June 1st Current Affairs

1.Horticulture Cluster Development Programme.

IN NEWS:

Union Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar launches Horticulture Cluster Development Programme.

KEY POINTS:

• In pilot phase, Programme to be implemented in 12 clusters covering 11 States/UTs.
• The programme will benefit about 10 lakh farmers and is expected to attract an investment of Rs. 10,000 crore when implemented in all the 53 clusters.
• A central sector programme implemented by the National Horticulture Board (NHB) of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, CDP aims at growing and developing identified horticulture clusters to make them globally competitive.
• The programme will address all major issues related to the Indian horticulture sector including pre-production, production, post-harvest management, logistics, marketing and branding.
• The clusters of the pilot phase include Shopian (J&K) and Kinnaur (H.P.) for Apple, Lucknow (U.P.), Kutch (Gujarat) and Mahbubnagar (Telangana) for Mango, Anantpur (A.P.) and Theni (T.N.) for Banana, Nasik (Maharashtra) for Grapes, Siphahijala (Tripura) for Pineapple, Solapur (Maharashtra) and Chitradurga (Karnataka) for Pomegranate and West Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya) for Turmeric.
• These clusters will be implemented through Cluster Development Agencies (CDAs) which are appointed on the recommendations of the respective State/UT Government.
• The programme is expected to converge with other initiatives of the Government such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund which is a medium – long term financing facility for investment in projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets and will leverage the central sector scheme of the Ministry for Formation and Promotion of 10,000 Farmers Producer Organisations (FPOs).

SOURCE:PIB

2. PLI Scheme for KSMs/ Drug Intermediates and APIs.

IN NEWS:

Approvals accorded under Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Promotion of Domestic Manufacturing of critical Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)

KEY POINTS:

• The Department of Pharmaceuticals, with an objective to attain self-reliance and reduce import dependence in critical Bulk Drugs – Key Starting Materials (KSMs)/ Drug Intermediates and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), had launched a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for promotion of their domestic manufacturing.
• It is done by setting up greenfield plants with minimum domestic value addition in four different Target Segments (In Two Fermentation based – at least 90% and in Two Chemical Synthesis based – at least 70% ).
• Total outlay of Rs.6,940 cr. for the period 2020-21 to 2029-30.
• All the 215 applications received for the 36 products spread across the 4 Target Segments were considered and appraised as per the decided evaluation and selection criteria by the Empowered Committee in its various meetings and selected participants duly informed and Press Notes issued with approval of the Competent Authority.

SOURCE:PIB

3. AmbiTAG

IN NEWS:

IIT Ropar develops “AmbiTAG”- India’s first indigenous temperature data logger for the cold chain management.

KEY POINTS:

• Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar (IIT Ropar) in Punjab has developed a first-of-its-kind IoT device – AmbiTag that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood.
• That recorded temperature further helps to know whether that particular item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation.
• This information is particularly critical for vaccines including Covid-19 vaccine, organs and blood transportation.
• Nation’s first-of-its-kind IoT device for secure transportation of vaccines, blood and body organs, perishable products (food and dairy), etc.
• A step forward for “Atma Nirbhar Bharat.”
• Technology Innovation Hub AWaDH will give away the AmbiTag device at production cost for COVID vaccine transportation.

SOURCE:TH

4. India’s GDP contracts by 7.3%

IN NEWS:

• India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted by 7.3% in 2020-21, as per report released by the Central Statistical Office.
• GDP growth in 2019-20, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was 4%.

KEY POINTS:

• The Gross Value Added (GVA) in the economy also shrank 6.2% in 2020-21, compared to a 4.1% rise in the previous year.
• Only two sectors showed positive GVA growth — agriculture, forestry and fishing (3.6% positive growth), and electricity, gas, water supply and other utility services ( 1.9% positive growth).
• Sharpest decline: Trade, hotels, transport, communication and broadcasting-related services (-18.2%), followed by construction (-8.6%), mining and quarrying (-8.5%) and manufacturing (-7.2%).

Important Information:

• Gross domestic product (GDP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced in a specific time period.
• In economics, gross value added (GVA) is the measure of the value of goods and services produced in an area, industry or sector of an economy.

SOURCE:IE

5. CRAFTSMEN TRAINING SCHEME (CTS)

IN NEWS:

The Directorate General of Training (DGT) announced results of the All India Trade Test (AITT) held in December 2020, for Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) Academic session 2020-2021.

KEY POINTS:

• The Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) was introduced by the Government of India in year 1950 by establishing about 50 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) for imparting skills in various vocational trades
• It is implemented by the Directorate General of Training (DGT), under the aegis of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship.
• It’s objective is to ensure a steady flow of skilled workers in different trades for the domestic industry.

Important Information :

• Vocational Training is a concurrent subject of both Central and State Governments.
• The development of training schemes at National level, evolution of policy, laying of training standards, norms, conducting of examinations, certification, etc. are the responsibilities of the Central Government, whereas the implementation of the training schemes largely rests with the State Govts./UT Administrators.

SOURCE:IE

6. Maratha community brought under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota

IN NEWS:

Maratha community is brought under Economically Weaker Section (EWS) quota in Maharashtra.

Key takeaways

• Earlier, The Supreme Court had scrapped the SEBC reservation in jobs and education.
• It made it possible for the State government to extend the benefit of the EWS quota to the Marathas.
• As per the government resolution, a person fulfilling the criteria for EWS would be eligible for 10% reservation in educational institutes, barring minority institutes.
• This would also be applied for State government recruitment.
• The reservation would be above the existing reservation.

SOURCE:IE