Udaan partners with MOCAF&PD, SIDBI to Transform FPS into Jan Poshan Kendras

Current Context: On 20th August 2024, Udaan partnered with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MOCAF&PD) and the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to transform Fair Price Shops (FPS) into Jan Poshan Kendras (JPK).

• This initiative aims to enhance the income of FPS dealers and improve the variety of products offered at these shops.
• Here are some key points about this partnership:
• Product Access: Jan Poshan Kendras will have access to over 3,500 products across various staples and FMCG categories through Udaan’s eB2B platform.
• Pilot Launch: The pilot has been launched across 60 selected fair-price shops in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, and Gujarat.
• Credit Facilities: SIDBI will offer credit facilities to these Jan Poshan Kendras, enabling them to purchase food grains and FMCG products.
• Expansion Plans: Upon successful validation, the initiative aims to expand to cover about 1.3 lakh Jan Poshan Kendras.
• This initiative is expected to modernize the fair price shops and contribute to better nutritional outcomes for the communities they serve.

Question:

1 What is the primary goal of the partnership between Udaan, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution (MOCAF&PD), and SIDBI?

• A) To increase the number of fair price shops across India
• B) To transform Fair Price Shops (FPS) into Jan Poshan Kendras (JPK)
• C) To eliminate Fair Price Shops (FPS) entirely
• D) To provide free food grains to FPS owners

Answer: B) The partnership aims to modernize fair price shops by transforming them into Jan Poshan Kendras to enhance income and improve product variety.