UPSC IAS Prelims 2022 Material| Current Affairs | Government Campaigns and Initiatives

Dear Friends,

This post is a part of our current affairs series for the UPSC IAS Prelims 2022. In this post, we have covered all of the current affairs linked to Government Campaigns and Initiatives.

To Read Other Current Affairs Compilations for UPSC Prelims 2022– Click here

Government Campaigns and Initiatives

Kanya Shikhsa Pravesh Utsav

News

On International Women’s Day, the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) has launched a landmark campaign Kanya Shikhsa Pravesh Utsav.

About Kanya Shikhsa Pravesh Utsav

Launched by: Ministry of Women and Child Development(MoWCD) in partnership with the Ministry of Education and UNICEF.

Purpose: It is a campaign that aims to a)  bring back out of school adolescent girls in India to the formal education and/or skilling system and b) enhance enrolment and retention of girls between 11-14 years of age in school.

Umbrella Initiative: The campaign has been rolled out under the umbrella of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao(BBBP) Initiative.

Key Features of the campaign: Under the campaign, over 400 districts across all states will be funded under Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme for outreach and awareness generation at the grassroots level to sensitize communities and families to enroll adolescents girls in schools. This funding will be over and above the funding from Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

Moreover, Anganwadi workers(AWWs) will also be further incentivised for counseling and referring out of school adolescent girls.

Significance of the campaign: The campaign intends to build on the existing schemes and programmes like Schemes for Adolescent Girls (SAG), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) and National Education Policy (NEP) to work on a comprehensive system for out of school girls.

Bhasha Certificate Selfie campaign

News

The Ministry of Education has launched a campaign ‘Bhasha Certificate Selfie’ to encourage cultural diversity and promote multilingualism and foster the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

About Bhasha Certificate Selfie Initiative

Aim: To promote Bhasha mobile app by encouraging people to upload their selfies with the certificate from their social media accounts using the hashtag #BhashaCertificateSelfie.

The initiative aims to ensure that people acquire basic conversational skills in Indian languages. To achieve this, a target of 75 lakh people acquiring basic conversational skills has been set.

About the Bhasha Sangam Initiative for schools

Bhasha Sangam is an initiative of the Ministry of Education under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat.

Aim: To teach school students basic sentences of everyday usage in 22 Indian languages.

Significance: This will help students to acquire basic conversational skills in an Indian language other than their mother tongue.

About Bhasha Sangam mobile app

Developed by: It is a mobile application developed by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with MyGov India.

Aim: To foster the spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat by enabling people across India to learn different languages of different states of India and come closer to their culture.

Using the app, people can learn 100+ sentences of daily use in as many as 22 scheduled Indian languages.

Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) Initiative

News

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced a new partnership under the Sustainable Access to Markets and Resources for Innovative Delivery of Healthcare (SAMRIDH) Initiative.

About the SAMRIDH Initiative

In 2020, USAID and other stakeholders from the Indian government, academia and the private sector developed the SAMRIDH initiative.

The initiative blended finance facility to combine public and philanthropic funds with commercial capital to create and rapidly scale market-based health solutions.

The collaboration between AIM and USAID help the SAMRIDH Initiative

Aim: To improve access to affordable and quality healthcare for vulnerable populations in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, and rural and tribal regions.

It will enhance SAMRIDH’s efforts to reach vulnerable populations by using AIM’s expertise in innovation and entrepreneurship.

It will also focus on innovations across the healthcare landscape. The common goal will be to mount an effective response to the ongoing third wave of COVID-19 and build health system preparedness for future infectious disease outbreaks and health emergencies.

‘Paray Shikshalaya’ Initiative

It is an open-air classroom initiative for students from class 1 to 7.

Aim: To encourage students who dropped out of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic to continue their education.

Intended Beneficiaries: Students from classes 1 to 7

Under the initiative, schools which have open-air spaces held the classes there. But the schools which do not have open-air spaces conducted the classes in neighborhood parks and grounds.

Students are being called in batches and arrangements for mid-day meals have also been made for the students taking these classes.

Charkha Kranti Initiative

News

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)’s Charkha Kranti Initiative has been mentioned by the President in his address to the Parliament ahead of the Budget Session.

About Charkha Kranti Initiative

Launched by: Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

Aim: To popularize Charkha and the symbolism of Charkha across the globe.

