India 2020 - International Benevolent Research Foundation

https://t.me/upsc_thoughts


https://telegram.me/pdf4exams/ Downloaded From https://telegram.me/testseries4exams/

India2020AREFERENCEANNUAL

CompiledbyNEWMEDIAWING

PUBLICATIONSDIVISIONMINISTRYOFINFORMATIONANDBROADCASTING

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA


2020(Saka1941)E-versionofPrintEdition(2020)*

64thEdition

©NewMediaWingMinistryofInformationandBroadcasting

eISBN:978-81-230-3274-0

Publishedby:ThePrincipalDirectorGeneralPublicationsDivisionMinistryofInformationandBroadcastingGovernmentofIndia,SoochnaBhawanCGOComplexLodhiRoadNewDelhi-110003

Editor:RomaChatterjee

CompilationK.SatishNambudiripadSayyidRabeehashmiSakshiSinghSimmiKumar

CoverDesign:RajeshKumarProduction:V.K.Meena

Formoreinformation,pleasevisitourwebsite:http://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in

* This e-book fully corresponds to the p-book. The spellings, names of places, facts and figures,nomenclaturesandexpressionshavebeenretainedaspertheprintedversion


http://www.publicationsdivision.nic.in

Contents1. LandandthePeople2. NationalSymbols3. Polity4. Agriculture5. CultureandTourism6. BasicEconomicData7. Commerce8. CommunicationsandInformationTechnology9. Defence10. Education11. Energy12. Environment13. Finance14. CorporateAffairs15. Food,CivilSuppliesandConsumerAffairs16. HealthandFamilyWelfare17. HousingandUrbanAffairs18. IndiaandtheWorld19. Industry20. LawandJustice21. Labour,SkillDevelopmentandEmployment22. MassCommunication23. Planning24. RuralDevelopment25. ScientificandTechnologicalDevelopments26. Transport27. WaterResources



28. Welfare29. YouthAffairsandSports30. StatesandUnionTerritories31. DiaryofNationalEvents32. GeneralInformation

Appendices



1 LandandthePeople

“INDIAisthecradleofthehumanrace,thebirthplaceofhumanspeech,themother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother oftradition.OurmostvaluableandmostinstructivematerialsinthehistoryofmanaretreasuredupinIndiaonly.”—MarkTwain

Indiahasauniquecultureandisoneoftheoldestandgreatestcivilizationsofthe world. It stretches from the snow-capped Himalayas in the north to sundrenched coastal villages of the south and the humid tropical forests on thesouth-west coast, from the fertile Brahmaputra valley on its east to the Thardesert in thewest. It coversanareaof32,87,263 sq.km1. It has achieved all-round socio-economic progress during the last so many years of itsIndependence.Indiaistheseventhlargestcountryintheworldandrankssecondinpopulation.ThecountrystandsapartfromtherestofAsia,markedoffasitisbymountainsandthesea,whichgiveheradistinctgeographicalentity.BoundedbytheGreatHimalayasinthenorth,itstretchessouthwardsandattheTropicofCancertapersoffintotheIndianOceanbetweentheBayofBengalontheeastandtheArabianSeaonthewest.

Lying entirely in the northern hemisphere, the mainland extends betweenlatitudes 8°4’ and 37°6’ north, longitudes 68°7’ and 97°25’ east andmeasuresabout 3,214 km from north to south between the extreme latitudes and about2,933kmfromeasttowestbetweentheextremelongitudes.Ithasalandfrontierof about 15,200 km. The total length of the coastline of the mainland,LakshadweepIslandsandAndamanandNicobarIslandsis7,516.6km.

GeographicalBackgroundCountrieshavingacommonborderwithIndiaareAfghanistanandPakistan

tothenorth-west,China,BhutanandNepaltothenorth,Myanmartothefareastand Bangladesh to the east. Sri Lanka is separated from India by a narrowchannelofsea formedby thePalkStraitand theGulfofMannar.Thecountrycanbedividedintosixzonesmainlynorth,south,east,west,centralandnorth-eastzone.Ithas28statesandnineunionterritories.2


PhysicalFeaturesThe mainland comprises four regions, namely, the great mountain zone,

plainsoftheGangaandtheIndus,thedesertregionandthesouthernpeninsula.TheHimalayascomprisethreealmostparallelrangesinterspersedwithlarge

plateaus and valleys, some ofwhich, like theKashmir andKullu valleys, arefertile, extensive and of great scenic beauty. Someof the highest peaks in theworldarefoundintheseranges.Thehighaltitudesallowtravelonlythroughafew passes, notably the Jelep La and Nathu La on the main Indo-Tibet traderoute throughtheChumbivalley,north-eastofDarjeelingandShipkiLain theSatlujvalley,north-eastofKalpa(Kinnaur).Themountainwallextendsoveradistanceofabout2,400kmwithavaryingdepthof240to320km.Intheeast,between India andMyanmar and India and Bangladesh, hill ranges aremuchlower.Garo,Khasi, Jaintia andNagaHills, running almost east-west, join thechain to Mizo and Rakhine Hills running north-south. India_2020_DPD: EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

TheplainsoftheGangaandtheIndus,about2,400kmlongand240to320kmbroad, are formedbybasinsof threedistinct river systems—the Indus, theGanga and theBrahmaputra.They are one of theworld’s greatest stretches offlat alluvium and also one of the most densely populated areas on the earth.Between theYamuna atDelhi and theBay ofBengal, nearly 1,600 km away,thereisadropofonly200metresinelevation.

The desert region can be divided into twoparts—the ‘great desert’ and the‘little desert’. The great desert extends from the edge of the Rann of KutchbeyondtheLunirivernorthward.ThewholeoftheRajasthan-Sindfrontierrunsthrough this. The little desert extends from the Luni between Jaisalmer andJodhpurup to thenorthernwest.Between thegreatand the littledeserts liesazoneofabsolutelysterilecountry,consistingofrockyland,cutupbylimestoneridges.

ThePeninsularPlateau ismarkedoff from theplainsof theGangaand theIndusbyamassofmountainandhillrangesvaryingfrom460to1,220metresinheight.Prominentamongtheseare theAravali,Vindhya,Satpura,MaikalaandAjanta. The Peninsula is flanked on the one side by the EasternGhatswhereaverage elevation is about 610metres and on the other by theWesternGhatswhere it is generally from915 to 1,220metres, rising in places to over 2,440metres.Between theWesternGhats and theArabianSea lies a narrowcoastalstrip,while between EasternGhats and theBay of Bengal, there is a broadercoastal area. The southern point of the plateau is formed by the Nilgiri Hills


where the Eastern and the Western Ghats meet. The Cardamom Hills lyingbeyondmayberegardedasacontinuationoftheWesternGhats.

GeologicalStructureThe geological regions broadly follow the physical features and may be

grouped into three regions: the Himalayas and their associated group ofmountains,theIndo-GangeticPlainandthePeninsularShield.

TheHimalayanmountainbelttothenorthandtheNaga-Lushaimountainintheeast,aretheregionsofmountain-buildingmovement.Mostofthisarea,nowpresenting some of themostmagnificentmountain scenery in theworld, wasunder marine conditions about 60 crore years ago. In a series of mountain-building movements commencing about seven crore years ago, the sedimentsand the basement rocks rose to great heights. The weathering and erosiveelements worked on these to produce the relief seen today. The Indo-GangaplainsareagreatalluvialtractthatseparatetheHimalayasinthenorthfromthePeninsulainthesouth.

The Peninsula is a region of relative stability and occasional seismicdisturbances.Highlymetamorphosedrocksoftheearliestperiods,datingbackasfar as 380 crore years, occur in this area; the rest being covered by theGondwanaformations, lavaflowsbelongingto theDeccanTrapformationandyoungersediments.

RiverSystemsThe river systems of India can be classified into four groups viz., (i)

Himalayan rivers, (ii)Deccan rivers, (iii)Coastal rivers and (iv)Rivers of theinland drainage basin. TheHimalayan rivers are formed bymelting snow andglaciers and therefore, continuously flow throughout the year. During themonsoon months, Himalayas receive very heavy rainfall and rivers swell,causing frequent floods. TheDeccan rivers on the other hand are rainfed andtherefore fluctuate in volume. Many of these are non-perennial. The Coastalstreams, especially on the west coast are short in length and have limitedcatchmentareas.Mostofthemarenon-perennial.Thestreamsofinlanddrainagebasin of western Rajasthan are few and far apart. Most of them are of anephemeralcharacter.

Themain Himalayan river systems are those of the Indus and the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghnasystem.TheIndus,whichisoneofthegreatriversoftheworld, rises nearMansarovar in Tibet and flows through India and thereafterthrough Pakistan and finally falls into the Arabian sea near Karachi. Its


important tributaries flowing in Indian territory are the Sutlej (originating inTibet),theBeas,theRavi,theChenabandtheJhelum.TheGanga-Brahmaputra-Meghnaisanotherimportantsystemofwhichtheprincipalsub-basinsarethoseofBhagirathiandtheAlaknanda,whichjoinatDevPrayagtoformtheGanga.Ittraverses through Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar andWest Bengal. BelowRajmahalHills, theBhagirathi,which used to be themain course in the past,takes off, while the Padma continues eastward and enters Bangladesh. TheYamuna,theRamganga,theGhaghra,theGandak,theKosi,theMahanandaandtheSonearetheimportanttributariesoftheGanga.RiversChambalandBetwaare the important sub-tributaries, which join the Yamuna before it meets theGanga.ThePadmaandtheBrahmaputrajoinatBangladeshandcontinuetoflowas thePadmaorGanga.TheBrahmaputra rises inTibet,where it isknownasTsangpo and runs a long distance till it crosses over into India in ArunachalPradeshunder thenameofDihang.NearPassighat, theDebangandLohit jointheriverBrahmaputraandthecombinedriverrunsallalongtheAssamvalley.ItcrossesintoBangladeshdownstreamofDhubri.

The principal tributaries of Brahmaputra in India are the Subansiri, JiaBhareli, Dhansiri, Puthimari, Pagladiya and the Manas. The Brahmaputra inBangladeshfedbyTeesta,etc.finallyfallsintotheGanga.TheBarakriver,theheadstreamofMeghna,risesinthehillsinManipur.Theimportanttributariesofthe river areMakku, Trang, Tuivai, Jiri, Sonai, Rukni, Katakhal, Dhaleswari,Langachini, Maduva and Jatinga. Barak continues in Bangladesh till thecombinedGanga-BrahmaputrajoinitnearBhairabBazar.

In theDeccan region,mostof themajor river systems flowinggenerally inthe east fall into Bay of Bengal. Themajor east flowing rivers are Godavari,Krishna, Cauvery andMahanadi. Narmada and Tapti are major west flowingrivers.

The Godavari in the southern Peninsula has the second largest river basincovering10percentof theareaofIndia.Nexttoit is theKrishnabasinintheregionand theMahanadi isanother largebasinof the region.Thebasinof theNarmada in theuplandsof theDeccan, flowing to theArabianSeaandof theCauvery in the south, falling into theBay ofBengal are about the same size,thoughwithdifferentcharacterandshape.

There are numerous coastal rivers, which are comparatively small. Whileonlyhandfulofsuchriversdrainintotheseanearthedeltaofeastcoast, thereareasmanyas600suchriversonthewestcoast.

AfewriversinRajasthandonotdrainintothesea.Theydrainintosaltlakesand get lost in sandwith no outlet to sea. Besides these, there are the desert


riverswhichflowforsomedistanceandare lost in thedesert.TheseareLuni,Machhu,Rupen,Saraswati,Banas,Ghaggarandothers.

Theentirecountryhasbeendividedinto20riverbasins/groupofriverbasinscomprising12majorbasinsandeightcompositeriverbasins.The12majorriverbasins are : (1) Indus, (2) Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna, (3) Godavari, (4)Krishna, (5) Cauvery, (6) Mahanadi, (7) Pennar, (8) Brahmani-Baitarani, (9)Sabarmati,(10)Mahi,(11)Narmadaand(12)Tapti.Eachofthesebasinshasadrainageareaexceeding20,000sq.km.

The eight composite river basins combining suitably together all the otherremainingmedium (drainage area of 2,000 to 20,000 sq. km) and small riversystems(drainagearea less than2000sq.km)for thepurposeofplanningandmanagementare : (1)Subarnarekha—combiningSubarnarekhaandothersmallrivers between Subarnarekha and Baitarani; (2) east flowing rivers betweenMahanadiandPennar;(3)eastflowingriversbetweenPennarandKanyakumari;(4)areaofInlanddrainageinRajasthandesert;(5)westflowingriversofKutchandSaurashtra includingLuni; (6)west flowing rivers fromTapi toTadri; (7)west flowing rivers fromTadri toKanyakumari and (8)minor rivers drainingintoMyanmar(Burma)andBangladesh.

Climate/SeasonsTheclimateofIndiamaybebroadlydescribedastropicalmonsoontype.The

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) designates four official seasons: (i)Winter,fromDecembertoearlyApril.Theyear’scoldestmonthsareDecemberandJanuary,whentemperaturesaveragearound10-15°C(50-59°F)inthenorth-west;temperaturesriseasoneproceedstowardstheequator,peakingaround20-25 °C (68-77 °F) inmainland India’s south-east, (ii) Summer or pre-monsoonseason, lasting from April to June (April to July in north-western India). Inwestern and southern regions, thehottestmonth isApril; fornorthern regions,Mayisthehottestmonth.Temperaturesaveragearound32-40°C(90-104°F)inmost of the interior, (iii) Monsoon or rainy season, lasting from June toSeptember.Theseasonisdominatedbythehumidsouth-westsummermonsoon,which slowly sweeps across the country beginning in lateMay or early June.Monsoon rains begin to recede fromNorth India at the beginning ofOctober.South India typically receives more rainfall, and (iv) Post-monsoon season,lasting from October to December. In north-western India, October andNovemberareusuallycloudless.

The Himalayan states, being more temperate, experience two additionalseasons:autumnandspring.Traditionally,Indiansnotesixseasons,eachabout


twomonths long. These are the spring, summer,monsoon, early autumn, lateautumn and winter. These are based on the astronomical division of the 12monthsintosixparts.TheancientHinducalendaralsoreflectstheseseasonsinitsarrangementofmonths.

India’s climate is affected by two seasonalwinds—the north-eastmonsoonand the south-west monsoon. The north-east monsoon commonly known aswintermonsoonblowsfromlandtoseawhereassouth-westmonsoonknownassummermonsoon blows from sea to land after crossing the Indian ocean, theArabianseaandtheBayofBengal.Thesouth-westmonsoonbringsmostoftherainfallduringtheyearinthecountry.

FloraIndia is rich in flora.Availabledataplace India in the tenthposition in the

worldandfourthinAsiainplantdiversity.Fromabout70percentgeographicalareasurveyedsofar,over46,000speciesofplantshavebeendescribedby theBotanicalSurveyof India (BSI),Kolkata.Thevascular flora,which forms theconspicuousvegetationcover,comprises15,000species.

Withawiderangeofclimaticconditionsfromthe torrid to thearctic, Indiahasarichandvariedvegetation,whichonlyafewcountriesofcomparablesizepossess. India can be divided into eight distinct floristic regions, namely, thewesternHimalayas, the easternHimalayas,Assam, the Indusplain, theGangaplain,theDeccan,theMalabarandtheAndamans.

The western Himalayan region extends from Kashmir to Kumaon. Itstemperate zone is rich in forests of chir, pine, other conifers andbroad-leavedtemperate trees. Higher up, forests of deodar, blue pine, spruce and silver firoccur. The alpine zone extends from the upper limit of the temperate zone ofabout4,750metresorevenhigher.Thecharacteristictreesofthiszonearehigh-levelsilverfir,silverbirchandjunipers.TheeasternHimalayanregionextendsfrom Sikkim eastwards and embraces Darjeeling, Kurseong and the adjacenttracts.The temperatezonehas forestsofoaks, laurels,maples, rhododendrons,alderandbirch.Manyconifers,junipersanddwarfwillowsalsogrowhere.TheAssamregioncomprisestheBrahmaputraandtheSurmavalleyswithevergreenforests, occasional thick clumps of bamboos and tall grasses. The Indus plainregioncomprisestheplainsofPunjab,westernRajasthanandnorthernGujarat.Itisdry,hotandsupportsnaturalvegetation.TheGangaplainregioncoverstheareawhich is alluvial plain and is under cultivation forwheat, sugarcane andrice. Only small areas support forests of widely differing types. The Deccanregion comprises the entire table land of the Indian Peninsula and supports


vegetationofvariouskindsfromshrubjunglestomixeddeciduousforests.TheMalabarregioncovers theexcessivelyhumidbeltofmountaincountryparallelto thewestcoastof thePeninsula.Besidesbeing rich in forestvegetation, thisregionproducesimportantcommercialcrops,suchascoconut,betelnut,pepper,coffee, tea, rubberandcashewnut.TheAndamanregionabounds inevergreen,mangrove, beach and diluvial forests. The Himalayan region extending fromKashmir toArunachal Pradesh throughSikkim,Meghalaya andNagaland andthe Deccan Peninsula is rich in endemic flora, with a large number of plantswhicharenotfoundelsewhere.

The flora of the country is being studied by BSI and its nine circle/fieldoffices locatedallover thecountryalongwithcertainuniversitiesandresearchinstitutions.

Ethno-botanicalstudydealswith theutilizationofplantsandplantproductsby ethnic races. A scientific study of such plants has been done by BSI. Anumber of detailed ethno-botanical explorations have been conducted indifferent tribal areas of the country. More than 800 plant species ofethnobotanicalinteresthavebeencollectedandidentifiedatdifferentcentres.

Owing to destruction of forests for agricultural, industrial and urbandevelopment,several Indianplantsarefacing threatofextinction.About1,336plant species are considered vulnerable and endangered. About 20 species ofhigherplantsarecategorizedaspossiblyextinct,asthesehavenotbeensightedduring the last six to ten decades. BSI brings out an inventory of endangeredplantsintheformofapublicationtitled‘RedDataBook.’

FaunalResourcesIndia is very rich in terms of biological diversity due to its unique

biogeographical location, diversified climate conditions and enormousecodiversityandgeodiversity.India’simmensebiologicaldiversityencompassesecosystems,populations, species and theirgeneticmake-up.Thisdiversity canbeattributedtothevastvarietyinphysiographyandclimaticsituationsresultingin a diversity of ecological habitats ranging from tropical, sub-tropical,temperate, alpine to desert. According to world biogeographic classification,Indiarepresentstwoofthemajorrealms(thePalearcticandIndo-Malayan)andthree biomes (Tropical Humid Forests, Tropical Dry/Deciduous Forests andWarm Deserts/Semi-Deserts). The Wildlife Institute of India has proposed amodifiedclassificationwhichdividesthecountryintotenbiogeographicregions:Trans- Himalayan, Himalayan, Indian Desert, Semi-Arid, Western Ghats,DeccanPeninsula,GangeticPlain,North-East India, IslandsandCoasts. In the


lightofBiodiversityConvention,Indiaholdsauniquepositionwiththepriorityofconservationofnaturalresourcesandsustainabledevelopment.Infact,withinonlyabout2percentofworld’stotallandsurface,Indiaisknowntohaveover7.50percentofthespeciesofanimalsthattheworldholdsandthispercentageaccountsnearlyfor92,037speciessofarknown,ofwhichinsectsaloneinclude61,375species.It isestimatedthatabouttwotimesthatnumberofspeciesstillremaintobediscoveredinIndiaalone.

DemographicBackgroundCensus

The Census of India 2001, was historic and epochmaking, being the firstcensusofthetwenty-firstcenturyandthethirdmillennium.Itrevealsbenchmarkdata on the state of abundant human resources available in the country, theirdemography, culture and economic structure at a juncture, which marks acentennialandmillenialtransition.

Census2011was the15th censusof itskindsince1872. Itwasheld in twophases: House listing and Housing Census (April to September, 2010) andPopulationEnumeration (February9 to28,2011withRevisional roundduring1st to 5thMarch, 2011). ReferenceDatewas 0.00 hour ofMarch 1, 2011. Insnowboundareas,thePopulationEnumerationwasconductedfromSeptember11to30,2010.TheFinalPopulationdatawasreleasedonApril30,2013.

PopulationThepopulationofIndiaasonMarch1,2011stoodat1,210.9million(623.2

millionmalesand587.6million females). Indiaaccounts forameagre2.4percent of the world surface area of 135.79million sq. km. Yet, it supports andsustainsawhoppingpercentoftheworldpopulation.

Thepopulation,whichattheturnofthetwentiethcenturywasaround238.4million, increased to reach 1,210.9 million by 2011. As recorded at eachdecennial census from 1901 the population has grown steadily except for adecreaseduring1911-21.

PopulationDensityOne of the important indices of population concentration is the density of

population. It is defined as the number of persons per sq. km.ThepopulationdensityofIndiain2011was382persq.km-decadalgrowth17.72percent.

Thedensityofpopulationincreasedinallstatesandunionterritoriesbetween1991and2011.Amongmajor states,Bihar is themost thicklypopulated state


withapopulationdensityof1,106personspersq.kmfollowedbyWestBengal1,028andKerala860.

SexRatioSex ratio, defined as the number of females per thousand males is an

importantsocial indicator tomeasure theextentofprevailingequalitybetweenmales and females in a society at a given point of time. The sex ratio in thecountry has always remained unfavourable to females. It was 972 at thebeginning of the twenthieth century and thereafter showed continuous declineuntil1941.Thesex ratio from1901-2011has registereda10point increaseatcensus 2011 over 2001; however, child sex ratio has declined to 919 perthousandmale.

LiteracyForthepurposeofcensus2011,apersonagedsevenandabove,whocanboth

read and write with understanding in any language, is treated as literate. Aperson,whocanonlyreadbutcannotwrite,isnotliterate.Inthecensusespriorto1991,childrenbelowfiveyearsofagewerenecessarilytreatedasilliterates.

Theresultsof2011censusrevealthattherehasbeenanincreaseinliteracyinthecountry.Theliteracyrateinthecountryis73.0percent,80.9formalesand64.6forfemales.

Keralaretaineditspositionbybeingontopwitha94percent literacyrate,closelyfollowedbyLakshadweep(91.9percent).Biharwitha literacyrateof61.8percentrankslast inthecountry.Keralaalsooccupiesthetopspotinthecountrybothinmaleliteracywith96.1percentandfemaleliteracywith92.1percent.Onthecontrary,Biharhasrecordedthelowestliteracyratesbothincaseofmales(71.2percent)andfemales(51.5percent).

Note:Fordetails,theCensusReport2011maybereferredto.


2 NationalSymbols

NationalFlagTHENational Flag shall be a tricolour panelmade up of three rectangular

panelsorsub-panelsofequalwidth.Thecolourof the toppanelshallbeIndiasaffron(kesari)andthatofthebottompanelIndiagreen.Themiddlepanelshallbewhite,bearingatitscentrethedesignofAshokaChakrainnavybluecolourwith24 equally spaced spokes.TheAshokaChakra shall preferablybe screenprinted or otherwise printed or stenciled or suitably embroidered and shall becompletelyvisibleonbothsidesoftheFlaginthecentreofthewhitepanel.TheNationalFlagshallberectangularinshape.Theratioofthelengthtotheheight(width)oftheFlagshallbe3:2.ThedesignoftheNationalFlagwasadoptedbytheConstitutentAssemblyofIndiaonJuly22,1947.

Apartfromnon-statutoryinstructionsissuedbythegovernmentfromtimetotime,displayoftheNationalFlagisgovernedbytheprovisionsoftheEmblemsandNames (Preventionof ImproperUse)Act, 1950 (No.12of1950) and thePreventionofInsultstoNationalHonourAct,1971(No.69of1971).TheFlagCodeofIndia,2002isanattempt tobringtogetherallsuchlaws,conventions,practicesandinstructionsfortheguidanceofallconcerned.

TheFlagCodeofIndia,2002effectivefromJanuary26,2002supersededthe‘FlagCode-India’as itexisted then.Asper theprovisionsof theFlagCodeofIndia, 2002, there is no restriction on the display of the National Flag bymembersofgeneralpublic, privateorganizations, educational institutions, etc.,except to the extent provided in the Emblems and Names (Prevention ofImproperUse)Act,1950andthePreventionofInsultstoNationalHonourAct,1971andanyotherlawenactedonthesubject.




NationalFlag

StateEmblemTheStateEmblemofIndiaisanadaptationoftheLionCapitalofAsokaat

Sarnath.Intheoriginal,theLionCapitalhasfourlionsmountedbacktoback,ona circular abacus. The frieze of the abacus is adornedwith sculptures in highreliefofanelephant,agallopinghorse,abullandalionseparatedbyinterveningDharmaChakras.Theabacusrestsonabellshapedlotus.

Theprofileof theLionCapital showing three lionsmountedon theabacuswithaDharmaChakrainthecentre,abullontherightandagallopinghorseonthe left, and outlines of Dharma Chakras on the extreme right and left wasadoptedastheStateEmblemofIndiaonJanuary26,1950.Thebell-shapedlotuswasomitted.Themotto“SatyamevaJayate”-TruthaloneTriumphs—written inDevanagari script below the profile of the Lion Capital is part of the StateEmblemofIndia.

IntheStateEmblemliestheofficialsealoftheGovernmentofIndia.Itsuseis regulated by the StateEmblemof India (Prohibition of ImproperUse)Act,2005andTheStateEmblemofIndia(RegulationofUse)Rules,2007[readwithStateEmblemofIndia(RegulationofUse)AmendmentRules,2010].


NationalEmblem

NationalAnthemThesongJana-gana-mana,composedoriginally inBanglabyRabindranath

Tagore, was adopted in its Hindi version by the Constituent Assembly as theNationalAnthemof IndiaonJanuary24,1950. ItwasfirstsungonDecember27,1911attheCalcuttaSessionoftheIndianNationalCongress.Thecompletesong consists of five stanzas. The first stanza contains the full version of theNationalAnthem:

Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka,jayahe


Bharata-bhagya-vidhataPanjaba-Sindhu-Gujarata-Maratha

Dravida-Utkala-BangaVindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga

uchchala-jaladhi-tarangaTavasubhanamejage,tave

subhaasisamage,Gahetavajaya-gatha.

Jana-gana-mangala-dayakajayaheBharata-bhagya-vidhata.Jayahe,jayahe,jayahe,Jayajayajaya,jayahe!

TheplayingtimeofthefullversionoftheNationalAnthemisapproximately

52seconds.AshortversionconsistingofthefirstandlastlinesoftheNationalAnthem (playing time approximately 20 seconds) is also played on certainoccasions.ThefollowingisTagore’sEnglishrenderingoftheanthem:

Thouarttherulerofthemindsofallpeople,DispenserofIndia’sdestiny.

ThynamerousestheheartsofPunjab,Sind,GujaratandMaratha,

OftheDravidaandOrissaandBengal;ItechoesinthehillsoftheVindhyasandHimalayas,minglesinthemusicofJamunaandGangesandis

chantedbythewavesoftheIndianSea.Theyprayforthyblessingsandsingthypraise.Thesavingofallpeoplewaitsinthyhand,

ThoudispenserofIndia’sdestiny.Victory,victory,victorytothee.

NationalSongThe song Vande Mataram, composed in Sanskrit by Bankimchandra

Chatterji,wasasourceofinspirationtothepeopleintheirstruggleforfreedom.IthasanequalstatuswithJana-gana-mana.Thefirstpoliticaloccasionwhenitwassungwasthe1896sessionoftheIndianNationalCongress.Thefollowingisthetextofitsfirststanza:

VandeMataram!Sujalam,suphalam,malayajashitalam,

Shasyashyamalam,Mataram!Shubhrajyotsnapulakitayaminim,

Phullakusumitadrumadalashobhinim,Suhasinimsumadhurabhashinim,


Sukhadamvaradam,Mataram!VandeMataram,VandeMataram!

TheEnglishtranslationofthestanzarenderedbySriAurobindoinprose1is:

Ibowtothee,Mother,

richly-watered,richly-fruited,coolwiththewindsofthesouth,darkwiththecropsoftheharvests,

TheMother!Hernightsrejoicinginthegloryofthemoonlight,

herlandsclothedbeautifullywithhertreesinfloweringbloom,sweetoflaughter,sweetofspeech,

theMother,giverofboons,giverofbliss.

NationalCalendarTheNationalCalendarbasedontheSakaEra,withChaitraasitsfirstmonth

andanormalyearof365dayswasadoptedfromMarch22,1957alongwiththeGregoriancalendarforthefollowingofficialpurposes:(i)GazetteofIndia,(ii)newsbroadcastbyAllIndiaRadio,(iii)calendarsissuedbytheGovernmentofIndiaand(iv)Governmentcommunicationsaddressedtothepublic.

DatesoftheNationalCalendarhaveapermanentcorrespondencewithdatesof the Gregorian Calendar, 1 Chaitra falling on March 22 normally and onMarch21inleapyear.Website:www.mha.gov.in


http://www.mha.gov.in


3 Polity

INDIA, a union of states, is a Sovereign Socialist Secular DemocraticRepublicwithaparliamentarysystemofgovernment.TheRepublicisgovernedin terms of the Constitution, whichwas adopted by ConstituentAssembly onNovember26,1949andcameintoforceonJanuary26,1950.

The Constitution which envisages parliamentary form of government isfederal in structure with unitary features. The President of India is theconstitutionalheadofexecutiveof theunion.Article74(1)of theConstitutionprovidesthatthereshallbeaCouncilofMinisterswiththePrimeMinisterasitsheadtoaidandadvisethePresidentwhoshallinexerciseofhisfunctions,actinaccordancewithsuchadvice.TherealexecutivepowerthusvestsintheCouncilofMinisterswith the PrimeMinister as its head. TheCouncil ofMinisters iscollectively responsible to theHouse of the People (Lok Sabha). Similarly, instates, theGovernoris theheadofexecutive,but it is theCouncilofMinisterswith the ChiefMinister as its head in whom real executive power vests. TheCouncil of Ministers of a state is collectively responsible to the LegislativeAssemblyofthestate.

TheConstitutiondistributes legislativepowerbetweenParliamentandStateLegislatures and provides for vesting of residual powers in Parliament. ThepowertoamendtheConstitutionalsovestsinParliament.TheConstitutionhasprovision for independence of Judiciary, Comptroller and Auditor-General,PublicServiceCommissionsandChiefElectionCommission.India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

UnionanditsTerritoryIndia comprises28 states andnineunion territories.The states are:Andhra

Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat,Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh,Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Punjab,Rajasthan,Sikkim,TamilNadu,Telangana,Tripura,Uttarakhand,UttarPradeshand West Bengal. Union territories are: Andaman and Nicobar Islands,


Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Jammu and Kashmir,NationalCapitalTerritoryofDelhi,Ladakh,LakshadweepandPuducherry.

TheJammuandKashmirReorganisationAct,2019wasenacted(MHA,SONo. 3979 (E) dated November 2, 2019) to provide for reorganisation of theerstwhilestateofJammuandKashmirintothetwounionterritories-onetobeeponymously called Jammu and Kashmir, and the other Ladakh. October 31,2019wasnotifiedastheappointeddayforallpurposesoftheAct.AbillfortheActwas introduced in theRajyaSabha,on5August2019andwaspassedonthat day. It was passed by the Lok Sabha on 6 August 2019. It received thePresident’sassenton9August2019.TheintroductionofthebillwasprecededbyapresidentialorderunderArticle370oftheIndianconstitutionthatrevokedJammu and Kashmir’s special status, and mandating, inter alia, that all theprovisions of the Indian Constitution would be applicable to Jammu andKashmir.

Accordingly, the “State Legislature including Legislative Council of theState” has been abolished and shall from now onwards be construed as“LegislativeAssemblyoftheUnionTerritoryofJammuandKashmir”.All theprovisions of the constitution as amended from time to time have becomeapplicabletotheexistingJammuandKashmirwitheffectfromAugust5,2019,andanynotificationissuedororder,ruleorappointmentmadeduringtheperiodbetweentheAugust5,2019andOctober31are“requiredtobeprotected,asifsuchactionshavebeen taken inaccordancewith law”.Thereare references inthestatelawsthathavebeenappliedtotheexpressions‘permanentresidents’or‘hereditarystatesubjects’arenowomitted.

Shri Girish Chandra Murmu is the first-ever lieutenant governor (L-G) ofJ&K, while Shri Radha Krishna Mathur, is the new L-G of Ladakh.India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

CitizenshipTheConstitutionof Indiaprovides for a single citizenship for thewholeof

India.EverypersonwhowasatthecommencementoftheConstitution(January26,1950)domiciledintheterritoryofIndiaand:(a)whowasborninIndia;or(b)eitherofwhoseparentswereborn in India;or (c)whohasbeenordinarilyresident in India for not less than five years became a citizen of India. TheCitizenshipAct,1955,dealswithmatters relating toacquisition,determinationand termination of Indian citizenship after the commencement of theConstitution.


Citizenship(Amendment)ActThe Citizenship Act was amended by the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill,

2019whichwaspassedbytheParliamentonDecember11,2019andreceivedthePresident’sassentonDecember12,2019.TheamendedActmakesforeignillegalmigrants of six religious communities i.e.,Hindu, Sikh,Buddhist, Jain,Parsi and Christian from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible forIndiancitizenship.ItisapplicabletothosewhohavetakenshelterinIndiaduetopersecutionongroundsofreligionorfearofsuchpersecutionintheircountriesand have entered into India on or before December 31, 2014.On acquiringcitizenship,suchmigrantsshallbedeemedtobeIndiancitizensfromthedateoftheir entry into India and all legal proceedings regarding their status as illegalmigrantsor theircitizenshipwillbeclosed.TheThirdSchedule to theActhasbeenamended tomakeapplicantsbelonging to the said communities from thethree countries eligible for citizenship by naturalisation, if they can establishtheir residency in India for five years instead of the previous requirement ofelevenyears.

Theprovisionsof theAct, however, donot apply to tribal areasofAssam,Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura as included in the Sixth Schedule to theConstitutionandtheareaswhere‘TheInnerLinePermit’isapplicableincludingthe states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur.[https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195666;https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195783;http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/214646.pdf]

FundamentalRightsTheConstitutionoffersallcitizens,individuallyandcollectively,somebasic

freedoms. These are guaranteed in the Constitution in the form of six broadcategories of Fundamental Rights which are justifiable. Articles 12 to 35contained in Part III of theConstitution dealwith FundamentalRights. Theseare: (i) Right to equality including equality before law, prohibition ofdiscrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth andequality of opportunity in matters of employment; (ii) Right to freedom ofspeech and expression, assembly, association or union, movement, residence,and right to practice any profession or occupation (some of these rights aresubject tosecurityof thestate, friendly relationswith foreigncountries,publicorder,decencyormorality);(iii)Rightagainstexploitation,prohibitingallformsofforcedlabour,childlabourandtrafficinhumanbeings;(iv)Righttofreedomofconscienceandfreeprofession,practiceandpropagationofreligion;(v)Right


https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195666

https://pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=195783

http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/214646.pdf

ofanysectionofcitizenstoconservetheirculture,languageorscriptandrightofminoritiestoestablishandadministereducationalinstitutionsoftheirchoice;and (vi) Right to constitutional remedies for enforcement of FundamentalRights.

FundamentalDutiesBythe42ndAmendmentoftheConstitution,adoptedin1976,Fundamental

Duties of the citizens have also been enumerated.Article 51 ‘A’ contained inPartIVAoftheConstitutiondealswithFundamentalDuties.Theseenjoinuponacitizenamongotherthings,toabidebytheConstitution,tocherishandfollownobleideals,whichinspiredIndia’sstruggleforfreedom,todefendthecountryandrendernationalservicewhencalledupontodosoandtopromoteharmonyandspiritofcommonbrotherhoodtranscendingreligious,linguisticandregionalorsectionaldiversities.

DirectivePrinciplesofStatePolicyThe Constitution lays down certain Directive Principles of State Policy,

whichthoughnotjustifiable,are‘fundamentalingovernanceofthecountry’andit is thedutyof thestate toapply theseprinciples inmaking laws.ThesehavebeencontainedinPartIVfromArticles36to51oftheConstitution.Theselaydownthatthestateshallstrivetopromotethewelfareofpeoplebysecuringandprotecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice—social,economicandpolitical—shall form thebasis inall institutionsofnational life.Thestateshalldirectitspolicyinsuchamannersoastosecuretherightofallmenandwomentoanadequatemeansoflivelihood,equalpayforequalworkandwithin limitsof itseconomiccapacityanddevelopment, tomakeeffectiveprovisionforsecuringtherighttowork,educationandtopublicassistanceintheevent of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement or other cases ofundeservedwant.The state shall also endeavour to secure toworkers a livingwage,humaneconditionsofwork,adecentstandardoflifeandfullinvolvementofworkersinmanagementofindustries.

Intheeconomicsphere,thestateistodirectitspolicyinsuchamannerastosecuredistributionofownershipandcontrolofmaterialresourcesofcommunitytosubservethecommongoodandtoensurethatoperationofeconomicsystemdoesnotresultinconcentrationofwealthandmeansofproductiontocommondetriment.

Someoftheotherimportantdirectivesrelatetoprovisionofopportunitiesandfacilities for children to develop in a healthy manner, free and compulsory


education for all children upto the age of 14; promotion of education andeconomic interests of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other weakersections; organisation of village panchayats; separation of judiciary fromexecutive;promulgationofauniformcivilcodeforwholecountry;protectionofnational monuments; promotion of justice on the basis of equal opportunity;provision of free legal aid; protection and improvement of environment andsafeguarding of forests and wildlife of the country; and promotion ofinternationalpeaceandsecurity, justandhonourablerelationsbetweennations,respect for international law, treaty obligations and settlement of internationaldisputesbyarbitration.

TheUnionExecutiveThe Union executive consists of the President, the Vice-President and the

CouncilofMinisterswiththePrimeMinisterastheheadtoaidandadvisethePresident.

PresidentThe President is elected by members of an electoral college consisting of

electedmembers of bothHouses of Parliament andLegislativeAssemblies ofthestatesinaccordancewiththesystemofproportionalrepresentationbymeansofsingletransferablevote.Tosecureuniformityamongstatesinterseaswellasparitybetweenthestates,asawhole,andtheUnion,suitableweightageisgiventoeachvote.ThePresidentmustbeacitizenofIndia,notlessthan35yearsofageandqualifiedforelectionasamemberoftheLokSabha.Histermofofficeisfiveyearsandheiseligibleforre-election.HisremovalfromofficeistobeinaccordancewithprocedureprescribedinArticle61oftheConstitution.Hemay,bywritingunderhishandaddressedtotheVice-President,resignhisoffice.

TheexecutivepoweroftheUnionisvestedinthePresidentandisexercisedbyhimeitherdirectlyorthroughofficerssubordinatetohiminaccordancewiththe Constitution. The supreme command of defence forces of the Union alsovests inhim.ThePresidentsummons,prorogues,addresses,sendsmessages toParliament and dissolves theLokSabha; promulgatesOrdinances at any time,exceptwhenbothHousesofParliamentareinsession;makesrecommendationsfor introducing financial and money bills and gives assent to bills; grantspardons, reprieves, respites or remission of punishment or suspends, remits orcommutessentencesincertaincases.Whenthereisafailureoftheconstitutionalmachineryinastate,hecanassumetohimselfalloranyofthefunctionsoftheGovernmentofthatstate.ThePresidentcanproclaimemergencyinthecountry


ifheissatisfiedthatagraveemergencyexistswherebysecurityofIndiaoranypartofitsterritoryisthreatenedwhetherbywarorexternalaggressionorarmedrebellion.

Vice-PresidentTheVice-President iselectedbymembersofanelectoralcollegeconsisting

of members of both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the system ofproportional representationbymeansofsingle transferablevote.Hemustbeacitizen of India, not less than 35 years of age and eligible for election as amemberoftheRajyaSabha.Histermofofficeisfiveyearsandheiseligibleforre-election. His removal from office is to be in accordance with procedureprescribedinArticle67(b).

The Vice-President is ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha and acts asPresidentwhen the latter is unable to discharge his functions due to absence,illnessoranyothercauseortilltheelectionofanewPresident(tobeheldwithinsix months when a vacancy is caused by death, resignation or removal orotherwiseofPresident).Whilesoacting,heceasestoperformthefunctionoftheChairmanoftheRajyaSabha.

CouncilofMinistersThere is a Council ofMinisters, headed by the PrimeMinister, to aid and

advisethePresidentinexerciseofhisfunctions.ThePrimeMinisterisappointedby the President who also appoints other ministers on the advice of PrimeMinister.TheCounciliscollectivelyresponsibletotheLokSabha.ItisthedutyofthePrimeMinister tocommunicatetothePresidentalldecisionsofCouncilofMinistersrelatingtoadministrationofaffairsoftheUnionandproposalsforlegislationandinformationrelatingtothem.

TheCouncilofMinisterscomprisesministerswhoaremembersofCabinet,Ministers of State (independent charge), Ministers of State and DeputyMinisters.

LegislatureLegislatureoftheUnionwhichiscalledParliament,consistsofthePresident

and twoHouses,knownasCouncilofStates (RajyaSabha),andHouseof thePeople(LokSabha).EachHousehastomeetwithinsixmonthsofitsprevioussitting.AjointsittingoftwoHousescanbeheldincertaincases.

LokSabhaanditsSpeaker(s)


RajyaSabhaTheConstitutionprovidesthattheRajyaSabhashallconsistof12members

to be nominated by the President from amongst persons having specialknowledge or practical experience in respect of such matters as literature,science, art and social service; and not more than 238 representatives of thestates and of the union territories. Details of Rajya Sabha members given inAppendices.

Elections to the Rajya Sabha are indirect; members representing states areelected by the elected members of Legislative Assemblies of the states inaccordancewiththesystemofproportionalrepresentationbymeansofthesingletransferablevote, and those representingunion territories are chosen in such amannerasParliamentmaybylawprescribe.TheRajyaSabhaisnotsubjecttodissolution;one-thirdofitsmembersretireeverysecondyear.


Website:www.rajyasabha.in

LokSabhaThe Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of people chosen by direct

election on the basis of adult suffrage. The maximum strength of the HouseenvisagedbytheConstitutionisnow552(530memberstorepresentthestates,20memberstorepresenttheunionterritoriesandnotmorethantwomembersoftheAnglo-IndiancommunitytobenominatedbythePresident,if,inhisopinion,thatcommunity isnotadequately represented in theHouse).The totalelectivemembershipoftheLokSabhaisdistributedamongthestatesinsuchawaythattheratiobetweenthenumberofseatsallottedtoeachstateandthepopulationofthe state is, as far as practicable, the same for all states. The Lok Sabha atpresent consists of 543members. Of these, 530members are directly electedfromthestatesand13fromunionterritories.Followingthe84thamendmenttothe Constitution in 2001, the total number of existing seats as allocated tovarious states in the Lok Sabha on the basis of the 1971 census shall remainunalteredtillthefirstcensustobetakenaftertheyear2026.

ThetermoftheLokSabha,unlessdissolvedearlierisfiveyearsfromthedateappointedforitsfirstmeeting.However,whileaProclamationofEmergencyisinoperation,thisperiodmaybeextendedbyParliamentbylawforaperiodnotexceedingoneyearatatimeandnotextendinginanycase,beyondaperiodofsix months after the Proclamation is or has ceased to operate. Sixteen LokSabhas have been constituted so far. The term of each Lok Sabha and itsSpeaker(s) isgivenin table in thischapter.Thenamesofmembersof the17thLokSabha,theirconstituenciesandpartyaffiliationsaregiveninAppendices.Website:www.loksabha.in

QualificationforMembershipofParliamentInordertobechosenamemberofParliament,apersonmustbeacitizenof

Indiaandnotlessthan30yearsofageinthecaseofRajyaSabhaandnotlessthan25yearsofageinthecaseofLokSabha.AdditionalqualificationsmaybeprescribedbyParliamentbylaw.

FunctionsandPowersofParliamentTheParliament inIndiahas thecardinalfunctionsof legislation,overseeing

of administration, passing of the budget, ventilation of public grievances anddiscussing various subjects like development plans, national policies andinternational relations. The distribution of powers between the Union and thestates, followed in the Constitution, emphasizes in many ways the general


http://www.rajyasabha.in

http://www.loksabha.in

predominanceofParliament in the legislative field.TheParliament can,undercertaincircumstances,assumelegislativepowerwithrespecttoasubjectfallingwithin the sphere exclusively reserved for the states. It can impeach thePresidentandremovethejudgesofSupremeCourtandHighCourts,theChiefElectionCommissionerandtheComptrollerandAuditorGeneralinaccordancewiththeprocedurelaiddownintheConstitution.

AlllegislationrequiresconsentofboththeHousesofParliament.Inthecaseof money bills, however, the ‘will’ of the Lok Sabha prevails. DelegatedlegislationisalsosubjecttoreviewandcontrolbyParliament.Besidesthepowertolegislate,theConstitutionvestsinParliamentthepowertoinitiateamendmentoftheConstitution.

ParliamentaryCommitteesThefunctionsofParliamentarevaried innature.The timeat itsdisposal is

limited.Itcannotmakeverydetailedscrutinyofalllegislativeandothermattersthat come up before it. A good deal of Parliamentary business is, therefore,transacted in the committees. Both Houses of Parliament have a similarcommittee structure, with few exceptions. Their appointment, terms of office,functionsandprocedureofconductingbusinessarealsomoreorlesssimilarandareregulatedasper rulesmadeby the twoHousesunderArticle118(1)of theConstitution.

Broadly,ParliamentaryCommitteesareof twokinds—StandingCommitteesand Ad Hoc Committees. The former are elected or appointed every year orperiodically and theirwork goes on,more or less, on a continuous basis. Thelatterareappointedonanadhocbasisasneedarisesandtheyceasetoexistassoonastheycompletethetaskassignedtothem.StandingCommittees:Among theStandingCommittees, the threeFinancial

Committees—Committees on Estimates, Public Accounts and PublicUndertakings—constituteadistinctgroupastheykeepanunremittingvigiloverGovernmentexpenditureandperformance.Whilemembersof theRajyaSabhaare associatedwithCommittees on PublicAccounts and PublicUndertakings,themembersoftheCommitteeonEstimatesaredrawnfromtheLokSabha.

The Estimates Committee reports on what economies, improvements inorganization, efficiency or administrative reform consistent with policyunderlyingtheestimatesmaybeeffected.Italsoexamineswhetherthemoneyiswelllaidoutwithinlimitsofthepolicyimpliedintheestimatesandsuggeststheform in which estimates shall be presented to the Parliament. The PublicAccounts Committee scrutinizes appropriation and finance accounts of


GovernmentandreportsoftheComptrollerandAuditor-General.Itensuresthatpublic money is spent in accordance with the Parliament’s decision and callsattention to cases of waste, extravagance, loss or nugatory expenditure. TheCommittee on Public Undertakings examines reports of the Comptroller andAuditor-General,ifany.Italsoexamineswhetherpublicundertakingsarebeingrun efficiently andmanaged in accordancewith soundbusiness principles andprudentcommercialpractices.

Besides these three financial committees, the Rules Committee of the LokSabharecommendedsetting-upof17DepartmentRelatedStandingCommittees(DRSCs).Accordingly, 17DepartmentRelated StandingCommitteeswere setup on April 8, 1993. In July, 2004, rules were amended to provide for theconstitutionofsevenmoresuchcommittees,thusraisingthenumberofDRSCsfrom 17 to 24. The functions of these committees are: (a) to consider thedemands for grants of variousministries/departments of Government of IndiaandmakereportstotheHouses;(b)toexaminesuchbillsasarereferredtothecommitteebytheChairman,RajyaSabhaortheSpeaker,LokSabha,andmakereports thereon; (c) to consider annual reports of ministries/departments andmake reports thereon; and (d) to consider policy documents presented to theHouses, if referred to the committee by the Chairman, Rajya Sabha or theSpeaker,LokSabha,andmakereportsthereon.

Other Standing Committees in each House, divided in terms of theirfunctions, are (i)Committees to Inquire: (a)Committee onPetitions examinespetitions on bills and onmatters of general public interest and also entertainsrepresentations on matters concerning subjects in the Union List; and (b)CommitteeofPrivilegesexaminesanyquestionofprivilegereferredtoitbytheHouseorSpeaker/Chairman; (ii)Committees toScrutinize : (a)Committee onGovernment Assurances keeps track of all the assurances, promises,undertakings,etc.,givenbyMinistersintheHouseandpursuesthemtilltheyareimplemented;(b)CommitteeonSubordinateLegislationscrutinizesandreportstotheHousewhetherthepowertomakeregulations,rules,sub-rules,bye-laws,etc.,conferredbytheConstitutionorStatutesisbeingproperlyexercisedbythedelegatedauthorities;and(c)CommitteeonPapersLaidontheTableexaminesall papers laid on the table of the House by ministers, other than statutorynotifications and orderswhich comewithin the purview of theCommittee onSubordinate Legislation, to see whether there has been compliance with theprovisionsoftheConstitution,Act,ruleorregulationunderwhichthepaperhasbeenlaid;(iii)Committeesrelatingtotheday-to-daybusinessoftheHouse:(a)Business Advisory Committee recommends allocation of time for items of


GovernmentandotherbusinesstobebroughtbeforetheHouses;(b)Committeeon Private Members’ Bills and Resolutions of the Lok Sabha classifies andallocatestimetobillsintroducedbyprivatemembers,recommendsallocationoftimefordiscussiononprivatemembers’resolutionsandexaminesConstitutionamendmentbillsbeforetheirintroductionbyprivatemembersintheLokSabha.The Rajya Sabha does not have such committee. It is the Business AdvisoryCommitteeof thatHousewhich recommends allocationof time fordiscussiononstageorstagesofprivatemembers’billsandresolutions;(c)RulesCommitteeconsiders matters of procedure and conduct of business in the House andrecommends amendments or additions to the rules; and (d) Committee onAbsenceofMembersfromtheSittingsoftheHouseoftheLokSabhaconsidersallapplicationsfrommembersfor leaveorabsencefromsittingsof theHouse.ThereisnosuchcommitteeintheRajyaSabha.Applicationsfrommembersforleave or absence are considered by the House itself; (iv) Committee on theWelfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, on which members fromboth Houses serve, considers all matters relating to the welfare of scheduledcastes and scheduled tribes which come within the purview of the UnionGovernmentandkeepsawatchwhetherconstitutional safeguards in respectofthese classes are properly implemented; (v) Committees concerned with theprovision of facilities tomembers: (a)General Purposes Committee considersand advises Speaker/Chairman on matters concerning affairs of the House,whichdonot appropriately fallwithin thepurviewof anyotherParliamentaryCommittee;and(b)HouseCommitteedealswithresidentialaccommodationandotheramenitiesformembers;(vi)JointCommitteeonSalariesandAllowancesofMembersofParliament,constitutedundertheSalary,AllowancesandPensionofMembers of Parliament Act, 1954, apart from framing rules for regulatingpayment of salary, allowances and pension to Members of Parliament, alsoframes rules in respect of amenities like medical, housing, telephone, postal,constituency and secretarial facility; (vii)JointCommittee onOffices ofProfitexamines the composition and character of committees and other bodiesappointed by the Central and state governments and union territoriesadministrationsandrecommendswhatofficesoughttooroughtnottodisqualifyaperson frombeingchosenas amemberof eitherHouseofParliament; (viii)The Library Committee consisting of members from both Houses, considersmatters concerning the Library of Parliament; (ix) On April 29, 1997, aCommitteeonEmpowermentofWomenwithmembersfromboththeHouseswasconstituted,tosecure,status,dignityandequalityforwomeninallfields;(x)OnMarch4,1997, theEthicsCommitteeof theRajyaSabhawasconstituted.TheEthicsCommitteeoftheLokSabhawasconstitutedonMay16,2000.


AdhocCommittees: Such committeesmay be broadly classified under twoheads:(a)committeeswhichareconstitutedfromtimetotime,eitherbythetwoHouseson amotion adopted in that behalf orbySpeaker/Chairman to inquireinto and report on specific subjects, (e.g.,Committeeson foodmanagement inParliament House Complex, Committee on installation of portraits/statues ofNational leaders and Parliamentarians in Parliament House Complex,Committee on Security in Parliament Complex, Committee on MPLADS,CommitteeonRailwayconvention,etc.)and(b)SelectorJointCommitteesonBills which are appointed to consider and report on a particular bill. Thesecommittees are distinguishable from the otherad hoc committees asmuch astheyareconcernedwithbillsandtheproceduretobefollowedbythemaslaiddownintheRulesofProcedureandDirectionsbytheSpeaker/Chairman.

LeadersofOppositioninParliamentThe Leaders of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha are

accordedstatutoryrecognition.Salaryandothersuitable facilitiesareextendedtothemthroughaseparatelegislationbroughtintoforceonNovember1,1977.

GovernmentBusinessinParliamentThe Minister of Parliamentary Affairs is entrusted with coordinating,

planning and arranging government business in bothHouses ofParliament. Indischargeofthisfunction,heisassistedbytwoministersofstate.Theministeralsokeepscloseandconstantcontactwiththepresidingofficers,theleadersaswellaschiefwhipsofvariouspartiesandgroupsinbothHousesofParliament.

ConsultativeCommitteesFunctioning of Consultative Committees of Members of Parliament for

various ministries is one of the functions allocated to the Ministry ofParliamentaryAffairs under theGovernment of India (Allocation ofBusiness)Rules,1961.TheminimummembershipofaConsultativeCommitteeistenandthe maximum membership is thirty. The Consultative Committee standsdissolved upon dissolution of every Lok Sabha and are re-constituted uponconstitutionofeachLokSabha.35ConsultativeCommitteesattachedtovariousministries were constituted for 16th Lok Sabha and 96 meetings were heldbetweenJune2016toMay2017.

YouthParliamentCompetitionInordertodevelopdemocraticethosintheyoungergenerationtheMinistry

conducts Youth Parliament Competitions in various categories of schools and


colleges/universities.The‘YouthParliamentScheme’wasfirstintroducedintheschools inDelhi in1966-67.KendriyaVidyalayas located inandaroundDelhiwere incorporated into the ongoing scheme in 1978. Subsequently, a separateschemeofYouthParliament forKendriyaVidyalayasat thenational levelwaslaunched in 1988. In 1997-98, two new Youth Parliament Schemes at thenational level, one for Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and the other foruniversities/collegeswerelaunched.

AllIndiaWhips’ConferenceThe Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, organises All India Whips’

Conference from time to time with the purpose of establishing suitable linksamong thewhips of various political parties at the centre and the states/unionterritorieswho are concernedwith the practicalworking of the legislatures todiscussmattersof common interest and toevolvehigh standards to strengthenthe institution of parliamentary democracy. Seventeen All India Whips’Conferenceshavebeenorganizedsofarsince1952.

SpecialMentionsThe Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs takes follow-up action on matters

raisedunderRule377oftheRulesofProcedureandConductofBusinessinLokSabhaandbywayofSpecialMentionsinRajyaSabha.After‘QuestionHour’inLokSabhamembersraisemattersofurgentpublicimportanceat12.00noon.InRajyaSabhamembers raisesmattersofurgentpublic importanceat11.00am.Though it is not mandatory, ministers often react to the points made by themembers. In the absence of concernedminister, theMinister of ParliamentaryAffairs assures the House or the member that their sentiments would beconveyedtotheconcernedministers.

ImplementationofAssurancesThe Ministry culls out from the printed daily proceedings, assurances,

promises, undertakings, etc., given by ministers in both the Houses ofParliament, and forward them to the concerned ministries/departments forimplementation. Thereafter, periodic review of the stage of implementation isdone by the Ministry and the ministries are also reminded to expedite thefulfillment of assurances.On receipt of the ImplementationReports(IRs) fromthe ministries, after due scrutiny, statements showing action taken by theGovernment in implementation of the assurances are periodically laid on theTable of the respectiveHouse byMinister/Minister of State for ParliamentaryAffairs.After the implementation reports are laid, themembers aswell as the


ministriesconcernedareinformedaboutthelayingofthereports.

GoodwillDelegationTheparliamentariansofacountryplayasignificant role indetermining the

policyof thecountryandstrengtheningofrelationswithothercountries.Moreparticularly, it is indeeduseful andnecessary for a democratic anddevelopingcountry like India to select some members of Parliament and distinguishedpersonalitiesandutilizetheirservicesinprojectingourpolicies,programmeandachievementindifferentfieldswiththeircounterpartsandotheropinionmakersinothercountriesandsecuretheirsupportinfavourofIndia.

With these objectives, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs sponsorsGovernmentGoodwillDelegationofMembersofParliamenttoothercountriesand receives similar delegations of parliamentarians under the exchangeprogrammefromothercountriesthroughtheMinistryofExternalAffairs.

WelfareofMembersofParliamentThe Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs looks after the welfare of ailing

MembersofParliamentadmittedfortreatmentinhospitalsinDelhiandrendersanyassistancerequiredbythem.IntheunfortunateeventofpassingawayofaMemberofParliamentinDelhi,theMinistryofParliamentaryAffairsrendersallnecessary assistance to the bereaved family members in taking the mortalremainsofthedeceasedmemberforlastritestoaplacechosenbythefamily.

ComptrollerandAuditorGeneralThe Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India is appointed by the

President. The procedure and the grounds for his removal from office are thesameasforaSupremeCourtjudge.Heisnoteligibleforfurtherofficeundertheunionorastategovernmentafterheceasestoholdhisoffice.

TheaccountsoftheUnionandofthestatesshallbekeptinsuchformasthePresidentmay, on the advice of the CAG, prescribe. The reports of the Indiarelating to the accounts of the union shall be submitted to the President,whoshallcausethemtobelaidbeforeeachHouseofParliament.ThereportsoftheCAG of India relating to the accounts of a state shall be submitted to theGovernorofthestate,whoshallcausethemtobelaidbeforethelegislatureofthestate.

Theduties,powersandconditionsofserviceoftheCAGhavebeenspecifiedby the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (Duties, Powers and Conditions ofService)Act,1971.

Website:www.cag.gov.in

Attorney-GeneralTheAttorney-General for India is appointedby thePresidentof India.Any

person qualified to be a judge of theSupremeCourt can be appointed for thepost.ThedutiesoftheAttorney-GeneralistogiveadvicetotheGovernmentofIndia upon such legal matters, and to perform such other duties of a legalcharacter, as may from time to time be referred or assigned to him by thePresident, and to discharge the functions conferred on him by or under theConstitutionoranyotherlawforthetimebeinginforce.IntheperformanceofhisdutiestheAttorney-Generalshallhavetherightofaudienceinallcourts intheterritoryofIndia.TheAttorney-Generalshallholdofficeduringthepleasureof the President, and shall receive such remuneration as the President maydetermine.

SolicitorGeneralofIndiaTheSolicitorGeneralofIndiaisthegovernment’schieflegaladvisor,andits

primarylawyerintheSupremeCourtofIndia.TheSolicitorGeneralofIndiaisthe secondary law officer of the country, assists the Attorney-General, and ishimself assisted by several Additional Solicitors General of India. Like theAttorney-General for India, theSolicitorGeneral and theAdditionalSolicitorsGeneral advise the government and appear on behalf of theUnion of India intermsoftheLawOfficers(TermsandConditions)Rules,1972.

However, unlike the post of Attorney-General for India, which is aConstitutionalpostunderArticle76, thepostsof theSolicitorGeneraland theAdditionalSolicitorsGeneralaremerelystatutory.AppointmentsCommitteeoftheCabinetappointstheSolicitorGeneral.

AdministrativeSet-upTheGovernmentofIndia(AllocationofBusiness)Rules,1961aremadeby

thePresidentofIndiaunderClause(3)ofArticle77oftheConstitutionfortheallocationofbusinessoftheGovernmentofIndia.Theministries/departmentsoftheGovernmentarecreatedbythePresidentontheadviceofthePrimeMinisterunder these rules. The business of the government is transacted in theministries/departments,secretariatsandofficesasperthedistributionofsubjectsspecifiedintheserules.Eachoftheministry(ies)isassignedtoaministerbythePresident on the advice of the Prime Minister. Each department is generallyunder the charge of a secretary to assist the minister on policy matters and

http://www.cag.gov.in

generaladministration.

CabinetSecretariatThe Cabinet Secretariat functions directly under the Prime Minister. The

administrativeheadoftheSecretariatistheCabinetSecretarywhoisalsotheex-officioChairmanoftheCivilServicesBoard.ThebusinessallocatedtoCabinetSecretariat is (i) secretarial assistance to theCabinet andCabinetCommittees;and(ii)rulesofbusiness.

The Cabinet Secretariat is responsible for the administration of theGovernmentofIndia(TransactionofBusiness)Rules,1961andtheGovernmentofIndia(AllocationofBusiness)Rules,1961,facilitatingsmoothtransactionofbusiness inministries/departmentsof thegovernmentbyensuringadherence tothese rules. It assists in decision-making by ensuring inter-ministerialcoordination, ironing out differences amongst ministries/departments andevolving consensus through the instrumentality of the standing and ad hocCommittees of Secretaries. TheCabinet Secretariat ensures that the President,theVice-Presidentandministersarekeptinformedofthemajoractivitiesofallministries/departments by means of monthly summary of their activities.Managementofmajorcrisissituationsinthecountryandcoordinatingactivitiesof various ministries in such a situation is also one of the functions of theCabinet Secretariat. The Secretaries keep the Cabinet Secretary informed ofdevelopmentsfromtimetotime.TheTransactionofBusinessRulesalsorequirethemtokeeptheCabinetSecretaryinformedspeciallyifthereareanydeparturesfromtheserules.Website:www.cabsec.gov.in

Ministries/DepartmentsoftheGovernmentThegovernmentconsistsofanumberofministries/departments,theirnumber

and character varying from time to time based on factors such as volume ofwork,prioritiesattachedtocertainsubjects,etc.

ListoftheMinistries/Departments1

1. MinistryofAgricultureandFarmersWelfare(KrishievamKisanKalyanMantralaya)i. DepartmentofAgriculture,Co-operationandFarmersWelfare(Krishi,SahkaritaevamKisanKalyanVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofAgriculturalResearchandEducation

http://www.cabsec.gov.in

(KrishiAnusandhanaurShikshaVibhag)iii. DepartmentofAnimalHusbandry,DairyingandFisheries

(Pashupalan,DairyaurMatsyapalanVibhag)2. MinistryofAyurveda,YogaandNaturopathy,Unani,Siddhaand

Homoeopathy(AYUSH)(Ayurveda,YogaaurPrakratikChikitsa,Unani,SiddhaaurHomoeopathy)(AyushMantralaya)

3. MinistryofChemicalsandFertilizers(RasayanaurUrvarakMantralaya)i. DepartmentofChemicalsandPetro-Chemicals(RasayanaurPetro-RasayanVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofFertilizers(UrvarakVibhag)iii. DepartmentofPharmaceuticals(AushadhVibhag)

4. MinistryofCivilAviation(NagarVimananMantralaya)5. MinistryofCoal(KoyalaMantralaya)6. MinistryofCommerceandIndustry(VanijyaaurUdyogMantralaya)

i. DepartmentofCommerce(VanijyaVibhag)ii. DepartmentforPromotionofIndustryandInternalTrade(Udyog

SamvardhanaurAntarikVyaparVibhag)7. MinistryofCommunications(SancharMantralaya)

i. DepartmentofTelecommunications(DoorsancharVibhag)ii. DepartmentofPosts(DakVibhag)

8. MinistryofConsumerAffairs,FoodandPublicDistribution(UpbhoktaMamle,KhadyaaurSarvajanikVitaranMantralaya)i. DepartmentofConsumerAffairs(UpbhoktaMamleVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofFoodandPublicDistribution(KhadyaaurSarvajanikVitaranVibhag)

9. MinistryofCorporateAffairs(CorporateKaryaMantralaya)10. MinistryofCulture(SanskritiMantralaya)11. MinistryofDefence(RakshaMantralaya)

i. DepartmentofDefence(RakshaVibhag)ii. DepartmentofDefenceProduction

(RakshaUtpadanVibhag)iii. DepartmentofDefenceResearchandDevelopment

(RakshaAnusandhantathaVikasVibhag)iv. DepartmentofEx-ServicemenWelfare

(PoorvaSenaniKalyanVibhag)12. MinistryofDevelopmentofNorth-EasternRegion(UttarPoorvi

KshetraVikasMantralaya)

13. MinistryofEarthSciences(PrithviVigyanMantralaya)14. MinistryofElectronicsandInformationTechnology(Electronikiaur

SoochanaPraudyogikiMantralaya)15. MinistryofEnvironment,ForestandClimateChange(Paryavaran,Van

aurJalvayuParivartanMantralaya)16. MinistryofExternalAffairs(VideshMantralaya)17. MinistryofFinance(VittaMantralaya)

i. DepartmentofEconomicAffairs(ArthikKaryaVibhag)ii. DepartmentofExpenditure(VyayaVibhag)iii. DepartmentofRevenue(RajaswaVibhag)iv. DepartmentofInvestmentandPublicAssetManagement(DIPAM)

(NiveshaurLokParisampattiPrabandhanVibhag)(DIPAM)v. DepartmentofFinancialServices(VittiyaSewayenVibhag)

18. MinistryofFisheries,AnimalHusbandryandDairying(Matsapalan,PashupalanaurDairyMantralaya)

19. MinistryofFoodProcessingIndustries(KhadyaPrasanskaranUdyogMantralaya)

20. MinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfare(SwasthyaaurParivarKalyanMantralaya)i. DepartmentofHealthandFamilyWelfare(SwasthyaaurParivarKalyanVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofHealthResearch(SwasthyaAnusandhanVibhag)21. MinistryofHeavyIndustriesandPublicEnterprises

(BhariUdyogaurLokUdyamMantralaya)i. DepartmentofHeavyIndustries(BhariUdyogVibhag)ii. DepartmentofPublicEnterprises(LokUdyamVibhag)

22. MinistryofHomeAffairs(GrihMantralaya)i. DepartmentofInternalSecurity(AantarikSurakshaVibhag)ii. DepartmentofStates(RajyaVibhag)iii. DepartmentofOfficialLanguage(RajBhashaVibhag)iv. DepartmentofHome(GrihVibhag)v. DepartmentofJammu,KashmirandLadakhAffairs(Jammu,KashmirtathaLadakhVibhag)

vi. DepartmentofBorderManagement(SeemaPrabandhanVibhag)

23. MinistryofHousingandUrbanAffairs(AwasanaurShahariKaryaMantralaya)

24. MinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment(ManavSansadhanVikasMantralaya)

i. DepartmentofSchoolEducationandLiteracy(SchoolShikshaaurSakshartaVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofHigherEducation(UchchatarShikshaVibhag)

25. MinistryofInformationandBroadcasting(SoochanaaurPrasaranMantralaya)

26. MinistryofJalShakti(JalShaktiMantralaya)i. DepartmentofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenation(JalSansadhan,NadiVikasaurGangaSanrakshanVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofDrinkingWaterandSanitation(PeyaJalaurSwachchhataVibhag)

27. MinistryofLabourandEmployment(ShramaurRozgarMantralaya)28. MinistryofLawandJustice

(VidhiaurNyayaMantralaya)i. DepartmentofLegalAffairs(VidhiKaryaVibhag)ii. LegislativeDepartment(VidhayeeVibhag)iii. DepartmentofJustice(NyayaVibhag)

29. MinistryofMicro,SmallandMediumEnterprises(Sukshm,LaghuaurMadhyamUdyamMantralaya)

30. MinistryofMines(KhanMantralaya)31. MinistryofMinorityAffairs

(AlpasankhyakKaryaMantralaya)32. MinistryofNewandRenewableEnergy

(NaveenaurNavikarniyaOorjaMantralaya)33. MinistryofPanchayatiRaj(PanchayatiRajMantralaya)34. MinistryofParliamentaryAffairs(SansadiyaKaryaMantralaya)35. MinistryofPersonnel,PublicGrievancesandPensions

(Karmik,LokShikayattathaPensionMantralaya)i. DepartmentofPersonnelandTraining(KarmikaurPrashikshanVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofAdministrativeReformsandPublicGrievances(PrashasnikSudharaurLokShikayatVibhag)

iii. DepartmentofPensionsandPensioners’Welfare(PensionaurPensionBhogiKalyanVibhag)

36. MinistryofPetroleumandNaturalGas(PetroleumaurPrakritikGasMantralaya)

37. MinistryofPlanning(YojanaMantralya)

38. MinistryofPower(VidyutMantralaya)39. MinistryofRailways(RailMantralaya)40. MinistryofRoadTransportandHighways

(SarakParivahanaurRajMargMantralaya)41. MinistryofRuralDevelopment(GraminVikasMantralaya)

i. DepartmentofRuralDevelopment(GraminVikasVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofLandResources(BhumiSansadhanVibhag)

42. MinistryofScienceandTechnology(VigyanaurPraudyogikiMantralaya)i. DepartmentofScienceandTechnology(VigyanaurPraudyogikiVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofScientificandIndustrialResearch(VigyanaurAudyogikAnusandhanVibhag)

iii. DepartmentofBio-Technology(BiotechnologyVibhag)43. MinistryofShipping(PotParivahanMantralaya)44. MinistryofSkillDevelopmentandEntrepreneurship

(KaushalVikasaurUdyamitaMantralaya)45. MinistryofSocialJusticeandEmpowerment

(SamajikNyayaaurAdhikaritaMantralaya)i. DepartmentofSocialJusticeandEmpowerment(SamajikNyayaaurAdhikaritaVibhag)

ii. DepartmentofEmpowermentofPersonswithDisabilities(DivyangjanSashaktikaranVibhag)

46. MinistryofStatisticsandProgrammeImplementation(SankhyikiaurKaryakramKiryanvayanMantralaya)

47. MinistryofSteel(IspatMantralaya)48. MinistryofTextiles(VastraMantralaya)49. MinistryofTourism(ParyatanMantralaya)50. MinistryofTribalAffairs(JanjatiyaKaryaMantralaya)51. MinistryofWomenandChildDevelopment(MahilaaurBalVikas

Mantralaya)52. MinistryofYouthAffairsandSports(YuvaKaryakramaurKhel

Mantralaya)i. DepartmentofYouthAffairs(YuvaKaryakaramVibhag)ii. DepartmentofSports(KhelVibhag)

IndependentDepartments

53. DepartmentofAtomicEnergy(ParmanuOorjaVibhag)54. DepartmentofSpace(AntarikshVibhag)

Apex/IndependentOffice

55. CabinetSecretariat(MantrimandalSachivalaya)56. President’sSecretariat(RashtrapatiSachivalaya)57. PrimeMinister’sOffice(PradhanMantriKaryalaya)58. NITIAayog(NationalInstitutionforTransformingIndia)

NationalAuthorityforChemicalWeaponsConventionThe Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production,

Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons (NACWC) is a multi lateralinternational treaty which outlaws the production, stockpiling, and use ofchemicalweapons and their precursors.TheCWCcame into forcewith effectfrom1997.ByMarch2016,192stateshaveratifiedoraccededtothetreaty.TheOrganisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW); anintergovernmental organization based inTheHague,Netherlands is the ‘treatyorganisation’fortheCWC.TheOPCWbaggingtheNobelPeacePrizeof2013isinrecognitionoftheConventionasaveryeffectiveDisarmamentTreaty.

TheNationalAuthority forChemicalWeaponsConvention (NACWC)wassetupasanofficeoftheCabinetSecretariat,GovernmentofIndiatofulfill,onbehalfoftheGovernmentofIndia,theobligationsundertheChemicalWeaponsConvention (CWC) and to act as the national focal point for effective liaisonwith the Organisation for the Prohibition of ChemicalWeapons (OPCW) andother state parties on matters relating to the Convention. In 2000, ChemicalWeaponsConventionActwaspassedbytheParliamentwhichcameintoforcein2005.Indiaisoneofthefournon-electedMembersoftheExecutiveCommittee(consisting of 41 members from all over the world) of the OPCW. India hasrepresentationintheAdvisoryBodyonAdministrativeandFinance(ABAF),theConfidentialityCommission,NetworkCommitteeonAssistanceandProtection,Scientific Advisory Body (SAB) and the newly created Advisory Body onEducationandOutreach (ABEO)of theOPCW. India isanactivecollaboratorwithOPCWandallotherstatepartiesinimplementationoftheprovisionsoftheConvention.

PublicGrievancesThe Directorate of Public Grievances (DPG) was set up in the Cabinet

Secretariatin1988toentertaingrievancesfromthepublicaftertheyfail togetsatisfactoryredressfromtheministry/departmentconcernedwithinareasonabletime. It is thus,anofficeof the last resort for redressofgrievances relating tosectorsinitspurview.GrievancecanbelodgedwithDPGthroughpost,emailorby lodging the complaint online on the portal. The cases received offline areentered in the system and, thereafter, all cases are handled using PGRAMSapplication.

Each grievance is first scrutinized to see if it relates to a sector in DPG’spurview. Those concerning the sectors outside the purview of DPG areforwardedtotheDepartmentofAdministrativeReformsandPublicGrievancesfor appropriate disposal, under intimation to the complainants. The remaininggrievancesarethenassessedtoascertainwhethertheissueinvolvedisgraveandwhether the concerned ministry/department has been given an opportunity toredress the grievance. The grievances of grave nature which are either longpending or where the redress is not forthcoming from concerned serviceorganisation/ministry are taken up for detailed examination. These cases arefolloweduptoa logicalandreasonableconclusion.Othercasesare transferredtotheconcernedministryforappropriateaction.

WhenDPG seeks comments, the department or organization is expected toexamine the matter and give a reply within thirty days. After receipt ofcomments,DPGmay,ifconsiderednecessary,seekfurtherinformationtoensurethatthegrievanceisdealtwithinafairandobjectivemannerbythedepartmentororganizationandconfirmationofsatisfactoryredressofthegrievanceisalsosoughtfromthecomplainantbeforeclosure.

DPG has been progressively computerizing its operations since the earlyyears. The Public Grievance Redress andMonitoring System (PGRAMS), anexclusiveautomationprogrammeforDPGwasadoptedin1999.ThePGRAMSisintegratedwithCentralizedPublicGrievanceRedressandMonitoringSystem,‘CPGRAMS’,theoperatingsystemforPublicGrievancesPortalcoveringalltheministries/departments of Government of India. With a view to improvingfurthertheredresssystem,anumberofmeasureslikelaunchofHindiversionofPGRAMStowidenitscoverage, incorporationoffeatures likee-mail/SMSforbetter communication with the complainants, press advertisements to increaseawarenessaboutDPGinpublic,etc.wereimplemented.

NationalDisasterManagementAuthority

Emergence of an organization is always through an evolutionary process.National DisasterManagement Authority (NDMA) has also gone through thesame stages. The Government of India, in recognition of the importance ofDisasterManagementasanationalpriority,setupahigh-poweredcommitteein1999 and a National Committee after the Gujarat earthquake, for makingrecommendations on the preparation of disaster management plans andsuggesting effective mitigation mechanisms. The Tenth Five-Year Plandocument also had, for the first time, a detailed chapter on DisasterManagement. The Twelfth FinanceCommissionwas alsomandated to reviewthefinancialarrangementsfordisastermanagement.

In 2005, the government enacted the Disaster Management Act, whichenvisaged the creation of National DisasterManagement Authority, under theMinistry of Home Affairs, headed by the Prime Minister, and State DisasterManagement Authorities (SDMAs) headed by respective Chief Ministers, toseparhead and implement a holistic and integrated approach to disastermanagementinthecountry.

NDMA, as the apexbody, ismandated to lay down the policies, plans andguidelines for disastermanagement to ensure timely and effective response todisasters. Towards this, it has the responsibilities which include:- lay downpolicies on disaster management; approve the National Plan; lay downguidelines tobefollowedby thestateauthorities indrawingup theStatePlan;laydownguidelinestobefollowedbythedifferentministriesordepartmentsofthe Government of India for the purpose of integrating the measures forpreventionofdisasterorthemitigationofitseffectsintheirdevelopmentplansandprojects;providesuchsupporttoothercountriesaffectedbymajordisastersasmaybedeterminedbythecentralgovernment; takesuchothermeasuresforthe prevention of disaster, or the mitigation, or preparedness and capacitybuilding for dealting with threatening disaster situation or disasters as it mayconsidernecessary; laydownbroadpoliciesandguidelines for the functioningoftheNationalInstituteofDisasterManagement.Website:www.ndma.gov.in

AdministrativeReformsandPublicGrievancesTheDepartmentofAdministrativeReformsandPublicGrievances(DARPG)

is the nodal agency of theGovernment of India for administrative reforms aswellasredressalofpublicgrievancesrelatingtothestatesingeneralandthosepertaining to central government agencies in particular. The Departmentendeavours todocumentanddisseminatesuccessfulgoodgovernancepractices

http://www.ndma.gov.in

bywayof audio-visualmedia andpublications. It alsoundertakes activities inthe field of international exchange and cooperation to promote public servicereforms.Website:www.darpg.gov.in

PrimeMinister’sAwardforExcellenceinPublicAdministrationGovernment of India instituted ‘PrimeMinister’s Award for Excellence in

PublicAdministration’toacknowledge,recognizeandrewardtheextraordinaryand innovativework done by officers of the central and state governments. Itrewardstheoutstandingandexemplaryperformanceofcivilservants.Sinceitsbeginning in 2007 till 2015, 67 awards were conferred in three categories,individual, group, organization. The structure of the Scheme was changed in2015-16 to focus on excellence in implementation of identified priorityprogramme.AnewcategoryofawardsoneeachforAdditionalSecretary/JointSecretary level officers andDirector/DeputySecretary, serving inGovernmentof India was also introduced in 2018 to recognize their contribution towardsbringing about transformational improvements in processes/systems throughsimplification,processre-engineering,etc.

CivilServicesDayTheGovernmentof IndiacelebratesApril,21everyyearas ‘CivilServices

Day’forthecivilservantstorededicatethemselvestothecauseofcitizensandrenewtheircommitmenttopublicserviceandexcellenceinwork.Thefirstsuchfunction was held in Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi on April 21, 2006. On theoccasion,thePrimeMinisterconferred“PrimeMinister’sAwardforExcellenceinPublicAdministration”.ThisdatecoincideswiththedatewhenthefirstHomeMinisterofIndependentIndiaSardarVallabhbhaiPateladdressingthefirstbatchof IndianAdministrative Services officers atMetcalfHouse,NewDelhi. It isorganisedbyDARPGannuallyinNewDelhi.

NationalConferenceone-GovernanceDARPGalongwiththeMinistryofElectronicsandinformationTechnology,

in association with one of the state governments, organizes the NationalConferenceone-Governanceeveryyearsince1997.Thisprovidesaplatformforthe senior officers of the government including IT secretaries of stategovernments. IT managers of the central government and resource persons,experts,intellectualsfromtheindustryandacademicinstitutions,etc.,todiscuss,exchangeviewsandexperiencesrelatingtovariouse-Governanceinitiatives.Sofar21NationalConferencesone-Governancehavebeenheld.IntheConference

http://www.darpg.gov.in

theNationalAwardsone-Governancearegiven in followingcategorieswhichinclude: Excellence in Government Process Re-engineering, Outstandingperformanceincitizencentricservicedelivery;Innovationsinexistingprojectsof government departments other than PSUs; Best District level initiativethrough ICT in North East state; Hill states + UTs (excluding Delhi), otherstates;Use of spatial technology andGIS in e-Governance; InnovativeUseofICT in e-Governance Projects/initiatives by Start-ups; registered withGovernment;etc.

Each category is given agold and a silver award.Thegold awardwinningprojectanditsteamisgivenacashawarduptoamaximumof₹2lakh,subjecttoaceilingof₹75,000/-perindividualandsilverwinningprojectanditsteamisgiven a cash awardup to amaximumof₹ 1 lakh subject to a ceilingof₹50,000/-perindividual.

Nationale-GovernanceServiceDeliveryAssessmentNational e-Governance Service Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) aims at

assessingthestates,UTsandcentralministriesonthedepthandefficiencyofe-Governanceservicedelivery.Thisframeworkisenvisagedtobeusedtoassessand benchmark the adoption of such services across the country. The UnitedNationsDepartmentofEconomicandSocialAffairs(UNDESA)bringsouttheUN e-Government Survey every two years which provides an analysis ofprogressinusinge-Government.Indiastoodat118in2014whichimprovedto107in2016and96in2018,outof193membercountries.

e-OfficeProjecte-OfficeisoneoftheimportantMissionModeProjectsforimplementingthe

DigitalIndiaPlan.TheDAR&PGistheadministrativeministryforensuringe-officeimplementation.e-Officeaimstoincreasetheusageofworkflowandrulebasedfile routing,quickresearchandretrievalof filesandofficeorder,digitalsignatures,formsandreportingcomponents.

RedressalPublicGrievancesDARPG is responsible for issuing policy guideliness and coordination and

monitoring of issues regarding redress of public grievances for the centralgovernment. In accordance with the federal principle of governance, thegrievances relating to states are forwarded to concerned state government forappropriateaction.Amobileappwas launched in2015whichwasforandroidbasedmobilethroughwhichpeoplecouldlodgeandtracktheirpublicgrievance.Thishasbeenfurtherdevelopedtomakeitmoreuserfriendlyandhasnowbeen

integrated with the Unified Mobile Application for New-Age Governance(UMANG).

Further, to monitor public grievances on real time and periodically reviewprogressofsystemicreforms,anonlinedashboardhasbeendeveloped.Systemicreforms and their monitoring metrics, catering to grievance issues arehighlighted on the dashboard. This enables Cabinet Secretariat, DARPG andconcernedministries departments tomonitor implementation of these reforms.FromtimetotimetheversionofCPGRAMisbeingupdatedtakingintoaccounttheproblemsfacedbythecitizensandthesystemitself.Atpresenttheversion6of CPGRAMS is in operation from 2018 which provides for one timeregistration.Italsoenablesthecitizentoseeallthgrievanceslodgedbyhimandtheirstatusonasinglescreen.

The Department also coordinates the Citizen Charter and Information andFacilitation Counters (IFCs) initiative of the government of India. With theobjectiveofimprovingpublicservicedeliveryandmakinggovernmentscitizen-centric, an assessment improvement framework called “Sevottam” has beendeveloped Support is provided to ministries departments and also to stategovernmentstointroducetheSevottamframeworkforbetterservicedelivery.

DocumentationandDisseminationTheDocumentationandDisseminationDivisionoftheDepartmentprimarily

carriesouttheactivitiesofdocumentationanddisseminationofgoodgovernancepractices of centre, state/union territory governments with a view to shareexperiencewitheachotherandreplicateelsewhere.Financial Assistance for professional documentation of good governanceinitiatives:-Theobjectiveoftheschemeistoprovidefinancialassistanceupto₹3.00 lakh to support professional documentation and dissemination of goodgovernance initiativesby thestate/UTgovernments.So fareighty-twoprojectshave been sanctioned. As per the revised scheme of providing financialassistance to the state governments/UT administrations the professionaldocumentation report will now be in e-book form instead of paperdocumentationandashortdocumentaryfilmshallalsobemadebythestate/UTgovt.withthefinancialassistanceof₹3.00lakh.Production of Documentary Films on Best Practices:- The Department isengaged in producing documentary films on best practices across the country.These films are useful for administration and dissemination of success storieswhich facilitate replication of the same elsewhere. Seventy eight suchdocumentary films have already been produced. These documentary films are

availableonthewebsiteoftheDepartmentaswellasonYouTube.RegionalConference:-Regionalconferencesareorganisedonspecificthemesinassociationwithvariousstate/unionterritorygovernmentswithaviewtobringnational and state level organizations along with other stakeholders includingNGOs, intelligentsia,media, etc. on the sameplatform to share experiences intheformulationandimplementationofgoodgovernancepractices.BookonBestPractices:-ThisDivisionpublishesabookcontainingarticlesonselect award winning good governance practices. These articles are on theinitiatives that have been conferred Prime Minister’s Award or National e-GovernanceAwards.Thiscompilationisimmenselyusefulfortheadministratorsas the dissemination of success stories facilitates replication of the sameelsewhere also. The Division has already published a series of books on thesubject.Minimum Government-Maximum Governance:- Department of AdministrativeReforms and Public Grievances is bringing out a periodical journal“ManagementinGovernment”(MIG)since1969andnowrenamed“MinimumGovernment-Maximum Governance” based on the best practices which wereconferredPrimeMinister’sAwardforExcellence inPublicAdministrationandNational e-GovernanceAwardsand launched first e-Book in2015.Thee-Book“MinimumGovernment-MaximumGovernance” is availableon thewebsiteoftheDepartmentathttp://darpg.gov.in/journal-MGMG.

InternationalExchangeandCooperationTheDepartment works as the nodal point in respect ofmatters relating to

international cooperation in the field of public administration and governance,which includes organizing programmes as part of projects/bilateral measurestaken up in accordance with the Memorandum of Understandings(MoUs)/agreements signed between India and other countries (bilateral ormultilateral). The purpose of the international cooperation component is toenable the sharingof information,best practices andpersonnel acrossnationalgovernment.Asapartof its internationalcollaborativeefforts, theDepartmentof Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG) explored thepossibility of sharing and exchanging administrative experiences, theDepartment signed bilateral MOUs with Britain, France, Malaysia, Portugal,Singapore and China and trilateralMoUwith SouthAfrica and Brazil (underIBSA).This involves exchange of visits and undertaking programmes/projectsand activities particularly in the area of pubic administration and delivery ofservices, soas to improveupon thecurrent systemofgovernanceand instill a

http://darpg.gov.in/journal-MGMG

greater sense of responsiveness, accountability, transparency, and achievingpublic service excellence in the context of public service delivery goodgovernance,publicservicereform,andcapacitybuildingandskillsupgradation.

CooperationwithCommonwealthAssociationforPublicAdministrationandManagement

TheCommonwealthAssociationforPublicAdministrationandManagement(CAPAM),withitsheadquartersatOttawa,Canada,isanorganizationdedicatedto strengthening public management and consolidating democracy and goodgovernanceintheCommonwealth.Itwasformedin1994asaresultofdecisionstakenat theCommonwealthHeadsofGovernmentmeetingsinHararein1991andinCyprusin1993.Sinceinception,CAPAMhasgrowntoanetworkofover1100membersacrosstheCommonwealthcountries.TheMinistryofPersonnel,PublicGrievances and Pensions,Government of India became an institutionalmemberofCAPAMin1997.ThemembershipenablestheGovernmentofIndiatokeeppacewith the latestdevelopments in thefieldofpublicadministration,through participation in various programmes of CAPAM viz., internationalinnovationsawardsprogramme,internationalinnovationscascadingprogramme,internationalmeetings,seminarsandconferencesorganizedbyCAPAM,aswellasthroughvariouspublications,journalsandstudyreports.CAPAMrecognizesandpromotesgoodgovernancethroughitsawardprogrammesgivenunderfourcategories. The international innovations awards celebrate the spirit ofinnovation in the public service by recognizing organisations that have madesignificant contributions to improving governance and services in the publicsector.

