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NCDC’s Sahakar Pragya - Initiative for Development of Cooperative Sector



The 45 new training modules of Sahakar Pragya of the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) will impart training to primary cooperative societies in rural areas of the country along with Laxmanrao Inamdar National Cooperative Research and Development Academy (Linac). 

What is the Sahakar Pragya Initiative?

Sahakar Pragya initiative mainly aims at strengthening the cooperative sector of our country by imparting knowledge and skills to the rural population of India. 

Given below are a few major objectives of this initiative:

  • 45 new training modules of Sahakar Pragya of NCDC will be training the cooperative societies in rural India
  • Farmers will be trained by the primary cooperatives to educate them about minimizing the risk in agricultural activities
  • It will also boost the cooperative sector to act as a shield between the farmers and the unscrupulous traders
  • Enhancement of NCDC’s training capacity through a network of 18 Regional Training Centres across the country will also be established

Objective of Sahakar Pragya

The training modules under Sahakar Pragya Initiative aim at imparting knowledge as well as organizational skills. They also attempt to prepare the primary cooperative societies all over the country to be able to play a major role in the government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

This programme is in terms with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan and aims to educate and impart knowledge to the poor farmers of the country and make them self-aware and independent. 

The table given below gives the basic details about the Sahakar Pragya initiative which a competitive exam aspirant must be aware of:

Sahakar Pragya
AimDevelopment of Cooperative Sector in India
Ministry governing the InitiativeMinistry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
Launch DateNovember 24, 2020
Union Minister for Agriculture (as in 2020)Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar
Other Organisations Involved
  • National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)
  • Laxmanrao Inamdar National Cooperative Research and Development Academy (Linac)

Significance of Sahakar Pragya

India has a huge network of over 8.5 lakh cooperative societies with around 290 million members. The cooperative sector has been successful in lending help to the farmers in various ways. This can also be said as almost 94% of India farmers are a part of one or the other cooperative society. 

Cooperatives lend strength to the farmers in minimizing risks in agriculture as well as allied sectors and also act as a shield against exploitation by traders. Cooperatives play a major role in Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Thus, boosting the cooperative sector to make the rural population of the country aware and reduce risk factors, Sahakar Pragya is of great significance.

Other Sahakar Initiatives by NCDC

Sahakar Pragya is not the only initiative that has been taken up by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), there are a few other programmes and initiatives which were launched.

Discussed below are the same in brief:

  • Sahakar-22
    • Aims to provide new employment opportunities for farmers through cooperatives
    • Another objective of this initiative is to develop cooperatives in the focus 222 districts and other aspirational districts
  • Sahakar Mitra
    • It is a Summer Internship Programme (SIP)
    • Students and young professionals to be hired as interns to gain work experience and give them opportunities to deliver innovative solutions for the cooperative sector
    • Visit the Sahakar Mitra Scheme page to learn more about this NCDC initiative
  • Yuva Sahakar
    • It aims to attract aspirational youths and their youth-friendly schemes for the development of the cooperative sector
  • Ayushman Sahakar
    • Aims to assist cooperatives in the creation of healthcare infrastructure in the country
    • Under this scheme, the establishment, development, expansion, renovation, etc. of hospital and healthcare infrastructure to be covered

About National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC)

  • It was established by an Act of Parliament in 1963 as a statutory Corporation under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare
  • Its main function is planning, promoting, and financing the production, processing, and marketing of different agricultural activities through cooperatives
  • It is also responsible to assist different types of cooperatives and their financial bases

About Laxmanrao Inamdar National Cooperative Research and Development Academy (Linac)

  • Laxmanrao Inamdar National Academy for Cooperative Research and Development (LINAC) is NCDC’s own training institution which was set up in 1985
  • Ever since LINAC was set up, it has trained more than 30,000 people from cooperative societies. Its main aim is Entrepreneurship and Business Development in Cooperative Sector
  • The Academy endeavors to develop its programmes and interventions with a strong client-orientation and inter-disciplinary perspective to strengthen institutional capabilities and human resources in cooperatives

The 45 dedicated training modules will equip the cooperative societies in running their affairs in absolute professional business terms of the market economy.

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Samarth Scheme

The Ministry of Textile is implementing Samarth Scheme, a flagship Scheme for Capacity Building in the Textiles Sector (SCBTS). It aims to train 10 lakh persons between 2017-2020. Recently, it is in the news as due to the COVID-19 led nationwide lockdown, the scheme was halted in various states. The Samarth Scheme intends to provide skill development and placement oriented training across the entire textiles value chain, excluding spinning and weaving in the organised sector.

