<p style=”margin-bottom: 13px; text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>SOURCE –THE HINDU</span></b></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom: 13px; text-align: center;”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>GS PAPER – 3</span></b></span></span></span></p>
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<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>CONTEXT </span></b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>- The National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) has come up with a scheme, Ayushman Sahakar, to involve co-operatives in creating healthcare infrastructure<b>.</b></span></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>HIGHLIGHTS </span></b></span></span></span></p>
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<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>NCDC will give loans totalling ₹10,000 crore to prospective cooperatives to set up healthcare facilities.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”> NCDC would support not just bedded facilities under this scheme but also cover all aspects of healthcare that come under the World Health Organization classification, including Indian systems of medicine,</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>It will be covering Ayush, homoeopathy, drug manufacturing, drug testing, wellness centres, Ayurveda massage centres, and drug stores.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”> also support education initiatives such as medical and dental colleges and those offering nursing and paramedical education.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>One of conditions for getting credit under the <em><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Ayushman Sahakar</span></em> scheme is that members of a cooperative facility should be given services at discounted rates.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>In line with the National Digital Heath Mission launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi this Independence Day, <em><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”>Ayushman Sahakar</span></em> will bring a transformation in rural areas</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>By virtue of their strong presence in rural areas, cooperatives should be able to revolutinise comprehensive health care services</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>Working capital and margin money to meet operational requirements will be available under scheme. Interest subvention of one per cent is available to women-majority cooperatives.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li style=”margin-left:8px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>Cooperatives that are just three months old can get funding from the NCDC.</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
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<p style=”margin-left:48px”> </p>
<p style=”margin-left:48px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><b><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC</span></span></span></b></span></span></span></p>
<p style=”margin-bottom:13px; margin-left:48px”><span style=”font-size:11pt”><span style=”line-height:115%”><span style=”font-family:Calibri,sans-serif”><span style=”background:white”><span style=”font-family:"Cambria","serif"”><span style=”color:black”>The NCDC set up under the Ministry of Agriculture in 1963 has, till date, financed various cooperative initiatives aggregating ₹1.57-lakh crore.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>