BANKING SECTOR REFORMS
In terms of Reserve Bank
of India's Extant Guidelines on Priority Sector Lending, a target of 10 percent
of Adjusted Net Bank Credit (ANBC) or Credit Equivalent of Off-Balance Sheet
Exposure (CEOBE), whichever is higher, has been prescribed for lending to Weaker
Sections. Reserve Bank monitors the performance of banks against the stipulated
priority sector targets/ sub-targets on a quarterly as well as annual basis. As
reported by RBI, Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) have achieved the prescribed
target and the advances under Priority Sector to weaker sections stood at
10.33% for Financial Year 2016-17 And 10.74% for the Financial Year 2017-18. To
strengthen banks and foster a culture of clean and responsible banking, the
Government has followed a comprehensive 4 R’s approach of recognition,
resolution, recapitalization and reforms. A number of steps have been taken to
promote the functioning of PSBs including, inter alia, the following:
·
Reforms, as per the PSB
Reforms Agenda adopted by PSBs-
·
increasing access to
banking services from home and mobile through digital banking and enhanced
customer ease,
·
enabling easy
accessibility to senior citizens and the differently-abled, through online
update of pension life certificates, etc.
·
instituting efficient
practices for effective coordination in large consortium loans by restricting
number of lenders in consortium and by adoption of standard operating
procedures,
·
strict segregation of pre-
and post-sanction roles and responsibilities for enhanced accountability,
·
ring-fencing of cash flows
and use of technology and analytics for comprehensive diligence across data
sources for prudent lending,
·
institution of transparent
and robust one-time settlement mechanism with automated escalation and
monitoring,
·
monitoring of loans above ₹250
crore through specialised agencies for effective vigil,
·
establishment of stressed
asset management verticals in banks for focused recovery and timely and
effective management of stressed accounts,
·
institution and
implementation of a risk appetite framework for a structured approach to
manage, measure and control risk and check aggressive and imprudent lending,
·
monetisation of non-core
assets for strengthening capital base,
·
enabling faster bill
realisation for MSMEs through discounting by banks on the Trade Receivables
electronic Discounting System (TReDS),
·
enabling proactive
reach-out to borrowers and stepping-up cluster-based financing to MSMEs,and
·
developing human resources
by rewarding top performers and enabling specialisation through job-families,
and role based learning for executives.
Comprehensive checking of
all accounts above ₹ 50 crore that turn NPA being checked for wilful default and
fraud. In-principle approval for MSME loans up to ₹
1 crore within 59 minutes by PSBs through the 59 minutes portal.
·
Strengthening governance
through professional and arms-length top-level appointments of Whole Time
Directors (WTDs) and Non-executive Chairmen of PSBs through the Banks Board
Bureau, institution of performance-based extension in WTD appointments and
bifurcation of the position of Chairman and Managing Director (MD) into those
of non-executive Chairman and an MD & CEO.
In addition to 4R’s
approach mentioned in (b) above, Government has taken a number of steps to expedite
and enable resolution of NPAs of PSBs over the four and a half financial year
period ending September 2018, including, inter alia, the following:
·
The Insolvency and
Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) has been enacted, which has provided for the taking
over management of the affairs of the corporate debtor at the outset of the
corporate insolvency resolution process. Coupled with debarment of wilful
defaulters and persons associated with NPA accounts from the resolution
process, this has effected a fundamental change in the creditor-debtor
relationship. Further, the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 has been amended to
provide for authorisation to RBI to issue directions to banks to initiate the
insolvency resolution process under IBC. As per RBI’s directions under the
aforesaid amended provision in the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, cases have
been filed under IBC before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in respect
of 41 borrowers, 12 of which had cumulative outstanding amount of ₹
1,97,769 crore as on 31.3.2017 and the remaining 29 had outstanding amount of ₹
1,35,846 crore as on 30.6.2017.
·
Securitisation and
Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act has
been amended to make it more effective, with provision for three months’
imprisonment in case the borrower does not provide asset details and for the
lender to get possession of mortgaged property within 30 days. Also, six new
Debts Recovery Tribunals have been established to expedite recovery.
·
Under the PSB Reforms
Agenda, PSBs have created Stressed Asset Management Verticals for stringent
recovery, segregated pre- and post-sanction follow-up roles for clean and
effective monitoring, initiated creation of online one-time settlement
platforms, and committed to monitoring large-value accounts through specialized
monitoring agencies.
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NEW POLICY FOR OVERSEAS BORROWINGS
Reserve Bank of India
(RBI), in consultation with the Government of India (GoI), has rationalized the
framework for External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) and Rupee Denominated Bonds
and notified a new Policy vide A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 17 dated January
16, 2019 in this regard. Under the New Policy,all entities eligible to receive
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) are permitted to raise ECBs up to USD 750
million or equivalent per financial year under automatic route subject to
certain terms and conditions prescribed in the Guidelines, replacing the system
of sector wise limits. The Minimum Average Maturity Period (MAMP) has been kept
at 3 years for all ECBs, irrespective of the amount of borrowing in lieu of
various layers of MAMPs as under the earlier framework, except the borrowers
specifically permitted in the circular to borrow for a shorter period. The ECB
Policy framework has been incrementally calibrated over time taking into
account the emerging financing needs of Indian companies, especially critical
requirements of infrastructure sector entities, macroeconomic developments and
to promote ease of doing business; by permitting more resident entities as
eligible borrowers, recognizing more entities as lenders, expanding end-uses
and rationalizing the all-in-cost and minimum maturity requirements for such
borrowings. The recent changes that have been brought-out in the ECB policy are
a part of this continued effort and are likely to help wider set of eligible
borrowers i.e. corporates and other entities to avail ECBs to meet their
capital needs with the Uniform Minimum Average Maturity Period requirements, uniform
all-in-cost ceilings and small negative end-use list.