Quick Facts about Samarth Scheme 

Full NameScheme for capacity building in the textile sector (SCBTS)
When was it launched?Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved it in 2017

Official Site: https://samarth-textiles.gov.in/about_us

Concerned MinistryMinistry of Textiles
Target SectorOrganized and Traditional Sector
Objective of Samarth SchemeTrain 10 lakh persons in the entire value chain of textiles excluding spinning and weaving in the organized sector:

  • 9 Lakh persons in Organized Sector
  • 1 Lakh persons in the traditional sector

Objectives of the Samarth Scheme

  1. It will provide National Skills Framework Qualification (NSFQ) compliant skilling programmes to over 10 lakh persons.
  2. The skilling programmes offered under Samarth Scheme aim to incentivize and supplement the efforts of the Textile industry.
  3. The scheme aims to create more jobs in the textile and related sectors that will cover the entire value chain of the textile but will exclude spinning and weaving.
  4. Traditional sectors of handlooms, handicrafts, sericulture and jute will be upgraded through skilling and skill upgradation.
  5. Through skill upgradation of lakhs of persons, it aims to induce self-employment capabilities among youth and others.
  6. It aims to promote sustainable livelihood to all sections of society.

Salient Features of Samarth Scheme

  1. Training of Trainers (ToT) – That will provide enhanced facilitation skills to the master trainers.
  2. Aadhar Enabled Biometric Attendance System (AEBAS) – That will ensure the credibility of the trainers and the beneficiaries.
  3. CCTV recording of training programmes – To avoid major conflicts in the functioning of the scheme, training institutes will be fixed with CCTVs.
  4. Dedicated call centre with helpline number –
  5. Mobile app-based Management Information System (MIS)
  6. On-line monitoring of training processes

The central government has approved the scheme with a total outlay of Rs.1300 crores.

Brief Overview of Indian Textile Sector

  1. Around 14 percent of industrial production comes from the textile industry.
  2. Indian textile industry contributes around 4 percent in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
  3. It contributes 17 percent to its export earnings.
  4. Over 3.5 crores people are employed in the Indian textile industry — second largest after agriculture.

Government Initiatives to Promote Textile Industry

  1. To boost start-ups and innovative ideas in the textile sector, the Indian government plans to establish a venture capital fund (Rs. 100 crores).
  2. Another major initiative to promote the textile sector is allowance of 100 percent FDI through automatic route.
  3. Integrated Processing Development Scheme (IPDS) was launched during the 12th Five Year Plan to create brownfield and greenfield projects with modern facilities to benefit the textile clusters.
  4. Government launched the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) to boost investments in textile and related sectors in 1999.
  5. Scheme for Integrated Textile Parks (SITP) was launched in 2005 to attract investments in the textile sector.
  6. To boost the power loom sector, the government launched the PowerTex India Scheme in 2017.
  7. To increase the productivity of the domestic silk, the Silk Samagra Scheme has been launched.
  8. In 2015, the government launched Jute-I CARE for jute cultivators.

For more government schemes, check the linked article.

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SVAMITVA Scheme

About the SVAMITVA Scheme

  • The full form of SVAMITVA is Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas
  • In each state, the Revenue Department / Land Records Department, along with the State Panchayati Raj Department and the Nodal Ministry will work to carry out the objectives of the scheme
  • The main aim of the scheme is to provide an integrated property validation solution for rural India 
  • SVAMITVA Property cards will be provided to the landowners by the Government authorities, under this scheme
  • Drone Surveying technology and Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) will be used for demarcation of rural abadi areas
  • This will help owners possess their houses in the inhabited areas and use them as an asset for loans or other financial requirements
  • The mapping of areas using drones will done gradually is all the villages for a period of 4 years, starting from 2020, and ending in 2024
  • Presently, the scheme is only applicable for 6 states: Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand
  • The scheme is funded by the Central Government of the country and Rs 79.65 crores have been allotted for the pilot phase of the project

What is the SVAMITVA card?

Under the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas scheme, SVAMITVA property cards will be generated for each landowner. 

This will help them present an official document to the financial institutions in case of using their land/property as an asset in the future. 

Candidates willing to know more about the Panchayati Raj System in India can visit the linked article. 

