Daily Current Affairs 09 February 2024 – IAS Current Affairs

Current Affairs 09 February 2024 focuses on the Prelims-Mains perspective. Major events are :

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana

Source: PTI
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

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. How it helps

Why in the News?

Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi approved the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY).

Importance of Fisheries Sector

• Over the period from 2013-14 to 2023-24, significant improvements have been made in the fisheries sector in terms of fish production, which increased by 79.66 lakh tonnes
• This is equivalent to an increase in 43 years (1971 to 2014).
• Robust growth of Coastal Aquaculture from 2013-14 to 2022-23.
• Shrimp production increased from 3.22 lakh tonnes to —11.84 lakh tonnes (270%).
  • Shrimp exports more than doubled from Rs.19,368 crore to Rs.43,135 crore (123%)
• Employment and Livelihood opportunities to about 63 lakh fishers and fish farmers.
• There has been a notable rise in Livelihood and Nutritional Support for traditional fisher families, increasing from 3,40,397 to 5,97,709.

Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY)

• It is a Central Sector Sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY).
• Aim: For formalization of the fisheries sector and supporting fisheries micro and small enterprises
• Outlay: Over Rs. 6,000 crores
  • Rs.3,000 crore public finance including the World Bank and the AFD external financing
  • Rs.3,000 crore being the anticipated investment from the beneficiaries/private sector leverage
• Duration: It will be implemented for 4 (four) years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 across all the States and UTs.

Need for the PM-MKSSY Scheme

• There are several sectoral challenges felt in the sector.
• The sector is
  • Informal in nature
  • Lack of crop risk mitigation
  • Lack of work-based identities
  • Poor access to institutional credit
  • Sub-optimal safety & quality of fish sold by micro & small enterprises.
• New-sub-scheme under the existing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) aims to address these issues, with a total outlay of Rs.6,000 crore.

Beneficiaries of PM-MKSSY

• Fishers, Fish (Aquaculture) Farmers, Fish workers, Fish Vendors or other persons directly engaged in the fisheries value chain.
• Micro and Small enterprises in the form of Proprietary Firms, Partnership Firms and Companies registered in India, Societies, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), Cooperatives, Federations, Village Level Organizations like Self Help Groups (SHGs), Fish Farmers Producer Organizations (FFPOs) and Startups engaged in fisheries and aquaculture value chains.
• FFPOs also include Farmer’s Producer Organizations (FPOs).
• Any other beneficiaries that may be included by the Department of Fisheries, Gol as targeted beneficiaries.

The outcome of the project

• To create a National Fisheries Digital Platform to provide 40 lakh small and micro-enterprises work-based identities.
• For gradual formalization of the fisheries sector initiative will support 6.4 lakh micro-enterprises and 5,500 fisheries cooperatives.
• The scheme will gradually change from subsidies to performance-based incentives in fisheries.
• Promotion of Environment and Sustainability Initiatives.
• Facilitating Ease of Doing Business and Transparency.
• It is projected to create 1.7 lakh new jobs, with a special emphasis on employing 75,000 women and also aims to generate 5.4 lakh continued employment opportunities in the micro and small enterprises value chain.

Major Components

• Component 1-A: Formalization of the fisheries sector and facilitating access of fisheries microenterprises to Government of India programs for working capital financing
  • Gradually formalized by the creation of a registry of fish producers and other supporting actors.
  • National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP) will be created and all the stakeholders will be mobilized to register on it.
  • Encourage them to do so by providing financial incentives.
  • It is also proposed to undertake activities such as training and extension support, improving financial literacy, facilitating project preparation and documentation through financial support.
• Component 1-B: Facilitating the adoption of aquaculture insurance
  • Creation of appropriate insurance products.
  • Cover at least 1 lakh hectares of aquaculture farms during the project period to provide the scale of operation.
  • Offering a one-time incentive to farmers with farm sizes of 4 hectares or less who are willing to purchase insurance.
  • The maximum incentive payable to a single farmer will be Rs.1,00,000.
  • SC, ST and Women beneficiaries would be provided an additional incentive @ 10% of the incentive payable for General Categories.
  • This will enable the insurance companies to come up with attractive insurance products in future.
• Component 2: Supporting microenterprises to improve fisheries sector value chain efficiencies
  • To improve value chain efficiencies in the fishery sector through a system of performance grants with associated analytics and awareness campaigns.
  • Proposed to incentivise microenterprises to reengage in production, creation and maintenance of jobs.
  • The components give priority to women.
• Component 3: Adoption and expansion of fish and fishery product safety and quality assurance systems
  • Proposed to incentivize fisheries micro and small enterprises to adopt safety and quality assurance systems.
  • Expected to expand domestic market for fish through increased supply of safe fish and fishery products.

Criteria for Providing Performance Grants component 2 and 3

• Grant
  • Performance Grant for a Microenterprise shall not exceed 25% of the total investment or, Rs.35 lakhs, whichever is lower, for General Category
  • 35% of total investment or, Rs.45 lakhs, whichever is lower, for SC, ST and Women owned microenterprises.
• Size
  • The maximum size of Performance Grant for a Small enterprise shall not exceed 25% of total investment or Rs.75 lakhs, whichever is lower, for General Category
  • 35% of total investment or Rs.100 lakhs, whichever is lower, for SC, ST and women-owned small enterprises.
• Village Level Organizations
  • The maximum size of Performance Grant for Village Level Organizations and Federations of SHGs, FFPOs and Cooperatives shall not exceed 35% of total investment or Rs.200 lakhs, whichever is lower.
• Number of jobs created and maintained
  • Including jobs created and maintained for women.
  • For each job created and maintained for a woman an amount of Rs.15,000 per year will be paid, similarly, for each job created and maintained for a man an amount of Rs.10,000 per year will be paid, subject to the limit of 50% of the total eligible grant.

