Modi Cabinet approves ''PM-eBus Sewa'' for augmenting city bus operations; scheme to cost Rs 57K cr

‘PM-eBus Sewa’ Scheme

• Under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, 10,000 e-buses will be deployed across cities in the country.
• Support for Operation:
  • Under this scheme, city bus operations will be done on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
  • This scheme will support bus operations for 10 years.
  • States/Cities shall be responsible for running the bus services and making payments to the bus operators.
  • The Central Government will support these bus operations by providing subsidy to the extent specified in the proposed scheme.
• Funding:
  • It has been allocated a total funding of Rs 57,613 crore.
  • Out of this financial provision, the central government will contribute Rs 20,000 crore, while the remaining portion will be covered by the state governments.
• Coverage: The scheme will cover cities with 3 lakhs and above population and priority will be given to cities not having organised bus services.
• There are two segments of the scheme: Augmenting the city bus services and Green Urban Mobility initiatives.
• Augmenting the city bus services:
  • Under this, the e-buses will operate under the PPP model and the government will help develop associated infrastructure to provide support for development/upgradation of depot infrastructure
  • It will also help cities create behind-the-meter power infrastructure for the e-buses.
• Green Urban Mobility initiatives:
  • Bus rapid transport projects would be developed along with non-motorised infrastructure like bike sharing, bicycle lanes.
  • Innovative projects like National Common Mobility Card, Intelligent Transit Management System, Multimodal Interchange facilities would also be developed.

Scientists discover ‘strange’ diamonds in meteorite from another planet

• A research team has confirmed the existence of lonsdaleite–a rare hexagonal form of diamond that could be stronger than conventional diamonds– in ureilite meteorites that originated from the mantle of a distant dwarf planet.
• Hexagonal structure of lonsdaleite’s atoms could potentially make it harder than regular diamonds, which have a cubic structure.
• According to scientists, the lonsdaleite may have formed from the collision of the dwarf planet with a large asteroid about 4.5 billion years ago.
• his study proves categorically that lonsdaleite exists in nature. We have also discovered the largest lonsdaleite crystals known to date that are up to a micron in size – much, much thinner than a human hair
• The research produced strong evidence that there the lonsdaleite was formed by a supercritical chemical vapour deposition process that happened on the dwarf planet shortly after a “catastrophic collision.”
• The team proposes that the lonsdaleite was formed in the meteorites from a supercritical fluid that existed at a high temperature and moderate pressure. During the process, the original shape and textures of the pre-existing graphite would have been preserved. Later, after the environment cooled and the pressure decreased, the lonsdaleite could have been partially replaced by the conventional diamond that the researchers also discovered in the meteorite.

NCLAT grants 3 weeks to RBI for reply on Adisri plea against Srei firms’ resolution

National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)

• It was constituted under Section 410 of the Companies Act, 2013for hearing appeals against the orders of the National Company Law Tribunal(s) (NCLT), with effect from 1st June 2016.
• The NCLAT was established to provide an efficient and specialized forum for addressing matters related to company law, insolvency, and competition law.
• Objectives:
  • Hear appeals against the orders passed by NCLT(s) under Section 61 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC).
  • Hear appeals against the orders passed by Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India under Section 202 and Section 211 of IBC.
  • To hear and dispose of appeals against any direction issued or decision made or order passed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
  • It is also the Appellate Tribunal to hear and dispose of appeals against the orders of the National Financial Reporting Authority.
• HQ: New Delhi.
• Composition:
  • It is composed of a chairperson and judicial and technical members.
  • These members are appointed by the Central Government based on their expertise and experience in relevant fields such as law, finance, accountancy, management, and administration.
• Disposing of cases:
  • On the receipt of an appeal from an aggrieved person, the Appellate Tribunal would pass such orders, after giving an opportunity of being heard, as it considers fit, confirming, changing or setting aside the order that is appealed against.
  • The Appellate Tribunal is required to dispose of the appeal within a period of six months from the date of the receipt of the appeal.

