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- The Finance Minister recently introduced the Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana, a transformative agricultural development initiative, during her landmark 8th Union Budget presentation.
- Key Highlights of Pradhan Mantri Dhan Dhanya Krishi Yojana:
- This new program is designed to assist farmers in 100 districts that are currently grappling with agricultural challenges. These regions are characterized by low crop productivity, and farmers often face difficulties in accessing financial aid. The initiative, which will be executed in partnership with state governments, aims to impact 100 districts across the nation, benefiting around 1.7 crore farmers. The primary objective is to create sustainable opportunities in rural areas, allowing migration to be a choice, not a compulsion. The scheme focuses on five main areas:
- Enhancing agricultural productivity
- Improving irrigation infrastructure
- Expanding access to credit
- Promoting crop diversification and adopting sustainable farming practices
- Strengthening post-harvest storage capacities at the Panchayat and block levels.
- This new program is designed to assist farmers in 100 districts that are currently grappling with agricultural challenges. These regions are characterized by low crop productivity, and farmers often face difficulties in accessing financial aid. The initiative, which will be executed in partnership with state governments, aims to impact 100 districts across the nation, benefiting around 1.7 crore farmers. The primary objective is to create sustainable opportunities in rural areas, allowing migration to be a choice, not a compulsion. The scheme focuses on five main areas:
- The Union Budget 2025-26 has introduced the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme, aimed at providing digital Indian language textbooks for students.
- Key Highlights of the Bharatiya Bhasha Pustak Scheme:
- This new initiative focuses on making education more accessible by offering digital textbooks and study materials in a range of Indian languages. Through this scheme, students across schools and universities will have access to digital versions of textbooks and learning resources. The initiative is designed to benefit students from diverse linguistic backgrounds by providing study materials in regional languages. It seeks to address the gap in educational resources for students from different linguistic groups, ensuring equal access to quality learning materials. This scheme complements the government’s earlier efforts to improve educational infrastructure, such as the ASMITA (Augmenting Study Materials in Indian Languages through Translation and Academic Writing) program.
- The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is drifting toward South Georgia Island, a remote and ecologically significant wildlife sanctuary, after breaking free from the Filchner Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
- About South Georgia Island:
- South Georgia Island is a rugged, mountainous island located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands. The island spans an area of 3,756 sq. km. Its landscape is dominated by over 160 glaciers and towering peaks, including Mount Paget, which stands at 2,935 meters (9,629 feet).
- Climate:
- South Georgia Island has a subantarctic climate, characterized by cold, wet, and windy conditions year-round, though it is somewhat milder than Antarctica. There are no permanent human residents on the island; only temporary researchers, government officials, and visitors inhabit it.
- Biodiversity:
- The harsh, snow-covered environment supports only resilient grasses and tundra vegetation. The island is a vital habitat for millions of seabirds, including king penguins, albatrosses, and petrels. It also hosts large populations of seals such as fur seals and elephant seals, as well as various whale species.