- Indian Heritage
150th anniversary of Srila Prabhupada
Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! Hare Krishna! The splendour of Bharat Mandapam is further enhanced by your presence here today. The concept of this edifice is associated with the Anubhav Mandapam of Lord Basaveshwara, which served as the hub of spiritual discourse in ancient Bharat. Anubhav Mandapam pulsated with the vitality of sentiments and resolutions for public welfare. Today, on the auspicious occasion of the 150th birth anniversary of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Goswami Prabhupada, the same vigour resonates within Bharat Mandapam. We envisioned this building to embody both Bharat’s contemporary prowess and ancient values. Just a few months ago, this venue showcased the potential of New India during the G-20 Summit. And today, it is our honour to host the ‘World Vaishnav Convention’ here. This exemplifies the essence of New India—a harmonious blend of development and heritage, where modernity coexists with pride in our cultural identity.
It is indeed a great honour for me to be amidst all the revered sages like you in this sacred gathering. I consider myself blessed to have had the opportunity to interact closely with several of you, having been in your company on numerous occasions. With immense respect, I bow down at the feet of Lord Krishna in the spirit of ‘Krishnam Vande Jagadgurum’. I offer my heartfelt tributes to Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupada Ji. On this auspicious occasion of his 150th birth anniversary, I extend my heartfelt wishes to all followers of Srila Prabhupada. Today, I also had the privilege of unveiling a postal stamp and a commemorative coin in memory of Srila Prabhupada, and I extend my congratulations to all of you for this milestone as well.
- Culture
NATIONAL CULTURE FUND
Government has set up National Culture Fund (NCF) as a Trust on 28th November, 1996 under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890. NCF’s objective is to mobilize extra resources through Public Private Partnerships (PPP) towards promoting, protecting and preserving India’s cultural tangible & intangible heritage. Under this mode NCF & the partnering agencies become a part of the MoU for agreed projects and NCF plays an important role in getting the projects implemented as per norms. Moreover, NCF provides the donor/sponsor the flexibility to indicate a project along with any specific location/aspect and also an implementing agency for execution of the project.
To ensure that the projects supported by NCF under PPP mode do not get delayed, meeting of Project Implementation Committee (PIC) under the Chairmanship of Director General, Archaeological Survey of India for ASI projects & Officials of NCF/Ministry of Culture for other projects, are regularly convened, to monitor progress and smooth implementation of the projects.
NCF can receive donations from Corporates, PSUs, PSBs, Trusts and even Individuals for maintenance and preservation of Centrally Projected monuments/ cultural projects, and enabling them to avail 100% tax benefits. All donors/sponsors have the responsibility to comply with the terms & conditions of the MoU agreed for any particular project.
BHARATSHRI
A total 67,461 Estampages of Indian epigraphs have been taken up under BharatSHRI project by Archaeological Survey of India. Out of these 29,260 estampages have been digitized.
No separate budget has been allocated for the project and the expenditure is incurred through the allocated funds to Archaeological Survey of India.
Archaeological Survey of India collects inscriptions from different parts of the country through meticulous village to village surveys, undertaken by team of epigraphists. The estampages of the inscriptions are then studied and preserved in the various Epigraphy branches. The information is disseminated through publications such as Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy, brochures and booklets like “Indian Archaeology- A Review”, every year.
Archaeological Survey of India, being the custodian of the epigraphic wealth of the nation, has taken up the project by itself.
MERA GAON MERI DHAROHAR PROGRAMME
Objectives :
- To identify and document India’s cultural heritage and its creative potential to regenerate and revitalize rural economies, thereby making Village India self-reliant.
- To create awareness about the strengths of cultural heritage and its interface with development and cultural identity.
- Cultural Mapping of 6.5 Lakh villages along with their geographical, demographic profiles, and creative capitals.
- Creation of National Registers of Artists and Art practices.
- Development of a web portal and mobile app to function as a National Cultural Work Place (NCWP).
Expectations/Outcomes
- Enhancing Cultural vibrancy through awareness campaigns
- Safeguarding the cultural heritage and traditions
- Reviving the endangered art forms and practices
- To provide a national level platform to promote artworks. Linking artists with existing schemes, grants, pensions, health cards and other welfare schemes of Government of India.
- Linking artists with E-commerce, so that the artists/performers can get direct benefits.
- Modern Indian history
- The Freedom Struggle
- Post-independence
- Indian Society
A. population and associated issues
B. poverty and developmental issues
C.urbanization
7. Geographical features
8.Indian Constitution
9. Polity
10. Governance
A. institutions
B. regulatory
C. Government policies
D. role of NGOs
E. measures
11. Social Justice
A. Welfare schemes
B Health
C. Education
D. Human Resources
Social Security coverage to labourers
As per the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act, 2008, the Government is mandated to provide Social Security to the workers of unorganized sector by formulating suitable welfare schemes on matters relating to life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection etc. In order to provide old age protection, the Government of India launched Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan (PM-SYM) Pension Yojana in 2019. The unorganised workers who are mostly engaged as home-based workers, street vendors, mid-day meal workers, head loaders, brick kiln workers, cobblers, rag pickers, domestic workers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, landless labourers, own account workers, agricultural workers, construction workers, beedi workers, handloom workers, leather workers, audio- visual workers and similar other occupations, may join the scheme. It is a voluntary and contributory pension scheme.
It provides monthly minimum assured pension of Rs. 3000/- after attaining the age of 60 years. The workers in the age group of 18-40 years whose monthly income is Rs. 15000/- or less can join the PM-SYM Scheme. Further, he should not be a member of New Pension Scheme (NPS), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) and he should not be an income tax payee. As on 25.01.2024, total 49,77,736 beneficiaries have been enrolled in the country which includes 1,35,777 from the State of Karnataka.
