PIB Summary- 30th July, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP)

• Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP), a sub component of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NRLM (DAY-NRLM), seeks to improve the present status of women in agriculture, and to enhance the opportunities available to empower them.
• The focus of MKSP is on capacitating smallholders to adopt sustainable climate resilient agro-ecology and eventually create a pool of skilled community professionals.
• Its objective is to strengthen smallholder agriculture through promotion of sustainable agriculture practices such as Community Managed Sustainable Agriculture (CMSA), Non Pesticide Management (NPM), Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF), Pashu-Sakhi model for doorstep animal care services, Sustainable regeneration and harvesting of Non-Timber Forest Produce.
• The program is being implemented by DAY-NRLM in partnership with State Rural Livelihood Missions/ Community Based Organizations (CBOs)/NGOs, as implementing partners (PIAs) across the country. These agencies are expected to support and nurture scalable livelihood models in the MKSP intervention areas.

India-Indonesia CORPAT

Background

• India and Indonesia have been carrying out Coordinated Patrols along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002, with an aim of keeping this vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping, international trade and conduct of legitimate maritime activities.
• CORPATs help build understanding and interoperability between navies, and facilitate institution of measures to prevent and suppress Illegal Unreported Unregulated (IUU) fishing, drug trafficking, maritime terrorism, armed robbery and piracy.

36th India-Indonesia CORPAT

• Indian Naval Ship (INS) Saryu, an indigenously built Offshore Patrol Vessel is undertaking coordinated patrol (CORPAT) with Indonesian Naval Ship KRI Bung Tomo from 30 to 31 July 2021.
• The CORPAT will also witness participation of Maritime Patrol Aircraft from both nations.
• The exercise, being conducted as a ‘non-contact, at sea only’ exercise in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, highlights the high degree of mutual trust and confidence, synergy and cooperation between the two friendly navies.

Indra Navy – 21

Details

• INDRA NAVY is a biennial bilateral maritime exercise between Indian Navy and Russian Navy.
• Initiated in 2003, Ex INDRA NAVY epitomises the long-term strategic relationship between the two navies.
• The current exercise was undertaken as part of the visit of INS Tabar to St. Petersburg, Russia to participate in the 325th Navy Day celebrations of the Russian Navy.
• The primary aim of this year’s edition is to further consolidate inter-operability built up by the two Navies over the years and also to enhance understanding and procedures for multi-faceted maritime operations. The scope of this edition includes wide-ranging and diverse activities across the spectrum of maritime operations.

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:
   • Guided-missile destroyer Ranvijay
   • Indigenous frigate Sahyadri
   • 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

1. It is a Shivalik-class stealth multi-role frigate that was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2012.
2. 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.

3rd Arctic Science Ministerial

About the Arctic Science Ministerial

• The 3rd Arctic Science Ministerial (ASM3) meeting was jointly organised by Iceland and Japan and virtually hosted by Japan, for discussing research and cooperation in the Arctic. It was held in May 2021.
• The first Arctic Science Ministerial was hosted by the US in 2016. The second one was held in 2018 and co-hosted by the European Commission, Finland and Germany.
• Knowledge for a Sustainable Arctic was the overarching theme for ASM3 and included four sub-themes under the titles: Observe, Understand, Respond, Strengthen.

National Population Policy

• Mission Parivar Vikas has been introduced for substantially increasing access to contraceptives and family planning services in 146 high fertility districts in 7 high focus states.
• Expanded Contraceptive Choices: The current contraceptive basket comprising of condoms, combined oral contraceptive pills, emergency contraceptive pills, intrauterine contraceptive uterine device (IUCD) and sterilization has been expanded with inclusion of new contraceptives namely injectable contraceptive (Antara programme) and Centchroman (Chhaya).
• Compensation scheme for sterilization acceptors which provides compensation for loss of wages to the beneficiary and also to the service provider team for conducting sterilisation.
• Post-partum intrauterine contraceptive device (PPIUCD) services are provided post-delivery.
• Scheme for Home Delivery of contraceptives by ASHAs at doorstep of beneficiaries has been taken up.
• Scheme for provision of Pregnancy Testing Kits in the drug kits of ASHA for use in communities.
• Family Planning Logistics Management Information System (FP-LMIS): dedicated software has been launched to ensure smooth forecasting, procurement and distribution of family planning commodities across all the levels of health facilities.

Achievements

• The Total Fertility Rate has declined from 2.9 to 2.2 from 2005 to 2018.
  • Total Fertility Rate: The number of children who would be born per woman (or per 1,000 women) if she/they were to pass through the childbearing years bearing children according to a current schedule of age-specific fertility rates.
• 28 out of 36 States/UTs have already achieved the replacement level fertility of 2.1 or less.
• The Crude Birth Rate has declined from 23.8 to 20.0 from 2005 to 2018.
  • Crude Birth Rate: The number of live births occurring among the population of a given geographical area during a given year, per 1,000 mid-year total population of the given geographical area during the same year.
• India’s Wanted Fertility Rate has come down to 1.8 in NFHS IV from 1.9 in NFHS III.
  • Wanted Fertility Rate: It is an estimate, based on survey data, of what the total fertility rate would be if all unwanted births were avoided.

Biotech-PRIDE

Context: Union Minister released Biotech-PRIDE (Promotion of Research and Innovation through Data Exchange) Guidelines.

About Biotech-PRIDE

• The Biotech PRIDE Guidelines will enable the exchange of information to promote research and innovation in different research groups across the country.
• The guidelines aim at providing a well-defined framework and guiding principle to facilitate and enable sharing and exchange of biological knowledge, information and data and is specifically applicable to high-throughput, high-volume data generated by research groups across the country.
• These guidelines do not deal with a generation of biological data per se but are an enabling mechanism to share and exchange information and knowledge generated as per the existing laws, rules, regulations and guidelines of the country.
• The guidelines will ensure data sharing benefits viz. maximising use, avoiding duplication, maximised integration, ownership information, better decision-making and equity of access.
• The PRIDE Guidelines will be helpful to harmonise, synergise and encourage data sharing for research and analysis in the country and to promote scientific work and foster progress by building on previous work.
• These guidelines will also be advantageous in avoiding duplication and wasteful expenditure of resources on research.
• Initially, these guidelines will be implemented through the Indian Biological Data Centre (IBDC) at Regional Centre for Biotechnology supported by the Department of Biotechnology.