News: The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE) has launched ‘Atma Nirbhar Skilled Employee Employer Mapping’(ASEEM) portal.
Facts:
- ASEEM Portal: It is an artificial intelligence based platform that aims to help skilled people find sustainable livelihood opportunities by providing employers a platform to assess the availability of skilled workforce and formulate their hiring plans.
- Developed by: The portal has been developed by the National Skill Development Corporation(NSDC) in collaboration with BetterPlace.
Additional Facts:
- NSDC: It is a not-for-profit public limited company incorporated in 2008 under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956
- The Government of India through the Ministry of Skills Development & Entrepreneurship(MSDE) holds 49% of the share capital of NSDC while the private sector has the balance 51% of the share capital.
- Aim: To create training capacity in the country, fund vocational training initiatives and create a market ecosystem for skill development.
2.Start-up Village scheme has generated 1.33 lakh jobs in 2 years: Centre
News: According to the Ministry of Rural Development, over 64,000 rural enterprises have been formed under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme(SVEP) which have generated an estimated 1.3 lakh employment opportunities across States in two years.
Facts:
- Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme(SVEP): It was launched in 2015-16 as a sub-scheme under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission(DAY-NRLM).
- Aim: To help the rural households including women to set up enterprises.
- Objectives:
- To enable rural poor to set up their enterprises by developing a sustainable model for Village Entrepreneurship promotion through integrated ICT techniques.
- Develop local resources by training a pool of village level community cadre (CRPEP)
- Help the rural entrepreneurs to access finance for starting their enterprises from the NRLM SHG and federations, the banking systems including the MUDRA bank.
Additional Facts:
- DAY-NRLM: It was launched by the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) in 2011.
- Aim: To create efficient and effective institutional platforms of the rural poor by enabling them to increase household income through sustainable livelihood enhancements and improved access to financial services.
- Funding: The program is aided in part through investment support by the World Bank.
3.Shipping Ministry issues draft ‘Aids to Navigation Bill 2020’ for public consultation
News: The Ministry of Shipping has issued the draft of Aids to Navigation Bill, 2020 for suggestions from the stakeholders and the general public.
Facts:
- Purpose of the Bill: To replace the Lighthouse Act,1927 to incorporate the best global practices, technological developments and India’s International obligations in the field of Aids to Marine Navigation.
Key Provisions of the Draft Bill:
- Maintenance of Lighthouses: The bill contains provisions for development, maintenance and management of aids to navigation in the country as well as training and certification of operators of these aids.
- Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships(DGLL): It empowers Directorate General with additional power such as Vessel Traffic Service, Wreck flagging, training and certification among others.
- Heritage Lighthouses: It provides for identification and development of heritage lighthouses.
- Offences: It comprises a new schedule of offences along with commensurate penalties for obstructing and damaging the aids to navigation and non-compliance with directives issued by the Central Government and other bodies.
Additional Facts:
- What is a Lighthouse? It is a tower, building or another type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Facts: Samadhan se Vikas is a one-time settlement scheme introduced by Haryana government for the recovery of long-pending dues on account of External Development Charges(EDC)and Infrastructural Development Charges (IDC).The scheme is modeled on the Vivad se Vishwas scheme.
Additional Facts:
- External Development Charges: It is the charges paid by the real estate developer to civic authorities for maintenance of civic amenities within the periphery of the developed project including construction of roads, water and electricity supply, maintenance of drainage etc.
- Infrastructure Development Charges(IDC): It is paid by the real estate developers to the state government for development of major infrastructure projects across the state which include construction of transportation networks including highways, bridges etc.
- Vivad se Vishwas Scheme: It is a direct tax dispute resolution scheme which aims for reducing income tax pending litigation, generate timely revenues for the Government and help taxpayers end their tax disputes with the department by paying disputed tax and get waiver from payment of interest and penalty.
- Sabka Vishwas Scheme: It is a legacy dispute resolution scheme notified by Government in 2019 for closing pending disputes relating to legacy Service Tax and Central Excise cases(now subsumed under GST).
News: World Population Day is observed annually on 11 July.
Facts:
- Aim: To focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues.
- Origin: The day was established in 1989 as an initiative taken by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
- Theme: “How to safeguard the health and rights of women and girls now.”
Additional Facts:
- UNFPA: It is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency.It aims to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted,every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
- Headquarters: New York, United States.
- Report: State of World Population Report.
- International Conference on Population and Development(ICPD): It was held in 1994 in Cairo,Egypt where 179 governments adopted a revolutionary Programme of Action and called for women’s reproductive health and rights to take centre stage in national and global development efforts.
6.Smart Cities Mission opens registration for India Cycles4Change Challenge
News: The Smart Cities Mission has opened the registration for India Cycles4Change Challenge.
Facts:
- The challenge was launched by the Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- Aim: To help cities connect with their citizens as well as experts to develop a unified vision to promote cycling.
Additional Facts:
Smart Cities Mission:
- Launched Year: 2015
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Housing and Urban affairs.
- Aim: To develop 100 smart cities across the country by 2022 making them citizen-friendly and sustainable.
- Objective: To promote sustainable and inclusive cities that provide core infrastructure and give a decent quality of life to its citizens a clean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions.
