure available at the CSCs.

Features of the program

  • Under this programme, smart technology of video conferencing, telephone/instant calling facilities available at the vast network of CSC.
  • It enables anyone to seek legal advice without wasting precious time and money.
  • The service is free for those who are eligible for free legal Aid as mentioned under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987.
  • For all others, a nominal fee is charged.

Back2Basics: Free legal aid in India

  • Article 21 of the Constitution of India states, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law”.
  • Hence ensuring legal aid to everyone is necessary for ensuring substantive equality.
  • Article 39A of the Constitution of India provides for free legal aid to the poor and weaker sections of the society, to promote justice on the basis of equal opportunity.
  • Articles 14 and 22(1) also make it obligatory for the State to ensure equality before the law and a legal system that promotes justice on a basis of equal opportunity to all.

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Fertilizer Sector reforms – NBS, bio-fertilizers, Neem coating, etc.

[pib] Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) for Phosphatic & Potassic (P&K) Fertilizers

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Nutrient Based Subsidy (NBS) Scheme

Mains level: Fertilizer subsidies in India

The Union Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Department of Fertilizers for fixation of Nutrient Based Subsidy Rates for P&K Fertilizers for the year 2021-22.

Key Points

About Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP):

  • DAP is the second most commonly used fertiliser in India after urea.
  • Farmers normally apply this fertiliser just before or at the beginning of sowing, as it is high in phosphorus (P) that stimulates root development.
  • DAP (46% P, 18% Nitrogen) is the preferred source of Phosphorus for farmers. This is similar to urea, which is their preferred nitrogenous fertiliser containing 46% N.

About Subsidy Scheme for Fertilisers:

    • Under the current scheme, the MRP of Urea is fixed but the subsidy can vary while MRP of DAP is decontrolled (i.e subsidy is fixed but the MRP can vary).
    • All Non-Urea based fertilisers are regulated under Nutrient Based Subsidy Scheme.

About Nutrient-Based Subsidy (NBS) Regime:

    • Under the NBS regime – fertilizers are provided to the farmers at the subsidized rates based on the nutrients (N, P, K & S) contained in these fertilizers.
    • Also, the fertilizers which are fortified with secondary and micronutrients such as molybdenum (Mo) and zinc are given additional subsidy.
    • The subsidy on Phosphatic and Potassic (P&K) fertilizers is announced by the Government on an annual basis for each nutrient on a per kg basis – which are determined taking into account the international and domestic prices of P&K fertilizers, exchange rate, inventory level in the country etc.
    • NBS policy intends to increase the consumption of P&K fertilizers so that optimum balance (N:P:K= 4:2:1) of NPK fertilization is achieved.
      • This would improve soil health and as a result the yield from the crops would increase, resulting in enhanced income to the farmers.
      • Also, as the government expects rational use of fertilizers, this would also ease off the burden of fertilizer subsidy.
    • It is being implemented from April 2010 by the Department of Fertilizers, Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers.

Issues Related to NBS:

1.Imbalance in Price of Fertilisers:

  • Urea is left-out in the scheme and hence it remains under price control as NBS has been implemented only in other fertilizers.
  • There is an imbalance as the price of fertilizers (other than urea) — which were decontrolled have gone up from 2.5 to four times during the 2010-2020 decade.
  • However, since 2010, the price of urea has increased only by 11%. This has led to farmers using more urea than before, which has further worsened fertilizer imbalance.

2.Costs on Economy and Environment :

Fertilizer subsidy is the second-biggest subsidy after food subsidy, the NBS policy is not only damaging the fiscal health of the economy but also proving detrimental to the soil health of the country.

3.Black Marketing :

  • Subsidised urea is getting diverted to bulk buyers/traders or even non-agricultural users such as plywood and animal feed makers.
  • It is being smuggled to neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and Nepal.

Implications of Increasing the Subsidy on DAP :

  • As farmers will start sowing operations for Kharif Crops, it is highly important for them to get the fertilisers at subsidised rate so as to keep inflation at check.
  • Politically, too, to turn down the farmer protests, during the time of the Covid’s second wave, is the last thing the government would want.

