PIB Summary- 12th August, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

‘Atmanirbhar Narishakti se Samvad’

Details

• In the ‘Samvad’, the PM interacted with women Self Help Group (SHG) members/community resource persons promoted under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
• He also released capitalization support funds to the tune of Rs. 1625 Crore to over 4 lakh SHGs.
• In addition, he released Rs. 25 crore as seed money for 7500 SHG members under the PMFME (PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises) Scheme.
• During the occasion, the PM also released Rs. 4.13 crore as funds to 75 FPOs (Farmer Producer Organizations) being promoted under the DAY-NRLM.
• According to the PM, the women SHG movement has intensified in the last 6 – 7 years.

Self Help Groups (SHG)

Self Help Groups -What are SHGs?
Self-help Groups (SHGs) are informal associations of people who come together to find ways to improve their living conditions. They are generally self-governed and peer-controlled.
People of similar economic and social backgrounds associate generally with the help of any NGO or government agency and try to resolve their issues, and improve their living conditions.

The emergence of Self Help Groups – Origin and Development  in India

• The origin of SHGs in India can be traced back to the establishment of the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in 1972.
• Even before, there were small efforts at self-organising. For example, in 1954, the Textile Labour Association (TLA) of Ahmedabad formed its women’s wing in order to train the women belonging to families of mill workers in skills such as sewing, knitting, etc.
• Ela Bhatt, who formed SEWA, organised poor and self-employed women workers such as weavers, potters, hawkers, and others in the unorganised sector, with the objective of enhancing their incomes.
• NABARD, in 1992, formed the SHG Bank Linkage Project, which is today the world’s largest microfinance project.
• From 1993 onwards, NABARD, along with the Reserve Bank of India, allowed SHGs to open savings bank accounts in banks.
• The Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana was introduced in 1999 by GOI with the intention of promoting self-employment in rural areas through formation and skilling of such groups. This evolved into the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in 2011.

Evolution Stages of Self Help Groups in India
Every Self-help group usually goes through 3 stages of evolution stated below:

1. Formation of group
2. Funding or Formation of Capital
3. Development of required skills to boost income generation for the group

Many self-help groups are formed with the assistance of Self- help to promote agencies.
The various types of Self-help promoting agencies are stated below:

1. Non-governmental agencies
2. Government
3. Poverty management programmes
4. State & commercial banks
5. Microfinance institutions
6. SHG Federations
7. SHG leaders/Entrepreneurs

Functions of Self Help Groups

• They try to build the functional capacity of poor and marginalised sections of society in the domain of employment and income-generating activities.
• They offer collateral-free loans to sections of people that generally find it hard to get loans from banks.
• They also resolve conflicts via mutual discussions and collective leadership.
• They are an important source of microfinance services to the poor.
• They act as a go-through for formal banking services to reach the poor, especially in rural areas.
• They also encourage the habit of saving among the poor.

Need for Self Help Groups

• One of the chief reasons for rural poverty is the lack of access or limited access to credit and financial services.
• The Rangarajan Committee Report highlighted four major reasons for lack of financial inclusion in India. They are:
  • Inability to give collateral security
  • Weak credit absorption capacity
  • The insufficient reach of institutions
  • Weak community network
• It is being recognised that one of the most important elements of credit linkage in rural areas is the prevalence of sound community networks in Indian villages.
• SHGs play a vital role in giving credit access to the poor and this is extremely crucial in poverty alleviation.
• They also play a great role in empowering women because SHGs help women from economically weaker sections build social capital.
• Financial independence through self-employment opportunities also helps improve other development factors such as literacy levels, improved healthcare and better family planning.

