01 June 2020: PIB Summary & Analysis

June 1st, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PM SVANidhi
2. CHAMPIONS Portal
3. Minimum Support Prices (MSP)
4. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK)
5. One Nation One Ration Card Scheme
6. Operation Samudra Setu
7. Ultra Swachh

1. 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.

Details:

• The scheme is expected to help street vendors resume work and earn livelihoods in the light of the difficulties endured during the COVID-19 crisis and the lockdown.
• 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, paan shops, laundry services, etc.
• Urban Local Bodies will play a pivotal role in the implementation of the scheme.
• This is for the first time in India’s history that street vendors from peri-urban/rural areas have become beneficiaries of an urban livelihood programme.
• Features of the scheme:
  • 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.
• 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.
• 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.

2. CHAMPIONS Portal

Context:

The Prime Minister launched the CHAMPIONS portal to empower MSMEs.

To know more about the CHAMPIONS portal, check PIB dated May 12, 2020.

3. Minimum Support Prices (MSP)

Context:

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by the Prime Minister has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for all mandated Kharif crops for the marketing season 2020-21.

To know more about Minimum Support Prices (MSP), click on the linked article.

4. Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras (PMBJK)

Context:

PMBJKs achieves sales of over Rs 100 crore in the first two months of 2020-21.

Details:

The Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras are set up across the country so as to reduce the out of pocket expenses for health care, under the Pradhan Mantri Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).

5. One Nation One Ration Card Scheme

Context:

Three more States included in One Nation One Card scheme.

Details:

• Three more states – Odisha, Sikkim and Mizoram have been included in the scheme on ‘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 Fair Price Shop of their choice anywhere in the country, by using the existing/same ration card after Aadhaar authentication on ePoS device.
• 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.

To know more on ‘One Nation One Ration Card’, check PIB dated Aug 9, 2019.

6. Operation Samudra Setu

Context:

INS Jalashwa departs Colombo to bring Indian nationals to Tuticorin.

Details:

• The ship INS Jalashwa, on her third trip as part of Indian Navy’s Operation Samudra Setu, under the aegis of Mission Vande Bharat launched by the Government of India; has been engaged in bringing Indian nationals home from foreign shores by the sea route.
• To know more on Samudra Setu, check CNA dated May 6, 2020.

7. Ultra Swachh

Context:

DRDO develops Ultra Swachh for disinfection of PPEs and other materials.

About Ultra Swachh:

• The system has been developed by the Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS), the Delhi-based laboratory of DRDO in partnership with M/s Gel Craft Healthcare Private Ltd, Ghaziabad.
• 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.
• Operating 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.
• It is available in different sizes.

June 1st, 2020 PIB:- Download PDF Here

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