The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) crossed a historic milestone at the end of 2022-23: GoI and state governments, official agencies, public sector undertakings and cooperatives purchased goods and services worth more than Rs 2 lakh crore ($24bn) through more than 5mn online transactions in a single financial year – a testimony to PM Narendra Modi’s commitment to inclusive development, transparency, efficiency and corruption-free governance.

GeM is truly a gem that has replaced the obsolete Directorate General of Supplies & Disposals (DGS&D). Befittingly, Vanijya Bhawan, the new office building of the commerce and industry ministry, has been built on the land once occupied by DGS&D.

At the foundation stone laying ceremony of the building, Modi rightly observed: “Now this more than 100 years old organisation has been closed and it has been replaced by a body based on digital technology – Government e Marketplace. GeM has completely revolutionised the way the government procures the goods required by it.”

Seven spectacular years of GeM
GeM has grown spectacularly since it was set up in August 2016. The total value of transactions on the portal almost doubled in 2022-23 to Rs 2.01 lakh crore from Rs 1.07 lakh crore in the previous fiscal. The trailblasing journey began with business worth Rs 422 crore in 2016-17.
The portal was launched to align public procurement of goods and services with Modi’s mission of ‘Minimum Government and Maximum Governance’ and his strategy of using technology to make government systems honest, effective and accessible to all.

GeM’s transparent practices such as competitive bidding have helped government departments and undertakings save about Rs 40,000 crore of taxpayer’s money. Such initiatives have helped the Modi government in substantially raising welfare expenditure without compromising on fiscal health.

Transformation from manual to digital

In this context, GeM’s significance goes far beyond its phenomenal growth in financial terms, which itself would make any e-commerce major jealous. The new system replaces age-old manual processes that were riddled with inefficiencies and corruption. Government procurement used to be opaque, time-consuming, cumbersome and prone to corruption and cartelisation.

Only a privileged few could break through huge entry barriers.
Buyers had no choice but to purchase sub-standard goods at high, non-negotiable rates from privileged, often unscrupulous suppliers.
Potential sellers had to run from pillar to post, completely at the mercy of the facilitating agency, to get empanelled, and then to get timely payments.

In contrast, there is hardly any human interface in vendor registration, order placement and payment processing through the technology-driven platform. At every step, SMS and e-mail notifications are sent to the buyer, the head of her/his organisation, paying authorities and sellers.

The paperless, cashless and faceless GeM gives buyers the freedom to buy goods and services directly from unlimited sellers at competitive rates. This new, competitive system has transformed public procurement and given MSMEs and small businessmen access to sought-after government orders.

Independent research validates GeM
Hard data and insightful third-party analyses testify GeM’s success. An independent study conducted by the World Bank and IIM Lucknow estimated an average 10% savings from the median price. The World Bank noted that with the addition of every new bidder, savings increased by 0.55%.

A study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) showed that annual cost savings in 2021-22 were in the range of 8%-11%. Modi appropriately summed up GeM’s objective as “Minimum Price and Maximum Ease, Efficiency and Transparency”.

The portal is home to:
More than 11,500 product categories
Over 3.2mn listed products
It has over 280 service categories with more than 2.8 lakh service offerings

GeM is catering to diverse procurement needs of more than 67,000 government buyer organisations, which have together saved about Rs 40,000 crore. It gives equal opportunity to all buyers and sellers.

About 60% of orders by value from states have gone to micro and small enterprises. States have also placed orders worth Rs 1,109 crore on start-ups, demonstrating the ease of access for relatively underprivileged business people, including those in far-flung areas.

Given the scale and complexities involved in realigning the old, deeply entrenched procurement processes, this is one of the largest change-management exercises globally.

The portal’s transformational success bodes well for the entire economy because the ‘gem’ is magnifying efficiency and integrity during the ‘Amrit Kaal’ as India marches to become a developed country by 2047 under the decisive and visionary leadership of Modi.

India’s exports of goods and services soared above $750-billion in the 75th year of Independence as we celebrated Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. The record performance in 2022-23 is a remarkable achievement in a challenging global environment, with the pandemic, followed by the Ukraine conflict, disrupting business activity around the world. The stellar performance, amid global headwinds, is part of a broader story of India’s emergence as a force to reckon with on the global stage under the decisive and visionary leadership of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi. Whether it is the record foreign investment even during the pandemic, trade deals with developed countries, or world-leading performance in vaccination, distribution of free food, adoption of LED bulbs, building renewable energy capacity, direct benefit transfers or the dramatic growth in digital payments, the world is applauding India. The foundation of this performance was laid in August 2021 when the PM interacted with the heads of Indian missions abroad and other stakeholders in India’s foreign trade. In this unique initiative, in step with the PM’s whole-of-government approach, secretaries of more than 20 departments, state government officials, members of export promotion councils and chambers of commerce participated.

