Unified Single Window Clearance System

The Unified Single Window Clearance System is being worked upon by the Government of India and is set to start by March 31, 2021. This clearance system would be applicable for all approvals and clearances in the country. 

Unified Single Window Clearance System [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

Aspirants for IAS Exam must carefully go through the various aspects of this initiative as questions in the upcoming UPSC exam may be asked based on the same. Government policies, growth and development related issues of the GS 2 and GS 3 paper may cover this topic. 

There are multiple other initiatives and programs which have been launched by the Government of the country for the development purposes. Candidates can visit the List of Government Schemes in India page and learn in detail about the various projects. 

What is the Single Window System?

Given below are the main objectives behind unifying and creating a single window system:

• The single window clearance system being developed will be ‘very effective’ and enable the potential investor to interact with all the ministries whose approvals are required, at the Centre as well as in the States
• To restrict the clearance from different stakeholders, the creation of a centralized Investment Clearance Cell was proposed by Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), and is being formulated
• This cell would provide an end-to-end facilitation support
• Digital access will be made available to regulators, facilitators and policymakers, all at a single point. This would be irrespective of their geographical location or time difference
• The Investment Clearance cell is being planned as a One-stop digital platform to obtain all requisite central and state clearances/approvals required to start business operations in India
• This Unified Single Window Clearance System will make the approvals transparent and also time saving

Single Window System – A Brief Background

In India, there are several IT platforms which have been allocated the duty for clearances, and investors need to visit multiple stakeholders to each approval. Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal (FIFP) and state single-window clearances are few such platforms.

Foreign Investment Facilitation Portal (FIFP) is administered by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), which comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. To facilitate Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), it is the only online interface between Government and investors.

Thus, to simplify this clearance system, the Government of India decided to launch a Unified clearance system. 

Unified Single Window Clearance System – Key Points

• A GIS enabled land bank under Industrial Information System (IIS) is being developed
• It was launched on August 27, 2020, in a phased manner with the integration of 6 States Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Odisha, and Goa
• All the other states and related Government Departments and Ministries are also being taken on board for the single window system
• This entire project comes under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. UPSC aspirants must note that the Union Minister for Commerce and Industry (as in 2020) – Mr. Piyush Goyal

About Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

• Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an investment made by a company or an individual in one country into business interests located in another country
• In India, a decent part of the economy is generated through these foreign investments
• FDI allows new innovations, policies, ideas, etc. into a country and ultimately results in the economic growth 
• There are two major routes through which India gets FDI:
  • Government Route – Prior approval from the Government of India is mandatory for the foreign entity
  • Automatic Route – The prior approval of RBI or the Government is not required

To know more about the functions, objectives, framework, and benefits of Foreign Direct Investment, candidates can visit the linked article.

Unified Single Window Clearance System [UPSC Notes]:-Download PDF Here

IAS aspirants can also visit the UPSC Syllabus page and know the detailed and comprehensive syllabus and exam pattern for the preliminary and mains examination. 

Apart from this, government exam aspirants can visit the Preparation Strategy for Competitive Exams page and get the best tips to ace the upcoming government and administrative services exam. 

For the latest exam updates, notes, study material, and any other exam-related assistance, candidates can turn to BYJU’S for help.