Web series usually refer to series that are available on the various platforms like netflix , amazon prime , youtube etcetera. During the pandemic there has been a rapid increase in the veiws
orms, too .One third of 55-64-year-olds, and 15% of people aged 65+ used subscription services in the early weeks of lockdown.
The majority signed up to Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, although Disney+ overtook Now TV as the third most popular paid-for streaming platform .Older viewers, who typically watch more traditional broadcast TV, increased their use of streaming platf
The study, entitled Media Nations 2020, suggested that as lockdown measures eased towards the end of June, the uplift in streaming services held firm – 71% up on the same time last year. This figure also included people viewing more non-broadcast content on platforms like YouTube and gaming sites. And more than half of UK adults (55%) with new streaming subscriptions said they will keep them and spend the same amount of time watching streamed content in future.Growth is slowing as consumers get through the initial shock of coronavirus and social restrictions,” the company said.
Ah, Valentine’s day! The celebration many people love to hate and others to be the perfect excuse to get cheesy with their loved ones. No matter how you react to Valentine’s Day, there is no chance you can ignore it. It’s everywhere. In fact, once December ends and the Christmas decorations come down, all the brands get ready for the next big thing which is most definitely Valentine’s Day. And for good reason.
I’m sure we can all agree by now that what first started as a holiday celebrating love is now more about how much brands sell. Nothing wrong with this. Did you know that authors like Chaucer and Shakespeare popularized Vday and made it this gift-giving holiday it is today?
And have you ever wondered what goes beyond the famous February 14? How did Valentine’s Day become this huge, commercial holiday it is today? Let’s dig deeper into the history of Valentine’s Day and see how all this started.
A brief history of Valentine’s Day
This pink-hearted holiday wasn’t always pink. The origins of this cutesy day are kind of dark and bloody. As far as we could track its provenance, the history of Valentine’s Day goes back to the Roman Empire. A time when men literally hit on women by hitting them. And women literally stayed in line for this to happen, believing it would make them more fertile. Kinda crazy, right? Stick with me, it gets even crazier.
According to the legend, what happens next is some sort of ancient version of “The Bachelor”. They had this tradition where all the young, fertile women in the city would have their names in a big urn. Then, the city’s single men would each pick a name and make a couple with that girl for the upcoming year. When the match was right, often these couples would end up getting married. This crazy ritual was called the Festival of Lupercalia.
Who was Saint Valentine?
Well, it seems like there was more than just one St. Valentine. Or at least, the history is mixed up a little bit. Because there are, at least, two different stories about who St. Valentine was. According to the first legend, Valentine was a Christian priest who was imprisoned and fell in love with his jailer’s daughter. Before he died, he left a love letter signed with the words “from your Valentine.”
The second one features, yet again, a priest who ignored the orders of Emperor Claudius of not officiating marriage for young men in his army. He continued to marry couples who were deeply in love and so, the priest got executed exactly on February 14th in the third century of Rome. The history of Valentine’s day tells us that this priest wore a ring with a Cupid on it – one of the well-known symbols of this holiday – so that soldiers would recognize him. He also liked to share paper heart cards to remind Christians of their love for God.
While St. Valentine’s story established this holiday to be a romantic one, what truly solidified the connection between St. Valentine and love was a poem by medieval author Geoffrey Chaucer in 1381. Historians consider this poem as being the origin of the “modern” celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Why do we celebrate Valentine’s Day?
As we’ve already mentioned before, Chaucer and Shakespeare had a great impact on the history of Valentine’s Day. They both romanticized this holiday in their work that much that it gained popularity throughout Great Britain and the rest of Europe. Soon, people began writing and exchanging love letters to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The common folk even started to beg divinations to reveal their future romantic partners.
In 1913, a well-known American company called Hallmark began distributing official “Valentine’s Day cards”. And the celebration of this popular and romantic holiday continued even more: flowers, candies, teddy bears, paper hearts, jewelry, romantic dinners… and the rest is history. February has not been the same since.
