Relevance IN - Prelims (about bharatemarket.in - aim and objective + about CAIT) + GS III ( Economic developments)
What's the NEWS

• Traders' body Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has announced to launch a national e-commerce marketplace 'bharatmarket' soon for all retail traders in collaboration with several technology partners.

• The marketplace will integrate capabilities of various technology companies to provide end-to-end services in the logistics and supply chains from manufacturers to end consumers, including deliveries at home.
• The e-commerce portal will include a nationwide participation by retailers and aims to bring 95 per cent of retail traders onboard the platform, who would exclusively run the portal.
• This seems to be an effective way to get essential commodities to consumers during the lockdown period and within containment zones.
• The traders body is looking to enrol about one crore retailers on this e-marketplace in 2020 and make it the world's largest and most-unique e-marketplace ever.

• The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) is an apex body of trading community of India comprising of prominent Trade Bodies of different States and having an access to more than 20 thousands such Trade Federations/ Associations/Chambers across the Country.
• CAIT came into existence in 1990 with an aim and objective of the development of trade and traders in the country and has brilliantly evolved the understanding and co-ordination amongst traders throughout the Country.
• The CAIT is the true representative body of more than 6 crore business establishments operating their activities in unorganized sector of the Country which is rather self organised and providing livelihood to more than 25 crore people of India.

• World Press Freedom Day is planned, organised and promoted by the United Nations, observed annually on May 3.
• The day is celebrated to raise awareness regarding the importance of freedom of the press.
• May 3 the World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom.
• It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.
• On May 3,UNESCO launched a global campaign on media and social media channels, with a focus on "Journalism without Fear or Favour" in an increasingly complex media landscape.
• The theme of World Press Freedom Day 2020, "Journalism without Fear or Favour"

Know! about Global Conference

• Since 1993, the Global Conference is organized annually. The conference provides an opportunity to journalists, civil society representatives, national authorities, academics and the broader public to discuss emerging challenges to press freedom and journalists' safety and to work together on identifying solutions.
• The Netherlands is the host for 2020. UNESCO planned to hold the conference from April 22 to 24 at the World Forum in The Hague. But due to Covid-19 a global pandemic the conference is now scheduled for October 18 to 20 at the same venue.
• The conference will be a joint celebration of World Press Freedom Day (May 3) and the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists ( November 2).

Know! more about World Press Freedom Day (Genesis)

• It was started by the UN General Assembly in December 1993 in accordance with recommendations by UNESCO's General Conference.

Declaration of Windhoek

• This particular date, 3 May, was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of the Declaration of Windhoek - the declaration of free press principles put together by newspaper journalists in Africa during a UNESCO seminar called Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Press, in Windhoek, Namibia, in 1991.

Connect the Dots (Current Capsules - April 2020)
India drops to rank 142 in 2020 World Press Freedom Index

• For the last decade, the annual World Press Freedom Index, produced annually by the campaign group Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans Frontières).
• The independent group surveys the state of the media in 180 countries and territories, and records parameters such as the number of journalists killed, imprisoned, put under pressure or assaulted, apart from more qualitative reports on the track record of different governments.
• The 2020 World Press Freedom Index was released in April, and revealed that India has dropped to rank 142, two points below its 2019 rank.

Government Schemes
One Nation, One Ration Card plan

Relevance IN - Prelims (about One Nation, One Ration Card Scheme) + Mains ( GS II Centre-State relations + Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
What's the NEWS

• Consumer Affairs Ministry has approved the integration of five more States and Union Territories with the National Cluster under the One Nation, One Ration Card plan.
• These States and UTs are Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
• Twelve states have already under One Nation, One Ration Card plan namely - Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and Tripura.

National Portability of ration card holders

• The implementation of National Portability of ration card holders is under progress
• With this (inclusion of 5 more states) the facility of national and inter-state portability will be available for nearly 60 Crore beneficiaries of 17 States and UTs.
• They will now lift their entitled quota of foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop of their choice, anywhere in these 17 States and UTs by using their existing ration card under One Nation, One Ration Card plan.

Know! about the 'one nation, one ration card' initiative

• Under the 'one nation, one ration card' initiative, eligible beneficiaries would be able to avail their entitled food grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) from any fair-price shop in the country.
• The scheme was announced in June last year.
• A standard format for ration card has been prepared after taking into account the format used by different states.
• For national portability, the states have also been told to have a 10-digit standard ration card number, wherein first two digits will be state code and the next two digits will be running ration card numbers.
• Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Jharkhand and Tripura are 12 states where ration card portability has been implemented.

