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, DeendayalAntyodayaYojana-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 goodsand 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.
DeenDayalAntyodayaYojana 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.
