If everyone cares about Mars more, why are we going back to the moon?

If everyone cares about Mars more, why are we going back to the moon? 

Source: DW

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin's initial Apollo 11 moon landing was more of a political triumph over the Soviet Union than a scientific one – the mission lasted just 3 days, and little actual scientific work was performed.

However, in the following Apollo missions, astronauts collected rocks allowing scientists to better understand the composition of the moon's surface, many of which they preserved for later generations with better technology to study.

With new remote sensing technology, scientists recently discovered the existence of water on the north and south poles of the moon. This discovery, paired with the knowledge acquired from the preserved moon rock, will better guide Artemis venturers on a quest to discover lunar water.

The existence of this water could be fairly groundbreaking if, with further exploration, more is discovered and scientists are able to find ways to extract it. An ample supply of lunar water could help support a space station on the moon - which was previously considered unlikely due to a general understanding that the moon was drier than the Sahara.

At this point, if anyone wants to colonize Mars, they will need to take laborious, energy-heavy trips from Earth lasting up to 8 months one-way. A moon station could help mitigate the lengthy journey, according to planetary geologist Georgiana Kramer. This could save Mars-faring rockets time, energy and money. 

Can we use lunar water?

Because the moon isn't tilted on an axis, like Earth, the poles receive no sunlight at all. Water ice exists in deep craters on these poles, where Artemis plans to land.

NASA planetary geologist Sarah Noble said the source of the water is still unknown, but that it could be the result of comet and meteorite deposition (because the moon has no atmosphere to ward them off); solar winds from the sun, which could bring hydrogen that mixes with oxygen-hosting minerals on the moon's surface; or early lunar volcanism, which could have released water that is still trapped.

Early lunar volcanism also created lava tubes, which are also found on Earth in volcanic areas in Hawaii and Colorado. They are long, cave-like tunnels on the surface of the moon, where lava once flowed and has now cooled.

When the feasibility of life on the moon is discussed in online forums such as Reddit, the idea of placing a space station inside one of the lava tubes is often raised. Both Kramer and Noble confirm this could potentially work, depending on what's discovered during the Artemis mission. The rock, Kramer said, could shield the sun's radiation and feature relatively normalized temperatures.

Noble said in the short term, life in the tubes isn't part of NASA's plan, but in the long term, they could be investigated by robots.

It will be impossible to know whether these theories are accurate until scientists are able to sample the water, however, which is why Artemis plans to land on the south pole of the moon, where much of it is concentrated. Up to this point, scientists haven't had any physical interactions with lunar water, Kramer said.

If a good amount of water is discovered, it could be used for rocket fuel and drinking, which could make Mars exploration easier. 

Which place is better for life: Mars or the moon?

All of that said, Mars simply has more resources than the moon, Robert Zubrin, an aerospace engineer, wrote in a treatise published by the National Space Society's magazine "Ad Astra".

"In contrast to the Moon, Mars is rich in carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen, all in biologically readily accessible forms such as carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas, and water ice and permafrost. Carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen are only present on the Moon in parts per million quantities, much like gold in seawater," he wrote.

Zubrin is the author of Mars Direct, a research paper-turned-book advocating for Mars exploration, and heads the Mars Society, which also advocates for Mars exploration.

The moon does not receive enough natural sunlight to grow plants of any variety, Zubrin writes, but Mars does, which will allow future colonists to sustain themselves in a way they never could on the moon.

This is all in addition to the moon's lack of an atmosphere, extreme weather changes and barren, radioactive surface.

Zubrin's analysis of Mars illustrates why life on the moon is only considered in the context of the lunar body serving as a stopping-off point on the way to something bigger and better - or, at least, more sustainable for human populations.

African Continental Free Trade Area

Earthquake Magnitude

Earthquake Magnitude

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

Earthquake magnitude, energy release, and shaking intensity are all related measurements of an earthquake that are often confused with one another. Their dependencies and relationships can be complicated, and even one of these concepts alone can be confusing.