The PM gave a strong message for the industry to adopt high technology, become competitive and focus on quality. He also said the government and exporters should walk shoulder to shoulder. The commerce and industry ministry regularly interacts with exporters in this spirit.

India’s merchandise exports soared to a record $422 billion in 2021-22. This performance put Indian exports in a different league, far above the previous record of $330 billion. Services exports also set a new record of $254.53 billion. Many experts felt that the performance of merchandise exports was a one-off show, which would be difficult to replicate.

The initiative of PM Modi set the ball rolling for the record-breaking performance, even though our strategy for foreign trade, like every other policy of the Modi government, gives top priority to national interest and the welfare of the poor. For the Modi government, compassion for the poor and support for small enterprises is more important than setting records.

To control domestic prices, the government restricted or discouraged exports of various products and commodities, including wheat, sugar, rice, iron ore, steel, and petroleum. This smoothened domestic supplies, helped consumers and small businesses and shielded them from volatility. It kept India’s inflation much lower than western countries. Our merchandise exports would have been significantly higher without these steps that were consciously taken.

The Modi government has run the extra mile to make it easier for manufacturers to do business, build world-class infrastructure, encourage small businesses to think globally, raise quality standards and open new markets with trade deals to help our exporters. The PM Gati Shakti National Masterplan, Jan Vishwas Bill, ease of doing business initiatives, national logistics policy, single-window clearance, PM MITRA textiles parks, and the rapid development of expressways and rural roads are some of the initiatives that help all businesses and boost exports.

The initiatives of the Modi government to encourage exports in new sectors are also delivering results. For example, India’s defence exports in 2022-23 rose to a record ₹15,920 crore and are poised to grow exponentially in the years ahead. The PM, who has ably steered India’s export strategy, rightly observed that this was a clear manifestation of India’s talent and enthusiasm towards “Make in India”.

Similarly, India has emerged as a big exporter of toys, after being almost totally import dependent. The Modi government’s policy of enforcing quality control and supporting manufacturers helped the sector turn around. As a result, exports of electronics goods, with leading companies such as Apple making in India for the world, have also grown spectacularly.

Services exports are another exciting story rooted in the PM’s Digital India initiative. Strong and decisive steps taken by the Modi government have built a robust digital backbone, which helped India seamlessly adapt to working from home during the pandemic. The phenomenal growth of India’s digital infrastructure, along with the dedication and determination of Indians, helped the country honour all its service commitments and emerge as a “trusted partner” for the world.

India’s digital infrastructure has empowered businesses and the common man, helping the country weather the pandemic and maintain business activity, including exports. A working paper of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently lauded India’s effort. “Using this digital infrastructure India was able to quickly provide support to an impressive share of poor households during the pandemic. In the first months of the pandemic about 87 percent of poor households received at least one benefit … India’s journey highlights lessons for other countries embarking on their own digital transformation,” it said. India’s services exports are growing rapidly and poised to set new records, but there are challenges ahead. The World Bank and IMF’s forecasts for global economic growth are not encouraging. The World Trade Organization’s forecast of international trade is also gloomy. Despite such headwinds, the growth engines of the economy in India continue to be robust. This makes us optimistic that exports of goods and services will rise to $1 trillion each by 2030.

प्राचीन काल से चली आ रही भारतीय वस्त्रों की समृद्ध परंपरा, एक लंबी छलांग लगाने के लिए तैयार है, जो देश को एक वैश्विक निवेश, विनिर्माण और निर्यात केंद्र बना देगी। प्रधानमंत्री नरेन्द्र मोदी ने तमिलनाडु, तेलंगाना, कर्नाटक, महाराष्ट्र, गुजरात, मध्य प्रदेश और उत्तर प्रदेश में सात पीएम मित्र मेगा टेक्सटाइल पार्क के निर्माण की घोषणा की है। ये मेगा टेक्सटाइल पार्क 4,445 करोड़ रुपये के परिव्यय से निर्मित किए जाएंगे। इस क्षेत्र की अवसंरचना के लिए यह अब तक की सबसे बड़ी पहल होगी।

