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  • Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI) Target Rules, 2025

    Why in the News?

    The Centre has notified the first legally binding Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI) Target Rules, 2025 for four high-emission sectors:  aluminium, cement, chlor-alkali, and pulp & paper.

    This marks a critical step in operationalising the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023.

    Back2Basics: Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI)

    • Overview: GEI is the amount of GHGs emitted per unit of product output or economic activity;  for example, the emissions released in producing one tonne of cement, aluminium, or steel.
    • Unit of Measurement: Expressed in tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) per unit of product.
    • Composition:
      • Primary gases: Carbon dioxide (CO₂), Methane (CH₄), Nitrous oxide (N₂O).
      • Synthetic gases: Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs), Sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆).
    • Purpose: GEI helps measure the efficiency of industrial production in terms of emissions.
    • Policy Significance: Reducing GEI aligns industrial operations with national and global climate commitments, particularly under the Paris Agreement (2015), where India has pledged to cut its emissions intensity of GDP by 45% by 2030 (from 2005 levels).

    About Greenhouse Gas Emission Intensity (GEI) Target Rules, 2025:

    • Notification: Issued by the MoEFCC on October 8, 2025, these are India’s first legally binding emission intensity targets for industries.
    • Objective: To limit greenhouse gas emissions per unit of product output in high-emission sectors, thereby promoting low-carbon industrial growth and aligning with India’s Paris Agreement commitment to reduce emission intensity of GDP by 45% by 2030 (from 2005 levels).
    • Coverage: Applies to 282 industrial units across four sectors– cement (186 units), aluminium (13), chlor-alkali (30), and pulp & paper (53).
    • Compliance Period: 2025–26 and 2026–27; emission limits expressed in tCO₂e (tonnes of CO₂ equivalent) per unit of product.
    • Mechanism:
      • Units achieving targets earn carbon credits (certified by the Bureau of Energy Efficiency).
      • Non-compliant units must buy credits or face environmental compensation under CPCB oversight.
    • Purpose: To operationalise India’s domestic carbon market, encourage technology upgrades, and institutionalise market-based climate compliance.
    • Outcome: Marks transition from voluntary energy-efficiency drives (PAT Scheme) to a legally enforceable carbon-intensity regime, integrating emission monitoring, trading, and compliance.

    What is the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme (CCTS), 2023?

    • Launched by: Ministry of Power in 2023 to establish a domestic carbon trading market under India’s Energy Conservation Act framework.
    • Objective: To create a structured mechanism for generating, certifying, and trading carbon credits earned through verified emission reductions.
    • Administered by: Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), which issues Carbon Credit Certificates (CCC) to compliant industries.
    • Framework:
      • Industries meeting or exceeding GEI targets receive tradable credits.
      • Entities failing to meet targets must purchase credits to offset excess emissions.
      • Credits are traded on the Indian Carbon Market (ICM) platform.
    • Purpose: To make emission reduction economically incentivised, transforming carbon from a cost burden into a market asset.
    • Global Parallel: Similar to the EU Emissions Trading System (2005) and China’s National Carbon Market (2021).
    • Significance: Integrates energy efficiency, emission control, and fiscal instruments to drive India’s net-zero transition through a market-based, transparent, and measurable approach.
    [UPSC 2025] Consider the following statements:

    I. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in India are less than 0.5 t CO₂/capita.

    II. In terms of CO₂ emissions from fuel combustion, India ranks second in Asia-Pacific region.

    III. Electricity and heat producers are the largest sources of CO₂ emissions in India.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    Options:

    (a) I and III only (b) II only (c) II and III only * (d) I, II and III

     

  • AgriEnIcs Programme

    Why in the News?

    The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology announced the transfer of technology for agricultural and environmental solutions developed under the Agricultural and Environmental Electronics (AgriEnIcs) Programme.

    What is AgriEnIcs Programme?

