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12th Sep 2021
DELHI GOVT TO PROVIDE FUNDS TO SCHOOL CHILDREN FROM SEPT 7 TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESS
The Delhi Government announced that it will provide start-up funds to students of Government schools.
- The Government termed this fund as seed money and the programme as ‘Business Blasters’ to help young students in starting their own business.
- Business Blaster Program (BBP) was started at the School of Excellence, Khichripur under a pilot project.
- Aim: To inculcate the belief in children that whatever work they do, they should do it with an entrepreneurial mindset.
- Objective: To encourage children to adopt an entrepreneurship mindset when taking up any kind of job.
- A seed money amount of Rs 2000 will be provided to every student of class 11th and 12th to start a business.
- It originates from Mokokchung in Nagaland where it is also known as Tsujenyong nullah and is the south bank tributary of the River Brahmaputra.
- It is an inter-state river (flowing between Assam and Nagaland) and joins Dhansiri river near its confluence with Brahmaputra.
- Coal mining in Nagaland introduced high levels of manganese in the river.
- Chemical waste from the tea gardens is turning the river poisonous and polluted.
- The drains carry industrial and residential wastes. The river has become heavily silted, reducing its carrying capacity.
- The high BOD (Biological Oxygen Demand) indicates low water quality and less oxygen for aquatic life.
- The massive encroachments along the river bank have been not only making the river narrower but also increasing the filth and garbage.
- Disposing human excreta and cremating dead bodies along the river bank are gradually contaminating the soil and water of the region. This is increasing the threat of water-borne diseases.
- Tributaries: Dihing River, Dibang River, Lohit River, Dhansiri River, Kolong River, Kameng River, Manas River, Beki River, Raidak River, Jaldhaka River, Teesta River, Subansiri River.
- The total catchment area of the inter-state river is 1,545 square kilometres and travels 160 kilometres before joining Dhansiri river near its confluence with Brahmaputra.
- Water pollution by organic wastes is measured in terms of BOD.
- BOD is the amount of Dissolved Oxygen (DO) needed by bacteria in decomposing the organic wastes present in water. It is expressed in milligrams of oxygen per litre of water.
- The higher value of BOD indicates low DO content of water.
- Since BOD is limited to biodegradable materials, it is not a reliable method of measuring water pollution.
- This is aimed for contributing to PM' agenda of a hydrogen-based economy in a clean manner.
- Identification of role to be played by each stakeholder Ministry.
- Coordination with Stakeholder Ministries.
- Monitoring of activities towards achieving coal-based Hydrogen production and usage.
- Setting up sub committees to achieve the objective.
- To coordinate with Coal Gasification Mission and NITI Aayog.
- Identifying experts in India and co-opting as members.
- Desk based review of progress in hydrogen technology and also review ongoing research projects in Hydrogen technology.
- Coordinate with various national/international technology institutions in hydrogen.
- Prepare a road map for coal based Hydrogen production and usage including economic viability, environmental sustainability and policy enablers required.
- Identifying activities for implementation of coal based hydrogen production and usage.
- Assisting Task force in implementation of Coal based Hydrogen production.
- Aim: To highlight importance of literacy for individuals, communities and societies and the need for intensified efforts towards more literate societies.
- Theme 2021: Literacy for a Human-centred Recovery: Narrowing the Digital Divide.
- Literacy goals are a key part of UN’s Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
- SDG agenda contains 17 goals and 169 targets, adopted in 2015, to build on Millennium Development Goals, which were adopted in 2000.
- As per the last census (2011) in India, a total of 74.04% are literate.
- Due to confusion over reservation, the government had not been able to conduct elections to urban local bodies, which are currently being governed by bureaucrats.
- The move has paved way for conducting elections to urban local bodies in the State.
- Under the campaign, a three-day certification drive for rural citizens especially women and disadvantaged communities will be conducted.
- Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyaan is a flagship Digital Literacy scheme of the Government for rural areas introduced in February, 2017.
- It is proposed to make all the Digital Villages 100 percent Digital Literate.
