Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants
Prelims - Current events of national and international importance | Government policies and interventions.
Why in News?
Recently, government has approved projects under integrated Component of Scheme for Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants.
- It is a central sector scheme that was approved by the cabinet in 2008.
- Aim – To provide project-based support throughout the country for different activities.
- Implemented by - National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush.
- Coverage – All across India.
- Support – Both financial and technical support are provided.
- Technical support was provided to farmers including tribal farmers.
- Integrated component – Forward and backward linkage in supply chain of medicinal plants.
- It includes activities like
- Infrastructure for Quality Planting Material
- Information Education Communication (IEC) activities
- Infrastructure for Post-Harvest Management and Marketing
- Quality Testing and Certification of raw material
- Importance – It provided local employment through project activities approved under integrated component.
- It provided short-term income especially to women.
- These efforts led to direct income generation and promoted inclusive economic growth at the grassroots level.
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Other Government Support for Medicinal Plants
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Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)
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Provide financial assistance for area expansion of short duration medicinal plants.
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Ministry of Tribal Affairs
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It supports value addition, processing and marketing of forest and agricultural produce gathered by tribal communities under
- PM Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM)
- PM- Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM JANMAN) scheme
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Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for the holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root & tuber crops, mushrooms, spices.
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National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)
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- Set up in – 2000.
- Nodal ministry - Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homoeopathy).
- Aim - To promote coordination between various ministries, departments and different organizations.
- To enhance overall conservation, cultivation, trade and export growth of medicinal plants sector both at the Central, State & International level.
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References
- PIB| Conservation of Medicinal Plants
- NMBP| National Medical Plants Board
BHU-NEER Portal
Prelims - Current events of national and international importance | Government policies and interventions.
Why in News?
Recently, the Ministry of Jalshakti includes some of the latest and user-friendly features to the BHU-NEER portal.
- Bhu-Neer portal is designed to serve as a one-stop platform for managing and regulating ground water resources in 2024.
- Launched by – Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).
- Nodal Ministry - Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- Coverage - Project supports in 19 States/UTs.
- Aim – To control indiscriminate groundwater extraction and promote sustainable management.
- Features
- Centralized Database - It maintains a centralized database containing crucial information on groundwater compliance, policies, and sustainable practices.
- Target Users - It caters to industries, infrastructure projects, and mining projects that require groundwater extraction permits.
- No Objection Certificate (NOC) Applications – It provides a quick and easy platform for filing online applications for No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for groundwater abstraction.
- Compliance and Water Conservation - It emphasizes compliance such as the construction of rooftop rainwater harvesting structures and installation of sewage treatment plants.
- Pan based single id system provides ease of access and integration
- Query module for one-to-one interaction with CGWA
- Real time Sms & Email alerts.
- Significance – Promotes transparency, efficiency, and ease of doing business in groundwater governance.
- The portal also aims to ensure building rooftop rainwater harvesting systems and setting up sewage treatment plants.
Reference
PIB| Bhu-Neer portal
Telecom Industry Expansion in Rural Areas
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance
Why in News?
Recently, the Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development highlighted the infrastructural expansion of the telecom industry in rural areas.
- The approved projects have been funded through Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), which inter alia, includes the following: -
- Comprehensive Telecom Development Plan (CTDP) for mobile connectivity in the North Eastern Region, Andaman & Nicobar islands and Lakshadweep islands.
- Scheme for providing mobile services in Left Wing Extremism (LWE) affected areas and Aspirational Districts.
- 4G Saturation Project for providing 4G mobile services in uncovered villages.
- Amended BharatNet project to provide broadband connectivity to the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages.
BharatNet project aimed at providing broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. It is one of the biggest rural telecom projects in the world.
- Policy initiatives for expanding of 5G services –These initiatives include to make available affordable services to users.
- Auction of spectrum for 5G mobile services.
- Financial reforms to rationalize Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), Bank Guarantees (BGs) and interest rates.
- Removal of Spectrum Usage Charges for spectrum acquired in auction of 2022 and thereafter.
- Simplification of procedure for SACFA (Standing Advisory Committee on Radio Frequency Allocations) clearance.
- Launch of GatiShakti Sanchar portal to enable fast-track growth of digital communications infrastructure.
- RoW(Right of Way) Rules to streamline RoW permissions for installation of telecom infrastructure.
- Time-bound permission for use of street furniture for installation of small cells and telecommunication line.
- Benefits – With the availability of high-speed mobile network, there has been increased adoption of online banking services, e-commerce.
- Improved online education as well as online government services among the users across all sections of society including those in rural and semi-urban areas.
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Digital Bharat Nidhi
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- Established – Under the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 2003
- Telecommunications Act, 2023 – The Universal Service Obligation Fund, has become the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN).
- Mandate – To support universal service through promoting access and delivery of telecommunication service in underserved rural, remote and urban areas.
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Related links Digital Bharat Nidhi
Reference
PIB| Telecom Industry Expansion in Rural areas
India’s Deep Ocean Exploration
Prelims: Current events of national and international importance
Why in News?
Recently, the Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences noted India’s deep ocean exploration activities in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.
- Ministry – Ministry of Earth Science.
- Indias exploration activities conducted under the Deep Ocean Mission.
- Allocation for exploration – As a part of ISA, India has been allotted a 75,000 square km area in the Central Indian Ocean Basin.
