23rd may 2020 current affairs

 Khadi fabric.1)The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) explore the possible option of exporting silk and cotton face masks to foreign countries. This is being done to promote “Vocal for Local”, that was initiated under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. So far, the KVIC has received 8 lakh orders of masks and has supplied 6 lakhs during Lock down period. With overwhelming responses in India, KVIC is to expand the khadi masks globally. The plan is to supply Khadi Masks to countries such as USA, Dubai, Mauritius, middle east and to several other European countries. The export of Khadi masks will help to increase production and ultimately help boost employment. As the masks are cost effective, breathable, reusable, washable and bio-degradable, their demands are increasing globally. Also, their efficiency is high as they are made of double twisted

Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

The KVIC is a statutory body formed in April 1957 by the Government of India, under the Act of Parliament, 'Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956'. • In April 1957, it took over the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board. • Its head office is in Mumbai , whereas its six zonal offices in Delhi, Bhopal, Bangalore, Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati.  Founded: 1956  Purpose: To plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assist in the establishment and development of khadi and village industries  Agency executive: ? (Chairperson)  Parent agency: Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises 


2)Uttar Pradesh government has launched the ‘UP Startup Fund’ to encourage the youth of the state for entrepreneurship. Under it, UP Chief Minister handed over the first installment of 15 crore rupees to Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI). A large number of migrant workers had come to the state and that they needed to be given jobs on the basis of their skills. The current emphasis on startups will solve their problems.

3)Union Minister Prakash Javadekar interacted with the Chief Ministers of the State Governments through video conference. The meeting held discussions relating to notification of declaring Western Ghats as Ecologically Sensitive Area. The states that participated in the video conference include Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Goa, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. The Government of India constituted a High level working group under Dr Kasturirangan. The committee identified geographical areas in the states that need to be declared Ecologically Sensitive Areas. Based on the report, the Central Government in 2018 issued a draft notice to notify the areas as Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA). When an area is declared ESA, it means that restrictions are put on mining, thermal plants, quarrying, construction and setting up of industries

4)Government of India announced that around 6.8 crore free cylinders have been distributed under Prdhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana. Under the scheme, free LPG cylinders are being provided by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. This covers more than 8 core beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Ujjawala Yojana. The beneficiaries are provided with the funds through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The GoI has allocated separate funds to distribute the cylinders under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. It was launched to ease the lives of the people during lock down.

5)India became the second largest producer of Personal Protective Equipment in the world. China is the leading producer of PPE in the world. The Ministry of Textiles has been taking several measures to maintain the quality of PPE alongside manufacturing. It is to be noted that the Textiles Committee recently launched the Synthetic Blood Penetration Testing Equipment. This will help increase PPE testing potential of the country.

6)Government of India amended General Financial Rules to make sure the goods and services that are of value less than Rs 200 crores are procured from domestic firms. The GFR 2017 (General Financial Rules) have been amended by the Central Government. Under the new amendment, global tenders henceforth will be disallowed in government procurement that are of value Rs 200 crores. This was announced in Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

7)Government of India disbursed RS 170 crores to MNREGA workers. The amounts were disbursed to the beneficiaries through the Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. The Department has taken up more than 14,000 development projects under MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) since April 20, 2020. This includes 8,300 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana housing projects and 1,670 water conservation projects. 

8)Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the E-Conclave of Defence MSME (Micro Small and Medium Enterprises). The E-conclave was organized by CII (Confederation of Indian Industry), SIDM (Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers) and Department of Defence Production. Around 800 Defence MSMEs participated in the conclave that was held through video conferencing. The Conclave identified the fact that the US Defence industry developed within a short span of two years during World War II.