PIB Summary- 12th April, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

State Energy Efficiency Index Report 2021-22

Why in News?
Recently, the Union Minister of Power and New & Renewable Energy released the report of the State Energy Efficiency Index (SEEI) 2021-22 in New Delhi.

State Energy Efficiency Index Report

• The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) developed SEEI in association with the Alliance for an Energy-Efficient Economy (AEEE).
• The 2021-22 SEEI has an updated framework of 50 indicators aligned with national priorities.
• Programme-specific indicators have been included this year to track outcomes and impacts of state-level energy efficiency initiatives.

Key highlights

• Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, and Telangana are in the Front Runner category (>60 points).
• Assam, Haryana, Maharashtra, and Punjab are in the Achiever category (50-60 points).
• Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, and Chandigarh are the top-performing states in their respective state groups.
• Telangana and Andhra Pradesh showed the most improvement since the last index.

Bureau of Energy Efficiency

• The BEE was established on 1st March 2002 under the provisions of the Energy Conservation Act, 2001.
• Objective: To reduce the energy intensity of the Indian economy.
• It coordinates with designated consumers, designated agencies, and other organizations.
• It recognizes, identifies, and utilizes existing resources and infrastructure to perform the functions assigned to it under the Energy Conservation Act.

Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

Why in News?
The Prime Minister expressed happiness over the impact of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and said that what can be greater happiness than the smile that Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana has spread on the faces of our farmer brothers and sisters.

About Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)

• The Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) launched on 2016 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is an insurance service for farmers for their yields.
• PMFBY is in line with One Nation – One Scheme theme.
• The PMFBY will replace the existing two schemes National Agricultural Insurance Scheme as well as the Modified NAIS.
• The Scheme shall be implemented through a multi-agency framework by selected insurance companies under the overall guidance & control of the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare (DAC&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), Government of India (GOI) and the concerned State in co-ordination with various other agencies.
• Premium cost over and above the farmer share is equally subsidized by States and the Central Government of India. However, the Central Government shares 90% of the premium subsidy for North Eastern States to promote the uptake in the region.

Objectives

• To provide insurance coverage and financial support to the farmers in the event of failure of any of the notified crop as a result of natural calamities, pests & diseases.
• To stabilise the income of farmers to ensure their continuance in farming.
• To encourage farmers to adopt innovative and modern agricultural practices.
• To ensure flow of credit to the agriculture sector.

Beneficiaries: All farmers growing notified crops in a notified area during the season who have insurable interest in the crop are eligible.
Coverage of Crops:

• Oil seeds
• Food crop
• Annual Commercial / Annual Horticultural crops.
• In addition, for perennial crops, pilots for coverage can be taken for those perennial horticultural crops for which standard methodology for yield estimation is available.

Risks covered under the scheme

• Prevented Sowing/Planting/Germination Risk: Insured area is prevented from sowing/planting/germination due to deficit rainfall or adverse seasonal/weather conditions.
• Standing Crop (Sowing to Harvesting): Comprehensive risk insurance is provided to cover yield losses due to non-preventable risks, viz. Drought, Dry spell, Flood, Inundation, widespread Pests and Disease attack, Landslides, Fire due to natural causes, Lightening, Storm, Hailstorm and Cyclone.
• Post-Harvest Losses: Coverage is available only up to a maximum period of two weeks from harvesting, for those crops which are required to be dried in cut and spread / small bundled condition in the field after harvesting against specific perils of Hailstorm, Cyclone, Cyclonic rains and Unseasonal rains
• Localized Calamities: Loss/damage to notified insured crops resulting from occurrence of identified localized risks of Hailstorm, Landslide, Inundation, Cloud burst and Natural fire due to lightening affecting isolated farms in the notified area.
• Add-on coverage for crop loss due to attack by wild animals: The States may consider providing add-on coverage for crop loss due to attack by wild animals wherever the risk is perceived to be substantial and is identifiable.
• General Exclusions: Losses arising out of war and nuclear risks, malicious damage and other preventable risks shall be excluded.

Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Birth Anniversary

Why in News?
The Prime Minister, has paid tribute to the great social reformer, philosopher and writer Mahatma Jyotiba Phule on his birth anniversary.

About Jyotirao Phule

• Born in 1827 in Satara district of Maharashtra.
• Phule was given the title of Mahatma on May 11, 1888, by Vithalrao Krishnaji Vandekar, a Maharashtrian social activist.
• His famous works:
  • Tritiya Ratna (1855), Gulamgiri (1873), Shetkarayacha Aasud, or Cultivator’s Whipcord (1881), Satyashodhak Samajokt Mangalashtakasah Sarva Puja-vidhi (1887).
• Death: 28th November, 1890. His memorial is built in Phule Wada, Pune, Maharashtra.

The Phules’ endeavours and legacy

• Jyotirao, the revolutionary that he was, observed the lack of opportunities for education for young girls and women.
• He started to educate his wife (Savithribai phule) at home and trained her to become a teacher.
• Together, by 1848, the Phules started a school for girls, Shudras and Ati-Shudras in Poona.
• The historic work was started by Jyotirao when he was just 21 years old, ably supported by his 18-year-old wife.
• In 1853, Jyotirao-Savitribai opened a care centre for pregnant widows to have safe deliveries and to end the practice of infanticide owing to social norms.
• The Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha (Home for the Prevention of Infanticide) started in their own house .
• Jyotirao and Savitri did not have biological children, and adopted the child of a widow.
  • Yashwantrao grew up to be a doctor, rendering his services in the 1897 Bubonic plague.

Satyashodhak Samaj

• The Satyashodhak Samaj (The Truth-Seeker’s Society) was established on September 24, 1873 by Jyotirao-Savitribai and other like-minded people.
• The Samaj advocated for social changes that went against prevalent traditions, including economical weddings, inter-caste marriages, eradication of child marriages, and widow remarriage.
• The Phules also had far-sighted goals — popularising female education, establishing an institutional structure of schools in India, and to have a society where women worked in tandem with men.