In a first in India, Goa to give free IVF treatment in govt hospital

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

• It is a medical procedure used to assist individuals or couples who are facing fertility challenges in achieving pregnancy.
• IVF is the most common and effective type of assisted reproductive technology (ART).
• Process:
  • IVF is a complex process that involves retrieving eggs from ovaries and manually combining them with sperm in a lab for fertilization.
  • Several days after fertilization, the fertilized egg (now called an embryo) is placed inside a uterus.
  • Pregnancy occurs when this embryo implants itself into the uterine wall.
• The procedure can be done using a couple''s own eggs and sperm. Or IVF may involve eggs, sperm or embryos from a known or anonymous donor.
• The success rate of IVF depends on a number of factors including reproductive history, maternal age, the cause of infertility, and lifestyle factors.
• IVF can be used to treat infertility in the following patients:
  • Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes;
  • Male factor infertility including decreased sperm count or sperm motility;
  • Women with ovulation disorders, premature ovarian failure, uterine fibroids;
  • Women who have had their fallopian tubes removed;
  • Individuals with a genetic disorder;
  • Unexplained infertility;

''PM Vishwakarma'' gets Cabinet approval; Rs 13,000 cr scheme likely to benefit 30 lakh families

PM Vishwakarma Yojana

• It is a Central Sector Scheme with a financial outlay of Rs.13,000 crore.
• Time period: Five years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28).
• Aim:
  • To strengthen and nurture the Guru-Shishya parampara or family-based practice of traditional skills by artisans and craftspeople working with their hands and tools.
  • The scheme also aims at improving the quality, as well as the reach of products and services of artisans and craftspeople and to ensure that the Vishwakarmas are integrated with the domestic and global value chains.
• Under this scheme, the artisans and craftspeople will be provided recognition through PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card, Credit Support upto Rs.1 lakh (First Tranche) and Rs.2 lakh (Second Tranche) with a concessional interest rate of 5%.
• The Scheme will further provide Skill Upgradation, Toolkit Incentive, Incentive for Digital Transactions and Marketing Support.
• Under the scheme, there will be two types of skilling programmes -- Basic and Advanced and a stipend of Rs 500 per day will also be provided to beneficiaries while undergoing skills training.

41 MSMEs, 20 startups supported under Technology Development Fund scheme

Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme

• TDF Scheme has been established to promote self-reliance in defense technology as a part of the ''Make in India'' initiative.
• It is a programme of MoD (Ministry of Defence) executed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) meeting the requirements of Tri-Services, Defence Production and DRDO.
• The scheme encourages participation of public/private industries especially MSMEs to create an ecosystem for enhancing cutting edge technology capability for defence application.
• It supports indigenous development of components, products, systems and technologies by MSMEs and start-ups.
• Eligibility:
  • MSMEs and Startups registered in India.
  • Public limited company, private limited company, partnership firms, limited liability partnership, one-person company, sole proprietorship registered as per applicable Indian laws.
  • The industry has to be owned and controlled by an Indian citizen.
  • Industries with foreign investments of 49% or less.
• Funding Support:
  • The funding will be through provision of grants to the Industry.
  • The project cost of up to INR 10 Cr will be considered for funding, subject to a maximum of 90% of the total project cost.
  • Industry may work in collaboration with academia or research institutions.
  • The work involvement of academia cannot exceed 40% of the total project cost.
  • The funding will be linked to mutually agreed milestones.
  • Funds will be released either in advance against a bank guarantee of the same amount as collateral, or reimbursement based on the completion of milestones.
  • Subsequent installments will be released on successful completion of milestones.
• Project Duration: Maximum development period will be two years.

69,523 grievances redressed by states in July, Sikkim tops north eastern region in complaint disposal

• DARPG has integrated the AI based language tool, Bhashini with the CPGRAMS portal.
• This integration would facilitate the Grievance Redressal Officers (GROs) to translate the regional language grievance texts into English.
• The complainants will have the option to view the final reply in both English and the translated native language, ensuring better understanding and communication between the citizen and the concerned authorities.

CPGRAMS

• Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) is an online platform available to the citizens 24x7 to lodge their grievances to the public authorities on any subject related to service delivery.
• It is a single portal connected to all the Ministries/Departments of Government of India and States.
• Every Ministry and States have role-based access to this system.
• CPGRAMS is also accessible to the citizens through standalone mobile application downloadable through Google Play store and mobile application integrated with UMANG.
• The status of the grievance filed in CPGRAMS can be tracked with the unique registration ID provided at the time of registration of the complainant.
• CPGRAMS also provides an appeal facility to the citizens if they are not satisfied with the resolution by the Grievance Officer.

''A-HELP'' Programme and Infertility Camp for Livestock under Inclusive Development at Narmada, Gujarat launched by Shri Parshottam Rupala

A-HELP'' Programme

• It is an initiative of the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying and the Ministry of Rural Development.
• ‘A-HELP’ are community-based women activists, who assist veterinarians in local departmental activities help livestock farmers to take loans for entrepreneurship development, fill out applications, mark the ear tagging of animals and register them in the INAF portal and help with insurance etc.
• They assist in implementing various schemes and in providing information to the farmers at the grassroots level.
• They will give vital contributions to preventing various infectious diseases of animals, artificial insemination under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission (RGM), tagging animals and animal insurance.

