Prelim Booster News Discussion

LECTURE 10- SOCIETY & SCHEMES

MARCH, 2019
 Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and
Innovation Scheme
• To cater to the needs and aspirations of the youth, the National Cooperative
Why In Development Corporation (NCDC) has launched a youth-friendly scheme ‘Yuva
News Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme” for attracting them
to cooperative business ventures.

The scheme would encourage cooperatives to venture

into new and innovative areas.

NCDC has created a dedicated fund with liberal

features enabling youth to avail the scheme. The
scheme will be linked to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative
Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF)’ created by the
NCDC.
It would have more incentives for cooperatives of
North Eastern region, Aspirational Districts and
cooperatives with women or SC or ST or PwD
members.
 Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and
Innovation Scheme
Funding

• The funding for the project will be up to 80% of the project cost for these special
categories as against 70% for others.
• The scheme envisages 2% less than the applicable rate of interest on term loan
for the project cost up to Rs 3 crore including 2 years moratorium on payment of
principal.

All types of cooperatives in operation for at least one year

are eligible.

NCDC
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) was established by
an Act of Parliament in 1963 as a statutory Corporation under Ministry of
Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. It has many regional centres to provide the
financial assistance to Cooperatives/Societies/Federations.
 Smart India Hackthon 2019

• Smart India Hackathon 2019 is a nationwide initiative to provide

Why In students a platform to solve some of pressing problems we face in our
News daily lives, and thus inculcate a culture of product innovation and a
mindset of problem solving.

In SIH 2019, the students would also have

the opportunity to work on challenges
faced within the private sector
organisations and create world class
solutions for some of the top companies in
the world, thus helping the Private sector
hire the best minds from across the nation.
 Smart India Hackthon 2019

About SIH2019

• An initiative by Ministry of HRD, AICTE, Persistent Systems, i4c and

Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini.
• Involves 1 Lakh+ technical students, 3000+ technical institutions,
200+ organizations from across India.
• World’s biggest Software and Hardware hackathon.
• 3rd edition of highly successful Smart India Hackathon initiative.
• Technology Students across India compete to creatively solve
problems and offer technical solutions.
• Harness expertise of students from IISc, IITs, NITs and AICTE/UGC
approved institutions.
 Kanyashree scheme

• Experts and activists have observed that Kanyashree stipends are no

Why In
shield against trafficking. They say the complex problem cannot be
News prevented merely by monetary handouts meant to retain girls in school.

Kanyashree is a conditional cash transfer scheme aiming

at improving the status and wellbeing of the girl child by
incentivising schooling of teenage girls and delaying
their marriages until the age of 18. It received the
United Nations Public Service Award last year.

Through the initiative, cash was deposited into the bank

account of girls for every year they remained in school
and were unmarried. This initiative led to a “drastic
reduction in child marriage, increase in female education
and female empowerment.”
 Janaushadhi Diwas

Why In • Ministry of Chemicals and fertilizers has decided to celebrate

News 7th March 2019 as ‘Janaushadhi Diwas’ across India.

It is to provide further impetus & create

awareness about the use of generic medicines.

Under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi

Pariyojana around 5050 Janaushadhi stores
were opened.
It has provided the awareness about the
availability of the high quality affordable generic
medicines in the country.
 Janaushadhi Diwas

About 10-15 lakh people benefit from Janaushadhi medicines per

day.
The market share of generic medicines has grown over 3 fold from
2% to 7% in last 3 years.
 Indore gets cleanest city Swachh Survekshan awards 2019

• Swachh Survekshan Awards are given by the Union Ministry of Housing

Why In and Urban Affairs based on the survey which covered all urban local
News bodies in the country.
• The Survey was the largest such cleanliness survey in the world.

Indore was adjudged India’s cleanest city for the third

year in a row in the Centre’s ‘Cleanliness Survey.

The second and third positions were bagged by

Ambikapur in Chhattisgarh and Mysuru in Karnataka.

The New Delhi Municipal Council was given an award

for the ‘Cleanest Small City’ award.
 Indore gets cleanest city Swachh Survekshan awards 2019

Uttarakhand’s Gauchar bagged the ‘Best Ganga Town’.

Ahmedabad has been awarded ‘Cleanest Big City’ and Raipur is the ‘Fastest
Moving Big City’.
Mathura-Vrindavan bagged the tag of the ‘Fastest Moving Medium Cities’.
 SHREYAS Scheme

• The Ministry of HRD has launched the Scheme for Higher Education
Why In
Youth in Apprenticeship and Skills (SHREYAS) for providing industry
News apprenticeship opportunities.

