Why In News

5 States and a Union Territory (UT) formally adopted the Centre’s initiative called the Government e-Marketplace (GeM).

Objective of e-market

• Aims to ensure that public procurement of goods and services in India worth more than Rs. 5 lakh crore annually is carried out through the online platform for transparency and to eliminate corruption.
• The States and the UT that signed an MoU with the Centre include Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Gujarat, Telangana, Puducherry and Arunachal Pradesh.
• GeM can enhance transparency, efficiency and speed in public procurement.
• The GeM will strengthen the cooperative federalism

Four more states, including Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Tamil Nadu and Haryana, will ink such an MoU soon.

Source : The Hindu

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