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MODI GOVT WROTE OFF 3.5 LAKH CR DEBT OF INDUSTRIALISTS: RAHUL
GANDHI
Rahul Gandhi Friday mocked
the Modi government for announcing support of Rs 6,000 per year to small and
marginal farmers when it wrote off Rs 3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 big
industrialists Gandhi also reiterated that the PMO was directly involved in conducting
negotiations with the French side on the Rafale deal. The Congress would ensure
minimum income guarantee for the poor if elected to power after the upcoming
Lok Sabha polls, he said. The Congress president said that the BJP hailed the
announcement of the cash support for farmers in the Lok Sabha when the interim
Union Budget 2019-20 was presented. They were hailing the decision, but
announced only Rs 17 assistance per day to farmers. On one hand, the government
wrote off Rs 3.5 lakh crore loans of 15 big industrialists, but gave Rs 17 per
day to farmers. If you divide that amount further, it comes down Rs 3.5 per
person, he told the gathering.
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NEW INDUSTRIAL POLICY TO BE FORMULATED WITH CHANGE IN GOVT AT
CENTRE: MAMATA BANERJEE
A new industrial policy
would be formulated if there is a change in the government at the Centre after
the Lok Sabha polls, said Mamata Banerjee. After the change in the government
post elections, there will be a new industrial policy. Many industrialists left
India. I urge them to come back and invest in the country, Banerjee said. There
are availability of talented and skilled workers, land map and land-use policy,
and policies for the IT, textiles, tea gardens, micro, small and medium
enterprises (MSMEs), and big businesses in the state, the Chief Minister said.
Claiming that the perception of the state had changed after 34 years of misrule
of the Left Front, the Trinamool Congress chief said there were no working days
lost now.
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IN-FLIGHT SALES: INDIGO APPROACHES RBI FOR USE OF RUPEES IN
INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS
Budget airline IndiGo has approached
the Reserve Bank seeking relaxation in foreign exchange norms regarding use of
Indian rupees for onboard sales in international flights. Pon Radhakrishnan
Friday told the Lok Sabha that an appropriate decision on the matter would be
taken by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) after due process. IndiGo is the
country's largest airline in terms of domestic market share and also flies to
more than 15 international destinations. Minister of State for Finance said
that the RBI has received an application from IndiGo to effect in-flight sales
in Indian rupees on its international flights. Approval has been sought to
export currency notes up to Rs 1,50,000 to enable them to provide the change to
passengers making purchases onboard in Indian rupees on its international
flights, he said. According to the minister, the airline has also sought
permission to import without any limit, currency notes in rupees that are
collected from the passengers making in-flight purchases in domestic currencies
on its overseas flights. Currently, airlines are free to accept Indian rupees
from a passenger towards goods and services offered onboard, subject to
provisions under the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of
Currency) Regulations.
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STEPS TAKEN TO INCREASE IN GDP OF THE COUNTRY
Vijay Goel responded to a
written question in Rajya Sabha on GDP Ranking of India, Reforms in the Indian
Economy, Steps taken to improve GDP growth of the country. Following is the
response given by the Minister:
Comparative position of
India with respect to other countries is not maintained in the Ministry. As per
the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF’s) World Economic Outlook Report (October-2018),
India is the world’s seventh-largest economy in US $ among 193 countries
considered in the report. This ranking is based on projections made by
International Monetary Fund (IMF), for GDP (Nominal) Ranking for the year 2018.
Reforms in the Indian Economy is a continuing process and various Ministries
and Departments are implementing Government’s strategic programs and policies
to enhance the economic growth NITI Aayog has specially been constituted for
providing both directional and policy inputs and to enhance cooperative
federalism by fostering the involvement of State Governments in the economic
policy-making process using a bottom-up approach. Its initiatives include
15-year road map, 7-year vision, strategy and action plan. Promoting growth of
the economy has always been the utmost priority of the Government. The
Government is continuously taking steps to facilitate production and GDP growth
of the economy. Key initiatives taken, inter-alia, include ‘Make in India’
initiative under which thrust sectors have been identified to provide a push to
manufacturing in India, ‘Startup India’ initiative and ‘Ease of Doing
Business’. The Government aims at creating a conducive environment by
streamlining the existing regulations and processes and eliminating unnecessary
requirements and procedures. Further, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy
and procedures have been simplified and liberalized progressively. Other
measures include special package for textile industry, concrete measures for
transport sector including measures for regional connectivity and power sector
via schemes like Ujjwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY). The introduction of the
Goods and Services Tax (GST) has provided a significant opportunity to improve
growth momentum by reducing barriers to trade, business and related economic
activities. The Union Cabinet approved a significant increase in the Minimum
Support Prices (MSPs) for all Kharif and Rabi crops for 2018-19 season, in
order to provide major boost to farmer’s income. The Government has launched a
phased program for bank recapitalization entailing infusion of capital to the
public sector banks, to the tune of about Rs. 2.11 lakh crore over two
financial years, which is expected to encourage banks to enhance lending. Budget
2018-19 included various measures to provide a push to the economy, which among
others, include major push to infrastructure via higher allocation to rail
& road sector, reduced corporate tax rate for companies with turnover up to
Rs.250 crore to help MSMEs, etc. The Government launched a support and outreach
program for helping the growth, expansion and facilitation Micro, Small and
Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. Several initiatives have been undertaken to
boost the MSME sector including improving access to credit, wider access to
markets, technological up gradation of MSME through hub and spoke model etc. In
addition, efficient financial intermediation, macroeconomic stability through
prudent fiscal and monetary policies are other efforts initiated by the
Government to increase the GDP of the country.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
PSBS IDENTIFIED 54 INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS FOR
RATIONALISATION BY MID-JANUARY: MINISTER
As many as 54 overseas
operations were identified for rationalisation while 29 have been rationalised
for cost efficiencies, as of January 15, this year, the Parliament was informed
Friday. Banks pursue rightsizing and rationalisation of their branch network
and other operations for cost efficiency and synergy benefits, and invest in
and monetise non-core assets as per business strategy, Shiv Pratap Shukla told.
