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Type: PIB

  • [pib] SATYAM Programme

    The Ministry of Science & Technology (MoST) is implementing the Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM) Programme to explore the effect of yoga and meditation as add on therapy to fight COVID-19.

    SATYAM Programme

    • The MoST is implementing SATYAM Programme since the year 2015-16 to promote scientific research in the field of yoga and meditation in order to understand its role in human wellbeing.
    • Its main objective is encouraging scientists, clinicians and experienced practitioners of yoga and meditation, with a proven track record, to submit concept notes.

    Themes covered:

    • Investigations on the effect of Yoga and Meditation on physical and mental health and well being.
    • Investigations on the effect of Yoga and Meditation on the body, brain, and mind in terms of basic processes and mechanisms.

    Focus on COVID

    It shall focus on three dimensions of COVID related illness:

    • Mental Stress
    • Respiratory
    • Immune system

  • [pib] Fast Track Special Courts

    The Union Cabinet has approved the continuation of 1023 Fast Track Special Court (FTSCs) including 389 exclusive POCSO Courts for two more years.

    Fast Track Special Courts

    • Fast Track Special Courts are dedicated courts expected to ensure swift dispensation of justice.
    • They have a better clearance rate as compared to the regular courts and hold speedy trials.
    • Besides providing quick justice to the hapless victims, it strengthens the deterrence framework for sexual offenders.
    • Central Share is to be funded from Nirbhaya Fund. The Scheme was launched on 02.10.2019.
    • To bring more stringent provisions and expeditious trial and disposal of such cases, the Central Government enacted “The Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2018”.
    • It made provision of stringent punishment including the death penalty for perpetrators of rape.
    • This led to the establishment of the Fast Track Special Courts (FTSCs).

     Note: Article 247 gives power to Parliament to establish certain additional courts for the better administration of laws made by it or of any existing laws with respect to a matter enumerated in the Union List.

    Benefits offered by fast track courts

    • Further the commitment of the Nation to champion the cause of safety and security of women and girl child.
    • Reduce the number of pending cases of Rape & POCSO Act.
    • Provide speedy access to justice to the victims of sexual crimes and act as a deterrent for sexual offenders.
    • Fastracking of these cases will declog the judicial system of the burden of case pendency.

  • [pib] Sabki Yojna Sabka Vikas Campaign

    The Government has launched ‘Sabki Yojna Sabka Vikas’ campaign for inclusive and holistic preparation of the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP).

    Sabki Yojna Sabka Vikas

    • Under Article 243 G of the Constitution, Panchayats have been mandated for the preparation and implementation of plans for economic development and social justice.
    • Thus, Panchayats have a significant role to play in the effective and efficient implementation of flagship schemes/programs on subjects of national importance for transforming rural India.
    • The objectives of the campaign broadly include strengthening of elected representatives and Self-Help Groups, evidence-based assessment of progress made.
    • The campaign aimed to help Gram Panchayats (GPs) in preparation of convergent and holistic GPDP through the identification of sectoral infrastructural gaps in respective areas.

    Back2Basics: Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP)

    • The Gram Panchayats are constitutionally mandated for the preparation of GPDP for economic development and social justice utilizing resources available with them.
    • The GPDP should be comprehensive and based on a participatory process involving the community particularly Gram Sabha.
    • It will be in convergence with schemes of all related Central Ministries / Line Departments related to 29 subjects listed in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution.

  • [pib] Kuthiran Tunnel

    The Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways has inaugurated the Kuthiran Tunnel in Kerala

    Kuthiran Tunnel

    • Kuthiran Tunnel is a Twin-tube tunnel at Kuthiran in Thrissur District of Kerala.
    • It is located on National Highway 544, owned and operated by the National Highways Authority of India.
    • It is Kerala’s first-ever tunnel for road transport and South India’s Longest 6-lane road tunnel.
    • Kuthiran gradient is situated in the Kuthiran Hills, situated in the western part of Anaimalai Hills. The hills are a notified Peechi- Vazahani wildlife sanctuary.
    • It will drastically improve connectivity to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
    • The road will improve connectivity to important ports and towns in North-South Corridor without endangering wildlife.

