- PM Vishwakarma Scheme: This is a central sector scheme launched by the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, which offers services like market linkage support, skill training, and incentives for digital transactions to artisans and craftspeople engaged in specified trades. Time period: Five years (FY 2023-24 to FY 2027-28). The aim is to strengthen and nurture the Guru-Shishya parampara, or family-based practice of traditional skills by artisans and craftspeople working with their hands and tools. It is available for rural and urban artisans and craftsmen across India. It covers 18 traditional crafts such as Boat Maker; Armourer; Blacksmith; Hammer and Tool Kit Maker; etc. Five lakh families will be covered in the first year and 30 lakh families over five years. Under this scheme, the artisans and craftspeople will be provided recognition through a PM Vishwakarma certificate and ID card. They will receive collateral-free credit support of up to ₹1 lakh (first tranche) and ₹2 lakh (second tranche) with a concessional interest rate of 5%.The scheme will further provide craftsmen with methods of skill upgradation involving basic and advanced training, a toolkit incentive of ₹15,000 and incentives for digital transactions, and marketing support. Under the scheme, there will be two types of skilling programmes — Basic and Advanced and a stipend of Rs 500 per day will also be provided to beneficiaries while undergoing skills training.
- Climate Change Performance Index: In a significant stride towards sustainable practices, India has ascended to the 7th position in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). It is an instrument to enable transparency in national and international climate politics. It is published by Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network annually. It was first time published in 2005.The CCPI uses a standardized framework to compare the climate performance of 63 countries and the EU, which together account for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The climate protection performance is assessed in four categories: GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use and Climate Policy.
Key highlights:
Denmark retained the top spot with a score of 75.59 per cent. Estonia and the Philippines occupied the second and third ranks respectively, with 72.07 and 70.70.Saudi Arabia was at the bottom — 67th — in the performance list, while the host country United Arab Emirates occupied the 65th position.India receives a high ranking in the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories, but a medium in Climate Policy and Renewable Energy, as in the previous year.
- YUVAi Initiative: It is a collaborative initiative of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India and Intel India. It is aimed to foster a deeper understanding of AI, to enable school students from class 8 to 12 across the nation with AI skills and empower them to become human-centric designers and users of AI. Progressing in three phases, the YUVAi programme is being implemented in multiple cohorts to ensure that maximum students stand a chance to become future-ready. In the first Cohort, more than 8,500 students registered, post which, they attended online orientation sessions to learn fundamental concepts of AI. Teachers also enrolled into the program and underwent orientation sessions. Students then submitted innovative AI-based ideas under one of the eight core themes of the programme. In phase 2, Top 200 AI-based ideas were shortlisted. Shortlisted students attended online deep dive AI training and mentorship. In Phase 3, top 50 students were shortlisted.