    • Overview: A national initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY) integrating electronics, IT, and digital technologies into agriculture and environmental management.
    • Objective: To promote research, development, deployment, and commercialization of advanced tools for precision agriculture and sustainable resource monitoring.
    • Nature of Programme: Serves as a national R&D and technology translation platform connecting academia, industry, and government for innovation-driven solutions.
    • Implementing Agency: Led by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC), Kolkata as nodal agency, with participation from IITs, ICAR institutes, and private entities.
    • Development: All technologies designed and tested in India for affordability and rural scalability.
    • Strategic Vision: Strengthens India’s push toward AI- and IoT-enabled agri-systems, aligning with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Digital India.

    Key Features:

    • Integrated Tech Approach: Combines AI, IoT, machine vision, and sensor networks for intelligent agricultural and environmental systems.
    • Collaborative Framework: Operates through partnerships among MeitY, C-DAC, academic, and industrial institutions to speed up technology transfer.
    • Multi-Domain Focus: Addresses dairy health monitoring, crop quality estimation, odour detection, and waste-management automation.
    • AI & ML Applications: Enables predictive diagnostics, real-time data analytics, and automated decision support in farm operations.
    • Sensor-Based Systems: Deploys wearable sensors, vision devices, and automated analyzers for livestock, grain, and environment monitoring.
    • Scalable Architecture: Interoperable with AgriStack, Ayush Grid, and other government data platforms for nationwide expansion.

  • [pib] DRAVYA Portal

    Why in the News?

    The Ministry of Ayush has launched the Digitized Retrieval Application for Versatile Yardstick of Ayush Substances (DRAVYA) portal the largest digital repository of Ayurvedic ingredients and formulations.

    About DRAVYA Portal:

    • Developed By: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) under the Ministry of Ayush.
    • Purpose: To build a centralized, open-access knowledge platform integrating classical Ayurveda with modern scientific data for global research and policy use.
    • Launch: Released on 10th Ayurveda Day (23 September 2025) at Goa, marking a major digital step in traditional medicine.
    • Phase I Coverage: Includes data on 100 medicinal substances, updated through a dedicated entry system ensuring precision and authenticity.
    • Integration Goal: Designed to connect with the Ayush Grid and allied Ministry databases for coordinated digital governance and research.
    • Scope: Merges textual, botanical, pharmacological, and chemical information for cross-disciplinary validation and innovation.

    Key Features:

    • AI-Ready Design: Built with artificial intelligence capability for analytics, discovery, and predictive research.
    • Open-Access Repository: Consolidates validated data from classical texts, scientific literature, and field studies in searchable form.
    • Comprehensive Profiles: Details each substance’s pharmacotherapeutics, botany, chemistry, pharmacology, and safety aspects.
    • QR-Code Integration: Enables standardised display of plant data in gardens, repositories, and institutions.
    • Advanced Search Filters: Sorts substances by rasa (taste), virya (potency), vipaka (post-digestive effect), and therapeutic use.
    • Dynamic Database: Continuously updated for authenticity and scientific rigour.
    • Global Accessibility: Serves as a credible digital reference for researchers, policymakers, and innovators worldwide.
    • Future Expansion: Will interlink with Ayush Grid, National Medicinal Plants Database, and Ayush Drug Policy for an integrated digital health ecosystem.

  • Venezuela’s MarĂ­a Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize, 2025

    Why in the News?

    Maria Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for defending democracy in Venezuela; President Trump praised her but criticised the Nobel Committee.

    Venezuela’s María Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize, 2025

    About Nobel Peace Prize:

    • Origin: Instituted in 1901 under the will of Alfred Nobel, Swedish inventor and philanthropist, to honour outstanding contributions to peace and humanitarian cooperation.
    • Administered By: Managed by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a five-member body appointed by the Parliament of Norway, distinct from Sweden’s Nobel institutions.
    • Purpose: Awards individuals or organisations advancing disarmament, peace negotiations, democracy, human rights, and a stable global order.
    • Expanded Focus: Now includes climate change, environmental protection, and global justice as integral to sustainable peace.
    • Prize Components: Laureates receive a gold medal, diploma, and 11 million Swedish krona (≈ US $1.2 million, 2025).
    • Venue: Presented in Oslo, Norway, the only Nobel Prize awarded outside Sweden, symbolising Norway’s neutral and humanitarian tradition.
    • Global Significance: Remains the world’s most prestigious peace honour, mirroring contemporary geopolitical and ethical realities.