  • [pib] Digital Payment Solution: e-RUPI

    The Prime Minister has launched e-RUPI, a person and purpose-specific digital payment solution.

    What is e-RUPI?

    • e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless instrument for digital payment.
    • It is a QR code or SMS string-based e-Voucher, which is delivered to the mobile of the beneficiaries.
    • The users of this seamless one-time payment mechanism will be able to redeem the voucher without a card, digital payments app, or internet banking access, at the service provider.
    • It has been developed by the National Payments Corporation of India on its UPI platform, in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, and National Health Authority.

    How does it work?

    • e-RUPI connects the sponsors of the services with the beneficiaries and service providers in a digital manner without any physical interface.
    • It also ensures that the payment to the service provider is made only after the transaction is completed.
    • Being pre-paid in nature, it assures timely payment to the service provider without the involvement of any intermediary.

    Benefits offered

    • It is expected to be a revolutionary initiative in the direction of ensuring a leak-proof delivery of welfare services.
    • Even the private sector can leverage these digital vouchers as part of their employee welfare and corporate social responsibility programs.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Which of the following is the most likely consequence of implementing the ‘Unified Payments Interface (UPI)’?

    (a) Mobile wallets will not be necessary for online payments.

    (b) Digital currency will totally replace physical currency in about two decades.

    (c) FDI inflows will drastically increase.

    (d) Direct transfer of subsidies to poor people will become very effective

  • [pib] Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) of Sun

    Indian astronomers have found a theoretical explanation for the existence of the Near-Surface Shear Layer (NSSL) of the Sun for the first time.

    What is a Near-Surface Shear Layer?

    • It was long known the Sun’s equator spins faster than the poles.
    • However, a peek into the internal rotation of the Sun using sound waves revealed the existence of an intriguing layer where the rotation profile of the Sun changes sharply.
    • The layer is called as a near-surface shear layer (NSSL), and it exists very close to the solar surface, where there is an outward decrease in angular velocity.

    What have researchers found?

    • They have used an equation called the thermal wind balance equation to explain how the slight difference in temperature between solar poles and equator, called thermal wind term.
    • It is balanced by the centrifugal force appearing due to solar differential rotation.
    • They have noted that if this condition is true near the solar surface, it can explain the existence of NSSL, which is inferred in helioseismology (technique of using sound waves to peek inside the Sun) based observation.

    Why study NSSL?

    • Understanding NSSL is crucial for the study of several solar phenomena like sunspot formation, solar cycle, and it will also help in understanding such phenomena in other stars.

  • [pib] What are PRIDE Guidelines?

    The Union Ministry for Science & Technology has released “Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines” developed by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT).

    Biotech-PRIDE

    • These guidelines aim at providing a well-defined framework and guiding principle to facilitate and enable sharing and exchange of biological knowledge, information and data.
    • They will facilitate this and enable the exchange of information to promote research and innovation in different research groups across the country.
    • They will be implemented through the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) at Regional Centre for Biotechnology supported by the Department of Biotechnology.

    Creating a national repository: Bio-Grid

    • Other existing datasets/ data centres will be bridged to this IBDC which will be called Bio-Grid.
    • This Bio-Grid will be a National Repository for biological knowledge, information and data.
    • It will be responsible for enabling its exchange, developing measures for safety, standards and quality for datasets and establishing detailed modalities for accessing data.

     Why need such guidelines?

    • India ranks number 4 amongst the top 20 countries contributing biological databases.
    • The Government invests a large number of public funds for biosciences to gain deep insights into intricate biological mechanisms and other processes and for translation.

  • [pib] Various initiatives for Minorities

    The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs has informed about various initiatives for minorities.

