Daily PIB Analysis For UPSC/IAS | 11th Feb 19

Table of Contents

Ministry of Culture

Cultural Heritage Youth Leadership Programme (CHYLP)
The scheme for Cultural Heritage Youth Leadership Programme (CHYLP) envisaged enriching awareness of Indian culture and heritage amongst the youth in order to promote, understand and develop fondness for India’s rich cultural heritage, with a view to develop appropriate leadership qualities amongst youth. The focus of the programme was to be on less privileged children residing in backward areas by interacting with them in vernacular languages for their better understanding. Intermittently programme was given to Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT), an autonomous organization working under the purview of Ministry of Culture. CCRT organized workshops for the scheme. However, to accelerate the process, Museum Division of this Ministry arranged visits of children of unprivileged section of society to museums so that these children may get an opportunity to gain the knowledge relating to the Indian History and Culture and Science

Ministry of Defence Defence

Innovation Hubs
The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework of the Government envisages setting up and managing independent Defence Innovation Hubs (DIHs).
These DIHs will serve as platforms where innovators can get information about needs and feedback from the Services directly and create solutions for India’s major defence platforms. This structure is also geared towards attracting more innovators to work for the defence sector in India.
The Defence Innovation Organisation set up under iDEX has announced setting up of two DIHs in Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore) and Maharashtra (Nashik).
The Framework to Fund Defence Innovation Hubs under iDEX, approved by the Board of Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO) prescribes the following minimum criterion for setting up Defence Innovation Hubs:
Any Central Government recognized Incubator including but not limited to:
Department of Science and Technology (DST) recognized Incubators.
Atal Innovation Mission, NITIAayog created Atal Incubation Centers (AICs) and Established Incubation Centers (EICs).
Ministry of MSME recognized incubators.
Any other incubator recognized or funded through any Central government scheme.
The incubator located in districts mentioned in the list of SME clusters hosted by the Ministry of MSME in collaboration with UNIDO.
Incubator / Hub promoted by local industry associations.

Ministry of Defence

Expansion of NCC Activities to Schools and Colleges
There has been a significant increase in the spectrum of activities undertaken by NCC especially in the field of social service and community development. NCC is actively participating in Swachhta Abhiyan, AIDS Awareness, Digital Literacy, Immunization, Tree Plantation, Anti-Drug Campaign, Water Conservation measures, etc.
The expansion of NCC has been planned from 13 lakh to 15 lakh cadets in a phased manner from 2014-15 to 2020-21 period. Full NCC coverage of all the Government schools and colleges will require substantial commitment in terms of manpower, finance, infrastructure, etc. There is therefore no proposal to make NCC compulsory for the students of schools and colleges in the country.

Ministry of Earth Science

3 Day International Symposium on “Advances in Agro meteorology for managing climatic risks of farmers”, begins in New Delhi Risks and uncertainties in agricultural production system due to increasing climatic variability and weather extremes have become the prime cause of global food insecurity. Considering the urgent need of sharing the agro meteorological knowledge among researchers, policy makers, industry and farmers to learn from each other, identify the technologies/practices and develop a roadmap for risk management, the Association of Agro meteorologists (AAM) has organized a 3 day International Symposium on “Advances in Agro meteorology for Managing Climatic Risks of Farmers” (INAGMET-2019) at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (India) beginning today. The symposium is jointly organized with India Meteorological Department, Indian Centre of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Agricultural Research Institute and Jawaharlal Nehru University.
The broad themes of the Symposium are:
Weather and Climate Services for Agriculture
Monsoon Variability and Predictability
Climate Variability and Change : Projections, Impacts and interventions for agro ecosystems
Agro meteorological information and Geospatial Decision Support Systems
Risk transfer : Weather and Crop Insurance
Post-harvest management and agricultural marketing
Biotic and Abiotic Stress Management in Agriculture
Perspectives of Agro meteorological advisories
Crop Modelling and Forecasting
Water Cycle and Water Use Efficiency for Agriculture
Industry Interface for Expanding Agro meteorological Services
Interventions for Livestock, Poultry and Fisheries management

Ministry of Human Resource Development

Addition of about 5000 seats has been approved ‘inprinciple’ in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas
Engagement of two counsellors per school in NVS has also been approved A proposal received from the Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) for increasing the intake of students at Class VI level in the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas (JNVs) by 10% from the academic session 2019-20 leading to addition of about 5000 seats has been approved ‘inprinciple’ and is at advanced stage of approval.
The Central Govt has launched an integrated centrally sponsored scheme for school educationSamagra Siksha w.e.f. 2018-19 with the key objectives of quality education and improvement in learning levels. Under this scheme, the State Govt. and UTs are supported on several interventions to improve teaching standards, regular in-service teachers’ training, induction training for newly recruited teachers, ICT facilities in schools, introduction of vocational educational component at secondary level etc.
The other initiatives inter-alia include the following:
Section 23(2) of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009 was amended to extend the period for training of untrained in-service elementary teachers to 31.03.2019.
In order to focus on quality education, the RTE rules have been amended to include reference on class-wise, subject-wise learning outcomes. Learning outcomes for each class upto the elementary stage have been finalized and shared with all States and UTs.
National Achievement Surveys are carried out by National Council for Educational Research and Training to assess learning achievements of children in Classes III, V, VIII and X.
To complement the activities under Padhe Bharat Badhe Bharat and to inculcate reading habits among students, an annual grant of Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 20,000 per school has been provisioned under Samagra Siksha for strengthening of school libraries.
The Rashtriya Avaishkar Abhiyan (RAA) has been launched to motivate and engage children of the age-group of 6-18 years in science, maths and technology through observation, experimentation, both through inside and outside classroom activities.
The Atal Tinkering labs have been established in many schools across the country with the objective of fostering curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds.

