Monthly Government Schemes Capsule|

February 2019

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GOVERNMENT SCHEMES
MONTHLY CAPSULE
FEBRUARY 2019
Punjab Government launches ‘Smart Village Campaign’.
• The Punjab government approved a rural development
scheme worth Rs 384.40 crore to supplement the ongoing
works to build village infrastructure and provide essential
amenities.
• Named 'Smart Village Campaign', the scheme would be
financed with funds from the 14th Financial Commission
and MGNREGA works.
• The SVC is aimed at improving the condition of rural areas
by supplementing the ongoing government schemes for
building infrastructure and providing essential amenities.
Government Renames DIPP as Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade.
• The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP)
has been renamed as the Department for Promotion of
Industry and Internal Trade with a mandate to deal with
matters related to start-ups, facilitating ease of doing
business among others.
• The newly-named department under the Ministry of
Commerce and Industry will look into matters related to
promotion of internal trade, including retail trade, welfare
of traders and their employees, facilitating ease of doing
business and start-ups.
Kisan Suvidha Loan launched by Ujjivan Small Finance Bank.
• ‘Kisan Suvidha loan’ for small and marginal farmers has
been launched by Ujjivan Small Finance Bank.
• The scheme will attempt to reach the bottom of the
pyramid with products and services.
• Kisan Suvidha loan can be used by farmers for both
agriculture and allied activities.
• It provides loans to individuals with an amount ranging
from Rs. 60000 to Rs. 2 Lakh to fulfill the customized needs
of the mass market segment.
Monthly Government Schemes Capsule|
February 2019
Various Development Projects in Leh inaugurated by Prime
Minister.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated and laid the
foundation stone for various development projects, worth
nearly 12,000 crore rupees, at Leh. He laid the foundation
stone for a 480 crore rupee Terminal Building at Leh
Airport. Mr Modi inaugurated the 9-megawatt Dah
hydroelectric project.
• The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the 220
KiloVolt Srinagar-Alusteng-Drass-Kargil-Leh transmission
system. Mr Modi also launched the University of Ladakh,
the first-ever in the state's region.
• He also visited Jammu and Srinagar. He inaugurated and
laid the foundation stones of various projects, including
two new All India Institute of Medical Sciences and 624
MW Kiru Hydroelectric project in Kishtwar.
IEA’s 'The Future of Rail' Report launched by Railways
Minister.
• Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal launched the “The
Future of Rail” report of the International Energy Agency
(IEA).
• The Future of Rail is the first-of-a-kind report that analyses
the current and future importance of rail around the world
through the perspective of its energy and environmental
implications.
• The report reviews the impact of existing plans and
regulations on the future of rail and explores the policies
that could help to realise an enhanced future of the
railways.
Sopan 2019’ Held At New Delhi.
• The 6-day long music and dance festival 'Sopan 2019', to
encourage young artists to take up traditional art took
place in New Delhi.
• It was Organised by Sahitya Kala Parishad and the New
Delhi government, in partnership with New Delhi
Municipal Council (NDMC).
Kerala Becomes 1st State To Set Up Price Monitoring And
Research Unit.
• Kerala has become the first State to set up a Price
Monitoring and Research Unit (PMRU) to track violation of
prices of essential drugs and medical devices under the
Drugs Price Control Order (DPCO).
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• The move comes more than five years after the National
Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) proposed such a
system for the States and the Union Territories.
• Kerala CM: Pinarayi Vijayan and Governor: Palaniswamy
Sathasivam.
Shehri Samridhi Utsav Launched Across The Country.
• Shehri Samridhi Utsav, an initiative of Ministry of Housing
& Urban Affairs (MoHUA), aims to extend the outreach of
Deendayal Antyodaya Mission – National Urban
Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM), to the most vulnerable,
showcase its initiatives and facilitate access of Self-Help
Group (SHG) members to the other government schemes.
• A major highlight of Shehri Samridhi Utsav is the National
Exhibition cum sale of SHG products and National Street
Food Festival being organized in New Delhi.
