Relevance IN - Prelims(about TRIFED + Tribes India +GeM + VanDhan Yojana) + Mains ( GS II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States + Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability, e-governance)

What's the NEWS

• The webinar ‘TRIFED Goes Digital' and "Be Vocal for Local' #GoTribal was organised recently by TRIFED

Know! more about the launches

•  The main highlight was the launch of the TRIBES India products on the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) (with a diverse range on display) and TRIFED's new website (https://trifed.tribal.gov.in)
•  The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs inaugurated the TRIBES India store on Government eMarket place which can now help in facilitating purchases by Government and the revamped website (https://trifed.tribal.gov.in/), which has all relevant details about the schemes and initiatives underway to the benefit of tribal communities.

Know! about TRIFED and Tribes India

• TRIFED was established in August 1987 under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 1984 by the Government of India as a National level Cooperative body.
• Under the administrative control of the then Ministry of Welfare of India, TRIFED is mandated to ringing about socio-economic development of tribals of the country by institutionalising the trade of Minor Forest Produce (MFP) & Surplus Agricultural Produce (SAP) collected/ cultivated by them.
• TRIFED is involved actively in capacity building of the tribal people through sensitisation and the formation of Self Help Groups (SHGs).
• TRIFED is engaged in training the tribals in several activities, so that they can effectively carry them out.
• TRIBES India is the brand under which the sourced handcrafted products from the tribal people are sold.

Know! about GeM

• GeM is a short form of one stop Government e-Market Place hosted by Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) where common user goods and services can be procured.
• GeM is dynamic, self sustaining and user friendly portal for making procurement by Government officers.
• Government e-Marketplace (GeM - gem.gov.in) is a very bold step of the Government with the aim to transform the way in which procurement of goods and services is done by the Government Ministries and Departments, Public Sector Undertakings and other apex autonomous bodies of the Central Government.
• DGS&D with technical support of National e Governance Division (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology) has developed GeM portal for procurement of both Products & Services.
• The portal was launched on 9th August 2016 by the Commerce & Industry Minister.
• GeM is a completely paperless, cashless and system driven e-market place that enables procurement of common use goods and services with minimal human interface.

About DGS&D

• The nearly 100-year-old procurement arm of the Central Government - the Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D) - has been close down on October 31 2017
• The closure of DGS&D, follows the government's shift to the Commerce Ministry's e-market platform (GeM) set up for public procurement of goods and services.

Know! about VanDhan Yojana

• Pradhan Mantri Van Dhan Yojana or Van Dhan Scheme launched on 14th April, 2018 by the Prime Minister with Ministry of Tribal Affairs as nodal department at central level and TRIFED as nodal agency at national level
• It is a well thought master plan for the socio-economic development of the tribal population of the country.

Its crucial steps are enumerated below

• Initiative targeting livelihood generation for tribal gatherers and transforming them into entrepreneurs.
• 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 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.

Economic Development
President Promulgates Banking Regulation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020

Relevance IN - Prelims( about the amendments done through the ordinance + about cooperative banks + Mains ( GS III Economic development)
What's the NEWS

• An ordinance has been promulgated to bring 1,482 urban cooperative banks and 58 multi-state cooperative banks under the direct supervision of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• The ordinance will give RBI the same powers of supervision over cooperative banks as it does over scheduled cooperative banks and also a say in key appointments.

Know! all about the amendments done through the ordinance

• The Ordinance amends the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 as applicable to Cooperative Banks.
• The Ordinance seeks to protect the interests of depositors and strengthen cooperative banks by improving governance and oversight by extending powers already available with RBI in respect of other banks to Co-operative Banks as well for sound banking regulation, and by ensuring professionalism and enabling their access to capital.
• The amendments do not affect existing powers of the State Registrars of Co-operative Societies under state co-operative laws.
• The amendments do not apply to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) or co-operative societies whose primary object and principal business is long-term finance for agricultural development, and which do not use the word "bank" or "banker" or "banking" and do not act as drawees of cheques.
• The Ordinance also amends Section 45 of the Banking Regulation Act, to enable making of a scheme of reconstruction or amalgamation of a banking company for protecting the interest of the public, depositors and the banking system and for securing its proper management, even without making an order of moratorium, so as to avoid disruption of the financial system.