Ministry of Human Resource Development

Government has reconstituted the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR)
As per Rule 3 of Rules of ICHR, New Delhi, 1972, the Government has reconstituted the Council of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), New Delhi for a period of three years w.e.f. the date of the first meeting of the re-constituted Council i.e. 07.01.2019 to 06.01.2022 and the composition of the Council is as follows:
An eminent historian nominated by the Government of India who shall be Chairman of the Council;
Eighteen historians nominated by the Government of India;
A Representative of the U.G.C;
Director-General of Archaeology;
Director, National Archives;
Four persons to represent Government who shall be nominated by the Government of India and which shall include one representative each of the Ministry of Education, the Department of Culture and the Ministry of Finance; and Member Secretary.

Ministry of Human Resource Development

Various schemes have been launched to improve Research Ecosystem in the country Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship: To attract the bright and meritorious students into research within the country, attractive fellowship is given. Selected students are given fellowship for 5 years – Rs.70,000/- per month for the first two years, Rs. 75,000/- per month in the third year and Rs.80,000 per month in 4th and 5th year with an annual research grant of Rs. 2 lakh. Setting up of Research Parks: The Government has approved setting up of Research Parks at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Gandhinagar and IISc Banglore.
Impacting research Innovation and Technology (IMPRINT): It provides solutions to the most relevant engineering challenges and translating knowledge into viable technology (products or processes) in ten selected technology domains.
Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana (UAY): It aims to promote innovation of a higher order that directly impacts the needs of the Industry and thereby improves the competitive edge of Indian manufacturing.
Smart India Hackathons are being organized on yearly basis since 2017 to find out digital solutions to various problems faced by the people and gives hands on working and research opportunity for engineering students.
Institution’s Innovation Council (IIC) established in 960 Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) for promoting innovation ecosystem within their campuses.
A Trainee Teacher Scheme had been initiated in NITs with the objective to attract, motivate and sponsor best graduate engineers for part time M.Tech and Ph.D. programmes.
Colleges with Potential for Excellence (CPE), University with Potential for Excellence(UPE), Centre with Potential for Excellence in Particular Areas(CPEPA), Special Assistance Programme (SAP), Major Research Project (MRP), BSR Fellowships, Dr. D.S. Kothari Post Doctoral Fellowship Scheme, MID Career Award to Faculty members, UGC – BSR Faculty Fellowship (research after retirement), Start – up Grant (Research grant for newly recruited teachers), Research Scientist, Research Award, Emeritus Fellowship, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Humanities, Post-Doctoral Fellowship for SC/ST, Post- Doctoral Fellowship for Women, Junior Research Fellowship (for Ph.D.).

Ministry of Shipping

Development of Smart Industrial Port Cities
The Minister of State for Road Transport, Shipping and Chemical & Fertilizers Shri Mansukh Mandaviya in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today informed that the Government of India under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has decided to develop two Smart Industrial Port Cities one at East Coast (Paradip Port) and another at West Coast (Deen Dayal Port, Kandla) to promote Port-Led Industrial development by providing necessary infrastructure and allied services at one place for EXIM trade to boost up economy of the country. Development activities for various project components like setting up of Multi Modal Logistics Park, Industrial Park, development of Road Network and Truck Terminals are in full swing at both the locations.
Ministry of Shipping has launched the flagship Programme Sagarmala to promoted Port-Led Development in the country. Under this programme, more than 600 projects with infrastructure investment of Rs. 8.78 Lakh Crore have been identified since its inception. 105 projects of worth Rs. 0.16 Crore have been completed so far and 414 projects of worth Rs. 4.16 Crore are in advanced stages of implementation.
Under Coastal Community Development component of this programme, 17606 persons have been trained and employed in various Ship Breaking Yards and 1143 personas have been placed in various companies in Coastal Districts out of the 1978 persons trained under pilot phase of Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Kaushal Yojana-Sagarmala convergence. It is estimated that 40 Lakhs (direct) and 60 Lakh (indirect) jobs would be available after completion of all the projects of the Sagarmala Programme by 2025.

Ministry of Shipping

In a first, Maersk Line to move on river Ganga from Varanasi to Kolkata tomorrow Several big firms line up for using National Waterway-1
World’s largest container shipping company Maersk Line will move 16 containers on river Ganga (National Waterway-1) from Varanasi to Kolkata tomorrow. Maersk moves 12 million containers yearly across the globe. The firm is onboard India’s inland waterways for the first time.
Maersk moving containers on river Ganga follows similar movements already done by firms like PepsiCo, Emami Agrotech, IFFCO Fertilizers, Dabur India. With Maersk on board, the cargo from the hinterland will move directly to and from Bangladesh and rest of the world through Bay of Bengal.
The government is developing NW-1 (River Ganga) under JMVP from Haldia to Varanasi (1390 Km) with the technical and financial assistance of the World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 5369 crore. The project would enable commercial navigation of vessels with capacity of 1500-2,000 DWT.
The Union Minister for Shipping Shri Nitin Gadkari had flagged off a consignment of Maruti cars from Varanasi to Haldia in August, 2016. Since then pilot movements on National Waterways are currently being done on various stretches. More than 15 of them have already been successfully completed, including integrated movements through NW-1 (Ganga), IndoBangladesh Protocol Route and NW-2 (Brahmaputra).