#Today's #Question #for #IAS

Ques.  ‘Atpati’, ‘Chugani’, ‘Dastar’ and ‘Jaapi’ all refer to
a)  Painting styles of north & northeast India.
b) Methods of Ship building in early medieval India
c) Traditional headgear of India
d) Sculptural Styles of Mughal India

#Current #affairs #for #IAS

Hamari Dharohar Scheme

• It was launched by Ministry of Minority affairs for preservation of rich heritage and culture of minority communities of India.
• Funding under the scheme is project based and not State/District-wise.
• It aims to support curating iconic exhibitions, calligraphy, research and development, etc.
• A project has been initiated to translate documents belonging to medieval period on the subjects of Medicines, Mathematics, and Literature from Arabic language to English.

Nai Roshni Scheme

• It is the Scheme for leadership development among Minority Women.
• The objective is to empower and instil confidence among minority women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting with Government systems, banks and other institutions at all levels.
• Recently, NITI Aayog has conducted an evaluation study on ‘Nai Roshni’.
• The main objective of the study was to assess the impact of the scheme on minority women and to identify policy/ programme impediments in implementation of the scheme.
• The report indicates that the trained women are utilizing their enriched knowledge and thereby helping their families in raising their essential demands and claims from various Government authorities.

#Current #Affairs #for #IAS

Government plans ‘I stand by my country’ campaign

The government hopes to trigger a citizen movement around the theme ‘I stand by my country’ as part of a twin celebration to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Quit India movement and the 70th Independence Day.

What you need to know?
As part of the programme, the government plans a multimedia campaign that will focus on inspiring the young generation and instilling in them a sense of pride and responsibility.

• The celebrations will stress that in the next five years — in an era of determination, will and struggle — a ‘New India’ will be built which is “rid of corruption and black money” and fulfils the aspirations of its teeming millions.
• The campaign will also drive home the point that the country has already proved its worth in every field, be it science and technology, sports, spirituality, art, space exploration, economy and defence.
• The aim of the campaign, hence is to portray an India which is “bold and decisive, can secure its future, is on the path of reforms, and that cares.

Background:
The Quit India Movement, also known as the August Movement was a Civil Disobedience Movement launched by Gandhi for independence. The movement was accompanied by a mass protest on non-violent lines, in which Gandhi called for “an orderly British withdrawal from India”.

#Current #Affairs #for #IAS

India, Japan civil nuclear deal comes into force
The India-Japan Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy entered into force on July 20, 2017 with the exchange of diplomatic notes between Dr. S. Jaishankar, Foreign Secretary and H.E. Mr. Kenji Hiramatsu, Ambassador of Japan to India.

• The pact was signed in Tokyo during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Japan on November 11, 2016.

Key facts:

• India is the first non-member of the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) to have signed such a deal with Japan. The deal will help India access Japan’s nuclear market.
• The deal includes the option that Japan can give a year’s notice before terminating it in case India breaks the nuclear testing moratorium that it had extended to the Nuclear Suppliers Group in 2008.
• The deal is significant as it will help guarantee Japan’s continued support to India’s civil nuclear programme.
• The deal will bring Japan into the Indian nuclear market where France and Russia have already have a strong presence.

 Significance of this move:

• This Agreement is a reflection of the strategic partnership between India and Japan and will pave the way for enhanced cooperation in energy security and clean energy.
• It seeks to promote full cooperation between the two countries in the development and uses of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes on a stable, reliable and predictable basis.
• The deal is essential for bringing a network of nuclear energy cooperation for India, especially with the U.S. as prominent American nuclear companies are owned by the Japanese nuclear majors.

#Current #Affairs #for #IAS

Government to launch Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY)

Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), a pension scheme exclusively for senior citizens, has been launched.

• PMVVY is a Pension Scheme exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above.
• The Scheme can be purchased offline as well as online through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India which has been given the sole privilege to operate this Scheme.

Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY), a pension scheme exclusively for senior citizens, has been launched.

