Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
India’s First Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra for Skilling in Smart Cities inaugurated at Mandir Marg, New Delhi
India’s first Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK) has been set up under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) in collaboration with New Delhi Municipal Council
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana(PMKVY)
- It is an initiative of Indian government to make country’s youth employable and strengthen them economically by providing them a meaningful, industry relevant, skill based training.
- The beneficiaries under the scheme are successfully trained, assessed, certified and awarded financially by the government.
- PMKVY is being run by the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) while National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) is the implementing agency for the scheme.
- At present there are 221 job roles available with 34 skill councils for which the courses are being offered across the nation.
Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK), Mandir Marg, New Delhi
- Leverages NDMC infrastructure for skilling initiatives
- Has a capacity of skilling 4,000 youth annually
- Will be managed by Orion Edutech, which has an impeccable record of training nearly 3 lakh candidates through its network of over 275 skill development centres across the country.
Significance:
- Every year more than 13 million Indians enter the working age but the country has an annual training capacity of 3 million on adding up all the training and educational capacities.This gap of more than 10 million is very difficult to bridge considering long gestation training periods, capacity building lacunae etc. Addressing this issue is critical to realizing the demographic dividend potential of India.
- PMKVY has a crucial role to improve productivity through creation of a pool of industry and National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) aligned skilled workforce. Over time, the scheme should provide a comprehensive and holistic workforce training interventions by catering to current and anticipated future employment ecosystem.
Source: the hindu, pib
Topic: Challenges to internal security
Centre appoints Shri Dineshwar Sharma as its Representative in J&K
Former Intelligence Bureau (IB)chief Dineshwar Sharma is appointed as Representative of Government of India to initiate and carry forward a dialogue with the elected representatives, various organizations and concerned individuals in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.
Background:
J & K Valley’s prolonged anti-india protest, rising insurgency in Kashmir, intense counter- insurgency operation has caused acute distress in the region. Demand for the political outreach emerged to prevent radicalisation of local youth which is the topmost concern for the Indian security establishment
Tasks ahead for the Interlocutor:
- He will have rank equivalent to a Cabinet Secretary and complete independence in deciding who to hold talks with.
- He is likely to hold talks with mainstream local political workers of the PDP, National Conference and Congress, heads of various religious seminaries in the Valley, local student unions etc
- He would try to know how things are panning out on the ground for and against India and try to understand the legitimate aspirations of the people of the state.
About Dineshwar Sharma:
- He has worked as mediator for talks with various insurgent groups based in Assam.
- He has Worked as director of the IB include 2015 Gurdaspur attack, Uri attack in 2016, rise of ISIS recruitment in Kerala
- He has served as DIG of the Border Security Force (BSF) and as the IG of CRPF in charge of Jammu and Kashmir.
Significance:
If a political dialogue, towards a lasting solution, were to begin between all the stakeholders, it would help in confidence-building measures between the government, civil society and dissidents.
Source: the hindu, first post
Topic: Various Security forces and agencies and their mandate
Navika Sagar Parikrama – Tarini Enters Fremantle
INSV Tarini entered Fremantle (Australia) port today during it’s maiden voyage to circumnavigate the globe. This is the first-ever Indian circumnavigation of the globe by an all-women crew.
INSV Tarini:
- INSV Tarini is a 56 foot sailing vessel built in India by M/s Aquarius Shipyard Pvt Ltd, Goa
- It was inducted into the Indian Navy recently in February 2017
- It has Raymarine navigation suite and an array of satellite communication systems for perfect navigation anywhere in the world
- It showcases the ‘Make in India’ initiative on the International forum.
Navika Sagar Parikrama:
- The voyage of Navika Sagar Parikrama began from Goa coast in September 2017 and will be finishing around March 2018
- The expedition will be covered in five legs, with stop-overs at 4 ports: Fremantle (Australia), Lyttleton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands), and Cape Town (South Africa).
- The project is considered essential towards promoting Ocean Sailing activities in the Indian Navy along with showcasing the Government’s support for empowering women.
Significance:
- It also aims to showcase ‘Nari Shakti’ on the world platform and help revolutionise societal attitudes and mindset towards women in India by raising visibility of their participation in challenging environs.
- The voyage aims to show case the ‘Make in India’ initiative by sailing onboard the indigenously built INSV Tarini.
- The crew would monitor and report marine pollution on the high seas.
Source: pib
Topic: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, development and employment.
Ministry of Railways may ask Finance Ministry to fund its share towards Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)
With earnings deficit, the Ministry of Railways may find it difficult to contribute its share towards Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)
Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK)
- Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Rosh (RRSK) is a dedicated fund for critical safety-related works.
- In Budget 2017-18, Ministry had announced the setting up a special safety fund with a corpus of more than Rs. 1 lakh crore over a period of five years. Finance Ministry would contribute Rs. 15,000 crore annually towards the fund, the Ministry of Railways would fund the balance Rs. 5,000 crore every year.
- Finance Ministry advised the Ministry of Railways to prioritise deploying RRSK funds on areas that reduce chances of human error and ensure training of safety staff.
Significance:
Safety measures taken on Indian Railways is a continuous process which envisage accident prevention and mitigation directed towards continuous reduction in risk level to its customers.
This is done by adopting new technologies and bringing improvement in asset reliability to reduce human dependency. For example- Train Protection Warning System (TPWS)/ Train Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) to prevent accident due to over speeding and passing signal at danger etc. RRSK funding is essential for carrying such safety works
Source: the hindu
Topic: Transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints
Raw Jute demand falls, Farmers sell crop below MSP
Context:
West Bengal government has called for an urgent meeting this week to review the raw jute situation in the State. The meeting will also discuss the infrastructure gaps at the Jute Corporation of India( JCI) which is tasked with purchasing raw jute from farmers to raise the
price.
