PIB Summary- 1st January, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Padhe Bharat

Context: 

A 100-day reading campaign has been launched by the Union Education Minister with an objective to promote the practice of reading among children.

Five books suggested in order to inculcate the joyful culture of reading:

• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• A Little Book of Happiness by Ruskin Bond
• Reflections by Swami Vivekananda
• Chilika by Kabibara Radhanath Ray
• Prayashchita by Fakir Mohan Senapati        

Significance of the Campaign: 

• The Padhe Bharat campaign will be a crucial step to improve the learning levels of students.
• This will develop creativity, critical thinking, vocabulary and the ability to express both verbally and in writing.
• It will be a 14 weeks programme with one activity per week per group and has been designed with an intention to build a lifelong association of students with the joy of reading.
• The campaign also forms conformity with the vision and goals of the foundational Literacy and Numeracy mission.

Year of Major Transformation for Indian Railways

Context: 

The year 2021 witnessed significant growth in the development of infrastructure, innovation, capacity expansion of network and freight diversification.

Highlights of the Achievements:

• There has been enhanced safety that reported zero passenger fatalities.
• Freight loading has been the highest ever in 2021.
• Massive progress has been made in railways infrastructure which includes railway electrification progress and doubling gauge conversion.
• The Gati Shakti cargo terminal policy was launched to speed up the process of approvals and to ease out the establishment of Cargo terminals which resulted in the increase in the freight loading share of Indian railways.
• About 1806 Kisan rails ran out on 153 routes that carried around 5.9 lakh tons of agricultural products. Besides, the 100th Kisan rail was launched in 2021 to improve the logistics of farm produce.
• The stations have been commissioned with Wi-Fi and have been made more passenger-friendly with medical facilities in Railway hospitals.
• RDSO became the first Standard developing Organization in India to be granted recognition by the SDO recognition scheme in 2021.
• 78 oxygen generating plants have been installed and are functional in Railway hospitals. 17 more oxygen plants have been sanctioned.
• Indian Railways ran Oxygen Express at the shortest possible time which improved the delivery system especially during the crisis period led by COVID-19.
• AYUSH facilities have been started in 5 zonal railway hospitals in New Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Guwahati.
• Gandhinagar capital and Rani Kamalapati stations have been redeveloped.
• To expand the tourist potential, Indian Railways launched theme-based trains under the programme of Bharat Gaurav. The service providers would be able to refurbish the coaches and have been given full freedom to decide the themes and other business modalities.