30 June 2022 – Current Affairs

 

‘Udyami Bharat’ Programme

Paper 3 – INDIAN ECONOMY

Why Should You Know?

• The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi participated in the ‘Udyami Bharat’ programme launched key initiatives like ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance’ (RAMP) scheme, ‘Capacity Building of First-Time MSME Exporters’ (CBFTE) scheme and new features of the ‘Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme’ (PMEGP) to ramp up the MSME sector.
• He also digitally transferred assistance to beneficiaries of PMEGP for 2022-23; announced results of the MSME Idea Hackathon, 2022; distributed National MSME Awards, 2022; and issued Digital Equity Certificates to 75 MSMEs in the Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund.

MAJOR POINTS

• The Prime Minister remarked that when we say MSME, it expands in technical language to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises. But these micro, small and medium enterprises are a huge pillar of India’s growth journey.
• The MSME sector accounts for almost one-third of India’s economy. Strengthening the MSME sector is strengthening the entire society, making everyone recipient of the benefits of development. That is why this sector is one of the highest priorities of the government, he said.
• To strengthen the MSME sector, in the last eight years, the Prime Minister said, the government has increased the budget allocation for this by more than 650%. “For us, MSME means – Maximum Support to Micro Small and Medium Enterprises”, the Prime Minister stressed.
• Noting that more than 11 crore people are connected with the sector, The Prime Minister remarked that MSME is critical for employment generation.
• During the pandemic, the government decided to save the small enterprises and give them new strength. Under the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme, the central government has ensured Rs 3.5 lakh crore for MSMEs, he said.
• As per a report, this resulted in saving about 1.5 crore jobs, the Prime Minister informed. He said that MSME is a major medium for achieving the pledges of ‘Amrit Kaal’ of India’s independence.

Pradhanmantri Rozgar Srijan Karykram

• The Prime Minister said that Pradhanmantri Rozgar Srijan Karykram was revamped after 2014 as it was not able to achieve its goals in the period between 2008-2012. Since 2014, more than 40 lakh jobs have been created under this programme.
• During this period 14 thousand crore rupees worth of margin money subsidy was provided to these enterprises. Cost limit for products falling in this scheme has also been increased, he informed.
• Talking about inclusive development, the Prime Minister said that trans-gender entrepreneurs are being provided with all help to realize their goals.
• The Prime Minister noted that now for the first time, the turnover of Khadi and Village Industries has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore. “This has been possible because our small entrepreneurs in the villages and our sisters have worked very hard. Khadi sales have increased 4 times in the last 8 years”.
• The Prime Minister said that difficulty in getting loans without guarantees was a major obstacle for the vulnerable sections of the society to pursue the path of entrepreneurship. 
• After 2014, it was decided to enlarge the ambit of entrepreneurship through Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas. Mudra Yojana, he said, has a huge role to play in making entrepreneurship easy for every Indian.
• This scheme of bank loans without guarantee has created a large section of women entrepreneurs, Dalit, backward, tribal entrepreneurs in the country. So far, about Rs 19 lakh crore has been given as a loan under this scheme.
• Among the borrowers, there are about 7 crore such entrepreneurs, who have started an enterprise for the first time, who have become new entrepreneurs, he added.

Background of the Programme:

• ‘Udyami Bharat’ is reflective of the continuous commitment of the government, right from day one, to work towards the empowerment of MSMEs.
• The government has launched several initiatives from time to time like MUDRA Yojana, Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme, Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) etc. to provide necessary and timely support to the MSME sector, which has helped benefit crores of people across the country.
• ‘Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance’ (RAMP) scheme with an outlay of around Rs 6000 crore, aims to scale up the implementation capacity and coverage of MSMEs in the States, with impact enhancement of existing MSME schemes.
• It will complement the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan by fostering innovation, encouraging ideation, incubating new business and entrepreneurship by developing quality standards, improving practices and processes, enhancing market access, deploying technological tools and Industry 4.0 to make MSMEs competitive and self-reliant.
• ‘Capacity Building of First-Time MSME Exporters’ (CBFTE) scheme aims to encourage MSMEs to offer products and services of international standards for the global market. This will enhance the participation of Indian MSMEs in the global value chain and help them realise their export potential.
• New features of the ‘Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme’ (PMEGP) include an increase in the maximum project cost to Rs 50 lakhs (from Rs 25 lakhs) for the manufacturing sector and Rs 20 lakhs (from Rs 10 lakhs) in the service sector and inclusion of applicants from Aspirational districts & Transgenders in the Special Category applicants for availing higher subsidies.
• Also, handholding support is being provided to applicants/entrepreneurs through the engagement of banking, technical & marketing experts.
• MSME Idea Hackathon, 2022 was aimed at promoting and supporting the untapped creativity of individuals, promoting the adoption of the latest technologies and innovation among MSMEs. The selected incubatee ideas will be provided funding support of up to Rs. 15 lakhs per approved idea.
• National MSME Awards 2022 is a recognition of the contributions of MSMEs, States/UTs, Aspirational Districts and Banks for their outstanding performance in the growth and development of India’s dynamic MSME sector.

