UPSC Articles
Saras Collection launched on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Governance
In News:
- Recently, the Indian government launched the Saras Collection on the Government e Marketplace (GeM) portal.
- It is a unique initiative by the GeM, Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) and Ministry of Rural Development.
Key takeaways:
- It shall showcase daily utility products made by rural Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
- It aims to provide SHGs with market access to Central and State Government buyers.
- The initiative is first launched in the states of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
- It shall cover other states in the upcoming phases.
- It will do away with intermediaries in the supply chain and ensure better prices for SHGs.
Important value additions:
Government e-Marketplace
- It is a National Procurement Portal to facilitate online procurement of common use goods and services required by various central and state government departments/organizations/public sector undertakings (PSUs).
- It was launched in 2016 to bring transparency and efficiency in the procurement.
- It functions under Directorate General of Supplies and Disposals (DGS&D), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana or DAY
- It is a Government of India scheme for helping the poor by providing skill training in both rural and urban areas as per requisite international standards.
- The Government of India has provisioned ₹500 crore (US$70 million) for the scheme.
