The document discusses the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme. Some key points: 1. MPLADS allows MPs to recommend developmental works in their constituencies based on local needs. Each MP receives Rs. 5 crore annually for this. 2. Funds are released to district authorities who implement projects. MPs have a recommendatory role while districts oversee execution. 3. The Parliamentary Committee has asked the government to release Rs. 5 crore meant for 2023-24 this fiscal to complete unfinished MPLADS projects impacted by COVID suspensions.

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2. What is MPLAD Scheme?
Reference News:-
With the Covid-19 pandemic leading to the
suspension of the release of funds under
MPLADS and impacting projects, the
Parliamentary Committee on Estimates has
asked the government to release Rs five crore
meant for 2023-24 in this fiscal itself so as to
complete unfinished projects.
Background:
Though the Member of Parliament Local Area Development (MPLAD) scheme was suspended for
two years (2020-21 and 2021-22), it was restored for the remaining part of 2021-22 with the release
of Rs 2 crore for each MP in one instalment.
Need for:
There were certain sanctioned projects which have been completed or are at the stage of completion
but due to the non-release of previous instalments, projects are “unfortunately” being “abandoned
mid-way”.
 To overcome this, the government should make appropriate arrangements to release pending
installments of previous years in order to clear the committed liabilities under MPLAD
scheme and to help people derive benefits from erstwhile dead/abandoned projects under
MPLADS.
About MPLAD scheme:
 Launched in December, 1993.
 Seeks to provide a mechanism for the Members of Parliament to recommend works of
developmental nature for creation of durable community assets and for provision of basic
facilities including community infrastructure, based on locally felt needs.
 The MPLADS is a Plan Scheme fully funded by Government of India.
 The annual MPLADS fund entitlement per MP constituency is Rs. 5 crore.
Special focus:
 MPs are to recommend every year, works costing at least 15 per cent of the MPLADS
entitlement for the year for areas inhabited by Scheduled Caste population and 7.5 per cent
for areas inhabited by S.T. population.
Release of Funds:
 Funds are released in the form of grants in-aid directly to the district authorities.
 The funds released under the scheme are non-lapsable.
 The liability of funds not released in a particular year is carried forward to the subsequent
years, subject to eligibility.

3.  The MPs have a recommendatory role under the scheme.
 The district authority is empowered to examine the eligibility of works, sanction funds and
select the implementing agencies, prioritise works, supervise overall execution, and monitor
the scheme at the ground level.
 At least 10% of the projects under implementation in the district are to be inspected every
year by the district authority.
Recommendation of works:
 The Lok Sabha Members can
recommend works in their
respective constituencies.
 The elected members of the
Rajya Sabha can recommend
works anywhere in the state
from which they are elected.
 Nominated members of the Lok
Sabha and Rajya Sabha may
select works for implementation
anywhere in the country.
PMJJBY, PMSBY & APY Complete 7 Years
Reference News:-
Social security schemes Pradhan Mantri
Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY),
Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana
(PMSBY) and Atal Pension Yojana
(APY) have completed seven years of their
launch.
When were the schemes launched?
The schemes were launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 9, 2015.
Basic details of the schemes:
PMJJBY:
 It is a one-year life insurance scheme renewable from year to year offering coverage for
death due to any reason.
 Eligibility: Individuals in the age group of 18-50 years having a savings bank or a post office
account are entitled to enroll under the scheme.
 Life cover of Rs 2 lakh in case of death due to any reason against a premium of Rs 330 per
annum.
Achievements: 12.76 crore enrollments.

4. PMSBY:
 It is a one-year accidental insurance scheme renewable from year to year offering coverage
for death or disability due to accident.
 Eligibility: Individuals in the age group of 18-70 years having a savings bank or a post office
account are entitled to enroll under the scheme.
 Accidental death cum disability cover of Rs.2 lakh (Rs.1 lakh in case of partial disability)
for death or disability due to an accident.
Achievements: 28.37 crore enrollments.
APY:
 It seeks to provide financial security and cover future exigencies for the people in the
unorganized sector.
 APY is administered by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority
(PFRDA) under the overall administrative and institutional architecture of the National
Pension System (NPS).
 Eligibility: Open to all bank account holders in the age group of 18 to 40 years.
Achievements: 4 Crore registrations.
Punjab promoting green manure
Reference News:-
Punjab Government is promoting
the cultivation of green manure these days.
 The state government is providing a
subsidy on the seed at the rate of Rs
2,000 per quintal.
What is green manure?
 These are crops grown specifically for
maintaining soil fertility and structure.
 They are normally incorporated back into the soil, either directly, or after removal and
composting.
 Green manure varieties are incorporated into the soil when the crop is 42-56 days old.
Examples:
There are three main varieties of green manure, including Dhaincha, Cowpea, Sunhemp. Also some
crops such as summer moong, mash pulses and guar act as green manure.
Benefits:
1. Helps in enhancing the organic matter in the soil.
2. Meets the deficiency of the micronutrients.
3. Reduces the consumption of the inorganic fertilisers.
4. It is a good alternative to the organic manure.

