Contents
- National Agriculture Market portal e-NAM to Complete four Years
- IUSSTF boosts Indo-US virtual networks to address COVID 19 challenges
NATIONAL AGRICULTURE MARKET PORTAL E-NAM TO COMPLETE FOUR YEARS
Focus: GS-III Indian Economy, Agriculture
Why in news?
The pan-India Agriculture trading portal e-NAM will be completing four years of implementation on 14th April 2020.
e-NAM
- e-NAM was an innovative initiative in agricultural marketing to enhance farmers accessibility digitally to multiple number of markets & buyers and to bring transparency in trade transactions with the intent to improve price discovery mechanism, quality commensurate price realization and also to develop the concept of One Nation One Market for agriculture produce.
- Keeping in view the need of making marketing of commodities easier for farmers, e-NAM was envisioned and launched by Prime Minster in 21 mandis on 14th April, 2016 which has now reached 585 mandis across 16 States and 02 UTs.
- e-NAM is being expanded to cover additional 415 mandis which will take the total number of e-NAM mandis to 1000 soon. This online platform will prove to be a giant leap in reforming the agriculture market in India.
- We have more than 1.66 crore farmers and 1.28 Lakh traders registered on e-NAM platform. Farmers are free to register on e-NAM portal and they are uploading their produce for sale online to the traders across all e-NAM mandis and traders can bid for the lots available for sale on e-NAM from any location.
Benefits of e-NAM
- e-NAM would help traders to find and arrange timely movement of produces from mandi to various other locations.
- With this interface, Traders would be able to access more than 7.76 lakh trucks through eNAM Platform.
- This intervention brings immense benefits to our farmers in augmenting their incomes by enabling them to realize competitive & remunerative prices in a transparent manner without incurring additional costs.
- Quality assaying testing facilities is being provided in e-NAM mandis which helps famers in getting prices commensurate with quality of their produce.
- Electronic weighing scales have been provided to accurately weigh the commodities of farmers after bidding on e-NAM platform to bring transparency in weighing, Payment to farmers by traders now can be done through mobile phone using BHIM payment facility.
IUSSTF BOOSTS INDO-US VIRTUAL NETWORKS TO ADDRESS COVID 19 CHALLENGES
Focus: GS-II International Relations, Science and Technology
Why in news?
- The Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF), has invited Proposals for ‘COVID-19 Indo-U.S. Virtual Networks’ that would allow Indian and U.S. scientists and engineers currently engaged in COVID-related research to carry out joint research activities through a virtual mechanism, leveraging existing infrastructure and funding.
- Proposals that convincingly demonstrate the benefits and value of the Indo-U.S. partnership to advance research and address critical challenges related to COVID-19 are encouraged.
Why is it needed?
- Global challenges like COVID 19 call for global collaborations and partnerships, bringing together the best and brightest scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to work together to find solutions not only to address the current pandemic but also for the challenges that lie ahead.
- The IUSSFT is booting such collaborations for this specific purpose in keeping with their core mandate to catalyze collaborative initiatives across both countries.
- Doing science in the time of COVID-19 is globally bringing to the fore such elements as effective communication, need- recognition, collaboration, speed, translational & tech aspects, transparency, accountability, societal benefits, and a general zeal for problem solving.
- Effective solutions that emerge are likely to be transnational. IUSSTF has had a history of developing relevant technologies through strong collaborations and is thus a good platform for the activity being launched
What is Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF)?
- The IUSSTF established under an agreement between the Governments of India and the United States of America in March 2000 is an autonomous bilateral organization jointly funded by both the Governments that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Innovation through substantive interaction among government, academia, and industry.
- The Department of Science and Technology, Governments of India, and the U.S. Department of State are respective nodal departments.
Conclusion
- As the world battles the COVID-19 pandemic, it is imperative that the S&T communities work together and share resources to address this global challenge.
- Science, Engineering, and Technology will play a critical role in finding solutions through the development of new vaccines, devices, diagnostic tools, and information systems, as well as strategies to help communities and nations manage and deploy resources to combat this pandemic.
- Collaboration across nations and organizations can leverage and share expertise across S&T communities and facilitate the development of a diverse, globally-engaged science, engineering, and technology-abled workforce, which can proactively work towards solutions for the Pandemic.
