UPSC Daily Current Affairs | Prelim Bits 04-02-2021
iasparliament
February 04, 2021
Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
Agricultural Produce Marketing Committees (APMCs) will become eligible beneficiaries of Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
With this fund, APMCs could enhance post-harvest infrastructure at regulated markets (Mandis).
AIF is a medium - long term debt financing facility.
It can be used for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and credit guarantee. Under the scheme,
Rs. 1 Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans with interest subvention of 3% per annum and
Credit guarantee coverage will be provided under Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) for loans up to Rs. 2 Crore.
The duration of the scheme is from FY2020 to FY2029.
Beneficiaries - Farmers, FPOs, PACS, Cooperative Societies, SHGs, Joint Liability Groups, Agri-entrepreneurs, Start-ups, Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public-Private Partnership Projects, etc.
One District One Product Scheme
One District One Product (ODOP) initiative is operationally merged with ‘Districts as Export Hub’ initiative.
[‘Districts as Export Hub’ initiative is being implemented by Director General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce.
It has the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) as a major stakeholder.]
The objective is to convert each district of the country into an Export Hub by identifying products with export potential in the district, addressing bottlenecks for exporting these products, etc.
DGFT is engaging with State/UT Governments to implement the initiative in a phased manner to make all the districts as an export hub.
Under the initial phase of the ODOP programme, 106 Products have been identified from 103 districts across 27 States.
District Export Promotion Committee (DEPC) is constituted in all Districts of India, except districts of the state of West Bengal.
Aero India 2021
It is a biennial international military and civil air show.
It provides an opportunity for the exchange of information, ideas and new developments in the aviation industry.
It gives a fillip to the domestic aviation industry furthering the cause of Make in India.
Since the air show was started in 1996, the Yelahanka air base, about 30 km from Bengaluru, has been hosting it in February.
It is organised by Defence Exhibition Organisation, Ministry of Defence.
Defence Exhibition Organisation
It is an autonomous organisation of Indian Government established in 1981, to promote the export potential of the Indian defence industry.
It is responsible for organising international exhibitions such as DefExpo and Indian participation at overseas exhibitions.
GOBAR-DHAN Portal
Unified GOBAR-DHAN portal was jointly launched by Ministry of Agriculture; Ministry of Petroleum; Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying; and Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Galvanizing Organic Bio-Agro Resources Dhan (GOBAR-DHAN) scheme converts cattle dung and solid waste to compost, biogas and bio-CNG.
It will help in keeping the village clean while increasing the income of farmers and cattle herders.
Under this scheme, one village in every district of the country would be selected for its implementation.
Villagers will be mobilized to create self-help groups (SHGs) and creative societies that will help in clean energy and green jobs initiative.
Neptune Declaration
Liberian Registry has become the very first ship registry to sign onto the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change.
Neptune Declaration was unveiled at the Davos summit.
Signed by more than 500 organizations, it highlights the main actions that are required to be taken in order to resolve the crew change crisis.
This Neptune Declaration outlines four main actions that are needful to address the crew change crisis:
To recognize the seafarers as the key workers and provide them priority access to Covid-19 vaccines;
To establish and implement the gold standard health protocols which are based on the existing best practice;
To increase the collaboration between the ship operators and charterers so as to facilitate the crew changes;
To ensure the air connectivity between the key maritime hubs for seafarers.
Lithium Reserves in India
Preliminary surveys by Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) have shown presence of Lithium resources in the pegmatites of Marlagalla-Allapatna area, Mandya district, Karnataka.
[AMD is a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy]
To know more about lithium reserve surveys, click here.
Lithium
Lithium is a key element for new technologies and finds its use in ceramics, glass, telecommunication and aerospace industries.
It is used in Lithium ion batteries, lubricating grease, high energy additive to rocket propellants, and optical modulators for mobile phones.
It is also used as a convertor to tritium used as a raw material for thermonuclear reactions i.e. fusion.
The thermonuclear application makes Lithium as “Prescribed substance” under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 that permits AMD for exploration of Lithium in various geological domains of the country.