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Food Procurement and Distribution – PDS & NFSA, Shanta Kumar Committee, FCI restructuring, Buffer stock, etc.

What is Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)?

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: OMSS Scheme

Mains level: Schemes related to food security

The Centre has informed the Supreme Court regarding the purchase of grains by the States and the UTs under the Open Market Sales Scheme (OMSS) in 2021-2022 while debunking apprehensions that those without ration cards may be left to die.

Open Market Sale Scheme (OMSS)

  • OMSS refers to the selling of food grains by the government/government agencies at predetermined prices in the open market from time to time.
  • This scheme aims to enhance the supply of grains especially during the lean season and thereby to moderate the general open market prices, especially in the deficit regions.
  • The Food Corporation of India (FCI) on the instructions from the Government, sells wheat and rice in the open market from time to time.
  • This enhances the supply of wheat and rice especially during the lean season and moderates the open market prices, especially in the deficit regions.

Components of the scheme

The present form of OMSS comprises 3 schemes as under:

  1. Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.
  2. Sale of wheat to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction by dedicated movement.
  3. Sale of Raw Rice Grade ‘A’ to bulk consumers/private traders through e-auction.

Selling through a transparent process

  • For transparency in operations, the Corporation has switched over to e-auction for sale under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic).
  • The FCI conducts a weekly auction to conduct this scheme in the open market using the platform of commodity exchange NCDEX (National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Limited).
  • The State Governments/ Union Territory Administrations are also allowed to participate in the e-auction if they require wheat and rice outside TPDS & OWS.

Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

Q.The economic cost of food grains to the Food Corporation of India is Minimum Support Price and bonus (if any) paid to the farmers plus:

(a) Transportation cost only

(b) Interest cost only

(c) Procurement incidentals and distribution cost

(d) Procurement incidentals and charges for godowns

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[pib] Aspirational Districts Programme

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Aspirational Districts Programme

Mains level: Success of the ADP

In an independent appraisal report released today, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India has lauded the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP) as a very successful model of local area development.

Aspirational Districts Programme

  • Launched in January 2018, the ‘Transformation of Aspirational Districts’ initiative aims to remove this heterogeneity through a mass movement to quickly and effectively transform these districts.
  • The broad contours of the programme are Convergence (of Central & State Schemes), Collaboration (of Central, State level ‘Prabhari’ Officers & District Collectors), and Competition among districts driven by a spirit of mass Movement.
  • With States as the main drivers, this program will focus on the strength of each district, identify low-hanging fruits for immediate improvement, measure progress, and rank districts.

Selection of districts

  • A total of 117 Aspirational districts have been identified by NITI Aayog based upon composite indicators.
  • These include Health & Nutrition, Education, Agriculture & Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development and Basic Infrastructure which have an impact on Human Development Index.

Weightage has been accorded to these districts as below:

  • Health & Nutrition (30%)
  • Education (30%)
  • Agriculture & Water Resources (20%)
  • Financial Inclusion & Skill Development (10%)
  • Basic Infrastructure (10%)

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‘Bell of Faith’ launched by Kerala for senior citizens

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Bell of Faith’ scheme

Mains level: Old age security

The ‘Bell of Faith’ scheme will now be implemented for senior citizens staying alone in villages. Scheme to cover 250 houses in city in the first phase.

What is the ‘Bell of Faith’ scheme all about?

  • It is a safety project conceived under Kerala’s Community Policing Scheme.
  • It will help elderly citizens attract the attention of their neighbours using a loud, remote-controlled alarm in emergencies.
  • It has been under implementation in Kerala since 2018.
  • A welfare fund of ₹3.5 crore sanctioned by the State government would be used for the initiative that gives preference to those staying alone in their houses.
  • In the first phase, around 250 houses selected by the local Janamaithri scheme coordinators will be covered under the scheme

Significance of the Project:

  • It sets an example for community participation to ensure the well-being and safety of the elderly.
  • It can be of great support for the aged during the COVID-19 pandemic as many live in fear for their health.
  • The electronic bells, installed free of cost with wireless control mechanism, will help senior citizens in quickly seeking the support of neighbours during emergencies.