Valentine’s Day nowadays. How people celebrate it
The celebration of Valentine’s Day still goes on nowadays all over the world, in many various ways. Many will break the bank buying jewelry, perfumes, or other expensive gifts, while others will prefer the simplest gifts: romantic dinners, flowers, chocolate, and Valentine’s Day cards. Did you know that people exchange millions of Valentine’s Day cards every year? Looks like Hallmark really revolutionized the history of Valentine’s Day! And also the tradition of offering red roses on Valentine’s Day is a special one. These flowers are associated with the Greek goddess of love, Aphrodite, that’s why people choose to give red roses instead of other types of flowers to express their love.
No matter how you choose to celebrate Valentine’s Day, keep in mind that there are no rules. It’s a totally new era, so you can feel free to celebrate the way you want. A dreamy dinner out, some champagne, going out to the movies, cooking a fancy meal, offering a nice Valentine’s Day card, or even hosting a Valentine’s Day party…it’s up to you to pick the best option.
Legendary Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar passed away today. He was one of India’s earliest and most famous film actor. His age was 98 years and died in Mumbai. Dilip Kumar acted in more than 65 films over nearly five decades and is known for his iconic roles in movies like ‘Ganga Jamuna’ (1961), ‘Kranti'(1981), ‘Karma'(1981), ‘Naya Daur'(1957), ‘Mughal-e-Azam'(1960). He was last seen in ‘Quila’ in 1998. The actor had been recuperating from age-related health issues for the last few days and had been admitted to the hospital multiple times. He was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Mumbai’s Hinduja Hospital on June 30 after he complained of breathlessness. He had been frequently ill for months. Kumar’s wife Saira Banu had been with throughout. His family friend Faisal Farooqui tweeted through the actor’s handle “With a heavy heart and profound grief, I announce the passing away of our beloved Dilip saab, few minutes ago. We are from God and to Him we return”
Many Bollywood celebrities including filmmaker Vidya Balan, Sidharth Roy Kapoor, Shabana Azmi, arrived at Dilip Kumar’s house to pay their last respects to the legendary actor Dilip Kumar.
Tributes have been pouring in on social media for the actor- Politicians, Bollywood stars and even historians have tweeted.
A dialogue on the “New Education Policy 2020 – NEP Outreach”, was organized by the Nehru Centre, London with National Book Trust, India (under Ministry of Education) on 18 January, 2021.
Speaking on the occasion, Union of Education Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the NEP-2020 has been implemented with a futuristic mindset, thereby turning the challenges into opportunities. It will equip India to hold a position in the global knowledge system while maintaining and developing its traditional knowledge system. “Through the policy, we are hoping to transform education and putting a significant thrust on learning about how to think critically and solve problems, how to be creative and multidisciplinary, and how to innovate, adapt, and absorb new material in the novel and changing fields. Pedagogy is expected to evolve to make education more experiential, holistic, integrated, inquiry-driven, discovery-oriented, learner-centred, discussion-based, flexible, and, of course, enjoyable,” the Minister added.
Shri Vinay Sahastrabuddhe, President, ICCR, in his opening remarks said that the NEP-2020 is one of the greatest reforms presented by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.
Rt. Hon Jo Johnson, Educationist, Former Minister for Universities, Science, Research & Innovation, United Kingdom, lauded India’s NEP-2020 as an event of global significance and as a policy that will turn India into a global knowledge superpower, emphasizing its strong focus on early years, teachers, universal numeracy & literacy, etc. He also mentioned that the exciting fact about NEP-2020 is that it proposes to shift the mode of assessment from summative to formative, testing higher order skills like critical thinking, analysis and conceptual clarity.
Rt. Hon Jo Johnson and Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ also engaged in a dialogue on various provisions of the NEP-2020, such as teacher training, entry of top 100 foreign universities in India, and education in Indian HEIs.
The engaging and enlightening event was moderated by Shri Amish Tripathi, Minister (Culture), High Commission of India, UK and Director, The Nehru Centre.
At present, the technology is advancing day by day and so is pollution, global warming and increased demand for fuel. Thus, in order to tackle such issues and to be at par with the modern era, electric vehicles as a means of eco-friendly transport is a better option in future.
Electric vehicles refers to vehicles or transport means that consume electric energy in place of traditional fuels such as diesel, CNG and petrol. Such vehicles include an electric generator to convert fuel to electricity or maybe inbuilt with a solar panel, battery, fuel cells or electricity may be supplied via collector system from off-vehicle sources. The metros are already running with electricity around the world.
