PRELIMS NEWS
- Great banyan tree
The issue in news
With the efforts of Mahabubnagar (Telangana) district administration, Pillalamarri – the great banyan tree of Telangana, has got a new lease of life and is now back in healthy germination.
Main points
- The modern-organic treatment has boosted the immunity of the centuries-old giant.
- The officials demonstrated how the dramatically decaying process of the termite-infested tree could be reversed and put back on the growth path.
- To contain the termite attack, chlorpyrifos was sprayed on the tree. Subsequently, holes were drilled into the branches and stem and chlorpyrifos was injected.
Chlorpyrifos:
- Chlorpyrifos (CPS) is an organophosphate pesticide used on crops, animals, and buildings, and in other settings, to kill a number of pests, including insects and worms.
- On the farm, it is used to control ticks on cattle and as a spray to control crop pests.
- It acts on the nervous systems of insects.
- However, it has the potential for both acute toxicity at larger amounts and neurological effects in foetuses and children even at very small amounts.
- It is not soluble in water.
- Ambedkar Social Innovation Incubation Mission
The issue in news
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has launched the Ambedkar Social Innovation and Incubation Mission (ASIIM) under Venture Capital Fund for SCs with a view to promoting innovation and enterprise among SC students studying in higher educational institutions.
Main points
- Under the initiative, 1,000 SC youth will be identified in the next four years with start-up ideas through the Technology Business Incubators in various higher educational institutions.
- They will be funded 30 lakh rupees in three years as equity funding to translate their start-up ideas into commercial ventures.
- Successful ventures would further qualify for venture funding of up to five crore rupees from the Venture Capital Fund for SCs.
Note:
Ministry of Social Justice had launched the Venture Capital Fund for SCs (VCF-SC) in 2014-15 with a view to developing entrepreneurship amongst the SC/Divyang youth and to enable them to become ‘job-givers’.
The objective of this fund is to provide concessional finance to the entities of the SC entrepreneurs.
Atal Beemit Vyakti Kalyan Yojana
The issue in news
ESIC has extended the Atal Beemit (Bimit) Vyakti Kalyan Yojana from July 2020 to June 2021.
Main points
About the scheme
In the scheme in case the Insured Person (IP) is rendered unemployed, provides relief to the extent of 25% of the average per day earning during the previous four contribution periods, to be paid up to maximum 90 days of unemployment once in lifetime.
Conditions and other features
- The Insured Person should have been rendered unemployed during the period the relief is claimed.
- The Insured Person should have been in insurable employment for a minimum period of two years.
- The Insured Person should have contributed not less than 78 days during each of the preceding four contribution periods.
- The contribution in respect of him should have been paid or payable by the employer.
- The contingency of the unemployment should not have been as a result of any punishment for misconduct or superannuation or voluntary retirement.
- Aadhar and Bank Account of the Insured Person should be linked with insured person data base.
- In case the IP is working for more than one employers and is covered under the ESI scheme he will be considered unemployed only in case he is rendered unemployed with all employers.
- As specified in Section 65 of the ESI Act, an IP shall not be entitled to any other cash compensation and the Relief under ABVKY simultaneously for the same period. However, periodical payments of Permanent Disability Benefit (PDB) under ESI Act and Regulations shall continue.
- As specified under Section 61 of the ESI Act, an IP who is in receipt of Relief under ABVKY shall not be entitled to receive any similar benefit admissible under the provisions of any other enactment.
- The IP will be eligible for Medical benefit as provided under the Act for the period he is availing this relief.
- The claim for Relief under ABVKY may be submitted by the claimant any time after rendering unemployed, but not later than one year from the date of unemployment to the appropriate Branch Office in form of affidavit in prescribed Form. No prospective claim i.e. claim for relief under ABVKY for any future period will be allowed.
- The IP will submit his claim online through the ESIC Portal.
STIP 2020
The issue in news
Union Minister of Science and Technology chaired the first of its kind policy consultation with the highly-skilled Indian diaspora to facilitate channels for them to contribute to India’s Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP) 2020.
About STIP 2020
- The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India (Office of PSA) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) have jointly initiated this decentralized, bottom-up, and inclusive process for the formulation of a new national Science Technology and Innovation Policy (STIP 2020).
- This is the fifth S&T policy of India that is being initiated.
- The STIP 2020 formulation process is organised into 4 highly interlinked tracks:
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- Track I involves an extensive public and expert consultation process through the Science Policy Forum – a dedicated platform for soliciting inputs from larger public and expert pool during and after the policy drafting process.
- Track II comprises experts-driven thematic consultations to feed evidence-informed recommendations into the policy drafting process. Twenty-one focused thematic groups have been constituted for this purpose.
- Track III involves consultations with Ministries and States.
- Track IV constitutes apex level multi-stakeholder consultation.
- Warli Art
The issue in news
Warli art (Maharashtra) is being used by Artists in Hyderabad not just to beautify Hyderabad, but also to create awareness on important issues.
Main Points
- It is a traditional art form of Maharashtra which can be traced to as early as the 10 century A.D.
- These paintings are have vivid contrast expressions and are mainly dominated by basic geometric shapes like circles, triangles and squares.
- These geometric shapes stand as a symbol of natural elements in our environment.
- For example, the circles represent the sun and moon, the triangles represent the mountains and the squares are considered as the central motifs of the painting.
- People and animals are represented by two inverted triangles joined together.
- The central theme of the paintings are scenes portraying hunting, fishing, farming, festival and dances, trees and animals are used to surround the central theme.
- Warli art form is being used by many artists to beautify cities and spread awareness through wall paintings.
- Warli is the vivid expression of daily and social events of the Warli tribe of Maharashtra, used by them to embellish the walls of village houses.
Warli Tribe
- They are an indigenous tribe or Adivasis, living in the Mountainous as well as coastal areas of Maharashtra-Gujarat border and surrounding areas. They speak an unwritten Varli language which belongs to the southern zone of the Indo-Aryan languages.
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