The minister said a reforms agenda based on recommendations by whole time
directors and senior executives of public sector banks (PSBs) was referred by
government to PSBs in January 2018 for appropriate action as per approval of
bank boards. As on January 31, 2018, PSBs had about 165 overseas branches
besides subsidiaries, joint ventures and representative offices. All PSBs such
as Allahabad Bank, Bank of Baroda, Bank of India, Canara Bank, IDBI Bank,
Indian Overseas Bank, Punjab National Bank, SBI and Union Bank of India that
have foreign branches have jointly taken the initiative to prepare a note in
mutual consultation for rationalisation of their foreign branches. State Bank
of India (SBI) has the largest number of overseas branches (52) followed by
Bank of Baroda (50) and Bank of India (29). The state-owned banks have the
largest number of branches in the UK (32) followed by Hong Kong and the UAE (13
each) and Singapore (12). As many as 41 branches were in losses in 2016-17. SBI
led the pack with nine of its overseas branches in the red. It was followed by
Bank of India and Bank of Baroda with eight and seven branches, respectively.
In reply to a separate question on ATM frauds Shukla said specific information
was not available however, for state-wise data for amounts involving Rs 1 lakh
and more during last three financial years are there. During 2017-18, there
were incidents of 911 automated teller machine (ATM) frauds for amount
involving Rs 1 lakh and more, Shukla said. In 2016-17, a total of 724 cases
came to light while there were 563 such instances were there in 2015-16 (for
amounts Rs 1 lakh and more), the minister added.
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RELEASE FOOD SUBSIDY BILLS TO PROTECT FARMERS, NAVEEN PATNAIK
TELLS CENTRE
Naveen Patnaik on Friday
demanded that the Centre immediately release food subsidy bills amounting of Rs
3,654 crore payable to the state to protect farmers’ interest. It is a matter
of concern that the subsidy bills amounting to Rs 3654.41 crore (which includes
the advance subsidy up to March 2019) relating to Odisha are pending, Patnaik
said in a letter to Ram Vilas Paswan. Such a huge pendency is causing shortage
of funds at OSCSC (Odisha State Civil Supplies Corporation), which may become a
major road block for ensuring timely payment to farmers, the Chief Minister
said. Patnaik wrote the letter to the Union Minister seeking early release of
subsidy money ahead of the Lok Sabha polls which is likely to be held along
with the state assembly elections. Last year, Rs 7600 crore were transferred
directly to the accounts of paddy farmers, he added. This year, we have already
procured more than 40,00,000 MT of paddy and more than Rs 6000 crore has
already been transferred to accounts of farmers. Due to procurement of such
huge quantity, the OSCSC is almost on the verge of reaching its cash credit
limit, the chief minister said.
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PROTECT THE CREDIBILITY OF MACRO DATA
An institution that has
been quite respected in India is the CSO and the statistics it has disseminated
have stood the test of time The data are crucial because they go beyond growth
and are used for reckoning economic ratios like fiscal deficit, debt, current
account deficit, and so on. Further, these are used for all global comparison;
while multilateral institutions like the IMF and World Bank have their
calculations, the CSO is the starting point. This is why there is sanctity
attached to data. However, given the fact that there is a large unorganised
sector that spans all the three segments — primary, secondary and tertiary — it
is always problematic to get accurate data and a large number of proxies are used
to arrive at output numbers. To top it all, the numbers have to be revised when
fresh information is received, which makes it even more challenging. Hence,
while all monetary data that come from the RBI are generally final as the data
procurement is from formal sources, the same does not hold for the CSO.
Therefore, it is even more important for the sanctity of the data to be
preserved, else credibility can be stained. An important development that has
taken place here is that base years have been changed, which was necessary
because the existing series had become outdated and non-representative. Unfortunately
these revisions were made when the regimes changed and this has tended to
create a lot of ‘political noise’. GDP and employment are macro numbers where
governments have a limited contribution directly. They are only enablers and
contribute directly only through what they spend through Budgets or persons
employed. The policies reap rewards over a period of time and are hard to
associate with the regime. However, it has become part of a larger game of
one-upmanship. This means that all governments across the world take credit
when GDP growth is higher or unemployment lower. They are not willing to accept
that things can be worse-off than in the previous regime. It is taken to be an
effrontery to accept such a development. Employment numbers are even more
amorphous and there are two distinct stances — one based on CMIE, which says
things are not good, and the other on EPFO, which is gung ho about jobs being
created as enrolments increase. Where the revised GDP growth numbers for FY17
and FY18 have been increased from 7.1 per cent and 6.7 per cent to 8.2 per cent
and 7.2 per cent, respectively. This changes the narrative fully because it
indicates that demonetisation was a period when GDP grew at the fastest rate in
the preceding six years which is hard to believe considering that all activity
came to a standstill for five months as money was not available.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
STATUS OF ONGOING INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS
Vijay Goel responded to a
written question in Rajya Sabha on Status of ongoing Infrastructure Projects Following
is the response given by the Minister:
The Ministry of Statistics
and Programme Implementation monitors on-going Central Sector Infrastructure
Projects costing Rs. 150 crore and above on time and cost overruns, on the
basis of information provided by the project implementing agencies. As on
01.12.2018, a total of 1443 projects were on the monitor of this Ministry. Of
these, 347 projects are showing cost overruns The causes for cost overruns are
project-specific, depend on a variety of technical, financial and
administrative factors, and differ from project to project. However, as
reported by the project implementing agencies on this Ministry’s OCMS, the main
reasons for cost overrun of the Projects are: law and order problems, delay in
land acquisition, delay in environment and forest clearances, funding
constraints, rehabilitation and resettlement issues, local body / municipal
permissions, utility shifting, contractual issues, etc. As on 01.12.2018, out
of total 1443 projects, 360 are running behind their schedule of completion The
major steps undertaken to ensure completion of Central Sector Infrastructure
Projects without time and cost overruns include; Periodic review of projects
under PRAGATI through video conferencing; rigorous project appraisal; On-line
Computerized Monitoring System (OCMS) for better monitoring; setting up of
Revised Cost Committees in the Ministries for fixation of responsibility for
time and cost overruns; regular review of infrastructure projects by the
concerned administrative Ministries; and setting up of Central Sector Projects
Coordination Committees (CSPCCs) in the States under the Chief Secretaries for
removal of bottlenecks and for facilitating the speedy implementation of major
projects.