5. 5. It conserves the nutrients, adds nitrogen and stabilises the soil structure.
6. It decomposes rapidly and liberates large quantities of carbon dioxide and weak acids, which
act on insoluble soil minerals to release nutrients for plant growth.
7. It contains 15 to 18 quintals of dry matter, which also contains phosphorus, potassium, zinc,
copper, iron and manganese, per acre and 20 to 40kg per acre of nitrogen.
Why is sowing of green manure important in Punjab?
Punjab’s per hectare fertiliser consumption, which is around 244 kg, is one of the highest in the
country and is also higher than the national average.
 Green manure can curtail this consumption to a large extent by 25 to 30% and can save
huge input cost for the farmers.
 Regular use of chemical fertilisers such as urea, diammonium phosphate (DAP) lead
to deficiencies of micronutrients like iron and zinc, especially in the soils where rice is
cultivated thus affecting productivity.
 PH level of the soil in several parts of Punjab is more than 8.5 and 9 per cent. Green
manure helps maintain it.
Tissue culture plants
Reference News:-
The Agricultural and Processed Food
Products Export Development Authority
(APEDA) recently conducted a webinar
on “Export Promotion of Tissue Culture
Plants such as Foliage, Live Plants, Cut
Flowers, and Planting Material”.
 The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) accredited tissue culture laboratories spread
across India participated in the Webinar.
What is plant tissue culture?
It is culturing plant seeds, organs, explants, tissues, cells, or protoplasts on a chemically defined
synthetic nutrient media under sterile and controlled conditions of light, temperature, and humidity.
Advantages of plant tissue culture:
 Quickly produce mature plants.
 Allows them to be moved with greatly reduced chances of transmitting diseases, pests, and
pathogens.
 Storage of genetic plant material to safeguard native plant species.
India’s exports of tissue culture plants:
 In 2020-2021, India’s exports of tissue culture plants stood at US USD 17.17 million, with
the Netherlands accounting for around 50 per cent of the shipments.

6.  The top ten countries importing tissue culture plants from India are the Netherlands,
USA, Italy, Australia, Canada, Japan, Kenya, Senegal, Ethiopia and Nepal.
Issues and challenges faced by tissue culture plant laboratories:
1. Increasing power costs.
2. Low efficiency levels of the skilled workforce in the laboratories.
3. Contamination issues in the laboratories.
4. Cost of transportation of micro-propagated planting material.
5. Lack of harmonization in the HS code of Indian planting material with other nations.
6. Objections raised by the forest and quarantine departments to the export of live planting
material.
How the government is encouraging the export of tissue culture plants?
APEDA is running a Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) to help laboratories upgrade themselves
so as to produce export quality tissue culture planting material.
 It also facilitates exports of tissue culture planting material to diversified countries through
market development, market analysis and promotion and exhibition of tissue culture plants at
international exhibitions and by participating in buyer-seller meets at different international
forums.
Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG)
Reference News:
There was an attack on the Punjab Police’s Intelligence headquarters in Mohali
 The weapon recovered after the attack was identified as a Rocket-Propelled Grenade
(RPG)
What is the Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG)?
 The RPG is a weapon of Soviet origin, and its initials stand for Rucknoy Peotivotankovvy
Granaromyot, which roughly translated means a handheld anti-tank grenade launcher.
 It is a portable, shoulder fired weapon, which is easy to operate and can cause widespread
damage whether used in an anti-personnel mode, against armoured vehicles or against
buildings.
 There are different versions of the RPG which are designed as per the usage of the weapon
with varying capacity of the warhead, effective range and penetration levels.
Origins of the RPG
 The origins of RPG lie in the various conflicts that have taken place in modern military
warfare, dating back to World War I
 RPG has made its presence felt in almost every major insurgency or terrorism-affected region
in the world.
Can such weapons be easily procured by terrorists?

7.  There is a thriving illicit market for Soviet-origin weapons like the RPG, which are still in
circulation worldwide.
 Such weapons are not difficult to procure by arms smugglers, and these then find their way to
terrorist organisations
 Eastern European countries, especially those from the former Soviet Union bloc, are well-
known markets for the sale and purchase of these weapons.