Note: Mahatma Gandhi ingeniously deployed the charkha or spinning wheel as an important tool against British rule by using it as a metaphor of ‘ancient work ethics’ and as a symbol of economic and social reaction to British Rule.

Popularisation of Charkha by KVIC

– World’s largest wooden Charkha was installed at IGI Airport, New Delhi.

– The Biggest Ever Charkha distribution in Independent India was held at Ludhiana, Punjab.

– Pietermaritzburg station in South Africa sported a Khadi look and trains draped in Khadi fabric. It was the first such program sponsored by KVIC on foreign soil.

Note: In Pietermaritzburg Railway Station Gandhi ji was thrown off a train for refusing to give up his seat in a first class, “whites-only” compartment in 1893.

– Stainless Steel Charkha was unveiled in Bihar to commemorate Champaran Satyagrah centenary celebrations.

– World’s Largest Wall Mural of Mahatma Gandhi Made of terracotta Kulhads unveiled at NDMC building in New Delhi.

– A grand wall mural of Mahatma Gandhi made of clay Kulhads was installed at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmadabad. This is India’s 2nd and Gujarat’s first wall mural of this kind.

– World’s largest Monumental National Flag made of Khadi Fabric and weighing 1400 KG, unveiled in Leh.

Padhe Bharat Campaign

News

The Union Education Minister has launched the ‘Padhe Bharat’ campaign.

About Padhe Bharat Campaign

Padhe Bharat is a 100-day reading campaign starting from January 1,2022 to April 10, 2022.

Launched by: Ministry of Education

Aim: To improve the learning levels of students as it develops creativity, critical thinking, vocabulary and the ability to express both verbally and in writing.It also helps children to relate to their surroundings and real-life situations.

The campaign will focus on children studying in Balvatika to Grade 8. It expects the participation of all stakeholders at the national and state level including children, teachers, parents, community, educational administrators among others.

Under the campaign, one activity per week per group will be taken up with the focus on making reading enjoyable and building a lifelong association with the joy of reading.

The campaign will also focus on Indian languages, including mother tongue/local/regional languages.

In this regard, 21st February which is celebrated as International Mother Tongue Day has also been integrated with this campaign. The day will be celebrated with the activity of KahaniPadhoApniBhasa Main (Reading story in own language) across the country by encouraging children to read in their mother tongue/local language. This will help in promoting the local language and culture of our society.

Significance of the Padhe Bharat campaign

Firstly, the campaign is in alignment with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020  which emphasises the promotion of joyful reading culture for children by ensuring the availability of age-appropriate reading books for children in local/mother tongue/regional/tribal Language.

Secondly, it has also been aligned with the vision and goals of the foundational Literacy and Numeracy mission.

‘Puneet Sagar’ Campaign

News

National Cadet Corps (NCC) is carrying out a nationwide campaign named ‘Puneet Sagar’ Campaign.

About the ‘Puneet Sagar’ Campaign

Puneet Sagar is a nationwide campaign to free seashores/beaches from plastic & other waste materials and increase awareness about the importance of keeping these clean.

Aim: To propagate the message of ‘Importance of Clean Seashores/Beaches’ amongst the local population and future generation.

Under the campaign, cadets will generate awareness about the conservation and impact of plastic pollution along the sea beaches through nukkad nataks, poetry recitation, signature campaigns, pamphlet distribution amongst others.

About National Cadet Corps (NCC)

The NCC was formed in 1948 on the recommendation of H. N. Kunzru Committee [1946]. NCC is the world’s largest uniformed youth volunteer service organization.

The NCC cadets undergo basic military training at various levels and as well as academic curriculum basics related to the Armed forces and their functioning.

Nodal Ministry:   The NCC falls under the purview of the Ministry of Defence and is headed by a Director-General of three-star military rank.

Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

News

In India, the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has been launched to help mothers identify “breastfeeding-friendly” hospitals before they give birth.

Background

The Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched by WHO and UNICEF in 1991, following the Innocenti Declaration of 1990. The initiative is a global effort to implement practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

India adopted this initiative in 1993. But it fizzled out by 1998 and is now being revived after more than two decades.

About the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative(BFHI)

Launched by: Breastfeeding Promotion Network of India (BPNI) in collaboration with the Association of Healthcare Providers of India(AHPI).

Purpose: It is an accreditation programme that will enable hospitals to get a breastfeeding-friendly tag.

Coverage: The initiative is only for private hospitals and is based on the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s MAA programme for government hospitals launched in 2016.

