On 2nd Septembers 2024, the Union Cabinet chaired by Narendra Modi, Prime Minister (PM) of India has approved:
i.Seven major schemes for improving farmers’ lives and livelihoods with total budget outlay of Rs 14,235.30 crore.
ii.Setting up of 5th semiconductor unit under India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) in Sanand, Gujarat.
iii.Cabinet Committee on Security (CSS)has approved procurement of 240 aero-engines for IAF’s Su-30 MKI aircraft from HAL worth Rs 26, 000 crore.
iv.Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a 309 kilometer (km) long new line project, to provide the shortest rail connectivity between two major commercial hubs i.e. Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh, MP).
Cabinet approves 7 major schemes to enhance farmers’ lives and livelihoods with total outlay of around Rs 14,000 crore
The Union Cabinet led by PM Narendra Modi has approved 7 major schemes to improve farmers’ lives and increase their incomes with total budget outlay of Rs 14,235.30 crore.
- These schemes are specifically designed to address various challenges in agriculture sector, focusing on sustainability, income enhancement, and climate resilience.
About 7 Key Schemes:
i.Digital Agriculture Mission: The main objective of the proposed mission is to create Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in the agriculture sector. It also aimed at creating a tech-based ecosystem, the Digital General Crop Estimation Survey (DGCES) which will provide precise estimates of agricultural production.
- Funding: The cabinet has approved the budgetary allocation of Rs 2,817 crore for the mission, of which Rs 1,940 crore will be provided by the centre government and remaining amount will be provided by the states and Union Territories (UTs).
- Key Components: The mission has 3 main components which include: Agri Stack, a comprehensive digital repository of agricultural data; Famers Registry and Village Land Maps Registry which will maintain digital record landholdings and farmers; and Krishi Decision Support System (DSS), which will guide in crop monitoring and decision-making.
Note: On pilot basis, the creation of farmer Identifications(IDs) have been carried out in 6 districts namely, Farrukhabad (Uttar Pradesh, UP), Gandhinagar (Gujarat), Beed (Maharashtra), Yamuna Nagar (Haryana), Fatehgarh Sahib (Punjab), and Virudhunagar (Tamil Nadu, TN).
ii.Crop Science for Food and Nutritional Security: The scheme has been allocated Rs 3,979 crore, which aims to ensure food security and enhance the nutritional value of crops by 2047.
- The scheme has 6 main pillars such as: Research and education, Plant genetic resource management, Genetic improvement for food and fodder crop, Pulse and oilseed crop improvement, Improvement of commercial crops, Research on insects, microbes, pollinators, among others.
iii.Strengthening Agricultural Education, Management and Social Sciences: The schemes aims to modernize agricultural education and research, and has been allocated Rs 2,291 crore.
- The scheme is in alignment with the National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020) and aims to prepare the next generation of agricultural professionals with skill required to address the contemporary challenges.
- The scheme will use modern technologies such as: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Big Data, and remote sensing, and also include promoting natural farming and climate resilience.
iv.Sustainable Livestock Health and Production: The cabinet has allocated Rs 1,702 crore for this scheme. The scheme is designed to enhance farmers’ income from livestock and dairy farming sector.
- The scheme include: animal health management and veterinary education, dairy production and technology development; animal genetic resource management, production and improvement; animal nutrition and small ruminant production and development.
v.Sustainable Development of Horticulture: This scheme with total budget outlay of Rs 860 crore, aimed to increase the cultivation of different range of horticultural crops.
- The scheme include: tropical, sub-tropical and temperate horticultural crops, root, tuber, bulbous and arid crops; vegetable, floriculture and mushroom crops; and plantation, spices, medicinal, and aromatic plants.
vi.Strengthening of Krishi Vigyan Kendra: The union cabinet has approved the total budget outlay of Rs 1,202 crore for bolstering of Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs). These KVKs will help the farmers to access to the latest agricultural techniques and innovations.
vii.National Resource Management: The cabinet has allocated total Rs 1,115 crore for this scheme.
Cabinet approves setting up of 5th semiconductor unit in India under ISM
On 2nd September 2024, the Union Cabinet chaired by PM Modi has approved the proposal of Kaynes Semicon Private Limited(KSPL) to set up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat.
- The proposed unit will be India’s 5th semiconductor unit to be approved under India Semiconductor Mission (ISM).
Key Points:
i.This proposed assembly, testing, marking, and packaging (ATMP) unit will be set up with total investment of Rs 3,300 crore.
ii.The unit will have the capacity to produce 60 lakh chips per day. The chips produced in this unit will cater to broad range of applications such as: industrial, automotive, electric vehicles, consumer electronics, telecom and mobile phones, among others.
Background:
i.The Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India was notified by centre government in 2021 with total budget outlay of Rs 76,000 crore.
ii.In June 2023, the Union Cabinet led by PM Modi had approved the 1st proposal for setting up a semiconductor unit in Sanand, Gujarat.
iii.In February 2024, the Union Cabinet had approved the setting up of 3 additional semiconductor units in India. Among these 3 approved semiconductor units, Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL) will set up a semiconductor fab in Dholera (Gujarat) and another one in Morigaon, Assam.
- While, Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT) unit will be set up by CG Power in Sanand, Gujarat.
iv.PM Modi laid the foundation stone of 3 semiconductor units worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore in March 2024.
CCS approves procurement of 240 aero-engines for IAF’s Su-30 MKI aircraft from HAL worth Rs 26,000 crore
On 2nd September 2024, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) headed by PM Modi has approved the proposal for procurement of 240 aero-engines (AL-31FP) for Su-30 MKI aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF) under Buy (Indian) category from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) worth Rs 26,000 crore.
- As per the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the delivery of aero-engines will commence after one year and will be completed over a period of 8 years.
Key Points:
i.The proposed engines will have indigenous content of more than 54%, improved due to indigenization of some major components of aero-engines.
- These engines would be manufactured at Koraput division of HAL in Koraput district, Odisha.
ii.Su-30 MKI is one of the most powerful and strategically important fighter jet of IAF. The delivery of these aero-engines by HAL will help the IAF to continue their unhindered operations and strengthen the defence preparedness of the country.
CCEA approves 309 km long new rail line project between Mumbai and Indore
On 2nd September 2024, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) headed by PM Narendra Modi has approved a 309 kilometer(km) long new railway line project under Ministry of Railways (MoR).The project will be developed with estimated cost of approximately Rs 18,036 crore and is expected to be completed by 2029.
- The proposed new rail line will provide the shortest rail connectivity between two major commercial hubs of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and Indore (Madhya Pradesh, MP).
Key Points:
i.The project will cover 6 districts in Maharashtra and MP, will enhance the existing network of Indian Railways.
ii.Under this new rail project, 30 new stations will constructed, which will enhance connectivity to Aspirational District Barwani (MP).
- It will provide connectivity to around 1,000 villages and about 30 lakh population.
iii.The project will facilitate direct connectivity to Pithampur Auto Cluster (which houses 90 large units and 700 small and medium industries ) from the gateway port of Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) in Maharashtra and other state ports.
Significance:
i.The new rail line project will promote tourism in the region by providing a shorter route between western parts of the country and central India. This will surge the tourist footfall to different tourist or religious places in the Ujjain-Indore region.
ii.It is an important route for transportation of commodities like: agriculture products, fertilizer, containers, iron ore, steel, cement, among others. The capacity augmentation work will help in additional freight traffic of about 26 Million Tonnes Per Annum (MTPA).
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The Union Cabinet of India, chaired by Prime Minister(PM) Narendra Modi, has approved the signing of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement or ‘High Seas Treaty’, an international treaty under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
