What's the NEWS

• In the Union Budget 2020-21, Minister of Finance had made an announcement ‘to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of milk, meat, and fish'.

• It was also stated that the Indian Railways will set up a KISAN RAIL.

Know! all about KISAN RAIL

• Indian Railways is introducing first "Kisan Rail" from Devlali to Danapur
• The train will provide seamless supply chain of Perishable produce.
• This train is a step towards realizing the goal of doubling farmers' incomes by 2022.
• Indian Railways aims to help double farmers' income with the launch of Kisan Rail.
• This train will help in bringing perishable agricultural products like vegetables, fruits to the market in a short period of time.
• The train with frozen containers is expected to build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of fish, meat and milk.
• Nasik and surrounding region produces huge quantity of fresh vegetables, fruits, flowers, other perishables, onions and other agro products. These perishables are mainly transported to areas around Patna, Prayagraj, Katni, Satna etc.
• Indian Railways have earlier run single commodity special trains like Banana Specials etc. But this will be the first ever multi commodity trains and will carry fruits

Governance
ITEC-NCGG International Workshop on COVID-19- Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about ITEC + NCGC and about the workshop highlights) + Mains ( GS II Governance)
What's the NEWS

• Union Minister of State for Personnel, PG and Pensions inaugurated an international workshop on "COVID-19- Good Governance Practices in a Pandemic", jointly organized by Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC), Ministry of External Affairs and National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG), Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances.

Know! about the conference

• The two-day Conference is being attended by 184participantscomprising Diplomats, Civil Servants and Health Experts from 26 Countries spread over South Asia, South East Asia, Latin America and Africa.
• The Workshop was jointly conceptualized by the Ministry of External Affairs, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and National Centre for Good Governance with the objective of disseminating India's good governance practices to ITEC countries.

Know! about NCGC

• The National Centre for Good Governance (NCGG) is an autonomous institute under the aegis of Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India. Its head office is at New Delhi and registered office at Mussoorie.
• The NCGG has been set up to assist in bringing about governance reforms through studies, training, knowledge sharing and promotion of good ideas.
• The National Centre for Good Governance traces its origin to the National Institute of Administrative Research (NIAR).
• NIAR was set up in 1995 by the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA).
• NIAR was subsequently rechristened with an expanded mandate, as National Centre for Good Governance, which was inaugurated on February 24th, 2014.

Its main objectives are:

• To be a think tank for governance & policy reforms, working across administrative, social, financial and political arenas.To initiate and participate in research and training on various aspects of regulatory and developmental administration, public policy, governance and public management.
• To provide a platform for policy development debates and discussions.
• To promote exchange of innovative ideas and best practices in Governance by organising, sponsoring and aiding seminars, workshops, study circles, working groups and conferences.
• To interact with national and international organisations, in and outside government, engaged in research and training in subject areas of mutual interest.

Know! about ITEC

• The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme was instituted by a decision of the Indian Cabinet as a bilateral programme of assistance of the Government of India.
• ITEC Programme was launched in 1964 by the Ministry of External Affairs.
• It is a demand-driven, response-oriented programme that focuses on addressing the needs of developing countries through innovative technological cooperation between India and the partnering nation.
• The ITEC Programme is essentially bilateral in nature. However, in recent years, ITEC resources have also been used for cooperation programmes conceived in regional and inter-regional context such as Economic Commission for Africa, Commonwealth Secretariat, UNIDO, Group of 77 and G-15.
• In more recent years, its activities have also been associated with regional and multilateral organizations and cooperation groupings like Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC), Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC), African Union (AU), Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO), Pan African Parliament, Caribbean Community (CARICOM), World Trade Organization (WTO) and Indian Ocean Rim - Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC) and India-Africa Forum Summit.

• The ITEC Programme, fully funded by the Government of India, has evolved and grown over the years.
• Under ITEC and its sister programme SCAAP (Special Commonwealth African Assistance Programme), 161 countries in Asia, Africa, East Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean as well as Pacific and Small Island countries are invited to share in the Indian developmental experience acquired over six decades of India's existence as a free nation.

