26 Apr 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Logistics Performance Index (LPI), 2023
2. Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices Across States/UTs of India
3. National Medical Devices Policy, 2023
4. Launch of IFFCO’s Nano DAP (Liquid)
5. Indo-German Working Group
6. India-Hungary Joint Working Group
7. Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA)

1. Logistics Performance Index (LPI), 2023

Syllabus – GS3, Infrastructure, Growth & Development

Prelims – 7th Edition of World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index, 2023

Context – India jumps 6 places to rank 38 in World Bank’s LPI, 2023.

Details –

• The LPI is an interactive benchmarking tool developed by the World Bank Group. India has improved its ranking on the World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023 by jumping to 38th position from 44th place among 139 countries in terms of investment in technology and logistic infrastructure. This ranking has improved after significant investments were made in both soft and hard infrastructure as well as technology across the country.
• On 4 out of 6 LPI indicators (Customs Score, Infrastructure Score, International shipment Score, Logistics Competence Score, Tracking and Tracing Score & Timeliness Score), India has seen remarkable improvement. 
• The GoI has taken several measures to improve the logistics infrastructure in the country-
  • PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (PM Gati Shakti Scheme)
  • National Logistics Policy (September 2022)
  • NICDC’s (National Industrial Corridor Development Corporation) Logistics Data Bank project applies radio frequency identification (RFID) tags to containers and offers consignees end-to-end tracking of their supply chain. Its implementation started in 2016 in the Western part of India and was scaled up to the Pan India level in 2020.  With such initiatives of transparency, visibility, and ease of doing business, there has been significant improvement in cross-border trade facilitation. 
  • Since 2018, DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) has been conducting LEADS (Logistic Ease Across Different States) to help identify and resolve logistic inefficiencies and improve trade facilitation across supply chains.
  • Other initiatives like Sagarmala and Bharatmala have played an important role in improving logistic efficiency of the country.

Read more on the Logistics Performance Index in the linked article.

2. Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices Across States/UTs of India

Syllabus – GS3, Agricultural Resources, Food Security

Prelims – Promoting Millets.

Context – NITI Aayog released a report titled ‘Promoting Millets in Diets: Best Practices Across States/UTs of India’.

Details –

• The report presents a set of good and innovative practices adopted by state governments and organisations in various aspects of the millet value chain, especially production, processing and consumption. The report will serve as a guiding repository to revive and mainstream millets in our diets.
•  The report is in three themes –
  • State Missions and initiatives to promote millets; 
  • Inclusion of millets in ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services);
  • Research and development and use of technology for innovative practices. 
• Millets are nutritionally wholesome crops. With the rise of non-communicable diseases like diabetes, millets are coming back into our diets. Millets have immense potential to ensure nutritional security in the country.

Also read – Millets in India.

3. National Medical Devices Policy, 2023

Syllabus – GS2, Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health.

Prelims – National Medical Devices Policy, 2023

Context – The Union Cabinet approved the National Medical Devices Policy, 2023.

Details –

• The medical devices sector in India is an essential and integral constituent of the Indian healthcare sector. The Indian medical devices sector’s contribution has become even more prominent as India supported the domestic and global battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The market size of the Indian medical devices sector is estimated to be $11 billion in 2020 and its share in the global medical device market is about 1.5%. This sector has an enormous potential to contribute towards the goal of universal health care.
• The National Medical Devices Policy, 2023 lays down a roadmap for accelerated growth of the medical devices sector to achieve the following objectives – Access & Universality, Affordability, Quality, Patient Centred & Quality Care, Preventive & Promotive Health, Security, Research and Innovation and Skilled manpower. The policy is expected to help the sector grow from the present $11 billion to $50 billion by 2030.
• The GoI has already initiated the implementation of the PLI (Production Linked Incentive) Scheme for medical devices and support for establishing four Medical Devices Parks in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
• Under the PLI scheme for the manufacturing of medical devices, 26 projects have been approved out of which 14 projects,  manufacturing 37 products like CT-Scan, Mammogram, MRI-Scan, C-Arm, etc. have been commissioned.

4. Launch of IFFCO’s Nano DAP (Liquid)

Syllabus – GS3, Agriculture 

Prelims – Nano DAP (Liquid)

Context – Shri Amit Shah, the Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation launched IFFCO Nano DAP (liquid).

Details –

• The Union Home Minister launched IFFCO’s liquid nano Di-Ammonia Phosphate (DAP). The launch of IFFCO’s liquid DAP nano is an important beginning towards making India self-reliant in the field of fertilisers.
• Nano DAP is manufactured by the cooperative major IFFCO. Recently, the Centre had notified the Nano DAP in the Fertilizer Control Order, which regulates the sale, pricing, and distribution of fertilisers in the country. In May 2021, IFFCO launched Nano Urea.
• IFFCO has done extraordinary work in taking scientific research to the agriculture fields through the ‘Lab to Land’ approach. 
• The GoI has a goal to reduce the usage of granular DAP by about 90 lakh metric tons through liquid DAP.  The use of granular fertiliser damages the land as well as crops and the health of the people. By using liquid DAP land will be minimally contaminated by the chemicals.

5. Indo-German Working Group

Syllabus – GS2, Bilateral groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

Prelims – 9th Annual Meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure.

Context – India signs new Work Plan on Quality Infrastructure with Germany during Indo-German Working Group meeting in Berlin

Details –

• The Department of Consumer Affairs and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action signed the new Work Plan for 2023 during the 9th Annual Meeting of the Indo-German Working Group on Quality Infrastructure. The plan was signed in Berlin, Germany.
• The Work Plan 2023 is structured along the key elements of QI, including standardisation, accreditation, conformity assessment, legal metrology, product safety and market surveillance.
• The work plan addressed topics like harmonised global solutions as well as sector-specific cooperation topics, such as digitalisation (Industry 4.0, Artificial Intelligence, cyber security), circular economy, smart farming and machinery safety.

Also read – India-Germany Relations.

6. India-Hungary Joint Working Group

Syllabus – GS2, Bilateral groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting  India’s interests.

Prelims – India-Hungary Joint Working Group on Water Management.

Context – The first meeting of the India-Hungary Joint Working Group on Water Management was held in New Delhi.

Details – 

• During the meeting of the India-Hungary Joint Working Group, a wide range of discussions were held on challenges and initiatives taken by both countries in the field of water management.
• A three-year working programme was signed to guide the future course of India-Hungary cooperation in water management.
• On 16th October 2016, an MoU was signed between the Ministry of Interior Hungary and the then Ministry of Water Resources (Now, Ministry of Jal Shakti), with an aim to strengthen the technological, scientific and management capabilities of both countries in the field of water management. A Joint Working Group has been constituted for the implementation of the objectives of the MoU.

7. Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA)

Syllabus – GS2, Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors.

Prelims – Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA)

Context – An MoU was signed between the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) and Art of Living to make NMBA more effective and widespread.

Details –

• The MoU signed between the MoSJE and Art of Living will help in spreading the message of Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (NMBA) among the youth, women and students, and NMBA will get a boost towards achieving a drug-sensitised India.
• To curb the menace of drug demand, MoSJE is implementing the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR).
• The focal points of the NMBA are preventive, mass education and sensitization, capacity building of service providers, positive partnership with educational institutions, and augmentation of treatment, rehabilitation and counselling facilities. NMBA was launched on 15th August 2020
• Around 8000 Master volunteers have been selected and trained to lead the campaign in the 372 identified districts of the country.

Read the previous PIB articles here.

April 26th, 2023, PIB:- Download PDF Here