प्रधानमंत्री के 5एफ विजन (खेत से फाइबर से फैक्टरी से फैशन से विदेश तक) से प्रेरित होकर, पीएम मित्र पार्क योजना; आत्मनिर्भर भारत और ‘बोकल फॉर लोकल’ पहल को हासिल करने की दिशा में एक बड़ा कदम है। ये मेगा पार्क इस क्षेत्र को 2030 तक 250 बिलियन डॉलर के कारोबार और 100 बिलियन डॉलर के निर्यात के लक्ष्य को हासिल करने में मदद करेंगे।

मेगा टेक्सटाइल पार्क वस्त्र क्षेत्र में व्यापक बदलाव करेंगे और प्रत्येक स्थल पर विश्व स्तरीय सुविधाओं, अत्याधुनिक अवसंरचना और एकीकृत मूल्य श्रृंखला की मदद से वैश्विक चैंपियन तैयार करेंगे। निर्माण और विकास करने वाली एक प्रमुख कंपनी का चयन किया जाएगा, जो पीएम मित्र पार्क की डिजाइन, योजना, निर्माण, वित्तपोषण संचालन और रख-रखाव के लिए जिम्मेदार होगी। यह उद्योग के लिए एक बड़ी छलांग है, क्योंकि मूल्य श्रृंखला वर्तमान में पूरे देश में बिखरी हुई है, जो श्रृंखला के प्रत्येक संपर्क-बिंदु पर लागत और विलंब में वृद्धि करती है।

भारतीय उद्योग विश्व स्तर पर प्रतिस्पर्धी बन जायेंगे, क्योंकि पार्क उत्पादन बढ़ाने, लागत में कटौती करने, दक्षता में सुधार करने और उच्च गुणवत्ता वाले वस्त्रों व परिधानों की आपूर्ति में मदद करेंगे।

ये मेगा पार्क रोजगार के लगभग 20 लाख प्रत्यक्ष/अप्रत्यक्ष अवसरों का सृजन करेंगे और अनुमानित 70,000 करोड़ रुपये के घरेलू और विदेशी निवेश को आकर्षित करेंगे। ये मेगा पार्क शून्य द्रव रिसाव, साझा अपशिष्ट शोधन संयंत्र, उत्सर्जन मुक्त नवीकरणीय ऊर्जा के उपयोग और वैश्विक सर्वोत्तम तौर-तरीकों को अपनाने के साथ, सतत विकास के शानदार उदाहरण होंगे। ये मेगा पार्क ऐसे उत्पादों के निर्माण करने के प्रधानमंत्री के आह्वान के अनुरूप हैं जिनमें कोई खामी न हो और पर्यावरण पर जिनका कोई दुष्प्रभाव न हो।

यह रेखांकित करना प्रासंगिक है कि सदियों से, भारतीय वस्त्रों ने वैश्विक पहचान बनाई है, लेकिन दुर्भाग्य से, पिछली सरकारों द्वारा इस क्षेत्र को काफी अनदेखा किया गया। यह प्रधानमंत्री मोदी की दूरदर्शिता थी, जिसके तहत वस्त्र क्षेत्र के लिए पीएम मित्र योजना शुरू की गयी है। भारतीय अर्थव्यवस्था के मुख्य आधारों में से एक- वस्त्र क्षेत्र, भारतीय निर्यात का एक अहम हिस्सा है और इस क्षेत्र में साधारण किसानों से लेकर शहर के संपन्न निवासियों व व्यापार जगत के अग्रणी लोग तक शामिल हैं। वस्त्र क्षेत्र लाखों लोगों के
लिए आजीविका का स्रोत है।

पीएम मित्र पार्क स्थापित करने के लिए 13 राज्यों से 18 प्रस्ताव प्राप्त हुए थे। एक पारदर्शी प्रक्रिया के माध्यम से सात मेगा पार्कों का चयन किया गया, जिन्हें पीएम गतिशक्ति राष्ट्रीय अवसंरचना मास्टरप्लान द्वारा मान्यता दी गयी थी। यह सहयोगी संघवाद का एक और उदाहरण है, क्योंकि केंद्र और संबंधित राज्य, दोनों ही विशेष प्रयोजन कंपनी (एसपीवी) के भागीदार होंगे, जो इन मेगा पाकों की स्थापना और प्रबंधन करेगी।

