Daily Current Capsules
01,02 and 03 October 2023
Military Nursing Service (MNS)
- Military Nursing Service (MNS) celebrated its 98th Raising Day on Oct 1, 2023.
- As one of the oldest and most distinguished all-women services in the Armed Forces, the Service holds more than 5,000 officers posted at various Armed Forces hospitals.
MNS inception
- The origin of MNS dates back to the pre-independence colonial era when British and Indian soldiers served in the British Army.
- The British Indian government established the Indian Army Nursing Services (IANS) in the year 1888.
- This marked the formal beginning of Military Nursing in India.
- The officers of IANS had played a crucial role in providing medical care to wounded soldiers during World War I and ll.
- On 1st Oct 1926, the Permanent Nursing Service was raised in the Indian Army and designated as the Indian Military Nursing Service.
- Post Independence, the MNS was established as part of the AFMS.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1962788
Defence Accounts Department (DAD)
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched several digital initiatives of Defence Accounts Department (DAD)
Details of the digital initiatives launched by the Raksha Mantri are given below:
SARANSH
- SARANSH (Summary of Accounts, Budget & Expenditure for Raksha Mantralaya) has been conceptualised and developed with the aim to reflect a more accurate and objective view of the defence financial data across India on payment, accounting, budgeting etc. by leveraging data analytics on the different databases of various IT systems running in the Defence Accounts Department.
- ‘SARANSH’ will serve as a complete Dashboard for the higher management with at-a-glance visibility of all the defence expenditure for centralized monitoring and driving towards data-driven decisions for all defence organizations.
BISWAS
- BISWAS will serve as a Dashboard to the various PCsDA/CsDA and display different infographics for the purpose of monitoring and analysis of the whole process flow of bill management, including reports on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
- It provides real-time detailed analysis of bill processing, with interactive visualisations of granular data flowing through the various office automation systems for a Controller office.
e-Raksha Awaas
- e-Raksha Awaas is a centralised and comprehensive software package developed to streamline and optimize the process of generating timely rent and allied charges for rentable buildings within the Defence Services and facilitating the prompt remission of rent and allied charges to Government Accounts.
- This package serves as a unified online platform for all stakeholders involved in the generation, recovery and remission of rent and allied charges
Source
Operation Kachchhap
- The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) apprehended 6 persons with 955 live baby Gangetic turtles of different species at Nagpur, Bhopal and Chennai
- Intelligence was developed by the officers of DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) about a syndicate involved in illegal trafficking and trading of ‘’Turtles of Ganges’’, some of which are specified as vulnerable/ near threatened species under IUCN Red List and Schedule I and II of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
- Illegal trade and habitat degradation are major threats to these species.
- The species of Gangetic turtles rescued are Indian Tent Turtle, Indian Flapshell Turtle, Crown River Turtle, Black spotted/Pond Turtle and Brown Roofed Turtle.
- After the initial seizure under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the perpetrators and Gangetic turtles were handed over to the respective Forest Departments for further investigation.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1962751
Yashaswini
- The Central Reserve Police Force, in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Child Development, is organizing a cross-country bike expedition with “Yashaswini” a group of CRPF women bikers to celebrate women power or Nari Shakti of the country.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1962727
National Turmeric Board
- The Government notified the constitution of the National Turmeric Board which will focus on the development and growth of turmeric and turmeric products in the country.
- The Board will provide leadership on turmeric-related matters, augment the efforts, and facilitate greater coordination with the Spices Board and other Government agencies in the development and growth of the turmeric sector.
- The Board will play an instrumental role in increasing awareness and consumption of turmeric and develop new markets globally to increase exports.
- The board will lay stress on exports, R&D and develop traditional value-added turmeric products, while also giving importance to quality and food safety as per established standards.
Know! about Turmeric
- India is the largest producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric in the world.
- More than 30 varieties of Turmeric are grown in India and it is grown in over 20 States in the country.
- The largest producing states of Turmeric are Maharashtra, Telangana, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
- India has more than 62 percent share of world trade in turmeric.
- During 2022-23, 1.534 lakh tonnes of turmeric and products to the tune of $207.45 million were exported to Bangladesh, UAE, the USA and Malaysia.
- With the focused activities of the board, it is expected that turmeric exports will reach ` one billion by 2030.
- The Centre will appoint the board’s chairman.
Source
27th World Road Congress
- Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways addressed the Ministerial Session at the 27th World Road Congress in Prague, Czech Republic, focusing on Road Safety.
Know! about WRC 2023
- The World Road Congress is organised in close cooperation between PIARC (World Road Association), the Czech Road Society and PIARC Czech National Committee, with the support of the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Road Association.
- Every four years, the World Road Association PIARC organises a World Road Congress (WRC) with the aim to share techniques and experiences worldwide in the field of road infrastructures and road transport.