The contemporary age in which we all are living has now become an era of technology and this advancement in technology has greatly enhanced our human life. Thus, the use of electric vehicles is necessary in near future. The electric vehicles run from electricity and as a result no smoke is emitted, reducing the pollution, global warming and import of diesel and petrol. It would conserve natural resources like CNG, petrol and diesel that are non-renewable and promote the use of renewable energy. The over use of such fuels are harmful for the environment. It would also fulfill the requirement of growing demand of more means of transport. Electric vehicles are eco-friendly, thus it is good for both human beings and environment. As it is a new form of technology and with the increasing demand of this sector, more employment generation will take place. Electric vehicles will also reduce the nation dependency on petroleum export countries.
The electric vehicles are environment friendly and seemingly cheaper in the long run. Since past decade, many trains including the metros have been running on electricity. Even almost all the trains in the Indian Railways are running on electricity. As a result, the use of electric vehicles are continuously promoted by the government. Today, electric scooters or bikes, electronic rikshaw, electronic cars , etc. are already in the market. Various campaigns have been started by the government to promote the use of electric vehicles. Recently, a campaign named’ Switch Delhi’ was launched by the Delhi Government to promote the same. The Delhi government took this initiative to cut down the pollution of air which was caused by the smoke emitted by the traditional petrol and diesel vehicles. The smoke emitted is hazardous to human health. Prior in 2020, Delhi EV Policy was also introduced. Under this policy, a waiver on road tax was provided with a benefit up to Rs. 1.5 lakh on four wheelers and more.
Thus, it can be inferred that the people should use more electric vehicles instead of traditional petrol and diesel vehicles. Electric Vehicles are seemingly the future of means of transport. It becomes more essential when the increasing pollution, global warming and diseases borne out of pollution are considered.
“I really do encourage other manufactures to bring electric cars to market. It’s a good thing, and they need to bring it to the market and keep iterating and improving and make better and better electric cars, and that’s what going to result in humanity achieving a sustainable transport future. I wish it was growing faster than it is.”
When stress hits hard as it has during the pandemic, many of us eat more, and less-than-healthy comfort foods may be the treats we reach for first. But an unhealthy response to stress can be hard on your body, especially your heart. That’s why it’s smart — at the top of the New Year, or anytime — to try to eat more foods that nourish. It’ll make your heart happier, and maybe trim your waistline, too.Don’t know where to start? Let the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) help.”We have many recipes for healthy and really tasty dishes, plus an award-winning eating plan called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH for short,” says Charlotte Pratt, Ph.D., M.S., R.D., a nutrition expert at NHLBI. For years, the DASH eating plan has ranked among the U.S. News & World Reports’ best diets for healthy living and heart health. Its secret, says Pratt: “Eating nutrient-dense foods and meals that are lower in sodium and saturated fat, rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and legumes.”Some of the recipes NHLBI has developed to support the plan feature healthy versions of comfort foods, such as oven-baked french fries, chicken chile stew, and sweet potato custard. The recipes are easy to make and family-friendly. They include traditional African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Vietnamese, Latino, and Filipino dishes. You can find these recipes, along with tips about safe cooking, what to stock in your kitchen online The DASH eating plan is scientifically proven to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels,” says Pratt. And NHLBI research shows that increasing your physical activity and watching your calories while following DASH will also help you lose weight.DASH requires no special foods, and it helps you set daily and weekly nutritional goals using these simple guides:
Eat vegetables, fruits and whole grains
Include fat-free or low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, beans, nuts and vegetable oils
Limit foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy foods and tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel and palm oils
Limit sugar-sweetened drinks and desserts
To make it easier to follow the DASH for life, these tips can help:
Change gradually. Add one more serving of vegetables a day. Read nutrition labels to choose the food lowest in saturated fat, sodium or salt and added sugar.
Vary foods high in proteins. Try a mix of lean cuts of meat. Remove the skin from chicken. Eat fish once or twice a week. Eat two or more meals without meat each week.
Select healthy, tasty snacks. Have a piece of fruit, a few unsalted snacks such as rice cakes, fat-free or low-fat yogurt or raw vegetables with a low-fat dip.