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Primary and Secondary Education – RTE, Education Policy, SEQI, RMSA, Committee Reports, etc.

Mid Day Meal Scheme

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Midday Meal Scheme

Mains level: Food and nutrition security measures

The Centre has decided to give about ₹100 each to children studying in Class 1 to Class 8 in government schools, who are beneficiaries of the Mid Day Meal scheme.

Mid Day Meal Scheme

  • The Midday Meal Scheme is a school meal programme in India designed to better the nutritional standing of school-age children nationwide.
  • It is a wholesome freshly-cooked lunch served to children in government and government-aided schools in India.
  • The programme supplies free lunches on working days for children in primary and upper primary classes in government, government-aided, local body and alternate innovative education centres, Madarsa and Maqtabs.
  • Serving 120,000,000 children in over 1,265,000 schools and Education Guarantee Scheme centres, it is the largest of its kind in the world.
  • The programme has undergone many changes since its launch in 1995. The Midday Meal Scheme is covered by the National Food Security Act, 2013.

The scheme aims to:

  1. avoid classroom hunger
  2. increase school enrolment
  3. increase school attendance
  4. improve socialization among castes
  5. address malnutrition
  6. empower women through employment

Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

Q.An objective of the National Food Security Mission is to increase the production of certain crops through area expansion and productivity enhancement in a sustainable manner in the identified districts of the country. What are those crops?

(a) Rice and wheat only

(b) Rice, wheat, and pulses only

(c) Rice, wheat, pulses, and oilseeds only

(d) Rice, wheat, pulses, oilseeds, and vegetables

What is the new move?

  • The money, ₹1200 crore in total, will be given to 11.8 crore children through direct benefit transfer as a one-time payment.
  • The money comes from the cooking cost component of the scheme, it said.
  • This decision will help safeguard the nutritional levels of children and aid in protecting their immunity during challenging pandemic times.

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Financial Inclusion in India and Its Challenges

National Pension System (NPS)

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: NPS

Mains level: Various pension schemes in India

The National Pension System (NPS) will no longer compel investors to convert 40% of their accumulated retirement corpus into an annuity.

An annuity is a long-term investment that is issued by an insurance company and is designed to help protect you from the risk of outliving your income. Through annuitisation, your purchase payments (what you contribute) are converted into periodic payments that can last for life.

Why such a move?

  • Poor yields on annuities and high inflation are translating into negative returns.
  • Since annuities are taxable, deducting the tax and factoring in inflation means annuities are yielding negative returns.

Try this PYQ:

Q.Who among the following can join the National Pension System (NPS)?

(a) Resident Indian citizens only

(b) Persons of age from 21 to 55 only

(c) All-State Government employees joining the services after the date of notification by the respective State Governments

(d) All Central Governments Employees including those of Armed Forces joining the services on or after 1st April 2004

National Pension Scheme (NPS)

  • NPS is a government-sponsored pension scheme. It was launched in January 2004 for government employees.
  • It was extended to all citizens of Indian on a voluntary basis from May 2009 and to corporates in December 2011 and to Non-Resident Indians in October 2015.
  • PFRDA is the statutory authority established by an enactment of the Parliament, to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the NPS and pension schemes to which this Act applies.
  • The scheme allows subscribers to contribute regularly in a pension account during their working life.
  • On retirement, subscribers can withdraw a part of the corpus in a lump sum and use the remaining corpus to buy an annuity to secure a regular income after retirement.

Who can join NPS?

  • Any Indian citizen between 18 and 60 years can join NPS.
  • The only condition is that the person must comply with know your customer (KYC) norms.
  • An NRI can join NPS. However, the account will be closed if there is a change in the citizenship status of the NRI.
  • Now, any Indian citizen, resident or non-resident and OCIs are eligible to join NPS till the age of 65 years.

