31 Mar 2021: PIB Summary & Analysis

March 31st, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry
2. India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement
3. All India Survey on Migrant Workers
4. AIM-PRIME

1. PLI Scheme for Food Processing Industry

Context:

Cabinet approves Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry.

Details:

• Cabinet approves Production Linked Incentive Scheme for Food Processing Industry to support the creation of global food manufacturing champions commensurate with India’s natural resource endowment and support Indian brands of food products in the international markets.
• The scheme has been launched with an outlay of Rs. 10900 crore.
• It is a Central Sector Scheme.

Objectives of the Scheme:

• The objectives of the Scheme are to support food manufacturing entities with stipulated minimum sales and willing to make minimum stipulated investment for expansion of processing capacity and branding abroad to incentivise emergence of strong Indian brands.
• It aims to:
  • Support creation of global food manufacturing champions;
  • Strengthen select Indian brands of food products for global visibility and wider acceptance in the international markets;
  • Increase employment opportunities of off-farm jobs; and
  • Ensuring remunerative prices of farm produce and higher income to farmers.

Features:

• The first component relates to incentivising manufacturing of four major food product segments viz. Ready to Cook/Ready to Eat (RTC/ RTE) foods, Processed Fruits & Vegetables, Marine Products, Mozzarella Cheese.
• Innovative/Organic products of SMEs including Free Range -Eggs, Poultry Meat, Egg Products in these segments are also covered under above component.

Read more on the Production Linked Incentive Scheme in the link.

2. India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement

Context:

India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA) will enter into force on 1st April 2021.

Details:

• The CECPA between India and Mauritius was signed in February 2021.
• It is the first trade agreement signed by India with a country in Africa.
• The Agreement is a limited agreement, which will cover Trade in Goods, Rules of Origin, Trade in Services, Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, Dispute Settlement, Movement of Natural Persons, Telecom, Financial services, Customs Procedures and Cooperation in other Areas.
• The India-Mauritius CECPA provides for an institutional mechanism to encourage and improve trade between the two countries.

3. All India Survey on Migrant Workers

Context:

Labour Minister flags off Field Work of All India Survey on Migrant Workers and the AQEES.

Details:

• These are two of the five All India Surveys that the Labour Bureau is going to conduct this year.
• AQEES is one of the surveys: All-India Quarterly Establishment based Employment Survey

Read more about the five surveys and the Labour Bureau on PIB dated Feb 22, 2021.

4. AIM-PRIME

Context:

Atal Innovation Mission launches ‘AIM-PRIME’, in partnership with BMGF & Venture Center.

Details:

• AIM-PRIME (Program for Researchers on Innovations, Market-Readiness & Entrepreneurship) is an initiative to promote and support science-based deep-tech startups & ventures across India.
• It has been launched by the Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The initiative will be implemented by Venture Center – a non-profit technology business incubator.
• The first cohort of the program is open to technology developers (early-stage deep tech start-ups, and scientists/engineers/clinicians) with strong science-based deep tech business ideas. The program is also open to CEOs and senior incubation managers of AIM Funded Atal Incubation Centres that are supporting deep tech entrepreneurs.
• The AIM-PRIME program is specifically tailored for the rapid scaling up of deep-tech science ventures in India, providing not just the necessary intellect and support but also the exposure they rightly deserve.

Program Benefits:

• The benefits of this program are aimed at addressing specific issues through training and guidance over a period of 12 months.
• Candidates selected for the program will get access to in-depth learning via a comprehensive lecture series, live team projects, exercises, and project-specific mentoring.
• They will also have access to a deep tech startup playbook, curated video library, and plenty of peer-to-peer learning opportunities.

Read previous PIB here.

March 31st, 2021, PIB:- Download PDF Here