• Hardeep Singh Puri is the Minister of State (I/C) of the
Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
Maharashtra Sets Up Panel To Review Welfare Schemes For
Tribals.
• The Maharashtra government has set up a committee to
review various schemes being implemented for the
welfare of tribals in the state.
• The 17-member committee, headed by former MLA and
Shramjeevi Sanghatna president Vivek Pandit, will
undertake the study of various works done for providing
employment opportunities, minimum wages and proper
livelihood to tribals.
Highway Projects launched in Odisha by Transport Minister.
• The Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari laid the
foundation stone of three major highway projects with an
investment worth Rs 2,345 crores in Odisha.
• The projects are aimed at ensuring speedy development in
the state.
• The three highway projects are expected to considerably
improve connectivity of mineral-rich Angul and Dhenkanal
districts with the rest of Odisha.
• The three national highway projects will have a total
length of 132 km.
Government launched Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana
(PM-JAY) App.
• Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) App has been
launched on Google play store. Ayushman Bharat Yojana
or Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY) is a
centrally sponsored scheme; which was launched in the
year 2018, under the Ayushman Bharat Mission of MoHFW
in the country.
• This scheme aims at making interventions in primary,
secondary and tertiary care systems, covering both
preventive and promotive health, to address healthcare
holistically.
Monthly Government Schemes Capsule|
February 2019
• Moving ahead to digitalisation this app is now available on
Google Play store.
• Indu Bhushan is the CEO of PM-JAY.
Punjab Government Constitutes 5 Member Committee To
Promote Dairy Farming.
• Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced
a high-powered 5-member committee to prepare a
comprehensive action plan to boost the dairy sector with
the aim of supplementing the income of farmers in a
result-oriented manner.
• The committee would consist of Chairman State Farmers
Commission, Director Animal Husbandry, Director of Dairy
Development, a representative of Guru Angad Dev
Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU).
• V.P. Singh Badnore is the present Governor of Punjab.
Darwaza Band Part 2’ Campaign Launched by Swatch Bharat
Mission Grameen.
• 'Darwaza Band- Part 2' campaign launched by Swachh
Bharat Mission Grameen focuses on sustaining the open
defecation free status of villages across the country. Earlier
Darwaza Band campaign was launched in 2017.
• The campaign launched by the Ministry of Drinking Water
and Sanitation in Mumbai in the presence of actor
Amitabh Bachchan.
CCI and GeM Sign MoU For Fair Environment In e-
Marketplace.
• Government e Marketplace (GeM) and Competition
Commission of India (CCI) entered into an MoU to enable a
fair and competitive environment in the e-Marketplace.
Chairman CCI, A.K. Gupta, CEO GeM, S. Radha Chauhan
were present on the occasion.
• GeM is a state-of-the-art national public procurement
platform of Ministry of Commerce and Industries, that has
used technology to remove entry barriers for bonafide
sellers and has created a vibrant e-marketplace with a wide
range of goods and services.
• Competition Commission of India is a statutory body of the
Government of India, responsible for enforcing the
Competition Act, 2002 throughout India and to prevent
activities that have an adverse effect on competition.
Government launches Digicop app.
• Actor Vijay Sethupathi launched the mobile App ‘DigiCop’
of the Chennai police department at the Commissioner’s
office.
• Using the App, people can track the status of stolen two-
wheelers and cell phones.
• The details of 18,000 stolen mobile phones are stored in
the App. Using DigiCop App, people can verify IMEI, report
lost two-wheelers and phones, know the nearest police
station, police news, and traffic alerts.
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India Size Project launched in Mumbai by Smriti Irani.
• Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani launched the India
Size project in Mumbai.
• A first-of-its-kind project in the history of the country,
India Size aims to arrive at a standard Indian Size for the
ready-to-wear clothing industry, on the lines of the
standardized sizes available in countries such as the USA
and the UK.
• India size project will benefit manufacturers, consumers
and generate data which will help tap into the potential of
the sector.
PM Modi Inaugurates Visakhapatnam Strategic Petroleum
