Facts in News

                                     Facts in News

ISRF Programme

• Recently Some scholars from six countries have been awarded a fellowship to conduct research in science and technology in Indian institutes and universities.
  • These scholars have been selected for India Science and Research Fellowship (ISRF) 2021 based on the research proposal, experience, academic merit and publication record.
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched ISRF Programme for Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand researchers to work in Indian universities and research institutions.
• ISRF has been implemented since 2015, and as of now, five calls have been announced in this programme with the participation of young researchers from these countries.
• ISRF provides an opportunity to young researchers from neighbouring countries to get access to the state-of-the-art facilities available in the Indian institutes/universities.

Government e-Market (GeM) Portal

• It is the national public procurement portal that offers end to end solutions for all procurement needs of Central and State Government Departments, autonomous institutions, Public Sector Units (PSUs) and local bodies.
• It was launched in 2016 and operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

• The portal provides a wide range of products from office stationery to vehicles.
  • Automobiles, computers and office furniture are currently the top product categories.
• At present government departments, ministries, public sector units, state governments, and Central Armed Police Forces are allowed to carry out transactions through this portal.

• GeM aims to enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
•  It provides the tools of e-bidding, reverses e-auction and demand aggregation to facilitate the government users, achieving the best value for their money.

Outcome-Based Budget

• The outcome budget is a progress card on what various departments have done with the amount assigned in the previous annual budget. It measures the outcomes of all government programmes and whether the money has been spent for the purpose it was sanctioned.
• It was first introduced in 2005-06
• Under this mechanism, each ministry handling a sector is required to present a preliminary outcome budget to the Ministry of Finance.
• This budget is presented with the objective of establishing a correlation between the outlay, output and outcome of the budget.

Pench National Park

• Location: Covers a total area of 758 sq. km in the southern part of Madhya Pradesh (Seoni and Chhindwara districts), which also shares a boundary with Maharashtra.
  • An additional area of 257 sq km lies in Maharashtra as well.
• History
  • Pench was declared as a sanctuary in 1965 but in 1975, it rose to the status of a National Park.
  • It was established as a tiger reserve in 1992 and now is working under Project Tiger.
    • Project Tiger is an initiative started by the Government of India where the protection and conservation of tigers is the primary aim.
• Flora
  • Mahua, White Kulu, Salai, Saja, Bijiyasal, Dhaora, Amaltas and many other. Apart from trees, the park is filled with grasslands, plants and saplings.
• Fauna
  • Royal Bengal tiger, jackal, peafowl, wild dog, wild boar, sloth bear, Indian leopard, fox, striped hyena, monkey, gaur, barking deer, four-horned antelope, Indian wolf, and more such species.
• Interesting Facts
  • It has its area segregated into two divisions
    • Priyadarshini National Park & Mowgli Pench Sanctuary
    • Buffer area.
  • It is named after River Pench which while flowing from north to south, divides the national park into almost equal halves namely eastern and western halves.
  • The park finds mention in ‘The Jungle Book’, written by the renowned English Author Rudyard Kipling in 1894.
    • The story was worldwide appreciated so the park became one of the popular national parks in the world and also a prominent tourist attraction in India.

No-Confidence Motion

• Rule 198 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Lok Sabha specifies the procedure for moving a no-confidence motion.
• It can be moved only in the Lok Sabha and not Rajya Sabha.
• If any member of the House feels that the government in power does not have a majority then he/she can move a no-confidence motion.
  • The member need not give a reason for moving the no-confidence motion.
• The member has to give written notice of the motion before 10 am which will be read out by the Speaker in the House.
• A minimum of 50 members have to accept the motion and accordingly, the Speaker will announce the date for discussion for the motion.
• The allotted date has to be within 10 days from the day the motion is accepted. Otherwise, the motion fails and the member who moved the motion will be informed about it.
• If the motion is accepted, then the party in power has to prove its majority in the House.
• If the government is not able to prove its majority in the House, then the government of the day has to resign.