PIB Analysis : 1st June 2020

PIB Analysis for UPSC CSE

Topics Covered

  1. CHAMPIONS
  2. Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)
  3. Ultra Swachh
  4. PM – Svanidhi
  5. Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) campaign

1 . CHAMPIONS –  Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength


Context : Prime Minister launched the technology platform CHAMPIONS  which stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength.

About the Portal

  • Portal is basically for making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding. It is a real one-stop-shop solution of MSME Ministry
  •  ICT based system is set up to help the MSMEs in present difficult situation and also to handhold them to become national and international champions.
  • The entire ICT architecture is created in house with the help of NIC in no cost. Similarly, the physical infrastructure is created in one of ministry’s dumping rooms in a record time.

Detailed objectives of CHAMPIONS

  1. Grievance Redressal: To resolve the problems of MSMEs including those of finance, raw materials, labor, regulatory permissions etc particularly in the Covid created difficult situation;
  2. To help them capture new opportunities:  including manufacturing of medical equipments and accessories like PPEs, masks, etc and supply them in National and International markets;
  3. To identify and encourage the sparks:  i.e. the potential MSMEs who are able to withstand the current situation and can become national and international champions.

Features

  • It is a technology packed control room-cum-management information system.
  • In addition to ICT tools including telephone, internet and video conference, the system is enabled by Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics and Machine Learning.
  • It is also fully integrated on real time basis with GOI’s main grievances portal CPGRAMS and MSME Ministry’s own other web based mechanisms.
  • Hub and Spoke Model : As part of the system a network of control rooms is created in a Hub & Spoke Model. The Hub is situated in New Delhi in the Secretary MSME’s office. The spokes are in the States in various offices and institutions of MSME Ministry. As of now, 66 state level control rooms are created and made functional. They are connected through video conference also in addition to the portal of Champions.

2 . Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)


Context : The Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Shri Ram Vilas Paswan today announced the inclusion of three more states namely – Odisha, Sikkim and Mizoram in the scheme on ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System’ (IM-PDS).

Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)

  • Under this system nation-wide portability of the benefits under NFSA through “One Nation One Ration Card” plan is implemented to enable the NFSA ration card holders to lift their entitled quota of subsidised foodgrains from any ePoS enabled FPS of their choice anywhere in the country, by using the existing/same ration card after Aadhaar authentication on ePoS device.

Current Status of the Project

  • The facility so far is enabled in 17 States/UTs, namely – Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Punjab, Telangana, Tripura and Uttar Pradesh.
  • By August 2020 three more States namely – Uttarakhand, Nagaland and Manipur will also be added to the national cluster.
  • All necessary arrangements to include remaining all 13 States namely – West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Delhi, J&K, Ladakh, Chandigarh, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Andaman&Nicobar and Lakshadweep island to the national cluster. It is confirmed that by 31st March 2021 all States will be added to One Nation One Ration Card scheme and the scheme will be operational all over India.

Benefits

  • The Scheme will ensure all beneficiaries especially migrants can access PDS across the nation from any PDS shop of their own choice.
  • This will provide freedom to the beneficiaries as they will not be tied to any one PDS shop and reduce their dependence on shop owners and curtail instances of corruption.

3 . Ultra Swachh


Context : Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a disinfection unit named Ultra Swachh to disinfect a wide range of materials, including Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs), electronics items, fabrics, etc.

About Ultra Swachh

  • The system uses an advanced oxidative process comprising of multiple barrier disruption approach using Ozonated Space Technology for disinfection. 
  • The system is double layered with specialised Ozone sealant technology assuring trapping of ozone for the necessary disinfection cycle. It also has catalytic converter to ensure environment friendly exhaust i.e. only oxygen and water. 
  • The system is in compliance with International Standards of Industrial, Occupational, Personal and Environmental Safety.
  • The Ultra Swachh comes in two variants namely Ozonated Space and Trinetra Technology.
    • Trinetra technology is the combination of Ozonated space and radical dispenser. Treatment is optimised with automation for quick disinfection cycle. 
  • The system operates on 15 Ampere, 220 Volts, 50 Hertz power supply. The system has been provided with various safety features such as emergency shutdown, door interlocks, dual door, delay cycle, and leak monitors, etc to ensure safe operations for longer duration. Dimensions of the Industrial Cabinet are 7’x4’x3.25’ to disinfect large quantity at a time. Cabinets of different sizes will be available for the industry. 

4 . PM SVANidhi


Context : The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has launched a Special Micro-Credit Facility Scheme – PM SVANidhi (PM स्वनिधि ) – PM  Street  Vendor’s AtmaNirbharNidhi,for providing affordable loans to street vendors. This scheme will go a long way in enabling them to resume work and earn livelihoods.

About the Scheme

  • Over 50 lakh people, including vendors, hawkers, thelewalas, rehriwala, theliphadwala etc. in different areas/ contexts are likely to benefit from this scheme.
  • The goods supplied by them range from vegetables, fruits, ready-to-eat street foods, tea, pakodas, breads, eggs, textiles, apparel, footwear, artisan products, books/ stationaries etc. The services include barber shops, cobblers, pan shops, laundry services etc.
  • Urban Local Bodies will play pivotal role in the implementation of the scheme.