The ITEC/SCAAP Programme has the following components :

• Training (civilian and defence) in India of nominees from ITEC partner countries;
• Projects and project related activities such as feasibility studies and consultancy services;
• Deputation of Indian experts abroad;
• Study Tours;
• Gifts/Donations of equipment at the request of ITEC partner countries; and
• Aid for Disaster Relief .

Prelims Factoids
Gustave Trouvé Award

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Aditya + about Gustave Trouvé Award)
What's the NEWS

• Aditya, India's first solar ferry that bagged the prestigious Gustave Trouvé Award for Excellence in Electric Boats and Boating

• Aditya is India's first solar ferry. It plies on the Vaikom - Thavanakadavu route in the Alappuzha district of Kerala.
• Recently, on July 27th, Aditya bagged the prestigious Gustave Trouvé Award for Excellence in Electric Boats and Boating.
• It is the only international award given to individuals & companies building & innovating in state-of-the-art electric boats.
• Over 10,000 people from across the globe voted to choose the best solar boats amongst 50 small and big boats from Europe, the U.S., and Singapore
• Aditya was declared as the world's best electric boat, in the category of ‘ferries designed for paid passenger service.'

Prelims Factoids
Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL)
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about DIAL)
What's the NEWS

• Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL), a GMR Group-led consortium, announced that it has developed a first-of-its-kind portal where India-bound international arriving flyers can fill the mandatory self-declaration form and also apply online for exemption from mandatory institution quarantine process.
• The online forms have been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of External Affairs and Governments of various states and union territories
• This will help in making passengers' journey more convenient and comfortable in a contactless way as they won't have to fill the physical copies of the forms on arrival.

About DIAL

• The GMR Group led, Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) is a consortium; comprising of GMR Group, Airports Authority of India and Fraport.
• The consortium has a mandate to finance, design, build, operate and maintain the Delhi Airport for 30 years with an option to extend it by another 30 years.

Social Issues
6th National Handloom Day

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about National Handloom day and initiatives launched to promote textile industry) + Mains ( GS II Welfare schemes for vulnerable sections of the population by the Centre and States and the
performance of these schemes; mechanisms, laws, institutions and Bodies constituted for the protection and betterment of these vulnerable sections
What's the NEWS

• The Ministry of Textiles, Government of India to celebrate National Handloom Day

• The Prime Minister declared 7th August every year as National Handloom Day for the first time in 2015, 110 years after the Swadeshi movement which started on this date in the year 1905.

Handloom Mark Scheme (HLM)

• On this occasion the textile Ministry launched the Mobile App & Backend Website for Handloom Mark Scheme (HLM).
• The Handloom Mark is being promoted to provide collective identity to the authentic handloom products.
• Textiles Committee Mumbai has developed the Mobile App with a backend web portal to completely digitise the process of registration.
• The App will enable the weavers located at any corner of the country to apply for Handloom Mark registration through the comfort of their homes by click of a button on their mobiles.
• This app helps ascertain the genuineness and originality of the product through unique and dynamic QR code labels affixed on each handloom product.

My Handloom portal

• The Union Minister of Textiles also launched the "My Handloom" portal for individual weavers as well as other organizations for applying for various benefits under the various handloom schemes like Block Level Clusters, Handloom Marketing Assistance and Awards.
• The "India Handloom" brand was launched in 2015 on the occasion of the 1st National Handloom Day.

• The portal with a single "sign-in" is to act as One-stop shop for information on all handloom schemes which will retain information, and will ensure transparency and provide real-time status update on applications under National handloom Development programme

• The Union Minister of Textiles also inaugurated the virtual Indian Textile Sourcing Fair 2020.
• The Government is providing online marketing opportunities to weavers and handloom producers.
• By taking a step towards realizing "Atmanirbhar Bharat", Handloom Export Promotion Council is organizing the Virtual Fair.
• The fair will connect more than 150 participants from different regions of the country showcasing their products with unique designs and skills.
• The Indian Textile Sourcing Fair will be open on 7, 10 and 11th August 2020.
• To promote Handlooms in a big way, Ministry of Textiles has undertaken many new initiatives. Steps have been taken to on-board weavers/producers on Government e-Market place (GeM) to enable them supply handloom products directly to Central Govt. Departments

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