Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

GS Paper- I

Context– Every year on January 12th, Swami Vivekananda’s birth anniversary is commemorated as National Youth Day.

National Youth Day

• The Indian government originally designated Swami Vivekananda’s birthday as National Youth Day in 1984.
• Since then, the day has been observed as National Youth Day throughout the country.
• The topic of this year’s National Young Festival 2023 is Viksit Yuva Viksit Bharat, which indicates that only India can be developed if the youth of India lead the way.

About Swami Vivekananda

• He was born on January 12, 1863, in Calcutta, India, to a Bengali family under the name Narendranath Datta.
• In his honour, the Indian government designated his birthday National Youth Day in 1984.

Early Years:

• He had an early interest in Western philosophy, history, religion, spirituality, and theology.
• He was well-versed in a variety of disciplines and would meditate in front of representations of Hindu Gods and Goddesses.
• He encountered the religious leader Ramakrishna Paramhansa, who became his Guru and to whom he stayed committed until his death in 1886.
• After Maharaja Ajit Singh of the Khetri State requested it, he changed his name to ‘Vivekananda’ in 1893, from ‘Sachidananda’ previously.

Literary Works:

• Raja Yoga
• Jnana Yoga
• Karma Yoga

Death: He attained Mahasamadhi on 4th July 1902.

Contributions and Significance

• He was one of India’s greatest spiritual leaders, inspiring the country’s young to be better by living a pure life and setting an example for the rest of the world.
• Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose has named him the “Maker of Modern India”.

Emphasis on Indian Philosophies:

• He was instrumental in bringing the concepts of Yoga and Vedanta to the West.
• Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline that originated in India. The term “yoga” is taken from Sanskrit and means “joining” or “uniting,” indicating the unity of body and awareness.
• Vedanta, one of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, is founded on the Upanishads and their interpretation. Its goal was to learn more about ‘Brahman’ (Ultimate Reality). It regards Veda as the ultimate source of knowledge, whose authority cannot be questioned.
• He advocated ‘neo-Vedanta,’ a Western version of Hinduism that believed in integrating spirituality and material advancement.
• Neo-Vedanta is a contemporary interpretation of Vedanta that takes a liberal approach to the Vedas. It reconciles dualism with non-dualism and opposes the “universal illusionism” of Shankara.

Tour and Lectures:

• His most famous address was given during the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893.
• He began his address with the words “My brothers and sisters of America,” and he discussed subjects such as global acceptance, tolerance, and faith.
• He began delivering lectures at various venues in the US and UK and became known as the ‘Messenger of Indian Wisdom to the Western World’.

Establishments:

• In 1897, after returning to India, he founded the Ramakrishna Mission.
• Its goal was to set in action technology that would convey the most lofty ideals to the doorsteps of even the poorest and meanest people.
• He visited India, educating the populace on methods to better their economic situation as well as imparting spiritual wisdom.
• In 1899, he founded the Belur Math, which became his permanent residence.

New Theory of Ethics:

• He presented a new theory of ethics and a new moral standard based on the inherent purity and oneness of the Atman.
• He defines ethics as a system of behaviour that enables a person to be a good citizen.
• On the spiritual foundation of the Vedantic Oneness of life, he worked to promote peace and universal fraternity.

Religion Interpretation:

• His understanding of religion as a universal experience of transcendent Reality shared by all humanity is one of his most significant contributions.
• This global perspective liberates religion from superstitions, dogmatism, priestcraft, and bigotry.
• The specific kind of devotion he proposed for the Indians was service to man as the visible manifestation of the Godhead.

Interfaith Awareness and Co-existence:

• In the nineteenth century, he is credited for developing interfaith consciousness and introducing Hinduism to a worldwide stage.
• He is also noted for his extensive understanding of both science and religion, and his lectures to the Western world proved how the two might coexist peacefully.
• Education: He emphasised the importance of education in the regeneration of India and called for character-building education.
• According to him, a nation advances in proportion to the diffusion of education among the populace.
• He was concerned about educating women and the lower classes.
• Social reform was an important part of Vivekananda’s thinking, and he joined the Brahmo Samaj, which was devoted to ending child marriage and illiteracy.

