Tag: their utility

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Latest Court Verdicts ▪ The Supreme Court directed five States to provide facts and figures on sand-mining ▪ 5 States - Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh ▪ The petition highlighted the Sustainable Sand Mining Management Guidelines (2016) have not been respected. ▪ The Ministry of Environment Forest & Climate Change formulated the Sustainable Sand Management Guidelines 2016. ▪ Reports indicated illegal mining of one crore tonnes of beach sand in Tamil Nadu and indiscriminate mining in Andhra Pradesh's river basins. ▪ The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR Act) is a key legislative framework in India aimed at regulating the mining sector ▪ Enacted on December 28, 1957, it provides for the development and regulation of mines and minerals under the control of the Union government. Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility ▪ The Rajya Sabha passed the Boilers Bill, replacing the Boilers Act of 1923. ▪ Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal emphasized the Bill's focus on safety at factories using industrial boilers. ▪ The Bill aims to ensure uniformity in technical aspects of boiler regulation across India, including construction standards, maximum pressure specifications, and registration/inspection protocols. ▪ The Bill empowers the central government to constitute the Central Boilers Board to make regulations

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility New portal NHAI projects Projects worth ₹40,000 crore being implemented by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) are being brought under the new Bhoomi Rashi portal. All processes, from the first notification under Section 3A of the National Highways Act, 1956 to the acquisition, survey, hearing of objections, declaration of acquisition, taking possession of the land, fixing the compensation for the landowner, and payment, are carried out on the portal. Bhoomi Rashi portal aims to digitize the land acquisition process for National Highway (NH) Projects. SATHEE portal Education Ministry officials directed all States to encourage aspirants to utilise the newly launched portal — SATHEE (Self Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams) for exam preparation. It has been launched by the Education Ministry and the IIT Kanpur. SATHEE is an open learning platform available to students free.   