It is a programme conceived for students in degree

courses, primarily non-technical, with a view to introduce
employable skills into their learning, promote
apprenticeship and also amalgamate employment
facilitating.
SHREYAS portal will enable educational institutions and
industry to log in and provide their respective demand and
supply of apprenticeship.

The matching of students with apprenticeship avenues will

take place as per pre-specified eligibility criteria.
 SHREYAS Scheme

Objectives of the Scheme

To improve employability of students by introducing employment relevance into the

learning process of the higher education system

To forge a close functional link between education and industry/service sectors on a

sustainable basis

To provide skills which are in demand, to the students in a dynamic manner

To establish an ‘earn while you learn’ system into higher education

To help business/industry in securing good quality manpower

To link student community with employment facilitating efforts of the Government

 SHREYAS Scheme

•The primary scheme will be •Under the NAPS scheme, Central

Operation of the
operated in conjunction with Government shares 25% of the
National Apprenticeship Promotion stipend per month subject to a
Scheme (NAPS) which provides for maximum of Rs.1500 p.m during

Financing
Scheme

placing of apprentices upto 10% of the period of the apprenticeship.

the total work force in every •Apart from that, an amount upto
business/industry. Rs.7500 will be met towards basic
•The scheme will be implemented training cost, where needed.
by the Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) ,
initially the Banking Finance
Insurance Services (BFSI), Retail,
Health care, Telecom, Logistics,
Media, Management services, ITeS
and Apparel.

Target: In all the tracks together, it is proposed to cover 50 lakh

students by 2022.
 Web- Wonder Women Campaign

Why In • The Ministry of Women and Child Development

News hosted a felicitation event for Web Wonder Women.

The Campaign has been launched by the Ministry of

Women and Child Development, Government of India in
association with the NGO Breakthrough and Twitter India.

Through the campaign, the Ministry aims to recognize the

fortitude of Indian women stalwarts from across the globe
who have used the power of social media to run positive
& niche campaigns to steer a change in society.

The Campaign is aimed at encouraging, recognizing and

acknowledging the efforts of these meritorious Women.
 Quality Assurance Scheme

Why In • NABL launches Quality Assurance Scheme for

News Basic Composite Medical Laboratories.
It is a voluntary scheme.
The laboratories performing only basic routine tests like
blood glucose, blood counts, rapid tests for common
infections, liver & kidney function tests and routine
tests of urine will be eligible to apply under this
scheme.

The scheme requires minimal documentation and a

nominal fee has been prescribed for availing the
scheme. Components of competence assessment have
been added for assuring quality and validity of test
results.
 Quality Assurance Scheme

Successful laboratories will be issued a certificate of compliance to QAS BC

scheme by NABL and they will be allowed to use a distinct symbol on the
test reports as a mark of endorsement to the basic standard for a defined
time frame before which they will have to transition to full accreditation as
per ISO 15189.
Through this scheme, patients availing services of small labs in primary
health centers, community health centers, doctor’s clinic, standalone small
labs, labs in small nursing homes will also have access to quality lab results.
 National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration
Laboratories

It is a Constituent Board of Quality Council of India.

It has been established with the objective of third-

party assessment of the technical competence of
testing including medical and calibration
laboratories, proficiency testing providers and
reference material producers.
It provides accreditation in all major fields of
Science and Engineering.

It also offers accreditation for Proficiency testing

providers.
 TWIN-PIT SYSTEM

• A government-commissioned survey under Swachh Bharat

Why In
News
Abhiyan shows that only 26% of rural toilets use twin-pit
system.

Under the twin-pit system, two pits are dug with honeycombed
walls and earthen floors which allow liquid to percolate into the
surrounding soil.
When one pit is filled and closed off, waste flow is transferred to
the second pit, allowing waste in the first pit to be converted into
manure after a year or two.
The twin pit has been promoted by the Ministry of Drinking
Water and Sanitation as well as the World Health Organisation as
an in-situ sanitation system which claims to bypass thorny issues
such as caste purity, as owners will be dealing with manure, not
excreta.
TWIN-PIT SYSTEM
 TB DEATHS AMONG PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV

• According to the Joint United Nations Programme on the

Why In
News
UNAIDS, India has achieved an 84 % reduction in
tuberculosis deaths among people living with HIV by 2017.