Source: The Hindu

PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana

GS Paper-I & II

Context– The Union government has renamed its new free foodgrain plan under the National Food Security Act of 2013 the ‘Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY).

• The new integrated food security system will begin supplying free food grains to Antodaya Anna Yojna (AAY) and Primary Household (PHH) recipients on January 1, 2023.
• The integrated system is anticipated to reinforce the provisions of the NFSA, 2013 in terms of foodgrain access, affordability, and availability for the poor.

Free foodgrains for 2023:

• With the welfare of the beneficiaries in mind, and in order to preserve consistency across states, free foodgrains would be distributed under PMGKAY to all PHH and AAY recipients in 2023, as per NFSA entitlement.

Ministry:

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and the state-run Food Corporation of India (FCI), in collaboration with state governments, will ensure that the new programme is implemented smoothly.

Unlike the Centre’s Covid-19 package

• The new plan’s name is similar to that of the free foodgrain scheme proposed as part of the Centre’s Covid-19 package in 2020.

Previous scheme:

• The distinction between the two programmes is that around 81 crore NFSA participants were entitled to free 5 kg foodgrain per person per month in addition to their monthly benefits.
• They were, however, forced to pay the subsidised rate of foodgrains (Rs 3 per kg rice, Rs 2 per kg wheat, and Rs 1 per kg coarse grains) in order to acquire the amount to which they were entitled-35 kilogrammes each Antyoday Anna Yojana Household and 5kg per person in a Priority Household every month.

New Scheme:

• The government has eliminated subsidised pricing under the new system and is delivering food grains free of charge for a year.
• However, the excess amount that was accessible during the Covid epidemic will no longer be made available to these people.
• They will be given the amount of foodgrains to which they are entitled under the NFSA.

What is Food security?

• It is access to enough food by all people at all times for an active and healthy life.

Three Dimensions: 

1. Food availability, 
2. Food accessibility &
3. Food affordability.

National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013

About:

• It went into effect in July 2013.
• It grants legal right to highly subsidised foodgrains to 67% of the population (75% in rural regions and 50% in urban areas).
• Foodgrains were sold at heavily discounted prices of Rs. 1/-, Rs. 2/-, and Rs. 3/- per kg under the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) for nutri-cereals, wheat, and rice, respectively.

Ministry:

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution’s Department of Food and Public Distribution is the nodal ministry for executing this Act.

Eligibility:

• The phrase “eligible households” refers to two types of households under Section 3 of the Act.
• Priority households are entitled to 5 kg of food per person each month.
• Families eligible for the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) receive 35 kilogramme each month.

Issues:

Census data and population figures:

• The NFSA coverage is still based on the population statistics from the 2011 census.
• In its affidavit, the Union claimed in court that the Act requires coverage to be updated based on the most recent reported census statistics.
• The NFSA coverage, however, cannot be estimated because the 2021 census has been postponed indefinitely and no date has been announced.
• Due to the lack of the most recent population data, nearly 10 crore individuals were left outside the scope of the food security law, without even ration cards.
• Recent government initiatives to expand coverage under the National Food Security Act (NFSA.

One Nation One Ration Card (ONORC):

• The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution implemented it in 2019.
• To provide hassle-free distribution of subsidised food grains to all migratory beneficiaries wherever in the country through National Food Security Act nation-wide portability (NFSA).
• It allows all migrant National Food Security Act (NFSA) recipients to obtain foodgrains from any Fair Price Shop (FPS) of their choice anywhere in the country by utilising their same/existing ration card with biometric verification.
• BPL card users in the complainant state will be issued a card with a 10-digit number that will be linked to the Aadhar database.
• Beneficiaries can obtain their entitled foodgrains from any electronic point of sale (ePoS) capable FPS in the nation via portability.

MERA RATION mobile application:

• Another layer of the ONORC plan is the ‘MERA RATION’ mobile application, which has been put out to maximise the ONORC plan’s benefits.
• The smartphone app, which is accessible in 13 languages, provides a wealth of essential real-time information to recipients.

e-Shram Portal:

About:

• The site was launched by the Ministry of Labour and Employment on August 26, 2021.
• This platform will serve as a one-stop shop for authorities to reach out to and track employees in the informal sector, as well as provide assistance in times of crisis.

