General Studies- III
Topic– Food processing and related industries in India- scope and significance, location, upstream and downstream requirements, supply chain management.
Prime Minister Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme (PMFME)
Context:
Recently, the MoFPI has launched MIS portal for submission of applications from individual micro food processing enterprises.
What is the PMFME?
- Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector.
- It is launched by Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI) under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.
Fund and tenure:
- The scheme to be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with a total outlay of Rupees 10,000 crore.
- The expenditure will be shared by GOI and the States in ratio of 60:40.
Focus of the scheme:
The scheme has a special focus on supporting Groups engaged in Agri-food processing such as Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Producers Cooperatives along their entire value chain.
The PMFME scheme support in terms of:
- Food processing entrepreneurs through credit-linked capital subsidy @35% of the eligible project cost with a maximum ceiling of Rs.10 lakh per unit.
- Seed capital @ Rs. 40,000/- per SHG member for working capital and purchase of small tools.
- Credit linked grant of 35% for capital investment to FPOs/ SHGs/ producer cooperatives.
- Support for marketing & branding to micro-units.
- Support for common infrastructure and handholding support to SHGs, FPOs and Producer Cooperatives.
- Providing Capacity building and training support to increase the capabilities of the enterprises and upgradation of skills of workers.
Need for:
The unorganised food processing sector faces a number of challenges which limit their performance and their growth.
- The unorganized food processing sector comprising nearly 25 lakh units contributes to 74% of employment in the food processing sector.
- Nearly 66% of these units are located in rural areas and about 80% of them are family-based enterprises supporting livelihood of rural households and minimizing their migration to urban areas.
- These units largely fall within the category of micro enterprises.
General Studies- II
Topic– Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.
National Digital Health Mission
Context:
NDHM on pilot basis was launched in the Union Territories of Chandigarh, Ladakh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep.
About NDHM:
The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) was announced on 15th August 2020 by the Prime Minister.
- It aims to develop the backbone necessary to support the integrated digital health infrastructure of the country.
- It will bridge the existing gap amongst different stakeholders of Healthcare ecosystem through digital highways.
Vision:
Its vision is to create a national digital health ecosystem that supports universal health coverage.
NDHM shall create a seamless online platform “through the provision of a wide-range of data, information and infrastructure services, duly leveraging open, interoperable, standards-based digital systems” while ensuring the security, confidentiality and privacy of health-related personal information.
Guiding principles:
- The NDHM has been designed, developed, deployed, operated and maintained by the Government following the guiding principles as laid out in National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB).
- NDHM will be rolled out in phases and four primary systems shall be launched in the first phase.
- At a later stage, there is also a plan to integrate telemedicine and e-pharmacies into this.
Key features of NDHM:
Health ID:
- Health ID is created by using basic details and mobile number or Aadhaar number and it will be unique to a person.
- Health ID can be obtained with the support of healthcare provider who is in the national health infrastructure registry or it can be obtained by self-registration from a mobile or a web application.
- Health ID will be used to uniquely identify persons, authenticate them, and threading their health records (only with the informed consent of the patient) across multiple systems and stakeholders.
Digi-Doctor:
- It is a comprehensive repository of all doctors practicing or teaching modern/ traditional systems of medicine.
- Enrolling on Digi-Doctor is completely voluntary and enables doctors to get connected to India’s digital health ecosystem.
Health Facility Registry (HFR):
- It is a comprehensive repository of health facilities of the country across different systems of medicine.
- It includes both public and private health facilities including hospitals, clinics, diagnostic laboratories and imaging centers, pharmacies, etc.
Personal Health Records (PHR):
- PHR is an electronic record of health-related information of an individual that conforms to nationally recognized interoperability standards and that can be drawn from multiple sources while being managed, shared, and controlled by the individual.
Electronic Medical Records:
- EMR is a digital version of a patient’s treatment history from a single facility.
- The health information recorded in a facility is stored locally at the facility where the patient was registered.
- The patient’s clinical information will be linked to their Health ID.
- The clinical information can further be shared with other healthcare facilities after the patient provides consent.
Benefits:
The implementation of NDHM is expected to significantly improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and transparency of health service delivery overall.
- Patients will be able to securely store and access their medical records (such as prescriptions, diagnostic reports and discharge summaries), and share them with health care providers to ensure appropriate treatment and follow-up.
- NDHM will empower individuals with accurate information to enable informed decision making and increase accountability of healthcare providers.
General Studies- III
Topic– Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, robotics, nano-technology, bio-technology and issues relating to intellectual property rights.
Mission Innovation
Context:
Recently, the Union Minister of Science & Technology addressed the Mission Innovation (MI) to mark the beginning of phase-2 of the mission or Mission Innovation 2.0.
What is the Mission Innovation (MI)?
Mission Innovation is a global initiative of 24 countries and EU launched during Paris Agreement at COP21 on November 30, 2015.
The program focuses on Clean Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) initiatives to accelerate clean energy innovations.
Guiding Principle:
- Commitment by all members to seek to double their clean energy innovation investments over five years in selected priority areas.
- Each member according to its own priorities, policies, processes, and laws independently determines the best use of its funding and defines its own Research & Development priorities and path to reach the doubling goal.
- In many cases, MI members prioritise parts of their whole energy innovation budget within their baseline.
Objectives:
- Enhance the public sector investment to a substantial level.
- Increased private sector engagement and investment.
- Increase international collaboration.
- Raising awareness of the transformational potential of innovation.
