ODOP: Handicraft Sector

Why in News?

Recently, the Ministry of Textile inaugurated the 'Lota Shop' at National Crafts Museum, New Delhi.

• The shop was opened by Central Cottage Industries Corporation of India Limited (CCIC), popularly known as the Central Cottage Industries Emporium.
  • It showcases fine handcrafted curios, souvenirs, handicrafts and textiles based on the traditional craft forms of India.
• The government also reiterated that it is working towards 'One District One Product' which will give impetus to the Handicraft sector as well as the Artisans.

What is One District One Product?

• About:
  • The ‘One District, One Product’ (ODOP) was launched by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, to help districts reach their full potential, foster economic and socio-cultural growth, and create employment opportunities, especially, in rural areas.
    • It was launched in January, 2018, by the Uttar Pradesh Government, and due to its success, was later adopted by the Central Government.
  • This initiative is carried out with the ‘Districts as Exports Hub’ initiative by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), Department of Commerce.
    • ‘Districts as Exports Hub’ initiative provides financial and technical assistance to the district level industries so that the small-scale industries can be helped and they can provide employment opportunities to the local people.
• Objectives:
  • It aims to identify, promote and brand a product from one district.
  • To turn every district in India, into an export hub through promotion of the product in which the district specialises.
  • It envisions to accomplish this by scaling manufacturing, supporting local businesses, finding potential foreign customers and so on, thus helping to achieve the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ vision.

What is the Status of Handicraft Sector in India?

• About:
  • Handicrafts are items that are constructed by hand using simple tools rather than mass production methods and equipment. While very similar to basic arts and crafts, there is one key difference with handicrafts.
    • The items produced as a result of the efforts are designed for a specific function or use as well as being ornamental in nature.
  • The handloom and handicraft industry has been the backbone of India’s rural economy for decades.
  • India produces woodware, artmetal wares, handprinted textiles, embroidered goods, zari goods, imitation jewellery, sculptures, pottery, glassware, attars, agarbattis, etc.
• Trade:
  • India is one of the largest handicraft exporting countries.
  • In March 2022, the total handicraft export excluding handmade carpets from India was USD 174.26 million which was an 8% increase from February 2022. During 2021-22, the total exports of Indian handicrafts were valued at USD 4.35 billion; a 25.7% increase from the previous year.
• Significance of the Sector:
  • Largest Employment Generator:
    • It is one of the largest employment generators after agriculture, providing a key means of livelihood to the country’s rural and urban population.
    • Handicraft is one of the most important sectors in the Indian economy employing more than seven million people.
  • Eco-Friendly:
    • The sector functions on a self-sustaining business model, with craftsmen often growing their own raw materials and is well known for being a pioneer of environment-friendly zero-waste practices.
• Challenges:
  • Artisans face challenges such as inaccessibility of funds, low penetration of technology, absence of market intelligence and poor institutional framework for growth.
  • In addition, the sector is plagued by implicit contradiction of handmade products, which are typically at odds with scale of production.

What Factors Support the Growth of the Sector?

• Government Schemes:
  • The central government is actively working towards developing the industry to maximize its potential.
  • The introduction of several schemes and initiatives is helping craftsmen to overcome the challenges they face.
• Rise of Dedicated Trade Platforms:
  • Few platforms like Craftezy, have emerged that lend the much-needed support to Indian artisans in finding visibility in domestic and global markets.
  • These global handicraft trade platforms come with a free supplier induction process and aim at giving it an organized image in the global market.
• Using Technology for Inclusion:
  • Technology that can help cross boundaries has proven to be a boon for the handicraft industry.
  • E-commerce has opened doors to seamless access to consumer goods, and this has enabled inclusive growth as all manufacturers in any part of the globe can showcase their products through these online platforms.
  • Even social media platforms are helping immensely with marketing Indian handicrafts globally.
• Exports Vs Imports:
  • In the last five years, exports of Indian handicrafts have gone up by more than 40%, as three-fourths of handicrafts are exported.
  • Indian handicrafts are majorly exported to more than a hundred countries, and the US alone constitutes about a third of India’s handicrafts exports.
• Change in Behavior of Artisans:
  • To generate enhanced income, artisans adapt to new skills and create products that meet new market demands.
  • Thus, on account of the introduction of technology and the ease it brings to their table, there is a significant change in the behaviors of sellers and buyers of handicrafts.

