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India’s first 24/7 grain ATM, named Annapurti, was officially launched in Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The initiative aims to provide a convenient and efficient way for residents to access their entitled food grains.
Inauguration Ceremony
- Date: Thursday
- Location: Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
- Key Figures Present:
- Krushna Chandra Patra, Odisha Minister for Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare
- Nozomi Hashimoto, Deputy Country Director, World Food Programme (WFP) India
Krushna Chandra Patra inaugurated the Annapurti Grain ATM and announced plans to roll out similar ATMs across all districts in Odisha. He emphasized the simplicity of the process and the historical significance of the event.
Features of Annapurti Grain ATM
- Operation:
- Requires Aadhaar or Ration card number and biometric authentication
- Dispenses rice or wheat around the clock
- Performance:
- Dispenses up to 50 kilograms of grain in five minutes
- Error rate of 0.01%
- Design:
- Modular, energy-efficient (consumes 0.6 Watts per hour)
- Can be connected to solar panels for automatic refilling
- Provides 24×7 access, reducing waiting time by 70%
Objective
The initiative, a partnership between the Odisha government and the World Food Programme, aims to achieve nutritional security and streamline the distribution of food grains to beneficiaries.
Multiple-Choice Questions (MCQs):
- Where was India’s first round-the-clock grain ATM launched?
- A) New Delhi
- B) Mumbai
- C) Mancheswar, Bhubaneswar
- D) Kolkata
- Who inaugurated the Annapurti Grain ATM?
- A) Nozomi Hashimoto
- B) Krushna Chandra Patra
- C) Narendra Modi
- D) Mamata Banerjee
- What is the maximum amount of grain that Annapurti can dispense in five minutes?
- A) 25 kilograms
- B) 50 kilograms
- C) 75 kilograms
- D) 100 kilograms
- What is the error rate of the Annapurti Grain ATM?
- A) 0.01%
- B) 0.1%
- C) 1%
- D) 5%
- How does the Annapurti Grain ATM achieve energy efficiency?
- A) It uses a large battery
- B) It consumes only 0.6 Watts per hour
- C) It requires frequent manual refilling
- D) It operates only during daylight hours