PIB – 09 August 2021

QUIT INDIA MOVEMENT

Focus: GS I- Modern History

Why in News?

The Vice President has greeted the nation on the eve of the anniversary of Quit India Movement Day. 

About Quit India Movement

• The Quit India Movement also known as the August Movement, was a movement launched at the Bombay session of the All-India Congress Committee by Mahatma Gandhi on 8 August 1942, during World War II, demanding an end to British Rule of India.
• The Cripps Mission had failed, and Gandhi made a call to Do or Die in his Quit India speech, followed by the launch of a mass protest demanding what Gandhi called “An Orderly British Withdrawal” from India.
• Almost the entire leadership of the Indian National Congress was imprisoned without trial within hours of Gandhi’s speech.

Extent of Mass Participation

• The participation was on many levels.
• Youth, especially the students of schools and colleges, remained in the forefront.
• Women, especially school and college girls, actively participated, and included Aruna Asaf Ali, Sucheta Kripalani and Usha Mehta.
• Workers went on strikes and faced repression.
• Peasants of all strata were at the heart of the movement. Even some zamindars participated. These peasants concentrated their offensive on symbols of authority and there was complete absence of anti-zamindar violence.
• Government officials, especially those belonging to lower levels in police and administration, participated resulting in erosion of government loyalty.
• Muslims helped by giving shelter to underground activists. There were no communal clashes during the movement.
• The Communists did not join the movement; in the wake of Russia (where the communists were in power) being attacked by Nazi Germany, the communists began to support the British war against Germany and the ‘Imperialist War’ became the ‘People’s War’
• The Muslim League opposed the movement, fearing that if the British left India at that time, the minorities would be oppressed by the Hindus.
• The Hindu Mahasabha boycotted the movement.
• The Princely states showed a low-key response.

Lack of Unity

• The British had the support of the Viceroy’s Council (which had a majority of Indians), of the All India Muslim League, the princely states, the Indian Imperial Police, the British Indian Army, the Hindu Mahasabha and the Indian Civil Service.
• Many Indian businessmen profiting from heavy wartime spending did NOT support the Quit India Movement.

Result

• Due to various reasons including effective arrests (over 100,000 arrests were made) by the British and lack of unity, the Quit India campaign was effectively crushed.
• Many students paid more attention to Subhas Chandra Bose, who was in exile and supporting the Axis Powers.
• The only outside support came from the Americans, as President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressured Prime Minister Winston Churchill to give in to some of the Indian demands.
• The British refused to grant immediate independence, saying it could happen only after the war had ended.

PM-DAKSH PORTAL

Focus: GS II- Government policies and Interventions

Why in News?

Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment launched ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App.

About PM-DAKSH’ Portal and ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App

• It is developed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in collaboration with National e governance division (NeGD)
• Aim is to make the skill development schemes accessible to the target groups.
• Through these portal and app the youth of the target groups will now be able to avail the benefits of skill development training programmes more easily.
• Now, any person can get all the information related to skill development training at one place by visiting the ‘PM-DAKSH’ Portal.
• Also, with just one click, one can get information about skill development trainings happening near him/her and he/she can easily register himself/herself for skill training.
• PM- DAKSH Portal is available at http://pmdaksh.dosje.gov.in while ‘PM-DAKSH’ Mobile App is available in Google play store.
• Some of the features of this portal are as follows:
  • Availability of all information related to skill development at one place for Scheduled Castes, Backward Classes and Safai Karamcharis.
  • Facility to register for the training institute and program of their interest.
  • Facility to upload desired documents related to personal information.
  • Facility to register the attendance of the trainees through face and eye scanning during the training period.
  • Monitoring facility through photo and video clip during training etc.

Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana

Nodal:  Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

• The Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM-DAKSH) Yojana is being implemented by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment from the year 2020-21.
•  Under this Yojana, eligible target group are being provided skill development training programmes on

(i) Up-skilling/Re-skilling

(ii) Short Term Training Programme

(iii) Long Term Training Programme

(iv) Entrepreneurship Development Program (EDP).

These training programs are being implemented through Government Training Institutes, Sector Skill Councils constituted by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and other credible institutions.

PM KISAN

Focus: GS II- Welfare Schemes

Why in News?

PM releases 9th instalment of financial benefit under PM-KISAN.

 About PM KISAN

Nodal: Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare

• The Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Scheme is a Central Sector Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) Scheme.
• Under the scheme an income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal installments will be provided to small and marginal farmer families having combined land holding/ownership of upto 2 hectares.
• The Scheme initially provided income support to all Small and Marginal Farmers’ families across the country, holding cultivable land upto 2 hectares.
• Its ambit was later expanded to cover all farmer families in the country irrespective of the size of their land holdings. 
• Definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children.
• State Government and UT administration will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines.
• The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
• There are various Exclusion Categories for the scheme.

Some of the categories of beneficiaries who are NOT eligible for benefit under this scheme are:

• Any institutional land-holders.
• The farmer as well as any member of the family belonging to the following categories:
  • Former and present holders of constitutional posts
  • Former and present Ministers/ State Ministers
  • Former or present members of LokSabha/ RajyaSabha/ State Legislative Assemblies/ State Legislative Councils
  • Former and present Mayors of Municipal Corporations
  • Former and present Chairpersons of District Panchayats.
  • Any serving or retired officers as well as employees under the Central/ State Government Ministries /Offices/Departments.
  • All retired pensioners who get a monthly pension of Rs.10,000/-or more and belonging to the above category.
  • Any individual who paid their income tax in the last assessment year is not eligible under this scheme.
  • Professionals like Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountants, and Architects registered with Professional bodies and carrying out profession by undertaking practices.