India Rwanda Relation

Source: PIB
GS II:  Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. About Rwanda
3. India Rwanda Relation

Why in the News?

India and Rwanda held the first edition of the Joint Defence Cooperation Committee (JDCC) meeting in Kigali, Rwanda

News in Brief

• Wide range of opportunities to enhance defence cooperation between the two countries. Detailed discussions were held in areas like training cooperation, joint military exercises, defence-industrial cooperation etc.
• The Indian delegation highlighted the growing prowess of Indian defence manufacturers to export to friendly countries.
• The Rwandan side evinced keen interest in augmenting training cooperation, expressing confidence in the growing capabilities of the Indian defence industry.

About Rwanda

Rwanda, officially known as the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country located in the Great Lakes region of East-Central Africa.

Facts about Rwanda

• Capital: Kigali
• Population: As of my last update, Rwanda had a population of around 12 million people.
• Official Languages: Kinyarwanda, English, French, and Swahili. Kinyarwanda is the most widely spoken language.
• Government:
  • Rwanda is a unitary presidential republic with a multi-party system.
  • The President of Rwanda is both the head of state and head of government.
• Economy
  • Rwanda’s economy is primarily based on agriculture, with coffee and tea being significant exports.
  • The country’s natural beauty, including its national parks and mountain gorillas, tourism is also a growing sector.
• History
  • Rwanda is known for the tragic genocide that occurred in 1994, during which an estimated 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis (a sign of wealth) but also moderate Hutus, were killed in 100 days.
  • Since then, Rwanda has made significant strides in reconciliation and rebuilding efforts.
• Geography: Rwanda is a relatively small country, but it is known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills” due to its mountainous terrain. It shares borders with Uganda to the north, Tanzania to the east, Burundi to the south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west.
• Culture: Rwandan culture is diverse, with influences from its various ethnic groups, including the Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa. Traditional dance, music, and art are significant parts of Rwandan culture. Additionally, the country is known for its vibrant traditional clothing, such as the colorful wraps worn by women.
• Technology: Rwanda has been making efforts to become a technology hub in Africa. Initiatives such as the Kigali Innovation City aim to foster innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
• Education: Rwanda has made significant strides in improving its education system since the genocide. The government has implemented initiatives to increase access to education and improve the quality of schooling across the country.

India Rwanda Relation

India and Rwanda have maintained friendly relations characterized by cooperation and collaboration in various fields. Here are some key aspects of the India-Rwanda relationship:

• Diplomatic Relations: Diplomatic relations between India and Rwanda were established in 1962, shortly after Rwanda gained independence. Since then, both countries have maintained diplomatic missions in each other’s capitals, fostering bilateral ties.
• Trade and Economic Cooperation: India and Rwanda have increasingly focused on enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation. India has been involved in various development projects in Rwanda, including infrastructure development, capacity building, and technical assistance. However, the trade volume between the two countries remains relatively modest but has been growing steadily.
• Development Assistance: India has provided development assistance to Rwanda in areas such as agriculture, healthcare, education, and capacity building. India’s development cooperation with Rwanda is based on the principles of South-South cooperation and mutual benefit.
• Defense and Security Cooperation: India and Rwanda have also collaborated in defense and security cooperation, including training programs for Rwandan defense personnel and sharing of expertise in peacekeeping operations. Both countries have contributed troops to United Nations peacekeeping missions.
• Cultural and People-to-People Exchanges: Cultural exchanges between India and Rwanda have helped foster mutual understanding and friendship between the two nations. Indian cultural events, such as film festivals and dance performances, have been organized in Rwanda, while Rwandan cultural troupes have visited India. Additionally, there is a growing interest among Rwandan students to study in Indian educational institutions.
• Multilateral Cooperation: India and Rwanda cooperate closely on various multilateral platforms, including the United Nations, where they often share common interests and perspectives on global issues such as climate change, peacekeeping, and sustainable development.

Promotion Of Startups In Agriculture Sector

Source: PIB
GS III: Indian Economy

Overview

1. News in Brief
2. Status of the scheme

Why in the News?

The Government of India is committed to promoting Agri-startups by providing financial and technical support to agri-startups in agriculture and allied sectors.

News in Brief

• Department of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare (DA&FW) is implementing the “Innovation and Agri-Entrepreneurship Development” programme under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) from 2018-19.
• It aims to promote innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by providing financial and technical support for nurturing the startup ecosystem in the country.

Status of the scheme

• 5 Knowledge Partners (KPs) and 24 RKVY Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) have been appointed for training & incubation of agri-startups and implementation of this programme.
• The list of these 5 KPs and 24 R-ABIs is in Annexure. Under the programme, the funds are released to KPs and R-ABIs functioning in different States.
• These KPs and R-ABIs have established incubation centres to provide training, mentorship and financial support to startups under the programme.
• So far, 1554 agri-startups including 387 women-led startups working in various fields of agriculture & allied sector have been supported with technical and financial assistance of Rs. 111.57 crores released in instalments through various KPs and R-ABIs from 2019-20 to 2023-24 under this programme.
• Financial support up to Rs. 5.00 lakh is provided at the idea/pre-seed stage and up to Rs. 25 lacks at the seed stage to entrepreneurs/ startups in the field of agriculture & allied sectors to launch their products, services, business platforms, etc into the market and facilitate them to scale up their products and operations.
• Start-ups are trained and incubated by these Knowledge Partners (KPs) and RKVY Agribusiness Incubators (R-ABIs) appointed under the programme.
• There is no specific provision for landless tenant farmers to set up start-ups under this scheme.

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