DepartmentofPersonnelandTrainingThe role of the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) can be

conceptually divided into two parts. In its large nodal role, it acts as theformulatorofpolicyandthewatch-dogofthegovernmentensuringthatcertainaccepted standards and norms, as laid down by it, are followed by allministries/departments, in the recruitment, regulation of service conditions,posting/transfers,deputationofpersonnelaswellasotherrelatedissues.Italsoadvises all organizations of the central government on issues of personnelmanagement.Atamoreimmediatelevel,theDoPThasthedirectresponsibilityof being the cadre controlling authority for the IAS and the three secretariatservices in the Central Secretariat. The Department also operates the CentralStaffing Scheme under which suitable officers from All India Services and

Group‘A’CentralServicesareselectedandthenplacedinpostsatthelevelofDeputySecretary/DirectorandJointSecretary,onthebasisoftenuredeputation.The Department also deals with cases of appointment to posts of Chairman,Managing Director, and full-time functional Director/member of the board ofmanagement of various public sector undertakings/enterprises, corporations,banks and financial institutions. It also deals with the assignment of Indianexpertstovariousdevelopingcountries.Itisalsoresponsibleforformulationandcoordination of training policies for the All India and Central Services andprovidingsupportforthecapacitybuildingofstategovernmentofficials.Website:www.dopt.gov.in

RecruitmentAgenciesThetwoorganizationsthroughwhichtheDepartmentensuresrecruitmentof

personnelforthegovernmentaretheUnionPublicServiceCommission(UPSC)and the Staff Selection Commission (SSC). The former is responsible forconducting examinations for appointment to thehigher civil services and civilposts; including recruitment to the All India Services. There is a mandatoryprovision for consulting theCommissionon allmatters relating tomethodsofrecruitment,principlestobefollowedinmakingpromotionsandtransfersfromoneservicetoanotherandonalldisciplinarymatters.TheSSCisresponsibleformakingrecruitmenttosubordinatestaffsuchasAssistants,Stenographersetc.SomeoftheinitiativestakenbytheDoPTinclude:(a)DiscontinuationofinterviewforGr.‘B’and‘C’posts

Interviewhasbeendispensedwith for recruitmentbySSC toallGroup‘C’and Group ‘B’ (non-gazetted) from January 2016. This is applicable forrecruitmentonGoImin./attached/subordinateoffices/autonomousbodies/PSUs.18 states and all the union territories, namelyAndhra Pradesh,Assam,Bihar,Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala,Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu,Telangana, Uttarakhand, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chandigarh, Daman &Diu,Dadra&NagarHaveli,Delhi,LakshadweepandPuducherryhaveadoptedthepolicyofdiscontinuationofinterviewinrecruitmentstolowerlevelposts.(b)SwitchingfromOMRBasedExamtoComputer

To improve transparency and reduce time taken to complete recruitmentprocess, thegovernment has switchedover from the traditionalOMR (OpticalMark Reader) mode to Computer Based Mode in respect of the variousrecruitmentexams(viz.,CGLE,CHSLE,MTSlevel,etc.)conductedbySSC.

http://www.dopt.gov.in

(c)SingleRegistrationandTwoTierSystemofExaminationAtpresent,candidatesseekinggovernment jobshave toappearfordifferent

examinationswheresimilareligibilityconditionshavebeenprescribed.Multiplerecruitment examinations not only burden the candidates but also results inaviodable expenditure in the conduct of these examinations by variousrecruitment agencies. Government now proposes to introduce a commoneligibility test to shortlist the candidates for vacancies of Group ‘B’ Non-Gazetted and below through a computer based/online mode test for Tier- 1examination to be conducted by SSC. There will be common registration ofcandidatesthroughNationalCareerService(NCS)portal.Finalselectionwillbemade through specialised Tier-11 examination to be conducted by individualrecruitmentagencies.(d)Self-CertificationforAppointment

FromJune,2016,therecruitingagenciesnowissueprovisionalappointmentlettersbasedontheselfcertificationofthecandidates.Thepoliceverificationisto be conductedwithin sixmonths to confirm the appointment.The idea is toresponsetrustonthecitizenandminimisedelaysduetopoliceverification.(e)AcceleratedfillingupofDivyaangjanVacancies

Providing equal opportunity to Divyaangjan, special recruitment drivelaunchedinMay,2015tofillup15,694vacanciesofpersonswithdisabilitiesincentralgovernment,ofwhich13,492vacancieshavealreadyfilledup.(f)BenefitofReservationtoex-Servicemen

Earlier ex-servicemen were provided one chance to join any civilemployment.As per new instructions, theywill get chance to join any of thechoicepostforwhichhe/shehadappliedbeforejoiningthecivilemployment.(g)CitizenCentricityinAdministration

RTIonlineportalhasbeenexpandedtocoverallpublicauthoritiesregisteredwiththeCICforeaseofaccesstoinformbycitizens.Allpublicauthoritieshavebeenaligned.(h)PlacementofSeniorAppointment

Ithasbeenensuredthatappointmentsandplacementstoseniorpositionsarebased on merit and integrity. Multi-source feedback for empanelment for theposts of Joint Secretary and above has been introduced. The Banks BoardBureauwas established for conducting the selection for appointment to boardlevelpositioninpublicsectorbanks.Inordertoincreasethecatchmentareaandto utilise the skill sets of executivesworking in the private sector/state PSEs,

executivesfromtheprivate(sector/statePSEshavealsobeenmadeeligibleforappointmenttoboardlevelpositionsinCentralPublicSectorEnterprises.(i)AntiCorruptionStrategies

Government of India has been following the policy of “zero tolerancetowardscorruption”.Theoverallobjectivesof“maximumgovernanceminimumGovernment” can only be realized if government and its agencieswork in anenvironmentwhichiscitizencentric,transparentandcorruptionfree.Inordertoachievetheseobjectivesbothpreventiveandpunitiveactionshavebeentaken.(j)IntensiveReviewforPrematureRetirement

With a view to weed out ineffective, inefficient and officers of doubtfulintegrity,intensivereviewofrecordsofallgovernmentemployeesiscarriedoutunder Rule FR 56 J and other corresponding provisions.Measures have beentakentocompulsorilyretireofficersofdoubtfulintegrityagainstwhomfrequentcomplaints and cases have been lodged after thorough scrutiny of the servicerecords.

AdministrativeReformsCommissionThe secondAdministrativeReformsCommission (ARC)was constituted in

2005, as a Commission of Inquiry for preparing a detailed blueprint forrevamping the public administrative system. It presented 15 reports forconsideration: (i) Right to Information:MasterKey toGoodGovernance; (ii)UnlockingHumanCapital: Entitlements andGovernance—ACase Study; (iii)Crisis Management: From Despair to Hope; (iv) Ethics in Governance; (v)Public Order: Justice for Each ... Peace for All; (vi) Local Governance; (vii)CapacityBuildingforConflictResolution—FrictiontoFusion;(viii)CombatingTerrorism;(ix)SocialCapital—ASharedDestiny;(x)RefurbishingofPersonnelAdministration—Scaling New Heights; (xi) Promoting e-Governance - TheSmart Way Forward; (xii) Citizen Centric Administration—the Heart ofGovernance; (xiii) Organisational Structure of Government of India; (xiv)Strengthening Financial Management System; (xv) State and DistrictAdministration.Thecentralgovernmentconsidered14outof15reportsandthedecisionsontheacceptedrecommendationsof2ndARCareatvariousstagesofimplementation.

RighttoInformationThe Right to Information Act, 2005 empowers the citizens, promotes

transparency and accountability in the working of the government, combatcorruptionandmakethedemocracyworkforpeopleinrealsense.TheActaims

at creating an informed citizenry which would be better equipped to keepnecessaryvigilontheinstrumentsofgovernanceandmakethegovernmentmoreaccountabletothegoverned.

The Act gives all the citizens the right to seek information held by anyauthorityorbodyorinstitutionofselfgovernmentestablishedorconstitutedbyorundertheConstitution;orbyanyotherlawmadebytheParliamentorastatelegislature;orbynotificationissuedorordermadebythecentralgovernmentora state government.Bodies owned, controlled or substantially financed by thecentral government or a state government and non-government organizationssubstantiallyfinancedbythecentralgovernmentorastategovernmentalsofallwithinthedefinitionofpublicauthority.Therightincludesinspectionofwork,documentsandrecords,takingnotes,extractsorcertifiedcopiesofdocumentsorrecords,takingcertifiedsamplesofmaterialheldbythepublicauthorityorheldunderthecontrolofthepublicauthority.Italsoincludesinformationrelatingtoanyprivatebodywhichcanbeaccessedby thepublicauthorityunderany lawforthetimebeinginforce.Therearesomecategoriesofinformationwhicheachpublicauthorityisrequiredtopublishsuomoto.

One has to simplymake a request to the Public InformationOfficer of theofficeindicatingtheinformationsoughtandtheaddressatwhichtheinformationis required. The request can be sent either by post or submitted in person inHindi,Englishorintheofficiallanguageoftheareaandcanalsobesentthroughe-mail. If the applicant does not get the information within 30 days or theapplicant is not satisfiedwith the reply given to him, he canmake an appealwithin30days to theappellate authorityappointedby theauthoritywho is anofficersuperiortothePublicInformationOfficer.Theappellateauthorityhastodecidetheappealwithin30daysofthereceiptofappeal.Iftheapplicantisnotsatisfiedevenwith thedecisionof theappellateauthority,hecan fileasecondappeal with the Central Information Commission or the State InformationCommission, as the case may be within 90 days. The Central InformationCommissionentertainsappealsinrespectofoffices,financialinstitutions,publicsectorundertakings,etc.under thecentralgovernmentandtheunionterritoriesandaStateInformationCommissiondealswiththeappealspertainingtooffices,financial institutions,publicsectorundertakings,etc.under theconcernedstategovernment.

The Central Information Commission/State Information Commissions arehigh-powered independent bodies created by the Act, and they can imposepenaltyon thedefaultingPublic InformationOfficers.Thiscomprehensive lawcovers almost all levels of governance, and are applicable not only to union,

state and local governments but also to the recipients of government grants.Access to information under thisAct is extensivewithminimum exemptions.TheRighttoInformationActhasconvertedtheprevailingcultureofsecrecyintocultureofopennessandtransparencyintheworkingofthegovernment.

OfficialLanguageArticle343 (1)of theConstitutionprovides thatHindi inDevanagari script

shall be the official language of the Union. Article 343 (2) also provides forcontinuing theuseofEnglish inofficialworkof theUnion for aperiodof15years (i.e., upto January 25, 1965) from the date of commencement of theConstitution.Article 343 (3) empowered theParliament to provide by law forcontinueduseofEnglishforofficialpurposesevenafterJanuary25,1965.TheAct also lays down under Section 3 (3) that both Hindi and English shallcompulsorilybeusedforcertainspecifiedpurposesuchas resolutions,generalOrders, Rules, Notifications, Administrative and other Reports, PressCommuniques;Administrative and other reports and official papers to be laidbefore a House or the Houses of Parliament; contracts, agreements, licences,permits,tendernoticesandformsoftender,etc.

Withaviewtoensuringcomplianceoftheconstitutionalandlegalprovisionsregarding official language and to promote the use of Hindi for the officialpurposesoftheUnion,theDepartmentofOfficialLanguagewassetupin1975asanindependentdepartmentoftheMinistryofHomeAffairs.Sincethen,thisDepartment has been making efforts for accelerating the progressive use ofHindifortheofficialpurposesoftheUnion.InaccordancewiththeGovernmentof India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961, this Department has beenentrusted with the following items of work that include:- co-ordination in allmattersrelatingtotheprogressiveuseofHindiastheOfficialLanguageoftheUnion,includingadministrativeterminology,syllabi,textbooks,trainingcoursesand equipment (with standardised script) required therefor;matters relating totheKendriyaHindiSamitiandtheCentralTranslationBureau,etc.

In 1976, Official Language Rules were framed under the provisions ofSection8(1)of theOfficialLanguagesAct,1963asamendedin1967.Salientfeatures of the rules are as under: (i) They apply to all central governmentoffices,includinganyofficeofaCommission,CommitteeorTribunalappointedbythecentralgovernmentandcorporationorcompanyownedorcontrolledbythecentralgovernmentexceptTamilNadu;(ii)Communicationsfromacentralgovernment office to state/union territories or to any person in region ‘A’comprising Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh,

Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Haryana and union territories ofAndamanandNicobarIslandsandDelhi,shallbeinHindi;

(iii) Communications from a central government office to states/unionterritoriesinregion‘B’comprisingPunjab,Gujarat,Maharashtraandtheunionterritory of Chandigarh, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli shallordinarily be in Hindi and if any communication is issued to any of them inEnglish, it shall be accompanied by a Hindi translation thereof; (iv)CommunicationsfromacentralgovernmentofficertostateorunionterritoryinRegion‘C’ortoanyoffice(notbeingacentralgovernmentoffice)orpersoninsuch state shall be in English; and (v) Communications between centralgovernmentoffices in region ‘C’ to a stateorunion territoryofRegion ‘A’orRegion‘B’ortoanyoffice(notbeingacentralgovernmentoffice)orpersonsinsuchstatemaybeeitherinHindiorEnglish.Website:www.rajbhasha.nic.in

OfficialLanguagePolicyThefeaturesofofficial languagepolicyare: i)allmanuals,codesandother

procedural literature relating to central government offices are required to beprepared both in Hindi and English. All forms, headings of registers, nameplates,noticeboardsandvariousitemsofstationery,etc.arealsorequiredtobein Hindi and English; ii) officers should ensure that documents specified inSection 3 (3) of the Act are issued both in Hindi and English; and iii) theadministrative head of each central government office should ensure that theprovisions of the Act, the rules and directions issued under Rule 12 shall beproperlycompliedwith,andsuitableandeffectivecheck-pointsshallbedevisedforthispurpose.

AnnualProgrammeIn compliance with the Official Language Resolution, 1968, an annual

programmeispreparedbytheDepartmentofOfficialLanguageinwhichtargetsare set for the offices of the central government with regard to originatingcorrespondence,repliesinHinditolettersinHindi,recruitmentofHinditypistsand stenos,websites, inspections andmeetings ofHindi Salahakar Samiti andOfficial Language Implementation Committees, purchase of Hindi books forlibraries, and purchase of electronic equipment.A quarterly progress report issubmittedbytheofficesofthecentralgovernmentregardingachievementsvis-a-vis the said targets.AnAnnualAssessmentReport is preparedon thebasisofthesereports,whichislaidonthetablesofbothHousesoftheParliament,andits copies are endorsed to state governments and theministries/departments of

http://www.rajbhasha.nic.in

thecentralgovernment.

Committees/SamitisThe Kendriya Hindi Samiti was constituted in 1967. Chaired by Prime

Minister it is the apex policy making body which lays the guidelines for thepropagationandprogressiveuseofHindiasofficiallanguageoftheUnion.TheCommittee of Parliament on official language was constituted in 1976 toperiodically reviewtheprogress in theuseofHindias theofficial languageoftheUnionandtosubmitareporttothePresident.

AwardSchemesThe Department has Rajbhasha Keerti Puraskar Yojana for awarding the

outstandingachievementsintheimplementationofOfficialLanguagePolicyofthe Union. Under the Rajbhasha Gaurav Hindi Book Writing Scheme, cashawards,shieldsandcertificatesareawardedtotheworking/retiredemployeesofthe central government, banks, financial institutions, universities, traininginstitutions and autonomous bodies of the central government for writingoriginal books in Hindi. At zonal level, Zonal Official Language Awards aregiven annually to the central government offices, public sector undertakings,banks and financial institutions of the central government for outstandingachievements in implementing theOfficialLanguagePolicyof theUnion, andforprogressiveuseofHindi.

Inter-StateCouncilThe provision for setting up an Inter-StateCouncil ismentioned inArticle

263 of the Constitution. In pursuance of the recommendation made by theSarkariaCommissiononCentre-StateRelations,theInter-StateCouncilwassetup in 1990.The Inter-StateCouncil (ISC) is a recommendatory body and hasbeenassignedthedutiesofinvestigatinganddiscussingsuchsubjects,inwhichsomeor all of the states or theunion territories andoneormoreof the stateshaveacommoninterest,forbettercoordinationofpolicyandactionwithrespecttothatsubject.ItalsodeliberatesuponsuchothermattersofgeneralintereststothestatesasmaybereferredbytheChairmantotheCouncil.

ThePrimeMinisteristheChairmanoftheCouncil.ChiefMinistersofallthestatesandunionterritorieshavinglegislativeassemblies,administratorsofunionterritories not having legislative assemblies, governors of states underPresident’s rule and six ministers of cabinet rank in the Union Council ofMinisters, nominated by the Chairman of the Council, are members of theCouncil.

Website:www.interstatecouncil.nic.in

ZonalCouncilFive zonal councils viz., Northern Zonal Council, Central Zonal Council,

EasternZonalCouncil,WesternZonalCouncilandSouthernZonalCouncilweresetupvidePart-IIIoftheStatesRe-organisationAct,1956withtheobjectivesofbringing out national integration; arresting the growth of acute stateconsciousness,regionalism,linguismandparticularistictendencies;enablingthecentre and the states to cooperate and exchange ideas and experiences; andestablishing a climate of co-operation amongst the states for successful andspeedyexecutionofdevelopmentprojects.

CompositionofZonalCouncils

OrganizationalStructureofZonalCouncilsThe Union HomeMinister is the Chairman of all the zonal councils. The

OfficeoftheVice-ChairmanisheldbytheChiefMinisteroftheMemberStateof the respective zonal council by annual rotation, each holding office for aperiodofoneyearatatime.Twootherministersofeachmemberstatearealsomembers of each Zonal Council. The Chief Secretary of the Member Statefunction as the Secretary of respective Zonal Council by annual rotation andanother officer/Development Commissioner and one officer nominated by thePlanningCommissionforeachoftheZonalCouncilsasAdviserforaperiodofoneyear.

TheStates

http://www.interstatecouncil.nic.in

ThesystemofgovernmentinstatescloselyresemblesthatoftheUnion.

ExecutiveGovernorAstateexecutiveconsistsofGovernorandCouncilofMinisterswithChief

Ministerasitshead.TheGovernorofastateisappointedbythePresidentforatermoffiveyearsoffice.OnlyIndiancitizensabove35yearsofageareeligiblefor appointment to this office. Executive power of the state is vested inGovernor.

TheCouncilofMinisterswith theChiefMinister ashead, aidsandadvisesGovernor inexerciseofhis functionsexcept inso farashe isbyorunder theConstitutionrequiredtoexercisehisfunctionsoranyoftheminhisdiscretion.InrespectofNagaland,theGovernorhasspecialresponsibilityunderArticle371A of the Constitution with respect to law and order and even though it isnecessaryforhimtoconsultCouncilofMinistersinmattersrelatingtolawandorder,hecanexercisehisindividualjudgementastotheactiontobetaken.

Similarly, in respect of Arunachal Pradesh, the Governor has specialresponsibility underArticle 371Hof theConstitutionwith respect to lawandorder. Governor shall, after consulting Council of Ministers, exercise hisindividual judgement as to the actions to be taken. These are, however,temporaryprovisions.If thePresident,onreceiptofareportfromGovernororotherwiseissatisfiedthatitisnolongernecessaryforGovernortohavespecialresponsibilitywithrespecttolawandorder,hemaysodirectbyanorder.

Likewise, in the Sixth Schedule which applies to tribal areas of Assam,Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram as specified in para 20 of that schedule,discretionary powers are given to Governor in matters relating to sharing ofroyalties between district council and state government. The Sixth Schedulevests additionaldiscretionarypowers inGovernorsofMizoramandTripura inalmost all their functions (except approving regulations for levy of taxes andmoney lending by non-tribals by district councils) since December, 1998. InSikkim,theGovernorhasbeengivenspecialresponsibilityforpeaceandsocialandeconomicadvancementofdifferentsectionsofpopulation.

AllGovernorswhiledischargingsuchconstitutionalfunctionsasappointmentofChiefMinisterofastateorsendingareporttothePresidentaboutfailureofconstitutionalmachineryinastateorinrespectofmattersrelatingtoassenttoabillpassedbylegislature,exercisetheirownjudgement.

CouncilofMinistersThe ChiefMinister is appointed by the Governor who also appoints other

ministers on the advice of the Chief Minister. The Council of Ministers iscollectivelyresponsibletotheLegislativeAssemblyofthestate.

LegislatureFor every state, there is a legislature which consists of Governor and one

Houseor,twoHousesasthecasemaybe.InAndhraPradesh,Bihar,JammuandKashmir,Karnataka,Maharashtra, Telangana andUttar Pradesh, there are twoHouses known as Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly. In theremaining states, there is only one House known as Legislative Assembly.Parliamentmay,bylaw,provideforabolitionofanexistingLegislativeCouncilor for creation of one where it does not exist, if proposal is supported by aresolutionoftheLegislativeAssemblyconcerned.

LegislativeCouncilLegislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) of a state comprises not more than

one-thirdoftotalnumberofmembersinLegislativeAssemblyofthestateandinnocaselessthan40members(LegislativeCouncilofJammuandKashmirhas36membersvideSection50oftheConstitutionofJammuandKashmir).Aboutone-third of members of the Council are elected by members of LegislativeAssembly from amongst persons who are not its members, one-third byelectorates consisting of members of municipalities, district boards and otherlocalauthoritiesinthestate,one-twelfthbyelectorateconsistingofpersonswhohavebeen,foratleastthreeyears,engagedinteachingineducationalinstitutionswithinthestatenot lowerinstandardthansecondaryschoolandafurtherone-twelfth by registered graduates of more than three years standing. Remainingmembers are nominated by the Governor from among those who havedistinguished themselves in literature, science, art, cooperativemovement andsocialservice.LegislativeCouncilsarenotsubjecttodissolutionbutone-thirdoftheirmembersretireeverysecondyear.

LegislativeAssemblyLegislativeAssembly(VidhanSabha)ofastateconsistsofnotmorethan500

andnotlessthan60members(LegislativeAssemblyofSikkimhas32membersvideArticle371FoftheConstitution)chosenbydirectelectionfromterritorialconstituenciesinthestate.Demarcationofterritorialconstituenciesistobedonein such a manner that the ratio between population of each constituency andnumberof seats allotted to it, as far aspracticable, is the same throughout thestate.TermofanAssemblyisfiveyearsunlessitisdissolvedearlier.

PowersandFunctionsStatelegislaturehasexclusivepowersoversubjectsenumeratedinListIIof

the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and concurrent powers over thoseenumerated inList III.Financialpowersof legislature includeauthorizationofall expenditure, taxation and borrowing by the state government. LegislativeAssembly alone has power to originate money bills. Legislative Council canmakeonlyrecommendationsinrespectofchangesitconsidersnecessarywithinaperiodof14daysofthereceiptofmoneybillsfromAssembly.TheAssemblycanacceptorrejecttheserecommendations.

ReservationofBillsThe Governor of a state may reserve any bill for the consideration of the

President. Bills relating to subjects like compulsory acquisition of property,measuresaffectingpowersandpositionofHighCourtsandimpositionoftaxesonstorage,distributionandsaleofwaterorelectricityininter-stateriverorrivervalleydevelopmentprojectsshouldnecessarilybesoreserved.Nobillsseekingtoimposerestrictionsoninter-statetradecanbeintroducedinaStatelegislaturewithoutprevioussanctionofthePresident.

ControloverExecutiveStatelegislatures,apartfromexercisingtheusualpoweroffinancialcontrol,

use all normal parliamentary devices like questions, discussions, debates,adjournmentsandno-confidencemotionsand resolutions tokeepawatchoverday-to-dayworkoftheexecutive.TheyalsohavetheircommitteesonestimatesandpublicaccountstoensurethatgrantssanctionedbyLegislatureareproperlyutilized.

UnionTerritoriesUnionterritoriesareadministratedbythePresidentactingtosuchextent,as

he thinks fit, through an administrator appointed by him. Administrators ofAndaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Puducherry, Jammu and Kashmir andLadakh are designated as Lieutenant Governors. The Governor of Punjab isconcurrently the administrator ofChandigarh. The administrator ofDadra andNagarHaveliisconcurrentlytheadministratorofDamanandDiu.Lakshadweephasaseparateadministrator.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi, Union Territories of Jammu andKashmir and Puducherry each has a Legislative Assembly and Council ofMinisters.TheLegislativeAssemblyoftheUnionTerritoryofPuducherrymay

makelawswithrespecttomattersenumeratedinListIIorListIIIintheseventhScheduleoftheConstitutioninsofarasthesemattersareapplicableinrelationtotheunionterritory.TheLegislativeAssemblyofNationalCapitalTerritoryofDelhihasalso thesepowerswith theexceptions thatentries1,2and18of thelist II are not within the legislative competence of the Legislative Assembly.Certain categories of bills, however, require the prior approval of the centralgovernmentforintroductionintheLegislativeAssembly.Somebills,passedbythe Legislative Assembly of the Union Territory of Puducherry and NationalCapital Territory of Delhi are required to be reserved for consideration andassentofthePresident.

LocalGovernmentMunicipalities

Municipal bodies have a long history in India. The first such MunicipalCorporationwasset-upintheformerPresidencyTownofMadrasin1688;andlater in Bombay and Calcutta in 1726. The Constitution of India has madedetailed provisions for ensuring protection of democracy in Parliament and inthe state legislatures. However, the Constitution did not make the local self-government in urban areas a clear-cut constitutional obligation. While theDirective Principles of State Policy refer to Village Panchayats, there is nospecific reference tomunicipalitiesexcept the implicity inEntry5of theStateList,whichplacesthesubjectoflocalself-governmentsasaresponsibilityofthestates.

Inordertoprovideforacommonframeworkforurbanlocalbodiesandhelptostrengthenthefunctioningofthebodiesaseffectivedemocraticunitsofself-government,Parliamentenacted theConstitution (74thAmendment)Act,1992(known as Nagarpalika Act) relating to municipalities in 1992. It came intoeffectin1993.AnewPartIX-Arelatingtothemunicipalitiesaddedtoprovideforamongotherthings,constitutionofthreetypesofmunicipalities,i.e.,NagarPanchayats for areas in transition from a rural area to urban area,MunicipalCouncils for smaller urban areas and Municipal Corporation for large urbanareas, fixed duration of municipalities, appointment of State ElectionCommission, appointment of State Finance Commission and constitution ofmetropolitan and district planning committees. All state/union territoriesadministrations have set-up their State Election Commissions and FinanceCommissions.

Panchayats

Article 40 of the Constitution which enshrines the Directive Principles ofState Policy lays down that the state shall take steps to organize villagepanchayatsandendowthemwithsuchpowersandauthorityasmaybenecessarytoenablethemtofunctionasunitsofself-government.

AnewPartIXrelatingtothepanchayatswasinsertedintheConstitutiontoprovide for amongother things,GramSabha inavillageorgroupofvillages;constitutionofpanchayatsatvillageandotherlevelorlevels;directelectionstoall seats in panchayats at the village and intermediate level, if any, and to theofficesofChairpersonsofpanchayatsatsuchlevels;reservationofseatsforthescheduled castes and scheduled tribes in proportion to their population formembership of panchayats and office of Chairpersons in panchayats at eachlevel;reservationofnotlessthanone-thirdoftheseatsforwomen;fixingtenureoffiveyearsforpanchayatsandholdingelectionswithinaperiodofsixmonthsintheeventofsupersessionofanypanchayat.

ElectionCommissionThe Election Commission of India (ECI) was constituted in 1950 with its

headquarters atNewDelhi. It is a permanent independent constitutional bodyvested with the powers and responsibility of superintendence, direction andcontrol of the entire process of conduct of elections to Parliament and tolegislaturesofthestatesandtheunionterritoriesandelectionstotheofficesofPresidentandVice-PresidentheldundertheConstitution.

TheElectionCommissiondecides theelection schedules for theconductofelections—both general elections and bye-elections. It prepares,maintains andperiodicallyupdatestheelectoralrolls,supervisesthenominationofcandidates,registerspoliticalparties,monitorstheelectioncampaign,includingfundingandexpenditureofcandidates.Italsofacilitatesthecoverageoftheelectionprocessbythemedia,carriesoutthevotereducationandawarenessmeasures,organizesthepollingstations/boothswherevotingtakesplace,andoverseesthecountingof votes and the declaration of results. It conducts polling through EVMs(Electronic VotingMachines) and recently, on pilot basis, introduced VVPAT(VoterVerifiablePaperAuditTrail).TheElectionCommissionhasalsoprovidedforcompulsoryidentificationatthetimeofvotingbymeansofElectors’PhotoIdentityCards(EPICs)anddistributionofphotoslipclosetopolls.

Elections are conducted according to the constitutional provisions,supplementedbylawsmadebyParliament.ThemajorlawsarethePresidentialandVice-PresidentialElectionsAct,1952;theRepresentationofthePeopleAct,1950; and theRepresentationof thePeopleAct,1951.Allpoliticalparties are

required toget themselves registeredwith theElectionCommission.Basedonperformance criteria laid down in the Elections Symbols (reservation &allotment)Order1968,theCommissiongrantsrecognitiontopoliticalpartiesasnational or state parties. It also decides disputes relating to splits/mergers ofrecognizedpoliticalparties.

Atthestatelevel,theelectionworkissupervised,subjecttooverallcontroloftheCommission,bytheChiefElectoralOfficerofthestate,whoisappointedbythe Commission by selection from amongst senior civil servants of the stategovernment.Fieldadministrationatthedistrictandsub-divisionallevelsinIndiais run by the District Magistrates (Deputy Commissioners/Collectors), Sub-Divisional Magistrates, Revenue Divisional Officers, Tehsildars, etc. TheElectionCommissionutilizesthesestategovernmentofficers,forelectionwork,by designating them as District Election Officers, Electoral RegistrationOfficers,ReturningOfficers,AssistantElectoralRegistrationOfficers,AssistantReturningOfficers,etc.Duringelectiontime,however,theyareavailabletotheCommission,moreorless,onafulltimebasis.

During the last several years, the Commission has conducted 17 GeneralElections to the Lok Sabha and more than 400 General Elections to StateLegislative Assemblies, thus facilitating peaceful orderly and democratictransferofpower.

Election Commission of India launched the India International Institute ofDemocracyandElectionManagement(IIIDEM),anadvancedresourcecentreoflearning, research, training and extension for electoral democracy and electionmanagement. The Institute presently functions from New Delhi. Courses areconductedintheInstituteforECI’sfieldofficialsandalsoforparticipantsfromabroad. The Commission is increasingly sharing its expertise and experiencewith election management bodies of other countries, and providing electoralassistance and training based on bilateral requests and multi-lateralarrangements. ECI has MoUs with 16 countries, besides having MoUs withUNDP,InternationalIDEAandIFES.Website:www.eci.gov.in

http://www.eci.gov.in

4 Agriculture

AGRICULTUREplaysavital role in India’seconomy.54.6percentof thepopulation is engaged in agriculture and allied activities (census 2011) and itcontributes17.4percenttothecountry’sGrossValueAddedfortheyear2016-17(atcurrentprices).Giventheimportanceofagriculturesector,GovernmentofIndiatookseveralstepsfor itssustainabledevelopment.Stepshavebeentakento improve soil fertility on a sustainable basis through the soil health cardscheme,toprovideimprovedaccesstoirrigationandenhancedwaterefficiencythrough Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), to support organicfarmingthroughParamparagatKrishiVikasYojana(PKVY)andtosupportforcreationofaunifiednationalagriculturemarkettoboosttheincomeoffarmers.Further, to mitigate risk in agriculture sector a new scheme “PradhanMantriFasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY)" was been launched for implementation fromKharif2016.

The Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers’ Welfare(DAC&FW) is one of the three constituent departments of the Ministry ofAgriculture and Farmers’Welfare, the other two beingDepartment ofAnimalHusbandry,Dairying& Fisheries (DAHD&F) andDepartment ofAgriculturalResearchandEducation(DARE).Websites : www.agriculture.gov.in www.agricoop.nic.in www.dare.nic.inwww.dahd.nic.in

ProductionThe normal spell of rainfall during monsoon 2017 and the various policy

initiatives takenby theGovernmentmade itpossible toachieveabroad-basedrecord foodgrain production in the year 2017-18. As per the Fourth AdvanceEstimatesfor2017-18,totalfoodgrainproductioninthecountryisestimatedat284.83milliontonneswhichishigherthanwhatwasproducedduring2016--17.The production during 2017-18 is higher by 24.66 million tonnes than thepreviousfiveyears’(2012-13to2016-17)averageproductionoffoodgrain.

http://www.agriculture.gov.in

http://www.agricoop.nic.in

http://www.dare.nic.in

http://www.dahd.nic.in

NationalPolicyforFarmersGovernment of India approved the National Policy for Farmers (NPFs) in

2007. Many of the provisions of the NPF are being operationalised throughvarious schemes and programmes which are being implemented by differentcentralgovernmentdepartmentsandministries.FortheoperationalisationoftheremainingprovisionsofthePolicy,anActionPlanwasfinalizedandcirculatedto the ministries/departments concerned, as well as to all states/UTs fornecessaryfollow-upaction.

MajorProgrammesPradhanMantriKrishiSinchayeeYojana(PMKSY)

Theschemehasbeenapprovedwithanoutlayof₹50,000croreforaperiodof5years(2015-16to2019-20).ThemajorobjectiveofPMKSYistoachieveconvergenceofinvestmentsinirrigationatthefieldlevel,expandcultivableareaunderassuredirrigation,improveon-farmwateruseefficiencytoreducewastageof water, enhance the adoption of precision irrigation and other water savingtechnologies (Per drop, More crop), promote sustainable water conservationpractices etc. Cabinet decisionwas taken in July, 2016 for implementation ofPMKSYinamissionmode.Themission isadministeredbyMinistryofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenationwiththePerDropMoreCropcomponentbeingadministeredbyDepartmentofAgriculture,CooperationandFarmersWelfare(DAC&FW).

AgricultureCreditGovernment announces annual target for agriculture credit in the budget

every year.Agricultural credit flow has shown consistent progress every year.The target for theyear2016-17was fixedat₹9,00,000croreandagainst thistargettheachievementwas₹10,65,756crore.Theagriculturecreditflowtargetfor 2017-18hasbeen fixed at₹ 10,00,000 crore.TheDepartment implementstheInterestSubventionSchemeunderwhichinterestsubventionisprovidedonshort-term crop loans upto₹ 3 lakh for a period of one year which is madeavailable to farmers at subvented interest rate of 7 per cent per annumand incaseoftimelyrepayment,thesamegetsreducedto4percentperannum.

CropInsuranceInordertoprotectfarmersagainstcropfailureduetonaturalcalamities,pests

anddiseases,weatherconditions,GovernmentofIndia introducedtheNationalCrop Insurance Programme (NCIP) with component schemes of Modified

NationalAgriculturalScheme(MNAIS),WeatherBasedCropInsuranceScheme(WBCIS) and Coconut Palm Insurance Scheme (CPIS). In addition, NationalAgricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS) which was withdrawn afterimplementationofNCIPfromrabi2013-14andwasextendedfurtherupto2015-16. A new scheme “Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) wasimplemented from kharif 2016 along with restructured pilot Unified PackageInsuranceScheme(UPIS)andWeatherBasedCropInsuranceScheme(WBCIS).

CommissionforAgriculturalCostsandPricesCommissionfor‘AgriculturalCostsandPrices’(CACP),setupwithaview

toevolveabalancedandintegratedpricestructure,ismandatedtoadviceonthepricepolicy(MSP)of23crops.Theseincludesevencerealcrops(paddy,wheat,jowar, bajra,maize, ragi andbarley), fivepulse crops (gram, tur,moong,uradand lentil), seven oilseeds (groundnut, sunflower seed, soyabean, rapeseedmustard,safflower,nigerseedandsesamum),copra(driedcoconut),cotton,rawjute and sugarcane. CACP submits its recommendations in the form of PricePolicy Reports every year, separately for five groups of commodities namelykharifcrops,rabicrops,sugarcane,rawjuteandcopra.

DeterminantsofMSPCostofproduction(CoP)isoneoftheimportantfactorsinthedetermination

of MSP of mandated crops. Besides cost, the Commission considers otherimportant factors such as demand and supply, price trend in the domestic andinternationalmarkets,inter-croppriceparity,termsoftradebetweenagriculturaland nonagricultural sectors and the likely impact of MSPs on consumers, inadditiontoensuringrationalutilizationofnaturalresourceslikelandandwater.Thus, pricing policy is rooted not in ‘cost plus’ approach, though cost is animportantdeterminantofMSP.

IndianCouncilofAgriculturalResearchThe Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) is an autonomous

organisation under the Department of Agricultural Research and Education(DARE).FormerlyknownasImperialCouncilofAgriculturalResearch,itwasestablished on July 16, 1929 as a registered society under the SocietiesRegistration Act, 1860.With its headquarters at NewDelhi, the ICAR is theapex body for coordinating, guiding, andmanaging research and education inagricultureincludinghorticulture,fisheriesandanimalsciences.With101ICARinstitutesand71agriculturaluniversitiesspreadacrossthecountry,thisisoneofthe largest national agricultural systems in theworld. The ICARhas played a

pioneering role inusheringGreenRevolution and subsequentdevelopments inagriculture in India through its research and technology development that hasenabled the country to increase the production of foodgrains by 5.4 times,horticultural crops by 10.1 times, fish by 15.2 times,milk 9.7 times and eggs48.1timessince1951to2017.Thishasenabledavisibleimpactonthenationalfoodandnutritionalsecurity.Ithasplayedamajorroleinpromotingexcellenceinhighereducationinagriculture.Website:www.icar.org.in

SoilandWaterProductivityTheNationalBureauofSoilSurveyandLandUsePlanning (NBSS&LUP)

developedNBSSBHOOMIGeo-portal to access various thematic informationon major physiographic regions, sub-physiographic regions, agro-ecologicalregions (1992), agro-ecological regions (2015) and agroecological sub-regionsof the country. Area/region specific efficient and remunerative crops andcropping sequences were delineated based on soils, landforms, rainfall,temperature, length of growing period and irrigability. The NBSS&LUPdeveloped an android based mobile application on GIS platform to facilitateweb-based decision support system (DSS) for land use planning anddissemination of soil health cards information at village and farm level forGujarat.Appwilldisplaydetailsofsoilmapunitinformationandsuggestedlanduseplanforthatsurveynumber.

GeneticResourcesMajor explorationswere undertaken and 1,532 germplasm accessionswere

collected comprising 1,095 of cultivated plants and 437 wild accessions. TheexplorationswereundertakentwoeachinAndhraPradesh,Assam,Chhattisgarh,Maharashtra,TamilNadu,UttarPradesh,WestBengalandoneeachinAndamanand Nicobar, Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Nagaland, Odisha, Tripura andUttarakhand.Thepopulationofmomordicacochinchinensis,collectedfromthemiddle Andaman Island, was described as a new subspecies momordicacochinchinensissubsp.andamanica,whichwassubsequentlyvalidated throughDNAbarcoding.

CropImprovementMajor emphasis was to develop new varieties/hybrids tolerant to various

bioticandabioticstresseswithenhancedquality.209varietiesweredeveloped117high-yieldingvarieties/hybridsofcerealscomprising65ofrice,14ofwheat,

http://www.icar.org.in

24 ofmaize, 5 of fingermillet, 3 of pearl millet, 1 each of sorghum, barley,foxtail millet, kodo millet, little millet and proso millet and released forcultivation in different agro-ecological regions of the country. Twenty eighthigh-yieldingvarietiesofoilseeds,32ofpulses,24ofcommercialcrops(cotton,sugarcane and jute) and eight of forage cropswere released for cultivation indifferentagroecologies.

LivestockImprovement of indigenous cattle breeds through selection project was

conceptualizedfor thegenetic improvementofGir,KankrejandSahiwalcattlein their home tracts.Under network project of buffalo improvementNli-Ravi,Bhadawari and Swamp breed centres are functioning as conservation andimprovementunitswhereasJaffarabadi,PandarpuriandSurtibreedcentresareconcentrating on field progeny testing andmaintaining the elite herd for bullproductionandabreedableherdof567.AllIndiaCoordinatedResearchProject(AICRP)ongoat improvementcovered13 tribalvillagesandcontributedforabetterlivelihoodsecurityfortribalpeopleasgoatsaremajorsourceofincometopoor people in tribal areas and North-Eastern Hill region. Under AICRP onpoultrybreedingall the12centresareworkingon thedevelopmentof locatonspecificruralchickenvarieties.

CropManagementA long-term tillage experiment in maize-wheat and rice-wheat system

indicated that the wheat crop was not affected by tillage in rice or maize.Enhancing crop yield per unit water use through improved agro-techniquesinvolving sprinklers in summer greengram indicated higher stability inSamratover IPM205-7. Sprinkler irrigation resulted in lesswater use (26.3 per cent)withhigherwaterproductivity (43.2percent) andnet return (28.4)over floodirrigation.

AnimalHusbandry,DairyingandFisheriesAnimalHusbandry,DairyingandFisheriesactivities,alongwithagriculture,

continue to be an integral part of human life since the process of civilizationstarted.Theseactivitieshavecontributednotonlytothefoodbasketanddraughtanimalpowerbutalsobymaintainingecologicalbalance.Owing toconduciveclimate and topography, animal husbandry, dairying and fisheries sectors haveplayed prominent socio-economic role in India. Traditional, cultural andreligious beliefs have also contributed in the continuance of these activities.

Theyfurtheralsoplayasignificantroleingeneratinggainfulemploymentintherural sector, particularly among the landless, small and marginal farmers andwomen,besidesprovidingcheapandnutritiousfoodtomillionsofpeople.

Livestock production and agriculture are intrinsically linked, each beingdependent on the other, and both crucial for overall food security. LivestocksectorisanimportantsubsectoroftheagricultureofIndianeconomy.Itformsanimportant livelihoodactivity formostof the farmers, supporting agriculture inthe form of critical inputs, contributing to the health and nutrition of thehousehold, supplementing incomes, offering employment opportunities, andfinally being a dependable “bank on hooves” in times of need. It acts as asupplementaryandcomplementaryenterprise.

India has vast resource of livestock and poultry,which play a vital role inimproving thesocio-economicconditionsof ruralmasses.Thereareabout300millionbovines,65.07millionsheep,135.2milliongoatsandabout10.3millionpigsasper19thlivestockcensusinthecountry.

LivestockProductionLivestock production and agriculture are intrinsically linked, each being

dependentontheother,andbothcrucialforoverallfoodsecurity.Accordingtoestimates of theCentral StatisticsOffice (CSO), the value of output livestocksector at current prices was about₹ 5,91,691 crore during 2015-16 which isabout28.5percentofthevalueofoutputfromagriculturalandalliedsector.Atconstant prices the value of output from livestock is about 29 per cent of thevalueoftheoutputfromtotalagricultureandalliedsector.Indiacontinuestobethelargestproducerofmilkintheworld.Severalmeasureshavebeeninitiatedtoincreasetheproductivityoflivestock.

MilkProductionMilkproductionduring2016-17and2017-18was165.4million tonnesand

176.3million tonnes respectively showing an annual growth of 6.62 per cent.Thepercapitaavailabilityofmilkwasaround375gramsperdayin2017-18.

EggProductionPoultry production has taken a quantum leap in the last four decades,

emergingfromanunscientificfarmingpracticetocommercialproductionsystemwithstate-of-thearttechnologicalinterventions.EggproductionattheendoftheTenthPlan(2006-07)was50.70billionascomparedto66.45billionattheendoftheEleventhPlan(2011-12).Currentlythetotalpoultrypopulationis729.21

million (as per 19th LivestockCensus) and egg productionwas around 88.14billionduring2016-17.Thepercapitaavailability(2017-18)wasaround74eggsperannum.

WoolProductionWoolproductiondeclinedmarginallyat theendofEleventhFiveYearPlan

(2011-12)to44.7millionkgfrom45.1millionkgintheendofTenthFiveYearPlan(2006-07).WoolproductioninthebeginningofTwelfthPlan(2012-13was46.05millionkgsandincreasedto48.1millionkgsin2014-15butdeclinedto43.5millionkgsin2016-17.Theproductionhasshownnegativegrowthduring2017-18.

MeatProductionThemeatproductionregisteredahealthygrowthfrom2.3million tonnesat

theendofTenthFiveYearPlan(2006-07)to5.5milliontonnesattheendoftheEleventhFiveYearPlan(2011-12).MeatproductioninthebeginningofTwelfthPlan (2012-13)was5.95million tonneswhich further increased to7.7milliontonnesin2017-18.

FisheriesProductionThecountryhasvastpotentialforfisheriesinviewoflongcoastlineofabout

8,118 kms apart from the inland water resources. During 2017-18, Indiaexported ₹ 13,77,244 tonnes fish and fisheries products worth ₹ 45,106.89crore.

NationalLivestockMissionFor sustainable andcontinuousgrowthof livestock sectorby emulating the

success achieved in dairy and poultry sectors, across species and regions, theNationalLivestockMissionwaslaunchedin2014-15withanapprovedoutlayof₹2,800croreduringXIIPlan.ThisMissionisformulatedwiththeobjectivesofsustainabledevelopmentof livestocksector, focusingonimprovingavailabilityofqualityfeedandfodder,riskcoverage,effectiveextension,improvedflowofcreditandorganisationoflivestockfarmers/rearers,etc.withthefollowingsub-missions: (i) sub-mission on livestock development; (ii) sub-mission on pigdevelopment in north-eastern region; (iii) sub-mission on fodder and feeddevelopment;and(iv)sub-missiononskilldevelopment,technologytransferandextension.

LivestockHealth

With improvement in the quality of livestock through cross-breedingprogrammes, the susceptibility of these livestock to various diseases includingexoticdiseaseshasincreased.Inordertoreducemorbidityandmortality,effortsarebeingmadebythestate/unionterritorygovernmentstoprovidebetterhealthcare through polyclinics/veterinary hospitals, dispensaries and first-aid centersincludingmobileveterinarydispensariesavailableinthestates.

In order to provide referral services, over and above the existing diseasediagnostic laboratories in the states, one central and five regional diseasediagnostic laboratories have been established which are now fully functional.Further, for control of major livestock and poultry diseases by way ofprophylacticvaccination,therequiredquantityofvaccinesarebeingproducedinthe country at 27 veterinary vaccine production units including 20 in publicsector.While efforts aremade to ensure better livestock health in the country,efforts are also being made to prevent ingress of diseases from outside thecountry, and to maintain standards of veterinary drugs and formulations. Atpresent,theDrugsControllerGeneralofIndiaregulatesthequalityofveterinarydrugsandbiologicals.

LivestockCensusThefirstlivestockcensuswasconductedduring1919-1920andsincethenit

isbeingconductedquinquenniallybyallstates/UTsofthecountry.Itistheonlysource, which gives disaggregated information on various species of farmanimalsandpoultrybirds.The20thLivestockCensuswasconductedin2019inthe country in participation with animal husbandry departments of thestates/UTs.Itindicatesthatthelivestockpopulationinthecountryincreasedby4.6percentto536millionfrom512.06millionin2012.

IndianFisheriesPresently India is the second largest fish producing and second largest

aquaculturenation in theworld. India isalsoamajorproducerof fish throughaquacultureandrankssecondintheworldafterChina.Thetotalfishproductionduring2017-18(provisional)stoodat12.61millionmetrictonne(MMT)withacontribution of 8.92 MMT from inland sector and 3.69 MMT from marinesector.

Fisheries is a sunrise sector with varied resources and potential, engagingover14.50millionpeopleat theprimary levelandmanymorealongthevaluechain.Transformationofthefisheriessectorfromtraditionaltocommercialscalehasledtoanincreaseinfishproduction.

The historical scenario of Indian fisheries reveals a paradigm shift frommarine dominated fisheries to a scenario where inland fisheries emerged as amajorcontributortotheoverallfishproductioninthecountry.

Within inland fisheries there is a shift fromcapture fisheries toaquacultureduringthelasttwoandahalfdecade.Freshwateraquaculturewithashareof34percent in inland fisheries inmid-1980shas increased toabout80percent inrecent years. It has emerged as a major fish producing system. Fish FarmersDevelopmentAgencies (FFDA)wassetup invariousdistricts fordeliveringapackage of technologies, practices, training and extension and for providingfinancialassistancetothebeneficiaries.Maricultureinthecountryovertheyearswasconfinedlargelytobivalvemolluscsviz.,mussels,edibleoystersandpearloysters, and to some extent seaweeds. With a thrust on development oftechnologies pertaining to sea cage farmingduring last decade, developmentalplanswith both forward and backward linkages are envisaged to allow theseactivities to become significant contributors to production of seafood in thecountry.

5 CultureandTourism

THEmandateof theMinistryofCulture revolvesaround the functions likepreservationandconservationofancientculturalheritageandpromotionofartand culture both tangible and intangible in the country. TheMinistry has twoattached,sixsubordinateofficesandthirtyfiveautonomousorganisations,whichare fully funded by the Government. There are seven zonal cultural centresworkingmainly on folk and traditional arts of different zones. There are alsofourmissions namelyNationalMission forManuscripts,NationalMission forMonumentandAntiquities,NationalMissiononLibraries,andGandhiHeritageSitesMission.Broadly,thisMinistryisworkingontheprotection,developmentand promotion of all types of heritage of culture namely, tangible heritage,intangible heritage and knowledge heritage. In addition, the Ministry alsoharbours the responsibility of Gandhian heritage and commemoration ofimportant historical events and centenaries of great personalities. In tangibleheritage, the Ministry takes care of all the centrally protected monuments ofnational importance,whichisachievedthroughArcheologicalSurveyofIndia.Similarly, theMinistry is also promoting amuseummovement in the countryandmajorityofthemuseumsareunderitsadministrativecontrol.TheMinistryalsopromotesregionalmuseumsthroughgrants-in-aid.

In the fieldof intangibleheritage, theMinistry extends financial support toindividuals, group of individuals and cultural organizations engaged inperforming visual and literary arts. Similarly, the Ministry through itsorganizations,isengagedinrecognizingexcellenceinthefieldofartandculturebywayofawardsgivenbyinstitutionslikeSahityaAkademiandSangeetNatakAkademi. The National School of Drama is involved in promoting a vibranttheatremovementofcontemporaryrelevanceinthecontextofourtraditionsandculturaldiversity.

Inknowledgeheritage,theMinistryisthecustodianofallthemajorlibrariesin the country. It also extends grant-in-aid for library development and is alsoresponsible for all policy matters regarding library development. ThroughNational Archives of India, Ministry is responsible for maintenance of all

archivalrecordsofthecountry.TheMinistryisalsoinvolvedinprotectionandpromotion ofBuddhist andTibetianCulture and is doing this through variousinstitutionslocatedatSarnath,VaranasiandLeh.ThisMinistryhasaverywell-plannedcapacity-buildingprogrammeforallthosewhowanttoexcelinthefieldof Indian as well as Asian art and culture. Institutions like the School ofArchaeology,SchoolofArchives,NationalInstituteofHistoryandArt,MaulanaAbul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies are mentionable in this regard.Various courses offered by National School of Drama and KalakshetraFoundationarealsosomeof theexamplesofcapacitybuildingprogrammesoftheMinistry.TheMinistryisalsoresponsiblefortheimplementationofvariousUNESCO conventions in the field of culture and for entering into CulturalExchangeAgreementswithpartneringcountries.IndiahasCulturalAgreementswith 107 countries and agreements relating toCulturalExchangeProgrammeshavebeensignedwith69countries.Website:www.indiaculture.nic.in

AchievementsMumbaigetsWorldHeritageBuilding

In a landmark achievement, India’s nomination of the ‘Victorian and ArtDecoEnsemblesofMumbai’hasbeeninscribedontheWorldHeritagelistoftheUNESCO. With this, Mumbai becomes the second city in the country afterAhmedabad to figure in the list. India now has in all 37 World Heritageinscriptionswith29cultural,7naturaland1mixedsites.

InternationalKalaMelaThe first ever internationalKalaMelawas held inNewDelhi in February

2018;withitsaimtopromotethespiritofunityindiversityandtherelevanceofEkBharatShreshthaBharat.Withmore than300exhibitionstalls, ithadmorethan800participantsfromacrosstheworld.

SevaBhojYojanaTheMinistryofCulturelaunchedanewscheme,namely,SevaBhojYojana

in 2018. The scheme envisages to reimburse the central government share ofCentralGoodsandServicesTaxandIntegratedGoodsandServicesTaxsoastolessenthefinancialburdenofreligious/charitableinstitutionswhoprovidefood/prasad I langar (community kitchen) / bhandara, free of cost without anydiscriminationtopublic/devotees.

http://www.indiaculture.nic.in

550thBirthAnniversaryCelebrationofGuruNanakGovernment of India commemorated the 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru

Nanakatnationalaswellasinternationallevelinbefittingmanner.Anumberofreligious activities like katha, kirtan, prabhat pheri, langar and educationalactivities like seminars, workshops, lectures, etc., figured in the year longcelebrations which concluded in 2019. The Sikh Gurdwara PrabhandakCommittee,Amritsaristheknowledgepartnerofthecentralgovernment.

KabirMahotsavThe500thdeathanniversaryof15thcenturypoet-saintKabirwasheldinJune

2018inMaghar,SantKabirNagardistrictofUttarPradesh.Artistsandartisansfrom all over the country with several cultural performances set the tone ofspiritualism through folk music and dance along with musical and theatricalperformances.ThefestivalwasorganisedbythisMinistrytoshowcasethegloryof Kabir’s literature and his message of oneness uniting all sections of thesociety.

LalitKalaAkademiLalitKalaAkademi,theNationalAcademyofArt,wassetupin1954.Lalit

KalaAkademiisthegovernment’sapexculturalbodyinthefieldofvisualartsin India. It is an autonomous body, which is fully funded by theMinistry ofCulture.TheAkademiisaninstitutionthathasrenderedservicetothenationintheartsspherelongbeforetheworldwokeuptotheglobalimpactofIndianart.Ithasestablished,preservedanddocumentedapermanentcollectionthatreflectsthevitality,complexityandunfoldingpatternsofmodernandcontemporaryartinIndia.Allthroughtheyearitpresentsexhibitionsandeducationalprogrammesof unparalleled significance; sustains a library, art collection, archives,conservation laboratory and supports scholars and publications of pre-eminentintellectualmeritalloverthecountry.

Central to the Akademi’s mission is the encouragement of a deeperunderstanding and enjoyment of modern and contemporary art by a diverselocal,nationalandinternationalaudiencethatitserves.TheNationalExhibitionofArtandtheInternationalTriennale-India,areexamplesofsuchendeavours.

TheAkademi is involved inawide rangeofactivitiespromoting Indianartand artists through programmes and strategic partnerships. The Akademi’ssincere commitment to the development of art is evident through the strongnational and international programmes organized by the headquarters in New

DelhiandbytheCentressituatedatBhubaneshwar,Chennai,Kolkata,Lucknow,Garhi (New Delhi) and sub centres at Shimla and Patna. Another major artpromotionalactivityoftheAkademiistoprovidestudiostoartistswhoworkinvariousdisciplinesofart,suchassculpture,graphics,ceramicsandpaintings.InDelhi,theAkademiadministerstheGarhiArtists’Studioswhereapproximately200artistsworkregularly.Website:www.lalitkala.gov.in

SangeetNatakAkademiSangeet Natak Akademi, India’s national academy of music, dance and

drama,isapioneerinthecreationofmodernIndia.Theephemeralqualityofthearts, and the need for their preservation led to the adapting of a democraticsystem in which the commonman had the opportunity to learn, practice andpropagatethearts.In1945,theAsiaticSocietyofBengalsubmittedaproposalfor the creation of a National Cultural Trust consisting of three academies-anacademyofdance,dramaandmusic;anacademyoflettersandanacademyofart and architecture. It led to the creation of three national academies afterIndependence.ThenationalAcademynamedSangeetNatakAkademi,was thefirst of these entities to be established by a resolution of the Ministry ofEducation. In 1961, the Sangeet Natak Akademi was reconstituted by theGovernment as a society and registered under the Societies Registration Act,1860(asamendedin1957).

TheAkademiworkstowardsbuildingupaunifiedstructureofsupportforthepractice of music, dance and drama in India encompassing traditional andmodernforms,andurbanaswellasruralenvironments.Thefestivalsofmusic,dance anddramapresentedor promotedby theAkademi are held all over thecountry.ThegreatmastersoftheperformingartshavebeenelectedasFellowsof the Akademi. The Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards conferred annually oneminentartistsandscholarsareconsideredthemostcovetedhonoursinthefieldof the performing arts. Thousands of institutions across the country, includingmanyintheremoteareas,engagedinteachingorpromotionofmusic,danceandtheatre,havereceivedfinancialassistancefor theirworkfromtheAkademi,asdoresearchers,authorsandpublishersinrelevantdisciplines.

The Akademi has a large archive of audio and video tapes, 16-mm films,photographsandtransparenciesandremainsthesinglemostimportantresourceforresearchersinthefieldofperformingartsofIndia.TheAkademimaintainsareference library consisting of books in English, Hindi and some regionallanguages. The Akademi’s publication unit publishes literature on relevant

http://www.lalitkala.gov.in

subjectsonasmallscale.TheAkademiestablishesandlooksafterinstitutionsandprojectsofnational

importance in the field of the performing arts.The JawaharlalNehruManipurDanceAcademy(JNMDA)inImphal,thepremierinstitutionintheteachingofManipuridanceandmusic,establishedin1954,isthefirstoftheseinstitutions.In1959, theAkademiestablishedtheNationalSchoolofDramaandtheAsianTheatre Institute; and in 1964, theKathakKendra, both being based inDelhi.TheAkademi’sotherprojectsofnationalimportanceareinKutiyattamtheatreofKerala, commenced in 1991. Kutiyattam was recognized by UNESCO as amasterpieceoforalandintangibleheritageofhumanityin2001.TheprojectonChhaudanceofOdisha,JharkhandandWestBengalbeganin1994.TheprojectsupporttoSattriyamusic,dance,theatreandalliedartsofAssamwasstartedin2002.

Being the apex body specializing in the performing arts, theAkademi alsoadvises and assists theGovernment of India in formulating and implementingpolicies andprogrammes in the field of the performing arts. It fosters culturalcontacts nationally and internationally. TheAkademi has held exhibitions andmajorfestivalsinforeigncountriestofosterculturalcontactbetweenIndiaandtheworld.Website:www.sangeetnatak.gov.in

NationalSchoolofDramaTheNationalSchoolofDrama(NSD)-oneoftheforemosttheatreinstitutions

intheworldandtheonlyoneofitskindinIndiawassetupbySangeetNatakAkademiin1959.Laterin1975,itbecameanautonomousorganization,totallyfinancedbyDepartmentofCulture.TheobjectiveoftheNSDistotrainstudentsin all aspects of theatre, including theatre history, production, scene design,costumedesign, lighting,make-up,etc.The trainingcourseatNSDisof threeyearsduration.Theeligibleapplicantsforadmissiontothecoursearescreenedthrough two stages.TheDiplomaofNSD is recognizedby theAssociationofIndianUniversitiesasequivalenttoM.A.Degreeforappointmentasteachersincolleges/universitiesandforpurposesofregistrationforPh.D.TheSchoolhasaperforming wing, a Repertory Company to establish professional theatre andregular experimental work. The NSD has promoted children’s theatre. It(renamed as Sanskar Rang Toli) was founded in 1989 and has been activelyinvolved in production of plays for children, organizing summer theatreworkshopsintheschoolsofDelhiandalsopromotingchildren’stheatrethroughSaturdayClub.Since1998,theSchoolhasorganizedNationalTheatreFestival

http://www.sangeetnatak.gov.in

for Children christened ‘Jashne Bachpan’ every year. The first ever NationalTheatre Festival christened was held from March 18 to April 14, 1999 tocommemorate the50thyearof India’s Independencehasbeenmadeanannualfeature.

Ashort-termteachingandtrainingprogrammetitled‘ExtensionProgramme’was started in 1978, under which, the school organizes workshops incollaboration with the local theatre groups/artists and these programmes areinvariablyheldinthelocallanguages.Theworkshopscouldbebroadlydividedunder three categories, production oriented workshops, production orientedchildren’s workshops and teaching and training programmes in Theatre. TheSchool has aRegionalResearchCentre atBengaluru to cater to the theatricalneeds of the four southern states and Puducherry. The School also publishestextbooks on theatre and also arranges for translation of important books ontheatrefromEnglishintoHindi.Website:www.nsd.gov.in

SahityaAkademiSahityaAkademi,India’sNationalAcademyofLetterspromotesliteraturein

24languagesofIndiarecognizedbyit.Itorganizesprogrammes,confersAwardsandFellowshipsonwritersinIndianlanguagesandpublishesbooksthroughouttheyearandin24recognizedlanguages.Overthepastsixdecades,theAkademihaspublishedover7000booksin24languages.TheAkademipublishesoriginalworks and also works in translation - fiction, poetry, drama and criticism -covering classical, medieval, pre-modern and contemporary literature. SahityaAkademi publishes three journals, Indian Literature (bi-monthly in English),Samkaleena Bhartiya Sahitya (bi-monthly in Hindi) and Sanskrit Pratibha(quarterly in Sanskrit). The Akademi is also involved in promoting qualitychildren’s literature.TheAkademi’s headoffice is situated inNewDelhiwithofficesinKolkata,Mumbai,BengaluruandChennai.

Akademi Awards are most prestigious literary awards in India. SahityaAkademiAward [theAwardcarries theprizemoneyof₹1 lakhandcitation],awarded to themost outstanding book(s) of literarymerit published in the 24Indian languages recognized by the Akademi. Bhasha Samman [the Awardcarries theprizemoneyof₹1 lakhandcitation] isgiventowriters/scholars /editors collectors / performers / translators who have made considerablecontributiontothepropagationandenrichmentoflanguagesthathavenotbeenrecognized by theAkademi in addition to stellar contributions to the researchintoclassicalandmedievalliteratureofthecountry,TranslationPrize[theAward

http://www.nsd.gov.in

carries the prize money of ₹ 50,000 and citation] is given to outstandingtranslations in all the 24 languages recognized by the Akademi, Bal SahityaPuraskar[theAwardcarriestheprizemoneyof₹50,000andcitation]isgiventooutstanding contributions to children’s literature in 24 languages and YuvaPuraskar[theAwardcarriestheprizemoneyof₹50,000andcitation]isgiventoyoungIndianwritersin24languages,aretheawardsinstitutedbytheAkademi.

The Akademi organizes Festival of Letters every year to celebrate Indianwriting. Sahitya Akademi promotes Tribal and Oral Literature in the countrythroughitsCentreforTribalandOralLiteratureinDelhiandNorth-EastCentreforOralLiteratureinImphal.TheAkademialsoconfersFellowshipsoneminentIndianwritersandforeignscholarswhohaveservedIndianliterature.

Monographson Indianwriters (MIL), encyclopaedias, anthologies, archivesofIndian literature,nationalbibliographyofIndian literature,encyclopaediaofIndianpoetics andhistoriesof Indian literature are someof themajorprojectsundertaken by the Akademi. The Akademi also organizes cultural exchangeprogrammes with different countries and sends and receives several writers’delegations every year besides taking part in literary festivals and book fairsabroad.

SahityaAkademiLibrary inNewDelhi isoneof thevery fewmultilinguallibraries which cater solely to literature. With a rich collection of books onliteratureandliterarytraditionsin24recognizedIndianlanguages,thislibraryisoneof itskind. Inaddition to this library,SahityaAkademihas libraries in itsregionalofficesinMumbai,KolkataandBengaluru.Totalnumberofregisteredmembers of SahityaAkademi library is 13,219; total number of books in thelibrary is 1,72,000 and the library attracts about 150members every day. Forbetter dissemination of literature in all the twenty four recognized Indianlanguages, SahityaAkademi annually participates in about 180 book fairs andexhibitionsacrossthecountry.Website:www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in

IndiraGandhiNationalCentreforArtsTheIndiraGandhiNationalCentrefortheArts(IGNCA)isanationallevel

academicresearchcentreencompassingthestudyandexperienceofallthearts,classicalandfolk,writtenandoral,ancientandmodern.LocatedintheheartofNewDelhi,IGNCAisanautonomoustrustundertheMinistryofCulture.Ithasa rich collection of resources covering a wide range of disciplines, includingarchaeology,anthropology,history,philosophy,languageandliterature,artsandcraftsofIndia,southAsia,southeastAsiaandwestAsia.

http://www.sahitya-akademi.gov.in

The IGNCA has six functional units – Kalanidhi, the multi-form library;Kalakosa,devotedmainly to the studyandpublicationof fundamental texts inIndian languages; JanapadaSampada, thedivisionengaged in lifestyle studies;Kaladarsana; the executive unit which transforms researches and studiesemanating from the IGNCA into visible forms through exhibition; CulturalInformatics Lab, which applies technology tools for cultural preservation andpropagation; and Sutradhara, the administrative section that acts as a spinesupportingandcoordinatingalltheactivities.

The IGNCAhasa regionalcentreatBengaluru.The regionalcentre for theeasternregionofficeislocatedinVaranasi.ThecentreforNorthEastisbasedinGuwahati.IGNCAhasalsooperationalisedsixnewcentresacrossthecountryinRanchi, Puducherry, Vadodara, Thrissur, Goa and Srinagar. IGNCA alsomanagestheNationalMissionofManuscriptswhichhasconservedanddigitisedprecious heritage of manuscripts through resource and conservation centresacrossIndia.Website:www.ignca.gov.in

CentreforCulturalResourcesandTrainingTheCentreforCulturalResourcesandTraining(CCRT)isoneofthepremier

institutionsworkinginthefieldoflinkingeducationwithculture.CCRTwassetup in 1979 as an autonomous organization by theGovernment of India.WithheadquartersinNewDelhi,ithasthreeregionalcentresatUdaipur,Hyderabadand Guwahati. The broad objectives of CCRT are: revitalize the educationsystem by creating an understanding and awareness among students about theplurality of the regional cultures of India and integrating this knowledgewitheducation. The main thrust is on linking education with culture and makingstudentsawareof the importanceofculture inalldevelopmentprogrammes. Itconductsavarietyoftrainingprogrammesforin-serviceteachersdrawnfromallpartsofthecountry.Thetrainingprovidesanunderstandingandappreciationofthe philosophy, aesthetics and beauty inherent in Indian art and culture andfocusesonformulatingmethodologiesforincorporatingaculturalcomponentincurriculumteaching.Thistrainingalsostressestheroleofcultureinscienceandtechnology, housing, agriculture, sports, etc. It creates awareness amongststudentsandteachersof their role insolvingenvironmentalpollutionproblemsandconservationandpreservationofthenaturalandculturalheritage.

CCRT organizes workshops on drama, music, narrative art forms, etc.Teachers are encouraged todevelopprogrammes inwhich theart formcanbeprofitablyutilizedtoteacheducationalcurriculum.Itorganizeseducationaltours

http://www.ignca.gov.in

to monuments, museums, art galleries, craft centres, zoological parks andgardens, camps on conservation of natural and cultural heritage, camps onlearning crafts using low cost locally available resources, lectures anddemonstrations by artists and experts on various art forms, demonstrations byartistsandcraftpersonsinschools.Theyemphasizeonintellectualandaestheticdevelopmentofthestudents.

Overtheyears,CCRThasbeencollectingscripts,colourslides,photographs,audioandvideorecordingsandfilms.EachyearitaimstoreviveandencouragetheartandcraftsformsofruralIndia.Italsopreparespublications,toprovideanunderstanding and appreciation of aspects of Indian art and culture. CCRTimplements the Cultural Talent Search Scholarship Scheme, which providesscholarshipstooutstandingchildrenintheagegroupof10to14years,studyingeither in recognized schools or belonging to families practicing traditionalperforming or other arts to develop their talent in various cultural fieldsparticularlyinrareartforms.Thescholarshipscontinuetilltheageof20yearsorthefirstyearofaUniversitydegree.TheSchemefor‘AwardofScholarshipsto Young Artistes (SYA) in Different Cultural Fields’ is implemented underwhichmaximum 400 scholarships are provided in the age group of 18 to 25years in the field of Indian classical music, classical dances, light classicalmusic,theatre,VisualArts,Folk/TraditionalandIndigenousArts.

Project Sanskriti is an initiative of Ministry of Culture in developing/establishing of interpretation centres in educational institutions in Varanasi.CCRT has also instituted Teachers’ Award to selected teachers for theiroutstandingworkineducationandculture.Theawardcarriesacitation,aplaqueandacashpriceof₹25,000.Website:www.ccrtindia.gov.in

ZonalCulturalCentresZonalCulturalCentres(ZCCs)aimtoarouseawarenessof the localculture

and toshowhowthesemerge intozonal identitiesandeventually into therichdiversity of India’s composite culture. These centres have already establishedthemselves as premier agencies in the field of promotion, preservation anddisseminationofcultureintheentirecountry.Theypromoteperformingartsbysignificantcontributioninliteraryandvisualarts.ThesevenZonalCentreswereestablished under this scheme during 1985-86 at Patiala, Kolkata, Thanjavur,Udaipur,Allahabad,Dimapur andNagpur. The participation of states inmorethan oneZonalCulturalCentre according to their cultural linkage is a specialfeatureof thecompositionof theZonalCentres.Mastercraftsmenandartisans

http://www.ccrtindia.gov.in

fromvariousZCCsparticipateincraftfairs.Documentationofvariousrarefolkand tribal art forms is one of the main thrust areas of the ZCCs. Under theNational Cultural Exchange Programme (NCEP), exchanges of artists,musicologists, performers and scholars between different regions within thecountry take place. It has been extremely useful in promoting awareness ofdifferent tribal/ folk art forms in different parts of the country. A scheme oftheatrerejuvenationprovidesanopportunitytostudents,actorsartists,directorsand writers to perform on a common platform. Guru Shishya Parampara hasbeenintroducedtopromotenewtalents.TheZCCspromotecraftsmenthroughShilpgrams.TheZCCs identify thedifferentperforming/folkart forms in theirareasandselectoneortwotalentedartistsineachofthefields.

EkBharatShreshthaBharatEkBharatShreshthaBharatwasannounced in2015on theoccasionof the

140thBirthAnniversaryofSardarVallabhbhaiPatel.Thebroadobjectivesoftheinitiativeare:-(i)tocelebratetheunityindiversityofournationandtomaintainandstrengthen thefabricof traditionallyexistingemotionalbondsbetween thepeopleofourcountry;(ii)topromotethespiritofnationalintegrationthroughadeepandstructuredengagementbetweenallstatesandunionterritoriesthrougha year-long planned engagement between states; (iii) to showcase the richheritageandculture,customsandtraditionsofeitherstateforenablingpeopletounderstand and appreciate the diversity that is India, thus fostering a sense ofcommon identity; (iv) to establish long-term engagements; (v) to create anenvironmentwhichpromotes learningbetweenStatesbysharingbestpracticesandexperiences.

CulturalHeritageoftheHimalayasTheaimofBuddhistTibetanInstitutions(BTI) is tohelppreserve,promote

andpropagatetheintangibleofBuddhist/Tibetan/Himalayanculturalheritageofthecountry.

Theobjectiveoftheschemeistopromoteandpreservetheculturalheritageof theHimalayas.The schemewas revised in2011.Asper the revised schemethegrantshallbeprovidedforundertakingtheactivities-(i)studyandresearchoncultural heritage,(ii) preservationofoldmanuscripts, literature, art&craftsand documentation of cultural activities/ events like music, dance, etc., (iii)dissemination through audio-visual programmes of art and culture and (iv)training in traditional and folk art - in the states falling under the HimalayanRegion i.e. Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and

ArunachalPradesh.Thecollegesanduniversitiesarealsoeligibletoapply.Thequantumoffundinghasbeenincreasedfrom₹5.00lakhsto₹10.00lakhsperyearforanorganization.

DevelopmentofBuddhist/TibetanOrganizationThe objective of the scheme to give financial assistance to the voluntary

Buddhist/Tibetan organizations including monasteries engaged in thepropagationandscientificdevelopmentofBuddhist/Tibetancultureandtraditionand research in related fields.The schemewas revised in2011. In the revisedscheme new activities like IT upgradation, transport facilities, construction ofclassrooms, school buildings and training centres, audio-visualrecording/documentationoftraditionalmaterialshavealsobeenincluded.

CentralInstituteofBuddhistStudiesThe Central Institute of Buddhist Studies (CIBS), Leh Ladakh formerly

knownasSchoolofBuddhistPhilosophywas established at thebehest of latePandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in 1959. The Institute has obtained the Status ofDeemedUniversityinJanuary,2016.

NavaNalandaMahaviharaTheNavaNalandaMahavihara(NNM)wasestablishedin1951inNalanda,

BiharbytheGovernmentofBihar.TheNNMisaninstitutionofpostgraduatestudies and research in Pali and Buddhism. At present, Nava NalandaMahavihara is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Culture andaccordedDeemedUniversitystatusin2006.

CentralUniversityofTibetanStudiesTheCentralUniversityofTibetanStudies,Sarnath,Varanasiwasestablished

in 1967 with a view to educating the youths of Tibet and Indian students ofHimalayan border areas. The Institute was declared as a “Deemed to beUniversity”in1988.

CentralInstituteofHimalayanCultureStudiesThe Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies (CIHCS) has been

registeredasaSocietyin2010undertheSocietiesRegistrationAct,1860.TheareaofoperationoftheSocietyshallbealloverIndia.TheInstituteundertakesunder graduate, post graduate and doctoral programmes in Buddhist andHimalayanstudiesandmayalsoestablishandmaintainfeederschools.RegularGrantsarealsoprovidedtosixgranteebodiesviz.,LibraryofTibetanWorksandArchives,DharamshalaTibetHouse,NewDelhi,Centre forBuddhistCultural

Studies, Tawang Monastery, Arunachal Pradesh, Namgyal Institute ofTibetology, Sikkim, International Buddhist Confederation, GRL MonasticSchool,Bomdila,ArunachalPradesh.

ArchaeologicalSurveyofIndiaThe Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was established in 1861. It

functionsasanattachedofficeoftheMinistryofCulture.ThemajoractivitiesoftheArchaeologicalSurveyof Indiaare : surveyof archaeological remainsandexcavations; maintenance and conservation of centrally protectedmonuments,sitesandremains;chemicalpreservationofmonumentsandantiquarianremains;architectural survey of monuments; development of epigraphical research andnumismaticstudies;settingupandre-organizationofsitemuseums;expeditionsabroad; training in archaeology; publication of technical reports and researchworks.Thereare29circles,3minicirclesandfiveregionaldirectoratesthroughwhichtheArchaeologicalSurveyofIndiaadministerstheworkofpreservationandconservationofmonumentsunderitsprotection.

Under theAncientMonuments andArchaeological Sites andRemainsAct,1958,theASIhasdeclared3,686monuments/sitestobeofnationalimportancein the countrywhich includes twenty one properties that are inscribed on theWorld Heritage List by UNESCO. Three sites, namely, Champaner-PavagarhArchaeologicalParkinGujarat,ChhatrapatiShivajiTerminus(formerlyVictoriaTerminus) Station in Mumbai and the Brihadisvara temple complex,Gangaikondacholapuramand theAiravatesvara temple complex,Darasuramasan extension to the Brihadisvara temple complex. Thanjavur (now commonlycalled as theGreat Living Chola Temples) have been inscribed on theWorldHeritageList ofUNESCO in2004.Nominationdossiers for theVictorian andArtDecoEnsembleofMumbaihavebeensenttotheWorldHeritageCentreforinscription on the World Heritage List of UNESCO. The total number ofindividual structuresbeingmaintainedby theASI isover5,000.Search, studyand preservation of cultural heritage lying submerged in inland or territorialwatersareamongtheprincipalfunctionsoftheUnderwaterArchaeologyWing.It carries out exploration and excavation inArabian Sea aswell as inBay ofBengal.TheScienceBranchoftheSurveywithitsheadquartersatDehradunandfield laboratories in different parts of the country carries out chemicalpreservationofmonuments,antiquities,manuscripts,paintings,etc.

TheHorticultureBranchoftheASImaintainsgardensinabout287centrallyprotectedmonuments/sites located indifferentpartsof thecountry.Thebranchprovidesperiodicplants tobeused ingardensbydevelopingbasenurseries at

Delhi, Agra, Srirangapatnam and Bhubaneshwar. The Epigraphy Branch atMysorecarriesoutresearchworkinSanskritandDravidianlanguageswhiletheoneatNagpurcarriesoutresearchworkinArabicandPersian.Website:www.asi.nic.in

NationalMissiononMonumentsandAntiquitiesTheNationalMissiononMonumentsandAntiquities(NMMA)waslaunched

in2007withtheobjectivetoprepareaNationaldatabaseonBuiltHeritageandSites (BH&S) and antiquities from different sources andmuseums during theXIthFiveYearPlanfor informationanddisseminationtoplanners, researchersetc., and better management of such cultural resources. Keeping in view themagnitude of the work involved, and as per recommendations of NationalProductivityCouncilinits3rdPartyEvaluationReport,NMMAhasbeenmadeaDivisionofArchaeologicalSurveyofIndia.

Aspartofthemandate,NMMAhastopreparetwonationalregistersviz.,(i)National Register on Built Heritage and Sites and (ii) National Register onAntiquities. About 2.00 lakh data on Built Heritages and Sites has beendocumented from various secondary sources.NMMAhas documented data ofapproximately15.00lakhantiquitiessofarfromdifferentsources.

NationalMissionforManuscriptsTheNationalMissionforManuscripts(NMM)waslaunchedin2003withthe

IndiraGandhiNationalCentreforArts(IGNCA)asthenodalagencytoreclaimIndia’s inheritanceofknowledgecontained in thevast treasureofmanuscripts.There are Manuscripts Resource Centres (MRC), Manuscripts ConservationCentres (MCC), Manuscripts Partner Centres (MPC) and ManuscriptsConservationPartnerCentres(MCPC)alloverIndiato locate, todocument, toconserveandtodigitizethetangibleheritageofIndia.

MajoractivitiesofNMMaredocumentationofmanuscripts throughsurvey,conservationofmanuscripts throughpreventive andcurativemethods, trainingcourses and workshops on conservation-methods, manuscriptology andpaleographyworkshopsforteachingancientscripts,digitizationofmanuscriptsforarchivalandeasyaccesstotheknowledge-base,disseminationofknowledgecontainedinthemanuscriptsthroughpublications,outreachprogrammetocreatepublicawarenessoftheimportanceofmanuscripts.

NationalMuseumTheNationalMuseum,functionsasasubordinateofficeundertheMinistryof

http://www.asi.nic.in

Culturesince1960,housesover2.6lakhartobjectsdatingfrompre-historiceraonwards. The main activities of the museum are as follows: exhibitions,reorganization/modernization of galleries, educational activities and outreachprogrammes, public relations, publications, photo documentation, summerholidayprogrammes,memorial lectures,museumcorner,Photounit,modellingunit,library,conservationlaboratoryandworkshops.

NationalGalleryofModernArtTheNationalGallery ofModernArt (NGMA),NewDelhiwas founded in

1954topromoteanddevelopcontemporaryIndianArt.Ithouses17,858worksofart,representingabout1,748contemporaryIndianartists.Thecollectionhasbeen built up mainly by purchase and also by gift. The NGMA’s importantcollections include paintings, sculptures, graphic arts and photographs. Itorganizesexhibitionsfromitscollectionandunderculturalexchangeprogrammeperiodically.Severalcolourreproductionshavebeenbroughtout.TheobjectiveofNGMAistohelppeoplelookattheworksofmodernartwithunderstandingandsensitivity.Website:www.ngmaindia.gov.in

IndianMuseumThe history and the highlights of the Indian Museum the eighth oldest

Museum in the world which houses almost 1.10 lakhs of artefacts telling theorientalhistoryandtheheritageofIndia.

ThehistoryoftheoriginandthegrowthoftheIndianMuseumisoneoftheremarkableeventstowardsthedevelopmentofheritageandcultureofIndia.SirWilliamJonesasoneoftheprofoundestscholarsdevotedhislifetotheserviceof India founded Asiatic Society in 1784. Dr. Nathanial Wallich, a DanishBotanist,wrotealettertotheAsiaticSocietyinwhichhestronglyadvocatedtheformationofaMuseumat thepremisesof theSociety.Thusamuseum,undertheguidanceofDr.NathanialWallichwasestablished in1814at thecradleoftheAsiatic Society. Themuseumwas known in the beginning as the “AsiaticSocietyMuseum” subsequently came to be known as the “ImperialMuseum”and later familiarized as the “IndianMuseum”which ismore familiar by thename‘Jadughar’amongthevisitors.ThepresentbuildingoftheIndianMuseumwas completed in 1875.Though in the beginning IndianMuseumwasopenedwith two galleries later on it was transformed into a multipurpose Institutionwheremulti-disciplinaryobjectshavebeendisplayedinitssixsectionsviz,art,archaeology, anthropology, zoology, geology and botany. TheMuseum which

http://www.ngmaindia.gov.in

was founded on 1814 at the cradle of the Asiatic Society thus grew into thelargestinstitutionofitskindofthecountryportrayingthelegacyandprideofthenation.Since1878,atitspresentedifice,IndianMuseumhasbeenrenderingitsservices to thepeopleof Indiaasanepitomeofartandcultureof Indiaand isalso being highlighted as one of the pioneering national institutions in theConstitutionoftheRepublicofIndia.

IndianMuseumplays a significant role not only preserving the artefacts oftheIndianheritagebutalsoactsasacatalystasaninterpretationcentreofIndianart heritage to facilitate the audience as a learning centre through itsmulticultural activities, which is needed to highlight properly to augmentingmoreandmoretouristtotheregion.

NationalCouncilofScienceMuseumsNationalCouncilofScienceMuseums(NCSM),anautonomousbodyunder

theMinistryofCulture,isthelargestnetworkofsciencecentres/museumsintheworldfunctioningunderasingleadministrativecontrol.Itisprimarilyengagedinspreadingthecultureofscienceinthesocietyespeciallyamongstudentswithamottoof‘CommunicatingSciencetoEmpowerPeople’throughitsnetworkofScienceCentresspreadacrossIndia.NCSMistheimplementingagencyfortheScience City Scheme for developing new science centres in the country ofnational, regional anddistrict level.NCSMhas its ownnetworkof25 sciencemuseums/centresandhasalsodevelopedandhandedover24sciencecentrestovariousState/UTgovernments.NCSMalso provides catalytic support to otherorganizations by way of developing interactive exhibits and exhibitions usingstate of the art display technologies and techniques. Through its two-prongedactivity one : development of science centres/museums, exhibits, gallery,exhibitions, innovation Hub etc., and other by organising various interactivescience programmes and out of school activities, NCSM provides non formalsupporttothescienceeducationtotheschools.

Theconceptof‘MuseumonWheels’wasintroducedinIndiain1965whenMobile Science Exhibition (MSE) programme started as Mobile ScienceMuseum (MSM)atRamkrishnaMissionSchool,Kolkata.Today, a fleetof23MSEbuses, attached to different science centres ofNCSM, travel through thepartsofruralIndiaandtakethemessageofscienceandtechnologytotheruralpopulace. Apart from the exhibition on themes of local relevance the MSEprogrammesincludescienceshows,handsonworkshopforstudents,nightskyobservationthroughtelescope,sciencefilmshowsetc.,asvalueaddition.Thisisone of the most successful programme of NCSM and more than 65 million

people,mostlystudents,havebeenbenefitedso far.Lastyear, thisprogrammehas been added in Limca Book of Records for Largest and longest runningInformalScienceEducationProgrammeinIndia.

NCSM also facilitates participation of Indian students in InternationalAstronomy Olympiad (Junior category) every year by organising OrientationCumSelectionCampandPreDepartureTrainingforselectedstudents.NCSMisalsoimplementingtheschemeforsettingupofInnovationHubsinthesciencecentres/institutions to inculcate a culture of innovation, creativity andengagement in science amongst the youth of the country. NCSM has alsoconceptualised, developed and sent travelling exhibitions to more than 15countries namely USA, Russia, France, Bulgaria, Nepal, China, Bangladesh,Trinidad & Tobago, Guyana, Bhutan, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, SriLanka,Mauritius,AustraliaandUK.Details,areavailableonitswebsite.Website:www.ncsm.gov.in

VictoriaMemorialHallThe Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata (VMH), was founded principally

through the efforts of Viceroy Lord Curzon, in 1921 as a period museum inmemoryofQueenVictoriawithparticularemphasisonIndo-Britishhistory.TheVMHwasdeclaredaninstitutionofnationalimportancebytheGovernmentofIndiaActof1935.

It is the premier period museum in India on Indo-British history in theeighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It also functions as the premierartgallery,museum,researchlibrary,andculturalspaceinKolkata.Ithasbeenwidely hailed as the finest specimen of Indo-British architecture in India, andcalled the ‘Taj of the Raj.’ In 2017, the VMH has been recognized byTripAdvisor-theworld’slargesttravelandtourism-relatedwebsite-astheno.1museuminIndiaandtheno.9museuminAsia.It’srapidlyrisingglobalstatureas a top tourist destination in India is also indicated by the award of LonelyPlanet‘TopChoice’and‘Fodor’sChoice’ratings.TheVMHiscurrentlybyfarthemost-visitedmuseuminIndiaandoneofthetopmuseumsintheworldinterms of footfall. In 2015 it was also named as the ‘Cleanest Monument inIndia,’forwhichitbaggedtheIndiaTodaySafaigiriAward.

As a museum, the VMH collection has 28,394 artefacts displayed in ninegalleries that encapsulate the history of the country extending over threecenturiesbeginningfrom1650A.D.Thecollectionincludespaintingsinoilandwatercolour, sketches and drawings, aquatints, lithographs, photographs, rarebooksandmanuscripts,stampsandpostalstationery,coinsandmedals,armsand

http://www.ncsm.gov.in

armour, sculptures, costumes, personal relics and othermiscellaneous archivaldocuments.Website:www.victoriamemorial-cal.org

NationalMuseumInstituteofHistoryofArt,ConservationandMuseology

It is an autonomous organization, fully funded by theMinistry of Culture,established and declared as a Deemed University in 1989. This is the onlyMuseum University in India and is presently functioning at the first floor ofNationalMuseum,NewDelhi.TheDirectorGeneral,NationalMuseum is theex-officioVice-ChancellorofthisUniversity.Mainobjectivesare(a)toprovideeducationand training in thespecializedareasofart,history,conservationandmuseology leading to the award of M.A. and Ph.D. Degrees in these threedisciplines,(b)afewshort-termcourses-Indianartandculture,artappreciationand(HindiMedium)arealsoconductedtopopularizetheIndianculture,(c) toorganize seminars/ workshops, conferences and special lectures on museumeducation,artandculture.

NationalResearchLaboratoryforConservationofCulturalProperty

NationalResearchLaboratoryforConservationofCulturalProperty(NRLC)was established in 1976, as a subordinate office of theDepartment ofCultureandisrecognizedbytheDepartmentofScienceandTechnologyasascientificinstitution of the Government of India. It provides conservation services andtechnical advise in matters concerning conservation to museums, archives,archaeologydepartmentsandotherrelatedculturalinstitutions,impartstrainingindifferentaspectsofconservation,carriesoutresearchinmethodsandmannerof conservation, dissemination of knowledge in conservation and providesservicestoconservationprofessionalofthecountry.NRLCwithitsheadquartersatLucknow,hasfullfledgedTrainingInstitutecampusatJankipuram,Lucknowandaregionalcentre-RegionalConservationLaboratoryatMysoresetupforcateringtoconservationneedsofsouthIndia.

RamakrishnaMissionInstituteofCultureTheInstitutewasconceivedin1936asoneofthepermanentmemorialstoSri

Ramakrishna (1836-1886) on the occasion of his first birth centenary. It wasformally established in 1938 as a branch centre of the Ramakrishna Missionfounded by Swami Vivekananda to propagate the message of Vedanta aspropoundedbySriRamakrishna,whosebasicteachingsstressed:(i)theequality

http://www.victoriamemorial-cal.org

of all religions; (ii) thepotential divinityofman; and (iii) service toman is awayofworshippingGod-anewreligionformankind.

AnthropologicalSurveyofIndiaThe Anthropological Survey of India (An.S.I.) is an institution one of its

uniquekindanywheretheworld.Ithasbeenmandatedtostudythebio-culturalattributes of the Indian populations since its establishment, about 65 yearsbefore.Over thedecades, theAn.S.I.grewfromstrengthtostrengthtoacquireanunparalleledblendofholisticperspective tostudy thehumansurfaceof thecountry. The activities include collection, preservation, maintenance,documentation and study of ethnographic materials as well as ancient humanskeletalremains.Oflate,theAnthropologicalSurveyofIndiawentaboutanallround modernization of its infrastructure to usher in the DNA technology tostudy the phylogenies of Indian populations, the anthropological genetics ofdiseasesandthefrontierareasofAnthropology.Overtheyears,theSurveyhasgenerated information from grass-root level through sustained research by itshead office, Kolkata, seven regional centres (Port Blair, Shillong, Nagpur,Mysore, Dehradun, Udaipur, Kolkata), one sub-regional centre (Jagadalpur),threefieldstationsSagar,Ranchi,Visakhpatnamandcampoffice(NewDelhi).

The Survey published various books, monographs, Research Reports andotheroccasionalpublications.Surveyalsopublishesitsquarterlynewsletterandbiannual house journal. The survey organizes various conferences, seminar,workshopsandexhibitionincollaborationwithuniversitiesandotheracademicinstitutionsofthecountry.Website:www.ansi.gov.in

NationalArchivesofIndiaTheNationalArchivesofIndiaisthecustodianofthenon-currentrecordsof

theGovernmentofIndiaandisholdingthemintrustfortheuseoftherecordscreators and the users at large. It is the biggest repository of the non-currentrecords in south eastAsia.Archives are the priceless documentary heritage ofany nation and as the premier archival institution in the country; theNationalArchives of India (NAI) plays a key role in guiding and shaping thedevelopmentofarchivesbothatthenationalaswellasinternationallevel.Initsuniquepositionasthesolerepositoryoftheuniongovernmentforpublicrecordsofthecountry.NationalArchivesofIndiafunctionsasanattachedofficeoftheMinistryofCultureentrustedwiththepreservationofthedocumentaryheritageof thenation. It is also thenodal agency for the implementationof thePublic

http://www.ansi.gov.in

RecordsAct,1993andpublicrecords.IthasoneregionalofficeatBhopalandthreerecordscentresatBhubaneswar,JaipurandPuducherry.