    A brief of the schemes/programmers being implemented by the Ministry for the educational/economic empowerment of Minority students/candidates are as under:

    Educational Empowerment

    • Scholarship Schemes: Pre-Matric Scholarship, Post-Matric Scholarship and Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship.
    • Maulana Azad National Fellowship Scheme: It provides financial assistance to students from notified minority communities and whose annual income is below Rs. 6.0 lakh per annum from all sources, to pursue higher education such as M.Phil and Ph.D.
    • Begum Hazrat Mahal National Scholarship: It provides scholarship for meritorious girls belonging to notified minority communities studying in Classes IX to XII.
    • Naya Savera: It is a free coaching scheme which aims to enhance skills and knowledge of students and candidates from notified minority to get employment in Government Sector/ PSU, jobs in private sector, and admission in reputed institutions in technical and professional courses at UG and PG levels.
    • Nai Udaan: Support for notified minority community students, on clearing Prelims conducted by UPSC, State Public Service Commission (PSC) Staff Selection Commission (SSC) etc.

    Economic Empowerment

    • Seekho aur Kamao (Learn & Earn): It is a skill development initiative for minorities and aims to upgrade the skills of minority youth in various modern/traditional skills depending upon their qualification, present economic trends and market potential, which can earn them employment or make them suitably skilled to go for self-employment.
    • Upgrading the Skill and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD): A mission has been launched under scheme to give an effective platform to minority artisans and culinary experts from across the country to showcase and market their finest handicraft and exquisitely crafted products through “Hunar Haats” organized by the Ministry.
    • Nai Manzil: A scheme to provide education and skill training to the youth from minority communities.
    • Gharib Nawaz Employment Training Programme: It provides for short-term job oriented skill development courses to youths belonging to minority communities.
    • National Minorities Development Finance Corporation (NMDFC) Loan Scheme: It provide concessional loans for self-employment and income-generating activities for the socio-economic development of the ‘backward sections’ amongst the notified minorities.

    Others: Equal Opportunity Commission

    • Among several recommendations, the Sachar Committee opined for an Equal Opportunity Commission to ensure the upliftment of deprived Muslims in the country.
    • It was formed during the first United Progressive Alliance government in 2006 to recommend policy measures for the upliftment of linguistic and religious minorities.
    • It stormed the country when it stated that the condition of Muslims in some states are worse than Dalits.

    Back2Basics: National Commission for Minorities (NCM)

    • The Union Government set up the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) under the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992.
    • Six religious communities, viz; Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians (Parsis) and Jains have been notified in Gazette of India as minority communities by the Union Government all over India .
    • Original notification of 1993 was for five religious communities; Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians and Muslims.

    Commission has the following functions:

    • Evaluate the progress of the development of Minorities under the Union and States.
    • Monitor the working of the safeguards provided in the Constitution and in laws enacted by Parliament and the State Legislatures.
    • Make recommendations for the effective implementation of safeguards for the protection of the interests of Minorities by the Central Government or the State Governments.
    • Look into specific complaints regarding deprivation of rights and safeguards of the Minorities and take up such matters with the appropriate authorities.
    • Cause studies to be undertaken into problems arising out of any discrimination against Minorities and recommend measures for their removal.
    • Conduct studies, research and analysis on the issues relating to socio-economic and educational development of Minorities.
    • Suggest appropriate measures in respect of any Minority to be undertaken by the Central Government or the State Governments.
    • Make periodical or special reports to the Central Government on any matter pertaining to Minorities and in particular the difficulties confronted by them.
    • Any other matter which may be referred to it by the Central Government.

    The Commission has the following powers:

    • Summoning and enforcing the attendance of any person from any part of India and examining him on oath.
    • Requiring the discovery and production of any document.
    • Receiving evidence on affidavit.
    • Requisitioning any public record or copy thereof from any court or office.