- The European Union Road Federation (ERF) is a non-profit association which coordinates the views of Europe’s road infrastructure sector and acts as a platform for research and dialogue on mobility issues between stakeholders and institutional players
Know! about PIARC
- PIARC (World Road Association), founded in 1909 and comprising 125 member governments from all over the world, is the global forum for exchange of knowledge and experience on roads, road transport policies and practices.
- With consultative status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, the Association is contributing to a stable and sustainable global development of the road and transport sector.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1963325
Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)
- Under the aegis of NITI Aayog’s State Support Mission, the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is set to host a state-level workshop in collaboration with the Government of Goa.
- The Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) incubated in NITI Aayog, and now transitioned into a public-private partnership is a one-stop shop for information relevant to women entrepreneurs, including SmartMatch feature for government schemes, incubators, accelerators and private sector initiatives, a community page, and mentorship module.
- The State Support Mission, an umbrella initiative by NITI Aayog, is strategically designed to support states and union territories in achieving their socioeconomic goals by 2047.
- Under the State Support Mission, a series of workshops are being conducted to provide a platform for Centre-State exchanges and forging partnerships.
- The primary goal is to augment awareness regarding the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) and unveil a range of pioneering initiatives that WEP has embarked upon.
- These initiatives include “Udyam Uplift,” a collaborative effort with AIC-GIM-WEP, as well as the introduction of support cohorts tailored for green women entrepreneurs, among other exciting Partnerships.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1963193
Krishna circuit
- Prime Minister inaugurated multiple projects of the Government of India which included ‘tourist facilities at Nathdwara’ funded by the Ministry of Tourism as part of the Krishna circuit of Swadesh Darshan scheme.
- The government of India under Swadesh Darshan scheme has provided modern facilities in this temple
- Ramayana and Krishna Circuit are among fifteen thematic circuits identified for development under the Swadesh Darshan scheme of the Ministry of Tourism.
The Ministry has initially identified the following destinations for development under Ramayana and Krishna Circuit:
- Ramyana Circuit: Ayodhya, Nandigram, Shringverpur & Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh), Sitamarhi, Buxar & Darbhanga (Bihar), Chitrakoot (Madhya Pradesh), Mahendragiri (Odisha), Jagdalpur (Chattisgarh), Nashik & Nagpur (Maharashtra), Bhadrachalam (Telangana), Hampi (Karnataka) and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu).
- Krishna Circuit: Dwarka (Gujarat); Nathdwara, Jaipur & Sikar (Rajasthan); Kurukshetra (Haryana), Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandgaon & Govardhan (Uttar Pradesh) and Puri (Odisha).
Source
https://tourism.gov.in/sites/default/files/2023-10/PIB1963247.pdf
Port Klang
- As part of the Indian Navy’s long range deployment in South East Asia, the ships of First Training Squadron (1TS) -INS Tir, INS Sujata, and ICGS Sarathi are visiting Port Klang, Malaysia.
- The activities being undertaken by the 1TS include various professional and community interactions, training exchanges, cross deck visits and sports fixtures with personnel of Royal Malaysian Navy, as well as ships open for visit of school children.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1965948
Samudra Prahari
- In a significant demonstration of India’s commitment to addressing regional marine pollution threats, the Indian Coast Guard Ship Samudra Prahari, a specialized Pollution-Control Vessel, arrived at the port of Tanjung Priok, Jakarta, Indonesia, on 01 Oct 23.
- This visit, a part of India’s ASEAN initiatives for Marine Pollution Response
- As a part of an overseas exchange program, the ship has aboard 13 National Cadet Corps (NCC) cadets, who will participate actively in the Puneet Sagar Abhiyan
- The ship received a warm welcome from BAKAMAL (Indonesia Maritime Security Agency) band playing fanfare and other welcoming military tunes as a gesture to their Indian friends.
Know! about Pollution Control Vessels
The Samudra-class Pollution Control Vessel is a class of three vessels built by the ABG Shipyard in Gujarat for Indian Coast Guard.
- Samudra Prahari
- Samudra Paheredar
- Samudra Pavak
Know! about Samudra Prahari
- It is an Indian Coast Guard Ship (ICGS)
- It is specially designed for pollution control.
- It is equipped with the most advanced pollution Response and Control equipment for mitigating oil spills in the Exclusive Economic Zone.
- It has tanks and inflatable barges for storage of oil spills.
- It is capable of unhindered oil recovery operations
- The vessel is designed to operate a twin-engine Advanced Light Helicopter and to operate and embark Chetak helicopter.
Know! about ASEAN
- The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional grouping that was established in 1967 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration.
- Founding members: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.
- Presently, ASEAN comprises 10 member states, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and Vietnam.
- Objective – It promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military, educational, and sociocultural integration between its members and other countries in Asia.
