Daily Current Affairs for UPSC Exam 13 January | Prelims Bits

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC Exam

Daily Current Affairs for UPSC: Daily Current Affairs for UPSC article covers important articles of the day which is important for various competitive exams like UPSC, State PCS, SSC and various Bank Exams. 

Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY)

PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY) in News

• The Cabinet led by PM Modi had approved new integrated food security scheme for providing free foodgrains to Antodaya Ann Yojna (AAY) & Primary Household (PHH) beneficiaries, to be rolled out from 1st January 2023.
• New scheme has been named as Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY).

PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana (PMGKAY)

• Implementation of the new scheme has started from 1st January 2023, benefitting more than 80 crore poor and poorest of poor people.
• Keeping in view welfare of the beneficiaries and in order to maintain uniformity across the States, free foodgrains will be provided under PMGKAY for the year 2023 to all PHH and AAY beneficiaries, as per entitlement under NFSA.
• The integrated scheme will strengthen the provisions of NFSA, 2013 in terms of accessibility, affordability and availability of foodgrains for the poor.

Implementation of PM Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana

• For effective and uniform implementation of NFSA 2013, PMGKAY will subsume the two subsidy schemes of Department of Food & Public Distribution-
  • (a) Food Subsidy to FCI
  • (b) Food Subsidy for decentralized procurement states dealing with procurement, allocation and delivery of free foodgrains to the states under NFSA.
• Necessary steps have already been taken for smooth implementation of the PMGKAY in the field, i.e. necessary notification has been issued for-
  • Making price of foodgrains zero for AAY and PHH beneficiaries,
  • Resolution of technical issues at Fair Price Shops (FPS),
  • Advisory related to margin to the Fair Price Shop Dealers,
  • Zero prices in the print receipts given to beneficiaries etc.
• The Central Government will spend more than Rs 2 lakh crore in 2023 as food subsidy under NFSA and other welfare schemes, to remove the financial burden of the poor and the poorest of the poor.

New Dust Control Technology invented by CMPDIL

New Dust Control Technology in News

• In order to minimize and control the fugitive dust in mining areas, Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited (CMPDIL), Ranchi has invented a “System and Method for Controlling Generation and Movement of Fugitive Dust”.

What is New Dust Control Technology?

• New Dust Control Technology system can be used in mines, thermal power plants, railway sidings, ports, construction sites wherein coal or other minerals/fugitive materials are stored under open sky.
• Apart from reducing the dust generation from open sources, it will also provide noise attenuation.
• Fugitive dust is a form of particulate matter that contributes to air pollution that is generated from various sources which are exposed to air and not discharged into the atmosphere through a confined flow stream.

How does the New Dust Control Technology works?

• The present invention relates to the synchronized application of windbreak (WB) and vertical greenery system (VGS) for reducing generation and dispersion of fugitive dust.
• The WB and VGS are erected in the upwind and downwind direction with respect to the fugitive dust source(s) respectively.
• The WB reduces the speed of the wind approaching towards the source and hence, it reduces the intensity of the ambient air to pick up dust while blowing over the source.
• The VGS acts as a filter and reduces the quantity of the residual dust moving along with the wind towards the receptors in the down-wind direction.
• Therefore, there is a significant reduction in the concentration of the dust in the ambient air at various receptors located in the down-wind direction.

Mentoring the Mentors: Startup India Innovation Week

Startup India Innovation Week in News

• To celebrate the spirit of Indian startup ecosystem and mark this momentous day, we have chosen 10th January 2023 to 16th January 2023 as Startup India Innovation Week.
• In this context, various workshops, capacity building sessions and events are being hosted by Startup India, with each session dedicated to a particular theme pertaining to the entrepreneurial ecosystem in India.

 Daily Current Affairs For UPSC 12 January 2023, Prelims Bits

MAARG Mentor Masterclass

• MAARG(Mentorship, Advisory, Assistance, Resilience, and Growth), the National Mentorship Platform is a one-stop platform to facilitate mentorship for start-ups across diverse sectors, functions, stages, geographies, and domains.
• As a part of the week-long celebration of entrepreneurship, Department for Promotion of Industry, and Internal Trade (DPIIT) with the support of Zone Start-ups India is organizing the MAARG Mentor Masterclasson 13th January 2023.
  • Besides mentors attending in person, outstation mentors too will be able to virtually join the session.
• The objective of the workshop is to equip the attendees with effective ways of mentoring startups, by enhancing their capacities and knowledge.
• Industry stalwarts who possess expertise in the area will mentor the mentors.
  • Framework for Effective Mentoring by Bhushan Gajaria, Founder, Beehive Capital
  • Helping your Mentees Raise a Round of Capital by Vikrant Potnis, FundEnable
  • Panel Discussion on What Founders expect from Mentors by Mr Prasad Menon, CEO, CIBA.

13^th India – USA TPF 2023

13^th India – USA TPF 2023 in News

• Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal visited Washington D.C. between 10-11 January 2023 to participate in the 13th Ministerial Meeting of the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum.
• The Ministers underlined the significance of the TPF in forging robust bilateral trade ties and enhancing the bilateral economic relationship to benefit working people in both countries.

India – USA TPF 2023 Highlights

Following are the major highlights of the India-U.S. Trade Policy Forum 2023-

• Ministers appreciated that bilateral trade in goods and services continued to rise rapidly and reached about $160 billion in 2021.
  • They also recognized that significant potential remains unfulfilled and expressed their mutual desire to further enhance engagement with the goal of continuing to increase and diversify bilateral trade.
• The Ministers reviewed the work done by various working groups which were activated since last TPF meeting and directed that work be maintained to advance those issues towards resolution, with regular stock-taking of progress by the Ministers and their senior officials.
• Ambassador Tai welcomed India’s G20 Presidency and said the United States looks forward to working together in the Trade and Investment Working Group.
• The Ministers welcomed the intensified negotiations so far and further engagement on outstanding WTO disputes between the two countries to arrive at satisfactory outcomes in the coming months.
• India appreciated the resumption of inspections by U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and asked the U.S. side to also resume inspections of new facilities and non-priority areas at the earliest.

National Conference on Project Mausam

National Conference on Project Mausam

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