    These trivial facts are too unlikely to be asked in the CS prelims but may hold importance for CAPF and other exams. 

    US Presidents who won Nobel Peace Prize:

    • Theodore Roosevelt (1906): Mediated the Russo–Japanese War settlement; first US President to win the prize.
    • Woodrow Wilson (1919): Recognised for ending World War I and founding the League of Nations, precursor to the UN.
    • Jimmy Carter (2002): Cited for human-rights mediation and the Camp David Accords, plus global work via the Carter Center.
    • Al Gore (2007): Shared with the IPCC for elevating climate change as a global peace and security issue.
    • Barack Obama (2009): Honoured for efforts toward nuclear disarmament and renewed international diplomacy; only US President got awarded while in office.

  • Indian Army inducts ‘Saksham’ Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid

    Why in the News?

    The Indian Army has initiated procurement of ‘Saksham’, an indigenously developed Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid, to enhance airspace security and counter emerging aerial threats.

    Indian Army inducts ‘Saksham’ Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid
    Visual Representation

    About Saksham Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) Grid:

    • Overview: Indigenous counter-drone system developed by the Indian Army with BEL, Ghaziabad, to detect, track, identify, and neutralise unmanned aerial threats.
    • Purpose: Secures the Tactical Battlefield Space (TBS) or Air Littoral—airspace up to 3,000 m (10,000 ft) against low-altitude drones.
    • Origin: Conceived after Operation Sindoor, which revealed gaps in air defence.
    • Acronym: SAKSHAM – Situational Awareness for Kinetic Soft & Hard Kill Assets Management; a Command-and-Control (C2) platform integrating sensors, weapons, and AI analytics to create a Recognised UAS Picture (RUASP).
    • Procurement: Approved under Fast Track Procurement (FTP); aligns with Atmanirbhar Bharat and the Army’s Decade of Transformation (2023–2032).

    Key Features:

    • Detection & Tracking: Continuous surveillance via radar, radio-frequency, and electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) sensors.
    • AI-Enabled Prediction: Uses AI to forecast hostile activity and suggest counter-responses.
    • Sensor–Weapon Fusion: Integrates jammers, directed-energy systems, and kinetic interceptors for unified action.
    • Automated Command Support: Provides real-time decision aids for threat prioritisation.
    • 3-D Airspace Visualisation: Displays dynamic views of friendly and hostile assets.
    • Network Integration: Runs on the Army Data Network (ADN) and links with Akashteer Air Defence Control for unified airspace management.
    • Mobility & Modularity: Compact, scalable, and rapidly deployable across terrains.
    • Indigenous Focus: Fully designed and produced in India, demonstrating advanced self-reliant defence capability.
    [UPSC 2025] With reference to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), consider the following statements:

    I. All types of UAVs can do vertical landing. II. All types of UAVs can do automated hovering. III. All types of UAVs can use battery only as a source of power supply.

    Which of the statements given above are correct?

    (a) Only one (b) Only two (c) All the three (d) None*

     

  • India unveiled ‘National Red List Roadmap’ Survey to Assess Extinction Risks of Species

    Why in the News?

    India unveiled its National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030 at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi.

    Global Context:

    • IUCN Red List: Globally, 1,69,420 species have been assessed; about 28% are classified as threatened.
    • Biodiversity Decline: The Living Planet Report 2024 documented a 73% decline in vertebrate populations (1970–2020), with freshwater species down by 85%.
    • Extinction Rate: Current extinction rates are 1,000–10,000 times higher than natural background levels due to human pressures such as habitat loss, overexploitation, and climate change.
    • Global Need: Strengthening regional red lists like India’s provides granular, science-based data to guide conservation financing and global biodiversity monitoring.

    About National Red List Roadmap and Vision (2025–2030):

    • Purpose: Marks India’s first coordinated national effort to scientifically assess the extinction risk of ~11,000 species of plants and animals by 2030 using IUCN Red List methodology, the global benchmark for species assessment.
    • Aim: To establish a science-based, nationally coordinated red-listing system that strengthens biodiversity planning, conservation policy, and threat mitigation.
    • Strategic Alignment: Supports India’s commitments under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF), reaffirming India’s leadership in global biodiversity governance.
    • Outcome Goal: To publish National Red Data Books on flora and fauna by 2030, serving as authoritative reference guides for ecological protection and management.

    Key Features of the Initiative:

    • Scientific Alignment: Adopts IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, ensuring uniformity and comparability with international conservation assessments.
    • Scope and Coverage: Envisions evaluation of 11,000 terrestrial and marine species, encompassing major ecological regions across India.
    • Core Outputs:
      • Peer-reviewed species assessments with global visibility.
      • Publication of National Red Data Books and creation of a digital public database for species data and risk analysis.
    • Institutional Framework:
      • Implemented jointly by the Botanical Survey of India (BSI) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
      • Partner agencies include IUCN India, Centre for Species Survival: India – Wildlife Trust of India (CSS: India–WTI), and the IUCN Species Survival Commission (SSC).
    • Funding and Resources: Total outlay of â‚č95 crore, comprising â‚č80 crore from BSI and ZSI budgets and â‚č15 crore mobilised for training and international collaboration.
    • Capacity Building: Creation of a cadre of 300 trained species assessors and development of national training modules on biodiversity evaluation.
    • Policy Integration: The data generated will inform India’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, legislative updates, and species recovery prioritisation through 2030.

    Need for such a profile:

    • India’s Biodiversity Profile: Recognised as one of the 17 megadiverse nations, India hosts four biodiversity hotspots, the Himalayas, Western Ghats, Indo-Burma, and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands).
    • Ecological Richness: Despite covering only 2.4% of global land area, India shelters 8% of global flora and 7.5% of fauna, with 28% of plants and 30% of animals being endemic.
    [UPSC 2011] The “Red Data Books’’ published by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) contain lists of:

    (a) Endemic plant and animal species present in the biodiversity hotspots.

    (b) Threatened plant and animal species. *

    (c) Protected sites for conservation of nature and natural resources in various countries.

    (d) None of the above.

     

  • Laszlo Krasznahorkai wins Nobel Prize in Literature, 2025

    Why in the News?

    The 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to Laszlo Krasznahorkai, a Hungarian novelist known for his dense, philosophical narratives and apocalyptic vision of modern existence.

    Back2Basics: Nobel Prize in Literature

    • First awarded in 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been conferred 117 times to 121 laureates.
    • Prize Details (2025): Each laureate receives 11 million Swedish kronor (~1.2 million USD), an 18-karat gold medal, and a diploma.
    • Ceremony: Held annually on December 10, marking the death anniversary of Alfred Nobel (1896), Swedish inventor and founder of the prize.
    • The 2024 laureate was Han Kang of South Korea, recognized for fiction confronting historical trauma and the fragility of life.

    About Laszlo Krasznahorkai:

    • Overview: Hungarian novelist celebrated for his dense, philosophical, and apocalyptic prose that examines the fragility of modern civilization.
    • Background: Regarded as one of Europe’s leading postmodern writers, noted for long, flowing sentences and hypnotic rhythm.
    • Themes & Style: His works probe moral collapse, spiritual decay, existential isolation, and the search for meaning amid disorder.
    • Literary Voice: Combines dark humor with metaphysical reflection; often set in bleak, decaying landscapes where characters struggle between despair and artistic endurance.
    • Recognition: Known as a “writer’s writer”, his art embodies a belief in the redemptive endurance of literature.

    Major Works & Adaptations:

    • Satantango (1985):  Debut novel portraying a collapsing rural community; adapted by BĂ©la Tarr into a seven-hour film, acclaimed for its realism and existential tone.
    • The Melancholy of Resistance (1989): Allegory of hysteria and conformity in a small town; adapted as Werckmeister Harmonies (2000).
    • War and War (1999): Follows a Hungarian archivist obsessed with preserving a manuscript symbolising human history; explores madness and transcendence.
    • Seiobo There Below (2008): Interlinked stories on art and divinity across cultures; won the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.
    • Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming (2016): Tragicomic portrait of post-communist moral decay; won the 2019 National Book Award (Translated Literature).

  • Private players to conserve heritage monuments

    Why in the News?

    The Centre has recently proposed to open conservation of protected monuments to private participation, ending the Archaeological Survey of India’s (ASI) exclusive control over this domain.

    About Archaeological Survey of India (ASI):

    • Establishment: Formed in 1861 under the Ministry of Culture, ASI is responsible for archaeological research, exploration, and protection of India’s cultural heritage.
    • Legal Authority: Enforces the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 and the Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972.
    • Scope of Work: Manages about 3,700 centrally protected monuments and archaeological sites of national importance.
    • Organisational Structure: Operates through 37 regional Circles and specialist wings such as Science Branch (material analysis), Horticulture Branch (site maintenance), Temple Survey Projects (documentation), and Underwater Archaeology Wing (submerged heritage).
    • Institutional Challenges: Faces staff shortages, budget limits, and procedural delays, constraining nationwide conservation capacity.

    What is the new Public–Private Partnership (PPP) Model for Conservation?

    • Purpose: Supplements ASI’s work by allowing private participation in conservation of heritage monuments.
    • Participants: Corporates, PSUs, and philanthropic bodies may fund, execute, and monitor restoration projects under ASI supervision.
    • Funding Mechanism: Routed through the National Culture Fund (NCF); donations qualify as CSR expenditure with 100% tax exemption.
    • Implementation Framework:
      • Empanelment of conservation architects via RFP by the Ministry of Culture.
      • Donors select architects, who jointly engage restoration agencies experienced in structures over 100 years old.
      • Each project must have a Detailed Project Report (DPR) approved by ASI and comply with the National Policy for Conservation, 2014.
    • Priority Monuments: 250 sites identified for initial adoption based on region or thematic interest.
    • Eligibility: Proven heritage conservation experience, financial competence, and technical compliance with ASI standards.

    Difference from ‘Adopt a Heritage’ Scheme:

    • Earlier Model (2017, revised 2023): Focused on tourism amenities cafĂ©s, ticketing, signage through “Monument Mitras”; excluded structural restoration.
    • Current PPP Model: Extends to scientific conservation and architectural restoration under direct ASI oversight.
    • Regulatory Control: ASI retains authority over authenticity, ethics, and policy compliance; funding channelled via NCF with technical audit.
    • Policy Evolution: Marks a shift from tourism partnership to heritage stewardship, blending private resources with public accountability for monument preservation.

  • Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) wins Chemistry Nobel Prize, 2025

    Why in the News?

    The 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to Richard Robson, Susumu Kitagawa, and Omar Yaghi for pioneering the creation of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs).

    Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs) wins Chemistry Nobel Prize, 2025

    What are Metal–Organic Frameworks (MOFs)?

    • Overview: They are crystalline materials composed of metal ions linked by organic molecules, forming a three-dimensional porous network capable of selectively trapping and storing gases, vapours, or liquids.
    • Structure: Metal ions serve as nodes or connectors, while organic ligands (carbon-based linkers) create scaffold-like frameworks with very high surface area and controllable pore size.
    • Porosity: MOFs possess some of the highest porosity among solids, often exceeding 7,000 square metres per gram, enabling the storage of large volumes of gases within minimal material.
    • Flexibility: Organic linkers can be chemically modified, allowing custom design for specific interactions, such as selective gas capture or catalysis.
    • Thermal and Chemical Stability: Advanced MOFs remain stable up to 300–400°C and can withstand diverse chemical environments, suitable for industrial and environmental use.
    • Bonding Principle: Based on coordination chemistry, MOFs combine metal rigidity with organic flexibility, enabling precise control over molecular architecture.
    • Functionality: Their open channels permit easy adsorption and desorption, making MOFs reusable, durable, and efficient for a range of scientific and industrial applications.

    Applications of MOFs:

    • Water Harvesting: Capture moisture from arid air and release it upon heating — enabling portable water generation in desert regions.
    • Carbon Capture: Their selective pores allow efficient CO₂ capture and storage, aiding climate change mitigation.
    • Hydrogen and Methane Storage: Act as solid sponges essential for fuel cells and clean energy systems.
    • Pollutant Filtration: Remove PFAS (Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances), heavy metals, and organic contaminants from water sources.
    • Food Preservation: Absorb ethylene gas emitted by fruits, slowing ripening and extending shelf life.
    • Catalysis and Sensing: Serve as heterogeneous catalysts and chemical sensors for trace-level detection in industrial settings.
    • Clean Energy Systems: Integrated into batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors for energy storage due to high conductivity and surface area.

