Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana Chhattisgarh

Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana in Chhattisgarh:

• Chhattisgarh government is all set to implement the NYAY scheme in the state which was announced by the former Congress President Rahul Gandhi earlier this year. 
• Rajiv Gandhi Kisan Nyay Yojana being launched by the Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel from May 21 (Death anniversary of former Prime minister Rajiv Gandhi) can be seen as a vital step towards it. 
• The scheme intends to provide stimulus to the rural economy of the state which is going through a slum due to the lockdown.
• The Nyay scheme that Congress had promised to implement in its manifesto was aimed at ensuring minimum income availability of the poor through direct bank transfer. Soon after the formation of the Baghel led government in Chhattisgarh, work was started regarding the economic strengthening of farmers, tribals and laborers.
• Under the state government's Rajiv Gandhi's Kisan Nyay Yojana, starting from May 21 the exchange of funds for paddy, maize and sugarcane (rabi) crops will be transferred to the farmers' account on the basis of the area registered and acquired in Kharif year 2019. This will directly help 20 lakh farmers. For this, a provision of Rs 5100 crore has been made in the budget. Earlier, the state government had waived loan amounting to Rs. 8800 crore for about 18 lakh farmers.

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PM Modi launches Fit India Movement

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched nation-wide Fit India Movement from event held in Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex in New Delhi. It was launched on the occasion of National Sports Day (observed on 29 August) observed to commemorate birth anniversary of hockey doyen Major Dhyan Chand.

About Fit India Movement

It is aimed at encouraging people to give priority to sports and fitness in their day-to-day lives. It will inculcate physical activities/sports into the daily lives of citizens to improve their physical fitness and well-being.

Advisory committee

Union Sports Ministry has constituted Advisory committee to advise the government on the “Fit India Movement. It is headed by Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju. Its members comprises of Indian Olympic Association (IOA), national sports federations (NSFs), government officials, private bodies and celebrated fitness enthusiasts. Representatives of private bodies such as Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Tata Trusts, JSW Cement and JSW Paints, Reliance Foundation, SE TransStadia Pvt. Ltd., ASSOCHAM India, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI), and actors Milind Soman and Shilpa Shetty will also be involved in it.

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Van Dhan Vikas Kendra

Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram is an initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribal population by harnessing the wealth of forest i.e. Van Dhan. The programme aims to tap into the traditional knowledge and skill sets of tribal people by adding technology and Information Technology for upgradation of output at each stage and to convert the tribal wisdom into a remunerative economic activity. Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram seeks to promote and leverage the collective strength of tribal people to achieve a viable scale.

On April 14th, 2018 Hon’ble Prime Minister of India has announced the launching of Van Dhan Yojana in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh under which one Van Dhan Vikas Kendra was set up, as a pilot project, at a cost of Rs.25 lakhs of which 25% is to be met by the State Government. This Van Dhan Vikas Kendra is to cater to ten Self Help Groups of thirty tribal gathers each.

Implementation of Van Dhan Vikas Karyakram is through Van Dhan Kendras. Selection of a place for setting up of a Van Dhan Kendra is dependent upon the area’s potential and availability of land to be provided by the State Government. The number of Van Dhan Kendras developed depends on the above factors.

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Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana

ESI Corporation has launched a scheme named ‘Atal Bimit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana’ (ABVKY) which, in case the Insured Person (IP) is rendered unemployed, provides relief to the extent of 25% of the average per day earning during the previous four contribution periods (total earning during the four contribution period/730) to be paid up to maximum 90 days of unemployment once in lifetime of the IP on submission of claim in form of an Affidavit. The Scheme has been made effective from 01-07-2018. The scheme is implemented on pilot basis for a period of two years initially. 