ThemajoractivitiesoftheNationalArchivesofIndiainclude:makingpublicrecords accessible to various Government agencies and research scholars; anonline searchportal “www.abhilekh-patal.in”now facilitates to access records;rendering technical assistance to individuals and institutions in the field ofconservationofrecords;theDepartmentthroughitsregulardiplomacoursesarebeingconductedby theSchoolofArchivalStudies imparts training invariousdisciplines of archival sciences. The National Archives of India providesfinancialassistance tostates/union territories,archives,voluntaryorganizationsand other custodial institutions for enhancing documentary heritage of thenation.E-mail:[email protected]:www.nationalarchives.nic.in

LibrariesNationalLibrary

TheNationalLibrary,KolkatawasoriginallyknownastheImperialLibraryand was founded in 1891. After independence the name of the Library waschanged to National Library. It enjoys the status of an institution of nationalimportance,itsfunctionsare:(i)acquisitionandconservationofallsignificantprintedmaterial(totheexclusiononlyofephemera)aswellasofmanuscriptsofnationalimportance;(ii)collectionofprintedmaterialconcerningthecountry,nomatterwherethisispublished(iii)renderingofbibliographicalanddocumentaryservicesofcurrentandretrospectivematerial,bothgeneralandspecialized;(iv)actingasreferralcentresurveyingfullandaccurateknowledgeofallsourcesofbibliographical information and participation in international bibliographicalactivitiesand(v)actingasacentreforinternationalbookexchangeandinternalloan.Website:www.nationallibrary.gov.in

CentralSecretariatLibraryThe Central Secretariat Library (CSL) originally known as Imperial

SecretariatLibrary,Kolkatawasestablishedin1891.Since1969thelibraryhasbeenhousedatShastriBhawan,NewDelhiwithacollectionofoversevenlakhdocumentsmainlyonsocialsciencesandhumanities.ItisadepositoryofIndianofficial documents, central government and state government documents. The

http://www.abhilekh-patal.in

http://www.nationalarchives.nic.in

http://www.nationallibrary.gov.in

collectionofAreaStudiesDivisionisuniqueinwhichbookshavebeenarrangedaccording to geographical area. It has an extremely rich rare book collection,withalargebiographiccollection.

Itprovidesallpossible readers’ services tocentralgovernmentofficialsandotherresearchscholarsvisitingthelibraryfromalloverIndia.Intherecentpast,the CSL has digitized the Government of India gazette, committee andcommissionreportsandhasalsodevelopedtheOnlinePublicAccessCatalogue(OPAC)systemforitscollection.

The library has two branches, namely, Hindi and regional languages wingpopularly known as Tulsi Sadan Library, Bahawalpur House, NewDelhi thathousesabout1.9lakhvolumesofHindiand13otherconstitutionallyapprovedIndian regional languagebooksanda textbook library locatedatR.K.Puram,New Delhi which caters to the need of the wards of Central Governmentemployeesofundergraduatelevel.Website:www.csl.nic.in

Otherimportantlibrariesinclude:RajaRammohanRoyLibraryFoundation,Delhi PublicLibrary,RampurRazaLibrary andKhudaBakshOriental PublicLibirary.

NehruMemorialMuseumandLibraryTheNehruMemorialandMuseumandLibrarycomprisesaMuseumonthe

life and times of Jawaharlal Nehru; the research and publication division; alibrarythathasapre-eminentpositionamongthesocialsciencelibrariesinthecountry; the oral history division; the manuscripts division; the centre forcontemporary studies; the planetarium; and the Nehru learning centre forchildrenandyouth.TheArchive is thebiggestcollectionsofprivatepapersofindividuals and institutions, especially from the freedom struggle. This vastrepositoryofIndia’smodernandcontemporaryhistory isusedbyscholarsandacademicsfromallovertheworldextensivelyfortheirresearchwork.

The centre for contemporary studies runs a Fellowship programme (thirty-twoFellows)which ishighlyregarded in theacademicworld, italsoregularlyconducts academic activities such as lectures, conferences, book discussions,paneldiscussions,conferences/workshops,etc.

Thepublicationsdivisionbringsout theworksofpre-eminentpersonsfromthe social sciences, proceeds of conferences, seminars, and also publishes aresearchseriescalledoccasionalpapers.

The planetarium, the only one in Delhi region, is visited by thousands

http://www.csl.nic.in

includingschoolchildren,collegestudents,teachers,andgeneralpublicforfirst-handknowledgeonastronomyandspacetechnology.Website:www.nehrumemorial.nic.in

NationalMissiononLibrariesNationalMissiononLibrarieshasbeensetupbyMinistryofCulture,in2012

in pursuance of National Knowledge Commission recommendations forsustainedattentionfordevelopmentoflibrariesandinformationsciencesector.

Itscomponentsare:creationofNationalVirtualLibraryofIndia;settingupofNMLmodel libraries; quantitative and qualitative survey of libraries; capacitybuilding. The purpose of National Virtual Library of India is to facilitate acomprehensivedatabaseondigitalresourcesoninformationaboutIndiaandoninformationgeneratedinIndia,inanopenaccessenvironment.

PerformingArtsTheMinistryofCultureadministersthefollowingschemes:-

PerformingArtsGrantsSchemeThis is the flagship scheme of theMinistry in the field of performing arts.

Under this scheme, financialassistance isprovided todramaticgroups, theatregroups,musicensembles,children’stheatreandforallgenresofperformingartsactivities.UnderRepertoryGrant,financialassistanceinfavourofamaximumof 1 Guru/Director and 25 Shisyas/Artistes may be provided to a culturalorganization for a complete financial year. The existing rate of financialassistancetoeachGuru/Directoris₹10,000/-permonth.SchemeforCulturalOrganizationswithNationalPresence

To promote and support cultural organizations with national presenceinvolved in promotion of art and culture throughout the country, this grant isgiven to such organizations which has a properly constitutedmanaging body,registered in India having an all India character with national presence in itsoperation,adequateworkingstrengthandhavespent₹1croreormoreduring3ofthelast5yearsonculturalactivities.Thequantumofgrantunderthisschemeis₹1croreto5crore.Thegrantispayableintwoinstallmentsi.e.75percentand 25 per cent of the approved amount. The complete details regarding thescheme are available on the website of Ministry of Culturewww.indiaculture.nic.in/scheme-financial-assistance-cultural-organisations-national-presence.

http://www.nehrumemorial.nic.in

http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/scheme-financial-assistance-cultural-organisations-national-presence

SchemeofBuildingGrantsTheobjectiveoftheschemeistosupportvoluntaryculturalorganizationsand

government-aided cultural organizations to augment their efforts to createcultural space viz, auditorium, appropriately equipped training, rehearsal andperformancespacesforartistesetc.andalsoforpurchaseofequipment.Studiotheatreisalsoacomponentunderwhichsmall,innovativespacesfortheatreandotherperformingartscouldbecreatedwith60percentgovernmentassistance(going up to₹ 50 lakhs inMetro cities and₹ 25 lakhs in other places). Thecomplete details regarding the scheme are available on the website of theMinistry www.indiaculture.nic.in/scheme-building-grants-including-studio-theatres.

TagoreCulturalComplexesSchemeTagore Cultural Complexes (TCC) is a revived and revamped version of

erstwhile Multi Purpose Cultural Complexes Scheme. It was renamed on the150thBirthAnniversaryofRabindranathTagore.Under this scheme, financialassistance is provided for the settingupof newcultural complexesof varyingscalesasalsoformodernization,renovationandupgradationofexistingTagoreauditoriaetc.,thatwerebuiltin1960sand1970sinvariouspartsofthecountrytomark Tagore’s Birth Centenary. The Scheme is open to state governments,statesponsoredbodies,universities,localbodiesandothergovernmentapprovedagenciesincludingreputednot-for-profitorganizations,etc.Thecompletedetailsregarding the scheme are available on the website of the Ministrywww.indiaculture.nic.in/scheme-tagore-cultural-complexes.

SchemeofPensiontoArtistesUnder this Scheme, financial assistance is granted to indigent artistes and

traditionalscholarswhohavemadesignificantcontributiontoartandlettersandintheirfields,etc.,andtheirincome(includingincomeofthespouse)mustnotexceed₹4,000/-permonthandalsotheirageshouldnotbelessthan60years(This does not apply in the case of dependents).Artistes covered under it areconsideredfor financialassistance in theformofmonthlyallowanceunder thecentre-state quota on sharing basis between centre and state government/ UTadministrationconcerned,withthelatterpayingamonthlyallowanceofatleast₹ 500/- permonth per beneficiary. Themonthly allowance contributed by thecentral government in such cases shall not exceed ₹ 3,500/- per month perbeneficiary. The complete details regarding the scheme are available onwww.indiaculture.nic.in/artists-pension-scheme-and-welfare-fund.

http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/scheme-building-grants-including-studio-theatres

http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/scheme-tagore-cultural-complexes

http://www.indiaculture.nic.in/artists-pension-scheme-and-welfare-fund

FellowshipandScholarshipScheme(i)SchemeForTheAwardofFellowshiptoOutstandingPersonsintheField

ofCultureJunior/seniorfellowshipsareawardedtooutstandingpersonsintheagegroup

of25 to40years (Jr.) and above40years (Sr.) in different cultural fields, forundertaking cultural research.; Junior Fellows and Senior Fellows are grantedfellowship@₹10,000/-p.m.and20,000/-p.m.respectivelyfortheperiodof2years; online applications are invited and selection is made by an expertcommittee constituted for this purpose; upto 400 fellowships (200 Junior and200Senior)areawardedinabatchyear.(ii)SchemeforScholarshipstoYoungArtistesinDifferentCulturalFieldsUnder this scheme financial assistance is given to young artistes of

outstandingpromiseintheagegroupof18-25yearsforadvancedtrainingwithinIndiainthefieldofIndianclassicalmusic,Indianclassicaldance,theatre,mime,visual art, folk, traditional and indigenousArts andLightClassicalMusic etc.Scholarswhoare selectedaregivenscholarship@₹5,000/-p.m. for2years.Online applications are invited and selection ismade by an expert committeeconstitutedforthispurpose.Upto400Scholarshipsareawardedinabatchyear.

ProductionGrantSchemeTheSchemecoversall‘not-for-profit’organizations,NGOs,societies,trusts,

universities and individual for supporting the seminars, conference, research,workshops,festivals,exhibitions,symposia,productionofdance,drama-theatre,musicetc.,andsmallresearchprojectsondifferentaspectsofIndianculture.TheOrganization should have been functioning and registered under the SocietiesRegistrationAct (XXI of 1860), TrustsAct,CompaniesAct or any central orstateActforatleastthreeyearsforindividualapplyingforfinancialassistanceundertheschemethereisnosuchrequirement.Grantisgivenupto₹5.00lakhsunderthescheme.

TagoreNationalFellowshipSchemeTheSchemewasintroducedinordertoinvigorateandrevitalisethevarious

institutions under theMinistry and other identified cultural institutions in thecountry,byencouragingscholars/academicianstoaffiliatethemselveswiththeseinstitutions toworkonprojectsofmutual interest.Withaview to infuse freshknowledge capital into the institutions, the scheme expects thesescholars/academicians to select specific resourcesof the institutions to takeupprojects and research work that are related to the main objectives of these


institutions and to enrich them with a new creative edge and academicexcellence. It is open to both Indian nationals and foreign citizens. Theproportion of foreigners will not normally exceed one-third of the totalfellowshipsawardedinayear.Tagorefellowsarepaidanhonorarium₹80,000/-p.m. plus contingencies and Tagore Scholars are paid ₹ 50,000/- p.m. ashonorariumpluscontingencies.

GandhiHeritageSitesMissionIn April, 2006, Government of India, constituted a Gandhi Heritage Sites

PanelwitheminentGandhians.Basedon therecommendationof thePanel the‘GandhiHeritageSitesMission’withafixedtermof5yearswascreatedin2013with a total budget outlay of ₹ 42 crores. The period of Mission has beenextendedtillMarch,2020.

TheMission’smandateistopreserveforposteritythe39coresitesaswellassome important sites from themaster list (consisting of 2000 sites visited byMahtamaGandhi)andtosupervise,guideandassistinconservationinitiatives,maintenanceorpreservationinitiativesandthecreationofadatabaseoftangible,literaryandvisualheritageassociatedwithGandhiji.

GandhiSmritiandDarshanSamitiGandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti was formed in 1984 by the merger of

GandhiDarshanatRajghatandGandhiSmriti, asanautonomousbody,and isfunctioningunderthefinancialsupportfromtheMinistryofCulture.ThePrimeMinister of India is its Chairperson and it has a nominated body of seniorGandhiansandrepresentativesofvariousgovernmentdepartmentstoguideitinitsactivities.ThebasicaimandobjectiveoftheSamitiistopropagatethelife,missionandthoughtofMahatmaGandhithroughvarioussocio-educationalandculturalprogrammes.Ithastwocampuses:

GandhiSmritiistheplacewhereMahatmaGandhilivedthelast144daysofhis life, andwhere the epic life of Gandhiji ended on January 30, 1948. TheMartyrsColumn,thespotwheretheMahatmafelltoanassassin’sbulletsstandsastheembodimentofallthesufferingsandsacrificsthatcharacterisedthelongstruggle of India’s Freedom. Photographs, sculptures, paintings, frescos,inscriptionsonrocksandrelics,exhibitionsetc,pertainingtotheyearsGandhijistayedtherearedisplayedhere.ThemeagrepersonaleffectsofGandhijiarealsocarefullypreserved.GandhiDarshan,thesecondcampusissituatedadjacenttotheMahatmaGandhiSamadhiatRajghat.Thesprawlingthirty-sixacrecampuscame into existence in 1969 to mark the centenary of Mahatma Gandhi. AnInternational Gandhi Darshan Exhibition was housed to commemorate the

occasion.AtpresenttheCentreprovidesacomprehensiveexhibitiononGandhi,conferencehalls,campingfacilitiesformajornationalandinternationalmeets,alibrary, hostel for scholars-in-residence, children’s corner, photo unit and apublicationsdivision.

TourismMinistry ofTourism is the nodal agency to formulate national policies and

programmesforthedevelopmentandpromotionoftourism.Intheprocess,theMinistryconsultsandcollaborateswithotherstakeholdersinthesectorincludingvarious central ministries/ agencies, the state governments/ union territoryadministrationsandtherepresentativesoftheprivatesector.Tourismisamajorengine of economic growth and an important source of foreign exchangeearningsinmanycountriesincludingIndia.Ithasgreatcapacitytocreatelargescale employmentofdiversekind - from themost specialized to theunskilledand hence can play a major role in creation of additional employmentopportunities.Itcanalsoplayanimportantroleinachievinggrowthwithequity.TheMinistry of tourism has the main objective of increasing and facilitatingtourism in India. Augmenting tourism infrastructure, easing of visa regime,assuranceofqualitystandardsinservicesoftourismserviceproviders,etc.,aresomeoftheresponsibilitiesoftheMinistry.

The Ministry is according priority for holistic development of tourismdestinations into world class destinations using a cluster approach includingdevelopment of infrastructure, amenities, interpretation centres and skilldevelopment by achieving synergy and convergence with other centralministries, state governments and industry stakeholders. As a step in thisdirection,ithasrecentlylaunchedthe‘AdoptAHeritage’project.Heritagesitesarebeingofferedforadoptionbythepublicsector,privatesectorandindividualsto become ‘MonumentMitras’ for developing amenities and facilities at thesesitesunderthisprogramme.Website:www.tourism.gov.in

ForeignTouristArrivalsForeignTouristArivals(FTAs)during2018were10.56million(prov.)witha

growthof5.2percentoverthesameperiodofthepreviousyear.

‘SpecialTourismZones’Creation of ‘SpecialTourismZones’ anchored onSpecial PurposeVehicles

(SPVs)isinpartnershipwiththestates.MinistryofTourismhasformulatedthe

http://www.tourism.gov.in

guidelinesforimplementationofthenewschemeinconsultationwiththestategovernments and private sector and is in the process of completing otherformalitiesbeforelaunchingthescheme.

ForeignExchangeEarningsForeign Exchange Earnings through Tourism (FEEs) during 2017 was ₹

1,80,379crorewithagrowthof17percentoversameperiodofpreviousyear.TheFEEsfromtourisminrupeetermsduring2016was₹1,54,146crorewithagrowthrateof14.0percent.

e-VisafacilityFacilitativevisaregimeisapre-requisiteforincreasinginboundtourism.The

Ministry of Tourism takes the initiative of pursuance withMinistry of HomeAffairsandMinistryofExternalAffairsforachievingthesame.AsinDecember2018,e-visa facilityhasbeenextended to thenationalsof167countriesundersub-categories, i.e.—'e-Tourist visa’, ‘e-Business visa’, ‘e-Medical visa’, ‘e-MedicalAttendantvisa’and‘e-Conferencevisa’.Duringthisperiod2.4millionforeign tourists arrived on e-Tourist visa registering a growth of 39.6 per centoverthepreviousyear.

24x7TollFreeMulti-LingualTouristInfoLineForprovidinginformationrelatingtoTravelandTourismtothedomesticand

internationaltourists/visitorsandforassistingthemwithadvicewhiletravellingin India, a 24x7 toll free multi-lingual tourist info line in 10 internationallanguagesbesidesHindi andEnglish is being runby theMinistry ofTourism.Thecallsmadebytourists(bothinternationalanddomestic)whileinIndiawillbefreeofcharge.Thisservicewillbeavailableonthenumber1800111363orona short code 1363. The international languages handled are Arabic, French,German,Italian,Japanese,Korean,Chinese,Portuguese,RussianandSpanish,inadditiontoEnglishandHindi

NicheProductsWelcomecardsfordistributionatimmigrationcounterstopeoplearrivingin

Indiawereintroducedwithfewguidelinesonhowtomaketheirstaymoresafeand comfortable. The aspect of ‘seasonality’ in tourism is a challenge. TheMinistry of Tourism has taken the initiative of identifying, diversifying,developingandpromotingnicheproductsofthecountry.Thisisdoneinordertoovercome seasonality and to promote India as a 365 days destination, attracttouristswithspecificinterest,andtoensurerepeatvisitsfortheuniqueproducts

inwhichIndiahasacomparativeadvantage.Thenicheproductsthathavebeenidentified by the Ministry include cruise, adventure, medical, wellness, golf,polo,meetingsincentivesconferencesandexpositions(MICE),ecotourism,filmtourismandsustainabletourism.

NationalMedicalandWellnessTourismBoardANationalMedicalandWellnessTourismBoardhasbeensetuptoworkas

anumbrellaorganisationtogovernandpromotemedicaltourisminIndia.

TaskForceonAdventureTourismFor development and promotion of adventure tourism, a task force on

AdventureTourismwasformedin2016toresolvetheissuesrelatedtoadventuretourismwhichincludessafetyandsecurityoftourists.

HospitalityEducationSettinginplacetheframeworkforsupplyoftrainedmanpowerisachallenge

facingthehospitalityeducation.IthasbeentheendeavouroftheMinistrytoputin place a system of training and professional education, with necessaryinfrastructure support, capable of generating manpower sufficient to meet theneeds of the tourism and hospitality industry, both quantitatively andqualitatively.Asof now, there are42 institutesofHotelManagement (IHMs),comprising 21Central IHMs and 21 state IHMs, and 10 FoodCraft Institutes(FCIs),whichhave comeupwith the support of theMinistry.These instituteswere set up as autonomous societies with the specific mandate to imparthospitality education / conduct training in hospitality skills. While the IHMsmainly impart degree level hospitality education, the FCIs are concernedwithskill level education. National Council for Hotel Management & CateringTechnology(NCHMCT)steersand regulates theacademiceffortsof the IHMsandFCIs.

IndianInstituteofTourismandTravelManagementThe Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) is an

autonomousbodyundertheMinistrywithitsheadquartersatGwalior.ItscentresareatBhubaneshwar,Nellore,NoidaandGoa.IITTMisapioneerinthefieldoftravel and tourism education and training. It provides specialized training andeducationfortourismandtravelindustry.

IndianCulinaryInstituteThe Ministry of Tourism has set up the Indian Culinary Institute (ICI) at

Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh. The first of its kind in India, the Institute has

commenced its academic session from August, 2016. The Ministry is alsoexpandingtheICI,byopeningitsnorthernchapteratNoida.

IncredibleIndiaThe Ministry, as part of its ongoing promotional activities, releases

campaignsintheinternationalanddomesticmarketsundertheIncredibleIndiabrandline, to promote various tourism destinations and products of India toincreaseforeigntouristarrivalsanddomesticvisitswithinthecountry.Aseriesof promotional activities are undertaken in important and potential marketsoverseas through the India Tourism offices abroad and within India throughdomesticIndiaTourismoffices,withtheobjectiveofshowcasingIndia’stourismpotentialtoforeignanddomestictourists.

InternationalAdvertisementCampaignTo promote tourism, the government has also taken many initiatives. An

InternationalAdvertisementCampaigninelectronicanddigitalmediafor2016-17waslaunchedglobally.TobeginwiththeMinistryhaslauncheditscampaignonleadingtelevisionChannelsincludingCNN,BBC,DiscoveryandTLC,EuroNews, History, CNBC, Travel Channel, CBS (USA), Tabi (Japan) and RMC(France)aswellasonGoogle.

TheMinistryofTourismorganizesBharatParvaspartoftheRepublicDayand Independence Day celebrations with the objective to promote nationalintegrity and to showcase cultural and culinary diversity to the people of ournation.

NorthEastTheNorthEast region of India is being promoted by theMinistry through

several media campaigns. The Ministry in partnership with the DiscoveryChannelhasproduceddocumentaryseries‘GoNorthEast’ontheeightstatesofthe region. For creation of tourism infrastructure, theMinistry ofTourismhastwo major plan schemes viz. Swadesh Darshan - Integrated Development ofTheme-Based Tourist Circuits and PRASAD- Pilgrimage Rejuvenation andSpiritualAugmentationDrive for development of tourism infrastructure in thecountryincludinghistoricalplacesandheritagecities.

SwadeshDarshanSchemeSwadeshDarshanschemeisaboutdevelopingthemebasedtouristcircuitson

the principles of high tourist value, competitiveness and sustainability in anintegratedmannerbysynergizingefforts to focusonneedsandconcernsofall


stakeholderstoenrichtouristexperienceandenhanceemploymentopportunities.Underitthirteenthematiccircuitshavebeenidentifiedfordevelopment,namely:North-East IndiaCircuit,BuddhistCircuit,HimalayanCircuit,CoastalCircuit,Krishna Circuit, Desert Circuit, Tribal Circuit, Eco Circuit, Wildlife Circuit,RuralCircuit,SpiritualCircuit,RamayanaCircuitandHeritageCircuit.

PRASADSchemeUnder PRASAD scheme, 25 sites of religious significance have been

identified for development namely Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh), Amritsar(Punjab),Ajmer(Rajasthan),Ayodhya(UttarPradesh),Badrinath(Uttarakhand),Dwarka (Gujarat), Deoghar (Jharkhand), Belur (West Bengal), Gaya (Bihar) ,Guruvayoor (Kerala), Hazratbal (Jammu & Kashmir), Kamakhya (Assam),Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu), Katra (Jammu & Kashmir), Kedarnath(Uttarakhand),Mathura(UttarPradesh),Patna(Bihar),Puri(Odisha),Srisailam(Andhra Pradesh), Somnath (Gujarat), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh),Trimbakeshwar (Maharashtra), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh), Varanasi (UttarPradesh)andVellankani(TamilNadu).

IncredibleIndiaMobileAppIncredible IndiaMobileAppwas launched to showcase India as a holistic

destination, revolving aroundmajor experiences, such as spirituality, heritage,adventure,culture,yoga,wellnessandmore.Themobileapphasbeendesignedkeepinginmindthepreferencesof themoderntravellerandfollowsthetrendsand technologies of international standards. The app has been equipped withfeaturestoassistthetravellerineachphaseoftheirjourneytoIndia.

IndiaTourismMartThe first editon of the India Tourism Mart 2018 was organized by the

Federation of Associations in the Indian Tourism and Hospitality with thesupport of the Ministry of Tourism and state governments/union territoryadministrations in New Delhi. It provided a national platform to differenttourismstakeholdersforinteractingwithforeignbuyersunderoneumbrella.

SwachhParyatanMobileApp“SwachhParyatanMobileApp”operatedbytheMinistryofTourismfor25

AdarshSmarakMonumentshasbeenalsomadeavailableforWindowsPhonesandiPhone.EarlieritwasavailableforAndroidPhonesonly.Thismobileappisbeingmonitoredby theProjectMonitoringUnit ofSwachhBharatMission inMinistryofTourism.TheMinistryhaslaunchedaninitiativeforprovidingpre-

loadedSimCards toforeign touristsarriving inIndiaone-Visa.This initiativewaslaunchedin2017inassociationwithBharatSancharNigamLtd.,(BSNL),whereinBSNLwoulddistributepre-loadedSIMcards to foreign touristsone-Visa.This facilitywill be initially available in the IndiraGandhi InternationalAirport (T3 Terminal), NewDelhi and later in the remaining 15 internationalairports,where e-Visa facility is currently available.This initiative is aimedatproviding connectivity to foreign tourists to enable them to stay in touchwiththeirfamilyandfriendsandalsohelpthemtocontactwiththe24x7multilingualtollfreehelplineoftheMinistryforanyassistanceandguidanceduringtimesofdistress/medicalemergency,etc.

6 BasicEconomicData

THEMinistry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) cameinto existence as an independent ministry in 1999 after the merger of theDepartmentofStatisticsandtheDepartmentofProgrammeImplementation.TheMinistry has two wings, one relating to statistics and the other relating toprogramme implementation. The Statistics Wing redesignated as NationalStatisticsOffice(NSO),consistsoftheCentralStatisticalOffice(CSO)andtheNationalSampleSurveyOffice(NSSO).TheProgrammeImplementationWinghasthreedivisions,namely:(i)twentypointprogramme,(ii)infrastructureandprojectmonitoring, and (iii)Members of Parliament LocalAreaDevelopmentScheme. Besides these three wings, there is National Statistical Commission(NSC)createdthrougharesolutionofGovernmentofIndiaandoneautonomousinstitute,viz.,IndianStatisticalInstitute(ISI)declaredasaninstituteofnationalimportancebyanActofParliament.Website:www.mospi.gov.in

NationalStatisticalCommissionTheNationalStatisticalCommission(NSC)wassetupin2005.Thesetting

up of the NSC followed the decision of the Cabinet to accept therecommendation of the Rangarajan Commission, which reviewed the IndianStatisticalSystemin2001.TheNSCwasinitiallyconstitutedin2006,toserveasanodalandempoweredbodyforallcorestatisticalactivitiesofthecountry,toevolve, monitor and enforce statistical priorities and standards and to ensurestatistical coordination. It has one part-time Chairperson and four part-timemembers, each having specialization and experience in specified statisticalfields.Besides,Secretary,PlanningCommissionisanex-officiomemberoftheCommission.TheChiefStatisticianofIndiaistheSecretarytotheCommission.HeisalsotheSecretarytotheGovernmentofIndiaintheMinistryofStatisticsandProgrammeImplementation.

CentralStatisticsOfficeThe Central Statistics Office (CSO), an attached office of the Ministry,

http://www.mospi.gov.in

coordinates the statistical activities in the country and evolves statisticalstandards. Its activities inter-alia, include compilation of national accounts,indexof industrialproduction,consumerprice indices(urban/rural/combined),humandevelopmentstatistics,includinggenderstatisticsinthestatesandunionterritories anddisseminationenergy statistics, social andenvironment statisticsandpreparationoftheNationalIndustrialClassification.

The CSO, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation startedreleasing state/UT-wise as well as All India Consumer Price Indices (CPI)separately for rural, urban and combined (rural plus urban) for the purpose oftemporalpricecomparisonwitheffectfromJanuary,2011with2010asthebaseyear.Accordingly, theannualinflationrates,basedontheseindicesweremadeavailablesinceJanuary,2012.CSOrevisedthebaseyearofCPIform2010-2012andrevisedserieswaslaunchedin2015.ThebackseriesfortherevisedseriesofCPI was also made available for the users. All these information may beaccessedfromthewebsiteofthisMinistry(www.mopsi.gov.in).

AnnualSurveyofIndustriesTheAnnual Survey of Industries (ASI) is the principal source of industrial

statistics in india. It provides statistical information to access and evaluate,objectivelyandrealistically,thechangeinthegrowth,compositionandstructureof the organized manufacturing sector comprising activities related tomanufacturing processes, repair services, generation, transmission, etc., ofelectricity,gasandwatersupplyandcoldstorage.

TheASIextendstotheentirecountry.ItcoversallfactoriesregisteredunderSections2m(i)and2m(ii)oftheFactoriesAct,1948,wherethemanufacturingprocess is definedunderSection2 (k)of the saidAct.Details the survey alsocoversbidiandcigarmanufacturingestablishmentsregisteredundertheBidiandCigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966. All the electricityundertakings engaged in the generation, transmission and distribution ofelectricity,not registeredwith theCentralElectricityAuthority (CEA)arealsocoveredunderASI.

However defence establishments, oil storage and distribution depots,departmentalunitssuchasrailwayworkshops,governmentmints,sanitary,watersupply, gas storage, etc., are excluded from the purview of the survey. ThecoverageofAS1has furtherbeenextendedbeyond thepurviewof theSection2m (i) and2m (ii)of theFactoriesAct,1948and theBidi andCigarWorkers(ConditionsofEmployment)Act,1966.Tostartwith,theunitswith100ormoreemployees,notregisteredunderSection2m(i)and2m(ii)oftheFactoriesAct,

http://www.mopsi.gov.in

1948 but registered under any of the seven Acts/Board/ Authority viz.,Companies Act. 1956, Factories Act. 1948 , Shops and CommercialEstablishmentAct,SocietiesRegistrationAct,CooperativeSocietiesAct,Khadiand Village Industries Board, Directorate of Industries (District IndustriesCentre)intheBusinessRegisterofEstablishments(BRE)areconsidered.

IndexofIndustrialProductionIndexof IndustrialProduction (IIP) is releasedbyCSOeverymonth in the

form of Quick Estimates with a time-lag of 6 weeks as per the Special DataDisseminationStandard (SDDS)normsof IMF.Thebase year of all-India IIPwasrevisedfrom2004-05to2011-12andthenewserieswaslaunchedin2017.IIP is compiled using secondary data received from 14 source agencies invariousministries/departmentsortheirattached/subordinateoffices.Apartfrombreakupoftheindexinthreesectors,viz.,mining,manufacturingandelectricity,the estimates are also simultaneously released as per use-based classificationviz., primary goods, intermediate goods, infrastructure construction goods andconsumer durables and consumer non-durables. The Quick Estimates aresubsequentlyrevisedasfirstRevisionafteronemonthfromreleaseonreceiptofupdatedproductiondatafromthe14sourceagencies.Subsequently,theindicesareagainrevisedaftertwomonthsfromfirstRevision.Themajorsourceofdatafor IIP is theDepartmentof IndustrialPolicyandPromotion thatsuppliesdatafor322outof407itemgroupswithaweightof47.54pcrcentinoverallIIP.

NationalSampleSurveyOfficeTheNationalSampleSurveyOffice(NSSO),intheMinistryofStatisticsand

Programme Implementation, is responsible for conduct of large scale samplesurveys,indiversefields,onallIndiabasis.Primarydataiscollectedregularlythrough nationwide household surveys on various socio-economic subjects,Annual Survey of Industries (ASI) under the Collection of Statistics Act andEnterprise Surveys, as a follow up of the economic census. Besides thesesurveys,NSSOcollectsdataonruralandurbanprices;playsasignificantroleinthe improvementofcropstatistics throughsupervisionof theareaenumerationandcropestimation surveysof the state agencies. It alsomaintainsa frameofurbanarealunitsfordrawingsamplesforsocio-economicsurveysinurbanareas.The NSSO functions with requisite autonomy, in matters relating to datacollection,processingandpublication/disseminationofresults/databasedonitssurveys, under overall guidance and supervision of National StatisticalCommission (NSC) which appoints working groups/technical committees

comprising both official and non-official members on different subjects forfinalization of survey instruments for its surveys and methodologies for thesame.TheDirectorGeneral(Survey)isresponsibleforoverallcoordinationandsupervisionofallactivitiesofNSSOandisassistedbyfourAdditionalDirectorGenerals, each one being in-charge of separate divisions responsible for fourdistinct aspects of such large scale surveys relating to their designing andplanning,fieldwork,dataprocessingandcoordination.

PriceDataCollectionConsumer Price Index (Urban): Consumer Price Indices (CPI) for urban

areasmeasurethechangesovertimeingenerallevelofretailpricesofgoodsandservicesforthepurposeofconsumptionrelevanttotheurbanpopulationofthecountry.Theprice collectionofCPI (U)was initiated from2008by theFieldOperationsDivisionofNASSOonbehalfofCSO,PriceStatisticsDivision.Thecurrent base year for CPI (U) is 2012=100. PriceData Collection is done for1,078quotationspermonthfrom310townsacrossthecountry.WholesalePriceIndex(Outgoing):WholesalePrice Index(WPI) isusedas

animportantmeasureofinflationinIndia.FiscalandmonetarypolicychangesaregreatlyinfluencedbychangesinWPI.Rural Retail Price Collection (RPC): The data on rural retail prices are

collected by Field Operations Divisions (FOD) regularly for compiling theconsumerprice index (CPI) for agricultural labourers/rural labourersonbehalfof the Labour Bureau, Ministry of Labour and Employment. At present, theLabourBureau compiles and publishes theCPI for agricultural labourers/rurallabourers.Acommoditybasket consistingof260commoditieswas adopted in1986 with a view to reflect the price changes in respect of the currentconsumptionpattern.Thepricedata for the items in thecommoditybasketarecollectedeverymonthfromafixedsetof603villages/marketsspreadover26states/UTs using schedules 3.01 (R).The RPC bulletin called the ‘Prices andWages inRural India’which ispublished for eachquarter,providespricedataonly at national level and wage data at national and state level for 26 majorstates.

TwentyPointProgrammeTheTwentyPointProgramme(TPP)initiatedsince1975wasrestructuredin

1982, 1986 and 2006.The thrust of the Programme restructured in 2006 is toeradicate poverty and improve the quality of life of the poor and the under-privileged people all over the country. The programme covers various socio-economic aspects like poverty, employment, education, housing, agriculture,

drinkingwater,afforestationandenvironmentprotection,energy to ruralareas,welfareofweakersectionsofthesociety,etc.

The Programme originally consisted of 20 points and 66 items beingmonitored individually by central nodal ministries concerned. Out of the 66items,25wereformonthlymonitoring,whiletherestweretobemonitoredonannual basis by thisMinistry.Themonthly information in respect of 21 itemswascollectedfromvariousstates/unionterritoriesandfortheremainingfour,theinformationwas collected from the concernedministries.One of the 66 itemsviz., ‘Sampoorna Grameen Rojgar Yojana (SGRY)’ has since been subsumedinto another item namely ‘National Rural Employment Guarantee Act’ witheffect from 2008 and has been renamed as Mahatma Gandhi National RuralEmployment Guarantee Act from December 2009. Since 2014 the datacollection is done on quarterly basis and the monthly monitoring has beenchangedtoquarterlymonitoring.Atpresent,outof theremaining65 items,19items are beingmonitored on quarterly basis. Themonitoring mechanism forTPP-2006hasalsobeenwidenedbyincludingblocklevelmonitoringinadditiontotheexistingcentral,stateanddistrictlevelmonitoring.

MonitoringMechanismThe primary responsibility of implementation and monitoring of the

programme lies with the agencies entrusted with the execution of theprogramme, which in this case are the state governments/union territoryadministrationsand thecentralnodalministries.TheMinistryofStatistics andProgramme Implementation monitors the programmes/schemes covered underTPP-2006 on the basis of performance reports received from stategovernments/UT administrations andministries.TheMinistry has developed awebbasedManagementInformationSystemtoexpeditiouslycollectinformationfromthestategovernmentsandthecentralnodalministries.

MonitoringCommitteesat state,district andblock level, formonitoring theprogressofimplementationofallschemes/itemscoveredundertheTwentyPointProgramme-2006,havebeenconstitutedbymostofthestates/UnionTerritoriesaspertheprovisionsofTPP-2006guidelines.

MonitoringandImpactAssessmentTheMinistryhassofarundertakentwoimpactassessmentstudies.Thefirst

studyrelatestoimpactofMGNREGAinthreeselecteddistrictsofnorth--easternstates and the second study was on rehabilitation of disabled persons underDeendayal Disability Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS) in Delhi, Karnataka,MadhyaPradeshandWestBengal.TheMinistryhasalsoundertakenthetaskof

critically examining the reports of evaluation undertaken by Niti Aayog(erstwhile Planning Commission) and by the central nodal ministries of theschemesimplementedbythem.

InfrastructureMonitoringThemonitoringofimportantinfrastructuresectorsinthecountryisdesigned

to provide an overview of the performance and highlighting slippages, if any,beforethedecisionmakingauthorities.ThisMinistrymonitorstheperformanceof the eleven key infrastructure sectors viz., power, coal, steel, cement,fertilizers, petroleum, road, railways, shipping and ports, civil aviation andtelecommunications. The performance of these sectors is analyzed withreferencetothepresenttargetsforthemonthandforthecumulativeperiodandtheachievementsduringthecorrespondingmonthandcumulativeperiodofthelast year. Infrastructure performance is regularly reported through themonthlyreviewreportoninfrastructureperformance.

MembersofParliamentLocalAreaDevelopmentScheme

TheMembers of Parliament Local AreaDevelopment Scheme (MPLADS)was launched in1993. Initially,MinistryofRuralDevelopmentwas theNodalMinistry for this scheme. InOctober, 1994 this schemewas transferred to theMinistryofStatisticsandProgrammeImplementation.TheobjectiveofMPLADScheme is to enableMPs to recommendworks of developmental nature withemphasizes on creation of durable community assets in the areas of nationalpriorities,viz.,drinkingwaterfacility;education;electricityfacility;healthandfamily welfare; irrigation facility; non-conventional energy severs; railways,roads, pathways and bridges; sanitation and public health, etc., based on thelocally felt needs.ThisScheme is governedby a set of guidelines.The extantguidelinesontheSchemewererevisedandpublishedin2016.

ThesalientfeaturesoftheSchemeinclude:a)TheScheme is fully fundedby theGovernmentof Indiaunderwhich fundsarereleasedintheformofgrants-in-aiddirectlytothedistrictauthorities.b)ThefundsreleasedundertheSchemearenon-lapsable,i.e.,theentitlementoffundsnotreleasedinaparticularyeariscarriedforwardtothesubsequentyears,subjecttoeligibility.Atpresent,theannualentitlementperMP/constituencyis₹5crore.c) Under it, the role of the Members of Parliament is limited to recommend

works. Thereafter, it is the responsibility of the district authority to sanction,executeandcompletetheworksrecommendedwithinthestipulatedtimeperiod.d)The electedLokSabhaMembers can recommendworks in their respectiveconstituencies.TheelectedmembersoftheRajyaSabhacanrecommendworksanywherein thestatefromwhichtheyareelected.NominatedMembersof theParliamentcanrecommendworksforimplementation,anywhereinthecountry.e)MPLADSworkscanbe implemented inareasaffectedbynaturalcalamitieslike floods, cyclone, hailstorm, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, landslides,tornado,earthquake,drought,tsunami,fireandbiological,chemical,radiologicalhazards,etc.f)InordertoaccordspecialattentiontothedevelopmentofareasinhabitedbyScheduledCastes (SCs) andScheduledTribes (STs), 15per centofMPLADSfundsaretobeutilizedforareasinhabitedbySCpopulationand7.5percentforareasinhabitedbySTpopulation.g)IfanelectedMemberofParliamentfindstheneed,tocontributethesefunds,to a place outside that state/UTor outside the constituencywithin the state orboth, the MP can recommend eligible works, under these Guidelines upto amaximumof₹25lakhinafinancialyear.Suchagesturewillpromotenationalunity,harmony,andfraternityamongthepeople,atthegrassrootslevel.h)TheMPcanspendamaximumof₹20lakhperyearforgivingassistancetoDifferently Abled Citizens for purchase of tri-cycles (includingmotorized tri-cycles),batteryoperatedmotorizedwheelchairandartificiallimbs;andaidsforvisuallyandhearingimpaired.

7 Commerce

THE Department of Commerce comes under theMinistry of Industry andCommerce. The mandate of the Department of Commerce is regulation,developmentandpromotionofIndia’sinternationaltradeandcommercethroughformulation of appropriate international trade and commercial policy andimplementation of the various provisions thereof. The basic role of theDepartment is to accelerated growth of international trade. The Departmentformulates, implements and monitors the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) whichprovides the basic framework of policy and strategy to be followed forpromoting exports and trade. Besides, the Department is also entrusted withresponsibilities relating to multilateral and bilateral commercial relations,SpecialEconomicZones,state trading,exportpromotionand tradefacilitation,and development and regulation of certain export oriented industries andcommodities.

Thelong-termvisionoftheDepartmentistomakeIndiaamajorplayerintheworld tradeby2020andassumea roleof leadership in the international tradeorganizationscommensuratewithIndia’sgrowingimportance.Themediumtermvision is todouble India’sexportsofgoodsandservicesby2017-18over thelevelof2008-09withalong-termobjectiveofdoublingIndia’sshareinglobaltrade.Website:www.commerce.gov.in

ExportsIndias merchandise exports recorded a Compound Annual Growth Rate

(CAGR) of 7.09 per cent fromAprilMarch 2009-10 toApril-March 2018-19(QE).Merchandise exports reached a new peak ofUS$ 331.02 billion duringApril-March2018-19 (QE)surpassing theearlierhighofUS$314achieved in2013-14registeringapositivegrowthof9.06percentoverpreviousyear.

ImportsCumulative value of imports during April-March 2018-19 (QE) was US$

http://www.commerce.gov.in

507.44billionasagainstUS$465.58billionduringthecorrespondingperiodofthepreviousyearregisteringapositivegrowthof8.99percentinUS$terms.Oilimports were valued at-US$ 140.47 billion duringApril-March 2018-19 (QE)whichwas29.27percenthigherthanoilimportvaluedatUS$108.66billioninthecorrespondingperiodofpreviousyear.Non-oilimportswerevaluedatUS$366.97 billion during April-March 2018- 19 (QE) which was 2.82 per centhigherthannon-oilimportsofUS$356.92billioninpreviousyear.

TradeBalanceThe Trade deficit in Apr-Mar 2018-19 (QE) was estimated at US$ 176.42

billion which was higher than the deficit of US$ 162.05 billion during thecorrespondingperiodofthepreviousyear.

GlobalPerspectiveIndiahasshownimpressivegrowthperformanceintherecentpast.However,

globalgrowthhasremainedmoreorlessstagnantinthelastfewyearsaffectingglobal tradegrowth.Globaleconomicgrowthhasbeenprojected tobe slower.Compared to the projections of world output growth given by InternationalMonetaryFund(IMF)initsWorldEconomicOutlook(WEO)ReportinOctober2018, the recent reports in January and April, 2019 have revised the globalgrowthdownwardfortheyears2019and2020.

As perWEO,April, 2019, global economy is projected to grow at 3.3 percentand3.69percentin2019and2020,respectively.Growthacrossemergingmarketanddevelopingeconomies isprojected tostabilizeslightlybelow5percent, though with variations by region and country. Growth in emerging anddevelopingAsiawilldipfrom6.4percentin2018to6.3in2019,whiletheyear2020isprojectedtowitnessagrowthfiguresimilartothelevelof2019.Riskstoglobalgrowthtilttothedownside.Anescalationoftradetensionsbetweentwoglobal giants—USA and China may put pressure on global trade recovery.FinancialmarketshavebeendrivenbyuncertaintiessurroundingUS-Chinatradenegotiations and Brexit. In the US, the equity market has experienced someselling pressures since early May following escalation of trade tensions withChinaandrecently,withMexico(RBI,June2019).

A furtherescalationof trade tensionsand theassociated increases inpolicyuncertaintycouldfurtherweakengrowth.Beyond2020,globalgrowthissettoplateauatabout3.6percentoverthemediumterm,sustainedbytheincreaseinthe relative size of economies, such as those of China and India, which areprojectedtohaverobustgrowthbycomparisontoslower-growingadvancedand

emerging market economies (even though Chinese growth will eventuallymoderate)(WEO,April2019).WhileEmergingandDevelopingAsiaisthemostdynamic in the global economy, it has also been affected by the globaldevelopments.InAsia,IndiaandChinacontinuetobethemajorgrowthdrivers.Asperthelatestreporti.e.WEO,April,2019,Indiahasachievedagrowthrateof7.1percentin2018,whileChinahadagrowthof6.6percent.

GlobalTradeSituationAsperWorldTradeOrganization(WTO), tradewillcontinuetofacestrong

headwindsin2019and2020aftergrowingmoreslowlythanexpectedin2018due to rising trade tensions and increased economic uncertainty. WTOeconomists expectmerchandise trade volume growth to fall to 2.6 per cent in2019-downfrom3.0percentin2018.

As per the current rankings for the year 2018, India is the 19th largestexporter(withashareof1.7percent)and10thlargestimporter(withashareof2.6percent)ofmerchandisetradeintheworld.ChinaisthetoprankedexporterandAmerica is the first largest importerofmerchandise trade in theworld. InCommercialServices, India is the8th largest exporter (witha shareof3.5percent) and 10th largest importer (with a share of 3.2 per cent). USA is the topexporteraswellasthetopimporterofcommercialservicestradeintheworld.

ForeignTradeTheFive-yearForeignTradePolicy(FTP)2015-20providesaframeworkfor

increasing exports of goods and services. With the release of the FTP, FTPStatement, Handbook of procedures, Appendix and Aayat-Niryat forms werealsoreleased.Handbookofproceduresnotifiestheproceduretobefollowedbyan exporter or importer or by the licensing/Regional Authority or by anyauthority for purpose of implementing the provisions of Foreign Trade(Development and Regulation) Act, Rules and Orders issued under theprovisions of Foreign Trade Policy. The procedure contains the followingdocuments:- (a) Hand Book of Procedures, (b) Appendices & Aayat-NiryatForms and (c) Standard Input Output Norms (SION). The FTP for seeks toprovide a stable and sustainable policy environment for foreign trade inmerchandiseandservices;linkrules,proceduresandincentivesforexportsandimportswith other initiatives such asMake in India,Digital India, Skill IndiaandeaseofdoingbusinesstopromotethediversificationofIndia’sexportbasketbyhelpingvarioussectorsoftheIndianeconomytogainglobalcompetitiveness.The Foreign Trade Policy through its various schemes serves the objective of

neutralization of duty incidence, encourage technological up gradation andprovidespromotionalmeasurestoboostcountry’sexportswiththeobjectivetooffset infrastructural inefficiencies and associated costs involved in order toprovideexportersa levelplaying field.TheFTPhasbeensuitablymodified toincorporatetherelevantGSTprovisions.

TheForeignTradePolicyStatementisthefirstcomprehensivestatementonthegovernmentprioritiesintheforeigntradesector.Forimprovingforeigntradeperformance it isnecessary todevelopabroader framework thatprovided thescopeforcoordinatingwithanumberofadministrativeministries.ThroughtheFTPStatementtheoverallthinkingonexternalsectorhavebeenarticulated,firstit spellsout thegovernment strategy for addressing someof the structural andinstitutional institutes which are relevant for improving the performance offoreigntrade.Secondly,itstatesthewaysinwhichthegovernmentwouldmaketradeandeconomic integrationagreementwith tradepartners andwouldworkbetter for Indian enterprises. Through FTP the government has taken amajorpath breaking initiative that the department has taken to main stream states,unionterritoriesandvariousdepartmentsofGovernmentofIndiaintheprocessof international trade. The FTP introduces two new schemes, namelyMerchandiseExportsfromIndiaScheme(MEIS)forexportofspecifiedgoodsto specified markets and Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS) forincreasingexportsofnotifiedservices.

MerchandiseExportsTheMerchandiseExportsfromIndiaScheme(MEIS)wasintroducedinthe

FTPwiththeobjectivetooffsetinfrastructuralinefficienciesandassociatedcostsinvolvedinexportinggoods/productswhichareproduced/manufacturedin thecountry.UndertheSchemeexporterswereeligibleforDutyCreditScripsattherateeither2,3,4,5and7,10and20percentofFOBvalueofexportsrealizedfor exportsmade in 2018-19, based on theHSCode of the exported product.Thesescripsaretransferableandcanbeusedtopaycertaincentralduties/taxesincludingcustomsduties.TheSchemecoversexportsofmore than8000 tarifflines.

EaseofDoingBusinessThe online e-com module to grant MEIS benefit without any manual

interventionunderasystemauthenticatedmechanismformostHSCodesoftheMEIS schedule was launched and has been running successfully since 2018.Further,afacilityhasbeenincorporatedinthemodule,sothattheauthorizationcan be tracked by the exporter. A new Risk Management System has been

developed to scrutinize cases under MEIS based on HS Codes rather thanrandomselectionandisunderimplementationbythefieldofficesofDGFT.Thee-commoduleforapplyingforMEISforecommerceshipmentswaslaunchedin2019andanewAayatNiryatform,withminimumdocumentationforthesamewasalsonotified.

ServicesExportsUnder the ServiceExports from India Scheme/(SEIS) there are rewards on

netforeignexchangeearnings,toserviceprovidersofnotifiedserviceswhoareprovidingservicefromIndiatotherestoftheworld,intheformofdutycreditscripswhicharetransferableandcanbeusedtopaycertaincentralduties/taxesincluding customs duties. In themid-term review of the FTP, the rates for alltheseserviceshavebeenfurther increasedby2percent forexports fromNov,2017,leadingtoadditionalannualincentiveof₹1,140crore.AnewapplicationformforexporterstoapplyunderSEISschemewasnotifiedin2018,whichdoesawaywith unnecessary fields. The onlinemodule for SEIS based on the newformhas also been launched,with a facility to upload all documents requiredundertheANF3B.

DutyRemissionSchemesDuty neutralization/remission schemes are based on the principle and the

commitmentof thegovernment thatgoodsandservicesare tobeexportedandnotthetaxesandlevies.Itspurposeistoallowdutyfreeimport/procurementofinputs or to allow replenishment either for the inputs, used or the dutycomponentoninputsused.Briefoftheseschemesareasfollows:-AdvanceAuthorizationScheme

AdvanceAuthorizationSchemeallowsdutyfreeimportofinputs,alongwithfuel,oil,catalyst,etc.,requiredformanufacturingtheexportproduct.InputsareallowedeitherasperStandardInputOutputNorms(SION)oronadhocnormsbasisunderactualusercondition.Normsare fixedbyTechnicalCommitteeorNormsCommittee.Thisfacilityisavailableforphysicalexports(alsoincludingsupplies to SEZ units and SEZ Developers) and deemed exports includingintermediatesupplies.Minimumvalueadditionprescribedis15percentexceptfor certain items.Exporter has to fulfill the export obligation over a specifiedtimeperiod,bothquantityandvaluewise.The facilities toclubauthorizationswere simplified and powers decentralized to RAs. Certain items which wereprohibited for export have been allowed under advance authorization scheme,subjecttostipulatedconditions.

DutyFreeImportAuthorization(DFIA)UnderDFIASchemeoperationalfrom2006,DutyFreeImportAuthorization

shallbeissuedonpostexportbasisforproductsforwhichStandardInputOutputNorms (SION) have been notified, once export is completed. One of theobjectivesoftheschemeistofacilitatetransferoftheauthorizationortheinputsimportedasperSION,afterexportsarecompleted.ProvisionsofDFIASchemearesimilartoAdvanceAuthorizationscheme.Aminimumvalueadditionof20percentisrequiredunderthescheme.SchemesforGemsandJewellerySector

Gems and Jewellery exports constitute a major portion of our totalmerchandise exports. It is an employment oriented sector. Exports from thissectorsufferedsignificantlyonaccountoftheglobaleconomicslowdown.Dutyfree import/procurement of precious metal (gold/ silver /platinum) from thenominatedagenciesisallowedeitherinadvanceorasreplenishment.DutyFreeImport Authorisation Scheme shall not be available for Gems and JewellerySector. The Schemes for Gems and Jewellery Sector are – AdvanceProcurement/replenishment of Precious Metals from Nominated Agencies;Replenishment authorization for Gems; Replenishment authorization forConsumables; Advance authorization for PreciousMetals. In view of demandraisedbytheindustry, theFindingslikeposts,pushbacks, lockswhichhelpincollatingtheJewellerypiecestogether,containinggoldof3caratsandaboveuptoamaximumlimitof22caratshavealsobeenallowedunderscheme.IssuanceofAuthorizationunderDutyRemissionSchemes

Authorizations are issued under the various schemes, viz., AdvanceAuthorization, Duty Free Import Authorization (DFIA) and ReplenishmentLicense(GemsandJewellery).ExportPromotionofCapitalGoods(EPCG)

TheobjectiveoftheEPCGSchemeistofacilitateimportofcapitalgoodsforproducingqualitygoodsandservicestoenhanceIndia’sexportcompetitiveness.TheSchemeallowsimportunderofcapitalgoodsatzerocustomsdutysubjecttoanexportobligationequivalentto6timesofduties,taxes.

DirectorateGeneralofForeignTradeDirectorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) is an attached office of the

Ministry of Commerce and Industry and is headed by Director General ofForeign Trade. Right from its inception till 1991, when liberalization in theeconomic policies of the Government took place, this organization has been

essentially involved in the regulation and promotion of foreign trade throughregulation.Keepinginlinewithliberalizationandglobalizationandtheoverallobjective of increasing of exports, DGFT has since been assigned the role of“facilitator”. The shiftwas from prohibition and control of imports/exports topromotion and facilitation of exports/imports, keeping in view the interests ofthecountry.ThisDirectorate,withheadquartersatNewDelhi,isresponsibleforformulatingandimplementingtheForeignTradePolicywiththemainobjectiveof promoting India’s exports. The DGFT also issues scrips / authorization toexportersandmonitorstheircorrespondingobligationsthroughanetworkof38regional offices and an extension counter at Indore. The regional offices arelocated at Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bengaluru, Belagavi, Bhopal, Chandigarh,Chennai, Coimbatore, Cuttack, Dehradun, Ernakulam (Kochi), Guwahati,Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Kolkata, Ludhiana,Madurai,Moradabad,Mumbai,Nagpur,NewDelhi, Panaji (Goa), Panipat, Patna, Puducherry, Pune,Raipur, Rajkot, Shillong, Srinagar, Surat, Thiruvananthapuram, Varanasi,Visakhapatnam,VadodaraandVijayawada.DGFTHQandmanyofitsregionaloffices are ISO9000:2008 certified organizations.All regional offices providefacilitation to exporters in regard to developments in international trade, i.e.WTO agreements, Rules of Origin and anti-dumping issues, etc., to helpexporters in their import and export decisions in an internationally dynamicenvironment.Website:www.dgft.gov.in

WebPortalsDGFThaslaunchedanupdatedwebsitemakingitmoreuserfriendlyandeasy

to navigate. This website has a large dynamic component whereby the tradecommunity can file applications online for IEC and various other schemes.IndianTradePortallaunchedbytheDepartmentdisplaysinformationusefulforexports and imports. It contains the trade enquiries uploaded by Indian trademissions, tariff and trade data of India’s major trade partners, export marketreports,andtradeagreements,etc.

CapacityBuildingSkillingnewentrepreneursforexportsisanimportantpriority.Inthelasttwo

years, over 50,000 entrepreneurs have been trained under the Niryat Bandhuprogramme implementedbyDGFT, thus complementing theStartup India andSkill India initiatives. Institutional set up under the Department like – IndianInstitute of Foreign Trade, Indian Institute of Packaging, Indian Institute ofPlantation, Export Promotion Councils, Centres of Excellence, Plantation

http://www.dgft.gov.in

Research Institutes, etc., – are being leveraged for capacity building, exportpromotion,researchandanalysisandlongtermpolicyformulation.

CentreforResearchinInternationalTradeGiventhegrowingcomplexityoftheprocessofglobalizationanditsspillover

effects on domestic policymaking, there is a need to significantly deepenexistingresearchcapabilitiesandwidenthemtoencompassnewandspecializedareas. In this context, a new institution, namely, the Centre for Research inInternationalTrade(CRIT)hasbeensetup.Itisexpectedtofillthegapandwillalso help in forming enduring coalitions with a large number of developingcountries which may have convergence of interests with India and couldpotentiallybecomeIndia’salliesonvarioustradeissuesatthegloballevel.CRITwill have 5 centres namely Centre for Trade and Investment law, Centre forRegionalTrade,CentreforTraining,CentreforTradePromotionandCentreforWTO Studies. The Council for Trade Development and Promotion wasconstituted in July 2015. It would ensure a continuous dialogue with stategovernmentsandUT’sonmeasuresforprovidinganinternationaltradeenablingenvironment in the states and create a framework formaking the states activepartners in boosting India’s exports. The state governmentswere requested todevelop their export strategy, appoint export commissioners, addressinfrastructure constraints restricting movement of goods, facilitate refund ofVAT/ octroi/state level cess, and address other issues relating to variousclearances, etc., and build capacity of new exporters, in order to promoteexports.

SpecialEconomicZonesIndiawasoneofthefirstinAsiatorecognisetheeffectivenessoftheExport

ProcessingZone(EPZ)modelinpromotingexports,withAsia’sfirstEPZsetupinKandlain1965.Toovercometheshortcomingsonaccountofmultiplicityofcontrols and clearances, absence of world-class infrastructure and an unstablefiscalregimeandwithaviewtoattract largerforeigninvestmentsinIndia, theSpecial Economic Zones (SEZs) Policy was announced in April 2000. Thispolicy intended to make SEZs an engine for economic growth supported byqualityinfrastructurecomplementedbyanattractivefiscalpackage,bothattheCentre and the state level, withminimum possible regulations. SEZs in Indiafunctionedfrom2000to2006undertheprovisionsoftheForeignTradePolicyand fiscal incentives were made effective through the provisions of relevantstatutes.

The SEZ Act, 2005, supported by SEZ Rules, came into effect in 2006,providingsimplificationofproceduresandsinglewindowclearanceonmattersrelating tocentral and stategovernments.Themainobjectivesof theSEZActare:generationofadditionaleconomicactivity;promotionofexportsofgoodsand services; promotion of investment from domestic and foreign sources;creation of employment opportunities; and development of infrastructurefacilities.

Governmente-MarketDirectorateGeneralofSuppliesandDisposals(DGS&D)createdadedicated

e-marketfordifferentgoodsandservicesprocured/soldbygovernment/PSUs,atechnology driven platform to facilitate procurement of goods and services byvariousministriesandagenciesof thegovernment.Theportalwas launchedin2016andbecamefullyfunctionalbyOctober,2016.DGS&DwaswoundupinOctober,2017.GovernmentMarketplace (GeM) - a scalable systemandbeingcompletelyonline,transparent,andsystemdriven,makesprocurementofgoodsand services, easy, efficient and fast. GeM covers entire procurement processchain, right from vendor registration, item selection by buyer, supply ordergeneration, and receipt of goods/services by the consignees (s), to onlinepaymenttovendor.

TradeFacilitationNational Trade Facilitation Committee (NTFC) was set up following

ratificationby India of theTradeFacilitationAgreement (TFA).Fourworkinggroups have been set up to focus on (i) infrastructure, (ii) legal issues, (iii)outreach and (iv) time release study. Further, the National Trade FacilitationAction Plan (NTFAP) drawn out in consultation with the stakeholders,identifying 76 trade facilitation measures with implementation timelines ofwhich 51 are TFA-plus activities. Under TFA category ‘B’ items, efforts arebeing made to expedite implementation of these measures within 3 years, inadvanceoftheenvisaged5years.ComprehensiveIT-basedsystemcalledExportDataProcessingandMonitoringSystem(EDPMS)formonitoringofexportofgoods and software and facilitating authorised dealer banks to report variousreturns through a single platform developed byRBI. 24x7Customs clearancefacilityhasbeenextendedtoallBillsofEntryat19seaportsand17aircargocomplexes.

State-of-ArtTradeAnalytics

Astate-of-arttradeanalyticshasbeenputinplaceinDirectorateGeneralofForeignTrade (DGFT) for data based policy actions. This initiative envisagesprocessing trade information from Directorate General of CommercialIntelligenceandStatisticsandothernationalandinternationaldatabasesrelatedto India’s key export markets and identifying specific actions. Exploring newexport markets focus is on increasing India’s exports in under and un-tappedmarketsinhighpotentialregionslikeAfrica,tocovernotjusttradeingoodsandinvestmentbutalsoincapacitybuilding, technicalassistanceandservicessuchas healthcare and education. Sectors like agro processing, manufacturing,mining, textiles, consumer goods, infrastructure development and constructionarebe focusareas.GreaterengagementwithLatinAmericaand theCaribbeanregion,includingencouragementofprojectexportsthrougheasyaccesstocreditfacilities.

DigitisationandPFMSSuccessful implementation of the Public Financial Management System

(PFMS)hadbeenrolledoutinallPAOSofthisofficePayandAccountsOfficesofDelhi,Chennai,KolkataandMumbai.Fordigitisation,EATmoduleandDBTmoduleofPFMShasbeenimplementedforendtoendonlinepayments.Apartofpre-checkaswellaspaymentforbills isalsodone throughelectronicmodeviaPFMS.

QualityStandardsGovernment is committed to transforming India into a manufacturing and

exporting hub. This will require focus on improving product quality. ManyIndian products fail quality tests due to traces of pesticides, pathogens, illegaldyes,etc.AnendeavourwouldbemadetoupgradequalityandinfrastructuretohelpfirmstomovetohigherqualitystandardsandalsoprotectIndianconsumersfrom substandard imports. Setting up more globally accredited testinglaboratories, enhancing the capacity of Indian testing laboratories andMutualRecognitionAgreements(MRA)withpartnercountrieswouldbeareasoffocus.Aroadmaphasbeendevelopedonmeasuresrequiredtoprotectconsumers,raisethequalityofthemerchandiseproducedandenhanceIndia’scapacitytoexporttoeventhemostdiscerningmarkets.

AntiDumpingTheroleofDirectorateGeneralofAnti-DumpingandAlliedDuties(DGAD)

under the Department is to provide the level playing field to the country’s

domestic industry from the foreign exporters so that they are able to competeeffectively in the domestic market. This measure is taken under the WTOagreement and comes under the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 and Rules madethereunder. InAugust2017, the investigationprocessesofDGADbecameISO9001:2015 compliant which brought in transparency and accountability in itsoperations. The Department has developed Standard Operating Procedures(SOPs) for its functions and activities. These SOPs are codified in QualityManualandprocedures.

8CommunicationsandInformationTechnology

COMMUNICATIONSandinformationtechnologyinthecountryarehandledby the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and Ministry ofCommunications. The Ministry of Electronics and Technology promotes e-governance and sustainable growth of the electronics, IT and ITeS industries,enhancing India’s role in internet governance while the Ministry ofCommunications looks after the Department of Posts and Department ofTelecommunications. Main activities and initiatives of these departments aregivenhere.Websites:www.meity.gov.inwww.indiapost.gov.in

PostsThemodernpostal system, themostpreferred facilitatorofcommunication,

wasestablishedinIndiabyLordClivein1766anditwasfurtherdevelopedbyWarrenHastingsin1774.Theexpansionofitsnetworkwasmadeduring1786to1793.Forthefirsttime,thepostofficeswereregulatedthroughanActof1837onauniformbasistouniteallthepostofficeestablishmentsthroughoutthethenexistingthreePresidenciesintooneall-Indiaservice.Thereafter,thePostOfficeActof1854reformedtheentirefabricofthepostalsystemandthepostofficesofIndiawereplacedonthepresentadministrativefootingon1stOctober1854.This was the time when the first postage stamp valid across the country wasissuedatanaffordableanduniformrateofpostage,fixedbyweightandnotbydistance.Forthefirsttimethecommonmancoulduseafacilitywhichincludedfreedeliveryof letters fromdoor todoor—aprivilegepreviouslyenjoyedonlybyheadsofstatesandstateofficials.Sincethen,thePostOfficetouchedthelifeof every person of the country. Even though the British established the postofficeforimperialinterests,italongwiththerailwaysandtelegraph,becameoneofthegreatestenginesofsocialdevelopment.

ThestatutepresentlygoverningthepostalservicesinthecountryistheIndian

http://www.meity.gov.in

http://www.indiapost.gov.in

Post Office Act, 1898. In the mid-19th century, the post office served asfacilitator of travel with its conveyance systems and by maintaining the dakbungalows and dak serais. Mail order services were started with the valuepayable system introduced in 1877, while fund remittances at the doorstepbecamepossiblefrom1880throughmoneyorderservices.WiththeintroductionofthePostOfficeSavingsBankin1882bankingfacilitieswereaccessibletoalland by 1884 all government employees were covered by the postal lifeinsurance. Besides providing postal communication facilities, the post officenetwork has also provided facilities for remittance of funds, banking andinsuranceservicessincethelatterhalfofthe19thcentury.

OrganizationOverviewTheDepartmentofPostscomesundertheMinistryofCommunications.The

PostalServiceBoard,theapexmanagementbodyofthedepartment,comprisestheChairmanandsixMembers.ThesixMembersoftheBoardholdportfoliosof personnel, operations, technology, postal life insurance, banking and HRDandplanning.TheJointSecretaryandFinancialAdvisortothedepartmentisapermanentinviteetotheBoard.TheChairmanofPostalServicesBoardisalsothe Secretary of the Department of Posts. Director General and AdditionalDirectorGeneraloftheDepartmentalsoparticipateintheBoard’smeetings.

FinancialServicesDepartment of Posts is operating Small Savings Schemes on behalf of

MinistryofFinance,whichframesandmodifiesrulesrelatingtotheseschemesand pays remuneration to theDepartment of Posts. Post Office Savings Bank(POSB) has a customer base. Savings bank facility is provided through anetwork of 1.54 lakh post offices across the country. The post office savingsbank operates savings accounts, recurring deposit (RD), time deposit (TD),monthly income scheme (MIS), public provident fund (PPF), national savingscertificate (NSC), kisan vikas patra (KVP), senior citizens savings scheme(SCSS)andsukanyasamriddhiaccount.

MutualFundsThe post office is playing an important role in extending the reach of the

capital market of the country and providing the commonman easy access tomarketbasedinvestmentoptions.Presently,MutualFundproductsofUTIonlyarebeingretailedthroughpostoffices.

InternationalMoneyTransferService

Internationalmoneytransferservice isaquickandeasywayof transferringpersonal remittances from abroad to beneficiaries in India. As a result of thecollaborationofDepartmentofPosts,GovernmentofIndiawithWesternUnionFinancial Services a state-of-the-art international money transfer service isavailable through the post offices in the country, which enables instantaneousremittanceofmoneyfromaround195countriestoIndia.

NationalPensionSchemeNationalpensionscheme,earlierknownasNewPensionSystem(NPS),for

commoncitizenswasintroducedbygovernmentin2009.IndiaPostisapointofpresenceforthenationalpensionsystem.Subscribers(anyIndiancitizen)intheage group of 18 to 55 can join NPS and contribute till the age of 60. Thesepensioncontributionsareinvestedinvariousschemesofdifferentpensionfundmanagers appointed by Pension Fund Regulatory andDevelopment Authority(PFRDA).

SocialSecuritySchemeJan Suraksha Schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana

(PMSBY) and Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana (PMJJBY) werelaunched in 2015 in all CBS post offices for all post office savings accountholders.DepartmentofPostshassignedMemorandumofUnderstanding(MoU)with National Insurance Company (NIC) and Life Insurance Corporation ofIndia (LIC) forPMSBYandPMJJBY respectively.AtalPensionYojna (APY)waslaunchedinallCBSheadpostofficesfrom2015.

CoreBankingSolution&installationofATMsTheCoreBankingSolution(CBS)ispartoftheIndiaPostITModernization

projectthataimstobringinvariousITsolutionswiththerequiredinfrastructuretothepostoffices.TheprojectaimstoimplementCoreBankingSolutioninalltheDepartmentalPostOffices forSmallSavingsSchemesduring currentPlanperiod. The project will bring in facilities of “any time any where banking”.ATMandInternetBankingfacilities.

RetailingofMutualFundsThe post office is playing an important role in extending the reach of the

capital market of the country and providing the commonman easy access tomarketbased investmentoptions.Presently,MutualFundproductsofUTIMFonlyarebeingretailedthroughover2,000postoffices.

JanSurakshaSchemes

JanSurakshaSchemesviz.,PradhanMantriSurakshaBimaYojana(PMSBY)andPradhanMantri Jeevan JyotiBimaYojana (PMJJBY) inpost officeshavebeenlaunchedin2015inallCBSpostofficesforallPostOfficeSavingAccountholders.DepartmentofPostshassignedMemorandumofUnderstanding(MoU)with National Insurance Company (NIC) and Life Insurance Corporation ofIndia(LIC)forPMSBYandPMJJBYrespectively.

SukanyaSamriddhiAccountSukanyaSamriddhiAccount,anewSmallSavingsSchemeforthewelfareof

girlchild,waslaunchedin2015.Underthescheme,alegal/naturalguardiancanopenonlyoneaccountinthenameofonegirlchildandmaximumtwoaccountsinthenameoftwodifferentgirlchildrenupto10yearsfromdateofbirthofthegirlchild.

IndiaPostPaymentsBankIndiaPostPaymentsBank(IPPB)wassetupin2016withamandatetobuild

mostaccessible,affordableandtrustedbankforthecommonmanbyremovingthebarriersfortheunbankedandpromotetheadoptionofcashlesstransactionsin a predominantly cash based economy. IPPB got incorporated as a PublicLimitedCompanywith100percentGOIequityunderDepartmentofPosts. Itwas decided to roll out 650 IPPB branches across the country co-located atdistrictheadquarterpostofficesandallpostofficesinadistrictwillbelinkedtothe respective IPPBbranch.Accordingly, IPPBhas rolledall the650branchesand 1.36 lakhs access points. Thus, IPPBhas become the biggest bank of thecountry in termsofphysicalpresenceof1.36 lakhsaccesspointsalongwithalargeforceof3lakhtrainedandcertifiedpostmenandGDStoofferbankingatdoorstep.

IPPB is offering a bouquet of payments and their salient features are: (i)deposits- savings accounts, currents accounts; (ii)money transfer– simple andsecure, instant, 24x7; (iii) direct benefit transfers–MGNREGA, scholarships,social welfare benefits and other government subsidies; (iv) third partyproducts–loans,insurance,investments,postofficesavingsscheme;(v)billandutility payments–mobile and DTH recharge, electricity/ water/gas bills,donationsandinsurancepremium;and(vi)enterprisesandmerchantpayments–postal products, digital payment of e-commerce delivery (CoD), smallmerchants/kiranastores/unorganizedretail,Offlinepayments,cashmanagementservices.

PostOfficeSavingsBank(POSB)productsprimarilyaimatsavingswhereasIPPBprimarilyfocusesonencouragingdigitalpaymentsandremittance.POSB

hassavingsschemessuchasSB,TD,MIS,PPF,SSY,etc.,whereasIPPBoffersSavings Accounts& Current Accounts (CASA), Remittance and Bill PaymentServices,MerchantServicesandThird-PartyProducts.WiththeintroductionofIPPB,PostOfficeSavingsAccount (POSA)accountscanbe linked toan IPPBaccount which will enable access for POSA accounts to the interoperablebankingecosystem,therebyenablingthemforIMPS,UPI,NEFTandRTGSandother online modes of payments like BBPS. Similarly, POSA accountscomplement IPPBaccounts by becoming a sweep-out destination for accountswhichhavebalancesabove₹1lakhatendoftheday.IPPBwillalsocomplimente-commercebusinessofDoPbyfacilitatingdigitalpaymentsatthedoorstep.

TheDOP-IPPBsystemintegrationistolinkcroresofPOSBaccountswhichare currently working in a closed loop system to the interoperable bankingecosystem and enable access to 24x7 services likemobile banking, electronicfundtransfers,onlinebillpayments,digitalpayments,etc.IPPBistoprimarilyfocus on serving social sector beneficiaries, migrant labourers, un-organizedsectoremployees,Micro-SmallandMediumEnterprises(MSMEs),Panchayats,low-income households, in rural areas and the unbanked and under-bankedsegmentsinboththeruralandurbanareas.

SukanyaSamriddhiAccountSukanyaSamriddhiAccount,anewSmallSavingsSchemeforthewelfareof

girlchild,waslaunchedin2015.Underthescheme,alegal/naturalguardiancanopenonlyoneaccountinthenameofonegirlchildandmaximumtwoaccountsinthenameoftwodifferentgirlchildrenupto10yearsfromdateofbirthofthegirlchild.

RuralBusinessDepartment of Posts has a predominantly rural network of 1,39,067 Post

Offices in ruralareasoutof the total1,54,965postoffices in thecountry.TheRuralBusinesss(RB)DivisionoftheDepartmentofPosts(DoP)hasbeengiventhemandateofleveragingtheruralnetworkspreadacrossthelengthandbreadthofcountrytoprovideaccessibleandaffordableFinancialandPostalservicestothepeopleinruralareas.

PostalLifeInsurancePostal Life Insurance (PLI) was introduced on 1st Februray 1884, as a

welfare scheme for the benefit of postal employees and later extended to theemployeesoftelegraphdepartmentin1888.Itnowcoversemployeesofcentralandstategovernments,centralandstatepublicsectorundertakings,universities,

governmentaidededucational institutions,nationalizedbanksandlocalbodies.PLIalsoextends thefacilityof insurance todefenceservicesandpara-militaryforces.LifecoverthroughPostalLifeInsurancehasbeenextendedtoemployeesof scheduled commercial banks, credit co-operative societies, joint ventureshaving a minimum 10 per cent stake of central/state govt/PSUs/banks etc.,universities/educational institutions affiliated to University GrantsCommission/Central Board of Secondary Education/All India Council ofTechnicalEducation/MedicalCouncilofIndia.BenefitsofPLIarenowavailabletoprofessionalssuchasDoctors,Engineers,ManagementConsultants,ChartedAccountants, Architects, Lawyers, Bankers etc. and to employees of listedcompanies of NSE (National Stock Exchange) and BSE (Bombay StockExchange)

Startingwith upper insurance limit of₹ 4,000/-,maximum sum assured isnow₹50lakhs(Rupeesfiftylakhs)forallschemes.Therearemorethan64.16lakh policy holders as onMarch 31, 2019with a sum of₹ 1,74,203.90 croreassured. Premim income of Postal Life Insurance for the year 2018-19was₹7,978.35crore.PostalLifeInsurancealsomanagesaGroupInsuranceSchemefortheExtraDepartmentalEmployees(GraminDakSevaks)oftheDepartmentofPosts.

RuralPostalLifeInsuranceRuralPostalLifeInsurance(RPLI)wasstartedin1995.Theprimeobjective

oftheschemeistoprovideinsurancecovertotheruralpublicingeneralandtobenefitweakersectionsandwomenworkersofruralareasinparticularandalsotospreadinsuranceawarenessamongtheruralpopulation.

Withliberalizationofinsurancesector,PLIandRPLIareoperatinginaverycompetitivemarket.PLIandRPLIcontinuetoofferlifeinsurancecoveratlowerpremiumrateandhigherbonus.Therefore,variousschemesofPLIandRPLIarevery popular amongst eligible clients and doing well. There are more than247.50lakhsRPLIpoliciesasonMarch31,2019withasumof₹1,27,679.92croreassured.

PLIoffers6(six)typesofplans:wholelifeassurance(Surakha),convertiblewhole life assurance (Suvidha), endowment assurance (Santosh), anticipatedendowment assurance (Sumangal), joint life assurance (Yugal Surksha), andchildrenpolicy(BalJiwanBima).

RPLI also offers 6 (six) types of plans: whole life assurance, convertiblewhole life assurance (Gram Suvidha), endowment assurance (Gram Santosh),anticipated endowment assurance (Gram Sumangal), 10 years RPLI (Gram

Priya)andchildrenpolicy(BalJiwanBima).

EstatesManagementTheDepartmentofPostshasauniversalserviceobligation toprovidebasic

postal facilities at an affordable price throughout the country. Providing welldesigned buildings for post offices, mail and administrative offices whichfacilitate provision of efficient postal services to the public is an importantmandate of the Department. The new infrastructure being constructed areensuringbarrier-freeandaccessibletopersonswithdisabilityandfollowingtheharmonized guidelines and space standards for barrier-free environment forpersonswithdisabilityandelderlyaccordingtotheinstructionsascontainedinPersonswithDisablityAct.

MaterialManagementForpostaloperation,severalitemslikepostalbags,postmenuniform,plastic

seals, letter boxes, bar code, etc., are procured by the Department in hugenumbers.Themanufacturersof these itemsare largely fromMicro,Small andMediumEnterprises Sector. Since 2016, theDepartment has decentralized theprocurement of these items,with standardization of specification of each itemand initiative is being taken tomake these items available onGovernment e-Marketplacebycreatingapostalbouquet.

NewandValueAddedServicesSpeedPost

Speed Post was started in 1986 for providing a time-bound and expressdeliveryoflettersandparcelsweighingupto35kgbetweenspecifiedstationsinIndia.ItistheflagshipproductofDepartmentofPostsandthemarketleaderinthe domestic express industry with monthly volumes of more than 3 crorearticles.Thefacilityforbookingisavailableinalmostallthedepartmentalpostofficesinthecountryandisdeliveredacrossthecountry.Speedpostarticlescanbetrackedonlinebyusinga13digitspeedpostarticlenumberthroughtheIndiaPostwebsite(www.indiapost.gov.in)orbysendinganSMS.DepartmentofPostsalsosends freeSMSalertwhen thearticle isdeliveredaswellas toaddresseewhenthearticlearrivesfordeliverysubjecttotheupdationofmobilenumbersatthetimeofbooking.Insurancefacilityupto₹1lakhisalsoprovidedasanadd-onserviceforspeedpostarticles.

LeveragingPostOfficeNetworkforSettingupPassportSevaKendra


The Department is associated with the passport services right from itsinceptionaspassportsarebeingdeliveredthroughspeedpost.InordertoextendpassportservicesonalargerscaleandtoensurewiderareacoverageDepartmentofPosts andMinistry ofExternalAffairs havemutually agreed for leveragingthenetworkofpostofficeasPassportSevaKendrasforbenefitofcitizens.

ExpressandBusinessParcelTheincreasinge-Commercemarkethasgivenaboosttotheparcelsegment

whereB2Cparcelsareontherise.AtthesametimethereisademandtocatertotheneedsoftheC2Ccategoryparcelsalso.AccordinglyExpressParcelandBusinessParcelserviceswereintroducedbytheDepartmentin2013.

ExpressParcelisapremiumparcelserviceavailableforretailaswellasbulkcustomers, offering time bound, safe and secure home delivery of parcels. Tohaveminimal transit time these parcelswill be given airliftwherever needed.Minimum chargeable weight of Express Parcel is 0.5 kg whereas maximumchargeableweightforretailcustomersis20kgandforcontractualcustomersitis35kg.

Business Parcel aims to provide an economical distribution solution tocorporatecustomersbyprovidingsurfacetransmissionoftheparcels.Minimumchargeableweightofparcelsinthiscategoryis2kgandmaximumweightis35kg.Serviceisavailableforalllocationsinthecountry.

CashonDeliveryIncreasing trend for online shoppinghas tremendousbusiness opportunities

forpaymentservices,orderprocessingandfulfillmentservices,etc.Inordertocatertothesebusinessopportunitiesandtoprovideafast,safeandeconomicalsolution of collection of amount of goods at the time of its delivery and itsremittance to sender,Cash onDelivery facilitywas introduced in 2013 and isavailable to the contractual customers of Express Parcel, Business Parcel andSpeedPost.

LogisticsPostLogisticsPostwas started to provide distribution solutions to the corporate

customers and it has created a niche market in providing express logisticsserviceswithalargenetworkinthecountry.AsapartofSupplyChainsolution,Full Truck Load (FTL) services, Less Than Truck Load (LTL) services,warehousing services, order processing and fulfillment services and reverselogistics services are being provided by Department of Posts under LogisticsPost. There is no upper weight limit for Logistics Post consignment and the

minimumchargeableweightis50kgifconsignmentsaresentthroughsurface.IncaseLogisticsPostconsignmentsaresentbyair,minimumchargeableweightis25kg.

LogisticsPostAirservicehasstartedfrom2013linkingfollowing15cities:Agartala, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Nagpur, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai,Pune,Ahmedabad,Imphal,Guwahati,Patna,Lucknow,Thiruvananthapuam.

BusinessPostsAlotofpre-mailingactivitieslikefolding,inserting,franking,addressingand

pasting,etc.,arerequiredtobecompletedbeforeamailarticleisposted.Largeorganizationswere finding it difficult to carry out these pre-mailing activities,Department of Posts introduced ‘Business Post’ service in 1996 to offer acomprehensive solution to corporate/government organizations/PSUs andothercorporate houses for their pre-mailling requirements. Besides bringing inadditionalrevenue, thisactivityismeetingtheneedofcorporateandbulkmailcustomers. Business Post services are available in Business Postal Centres atvariousmajorpostofficesacrossthecountry.Theservicesincludehome/officecollection,inseartion,sealing,addressing,franking,specialhandling,etc.

MediaPostIndiaPostoffersauniquemediaconcepttohelptheIndiancorporateandthe

government organizations reach potential customers through Media Post. NoothermediumcanmatchthesheerexpanseofIndiaPostintermsofvolumeandreach.MediaPost offers a range of advertisingmediums such as letter boxes,postalstationery,postalpremises,etc.

DirectPostWith the increasing commercial activity in the country, the need for direct

advertising of products and services by the business organizations is growing.Direct Mail, which can be defined as printed matter usually carrying a salesmessageorannouncementdesignedtoelicitaresponsefromacarefullyselectedconsumerorbusinessmarketisthemostpotentmediumfordirectadvertising.Intheadvancedcountries,DirectMailnowconstitutesapredominantportionofmailtraffichandledbypostaladministrations.Directmailcanbebothaddressedaswellasun-addressed.

DirectPostistheun-addressedcomponentofDirectMailinIndia,andwouldcomprise un-addressed postal articles like letters, cards, brochures,questionnaires, pamphlets, samples, promotional items like CDs/floppies andcassettes etc., coupons, posters, mailers or any other form of printed

communication that is not prohibited by the Indian Post Office Act 1898 orIndianPostOfficeRules1933.

RetailPostPostOfficeisbeingdevelopedasaone-stopshoptoprovidearangeofutility

services to thecustomersprovidingconvenienceandaffordabilityat theirdoorsteps. Retail Post leverages the vast network of 1,55,000 post offices and theservicesunderitincludecollectionofelectricitybill,telephonebills,taxes,fees,saleofRakhienvelopes,addressverificationservice,saleofapplicationformsofvariouseducationalinstitutionsandrecruitingagencies,etc.

In order to provide railway tickets through convenient locations, railwayreservationticketsofallclassesarebeingsoldatthepostofficesinassociationwiththeMinistryofRailways.

GangajalthroughPostOfficesIndia Post has put in place arrangements for supply and distribution of

‘Gangajal’sourcedfromRishikeshandGangotri,throughpostofficesacrossthecountry from 2016. ‘Gangajal’ is being made available through Head PostOffices and ePost Office Portal. Arrangements have also beenmade for doorstepdeliveryof‘Gangajal’acrossthecountrythroughSpeedPost.

PostShoppeTheDepartmentofPostsinitsendeavourtofacilitatecustomerswithpleasant

shoppingexperiencehasevolvedaconceptof‘PostShoppe’.The‘PostShoppe’isaconvenient store format, located in thepremisesof importantpostoffices,which essentially keeps wide range of collectable philatelic items such asstamps,firstdaycovers,frames,albumsandalso‘MyStamp’cornerwhereonecan get stamps with own photograph. Apart from these, stationery items ofgeneralusesuchasdifferentvarietiesofcovers/envelopes,CDmailers,etc.,arealsomadeavailableattheseshops.Besides,‘PostShoppes’arealsoaprominentplace for items of cultural heritage and traditional items of local importancepreparedbyartisans.The‘PostShoppe’havegotelegantlooksandmodernshelfandracksystemwithopendisplaymethodcreatinganattractivelookandgivingapleasantshoppingexperience.

Presently,more thaneighty ‘PostShoppe’ are functional across the countryand these have been well received and appreciated by the customers withincreasingfootfalls.

PassengerReservationSystem

AMemoradumofUnderstandingwassignedbetweenIndiaPostandMinistryof Railways to provide computerised Passenger Reservation System (PRS)terminals in somepost offices. Servicewas initially started in 30 post offices.Now,thisnumberhasgoneuptoaround337.ListofPostOfficesopeningIndiaPost PRS Centre, along with contact details, is available on the web sitewww.indiapost.gov.in

Sincethecommencementofservicein2007,servicechargedbeingrealizedby the Department for issuing of reserved tickets have not been upwardlyrevised.

SovereignGoldBondDepartment is actively engaged in the premier scheme—Sale of Sovereign

GoldBond(SGB)’introducedin2015-16byMinistryofFinance,andoperatedthroughRBI.Theobjectiveoftheschemeistopopularize‘PaperGold’amongmassesandtoreachouttothesmallinvestorsatthegrassrootlevel.

ElectronicIndianPostalOrder(e-IPO)BasedontheproposalreceivedfromDepartmentofPersonnelandTraining

(DoPT), India Post agreed to facilitate acceptance of RTI fees from Indiancitizensabroadthroughe-IPOonePostOfficewebportal.

TheusermaypurchaseanIndianPostalOrderelectronicallybypayingafeeon-linethroughePostOfficePortal.PaymentoffeecanbemadeusingdebitandcreditcardspoweredbyVISAandMaster.

Initially this facility was launched in 2013 only for Indian citizens abroadacross the globe to seek information from the Central Public InformationOfficers(CPIOs)undertheRTIAct,2005.Lateron,thefacilitywasextendedto176 Indian Missions abroad. EIPO facility was further extended to IndiancitizenslivinginIndiain2014tofacilitatethemtopayRTIfeeonline.

e-PostOfficee-Post Office is an e-commerce portal of the Department of Posts which

provides selected postal facility through the internet. This portal aims atproviding a convenience to the public for availing select postal services fromtheir home/office using their own computer and internet. Customers can buyphilatelic stamps and pay PLI/RPLI premium online using credit/debit cardthroughthisportal.Thecustomerwouldneedtoregisteronthewebsiteforthefirsttime.

e-Post


e-Post is an unregistered hybrid mail provided for both retail as well ascorporate customers providing electronic transmissionofmessageswhichmayincludetextmessages,scannedimages,picturesandtheirdeliveryinhardcopiesat the destination through postman/delivery staff. Presently, e-Post bookingfacilityisavailableinmorethan13,000postofficesandarephysicallydeliveredthroughanetworkofmorethan1.54lakhpostoffices,etc.todraft,designandsendmessagesaspertheirbusinessrequirementsfromtheirofficepremisesbyusing the internet. Online recharge facility for pre-paid customers is availableusingcredit/debitcard.

e-PaymentIt isanoptionforbusinessesandorganizationstocollecttheirbillsorother

payments through post offices. e-Payment is a many to one solution whichallows collection of money (telephone bills, electricity bills, examination fee,taxesuniversityfee,schoolfee,etc.)onbehalfofanyorganizationelectronically.

InternationalRelationsIndia is a member of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) since 1876. This

organization of 192 member countries aims to extend, facilitate and improvepostal relations amongother countries. India, an electedmemberof thePostalOperationsCouncil (POC)of theUPUis theco-chairofCommittee1(SupplyChain Integration), and member of the Quality of Service Fund, Board ofTrustees (QSFBoT)whichworks for development of the postal sector in thedevelopingcountries.

IndiaisalsoamemberoftheAsian-PacificPostalUnion(APPU)alongwith31othermembercountries.ThepurposeoftheAPPUistoextend,facilitateandimprove closer postal relations among member countries and to promotecooperationinthefieldofpostalserviceswithintheAsia-Pacificregion.

MailNetworkOptimizationProjectMail Network Optimization Project (MNOP) was undertaken by the

Department with the objective of consolidation and optimization of its MailNetworkwithaviewtoimprovequalityofmailoperationsbystreamliningcoremail operations. The project covers Speed Post, InternationalMail, First classmailandsecondclassmail.

MNOP project has been implemented in the entire country comprising 23postal circles. The benefits to citizen are—improved delivery performance ofSpeed Post, increased number of Speed Post articles having end-to-end (bothbooking and delivery) information on Department of Posts website (tracking

system).

DedicatedRoadTransportNetworkBased on the need for providing safe, secure and faster transmission of

parcels particularly e-commerce consignments, the Department has set up adedicatedroadtransportnetworkfortransmissionofparcels.Undertheinitiativesofar,atotalof42routesin17circleshavebeenmadefunctionalconnecting67citiesacrossthecountry.Besides,2longhaulrouteshavebeenidentifiedundertheplanscheme.