Certification Process: The certification process involves two stages — the first stage includes self-assessment by a hospital, followed by an external assessment by an authorised appraiser who interviews doctors, nurses and patients as well as reviews different practices and training of staff. This complete accreditation process costs ₹17,000 per hospital.

Note: The tools for this evaluation process have been developed in partnership with the Health Ministry and World Health Organisation.

Reason for launching BFHI Initiative

Firstly, early initiation of breastfeeding continues to be low in the country. According to the National Family Health Survey-5(2019-2021), while there were 88.6% institutional births, only 41.8% of infants were breastfed within the first one hour (Golden Hour) which has improved only marginally from 41.6% during NFHS-4 (2015-2016).

Secondly, the rise in C-Sections is also known to negatively impact breastfeeding rates. During caesarean operations, everyone is focused on recovery, wound surgery, infection control and breastfeeding within the golden hour is missed.

Azadi Se Antyodaya Tak Campaign

Azadi Se Antyodaya Tak is a 90-day inter-ministerial campaign under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.

Aim: To take up 17 select schemes of Nine Ministries in 75 selected districts across the country.

Launched by:  Ministery of Rural Development

During the campaign, the schemes will be taken up directly by reaching out to the person at the bottom of the pyramid in rural areas by each of the participating ministries and departments.

Districts Selected: The 75 districts selected under the campaign are aligned with the birthplace of 99 Freedom Fighters.

These districts are also marginally lagging behind in the development parameters and have been shortlisted through MPCE (Monthly Per Capita Indicators) and the 2011 Socio-Economic Caste Census.

Ministries Involved: The campaign is a concerted effort of the Ministry of Rural Development, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, Ministry of Women & Child Development, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Department of Health & Family Welfare, Department of Animal Husbandry and Ministry of Labour & Employment.

Implementation of the campaign: The campaign is to be implemented in a celebratory mode involving all rural stakeholders including families of selected freedom fighters(FF), Panchayati Raj Institutions(PRIs), women networks and students highlighting the achievements of the schemes.

Digi Yatra Initiative

News

The Minister of Civil Aviation has informed Lok Sabha that Facial Recognition System(FRS) is to be implemented in a phased manner.

About the Facial Recognition System(FRS)

The facial recognition system is part of the Digi Yatra initiative of the government for providing passengers with a seamless and hassle-free experience at airports.

It is to be implemented in a phased manner. The first phase is planned at Kolkata, Varanasi, Pune, Vijayawada, Bangalore, Delhi and Hyderabad Airports by March 2023

About the Digi Yatra Initiative

Launched by: Ministry of Civil Aviation

Aim: To provide a contactless, seamless and paperless handling of passengers at airports from the entry gate of the terminal to the boarding point.

Digi Yatra Enrollment Process: Under this, passengers can get a Digi Yatra ID by sharing minimum details like name, e-mail ID, Mobile number and details of one approved Identity proof (Aadhar is not mandatory).

This DigiYatra ID will be shared by passengers while booking tickets. Airlines will share the passenger data and DigiYatraID with the departure airport.

There would be one-time verification at the departure airport while travelling for the first time using the ID. After successful verification, facial recognition biometrics would be captured and stored in the Digi Yatra ID.

From the next time, while travelling, passengers will be automatically processed based on facial recognition systems at checkpoints like; Entry point check, Entry into Security Check, and Aircraft Boarding.

Benefits: a) Passengers need not show a boarding pass or ID at multiple checkpoints, b) Minimum human intervention and less queuing time, c) The security is enhanced as only bona fide passengers will be allowed entry at every checkpoint and d) Airport operators will have real-time information on Passenger load and resource planning becomes better.

Kisan Bhagidari Prathmikta Hamari Campaign

News

The Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has launched the ‘Kisan Bhagidari Prathmikta Hamari’ Campaign under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

About the Kisan Bhagidari Prathmikta Hamari Campaign

Organized by: Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in association with other Ministries.

Aim: To organize activities for creating awareness and publicity among a large number of farmers across the country about the schemes and programmes of the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and other allied Ministries.

Activities to be organized under the campaign

Krishi Mela: At each Krishi Vigyan Kendra, the Department of Agriculture Research and Education will be organizing Krishi Mela and a natural farming-based field exhibition.

Discourse on agroecological practices: The Ministry of Rural Development along with the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) will be organizing discourses on livestock and agro-ecological practices.

