Daily Current Capsules 02^nd September 2020

Space Awareness
Indian Astronomers discover one of the farthest Star galaxies in the universe.

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about AUDFs01 + about AstroSat) + Mains ( GS III awareness in the field of space)
What's the NEWS

• India's first Multi-Wavelength Space Observatory "AstroSat" has detected extreme-UV light from a galaxy located 9.3 billion light-years away from Earth.

• The galaxy called AUDFs01 was discovered by a team of Astronomers from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics(IUCAA) Pune.
• It has been reported in the leading international journal "Nature Astronomy" published from Britain.
• India's AstroSat/UVIT (Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope) was able to achieve this unique feat because the background noise in the UVIT detector is much less than one on the Hubble Space Telescope of US based NASA.
• This discovery is a very important clue to how the dark ages of the Universe ended and there was light in the Universe. We need to know when this started, but it has been very hard to find the earliest sources of light

India's first Space Observatory AstroSat

• It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on September 28, 2015
• It was developed by a team led by ShyamTandon, Ex Emeritus Professor, IUCAA with the full support of ISRO.
• AstroSat is the first dedicated Indian astronomy mission aimed at studying celestial sources in X-ray, optical and UV spectral bands simultaneously.
• One of the unique features of AstroSat mission is that it enables the simultaneous multi-wavelength observations of various astronomical objects with a single satellite.

Infrastructure Development
Power Ministry launches Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in electricity
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) + Mains ( GS III infrastructure development - Energy Sector)
What's the NEWS

• As a first step towards Greening the Indian short term power Market, launched pan-India Green Term Ahead Market (GTAM) in electricity
• The introduction of GTAM platform would lessen the burden on RE-rich States and incentivize them to develop RE capacity beyond their own RPO.
• This would promote RE merchant capacity addition and help in achieving RE capacity addition targets of the country.

Know! about GTAM

• GTAM platform will lead to increase in number of participants in renewable energy sector.
• It will benefit buyers of RE through competitive prices and transparent and flexible procurement.
• It will also benefit RE sellers by providing access to pan- India market
• The Government of India's target of 175 GW RE Capacity by 2022 is driving accelerated renewable penetration pan-India.
• Green Term Ahead Market contracts will allow additional avenues to the RE generators for sale of renewable energy; enable Obligated entities to procure renewable power at competitive prices to meet their Renewable Purchase Obligations (RPO); and provide a platform to environmentally conscious open access consumers and utilities to buy green power.

Food Processing
Government Approves 27 Cold Chain Projects In 11 States
Relevance IN - Prelims ( about Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY) + Mains ( GS III food processing)

What's the NEWS

• The government has approved 27 cold chain projects in 11 states with a grant-in-aid of Rs 208 crore under the Scheme for Integrated Cold Chain and Value addition infrastructure of Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (PMKSY).
• The new integrated cold chain projects are likely to generate direct and indirect employment for 16,200 and are likely to benefit 2,57,904 farmers.

Know! about the new integrated cold chain projects

• The projects have been approved across the states of Andhra Pradesh (7), Bihar(1), Gujarat(2), Haryana(4), Karnataka(3), Kerala(1), MP(1), Punjab(1), Rajasthan(2), Tamil Nadu(4) and Uttar Pradesh(1).
• These 27 new integrated cold chain projects will leverage a total investment of 743 crores for the creation of modern, innovative infrastructure and effective cold chain facilities for the food processing sector across the nation.
• These projects will help increase efficiency and sustainability in India's food supply chain.

Integrated Cold Chain projects ( benefits)

• It will provide a big boost to the growth of food processing infrastructure
• Helps in streamlining the agricultural supply chain
• Generate direct and indirect employment opportunities in rural areas
• Provide better prices to farmers, end-users, and benefit allied sectors.

Scheme of Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure

• The objective of the Scheme of Cold Chain, Value Addition and Preservation Infrastructure is to provide integrated cold chain and preservation infrastructure facilities, without any break, from the farm gate to the consumer.
• It covers creation of infrastructure facility along the entire supply
• The scheme allows flexibility in project planning with special emphasis on creation of cold chain infrastructure at farm level.
• The integrated cold chain project is set up by Partnership / Proprietorship Firms, Companies, Corporations, Cooperatives, Self Help Groups (SHGs), Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), NGOs, Central / State PSUs, etc.

Mega Food Park Scheme

• It aims at providing a mechanism to link agricultural production to the market by bringing together farmers, processors and retailers so as to ensure maximizing value addition, minimizing wastage, increasing farmers income and creating employment opportunities particularly in rural sector.
• The Mega Food Park Scheme is based on "Cluster" approach and envisages creation of state of art support infrastructure in a well-defined agri / horticultural zone for setting up of modern food processing units in the industrial plots provided in the park with well-established supply chain.
• Mega food park typically consist of supply chain infrastructure including collection centers, primary processing centers, central processing centers, cold chain and around 25-30 fully developed plots for entrepreneurs to set up food processing units.
  
