Cabinet approves Taranga Hill-Ambaji-Abu Road new rail line to provide connectivity and improve mobility

Why is it in news?
The connectivity to Ambaji has been long pending demand of the people of the region.

Highlights

·       The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the construction of Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road new rail line to be constructed by Ministry of Railways at an estimated cost of Rs.2798.16 crore.

·       The total length of the new rail line will be 116.65 kms.  The project will be completed by 2026-27. The project will generate direct employment during construction for about 40 lakh man-days.

·       The proposed project will provide connectivity to Ambaji and improve mobility of the people of the region.

·       It will also provide alternate route between Ahmedabad and Abu Road.

·       The project will also generate direct employment for about 40 lakh mandays during construction.

·       The estimated cost of this project is Rs. 2798.16 crore and will be completed by 2026-27.
Ambaji is a famous important pilgrimage destination and is one of the 51 Shaktipeeths in India and attracts millions of devotees from Gujarat as well as other parts of the country and abroad every year.

·       The construction of this line will facilitate easy travel for these millions of devotees. Further, the devotees visiting the Ajitnath Jain temple (one of the 24 holy Jain Tirthankaras) at Taranga Hill would also be greatly benefitted by this connectivity.  This railway new line between Taranga Hill-Ambaji- Abu Road will connect these two important religious sports with railway’s main network.

·       This line will facilitate faster movement of agricultural and local products and also provide improved mobility of the people in the region within the state of Gujarat and Rajasthan and also to other parts of the country. This project will also provide alternative route for existing Ahmedabad-Abu Road railway line.

·       The alignment of the proposed doubling will traverse through Sirohi district of Rajasthan and Banaskantha and Mahesana districts of Gujarat. The construction of new rail line will attract investment and lead to overall socio-economic development of the region.

Paper Import Monitoring System (PIMS) to come into effect from 1st October, 2022; Online registration facility to be available from 15th July 2022

Why is it in news?

Paper products like currency paper, bank bond and Cheque paper, security printing paper, etc. have been excluded from mandatory registration
Introduction of PIMS is intended to curb imports under “Others” category
The move also aimed at promoting ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar’ initiative under this category

Highlights

·       The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), has introduced Paper Import Monitoring System (PIMS) by amending the import policy of major paper products from ‘Free’ to ‘Free subject to compulsory registration under PIMS’. PIMS shall come into effect from 1st October, 2022. However, the online facility of registration will be available from 15th July 2022.

·       The PIMS shall be applicable on import by a Domestic Territory Area unit on a wide range of paper products covering 201 tariff lines, such as newsprint, handmade paper, coated paper, uncoated paper, Litho and offset paper, tissue paper, toilet paper, cartons, labels, etc. However, paper products like currency paper, bank bond and Cheque paper, security printing paper, etc. have been excluded from mandatory registration.

·       As per PIMS, an importer will be required to obtain an automatic registration number through online system by paying a registration fee of Rs. 500/- only, not earlier than 75th day and not later than 5th day before the expected date of arrival of import consignment. The automatic registration Number shall remain valid for a period of 75 days and multiple consignments Bill of Entry (BoEs) shall be allowed in same registration number within the validity period of registration, for the permitted quantity.

·       Further, registration under PIMS shall also be required at the point of import by a Unit in Special Economic Zone/Free Trading Warehousing Zone or at the time of import by an Export Oriented Unit of the items covered under PIMS. However, registration under PIMS shall not be required by the Domestic Territory Area (DTA) Unit at the time of Customs Clearance from the SEZ/FTWZ/EOU to DTA if no processing has taken place of the item of paper that has already been registered under PIMS at the time of entry into a SEZ/FTWZ/EOU.

·       Based on the demand of domestic paper industry, the introduction of PIMS is intended to curb imports under “Others” category Tariff Lines, dumping of paper products in the domestic market by way of under-invoicing, entry of prohibited goods by mis-declaration, re-routing goods through other countries in lieu of trade agreements.  This may also promote ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar’ initiative under this category.

·       However, if processing has taken place in the SEZ/FTWZ/EOU with change in HS Code at 8-Digit level, then the importer in DTA will require to register under PIMS, if the processed item falls under any of the 201 tariff lines covered under PIMS.

Department of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) sign Agreement on commencement of Phase -2 activities of IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC)

Why is it in news?

Agreement will pave the way for improvement of farmers welfare and ensure food and nutrition security in India and the rest of South Asia, says Union Agriculture Secretary

Union Agriculture Minister Shri Narendra Singh Tomar presides over the signing ceremony

·       Highlights
ISARC is the first and biggest research Centre of the IRRI across the world outside Philippines: IRRI DG

·       A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed between the Department of Agriculture & Farmer Welfare (DA&FW) and International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) today on commencement of Phase -2 activities of IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) to scale up the existing partnership for food and nutrition security in the South Asian region. The Agreement was signed by Shri Manoj Ahuja, Secretary, DA&FW and Dr. Jean Balié, Director General, IRRI in the presence of the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar.