- 10,000 square km area in the Central Indian Ridge and Southwest Indian Ridge of the Southern Indian Ocean.
- Exploration activities – Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology (Kochi), attached to Ministry of Earth Sciences, has conducted biodiversity surveys across 19 seamounts in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal,
- From the survey, 1300 deep-sea organisms have been collected, studied and vouchered, including genomic analysis for select organisms and the discovery of nearly 23 species that are new to science.
- Collaborative research – Projects are undertaken and funded to various government and private laboratories, universities and institutions.
- Data dissemination – The Marine biodiversity data is collected through research publications and shared with the UN Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- The Marine Microbial Information Portal, developed by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (Chennai), provides genomic sequence data of deep-sea microbes collected in the public domain.
- India is a member of the International Seabed Authority.
Quick Facts
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International Seabed Authority (ISA)
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- It is an intergovernmental organization established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
- Its primary role is to organize, regulate, and control all mineral-related activities in the international seabed area, which lies beyond the limits of national jurisdiction, for the benefit of humankind.
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Reference
PIB| India’s Deep Ocean Exploration
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One Liners 11-08-2025
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History, Art and Culture
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Bhasha Samman
- Instituted in – 1996, by Sahitya Akademi.
- Awarded to – Writers, scholars, editors, collectors, performers or translators who have made considerable contribution to the propagation, modernization or enrichment of the languages concerned.
- Price – Rs.1 lakh.
- Annual award – Given for 3-4 persons in different languages on the basis of recommendation of experts' committees.
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Sahitya Akademi
- It is an autonomous body under Ministry of Culture.
- Established in – 1954.
- Registered under – Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- Objectives – To promote of Indian literature in 24 languages.
- To encourage the preservation and promotion of languages, not only the recognized languages but specially the unrecognized and tribal language of India.
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Environment
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Sustainable Alternative to Plastics
IIT-Madras have developed an agriculture waste-based packaging material using 2 fungal mushrooms.
- Two strains –
- Ganoderma lucidum, known for its medicinal properties.
- Pleurotus ostreatus, recognized for its edibility, nutritional value, and medicinal properties.
- Production – These strains were allowed to grow on 5 different substrates such as cardboard, sawdust, paper, coco pith, and hay.
- Alternative material – Ganoderma on cardboard achieved a compressive strength greater than expanded polystyrene (EPS).
- Significance – Reduce the 4 million-odd tonnes of plastic waste.
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Science
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Criteria for Setting up Nuclear Plant
- Geography – Topography & accessibility.
- Infrastructure – For transportation & construction facilities.
- Resources – Township for staff, and availability of power,
- Feasibility of power evacuation and availability of cooling water.
- Safety aspects related to – Geology, seismology (not falling in seismic zone V) and meteorology.
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Steps to Enhance Gestation Period for Nuclear Plant
- Tech-Driven Design – Use of extensive application of computers in speeding design process.
- Workflow Optimization – To provide sophisticated tools for project management.
- Construction Innovation – Enhance advancement in civil construction methodology and mechanization.
- Concurrent Construction – To build a parallel civil and mechanical erection & open top construction.
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Computer & Information Security Advisory Group (CISAG)
- It is a specialist groups under Department of Atomic energy (DAE).
- Aim – To focus on the cyber security and information security of DAE units, including nuclear facilities.
- To regulate cyber security audit of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited.
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Seismic Microzonation Data
Total 3032 earthquakes were recorded within India including Bay of Bengal, Andaman Sea during last 5 years.
- Seismic microzonation – It is a process of classifying a region into zones of relatively similar exposure to various earthquake-related effects.
- Released by – National Centre for Seismology, Ministry of Earth Science.
- Seismic observatories – 168 stations across India.
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Miscellaneous
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Field Marshal Manekshaw
Recently, Field marshal Manekshaw has been included in class 8th Urdu NCERT curricula.
- Birth – 1914, Amritsar.
- Recognition – 1st Indian military officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal, the highest rank in the Indian Army.
- Participated in – World War II, India-Pakistan War in 1947 & 1965.
- Awarded - Padma Bhushan in 1968 and Padma Vibhushan in 1972.
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Brigadier Mohammad Usman
Recently, Brigadier Mohammad Usman has been included in class 7th Urdu NCERT curricula.
- He famously known as the “Lion of Nowshera”.
- Birth – 1912, in Azamgarh, UP.
- Participated – Battle of Nowshera, Indo-Pak war of 1947-48.
- He was commanding the 50 (Independent) Parachute Brigade in Jammu and Kashmir.
- He was the highest-ranking officer of the Indian Army to be killed in action during the 1947-48 war.
- Awarded posthumously – Maha Vir Chakra (MVC), India’s second-highest wartime gallantry award.
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Major Mohit Sharma
Recently, Major Mohit Sharma has been included in class 8th English NCERT curricula.
- His code name was “Iftikhar Bhatt”.
- Birth – 1978 in Rohtak, Haryana.
- Participated in – Covert operation, died while leading Bravo Assault team and saved 2 soldiers.
- Awarded – 1st medal for gallantry COASM (Chief of Army Staff Commendation Medal) in the year 2002.
- “Sena Medal” gallantry for his act of bravery.
- Ashoka Chakra (posthumously) which is highest peacetime gallantry award.
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