PIB Summary- 1st March, 2021 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

Formation & Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs)

Context: First anniversary of the Central Sector Scheme on Formation & Promotion of 10,000 Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).

Details

• The scheme was launched by Prime Minister in February 2020 at Chitrakoot (Uttar Pradesh) with a budgetary provision of Rs 6865 crore.
• Implementing Agencies (IAs) are engaging Cluster-Based Business Organizations (CBBOs) to aggregate, register & provide professional handholding support to each FPO for a period of 5 years.
• CBBOs will be the platform for an end to end knowledge for all issues related to FPO promotion.
• FPOs will be provided financial assistance up to Rs 18 lakh per FPO for a period of 3 years.
• In addition to this, provision has been made for matching equity grant up to Rs. 2,000 per farmer member of FPO with a limit of Rs. 15 lakh per FPO and a credit guarantee facility up to Rs. 2 crores of project loan per FPO from the eligible lending institution to ensure institutional credit accessibility to FPOs.
• At the National level, the National Project Management Agency (NPMA) as a professional organization has been engaged for providing overall project guidance, coordination, compilation of information relating to FPOs, maintenance of MIS and monitoring purpose.

Significance

• FPOs are to be developed in produce clusters, wherein agricultural and horticultural produces are grown/cultivated for leveraging economies of scale and improving market access for members.
• “One District One Product” cluster will promote specialization and better processing, marketing, branding & export.
• Further, agriculture value chain organizations are forming FPOs and are facilitating 60% of market linkages for members’ produce.

Benefits

• This formation of 10,000 FPOs scheme will promote the selling of farmers produce from the farm gate of farmers thereby enhanced farmers’ income.
• This will shorten the supply chain and accordingly marketing cost will get reduced resulting in better income for farmers.
• It will accelerate more investment in marketing and value addition infrastructure near to farm gate creating more employment opportunities for rural youth.

Janaushadhi Diwas 2021

Context: Celebrations of the 3rd Janaushadhi Diwas 2021 kicks off.

Details

• Janaushadhi Diwas is observed on March 7 all over the country.
• The week-long celebrations such as health camps, interactions and rallies have started, especially in the Jan Aushadhi Centres.
• Janaushadhi Diwas 2021 theme: “Seva bhi – Rozgar bhi”.
• Janaushadhi centres are run as part of the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
• In these centres which are run by the Bureau of Pharma PSUs in India (BPPI), generic medicines are sold at 50% to 90% lesser prices as compared to the market prices of branded medicines.

Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

Context: Union Education Minister chairs a review meeting on Rashtriya Ucchatar Shiksha Abhiyan.

About the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA)

• It is a centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2013.
• It aims to provide strategic funding to eligible state higher educational institutions.
• The central funding (in the ratio of 60:40 for general category states, 90:10 for special category states and 100% for union territories) is based on norms and is outcome dependent.
• Funds flow from the central ministry through the state governments/union territories to the State Higher Education Councils before reaching the identified institutions.
• Funding to states would be made on the basis of the critical appraisal of State Higher Education Plans, which would enlist each state’s strategy to address issues of equity, access and excellence in higher education.
• It is a scheme under the Ministry of Education (formerly HRD).

Objectives of RUSA

• Improve the overall quality of state institutions.
• Usher transformative reforms in the state higher education sector.
• Ensure reforms in the affiliation, academic and examination systems.
• Ensure adequate availability of quality faculty in all higher educational institutions and promote capacity building at all levels of employment.
• Promote research and development in higher educational institutions.
• Enable higher enrolment.
• Correct the regional imbalances in access to higher education.
• Provide adequate opportunities of higher education to SC/ST and other backward groups.

Civil Accounts Day

Context: 45th Civil Accounts Day celebrated.

About Civil Accounts Day

• March 1 is observed as Civil Accounts Day to commemorate the beginning of the Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS).
• The service was created in 1976 to provide accounting and auditing services to the Government of India.
• The Audit and Accounts functions were separated by relieving the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of his responsibility of preparation of Union Government accounts.
• Consequently, the Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS) was established. It was carved out from the Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IA&AS).

Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI)

Context: 9th Foundation Day of the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI).

About Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI)

• LPAI is a statutory body established under Land Ports Authority of India Act, 2010.
• The Act gives powers to LPAI to develop, sanitize and manage the facilities for cross-border movement of passengers and goods at designated points along the international borders of India.
• LPAI endeavours to provide safe, secure and systematic facilities for movement of cargo as well as passengers at its ICPs (integrated check-posts).

About Integrated Check Post (ICP)

• An ICP is a one-stop solution that houses all regulatory agencies, such as immigration, customs and border security.
• Concerned at inadequate infrastructure for cross border movement of persons, vehicles and goods, the Committee of Secretaries in 2003 recommended setting up of Integrated Check Posts (ICPs) at major entry points on India’s land borders which would house all the regulatory agencies like immigration, customs, border security, etc. together with support facilities in a single complex equipped with all modern amenities and serve as a single-window facility as is prevalent at Airports and Seaports.
• ICPs are managed by the Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), which was set up specifically for this purpose in 2012.
• An ICP not only gives many services under one roof but also offers facilities such as cargo process building, cargo inspection sheds, warehouse, cold storage, currency exchange counters, Internet hubs, clearing agents, banks, vehicle scanners, isolation bay and parking.
• ICPs facilitate legitimate trade between the neighbouring countries.
• Major stakeholders at ICPs:
  • Customs
  • Immigration
  • Border guarding force
  • Plant quarantine
  • Human quarantine
• ICPs are needed because the country should be secured against hostile parties. There is a need to develop integrated infrastructure at the entry points on the country’s borders.
• The development of the ICP infrastructure has been planned in two phases: seven have been developed in Phase-1, of which six are now operational; the rest are to be developed in Phase-2. Totally, 20 border checkpoints have been designated as ICPs.

The following tables give a few numbers related to ICPs in India:

Global Bio India 2021

Context: Union Minister inaugurates the three-day Global Bio India 2021.

Details

• The second edition of the Global Bio-India-2021 has been inaugurated.
• The 3-day online event will showcase the strength and opportunities of India’s biotechnology sector at the national level and to the global community.
• The theme for this year is “Transforming lives” with the tag line “Biosciences to Bio-economy”.
• Being one of the largest biotechnology stakeholder conglomerates, this event is being co-organised by the Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India along with its Public Sector Undertaking, and Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE) and Invest India.

Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships

Context: Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships launched by The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser.

Details

• The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to GOI launched the “Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship” to recognize students, community workers/self-help groups, and municipal/sanitary workers who are engaged in tackling the enormous challenge of waste management, scientifically and sustainably.
• It is part of the “Waste to Wealth” Mission.
  • The Waste to Wealth Mission is one of the nine national missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC).
• The fellowship is an initiative to empower young innovators who are engaged in community work of waste management/awareness campaigns/waste surveys/studies, etc. as Swachhta Saarthis and implement actions to reduce waste for a greener planet.
• This fellowship is aimed to empower interested students and citizens to continuously engage in their attempts to reduce waste in cities and rural areas.
• The fellowship invites applications from students and community workers who have done previous work or are currently engaged in waste management activities, including awareness campaigns, surveys & studies.
• The three categories of awards under the fellowships are as below:
  • Category-A – Open to School students from 9th to 12th standards engaged in waste management community work
  • Category-B – Open to College students (UG, PG, Research students) engaged in waste management community work
  • Category-C – Open to Citizens working in the community and through SHGs, municipal or sanitary workers working beyond specifications of their job requirement/descriptions.