Importance of the Scheme

1- A historic first:

  • This is for the first time in India’s history that street vendors fromperi- urban/ rural areas have become beneficiaries of an urban livelihood programme.
  • The vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy @ 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on six monthly basis. There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan.
  • The scheme provides for escalation of the credit limit on timely/ early repayment of loan to help the vendor achieve his ambition of going up on the economic ladder.
  • It is for the first time that MFIs/ NBFCs/ SHG Banks have been allowed in a scheme for the urban poor due to their ground level presence and proximity to the urban poor including the street vendors.

2- Harnessing technology for empowerment:

  • In line with the Government’s vision of leveraging technology to ensure effective delivery and transparency, a digital platform with web portal/ mobile app is being developed to administer the scheme with end-to-end solution. The IT platform will also help in integrating the vendors into the formal financial system. This platform will integrate the web portal/ mobile app with UdyamiMitra portal of SIDBI for credit management and PAiSA portal of MoHUA to administer interest subsidy automatically.

3- Encouraging digital transactions:

  • The scheme incentivises digital transactions by the street vendors through monthly cash back.

4- Focus on capacity building:

  • MoHUA in collaboration with State Governments, State Missions of DAY-NULM, ULBs, SIDBI, CGTMSE, NPCI and Digital Payment Aggregators will also launch a capacity building and financial literacy programme of all the stakeholders and IEC activities throughout the country during the month of June and loaning will commence in the month of July.

5 . Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) campaign


Context : The Government will provide Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to 1.5 crore dairy farmers belonging to Milk Unions and Milk producing Companies within the next two months (1st June-31st July 2020) under a special drive.

About the Campaign

  • In the first phase of this campaign, the target is to cover all farmers who are members of dairy cooperative societies and associated with different Milk Unions and who do not have KCC. Farmers who already have KCC based on their land ownership, can get their KCC credit limit enhanced, though interest subvention shall be available only to the extent of Rs 3 lakhs.
  • Although the general limit for KCC credit without collateral remains Rs. 1.6 lakh, but the case of farmers whose milk is directly procured by Milk Unions falls under tie up arrangements between the producers and processing units without any intermediaries, and hence the credit limits without Collateral can be upto Rs.3 lakh.
  • This will ensure more credit availability for dairy farmers associated with Milk Unions as well as assuring repayment of loans to banks.

About Kisan Credit Card Scheme

The scheme aims at providing adequate and timely cred it for the comprehensive credit requirements of farmers under single window for their cultivation and other needs as indicated below:

  • To meet the short term credit requirements for cultivation of crops
  • Post harvest expenses
  • Produce Marketing loan
  • Consumption requirements of farmer household
  • Working capital for maintenance of farm assets, activities allied to agriculture, like dairy animals, inland fishery and also working capital required for floriculture, horticulture etc.
  • Investment credit requirement for agriculture and allied activities like pump sets, sprayers, dairy animals, floriculture, horticulture etc

Eligibility

  • All farmers-individuals/Joint borrowers who are owner cultivators.
  • Tenant farmers, Oral lessees and Share Croppers etc.
  • SHGs or Joint Liability Groups of farmers including tenant farmers, share croppers etc.

Advantages of the KCC Scheme to the farmers

  • Simplifies disbursement procedures
  • Removes rigidity regarding cash and kind
  • No need to apply for a loan for every crop
  • Assured availability of credit at any time enabling reduced interest burden for the farmer.
  • Helps buy seeds, fertilizers at farmer’s convenience and choice
  • Helps buy on cash-avail discount from dealers
  • Credit facility for 3 years – no need for seasonal appraisal
  • Maximum credit limit based on agriculture income
  • Any number of withdrawals subject to credit limit
  • Repayment only after harvest
  • Rate of interest as applicable to agriculture advance
  • Security, margin and documentation norms as applicable to agricultural advance
  • Access to adequate and timely credit to farmers
  • Full year’s credit requirement of the borrower taken care of. Minimum paper work and simplification of documentation for withdraw  of funds from the bank.
  • Flexibility to draw cash and buy inputs.
  • Assured availability of credit at any time enabling reduced interest burden for the farmer. Flexibility of drawals from a branch other than the issuing branch at the discretion of the bank.

Salient features Scheme

  • Eligible farmers to be provided with a Kisan Credit Card and a pass book or card-cum-pass book.
  • Revolving cash credit facility involving any number of drawals and repayments within the limit.
  • Limit to be fixed on the basis of operational land holding, cropping pattern and scale of finance.
  • Entire production credit needs for full year plus ancillary activities related to crop production to be considered while fixing limit.
  • Sub-limits to cover short term, medium term as well as term credit are fixed at the discretion of banks.
  • Card valid for 5 years subject to annual review. As incentive for good performance, credit limits could be enhanced to take care of increase in costs, change in cropping pattern, etc.
  • Conversion/reschedulement of loans also permissible in case of damage to crops due to natural calamities.
  • Security, margin, rate of interest, etc. as per RBI norms.
  • Operations may be through issuing branch (and also PACS in the case of Cooperative Banks) through other designated branches at the discretion of bank.
  • Withdrawals through slips/cheques accompanied by card and passbook.
  • Crop loans disbursed under KCC Scheme for notified crops are covered under Crop Insurance Scheme, to protect the interest of the farmer against loss of crop yield caused by natural calamities, pest attacks etc

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