Aim:

• In order to compile a comprehensive database of unorganised employees (NDUW).

The e-Shram Card:

• Employees will be given an e-SHRAM card with a 12-digit unique number.
• The state government and agencies will also exchange worker information.

Source: The Hindu

Multi-state Cooperative Societies

GS Paper-II & III

Context– Recently, the Union Cabinet gave its approval for the creation of three new multi-state cooperative societies.

Major Highlights

About: The Government will set-up three new cooperative entities under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002 viz.

• National multi-state cooperative export society,
• National multi-state cooperative organic society
• National multi-state cooperative seed society

These societies will serve as national nodes for quality seed production, procurement, processing, branding, labelling, packaging, storage, marketing, and distribution.

The following are the key roles of the suggested societies:

• To handle diverse organic sector operations by delivering certified and authentic organic products.
• Promotion of seed replacement rate (SRR), variety replacement rate (VRR), and yield gap reduction and productivity enhancement
• Carrying out strategic research and development (R&D).
• Create a strategy for preserving and promoting indigenous natural seeds.

Significance

• It will assist in the promotion of organic goods, seeds, and exports. Higher exports will assist cooperatives at all levels improve their production of products and services, creating more jobs.
• With the assistance of appropriate union ministries, it would ease commerce by diverse cooperative societies around the country.
• Processing products and improving services to meet international standards will also create new jobs.
• Increased cooperative product export will encourage “Make in India,” resulting to Atmanirbhar Bharat.”

What are Cooperative Societies?

Background:

• The name cooperative societies was coined following a farmers’ protest against the high interest rates charged by Poona and Ahmednagar bankers.
• However, it gained organisation and shape with the British passage of the Cooperative Credit Societies Act in 1904.
• It framed cooperation as a provincial topic, and the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms empowered provinces to enact their own cooperative legislation.
• This category was carried over into the 1935 Government of India Act. The Multi-Unit Cooperative Societies Act was adopted by the Government of British India in 1942 to cover Cooperative Societies with membership from more than one province.

Present status:

• After independence, cooperatives were an essential component of Five-Year Plans. The Multi-State Cooperative Organizations Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in 1984 to eliminate the multitude of various rules regulating the same sorts of societies.
• Cooperative societies with many states: Cooperatives are a state concern, although many societies, such as those for sugar and milk, banks, milk unions, and so on, have members and operations that span many states.
• They are registered under the MSCS Act since they have members from both states. Their board of directors includes members from all of the states in which they do business.
• The central registrar has administrative and financial authority over these organisations, and the legislation makes it plain that no state government official may exert control over them.

Constitutional Provisions Fundamental Rights:

• Article 19: Right to form cooperatives, Associations or Unions.

Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP)

• Article 43: The State shall endeavour to promote cottage industries on an individual or co-operative basis in rural areas.

Major committees/reports on Cooperatives       

• 1954: All-India Rural Credit Survey Committee Report
• 1990: Chaudhary Brahm Prakash Committee
• 1996:  Mirdha Committee
• 2000: Jagdish Kapoor Committee
• 2001: Vikhe Patil Committee
• 2004: V. S. Vyas Committee

Way Forward

• Because multi-state cooperative societies are not limited to a single state, there is a need to encourage the voluntary formation and democratic functioning of cooperatives. The suggested move is a positive step toward not only increasing functional autonomy but also advancing the economic and social well-being of its members.

Source: The Hindu

Digital Payments

GS Paper- III

Context- The Union Government has set aside?2,600 crore as an incentive for banks to encourage digital payments.

About

• The funds have been set aside to encourage payments made with RuPay cards and the Unified Payments Interface (UPI).
• The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and banks expressed concerns about the viability of creating digital payments infrastructure in the absence of payments required to grow and maintain them.
• Due to the lack of a Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) for UPI and RuPay transactions, the fund would be given to banks.
• MDR is a fee for digital transactions.
• In addition, the plan will promote UPI Lite and UPI 123PAY.

Impact of Covid:

• During Covid-19, digital payments enabled the operation of enterprises, even tiny merchants, and aided in the maintenance of social distance.

Increase in digital transactions:

• As a consequence of a prior incentive plan for digital payments implemented in the previous fiscal year, total digital payments transactions increased by 59% year on year, going from?5,554 crore in FY 2020-21 to?8,840 crore in FY 2021-22.