Objectives of SVAMITVA Scheme

Given below are the main objectives of the SVAMITVA Yojana:

  • This will bring abut financial stability among the people living in rural areas as the land/property can be used as an asset to get a loan or enjoy any other financial benefit
  • Because of lack of knowledge, the land division and records are not well maintained and noted. Through this scheme, the Government intends to create accurate land records for rural planning
  • It will help in the determination of property tax, which would accrue to the GPs directly in States where it is devolved or else, add to the State exchequer
  • For the use of various Government departments, proper survey infrastructure and GIS maps shall be leveraged
  • This will also improve and support the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP) by making use of GIS maps
  • A lot of legal and property-related disputes are still pending in the rural areas. This project will also help resolve these issues

To know the Difference Between Gram Sabha and Gram Panchayat, candidates can visit the linked article.

Need for the SVAMITVA Scheme

The Government is constantly working for the development of the rural Indian population and the Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas (SVAMITVA) yojana is also an initiative for the same. 

  • Once the pilot project is a success, over 6 lakhs rural people will be able to benefit through this scheme
  • The ‘record of rights’ would be provided through the land/property registrations done through this scheme
  • This would facilitate monetisation of rural residential assets for credit and other financial services

Benefits of SVAMITVA Scheme

  • Official documents for the property will be provided to the rural people so that they can use it for further financial purposes
  • Through regular inspections, and survey via drones will give the Government and the authorities a clearer idea of the land/property distribution
  • A clarity on property rights will be attained through this project
  • No illegal attempt to grab someone else’s property in the village will be practised once stricter rules and documents are provided
  • The SVAMITVA Property card can also be used as a temporary identity for the land-owners.
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Solar Charkha Mission

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The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) launched the Solar Charkha Mission on 27th June 2018 on the occasion of United Nations MSME Day. The government recently has released information about this enterprise-driven mission. Among various other government schemes, Solar Charkha Scheme too can be asked in the IAS Exam. Read the relevant facts about the mission in this article.

Overview of Mission Solar Charkha

When was it launched?27th June 2018
The mission is under which government ministry?Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME)
Aim of the missionEmployment generation for nearly one lakh people through solar charkha clusters in rural areas
An outlay of the missionRs. 550 Crores
Official Websitehttps://www.kviconline.gov.in/msc/

 

Background of Solar Charkha Mission

  1. In 2016, a pilot project of mission solar charkha was run in Khanwa village of Bihar’s Nawada district.
  2. After the success of the mission solar charkha pilot project, It was officially introduced in 2018 on United Nations MSME Day.

Salient Points of Solar Charkha Mission

  1. Establishment of Solar Charkha Clusters:
    • It is a focal village along with surrounding villages (within the radius of 8-10 kms.)
    • It will have 200-2042 beneficiaries.
    • Spinners, weavers, stitches and other skilled artisans are the beneficiaries of mission solar charkha (MSC.)
  2. The components of solar charkha:
    • Each beneficiary will get two solar charkhas of 10 spindles each.
    • One cluster is to have 1000 solar charkhas.
    • 2042 artisans will get direct employment in a cluster that will work with full capacity.
  3. The government has set an outlay of Rs.550 crores for 50 clusters between 2018-2020.
  4. One lakh artisans with a focus on women and youth will be directly employed in 50 clusters under the solar charkha scheme.
  5. One cluster will attract a maximum subsidy of Rs. 9.60 crores.

Objectives of Solar Charkha Mission

  1. Inclusive growth – The mission solar charkha aims to enhance inclusivity by employing women, youngsters in this mission.
  2. Sustainable Development – The use of solar charkhas in the scheme aims to promote sustainable development in rural areas.
  3. Rural Economic Development – The group of villages are going to act as clusters and hence, through employment generation, the mission aims to boost the rural economy.
  4. Arresting Migration – The mission aims to contain the migration from villages to cities. As a fact, according to census 2011, 37 percent of Indians are internal migrants.
  5. Promote low-cost and innovative technologies.

Financial Assistance to the Solar Charkha Scheme

There are three types of project interventions:

  1. Capital subsidy for individual and for Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV)
  2. Interest Subvention for Working Capital
  3. Capacity Building.

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National Digital Health Mission

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the National Digital Health Mission on 15th August 2020. The mission aims to create an integrated healthcare system linking practitioners with the patients digitally by giving them access to real-time health records. This will promote prompt and structured healthcare across the country.