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility Free ration scheme to be extended for five more years The Union government’s scheme the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) was initially slated to end in December, 2023 will be extended for another five years. About PMGKAY Launch – 2020 (during pandemic) The scheme aims to provide 5 kg of free food grains per beneficiary a month in addition to the 5 kg of subsidised food grains they were entitled to under the National Food Security Act. Government hospitals have earned 50% of the claims under CM’s insurance scheme in 2023-24 According to a document issued by the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project (TNHSP), under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) ₹723 crore claims have been made so far in 2023. Of this around ₹361 crore has been paid to the government hospitals which is 50% of the total claims so far during 2023-24. About CMCHIS Launched - July 2009 The Scheme provides health insurance on a large scale to low-income, underprivileged families Note Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) (launched on 23rd September, 2018) is a health insurance scheme at National Level. Tamil Nadu was awarded the Best Practices Award for ‘effective utilisation of government funds’ under the integrated Ayushman Bharat - Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) - CMCHIS.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility 9 years of Jan Dhan Yojana August 28, 2023 marks the completion of the nine years of the Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). About PM Jan Dhan Yojana Announcement - 15th August 2014 Launch – August 28, 2014  A National Mission for Financial Inclusion to ensure access to financial services and provide banking services to all the households in the country.  Objectives: Ensure access of financial products & services at an affordable cost. Use of technology to lower cost and widen reach.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility 'FloodWatch' app The Central Water Commission launched an app, called ‘Floodwatch’, which can forecast the chances of floods a day in advance.  It also provides a seven-day advisory on the chances of floods at various stations in the country. The app has a map of India with coloured circles at water stations across the country indicating the current risk of flooding. A ‘green’ circle indicates ‘normal’; yellow, above normal; orange, ‘severe’ and red, ‘extreme’.  Clicking on a circle shows the current water level at the station, the highest level historically attained the danger level and warning level. Note Floodwatch uses advance technologies such as “satellite data analysis, mathematical modelling and real-time monitoring to deliver accurate and timely flood forecasts”.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Public Awareness & General Administration 4 key laws, get President’s assent President Droupadi Murmu gave assent to four key laws.  The laws were passed by Parliament in the recently concluded Monsoon Session. While the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act provides for a three- member authority that will handle the transfer and postings of Group A officers under the Delhi government, the data protection law will provide for a framework to prevent the misuse of an individual's data by online platforms. Delhi Services Bill, 6 others get President’s assent, become laws.  Seven new laws  The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023;  The Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (Amendment) Act, 2023;  The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023;  The Registration of Births and Deaths (Amendment) Act, 2023;  The Indian Institutes of Management (Amendment) Act, 2023;  The National Dental Commission Act, 2023 and  The Offshore Areas Mineral (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023. Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility Ensure Nutrition Program  The Tamil Nadu government has launched the 'Ensure Nutrition' scheme to address malnutrition among children under 6 years of age.  Under the scheme, 9.3 lakh moderately and severely malnourished children up to 6 years of age were screened.  Out of which 43,200 children were given various medical treatments including surgery at district primary care centres.  Also, under this scheme, 3,038 children with congenital defects such as congenital heart disease, congenital brain malformation, congenital visual impairment, congenital deafness, congenital leg deformity, etc. have undergone surgery and are currently doing well, according to the Tamil Nadu government.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility 303 Smart Classrooms inaugurated in Radhapuram Assembly constituency Chief Minister M.K.Stalin inaugurated 303 Smart Classrooms, built at a cost of Rs.6.86 crore, in Radhapuram. The Radhapuram Assembly segment now becomes the first legislative constituency in the country to get Smart Classrooms in all government and government-aided schools.  Note State government’s Manarkeni mobile app had been installed in these classrooms to make learning easier. Scheme to help civil services aspirants The Tamil Nadu government has rolled out a scheme to help civil services aspirants access better coaching facilities and materials to reverse the declining number of students from the State clearing the UPSC civil services examination. Under the scheme, which was announced in the State Budget 2023-24, 1,000 civil services aspirants would be shortlisted every year through a test and each of them would be provided `7,500 a month for 10 months to prepare for the preliminary examination. The Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation (TNSDC) would implement the ‘Naan Mudhalvan’ scheme in coordination with Anna Administrative Staff College. The TNSDC would conduct a screening test, ‘Naan Mudhalvan UPSC prelims scholarship exam 2023’.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility 75.51 lakh houses completed under PMAY-U  A total of 75.51 lakh houses have been completed out of which 71.39 lakh have been occupied till now under the Prime Ministers' Awas Yojana (PMAY-U), the Centre's flagship programme to provide housing to the urban poor.  Uttar Pradesh had the largest number of houses completed at 12,87,307.  NOTE: PMAY-U is implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA).  It was launched in 2015. Prayaas Scheme 2023  The government of India established the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) as a statutory entity.  To ensure continuous service delivery of its services to its subscribers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it has implemented a number of policies and digital initiatives.  The Prayaas scheme is one such effort by the EPFO to assist the subscribers.  The EPFO is attempting to disburse the employee's pension amount, or PF (Provident Fund) amount, on the day of his or her superannuation under the Prayaas plan.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility ‘Thozhi’ Hostels  Chief minister M K Stalin said that hostels for working women named ‘thozhi’ (female friend) will further strengthen the development of women in the state.  Calling “thozhi‟ hostels as the “new address for working women” Stalin tweeted listing out other schemes rolled out by the Govt. for the uplift of women such as Granting equal rights over ancestral property for women, 33 percent reservation for women in local bodies, “Pudhumai Penn‟ scheme (where 1,000 is given to college going women) and Kalaignar Magalir Urimai Thittam (where 1,000 is given to women family heads).  Similar to those schemes, “thozhi‟ hostels will continue to strengthen the development of women in the state.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Govt – Welfare oriented Govt schemes, their utility New India Literacy Project  The Ministry of Education has approved a new scheme called "New India Literacy Scheme" for the financial year 2022-2027.  The plan aims to align adult education to include all aspects of the National Education Policy 2020 and announcements in the 2021-22 Budget.  The scheme will benefit illiterate persons aged 15 years and above in all states/UTs of the country.  The government has now replaced the phrase "Adult Education" in the country with a phrase "Education for All".