National
Mission Antyodaya Survey (MAS) 2022-23
⇒ The Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Shri Giriraj Singh inaugurated the Mission Antyodaya Survey (MAS) 2022-23 including launching of its portal and mobile application “Mission Antyodaya” at a function in New Delhi on 09 February 2023.
» Shri Giriraj Singh informed that Mission Antyodaya Survey 2022-23 Survey will be conducted in all 2,69,253-gram panchayats and equivalent, whose profile has been created on e-Gram Swaraj.
- However, Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland are not covered yet due to elections.
- It is very useful for preparation of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDP) as the gap analysis tool in 269253 GPs and equivalents. The primary objective of Antyodaya is to survey and collect village infrastructure and services data for more than 6.5 lakh villages in the country.
About Survey-2022:
» The Survey-2022 Questionnaire has 183 indicators and 216 data points covering 21 areas.
The survey questions have been categorized into five stratums:
- Panchayat Infrastructure
- Panchayat Services
- Village Infrastructure
- Village Services, and
- Village Practices.
The 21 sectors covered in the M A Survey are:
- Basic Parameters
- Good governance
- Agriculture and land development, fuel and fodder
- Animal husbandry
- Fisheries
- Rural housing
- Water and environmental sanitation
- Roads and communications
- Conventional and non-conventional energy
- Financial and communication infrastructure
- Markets and fairs
- Public Distribution System
- Library
- Recreation and sports
- Education/vocational education
- Health, nutrition, maternal and child development and family welfare
- Welfare of weaker sections
- Poverty alleviation programme
- Khadi, village and cottage industries
- Social forestry, and
- Small scale industries
Key Points:
- A total of 26 Central Government Ministries / Departments have been consulted for finalization of the questionnaire.
- The questionnaire has been translated in 13 regional languages.
- The Ministry, in consultation with NIC-DRD, has developed the android mobile application with geo-tag feature for 36 assets in villages.
- The Ministry has also set up in-house HelpDesk for smooth resolution of queries related to the questionnaire and mobile application.
About Mission Antyodaya Survey:
- The Department of Rural Development has been conducting Mission Antyodaya Survey across all Gram Panchayats in the country since 2017-18 with the purpose of transforming lives and livelihoods of people on measurable outcomes through convergence of various schemes.
- Annual survey in Gram Panchayats across the country is an important aspect of Mission Antyodaya framework.
Aim:
» The survey aims to lend support to the process of participatory planning for Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) which will improve service delivery, enhance citizenship, create pace for an alliance of people’s institutions, and groups and improve governance at the local level.
- The preparation of GPDPs is a comprehensive exercise that uses both primary and secondary data for preparing final plan document for any GP. MA Survey presents secondary data to carry out gap analysis. MA Survey data will also serve as a key input in the preparation of block and district plans.
‘Digital Payments Utsav’ to Promote Digital Transformation
⇒ The Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Communications and Railways, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw launched the ‘Digital Payments Utsav’, a comprehensive campaign aimed at promoting digital payments across India, on 09 February 2023.
- The launch of the Digital Payments Utsav marks a major milestone in the government’s efforts to promote digital payments and drive digital transformation in India.
Key Points:
- “Digital Payments Utsav” is an extraordinary campaign that will showcase India’s journey of digital transformation.
- Accordingly, a comprehensive campaign “Digital Payments Utsav” is being organized with a series of events and initiatives from 9 February to 9 October 2023 in coordination with all stakeholders to promote digital payments across the country.
- The focus of the campaign is to promote digital payments in the country, especially in the cities of Lucknow, Pune, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru, as part of the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG) event.
- The comprehensive campaign is expected to bring together various stakeholders, including the government, industry, and citizens, to drive the growth of the digital economy and promote financial inclusion.