Find substitutes. Try whole-wheat bread or brown rice instead of white bread or white rice. Try beans or seeds such as flax or sunflower seeds, if you’re allergic to nuts.
Combining healthy eating habits with other self-care activities can help you reduce stress and take care of your heart. Top of the list: move more throughout the day, get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and try relaxation exercises such as meditation or yoga. If you smoke, try quitting, and develop a strong social-support system to help keep you motivated. Delicious Oven-Baked French Fries Baking instead of frying these potatoes reduces the fat while keeping them crispy.Prep time: 10 minutes. Cook time: 35 minutes. Makes 5 servings. Serving size: 1 cup.Ingredients4 large potatoes (2 lbs.) (regular or sweet potatoes) 8 C ice water 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1/4 tsp salt 1 tsp white pepper 1/4 tsp allspice 1 tsp hot pepper flakes 1 Tbsp vegetable oilDirections
Scrub potatoes and cut them into long 1/2-inch strips. Place the strips in the ice water, cover and chill for 1 hour or longer.
Remove potato strips and dry them thoroughly. Preheat oven to 475 degreeF.
Place garlic powder, onion powder, salt, white pepper, allspice and pepper flakes in a plastic bag. Toss the potato strips in the spice mixture.
Put the potato strips in a shallow baking pan and brush them with oil.
Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake at 475 degreeF for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and continue baking, uncovered, for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Turn fries occasionally to brown on all sides.
A ‘SamajikAdhikaritaShivir’ for distribution of aids and assistive devices to ‘Divyangjan’ under the ADIP Scheme and Senior citizens under ‘RashtriyaVayoshri Yojana’ (RVY Scheme) of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India will be organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) in association with ALIMCO and District Administration Chhatarpur at 12 Noon on 13.02.2022 at Government Higher Secondary School, No.1, Chhatarpur in Madhya Pradesh.
A total of 5286 aids and assistive devices valued at Rs. 2.33 crore will be distributed free of cost to 1391 Divyangjan and 553 Senior Citizens at Block/Panchayat levels by following the SOP prepared by the Department in view of COVID-19 Pandemic.
Hon’ble Union Social Justice and Empower Minster Dr. Virendra Kumar will be the chief guest of the function wherein, Union Minister will also launch ‘An Integrated Mobile Service Delivery Van’ whichhas been developed by the ALIMCO to provide “After-Sale Service” and undertakean awareness campaign on the use of Aids and Assistive devices and offering in-situ repairs/ correction /adjustment and fitting of Prosthetics and orthotics devices at the destination for the Aids and Assistive devices being distributed under the ADIP/RVY Scheme of Govt. of India, in Districts where the distribution of aids and assistive devices has been done in recent past to Divyangjans and Senior Citizens. Shri Pradumn Singh Lodhi, Chairman Madhya Pradesh State Civil Supplies Corporation Ltd.,and MLA, Badamalhera, Madhya Pradesh will preside over the function.
Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar launched the Central Sector scheme“SMILE: Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise”today at BHIM Auditorium, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, 15, Janpath Road, New Delhi. This umbrella scheme, designed by Department of Social Justice & Empowerment, is set to provide welfare and rehabilitation to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Virendra Kumar said, “As a progressive and developing society it is our duty to respect the identity and dignity of all sections of society. The Ministry has ensured that each and every need of Transgender community and persons engaged in the act of begging are taken care of in most professional way.”
“The provision of National Portal & Helpline will provide necessary information and solutions to the problems of the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging,” the Union Minister added.
The two sub-schemes of SMILE – ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’ and ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation of engaged in the act of Begging’ – provide comprehensive welfare and rehabilitation measures to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging.
The scheme keeps in mind the social security that is needed through multiple dimensions of identity, medical care, education, occupational opportunities and shelter. The Ministry has allocated Rs. 365 Crore for the scheme from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The Sub-scheme – ‘Central Sector Scheme for Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’- includes various components. It provides Scholarships for Transgender Students studying in IX and till post-graduation to enable them to complete their education. It has provisions for Skill Development and Livelihood under PM-DAKSH scheme. Through Composite Medical Health itprovides a comprehensive package in convergence with PM-JAY supporting Gender-Reaffirmation surgeries through selected hospitals. The Housing facility in the form of ‘Garima Greh’ ensures food, clothing, recreational facilities, skill development opportunities, recreational activities and medical support etc. to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging. The Provision of Transgender Protection Cell in each state will monitor cases of offences and to ensure timely registration, investigation and prosecution of offences. The National Portal & Helpline will provide necessary information and solutions to the Transgender community and the people engaged in the act of begging when needed.