Reserve Facility
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation the
1.33 million metric ton capacity Visakhapatnam Strategic
Petroleum Reserve facility at Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.
• He also inaugurated Oil and Natural Gas Corporation
Limited’s Vashishta and S1 development project located in
the Krishna-Godavari Offshore Basin.
• Mr Modi also laid the foundation stone for setting up of a
new terminal of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited
(BPCL) at Krishnapatnam.
• Andhra Pradesh CM: N Chandrababu Naidu and Governor:
ESL Narasimhan.
Centre allocates Rs 59 crore for Asiatic Lion conservation in
Gujarat's Gir.
• The Ministry of Environment launched a three-year Asiatic
Lion Conservation Project in collaboration with the state of
Gujarat.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
(MoEFCC) allocated Rs 59 crores, which will focus on
better management of the lion habitat, disease control
and veterinary care for them.
• Gujarat government also implemented Rs 80 crore that
will be spent on specialised veterinary hospitals and full-
fledged ambulances for lions.
Himalayan Cloud Observatory Set Up In Tehri.
• A Himalayan Cloud Observatory is set up in Tehri district of
Uttarakhand with a motive to forecast and monitor
cloudburst incidents in the Himalayan region and help to
minimize the damage.
• The Observatory is established in the SRT campus, in Tehri
and is in the testing period.
• This is the second observatory in the country to monitor
cloud activities by the Indian Science and Technology
Department and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Kanpur that can function in high-altitudes.
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Lays Foundation Stone of
Mega Food Park in Mathura.
Monthly Government Schemes Capsule|
February 2019
• Union Minister for Food Processing Industries Harsimrat
Kaur Badal laid the foundation stone of a Mega Food Park
at Chhata-Barsana road in Mathura.
• The Park will provide direct and indirect employment to
five thousand persons and benefit about 25,000 farmers.
• The Mega Food Park is being set up in over 57 acre of land
at a cost of around 121 crore rupees.
• The Centre has also approved financial assistance of 50
crore rupees to the project.
India and Norway Launched Initiative To Combat Marine
Pollution.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
signed a Letter of Intent establishing the India-Norway
Marine Pollution Initiative together with the Norwegian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
• Earlier, the Indian and Norwegian governments agreed to
work more closely on oceans by signing a MoU and
establishing the India-Norway Ocean Dialogue during the
Norwegian Prime Minister’s visit to India in January.
PM Modi Launched Several Development Projects for
Haryana.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated and laid
foundation stones of several development projects at
Kurukshetra in Haryana.
• The important events are enlisted as follows:
• 1. Mr Modi dedicated to the nation the National Cancer
Institute at Bhadsa in Jhajjar district. The institute is the
state-of-the-art tertiary cancer care-cum-research centre
constructed at the AIIMS Jhajjar campus.
• 2. Mr Modi also inaugurated Employees’ State Insurance
Corporation’s (ESIC) medical college and hospital in
Faridabad. This will be the first ESIC medical college and
hospital in north India.
• 3. The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of
National Institute of Ayurveda in Panchkula which is being
set up at Shri Mata Mansa Devi Temple Complex.
• 4. Foundation stone of Sri Krishna Ayush University,
Kurukshetra was also be laid by Mr Modi. It will be the first
university related to Indian system of medicine in Haryana
as well as the first of its kind in India.
India’s 1st Aqua Mega Food Park Commissioned in Andhra
Pradesh.
• Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Harsimrat
Kaur Badal commissioned Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park
at Tundurru Village in Bhimavaram Mandal, West Godavari
District, Andhra Pradesh through video conferencing.
• The park is promoted by Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park
Pvt. Ltd. It will be the first Mega Aqua Food Park
operationalised exclusively for fish and marine products
processing in the state of Andhra Pradesh.
• The Godavari Mega Aqua Food Park Pvt. Ltd has been set
up in 57.81 acre of land at a cost of Rs. 122.60 crores.
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 Monthly Government Schemes Capsule|
February 2019

