09 Aug 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Quit India Movement
2. Government e-Marketplace (GeM)
3. INS Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand
4. National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL)
5. Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023
6. Bandicoot Technology

1. Quit India Movement

Syllabus: GS-1, History, Freedom Movement

Prelims: Quit India Movement

Mains: Quit India Movement

Context:

81st anniversary of the Quit India Movement.

Read more about the Quit India Movement in the linked article.

2. Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: Government e-Marketplace (GeM)

Context:

Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrates its 7th Foundation Day.

Launched in 2016, GeM is India’s online marketplace for public procurement. Know more about Government e-Marketplace in the linked article.

3. INS Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand

Syllabus: GS-3, Security

Prelims: INS Visakhapatnam, INS Trikand

Context:

Visit of Indian ships to Port Rashid, Dubai.

Details:

• Indian Navy’s frontline platforms INS Visakhapatnam and INS Trikand are visiting Port Rashid, Dubai from 08 to 11 August 2023. 
• During the visit, the ships will undertake professional interactions with UAE Naval Force on various elements of maritime operations and share best practices aimed at enhancing cooperation and strengthening ties between the two navies. 
• The bilateral exercise ‘Zayed Talwar’ is also scheduled with the UAE Navy.

INS Trikand:

• INS Trikand is a frontline frigate equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors. It is a part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet, based in Mumbai.
• It belongs to the Talwar class of guided missile frigates.

Read more on INS Visakhapatnam in the linked article.

4. National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL)

Syllabus: GS-3, Economy

Prelims: National Multi-State Export Cooperative Society, National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL)

Mains: Cooperative Societies and their benefits

Context:

Benefits of National Multi-State Export Cooperative Society.

About the National Cooperative Exports Limited:

• The government of India has set up a National Cooperative Exports Limited (NCEL) under Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002.
• This society will focus on exporting the surpluses available in the Indian cooperative sector by accessing wider markets beyond the geographical contours of the country, thereby, increasing the demand for Indian Cooperative products/services across the globe and fetching the best possible prices for such products/services.
• Benefits of the NCEL:
  • Promotion of exports through various activities including procurement, storage, processing, marketing, branding, labelling, packaging, certification, research and development, etc.
  • Trading of all types of goods and services produced by cooperative societies.
  • Help in arranging finance, provide technical guidance, help in training and capacity building, develop and maintain market intelligence system, implement related government schemes
  • Help cooperatives in getting benefits from various export-related schemes and policies of the government.
  • Promotion of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ by increasing exports of surplus goods & services produced in the Cooperative sector.
  • Promotion of inclusive growth.
• Who are the members of NCEL?
  • All cooperative societies from the level of primary to apex, that are interested in exports are eligible to become members.

5. Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Syllabus: GS-2, Polity; GS-3, Environment & Ecology

Prelims: Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023

Mains:

Context:

Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2023 cleared by both houses of Parliament.

Background: 

• The Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act was enacted in 2005 with the aim to protect the coastal environment while promoting orderly growth of coastal aquaculture farming in coastal areas in a manner consistent with it. 
• Aquaculture farmers and stakeholders have been requesting to remove the ambiguities and amend some of the provisions of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority Act to make this legislation progressive and decrease the regulatory burden.

Features of the amendment bill:

• The Coastal Aquaculture Authority (Amendment) Bill seeks to expand the scope, remove regulatory gaps and reduce the compliance burden without diluting environmental protection rules in the coastal areas.
• The Coastal Aquaculture Authority will be henceforth more responsive to the needs of the stakeholders, promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture like cage culture and seaweed culture, and usher in global best practices in this sector, including mapping and zonation of aquaculture areas, quality assurance and safe aquaculture products.
• The bill also seeks to encourage the establishment of facilities in areas having direct access to seawater to produce genetically improved and disease-free broodstocks and seed for use in coastal aquaculture besides preventing the use of antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances, which are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.
• It decriminalises certain offences listed under the 2005 Act in order to promote ease of doing business.
• The Bill also seeks to fine-tune existing operational procedures of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority and promote newer forms of environment-friendly coastal aquaculture as these new forms have the potential to create additional job opportunities. 
• Further, the Bill also has provisions that restrict the use of antibiotics and pharmacologically active substances which are harmful to human health in coastal aquaculture.

6. Bandicoot Technology

Syllabus: GS-2, Social Justice

Prelims: Bandicoot technology

Mains: Measures to eradicate manual scavenging

Context:

Robot ‘Bandicoot’ technology to eliminate manual scavenging.

Bandicoot Robot:

• The Bandicoot Robot is the world’s first robotic scavenger, developed as a Make in India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan initiative by National Award-winning startup Genrobotics.
  • Genrobotics is a robotics company that started in 2017 and is based in Kerala.
• The Bandicoot Robot helps clean confined spaces such as sewers, manholes, sewer wells, stormwater manholes, Oily Water Sewers (OWS), and Storm-Water Sewers (SWS) in refineries. 
• Currently, smart cities, Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), refineries, multinational companies, townships, and housing colonies across 16 states are leveraging Bandicoot Robots, thereby eliminating the need for human entry into manholes. 
• This robotic technology is used for cleaning sewerage and to eradicate the practice of manual scavenging. 
• How it works:

• • The robotic machine, which can clean any type of sewer manhole, has a stand unit and a robotic drone unit. 
  • The drone unit will be dropped into the manholes for cleaning and de-clogging operations. The diving depth of the robotic drone can be customised.
  • The robotic arm, a replica of a human arm, performs grabbing, picking and shovelling actions and enables efficient cleaning by sweeping all solid waste, silt, and debris deposited in the nooks and corners of manholes.
  • The waste collected is brought to the surface by an integrated bucket system.

Read the previous PIB articles here.