PIB Summary- 25th December, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Sri Aurobindo

Why in News?

The Prime Minister chaired the first  meeting of the  High Level Committee (HLC) which has been constituted to commemorate 150th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo in a befitting manner.

• The Committee comprises 53 members from various walks of life.

About Sri Aurobindo

• Born Aurobindo Ghose in Calcutta on 15 August 1872, Sri Aurobindo was drawn to the Indian freedom movement as a revolutionary leader.
• His father Krishna Dhun Ghose was a surgeon in Rangpur, Bengal and had sought to provide his five children English education considering British culture to be superior to Indian culture.
• In 1879, the whole family moved to England as Krishna Dhun Ghose wanted his sons to pursue the Indian Civil Service (ICS). There, Aurobindo was taught History, French, Latin, Arithmetic and Geography.
• He passed the ICS examination securing the 11th rank out of 250 candidates. He joined King’s College for the training but had himself disqualified for an exam by arriving deliberately late as he had no interest in the ICS.
• He returned to India and secured employment in the Baroda State Service with the help of an acquaintance.
• He developed a kind of Yoga called Integral Yoga. He believed that human beings can evolve further into something truly divine.
• He inspired scores of people both from India and abroad.
• Sri Aurobindo passed away on 5 December 1950 in Pondicherry aged 78.

Indian Revolutionary Movement:

• From 1902 to 1910 he partook in the struggle to free India from the British. As a result of his political activities, he was imprisoned in 1908 (Alipore Bomb case).
• Two years later he fled British India and found refuge in the French colony of Pondichéry (Puducherry), where he devoted himself for the rest of his life to the development of his “integral” yoga with an aim of a fulfilled and spiritually transformed life on earth.

Some of Aurobindo’s many literary works:

• An English newspaper called Bande Mataram (in 1905).
• Bases of Yoga
• Bhagavad Gita and Its Message
• The Future Evolution of Man
• Rebirth and Karma
• Savitri: A Legend and a Symbol
• Hour of God

Winter Session 2021

Why in News?

Recently, the Winter Session of Parliament has been adjourned sine die.

Key Points

Adjournment: 

• An adjournment results in the suspension of work in a sitting for a specified time, which may be hours, days or weeks.
• In this case, the time of reassembly is specified as an adjournment only terminates a sitting and not a session of the House.
• The power of adjournment lies with the presiding officer of the House.

Adjournment sine die: 

• Adjournment sine die means terminating a sitting of Parliament for an indefinite period, that is, when the House is adjourned without naming a day for reassembly, it is called adjournment sine die.
• The power of adjournment sine die lies with the presiding officer of the House.
• However, the presiding officer of a House can call a sitting of the House before the date or time to which it has been adjourned or at any time after the House has been adjourned sine die.

Prorogation: 

• The term prorogation means the termination of a session of the House by an order made by the President under Article 85(2)(a) of the Constitution.
• The prorogation terminates both the sitting and session of the House and is usually done within a few days after the House is adjourned sine die by the presiding officer.
• The President issues a notification for the prorogation of the session.
• However, the president can also prorogue the House while in session.
• It must be noted that all pending notices except those for introducing bills lapse.
• The period between the prorogation of a House and its reassembly in a new session is called a recess.

Dissolution:

• Whenever a dissolution happens, it ends the very life of the existing House and a new House is constituted after the General Elections.
• However, only the Lok Sabha is subject to dissolution as the Rajya Sabha, being a permanent House, is not subject to dissolution.

Kisan Credit Card 

Why in News?

Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India organized a webinar on “Nation- Wide Campaign on Kisan Credit Card (KCC) for Fisheries Sector” as a part of  “Azadi Ka Amrit Mohatsav”.

About Kisan Credit Card (KCC)

• The Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme is a credit scheme introduced in August 1998 by Indian banks.
• This model scheme was prepared by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) on the recommendations of R. V. Gupta committee to provide term loans for agricultural needs.
• Its objective is to meet the comprehensive credit requirements of the agriculture sector and by 2019 for fisheries and animal husbandry by giving financial support to farmers.
• Participating institutions include all commercial banks, Regional Rural Banks, and state co-operative banks.

Provision of the KCC Scheme

• KCC covers post-harvest expenses, produce marketing loan, consumption requirements of farmer household, working capital for maintenance of farm assets and activities allied to agriculture, investment credit requirement for agriculture and allied activities.
• The scheme comes with an ATM-enabled RuPay debit card with facilities for one-time documentation, built-in cost escalation in the limit, and any number of withdrawals within the limit.
• The scheme has short term credit limits for crops, and term loans.
• Individuals involved in farming and agricultural activities can apply for the KCC. Farmers who cultivate on the land of other people are also eligible to apply for the Card.
• Farmers get the loan of up to Rs 3 Lakh at reduced Interest Rate of 7%. If a farmer manages to repay the loan amount on due date then another 3% rebate can be availed, making the effective Interest Rate as just 4%.
• Farmers can use the KCC card for purchasing seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, for doing payment to labourers, for withdrawal of cash and for purchasing agriculture related products and equipment.
• KCC credit holders are covered under personal accident insurance up to ₹50,000 for death and permanent disability, and up to ₹25,000 for other risk.