Nano DAP

• DAP, or di-ammonium phosphate, is the second most commonly used fertiliser in India after urea.
• It is high in phosphorus (P) that stimulates root establishment and development, without which plants cannot grow to their normal size, or will take too long to mature.
• It is thus applied just before, or at the time of sowing.
• Home Minister Amit Shah, last April, launched Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative’s (IFFCO’s) Nano DAP, containing 8% Nitrogen and 16% Phosphorus by volume.
• Unlike conventional DAP, which comes in granular form, IFFCO’s Nano DAP is in liquid form.
• This tiny particle size makes Nano DAP more efficient than its conventional counterpart.
• This enables the fertilizer to enter easily inside the seed surface or through stomata and other plant openings.
• Nano DAP is more pocket-friendly than its conventional counterpart.
• India’s first Nano DAP Plant is located in Kalol (Gandhinagar), Gujarat.

Panel of Vice Chairpersons

• Under the Rules of Rajya Sabha, the Chairman nominates from amongst the members a panel of vice-chairpersons.
• Any one of them can preside over the House in the absence of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman.
• He/she has the same powers as the Chairman when so presiding.
• He/she holds office until a new panel of vice-chairpersons is nominated.
• When a member of the panel of vice chairpersons is also not present, any other person as determined by the House acts as the Chairman.
• A member of the panel of vice chairpersons cannot preside over the House, when the office of the Chairman or the Deputy Chairman is vacant.
• During such time, the Chairman’s duties are to be performed by such member of the House as the president may appoint for the purpose.

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY)

• It is implemented by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs.
• The scheme aims to provide a pucca house with basic amenities to all houseless households.
• Under the scheme, beneficiaries can avail a loan of up to Rs.70,000 from financial institutions.
• Beneficiaries are identified using parameters from Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC) and verified by Gram Sabhas.
• Payments are made electronically directly to bank accounts or post office accounts that are linked to Aadhaar.

Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs)

• A BIT is an agreement between two countries that establishes the terms and conditions for private investment by nationals and companies of one country in the other country.
• BITs are designed to promote and protect foreign direct investment (FDI).
• India signed its first BIT with in 1994 with the United Kingdom.
• India signed a BIT with SriLanka in 1997.

C-CARES

• It is the web portal for Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO), working under aegis of the Ministry of Coal.
• The portal is developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), an R&D organization under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.
• The portal marks a significant leap in the digitization journey of CMPFO aiming to address the long-standing issue of digitizing its records and work processes.
• Coal Mines Provident Fund Organization (CMPFO) is an autonomous organization under the aegis of Ministry of Coal.
• CMPFO was established in the year 1948 for administering Provident Fund and Pension schemes for the purpose of providing social security to the coal sector workers.
• At present, CMPFO process settlement claims of   Provident Fund subscribers and    pensioners    manually.
• With launch of the portal, settlement of PF and pension claims will now be processed and settled online.
• It will facilitate faster processing, transparency in operations, better record management and monitoring.
• It will also instil confidence in the subscribers and pensioners.