Other Points:
- Several significant initiatives were launched during the event, including a G20 Co-branded QR code, a G20 edition of the preloaded RuPay On-The-Go device, innovative products from banks and FinTechs, a joint campaign by MeitY and Delhi Police to promote secure digital payments, and a Coffee Table Book titled “Towards a Developed India Catalysing Inclusive Growth Through Digital Payments.”
- In addition, 28 DigiDhan Awards were presented to top-performing banks, bankers, and fintech companies in different categories for their outstanding performance in the digital payments space. The awards recognize the efforts of these organizations in promoting digital payments and contributing to the growth of the digital economy.
- The event culminated with the flag-off of the Digital Payment Sandesh Yatra, which will tour the country to educate citizens about digital payments and its security. The yatra is an important aspect of the Digital Payments Utsav and will help to increase awareness and adoption of digital payments in India.
Online Green talk series "GYAN VIGYAAN AUR HUM"
⇒ As part of MISSION LIFE Awareness Programme, National Museum of Natural History, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change organized five days online Green talk series “GYAN VIGYAAN AUR HUM” from 06th to 10th February 2023.
Key Points:
- The programme started on 6th Feb in which large number of students from Digital libraries of villages – Jamalpur and Fazilpur Badli (Haryana) participated along with others students across the country.
- The Scientists from reputed research organizations were delivering talks followed by interaction with children.
- The programme was aimed to create awareness on important issues related to Environment.
International
First G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting
⇒ The 1st meeting of the G20 Tourism Working Group under India’s G20 Presidency was held from February 07-09, 2023 in Rann of Kutch, Gujarat.
- The meeting included two side events, an inaugural session, and two days of working group meetings on the five identified priorities, along with a series of bilateral meetings and excursion visits.
Five priority areas:
Five priority areas in the tourism sector have been identified during India’s G20 Presidency, which will constitute the key building blocks for accelerating the transition of the tourism sector and will achieve the targets for the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
The five priority areas in the tourism sector are as follows:
- Green Tourism: “Greening of the tourism sector for a sustainable, responsible and resilient tourism sector”
- Digitalization: “Harnessing the power of digitalization to promote competitiveness, inclusion, and sustainability in the tourism sector”
- Building Skills: “Empowering youth with skills for jobs and entrepreneurship in the tourism sector”
- Tourism MSMEs: “Nurturing tourism MSMEs / Startups/ private sector to unleash innovation and dynamism in the tourism sector”
- Destination Management: “Rethinking the strategic management of destinations towards a holistic approach that delivers on the SDGs”
Host:
The first Tourism Working Group Meeting under G20 was hosted by the Ministry of Tourism on February 07, 2023.
First Side Event:
The first Tourism Working Group Meeting was preceded by a side event of a panel discussion on ‘Rural Tourism for Community Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation’.
- The Union Minister for Culture, Tourism and DoNER Shri G. Kishan Reddy delivered the keynote address at the day’s side event.
- The panelists held discussions and made presentations highlighting the best practices, success stories, prospects, opportunities, and issues in the field of Rural Tourism.
- The delegates arrived in Dhordo on February 07 and were given a warm, colourful, and traditional welcome which included performances by folk artists at the tent city, Dhordo, Rann of Kutch.
- Later in the evening, the delegates were taken to White Rann in beautifully decorated camel carts with vibrant folk music and dance performances all along the way.
Inaugural session:
At the inaugural session, the Indian dignitaries shared their views on Indian tourist destinations, steps taken by the government to promote tourism, the safety of tourists, digitization in the tourism sector, and tourism’s impact on the local economy and employment.
Working group meeting:
During the working group meeting, discussions were held on the identified five priority themes under the Indian Presidency.
Second side event:
On February 09, a second side event was organized on the theme, ‘Promotion of Archaeological Tourism: Discovering shared Cultural Heritage’.
- Speakers at the panel discussion shared their views on the conservation of Archaeological Sites and the challenges faced at such sites. They highlighted the benefits of promoting archaeological tourism for the empowerment and sustainable livelihoods of local communities.