The sub-scheme – ‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation of persons engaged in the act of Begging’ – will focus on Survey and identification, Mobilisation, Rescue/ Shelter Home and Comprehensive resettlement.
Besides, pilot projects have been initiated on Comprehensive Rehabilitation in ten cities namely Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Lucknow, Mumbai, Nagpur, Patna and Ahmedabad.
The association between various caste groups has now become more flexible and is now at ease. One of the significant impacts in the contemporary age is personal job preference. In the past, men believed in pursuing occupation under its caste like mainly they were engaged in pottery, blacksmithing etc. However, the current scenario is very much different, people have started pursuing jobs of their own choices irrespective of their caste such as in railways, teaching, government jobs, marketing and business. The food habits of the people have been modified, sharing of food is now common between both the sections of society and nowadays people of both upper and lower caste enjoy their food in restaurants in the local together. Power and wealth are almost in least association with the caste. The belief that the lower castes are responsible for pollution and freshness has now somewhat become extinct. However, in petto, rituals of purification with regard to one’s caste ranking, such practice still prevails. The custom of marrying only within the limits of a caste is still in practice, though not as severely as in the past. Lower sections of the society still faces difficulty in pursuing of caste related occupation and access to essential resources in extreme remote rural areas, however in urban areas, caste has almost nil significance in the society. The growth or ranking of women is still based on man’s positioning in the society. But today awareness of equal rights of women, education, employment are eventually advancing the modern society. The Indian Constitution made and implemented various special provisions, due to which competition among the caste groups in order to access the power and necessities like better life enhancement, educational benefits, government oriented jobs, etc. have gained force.
Implementation of such provisions and policies have always been the talk of the town and ground to numerous controversies, although political parties support these policies seemingly for their political benefits, but keeping it aside, it has been of great significant to the people belonging to the lower caste especially the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and backward classes (OBCs). These groups have grabbed every opportunity provided to them and excelled in it. In the elected offices, these groups have greater representation. They have proved to be an essential part of the Indian political election system. They have also successfully mend their paths in each and every institution, be it political, legal or educational, and also secured high posts in government jobs. In a number of regions, these caste groups have succeeded in forming powerful parties in politics.
However, regrettably, a small portion of people belonging to the lower caste have gained profit from the policies and provisions made by the Indian Constitution. When observed from far, other sections of society seem to have willingly accepted the individuals of the lower castes, but the reality is quite contrary, in numerous parts of India, the upper castes still treat the lower caste’s individuals as outsiders and deny them access to resources. Such an incident came into light in parts of Bihar, India in 1994, the landowners of the upper caste formed a special army known as Ranvir Sena in order to defend themselves from lower caste’s individuals. Though fortunately by 1999, this was disbarred, the Ranvir Sena had already slaughtered 20 Dalits. The upper caste’s individuals who are against the special polices made for the lower castes and also those who are at any sort of economic disadvantage by the implementation of such policies, often are responsible for the mistreatments against lower sections.
The caste system has played a vital role in molding the ethics, principles as well as habitation of the society in India. The rituals and customs of Hindu philosophy greatly influence the faith and lives of the Indians. Post independence, Indians are still in the clutch of beliefs regarding one’s social rank and their caste status. In the ancient days, people of a common society were divided on the basis of caste, sex and birth. Since birth they had their lifestyles organized according to their specific caste rule and had no choice preference as such. However, with the course of time the linkage between one’s occupation and caste has become almost insignificant. In urban areas, interaction among various castes is without restriction. The current Indian society is progressing eventually from the closed caste system to interactive functioning of the society irrespective of any caste. The various provisions and policies implemented by the government have encouraged the lower sections to come forward and represent themselves in the society. Such provisions have also encouraged the people of other caste groups to be secular towards one another. Therefore, it is essential to look after how caste discrimination has affected the standard of life and mobility of society in contemporary India.