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ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA LAUNCHES VOTER VERIFICATION AND
INFORMATION PROGRAMME (VVIP) FOR UPCOMING GENERAL ELECTIONS 2019
The Election Commission of
India has launched a Voter Verification and Information Programme (VVIP) for
citizens for verifications of their names, new registrations, changes in the
voter details and corrections in the Voter Id Cards for the upcoming General
Elections 2019. ECI has enabled various channels for this VVIP programme. ECI
has also set up Contact centers in all districts across India. The Voter
Helpline number is 1950. The Contact Centres are equipped with latest
information and telecom infrastructure to help the callers. Ashok Lavasa said
that the strength of technology is to make it easy for use by all. With use of
Apps, prompt responses should be ensured as citizens demand better quality of
services. Sunil Arora said that technology is indeed a major game changer The
purpose at training workshops should be to listen, learn, absorb and apply. He
pointed out that little time is now left before elections and intense
consolidation of all learning should be ensured to actually facilitate the
voter. One of the important applications for which training was imparted to all
States and UTs was cVIGIL. cVIGIL App provides time-stamped, evidence based
proof of Model Code of Conduct / Expenditure Violation, having live photo/video
with auto location data. Any citizen can lodge a complaint through Mobile App.
Flying Squads then investigate the matter and the Returning Officer takes the
decision. The status of cVIGIL can be shared with the cVIGIL complainant within
a specified timelimit. This App provides convenience to all citizens for
finding their names in the electoral roll, submitting online forms, checking
the status of the application, filing complaints and receiving the reply on
their mobile app. All forms, results, candidate affidavits, press notes, voter
awareness and important instructions are available through the mobile app. A ‘PwD
App’ to enable Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) to request for new
registration, change in address, change in particulars and mark themselves as
PwD through the use of the mobile application was also launched. By simply
entering their contact details, the Booth Level Officer is assigned to provide
doorstep facility. PwDs can also request for a wheelchair during polling. Use
of the latest technologies by ECI has led to the spread of novel election
activities, in addition to enhancing the existing election system. For
effective conduct of elections, the ECI has found a way of integrating the use
of Smart Technology in the day-to-day processes of elections.
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GOVT. FORMS PANEL ON REGIONAL TRANSPORT PLANES
The government has set up
a committee for the development of regional transport aircraft for commercial
use in the country, it said in Parliament on Thursday. This is part of the road
map being prepared by the government for domestic manufacturing of aircraft.
Currently, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is the only entity that produces
aircraft and helicopters for military and non-military purposes. The panel is tasked
with the creation of a special purpose vehicle for the development of Jayant
Sinha told the Lok Sabha. A separate committee of experts has also been formed
to explore manufacturing of aircraft, helicopters and associated equipment
within the country, Mr. Sinha added. The fleet size of domestic airlines is set
to increase twofold to 1,100 planes by 2027, the government had said earlier.
This is further expected to increase to 2,359 planes by 2040, according to the
Ministry’s vision document. released last month.
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29 PRIVATE MEMBER BILLS INTRODUCED IN LOK SABHA
As many as 29 private
member bills were introduced in Lok Sabha on Friday including one seeking steps
to check 'fake news' Tej Pratap Singh Yadav (SP) tabled the private member bill
which sought measures against creation and distribution of fake news in media.
Udit Raj (BJP) also introduced a bill for stringent punishment to curb
atrocities against children and women, rehabilitation measures for such victims
and constitution of special courts to try these cases. Gaurav Gogoi (INC)
introduced a bill seeking setting up of a Commission for Immigration Reforms to
check illegal immigration and regulate immigration and related issues in the
country. These bills will lapse with the dissolution of the present Lok Sabha
on June 3. This is the last session of the 16th Lok Sabha and would conclude on
February 13.
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LABOUR MINISTER INAUGURATES ILO CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS IN
INDIA
Santosh Kumar Gangwar
today inaugurated the International Labour Organization (ILO) centenary
celebrations in India at V.V. Giri National Labour Institute, Noida. Shri
Gangwar said that ILO is a unique agency of the United Nations Organization
(UNO) which is tripartite in nature and works on the principal of collaboration
among government, employers and workers. He said that ILO was established in
1919, and India being its founding member, has always played active role in
every field of the organization. He added that India has ratified 47 out of 189
ILO conventions during the century. Out of eight core conventions we have
ratified six and two conventions (C-138 and C-182), which were related to child
labour have been ratified by the present government. Shri Gangwar further added
that Government of India is sincerely working for the welfare and social
security of workers Around one crore 50 lakh employees have been benefitted
from Pradhanmantri Rozgar Protsahan Yojna (PMRPY) and we have spent around Rs.
3648 crore till now. Recently in the present Interim Budget, the government has
brought a Mega Pension Scheme for the workers of unorganized sector like
Rickshaw pullers, small shopkeepers, agricultural and rural labourers. Around 3
crore unorganized sector workers are now being benefitted from Pradhanmantri
Jeevan Jyoti Beema Yojna (PMJJBY) and Pradhanmantri Suraksha Beema Yojna
(PMSBY), which is free of cost for the workers. He said that in current
scenario of new technology, automation and artificial intelligence, the fear of
loss of jobs has been felt. Global Commission of Future of Work has studied all
these aspects and gives useful recommendations.
