To promote the education of Indian System of Medicines and Ayurveda globally, Ministry has signed 13 MoUs for setting up AYUSH Academic Chairs with foreign Universities/ institutes under which AYUSH experts are deputed in reputed Universities/ institutes to undertake teaching/ training / research activities. Country to Country MoUs have been signed with 23 countries for cooperation in field of Traditional Medicine and Homoeopathy in which, amongst others, research, education, training, etc. are some of the areas of cooperation. Under Fellowship/ Scholarship Scheme of Ministry of AYUSH, 104 scholarships are offered every year to the eligible foreign nationals from 99 countries for pursuing undergraduate, postgraduate and Ph. D courses in AYUSH systems in premier Institutes in India. The Fellowship Scheme aims at achieving recognition and acceptance of Indian traditional medicine systems abroad.
The Ministry of AYUSH has launched a scheme for Voluntary Certification of Yoga Professionals which aims at certifying the competence level of Yoga professionals through certification process and promoting authentic Yoga as a preventive and health promoting drugless therapy. Yoga Certification Board (YCB) has been established with the objectives to bring synergy, quality and uniformity in knowledge and skills of Yoga professionals across the world through certification programs.
Keeping in view the mythological and historical importance of Indian systems of Medicine, Ayurveda Day, Unani Day and Siddha Day are celebrated in the country every year. International Day of Yoga is celebrated in 190 countries and Ayurveda day is celebrated in more than 35 countries. The Ministry has been organizing International Yoga Conference every year since 2015.
Government of India is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) in the country through State and UT governments for promotion and development of AYUSH systems. Under the concept of AYUSH Gram, AYUSH based lifestyles are promoted through behavioral change communication, training of village health workers towards identification and use of local medicinal herbs and provision of AYUSH health services.
Under Central Sector Scheme for promotion of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) in AYUSH, the Ministry of AYUSH undertakes promotional activities like organization of AROGYA fairs at State and National level; multimedia campaigns; preparation and distribution of publicity material including audio visual material, etc. The Ministry provides assistance for organizing seminar, conference etc. to eligible agencies and incentives to AYUSH industry for participation in AROGYA and other fairs. In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ministry of AYUSH is making the optimal utilization of electronic and digital platforms for promotion and publicizing AYUSH systems.
Under Central Sector Scheme for promotion of International Cooperation, (IC Scheme), the Ministry of AYUSH undertakes various steps to promote and publicize AYUSH systems of medicine including Ayurveda across the globe. The Ministry deputes AYUSH experts to foreign countries to participate in international meetings, conferences, training programmes, seminars and on special assignment of the Government of India for promotion and propagation of AYUSH Systems. Financial assistance is provided for presentation of AYUSH related scientific research papers in international conferences, workshops, seminar etc.
Incentives are provided to AYUSH drug manufacturers, entrepreneurs, AYUSH institutions, etc. for (i) participating in International exhibitions, conferences, workshops, trade fairs, etc. for generating awareness amongst the public about the AYUSH systems of medicine and; (ii) registration of AYUSH products with regulatory authorities of the foreign countries. So far, more than 50 products (Unani and Ayurveda) have been registered in 08 countries namely Kenya, USA, Russia, Latvia, Canada, Oman, Tajikistan and Sri Lanka under the IC scheme of the Ministry.
33 AYUSH Information Cell have been set up in 31 countries to disseminate authentic information about AYUSH systems. The Ministry of AYUSH has deputed two experts (Ayurveda and Siddha) to Ministry of Health, Malaysia under ITEC Programme of Ministry of External Affairs for providing their services at Port Dickson Hospital, and Cheras Rehabilitation Hospital.
An Advisory Committee on formulation of Integrative Health Policy has been constituted by the NITI Aayog to propose framework of comprehensive integrative health policy to achieve an inclusive, affordable, evidence based healthcare; and roadmap for disease prevention and health promotion in National programmes based on modern and traditional integrative approaches. Ministry of AYUSH has signed an MoU with Ministry of Railways for establishment of AYUSH wings at 5 Railway Zonal Hospitals. An MoU has been signed with Ministry of Defence for integration of Ayurveda under the Health establishments of Ministry of Defence/ Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS).
List of various interventions and schemes launched for the benefit of farmers
(i) With a view to provide income support to all farmers’ families across the country, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs, the Central Government started a new Central Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). The scheme aims to provide a payment of Rs. 6000/- per year, in three 4-monthly installments of Rs. 2000/- to the farmers families, subject to certain exclusions relating to higher income groups.
(ii) Further with a view to provide social security net for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in the event of consequent loss of livelihood, the Government has decided to implement another new Central Sector Scheme i.e. Pradhan Mantri Kisan MaanDhan Yojana (PM-KMY) for providing old age pension to these farmers. Under this Scheme, a minimum fixed pension of Rs. 3000/- will be provided to the eligible small and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60 years.
(iii) With a view to provide better insurance coverage to crops for risk mitigation, a crop insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched from Kharif 2016 season. This scheme provides insurance cover for all stages of the crop cycle including post-harvest risks in specified instances, with low premium contribution by farmers.
(iv) Giving a major boost for the farmer’s income, the Government has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops for 2018-19 season at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production.
(v) Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be rationalized.
(vi) “Per drop more crop” initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged for optimal utilization of water, reducing cost of inputs and increasing productivity.
(vii) “Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)” for promoting organic farming.
(viii) Launch of e-NAM initiative to provide farmers an electronic transparent and competitive online trading platform.
(ix) Under “Har Medh Par Ped”, agro forestry is being promoted for additional income. With the amendment of Indian Forest Act, 1927, Bamboo has been removed from the definition of trees. A restructured National Bamboo Mission has been launched in the year 2018 to promote bamboo plantation on non forest government as well as private land and emphasis on value addition, product development and markets.
(x) Giving a major boost to the pro-farmer initiatives, the Government has approved a new Umbrella Scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)’. The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018. This is an unprecedented step taken by Govt. of India to protect the farmers’ income which is expected to go a long way towards the welfare of farmers.
(xi) Bee keeping has been promoted under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) to increase the productivity of crops through pollination and increase the honey production as an additional source of income of farmers.
(xii) To ensure flow of adequate credit, Government sets annual target for the flow of credit to the agriculture sector, Banks have been consistently surpassing the annual target. The agriculture credit flow target was set at Rs. 13.50 lakh crore for the F.Y.2019-20 and Rs.15.00 lakh crore for F.Y. 2020-21.
(xiii) Extending the reach of institutional credit to more and more farmers is priority area of the Government and to achieve this goal, the Government provides interest subvention of 2% on short-term crop loans up to Rs.3.00 lakh. Presently, loan is available to farmers at an interest rate of 4% per annum on prompt repayment.
(xiv) Further, under Interest Subvention Scheme 2018-19, in order to provide relief to the farmers on occurrence of natural calamities, the interest subvention of 2% shall continue to be available to banks for the first year on the restructured amount. In order to discourage distress sale by farmers and to encourage them to store their produce in warehouses against negotiable receipts, the benefit of interest subvention will be available to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Card for a further period of upto six months post harvest on the same rate as available to crop loan.
(xv) The Government has extended the facility of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to the farmers practicing animal husbandry and fisheries related activities. All processing fee, inspection, ledger folio charges and all other services charges have been waived off for fresh renewal of KCC. Collateral fee loan limit for short term agri-credit has been raised from Rs.1.00 lakh to Rs.1.60 lakh. KCC will be issued within 14 days from the receipt of completed application.
(xvi) Several market reforms have been rolled out. These include
Model APLMC (Promotion & Facilitation) Act, 2017
Establishment of 22,000 number of Gramin Agriculture Markets (GrAMs) as aggregation platforms
Agri-Export Policy, that targets to double agri-exports by 2022
The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion & Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020
The Farmers (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020
Amendments to Essential Commodities Act, 1955, that deregulates various agri-commodities
Promotion of 10,000 FPOs by 2024
(xvii) Creation of Corpus Funds
Micro Irrigation Fund – Rs. 5,000 crore
Agri-marketing Fund to strengthen eNAM and GrAMs – Rs. 2,000 crore
Agricultural Infrastructure Fund (AIF) to build agri-logistics (backward & forward linkages) – Rs. 1 lakh crore
As a part of implementation of the Agriculture Export Policy, a number of States have finalized their respective Action Plans identifying various infrastructure gaps affecting agricultural exports.
To address these gaps, the States can avail assistance under the Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) of Department of Commerce and under various existing Schemes of Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare; Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying; Ministry of Food Processing Industries etc.
The Government has introduced a comprehensive Agriculture Export Policy (AEP) to harness export potential of Indian agriculture and raise farmers’ income. Department of Commerce, has taken several steps to implement AEP at State/ District level. State specific Action Plans, State Level Monitoring Committees (SLMCs), Nodal agencies for agricultural exports and Cluster Level Committees have been formed in a number of States.
Country and product-specific action plans also have been formulated to promote exports. A Farmer Connect Portal has been set up by APEDA for providing a platform for farmers, Farmer-Producer Organizations (FPOs) and cooperatives to interact with exporters. Buyer-seller Meets(BSMs) have been organized in the clusters to provide export-market linkages.
Government of India has promulgated the following three Ordinances to implement reforms in agriculture sector:
The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020 provides for the creation of an ecosystem, where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers’ produce, which facilitates remunerative prices through competitive alternative trading channels; to promote efficient, transparent and barrier-free inter-state and intra-state trade and commerce of farmers’ produce outside the physical premises of markets or deemed markets notified under various State Agricultural Produce market legislations; to provide a facilitative framework for electronic trading and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020, provides for a national framework on farming agreements that protects and empowers farmers to engage with agri business firms, processers, wholesalers, exporters or large retailers for farm services and sale of future farming produce at a mutually agreed remunerative price framework in a fair and transparent manner and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance 2020 aims at increasing the competitiveness in the agriculture sector and enhancing the income of the farmer by liberalizing the regulatory system while protecting the interests of consumers.
The Ordinance allows the Central Government to regulate the supply of certain food stuffs only under extraordinary circumstances (such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise and natural calamity of grave nature).
Clean beaches are a testimony to environment in the coastal area: Shri Prakash Javadekar
World Bank applauds India’s coastal zone management efforts and terms India as lighthouse for the countries of the region.
Posted On: 18 SEP 2020 7:41PM by PIB Delhi
On the eve of International Coastal Clean-Up Day which is celebrated across 100 countries since 1986, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) announced at a virtual event that for the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification. The recommendations are done by an independent National Jury composed of eminent environmentalists & scientists.
Blue Flag beaches are considered the cleanest beaches of the world. The eight beaches are Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman&Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri beach in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden beach of Odisha and Radhanagar beach in Andaman and Nicobar.
Union Environment Minister, Shri Prakash Javadekar who couldn’t attend the event due to the ongoing parliament session, said through a video message that the government is committed to clean the beaches across the country. He said, clean beaches are the testimony to environment in the coastal area. He said, the issue of marine litter and oil spilling has caused disturbances to the aquatic life and the Government of India is undertaking various efforts for the sustainable development of coastal regions.
The event also saw the launch India’s own eco-label BEAMS by e-hoisting the flag -#IAMSAVINGMYBEACH simultaneously at these eight beaches. SICOM, MoEFCC in pursuit of promoting its policies for sustainable development in coastal regions have embarked upon a highly acclaimed program “BEAMS” (Beach Environment & Aesthetics Management Services) under its ICZM (Integrated Coastal Zone Management) project.
This is one of the several other projects of ICZM that Govt of India is undertaking for the sustainable development of coastal regions, striving for globally recognized and the coveted eco-label ‘Blue flag”.
The flag hoisting program was conducted simultaneously at these 08 beaches virtually from MOEFCC and physically at the beaches by respective States/UTs through its MLAs and/or Chairman of Beach Management Committees (BMCs).
Speaking on the occasion, Union Environment Secretary, Shri R.P. Gupta said that high standards are being maintained to clean the beaches to keep environment safe and in the next four to five years 100 more beaches will be cleaned.
In a video message, World Bank’s country director Mr. Zunaid Khan applauded India’s efforts towards cleaning up the its beaches and said that India with its strategies for sustainable coastal zone management shall act as a lighthouse for other countries in the region.
With a view to protect and conserve the coastal and marine ecosystems and environment through a holistic coastal management, the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change launched the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) activities in India for a holistic approach with an interactive, dynamic, multidisciplinary, and iterative planning process to promote sustainable development & management of coastal zones through its own wing SICOM.
The concept of ICZM was introduced in 1992 during the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro and most of the coastal countries in the World have been adopting ICZM principles for managing their coastal zones. Thus, adoption of ICZM principles for managing and sustainably developing our coastal regions is helping India in keeping with its commitments to international agreements on ICZM.