PostmanMobileAppAn android basedMobileApplication namedPostmanMobileApp (PMA)

designedanddevelopedin-housebytheDepartmentattheCentreforExcellencein Postal Technology, (CEPT)Mysuru, has been launched across the countrydeployingmore than15000smartphones.Themobileapp isbeingusedby thedelivery staff for delivering various accountable articles such as Speed Post,Express Parcel, Business Parcel and Regd. Post, including CoD parcels andcapturingrealtimedeliveryinformation.Theapphastheprovisionoftakingthesignature of the same prior to the introduction of the application and henceimproves overall customer experience and delivery performance. TheDepartmentisnowintheprocessofprocuring38000moresmartphonesforitsdeliverystaff.

PhilatelyPhilately is the hobby of collecting stamps as well as the study of postal

historyandotherrelateditems.Itisamodeofcommemorating,celebratingandpromoting national heritage, culture, events and personalities. Postage Stampsarepictorialambassadors.Theyareastatementofsovereigntyofanation.

After independence, the medium of postage stamps was initially used tohighlight the country’s achievements in science and technology as well as itssocio economic development by depicting themes like Five Year Plans, steelplants,dams,etc.Subsequently, thecountry’s richculturalandnaturalheritagecametobeshowcasedandmanybeautifulstampswere issuedin thematicsetsonart, architecture, craftsmaritimeheritage, science, technology,defence, andcinema. Great leaders of national and international standing have also beenhonoured with commemorative stamps, the most important being MahatmaGandhi. The Father of theNation has been honouredwith commemorative aswellasdefinitivestamps.Personalitiesofreputeinareaslikepainting,literature,science, music, social upliftment, etc., have also been portrayed on

commemorativestamps.Inkeepingwiththeirdualcharacterasa‘TokenofPostage’andas‘Cultural

Ambassador’, there are two categories of stamps viz., definitive andcommemorative postage stamps. The definitive postage stamps are meant forday-to-day use as a token of payment of postage on mail articles. Theseincorporate less complicated design inputs, entailingminimum expenditure intheirmanufacture,andareprintedinlargequantities,overlongerperiods.Ontheother hand the commemorative postage stamps are designed and printedwithgreater aesthetic inputs. These are manufactured in limited quantities andgenerategreatinterestamongphilatelistsandcollectors.

The philatelic activities of the Department include: designing, printing,distribution and sale of commemorative postage stamps through philatelicbureauxandcounters,e-postoffice,etc.,designing,printinganddistributionofdefinitivepostage stamps and itemsof postal stationery like envelopes, Inlandlettercard,postcard,aerogram,registeredcover,etc.,promotionofphilatelyandconduct andmonitoring of Philatelic exhibitions;maintenance of theNationalPhilatelicMuseum,DakBhawan,NewDelhi.

APhilatelicAdvisoryCommittee(PAC)advisestheGovernmentofIndiaonthe annual programme for issue of commemorative stamps. It is an importantforum for citizen- government interface where persons who have achievedeminence in various fields can contribute to the process of identifying andhighlighting issues or events, institutions, personalities and themes whosecommemorationthroughpostagestampswouldhelpelevatetheimageofIndiaintheglobalarena.

ReleaseofStampsA total of 49 issues were released during April, 2018 to March, 2019

commemoratingvariouspersonalities,events/occasions.Someofthesignificantcommemorations were—150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, GoanTiatr (Goan musical theatre), World Environment Day, Communal Harmony,OdishaMen’s HockeyWorld Cup 2018, Holiday Destinations in India, PatnaUniversity,HillFortsofRajasthan,IndianFashionThroughAges.

MyStampsMy Stamps are personalized sheets of postage stamps of India Post.

Personalization is achieved by printing a thumb nail photograph image of thecustomer and logos of institutions, or images of artwork, heritage buildings,famous tourist places, historical cities, wildlife, other animals and birds, etc.,

alongsidetheselectedcommemorativepostagestamp.

PersonalizedMyStampPersonalizedMyStampisapersonalizedsheetofpostagestamps.Alongside

these personalized theme stamps, the customers may opt for printing of theirown, parents, family, etc., pictures to be printed. Some of the themes ofpersonalizedMy Stamps are TajMahal, HawaMahal,Mysore Palace, IndianArmy,rose,happyanniversary,VaishnoDevi.

CustomizedMyStampsCustomizedMy Stamps is a personalized sheet of postage stampswherein

corporatesorganizationsandinstitutionscangetcustomizedsheetsprintedfromIndiaPost.Alongside these customized themed stamps, the organizationsmayoptforprintingoftheirlogo,imagesoftheirorganisation/instituteprinted.

Celebrationof150thBirthAnniversaryofMahatmaGandhiTwenty-fivepostaladministrationsacrosstheworldreleasedstampstomark

the150thBirthAnniversaryofMahatmaGandhi.

PrintingofInnovativeStampsAsetofsevenCircularCommemorativePostageStampswasissuedtomark

the commencement of the 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations of MahatmaGandhi. For the first time in the history of independent India, circular stampswere issued. In a first, a uniquely designed miniature sheet was issued onHockeyWorldCupheldatBhubaneshwar,otherthantheusualrectangularandsquareshapedminiaturesheets.Theobjectivewastonotonlycelebratethespiritof hockey but also to attract the youth to the fold of Philately. Anotherinnovative Miniature Sheet was issued on the Hill Forts of Rajasthan in theshapeofthelogoofUNESCOastheseHillfortsareUNESCOWorldHeritagesites.

Crowd-sourcingofStampDesignsThe Department has been organizing stamp design Competitions for

designingpostagestampson“people-centricthemes”.Thesecompetitionshavebeenelicitinghugeresponsefrompeoplealloverthecountry.

DeenDayalSPARSHYojanaAphilatelyscholarshipschemecalledDeenDayalSPARSH(Scholarshipfor

Promotion of Aptitude and Research in Stamps as a Hobby) Yojana was

introducedin2017-18topromotephilatelyamongchildrenatayoungageinasustainablemanner thatcanreinforceandsupplement theacademiccurriculuminaddition toprovidingahobbythatcanhelp themrelaxandde-stress.Underthis scheme, 920 scholarships are awarded throughout the country to studentsfromClassesVI,VII,VIIIandIXeveryyear.

DhaiAkharLetterWritingCompetitionA nationwide letter writing competition—Dhai Akhar was introduced in

2017-18 to encourage and promote letter writing. Top three entries in eachcategory (total 4 categories) are awarded at the national level. The theme for2018-19 for this campaign was “Letter to my Motherland” inspired by thepopularTagore song “AmarDesherMati…”.The theme for 2019-20 is “DearBapu, you are immortal…” inspired byAlbertEinstein’s homage toMahatmaGandhi“Generationstocomewillscarcebelievethatsuchaoneasthiseverinfleshandbloodwalkeduponthisearth”.

TrainingActivitiesDepartment of Posts has framed the Postal Training Policy, 2012 in

conformitywiththeNationalTrainingPolicy,2012ofGovernmentofIndia.Thekey objective of this Policy is ‘Training for All’. Training programmes areavailable at the entry level (induction training) and there are threeMid-careerTrainingProgrammesatspecificintervalsforallcadres/categoriesofstaff.

The Department has well established training infrastructure. The followingtraining institutes take care of training needs of theDepartment: Rafi AhmedKidwaiNationalPostalAcademy(RAKNPA)atGhaziabadistheapextraininginstitute of the Department recognized by the DoP&T as a Central TrainingInstitute for higher managerial cadres. This imparts induction as well as in-service training to the officers of Indian Postal Service and other managerialcadres of India Post. It also imparts training to managers of foreign postaladministrations and officers of various central government departments andPSUs, in areas of common interest. The Academy conducts ‘ExecutiveDevelopment Programme’ (EDP), ‘Management Development Programme’(MDP)and‘AdvancedDevelopmentProgram’(ADP).FortheofficersofIndianPostalService.

Postal Training Centres (PTCs) are functioning at Darbhanga, Guwahati,Madurai, Mysore, Saharanpur and Vadodara for training operative staff andinspectorial cadres. Besides, these also organize other specialized trainingprogrammes.Thesesixtrainingcentreshavewellequippedcomputerlabs,class-

rooms and hostel facilities to take care of the bulk of the training needs ofoperativestaffoftheDepartment.

PublicGrievancesComputerisedCustomerCareCentres

TheDepartmenthasawelllaidoutprocedureforhandlingpublicgrievancesfor its services.Amonitoringmechanism toensure thequalityof servicesandpromptredressalofpublicgrievancesisinplace.

The Department has upgraded its web-based grievance handling system tointerconnect the Customer Care Centres with the objective of systematichandlingandquickredressalofpublicgrievances.In2010,themodifiedversionofComputerizedCustomerCareCentre(CCCC)softwarewasmadeoperational.New features such as automatic generation of acknowledgement; escalationofunresolvedcomplaints tonexthigheradministrative levelforbettermonitoringandquickerredressal;differentiationofcomplaintsintominor,majororcritical;automatic generation of reply to the complainant on completion of inquiry;provisionforfeedbackofcomplainant;etc.,werealsoincorporated.

Presently 19201 CCCC have been established in the post offices, sortinghubs, speed post centres and divisional/regional/circle headquarters across thecountry for online exchange of information amongst all the units for speedyredressalofpublicgrievances.Thenetworkcovers allheadpostoffices in thecountrywith theobjectiveofprovidingeasyand speedyaccess to informationandhelprequiredbythecustomers,apartfromtheredressalofgrievances.

SocialMediaCellSocial Media Cell is an independent entity and deals with the twitter and

facebookaccountsoftheDepartmentofPosts.Thesocialmediacomplaintsaretimeboundandarerepliedwithin24hours.Thesocialmediacellmonitorsthecomplaintssenttoallthecirclesondailybasis.

IndiaPostHelpCentre“1924”InwakeoftheinitiativestakenupbytheGovernmenttobringtransparency

andaccountability,DepartmentofPostshasestablished“IndiaPostCallCentre”withinteractiveVoiceResponseSystem(IVRS)atVaranasionJune1,2018.TillJuly2018,theDepartmentreceived1,59,586queriesattheCallCentrefromitsusers and prospective users of India Post. This Call Centre aims to assist thegeneral public in the following manner; redressal of public grievances;dissemination of information regarding various initiatives, activities, schemes,

programmesandprojectsundertaken.

lndianPostOfficeRuleslndianPostofficeRules2019aretobeissuedwhichwillbeinsupersession

of IPORules, 1933. The lndian PostOfficeRules, 2019will be a new set ofRules which will govern the functioning of the post offices in the presentenvironment. These will enable better administration of the postal servicesleadingtoincreasedcustomersatisfaction.Thisexercise,whichhasbeencarriedout after nearly 76 years, is also in synchronization with the Government’sobjective of updating theRules andRegulations tomake them relevant to thepresentworkingscenario.

DigitalLifeCertificateJeevanPramaan/DigitalLifeCertificate(DLC)isabiometricenableddigital

serviceforpensionersforsubmittingtheirLifeCertificatesdigitally,whichwasintroduced in2015asaDigital lndia lnitiativeofGovernmentof lndia. ln thisservice,alllifecertificatessubmittedmanuallybythepensionersarenowbeingsubmitteddigitallybyusingAadharnumber.TheseJeevanPramaanCentresarefunctioninginallthe810HeadPostOfficesacrossthecountry.

InformationTechnologyMinistry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) deals with

policy matters relating to information technology, electronics, internet (otherthanlicensingofISPs)andcybersecurity.Theaimistopromotee-governanceforempoweringcitizens,promotingtheinclusiveandsustainablegrowthoftheelectronics, IT and ITeS industries, promoting digital transactions and digitalpayments, enhancing India’s role in internet governance, adopting amultipronged approach that includes development of human resources,promotingR&D and innovation, enhancing efficiency through digital servicesandensuringasecurecyberspace.

With the unveiling of the Digital India programme the role of MeitY hasenhanced.TheoverarchingvisionoftheprogrammeistotransformIndiaintoadigitallyempoweredsocietyandknowledgeeconomy.Theprogrammehasthreevision areas namely, digital infrastructure as a utility for every citizen,governance and services on demand and digital empowerment of citizens bybridging the digital divide in the country. This transformational programme isdesignedtobuildholisticcapabilitiesacrossinfrastructure,manufacturing,skillsand delivery platforms which in turn will lead to creation of a self-reliantknowledge economy. Digital infrastructure as a utility includes availability of

highspeedinternetfordeliveryofservicestocitizens,digitalidentityforeverycitizen,mobilephoneandbankaccountenablingcitizenparticipationindigitaland financial space, shareable private space on a public cloud and safe andsecurecyber-space.

Governanceandservicesondemandincludesseamlesslyintegratedservicesacrossdepartmentsorjurisdictions,servicesavailabilityinrealtimefromonlineandmobileplatforms,digitallytransformedservicesforimprovingeaseofdoingbusiness,leveragingGISfordecisionsupportsystemsanddevelopment.

Digitalempowermentofcitizensincludesuniversaldigitalliteracy,accessibledigitalresourcesuniversally,alldocuments/certificatestobeavailableoncloud,availabilityofdigitalresources/servicesinIndianlanguagesandportabilityofallentitlementsthroughcloud.

The nine pillars of growth viz., broadband highways, universal access tomobile connectivity, public internet access programme, e-governance -reforming government through technology, e-kranti- electronic delivery ofservices, information for all, electronics manufacturing, IT for jobs and earlyharvest programmes, are being promoted underDigital India programme. TheprogrammeiscoordinatedbythisMinistrywiththeministriesanddepartmentsin the central and state governments partnering it in their respective domainareas.

MeitY functions around the ambit of two major Acts. The InformationTechnologyAct,2000whichprovideslegalrecognitiontothetransactioncarriedout by means of electronic data interchange and other means of electroniccommunication, commonly referred to as electronic commercewhich involvestheuseofalternativestopaper-basedmethodsofcommunicationandstorageofinformation, to facilitate electronic filing of documents with the governmentagencies. It gives provisions for the use of electronic records and digitalsignature with the provision of authentication and security. It also directs theestablishmentofCyberAppellateTribunal.ThisActwasamendedthroughtheInformation Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 which substituted the word“digital signature” with “electronic signature” with major changes in varioussectionsalongwithinsertionofothersections.

Toensurethatvariousbenefitsandsubsidiesreachthetargetedbeneficiaries,theGovernmentmadealleffortstoleveragetheAadhaarplatform.TheAadhaar(TargetedDeliveryofFinancialandOtherSubsidies,BenefitsandServices)Act,2016providesforgoodgovernance,efficient, transparentandtargeteddeliveryofsubsidies,benefitsandservices,theexpenditureforthisisincurredfromtheConsolidatedFundofIndia,toindividualsresidinginIndiathroughassigningof

a unique identity number to such individuals. It covers everything from theenrollmentforAadhaarnumber,authenticationtoestablishmentofUIDAIwhichhasnowbecomeastatutoryorganization.

DigitalIdentityAadhaarprovides12digitbiometricanddemographicbased identity that is

unique,lifelong,onlineandauthenticable.UndertheAadhaarAct2016,UIDAIisresponsibleforAadhaarenrolmentandauthentication,includingoperationandmanagementofallstagesofAadhaarlifecycle,developingthepolicy,procedureand system for issuing Aadhaar numbers to individuals and performauthentication and also required to ensure the security of identity informationandauthenticationrecordsofindividuals.Morethan116croreAadhaarnumbershavebeengenerated.Aadhaarhasbeen instrumental in theprovisionofgoodsand services and is also enhancing and enablingdigital transaction anddigitalpayment.Someofmajorinitiativesare:AadhaarEnabledPayments:(i)AadhaarPaymentBridge(APB):Apayment

canbemadetoaperson’sbankaccountviahis/herAadhaarnumber,provideditislinkedtohis/herAadhaarnumber.GovernmentofIndiatransfersbenefitsandsubsidiesdirectly to thebeneficiaries’bankaccount throughAPB.(ii)AadhaarEnabledPaymentSystem(AEPS):AEPSistheplatforminwhichapersoncandobasicbankingtransactionsincludingwithdrawal,depositcash,fundtransfer,etc., fromhis/herbankaccountatMicro-ATMsusingbiometricauthentication.Bank ischosenby residentas it isa residentpresent transaction; (iii)AadhaarPay: It is merchant version of AEPS. The Application works on a low costandroidphonewithsinglefingerbio-metricdevice.Itenablesmerchanttotakecashless payment from his customers. It was launched in 2017; (iv) Pay toAadhaar: It is a facility available onUPIplatform integrated inBHIMapp. Itenables Person-to-Person (P2P) remittance using Aadhaar number of therecipientas financialaddress.The receivingAadhaarnumber shouldbe linkedwithhis/herAadhaarnumber.Thiswasalsolaunchedin2017.Aadhaar Enabled Services: (i) targeted delivery of foodgrains under PDS:

Over18.05crorerationcardholdersreceiverationpostAadhaarauthentication.They are sure that nobody else can claim their rations, reducing pilferage andtheft in the process. Aadhaar seeding for de-duplications and other DBTprocesses has removed over 2.33 crore fake ration cards; (ii) PAHAL andUjjwalaScheme:Over15.12croreLPGbeneficiariesreceivedLPGsubsidy intheirbankaccountsunderthePAHALscheme.Over2.5croreconnectionswereissued to BPL women under Ujjwala Scheme; (iii) ease of opening of bank

account using e-KYC: Aadhaar has enabled this by becoming the singledocument which acts as KYC document for opening a bank account; (iv) e-verificationof income tax return:Aadhaarhas enabled income taxpayer to e-verifytheir incometaxreturnusingAadhaarOTPauthentication,obviatingtheneedforsendingtheITR-5inaphysicalformtoIncomeTaxAuthorities.

e-GovernanceWith theadventofDigital Indiaasanapexprogrammevariousnewpolicy

initiativeshavebeentakenupbyMeitYsuchaseKranti,policyonadoptionofopensourcesoftwareine-governancesystems,e-mailpolicy,policyonuseofITresources, policy on collaborative application development by opening thesource code of government applications, application development and re-engineering guidelines for cloud ready applications and e-governancecompetency framework. Major schemes such as e-districts, common servicecentres and state wide area network (SWAN) have also been working in thisdirection.Policy on Adoption of Open Source Software: It encourages the formal

adoptionanduseofOpenSourceSoftware(OSS)ingovernmentorganisations.Accordingly government organisations, while implementing e-governanceapplicationsandsystems,aretoensurecomplianceofthispolicyanddecidebycomparingbothOSSandClosedSourceSoftware(CSS)optionswithrespecttocapability, strategic control, scalability, security, life-time costs and supportrequirements.Policy on Collaborative Application Development by Opening the Source

CodeofGovernmentApplications:Thispolicyaims to increase thepaceof e-governance application development and rapid roll out/implementation byadoptinganopen-sourcecode,forhighqualitye-governanceapplications.Italsointendstoencourageinnovativee-governanceapplicationsandsolutionsthroughcollaborativedevelopment.PolicyonuseofITResources:ThispolicygovernstheusageofITresources

froman enduser’s perspective. Its objective is to ensure proper access to andusageofgovernment’sITresourcesandpreventtheirmisuse.e-mail Policy of Government: This policy lays down the guidelines with

respect to use of e-mail services of the government and employees of thosestate/UTgovernments thatuse thee-mailservicesofGOIandalso thosestate/UTgovernments that choose toadopt thispolicy in future.Theobjective is toensure secure access and usage ofGovernment of India e-mail services by itsusers.

PolicyonOpenApplicationProgramming Interfaces (APIs):ThePolicyonOpen APIs for Government’s approach on the use to Open APIs to promotesoftware interoperability for all e-governance applications and systems andprovide access to data and services for promoting participation of allstakeholdersincludingcitizens.The e-Governance Competency Framework (e-GCF): Its toolkit contains a

set of end-user knowledge areas required for government employees. Theobjective of the framework is to strengthen the capacity building scheme toidentifyanddefinecompetencies,throughacompetency-basedsystemwhichisrequiredfordifferentjobrolesundere-governance.

Inordertotransformthequalityofservicesandtoprovideintegratedservicesthe“eKranti”initiativeaimstoutilizeemergingtechnologiessuchascloudandmobile platform and focus on integration of services. The principle of thisprogramme is ‘transformation’ and not translation, and to provide integratedservicesandnotindividualones.Anotherimportantinitiativepertainsto‘JeevanPraman’ that is, of providing an Aadhaar based digital life certificate forpensioners.Over88.72 lakhpensionershave registeredon theportal andover77.04 lakh digital life certificates have been successfully processed since itslaunch.

National Scholarship Portal has been developed as a one-stop solution toimplementend-to-enddisbursementof thescholarshiptothebeneficiaries.Theprocess includes student registration, application, approval and disbursement.Over 1.21 crore applictions have been submitted. There are 52 registeredschemesfromeightministries/departments.

In order to integrate the delivery of government services (across variousdepartments),aninitiativecalledMobileSevahasbeenlaunched.Aportalcalled‘Vikaspedia’ to provide information on health, education, agriculture, energy,socialwelfareande-Governancehasbeendevelopedinmorethan15languageswithmorelanguagesarebeingadded.

MyGov.inisaninnovativeplatformlaunchedtoensurecitizens’engagementin decision making by the Government so that the ultimate goal of ‘GoodGovernance’forbuildingIndiaisachieved.Thisinitiativeisanopportunityforcitizens and well-wishers from across the world to share their views on keyissuesdirectlywiththePrimeMinisterofIndia.

MeitY has developed Rapid Assessment System (RAS) for continuousfeedback for e-services delivered by Government of India and stategovernments.This systemhasmultiple channels for receiving feedback and is

backed by analytics. These analytics will help integrated departments forcontinuoussystemimprovementandbettergovernance.

e-Sampark Database is developed to send messages and emails to publicrepresentativesandgovernmentemployees.Thisdatabasehas1.90croreemailaddreses andover82croremobilenumbers.Thecountofmailers is over301crorefor563campaigns.

e-Taalisawebportalfordisseminationofe-transactionsstatisticsofnationaland state level e-governance projects including mission mode projects. Itreceives transactionstatistics fromwebbasedapplicationsperiodicallyonnearreal time basis. e-Taal presents quick analysis of transaction counts in tabularand graphical form to give quick view of transactions done by various e-governanceprojects.Aadhaar-EnabledBiometricAttendanceSystem(AEBS):Inordertobringin

efficiencyintheGovernment,anAadhaarenabledBiometricAttendanceSystemwasimplementedbyMeitY.e-PaymentFramework:Allpaymentsandreceipts tobe inelectronicmode.

Theportalpayonline.gov.inenvisagedascommonplatformformakingphysicalpaymentsonline.e-Districts: It is one of theMissionMode Projects(MMPs) under e-Kranti,

withtheMeitY,asthenodalMinistry,tobeimplementedbystategovernmentortheir designated agencies. ThisMMP aims at electronic delivery of identifiedhighvolumecitizencentricservices,atdistrictandsub-district level, thosearenotpartofanyotherMMP.Ithasbeenlaunchedin634districtsalongwith1012e-services.CommonServicesCentre:ThisschemeaimsatprovidingICTenabledfront-

endservicedeliveryoutlets,acrossruralIndiacoveringsixlakhvillages.Theseinternet enabled centres allow doorstep access to citizens, private and socialservices for skill development, education, digital literacy, health and financialservices. New services namely banking, insurance and pension under PrimeMinister Jan Dhan Yojna have made CSCs very vibrant. Digital SaksharthaAbhiyan (DISHA) for undertaking digital literacy has enabled active citizenparticipation through CSCs. Aadhaar enrolment/update has been enabledthrough CSCs. In all 3,00,774 Common Services Centres (CSCs) have beenregistered across the country, amongwhich, 1,96,922 are atGramPanchayatsleveltillAugust,2017.StateWideAreaNetwork(SWAN):SWANhasbeenidentifiedasanelement

of the core infrastructure for supporting the e-governance initiatives and the

MeitYhasearmarkedasignificantoutlayforsupportingthisactivity.UndertheNationale-governanceactionplan, it isproposed toextendconnectivity to theblock level through NICNET/State Wide Area Network (SWAN). It isoperational in34states/UTsandaveragebandwidthutilization ismore than60percent.Capacity Building Scheme II (CB Scheme II): Under the National e-

Governance Plan, MeitY, Government of India has approved the CapacityBuilding Scheme Phase II, to give impetus in building capacities within thegovernmentbyadaptingaharmonizedandsynchronizedapproach,toensuretheavailabilityofrightskills.ThecoreobjectiveoftheCapacityBuildingSchemePhase II is to build capacities in central line ministries and state/UT linedepartments for implementationofvarious e-Governance initiatives.This is toenhance the abilities of the project teams, to have a holistic understanding onvisualizing,conceivinganddeliveringprojects.GICloud: Inorder toutilizeandharness thebenefitsofCloudComputing,

thegovernmenthasembarkeduponanambitiousandimportantinitiative-“GICloud”whichhasbeencoinedas“MeghRaj”.The focusof this initiative is toevolve a strategy and implement various components including governancemechanismtoensureproliferationofCloudingovernment.Formulationof theCloudPolicyisoneoftheprimarystepsthatwillfacilitatelargescaleadoptionofcloudbygovernment.NationalCentreforGeo-Informatics(NCoG)providesGISbasedservicesto

governmentministries/departments. NCoG is currently involved in rolling outselectGISbased decision support system for various organizations.Basemaplayersforadministrativeboundariesuptovillagelevel,majorroads,rivers,railonthescaleof1:10,000acrossIndiahavebeencompleted.GISbasedDecisionSupport System (DSS) platforms developed. So far, 21 applications acrossvariousdomainsareoperational.

PromotionofDigitalTransactionsPromotion of a digital payments ecosystem is a natural extension of the

Digital India programme and has the potential to transform the economy byformalizationoffinancialtransactions.Digitalpaymentsallowforservicestobedeliveredata lowercost,affordgreaterscalabilityandenablesmallandmicroenterprises to access formal financial services and benefits of e-commerce. Anew educational channel ‘DigiShala’ for creating awareness regarding variousformsofelectronicpaymenttocitizenswaslaunchedin2016.DigiShalaisnowalso available onDish TV in addition to DD FreeDish. TheDigiShala is an

educationandnon-commercialTVchannelonDDFreeDish.Thenewwebsitewww.cashlessindia.gov.inwaslaunchedin2016toserveas

a knowledge repository providing information on different types of digitalpaymentmethods,schemestocreateawarenessamongcitizens.

The BHIM App was launched in 2016 and within a short span BHIMdownloads have crossed 20 million with transactions worth around ₹ 3,000crores.ForpromotionofBHIMappatmerchant end,AadhaarPayundernewname‘BHIMAadhaar’wasalsolaunchedin2017.Amissionhasbeencreatedunder thename‘DigidhanMission’forcreationofecosystemforpromotionofdigitalpaymentsandtransactions.

NationalPolicyonUniversalElectronicAccessibility(2013)wasformulatedto break the barriers faced by differently abled persons by ensuring easyaccessibility of electronics and ICT. Electronics and ICT can mitigate thebarriers faced by differently abled persons aswell as help them to participateindependentlyinday-to-daylife.TheNationalPolicyonElectronicAccessibilityrecognizestheneedtoeliminatediscriminationonthebasisofdisabilitiesandtofacilitate equal access to Electronics and ICT. It recognizes the diversity ofdifferentlyabledpersonsandprovidesfortheirspecificneeds.

e-PramaanMeitYhasconceptualizedandisimplementingthee-Pramaanframeworkfor

e-Authenticationforpublicservices.Theobjectiveistoelectronicallydeliverthegovernmentservicestoitsintendedrecipientsinasecuremanner,aswellastobuild citizens’ trust in online environment, which is always prone to identitytheftsandotherassociatedrisks.MeitYhasmadee-Pramaanavailableforpublicusagewith the help ofC-DAC,Mumbai. e-Pramaan is a centralized, standardbased strongmulti-factored authentication systemwhich provides four factorsforuserauthentication:password(text,image),onetimepassword(SMS,email,mobileapp),digitalcertificate(IndianCAs),andbiometric(fingerprint,IRIS).Themajorfeaturesofe-Pramaanare:singlesignon(SAML2.0based),supportin Java,DotNet and PHP, seamless upgradation to new technology, two-wayauthentication,flexibleauthenticationchaining,rolebasedauthorization,securedcommunication channel, etc. Various workshops were organised to createawarenessaboute-Pramaan.Atpresent,105servicesareintegratedandusinge-Pramaan for authentication. Another major component of e-Pramaan is theAadhaarEcosystem.C-DACMumbai isASA/KSA–AUA/KUAofUIDAI toprovideAadhaarservices.

Onlinee-Sign(e-Hastakshar)

http://www.cashlessindia.gov.in

OneoftheinitiativestakenunderDigitalIndiaProgrammeistoprovidenon-repudiable authentication of applicant’s identity through a facility called ‘e-Sign’.This facility is anonlinedigital signature service. e-Signwas formallylaunched in 2015. It is an online electronic signature service, which can beintegrated with service delivery applications via an Application ProgrammingInterface (API) to facilitateane-Signuser todigitally signadocument.Usingauthentication of the Aadhaar holder through Aadhaar e-KYC service, onlineelectronic signature service is facilitated. e-Sign service facilitates instantsigningofdocumentsonlinebycitizensinalegallyacceptableform.

StateDataCentreStateDataCentre (SDC) isoneof the threecore infrastructurecomponents

under the NeGP. Under the scheme, data centres to be established in all thestates/UTs to consolidate services, applications and infrastructure in order toprovide efficient electronic delivery of Government to Government (G2G),Government to Citizen (G2C) and Government to Business (G2B) services.Theseservicescanbe renderedby thestates throughcommonservicedeliveryplatforms seamlessly supported by core connectivity infrastructure, such as,SWANandCSCsas the frontenddeliveryoutletsat thevillage level.SomeofthekeyfunctionalitiesthatcanbeprovidedthroughSDCarecentralrepositoryfor the state, secure data storage, online delivery of services, citizeninformation/services portal, State Intranet Portal, disaster recovery, remotemanagementandserviceintegration,etc.SDCsalsoprovidebetteroperationandmanagement control with minimized overall cost of data management, ITresourcemanagement,deploymentandothercostsforstates/UTs.

e-SangamNationalServiceDeliveryGateway(NSDG)Itisamiddlewareinfrastructure,

beingimplementedbyC-DACMumbai,actingasastandardbasedroutingandmessageswitch,whichprovidesseamlessinteroperabilityandexchangeofdataacross heterogeneous applications of geographically dispersed departments. e-SangamalsoincludestheNationalServicesDirectory.

NationalKnowledgeNetworkNationalKnowledgeNetwork(NKN)wasestablishedin2010.Theobjective

of the NKN is to interconnect all institutions of higher learning and researchwithahighspeeddatacommunicationnetwork tofacilitateknowledgesharingandcollaborativeresearch.

Sinceitsestablishment,theNKNhasdevelopedprogressivelytoensurethat

Indian researchers excel and also lead international and global collaboration.NKNisthelargestnetworkofitskindintheworldandiscurrentlyperceivedasa leading research and education network (REN) globally. NKN is the onlynetworkglobally,thatcarriesresearchandevaluation,Internetande-Governancetrafficasthreeindependentverticalsunderoneumbrella.NKNfacilitatesDigitalIndia, as it is the backbone for all e-Governance initiatives in the country. Inaddition toeducationalInstitutes,NKNconnectsallSDCs(StateDataCentre),NDCs (National Data Centre), ministries and departments across thegovernment.

MobileSevaPlatformMeitYhas initiatedamassivecountrywide initiativeonmobilegovernance,

beingimplementedbyC-DACMumbai, toprovidegovernmentservices to thepeople through mobile phones/devices. As a part of this initiative, theFrameworkforMobileGovernancewasnotified in2012.MobileSevaenablesthe integration of the mobile platform with the common e-Governanceinfrastructure consisting of SDCs, SWANs and SSDG/NSDG. It enables agovernment department to integrate both web and mobile based servicesseamlesslyandenhances theaccess toelectronic services tremendouslydue totheveryhighpenetrationofmobilephones,especiallyinruralareas.

UMANGUnifiedMobileApplication forNew-AgeGovernance (UMANG)hasbeen

developed and launched in 2017 as a singlemobile platform to delivermajorgovernment services. UMANG’s core platform is integrated with Aadhaar,DigiLocker,PayGov,RapidAssessmentSystem(RAS),etc.CitizenscanaccesspanIndiagovernmentservicesfromthecentralgovernment,stategovernments,localbodiesand their agencies. It supports12 Indian languages, inaddition toEnglish and has been hosted on cloud. UMANG aims to bring power to thefingertipsofcitizens.

DigitalLockerDigital Locker is a key initiative under Digital India, the Government of

India’s flagship programme, aimed at transforming India into a digitallyempowered society andknowledge economy.Targeted at the ideaofpaperlessgovernance, Digital Locker is a platform for issuance and verification ofdocumentsandcertificatesinadigitalway,thuseliminatingtheuseofphysicaldocuments. Indian residents, who sign up for a DigiLocker account, get adedicated cloud storage space. Organisations that are registered with Digital

Locker can push electronic copies of documents and certificates (e.g. drivinglicense, school certificates) directly into citizens’ lockers. Citizens can alsouploadscannedcopiesoftheirlegacydocumentsintheiraccounts.TheselegacydocumentscanbeelectronicallysignedusingtheeSignfacility.

SmartVirtualClassRoomFacilityThe objective of the project SmartVirtual Classroom (SVC)was to set-up

smart virtual class room facilities in 3,204 Government owned/controlledschools plus 50District Institute for Education and Training (DIET) in sevenpilotstatesofHimachal,Gujarat,Rajasthan,Tripura,Haryana,AndhraPradeshandTamilNadu.The focus is to improve thequalityofeducation for studentsfrom remote/rural part of the country. Also a centralized control system wasestablished in Delhi at ERNET’s data centre which hosted the MCU,streaming/recording server and other associated component for multipartyaudio/video interactionandalsoofflineaccessofclassroomsessionsround theclock for learning/collaborationbetweenall the stakeholders.ThebasicaimoftheSVCprojectwas tocreate technologyenhancedclassrooms thatwill fosteropportunitiesforteachingandlearningbyintegratinglearningtechnology,suchas, computers, electronic white boards, projectors, specialized software,interactiveaudio-videosystems,etc.

OpenGovernmentDataTheOpenGovernmentData (OGD)Platform India (https://data.gov.in) has

been set-up by theNational Informatics Centre (NIC) in compliancewith theNationalData Sharing andAccessibility Policy (NDSAP). The objective is toprovide proactive access to government owned shareable data along with itsusage information in open/machine readable format, through a wide area ofnetwork across the country, in a periodically updated manner, within theframeworkofvariousrelatedpolicies,rules,andactsofthegovernment.

e-HospitalProjectAspartof theDigital India initiative,NIChasdeveloped thee-Hospital, e-

Blood_Bank and Online Registration System (ORS) applications. ORS is thepatient interface of e-Hospital for citizens to book online appointment for thehospitals.ItisaccessibleovertheInternetandisasystemtolinkhospitalsacrossthe country for online appointment and providing patient centric services likeviewinglabreports,checkingbloodavailabilitystatus,etc.

PRAGATI

https://data.gov.in

PRAGATI(Pro-ActiveGovernanceAndTimelyImplementation)AsapartofDigital India programme, e-Governance Reforming Government throughTechnology,was launched in2015.Thisvideoconferencing facilitybrings thesecretariestogovernmentofIndiaandthechiefsecretariesofthestatesonsingleplatformoneveryfourthwednesdayofthemonth,throughwhichPrimeMinisteris able to discuss the issues in major projects and programmes with theconcerned central and state officials directly with full information and latestvisuals of the ground level situation. This enables faster implementation ofcentral level schemes/projects, state levelprojectsand resolutionofgrievancesbetweenstateandcentralleveldepartments.

DigitizeIndiaPlatformDigitize India Platform (DIP) is an initiative of the Government of India

under theDigital IndiaProgrammetoprovidedigitizationservices forscanneddocument images or physical documents for any organisation. The aim is todigitizeandmakeusablealltheexistingcontentindifferentformatsandmedia,languages, and create data extracts for documentmanagement, IT applicationsand records management. This platform was launched in 2015 under DigitalIndia. Themain objective of this project to provide an end-to-end workflow-based IT framework for digitizationof government records to enhance servicedeliverytothecitizenandtoempowernumerousself-identifiedvolunteers,part-timeworkers,housewives,studentsandgeneralpublic,whoaddsmallportionsof theircontribution throughcrowdsourcingmechanismtoachieve thegreaterresult.

DirectBenefitTransferTheDirectBenefitsTransfer(DBT)programmeenvisagesaswitchfromthe

present electronic transfer to bank accounts of the beneficiary to transfer ofbenefits directly to Aadhaar seeded bank accounts of the beneficiaries. TheschemeisbeingheadedbyDBTMission.UndertheDBTMission,DBTCellistobeconstitutedineachministry.

e-WayBille-Way Bill Application, provides a self-service platform to tax payers and

transporterstogeneratesinglee-WayBillformovementofgoodsfromoneplacetoanother,asperGSTRules.FollowingimplementationofGST,aneedwasfelttofurtherimprovethetradefacilitationaswellastostrengthentheexistingtaxcollectionmeasures. In order to fulfill these objectives, the e-WayBill systemwasrolledoutalloverthecountry.

CyberSecurityMillionsofpeopleinthecountry(bothinruralandurbanareas)relyonthe

servicesandinformationavailableincyberspace.Asthequantityandvalueofelectronicinformationhasincreased,sotoohavethebusinessmodelsandeffortsof criminals and other adversarieswho have embraced cyber space as amoreconvenient and profitable way of carrying out their activities anonymously.Hence, security of cyber space has become an important part of the nationalagenda.

Consideringitsvitalimportance,aNationalCyberSecurityPolicy,2013wasput in place. It is aimed at building a secure and resilient cyber space forcitizens, businesses and government, byway of actions to protect informationand information infrastructure incyber space,buildcapabilities toprevent andrespondtocyberthreats,reducevulnerabilitiesandminimizedamagefromcyberincidents through a combination of institutional structures, people, processes,technologyandcooperation.NationalCyberCo-ordinationCentre(NCCC)isbeingset-upwithanaimto

generatecybersecuritysituationalawarenesstoanticipateandprepareforcyberattacks. NCCC will aggregate cyber threat related information from variousidentified sources in the country for near real time threat assessment andsituational awareness thatwill help in analysis and generation of timely alertsand periodic reports. This initiative is expected to help in securing the cyberspaceandstrengtheningthecybersecuritypostureinthecountrybyleveragingtheexpertiseofpeople,deployingstandardprocessesandsharingofresources.Cyber Swachhta Kendra: Indian Computer Emergency Response Team

(CERT-In) has launched a Cyber Swachhta Kendra (Botnet Cleaning andMalware Analysis Centre). This centre is providing detection of maliciousprogrammes and free tools to remove the same for banks aswell as commonusers.

UniqueIdentificationAuthorityofIndiaThe Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) was established in

2009,asanattachedofficetothePlanningCommissionnowanattachedofficeofMinistryofElectronicsandITwithavision,“ToempowerresidentsofIndiawithauniqueidentityandadigitalplatformtoauthenticateanytime,anywhere”.AkeyobjectiveofAadhaarprogramme is toprovidean identity infrastructurefordeliveryofvarioussocialwelfareprogrammesandforeffectivetargetingofwelfareservices.ThepotentialofAadhaarcanberealizedthroughitsuseoftheinfrastructureasanIDproofandasauniquekeybyvariousstatedepartments,

centralministries,PSUs,andprivatesectorentitiestoprovideservicedeliverytoresidentsinanintegratedfashion.

In order to carry forward the programmes and schemes there are variousorganizationswhich comeunder the jurisdictionofMeitYand these aregivenhere.

ControllerofCertifyingAuthoritiesDigital Signature Certificates (DSC) are issued by Certifying Authorities

(CA)whohavebeenlicensedbytheControllerofCertifyingAuthorities(CCA).TheOfficeofCCAempanelslicensedCAsforofferingeSignServicesforwhichthelegalframeworkandguidelinesarealreadyinplace.Sofar,threeoftheeightlicensedCAshave been empanelled for providing eSignService.These eSignService Providers (ESP) are expected to facilitate digital signing for AadhaarholdersonlyonthebasisoftheireKYCfromUIDAI.Website:www.cca.gov.in

CyberAppellateTribunalInaccordancewiththeprovisioncontainedunderSection48(1)oftheITAct

2000, the Cyber Regulations Appellate Tribunal (CRAT) was established in2006. As per the IT Act, any person aggrieved by an order made by theControllerofCertifyingAuthoritiesorbyanAdjudicatingOfficerundertheActcanappealbeforetheCyberAppellateTribunal(CAT).

CentreforMaterialsforElectronicsTechnologyCentre forMaterials for Electronics Technology (C-MET) was set up as a

registered scientific society in1990under theDepartmentofElectronics (nowMinistry of Electronics and Information Technology) as a unique concept fordevelopment of viable technologies in the area of materials mainly forelectronics. C-MET is operating through its laboratories situated at Pune,HyderabadandThrissur.Theactivities at the three labshave specificmandatewithin the ambit of electronic materials with the concept of bringing outtechnologies from lab level to pilot plant demonstration ready for Indianindustriestotakeoff.

EducationandResearchNetworkEducation and Research Network (ERNET): India is an autonomous

scientificsocietyoftheMinistry.ERNEThasmadesignificantcontributionforthe emergence of networking in the country. In addition to providingconnectivity, ERNET has been meeting the needs of academic and research

http://www.cca.gov.in

institutionsbyprovidingITconsultancy,projectmanagementandtraining.

Nationale-GovernanceDivisionTomeetevergrowingdemandofe-governanceacrossthenation,Nationale-

GovernanceDivision(NeGD)wasestablishedasamalgamationofexpertsfromtheprivatesectorandthegovernment.NeGDhasbeenplayingapivotalroleindischarging the key tasks including programme management and technicalsupportofvariouscomponentsoftheDigitalIndiaProgramme.

NationalInformaticsCentreNational Informatics Centre (NIC) was established in 1976, and has since

emergedasa“primebuilder”ofe-government/e-governanceapplicationsuptothegrassrootlevelaswellasapromoterofdigitalopportunitiesforsustainabledevelopment. NIC, through its ICT network, “NICNET”, has institutionallinkageswithall theministries/departmentsof thecentralgovernment,36stategovernments/union territories,andabout650+districtadministrationsof India.NIChasbeen instrumental in steeringe-government/e-governanceapplicationsingovernmentministries/departmentsat thecentre, states,districtsandblocks,facilitatingimprovementingovernmentservices,widertransparency,promotingdecentralizedplanningandmanagement.Website:www.nic.in

Standardization,TestingandQualityCertificationStandardization,Testing,QualityandCertification(STQC)Directorateisan

attachedofficeofthisMinistryprovidingqualityassuranceservicesintheareaofelectronicsandinformationtechnology(IT)throughcountrywidenetworkoflaboratories and centre(s). The services include testing, calibration, IT and egovernance,trainingandcertificationtopublicandprivateorganizations.

NationalInternetExchangeNIXI is a not for profit organization set up under Section 25 of the

CompaniesAct,1956(nowSection8underCompaniesAct,2013)forpeeringof ISPsamong themselves and routing thedomestic trafficwithin the country.NIXIisperformingthefollowingthreeactivities:(i)internetexchanges;(ii)INregistry and internationalized domain names (IDNs); (iii) National InternetRegistry(NIR).

NationalInstituteofElectronicsandInformationTechnologyNational Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) a

http://www.nic.in

scientificsocietyoftheMeitY,isactivelyengagedincapacitybuildingandskilldevelopment in Information Technology (IT); electronics; communicationtechnologies;hardware;cyberlaw;cybersecurity;IPR;GIS;cloudcomputing;ESDM;e-waste;IoT;e-governanceandrelatedverticals.NIELITofferscoursesbothintheformalaswellasthenon-formalandisalsothepreferredagencyformanystategovernmentsforrollingoutITliteracyprogrammesforitsemployeesandthemasses.

SoftwareTechnologyParksSoftware Technology Parks of India (STPI) was set up in 1991 as an

autonomous society under the MeitY. STPI’s main objective has been thepromotion of software exports from the country. It acts as single-window inproviding services to the software exporters. STPI is responsible forimplementation of the Software Technology Parks (STP) scheme and theElectronicsHardwareTechnologyParks(EHTP)scheme.

MediaLabAsiaMedia Lab Asia has been promoted by this Ministry as a not-for-profit

company.TheobjectiveofthecompanywassettobringthebenefitsofICTtothecommonman.ThefunctionalactivityincludesapplicationareassuchasICTforhealthcare,education,livelihoodandempowermentofdisabled.

IndianComputerEmergencyResponseTeamComputerEmergencyResponseTeam(CERT-In)isafunctionalorganisation

oftheMinistry,whichhasbeendesignatedunderSection70BoftheInformationTechnology(Amendment)Act,2008toserveasthenationalagencytoperformthe following functions in the area of cyber security: collection, analysis anddisseminationof informationoncybersecurity incidents; forecastandalertsofcyber security incidents; emergency measures for handling cyber securityincidents; coordination of cyber security incident response activities, issueguidelines, advisories, vulnerability notes and white papers relating toinformationsecuritypractices,procedures,prevention,responseandreportingofcyberincidents,etc.

CentreforDevelopmentofAdvancedComputingCentreforDevelopmentofAdvancedComputing(C-DAC)hasemergedasa

premierR&DorganizationinIT&E(InformationTechnologiesandElectronics)inthecountryworkingonstrengtheningnationaltechnologicalcapabilitiesinthecontext of global developments in the field and responding to change in the

marketinselectedfoundationareas.Asaninstitutionforhigh-endResearchandDevelopment (R&D), C-DAC has been at the forefront of the informationtechnology revolution, constantly building capacities in emerging/enablingtechnologies and innovating and leveraging its expertise, caliber, skill sets todevelop and deploy IT products and solutions for different sectors of theeconomy.

SocietyforAppliedMicrowaveElectronicsEngineeringandResearch

Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research(SAMEER)wassetupin1984asanautonomouslaboratoryinMumbaiwithabroadmandatetoundertakeR&DworkintheareasofMicrowaveEngineeringand Electromagnetic Engineering Technology. It is an offshoot of the specialmicrowave products unit (SMPU) set up in 1977 at the Tata Institute ofFundamentalResearch(TIFR),Mumbai.SAMEER,Mumbaiwassetupin1984.

NationalInformaticsCentreServicesIncorporatedNational Informatics Centre Services Inc. (NICSI) was set up by National

InformaticsCentre (NIC) in 1995 as its extended arm for providing total ICTsolutionstothecentralandstategovernmentdepartmentsandorganizations.Itsservices include state-of- the-art hardware, software, consulting, technicalsupport,designanddevelopment,operationsandmanagement,qualitycheck,aswellasend-to-endICTsolutionsandservices.

TelecommunicationsCommunications sector has assumed the position of an essential

infrastructure for socio-economic development in an increasingly knowledge-intensiveworld.Thereachoftelecomservicestoallregionsofthecountryhasbecomeanintegralpartofaninnovativeandtechnologically-drivensociety.Asaresult of sustainable measures taken by the government over the years, theIndian Telecom Sector has grown exponentially and has become the secondlargestnetworkintheworld,nextonlytoChina.

DepartmentofTelecommunicationsDepartment of Telecommunication (DoT) is committed to provide secure,

reliable, affordable and high quality converged telecommunication servicesanytime, anywhere for an accelerated inclusive socio-economic development.TheDepartmentisworkingtowardstheobjectiveofmaximizingpublicgoodbymakingavailableaffordable,reliableandsecurevoiceanddataservices.

TheTelecomSectorinIndiahaswitnessedallroundgrowthoverthelastfewyears.Alongwithstrongconsumerdemand,theliberalandreformistpoliciesofthe Government of India have been instrumental in the rapid growth of thesector. The government has ensured fair competition among service beingavailabletoconsumerataffordableprices.Furtherithasmadeconcertedeffortsat encouraging telecom equipment manufacture. The deregulation of ForeignDirect Investment norms has led to an increase in FDI in the sector. India iscurrently the world’s second-largest telecommunications market with asubscriberbaseof1.18billion.India’smobileeconomyisgrowingrapidlyandcurrently constitutesmore than98per cent of all telephone subscriptions.Themobile industry is expected to create a total economics value of₹14 trillion(US$217.37billion)by2020.Website:www.dot.gov.in

Tele-densityTele-density,whichdenotesthenumberoftelephonesper100populations,is

animportantindicatoroftelecompenetration.Overalltele-densityinthecountrywas90.10percentat theendofMarch2019.Therural tele-densitywas57.50percentwhile that inurbanareas itwas159.66percent.Amongst theserviceareas,HimachalPradesh(146.37percent)hadthehighesttele-densityfollowedbyKerala(126.15percent),Punjab(125.35percent),TamilNadu(116.94percent) and Karnataka (110.04 per cent). On the other hand, tele-density iscomparativelylowinserviceareassuchasBihar(59.95percent),UttarPradesh(69.63percent),Assam(68.81percent),MadhyaPradesh(70.11percent),WestBengal(71.39percent)andOdisha(75.74percent).Amongstthemetros,Delhitopsintele-densitywith238.57percent,followedbyMumbai(165.62percent)andKolkata(165.51percent).

InternetandBroadbandPenetrationThegovernmenthasplacedconsiderableemphasisongrowthofinternetand

broadband in the country as part its Digital India campaign. The number ofInternet subscribers (both broadband and narrowband put together)whichwas493.95millionattheendofMarch,2018increasedto636.73millionbytheendof March 2019. The number of subscribers accessing internet via wirelessphones,etc.,was615.05millionattheendofMarch2019whilethenumberofwireline internet subscribers was 21.68 million. The number of Broadbandsubscribers was 561.36 million at the end of March 2019. There was a netincreaseof132.78million in the Internet subscribersduring theperiodMarch,2018toMarch,2019.

http://www.dot.gov.in

ResearchandDevelopmentC-DOT, an autonomous body, is DoT’s R&D arm. The organisation is

committed toprovidingawiderangeofcost-effective, indigenouslydevelopedand state-of-the-art total telecom solution.C-DOThas grown to the level of anationalcentreforR&Dincommunicationtechnologyinmanyareas-Satellitecommunications, IN,ATM,DWDM,NMS.WirelessBroadband,GPON,NGNandMobileCellularsystems.

DoT has the following PSUs under its administrative control: (a) BharatSanchar Nigam Limtied (BSNL); (b) Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited(MTNL); (c) ITI Limited; (d) Telecommunications Consultants India Limited(TCIL); (e) Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL); (f) HemispherePropertiesIndiaLimited(HPIL).

BharatSancharNigamLimitedBharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), fully owned by Government of

India,formedinOctober2000,providestelecomservicesacrossthelengthandbreadth of the country excluding Delhi and Mumbai. BSNL is providing alltypesoftelecomservicesnamelytelephoneservicesonlandline,WLLandGSMmobile,broadband, internet, leasedcircuitsandlongdistance telecomservices.Rural telephonyisoneof its focusareas.BSNLalsopaysspecialemphasisondevelopment of telecommunication facilities in North-Eastern region and intribalareasaswellasintheLWEaffectedareas.Website:www.bsnl.co.in

MahanagarTelephoneNigamLimitedMahanagarTelephoneNigamLimited(MTNL),setupin1986,isaNavratna

PSUandprovidestelecommunicationfacilitiesinIndia’skeymetros-DelhiandMumbai. MTNL is the principal provider of fixed-line telecommunicationservice in these twometropolitan cities, and forGSMmobile services in fourperipheraltownsofNoida,Gurgaon,FaridabadandGhaziabadalongwithDelhicity and the areas falling under the Mumbai Municipal Corporation, NewMumbaiCorporationandThaneMunicipalCorporationalongwithMumbaicity,alsocomeunderthejurisdictionofthecompany.MTNLisprovidingtripleplayservicesi.e.,voice,highspeedinternetandIPTVonitsbroadbandnetwork.Website:www.mtnl.net.in

IndianTelephoneIndustriesIndianTelephoneIndustries(ITI)Limitedwasestablishedin1948,tosupply

http://www.bsnl.co.in

http://www.mtnl.net.in

telecom equipment to the then telecom service provider, DoT, ITI started itsoperationsinBengaluruin1948,whichwerefurtherextendedtootherareasbysettingupmanufacturingplantsatSrinagarinJammuandKashmir,Naini,RaeBareli and Mankapur in Uttar Pradesh, and Palakkad in Kerala. All themanufacturing plants are accreditied with ISO 9001-2000 standards. Theestablishment of these plants at various locations was aimed not only at theaugmentation ofmanufacturing capacity but also at the development of socialinfrastructure.Website:www.itiltd-india.com

TelecommunicationsConsultantsIndiaLimitedTelecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) was set-up in 1978

with the main objective to provide world class technology in all fields oftelecommunications and information technology to excel in its operations inoverseasandinthedomesticmarketsbydevelopingpropermarketingstrategies,to acquire state of the art technology on a continuing basis and to maintainleadership. It has diversified into cyber parks, intelligent buildings, cyber andsmart cities and upgradation of legacy networks by focusing on broadband,multimedia convergent service networks, entering new areas of IT and IT-enabled services. It is also developing telecom and IT training infrastructureabroad.RelevantWebsite:www.tcil.india.com

BharatBroadbandNetworkLimitedBharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL) a Special Purpose Vehicle

(SPV),namely,BharatBroadbandnetworksLimited(BBNL)was incorporatedin2012undertheIndianCompaniesAct,1956forexecutionoftheBharatNetforconnecting2.50lakh(approximately)GramPanchayats(GPs).RelevantWebsite:www.bbnl.nic.in

HemispherePropertiesIndiaLtdHemispherePropertiesIndiaLimited(HPIL) isanotherPSUunderDoT.At

the time of 25 per cent stake strategic sale inVidesh SancharNigamLimited(NowTataCommunicationsLimited),surpluslandmeasuring773.13acreswasdemarcatedoutoftotal1230.13acresoflandatfourstationsanditwasdecidedthatsurpluslandwillnotbeapartofdisinvestmentbidandwouldbemanagedbyaseparaterealtycompany.

VisionofDigitalIndia

http://www.itiltd-india.com

http://www.tcil.india.com

http://www.bbnl.nic.in

The vision of Digital India aims to transform the country into a digitallyempowered society and knowledge economy. The programme will beimplemented in phases till 2018. This programme has been envisaged byDepartment ofElectronics and InformationTechnology (DeitY). Itwould alsobring in public accountability through mandated delivery of government’sservices electronically; a Unique ID and e-Pramaan based on authentic andstandard based interoperable and integrated government applications and databasis.Thesourceoffundingformostofthee-governanceprojectsatpresentisthroughbudgetaryprovisionsofrespectiveministries/departmentsinthecentralorstategovernments.Requirementsoffundsforindividualproject(s)forDigitalIndiawillbeworkedoutbyrespectivenodalministries/departments.

ScopeofDigitalIndiaTheoverallscopeofthisprogrammeis:(a)toprepareIndiaforaknowledge

future; (b) on being transformative that is to realize IT (Indian Talent) + IT(InformationTechnology)=IT(IndiaTomorrow);(c)makingtechnologycentralto enabling change; and (d) on being anUmbrella Programme-coveringmanydepartments.

Theprogrammeweavestogetheralargenumberofideasandthoughtsintoasingle, comprehensive vision, so that each of them is seen as part of a largergoal. Each individual element stands on its own, but is also part of the largerpicture.TheweavingtogethermakestheMissiontransformativeintotality.

Itwillpulltogethermanyexistingschemeswhichwouldberestructuredandre-focusedandimplementedinasynchronizedmanner.TheCommonbrandingoftheprogrammesasDigitalIndiahighlightstheirtransformativeimpact.

Digital India aims to provide themuch needed thrust to the nine pillars ofgrowthareas, namely: (1)broadbandhighways; (2)universal access tomobileconnectivity;(3)publicinternetaccessprogramme;(4)e-governance:reforminggovernment through technology; (5) e-Kranti - electronic delivery of services;(6) information for all; (7) electronicsmanufacturing; (8) IT for Jobs; and (9)earlyharvestprogrammes.

Following initiatives have been taken under the Digital India programme.LIMBS(LegalInformationandManagementBasedSystem)LIMBSisaneasyto access, web-based tool for comprehensive, regulatory and proactivemonitoringofcourtcases.Itisaweb-basedplatformwhichprovidesacommonaccessportaltoallusershavingvaryingneedsandcuttingacrossadministrationpyramids i.e., access is available right from the file dealer to the topmanagement.LIMBShasusefriendlydataentryscreenforcapturingthedetails

ofcourtcases.Progressofcourtcasescanbeentered.VariousMISreportshelpto monitor these cases. E-document vault allows user to enter the importantjudgement.SMSalertsareusedtosensitizetheusersoverimportantissues.

NationalDataSharingandAccessibilityProgrammeTheobjectiveof thispolicy is to facilitate theaccess togovernmentowned

shareable data and information in both human readable andmachine readableforms throughanetworkallover thecountry inaproactiveupdatablemanner,withintheframeworkofvariousrelatedpolicies.ActsandrulesofGovernmentof India, thereby permitting wider accessibility and use of public data andinformation.

e-OfficeThemain objectives of e-office are:- (a) to improve efficiency, consistency

andeffectivenessofgovernmentresponses;(b)toreduceturnaroundtimeandtomeet anddemandsof thecitizenscharter; (c) toprovide for effective resourcemanagement to improve thequalityofadministration; (d) to reduceprocessingdelays; (e) toestablish transparencyandaccountability;and(f) thesystemwillautomatemovementoffileswithingovernmentoffices,etc.

9 Defence

THE Government of India is responsible for ensuring the defence of thecountry and every part thereof. This responsibility is discharged through theMinistry ofDefence (MoD)which provides the policy framework andwhere-withaltotheArmedForcestodischargetheirresponsibilitiestowardsthis.MoDwas created after independence under a Cabinet Minister. Each Service wasplacedunder itsownCommander-in-Chief. In1955, theCommanders-in-ChiefwererenamedastheChiefoftheArmyStaff, theChiefoftheNavalStaffandtheChiefof theAirStaff.ADepartmentofDefenceProductionwas setup in1962todealwithresearch,developmentandproductionofdefenceequipment.A Department of Defence Supplies was created in 1965 for planning andexecutionofschemesforimportsubstitutionofdefencerequirements.Thesetwodepartmentswere latermerged to form theDepartmentofDefenceProductionand Supplies. In 2004, the name of Department of Defence Production andSupplies was changed to Department of Defence Production. In 1980, theDepartment of Defence Research and Development was created while theDepartmentofEx-ServicemenWelfarewasformedin2004.TheRakshaMantri(DefenceMinister) is theheadof theMinistryofDefence.Apost ofChief ofDefenceStaffwascreatedin2019

India’sForeignPolicyandDefenceStrategyIt is increasinglyevident that theworld isundergoingrapidandunexpected

changes,describedbysomeastectonicshifts.Theworldisinatransition,drivenby rapidly evolving security and technological challenges, causing stresses ininternationalorderandtransformingtheglobalhierarchies.Theneedtocraftanappropriateresponse,aimedatshapinganinternationalenvironmentconduciveto India’sdevelopmentand security, is imperative. India’s foreignanddefencepolicies seek to provide a peaceful and enabling environment for achievingtransformative national growth and development. A complex and increasinglyunpredictableinterplayofregionalandglobaldevelopmentscharacterizeIndia’ssecurity environment. Guided by the principles of strategic autonomy andmutuallybeneficialcooperation,Indiacontinuestoaddressthewidespectrumof

conventionalandnonconventionalsecuritychallengesbypursuingconstructiveengagement with partner countries at the bilateral, regional and global levels.Terrorism and radicalisation are the biggest threats to peace and securityglobally.Indiahasreiterated,atanumberofbilateralandmultilateralplatforms,its resolve to combat terrorism in all its forms andmanifestations. The globalconcernsregardingproliferationof,WeaponsofMassDestruction(WMD)andtheirdeliverysystems,continuetoposeseriousthreatstointernationalsecurity.WMDterrorismwillremainapotentthreataslongasthereareterroristsseekingto gain access to relevant materials and technologies for malicious purposes.Indiahadcontributedactively,withpartners,tothesuccessofNuclearSecuritySummit (NSS) process and continues to engage with partners in the NuclearSecurityContactGroup.

RegionalSecurityEnvironmentThe Government has continued to accord a high priority to relations with

countries inAsia. In general, India’s approach of seeking closer ties, buildingstrongerconnectivityandexpandingcooperationhasbeenappreciated.Indiahasbeen committed to the policy “neighbourhood first” aimed at expanding thecloseandfriendlyrelationswithneighbours.Itcontinuedwithitspolicyduringthe year. India’s defence and security policy is a function of its principledcommitment to regional and international peace and prosperity. The regionalcooperation in the area of regional security has progressed significantly underBayofBengalInitiativeforMultiSectoralTechnicalandEconomicCooperation(BIMSTEC). The 4th BIMSTEC Summit, held in Kathmandu in 2018, wasinstrumental ingivingregionalcooperationasignificantpush.TheKathmanduDeclaration provides vision and leaders’ directions for intensifying regionalcooperationinkeyareasofsecurityandcounterterrorism,disastermanagement,connectivityandtrade,agricultureandpovertyalleviation,S&T,culture,tourismandpeople-to-peoplecontacts,amongothers.

India has been contributing to the regional maritime security by ensuringsafetyandsecurityofmaritimetrafficthroughhelpingourmaritimeneighboursset up their coastal surveillance networks for developing shared MaritimeDomain Awareness (MDA). In this context, India launched an InformationFusionCentre-IndianOceanRegion(IFC-IOR)inGurugramin2018.TheIFC-IOR is amajor initiative toput inplace amechanism forMDAand to ensuresituationalawarenessofthemaritimeactivitiesintheregion.

In the immediate neighbourhood, the security environment remainedchallenging.Afghanistanispresentlyundergoingaphaseof importantmultiple

transitions.TheAfghanNational Security Forces have taken over the securityresponsibility and are facing a daunting challenge in fighting terrorism withreduced international combat support. Past year witnessed increased level ofterrorist violence. As a result, terrorism has been spreading to the relativelypeaceful parts of Afghanistan. The international community is genuinelyconcerned about the deteriorating situation, as seen from the number ofinitiatives undertaken by world community. However, these efforts are yet toproducetangibleresults.IndiacontinuestoplayaroleintrainingandsupportingcapacitybuildingoftheAfghanNationalDefenceandSecurityForces(ANDSF)asapartoflargerdevelopmentalcooperationassistance.

Bangladesh went in for elections in December, 2018 and Prime MinisterSheikh Hasina’s Party was re-elected. Under her leadership, good relationsbetween India and Bangladesh and deeper cooperation in all the fields ofbilateralrelationshaveexpanded.ThesecurityscenarioinBangladeshremainedstable. After the terrorist attacks in 2016, Government of Bangladesh haseffectively curbed the activities of the radical groups. India and Bangladeshcontinuedtoundertakeeffortstobolsterthedefencecooperation,whichincludesoperationalisingtheUS$500millionDefenceLOGextendedtoBangladeshbyIndia.

India’s security concerns are closely linked with the neighbouring littoralnations in Indian Ocean Region (1OR) including Maldives. Engagementbetween the defence forces of both the nations have enhanced over the years.India continues to assistMaldivesNationalDefence Forces in their capabilityand capacity building.Bilateral exercises between theArmy (Ekuverin),Navy(Ekatha)andCoastGuard(Dosti)of thetwocountriestakeplaceonanannualbasis.

Since formation of a new government in Nepal in 2018, three reciprocalvisits, at the Heads of Government level, have added a new vigour to India-Nepalbilateralrelations.Themajorfocushasbeenonthetimelyandexpeditedimplementationofprojectsandinitiatives.The13theditionofIndiaNepalJointMilitary Exercise ‘Surya Kiran’ was held in 2018. The security cooperationbetween India and Myanmar has significantly improved and Indian defenceagencies are working in close coordination with Myanmar Defence forces toaddresstheproblemofinsurgentgroupsalongtheIndia-Myanmarborder.

The political situation in Pakistan continues to remain challenging with aseveredeficitof inclusiveandbalancedeconomicdevelopment.PakistanarmyconsolidateditspositionastheinstitutiondrivingPakistan’sforeignsecurityanddefence policies after the elections. Pakistan also continues to relentlessly

expand itsmilitary forces, especially nuclear andmissile capabilities despite afinancial crisis. The military has avoided taking action against jihadi andinternationallyproscribedterroroutfitsthattargetitsneighbours.Supporttosuchgroupspersists.Suchoutfitscontinued tobeencouraged to infiltrate intoIndiaunder the cover ofmassive cross-LOC and cross border firing in Jamrnu andKashmirandotherareasthroughouttheyear,triggeringanappropriateresponsebyIndianArmedForces. India’sresponse,amongstothermeasures, includedasuccessfulpre-emptivenonmilitaryanti-terroraerialstrikeonthelargesttrainingcamp of JeM at Balakot in Pakistan. India’s position is that Pakistan takescredible and irreversible steps to stop supporting terrorists and terror groupsoperating from territories under its control and dismantle the infrastructureoperatedbyterroristoutfitstolaunchattacksagainstIndia.

India-SriLanka relationshave improvedsignificantlyespecially in the fieldof defence ind securitymatters. The armies of India and Sri Lanka held theirsixth annual ‘Mitra Shakti’ military exercise. Relations with China movedtowards greater stability in the overall context of closer developmentalpartnership. India has abiding interests in Indo-Pacific region, and itsengagements with the countries and institutions in the region have beendeepening. The country’s new Indian Ocean Policy was articulated by PrimeMinisterduringhisvisittoMauritiusinMarch2015.Thepolicy,encapsulatedinSAGAR(meaningocean)whichstandsfor“SecurityandGrowthforAllintheRegion”,includesdeepeningeconomicandsecuritycooperationwithourfriendsin theregion,especiallyourmaritimeneighboursandislandstatesandfavourscollective action and cooperation for peace and security in India’s maritimeregion.IntheIndianOceanRegion,India’srelationshipswithlittoralStateshavegrown stronger. To the east, theMalacca Strait and South China Sea connectIndiatothePacificandtomostofitsmajorpartners-ASEAN,Japan,RepublicofKorea,China,Americasandthepacificcountries.Tradewithintheregionisgrowingrapidly.IndiahasregularlyparticipatedintheASEANRegionalForum(ARF)events topromotemaritimecooperationinitiatives.IndiaandAfricaarepartofIndia-PacificContinuum.Themaritimeelementofourcooperationwithcountries of Africa, especially in the East and Southern African region, isexpanding.

West Asia has always remained important for India. Our people to peopleconnect with the region is enormous and can be gauged by the fact that it ishome to nearly nine million Indians who remit about 60 per cent (US$ 39billion)of the totalofapproximatelyUS$62billion foreign remittances.Overhalf of our energy requirements are also met from this region. India-Russia

relations continue to be warm and the same has been reflected in regularmeetingsof the leadersof the twocountries. Indiahas longstandingandwide-rangingcooperationwithRussiainthefieldofdefence.Europeisfacinginternaland external foreign policy challenges. It is yet to find solutions to themajorissues at hand like BREXIT. Indian engagement with some of the majorEuropeannationshaspickedupmomentum.

Indo-US partnership is on a positive trajectory with India been designated‘MajorDefencePartner’inNationalDefenceAuthorizationAct(NDAA-17)andhas been upgraded to Strategic Authorisation Act-1 Status (STA-1) equatingIndiaatparwiththeclosestalliesofUS.

ThesignificantpercentageofIndia’strade,includingoil,passesthroughtheGulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The safety and undeterred continuity ofmaritime trade through this route is a priority. India Navy ships have beenescortingshipsandhaveundertakenvariousinitiativestostrengthenanti-piracyefforts. India has formalized frameworksof Defence cooperation with SouthAfrica,Kenya,Tanzania,Mauritius,SeychellesandMadagascar.

InternalSecurityEnvironmentTheoverallinternalsecurityenvironmentinthecountryisundercontroldue

tothecontinuousandunrelentingeffortsofthecentralandstategovernments.Inourfederalstructure,theprimaryresponsibilityfor‘PublicOrder’and‘Policing’restswiththestategovernments.However,thecentralgovernmentissteadfastlyassisting the states in dealing with problems such as terrorism, militancy,insurgencyandextremism.TherangeofchallengestointernalsecurityinIndia,emanating from terrorism/insurgency, can be categorised into four broadtheatres, namely (i) terrorism in the hinterland, (ii) cross border terrorism inJammu&Kashmir,(iii)insurgencyinNorthEastand(iv)leftwingextremismincertain states.As far as terror related cases in the hinterland is concerned, theoverall situation is under control. No major terror attack took place in thehinterlandofthecountryduring2017.

MinistryofDefenceanditsDepartmentsTheprincipaltaskoftheMinistryistoframepolicydirectionsondefenceand

security related matters and communicate them for implementation to theservicesheadquarters,inter-serviceorganisations,productionestablishmentsandresearch and development organisations. It is required to ensure effectiveimplementation of the government’s policy directions and the execution ofapprovedprogrammeswithintheallocatedresources.Theprincipalfunctionsof

theDepartments include: dealingwith the IntegratedDefence Staff (IDS) andthreeServicesandvariousInterServiceOrganisations.ItisalsoresponsiblefortheDefenceBudget, establishmentmatters, defence policy,matters relating toParliament,defenceco-operationwithforeigncountriesandco-ordinationofalldefence related activities.; the Department of Defence Production deals withmatters pertaining to defence production, indigenisation of imported stores,equipmentandspares,planningandcontrolofdepartmentalproductionunitsoftheordnancefactoryboardandDefencePublicSectorUndertakings(DPSUs).;theDepartmentofDefenceResearchandDevelopmentadvisesthegovernmentonscientificaspectsofmilitaryequipmentandlogisticsandtheformulationofresearch,designanddevelopmentplansforequipmentrequiredbytheServices.;and the Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare deals with all resettlement,welfareandpensionarymattersofEx-Servicemen.Websites : www.mod.gov.in www.mod.gov.in/dod www.ddp.mod.gov.inwww.drdo.gov.inwww.desw.gov.in

HeadquartersIntegratedDefenceStaffHeadquartersIntegratedDefenceStaff(HQIDS)wasraisedin2001basedon

the recommendations of Group of Ministers to review Higher DefenceManagement. Under the aegis of Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, theorganisation has been working towards achievement of synergy amongst theServices. HQ IDS is headed by the Chief of Integrated Defence Staff to theChairmanCOSC(CISC)whoenjoysastatusequivalenttothatofaViceChiefofaServiceHQ.TheorganizationhasrepresentationfromallthreeServices,MEA,DRDO, DoD and Def (Finance). The envisaged role of the HQ has beenorganisedintosetsofcoherentfunctionsandmatchingorganisationalblocksinthe form of branches, division and directorates. IDS provides secretariat andgeneralassistancetotheChairmanoftheChiefsofStaffCommittee(COSC).Itfacilitatesefficientfunctioningofmulti-Servicebodies.Themajorhighlightsofthe role and function profile of the organisation include - (a) Defence CrisisManagement Group (DCMG) which is entrusted with preparing contingencyplans and assessments for consideration ofCOSC and subsequent approval ofplan by RM/CCS, as required; (b) long range plans and annual budgetaryproposals for the threeServicesandpresentingcoordinated setofproposals toRakshaMantri;(c)jointtrainingandjointemploymentofForcesbyformulatingpolicyandprogrammesonemployment,jointtrainingandmilitaryeducationforpersonnelofthedefenceServices.

Army

http://www.mod.gov.in

http://www.mod.gov.in/dod

http://www.ddp.mod.gov.in

http://www.drdo.gov.in

http://www.desw.gov.in

The geo-political and geo-economic landscape in a multi-polar world isdynamicandaspectsrelatedtoapplicationofmilitaryforceareevolvingrapidly.Future conflicts are likely to be violent, unpredictablewith severely contestedbattlespaces,seamlesslyconnectedandconstrainedwithindeterminablefactors.In future, even conventional conflicts are likely to have a large asymmetriccomponentandareaccordinglybeingtermedas‘Hybrid’wars.Consideringthemultitude of threats to India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, both frominternal and external sources and theneed for a peaceful internal environmentpermittingsocio-economicprogress,the‘land’dimensionwillremaincentralintheforeseeablefuture.Currently,theArmyisinvolvedineffectivelycounteringboth military and non-military facets of asymmetric and sub conventionalthreats,emergingfromwithinandoutsidethecountry.Theinfirmitiesinbordermanagement, however, have the propensity to spiral into a wider conflictdemandinganintensiveArmyfootprint.Hence,theIndianArmyshallcontinuetohaveapivotalroleinsafeguardingtheterritorialintegrityofthecountry.

IndianArmyispoisedformajormodernizationinthenextfewyears.Withitsextensive rangeof equipment spanningavast technological spread, it is akeyentityinfacilitatingthe‘MakeinIndia’pursuit,asuccess.Technology,beingamajordriverintheevolutionofthepresentcharacterofconflict,shallshapethecontoursoffuturebattles.Consideringthedynamicandunpredictablenatureoffuture warfare, it is prudent to enhance the lethality, survivability, mobility,situationalawarenessandsustainabilityoftheArmy.Effortstoequipthesoldierwith modern, state-of-the-art, modular, light weight personal weapons andsystemsarebeingmadeinabigway.Acomprehensiveandpersistent,focusedcoordination with the industry towards development of the artillery guns,ammunition to enhance its long range precision firepower and mobility andfuture combat vehicles to provide sustained mobility to the combat arms, isbeingpursued.Architectures forprovidingcapabilitiesof cyberwarfare, spacewarfareandspecialoperationshavebeenbolsteredwithmodernequipmentandtechnologydrivensystems.TheIndianArmyispursuingtechnologicalinfusioninto war fighting through a well articulated long term perspective planningprocess.Website:www.indianarmy.nic.in

ContributiontoUNPeacekeepingDespiteoperationalandinternalsecuritycommitments,theIndianArmyhas

beensignificantlycontributingtoUnitedNationsPeacekeepingMissionsandisthesecondlargesttroopscontributorinvariousUNmissions.Currently,fourUN

http://www.indianarmy.nic.in

PeaceKeepingmissions’ contingents of India are deployed around theworld.Since1950,IndianArmyhasparticipatedin51UNmissionsoutofthetotalof71UNmissions,acrosstheglobe.Ithascontributedmorethan2,34,000Indiantroops invariousUNmissions.Themostsignificantcontributionof theIndianArmyhasbeen toensurepeaceandstability inAfricaandpartsofAsia. Indiahas so far provided 15 Force Commanders in various UN missions. India iscontributingcomprehensivelytowardsthecapabilitybuildingofUNbytrainingpeacekeepersofmemberstates.Indiahasawellestablishedtraininginstitutein‘Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping’ in Delhi, which was established in2000, training both personnel from India and abroad on UN peacekeeping.Seven international courses are conducted for international participants toinclude, UNMilitary Observers Course, UN FemaleMilitary Officers CourseandUNContingentCommandersCourse.

OperationSadbhavnaTheArmyundertakesauniquehumaninitiativeinJammuandKashmirand

Ladakh to address the aspirations of people affected by terrorism. OperationSadbhavnahasprovidedsuccourtoalargesectionofpopulation.Launchedinanextremely challenging operation environment, the Operation is a part of theCounter Terrorist strategy towrest the initiative and re-integrate the ‘Awaam’with the national mainstream. The aim of Operation Sadbhavna is also tosupplementtheeffortsofthegovernmentinrestoringpublicservices,rebuildinginfrastructure and creating a conducive environment for development byrestoring public services, rebuilding infrastructure and creating a conduciveenvironmentfordevelopmentintheregion.

NavyThe raison d’etre of navies is to safeguard the nation’s use of seas for its

legitimatesovereignpurpose,whilstconcurrentlyguardingagainst inimicaluseoftheseabyothers.Thefullrangeofoperationsinwhichthenavalforcesmaybe involved is vast, ranging from high intensity war fighting at one end andhumanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations at the other end. Thisbroad continuumof operations can be broken down into distinct roles at eachdemanding a specific approach to the conduct of operations. Through thedischargeofroles,theIndianNavy(IN)actsastheprimeenablerandguarantorof the country’s maritime sovereignty and myriad use of sea activities.Accordingly, the main roles that IN undertakes are - military, diplomatic,constabularyandbenign.Website:www.indiannavy.nic.in

http://www.indiannavy.nic.in

MilitaryRoleTheprimarymilitaryobjectiveoftheINistodeteranymilitaryadventurism

against the country, including intervention in India’s affairs and subversivestrategiesagainstthenationalinterestsandtheabilitytoinflictacrushingdefeatontheadversaryintheeventofhostilities.Thewaysandmeansofdeterrencebythe IN include conventional deterrence by both denial and punishment, bymaintaining a robust military capability and posture to convince potentialaggressorsofhighcostsand limitedgains fromanyaggressionor interventionagainst India’s national interests. India has a long coastline, numerous IslandTerritories, a vast Maritime Zone, substantial energy infrastructure and othervital assets in the littoral area; besides a large vibrant population, significantportionsofwhichalsoliveinthelittoral.Sincetherearenophysicalbarriersatsea, security of these areas and assets are inherently vulnerable to sea-bornethreats,andenhancingtheirsecurityisaprimeobjectiveoftheINinthemilitaryrole. The IN has also been designated as the agency responsible for overallMaritimeSecurityincludingCoastalSecurityandOffshoreSecurity.

Anti-PiracyOperationsAlargepercentageofIndia’strade,includingoilandfertilisers,passthrough

theGulf of Aden (GoA). TheMinistry of Shipping has estimated that IndianimportsthroughthisroutearevaluedataboutUS$50billionandexportsatUS$60billion.Thesafetyandunhinderedcontinuityofmaritimetrade,onthisroute,isaprimarilynationalconcernasitdirectlyimpactsoureconomy.PiracyoffthecoastofSomaliahadgrownsteadilyover theyearsandhadassumedalarmingproportions in 2010 and 2011. There has been a noticeable decline in piracysince2012.ToprotectIndian-flaggedshipsandIndiancitizensemployedinsea-faringduties,IndianNavy(IN)commencedanti-piracypatrolsintheGoAfrom2008. Inaddition toescorting Indian flaggedvessels, shipsofother flagshavealsobeenescortedbyINships.

FreePatrolIn 2018, IN shifted from the ‘EscortCycle’ concept, to a concept of ‘Free

Patrol’.The‘FreePatrol’intheGoAprovidedgreaterflexibilitytotheINshiptorespond to developing situations for anti-piracy mission. In addition, it alsofacilitated participation in UN World Food Programme information sharingmechanismwithotherparticipatingnaviesasmandatedbyCCS,exerciseswithfriendlyforeignnaviesintheregionandundertakecapacity/capabilitybuildinginitiativesinSomaliaincoordinationwithMoD/MEA.

HumanitarianAssistanceandDisasterReliefOperationsATropicaldepressionBerguittacrossedMauritiusin2018.Basedonrequest

from HCI, Mauritius and MoD directives, INS Sarvekshak handed overHumanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) material comprisingprovisions, clothing items and medicines to the Government of Mauritius. Afishingvessel‘Mariam’wasreportedtobestrandedapproximately100nauticalmiles off the coast ofRatnagiri in February 2018 and had run out of fuel. INDornierlocatedthevesselandsubsequentlyINshipChennaiprovidedfuelalongwith freshwater, foodandotherprovisions to thevessel. IN shipAiravatwasdeployedfor transhipmentofhumanitarianaid toChittagong,Bangladesh.TheAndaman and Nicobar Command was requested by civil administration forevacuationoftouristsfromShaheedDweep.

OpMadad‘OpMadad’wasconductedtoprovideSARandreliefassistanceintheflood

affected areas of Kerala. IN also contributed 8.92 crore towards Kerala CMReliefFund.

CyclonesTitli,Gaja,Phethai,FaniIN provided HADR and SAR assistance including air dropping of food

packets and of relief material at various locations, in coordination with theadministrationsofOdisha,AndhraPradesh,andTamilNadu.

AirForceThe Indian Air Force (IAF) has always encouraged development of

indigenousdefenceproductioncapabilityandcapacities.Itsquestforoperatingindigenously built platform and supporting self-reliance has resulted insignificant progress on various systems in the IAF. TheDefence ProcurementProcedure, 2016 assigned highest preference to ‘Make’ and Buy (Indian-IndigenouslyDesignedandDevelopedManufacturer(IDDM))categories.LCAMk-1A,LightCombatHelicopter(LCH),AWACS(India)andHighFrequencyRadiosetaresomeofthecasesbeingprogressedthroughtheIDDMroute.

Due to its capabilityof short reaction timeandability to reach theaffectedarea, IAF is oneof the first responders to any crisis/ situation. In the last oneyear,IAFhasflownover1600sortieslogging1900hourstowardsHumanitarianAssistanceandDisasterRelief (HADR)missionswithinaswell asoutside thecountry. The IAF has also responded at the earliest in aid to civil power forvariouskindsofmissions.

Website:www.indianairforce.nic.in

MakeinIndiaOne of the main focus areas of the IAF is to support indigenisation and

manufacturing of defence equipment, thus reducing dependence on import ofdefence equipment. Light Combat Aircraft, Akash Missile, Advance LightHelicopters (ALH) have already been inducted, thus giving impetus toindigenisation.Further,IAFplanstoinductmorecapableandpotentLCAMk-1Ainthefuture.IAFisalsoactivelysupportingDoDofLCH,RPAs,MediumPower Radars, Low Level Tracking Radars and other systems. IAF is alsocloselycoordinatingwithDRDOfordevelopmentofvarious typesof state-of-art-weapons. Modernisation plan is being pursued to beef up the defencemanufacturing base and the eco system. IAF has already identified series ofdefenceequipment thatcanbemanufacturedunder ‘Make’category.MoDhasbeenstriving to include theprivatesector inproductionofdefenceequipment.Variousprojectsunder‘StrategicPartner’modelwillgive impetus to‘MakeinIndia’initiative.Thiswillnotonlygenerateemployment,enhanceskilllevelbutalsoassistinharnessingkeytechnologiesforgrowthofaerospacesectorinthecountry.

DigitalIndiaInitiativeIAFhasestablishedpanIAFcaptive3GWCDMAMobileNetworkAFCEL.

The network has been fully operational with voice call and data services. In-houseinitiativeshavealsoseendevelopmentoftheappslike:InstantMessagingApp(AFCHAT);IAFDirectorySearchApp;ConferenceSchedulerApp;Caller-IDApp;Air Force Central AccountsOffice (AFCAO)App andWebsite;MedWatchApp.

WomenEmpowermentAvaniChaturvedi,BhawanaKanthandMohanaSinghcreatedhistoryin2016

bybecomingthefirstwomenpilotstobecommissionedintothefighterstream.Thesewomenpilots,nowFlyingOfficers,havebeenpostedtoMiG-2BisonandHawk units as Sqn Pilots on successful completion of their fighter flyingtraining. A second batch of women cadets also have been selected in fighterstream. Presently, they are completing Stage-II (Fighter) training atAir ForceStationHakimpetandareexpectedtobecommissionedintotheFighterstreamaftersuccessfulcompletionoftheirtraining.

CommissionedRanks

http://www.indianairforce.nic.in

ThefollowingarethecommissionedranksinthethreeServices;eachrankisshownoppositeitsequivalentintheotherService:

IndianCoastGuardIndianCoastGuardwasconstitutedin1977withfollowingcharterofduties:

(a)safetyandprotectionofartificialislands,offshoreterminalsandinstallations;(b)protectiontofishermenincludingassistancetothematseawhileindistress;(c)preserveandprotectmaritimeenvironmentandtopreventandcontrolmarinepollution; (d) assisting Customs and other authorities in anti-smugglingoperations;(e)safetyoflifeandpropertyatseaandcollectionof’scientificdata;(f)enforcingtheprovisionsofvariousenactmentsinthemaritimezones.

TheIndianCoastGuardhasalsobeengivenmanyadditionalresponsibilities.The major among them are: (a) coastal security in territorial waters; (b)enforcement, monitoring and surveillance of deep sea fishing; (c) search andrescue for merchant ships; (d) marine oil-spill response measures; (e) leadintelligenceagencyforcoastalandseaborders,etc.Website:www.indiancoastguard.gov.in

RecruitmentTheArmedForces epitomize the idealsof service, sacrifice, patriotismand

compositecultureofthecountry.RecruitmenttotheArmedForcesisvoluntaryand open to all citizens of India irrespective of caste, class, religion andcommunityprovidedthelaiddownphysical,medicalandeducationalcriteriaaremet.

Commissioned Officers in the Armed Forces are recruited mainly through

http://www.indiancoastguard.gov.in

UPSCwhichconductsthefollowingtwoAllIndiaCompetitiveExaminations:(a) National Defence Academy (NDA) and Naval Academy (NA): The UPSCholds entrance examination twice a year for entry into the NDA and NA.Candidatesoncompletionof10+2examinationorwhileinthe12thstandardareeligible to compete. Having cleared UPSC written examination, eligiblecandidatesundergoServiceSelectionBoard(SSB)interview,whichlastsforfivedays. On being medically fit and coming in NDA merit list, successfulcandidates join theNDAorNAas per their optionof service exercised at thetimeof applying.On completionof the course, they are sent to the respectiveServiceAcademiesfortheirpre-commissioningtraining.(b) CombinedDefence Services Examination (CDSE): CDSE is conducted bytheUPSCtwiceayear.Universitygraduatesorthoseinfinalyearofgraduationare eligible to appear in the examination. Candidates qualifying in writtenexamination have to undergo SSB interview and medical tests. Candidateswhose names appear in the merit list undergo basic military training of 18monthsatIndianMilitaryAcademy/AirForceAcademyandNavalAcademyforPermanentCommissionand11monthsatOfficersTrainingAcademy(OTA)tobecomeShortServiceCommissionedOfficers(SSCOs).SSCOscanserveforaduration of 10 years extendable to 14 years. However, they can opt forpermanent commission after completion of 10 years or seek release aftercompletionoffiveyearsofservice,whichisconsideredoncasetocasebasis.

