PIB Summary- 15th January, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Thiruvalluvar Day

Context: Thiruvalluvar Day 2021 was observed on 15th January.

About Thiruvalluvar Day

• The Government of Tamil Nadu celebrates the 15th (16th on leap years) of January as Thiruvalluvar Day in honour of the poet Thiruvalluvar, as part of the Pongal celebrations. 
• It is also observed by the government of Puducherry. 
• The Day is celebrated on the fourth day of Pongal celebrations when people pay respect to elders and elders offer blessings in cash and kind.

Who was Thiruvalluvar?

• Thiruvalluvar, commonly known as Valluvar, was a celebrated Tamil poet and philosopher. 
• He is best known as the author of Thirukkural, a collection of couplets on ethics, politics, economy and love. 
  • The work consists of 1330 couplets distributed into 133 sections each having 10 couplets. 
  • The text is considered an exceptional and widely cherished work of Tamil literature. 
  • Thirukkural has been translated into 37 languages. 
• Not much is known about his life or when he lived. Different sources give varying dates, Maraimalai Adigal deduced 31 BCE as his year of birth while Czech scholars like Kamil Zvelebil inferred that he lived around 500 CE.

India and Japan sign MoU

Context: India and Japan sign MoU to enhance cooperation in the field of ICT. 

Details

• As per the MoU, the Department of Telecom, Government of India and the Ministry of Communications, Government of Japan will enhance mutual cooperation in the field of 5G technologies, telecom security, submarine optical fibre cable system to the islands of India, spectrum management, smart cities, high altitude platform for broadband in unconnected areas, disaster management and public safety, etc.

Food Corporation of India (FCI)

Context: FCI’s 57^th Foundation Day.

About the FCI

• Food Corporation of India (FCI) is a Public Sector Undertaking, under the Department of Food & Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, GOI. 
• It is a statutory body set up in 1965 under the Food Corporations Act, 1964. It was established against the backdrop of major grains shortage, especially of wheat.
• FCI Objectives: 
  • To provide farmers remunerative prices 
  • To make food grains available at reasonable prices, particularly to vulnerable sections of society 
  • To maintain buffer stocks for food security 
  • To intervene in market for price stabilization

Driverless Metro Car

Context: Defence Minister unveils India’s First Indigenously Designed & Developed Driverless Metro Car.

Details

• The metro car was unveiled for Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
• Indigenously designed & developed state-of-the-art Driverless Metro trains are being manufactured at BEML, Bengaluru Complex (a defence PSU company).
• The project has 63 per cent indigenous content which will enhance to 75 per cent in the next two to three years.

Army Day

Context: 73^rd Army Day celebrated.

About Army Day

• Every year Indian Army celebrates 15th January as ‘Army Day’ to commemorate the day when General (later Field Marshal) K M Cariappa took over the command of Army from General Sir FRR Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief in 1949 and became the first Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army post Independence. 
• Army Day marks a day to salute the valiant soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect the country and its citizens. 
• While celebrations take place across the country, the main Army Day parade is conducted in Cariappa Parade ground in Delhi cantonment. 
• Gallantry awards and Sena medals are also awarded on this day.

India Meteorological Department (IMD)

Context: India Meteorological Department (IMD) celebrates its 146^th Foundation Day.

About Meteorology

The branch of science dealing with the atmosphere and its various phenomena, along with weather and weather forecasting can be defined as Meteorology. Other subjects related to meteorology are Seismology, Geography, Geology, etc.

India Meteorological Department (IMD)
Formed in 1875, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is the national meteorological service of the country and it is the chief government agency dealing in everything related to meteorology, seismology, and associated subjects.
The administrative responsibilities of the Department are under the supervision of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Indian Government. The IMD is headquartered in New Delhi.

IMD Mandate
The mandate and functions of the IMD are: 

• Taking meteorological observations and providing current information and forecasting information for the most favorable operation of weather-dependent activities such as irrigation, agriculture, aviation, shipping, offshore oil exploration, and so on. 
• Giving warnings against severe weather phenomena such as tropical cyclones, dust storms, heat waves, cold waves, heavy rains, heavy snow, etc. 
• Providing met-related statistics needed for agriculture, industries, water resources management, oil exploration, and any other strategically important activities for the country. 
• Engaging in research in meteorology and allied subjects. 
• Detection and location of earthquakes and evaluation of seismicity in various parts of the country for developmental projects.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Agriculture
India Meteorological Department (IMD) provides direct services to the farming community. 

• Set up in 1932, the Division of Agricultural Meteorology has its office in Pune. 
• It was established to minimize the impact of adverse weather on crops. 
• IMD also provides information to take advantage of favorable weather conditions that may result in a boost in agricultural yield. 

Services of the Division can be listed as follows:

• Gramin Krishi Mausam Seva 
• Dissemination of Agromet Advisories 
• Feedback & Awareness of Agromet Service 
• Training Programme to AMFUs (Agro-Meteorological Field Units)

India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Aviation
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the Director-General of Civil Aviation of India (DGCA) call for services and data that are crucial to the national and international civil aviation sector.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) monitors the development of tropical cyclones in its area of responsibility and provides advisory information to ICAO, DGCA, Meteorological Watch offices in the country and neighbouring countries as well.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) and Water Issues in the Country
IMD renders assistance and advice on the meteorological aspects of hydrology, water management, and multipurpose river valley project management. These services are utilized by the Central Water Commission, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Water Resources, Railways, Damodar Valley Corporation Flood Control Authorities, and the State Governments. The Hydromet Division of IMD offers information on various rainfall projects through its ‘Customised Rainfall Information System (CRIS)’, in the form of reports and maps on the CRIS portal.

One Nation One Ration Card system reform

Context: Tamil Nadu becomes the 11^th state to complete One Nation One Ration Card system reform.

Details

• Tamil Nadu has become the 11^th state in the country to successfully undertake “One Nation One Ration Card system” reform stipulated by the Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance. 
• Thus, the state has become eligible to mobilise additional financial resources of Rs.4,813 crore through Open Market Borrowings. 
• Tamil Nadu has now joined 10 other states namely, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh, who have completed this reform.

Background

• To meet the challenges posed by the pandemic, GOI had enhanced the borrowing limit of the states by 2 percent of their GSDP.
• Half of this special dispensation was linked to undertaking citizen-centric reforms by the states.
• The four citizen-centric areas for reforms identified were:
  • Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System (done by 11 states) 
  • Ease of doing business reform (done by 8 states) 
  • Urban Local body/utility reforms (done by 4 states) 
  • Power sector reforms 
• One Nation One Ration Card System is an important citizen centric reform. Its implementation ensures the availability of ration to beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) and other welfare schemes, especially the migrant workers and their families, at any Fair Price Shop (FPS) across the country. 
• The reform also enables the states in better targeting of beneficiaries, elimination of bogus/duplicate/ineligible card holders resulting in enhanced welfare and reduced leakage.

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA)

Context: CARA celebrates its 6th Annual Day. 

About CARA

• Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body of the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Government of India.
• It functions as the nodal body for adoption of Indian children and is mandated to monitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions.
• CARA is designated as the Central Authority to deal with inter-country adoptions in accordance with the provisions of the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption, 1993, ratified by Government of India in 2003.
• CARA primarily deals with the adoption of orphan, abandoned and surrendered children through its associated/recognised adoption agencies.