Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP):
A progress report of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is being conducted by the Union Cabinet Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Shri D.V. Sadananda Gowda. In 2008, the Department of Pharmaceuticals launched PMBJP (Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana) under the Janaushadi Campaign, which was renamed as PMBJP in 2015-16.
Highlights:
♦ PMBJP scheme has achieved sales of Rs. Three hundred fifty-eight crores worth of pharma products through 6600 Janaushadhi Kendras during the first seven months of the fiscal year 2020-21 (till October 31) and is likely to surpass Rs` sales. 600 crore for the entire year.
♦ The sales figure has seen a drastic increase from Rs 7.29 crore in 2014-15 to Rs. 433 crore in 2019-20.
♦ The BPPI (Bureau of Pharma PSUs of India) was appraised for ensuring the supply of medicines, drugs, and other pharma products like masks to people at affordable rates during the Covid-19 pandemic.
♦ The implementing agency of the PMBJP is BPPI. BPPI was established in December 2008 under the Department of Pharmaceuticals and registered as an independent society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
Aim:
The scheme plans to increase the coverage of quality generic pharmaceutical products, thus lowering out-of-pocket medication spending and redefining the unit cost per person of care. Via education and publicity, PMBJP also aims to raise awareness of generic medicines so that quality is not synonymous with a high price.
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Kendras:
It is also known as Janaushadhi Kendras, which was set up to provide generic drugs across the country under the PMBJP. Instead of a brand name, generic drugs are sold under an official name. Under this scheme, all procured drugs are checked at NABL (National Accreditation Board Laboratories) certified laboratories for quality assurance and comply with the benchmarks of the World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practices (WHO GMP).
Janaushadhi Week:
In order to inform the general public about the benefits of the price and quality of the medicines offered at Jan Aushadhi Kendras, this week was celebrated nationwide from March 1 to March 7 , 2020.
Janaushadhi Sugam Application:
In August 2019, this application was launched to assist individuals to locate Janaushadhi Kendra nearby via Google Maps and check for generic Janaushadhi medicines. It helps to examine the relation between generic and branded medicinal goods in the context of Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and total savings, etc.
Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive - PRASHAD:
Union Minister of State for Tourism & Culture inaugurated the "Tourist Facilitation Centre" facility on November 04, 2020, at Guruvayur, Kerala, constructed under PRASHAD Scheme. The `National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive` (PRASHAD) was launched by the Tourism Ministry in 2014-15 to develop integrated development of identified pilgrimage and heritage destinations.
Objectives:
♦ To rejuvenate important national/ global pilgrimage destinations and to Enhance tourism attractiveness of identified pilgrimage destinations and heritage cities.
♦ To follow community-based development through the `Pro-Poor` tourism concept and `responsible tourism’ concepts. Assurance of active involvement of local communities through employment generation
♦ To create awareness among the local communities about the importance of tourism and increase income sources, improved living standards, and overall development of the area.
♦ Promote heritage in heritage structures, especially under integrated tourism development of heritage city, local arts, culture, handicrafts, cuisine, etc., to generate livelihood in the identified places.
♦ Strengthen the mechanism for bridging the infrastructural gaps at identified pilgrimage destinations and throughout heritage cities.
♦ Swadesh Darshan is one of the Ministry of Tourism`s flagship schemes for the development of thematic circuits in the country in a planned and prioritized manner.
♦ The Scheme is 100% centrally funded, and efforts are made to achieve convergence with other Central and State Governments schemes and leverage the voluntary funding available for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of Central Public Sector Undertakings and Corporate Sector.