Magnitude

The time, location, and magnitude of an earthquake can be determined from the data recorded by seismometer. Seismometers record the vibrations from earthquakes that travel through the Earth. Each seismometer records the shaking of the ground directly beneath it. Sensitive instruments, which greatly magnify these ground motions, can detect strong earthquakes from sources anywhere in the world. Modern systems precisely amplify and record ground motion (typically at periods of between 0.1 and 100 seconds) as a function of time.

Types of Magnitudes

Magnitude is expressed in whole numbers and decimal fractions. For example, a magnitude 5.3 is a moderate earthquake, and a 6.3 is a strong earthquake. Because of the logarithmic basis of the scale, each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude... of what? (Richter only?).

When initially developed, all magnitude scales based on measurements of the recorded waveform amplitudes were thought to be equivalent. But for very large earthquakes, some magnitudes underestimate true earthquake size, and some underestimate the size. Thus, we now use measurements that describe the physical effects of an earthquake rather than measurements based only on the amplitude of a waveform recording. More on that later.

The Richter Scale (M_L) is what most people have heard about, but in practice it is not commonly used anymore, except for small earthquakes recorded locally, for which ML and short-period surface wave magnitude (Mblg) are the only magnitudes that can be measured. For all other earthquakes, the moment magnitude (Mw) scale is a more accurate measure of the earthquake size.

Although similar seismographs had existed since the 1890's, it was only in 1935 that Charles F. Richter, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology, introduced the concept of earthquake magnitude. His original definition held only for California earthquakes occurring within 600 km of a particular type of seismograph (the Woods-Anderson torsion instrument). His basic idea was quite simple: by knowing the distance from a seismograph to an earthquake and observing the maximum signal amplitude recorded on the seismograph, an empirical quantitative ranking of the earthquake's inherent size or strength could be made. Most California earthquakes occur within the top 16 km of the crust; to a first approximation, corrections for variations in earthquake focal depth were, therefore, unnecessary.

The Richter magnitude of an earthquake is determined from the logarithm of the amplitude of waves recorded by seismographs. Adjustments are included for the variation in the distance between the various seismographs and the epicenter of the earthquakes.

Moment Magnitude (M_W) is based on physical properties of the earthquake derived from an analysis of all the waveforms recorded from the shaking. First the seismic moment is computed, and then it is converted to a magnitude designed to be roughly equal to the Richter Scale in the magnitude range where they overlap.

Moment (M_O) = rigidity x area x slip

where rigidity is the strength of the rock along the fault, area is the area of the fault that slipped, and slip is the distance the fault moved. Thus, stronger rock material, or a larger area, or more movement in an earthquake will all contribute to produce a larger magnitude.

Then,

Moment Magnitude (M_W) = 2/3 log₁₀(M_O) - 10.7

Energy Release

Earthquake magnitudes and energy release, and comparison with other natural and man-made events. (Gavin Hayes)

Another way to measure the size of an earthquake is to compute how much energy it released. The amount of energy radiated by an earthquake is a measure of the potential for damage to man-made structures. An earthquake releases energy at many frequencies, and in order to compute an accurate value, you have to include all frequencies of shaking for the entire event.

While each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in the measured amplitude, it represents a 32 times more energy release.

The energy can be converted into yet another magnitude type called the Energy Magnitude (M_e). However, since the Energy Magnitude and Moment Magnitude measure two different properties of the earthquake, their values are not the same.

The energy release can also be roughly estimated by converting the moment magnitude to energy using the equation log E = 5.24 + 1.44M, where M is the magnitude.

Intensity

Whereas the magnitude of an earthquake is one value that describes the size, there are many intensity values for each earthquake that are distributed across the geographic area around the earthquake epicenter. The intensity is the measure of shaking at each location, and this varies from place to place, depending mostly on the distance from the fault rupture area. However, there are many more aspects of the earthquake and the ground it shakes that affect the intensity at each location, such as what direction the earthquake ruptured, and what type of surface geology is directly beneath you. Intensities are expressed in Roman numerals, for example, VI, X, etc.

