Contents:
- ‘Stranded in India’ portal launched
- Direct cash transfer to women PMJDY account holders
- ‘HACK THE CRISIS-INDIA’ HACKATHON
‘Stranded in India’ portal launched
Why in news:
Ministry of Tourism launches ‘Stranded in India’ portal to help foreign tourists stuck in various parts of India.
Details:
- The portal will disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by foreign tourists who have stuck far away from their homeland.
- It aims to act as a support network for foreign tourists stuck in various parts of the country.
- It consists of the following
information that will be useful for the tourists in their time of need:
- Comprehensive information around COVID-19 helpline numbers or call-centres that the foreign tourists can reach out to for help.
- A variety of information around the Ministry of External Affairs control centres along with their contact information.
- Information around state-based/regional tourism support infrastructure.
- Help Support section to extend help to the ones in need of further information and connect foreign tourists to concerned authorities.
Direct cash transfer to women PMJDY account holders under PM Garib Kalyan Package
Why in news:
Direct cash transfer to women PMJDY account holders under PM Garib Kalyan Package for the month of April 2020 in the light of COVID-19 pandemic.
Ministry involved: Ministry of Rural Development
Details:
The Ministry of Rural Development is releasing the lump sum amounts of Rs. 500/- per woman to Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) account holders (as per number of such accounts intimated by banks), for April 2020, and the same have been credited to the designated accounts of individual banks on 2nd April 2020.
This follows the announcement made by the Finance Minister in late March regarding ex-gratia payment of Rs. 500/- per women PMJDY account holders, for next 3 months, under the PM Garib Kalyan Package.
Department of Financial Services (DFS) has directed the banks to stagger the arrival of account-holders at branches, BCs and ATMs for withdrawal of money. This has been done to maintain social distancing and orderly withdrawal of money by beneficiaries.
Background:
PRADHAN MANTRI GARIB KALYAN PACKAGE
Insurance scheme for health workers fighting COVID-19 in Government Hospitals and Health Care Centres
- Safai karamcharis, ward-boys, nurses, ASHA workers, paramedics, technicians, doctors and specialists and other
health workers would be covered by a Special
insurance Scheme.
- Any health professional, who while treating Covid-19 patients, meet with some accident, then he/she
would be compensated with an
amount of Rs 50 lakh under the
scheme.
- All
government health centres, wellness centres and hospitals of Centre as well as States would be covered under this
scheme approximately 22 lakh health
workers would be provided insurance cover to fight this
pandemic.
PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana
- Government of India would not allow anybody, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-availability of foodgrains due to disruption in the next three months.
- 80 crore individuals, i.e, roughly two-thirds of India’s population would be covered under this scheme.
- Each one of them would be provided double of their current entitlement over next three months.
- This additionality would be free of cost.
- Pulses: To ensure adequate availability of protein to all the above mentioned individuals, 1 kg per family, would be provided pulses according to regional preferences for next three months. These pulses would be provided free of cost by the Government of India.
Benefits to farmers Under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana
The first instalment of Rs 2,000 due in 2020-21 will be front-loaded and paid in April 2020 itself under the PM KISAN Yojana. It would cover 8.7 crore farmers.
Cash transfers Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana
- Help to Poor: A total of 20.40 crores PMJDY women account-holders would be given an ex-gratia of Rs 500 per month for next three months.
- Gas cylinders: Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, gas cylinders, free of cost, would be provided to 8 crore poor families for the next three months.
- Help to low wage earners in organised sectors: Wage-earners below Rs 15,000 per month in businesses having less than 100 workers are at risk of losing their employment.
- Under this package, government proposes to pay 24 percent of their monthly wages into their PF accounts for next three months. This would prevent disruption in their employment.
- Support for senior citizens (above 60 years), widows and Divyang: There are around 3 crore aged widows and people in Divyang category who are vulnerable due to economic disruption caused by COVID-19.
- Government will give them Rs 1,000 to tide over difficulties during next three months.
- MNREGA: Under PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, MNREGA wages would be increased by Rs 20 with effect from 1 April, 2020. Wage increase under MNREGA will provide an additional Rs 2,000 benefit annually to a worker. This will benefit approximately 13.62 crore families.
Self-Help groups
- Women organised through 63 lakhs Self Help Groups (SHGs) support 6.85 crore households. Limit of collateral free lending would be increased from Rs 10 to Rs 20 lakhs.
‘HACK THE CRISIS-INDIA’ HACKATHON
Why in news?
Minister of State Human Resource Development (HRD) and IT Sanjay Dhotre launched Hack the Crisis – India, an Online Hackathon to find working solutions for overcoming COVID-19 pandemic.
Details:
- This hackathon is part of a global initiative and is being organised by ‘Hack A Cause – India’ and ‘FICCI Ladies Organization Pune’ and supported by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
- The aim of this hackathon is to strengthen fight against COVID-19. The winning ideas from few top participating teams, as implementable solutions on corona crisis is expected to help India and global citizens.
- Over 2,000 teams and over 15,000 participants will be enhancing their working prototypes in 48 hour hackathon.
