National Sports Development Fund
- National Sports Development Fund (NSDF) was established in 1998, under Charitable Endowments Act 1890, vide Government of India Notification dated 12th November 1998.
- The NSDF supports sportspersons to excel in the field by providing opportunities to train under coaches of international repute.
- It also provides technical, scientific and psychological support and also in getting exposure to international competitions.
- Financial assistance is also provided to specific projects for promotion of sports and games sponsored by reputed Organizations/Institutes, provided the facilities so created are made available to a sizeable population of the area/region.
- The office of NSDF is located in Shastri Bhavan in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
Small Grants Program
- Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Program was established in the year of the Rio Earth Summit 1992.
- It provides financial and technical support to projects that conserve and restore the environment while enhancing people's well-being and livelihoods.
- It demonstrates that community action can maintain the fine balance between human needs and environmental imperatives.
- UNDP has been supporting the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) in implementing the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and financed Small Grants Program (SGP) in India since 1997.
- The program provides grants of up to $50,000 directly to local communities including indigenous people, community-based organizations and other non-governmental group.
- The SGP has been working extensively in the areas of biodiversity conservation, climate change and land degradation.
- SGP in India aims to support the vulnerable communities through community led approaches towards environmental conservation and livelihoods enhancement.
- Projects under the SGP are implemented through
- National Host Institution – Centre for Environment Education (CEE)
- NGO partners and stakeholders that has presence in different parts of the country.
National Centre of Sports Sciences and Research
- The scheme of National Centre of Sports Sciences and Research (NCSSR) aims to support high level research, education and innovation with respect to high performance of elite athletes.
- It was previously named as Indian Institute of Sports Sciences and Research (IISSR).
- The scheme has two components:
- Setting up of NCSSR and
- Other is focused on creation of support to Sports Sciences Departments in 6 Universities and Sports Medicine Departments in 6 Medical Institutions.
- Some of the aims and objectives of NCSSR Scheme are as follows
- Application of scientific principles to the promotion, maintenance and enhancement of sporting performance.
- Developing athletes to their maximum potential and to prolong their competitive sporting career.
- Management and rehabilitation of sports injuries
Guru Padbmasambhava
- Odisha Chief Minister unveiled a 19-foot-high statue of Guru Padmasambhava at Gajapati district recently
- He is the founder of Tibetan Buddhism.
- He is also known as second Buddha
- Historians claim that Guru Padmasambhava was born and brought up in Odisha before he left for Tibet.
- In Tibetan, Guru Padmasambhava is generally referred to as Guru Rinpoche, which means “precious master.”
Ratoon Cropping
- Ratoon cropping is a form of cultivation in which a second crop is allowed to grow from the remains of one already harvested.
- It is also called stubble cropping as the new plants grow from the stubble of the harvested crop.
- Sugarcane, pineapple and banana are crops in which this method is practiced.
- Ratooning cannot be used endlessly as the yield and quality decrease after each cycle.
- In sugarcane, for example, two or three ratooning crops are possible, after which fresh planting has to be done.
CUTLASS Exercise
- INS Trikand of the Indian Navy, participated in a multinational training exercise ‘CUTLASS EXPRESS – 19’.
- The aim of the exercise was to improve law enforcement capacity, promote regional security and progress inter-operability between the armed forces of the participating nations.
- The exercise was conducted for the purpose of interdicting illegal maritime activity in the Western Indian Ocean.
- During the exercise, Naval, Coast Guard and Marine Police personnel from a number of East African countries were jointly trained by mentors from USA, India, and Netherlands.
- It was conducted with support of international organizations like the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Combined Maritime Force (CMF) and European Naval Forces (EUNAVFOR).
Source: PIB, The Hindu
