WB approves USD 500 million to help boost India's MSME sector

Government has decided that the Unique Disability Identification Card, UDID will be acceptable as a Photo ID for registration on Co-WIN 2.0.  The Health Ministry said, it has been the constant endeavour of the Centre to streamline the vaccination process for its universalization. The Ministry has written to the States and UTs today to include UDID Card as a Photo ID while registering on Co-WIN 2.0. As per the Guidance note for Co-WIN 2.0 issued on 2nd March this year, seven prescribed Photo IDs were specified and prescribed for verification of beneficiary prior to their vaccination.In the letter written to the States and UTs, the Union Health Ministry has stated that the UDID card, issued to persons with disability by Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, has all the necessary features such as the name, year of birth, gender and photograph of the person, and meets the criteria for use of identification in COVID-19 vaccination. It said, with a view to further facilitate access to vaccination for persons with disability, it has been decided to include the UDID in the list of prescribed Photo ID documents for COVID-19 vaccination. The necessary provisions for it are being made and would be available in Co-WIN shortly.

-The World Bank has approved a USD 500 million program to help boost India's MSME sector. The programme targets improvements in the performance of five lakh 50 thousand MSMEs. Out of some 58 million MSMEs in the country, more than 40 per cent lack access to formal sources of finance. The MSME sector is the backbone of the country's economy, contributing 30 percent of India's GDP and 40 percent of exports. The USD 500 million Raising and Accelerating Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Performance (RAMP) Program is the World Bank's second intervention in this sector. The first being the Rs 750 million MSME Emergency Response Program, approved in July last year. World Bank Country Director Junaid Ahmad said, the MSME sector, a critical backbone of India's economy, has been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. The RAMP program will provide better access to finance and working capital for MSMEs by strengthening the receivable financing markets.

-Stating that ASHA workers are indeed like a ray of hope for the society, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said that these workers will have a huge role in preventing a possible third wave of Coronavirus infections. Addressing a virtual meeting with ASHA workers and pediatric experts to discuss the issue of COVID-19 in children, Thackeray acknowledged the exemplary contribution made by ASHA and Aanganwadi workers in dealing with the pandemic in Maharashtra. The Chief Minister said that the state will remain indebted to the services provided by ASHA  and Aanganwadi workers, who worked day in and night despite fears of contraction of the deadly infection. 

-Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh Monday formally inaugurated the recently announced district Malerkotla through video conference. This is the 23rd district of Punjab.He also virtually laid a foundation stone of a medical college, a women college and a women police station at Malerkotla on this occasion. Describing it as a joyful moment, the Chief Minister said, the initiative will speed up development in the area and it will help the students from Malerkotla district to earn name in the country and abroad.CM said that the Rs 6 crore have been approved for urban development of the new district. He said that in the new district, on prominent posts in police and civil administration the women officers have been posted, which denotes women empowerment.

-The cumulative number of COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in the country exceeded 23.59 Crore0n Monday. On the 143rd day of the vaccination drive today, 31,04,989 vaccine doses were given. Over 16.07 lakh beneficiaries of the age group 18 to 44 years received their first dose and 68,661 beneficiaries of the same age group received their second dose of COVID vaccine today. Over 3.02 crore persons across 37 States and UTs have received their first dose and over 2.37 lakh have received their second dose since the start of Phase-3 of the vaccination drive. Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have administered more than 10 lakh beneficiaries of the age group 18-44 years for the first dose of COVID vaccine.