Way Forward

• Indian craft sector has the scope to become a billion-dollar marketplace with the right support and business environment.
• Developing a systematic approach, which nurtures the intrinsic value of craft skills and opens avenues for product design and manufacturing will increase access to new markets.
• Alongside, capitalising on e-commerce for online visibility and operational efficiencies will prove to be a critical success factor as the sector evolves and gains further traction.
• The present time of globalization, the handicraft sector has massive opportunities in the domestic and global markets. While the precarious condition of artisans needs careful interventions for their upliftment, the government has already been making great strides by adopting measures that will make handicraft products competitive globally and improve the conditions of our craftsmen.

Source: PIB

Periodic Labour Force Survey 2020-21

Why in News?

Recently the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) for 2020-21 released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation(MOSPI)

What are the Highlights of PLFS?

• Unemployment Rate:
  • It shows that the unemployment rate fell to 4.2% in 2020-21, compared with 4.8% in 2019-20.
  • The rural areas recorded an unemployment rate of 3.3% and urban areas recorded an unemployment rate of 6.7%.
• Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR):
  • The percentage of persons in the labour force (that is, working or seeking work or available for work) in the population increased from 40.1% in the previous year to 41.6% during 2020-21.
• Worker Population Ratio (WPR):
  • It increased from 38.2% of the previous year to 39.8%.
• Migration Rate:
  • The migration rate is 28.9%. The migration rate among women was 48% and 47.8% in rural and urban areas, respectively.

What is the Periodic Labour Force Survey?

• Considering the importance of the availability of labour force data at more frequent time intervals, the National Statistical Office (NSO) launched the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) in April 2017.
• The objective of PLFS is primarily two fold:
  • To estimate the key employment and unemployment indicators (viz. Worker Population Ratio, Labour Force Participation Rate, Unemployment Rate) in the short time interval of three months for the urban areas only in the CWS.
  • To estimate employment and unemployment indicators in both usual Status and CWS in both rural and urban areas annually.

What are Recent Initiatives to fight Unemployment?

• Support for Marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE)
• PM-DAKSH (Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi)
• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY)
• Start Up India Scheme

Source:TH

Digital News Report 2022

Why in News?

Recently, Digital News Report 2022 was released by Reuters Institute.

• The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism is dedicated to exploring the future of journalism worldwide through debate, engagement, and research.
• This year’s report, the eleventh overall, is based on a survey conducted by YouGuv, a British market research and data analytics firm, in January/February 2022 through online questionnaires.
  • It covers 46 markets in six continents.

What are the Key Highlights of the Report?

• Trust Issue:
  • People are trusting news content less and less.
• Decline in Traditional News Media:
  • Consumption of traditional news media declined in nearly all the countries surveyed.
• Increase in Consumers who Avoid News:
  • The proportion of news consumers who avoid news has risen sharply across countries, with the report describing the phenomenon as “selective avoidance”.
• Growth in Digital Subscription:
  • Despite small increases in the proportion of people willing to pay for online news (mostly in richer countries), the growth in digital subscriptions for news content seems to be leveling off.
• Access Way:
  • The smartphone has become the dominant way in which most people first access news in the morning.
  • While Facebook remained the most-used social network for news, it is TikTok that has become the fastest-growing network, reaching 40% of 18-24-year-olds, with 15% using the platform for news.

What about Preferred Modes of News Consumption?

• Across markets and age groups, text is still king when it comes to news consumption.
• However, younger audiences were more likely to say they watch the news.
  • In India, 58% mostly read the news while 17% mostly watch it.
  • On the other hand, the comparable figures for Finland, which has a historic pattern of high newspaper consumption, was 85% and 3% respectively.

What about the Main Gateway to News?

• Smartphone being the preferred mode of access, direct access to apps and websites were becoming less important over time, giving ground to social media, which is becoming more important as a gateway to news due to its ubiquity and convenience.
• At an aggregate level, with social media preference (28%) surging ahead of direct access (23%)” notes the report.

What about the Trends in India?

• India is a strongly mobile-focused market.
• 72% of the survey respondents accessed news through smartphones and 35% did so via computers.
• Also, 84% of the Indian respondents sourced news online, 63% from social media, 59% from television, and 49% from print.
• YouTube (53%) and WhatsApp (51%) were the top social media platforms for sourcing news.
• India registered a small increase in the level of trust, with 41% trusting news overall.
• A minority of respondents - 36% and 35% - felt that legacy print brands and public broadcasters lacked undue political influence and business influence, respectively.

Source: TH

Indian Railway Innovation Policy

Why in News?