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CASES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT INCLUDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT AT
WORKPLACE
The National Crime Records
Bureau (NCRB) has started collecting data regarding sexual harassment at
workplace under the category of insult to the modesty of women (section 509 of
IPC) at office premises since 2014. A total number of 57, 119 and 142 cases
were registered during 2014, 2015 and 2016 respectively under this. During the
current calendar year, the NCW has started maintaining data under specific
category of complaints of ‘Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace’. The data
indicating number of such cases registered during January, 2019 is given below:
No. of cases – 29
The Ministry of Women and
Child Development, Government of India has developed an online complaint
management system titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe-Box) for
registering complaints related to sexual harassment at workplace by women,
including government and private employees. So far, 423 complaints have been
registered on the She-Box portal. Out of which, 114 cases have been disposed
off. Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM),
Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), Chamber of
Commerce & Industry (CCI), and National Association of Software and
Services Companies (NASSCOM) have been requested by Ministry of Women and Child
Development, GOI to ensure effective implementation of the Act amongst their
members in private sectors.
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ACTIVITIES UNDER POSHAN ABHIYAAN
The Progress made and achievements
under POSHAN Abhiyaan (erstwhile National Nutrition Mission) are as follows:
·
Under POSHAN Abhiyaan, all
districts of 36 States/UTs have been covered for roll-out.
·
State, District and Block
level Convergence meetings are held regularly in most of the States/UTs.
·
6,413 Master Trainers have
been trained, as of now, in 13 States/UTs.
·
Procurement of Smartphones
has been coordinated through Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Portal. States/UTs
are at various stages of procurement of smartphones. Till date, 2.74 lakh Smart
Phones have been procured by the States/UTs.
·
The guidelines /manuals of
POSHAN Abhiyaan covering all aspects of the ICDS-CAS software, implementation,
etc. have been formalized, printed and distributed up to district level.
·
A ‘Call Centre’ has been
established for interventions and beneficiary feedback.
·
A comprehensive Jan
Andolan Guidelines have been prepared in consultation with all partners and
released to States/UTs and has been implemented by the States/UTs.
·
Song & Drama Division,
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been engaged to conduct Nationwide
programmes.
·
Mass Media Campaign has
also been rolled out through Television and Radio.
·
September, 2018 was
celebrated as the Rashtriya Poshan Maah across the country. Approximately, 25
Crore people had participated and more than 20 lakh activities were conducted
across the country during the Rashtriya Poshan Maah.
·
Under Incremental Learning
Approach (ILA), functionaries are trained on thematic modules following the
cascade mode of training of State Resource Group (SRG), District Resource
Groups (DRGs) and Block Resource Groups (BRGs). Twenty one (21) ILA modules
have been provided to the States/UTs. The States/UTs have started rolling out
ILA modules.
·
Community Bsaed Events
(CBEs) are organized in a converged manner in Anganwadi Centres with the field
functionaries. Around 45.69 lakh CBEs have been organized till the end of 3rd
Quarter of the current financial year.
·
Three (03) National
Council meetings under the Chairmanship of Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog and five
(05) meetings of Executive Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary, MWCD
have been convened till date
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
LADAKH TO BE J&K'S THIRD ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION
In a major decision, the
Jammu and Kashmir administration Friday created a separate division for Ladakh
which was part of the Kashmir division till now. Ladakh will now have a
separate divisional commissioner and an inspector general of Police (IG) with a
full administrative and revenue division at par with Kashmir and Jammu
divisions, an order issued by the administration said. Ladakh created as a
separate administrative and revenue division. Jammu and Kashmir will have three
divisions -- Jammu, Ladakh and Kashmir, it said. The administration has
sanctioned creation of a separate administrative and revenue division
comprising Leh and Kargil districts, with its headquarters at Leh, the order
said. It has also ordered constitution of a committee under chairmanship of
principal secretary, planning, development and monitoring department to
identify the posts of divisional level heads of departments that may be
required for the new division, particularly their staffing pattern,
responsibilities and proposed location of these offices. The order said this
decision goes a long way in fulfilling the governance and development
aspirations of the people of Ladakh region. The issue has been discussed at
various fora and there has been a persistent demand for the creation of
division for Ladakh from many organisations, including the Ladakh Autonomous
Hill Development Councils (LAHDC) Leh and Kargil, it added. Ladakh is one of
the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir and is the highest
plateau in the state, with most of it being over 9,800 feet above sea level.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
BENGAL GLOBAL BUSINESS SUMMIT: MAMATA BANERJEE CLAIMS SUMMIT
HAS ATTRACTED INVESTMENT PROPOSALS WORTH RS 2.84 LAKH CR
On the second and
concluding day on February 8 of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS), Mamata
Banerjee said that the summit had not only been successful but also a
remarkable one Till now the investment offers of about Rs 2,84,288 crore have
come. 86 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) has also been signed. The number
of B2C meetings held was 45, while 1200 B2B meetings happened. This proves our
credibility, credential, and sincerity, Banerjee said. The CM also said that
Bengal will prove to be the 'investment destination'.She also said that there
will be an additional rise of 8 to 10 lakh jobs owing to the investment that
had been proposed. Taking a dig at the Central government during her concluding
speech, Mamata Banerjee said, India lost two crore jobs in 2018 after
demonetisation and hurriedly done GST but in Bengal, we have managed to reduce
40 per cent unemployment. Mamata Banerjee went on to further say that the MSME
sector employed 1.2 lakh persons and would create employment for another two
lakh people. The West Bengal Cm also announced that multi-national companies
have expressed their interest in investing in the state. We have created a
replica of Silicon Valley on 400 acres of land where companies such as Reliance
Jio and TCS have put up their units. We have now added another 100 acres and
