14-12-22 Daily-Kerala-KPSC Current Affairs

The cabinet has decided to register Kerala Space Park as a Society by the name K-Space, under the Travancore Cochin Literary Scientific Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955.

The government also decided to hand over 18.56 acres from the land owned by the Technopark in the capital for the space park society. The cabinet has also decided to grant Rs 2 crore as seed capital for the society.

The draft agreement and the rules of the proposed society have been cleared by the government. The cabinet also decided to create 10 posts on contract basis in the new society. Those employees who are in excess in the IT parks, Kerala Startup Mission and Kerala State IT Ltd will be given priority for appointment in the society on contract basis.

The Space Park was launched by the State Government to attract global startups working in the space sector, under the Kerala State IT Infrastructure Ltd. The state government had also joined hands with the VSSC to develop the Space Park. Later, when the gold smuggling row hit the government, one of the main allegations was that Swapna Suresh, one of the key accused in the case, was employed in the Space Park despite that she did not have required qualifications.

In order to bridge the <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture gap by empowering agriculture and villages and boosting private Investment, the Government of India launched a Central Sector Scheme of financing facility under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund. The AgricultureInfrastructure Fund (AIF) is a medium-long term debt financing facility through interest subvention and credit guarantee support on loans for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets.

Under the scheme, Rs. 1 Lakh Crore will be provided by banks and financial institutions as loans with interest subvention of 3% per annum and credit guarantee coverage under CGTMSE for loans up to Rs. 2 Crores to the eligible beneficiaries include farmers, FPOs, PACS, Marketing Cooperative Societies, SHGs, Joint Liability Groups (JLG), Multipurpose Cooperative Societies, Agri-entrepreneurs, Start-ups, and Central/State agency or Local Body sponsored Public-Private PARTNERSHIP Projects for creation of post-harvest management infrastructures like Supply chain Services including e-marketing platforms, Warehouses, Silos, Pack houses, Assaying units, Sorting & grading units, Cold chains, Logistics facilities, Primary processing centres, Ripening Chambers etc.

Community farming assets eligible under Agri Infra Fund includes: Organic inputs production, Bio stimulant production units, Infrastructure for smart and precision agriculture, Projects identified for providing supply chain infrastructure for clusters of crops including export clusters, Projects promoted by Central/State/Local Governments or their agencies under PPP for building community farming assets or post-harvest management projects.

To implement the budget announcement 2020-21, a Committee was constituted on Kisan Rail and Krishi Udan. The Committee constituted a sub-committee for detailed deliberation and preparation of concept note under convenership of Executive Director, RAILWAY Board.

Ministry of Railways after due deliberation with Ministry of <a href="https://exam.pscnotes.com/Agriculture-notes-for-state-psc-exams”>Agriculture & Farmers Welfare has started operating Kisan Special Trains for transportation of perishable / agriculture products, Dairy, Fisheries etc. These trains are multi-commodity, multi-consignor/consignee Services, running in a time-tabled manner with stoppages at all major stations.

The first Kisan Rail was flagged off from Devlali (Maharashtra) to Danapur (Bihar) by Shri Narendra Singh Tomar, Hon’ble Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Shri Piyush Goyal, then Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Commerce & Industry on 7th August 2020, for transportation of perishable agriculture/horticulture products, dairy, fisheries etc.

Currently, a total of 2359 trips of Kisan Rail trains have been operated on 167 routes, wherein nearly 7.9 lakh tones of consignments have been transported.

The routes for Kisan Rail are decided on demand received from farmers and other stakeholders. Whenever a demand for Kisan Rail for a particular route is received, arrangements are made by the concerned Zonal Railway for supply for rakes and operation of Kisan Rail train, duly considering the operational feasibility of the proposed route.