Poshan Pakhwada 2022 Witnesses 3 Crore Activities Across The Nation
Poshan Pakhwada 2022 Witnesses 3 Crore Activities Across
The Nation
4th Poshan Pakhwada Focuses On Promoting Role Of Women In Water Governance,
Conservation & Management
22.3 Crore Individuals Participate In 2,144 Activities In Convergence With
Ministry Of Jal Shakti
10.3 Crore Individuals Participate In 904 Activities In Tribal Districts/Areas
In Convergence With Ministry Of Tribal Affairs
The
Ministry of Women and Child Development celebrated the fourth Poshan Pakhwada
from 21st March 2022 to 4thApril, 2022 which
witnessed approximately, 3 Crore activities nationwide. The previous Pakhwada
in 2021 witnessed around 2.21 crore activities.
Why is it in news?
Keen
participation was witnessed from partner ministries including Ministry of Jal
Shakti, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
Ayush, Youth Affairs & Sports, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare,
Education, Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public
Distribution, Minority Affairs, Environment, Forest and Climate Change,
Electronics and Information Technology, Housing and Urban Affairs and the
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting for conducting nutrition centric
activities across the nation.
Poshan Pakhwada 2022 was focused around two
broader areas viz. height and weight measurement of ‘beneficiary children up to
6 years of age’ and activities concentrated around Gender Sensitive Water Management, Anaemia and Traditional food for
healthy mother and child esp. in Tribal Areas.
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Mallkhamb
'It's becoming a glamourous sport', World Champion Deepak
Shinde explains Mallakhamb's strong connect with Mumbai
World
Champion Deepak Shinde participated in the Boys All-Around Individual
Championship Mallakhamb
demonstration event on Monday
Why is it in news?
Mumbai
is often described as the City of Dreams because of its association with
Bollywood and the glamour that comes along with it. In terms of sport, cricket
has been linked with the city as well because of legends such as Sunil Gavaskar
and Sachin Tendulkar.
But
at the Khelo India University Games 2021 in Jain University, Bengaluru,
Karnataka, Mumbai became the talk of the town at the Mallakhamb arena as the athletes from the University of Mumbai left
everyone stunned with their sensational performances.
Highlights
· World Champion Deepak
Shinde participated in the Boys All-Around Individual Championship Mallakhamb
event on Monday, as his teammates from the University of Mumbai cheered on from
the sidelines. Deepak scored a total of 27.30 with scores of 9.6 in Pole, 8.7
in Rope, and 9 in Hanging, emerging as the top player of the day.
· The 25-year-old M.Com
student, after his stellar performance, said, "Today, my parents must be
really happy. They are continuously calling me to check my scores. They have
always supported me in pursuing the sport, despite the challenges."
· Mallakhamb has an intrinsic
link with the city of Mumbai. As per evidence suggested by historical texts and
ancient artifacts, Balambhatta Dada Deodhar, the fitness and sports instructor
of Maratha king Peshwa Bajirao II revived the art form in the 1800s as a
training method for the Peshwa’s army. There have also been historical evidence
to support that Maratha empire figures like Lakshmibai, Nana Saheb, and Tantia
Tope practiced Mallakhamb as well.
· "To keep the
traditions of the emperors alive, Maharashtra adopted Mallakhamb into a sport,
with Sivaji Park becoming the hub in Mumbai City for the athletes. But now, as
the sport is starting to gain traction, Mallakhamb has spread across all
regions in Mumbai - such as Chembur, Santa Cruz, Andheri, or Kandivali - with
some of the best athletes emerging from the state," Deepak, who himself
hails from Kandivali, explained.
· A further boost was given
to the indigenous sport when the first-ever Mallakhamb World Championship was
held in Mumbai in 2019, with 17 nations coming to participate in the sport.
Recalling the event, Deepak said he was pleased to see the level of competition
from overseas.
· "There were athletes
not just from Asian countries but also from European nations at the World
Championships. Some nations gave us good competition, including Italy and
Japan, which was great to see as it indicates that the sport is spreading
across the world."
· "I felt a great sense
of pride when PM Modi Ji spoke about Mallakhamb on Mann Ki Baat and talked
about the Government of India's aid to the USA and Japan regarding Mallakhamb
equipment. Such support from PM Modi, Mallakhmab Federation of India, and Union
Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has helped in the sport gaining Universal
recognition," he added.
· Members of Deepak's
University team believe that at the speed at which the sport is growing, it
will soon be spread across all the 28 states in the country.
· "Earlier, there used
to be 3-4 clubs in Mumbai, but now there are at least 30-40 Mallakhamb clubs.
Also, during the summer vacations, the maximum number of kids are joining
Mallakhamb, and not cricket or football across several Universities. There are
international-level coaches in the city who are providing exceptional training.
You can clearly see the shift in trends," Abhishek Prasad, a 21-year-old
Business of Management Studies student from the University of Mumbai said.