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Animal Husbandry, Dairy & Fisheries Sector – Pashudhan Sanjivani, E- Pashudhan Haat, etc

Shaphari Scheme

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Shaphari Scheme

Mains level: Not Much

Commerce Ministry wants to build confidence in quality, antibiotic-free shrimp products from India for the global market.

Shaphari Scheme

  • The Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA) has developed a certification scheme for aquaculture products called ‘Shaphari’, a Sanksrit word that means the superior quality of fishery products suitable for human consumption.
  • The Shaphari scheme is based on the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization’s technical guidelines on aquaculture certification.
  • It will have two components — certifying hatcheries for the quality of their seeds and, separately, approving shrimp farms that adopt the requisite good practices.
  • The certification of hatcheries will help farmers easily identify good quality seed producers.
  • Those who successfully clear multiple audits of their operations shall be granted a certificate for a period of two years.
  • The entire certification process will be online to minimize human errors and ensure higher credibility and transparency.

Bolstering confidence in India’s Shrimp production

  • To bolster confidence in India’s frozen shrimp produce, the country’s biggest seafood export item, the Centre has kicked off a new scheme called ‘Shaphari’ to certify hatcheries and farms that adopt good aquaculture practices.
  • Frozen shrimp is India’s largest exported seafood item.
  • But a combination of factors had hurt export volumes in recent months, including container shortages and incidents of seafood consignments being rejected because of food safety concerns.
  • Some recent consignments sourced from Indian shrimp farms being rejected due to the presence of antibiotic residue and this is a matter of concern for exporters.
  • The National Residue Control Programme for food safety issues in farm produce and pre-harvest testing system is already in place.
  • But this certification was proposed as a market-based tool for hatcheries to adopt good aquaculture practices and help produce quality antibiotic-free shrimp products to assure global consumers.

Frozen shrimp export potential

  • Frozen shrimp is India’s largest exported seafood item. It constituted 50.58% in quantity and 73.2% in terms of total U.S. dollar earnings from the sector during 2019-20.
  • India exported frozen shrimp worth almost $5 billion in 2019-20, with the U.S. and China its the biggest buyers.
  • Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are India’s major shrimp producing States, and around 95% of the cultured shrimp produce is exported.

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Trade Sector Updates – Falling Exports, TIES, MEIS, Foreign Trade Policy, etc.

[pib] Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) 3.0

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: ECLGS 3.0

Mains level: Paper 3-ECLGS 3.0

The Government has extended the scope of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) through introduction of ECLGS 3.0 to cover business enterprises in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism, Leisure & Sporting sectors.

ECGL Scheme

  • Under the Scheme, 100% guarantee coverage to be provided by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC) for additional funding of up to Rs. 3 lakh crore to eligible MSMEs and interested MUDRA borrowers.
  • The credit will be provided in the form of a Guaranteed Emergency Credit Line (GECL) facility.
  • The Scheme would be applicable to all loans sanctioned under GECL Facility during the period from the date of announcement of the Scheme to 31.10.2020.

Aims and objectives

  • The Scheme aims at mitigating the economic distress faced by MSMEs by providing them additional funding in the form of a fully guaranteed emergency credit line.
  • The main objective is to provide an incentive to Member Lending Institutions (MLIs), i.e., Banks, Financial Institutions (FIs) and NBFCs to increase access to, and enable the availability of additional funding facility to MSME borrowers.
  • It aims to provide a 100 per cent guarantee for any losses suffered by them due to non-repayment of the GECL funding by borrowers.

Salient features

  • The entire funding provided under GECL shall be provided with a 100% credit guarantee by NCGTC to MLIs under ECLGS.
  • Tenor of the loan under Scheme shall be four years with a moratorium period of one year on the principal amount.
  • No Guarantee Fee shall be charged by NCGTC from the Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) under the Scheme.
  • Interest rates under the Scheme shall be capped at 9.25% for banks and FIs, and at 14% for NBFCs.

ECLGS 3.0

  • It would involve extension of credit of upto 40% of total credit outstanding across all lending institutions.
  • The tenor of loans granted under ECLGS 3.0 shall be 6 years including moratorium period of 2 years.
  • Further, the validity of ECLGS i.e. ECLGS 1.0, ECLGS 2.0 & ECLGS 3.0 have been extended upto 30.06.2021 or till guarantees for an amount of Rs. 3 lakh crore are issued.
  • The revised operational guidelines in this regard shall be issued by National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Ltd (NCGTC).

 

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Trade Sector Updates – Falling Exports, TIES, MEIS, Foreign Trade Policy, etc.

Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RODTEP) Scheme

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: RODTEP Scheme

Mains level: Not Much

The notification of benefit rates payable to exporters under the Remission of Duties and Taxes on Export Products (RODTEP) scheme is expected to take more time as it is facing ‘teething issues’.

Try this PYQ:

Q.Among the following, which one is the largest exporter of rice in the world in the last five years? (CSP 2019)

(a) China

(b) India

(c) Myanmar

(d) Vietnam

RODTEP Scheme

  • RoDTEP is a scheme for Exporters to make Indian products cost-competitive and create a level playing field for them in the Global Market.
  • It has replaced the current Merchandise Exports from India Scheme, which is not in compliance with WTO norms and rules.
  • The new RoDTEP Scheme is a fully WTO compliant scheme.
  • It will reimburse all the taxes/duties/levies being charged at the Central/State/Local level which are not currently refunded under any of the existing schemes but are incurred at the manufacturing and distribution process.

Why need such a scheme?

  • The scheme was announced last year as a replacement for the Merchandise Export from India Scheme (MEIS), which was not found not to be compliant with the rules of the World Trade Organisation.
  • Following a complaint by the US, a dispute settlement panel had ruled against India’s use of MEIS as it had found the duty credit scrips awarded under the scheme to be inconsistent with WTO norms.

Back2Basics: Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS)

  • MEIS was launched with an objective to enhance the export of notified goods manufactured in a country.
  • This scheme came into effect on 1 April 2015 through the Foreign Trade Policy and will be in existence till 2020.
  • MEIS intended to incentivize exports of goods manufactured in India or produced in India.
  • The incentives were for goods widely exported from India, industries producing or manufacturing such goods with a view to making Indian exports competitive.
  • The MEIS covered almost 5000 goods notified for the purpose of the scheme.

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Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

Jharkhand’s SAAMAR campaign to fight malnutrition

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: SAAMAR campaign

Mains level: Various facets of hunger and malnutrition in India

The Jharkhand government has announced the launch of the SAAMAR campaign to tackle malnutrition in the state.

We can expect an MCQ like:

Q.SAAMAR campaign sometimes seen in news is related to:

() Bovine health

() Mother and Child Health

() Non-communicable diseases

() None of these

SAAMAR

  • SAAMAR is an acronym for Strategic Action for Alleviation of Malnutrition and Anemia Reduction.
  • The campaign aims to identify anaemic women and malnourished children and converge various departments to effectively deal with the problem in a state where malnutrition has been a major problem.
  • Every second child in the state is stunted and underweight and every third child is affected by stunting and every 10th child is affected by severe wasting and around 70% of children are anaemic NFHS-4 data.

Features of the scheme

  • Although existing schemes are there, seeing the current situation, the intervention was required with a ‘different approach to reduce malnutrition.
  • SAAMAR has been launched with a 1000 days target, under which annual surveys will be conducted to track the progress.
  • It talks of convergence of various departments such as the Rural Development Department and Food and Civil Supplies and engagement with school management committees, gram sabhas among others and making them aware of nutritional behaviour.
  • Most importantly, the campaign, as per the note, also tries to target Primarily Vulnerable Tribal Groups.

Outlined strategy under the scheme

  • To tackle severe acute malnutrition children, every Anganwadi Centres will be engaged to identify these children and subsequently will be treated at the Malnutrition Treatment Centres.
  • In the same process, the anaemic women will also be listed and will be referred to health centres in serious cases.
  • All of these will be done by measuring Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) of women and children through MUAC tapes and Edema levels.
  • Angawadi’s Sahayia and Sevika will take them to the nearest Health Centre where they will be checked again and then registered on the portal of State Nutrition Mission.

Why need such a scheme?