initiated the second phase where companies such as Cognizant, Tech Mahindra,
Capgemini, ISI and Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and
Research have expressed their interest, she said.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
PM MODI TO SERVE AKSHAYA PATRA'S 3 BILLIONTH MEAL TO
UNDERPRIVILEGED KIDS IN VRINDAVAN ON MONDAY
Prime Minister Narendra
Modi will serve food to schoolchildren from underprivileged background in
Vrindavan on Monday, marking the three billionth meal offered by an NGO that
works with the government on mid-day meal schemes. Our partnership with the Centre
and various state governments, along with the persistent support from the
corporate sector, individual donors, and well-wishers have helped us to grow
from serving just 1,500 children in five schools in 2000 to serving 1.7 million
children, the foundation said. Today, Akshaya Patra is the world's largest
(not-for-profit run) mid-day meal programme serving wholesome food every school
day to over 1.76 million children from 14,702 schools across 12 states in
India, according to its website.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
JUNK FOOD
The standards for food
grains have been prescribed under sub-regulation 2.4.6 of Food Safety and
Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 which
have to be complied with by all Food Business Operators (FBOs). The
implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and
Rules and Regulations made thereunder primarily lies with State/UT Governments.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has specifically asked
State Food Safety Commissioners to ensure compliance of prescribed standards of
food grains, inter-alia, by FCI, Food & Supply Departments and Fair Price
Shops. Regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of food
products, including food grains distributed under Public Distribution System,
are carried out by the officials of Food Safety Departments of the respective
States/UTs and where the food samples are found non-conforming to the
prescribed standards, penal action is taken against the defaulting FBOs as per
provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules,
Regulations made thereunder.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
RANKING OF HOSPITALS
Government has not
conducted any survey for ranking of Hospitals in the country. However, there is
one IT based ‘Mera Aspataal application’ to collect patients’ feedback about
their experiences in public health facilities including AIIMS Delhi. As per
patient feedback results analyzed in Mera Aspataal Application in December
2018, AIIMS Delhi is ranked 14th among 22 Central Govt. of Hospitals integrated
with Mera Aspataal application in the country. The ranking in the Mera Aspataal
Application for the facilities is done on the basis of Patient Satisfaction
Score (PSS). The PSS is calculated as weighted average of number of satisfied
and dissatisfied patients based on the feedback collected in a particular
facility. The ranking keeps changing every month based on the feedback received
from the patients. However, as per National Institute Ranking Framework of
Ministry of Human Resource Development, AIIMS, Delhi has been ranked as number
one institute. The Mera Aspataal Initiative was launched precisely to find a
mechanism to gauze patient reaction to the services offered in the hospital and
help improve the services by taking corrective measures. As per performance
analysis report of Mera Aspataal for period Sept-2016 to Jan-2019, 24 per cent
of patients were dissatisfied with the services offered at the public health
facilities Major Reasons for dissatisfaction were staff behavior, cost of
treatment & cleanliness issues and other reasons like, long waiting time,
overcrowding, inadequate information, lack of amenities, etc.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
HEALTH AND WELLNESS CENTRES UNDER AYUSHMAN BHARAT
The key components of
PMJAY and HWCs under Ayushman Bharat are given below:
Prime Minister Jan Arogya Yojana
[PMJAY]
·
Government of India has
launched Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) on
23.09.2018. PMJAY is a centrally sponsored scheme. It is entirely funded by
Government and the funding is shared between Centre and State governments as
per prevailing guidelines of Ministry of Finance.
·
PMJAY provides health
coverage up to Rs. 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary
hospitalization to around 10.74 crore poor and vulnerable families (approx. 50
crore beneficiaries).
·
PMJAY is an
entitlement-based scheme. This scheme covers poor and vulnerable families based
on deprivation and occupational criteria as per SECC data.
·
PMJAY provides cashless
and paperless access to services for the beneficiary at the point of service in
any (both public and private) empanelled hospitals across India. In other
words, a beneficiary from one State can avail benefits from an empanelled
Hospital anywhere in the Country.
·
Under PMAJY, the States
are free to choose the modalities for implementation They can implement the
scheme through insurance company or directly through the Trust/ Society or
mixed model.
·
There is no restriction on
family size, ensuring all members of designated families specifically girl
child and senior citizens get coverage.
At the national level, the
National Health Authority (NHA) has been set up to implement the scheme.
AnMoU has been signed
between National Health Agency (now National Health Authority) and 33
States/UTs to implement PMJAY About 1393 treatment packages are available for
the beneficiaries under PMJAY.
·
The total number of
hospitals empaneled under PMJAY is 14,440 Out of these, 7118 are public
hospitals. The number of beneficiaries hospitalised under AB-PMJAY are
10,59,693.
·
Only States of Telangana,
Odisha, and Union Territory of Delhi have not signed the MoU.
Ayushman Bharat - Health
and Wellness Centres
·
In order to expand access
to Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC), under Ayushman Bharat - Health and
Wellness Centres (HWCs), Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres
(PHCs) are being strengthened as Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs). The HWCs
are to provide preventive, promotive, rehabilitative and curative care for an
expanded range of services encompassing reproductive and child health services,
communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases, palliative care and elderly
care, oral health, ENT care, and basic emergency care. The services in HWCs
will be provided through a Mid-level Health Care Provider (MLHP)/Community
Health Officer (CHO) placed at a HWC-SHC and Medical Officer at PHC
(Rural/Urban). The MLHP/CHO will undergo a Certificate in Community Health
through IGNOU or public university.
The key elements for roll
out of CPHC through HWC are as under:
• Expended Service Delivery.
• Continuum of Care –
Tele-health/ Referral.
• Expanding HR- MLHP &
Multiskilling.
• Medicines &
Expanding Diagnostics.
• Community Mobilisation
and Health Promotion.
• Robust IT System.
• Infrastructure.
• Partnership for
Knowledge & Implementation.
• Financing/ Provider
Payment Reforms.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
MODI GOVERNMENT HAS TAKEN SEVERAL STEPS AND STARTED VARIOUS
SCHEMES
Radha Mohan Singh has said
that in the last four and half years, the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’
Welfare has taken several steps and started various schemes to transform Indian
agriculture like neem-coated urea, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, Har Khet
Ko Pani, e-NAM, strengthening of Gramin Haat, Rashtriya Gokul Mission, MSP,
income support of Rs 6000 to farmers, KCC for Animal husbandry and Fisheries,
Rashtriya Kamdhenu Ayog, separate department for Fisheries etc. The budgetary
allocation for the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Ministry has been raised by
around 2.5 times from Rs 58,080 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 1,41,174.37 crore in
2019-20. In fact, the budgetary allocation of Rs 1,41,174.37 crore in 2019-20
is 16.6% more than Rs 1,21,082 crore during UPA (2009-14). He said that by 2050
the population of the country would increase to 166 crore and there is immense
potential for food security in eastern and north-eastern states. To fulfill
this objective, IARI-Jharkhand’s administrative and academic building was
inaugurated on Jan 27, 2019 after the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone
on June 28, 2015. The IARI-Assam will also be operational soon. Shri Singh
added that the advanced crop varieties and techniques developed by the
Institute have played an important role in strengthening the economy and
enhancing the lives of farmers. 'Pusa Basmati 1121' developed by the Institute
has earned foreign exchange worth more than Rs 1.7 lakh crore in the last ten
years. Recently, 'Pusa Basmati 1718', a better variety of Pusa Basmati 1121,
has been developed which is resistant to bacterial leaf scorch. Similarly, IARI
Wheat varieties (HD 2967 and HD 3086), which are spread over 10 million
hectares of the country's covered wheat area, is accelerating growth in wheat
production. There has also been a remarkable progress in developing high
yielding, disease-resistant and nutritious varieties of maize, arhar,
vegetable, flowers and other crops. He praised IARI, New Delhi for developing
neem-coated urea. Government of India has made use of neem-coated urea
mandatory. It increases the efficiency of 10% nitrogen usage compared to
uncoated urea thereby saving 10% urea. The Minister informed that IARI-Post
Office Linkage Extension Model has proved important in expansion program of
IARI technologies. Under the Mera Gaon - Mera Gaurav initiative, the institute
has adopted more than 600 villages in and around Delhi-NCR, where scientists
regularly share technology with farmers.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
UNIFIED MODEL RECRUITMENT RULES FOR STATISTICAL CADRE
Vijay Goel responded to a
written question in Rajya Sabha on Unified Model Recruitment Rules for
Statistical Cadre. Following is the response given by the Minister:
7th Central Pay Commission
in its report, vide para 7.7.75, inter-alia, recommended that there is a need
to streamline the Statistical Cadres existing in various departments under the
Central Government under unified Model Recruitment Rules laying down the
educational qualifications, job, responsibilities and pay structure of the
Statistical Cadre posts. This will ensure uniformity and remove avoidable
anomalies in pay structure amongst similar/identical Statistical Cadre posts in
various departments. The Commission accordingly recommends that the Government
may look into this aspect in its entirety. Subordinate Statistical Service
(SSS) is a group ‘B’ Organised Service of statistical officers under the cadre
control of this Ministry. As a part of Cadre Review process of SSS, this
Ministry has already requested all the Ministries/Departments/Organisations in
the Government of India to convey the requirements of statistical function
posts for consideration of possible en-cadrement in SSS. Thus, the Government
in Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation is looking holistically
into the aspect of streamlining the Statistical Cadre existing in various
departments of the Central Government.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
NGT FORMS EXPERT PANEL TO CONTROL THE LEVEL OF POLLUTION IN
YAMUNA
An expert panel has been
constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in order to control the level
of pollution in Yamuna This panel constituted by NGT will ascertain the impact
of steel pickling industries on the quality of air on the Yamuna. Today, we are
in a failure situation. We don’t want useless and incompetent people, who have
failed us, the people and the country, a bench, headed by the NGT Chairperson,
had said. The committee, comprises ofsenior scientists of NEERI and IIT-Kharagpur.
The matter will be heard on May 27, 2019 by the members of the committee.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
BIG MOVE BY GUJARAT: SHOPS, EATERIES TO REMAIN OPEN 24 HOURS;
CHANGE IN LAW TO PROVIDE MORE JOBS
Shops and food joints in
Gujarat will be able to operate 24 hours very soon as the government has
decided to amend the law which imposes time restrictions. The announcement was
made by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel Wednesday after a cabinet meeting. The
cabinet, led by Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, approved changes to the Gujarat
Shops and Establishments Act of 1948, which bars shops, restaurants and other
such business entities from doing business between 12am to 6am. A bill to amend
the Act will be tabled during the upcoming Assembly session, starting February
18. As a step towards promoting ease of doing business in the state, we have
decided to amend this Act so that these units can remain open 24 hours, said
Patel. The decision would generate more jobs as additional people will be hired
for night shifts, he said. Over 7 lakh units employing 10 lakh persons are
registered under the Gujarat Shops and Establishments Act.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
ASHWINI CHOUBEY RELEASES HANDBOOK ON PREVENTION OF ACCIDENTS
AND AWARENESS OF FIRST AID ON THE OCCASION OF 30TH ROAD SAFETY WEEK
Shri Ashwini Kumar
Choubey, released a communication material comprising First Aid Module for
Community, Handbook on Prevention of Accidents and Awareness of First Aid, and
a documentary film on the occasion of ‘30th Road Safety Week’ at a function. Choubey
emphasized on the need for giving medical trauma care to the injured during the
first hour of the accident, known as the golden hour for saving the lives of
the injured persons. Shri Choubey stated that road traffic injuries are a
growing public health issue, affecting vulnerable groups of road users,
including the poor and road traffic injuries place a huge strain on health care
services in terms of financial resources, bed occupancy, and demand of health
services. He further stated that care of injuries after a crash is of utmost
importance, as delays of minutes in delivering care can make a difference
between life and death. He said that in order to tackle this growing menace,
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) is implementing ‘National
Programme for Trauma Care’ with a focus on improving pre-hospital, hospital and
rehabilitative services for injury victims. Under the Programme, Trauma Care
Facilities are being strengthened in the existing Government Hospitals, near
the State and National Highway. During 2017, the total number of road accidents
were reported to be 4, 64,910 causing injuries to 4,70,975 persons and claiming
1,47,913 lives in the country. This would translate, on an average, into 53
accidents and 16 deaths every hour, Shri Choubey said. Shri Choubey said that 116
Government Hospitals were identified during 11th FYP for establishing trauma
care facilities (L-I=1, L-II= 57 and L-III= 58), out of these, 100 trauma care
facilities are fully-functional as reported by the States. During the 12th FYP,
85 Government Hospitals have been identified for strengthening trauma care
facilities (L-I=5, L-II=20, L-III= 60) and are in various stages of completion.
Government is taking all the initiatives to provide training to the doctors,
nurses, paramedics and even to the by-standers on first aid and management of
injuries, he stated. Shri Choubey further said that more than 500 Pre-Hospital
Trauma Technicians have been trained in the three Central Government Hospitals
(Dr. RML Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College) of
Delhi. In addition, Advanced Trauma Life Support and Basic Life Support
trainings are being imparted for doctors and nurses under the Programme. First
Aid training Programmes are also been provided to general Public. Around 250
firefighters and airport rescue staff have been trained at IGI Airport, New
Delhi. 800 Medical Officers were also provided First Aid training under the
Programme in preparation of the Ardh Kumbh Mela, 2019, he added.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
SABRANG TRUST FUND EMBEZZLEMENT: GUJARAT HC GRANTS
ANTICIPATORY BAIL TO TEESTA SETALVAD
The Gujarat High Court
Friday granted anticipatory bail to social activist Teesta Setalvad and her
husband Javed Anand in the Rs 1.4 crore alleged fund embezzlement case related
to their NGO Sabrang Trust. While allowing their anticipatory bail plea,
Justice J B Pardiwala directed Setalvad and Anand to cooperate with the probe
and appear before the investigating agency, the city crime branch, on February
15. In a word of caution, the judge said the state government can approach the
court to get their bail cancelled if the couple does not cooperate in the
investigation. The activist couple had moved the high court in May last year
after a lower court rejected their anticipatory bail plea in the alleged fund
embezzlement case.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
WASTE MANAGEMENT
The Ministry of
Environment, Forests & Climate Change, in supersession of Municipal Solid
Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, has notified the Solid Waste
Management Rules, 2016. The Rules direct the waste generators to segregate the
waste at source and hand over the segregated waste to authorised waste pickers
or waste collectors. The Rules mandate all resident welfare and market
associations, gated communities, institutions, all hotels and restaurants to ensure
segregation of waste at source facilitate collection of segregated waste in
separate streams and handover recyclable material to either the authorized
waste pickers or the authorized recyclers. Further, the Rule prescribes that
the bio-degradable waste shall be processed, treated and disposed off through
composting or bio-methanation within the premises as far as possible.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
CLEAN GANGA MISSION ROPES IN RELIANCE JIO FOR DIGITAL CAMPAIGN
The National Mission for
Clean Ganga has roped in Reliance Jio to run a digital campaign for the Namami
Gange programme, an official statement said Friday. To send messages around
keeping Ganga clean, a digital partnership has been forged with Reliance Jio
network and an agreement in this regards has been signed with Jio network,
National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) said in statement. Namami Gange
Programme is an integrated conservation mission, approved by the union
government, under which various projects with outlay of Rs 25,000 crore are in
works to accomplish objectives of effective abatement of pollution,
conservation and rejuvenation of 'National River Ganga'. Under the agreement,
Reliance Jio will send out 'Clean Ganga' messages through SMS and digital
banner push notifications to its large customer base during the Kumbh Mela
2019. The content of such messages has been provided by NMCG. Reliance Jio has
also embedded 'Ganga Anthem' in its 'Kumbh Application' developed for JioPhone
users.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
PROJECT FOR CONSERVATION OF ASIATIC LION
A dedicated Asiatic Lion
Conservation Project with a budgetary contribution of Rs 97.85 Cr from Central
Government was launched. With a view to strengthen the conservation initiatives
the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) approved
the project for three financial years FY 2018-19, FY 2019-20 and FY 2020-21. The
Asiatic Lion. endemic to Gir landscape of Gujarat, is one of the 21 critically
endangered species identified by the Ministry for taking up recovery
programmes. Asiatic Lion, being listed in Schedule-I of Wildlife (Protection)
Act, 1972, to be accorded the highest degree of protection. Harsh Vardhan said
that the project envisages a scientific management with involvement of
communities in coordination with multi-sectoral agencies for disease control
and veterinary care for overall conservation of Lion. He said the visit to the
Gir Forest and witnessing of lions in their natural habitat had been an
extraordinary experience for him. Dr. Harsh Vardhan handed overthe sanction for
an amount of Rs. 17.03 Crores to the Gujarat Minister of State for Forest and
Tribal Development. Expressing happiness on the collaboration, the Gujarat
minister said that there are about 700 lions presently in the Gir Forest and
they are increasing in number.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___
ZYDUS CADILA GETS USFDA NOD FOR DRUG TO TREAT SEIZURES
Zydus Cadila Friday said
it has received final approval from the US health regulator to market
Carbamazepine extended-release tablets, used to treat certain types of
seizures. Carbamazepine is an anticonvulsant agent. It works by reducing
excessive nerve signals in the brain and restoring the normal balance of nerve
activity. Zydus Cadila has received the final approval from the United States
Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to market Carbamazepine extended-release
tablets USP in the strengths of 100 mg, 200 mg, and 400 mg, the company said in
a BSE filing.
#For Source of Information copy and paste the heading in google.
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
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