DBT - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Direct Benefit Transfers

Explanation:
Direct Benefit Transfers will be linked to Aadhaar towards the close of the current calendar year.

• Government has decided to bring all subsidies and welfare schemes under the DBT net by March 2017.
• DBT programme is a major reform initiative for checking the leakages of welfare funds.
• It was launched on January 1, 2013 with 24 schemes of 8 ministries.
• At present, benefits under 74 schemes and 17 ministries have been reached to targeted people through DBT.
• A DBT cell will also be present in central government ministries and state governments.
• Through DBT all cash benefits are transferred to the beneficiary’s bank account and the DBT mission last year was shifted to Cabinet Secretariat and implementation monitored by PMO.
• Scope of DBT has been expanded to include individual; beneficialness under PAHAL, transfer of LPG subsidy to individual consumers, wages under MGNREGA scheme and the National Social Assistance Programme.
• Ministers have been requested to examine numerous programmes and schemes implemented by them/their attached officers, autonomous agencies, and PSUs.

ANSWER: Prakash Lab

Explanation:
Department of Biotechnology has tied up with US based Prakash Lab to provide its low cost paper folding microscope to students in India on 5th October 2015. Foldscope will be used for understanding physics, biology, chemistry and instrumentation and was developed by Indian origin Assistant Professor at Stanford University, Manu Prakash. Foldscope is a torchlight allowing people to explore planets at microscopic levels.