  
• The Mega Food Park project is implemented by a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) which is a Body Corporate registered under the Companies Act.
• So far following 19 Mega Food Parks are operational

Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana

• Government of India (GOI) has approved a new Central Sector Scheme - Pradhan Mantri Kisan SAMPADA Yojana (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-Processing Clusters) with an allocation of Rs. 6,000 crore for the period 2016-20
• The scheme will be implemented by Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).
• It is a comprehensive package which will result in creation of modern infrastructure with efficient supply chain management from farm gate to retail outlet.

Benefits

• Provide a big boost to the growth of food processing sector
• Helps in providing better returns to farmers
• Creating huge employment opportunities especially in the rural areas,
• Reducing wastage of agricultural produce,
• Increasing the processing level and enhancing the export of the processed foods.

The following schemes will be implemented under PM Kisan SAMPADA Yojana

• Mega Food Parks
• Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure
• Creation/ Expansion of Food Processing/ Preservation Capacities (Unit Scheme)
• Infrastructure for Agro-processing Clusters
• Creation of Backward and Forward Linkages
• Food Safety and Quality Assurance Infrastructure
• Human Resources and Institutions
• Operation Greens

Steps taken by the Ministry

• The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is striving to establish an integrated and seamless network of strong Cold Chain Grid and infrastructure for the uninterrupted transfer of perishables from production to consumption areas/centers.
• This would maintain the safety, quality, and quantity and storage of perishable produce such as fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meat, fish marine, poultry, ready to eat food products.
• Under the Central Sector Scheme of Integrated Cold Chain and Value Addition Infrastructure, the Ministry provides financial assistance in the form of grant-in-aid at the rate of 35 percent for general areas and the rate of 50 percent for North-Eastern States, Himalayan States, ITDP Areas, and Islands for storage and transport infrastructure.

Government Schemes
Ladakh and Lakshadweep integrated in existing national portability cluster of One Nation One Ration Card

Relevance IN - Prelims ( about One Nation One Ration Card" plan ) + Mains ( GS II government policies and interventions)
What's the NEWS

• The Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, reviewed the progress made towards the implementation of "One Nation One Ration Card" plan
• Another 2 Union Territories of Ladakh and Lakshadweep have completed the trial and testing of national portability transactions with other States/UTs in national cluster.

Know! the recent status of the Scheme

• With this, a total of 26 States/UTs are now seamlessly connected with each other under the One Nation One Ration Card plan and migratory PDS beneficiaries in these 26 States/UTs can access their subsidised foodgrains at the same Scale and Central Issue Prices from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice w.e.f. 1st September 2020.
• A total of more than 65 Crore beneficiaries (i.e. 80% of total NFSA population) in 26 States/UTs, are now potentially enabled with an option to lift their subsidised foodgrains through One Nation One Ration Card system.
• Remaining States/UTs are targeted to be integrated in national portability by March 2021.

Know! about the One Nation One Ration Card Plan

• The ‘One Nation One Ration Card' plan is an ambitious endeavour of the Government to ensure the delivery of food security entitlements to all beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA), irrespective of their physical location anywhere in the country, by implementing nation-wide portability of ration cards under the ongoing central sector scheme on ‘Integrated Management of Public Distribution System (IM-PDS)' in association with all States/UTs.
• Through this system, the migratory NFSA beneficiaries are now enabled with an option to lift their entitled quota of foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice anywhere in the country by using their same/existing ration card

National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013

• The enactment of the National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 on July 5, 2013 marks a paradigm shift in the approach to food security from welfare to rights based approach.
• The Act legally entitles upto 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population to receive subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System.
• About two thirds of the population therefore is covered under the Act to receive highly subsidised foodgrains.
• The National Food Security Act, (NFSA) 2013 is being implemented in all the States/UTs, on an all India basis.
• Out of maximum coverage of 81.35 crore, around 80 crore persons have been covered under NFSA at present for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains.
• The eligible persons will be entitled to receive 5 Kgs of foodgrains per person per month at subsidised prices of Rs. 3/2/1 per Kg for rice/wheat/coarse grains.
• The existing Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households, which constitute the poorest of the poor, will continue to receive 35 Kgs of foodgrains per household per month.
• The Act also has a special focus on the nutritional support to women and children. Besides meal to pregnant women and lactating mothers during pregnancy and six months after the child birth, such women will also be entitled to receive maternity benefit of not less than Rs. 6,000.

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