Significance of Digital Payments

• It will offer cost-effective and user-friendly digital payment solutions. It will provide consumers with cheap payment choices that are accessible at any time and from any location.
• Small transaction loads will be reduced on financial networks.
• It will accept payments using outdated feature phones.
• It is a step toward a less-cash and less-card society that will allow for greater penetration of digital payments in the country.
• This will cement India’s status as the world leader in digital payments.
• With the shift in consumer behaviour toward digital and touchless ways of payment, owing in part to the CoVID, there has been a 50% increase in mobile banking users, showing the incorporation of first-time users into the digital fold.
• The RBI will investigate the potential of extending RTGS to settle transactions in important trade currencies like as the US dollar, British pound, and euro. This will be done through bilateral or multilateral agreements.

Issues/ Challenges

• In light of rising geopolitical dangers, the paper also discusses ring-fencing domestic payment networks, including the necessity to enforce local processing of payment transactions.
• Frauds: As more people use digital payment methods, there will be an increase in digital payment fraud.
• Domestic payment data storage: Banks and non-bank PSOs are permitted to handle payment transactions abroad under specific conditions.
• The Reserve Bank will also conduct a thorough examination of all costs associated with various digital payment methods.

Way Forward

• The Indian digital payment ecosystem has been revolutionised, and India has emerged as a pioneer in the production of digital assets that may serve as a model for many other countries.
• The Indian government must make greater efforts to assist India become one of the world’s most efficient payment marketplaces.
• Emerging Fin-Techs will play an important role in the continued expansion of digital transactions by delivering transparent, secure, quick, and cost-effective processes that benefit the whole digital payments ecosystem.

Source: The Hindu

Marine Plastic Waste Problem of India

GS Paper- III

Context- According to the Central Pollution Control Board, India generates 55 million tonnes of municipal trash, of which only 37% is handled. Only 60% of the total collected plastic garbage gets recycled, while the destiny of the other 40% remains unknown.

India’s geographical position and trade

• India has a coastline of 7,517 kilometres. It is divided into eight states and has an Exclusive Economic Zone of 2.02 million square kilometres (EEZ).
• The population of India’s eight coastal states is 420 million people. Around 330 million of these people live on or near a shore. Three out of every four metropolises in the country are located on the seashore. Coastal areas house about 14.2% of the country’s overall population.
• Waterways handle over 95% of India’s commerce volume and 68% of its trade value.

Reasons for marine Plastic pollution

• Growing population, rapid urbanisation, altering consumption patterns, and changing lifestyles have led in plastic waste mismanagement, resulting in municipal solid trash buildup.
• The majority of these products, particularly those made of plastic, contribute considerably to the expanding load of marine waste. The majority of the plastic in the water comes from land-based sources.
• Unaccounted waste from metropolitan areas is transported by river systems to seas for eventual disposal.
• The coastline of the nation contributes to the country’s biological richness, biodiversity, and economics. Thousands of tonnes of waste, including plastics, glass, metals, sanitary goods, and clothing, are dumped into it each year. Plastics, on the other hand, account for over 60% of all marine trash that enters the seas.

Initiatives by Government

• At regular intervals, the Ministry of Earth Sciences, through its associated office National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), has undertaken beach clean-up projects, awareness campaigns, and beach litter quantification studies.
• Many research have been carried out in coastal states and U.S. territories such as Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar, and Lakshadweep. In 2018, 2019, and 2021, NCCR will begin monitoring the temporal and geographical distribution of marine litter throughout the Indian shores and neighbouring waters.
• According to the Swachh Sagar, Surakshit Sagar programme, 2022, an average of 0.98 metric tonnes of garbage per kilometre length of shoreline accumulated, with a weight concentration of 0.012 kilos per metre square.
• Attempts by certain organisations to rescue marine creatures from debris are noteworthy. TREE Foundation, a non-profit located in Chennai, has been working tirelessly on this. Their work on this front have shed light on the scope of the ghost net problem.
• Over the previous 20 years, the charity has saved and released over 3,101,000 Olive Ridley turtles using a multidisciplinary strategy engaging individuals from all walks of life, notably jobless adolescents from artisanal fishing areas.

