Tamil Nadu topped in micro-irrigation- Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY)
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II-Governance
The state of Tamil Nadu has topped the all-India level for micro-irrigation (MI), under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), with a coverage of 2,06,853.25 ha for the year financial year 2019-20. The state is followed by Karnataka and Gujarat with 1,41,103.56 Ha and 1,08,322.00 Ha of coverage respectively.
How MI cover increased in TN?
During the inaugural year of the MI programme (2015-16), Tamil Nadu had just 32,290 hectares under micro-irrigation. After that the State government had started providing additional subsidy to what was provided by the Centre to small and marginal farmers and big farmers through a website “Micro Irrigation Management Information System” (MIMIS). They have also removed 12% goods and services tax (GST) on MI components. The state has provided options to farmers for the purchase of MI components by identifying 45 firms.
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana
Out of about 141 m.Ha of net area sown in the country, about 65 million hectare (or 45%) is presently covered under irrigation. Substantial dependency on rainfall makes cultivation in unirrigated areas a high risk, less productive profession. Empirical evidences suggest that assured or protective irrigation encourages farmers to invest more in farming technology and inputs leading to productivity enhancement and increased farm income.
The overreaching vision of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) is to ensure access to some means of protective irrigation to all agricultural farms in the country, to produce ‘per drop more crop’, thus bringing much desired rural prosperity.
Objectives
The broad objectives of PMKSY include (PT SHOTS)
PMKSY has the following programme components:
A. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP)
B. PMKSY (Har Khet ko Pani)
C. PMKSY (Per Drop More Crop)
D. PMKSY (Watershed Development)
Jai Hind Jai Bharat
Source: TH/VIKASPEDIA
Central government constitutes 10-member group headed by NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh kant to fight corona
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II- GOVERNANCE
On April 5, 2020,In order to deal with this coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic, the central government has constituted a 10-member group under the chairmanship of NITI (National Institution for Transforming India) Aayog CEO (Chief Executive Officer) Amitabh Kant.
Key Points:
i.The work of this group will primarily identify issues through 3 groups of stakeholders, then present effective measures to address solutions to the issues related to the formulation of plans for counter-activities related to COVID-19. The 3 groups includes
ii.NITI Aayog write to the over 92,000 NGOs (Non-governmental organizations) / CSOs (civil society organisation) registered on its ‘Darpan’ portal to help the government identify hotspots, the elderly, the differently-abled, children & other vulnerable groups to fight against the virus.
iii.Other members of Committee include Dr Vijayaraghavan, PSA, Kamal Kishore (Member, NDMA); Sandeep Mohan Bhatnagar (Member, CBIC); Anil Malik (AS, MHA); Vikram Doraiswami, (AS, MEA); P. Harish (AS, MEA); Gopal Baglay (JS, PMO); Aishvarya Singh (DS, PMO); Tina Soni (DS, Cabinet Secretariat); and Sanyukta Samaddar (Adviser, SDG, NITI Aayog).
NITI Aayog Evolution
The NITI Aayog was formed on January 1, 2015. In Sanskrit, the word “NITI” means morality, behavior, guidance, etc. But, in the present context, it means policy and the NITI stands for “National Institution for Transforming India”. It is the country’s premier policy-making institution which is expected to bolster the economic growth of the country. It aims to construct a strong state that will help to create a dynamic and strong nation. This helps India to emerge as a major economy in the world. The NITI Aayog’s creation has two hubs called “Team India Hub” and “Knowledge and Innovation Hub”.
NITI Aayog is additionally creating itself as a State of the Art Resource Center, with the essential resources, knowledge, and skills that will empower it to act with speed, advance research and innovation, bestow crucial policy vision to the government and manage unforeseen issues. The reason for setting up the NITI Aayog is that people had expectations for growth and development in the administration through their participation. This required institutional changes in administration and active strategy shifts that could seed and foster substantial scale change.
Objectives of NITI Aayog
7 pillars of effective governance envisaged by NITI Aayog
The NITI Aayog is based on the 7 pillars of effective Governance. They are:
NITI Aayog Composition
The NITI Aayog will comprise the following:
About NITI Aayog:
Headquarters– New Delhi.
Chairperson– Narendra Modi.
Vice Chairperson– Rajiv Kumar.
Jai HIND Jai Bharat
Source: TH
ICMR approves TB machines for Covid-19 testing
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- S&T
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has given its nod to Diagnostic machines used to test drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) for conducting Covid-19 tests. In this regard, Truenat beta CoV test on Truelab workstation will be used for screening test of COVID-19. A total of 800 truenat machines are available in India.
About Truenat:
-It is a battery operated small machine that requires minimal training and gives the result between 30-60 minutes.
-The sample of the throat and the nasal swab is collected by the trained technicians wearing personal protective equipment.
