OPEN NET WORK FOR DIGITAL COMMERCE (ONDC)
GS Paper 3: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilisation, of resources, growth, development and employment, Science and Technology
Important for
Prelims exam: ONDC related facts, ODOP
Mains exam: Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
Why in news
Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Textiles, Shri Piyush Goyal today called for the integration of One District One Product (ODOP) initiative with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).
What is ONDC?
It is a not-for-profit organisation that will offer a network to enable local digital commerce stores across industries to be discovered and engaged by any network-enabled applications.
It is neither an aggregator application nor a hosting platform, and all existing digital commerce applications and platforms can voluntarily choose to adopt and be a part of the ONDC network.
The ONDC aims to enable buying of products from all participating e-commerce platforms by consumers through a single platform.
Currently, a buyer needs to go to Amazon, for example, to buy a product from a seller on Amazon.
Under ONDC, it is envisaged that a buyer registered on one participating e-commerce site (for example, Amazon) may purchase goods from a seller on another participating e-commerce site (for example, Flipkart).
ONDC has been envisaged as an entity which should be able to work without the need for day-to-day guidance and advisory from the shareholders/members.
The independence of the management is linked to the financial independence of the entity, and therefore, the entity will be required to get funding independently and have a self-sustaining financial model.
Benefits of ONDC
The ONDC will standardise operations like cataloguing, inventory management, order management and order fulfilment, hence making it simpler and easier for small businesses to be discoverable over network and conduct business.
What is the likely benefits of integrating ODOP and ONDC
ONDC would help in further expanding the frontiers of ODOP by bringing buyers and sellers together on a democratic platform.
One district one product(ODOP)
The ODOP initiative is aimed at fostering balanced regional development across all districts of the country.
The idea is to select, brand, and promote One Product from each District of the country
For enabling holistic socioeconomic growth across all regions
To attract investment in the District to boost manufacturing and exports
To generate employment in the District
To provide an ecosystem for Innovation/ use of Technology at District level to make them competitive with domestic as well as International markets.
IPDMS 2.0
GS Paper 3: Science and Technology: Developments and their applications and effects in everyday life
Important for
Prelims exam: IPDMS 2.0, Pharma Sahi Daam 2.0 App
Why in news
Union Minister of Chemical and Fertilisers launched the Integrated Pharmaceutical Database Management System
2.0 (IPDMS 2.0) and Pharma Sahi Daam 2.0 App. It will provide a single window for submissions of various forms as
mandated under Drug Price Control Order, 2013.
What is IPDMS 2.0
Integrated Pharmaceutical Database Management System 2.0 (IPDMS 2.0) is an integrated responsive cloud based application. It has been developed by the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, with technical support from the Centre for Advance Computing (C-DAC).
Aim:
IPDMS 2.0 aims to optimise synergies in operations in order to promote Government’s thrust on ‘Ease of Doing Business’.
It would provide a single window for submissions of various forms as mandated under Drug Price Control Order (DPCO), 2013.
It is also a step towards ‘Paperless Governance’ as it would also enable paperless functioning of NPPA.
In addition to these, it will facilitate the stakeholders to connect with National Pharma Pricing Regulator from across the country.
About Pharma Sahi Daam
Pharma Sahi Daam is an online search tool for checking prices of Scheduled/ Non-Scheduled medicines instantly at the time of purchasing medicines and for searching medicine substitutes.
One can register an online complaint for medicine overpricing, non-availability, sale of new medicine without prior price approval of NPPA, refusal of supply and sale of any medicine through the app.
Sahi Daam 2.0 App has updated features like speech recognition; availability in Hindi and English; share button and bookmarking medicines.
Updated app also has a facility for launching complaints by consumer through the consumer complaint handling module.
About NPPA
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) was constituted in August, 1997 as an attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilisers as an independent Regulator for pricing of drugs and to ensure availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.
Role:
NPPA’s role as a Regulator is to work towards a Healthy Nation by making medicines accessible and affordable while creating an enabling environment for the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry to develop into a world leader.
NPPA administers‘Pharma Sahi Daam’and‘Pharma Jan Samadhan’platforms for information on medicine prices and registering public grievances.
The Integrated Public Database Management System 2.0 (IPDMS) is being implemented for online information collection from Pharma manufacturers.
RASHTRIYA POSHAN MAAH
GS Paper 2: Issues related to the development and management of the social sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources
Important for
Prelims exam: Provision of Poshan Abhiyaan, Rashtriya POSHAN Maah
Mains exam: Issue related to women and child nutrition
Why in news
Under Poshan Abhiyaan, ‘Rashtriya POSHAN Maah’ is celebrated each year in the month of September with the aim to create awareness about nutrition and healthy food.