 

Business Reforms Action Plan 2020

Paper 3 – INDIAN ECONOMY

Why Should You Know?

• Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Telangana are the Top Achievers based on implementation of Business Reforms Action Plan.
• Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh figure under the Achievers category.
• While Assam, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Jharkhand, Kerala, Rajasthan and West Bengal have been placed in the Aspirers category, Andaman & Nicobar, Bihar, Chandigarh, Daman & Diu, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Puducherry and Tripura have been clubbed under the Emerging Business Ecosystems category.
• Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Hon’ble Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, announced the assessment of States/UTs under Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) 2020, the 5th edition of the BRAP exercise in New Delhi.

Business Reforms Action Plan 2020

• The BRAP 2020 includes 301 reform points covering 15 business regulatory areas such as Access to Information, Single Window System, Labour, Environment, Land Administration & Transfer of Land and Property, Utility Permits and others.
• 118 new reforms were included to further augment the reform process. Sectoral reforms with 72 action points spread across 9 sectors namely Trade License, Healthcare, Legal Metrology, Cinema Halls, Hospitality, Fire NOC, Telecom, Movie Shooting and Tourism were introduced for the first time to expand the scope of reform agenda.
• The broader aim is to boost investor confidence, foster business friendly climate and augment Ease of Doing Business across the country by introducing an element of healthy competition through a system of assessing states based on their performance in the implementation of Business Reforms Action Plan.
• In a departure from the previous years, where States/UTs were ranked, this year they have been placed under the four categories viz. Top Achievers, Achievers, Aspirers and Emerging Business Ecosystems.
• The objective of assessing the States/UTs is not to create a hierarchy amongst States/UTs but to rather create an enabling framework wherein learnings can be shared amongst States/UTs which in turn will lead to a nationwide spill over of good practices.
• The assessment gives full weightage to the feedback obtained from actual users/respondents at the ground level, who provided their feedback about the effective implementation of reforms.

department for promotion of industry and internal trade

• DPIIT since 2014 has been assessing States/UTs based on their performance in implementation of prescribed reforms in Business Reforms Action Plan (BRAP) exercise.
•  Till date, assessment of States/UTs have been released for the years 2015, 2016, 2017-18 and 2019.
• It is commendable to note the endeavour of the States/UTs in implementing the reforms and with that spirit, DPIIT has assessed and grouped States/UTs into broad category-wise segmentation to recognize and identify the exemplary reform measures undertaken by the States/UTs to improve business environment.

Space Technology and Disaster Management discussed between India and Tajikistan

PAPER 2 INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Why You Should Know?

• India’s Minister for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh held a bilateral meeting with the Minister for Energy and Water resources of Republic of Tajikistan Mr Daler Juma Shofaqir on the side-lines of the UN Ocean Conference Lisbon, Portugal and discussed several issues of mutual interest.
• Both the Ministers discussed water resources research, with special focus on Glacier monitoring and understanding, Non-conventional Energy, etc.
• Tajikistan Minister requested India to support global water action and climate resistance on Water for sustainable Development.

