Daily Current Capsules

12 May 2023

Social Issues/Justice

Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about ECCE scheme + about POSHAN programme + NIPCCD) + Mains ( GS II Social issues+ government initiatives)

What’s the NEWS

• Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD) launched “Poshan Bhi, Padhai Bhi”, that is “Education along with Nutrition”

Know! about the scheme

• The Scheme will focus on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) at anganwadis across the country
• The ministry has allocated Rs 600 crore for the training of anganwadi workers to implement the ECCE.
• The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) has been roped in for the training of Anganwadi workers
• The aim is not only to make anganwadi centres nutrition hubs but also education-imparting centres.
• The ECCE will focus on education in the mother tongue, as per the New Education Policy

Associated Programmes

Know! about POSHAN Programme

• In 2018, the Government of India launched its flagship programme, the POSHAN (Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment) Abhiyaan, to draw national attention to and take action against malnutrition, in a mission mode.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan is the Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers, and adolescents.
• The Abhiyaan is a multi-ministerial convergence mission with the vision to accelerate India’s progress on malnutrition, in a time-bound manner with a fixed target.

Know! about NIPCCD 

• The National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD) is an Indian government agency in New Delhi under the Ministry of Women and Children Development tasked with the promotion of voluntary action research, training and documentation in the overall domain of women empowerment and child development in India.
• Established in 1966, the Institute has four Regional Centres, Guwahati (1978), Bangalore (1980), Lucknow (1982), and Indore (2001).
• NIPCCD believes in the holistic development of the child through health, education, nutrition and child development.
• Its strength lies in developing training methodologies and materials.

Space Awareness

Astronomical Society of India Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement Award

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about Govind Swarup lifetime achievement award of + ASI + IUCAA)

What’s the NEWS

• Prof. Jayant Narlikar has been conferred with the Govind Swarup lifetime achievement award of the ASI for the year 2022.

Know! about Prof. Jayant V. Narlikar

• He is an astronomer par-excellence, the founding director of IUCAA, Pune and also a past President of the ASI.
• Prof. Narlikar was amongst the first to initiate cosmology research in India.
• He came up with an idea of creating a dedicated centre to nucleate and spread astronomy curriculum and research in the Indian Universities.
• His dream was fulfilled with his hard work by the formation of IUCAA.
• In the year 2022, as it celebrated its golden jubilee, the Astronomical Society of India (ASI) instituted the Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award to recognise eminent Indian astronomers for the contributions they have made to the field of Astronomy and Astrophysics in India over their careers.

Prof. Govind Swarup

• The award is named in honour of Prof. Govind Swarup (1929-2020).
• Prof. Swarup is widely regarded to be the founder of Indian radio astronomy.

Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award

• The ASI Govind Swarup Lifetime Achievement award for Astronomy and Astrophysics has been instituted by ASI and is awarded to senior scientists of eminence once in two years for notable and important contributions to the areas of Astronomy and Astrophysics in the country.
• The award carries a cash prize of Rs 1,50,000/- (Rupees One Lakh and fifty thousand),
• The nominee must have an Indian affiliation for the bulk of the work done and be 60 years of age or above. 
• The award will not be given posthumously unless the passing away occurs after the process has begun.

Associated Organisation

Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA)

• The Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) is an autonomous institution set up by the University Grants Commission of India to promote nucleation and growth of active groups in astronomy and astrophysics in Indian universities.
• IUCAA is located in the University of Pune campus next to the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics, which operates the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope.

Astronomical Society of India (ASI)

• ASI is an Indian society of professional astronomers and other professionals from related disciplines.
• It was founded in 1972, with Vainu Bappu being the founder President of the Society, and as of 2010 has a membership of approximately 1000.
• Its registered office is at the Astronomy Department, Osmania University, Hyderabad, India.
• Its primary objective is the promotion of Astronomy and related branches of science.
• It organises meetings, supports and tries to popularise Astronomy and related subjects and publishes the Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India.
• The Society makes a series of awards, the most prestigious of which is the Prof. M. K. Vainu Bappu Gold Medal awarded once every two years to “honour exceptional contributions to Astronomy and Astrophysics by young scientists anywhere in the world.

