PIB Summary- 12th September, 2024 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)

Context

The Centre has relaxed the automatic exclusion criteria for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), allowing families with certain assets to avail of the rural housing scheme.

Updated Guidelines for PMAY-Gramin:

• Eligibility Expansion: Families possessing specific assets, including two-wheelers, motorized fishing boats, refrigerators, landline phones, and earning up to Rs 15,000 monthly, can now participate in the rural housing scheme.
• Previous Barriers Removed: Such assets previously disqualified families from the scheme.
• Persistent Exclusions:Restrictions still apply to:
  • Owners of motorized three or four-wheelers,
  • Holders of mechanized agricultural equipment,
  • Possessors of a Kisan Credit Card with limits over Rs 50,000,
  • Individuals in government employment,
  • Owners of registered non-agricultural businesses,
  • Taxpaying households.
• Goals for Rural Development: Revised criteria support the government’s objective to construct an additional two crore rural houses by 2028-29.
• Progress to Date: Currently, 2.65 crore homes have been constructed, approaching the initial target of 2.95 crore under the Housing for All initiative.

PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin)

• PMAY-G is a rural housing program that aims to provide pucca houses with basic amenities to houseless households and those living in kutcha and dilapidated houses by 2022.
• It was introduced in 2016 to address gaps identified in the previous rural housing program, Indira Awas Yojana.
• The immediate objective is to cover 1 crore households living in kutcha and dilapidated houses by 2018-19.
• The program selects beneficiaries using housing deprivation parameters from the Socio-Economic Caste Census 2011, verified by Gram Sabhas.

Salient Features of PMAY-G:

• Minimum size of the house increased to 25 sq.mt with a hygienic cooking space.
• Increased unit assistance for construction, shared between the Central and State Governments.
• Leveraging convergence with other programs for assistance in toilet construction, piped drinking water, electricity connection, LPG gas connection, etc.
• National Technical Support Agency (NTSA) established for better quality construction.
• Training and certification program for masons launched.
• Implementation and monitoring through e-Governance model using Awaas Soft and Awaas App.
• Community participation through social audit and oversight by Member of Parliament (DISHA Committee).

Exercise Yudh Abhyas

Context

Recently, the 20th edition of the India-USA Joint Military Exercise YUDH ABHYAS-2024 began at the Mahajan Field Firing Ranges in Rajasthan.

About Exercise Yudh Abhyas:

Here are key details about the exercise:

• Joint Military Exercise: Exercise Yudh Abhyas is a collaborative military training exercise that brings together the Indian Army and the United States Army.
• Indian Army Contingent: The exercise features the participation of an Indian Army contingent comprising approximately 350 personnel.
• Lead Battalion Affiliation: The lead battalion representing the Indian side in the exercise is affiliated with the MARATHA Light Infantry Regiment.
• Tactical Drills and Interoperability: During the exercise, both armies engage in a series of tactical drills aimed at enhancing their interoperability in conducting United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operations.
• Theme and Scope: The theme of the exercise for a particular edition may vary. In this instance, the theme is ‘Employment of an Integrated Battle Group in Mountain/ Extreme Climatic Conditions‘ under Chapter VII of the United Nations mandate.
  • The scope of the Field Training Exercise includes validation of Integrated Battle Groups against hostile forces at the Brigade level, Integrated Surveillance Grid at the Brigade/ Battalion level, and the employment of Heliborne/ Airborne elements and Force Multipliers, among other aspects.
• Combat Skills and Best Practices: The exercise facilitates the exchange of views and best practices in various combat skills, including combat engineering, obstruction clearance, mine and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) warfare.

Some of these exercises include Vajra Prahar (Army), MALABAR (Navy, Multilateral), Cope India (Air Force), and Red Flag (Air Force, Multilateral).