One District One Product webinar: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries and the Ministry of Commerce will be organizing a webinar on One District One Product(ODOP) during the campaign.

Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans of the Region(AVSAR) Initiative

News

Airports Authority of India(AAI) has launched an initiative named “‘Airport as Venue for Skilled Artisans of the Region(AVSAR)”.

About the AVSAR Initiative

Launched by: Airports Authority of India(AAI)

Aim: To encourage the talent of craftsmen, women, and artisans and provide them with proper opportunities.

Under the initiative, space will be allocated to Self Help Groups(SHGs) at the airports for the purpose of showcasing or selling the self-made products of their specific region.

At each AAI-operated airport, an area of 100-200 square feet has been earmarked for the SHGs.

On a turn-on-turn basis, this area will be provided to the SHGs for a duration of 15 days.

Significance: The initiative will strengthen the SHGs by providing them with visibility and will prepare them to market and promote their products to a larger population from the country as well outside the country.

Intelligent Transportation System Endeavor for Indian Cities initiative

News

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched three software applications under the Intelligent Transportation System Endeavor for Indian Cities Phase-II initiative.

About the Intelligent Transportation System Endeavor for Indian Cities initiative

Launched by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

Purpose: The initiative is aimed at undertaking R&D projects collaboratively with IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IISc Bangalore and C-DAC to synergize the transformation of Intelligent Transportation System(ITS) with more energy and pace.

Note: Intelligent Transport Systems(ITS) are a suite of public transport planning, operations management and customer service applications that are enabled by advanced information and communications technologies.

About the three software applications launched under the InTranSE -II Program

​​Onboard Driver Assistance and Warning Systems or Odaws: It includes vehicle radar sensors and navigation sensors to actively monitor the immediate surroundings of a car in order to avoid road accidents.

Bus Signal Priority System(BSPS): It will seek to actively track congestions at major urban arterial road traffic junctions and use conditional priority to facilitate faster movement of public transport services such as buses in order to reduce such congestions.

Common Smart IoT ‘Connectiv’ (Cosmic): It is an open-standard IoT (internet of things) platform that is compatible with the OneM2M IoT compatibility standard.

The government seeks to implement Cosmic as a common standard for all IoT deployments in public and private transport infrastructure. It will be able to monitor vehicle movements through a common smart city dashboard. This can facilitate tracking of public transportation services as well as track any road accidents.

Note: OneM2M is a common language for IoT sensors, algorithms and software that allow connected sensors and hardware built by one company to be able to exchange information built by another.

Veer Gatha Initiative

News

The Government of India has launched the Veer Gatha Initiative.

About the Veer Gatha Initiative

Under the initiative, school students across the country will prepare projects in the form of poems, paintings, essays or multimedia presentations on the lives of gallantry award winners.

Aim of the Initiative

The aim of the project is to make school students aware of the gallantry award winners and to honour the acts of bravery and sacrifice of India’s brave hearts. The initiative also aims to celebrate the valiance and courage of armed force officers and personnel.

Ministries Involved: Ministry of Education along with the Ministry of Defence

Eligibility: Students of Class 3rd to 12th can participate in the initiative.

After preparation, the projects will be first vetted by the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs) following which a committee will be appointed by the Ministry of Education. The committee will pick 25 best entries at the national level, which will get awards on the coming Republic Day.

Lakhpati SHG women initiative

Launched by: Ministry of Rural Development

Aim: To enable rural Self Help Group (SHGs) women to earn at least Rs.1 lakh per annum.

Target: To provide livelihood support to 25 million rural SHG women in the next 2 years.

This will be achieved by focusing on diversifying livelihood activities at the household level ranging from Agriculture and allied, Livestock, NTFP (Non-timber Forest Products) and other interventions.

Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat Initiative

“Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat” initiative was announced by the Prime Minister in 2015 on the occasion of the 140th birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Aim: To enhance interaction & promote mutual understanding between people of different states/UTs through the concept of state/UT pairing.

For example, Andhra Pradesh is paired with Punjab. During this period, people from Punjab would attempt to learn keywords in Telugu and Andhra would hold food festivals offering Punjabi dishes among others.

Coverage: All States and UTs will be covered under the programme.

Implementing ministry: Ministry of Education.

Har Ghar Dastak campaign

News

The Government of India has launched the ‘Har Ghar Dastak’ campaign.

