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Type: Schemes

  • Agricultural Sector and Marketing Reforms – eNAM, Model APMC Act, Eco Survey Reco, etc.

    [pib] Central Sector Scheme: Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

    PIBSchemes | Agriculture | Mains Paper 3: Infrastructure: Energy, Ports, Roads, Airports, Railways Etc.

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: CSS-AIF

    Mains level: AIF

    The Union Cabinet has given its approval to a new pan India Central Sector Scheme-Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (CSS-AIF).

    Try this question from CSP 2018:

    Q.Increase in absolute and per capita real GNP does not connote a higher level of economic development, if:

    (a) Industrial output fails to keep pace with agriculture output.

    (b) Agriculture output fails to keep pace with industrial output.

    (c) Poverty and unemployment increase.

    (d) Imports grow faster than exports.

    Agriculture Infrastructure Fund

    • AIF aims to provide a medium – long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management Infrastructure and community farming assets through interest subvention and financial support.
    • Under the scheme, Rs. One Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans.
    • The beneficiaries will include Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS), Marketing Cooperative Societies, Farmer Producers Organizations (FPOs), SHGs, Farmers etc among others.
    • The moratorium for repayment under this financing facility may vary subject to a minimum of 6 months and maximum of 2 years.

    Management of AIF

    • Agri Infra fund will be managed and monitored through an online Management Information System (MIS) platform.
    • The National, State and District level Monitoring Committees will be set up to ensure real-time monitoring and effective feedback.
    • The duration of the Scheme shall be from FY2020 to FY2029 (10 years).

    Benefits of the scheme

    • The Project by way of facilitating formal credit to farm and farm processing-based activities is expected to create numerous job opportunities in rural areas.
    • It will enable all the qualified entities to apply for a loan under the fund.

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  • Food Procurement and Distribution – PDS & NFSA, Shanta Kumar Committee, FCI restructuring, Buffer stock, etc.

    [pib] Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

    PIBSchemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Poverty & Hunger

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: PMGKAY

    Mains level: Assurance of Food Security

    The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) as part of Economic Response to COVID-19, for another five months from July to November 2020.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.Discuss how the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana has helped to ensure food security to the vulnerable sections of India during the Covid-19 induced lockdown period.

    PM- Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

    • Under the scheme it is proposed to distribute 9.7 Lakh MT cleaned whole Chana to States/UTs for distribution to all beneficiary households under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA).
    • Thus it would 1kg per month free of cost under for the next five months -July to November 2020.
    • All expenses on the extended PMGKAY are to be borne by the Central Government.
    • About 19.4 crore households would be covered under the Scheme.

    Benefits of the scheme

    • Extension of the scheme is in line with the commitments of the GOI to allow anybody, especially any poor family, to suffer on account of non-availability of food grains due to disruption during next five months.
    • Free distribution of whole Chana will also ensure adequate availability of protein to all the above-mentioned individuals during these five months.

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  • Promoting Science and Technology – Missions,Policies & Schemes

    ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ Scheme

    PIBSchemes | Science Tech | Mains Paper 3: S&T – Applications In Everyday Life

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ Scheme

    Mains level: Research facilitation schemes in India

    To provide a single platform for research internships, capacity building programs and workshops across the country, the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) has launched a new scheme called ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ (AV).

    Note the following things about the ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ Scheme:

    1) Implementing agency/ Nodal Ministry

    2) Primary objective

    3) Target beneficiaries

    4) Its components

    ‘Accelerate Vigyan’ Scheme

    • Accelerate Vigyan (AV) strives to provide a big push to high-end scientific research and prepare scientific manpower which can venture into research careers and knowledge-based economy.
    • The primary objective of this scheme is to give more thrust on encouraging high-end scientific research and preparing scientific manpower, which can lead to research careers and knowledge-based economy.
    • AV will initiate and strengthen mechanisms of identifying research potential, mentoring, training and hands-on workshop on a national scale.
    • The aim is to expand the research base in the country, with three broad goals – consolidation / aggregation of all scientific training programs, initiating High-end Orientation Workshops and creating opportunities for Research Internships.

    Components of AV

    1) ABHYAAS

    • It is an attempt to boost research and development in the country by enabling and grooming potential PG/PhD students by means of developing their research skills in selected areas across different disciplines or fields.
    • It has two components: High-End Workshops (‘KARYASHALA’) and Research Internships (‘VRITIKA’).
    • This is especially important for those researchers who have limited opportunities to access such learning capacities/facilities/infrastructure.

    2) SAMOOHAN

    • Mission ‘SAMOOHAN’ marks the beginning of Accelerate Vigyan.
    • It aims to encourage, aggregate and consolidate all scientific interactions in the country under one common roof.
    • It has been sub-divided into ‘SAYONJIKA’ and ‘SANGOSHTI’.
    • SAYONJIKA is an open-ended program to catalogue the capacity building activities in science and technology supported by all government funding agencies in the country.
    • SANGOSHTI is a pre-existing program of SERB.