What should be the way forward?

• The Indian National Marine Litter Policy, launched in 2018, needs be developed.
• A study of marine litter and microplastics distribution and characterisation should be carried out throughout the Indian coast.
• A forum of coastal cities should be established to ensure a cross-learning environment and to form a synergetic relationship of coastal urban local bodies and local government.
• A long-term vision plan should be devised to encourage collaboration among coastal towns, cities, and municipal administrations in order to reduce marine litter and create sustainable waste management ecosystems. Initiatives such as a multi-stakeholder strategy that recognises knowledge, expertise, technology, research, capacity building, and advocacy as critical drivers to protect life beneath the waterline might be useful.
• Annual beach clean-ups and awareness campaigns should be replaced with regular ones.
• Many states say that single-use plastics larger than 50 microns are prohibited, yet the rule is ineffective on the ground. Such legislations can be put into action.

Conclusion

• Marine plastic pollution is destroying the marine ecosystem, including animals, plants, and corals. In addition to ocean trade, land-based plastic production should be prioritised when addressing marine pollution. The current strategy of governments throughout the globe to combating marine pollution is insufficient.

Source: Indian Express

Supreme Court’s ‘Basic Structure’ verdict set bad precedent: VP

GS Paper- II

Context- In his presentation to the 83rd Conference of Presiding Officers, the Vice-President stated that the Kesavananda Bharati case verdict of 1973 created a dangerous precedent by attempting to establish judicial sovereignty.

Case of Kesavananda Bharati (1973)

• The Kesavananda Bharati case was a significant Supreme Court ruling that articulated the fundamental structural theory of the Indian Constitution.
• The case has also been dubbed the Fundamental Rights Case.
• In a 7-6 judgement, the Supreme Court affirmed its jurisdiction to overturn constitutional changes that violated the constitution’s essential design.
• The Fundamental Structure theory was used by the Court to establish that the constitution has a basic structure of constitutional principles and values.

Key outcomes were:

• Judicial Assessment: The Court partially entrenched the earlier precedent Golaknath v. State of Punjab, which found that constitutional alterations under Article 368 were susceptible to fundamental rights review, but only if they potentially damage the ‘core structure of the Constitution’.
• Judicial Review Exceptions: At the same time, the Court maintained the legality of the first provision of Article 31-C, which meant that revisions intended to apply the Directive Principles but not affecting the ‘Basic Structure’ would not be subject to judicial review.

Why are we discussing it now?

Centre vs. Judiciary Tussle

• The theory serves as the foundation for the Indian judiciary’s authority to examine and overturn modifications to the Indian Constitution approved by Parliament.
• The Judiciary and the Executive have been at odds for a few days.
• There is more hostility in the political sector at the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the NJAC Act.
• Comments about the non-transparent appointment/transfer of judges have grown quite widespread.

National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC)

• The NJAC was a planned organisation that would make nominations of Chief Justices, Supreme Court judges, and High Court judges in a more public manner than the current collegium system.
• It aimed to supplant the Collegium System.
• The National Judicial Appointments Commission Bill of 2014 suggested it.
• The measure was approved by both chambers, the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, and got the President’s approval.
• The 99th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2014 established the commission.
• The Act recommended that NJAC members come from the legislative, judicial, and civil society sectors.

Reasons behind VP’s harsh comments

• Parliamentary Supremacy (People’s mandate) triumphs over Basic Structure.
• According to VP, “the core” of any “basic structure” in a democratic society must be the supremacy of the people’s mandate.
• As a result, the supremacy and sovereignty of Parliament and the legislature are unassailable.
• He stated that all constitutional institutions — judicial, executive, and legislative — must stay within their own jurisdictions and adhere to the greatest norms of propriety and decorum.
• He stated that Parliament’s authority to modify the Constitution and deal with legislation should be independent of any other body.

Conclusion

• After examining both NJAC and the collegium system, it is clear that neither technique is comprehensive and that both lack key characteristics.
• The NJAC has the backing of many former judges and legal professionals.
• However, legal scholars are divided on NJAC, with some in favour and others pushing for changes to the Act.
• It is clear that neither the collegium system nor the NJAC are correct; both have flaws.

