Initiatives on 75th Independence Day | 16 Aug 2021

Why in News

Commemorating the 75th Independence Day, Prime Minister announced a slew of measures/initiatives and called for making the next 25 years a glorious one for India.

  • A day before Independence day, the Prime minister also declared 14th August would now be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.

Key Points

  • Gati Shakti Master Plan:
    • It is a Rs.100 lakh-crore project for developing ‘holistic infrastructure’.
    • It will help raise the global profile of local manufacturers and help them compete with their counterparts worldwide. It also raises possibilities of new future economic zones.
    • It will be a source of employment opportunities for the youth in future.
  • National Hydrogen Mission:
    • The National Hydrogen Mission and the green hydrogen sector will give India a quantum jump in meeting its climate targets.
      • Green hydrogen is produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using an electrolyzer powered by electricity from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
    • It will also help India to become energy independent. Today India spends over Rs 12 lakh crore on importing energy.
  • Rice Fortification Plan:
    • The rice distributed under various government schemes will be fortified by 2024. It includes the Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-Day Meals in schools and Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS).
    • It is a significant initiative as the country has high levels of malnutrition among women and children.
      • According to theMinistry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, every second woman in the country is anaemic and every third child is stunted.
      • India ranks 94 out of 107 countries and is in the ‘serious hunger’ category on the Global Hunger Index (GHI).
    • Six states, including Maharashtra and Gujarat, have started distributing fortified rice as part of the pilot scheme.
      • Food fortification or enrichment is the process of adding micronutrients to food.
  • Vande Bharat Trains:
    • 75 Vande Bharat’ trains will connect different parts of the country in 75 weeks to mark the ongoing ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’.
    • Vande Bharat, the indigenous semi-high speed train set, is being given a boost, with the Railways gearing to roll out at least 10 of them, linking around 40 cities, by August 2022 to commemorate 75 years of Independence.
  • Sainik Schools for Girls:
    • All Sainik Schools in the country will now be open for girls also. At present, 33 Sainik schools are operating in the country.
    • Sainik schools are run by the Sainik Schools Society which is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Defence.
    • The aim of establishing Sainik schools was to prepare the students from an early age for their entry into the Indian armed forces.
  • E-commerce platform for Self-Help Groups:
    • This digital platform will connect the products of women Self-Help Groups with people in far flung areas of the country as well as abroad and it will have far-reaching consequences.
    • The government will create an e-commerce platform to ensure a huge market in the country and abroad for their products.
      • More than eight crore women in the villages are associated with Self-Help Groups and they design top-end products.
  • Partition Horrors Remembrance Day:
    • 14th August would now be observed as Partition Horrors Remembrance Day.
    • This day will remind Indians of the need to remove the poison of social divisions, disharmony and further strengthen the spirit of oneness, social harmony and human empowerment.

Source: IE