-There are two-way and four-way Truenat machines. Four-way Truenat machines can run 32 to 48 samples of multiple diseases – COVID19, HIV and TB, while two-way can handle 16 to 24 samples.
-The cost of a test on Truenat machines will be of Rs 1000-Rs.1500.
ICMR
Headquarter– New Delhi
Director General– Prof. Balram Bhargava
Source: TH
NASA’s Artemis: First human base camp
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III- S&T
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) unveiled its plan to setup ‘Artemis’, the first human base camp on Moon’s South Pole by 2024 through a 13-page report titled “NASA’s Plan for Sustained Lunar Exploration and Development”. The report was submitted to the National Space Council, an advisory group to United States (US) President Donald Trump, presided over by Vice President Mike Pence.
The Artemis program is carried out by NASA along with European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Australian Space Agency (ASA).
About NASA and Missions
History
Objectives of NASA
NASA Missions
Over the last 60 years, the NASA has achieved every one of the aforesaid goals through various missions some of which are given below, and it continues to seek answers to some of the biggest mysteries in science as it evolves with a changing world.
Mission |
Detail |
Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) Launched: 1997 |
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The Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere satellite (AIM) Launched: 2007 |
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The Apollo Missions Launched: 1968 |
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Apollo-Soyuz: An Orbital Partnership Begins Launched: 1975 |
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Aqua Launched: 2002 |
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Aquarius Mission Operation: 2011 to 2015 |
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Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) Operated: March 2, 2008 to April 20, 2008 |
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Artemis Lunar Program Launched: May 2019 |
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Airborne Tropical TRopopause EXperiment (ATTREX) Launched: 2014 |
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Aura - Understanding and Protecting the Air We Breathe Launched: 2004 |
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BARREL (Balloon Array for Radiation-belt Relativistic Electron Losses- 2013 and 2014) |
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CALIPSO (The Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation): 2006 |
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Cassini-Huygens Operation: 1997 to 2017 |
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Chandra X-Ray Observatory Launched: By Space Shuttle Columbia in 1999. |
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CINDI: Coupled Ion Neutral Dynamic Investigation Operation: The C/NOFS satellite, which carried NASA's CINDI investigation was launched in 2008 and ended in 2015 |
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Clementine Operation: January 25, 1994 to 21 July 1994 |
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Cloud-Aerosol Transport System (CATS) Operation: 2015 to 2017 |
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CloudSat: 2006 |
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Cluster ESA (European Space Agency)/NASA Mission: 1996 |
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Commercial Crew |
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The CGRO Mission (1991 - 2000) |
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COBE |
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Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) |
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CubeSats |
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Curiosity: 2011 |
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Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) |
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Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Mission |
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The Dawn |
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Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) |
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Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) |
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FAST (the Fast Auroral Snapshot Explorer) |
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Galileo |
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Hubble Space Telescope |
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IceBridge Mission |
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International Space Station (IIS) |
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The James Webb Space Telescope |
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Mars 2020 Rover |
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Orion spacecraft: Underdevelopment |
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PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) Launching: 2022 |
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Rosetta |
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Establishment– 1958,
Headquarter– Washington, D.C., United States
Administrator– James Frederick Bridenstine
Source: TH/WEB
Naveen Patnaik conferred PETA’s “Hero to Animals Award”for feeding community animals
The Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has been conferred with Hero to Animals Award by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India for feeding community animals in five municipal corporations and all 48 municipalities of Odisha during the COVID-19 lockdown. He has allocated Rs 54 lakhs from a relief fund for the same.
It should be noted that the central government advisory body the Animal Welfare Board of India had urged state governments and union territories (UTs) to allow animal welfare volunteers to feed community animals. Also, Ministry of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries mandated veterinary services and animal shelters to function as normal and kept in the “essential services” list.
About PETA India
Establishment– 2000
Headquarter– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Source: NP
Indian Railways’ RCF unit developed low-cost ventilator ‘Jeevan’ to fight COVID-19
The Indian Railways has developed a low-cost ventilator ‘Jeevan’ at its premier coach production unit,Rail Coach Factory (RCF), Kapurthala in Punjab.The cost of “Jeevan”is around Rs 10,000 without the compressor and it will not rise over Rs 30,000 even after adding a few more indicators.The ventilator is now awaiting the final clearance from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
Key Points:
-If Jeevan receives final clearance from ICMR then RCF will produce 100 such devices every day.
-The reason behind its low cost is that it is produced from materials which were already available in the factory. For eg: the portable compressor has been made from an air cooling machine, the body from coach components, the argon flow has been taken from a laser welding machine, while the microprocessor has been taken from the coach information system.
About RCF:
Establishment– 1986
General manager– Ravinder Gupta
Source: News
Important days
National Maritime Day 2020: April 5
International Day of Conscience 2020: April 5
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace 2020: April 6
Source: web
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