  • [pib] 14 Indian Tiger Reserves get Global CA/TS recognition

    The Environment Ministry has released the names of the 14 tiger reserves that had received the accreditation of the Global Conservation Assured|Tiger Standards (CA|TS), an accreditation tool agreed upon by tiger range countries.

    Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS)

    • CA|TS has been agreed upon as an accreditation tool by the global coalition of Tiger Range Countries (TRCs) and has been developed by tiger and protected area experts.
    • Officially launched in 2013, it sets minimum standards for effective management of target species and encourages the assessment of these standards in relevant conservation areas.
    • CA|TS is a set of criteria that allows tiger sites to check if their management will lead to successful tiger conservation.
    • The Global Tiger Forum (GTF), an international NGO working on tiger conservation, and World Wildlife Fund India are the two implementing partners of the National Tiger Conservation Authority for CATS assessment in India.

    Which are the 14 reserves?

    The 14 tiger reserves which have been accredited are:

    • Manas, Kaziranga and Orang in Assam,
    • Satpura, Kanha and Panna in Madhya Pradesh,
    • Pench in Maharashtra,
    • Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar,
    • Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh,
    • Sunderbans in West Bengal,
    • Parambikulam in Kerala,
    • Bandipur Tiger Reserve of Karnataka and
    • Mudumalai and Anamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu

    Significance

    • CATS accreditation is a global recognition of good tiger governance.
    • This recognition means a lot in the context of adaptation to climate change, sustainability of ecosystem services, and safeguarding disruption of zoonotic cycles, through an umbrella species approach.
    • The aspects monitored for accreditation include the importance and status of a reserve, management, community participation, tourism, protection, habitat management, and tiger populations.

    Answer this PYQ in the comment box:

    Q.Among the following Tiger Reserves, which one has the largest area under “Critical Tiger Habitat”? (CSP 2020)

    (a) Corbett

    (b) Ranthambore

    (c) Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam

    (d) Sundarbans

  • [pib] Centre launches Secured Logistics Document Exchange (SLDE) and GHG Calculator

    With an aim to further improve ease of doing business, Centre today launched the “Secured Logistics Document Exchange” along with a Calculator for Green House Gas Emissions.

    Secured Logistics Document Exchange (SLDE)

    • The SLDE platform is a solution to replace the present manual process of generation, exchange and compliance of logistics documents with a digitized, secure and seamless document exchange system.
    • It is set to improve logistics efficiency, reduce logistics cost, and promote multi-modality and sustainability in a big way.
    • This will enable generation, storage and interchange of logistics-related documents digitally using Aadhaar and blockchain-based security protocols for data security and authentication.
    • It will also provide a complete audit trail of document transfer, faster execution of transaction, lower cost of shipping and overall carbon footprint, easy verification of authenticity of documents, lowered risk of fraud, etc.
    • The proof of concept of the platform has been developed and executed with banks (ICICI, Axis Bank, State Bank of India and HDFC Bank) and stakeholders including freight forwarders, exporters, importers and vessel operators.

    Green House Gas (GHG) Emission Calculator

    • The GHG Calculator is an efficient, user-friendly tool and provides for calculating and comparing GHG emissions across different modes.
    • It allows for a commodity-wise comparison of GHG emissions and total cost of transportation, including their environmental cost, between movement by road and rail.
    • The tool is intended to facilitate appropriate modal choice for all concerned.

    Back2Basics: Green House Gases (GHGs)

    • A greenhouse gas (GHG) is a gas that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range, causing the greenhouse effect.
    • The primary greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapor (H 2O), carbon dioxide (CO 2), methane (CH 4), nitrous oxide (N 2O), and ozone (O3).
    • Without greenhouse gases, the average temperature of Earth’s surface would be about −18 °C (0 °F), rather than the present average of 15 °C (59 °F).
    • The atmospheres of Venus, Mars, and Titan also contain greenhouse gases.