CONTENTS
- PM-AJAY Scheme
- Sahitya Akademi Award 2023: Celebrating Literary Excellence
PM-AJAY Scheme
Context:
Recently, the Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment informed the Rajya Sabha about the PM-AJAY scheme.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Policies and Interventions
PM-AJAY Scheme: Empowering Scheduled Castes for Holistic Development
Scheme Overview:
- Pradhan Mantri Anusuchit Jaati Abhyuday Yojana (PM-AJAY) is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Merged Schemes:
- PM-AJAY is a consolidated scheme merging three Centrally Sponsored Schemes: Pradhan Mantri Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAGY), Special Central Assistance to Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCA to SCSP), and Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojana (BJRCY).
Objectives:
- Increase the income of the target population through income-generating schemes, skill development, and infrastructure development.
- Reduce poverty among the targeted Scheduled Castes (SC) population and bring them above the poverty line.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Scheduled Castes persons living below the poverty line are eligible for benefits under this scheme.
- Villages with 50% or more SC population qualify for grants under the scheme for infrastructure development.
Implementation Components (Since 2021-22):
- Development of SC Dominated Villages into an ‘Adarsh Gram’:
- Aims at transforming villages with a significant SC population into model villages.
- Grants-in-Aid for District/State-level Projects:
- Supports socio-economic betterment projects for SCs at the district and state levels.
- Construction of Hostels in Higher Educational Institutions:
- Focuses on building hostels to facilitate higher education for SC students.
Implementation Period:
- Implemented since 2021-22 with a multi-component approach.
Overall Goal:
- The scheme strives for the holistic development of Scheduled Castes, fostering economic empowerment, skill enhancement, and improved infrastructure.
Sahitya Akademi Award 2023: Celebrating Literary Excellence
Context:
The Sahitya Akademi has recently announced the Sahitya Akademi Award 2023 in 24 languages.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Key Points
- A total of nine poetry books, six novels, five short story collections, three essays, and one literary study have been honored with the prestigious award.
- The award is presented in the form of a casket containing an engraved copper-plaque, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000 for each awardee.
Sahitya Akademi Award: Recognizing Literary Excellence
Establishment:
- The Sahitya Akademi Award was established in 1954, serving as a prestigious literary honour.
Conferred by Sahitya Akademi:
- Awarded annually by Sahitya Akademi, India’s National Academy of Letters.
Number of Awards:
- Sahitya Akademi confers 24 awards each year for literary works in recognized languages and an additional 24 awards for literary translations.
Recognized Languages:
- Apart from the 22 languages mentioned in the Constitution of India, English and Rajasthani are also recognized for the Sahitya Akademi awards.
Significance:
- The Sahitya Akademi Award is the second-highest literary honour by the Government of India, following the Jnanpith award.
Criteria for Awardee Selection:
- The author must be of Indian nationality.
- The eligible book or work should be an outstanding contribution to the language and literature it represents.
- In cases of equal merit, additional factors such as the total literary contribution and standing of authors are considered for declaring the award.
Other Sahitya Akademi Awards:
- Bal Sahitya Puraskar:
- Recognizes an author’s total contribution to children’s literature, focusing on books published in the five years preceding the award year.
- Yuva Puraskar:
- Pertains to books published by an author aged 35 and below, showcasing emerging talent in the literary field.