Science & Technology
Kisan Sabha App

Relevance IN - Prelims (about Kisan Sabha App and about Kisan Rath Mobile app) + Mains ( GS III transport and marketing of agricultural produce and issues and related constraints; e-technology in the aid of farmers

What's the NEWS

• Kisan Sabha App developed by CSIR-Central Road Research Institute (CSIR-CRRI), New Delhi to connect farmers to supply chain and freight transportation management system was remotely launched

Kisan Sabha App (Objective and benefits)

• It aims to provide the most economical and timely logistics support to the farmers and increase their profit margins by minimizing interference of middlemen and directly connecting with the institutional buyers.
• The portal connects the farmers, transporters, Service providers (like pesticides/ fertilizer/ dealers, cold store and warehouse owner), mandi dealers, customers (like big retail outlets, online stores, institutional buyers) and other related entities for timely and effective solution.
• The portal acts as a single stop for every entity related to agriculture, be they a farmer who needs better price for the crops or mandi dealer who wants to connect to more farmers or truckers who invariably go empty from the mandis.
• Dealers of fertilizers/ pesticides, through this portal can reach out to more farmers for their services.
• It would also prove to be useful for those associated with cold store(s) or godown(s).
• KisanSabha also provides a platform for people who want to buy directly from the farmers.
• Kisan Sabha has 6 major modules taking care of Farmers/Mandi Dealers/Transporters/Mandi Board Members/ Service Providers/Consumers.
• It will also help in providing best market rates of crops by comparing nearest mandis, booking of freight vehicle at cheapest cost thereby giving maximum benefit to the farmers.

Connect the Dots
Kisan Rath Mobile App (18 April Current Capsules)

• The Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, launched a farmer friendly mobile application developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to facilitate farmers & traders in searching transport vehicles for Primary and Secondary transportation for movement of Agriculture & Horticulture produce

Know! more about the app

• This ‘Kisan Rath' App will greatly facilitate farmers, FPOs and Cooperatives in the country to have the choice to find a suitable transport facility to transfer their agriculture produce from farm gate to markets.
• The Mobile Application named "Kisan Rath" facilitates Farmers and Traders in identifying right mode of transportation for movement of farm produce ranging from foodgrain (cereal, coarse cereal, pulses etc), Fruits & Vegetables, oil seeds, spices, fiber crops, flowers, bamboo, log & minor forest produce, coconuts etc.
• This App also facilitates traders in transportation of perishable commodities by Reefer (Refrigerated) vehicles.
• "Kisan Rath" will ensure smooth and seamless supply linkages between farmers, warehouses, FPOs, APMC mandis and intra-State & inter-State buyers and help in reduction of food wastage by providing timely services. All these will contribute in better prices for perishable commodities.

Government Schemes
IDEAthon on ‘The Future of River Management'

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about IDEAthon - objective + about NMCG + NIUA) + Mains ( GS II Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation
What's the NEWS

• The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) organized an IDEAthon on "The future of River Management' to explore how the COVID-19 crisis can shape River Management strategies for the future.

Know! the objective of IDEAthon

• National Mission for Clean Ganga had initiated this IDEAthon to garner more attention towards river management and also highlight the interconnectivity of Cities with the River.
• The IDEAthon examined how the social angle of rivers can be leveraged on to address other crises.
• What lessons for river management has the pandemic taught us? And what response mechanisms are needed in the event of a river crisis?
• The IDEAthon sought to brainstorm the learnings from COVID-19 pandemic, the following lockdown and its impact on river management.
• The IDEAthon led to a very interactive discussion on various aspects of river management.
• NIUA is collaborating with NMCG in developing the urban river management plan.

Know! about Namami Ganga Programme or NMCG

• National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act 1860.
• It acted as implementation arm of National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) which was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
• NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from the 7th October 2016, consequent to constitution of National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River Ganga (referred as National Ganga Council)

1. National Ganga Council under chairmanship of Hon'ble Prime Minister of India.
2. Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under chairmanship of Hon'ble Union Minister of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation).
3. National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG).
4. State Ganga Committees and
5. District Ganga Committees in every specified district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in the states.

Main pillars of the Namami Gange Programme are:-

• Sewerage Treatment Infrastructure
• River-Front Development
• River-Surface Cleaning
• Bio-Diversity
• Afforestation
• Public Awareness
• Industrial Effluent Monitoring
• Ganga Gram

Know! about NIUA

• The National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) is an institute for research, training and information dissemination in urban development and management in New Delhi, India.
• It was established in 1976 as an autonomous body under the Societies Registration Act.
• The Institute is supported by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, State Governments, urban and regional development authorities and other agencies concerned with urban issues

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