PIB 6th August

Contents

1. Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
2. Indian Railways to introduce “Kisan Rail”
3. India Water Resources Information System
4. National Handloom Day
5. UNESCO-IOC Tsunami Ready Recognition
6. IBBI amends the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
7. 150th Birth Anniversary of Abanindranath Tagore

RASHTRIYA KRISHI VIKAS YOJANA

Focus: GS-III Agriculture

Why in news?

Innovation and Agri-entrepreneurship Development programme has been launched under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana.

Details

• The Agri-entrepreneurship Development programme aims to promote innovation and “agri-preneurship” by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem.
• In order to contribute directly and indirectly to enhancing the income of farmers by providing opportunites to them and to provide employment to youth, start-ups are being encouraged.
• The supported start-ups are in various categories such as agro-processing, artificial intelligence, digital agriculture, farm mechanisation, waste to wealth, dairy, fisheries etc.
• These start-ups will lead to employment to youth. Besides, they, directly and indirectly, will contribute to enhancing the income of farmers by providing opportunities to them.

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

• The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana was introduced in 2007 following the resolution of the Naitonal Development Council (NDC) – with an aim to provide support to the agricultural sector in achieving 4% annual agriculture growth.
• The RKVY is a State Plan scheme, hence, it provided considerable flexibility and autonomy to States in planning and executing programmes for incentivising investment in agriculture and allied sectors.
• The scheme facilitated decentralized planning in the agricultural sector through the initiation of the State Agriculture Plan (SAP) and District Agriculture Plans (DAPs).
• The scheme was based on the agro-climatic conditions ensuring the availability of appropriate technology and natural resources thus providing accommodation for the local needs

Objectives of the RKVY programme

1. To incentivize the states that increase their investment in Agriculture and allied sectors
2. To provide flexibility and autonomy to the States in planning and executing programmes for agriculture
3. To ensure the preparation of Agriculture Plans for the districts and states
4. To achieve the goal of reducing the yield gaps in important crops
5. To maximize returns to the farmers
6. To address the agriculture and allied sectors in an integrated manner

Significance of the RKVY scheme

• Incentivising all the states of India in enhancing more allocation to agricultural and allied sectors.
• RKVY helps in creating the post-harvest infrastructure required for the growth of agriculture along with strengthening the efforts of the farmers by providing market facilities.
• It will help in the promotion of private investment in the farm sector across the nation.

Some features of RKVY

• The eligibility of a state for the RKVY is contingent upon the state maintaining or increasing the State Plan expenditure for Agricultural and Allied sectors.
• The preparation of the district and State Agriculture Plans is mandatory.
• The scheme encourages convergence with other programmes such as NREGS.
• The pattern of funding is 100% Central Government Grant.
• It is an incentive scheme; hence allocations are not automatic.

INDIAN RAILWAYS TO INTRODUCE “KISAN RAIL”

Focus: GS-II Social Justice

Why in news?

Indian Railways is introducing first “Kisan Rail” between Maharashtra and Bihar.

Kisan Rail

• The railways will begin its Kisan Rail services to transport perishable goods with the help of Kisan Rail.
• This train is a step towards realizing the goal of doubling farmers’ incomes by 2022.
• This train will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time.
• The train with frozen containers is expected to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of fish, meat and milk.
• The announcement regarding the “Kisan Rail” was made in the Budget announcement of 2020.
• Budget 2020 envisaged setting up of a ‘Kisan Rail’ through the public-private-partnership (PPP) model.

INDIA WATER RESOURCES INFORMATION SYSTEM

Focus: GS-III Science and Technology

Why in news?

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has launched a new version of the India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS) with new functionalities and features.

Introduction

• Judicious use of water resources assumes utmost importance, particularly when increasing population, urbanization and related development creates additional pressure on available resources.
• Good planning of any resource requires a strong data base and a reliable information system.

India Water Resources Information System (India-WRIS)

• This portal is open to the public and contains information related to Water Resources through dashboards for rainfall, water levels & discharge of rivers, water bodies, ground water levels etc.
• India WRIS is, at present, receiving data from many central and state agencies like CWC, CGWB, IMD, NRSC etc., on a regular basis.
• Data from other agencies is also being integrated into the system, so that it becomes a comprehensive platform for any data related to water and land resources.
• The MoJS has established a dedicated organization, National Water Informatics Centre (NWIC) to maintain and update India WRIS.
• The basis for all hydro-met observation data is the Water Information Management System (WIMS).

Benefits of India-WRIS

• Through this portal, any stakeholder can visualize the information in a user-friendly manner, as well download the information in the form of excel reports and graphs.
• Various user groups can utilize the information as follow like farmers and farmer Welfare Associations can plan crops and cropping pattern based on the rainfall, water availability in storages and ground water aquifers and with changing times the associations can involve youth for utilizing the data appropriately as real time data is available on this web site.
• Decision support System (DSS) can be developed.
• Researchers can utilize the data for water related studies and Modelling purposes as the data frequency required for such studies is available.
• Planners and Administrators can utilize this data of their States, Basins for proper utilization of water and to reduce the impact of Flood and Drought.

