Scientists have successfully developed the world's first 4D printing for ceramics.
It can be used to create complex, shape-changing objects.
4D printing is conventional 3D printing combined with the additional element of time as the 4th dimension.
The 4D printed objects can re-shape or self-assemble themselves over time with external stimuli, such as mechanical force, temperature, or a magnetic field.
The existing 3D-printed ceramic productions are usually difficult to deform and hinder the production of ceramics with complex shapes.
A novel ceramic ink was developed to stretch the ceramic products beyond its initial length and allow complex shapes with heat treatment.
Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana
PMAY aims at helping people below the poverty-line (BPL) in construction of dwelling units and upgradation of existing unserviceable kutcha houses through assistance in the form of full grant.
Government will soon introduce provision of ‘lock-in’ period of five years for the houses purchased under PMAY.
Those who have purchased houses will not be able to sell properties within 5 years of buying to avoid the misuse of the scheme.
Beneficiaries are people belonging to SCs/STs, freed bonded labourers and non-SC/ST categories, widows or next-of-kin of defence personnel killed in action, ex-servicemen and retired members of the paramilitary forces, Disabled persons and Minorities.
Under PMAY – Gramin, Government aims to construct 1 crore pucca (permanent) houses for the rural poor by 2019.
Beneficiaries would be chosen based on the according to data taken from the Socio-Economic Caste Census of 2011.
Under PMAY – Urban, Government envisions “Housing for All” by 2022.
Beneficiaries – Urban poor who does not own a pucca house, Economically Weaker Section (EWS), Middle Income Groups (MIG) and Lower Income Groups (LIG).
Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme is an interest subsidy available to a loan amounts up to 12 lakhs at the rate of 4% ( 6 to 9 lakhs) and 3% (9 to 12 lakhs).
It is for purchase/construction/extension/improvement of house to cater EWS/LIG/MIG.
BIMSTEC
Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation involving a group of countries in South Asia and South East Asia.
Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal are its members.
Its headquarters is in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The main objective of BIMSTEC is technological and economic co-operation among south Asian and south east Asian countries along the coast of the Bay of Bengal.
Commerce, investment, technology, tourism, human resource development, agriculture, fisheries, transport and communication, textiles, leather etc. have been included in it.
It uses the alphabetical order for the Chairmanship. Accordingly, Nepal formally took over the new Chairmanship as on 2014.
Its 2018 summit is going to be held in Kathmandu.
The previous summit was held in Myanmar in 2014.
Free Trade Agreement among the members is yet to be finalised.
NABH Nirman Scheme
NABH (NextGen Airports for BHarat) Nirman is an initiative by the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
Under the scheme, the government proposed to expand airport capacity by more than five times to handle a billion trips a year.
The three aspects of NABH Nirman are building of airport capacity through,
fair and equitable land acquisition,
long-term master plan for airport and regional development,
balanced economics for all stakeholders
Funding for National Calamity
There is no provision in the law or rules for the government to designate a disaster as a “national calamity”.
The funding for disaster relief are governed by the National Disaster Management Policy.
As per the policy, the State governments have to provide disaster relief from their respective State Disaster Response Funds (SDRFs).
Additional assistance will be provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) only for a “calamity of severe nature”.
Click here to know the criteria to define calamity of severe nature.
NDRF - The NDRF is funded through a National Calamity Contingent Duty levied under GST for selected goods and contribution from any person or institutions.
SDRF - It is contributed by the Union government and the respective State governments in a 75:25 ratio for general category States and 90:10 for Special Category States.
The allocation of the SDRF for each State is done by the Finance Commission, and the Centre contributes its specified share each financial year.