RecruitmentinArmyApartfromtheUPSCentries,Commissionedofficersarealsorecruitedinthe

Armythroughthefollowingentries:(a)UniversityEntryScheme:Pre-Finalyearstudentsinthenotifiedengineeringdisciplines are eligible to apply for Permanent Commission in the TechnicalArmsoftheArmyasCommissionedOfficersundertheUES.EligiblecandidatesareselectedthroughacampusinterviewbytheScreeningTeamsdeputedbytheArmy Headquarters. These candidates are required to appear before SSB andMedicalBoard.Successfulcandidatesundergooneyearpre-commissiontrainingattheIndianMilitaryAcademy(IMA),Dehradun.Cadetsthroughthisentryarealsoentitledtooneyearante-dateseniorityoncommissioning.(b) Technical Graduates Course (TGC): Engineering graduates from notifieddiscipline of engineering, post graduates with minimum second divisionaggregatemarks innotifieddisciplineforArmyEducationCorpsandM.Sc. inAgriculture/Dairy for Military Farm are eligible to apply for PermanentCommission through this entry. After the SSB and the Medical Board, the

selectedcandidatesarerequiredtoundergooneyearpre-commissionedtrainingattheIMA,Dehradun.EngineeringGraduatesthroughthisentryarealsoentitledtooneyearante-dateseniorityoncommissioning.(c)ShortServiceCommission(Technical)Entry:TheShortServiceCommission(Technical)EntrySchemeprovidesavenuefor recruitment toeligible technicalgraduates/postgraduatesintoTechnicalArms.AfterSSBandmedicalBoard,theselected candidates are required to undergo approximately 49 weeks pre-commission training at OTA, Chennai. On completion of training, they areinductedasShortServiceCommissionedOfficers.Cadetsthroughthisentryarealsoentitledtooneyear’sante-dateseniorityoncommissioning.(d)10+2TechnicalEntryScheme (TES):Candidateswhohavequalified10+2CBSE/ICSE/StateBoardExaminationwithminimumaggregate of 70 per centmarks in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are eligible to apply forcommission under the 10+2(TES).On being successful in the SSB and beingdeclaredfitbythemedicalboard,theyundergooneyearbasicmilitarytrainingat the Officers Training Academy, Gaya and thereafter undergo three yearsengineering degree course in respective streams before getting PermanentCommission.Onbeingcommissioned,theyarefurtherputthroughoneyearofpost commissioning training for the Arm/Service into which they arecommissioned.(e)ShortServiceCommission(Women):Eligiblewomencandidatesarerecruitedin theArmyasShortServiceCommissionOfficers.Commission is granted inCorps of Electronics andMechanical Engineers, Corps of Engineers, Signals,ArmyEducationalCorps,MilitaryIntelligenceCorps,JudgeAdvocateGeneral’sBranch, Army Supply Corps, Army Ordnance Corps and Army Air Defence.Women are offered Short Service Commission in three streams viz. Non-TechnicalGraduate,TechnicalandPostGraduate/Specialist foraperiodof tenyears, extendablebyadditional fouryearspurelyonvoluntarybasis.Recently,GovernmentofIndiahadgrantedoptionforpermanentcommissionforofficersinArmyEducationCorpsandJudgeAdvocateGeneralBranchaftercompletionof10yearsofservice.Thedurationoftrainingis49weeksatOfficersTrainingAcademy, Chennai. For Short Service CommissionWomen (Technical) Entry,passed or final year/semester students of B.E/B.Tech in notified streams areeligible to apply. Eligible candidates appear for direct SSB interview andMedicalTest,thereafter.TheapplicantsforNon-TechnicalGraduate,however,isrequiredtoapplythroughUPSCandafterwrittenexamination,comeupforSSBinterviewasisbeingdoneforShortServiceCommissionedmaleofficers.Atotalof20percentallottedseatsfromNon-Technicalstreamhavebeenreservedfor

NCC‘C’certificateholderswomencandidateswithminimum‘B’gradeand50per cent aggregatemarks in graduation examination. The applications will berouted through NCC Directorate, Integrated Headquarters of Ministry ofDefence (Army), as applicable formale officers. For JudgeAdvocateGeneralBranch,applicationsareinvitedfromLawGraduateswithminimum55percent,for direct SSB interviews. Widows of Defence Personnel who meet the laiddowneligibilitycriteriaaregrantedfouryearsagerelaxationand5percentseatsof each course (2.5 each in Tech andNon-Tech) are reserved for them. ShortServiceCommissionWomen (Tech),NCC entry and JudgeAdvocateGeneralBranch are exempted fromwritten examinations and need to apply directly toAdditional Directorate General of Recruiting, Integrated Headquarters ofMinistry of Defence (Army). The notification is published along with SSCW(Tech)twiceayear.(f) NCC (Special Entry Scheme): University graduates possessing NCC ‘C’Certificate with minimum ‘B’ grade and 50 per cent aggregate marks ingraduation examination are eligible to apply for Short Service Commissionthrough this entry.Those studying in thirdyear are allowed to applyprovidedtheyhavesecuredminimum50percentaggregatemarksinfirsttwoyears.Suchcandidateswillneedtosecureoverallaggregateofminimum50percentmarksif selected in interview failing which his candidature will be cancelled.CandidatesmustpossessgraduationdegreeatthetimeofjoiningOTAorthosecandidatesstudyinginthirdyearshouldbeabletoproducethedegreewithin12weeks from date of commencement of training at OTA. Such cadets have toundergo SSB interview followed by amedical board. Candidatesmeeting thequalitativerequirementshavetoapplythroughNCCGroupHeadquartersattheState level. After Screening by respective Group Headquarters, DirectorateGeneral ofNCC forwards the applications of eligible cadets to theRecruitingDirectorateofIntegratedHeadquartersofMinistryofDefence(Army).(g) Judge Advocate General Entry: Law graduate withminimum 55 per centaggregate marks in LLB, age between 21 to 27 years can apply for JudgeAdvocate General Branch. Eligible candidates are called for direct SSBinterview andmedical test, thereafter. It is a Short ServiceCommissionEntrywhereinsuitablecandidatescanoptforPermanentCommission.Recruitment of Junior Commissioned Officers and Other Ranks (JCOs andORs): In the Army, there are eleven Zonal Recruiting Offices, two GorkhaRecruitingDepots,oneIndependentRecruitingOfficeand59ArmyRecruitingOffices in addition to 48 Regimental Centers which carry out recruitmentthroughralliesintheirrespectiveareasofjurisdiction.RecruitmentofJCOsand

ORiscarriedoutthroughOnlineApplicationSystemforSoldierGeneralDuty,Soldier Tradesman, Soldier Technical, Soldier Clerk/Store Keeper Trade andSoldier Nursing Assistant categories. However, for categories like ReligiousTeacher JCO (RT JCO), Havildar Education, HavildarAuto Cartographer andJCOCatering,applicationsystemisbeingfollowed.ThecurrentrecruitmentforJCOsandORcomprisesscreeningofaspiringcandidatesatrallysiteinthe1.6km run followed by document checking, physical fitness tests, physicalmeasurements, and medical examination. This is followed by a writtenexamination for the candidateswho are found eligible in all respects. Finally,selected candidates are dispatched to respective Training Centers for training.Effortsaremadesothateachdistrictofthecountryiscoveredatleastoncebyrecruitmentralliesinarecruitmentyear.

RecruitmentinIndianNavyTheMethodofRecruitment:TherecruitmentsystemoftheINisastreamlined,transparent,expeditiousandcandidatefriendlyprocedure.TherearetwomodesofinductionintheIN,viz.UPSCEntryandNon-UPSCEntry.(a)UPSCEntry:TheUPSCholdsanexamination, twiceayear, forentry intothe National Defence Academy (NDA) and Indian Naval Academy (INA) asPermanent Commission (PC) entries. Candidates are eligible to compete oncompletionofthe10+2(PCM)Examinationorwhileinthe12thstandard.UPSCshortlistscandidatesafterwrittenexaminations.Thereafter,candidatesaresentto theServiceSelectionBoards locatedatBengaluru,Bhopal,CoimbatoreandVisakhapatam. Results of qualified candidates are forwarded to UPSC formakingthefinalmeritlist.Medicallyfitcandidates,whoareinthemeritlist,areintimated for appointment to NDA/INA as cadets. On completion of theNDA/INA training, the Naval Cadets are sent to training ships at Kochi forNaval sea training. For the Graduate Special Entry, the UPSC holds theCombinedDefenceServicesExamination(CDSE),twiceayear.GraduateswithB Tech degree are also eligible to appear in the examination. Successfulcandidates join the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, Kerala for the NavalOrientationCourse(NOC).(b) Non-UPSC Entry: The Non-UPSC entries cater for both PermanentCommission (PC) and Short Service Commission (SSC). In this case theapplicationsareinvitedandshort listedatIHQMoD(Navy).Subsequentlytheshort listed candidates are then sent for Service Selection Boards (SSB)interviews.Thereafter,ameritlist,comprisingqualifiedcandidates,ispreparedasper theavailabilityofvacancies.Recruitmentfornon-UPSCentries ismade

through SSBs for the Executive, Engineering including Naval Architects,ElectricalEngineeringandtheEducationBranches/cadresofNavy.(c)10+2 (CadetEntryScheme):This scheme is for permanent commission intheExecutive,EngineeringandElectricalbranchesoftheIN.Underthisscheme,candidateswith10+2(PCM)qualifications,afterselectionthroughtheServicesSelectionBoard,aresent totheIndianNavalAcademyfortheBTechCourse.OnsuccessfulcompletionofthecoursetheyaregrantedPermanentCommissionintheExecutive,ElectricalandEngineeringbranchesoftheIndianNavy.(d)UniversityEntryScheme(UES):TheUEShasbeenre-launchedasaShortServiceCommissionScheme.SeventhandEighthsemesterEngineeringcollegestudentsareeligibleforinductionintotheExecutiveandTechnicalBranchesofthe IN. Naval selection teams from the IHQ of MoD (Navy) and CommandHeadquartersvisitAICTEapprovedengineeringcolleges,acrossthecountry,toshort-list thecandidates.The short-listedcandidates,basedonAll IndiaMerit,undergo interview at the Services Selection Board. The successful candidatesare, thereafter, put throughmedical tests. Final selection is based on all Indiameriton thebasisofmarksobtained in theSSB interviewsandavailabilityofvacancies.(e)WomenOfficers:WomenarebeinginductedintotheNavy,asShortServiceCommission(SSC)officersintheExecutive(Observer,ATC,LawandLogistic),EducationBranchandtheNavalArchitecturecadreoftheEngineeringBranch.(f) Permanent Commission to SSC Officers: The Government has introducedgrantofPermanentCommissionprospectivelytotheShortServiceCommissionofficers, for both men and women, of the Executive Branch (Law Cadre),EducationBranchandEngineeringBranch(NavalArchitecture)w.e.f.2008.(g) Recruitment through NCC: University graduates possessing Naval WingNCC ‘C’ certificate withminimum ‘B’ grading and 50 per centmarks in thegraduation degree examination are inducted in the Navy as regularcommissioned officers. These graduates are exempted from appearing in theCDSEconductedbytheUPSCandareselectedthroughtheSSBinterviewonly.TheyjointheIndianNavalAcademyforNavalOrientationCourse(NOC)alongwiththeCDSEcadets.(h)SpecialNavalArchitectureEntryScheme:TheGovernmenthasapprovedtheinductionofNavalArchitectofficersintotheEngineeringBranchoftheIndianNavy, as Short Service Commissioned Officers, under a ‘Special NavalArchitects Entry Scheme’ (SNAES). An empowered Naval team visits IITKharagpur, IIT Chennai, Cochin University of Science and Technology

(CUSAT)andAndhraUniversity,whereBTech(NavalArchitecture)coursesareconducted, to select candidates through campus interviews. The selectedcandidatesundergomedicalexaminationat thenearestMilitaryHospitalandiffoundfit,areselectedfortraining.(i)RecruitmentofSailors:RecruitmentintotheNavyiscarriedoutonallIndiabasisonstate-wisemeritof theeligible recruitablemalepopulation,asper thenumber of vacancies available. The number of personnel recruited from aparticular state depends on the number of eligible applicants who are able toqualifyinthewrittenexamination,physicalfitnesstest,andmedicalexaminationandtheirrelativepositioninthemerit.Thereisnoquotaofvacanciesbasedoncaste/creed or religion. Advertisements in all leading National and Regionalnewspapers and Employment News are published inviting applications fromeligible volunteers. Publicitymaterial is also dispatched to a large number ofschools/collegesandallZillaSainikBoards.Thelocaladministrationcarriesoutthepublicitydriveinrural/backwardareasthroughlocalmedia.TypesofEntries:Thevariousentries, for recruitmentof sailors, areas follows(witheducationalqualificationsindicatedagainsteach):(a)ArtificerApprentices(AAs)-10+2(PCM).(b)SeniorSecondaryRecruits(SSR)-10+2(Sc.).(c) Matric Entry Recruits (MER), for recruitment of Cooks, Stewards andMusicians-Matriculation.

(d)NonMatricRecruits(NMR),forrecruitmentofTopassSailors(Safaiwala)-ClassVI.

(e)DirectEntry(OutstandingSportsmen).

RecruitmentinIndianAirForceSelectionofOfficers(a) InductionofOfficers: Induction toNationalDefenceAcademy (NDA)andCombinedDefenceServiceExamination(CDSE)entriesarethroughUPSC.Thenon-UPSC entries for induction into the officer’s cadre are: SSC (Men andWomen) Flying, NCC Entry (PC for men), ASC (PC for men), GDOC(NonTech)(PCforMen),AirmenEntry(PCforAirWarriors),SSS(Technical)(MenandWomen)andSSC(NonTech)(MenandWomen).(b) Recruitment through Service Selection: Recruitment through ServiceSelection Boards/Air Force Selection Boards is made for the Flying (Pilot),AeronauticalEngineering(Electronics),AeronauticalEngineering(Mechanical),Education, Administration, Logistics, Accounts and meteorology branches fortheAirForce.

(c) University Entry Scheme: Final/pre-final year students in engineeringdisciplinesareeligibleforinductionintothetechnicalbranchesofAirForceaspermanentcommissionedofficersundertheUniversityEntryScheme.(d) Recruitment of Women Officers: Eligible women are recruited as ShortService Commissioned Officers in the Flying, Aeronautical Engineering(Electronics), Aeronautical Engineering (Mechanical), Education,Administration,Logistics,AccountsandMeteorologybranchesoftheIAF.(e) Recruitment through National Cadet Corps (NCC): University graduatespossessing NCC ‘C’ Certificate with minimum ‘B’ grading and 50 per centmarks in graduation are inducted in Navy and Air Force as RegularCommissioned Officers by way of selection through the Service SelectionBoards. For Flying Branch Cadets should have Maths and Physics as mainsubjectsin10+2level.(f) Recruitment of Personnel Below officers Rank (PBORs): The selection ofcandidatesforPersonnelbelowofficersRank(PBORs)iscarriedoutthroughacentralizedselectionsystemonallIndiabasisinwhichCentralAirmenSelectionBoard (CASB) assisted by 14 Airmen Selection Centres (ASCs) located atdifferentpartsofthecountry,carriesouttherecruitment.

TrainingA large number of training institutions in the Defence Sector work in

coordinationwithoneanother.Whilesomeinstitutionstrainpersonnelfromallthe3servicesviz.Army,NavyandAirForce,somecatertothetrainingneedsoftheindividualservices.

TrainingofTri-ServicesNationalDefenceCollege

TheNationalDefenceCollegeisapremiertraininginstitutionoftheMinistryofDefencewhichhasestablishedanameforitselfasacentreofexcellenceonmatters pertaining toNational Security and Strategic Studies. SelectedArmedforces officers of the rank of Brigadier/equivalent from Indian and ForeignArmed Forces and Civil Services officers of equivalent status of director andabovearenominatedfortrainingatthecollege.TheofficersundergoanelevenmonthsprogrammewithfocusonnationalSecurity,coveringalldimensionsofdomestic, regional and international issues to equip future policymakerswithbackground necessary to get a broad understanding of the multifariouseconomic, political, military scientific and organizational aspects that are

essentialforplanningofnationalstrategy.Website:www.ndc.nic.in

CollegeofDefenceManagementTheCollegeofDefenceManagement(CDM)is theonlytri-servicetraining

institutioninthecountrywhichimpartsdefencemanagementeducationtoseniorofficers of the three services, para military forces, officers of theMinistry ofDefence and international participants at the conceptual, directional and thefunctional levels. The College also hosts a number of civilian and foreigndelegations on defence management training. To meet the requirements of‘Higher Defence Management’ education in the Indian Armed Forces,necessitated by the ‘Revolution in Military Affairs’, CDM has optimised itsexisting training infrastructure and yearly trains approximately 500 officersannually. CDM has also developed tailor made capsule courses/ManagementDevelopmentProgrammes(MDPs)formanagementeducationatalllevelsintheIndian Armed Forces. These MDPs are also subscribed by large number ofFriendlyForeigncountries.Website:www.cdm.ap.nic.in

DefenceServicesStaffCollegeDefenceServicesStaffCollege(DSSC)isanArmedForcesTrainingInstitute

(AFTI),whichconductsstaffcoursefortheselectedofficersofthethreeservicesandalsotheofficersfromthecentralcivilservices.Inaddition,defenceofficersfromfriendlyforeigncountriesalsosubscribetotheStaffCourseconductedbythecollege.TheofficerspassingoutfromDSSCareawardedMasterofScience(MSc)inDefenceandStrategicStudiesfromChennaiUniversity.Website:www.dssc.gov.in

NationalDefenceAcademyNationalDefenceAcademy(NDA)isapremier tri-serviceinstitutionwhich

trainscadetsofallthreeservicesbeforeinductingthemintotheirrespectivepre-commissioning trainingacademies. Intake toNDA isorganised throughUPSCexamination which is conducted twice in a year in the month of April andSeptember. Applicants are required to be XII Standard pass and in the agebracketof16½to19½yearsatthetimeofjoining.ThethreeyearscourseatNDAiscoveredinsixsemestersandcadetsareawardedwithBA/BScDegree.On conclusion of this training the cadets proceed to their respective ServiceAcademies for further service specific training before being commissioned asofficersintheArmedForces.

http://www.ndc.nic.in

http://www.cdm.ap.nic.in

http://www.dssc.gov.in

Website:www.nda.nic.in

IndianMilitaryAcademyFounded in 1932, Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun aims at the

fullest development of intellectual, moral and physical qualities of personsjoining theArmyasofficers.Thevariousmodesofentry into IMAare: (a)ongraduationfromNDA.;(b)ongraduationfromArmyCadetCollege,whichisawingoftheIMAitself.;(c)directentrygraduatecadets,whoqualifytheUnionPublicServiceCommissionExamandgetthroughtheServiceSelectionBoard.;(d) forTechnicalGraduate’sCourse(TGC).; (e)underuniversityentryscheme(UES) forengineeringcollegestudents inFinal/Pre-Finalyearofstudies.TheIMAalsoimpartstrainingtoGentlemenCadetsfromfriendlycountries.

OfficersTrainingAcademyEstablishedin1963,theOfficersTrainingSchool(OTS)wasre-designatedas

OfficersTrainingAcademy(OTA)from1988oncompletionof25yearsof itsexistence.Itsmaintask,before1965wastotrainGentlemenCadetsforgrantofEmergency Commission. From 1965 onwards, the Academy trains cadets forShortServiceCommission.WiththeentryofwomenofficersintheArmysince1992,around100ladyofficersnowgetcommissionedfromOTAeveryyearinArmy Service Corps, Judge Advocate General’s Department, Corps ofEngineers,SignalsandElectricalandMechanicalEngineers.

OfficersTrainingAcademyTheAcademywascommissionedin2011.Thetrainingcapacityasofnowis

around400gentlemencadets.The capacitywill beprogressivelybuilt up to astrengthof750gentlemencadets.OTA,Gayaimpartstrainingforthefollowing:(a)10+2TechnicalEntryScheme;(b)SpecialCommissionedOfficers;

The OTA, Gaya also imparts training to Gentlemen Cadets from friendlycountries.

NationalCadetCorpsThe National Cadet Corps (NCC) was established in 1948 as an Indian

militarycadetcorps.It isatri-servicesorganisationopentoschoolandcollegestudents.Ithascompleted69yearsofitsexistence.TheNCCstrivestoprovidetheyouthofthecountryopportunitiesforallrounddevelopmentwithasenseofcommitment,dedication, self-disciplineandmoralvalues, so that theybecomeresponsiblecitizensandcantaketheirplaceinallwalksoflifeintheserviceofthe nation. Themotto ofNCC is ‘Unity andDiscipline’. The total sanctioned

http://www.nda.nic.in

strengthofNCCcadets is15 lakh.This includes twolakhNCCcadetstrengthsanctioned in the year 2010 that is being absorbed in five phases @ 40,000cadets per year. NCC’s presence extends to 703 out of 716 districts in thecountrycovering16,288institutions.

The enrolment policy of Senior Division/Senior Wing cadets has beenchanged from 2 years to 3 years. It would result in improvement in trainingstandards and quality output of cadets. NCC has been introduced as anadditional/elective subject in Class X and XII. This would make NCC moreattractive and cadets would be able to score credit points in their academicresults.Website:www.nccindia.nic.in

SainikSchoolsTheSainikSchoolswereestablishedasajointventureofthecentralandstate

government.TheseareundertheoverallgovernanceofSainikSchoolsSociety.Atpresent, thereare26SainikSchools located invariouspartsof thecountry.The objectives of Sainik Schools include bringing quality public schooleducation within the reach of the common man, all round development of achild’spersonalityandtoremoveregionalimbalanceintheofficer’scadreoftheArmedForces.TheSainikSchoolshaveshownanupwardtrendinthenumberof cadets joining theNationalDefenceAcademy in keepingwith the primaryaimofestablishingofSainikSchools toprepareboysacademically,physicallyandmentallyforentryintotheNationalDefenceAcademy.

RashtriyaMilitarySchoolsThere are five Rashtriya Military Schools in the country at Belgaum and

BengaluruinKarnataka,ChailinHimachalPradeshandAjmerandDholpurinRajasthan. These schools are CBSE affiliated fully residential public schoolswhich function under the aegis ofMinistry of Defence. Boys are admitted inclassVIandIXbasedontheresultsofCommonEntranceTest.70percentseatsarereservedforwardstoJCOs/ORsofArmy,NavyandAirForce(includingex-servicemen)andbalance30per cent forwardsofofficersofArmy,NavyandAirForce(includingretiredofficers)andwardsofcivilians.Atotalof50seatsarereservedforwardsofservicepersonnelkilledinaction.15percentand7.5percentseatsarereservedforSCandSTrespectivelyinallcategories.Website:www.rashtriyamilitaryschools.in

RashtriyaIndianMilitaryCollege

http://www.nccindia.nic.in

http://www.rashtriyamilitaryschools.in

RashtriyaIndianMilitaryCollege(RIMC)wasestablishedin1922with theobjectiveofprovidingnecessarypreliminarytrainingforboysofIndianbirthordomicile, wishing to become officers in the Armed Forces of India. Theinstitution now serves as a feeder institute to theNationalDefenceAcademy.SelectionforRIMCisthroughanAllIndiaEntranceExaminationcomprisingawrittenexaminationandvivavoce.SeatsfordifferentStatesarereservedbasedonpopulation.ThecollegeadmitsboysinclassVIII.25cadetsareadmittedineach term twice a year (January and July) on the basis ofAll India EntranceExaminationwithoutanyreservation.Website:www.rimc.gov.in

CollegeofMilitaryEngineeringTheCollegeofMilitaryEngineeringatPuneisapremiertechnicalinstitution

conducting training for personnel of the Corps of Engineers, other Arms andServices,Navy,AirForce,ParaMilitaryForces,PoliceandCivilians,besides,personnelfromfriendlyforeigncountries.CMEisaffiliatedtoJawaharlalNehruUniversity (JNU) for the award of B.Tech and M. Tech degrees. All IndiaCouncilforTechnicalEducation(AICTE)alsorecognizesthegraduateandpost-graduatecoursesrunbytheCME.

DefenceProductionDepartmentofDefenceProductionwassetupin1962withtheobjectiveof

developing and promoting the industrial base for production of weapons,equipment,platformsandmaterialsrequiredbyarmedforcesfordefenceofthecountry. Over the years, the Department has established wide range ofproduction facilities for various defence equipment through the OrdnanceFactories and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs). The productsmanufactured include arms and ammunition, tanks, armoured vehicles, heavyvehicles, fighter aircraft and helicopters, warships, submarines, missiles,ammunition,electronicequipment,earthmovingequipment, specialalloysandspecialpurposesteels.

The Department promulgated Defence Production Policy which aims atachieving substantive self-reliance in design, development and production ofequipment/weaponsystemsinascheduledtimeframe.

OrdnanceFactoriesThe Indian Ordnance Factories organisation - a family of 41 ordnance

factoriesundertheaegisofitscorporateheadquartersOrdnanceFactoryBoard,

http://www.rimc.gov.in

Kolkata - possesses the unique distinction of over 200 year experience indefenceproduction.Theorganisationisengagedinproduction,testing,logistics,research,developmentandmarketingof a comprehensiveproduct range in thearea of land, sea and air systems. IndianOrdnanceFactories is the oldest andlargest industrial setup which functions under the Department of DefenceProduction. The ordnance factories factories form an integrated base forindigenous production of defence hardware and equipment, with the primaryobjective of self reliance in equipping the armed forces with state-of-the-artbattlefieldequipment

OrdnanceFactoryBoard(OFB)isworkingonanumberofR&Dprojects,toprovide state-of-the-art battlefield equipment and ammunition to the Services.Theseincludebi-modularchargesystemfor155mmx45calibre‘Dhanush’GunArmament Upgrade of BMP-II etc. OFB along with DRDO is working onvarious R&D projects to enhance self-reliance in important arms andammunitions required by the Forces, 7.62 x 51mm Assault Rifle, ProtectiveCarbine, under Barrel Grenade Launcher Ammunition etc. Besides this, 13Ordnance Development Centres of OFB are engaged in development offuturistic requirements of the Forces such as ‘Futuristic Infantry CombatVehicle’.‘AirDefenceGunforArmy’,‘MountedGunSystem’,forwhichOFBhas associated with IITs and other Institutions of repute for indigenousdevelopmentoftechnologiesandproducts.Website:www.ofbindia.gov.in

DefenceUndertakingsHindustan Aeronautics Limited: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL),established in 1940, is a premier aeronautical Company of Asia. HAL, aNavratna DPSU with 20 production Divisions and 11 R&D centers spreadacrossthecountryinninegeographicallocations.HAL’sexpertiseencompassesDesignandDevelopment,production,repair,overhaulandupgradeofAircraft,Helicopters, Aero-engines, Accessories, Avionics and Systems. HAL isproviding maintenance support to Indian Defence Services for all the fleetsuppliedbyHALincludingfleetsuchasHS-748,Cheetah/ChetaketcforwhichOEMshave discontinued their support. TheCompany also supports non-HALproduced Aircraft and engines like Mirage 2000, An-32, Seaking helicoptermodules,Gnomeengine,TM-3332B2Engineetc.HAL’smaintenancesupporttoIndianArmyandtoCoastGuardis100percentoftheirfleetandinrespectofIndianAirForce and IndianNavy it is 75per cent and61per cent.HALhaspositioned itself as a comprehensive solution provider to the Indian Defence

http://www.ofbindia.gov.in

Servicesforaviationrequirementsthatincludetrainer,fighter,transportaircraftandlighthelicopters.Website:www.hal-india.co.inBharatElectronicsLimited:BharatElectronicsLimited(BEL)aNavaratnaPSU,was established in 1954. BEL has ninemanufacturing units across India. ThecompanyhascorecompetencyinareasofDefenceCommunications,Radars&Missile Systems, Sonars & Fire Control Systems, Electronic Warfare andAvionicsSystems,NetworkCentricSystems,Electro-Optics,TankElectronics,Home Land Security etc. Around 88 per cent of turnover comes from thesebusiness segments. In the non-defence area, BEL manufactures ElectronicVotingMachines(EVMs),TabletPCs(BELdesigned),DopplerWeatherRadars,large variety of components like integrated circuits, hybrid micro circuits,semiconductordevices,solarcells,etc.Apartfromthese,BELalsohaspresenceintheareasofAccessControlsystemsandselectnon-defenceapplications.Website:www.bel-india.inBEMLLimited:BharatEarthMoversLimited(BEML),incorporatedin1964,isa Mini-Ratna (Category-I) Public Sector Undertaking, under the Ministry ofDefence engaged in the design, development, manufacturing and after-sales -serviceof awide rangeofproducts for core sectorsof economy such as coal,mining, steel, cement, power, irrigation, construction, road building, Defence,Railway and Metro transportation system and Aerospace. BEML operates inthree business segments-mining and construction, defence and aerospace, railandmetroandinternationalbusinessdivisionforexportactivities.Website:www.bemlindia.inBharat Dynamics Limited: Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) a Mini RatnaCategory-ICompanywasincorporatedin1970undertheMinistryofDefence.ApioneerinthemanufactureofAnti-TankGuidedMissiles(ATGM),today,BDLhas evolved as a conglomerate manufacturing ATGMs of latest generations,Surface-to-Air weapon systems, strategic weapons, launchers, underwaterweapons, decoys and test equipment. Refurbishment and life extension ofvintagemissilesinlinewiththerequirementofarmedforcesisalsobeingdonetoenhancethevaluewithretentionofquality.Website:www.bdl-india.inMazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited: Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited(MDL)isaleadingDefencePSUestablishedaspubliclimitedcompanyin1934.TheCompanywastakenoverbytheGovernmentofIndiain1960withtheaimofbuildingindigenouswarships.MDLhasbuiltanddeliveredvarioustypesof

http://www.hal-india.co.in

http://www.bel-india.in

http://www.bemlindia.in

http://www.bdl-india.in

warships like destroyers, frigates, missile corvettes, missile boats andsubmarinesbesidescommercialvesselsandrigs/platformsforONGC.

TheCompanyhasupgradedandaugmenteditswarshipconstructionfacilitiesinthisregard,newfacilitiesofadditionalproductionline,moduleworkshopandwet basin have been created as part of the modernization plan. The newassemblyworkshophasbeendevelopedforsubmarineconstruction.Website:www.mazagondeck.inGardenReachShipbuildersandEngineersLimited:GardenReachShipbuildersandEngineersLtd(GRSE),aMiniRatnaCategory-ICompanywasincorporatedasaDefencePSUin1960.Over theyears,GRSEhasestablishedwellprovencapabilities for in-house ship design/ shipbuilding and has made significantcontributiontothesuccessoftheindigenouswarshipconstructionprogramme.Ithas emerged as a leading shipyard, building awide array of vessels, from thestate-of-the-art fast attack crafts to world class stealth frigates. Apart fromshipbuilding and ship repair, GRSE has also diversified into engineeringbusinesswithproductprofileofdieselengines,variousdeckmachineryandpre-fabricated steel bridges,. The Shipyard hasmodernized its diesel engine plantrecently and has tied up withMTUGermany to indigenize manufacturing ofmarineengines.Website:www.grse.inGoaShipyardLimited:GoaShipyardLimited(GSL)isaMiniRatnaGroup-Istatus company and is capable of indigenously designing and building hightechnologyandsophisticatedshipstomeetthecrucialmaritimesecurityneedsofthecountry.Foroverfourdecadesandmore,GSLhasdesignedandbuiltwideranges of sophisticated vessels for defence commercial sectors with specialexpertise in buildingmodern patrol vessels of steel and alumimum hull. GSLproduct range includes Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), fast patrol vessels,missile boats, survey vessels, landing craft utility vessels and other auxiliaryvessels.IthasalsosuccessfullyventuredintobuildingGlassReinforcedPlastic(GRP)Interceptorboats.Website:www.goashipyard.inHindustanShipyardLtd:HindustanShipyardLtd(HSL)wassetuporiginallyin1941bySethWalchandHerachandtopromoteindigenousshipbuildingindustry.TheshipyardwastransferredtoMinistryofDefencein2010.Theshipyardhasvery good infrastructure and potential of emerging as leading shipyard on theeastern coast.HSL has been entrusted for undertaking construction of variousvessels including patrol vessels, repair of submarine, etc. Since inception the

http://www.mazagondeck.in

http://www.grse.in

http://www.goashipyard.in

shipyardhasbuilt179ships.HSLislocatedontheeastcoastofthecountryandisnation’spremiumshipbuildingandshipsubmarinerepairorganization.Website:www.hslvizag.inMishraDhatuNigamLtd:MishraDhatuNigamLimited(MIDHANI)wassetupin the early 1970s’ initially to manufacture critical materials required in thestrategic sectors of India’s defence industry. MIDHANI manufacturessuperalloys,titaniumalloys,specialsteels,magneticalloysinvariousformslikecastingots,forgings,hotrolledandcoldrolledrods,wire,sheetsandstrips,nearnet shapes, investment castings and industrial fasteners. As part of its CSRactivity,italsomanufacturesbiomedicalimplantsfortheneedypatients.Website:www.midhani-india.inDirectorate General of Quality Assurance: Directorate General of QualityAssurance(DGQA)isresponsibleforqualityassuranceofalldefencestoresandequipments,bothindigenousaswellas.importedforthearmy,navy(excludingNaval Armaments) and common user items for the air force procured fromordnance factories, public sector undertakings andprivate sector. It has a vitalrole toplayindefencepreparednessof thecountry.DGQAcarriesoutdetailedtechnicalevaluationofweaponsandequipmentbeforetheseareinductedintheArmy.Thereisaparadigmshift inroleofDGQAfromqualityaudit toqualitymanagementandprocessauditofthemanufacturewithaviewthatacontrolledsystemwouldgivequalityproductautomatically.Website:www.dgqadefence.gov.in

DirectorateGeneralofAeronauticalQualityAssurance:

Directorate General of Aeronautical Quality Assurance (DGAQA) is thequalityassurance(QA)regulatoryauthorityformilitaryaviationstoresforIAF,armyaviation,navalaviationandindianCoastGuard.ItprovidesQAcoveragetomilitaryaircraft,helicopter,associatedaccessories,airarmaments,unmannedaerial Vehicles (UAV), missiles, etc. during design, development, production,overhaul, repair, up-gradation and modification at various defence PSUs,ordnancefactories,DRDOlabs,oilrefineries,privatetradefirms,etc.DGAQAalsoplaysvital role in technicalevaluation, field trials,pre-dispatch inspection(PDI)duringforeignprocurementofmilitaryaviationstores.Website:www.dgaeroqa.gov.in

DirectorateofStandardization

http://www.hslvizag.in

http://www.midhani-india.in

http://www.dgqadefence.gov.in

http://www.dgaeroqa.gov.in

The Directorate of Standardisation (DoS) came into existence in 1962 tocontainproliferationofdefenceinventoryofthethreeservicesandtoreduceittooptimumlevelbyestablishingcommonalityinequipment/componentswhichisprogressivelyachievedthroughformulationofvariedstandardisationdocuments,codificationofitemsandentrycontrol.Website:www.ddpdos.gov.in

DirectorateofPlanningandCoordinationThe Directorate of Planning and Coordination, an attached office of

DepartmentofDefenceProduction,wasestablishedin1964.TheDirectorateisprimarilymandatedtopromoteindigenizationindefencesectorthroughvariousenabling policies viz-’Make in India’ initiative, liberalization of FDI Policy /Industrial licensing policy, providing level playing field to private sector andgiving preference to procurement from indigenous route. The Directorate isresponsible to maintain and update the ‘Make in India1 portal on Defencewebsite. The Directorate strives to foster international cooperation in defencesectorandboostexportofdefenceequipmenttoothercountries.Inaddition,theDirectorate renders advice from DDP’s perspective on capital acquisitionproposalsofServiceHeadquartersandalsoplayssignificantroleinstreamingofDefenceProcurementProcedure(DDP).TheDirectorateisalsoplayingkeyroleintheongoingmodernisationofShipyards.

InternationalExhibitionsinIndiaTo provide a platform for the Indian defence industry to showcase its

capabilities, DEO organizes two biennial International exhibitions in India,namely, Aero India and Defexpo India. While Aero India is dedicated toaerospace and aviation industry, focus of Defexpo India is on land and navalsystems.

InternationalExhibitionsAbroadWith a view to provide an impetus to export potential to Indian Defence

Industry, DEO organizes “India Pavillion” in major defence internationalexhibitionsabroad todevelopmarket fordefenceproductsbeingmanufacturedbythem.

NationalInstituteforResearchandDevelopmentinDefenceShipbuilding

National Institute for Research and Development in Defence Shipbuilding(NIRDESH)was set up atKozhikode,Keralawith the objective of achieving

http://www.ddpdos.gov.in

self-reliance in shipbuilding. The Institute has been envisaged as a Centre ofExcellence for India’s futuristic shipbuilding programmes. The thrust areas ofNIRDESHwould beR&D, ship design, technology development and trainingalongwithindustryinterfacing,trainingandprojectmanagement.

ResearchandDevelopmentDefence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) is the research

and development arm of theMinistry of Defence. It was created in 1958 bymergingtheunitsofDefenceScienceOrganisation,whichwassetupin1948toadviseandassist theDefenceServicesonscientificproblemsand toundertakeresearch in areas related to defence, with the then existing TechnicalDevelopment Establishments of the three Services. Subsequently, a separateDepartmentofDefenceResearchandDevelopment(DDRandD)wasformedin1980 to improve administrative efficiency. Starting from a cluster of about 10laboratoriesin1958,DRDOtodayhas46laboratorieswhicharespreadfarandwide;fromTezpurintheeasttoMumbaiinthewest,fromLehinthenorthtoKochi in the south.DRDO’smandate is to provide assessment and advise onscientific aspects ofweapons, platforms and surveillance sensors; to carry outresearchandtodevelopcutting-edgetechnologiesleadingtoproductionofstate-of the-art sensors, weapon systems, platforms and allied equipment for ourDefenceServices.

In the recentpast, themandatehasbeenwidened to support national cybersecurity architecture which includes testing capabilities, security solutions,networking systems and cyber defence tools. In this process, it has alsoestablished national infrastructure, enhanced defence industrial capability anddevelopedcommittedqualityhumanresources.

DRDOisheadedbytheScientificAdvisertoRakshaMantriwhoisalsotheSecretary, Department of Defence Research and Development and DirectorGeneralRandD (DGRandD).Basedon theRandDwork carriedoutby the46laboratoriesofDRDO,theyaregroupedintoseventechnologyclustersnamely,Armament and Combat Engineering Systems (ACE), Aeronautical Systems(AERO),Missiles andStrategicSystems (MSS),NavalSystemsandMaterials(NSandM),ElectronicsandCommunicationSystems(ECS),MicroElectronicDevicesandComputationalSystems(MEDandCoS)andLifeSciences(LS).

HumanResourcesBeing a mission mode organisation, DRDO follows a dynamic system of

manpowerplanning.Authorisationisreviewedaftereverytwoyearstomeetthe

contingentrequirementsonaccountofworkloadandnewprojectsundertakenbythelaboratories.Theorganisationoptimallyutilisesmanpowerthroughdynamicmanpowermanagement system.To keep the organisation young and energeticandalsotofilldeficienciescreatedonaccountofretirementandsuperannuation,scientists are being inducted every year as required bythe laboratories.DRDOfollows online receipt of applications under all recruitment and assessmentactivitiestherebydiscontinuingtheoffline/paperapplicationinDRDO.Ithasatotalstrengthof25,966employees,outofwhich7,574areinDefenceResearchand Development Service (DRDS), 9,643 in Defence Research and TechnicalCadre(DRTC)and8,775areinAdministrationandAlliedCadre.

The DRDO ensures training to all cadres of personnel through traininginstitutes,likeDIAT,Pune(fortechnicalcourses);ITM,Mussoorie(fortechno-managerial programmes) and Defence Laboratory, Jodhpur (for technical,administrativeandalliedcadre).Everyyearfewselectedscientistsaredeputedto undergo ME/ MTech/ PhD at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), IndianInstitute of Science (IISc) and other reputed Indian universities under thesponsorshipprogramme.ATargetedTrainingCentrehasbeensetupatDrRajaRamanna Complex, Bangalore for DRDO scientists. Continuing EducationProgramme(CEP)arealsopartofDRDOannualtrainingschedule.

ResettlementofEx-ServicemenThe Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare (DESW) formulates various

policies and programmes for the welfare and resettlement of Ex-Servicemen(ESM)inthecountry.TheDepartmenthastwoDivisionsviz.ResettlementandPension, and 3 Attached Offices namely Kendriya Sainik Board Sectt. (KSBSectt.),DirectorateGeneral(Resettlement)(DGR)andCentralOrganisation,Ex-ServicemenContributoryHealthScheme(CO,ECHS).

KendriyaSainikBoardKendriyaSainikBoard(KSB)SecttistheapexbodyofgovernmentofIndia

responsible for implementing government policies for welfare of war-widows/disabledsoldiers,ESMandtheirdependents.Itisassistedinitstaskby32Rajya SainikBoards and 392 Zila SainikBoards. TheArmed Forces FlagDay Fund(AFFDF) is the major source for providing financial assistance toneedywarwidows/disabled,ESMandtheirdependents.Website:www.ksb.gov.in

DirectorateGeneralofResettlement

http://www.ksb.gov.in

Directorate General of Resettlement (DGR) is a tri-service organizationwhichlooksaftervariousaspectsofresettlementandoffersmultifariousavenuesofEmployment,SelfEmploymentandTrainingtoOfficers,JCOs/ORandtheirequivalentsinotherServicesaswellaswidowsanddependents.Nearly60,000Armed Forces personnel retire or are released from active service every year,mostofthembeinginthecomparativelyyoungeragebracketof35to45yearsandneedasecondcareertosupporttheirfamilies.Thesepersonnelconstituteavaluable, disciplined, well-trained, dedicated and talented pool available fornationbuilding.Website:www.dgrindia.com

TrainingProgrammesDGRisentrustedwiththeresponsibilityofpreparingretiring/retiredservice

personnel for a second career. These resettlement courses are selected with afocusonemployabilityofESMinSociety.Officers’ Training: For training of ESM (Officers), the Resettlement TrainingProgrammes are conducted including 24WeeksManagementCourses at IIMsand other reputed B-Schools, Modular Management courses like ProjectFinance,AcademicInstitutions,SupplyChain,Retail,HumanResource,Facility,Export& Import, Event Six Sigma, Jet Transition andSeafaring, etc. at otherreputed institutes. Besides, specially designed six week course on CorporateSecurityandSafetyhavebeen inexistence forofficers looking toventure intoselfemploymentfieldssuchassecurityagencies.60percentcoursefeeispaidbyDGR.Widowsofofficersarealsoeligibletoundergothesecourses.JCOs/ORandEquivalentTraining:ForJCOs/ORsandequivalent,thetrainingcourses are conducted for a duration upto one year in diverse fields, such asSecurity, Fire and Industrial Safety, Computer and IT including ‘O’ Level,Hospitality,Tourism,Agribased,BusinessManagement,ModularManagement,Vocational and Technical,Medical&Healthcare and Library and InformationScience, etc. These courses are also run at reputed institutes of accreditation.Centpercentcourse fee ispaidbyDGR.Widows/onedependentof JCOs/ORarealsoeligible toundergoanycoursesponsoredbyDGR.ESMarenowalsoentitled to apply for regular DGR training which are not fully subscribed byretiringpersonnel.ThemoveofallowingESMtoattendregularDGRcoursesisaimed to benefit all those ex-servicemenwho have not done any resettlementcourseinthepastandaredesiroustodothesecoursestohonetheirskill.Atleasttwocourses areplannedeverymonthat all theRegimentalCentres toprovidevarietyofcoursestotheretireesonpensiondrill.

http://www.dgrindia.com

ESMTraining: Under this scheme, funds are allotted to RSBs for conductingvocational training forESMin their states.The scheme isprimarilymeant forthose ESM who could not avail the facility of resettlement training while inservice.

EmploymentOpportunitiesReservationinGovernmentJobs:TheCentralGovernmenthasprovidedforthefollowing reservation forESMforvacancies in theposts tobe filledbydirectrecruitment: (a) 10 per cent inGroup ‘C’ posts and 20 per cent inGroup ‘D’posts.Inaddition4.5percentreservationineachcategoryismeantfordisabledsoldiers andwidows/dependents. (b) 14.5 per cent inGroup ‘C’ and 24.5 percentGroup‘D’postsinPSUsandnationalisedbanks.(c)10percentpostsuptoAssistant Commandants in paramilitary forces. (d) cent per cent in DefenceSecurityCorps.Implementation of Reservation: The Government has designated DirectorateGeneral Resettlement as Nodal agency for the monitoring implementation ofreservation policy forESM.Half yearly report for the period ending June 30,2015hasbeencompiledbasedondatareceivedfromvariousorganisations.JobsintheCorporate/PrivateSector:SubstantialemploymentforESMcanbegenerated in the Private/Corporate sector. In order to generate awareness andurge these sectors to employ ESM, a National Corporate Conclave wasconducted by DGR in August 2014 where the competence of the ESMwerepresented to CorporateHeads and the RakshaMantri urged them to open theemploymentopportunitiesforESM.DGRhassignedaMoUwithConfederationofIndianIndustries(CII)towardsthisend.

SchemesforSelfEmploymentCoal Transportation Schemes and Tipper Attachment: This scheme has beenreenergisedbyissueofnewMoUandguidelinesinJuly2014.Company Owned Company Operated Retail Outlets: In accordance with thepolicy guidelines issued by theMinistry of Petroleum andNaturalGas,DGRsponsorsofficersformanagementofRetailOutletsofIOCL,BPCLandHPCLalloverIndiaundertheCompanyOwnedCompanyOperated(COCO)Schemes.Gopaljee Dairy and Fresh Farm: The scheme aims at providing self-employmenttoJCOs/ORsintheNationalCapitalRegion(NCR).Management ofCNGStations byESM inNCR: The scope of the scheme hasbeenextendedtocoverentireNCRtoincludeNoida,FaridabadandGurugram.AllotmentofArmySurplusClassV‘B’Vehicles:ExServicemenandwidowsof

Defencepersonnel,whodiedwhileinservice,areeligibletoapplyforallotmentof Army Surplus Class V ‘B’ Vehicles. 75 ESM were registered with DGRduringtheyear.OilProductAgenciesScheme: Inaccordancewith thePolicyguidelines issuedbytheMinistryofPetroleum&NaturalGas/OilCompany,DGRismandatedtoissueeligibilitycertificatesforallotmentofoilproductagenciesunderthe8percentdefencequota.

HealthcareEx-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme: Ex-Servicemen ContributoryHealth Scheme (ECHS)was launched in 2003. The Schemewas expanded inOctober 2010. ECHS aims to provide quality healthcare to Ex-Servicemen(ESM) and their dependents through a network of ECHS Polyclinics, Servicemedicalfacilitiesandcivilempanelled/Governmenthospitalsspreadacrossthecountry. The Scheme has been structured on the lines of CentralGovernmentHealthScheme(CGHS)andisfinancedbytheGovernmentofIndia.Endeavouris to ensure cashless treatment by utilising the empanelled hospitals for theveteransandtheirdependents.

ECHS Polyclinics are designed to provide ‘Out Patient Care’ that includesconsultations, essential investigation and provision of medicines. Specialisedconsultations, investigations and ‘InPatientCare’ (Hospitalisation) isprovidedthrough spare capacity available in servicehospitals, allGovernmenthospitalsandalsothroughcivilmedicalfacilitiesempanelledwithECHS.Central Organisation: At the apex level is the Central Organisation, ECHSlocatedinDelhi,whichfunctionsunder theChiefsofStaffCommitteethroughthe Adjutant General in the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence(Army). The Central Organisation is headed by a serving Major General.Executive control of ECHS is vested with Department of Ex-ServicemenWelfare.ECHSToll-FreeHelpline:ECHSTollfreeHelplinehasbeenmadeavailableforall ECHS members at 1800-114-115 for resolving queries on membership,treatmentandemployment.TheserviceisavailablefromMondaytoFridayonallworkingdaysfrom0900-1700hours.ECHSWebsite:All information regardingECHS, including list of empanelledfacilities, forms for membership and latest policies, etc. are available onwww.echs.gov.in.

DefencePensions

http://www.echs.gov.in

Pension to approximately 32 lakh Defence pensioners/family pensioners isdisbursedthrough21publicsectorbanks,3privatesectorbanks,308treasuries,64 Defence Pension Disbursing Offices (DPDOs), 1 post office, 5 Pay andAccounts Offices (PAOs) scattered all over India. For the Armed ForcesPensionersresidinginNepal,disbursementofpensionisdonethrough3PensionPaymentOffices(PPOs).

10 Education

THE essence of human resource development is education, which plays asignificant and remedial role in balancing the socio-economic fabric of thecountry.SincecitizensofIndiaareitsmostvaluableresource,thebillion-strongnation needs the nurture and care in the form of basic education to achieve abetter quality of life. This warrants an all-round development of the citizens,which can be achieved by building strong foundations in education. Goodquality education is the foundation of new discoveries, new knowledge,innovation and entrepreneurship that trigger growth and prosperity of theindividualaswellasthatofanation.Forthis,weneedtomakethecurriculumand pedagogy relevant to the needs of the society and economy and nurturequalities of problem solving and creative thinking, learning-by-doing, greaterengagementwith the live context, and confident self-expression froma youngage.

To lay emphasis on the educational development of students of weakersectionsofthesociety,anumberofinnovativeinitiativeshavebeentakenbytheMinistry suchas (i) settingupofnationalmonitoringcommitteeonminorities(ii)settingupofnationalmonitoringcommittee foreducationofSCs,STsandpersonswithdisabilities(iii)studentsupportinitiativessuchasNationalMeans-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS), National Scheme of Incentive toGirls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE), Special Scholarship Scheme forJammu and Kashmir, scheme of interest subsidy on educational loans (iv)regulations on prevention of discrimination and estasblishment of ombudsmanand (v) development of an anti-raggingweb portal.Currently, theMinistry ofHumanResourceDevelopmentworksthroughtwodepartments:DepartmentofSchoolEducationandLiteracy,andDepartmentofHigherEducation.Website:www.mhrd.gov.in

RightofChildrentoFreeandCompulsoryEducationandSarvaShikshaAbhiyan

Article21-Aof theConstitutionof India and its consequent legislation, the

http://www.mhrd.gov.in

RightofChildrentoFreeandCompulsoryEducation(RTE)Act,2009becameoperative in thecountry in2010.TheRTEActconfers the right toelementaryeducationonallchildren,intheagegroupof6-14years,onthebasisofequalityof opportunity in a formal school which satisfies certain essential norms andstandards.AllstatesandUTshavenotifiedtheirstateRTERules.ThecentrallysponsoredschemeofSarvaShikshaAbhiyan(SSA)supportsstatesandUTsintheir efforts to implement the RTE Act. Its interventions include, inter alia,opening of new schools, construction of schools and additional classrooms,constructing toilets and drinkingwater facilities, provisioning for teachers, in-servicetrainingforteachersandacademicresourcesupport,freetextbooksanduniforms, support for improving learning achievement levels, research,evaluationandmonitoring.

ProgrammeInterventionsI. Universal Access: The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) Programme is beingimplemented since 2001 for universalization of elementary education. It hasmadesignificantprogressinachievingnearuniversalaccessandequity.(a)NewSchools:ProgressinachievingthegoalofuniversalaccessunderSSAhasbeenconsistentovertheyears.Overtheyears2,04,740primaryschoolshavebeensanctionedalongwith1,59,415upperprimaryschoolsinaradiusof3km.(b) Special Training for mainstreaming out-of-school children: The RTE Actmakes a specific provision for Special Training for age-appropriate admissionfor out-of-school children. A majority of out-of-school children belong todisadvantaged communities - scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, Muslims,migrants, children with special needs, urban deprived children, workingchildren, children inotherdifficult circumstances, for example, those living indifficult terrain, children from displaced families, and areas affected by civilstrife,etc.Special trainingmaybe in the formof residentialornon-residentialcoursesorganized,preferablyinthepremisesoftheschool,butifsuchfacilitiesare not available in school, alternate facilities which are safe, secure andaccessiblemaybeidentifiedandused.(c)Residentialfacilities:SSAhasaprovisionforresidentialfacilitiesinsparselypopulatedorhillyanddenselyforestedareaswithdifficultgeographicalterrainsand in densely populated urban areas. SSA has provided 826 residentialinstitutionswithacapacityofaround90,855children.(d)TransportationorEscortfacilities:Thesefacilitiesareavailableforchildrenin remote habitations with sparse populations or in urban areas whereavailability of land is a problem or children belonging to extremely deprived

groupsorchildrenwithspecialneeds.(e)Uniforms:SSAprovidestwosetsofuniformtoallgirls,SC,STchildrenandBelow Poverty Line (BPL) children, wherever (i) state governments haveincorporated provision of school uniforms as a child entitlement in their stateRTERules,and(ii)stategovernmentsarenotalreadyprovidinguniformsfromthestatebudgets.

II.BridgingGenderGapsinElementaryEducation(a) Girls’ Education: RTE-SSA provides a clear thrust and special focus oneducationforgirlsandchildrenbelongingtodisadvantagedgroupsandweakersections. The general interventions under SSA apply to all girls and childrenbelonging to disadvantaged and weaker sections; these include ensuringavailability of primary and upper primary schools within the habitation asprescribed under the RTE Rules, uniforms, textbooks, etc. Special Traininginterventionsarealsolargelyfocusedongirlsanddisadvantagedgroups,becauseit isthiscategoryofchildrenwhoaremostdeprivedofopportunitiestopursuetheireducation.(b) Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV): KGBV are residential upperprimaryschoolsforgirlsfromSC,ST,OBCMuslimcommunitiesandBPLgirls.KGBVs are set up in educational backward blockswhere schools are at greatdistances and are a challenge to their security of girls. KGBVs reach out toadolescentgirlswhoareunabletogotoregularschoolstooutofschoolgirlsinthe10+agegroupwhoareunabletocompleteprimaryschoolandyoungergirlsofmigratory populations in difficult areas of scattered habitations that do notqualify for primary/upper primary schools. KGBVs provide for a minimumreservationof75percentseatsforgirlsfromSC/ST/OBCandminoritiesand25percenttogirlsfromfamiliesthatlivebelowthepovertyline.3,600KGBVsarefunctionalinthestatesand3,66,756girlsareenrolledinthem.(c) Removal of Gender Bias: Following the National Curriculum Framework(NCF), 2005 guidelines, states have consciously taken a decision to establishgender as a critical marker of transformation through increasing visualrepresentation of girls and women and facilitating role reversal. Most of thestates have incorporated the gender sensitization in their regular SchoolManagement Committee (SMC) training modules to deal with issues such asenrolment, retention and completion of education of girls; creating suitableatmosphere for girl students in schools; rapport with female teachers fordiscussinggenderawareness,etc.Trainingsofteachersongenderrelatedissuesare organized in the states specifically for orientation on gender issues facing

adolescentgirlsinparticular.(d)DigitalGenderAtlasforAdvancingGirls’Education:DepartmentofSchoolEducationandLiteracyhaspreparedaDigitalGenderAtlasforadvancinggirls’educationinthecountryonitswebsite.Thetool,whichhasbeendevelopedwiththe support ofUNICEF,will help identify lowperforminggeographic pocketsfor girls, particularly from marginalized groups such as scheduled castes,scheduletribesandMuslims,onspecificgenderrelatededucationindicators.Inorder toplanandexecuteeducational interventions, thepurposeof theGenderAtlas is to help identify and ensure equitable education with a focus onvulnerablegirls,includinggirlswithdisabilities.(e)SeparateGirls’Toilets:UnderSSA,therequirementofschoolinfrastructurefacilitiesincludingtoiletsanddrinkingwaterareworkedoutbythestatebasedon need at school/village/block and district level. All new schools sanctionedunderSSAarecompositeschoolswithfacilitiesliketoiletsforboysandgirls.

III.InclusiveEducation(a)SCs/STsandMuslims

EnrolmentofSCchildrenhasgoneupfrom19.06percentin2010-11to19.8per cent in 2015-16 at elementary level which is more than their share inpopulationat16.60percent(asperCensus2011).EnrolmentofSTchildrenhasmarginallygonedownfrom10.70percentin2010-11to10.35percentin2015-16atelementarylevelwhichismorethantheirshareofpopulationat8.60percent (as per census 2011). Enrolment ofMuslim children has grown up from12.50percentin2010-11to13.8percentin2015-16atelementarylevelwhichisslightlylessthantheirshareinpopulation(14.2percentasperCensus2011).(b)ChildrenwithSpecialNeeds

RTE-SSAseekstoensurethateverychildwithspecialneeds,irrespectiveofthekind,categoryanddegreeofdisability, isprovidedmeaningfulandqualityeducation.ThemaincomponentsofSSAinterventionsforsuchchildrenincludeidentification, functional and formal assessment, appropriate educationalplacement,preparationofindividualizededucationalplan,provisionofaidsandappliances, teachertraining,resourcesupport,removalofarchitecturalbarriers,monitoringandevaluationandaspecialfocusongirlswithspecialneeds.(c)TextbooksforChildren

All children are provided free textbooks up to class VIII. In 2016-17provision was made for providing text books to 8.38 crore children.Concomitantlyworkbooksandworksheetsarebeingprovidedbyseveralstates,

to facilitate activity-based classroom processes and to supplement learningprocesses.

IV.Sub-ProgrammesunderSSA(a)ThePadheBharatBadheBharat (PBBB),a sub-programmeof theSSA, inclasses I and II is focusing on foundational learning in early grades with anemphasis on reading,writing and comprehension andmathematics. States andUTs have been implementing specific interventions like ABL in Tamil Nadu,Nalli Kali in Karnataka, Pragya in Gujarat; steps have been taken to developspecificteachertrainingmodulesforteachersteachingstudentsinclasses1andII. Punjab, Meghalaya, Delhi have introduced programmes for strengtheningteaching of maths in classes I and II; in Sikkim schools have set up readingcornersforchildreninthefoundationalclassesthroughsupportfromcommunitymembers.(b) The Rashtriya Aavishkar Abhiyan (RAA), also under the SSA, aims tomotivate and engage children of the age group 6-18 years, in science,mathematicsandtechnologybyobservation,experimentation,inferencedrawingand model building, through both inside and outside classroom activities.SchoolshavebeenadoptedformentoringbyinstitutionsofhighereducationlikeIIT’s,IISER’sandNIT’s.(c) Vidyanjali, another sub-programme under SSA, was launched to enhancecommunity and private sector involvement in Government run elementaryschools across the country. The aim of the programme is to strengthenimplementation of co-scholastic activities in government schools throughservicesofvolunteers.(d)ShaGunportal-anInitiativetomonitortheimplementationofSSA:MHRDhas developed a web portal called ShaGun. It aims to capture and showcaseinnovations and progress in elementary education sector by continuousmonitoring. ShaGun will help monitor progress by assessing performance ofstatesandUTsonkeyparametersandtherebyserveasaplatformforthecentralgovernment for effective planning and deliver on the promise of providingqualityeducationtoall.ShaGun,whichhasbeencoinedfromthewords‘Shala’meaning schools and ‘Gunvatta’ meaning quality, has been developed with atwintrackapproach.Ithasanonlinemonitoringmoduletomeasurestate-levelperformance and progress against key educational indicators. It has beendeveloped to collect and report data which will enable the government andadministrators to track the efficiencywithwhichSSA funds are beingutilizedand the results that this is delivering. The SSA ShaGun web portal can be

accessedathttp://ssashagun.nic.in.

V.TeacherTraining(a) Availability of Teachers: To meet the shortage of teachers in elementaryschools,19.49lakhadditionalpostshavebeensanctionedunderSSAupto2016-17. After RTE it is mandatory that only those people may be appointed asteachers who are able to clear TET. CBSE has conducted eleven rounds ofTeacherEligibilityTests(TETs).Apartfromthese2.34lakhpart-timeinstructorshavealsobeensanctionedunderSSA.(b)In-serviceTeacherTraining:Toupgradeskillsofteachers,SSAprovidesforannualin-servicetrainingupto20daysforallteachers.Supportof₹6,000perteacher per year is provided for two years to untrained teachers, alreadyemployed for the NCTE recognized training programme. Apart from thisinduction training for 30 days is given to freshly trained recruits.All trainingprogrammes cover pedagogical issues, including content and methodology,aimed at improving teaching learning transactions in classrooms and learningprocessinschools.SomeofthemajorfocusareasincludeguidingprinciplesofNCF 2005, CCE, how children learn, subject-specific content or learningdifficulties,activity-orientedmethods,useofTLMsorlearningkits,etc.(c)TrainingofHeadmasters:Inordertoorienttheteachersinmanagerialskillstheheadsoftheschoolsareprovidedtrainingfor10daysinacademicfinancialandhumanresourcemanagement.(d) Distance Education Programmes for Teachers: Capacity building ofinstitutionsandpersonnelatthenational,state,districtandsub-districtlevelsisbeing facilitated with assistance of IGNOU and other teacher educationinstitutions in different states. The distance education programme providestechnical and academic support in designing, developing, producing anddeliveringdistance learninginputsandmaterials trainingofuntrainedteachers,thusfacilitatingtrainingofprofessionallyuntrainedteachersinthestates.

VI.AcademicSupportSystem(a)Academic Support Structures: 6,759 Block Resource Centres (BRCs) and76,064ClusterResourceCentres(CRCs)havebeensetupacrossthecountryasresource centers in each block and cluster, to provide decentralized academicsupport,trainingandsupervisiontoteachersandschools.(b)SchoolandTeacherGrants: SSA also provides annual teacher grants of₹500 to all teachers for developing contextual teaching aids. DIETs and BRCshold regular workshop and training programmes to develop subject and topic

http://ssashagun.nic.in

relatedlowcostteachingaids.Inaddition,anannualschoolgrantof₹5000isprovidedtoeachprimaryand₹7,000toeachupperprimaryschoolseparately,to meet the cost of school consumables,₹ 7500 per school is given to eachschoolformaintenancepurposes.Fornewschools,onetime‘TeachingLearningEquipment’ grant a₹ 20,000 per new primary school and₹ 50,000 per newupperprimaryschoolisprovidedforschoolequipmentandsettingupexpenses.(c)Computeraidedlearning:UnderSSA,grantupto₹50lakhisavailabletoeach district for strengthening computer aided learning in schools to supportenhancement of children’s learning. Activities include providing computerequipment or labs to schools, development of curriculum-based e-learningmaterials in local languages, and training of teachers in computer use. Sinceinception of the programme, approximately 1,06,753 schools have benefittedfromthisintervention.(d)LearningEnhancementProgrammes:2percentof the totalSSAoutlayforeachdistricthasbeenmadeavailablefor‘LearningEnhancementProgrammes’thataimsspecificallyatimprovingthequalityoflearningprocessesandlearningoutcomes.(e) Improving student learning outcomes: The impact of various qualityinterventions of SSA are reflected in the enhancement of children’s learninglevels.Beingamajorthrustarea,NCERTlaunchedaprogrammetomeasuretheachievementlevelofallchildrenstudyinginclassesIII,VandVIII.ImprovingstudentlearningoutcomeshasbeenthekeycomponentofSSA.

VII.InfrastructureRTE-SSA provides flexibility to states in the execution of civil works.

Neitherdesignsnorunitcostsarecentrallyprescribed.Statesarefreetoevolvebuildingdesignsbasedonlocalsiteconditionsanddevelopcostestimatesbasedon the state schedule of rates notified by the state governments. Schoolinfrastructureprovisions,however, isnotastandaloneactivity.Thedesignandqualityofschoolinfrastructurehasasignificantimpactonenrolment,attendanceand retention of children in schools. Thus ‘civil works’ under SSA areundertaken toprovideallweatherbuildingasperprovisionofRTEAct.RTE-SSAencouragesparticipationbythelocalcommunityinallcivilworkactivitiesinordertoinstilasenseofownershipinthem.

RTE-SSA also supports repair of old school buildings, provision of schoolbuildings in respect of building less, dilapidated schools and retrofitting ofschoolbuildingstomakethemhazardresistant.

VIII.SchoolManagementCommitteesandCommunityParticipation

SSA has always acknowledged the importance of ‘community ownership’pertaining toeffective functioningofgovernment schools.Aspernorms ithasbeen made mandatory for the schools to constitute School ManagementCommittees (SMC) wherein the parents/guardians of students studying in therespectiveschoolarethemembers.

IX.MonitoringInstitutesInstitutions,includinguniversitydepartmentsofeducation,socialscienceand

institutesofnationalstaturehavebeenassignedtheworkofperiodicmonitoringofSSAimplementationinstatesandUTs.Inlargestatesmorethanoneinstitutehas been assigned the task of monitoring. These monitoring institutes arerequiredtomakefieldvisitsandreportonprogressofSSAatthegroundlevelevery six months. This cycle is repeated every two years. SSA programmemodifies the terms of reference of the monitoring institutes as and whenrequired.

X.AdmissionsunderSection12(1)(c)oftheRTEActSection12(1) (c)mandatesallprivateunaidedschoolsandspecialcategory

schools toreserveaminimumof25percentofseatsforeconomicallyweakersections. Under the SSA, the Government of India will reimburse the stateexpendituretowards25percentadmissionstoprivateunaidedschools,basedonper child cost norms notified by the state government, subject to amaximumceilingof20percentofthesizeoftheSSAannualworkplanandbudget.

RashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyanRashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyan(RMSAwas launched in2009with

theobjectivetoenhanceaccesstosecondaryeducationandimproveitsquality.The schemes envisages to enhance the enrolment at secondary stage byprovidingasecondaryschoolwitha reasonabledistanceofhabitation,withanaimtoensureGERof100percentanduniversalretentionby2020.Theotherobjectives include improving quality of education imparted at secondary levelthroughmaking all secondary schools conform to prescribednorms, removinggender,socio-economicanddisabilitybarriers,etc.

Some of the significant initiatives, under RMSA for improving quality ofeducationareas:-(i) Shaala Siddhi: School Standards and Evaluation Framework and its web

portal was launched in 2015. It is a comprehensive instrument for schoolevaluation leading to school improvement. Developed by the NationalUniversity of Educational Planning and Administration (NUEPA), it aims toenable schools to evaluate their performance in a more focused and strategicmanner and facilitate them to make professional judgments for improvement.The programme’s objective is to establish an agreed set of standards andbenchmarksforeachschool,byfocussingonkeyperformancedomainsandtheircorestandards.(ii)ShalaDarpan:The‘ShaalaDarpanProject’tocoverall the1099KendriyaVidyalayas was launched in June, 2015. The objective of this project is toprovideservicesbasedonschoolmanagementsystemstostudents,parentsandcommunities.Under school information services, the following list of serviceswill be enabled i.e., school profile management, student profile management,employee information, student attendance, leave management, report cards,curriculum trackingcustom,SMSalerts forparents / administratorsonstudentandteacherattendance.(iii)GISMapping:Toensureuniversal access to schools including secondaryschools within a reasonable distance of any habitation and without anydiscrimination, the geographic coordinates of school along with the schoolinformation available in UDISE is being uploaded on the school GIS Webenabled platform i.e. http://schoolgis.nic.in. All states have conducted GISmapping and shared geographical coordinates of schoolswith theNIC exceptJammuandKashmir.(iv) National Achievement Survey for Class X: The National AchievementSurvey for Class Xwas undertaken for the first time byMHRD. The surveyinvestigates student achievement in five subjects:English,mathematics, socialscience,scienceandmodernIndianlanguage.Thetesthasbeenadministeredin33 states and union territories after a scientific and robust process of sampledesign, test development and translation,with rigorous adherence to technicalprocedures.(v) Kala Utsav: Kala Utsav is an initiative of this Ministry to promote arts(music, theatre, dance, visual arts and crafts) in education by nurturing andshowcasing the artistic talent of school students at secondary stage in thecountry,anditisalsoaplatformtobringartstothecentrestageinaninclusiveenvironment.(vi)FocusonScienceandMaths:RashtriyaAvishkarAbhiyanlaunchedin2015:Under Rashtriya Avishkar Abhiyan, training of 1.04 lakh science and mathsteachers,mathandsciencekit,excursiontriptosciencecentresandmuseumfor

http://schoolgis.nic.in

students, special teaching on science and maths, science exhibition at districtlevel,teachingofVedicmaths,etc.,wereincludedunderRMSA.(vii) National Award For Teachers using ICT For Innovation In Education:Under the ICT inschools, topromotecomputerenabled learningandusageofICT in teaching in government and government aided secondary and highersecondaryschoolshasprovision for institutinganationalaward for innovativeuseofICTtomotivatetheteachersandteachereducatorsforinnovativeuseofICTinteaching-learning.

SamagraShikshaThe Department of School Education & Literacy launched an Integrated

Scheme for School Education- Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19. It envisages‘school’ as a continuun formpre-school, primary, upper primary, secondary toseniorsecondarylevels.

PreferenceistobegiventoEducationallyBackwardBlocks(EBBs),SpecialFocusDistricts (SFDs), border areas and the apirational districts identified byNITI Aayog. Allocation for uniforms has been enhanced from ₹150/250 to250/400perchildperannum.Energizedtextbookshavealsobeenintroduced.

NationalAchievementSurveyNational Achievement Survey (NAS) assessed the learning levels of the

studentsinclasses3,5,8and10;initiallythedistrictreportcardswerereleasedand later the state learning reports were made available on the website forclasses 3, 5 and 8 in May, 2018 and for Class 10 in November, 2018, Thefollowing two are the links to the State Learning Reports.http://www.ncert.nic.in/programmes/NAS/SRC.html andhttp://www.ncert.nic.in/progra.mmes/NAS/SRCX.html.

ThePostNASInterventions (2018-19)were initiated to reachout toall thedistrictsinthedifferentstates.Thelearninggapsidentifiedwereusedtoprovidefeedbacktothedistricts.Aframeworkofinterventiontoimprovethequalityoflearningintheschoolsisbeingsuggested.Thedesigningandimplementationoftheinterventionsincludeinitsambittheschoolleaders,teachersandthewholenetworkofofficialsatclusters,blocks,DIETs,SCERTand theDirectoratesofeducation,inthedifferentstates/UTs.

e-PathshalaNCERT books are available free in digital version on e-Pathshala app. 15

lakh students have downloaded the e-pathshala app. Visits in one year hascrossed30millionmark.

http://www.ncert.nic.in/programmes/NAS/SRC.html

http://www.ncert.nic.in/progra.mmes/NAS/SRCX.html

ParikshaPeCharchaPrime Minister’s Interaction Programme with school and college students

“ParikshaPeCharcha”washeldin2018.Itwasa‘TownHall’eventwhichwasunique in itself andwasplanned for the first timewherein thePrimeMinisterwas interactingLivewith school and college students throughweb interactionacross the country. Written questions were invited from the students for theprogrammeonMyGovplatform.

VocationalisationofSecondaryandHigherSecondaryEducation

The Centrally sponsored scheme of Vocationalisation of Secondary andHigherSecondaryEducationwasrevisedin2014withaviewtoalignitwiththeNational Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) into which the NVEQF hasbeen assimilated. The scheme has been subsumedUnder Integrated RashtriyaMadhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan. The specific objectives of the scheme are toenhance theemployabilityofyouth throughdemanddrivencompetencybased,modular vocational courses; to maintain their competitiveness throughprovisionsofmulti-entrymulti-exitlearningopportunitiesandverticalmobility/interchange ability in qualifications; to fill the gap between educated andemployable;andtoreducethedropoutrateatthesecondarylevelanddecreasethe pressure on academic higher education. The revised scheme whileintroducing vocational education at the secondary level, seeks to integratevocationaleducationwithgeneraleducationandprovidehorizontalandverticalmobilitytothestudents.

ConstructionandRunningofGirls’HostelThecentrallysponsoredschemeofConstructionandRunningofGirls’Hostel

forstudentsofsecondaryandhighersecondaryschoolswaslaunchedin2008-09and is being implemented from 2009-10 replacing the earlier NGO drivenscheme. The Scheme was subsumed under Rashtriya Madhyamik ShikshaAbhiyan(RMSA).Themainobjectiveof thehostelcomponentofRMSAis toimprove access and to retain the girl child in secondary and higher secondaryclasses (IX-XII) so that the girl students are not denied the opportunity tocontinuetheirstudyduetodistancetoschool,parents’financialaffordabilityandotherconnectedsocialfactors.Thegirlstudentsintheagegroupof14-18yearsstudyinginclassesIX-toXIIbelongingtoSC,ST,OBC,minoritycommunityandBPLfamiliesformthetargetgroupoftheScheme.

InclusiveEducationforDisabledatSecondaryStageTheSchemeofInclusiveEducationforDisabledatSecondarystage(IEDSS)

was launched in 2009-10 replacing the earlier schemeof IntegratedEducationforDisabled Children (IEDC). Inclusive Education for Disabled at SecondaryStage(IEDSS)componentwassubsumedunderRashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyan. It provides assistance for the inclusive education of the disabledchildreninclassesIX-XII.Theaimoftheschemeistoenableallstudentswithdisabilities, after completing eight years of elementary schooling, to pursuefurtherfouryearsofsecondaryschooling(classesIXtoXII)inaninclusiveandenablingenvironment.Theschemecoversallchildrenpassingoutofelementaryschool and studying at the secondary stage in government, local body andgovernment-aided schools, with one or more disabilities as defined under thePersonswithDisabilitiesAct,(1995),andtheNationalTrustAct(1999),namely(i) blindness, (ii) low vision, (iii) leprosy cured, (iv) hearing impairment, (v)loco-motordisabilities,(vi)mentalretardation,(vii)mentalillness,(viii)autism,(ix) cerebral palsy and may eventually cover speech impairment, learningdisabilities,etc.

Thecomponentsoftheschemeincludeassistancefortwomajorcomponentsi.e.-(a)student-orientedcomponents:(i)assessmentofmedical/educationalneeds,(ii)provisionofstudentspecificfacilities,likeassistivedevices,therapeuticservice,bookssupportservices,etc.(iii)developmentoflearningmaterial,iv)purchaseofscreenreadingsoftware.Girlswithdisabilityreceivespecialfocusandeffortsmadeundertheschemetohelpthemgainaccesstosecondaryschoolswithaprovisionofmonthlystipendof₹200/-forthedisabledgirls.₹3,000/-perchildperannumisprovidedasCentralassistancetobetoppedbythestatesbyascholarshipof₹600/-perdisabledchildperannum.(b)OtherComponents:(i)appointmentofspecialeducators,(ii)specialpayforgeneralteacherstrainedinspecialeducation-₹400/-permonth,(iii)constructionandequippingofresourcerooms,(iv)trainingofgeneralschoolteacherstobuildtheircapacitytofulfilltheneedsofchildrenwithspecialneeds(v)makeschoolsbarrierfree.

CentrallySponsoredSchemeforTeacherEducation(A)StrengtheningTeacherEducation

ThecentrallysponsoredschemeforTeacherEducationwasinitiatedin1987pursuant to the formulation of the National Policy of Education, 1986. The

schemewasrevisedforthe12thFiveYearPlan.ItaimstoestablishDIETsinalldistrictscreatedupto2011,therebyincreasingtheirnumbersfromexisting571to 646; strengthen existing 106 to 122Colleges of Teacher Education (CTEs)andup-gradeexistinggovernmentsecondaryteachereducationinstitutionsintoCTEs;strengthenexisting32to39InstitutesofAdvancedStudiesinEducation(IASEs); up-grade Department of Education in Universities as IASEs; andestablish block institutes of teacher education (BITEs) in identifiedSC/ST/minorityconcentrationdistricts.

(B)QualityinTeacherEducationCreation of Separate Cadre: 17-states/ UTs have created separate cadre forteacher educators under the TE- Scheme. States have also been asked tostrengthenthecadreofteachereducatorsintheirrespectivestates/UTs.NationalCouncilforTeacherEducation(NCTE)Regulations,2014-NormsandStandards: The NCTEwas established with a view to achieving planned andcoordinated development of the teacher education system throughout thecountry, the regulation and propermaintenance of norms and standards in theteachereducationsystem,andformattersconnectedtherewith.Re-organizing/Restructuring of SCERT and Cadre Restructuring for TeacherEducators: Under the CSS-Teacher Education 09 states have re-organized/restructuredtheirSCERTin2016.

NewActivities/InitiativesunderCSSTESchemeIndia Teacher Education Portal (Prashikshak): the Department of School

EducationandLiteracy,launched‘IndiaTeacherEducationPortal(Prashikshak)’in 2016.This portal is helpful inmonitoringof teachers education Institutionsand in providing comprehensive information to prospective students andteacherstoselecttherightinstituteasperchoice.

SchemeforProvidingQualityEducationinMadarsasMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment,laysemphasisonprovidingequal

opportunities tominorities as far as access to education is concerned.For thispurpose, government is implementing the scheme for providing qualityeducationinMadarsas(SPQEM)forthechildrenofminorities.TheobjectivesoftheSchemeare:encourageMadarsasandMaktabstointroduceformalsubjectsi.e., science, mathematics, social studies, Hindi and English by means ofprovidingfinancialassistance;childrenstudyinginMadarsasandMaktabsattainacademicproficiency forclass I-XII;Madarsas/Maktabs/Dar-ul-Uloomcanopt

to become accredited study centreswithNational Institute ofOpen Schooling(NIOS)forwhichproperassistancewillbeprovided;childrenabove14yearsinMadarsas/Maktabs/Dar-ul-Uloom are given opportunities to attain vocationtraining; strengthening of Madarsas Board for Monitoring and Awareness ofSPQEM.

The Scheme provides assistance for appointment of teachers for teachingscience, mathematics, social studies, languages, computer application andscience.Full timegraduate teacher ispaid salary for12months₹ 6,000/-p.m.andpostgraduate/B.Ed.₹12,000/-.Onetimegrantof₹1,00,000/-forscience/computerlabs/workshopsinMadarsasatthesecondary/seniorsecondarylevel₹5000/-asannualgrantformaintenance.Onetimeassistanceofupto₹50,000/-forlibraries/bookbanks/teachinglearningmaterialfollowedbyanannualgrantof₹ 5,000/-.A grant up to amaximum amount of₹15,000/- for purchase ofscience/mathkitsandotherpedagogicalequipment.Madarsaswhichhavebeenin existence at least for three years and registered under central or stategovernmentActsorMadarsasBoardorwithWaqfBoardsorNIOSareeligibletoapplyforassistanceunderthisprogramme.

TrainingistobearrangedingroupsforMadarsateachersappointedundertheschemebySCERTs/DIETs/BRCs.Madarsaswith respect towhomexpenditureonaccountofhonorariumoftheteachersismetbythestategovernmentwillnotbe eligible for salary component. Madarsas receiving financial assistance forteacher training, textbooks,computers,science/mathskitsetc., fromanyotherstate/centralschemewillnotbeeligibleforthatcomponentunderthisscheme.

InfrastructureDevelopmentforMinorityInstitutesThe Scheme facilitates education of minorities by strengthening school

infrastructure inminority institutions. It covers theentirecountry. It is to fundinfrastructure development of private aided/unaided minority elementary/secondary/seniorsecondaryschoolstotheextentof75percentandsubjecttoamaximumof₹50lakhsperschool.Organizationsthatarerecognisedbycentralor state government are eligible to apply, should have been functioning for atleastlast3yearsandhavesubstantialenrolmentofchildrenfromminorities.Thescheme is implemented through the state governments and all requests forfinancial assistance are entertained by the state government in the prescribedapplicationform.

NationalMeans-cum-MeritScholarshipSchemeThe centrally sponsored National Means-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme

(NMMSS) was launched in 2008 with the objective to award scholarships tomeritoriousstudentsofeconomicallyweakersectionstoarresttheirdropoutatclass VIII and encourage them to continue study at secondary and highersecondarystageuptoclassXII.Onelakhscholarshipsof₹6,000/-perannum(₹500/-permonth)perstudentareawardedtoselectedstudentseveryyearforclass IX and their continuation up to class XII in a state government,government-aided and local body schools. There is quota of scholarships fordifferent states/UTs. Students whose parental income from all sources is notmorethan₹1,50,000/-areeligibletoavailthescholarships.Thereisreservationasperthestategovernmentnorms.Theselectionofstudentsforthescholarshipsis made through an examination conducted by the state governments.ScholarshipsaredisburseddirectlybyelectronictransferintothebankaccountsofstudentsonquarterlybasisfollowingDBTmode.

NationalSchemeofIncentivetoGirlsThecentrallysponsoredNationalSchemeofIncentivetoGirlsforSecondary

Education(NSIGSE)wasalsolaunchedin2008withtheobjectivetoestablishanenablingenvironmenttoreducethedrop-outsandtopromotetheenrolmentofgirlchildrenbelongingmainly toSC/STcommunities insecondaryschools.According to the scheme, a sum of₹ 3,000/- is deposited in the name of theunmarried eligible girls as fixed deposit on enrolment in class IX, who areentitled to withdraw it along with interest thereon on passing class XI andattaining 18 years of age. The scheme covers (i) all girls belonging to SC/STcommunities,whopassVIII and (ii) all girlswhopassVIII examination fromKasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas (irrespective of whether they belong toSC/ST)andenrolinclassIXinastategovernment,government-aidedandlocalbodyschools.

ImplementationofDirectBenefitTransferDirectBenefitTransfer(DBT)scheme/systemwaslaunchedfrom2013under

which 25 schemes across eight ministries/departments were selected forimplementationofDBTsystemin43pilotdistrictsof16states/UTs.Itenvisagesdirect transfer of funds to beneficiary account through the Aadhaar PaymentBridge (APB). From 2015, DBT Scheme was extended in the entire country.Twoscholarshipschemesof theDepartmentofSchoolEducationandLiteracy,viz., NationalMeans-cum-Merit Scholarship Scheme (NMMSS) and NationalScheme of Incentive toGirls for Secondary Education (NSIGSE) are coveredunderit.ANationalScholarshipPortal(NSP)hasbeenmadeoperationalforon-

line submission of proposals/list of beneficiaries by the state governments forNMMSSandNSIGSE.

AdultEducationAtthetimeofindependence,86percentofIndia’spopulationwasilliterate

andassuchthemainfocusofadulteducationhadbeenonitsverybottomtieri.e.,impartingof‘Basicliteracy’.Foraccomplishmentofthisobjective,aseriesofprogrammeswereintroducedsincetheFirstPlanperiod,themostprominent,beingtheNationalLiteracyMission(NLM),launchedin1988fortheadultsinthe age group of 15+. The programme of National Literacy Mission wasrevamped in 2009 in alignment with new paradigms of lifelong learning asSaaksharBharat.Considerable progress has beenmade in raising theLiteracyrate of the country but still the levels remain uneven across different states,districts,socialgroupsandminorities.Theoverallgoalofadulteducationis toestablishafullyliteratesocietythroughimprovedqualityandstandardofadulteducationandliteracy.

The National Literacy Mission Authority (NLMA) is the operating andimplementing organization at national level for all the activities envisaged inAdultEducationandSkillDevelopment.Duringthe12thFiveYearPlan,NLMAhasbeenstrivingtoraisetheliteracyrateto80percentandtoreducethegendergaptolessthan10percent.

Of the 410 districts which qualify for coverage under Saakshar BharatProgramme,theProgrammehasbeensectionedin404districtsin26statesand1unionterritorycoveringabout1.64lakhGramPanchayats.During2016-17theprogrammehasbeencontinuedinthese404districts.Teachinglearningprocesshas commenced in 57.8 lakh Literacy Centres. About 45.73 lakh VolunteerTeachers have been trained byMaster Trainers and 2.54 lakhMaster Trainerswere trained by Resource Persons. In addition about 13.5 thousand ResourcePersonshavealsobeentrained.BasicLiteracyPrimers in13languagesand26localdialectshavebeenprintedanddistributedso far for the learners.Around8.27crorelearnershavebeenenrolledunderbasicliteracy.

NationalAwardtoTeachersInstituted in1958, theNationalAward toTeachers (NAT) isgivenawayby

the President of India on 5th September (Teacher’s Day) every year to givepublic recognition to meritorious teachers working in primary, middle andsecondaryschools.Altogetherthereare378awardsoutofwhich23arereservedforSanskrit,PersianandArabicteachers.Eachstate/unionterritory/organization

has an earmarked quota based on the number of teachers. The Scheme alsocovers teachers of the schools affiliated to Central Board of SecondaryEducation(CBSE) including teachersof independentaffiliatedschoolssituatedabroad, Council for Indian School Certificate Examination (CISCE), SainikSchool, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti(NVS),CentralTibetanSchoolAdministration (CTSA)andschools runby theAtomicEnergyEducationSociety.Fromtheawardyear2001,‘SpecialAwards’havebeen instituted for teacherspromoting inclusiveeducation in schools andtheeducationofchildrenwithdisabilitiesinregularschools.Thetotalnumberof‘Special Awards’ are 43. ‘Special Awards’ are conferred on the teachers offollowingcategories:-teacherswithdisabilitiesworkinginmainstreamschools;-specialteacherortrainedgeneralteacherswhohavedoneoutstandingworkforinclusive education. Each award carries with it a certificate of merit, a cashawardof₹50,000/-andasilvermedal.

KendriyaVidyalayaSangathanTheSchemeofKendriyaVidyalayas(KVS)(CentralSchools)wasapproved

in1962toprovideuninterruptededucationtothewardsoftransferrablecentralgovernmentemployees.Consequently,CentralSchoolOrganizationwasstartedas a unit of the Ministry of Education (now Ministry of Human ResourceDevelopment).Initially,20regimentalschools,thenfunctioningatplaceshavinglarge concentration of defence personnel, were taken over as Central Schoolsduringtheacademicyear1963-64.

The Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan was registered as a society under theSocieties Registration Act in 1965. The primary aim of the Sangathan is toprovide, establish, endow, maintain, control and manage the Central Schools(Kendriya Vidyalayas) located all over India and abroad. The Government ofIndiawhollyfinancestheSangathan.Website:www.kvsangathan.nic.in

JawaharNavodayaVidyalayasTheNationalPolicyonEducation,1986,envisagedsettingupofresidential

Navodayaschoolswithanaimofprovidingexcellencecoupledwithequityandsocialjustice.Consequenttothis,NavodayaVidyalayaSamitiwasregisteredasa Society, under the Society Registration Act, of 1860, with the objective toestablish Navodaya Vidyalayas to provide good quality modern education -including a strong component of inculcation of values, awareness of theenvironment, adventure activities and physical education - to the talented

http://www.kvsangathan.nic.in

children predominantly from the rural areas without regard to their family’ssocio-economic condition. The opening of a Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya isbasedontheproposalfromtheconcernedstate/UTgovernmentsofferingabout30acresofsuitableland,freeofcost.Thestategovernmenthasalsotoprovidesufficient temporary building and other infrastructures, free of rent, toaccommodate240studentsandstaffforthreetofouryearsortillsuchtimetheSamiticonstructsitsownbuildingsatthepermanentsite.Website:www.navodaya.gov.in

NationalCouncilofEducationalResearchandTraining

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT)providesacademicandtechnicalsupportsforqualitativeimprovementofschooleducation.TheNCERTwasestablishedin1961asanapexnationalbodytoleadqualitative changes in school education.NCERThasbeenplaying an advisoryrole guiding central and state governments in formulating policies, acts andgovernment programmes. It has played a crucial role in the development ofnationalpoliciesoneducation(1968-1986)andnationalcurriculumframeworks.TheresearchesundertakenbytheCouncilhaveledtobuildingnewperspectiveof schooling and also provided inputs for formulation of policies andprogrammes. NCERT has been designing and offering innovative and need-basedcoursesforteachers,teachereducatorsandcounsellors.ThecurricularandotherlearningmaterialsdevelopedbytheCouncilhavehelpedinbringingaboutquality schooling. NCERT has received recognition both at national andinternationallevelsintheareaofschooleducationowingtoitsworkdoneinthelast 50 years. It is a unique institution in the country, conducting researches,preparing skilled educational professionals and developing curriculum andcurricular materials. The major constituent units of the NCERT are: NationalInstitute of Education (NIE), New Delhi; Central Institute of EducationTechnology(CIET),NewDelhi;PanditSunderLalSharmaCentral InstituteofVocationalEducation (PSSCIVE),Bhopal; five regional institutesof education(RIEs)atAjmer,Bhopal,Bhubaneswar,MysoreandUmiam(Meghalaya).Website:www.ncert.nic.in

NationalBalBhavanNational Bal Bhavan (NBB), established in 1956, is an autonomous

institution funded by the Ministry of Human Resource Development. BalBhavan as amovement is spread across the length andbreadth of the country

http://www.navodaya.gov.in

http://www.ncert.nic.in

with134affiliatedBalBhavansandBalKendras. Inaddition thereare48BalBhavan Kendras and a Bal Bhavan at Mandi village in Delhi. National BalBhavanaimsatenhancing thecreativepotentialofchildrenbyproviding themvarious activities, opportunities and common platform to interact, experiment,createandperformaccordingtotheirage,aptitudeandability.Itoffersabarrier-freeenvironmentwithimmensepossibilitiesofinnovationwithoutanystressorstrain.Various creative activities are conducted for children specially from thedeprived sections of society on a regular basis at NBB and its affiliatedinstitutes.Website:www.nationalbalbhavan.nic.in

CentralBoardofSecondaryEducationTheCentralBoardofSecondaryEducationisaBoardofEducationforpublic

andprivateschools,undertheUnionGovernment.CentralBoardofSecondaryEducationhasaskedallschoolsaffiliatedtofollowonlyNCERTcurriculum.Website:www.cbse.nic.in

NationalInstituteofOpenSchoolingNationalInstituteofOpenSchooling(NIOS)is“OpenSchool”tocatertothe

needsofaheterogeneousgroupoflearnersuptopre-degreelevel.Itwasstartedas a project with in-built flexibilities by the Central Board of SecondaryEducation(CBSE)in1979.In1986,theNationalPolicyonEducationsuggestedstrengtheningofOpenSchoolSystemforextendingopenlearningfacilitiesinaphasedmanneratsecondarylevelalloverthecountryasanindependentsystemwithitsowncurriculumandexaminationleadingtocertification.Consequently,theMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopmentsetuptheNationalOpenSchool(NOS) in 1989. In July 2002, theMinistry amended the nomenclature of theorganisation from theNationalOpen School to theNational Institute ofOpenSchooling (NIOS) with a mission to provide relevant continuing education atschoolstage,uptopre-degreelevelthroughopenlearningsystemtoprioritizedclientgroupsasanalternative toformalsystem, inpursuanceof thenormativenationalpolicydocumentsandinresponsetotheneedassessmentsofthepeople,andthroughittomakeitsshareofcontribution;touniversalisationofeducation;togreaterequityandjusticeinsociety,andtotheevolutionofalearningsociety.

TheNIOSprovidesopportunities to interested learnersbymakingavailablethefollowingcourses/programmesofstudythroughopenanddistancelearning(ODL)mode:OpenBasicEducation(OBE)programmefor14+yearsagegroup,adolescentsandadultsatA,BandClevelsthatareequivalenttoclassesIII,V

http://www.nationalbalbhavan.nic.in

http://www.cbse.nic.in

andVIII of the formal school systemconsists of: secondary education course,senior secondary education course, vocational education courses/programmes,lifeenrichmentprogrammes.

