Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will give certificates to 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis

• Prime Minister will release a revolving fund - Community Investment Fund of Rs 2500 crore, which will benefit about 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh Self Help Groups (SHGs).
• The Prime Minister will also release a bank loan of Rs 5000 crore, which will benefit 25.8 lakh members of 2,35,400 Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Lakhpati Didi Scheme

• About:The government''s goal is to create two crore "lakhpati didis" (prosperous sisters) in villages. This scheme aligns with the broader mission of poverty alleviation and economic empowerment.
• Under this scheme, women will be provided skill training so that they can earn over Rs 1 lakh per year.

Criteria for identifying potential lakhpati Didi: 

• A Self-Help Group member who has completed a minimum of two years and has availed of the Community Investment Fund (CIF).
• A beneficiary of livelihood intervention through DAY-NRLM and practising at least two livelihood activities. 

Features:

• Drones will be provided to women SHGs for agricultural activities.
• This initiative aims to leverage technology to transform the agricultural landscape while empowering women in rural communities.
• Around 15,000 women''s SHGs will be given training in operating and repairing drones.
• This training will not only create new avenues for income generation but also equip women with cutting-edge skills.
• Drones have the potential to revolutionize agriculture by enabling precision farming, crop monitoring, and pest control.
• Under the scheme, women will be trained in skills like LED bulb making, plumbing, among others.

What are SHGs?

• Self-help groups (SHGs) are informal associations of people who choose to come together to find ways to improve their living conditions.
• It can be defined as a self-governed, peer-controlled information group of people with similar socio-economic backgrounds and having a desire to collectively perform a common purpose.
• SHG relies on the notion of “Self Help” to encourage self-employmentand poverty alleviation.

Objectives:

• To build the functional capacity of the poor and the marginalized in the field of employment and income-generating activities.
• To resolve conflicts through collective leadership and mutual discussion.
• To provide collateral-free loans with terms decided by the group at market-driven rates.
• To work as a collective guarantee system for members who propose to borrow from organized sources.
• The poor collect their savings and save it in banks. In return, they receive easy access to loans with a small rate of interest to start their micro unit enterprise.

21.67 lakh new workers enrolled under ESI Scheme in the month of June, 2024

(Source: PIB)

• 58 lakh employees amounting to around 49% of the total registrations belong to the age group of upto 25 years.
• Net enrolment of female members has been 4.32 lakh in June, 2024.
• Besides, a total of 55 transgender employees have also got registered under ESI Scheme in the month of June, 2024 

Employees State Insurance (ESI) Scheme

• It is a social security scheme offered by the Government of India as per the Employees'' State Insurance Act, 1948.
• It is administered by a statutory corporate body called the Employees'' State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
• The scheme provides protection to employees against disablement/death due to employment injury, sickness, and maternity.

Wage Limit:

• The existing wage limit for coverage under the Act is Rs.21,000/- per month (Rs.25000/- per month in the case of Persons with Disability).

How are contributions made?

• This is a self-financing scheme, where the employees and the employers make regular monthly contributions to the scheme at a certain percentage of their wages.
• As of now, covered employees contribute 0.75% of the wages, whereas the employers contribute 3.25% of the wages, payable to their employees.
• Employees earning less than Rs. 137/- a day as daily wages are exempted from payment of their share of contribution.
• The State Governments, as per provisions of the Act, contribute 1/8th of the expenditure of medical benefitswithin a per capita ceiling of Rs. 1500/- per Insured Person per annum.

Benefits

• Medical Benefit - Full medical care to the insured person and his family members with no ceiling on expenditure of the treatment.
• Sickness Benefit - In the form of cash compensation at the rate of 70 per cent of wages.
• Maternity Benefit - For confinement/pregnancy is payable for 26 weeks, which is extendable by further one month on medical advice.
• Disablement Benefit - 

1. Temporary disablement benefit (TDB)
2. Permanent disablement benefit (PDB)

• Dependants Benefit - Paid in the form of monthly payment to the dependants in cases where death is due to employment injury or occupational hazards.
• Other Benefits -

1. Funeral Expenses
2. Confinement Expenses
3. Vocational Rehabilitation
4. Physical Rehabilitation
5. Old Age Medical Care

ESIC:

• It is a state-run organization set up under the Employee State Insurance Act of 1948.
• It is responsible for overseeing the ESI plan.
• Ministry: The Ministry of Labour & Employment

Union Minister of Civil Aviation launched the guidelines for seaplane operation under RCS-UDAN 

• The guidelines ensure seamless and efficient rollout of seaplane operations across the nation. On the occasion, Mr. Naidu said that the guidelines aim to connect remote areas of the country and make travel more accessible for all.
• He added that after the success of RCS-UDAN, the government is considering to propose RCS-UDAN 2.0 for the next 10 years.