- The Scheme envisages to make six crore persons in rural areas digitally literate, reaching to around 40% of rural households by covering one member from every eligible household by 31st March, 2020.
- Aim: To bridge the digital divide, specifically targeting the rural population including the marginalised sections of society like Scheduled Castes (SC)/ Scheduled Tribes (ST), Minorities, Below Poverty Line (BPL), women and differently-abled persons and minorities.
- Objective: To make a person digitally literate, so that he/she can operate digital devices (like Tablets, Smart phones etc.) send and receive emails & browse Internet for information and undertake digital payment etc.
- Eligibility Criteria: Nominated digitally illiterate person from every eligible rural household.
- Age: 14 to 60 years
- Course Duration: 20 Hours (Minimum 10 Days and Maximum 30 Days)
- Implementing authority: CSC e-Governance Services India Limited, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) incorporated under the Companies Act 1956.
- PLI scheme for textiles is part of overall announcement of PLI schemes for 13 sectors made during the Union Budget 2021-22 with an outlay of ₹ 1.97 lakh crore.
- Budgetary outlay: Rs. 10,683 crores.
- Aim: To provide a major boost to domestic production and exports of synthetic fibers and technical textiles.
- The approved incentive of 3-11% of annual incremental revenue will be provided to eligible units over a period of five years.
- For eligibility under the scheme, two types of investments are possible.
- Any person (which includes firm/company) willing to invest a minimum of ₹300 crore in plant, machinery, equipment and civil works to produce products of notified MMF fabrics & technical textiles, shall be eligible to apply for participation in first part of the scheme.
- In the second part, any person, firm or company, willing to invest minimum ₹100 crore shall be eligible to apply.
- Factories based around aspirational districts or Tier-3 & Tier-4 cities will be given priority.
- It will especially benefit Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana etc.
- It is expected to generate an additional direct employment of 7.5 lakh and indirect employment of several lakhs more.
- A fiber is a long and thin strand or thread of material that can be knit or woven into a fabric.
- They are made by chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms.
- MMFs such as nylon, polyester, acrylic, rayon, viscose and polyolefin dominate global apparel production.
- They account for 75% of all fibers produced worldwide, and 80% in developed markets such as Europe and North America.
- Applications: Clothing, carpets and household textiles, tyres, conveyor belts, cold-weather clothing, air and water filters.
- These are materials and products manufactured primarily for their technical and performance properties rather than their aesthetic or decorative characteristics.
- Applications: Automobiles, civil engineering and construction (roads, railway tracks), agriculture, healthcare, industrial safety, personal protection, military and disaster management.
- In India, Technical textiles segment is estimated at $16 billion or 6% of $250-billion global market.
- India has primarily focused on cotton textile. But two-thirds share of the international textile market is of man-made and technical textile.
- The share of export of textiles from India has fallen from 24% in 2000 to just 11% in 2020. Indian companies and exporters have lost market share to China, Bangladesh and Thailand.
- MMF (man-made fibre) and technical textiles sectors account for less than 20% of India's total textile production.
- The penetration level of technical textiles is low in India, varying between 5-10% against 30-70% in developed countries.
- The textiles (including apparel) industry in India provides direct employment to 45 million people and 60 million in allied industries.
- India is among the world’s largest producers of textiles products and apparel.
- The domestic textiles and apparel industry contributes 5% of India’s GDP, 7% of industry output in value terms and 11% of export earnings.
- Issues include: Lack of working capital, outdated technology, fragmented nature of supply chains etc.
- The Cabinet has approved Rs 1480 crore National Technical Textiles Mission in 2020, set to run till 2024. The mission targets an average growth rate of 15-20% annually and a domestic market size of $40-50 billion by 2024.
- As many as 92 categories of technical textiles, including fire-resistant curtains, geogrid for railways, high-altitude combat gear, bulletproof jackets, leno bags for transporting farm commodities, and architectural membranes for tents, had been identified for mandatory use by central ministries and public agencies.