Traditionally the intensity is a subjective measure derived from human observations and reports of felt shaking and damage. The data used to be gathered from postal questionnaires, but with the advent of the internet, it's now collected using a web-based form. However, instrumental data at each station location can be used to calculate an estimated intensity.

Current Indian Economy 8: Indian Industry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEIKWNcHvMc&feature=youtu.be

Current Indian Economy 7: Oil & Gas Industry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ud1N0VQf8Y8&feature=youtu.be

Current Indian economy 6 : Indian Industries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1S_1aqn4iI&feature=youtu.be

Current Indian Economy 5 :Manufacturing Sector

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEq5R5m051c&feature=youtu.be

Current Indian Economy 4 Engineering Industry & Cement Industry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ab5b-iUOA&t=23s

Indian Art & Culture

PDF Link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qAB14ilGByqPTsXrfav9U4x0bUMmjflu/view?usp=sharing

Evolution of Tribunal system in India

‘Tribunal’ is an administrative body established for the purpose of discharging quasi-judicial duties. An Administrative Tribunal is neither a Court nor an executive body. It stands somewhere midway between a Court and an administrative body. The exigencies of the situation proclaiming the enforcement of new rights in the wake of escalating State activities and furtherance of the demands of justice have led to the establishment of Tribunals.

The increase in number of statutory Tribunals mirrors the rise in State activities. Because the legislation has progressively bestowed benefits on individuals and subjected their everyday lives to propagating control and management, the scope for dispute between an individual and the State has emerged.

The social legislation of the twentieth century demanded tribunals for purely administrative reasons; they could offer speedier, cheaper and more accessible justice, essential for the administration of welfare schemes involving large number of small claims. The process of Courts of law is elaborate, slow and costly.

The delay in justice administration is one of the biggest obstacles which have been tackled with the establishment of Tribunals.

Evolution of Tribunal system in India

Justice Rankin Committee Report, 1924 suggested various reforms to deal with the pendency of cases, as delay and backlog of cases had been a problem even in pre-independence period also.

In 1941 first Tribunal was established in the form of Income-Tax Appellate Tribunal.

A study Team on Administrative Tribunals  set-up by the first Administrative Reforms Commission recommended in 1969, the setting up of Civil Services Tribunals to act as the final adjudicatory authority in respect of orders inflicting the major punishments of dismissal, removal and reduction in rank.

Wanchoo Committee, 1970, recommended for the establishment of Income-Tax Settlement Commission, to serve as an alternative dispute resolution body in the administration of fiscal laws, the primary objective of which was to increase the realisation of revenue.

The High Court Arrears Committee set up under the chairmanship of Justice J. C. Shah (1969), recommended for setting up of an independent Tribunal to handle service matters pending before the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

In its 58th Report (1974) titled ‘Structure and Jurisdiction of the Higher Judiciary’, the Law Commission urged that separate high powered Tribunal or Commission should be set up to deal with the service matters and that approaching the Courts should be the last resort.

Later on, the Swaran Singh Committee which was appointed to study, ‘the required changes in fundamental laws’, recommended in 1976 that the Administrative Tribunals may be set up under a Central law, both at the State level and at the Centre to decide cases relating to service matters.

Based on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee, Part XIV-A was added by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976, titled as ‘Tribunals’ which provided for the establishment of ‘Administrative Tribunals’ under Article 323-A and ‘Tribunals for other matters’ under Article 323-B.

The main objective of establishing Tribunals as set out in the Statement of Objects and Reasons of The Constitution (Forty-Second Amendment) Act, 1976 is as under:

‘To reduce the mounting arrears in High Courts and to secure the speedy disposal of service matters, revenue matters and certain other matters of special importance in the context of the socio-economic development and progress, it is considered expedient to provide for administrative and other tribunals for dealing with such matters while preserving the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in regard to such matters under article 136 of the Constitution.’