Rashtriya Gokul Mission

• It is being implemented for the development and conservation of indigenous bovine breeds since December 2014.
• It is continued under the umbrella scheme Rashtriya Pashudhan Vikas Yojana from 2021 to 2026.
• Objectives
• To enhance the productivity of bovines and increase milk production in a sustainable manner using advanced technologies.
• To propagate the use of high genetic merit bulls for breeding purposes.
• To enhance Artificial insemination coverage through strengthening the breeding network and delivery of Artificial insemination services at farmers'' doorstep.
• To promote indigenous cattle & buffalo rearing and conservation in a scientific and holistic manner.

INCOIS launches ‘SAMUDRA’ mobile app for seafarers and fishing community

SAMUDRA App

• Smart Access to Marine Users for Ocean Data Resources and Advisories (SAMUDRA) application offers comprehensive information on all ocean related services.
• It is a cutting-edge tool helping users to navigate the marine domain with confidence on their safety, and profitable fishing operations.
• It embodies the institute vision and mission in serving the nation with ocean data, information, and advisory services.
• It will catalyse sustainable ocean activities, thus enabling a way forward for the Blue Economy,
• It empowers users with real-time updates and critical alerts on oceanic disasters such as tsunamis, storm surges, high waves, and swell surge alerts, for the individuals and communities to stay informed and take necessary precautions towards the protection of lives and property.
• It will be especially beneficial to the fishing community as it disseminates Potential Fishing Zone (PFZ) advisories which will guide them to the probable fish aggregation locations.
• It is currently serving in English, soon eight coastal languages are proposed to be included soon.

INCOIS

• It was established as an autonomous body in 1999 under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
• Mandate: To provide the best possible ocean information and advisory services to society, industry, government agencies and the scientific community through sustained ocean observations and constant improvements through systematic and focused research.

MeitY Secretary Alkesh Kumar Sharma Launches the Graphene-Aurora Program

Graphene-Aurora Program

• The program shall be implemented by Digital University Kerala with joint funding from Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), and Government of Kerala and Industry partners, Carborundum Pvt Limited joined as one of the main industry partners.
• It shall nurture the deep/emerging Graphene technology & innovation ecosystem that can guide, develop, implement, and support SMEs and startups to commercialize developed graphene technologies for scale adoption.
• Creation of a commercialization eco-system for graphene as an emerging technology would help India take a pole position in the world’s new material market.

Graphene

• Graphene is a material that is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
• It is one of the most important elements in nature which we find in daily objects like the lead of a pencil.
• It is the world’s thinnest, strongest, and most conductive material of both electricity and heat.
• It conducts electricity better than copper.
• It is 200 times stronger than steel but six times lighter.
• It is almost perfectly transparent as it absorbs only 2% of light.
• It is impermeable to gases, even those as light as hydrogen and helium.

Pong dam water release and relentless rainfall submerge 50 villages in Punjab''s Gurdaspur

Pong Dam

• The Pong Dam, also known as the Beas Dam, is an earth-fill embankment dam on the Beas River in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
• The purpose of the dam is water storage for irrigation and hydroelectric power generation.
• The construction of the dam began in the year 1961 and was completed in 1974 and at that time was known as the tallest of its type in the country.
• The raised water level thus invariably created an artificial lake called the Maharana Pratap Sagar, after the great ruler of Mewar. The lake became a renowned bird sanctuary for birds of numerous species including Bar-headed Goose and the Red-necked Grebe.
• Features:
  • The Pong Dam is a 133 m tall and 1,951 m long earth-fill embankment dam with a gravel shell.
  • The dam is 13.72 m wide at its crest, which sits at an elevation of about 435.86 m above sea level.
  • The base of the Pong Dam is about 610 m wide and has a total volume of 35,500,000 metre cube.

Beas River

• The Beas River is a river in north India.
• Origin: The River rises 4,361 metres above sea-level on the southern face of Rohtang Pass in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh.
• Course: It flows for some 470 kilometres to the Sutlej River in the Indian state of Punjab.
• The river was also known as Arjikuja of the Vedas, or Vipasa to the ancient Indians, and the Hyphasis to the Ancient Greeks.
• Tributaries:
  • The main tributaries are Bain, Banganga, Luni, Uhlal, Awa, Banner, Chakki, Gaj, Harla, Mamuni, Parvati, Patlikuhlal, Sainj, Suketi and Tirthan.
  • The tributaries that branch out in the Northern part are snow fed and hence, perennial.
  • The tributaries down the South are seasonal and get their water from the rains.