CONTENTS
- Graphene-Aurora Program
- A-HELP Programme
Graphene-Aurora Program
Context:
Recently, the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) Secretary launched the ‘Graphene-Aurora program’ at a function in Maker Village Kochi, Kerala.
Relevance:
GS II: Government policies and Interventions
Dimensions of the Article:
- Graphene-Aurora Program
- Graphene: Remarkable Properties and Characteristics
Graphene-Aurora Program
- The Graphene-Aurora Program is set to be executed by Digital University Kerala.
- Joint funding will come from the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), the Government of Kerala, and industry partners.
- Carborundum Pvt Limited has emerged as a prominent industry participant.
Objectives:
- The program aims to foster the growth of deep/emerging Graphene technology and innovation ecosystem.
- It envisions providing guidance, development, implementation, and support to SMEs and startups in the commercialization of graphene technologies.
Significance:
- By establishing a commercialization eco-system for graphene, India seeks to establish a prominent position in the global market for new materials.
- The program aims to facilitate the scale adoption of developed graphene technologies, contributing to India’s prominence in the emerging technology landscape.
Graphene: Remarkable Properties and Characteristics
Source and Composition:
- Graphene is derived from graphite and consists solely of carbon atoms.
- It’s a fundamental element present in everyday items, such as pencil lead.
Exceptional Attributes:
- Acknowledged as the thinnest material globally, it boasts incredible strength and exceptional conductivity in both heat and electricity.
- Surpasses copper in electrical conductivity, making it an outstanding conductor.
- Remarkably, it is 200 times stronger than steel while being six times lighter.
Transparency and Impermeability:
- Graphene exhibits near-perfect transparency, permitting only a mere 2% light absorption.
- It possesses unparalleled gas impermeability, even blocking gases as lightweight as hydrogen and helium.
A-HELP Programme
Context:
Recently, the Union Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairying unveiled the ‘A-HELP’ (Accredited Agent for Health and Extension of Livestock Production) programme in the State of Gujarat.
Relevance:
GS II: Government policies and Interventions
Dimensions of the Article:
- A-HELP’ Programme: Empowering Women for Livestock Assistance
- About the Rashtriya Gokul Mission
A-HELP’ Programme: Empowering Women for Livestock Assistance
- Jointly introduced by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and the Ministry of Rural Development.
- The program entails community-based women activists known as ‘A-HELP’ (Animal Health Entrepreneurship and Livelihood Promotion).
- ‘A-HELP’ members collaborate with veterinarians and actively engage in local departmental activities to aid livestock farmers.
Key Roles and Responsibilities:
- Supporting Livestock Farmers: ‘A-HELP’ women assist livestock farmers in securing loans for entrepreneurial ventures.
- Administrative Assistance: They facilitate paperwork, application completion, ear tagging of animals, and registration in the INAF portal.
- Scheme Implementation: These activists play a crucial role in executing various schemes, offering valuable information to grassroots-level farmers.
- Disease Prevention and Animal Care: They contribute significantly to preventing infectious animal diseases, conducting artificial insemination under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), tagging animals, and promoting animal insurance.
About the Rashtriya Gokul Mission
- The Rashtriya Gokul Mission was launched in December 2014.
- It has been extended as part of the Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojana from 2021 to 2026.
Mission Objectives:
- Enhancing Productivity: The mission aims to boost the productivity of indigenous bovine breeds while ensuring sustainability. It leverages advanced technologies for this purpose.
- Increased Milk Production: One of its goals is to facilitate a significant increase in milk production through efficient bovine management practices.
- High-Quality Breeding: The mission advocates the use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding, contributing to the improvement of cattle genetics.
- Widening Insemination Coverage: Strengthening the breeding network and making artificial insemination services easily accessible to farmers is a key objective.
- Holistic Conservation: The mission is dedicated to the scientific and comprehensive conservation of indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds.