With the enactment of Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, a large number of cases relating to service matters pending before various Courts were brought within the jurisdiction of the Tribunals. Administrative Tribunals created under Article 323A have been freed from technical rules of Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and procedural shackles of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 but, at the same time, they have been vested with the powers of Civil Court in respect of some matters including the review of their own decisions and are bound by the principles of natural justice.

The Act provides for the establishment of three kinds of administrative Tribunals:

i. The Central Administrative Tribunal,

ii. The State Administrative Tribunals and

iii. The Joint Administrative Tribunals.

The “High Level Committee on Competition Policy, “headed by S.V.S. Raghavan, recommended to enact a new law and the setting up of the Competition Commission of India, which would effectively deal with specified anti-competitive practices in its ‘adjudicatory effort’ and would have powers to mete out deterrent punishment to the violators. It was recommended that the investigative, prosecutorial and adjudicative functions should be separated to respect the need of judicial independence.In pursuance thereof, the Competition Act, 2002 was enacted.

The Finance Act, 2017 has merged eight tribunals on the ground of functional similarity and has given the power to the Government to appoint and remove the members.

Tribunals have been established with the object of discharging quasi-judicial duties by acting judicially which differentiates them from other administrative bodies. Tribunals are endowed with the judicial functions as distinguished from purely administrative or executive functions. Thus, for the efficient and effective working of these Tribunals, persons who have served in the higher judiciary should be appointed in accordance with the principles laid down by the Constitutional Courts.

As a quasi-judicial body, the Tribunal performs the judicial functions for deciding the matters in a judicious manner. It is not bound by law to observe all the technicalities, complexities, refinements, discriminations, and restrictions that are applicable to the courts of record in conducting trials, but at the same time, a Tribunal is required to look at all matters from the standpoint of substance as well as form and be certain that the hearing is conducted and the matter is disposed of with fairness, honesty, and impartiality.

As a result of the judgement dated 18 March 1997 of the Supreme Court, the appeals against the orders of an Administrative Tribunal shall lie before the Division Bench of the concerned High Court.

As the Tribunals are vested with the judicial powers which had been hitherto vested in or exercised by Courts, the Tribunals should possess the same independence, security and capacity which are possessed by the judges. However, if the Tribunals are intended to serve an area which requires specialised knowledge or expertise, the appointment of Technical members in addition to judicial members must always be welcomed, as they can provide an input which may not be available with the judicial members.

The Law Commission of India persistently suggested that the power of judicial review of the High Court’s against a judgment of the Tribunal is not only time consuming, but also expensive and there is always a possibility of various High Courts interpreting the same statutory provision differently.

List of Tribunals in India

Industrial Tribunals set up under Industrial Disputes Act, 1947

Railway Rates Tribunals set up under Indian Railways Act, 1890

Income Tax Appellate Tribunal set up under Income-Tax Act, 1961

Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT), TRAI Act 1997

Customs, Excise and Gold (Control) Appellate Tribunal,under the Customs Act, 1962

Administrative Tribunals under 1985 Act

The National Green Tribunal under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010

Inter-State River Water Disputes tribunal set up under Inter State River Water Disputes (ISRWD) Act, 1956.

Appellate tribunal for electricity was setup under 2003 Act

Armed Forces Tribunal under the Armed Forces Tribunal Act 2007

World military expenditure

World military expenditure grows to $1.8 trillion in 2018

(Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

(Stockholm, 29 April 2019) Total world military expenditure rose to $1822 billion in 2018, representing an increase of 2.6 per cent from 2017, according to new data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The five biggest spenders in 2018 were the United States, China, Saudi Arabia, India and France, which together accounted for 60 per cent of global military spending. Military spending by the USA increased for the first time since 2010, while spending by China grew for the 24th consecutive year.

