PIB – 04 August 2021

OPERATION GREENS

Focus: GS III- Agriculture

Why in News?

Government implemented ‘Operation Greens’ for integrated development of Tomato, Onion Potato (TOP) value chain since 2018-19.

• No report of black marketing of onions and tomato received so far.

About Operation Greens Scheme

Nodal: Ministry of Food Processing and Industry (MOFPI)

• The Operation Greens is a project approved by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI) with the target to stabilize the supply of tomato, onion and potato crops (TOP crops) in India, as well as to ensure their availability around the country, year-round without price volatility.
• The Operation Green TOP Scheme is a “Central Sector Scheme” under implementation of Ministry of Food Processing and Industry (MOFPI).

Objectives Of Operation TOP Green Scheme

• Price stabilization for producers and consumers;
• Reduction in post-harvest losses;
• Increase in food processing capacities and value addition in TOP value chain by creating firm linkages with production clusters. 
• The Setting up of a market intelligence network to collect and collate real time data on demand and supply and price of TOP crops.

Strategies for Operation Green Scheme

The scheme will have two-pronged strategy of Price stabilisation measures (for short term) and Integrated value chain development projects (for long term).

Short term Price Stabilisation Measures

• The NAFED will be the Nodal Agency to implement price stabilisation measures.
• The MoFPI will provide 50% of the subsidy on the following two components
• Transportation of Tomato Onion Potato(TOP) Crops from production to storage
• Hiring of appropriate storage facilities for TOP Crops.

Long Term Integrated value chain development projects

• Formation and Capacity Building of FPOs
• Quality Production
• Post-harvest processing facilities – At Farm Level
• Post-harvest processing facilities – At Main Processing Site
• Agri-Logistics
• Marketing/Consumption Points

E-DAAKHIL PORTAL

Focus: GS II-Polity and Governance

Why in News?

E-Daakhil portal for Consumer grievance redressal is now operational in 15 States/UTs. Department of Consumer Affairs is now proactively following up with the states to launch e-filing portal at their ends.

About E-Daakhil portal:

• It is launched by National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission.
• The e-daakhil portal empowers the consumer and their advocates to file consumer complaints online.
• It also facilitates to male payment of requisite fees online from anywhere in order to redress their complaints.
• The site of the e-Daakhil Portal was developed and is maintained by the National Information Centre (NIC) under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology.
• This portal has been developed under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.

National consumer dispute redressal commission:

Nodal: Ministry of consumer affairs and public distribution

• The Consumer Protection Act was passed in 1986 to protect the interests of the consumers.( quasi- judicial body)
• The objective of this law is to provide a simple, fast and inexpensive mechanism to the citizens to redress their grievances in specified cases.

The Act envisages a three-tier quasi-judicial machinery at the National, State and District levels:

i. National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission  known as “National Commission”;

ii. State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission known as “State Commission”;

iii. District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum – known as “District Forum”.

COLD CHAIN SCHEME

Focus: GS III- Agriculture

Why in News?

In order to minimize the post-harvest losses and enhance value addition in the agricultural produce, the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI) has been implementing the “ Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure” which a component of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sampada Yojna (PMKSY). 

About Cold Chain Scheme

Nodal: Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI)

• Aim:  Establishment of a strong cold chain facility for agricultural, horticultural, dairy, fish & marine, poultry & meat products by establishing linkage from farm gate to the consumer, end to end, to reduce losses through efficient storage, transportation and minimal processing.
• It covers creation of infrastructure facility along the entire supply chain viz. pre-cooling, weighing, sorting, grading, waxing facilities at farm level, multi product/ multi temperature cold storage, CA storage, packing facility, IQF, blast freezing in the distribution hub and reefer vans, mobile cooling units for facilitating distribution of horticulture, organic produce, marine, dairy, meat and poultry etc.
• The scheme allows flexibility in project planning with special emphasis on creation of cold chain infrastructure at farm level.
• The integrated cold chain project is set up by Partnership / Proprietorship Firms, Companies, Corporations, Cooperatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), NGOs, Central / State PSUs, etc. subject to fulfilment of eligibility conditions of scheme guidelines.
• The scheme is under implementation since 2008.

Project Components

 The different components of the Cold Chain projects are as under:

• Minimal Processing Centre at the farm level and centres is to have facility for weighing, sorting, grading waxing, packing, pre-cooling, Control Atmosphere (CA)/ Modified Atmosphere (MA) cold storage, normal storage and Individual Quick Freezing(IQF).
• Mobile pre-cooling vans and reefer trucks.
• Distribution hubs with multi products and multi Control Atmosphere (CA)/ Modified Atmosphere(MA) chambers/ cold storage/ Variable Humidity Chambers, Packing facility, Cleaning in Process (CIP) Fog treatment, Individual Quick Freezing (IQF) and blast freezing.
• Irradiation facility.

