PIB Summary- 17th September, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

G33

Details

• The G-33 Virtual Informal Ministerial Meeting organized by Indonesia was held to discuss the Agricultural Priority Issues of G33 and the Way Forward for the Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC-12) scheduled to be held in November-December 2021.
• The Minister remarked on the occasion that the WTO Agreement on Agriculture was tilted against developing countries.

About G33

• The G33 (or the Friends of Special Products in agriculture) is a coalition of developing countries, established prior to the 2003 Cancun ministerial conference, that have coordinated during the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations, specifically in regard to agriculture.
• The group has “defensive” concerns regarding agriculture in relation to WTO negotiations, and seeks to limit the degree of market opening required of developing countries.
• The group has advocated the creation of a “special products” exemption, which would allow developing countries to exempt certain products from tariff reductions, and also a “special safeguard mechanism” which would permit tariff increases in response to import surges.
• India is a member of this group, as also are China and Pakistan, among others. As per the PIB, there are currently 47 members in the G33.

Kaushalacharya Awards 2021

Details

• The Union Minister for Skill Development presented Kaushalacharya Awards 2021 to 41 skill trainers for their exemplary contribution to the skill ecosystem.
• These 41 trainers are from several initiatives and training programmes of Skill India— Directorate General of Training (DGT), Apprenticeship, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthan (JSS) and Entrepreneurship.

About the Kaushalacharya Awards

• The awards are an initiative of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) to acknowledge the contributions of the skill trainers to the skill ecosystem of India.
• It is an annual celebration that focuses on honouring the skill trainers and the impact created by them on India’s youth.
• The objective of the Kaushalacharya Awards 2021 is to honour excellence amongst Trainers and Master Trainers under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) category.
• The Awards felicitate Kaushal Gurus or Acharyas (trainers and master trainers) who have consistently achieved outstanding and meritorious performance, setting benchmarks for others to emulate.
• There are two categories of awards – Trainers and Master Trainers.

Planetarium Innovation Challenge

What is the Planetarium Innovation Challenge?

• The challenge has been launched by MyGov.
• The challenge invites applications from start-ups and tech entrepreneurs to develop state-of-the-art technology for our Planetariums.
• This is an opportunity for Planetariums in India to deploy new technologies (Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality and Merged Reality), especially for smaller cities and rural areas, all Made in India.
• The Innovation Challenge is open to experts from all domains of Planetarium Technology at https://innovateindia.mygov.in/.
• The applicants may include Start-ups, Indian Legal Entities, even Individuals (or Teams).
• The applications will be evaluated on different parameters including Approach towards problem-solving, Product Idea, Degree of Innovation, Novelty of Approach.
• The first winner, second winner and third winner under the contest will get cash prizes of Rs.5 lakh, Rs.3 lakh and Rs.2 lakh respectively.
• The participants will also get an opportunity to showcase their products/ideas in front of industry leaders.

Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

Context: Minister of Railways launched the Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY), a program under the aegis of Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

About the Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

• Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana is a skill development programme for the unemployed youths of India wherein technical training is imparted in various trades to enhance their employability and entrepreneurship.
• Rail Kaushal Vikas Yojana is one of the skill enhancement training programs under the Ministry of Indian Railways and the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.
• Free of cost training is imparted in Railway Training Institutes for eligible youths across the country.
• Any Matric passed student between 18-35 years age limit can select and apply for training online as well as offline.
• A certificate will be provided after the successful completion of training.