At the secondary and senior secondary levels,NIOS provides flexibility inthe choice of subjects/courses, pace of learning, and transfer of credits fromCBSE, some board of school education and state open schools to enablelearner’scontinuation.Alearnerisextendedasmanyasninechancestoappearinpublicexaminationsspreadoveraperiodoffiveyears.Thecreditsgainedareaccumulatedtillthelearnerclearsrequiredcreditsforcertification.Thelearningstrategiesinclude;learningthroughprintedself-instructionalmaterial,audioandvideo programmes, participating in personal contact programme, and TutorMarkedAssignments. Enrichment is also provided to the learners through thehalfyearlymagazine“OpenLearning”.TheStudyMaterialismadeavailableinEnglish, Hindi and Urdu mediums. The On-Demand Examination System(ODES)isinoperationatsecondaryandseniorsecondarystage.NIOSoffers28subjects in eight mediums (Hindi, English, Urdu, Marathi, Telugu, Gujarati,Malayalam and Odia) for secondary examinations and 28 subjects in Hindi,English,Urdu,Bengali andOdiamediums for senior secondary examinations.Besides these, NIOS has provision of offering Vocational subjects incombination with academic subjects at secondary stage and 20 vocationalsubjectsincombinationwithAcademicsubjectsatseniorsecondarylevel.Website:www.nios.ac.in

Mid-DayMealSchemeThe Mid-Day Meal Scheme covers children of classes I-VI11 studying in

government, government-aided schools, special training centres (STC) andmadarsas/ maqtabs supported under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). It is thelargestschoolfeedingprogrammeintheworld,covering9.78crorechildrenin11.40 lakh institutions across the country. Apart from promoting access andretention, theMid-DayMealSchemehasalsocontributed tosocialandgenderequity. It has helped in preventing classroom hunger, promoting schoolparticipationandfosteringsocialequalityandenhancinggenderequality.

NormsforMid-DayMealScheme(i)CalorificValueofMid-DayMeals:Thecookedmiddaymealconsistsof100gramsofwheat/rice,20gramsofpulses,50gramsofvegetablesand5gramsofoil/fatandprovides450caloriesofenergyand12gramsofproteinatprimarystage.Forupperprimarystagechildren,itconsistsof150gramsofwheat/rice,

http://www.nios.ac.in

30gramsofpulses,75gramsofvegetablesand7.5gramofoil/fatandprovides700caloriesofenergyand20gramsofproteins.(ii)CookingcostunderMDMScheme:Thecookingcostcoverstheexpenditureforpulses,vegetables,cookingoils,condiments,fuel,etc.Therateofcookingcostfrom2016is₹4.13perchildperdayforprimaryand₹6.18perchildperdayforupperprimary.Thecookingcostissharedbetweenthecentreandthestatesintheratioof60:40.fornon-NERstatesandUTswithlegislature,100percentforremainingUTsand90:10forNERstatesand3Himalayanstatesviz.,HimachalPradesh,JammuandKashmirandUttarakhand.

TithiBhojan“Tithi Bhojan” is a concept designed to ensure greater public participation

under the Mid-Day Meal Programme being followed in Gujarat. In order tobring ingreatercommunityparticipation, localcommunitiesareencouraged tocelebrate important family events viz., birth of a child, success in exam,inaugurationofnewhouse,etc.,bycontributing to themid-daymealserved inthelocalschools.Itisvoluntarilyservedbythecommunity/familyamongschoolchildreninseveralformslikesweetsandnamkeenalongwithregularMDM,fullmeals, supplementary nutritive items like sprouted beans, contribution in kindsuchascookingware,utensils,dinnersetsorglassesfordrinkingwater.Allthestates/UTshavebeenrequestedtoconsideradoptingthepracticeofTithiBhojanwith this nomenclature or any nomenclature suitable to the state/ UTgovernments. The concept has been adopted by different states with localnomenclatures like‘SampritiBhojan’ inAssam, ‘Dham’ inHimachal Pradesh,‘Sneh Bhojan’ inMaharashtra, ‘Shalegagi Naavu Neevu’ in Karnataka, ‘AnnaDhanam’inPuducherry,‘PritiBhoj’inPunjaband‘UtsavBhoj’inRajasthan.

ImplementationofAutomatedMonitoringSystemThe Department of School Education and Literacy has put in place an

automated systemofdata collection for real timemonitoringofMDMS.Suchdata is being collected from schools with no cost to school headmaster andteachers. Under the automatedmonitoring system, states/UTs are setting up asuitable system of data collection (i.e. Interactive Voice Response System(IVRS)/SMS/mobiIeapplication/webapplication)fromschoolsonadailybasisandusingitforpurposeofmonitoringandtimelyfollow-upaction.

CentpercentAadhaarEnrolmentofChildrenTheDepartmentissuednotificationforenrolmentofcentpercentstudentsin

all schools. The use ofAadhaar identity document for delivery of services or

benefits or subsidies simplify the government delivery processes, brings intransparencyandefficiency.EnrolmentofchildrenunderAadhaarwouldenableto eliminate the proxy enrolment and provide the benefits of Mid-Day MealSchemetothedeservingchildreninaseamlessmanner.

Mid-DayMealRulesTheMid-DayMeal Rules, (MDM) were notified under the National Food

SecurityAct(NFSA),2013.Allthestates/UTshavebeenadvisedtodisseminateandenforcetheMDMRules2015inalleligibleschools.ThesalientfeaturesofMid-DayMealRules include: (i) strengthenqualitybymaking testingof foodsamples mandatory; (ii) enhanced role of school management committees insupervisionofMDMinschool;(iii)supplyoffoodgrainsatNFSAratesof₹3perkgforriceand₹2perkgforwheat insteadofBPLratesof₹5.65and₹4.15 per kg respectively; (iv) food security allowance to be paid by the stategovernment, ifMDMisnotprovided inschoolonanyschooldaydue tonon-availabilityof foodgrains,cookingcost, fuelorabsenceofcook-cum-helperoranyotherreason.

TestingofFoodSamplesThe Mid-Day Meal Guidelines for engagement of accredited labs by the

state/UT governments are put in place for testing of the meals served in theschools.

SocialAuditSocial audit means the process in which people collectively monitor and

evaluatetheplanningandimplementationofaprogrammeorscheme.Thesocialaudit was conducted by Society for Social Audit Accountability andTransparency (SSAAT) in two districts viz., Khammam and Chittoor ofundivided Andhra Pradesh during 2012-13. Encouraged by the outcome, theDepartmenthadissuedguidelinesin2014forconductingofsocialaudit.Sofar13 states viz., Bihar, Maharashtra, Odisha, Karnataka, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh,Telangana, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh,West Bengal, Rajasthan,Mizoram andTamilNaduhavecompletedtheconductofsocialaudit.

HigherandTechnicalEducationThere has been phenomenal growth of higher education in India since

independence.Therewereonly20universitiesand500collegesat the timeofindependencewhich have increased by 38 times (i.e., 760) in the case of theuniversitiesand77times(i.e.38,498)inthecaseofcolleges.Similarly,therehas

been tremendous growth in the enrolment also. Moreover, the statisticaloverview of the higher education system clearly shows that there has beenphenomenalgrowth in institutions(universities,colleges, technical institutions)aswellasinintake,enrolment,etc.

NationalInstitutionalRankingFrameworkThe National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) for educational

institutionswaslaunchedtomeetafeltneedforaframeworkthatwouldenableparents, students, teachers, educational institutions and other stakeholders torankinstitutionsonthebasisofasetofobjectiveparametersanda transparentprocess.Developedbyateamofexpertsineducationandheadsofinstitutions,the portal and the framework is presently available for engineering andmanagementinstitutions.

ImpactingResearchInnovationandTechnologyToidentify theneedsof thecountry in termsof its researchand technology

requirements,tengoalpostshavebeenidentifiedandresearchgroupsarebeingset up to formulate time-bound plans of action for each. Leading academicinstitutionslikeIITsandISChavebeenidentifiedtosettheprocessinmotion.

RegulatorReviewLotsofprivateinstitutionshavecomeupinhighereducationsectorwiththe

growing trend of commercialization. They sometimes are not maintaining thelaid down standards. UGC’s entire functioning continues to be oriented moretowards grant giving rather than regulation and enforcement of minimumstandards. A UGC Review Committee was constituted in 2014. A similarcommittee was constituted for the All India Council for Technical Education(AICTE).TheCommitteeistoconductareviewofthepresentstatusofAICTEand suggest restructuring and reorganizing ofAICTE for attaining even betterperformancetomeetthedesiredobjectives.

BachelorofVocationalStudiesTheUGChasintroducedtheschemeforB.Vocdegreewithmultipleexitsat

diploma/ advanced diploma under national skill qualification framework(NSQF). The objectives are: (i) to enhance the employability of youth; (ii) tomaintain their competitiveness through provisions of multi-entry multi-exitlearningopportunitiesandverticalmobility;(iii)tofillthegapbetweeneducatedandemployableand(iv)toreducethedropoutrateatthesecondarylevel.

SkillsAssessmentMatrixforVocationalAdvancementofYouthAcreditframeworkSkillsAssessmentMatrixforVocationalAdvancementof

Youth (SAMVAY) is now in place which allows vertical and lateral mobilitywithinvocational education systemandbetween the current education system.Thestrengthofthisframeworkistheseamlessintegrationofpursuitofacademicknowledgeandpracticalvocationalskills.

EducationSectorSkillCouncilEducationSectorSkillCouncilwasconstitutedin2014,toconsiderjobroles

other than academic faculties and teacher qualifications. The functions of theSSC,includesettingupofLabourMarketInformationSystem(LMIS)toassistplanninganddeliveryoftraining,identificationofskilldevelopmentneedsandpreparingacatalogueofskilltypes,developskilldevelopmentplanandmaintainskillinventorydevelopingskillcompetencystandardsandqualifications.

Yukti-YogyaKalakritikiTakneekYuktiaimsatskilldevelopmentandupgradationofdesignandtechnologies

enhancingtheeconomicprospectsofthoseengagedintraditionalcraftsandartsas a means of livelihood. It aims at introducing appropriate designs andtechnology for innovation and pedagogical methods for introducing skills forupgradation.

SAKSHAM-aScholarshipforDifferently-AbledChildren

SAKSHAM - Scholarship Scheme for differently-abled children aims atproviding encouragement and support to differently-abled children to pursuetechnicaleducation.Scholarshipsamounting to₹5croreperannumas tuitionfees and incidentals are to be provided to needy andmeritorious students forpursuingtechnicaleducationatAICTEapprovedinstitution.Thisistohelpthemtoachievetheircollegegoals,despitelearningissues,environmentalchallengesormedicalbills.

IshanUday-forStudentsofNorthEastRegionTheUGC launched a special scholarship scheme for students of north east

region,IshanUdayfromtheacademicsession2014-15.TheSchemeenvisagesgrantof10,000scholarshipstostudentsfromtheregionwhoseparentalincomeisbelow₹4.5lakhperannumandwouldbeprovidedscholarshiprangingfrom₹ 3,500 to₹ 5,000permonth for studyingat undergraduate level in colleges/

universities.

IshanVikas-AcademicExposureforNorthEasternStudents

Theprogrammehasbeenlaunchedwithaplantobringselectedcollegeandschoolstudentsfromthenortheasternstates intoclosecontactwithIITs,NITsandIISERsduringtheirvacationperiodsforacademicexposure.

WomenLeaderWomen appointed as chairpersons, board of governors of apex technical

educationinstitutesandinNationalInstitutesofTechnology(NITs).Forthefirsttime in the history of IITs, two women scientists were nominated on the IITcouncil.

PragatiPragati (scholarship for girl students) - is a scheme of AICTE aimed at

providing assistance for advancement of girls participation in technicaleducation.Educationisoneofthemostimportantmeansofempoweringwomenwiththeknowledge,skillandself-confidencenecessarytoparticipatefullyinthedevelopment process. This is an attempt to give every young woman theopportunitytofurtherhereducationandprepareforasuccessfulfuture.Salientfeaturesoftheschemeinclude:numberofscholarshipsperannum:₹4,000‘OneGirl’perfamily,wherethefamilyincomeislessthan₹6lakhperannumThecandidates will be selected on merit at the qualifying examination to pursuetechnical education from amongst such candidates. Amount of scholarship:tuitionfeeof₹30,000/-oratactual,whicheverislessand₹2,000/-permonthfor10monthsasincidentalseachyear.15percentforSC,7.5percentSTand27percentforOBCcandidate/applicantarereserved.Outofthetotalnumberofscholarshipsineachscheme,50percentofthemareavailableateachdegree/diploma level andalso transferrable in theevent-ofnonavailabilityof eligibleapplicant.

SwamiVivekanandaScholarshipforSingleGirlChildThedrop-outratioatvariouslevelsofeducationforgirlsismuchhigherthan

thatofboys.KeepingSwamiVivekananda’s ideasofwomeneducationand topromote girls education, UGC has introduced the Swami VivekanandaScholarshipforSingleGirlChildforresearchinsocialscienceswithanaimtocompensatedirectcostsofhighereducationespeciallyforsuchgirlswhohappen

tobetheonlygirlchildintheirfamily.

KnowYourCollegeKnowYourCollege is aportaldeveloped forhelpingaprospective student

make a valued judgement for selection of college providing the necessaryinformation about the college. Details like collaborations, mobile education,vocationaleducation,communitycolleges,useofICT,modelcurriculum,andaresearchportalareavailable.Detailsaboutfacilitiesforspecially-abled,facilitiesfor girls, placement facilities and entrepreneurship details are also available.Studentscanlodgeonlinegrievancesontheportalforredressal.Thisapplicationallowsastudenteitherinthecountryoroutsidetosubmitanonlinegrievance.

CampusConnectTheNationalMissiononEducationthroughInformationandCommunication

Technology (NMEICT) Scheme aims to leverage the potential of ICT forteaching and learning processes. TheMission has twomajor components: (a)content generation, (b) providing connectivity alongwith provision for accessdevicestotheinstitutionsandlearners.Underitconnectivityto419universities/university level institutionsandmore than25,000collegesandpolytechnics inthecountryhasbeenenvisagedtobeprovided.

Nationale-LibraryTheNationalDigitalLibraryof India is envisagedasanationalknowledge

assetwhichwillprovideubiquitousdigitalknowledgesource.Itwillsupportandenhanceeducation,researchandinnovationcateringtotheneedsofalltypesoflearnergroupsoverthecountry.

Swayam-StudyWebsofActive-LearningforYoungAspiringMinds

SwayamisaMassiveOpenOnlineCourses(MOOCs)initiativeonanationalplatformwithacomprehensiveacademicstructure.Theintegratedplatformwilloffer courses covering engineering, humanities and social sciences etc., to beusedbylearnersatlarge.

GlobalInitiativeforAcademicNetworkGlobal Initiative forAcademicNetwork (GIAN) aims at tapping the talent

pool of scientists and entrepreneurs, internationally to encourage theirengagementwiththeinstitutesofhighereducationinIndiasoastoaugmentthe

country’sexistingacademicresources,acceleratethepaceofqualityreform,andelevateIndia’sscientificandtechnologicalcapacitytoglobalexcellence.

ResearchParksTheobjectiveoftheResearchParksistocreateaknowledgeandinnovation

ecosystemthroughcollaborationbetweenindustryandacademia.Itwillenable,encourageanddevelopcuttingedgetechnologyandinnovationthatexceedstheglobalstandard.

GrowingAptitudeinNumericalInnovationsandTraining

GrowingAptitudeinNumericalInnovationsandTraining(GANIT)weekinschoolsaffiliatedtoCBSEwasorganizedtocommemoratethebirthanniversaryof Srinivasa Ramanujan and to actively promote interest of students inmathematics.

CopyrightAcquisitionofcopyright is automaticand itdoesnot requireany formality.

Copyrightcomesintoexistenceassoonasaworkiscreatedandnoformalityisrequiredtobecompletedforacquiringit.However,asperSection48oftheAct,certificate of registration of copyright and the entries made therein serve asprima facie evidence in a court of law with reference to dispute relating toownership of copyright. The Copyright Office was established in 1958. Itfunctions under the administrative control of the Department of HigherEducation. It is headed by the Registrar of Copyright, who has quasi-judicialpowers in handling cases relating to copyright. The main function of theCopyright Office is to undertake registration of copyright. The Register ofCopyrights provides information regarding works of copyright to the generalpublic. In addition to registration, facilities like inspectionof theRegister andtakingextractsthereofarealsoavailableintheCopyrightOffice.

AsprovidedunderSection13oftheCopyrightAct,1957,copyrightsubsistsin the following classes or works: (a) original literary, software,musical, andartistic works; (b) cinematographic films; and (c) sound recording. TheCopyrightOfficealsoregisterschangesintheparticularsofcopyrightenteredintheRegisterofCopyrights inaccordancewithRule70of theCopyrightRules,2013. Section 47 of the Act also provides for inspection of the Register ofCopyrights or taking certified copies of the extracts against payment of theprescribed fee.To facilitate this, an indexof theworkswhoseparticularshave

beenentered in theRegister isalsomaintained in theCopyrightOffice.WhileminorcorrectionsandchangesinparticularsenteredintheRegistercanbemadebytheRegistrar,onlytheCopyrightBoardisempoweredtoexpungeanyentriesmadeintheregisteronanapplicationbytheRegistraroranypersonaggrieved.Procedure for Registration of Copyright: As per Section 45 of the CopyrightAct, 1957 either the author or publisher or owner of copyright or any otherperson interested in the copyright of a work can make an application in theprescribed format alongwith prescribed fee to theRegistrar ofCopyrights forenteringparticularsof theworkin theRegister.TheCopyrightOfficeprovidesregistrationfacilitiestoalltypesofworksandtheapplicationsforregistrationofworkscanbesenttoCopyrightOfficepostallyandonline.ModernizationofCopyrightOffice:Thee-filingfacilitywasstartedin2014anda new logo of Copyright with newly designed certificate is being used.Digitizationofcopyrightrecordsisunderprocessandabout6.00lakhsRegisterofCopyrightshavebeenscannedandwillbeoperativesoon.

There is a quasi-judicial body Copyright Board which was constituted in1958 and had been functioning on a part-time basis. The jurisdiction of theCopyright Board extends to thewhole of the country. The Board is entrustedwiththetaskofadjudicationofdisputespertainingtocopyrightregistrationandassignment of copyright, rectification of registration, grant of compulsorylicencesinrespectofworkswithheldfrompublic,unpublishedIndianworks,forbenefitofphysicallydisabledpersons,productionandpublicationoftranslationsandworksforcertainspecifiedpurposes.TheCopyrightBoardalsodeterminesand fixes rate of royalties for statutory licences for cover versions andbroadcastingof literaryandmusicalworksand sound recordings. It alsohearscases in other miscellaneous matters instituted before it under the Act. TheCopyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 provides for a three member permanentCopyrightBoardconsistingofaChairmanandtwoothermembers.

11 Energy

ENERGYisanessentialinputforeconomicdevelopmentandimprovingthequality of life. Development of conventional forms of energy formeeting thegrowingenergyneedsofsocietyatareasonablecostistheresponsibilityofthegovernment.Developmentandpromotionofnon-conventional/alternate/newandrenewable sources of energy such as solar,wind and bio-energy, etc., are alsogetting sustained attention.Nuclear energy development is being geared up tocontributesignificantlytotheoverallenergyavailabilityinthecountry.

PowerPowerdevelopmentinIndiacommencedattheendofthenineteenthcentury

with the commissioning of electricity supply in Darjeeling during 1897,followed by the commissioning of a hydropower station at Sivasamudram inKarnataka during 1902. In the pre-Independence era, the power supply wasmainly in the private sector, that too restricted to the urban areas. With theformationofStateElectricityBoardsduringFive-YearPlans,asignificantstepwas taken in bringing about a systematic growth of power supply industry alloverthecountry.Anumberofmulti-purposeprojectscameintobeing,andwiththe setting up of thermal, hydro and nuclear power stations, power generationstartedincreasingsignificantly.

The Ministry of Power is primarily responsible for the development ofelectrical energy in the country. The Ministry is concerned with perspectiveplanning, policy formulation, processing of projects for investment decisions,monitoring of the implementation of power projects, training and manpowerdevelopmentandtheadministrationandenactmentoflegislationwithregardtothermal and hydro power generation, transmission and distribution. In alltechnical matters, theMinistry of Power is assisted by the Central ElectricityAuthority(CEA).

TheconstructionandoperationofgenerationandtransmissionprojectsintheCentral Sector are entrusted toCentral SectorCorporations, viz., theNationalThermal Power Corporation (NTPC), the National Hydroelectric Power

Corporation(NHPC),theNorth-EasternElectricPowerCorporation(NEEPCO),andthePowerGridCorporationofIndiaLimited(PGCIL).ThePowerGrid isresponsible for all the existing and future transmission projects in the centralsectorandalsofortheformationoftheNationalPowerGrid.Twojoint-venturepowercorporations,namely,SatlujJalVidyutNigam(SJVN)(formerlyknownasNJPC) andTehriHydroDevelopmentCorporation (THDC) are responsiblefor theexecutionof theNathpaJhakriPowerProject inHimachalPradeshandprojects of Tehri Hydro Power Complex in Uttarakhand respectively. Threestatutorybodies,i.e.,theDamodarValleyCorporation(DVC),theBhakra-BeasManagementBoard(BBMB)andBureauofEnergyEfficiency(BEE),arealsoundertheadministrativecontroloftheMinistryofPower.Programmesofruralelectrification are provided financial assistance by the Rural ElectrificationCorporation (REC). The Power Finance Corporation (PFC) and RuralElectrificationCorporation(REC)provideterm-financetoprojectsinthepowersector. The autonomous bodies (societies), namely Central Power ResearchInstitute(CPRI)andtheNationalPowerTrainingInstitute(NTPI)arealsounderthe administrative control of the Ministry of Power. A Power TradingCorporation has also been incorporated primarily to support theMega PowerProjects in private sector by acting as a single entity to enter into PowerPurchaseAgreements(PPAs).Website:www.powermin.nic.in

PowerGeneration

The total electricity generation including generation from a renewablesourcesduring2018-19was1,376.096BUasagainst1,308.146BUduringthelastyear,registeringagrowthof5.2percent.

DeendayalUpadhyayaGramJyotiYojanaGovernmentofIndialaunchedanewschemenamelyDeendayalUpadhyaya

Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) with the following objectives (a) to separateagriculture and non-agriculture feeders for judicious rostering of supply toagriculturalandnon-agriculturalconsumersinruralareas;(b)strengtheningandaugmentationof sub transmission anddistribution infrastructure in rural areas;(c)meteringinruralareas(feders,distributiontransformersandconsumers).Theerstwhile ruralelectrificationschemewassubsumed inDDUGJYasaseparateruralelectrificationcomponentandtheapprovedoutlayoftheerstwhileschemehasbeencarriedforwardtotheDDUGJY.

http://www.powermin.nic.in

Saubhagya—PradhanMantriSahajBijliHarGharYojanaToachieveuniversalhouseholdelectrificationinthecountrybyMarch,2019,

Government launched Saubhagya scheme with total cost of ₹ 16,320 croreincluding gross budgetary support of ₹ 12,320 crore during the entireimplementationperiod.ThescopeoftheSchemeincludes:providingelectricityconnectionstoallun-electrifiedhouseholdsinruralareas.APLhouseholdswillget electricity connections on payment of ₹ 500 (which is payable is 10installment in the electricity bill); providing Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV) basedstandalone system for un-electrified households located in remote andinaccessible villages/habitations, where grid extension is not feasible or costeffective; and providing electricity connections to all remaining economicallypoorun-electriciedhouseholdsinurbanareas.

IntegratedPowerDevelopmentSchemeInorder toprovide impetus to strengtheningofpowerdistributionsector in

urbanarea,MinistryofPower,launchedIntegratedPowerDevelopmentScheme(IPDS) in 2014 with following components: (i) strengthening of sub-transmissionanddistributionnetworkinurbanareas;(ii)meteringofdistributiontransformers/feeders/consumers in urban areas; (iii) IT enablement ofdistributionsectorandstrengtheningofdistributionnetwork.

UDAY—UjwalDISCOMAssuranceYojanaUDAY Scheme was launched in 2015 for a sustainable solution to the

operationalandfinancialinefficienciesofDISCOMsacrossthecountry,throughtargeted interventions in the form of lower interest costs, reduction of cost ofpower,increasedrevenuesandimprovedoperationalefficiencies.

UDAY is voluntary scheme for participation and 26 states and 1 unionterritory have joined the scheme. The scheme is beingmonitored by an inter-ministerial committeeanda state levelcommittee.Aportal (www.uday.gov.in)has been developed for ease of data entry by states/DISCOMs. This portalprovides basic analytics and progress of performance of various states/DISCOMsinthepublicdomainasameasureoftransparency.

CapacityAdditionProgrammeandAchievementduring2018-19CapacityAdditiontargetfromconventionalsources8,106.15MWincluding

500MWofnuclearhasbeenfixedfor theyear2018-19.Against this target,acapacityof5,921.755MWhasbeenachieved.

DevelopmentofNationalGrid

http://www.uday.gov.in

Nationalpowergrid in the country is beingdeveloped in aphasedmanner.All fiveregionalgrids,namelynorthernregion,westernregion,easternregion,northeastern region and southern region have been inter-connected insynchronous mode and total transfer capacity of inter-regional links in June,2017isabout75,050MW.

The updated version of Energy Conservation Building code (ECBC) waslaunched 2017. The scope of ECBC 2017 includes norms and standards forbuilding design, including norms and standards for building design, includingthe envelope, lighting, heating, air-conditioning and electrical systems. It setsminimumenergystandardfornewcommercialbuildinghavingconnected loadof100KWandaboveorcontractdemandof120KWandabove.PradhanMantriUjjwalaYojana

Inordertoprovidecleancookingfueltopoorhouseholdsespeciallyinruralareas,theGovernmenthadlaunchedPradhanMantriUjjwalaYojanatoprovidedepositfreeLPGconnectionsto8crorewomenbelongingtotheBelowPovertyLine (BPL) households. The primary objective is to provide access to cleancookingfuelLPGtoBPLhouseholdstherebyprotectingtheirhealthbyreducingthe serious health hazards associated with use of conventional cooking fuelssuchasfirewood,coal,cowdung,etc.,whichcausesservereindoorhouseholdairpollution.UseofLPGasacookingfuelfreeswomenfromdrugeryofcollectingfirewood,reducetimespentoncookingandpreventdeforestation.Sofar,morethan5.55croreBPLfamilieshavebeenbenefitedbythisScheme.

TheeligiblefamiliesareidentifiedthroughSocio-EconomicCasteCensuslistand in case, name is not found in SECC list , from seven categories i.e.,beneficiariesofPradhanMantriAwasYojana(PMAY-Gramin),beneficiariesofAntyodaya Anna Yojana, SC/ST households, most backward classes, forestdwellers,tea/ex-teagardentribesandresidentsofislands/riverislandssubjecttofulfillingothertermsandconditionsoftheScheme.PAHAL

Government, as a measure of Good Governance introduced well targetedsystemsofsubsidydeliverytoLPGconsumersthroughPAHAL.Thisinitiativewasaimedatrationalizingsubsidiesbasedonapproachtocutsubsidyleakages,butnotsubsidiesperse.Applicablesubsidyisdirectlytransferredintothebankaccountofthebeneficiaries.Sofar,morethan22.40croreLPGconsumershavejoined the Scheme. PAHAL has entered intoGuinness book ofWorldRecordbeinglargestDirectBenefitTransferscheme,sofar,more than₹83,653crorehavebeentransferredintothebankaccountofconsumers.

PetroleumandNaturalGasTheMinistryofPetroleumandNaturalGasisconcernedwithexplorationand

production of oil and natural gas (including import of liquefied natural gas),refining, distribution and marketing, import, export and conservation ofpetroleumproducts.

Energyisakeydriverofeconomicgrowth.Efficient,reliableandaffordableenergyisessentialfor thesustainabledevelopmentandinclusivegrowthof theoverall economy.Due to rapideconomicexpansion, Indiahasbecomeworld’sfastestgrowingenergymarket.IndiasurpassedRussiatobecomethe3rd largestenergy consumer in theworld afterChina andUSAduring 2015.Oil and gasaccounted foraround35percent share in India’senergyconsumption. In fact,IndiasurpassedJapantobecome3rdlargestoilconsumerintheworldafterUSandChinaduring2015.Website:www.petroleum.nic.in

ProductionofCrudeOilandNaturalGasThe crude oil production for 2017-18 was at 35.68 million metric tonnes

(MMT) as against production of 36.01MMT in 2016-17, showing amarginaldeclineofabout0.9percent,Naturalgasproductionduring2017-18at32.649billioncubicmeters(BCM)registered2.35percentincreaseoverproductionof31.8970 BCM in 2016-17. The projected crude oil production in 2018-19 is37.01MMT. Crude oil production during April-December 2018 was at 25.94MMT.

RefiningCapacityIndianrefineryindustryhasdonewellinestablishingitselfasamajorplayer

globally.India,whichissecondlargestrefinerinAsiaafterChina,isemergingas a refinery hub with refining capacity exceeding demand. The country’srefinerycapacitywasalsoincreased.

ImportofCrudeOilImportofcrudeoilduring2017-18was220.43MMTvaluedat₹5,65,951

croreasagainst importof213.93MMTvaluedat₹4,70,159crore in2016-17whichmarkedanincreaseof3.04percentinquantitytermsand20.37percentinvaluetermsascomparedtotheimportofcrudeoilduring2016-17.

ImportsandExportsofPetroleumProductsDuringApriltoNovember2018,importsofpetroleumproductswereat21.25

http://www.petroleum.nic.in

MMT valued at ₹ 75,160 crore which showed decline of 11.24 per cent inquantity termsand37.33per cent increase invalue termsagainst 23.94MMTimportsofpetroleumproductsvaluedat₹54,731croreduring2016-17.DuringApril to November 2018, exports of petroleum products were 41.69 MMTvaluedat₹1,92,154crorewhichshowsadeclineof6.04percentandincreaseof36.39percent.

MakeinIndiaTorolloutMakeinIndiacampaigninoilandgassector,apolicytoprovide

purchase preference in all public sector undertakings under the Ministry wasapproved.Thepolicyaimstoencourageparticipationofdomesticandoverseasplayersinthedomesticoilandgassector,createemploymentopportunities,helphighervalueaddition in theproductsmanufactured in thecountryandservicesrenderedfortheoilandgassectorandreducedependenceonimports.

SahajSahajwasadigitalinitiativelaunchedbyoilmarketingcompaniesforrelease

ofLPGconnectionwithonlinepaymentandissuanceof‘e-SV’undertheDigitalIndiainitiativeandthefacilityisnowavailableonpanIndiabasis.

EnergySecurityThe Government has taken number of key policy initiatives in upstream

hydrocarbonsectortoaugmentdomesticproductionofoilandnaturalgasinthecountry. With a view to increase domestic production of oil and gas, theDiscovered Small Field (DSF) Policy was notified for monetization ofdiscovered small fields of ONGC and OIL, which had not been put intoproduction.Under thepolicy30 contract areaswere awarded for developmentthroughInternationalCompetitiveBidding(ICB).

PricingofPetroleumProductsThe Administered Pricing Mechanism (APM) or cost plus pricing for

petroleum products which was introduced in 1976 was abolished from 2002,consequent to the de-regulation of the oil sector in India. The Governmentnotified that pricing of all petroleum products except PDS kerosene anddomestic LPG, would be market determined. In 2006, based on therecommendations of the Rangarajan Committee, the government changed thepricingmechanismforpetrolanddieselfromimportparitytotradeparity(tradeparitybeingtheweightedaverageofimportparityandexportparitypricesintheratioof80:20)whilethepricingofPDSkeroseneanddomesticLPGcontinues

onimportparitybasis.

HindustanPetroleumCorporationLimitedHindustanPetroleumCorporationLimited (HPCL) is amegaPublicSector

Undertaking(PSU)with‘Navratna’status.Ithastworefineries;oneinMumbai(westcoast)havingacapacityof6.5MMTPAandtheother inVisakhapatnam(east coast) with a capacity of 8.3MMTPA. These refineries are producing awide variety of petroleum products-fuels, lubricants and specialty products.HPCL holds an equity stake of 16.95 per cent in Mangalore Refinery andPetrochemicalsLimited,a state-of-art refineryatMangalorewithacapacityof9.69MMTPA.

ThemarketingnetworkofHPCLconsistof13zonaloffices inmajorcitiesand 101 regional offices facilitated by a supply and distribution infrastructurecomprising terminals, civiation service facilities, LPG bottling plants, lubefilling plants, inland relay depots, etc. HPCL has state-of-art informationtechnologyinfrastructuretosupportitscorebusiness.ThedatacentreislocatedatHitechcityinHyderabad.Website:www.hindustanpetroleum.com

GasAuthorityofIndiaLimitedThesettingupofGasAuthorityofIndiaLimited(GAIL),formerlyknownas

GasAuthorityofIndiaLimitedin1984heraldedaneweraofnaturalgasinthecountry.Startingasanaturalgastransmissioncompany,itistodayanintegratedenergy company in the natural gas value chainwith global footprints.Havingstarted as a gas transmission company it grew organically over the years bybuildingalargenetworkofnaturalgastrunkpipelinescoveringalengthofover8,700 km. Further, to strengthen position as India’s premier integrated gascompany,GAILhas setupLNG import infrastructureandwillbe focusingonareas like city gas distribution, petrochemicals business, diversifying into highmargin downstream areas in gas value chain and creating a portfolio ofrenewablebusiness.Website:www.gailonline.com

IndianOilCorporationLimitedIndianOilCorporation(IndianOil) is India’s flagshipnationaloilcompany

withbusiness interestsencompassing theentirehydrocarbonvaluechain- fromrefining, pipeline transportation and marketing of petroleum products toexploration and production of crude oil and gas, marketing of natural gas,petrochemicals, renewableenergyandnowintonuclearenergy.TheIndianOil

http://www.hindustanpetroleum.com

http://www.gailonline.com

Group of companies own and operate 10 of India’s 22 refineries with acombined refining capacity of 213.2millionmetric tonnes per annum. IndianOil’scross-countrynetworkofcrudeoilandproductpipelinespans10,909kmwith a capacityof 75.55MMTPAof crudeoil andpetroleumproducts and96MMSCMDofgas.Thisnetworkisthelargestinthecountryandmeetsthevitalenergy needs of the consumers in an efficient, economical and environment-friendlymanner.

Indian Oil supplies precious petroleum products through an unmatchedcountrywidenetworkofabove38,000touchpoints,whichcorrespondtoabout52percentof the industry infrastructure. Itoperatesmore than20,000outlets,the largest and most extensive network of retail outlets. The Corporation’sIndane cooking gas reaches the doorsteps of about 65 million householdsthroughabout5,934distributors.Theseeffortsarebackedbysuppliesfrom139terminals and depots, 96 aviation fuel stations and 89 Indane bottling plants.About6,218bulkconsumerpumpsarealsooperational for theconvenienceoflargeconsumers,ensuringproductandinventoryattheirdoorstep.

Over the years, Indian Oil has grown by expanding its own operations,bringingindependentrefinerieslikeChennaiPetroleumCorporationLtd(CPCL)and Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd. (BRPL) under its fold, bymerging Assam Oil Company (AOC) and IBP Co. Ltd with itself, thussynergizing its refining as well as marketing operations. Having set upsubsidiariesinSriLanka,MauritiusandtheUnitedArabEmirates,IndianOilissimultaneouslyscoutingfornewbusinessopportunitiesintheenergymarketsofAsiaandAfrica.Website:www.iocl.com

BharatPetroleumCorporationLimitedBharatPetroleumCorporationLimited(BPCL)isanintegratedoilcompany,

in the downstream sector, engaged in refining of crude oil and marketing ofpetroleum products. It has also diversified into production and marketing ofpetrochemical feedstock. BPCL has refineries at Mumbai and Kochi with acombined refining capacity of 21.5MMTPA. Both the refineries are certifiedunderIntegratedManagementSystem(IMS)whichaimsforaunifiedapproachinprocesses,interfaces,structuresanddocumentationsystemsbycombiningtheindividualmanagementsystemsunderISO9001,ISO14001andOHSAS18001reflecting thecontinuingcommitment towardsquality,environment,healthandsafety.

BPCL has a robust distribution network comprising major storage

http://www.iocl.com

installations and depots; LPG bottling plants, 1938 km cross-country pipelineandtwolubricantblendingplants.Website:www.bharatpetroleum.com

OilandNaturalGasCorporationLimitedOil andNaturalGasCorporationLtd. (ONGC), engaged inexplorationand

productionofcrudeoil,naturalgasandvalueaddedproductswasincorporatedin 1993 under Companies Act, 1956, pursuant to government’s decision totransformthestatutorycommissionintoaPublicLimitedCompany,throughanActofParliament [Oil andNaturalGasCommission (TransferofUndertakingandRepeal,Act,1993)].Website:www.ongcindia.com

ONGCVideshLimitedONGCVideshLimited (OVL), isengaged inexplorationandproductionof

oilandgasoutsideIndia.OVLwasincorporatedasHydrocarbonsIndiaLimitedin 1965 to perform international exploration and production business. Thecompany was rechristened as ONGC Videsh Limited from 1989. It hasparticipatedeitherdirectlyorthroughitswhollyownedsubsidiaries/jointventurecompaniesin30projectsin15countriesofwhichnineprojectsareoperatedbyOVL, 7 are jointly operated and 14 managed through participating interest.Currently,OVLhasoilandgasproductionfrom10projects ineightcountries,namely, Russia (Sakhalin-1 and Imperial Energy), Syria (Al-Furat PetroleumCo.),Vietnam(Block06.1),Colombia(MECL),Sudan(GreaterNilePetroleumOperating Company), South Sudan (Greater Pioneer Operating Company andSudd Petroleum Operating Company), Venezuela (San Cristobal) and Brazil(BC-10).Therearefiveprojectswherehydrocarbonshavebeendiscoveredandareatvariousstagesofdevelopment.Website:www.ongcvidesh.com

BharatPetroResourcesLtdBharatPetroResourcesLimited(BPRL),formedin2006,isawhollyowned

subsidiary and Exploration and Production (E&P) arm of Bharat PetroleumCorporation Limited (BPCL). While BPCL is engaged in the midstream anddownstreamsegmentinIndia,BPRLcarriesoutupstreamactivitiesbothinIndiaandoverseas.BPRLhasparticipatinginterest(PI)in24blocksspreadacross8countriesalongwithequitystake in2Russianentitiesholding the license to4producingassets.

http://www.bharatpetroleum.com

http://www.ongcindia.com

http://www.ongcvidesh.com

Website:www.bharatpetroresources.in

OilIndiaLimitedOilIndiaLimited(OIL),aGovernmentofIndiaenterprise,isengagedinthe

business of exploration, production and transportation of crude oil and naturalgas.In1959,OilIndiaPrivateLimitedwasincorporatedtoexpandanddevelopthenewlydiscoveredoilfieldsofNaharkatiyaandMoraninAssam.In1961,itbecamea jointventure companybetween the IndianGovernment andBurmahOil Company Limited, UK. In 1981, OIL India Pvt. Ltd. became a wholly-ownedGovernmentof Indiaenterprise. In-countryoperationalareasarespreadoverAssam,ArunachalPradesh,Mizoram,Bihar,AndhraPradesh,Puducherry,Andaman andRajasthan.OIL has presence in nine countries, viz., Venezuela,Libya,Gabon, Iran,Nigeria,Yemen, Sudan, TimorLeste andEgypt, pursuingvariousactivities.

Inaddition,OILownsandoperatesatrunkcrudeoilpipelineinthenortheastregion of the country for transportation of crude oil to feed Numaligarh,GuwahatiandBongaigaonrefineries.OILalsoownsandoperatesabranchlinetofeedDigboirefinery.Website:www.oil-india.com

In response, five states namely Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat andBiharhavecompliedwiththeamendedprovisionsoftheIDRAct.ThisMinistryisregularlyfollowingupwithremainingStatesforearlyimplementationofIDRAct.

NewandRenewableEnergyMinistryofNewandRenewableEnergy(MNRE)isthenodalMinistryatthe

federallevelforallmattersrelatingtonewandrenewableenergy.TheMinistryhas been facilitating the implementation of broad spectrum programmesincluding harnessing renewable power, renewable energy to rural areas forlighting,cookingandmotivepower,useofrenewableenergyinurban,industrialand commercial applications and development of alternate fuels andapplications.Website:www.nrre.gov.in

IndianScenarioOver the years, renewable energy sector in the country has emerged as a

significant player in the grid connected power generation capacity. It supportsthe government agenda of sustainable growth, while, emerging as an integral

http://www.bharatpetroresources.in

http://www.oil-india.com

http://www.nrre.gov.in

partofthesolutiontomeetthenation’senergyneedsandanessentialplayerforenergy access. It has been realized that renewable energy has to play amuchdeeper role in achieving energy security in the years ahead andbe an integralpartoftheenergyplanningprocess.RenewableenergysectorlandscapeinIndiahas, during the last few years, witnessed tremendous changes in the policyframeworkwithacceleratedandambitiousplanstoincreasethecontributionofsolar energy. There is a perception that renewable energy can now play asignificantrole,asalso,thereisaconfidenceinthetechnologiesandcapacitytodoso.Enlargingthescopeof theNationalSolarMissionsymbolizesboth,andindeedencapsulatesthevisionandambitionforthefuture.

DriversforDevelopmentAtpresentaround69.5percentofIndia’spowergenerationcapacityisbased

oncoal.Inaddition,thereisanincreasingdependenceonimportedoil,whichisleading to importsofaround33percentof India’s totalenergyneeds.Despiteincrease in installed capacity by more than 113 times, India is still not in apositiontomeetitspeakelectricitydemandaswellasenergyrequirement.Thepeak power deficit during financial year 2001-02 was 12.2 per cent,approximately9252MW,however,attheendof2014-15,thepeakpowerdeficitdecreasedtotheorderof2.4percent.Asafalloutofthissituation,plannedandun-plannedmeasureswereundertakenbythegovernmentandutilitiestobridgethisdemand-supplygap.Indiafacesachallengetoensureavailabilityofreliableand modern forms of energy for all its citizens. Almost 85 per cent of ruralhouseholdsdependonsolidfuelfortheircookingneedsandonly55percentofthemhaveaccesstoelectricity.However,evenwiththislowaccess,mostruralhouseholds face issueswithquality andconsistencyof energy supply.Lackofrural lighting is leading to large-scaleuseofkerosene.Thisusageneeds tobereduced, as it leads to increased subsidies and import dependence, andconsequentpressureonforeignexchangereserves.

IndiahastakenavoluntarycommitmentofreducingemissionintensityofitsGDPby33-35percentfrom2005levelsby2030.Intherecentlyconcluded21stConference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention onClimateChange (UNFCCC)held at Paris, France, India committed to achieveabout 40 per cent cumulative electric power installed capacity fromnon-fossilfuelbasedenergyresourcesby2030withthehelpoftransferoftechnologyandlowcostinternationalfinanceincludingfromGreenClimateFund(GCF).

RenewableEnergyPotentialIndia has an estimated renewable energy potential of about 900 GW from

commerciallyexploitablesourcesviz.Wind-102GW(at80metremastheight);smallhydro-20GW;bioenergy-25GW;and750GWsolarpower,assuming3%wastelandismadeavailable.TheMinistryhadtakenupanewinitiativein2014forimplementationofwindresourceassessmentinuncovered/newareaswithanaimtoassess therealisticpotentialat100mlevel in500newstationsacross the country under the National Clean Energy Fund (NCEF). NationalInstituteofWindEnergyhasusedadvancedmodelling techniques and revisedtheestimatethewindpowerpotentialat100metreat302GW.

Renewableenergyhasagreatpotentialtousherinuniversalenergyaccess.Inadecentralizedorstandalonemode,renewableenergyisanappropriate,scalableand viable solution for providing power to un-electrified or power deficientvillagesandhamlets.Over1.2millionhouseholdsareusingsolarenergytomeettheir lightingenergyneedsandalmostsimilarnumbersof thehouseholdsmeettheir cookingenergyneeds frombiogasplants.SolarPhotovoltaic (PV)powersystemsarebeingusedforavarietyofapplicationssuchasruralelectrification,railway signalling, microwave repeaters, mobile towers, TV transmission andreceptionandforprovidingpowertoborderoutposts.

Renewableenergydatabaseisupdatedregularlyinthecountry.TheNationalInstituteofWindEnergy(NIWE), formerlyknownasCentre forWindEnergyTechnology, has developed theWind Atlas of India. NIWE also collects datafromSolarRadiationResourceAssessmentstationstoassessandquantifysolarradiationavailabilityanddevelopSolarAtlasofthecountry.NationalInstituteofSolarEnergyhasassessedtheStatewisesolarpotentialbytaking3precentofthewastelandarea tobecoveredbySolarPVmodules.TheIndianInstituteofScience, Bengaluru has developed Biomass Atlas of India, and the AlternateHydro Energy Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee has assessedsmallhydropotentialinthecountry.

RenewableEnergyforRuralApplicationsTheMinistryhasbeensupportingprogrammesforthedeploymentofrenewal

energysystemsanddevicessuchasbiogasplants,photovoltaicsystems,biomassgasifires,solarcookersandsolarthermalsystems,etc.,forruralandsemi-ruralapplications.

Morethan35,000biogasplantsoftheapprovedmodelswereinstalledacrossthe country with financial support of the Ministry, taking the cumulativeinstallation to over 49.40 lakh biogas plants in all states and union territories.Under theNational Biomass Cookstoves Initiative, several pilot projects havebeen taken up for deployment of improved biomass cookstoves for

demonstration among domestic and large sized community cooking inAnganwadis,mid-daymealschemesinschools,tribalhostels,etc.

NewNationalBiogasandOrganicManureProgramme

TheNewNationalBiogas andOrganicManure Programme (NNBOMP) isbeingimplementedwiththeobjectivetoprovidecleancookingfuelandtomeetlighting, thermal and small power needs of farmers/ dairy farmers/usersincludingindividualhouseholdsandtoimproveorganicmanuresystembasedonbioslurry from biogas plants in rural and semi-urban areas by setting up ofbiogasplants.Theprogrammehasmultiplebenefits. It ishelpful inmitigatinghardshipofruralwomen.Itsavestimeandenergyofruralpeople,whichcanbeused for other livelihood activities. It also reduces pressure on forests andimprovessanitationinruralandsemi-urbanareas.

NationalSolarMissionLaunched in January2010, theNationalSolarMission (NSM)was the first

missiontobeoperationalizedundertheNationalActionPlanonClimateChange(NAPCC).Usingathree-phaseapproach,themission’sobjectiveistoestablishIndia as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions forsolartechnologydiffusionacrossthecountryasquicklyaspossible.

A rangeof policy instrumentshasbeen adopted to implement thismission.TherevisedtariffpolicyrequiresallStatestoreach10.5percentsolarRPObythe year 2022. Solar water heaters and rooftop Solar systems have beenpromoted in government, commercial and residential areas through regulatoryintervention such asmandates under building by-laws and its incorporation intheNationalBuildingCode.Off-grid and rooftop solar applicationshavebeenpromotedthroughprovisionofsubsidiesfromthecentralgovernment.Researchanddevelopment isalsobeingencouraged throughapprovalsofR&DprojectsandtheestablishmentofcentresofexcellencebytheMinistry.Thesemeasuresledtodeclineinpurchasepricesofsolarpowerinthecountry.

Solar/GreenBuildingsProgrammeThe Ministry has been implementing a Scheme on Energy Efficient Solar

GreenBuildingssince2009,whichaimstopromotethewidespreadconstructionofenergyefficientsolargreenbuildingsinthecountrythroughacombinationoffinancialandpromotionalincentives.Theseareforcapacitybuilding,awareness,seminarandworkshopsandotherpromotionalactivities,etc.

SolarCitiesProgrammeThe“DevelopmentofSolarCities”programmeaimsatminimum10percent

reduction inprojecteddemandofconventionalenergyat theendof fiveyears,which can be achieved through a combination of energy efficiency measureswhile enhancing supply from renewable energy sources. The Ministry assistsmunicipalcorporationsandurbanlocalbodiesinpreparationofamasterplanforincreasingenergyefficiencyandrenewableenergysupplyinthecity,setting-upinstitutional arrangements for the implementation of the Master Plan andawarenessgenerationandcapacitybuildingactivities.

CoalTheMinistry of Coal (MoC) has the overall responsibility of determining

policies and strategies in respect of exploration and development of coal andlignitereserves,sanctioningofimportantprojectsofhighvalueandfordecidingall related issues. These key functions are exercised through its public sectorundertakings,namelyCoalIndiaLimited(CIL)andNeyveliLigniteCorporationLimited (NLC) and Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), a jointsectorundertakingofGovernmentofTelanganaandGovernmentofIndiawithequitycapitalintheratioof51:49.Website:www.coal.nic.in

CoalReserves319.020billiontonnesofcoalreserveshavebeenestimatedbytheGeological

Survey of India. The reserves have been foundmainly in Jharkhand, Odisha,Chhattisgarh,WestBengal,MadhyaPradesh,TelanganaandMaharashtra.

LigniteReservesThe lignite reserves in the country have been estimated at around 45.66

billiontonnesbytheGeologicalSurveyofIndia.ThemajordepositsarelocatedinTamilNadu,followedbyRajasthan,Gujarat,Kerala,WestBengalandunionterritoriesofJammuandKashmirandPuducherry.

CoalProductionTheoverallproductionofcoalfor2018-19wasprojectedat730MT.During

2018-19 theactualproductionwas730.25MTcompared to675.40MTduringcorrespondingperiodof2018-19showingagrowthof8.1percent.

CoalIndiaLimitedCoalIndiaLimited(CIL)isa‘MahaRatna’companyunder theMinistryof

http://www.coal.nic.in

Coal,withheadquartersatKolkata,WestBengal.CILis thesingle largestcoalproducingcompanyintheworld.CILoperatesthrough82miningareasspreadover eight provincial states of India. It has 429 mines of which 237 areunderground,166opencast and26mixedmines.CIL is theapexbody incoalindustryundertheadministrativecontroloftheMinistryofCoal.CoalIndiaisaholding company with seven wholly owned coal producing subsidiarycompaniesandonemineplanningandconsultancycompany.Itencompassesthewholegamutofidentificationofcoalreserves,detailedexplorationfollowedbydesignand implementation andoptimisingoperations for coal extraction in itsmines. The producing companies are: Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL),Sanctoria, West Bengal; Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), Dhanbad,Jharkhand;CentralCoalfieldsLimited(CCL),Ranchi,Jharkhand;SouthEasternCoalfieldsLimited(SECL),Bilaspur,Chhattisgarh;WesternCoalfieldsLimited(WCL), Nagpur, Maharashtra; Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), Singrauli,MadhyaPradesh;MahanadiCoalfieldsLimtied(MCL),Sambalpur,Odisha.Theconsultancy company is Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited(CMPDIL),Ranchi,Jharkhand.Website:www.coalindia.in

NeyveliLigniteCorporationLimitedNeyveliLigniteCorporationLimited(NLC)wasregisteredasacompanyin

November1956.TheminingoperationsinMine-Iwereformallyinauguratedin1957. Neyveli Lignite Corporation has been conferred with ‘Navratna’ statussince 2011. Its registered office atChennai and corporate office atNeyveli inTamil Nadu is a pioneer among the public sector undertakings in the energysector. NLC operates three open cast lignite mines of total capacity of 28.5milliontonnesperannumatNeyveliandoneopencastlignitemineofcapacity2.1 million tonnes per annum at Barsingsar, Rajasthan, three thermal powerstationswithatotalinstalledcapacityof2,490MWatNeyveliandonethermalpowerstationatBarsingsar,Rajasthanwithaninstalledcapacityof250MW.Allthe mines of NLC are ISO certified for quality management system,environmental management system and occupational health and safetymanagement system.NLC’sgrowth is sustained and its contribution to India’ssocialandeconomicdevelopmentissignificant.Website:www.nlcindia.com

http://www.coalindia.in

http://www.nlcindia.com

12 Environment

THEMinistry ofEnvironment, Forest andClimateChange (MoEF&CC) isthenodalagencyinthecentralgovernmentforoverseeingtheimplementationofIndia’senvironmentandforestpoliciesandprogrammesrelatingtoconservationof the country’s natural resources including lakes and rivers, its biodiversity,forests and wildlife, ensuring the welfare of animals and prevention andabatementofpollution.Whileimplementingthesepoliciesandprogrammes,theMinistryisguidedbytheprincipleofsustainabledevelopment.TheMinistryisalsothenodalagencyfortheUnitedNationsEnvironmentProgramme(UNEP),International Centre for IntegratedMountainDevelopment (ICIMOD) and theUnitedNationsConference onEnvironment andDevelopment (UNCED).TheMinistry also coordinateswithmultilateral bodies such as theCommission onSustainable Development (CSD), Global Environment Facility (GEF) andregional bodies such as Economic and Social Council for Asia and Pacific(ESCAP)andSouthAsianAssociationforRegionalCooperation(SAARC)onmatterspertainingtoenvironment.Website:www.moef.nic.in

BotanicalSurveyofIndiaBotanical Survey of India (BSI) is the apex research organization under

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Govt. ofIndiaforcarryingouttaxonomicandfloristicstudiesonwildplantresourcesofthe country. Itwas established in 1890with the basic objective to explore theplant resources of country and to identify the plants species with economicvirtues.SirGeorgeKing,thethenSuperintendentofthe‘RoyalBotanicGarden’Calcuttawas appointed as first ex-officioHonoraryDirector of theBSI.Afterindependencethedepartmentwasreorganizedin1954byGovernmentofIndiaas a part of scientific development of the country.During the successive planperiods,thefunctionalbaseofBSIwasfurtherexpandedtoincludevariousnewareas such as inventorying of endemic, rare and threatened plant species;evolving conservation strategies; studies on fragile ecosystems and protectedareas, like wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and biosphere reserves,

http://www.moef.nic.in

multiplication andmaintenance of endemic and threatened plant species, wildornamentals, etc., in Botanic Gardens and Orchidaria; documentation oftraditional knowledge associated with plants and development of NationalDatabase of herbarium specimens/live collection/ botanical paintings/illustrations,plantdistributionandnomenclature,plantuses,etc.

ZoologicalSurveyofIndiaTheZoologicalSurveyofIndia(ZSI),apremierresearchinstitutionunderthe

Ministryhascompleted100yearsofservicestotheNation,undertakingsurvey,exploration and research leading to the advancement of our knowledgeon theexceptionally rich faunal diversity of the country since its inception in 1916.OverthesuccessiveplanperiodsfunctionsofZSIhavealsoexpandedgraduallyencompassing areas like theEnvironmental ImpactAssessmentwith regard tofauna; survey of conservation areas; status survey of endangered species;computerization of digitization of data on faunal resources; EnvironmentalInformation System (ENVIS) on faunal diversity; identification and advisoryservices; National Designated Repository of type and voucher specimens;supporting enforcement of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; establishment ofmarine aquaria andMuseum for awareness on conservation etc., and acts as acustodian of theNational Zoological Collections.Headquarters are atKolkataand16Regionalcentresarelocatedatdifferentpartsofthecountry.

ForestSurveyofIndiaForestSurveyofIndia(FSI),anationallevelorganizationundertheMinistry

is engaged in the assessment of the country’s forest resources on a regularinterval. Established in 1981, the Forest Survey of India succeeded the“PreinvestmentSurveyofForestResources”(PISFR),aprojectinitiatedin1965by Government of India with the sponsorship of FAO and UNDP. The mainobjective of PISFR was to ascertain the availability of raw material forestablishment ofwood based industries in selected areas of the country. In itsreport in1976, theNationalCommissiononAgriculture (NCA) recommendedthecreationofaNationalForestSurveyOrganizationforcollectionof reliabledata through countrywide comprehensive forest resources survey at regularintervals.Consequently,PISFERwasreorganizedintoFSIinJune,1981.Afteracriticalreviewofactivities,themandateofFSIwasrefinedin1986inordertomake it more relevant to the rapidly changing needs and aspirations of thecountry.India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

BiodiversityConservation

TheConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)isoneofthekeyagreementsadoptedduringtheEarthSummitheldinRiodeJaneiroin1992.Theobjectiveof CBD are: conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of itscomponents,andfairandequitablesharingofbenefitsarisingoutoftheuseofgenetic resources. Pursuant to the ratification of the CBD by India in 1994,severalstepswereinitiatedtomeetthecommitmentsundertheConvention,andtorealizetheopportunitiesofferedbytheConvention.Theseeffortswereaimedat bringing the legislative, administrative and policy regimes in tunewith thethree-fold objectives of theCBD. India enacted theBiologicalDiversity (BD)Act in 2002 to give effect to the provision of this Convention. India alsoprepared a National Biodiversity Action Plan (NBAP) in 2008, and anAddendumtoNBAPin2014with20nationaltargetsonbiodiversity.

TheNagoyaProtocolonaccessandbenefitsharing(ABS)adoptedundertheaegisofCBDin2010,isaimedatfairandequitablesharingofbenefitsarisingfromtheutilizationofgeneticresources.

BiosphereReservesTheideaof‘BiosphereReserves’wasintiatedbyUNESCOin1973-74under

its Man and Biosphere (MAB) Programme. The MAB, launched in 1970 byUNESCO,isabroadbasedecologicalprogrammeaimedtodevelopwithinthenatural and social sciencesabasis for the rationaluseandconservationof theresourcesofthebiosphereandfortheimprovementoftherelationshipbetweenman and the environment, to predict the consequences of today’s actions ontomorrowsworldandtherebytoincreaseman’sabilitytomanageefficientlythenatural resources of the biosphere. India_2020_DPD: E published on DPDmobileapp

The Indian National Man and Biosphere (MAB) Commitee identifies andrecommendspotentialsitesfordesignationasBiosphereReserves,followingtheUNESCO’sguidelinesandcriteria.Thereare18designatedBiosphereReserves(BRs). Out of 18 Biosphere Reserves, 10 Biosphere Reserves have beenincludedintheworldNetworkofBiosphereReservesofUNESCO.

Implementing organizations are the concerned states/UT government,environmentandforestdepartments/linedepartments.Lead institutes identifiedfortheBiosphereReservesconductresearchactivitiesonthesanctionedresearchprojectsandperiodic reviewandprogress reportsareevaluatedbyexpertsandtheevaluationofthecompletedreportisdonebythedesignatedcommittee.

BiodiversityConservationSchemeRelatingto

BiosafetyThe scheme on Biodiversity Conservation was initiated during 1991-92

during the 8th Plan period, to ensure coordination among various agenciesdealingwith the issues relating to conservation of biodiversity, and to review,monitor and evolve adequate policy instruments for the same. The mainobjective is implementation of Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety, UNEP-GEFSupported Capacity building Project on Biosafety (Phase-II) Project andStrengtheningofBiosafetyManagementSystem.CartagenaBiosafetyProtocol(CPB):Itwasnegotiatedundertheaegisofthe

ConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD)andadoptedin2000.Indiaisapartyto the Protocol. Themain objective of the Protocol is to ensure safe transfer.handlinganduseof livingmodifiedorganisms(LMOs) resulting frommodernbiotechnologythatmayhaveadverseeffectontheconservationandsustainableusebiologicaldiversity,takingintoaccountrisktohumanhealth.

ForestProtectionThis Centrally Sponsored Scheme of intensification of ForestManagement

Scheme deals within forest fire management, to address the growing concernover adverse effects of forest fire.With this, the present Centrally SponsoredSchemeofForestFirePreventionandManagement(FPM)wasformulated.

WildlifeConservationThere is a Wildlife Division of the Ministry that has two sub-divisions,

namely,ProjectElephantDivisionandWildlifeDivision. Inaddition, therearethreeautonomousbodies.WildlifeInstituteofIndia(WII)forwildliferesearchand training. Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for conservation and zoomanagement andNational Tiger ConservationAuthority (NTCA). TheNTCAhas been constituted by converting the Project Tiger Directorate into anautonomous body for tiger conservation. TheNational Zoological Park in theCapital isalsoapartof theWildlifewingof theMinistryofEnvironmentandForests.

Wildlife Division deals with the policy and law matters and knowledgemanagement for facilitatingprocessesandanalysis for evolutionofpolicyandlawforconservationofbiodiversityandprotectedareanetwork.ThisDivisionoftheMinistryprovidestechnicalandfinancialsupporttothestate/Utgovernmentsfor wildlife conservation under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme, IntegratedDevelopment of Wildlife Habitats and also through Central Sector Scheme-

Strengthening of Wildlife Division and Consultancies for Special Tasks, andthroughgrantsinaidtotheCentralZooAuthorityandWildlifeInstituteofIndia,Dehradun.

TheGovernment of India provides financial and technical assistance to thestate/UT government for activities aimed at wildlife conservation through theCentrally Sponsored Scheme viz., ‘Integrated Development of WildlifeHabitats’. The scheme has following three components; support to ProtectedAreas(nationalparks,wildlifesanctuaries,conservationreservesandcommunityreserves); protection of wildlife outside protected areas; and recoveryprogrammesforsavingcriticallyendangeredspeciesandhabitats.

WildlifeCrimeControlBureauWildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) is a statutory multi-disciplinary

bodyestablishedunder theMinistry, tocombatorganizedwildlifecrime in thecountry.TheBureauhasitsheadquartersinNewDelhiandfiveregionalofficesatDelhi,Kolkata,Mumbai,ChennaiandJabalpur; threesub-regionalofficesatGuwahati, Amritsar and Cochin; and five border units at Ramanathapuram,Gorakhpur,Motihari,NathulaandMoreh. It ismandated tocollectandcollateintelligencerelatedtoorganizedwildlifecrimeactivitiesandtodisseminatethesame to state and other enforcement agencies for immediate action so as toapprehend the criminals; to establish a centralized wildlife crime data bank;coordinateactionsbyvariousagenciesinconnectionwiththeenforcementoftheprovisions of the Act; assist foreign authorities and international organizationconcerned to facilitate co-ordination and universal action for wildlife crimecontrol; capacity building of the wildlife crime enforcement agencies forscientific and professional investigation into wildlife crime and assist stategovernments to ensure success in prosecutions related to wildlife crimes; andadvise the Government of India on issues relating to wildlife crimes havingnationaland international ramifications, relevantpolicyand laws.TheWildlifeCrimeControlBureauwasconstitutedin2007.

CentralZooAuthorityThe Central Zoo Authority with its headquarters in New Delhi was

establishedin1992undertheprovisionsoftheWildLife(Protection)Act,1972under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to oversee thefunctioning of zoos in the country with the view to enhance their role inconservation. The main objective of the Central Zoo Authority is to enforceminimum standards and norms for upkeep and healthcare of animals in theIndianzoosandtocontrolthemushroomingofill-conceived,illplannedzoos,to

monitorandevaluate theexistingzoosand tosuggestwaysandmeans for theimprovementofzoos in thecountryso that theycanbe transferred intopotentcentresforex-situconservationofendangeredwildfauna.

NationalZoologicalParkTheNationalZoologicalPark(NZP)wassetupin1959underthisMinistry.

Themain objective of the Park is to complement and strengthen the nationalefforts in conservation of the rich biodiversity of the country, particularly thewild fauna. To achieve this objective protocol is adopted which includes:supporting the conservation of endangered species by attempting theircoordinatedbreedingunderex-situconditionsandraisestocksforrehabilitatingtheminwildasandwhenitisappropriateanddesirable;toinspireamongstzoovisitors empathy for wild animals, an understanding and awareness about theneedforconservationofnaturalresourcesandmaintaingecologicalbalance;andprovidingopportunities for scientific studiesuseful forconservation ingeneraland creation of data base for sharing between the agencies involved in in-situandex-situconservation.India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

ProjectElephantProjectElephant(PE)waslaunchedbytheGovernmentofIndiain1991-92

asacentrallysponsoredschemewiththeobjectives:-toprotectelephants,theirhabitat andcorridors; to address issuesofman-animal conflict; andwelfareofdomesticatedelephants.

NationalTigerConservationAuthority/ProjectTigerTheNationalTigerConservationAuthority(NTCA)isastatutorybodyunder

thisMinistryconstitutedunderenablingprovisionsof theWildlife (Protection)Act,1972,asamendedin2006,forstrengtheningtigerconservation.TheNTCAhas been fulfilling its mandate by retaining an oversight through advisories /normative guidelines, based on appraisal of tiger status, ongoing conservationinitiatives and recommendations of specially constituted Committees. ‘ProjectTiger’isaCentrallySponsoredSchemeprovidingfundingsupporttotigerrangestates,forin-situconservationoftigersindesignatedtigerreserves,andhasputtheendangeredtigeronanassuredpathofrecoverybysavingitfromextinction.

ProjectTigerProject Tiger was launched in 1973 for conserving the tiger. From 9 tiger

reservessinceitsformativeyears,theProjectTigercoveragehasincreasedto50,spreadoutin18oftigerrangestates.Thesereservesareconstitutedonacore/

buffer strategy. The core areas have the legal status of a national park or asanctuary,whereas the buffer or peripheral areas are amix of forest and non-forest land, managed as a multiple use area. It is an ongoing scheme of thisMinistry providing central assistance to the tiger states for conservation. TheNTCA/ProjectTigeralsoconductsthecountrylevelassessmentofthestatusoftiger, co-predators, prey and habitat once in four years, using the refinedmethodology,asapprovedbytheTigerTaskForce.Duetotheconcertedeffortsunder theProject, Indiahas thedistinctionofhaving themaximumnumberoftigersintheworld-2,967-tobeprecise,aspertheresultsofthe4thcycleoftheAllIndiaTigerEstimation.Thetigercorridorsforgeneflowhavebeenmappedin theGIS domain.After seeing the success of Project Tiger, the governmentupdatedtheWildlifeProtectionActof1972.Thisensuresthatalongwithtigers,other wildlife also gets protected. One by one, every national park took aninitiative to save endangered species. For example - Gir conserves lions, andKazirangaconservesone-hornedrhinos.

International Tiger’s Day is held every year on 29th July to raise publicawarenessandsupportregardingseveralissuesrelatedtotigerconservation.TheideabehindsuchaneventcameupattheSt.PetersburgTigerSummitin2010.Itwasalsodecidedthat29thJulywouldbeknownasGlobalTigerDay.Duringthesummit,apanelofexpertsdeclaredagoaltowardstigerconservation,whichwastodoubleitspopulationby2022.

AnimalWelfareAnimalWelfareGeneral-AnimalBoardofIndia

General Animal Welfare covers the welfare of individual animals, mainlydomesticated,asalsowildanimals incaptivity, throughAnimalWelfareBoardof India (AWBI). AWBI is a statutory body established with headquarters atChennai.Itsbasicmandateistoadvisethegovernmentonanimalwelfareissues,andcreateawarenessinanimalwelfareandtoimplementtheregularschemesofAWBIandalsothecentralsectorschemesforthewelfareofanimals.

FreeMobileAnimalClinicThe Board is providing free, on the spot veterinary treatment to sick and

injured animals belonging to poor people through its Mobile Animal Clinic(MAC) programme operating Awareness Rallies Conducted During WorldAnimalDayWeek:TheAnimalWelfareBoardofIndiahasorganizedralliestocreate kindness and compassionwith the co-ordination of Schools inChennaiandKarunaInternational,ChennaiunderHumaneEducationprogramme.

EnvironmentalImpactAssessmentEnvironmental Impact Assessment (EIA), is a planning tool to integrate

environmentalconcernsintothedevelopmentalprocessfromtheinitialstageofplanning. Itwas firstused in Indiaasearlyas1978with rivervalleyprojects,andwassubsequentlyextended to largepublic sectorprojects requiringPublicInvestment Board (PIB) clearance. These practiceswere formally codified forthe first time in the EIA Notification, 1994. This made the requirement ofenvironmental clearance mandatory for 37 categories of projects/ processes,listedtherein.Thecriterionofinvestmentwasthebasisfortheprojectsrequiringenvironmentalclearanceindifferentsectors.

ControlofPollutionAirPollution

Rising issue of air pollution is increasingly becoming a serious concern,particularlyinmetrocities.Alargenumberofcitiesandtownsdonotmeetthestandards for pollutants specifically for particulate matter. In a few citiesincludingDelhi, the ambient particulatematter concentrations aremuch abovethestandardsi.e., threetofourtimesorevenhigher.AirqualityregulationandactionsforabatementofairpollutionisundertakenundervariousprovisionsofAir (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Environment(Protection)Act, (EPA) 1986which prescribes themechanism and authoritiesforhandlingtheissue.Themajorimpactishighlightedwithreferencetohealthof people. As per the available data for Delhi and NCR for last five years,ParticulateMatter(PM10andPM2.5)concentrationsarethemajorconcernfortheentirearea,howeverafewviolationsareobservedinNO2concentrationsinDelhi,Meerut andFaridabad.TheconcentrationofSO2 iswithin the standardlimit at all the locations in all the last five years. PM10 are inhalable coarseparticles,whichareparticleswith adiameterbetween2.5 and10micrometers(µm)andPM2.5arefineparticleswithadiameterof2.5µmorless.

Generally, for young and healthy people, moderate air pollution levels areunlikelytohaveanyseriousshorttermeffects.However,elevatedlevelsand/orlong term exposure to air pollution can lead to symptoms and conditionsaffecting human health. This mainly affects the respiratory and inflammatorysystems, but can also lead to more serious conditions such as heart disease.Peoplewithlungorheartconditionsmaybemoresusceptibletotheeffectsofairpollution.

MeasurestoCombatAirPollutionNationalAmbientAirQualityStandardsenvisaging12pollutantshavebeen

notifiedundertheEPA,1986alongwith115emission/effluentstandardsfor104different sectors of industries, besides 32 general standards. Government isexecutinganation-wideprogrammeofambientairqualitymonitoringknownasNationalAirQualityMonitoringProgramme(NAMP).Thenetworkconsistsofsix hundred and ninety-onemanual operating stations covering three hundredand three cities/towns in twenty-nine states and four union territories. Withreference tovehicularpollution thesteps takeninclude introductionofcleaner/alternate fuels like gaseous fuel (CNG, LPG, etc.) ethanol blending,universalization of BS-IV by 2017; leapfrogging from BS-IV to BS-VI fuelstandardsby1stApril,2020;ongoingpromotionofpublictransportnetworkofmetro,buses,e-rickshawsandpromotionofcarpooling,streamlininggrantingofPollutionUnderControlCertificate,lanediscipline,vehiclemaintenance,etc.

National Air Quality Index (AQI) was launched in 2015 starting with 14citiesandthenextendedto34.AGradedResponseActionPlanforcontrolofairpollutioninDelhiandNCRregionhasbeennotified.Thisplanspecifiesactionsrequiredforcontrollingparticulatematter)PMemissionsfromvarioussources)and prevent PM 10 and PM 2.5 livels to go beyond ‘moderate’ national AirQuality Index (AQI) category. The measures are cumulative. Emergency andsevere levels includecumulativelyallothermeasures listed in the lower levelsandAQI includingverypoor,poorandmoderate.Actions listed in thepoor tomoderate category need to be implemented though out the year. CentralPollutionControlBoard (CPCB) has issued a comprehensive set of directionsfor implementation of 42 measures to mitigate air pollution in major citiesincludingDelhiandNCR.Inordertoinvolvepeopleintheefforts,Governmentlaunchedacampaigncalled‘HaritDiwaliandSwasthDiwali’in2017involvingover 200 schools in Delhi and over two lakh schools in the country. A minimarathonfor‘SwachhHawaforSwachhandSwasthBharat’wasalsoorganisedin2017.

NoisePollutionAs a follow-up of Section 5.2.8 (IV) of National Environmental Policy

(NEP)-2006, ambient noise has been included as a regular parameter formonitoring in specified urban areas. Protocol for National Ambient NoiseMonitoring Network Programme has been prepared and circulated to statepollution control boards. Central Pollution Control Board in association withstate pollution control boards established Real Time National Ambient Noise

MonitoringNetwork in7metropolitancitiesand installed70noisemonitoringsystem in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow andHyderabad. The steps taken to reduce noise pollution, inter alia, includeadvisoriesfornoisemonitoringontheoccasionofDiwali;prohibitionoftheuseof fireworks between 10.00 p.m. and 06.00 a.m.; publicity regarding the illeffects of fire crackers, sensitisation of students through course curriculumbesidesgeneralawarenessbuildingofpublicat large toavoidburstingof fire-crackers; and issuance of directions under Section 5 of Environment(Protection), Act, 1986 and under section 18 (1) (b) of Air (Prevention andControlofPollution)Act,1981.

SchemeofCommonEffluentTreatmentPlantsThe concept of the Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) arose in

order to make a co-operative movement for pollution control. The mainobjective of the CETPs is to reduce the treatment cost to be borne by anindividual member unit to a minimum while protecting the environment to amaximum. Wastewater treatment and water conservation are the primeobjectives of the CETP. This concept was envisaged to treat the effluentemanatingfromtheclustersofcompatiblesmall-scaleindustries.

A centrally sponsored scheme has been undertaken by theGovernment forenabling small scale industries (SSI) to set up new and upgrade the existingcommon effluent treatment plants to cover all the states in the country. Thesalient featuresof therevisedschemeinclude: (a) thecentralsubsidyhasbeenenhanced from25per cent to 50per cent of theproject cost; (b) all the threelevels of treatment, primary, secondary and tertiary are to be covered forassistance. (c) the management of the Common Effluent Treatment Plants(CETP) is to be entrusted to a Special Purpose Vehicle registered under anappropriatestatute.

HazardousSubstanceManagementTheHazardousSustancesManagementDivision(HSMD)is thenodalpoint

within the Ministry for management of solid waste including hazardoussubstancesandchemicalemergencies.Themainobjectiveof theDivisionis topromotesafemanagementofsolidwastes,managementofhazardoussubstancesandwastes includinghazardous chemicals, inorder to avoiddamage tohealthandenvironment.

Inaddition,theDivisionalsoadministersthePublicLiabilityInsuranceAct,1991andrulesframedthereunder.TheactivitiesoftheDivisionarecarriedout

under three main thrust areas viz., hazardous waste management solid wastemanagementandchemicalsafety.

ChemicalSafetyIn order to ensure chemical safety, theMinistry notified two sets of Rules

undertheEnvironment(Protection)Act,1986viz.,(i)TheManufacture,Storageand Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 (MSIHC); and (ii) TheChemicalAccidents(Emergency,Planning,Preparedness,andResponse)Rules(EPPR),1996.ThemainobjectivesoftheMISHCrulesareto:(a)preventmajoraccidents arising from industrial activities; and (b)limit the effects of suchaccidents.Therulesendeavourtoachievetheseobjectivesbyhavingaquantity-basedapproach.TheMSIHCrulesrequiretheoccupiertodisclosethenecessaryinformationtothepublicintheneighbourhoodthatislikelytobeaffectedbyamajor accident at the site. During the process of implementation of MSIHCRules, 1989, itwas felt that aChemicalCrisisManagementSystemhas to beestablished in thecountry toensurepropercoordinationof theactivitiesof thevariousauthoritiesandtorenderhelptotheDistrictCollectorwhoisresponsibleforthepreparation,maintenanceandexecutionofanOff-SiteEmergencyPlan.Therefore, a set of rules entitled Chemicals Accidents (Emergency Planning,PreparednessandResponse)Rules,1996wasnotifiedwiththeaimofprovidingadministrative structure at different levels such as national, state, district andlocal levels for effective planning, preparedness and responses to chemicalsaccidents and also ensuring availability of information to public likely to beaffectedbyanaccident.TheChemicalAccidents(EPPR)Rules.1996envisageafour-tier crisismanagement system in the country at the central, state, districtandlocallevels.

HazardousWasteManagementTo address the issue of ensure environmentally sound management of

hazardouswaste for safetyofhealth andenvironmentduringhandlingof suchwasteHazardousWaste (Management,Handling&TransboundaryMovement)Rules,2008werenotifiedunderEnvironment(Protection)Act,1986.TheRuleslay down procedure towards this process by providing provisions forauthorizationofhazardouswastegeneratingandunitsusinghazardouswaste.Italso provides for establishment of Treatment Storage and Disposal Facility(TSDF)fordisposalofhazardouswastes.Theruleshaveanimportantprovisiononregulationofimport/exportofhazardouswasteinpursuancetoourobligationunder the Basel Convention on Control of Transboundary Movement ofHazardouswasteanditsdisposal.IndiaispartytotheConvention.

ThemajorsalientfeaturesofHazardousandOtherWastes(ManagementandTransboundaryMovement)Rules,2016includethefollowing:-theambitoftheRules has been expanded by including ‘Other-Waste’.; authorization andregistrationrequirementisreplacedwithonepermissioni.e.,authorizationunderthe rules for all stakeholders handling the hazardous and other waste; wastemanagementhierarchy in thesequenceofpriorityasprevention,minimization,reuse,recycling,recovery,co-processing;andsafedisposalbeingincorporated;theprocess of import/export ofwaste under the rules has been streamlinedbysimplifyingtheprocedureandbyrevisingthelistofwasteregulatedforimport/export; separate schedule has been introducedwhich compriseswaste such asmetal scrap, paper waste and various categories of electrical and electronicequipmentsforre-usepurposeexemptedfromtheneedofobtainingMinistry’spermission;thelistofwasteprohibitedforimporthasbeenrevisedbyinclusionof following items: waste edible fats and oils of animals or vegetable origin,household waste, critical care medical equipment, solid plastic wastes, otherchemicalwastesespeciallyinsolventform.

e-WasteManagementThee-wasterulesapplytoe-wastegeneratedfromITandtelecommunication

equipment and consumer electrical and electronics namely television sets(includingLCD&LED),refrigerators,washingmachinesandair-conditioners.These rules empower the concerned state agencies to control, supervise andregulate relevant activities connected with e-waste management such ascollection,segregation,dismantlingandrecycling.Producersarerequiredtosetupcollectionsystemsandmeetthecostinvolvedintheenvironmentallysoundmanagementofe-wastegeneratedfromthe‘endof life’of theirownproducts.Besides,thresholdlimits,whichareacceptedgloballyhavebeenprescribedforsix hazardous substances used in manufacture of electrical and electronicscomponents.Producersareexpectedtoachievereductioninuseofthehazardoussubstances(RoHS)to theprescribedlimit.Theserulesare themaininstrumenttoensureenvironmentallysoundmanagementofe-Waste.

SolidWasteManagementSolidWasteManagementRules,2016

The Ministry revised the rules for management of solid waste in themunicipal areas after 16 years. The new rules are now applicable beyondmunicipal areas and extend to urban agglomerations, census towns, notifiedindustrial townships, areas under the control of Indian Railways, airports,

airbase,portandharbour,defenceestablishments,specialeconomiczones,stateand central government organizations, places of pilgrimage, religious andhistorical importance. The segregation ofwaste at source has beenmandated.Responsibilities of generators have been fixed for segregation of waste in tothree streams,wet (biodegradable), dry (plastic, paper,metal, wood, etc.) anddomestic hazardous wastes (diapers, napkins, empty containers of cleaningagents, mosquito repellents, etc.) The Rules provide ways for integration ofwaste pickers/rag pickers.TheRulesmandate local bodies to frame their bye-lawstoimpose‘UserFee’,tobepaidbythegeneratortowastecollectorandfor‘Spot Fine’ for littering and non-segregation. The concept of partnership asenvisagedunderSwachhBharathasbeenintroducedviz.,bulkandinstitutionalgenerators,marketassociations,eventorganizersandhotelsandrestaurantshavebeen directly made responsible for waste segregation and management inpartnershipwithlocalbodies.Allresidentwelfareandmarketassociations,gatedcommunitiesandinstitutionwithanarea>5,000sq.m.newtownshipsandgrouphousing societies have been made responsible to develop in-house wastehandling,andprocessingarrangementsforbio-degradablewaste.

PlasticWasteManagementRules,2016Itisknownfactthatplastichasmultipleusesandthephysicalandchemical

properties lead to their commercial success but inevitably their indiscriminatedisposalhasbecomeamajorthreattotheenvironment.Inparticular,theplasticcarry bags are the biggest contributors of the littered waste and every year,millionsofplasticbagsendup in theenvironmentvis-a-vissoil,waterbodies,water courses, and it takes an average of one thousand years to decomposecompletely. Therefore, to address the issue of scientific plastic wastemanagement, new regulations namely, the Plastic Waste (Management andHandling) Rules, 2011 were notified in 2011 which included plastic wastemanagement.However, the implementationof these ruleswasnot so effectivebecause their ambitwas limited tonotifiedmunicipal areaswhereas today, theplastic has reached our rural areas also. To address these issues and with anobjective to set up self-sustainable waste management system, the Ministrynotified thePlasticWasteManagementRules,2016.TheRulesprovidefor: (i)increaseinminimumthicknessofplasticcarrybagsfrom40to50microns,(ii)firsttimecoverandstipulateminimumthicknessof50micronsforplasticsheetsbeingusedforpackagingandwrappingcommoditiestofacilitatecollectionandrecycleofplasticwaste,(iii)revampedpricingmechanismsforplasticcarrybagsby introducing plastic waste management fee to be paid by retailers/streetvendorswilling toprovidecarrybagsaspre-registrationcharge, (iv)waysand

meanstopromotegainfulutilizationofplasticwastesuchasenergyrecovery,inroad construction, etc. (v) introducing user charge and spot fines by localauthority.

Construction&DemolitionWasteManagement,2016The Ministry for the first time notified the separate set of rules for

managementofconstructionanddemolitionwasteinthecountryasConstructionand Demolition Management Rules, 2016. Prior to these Rules, this wasregulated under theMunicipal SolidWasteManagementRules, 2000 andwasleft at thedesecrationof theurban local bodies.Thenew rules regulatewastegenerated from construction, re-modeling, repair and demolition of any civilstructure and make a way forward to reuse, recycle such waste in gainfulmanner.Thenew ruleswill apply toeveryonewhogeneratesconstructionanddemolitionwaste-buildingmaterials,debris,andrubblewastefromconstruction,re-modeling, repair and demolition of any civil structure of individual ororganisationorauthority.Undertheruleseverywastegeneratorhasbeenmaderesponsibleforcollection,segregationofconcrete,soilandothersandstorageofconstruction and demolition waste generated separately, deposit at collectioncentre somade by the local body or handover it to the authorised processingfacilities, ensure that there is no littering or deposition so as to preventobstruction to the traffic or the public or drains. The service providers arerequired to prepare a comprehensive waste management plan coveringsegregation, storage,collection, reuse, recycling, transportationanddisposalofconstructionanddemolitionwastegeneratedwithin their jurisdiction.Theyarealsoresponsibleforremovalofallconstructionanddemolitionwaste.

FlyAshUtilizationThefast-increasingdemandofpowercoupledwithitsdependenceoncoalfor

about2/3rdofitsenergyrequirementisleadingtogenerationoflargevolumeoffly ash. Themanagement of fly ash has been amatter of concern in view ofrequirementof largeareof land for itsdisposal.Toaddress the environmentalproblems of fly ash disposal, the Ministry issued notification on fly ashutilization in 1999 prescribing the targets for the fly ash utilization forcoal/lignitepowerbasedthermalpowerstationswiththeaimtoachieve100percentutilizationinphasedmanner.Thenotificationwasamendedin2003,2009andrecentlyin2016.Theutilizationofflyashhasincreasedfrom6.64millionton in 1996-97 to a level of 107.77 million ton in 2015-16. Fly ash earlierconsideredtobe“hazardousindustrialwaste”material,isnowconsideredtobeusefulandsaleablecommodity.Theobjectivesofthisnotificationaretoprotect

environment, conserve the top soil, prevent dumping of fly ash from thermalpowerstationson landand topromoteutilizationofash in themanufactureofbuildingmaterialsandconstructionactivity.

InternationalConventionsBaselConvention

The Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements ofHazardousWastesandtheirDisposalwasadoptedin1989inBasel,Switzerland.Theoverarchingobjective of theBaselConvention is to protect humanhealthandtheenvironmentagainsttheadverseeffetsofhazardouswastes.Itsscopeofapplicationcoversawiderangeofwastesdefinedas“hazardouswastes”basedontheiroriginand/orcompositionandtheircharacteristics,aswellastwotypesofwastesdefinedas‘otherwastes’(householdwasteandincineratorash).

RotterdamConventionThe Rotterdam Convention on the prior informed consent procedure for

certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade came intoforce in 2004. India acceded to the convention a year later. The DesignatedNational authorities (DNAs) for India are in Ministry of Agriculture andCooperation.TheOfficialContactPoints (OCPs)aredesignated inMinistryofEnvironment, Forest and Climate Change. There are 47 chemicals listed inAnnex III to this Convention, which include 33 pesticides and 14 industrialchemicals that have been banned or severely restricted for health orenvironmentalreasonsbytwoormorepartiesandwhichtheConferenceoftheParties (COPs) has decided to subject to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC)procedure.

StockholmConventionThe Stockholm Convention on persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs) is a

global treaty to protect human health and the environment from POPs. TheConvention sought initially 12 chemicals, for restriction or elemination of theproduction and release. Now, the Convention covers 23 chemicals. TheConventioncameintoforcein2004.IndiaratifiedtheConventionin2006.Asper Article 7 of the Convention, Parties to the Convention were required todevelop a National Implementation Plan (NIP) to demonstrate how theirobligations to the Convention would be implemented and NIP has beendeveloped through Global Environment Facility (GEF) funding. Ministry ofEnvironment,ForestandClimateChangeservesasthefocalpointforGEFand

Stockholm Convention. Designated national authorities are in Ministry ofAgricultureandCooperationandMinistryofChemicalsandPetrochemicals.

MinamataConventiononMercuryInFebruary2009,theGoverningCouncilofUNEPadoptedDecision25/5on

the development of a global legally binding instrument on mercury. At theConference of Plenipotentiaries held in 2013 in Minamata and Kumamoto,Japan,the“MinamataConventiononMercury”,aglobaltreatytoprotecthumanhealth and the environment from the adverse effects ofmercury,was formallyadopted.

StrategicApproachtoInternationalChemicalsManagementIn 2006, over 190 countries including India acceded to the Strategic

Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), an internationalpolicy framework to foster sound management of chemicals. Initial activitiesunderSAICMincludeddevelopmentorupdatingofnationalchemicalsprofiles,strengthening of institutions, and mainstreaming sound management ofchemicalsinnationalstrateges.Towardsthisend,Indiainitiatedthepreparationof theNationalChemicalsManagement Profile to assess India’s infrastructureandcapacityformanagementofchemicals.

NationalRiverConservationPlanThe river conservation programme was initiated with the launching of the

GangaAction Plan (GAP) in 1985. TheGangaAction Planwas expanded tocoverotherriversunderNationalRiverConservationPlan(NRCP)in1995.Theobjective ofNRCP is to improve thewater quality of rivers,which aremajorwater sources in the country, through implementation of pollution abatementworks in various towns along identified polluted stretches of rivers on costsharing basis between the central and state governments. Presently NRCP(excludingGangaanditstributaries)hascoveredpollutedstretchesof31riversin75townsspreadover14statesandatreatmentcapacityof2445millionlitresper day (mld) has been created so far under NRCP (excludingGanga and itstributaries).

ConservationofLakesSofarunderNLCP/NPCA,atotalof46projectsforconservationof63lakes

havebeensanctionedin14statesforundertakingworkslikeprovidingseweragesystem and sewage treatment plants, interception and diversion of sewage,desilting,catchmentareatreatment,stormwatermanagementetc.Conservation

works for 34 lakes have been completed. Major projects presently underimplementation include Dal lake in Jammu & Kashmir, Shivpuri and SindhSagar lakes inMadhya Pradesh, twin lakes atMokokchung in Nagaland (NEregion),Annasagar, Pushkar andPichola lakes inRajasthan,RamgarhTal andLaxmitalinUttarPradesh.

ConservationofWetlandsWetlands are lifeline for a very large number of people and an important

sourceoffreshwatertomankind.Theyprovideahostofecosystemservicestohumanity, in addition to being host to rich biodiversity. However, due toanthropogenic activities, wetlands are getting degraded. Major pressures onwetlandsincludefragmentationofhydrologicalregimes,siltationfromdegradedcatchments, pollution, spread of invasive species and over-harvesting ofresources.

To control degradation and conserve wetlands, the National WetlandConservationProgramme(NWCP)wasinitiatedin1987andfinancialassistanceis being provided to the state governments for implementing action plans forconservationandmanagementofidentifiedwetlands.

RamsarConventionAsacommitmentforconservingpotentialwetlands,Indiabecameasignatory

to theRamsarConvention in1982.Asper thisconvention, India iscommittedfor international cooperation and to take national action for conservation andwiseuseofWetlands.Atpresentthereare26RamsarsitesinIndia.