Advantages of Self Help Groups

• Financial Inclusion – SHGs incentivise banks to lend to poor and marginalised sections of society because of the assurance of returns.
• Voice to marginalised – SHGs have given a voice to the otherwise underrepresented and voiceless sections of society.
• Social Integrity – SHGs help eradicate many social ills such as dowry, alcoholism, early marriage, etc.
• Gender Equality – By empowering women SHGs help steer the nation towards true gender equality.
• Pressure Groups – SHGs act as pressure groups through which pressure can be mounted on the government to act on important issues.
• Enhancing the efficiency of government schemes – SHGs help implement and improve the efficiency of government schemes. They also help reduce corruption through social audits.
• Alternate source of livelihood/employment – SHGa help people earn their livelihood by providing vocational training, and also help improve their existing source of livelihood by offering tools, etc. They also help ease the dependency on agriculture.
• Impact on healthcare and housing – Financial inclusion due to SHGs has led to better family planning, reduced rates of child mortality, enhanced maternal health and also helped people fight diseases better by way of better nutrition, healthcare facilities and housing.
• Banking literacy – SHGs encourage people to save and promote banking literacy among the rural segment.

Problems of Self Help Groups (SHGs)

• Need for extending this idea into the poorest families, which is not necessarily the case at present.
• Patriarchal mindset prevailing which prevents many women from coming forward.
• There are about 1.2 lakh branches of banks in rural areas as opposed to 6 lakh villages in the country. There is a need to expand banking amenities further.
• Sustainability and the quality of operations of such groups have been questionable.
• There is a need for monitoring cells to be established for SHGs across the country.
• The SHGs work on mutual trust. The deposits are not safe or secure.

Way Forward for Effective Self-Help Groups

• The Government should create a supportive environment for the growth and development of the SHG movement. It should play the role of a facilitator and promoter.
• SHG Movement should be expanded to Credit Deficient Areas of the Country – such as Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, States of the North-East.
• Financial infrastructure should be expanded (including that of NABARD) by adopting extensive IT-enabled communication and capacity building measures in these States.
• Extension of Self-Help Groups to Urban/Peri-Urban Areas – efforts should be made to increase income generation abilities of the urban poor as there has been a rapid rise in urbanization and many people remain financially excluded.
• Government functionaries should treat the poor and marginalized as viable and responsible customers and as possible entrepreneurs.
• SHG monitoring cell should be established in every state. The cell should have direct links with district and block level monitoring system. The cell should collect both quantitative and qualitative information.
• Commercial Banks and NABARD in collaboration with the State Government need to continuously innovate and design new financial products for these groups to meet their needs.

Self Help Groups in India

• Kudumbashree in Kerala
  The Kudumbashree project was started in Kerala in 1998,  as a community action to eradicate poverty. It has become the largest women-empowering project in India. There are 3 components namely, microcredit, entrepreneurship and empowerment. Kudumbashree is a government agency.
• Mahila Aarthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM) in Maharashtra
  SHGs in Maharashtra were unable to cope with the growing volume and financial transactions and needed professional help. Community managed resource centre (CMRC) under MAVIM was launched to provide financial and livelihood services to SHGs. CMRC is self-sustaining and provides need-based services.

Exercise INDRA-21

Exercise Indra is a bilateral exercise between the militaries of India and Russia. In September 2020, both countries launched the 11th edition of the Indra Exercise in the Bay of Bengal. The first Indra Exercise was held in 2003.

Important Points on Exercise Indra

1. The exercise Indra was initiated as a bilateral single-service exercise in 2003. However, in October 2017, the first tri-service Indra Exercise took place in the Eastern Military District of Russia.
2. The second edition of the tri-service Indra Exercise was held in December 2019 simultaneously at Babina (near Jhansi), Pune, and Goa.
3. During the Indra Exercise 2020, India and Russia Defence Ministers met in Moscow and commemorated the 75th anniversary of the second world war.
4. The main aim of the Indra 2020 exercise to enhance the interoperability of the Indian and Russian Navies.
5. As Indra Exercise 2020 took place amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the format of the exercise was a ‘Non-contact, at sea only.’
6. Representatives from the Indian Navy side:
   1. Guided-missile destroyer Ranvijay
   2. Indigenous frigate Sahyadri
   3. Fleet tanker Shakti

INS Ranvijay

1. It is a Rajput-Class Destroyer.
2. It was commissioned in the Indian Navy in 1988.
3. The Destroyer Ranvijay has also participated in the Malabar Naval Exercise in 2011.
4. Similarly, it has also participated in Indra War Games in 2014 and SIMBEX 2016.
5. It has received the award for the best ship of the Eastern Fleet Trophy twice.