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  • Food Processing Industry: Issues and Developments

    PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) Scheme

    PIBSchemes | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Food Processing & Related Industries In India

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: PM-FME scheme

    Mains level: Food processing industry and the required reforms

    The Ministry for Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has launched the PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) as a part of “Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan”.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q.What is the PM FME Scheme? Discuss its potential to neutralize various challenges faced by India’s unorganized food industries.

    PM FME Scheme

    • It aims to provide financial, technical and business support for upgradation of existing micro food processing enterprises.
    • It is a centrally sponsored scheme to be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with an outlay of Rs 10,000 crore.
    • The expenditure under the scheme would to be shared in 60:40 ratios between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratios with NE and the Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with the legislature and 100% by Centre for other UTs.

    Features of the scheme

    • The Scheme adopts One District One Product (ODODP) approach to reap the benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products.
    • The States would identify food product for a district keeping in view the existing clusters and availability of raw material.
    • The ODOP product could be a perishable produce based product or cereal-based products or a food product widely produced in a district and their allied sectors.
    • An illustrative list of such products includes mango, potato, litchi, tomato, tapioca, kinnu, bhujia, petha, papad, pickle, millet-based products, fisheries, poultry, meat as well as animal feed among others.
    • The Scheme also place focus on waste to wealth products, minor forest products and Aspirational Districts.

    Credit facility provided

    • Existing Individual micro food processing units desirous of upgradation of their unit can avail credit-linked capital subsidy @35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit.
    • Seed capital @ Rs. 40,000/- per SHG member would be provided for working capital and purchase of small tools.
    • FPOs/ SHGs/ producer cooperatives would be provided a credit-linked grant of 35% for capital investment along the value chain.
    • Support for marketing & branding would be provided to develop brands for micro-units and groups with 50% grant at State or regional level which could benefit a large number of micro-units in clusters.

    Why need such a scheme?

    • The unorganized food processing sector comprising nearly 25 lakh units contribute to 74% of employment in the food processing sector.
    • Nearly 66% of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family-based enterprises supporting livelihood rural household and minimizing their migration to urban areas.

    Challenges faced

    • The unorganised food processing sector faces a number of challenges which limit their performance and their growth.
    • These challenges include lack of access to modern technology & equipment, training, access institutional credit, lack of basic awareness on quality control of products; and lack of branding & marketing skills etc.
    • Owing to these challenges; the unorganised food processing sector contributes much less in terms of value addition and output despite its huge potential.

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  • Labour, Jobs and Employment – Harmonization of labour laws, gender gap, unemployment, etc.

    Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

    Schemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: MGNREGA, Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

    Mains level: Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

    PM Modi has launched the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, an employment scheme for migrant workers.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Discuss the silent success of MGNREGA in COVID-19 times.

    Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan

    • It is a skill-based employment scheme aimed primarily at migrant workers who have returned to their villages to escape the COVID lockdown distress.
    • With a 125-workday mandate to create public infrastructure, with the involvement of 11 central departments, the Rs 50,000-crore initiative will focus on job creation.
    • It will be implemented in 116 districts in six states — UP, MP, Jharkhand, Odisha, Rajasthan and Bihar — that saw the maximum number of migrant workers returning over the last three months.

    Works under the scheme

    • The government has identified 25 work areas for employment in villages, for the development of various works.
    • These 25 works or projects are related to meet the needs of the villages like rural housing for the poor, Plantations, provision of drinking water through Jal Jeevan mission,  Panchayat Bhavans, community toilets, rural mandis, rural roads, other infrastructure like Cattle Sheds, Anganwadi Bhavans etc.

    Must read:

    [Burning Issue] Reorienting MGNREGA in times of COVID

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  • Higher Education – RUSA, NIRF, HEFA, etc.

    Sahakar Mitra Scheme

    Schemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Sahakar Mitra Scheme

    Mains level: Not Much

    The Union Ministry for Agriculture has launched Sahakar Mitra: Scheme on Internship Programme (SIP).

    Note: Article 19 states that the Right to form co-operative societies is a Fundamental Right and DPSP Article 43-B provides for the promotion of co-operative societies.

    Sahakar Mitra Scheme

    • The scheme is an initiative by the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), the cooperative sector development finance organization.
    • It aims to help cooperative institutions access innovative ideas of young professionals while the interns will gain experience of working in the field to be self-reliant.
    • The scheme is expected to assist cooperative institutions to access new and innovative ideas of young professionals while the interns gain experience of working in the field giving the confidence to be self-reliant.
    • Professional graduates in disciplines such as Agriculture and allied areas, IT etc. will be eligible for an internship.
    • Professionals who are pursuing or have completed their MBA degrees in Agri-business, Cooperation, Finance, International Trade, Forestry, Rural Development, Project Management etc. will also be eligible.
    • Each intern will get financial support over a 4 months internship period.