AYUSH Ministry Launched e-AUSHADHI Portal.
• Minister of State (IC) for AYUSH, Shripad Yesso Naik
launched the e-AUSHADHI portal, for online licensing of
Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and
related matters at New Delhi.
• This e-AUSHADHI portal is intended for increased
transparency, improved information management facility,
improved data usability and increased accountability.
• It recommended the fixation of need-based National
Minimum Wage (NMW) for India at Rs 375 per day or Rs
9,750 per month irrespective of sectors, skills, occupations
and rural-urban locations for a family comprising of 3.6
consumption units.
• The Present NMW is Rs. 4,576.

Indian Army Carried Out The Annual Exercise Named

‘Exercise Topchi’.

• Indian Army showcased its artillery firepower by using

ultralight Howitzers and indigenous Swathi weapon-
locating radar at the annual “Exercise Topchi”.
• The exercise was held at Deolali Camp near Nashik.
• There were a showcase of display of rockets, missiles,
surveillance, and target acquisition radars, remotely
piloted aircraft and hi-tech equipment in addition to
gunfire.

Universal Old Age Pension Scheme Announced By Bihar

Government

• Bihar Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar announced a Universal

Old Age Pension scheme, named Mukhya Mantri Vriddha
Pension Yojana (MMVPY), irrespective for all caste,
community, religion, except for those who are retired from
government organizations.
• The scheme facilitates the amount of Rs. 400 monthly
pension for all in the state above the age of 60 who are
not getting a pension from the government.
• The Chief Minister also announced a pension of 6,000
rupees for journalists above 60 years of age.

Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-Dhan Implemented In

India.
• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) was
rolled out by the Ministry of Labour and Employment from
15 February 2019. The scheme announced in the Interim
Budget was notified by the Ministry recently.
• Each subscriber under the PM-SYM, shall receive minimum
assured pension of Rs 3000/- per month after attaining the
age of 60 years.
• During the receipt of pension, if the subscriber dies, the
spouse of the beneficiary shall be entitled to receive 50%
of the pension received by the beneficiary as family
pension. Family pension is applicable only to spouse.
India’s First Agromet Forecast Centre Inaugurated In
Karnataka.
• Union Minister for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences,
Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Dr. Harsh
Vardhan, inaugurated the North Karnataka Agromet
Forecasting and Research Centre (NKAFC), India’s first
agromet forecast centre, at University of Agricultural
Sciences (UAS) in Dharwad, Karnataka.
• The main objective of the centre is to give accurate reports
on the weather which would enable the farmers to protect
the crops and get a good yield.

Expert Committee Recommends Rs 9,750 Monthly National
Minimum Wage.
• The Expert Committee led by Anoop Satpathy, Fellow of V.
V. Giri National Labour Institute (VVGNLI), submitted its
report on “Determining the Methodology for Fixation of
the National Minimum Wage” to the Government.
IWAI Launched Portal ‘LADIS’ For Real Time Information.
• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) launched a
new portal Least Available Depth Information System
(LADIS) for real-time data on available depth on stretches
of National Waterways.
• It will ensure real-time data on ship and cargo owners on
which they can undertake transportation on National