  • The state government runs various schemes under Child Development Schemes, National Nutrition Mission among others to deal with the situation, but it is not enough.
  • Dealing with malnutrition in the state monitoring has been an important concern due to the lack of doctors or health care workers.

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Direct Benefits Transfers

[pib] PM-KISAN Scheme Completes Two Years

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: PM-KISAN

Mains level: Cash support schemes for farmers

The PM-Kisan scheme, launched with an aim to ensure a life of dignity and prosperity for farmers has completed two years of successful implementation.

PM-KISAN

  • Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land upto 2 hectares, will be provided direct income support at the rate of Rs. 6,000 per year.
  • This income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal instalments of Rs. 2,000 each.
  • This programme will be entirely funded by the Government of India.

Note: Aadhaar was made optional for availing the first instalment (December 2018 – March 2019). But now it is mandatory.

Exclusion categories

The following categories of beneficiaries of higher economic status shall not be eligible for benefit under the scheme.

  1. All Institutional Landholders
  2. Farmer families in which one or more of its members belong to the following categories
  • Former and present holders of constitutional posts
  • Former and present Ministers/ MP/MLAs/Mayors /Chairpersons of District Panchayats
  • All serving or retired officers and employees of Central/ State Government Ministries (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff /Class IV/Group D employees)
  • All superannuated/retired pensioners whose monthly pension is ₹10,000/-or more (Excluding Multi Tasking Staff / Class IV/Group D employees) of the above category
  • All Persons who paid Income Tax in the last assessment year
  • Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out the profession by undertaking practices.

Do you know?

West Bengal is yet to implement the PM-KISAN scheme while the farmers have completed their registrations!

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Telecom and Postal Sector – Spectrum Allocation, Call Drops, Predatory Pricing, etc

Cabinet approves PLI Scheme for telecom

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: PLI scheme and various sectors

Mains level: Make in India promotions

The Union Cabinet has approved the production-linked incentive scheme for the telecom sector with an outlay of ₹12,195 crores over five years.

Why such a scheme?

  • The scheme aims to make India a global hub for manufacturing telecom equipment.
  • The sector is expected to lead to an incremental production of about ₹2.4 lakh crore, with exports of about ₹2 lakh crore over five years and bring in investments of more than ₹3,000 crores.

PLI Scheme

  • The PLI scheme aims to boost domestic manufacturing and cut down on imports by providing cash incentives on incremental sales from products manufactured in the country.
  • Besides inviting foreign companies to set shop in India, the scheme aims to encourage local companies to set up or expand, existing manufacturing units.

UPSC can directly as the sectors included in the PLI scheme. Earlier it was only meant for Electronics manufacturing (particularly mobile phones).

Benefits for MSMEs

  • For inclusion of MSMEs in the scheme, the minimum investment threshold has been kept at ₹10 crores, while for others it is ₹100 crore.
  • For MSMEs, a 1% higher incentive is also proposed in the first three years.

Employment generation

  • The scheme was also likely to generate 40,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities and generate tax revenue of ₹17,000 crores from telecom equipment manufacturing.

Which equipments?

  • The telecom manufacturing would include core transmission equipment, 4G/5G Radio Access Network and wireless equipment, access and Customer Premises Equipment (CPE), IoT access devices, other wireless equipment.

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Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

[pib] National Creche Scheme

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Creche scheme

Mains level: Maternity benefits act

The Union Minister of Women and Child Development have given information about the National Creche Scheme to the Lok Sabha.

Try this PYQ:

Q.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?

  1. Pregnant women are entitled to three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave.
  2. Enterprises with creches must allow the mother a minimum of six crèche visits daily.
  3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

National Creche Scheme

  • The Ministry of WCD implements the NCS for the children of working mothers as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme through States/ UTs with effect from 01.01.2017.
  • It aims to provide daycare facilities to children (age group of 6 months to 6 years) of working mothers.

