PIB Summary- 13th August, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

SMILE-75 Initiative

Why in News?
The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry has launched the ‘SMILE-75’ initiative for comprehensive rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging in 75 identified municipalities as a part of the celebrations of 75 years of Independence.

SMILE Scheme

• SMILE is an acronym for Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise.
• This scheme is a sub-scheme under the ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’.
• It also focuses on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities and intervention, counselling, education, skill development, economic linkages to transgender persons.
• It covers several comprehensive measures including welfare measures for persons who are engaged in the act of begging.
• The focus of the scheme is extensively on rehabilitation, provision of medical facilities, counselling, basic documentation, education, skill development, economic linkages and so on.

Objectives

• To make cities/town and municipal areas begging-free.
• To make a strategy for comprehensive rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of begging through the coordinated action of various stakeholders.

Its implementation

• The scheme would be implemented with the support of State/UT Governments/Local Urban Bodies, Voluntary Organizations, Community Based Organizations (CBOs), institutions and others.
• The scheme provides for the use of the existing shelter homes available with the State/UT Governments and Urban local bodies for rehabilitation of the persons engaged in the act of Begging.
• In case of the non-availability of existing shelter homes, new dedicated shelter homes are to be set up by the implementing agencies.

Vande Bharat Express

Why in News?
Vande Bharat Express trains would be rolled out in all parts of the country, Union Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

About Vande Bharat Express

• The Train18, later named Vande Bharat Express, is an Indian semi-high-speed, intercity, EMU train which was designed and manufactured by Integral Coach Factory (ICF) at Perambur, Chennai under the Indian government’s Make in India initiative, over a span of 18 months.
• The train was launched on 15 February 2019.
• It is a semi-high speed trainset, each of 16 coaches, and self-propelled — they do not require an engine.
• This is called a distributed traction power system, which is increasingly becoming the norm the world over for passenger operations.
• Distributed power gives the train higher acceleration and deceleration compared to loco-hauled trains, which take a much longer time to reach top speed or to gradually come to a halt.
• It is capable of running at a maximum speed of 200 km/h (120 mph), but the tracks on which the train operates are not capable of supporting such high speeds, hence the train is operated at a maximum speed of 130 km/h (81 mph).
• This made it the fastest train to run in India and the second fastest operating train in India, behind the Gatimaan Express which operates at 160 km/h (99 mph).
• Some of its passenger friendly features include; European-style seats, diffused LED lighting, GPS-based infotainment systems, modular bio-toilets, fully sealed gangways for dust-free environment, centrally controlled entry/exit doors with sliding footsteps, divyang friendly toilet and automatic sliding cabin doors.
• It is energy-efficient as its coaches will be fitted with LED lights. Coaches will have automatic doors and retractable footsteps.