START-UP VILLAGE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAMME (SVEP)

Focus: GS-III Indian Economy

Why in News?

183 project proposals have been approved across 29 States/UTs under start-up village entrepreneurship programme (SVEP)

About Start Up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP)

Nodal: Ministry of Rural Development

• The Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Program is a sub component of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) of the Ministry of Rural Development, as a sub-scheme since 2016.
• With an objective to support the rural poor come out of poverty, supporting them setup enterprises and provide support till the enterprises stabilize, SVEP focusses on providing self-employment opportunities with financial assistance and training in business management and soft skills while creating local community cadres for promotion of enterprises.
• SVEP promotes both individual and group enterprises, set-up and promote enterprises majorly on manufacturing, trading and service sectors.
• Any Rural poor who is willing to be entrepreneurial and self-reliant is eligible to be part of this programme.
• Highly vulnerable beneficiaries under MGNREGA, marginalized sections, women, SC and ST communities and rural artisans will be given specific preference in selection, as part of this programme.

More about SVEP

• SVEP addresses three major pillars of rural start-ups namely – finances, incubation and skill ecosystems.
• Activities under SVEP are strategically designed to promote rural enterprises, one of the key areas is to develop pool of community resource persons – enterprise promotion (CRP-EP) who are local and support entrepreneurs setting-up rural enterprises.
• Another key area is to promote the block resource centre (BRC) in SVEP blocks, to monitor and manage the community resource persons, appraise SVEP loan application and acts as the repository of enterprise related information in the concern block.
• BRCs play the role to support sustainable revenue model to operate effectively and independently.

Objectives

• To enable rural poor to set up their enterprises, in its proof of concept phase, by developing a sustainable model for Village Entrepreneurship promotion through integrated ICT techniques and tools for training and capacity building, enterprise advisory services and to provide loans from banks/SHG & federations.
• Develop local resources by training a pool of village level community cadre (CRP EP) and build the capacity of the NRLM and SHG federations to monitor and direct the work of the CRP-EPs.
• Help the rural entrepreneurs to access finance for starting their enterprises from the NRLM SHG and federations, the banking systems including the proposed MUDRA bank.
• Handhold the rural entrepreneurs/ enterprises in the initial six months of start-up, with visits from the CRP-EP’s supported by guidance from an advisory panel of experts for the relevant enterprise.

RASHTRIYA VAYOSHRI YOJANA

Focus: GS II- Social Justice

Why in News?

The Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment has launched the Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) scheme on 01.04.2017 for providing physical aids and assisted-living devices for senior citizens belonging to BPL category and also to the senior citizens with monthly income not more than Rs. 15000/-.

About Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY)

Nodal: Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment.

• The RVY was launched in 2017 at Nellore, Andhra Pradesh. 
• Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana (RVY) is a scheme for providing Physical Aids and Assisted-living Devices for Senior citizens belonging to BPL category.
• This is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the Central Government.
• The expenditure for implementation of the scheme will be met from the “Senior Citizens’ Welfare Fund”.
• The Scheme will be implemented through the sole implementing agency – Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation (ALIMCO), a PSU under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
• Under the scheme, the physical aids will be provided only to the senior citizens of the nation.
• This implies those who are aged above 60 years will get free assisted living aids and physical devices which are required for their sustainability.
• Also the government has selected the list of cities where the scheme will be implemented.
• Beneficiaries in each district will be identified by the State Governments/UT Administrations through a Committee chaired by the Deputy Commissioner/District Collector.
• As far as possible, 30% of the beneficiaries in each district shall be women.

The following aids & assisted devices are provided under the scheme:

• (i) Generic Items:

(1) Walking sticks (2) Elbow crutches (3) Walkers/Crutches, (4) Tripods/Quadpods (5) Hearing Aids (6) Artificial Dentures, and (7) Spectacles.

• (ii) Special Items:

(1) Wheelchairs, (2) Wheel Chairs with Commode, (3) Chair/Stool with Commode, (4) Silicon Foam Cushion, (5) Knee Brace, (6) Spinal Support, (7) Cervical Collar, (8) Lumbosacral Belt (LS), (9) Walker/Roalator with Brakes, (10) Walking Stick with Seat, (11) Foot Care Kit:- (i) Flexi Gel Socks, (ii) Socks Cusion Sandal, (iii) Silicon Insole (Complete Foot/Ankle) and (iv) Insole with Pressure Point Relief.

About Significance of RVY Scheme

• According to Census 2011, there are 10.38 crores of senior citizens.
• And of these, more than 70% of them live in rural areas.
• Therefore, it is essential to take special care towards them through these camps organized under Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana.