Amit Shah launches ‘Ayushman CAPF’ scheme health cards

• Union Home Minister Amit Shah launched the 'Ayushman CAPF' scheme health cards. 

• The home minister had launched the scheme on pilot basis in Assam on January 23, 2021 to provide healthcare services to all CAPFs personnel and their dependents.

• From now onwards, health cards distribution will be undertaken in all CAPFs and the number of cards distributed will be displayed on the website of MHA on a daily basis.

The scheme has been designed to cover all serving personnel and their dependents of the seven Central Armed Police Forces under MHA. They are:

• Assam Rifles (ARs)

• Border Security Force (BSF)

• Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)

• Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)

• Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

• National Security Guard (NSG)

• Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB).

• The distribution of about 35 lakh cards will be completed by December, 2021.

• The scheme is a joint initiative of the MHA, health ministry and National Health Authority (NHA).

• The CAPF personnel and their families will now be able to avail cashless in-patient and out-patient healthcare facilities at all hospitals empanelled under the Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY or the CGHS.

• To enable seamless services to the CAPFs beneficiaries, the National Health Authority has created an appropriate mechanism with a dedicated toll-free helpline number 14588.

• This is an online grievance management system and it will ensure a stringent fraud and abuse detection, prevention and control system.

**************************

TRIFED launches four more Tribes India outlets

• Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda launched four new Tribes India outlets, one in Patna and three at Chennai Metro. With this, Tribes India has expanded its retail network to 147 outlets across the country.

What is Tribes India network?

• The Tribes India network, an initiative of the Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED), is similar to selling products on e-commerce giants. 

• TRIFED started procurement and marketing of tribal art and craft items through its network of retail outlets under the Tribes India brand.

• Showcasing tribal products from all over India, the e-marketplace is a platform which can be accessed on web and mobile by customers and registered tribal vendors.

• The Tribes India outlets and e-commerce platform (www.tribesindia.com) cater to different types of needs.

What is TRIFED?

• The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) was established in 1987. It is a national-level apex organisation functioning under the administrative control of the ministry of tribal affairs. TRIFED has its head office in New Delhi and 15 regional offices across the country. 

• TRIFED aims for socio-economic development of tribals of the country by institutionalising the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected/cultivated by them. 

• It plays the dual role of both a market developer and a service provider, empowering them with knowledge and tools to better their operations in a systematic, scientific manner and also assist them in developing their marketing approach.

• It is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people through sensitisation and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs). It is also engaged in training the tribals in several activities, so that they can effectively carry them out.

**************************

Education minister launches ‘Bhasha Sangam’ initiative

• Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan launched the ‘Bhasha Sangam’ initiative for schools, ‘Bhasha Sangam’ mobile application and ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ quiz application.

• ‘Bhasha Sangam’ is an initiative of the ministry of education initiative under ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’ to teach schoolchildren basic sentences of common use in 22 Indian languages.

• The idea is to help people acquire basic conversational skills in an Indian language other than their mother tongue. 

Key features of Bhasha Sangam:

• Developed by NCERT.

• 100 sentences in 22 scheduled languages are presented in such a way that children in school will be able to read in the Indian language, in Devanagari script, in roman script and translations into Hindi and English.

• 100 sentences are presented in audio and video form with Indian Sign Language.

• Through this programme of Bhasha Sangam learners in school will be able to get acquainted with scripts and pronunciation in all the languages.

**************************

Power minister inaugurates diversion of Marusudar river at Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project in J&K

• Union Power Minister R.K. Singh inaugurated the diversion of Marusudar River at the 1,000-megawatt (MW) Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project in the Kishtwar district of Jammu & Kashmir.

• Marusudar River is a major tributary of the Chenab River. Diversion of the river will pave the way for acceleration in the construction activities of the project.

• The 1,000-MW Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project is being constructed by Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Ltd (CVPPPL), a joint venture company of NHPC and Jammu & Kashmir State Power Development Corp (JKSPDC).

• The completion of the project will lead to improvement in the socio-economic conditions of the people in the region.

• Through this project, an investment of Rs 8,212 crore is being made in the region that will provide direct and indirect employment opportunities and will help in the overall development of the local inhabitants.

• CVPPPL has been entrusted with 3,094 MW hydropower projects for the construction in J&K.

**************************

IREDA launches whistle-blower portal

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Ltd (IREDA) launched the whistle-blower portal, as a part of the Vigilance Awareness Week 2021.

• Through this portal, IREDA employees can raise concerns related to fraud, corruption and abuse of power, among others. 

Vigilance Awareness Week

• Vigilance Awareness Week (VAW) is celebrated every year and coincides with the birthday of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

• The Vigilance Awareness Week encourages all stakeholders to collectively participate in the prevention of and the fight against corruption and to raise public awareness regarding the existence, causes and gravity of and the threat posed by corruption.

• In 2021, Vigilance Awareness Week was observed from October 26, 2021 to November 1, 2021 with the theme Independent India @ 75: Self Reliance with Integrity.

What is the purpose of IREDA?

• Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency Limited (IREDA) is a Mini Ratna (Category-I) government of India Enterprise under the administrative control of the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE). 

• IREDA is a public limited government company established as a non-banking financial institution in 1987 engaged in promoting, developing and extending financial assistance for setting up projects relating to new and renewable sources of energy, energy efficiency and conservation.

• Since its inception, the company has played a catalytic role in developing market for financing renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) projects. 

• Over the years, IREDA has sanctioned loans aggregating to Rs 96,601 crore, disbursed Rs 63,492 crore and supported more than 17,586 MW of RE capacity in the country.

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store