General Awareness

GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES - December 2018

Dec 2018

Mar 06, 2019

Pension Scheme for Workers

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Mandhan (PM-SYM) Yojana.
The national pension scheme for workers and labourers of the unorganised sector was announced in the interim Budget in February 2019.
It provides for a monthly pension of Rs. 3,000 to the employees of the unorganised sector after 60 years of age.
During the national launch from Ahmedabad, Mr. Modi also distributed the PM-SYM pension cards to select beneficiaries and claimed that for the first time in independent India, workers of the unorganised sector would be entitled to monthly pension.
This scheme is the extension of various social security schemes implemented during the last five years of the NDA government.
According to him, 42 crore workers from the unorganised sector are eligible for this pension by contributing Rs. 55 to Rs. 200 monthly.

Mar 02, 2019

Ayushman Bharat Cover for Uber Cab Drivers

The Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) has joined hands with Uber to extend health cover to their driver and delivery partners.
The facility will not be available in Delhi, Odisha and Telangana, States that have not joined AB-PMJAY. About 30-40% of the driver partners would be eligible for healthcare services under the health insurance scheme.
Under the agreement, Uber, under its Uber CARE initiative, will help set up common service centres (CSCs) at Partners Seva Kendras. This is a pilot study. The CSC's entrepreneurs will verify eligibility and issue e-cards to drivers with benefits worth Rs. 5 lakh to each family per year.

Mar 01, 2019

J&K Laws to Effect 10% Reservation for EWS People

The Union cabinet rolled out 10% reservation for economically weaker sections (EWS) in educational institutions and government jobs in Jammu and Kashmir and approved the benefit of promotion in service to the Scheduled Castes and Schedule Tribes.
The new reservations will come in addition to existing quotas in the state.
The Centre also announced an ordinance will be promulgated to bring people residing in areas adjoining the international border within the ambit of reservation on a par with those living in areas adjoining the Actual Line of Control, in a move aimed at reaching out to the Jammu region.
The Union home ministry said that there had been no change in respect of Article 370 or 35A.
The Union cabinet cleared a host of proposals ahead of the imminent announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, approved "the proposal of Jammu & Kashmir Government regarding amendment to the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) 0rder, 1954 by way of the Constitution (Application to Jammu & Kashmir) Amendment Order, 2019."

National Policy on Software Products

The Union cabinet approved the National Policy on Software Products 2019 (NPSP-2019) that proposes a Rs. 5,000 crore software product development fund, and permitted "trusts" to set up units in special economic zones (SEZs).
The NPSP-2019 will create $70 billion software products industry by 2025, about a 10-fold jump from the existing level of $7.1 billion.
The policy provides for nurturing 10,000 technology startups in software product industry, including 1,000 such technology startups in smaller cities and aims to generate 3.5 million employment opportunity by 2025.
The present provision of the SEZs Act, 2005 do not permit 'trusts' to set up units in SEZs. The amendment will enable a trust to be considered for grant of permission to set up a unit in SEZs.

Feb 27, 2019

Nagaland Assembly Rejects Citizenship Bill

The Nagaland Assembly has passed a resolution rejecting the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, amid a walkout by 26 Opposition MLAs.
The resolution denounced the proposed Bill stating that it cannot be implemented in Nagaland as it will impact the unique history and status of the Nagas under the Constitution.
The resolution also expressed solidarity with the States and communities of the Northeast in opposing the Bill, as it has the potential of changing the demographic profile, which will be against the interest of indigenous tribes and can divest them of their constitutionally guaranteed political, cultural and economic rights.

Panel to Decide Criteria for N-E Beneficiaries

The government has formed a three-member ministerial group to decide on the criteria for identifying beneficiaries from northeastern hill states for PM-KISAN, the cash-transfer scheme for small and marginal farmer.
In some parts of the north-east, land assets are typically community-held, rather than individually owned, making the process of identifying small cultivators rather complex and different from the rest of the country.
Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh, rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar and minister for development of the northeastern region Jitendra Singh make the panel.

Feb 26, 2019

Haryana Finance Minister Doles Out Schemes

Haryana Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu announced two new schemes, providing financial and social security cover to families of farmers and workers in the unorganised sector.
The Finance Minister said that he is providing an outlay of Rs. 1,500 crore in the budget for these schemes.
The newly announced schemes, CM Smridhi Kisan Pariwar Khata and CM Smridhi Shramik Pariwar Khata, will provide financial and social security cover to families of farmers having landholding of 1 to 5 acres and workers whose monthly family income is less than Rs 15,000.
In case of farmers, the benefit will be in addition to the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, which provides a benefit of Rs. 6,000 per annum to small and marginal farmers.

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