Recently, the Minister of Railways has launched Indian Railway Innovation Policy- “StartUps for Railways”.

What are the Key Highlights of the Policy?

• About:
  • Grant up to Rs. 1.5 Crore to innovators on equal sharing basis with provision of milestone-wise payment.
  • The complete process from floating of problem statement to development of prototype is online with defined time line to make it transparent and objective.
  • Trials of prototypes will be done in Railways.
  • Enhanced funding will be provided to scale up deployment on successful performance of prototypes.
  • Selection of Innovator/s will be done by a transparent and fair system which will be dealt through an online portal inaugurated today by the Minister of Railways.
  • Developed Intellectual property rights (IPR) will remain with innovators only.
  • De-centralization of complete product development process at divisional level to avoid delays.
• Issues Identified:
  • Eleven problem statements such as rail fracture, headway reduction, etc., have been taken up for this program’s phase 1 out of the more than 100 problem statements received from various divisions, field offices or zones of Indian Railways.
• Expected Benefits:
  • This policy will bring scale and efficiency in the field of operation, maintenance and infrastructure creation through participation of a very large and untapped startup ecosystem.
  • It also aims to leverage innovative technologies developed by Indian Startups/MSMEs/Innovators/Entrepreneurs to improve operational efficiency and Safety of Indian Railways.
  • It will Promote “Innovation Culture‟ in the country for co-creation and co-innovation in the Railway sector.

What are the Key Facts about Indian Railways?

• About:
  • The Indian Railways network is one of the longest in the world.
  • It facilitates the movement of both freight and passengers and contributes to the growth of the economy.
  • The Indian Railway was introduced in 1853, when a line was constructed from Bombay to Thane covering a distance of 34 km.
  • Indian Railways is the largest government undertaking in the country.
  • The length of the Indian Railways network was 67,956 km (Railway yearbook 2019-20).
• Zones:
  • In India, the railway system has been divided into 16 zones.

Railway Zone	Headquarters
Central	Mumbai CST
Eastern	Kolkata
East Central	Hajipur
East Coast	Bhubaneswar
Northern	New Delhi
North Central	Allahabad
North Eastern	Gorakhpur
North East Frontier	Maligaon (Guwahati)
North Western	Jaipur
Southern	Chennai
South Central	Secunderabad
South Eastern	Kolkata
South East Central	Bilaspur
South Western	Hubli
Western	Mumbai (Church Gate)
West Central	Jabalpur

• Indian Railways is the proud owner of four UNESCO accorded World Heritage Sites namely Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (1999), Nilgiri Mountain Railway (2005), Kalka Shimla Railway (2008) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai (2004).
  • There are two more in waiting or in the tentative list namely Matheran Light Railway and Kangra Valley Railway.

Source: PIB

Prithvi-II Missile

Why in News?

Recently, India successfully conducted the night trial of surface-to-surface nuclear-capable short-range ballistic missile Prithvi-II.

• Earlier, Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile Agni-IV was tested which can travel as far as 4,000 km.

What are the Key Highlights about Prithivi-II Missile?

• About:
  • Prithvi-II is an indigenously developed Surface-to-Surface Missile Short-Range Ballistic Missile (SRBM), which has a range of around 250 km-350km and can carry a one tonne payload.
  • Prithvi II class is a single-stage liquid-fueled missile that has warhead mounting capability of 500 kg-1000kg.
  • The missile is a proven system and is capable of striking targets with a very high degree of precision.
  • The state-of-the-art missile uses an advanced inertial guidance system with manoeuvring trajectory to hit its target.
  • It was initially developed for the Indian Air Force as its primary user and was later inducted into the Indian Army as well.
  • While the missile was inducted into India's Strategic Forces Command for the first time in 2003, it was the first missile developed under the IGMDP.
• Developed by:
  • Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) of India under its Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP).

What are the Prithvi Missiles?

• The Prithvi missile system comprises various tactical Surface-to-Surface Short-Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM).
• Its development began in 1983, and it was India’s first indigenous ballistic missile.
• It was first test-fired in 1988, from Sriharikota, SHAR Centre.
  • It has a range of from 150 to 300 km.
• The naval variant of Prithvi I and Prithvi III class missiles have the code-name Dhanush.
• The propulsion technology was likely based on the Soviet SA-2 surface-to-air missile.
  • Soviet SA-2 Surface-to-Air Missile:
    • Developed in the mid-1950s, the Soviet SA-2 surface-to-air missile was the first effective Soviet Union surface-to-air missile.
    • Developed as a missile for the battlefield, it could carry a nuclear warhead in its role as a tactical nuclear weapon.
• The Prithvi I missiles have been in service with the Indian Army since 1994.
  • Reportedly, Prahar missiles are replacing with Prithvi I missiles.
• Prithvi II missiles have been in service since 1996.
• Prithvi III having a more extended range of 350 km, was successfully test-fired in 2004.