What is Space Technology 

• Space technology is technology for use in outer space, in travel (astronautics) or other activities beyond Earth’s atmosphere, for purposes such as spaceflight, space exploration, and Earth observation.
• Space technology includes space vehicles such as spacecraft, satellites, space stations and orbital launch vehicles; deep-space communication; in-space propulsion; and a wide variety of other technologies including support infrastructure equipment, and procedures.
• The space environment is a sufficiently novel environment that attempting to work in it often requires new tools and techniques.
• Many common everyday services for terrestrial use such as weather forecasting, remote sensing, satellite navigation systems, satellite television, and some long-distance communications systems critically rely on space infrastructure. Of the sciences, astronomy and Earth science benefit from space technology.
• New technologies originating with or accelerated by space-related endeavors are often subsequently exploited in other economic activities.

What is disaster management?

• Disaster management is a process of effectively preparing for and responding to disasters.
• It involves strategically organizing resources to lessen the harm that disasters cause.
• It also involves a systematic approach to managing the responsibilities of disaster prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.
  
  

5th India – Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation

PAPER 2 INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Why You Should Know?

• Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Minister of Defence for Strategic Affairs Mr Ahmed A Aseeri called on Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar in New Delhi on June 30, 2022.
• They discussed ways to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries. The Deputy Minister briefed the Defence Secretary about the 5th meeting of India – Saudi Arabia Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation (JCDC) that was held on June 29, 2022.
• It was decided to identify new avenues and examine areas of mutual interest for Joint Venture in order to enhance defence industry cooperation.
• Enhancing the scope and complexities of the existing joint naval exercises and expanding bilateral exercises in other domains were also discussed.
• It was agreed to hold the next meeting of JCDC in Saudi Arabia on mutually convenient dates in 2023.
• The JCDC is the apex body between the Defence Ministries of India and Saudi Arabia to comprehensively review & guide all aspects of bilateral defence cooperation.   
• The Deputy Minister also interacted with the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (CISC).
• A Defence Industry interaction was also organised for the delegation in which a number of Indian defence industries participated.

About Saudi Arabia

• Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country on the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia.
• It has a land area of about 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Arab world, and the largest in Western Asia.
• It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west; Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north; the Persian Gulf, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the east; Oman to the southeast; and Yemen to the south. Bahrain is an island country off the east coast.
• The Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest separates Saudi Arabia from Egypt. Saudi Arabia is the only country with a coastline along both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland, steppe, and mountains.
• Its capital and largest city is Riyadh. The country is home to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam.

Atmanirbhar Bharat Sankalp

PAPER 1 indian society

Why You Should Know?

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Sankalp starts with the empowerment of rural youth. The road to Atmanirbhar Bharat travels through Atmanirbhar Villages.
• Creating new opportunities of employment/self employment and entrepreneurship locally, is an article of faith for the Narendra Modi Govt, said Minister of State, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Electronics and IT, Rajeev Chandrasekhar at a ceremony for distribution of certificates to the first batch of trainees under Pilot Project for Skilling Tribal Youth – Rural Tribal Technical Training or Grameen Udyami at Raj Bhawan, Bhopal.

Major points

• Around 140 Tribal youth turned village engineers were conferred Skill Certificates today at a ceremony that was presided over by the Governor of Madhya Pradesh Shri Magan Bhai Patel.
• Expressing his satisfaction on the pilot project, the Minister affirmed that the pilot programme offers us a launch pad for replicating its success to other districts across the Nation.
•  It shall empower the tribal youth by making opportunities available – locally thereby reducing the pull and push for migration.
•  It shall trigger economic activities at local level in the Districts which is consistent with the new economic outlook of the Government which lays emphasis on Self Reliance or AtmaNirbharta, he added.
• Training was provided to the beneficiaries in 5 disciplines- electrical and solar energy, agricultural mechanization, e-governance, plumbing and masonry, two wheeler repair and maintenance.
• This training will also enable the youth to start their own business, thus generating more employment opportunities for other youth as well.

Global Skills Hub

• The concept of Multi Skilling and turning unemployed youth into village engineers is first of its kind and shall be replicated in other districts. The Minister highlighted the importance of skilling in post covid times.
• He said that the Covid pandemic has led to disruptions in traditional supply chains offering huge opportunities to India & Indians.
• The world is now looking for a trusted partner. As the world now looks towards India, we need to skill our youth to emerge as Global Skills Hub. 
• Prime Minister Shri  Narendra Modi has directed us to work out a New approach towards Skilling to build on the gains of Skill India 1.0 & to capitalise on the new economic opportunities offered to India in the emerging New World Order post Covid.
• The pilot project, under the Sansadiya Sankul Pariyojana , was launched on 13th May 2022 for training about 250 beneficiaries of 17 clusters of 17 districts selected from 6 states of India – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Odisha.

Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow

• A part of this push is creating district skilling plans for each of the 700 districts.
• The Central Government has appointed a Mahatma Gandhi National Fellow for each district, who will work with the local district collector as the district’s public representative in shaping skills according to local requirements.
• This will be divided into farm economy and non-farm economy.
• what type of skills are required there, what type of opportunities exist there, and for skills outside the local community in the state and within the country.

Production Linked Incentive

PAPER 3 INDIAN ECONOMY

Why You Should Know?

• There is a great response to the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme and PM Mitra Parks in the country.
• Speaking after virtually inaugurating Avgol Nonwoven’s New Manufacturing facility at Halol in Gujarat, Smt. Darshana Jardosh, Union Minister of State for Textiles and Railways said that the Government’s focus is on Five Fs-Fibre to Farm to Fabric to Fashion to Foreign.
• The contribution of India towards man-made fibre in the global market is 25%. And in order to increase this share, PLI Scheme and PM Mitra Parks will support to achieve the desired scale and size while also emerging as a strong competitor in the global market.
• Indorama has invested in its plant in Halol under 100% FDI.

The PM Mitra Park scheme aims    

• The PM Mitra Park scheme aims to realise the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi of building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat and to position India strongly on the Global textiles map.
• The Government of India approved Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Textiles products, namely MMF Apparel, MMF Fabrics and Products of Technical Textiles, for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and enhancing exports with an approved financial outlay of Rs 10,683 crore over a five-year period. To further boost the growth of the sector, centre also removed the import duty of cotton.

Israeli Parent Entity

• This investment is done with 100% FDI from Israel and technology transfer from Israeli Parent Entity.
• The plant will have 200 Crores Revenue with an annual capacity of 10,000 MT specialty nonwoven fabrics.
• This will help to substitute imports savings forex outflow worth 25 million USD per annum from country and contribute to the flag ship schemes of PM, “Make in India” and “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”.
• The building constructed is as per IGBC green building norms and aspired to be Platinum rated certification.

China’s “Zero-COVID”

PAPER 1 INTERNATIONAL RELATION

Why You Should Know?

• Recently, China shortened the quarantine period for international travelers who enter the mainland and close contacts of COVID-19 infected patients.
• The time has been reduced from 14 days of quarantine at a centralized facility and another seven days of home health monitoring to seven and three days respectively, state media reported quoting officials.
• It is seen as a big step toward relaxing Covid controls that have persisted for more than two years, but officials said that it is an updated epidemic prevention protocol and not a relaxation of dynamic zero-COVID policy. 

Major Points

• This is seen as a relief for thousands of Indian families and students who are waiting for their return to China.
• China has started accepting visa application for family reunion purposes but there is no announcement yet on student’s visa.
• After visa, next step would be to find a flight to China as there are no direct flights between India and China at the moment and also bear the cost of quarantine and the associated COVID protocols during that period.
• China began to tighten its borders in late March 2020 as Covid-19 started to come under control domestically while spreading rapidly overseas. Covid-19 first emerged in late 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

Zero-COVID approach

• Officials also insisted, it is simply aimed at more accurate and scientific prevention, as top envoys in Beijing and foreign chambers of commerce in China have expressed their frustration many times on China’s quarantine policy under Zero-COVID approach because it kept their top executives away from their field offices in China.
• Mi Feng, spokesperson for China’s National Health Commission (NHC), said at the conference that the updated version of the policy still upholds the dynamic zero-COVID policy, but has taken into consideration the characteristics of the Omicron variant, which has become dominant across the country.
• In the last few months, some cities including capital Beijing began to reduce the length of mandatory isolation.
• The instructions increased the frequency of nucleic acid testing for people in occupations that involve higher risks of infection and added antigen tests as supplement to the routine screenings.
• It also asked big cities to draw frequency and scope of nucleic acid test based on judgment of the infection risks and transmission chains, as more than a dozen Chinese cities canceled or reduced the frequency of regular testing as outbreaks were successfully curbed and also due to high economic burden on province’s finances.