RCS-UDAN:

• UDAN (UdeDeshkaAamNaagrik) is a regional airport development and "Regional Connectivity Scheme" (RCS) of the Union Government.
• The scheme UDAN envisages providing connectivity to un-served and under-served airports of the country through revival of existing air-strips and airports.
• Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Civil Aviation
• This is first-of-its-kind scheme globally to create economically viable flights on regional routes so that flying becomes affordable to the common man even in small towns.
• It is a key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) which was released by the Ministry of Civil Aviation (India) in 2016.
• The scheme is jointly funded by the central government and state governments.

Objectives of the UDAN Scheme

• To Enhance Regional Connectivity: By connecting underserved and unserved airports, UDAN aims to provide better connectivity to remote and regional areas.
• To Make Air Travel Affordable: By offering subsidized fares, the scheme intends to make air travel accessible to a larger segment of the population, thereby increasing the number of air travellers.
• To Promote Inclusive Growth: Ensuring balanced regional development by facilitating the movement of people, goods, and services, which in turn supports tourism, job creation, and economic development.

Various versions of UDAN Scheme

• UDAN 1.0: 5 airlines companies were awarded 128 flight routes to 70 airports (including 36 newly made operational airports)
• UDAN 2.0: 73 underserved and unserved airports were announced and for the first time, helipads were also connected.
• UDAN 3.0: In coordination with the Ministry of Tourism, Tourism Routes were included. In addition to Seaplanes for connecting Water Aerodromes, several routes in the North-East Region came under the ambit of the scheme.
• UDAN 4.0: Gave impetus to North-Eastern Regions, Hilly States, and Islands. The operation of helicopters and seaplanes incorporated.
• UDAN 5.0: UDAN 5.0 focuses on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (>80 seats) aircraft. There is no restriction on the distance between the origin and destination of the flight, which earlier was 600 Km.

Challenges to the RCS Scheme

Commercial Viability:

• Many of the routes identified under the scheme have been found to be commercially unviable for airlines. The low demand for air travel on certain routes makes it difficult for airlines to operate profitably, even with subsidies provided under UDAN.
• Airport development under RCS involved launching 479 routes to revive under-utilized airports. However, out of these, 225 routes have ceased operations.

Infrastructural Constraints:

• The lack of adequate airport infrastructure in some of the remote regions poses challenges for airlines.
• Many airports require upgradation and improvements to meet safety standards and handle increased air traffic.

Subsidization of Air Travel:

• The RCS aimed to make air travel affordable by providing subsidies and viability gap funding to airlines operating on selected routes. However, the scheme faced issues as some routes were found to be commercially unviable despite the subsidies.

High Operating Costs:

• Airlines operating in remote areas often face higher operating costs, including increased fuel expenses, maintenance costs, and logistical challenges, which can affect their profitability.

Passenger Awareness:

• Lack of awareness among potential passengers about the availability of air travel options under UDAN can limit demand and utilization of regional air services.

Way Forward

• The Regional Connectivity Scheme played a significant role in airport development, but challenges related to commercial viability and airlines'' sustainability have hindered its overall success.
• As the aviation sector continues to evolve, addressing these issues will be crucial to achieving sustainable air connectivity for smaller cities and regions across the country.
• Addressing these challenges requires a collaborative effort from the government, aviation industry stakeholders, and local authorities.
• Enhancing airport infrastructure, streamlining subsidy disbursal, addressing operational constraints, and promoting regional air travel awareness are key areas that need attention to ensure the success and sustainability of India''s UDAN Regional Connectivity Scheme.

77th PM GatiShakti meeting evaluates infrastructure projects across Railways, Roads, Aviation, and Ports

• The infrastructure projects include Hazira-Gothangam New Rail Line in Gujarat, Bilasipara-Guwahati Road in Assam, Multi-Modal Logistics Park in Maharashtra, Development of New Civil Enclave at Bihta Airport and Bagdogra Airport, and Development of international container transshipment port at Galathea Bay. 

About:

• PM Gati Shakti (launched in 2021) is a National Master Plan for multi-modal connectivity that will incorporate the infrastructure schemes of various Ministries and State Governments like Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways, dry/land ports, UDAN

PM Gati Shakti is based on six pillars:

• Comprehensiveness: It will include all the existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and Departments with one centralized portal. Each and every Department will now have visibility of each other''s activities providing critical data while planning & execution of projects in a comprehensive manner.
• Prioritization: Through this, different Departments will be able to prioritize their projects through cross-sectoral interactions.
• Optimization: The National Master Plan will assist different ministries in planning for projects after identification of critical gaps. For the transportation of the goods from one place to another, the plan will help in selecting the most optimum route in terms of time and cost.
• Synchronization: Individual Ministries and Departments often work in silos. There is lack of coordination in planning and implementation of the project resulting in delays. PM Gati Shakti will help in synchronizing the activities of each department, as well as of different layers of governance, in a holistic manner by ensuring coordination of work between them.
• Analytical: The plan will provide the entire data at one place with GIS based spatial planning and analytical tools having 200+ layers, enabling better visibility to the executing agency.
• Dynamic: All Ministries and Departments will now be able to visualize, review and monitor the progress of cross-sectoral projects, through the GIS platform, as the satellite imagery will give on-ground progress periodically and progress of the projects will be updated on a regular basis on the portal. It will help in identifying the vital interventions for enhancing and updating the master plan.

