Uttar Pradesh State PCS

• 07 Jul 2022

Purohit Welfare Board and Integrated Temple Information System

Why in News?

• On July 6, 2022, chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed the concerned departments regarding the formation of Purohit Welfare Board and introduction of an Integrated Temple Information System.

Key Points

• According to the announcement of Lok Kalyan Sankalp Patra-2022, Purohit Welfare Board will be constituted for the welfare of elderly saints and priests.
• Under this board, including the clerics, the identification and verification of saints and priests of all religions will be done soon.
• In order to promote religious tourism, an integrated temple information system will be introduced, in which detailed information will be provided about the shrines belonging to religious sects like Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh etc.
• Similarly, a dedicated portal will also be created about mosques, which will later be linked to the Integrated Temple Information System.

State Ranking Index for NFSA

Why in News?

• In the first edition of the 'State Ranking Index for NFSA' released on July 5, 2022, Uttar Pradesh is ranked second in the entire country. Odisha is at the first position in this index.

Key Points

• Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Textiles and Commerce & Industry Piyush Goyal released the first edition of the 'State Ranking Index for NFSA'.
• Among the general category states, Odisha topped the 'State Ranking Index for NFSA' with a score of 0.836, while Uttar Pradesh is second with a score of 0.797 and Andhra Pradesh is third with a score of 0.794.
• Tripura ranks first among special category states/UTs with a score of 0.788. It is followed by Himachal Pradesh with a score of 0.758 and Sikkim at the third position with a score of 0.710.
• Also, among the three union territories, where Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) is cash driven, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu topped the list with a score of 0.802.
• The index seeks to document the status and progress of the implementation of NFSA across the country and various reform initiatives after consultation with the states.
• It highlights the reforms undertaken by the States and Union Territories and creates a cross-learning environment and scale-up reform measures by all the States and Union Territories.
• The current index is largely focused on NFSA distribution and will include future buyouts, PMGKAY distributions.
• The index for ranking of States and UTs is built on three key pillars, which cover end-to-end implementation of NFSA through TPDS. These pillars are- i) NFSA- coverage, targeting and provisions of the Act, ii) delivery platforms, and iii) nutrition initiatives.