    Scientific Development:

    • Richard Robson (University of Melbourne, 1970s): He pioneered the idea of linking metal atoms and ligands into extended frameworks, though early models were fragile.
    • Susumu Kitagawa (Kyoto University): Built porous coordination polymers, the first to demonstrate that gases could diffuse through molecular cavities—a defining MOF feature.
    • Omar Yaghi (University of California, Berkeley, 1990s): Created robust, heat-resistant MOFs, standardised synthesis techniques, and coined the term “Metal–Organic Framework” in a 1995 Nature paper.
      • Breakthrough Achievement: Yaghi’s team designed copper- and cobalt-based MOFs stable up to 350°C, capable of hosting guest molecules without collapse.
    [UPSC 2024] With reference to Direct Air Capture, an emerging technology, which of the following statements is/are correct?

    I. It can be used as a way of carbon sequestration.

    II. It can be a valuable approach for plastic production and in food processing.

    III. In aviation, it can be a source of carbon for combining with hydrogen to create synthetic low-carbon fuel.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below.

    (a) I and II only (b) II only (c) I, II, and III* (d) None of the above statements is correct

     

  • [pib] E-NAM (electronic National Agriculture Market) Portal

    Why in the News?

    The Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare has expanded the National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) by including 9 additional commodities, raising the total tradable items on the platform to 247.

    About National Agriculture Market (e-NAM):

    • Launch: Introduced in April 2016 by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare under the Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM).
    • Implementing Agency: Managed by the Small Farmers Agribusiness Consortium (SFAC) under the Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare.
    • Objective: To unify agricultural markets across India by offering farmers and traders a transparent, competitive, and quality-based digital trading platform for real-time price discovery and reduced intermediary dependence.
    • Legal Framework: Operates within state Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Acts, harmonised through inter-state trading licences and digital linkage.
    • Funding & Governance: Fully centrally funded, providing both digital infrastructure and physical market modernisation to APMCs.
    • Working Mechanism:
      • Digital APMC Integration: Each mandi connected to the e-NAM portal for online inter-state trading.
      • Online Auctions: Produce graded, assayed, and weighed before real-time electronic bidding.
      • Price Discovery & Payment: Transparent auction ensures quality-linked pricing; proceeds transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts.
      • Unified Licensing: A single trading licence enables purchase from multiple mandis nationwide.
      • Warehouse Trading (e-NAM 2.0): Incorporates warehouses and cold storages for sale of stored produce and extended logistics support.
    • Coverage (2025):
      • Mandis Integrated: 1,522 mandis across 23 States & 4 UTs.
      • Commodities: 247 tradable items including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fruits, spices, and medicinal plants.
      • Participants: Around 1.7 crore farmers and 4,500 FPOs registered.
      • Leading States: Tamil Nadu (213 mandis), followed by Rajasthan and Gujarat.
      • Data Analytics: Real-time insights on trade volume, prices, and demand trends aid policy decisions.

    Key Features & Impact:

    • Pan-India Integration: Realises “One Nation, One Market” by linking mandis and private markets.
    • Quality Assurance: Standardised parameters framed by Directorate of Marketing & Inspection (DMI) ensure grade-based pricing.
    • Digital Efficiency: Electronic weighing, e-payments, and cloud-based architecture cut transaction time from 8–10 hours to 30 minutes.
    • FPO & Warehouse Linkages: Strengthen logistics, storage, and collective bargaining power.
    • Scheme Synergy: Complements PM-KISAN, PM-AASHA, and MSP operations through traceable, transparent procurement data.
    [UPSC 2017] What is/are the advantage/advantages of implementing the `National Agriculture Market’ scheme?

    1. It is a pan-India electronic trading portal for agricultural commodities.

    2. It provides the farmers access to nationwide market, with prices commensurate with the quality of their produce.

    Select the correct answer using the code given below:

    Options: (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2* (d) Neither 1 nor 2