Objectives of PM Gati Shakti Master Plan

• Integrated planning and coordinated implementation of infrastructure connectivity projects.
• For example: Centralized portal to include all the updates regarding existing and planned initiatives of various Ministries and Departments.
• Multi-modal seamless connectivity for movement of people, goods and services, facilitating the last mile connectivity.
• For example: 400 Vande Bharat trains are to be manufactured and 100 PM Gati Shakti Cargo Terminals are to be built.
• Reducing logistics costs by filling critical infrastructure gaps, thus improving supply chains.
• For example: the Indian government has a vision of bringing down logistics costs from 13% to 7.5% of GDP.
• Making India the Business capital of the world by enhanced multimodal connectivity, reduced logistics cost and providing proper linkages between local industry & and consumers.
• For example: Economic Zones like pharmaceutical clusters, defence corridors, electronic parks, industrial corridors, and agri-zones will be covered to improve connectivity.

Associated Concerns

• Low Credit Off-take: Although the government had taken up ‘strong’ banking sector reforms and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code had yielded about Rs. 2.4 lakh crore of recoveries on bad loans, there are concerns about declining credit offtake trends.
• Lack of Demand: In the post-Covid-19 scenario, there is a lack of private demand and investment demand.
• Structural Problems: Due to land acquisition delays and litigation issues, the rate of implementation of projects is very slow on global standards.

Way Forward

• PM Gati Shakti is a step in the right direction. However, it needs to address structural and macroeconomic stability concerns, emanating from high public expenditure.
• Thus, it is imperative that this initiative is underpinned by a stable and predictable regulatory and institutional framework.

A look at ongoing Indian space missions

Highlights in the last year:

Chandrayaan-3:

• Date: August 23, 2023
• Achievement: Successful lunar landing.
• Significance: India’s National Space Day declared by PM Modi.

Aditya-L1:

• Launch Date: September 2, 2023
• Objective: Solar science mission to study the Sun’s outer layer and solar storms.
• Notable Event: First orbit around the L1 point on January 6, 2024.

Gaganyaan TV-D1:

• Date: October 21, 2023
• Achievement: Successful Crew Escape System test, crucial for human spaceflight.
• Recovery: Crew module recovered by INS Shakthi.

XPoSat:

• Launch Date: January 1, 2024
• Objective: Study X-ray polarization of celestial objects.
• Instruments: XSPECT and POLIX.

INSAT-3DS:

• Launch Date: February 17, 2024
• Objective: Meteorological satellite, proving the GSLV’s capability before NASA-ISRO mission.

RLV-TD:

• Tests: LEX-02 and LEX-03 in March and June 2024.
• Objective: Validate landing conditions for a reusable launch vehicle.

SSLV:

• Date: August 16, 2024
• Achievement: Successful third and final development flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV).

ISRO Roadmaps:

Gaganyaan Mission:

• Upcoming: Uncrewed mission in late 2024, crewed mission with Axiom Space in 2025.
• Future: Indian space station ‘Bharatiya Antariksh Station’ (BAS) by 2035.

Lunar Exploration:

• Target: Indian lunar landing by 2040.
• Plans: Include crewed missions, sample-return, long-duration stays, docking with Lunar Gateway, and habitat construction.

Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV):

• Objective: Develop a more capable launch vehicle for heavier payloads.
• Configuration: Three-stage vehicle with semi-cryogenic and cryogenic engines.
• Current Status: Project report submitted; GSLV phased out post-NGLV development.

NSIL Missions:

Commercial Activities:

• Transferred: Remote sensing satellite data to NSIL.
• Agreements: SpaceX for GSAT-20/GSAT-N2 launch; public-private partnerships for LVM-3 production.

Private Space Missions:

• Agnikul Cosmos: Launched SoRTeD-01 with a semi-cryogenic engine on March 21, 2024.
• Skyroot Aerospace: Progress towards Vikram 1 rocket, with successful Vikram S test on November 18, 2022.
• Dhruva Space and Bellatrix Aerospace: Experiments on PSLV-C58 mission.

IN-SPACe Policy Updates:

Regulations:

• Released: Guidelines for authorizing space activities on May 3, 2023.
• Licenses: First satellite broadband license to Eutelsat OneWeb and ground station license to Dhruva Space.
• FDI Policy: 100% direct FDI in space sectors except 74% in satellite manufacturing and 49% in launch infrastructure.