The National Education Policy, 2020 is the third in the series of National Education Policies (1968 and 1986 modified in 1992) in India and is the first education policy of the 21st century. NEP 2020 covers wider spectrum of school education from pre-primary to senior secondary.
The recommendations given have varied timelines as the policy is made for next 20 years. Therefore, the implementation of NEP is being carried out in a phased manner.
ShikshakParv was organised from 8th to 25th September 2020 for discussing various recommendations of NEP 2020 and its implementation strategies. Around 15 lakh suggestions were received from the stakeholders, which are being examined.
To achieve the goals and objectives of NEP 2020, DoSEL has prepared a draft implementation plan with Task lists linking each recommendation with tasks, responsible agencies to carry out the task, timelines and outputs. This task list was shared with the States/UTs/Autonomous Bodies on 10th September, 2020, to provide their feedback/suggestions till 12th October, 2020. Autonomous Bodies of this Department and 31 States and UTs provided 7177 suggestions/ feedback on the task list. These have been analysed by expert groups and important suggestions have been incorporated in the final version of implementation plan. In addition to above, a series of national workshops on Implementation of NEP 2020 and revision of Samagra Shiksha was held under the chairpersonship of Secretary (SE&L) on 10th November, 27th November and 2nd December, 2020 covering all States and UTs. The document is being finalised and will be released shortly.
Appropriate care is being taken to make this implementation plan realistic, flexible and collaborative by inviting suggestions from all corners of the society. It is hoped that this implementation plan so finalised with the inputs of all associates will be able to translate the vision of the policy in the field and will reach to grass root level creating adequate awareness and motivation and competencies among concerned stakeholders, thereby transforming the school education in the country.
The major portions of NEP will be covered under the new National Curriculum Framework (NCF) and centrally sponsored schemes. Groundwork for NCF is initiated and it is likely to be developed in the next academic session, that is 2021-22.
The department has initiated implementation of NEP by undertaking following activities in accordance with the recommendations of the policy :
To undertake 50 hours of mandatory Continuous Professional development of teachers, 18 modules of 4-5 hours each comprehensively covering all aspects of elementary education have been launched under NISHTHA on 6.10.20 for in service teacher training (CPD) in the online mode on DIKSHA platform. This has so far seen more than 3.4 cr course wise registrations and 2.8 cr completions from more than 23 lakh teachers.
In-principle approval has been given for setting up the National Mission on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Mission. A Committee has been formed for preparing framework on FL&N, codification of learning outcomes etc.
E-learning has been expanded through DIKSHA. DIKSHA provides access to a large number of curriculum linked e-content through several solutions such as QR coded Energized Textbooks (ETBs), courses for teachers, quizzes etc. Till date DIKSHA houses over 3600 QR coded textbooks (tagged with e-content) from 29 states, 1.44 lakh e Contents and more than 300 courses.
The department has launched an initiative called ‘Manodarpan’ for mental health and wellbeing of students. It aims to provide emotional support and counselling to the students under distress. Issuance of advisory guidelines, web page and national toll-free number, interactive online chat options and, national-level database and directory of counsellorsare part of the initiative.
MoU has been signed between Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC) and NCERT to develop Indian Sign Language dictionary for school education.
CBSE exam reforms have been initiated; CBSE will introduce improvement examination from the year 2021 and will introduce English and Sanskrit in 2 levels from the session 2021-22 (already offers Mathematics and Hindi at two levels). Competency based questions have been introduced in the Board exams for class X and XII in a phased manner, increasing by 10% every year.
Learning Outcomes upto Secondary level have been notified and draft of learning outcomes for senior secondary level have been released for inviting suggestions.
The department is also aligning its existing schemes i.e, Samagra Shiksha, Mid Day Meal and Padhna Likhna Abhiyan with the recommendations of NEP 2020. 86 paras of NEP have been proposed to be covered/integrated under the revised scheme of Samagra Shiksha which includes phased introduction of: 1 year of Balvatika and TLMs to all children, Launch of National Mission of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy, upgradation of schools upto senior secondary level including residential schools and KGBVs, Holistic Progress Card (HPC) and tracking of learning outcomes as well as transition of children, appointment of Hindi and Urdu Language Teachers, Capacity building of teachers (50 Hrs CPD), Bagless days and internships, Support for OOSC, Activities of PARAKH, Separate stipend for CWSN girl child; provision for identification of CWSN and Resource Centre at block level, Provision for Hub and Spoke model in vocational education, Provision for Smart classroom and DIKSHA, Support for Assessment Cells in SCERT etc., etc.
States and UTs are also constituting their own Task Force to steer implementation of the NEP provisions in their respective jurisdiction.
The data on employment/ unemployment is collected through Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by National Statistical Office (NSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) since 2017-18. As per the latest PLFS report of 2019-20, the unemployment rate for persons of 15 years and above on usual status basis in urban areas was 6.9% which was 7.6% in 2018-19 and 7.7% in 2017-18.
Government has launched All-India Quarterly Establishment Based Employment Survey (AQEES) in April, 2021. As per the result of the second round of Quarterly Employment Survey (QES) for the period July to September 2021, employment increased to 3.10 crore in the nine selected sectors of the economy which was 3.08 crore during the first round of QES (April-June, 2021) against a total of 2.37 crores in these sectors taken collectively, as reported in the sixth Economic Census (2013-14). Of the total employment estimated in the selected nine sectors, Manufacturing accounted for nearly 39%, followed by Education with 22% and Health as well as IT/BPOs sectors both around 10%. Trade and Transport sectors engaged 5.3% and 4.6% of the total estimated workers respectively.
There is well established system available for analysis of seed quality of native Indian crop and trees in the Country. 161 State Seed Testing Laboratories and six Central Seed Testing Laboratories are functioning in the Country. These laboratories are analyzing seeds of native Indian crop and trees for various quality parameters.
As per the information there was a call for greater biodiversity in agriculture sector during COP 26, however, no consensus on the proposal of biodiversity in agriculture among the participating Countries and no final decision was taken. Hence, India has not committed anything on the biodiversity during the COP 26. However, the Government has a policy to encourage conservation of the seeds of native Indian varieties of various crops and trees. The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) has conserved 94,609 native Indian varieties of different crops and trees in Gene Banks located in different States.
The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmer’s Rights Authority (PPV & FRA) has also registered 1896 native Indian varieties of different crops enabling the farmer to commercialize these varieties. PPV & FRA encourages the community and individuals engaged in conservation, improvement and preservation of plant genetic resources of economic plants and their wild relatives particularly in the areas identified as agro-biodiversity hotspots by awarding the community and individuals who have played stellar roles in such activities.
In order to ensure availability of native seeds and improve their usage by farmers., Indian Council of Agricultural Research is developing high yielding and multi stress tolerant varieties of different crop including cereals, millet, pulses, oilseeds and fruits suited to different agro-climatic condition. In the last seven years, 1956 improved varieties have been developed out of which 924 of cereals, 291 of oilseeds, 304 of pulses, 239 of fiber crops, 118 of forage crops, 64 of sugarcane and 16 of under-utilized crops. In addition, 288 varieties of horticultural crops have been developed.
In order to enhance indigenous species of trees, this Department is implementing Scheme called Sub-Mission on Agro-forestry since 2016-17 to encourage and expand tree plantation. Prominent tree species including indigenous tree species like Indian rosewood, Teak, Eucalyptus, Malabar Neem, ailanthus, Poplar, etc. are promoted for plantation on farm land along with other species. Details of State wise and year wise financial assistance provided under Sub-Mission on Agro-forestry Scheme is at Annexure-I.
In addition, this Department is providing assistance for seed production and distribution under various existing Schemes viz. National Food Security Mission, National Mission on Edible oil-oil palm, Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Mission on Integrated Development of Horticulture and Sub- Mission on Seeds and Planting Materials.
ANNEXURE-I
Details of the financial assistance provided to State Governments/UTs for the promotion of agro-forestry under Sub-Mission on Agro-forestry Scheme since inception.
Sub-Mission on Agroforestry (HarMedh Par Ped) Scheme was launched in 2016-17 to encourage tree plantation on farm land along with crops/ cropping system to help the farmers get additional income and make their farming systems more climate resilient and adaptive. Presently, the scheme is being implemented in 23 States/UTs including Maharashtra. Under the scheme, assistance to farmers is given through State Govt. for nursery development, boundary plantation and block plantation of prominent tree species to promote, inter-alia, fruit bearing trees, tree borne oilseeds, medicinal & aromatic plants, silk & lac rearing host plants in addition to timber species, so that farmers get early returns.