The objective of BEAMS program is to abate pollution in coastal waters, promote sustainable development of beach facilities, protect & conserve coastal ecosystems & natural resources, and seriously challenge local authorities & stakeholders to strive and maintain high standards of cleanliness, hygiene & safety for beachgoers in accordance with coastal environment & regulations. This program promotes beach recreation in absolute harmony with nature.
International Coastal Cleanup Day got its start in 1986 when Linda Maraniss met Kathy O’Hara while working for Ocean Conservancy. O’Hara had just completed a report called Plastics in the Ocean: More Than a Litter Problem. The two of them reached out to other ocean-lovers and organized a Cleanup for Ocean Conservancy. The first Cleanup consisted of 2,800 volunteers. Since that time, the Cleanup has grown into an international event in more than 100 countries.
Context:
Delhi high court has ordered schools (Both Private and Government) to provide gadgets and internet access to students from economically weaker section (EWS) and disadvantaged groups (DG) categories to assist in their online education during the Covid-19 crisis.
What’s the issue?
The court passed the order over concerns that these EWS category students were unable to sustain their online studies due to a lack of resources and unavailability of laptops and mobile phones during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Why such measures are necessary? Observations made by the High Court:
To address discrimination: All students do not have access to such facilities. The intra-class discrimination, upsets the level playing field and amounts to discrimination as well as creates a vertical division, digital divide or digital gap or digital apartheid in addition to segregation in a classroom which is violative of RTE, 2009, and Articles 14, 20 and 21 of the Constitution.
A financial barrier: Such mode of teaching will erect a financial barrier for EWS/DG category students by not providing the required equipment, preventing them from pursuing their elementary education.
What next?
The Court has made it clear that the private unaided schools will be entitled to claim reimbursement of reasonable cost for procurement of the gadget and Internet package from the government under Section 12(2) of the RTE Act.
About the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009:
The RTE Act aims to provide primary education to all children aged 6 to 14 years.
It enforces Education as a Fundamental Right (Article 21).
The act mandates 25% reservation for disadvantaged sections of the society.
It also makes provisions for a non-admitted child to be admitted to an age appropriate class.
It also states that sharing of financial and other responsibilities between the Central and State Governments.
It also provides for prohibition of deployment of teachers for non-educational work, other than decennial census, elections to local authority, state legislatures and parliament, and disaster relief.
It had a clause for “No Detention Policy” which has been removed under The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (Amendment) Act, 2019.
It lays down the norms and standards related to:
Pupil Teacher Ratios (PTRs).
Buildings and infrastructure.
School-working days.
Teacher-working hours.
Context:
On the occasion of International Coastal Clean-Up Day (Celebrated since 1986), for the first time eight beaches of India are recommended for the coveted International eco-label, the Blue flag certification.
International Coastal Clean-Up Day is marked each year on the third Saturday of September as an initiative of the Washington-based Ocean Conservancy, a volunteer effort for ocean health.
The eight beaches recommended are:
Shivrajpur in Gujarat, Ghoghla in Daman and Diu, Kasarkod and Padubidri in Karnataka, Kappad in Kerala, Rushikonda in Andhra Pradesh, Golden in Odisha and Radhanagar in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
About Blue flag programme:
The Blue Flag Programme for beaches and marinas is run by the international, non-governmental, non-profit organisation FEE (the Foundation for Environmental Education).
It started in France in 1985 and has been implemented in Europe since 1987, and in areas outside Europe since 2001, when South Africa joined.
Definition:
The ‘Blue Flag’ beach is an ‘eco-tourism model’ and marks out beaches as providing tourists and beachgoers clean and hygienic bathing water, facilities/amenities, a safe and healthy environment, and sustainable development of the area.
Key facts:
Japan and South Korea are the only countries in South and southeastern Asia to have Blue Flag beaches.
Spain tops the list with 566 such beaches; Greece and France follow with 515 and 395, respectively.
Criteria:
There are nearly 33 criteria that must be met to qualify for a Blue Flag certification, such as the water meeting certain quality standards, having waste disposal facilities, being disabled- friendly, have first aid equipment, and no access to pets in the main areas of the beach. Some criteria are voluntary and some compulsory.
Beaches identified in India:
13 pilot beaches have been identified for the certification.
Chandrabhaga beach of Odisha’s Konark coast is the first to complete the tag certification process.