The Scheme provides an integrated package of the following services:

  • Daycare facilities including sleeping facilities.
  • Early stimulation for children below 3 years and pre-school education for 3 to 6 years old children
  • Supplementary nutrition (to be locally sourced)
  • Growth monitoring
  • Health check-up and immunization

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Air Pollution

[pib] Scheme for Management of Crop Residues

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Air pollution

Mains level: Alternatives solutions for stubble burning

The Scheme on ‘Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi’ has been extended for the year 2021-22.

We can cite the example of this scheme for crop residue management as an effective solution against stubble burning.

Management of Crop Residues

  • In pursuance this, a central sector scheme (100% funded by centre) was launched in 2018 Budget to support the efforts of the governments of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and the NCT of Delhi to address air pollution.
  • It aimed to subsidize the machinery required for in-situ management of crop residue.

Various objectives of the scheme:

  • Protecting the environment from air pollution and preventing loss of nutrients and soil micro-organisms caused by burning of crop residue;
  • Promoting in-situ management of crop residue by retention and incorporation into the soil through the use of appropriate mechanization inputs and
  • Creating awareness among stakeholders for effective utilization and management of crop residue

Outcomes of the scheme

  • The residue burning events in 2020 in Punjab, Haryana and UP together have reduced by -30% as compared to 2016.
  • In Punjab the reduction is -22.7%, Haryana – 63.8% and UP – 52.01%.

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Textile Sector – Cotton, Jute, Wool, Silk, Handloom, etc.

[pib] Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata (HSS) Yojana

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: HSS scheme

Mains level: Textile sector of India

The Ministry of Textiles introduced the technology up-gradation scheme called Hathkargha Samvardhan Sahayata (HSS) Yojana.

Much recently, in the budget, the Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) Scheme was launched.

HSS Yojana

  • This scheme is introduced as an up-gradation scheme under National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) and Comprehensive Handloom Cluster Development Scheme (CHCDS) in 2015-16.
  • It aims to provide upgraded looms/accessories to handloom weavers to improve the quality of the fabric and enhance productivity.
  • Under the scheme, the Union Govt bears 90% of the cost of looms/accessories.
  • It is designed for all the weavers, including SC/ST/OBC and women.
  • The performance of this scheme will be evaluated by independent third-party agencies.

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Start-up Ecosystem In India

[pib] Startup India Seed Fund Scheme

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Seed Funding

Mains level: Startup promotions in India

Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) has been approved for the period of next four years starting from 2021-22.

Seed Fund Scheme

  • The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization.
  • 945 Crore corpus will be divided over the next 4 years for providing seed funding to eligible startups through eligible incubators across India.
  • The scheme is expected to support about 3600 startups.

Q.Discuss various inherent non-policy challenges to Start-ups in India.(150W)

What is Seed Funding?

  • Seed funding or seed-stage funding is a very early investment which aims at helping a business grow and generating its own capital.
  • Also referred to as seed money or seed capital, investors often get an equity stake in exchange for the capital invested.
  • The investors can themselves be the founders and use their savings as seed money for their new company — also known as bootstrapping.

Why Seed Funding matters?

  • It is a fact that starting a new business and lifting it up off the ground is a huge ask for most entrepreneurs and it only gets tougher with capital constraints.
  • Seed funding helps get things started before the business earns any revenue.
  • It is an effective solution for startups and growing businesses as it provides the much-needed early monetary support.
  • It can cover everything from infrastructure costs, marketing and development costs as well as the cost of initial hiring. Investment is the fuel of any business and seed funding is the first drop of this fuel.
  • As seed money becomes much-needed cash reserve or working capital, not having it is one of the main reasons for failure.

Various options for Seed Funding

  • Crowdfunding
  • Corporate seed funds
  • Incubators Accelerators
  • Angel investors
  • Personal Savings
  • VC Funding
  • Angel Funds or Angel Networks

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Mother and Child Health – Immunization Program, BPBB, PMJSY, PMMSY, etc.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: PMMVY

Mains level: Maternity healthcare

The government’s maternity benefit scheme, or Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, has crossed 1.75 crores, eligible women, till the financial year 2020, the Centre informed Parliament.