Wetlands(ConservationandManagement)RulesToimplementtheobjectivesoftheconvention,aregulatorymechanismwas

put in place through Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules inDecember, 2010 vide GSR-951(E). Central Wetland Regulatory Authority(CWRA) has been constituted under the Wetlands Rules, 2010. 25 wetlandsspreadover14stateshavealreadybeennotifiedundertheseRules.

WorldWetlandDayEachyear,WorldWetlandDay iscelebratedon2ndFebruary for increasing

awarenessandspreadingneedforconservationandwiseuseofwetlandsallovertheworld.TheWorldWetlandDay-2017withthetheme‘WetlandsforDisasterRisk Reduction’ was celebrated in collaboration with the Government ofMadhyaPradeshatBhojWetlands,Bhopal,oneofthe26RamsarSitesthatIndiahasdesignatedundertheRamsarConvention.

NationalAfforestationandEco-DevelopmentBoardIn order to promote afforestation, tree planting, ecological restoration and

eco-development activities in the country, theNationalAfforestation andEco-DevelopmentBoard(NAEB)wassetupin1992.SpecialattentionisalsogivenbyNAEBtotheregenerationofdegradedforestareasandlandsadjoiningforestareas, national parks, sanctuaries and other protected areas as well as theecologically fragile areas like theWestern Himalayas, Aravallis, andWesternGhatsetc.

The objective of the NAEB include:- evolve mechanisms for ecologicalrestoration of degraded forest areas and adjoining lands through systematicplanning and implementation; restore, through natural regeneration orappropriate intervention, the forest cover in thecountry for ecological securityand to meet the fuelwood, fodder and other needs of the rural communities;sponsor research and extension of findings to disseminate new and propertechnologiesfortheregenerationanddevelopmentofdegradedforestareasandadjoininglands;creategeneralawarenessandhelpfosterapeople’smovementfor promoting afforestation and eco-development with the assistance ofvoluntaryagencies,non-governmentalorganizations,panchayati raj institutionsandothersandpromoteparticipatoryandsustainablemanagementofdegradedforestareasandadjoininglands.

NationalAfforestationProgrammeSchemeNationalAfforestationProgramme(NAP)isamajorafforestationschemeof

theNAEB in theGovernment of India.Launched in 2000-02, the schemehasacquiredapanIndiaambitoverthelastnineyearsofitsimplementationandwasbeingimplementedby28statesofthecountrythroughatwininstitutionalsetupofForestDevelopmentAgencies (FDAs) at the forest division level and JointForestManagementCommittees (JFMCs) at the village level. From2010- 11,StateForestDevelopmentAgency(SFDA)wereconstitutedatthestateleveltosmoothen the fund flow to the FDAs. The programme is now implementedthroughathreetiersystemofStateForestsDevelopmentAgency(SFDA)atthestate level, Forest Development Agency (FDAs) at the district/forest divisionlevel and Joint ForestManagement Committees (JFMCs) at the village level.Under Entry Point Activities, community assets are created with a ‘care andshare’ concept. The objectives of the scheme include: protection andconservation of natural resources through active involvement of the people;checking land degradation, deforestation and loss of biodiversity; ecologicalrestoration and environmental conservation and eco-development; evolving

village level people’s organizationwhich canmanage the natural resources inand around villages in a sustainable manner; capability endowment and skillenhancementforimprovingemployabilityoftheruralpeople.

Eco-DevelopmentForcesSchemeEco-Development Forces (EDF) Scheme was established in 1980s as a

scheme being implemented through Ministry of Defence for ecologicalrestoration of terrains, rendered difficult either due to severe degradation orremotelocationordifficultlawandordersituation.Itisbasedontwinobjectivesof ecological regeneration in difficult areas, and promotion of meaningfulemploymenttoex-servicemen.

Underthisscheme,theestablishmentandoperationalexpenditureontheEcoTask Force (ETF) Battalions raised byMinistry of Defence is reimbursed byMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change while the inputs likesapling, fencing, etc., and also the professional and managerial guidance isprovidedbythestateforestdepartments.

NationalMissionforGreenIndiaThe NationalMission for a Green India (GIM), one of the eight missions

under the National Action Plan on Climate Change aims at protecting andenhancing India’s diminishing forest cover to counter the perils of climatechange. It envisages a holistic view of greening and focuses on multipleecosystem services alongwith carbon sequestration and emission reduction asco-benefit.

TheMissionembarksonmeetingthechallengeofclimatechangeadapationand mitigation through sub-missions and a cross-cutting intervention: a)enhancing quality of forest cover and improving eco-system services; b) eco-system restoration and increase in forest cover; c) agroforestry and socialforestry;d)promotingalternativefuelenergy.

DeclaringEco-SensitiveAreasinWesternGhatsTheWesternGhats is a global biodiversity hotspot and a treasure trove of

biological diversity harbouring many endemic species of flowering plants,fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals and invertebrates. It is also theoriginofGodavari,Krishna,CauveryandanumberofotherriversofPeninsularIndia,uponwhichmuchoftheeconomyoftheregionisdependent.Therefore,thereisaneedtoconserveandprotecttheuniquebiodiversityofWesternGhats,while allowing for sustainable and inclusive development of the region. The

conceptofEcologicallySensitiveArea(ESA)providesamechanismtoconservebiological diversity of an area while allowing for sustainable development totakeplace.

NationalNaturalResourcesManagementSystemTheScheme “NationalNaturalResourcesManagement System (NNRMS)”

of the Ministry is a part of an umbrella scheme of the erstwhile PlanningCommission-Planning Committee-National Natural Resources ManagementSystem (PC-NNRMS) and is in operation since, 1985.Theprimeobjective ofPCNNRMS is utilization of remote sensing technology for inventorization,assessmentandmonitoringofcountry’snaturalresources.

ForestryResearchIndianCouncilofForestryResearchandEducation

IndianCouncilofForestryResearchandEducation,Dehradun,(ICFRE),anapex body in the national forestry research system, has been undertaking theholisticdevelopmentof forestry research,educationandextensioncoveringallaspects of forestry.TheCouncil dealswith solution based forestry research intunewith the emerging issues in the sector, includingglobal concerns such asclimate change, conservation of biological diversity, combating desertificationand sustainable management and development of resources. Major institutesengagedinforestresearchinclude:ForestResearchInstituteDehradun;Instituteof ForestGenetics andTreeBreeding,Coimbatore; Institute ofWoodScienceandTechnology,Bengaluru; Tropical ForestResearch Institute, Jabalpur;RainForest Research Institute, Jorhat; Arid Forest Research Institute, Jodhpur;Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Shimla; Institute of Forest Productivity,Ranchi;InstituteofForestBiodiversity,Hyderabad.

IndiraGandhiNationalForestAcademyThe Academy was constituted in 1987 by upgrading and renaming the

erstwhile Indian Forest College, established in 1938. The Academy impartsprofessional training to the Indian Forest Services (IFS) Probationers and hasbeenaccordedthestatusof“StaffCollege”forimpartingmid-careertrainingforofficersof the IndianForestService (IFS).Themandateof theAcademy is toimpart training to IFS Probationers by way of knowledge and skills to theprofessional foresters and help them to develop competence formanaging thecountry’s forest andwildlife resourcesona sustainablebasis,besidesenablingthemtoactascatalystsforenvironmentalprotection,economicdevelopmentand

social change. Its capacity building programmes include training the newentrants to the service, in-service training (MidCareer trainingprogramme) tocontemporary batches of IFS officers, skills upgradation training to officersinducted into the IFS on promotion from the State Forest Service (SFS). TheAcademy also provides orientation courses to various other stakeholders likejoint training for members of All India Services, Indian Revenue ServicesProbationers,membersofhigherjudiciaryetc.

WildlifeInstituteofIndiaWildlife Instituteof India (WII)wasestablished in1986 inDehradunasan

autonomous institute of theMinistry. The Institute has emerged as a premiertraining and research institution in the field of wildlife and protected areamanagementinsouthandsoutheastAsia.Itsprimarymandatesareto:(i)carryoutscientificandappliedresearchonvariousissuesofwildlifeandbiodiversityconservation, (ii) develop wildlife and biodiversity conservation, (ii) developwildlifescienceasadisciplinethroughacademicactivities,(iii)buildcapacityinthe field of wildlife management and conservation planning, (iv) providetechnicalinputstoMoEFCCandotherinternationalorganizations.TheInstitutehasbeengeneratingqualityinformationandknowledgeproductsinthefieldofwildlife science through research and mainstreaming it in capacity buildingprogrammes for various target groups and provide advisory support to centralandstategovernments.

BiodiversityConservationandRuralLivelihoodImprovementProject

Wildlife Instituteof India (WII) isoneof the implementingpartners in thisprojectforenhancingcapacitiesoftheprojectimplementersandasaknowledgemanagementcentreonlandscapeapproachtobiodiversityconservation.

NationalGreenCorpsProgrammeNationalGreenCorps(NGC)wereformulatedin2001-02.Thephenomenal

responsethatNGCreceivedhasmadethenetworkmorethan1,00,000Ecoclubsacross the country in 15 years, making it one of the largest conservationnetworks.UnderNGCprogramme,86765Ecoclubsweresupported.

NationalEnvironmentalAwarenessCampaignThe (NEAC) was launched in mid 1986 with the objective of creating

environmental awareness at the national level. In this campaign, nominal

financial assistance is provided to NGOs, schools, colleges, universities,research institutes, women and youth organisations, army units, governmentdepartments,etc.,fromalloverthecountryforconductingawarenessraisingandactionorientedactivities.Thethemefor2016-17was“SwachhBharatMission,GangaRejuvenationandRiverCleaning”.

NationalNatureCampingProgrammeNational Nature Camping Programme is an initiative of the Ministry in

environment education which is aimed at creating greater awareness,understandingandempathyofchildrenwithandfor theenvironment.Throughthis initiative it is hoped that every child who goes through middle school(classes VI-VIII) to get at least one opportunity for a 2-3 day campingexperienceduringtheseyears.

GLOBEGlobalLearningandObservationtoBenefit theEnvironment(GLOBE) isa

hands on international environmental science and education programme thatbringsstudents,teachersandscientiststogethertostudytheglobalenvironment.MoEFCCandUSGovernment signed an agreement in2000 to implement theGlobe programme in India. Indian Environmental Society, Delhi is animplementingagencyforGlobeinIndia.

CentreofExcellenceTheScheme-CentreofExcellencewasinitiatedintheSixthFiveYearPlan.

Theobjectiveof the scheme is toprovide selective support to theuniversities,reputed institutions including NGOs, professional organizations and otherscientificandtechnologicalinstitutionstoenablethemtodevelopintoadvancedcentresatthenationallevelinthatparticularsubjectareatocatertheneedoftheMinistry.AtpresenttherearesevenCentreofExcellencesfunctioningunderthisMinistry. These are Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad; CPREnvironmental Education Centre, Chennai; Centre for Ecological Sciences,Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru; Salim Ali Centre for Orhithology andHistory, Coimbatore; Centre for Environment Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Delhi; Madras School of Economics, Chennai; and Foundation forRevitalizationofLocalHealthTraditions,Bengaluru.

NationalGreenTribunalTheNationalGreenTribunal(NGT)wassetupin2010undertheNGTAct,

2010, for thepurposeofeffectiveandexpeditiousdisposalofcases relating to

environmentalprotectionandconservationofforestsandothernaturalresourcesincluding enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and givingrelief and compensation for damages to persons and property and formattersconnectedtherewithorincidentalthereto.

It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handleenvironmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues. The Tribunal shallnot be bound by the procedure laid down under theCode ofCivil Procedure,1908, but shall be guided by principles of natural justice. The Tribunal ismandated tomakeanendeavour fordisposalof applicationsorappeals finallywithin6monthsoffiling.

NGThas fiveplacesof sitting, i.e, thePrincipalBench inDelhi andZonalBenches in Pune, Kolkata, Bhopal andChennai. Apart from this the TribunalholdsthreecircuitBenchesatShimla,ShillongandJodhpur.

ClimateChangeTheearth’sclimatehasalwayschangedandevolved.Someofthesechanges

havebeendue tonaturalcausesbutothercanbeattributed tohumanactivitiessuchasdeforestation,emissionsfromindustryandtransportetc.whichhaveledtoaccumulationofgasesandaerosolsintheatmosphere.ThesegasesareknownasGreenhouseGases(GHGs)becausetheytrapheatandraiseairtemperaturesneartheground,actinglikeagreenhouseonthesurfaceoftheplanet.Inordertocreate and strengthen the scientific and analytical capacity for assessment ofclimate change in the country different studies under Climate Change ActionProgramme (CCAP) were initiated. Many important bilateral and multilateralmeetingsandnegotiationsincludingConferenceofParties(CoP-22)wereheld.

NationalandStateActionPlansonClimateChangeIndia’sdomesticstrategyforaddressingclimatechangeisembeddedinmany

ofitssocialandeconomicdevelopmentprogrammes.TheNationalActionPlanonClimateChange(NAPCC)isbeingimplementedthroughthenodalministriesin specific sectors/ areas. Eight national missions in the area of solar energy,enchancedenergyefficiency, sustainableagriculture, sustainablehabitat,water,Himalayaneco-system,GreenIndiaandstrategicknowledgeforclimatechangeformthecoreofNAPCC.

NationalAdaptationFundforClimateChangeNationalAdaptationFund forClimateChange (NAFCC) is a central sector

schemeunderimplementationinthe12thFiveYearPlanwithNationalBankfor

Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) as National ImplementingEntity (NIE). The overall aim of the fund is to support concrete adaptationactivitieswhicharenotcoveredunderon-goingactivities through theschemesof state and central government, that reduce the adverse impact of climatechangefacingcommunities,sectorsandstates.

ClimateChangeActionProgrammeMinistry is implementing a scheme titled ‘Climate Change Action

Programme’sinceJanuary,2014,withanobjectivetocreateandstrengthenthescientific and analytical capacity for assessment of climate change in thecountry, putting in place appropriate institutional framework for scientific andpolicy initiatives and implementation of climate change related actions in thecontextofsustainabledevelopment.TheNCAPisamajormulti-institutionalandmulti-agencystudy.Inthisinitiative,MoEF&CCcollaboratewiththeMinistryof Earth Sciences, the Indian Space Research Organization, the Ministry ofScienceandTechnologyandotherassociatedagenciestoenhanceunderstandingoftheroleofblackcarboninclimatechangethroughmonitoringandassessmentoftheimpactsofBlackCarbonusingmodelingtechniques.

ParisAgreementIndiaratifiedtheParisAgreementtotheUNFCCCin2016.Theactionplan

forimplementationofParisAgreementanditscomponentsisbeingdeveloped.

InternationalNegotiationsonClimateChangeDuringthefinancialyear2016-17,manyimportantbilateralandmultilateral

meetingsandinternationalnegotiationsonclimatechangewereheld.

OzoneCellOzoneLayerProtection

Ozone,a tri-atomicmoleculeofoxygenisformedfromoxygennaturallyinthe upper levels of the earth’s atmosphere by high energy ultraviolet (UV)radiation from the sun. The UV radiation breaks down oxygen molecules,releasingfreeatoms,someofwhichbondwithotheroxygenmolecule toformozone.About90percentofozoneformed in thisway liesbetween10and50kilometersabovetheearth’ssurface,calledtheStratosphere.Theozonefoundinthepartoftheatmosphereiscalledtheozonelayer.

TheozonelayerabsorbsalltheharmfulUV-Bradiationsemanatingfromthesun.ItprotectsplantandanimallifefromUV-Bradiation.TheUV-Bradiation

has the potential to cause skin cancer, eye cataract, suppress body’s immunesystem, decrease crop yield etc., which led to the adoption of the ViennaConvention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer in 1985 and theMontrealProtocolonSubstances thatDeplete theOzoneLayer in1987.ThemandateoftheMontreal Protocol is to phase out the production and consumption of theOzoneDepletingSubstances(ODSs).IndiaisapartytotheViennaConventionfortheProtectionoftheOzoneLayerandtheMontrealProtocolonSubstancesthat Deplete the Ozone Layer and its all amendments/adjustments. TheMoEF&CChassetuptheOzoneCellasaNationalOzoneUnit(NOU)torendernecessary services for effectiveand timely implementationof theprotocol anditsODsphase-outprogrammeinIndia.

ViennaConventionThe Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and its

Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer are theinternational treaties specific for the protection of the Stratospheric Ozone(Ozone layer). The Montreal Protocol has been recognized as the mostsuccessful internationalenvironmental treaty inhistory. Ithasbeenuniversallyratifiedandallthe197UNmembercountriesoftheworldarethepartiestotheViennaConventionanditsMontrealProtocol.Inthe29yearsofoperationoftheMontrealProtocol,extraordinaryinternationalcooperationunderthisagreementhasledtophase-outofproductionandconsumptionofseveralmajorODSssuchasCFCs,CTCandhalonsgloballyfrom2010.

UnitedNationsConventiontoCombatDesertificationTheconcernforarrestingandreversinglanddegradationanddesertification

gets reflected inmanyof thenationalpolicies (for e.g.,NationalWaterPolicy2012; National Forest Policy 1988; National Agricultural Policy 2000; Forest(Conservation) Act, 1980; Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, NationalEnvironmental Policy, 2006; National Policy for Farmers, 2007; NationalRainfed Area Authority (NRAA)-2007 which have enabling provisions foraddressing theseproblems. It isalso implicit in thecoalsofSustainableForestManagement (SFM), Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Land Management(SLM)andtheoverarchinggoalofSustainabledevelopmentwhichthecountryhasbeenpursuing.IndiabecameasignatorytotheUnitedNationsConventiontoCombatDesertification(UNCCD)in1994.MoEF&CCisthenodalMinistryinthegovernmentofIndiafortheUNCCD,andDesertificationcellisthenodalpointwithinMoEF&CCtoco-ordinateallissuespertainingtotheconvention.

InternationalCooperationandSustainableDevelopment

InternationalCooperationandSustainableDevelopment(IC&SD)Divisionofthe Ministry coordinates matters related to international environmentalcooperation and sustainable development including Sustainable DevelopmentGoals(SDGs).

UnitedNationsEnvironmentProgrammeIndia is a member of UNEP and provides annual financial contribution of

USD100,000toUNEPEnvironmentFund.ThreeofthethirtythreemembersonUNEP’s International Resource Panel (IRP) are currently from India. TheMinistry is a member of the IRP Steering Committee. IRP supports UNEP’sResource Efficiency/Sustainable consumption and Production (SCP) sub-programmeandiscarryingoutassessmentsoftheworld’smostcriticalresourceissues with a view to developing practical solutions for governmentpolicymakers,industryandsociety.

GlobalEnvironmentFacilityIndiaisafoundermemberofGlobalEnvironmentFacility(GEF).Setupin

1991,GEFisthedesignatedmultilateralfundingmechanismof183countriestoprovideincrementalfinanceforaddressingglobalenvironmentalbenefitswhichare also identified national priorities. TheGEFmandate is decided as per theguidance provided by the Conference of the parties of the multilateralenvironmentalconventionsnamelyConventiononBiologicalDiversity(CBD),UnitedNationsFrameworkConventiononClimateChange(UNFCCC),UnitedNations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), StockholmConventiononPoPsandMinamataConventiononMercury.TheGEFgrantsareavailable under five focal areas namely, biodiversity, climate change, landdegradation,internationalwatersandchemicalsandwaste.

13 Finance

THEMinistryofFinanceisresponsibleforadministrationoffinancesofthegovernment.Itisconcernedwithalleconomicandfinancialmattersaffectingthecountry as a whole including mobilization of resources for development andotherpurposes.Itregulatesexpenditureofthegovernmentincludingtransferofresources to the states. It is an important ministry within the governmentconcerned with the economy of the country, serving as the Indian treasurydepartment. In particular, it concerns itselfwith taxation, financial legislation,financial institutions, capitalmarkets, centre and state finances, and theUnionBudget. The Ministry is also the cadre controlling authority of the IndianRevenueService, IndianEconomicService, IndianCostAccountsServiceandIndianCivilAccountsService.

ThisMinistryconsistsoffivedepartments,namely,(i)EconomicAffairs,(ii)Expenditure,(iii)Revenue,(iv)InvestmentandPublicAssetManagement;and(v)FinancialServices.Website:www.finmin.nic.in

DepartmentofEconomicAffairsTheDepartmentofEconomicAffairsisthenodalagencyofthegovernment

toformulateandmonitorcountry’seconomicpoliciesandprogrammeshavingabearing on domestic and international aspects of economic management. AprincipalresponsibilityofthisDepartmentisthepreparationandpresentationoftheUnionBudget(includingRailwayBudget)totheParliamentandbudgetforthe state governments under President’s Rule and union territoryadministrations.Other functions include: formulation and monitoring ofmacroeconomic policies, including issues relating to fiscal policy and publicfinance,inflation,publicdebtmanagementandthefunctioningofcapitalmarketincluding stock exchanges; production of bank notes and coins of variousdenominations, postal stationery, postal stamps; and cadremanagement, careerplanningandtrainingoftheIndianEconomicService.

TheDepartment,interalia,monitorscurrenteconomictrendsandadvisesthe

http://www.finmin.nic.in

Government on allmatters having bearing on internal and external aspects ofeconomicmanagementincluding,prices,credit,fiscalandmonetarypolicyandinvestment regulations. All the external, financial and technical assistancereceived by India, except through specialized International Organizations likeFAO, ILO,UNIDOandexceptunder Internationalbilateral specificagreementinthefieldofscienceandtechnology,cultureandeducationarealsomonitoredbythisDepartment.

Department of EconomicAffairs (DEA) is divided into fourteen functionalDivisions, namely: (i) Administration and Coordination Division; (ii) Aid,Accounts andAuditDivision; (iii)BilateralCooperationDivision; (iv)BudgetDivision; (v) Coin and Currency Division; (vi) Economic Division; (vii)Financial Market Division; (viii) Financial Sector Reforms and LegislationDivision;(ix)FinancialStabilityDivision;(x)InfrastructurePolicyandFinanceDivision; (xi) International Economic Relations Division; (xii) InvestmentDivision; (xiii)Multilateral Institutions Division;and (xiv) Statistical and DataAnalysisandMonitoringDivision.TheDepartmentofEconomicAffairsisalsoresponsibleforpreparationandpresentationofUnionBudgettotheParliamentand the Budget for the state governments under President’s Rule and unionterritory administrations. The Directorate of Currency has the administrativecontrol of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited(SPMCIL), a wholly owned Government of India Corporation that managesGovernmentofIndiamints,currencypresses,securitypressesandsecuritypapermill.Inadditiontoformulatingandexecutingpoliciesandprogrammesrelatingtodesigns/securityfeatureofbanknotesandcoinsandissueofcommemorativecoins,theDirectorateofCurrencyhasalsobeenmandatedtoconductRandDactivitiesinthisareaandindigenizationofallmaterialsrequiredforproductionofbanknotesandotherssecurityproducts.Website:www.dea.gov.in

AnnualFinancialStatementUnderArticle112of theConstitution,astatementofestimatedreceiptsand

expenditure of the Government of India has to be laid before Parliament inrespect of every financial year. This statement titled ‘Annual FinancialStatement’isthemainBudgetdocument.TheAnnualFinancialStatementshowsthe receipts and payments of government under the three parts in whichgovernmentaccountsarekept:(i)ConsolidatedFund,(ii)ContingencyFundand(iii) PublicAccount.All revenues received by government, loans raised by it,and also its receipts from recoveries of loans granted by it, form the

http://www.dea.gov.in

Consolidated Fund. All expenditure of government is incurred from theConsolidated Fund and no amount can be withdrawn from the Fund withoutauthorisationfromParliament.Occasionsmayarisewhengovernmentmayhavetomeet urgent unforeseen expenditure pending authorisation fromParliament.TheContingencyFund is an imprestplacedat thedisposalof thePresident toincur such expenditure. Parliamentary approval for such expenditure and forwithdrawalofanequivalentamountfromtheConsolidatedFundissubsequentlyobtainedandtheamountspentfromContingencyFundissubsequentlyrecoupedtotheFund.ThecorpusoftheFundauthorisedbytheParliament,atpresent,is₹500crore.

Besides thenormal receiptsandexpenditureofGovernmentwhichrelate totheConsolidatedFund,certainothertransactionsenterGovernmentaccounts,inrespectofwhich,Governmentactsmoreasabanker,forexample, transactionsrelatingtoprovidentfunds,smallsavingscollectionsandotherdeposits,etc.Themoneys thus received are kept in the Public Account and the connecteddisbursements are also made therefrom. Parliamentary authorisation for suchpaymentsfromthePublicAccountis, therefore,notrequired.Inafewcases,apartoftherevenueofGovernmentissetapartinseparatefundsforexpenditureonspecificobjectslikeroaddevelopment,primaryeducationincludingmid-daymeal scheme, etc. These amounts are withdrawn from the Consolidated FundwiththeapprovalofParliamentandkeptinthePublicAccountforexpenditureonthespecificobjects.Theactualexpenditureproposedonthespecificobjectsis,alsosubmittedforvoteofParliament.

Under the Constitution, Budget has to distinguish expenditure on revenueaccount from other expenditure. Government Budget, therefore, comprises (i)RevenueBudget;and(ii)CapitalBudget.

DemandsforGrantsThe estimates of expenditure from the Consolidated Fund included in the

Annual Financial Statement and required to be voted by the Lok Sabha aresubmittedintheformofDemandsforGrantsinpursuanceofArticle113oftheConstitution.Generally, oneDemand forGrant is presented in respect of eachministryordepartment.However, in respectof largeministriesordepartmentsmore than one demand is presented.Each demand normally includes the totalprovisions required for a service, that is, provisions on account of revenueexpenditure,capitalexpenditure,grantstostateandunionterritorygovernmentsandalsoloansandadvancesrelatingtotheservice.Inregardtounionterritorieswithout legislature, a separate Demand is presented for each of the union

territories.Where theprovisionforaservice isentirelyforexpenditurechargedon the

ConsolidatedFund,forexample,interestpayments,aseparateAppropriation,asdistinctfromaDemand,ispresentedforthatexpenditureanditisnotrequiredtobevotedbyParliament.Where,however,expenditureonaserviceincludesboth‘voted’ and ‘charged’ items of expenditure, the latter are also included in theDemandpresented for that servicebut the ‘voted’and ‘charged’provisionsareshownseparatelyinthatDemand.TheDemandsforGrantsarepresentedtotheLokSabhaalongwiththeAnnualFinancialStatement.

FinanceBillAt the time of presentation of the Annual Financial Statement before

Parliament,aFinanceBill isalsopresented in fulfilmentof therequirementofArticle 110(1)(a) of the Constitution, detailing the imposition, abolition,remission, alterationor regulationof taxes proposed in theBudget.AFinanceBill is a Money Bill as defined in Article 110 of the Constitution. It isaccompaniedbyaMemorandumexplainingtheprovisionsincludedinit.

AppropriationBillsAfter the Demands for Grants are voted by the Lok Sabha, Parliament’s

approvaltothewithdrawalfromtheConsolidatedFundoftheamountssovotedandoftheamountrequiredtomeettheexpenditurechargedontheConsolidatedFund is sought through the Appropriation Bill. Under Article 114(3) of theConstitution,noamountcanbewithdrawnfromtheConsolidatedFundwithouttheenactmentofsuchalawbyParliament.BalanceofPayments

India’s balance of payments (BoP) situation which has been benign andcomfortable since 2013-14, to 2016-17, registered an increase in CurrentAccountDeficit (CAD) during 2018-19 (April-March) and stood atUS$ 57.3billion(2.1percentofGDP)ascomparedtoUS$48.7billionin(1.8percentofGDP) in 2017-18 (April-March).During, 2018-19 (April-March),merchandiseexports (onBoP basis) increased by 9.1 per cent toUS$ 337.2 billion from alevelofUS$309.0billion in2017-18 (April-March).While imports increasedby10.3percenttoUS$517.8billionin2018-19(April-March)ascomparedtoUS$469.0billioninthecorrespondingperiodofthepreviousyear.ThisledtohighertradedeficitofUS$180.3billionin2018-19(April-March),ascomparedto US$ 160.0 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year. NetinvisiblesreceiptswerehigheratUS$123.0billionin2018-19(April-March)as

comparedtoUS$111.3billionin2017-18(April-March)mainlyduetoincreaseinbothnetservicesandnetprivatetransfers.Netservicesreceiptsincreasedby5.6percentonayear-on-yearbasisduring2018-19(April-March).

SourcesofRevenueInaccordancewiththeConstitution(EightiethAmendment)Act,2000,which

hasbeengivenretrospectiveeffectfromApril1,1996,alltaxestointheUnionList,exceptthedutiesandtaxesreferredtoinArticles268and269,respectivesurchargeontaxesanddutiesreferredtoinArticle271andanycessleviedforspecific purpose under any law made by Parliament, shall be levied andcollectedbytheGovernmentofIndiaandshallbedistributedbetweentheUnionand the states in such manner as may be prescribed by the President on therecommendations of the Finance Commission. For the period 2015-2020, themannerofdistributionbetweentheCentreandthestateshasbeenprescribedinPresidential Orders issued after considering the recommendations of theFourteenth FinanceCommission. Themain sources ofUnionTax revenue arecustomsduties,unionexciseduties,servicetax,corporateandincometaxes,non—tax revenues largely comprise interest receipts, dividends/profits, fines andmiscellaneous receipts collected in the exercise of sovereign functions,regulatorychargesandlicensefeesanduserchargesforpubliclyprovidedgoodsandservices.

PublicDebtandOtherLiabilitiesThe Public Debt of India is classified into three categories of Union

Governmentliabilitiesintointernaldebt,externaldebtandotherliabilities.Internal debt for Government of India largely consists of fixed tenure and

fixed rate government papers (dated securities and treasury bills) which areissuedthroughauctions.Theseincludemarketloans(datedsecurities), treasurybills (91, 182 and 364 days) and 14 day treasury bills (issued to stategovernments only), cash management bills, special securities issued to theReserveBankofIndia(RBI),compensationandotherbonds,non-negotiableandnon-interestbearingrupeesecuritiesissuedtointernationalfinancialinstitutionsand securities issued undermarket stabilization schemewith a view to reducedependencyonphysicalgoldandreduceimports.

External debt represents loans received from foreign governments andmultilateral institutions.TheUnionGovernmentdoesnotborrowdirectly frominternational capital markets. Its foreign currency borrowing takes place frommultilateralagenciesandbilateralsources,andisapartofofficialdevelopment

assistance(ODA).Atpresent, theGovernmentofIndiadoesnotborrowin theinternationalcapitalmarkets.

“Other” liabilities, not a part of public debt, includes other interest bearingobligations of the government, such as post office saving deposits, depositsundersmallsavingsschemes, loansraisedthroughpostofficecashcertificates,providentfundsandcertainotherdeposits.

The Reserve Bank manages the public debt of the Central and the stategovernments and also acts as a banker to them under the provisions of theReserveBankofIndiaAct,1934(Section20and21).Italsoundertakessimilarfunctions for the state governments by agreementwith theGovernment of therespectivestate(underSection21A).

SocialSectorProgrammesThe flagship programmes continued to receive high priority, viz., Sarva

SikshaAbhiyan;Mid-DayMeal Scheme;National HealthMission; IntegratedChild Development Services; Swachh Bharat Abhiyan; Mahatma GandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeScheme,100SmartCities,etc.

DirectBenefitTransferDirect Benefit Transfer (DBT) is a major reform initiative launched by

GovernmentofIndiain2013toprovideanoverarchingvisionanddirectiontoenable direct cash transfer of benefits under various government schemes andprogrammes to individuals.Leveraging thegains in theAadhaarProject,DBTwas conceived with the objective of accurately targeting the intendedbeneficiaries and enhancing efficiency, transparency and accountability indeliveryofbenefits/servicesundergovernment schemes.ThemandateofDBTwasuniversalizedandextendedtocoverallcentralsectorschemesandcentrallysponsored schemes that have any component of cash benefit transfer toindividualbeneficiaries.Further,thescopeofDBThasbeenfurtherexpandedtoincludeinkindtransferstobeneficiariesaswellastransfers/honorariumsgiventovariousenablersofGovernmentschemes likeASHA,Aanganwadiworkers,etc., and not limited to cash transfers to beneficiaries only. DBT has shownpromisingresultsinschemeslikePahal(modifiedDBTLforLPGsubsidy),cashsubsidyforpublicdistributionsystem(PDS)inPuduchery,Chandigarh,Daman& Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Mahatma Gandhi National RuralEmployment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) across the country. The largescale implementation of DBT requires placing of new mechanisms, re-engineering of government processes and appropriate distribution of authority,responsibilityandfinancialresourcesfordeliveryofpublicbenefits/services.

SchemesfortheDevelopmentofScheduledCastesandScheduledTribes

From 2005-06, a separate Statement on the schemes for the welfare ofScheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) was introduced in theBudget document. From the financial year 2011-12 this statement is focusedonlyonPlanschemesunder‘ScheduledCastesSubPlan’and‘TribalSubPlan’exclusively for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes welfare schemesrespectively. It shows year-wise budget Estimates and Revised Estimates ofcurrentyearandBudgetEstimatesofnextfinancialyear.

PublicDebtPublic debt includes: (a) internal debt comprising borrowings inside the

countrylikemarketloans,compensationsandotherbonds,treasurybillsissuedtofinancestategovernments,commercialbanksandotherpartiesaswellasnon-negotiable non-interest bearing rupee securities issued to the internationalfinancial institutions; and (b) external debt comprising loans from foreigncountries, internationalfinancial institutions,etc.The“other liabilities” includeoutstandingagainstthevarioussmallsavingschemes,providentfunds,securitiesissued to the oil marketing companies, fertilizer companies and FoodCorporationofIndia,reservefundsanddepositsandotheritems.

GreenClimateFundTheGreenClimateFund(GCF)isamultilateralfundcreatedtosupportthe

efforts of developing countries to respond to the challenge of climate change.GCFlauncheditsinitialresourcemobilizationin2014,andmobilizedresourcesworthUSD10.3billion.Sofar,43projectshavebeenapprovedbytheBoardoftheGCF. Indiaalsohasoneprojectapprovedby theBoardwithNABARDon“GroundwaterrechargeandSolarMicroIrrigationtoensurefoodsecurityandenhance resilience in vulnerable tribal areas ofOdisha” from16thGCFBoardmeeting. The project is approved with an outlay of USD 166.29 millionincluding GCF grant support of USD 34.357 million whereas other financialresourceswouldbeprovidedbyGovernmentofOdishaandWorldBank.

EconomicGrowthAspertheprovisionalestimates(PE)ofnationalincomereleasedbyCentral

StatisticsOfficeinMay2019,thegrowthofGDPatconstant(2011-12)marketprices for the year 2018-19 is estimated at 6.8 per cent, which is lower ascomparedto thegrowthof7.2percent in2017-18.Thegrowthofgrossvalue

added (GVA)at constant (2011-12)basicprices is estimatedat6.6per cent in2018-19(PE).ThegrowthinGVAwas6.9percentin2017-18.Atthesectorallevel,GVA in agriculture and allied sector, industry sector and services sectorhave been estimated to grow by 2.9 per cent, 6.9 per cent, and 7.5 per centrespectively in 2018-19. The estimated growth of GDP at constant prices forquartersof2018-19was8.0percent,7.0percent,6.6percentand5.8percentrespectively.

PricesConsumer Price Index (Combined) (CPI-C) inflation (Base 2012=100) for

2017-18declined to3.6percent from4.5percent in2016-17,4.9percent in2015-16and5.9per cent in2014-15. It averaged3.4per cent in2018-19 andstood at 2.9 per cent inMarch2019.Food inflationbasedonConsumerFoodPrice Index (CFPI) declined to 1.8 per cent in 2017-18 from 4.2 per cent in2016-17,4.9percentin2015-16and6.4percentin2014-15.Itaveraged0.1percentin2018-19andstoodat0.3percentinMarch2019.Inflationmeasuredinterms of Wholesale Price Index (WPI) stood at 3.0 per cent in 2017-18 ascomparedto1.7percentin2016-17,(-)3.7percentin2015-16and1.2percentin 2014-15. It averaged 4.3 per cent in 2018-19 and stood at 3.1 per cent inMarch2019.

ForeignExchangeReservesThelevelofforeignexchangereservesparticularlyforeigncurrencyassetsis

largely the outcome of Reserve Bank of India’s intervention in the foreignexchangemarkettostabilizetherupeevalue.India’sforeignexchangereservesstoodatUS$427.8billionason28thJune,2019,showinganincreaseofUS$14.9 billion over the level ofUS$ 412.9 billion end-March 2019. The currentpositionisatacomfortableleveltocushiontheexchangeratevolatilityfromanyinternationalmacro-economicuncertainty.

ExchangeRateofRupeeIn2018-19(April-March,theaveragemonthlyexchangerateofrupee(RBI’s

reference rate)was₹ 65.64 perUS dollar inApril 2018 and₹ 69.48 perUSdollar inMarch2019.Onyear-on-yearbasis, the rupeedepreciatedby7.8percentfrom₹64.46perUSdollarin2017-18to₹69.93perUSdollarin2018-19.InthemonthofMarch2019,rupeeappreciatedagainstUSdollar.

ExternalDebtIndia’s external debt stock stood atUS$ 543.02 billion at end-March 2019

recordinganincreaseofUS$13.7billionoverthelevelatend-March2018.Thematurity profile of India’s external debt indicates dominance of long-termborrowings.Atend-March2019,long-termexternaldebtwasUS$434.6billion,witnessing an increase of 1.7 per cent over the end-March 2018 level ofUS$427.1 billion. Long-term external debt accounted for 80.0 per cent of totalexternaldebtatendMarch2019vis-a-vis80.7percentatend-March2018.

ClimateChangeThe24thSessionoftheoftheConferenceofthePartiestotheUnitedNations

Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 24) was held in Katowice,Poland.ThemostimportantoutcomeoftheConferencewasfinalizationofParisAgreementWorkProgramme - guidelines/modalities/ rules for implementationof Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement pertains to the post - 2020 period.Underit,thedevelopedcountrieshaveobligationstoprovidefinancialsupporttodevelopingcountries.ThedevelopedcountrieshadmadeacommitmenttoagoalofmobilizingUS$100billionannuallyby2020forsupportingclimateactionindeveloping countries. The issues relating to climate finance, in particular,guidanceonfinanceprovisionswasoperationalizedunderArticles9.5and9.7oftheParisAgreement.

BankingSectorTheperformanceof thebankingsector (domesticoperations),PublicSector

Banks (PSBs) in particular, improved in 2018-19. TheGrossNon-PerformingAdvances (GNPA) ratio of Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) decreasedfrom11.5percentto10.1percentbetweenMarch2018andDecember2018,asalso,theirRestructuredStandardAdvances(RSA)ratiodeclinedfrom0.7to0.4percent.TheStressedAdvances(SA)ratiodecreasedfrom12.1to10.5percentduring the sameperiod.GNPA ratio of PSBs decreased from15.5 to 13.9 percentbetweenMarch2018andDecember2018.

CreditGrowthNon-FoodCredit (NFC)grewby13.2percent (y-o-y) inFebruary2019as

comparedwith9.8percentinFebruary2018.Bankcredittolargeindustryandservices segments were the main drivers of overall NFC growth in 2018-19.Credit tomediumandmicro and small industries further decelerated in recentmonths.

ChangesinBankingRegulationsIn order to enhance the credit discipline among larger borrowers, the

guidelinesonloansystemfordeliveryofbankcreditwereissuedonDecember5, 2018. Accordingly, in respect of borrowers having aggregate fund basedworking capital limit of 1,500million and above from the banking system, aminimum level of ‘loan component’ of 40 per cent of sanctioned limit waseffectivefromApril1,2019.The40percentloancomponentwasrevisedto60percent,fromJuly1,2019.

One-timeRestructuringofLoanstoMSMEsThe scheme was made available to MSMEs qualifying certain objective

criteriaincludinginteraliaacapofRs250millionontheaggregateexposureofbanksandNBFCstoanMSMEasonJanuary1,2019.TherestructuringistobeimplementedbyMarch31,2020andanadditionalprovisionof5percenttobemaintainedinrespectofaccountsrestructuredunderthisscheme.

MonetaryDevelopmentsUnder the revised statutory framework of 2016, the Monetary Policy

Committee(MPC)oftheReserveBankmetsixtimesin2018-19.InitsFirstBi-monthly Monetary Policy Statement for 2018-19 in April 2018, the MPCdecidedtokeepthepolicyreporateunchangedat6.0percentandcontinuewithneutral policy stance.With the edging up of inflation excluding food and fuelabruptly and amajor upside risk to inflation from increase in crude oil pricesmaterializing, theMPCat itsmeetingof June6,2018,decided to increase thepolicy repo rate by 25 basis points to 6.25 per cent while keeping the policystanceasneutral.InthethirdBi-monthlyPolicyinAugust,theMPCdecidedtoincrease the policy repo rate further by 25 basis points to 6.5 per cent whilekeeping the stance as neutral. However, the policy stance was changed fromneutral to calibrated tightening in the fourthBi-monthly Statement ofOctober2018.InitssixthBi-monthlyStatement,theMPCdecidedtochangethestanceofmonetarypolicyfromcalibratedtighteningtoneutralandreducedthepolicyreporateby25basispointsto6.25percentinFebruary2019.

InsolvencyAndBankruptcyCodeABankruptcyLawReformsCommitteewassetupin2014forprovidingan

entrepreneur friendly legalbankruptcyframeworkformeetingglobalstandardsfor improving the ease of doing business with necessary judicial capacity.Accordingly, the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (IBC) becameoperationalin2016.TheCodeaimstopromoteentrepreneurship,availabilityofcredit, and balance the interests of all the stakeholders by consolidating andamending the laws relating to reorganization and insolvency resolution of

corporatepersons,partnershipfirmsandindividualsinatimeboundmannerandformaximizationofvalueof theassetsofsuchpersonsandmattersconnectedtherewith or incidental thereto. It proposes a framework to ensure: earlydetectionofstress inabusiness; initiationof the insolvency resolutionprocessby debtor, financial creditor or operational creditor; liquidation of unviablebusinesses;andavoidingdestructionofvalueoffailedbusiness.TheMinistryofCorporate Affairs is taking further necessary steps for implementation of theCode.

FinancialStabilityandDevelopmentCouncilWith a view to strengthening and institutionalizing the mechanism for

maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination andpromoting financial sector development, the Financial Stability andDevelopmentCouncil(FSDC)wassetupastheapexlevelforumin2010.TheCouncil, inter-alia, monitors macro prudential supervision of the economyincluding functioning of large financial conglomerates, and addresses inter-regulatorycoordinationandfinancialsectordevelopmentissues,includingissuesrelatingtofinancialliteracyandfinancialinclusion.

FinancialStabilityBoardFinancialStabilityBoard (FSB)was established in2009under the aegis of

G20 by bringing together the national authorities, standard setting bodies andinternational financial institutionsforaddressingvulnerabilitiesanddevelopingandimplementingstrongregulatory,supervisoryandotherpoliciesintheinterestoffinancialstability.IndiaisanactivememberoftheFSBhavingthreeseatsinitsPlenary.

InfrastructureFinancingGiven the enormity of the investment requirements and the limited

availability of public resources for investment in physical infrastructure, it isimperativetoexploreavenuesforincreasinginvestmentininfrastructurethroughvarioussources.Inviewofthis,governmentlaunchedthefollowingtomobilizethelongterminvestmentininfrastructureinthecountry:i) Bank Financing: Banks continue to be major source of financinginfrastructure.RBIhasbeenmodifyingguidelinesforadvancestoinfrastructureincluding5/25scheme,takeoutfinancing.ii) Institutional Finance: TheGovernment has also set up India InfrastructureFinanceCompanyLimited(IIFCL)withthespecificmandatetoplayacatalyticrole in the Infrastructure sector by providing long-term debt for financing

infrastructure projects. IIFCL funds viable infrastructure projects through longterm debt, refinance to banks and financial institutions for loans granted bythem, with tenure exceeding 10 years or any other mode approved by thegovernment.iii)InfrastructureDebtFunds(IDFs):GovernmentofIndiahasconceptualizedInfrastructureDebtFunds(IDFs)toaccelerateandenhancetheflowoflongtermdebt into infrastructure projects to help in the migration of project loans foroperatingassetsfrombankstothefixedincomemarkets.iv) Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)/Infrastructure Investment Trust(InvITs):Thesearetrust-basedstructuresthatmaximizereturnsthroughefficienttax pass-through and improved governance structures. Guidelines/RegulationsforInvITandREITwerenotifiedbySEBIin2014.

PublicPrivatePartnershipsAvailabilityofqualityinfrastructureisapre-requisitetoachievebroadbased

and inclusive growth on a sustained basis. Infrastructure is also critical forenhancing productivity and export competitiveness.Given the enormity of theinvestment requirements and the limited availability of public resources forinvestment in physical infrastructure, the projected infrastructure investmentsmade it imperative to explore avenues for increasing investments ininfrastructure through a combination of public investment and Public PrivatePartnerships (PPPs). PPPs bridge the deficit in financing of infrastructureprojects, and also bring in cost effective new technology for operation andmaintenance of created asset, thus, extracting long termvalue for proposition.IndiasystematicallyrolledoutaPPPprogrammeforthedeliveryofhigh-prioritypublicutilitiesandinfrastructureand,overthelastdecadeorso,developedwhatisperhapsoneofthelargestProgrammeintheworld.

InformationDisseminationDEA maintains a website dedicated to PPPs, www.pppinindia.gov.in, to

provideinformationrelatedtoPPPinitiativesinthecountry.ThewebsiteservesasahubofinformationonPPPinitiativesandcontainsrelatedpolicydocuments,government guidelines issued for mainstreaming PPPs. These includeinformation on the institutional mechanisms for speedy appraisal of PPPinfrastructureprojectsandtheschemesforfinancialsupporttoPPPprojects.Thewebsite also contains various knowledge products developed in the PPP cell,sharingPPPbestpracticestoenhancetheabilityofthepublicofficialsaswellasprivatedeveloperstoimplementPPPprojects.www.infrastructureindia.gov.inisa database of infrastructure projects includingPPPs being implemented across

http://www.pppinindia.gov.in

http://www.infrastructureindia.gov.in

the sectors in India. It provideskey informationon the statusof infrastructureprojectsbeingexecutedbygovernmentaswellastheprivatesector.

G-20TheG20was formed in1999,asa forumofFinanceMinistersandCentral

BankGovernors, in recognition of the fact that therewas amajor shift in theglobal economic weight from the advanced economies to emerging marketeconomies.ThegraduallydecliningroleofG8asworld’seconomiccoordinatorand the increasing clout of EMEs in global deliberations on economicgovernanceresultedinG20replacingG8in1999.However,G20roseintotrueprominencein2008whenitwaselevatedfromaforumofFinanceMinistersandCentral Bank Governors to that of the G20 Heads of Nations in order toeffectivelyrespondtotheglobalfinancialcrisisof2007-2010.

BRICSTheBRICSnationsorBrazil,Russia,India,ChinaandSouthAfricaformthe

five key pillars of south-south cooperation and are the representative voice ofEmergingMarkets andDevelopingCountries in theglobal forums suchas theG20.TheNewDevelopmentBank,establishedbythesenationsin2015,markeditsfirstimprintsinIndiabysigningaloanagreementforfinancingofthemajordistrictroadprojectinMadhyaPradeshinMarch2017.Indiaisworkingcloselywith the Bank’s management team to develop a robust pipeline of projectscutting across areas such as Smart Cities, renewable energy, urban transport,clean coal technology, solid waste management and urban water supply. Theframework of swap lines, conceived as a BRICS Contingent ReserveArrangement(CRA)withacorpusofUS$100billion,standsoperationalisedincaseanymembernationrequiresshort-termliquiditysupport.

UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgrammeTheUnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme(UNDP)isthelargestchannel

fordevelopmentcooperationintheUN.TheoverallmissionoftheUNDPistoassist the programme countries through capacity development in SustainableHumanDevelopment(SHD)withpriorityonpovertyalleviation,genderequity,womenempowermentandenvironmentalprotection.Allassistanceprovidedbythe UNDP is grant assistance. The UNDP derives its funds from voluntarycontributions from various donor countries. India’s annual contribution to theUNDP has been to the extent ofUS$ 4.5million,which is one of the largestfrom developing countries.Over and above its annual contribution, India also

pays partly for the expenditure of the local office. The country-specificallocation of UNDP resources is made every five years under the CountryCooperation Framework (CCF) which usually synchronizes with India’s five-yearplans.Website:www.undp.org

SouthAsianAssociationforRegionalCooperationThe South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), in

existencesince1985(foundedinDhaka),isaregionalorganisationthataimstopromoteeconomic,social,cultural,technicalandscientificcooperationinSouthAsia.ItsmemberstatesincludeAfghanistan,Bangladesh,Bhutan,India,Nepal,Maldives,PakistanandSriLanka.ItssecretariatisbasedinKathmandu,Nepal.It has crafted several regional conventions, agreements and institutions fordealingwithissuesthataffectthecitizensoftheregion.Itisaconsensus-basedforum for the exchange of ideas, development of regional programmes andprojects. The Framework for Currency Swap Arrangement for the SAARCcountrieswasformulatedwiththeintentiontoprovidealineoffundingforshortterm foreign exchange requirementsor tomeet balanceof payments crises tilllonger term arrangements are made or the issue is resolved in the short-termitself. Under the facility, RBI offers swaps of varying sizes to each SAARCmember country (Afghanistan,Bangladesh,Bhutan,Maldives,Nepal, Pakistanand Sri Lanka) depending on their two months import requirement and notexceedingUS$2billion in total, inUSD,EuroorINR.Sofar, thefacilityhasbeenavailedbyBhutan,SriLankaandMaldives.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), inexistencesince1985(foundedinDhaka),isaregionalorganisationthataimstopromoteeconomic,social,cultural,technicalandscientificcooperationinSouthAsia.ItsmemberstatesincludeAfghanistan,Bangladesh,Bhutan,India,Nepal,Maldives,PakistanandSriLanka.ItssecretariatisbasedinKathmandu,Nepal.It has crafted several regional conventions, agreements and institutions fordealingwithissuesthataffectthecitizensoftheregion.Itisaconsensus-basedforum for the exchange of ideas, development of regional programmes andprojects. The Framework for Currency Swap Arrangement for the SAARCcountrieswasformulatedwiththeintentiontoprovidealineoffundingforshortterm foreign exchange requirementsor tomeet balanceof payments crises tilllonger term arrangements are made or the issue is resolved in the short-termitself. Under the facility, RBI offers swaps of varying sizes to each SAARCmember country (Afghanistan,Bangladesh,Bhutan,Maldives,Nepal, Pakistan

http://www.undp.org

and Sri Lanka) depending on their two months import requirement and notexceedingUS$2billion in total, inUSD,EuroorINR.Sofar, thefacilityhasbeenavailedbyBhutan,SriLankaandMaldives.Website:www.saarc-sec.org

SAARCDevelopmentFund(SDF)SDF was established in 2008 by the SAARC countries to improve the

livelihoodofthepeopleandtoaccelerateeconomicgrowth,socialprogressandpoverty alleviation in the region. The Fund is implementing many SAARCprojectsandprogrammes.ProjectfundinginSDFistobetakenupunderthreewindows(Social,Economicand Infrastructure).Of the threewindowsofSDF,economicandinfrastructurewindowsarebeingoperationalized.

BilateralCooperationDepartment of Economic Affairs also deals with Bilateral Development

Assistance from G-8 countries, namely USA, UK, Japan, Germany, Italy,Canada andRussian Federation aswell as the EuropeanUnion. TheDivisionalsodealswith theworkrelating toextensionofLinesofCredit todevelopingcountries.Itisalsothefocalpointforadministeringshorttermforeigntrainingcourses of the duration upto four weeks offered by various internationalagencies/countries.

BilateralOfficialDevelopmentAssistanceIndia has been accepting external assistance from bilateral partners in the

formofloans,grantsandtechnicalassistancefordevelopmentofinfrastructure,social sector and for enhancement of knowledge/ skills of Indian nationals atbothCentreandstate level. In termsof theguidelines issued in2005,bilateraldevelopment assistance can be accepted from allG-8 countries, namelyUSA,UK,Japan,Germany,France,Italy,CanadaandtheRussianFederationaswellasfromEuropeanCommission.EuropeanUnionCountriesoutsidetheG-8canalsoprovidebilateral development assistance to India provided they commit aminimumannualdevelopmentassistanceofUS$25million.

InternationalMonetaryFundIndiaisafoundermemberoftheInternationalMonetaryFund(IMF)which

wasestablishedtopromoteacooperativeandstableglobalmonetaryframework.Atpresent,188nationsaremembersoftheIMF.SincetheIMFwasestablished,its purposes have remained unchanged but its operations - which involvesurveillance, financial assistance and technical assistance - have developed to

http://www.saarc-sec.org

meetthechangingneedsofitsmembercountriesinanevolvingworldeconomy.TheBoardofGovernorsoftheIMFconsistsofoneGovernorandoneAlternateGovernorfromeachmembercountry.ForIndia,theFinanceMinisteristheex-officioGovernoron theBoardofGovernorsof the IMF.Thereare threeothercountries in India’s constituency at the IMF, viz. Bangladesh, Bhutan and SriLanka.Governor,ReserveBankofIndia(RBI)isIndia’sAlternateGovernor.Website:www.imf.org

WorldBankIndiahasbeenborrowing from theWorldBank through InternationalBank

for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and International DevelopmentAssociation (lDA) for various development projects in the areas of povertyreduction,infrastructure,ruraldevelopment,etc.IDAfundswereoneofthemostconcessional external loans forGovernment of India andwere used largely insocial sector projects that contribute to the achievement of millenniumdevelopmentgoals.Website:www.worldbank.org

InternationalFinanceCorporationInternationalFinanceCorporation(lFC),amemberoftheWorldBankGroup,

focuses exclusively on investing in the private sector in developing countries.Establishedin1956,IFChas184members.IndiaisfoundingmemberofIFC.Itis an important development partner for Indiawith its operations of financingand advising the private sector in the country. India represents IFC’s largestportfolio exposure globally. The IFC’s investments in India are spread acrossimportant sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, financial markets,agribusiness, SMEs and renewable energy. Keeping in alignment with theCountry Partnership Strategy (CPS) of the World Bank Group in India, IFCfocusesonlow-incomestatesinIndia.

NewDevelopmentBankThe New Development Bank (NDB) has been instituted with a vision to

support and foster infrastructure and sustainable development initiatives inemergingeconomies.ThefoundingmembersoftheNDB-Brazil,Russia,India,ChinaandSouthAfrica(BRICS)-broughtincapitalofUSD1billionasinitialcontribution.Website:www.ndb.int

http://www.imf.org

http://www.worldbank.org

http://www.ndb.int

AsianInfrastructureInvestmentBankAsian Infrastructure InvestmentBank (AIIB) is aMultilateralDevelopment

Bank(MDB)setupin2016tofostersustainableeconomicdevelopment,createproductive assets and improve infrastructure in Asia through financing ofinfrastructure projects. India is one of the foundingMembers and the secondlargest shareholder. India along with 20 other countries signed the Inter-GovernmentalMemorandumofUnderstanding(MoU)forestablishingtheAIIBinBeijing.Website:www.aiib.org

InternationalFundforAgriculturalDevelopmentInternationalFundforAgriculturalDevelopment(IFAD)wassetupin1977

asthe13thspecializedagencyoftheUN.Itisdedicatedtoeradicatingpovertyandhungerinruralareasofdevelopingcountries.

GlobalEnvironmentFacilityThe Global Environment Facility (GEF) operates as a mechanism for

internationalcooperationforthepurposeofprovidingnewandadditionalgrantand concessional funding tomeet the agreed incremental costs ofmeasures toachieve agreed global environmental benefits.GEF provides grants to eligiblecountries in its focal areas: biodiversity, climate change, land degradation,internationalwaters,chemicalsandwaste.Italsoservesasfinancialmechanismfor theConventiononBiologicalDiversity (CBD),UnitedNationsFrameworkConvention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Stockholm Convention onPersistentOrganicPollutants(POPs),UNConventiontoCombatDesertification(UNCCD),MinamataConventiononMercuryand supports implementationoftheProtocolincountrieswitheconomicesintransitionfortheMontrealProtocolonSubstancesthatDepletetheOzoneLayer(MP).

AsianDevelopmentBankIndia is a foundingmemberof theAsianDevelopmentBank (ADB)which

was established in 1966.ADBhas67members (including48 regional and19non-regional members), with its headquarters at Manila, Philippines. India isholding 6.331 per cent of shares, totaling 6,72,030 shares inADB as on 31stDecember, 2016, with 5.363 per cent voting rights. The Bank is engaged inpromoting economic and social progress of its developing member countries(DMCs)intheAsiaPacificRegion.Themaininstrumentsthatitusestodothisaremakingloansandequityinvestments,providingtechnicalassistanceforthe

http://www.aiib.org

preparation and execution of development projects and programmes and otheradvisory services,guarantees,grants andpolicydialogues. Indiaborrows fromADB within overall external debt management policy pursued by theGovernment which focuses on raising funds on concessional terms from lessexpensivesourceswithlongermaturities.IndiastartedborrowingfromADBin1986.Website:www.adb.org

CurrencyandCoinageSecurityPrintingandMintingCorporationofIndiaLimited

Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL) is theonly PSU under the Department of Economic Affairs. It was formed aftercorporatisation of nine units, i.e. four mints, four presses (two currency notepresses and two security presses) and one paper mill which were earlierfunctioningunder theMinistry.TheCompanywas incorporated in2006undertheCompaniesAct,1956.Itisengagedinthemanufacturingofsecuritypaper,mintingofcoins,printingofcurrencyandbanknotes,non-judicialstamppapers,postage stamps, travel documents, etc. The Company supplies currency/banknotesandcoinstoRBI,non-judicialstamppaperstovariousstategovernments;postal stationery and stamps to postal department; passports, visa stickers andother traveldocuments toMinistryofExternalAffairs.Otherproducts includecommemorative coins, MICR and Non-MICR cheques etc. SPMCIL has alsosetupa50:50JointVenture in2010withBhartiyaReserveBankNoteMudranPvt. Ltd. (BRBNMPL) in the name of Bank Note Paper Mill India PrivateLimited (BNPMIPL), a Green-Field project of Bank Note Paper Mill withcapacityof12000MTperannumhaving twostateof theart technologypaperlines of 6000 MT capacity per annum each. The commercial production hasstartedfromboththelines.Website:www.spmcil.com

NationalInvestmentandInfrastructureFundTheGovernmentof Indiahasput investment in infrastructureasoneof the

core elements of its economic programme. India’s average investment ininfrastructurewas4.7percentofGDPduring1992-2010.Moreover, therehasbeenaslowdowninequity inflows into the infrastructuresectorsover thepastfew years, constraining further investment. National Investment andInfrastructureFund(NIIF)wascreatedwiththeaimtoattractequityinvestments

http://www.adb.org

http://www.spmcil.com

frombothdomesticand internationalsources for infrastructuredevelopment incommerciallyviableprojects,bothgreenfieldandbrownfield, includingstalledprojects.Website:www.niifindia.in

InternationalInvestmentTreatiesandFrameworkIndia initiated the exercise to negotiate and enter into Bilateral Investment

Treaties (BITs)/ Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements(BIPAs)withothercountriesasapartof thecomprehensiveeconomicreformsprogrammewhichwas initiated in 1991.ABIT is essentially an internationaltreaty which increases the comfort level and boosts the confidence of theinvestorsbyassuringaminimumstandardof treatmentandnon-discriminationin allmatterswhileproviding for an independent forum fordispute settlementthrougharbitration. In turn,BITs are expected toproject India as an attractiveforeigndirect investment (FDI) destination aswell as protect outbound IndianFDIabroad.

Due to considerable socio-economic changeswhich have taken place since1993,itwasfeltthattherewasaneedforcloserexaminationoftheentiregamutof issues associatedwithBITs and also investment chapter ofCECAs/CEPAs/Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The new IndianModel BIT of 2015 aims toprovideappropriateprotectiontoforeigninvestorsinIndiaandIndianinvestorsin the foreign country, in the light of relevant international precedents andpractices.

DepartmentofExpenditureTheDepartmentofExpenditure is thenodalDepartment foroverseeing the

public financial management system in the central government and mattersconnected with state finances. It is responsible for the implementation of therecommendations of the Finance Commission and Central Pay Commission,monitoringofauditcomments/observations,preparationofcentralgovernmentaccounts.Itfurtherassistscentralministries/departmentsincontrollingthecostsand prices of public services, reviewing system and procedure to optimizeoutputs and outcomes of public expenditure. The principal activities of theDepartment include overseeing the expenditure management in the centralministries/departmentsthroughtheinterfaceoftheFinancialRules/regulations/orders,pre-sanctionappraisalofmajor schemes/projects,handlingbulkof thecentralbudgetaryresourcestransferredtostate.

ThePersonnel andEstablishmentDivision is responsible for administration

http://www.niifindia.in

ofvariousfinancial rulesandregulations likeGeneralFinancialRules(GFRs),DelegationofFinancialPowerRules (DFPRs),etc., including thoserelating topersonnelmatters of central government employees such as regulation of payand allowances, policy matters on pension, and staffing of governmentestablishmentsbycreationandupgradationofposts,asalsocadrereviews.Website:www.doe.gov.in

ControllerGeneralofAccountsThe Controller General of Accounts (CGA), in the Department of

Expenditure,isthePrincipalAccountingAdvisertoGovernmentofIndiaandisresponsible for establishing andmaintaining a technically soundManagementAccountingSystem.TheOfficeofCGApreparesmonthlyandannualanalysisofexpenditure, revenues, borrowings and various fiscal indicators for the UnionGovernment.UnderArticle 150of theConstitution, theAnnualAppropriationAccounts (Civil) andUnion FinanceAccounts are submitted to Parliament onthe advice of Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Along with thesedocuments, an M.I.S Report titled ‘Accounts at a Glance’ is prepared andcirculated in Parliament. It further formulates policies relating to generalprinciples, form and procedure of accounting for the central and stategovernments.Itadministerstheprocessofpayments,receiptsandaccountingincentral civil ministries/ departments. Prepares, consolidates and submits themonthly and annual accounts of the central government through a robustfinancialreportingsystemaimedateffectiveimplementationofthegovernmentfiscal policies. Through its internal audit units in the respective ministries/departments,itisresponsibleformaintainingtherequisitetechnicalstandardsofAccounting in the departmentalized accounting offices and for monitoring offinancial performance and effectiveness of various programmes, schemes andactivitiesofthecivilministries.Website:www.cga.nic.in

PublicFinancialManagementSystemThe Public Financial Management System (PFMS) is a web-based online

softwareapplicationdesigned,developed,ownedandimplementedbytheCGAwith the aim to provice a sound public financial management system byestablishing a comprehensive payment, receipt and accounting network. It hasbeen aimed to achieve (i) “Just in Time”transfer of funds and (ii) completetrackingofrealizationoffundsfromitsreleasetoitscreditintothebankaccountof intendedbeneficiaries.PFMSmakes adirect and significant contribution tothe Digital India initiative by enabling electronic payment and receipts for

http://www.doe.gov.in

http://www.cga.nic.in

ministries/departments in Government of India. Integration with financial ITsystemsofvariousstategovernmentsisonekeyobjectiveofPFMSwhichwillfacilitatecompletetrackingoffundstransferredforschemeimplementationandprovide more holistic view of finances available for welfare programmes. Toachieve these objectives the Treasury Systems of all the states, all the majorbanks of India and various external MIS Systems have been integrated withPFMS. All the Schemes of Gol and their implementing agencies have beenregisteredonPFMS.ItisplayingavitalroleinmakingDirectBenefitTransfer(DBT)toweakersectionofthesociety.

Non-TaxReceiptPortalTheobjectiveof theNonTaxReceiptsPortal (NTRP), is toprovideaone-

stop window to citizens/corporates/institutions/other users for making onlinedeposits of Non-Tax receipts (NTR)which are payable to theGovernment ofIndia.Thiswas inaugurated in2016.TheNTRPportalprovidesanend toendsolutionforthecompletevaluechainofnon-taxreceipts, includingonlineuserinterface, payment at the payment gateway aggregator, and accounting of thereceipts by the government department/ministry. NTRP uses the modality ofPaymentGatewayAggregator(PGA).Itusestheback-endsystemoftherobustPublicFinancialManagementSystemwherealldataishousedandMISreportsareavailableonthePFMSportalforbothaccountingandmonitoringpurposes.

InstituteofGovernmentAccounts&FinanceThe Institute of Government Accounts & Finance (INGAF) is the training

armof theControllerGeneralofAccounts. Itwas setup inFebruary,1992 totrain personnel in specific areas of accounting, administrative matters andfinancial management. In the years following its inception, the Institute hasevolvedtobecomeanelitetrainingcentreingovernmentaccountingandpublicfinancialmanagement. Inaddition, theInstitutehas regional trainingcentresatChennai,Kolkata,AizawlandMumbai.

CentralPensionAccountingOfficeTheCentralPensionAccountingOffice(CPAO)wasestablishedin1990for

PaymentandAccountingofCentral (Civil)Pensionersandpension tofreedomfighters etc. CPAO is a subordinate office under the Office of the ControllerGeneral of Accounts, Ministry of Finance. It has been entrusted with theresponsibility of administering the scheme of payment of pension to centralgovernment(Civil)pensionersthroughauthorizedbanks.Itscorefunctionsare:issueofSpecialSealAuthorities(SSAs)authorizingpaymentofpensioninfresh

aswell as revision of pension cases to theCPPCs (central pension processingcenters)ofpensiondisbursingbanks;preparationofBudgetforthepensiongrantand accounting thereof; maintenance of data bank of central civil pensionerscontainingalldetailsindicatedinthePPOsandRevisionAuthorities;handlethegrievancesofcentralcivilpensioners.(a)e-Revisionutilityforthe7thCPCPensionRevisions:CPAOhasdevelopede-Revision utility with the facility of sending online digitally signed revisionauthoritiesfortherevisionof7thCPCpensioncasesbythePAOstoCPAO.Thisutility is being used bymore than 600Pay&AccountsOffices of the centralcivil ministries/departments. CPAO is also issuing digitally signed electronic-SpecialSealAuthority(e-SSA)toallthe39CPPCs(CentralPensionProcessingCentres) of the 24 authority banks for pensions. This service has reduced thepapermovementfromPAOstoCPAOandfromCPAOtobanks.(b)OnlineAllotmentofPensionPaymentOrders(PROS)Number:From2016,Central Pension Accounting Office (CPAO) has started facility on onlineallotment of PPO number on CPAO website for Pay & Accounts Offices toavoid paper based allottment of PPO numbers. This has resulted in lesspaperwork and the process has been faster than earlier. It has also resulted insavingtimeandpostagecost.(c)Electronic-PensionPaymentOrder(e-PPO)Project:Paperlessmovementofdigitally signed e-Special Seal Authority (e-SSA) from Central PensionAccountingOffice (CPAO) to39CentralPensionProcessingCentres (CPPCs)of24authorizedbanksforpensionisinoperationandalltheCPPCsaregettingdigitally signed Special Seal Authority (SSA) in fresh as well as the revisionpensioncasesdirectlyintotheirSFTPservers.(d)Web Reponsive Pensioners’ Service (WRPS): Digital India campaign ofGovernmentof Indiaemphasizes that thegovernmentservicesshouldbemadeavailabletothecitizenselectronicallybyimprovingonlineinfrastructureandbyincreasinginternetconnectivityorbymakingthecountrydigitallyempowered.Digital India consists of three core components: development of secure andstabledigital infrastructure; deliveringgovernment servicesdigitally; universaldigitalliteracy.(e)SocialMediaPresenceofCPAO:Official socialmediaaccountsofCentralPensionAccountingOfficeonplatformsFacebook,Twitter andYouTubehavebeencreated toprovidebetterservices to thepensioners/familypensionersandtolodgetheirgrievances.Thisisoverandabovethelatestmodesavailabletothepensioner to contact and communicatewithCPAO.Various instructive videoshavebeenmade for thebetteruseof theWRPSfacility.e-RevisionUtility for

pensionersandotherstakeholders.(f)Pension Authorization Retrieval and Accounting System (PARAS) - All thepension processing activities from receipt to dispatch are managed throughPARAS. The web interface of PARAS provides the related information topensioners; PAOs / ministries and banks. About 13 lakh central civil pensioncases have been processed by CPAO through this software thereby creatingdigitaldatabaseof thesepensioners.VariousMISreportsarealsogeneratedbythissoftwareforthemonitoringpurposes.(g) Other Salient Web Facilities- Other facilities for retired and retiringpersonnel include: digital record of pension and revised orders; downloadfacilityofpension;pensionprocessingstatustracking;grievanceredressal;linkstoJeevanPramaan,Bhavishyaandotherrelatedportals,etc.Website:www.cpao.nic.in

NationalInstituteofFinancialManagementTheNationalInstituteofFinancialManagement(NIFM)wassetupin1993

asanautonomousbodyundertheSocietiesRegistrationAct,toimparttrainingtoofficersrecruitedbytheUnionPublicServiceCommissionthroughtheannualCivilServiceExaminationsandallocatedtothevariousservicesresponsibleformanagingseniorandtopmanagementpostsdealingwithaccountsandfinanceintheGovernmentofIndiaandtodevelopasaCentreofExcellenceintheareasoffinancialmanagementandrelateddisciplines,notonlyinIndiabutalsoinAsia.TheInstituteadherestonormsprescribedbytheAllIndiaCouncilforTechnicalEducation (AICTE) in respectof facultyqualificationsandstrength.Currently,theInstituterunsfivelong-termprogrammesapprovedbyAICTE-ProfessionalTraining Course of one year for newly recruited probationers of Accountingservices called diploma in public financial management; a one year diplomacourseingovernmentfinancialmanagement;a two-yearpostgraduatediplomainmanagement (FinancialManagement) programme for officers of the centralgovernment, the state governments, public sector undertakings and otherorganizationsandaone-yearpostgraduatediploma inmanagement (financialmarkets)toproducecompetentresearchers,teachersandconsultants.Website:www.nifm.ac.in

RevisionofGeneralFinancialRulesTheGeneralFinancialRules(GFRs)arerulesandordersdealingwithmatters

involvingpublicfinances.GeneralFinancialRuleswereissuedforthefirsttimein 1947 bringing together in one place all existing orders and instructions

http://www.cpao.nic.in

http://www.nifm.ac.in

pertaining to financial matters. These have subsequently been modified andissued asGFRs1963 andGFRs2005.TheRevisedGeneralFinancialRules -2017 were released in 2017 to enable an improved, efficient and effectiveframework of fiscal management while providing the necessary flexibility tofacilitatetimelydeliveryofservices.Inthelastfewyears,Governmenthasmademany innovative changes in the way it conducts its business. Reforms inGovernment budgeting like removal of distinction in non-plan and planexpenditure, merger of Railway Budget with General Budget, focusing onoutcomes through an improved Outcome Budget document, all needed to bereflected in the GFRs. Increased focus on Public Finance ManagementSystem(PFMS),relianceontheDirectBenefitTransfer(DBT)Schemetoensureefficientdeliveryofentitlements,introductionofnewe-siteslikeCentralPublicProcurementPortal,Governmente-Marketing(GeM)Portal,Non-TaxRevenuePortalhavealsonecessitatedrevisionoftheexistingGFRstokeepthemintunewith thechangingbusinessenvironment.Theobjectivewas tomake theGFRsfacilitateefficiencywhilefollowingprinciplesofaccountabilityandproceduresof financial discipline and administrative due diligence.New rules on non-taxrevenues,usercharges,e-receiptsportalwereaddedinadditiontothemannerinwhichautonomousbodiesarerun.

DepartmentofRevenueTheDepartmentofRevenueexercisescontrol in respectof revenuematters

relatingtoDirectandIndirectUniontaxesthroughtwostatutoryboardsnamely,theCentralBoardofDirectTaxes(CBDT)andtheCentralBoardofExciseandCustoms(CBEC).TheDepartmentisalsoentrustedwiththeadministrationandenforcement of regulatory measures provided in the enactments concerningCentralSales tax,Stampduties andother relevant fiscal statutes.ControloverproductionanddisposalofopiumanditsproductsisvestedinthisDepartment.Website:www.dor.gov.in

GoodsandServicesTaxLegislativeDevelopment

TheproposaltointroduceanationallevelGoodsandServicesTax(GST)wasfirstmootedin2006-07.TheGoodsandservicesTaxCouncilwasconstitutedin2016.GSTwasimplementedinthecountryinJuly,2017.Subsumingofvariouscentral indirect taxes and levies such as central excise duty, additional exciseduties, excise duty levied under the medicinal and toilet preparations (exciseduties)Act,1955,ServiceTax,AdditionalCustomsDutycommonlyknownas

http://www.dor.gov.in

countervailingduty, special additional duty of customs, and central surchargesandcessessofarastheyrelatetothesupplyofgoodsandservices.Coverageofallgoodsandservices,exceptalcoholic liquor forhumanconsumption, for thelevyofgoodsandservicestax.Incaseofpetroleumandpetroleumproducts,ithas been provided that these goods shall not be subject to the levy till a datenotifiedontherecommendationoftheGSTCouncil.Compensationtothestatesfor loss of revenue arising on account of implementation of the Goods andServicesTaxforaperiodwhichmayextendtofiveyears.

IndianStampActTheIndianStampAct,1899isafiscalstatutelayingdownthelawrelatingto

taxleviedin theformofstampsoninstrumentsrecordingtransactions.Briefly,the scheme relating to stamp duties, provided for in the Constitution is asfollows:(i)UnderArticle246,stampdutiesondocumentsspecifiedinEntry91of theUnionList inScheduleVIl of theConstitution (viz., bills of exchange,cheques,promissorynotes,billsoflading,lettersofcredit,policiesofinsurance,transferofshares,debentures,proxiesandreceipts)areleviedbytheUnionbutunderArticle268,eachState,inwhichtheyarelevied,collectsandretainstheproceeds (except in the case of Union Territories in which case the proceedsformpart of theConsolidatedFund of India).At present duty is levied on allthese documents except cheques. (ii) Stamp duties on documents other thanthosementioned above are levied and collected by the states by virtue of theEntry63intheStateListinthe7thScheduleoftheConstitution.(iii)ProvisionsotherthanthoserelatingtoratesofdutyfallwithinthelegislativepowerofboththeUnionandthestatesunderEntry44oftheConcurrentListintheSchedule-Vll.(iv)TheratesofstampdutyinrespectofDebentureandPromissoryNoteshavebeenrationalizedbythecentralgovernmentinSeptember,2008.

CentralBoardofDirectTaxesDirectTaxes

TheCentralBoardofDirectTaxes(CBDT),createdbytheCentralBoardsofRevenue Act 1963, is the apex body entrusted with the responsibility ofadministeringdirecttaxlawsinIndia.ItisthecadrecontrollingauthorityfortheIncomeTaxDepartment (ITD).Withmodern information technology as a keydriver, the CBDT has implemented a comprehensive computerizationprogrammeintheIncomeTaxDepartment.Theprogrammeisaimedtoestablisha taxpayer friendly regime, increase the tax-base, improve supervision andgenerate more revenue for the Government. The endeavour is to promote

voluntary compliance by taxpayers and create a non-intrusive and non-adversarialtaxadministration.Website:www.incometaxindia.gov.in

RevenueCollectionRevenue collection from direct taxes has been growing consistently. As a

result of improved tax administration and better tax compliance, direct taxcollectionhasbeenshowingapositivetrendoveraperiodoftime.

e-GovernanceInitiatives(a)PermanentAccountNumber(PAN)

PAN is a 10 digit alpha-numeric number allotted by the Income TaxDepartment to taxpayersand to thepersonswhoapplyfor itunder theIncomeTax Act, 1961. PAN enables the department to link all transactions of the“person”withthedepartment.ThetransactionslinkedthroughPANincludetaxpayments, TDS/TCS credits, returns of income/wealth, specified transactions,correspondence,andsoon.PAN,thus,actsasanidentifierforthe“person”withtheIncometaxdepartment.(b)CommonBusinessIdentificationNumber(CBINorBIN)

PAN has now taken on the role of “identifier” beyond the Income taxdepartment as it is now required for various activities like opening of bankaccount,openingofdemataccounts,obtainingregistrationforServiceTax,SalesTax / VAT, Excise registration etc. PAN is leveraged to become CommonBusiness Identification Number (CBIN) or simply Business IdentificationNumber (BIN) for providing registration to a number of governmentdepartmentsandservices.(c)OnePersonOnePAN

The Income TaxAct permits one person to have only one PAN. To avoidissuance of duplicate PAN, the data is checked for duplication by using thesoftwarehavingphoneticmatchingalgorithm.Inordertoleveragethebiometricdata collected through Aadhaar enrolment it was decided to include AadhaarCardasavalidProofofIdentity(POI),ProofofDateofBirth(PDOB)andProofof Address (POA) document for allotment of PAN under Income Tax Rules,1962.Inordertofurtherstrengthenthede-duplicationprocessthePANdatabaseis being seeded with Aadhaar number for Individuals and CompanyIdentificationNumber(CIN)forCorporateEntities.(d)PANServiceProviders

http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in

The services related to PAN such as receiving PAN application forms,verification of the documents submitted, digitizing the PAN application form,uploadingthedataontheNCC(NationalComputerCentre),printingPANcardsand dispatching of PAN cards have been outsourced to the PAN ServiceProviders,M/sUTIITSL andM/sNSDLeGov. The Service Providers throughtheir network of more than 20,000 front offices (PAN centers), receive andprocess the PAN application submitted by applicants. However, the PAN isgenerated centrally in the department’s database through robust software atNationalComputerCentre(NCC)oftheIncomeTaxDepartmentandthereafterprintedanddispatchedthroughserviceproviders.(e)PANVerificationFacility

PAN verification facility is provided through CBDT’s e-filing server toGovernmentdepartments throughtheInternet.OnebyonePANverificationorBulkverificationof1,000PANsinonegothroughfileprocessingcanbedonebytheusers.

PANcanalsobeverifiedthrough“KnowYourPAN”facilityonIncome-taxofficialweb sitewww.incometaxindia.gov.inwhereName, Father’sName andDateofBirth(DOB)/DateofIncorporation(DOI)areknown.ServiceforPANverificationisalsoprovidedbyincometaxPANServiceProviders(UTITSLandNSDLeGov) to agencies such as (i) financial institutions (RBI/Banks) (ii)government agencies (iii) persons required to file Annual Information Return(iv)anyotherentity required to fileAnnual InformationReturn(v)creditcardcompanies/institutionsetc.,(f)GrievancesRedressalMachinery

GrievanceRedressalMachineryrelatedtoPANiswelldefined.Wheneveragrievance is received related to PAN, appropriate action is taken includingforwarding the grievance to field formations with guidance and existinginstructions.GrievancesarealsoreceivedthroughCentralisedPublicGrievanceRedressalandMonitoringSystem(CPGRAMS).AllgrievancesrelatedtoPANare downloaded from the website of CPGRAMS and after examination,appropriate action is taken by theDirectorate and information about redressalactiontakeninsuchcases,isuploadedonthewebsite.Furtheranewmechanismto lodge grievances has been made available to PAN holders and new PANapplicantsthrougheNivaranfacilityoneFilingportal.Herethecomplainantcanpick specificsof complaint and theauthority responsible to redress thematter.The entire process is online and besides functionaries of the department PANServiceProvidersM/sUTIITSLandM/sNSDLeGovhavebeen integrated toeNivaranmechanismforresolvingthegrievancesofpublic.

http://www.incometaxindia.gov.in

NewInitiatives(a)Integrationwithe-BizportalofDIPPe-BizprogrammeisamissionmodeprojectofDepartmentofIndustrialPolicyand Promotion (DIPP), Ministry of Commerce and Industry to facilitate theinvestorsbyprovidingSingleWindowclearancelikelicensing,environmentandlandclearances,approvalsfromvariousministriesanddepartmentsforstart-upbusinesses.L1andL3integrationofPANandTANserviceswithe-BizportalofDIPPhasbeencompleted.InL1integrationtheapplicationsforPANandTANarereceivedthroughe-BizportalandforwardedtoPANServiceProviders.

(b)IntegrationwithMCAPortalPANandTANprocesseshavebeenintegratedwiththeprocessofregistrationofnew companies using a CommonApplication Form SPICe (INC 32) atMCAportal.PANandTANarebeingallottedinTurnAroundTime(TAT)of4hoursfromthetimetheapplicationdatainform49Aand49BisreceivedfromMCAportal.PAN isbeingprintedonCertificateof IncorporationofnewcompaniesalongwithCINthroughthisprocess.

(c)PaperlessApplicationusingDSCandeSignatureAnonlinepaperlessprocedureforapplicationofPANusingDigitalSignature

CertificateandAadhaarbasedeSignaturehasbeenlaunchedatwebsitesofbothservice providers M/s NSDL and M/s UTIITSL. In this procedure a personhavingDigital Signature Certificate or eSignature can apply for PAN throughonlineform49AanduploaddigitallysignedapplicationwithscannedcopiesofProof of Identity, Proof of Date of Birth, Proof of Address, Photograph andSignaturewithoutanyneedforsendingphysicaldocumentsbypost.

(d)PaperlessApplicationusingAadhaarbasedeKYCAnother paperless procedure for allotment of PANusingAadhaar data and

photograph of applicant has been launched. The process is termed as eKYCprocess where demographic details and photograph of the applicant arepopulateddirectlyfromAadhaardatabasebyapplicantthroughanauthenticationprocess. The applicant signs the application using Aadhaar based eSignature.TheprocessisentirelypaperlessandwithoutneedforanyattachmentsresultinginfasterallotmentofPAN.

(e)PANCardAllnewapplicantsandcardreprintrequestsarenowbeingprovidedoptionof

receiving digitally signed ePAN card on the lines of eAadhaar letter throughemail.TheinitiativehasreducedthetimeoftransmissionofPANcardthroughpost.

(f)CommonServiceCentresCommonServiceCentres(VillageLevelEnterprises)havebeenenrolledwith

PANServiceProvidersM/sUTIITSLandM/sNSDLeGovfor receivingPANapplications in far flung corners of the country. The initiative has resulted inoutreachofPANservicesatvillagelevel.

(g)ElectronicfilingofIncomeTaxReturnse-FilingofIncometaxreturnswasintroducedforthefirsttimein2006-07for

corporates.This facility is freeof cost to taxpayers. e-returnsnowaccount fornearly98percentoftotalreturnsfiledwiththeDepartment.Thee-filingwebsitewhichhasover6.2croreregisteredusersalsoprovidesfacilityforonlinefilingofvarioustypesofformsincludingauditreports,applicationsandinformationalstatementsbytaxpayers.Morethan50formsareavailableonline.

(h)ITenablementofBusinessProcessesTechnology also has an important role in re-engineering business process

withinthetaxadministrationtoempoweremployeesindeliveringoutcomesinaconsistentandefficientmanner. IncomeTaxBusinessApplication (ITBA)wasconceptualizedwithdevelopmentofnewapplicationforcomputerizationofallinternalprocessesofIncomeTaxDepartment.ThemainobjectiveofITBAistoe-enable all internal business processes so that officers and staff are able toincreasetheirefficiencybybringinginformationandworkatasingleplacefordecisionmakingandreducedrudgeryinreporting,correspondenceandinternalapprovals.

(i)UnificationofGrievanceRedressalSystems-e-Nivarane-Nivaran aims to fast track taxpayer’s grievance redressal, ensuring early

resolutionbyintegratingall theonlineandphysicalgrievancesreceivedbythedepartmentandkeepingtrackofituntilitreachesitslogicalconclusion.

(j)NationalWebsiteoftheIncomeTaxDepartmenthttp:/incometaxindia.gov.in

AmajorinitiativetoenhancetaxpayerserviceswaslaunchedbytheIncometax Department in 2014 with the unveiling of the new national website(www.incHmctaxindia.gov.in). The same was revamped in 2015 and services

http://incometaxindia.gov.in

http://www.incHmctaxindia.gov.in

incorporated keeping in mind feedback received from various users, tradeassociations and other stakeholders. Thewebsite with New Layout wasmadeavailablefortheusersandtaxpayersin2015.Severalnewfeaturesandservicesthat have been incorporated to make it more user friendly, informative anduseful,are-

MajorCitizenFriendlyInitiativesAayakarSewaKendra

The12reportof2ndARCaimedatCitizenCentricGovernancewiththeaidof modern technology. The setting up of ASKs is a step in this direction.AayakarSewaKendra(ASK)isthesinglewindowsystemforimplementationofCitizen’sCharteroftheIncomeTaxDepartmentandamechanismforachievingexcellence in public service delivery. All communications as well as returnsreceivedinASKmandatetimelydisposalwhichcanbemonitoredandreviewedat thehighest level.This ensures that a robust architectureof e-Governance isinstalledandsustainedintheIncomeTaxDepartment.AayakarSetu

The use of smart phone is increasing day by day. With the objective toenhance tax payer services and mobile access experience, a mobile app(available onAndroid/IOS platform) and responsive version of the Tax PayerServices (TPS) section at the national website called “Aayakar Setu” waslaunched in 2017. “Aayakar Setu” would facilitate the online payment of thetaxes,calculationoftaxes,removalofgrievancesthroughlogintothee-Nivaranmodule, information about the TPS hierarchy, ASK IT module, Tax Gyaan,TDS/TRACESandotherfeatures.TDSSMSalertScheme

CBDT has put in place a mechanism for real-time communication totaxpayers (deductees) about information of TDS deduction/deposit by theirrespectiveemployersordeductors. Inorder toprovidebetter taxpayer servicesbyprovidingtimelyandaccuratedatatothetaxpayers,theschemeforSMSalerttothesalariedemployeesonaquarterlybasishasbeenlaunched.PublicityCampaigns

Since, last many years, the Department has shifted its communicationstrategy to portray itself, not, as a purely enforcement agency but also as ataxpayer facilitator, service provider andmajor contributor in nation building.This strategyhas allowed theDepartment to communicate effectivelywith thetaxpayersacknowledgingtheircontributioninbuildingasecure,progressiveand

developednation.Severalpublicitycampaignswerecarriedoutwhich includedcampaigns for awareness of due dates of payment of advance tax, filing ofreturns, filing of TDS statements and issuance of TDS certificates, filing ofannualinformationreturn,servicesofTRPs,vigilanceawarenessweek,incomedeclaration scheme,PradhanMantriGaribKalyanYojana, demonetization andpublicationofnamesofchronicdefaulters.SocialMedia

TheDepartmenthas stepped intopublicity campaigns through socialmediachannels since 2015 as per the approved Social Media policy. Social MediaactivitiesarealsobeingregularlyundertakenthroughtheofficialTwitteraccounti.e. @IncomeTaxIndia. The twitter account of the Department has more than1,00,000followers.

CentralBoardofExciseandCustomsCentral Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) deals with formulation of

policy concerning levy and collection of Customs, Central Excise duties andService Tax, prevention of smuggling and evasion of duties and alladministrative matters relating to Customs, Central Excise and Service Taxformations.ThemainobjectivesofCBECare to collect indirect tax revenues,improve tax payer services, to improve compliance for fair trade andenforcement of border controls and promote efficiency and transparency anddevelophumanresourcesforsuchpurposes.TheCBECconsistsofaChairmanand6members.Website:www.cbic.gov.inDispute Settlement and Appeal: TheOfficers of Customs, Excise and ServiceTaxhavepowers toadjudicatecasesunder theCustomsAct,1962, theCentralExcise Act, 1944 and Service Tax laws (Finance Act, 1994). The appellatemachinerycomprisingtheCommissioners(Appeals)dealswithappealsagainsttheorderspassedbytheofficers lowerinrankthanCommissionerofCustomsandCentralExcise.TheCustoms,Excise andServiceTaxAppellateTribunal,CESTAT(earlierCustomsExciseandGold(Control)AppellateTribunal) isanindependentforumtoheartheappealsagainstordersanddecisionspassedbytheCommissioners ofCustoms andExcise under theCustomsAct, 1962,CentralExcise Act, 1944 and a Second appellate forum against orders passed byCommissioner(Appeals).