Prelims Factiods

PM hails tap water reaching the border village Hemya

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about Hemva location + about Vibrant Villages Programme + Jal Jeevan Mission

What’s the NEWS

• The Prime Minister today welcomed tap water reaching the border village Hemya.

Hemya Location

• Hemya is a Village in Nyoma Block in Leh Ladakh District of Jammu & Kashmir State, India.
• It is located 173 KM towards East from District head quarters Leh. 432 KM from State capital Srinagar, Jammu

Know! also about Vibrant Villages Programme

• It is a village development scheme which was first announced in the 2022 Budget.
• The programme’s targets are to provide comprehensive development of villages on the border with China and improvement in the quality of life of people living in identified border villages.
• The development in these villages will help prevent migration, and thus also boost security.
• Under this centrally sponsored scheme, 2,967 villages in 46 blocks of 19 districts have been identified for comprehensive development.
• These villages abut the border in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh and the Union Territory of Ladakh.
• In the first phase, around 662 villages have been identified for priority coverage.

About Jal Jeevan Mission

• Objective – to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024
• Launching Year – 2019
• Concerned Ministry – Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• Focus – Integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level.
• The programme also implements source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through greywater management, water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
• Every water supply asset created under Jal Jeevan Mission is geo-tagged.
• The fund sharing pattern is 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States; 50:50 for other States and 100% for UTs.

Prelims Factoids

Milkweed Butterflies

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about Milkweed butterflies)

What’s the NEWS

• Millions of Milkweed butterflies undertake a migration between the Eastern and Western Ghats in southern India, seeking refuge from the harsh summer.
• A recent study by a team of researchers shed light on the migration patterns of Milkweed butterflies in southern India
• Between October and April, most of the Milkweed butterflies in the Western Ghats congregate in large numbers at specific sites during winter and dry seasons. When the summer rain cools southern India, the butterflies migrate eastwards into the Eastern Ghats and the plains.

Know! about Milkweed Butterflies

• It is a subfamily of butterflies.
• It belongs in the family Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterfly family )
• There are over 200 species.
• They are commonly known as Milkweed butterflies or danaids.
• These butterflies are common in tropical places all over the world.
• These milkweed butterflies (Monarch, Queen, Soldier) eat only milkweeds (Asclepias) as larvae.
• This highly effective defence strategy shields them against almost all predators.
• Birds soon learn to avoid these species after attempting to eat them.

Brush-footed butterfly

• Brush-footed butterfly (family Nymphalidae), also called the four-footed butterfly, is any of a group of butterflies (order Lepidoptera) that are named for their characteristically reduced forelegs, which are frequently hairy and resemble brushes.

Prelims Factoids

One Station One Product

Relevance IN – Prelims ( about OSOP scheme + about NID)

What’s the NEWS

• Under the One Station One Product’ (OSOP) scheme of Indian Railways, 728 stations are covered with 785 OSOP outlets in 21 States and 3 Union Territories across the country so far.

Know! about One Station One Product’ (OSOP) scheme

• Ministry of Railways launched this scheme in March, 2022.
• The objective is to promote ‘Vocal for Local’ vision of the government, providing a market for local or indigenous products and create additional income opportunities for the marginalized sections of society.
• Under the scheme, OSOP outlets at railway stations are allotted for showcasing, selling and giving high visibility to indigenous or local products.
• These OSOP stalls are designed through National Design Institute for uniformity.

Know! also about National Institute of Design (NID)

• It is internationally acclaimed as one of the finest educational and research institutions for Industrial, Communication, Textile and IT Integrated (Experiential) Design.
• It is a statutory institute under the DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
• It has been recognised as an ‘Institution of National Importance’ by the Act of Parliament, by virtue of the National Institute of Design Act 2014.
• It is also recognised by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.

KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving

TEAM CL/GKP