State PCS

• 27 Jan 2024

National Girl Child Day (NGCD)

Why in News?

National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is observed on 24^th January every year to shed light on the challenges faced by girls in Indian society.

• The day focuses on creating awareness about the inequalities girls encounter and advocates for equal opportunities in education, healthcare, and nutrition.

Key Points

• NGCD was established by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2008.
  • The initiative acknowledges the unique challenges faced by girls, including child marriage, and gender-based violence.
• NGCD commemorates the inaugural anniversary of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child) launched on January 22, 2015.

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme

• About:
  • The Scheme was launched to addresses the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of women’s empowerment over a life-cycle continuum.
  • It is a Tri-ministerial effort of the Ministries of Women and Child Development (MW&CD), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MH&FW), and Ministry of Education.
• Main Objectives:
  • Prevention of gender-biased sex-selective elimination.
  • Ensuring survival & protection of the girl child.
  • Ensuring education and participation of the girl child.
  • Protecting rights of Girl children.
• Innovative Interventions under BBBP: Innovations that have created a positive ecosystem/ enabling environment for girls include:
  • Guddi-Gudda Boards: (Display of Birth Statistics (number of Girls born vis-à-vis number of Boys) in public).
    • Example: Jalgaon district, Maharashtra has installed digital Guddi-Gudda Display Boards.
  • Breaking Gender Stereotypes & Challenging Son-centric Rituals: Celebration of birth of the girl child, dedicating special day on value of girl child, plantation drives symbolizing nurturing and care for girl child.
    • Example: Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), Selfie with Daughters (Jind district, Haryana).

Amrit Dharohar Capacity Building Scheme

Why in News?

The Central government is spearheading a significant transformation in the realm of wetland tourism with the 'Amrit Dharohar Capacity Building Scheme'.

• This initiative, launched in June 2023, aims to revolutionize tourism practices at ecologically-sensitive wetlands, particularly Ramsar sites like Odisha's Chilika Lake and Haryana's Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary.

Key Points

• The scheme is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change.
• The scheme will be implemented over the next three years (2023 onwards) to encourage optimal use of wetlands, and enhance biodiversity, carbon stock, eco-tourism opportunities and income generation for local communities.
  • The primary focus of the Scheme is to strategically transition from high-volume tourism to high-value nature tourism at ecologically-sensitive wetlands.
• The aim is to enhance livelihood opportunities for local communities through harnessing the nature-tourism potential of the Ramsar Sites across the country.
• The scheme is being implemented in convergence with various Central Government ministries and agencies, State wetland authorities, and a network of formal and informal institutions and individuals, working together for a common cause.
• Out of 16 identified Ramsar sites, five have been selected for pilot projects under the scheme.
  • These pilot sites include Sultanpur National Park (Haryana), Bhitarkanika Mangroves (Odisha), Chilika Lake (Odisha), Sirpur (Madhya Pradesh), and Yashwant Sagar (Madhya Pradesh).

Clarity on the Old Pension Scheme

Why in News?

Recently, the Opposition party in Rajasthan requested clarification regarding the continuation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees who joined service on or after January 1, 2004.

• The Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, brought up the issue during the Zero Hour.

Key Points

• The scheme assures life-long income, post-retirement.
• Under the old scheme, employees get a pension under a pre-determined formula which is equivalent to 50% of the last drawn salary. They also get the benefit of the revision of Dearness Relief (DR), twice a year. The payout is fixed and there was no deduction from the salary. Moreover, under the OPS, there was the provision of the General Provident Fund (GPF).
  • GPF is available only for all the government employees in India. Basically, it allows all the government employees to contribute a certain percentage of their salary to the GPF. And the total amount that is accumulated throughout the employment term is paid to the employee at the time of retirement.
• The Government bears the expenditure incurred on the pension. The scheme was discontinued in 2004.

Zero Hour

• A Zero Hour is an Indian parliamentary innovation. It is not mentioned in the parliamentary rules book.
  • Under this, the Members of Parliament (MPs) can raise matters without any prior notice.
• The zero hour starts immediately after the question hour and lasts until the agenda for the day (regular business of the House) is taken up.
• In other words, the time gap between the question hour and the agenda is known as zero hour.
  • The first hour of every parliamentary sitting is termed as Question hour. It is mentioned in the Rules of Procedure of the House.

State Advised Price (SAP) of Variety of Sugarcane

Why in News?

Recently, the Uttarakhand government declared the State Advised Price (SAP) of early and common variety of sugarcane for the current crushing season 2023-24 at Rs 375 and Rs 365 per quintal respectively.

• The Uttar Pradesh government had also recently increased the price of sugarcane.

Key Points

• The Prices of Sugarcane are Determined by the Central Government and the State Governments.
• Central Government: Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP)
  • The Central Government announces FRP which are determined on the recommendation of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP) and announced by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA).
    • CCEA is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.
  • The FRP is based on the Rangarajan Committee report on reorganising the sugarcane industry.
• State Government: State Advised Prices (SAP)
  • The SAP is announced by the Governments of key sugarcane producing states.
  • SAP is generally higher than FRP.

Geographical Conditions for the Growth of Sugar

• Temperature: Between 21-27°C with hot and humid climate.
• Rainfall: Around 75-100 cm.
• Soil Type: Deep rich loamy soil.
• Top Sugarcane Producing States: Maharashtra>Uttar Pradesh > Karnataka

Jharkhand Krishi Rin Mafi Yojana

Why in News?

The Jharkhand government has launched a Jharkhand Krishi Rin Mafi Yojana to reduce the loan burden of farmers. Under this scheme, the loans of those farmers who are unable to repay their loans are being waived.

• Under the scheme, the state government will waive loans up to Rs. 50,000 per farmer.

Key Points

• The scheme was launched on 1st February, 2021.
• The objective of this scheme is to provide relief from the loan burden to short-term loan-holding farmers of Jharkhand.
• The aim is to improve the loan eligibility of crop loan holders, ensure the availability of new crop loans, stop the migration of the farming community, and strengthen the agricultural economy.
• Eligible Beneficiaries:
  • Must be a permanent resident of Jharkhand state.
  • The small and marginal farmers who have taken the loan using the Kisan Credit Card (KCC).
  • Must be a farmer who self cultivates his / her land or farmers who cultivate in leased land.
  • Must be at-least 18 years of age.
  • Only 1 farmer per family is allowed for loan waiver.
  • The loan must have been availed from banks before 31 March 2020.

Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme

• About:
  • The KCC scheme was introduced in 1998 to provide timely credit support to farmers.
  • It offers credit for cultivation, purchase of agriculture inputs, and other needs.
  • The scheme was extended to cover the investment credit requirement of farmers in 2004.
  • In 2018-19, the facility was extended to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers.
• Objectives:
  • The scheme aims to meet the short-term credit requirements of farmers for crop cultivation, post-harvest expenses, produce marketing loan, consumption requirements, and working capital for maintenance of farm assets.
  • It also provides investment credit for agriculture and allied activities.