Minority Ministry Launches Online Application Management System (OAMS) for "Nai Roshni"
i. Dr. Najma Heptulla, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs Launched
Online Application Management System (OAMS) for Nai Roshni. Speaking on
the occasion she said the system brings the scheme in to public domain
and will facilitate transparency and quick delivery.
ii. The Ministry has developed an Online Application Management System
(OAMS) for Nai Roshni scheme. The procedures involved and benefits of
the system include:
- Submission of online application and generation of an application ID with date.
- Online screening of applications.
- Online receipt of documents.
- No loss of documents due to postal or human negligence.
- Curtailment of procedural delays.
- Minimized paper work.
- Time saving.
- The applicant can check the status of their applications with their ID.
- Online project approval, sanctions and release of funds.
- Online monitoring of projects.
- Reports on trained women, location of projects etc. available in public domain.
iii. The Ministry of Minority Affairs implements Nai Roshni a scheme for
Leadership Development of Minority Women since 2012-13, to empower and
instill confidence in women by providing knowledge, tools and techniques
for interacting with Government systems, banks and intermediaries at
all levels.
iv. The scheme is implemented through Non -Governmental Organizations
(NGOs), Civil Societies, Trust etc. The scheme provides one week
training programmes followed by Handholding for one year. The training
is provided on various Training modules cover issues relating to women
viz. Leadership of Women through participation in decision making,
Educational Programmes for women, Health and Hygiene, Legal rights of
women, Financial Literacy, Digital Literacy, Swachch Bharat, Life Skills
and Advocacy for Social and Behavioural change.
Ranil Wickremesinghe sworn in as Prime Minister of Sri Lanka
i. Ranil Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka.
He was administered the oath of office by President Maithripala
Sirisena at the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo.
ii. Wickremesinghe, a lawmaker since 1977, had served the country as its
Prime Minister on three occasions. He held the post from 1993-94,
2002-2004 and since January 2015.
iii. Apart from this, immediately after the swearing-in, the General
Secretaries of the two main parties in the country, the Sri Lanka
Freedom Party (SLFP) and the United National Party (UNP) signed a
Memorandum of Understanding to work together in the parliament and form a
National Government.
iv. Earlier on 18 August 2015, Wickremesinghe’s United National Party
won 106 seats, seven short of a majority in the 225-member parliament.
This agreement between the UNP and Sirisena’s SLFP will enable
Wickremesighe to secure a majority in Parliament.
Himachal Pradesh Government launched RISHTA project
i. Himachal Pradesh Government on 20 August 2015 launched the Rajiv
Gandhi Illuminating Scheme for Hill Town Advancement (RISHTA) project,
an efficient smart LED based street lighting project. With this,
Himachal Pradesh became the first state in North India to do so.
ii. The scheme is also known as Centralized Control and Monitoring
System (CCMS) Smart Street Lighting Scheme for Urban Local bodies which
implements LED based street lighting project. This project is being
implemented by collaboration of state Urban Development Department and
EESL.
iii. EESL (Energy Efficient Services Limited) is a joint venture company
formed by four power sectors i.e. National Thermal Power Corporation
(NTPC), Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL), Power Finance
Corporation Ltd. (PFC) and Rural Electrification Corporation (REC).
iv. For this project, EESL will invest all the capital upfront for
implementation of Project. Municipalities will pay back this investment
to EESL over a period of 7 years from energy and cost savings that will
accrue as a result of installation of energy efficient LED lights.
v. In this project, a total of 63484 street lights will be replaced with
LEDs in all the Urban Local Bodies to achieve 45 to 55 percent energy
savings. The total savings within a year in terms of operation and
maintenance will be 6.5 crore rupees.
Government launched education loan portal for students seeking loans
i. On 20 August 2015, Government launched a web-based portal
www.vidyalakshmi.co.in for the students seeking educational loans. In
order to ensure that no student misses out on higher education due to
lack of funds, finance minister in the Union Budget for 2015-16 had
proposed to set a fully IT-based Student Financial Aid Authority.
ii. In line with this proposal this portal was launched with an aim to
administer and monitor scholarship as well as educational loan schemes
under the Pradhan Mantri Vidya Lakshmi Karyakram (PMVLK). The launch of
this portal also aims to bring all banks providing educational loans
under one roof.
iii. The portal has been developed and maintained by NSDL e-Governance
Infrastructure Limited (NSDL e-Gov) under the guidance of Ministry of
Finance, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource
Development and Indian Banks’ Association (IBA).
iv. It is a first of its kind portal that provides access to information
and makes application for educational loans provided by banks and also
government scholarships under a single window.
v. The portal also has a provision to apply to multiple banks for
educational loans and facility for banks to download students’ loan
applications among others.
Narendra Modi-Barack Obama hotline becomes operational
i. The hotlines or secure lines of communication between Prime Minister
Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama and their national security
advisers have recently become operational, though it has not been put to
use during its short lifespan so far.
ii.
This is a secure line between two very very close partners so that they
can exchange views at the heads of state level...exchange views and
co-ordinate approaches to solving real problems, said the top White
House official.
iii. With this India becomes only the fourth country- after Russia,
Great Britain and China - with which the US has a hotline. For India
this is the first hotline at the level of head of state.
iv. The establishment of hotline or secure line of communication between
leaders of the two largest democracies of the world is part of efforts
of Obama and Modi to increase the frequency of level of communication
and frequent discussion between them on key bilateral, regional and
global issues.
YouTube announces partnership with Whistling Woods to set up “YouTube Space” in Mumbai
i. Video sharing portal YouTube has announced to set up a new “YouTube
Space” in Mumbai with Asia’s largest and most renowned film schools the
Whistling Woods International (WWI). The ‘YouTube Space’ at WWI will
provide production facility for YouTube video creators as well as the
students of WWI where they can learn video production.
ii.
This facility at WWI will be set up at Filmcity which is a major film
and television production hub in Mumbai and is expected to open at end
of the year. You Tube had launched first You Tube Space in 2012 the
facility at Mumbai is the seventh other six are in Tokyo, Los Angeles,
London, New York, Brazil, and recently launched in Berlin.
iii. At Mumbai facility the video creators can produce original digital
video content right from the start of an idea through to filming,
editing, and uploading to YouTube with the help cutting edge audio,
visual, and editing equipments at the WWI. Both WWI and YouTube at this
facility will also develop original courses to train the next generation
of Indian filmmakers to succeed in digital and online media.
iv. To facilitate You Tube operations WWI has include content creation,
audience development and monetisation in its degree and diploma
programs. This new facility at WWI is set up by You Tube with an idea to
support the incredible wave of creative Indian YouTube creator
community.
Rajasthan Govt Join Hands With Future Group To Mordernise Public Distribution System
i. The Rajasthan government on Thursday entered into an agreement with
Future Consumer Enterprise Ltd. (FCEL) to modernise the public
distribution system (PDS) by providing multi-brand consumer goods at
competitive prices to public through fair price shops.
ii. Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje launched the initiative, “Annapurna
Bhandar Yojna”, a public private partnership (PPP) scheme touted as the
first of its kind in the country after Rajasthan State Food and Civil
Supplies Corporation and FCEL signed an agreement at the chief
minister’s office here.
iii. Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani said: “We are committed to take the
benefits of modern retail through the fair prices shops to the common
people of Rajasthan.”
iv. “Annapurna Bhandar Yojna would strengthen government’s effort in
bringing about a positive change and bettering the daily lives of the
people of Rajasthan,” Raje said in a statement, adding she hoped that
this would become India’s biggest entrepreneurship drive with 5,000 FPS
dealers turning into entrepreneurs.
