PIB Summary- 14th February, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Dr B R Ambedkar

Why in News?

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind visited Ambadawe village (ancestral village of Dr B.R. Ambedkar) in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra where he performed pooja of the Asthi Kalash of Dr B. R. Ambedkar and paid floral tributes to Lord Buddha, Dr Ambedkar, Smt Ramabai Ambedkar and Ramji Ambedkar.

About B R Ambedkar

• He was born into a caste that was considered untouchable, he faced many injustices and discrimination in society.
• He was born in Mhow in the Central Provinces (modern-day Madhya Pradesh) to a Marathi family with roots in Ambadawe town of Ratnagiri, Maharashtra.
• He Popularly known as Baba Saheb Ji.
• He was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly and is called the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’.
• He was a jurist and an economist.
• He was a brilliant student and had doctoral degrees in economics from Columbia University and the London School of Economics.
• The Ambedkar Ji was against the caste-based discriminations in society and advocated the Dalits to organize and demand their rights.
• He promoted the education of Dalits and made representations to the government in various capacities in this regard.
• He was part of the Bombay Presidency Committee that worked with the Simon Commission in 1925.
• He established the Bahishkrit Hitakarini Sabha to promote education and socio-economic improvements among the Dalits.
• He started magazines like Mooknayak, Equality Janta and Bahishkrit Bharat.
• In 1927, he launched active agitation against untouchability.
• He organised and agitated for the right of Dalits to enter temples and to draw water from public water resources.
• He condemned Hindu scriptures that he thought propagated caste discrimination.
• He advocated separate electorates for the ‘Depressed Classes’, the term with which Dalits were called at that time.
• He was in disagreement with Mahatma Gandhi at that time since Gandhi was against any sort of reservation in the electorates.
• When the British government announced the ‘Communal Award’ in 1932, Gandhi went on a fast in Yerwada Jail.
• An agreement was signed between Gandhi and Ambedkar in the jail whereby it was agreed to give reserved seats to the depressed classes within the general electorate, this was called the Poona Pact
• The Ambedkar Ji founded the Independent Labour Party (later transformed into the Scheduled Castes Federation) in 1936 and contested in 1937 from Bombay to the Central Legislative Assembly.
• He also contested from Bombay (north-central) after independence in the country’s first general elections. but he lost both times.
• He also worked as Minister of Labour in the Viceroy’s Executive Council. After independence, Ambedkar became the first Law Minister in 1947 under the Congress-led government. Later he resigned due to differences with Jawaharlal Nehru on the Hindu Code Bill.
• He was appointed to the Rajya Sabha in 1952 and remained a member till his death.
• He advocated a free economy with a stable Rupee.
• He also mooted birth control for economic development.
• He also emphasized equal rights for women.
• A few months before he died, he converted to Buddhism in a public ceremony in Nagpur and with him lakhs of Dalits converted to Buddhism.
• His death anniversary is observed as Mahaparinirvan Din.

He authored several books and essays, some of them are as follows;-

• The Annihilation of Caste, Pakistan or the Partition of India,
• The Buddha and his Dhamma,
• The Evolution of Provincial Finance in British India,
• Administration and Finance of the East India Company, etc.

APEDA

Why in News?

Agricultural Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) celebrated its 36th Foundation Day. APEDA actively supported the Government in taking the export of agricultural products to USD 20.67 billion in 2020-21 from USD 0.6 billion in 1986 when it was founded.  APEDA also helped expand the export basket to 205 countries.

About Apeda:

• The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) was established by the Government of India under the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority Act, 1985.
• The Authority has its headquarters in New Delhi.
• A Chairman is appointed by the Central Government.

