Current Affairs 6 March 2024 for UPSC And State PSC Exam

Table of Contents

e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi

News- Recently, “Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution Introduces ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’ Initiative”

The ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’ initiative, launched by the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Commerce and Industry, and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal, marks a significant step towards empowering Indian farmers. Announced in New Delhi, this digital platform is part of the Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) and aims to revolutionize warehousing logistics for farmers, offering them fair prices for their produce. By leveraging technology, this initiative is expected to ease farmers’ warehousing logistics, reduce the need for distress sales, and enable access to post-harvest loans against stored produce at favorable terms.

Key features of the ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’ initiative

Reduction of security deposit charges at WDRA registered warehouses from 3% to 1% to encourage wider use by farmers, particularly benefiting small farmers.
The introduction of a simplified digital process for farmers’ storage at any registered WDRA warehouse for six months at a 7% interest per annum.
The initiative aims to prevent distress sales by offering farmers no collateral, extra security deposit policies, thus allowing them to sell their harvest at more opportune times and receive better prices.
More than 5,500 registered warehouses under the WDRA will support the initiative, providing substantial infrastructure. The goal is to boost the farming community’s income by making agriculture an attractive proposition and to facilitate timely access to affordable loans.
Banks participating in the ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’ platform will offer loans at 7% interest rates without any collateral, offering flexibility in terms of interest rates and loan amounts to cater to the diverse needs of farmers across the country.

Government Vision

This initiative is aligned with the government’s broader vision to modernize Indian agriculture through technology, enhance farmers’ income, and position the agriculture sector as a pivotal component in realizing India’s ambition of becoming a developed nation by 2047. The launch of the ‘e-Kisan Upaj Nidhi’ is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving the financial capabilities of the farming community and the agricultural growth of the nation

iDEX (ADITI)

News- “Ministry of Defence Launches ADITI Scheme Within iDEX Framework to Foster Innovative Technologies”.

Objective- Aligns with the government’s vision to transform India into a knowledge society and gain a technological edge as a developed nation.

Launch of ADITI Scheme: Unveiled by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at DefConnect 2024 in New Delhi to promote innovation in defense technology.
Funding for Startups: Provides up to Rs 25 crore in grants for R&D to eligible startups focusing on critical and strategic defense technologies.
Budget Allocation: Rs 750 crore designated for the ADITI scheme for 2023-24 to 2025-26.
Under iDEX Framework: Part of the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) initiative by the Department of Defence Production (DDP).
Youth Innovation and Technological Advancement: Aims to foster youth innovation and advance India’s stance in the global technology sector.
Development Goals: Plans to develop around 30 deep-tech, critical, and strategic technologies.
Technology Watch Tool: Creation of a tool to bridge the gap between the Armed Forces’ needs and the defense innovation ecosystem’s capabilities.
First Edition Challenges: Launched 17 challenges across the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, and Defence Space Agency to enhance defense capabilities and national security.
Self-reliance in Defense Production: Part of the government’s broader strategy to promote domestic manufacturing and technological independence for India’s strategic autonomy.
Defense India Start-up Challenge (DISC) 11: Introduced alongside ADITI, featuring 22 problem statements to address critical defense challenges.

Impact on India’s Defense Sector

Expected to accelerate India’s progression as a global leader in defense technology and innovation, securing national security and sovereignty.

Digital Intelligence Platform

News- Recently, the Minister of Communications, Railways, and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, introduced the Department of Telecommunications (DoT)’s Digital Intelligence Platform (DIP) and ‘Chakshu’ facility on the Sanchar Saathi portal.

About

Developed by the Department of Telecommunications.
A secure, integrated platform for real-time intelligence sharing among stakeholders like Telecom Service Providers, law enforcement, banks, and social media platforms.
Contains information on telecom resource misuse cases.
Helps stakeholders in their respective domains with shared information.
Supports citizen-initiated requests on Sanchar Saathi for stakeholder action.
Accessible to stakeholders over secure connections, with information sharing based on roles.
Not accessible to citizens.
Enhances user safety and security aligning with Digital India’s vision.
Features for blocking lost/stolen mobiles.
Verifies mobile connections registered in a user’s name.
Uses AI and facial recognition for SIM subscriber verification.
Aims to prevent identity theft, forged KYC, and banking fraud.

ABOUT CHAKSHU

Chakshu is a new feature on the Sanchar Saathi portal by DoT for citizen services.
Allows reporting of fraud communication via call, SMS, or WhatsApp aiming to defraud in various scenarios like KYC updates, bank or payment wallet updates, SIM or utility connections, sextortion, or impersonation for money.
Victims of cybercrime or financial fraud are advised to report to the cyber-crime helpline number 1930 or the government website https://www.cybercrime.gov.in.

Sanchar Saathi portal offers several citizen-centric services, including

Checking mobile connections in one’s name and requesting disconnections for unwanted or unrecognized connections.
Reporting lost or stolen mobile handsets for blocking and tracking.
Verifying the authenticity of mobile handsets when purchasing new or used devices.
Reporting international calls that falsely display Indian numbers.
Accessing details of licensed wireline Internet Service Providers.