Total global military spending rose for the second consecutive year in 2018, to the highest level since 1988—the first year for which consistent global data is available. World spending is now 76 per cent higher than the post-cold war low in 1998.* World military spending in 2018 represented 2.1 per cent of global gross domestic product (GDP) or $239 per person. ‘In 2018 the USA and China accounted for half of the world’s military spending,’ says Dr Nan Tian, a researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure (AMEX) programme. ‘The higher level of world military expenditure in 2018 is mainly the result of significant increases in spending by these two countries.’

The USA and China lead increase in world military expenditure

US military spending grew—for the first time since 2010—by 4.6 per cent, to reach $649 billion in 2018. The USA remained by far the largest spender in the world, and spent almost as much on its military in 2018 as the next eight largest-spending countries combined. ‘The increase in US spending was driven by the implementation from 2017 of new arms procurement programmes under the Trump administration,’ says Dr Aude Fleurant, the director of the SIPRI AMEX programme.

China, the second-largest spender in the world, increased its military expenditure by 5.0 per cent to $250 billion in 2018. This was the 24th consecutive year of increase in Chinese military expenditure. Its spending in 2018 was almost 10 times higher than in 1994, and accounted for 14 per cent of world military spending. ‘Growth in Chinese military spending tracks the country’s overall economic growth,’ says Tian. ‘China has allocated 1.9 per cent of its GDP to the military every year since 2013.’

Three decades of growth in military spending in Asia and Oceania

Military expenditure in Asia and Oceania has risen every year since 1988. At $507 billion, military spending in the region accounted for 28 per cent of the global total in 2018, compared with just 9.0 per cent in 1988.

In 2018 India increased its military spending by 3.1 per cent to $66.5 billion. Military expenditure by Pakistan grew by 11 per cent (the same level of growth as in 2017), to reach $11.4 billion in 2018. South Korean military expenditure was $43.1 billion in 2018—an increase of 5.1 per cent compared with 2017 and the highest annual increase since 2005.

‘The tensions between countries in Asia as well as between China and the USA are major drivers for the continuing growth of military spending in the region,’ says Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with the SIPRI AMEX programme.

Increases in Central and East European countries

Several countries in Central and Eastern Europe made large increases in their military expenditure in 2018. Spending by Poland rose by 8.9 per cent in 2018 to $11.6 billion, while Ukraine’s spending was up by 21 per cent to $4.8 billion. Spending by Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania also grew (ranging from 18 per cent to 24 per cent) in 2018.

‘The increases in Central and Eastern Europe are largely due to growing perceptions of a threat from Russia,’ said Pieter Wezeman, a senior researcher with the SIPRI AMEX programme. ‘This is despite the fact that Russian military spending has fallen for the past two years.’

At $61.4 billion, Russian military spending was the sixth highest in the world in 2018. Its spending decreased by 3.5 per cent compared with 2017.

Other notable developments

·         Military spending in South America rose by 3.1 per cent in 2018. This was mainly due to the increase in Brazilian spending (by 5.1 per cent), the second increase in as many years.

·         Military expenditure in Africa fell by 8.4 per cent in 2018, the fourth consecutive annual decrease since the peak in spending in 2014. There were major decreases in spending by Algeria (–6.1 per cent), Angola (–18 per cent) and Sudan (–49 per cent).

·         Military spending by states in the Middle East for which data is available fell by 1.9 per cent in 2018.

·         Total military expenditure by all 29 North Atlantic Treaty Organization members was $963 billion in 2018, which accounted for 53 per cent of world spending.

·         The largest absolute increase in spending in 2018 was by the USA ($27.8 billion), while the biggest decrease was by Saudi Arabia (–$4.6 billion).

·         Military spending in Turkey increased by 24 per cent in 2018 to $19.0 billion, the highest annual percentage increase among the world’s top 15 military spenders.

·         Six of the 10 countries with the highest military burden (military spending as a proportion of GDP) in the world in 2018 are in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia (8.8 per cent of GDP), Oman (8.2 per cent), Kuwait (5.1 per cent), Lebanon (5.0 per cent), Jordan (4.7 per cent) and Israel (4.3 per cent).