Know! all about Cooperative Banking

• Co-operative banks are financial entities established on a co-operative basis and belonging to their members.
• This means that the customers of a co-operative bank are also its owners. These banks provide a wide range of regular banking and financial services. However, there are some points where they differ from other banks.
• In India, co-operative banks are registered under the States Cooperative Societies Act.
• They also come under the regulatory ambit of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) under two laws, namely, the Banking Regulations Act, 1949, and the Banking Laws (Co-operative Societies) Act, 1955.
• They were brought under the RBI's watch in 1966, a move which brought the problem of dual regulation along with it.

Dual Regulation of Urban Cooperative Bank

• Urban Co-operative Banks are regulated and supervised by State Registrars of Co-operative Societies (RCS) in case of single-State co-operative banks and Central Registrar of Co-operative Societies (CRCS) in case of multi-State co-operative banks and by the RBI.

Structure of co-operative banks in India

• Broadly, co-operative banks in India are divided into two categories - urban and rural.
• Rural cooperative credit institutions could either be short-term or long-term in nature.
• Further, short-term cooperative credit institutions are further sub-divided into State Co-operative Banks, District Central Co-operative Banks, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies.
• Meanwhile, the long-term institutions are either State Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (SCARDBs) or Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (PCARDBs).
• On the other hand, Urban Co-operative Banks (UBBs) are either scheduled or non-scheduled. Scheduled and non-scheduled UCBs are again of two kinds- multi-state and those operating in single state.

Infrastructure Development
National Productivity Council (NPC)
Relevance IN - Prelims( about National Productivity Council+ Asian Productivity Organisation Mains ( GS III Economic development + 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 49th Governing Council Meeting of National Productivity Council (NPC), an autonomous body under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India was held recently
• It was chaired by the Commerce & Industry Minister and President of NPC Governing Council.
• The GC Meeting has been conducted after a lapse of fifteen years.
• The Meeting was attended by about 180 participants, comprising of Government Officers, Leaders of Industry Associations, Industry captains, Trade Union leaders, financial institutions, Productivity Councils of States and other eminent personalities.

Know! about National Productivity Council of India (NPC)

• National Productivity Council of India (NPC), established in the year 1958, is an autonomous organization under Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India.
• Besides undertaking research in the area of productivity, NPC has been providing consultancy and training services in areas of Industrial Engineering, Agri-Business, Economic Services, Quality Management, Human Resources Management, Information Technology, Technology Management, Energy Management, Environmental Management etc., to the Government and Public & Private sector organizations.
• NPC is a constituent of the Tokyo-based Asian Productivity Organisation (APO), an Inter-Governmental Body of which the Government of India is a founding member.

Asian Productivity Organisation (APO )

• The APO is an intergovernmental organization established in 1961 to increase productivity in the Asia-Pacific region through mutual cooperation.
• The APO contributes to the sustainable socioeconomic development of the region through policy advisory services, acting as a think tank, and undertaking smart initiatives in the industry, agriculture, service, and public sectors.
• The APO is shaping the future of the region by assisting member economies in formulating national strategies for enhanced productivity and through a range of institutional capacity-building efforts, including research and centers of excellence in member countries. It is nonpolitical, nonprofit, and nondiscriminatory.

International Organisations
India against easing farm export tariffs amid Covid
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Cairns Group initiative and an Ottawa Group) + GS II (Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India's interests)
What's the NEWS

• India has questioned the rationale of joint statements issued by some countries at the World Trade Organization (WTO) pushing for greater opening of markets for agricultural products.
• It has argued that for developing countries, export restrictions are a tool to prevent domestic shortages and are essential.
• A recent Canada-led joint statement, a new Cairns Group initiative and an Ottawa Group statement, all made a case for open and predictable trade amidst the Covid-19 crisis.

Know! about Cairns Group

• The Cairns Group (Cairns Group of Fair Trading Nations) is an interest group of 20 agricultural exporting countries, composed of Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Uruguay, and Vietnam.
• The Cairns Group seeks to liberalize global trade in agricultural produce.
• In particular, its members aim to abolish export subsidies and trade-distorting ("amber box") domestic support for agricultural products and seek to improve market access for agricultural exports.

Know! about Ottawa Group

• Canada is leading efforts on WTO reform through the Ottawa Group, which acts as an impartial sounding board for key issues and ideas on how to advance WTO reform.
• In addition to Canada, the Ottawa Group comprises Australia, Brazil, Chile, the European Union, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Korea, and Switzerland.
• The Ottawa Group supports its members in advancing concrete proposals to improve how the WTO functions over the short, medium, and long terms.
• This includes the dispute-settlement system, to ensure that trade rules are enforceable; the negotiating function, to ensure trade rules are relevant in the 21st century; and the day-to-day committee work at the WTO, to improve its efficiency and effectiveness.

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