इन पार्कों की स्थापना हेतु राज्य सरकारें कम से कम 1,000 एकड़ भूमि उपलब्ध करायेंगी। राज्य सरकारें उत्पादन प्रक्रिया के सुचारु संचालन एवं व्यापार करने में आसानी को सुनिश्चित करने के उद्देश्य से एक अनुकूल व स्थिर नीतिगत व्यवस्था के साथ-साथ बिजली एवं पानी की आपूर्ति तथा कचरे के निपटारे की एक भरोसेमंद व्यवस्था तथा एकल खिड़की मंजूरी की एक कारगर सुविधा भी प्रदान करेंगी।

इन मेगा पाकों में उत्कृष्ट बुनियादी ढांचे एवं प्लग-एंड-प्ले सुविधाओं के साथ-साथ वस्त्र उद्योग के लिए आवश्यक प्रशिक्षण एवं अनुसंधान संबंधी सहायता भी उपलब्ध होंगी। ये पार्क एक ऐसा अनूठा मॉडल पेश करेंगे जहां केन्द्र और राज्य सरकारें निवेश बढ़ाने, नवाचार को प्रोत्साहित करने, रोजगार सृजित करने और वस्त्र के क्षेत्र में भारत को दुनिया में अग्रणी बनाने हेतु मिलकर काम करेंगी। वस्त्र उद्योग ने सरकार की इस महत्वपूर्ण पहल के प्रति उत्साहवर्द्धक प्रतिक्रिया दी है। सरकार द्वारा यह पहल सभी हितधारकों के साथ व्यापक विचार-विमर्श के बाद शुरू की गई है। सीआईआई और फिक्की जैसे शीर्ष उद्योग संगठनों के साथ-साथ वस्त्र क्षेत्र से जुड़े प्रमुख उद्योग संघों ने पीएम मित्र मेगा पार्को की स्थापना की घोषणा की सराहना की है।

उद्योग संगठनों ने यह उम्मीद व्यक्त की है कि अपेक्षाकृत कम लॉजिस्टिक्स लागत, टेक्सटाइल मेगा पार्क : एक बड़ा कदम आधुनिक बुनियादी ढांचा, वैश्विक स्तर पर व्यापार की संभावनाएं और केन्द्र एवं राज्य सरकारों की सहायक नीतियां भारतीय वस्त्र उद्योग को नई ऊंचाइयों पर ले जायेंगी और भारतीय व विदेशी उपभोक्ताओं को प्रतिस्पर्धी कीमतों पर उच्च गुणवत्ता वाले उत्पाद उपलब्ध करायेंगी।

वस्त्र मंत्रालय इन परियोजनाओं के कार्यान्वयन की निगरानी करेगा। मंत्रालय प्रत्येक पार्क के एसपीवी को विकास हेतु पूंजीगत सहायता के रूप में ग्रीनफील्ड पार्कों के लिए 500 करोड़ रुपये और ब्राउनफील्ड पार्कों के लिए 200 करोड़ रुपये की वित्तीय सहायता प्रदान करेगा। इसके अलावा, वह कार्यान्वयन को तेजी से आगे बढ़ाने के लिए प्रेरित करने के उद्देश्य से प्रत्येक पार्क में स्थित इकाइयों को 300 करोड़ रुपये तक की राशि प्रदान करेगा यह कदम अतिरिक्त प्रोत्साहन देने हेतु अन्य सरकारी योजनाओं के साथ समन्वय की सुविधा भी प्रदान करेगा।

पीएम मित्र प्रावधान वैसे मुक्त व्यापार समझौतों पर हस्ताक्षर करने के लिए सरकार की विभिन्न पहल के साथ सामंजस्य बिठाते हैं, जो विकसित बाजारों में हमारे भारतीय वस्त्रों, परिधानों तथा कई अन्य क्षेत्रों के लिए व्यापार की संभावनाओं को बेहतर बनाते हैं। भारत पहले ही संयुक्त अरब अमीरात एवं ऑस्ट्रेलिया के साथ व्यापार समझौते पर हस्ताक्षर कर चुका है और कनाडा, ब्रिटेन एवं यूरोपीय संघ के साथ इस संबंध में बातचीत कर रहा है। इन प्रयासों से भारतीय वस्त्रों को लाभकारी विकसित बाजारों में अपनी पैठ मजबूत करने में मदद मिलेगी और वस्त्र एवं परिधान के वैश्विक व्यापार में देश की हिस्सेदारी में उल्लेखनीय वृद्धि होगी। भारत की गिनती पहले ही दुनिया के सबसे बड़े वस्त्र एवं परिधान निर्यातक देशों में से एक के रूप में होती है। लेकिन अब जबकि देश 2047 तक प्रधानमंत्री मोदी के निर्णायक एवं दूरदर्शी नेतृत्व में एक विकसित राष्ट्र बनने की ओर अग्रसर है, अमृत काल में हमारी आकांक्षा दुनिया का सबसे बड़ा वस्त्र निर्यातक देश बनने की है। पीएम मित्र के जरिए हम सही दिशा में आगे बढ़ रहे हैं।

India’s rich tradition of textiles is poised for a quantum leap that will make it a global investment, manufacturing and export hub. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced seven PM MITRA (Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) parks in Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh that will be set up with an outlay of ₹4,445 crore. This would be the biggest-ever initiative for infrastructure in this sector.