Reason:
- Declining demand for the low grade TD-6 variety jute being grown by the farmers in West Bengal.
- Textile Ministry’s specifications to the jute mills to make lighter bags in order to tackle competition. However, lightweight jute bags of 560 grams (replacing the earlier 665 grams) necessitates the use of better quality.
- Poor agricultural practices and lack of facilities for retting (a process of washing raw jute to get better fibre), has led to the farmers resorting to production of this variety
Conclusion:
The scenario could be changed if the mills were allowed to tweak the specifications for jute sacks, enabling higher use of TD-6 grade. Or else, the Jute Corporation could be asked to increase its purchases.
Source: the hindu
Topic: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment
Centre eases norms for sewage plants
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has relaxed standards for upcoming sewage treatment plants (STP)
- Biochemical oxygen demand (Bod) had to be no more than 10 mg/litre according to 2015 CPCB proposal. STPs coming up after June 2019 — except in major State capitals and metropolitan cities — need only conform to 30 mg/litre of BoD.. These include proposed STPS to treat sewage in stretches of the river downstream of Haridwar.
- Bod < 10mg/litre is difficult to achieve as it required advanced technology that was too costly for most States. However, It is a step forward, because now we have standards for faecal coliform, which was not part of standards earlier.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB):
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), statutory organisation, was constituted in September, 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Functions:
(i) to promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control and abatement of water pollution
(ii) to improve the quality of air and to prevent, control or abate air pollution in the country.
Biochemical oxygen demand (Bod):
- Biochemical oxygen demand is the amount of oxygen required for microbial metabolism of organic compounds in water.
- BOD value is most commonly expressed in milligrams of oxygen consumed per litre of sample during 5 days of incubation at 20 °C
- BOD can be used as a gauge of the effectiveness of wastewater treatment plants
Provisions of Rules
- One of the points of the government’s ₹20,000 crore push to clean the river was a 2015-proposal to have higher standards for STPs. That is, they would have to ensure that the biochemical oxygen demand (Bod) — a marker for organic pollutants — in the treated water had to be no more than 10 mg/litre. Existing laws permit BoD up to 30 mg/litre.
- However, a notification by the Union Environment Ministry this month has junked the 10 mg/litre target.
- It says that STPs coming up after June 2019 — except in major State capitals and metropolitan cities — need only conform to 30 mg/litre of BoD.
- These include proposed STPs to treat sewage in stretches of the river downstream of Haridwar, including Kanpur and Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh.
- New STPs in State capitals, have to cap BoD at 20 mg/litre.
- Plants in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Daman & Diu, Lakshadweep and Dadra and Nagar Haveli don’t need to stick to higher sewage-treatment criteria.
Reason for easing the norms:
The 10 mg criteria would require advanced technology that was too costly for most States. That kind of quality can be achieved in a phased manner.
Source: the hindu
Northeast monsoon expected to set in by October 26
Tamil Nadu is expected to receive rain from today; southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw completely from the State in two days
- With the weather conditions turning favourable, the northeast monsoon is expected to arrive by October 26, according to the Meteorological Department.
- The southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw completely in two days.
- The seasonal wind reversal is going to occur this week. Westerly winds are already weakening and giving way to easterly winds that would usher in the northeast monsoon.
NorthEast Monsoon:
Around September, with the sun fast retreating south, the northern land mass of the Indian subcontinent begins to cool off rapidly.
- With this air pressure begins to build over northern India, the Indian Ocean and its surrounding atmosphere still holds its heat.
- This causes cold wind to sweep down from the Himalayas and Indo-Gangetic Plain towards the vast spans of the Indian Ocean south of the Deccan peninsula. This is known as the Northeast Monsoon or Retreating Monsoon.
- Northeast Monsoon season is the major period of rainfall activity over south peninsula comprising of the Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Tamilnadu-Pondicherry
- For Tamilnadu this is the main rainy season accounting for about 48% of the annual rainfall.
Sometimes, the gap between the withdrawal of southwest monsoon and onset of northeast monsoon may be limited to one or two days.
Source: The Hindu
Unprecedented community action in ‘Gram Samridhi Evam Swachhata Pakhwada’ from 1st to 15th October, 2017
In partnership with State Governments and other Departments, Department of Rural Development organized Gram Samridhi Evam Swachhata Pakhwada from 1st October to 15th October, 2017. Gram Sabhas were held in nearly all the Gram Panchayats of the Country on 2nd October.
During this period,
- DISHA Monitoring Portal and Gram Samvaad App were introduced on 11th October, 2017.
o Disha Monitoring Portal would enable Members of Parliament to track progress in implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes in their constituency.
o Gram Samvaad Mobile app allows a citizen to access information on and implementation of Rural Development schemes at Panchayat level.
- As reported on the Swachh Gram Portal over 4.75 lakh cleanliness drives were taken up in villages.
o 38,283 villages were declared open defecation free,
o 5.98 lakh individual households latrines completed and initiatives for Solid and Liquid Waste Management undertaken across Gram Panchayats.
- Thrust was placed on skill development among youth and total of 1404 Skill Raths were launched in different parts of the country to register demand through the Kaushal Panji App for skill training.
- Public accountability thrust was seen at Panchayat offices, with complete disclosure of beneficiary lists and works under execution with details.
- Special efforts were made in the 50,000 Gram Panchayats that States have been selected purposively by State Governments for coverage under Mission Antyodaya.
Gram Samridhi Evam Swacchata Pakhwada
It is an effort to prepare the Gram Panchayat Development Plan through extensive community participation especially of women and youth.
The recommendations of this plan will be given top most priority in finalization of Annual Action Plan across schemes and programmes of various Ministries and Departments.
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