02 Mar 2023: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. India - 2nd Largest Tea Producer
2. India, Australia Sign Agreement for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications
3. Frozen Semen Station, J&K
4. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)
5. Porter Prize, 2023

1. India – 2nd Largest Tea Producer

Syllabus – GS3, Agriculture – marketing of agricultural produce.

Prelims – Indian Tea Industry

Context – GoI has taken several steps to create a niche brand for the Indian Tea Industry and at the same time to ensure the welfare of the families connected with the industry.

Details –

• India is the 2nd largest tea producer and largest black tea producer with production at around 1350 M kgs. 
• India is the fourth largest tea exporter and also caters to a large number of domestic consumers. India accounts for around 18% of the world’s total tea consumption.
• Small tea growers (STGs) contribute nearly 52% of the total produce. There are about 2.30 lakh small tea growers in the supply chain. The GoI has taken several steps for the benefit of STGs such as –
  • Through the Tea Board, GoI has helped in the formation of 352 Self Help Groups (SHGs), 440 Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO), and 17 Farmer Producer Companies (FPC).
  • Assistance towards procuring pruning machines and mechanical harvesters.
  • Setting up mini tea factories to encourage entrepreneurs and unemployed youth.
  • A mobile app “Chai Sahyog” is being developed to help STGs in terms of information and better price realisation.
• During 2022-23, Indian tea exports are expected to achieve more than 95% of the set targets of $883 million despite various challenges: geopolitical, geo-economical and logistic challenges.
• Darjeeling tea is produced in the hilly area of the Darjeeling district spread over 87 tea gardens. It is one of the coveted products of India which is the first GI registered. At present, the Darjeeling tea production is in the range of 6-7 M.Kgs
• The Tea Board has proposed additional changes to the “Tea Development and Promotion Scheme, 2021-26,” which includes several elements for the overall advantage of the tea business. An online system under the ‘Service plus Portal’ has been put in place to ensure transparency in disbursement and beneficiary identification.

Also read – Tea Crop

2. India, Australia Sign Agreement for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications

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

Prelims – Bilateral Relations between India & Australia.

Context – Agreement between India & Australia for Mutual Recognition of Qualifications.

Details –

• India and Australia signed a framework mechanism for mutual recognition of qualifications that will help ease the mobility of students and professionals between the two countries. This agreement is a part of the commitment by the Prime Ministers of both countries at the 2nd India Australia Virtual Summit held in March 2022 wherein both parties agreed to establish a Joint Task Force for mutual recognition of qualifications. 
• The task force established has come up with a comprehensive mechanism that covers both the educational and skill qualifications of the two countries and will help facilitate two-way mobility of young people for education and employment purposes by mutually recognising various levels of education and skill qualifications.
• The agreement was signed between the Union Education Minister, Dharmendra Pradhan and his Australian counterpart Jason Clare. The Ministers also had conversations on further deepening bilateral relations, invigorating our vibrant partnership and boosting engagements in education, skill development, deep-tech research and areas of mutual interest.
• Besides, the two countries also signed 11 institutional memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for collaborations. These developments are aligned to make the knowledge pillar a key aspect of the bilateral relationship.

Also read – India Australia Relations.

3. Frozen Semen Station, J&K

Syllabus – GS3, Animal Husbandry

Prelims – Frozen Semen Station in Ranbir Bagh, J&K, Rashtriya Gokul Mission 

Context – The Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Shri Parshottam Rupala laid the foundation stone of the Frozen Semen station in Ranbir Bagh, Jammu & Kashmir.

Details –

• Under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the semen station has been sanctioned Rs 2163.57 lakhs. It will help the Kashmir region to become self-sufficient in the production of high-quality and disease-free germplasm to be used for artificial insemination coverage.
• The station is located at the foothills of the Harmukh Mountain Range in the Ganderbal district of Kashmir. 
• The Frozen Semen Project was established in 1980 under the Indo-Danish project. The equipment for processing frozen semen were obtained under DANIDA – an assistance programme between GoI and the Danish Government. The project was commissioned to process cryo-preserved semen in 1982.
• The project and its successful implementation/execution are expected to augment the existing infrastructure and create new infrastructure in the Frozen Semen Project-Ranbir Bagh.
• The strengthening of the Frozen Semen Project-Ranbir Bagh is sanctioned under Rashtriya Gokul Mission to produce 10.95 lac frozen semen doses by the year 2025-26.

4. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR)

Syllabus – GS2, Statutory Bodies.

Prelims – 18th Foundation Day of NCPCR – March 2, 2023.

Context – The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights celebrated its 18th Foundation Day on March 2, 2023.

Details –

• The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights celebrated its 18th Foundation Day on 2nd March 2023 on the theme ‘Empowering Girl Child’. NCPCR invited girl children from bordering villages of 75 districts to participate in the event.
• The Union Minister of WCD (Women & Child Development) and Minority Affairs, Smt Smriti Zubin Irani launched “Child Rights Champions World”, a dedicated feature on NCPCR’s website on child rights literacy and also emphasised the role of men in the empowerment and protection of women and girls in a civil society.

About NCPCR –

• NCPCR is a statutory body set up in March 2007 under the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005.
• It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Women & Child Development.
• The Commission’s mandate is to ensure that all laws, policies, programmes, and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the child rights perspective as enshrined in the Constitution of India and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Also read – National Commission for Protection of Child Rights

5. Porter Prize, 2023

Syllabus – Miscellaneous 

Prelims – Porter Prize, 2023

Context – The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare received Porter Prize, 2023 for successfully combating the COVID-19 crisis.

Details –

• The Porter Prize to the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) was announced at “The India Dialogue” organised by the Institute for Competitiveness (IFC) and US Asia Technology Management Centre (USATMC) at Stanford University. The theme of the conference was ‘The Indian Economy 2023: Innovation, Competitiveness and Social Progress’.
• The prize recognizes the holistic strategy followed by the GoI in managing COVID-19, the approach, and the involvement of various stakeholders especially the involvement of ASHA workers in the industry to create PPE Kits. 
• The three cornerstone strategies adopted by India during COVID-19 were – containment, relief package and vaccine administration.

Read the previous PIB articles here.

March 2nd, 2023, PIB:- Download PDF Here