Inspired by the PM’s 5F vision — Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign — the PM MITRA scheme is a major step forward to achieve Aatmanirbhar Bharat and ‘Vocal for Local’. The mega parks will help the sector achieve its target of a turnover of $250 billion and exports of $100 billion by 2030.

It should create global champions with the help of world-class facilities, state-of-the-art infrastructure and an integrated value chain at each location. Amaster developer will be selected who will be responsible for designing, planning, building, financing, operating and maintaining a PM MITRA park. This is a big jump for the industry as the value chain is now scattered across the country, which adds costs and delays in each link of the chain.

Indian industry will become globally competitive as the parks will help scale up operations, cut costs, improve efficiency and supply high-quality textiles and apparels.

These parks will create about 20 lakh jobs and attract an estimated ₹70,000 crore of domestic and foreign investment. They will be shining examples of sustainability, with zero liquid discharge, common effluent treatment, use of emission-free renewable energy and adoption of global best practices. This is in line with the PM’s callfor ‘zero defect zero effect (on environment)’ manufacturing.

There were 18 proposals from 13 states to set up PM MITRA parks. The seven mega parks were selected through a transparent process validated by the PM Gati Shakti National Infrastructure Masterplan. It is another example of collaborative federalism as both the Centre and the concerned states will be partners in the special purpose vehicles (SPV) that will set up and manage these parks. State governments will provide land parcels of at least 1,000 acres and will facilitate provision of reliable power and water supply, waste disposal, an effective single-window clearance system, along with a conducive and stable policy regime to ensure smooth operations and ease of doing business.

The parks will offer excellent infrastructure, plug-and-play facilities, as well as training and research support for the industry. Central and state governments will work together to increase investment, promote innovation and create jobs to make India the world leader in textiles.

The textiles industry has responded enthusiastically to this initiative, which was taken after extensive consultations with all stakeholders. Leading industry associations of the textiles sector along with top industry bodies such as CII and Ficci have expressed optimism that lower logistics cost, modern infrastructure, global scale of operations and supportive policies from the Centre and thestates will take Indian textiles to new heights and provide top-quality products at competitive prices to Indian and foreign consumers.

The textiles ministry will oversee the execution of these projects and provide financial support of ₹500 crore for greenfield parks and ₹200 crore for brownfield parks as development capital support to the SPV of each park. It will also provide up to ₹300 crore to units in each park to incentivise speedy implementation. It will also facilitate convergence with other government schemes to give additional incentives.

PM MITRA dovetails with GoI’s initiatives to sign free trade agreements (FTAs), which open up developed markets for Indian textiles, apparels and several other sectors. India has already signed trade deals with the UAE and Australia, and is negotiating with Canada, Britain and the EU. These efforts will help Indian textiles get deeper access to profitable developed markets and help the country significantly increase its share in the global textiles and apparel trade.

India is already one of the largest exporters of textiles and apparels in the world. But its aspiration in Amrit Kaal, as the country marches to become a developed nation by 2047, is to be the largest exporter in the world. With PM MITRA, we are on the right track.

A silent revolution is sweeping the country, providing nearly 80 crore Indians the unprecedented empowerment of food security – the freedom to buy heavily subsidised grains from any fair price shop (FPS) in the country. This takes welfare and the pro poor approach of the Modi government to a new high and sets in motion processes that will have a bigger transformational impact than what many people imagine.

The One-Nation-One Ration Card (ONORC) scheme is not just a high-impact welfare scheme that supports and nourishes the underprivileged. It exposes FPSS to fierce competition and is an economic catalyst, because migrants are now able to buy heavily subsidised grain in cities and can purchase other products with the money saved.

In India, about 6 crore people migrate to another state and 8 crore migrate within their state seasonally. ONORC is a game changer for migrant workers across many states including Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Earlier, when such workers went to cities to work, they lost their entitlement for subsidised grain as they were tied to the FPS back home. If they were registered at an FPS in a city, their families would have bought grain at much higher market rates.

