CONTENTS
- VAN DHAN VIKAS YOJANA
- EMPLOYEES’ PROVIDENT FUND ORGANIZATION (EPFO)
VAN DHAN VIKAS YOJANA
Focus: GS II- Government policies and intervention, Prelims
Why in news?
Van Dhan Vikas Kendras playing a pivotal role in turning around the Rural tribal forest economy
About Van Dhan Vikas Yojana:
Nodal: Ministry of Tribal affairs
- TRIFED is the implementation agency of the Van Dhan programme
- The program addresses the formidable problems that the Tribals face such as possession of land/house with no rights; restrictions in the collection of minor forest produce; exploitation by middlemen; displacement from national parks and wild sanctuaries, lack of development in forest villages etc.
- The Van Dhan Yojana or Van Dhan Scheme, a component of the The ‘Mechanism for Marketing of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) through Minimum Support Price (MSP) & Development of Value Chain for MFP’
- An initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribal gatherers and transforming them into entrepreneurs.
- The idea is to set-up tribal community-owned Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) in predominantly forested tribal districts.
- A Kendra shall constitute of 15 tribal SHGs, each comprising of up to 20 tribal NTFP (Non timber forest products) gatherers or artisans i.e. about 300 beneficiaries per Van Dhan Kendra.
- 100% Central Government Funded with TRIFED providing Rs. 15 lakhs for each 300 member Van Dhan Kendra.
TRIFED:
Nodal: Ministry of tribal affairs
- The Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India (TRIFED) came into existence in 1987.
- It is a national-level apex organization functioning under the administrative control of Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Objectives
- The ultimate objective of TRIFED is socio-economic development of tribal people in the country by way of marketing development of the tribal products.
- TRIFED acts as a facilitator and service provider for tribes to sell their product.
- The approach by TRIFED aims to empower tribal people with knowledge, tools and pool of information so that they can undertake their operations in a more systematic and scientific manner.
EMPLOYEES’ PROVIDENT FUND ORGANIZATION (EPFO)
Focus: GS III- Indian Economy
Why in news?
EPFO extended social security benefits to the subscribers of J&K and Ladakh.
About Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO)
Nodal: Ministry of Labour & Employment
- It is a government organization that manages provident fund and pension accounts of member employees and implements the Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952.
- The Employees’ Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 provides for the institution of provident funds for employees in factories and other establishments.
- It is one of the World’s largest Social Security Organisations in terms of clientele and the volume of financial transactions undertaken.
Employees Pension Scheme (EPS):
It is a social security scheme that was launched in 1995. It offers pension on disablement, widow pension, and pension for nominees.
The scheme, provided by EPFO, makes provisions for pensions for the employees in the organized sector after the retirement at the age of 58 years.
Main features:
- Employees who are members of EPF automatically become members of EPS.
- Both employer and employee contribute 12% of employee’s monthly salary (basic wages plus dearness allowance) to the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF) scheme.
- EPF scheme is mandatory for employees who draw a basic wage of Rs. 15,000 per month.
- Of the employer’s share of 12 %, 8.33 % is diverted towards the EPS.
- Central Govt. also contributes 1.16% of employees’ monthly salary.
- Maximum service for the calculation of service is 35 years.
- No pensioner can receive more than one EPF Pension.