In case of promotion of horticulture, the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), a Centrally Sponsored Scheme is being implemented w.e.f. 2014-15, for holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo. All States and UTs are covered under MIDH.
The Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare (DA&FW), Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare is educating farmers through use of following electronic media to upgrade their knowledge on modern agriculture technologies:
The scheme ‘Mass Media Support to Agriculture Extension of ‘Sub-Mission on Agriculture Extension’ is under implementation to create awareness among the farming community and educate the farmers on improved agriculture technologies. The programmes are telecast through DD Kisan, DD Regional Kendras (18) and broadcast through 96 FM Stations of All India Radio. The ‘Focused Publicity & Awareness Campaign’ is also being undertaken through electronic and print media for creating awareness among the farmers and other stakeholders on technological aspects of agriculture.
Social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are being used to educate farmers.
The ICAR institutes and KVKs have developed 283 mobile apps on different agriculture commodities for providing advisory to the farmers. ICAR has also created an electronic platform ‘Kisan Sarathi’ for supporting agriculture at local niche with national perspective to provide a seamless, multimedia, multi-ways connectivity to the farmers with the latest agricultural technologies, knowledge base and the pool of large number of Subject Matter Specialists.
The Government is implementing following schemes and activities to impart training and educate the farmers to adopt modern agriculture techniques:
A Centrally Sponsored Scheme on ‘Support to State Extension Programmes for Extension Reforms’ popularly known as ‘Agriculture Technology Management Agency (ATMA)‘ is under implementation in 691 districts of 28 States & 5 UTs of the country. The extension activities under ATMA, inter-alia, include Farmers’ Training to upgrade their knowledge and technical skills on modern and innovative agricultural technologies.
The ‘Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH)’, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme is under implementation in all States/UTs for holistic growth of the horticulture sector covering fruits, vegetables, root and tuber crops, mushrooms, spices, flowers, aromatic plants, coconut, cashew, cocoa and bamboo.
The ‘National Food Security Mission (NFSM)’ is under implementation in identified districts of 28 States and 2 UTs viz. Ladakh and J&K of the country to increase the production and productivity of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and nutri- cereals (millets) through area expansion and productivity enhancement.
Under ‘Sub-Mission on Plan Protection & Plant Quarantine’ the ‘Farmer Field Schools (FFSs)’ are conducted to educate farmers on various aspects of Integrated Pest Management.
Four Farm Machinery Training & Testing Institutes (FMTTIs) located at Budni (Madhya Pradesh), Hisar (Haryana), Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) and Biswanath Chariali (Assam) are engaged in imparting training to various categories of trainees including farmers, in the field of Farm Mechanization in agriculture sector.
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has established a network of 729 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) in the country mandated with Technology Assessment and Demonstration for its Application and Capacity Development. KVKs organize demonstrations, training programms and skill development programs for the benefit of farmers and farm women, rural youth and in-service extension personnel.
Physical infrastructure/ facilities under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been developed in 1351 village haats and is under development in 1632 number of village haats.
As on 31.03.2020, there are 6845 numbers of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) markets in the country. In order to provide better farmer – market linkages and fair prices to farmers, in addition to regulated markets, there are other markets also like non-regulated wholesale markets, farmer – consumer markets, purchase centers and private wholesale markets. In addition, Government is promoting to declare warehouses and cold storages as deemed market yards to improve the farmer – market linkages.
Further, Government of India had launched reform linked National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) scheme, a virtual platform integrating physical wholesale mandis/ markets of different States/ Union Territories (UTs) to facilitate online trading of agriculture and horticulture commodities to enable farmers to realize better remunerative prices for their produce. All these contribute towards better marketing efficiency and also better prices to farmers.
So far, based on earlier targets and as per the proposals received from States/ Union Territories (UTs), 1000 mandis of 18 States and 3 UTs have been integrated with e-NAM platform. As on 9th February, 2022, more than 1.72 crore farmers & 2.16 lakh traders have been registered on e-NAM platform. Further agricultural produce trade with a value of Rs. 1.74 lakh crore have so far been recorded on e-NAM platform.
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