Daily Current Affairs 02 June 2020 With Video Lecture

PM Addresses SPIC MACAY’s International Convention PM appreciated the fact that even under these trying circumstances, the spirits of the musicians remained undeterred. Prime Minister said, music has not only...

Chetan Apurav
June 2, 2020
1,406

PM Addresses SPIC MACAY’s International Convention

PM appreciated the fact that even under these trying circumstances, the spirits of the musicians remained undeterred.
Prime Minister said, music has not only been a source of happiness, but also a means of service and a form of penance.
The Society for the Promotion of Indian Classical Music And Culture Amongst Youth.
SPIC MACAY: is a voluntary youth movement which promotes Indian classical music, classical dance, folk music, yoga, meditation, crafts, and other aspects of Indian culture; it is a movement with chapters in over 300 towns all over the world.
SPIC MACAY: established by Dr. Kiran Seth in 1977 at IIT Delhi.

PM Modi launches CHAMPIONS which is a technology platform to empower MSMEs

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi today launched the technology platform CHAMPIONS which stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength.
As the name suggests, the portal is basically for making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and hand holding. It is a real one-stop-shop solution of MSME Ministry.
Detailed objectives of CHAMPIONS:
- Grievance Redressal: To resolve the problems of MSMEs including those of finance, raw materials, labour, regulatory permissions etc particularly in the Covid created difficult situation.
- To help them capture new opportunities: including manufacturing of medical equipment and accessories like PPEs, masks, etc and supply them in National and International markets.
- To identify and encourage the sparks: i.e. the potential MSMEs who can withstand the current situation and can become national and international champions.
It is a technology packed control room-cum-management information system. In addition to ICT tools including telephone, internet and video conference, the system is enabled by Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Machine Learning.

Finance Commission holds meeting on Issues of Air Quality in Urban Areas

The 15th Finance Commission headed by Sh. N. K. Singh and including its Members and senior officials held a detailed meeting with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change headed by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, senior officers on issues relating to Air Quality (AQ) specially that in Urban Areas. It may be recalled that the XVFC Report 2020-2021 was the first time that any Commission has given attention to air quality (AQ) as a major focus and this FC had not only recommended grants for 2020-21 and also provided road map for its award period. The meeting started with the Minister applauding the Commission for this path breaking step.
The Commission is currently deliberating the recommendations to be made for the next five years from 2021-22 to 2025-26 and needs to formulate suitable provisions for continuing the grants for these cities/UAs for improving ambient air quality in a sustainable manner. In this regard it needed to understand the procedure and operational guidelines finalised in administering these grants and monitoring the outcomes for 2020-21, the meeting with the MoEFCC was called for.
The Commission was given the following information:
- Regarding reliable data on AQ measurement, it was explained that there is a network of around 984 stations covering a wide range of cities and towns, around 779 manual stations and 205 continuous monitoring stations in around 500 cities which were set up under the National Control of Air Pollution (NACP) to meet its objectives. Though a network of AQI monitoring stations are in place, there is a need for strengthening and expanding these along with the geographical area to cover the air-shed areas to make it more robust and accurate.
- The Ministry has begun this work earlier as part of roll-out of NACP and various think-tanks like IITs, IIMs and NITs have been made local partners for different cities/towns. Ministry will also seek their expert guidance on what the Commission need to consider for the five years from 2021.
- As the problem of AQ is mostly not a localized phenomenon and is influenced by many factors beyond the control of a region, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is now focusing on air-shed management approach.
- Construction & Demolition Waste Management was a priority of the Government and that the Government would seek the support of the Commission for the same.

Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) campaign launched for 1.5 crore dairy farmers

The Government will provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies within the next two months (1st June-31st July 2020) under a special drive. The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in association with Department of Financial Services has already circulated relevant circulars and KCC application format to all State Milk Federation and Milk Unions for implementing the same on a mission mode.
Under the dairy cooperative movement, approximately 1.7 crore farmers are associated with 230 Milk Unions in the country.
In the first phase of this campaign, the target is to cover all farmers who are members of dairy cooperative societies and associated with different Milk Unions and who do not have KCC. Farmers who already have KCC based on their land ownership, can get their KCC credit limit enhanced, though interest subvention shall be available only to the extent of Rs 3 lakhs. Although the general limit for KCC credit without collateral remains Rs. 1.6 lakh, but the case of farmers whose milk is directly procured by Milk Unions falls under tie up arrangements between the producers and processing units without any intermediaries, and hence the credit limits without Collateral can be upto Rs.3 lakh. This will ensure more credit availability for dairy farmers associated with Milk Unions as well as assuring repayment of loans to banks.
The special drive to provide KCC to 1.5 crore dairy farmers is part of the Prime Minister’s Atma Nirbhar Bharat package for Farmers. Finance Minister on 15 May 2020 has announced to cover 2.5 crore new farmers under the KCC scheme. This will provide an additional liquidity of Rs.5 lakh crore in the hands of farmers, who are suffering from the recent downturn of economy.
As, dairy is among the fastest growing sectors of the economy with a CAGR of above 6% in the last 5 years, providing short term credit to dairy farmers for meeting their requirements for working capital, marketing etc. will boost their productivity tremendously.

Current COVID19 Situation in India