About the Har Ghar Dastak campaign

Har Ghar Dastak is the Government of India’s mega COVID-19 vaccination campaign.

It is a month-long door-to-door vaccination campaign.

Under this, the healthcare workers will go will vaccinate eligible candidates in poor-performing districts.

Tele Law Initiative and Tele-Law on Wheels campaign

About the Tele-Law on Wheels campaign

It is a campaign under which a series of activities are being undertaken to empower people through pre-litigation advice for rightfully claiming their entitlements and for timely redressal of their difficulties.

Launched by: Department of Justice

Conducted by: The Campaign is being conducted with aid of  Common Service Centers(CSCs)  e Governance which has a network of 4 lakh + digitally enabled CSCs across the country.

About Tele-Law Mobile App

The app has been launched by the Ministry of Law and Justice. It would connect the beneficiaries directly with Panel Lawyers offering legal advice and consultation.

About Tele Law Initiative

Tele-law Initiative was launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Law and Justice. It is a service that uses video conferencing facilities and telephone services to connect lawyers to litigants who need legal advice.

This service aims to reach out to the needy, especially the marginalized and disadvantaged. The service is provided through Common Service Centers or CSCs located at the gram panchayat level.

The service is free for those who are eligible for free legal Aid as mentioned under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987. For all others, a nominal fee of INR 30 Rs is charged.

Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)

News

India and the United States held the 11th Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI) group meeting.

About the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI)

The DTTI mechanism was launched in 2012.

Purpose: To bring sustained leadership focus to the bilateral defence trade relationship and create opportunities for co-production and co-development of defence equipment.

Chaired by: The initiative is led by the Undersecretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment from the United States and Secretary for Defence Protection from India.

Meetings:  The DTTI meetings are normally held twice a year alternating between India and the U.S. However, this meeting was held virtually.

Key outcomes of 11th DTII

Firstly, earlier four Joint Working Groups focused on land, naval, air and aircraft carrier technologies had been established under the DTTI to promote mutually agreed projects. These groups reported to the co-chairs on ongoing activities and collaborative opportunities.

Secondly, India and the US have signed a deal to jointly develop air-launched unmanned aerial vehicles(UAVs).

Thirdly, a virtual expo of the Defence Industry Collaboration Forum was also conducted. The forum offers an opportunity for Indian and U.S. industries to be directly involved in DTTI and facilitates dialogue between government and industry on issues that impact industrial collaboration.

Best Tourism Villages Initiative and Pochampally Village

News

Pochampally Village in Telangana State has been selected as one of the best Tourism Villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The award will be given on the occasion of the 24^th session of the UNWTO General Assembly in December 2021 in Madrid, Spain.

Note: Ministry of Tourism had recommended three villages for the UNWTO Best Tourism Village entry from India. However, only Pochampally was awarded as one of the best Tourism Villages by UNWTO. The other two villages were Kongthong in Meghalaya and Ladhpura Khas in Madhya Pradesh.

About the Best Tourism Villages Initiative

It is an initiative of UNWTO.

Aim of the Initiative: 1. To award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified nine evaluation areas, 2. To support villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.

About Pochampally Village

Pochampally is a town in Nalgonda district of Telangana.

The speciality of Pochampally Village

Pochampally is often referred to as the Silk City of India for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat.

Note: Ikat is a Malaysian, Indonesian word that means “Tie and Dye”. It is a dyeing technique used to create a distinct style of textile patterns. Ikat received a Geographical Indicator(GI) tag in 2004.

Pochampally is also known as Bhoodan Pochampally to commemorate the Bhoodan Movement that was launched by Acharya Vinobha Bhave from this village on April 18th, 1951.

Currently, a two-room Vinobha Bhave Mandir exists within the village, which was earlier the place where Vinobha Bhave resided during his visit to the village.

Cyber Surakshit Bharat initiative

Launched by: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in 2018.

Aim: To spread awareness about cybercrime and build capacity for safety measures for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) and frontline IT staff across all government departments.

Principles: The initiative will be operated on the three principles of Awareness, Education and Enablement. It will include an awareness program on the importance of cybersecurity; a series of workshops on best practices and enablement of the officials with cybersecurity health tool kits to manage and mitigate cyber threats.

Significance: It is the first of its kind public-private partnership that leverages the expertise of the IT industry in cybersecurity along with MeitY’s organisations such as CDAC, CERT-In, NIC and STQC as the knowledge partners.