It is the highest recorded decline among over 20 nations

and it is also three years ahead of the 2020 deadline.

UNAIDS has urged countries to step up action to meet the

2020 target of reducing TB deaths among people living
with HIV by 75 %, as outlined in the 2016 United Nations
Political Declaration on Ending AIDS.

World Health Organisation estimates show that globally,

TB deaths among people living with HIV have fallen by 42
per cent since 2010.
 About UNIADS

Full name: The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS
(UNAIDS).
Type: Non-governmental organization, Joint Programme.
UNAIDS is the only cosponsored Joint Programme in the United
Nations system.
It is the only United Nations entity with civil society represented on
its governing body.
Mission:
To prevent the HIV/AIDS epidemic from becoming a severe
pandemic.
It promotes the GIPA principle (greater involvement of people living
with HIV) formulated in 1994, and endorsed by the United Nations in
2001 and 2006.
Headquarters: UNAIDS is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, where
it shares some site facilities with the World Health Organization (WHO).
Parent organization: United Nations Economic and Social Council.
Established in: 1994.
 Nari Shakti Puraskars

Context
• The Nari Shakti Puraskars were awarded
on the 8th of March, International
Women’s Day.
• They are conferred on eminent women
and institutions rendering distinguished
service to the cause of women especially
belonging to the vulnerable and
marginalized sections of the society.
• Instituted by Ministry of Women and
Child Development, the awards are given
away by the President of India.
• They are not presented posthumously.
 Centre for Disability Sports

Context
• A ‘Centre for Disability Sports ‘will be
set up at Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.
• It will be registered under the Societies
Registration Act, 1860.

• The Improved sports infrastructure

created by this Centre will ensure
effective participation of Persons with
Disabilities (PwDs) in sports activities.
 Centre for Disability Sports

• The centre would aid in achieving the objective under the Section 30 of
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016 which enjoins
the Government to take measures to ensure effective participation of
Persons with Disabilities in sports activities.
 National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey

Context
• Recently, the second edition of
National Annual Rural Sanitation
Survey was released on the status
of rural sanitation in India.
 National Annual Rural Sanitation Survey

 Key findings of the Survey

• Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking
water and adequate treatment and disposal of human excreta and
sewage.
 Status of Sanitation
• Toilet coverage- 93.1% of rural households had access to toilets
(National Sanitation Coverage)
• Toilet Usage- 96.5% of the people who had access to toilets, used them.
• ODF Status- 90.7% of verified Open Defecation Free villages were
confirmed as ODF.
• Litter- 95.4 % of the villages found to have minimal litter and stagnant
water.
 12 States Banned E-cigarettes

Context
• 12 states banned e-cigarettes
recently, and Health Ministry has
urged all to follow.
 Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

• They are devices that heat a solution to create an aerosol by vaporizing

the solution, which also frequently contains flavours, usually dissolved
into propylene glycol and glycerin.
• They aim to provide a similar sensation to inhaling tobacco smoke,
without the smoke and are sold as aids to reduce or quit smoking.
• E-cigarettes, the most common prototype of ENDS, claim to emit
nicotine without other harmful chemicals that are present in normal
cigarettes.

• However, there is no convincing evidence proving that e-cigarettes help

quit smoking.
 Cabinet approved continuation of National AIDS Control
Programme-IV (NACP-IV)

Context
• Recently Cabinet approved
continuation of National AIDS
Control Programme-IV (NACP-
IV) beyond 12th Five Year Plan for
a period of three years from 2017
to 2020.
 NACP IV (2012-17)

• It aims to accelerate the process of reversal and further strengthen the

epidemic response in India through a cautious and well-defined
integration process over the next five years.

• Its Objectives were:

• Reduce new infections by 50% (2007 Baseline of NACP III)
• Provide comprehensive care and support to all persons living with
HIV/AIDS and treatment services for all those who require it.
• It was aimed at zero infection, zero stigma and zero death.
 Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030

Context
• Recently, WHO has released a
Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-
2030 aimed at protecting people in
all countries from the threat of
Influenza.
 Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030

• Developed through a consultative process, it is in line with the mandate

of WHO to build core capacities for public health and enhance global
preparedness.