- Secretariat – ASEAN Secretariat is located in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Puneet Sagar Abhiyaan
- The NCC had, on December 01, 2021, launched ‘Puneet Sagar Abhiyan’, a nationwide flagship campaign, to clean sea shores of plastic & other waste material, while raising awareness about the importance of cleanliness.
Source
https://indiancoastguard.gov.in/WriteReadData/Tender/202310041111554914796pressbriefIndonesiaOSD.pdf
SAMPRITI-XI IN UMROI, MEGHALAYA
- India and Bangladesh commenced the 11th edition of the annual joint military exercise, SAMPRITI on 03rd October 2023 in Umroi, Meghalaya.
- This exercise, alternatingly organised by both countries, signifies strong bilateral defence cooperation initiatives.
- With its inception in Jorhat, Assam in 2009, the exercise has witnessed ten successful editions till 2022.
- SAMPRITI-XI, scheduled for 14 days, will engage approximately 350 personnel from both sides.
- Centered on the conduct of Sub-Conventional Operations as per Chapter VII of the UN mandate, SAMPRITI-XI will include a Command Post Exercise (CPX) and a Field Training Exercise (FTX), culminating in a Validation Exercise.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1963629
50 lakh Street Vendors covered under PM SVANidhi Scheme
- The Prime Minister Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, an initiative under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), has achieved a momentous milestone by extending its support to more than 50 lakh street vendors across the nation.
Know! about PM SVANidhi Scheme:
- The PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbharNidhi (PM SVANidhi) Scheme, launched on June 1, 2020, is a micro credit scheme for urban street vendors that aims to provide collateral-free working capital loans up to ₹50,000.
- Under the scheme regular repayments are incentivized with a 7% interest subsidy and digital transactions are rewarded with cashback up to ₹1,200 per year.
- The scheme employs Aadhaar-based e-KYC, utilizes an end-to-end IT platform, and employs SMS-based notifications for application status updates.
- All lending institutions, including NBFCs/MFIs and DPAs, have partnered with the aim to alleviate urban poverty in India.
Source
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1963799
Umbrella Scheme of “SHREYAS” comprising 4 central sector sub-schemes
The umbrella scheme of “SHREYAS” comprises 4 central sector sub- schemes namely
- Top-Class Education for SCs
- Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs
- National Overseas Scheme for SCs
- National Fellowship for SCs
All these sub-schemes are central sector schemes
Free Coaching Scheme for SCs and OBCs
- The objective of the Scheme is to provide coaching of good quality for economically disadvantaged Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) candidates to enable them appear in competitive and entrance examinations for obtaining appropriate jobs in Public/Private Sector as well as for securing admission in reputed technical and professional higher education institutions.
- The ceiling of the total family income under the scheme is 8 lakhs per annum. 3500 slots are allotted per annum.
- The ratio of SC: OBC students is 70:30 and 30% slots are reserved for females in each category.
- In case of non-availability of adequate number of candidates in SC category the Ministry can relax this ratio. However, in no case, a less than 50% SC students shall be permitted.
Top Class Education for SCs
- The Scheme aims at recognizing and promoting quality education amongst students belonging to SCs, by providing full financial support.
- The Scheme will cover SC students for pursuing studies beyond 12th class.
- The scholarship, once awarded, will continue till the completion of the course, subject to satisfactory performance of the student.
- The ceiling of the total family income under the scheme is 8 lakhs per annum.
- Presently, 266 higher education institutes which includes Government institutes and private institutes such as all the IIMs, IITs, NITs, IIITs, AIIMS, NIFTs, NIDs, NLUs, IHMs, CUs and institutes of national importance, NAAC A++ accredited institutes and top 100 National Institutional ranking Framework (NIRF) ranking institutes.
- Under the scheme, (i) full tuition fee and non-refundable charges (there will be a ceiling of Rs. 2.00 lakh per annum per student for private sector institutions (ii) Academic allowance of Rs. 86,000 in the first year of study and Rs. 41,000 in every subsequent year, to take care of living and other expenses is provided.
National Overseas Scheme for SCs
- Under this scheme financial assistance is provided to the selected students from SCs (115 slots); De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes (6 slots); landless agricultural labourers and traditional artisan categories (4 slots), for pursuing masters and Ph.D. level courses abroad. Presently, 125 slots are allotted under the scheme.
- Such students can be benefitted under the scheme whose total family income including the candidate is less than Rs. 8 lakhs per annum, having more than 60% marks in the qualifying examination, below 35 years of age and secured admission in top 500 QS ranking foreign Institutes/ Universities.
- Under the scheme, total tuition fee, maintenance and contingency allowance, visa fee, to and fro air passage etc. are provided to the awardees.
National Fellowship for SC Students
- Under the scheme fellowship is provided to Scheduled Castes students for pursuing higher education leading to M.Phil/ Ph.D degrees in Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences in Indian Universities/Institutions/ Colleges recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Source
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