Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development released report on Development and Promotion of Jute Industry | Current Affairs | Vision IAS
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Standing Committee on Labour, Textiles and Skill Development released report on Development and Promotion of Jute Industry

Posted 12 Feb 2024

Updated 16 Mar 2024

2 min read

  • Jute Industry in India accounts for 70% of the world’s jute production
    • Employs around 3.7 lakh workers directly. 
    • Around 90% of the production is consumed locally. 
    • About 73% of country’s jute industries are concentrated in West Bengal.

 

  • Challenges faced by Jute Industries 
    • Lack of Modernization: Dependent over obsolete machinery and less integration of advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence. 
    • Raw Material: Area under jute cultivation declined (1.7 Lakh ha between 2013-14 to 2021-22)
    • Low value addition: Less emphasis on products such as Jute Geo Textiles
    • Non-Compliance: Mandatory jute packaging guidelines are not followed by many industries. 
      • Also, lack of impetus from states to procure jute products in feasible areas like geo-textiles
    • Other: Shortage of skilled labour force, closure of existing factories, low export, etc. 

 

  • Key Recommendations
    • Promoting modernization, equipping industries with digital moisture metres to improve the quality. 
    • Prepare comprehensive policy for reviving the closed mills and setting up new mills. 
    • Devise suitable Scheme in consultation with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to minimize the shortage of skilled workers. 

 

Key Government Initiatives 

  • National Jute Development Programme- An Umbrella Scheme for development of Jute Industry. 
  • National Jute Board (NJB) has been constituted as per National Jute Board Act, 2008. 
  • Jute Packaging Materials (Compulsory Use in Packaging Commodities) Act, 1987 enacted for the compulsory use of jute packaging material.
  • Jute Mark Logo was launched (2022) for branding and positioning of Indian Jute globally.
  • Tags :
  • Jute Industry
  • Standing Committee on Labour
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