Innovation Challenges (IC):
There are 8 innovation challenges under the mission innovation:
- IC1 – smart grids,
- IC2 – Off-grid access to electricity,
- IC3 – Carbon capture,
- IC4 – Sustainable biofuels,
- IC5 – Converting sunlight,
- IC6 – Clean energy materials,
- IC7 – Affordable cooling and heating of buildings,
- IC8 – Renewable and clean hydrogen.
Mission Innovation 2.0:
Recently, the MI members agreed upon next steps on the road to Mission Innovation 2.0
To achieve the shared goal of accelerating innovation, all the members have agreed to develop a second phase (2.0).
This includes:
- An enhanced Innovation Platform building on current activities to strengthen the global clean energy innovation ecosystem and to accelerate learning.
- New public-private innovation alliances – Missions – built around ambitious and inspirational goals backed by voluntary commitments that can lead to tipping points in the cost, scale, availability, and attractiveness of clean energy solutions.
India and MI:
India is member of MI Steering Committee and Co-lead of Analysis and Joint Research Sub-Group along with Canada.
- India has set up Clean Energy International Incubation Center to provide support to start up for providing the most impactful clean energy solutions for the societal good.
- India is playing crucial role in MI Activities at global level by participating in eight Innovation Challenges and co leading three challenges (Smart Grids, Off-Grid access to Electricity and Sustainable Biofuels).
Indian Initiatives Aligned with the Mission
- Hence, India has emerged as a key mover of global S&T partnerships in critical areas.
- India has established the partnerships with the key countries and is playing a key role through knowledge generation and innovations in the areas of Biotechnology and allied disciplines including, energy, water, health, which are global challenges.
General Studies- I
Topic– Role of women and women’s organizations, Population and associated issues, Poverty and developmental issues, Urbanization, their problems and their remedies.
Policy for Rehabilitation of Sex Workers
Context:
Ministry of Women and Child Development implements the Ujjawala Scheme which is a comprehensive scheme for prevention of trafficking and rescue, rehabilitation and re-integration of victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
Ujjawala Scheme:
The Ujjawala scheme was launched by Ministry of Women and Child Development in 2007 to put an end to the trafficking of children and women.
The objective of the scheme is to prevent, rescue, rehabilitate, reintegrate, and repatriate victims trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation.
Objectives:
- Prevention of trafficking of children and women for commercial sexual exploitation by means of social mobilization and awareness generation programmes, the participation of local communities, generation of public debates, and opinions through seminars/workshops and other innovative activities.
- Facilitating the rescue of victims and placing them in safe custody.
- Provision of rehabilitation services to the victims through the provision of basic amenities and needs like food, clothing, shelter, medical help, legal aid, guidance, counseling as well as vocational training.
- For working towards reintegrating the victims into their family and the society at large.
- Facilitating cross-border victims to repatriate into their home country.
Target Group/Beneficiaries:
- Women and children who are vulnerable to trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
- Women and children who are victims of trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation.
Implementing Agencies:
The implementing agencies can be the Social Welfare/Women and Child Welfare Department of State Government, Women‟s Development Corporations, Women‟s Development Centres, Urban Local Bodies, reputed Public/Private Trust or Voluntary Organizations.
The components of scheme:
The Scheme shall have the following main components:-
- PREVENTION
- RESCUE
- REHABILITATION
- RE-INTEGRATION4
- REPATRIATION
Significance:
The problem of trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation is especially challenging due to its myriad complexities and variation.
- Poverty, low status of women, lack of a protective environment etc. are some of the causes for trafficking.
- The protective and rehabilitative homes provide basic amenities such as food, clothing, medical care, legal aid, education for rescued children and vocational training to provide them alternate livelihood options.
Chrome facts for Prelims
GRAM UJALA
GRAM UJALA programme has been launched in Bihar.
- Under the programme, 7 watt and 12-Watt LED bulbs with 3 years warranty will be given to rural consumers against submission of working Incandescent bulbs.
- The Gram Ujala programme will be implemented in villages of the 5 districts only and consumers can exchange a maximum of 5 LED bulbs.
- Under the GRAM UJALA programme, CESL will distribute high quality LED bulbs, at an affordable cost of 10 rupees per bulb in rural areas
- The GRAM UJALA programme will have a significant impact on India’s climate change action energy savings of 2025 million KWh/year and CO2 reductions of 1.65 million T CO2/year.
World Leprosy Day
In India, Anti Leprosy Day is observed on 30th January every year, i.e., Mahatma Gandhiji’s martyrdom day, as Gandhiji was deeply committed to the cause of leprosy.
Energy Swaraj Movement
In order to involve the public in the Energy Swaraj Movement from various parts of the world, the Energy Swaraj Yatra is envisaged.
- Energy Swaraj is a concept based on Gandhian ideologies to mitigate climate change and ensure energy sustainability.
- Climate change is an emergency that requires public efforts to mitigate it.
- For this yatra, the Foundation is designing a solar-powered electric vehicle, a solar bus, which will house solar training cum demonstration facilities.
- The yatra will be carried in a solar-powered bus will move from location to location.
- The Energy Swaraj Yatra began in year 2020 and will continue till 2030.
EXERCISE DUSTLIK-II
- The India – Uzbekistan joint military exercise “DUSTLIK II” culminated in Foreign Training Node Chaubatia, Ranikhet (Uttarakhand).
- This is the Second Edition of annual bilateral joint exercise of both armies.
- The first edition of the exercise was held at Uzbekistan in Nov 2019.