'Through
Khelo India, you now see us Live on TV'
· Deepak, who hails from a
humble family, was inspired by his brother to pursue the sport. Now, both
brothers are running a coaching and fitness center where they provide training
to up-and-coming athletes to provide for their families.
· While Deepak is still
looking for a job to lead a well-settled life, he believes the work done by the
Government of India has glamourised the sport which has increased opportunities
for the current and rising Mallakhamb athletes to earn a living.
· "Amul India recently
featured me in a Chhaas advertisement. For the first time, a Mallakhamb World
Champion was featured on such a big brand. So, the development is happening at
such a level that big brands are starting to associate with the sport,"
Deepak said.
· "If and when more
brands such as ONGC or Indian Oil or TATA will get involved in this sport, the
more money will be invested into the sport. Because of Khelo India University
Games, you can see us live today on National TV. It only increases the level of
competition. The players get glamour and a chance to be on TV and get news
coverage highlights. So, such initiatives will further enhance the popularity
of the sport across the country and the world," Deepak signed off.
About
Khelo India University Games 2021:
· The second edition of the
Khelo India University Games hosted in Bengaluru with Jain Deemed-to-be
University as the host University for the Games.
· The competition, which is
being organized by the Government of Karnataka, along with the Ministry of Youth
Affairs and Sports, Government of India, will continue till 3rd May 2022.
· KIUG 2021 will witness 4000
participants from around 180 battle it out across 20 disciplines, which include
indigenous sports like Mallakhamba and yogasana.
· A first-of-its-kind mobile
application has also been developed for the Games which will facilitate the
participants during their time in the tournament.
· The Khelo India University
Games aims to provide a platform for University students to showcase their
talent and catch the eyeballs of the national team selectors for various
sports.
Forest Fires
Forest Fires can be an
important factor in reducing solar power production in India
A
new study has found that forest fires which plague different parts of India,
especially during the summer season play a major role in reducing solar power
production in India.
Why is it in news?
Such
analysis of the energy and financial losses due to the direct and indirect
effects of forest fires on the production of solar plants can help grid
operators to plan and schedule power generation, as also the distribution,
supply, security, and overall stability of power production.
The
findings of the present study will drastically increase the awareness among
decision-makers about the effect of forest fires on energy management and
planning at a country level.
In
addition, this research can support the mitigation processes and policies for
climate change and its direct and indirect impacts on sustainable development.
Highlights
· Recently, solar energy
generation has been widely used in developing countries such as India which has
sufficient solar resources.
· However, several factors
like clouds, aerosols, and pollution generated from various sources limit the
solar irradiance causing performance issues in the photovoltaic and
concentrated solar power plant installations.
· Large-scale development of
a solar energy system requires proper planning, and there is a need to estimate
the solar potential
· Keeping this in mind, a
group of researchers at the Aryabhatta
Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital an
autonomous research institute of the Department
of Science and Technology (DST) Govt. of India, and the National Observatory of Athens (NOA),
Greece tried to trace the factors that reduce solar energy production. They
found that apart from clouds and aerosols, forest fires play a very crucial role
in reducing solar energy production.
· The study published in the
international peer-reviewed journal Remote Sensing shows that
the aerosol optical depth values were up to 1.8 during the study period
(January to April 2021), during which massive forest fire events led to
attenuation of total solar radiation incident on a horizontal surface (global
horizontal irradiance- GHI) and solar radiation received from the sun without
having been scattered (beam horizontal irradiance --BHI) by 0 to 45%.
· During this period, the air
masses were renewed quickly mitigating the smoke contribution to the total
aerosol loads and were dominated by continental pollution.
· The scientists used remote
sensing data for the research and studied the impact of aerosols and clouds on
the solar energy potential over the Indian region with extensive analysis and
model simulations.
· They also provided an
analytical financial analysis in terms of revenue and losses due to clouds and
aerosols.
· The research was led by Dr.
Umesh Chandra Dumka, Scientist, ARIES, with contributions by Prof. Panagiotis G
Kosmopoulos, Scientist, NOA, and Dr. Piyushkumar N. Patel,
Scientist, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology,
USA, and provided a comprehensive investigation of the impact of aerosols
and clouds on solar energy production over the region.
Financial
analysis of the aerosol, dust, and cloud impacts on the produced solar energy
during January to April 2021. The impact was quantified in terms of daily mean
and total energy losses, financial losses, and solar energy potential.
One District One Product
One District One Product
(ODOP) Workshop held under the Kisan Bhagidari Prathmikta Hamari Campaign, 2022
by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries under the PMFME Scheme
To
commemorate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, an initiative by the
Government of India to celebrate 75 glorious years of progressive India, its
rich history, culture and great achievements, -"Kisan Bhagidari Prathmikta Hamari" Campaign
is scheduled from 25.04.22 to 30.04.22.
Why is it
in news?