With ONORC, the worker and the family can both get the benefits easily. Their savings are huge because apart from the heavily subsidised grains under the National Food Security Act (NFSA), they are also given free supplies under the Prime Minister Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PM-GKAY).

As this is making Indian workers self-reliant, this plan has now also become a part of the PM’s technology – driven system reforms under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

There are other far-reaching implications strong of the scheme.

For decades, the neighbourhood ration shop was a monopoly. Beneficiaries had no choice but to go to a particular FPS. Shop owners commanded a captive market and had no incentive to maintain quality.

ONORC has already made a very strong beginning.

Crores of workers, daily wagers, including urban poor such as rag pickers, street dwellers, temporary workers in the organised and unorganised sectors, and domestic workers are taking advantage of this path-breaking scheme.

Since its launch in August 2019, about 80 crore portability transactions have been recorded. This includes both intra- and inter-state transactions delivering both regular NFSA and PMGKAY foodgrains to beneficiaries.

Among these transactions, 69 crore were reported during the Covid period since April 2020.

The PM’s push for digital India has been a big enabler for the country. Not only did the country succeed in making a smooth shift to work-from-home norms during the peak of the pandemic, it also helped feed the poor and the needy. Currently, 100% of ration cards are digitised. Further, electronic point of sale devices have been installed in more than 5.3 lakh (99%) of FPSs.

This government has also run the extra mile to make sure that all the potential beneficiaries take advantage of the scheme. To facilitate this, the Department of Food and Public Distribution has launched a ‘Common Registration Facility’ on pilot basis. for 11 states/UTs to help them include more beneficiaries under NFSA.

Further, various ministries and departments have coordinated their efforts for strategic outreach and communication to make people aware about this scheme.

The government undertook a radio based campaign in Hindi and 10 other regional languages using 167 FM and 91 community radio stations.

Announcements and displays were arranged in 2,400 railway stations, to give the PM’s message to migrant workers who travel in trains. Public buses were also used to display messages.

The scheme reflects the core approach of the Modi government. Public policy is formulated in a manner that benefits the poorest of the poor and the most marginalised sections. This philosophy has been at the core of all policies and achievements in the eight transformative years of this government.

It is this philosophy and approach to governance that has given poor people bank accounts, direct cash transfers, health insurance, electricity in every village, good quality rural roads even in remote areas and cooking gas supply, among other benefits.

On the 75th anniversary of Independence, India is rapidly moving towards greater freedom to chose for all. Let us celebrate and enable this choice.

Left Wing Violence, Security Vacuum Areas at All-time Low

A multi-pronged strategy by the Narendra Modi government which includes increasing the reach of security forces, targeting the roots of financing and tasking the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to go after top leadership, has resulted in an all-time low in Left Wing violence, with a final push now on the cards to clear out the last remaining Maoist strongholds.

According to government data, Left Wing Extremism (LWE) linked violence is down to half in the past eight years and surrenders by hardened cadres have more than doubled. The data indicates that the geographic spread of LWE influence has been curtailed, with two pockets of concerns now left that are being addressed with the creation of new security camps, infrastructure and social outreach.

At the heart of the crackdown has been an offensive strategy of the forces operating under Home Minister Amit Shah to reduce the number of ‘security vacuum’ areas where there was earlier little or no government presence. People involved in the planning of operations assess that of the over 4,000 sq km of LWE infested areas of South Bastar and Sukma where forces could not operate in the past, over three fourths have been cleared. Officials said that 108 new camps have been set up in LWE affected states since 2019.

“The security vacuum has been removed in Bihar with the opening of five camps last year. In Jharkhand, 22 new camps have been opened. In South Bastar, there is a small area where the vacuum will soon the filled,” government official sources said.

In Odisha, isolated areas have been reduced with the setting up of new camps, bridges and roads. A couple of small pockets left in Malkangiri will be cleared by the year-end.

People aware of the government’s strategy say that there has been a reversal from an earlier ‘defensive policy’ with clear instructions passed on to security forces to clear out hotbeds. “For example, in February, for the first time, a massive 13-day joint operation was launched from the newly-established security camps in Jharkhand’s Lohdarga district.

The engagement took place with Maoists on ten separate occasions and 12 cadres were arrested and one killed,” the official sources said, adding that large quantities of arms and ammunition were recovered.