Important Facts about the National Digital Health Mission

Launch Date15th August 2020 – 74th Independence Day
Comes under which MinistryIt is implemented by the National Health Authority (NHA) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
ObjectiveTo create a national digital health ecosystem that supports universal health coverage
Official Websitehttps://ndhm.gov.in/

Background of National Digital Health Mission

  1. National Health Policy 2017 envisions:
    • Highest level of health and wellbeing for all at all ages
    • Preventive and promotive health care orientation in all development policies
    • Universal healthcare access
  2. MoH&FM set up a committee under J.Satyanarayana to develop an implementation framework for the National Health Stack
  3. The Satyanarayana committee recommended drafting a National Digital Health Blueprint to lay down the building blocks and action plan for a digital health mission.
  4. National Digital Mission Blueprint recommended the establishment of an entity called National Digital Health Mission to provide for a digital healthcare ecosystem for healthcare services across the country.

National Health Authority that is the apex authority to implement the National Digital Health Mission is also the implementing authority of Ayushman Bharat.

Objectives of National Digital Health Mission

  1. Establishment of Digital Health Systems
    • Core digital health data managed by these systems
    • To manage the Infrastructure requirements for seamless exchange of services.
  2. Creation of Registries
    • It will have all credible data of clinical establishments, healthcare professionals, health workers, drugs and pharmacies
  3. Enforcement of adoption of open standards by all national digital health stakeholders
  4. Establishment of Standardized personal health records
    • It will take inspiration from international standards
    • Based on an individual’s informed consent, the records can be easily shared between individuals and healthcare professionals and services providers.
  5. Enterprise-class health application systems
  6. Adoption of cooperative federalism while coordinating with states and union territories.
  7. Promotion of private players’ participation along with the public health authorities
  8. Making healthcare services portable nationally.
  9. Promotion of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) Systems by healthcare professionals.
  10. Digitally manage:
    • Identifying people, doctors, and health facilities,
    • Facilitating electronic signatures
    • Ensuring non-repudiable contracts
    • Making paperless payments
    • Securely storing digital records, and
    • Contacting people

The National Digital Health Mission is set to be built alongside the existing public digital infrastructure like PM Jan-Dhan Yojana.

Components of National Digital Health Mission

There are four components:

  1. National Health Electronic Registries
  2. A Federated Personal Health Records (PHR) Framework – It will fight twin challenges of:
    • Access to healthcare reports/data by the patients and the healthcare provider for treatment
    • Making the data available for medical research
  3. A National Health Analytics Platform
  4. Other Horizontal Components like:
    • Unique Digital Health ID,
    • Health Data Dictionaries
    • Supply Chain Management for Drugs,
    • Payment gateways

Salient Features of National Digital Health Mission

  1. The institutional framework of the mission runs at different levels starting from the apex level, followed by the board of directors, CEO and operations.
  2. It is an IT-enabled healthcare infrastructure system
  3. Health ID – It will be a repository of all the health-related information. Every participating stakeholder including healthcare providers and Indian citizens will be part of this health ID system on a voluntary basis. A unique health ID will be created by every citizen interested to access the benefits of this mission.
  4. Health data consent managers will be linked with unique health IDs of the patients; who will aid the seamless exchange of the health records between the patient and the doctors.
  5. The healthcare services will be provided through a mobile app or through an official website.
  6. Digi Doctor – He/she will be the one who will be responsible for providing healthcare services across the country. An interested healthcare professional can act as a digital doctor to provide prescriptions to patients sitting in a different location altogether. He/she will be assigned free digital signatures which can be used to prescribe medicines.

What are the expected outcomes of NDHM?

As per the MoH&FW; the effective and efficient implementation of the mission can bring the following outcomes:

  1. Citizens can access their health records within 5 clicks.
  2. Unlike going for diagnostic tests multiple times with each visit to doctors, through this mission a citizen will have to undergo a diagnostic test only once and can follow up treatments from different healthcare providers.
  3. All healthcare services are provided at a single point.
  4. Continuum of care is assured at primary, secondary and tertiary care.

Challenges to the National Digital Health Mission

  1. Data misuse – It is a challenge to secure the health data of the citizens along with other personal information to avoid a breach of the right to privacy.
  2. Leakages from health repositories – Technological advancement and high security to avoid any leakage of the data.
  3. Profiteering
  4. Foreign surveillance

Conclusion

The National Digital Health Mission (NDHM) encompasses:

  • Health and Well-being for all
  • Health and Well-being at all ages
  • Universal Health Coverage
  • Citizen-centric Services
  • Quality of Care
  • Accountability for Performance
  • Efficiency and Effectiveness in the delivery of services
  • Creation of a holistic and comprehensive health eco-system
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