The eligibility conditions and other features of the scheme are as under:-

• The Insured Person should have been in insurable employment for a minimum period of two years.
• The Insured Person should have contributed not less than 78 days during each of the preceding four contribution periods.
• The contribution in respect of him should have been paid or payable by the employer.
• The contingency of the unemployment should not have been as a result of any punishment for misconduct or superannuation or voluntary retirement.
• Aadhar and Bank Account of the Insured Person should be linked with insured person data base.
• In case the IP is working for more than one employers and is covered under the ESI scheme he will be considered unemployed only in case he is rendered unemployed with all employers.
• As specified in Section 65 of the ESI Act, an IP shall not be entitled to any other cash compensation and the Relief under ABVKY simultaneously for the same period. However, periodical payments of Permanent Disability Benefit (PDB) under ESI Act and Regulations shall continue.
• As specified under Section 61 of the ESI Act, an IP who is in receipt of Relief under ABVKY shall not be entitled to receive any similar benefit admissible under the provisions of any other enactment.
• The IP will be eligible for Medical benefit as provided under the Act for the period he is availing this relief.
• The claim for Relief under ABVKY may be submitted by the claimant any time after rendering unemployed, but not later than one year from the date of unemployment to the appropriate Branch Office in form of affidavit in prescribed Form. No prospective claim i.e. claim for relief under ABVKY for any future period will be allowed.
• The IP will submit his claim online through the ESIC Portal.

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PM Modi launches PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana in Gorakhpur

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 24th February launches Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh. PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana will electronically transfer the first instalment of Rs 2,000 to selected farmers. Besides, Prime Minister will also distributed certificates to select farmers under PM-KISAN scheme. PM-KISAN was announced in the interim Budget 2019-20 on February 1, 2019.

Beside PM-KISAN scheme, PM will also lay foundation stone/ dedicate to nation, various development projects in Gorakhpur. Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of Kandla-Gorakhpur LPG pipeline and also lay foundation stone of Gorakhpur-Azamgarh link expressway. These projects are expected to immensely benefit the people of Uttar Pradesh. He said that this is a scheme that will give wings to the aspirations of crores of hardworking farmers of India who feed our nation.

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KUSUM Scheme

Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved the launch of KUSUM (Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan) scheme. The scheme aims to provide financial and water security to farmers through harnessing solar energy capacities of 25.75 gigawatts (GW) by 2022.

The scheme has three components:

• 10,000 megawatt (MW) of decentralised ground mounted grid-connected renewable power plants (Component-A).
• Installation of 17.50 lakh standalone solar powered agriculture pumps (Component-B).
• Solarisation of 10 lakh grid-connected solar powered agriculture pumps (Component-C).
• Component-B will be implemented in a full-fledged manner whereas Component-A and Component-C will be implemented on pilot mode for 1,000 MW capacity and one lakh grid-connected agriculture pumps, respectively. They would be scale up later after the pilot run.

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Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)

Government is launching a historic programme namely “Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN)”. Under this programme, vulnerable landholding farmer families, having cultivable land upto 2 hectares, will be provided direct income support at the rate of Rs 6,000 per year. This income support will be transferred directly into the bank accounts of beneficiary farmers, in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 each. This programme will be funded by Government of India. Around 12 crore small and marginal farmer families are expected to benefit from this. The programme would be made effective from 1st December 2018 and the first installment for the period upto 31st March 2019 would be paid during this year itself. This programme will entail an annual expenditure of Rs 75,000 crore.

The Budgetary allocation of the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry has been raised by around 2.5 times from Rs 58,358 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 1,41,174.37 crore in 2019-20. Comparing five year period, during UPA government (2009-14), it was Rs 1,21,082 crore and during Modi government (2014-19), it is an increase of 74.5% to Rs 2,11,694 crore. In fact, the budgetary allocation of Rs 1,41,174.37 crore in 2019-20 is 16.6% more than Rs 1,21,082 crore during UPA (2009-14).

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PM AASHA Scheme for Farmers

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a new umbrella scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanraksHan Abhiyan’ (PM-AASHA) on 12th September 2018.  The scheme aims to ensure that farmers get remunerative prices for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018.  Addressing the media in Delhi, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the Cabinet also decided to give an additional government guarantee of Rs 16,550 crore for procurement, taking the total to Rs 45,550 crore.

The new umbrella scheme includes the mechanism of ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers and is comprised of - Price Support Scheme (PSS), Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS) and Pilot of Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPPS).

In PSS, physical procurement of pulses, oil seeds and Copra will be done by Central Nodal Agencies with proactive role of State governments. It is also decided that in addition to NAFED, Food Cooperation of India (FCI) will take up PSS operations in states /districts. 

While under PDPS, it is proposed to cover all oil seeds for which MSP is notified. In this direct payment of the difference between the MSP and the selling/modal price will be made to pre-registered farmers selling his produce in the notified market yard through a transparent auction process. All payment will be done directly into registered bank account of the farmer. 

As for PPSS, the selected private agency shall procure the commodity at MSP in the notified markets during the notified period from the registered farmers in consonance with the PPSS Guidelines. Whenever the prices in the market fall below the notified MSP and whenever authorized by the state/UT government to enter the market and maximum service charges up to 15% of the notified MSP will be payable.

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Seva Bhoj Yojna

Union Ministry of Culture introduced a new scheme called ‘Seva Bhoj Yojna’ to reimburse the central share of CGST and IGST on items for food/prasad/langar/bhandara offered free of cost by charitable religious institutions.
The scheme has been launched for financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20 with a total outlay of Rs. 325.00 crores

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Prakash hai to Vikas hai Scheme

Prakash hai to Vikas hai Power Scheme: Uttar Pradesh has launched a free household power connection scheme for the poor in the state to mark former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s birth anniversary. 

Under this scheme, the state government has a target of covering 16 million by the end of 2018. Apart from this, the UP government has also introduced Kisan Uday Yojana, scheme for farmers in which existing 5 HP/7.5 HP submersible and coupling sets of farmers will be replaced free of cost. The scheme, which would cover 10 lakh farmers by 2022, would lead to 35% saving on power consumption.

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Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra

Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra (PMMSK):

• Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 22nd November has given approval to the new scheme called ‘Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra', which will empower rural women through community participation to create an environment in which they realize their full potential. 
• "Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra (PMMSK)" is envisaged to work at various levels. While, National level (domain based knowledge support) and State level (State Resource Centre for Women) structures will provide technical support to the respective government on issues related to women, the District and Block level.
• Centres will provide support to PMMSK and also give a foothold to BBBP in 640 districts to be covered in a phased manner. 
• Community engagement through Student Volunteers is envisioned in 115 most backward districts as part of the PMMSK Block level initiatives. Student volunteers will play an instrumental role in awareness generation regarding various important government schemes/ programmes as well as social issues. 
• More than 3 lakh student volunteers from local colleges will be engaged in this process, while association with NSS/NCC cadre students will also be an option for contributing to nation building as responsible citizens. 
• This will provide an opportunity to Student Volunteers to participate in the development process by bringing change in their own communities and ensuring that women are not left behind and are equal partners in India's progress.
• The outcome based activities of student volunteers will be monitored through web based system. On completion, certificates for community service, will be displayed on national portal for verification and can also be used as resource /asset for the participating students in future.
• The schemes will be implemented through the States/UTs and Implementing Agencies. All the sub-schemes have inbuilt monitoring structure at the Central Level, State, District and Block level.

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Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan

Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) is expected to make 6 crore rural households digitally literate by March 2019, making it one of the largest digital literacy programmes in the world. PMGDISHA aims at imparting digital literacy to citizens in rural areas free of cost. It aims to provide access to information, knowledge, education, and healthcare. It will create avenues for livelihood generation and financial inclusion through digital payments and help bridge the digital divide. It is expected to reach around 40% rural households in country by March 2019. 

Eligible Household: A household is defined as a unit comprising of Head of family, spouse, children and parents. All such households where none of the family member is digitally literate will be considered as eligible household under the Scheme.

Entry criteria: The beneficiary should be Digitally Illiterate; Only one person per eligible household would be considered for training; Age Group: 14-60 years.

Participants of the adult literacy mission: Digitally illiterate school students from class 9th to 12th, provided facility of Computer/ICT Training is not available in their schools. Preference would be given to SC, ST, BPL, women, differently-abled persons and minorities. The identification of the beneficiaries would be carried out by CSC-SPV in active collaboration with DeGS, Gram Panchayats, and Block Development Officers. The list of such beneficiaries would be made available on the scheme portal.

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PM launches Pradhan Mantri Saubhagya Yojana

Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on 25th September 2017 launched the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, or Saubhagya, at New Delhi. The aim of this scheme is to provide power to all homes.  On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay, the Prime Minister also dedicated a new ONGC building - the Deendayal Urja Bhawan. 

The scheme will cover all rural families after electrification of all villages by December 2017. The Union government stated that states will be required to complete the household electrification by March 31, 2019. The scheme will be funded by a 60% grant from the government, with the states contributing 10% and the remaining amount will be covered by loans. For special category states, the government will grant 85% of the outlay, with the states contributing just 5%.

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Power for All Scheme - Saubhagya

Power for All Scheme - Saubhagya: 

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 25th September 2017 will launch 'Power for all' scheme to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. 
• Prime Minister will also formally inaugurate ONGC’s new corporate office that was renamed Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Urja Bhawan, from Rajiv Gandhi Urja Bhawan, Delhi. 
• Power to All scheme will be named ‘Saubhagya’ and will provide subsidy on equipment like transformers, meters and wires. 
• The scheme is expected to cover all rural families after expected electrification of all villages by December end this year. The scheme was listed on the agenda of Cabinet meeting held earlier last week. 
• Centre has asked states to prepare electrification projects which would be discussed and approved for release of funds under the scheme. 
• The government has been working hard to electrify all villages in the country and wants to achieve 24X7 power for all by 2019.
• The green-building built at a cost of Rs. 600 crore was completed a year ago. Mr Modi will also unveil a statue of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. 

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Deendayal Hastkala Sankul, Varanasi

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on 22nd September dedicated to the nation, the Deendayal Hastkala Sankul – a trade facilitation centre for handicrafts – at Varanasi. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of this Centre in November 2014. Today, he visited the Centre, and was given an overview of the facilities developed there, before arriving on the dais for the dedication. 

Finance Minister in the Budget 2014-15 had announced setting up of a Trade Facilitation Centre and a Crafts Museum to develop and promote handlooms, handicrafts and silk products of Varanasi and to provide necessary help to weavers, artisans and entrepreneurs of Varanasi in strengthening their marketing activities in domestic as well as international markets and in carrying forward the rich tradition of handlooms at Varanasi.

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Karnataka launches 'Indira Canteen'

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi inuagurates 'Indira Canteen', aimed at serving the poor at subsidised rates in Bengaluru on 16th August. Mr. Gandhi, who had the first breakfast at the canteen in Jayanagar, said 'Indira Canteens' would serve the migrants who came to Bengaluru with a dream to build something. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that Indira Canteens was a continuation of the Congress's commitment to a hunger-free Karnataka.

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e-Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi (e-RaKAM)

e-Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi (e-RaKAM)

• Government launched a portal e-Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi (e-RaKAM) which will provide a platform to sell agricultural produce. 
• e-RaKAM is a first of its kind initiative that leverages technology to connect farmers of the smallest villages to the biggest markets of the world through internet. 
• Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Union Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh jointly launched the portal in New Delhi on 1st July 2017. 
• e-RaKAM is a digital initiative bringing together the farmers, PSUs, civil supplies and buyers on a single platform to ease the selling and buying process of agricultural products. 
• Under this initiative, e-RaKAM centres are being developed in a phased manner throughout the country to facilitate farmers for online sale of their produce. 
• The farmers will be paid through e-Payment directly into their bank accounts.