Greenland’s Polar Bear

PAPER 3 ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Why You Should Know?

• An isolated population of polar bears in Greenland has made a clever adaptation to the decline in the sea ice they depend upon as a platform for hunting seals, offering a ray of hope for this species in at least some locales in the warming Arctic.

Major Points

• This population of several hundred bears, inhabiting part of Greenland’s southeast coast on the Denmark Strait, has survived with only abbreviated access to ice formed from frozen seawater by hunting instead from chunks of freshwater ice breaking off from the huge Greenland Ice Sheet.
  “They survive in fjords that are sea-ice free more than eight months of the year because they have access to glacier – freshwater – ice on which they can hunt.
• This habitat, meaning glacier ice, is uncommon in most of the Arctic,” said University of Washington polar scientist Kristin Laidre.
• They were found to be the world’s most genetically isolated polar bears, distinct from the species’ 19 other known populations.
• They have been almost entirely cut off from other polar bears for at least several hundred years, with no evidence of any leaving, though some evidence of an occasional arrival from elsewhere.

Polio Immunisation 2022

PAPER 2 HEALTH

Why You Should Know?

• The Polio Immunisation 2022 will begin today in 11 States and Union Territories.
• The Health Ministry said, first Sub-National Immunisation Day of the year will start its campaign for administering Polio vaccine drops to around three crore nine lakh children below five years of age.
• The campaign will start in Bihar, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal.
• During this campaign, targeted children will be given polio drops through booths, house-to-house, mobile and transit teams.

Inactivated Polio virus Vaccine

• The Government has also introduced the injectable Inactivated Polio virus Vaccine to provide additional protection to children in its routine Immunisation programme.
• The Ministry said, India was certified polio-free in March 2014 but the risk of wild polio virus importation or the emergence of vaccine-derived polio viruses persists until global eradication.
• It said, this is why, there is need for maintaining high population immunity and sensitive surveillance in the country.
• The Ministry said that India is making efforts to protect its children from more and more Vaccine-Preventable Diseases by introducing additional vaccines under the Universal Immunization Program.
• It urged All parents to get their children, less than 5 years of age, vaccinated against Polio.

Olympiad torch relay

PAPER 2 INTERNATIONAL RELATION (SPORTS)

Why You Should Know?

• The ongoing first-ever Chess Olympiad Torch Relay has covered over 20 cities across India since the launch ceremony on June 19, done in the presence of the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi at the IG Stadium in New Delhi.
• The relay will cover a total of 75 cities, commemorating the occasion of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav – 75 years of India’s independence.

Major Points

• From June 30, the torch relay enters Gujarat and then travels to the Western part of India, the Eastern part of India, North-east India and ultimately culminating at South India. \The North India leg covered Delhi – Jammu and Kashmir – Himachal – Punjab – Uttarakhand – Uttar Pradesh – Rajasthan in the last 10 days.
• The torch relay events across the cities saw major participation. While the Attari Border torch relay ceremony saw an audience of 8000 people, the number of people present at the Vidhan Sabha event in Lucknow was 3000.
• Besides some of the prominent Chess Grandmasters like Viswanathan Anand, Dibyendu Barua, Deep Sengupta, Tejas Bakre and Vantika Agarwal, among others, the events saw the presence of prominent dignitaries.
• The torch relay events start with simul chess, where Grandmasters and dignitaries play the game with local athletes.
• Following the events, the torch travels to the various locations via a jeep. Besides, various cultural events take place including an interactive bus tour travelling from one city to another, a cultural parade varying from region to region which features young chess players’ community.

Background

• For the first time in the history of the prestigious competition, India not only hosts the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad but is also the first country that starts off a torch relay that has been instituted by FIDE for the first time in the history of the competition which started in 1927.
• From now on, every two years when the Chess Olympiad happens, the torch will go out from India to the host country. 
• Being the host, India is set to field 20 players – their biggest ever contingent – at the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad. India is entitled to field 2 teams each in the Open and Women’s category.
• Over 2000 participants will be representing at the event from 188 countries, highest in the history of the Chess Olympiad. The 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad will be held in Chennai from July 28 to August 10, 2022.