INS Sahyadri

• It is a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate that was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2012.
• It has participated in Indra 2015.

INS Shakti

1. It is a Deepak-class fleet tanker and is the Indian Navy’s one of the largest ships.
2. It was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2011.
3. It represented India in Malabar Exercise 2012, 2014; Japan-India Maritime Exercise (JIMEX) 2012; TROPEX 2013, SIMBEX 2015 etc.

Who participated from the Russian Navy side?
Representatives from the Russian Navy side:

1. Destroyer Admiral Vinogradov
2. Destroyer Admiral Tributs
3. Fleet tanker Boris Butoma

Results of INDRA Exercise
Expected Results of the Exercise:

1. Enhancement in the interoperability of the navies
2. Improvement of the practices of the two navies

Activities taken up during the Indra Exercise

1. Surface and anti-aircraft drills
2. Firing exercises
3. Helicopter operations
4. Seamanship evolutions

Al-Mohed Al-Hindi Exercise

Details

• This is the first bilateral naval exercise between the navies of India and Saudi Arabia.
• The sea phase has already begun.
• For deeper understanding of each other’s operational practices, lectures by subject matter experts from both navies were also held.

World Elephant Day

About World Elephant Day

• World Elephant Day was founded on August 12, 2012, as the result of a collaboration between Thailand-based Elephant Reintroduction Foundation and Canadian filmmaker Patricia Sims.
• The purpose of this day is to raise awareness about the issues threatening elephants.
• Shrinking habitats and illegal poaching for the trade of elephant ivory are just two of the most serious issues that the elephant population faces today.
• World Elephant Day is a way to raise awareness and rally support for these issues – and it does so through partnering up with elephant conservation organisations.
• The World Elephant Society also urges individuals and organisations to mark this day with their own events across the globe.

About Asian Elephants

• Asian elephants are listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
• This has been done as most of the range states except India, have lost their viable elephant populations due to loss of habitats & poaching, etc.
• The current population estimates indicate that there are about 50,000 – 60,000 Asian elephants in the world of which more than 60 % of the population is in India.

Prime Minister’s Shram Awards

About the Prime Minister’s Shram Awards

• The Prime Minister’s Shram Awards were instituted in 1975 by the Government of India.
• This national award is conferred on workers for outstanding contributions that improve productivity, innovation, and indigenization, resulting in saving foreign exchange.
• The award is also given for long-term exceptional dedicated work.
• They are given in four categories:
  • Shram Ratna: Rs. Two lakhs and recognition of their contribution to their field (a Sanad).
  • Shram Bhushan: Ra. 1 lakh and a Sanad.
  • Shram Vir/Shram Veerangana: Rs.60,000 and a Sanad
  • Shram Devi/Shram Shree: Rs. 40,000 and a Sanad

Milestone in Installed Renewable Energy Capacity

Details

• The total installed renewable energy capacity in India, excluding large hydro, has crossed the milestone of 100 GW.
• India stands at 4th position in the world in terms of installed RE capacity, 5th in solar and 4th in wind in terms of installed capacity.
• If large hydro is included the installed RE capacity increases to 146 GW.
• The achievement of installed RE capacity of 100 GW is an important milestone in India’s journey towards its target of 450 GW by 2030.

International Youth Day

Context: National Youth Awards 2017-18 and 2018-19 presented on the occasion of the International Youth Day.

About International Youth Day

• In 1999, the United Nations (UN) decided to commemorate International Youth Day every year on August 12 which was based on a recommendation made by the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon to the UN General Assembly.
• This day is celebrated through various events, awareness campaigns and concerts to bring to notice the socio-economic and socio-political issues that the youth in every nation face.
• The theme for 2021 is “Transforming Food Systems: Youth Innovation for Human and Planetary Health”.
• This year’s theme highlights the crucial need for “inclusive support mechanisms that ensure youth continue to amplify efforts collectively and individually to restore the planet and protect life while integrating biodiversity in the transformation of food systems.”