KVIC organizes 150 programmes to empower artisans

On the eve of Gandhi Jayanti, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is to organize a series of 150 mega events. The events are to be held in north eastern states and other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and West Bengal. These states were selected as they have led the country with highest number of programmes for artisan empowerment.

Highlights

Some of the events to be celebrated on October 2 are as follows

• The Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana for the first time reached West Garo Hills of Meghalaya. The programme will train around 40 potter families. The West Garo Hill region encounters insurgency as the Garo people in the region demand for a separate state.
• Around 27 new manufacturing units and 41 new Khadi sales outlets are to be inaugurated under Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Programme. Also, four new sheds and eight new sales outlets are to be established in Varanasi under the programme.
• A new model Chakra is to be distributed to Khadi artisans
• Programmes under Honey mission are to be inaugurated

Kumhar Sashaktikaran Yojana

It is an initiative of KVIC. It aims to empower potters community in the remote locations. The programme mainly targets potters in UP, MP, JK, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Telangana and Bihar.

Under the programme, KVIC provides new technology pottery equipment such as electric Chaak and advanced pottery products.

Honey Mission

Under the mission, KVIC provides training on using bee boxes and placing them at right places. It was launched in 2017 along with Sweet Revolution. According to KVIC, the mission has created more than 10,000 jobs. It has also created 25,000 additional man-days through honey extractors and fabrication of bee boxes.

Honey Mission will help to achieve India’s target of doubling farmers’ income by 2024.

India is the one of the top five honey producers in the world. After the mission, honey production has increased by 242% as compared to 2005-06. This has boosted the exports by 265%. The GoI has created Rs 500 crores of funds under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to promote beekeeping.

Bibek Debroy report

A Beekeeping Development Committee was set up under the chairmanship of Bibek Debroy. The following recommendations were made by the committee

• To consider landless beekeepers as farmers and recognize honeybees as inputs to agriculture
• To increase plantation of bee friendly flora
• To institutionalize National Bee Board
• To recognize apiculture as a subject of advanced research
• To develop infrastructure to store, process and market honey

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2020