·       The ISARC was established following the Union Cabinet approval five years ago. ISARC also set up a Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA) that includes a modern and sophisticated laboratory with capacity to determine quality and status of heavy metals in grain and straw. One of the critical achievements of CERVA is the development of one low and one intermediate glycaemic index (GI) rice varieties: IRRI 147 (GI 55) and IRRI 162 (GI 57), respectively, through the joint efforts of the CERVA team and IRRI HQ. Since most rice varieties are high in GI and most of the Indians consume rice, the popularization of low GI rice varieties will reduce or even reverse India's increasing trend of diabetes.

·       The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated state-of-the-art Speed Breeding Facility (SpeedBreed) at ISRAC in Varanasi on December 23, 2021. The facility is devoted to expedite the plant growth cycle of crops and enable advancing rice plants for five generations per year against only one to two under normal conditions. This plays a crucial role in transferring important traits (e.g., low GI, biotic and abiotic stresses) to popular Indian rice varieties in a shorter time.

·       The second phase of the ISARC programme proposes to increase farmers’ incomes, improve food and nutrition security, health, and well-being of small/holder farmers through increased system productivity, reduced yield gaps, enhanced climate resilience, mechanized and digital farming, improved market linkages, modernized value chains enabling entrepreneurship for women and youth, and capacity development.

·       In his brief remarks, Shri Ahuja said the Agreement will pave the way for undertaking further work towards the improvement of the welfare of farmers and ensuring food and nutrition security in India and the rest of South Asia. IRRI, especially ISARC, has long been an ally of the Indian government in addressing the most pressing issues concerning the agrifood sector, he said.

·       Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Balié said the ISARC is the first and biggest research Centre of the IRRI across the world outside Philippines. He said the continuation of the Agreement will help the capacity of rice-growing countries in South Asia, including India, and Africa in crop production, seed quality, and to enhance farmers’ income. It will also mitigate environment and climate change challenges in rice cultivation, help fight global hunger and eradicate poverty, he added.

·       Activities toward meeting the objectives of the 2nd Phase will be carried out through a trans disciplinary approach and leveraging cutting-edge technologies in three thematic areas over 5 years viz., (1) Centre of Excellence in Rice Value Addition (CERVA); (2) Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Agriculture (CESA) and (3) Center for Education in Innovation and Research for Development (CEIRD).

·       Main objectives include the development, dissemination, and popularization of high-yielding stress-tolerant and bio-fortified rice, particularly high zinc and low glycemic index rice; supporting national and regional rice breeding programmes to advance rice lines of specific and certified grain quality to increase producer and customer acceptance of new varieties to increase genetic gain; promotion of climate-smart varieties, natural resource management practices, and resilient agriculture through integrated geospatial data systems and tools, robust seed systems, dynamic agro-advisory systems, and scale-appropriate mechanization; improvement of nutrient use efficiency (NUE), soil health, and water productivity in diversified rice agri-food systems for increased productivity and reduced environmental footprints; development of inclusive value chain-based business models (including farmer producer companies, business linkages, and entrepreneurship) for premium quality traditional varieties and value-added by-products; development of evidence-based strategies to improve women’s economic empowerment through entrepreneurial  engagement in rice-based systems and engaging  youth in sustainable transformation of these  systems; and enhancement of local capacities, knowledge, and skills of all stakeholders through  innovative human capital development solutions.

·       The Phase II activities follow the long-time cooperation between the Government of India and IRRI. In 2017, the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the establishment of ISARC at the campus of the National Seed Research and Training Center (NSRTC) in Varanasi. The Cabinet, in its meeting held on 12th July, 2017, had approved the establishment of the ISARC and the operation of IRRI in India. Subsequently, the Memorandum of Agreement was signed on August 2, 2017 between the DA&FW and IRRI.   The agreement was for 5 years from 2017-22 with a provision to extend for another 5 years subject to both sides mutually agreeing for the same.  

·       For the past five years, the Center has played a major role in harnessing and sustaining food production in the region as it has been delivering research for development services for members of the private and public sectors through its state-of-the-art laboratory facilities for grain quality, crop production and nutritional quality. ISARC has also enabled knowledge transfer through short courses on rice-based agrifood systems.

·       ISARC also provides training on grain quality, nutritional quality and food safety. Broader Programme for Research and Partnership (BPRP) was launched for undertaking breeding for climate resilience, bio-fortification, improvement of traditional landraces, seed systems to enhance varietal replacement, natural resource management, organic agriculture, digitalization, and mechanization of agriculture for small/holder farmers, use of geo-spatial technology in agriculture and women and youth empowerment. IRRI Research and Education Programme (IREP) was also launched for capacity development, including scholars, extension workers and farmers; and promoting South-South cooperation and networking with key stakeholders to support and capacitate NARES.

·       In the second present phase of the agreement, ISARC proposes to extend its research and development with the aim to accelerate the equitable development of sustainable and inclusive rice-based systems across India and South Asia to meet the producers’ and consumers’ demand. ISARC also plans to facilitate further improvement of system productivity and farmers’ income through digital agriculture, agro-advisory services, knowledge sharing and capacity development that will promote sustainable and ecofriendly agriculture through business models that attract the youth back into agri-entrepreneurship.

Andhra Pradesh returns under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, farmers will get crop security - Shri Tomar

Why is it in news?
Farmer friendly decision arrived at in a virtual meeting between Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare and Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

Highlights

·       The Andhra Pradesh government has decided to rejoin the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) following talks between the Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Narendra Singh Tomar and the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. Shri Tomar appreciated this step of the state government. With this important decision, crops of more than 40 lakh farmers of the state will get insurance cover in case of natural calamity.

·       Shri Tomar said that the Central Government has made PMFBY simple and convenient as per the suggestions of the states. The Central Government is working continuously with the States to improve the condition of farmers and make them prosperous and transform agriculture into advanced farming.

·       In the meeting, Shri Reddy thanked the Central Government for re-implementing PMFBY in the state. Shri Reddy said that after discussion with the Center, the State Government has decided to provide the farmers of the State with crop insurance cover under the PMFBY.

·       Andhra Pradesh has decided to implement the PMFBY from Kharif-2022 season. The Central Government is committed to empower the farmers across the country including Andhra Pradesh by securing their income-livelihood and to realize the dream of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's AatmaNirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and self-reliant farmer. Keeping in view the suggestions of Andhra Pradesh and other states, the Central Government revamped the scheme in February-2020 with new features, such as voluntary enrolment for all farmers, wider use of technology in yield estimation, risk coverage to choose for payment of sum insured to the States as per the option and prevailing risk profile and a provision of 3% was made for administrative expenses.

·       On July 7, a team headed by the Union Agriculture Secretary Shri Manoj Ahuja also gave a presentation to the Chief Minister regarding the scheme.

·       PMFBY and Restructured Weather Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) have been successfully implemented in Andhra Pradesh from Kharif-2016 to Kharif-2019.

·       Special Chief Secretary, Andhra Pradesh Smt. Poonam Malakondaiah, Additional Secretary, Union Agriculture Ministry, Shri Abhilaksh Likhi also addressed today's meeting. The CEO and Joint Secretary of the scheme, Shri Ritesh Chauhan, gave welcome speech and presentation. Senior officials of Central and State Government were also present in the meeting.

Coal and Mining Sectors Contributing Substantially to Nation Building – Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi

Inaugurates Orientation Programme for Non-official Directors of Coal & Mines CPSEs

Why is it in news?

An Orientation Programme for Non-Official Directors of CPSEs of Ministry of Coal & Mines was organized at New Delhi. The main objective of the programme was for Non-Official Directors of CPSEs to serve as an inspiration for CPSEs to help carry out Government Policy for CPSEs, and to improve the performance of the CPSEs.

Highlights

·       The purpose of the programme was to start a dialogue between the Ministry and NODs to ensure NODs get a good orientation on the Ministry’s goals/strategies for the sector and to clarify expectations from NODs.

·       The programme was graced by Sh. Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs and Sh. Raosaheb Patil Danve, Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways who sought the feedback of NODs and addressed their concerns.

·       After the welcome Address by Sh. Bhabani Prasad Pati, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Coal, self introduction was provided by 33 Non-Official Directors of CPSEs of Ministry of Coal & Mines who attended.

·       Sh. Raosaheb Patil Danve, Minister of State for Coal, Mines and Railways emphasized that this orientation session will help the NODs in exchanging their experiences and enable them to be well informed about the company and the external environment in which they operate and ensure that adequate deliberations are held before approving agendas and assure themselves that the same are in the interests of the company.

·       Sh. Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Coal, Mines and Parliamentary Affairs was of the view that each Non-Official Director acts as an important pillar of the Board of Directors. They help in bringing an independent judgment on the Board’s deliberations and satisfy themselves on the integrity of financial information. NODs ensure that financial controls and the systems of risk management are robust and defensible and safeguards the interests of all stakeholders, particularly the minority shareholders.

·       A presentation by Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Mines on the current perspective and future vision was followed by interactive session with the NODs who provided their suggestions and feedback. Dr. Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary, Ministry of Coal, pointed out that NODs should also address the larger concerns of the coal sector in view of the push of alternatives/renewables- it was also conveyed that this interaction of the Ministries and the NODs would be made a regular feature now and that all the suggestions have been noted for further deliberations by the Ministries.