NATIONAL HANDLOOM DAY

Focus: GS-I Art and Culture

Why in news?

On the occasion of the National Handloom Day on 07th August 2020, Ministry of Textiles is organizing a function through Virtual Platform.

Introduction

• Handloom sector is a symbol of the country’s glorious cultural heritage and an important source of livelihood in the country.
• The sector is key to women empowerment as over 70% of handloom weavers and allied workers is women.

National Handloom Day

• 7th August was chosen as the National Handloom Day to commemorate the Swadeshi Movement which was launched on the same date in the year 1905.
• On this day, the handloom weaving community is honoured and the contribution of this sector in the socio-economic development of this country is highlighted.
• The objective is to generate awareness about Handloom Industry amongst public at large and its contribution to the socio-economic development.
• The objective is to generate awareness about Handloom Industry amongst public at large and its contribution to the socio-economic development.
• The more the world knows about the richness and diversity of these products, the greater our artisans and weavers will benefit.

UNESCO-IOC TSUNAMI READY RECOGNITION

Focus: Prelims, GS-III Disaster Management

Why in news?

Tsunami Ready is a community performance-based programme initiated by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO.

About “Tsunami Ready”

• The main objective of the IOC’s Tsunami Ready programme is to improve coastal community’s preparedness for tsunami emergencies, to minimize the loss of life and property and to ensure a structural and systematic approach in building community preparedness.
• The objective is to be fulfilled through fulfilling the best-practice indicators set by the Intergovernmental Coordination Group for the Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System (ICG/IOTWMS) of UNESCO-IOC.
• Fulfilment of the guidelines ensures communities have a strong end-to-end tsunami early warning and mitigation system with a particular focus on community awareness and preparedness to respond.
• The programme aims for active collaboration of public, community leaders, and national and local emergency management agencies.
• The Odisha State Disaster Management Authority (OSDMA), Odisha has now implemented the Tsunami Ready programme in two villages.
• India is the first country to implement Tsunami Ready in the Indian Ocean Region and Odisha is the first state.

Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC)

• The Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), INCOIS is the nodal agency to provide tsunami advisories to India.
• Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is also providing tsunami advisories to Indian Ocean region (25 countries) as a Tsunami Service Providers as the responsibility assigned by IOC-UNESCO.
• To create awareness and preparedness about the tsunamis, INCOIS regularly organizes Tsunami Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) workshops, training sessions and seminars for state and district level Disaster Management Officials (DMOs) of the coastal states.
• ITEWC at INCOIS also conducts IOWave Tsunami mock exercises biannually in coordination with ICG/IOTWMS and conducts at National level mock exercises alternative years in coordination with Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and State Disaster Management Agencies (SDMA) to strengthen the readiness to handle the emergency situations with stakeholders.

IBBI AMENDS THE INSOLVENCY AND BANKRUPTCY BOARD OF INDIA

Focus: GS-III Indian Economy

Why in news?

The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) notified the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2020.

Details

• The Regulations require the committee of creditors to fix the fee payable to the liquidator.
• The amendment made to the Regulations today clarifies that where a liquidator realises any amount, but does not distribute the same, he/she shall be entitled to a fee corresponding to the amount realised by him/her.
• Likewise, where a liquidator distributes any amount, which is not realised by the liquidator, then he/she shall be entitled to a fee corresponding to the amount distributed by him/her.

In law, a liquidator is the officer appointed when a company goes into winding-up or liquidation who has responsibility for collecting in all of the assets under such circumstances of the company and settling all claims against the company before putting the company into dissolution.

Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI)

• The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) is the regulator for overseeing insolvency proceedings and entities like Insolvency Professional Agencies (IPA), Insolvency Professionals (IP) and Information Utilities (IU) in India.
  The IBBI is a Statutory Body under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
• It covers Individuals, Companies, Limited Liability Partnerships and Partnership firms.
• It attempts to simplify the process of insolvency and bankruptcy proceedings.
• It handles the cases using two tribunals like NCLT (National Company Law Tribunal) and Debt Recovery Tribunal.

Click Here to read more about the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, Insolvency and Resolution

150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF ABANINDRANATH TAGORE

Focus: Prelims, GS-I Art and Culture

Why in news?

The 150th Birth Anniversary of Abanindranath Tagore will be commemorated by National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi by organising a virtual tour.

Abanindranath Tagore

• Abanindranath Tagore was the principal artist and creator of ‘Indian Society of Oriental Art’ and the first major exponent of swadeshi values in Indian art.
• He was the First Indian artist to gain international recognition.
• He founded the influential Bengal school of art, which led to the development of modern Indian painting.
• Abarindranath Tagore was a nephew of the poet Rabindranath Tagore.
• Popularly known as ‘Aban Thakur’, his books Rajkahini, Budo Angla, Nalak, and Ksheerer Putul are landmarks in Bengali language children’s literature.
• Tagore sought to modernize Moghul and Rajput styles in order to counter the influence of Western models of art, as taught in Art Schools under the British Raj and developed the Indian style of painting, later known as Bengal school of art.
• His work was very successful and was eventually accepted and promoted as a national Indian style within British art institutions under the epithet of Indian Society of Oriental Art.