22 March 2025: PIB Summary For UPSC

1. Multiple Schemes Launched by Govt to Provide Financial Support to Women Across India

(Source – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2113658 )

Government Schemes for Women’s Financial Empowerment

• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY): Provides skill training for employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, including women-focused training programs.
• Mahila Coir Yojana (MCY): Offers skill development and financial assistance to women entrepreneurs in the coir industry.
• Stand-Up India: Facilitates bank loans between ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for women-led enterprises in manufacturing, trading, and service sectors.
• Start-Up India: Supports women entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and policy incentives to foster innovation and business growth.
• MUDRA Yojana: Provides collateral-free loans up to ₹10 lakh for women entrepreneurs under Shishu, Kishor, and Tarun categories.
• Credit Guarantee Scheme for Start-ups (CGSS): Offers credit guarantees for start-ups, including those led by women, through banks and financial institutions.
• Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): Supports women-led micro-enterprises with credit-linked subsidies to promote self-employment in non-farm sectors.
• Indian Patent Act (Expedited Examination): Provides fast-track patent examination for women applicants to encourage innovation and intellectual property protection.
• Patent Fee Reduction for Women: Women entrepreneurs pay reduced fees for patent filings, promoting their participation in innovation and research.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): Incubates women-led start-ups through Atal Incubation Centres in universities, institutions, and corporate sectors.
• Companies Act, 2013 (Women Directors Mandate): Mandates at least one woman director in companies, enhancing women’s leadership in corporate governance.
• Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi): Provides working capital loans to street vendors, with significant benefits for women entrepreneurs.
• Mahila Udyam Nidhi Yojana: Offers financial assistance to women entrepreneurs to start and expand their businesses.
• Dena Shakti Scheme: Provides concessional loans to women entrepreneurs in agriculture, manufacturing, and retail businesses.
• Stree Shakti Package for Women Entrepreneurs: Offers reduced interest rates and collateral-free loans for women entrepreneurs through nationalized banks.
• Cent Kalyani Scheme: Provides financial support to women entrepreneurs in manufacturing and service sectors without requiring collateral.

2. India’s bio-economy has witnessed a remarkable 16-fold rise in 10 years of the past one decade.

(Source – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2113745 )

Rapid Growth of India’s Bio-Economy

• The sector contributes 4.25% to India’s GDP and has recorded a 17.9% CAGR over the past four years.
• India surpassed its initial $150 billion bio-economy target set for 2025, achieving it ahead of schedule.

Biotech Startups and Innovation

• The biotech startup ecosystem has grown from 50 startups a decade ago to over 10,075 today.
• Government initiatives and public-private partnerships have played a key role in fostering innovation.
• New drug discoveries, including India’s first indigenous antibiotic, and gene therapy trials mark significant progress.
• Whole genome sequencing of 10,074 individuals across 99 communities is set to revolutionize precision medicine.

Government Policies and Initiatives

• The recently introduced BIO-E3 Policy (Biotechnology for Economy, Employment, and Environment) aims to boost research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
• Bio-AI Hubs, Bio Foundries, and Bio-Enabler Hubs will integrate advanced technologies with biomanufacturing.
• Increased Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD), which more than doubled in a decade, supports scientific advancements.

Future Prospects

• Space biology and medicine research will contribute to India’s upcoming space station mission.
• Strengthened industry-academia collaborations will enhance India’s position as a global biotech leader.

3. Measures taken by the government to use AI in the public health system

(Source – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2113683 )

Government Measures for AI Integration in Healthcare

1. Establishment of AI Centres of Excellence

• AIIMS Delhi, PGIMER Chandigarh, and AIIMS Rishikesh have been designated as Centres of Excellence for Artificial Intelligence to drive AI-based healthcare innovations.

2. AI-Driven Disease Surveillance

• Media Disease Surveillance (MDS): An AI tool scanning digital sources for early detection of infectious disease outbreaks, publishing over 4,500 event alerts since 2022.

3. AI in Telemedicine

• Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS): Integrated into e-Sanjeevani to enhance teleconsultations by providing AI-based differential diagnosis and standardized data capture.

4. AI for Tuberculosis Control

• Cough Against TB: AI-based screening tool detecting 12-16% more TB cases in community settings.
• Prediction of Adverse TB Outcomes: AI tool predicting high-risk TB patients, reducing adverse outcomes by 27%.

5. AI in Diagnostics

• Development of AI-based models for Diabetic Retinopathy Identification and Abnormal Chest X-ray Classification to improve early diagnosis and treatment.

4. Making India More Disaster-Resilient

(Source – https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2113875 )

Introduction

• Earthquakes occur due to stress in the Earth’s crust caused by shifting tectonic plates.
• Around 59% of India is vulnerable to earthquakes, classified into four seismic zones by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
• Zone V is the most active, covering the Himalayan region, while Zone II has the least risk.

Major Earthquakes in India

• The 1905 Kangra earthquake (magnitude 8.0) in Himachal Pradesh resulted in 19,800 deaths.
• The 2001 Bhuj earthquake (magnitude 7.9) led to 12,932 deaths and damaged 890 villages.
• From November 2024 to February 2025, India recorded 159 earthquakes, including a magnitude 4.0 earthquake in Delhi on February 17, 2025.

Government Initiatives for Earthquake Safety

• The government has launched various initiatives to enhance earthquake safety.
• India also provides Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) to countries affected by disasters, such as aid sent to Türkiye and Syria after the 2023 earthquake.

Key Government Agencies for Earthquake Preparedness

• National Disaster Response Force (NDRF): Formed in 2006, currently has 16 battalions with 1,149 personnel each, specializing in disaster response.
• National Centre for Seismology (NCS): Established in 1898, monitors earthquake activity across India and works on early warning systems.
• National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA): Created under the 2005 Disaster Management Act, it develops disaster management policies. Each state has a State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA).
• National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM): Founded in 1995, it focuses on training, research, and capacity building for disaster management.

Key Earthquake Safety Measures and Research Initiatives

• Guidelines for Earthquake Safety:
  • The Home Owner’s Guide (2019) helps people build earthquake-resistant homes.
  • The Simplified Guidelines (2021) provide safety tips for homebuyers and builders.
• Earthquake Early Warning (EEW): Research is underway in the Himalayan region, and the NCS records and shares earthquake data.
• Earthquake Risk Indexing (EDRI): Conducted by NDMA, it evaluates earthquake risks in Indian cities. Phase I covered 50 cities, and Phase II targets 16 more.

Conclusion

• India is improving earthquake preparedness through policies, safety guidelines, and early warning systems.
• Strengthening infrastructure and public awareness can help reduce damage and save lives during earthquakes.

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