* All percentage changes are expressed in real terms (constant 2017 prices)

Contact :

Lakshya Institute

(Estd.2008)

#48-11-10, G1, Komal Arcade,

E-Seva Down Road, Srinagar

Visakhapatnam-530016

Ph: 7730845275, 9298504388,

email: lakshyainstituteeducation@gmail.com

Rural Development Programs

Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas

Gram Panchayats have been mandated for the preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) for economic development and social justice utilizing the resources available to them. The GPDP planning process has to be comprehensive and based on participatory process which involves the full convergence with Schemes of all related Central Ministries / Line Departments related to 29 subjects enlisted in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. Panchayats have a significant role to play in the effective and efficient implementation of flagship schemes on subjects of National Importance for transformation of rural India. The People's Plan Campaign will commence from 2nd October to 31st December, 2018 for preparing GPDP for 2019-20. The campaign initiated under "Sabki Yojana Sabka Vikas" will be an intensive and structured exercise for planning at Gram Sabha through convergence between Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) and concerned Line Departments of the State

Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

Hon’ble Prime Minister has announced that on the occasion of Ambedkar Jayanti, a “Gram Swaraj Abhiyan” could be organised starting from 14th April to 05th May, 2018. The campaign, undertaken under the name of “Sabka Sath, Sabka Gaon, Sabka Vikas”, is to promote social harmony, spread awareness about pro-poor initiatives of government, reach out to poor households to enroll them as also to obtain their feedback on various welfare programmes. As a special endeavour during the Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, saturation of eligible households/persons would be made under seven flagship pro-poor programmes in 21,058* identified villages, namely, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya, Ujala scheme, Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana and Mission Indradhanush.

Disha

The Centre today announced the formation of District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DDCMC) to be named “Disha” for effective development coordination of almost all the programmes of Central Government, whether it is for infrastructure development or Social and human resource development. Making a suo-motu statement in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water and Sanitation Shri Narendra Singh Tomar said that to begin with, these Committees would monitor the implementation of 28 schemes and programmes of Ministry of Rural Development and other Ministries to promote synergy and convergence for greater impact.

The main purpose of this committee is to coordinate with Central and State and local Panchayat Governments, for successful and timely implementation of the schemes.

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana

Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) is a flagship programme of the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) that seeks to alleviate rural poverty through building sustainable community institutions of the poor. The centrally sponsored programme is implemented in partnership with the State governments. The Mission, was launched in 2011as National Rural Livelihoods Mission.

In 2014, the Government announced an overarching scheme for uplift of urban and rural poor through enhancement of livelihood opportunities through skill development and other means. The scheme has been named as ‘Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana – DAY’.  In November 2015, the program was renamed Deendayal Antayodaya Yojana (DAY-NRLM).

NRLM implementation is in a Mission Mode. This enables (a) shift from the present allocation based strategy to a demand driven strategyenabling the states to formulate their own livelihoods-based poverty reduction action plans, (b) focus on targets, outcomes and time bound delivery, (c) continuous capacity building, imparting requisite skills and creating linkages with livelihoods opportunities for the poor, including those emerging in the organized sector, and (d) monitoring against targets of poverty outcomes. As NRLM follows a demand driven strategy, the States have the flexibility to develop their livelihoods-based perspective plans and annual action plans for poverty reduction. The overall plans would be within the allocation for the state based on inter-se poverty ratios.

At least one woman member from each identified rural poor household, is to be brought under the Self Help Group (SHG) network in a time bound manner. Special emphasis is particularly on vulnerable communities such as manual scavengers, victims of human trafficking, Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) and bonded labour. NRLM has devised special strategies to reach out to these communities and help them graduate out of poverty.

Aajeevika Grameen Express Yojana (AGEY) is a programme to provide safe, affordable and community monitored transport services to rural areas. The vehicles are owned and operated by members of Self-Help Group (SHG) networks and operate in regions which are not served by regular transport services. 

Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran Pariyojana and Value Chain Initiatives

In order to promote agro-ecological practices that increase women farmers’ income and reduce their input costs and risks, the Mission has been implementing the Mahila Kisan Shashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP). As of March 2018, more than 33 lakh women farmers were being supported under this scheme. Further, about 8 lakh Mahila Kisans have been mobilized into 86,000 Producer Groups (PGs) which are federated into 126 Producer Companies (PCs). These value chain development initiatives have contributed significantly to the farmers’ income from agriculture, horticulture, dairying, fisheries and Non-Timber Forest Produce (NTFP) related activities. Small and marginal farmers producing Maize, Mango, Floriculture, Dairy, Goatery etc., have benefited significantly through the value chain interventions across different states.

 Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana

Enable Poor and Marginalized to Access Benefits-Demand led skill training at no cost to the r ural poor

Inclusive Program Design- Mandatory coverage of socially disadvantaged groups (SC/ST 50%; Minority 15%; Women 33%)

Shifting Emphasis from Training to Career Progression- Pioneers in providing incentives for job retention, career progression and foreign placements

Greater Support for Placed Candidates -Post-placement support, migration support and alumni network

Proactive Approach to Build Placement Partnerships-Guaranteed Placement for at least 75% trained candidates

 Enhancing the Capacity of Implementation Partners-Nurturing new training service providers and developing their skills

  Regional Focus-Greater emphasis on projects for poor rural youth in Jammu and Kashmir (HIMAYAT), the North-East region and 27 Left-Wing Extremist (LWE) districts (ROSHINI)

  Standards-led Delivery-All program activities are subject to Standard Operating Procedures that are not open to interpretation by local inspectors. All inspections are supported by geo-tagged, time stamped videos/photographs

DDU-GKY follows a 3-tier implementation model.  The DDU-GKY National Unit at MoRD functions as the policy-making, technical support and facilitation agency.  The DDU-GKY State Missions provide implementation support; and the Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) implement the programme through skilling and placement projects.

DDU-GKY provides funding support for placement linked skilling projects that address the market demand with funding support ranging from Rs. 25,696 to over Rs. 1 lakh per person, depending on the duration of the project and whether the project is residential or non-residential. 

Funding components include support for training costs, boarding and lodging (residential programmes), transportation costs, post-placement support costs, career progression and retention support costs.

Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana –Gramin

In view of Government’s commitment to providing “Housing for All’’ by the scheme 2022, the IAY has been re-structured into Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana –Gramin (PMAY-G) w.e.f. 1st April 2016.. PMAY-G aims at providing a pucca house, with basic amenities, to all houseless householder and those households living in kutcha and dilapidated house, by 2022. The immediate the objective is to cover 1.00 crore household living in kutcha house/dilapidated house in three years from 2016-17 to 2018- 19.The minimum size of the house has been increased to 25 sq.mt (from20sq.mt) with a hygienic cooking space. The unit assistance has been increased from Rs. 70,000 to Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain and from Rs75,000 to Rs 1.30 lakh in hilly states, difficult areas and IAP district. The beneficiary is entitled to 90.95 person day of unskilled labour from MGNREGS. The assistance for construction of toilet shall be leveraged though convergence with SBM-G, MGNREGS or any other dedicated the source of funding. Convergence for piped drinking water, electricity connection, LPG gas connection etc. different Government programmers are also to be attempted.

The cost of unit assistance is to be shared between Central and State Government in the ratio 60:40 in plain areas and 90:10 for North Eastern and the Himalayan States.

Green Technology in PMGSY

In order to encourage locally available materials and use of green technologies for construction of road under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), guidelines were issued by the Ministry, wherein the State Governments are required to propose minimum 15% of total length of annual proposals under New technologies such as Cement stabilization, Lime stabilization, Cold mix, Waste plastics, Cell filled concrete, Paneled cement concrete pavement, Fly ash etc.

