Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

About Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)

• It is a statutory body established under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act of 1956.
• It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India.
• The KVIC is charged with the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programmes for the development of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
• The functions of the KVIC are as follows:
  • To build a strategic reserve of raw materials and implements for supply to producers.
  • To create common service facilities for processing raw materials as semi-finished goods and provisions for facilities for marketing KVI products.
  • To enhance the sale and marketing of Khadi and other products of village industries or handicrafts.
  • To be responsible for encouraging and promoting research in the production techniques and equipment employed in the Khadi and Village Industries sectors.
  • To provide financial assistance to institutions and individuals for developing and guiding the Khadi and Village industries through the supply of designs, prototypes, and other technical information.
  • To assure the genuineness of the products and to set standards for the quality of products from Khadi and Village Industries.
• At the state level, Khadi & Village Industries Boards were set up to effectively implement the schemes of KVIC in their respective states.
• The following are the schemes covered under the KVIC:
  •  Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP)
  •  Market Promotion Development Assistance (MPDA)
  • Interest Subsidy Eligibility Certificate (ISEC)
  • Workshed Scheme for Khadi Artisans
  • Strengthening the infrastructure of existing weak Khadi institutions and assistance for marketing infrastructure
  • Khadi Reform and Development Programme (KRDP)
  • Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI)
  • Honey Mission

Key Facts about Quality Council of India (QCI)

• QCI was set up in 1997 jointly by the Government of India and the Indian Industry, represented by the three premier industry associations, i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
• Objective: To establish and operate national accreditation structure and promote quality through the National Quality Campaign.
• QCI is registered as a not-for-profit society with its own Memorandum of Association and Rules & Regulations.
• The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, is the nodal ministry for QCI.

Q1) What is Khadi?

Khadi is hand-spun and handwoven fabric using a spinning wheel called a charkha. Khadi fabric is also known as Khaddar. The cloth is usually handwoven using cotton, silk, and wool. It is produced in various states of India, and all of them make a unique type of khadi fabric.

Source: Quality Council of India KVIC sign pact to enhance quality of khadi products