National Handloom Day and India’s handloom sector
Source : Indian Express
GS II : Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate

What is discussed under National Handloom Day?

1. About the Order
2. How it helps

Why in News ?

Every year August 7 is observed as the National Handloom Day in India to highlight the contribution of the handloom industry in socio-economic development and create awareness about the sector.

Key Facts About the Day

• • The National Handloom Day is celebrated across the country under the aegis of the Ministry of Textiles.
  • National Handloom Day is observed on August 7 to commemorate the launch of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905.
  • The day is marked to honour the handloom-weaving community of India and to highlight the contribution of the handloom sector to the socio-economic development of the country.
  • Celebrated to honour the handloom weaving community and to highlight the contribution of the community in various sectors of the country, including rural employment.
  • The day was given its designation in 2015 by the government of India.

Swadeshi Movement

• • Movement most prominent in West Bengal.
  • It emerged to oppose British rule and encourage the ideas of self-help and self-reliance.
  • The movement meant to boycott foreign goods and rely on Indian-made products, encouraged the indigenous industries, particularly the handloom weavers.
  • Mahatma Gandhi started the movement by using ‘khadi’ with the objective of promoting self-sustainability among the rural villages.
  • He used this hand-spun fabric as a tool of passive resistance against British rule. Every Indian was urged to spin their own yarn by using a simple ‘charkha’ and to proudly wear Khadi.

India’s handloom sector  

• • The Indian handloom sector exports its products to more than 20 countries across the globe, including the USA, the UK, Germany, France, and South Africa.
  • The sector directly addresses women’s empowerment with over 70% of its total weavers and allied workers being female.
  • It provides flexibility for innovation and meeting changes in fashion trends as per the fast-changing customer preferences.
  • Some of the famous handloom fabrics from India include Tamil Nadu’s famous Kanchipuram saris, Assam’s Muga (golden silk) mekhela sadors, the Paithani weaves of Maharashtra and the Benarasi brocades of Uttar Pradesh.

Various Schemes to support handloom

• • National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP)
    • NHDP has been formulated for its implementation during the financial year 2021-22 to 2025-26.

      

    • The scheme will follow a need-based approach for integrated and holistic development of handlooms and welfare of handloom weavers.
    • Also emphasizes increasing and enhancing the employment opportunities for the handloom weavers
  • Weaver MUDRA Scheme : Under the Weavers’ Mudra Scheme, credit at concessional interest rate of 6% is provided to the handloom weavers.
  • Urban Haat
    • To provide adequate direct marketing facilities to the craft persons/weavers and eliminate middle agencies. 3
    • 8 such Urban Haats have been sanctioned across the country so far.
  • Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme
    • Life, accidental and disability insurance coverage to handloom weavers/workers.
    • Worked as the components Pradhan Mantri Jivan Jyoti Bima Yojana(PMJJBY), Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana(PMSBY) and Converged Mahatma Gandhi Bunkar Bima Yojana(MGBBY).

Daily Current Affairs : Click Here

Contact US