PIB Summary- 16th February, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Mahabahu-Brahmaputra

Context: PM to launch ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’.

About ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’

• The launch of ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ will be marked by the inauguration of Ro-Pax (roll-on/roll-off passenger service) vessel operations between Neamati-Majuli island, North Guwahati-South Guwahati and Dhubri-Hatsingimari Shilanyas of the inland water transport terminal at Jogighopa, and various tourist jetties on the Brahmaputra.
• ‘Mahabahu-Brahmaputra’ is aimed at providing seamless connectivity to the eastern parts of India and includes various development activities for the people living around Brahmaputra and Barak rivers.
• The Ro-Pax services will help in reducing travel time by providing connectivity between banks and thus reducing the distance to be travelled by road.
• This will generate employment and also boost tourism in these parts.

E-Chhawani

Context: Raksha Mantri launches E-Chhawani portal & mobile app.

About E-Chhawani

• The portal (https://echhawani.gov.in/) has been created to provide online civic services to over 20 lakh residents of 62 Cantonment Boards across the country.
• Through the portal, the residents of cantonment areas will be able to avail basic services like renewal of leases, application for birth & death certificates, water & sewerage connections, trade licences, mobile toilet locators and payment of different types of taxes and fees, with just a click of a button.
• The portal has been jointly developed by eGov Foundation, Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), Directorate General Defence Estates (DGDE) and National Informatics Centre (NIC).
• The portal is expected to ensure effectiveness and transparency of the services distribution system of the Cantonment Boards and provide time-bound solutions to the residents.

TECHNOGRAHIS

Context: Online enrolment module for TECHNOGRAHIS launched.

Details

• An Enrolment Module for TECHNOGRAHIS has been launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA).

Who are TECHNOGRAHIS?

• TECHNOGRAHIS are students from IITs, NITs, engineering, planning and architecture colleges, faculty members, academicians, and stakeholders.
• They can register themselves to visit Live Laboratories at six Light House Project (LHP) sites for learning, consultation, generation of ideas and solutions, experimentation, innovation, and technical awareness.
• This will help them in getting a first-hand account of the technologies being used and in turn, they can adapt and adopt them as per their requirements in the construction sector for a ‘Make in India’ approach.

Live Laboratories of LHP

• MoHUA is promoting six Light House Projects (LHPs) as Live Laboratories for transfer of technology to the field.
• The primary goal is to encourage large scale participation of people to create technical awareness for on-site learning.

Light House Project (LHP)

• LHPs are being built as part of the Global Housing Technology Challenge-India (GHTC- India) initiative under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U).
• The LHPs are model housing projects.
• About 1,000 houses at each location are being built with allied infrastructure facilities.
• This technology revolution is cost-effective, environment-friendly, disaster-resilient and promotes speedier construction.
• The initiative will prove to be a major push towards technical transformation in India.

Pey Jal Survekshan

Context: Govt launches drinking water survey in 10 cities under Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban).

About Pey Jal Survekshan

• The Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry launched a survey to collect data on drinking water in 10 cities under the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban).
• As part of the survey, ‘Pey Jal Survekshan’, data will also be collected on wastewater management and condition of water bodies in the cities.
• The mission will be monitored through a technology-based platform on which beneficiary response will be monitored.
• Initially, the survey is being launched as a pilot in ten cities namely, Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur.
• Based on the learnings of the pilot survey, this exercise will be extended to all Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) cities.
• The mission also has a reform agenda, under which City Water Potability Index, reduction in non-revenue water, municipal finance reforms, rain water harvesting, recycle water to meet at least 20% total water demand by 2025 and rejuvenating three water bodies per ULB are the key proposed reforms.