What is Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP)?

• About:
  • IGMDP was an Indian Ministry of Defence programme to research and develop a comprehensive range of missiles.
  • The project started in 1982–1983 under the leadership of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam.
  • This Programme made Dr APJ Abdul Kalam the missile man of India.
  • The integrated guided missile programme was complete in, 2008.
• Five Missiles Developed under the IGMDP:
  • PRITHVI (Short range surface-to-surface ballistic missile)
  • AGNI (Medium to intercontinental surface-to-surface missile)
  • TRISHUL (Short range low-level surface-to-air missile)
  • AKASH (Surface-to-air missile having a range of up to 25 Km and multi-target handling system)
  • NAG (Third generation “fire & forget”, “top attack” anti-tank missile)

Source: IE

Bharat Gaurav Scheme

Why in News?

India’s first private train, under the Bharat Gaurav scheme has been flagged off from Coimbatore.

• The train will cover several historical destinations on the route while giving the passengers an insight into the cultural heritage of the country.

What is Bharat Gaurav Scheme?

• About:
  • Launched in November 2021, under the scheme, trains now have a third segment for tourism. Till now, the Railways had passenger segments and goods segments.
    • These trains are not regular trains that will run as per a timetable but will be more on the lines of the Ramayana Express being run by the IRCTC.
  • It was announced under the theme-based tourist circuit trains. These trains will be run by both private players and IRCTC, in theme-based circuits.
    • By theme-based tourism (circuits), the railways mean trains like Guru Kripa that go to all places related to Guru Nanak or a Ramayan-themed train to touch upon places related to Lord Ram.
  • Anyone, from societies, trusts, consortia and even state governments can apply to take these trains and run them on special tourism circuits based on a theme.
    • Service Provider will offer all-inclusive packages to tourists including rail travel, hotel accommodation, sightseeing arrangement, visit to historical/heritage sites, tour guides etc.
• Benefits of such Scheme:
  • These trains will help realise India’s rich cultural heritage and magnificent historical places to the people of India and the world.
  • They will also help in tapping the vast tourism potential of India.

What are the other Related Scheme?

• Swadesh Darshan Scheme:
  • Swadesh Darshan, a Central Sector Scheme, was launched in 2014 -15 for integrated development of theme-based tourist circuits in the country.
• PRASHAD Scheme:
  • The ‘National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Augmentation Drive’ (PRASAD) was launched by the Ministry of Tourism in the year 2014-15 with the objective of holistic development of identified pilgrimage destinations.
• Buddhist Conclave:
  • Buddhist Conclave is organised every alternate year with the objective of promoting India as a Buddhist Destination and major markets around the globe.
• Dekho Apna Desh’ Initiative:
  • It is an initiative to encourage the citizens to travel widely within the country and explore the wonders of India thus enabling the development of Domestic Tourism tourist facilities and infrastructure in tourism spots in the country.

Source: IE

Ultrathin Heteroprotein Film

Why in News?

Scientists have developed Ultra-Thin Hetero Protein films with excellent thermal, mechanical and pH stability which can pave the way for expanding applications of thin films in biomedical and food packaging industries.

• It consists of two globular proteins: Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and Lysozyme (Lys). They used the technique called using Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique which gives the films thickness in the order of nanometer.
• Globular proteins or spheroproteins are spherical proteins and are one of the common protein types. Globular proteins are somewhat water-soluble, unlike the fibrous or membrane proteins.

What are the Benefits of Ultrathin Heteroprotein Film?

• Thinner as compared to the other protein or plastic films.
• They are soft and thin and have the advantage of being more flexible than the other films.
• In the recent past, several modifications of these protein films with the help of suitable heteroprotein complexes were reported by different research groups. These complexes were usually developed from bulk solutions.
• Films of BSA and Lys can be useful for fabricating highly stable biodegradable thin films of different protein complexes for expanding its applications in the area of thin-film technology.
• Diverse physicochemical methods such as parameter alteration or incorporation of different fatty acids or polyol moieties (glycerol, starch, gelatin, etc.) into this protein complex can make the film free standing for diverse applications.

Source: PIB