Functions:

• APEDA is mandated with the responsibility of export promotion and development of the scheduled products viz. fruits, vegetables and their products; meat and meat products; poultry and poultry products; dairy products; confectionery, biscuits and bakery products; honey, jaggery and sugar products; cocoa and its products, chocolates of all kinds; alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages; cereal and cereal products; groundnuts, peanuts and walnuts, pickles, papads and chutneys; guar gum; floriculture and floriculture products; herbal and medicinal plants.
• APEDA has been entrusted with the responsibility to monitor import of sugar.
• Registration of persons as exporters of the scheduled products and fixing of standards and specifications for the scheduled products for the purpose of exports.
• Carrying out inspection of meat and meat products in slaughterhouses, processing plants, storage premises and improving packaging of the scheduled products.

ADIP Scheme &  Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana

Why in News?

A ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ for distribution of aids and assistive devices to ‘Divyangjan’ under the ADIP Scheme and Senior citizens under ‘RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana’ (RVY Scheme) of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India will be organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) in association with ALIMCO and District Administration Chhatarpur.

ADIP Scheme- the Assistance to Disabled persons for purchasing/fitting of aids/appliances (ADIP) scheme:

• Objective: to assist the needy disabled persons in procuring durable, sophisticated and scientifically manufactured, modern, standard aids and appliances that can promote their physical, social and psychological rehabilitation, by reducing the effects of disabilities and enhance their economic potential.
• The aids and appliances supplied under the Scheme shall conform to BIS specifications to the extent possible.
• The aim is to promote physical, social, psychological rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities by reducing the effects of disabilities and at the same time enhance their economic potential.
• Grant-in-aid under the Scheme will Not be given for commercial supply of aids/appliances.
• Implementation: The scheme is implemented through implementing agencies such as NGOs, National Institutes under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment and ALIMCO (a PSU that manufactures artificial limbs).

The following agencies would be eligible to implement the Scheme on behalf of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, subject to fulfillment of laid down terms and conditions:

• Societies, registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and their branches, if any, separately.
• Registered charitable trusts.
• District Rural Development Agencies, Indian Red Cross Societies and other Autonomous Bodies headed by District Collector/Chief Executive Officer/District Development Officer of Zilla Parishad.
• National/Apex Institutes including ALIMCO functioning under administrative control of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment/Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• State Handicapped Development Corporations.
• Local Bodies- Zilla Parishad, Municipalities, District Autonomous Development Councils and Panchayats.
• Hospitals registered as separate entity, as recommended by state/central government.
• Nehru Yuvak Kendras.

Eligibility

• He/she should be an Indian citizen of any age.
• Should be certified by a Registered Medical Practitioner that he/she is disabled and fit to use prescribed aid/appliance. Holds a 40% Disablement Certificate.
• Person who is employed/self-employed or getting pension and whose monthly income from all sources does not exceed Rs. 20,000/- per month.
• In case of dependents, the income of parents/guardians should not exceed Rs. 20,000/- per month.
• Persons who have not received assistance from the Government, local bodies and Non-Official Organisations during the last 3 years for the same purpose. However, for children below 12 years of age this limit would be 1 year.

Aids/appliances which do not cost more than Rs. 10,000/ – are covered under the Scheme for single disability. However, in the case of SwDs, students beyond IX class, the limit would be raised to Rs.12,000/.

About Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)

• The RVY was launched in 2017 at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) is a scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to BPL category.
• This is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government. 
• The expenditure for implementation of the scheme will be met from the “Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund”
• The Scheme will be implemented through the sole implementing agency – Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Under the scheme, the physical aids will be provided only to the senior citizens of the nation.
• This implies those who are aged above 60 years will get free assisted living aids and physical devices which are required for their sustainability.
• Also the govt. has selected the list of cities where the scheme will be implemented.
• The main criteria for the senior citizens to get full benefits of Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme is that they must belong to BPL family and should hold valid BPL card issued by the concerned authority.
• Beneficiaries in each district will be identified by the State Governments/UT Administrations through a Committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector.
• As far as possible, 30% of the beneficiaries in each district shall be women.

About Significance of RVY Scheme

• According to Census 2011, there are 10.38 crores of senior citizens.
• And of these, more than 70% of them live in rural areas.
• Therefore, it is essential to take special care towards them through these camps organized under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana.