National
MoA&FW Unveils Game-Changing Initiatives for Farmers
⇒ Union Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman & Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar unveiled initiatives focused on agri-credit (KCC & MISS) and crop insurance (PMFBY/RWBCIS) on 19 September 2023.
- The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare launched three initiatives, namely the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP), KCC Ghar Ghar Abhiyaan, an ambitious campaign aiming to extend the benefits of the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme to every farmer across the nation and a manual on Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS).
- These initiatives aim to revolutionize agriculture, enhance financial inclusion, optimize data utilization, and improve the lives of farmers across the nation.
Three Initiatives:
Kisan Rin Portal (KRP):
» Developed collaboratively by MoA&FW, the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Department of Animal Husbandry & Dairying (DAH&D), Department of Fisheries, RBI, and NABARD, KRP is poised to revolutionize access to credit services under the Kisan Credit Card.
- It will also assist farmers in availing subsidized agriculture credit through the Modified Interest Subvention Scheme (MISS).
- The KRP portal serves as an integrated hub, offering a comprehensive view of farmer data, loan disbursement specifics, interest subvention claims, and scheme utilization progress.
- By fostering seamless integration with banks, this pioneering portal enables proactive policy interventions, strategic guidance, and adaptive enhancements for more focused and efficient agriculture credit and optimum utilization of interest subvention.
Ghar-Ghar KCC Abhiyaan: Door to Door KCC Campaign
» The event also marks the commencement of the “Ghar Ghar KCC Abhiyaan,” MoA&FW’s commitment to universal financial inclusion is underscored by this campaign, ensuring that every farmer has unhindered access to credit facilities that drive their agricultural pursuits.
- This campaign ran from 1st October 2023 to 31st December 2023.
- MoA&FW has diligently verified existing KCC account holders’ data against the PM KISAN database, identifying account holders who match with the PM KISAN database and those who, although PM KISAN beneficiaries, do not have KCC accounts.
- This campaign played a pivotal role in reaching out to non-KCC account holder PM KISAN beneficiaries and fostering the saturation of KCC Accounts among eligible PM Kisan beneficiary farmers.
Launch of WINDS Manual
» The Weather Information Network Data Systems (WINDS) initiative stands as a pioneering effort to establish a network of Automatic Weather Stations & Rain Gauges at the taluk/block and gram panchayat levels.
- This initiative creates a robust database of hyper-local weather data, supporting various agricultural services.
- This comprehensive WINDS manual launched provides stakeholders with an in-depth understanding of the portal’s functionalities, data interpretation, and effective utilization.
- It guides States and Union Territories in establishing and integrating with the WINDS platform, fostering transparent and objective data observation and transmission.
- It also offers practical insights into leveraging weather data for improved crop management, resource allocation, and risk mitigation.
The launch event epitomizes the Government of India’s dedication to innovation and efficient service delivery for agriculture, with the aim of sustaining and doubling farmers’ income. Initiatives like the Kisan Rin Portal (KRP), Ghar-Ghar KCC Abhiyaan, and WINDS Manual embody the government’s commitment to farmers’ prosperity, innovation, technology infusion, and objective service delivery.
Multi Modal Logistics Park, Bengaluru Poised to Become First and Largest MMLP
⇒ National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), a 100% owned company of NHAI signed an agreement for the development of Multi Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) at Bengaluru proposed to be developed under the Public Private Partnership (DBFOT) model at an estimated cost of Rs 1,770 crore.
- For this, the agreement has been signed between Government SPV, Bengaluru MMLP Pvt Ltd & Concessionaire SPV M/s PATH Bengaluru Logistics Park Pvt Ltd in September 2023.
Key Points:
- The MMLP is being developed in an area of 400 acre at Muddelinganahalli in Bengaluru rural district in Karnataka.
- The project is poised to become the first and largest MMLP ever implemented in the country under the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan.
- Bengaluru MMLP is located at a distance of 58 km from Bengaluru Airport and 48 km from Bengaluru city railway station.
- The MMLP will be developed in three phases. The first phase is expected to be completed in two years.
- MMLP will cater to about 30 million metric tonnes (MMT) cargo by the end of concession period of 45 years and will give huge boost to the industrial zones in the catchment region such as Bengaluru and Tumkur.
- A Government SPV is incorporated between National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) amd Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB).
Development of MMLP is a key initiative of the Government of India to improve the country’s freight logistics sector by enabling efficient inter-modal freight movement to lower overall freight costs and time, provide efficient warehousing, improve tracking and traceability of consignments; thereby enhancing the efficiency of the Indian logistics sector.
Quality Control Order for ‘Flux Cored Solder Wire’
⇒ Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry notified a new Quality Control Order (QCO) namely ‘Flux Cored Solder Wire’ on 18th September 2023; which will come into force on the expiry of six months from the date of notification in E-Gazette.
» Flux Cored Solder Wire (Quality Control) Order, 2023 includes a specific type of solder wire that has flux in the centre of the wire. Without flux, wire solder would be difficult to use. It is used in soldering electronic components, automobiles, telecommunication and diverse engineering industries.
- Soldering process, although sounds simple, is a critical process, where quality of flux cored solder wire is of paramount importance as any failure will impact quality and safety of the products soldered particularly in electronic and automobile industry.
- The implementation of the QCO for this product is crucial not only for safety of the consumers, but it will also improve the manufacturing quality standards in the country and curb the imports of sub-standard products into India.
Other Points:
- The Standard issued for any product is for voluntary compliance unless it is notified by Central Government to make it mandatory primarily through notification of Quality Control Order under Scheme-I and Compulsory Registration Order under Scheme-II of BIS Conformity Assessment Regulations, 2018.
- The objective of notifying the QCOs is to enhance quality of the domestically manufactured products, curb the imports of sub-standard products into India, prevention of unfair trade practices for the protection of human, animal or plant health and safety of the environment.
- With the implementation of the QCOs, manufacturing, storing and sale of non-BIS certified products will be prohibited as per the BIS Act, 2016.
- The violation of the provision of the BIS Act can attract a penalty of imprisonment upto two years or with fine of at least Rs 2 lakh for the first offence.
- In case of second and subsequent offences, the fine will increase to Rs 5 lakh minimum and extend up to ten times the value of goods or articles.
Important Day
International Coastal Clean-up Day – 2023 (ICC-2023)
⇒ The International Coastal Clean-up Day is observed annually worldwide on the third Saturday of September every year.
- International Coastal Clean-up Day – 2023 (ICC-2023) was observed on 16 September 2023.
» The global event aims to encourage everyone to clean up the coastal line and create awareness about preserving and protecting the oceans and waterways.
» Every year Association for Community Awareness (ASCOA) joins Ocean Conservancy and the international community to commemorate International Coastal Cleanup Day.
Theme:
International Coastal Cleanup Day 2023 was observed under the theme- ‘#SeaTheChange’. The theme of ICC-2023 ‘#SeaTheChange’ focused on plastic pollution.
Background:
- The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) day is conducted in various parts of the world every year under the aegis of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme (SACEP) in South Asian Region.
- The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day was first celebrated in the United States in 1986 on the west coast of Washington.
- The International Coastal Cleanup Day began more than 35 years ago, when communities rallied together with the common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering their coastline.
- The first cleanup consisted of 2,800 volunteers. Since then, the cleanup has grown into an international event in more than 100 countries.
» The Indian Coast Guard conducted International Coastal Clean-up Day – 2023 (ICC-2023) across all Coastal States and Union Territories on 16 September 2023.
- The Indian Coast Guard has been co-ordinating ICC activity in India since 2006 to generate awareness among coastal populace and students towards safe & clean beaches.