General Awareness

GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES - July 2023

Jul 2023

Feb 15, 2024

SWATI (Science for Women- A Technology & Innovation) Portal

In February 2024, the government has launched the SWATI (Science for Women- A Technology & Innovation) portal, a database highlighting accomplishments of Indian women in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine) fields. The interactive portal was developed by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR) to address the gender gap in sciences.
Women comprise only 13-15% of researchers in STEMM in India, lower than most G20 nations. They are disproportionately clustered in junior roles indicating barriers to advancement. Lack of visibility further marginalizes women's scientific contributions. Diversity in leadership and problem-solving suffers, hampering innovation ecosystems. The SWATI portal tackles this visibility gap.
The portal allows self-registration of profiles of women students, faculty and scientists across levels capturing expertise, qualifications, publications etc. The dashboard provides dynamic analytics on distribution of women in STEMM roles across states and institutions. It enables collaborations through expert outreach, forums and open access in English and Hindi.

Odisha Govt. to Give Interest-free Loans to Youth under 'Swayam' Scheme

Odisha Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain said that the state government, in its cabinet meeting, decided to provide interest-free loans up to Rs. 1 lakh to youth of the state under the new government scheme 'Swayam.'
During the meeting, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also decided to give more employment or more income to the rural youth and the urban youth by introducing the new scheme, 'Swayam' so that people who are maintaining small enterprises can avail liquid capital without any collateral security.
Under the Swayam scheme the youth can avail interest-free loans up to Rs. 1 lakh.
Under the new government scheme 'Swayam' to create self-employment for youth, 1 lakh eligible rural and an equal number of urban youth in the age group of 18-35 years will receive interest-free loans of up to Rs. 1 lakh for starting a new business or expanding an existing one.

Feb 14, 2024

PM Modi Launches 'Muft Bijli' (Free Electricity) Scheme

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of the PM 'Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana' with an investment of over Rs. 75,000 crore, for installing solar rooftops for households. This project aims to light up 1 crore households by providing up to 300 units of free electricity every month.
To familiarise the scheme among Indians, the government will incentivise Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats to promote the installation of rooftop solar systems in their jurisdiction.
The government will also ensure that there is no cost burden on the common man by dispersing subsidies directly to the beneficiary's bank account and heavily concessional bank loan. Also, all stakeholders will be integrated into a National Online Portal which will further convenience.

Feb 10, 2024

Cabinet Okays Rs. 6,000 crore Scheme for Formalisation of Fisheries Sector

The Union Cabinet approved a Rs. 6,000 crore sub-scheme, under the flagship Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) launched in 2020, with the objective of formalising the largely unorganised fisheries sector in the country.
The formalisation will be done through the creation of a national fisheries digital platform, facilitating access to institutional finance for the sector and creating an insurance product which would cover at least 100,000 hectares of aquaculture farms during the project period.
Almost half of the total project cost that is around Rs. 3,000 crore will come from public financing that includes World Bank and the AFD external financing while the balance is expected investment from the private sector and the beneficiaries.
The scheme will run for four years starting from FY-24, incentivising fisheries and aquaculture microenterprises through performance grants for improving fisheries sector value-chain efficiencies including creation and maintenance of jobs, and incentivising micro and small enterprises through performance grants for adoption and expansion of fish and fishery product safety are the other main objectives of the programme.

Feb 09, 2024

Jharkhand CM Distributes First Installment of Abua Awas Yojana

Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren distributed letters of acceptance and first instalments to 24,827 families of Kolhan region in the first phase of the Abua Awas (housing) Yojana.
Of the total applications received from 2,92,624 families in Kolhan region, the government identified 1,05,810 families under the scheme from East Singhbhum district, 1,03,319 families from West Singhbhum and 83,495 families from Seraikela-Kharswan district.
In the first phase, the CM will hand over 24,827 letters of acceptance in Kolhan division comprising 8,138 families from East Singhbhum district, West Singhbhum (10,252) and Seraikela-Kharswan district (6,437) along with the first instalment of Rs. 30,000 each, which were transferred to their bank accounts through DBT.
Former CM Hemant Soren had launched the scheme in November 2023 to provide houses to the homeless and those who were deprived of the benefit under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY).

Feb 08, 2024

Uttarakhand Becomes First State to Clear Uniform Civil Code Bill

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Uttarakhand, Bill 2024, which seeks to govern and regulate the laws related to marriage and divorce, successions, live-in relationships, and matters related thereto was passed in the Assembly following a two-day discussion. The Bill was now sent to President Droupadi Murmu for her assent after which it will become a law.
Introduced by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, deliberations were held on the UCC Bill before the House approved it by a voice vote. Uttarakhand became the first state to get a common law on marriage, divorce, land, property and inheritance for all citizens, irrespective of their religion. The code, however, will not apply to the Scheduled Tribes.
Although Goa is governed by a UCC (Portuguese Civil Code), the Assembly did not pass any law. The code was retained after its liberation in 1961.

Maharashtra Government Decides to Introduce 'Chief Minister Vayoshree Yojana'

Aimed at improving the lives of senior citizens and boosting confidence in cooperative societies, the Maharashtra government announced a series of initiatives covering various sectors. From welfare schemes to development projects, these measures reflect the government's commitment to addressing the needs of its citizens and fostering growth across the state.
The introduction of the 'Chief Minister Vayoshree Yojana' would benefit around 15 lakh senior citizens suffering from physical or mental disabilities. Under this scheme, eligible citizens above the age of 65 will receive financial assistance of three thousand rupees, providing much-needed support and relief to vulnerable members of society.

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