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Waterways (NW) in a more planned way. It is a step
towards ensuring optimum use of National Waterways.
IAF Carried Out ‘Vayu Shakti’ Exercise At Pokhran.
• Indian Air Force conducted mega exercise ‘Vayu Shakti’ in
Pokhran, Rajasthan. The exercise was carried out day and
night where the IAF showcased firepower capability of
indigenously developed platforms and efficacy of missiles.
• For the first time, the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALP) and
the Akash surface-to-air missile were deployed in the
military exercise. MiG-29 fighter jet also participated in the
exercise.
• Chief of Air Staff: Air Chief Marshal Birendra Singh Dhanoa.
Rajasthan Assembly Passes Bills Scrapping Minimum
Qualification For Local Polls.
• The Legislative Assembly of Rajasthan passed the
Rajasthan Panchayati Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2019 and the
Rajasthan Municipality (Amendment) Bill, 2019 to end the
minimum education criterion for panchayat and civic polls
candidates.
• The previous BJP government had introduced the
minimum qualification of class 10 for Zila
Parishad/Panchayat member election, and class 5 or 8
class for the post of sarpanch.
India’s First ‘Fulldome 3D Digital Theatre’ Inaugurated In
Kolkata.
• Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma inaugurated
India’s very first ‘Fulldome 3D Digital Theatre’ at the
Science City in Kolkata, West Bengal.
• It is fully funded by the Ministry of Culture at a cost of Rs
20 crore.
• The Science City is operated by the National Council of
Science Museums under the Ministry of Culture.
Rajnath Singh Launches Pan-India Number 112 For Women
Safety.
• Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Women and
Child Development Maneka Gandhi launched a range of
citizen safety initiatives in New Delhi.
• Persons in distress can dial a pan-India number: 112.
Under this system, all the states have to set up a dedicated
Emergency Response Centre, ERC.
AntBot, The First Walking Robot To Navigate Without GPS,
Developed.
• AntBot is the first walking robot to have navigational
capabilities without GPS or mapping. It has been designed
by Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) and Aix-Marseille
University researchers at ISM, on lines similar to desert
ants who use polarised lights and UV radiation to navigate
in space.
Monthly Government Schemes Capsule|
February 2019
• Weighing only 2.3 kg, this robot has six feet for increased
mobility, allowing it to move in complex environments,
precisely where deploying wheeled robots and drones can
be complicated.
PM Modi Flagged Off 1st Ever Diesel To Electric Conversion
Locomotive.
• Under ‘Make in India’ initiative, Indian Railways has
created history by converting a diesel locomotive into
electric locomotive for the first time in the world.
• This all new converted energy-efficient electric locomotive
has been flagged off by PM Narendra Modi in Varanasi.
• In a first of its kind notable initiative, the diesel locomotive
which has been converted to electric locomotive by the
Diesel Locomotive Works (DLW) in Varanasi. The entire
project is an Indian R&D innovation for the entire world,
says Indian Railways.
Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons Inaugurated ‘Eco Circuit’
Project in Kerala.
• K.J. Alphons, Union Minister for Tourism inaugurated the
project ‘Development of Eco Circuit: Pathanamthitta –
Gavi – Vagamon – Thekkady’ under the Swadesh Darshan
scheme of Ministry of Tourism at Vagamon, Kerala.
• This Eco Circuit project was sanctioned in December 2015
for Rs. 76.55 crores.
• Major works carried out under the project includes Eco
Adventure Tourism Park at Vagamon, Cultural Centre at
Kadamanitta.
Textiles Minister Launched 4 Projects in North-East For
Development Of Silk Sector.
• Union Minister of Textiles, Smriti Zubin Irani, launched
four projects in North East for the development of silk
sector through video conference in New Delhi.
• Smriti Zubin Irani inaugurated Muga silk seed production
centre in Tura, Meghalaya, silk printing and processing unit
in Agartala, Tripura, Eri spun silk mill in Sangaipat, Imphal
and development of sericulture in Mamit, Mizoram.
• Assam is the 1st state nationalized (1950) in India among
North-East states.
Commerce Minister Launched ‘SWAYATT’ on GeM.
• Union Minister of Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation,
Suresh Prabhu, launched SWAYATT in New Delhi.
• SWAYATT is an initiative to promote Start-ups, Women
and Youth Advantage Through eTransactions on
Government e Marketplace (GeM).
• On this occasion, Commerce Minister also dedicated GeM
Start-up Runway-an initiative of GeM in association with
Start-up India to facilitate Start-ups registered with Start-
up India to access the public procurement market and sell
innovative products and services to government buyers.
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 Monthly Government Schemes Capsule|
February 2019

Development Projects Worth Rs. 3350 crores Unveiled by PM

in Varanasi.

• The Prime Minister, Narendra Modi unveiled development

projects worth Rs. 3350 crores for Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
• These projects pertain to various sectors of Health,
Sanitation, Smart City, Connectivity, Power, Housing and
others.
• He released commemorative postage stamp on
completion of 100 Years of IIT BHU. He also inaugurated
BHU Cancer Centre and Bhabha Cancer Hospital,
Lahartara.

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