• PMVVY is a Pension Scheme exclusively for the senior citizens aged 60 years and above.
• The Scheme can be purchased offline as well as online through Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India which has been given the sole privilege to operate this Scheme.

Benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY):

• Scheme provides an assured return of 8% p.a. payable monthly (equivalent to 8.30% p.a. effective) for 10 years.
• Pension is payable at the end of each period, during the policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency of monthly/ quarterly/ half-yearly/ yearly as chosen by the pensioner at the time of purchase.
• The scheme is exempted from Service Tax/ GST.
• On survival of the pensioner to the end of the policy term of 10 years, Purchase price along with final pension installment shall be payable.
• Loan upto 75% of Purchase Price shall be allowed after 3 policy years (to meet the liquidity needs). Loan interest shall be recovered from the pension installments and loan to be recovered from claim proceeds.
• The scheme also allows for premature exit for the treatment of any critical/ terminal illness of self or spouse. On such premature exit, 98% of the Purchase Price shall be refunded.
• On death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years, the Purchase Price shall be paid to the beneficiary.

Benefits under the Pradhan Mantri Vaya Vandana Yojana (PMVVY):

• Scheme provides an assured return of 8% p.a. payable monthly (equivalent to 8.30% p.a. effective) for 10 years.
• Pension is payable at the end of each period, during the policy term of 10 years, as per the frequency of monthly/ quarterly/ half-yearly/ yearly as chosen by the pensioner at the time of purchase.
• The scheme is exempted from Service Tax/ GST.
• On survival of the pensioner to the end of the policy term of 10 years, Purchase price along with final pension installment shall be payable.
• Loan upto 75% of Purchase Price shall be allowed after 3 policy years (to meet the liquidity needs). Loan interest shall be recovered from the pension installments and loan to be recovered from claim proceeds.
• The scheme also allows for premature exit for the treatment of any critical/ terminal illness of self or spouse. On such premature exit, 98% of the Purchase Price shall be refunded.
• On death of the pensioner during the policy term of 10 years, the Purchase Price shall be paid to the beneficiary.

#current #affairs #for #ias

Ram Nath Kovind becomes India’s 14th President

Ram Nath Kovind is elected the 14th  President of India. Kovind, the former Governor of Bihar, has served as a BJP MP in the Rajya Sabha as well. He defeated Opposition’s Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, winning more than 65 percent of the votes in the Electoral College.

Kovind will be the second Dalit to become the President of the country after KR Narayanan. The returning officer, Anoop Mishra, said that Kovind received 2930 votes with a value of 7,02,044. He will be the first BJP member to be elected as the President.

#current #affairs #for #ias

Supreme Court allows Centre to replace MCI oversight committee
The Supreme Court has allowed the Centre to replace the oversight committee set up to supervise the functioning of the Medical Council of India (MCI) with a fresh panel of five eminent doctors.

• It also gave the Centre liberty to replace any doctor in the list with another if he does not wish to be a part of the oversight committee.

Background:
The court had asked the Centre to constitute a panel which would replace the oversight committee set up last year by the apex court to oversee the MCI’s functioning till the government put in place an alternate mechanism. The committee, set up by the court on May 2 last year, was to function for a period of one year or till a suitable mechanism was brought in by the Centre to substitute it.

About MCI:
The MCI was established in 1934 under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1933, as an elected body for maintaining the medical register and providing ethical oversight, with no specific role in medical education.

• The Amendment of 1956, however, mandated the MCI “to maintain uniform standards of medical education, both under graduate and postgraduate; recommend for recognition/de-recognition of medical qualifications of medical institutions of India or foreign countries; accord permanent registration/provisional registration of doctors with recognised medical qualifications; and ensure reciprocity with foreign countries in the matter of mutual recognition of medical qualifications.”
• The second amendment came in 1993, at a time when there was a new-found enthusiasm for private colleges. Under this amendment, the role of the MCI was reduced to an advisory body with the three critical functions of sanctioning medical colleges, approving the student intake, and approving any expansion of the intake capacity requiring prior approval of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.