National
2-day 'PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022'
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated 2-day ‘PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022’ at Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi on 17 October 2022.
Organized by:
The “PM Kisan Samman Sammelan 2022” was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
Participation:
The event brought together more than 13,500 farmers from across the country and around 1500 Agri Startups.
More than 1 crore farmers, from various institutions attended the event virtually. The Sammelan also saw participation of researchers, policy makers and other stakeholders.
Activities during the inaugural event:
Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSK):
» The Prime Minister inaugurated 600 Pradan Mantri Kisan Samruddhi Kendras (PMKSK) under the Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers.
- Under the scheme, the retail fertiliser shops in the country will be converted into PMKSK in a phased manner.
- PMKSK will cater to a wide variety of needs of the farmers and provide agri-inputs (fertilisers, seeds, implements), testing facilities for soil, seeds, and fertilisers; generate awareness among farmers; provide information regarding various government schemes and ensure regular capacity building of retailers at block/district level outlets.
- More than 3.3 lakh retail fertiliser shops are planned to be converted into PMKSK.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana – One Nation One Fertiliser:
» Furthermore, the Prime Minister also launched Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Urvarak Pariyojana – One Nation One Fertiliser.
- Under the scheme, Prime Minister will launch Bharat Urea Bags, which will help companies market fertilisers under the single brand name ‘Bharat’.
12th instalment amount of Rs 16,000 crores under PM-KISAN:
» During the event, the Prime Minister also released the 12th instalment amount of Rs 16,000 crores under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) through Direct Benefit Transfer.
- In a reflection of the continued commitment of the Prime Minister towards the welfare of the farmers, during the event, the Prime Minister also released the 12th instalment amount of Rs 16,000 crores under PM-KISAN.
- Under the scheme, eligible farmer families are provided benefits of Rs 6000 per year in three equal instalments of Rs 2000 each. So far, eligible farmer families have received benefits worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore under PM-KISAN.
Agri Startup Conclave and Exhibition:
» The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Agri Startup Conclave and Exhibition.
- About 300 startups showcased their innovation related to Precision Farming, Post-Harvest & Value Add Solutions, Allied Agriculture, Waste to Wealth, Mechanisation for Small Farmers, Supply Chain Management, and Argi-Logistic among others.
- The platform facilitated startups to interact with farmers, FPOs, agri-experts, corporates etc.
- Startups also shared their experiences and interacted with other stakeholders in technical sessions.
‘Indian Edge’, an e-magazine:
» During the event, the Prime Minister also launched ‘Indian Edge’, an e-magazine on fertiliser.
- It will provide information on domestic and international fertiliser scenarios, including recent developments, price trends analysis, availability and consumption, and success stories of farmers among others.
» Shri Modi took a walkthrough of Theme Pavilion of Startup Exhibition and inspected the products on display.
National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat
⇒ The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi reviewed the work in progress at the site of the National Maritime Heritage Complex at Lothal, Gujarat with the help of a drone via video conferencing on 18 October 2022.
About National Maritime Heritage Complex:
- National Maritime Heritage Complex (NMHC) at Lothal is being developed as a one-of-its-kind project to not only display India’s rich and diverse maritime heritage and also help Lothal to emerge as a world-class international tourist destination.
- The boost to the tourism potential through this project will also augment the economic development of the region.
- The complex work which began in March 2022, is being developed at a cost of around Rs 3500 crores.
- It will have several innovative and unique features such as Lothal mini recreation to recreate Harappan architecture and lifestyle, four theme parks – Memorial theme park, Maritime and Navy theme park, Climate theme park, and Adventure and Amusement theme park.
- It will also house the world’s tallest lighthouse museum, fourteen galleries highlighting India’s maritime heritage starting from the Harappan times till today, as well as a Coastal states pavilion displaying the diverse maritime heritage of states and UTs among others.
Background:
- Lothal was one of the prominent cities of the Harappan civilization and is known for the discovery of the oldest man-made dockyard.
- A maritime heritage complex in Lothal is a fitting tribute to the city’s historical legacy and heritage.
First SemiconIndia FutureDesign Roadshow
⇒ The Union Minister of State for Electronics & Information Technology and Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar has flagged off the first SemiconIndia FutureDesign roadshow, in Gandhinagar, Gujarat on 17 October 2022.
As part of the efforts to give a boost to the semiconductor design industry in India, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology had launched a series of SemiconIndia FutureDesign roadshows across the country.
Aim:
The SemiconIndia FutureDesign Roadshows under the Design Linked Incentive scheme of India Semiconductor Mission aims to catalyse the Startups in the field of Semiconductor Design and Innovation through incentives to the tune of Rs 100 crore per device at the Design stage.
Key Points:
- During the event, Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar also launched the ISRO tested and qualified NavIC Receiver Chipsets, ready to be deployed in commercial market.
- Several industry leaders, both Indian and global, were also present on the occasion.
Background:
- The Government of India, in December 2021, had launched the India Semiconductor Mission with an incentive outlay of Rs 76,000 crore to attract investments in the strategic Semiconductor sector.
- The Government of Gujarat followed it up by announcing its Semiconductor Policy 2022-27 and its move to set up a Semicon city in Dholera.
- Recently, Vedanta and Foxconn have announced setting up of a Greenfield Semiconductor Fab unit at Dholera in Gujarat.
- The Electronics sector in India has witnessed unprecedented growth since 2014. The sector has grown from around Rs 1,10,000 crore (in 2014) to around Rs 6,00,000 crore in the year 2022.