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Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has formally launched the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), or a pension scheme, for senior citizens on 21st July 2017. Speaking after the launch of PMVVY, Mr Jaitley said that settlement ratio of LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) is near to the maximum. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier announced the launch of the scheme exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above.

Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY): 

• LIC started offering the scheme from May 4, 2017.
• Under this scheme, senior citizens (60 years and above) in which they will get a guaranteed interest of 8% for 10 years. The scheme will remain open till May 3, 2018.
• The scheme is exempted from GST or goods and services tax. LIC has sold 58,152 PMVVY schemes garnering Rs. 2,705 crore since its soft launch on May 4.
• The shortfall owing to the difference between the interest guaranteed and the actual interest earned and the expenses relating to administration shall be subsidised by the government of India and reimbursed to the LIC.
• PMVVY can be purchased offline as well as online through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India which has been given the sole privilege to operate this scheme.
• The pension is payable at the end of each period, during the policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency of monthly/ quarterly/ half-yearly/ yearly as chosen by the pensioner at the time of purchase.
• On survival of the pensioner to the end of the policy term of 10 years, purchase price along with final pension instalment shall be payable.
• The scheme also allows for premature exit for the treatment of any critical/ terminal illness of self or spouse. On such premature exit, 98 per cent of the purchase price shall be refunded.
• On death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years, the purchase price shall be paid to the beneficiary.

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SATH program by NITI Aayog

NITI Aayog has launched SATH-‘Sustainable Action for Transforming Human capital’ with the State Governments for furthering the agenda of cooperative federalism. The vision of the program is to initiate transformation in the education and health sectors. The program addresses the need expressed by many states for technical support from NITI .

• SATH aims to identify and build 3 future ‘role model’ states for health systems. NITI will work in close collaboration with their state machinery to design a robust roadmap of intervention, develop a program governance structure, set up monitoring and tracking mechanisms, hand-hold state institutions through the execution stage and provide support on a range of institutional measures to achieve the end objectives. 
• The program will be implemented by NITI along with McKinsey & Company and IPE Global consortium, who were selected through a competitive bidding process.
• To select the three model states, NITI defined a three-stage process – expression of interest, presentations by the states and assessment of commitment to health sector reforms. NITI invited all states and UTs to participate in the program. 
• 16 states expressed prima facie interest, of which fourteen made their presentations. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh presented their project proposal to a Committee headed by Member of NITI Aayog, Shri Bibek Debroy and comprising of CEO, Amitabh Kant as well as a representative from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• Of these fourteen states, five have been shortlisted. Subsequently, three will be selected on the basis of further evaluations and objective assessment of criteria affecting the potential for impact and likelihood of success. 
• Metrics such as MMR, IMR, incidence of malaria and others have been considered for determining potential impact while density of doctors and nurses, compliance to IPHS norms are some of the metrics used to determine likelihood of success. The program will be launched in the three selected states after the signing of MoUs.

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PowerTex India

Government has launched PowerTex India, a comprehensive scheme for powerloom sector development, simultaneously at over 45 locations in the country. Launching the scheme in Bhiwandi, Thane district, Maharashtra, the Union Textiles Minister, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani said that Bhiwandi will be known for resurgence in Powerloom sector. Recalling that the powerloom sector alone employs over 44 lakh people, the Minister said that the scheme will especially benefit small powerloom weavers.

The comprehensive scheme has the following components:

• In-situ Upgradation of Plain Powerlooms
• Group Workshed Scheme (GWS)
• Yarn Bank Scheme
• Common Facility Centre (CFC)
• Pradhan Mantri Credit Scheme for Powerloom Weavers
• Solar Energy Scheme for Powerlooms
• Facilitation, IT, Awareness, Market Development and Publicity for Powerloom Schemes
• Tex Venture Capital Fund
• Grant-in-Aid and Modernisation & Upgradation of Powerloom Service Centres (PSCs)

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