Initiatives taken by the Government in the field of Pensions

News

Union Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions has launched unique Face Recognition Technology for Pensioners.

About the Face Recognition Technology for Pensioners

All pensioners are mandated to submit life certificates annually to continue receiving the pension.

Face Recognition Technology would act as a proof of life certificate for pensioners and ensure their ease of living.

Other initiatives taken by the Government in the field of Pensions

Jeevan Pramaan: It is a biometric-enabled Aadhaar-based Digital Life Certificate for pensioners. Pensioners of Central Government, State Government or any other Government organization can take benefit of this facility.

Bhavishya: It is an online Pension Sanction and Payment Tracking System implemented by the Department of Pension & Pensioners Welfare. The system provides for on-line tracking of pension sanctions and payment processes.

Centralized Pensioners Grievance Redress And Monitoring System(CPENGRAMS): It is an online web-enabled system for the speedy redressal of grievances related to pension by various Central Government Ministries/ Departments/Organizations.

River Cities Alliance

Launched by: The alliance is a partnership of two Ministries i.e., Ministry of Jal Shakti and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.

Purpose: It is a dedicated platform for river cities in India to ideate, discuss and exchange information for the sustainable management of urban rivers.

Objectives:

• To provide the member cities with a platform to discuss and exchange information on aspects that are vital for sustainable management of urban rivers.
• To work towards adopting and localizing national policies and instruments with key river-related directions.
• To strengthen governance aspects for river cities and improve their liveability to attract external economic investments and access state-of-the-art knowledge.

Themes: The alliance will focus on three broad themes- Networking, Capacity Building and Technical Support.

Participating Cities: The 30 member cities in the alliance include: Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh, etc.

Secretariat:  National Institute for Urban Affairs(NIUA) with National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) support.

Campaign to distribute prophylactic medicines

News

The Ministry of Ayush has launched a campaign of distributing Ayush prophylactic medicines and written guidelines on diet and lifestyle.

Moreover, the National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB) has also launched a national campaign to promote the cultivation of medicinal plants in the country.

About Prophylactic medicines

A prophylactic is a medication or a treatment designed and used to prevent a disease from occurring.

Example: A prophylactic hepatitis vaccine prevents the patient from getting hepatitis, while a prophylactic dental cleaning prevents tooth decay.

Campaign to Promote cultivation of medicinal plants

Under this campaign, cultivation of medicinal plants will be done on 75,000 hectares of land in the next year across the country.

The campaign has been started from Saharanpur in UP and Pune in Maharashtra.

About National Medicinal Plants Board(NMPB)

It was established in 2000 under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy).

Aim: To develop the medicinal plants sector through developing strong coordination between various ministries/ departments/ organizations for the implementation of policies/programs on medicinal plants.

AYUSH AAPKE DWAR campaign

News

Union Minister for Ayush has launched the “AYUSH AAPKE DWAR” campaign from more than 45 locations across the country.

About AYUSH AAPKE DWAR campaign

Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Ayush

Aim: To distribute medicinal plant saplings to 75 lakh households across the country in one year.

The medicinal plants include Tejpatta, Stevia, Ashoka, Jatamansi, Giloy/Guduchi, Ashwagandha, Kumari, Shatavari, Lemongrass, Guggulu, Tulsi, Sarpagandha, Kalmegh, Brahmi and Amla.

About e-CHARAK Platform

The platform was launched by the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush. The Full Form of the platform is an e-Channel for Herbs, Aromatic, Raw material And Knowledge. It is an online market portal for the trade of medicinal plants.

‘Main Bhi Digital 3.0’ Campaign

About ‘Main Bhi Digital 3.0’ Campaign

Launched by: Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in collaboration with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

It is a special campaign for Digital Onboarding and Training of street vendors under the PM SVANidhi scheme.

The campaign has been launched across 223 cities in the country.

Under the campaign, BharatPe, Mswipe, PhonePe, Paytm, Aceware are participating to issue UPI IDs, QR codes and provide digital training to street vendors.

The street vendors will also be trained to accept and make digital payment transactions.

About PM SVANidhi Scheme

PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi(PM SVANidhi) was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs in 2020 as a Central Sector Scheme.

Purpose: To facilitate affordable working capital loans of up to ₹10,000 with an interest subsidy @7% on regular repayment. The street vendors are not required to pay any collateral for the loan.

Implementing Agency: SIDBI has been appointed as the implementation agency for scheme administration.