 The Goal of the strategy-

1. to prevent seasonal influenza,
2. control the spread of influenza from animals to humans,
3. Prepare for the next influenza pandemic.
 Global Influenza Strategy for 2019-2030

 Focus of the strategy

1. Work closely with countries to improve their capacities for disease
surveillance, response, prevention and control.
2. Calls every country to have a tailored influenza programme that
contributes to national and global preparedness and health security.
3. Expand partnerships to increase research, innovation and availability
of new and improved Global Influenza tools (vaccines, antivirals, and
treatments) to benefit all countries.
 Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative

• Ivanka Trump unveiled an effort aimed at helping 50 million

Why In
News
women in the developing world get ahead economically over
the next six years.

Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, a

government-wide project led by the senior adviser and
daughter to President Donald Trump.
The initiative will involve the State Department, the
National Security Council and other agencies.

The President previewed the launch during his State of

the Union address on Tuesday night, describing it as “part
of our commitment to improving opportunity for women
everywhere”.
 e-AUSHADHI

Why In • The e-AUSHADHI portal was launched for online licensing of Ayurveda,
News Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and related matters.

This new e-portal is an acronym for Ayurveda, Unani,

Siddha and Homeopathy Automated Drug Help
Initiative.
It is intended for increased transparency, improved
information management facility, improved data
usability and increased accountability.
It will provide real time information of the licensed
manufactures and their products, cancelled and
spurious drugs, contact details of the concerned
authority for specific grievances.
 Atal JaiAnusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking
Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI)
Context
• The Department of biotechnology,
Ministry of Science and Technology has
launched the Atal JaiAnusandhan
Biotech Mission - Undertaking
Nationally Relevant Technology
Innovation (UNaTI).

 Objective :-
• To transform Health, Agriculture and
Energy sectors during the next 5 year
 Atal JaiAnusandhan Biotech Mission - Undertaking
Nationally Relevant Technology Innovation (UNaTI)
Features
• This mission includes:
1. GARBH-ini: A Mission to promote Maternal and Child Health and
develop prediction tools for pre-term berth,

2. IndCEPI: A Mission to develop affordable vaccines for endemic

diseases, Development of Biofortified and Protein Rich wheat
contributing to POSHAN Abhiyan, Mission on Anti Microbial
Resistance for Affordable Diagnostics and Therapeutics

3. Clean Energy Mission- Innovative Technology interventions for

Swachh Bharat.
 New panel for Welfare of Nomadic Communities

• The Centre will form a welfare panel for nomadic, semi-

Why In News nomadic and de-notified communities. Announced in
Budget.

The committee will be set up under NITI Aayog

to complete the task of identifying de-notified,
nomadic and semi-nomadic communities.

The committee will follow up on the work of

the Renke Commission and the Idate
Commission.
 Denotified and Nomadic Tribes:

• The Denotified Tribes are communities that were listed or notified as ‘born
criminal ‘by the British under a number of laws. The term, ‘Denotified and
Nomadic Tribes’, can be traced to the Criminal Tribes Act (CTA) of 1871.
• The colonial government notified nearly 200 tribal communities to be hereditary
criminals, cementing their societal identity as outcasts and subjecting them to
constant harassment by the administration.
• Forest laws that came into force from the mid-nineteenth century onwards
deprived a large number of communities of their traditional rights of hunting
and gathering. The new laws criminalised their very source of livelihood when it
practiced.
• When the forests were cleared by the British for commercial use and forest
communities asked to contribute to labour, some communities resisted and were
declared ‘criminal’.
• The British thought that communities had lost their legitimate means of
livelihood, they must have been living by indulging in criminal activities due to
arrival of road and railway networks. After India gained Independence, these
tribes were ‘de-notified’ from the list of Criminal Tribes.
 Idate commission Recommendations:

Denotified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes are poorest of the poor, most marginalised
and most downtrodden communities who are subject to social stigma, atrocity and
exclusion. Therefore, the commission has recommended giving protection to Denotified
Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes the communities under the Atrocities Act.

The government should provide strong legal protections and constitutional safeguards,
including the extension of the Protection of Atrocities Act to the NT/ DNT/ SNT
communities by creating a separate Third schedule as Scheduled De-notified, Nomadic
and Semi-Nomadic Tribes.

Noting that all that the Centre has done so far are “symbolic reparations”, the Idate
Commission advocated for release of 2011 caste census, which is yet to be made public,
at least on the DT/ NT/ SNT community, so that policies can be made specifically for
these communities.