7 Oct 2022: PIB Summary for UPSC

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
2. Quality Council of India (QCI)
3. Collaboration between BIS & IEC

1. Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)

Syllabus: GS 3, Indian Economy.

Prelims: Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS).

Mains: Indian Industries.

Context: DPIIT notifies the establishment of the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS).

Details:

• The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) for providing credit guarantees to loans extended by Scheduled Commercial Banks, Non-Banking Financial Companies, and the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) have been notified by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
• The aim of CGSS is to provide credit guarantees to finance eligible Startups as defined in the Gazette Notification of DPIIT. The individual cases would be limited to a minimum of either Rs. 10 crores per case or the actual outstanding credit amount.
• The scheme will be operated by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company Limited (NCGTC).
•  A dedicated credit guarantee scheme for recognized startups will address the issue of the unavailability of collateral-free credit facilities. It will ensure financial assistance to innovative startups. 
• Moreover, it reiterates Government’s focus on promoting innovation and fostering entrepreneurship for strengthening the Indian startup ecosystem. 
• The credit guarantee cover under the Scheme is either transaction-based or umbrella based.
• TRANSACTION BASED:
  • The Member Institutions would obtain the guarantee cover on an individual borrower basis. 
  • It will promote lending by NBFCs/Banks to eligible startups. 
  • The extent of transaction-based cover is 80% of the default for the maximum limit of the original loan of 3 crores, 75% of the amount in default if the limit is between Rs. 3 crores and Rs. 5 crores, and 65% of the amount in default, when the original sanction amount is between Rs. 5 crores and Rs. 10 crores.
• UMBRELLA BASED:
  • This cover will provide a guarantee to Venture Debt Funds registered under AIF regulations of SEBI.
  • The extent of umbrella-based cover will be a minimum of the actual losses or up to a maximum of 5% of Pooled Investment (subject to a maximum limit of Rs.10 crore per borrower).
• The scheme will complement the existing schemes under the Startup India initiative like the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme and Fund of Funds for Startups.
• The scheme will also act as a key enabler and risk mitigation measure for lending institutions.

For more information on Startup India, read here: Startup India Scheme

2. Cheetah Task Force

Syllabus: GS 3, Environment.

Prelims: Cheetah Task Force.

Mains: Environment and Biodiversity conservation.

Context: The cheetah task force was constituted by MoEFCC.

Details:

• The Cheetah Task Force has been constituted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to monitor the Cheetah re-introduction programme in Kuno National Park, Madhya Pradesh.
• The tenure of the task force is two years.
• The purposes of the task force are to:
  • Review, monitor, and advice on the health, behavior, and upkeep of Cheetahs, and protect the area.
  • Monitor the adaptation and hunting skills of Cheetahs in the Kuno National Park.
  • Monitor their release from Quarantine bomas to soft-release enclosures and eventually to grassland and open forest areas.
  • Suggest regulation in regard to opening their habitat for eco-tourism. Advice should also be provided for tourism infrastructure development in the fringe areas of the National Park.
  • Regular interactions with local communities and Cheetah Mitras for increasing awareness raising and participation in the protection of Cheetahs.

• The members of the task force include:
  • Principal Secretary (Forests), Madhya Pradesh
  • Principal Secretary (Tourism), Madhya Pradesh
  • Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Head of Forest Force, Madhya Pradesh
  • Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh
  • Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) & Chief Wildlife Warden, Madhya Pradesh
  • Inspector General of National Tiger Conservation Authority, New Delhi
  • Scientist, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun
  • Member MP State Board of Wildlife, Bhopal
  • Additional Principal Chief Conservator Forest Wildlife – Member Convener

Cheetah Restoration:

• It is a model or prototype for the restoration of original cheetah habitats and their biodiversity.  
• It will also address the degradation and rapid loss of biodiversity. The cascading effects on the biodiversity and ecosystem can be observed by bringing back a top predator that was extinct in India. 
• It is important to note that the cheetah has been the evolutionary natural selection force that has shaped the adaptation of Indian antelopes, gazelles, etc. 

For more information on Cheetah re-introduction, read here: Re-introduction of Cheetah In India

3. U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership Ministerial Joint Statement

Syllabus: GS 2, International Relations

Prelims: Strategic Clean Energy Partnership.

Mains: U.S.-India Bilateral agreements on clean energy.

Context: Ministerial meeting of the U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP).

Details:

• The meeting highlighted that the bilateral clean energy engagement is crucial to strengthen energy security and accelerate clean, and secure energy transition. 
• India and the United States share a common vision to deploy clean and sustainable energy to reduce emissions and achieve climate goals.
• Both countries are proactively addressing the multiple challenges faced by the world through the U.S.-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership.
• Agencies from U.S. and India demonstrated accomplishments across five technical pillars of cooperation: 
  • Power & Energy Efficiency
  • Renewable Energy
  • Responsible Oil & Gas
  • Sustainable Growth
  • Emerging Fuels and Technologies
• Enhanced bilateral efforts incorporate: 
  • Strengthening the power grid to ensure affordable, reliable, and resilient energy supply including smart grids and energy storage.
  • Assessment of grid-integrated electric vehicles, buildings, and other distributed energy resources to support load management.
  • Advancing renewable energy development and deployment.
  • Advancing energy efficiency and conservation in buildings and the industrial sector.
  • Electrifying and decarbonizing the transportation sector.
  • Reducing emissions across the oil and gas value chain including efforts at deploying methane detection and abatement technologies.
  • Decarbonizing the industrial sector through carbon capture and storage, electrification, and deployment of clean emerging energy technologies.
  • Deepening cooperation between the Indian and U.S. Department of Energy on energy data management, modeling, and low carbon technologies.
• The private sector participation was also reiterated in the field of investment, policy decisions, and technology deployment. The launch of a new Energy Storage Task Force to support large-scale integration of renewable energy was also announced in this regard.
• Memorandum of Understanding to deploy methane abatement technologies in India’s city gas distribution sector under the Low Emissions Gas Task Force was also welcomed in the meeting. Its purpose is to reduce emissions in the oil and gas sector.
• Moreover, India and the United States discussed progress on emerging fuels and technologies, electrification, and decarbonization under the India-U.S. Partnership to Advance Clean Energy-Research (PACE-R). 

For more information on India-U.S. energy relations read here: India – United States Relations

October 7th, 2022, PIB:- Download PDF Here

Read the previous PIB articles here.