Source: Indian Express

Generative AI

GS Paper- I,III & IV

Context: Following the introduction of new models such as Stable Diffusion and ChatGPT, generative AI has become a “hot issue” for technologists, investors, politicians, and the general public.

What exactly is Generative AI?

• Generative AI is a form of artificial intelligence that includes employing machine learning techniques to create fresh, unique material or data.
• It can create text, photos, audio, and other forms of media.

What is GPT?

• A Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) is a sort of large language model (LLM) that generates human-like prose using deep learning.
• “generative” because they can produce new text depending on input “pretrained” because they are trained on a huge corpus of text data before being fine-tuned for specific jobs
• “Transformers” because they parse input text and create output text using a transformer-based neural network architecture.

Potential of Generative AI:

Uses of Generative AI:

• Create lifelike visuals and animations.
• Text-to-image systems like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion have the potential to transform the way art, animation, games, movies, and architecture are rendered, among other things.
• Music and art may be created with generative AI.
• Make a brand logo: Many startups, for example, are investigating services such as DALL.E2, Bing Image Build, Stable Diffusion, and MidJourney to create their brand identity.
• ChatGPT can create text messages, news articles, poetry, and even code.

AI-assisted drug discovery

• Robotic systems may be designed and controlled using generative AI.
• Automate things, such as the Microsoft-owned GitHub Copilot, which is built on OpenAI’s Codex model and offers code and supports developers in autocompleting programming jobs.

Issues Concerning Generative AI:

• Companies like OpenAI are self-governing the area through limited release methods and model monitoring; yet, self-governance allows for exploitation.
• Automation of previously performed human jobs, such as producing news stories or making music.
• Young youngsters who will perceive AI as a buddy who will help them with their schoolwork.

Fear of Societal Bias being replicated by AI

• The information used in generative AI models are typically taken from the internet without the permission of live artists or work that is still protected by copyright.
• Fear of misinformation and mistrust caused by information manipulation, such as the creation of bogus text, audio, pictures, or video
• Fear of power concentration in the hands of a few corporations
• Threats to national security posed by sophisticated automated troll bots

Suggestions:

• It is necessary to increase the transparency of generative AI models so that the public can comprehend how and why the model makes certain conclusions.
• To reduce bias, use a variety of training data as well as strategies such as fairness restrictions or adversarial training.
• People’s privacy must be protected.
• Accountable governance, particularly in BigTech businesses, through the use of a designated “AI ethicist” or “AI ombudsman”
• Creating a system in which humans make the final choice while AI serves as a support system.
• Partnership with civic society and policymakers: To lessen the impact of Generative AI on -labor market disruption, authenticity of scraped data, licencing, copyright, and the possibility for biassed or otherwise damaging material, disinformation, and so on.

Conclusion:

• While generative AI is a game changer in many domains and jobs, there is a significant need to more carefully manage the dispersion of these models and their influence on society and the economy.

Source: Indian Express

Fact For Prelims

‘Naatu Naatu’ Wins Best Original Song at 2023 Golden Globe Awards

Context: RRR by SS Rajamouli wins Best Original Song for Naatu Naatu.

• Composer MM Keeravani, together with singers Kaala Bhairava and Rahul Sipligunj, won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for the song “Naatu Naatu,” which became something of an anthem for fans of SS Rajamouli’s RRR.
• The historical epic has also been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Non-English Language Film at the 80th Golden Globes.

Digital India Awards

Context: President Droupadi Murmu recently presented CBSE with the Digital India Award 2022 – Gold in the area of Data Sharing and Use for Socio-Economic Development.

• CBSE’s pioneering IT endeavour “Digital Academic Repository – Parinam Manjusha” was awarded Gold.

Other winners:

• Platinum: E-NAM: for creating a unified national market for agriculture
• Platinum Award: E-Vivechna App (MP): To help in Crime investigation in the State Crime Records Bureau of Madhya Pradesh
• Mine Mitra (UP) for online approval of mining plan
• Duare Sarkar (West Bengal) for doorstep delivery of services.

About DIA:

• The DIA seeks to support and recognise exceptional digital solutions and activities developed by various government agencies and businesses (included in 2022 awards)
• Implementation Agency: National Portal of India Nodal Agency: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology