Grand Onion Challenge

Grand Onion Challenge- Relevance for UPSC Exam

GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Recently, the Department of Consumer Affairs conducted a Video Conference regarding “Grand Onion Challenge”.

About: Grand Onion Challenge seeks ideas from young professionals, professors, scientists in product designs and prototypes for improving pre-harvesting techniques, primary processing, storage, and transportation of post harvested onions in the country.
- The challenge also seeks ideas for modernization of technology in dehydration, valorization of onions and onion food processing domain.
Objective: development of low cost and easily replicable technology solutions to reduce post harvested onion losses in the country.
Concerned Department: The Grand Onion Challenge instituted by Department of Consumer Affairs.
Time period for Application: the challenge has been thrown open from 20.7.2022-15.10.2022 seeking ideas in all the above domains from the best brains in the country.
Selection process: The Department will select 40 good ideas in the four verticals wherein improvements and technology innovations are sought.
- Departments and organizations concerned in the country are urged to submit ideas so that cost effective solutions in saving losses in pre-harvesting, primary processing, storage and transportation of onions can be developed.
- Atma Nirbhar Bharat programme is also supported in the process.
Significance: It is expected that post the Grand Onion challenge, the losses in onion storage can be reduced by 5-10% due to innovative ideas.