The MHA Air wing has been strengthened with the appointment of pilots and engineers in the past year and special funds have been granted to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to construct helipads with night landing facilities. Official sources say emphasis is being given to use technical intelligence to crack down on cadres, including phone interception, social media monitoring and analysis of mobile data.

Official sources said that under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) scheme, ₹978 crore has been released to the impacted states in the past three years and there has been an overall doubling of funds disbursal under the scheme since 2014.

“Projects worth Rs 371 crore have been sanctioned to strengthen security forces and intelligence agencies. Over 250 police stations have been fortified at a cost of Rs 620 crore,” official sources said.

With the government identifying financial choking as key to the LWE fight, assets worth Rs 22 crore have been seized by various agencies, including Rs 3 crore by the Enforcement Directorate.

Read more at:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/left-wing-violence-security-vacuum-areas-at-all-time-low/articleshow/93220591.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Boost to farm income as cane arrears plunge to lowest level in years

A majority of dues sugarcane millers owe to millions of farmers have been paid on time for three straight years, official data show, a rare turnaround on the back of a mix of policy measures, which have allowed millers to make payments on time.

India is the largest producer of sugar and the second-biggest exporter, next to Brazil. A rally in international prices, robust exports and the government’s ethanol-blending programme have kept business profitable despite surplus output, enabling timely payouts.

Mounting arrears payable to cane growers tend to stoke angst among farmers and is often a hot-button political issue, especially in cane-growing belts of Uttar Pradesh, the country’s political bellwether state.

Delayed payments also affect cropping patterns, prompting growers to shift to other crops. This has in the past created alternate cycles of glut and scarcity of the sweetener.

According to official data, millers have paid a majority of cane arrears for 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 (as on May 24). For the 2019-20 season, millers have paid 99.9% or ₹75,765 crore of their cane dues.

For 2020-21, farmers have been paid 99.6% of the total amount due of ₹92938 crore, while for 2021-22, millers have so far paid 84.6% of the payable cane dues of ₹109282 crore.

Cane arrears in India rose to a record ₹25000 crore in 2017-18, following a drop in prices to their lowest level in 28 months, which made it difficult for mills to pay farmers statutory cane prices.

Last month, India restricted sugar exports for the first time in six years to prevent a spike in domestic prices, capping this season’s exports at 10 million tonnes, despite surplus output.

The Indian Sugar Mills Association, a millers’ body, has forecast an output of 35.5 million tonne, up from its previous estimate of 31 million tonnes. Of this, 3.5 million tonne has been diverted for ethanol making, boosting diversion of excess sugar. Domestic consumption is pegged at 27 million tonne.

Mixing petrol with ethanol, which is made from molasses, a byproduct of sugar, will help lessen the amount of oil India imports. “In order to find a permanent solution to address the problem of excess sugar, government is encouraging sugar mills to divert excess sugarcane to ethanol,” an official statement on May 19 said.

The Union Cabinet last month approved amendments to the National Policy on Biofuels 2018, approving the advancing of the target of blending 20% ethanol in petrol by five years to 2025-26 from 2030.

“Robust exports and good domestic prices because of the government’s ethanol policy have enabled timely payouts to farmers,” said Abhishek Agrawal of Comtrade, a trading firm.

Indian mills have so far signed contracts to export 8.5 million tonnes of sugar in the current 2021-22 marketing year without government subsidies for overseas sales, suggesting profitability. Out of this, nearly 7.1 million tonnes of the sweetener has been shipped out.

A smaller cane crop in Brazil and high global oil prices have increased overseas demand for Indian sugar, as millers globally seek to pump more sugarcane into ethanol products.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/boost-to-farm-income-as-cane-arrears-plunge-to-lowest-level-in-years-101654196419364.html

Services activity up fastest in 11 years

NEW DELHI: Activity in the country’s crucial services sector expanded at its strongest rate in over 11 years in May on the back of sharp growth in new business as demand recovered after the lifting of curbs. But input cost inflation jumped to a record high, a survey showed on Friday. Posting a reading of 58. 9 in May, up from 57. 9 in April, the S&P Global India Services PMI business activity Index indicated the fastest rate of expansion in over 11 years.
Anecdotal evidence suggested that the upturn in output reflected better underlying demand and strong inflows of new work. The S&P Global India Services PMI is compiled from responses to questionnaires and serves as an advance indicator of demand conditions in the sector. The latest data revealed an acceleration in growth of new business. The increase was sharp and the quickest since July 2011.
But inflation showed no signs of abating as price gauges showed an unprecedented increase in input costs and the second-fastest upturn in selling charges in just under five years.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/services-activity-up-fastest-in-11-years/articleshow/91995445.cms?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=TOIBusinessNews&from=mdr

https://www.hindustantimes.com/opinion/a-quantum-jump-in-international-trade-101648389697468.html

India’s achievement of a record $400 billion of goods exports is a shining example of the way this country is being governed, reformed, and transformed since 2014 with a mission to decisively improve the lives of citizens. The surge in exports is helping farmers, artisans, weavers and factory workers, and enabling businesses, small and large, create jobs, scale up operations, become more competitive, and make a mark in the global business arena.

The export target of $400 billion seemed impossible to many in a Covid-ravaged world, where demand was weak, containers were scarce and priced exorbitantly, and the world was facing job losses and conflicts. But this did not deter Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi’s government from acting decisively and swiftly with a bottom-up approach in assessing the situation, identifying products and regions where exports could be increased, and adopting a partnership approach with exporters and industry bodies to deliver results.

The exports mission was revved up when the PM gave a clarion call to industry to focus on exports and inspired them to aspire for a quantum jump in India’s international trade in goods and services. The PM himself held consultations with ministries, states, Indian missions abroad, commodity boards, industry associations and experts to motivate and inspire all. He monitored the progress of exports continuously.

It was indeed an ambitious mission because the best India achieved in merchandise exports in the past was $330 billion in the pre-Covid days of 2018-19, after which the pandemic battered all global trade.

But India bounced back rapidly as policy measures, reforms, export-promotion schemes, major initiatives such as the Production Linked Incentive Scheme, and bold decisions in the face of adversity propelled India to become the fastest growing major economy in the world. Exports boomed, setting a series of monthly records that have added up to historic achievement in 2021-22.

Exports are contributing to economic growth, creating jobs and helping small businesses and workers. The world is now looking up to India as a trustworthy and reliable partner which can provide quality goods and services on time even at the peak of the pandemic.

The results are spectacular. India achieved the target nine days ahead of schedule. We adopted the whole-of-government approach and worked as partners with exporters. The government proactively helped them overcome any hurdle and encouraged them to grab every opportunity for every product in every country to help achieve the stiff target. Targets were fixed for 200 countries/territories, and special emphasis was laid on new and existing markets, lost market share, and the role of small enterprises and startups as a vehicle for exports.

But it’s not just a story of numbers. There are exciting new developments such as the export of new products, penetration of new markets, rising exports of manufactured products, an impressive 50% growth in engineering exports, and laudable contribution of small businesses and farmers, whose hard work has strengthened global food security.

Agricultural exports have risen nearly 25% to a record of nearly $50 billion. India’s farmers provide almost half of the globally traded rice. Farmers have helped wheat exports jump to a record seven million tonnes, which is softening the impact of the disruption in the global wheat trade caused by the crisis in Ukraine, a major supplier.

Similarly, coffee exports have risen to a record of nearly $1 billion, an impressive achievement for the sector where 95% of the output is from small growers. Marine exports are also booming, helping many small businesses and fishermen.

India now needs to maintain the momentum. Our manufacturers, exporters and policymakers cannot afford to be complacent in a fiercely competitive world. Indian industry needs to step up investment in research and development and focus on quality. There was a time when there was a big gap between products sold to Indian citizens and the export quality goods that were shipped out. There should be no such gap.

The government will scale up efforts to help exporters. Many recent policies will bear fruits for years to come and give the country new global champions in manufacturing and exports. There will be many success stories like the mobile phone sector, which was once heavily import-dependent, but where, now exports have multiplied and imports are drying up. Exporters will also gain from the PM Gati Shakt scheme, the National Master Plan for multimodal connectivity which the PM launched last October.

We now have to make a bigger impact in international trade. This will be challenging, but exciting and achievable. Our government has a track record of achieving very ambitious targets, be it electrification of every village in the country, the dramatic rise in renewable energy capacity along with the equally dramatic fall in its cost, the LED revolution that drastically reduced the cost of energy-efficient bulbs, as well as game-changing welfare schemes to provide ordinary citizens with the convenience of toilets, cooking gas, bank accounts, health insurance, water supply, homes, rural roads, internet connectivity and the world’s largest vaccination programme against Covid-19 with the help of vaccines made in India.

India is on track to reclaim its status as the major trading power that it once was. That is an ambitious mission, but the story of Indian exports — like many game-changing initiatives in New India — can be summed up with what Nelson Mandela famously said: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”