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  • Coronavirus – Health and Governance Issues

    PM Swanidhi Scheme for street vendors

    Schemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: PM Swanidhi Scheme

    Mains level: Atmanirbhar Package

    The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a micro-credit facility for street vendors under the Swanidhi Scheme.

    Try this question from CSP 2016:

    Q.Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan’ is a national campaign to

    (a) rehabilitate the homeless and destitute persons and provide then with suitable sources of livelihood

    (b) release the sex workers from the practice and provide them with alternative sources of livelihood

    (c) eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate the manual scavenger

    (d) release the bonded labourers free their bondage and rehabilitate them

    PM Swanidhi Scheme

    • The Pradhan Mantri Street Vendor’s Atmanirbhar Nidhi Scheme is aimed at benefiting over 50 lakh vendors who had their businesses operational on or before March 24.
    • The scheme was announced by Finance Minister as a part of the economic package for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.
    • The loans are meant to help kick-start activity for vendors who have been left without any income since the lockdown was implemented on March 25.
    • The scheme is valid until March 2022.

    Expected beneficiaries

    • This loan will be given to those who run shops on the roadside, handcart or streetcar.
    • Fruit-vegetable, laundry, saloon and paan shops are also included in this category.

    Facilities provided under the scheme

    • The vendors will be able to apply for a working capital loan of up to ₹10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments within a year.
    • On timely/early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy of 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through direct benefit transfer on a six-monthly basis.
    • The loans would be without collateral. There will be no penalty on early repayment of the loan.

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  • Labour, Jobs and Employment – Harmonization of labour laws, gender gap, unemployment, etc.

    ‘Rozgar Setu’ Scheme for skilled workers

    Schemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Government Scheme/Policies

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: ‘Rozgar Setu’ Scheme

    Mains level: Various employment measures

    The Madhya Pradesh has announced the launch of the ‘Rozgar Setu’ Scheme to help secure employment for skilled workers who have returned.

    State schemes are quite often seen in the news. They are very important from the prelims perspective:

    Rytha Bandu (Telangana): Cash transfer scheme of Rs 5,000/acre, per season

    KALIA (Krushak Assistance for Livelihood and Income Augmentation) Scheme (Odisha)

    Mukhya Mantri Krishi Aashirwad Yojana (Jharkhand)

    Krishak Bandhu Scheme (West Bengal)

    ‘Rozgar Setu’ Scheme

    • The ‘Rozgar Setu’ scheme to provide work to the maximum number of returned skilled workers.
    • After such workers requiring employment are identified, the government will contact factory and workshop owners and contractors overseeing infrastructure projects such as road and bridge construction.
    • This would fulfil the manpower requirement of industries as well as provide employment to workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  • Tribes in News

    [pib] Shahapur’s Katkari Tribe

    PIBSchemes | Governance | Mains Paper 2: Schemes For Vulnerable Sections

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Katkari Tribe, Van Dhan Yojana

    Mains level: Various initiaitves for Tribal uplift

    The newscard is based on the PIB news which discusses the success story of Katkari Tribe, a PVTG in Maharashtra regarding the implementation of Van Dhan Yojana.

    Try this:

    Consider the following statements about Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in India:

    1) PVTGs reside in 18 States and one Union Territory.

    2) A stagnant or declining population is one of the criteria for determining PVTG status.

    3) There are 95 PVTGs officially notified in the country so far.

    4) Irular and Konda Reddi tribes are included in the list of PVTGs.

    Which of the statements given above are correct? (CSP 2019)

    (a) 1, 2 and 3

    (b) 2, 3 and 4

    (c) 1, 2 and 4

    (d) 1, 3 and 4

    Katkari Tribe

    • The Katkari is an Scheduled Tribe mostly belonging to the state of Maharashtra.
    • They are bilingual, speaking the Katkari language, a dialect of the Marathi-Konkani languages, with each other; they speak Marathi with the Marathi speakers, who are a majority in the populace where they live.
    • In Maharashtra, the Katkari has been designated a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG), along with two other groups included in this sub-category: the Madia Gond and the Kolam.
    • In the case of the Katkari this vulnerability derives from their history as a nomadic, forest-dwelling people listed by the British Raj under the Criminal Tribes Act of 1871, a stigma that continues to this day.

    What are PVTGs?

