PIB Summary- 25th October, 2023 | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Kasturi Cotton Bharat

Context
Recently, the Union Minister of Textile, Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution launched website of Kasturi Cotton Bharat.

About Kasturi Cotton Bharat

• Kasturi Cotton Bharat is a collaborative initiative involving the Ministry of Textiles, the Cotton Corporation of India, various trade bodies, and the industry.
• Its primary objective is to promote self-regulation by taking full responsibility for branding, traceability, and certification of Indian Cotton.
• This initiative aims to enhance the competitiveness of Indian cotton in the global market while creating a sustainable ecosystem for all stakeholders in the cotton industry.

Key points about Kasturi Cotton Bharat

• The initiative operates on the principles of self-regulation.
• It is responsible for branding, traceability, and certification of Indian Cotton.
• The goal is to improve the competitiveness of Indian cotton globally.
• The initiative provides a digital platform for information and updates.
• Ginning mills across the country are authorized to produce the Kasturi Cotton Bharat brand following specified protocols.
• To ensure traceability throughout the supply chain, QR-based certification technology will be employed at various processing stages. Additionally, a blockchain-based software platform will offer end-to-end traceability and transaction certificates.
• The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council (TEXPROCIL) has been designated as the implementing agency for the traceability, certification, and branding of “KASTURI Cotton India.”

UMEED Scheme

Context
A self-help group (SHG) recently launched a flower nursery as part of the UMEED scheme in Budgam.

UMEED Scheme

• The UMEED scheme operates under the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM).
• It is designed to empower and support rural women, encouraging them to become self-sufficient.
• The primary objective of the scheme is to assist rural women in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
• The scheme promotes women’s participation in small savings, ultimately enabling their Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to become bankable entities, often with access to reduced interest rates.
• UMEED supports women entrepreneurs by providing opportunities to exhibit and market their products.
• The scheme is implemented by the Jammu & Kashmir State Rural Livelihoods Society.

Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission (JKRLM)

• JKRLM is a poverty alleviation program with a strong focus on women’s empowerment through self-managed and sustainable institutional platforms.
• It emphasizes financial inclusion and the development of sustainable livelihoods.
• The mission’s core goal is to reduce poverty by establishing robust grassroots institutions for marginalized communities in Jammu and Kashmir. This involves engaging them in viable livelihood initiatives to ensure long-term income improvements.
• JKRLM is an adaptation of the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), which is a flagship program of the Government of India.
• The program provides rural women with various platforms at different levels, including self-help groups, Village Organizations, Cluster Level Federations, and Block Level Federations, all of which play a crucial role in the mission’s implementation.