Today's Brief 9/07/2024

1. Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (GS-3): Govt To Set Up Primary Agricultural Credit Societies In Around 2- Lakh Gram Panchayats During Next 5 Years, Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) are grassroots-level cooperative credit institutions in India, established to provide financial support to the agricultural sector.

Here are some key points about PACS:

1. Structure and Membership:

• PACS are village-level cooperative credit societies.

• They operate at the base level of the three-tier cooperative credit structure, with District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) at the middle level and State Cooperative Banks (SCBs) at the top level.

• Membership typically includes local farmers, small landowners, and rural artisans.

1. Functions and Services:

• Provide short-term and medium-term credit to farmers for agricultural and allied activities.

• Offer loans for purchasing seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural equipment.

• Facilitate storage and marketing of agricultural produce.

• Promote savings among members through various deposit schemes.

1. Operations:

• PACS are managed by an elected board of directors, consisting of members from the local community.

• They obtain funds primarily from DCCBs, as well as from member deposits and share capital.

1. Role in Rural Development:

• Play a crucial role in financial inclusion by extending credit to farmers who may not have access to formal banking channels.

• Help in the dissemination of modern agricultural practices and technologies.

1. Challenges:

• Often face issues like inadequate capital, poor management, and political interference.

• High levels of Non-Performing Assets (NPAs) due to defaults on agricultural loans.

1. Government Support:

• The government and various agencies regularly provide financial support, training, and capacity-building programs to strengthen PACS.

• Initiatives like computerization of PACS are being implemented to improve efficiency and transparency.

PACS form an integral part of the rural credit delivery system in India, aiming to support agricultural productivity and improve the livelihood of the rural population.

2.National Security Council(GS-2): The National Security Council (NSC) of India is a three-tiered organization that oversees political, economic, energy and security issues of strategic concern. It operates within the executive office of the prime minister of India, liaising between the government’s executive branch and the intelligence services, advising leadership on intelligence and security issues.

The National Security Council comprises the Strategic Policy Group, the National Security Advisory Board and a secretariat from the Joint Intelligence Committee.

The National Security Advisor presides over the NSC, and is also the primary advisor to the prime minister.

The current National Security Advisor is Ajit Doval

The National Security Council of India is a high-level agency established in 1998 by the government of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The Prime Minister heads the NSC, and the NSA is its Secretary.

The headquarters of NSC is in New Delhi

3."Blue Line"(GS-2): Lebanon-Israel is a significant line in the ongoing tensions between the two countries. 

What is it?

• The Blue Line is a demarcation line, not an official international border, established by the United Nations in 2000.

• It separates Lebanon from Israel and the Golan Heights.

• Its purpose was to verify Israel's complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

Why is it important?

• The Blue Line's legitimacy is disputed by Israel, Lebanon, and Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group.

• There have been accusations of violations by both sides.

• The Blue Line's instability contributes to the tense relations between Israel and Lebanon.

Additional points:

• The Blue Line follows, with some modifications, the boundary established by Britain and France in the 1920s between Lebanon/Syria and Palestine.

• The UN maintains a peacekeeping force, UNIFIL, to monitor the situation along the Blue Line.

4.Quantum Science (GS-3): On June 7, 2024, the United Nations proclaimed 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology (IYQ). According to the proclamation, this year-long, worldwide initiative will "be observed through activities at all levels aimed at increasing public awareness of the importance of quantum science and applications."

The year 2025 was chosen for this International Year as it recognizes 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics. Join us in engaging with quantum science and technology education and celebration throughout 2025!

Background and History

Recognizing the importance of quantum science and the need for wider awareness of its past and future impact, dozens of national scientific societies gathered together to support marking 100 years of quantum mechanics with a U.N.-declared international year. The timeline of endorsements for this international year also included the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr), and the International Union of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (IUHPST).

Led by the nation of Mexico, in May 2023 the Executive Board of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) endorsed a resolution encouraging official UN proclamation, followed by an endorsement of the full UNESCO General Conference in November 2023, which was co-sponsored by nearly 60 countries.

In May 2024, the nation of Ghana formally submitted a draft resolution for official proclamation of the International Year to the U.N. General Assembly that garnered co-sponsorship from six countries before its approval. On June 7, 2024 the U.N. General Assembly officially declared 2025 to be The International Year of Quantum Science and Technology.

National Quantum Mission?

The Union Cabinet, approved the National Quantum Mission (NQM) on 19th April 2023 at a total cost of Rs.6003.65 crore from 2023-24 to 2030-31, aiming to seed, nurture and scale up scientific and industrial R&D and create a vibrant & innovative ecosystem in Quantum Technology (QT).

This will accelerate QT led economic growth, nurture the ecosystem in the country and make India one of the leading nations in the development of Quantum Technologies & Applications (QTA).

The Mission objectives include developing intermediate-scale quantum computers with 50-1000 physical qubits in 8 years in various platforms like superconducting and photonic technology. Satellite-based secure quantum communications between ground stations over a range of 2000 kilometers within India, long-distance secure quantum communications with other countries, inter-city quantum key distribution over 2000 km as well as multi-node Quantum networks with quantum memories are also some of the deliverables of the Mission.

The National Quantum Mission will focus on developing magnetometers with high sensitivity in atomic systems and Atomic Clocks for precision timing, communications, and navigation.

• It will also support the design and synthesis of quantum materials such as superconductors, novel semiconductor structures, and topological materials for the fabrication of quantum devices.

• Single photon sources/detectors, and entangled photon sources will also be developed for quantum communications, sensing, and metrological applications.

Mission Implementation includes setting up of four Thematic Hubs (T-Hubs) in top academic and National R&D institutes in the domains:

1. Quantum Computing

2. Quantum Communication

3. Quantum Sensing & Metrology

4. Quantum Materials & Devices

The hubs which will focus on generation of new knowledge through basic and applied research as well as promote R&D in areas that are mandated to them.

NQM has the potential to elevate the country's Technology Development ecosystem to a level of global competitiveness.

The Mission would greatly benefit various sectors including communication, health, financial, energy with applications in drug design, space, banking, security etc. The Mission will also provide a huge boost to National priorities like Digital India, Make in India, Skill India and Stand-up India, Start-up India, Self-reliant India and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

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