Also, Life and Disability cover is provided through Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY). Risk coverage under PMJJBY scheme is for Rs. 2.00 Lakh in case of death of insured, due to any reason, at annual premium of Rs. 436/-.
The PMSBY is also available to the people in the age group of 18 to 70 years with a bank/post office account. The risk coverage under the scheme is for Rs. 2.00 Lakh in case of accidental death or total permanent disability and Rs. 1.00 lakh for partial permanent disability due to accident at a premium of Rs. 20/- per annum.
Further, the health and maternity benefits are insured through Ayushman Bharat- Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) under deprivation and occupation criteria. It provides health insurance coverage upto Rs. 5.00 lakhs per family for secondary and tertiary care related hospitalization.
Other schemes such as Public Distribution System through One Nation One Ration Card scheme under National Food Security Act, Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gramin Kausal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Rojgar Yojana, Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana, Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana, PMSVANidhi, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana etc. are also available for the unorganized sector workers including labourers depending upon their eligibility criteria.
E. poverty and hunger
12. International relations
A. India and its neighbourhood
B. groupings and agreements
C.Indian diaspora
13. Economic Development
A. Government Budgeting
B. industrial
Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF)
In order to address the infrastructure requirement for fisheries sector, the union Government during 2018-19 created the Fisheries and Aquaculture Infrastructure Development Fund (FIDF) with a total funds size of Rs 7522.48 crore. In the earlier phase of implementation of FIDF during the period from 2018-19 to 2022-23, a total 121 fisheries infrastructure projects with an investment cost of Rs. 5588.63 crore have been approved for creation of various fisheries infrastructures. Extension of FIDF will further intensifies development of various fisheries infrastructures like fishing harbours, fish landing centers, ice plants, cold storage, fish transport facilities, integrated cold chain, modern fish markets, Brood Banks, Hatcheries, aquaculture development, Fish Seed Farms, state of art of fisheries training centres, fish processing units, fish feed mills/plants, cage culture in reservoir, Introduction Deep Sea Fishing Vessels, disease Diagnostic Laboratories, Mariculture and Aquatic Quarantine Facilities.
FIDF will continue provides concessional finance to the Eligible Entities (EEs), including State Governments/Union Territories for development of identified fisheries infrastructure facilities through Nodal Loaning Entities (NLEs) namely National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), National Cooperatives Development Corporation (NCDC) and All scheduled Banks. The Government of India provides interest subvention up to 3% per annum for the repayment period of 12 years inclusive of moratorium of 2 years for providing the concessional finance by the NLEs at the interest rate not lower than 5% per annum.
The Government of India also provides credit guarantee facility to the projects of entrepreneurs, individual farmers and cooperatives from the existing credit guarantee fund of Infrastructure Development Fund of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
The eligible entities under FIDF are State Governments / Union Territories, State Owned Corporations, State Government Undertakings, Government Sponsored, Supported Organizations, Fisheries Cooperative Federations, Cooperatives, Collective Groups of fish farmers & fish produces, Panchayat Raj Institutions, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Women & their entrepreneurs, Private Companies and Entrepreneurs.
Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)
Intended Beneficiaries:
- Fishers, Fish (Aquaculture) Farmers, Fish workers, Fish Vendors or such other person directly engaged in fisheries value chain.
- Micro and Small enterprises in the form of Proprietary Firms, Partnership Firms and Companies registered in India, Societies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), Cooperatives, Federations, Village Level Organizations like Self Help Groups (SHGs), Fish Farmers Producer Organizations (FFPOs) and Startups engaged in fisheries and aquaculture value chains.
- FFPOs also include Farmers Producer Organizations (FPOs).
- Any other beneficiaries that may be included by the Department of Fisheries, Gol as targeted beneficiaries.
Major Impact, including employment generation potential
- To create a National Fisheries Digital Platform to provide 40 lakh small and micro-enterprises work based identities.
- Gradual formalization of fisheries sector and enhanced access to institutional credit. The initiative will support 6.4 lakh micro-enterprises and 5,500 fisheries cooperatives, providing access to institutional credit.
- Gradual shift from conventional subsidies to performance based incentives in fisheries
- The program focuses on improving value chain efficiency and ensuring safe, quality fish by supporting 55,000 targeted micro and small enterprises,
- Promotion of Environment and Sustainability Initiatives
- Facilitating Ease of Doing Business and Transparency
- Address issues of aquaculture crop losses due to disease through insurance coverage for aquaculture to strengthen production, productivity
- Enhance export competitiveness through value addition, value realization and value creation
- Increase in incomes due to enhanced profit margins due to value chain efficiencies
- Improved quality of fish and fishery products in domestic market
- Strengthening and deepening of domestic markets
- Facilitating growth of businesses, creation of jobs and creation of business opportunities.
National Traders’ Welfare Board
The Minister in his special address, highlighted the relevance of NTWB and its objectives for the welfare of Retail Traders and the initiatives being taken by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for traders. He directed to hold regular interactive sessions, wherein the traders can be kept informed of the various schemes and policies related to internal trade. This can also help the trade representatives in submitting relevant suggestions.
Chairman, NTWB, Shri Sunil J. Singhi informed the Board that relevant suggestions received from the traders during the outreach programmes in 24 states have been forwarded to Line Ministries/Departments for their effective resolution. Chairman, NTWB informed that State Governments have been requested to constitute such State Level Boards and District Level Committees for Retail Traders.
An action taken report of the last meeting held on 5th December 2023, was presented in the meeting. During the meeting, members were informed about the various initiatives taken by DPIIT and other ministries for the welfare of Retail Traders. Suggestions/inputs were sought from the members for improving the adoptability and scalability of such schemes.
E.issues
14. Technology
15. Environment
16. Security
17. Disaster Management