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This scheme was announced in 2018 to aid farmers in providing remunerative return for their produce. It has three sub-schemes namely, Price Support Scheme (PSS), Private Procurement & Stockist Scheme (PPSS) and Price Deficiency Payment Scheme (PDPS).

An integrated one-stop solution Rail Madad was launched by Indian Railways in which the national transporter has merged a number of existing helplines that were used for various purposes into one.

Highlights:

The Ministry of Railways toll-free number 139 can be used for all kinds of enquiries and making complaints and the helpline facility is available all the time in 12 languages.

Rail Madad, the integrated and innovative one-stop solution for enquiry, customer grievance, suggestion and assistance, providing passengers with the choice to access RailMadad through multiple channels, namely, Web, App, SMS, Social Media and also Helpline number (139) during the journey for expeditious resolution of their complaints.

Indian Railways Organisation of Alternative Fuels (IROAF) inviting bids for Hydrogen Fuel Cell-based Train on the Indian Railways Network.

Highlights:

The project is expected to kick off the concept of Hydrogen Mobility in the country. First, the bids are invited for 89km of the Sonipat-Jind section of the Northern RAILWAY. The project is expected to bring in annual of Rs.2.3 crores.

Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Batteries and National Hydrogen Mission are two flagship programs of the Government of India to help meet the targets of reducing Green House Gas (GHG) emission under the Paris Climate Agreement 2015 and Mission Net Zero Carbon Emission Railway by 2030.

A book named The Earthspinner authored by award-winning novelist Anuradha Roy.

Highlights:

In this book, Anuradha delves into the life and mind of Elango the potter, who must navigate impossible and complicated love, the dedication of a beloved pet, his own passion for creativity and a globe turned upside down by the petty violence that characterises the present day.

The novel is about two people struggling to free themselves of such shackles to create the happiest world. Roys earlier works include An Atlas of Impossible Longing and The Folded Earth.

The study on Pensilungpa Glacier was conducted by scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun. By this study, Pensilungpa Glacier in the Zanskar region of Ladakh is retreating. Their field observations over four years (2015-19) showed that the glacier is now retreating at an Average rate of 6.7 metres per annum.

The study has attributed this to a decrease in and an increase in the temperature during winter.

The study points at the important influence of debris cover on the mass balance and also retreat of the Glaciers endpoint, especially in summer.

The study suggests that due to continuous rise in the air temperature in line with the global trend, the melting would increase, and it is possible that the precipitation of summer periods at higher altitudes will change from snow to rain, and that may influence the summer and winter patterns.

Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has chaired the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) open debate through video conferencing.

Highlights:

With this, PM Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to chair a UNSC open debate. It must be remembered that India has assumed the Presidency of the UNSC for August 2021, taking over from France.

The theme of the open debate was Enhancing Maritime Security A Case for International Cooperation. India will organize two more meetings during its presidency, on peacekeeping and counterterrorism.

During the debate, The 5 principles that need to be followed in terms of maritime trade and security, which included: free maritime trade sans barriers; peaceful settlement of maritime disputes; combating maritime threats; encouraging responsible maritime connectivity and preserving maritime Environment and Resources.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah will inaugurate a day-long mega conclave Strengthening PACS through FPOs in New Delhi on July 14, 2023. The conclave is aimed at discussing ways to strengthen https://exam.pscnotes.com/primary-agricultural-credit-societies”>Primary Agricultural credit Societies (PACS) through Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs).

The conclave will witness participation of experts from the sector as well as members from the FPOs across the country. The mega conclave is being organized by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Cooperation.

With an important initiative of the Ministry of Cooperation Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture and Farmers Welfare has recently allocated additional blocks to NCDC to form and promote 1100 FPOs in Cooperative Sector through strengthening of PACS under the scheme to bolster the cooperative sector and provide comprehensive support to small and marginal farmers.

Under the FPOs Scheme, financial assistance of Rs.33 lakh is provided to each FPO. Further, financial assistance of Rs. 25 lakh per FPO is given to the Cluster Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) for promoting and handholding the FPOs.

The Government has been pushing for integration of the PACS in the FPO scheme to enable the farmers to expand their business range of activities such as supply of production inputs; agricultural equipments like cultivator, tiller, harvester, etc. and processing and value addition, including cleaning, assaying, sorting, grading, packing, storage, transportation, etc.

The PACS have a huge member base of around 13 crore farmers who are primarily engaged in short-term credit and distribution of seeds, Fertilizers, etc. Presently, more than 86% of farmers in the country are small and marginal.

The NCDC is a statutory organisation under Ministry of Cooperation with the mandate to plan, promote, and finance cooperatives for increasing production and productivity and instituting post-harvest facilities.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) on Tuesday passed a budget of Rs 134 crore — an increase of nearly 50 crore from last year — for 2023-24 during its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Bengaluru.

The AIFF budget for 2022-23 was Rs 87 crore, which its general secretaryShaji Prabhakaranhad termed “meagre” for a big country like India.

The AGM also approved the appointment of a statutory auditor to audit the accounts of the federation and the financial statements and audit reports of 2022-23.

A radical change in the parameters adopted by the department of school Education & Literacy, Unionministry of educationhas seen a sharp fall in scores of all states in the latest Performance Grading Index (PGI). None of the 28 states and eight Union territories have been able to finish in the top five levels Daksh, Utkarsh, Ati-Uttam, Uttam and Pracheshta-1.

Only two small states,PunjabandHaryanahave managed to get the 6th level, Pracheshta-2, with scores between 641-700. UP, along with 11 others, is among Akankshi-2 states (score band 461-520) in the PGI analysis released last week for 2021-22. In 2020-21, seven states were in level II with scores between 901-950, while none of the states could qualify for the level 1 (951-1000). UP, along with 11 other states, was in level III (score band 851-900). Likewise, last years top performing states KeralaandMaharashtra are among the second best performing states/UTs in the 2021-22 grading. Both these states plunged to Prachesta-3 (581-640 score).

Due to the drastic change in parameters, the scores of PGI 2020-21 can’t be compared with those of 2021-22, stated the PGI report. Starting in 2017-18, it was felt that many parameters of the PGI had lost relevance. Therefore, the PGI structure for 2021-22 was revised and renamed PGI 2.0.

The new PGI structure covers 73 indicators, focused more on qualitative assessment besides including digital initiatives and teacher education. It reduces the weightage given to the Governance Processes.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan introduced a new condition for approving Swedens membership in NATO, calling on European countries to open the way for Turkiye to join the European Union.

The surprise announcement by Erdogan before departing to a NATO summit in Lithuanias capital added new uncertainty to Swedens bid to become the alliances 32nd member, which Turkiye initially blocked saying Sweden was too soft on Kurdish militants and other groups that Ankara considers security threats.

It was the first time that Erdogan linked his countrys ambition to join the EU with Swedens efforts to become a NATO member.

Turkiye is a candidate to join the EU, but democratic backsliding during Erdogans presidency, disputes with EU-member Cyprus and other issues have held up the countrys progress toward admission in the 27-nation bloc.