National Current Affairs – UPSC/KAS Exams- 15th November 2018

Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme

Topic: Government Schemes

IN NEWS: To cater to the needs and aspirations of the youth, the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has come up with a youth-friendly scheme ‘Yuva Sahakar-Cooperative Enterprise Support and Innovation Scheme” for attracting them to cooperative business ventures.

More on the Topic:

• The Central Government has been encouraging ‘Start-Ups’ for ease of doing business, non-conventional opportunities are emerging and are being encouraged. The conducive environment is being leveraged by private and corporate sectors and ‘Hub Start-ups’ are being promoted. The newly launched scheme would encourage cooperatives to venture into new and innovative areas.

Significance of the Scheme:

• The scheme will be linked to Rs 1000 crore ‘Cooperative Start-up and Innovation Fund (CSIF)’ created by the NCDC.
• It would have more incentives for cooperatives of North Eastern region, Aspirational Districts and cooperatives with women or SC or ST or PwD members.
• The funding for the project will be up to 80% of the project cost for these special categories as against 70% for others. The scheme envisages 2% less than the applicable rate of interest on term loan for the project cost up to Rs 3 crore including 2 years moratorium on payment of principal.
• All types of cooperatives in operation for at least one year are eligible.

National Cooperative Development Corporation (India)

• National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) was established by an Act of Parliament in 1963 as a statutory Corporation under Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. It has many regional centres to provide the financial assistance to Cooperatives/Societies/Federations.
• Its act has also been amended recently to enable it to fund cooperatives in the services sector, rural industries, livestock etc. Thus, NCDC continues its march ahead, to support the Cooperative sector to achieve excellence in various spheres of its operations.

Source:The Hindu

75th anniversary of the hoisting of Tricolour for the first time by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Topic: History

IN NEWS:The Union Ministry of Finance has decided to release a Rs 75 commemorative coin on the occasion of 75th anniversary of the hoisting of Tricolour for the first time by Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose at Port Blair.

More on the Topic:

• During his visit to Andaman in on December 30, 1943, Subhash Chandra Bose hoisted the Tricolor for the first time at Cellular Jail of Port Blair, much before India attained Independence declaring the island as the free territory from the British rule.
• On the same occasion, he announced the freedom of Andaman & Nicobar Islands, the first Indian Territory, from the British rule. The island at that time was liberated from British rule by Japan which captured it during the World War – II.
• Bose named Andaman Island as Shaheed and Nicobar Island as Swaraj and appointed INA General AD Loganathan as the governor of the Islands. Azad Hind Government was not merely a Government in Exile anymore but had its own land, own currency, civil code and stamps.

Azad Hind Movement:

• The Provisional Government of Free India,(Azad Hind), was an Indian provisional government established in occupied Singapore in 1943 and supported by the Empire of Japan, Nazi Germany, Italian Social Republic, and their allies.
• It was a part of a political movement originating in the 1940s outside India with the purpose of allying with the Axis powers to free India from British Rule.
• It was established by Indian nationalists-in-exile during the latter part of the Second World War in Singapore with monetary, military and political assistance from Imperial Japan.
• Founded on 21 October 1943, the government was inspired by the concepts of Subhas Chandra Bose who was also the leader of the government and the Head of State of this Provisional Indian Government-in-exile.
• The government proclaimed authority over Indian civilian and military personnel in Southeast Asian British colonial territory and prospective authority over Indian territory to fall to the Japanese forces and the Indian National Army during the Japanese thrust towards India during the Second World War.

Source:The Hindu

Young Champions Awards

Topic: Awards and Honours

In news: NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission and UNICEF have announced Young Champions Awards on occasion of Children’s Day. The awards were presented to the top six most innovative solutions from across the country, which were shortlisted through the Atal Tinkering Marathon.

About Atal Tinkering Marathon:

• On October 2 last year, AIM’s Atal Tinkering Labs (ATL) had launched a six month long nationwide challenge called the Atal Tinkering Marathon, across six different thematic areas, namely, clean energy, water resources, waste management, healthcare, smart mobility and agri-technology.
• The objective was to encourage students to observe community problems and develop innovative solutions.

Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs)

• The objective of this scheme is to foster curiosity, creativity and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mind set, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc.
• Schools (minimum Grade VI – X) managed by Government, local body or private trusts/society can set up ATL.
• Atal Innovation Mission(AIM) will provide grant-in-aid that includes a one-time establishment cost of Rs. 10 lakh and operational expenses of Rs. 10 lakh for a maximum period of 5 years to each ATL.
• Atal Tinkering Labs have evolved as epicenters for imparting these ‘skills of the future’ through practical applications based onself-learning.
• Bridging a crucial social divide, Atal Tinkering Labs provide equal opportunity to all children across the spectrum by working at the grassroot level, introducing children to the world of innovation and tinkering.

Source: The Hindu

Mega Food Parks

Topic: Economy

In news: Maharashtra’s second Mega Food Park has been opened in Aurangabad District. It is promoted by M/s Paithan Mega Food Park Pvt Ltd, the Park.

 More on the Topic

• The Scheme of Mega Food Park aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers income and creating employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
• The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on “Cluster” approach and envisages creation of state of art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri / horticultural zone for setting up of modern food processing units in the industrial plots provided in the park with well-established supply chain.
• Mega food park typically consist of supply chain infrastructure including collection centers, primary processing centers, central processing centers, cold chain and around 30-35 fully developed plots for entrepreneurs to set up food processing units.
• The Mega Food Park project is implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is a Body Corporate registered under the Companies Act. State Government, State Government entities and Cooperatives are not required to form a separate SPV for implementation of Mega Food Park project.
• Subject to fulfilment of the conditions of the Scheme Guidelines, the funds are released to the SPVs. To view status of 42 Mega Food Parks funded under the scheme.

Source:The Hindu

World Customs Organisation

Topic: Organisations in News

In news: To deliberate upon various issues including the steps required for the capacity building and reforms in customs, the four-day regional meeting of the World Customs Organisation takes off in Jaipur.

 More on the Topic

• The World Customs Organization (WCO), established in 1952 as the Customs Co-operation Council (CCC) is an independent intergovernmental body whose mission is to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Customs administrations.
• The WCO represents 182 Customs administrations across the globe that collectively process approximately 98% of world trade. As the global centre of Customs expertise, the WCO is the only international organization with competence in Customs matters and can rightly call itself the voice of the international Customs community.
• The WCO’s governing body the Council relies on the competence and skills of a Secretariat and a range of technical and advisory committees to accomplish its mission. The Secretariat comprises over 100 international officials, technical experts and support staff of some nationalities.

Source:The Hindu

India, UK sign pact to collaborate on cancer research

Topic: International Relations

In news: India and the UK signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration in cancer research.

More on The Topic:

• The pact between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) for the India-UK Cancer Research Initiative was signed here for collaboration for the next five years.
• Both CRUK and DBT will invest five million pounds each in this five-year pilot project, and seek further investment from other potential funding partners.

Significance:

• The India-UK Cancer Research Initiative will identify a core set of research challenges that address issues of affordability, prevention and care of cancer patients by bringing together leading Indian and UK experts in clinical research, demographic research, new technologies and physical sciences.
• The initiative will provide funding to develop new research alliances and undertake impactful research to enable significant progress against cancer outcomes.