Current Affair 1:

Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)

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News:

A three-day “Grand Hackathon” organized by the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) in collaboration with NABARD, has been launched. This was a hybrid event with the physical event held at the Bombay Stock Exchange in Fort, Mumbai.  The “Grand Hackathon”, is subdivided into two categories; Agri Grant Challenge and Agri Innovation Hackathon that will showcase the innovations to aid the adoption of eCommerce in the agricultural sector.

About ONDC.

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry has initiated a project on Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

The task has been assigned to Quality Council of India (QCI).

1. ONDC aims at promoting open networks developed on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform.
2. ONDC is expected to digitize the entire value chain, standardize operations, promote inclusion of suppliers, derive efficiencies in logistics and enhance value for consumers.
3. Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) is an initiative aiming at promoting open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks.
4. ONDC is to be based on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols independent of any specific platform.
5. The foundations of ONDC are to be open protocols for all aspects in the entire chain of activities in exchange of goods and services.
6. These open protocols would be used for establishing public digital infrastructure in the form of open registries and open network gateways to enable exchange of information between providers and consumers.

 Thus, ONDC goes beyond the current platform-centric digital commerce model where the buyer and seller have to use the same platform or application to be digitally visible and do a business transaction.

ONDC protocols would standardize operations like cataloguing, inventory management, order management and order fulfilment. Thus, small businesses would be able to use any ONDC compatible applications instead of being governed by specific platform centric policies.

1. This will provide multiple options to small businesses to be discoverable over network and conduct business.
2.  It would also encourage easy adoption of digital means by those currently not on digital commerce networks.

How it is beneficial to consumers?

1. ONDC is expected to make e-Commerce more inclusive and accessible for consumers. Consumers can potentially discover any seller, product or service by using any compatible application or platform, thus increasing freedom of choice for consumers.
2.  It will enable the consumers to match demand with the nearest available supply. This would also give consumers the liberty to choose their preferred local businesses.
3.  Thus, ONDC would standardize operations, promote inclusion of local suppliers, drive efficiencies in logistics and lead to enhancement of value for consumers.

 

Current Affair 2:

Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) Scheme

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Introduction of any scheme is very important:

This scheme is designed to address the challenges faced by the micro enterprises and to tap the potential of groups and cooperatives in supporting the upgradation and formalization of these enterprises.

About the scheme:

Ministry of Food Processing Industry (MoFPI) has launched the Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro food processing Enterprises (PMFME) scheme under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan with the aim to enhance the competitiveness of existing individual micro-enterprises in the unorganized segment of the food processing industry and promote formalization of the sector.

The scheme to be implemented over a period of five years from 2020-21 to 2024-25 with a total outlay of Rupees 10,000 crore. The expenditure under the scheme would to be shared in 60:40 ratio between Central and State Governments, in 90:10 ratio with North Eastern and Himalayan States, 60:40 ratio with UTs with legislature and 100% by the Center for other UTs.

Objectives

The objectives of scheme are to build capability of microenterprises to enable:

1. Increased access to credit by existing micro food processing entrepreneurs, FPOs, Self Help Groups and Co-operatives;
2. Integration with organized supply chain by strengthening branding & marketing;
3. Support for transition of existing 2,00,000 enterprises into formal framework;
4. Increased access to common services like common processing facility, laboratories, storage, packaging, marketing and incubation services;
5. Strengthening of institutions, research and training in the food processing sector; and
6. Increased access for the enterprises, to professional and technical support.

Coverage

Under the scheme, 2,00,000 micro food processing units will be directly assisted with credit linked subsidy. Adequate supportive common infrastructure and institutional architecture will be supported to accelerate growth of the sector.

The Scheme adopts One District One Product (ODOP) approach to reap the benefit of scale in terms of procurement of inputs, availing common services and marketing of products. ODOP for the scheme will provide the framework for value chain development and alignment of support infrastructure.

 

Current Affair 3:

India’s largest floating solar power project commissioned

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India’s largest floating Solar Power Project is now fully operational. NTPC declared Commercial Operation of the final part capacity of 20 MW out of 100 MW Ramagundam Floating Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, Telangana with effect from 00:00 hours of July 01, 2022.

With the operationalisation of 100-MW Solar PV Project at Ramagundam, total commercial operation of Floating Solar Capacity in Southern Region rose to 217 MW.

The entire floating system is being anchored through special HMPE (High Modulus Polyethylene) rope to the dead weights placed in the balancing reservoir bed.

Current Affair 4:

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission

News:

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilisers chaired IPC Conference 2022 and released 9th edition of Indian Pharmacopoeia at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi today in the august presence of. Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar, Union Minister of State.

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Addressing Medicine Quality for Future’.

About:

Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) is an Autonomous Institution of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India.

IPC is created to set standards of drugs in the country. Its basic function is to update regularly the standards of drugs commonly required for treatment of diseases prevailing in this region.

It publishes official documents for improving Quality of Medicines by way of adding new and updating existing monographs in the form of Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP).

It further promotes rational use of generic medicines by publishing National Formulary of India.

IP prescribes standards for identity, purity and strength of drugs essentially required from health care perspective of human beings and animals. IPC also provides IP Reference Substances (IPRS) which act as a finger print for identification of an article under test and its purity as prescribed in IP.

About Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP):

Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP) is published by the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) on behalf of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India in fulfilment of the requirements of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules 1945 there under.

IP is recognized as the official book of standards for the drugs being manufactured and/or marketed in India.

IP contains a collection of authoritative procedures of analysis and specifications of drugs for their identity, purity and strength. The standards of the IP are authoritative in nature and are enforced by the regulatory authorities for ensuring the quality of drugs in India.

During quality assurance and at the time of dispute in the court of law the IP standards are legally acceptable. The Standards prescribed in the IP are to establish the compliance with regulatory requirements on an article.

The criteria to be adhered are: The interpretation of a monograph must be in accordance with all the general requirements, testing methods, texts and notices pertaining to it, in the IP. A product is not of standard quality unless it complies with all the requirements of the monograph.

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