PIB Summary- 5th February, 2022 | PIB (Press Information Bureau) Summary - UPSC PDF Download

e-NAM Scheme

Why in News?

Since 31st March 2018, 415 new mandis have been integrated on National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform.

• As on 31st December 2021, 1000 mandis of 18 States and 03 Union Territories have been integrated with e-NAM platform. More than 1.72 Crore farmers and 2 lakh traders have registered themselves on e-NAM platform.

Government provides following support under e-NAM scheme:

• e-NAM software is provided to States / UTs free of cost.
• Department gives grant as one-time fixed cost to the States / UTs up to Rs. 75.00 lakh per mandi, for purchase of hardware, internet connection, assaying equipment and related infrastructure including cleaning, grading and packaging facilities and Bio-compost unit, to make the mandi ready for integration with e-NAM platform.
• A trained staff (Mandi Analyst) is deputed at each mandi, for an initial period of one year to provide day to day hand holding support to stakeholders and train other mandi staff.
• Regular training of stakeholders (Farmers, Traders, FPOs, Mandi staff etc) are conducted to   create awareness and handholding regarding e-NAM portal.

e-NAM

• e-NAM was an innovative initiative in agricultural marketing to enhance farmers accessibility digitally to multiple number of markets & buyers and to bring transparency in trade transactions with the intent to improve price discovery mechanism, quality commensurate price realization and also to develop the concept of One Nation One Market for agriculture produce.
• Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) is the lead agency for implementing eNAM under the aegis of Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.
• e-NAM networks the existing APMC mandis to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities with a vision to promote uniformity in agriculture marketing by streamlining of procedures across the integrated markets, removing information asymmetry between buyers and sellers and promoting real time price discovery based on actual demand and supply.
• This online platform will prove to be a giant leap in reforming the agriculture market in India.
• Farmers are free to register on e-NAM portal and they are uploading their produce for sale online to the traders across all e-NAM mandis and traders can bid for the lots available for sale on e-NAM from any location.
• We have more than 1.66 crore farmers and 1.28 Lakh traders registered on e-NAM platform.

Benefits of e-NAM

• e-NAM would help traders to find and arrange timely movement of produces from mandi to various other locations.
• With this interface, Traders would be able to access more than 7.76 lakh trucks through eNAM Platform.
• This intervention brings immense benefits to our farmers in augmenting their incomes by enabling them to realize competitive & remunerative prices in a transparent manner without incurring additional costs.
• Quality assaying testing facilities is being provided in e-NAM mandis which helps famers in getting prices commensurate with quality of their produce.
• Electronic weighing scales have been provided to accurately weigh the commodities of farmers after bidding on e-NAM platform to bring transparency in weighing, Payment to farmers by traders now can be done through mobile phone using BHIM payment facility.

Schemes for Empowerment of Women

Why in News?

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing various schemes/ programmes to bring women into the mainstream of all the sectors in the country in order to empower them. The details are as under:

One Stop Centre and Universalization of Women Helplines:

• One Stop Centres (OSCs), popularly known as Sakhi Centres, aim to facilitate women affected by violence (including domestic violence) with a range of integrated services under one roof such as Police facilitation, medical aid, providing legal aid and legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, temporary shelter etc. The
• Women Helpline (WHL) Scheme provides 24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces by linking them with appropriate authority such as Police, One Stop Centre, Hospital, Legal Services etc. WHL also supports women in distress with rescue van and counselling services in addition to providing information about women welfare schemes and programs across the country. Women can dial 181 short code to avail services from Women Helpline.

Swadhar Greh Scheme:

Ujjawala Scheme:

Working Women Hostel:

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao(BBBP) :

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao(BBBP) Scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015 with an aim to address declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of empowerment of girls and women over a life cycle continuum.
• The objectives of the scheme are, to prevent gender biased sex selective elimination, to ensure survival and protection of the girl child and to ensure education and participation of the girl child.

Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK):

• The Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) Scheme was approved in November, 2017 as a centrally sponsored scheme to empower rural women through community participation.
• The aims to facilitate inter-sectoral convergence of schemes and programs meant for women.
• The scheme is implemented through State Governments and UT Administrations with a cost sharing ratio of 60:40 between Centre and States except for North East & Special Category States where the funding ratio is 90:10. For Union Territories 100% central funding is provided.

Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY): 

• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) is a Centrally Sponsored Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme, for implementation across the country with effect from 01.01.2017.
• The maternity benefit under PMMVY is available to all Pregnant Women & Lactating Mothers (PW&LM), excluding PW&LM who are in regular employment with the Central Government or the State Governments or Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) or those who are in receipt of similar benefits under any law for the time being in force, for first living child of family.
• Under the scheme Rs.5,000/- are provided to the eligible beneficiary in three installments during pregnancy and lactation in response to individual fulfilling certain nutrition and health seeking conditions.
• The eligible beneficiary also receives the remaining cash incentive as per approved norms towards maternity benefit under Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) after institutional delivery so that on an average, a woman gets Rs.6,000/-.

Mission Shakti (Integrated Women Empowerment Programme) –

• An Umbrella Scheme in a mission mode aimed at strengthening interventions for safety, security and empowerment of women.
• It seeks to realise the Government’s vision for ‘women-led development’ by addressing issues affecting women on a life-cycle continuum basis and by making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence across Ministries/ Departments and different levels of governance, greater participation and support of Panchayats and other local governance bodies and Jan Sahabhagita, apart from strengthening digital infrastructure for last mile tracking of service delivery.

National Service Scheme (NSS)

Why in News?

National Service Scheme (NSS) allocation increases by 97% in Budget 2022-23

National Service Scheme (NSS)

• The National Service Scheme (NSS) is a Central Sector Scheme of Government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports.
• It provides opportunity to the student youth of 11th & 12th Class of schools at +2 Board level and student youth of Technical Institution, Graduate & Post Graduate at colleges and University level of India to take part in various government led community service activities & programmes.
• The sole aim of the NSS is to provide hands on experience to young students in delivering community service.
• Since inception of the NSS in the year 1969, the number of students strength increased from 40,000 to over 3.8 million up to the end of March 2018 students in various universities, colleges and Institutions of higher learning have volunteered to take part in various community service programmes.

Motto:

Benefits of Being a NSS Volunteer:
A NSS volunteer who takes part in the community service programme would either be a college level or a senior secondary level student. Being an active member these student volunteers would have the exposure and experience to be the following:

• an accomplished social leader
• an efficient administrator
• a person who understands human nature

Types of Activities

• There are two types of activities: Regular Activities (120 hours) and Annual Special Camp (120 hours).
• All the NSS Volunteers who have served NSS for at least 2 years and have performed 240 hours of work under NSS are entitled to a certificate from the university under the signature of the Vice-Chancellor and the Programme Coordinator.
• Camps are held annually, funded by the government of India, and are usually located in a rural village or a city suburb.

Volunteers may be involved in such activities as:

• Cleaning
• Afforestation
• Stage shows or a procession creating awareness of such issues as social problems, education and cleanliness
• Awareness Rallies
• Inviting doctors for health camps

Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship 2022

Why in News?

The Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India under its “Waste to Wealth” Mission announced the “Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship 2022”

About Swachhta Saarthi Fellowship 2022:

• The fellowship was launched in 2021 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.
• To empower young innovators who are engaged in community work of waste management, waste awareness campaigns, waste surveys etc. as Swachhta Saarthis and implement actions to reduce waste for a greener planet.
• 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 aimed at amplifying the role of young students from schools and colleges, and citizens working in the community through Self Help Groups (SHGs), or in independent capacity in sensitizing the society towards waste management and offer innovative solutions for conversion of waste to value.
• Targeted to encourage community participation, the Swachhta Saarthi Fellowships invites applications from students, researchers 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. An amount of Rs.  500/- per month would be given as fellowship for a period of 1 year.
• Category-B – Open to College students (UG, PG, Research students) engaged in waste management community work. An amount of Rs. 1,000/- per month would be given as fellowship for a period of 1 year.
• Category-C – SHGs or sanitary workers. A maximum of 2 citizens from the same SHG can apply an amount of Rs. 2,000/- per month would be given as fellowship for a period of 1 year.

About Waste to Wealth

• Waste to Wealth Mission, which is one of the nine scientific missions of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PMSTIAC).
• The Mission, spearheaded by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, aims to identify, test, and validate technologies that recover value from waste, and are commercially viable.
• These technologies will be piloted at Mission Sentinels, which will demonstrate solutions for critical waste challenges and contribute to conserving, restoring, and enhancing India’s land, air, and water resources.