Implementation of PMGSY

The Union Finance Minister in his Budget Speech for the year 2018-19 announced that “Task of connecting all eligible habitations with an all-weather road has been substantially completed, with the target date brought forward to March, 2019 from March 2022. It is now time to strengthen and widen its ambit further to include major link routes which connect habitations to agricultural and rural markets (GrAMs), higher secondary schools and hospitals. Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojana Phase-III will include such linkages”.

National Social Assistance Programme

The National Social Assistance Programme(NSAP) which came into effect from 15th August,1995 represents a significant step towards the fulfillment of the Directive Principles in Article 41 of the Constitution. The programme introduced a National Policy for Social Assistance for the poor and aims at ensuring minimum national standard for social assistance in addition to the benefits that states are currently providing or might provide in future. NSAP at present, comprises of Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS), Indira Gandhi National Widow Pension Scheme (IGNWPS), Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS), National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) and Annapurna.

Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission

Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission to drive economic, social and infrastructure development in rural areas .

In an ambitious bid to transform rural areas to economically, socially and physically sustainable spaces, the Union Cabinet approved the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) with an outlay of Rs. 5142.08 crores.

The Mission aims at development of rural growth clusters which have latent potential for growth, in all States and UTs, which would trigger overall development in the region. These clusters would be developed by provisioning of economic activities, developing skills & local entrepreneurship and providing infrastructure amenities. The Rurban Mission will thus develop a cluster of Smart Villages.

The Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) is under implementation across the country. The Mission has progressed since the launch in 2016. Out of the mandated 300 clusters, 295 clusters have been identified and approved across 29 States and 6 Union Territories. SPMRM was launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister on February 21st, 2016. This is a unique programme, designed to deliver catalytic interventions to rural areas on the threshold of growth. There is a funding support of up to 30% of the estimated investment for each Rurban cluster, given as Critical Gap Funding (CGF), while 70% of the funds is mobilized by the States through convergence with synergic State and Central programmes as well as private investment and institutional funding. Upon being re-classified as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the CGF is now shared between the Centre and the State in a ratio of 60:40 for Plain area States and 90:10 for Himalayan and NE States.

Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana

Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, SAGY, under which each Member of Parliament will take the responsibility of developing physical and institutional infrastructure in three villages by 2019. The goal is to develop three Adarsh Grams or model villages by March 2019, of which one would be achieved by 2016. Thereafter, five such Adarsh Grams (one per year) will be selected and developed by 2024. The Project was launched on the occasion of birth anniversary of Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan in 2014,aims to keep the soul of rural India alive while providing its people with quality access to basic amenities and opportunities to enable them to shape their own destiny. Inspired by the principles and values of Mahatma Gandhi, the Scheme places equal stress on nurturing values of national pride, patriotism, community spirit, self-confidence and on developing infrastructure.

It envisages integrated development of the selected village across multiple areas such as agriculture, health, education, sanitation, environment, livelihoods etc. Far beyond mere infrastructure development, SAGY aims at instilling certain values, such as people’s participation, Antyodaya, gender equality, dignity of women, social justice, spirit of community service, cleanliness, eco-friendliness, maintaining ecological balance, peace and harmony, mutual cooperation, self-reliance, local self-government, transparency and accountability in public life, etc., in the villages and their people so that they get transformed into models for others.

Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan

The Finance Minister, in his budget speech for 2016-17, announced the launch of new restructured scheme of Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA), for developing and strengthening the capacities of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) for rural local governance to become more responsive towards local development needs, preparing the participatory plans that leverage technology, efficient and optimum utilization of available resources for realizing sustainable solutions to local problems linked to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The key principles of SDGs, i.e. leaving no one behind, reaching the farthest first and universal coverage, along with gender equality will be embedded in the design of all capacity building interventions including trainings, training modules and materials.

In his Budget Speech for 2017-18, the Finance Minister announced to undertake a Mission Antyodaya to bring one crore households out of poverty to make 50,000 Gram Panchayats poverty free. Accordingly, convergent action with Mission Antyodaya has been integrated into this scheme.