Target: The scheme targets to cover 50 lakh street vendors, who had been vending on or before March 24, 2020.

Key Features of the scheme

The scheme provides Graded Guarantee Cover, to Lending Institutions, on a portfolio basis.

The street vendors also stand a chance to avail a loan of ₹20,000 and ₹50,000 in the second and third tranches respectively on timely repayment of the loan.

To encourage digital transactions a cashback up to ₹1,200 on digital transactions at ₹100 per month is provided to the street vendors under the scheme.

Shoonya Initiative

About Shoonya Initiative

Shoonya is an initiative to promote zero-pollution delivery vehicles by working with consumers and the industry.

Launched by: NITI Aayog along with Rocky Mountain Institute(RMI), an independent non profit organization

Aim: To accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in the urban deliveries segment and create consumer awareness about the benefits of zero-pollution delivery.

As part of the campaign, a corporate branding and certification programme is being launched to recognise and promote the industry’s efforts towards transitioning to EVs for final-mile deliveries.

Moreover, an online tracking platform will share the campaign’s impact through data such as vehicle-kilometres electrified, carbon savings, criteria pollutant savings and other benefits from clean delivery vehicles.

Advantages of Electric Vehicles in goods delivery

Urban freight vehicles account for 10% of freight transportation-related CO2 emissions in India, and these emissions are expected to grow by 114%  by 2030.

On the other hand, EVs emit no tailpipe emissions which can contribute immensely to improved air quality. Even when accounting for their manufacture, they emit 15-40% less CO2 compared to their internal combustion engine counterparts and have lower operational cost.

Ek Pahal Campaign

About Ek Pahal Campaign

Launched by: Ministry of Law and Justice in association with the National Legal Service Authority (NALSA)

Aim: To mainstream legal aid and to actualize the aspiration of access to justice for every citizen.

Under the campaign, people will be encouraged to register under the Tele-Law Initiative.

About the Tele Law Initiative

Tele-law Initiative was launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Law and Justice. It is a service that uses video conferencing facilities and telephone services to connect lawyers to litigants who need legal advice.

This service aims to reach out to the needy, especially the marginalized and disadvantaged. The service is provided through Common Service Centers or CSCs located at the gram panchayat level.

The service is free for those who are eligible for free legal Aid as mentioned under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authority Act, 1987. For all others, a nominal fee of INR 30 Rs is charged.

“COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, DhanaurUddyam” campaign

News

The Union Minister for Tribal Affairs has launched the “COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, DhanaurUddyam” campaign.

About the “COVID Teeka Sang Surakshit Van, DhanaurUddyam” campaign

Aim: To accelerate the pace of Covid vaccination among tribal communities of India.

Under the campaign, the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) is collaborating with UNICEF and WHO to roll out the campaign in tribal districts.

The campaign aims to take the help of 45,000 Van Dhan Self Help Groups (VDSHGs) of the TRIFED to promote livelihoods with health.

The campaign is based on 3 J’s Jeevan (Life), Jeevika (Livelihood) and Jaagrookta (Awareness)

Moreover, the campaign also employs awareness generation in local languages to promote vaccine uptake and COVID Appropriate Behaviour.

It also uses non-traditional partnerships and community reach for mobilization and collective action such as involvement of traditional leaders and incentivizes adoption of vaccines through local health structures and TRIFED’s influencers in tribal districts.

India Export Initiative

News

The Union Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) has inaugurated the India Export Initiative and IndiaXports 2021 Portal of India SME Forum.

About the India Export Initiative

Aim: To support the growth of MSMEs exports by providing free of cost information and knowledge to MSMEs on the untapped export potential in existing tariff lines.

The initiative features an Info Portal which serves as a knowledge base for exports by Indian MSMEs. The portal has information related to the export potential for all the 456 tariff lines along with the potential markets as well as trends in exports, export procedures and lots more.

Apart from an export help desk, Instructor-led orientation will also be provided to MSMEs through a series of sessions for specific sectors, highlighting the opportunities in specific products in international markets.

Importance of MSMEs in Exports

MSMEs have been contributing nearly 40% of overall India’s exports contributing to approx. 6.11% of the country’s manufacturing GDP & 24.63% of the GDP from the services sector.

Government has a target to increase MSME exports by 50% in 2022.

Moreover, the growth in MSME exports will also help the government achieve the target of 400 Billion USD by this fiscal and 1 trillion in exports by 2027.