UTTARAKHAND
No new hydel units on Ganga, said govt in 2019
Even as dams are being discussed afresh after the glacier disaster in Uttarakhand, the Centre had taken a decision during PM Narendra Modi’s first term itself not to take up any new hydro-electric project on river Ganga and its tributaries in the state.
Asked about the Uttarakhand government’s push for new hydro-power projects in the state, Gupta said, “We will go by our decision of not taking up any new project. Works on only the ongoing under-construction projects will continue.”
The seven projects then cleared include the Tapovan-Vishnugad project (520 MW) on Dhauli Ganga river which was damaged in floods caused by the glacial burst.
The other projects in the list of seven include Tehri Stage-II (1000 MW) on Bhagirathi river, Vishnugad Pipalkoti (444 MW) on Alaknanda river, Singoli Bhatwari (99 MW) on Mandakini river and Madhymaheshwar (15 MW) on Madmaheshwar Ganga river.
INTERNATIONAL
Russia to Launch 40 Satellites in 2021 of March
The Russian Aerospace Industry announced that Russia will launch 40 satellites into orbit from 18 different countries in the world in March 2021.
The satellite will be launched using the Soyuz-2 launch vehicle. It was also learned in November 2020 that the aerospace industry will bomb Soyuz-2.1 on March 20, 2021.
Soyuz 2.1 is a launch vehicle with Fregat boosters. It will be launched together with the Korean compact Advanced Satellite 500 spacecraft named CAS500-1.
Payloads from 18 countries will also be sent to orbit along with Soyuz 2.1 and CAS500-1. However, the list of satellites has not yet been finalized.
The Soyuz 2.1 payload will launch satellites from Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, UAE, Israel, Thailand, Germany, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Hungary, Argentina, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Tunisia and the United Kingdom.
NATIONAL
Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana
The purpose of launching Atmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana (ABRY) is to incentivize employers to create new jobs as well as social security benefits and restore lost jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian government will provide a two-year subsidy for new employees hired between October 1, 2020 or later, and upto June 30, 2021.
For new employees in companies that employ up to 1,000 employees, the Indian government will pay employees 12% of employee dues and 12% of employer dues, which is 24% of the salary paid by EPF ( two years).
The Indian government will only pay employees’ EPF contribution share, which is 12% of 12% of wages in respect of new employees in establishments employing more than 1000 employee for two years.
The monthly salary of employees is less than Rs. 15000 /-If you have not worked in an organization registered with the Employees Provident Fund Organization (EPFO) before October 1, 2020, and you do not have a Universal Account Number or EPF Member Account before October 1, 2020, you are eligible for this benefit.
From March 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020, EPF members who quit their work during the Covid pandemic and have a Universal Account Number (UAN) with a monthly salary of less than 15,000 rupees and have not joined any EPF-protected organization up to September 30 will also be eligible for benefits.
Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan – Affected by Covid
After the COVID-19 pandemic, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyan was established in June 2020 to increase employment and livelihood opportunities for returned migrant workers and citizens who are also affected in rural areas.
The large-scale rural public works scheme is launched to increase livelihood opportunities in rural India.
The districts will join the program through the Common Service Center and Krishi Vikas Kendras (KVKs).
The campaign will last 125 days and aims to work in task mode to help immigrant workers.
It will involve strengthening and centralizing the implementation of 25 different types of jobs to provide employment opportunities and build infrastructure in rural areas.
The total expenditure for the programme is Rs. 50,000 crores.
Beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana
According to reports from Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and 14 major Private Sector Banks, as of January 2021, a total number of 41.75 crore accounts have been opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY). This information is provided by Union MoS, a Finance and Corporate Affairs.
Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) is a national mission that aims to provide access to various financial services, including Remittance, Credit, Insurance, Pension, Banking Savings & Deposit Accounts in an affordable manner.
Central Sector Scheme to Tackle Air Pollution And Manage Crop Residues
The Central Sector Scheme entitled “Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization to manage Crop Residues On-Site in the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi” has been implemented in 2018-19 and 2019-20.
The objectives of the scheme are:
Protect the environment from air pollution, and prevent the loss of nutrients and soil microorganisms due to the burning of crop residues.
Promote the on-site management of crop residues by using appropriate mechanized inputs to retain and blend in the soil.
Through demonstration, capacity building activities and differentiated information, education and communication strategies, build awareness among stakeholders to effectively use and manage crop residues.
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