    • There are certain tribal communities who have declining or stagnant population, low level of literacy, pre-agricultural level of technology and are economically backward.
    • They generally inhabit remote localities having poor infrastructure and administrative support.
    • These groups are among the most vulnerable section of our society as they are few in numbers, have not attained any significant level of social and economic development.
    • 75 such groups have been identified and categorized as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

    Back2Basics: Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana (PMVDY)

    • It is a retail marketing-led value addition plan for Minor Forest Produce (MFP), meant for forest-based tribes to optimize the tribal income, locally.
    • Under the program, MFP-based tribal groups/enterprises of around 300 members are formed for collection, value addition, packaging & marketing of Minor Forest Produces (MFPs).
    • These tribal enterprises will be in the form of Van Dhan SHGs which will be a group of 15-20 members and such 15 SHG groups will further be federated into a larger group of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKS) of around 300 members.
    • TRIFED will support the VDVKs through providing them with model business plans, processing plans & tentative list of equipment for carrying out the value-added work of MFPs.

    Also read:

    https://www.civilsdaily.com/news/pib-development-of-pvtgs-scheme/

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  • Food Processing Industry: Issues and Developments

    [pib] Scheme for formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (FME)

    PIBSchemes | Economics | Mains Paper 3: Food Processing & Related Industries In India

    Note4Students

    From UPSC perspective, the following things are important:

    Prelims level: Scheme for formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (FME)

    Mains level: Food processing industry and the required reforms

    The Union Cabinet has given its approval to a new Centrally Sponsored Scheme – “Scheme for Formalization of Micro food processing Enterprises (FME)” for the Unorganized Sector on All India basis.

    Practice question for mains:

    Q. Discuss the scope and significance of Food Processing Industries in India.  Also discuss how can it benefit India becoming the global food store.

    Background

    • There are about 25 lakh unregistered food processing enterprises which constitute 98% of the sector and are unorganized and informal.
    •  Nearly 66 % of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family-based enterprises.
    • This sector faces a number of challenges including the inability to access credit, high cost of institutional credit, lack of access to modern technology, inability to integrate with the food supply chain and compliance with the health & safety standards.
    • Strengthening this segment will lead to a reduction in wastage, creation of off-farm job opportunities and aid in achieving the overarching Government objective of doubling farmers’ income.

    Details of the Scheme for FME

    • The Union Cabinet has sanctioned an outlay of Rs.10,000 crore.
    • The expenditure will be shared by GOI and the States in the ratio of 60:40.

    Salient features

    • It will be a Centrally Sponsored Scheme. Expenditure to be shared by the Government of India and States at 60:40.
    • 2, 00,000 micro-enterprises are to be assisted with credit linked subsidy.
    • The scheme will be implemented over a 5 year period from 2020-21 to 2024-25.
    • Cluster approach.
    • Focus on perishables.

    Support for Individual micro-units:

    • Micro enterprises will get credit-linked subsidy @ 35% of the eligible project cost with a ceiling of Rs.10 lakh.
    • The beneficiary contribution will be a minimum of 10% and balance from the loan.
    • On-site skill training & Handholding for DPR and technical upgradation.

    Implementation strategy

    • The scheme will be rolled out on All India basis.
    • Seed capital will be given to SHGs (@Rs. 4 lakh per SHG) for the loan to members for working capital and small tools.
    • Grant will be provided to FPOs for backward/forward linkages, common infrastructure, packaging, marketing & branding.

    Administrative and Implementation Mechanisms

    • The Scheme would be monitored at Centre by an Inter-Ministerial Empowered Committee (IMEC) under the Chairmanship of Minister, FPI.
    • A State/ UT Level Committee (SLC) chaired by the Chief Secretary will monitor and sanction/ recommend proposals for expansion of micro-units and setting up of new units by the SHGs/ FPOs/ Cooperatives.
    • The States/ UTs will prepare Annual Action Plans covering various activities for implementation of the scheme, which will be approved by the Government of India.
    • A third-party evaluation and mid-term review mechanism would be built in the programme.
    • The State/ UT Government will notify a Nodal Department and Agency for implementation of the Scheme.

    Establishment of a National Portal & MIS

    • A National level portal would be set-up wherein the applicants/ individual enterprise could apply to participate in the Scheme.
    • All the scheme activities would be undertaken on the National portal.

    Benefits of the Scheme

    • Nearly eight lakh micro-enterprises will benefit through access to information, better exposure and formalization.
    • Credit linked subsidy support and hand-holding will be extended to 2,00,000 micro-enterprises for expansion and upgradation.
    • It will enable them to formalize, grow and become competitive.
    • The project is likely to generate nine lakh skilled and semi-skilled jobs.
    • The scheme envisages increased access to credit by existing micro food processing entrepreneurs, women entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs in the Aspirational Districts.
    • Better integration with organized markets.
    • Increased access to common services like sorting, grading, processing, packaging, storage etc.

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