PMMVY

  • The PMMVY is a maternity benefit program introduced in 2017 and is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
  • It is a conditional cash transfer scheme for pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above for the first live birth.
  • It provides partial wage compensation to women for wage-loss during childbirth and childcare and to provide conditions for safe delivery and good nutrition and feeding practices.
  • Under the scheme, pregnant women and lactating mothers receive ₹5,000 on the birth of their first child in three instalments, after fulfilling certain conditionalities.
  • In 2013, the scheme was brought under the National Food Security Act, 2013 to implement the provision of cash maternity benefit stated in the Act.
  • The direct benefit cash transfer is to help expectant mothers meet enhanced nutritional requirements as well as to partially compensate them for wage loss during their pregnancy.

Eligibility Conditions and Conditionalities

The first transfer (at pregnancy trimester) of ₹1,000 requires the mother to:

  • Register pregnancy at the Anganwadi Centre (AWC) whenever she comes to know about her conception
  • Attend at least one prenatal care session and taking Iron-folic acid tablets and TT1 (tetanus toxoid injection), and
  • Attend at least one counselling session at the AWC or healthcare centre.

The second transfer (six months of conception) of ₹2,000 requires the mother to:

  • Attend at least one prenatal care session and TT2

The third transfer (three and a half months after delivery) of ₹2,000 requires the mother to:

  • Register the birth
  • Immunize the child with OPV and BCG at birth, at six weeks and at 10 weeks
  • Attend at least two growth monitoring sessions within three months of delivery

Additionally, the scheme requires the mother to:

  • Exclusively breastfeed for six months and introduce complementary feeding as certified by the mother
  • Immunize the child with OPV and DPT
  • Attend at least two counselling sessions on growth monitoring and infant and child nutrition and feeding between the third and sixth months after delivery

Before judging this factual information, take this PYQ form 2019:

Q.Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?

  1. Pregnant women are entitled to three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave.
  2. Enterprises with creches must allow the mother a minimum of six crèche visits daily.
  3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

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Urban Transformation – Smart Cities, AMRUT, etc.

Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) to revive urban water bodies

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: Jal Jeevan Mission

Mains level: Drinking water scarcity in Urban India

The urban water supply mission under the Jal Jeevan Mission announced in the Budget would include rejuvenation of water bodies as well as 20% of supply from reused water.

Access to safe drinking water has been a grave problem for India, especially in rural areas where lack of usable water has resulted in decades-old sanitation and health problems.

Jal Jeevan Mission

  • Jal Jeevan Mission, a central government initiative under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to ensure access of piped water for every household in India.
  • The mission’s goal is to provide to all households in rural India safe and adequate water through individual household tap connections by 2024.
  • The Har Ghar Nal Se Jal programme was announced by FM in Budget 2019-20 speech.
  • This programme forms a crucial part of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
  • The programme aims to implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation, and rainwater harvesting.

Urban component of the mission

  • The mission is meant to create a people’s movement for water, making it everyone’s priority.
  • There are an estimated gap of 2.68 crore urban household tap connections that the Mission would seek to bridge in all 4,378 statutory towns.
  • The Mission would also aim to bridge the gap of 2.64 crore sewer connections in the 500 cities under the existing Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
  • The mission would include rejuvenation of water bodies to boost the sustainable freshwater supply and the creation of green spaces.

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Textile Sector – Cotton, Jute, Wool, Silk, Handloom, etc.

[pib] Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) Scheme

Note4Students

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :

Prelims level: MITRA scheme

Mains level: Textile sector of India

The Finance Minister has proposed setting up of a scheme of Mega Investment Textiles Parks (MITRA) Scheme in her budget speech.

Do not get confused over Sahakar Mitra Scheme and this one.

MITRA Scheme

  • MITRA aims to enable the textile industry to become globally competitive, attract large investments, and boost employment generation and exports.
  • It will create world-class infrastructure with plug and play facilities to enable create global champions in exports.
  • It will be launched in addition to the Production Linked Incentive Scheme (PLI).
  • It will give our domestic manufacturers a level-playing field in the international textiles market & pave the way for India to become a global champion of textiles exports across all segments”.

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