Background
POSHAN Abhiyaan or Prime Minister’s overarching scheme for Holistic Nutrition is the flagship programme to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescents, pregnant women and lactating mothers by leveraging technology, targeted approach and convergence.
Vision of the program is to make India malnutrition free by 2022.
Poshan Abhiyaan was launched by Hon’ble Prime Minister on 8th March, 2018 in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan.
This programme incorporates inclusive participation of public representatives of local bodies, government departments of the state, social organisations and the public and private sector.
Ministry of Women and Child Development works as the nodal Ministry for POSHAN Abhiyan.
Objectives of Poshan Abhiyan:
Prevent and reduce Stunting in children (0- 6 years)
Prevent and reduce under-nutrition (underweight prevalence) in children (0-6 years)
Reduce the prevalence of anaemia among young Children(6-59 months)
Reduce the prevalence of anaemia among Women and Adolescent Girls in the age group of 15-49 years
Reduce Low Birth Weight (LBW)
Events under Poshan Abhiyan
1. Community Based Events (CBE)
Community based events (CBE) are being celebrated on 8th & 22nd of every month in all anganwadis.
2. Village Health Sanitation Nutrition Day (VHSND)
Village Health Sanitation Nutritional Day is to be conducted regularly on 15th of the month in convergence with Health Deptt and Gram Panchayat.
3. Poshan maah
The objective of the Poshan Maah is to ensure community mobilisation and bolster people’s participation for addressing malnutrition amongst young children, and women and to ensure health and nutrition for everyone.
Activities during Poshan Maah
During Poshan Maah, SAM(Severe Acute Malnutrition) children are identified across all districts .
Government provide them care and nutrition in targeted manner
SAM
Severe acute malnutrition is defined by very low weight-for-height/length (Z- score below -3 SD of the median WHO child growth standards), or a mid-upper arm circumference < 115 mm, or by the presence of nutritional oedema. Severe Acute Malnutrition is both a medical and social disorder. Lack of exclusive breastfeeding, late introduction of complementary feeds, feeding diluted feeds containing less amount of nutrients, repeated enteric and respiratory tract infections, ignorance, and poverty are some of the factors responsible for Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). SAM significantly increases the risk of death in children under five years of age.
PM POSHAN
Government of India approved the centrally sponsored scheme‘Pradhan Mantri Poshan Shakti Nirman (PM POSHAN)’, earlier known as Mid-Day Meal Scheme, for providing one hot cooked meal in government and government aided schools from 2021-22 to 2025-26.
The scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Education. Under the scheme, there is provision of hot cooked meals to children of pre-schools or Bal Vatika before class one in primary schools also in addition to the 11.80 crore children of classes I to VIII studying in 11.20 lakh schools.
The scheme is implemented across the country covering all the eligible children without any discrimination of gender and social class.
Objective
To address two of the pressing problems for the majority of children in India, like hunger and education by improving the nutritional status of eligible children in schools.
Encouraging poor children, belonging to disadvantaged sections to attend school more regularly and help them concentrate on classroom activities.
BEDU/HIMALAYAN BEDU
TERMS IN NEWS
Important for
Prelims exam: Bedu
Why in news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his latest Mann Ki Baat praised Pithoragarh administration and the cooperation of the local people for successfully bringing Bedu to the market in different forms.
About Bedu/Himalayan Bedu
Himalayan fig or bedu, is a fruit rich in minerals and vitamins, antioxidants, fibres and natural sugar which helps in improving digestive health, lowers blood pressure and cholesterol.
It also helps in treating diabetes by normalizing blood fatty acids and vitamin E levels.
Used in the treatment of many diseases, it can be consumed in various forms for instance, jam, natural fruit, juice and more.
According to research led by researchers at Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Punjab, the fruit has many medicinal benefits such as it can be used in curing skin diseases and wound infections.
It is a safe plant-based alternative to the synthetic pain relievers like Aspirin and Diclofenac.
How bedu becomes famous
Bedu has been launched in the online market by branding it as Pahari Fig.
Due to this, farmers have not only found a new source of income, but the benefits of the medicinal properties of Bedu have also attracted people.
Pahadi anjeer jam or fig jam is made from naturally grown and freshly harvested figs from the forest of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.
The farmers market the fruit in various forms.
The juice of Bedu, jams, chutneys, pickles and dry fruits prepared by drying them have been launched in the market.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]