As a part of the
campaign, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, under the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food
processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme, organized the ODOP-based workshop on the Processing and Value addition of Walnuts
in Kishtwar district, Jammu and Kashmir.
The
event was inaugurated by Shri Ashok Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner,
Kishtwar. The ODOP workshop aimed to set the stage for all food-tech
stakeholders to impart, discuss and acquaint the stakeholders on the new
emerging trends in food processing and technological innovation in Walnut
Processing in the Kishtwar district.
Highlights
· Sh. Vishesh Paul Mahajan,
Director, Horticulture (Planning and Marketing) Jammu and Kashmir gave the
inaugural speech. He highlighted the importance of the micro food processing
sector as the growth driver of the Indian economy and through the PMFME Scheme
the government’s efforts to encourage food processing in India.
· The Event was moderated by
Sh. Sunil Singh, District Nodal Officer, Kishtwar.
· The workshop witnessed the
presence of eminent industry speakers sharing their insights for
micro-enterprises and Farmers to pave the way in walnut-based products to scale
to domestic and global levels.
·
Among the distinguished speakers
were, Shri Ashok Kumar Sharma, Dy. Commissioner, Kishtwar. Dr Brij Paul SMS
(PP) Dept. of Horticulture, Kishtwar who spoke about the Relevance of the ODOP
for the district.
·
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy
Commissioner Kishtwar appealed the orchardists/farmers to come forward and lay
a proactive role in the implementation of rolled out schemes of the departments
so that the income of these farmers is increased.
·
Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar also
informed that district administration is working on the establishment of Model "Mandi" in the district. He
further informed that 50 Kanals of land alongside the national highway in the
district has been identified to establish the mandi which will provide a common platform for the display, sale
and marketing of the product and also provide national-level access to farmers.
·
Mr. Khalid Malik General Manager,
DIC, Kishtwar conducted a session on “Potential
Opportunities and Technologies for MicroEntrepreneurs”.
·
Dr. Syed Zameer Hussain, Head,
Division of Food Sc. & Technology, SKUAST-K,
conducted a session on “Scope and future
strategies for Processing and value addition of Walnuts in J&K,
particularly in District Kishtwar”.
·
The ODOP Workshop under Kisan
Bhagidari Prathmikta Hamari Campaign
is one of a kind initiative by the M/o Food
Processing Industries along with the support of distinguished industry
experts to educate and guide the farmers in the Kishtwar District of Jammu and
Kashmir to make informed decisions in order to scale up their food business in
Walnut processing in the present scenario.
·
In addition to the participation of
the various eminent guest speakers, the event saw the participation of around
300 farmers, orchardists and government officials from across the UT and also
the food processing micro-enterprises.
·
It was also hosted live successfully
and witnessed the vast participation of all stakeholders.
What is the PMFME Scheme?
Launched under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food
processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme that
aims to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in
the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and to promote
formalization of the sector and provide support to Farmer Producer
Organizations, Self Help Groups, and Producers Cooperatives along their entire
value chain.
With an outlay of Rs. 10,000 crore
over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25, the scheme envisions to
directly assist the 2,00,000 micro food processing units for providing
financial, technical, and business support for upgradation of existing micro
food processing enterprises.
India’s Presidency of G-20 a golden opportunity for both India and IRENA
India’s Presidency of G-20
a golden opportunity for both India and IRENA on how RE can accelerate industry
transition of hard to abate sectors without compromising the development
aspirations of developing countries, leaving no one behind: Shri Bhupender
Yadav
Environment Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav meets Director General, International
Renewable Energy Agency
Union
Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Bhupender Yadav
met H.E. Mr Francesco La Camera Director General,
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) here today.
The
dignitaries of IRENA can contribute in G-20 during India’s Presidency, and
deliberated on other issues of mutual interest including strengthening
engagement between IRENA and India.
Why is it in news?
IRENA can play a very vital role in India’s efforts towards
attainment of enhanced climate goals: Shri Yadav
Minister urged IRENA to be part of CDRI and LeadIT bein spearheaded by India
Highlights
· Given IRENA’s huge global
experiences on Renewable Energy, especially on Solar Energy,
the Minister stated that IRENA can play a very vital role in India’s
efforts towards attainment of enhanced climate goals announced by our Hon’ble
Prime Minister at COP 26.
· Shri Yadav emphasised that
India’s Presidency of G-20 is a golden opportunity for both India and IRENA on
how Renewable Energy can accelerate Industry Transition of hard to abate
sectors, but without compromising the development aspirations of the developing countries
and leaving no one behind.
· The Union Environment
Minister underlined that we may also look beyond G-20 and the existing
arrangements while strengthening engagement between IRENA and
India.
· IRENA may also explore how
it can also be part of CDRI and LeadIT, which are spearheaded by India.
· Both sides also discussed
the importance of providing means of implementation including finance,
technology transfer and capacity building support for achieving enhanced
climate goals by the developing countries like India.