Prelim Snippets 09-07-2019

KUDIMARAMATHU SCHEME OF T.N.

Context: Around 2000 lakes across Tamil Nadu are to be desilted through this scheme.

About Kudimaramathu Scheme:
  • It is a scheme by Tamil Nadu government which aims to restore the water bodies of Tamil Nadu such as dams, lakes and reservoirs, with the help of local farmers.
  • In Tamil, the word “Kudi” means people and “Maramathu” means repairing or construction. Kudimaramathu is a centuries-old system of collective repair of water bodies, which discontinued in the colonial era.
  • It has been restarted by the Tamil Nadu government.
  • Through this scheme the Tamil Nadu Government attempts to revive an ancient lake management system.
  • The scheme is very crucial for Tamil Nadu as it has been facing unprecedented drought over 100 years.
  • It was launched in March 2017.

PRADHAN MANTRI SHRAM YOGI MAAN-DHAN YOJANA

  • It is a scheme by Ministry of Labour and Employment for providing pensions to informal workers.
Objective:
  • Providing financial security to workers from unorganized sector with adequate flexibility and exit options
Eligibility Criteria:
  • Should be an unorganised worker (UW)
  • Entry age between 18 and 40 years
  • Monthly Income Rs 15000 or below
Should not be:
  • Engaged in Organized Sector
  • An income tax payer
He/ She should possess:
  • Aadhar card
  • Savings Bank Account / Jan Dhan account number with IFSC
Features:
  • It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, under which the subscriber would receive a minimum assured pension of Rs 3000/- per month after attaining the age of 60 years.
  • If the subscriber dies, the spouse of the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50% of the pension as family pension.
  • Family pension is applicable only to spouse.

STAND-UP INDIA SCHEME

  • It is a scheme by Ministry of Finance for financing SC/ST and/or Women Entrepreneurs
Objective:
  • The Objective of the Stand – up India scheme is facilitate bank loans between 10 Lakh and 1 Crore to (SC) or scheduled Tribe (ST) borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise.
  • This Enterprise may be in manufacturing, services or the trading sector.
  • In case of Non – individual enterprises at least 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either an SC/ST or Woman entrepreneur.
Eligibility:
  • SC/ST and / or woman entrepreneurs, above 18 years of age.
  • Loans under the Scheme are available for only Green Field Project. Green Field Signifies in this context, the first-time venture of the beneficiary in the Manufacturing of services or trading sector.
  • In Case of Non – Individual enterprises, 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by either SC/ST and / or a woman entrepreneur.
  • Borrower should not be in default to any bank / financial institution.

INDIA’S FIRST INDIGENOUS AIRCRAFT CARRIER (IAC-1)- VIKRANT

Context:
  • It was recently announced that IAC-1 Vikrant is in advanced stage of construction and will be delivered to the Navy in 2021 for advanced trials.
About IAC-1-Vikrant:
  • INS Vikrant, also known as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier 1 (IAC-1), is an aircraft carrier under construction by Cochin Shipyard in Kochi, Kerala for the Indian Navy.
  • It is the first aircraft carrier to be built in India.
  • The name Vikrant (Sanskrit vikranta, literally “stepping beyond“) means “courageous”.
  • The motto of the ship is Jayema Sam Yudhi Sprdhah, which is taken from Rigveda and can be translated as “I defeat those who fight against me“.

OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (OHCHR)

  • The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights) is the leading UN entity on human rights.
  • The General Assembly entrusted both the High Commissioner and her Office with a unique mandate to promote and protect all human rights for all people.
  • The United Nations human rights programme aims to ensure that the protection and enjoyment of human rights is a reality in the lives of all people.

ZERO BUDGET NATURAL FARMING (ZBNF)

  • Zero Budget Natural Farming (ZBNF) is a set of farming methods, and also a grassroots peasant movement, which has spread to various states in India.
  • The word ‘budget’ refers to credit and expenses, thus the phrase ‘Zero Budget’ means without using any credit, and without spending any money on purchased inputs. ‘Natural farming’ means farming with Nature and without chemicals.
  • According to the concept of “zero budget”, farmers won’t have to spend any money on fertilizers and other agricultural inputs.

SEBI

  • SEBI is the Statutory Regulator for the Securities Market in India. It was established in 1988 and given statutory powers through the SEBI Act, 1992.
  • HQ: Mumbai
  • Purpose:Protect the interests of investors in securities; promote the development of securities market and to regulate the securities market.
  • SEBI is responsive to needs of three groups, which constitute the market i.e. Issuers of securities, Investors and Market intermediaries.

KING TUTANKHAMUN

  • Context: A controversial 3,000-year-old stone sculpture of Pharaoh King Tutankhamun/ Tutankhamen has been sold for nearly $6 million at auction in the U.K., despite protests from the Egyptian government.
About King Tutankhamun:
  • King Tutankhamun was an Egyptian Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled c. 1332–1323 BC in the conventional chronology), during the period of Egyptian history known as the New Kingdom.
  • He has, since the discovery of his intact tomb, been referred to colloquially as King Tut.
  • His original name, Tutankhaten, means “Living Image of Aten”, while Tutankhamun means “Living Image of Amun”. In hieroglyphs, the name Tutankhamun was typically written Amen-tut-ankh, because of a scribal custom that placed a divine name at the beginning of a phrase to show appropriate reverence.

TEA BOARD OF INDIA

  • The Tea Board of India is a Statutory Body which was set up under section 4 of the Tea Act, 1953
  • The Board is constituted of 31 members (including Chairman) drawn from Members of Parliament, tea producers, tea traders, tea brokers, consumers, and representatives of Governments from the principal tea producing states, and trade unions.
Functions:
  • Rendering financial and technical assistance for cultivation, manufacture and marketing of tea.
  • Export Promotion.

UTKARSH ‘2022’

  • It is a medium-term strategy Launched by RBI to improve regulation and supervision, among other functions of the central bank.
  • Utkarsh 2022 is in line with the global central banks’ plan to strengthen the regulatory and supervisory mechanism. The idea is that the central bank plays a proactive role and takes Pre-emptive Action to avoid any crisis.

AFRICAN CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA (AfCFTA)

  • Context: Recently 12th Summit of African Union (AU) was held in Niamey, Niger where 54 out of 55 of its member states signed AfCFTA for goods and services.
About AfCFTA:
  • The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) is the result of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement among 55 members of the African Union.
  • It is a continent-wide free-trade agreement brokered by the African Union (AU) and initially signed on by 44 of its 55 member states in Kigali, Rwanda on March 2018.
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