UPSC 2017 IAS Exam: PIB Summary and Analysis July 14

Record production of food grains in 2016-17 and all previous records were 
broken

• The Government is seized of the urgent requirement of strengthening market systems to reduce post-harvest losses to enable farmers to tide over both situations of bumper production leading to a glut and abrupt price fall and incidences of less production resulting in the availability of meagre marketable surplus.
• The approach adopted encompasses both adoptions of cost effective production and diversifying agriculture towards growing of high-value crops, agroforestry, rearing of livestock, poultry, fisheries, etc,  as well as creating accessible and efficient markets to ensure better price realisation to the farmers through a robust value supply chain.
• The model Agriculture Produce and Livestock Marketing (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2017 was released to the States on April 24, 2017, and has received a positive response regarding its adoption from all States.
• Ministry of Agriculture is seized with the consolidation of the Mandis integrated by way of total transition to online bidding and payments so that the envisaged benefits reach the farmers and traders both.
• The aim is to bring markets closer to the farms along with appropriate storage, grading and sorting facilities to reduce transportation costs, distress sale as well as the number of intermediaries so that farmers can get a larger share.
• An important step that States could take in this regard is the declaration of the warehouses/silos/cold storages, etc as market sub-yards so that the farmers can store surpluses and sell directly without having to transport the produce to the APMC yard.

Raipur Airport Ranked First in Customer Satisfaction Index Survey

• Raipur’s Swami Vivekananda Airport was once again ranked first in Customer Satisfaction among 49 airports in the country.
• Raipur Airport achieved 4.84 score on a five point scale index in the latest CSI survey conducted by an independent agency for the period of January-June 2017.

Airport Authority of India

• Airport Authority of India makes continuous efforts to improve the services and passenger facilities at its airports, and this has placed it amongst the best service providers in the world.
• Customer Satisfaction is one of the key performance objectives of AAI which is evaluated through Customer Satisfaction Survey conducted by an independent agency commissioned by AAI.
• The survey covers a wide range of parameters like transportation, parking, passenger facilities and cleanliness etc.
• The integrated terminal building of Raipur was inaugurated in 2012.
• High level maintenance of infrastructure and passenger facilities, the green ambience, state-of -the- art technology and courteous staff ensuring passenger satisfaction has resulted in Raipur getting this recognition for the third consecutive time in the past two years.

European Union & India establish an Investment Facilitation Mechanism

• European Union (EU) and India today announced the establishment of an Investment Facilitation Mechanism (IFM) for EU Investments in India.
• The mechanism will allow for a close coordination between the European Union and the Government of India with an aim to promote and facilitate EU investment in India.

Investment Facilitation Mechanism

• Ease of doing business is a fundamental priority of our Government’s Make in India Campaign and the establishment of IFM for facilitating EU investments in India is another step to achieve this goal.
• The IFM has been established with the key objectives of paving the way for identifying and solving problems faced by EU companies and investors with regard to their operations in India.
• The IFM will cover new investors as well as those already established in India.
• The IFM is also going to serve as a platform for discussing general suggestions from the point of view of EU companies and investors with regard to ease of doing business in India, which would boost and encourage the EU investors to avail the investment opportunities available in India.

Invest India

• Invest India, the official Investment Promotion and Facilitation Agency of the Government of India, will also be part of the Mechanism. It will create a single-window entry point for EU companies that need assistance for their investments at the central or state level.

Background

• Trade and Investment are key elements of the EU-India Strategic Partnership launched in 2004.
• Along with being the first trade partner in goods and services, EU is one of the biggest provider of foreign investment in India, with a stock exceeding US$ 81.52 billion (more than 4.4 lakh crores INR) as of March 2017.
• There are currently more than 6,000 EU companies present in India, providing direct and indirect employment to over 6 million people.

Environment Minister to Dedicate National Centre for Sustainable Coastal 
Management (NCSCM) to the Nation

• The focus of the Government in coastal states is sustainable livelihood, development of coastal communities through various R&D and policy initiatives.
• Six research divisions have been established at NCSCM that will combine geospatial sciences with cutting-edge research on conservation, pollution, climate change and community interface – both in mainland and islands of the country.

Objectives

• Promoting integrated and sustainable management of the coastal and marine areas in the country for the benefit and well-being of the traditional coastal and island communities;
• Strengthening capacity of coastal management at all levels, including stakeholders;
• Advising Union and State governments and other associated stakeholders on policy and scientific matters related to Integrated Coastal Zone Management;
• Striving to become a world class institution through cutting-edge research pertaining to understanding coastal zones, coastal processes, integrated planning and management of coastal and marine areas.

Ministry of Water Resources to Sign MoU with Ministry of Skill Development
for the success of Namami Gange

• The MoU intends to develop skilled manpower for laying sewerage pipeline, plumbing works, construction of toilets, civil masonry works, waste collection and its disposal activities.
• It will also develop skills for preparing products from pious waste materials like flowers, leaves, coconuts, hair and associate plastic bags and plastic bottles etc. and their proper packaging and promotion of such products.
• The MoU will also help in developing skills for operation and maintenance of pumps and STPs.

Namami Gange

• ‘Namami Gange Programme’, is an Integrated Conservation Mission, approved as ‘Flagship Programme’ by the Union Government in June 2014 with budget outlay of Rs.20,000 Crore to accomplish the twin objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation and rejuvenation of National River Ganga.
• National Mission for Clean Ganga, endeavors to deploy best available knowledge and resources across the world for Ganga rejuvenation.
• Clean Ganga has been a perennial attraction for many international countries that have expertise in river rejuvenation.
• Countries such as Australia, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, Israel etc. have shown interest in collaborating with India for Ganga rejuvenation.