PIB 5th March

Contents:

1. Jan Aushadi Pariyojana Kendras
2. North East Venture Fund
3. Gender disparity at all levels of schools
4. Land under Irrigation
5. Schemes Under Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA)

JAN AUSHADI PARIYOJANA KENDRAS

Focus: GS-II Social Justice

Why in news?

• Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi shall participate in Jan Aushadi Diwas celebrations on 7th March 2020 through Video Conference from New Delhi.
• In order to celebrate achievements of the scheme and provide further impetus, 7th March is proposed to be celebrated as “Janaushadi Diwas” across India.

Janaushadi Kendras

• Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana Kendra (PMBJP) is a campaign launched by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government of India, to provide quality medicines at affordable prices to the masses through special kendras known as Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra.
• Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Pariyojana Kendra (PMBJPK) have been set up to provide generic drugs, which are available at lesser prices but are equivalent in quality and efficacy as expensive branded drugs.
• Janaushadi Kendras is considered the biggest retail pharma chain of the world with around 6200 outlets in 700 districts.

NORTH EAST VENTURE FUND

Focus: GS-III Indian Economy

Why in news?

A venture fund is being provided by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) for the growth of entrepreneurship and to encourage start-ups in the region.

North East Venture Fund (NEVF)

• North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Limited (NEDFi) in association with Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (M-DoNER) has launched the first dedicated venture capital fund for the North Eastern Region Namely “North East Venture Fund”.
• The primary objective of North East Venture Fund (NEVF) would be to invest in enterprises focused on and not limited to Food Processing, Healthcare, Tourism, Aggregation of Services and IT&ITES located in the NER and to provide resources for entrepreneurs from the region to expand throughout the country. The investment focus of the NEVF will be early and growth stage investment mostly in enterprises involved in the fields of, Food processing, Healthcare, Tourism, Aggregation of Services and IT & ITES. NEVF would inter alia invest in areas such as development of new products and services, technological up gradation, expansion or diversification, process improvement and quality improvement with the purpose of creating value for all stakeholders.
• The North East Venture Fund (NEVF) was formally launched on 9th September, 2017 with joint efforts from Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) to encourage entrepreneurs and Start-ups and to empower entrepreneurs from the North Eastern Region (NER). It is a close ended fund with capital commitment of Rs 100 crore.

GENDER DISPARITY AT ALL LEVELS OF SCHOOLS

Focus: GS-II Social Justice

Why in news?

• Gender Parity Index (GPI) at various levels reflect equitable participation of girls in the School system.
• However, under SamagraShiksha – an Integrated Scheme for School Education (ISSE), bridging Gender Gap in School Education continues to be one of the major objectives.

• The GPI indicates that the number of girls is more than the number of boys at all levels of school Education.  

Details

• Kasturba Gandhi BalikaVidyalayas (KGBVs) have been sanctioned in Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) under SamagraShiksha.
• KGBVs are residential schools from class VI to XII for girls belonging to disadvantaged groups such as SC, ST, OBC, Minority and Below Poverty Line (BPL).A total of 5930 KGBVs have been sanctioned under SamagraShiksha as on 30.09.2019.

SamagraShiksha

• Samagra Shiksha – an overarching programme for the school education sector extending from pre-school to class 12 has been, therefore, prepared with the broader goal of improving school effectiveness measured in terms of equal opportunities for schooling and equitable learning outcomes.
• It subsumes the three erstwhile Schemes of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) and Teacher Education (TE).

• This sector-wide development programme/scheme would also help harmonise the implementation mechanisms and transaction costs at all levels, particularly in using state, district and sub-district level systems and resources, besides envisaging one comprehensive strategic plan for development of school education at the district level. The shift in the focus is from project objectives to improving systems level performance and schooling outcomes which will be the emphasis of the combined Scheme along-with incentivizing States towards improving quality of education.

LAND UNDER IRRIGATION

Focus: GS-III Agriculture

Why in news?

Under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) – Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), 99 major and medium irrigation projects having combined ultimate irrigation potential of 75.43 lakh Ha are under implementation; and under CADWM, development of the command area of these 99 projects have been taken up, targeting 44.35 lakh Ha of Culturable Command Area (CCA) .

Details

• The Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare implements Per Drop More Crop (PDMC) component of PMKSY which focuses on enhancing water use efficiency at farm level through precision/micro irrigation by providing financial assistance the States.
• The scheme also supports micro level water storage or water conservation / management activities to supplement micro irrigation.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY)

• Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana is a national mission to improve farm productivity and ensure better utilization of the resources in the country.
• The primary objectives of PMKSY are to attract investments in irrigation system at field level, develop and expand cultivable land in the country, enhance ranch water use in order to minimize wastage of water, enhance crop per drop by implementing water-saving technologies and precision irrigation.
• The plan additionally calls for bringing ministries, offices, organizations, research and financial institutions occupied with creation and recycling of water under one platform so that an exhaustive and holistic outlook of the whole water cycle is considered.
• The goal is to open the doors for optimal water budgeting in all sectors.
• Tagline for PMKSY is “more crop per drop”.’

Major objectives

1. Convergence of investment in irrigation at the field level
2. Expand cultivable area under irrigation
3. Improve On-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage of water
4. Enhance the adoption of being precise in irrigation and other water saving technologies (more crop per drop)

SCHEMES OF MINISTRY OF MINORITY AFFAIRS

Focus: GS-II Social Justice

Details of Various Schemes Under Ministry of Minority Affairs in news

Employment-oriented Skill Development Initiatives

1. Seekho Aur Kamao– It is a placement linked skill development programme.
2. Nai Manzil – A scheme for formal school education & skilling of school dropouts
3. Gharib Nawaz Employment Training for providing short-term job oriented skill development courses to youths belonging to minority communities 

Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK)

1. It is an area development scheme.
2. The Ministry has identified 1300 backward Minority Concentration Areas (MCAs) for the implementation of this scheme. 
3. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for creating socioeconomic infrastructure as well as basic amenities for uplifting the quality of life of minorities in the MCAs.
4. The amenities are meant for all segments of the society including minorities.

Naya Savera Scheme

The objective of the Naya Savera Scheme is to assist students/candidates belonging to the notified the minority communities by way of special coaching for qualifying in competitive examination for recruitment to Group A, B & C services and other equivalent post under the Central and State Governments including public sector undertaking, banks, railways etc. or for admission in technical/professional courses.

Nai Udaan Scheme

Objective of the Nai Udaan Scheme is to provide financial support to the minority candidates who clear the preliminary examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, Staff Selection Commission and State Public Service Commission.