CustomsTheIndianCustomsElectronicDataInterchange(EDI)System(ICES)isan

http://www.cbic.gov.in

EDI based work flow application which enables (i) electronic filing andprocessingof import and export declarations/manifests (ii) systemappraisal ofselectgoods(iii)messagingwithcustodiansandotheragenciesconcernedwithcargo clearance. Implemented at 214 locations, ICES covermore than 98 percentofthecountry’sinternationaltradeconsignmentwiseand90percentvaluewise.Withmorethan200crorehitsannually,thee-commercewebportal,IndianCustomsEDIGateway (ICEGATE), is the single point of interaction betweenICES and Partners in the Customs community and provides such services asregistration, e-filing, e-payment, document status andhelpdesk aswell as dataexchangebetweencustomsandvariousregulatoryandlicensingauthoritiesandfacilitationofcomplianttrade(withconcomitantreductionintransactioncostsand cargo dwell time) and targeting of non-compliant or risky transactions isachievedthroughtheriskmanagementsystem.In2016,CentralBoardofExciseand Customs (CBEC) launched single window interface for facilitating trade(SWIFT)atallcustomsEDIlocationswithsixmajorparticipatinggovernmentagencies(PGAs), as a single point interface for clearance of imported goods.SWIFT enables importers to file common electronic ‘Integrated Declaration’which compiles the information requirements of customs, FSSAI, plantquarantine, animal quarnatine, drug controller, wild life control bureau andtextile committee and replaces nine separate forms earlier required by theseagencies.

EnterpriseDataWarehouseCBEC is one of the first government departments to have implemented an

EnterpriseDateWarehouse,acentralrepositoryofcleanandconsistent,nearrealtime data pertaining to Customs, Central Excise and Service Tax. It employsbest-in-classbusinessIntelligencetoolsforonlineanalyticalprocessinganddatamining,andistodaytheprimarysourceofdataandreportsrequiredbyC.B.E.C.otherministriesandexternalagencies.

DirectorateofEnforcementDirectorateofEnforcementwassetupatNewDelhiin1956forenforcement

oftheprovisionsoftheForeignExchangeRegulationAct(FERA),1947.FERA,1947waslaterreplacedbyForeignExchangeRegulationAct,1973.FERAwasa Criminal Act, which provided for filing of prosecutions in a court of law,besides adjudication of violations by theAdjudicatingAuthorities. FERAwasrepealed in 2000 and replacedwithForeignExchangeManagementAct, 1999(FEMA).Subsequently,theDirectoratewasalsoentrustedwiththeresponsibilityof implementing the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA),

which came into force in 2005. At present, the Directorate of Enforcementenforcestwolawsviz., theForeignExchangeManagementAct,1999(FEMA)andthePreventionofMoneyLaunderingAct,2002(PMLA)apartfromlookingafter the residual work initiated under FERA. The Directorate initiatesinvestigations under FEMA for contraventions relating to foreign exchangetransactions on the basis of specific intelligence/information and takesappropriate action under FEMA.Complaints are filed before theAdjudicatingAuthority under the Act. In the event the charge is found substantiated uponadjudication by the competent Adjudicating Authority, penalty up to themaximumofthreetimesoftheamountinvolvedinthesaidcontraventioncanbeimposed by the said Authority. Adjudication Authority may also orderconfiscationofamountsinvolvedinsuchcontravention.

UnderthePMLA,theDirectoratecaninitiateinvestigationsonlyafteraLawEnforcement Agency books a case under one of the offences listed in theSchedule to theAct.TheDirectorate investigates thecase toascertainwhetherproceedsofcrimehavebeengeneratedfromthepredicateoffencebookedbytheLawEnforcementAgency,andsuchproceedshavebeenlaundered.Ifaprima-faciecaseismadeout,theDirectorateattachesorseizesthetaintedproperty.TheAct also provides for initiating investigations for tracing and immobilizingtainted property arising out of transactions having cross border implications.Such investigationsarecarriedout throughLettersofRequestwith theforeignadministrations. The offence ofmoney laundering under PMLA is punishablewithimprisonmentofnotlessthanthreeyearswhichmayextendtosevenyearsand alsowith fine. In caseof violationspertaining toNDPSAct offences, theimprisonment may extend to 10 years. Upon conviction under PMLA, theattachedpropertyisliabletobeconfiscated.Website:www.enforcementdirectorate.gov.in

FinancialIntelligenceUnit-IndiaFinancialIntelligenceUnit-India(FIU-IND)isthecentralnationalagencyfor

receiving, processing, analyzing and disseminating information relating tosuspect financial transactions.FIU-INDwasestablishedby theGovernmentofIndia in 2004 for coordinating and strengthening collection and sharing offinancialintelligencethroughaneffectivenational,regionalandglobalnetworkto combat money laundering, related crimes and terrorist financing. It is anindependentbodyreportingtotheEconomicIntelligenceCouncil(EIC)headedby the Finance Minister. For administrative purposes, FIU-IND is under theDepartment of Revenue, Ministry of Finance. FIU-IND is established as an

http://www.enforcementdirectorate.gov.in

administrative FIU i.e., as an independent government body that receivesanalyses and disseminates STR to the appropriate law enforcement orinvestigationagency.FIU-INDdoesnotinvestigatecases.ThemainfunctionsofFIU-IND include domestic co-operation, international co-operation, outreach,compliance and administration of an Information Technology basedplatform(FINnet) providing end-to-end solution for filing, analysis anddissemination of information, including making request and submission offeedback.Website:www.finindia.gov.in

NarcoticsNarcoticsControl

The Narcotics Control Division administers the Narcotic Drugs andPsychotropic Substances Act,1985 (61 of 1985), which prohibits ,except formedical and scientific purposes, themanufacture, production, possession, sale,purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consumption, import inter-State, exportinter-State, import into India, export from India or transhipment of narcoticdrugsandpsychotropicsubstances.

CentralBureauofNarcoticsThe Central Bureau of Narcotics (CBN) headed by the Narcotics

Commissioner is headquartered at Gwalior. The administrative control of thedepartmentlieswithCBECwhileitsoperationalfunctionsaremonitoredbytheDepartmentofRevenue,thenodalDepartmententrustedwiththetaskofpolicydecisions over control over narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances andprecursor and essential chemicals used in the manufacture of the NDPS. Itperforms the function of National Opium Agency for India under the SingleConvention onNarcoticsDrugs 1961 to exercise control and supervision overopiumpoppycultivation,whichispresentlyundertakeninselectednotifiedareasof Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. In addition to the workrelating to control over opium poppy cultivation, the CBN takes preventiveactionagainstdrugtraffickingandenforcestheprovisionsoftheNarcoticDrugsandPsychotropicSubstancesAct,1985andRulesmadethereunder.

GovernmentOpiumandAlkaloidFactoriesThe Government Opium and Alkaloid Factories (GOAF), under the

administrative control of the Department of Revenue, are engaged in theprocessing of raw opium for export purposes and manufacture of opiate

http://www.finindia.gov.in

alkaloids.TheorganizationisheadedbytheChiefControllerofFactories.The Narcotics Control Division administers the Narcotic Drugs and

Psychotropic Substances Act,1985 (61 of 1985), which prohibits ,except formedical and scientific purposes, themanufacture, production, possession, sale,purchase, transport, warehouse, use, consumption, import inter-State, exportinter-State, import into India, export from India or transhipment of narcoticdrugsandpsychotropicsubstances.

Customs,ExciseandServiceTaxAppellateTribunalCustoms, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (earlier known as

CustomsExciseandGold(Control)AppellateTribunal)wasformedasaquasi-judicial body to hear appeals from the orders and decisions passed by theCommissioner/ Commissioner (Appeals) of Customs, Central Excise andServiceTaxundertheCustomsAct,1962,CentralExciseAct,1944andFinanceAct, 1994 respectively. The Tribunal is also having appellate jurisdiction onAnti-dumpingmattersandsuchmattersareheardbyspecialbenchheadedbythePresident, CESTAT. The headquarter and Principal Bench of the Tribunal issituated at Delhi. The regional benches are situated at Mumbai, Kolkata,Chennai,Bangalore,Ahmedabad,Chandigarh,AllahabadandHyderabadhavingseparate territorial jurisdiction. Whereas Delhi and Mumbai have 4 Bencheseach,Chennaihas2BenchesandalltheotherplaceshaveoneBencheach.EachBenchofthisTribunalconsistsofajudicialmemberandaTechnicalMember.

DepartmentofFinancialServicesTheDepartmentofFinancialServices(DFS)ismainlyresponsibleforpolicy

issues relating to Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Financial Institutionsincluding their functioning, appointment ofChairman,ManagingDirector andChiefExecutiveOfficers(MD&CEOs),ExecutiveDirectors(EDs),Chairmancum Managing Directors (CMDs), legislative matters, international bankingrelations.AppointmentofGovernor/DeputyGovernorofReserveBankofIndia,matters relating to National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development(NABARD), Agriculture Finance Corporation, Co-operative Banks, RegionalRural Banks (RRBs) and rural/agriculture Credit. The Department alsoadministersthefinancialinclusionprogrammeofthegovernment,socialsecurityschemesandothertargetedschemesaimedatfacilitatingflowofcredit,mattersrelating to insurance sector and performance of public sector insurancecompanies, administration of various Insurance Acts. Matters relating toInsuranceRegulatoryandDevelopmentAuthorityofIndia(IRDAI)andmattersrelatingtopensionreformsincludingtheNewPensionSystem(NPS),etc.

It also covers pension reforms and industrial finance andmicro, small andmediumenterprise.ItstartedthePradhanMantriJanDhanYojana.PensionFundRegulatoryandDevelopmentAuthority(PFRDA)isastatutorybodywhichalsoworksunderthisDepartment.Website:www.financialservices.gov.in

BankingBanking industry is crucial to the economy of any nation as it channelizes

savingsandinvestmentstoprovidecapitalforeconomicgrowth.InIndia,bankshave played a vital role in financial inclusion of the general population byprovidingaccesstobasicfinancialservicestounbankedhouseholdsandformalcredit to the agriculture sector and micro-enterprises. Public Sector Banks(PSBs) are the mainstay of the Indian banking industry. PSBs and PSB-sponsored Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) have dominantmarket presence andconstitute 78 percent of the bank network of Scheduled Commercial Banks(SCBs).Inrurallocations,thisshareisevenhigherat87percent.PSBsplayanimportant role in fuelling investment needed for the country’s economicdevelopment,withashareofover70percentofSCBs’depositsand66percentofoutstandingcredit. In rural and semi-urban (RUSU) locations, their share iseven higher at 88 per cent of saving account deposits and 81 per cent ofoutstandingcredit.PSBsandRRBsplayacriticalroleinprioritysectorlendingandaccountfor74percentofoutstandingcredittosmallandmarginalfarmers,65percentofoutstandingcredittoMicroandSmallEnterprisesand95percentofeducationloans.

ReserveBankofIndiaTheReserveBankofIndia(RBI)isIndia’scentralbankinginstitution,which

controlsthemonetarypolicyoftheIndianrupee.ItcommenceditsoperationsonApril 1, 1935 in accordance with the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.FollowingIndia’sindependenceon15August1947,theRBIwasnationalisedon1January1949.

TheRBIhas four zonal offices atChennai,Delhi,Kolkata andMumbai. Ithas21regionalofficesand11sub-officesthroughoutIndia.RegionalofficesarelocatedinAhmedabad,Bengaluru,Bhopal,Bhubaneswar,Chandigarh,Chennai,Delhi,Guwahati,Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jammu,Kanpur,Kochi,Kolkata,Dewas,Lucknow,Mumbai,Nagpur,Patna,DehradunandThiruvananthapuramandsub-offices are at Agartala, Aizawal, Dehradun, Gangtok, Imphal, Panaji, Raipur,Ranchi,Shillong,ShimlaandSrinagar.

http://www.financialservices.gov.in


AsthecentralbankofIndia,RBIisanindependentapexmonetaryauthoritywhichregulatesbanksandprovides important financialservices likestoringofforeignexchangereserves,controlofinflation,monetarypolicyreport.Acentralbank is known by different names in different countries. The functions of acentralbankvaryfromcountrytocountryandfunctionsasautonomousorquasi-autonomous body. A central bank is a vital financial apex institution of aneconomy and the key objects of central banks may differ from country tocountry,still theyperformactivitiesandfunctionswiththegoalofmaintainingeconomicstabilityandgrowthofaneconomy.

TheRBIplaysanimportantpartintheDevlopmentStrategyofthecountry.ItisamemberbankoftheAsianClearingUnion.ThegeneralsuperintendenceanddirectionoftheRBIisentrustedwiththe21-membercentralboardofdirectorswhich has : the governor; four deputy governors; two finance ministryrepresentatives; ten government-nominated directors to represent importantelements of India’s economy; and four directors to represent local boardsheadquarteredatMumbai,Kolkata,ChennaiandNewDelhi.

The central bank executes many functions such as overseeing monetarypolicy, issuing currency, managing foreign exchange, working as a bank forgovernmentandasabankerof scheduledcommercialbanks. It alsoworks foroverall economic growth of the country. The primary objective of RBI is toundertake consolidated supervision of the financial sector comprisingcommercialbanks,financialinstitutionsandnon-bankingfinancecompanies.

Paymentandsettlementsystemsplayanimportantroleinimprovingoveralleconomic efficiency. The Payment and Settlement SystemsAct of 2007 (PSSAct) gives the Reserve Bank oversight authority, including regulation andsupervision,forthepaymentandsettlementsystemsinthecountry.Inthisrole,theRBIfocusesonthedevelopmentandfunctioningofsafe,secureandefficientpaymentandsettlementmechanisms.TwopaymentsystemsNationalElectronicFund Transfer (NEFT) and Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) allowindividuals, companies and firms to transfer funds from one bank to another.Thesefacilitiescanonlybeusedfortransferringmoneywithinthecountry.Withincreasing integration of the Indian economywith the global economy arisingfromgreatertradeandcapitalflows,theforeignexchangemarkethasevolvedasakeysegmentof theIndianfinancialmarketandRBIhasanimportantroletoplay in regulating and managing this segment. It manages forex and goldreservesofthenation.

RBI is thesolebodythat isauthorized to issuecurrency inIndia.Thebankalsodestroysthesamewhentheyarenotfitforcirculation.Allthemoneyissued

by thecentralbank is itsmonetary liability, i.e., thecentralbank isobliged toback the currencywith assets of equal value, to enhance public confidence inpapercurrency.Theobjectivesaretoissuebanknotesandgivepublicadequatesupplyofthesame,tomaintainthecurrencyandcreditsystemofthecountrytoutilizeitinitsbestadvantage,andtomaintainthereserves.Forprintingofnotes,the Security Printing andMinting Corporation of India Limited (SPMCIL), awhollyownedcompanyoftheGovernmentofIndia,hassetupprintingpressesat Nashik, Maharashtra and Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. The Bharatiya ReserveBank Note Mudran Private Limited (BRBNMPL), also has set up printingpressesinMysoreinKarnatakaandSalboniinWestBengal.Inall,therearefourprintingpresses.Formintingcoins,SPMCILhasfourmintsatMumbai,Noida(UP),KolkataandHyderabad.

In order to curb the fake currency, RBI has launched a website to raiseawareness among masses about fake notes in the marketwww.paisaboltahai.rbi.org.in provides information about identifying fakecurrency.Website:www.rbi.org.in

RegionalRuralBanksThe Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) were established under Regional Rural

Banks Act, 1976 to create an alternative channel to the cooperative creditstructureandtoensuresufficientinstitutionalcreditfortheruralandagriculturesector. RRBs are jointly owned by Government of India, concerned stategovernmentandsponsorbankswiththeissuedcapitalsharedintheproportionof50percent,15percentand35percent,respectively.

AgricultureCreditInordertoboosttheagriculturesectorwiththehelpofeffectiveandhassle-

freeagriculturecredit,thegovernmenthasbeenfixingannualtargetsforgroundlevelagriculturecreditbyScheduledCommercialBanks,RegionalRuralBanks(RRBs) andCooperativeBanks.Yearwise position of target and achievementunderagriculturalcreditflowforthelastfiveyearsindicatesthesustainedtrendofactualdisbursement,surpassingtheincrementalannualtargetsyearafteryear.

KisanCreditCardThe Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme was introduced in 1998-99, as an

innovativecreditdelivery systemaimingatadequateand timelycredit supportfrom the banking system to the farmers for their cultivation needs including

http://www.paisaboltahai.rbi.org.in

http://www.rbi.org.in

purchase of inputs in a flexible, convenient and cost effective manner. Theschemeisbeingimplementedbyallcooperativebanks,RRBsandpublicsectorcommercialbanksthroughoutthecountry.KCCisoneofthemosteffectivetoolsfor delivering agriculture credit.NABARDmonitors the scheme in respect ofcooperativebanks andRRBsandRBI in respect of commercial banks.AnewschemeforKCChasbeencirculatedbyRBIandNABARDwhichprovidesforKCCasanATMcardwhichcanbeusedatATM/PointofSale(POS)terminal.

RuralInfrastructureDevelopmentFundThe Central Government established a fund to be operationalised by

NABARDnamely, theRural InfrastructureDevelopment Fund (RIDF),whichwasset-upwithinNABARDduring1995-96bywayofdepositsfromScheduledCommercial Banks operating within the country from the shortfall in theiragricultural/priority sector/weaker sections lending. The fund has since beencontinued,withitsallocationbeingannouncedeveryyearintheUnionBudget.Overtheyears,coverageundertheRIDFhasbeenbroadbased,ineachtranche,andatpresent,awiderangeof34activitiesarefinancedundervarioussectors.

InsuranceInsurance, being an integral part of the financial sector, plays a significant

role in India’s economy.Apart fromprotection againstmortality, property andcasualtyrisksandprovidingasafetynetforindividualsandenterprisesinurbanandruralareas,thissectorencouragessavingsandprovideslong-termfundsforinfrastructuredevelopmentandotherlonggestationprojectsofthecountry.Thedevelopment of the insurance sector is necessary to support its continuedeconomic transformation. The public sector insurance companies operating inthe sector are: 1. Life Insurance Corporation; 2 National Insurance CompanyLimited; 3. Oriental Insurance Company Limited; 4. United India InsuranceCompany Limited; 5. New India Assurance Company Limited; 6. GeneralInsuranceCorporationofIndiaLimitedand7AgricultureInsuranceCompanyofIndiaLimited.

LifeInsuranceCorporationofIndiaLife Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) was established by an Act of

Parliament called the Life Insurance Corporation of India Act, 1956. It isgovernedbytheInsuranceAct,1938,LICAct,1956,LICRegulations,1959andInsuranceRegulatoryandDevelopmentAuthorityAct,1999.AsonMarch31,2016,LIChas08zonaloffices,113divisionaloffices,2,048branchoffices,73customerzones,1,401satelliteofficesand1,240miniofficesinthecountry.LIC

is present in 14 countries abroad through branch offices/joint venturescompaniesandwhollyownedsubsidiary.Website:www.licindia.in

ReformsintheInsuranceSectorTheinsurancesectorwasopenedforprivateparticipationwiththeenactment

of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999. TheInsurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) isfunctioningfromitsheadofficeinHyderabad,Telangana.Thecorefunctionsoftheauthorityinclude:(i) licencingofinsurersandinsuranceintermediaries;(ii)financialandregulatorysupervision; (iii) regulationofpremiumrates;and(iv)protection of the interests of the policyholders: With a view to facilitatedevelopment of the insurance sector, the authority has issued regulations onprotection of the interests of policy holders: obligations towards the rural andsocial sectors; micro insurance and licensing of agents, corporate agents,brokers,surveyorsandthirdpartyadministrators.IRDAIhasalsolaiddowntheregulatory framework for registration of insurance companies,maintenance ofsolvency margin, investments and financial reporting requirements. Since theopening up this sector for private and foreign investment, the number ofparticipants in the insurance industryhasgoneup fromseven insurers to sixtyeight insurers as on 31st March 2018 operating in the life, general, and re-insurance segments (including specialized insurers, namely Export CreditGuaranteeCorporationandAgriculturalInsuranceCompany(AIC).

OneofthekeyreformsundertakeninthissectoristhepassingofInsuranceLaws (Amendment)Act, 2015which paved theway formajor reform relatedamendments in the Insurance Act, 1938, the General Insurance Business(Nationalization) Act, 1972 and the Insurance Regulatory and DevelopmentAuthority (IRDA) Act, 1999. The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act 2015seamlessly replaced the Insurance Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 2014. Theamendment Act removed archaic and redundant provisions in the legislationsand incorporated certain provisions to provide Insurance Regulatory andDevelopment Authority of India (IRDA) with the flexibility to dischange itsfunctionsmore effectively andefficiently. It alsoprovided for enhancementoftheforeigninvestmentcapinanIndianinsurancecompanyfrom26percenttoan explicitly composite limit of 49 per cent with the safeguard of Indianownership and control. The Insurance Laws (Amendment) Act, 2015 alsoenabled foreign reinsurers tosetupbranches in India. ItalsoenableLloydsofUKand itsmembers tooperate in India throughsettingupofbranchesfor the

http://www.licindia.in

purposeofreinsurancebusinessoraninvestorsinanIndianInsuranceCompanywithinthe49percentcap.

PradhanMantriVyayVandanaYojanaGovernment launched thePradhanMantriVyayVandanaYojana (PMVVY)

toprotectelderlypersonsaged60yearsandaboveagainstafuturefallintheirinterestincomeduetotheuncertainmarketcondition,asalsotoprovidesocialsecurityinoldage.TheSchemeisbeingimplementedthroughLICofIndia.Itprovides an assured return of 8 per cent per annum payable monthly for 10years.Thedifferentialreturni.e.,thedifferencebetweenreturngeneratedbyLICandtheassuredreturnof8percentwouldbebornebyGovernmentofIndiaassubsidyon annual basis. Itwasopen for subscription for aperiodofoneyeari.e., from 4th May, 2017 to 3rd May, 2018. In pursuance of Budget 2018-19,GovernmentapprovedtheextensionofPradhanMantriVyayVandanaYojanaupto31stMarch,2020andenhancedthelimitofmaximumpurchasepriceof₹7.5lakhperfamilyto₹15lakhperseniorcitizen.AamAadmiBimaYojana

For the benefit of theweaker sections of the society,Government of Indiafloated a highly subsidized insurance scheme, viz., AamAadmi BimaYojana(AABY) which is administered through Life Insurance Corporation of India.Under this social security scheme below poverty line (BPL) and marginallyabove poverty line citizens are covered under 48 identified occupations. Theschemeprovidesdeathcoverof₹30,000/- incaseofnaturaldeath. Incaseofdeathortotaldisability(includinglossoftwoeyes/twolimbs)duetoaccident,asumof₹75,000/-and incaseofpartialpermanentdisability (lossofoneeye/limb) due to accident, a sum of ₹ 37,500/- is payable to the nominee/beneficiary.All these benefits are paid for a nominal premiumof₹ 200/- permember per annum, out ofwhich₹ 100/- is borne by the central governmentthroughSocialSecurityFundmaintainedthroughLICofIndia,andthebalancepremium of ₹ 100/- is borne by the member and/or nodal agency and/orcentral/stategovernmentdepartmentwhichactsasthenodalagency.Inaddition,thereisanaddonbenefitofscholarshipattherateof₹1,200/-perannumperchild for twochildrenper familyof the insuredmembersstudyingfrom9th to12thstandard(includingITIcourses).

SocialSecuritySchemesAtalPensionYojana

TheAtalPensionYojana(APY)was launchedinMay,2015, toaddress thelongevity risks among theworkers in unorganised sectorwho are not coveredunderanystatutorysocialsecurityscheme.TheAPYisfocussedonallcitizensin the unorganised sector, who join the National Pension System (NPS)administered by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority(PFRDA).

AnyIndiancitizenbetween18-40yearsofagecanjointhroughtheirsavingsbank account/post office savings account.Minimum pension of₹ 1,000 or₹2,000 or₹ 3,000 or₹ 4,000 or₹ 5,000 is guaranteed by theGovernment ofIndia to the subscriber at the age of 60 years, with a minimum monthlycontribution (for those joiningatageat18)of42or84or126or168or210,respectively.Afterthesubscriber’sdemise,thespouseofthesubscribershallbeentitled to receive the samepension amount as that of the subscriber until thedeathofthespouse.Afterthedemiseofboththesubscriberandthespouse,thenominee of the subscriber shall be entitled to receive the pension wealth, asaccumulatedtillage60ofthesubscriber.RevisionsinAPY

Intheeventofpre-maturedeathofthesubscriber,governmenthasdecidedtogiveanoption to thespouseof thesubscriber tocontinuecontributing toAPYaccountof thesubscriber, for theremainingvestingperiod i.e., till theoriginalsubscriberwouldhaveattainedtheageof60years.Theearlierprovisionwastohandoverlumpsumamounttospouseontheprematuredeath(deathbefore60yearsofage)ofthesubscriber.Thespouseofthesubscribershallbeentitledtoreceivethesamepensionamountasthatofthesubscriberuntilthedeathofthespouse.Afterthedeathofboththesubscriberandthespouse,thenomineeofthesubscribershallbeentitledtoreceivethepensionwealth,asaccumulatedtill60yearsofthesubscriber.

In order to facilitate subscribers with the convenience and accessibility ofhis/her APY account, Mobile Application for APY has been launched byPFRDA.Thishasenabledmobileoperationsforempoweringthesubscriberstoview Statement of Account and other details of their APY account. All APYsubscriberscandownloadNPSLitemobileapplications fromgooglestoreandinstall in their mobile phones for real time viewing of APY Accounts. Toexperience the features, the subscribers need to visit https://npslite-nsdl.com/CRAlite/websiteandcanexploreaspertheirrequirement.

PradhanMantriJeevanJyotiBimaYojanaGovernmentannouncedthreeambitioussocialsecurityschemespertainingto

https://npslite-nsdl.com/CRAlite/

the insurance and pension sectors, namely Pradhan Mantri Jeevan JyotiBimaYojana (PMJJBY), PradhanMantri Suraksha BimaYojana (PMSBY) andthe Atal Pension Yojana (APY) to move towards creating a universal socialsecurity system, targeted especially for the poor and the under-privileged.PMJJBY is a one year life insurance scheme, renewable from year to year,offering coverage of two lakhs rupees for death due to any reason and isavailabletopeopleintheagegroupof18to50years(lifecoverupto55yearsofage)havingabankaccountwhogive theirconsent to joinandenableauto-debit. It involves convenient bank account linked enrolment withimplementationinITmode,andpremiumpaymentthroughauto-debitfromthebank account of the subscriber. Implementation of this scheme enablesaffordability and targeting in favour of the poor and the under-privileged andwouldaddressthesituationoflowpenetrationoflifeinsuranceinthecountry.

PradhanMantriSurakshaBimaYojanaThePradhanMantriSurakshaBimaYojana(PMSBY)isaoneyearpersonal

accident insurancescheme, renewable fromyear toyear,offeringcoverage fordeath/disabilityduetoanaccidentandisavailabletopeopleintheagegroupof18to70yearshavingabankaccountwhogivetheirconsenttojoinandenableauto-debit.Underthesaidscheme,riskcoverageavailablewillbe₹2lakhforaccidental death and permanent total disability and ₹ 1 lakh for permanentpartial disability. It involves convenient bank account linked enrolment withimplementationinITmode,andpremiumpaymentthroughauto-debitfromthebank account of the subscriber. Implementation of this scheme enablesaffordability and targeting in favour of the poor and the under-privileged andwould address the situation of low penetration of accident insurance in thecountry.

PradhanMantriJanDhanYojanaWith a view to increasing banking penetration and promoting financial

inclusion andwith themain objective of covering all householdswith at leastone bank account per household across the country, a National Mission onfinancialinclusionnamedas(PMJDY)wasannouncedin2014.

ObjectivesofPMJDYinclude:(i)universalaccesstobankingfacilitiesforallhouseholdsacross thecountry throughabankbranchora fixedpointbusinesscorrespondent (BC) within a reasonable distance. (ii) to cover all householdswith atleast one basic bank account with RuPay Debit card having inbuiltaccidentinsurancecoverof₹1lakh.

PensionReformsNationalPensionSystem

Withaview toprovidingadequate retirement income, theNationalPensionSystem(NPS)wasintroduced.IthasbeenmademandatoryforallnewrecruitstotheGovernment(exceptarmedforces)witheffectfromJanuary1,2004andhas also been rolled out for all citizens with effect from May 1, 2009 on avoluntary basis. The features of the NPS design are: self-sustainability,portabilityandscalability.Basedon individualchoice, it isenvisagedasa lowcostandefficientpensionsystembackedbysoundregulation.Asapure‘definedcontribution’product,returnswouldbetotallymarketdriven.TheNPSprovidesvarious investmentoptionsandchoices to individuals to switchover fromoneoption to another or from one fund manager to another, subject to certainregulatoryrestrictions.TheNPSarchitectureis transparentandwebenabled.Itallowsasubscribertomonitorhis/herinvestmentsandreturns.Thefacilityforseamless portability is designed to enable subscribers to maintain a singlepension account (Permanent Retirement Account Number-PRAN) throughoutthe saving period. Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority(PFRDA), set-up as a regulatory body for the pension sector, is engaged inconsolidatingtheinitiativestakensofarregardingthefullNPSarchitectureandexpanding the reachofNPSdistributionnetwork.TheprocessofmakingNPSavailable to all citizens entailed the appointment of NPS intermediaries,includinginstitutionalentitiesasPointofPresence(POPs)thatserveaspensionaccountopeningandcollectioncentres, aCentralizedRecordKeepingAgency(CRA)andPensionFunds tomanage thepensionwealthof the investors.TheDepartmentofPostshasalsobeenappointedasPoPinadditiontootherfinancialinstitutionswhichexpandthePoP-SPnetworkbymorethanfivetimes.

AMobileAppforNPSisavailableforthesubscribersinGooglePlayStoreas‘NPSbyNSDLe-Gov’andand‘NPSbyKarvy-CRA’.Subscriberscanaccesstheir account through this. The following new features are enabled inMobileApp to facilitate the subscriber’s interface with the system: Aadhaar can belinked to NPS account using this app; grievances/queries under NPS can beraised through it; Status of grievance along with resolution details can beviewed; subscriber can reset his/her password using this App; the bilingualversionoftheApphasbeendevelopedforconvenienceofNPSsubscribers.

TheRetirementAdvisers (RAs) are appointed by PFRDA to engage in theactivity of providing personalized advice on pension, retirement and NPSthereby extending its outreach. The RAs can be an individual, registered

partnership firm,body corporate, or any registered trust or society.Theonlineplatformhasbeendeveloped to facilitate registrationof an individual/entityasRetirementAdviser. In order to ease the process of registration of subscribersthroughRetirementAdvisersahyperlinkisprovidedinwelcomescreenofRA.This linkwill re-direct theuser to eNPSwherehe/she can enterRAcode andinitiatetheprocessofsubscriberregistration.ThePensionSanchay;adedicatedwebsite (www.pensionsanchay.org.in) is an initiative of PFRDA for increasingfinancialliteracywithspecialemphasisonconceptsofpensionandretirement.

SwavalambanSchemeTo encourage theworkers in the unorganized sector to save voluntarily for

theiroldage,aninitiativecalledSwavalambanSchemewaslaunchedin2010.Itisaco-contributorypensionschemewherebythecentralgovernmentcontributesasumof₹1,000perannumineachNPSaccountopenedhavingasavingof₹1,000to₹12,000perannum.RuralHousingFund

TheRuralHousing Fundwas set up in 2008-09 to enable primary lendinginstitutions toaccessfundsforextendinghousingfinance to targetedgroups inruralareasatcompetitiverates.

PradhanMantriMudraYojanaThere are a large number of small business units, estimated at around5.77

crore in the informal sector, running small manufacturing, trading or servicebusinesses, who find it difficult to access formal systems of credit. The loanrequirement of these units is generally below₹ 10 lakh.While a number ofinitiativesweretakeninthepasttoimproveaccesstoformalcreditchannelsforsuchunits,therewasstillasignificantandlargesectiontowhichtheloan/creditfacilities did not percolate. For such units a scheme, namely, PradhanMantriMudra Yojana (PMMY) was launched in 2015, to enable income generatingsmall business enterprises to have access to loans. Accordingly, lendinginstitutions would finance micro entrepeneurs up to ₹ 10 lakh. PMMY is anational mission aimed at increasing the entrepreneurial activity of existingsmallbusinessandencouragingfirstgenerationentrepreneurs.

Micro Units Development and Refinance Agency Limited (MUDRA), is arefinanceinstitutionset-upbythegovernmentfordevelopmentofmicrounitsbyextendingfundingsupport toencourageentrepreneurship inIndia,mostlyfromnon-corporatesmallbusinesssector.Under theguidelinesofPMMY,MUDRAhaslaunchedthreeinnovativeproductsnamelyShishu,Kishor,andTarun,which

http://www.pensionsanchay.org.in

signifies the stage of growth and funding needs of the micro units orentrepreneur.MUDRA shall refinance through state level institutions,NBFCs,MFIs, regional rural banks, nationalized banks, private banks and otherintermediaries.AnyIndiancitizenwhoisinvolvedinincomegeneratingactivitysuchasmanufacturing,processing, tradingandservicesectorandwhosecreditneed is less than ₹ 10 lakh can approach either banks, MFIs, financialinstitutionsorNBFCforavailingofMUDRAloansunderPMMY. Ithasbeensince decided to extend funding support under PMMY for activities allied toagriculturealso.

Thegovernmenthastakenvariousstepstowardseffectiveimplementationofthe Scheme. These, inter alia, include intensive publicity campaigns,simplification of application forms, credit guarantee scheme, refinance fromMUDRALtd,nominationofMudraNodalOfficer,weeklyvideoconferencestomonitortheprogress,etc.

CreditGuaranteeFundforSkillDevelopmentToguaranteetheloansandadvancesupto₹1.5lakh(termloan)oranyother

limitasmaybedecidedbythesettler,sanctionedanddisbursedbythelendinginstitutionswithout any collateral security and/or third party guarantees to theeligible borrowers pursuing skill development courses as per the Skill LoanScheme.Anyperson (Indiannational) canavailof skill loanhavingminimumqualificationasperNationalSkillQualificationFramework(NSQF).

DepartmentofInvestmentandPublicAssetManagement

The Department of Disinvestment was set up as a separate Department in1999andwaslaterrenamedasMinistryofDisinvestmentin2001.From2004,theDepartmentofDisinvestmentisoneofthedepartmentsundertheMinistryofFinance.TheDepartmentofDisinvestmenthasbeenrenamedasDepartmentofinvestmentandPublicAssetManagement(DIPAM)from2016.Themandateofthe Department includes all matters related to management of CentralGovernmentinvestmentsinequityincludingdisinvestmentofequityinCentralPublic Sector Undertakings. Decisions on the recommendations ofadministrativeministries,NITIAayog,etc.,fordisinvestmentincludingstrategicdisinvestment. All matters related to Independent External Monitor(s) fordisinvestment and public asset management. Financial policy in regard to theutilization of the proceeds of disinvestment channelized into the NationalInvestmentFund.

Website:www.dipam.gov.in

DisinvestmentPolicyThepolicyondisinvestmenthasevolvedconsiderably.Thesalientfeaturesof

thePolicy include: (a)public sectorundertakings are thewealthof theNationand to ensure this wealth rests in the hands of the people, promote publicownership ofCPSEs; (b)while pursuingdisinvestment throughminority stakesale in listedCPSEs, theGovernmentwill retainmajority shareholding, i.e. atleast 51 per cent of the shareholding and management control of the PublicSector Undertakings; and (c) strategic disinvestment by way of sale ofsubstantialportionofGovernmentshareholdinginidentifiedCPSEsupto50percentormore,alongwithtransferofmanagementcontrol.

NationalInvestmentFundGovernment constituted the National Investment Fund (NIF) in 2005 into

which the proceeds from disinvestment of Central Public Sector Enterprisesweretobechannelized.ThecorpusofNIFwastobeofapermanentnatureandNIF was to be professionally managed to provide sustainable returns to theGovernment,withoutdepletingthecorpus.SelectedPublicSectorMutualFunds,namelyUTIAssetManagementCompanyLtd.,SBIFundsManagementPrivateLtd. and LICMutual Fund AssetManagement Company Ltd. were entrustedwiththemanagementoftheNIFcorpus.AsperthisScheme,75percentoftheannual income of theNIFwas to be used for financing selected social sectorschemeswhichpromoteeducation,healthandemployment.Theresidual25percentoftheannualincomeofNIFwastobeusedtomeetthecapitalinvestmentrequirementsofprofitableandrevivablePSUs.

Inviewofthedifficulteconomicsituationcausedbytheglobalslowdownof2008-09andaseveredroughtin2009-10,Governmentapprovedachangeinthepolicy for utilization of Disinvestment proceeds by granting a one-timeexemptiontoutilizethedisinvestmentproceedsdirectlyforselectedsocialsectorschemes allocated by Department of Expenditure/Planning Commission. InordertoaligntheNIFwiththeDisinvestmentPolicy,Governmentdecidedthatthe disinvestment proceeds, with effect from the fiscal year 2013-14, will becredited to the existingNIFwhich is a public account under theGovernmentAccounts and the funds would remain there until withdrawn/invested for theapprovedpurposes.

It was also simultaneously decided that the NIF would be utilized for thefollowingpurposes:subscribingtothesharesbeingissuedbytheCPSEonrightsbasissoastoensurethat51percentownershipoftheGovernmentinCPSEsis

http://www.dipam.gov.in

not diluted; preferential allotment of shares of the CPSE to promoters as perSEBI(IssueofCapitalandDisclosureRequirements)Regulations,2009sothatGovernmentshareholdingdoesnotgodownbelow51percentinallcaseswherethe CPSEs desire to raise fresh equity to meet their Capex programme, theGovernmentfurtherapprovedinclusionofthefollowingpurposestobefinancedfrom the NIF. Investment by Government in RRBs/ IIFCL/NABRAD/ EximBank; equity infusion in various Metro projects; investment in BhartiyaNabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited and Uranium Corporation of India Ltd;investmentinIndianRailwaystowardscapitalexpenditure.

DemonetisationofBanknotesThe Government demonetised 500 and 1,000 banknotes on November 8,

2016.All500and1000banknotesof theMahatmaGandhiseriesceased tobelegaltendersinIndiafromNovember9,2016.New500and2000banknotesofthe Mahatma Gandhi New Series in exchange for the old banknotes wereannounced.However, thebanknotedenominationsof100,50,20,10and5oftheMahatmaGandhi series remained legal tender andwere unaffected by thepolicy.Thegovernmentsaidthatthedemonetisationmovewasanefforttostopcounterfeitingof thecurrentbanknotesallegedlyusedforfundingterrorism,aswellasacrackdownonblackmoneyinthecountry.

14 CorporateAffairs

THE Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) is primarily concerned withadministration of the Companies Act 2013, the Companies Act 1956, theLimited Liability Partnership Act, 2008 and other allied Acts and rules andregulations framed there-under mainly for regulating the functioning of thecorporate sector. The Ministry is also responsible for administering theCompetition Act, 2002 to prevent practices having adverse effect oncompetition, to promote and sustain competition in markets, to protect theinterestsofconsumersthroughthecommissionsetupundertheAct.

Besides, itexercisessupervisionover the threeprofessionalbodies,namely,Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), Institute of CompanySecretariesofIndia(ICSI)andtheInstituteofCostAccountantsofIndia(ICAI)whichareconstitutedunderthreeseparateActsoftheParliamentforproperandorderly growth of the professions concerned. The Ministry also has theresponsibilityofcarryingoutthefunctionsoftheCentralgovernmentrelatingtoadministrationofPartnershipAct,1931,theCompanies(DonationstoNationalFunds)Act,1951andSocietiesRegistrationAct,1860.Website:www.mca.gov.in

AdministrativeStructureTheMinistryhasathreetierorganizationalstructurewiththeheadquartersat

NewDelhi,sevenofficesofRegionalDirectors(RDs)atAhmedabad,Chennai,Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Shillong, fifteen Registrars ofCompanies(RoCs),fourteenOfficialLiquidators(OLs)andnineRoC-cum-OLsinstatesandunionterritories.

ThejurisdictionalRegistrarsofcompanies,continuetohavejurisdictionoverthe companies incorporated by the Registrar, CRC under the Companies Act,2013 for all other provisions of theAct and the rulesmade thereunder,whichmayberelevantafterincorporation.TheOfficialLiquidatorsfunctionundertheoveralladministrativecontroloftheMinistry,andareattachedtocorrespondingHigh Courts. They are mainly responsible for implementing court orders

http://www.mca.gov.in

regardingliquidationandfinaldissolutionofthecompanies.

CentralRegistrationCentreThe project to transform the processing of company incorporation, e-forms

wasundertakenwithoneclearobjective,i.e.,applicationsfornamereservationandincorporationofacompanycouldbeprocessedandcompletedwithinD+1days(D=DateofPaymentConfirmation)inlinewithglobalbestpractices.TheMCArolledoutthefirstphaseofCentralRegistrationCentre(CRC)in2016forprocessing name reservation of applicants and second phase of CRC forprocessing incorporation of company applicants in 2016. The GovernmentProcess Reengineering (GPR) exercise is in pursuance of the Ministry’sobjectiveofprovidinggreater“EaseofDoingBusiness”toallthestakeholdersand has resulted in faster processing of incorporation related applications,uniformityinapplicationofrules,anderadicatingdiscretion.

The time taken forprocessingcompany incorporationapplicationshasbeenreduced drastically from between 5 to 15 working days in June 2014, to anaverageof0.6workingdays inMarch2017.Similarly, theprocessing timeforname availability applications has been brought down significantly frombetween5to6workingdaysinJune,2014,toanaverageof0.4daysinMarch2017.Inaddition,morethan90percentapplicationsarebeingapprovedwithinone working day. This has resulted in speed, greater transparency, uniformityanderadicationofdiscretion.

EaseofDoingBusinessThe Ministry has prescribed a Simplified Proforma for Incorporating

Companies (SPICe) along with e-MOA (Electronic-Memorandum ofAssociation) and e-AoA (Electronic-Articles of Association) which eliminatesthe requirementof physically signing theMemorandumofAssociation (MoA)andArticlesofAssociation (AoA)by the applicant andhelps entrepreneurs tostartbusinessinIndia,withoutmuchhassles.Thefeeforfilingtheincorporationformhasbeenreducedfrom₹2,000/-to₹500.TheintegratedformINC-29hasbeen replaced with SPICe Form. This incorporation form is being processedwithin 1-2 working days. Electronic integration of MCA21 System with theCentralBoard ofDirect Taxes (CBDT) for issue of PAN and first TAN to anincorporated company using the Simplified Proforma for IncorporatingCompanyElectronically(SPICe)hasbeenundertaken.Stakeholdersnowsubmitapplications for PAN and TAN at the time of submitting applications forincorporation.ThePANallottedbyIncomeTaxDepartmentisbeingaffixedon

theCertificateofIncorporationof theCompanyfromFebruary,2017.Thishasresulted in reduction in the number of processes and time taken for starting abusinessinthecountry.

SPICe is a more versatile form and leverages on digital technology byeliminating the need for hard copies of physically signed documents beingattached to an e-form. Using the integrated e-form SPICe, stakeholders canapply for five services simultaneously viz., company name, companyincorporation,DINofthedirectors,PermanentAccountNumber(PAN)andTaxDeduction andCollectionAccountNumber (TAN) for the newly incorporatedcompany.Rule15oftheCompaniesRules,2014(MeetingsoftheBoardanditsPowers)was amended in2017 to reduce the threshold to “10per cent”of thenetworth/turnoverasthecasemaybeagainsttheearlierthresholdofexceeding10 per cent thereby needing approval of members instead of only board.Common seal under Companies Act, 2013 has been made optional. Therequirement for obtaining certificate of commencement of business andrequirement for minimum paid up share capital for all companies have beendoneawaywithunderCompaniesAct,2013.

Theeffortsof thegovernmenthavepaiddividends.Accordingto theDoingBusiness Report (DBR) of the World Bank, India has jumped 23 positionsagainstitsrankof100in2017to77among190countries.

TheCompaniesAct,2013seekstobringcorporategovernanceandregulatorypracticesinIndiaatparwithglobalbestpractices.Thecorporatesectorhasbeengivenmoreflexibilityinregulatingitsownaffairs,subjecttofulldisclosureandaccountability of its actions, while minimising Government interference. TheAct provides more opportunities for new entrepreneurs and enables wideapplication of information technology in the conduct of affairs by corporates.KeyfeaturesoftheActaregivenhere.

KeyFeaturesoftheCompaniesAct,2013I.BusinessFriendlyCorporateRegulations/Pro-BusinessInitiatives

Provisionofself-regulationwithdisclosures/transparencyinsteadof‘Governmentapprovalbasedregime’.Automationofcorporaterecords/meetings–statutoryrecognitionto(i)maintenanceofdocumentsbycompaniesinelectronicform,(ii)‘video-conferencing’asamodeofconductingboardmeetings,etc.Fastermergersandacquisitionsincludingshortformofmergersandcrossbordermergers.

Summaryliquidation:Forcompanieshavingnetassetsof₹1croreorless,OfficialLiquidators(OLs)areempoweredwithadjudicatorypowers.NationalCompanyLawTribunal(NCLT)hasbeenconstitutedunderSection408in2016.Conceptof‘dormantcompanies’introduced(companiesnotengagedinbusinessfortwoconsecutiveyearscanbedeclaredasdormant).ConceptofOnePersonCompany(OPC)introduced.

II.GoodCorporateGovernanceandCorporateSocialResponsibility(CSR)

ConceptofIndependentDirectors(IDs)includedasastatutoryrequirementu/s149(4).ProvisionforconstitutionofseveralcommitteesoftheBoard(AuditCommittee,NominationandRemunerationCommittee,StakeholdersRelationshipCommitteeandCSRCommittee).WomanDirectorforprescribedclassofcompanies.MandatoryprovisionforconstitutionofCSRCommitteeandformulationofCSRPolicy,withmandatorydisclosure,forprescribedclassofcompanies.

III.EnhancingAccountabilityofManagement

Theterm‘OfficerinDefault’hasbeenreviewedtomakeitmorerelevant.Terms‘KeyManagerialPersonnel’(KMP)and‘Promoter’definedtoaffixresponsibilityonkeyfunctionariesofthecompany.DutiesofDirectorsdefined,includingtoshareholders,employees,thecommunityandenvironment.CaponnumberofDirectorships:20companies,ofwhich10canbepubliccompanies.

IV.StrengthenedEnforcement

TheCentralGovernmenttohavepowerstoorderinvestigation,suo-motu,inpublicinterest.StatutoryrecognitionofSeriousFraudInvestigationOffice(SFIO).SpecialCourtshavebeenconstitutedunderSection435in2016.Searchandseizureofdocuments,duringinvestigation,withoutanorderfromaMagistrate.Freezingofassetsordisgorgementofillegalgainsofcompanyunderinvestigation.

V.AuditAccountability

Recognitionofaccountingandauditingstandards.Stricterdisqualificationnormsforauditors.Auditornottoperformspecifiednon-auditservices.Tenureorrotationofauditorsprescribed.Internalauditforbiggercompanies.Substantialcivilandcriminalliabilityforanauditorincaseofnon-compliance.Tribunalempoweredtodirectachangeofauditorincaseofafrauddetected.Costrecordsandcostauditforprescribedclassofcompanies.Secretarialauditforprescribedclassofcompanies.NationalFinancialReportingAuthority(NFRA)tobeconstituted.Protectionofminorityshareholders.Exitoptionprovided,ifthereisdissenttochangeinobjectclause,orduringcompromises,etc.Valuationmandatedduringcompromise,arrangements,etc.Effectofmergeronminorityshareholdingtobedisclosed.ListedcompaniestohaveoneDirectorrepresentingsmallshareholders.

VI.InvestorProtection

Stringentnormsforacceptanceofdepositsfromthepublic.StrengthenedroleofInvestorEducationandProtectionFund(IEPF).NotimebaronclaimsofdividendsfromIEPF.ClassActionSuitsrecognized.Enhancedpowerstotribunalforprotectionofminorityrights.

Companies(Amendment)Act,2015The Companies Act, 2013 was amended through the Companies

(Amendment) Act, 2015 to facilitate business and address certain immediateconcerns raised by stakeholders. These amendments along with the relevantruleshavebeennotifiedandtheyprovideexemptionsundervariousprovisionsof theAct to (i) private companies, (ii) government companies, (iii)Section8companiesand(iv)Nidhis.

InsolvencyandBankruptcyCode,2016(IBC,2016)TheInsolvencyandBankruptcyCode,2016(Code)becamefunctionalfrom

May, 2016. Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 wereamended wherein Ministry of Corporate Affairs was entrusted with theresponsibility to administer the Code. The Code has been framed with theobjective to consolidate and amend the laws relating to reorganization andinsolvencyresolutionofcorporatepersons,partnershipfirmsandindividualsinatimeboundmanner.

InsolvencyandBankruptcyBoardThe Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) was established in

2016. The IBBI has the mandate for regulation of insolvency professionals,insolvency professional agencies and information utilities besides exercisingotherpowersandfunctionsasenvisagedundertheCode.

SpecialCourtsUnderSection435oftheCompaniesAct, theMinistryofCorporateAffairs

has constituted Special Courts by designating 20 existing Sessioncourts/Additional Sessions Courts as Special Courts under Section 435 of theCompaniesAct,2013(theAct).ThesecourtsareinMaharashtra,Goa,Gujarat,Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana,Meghalaya, Manipur,Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu (Coimbatore),Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Puducherry, Chandigarh, AndamanandNicobarIslands,DadraandNagarHaveli,DamanandDiu,NCTofDelhi.

NationalCompanyLawandAppellateTribunalThe constitution ofNationalCompanyLawTribunal (NCLT) andNational

Company LawAppellate Tribunal (NCLAT)was done in 2016. These bodieshavebeenconstitutedforfasterresolutionofcorporatedisputesandreducingthemultiplicity of agencies thereby promoting ‘ease of doing business’ in thecountry.WiththeconstitutionofNationalCompanyLawTribunal(NCLT),theCompanyLawBoard(CLB)standsdissolvedandcasespendingwithCLBweretransferredtoNCLT.

TheInsolvencyandBankruptcyCode,2016andSICARepealAct,2003werealso put in place in 2016. With this, the Board of Industrial and FinancialReconstruction (BIFR) and Appellate Authority for Industrial and FinancialReconstruction were dissolved and Benches of NCLT were designated toexercise the jurisdiction, powers and authority of Adjudicating Authorityconferred by or under part II of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016.Central Government has also notified provision for transfer of proceedingsrelating to arbitration, compromise, arrangements and reconstruction to the

benchesofNCLT.TheapplicationspendingbeforeHighCourtsonwindingupshallcontinue tobedealtby the respectiveHighCourtsand freshapplicationsarerequiredtobefiledbeforeNCLT.NCLAThasitsheadquartersatNewDelhi.At present the NCLT has its Benches at 10 locations viz., New Delhi,Ahmedabad, Allahabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Guwahati,Hyderabad,KolkataandMumbai.

TheCompetitionAppellateTribunalundertheprovisionsofCompetitionActwasdissolvedin2017andmergedwithNCLAT.TheappealagainsttheordersofCompetitionCommissionofIndiaisnowwithNCLAT.

CompaniesintheRegistryTotalnumberofcompaniesregisteredinthecountrybyMarch,2017,under

theCompaniesAct,2013,theCompaniesAct,1956andthepreviouscompanyLaws,stoodat16,41,333.Ofthese,3,01,778companieswereclosed;802werelyingdormantasperSection455ofCompaniesAct,2013;1,38,206companieshave not filed statutory annual filings consecutively for two years; 5,698companiesareunderliquidation;namesof25,264companiesareintheprocessof being removed under Section 248 of the Companies Act, 2013; and 282companieswereintheprocessofbeingre-activated.Takingallthesefactorsintoaccount,therewere11,69,303activecompaniesinMarch,2017.

CorporateSocialResponsibilityIn India, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for companies has been

mandatedthroughlegislationthroughSection135oftheCompaniesAct,2013.Section 135, Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, and the Companies(Corporate Social Responsibility Policy) Rules, 2014 came into force fromApril, 2014. From time to time the Ministry has made amendments toCompanies(CSRPolicy)Rules,2014andissuedclarificationsandFAQsbywayof circulars, so as to facilitate effective implementationofCSRand ensure itscompliance.

LimitedLiabilityPartnershipsInIndia,about95percentofindustrialunitsareMicro,SmallandMedium

Enterprises(MSMEs).AsperthesurveyconductedbyMSME,over90percentof theseare registeredasproprietorships,about2 to3percentaspartnershipsandlessthan2percentascompanies.Thecorporateformdoesnotappeartobewidely prevalent amongst MSMEs. Analysis of the data collected by theMinistry of MSME suggests that high compliance cost under the CompaniesAct,1956deterredtheMSMEsfromadoptingthecorporateform.

The functioning of a proprietorship or a partnership firm is too opaque,makingassessmentofcredit-worthinessbybankersdifficult,and therefore, theMSME sector is at a comparative disadvantage vis-à-vis corporate bodies inaccessing loan/credit facilities from banks and other financial institutions. Aneedwasfeltforanewcorporateformthatwouldprovideanalternativetothetraditionalpartnershipwithunlimitedpersonalliabilityontheonehand,andthestatute-basedgovernancestructureofthelimitedliabilitycompanyontheother.Inthiscontext,theLimitedLiabilityPartnership(LLP)Actwasenactedin2008andcameintoforcefrom2009.

LLP is a form of business entity, which allows individual partners to beprotectedfromthejointandseveral liabilitiesofpartnersinapartnershipfirm.The liability of partners incurred in the normal course of business does notextend to the personal assets of the partners. It is capable of entering intocontractsandholdingpropertyinitsownname.AnLLPwouldbeabletofulfilthe compliance norms with much greater ease, coupled with limitation ofliability. The corporate structure of LLP and the statutory disclosurerequirementsareexpectedtoenablehigheraccesstocreditinthemarket.

MCA21—e-GovernanceProjectTheMinistryoperatedanend-to-ende-governanceprojectcalledMCA21for

end to end service delivery comprising Company and Limited LiabilityPartnership (LLP) registration, incorporation, registry and other compliancerelatedservices.TheprojectwasstartedinMarch,2006onBuild,Own,OperateandTransfer(BOOT)Modelwiththevisionwas“tointroduceaservice-orientedapproach in thedesignanddeliveryofGovernmentservices”.TheprojectwasundertakenonaMissionModetobringaboutaservicecentricapproachinthedeliveryofpublic servicesandadministrationof theCompaniesandLLPAct,anditspecificallyfocuseson:(i)speedyincorporationofcompaniesandLLPs,and(ii)providingEaseofDoingBusiness.Theprojecthasbeenimplementedinthe Ministry’s headquarters, all Regional Directorates and Registrar ofCompaniesoffices,tobringaboutaservicecentricapproachintimelydeliveryof public services and administration of Companies Act and LLP Act. Allservices are provided online and the filed documents are available in publicdomain.

Withthehelpofe-services,theMCA21Systemprovidestothestakeholdersaconvenient,easytouseandsecureaccessanddeliversallMCAserviceswithimproved speed and certainty. It has brought about transparency, speed andefficiency in the functioning of theMinistry. After successfully launching the

nextgenerationSAPbasedplatformversion2of theMCA21 inMarch,2016,theprojecthasembarkedon toanewphasewith theobjectiveof improving itfurther.

CostAuditThecompaniesengagedintheproductionofgoodsorprovidingservicesas

specified in orders issuedby the central government underSection 148of theCompanies Act, 2013 are required to include the particulars relating to theutilizationofmaterialorlabourortootherprescribeditemsofcostintheirbooksof account. Such companies which are required tomaintain cost records, andwhichhaveprescribedturnoverarealsorequiredtogettheircostrecordsauditedbyacostaccountantinpractice.

The Companies (Cost Records and Audit) Rules were notified in 2014specifying the class of companies and the threshold limit, which require tomaintain cost records and conduct audit thereof. The aforesaid rules cover 6regulated sectors and 33 non-regulated sectors which fall under the ambit ofSection 148 of theCompaniesAct, 2013 formaintenance of cost records andconducting of audit thereof subject to the specified threshold limits. The costrecordshelpthecompilationofcostdatabasefortheownuseofsuchcompaniesforthepurposeofcostmanagement,pricingandotherrelatedfunctions.Theserecords are also used by various government agencies like price-fixationauthorities, regulatory bodies,WTO implementation and monitoring agencies,Competition Commission of India (CCI), Serious Fraud Investigation Office(SFIO), revenue authorities, and other institutions. The Ministry analyses thecost audit reports and monitors compliance to the Act/Rules by the specifiedcompanies.

InvestorEducationandProtectionFundThe Companies Act provides for establishment of Investor Education and

ProtectionFund (IEPF) forpromoting InvestorAwareness andprotecting theirinterests. The amount of dividend, matured deposits, matured debentures,applicationmoney,etc.,whichremainedunpaid/unclaimedforaperiodofsevenyearsfromthedatetheyfirstbecomedueforpayment,aretransferredtoIEPF.Section 205 C of the Companies Act, 1956 did not allow the refund of suchamount to individualonce it is transferred to IEPF.Section125ofCompaniesAct,2013allowsrefundofunpaidamountstransferredtoIEPF.Suchrefundsareto be made by the Investor Education and Protection Fund Authority underSection125oftheAct.

IEPFAuthoritywasmadefunctionalfrom2016.TheIEPFAuthorityisalso

entrustedwith the responsibilities of carryingout investor awareness activitiesusingtheamounts transferred toIEPF.InvestorAwarenessProgrammes(IAPs)are organized in association with three professional institutes namely; (a)InstituteofCharteredAccountsofIndia,(b)InstituteofCompanySecretariesofIndiaand(c)InstituteofCostAccountsofIndia.Inaddition,investorawarenessactivities like Crawler messages on Doordarshan through Prasar Bharati andairingjinglesonAllIndiaRadiofortheperiodof90daystocreateandincreaseinvestor’sawarenessweretakenup.

IndianCorporateLawServiceMinistryofCorporateAffairsisthecadrecontrollingauthorityoftheIndian

CorporateLawservice(ICLS).TheerstwhileIndianCompanyLawServicewasrechristenedin2008astheIndianCorporateLawService.

SeriousFraudInvestigationOfficeThe Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) was set up in 2003. The

CompaniesAct, 2013, interalia, has accorded statutory status to SFIO and itsfunctionsandpowershavebeenenhancedsubstantiallywithnumberofenablingprovisionsintheActanditwasestablishedunderSection211oftheCompaniesAct,2013.

ThemainfunctionofSFIOis to investigatecorporate fraudsofseriousandcomplexnature.Ittakesupinvestigationoffraudscharacterizedbycomplexity,and having inter-departmental and multi-disciplinary ramifications, substantialinvolvement of public interest to be judged by size of either monetaryappropriation or the number of persons affected and the possibility ofinvestigations leading to, or contributing towards a clear improvement insystems, laws or procedures. Investigations are carried out by a multidisciplinaryteamwhichincludesexpertsfromthefieldofaccountancy,forensicauditing, taxation, customs and central excise, information technology, capitalmarket,financialtransaction(includingbanking)andenforcementagencieslikeCentral Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Intelligence Bureau (IB) andEnforcementDirectorate.

IndianInstituteofCorporateAffairsTheMinistrysetuptheIndianInstituteofCorporateAffairs(IICA),asociety

registeredunderSocietiesRegistrationAct,1860toserveasa‘HolisticThink-Tank’,anda‘CapacityBuilding,ServiceDeliveryInstitution’tohelpcorporategrowth, reforms through synergised knowledgemanagement, partnerships andproblemsolvinginaone-stop-shopmode.TheInstitutefulfilsthetrainingneeds

of theofficersof theIndianCorporateLawService(ICLS),andotherofficialsworking for theMinistry, corporates, PSUs and banks through its network ofvarious schools and centres. National Foundation for Corporate SocialResponsibility is also anchored with IICA. It also helps in the continuousimprovement of service delivery mechanisms in diverse areas like corporategovernance, corporate social responsibility, investor education and protection,businessresponsibility,finance,competitionlaw,etc.Website:www.iica.in

CompetitionCommissionofIndiaTheCompetitionCommissionofIndia(CCI)wasestablishedin2003under

theCompetitionAct,2002,withtheobjectiveofeliminatingpracticeshavinganadverseeffectoncompetition,promotingandsustainingcompetition,protectingthe interest of consumers and ensuring freedom of trade in India. TheCompetition Act, 2002 was amended twice (Amendment) Act, 2007 and theGovernment (Amendment) Act, 2009. The provisions of the Competition(Amendment), 2002 relating to anti-competitive agreements and abuse ofdominant position were brought into force in 2009 and those relating tocombinationsfrom2011.

ByMarch, 2017, theCCI received 868matters relating to anti-competitiveagreementsandabuseofdominanceindiversesectorssuchasinsurance,travel,transport, cement, automobile manufacture, real estate, pharmaceuticals,financialsector,publicprocurementandentertainment,etc.Itpassedfinalordersin654cases(about75.34percent).PenaltieswerealsoimposedbyCCIinsomeoftheseriouscasesofinfringements.

In respect of Regulation of Combinations, the Commission received 498notices (including9 suo-motu cases) for combination tillMarch, 2017.Out ofthem,482casesweredisposedofwithinthestipulatedtimeperiod.Website:www.cci.gov.in

http://www.iica.in

http://www.cci.gov.in

15Food,CivilSuppliesandConsumerAffairs

TheMinistryofConsumerAffairs,FoodandPublicDistributionisaministrywithtwodepartments-theDepartmentofFoodandPublicDistributionandtheDepartmentofConsumerAffairs.DepartmentofConsumerAffairs(DCA)oneof the two departments under the Ministry was constituted as a separateDepartment in June 1997 as it was considered necessary to have a separatedepartmenttogiveafilliptothenascentconsumermovementinthecountry

TheDepartmenthasbeenentrustedwith the followingwork: internal trade;theEssentialCommoditiesAct,1955,etc.;PreventionofBlackMarketingandMaintenance of Supply of Essential Commodities Act, 1980; regulation ofpackagedcommodities;traininginlegalmetrology;consumercooperatives,etc.,tonameafew.

The Department of Food and Public Distribution, in the Ministry isresponsible formanagement of the food economy of the nation. It undertakesvarious activities, suchasprocurementof food items, their storage,movementand delivery to the distributing agencies. The primary policy objective of theDepartment is to ensure food security for the country through timely andefficientprocurementanddistributionoffoodgrains.Thisinvolvesprocurementofvariousfoodgrains,buildingupandmaintenanceoffoodstocks,theirstorage,movement and delivery to the distributing agencies and monitoring ofproduction,stockandpricelevelsoffoodgrains.

Thefocusisonincentivizingfarmersthroughfairvalueoftheirproducebyway of Minimum Support Price mechanism, distribution of Food grains toBelowPovertyLine(BPL)familiesandcoveringpoorhouseholdsattheriskofhungerunderAntyodayaAnnaYojana(AAY),establishinggrainbanksinfoodscarce areas and involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) in PublicDistributionSystem(PDS).Websites:www.consumeraffairs.nic.inwww.dfpd.nic.in

http://www.consumeraffairs.nic.in

http://www.dfpd.nic.in

ConsumerAffairsThe mandate of the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is consumer

advocacy. India was a pioneer in consumer advocacy with the ConsumerProtectionAct (CPA), a path breaking legislation at the time, enacted in 1986and the establishment of a separate government department dedicated toconsumeraffairsasearlyasin1997.Translatingthismandateintoactionentails:enabling consumers to make informed choices; ensuring fair, equitable andconsistent outcomes for consumers; and facilitating timely and effectiveconsumergrievanceredress.

ConsumerAwarenessTheDepartment has been conducting a countrywidemultimedia awareness

campaign since 2005 on various issues related to consumer rights andresponsibilitiesacrossdiversesubjects.“JagoGrahakJago”hastodaybecomeahouseholdaxiom.Morerecently,jointpublicitycampaignshavebeenlaunchedinpartnershipwith the relatedgovernment departments/organizations that dealwithamassconsumerclientele.Forinstance,onfood,withtheFoodSafetyandStandards Authority of India (FSSAI); on financial services with the ReserveBankofIndia(RBI);andonmedicineswiththeNationalPharmaceuticalPricingAuthority(NPPA)throughvariouselectronicandprintmediasuchastelevision,radio,newspapersandoutdooradvertising.TheconsumerawarenesscampaignisimplementedthroughtheDirectorateofAudioandVisualPublicity(DAVP),theDoordarshanNetwork (DD) and theAll IndiaRadio (AIR) ofMinistry ofInformationandBroadcasting.

ConsumerWelfareFundTheCentralExcise andSaltAct, 1944was amended in1991 to enable the

Central government to create aConsumerWelfareFund intowhichunclaimedcentral excise revenues not refundable to themanufacturerswould be creditedannually.TheConsumerWelfareFundwascreatedin1992withtheobjectiveofproviding financial assistance to promote and protect the welfare of theconsumer, create consumer awareness and strengthen the voluntary consumermovement in the country, particularly in rural areas. The Department ofConsumerAffairsoperatesthefund,setupbytheDepartmentofRevenueundertheCentralExciseandSaltAct,1944.Under itsRules, since revised in2014,anyagencies/organizationsengagedinconsumerwelfareactivitiesforatleastaperiod of five years and registered under the Companies Act, SocietiesRegistrationAct,CooperativeSocietiesActoranyotherlawforthetimebeing

inforceareeligibleforfinancialassistancefromtheFund.

CommitmenttoConsumersThe DCA seeks to empower consumers through awareness and education;

enhance consumer protection through prevention of unfair trade practices;enablequalityassuranceandsafetythroughstandardsandtheirconformity;andensure access to an affordable and effective grievance redress mechanism.Consumer markets for goods and services have undergone profoundtransformation since the enactment of the Consumer Protection Act in 1986.Liberalization, privatization and deregulation; innovations in new technologiesandproducts;thegrowthofnewconsumerservices;andtherisingaspirationsofthe consumers for better goods and services have been the major drivers ofchange. Themodernmarketplace contains a plethora of increasingly complexproducts and services. The emergence of global supply chains, rise ininternational trade and the rapid development of e-commerce have led to newdeliverysystemsforgoodsandservicesandhaveprovidednewopportunitiesforconsumers.Equally,thishasrenderedtheconsumervulnerabletonewformsofunfair trade and unethical business practices. Addressing these challengesrequires policy coherence; coordinated programme implementation;harmonizationofregulatoryactionandaninstitutionalmechanismbywhichtheinterventionsofgovernmentproduceoptimalresults.Takingthebenefitsofgoodgovernance to the common citizen has been the primary focus of theDepartment. This is done in partnership with multiple stakeholders - relevantline departments of the government of India, state governments, regulatoryagencies,andvoluntaryconsumerorganizations.

ConsumerProtectionActAkeymilestoneinconsumeradvocacyinthecountrywastheenactmentof

ConsumerProtectionAct,1986.ThisActprovidedthelegislativeframeworktobetter protect the interests of the consumer by creating a formal but quasi-judicial dispute resolution mechanism exclusively for consumers. Thisprogressivelegislationestablishedthethreetierquasi-judicialconsumerdisputeredress machinery at the national, state and district levels aimed at providingsimple,speedyandaffordableredresstoconsumers.

BureauofIndianStandardsA new Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act 2016 came into force from

2017.TheActestablishestheBureauofIndianStandards(BIS)asthenationalStandardsBodyofIndia.IthasenablingprovisionsfortheGovernmenttobring

under compulsory certification regime any goods or article of any scheduledindustry, process, systemor servicewhich it considers necessary in the publicinterest or for the protection of human, animal or plant health, safety of theenvironment, or prevention of unfair trade practices, or national security.Enabling provisions have also been made for making hallmarking of theprecious metal articles mandatory. The new Act also allows multiple type ofsimplified conformity assessment schemes including self-declaration ofconformity against a standard which will give simplified options tomanufacturers toadhere to thestandardsandgetcertificateofconformity.TheActenablestheCentralgovernmenttoappointanyauthority/agency,inadditionto theBIS, toverify theconformityofproductsandservices toastandardandissue certificate of conformity. Further, there is provision for repair or recall,including product liability of the products bearing Standard Mark but notconforming to the relevant Indian Standard. The newActwill further help ineaseofdoingbusiness in thecountry,give fillip to“Make In India”campaignandensureavailabilityofqualityproductsandservicestotheconsumers.BureauofIndianStandardsRules,werealsonotifiedin2017.

TheBureauofIndianStandardswassetupasastatutoryorganizationtakingovertheassetsandliabilitiesoftheIndianStandardsInstitution(ISI)thatcameintoexistence in1947.TheBureauhas itsheadquarters inNewDelhi. Ithasanetworkof05regionaloffices,32branchofficesand08laboratorieswhichactaseffectivelinkbetweenBIS,government,industryandconsumers.TheBureauhas made steady progress in the various fields of its key activities namelystandards formulation, product certification, management system certificationandhallmarking.Website:www.bis.gov.in

NationalConsumerHelplineNational Consumer Helpline (NCH) is a project that operates under the

CentreforConsumerStudiesatIndianInstituteofPublicAdministration(IIPA).It was set up in 2004 and has customized softwarewhich is server based forreceivingcallsandansweringthroughonePRIline.TheProjectrecognizestheneedofconsumersforaTelephoneHelplinetodealwithmultitudeofproblemsarising in their day-to-day dealings with business and service providers. ItsprimaryobjectiveistoattendtothetelephonecallsfromconsumersandprovideinformationtothecallersandregistertheircomplaintsintheINGRAMportal,toprovide advice and counseling to consumers for redressal of their grievances,handlethecomplaintsreceivedonlinethroughtheINGRAMportal,emails,sms,

http://www.bis.gov.in

etc., to assist/guide the consumers in registering their complaints in theappropriate consumer fora, to perform backend operations, etc. Nationalconsumer Helpline(NCH) is the core of the Consumer grievance redressalmechanism. It does not work as Call Centre alone. It has partnered with 373companiesthatrespondonlinetoresolvecomplaints.Thisiscalledconvergencemechanism. It also pursues the complaints with the convergence companies,takes feedback from the complainants, does research and analysis of thecomplaint.NCHprovidesaNationalTollFreeNo-1800-11-4000.SMScanalsobe sent to +918130009809 (charges apply) mentioning the name and city. Aconsumer can call to seek information, adviceor guidance for his queries andcomplaints.

ConsumerGrievanceRedressUnder the Consumer Protection Act, 1986, a three-tier quasi-judicial

mechanismhasbeensetupinthecountrytoadjudicatecomplaintsfiledbeforethem and to provide speedy redress to consumers. This includes the NationalConsumerDisputesRedressalCommission (NationalCommission) at the apexlevel with territorial jurisdiction over the whole country and pecuniaryjurisdictiontoconsiderconsumerdisputes/complaintsinvolvingclaimsabove₹1.00 crore and with appellate jurisdiction over state/commissions; 35 stateconsumer disputes redressal commissions (state commissions) with territorialjurisdictionover the state/UTconcernedand financial jurisdiction toentertainconsumer complaints involving claims above₹ 20.00 lakh and up to₹ 1.00crore and with appellate jurisdiction over the district fora and 679 DistrictConsumerDisputesRedressal Fora (district forum)with territorial jurisdictionoverthedistrictandpecuniaryjurisdictionupto₹20.00lakh.NationalTestHouse

The National Test House (NTH) is a premier test and quality evaluationlaboratory for industrial, engineering and consumer products under theadministrative control of the Government of India since the year 1912. Thiscenturyoldscientificand technologicalorganizationwasestablishedoriginallybytheIndianRailwayBoardasacaptivetestandqualityevaluationlaboratory(originallyknownasGovernmentTestHouse)atAlipore,Kolkatawithaviewtoexamine the quality of the various products meant to be used by the IndianRailways.ThefirstregionallaboratorywassetupbyNTHinMumbaiin1963and subsequently at Chennai (1975), Ghaziabad (1977), Jaipur (1994) andGuwahati (1996). The National Test House works in the field of testing,evaluation and quality control of various engineering materials and finished

products, calibration ofmeasuring equipment/ instruments and devices. To beprecise, theNTH issues test certificates in scientific and engineering fields tocertify conformity to national/international specifications or customer standardspecifications.

PriceMonitoringTheDCA operates a PriceMonitoringCell (PMC) taskedwithmonitoring

pricesofselectessentialcommodities.Themonitoringisdoneinrespectofbothretailandwholesalepricesonadailybasis.TheCellmonitorsthepricesof22essential commodities, which include cereals, pulses, vegetables, edible oils,sugar,milk,etc.,collectedform71reportingcentresacrossthecountrythroughtheCivilSuppliesDepartmentofstates/UTs.Thesedailycommoditypricesareavailable on the Departmental website (www.fea.min.nic.in) and are updatedregularly.

Theprevailingpricesituationaswellastheotherfactorsthatimpactprices,bothin thedomesticandtheinternationalmarketsareanalyzedandbrought tothenoticeoftheinterministerialconsultationmechanismforappropriatepolicyaction.Based on the analysis of price data received, specific interventions areundertakenincludingallowingimportofvarious itemsofmassconsumptionatzero or concessional import duties; restriction on exports, when necessary;prescribing stock holding limits under Essential Commodities Act; andallocation of foodgrains at affordable prices under the Targeted PublicDistributionSystem(TPDS).TheDCAisworkingonincreasingthenumberofreporting centres from 71 at present to 100 in a phased manner, enhancingcoordination with states/ UTs to make price monitoring more effective,expandingthelistofessentialcommoditiescurrentlymonitoringkeepinginviewthe changing consumption pattern through periodical market surveys,commodityspecificresearchonconsumptionpatternthroughperiodicalmarketsurveys,commodityspecificresearchstudies/surveyssuchasdemand-supplyandconsumptionpatternanalysisofessentialfooditemstofacilitateappropriatepolicyintervention.

FoodandPublicDistributionTheprimaryobjectiveoftheDepartmentofFood&PublicDistributionisto

ensurefoodsecurityforthecountrythrough:efficientprocurementatMinimumSupport Price (MSP), storage and distribution of food grains; ensuringavailability of foodgrains sugar and edible oils through appropriate policyinstruments; including maintenance of buffer stocks of foodgrains; makingfoodgrains accessible at reasonable prices, especially to the weaker and

http://www.fea.min.nic.in

vulnerable sections of society under a Targeted Public Distribution System(TPDS).

The main instruments of the Department’s food management policy areprocurement, storage and movement of foodgrains, public distribution andmaintenanceofbufferstocks.

ProcurementofFoodgrainsFoodCorporationofIndia(FCI),withthehelpofstategovernmentagencies,

procureswheat, paddy and coarse grains in various states in order to provideprice support to the farmers. Before each Rabi/Kharif crop season, centralgovernment announces the Minimum Support Prices (MSP), based on therecommendations of Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP),which takes into consideration the cost of various agricultural inputs and thereasonable margin for the farmers for their produce. Details of number ofprocurementcentrestobeopenedandarrangementslikepurchaseofpackagingmaterial and storage space are also kept in line. Sufficient numbers ofprocurement centres are opened by FCI/state government agencies in mutualconsultation before onset of procurement season, keeping in view theprocurementpotentialandgeographicalspreadofthestateconcerned.Reviewismadefromtimetotimeontheneedforadditionalprocurementcentres, ifany,duringtheprocurementseasonandrequiredadditionalprocurementcentresarealso opened. State governments are encouraged to adopt decentralisedprocurement (DCP) system of procurement so as to maximise procurement,reduce transportation and increase the reach of MSP operations. Under thissystem,stategovernmentsundertakeprocurementanddistributionoffoodgrainsbythemselves.Procuredquantitiesinexcessofstate’srequirementaretakenintheCentralPoolfordistributionelsewhere.

Withthesubstantialincreaseinproductionoffoodgrainsinrecentyearsandwith an emphasis on bringing Green Revolution in Eastern-India, theprocurementoperationshaveexpandedtomanystatesduetowhichaccumulatedCentralPoolStockof foodgrainshad reached toa record levelof805.16 lakhtonnesin2012againstthebuffernormof319lakhtonnes.Therefore,abalancedpolicyapproachforprocurement,distributionanddisposaloffoodgrainsisnowbeingadoptedtoprovideadequatepricesupporttothefarmers,tohaveoptimumlevel of procurement formeetingTPDS requirement,maintaining buffer stockandtodisposeoffsurpluseswithoutdistortingthemarketinfuture.

StockinCentralPool

Foodgrain Stocking Norms (Buffer Norms) were laid down to meet theprescribed minimum stocking norms for food security, to ensure monthlyreleases of foodgrains for the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS),Other Welfare Schemes (OWS), to meet emergency situations arising out ofunexpectedcropfailure,naturaldisasters,festivals,etc.,andtousethefoodgrainstockintheCentralPoolformarketinterventiontoaugmentsupplysoastohelpmoderatetheopenmarketprices.

NationalFoodSecurityInordertofurtherstrengthenthecommitmenttofoodsecurityofthepeople,

Government of India enacted the National Food Security Act, 2013 (NFSA),which came into force from 2013. The Act aims to provide for food andnutritionalsecurityinhumanlifecycleapproach,byensuringaccesstoadequatequantityofqualityfoodataffordableprices topeople to livewithdignity.TheActmarks a paradigm shift in approach to food security— fromwelfare to arightsbasedone.

TheActprovidesforcoverageofupto75percentoftheruralpopulationandupto 50 per cent of the urban population for receiving subsidized foodgrainsunderTargetedPublicDistributionSystem,thuscoveringabouttwo-thirdsofthepopulation. This coverage for receiving highly subsidized foodgrains is undertwocategories—householdscoveredundertheAntyodayaAnnaYojana(AAY)and the remaining households as priority households. AAY was launched in2000toprovidefocusonfoodsecuritytothepoorestofthepoor,andcovers2.5crorehouseholds.SuchhouseholdsareentitledundertheActtoreceive35kg.offoodgrains per households per month, at ₹ 1/2/3 per kg. for coarsegrains/wheat/rice.Priorityhouseholdsareentitledtoreceive5kg.offoodgrainsperpersonpermonthattheabovementionedhighlysubsidizedprices.

The Act also contains provisions for setting up of grievance redressalmechanism at the district and state levels. Separate provisions have also beenmadeforensuringtransparencyandaccountability.

NFSAisnowbeingimplemented inall thestates/UTscoveringabout80.55crore beneficiaries, against intended coverage of 81.34 crore people. InChandigarh,PuducherryandurbanareasofDadraandNagarHaveli,theActisbeingimplementedinthecashtransfermodeunderwhichfoodsubsidyisbeingtransferredintothebankaccountsofbeneficiarieswhothenhaveachoicetobuyfoodgrainsfromopenmarket.

End-to-EndComputerisation

DepartmentofFoodandPublicDistributionisimplementingaPlanSchemeon‘End-to-EndComputerisation’ofTPDSOperationsoncostsharingbasiswithstates/UTs with funding requirement of ₹ 884.07 crore, out of whichGovernmentofIndia’sshareis₹489.37croreandthatofstates/UTsis₹394.70crore. It has become more important after coming into force of the NationalFoodSecurityAct, underwhichpricesof foodgrains tobedistributed throughtheTPDSarehighlysubsidised.Theschemehasbeenextendedupto2019.Itskeyactivitiesinclude:(a)digitizationofbeneficiarydatabasetoenablecorrectidentification of beneficiaries; removal of bogus cards and better targeting offood subsidies; (b) online allocation of foodgrains to bring transparency inallocation of foodgrains, upto the fair price shops level; and (c) grievanceredressal mechanism and transparency portal to introduce transparency andpublic accountability in the implementation of TPDS through transparencyportals,onlinegrievanceregistrationandtollfreehelplinenumbers.

Allstates/UTshavebeenrequestedtoseedAadhaarnumbersinrationcardsdatabase. Further, action has also been initiated for implementation of FPSautomationwhichinvolves,installationofPointofSale(PoS)devicesatFPSforauthenticationofbeneficiaries,recordingofsalestobeneficiariesattheFPS;anduploadingoftransactiondataincentralserver.

IntegratedManagementofPDS(IM-PDS)Anewcentralsectorscheme–‘IntegratedManagementofPDS’(IM-PDS)is

to be implemented during FY 2018-19 and 2019-20 for establishing PublicDistributionSystemNetwork(PDSN)tointeraliaimplementnationallevelde-duplication of beneficiaries and portability. The Schemewill strengthen bettertargetingof foodsubsidyandhelp thebeneficiaries to lift foodgrains from theFPSsoftheirchoice.

According to a notification issued in 2017 (as amended from time to time)under Aadhaar (Targeted Delivery of Financial and Other Subsidies, BenefitsandServices)Act, 2016 the individual beneficiaries having ration cards underNFSA need to furnish proof of possession of Aadhaar number or undergoAadhaarauthenticationtoreceivesubsidies.ThosewhodonotpossessAadhaarare tomake application forAadhaar enrolment by giving their name, address,mobile numberwith ration card number and other detailswith their fair priceshop owners or through the web portal provided for the purpose by state/UTgovernments.Thenotificationfurtherprovidesthat till theAadhaarisassignedto the beneficiaries the entitlements under NFSA shall be given to suchindividualsonproductionofrationcardandeitherAadhaarEnrolmentIDslipor

copy of his/her request made along with any of the following identificationdocuments,namely:(i)voterIDcard;or(ii)PermanentAccountNumber(PAN)Card;or(iii)passport;or(iv)drivinglicense;or(v)certificateofidentityhavingphotoissuedbythegazettedofficerorTehsildaronanofficialletterhead;or(vi)address card having name and photo issued by Department of Posts; or (vii)Kisan Photo Passbook; or (viii) any other document as specified by the stategovernmentorunionterritoryadministration.

ThisDepartment has also issued instructions to state/UT governmentswiththe direction that in case of failure of biometric authentication due tonetwork/connectivity/linkingissueorduetopoorbiometricofthebeneficiaryorother technicalreasons, thebeneficiaryis tobeprovidedsubsidizedfoodgrainsorcashtransferoffoodsubsidyonthebasisofphysicalproductionofAadhaarcard by him/her in place of biometric authentication. Further, it has beenclarifiedthatnooneshouldbedeniedfoodgrainsordeletedfromtherationcarddatabaseonlyonthegroundofnonpossessionofAadhaar.

Provisionhasalsobeenmadethatanymemberofeligiblehouseholdlistedinthe ration card shall be entitled to receive the entire quantity of entitledsubsidisedfoodgrainsorcashtransferoffoodsubsidyunderNFSA,ifanyonememberofthehouseholdintherationcardfulfilstheidentificationconditions,in case Aadhaar number is not yet assigned to all such members of thehousehold.

OtherWelfareSchemesMid-DayMealScheme

The Mid-Day Meal Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of HumanResource Development. The Scheme covers students of primary and upperprimaryclassesinthegovernmentschools/schoolsaidedbygovernmentandtheschools runby localbodies.Foodgrainsaresuppliedfreeofcostat100gramsforprimarystageandat150gramsforupperprimarystageperchildperschooldaywherecooked/processedhotmeal isbeingservedor3kgsperstudentpermonthwhererawfoodgrainsaredistributed.

WheatBasedNutritionProgrammeThis Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child

Development. The foodgrains allotted under it are utilized by the states/UTsunder Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme for providingnutritious/energy food to children in the age group of 0-6 years andexpectant/lactatingwomen.

SchemeforAdolescentGirlsTheMinistryofWomenandChildDevelopment administers the schemeat

the central level. However foodgrains for the Scheme are allotted by theDepartment of Food and Public Distribution at BPL rates to the Ministry ofWomenandChildDevelopment.TheSABLAschemewaslaunchedin2010bymerging two schemes namely, Nutrition Programme and Adolescent Girls(NPAG) andKishori ShaktiYojana (KSY) into a single scheme. The Schemeaims at empowering adolescent girls of 11-18 years by improvement of theirnutritionalandhealthstatusandupgradingvariousskillsusefultothem.Italsoaimsatequippingthegirlsonfamilywelfare,healthhygiene,etc.,andguidingthemonexistingpublicservices.Therequirementoffoodgrainsfornutritionisat100gramsofgrainsperbeneficiaryperdayfor300daysinayear.

SupplyofFoodgrainstoWelfareInstitutionsWithaviewtomeetingtherequirementofwelfareinstitutionsviz.,charitable

institutions such as beggar homes, nariniketans and other similar welfareinstitutions not covered under TPDS or under any other welfare schemes, anadditionalallocationoffoodgrains(riceandwheat)notexceeding5percentoftheBPLallocationismadetostates/UTsatBPLprices.

SupplyofFoodgrainsforSC/ST/OBCHostelsThis Scheme was introduced in 1994. The residents of the hostels having

2/3rd resident students belonging to SC/ST/OBC are eligible to get 15 kgfoodgrainsperresidentpermonth.Allocationsoffoodgrainsunder itaremadeby the Department of Food and Public Distribution based on the requestsreceivedfromthestate/UTgovernments.

AnnapurnaSchemeThisSchemeisimplementedbytheMinistryofRuralDevelopment.Indigent

seniorcitizensof65yearsofageorabovewhoarenotgettingpensionundertheNationalOldAgePensionScheme(NOAPS),areprovided10kgs.offoodgrainsper person per month free of cost under it. Foodgrains are provided by theDepartmentofFoodandPublicDistributionundertheschemeatBPLprices.

OpenMarketSaleScheme(Domestic)Inaddition tomaintainingbuffer stocksand formeeting the requirementof

the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS) and OtherWelfare Schemes(OWS), theFCIsellsexcessstocksofwheatandricefromtheCentralPoolatpredeterminedpricesintheopenmarketfromtimetotimeunderOpenMarket

Sale Scheme (Domestic) through e-tender to enhance the supply especiallyduringtheleanseasonespeciallyinthedeficitregions.

StorageofFoodgrainsCapacityofFCIandStateAgencies

FCI has its own grid of covered godowns in all states to safely stock thecentralpoolfoodgrains.Inaddition,ithirescapacityfromCentralWarehousingCorporation (CWC) and state agencies like state warehousing corporations aswellasprivateparties.

Sufficientstoragecapacityisavailableandagainst876.31lakhMTcapacityavailable,theCentralstockoffoodgrainsstoodat627.13lakhMTinJuly2018.

AugmentationofStorageCapacityInorder tocopewith increasingproductionandprocurementof foodgrains,

theDepartmentisimplementingprivateentrepreneursguarantee(PEG)schemefor augmenting the covered storage capacity in the country. Under the PEGscheme,whichwaslaunchedin2008,godownsareconstructedinPPPmodeandthelandandconstructioncostisbornebytheselectedpartners.FCIonitspartguarantees 10 year usage of storage capacities to the private investors and 9years toCWCandSWCs.Locations forconstructionofgodownare identifiedbytheFCIonthebasisofrecommendationsofstatelevelcommitteestocoverthegapsinstorage.Forconsumingareas,thestoragegapisassessedonthebasisof the4months’ requirementofPDSandOWSwhile for procuring states thestoragegaphasbeenassessedbasedonthehigheststocklevelsinthelastthreeyears,andkeepinginviewthepotentialofprocurement.

Asapartofthemodernizationofstoragefacilities,modernstoragefacilitiesin the form of steel silos are also being created in Public Private Partnership.Eachsilowillhavecapacityof25,000or50,000MT.Thiswillmechanize theexistingsupplychainandimproveoperationalefficiency.

A Central sector scheme for construction of godowns with focus onaugmentingstoragecapacityisbeingimplementedinNorthEasternstate.Underit, fundsarealsoprovided forconstructionof storagegodowns to improve thesupplychainlogistiesofPDS.

WarehousingDevelopmentandRegulatoryAuthorityFor thegrowthanddevelopmentofwarehousingsector, tobringreforms in

the agricultural marketing and to increase credit flow in the farm sector, the

governmentintroducedanegotiablewarehousereceiptsysteminthecountrybyenactingtheWarehousing(DevelopmentandRegulation)Act,2007whichisinplace since 2010. The government constituted theWarehousing DevelopmentandRegulatoryAuthority(WDRA)in2010forimplementationoftheprovisionsoftheAct.TheNegotiableWarehouseReceipts(NWRs)issuedagainststocksoffarmproducesdepositedbythefarmersinwarehouseswouldhelpthefarmersinseekingloanfrombanks.Itwouldhelpovercomingthesituationofdistresssaleof agricultural commodities by the farmers during peak harvest season.Warehouses need to be registered with the WDRA for issuing NWRs. Thewarehousesareinspectedbytheempanelledinspectionagenciespriortograntofregistration to ensure that basic requirements of scientific and safe storage ofagriculturalandothercommoditiesarefullymetbythewarehouses.

TheAuthority has notified 123 agricultural commodities including cereals,pulses, oilseeds, spices, vegetable oils, edible nuts andother commodities likerubber,tobacco,tea,coffeemakhana,etc.,and26horticulturalcommoditiessuchas potato, dehydrated onion, garlic, ginger, turmeric, apple and resins forissuanceofNWRs.

CentralWarehousingCorporationCentral Warehousing Corporation (CWC) is a Public Sector Undertaking

(PSU)setup1957underthisDepartmenttoprovidescientificstoragefacilitiesfor agricultural produces, implements and other notified commodities. ByAugust2018,CWCisoperating431warehouseswithatotalstoragecapacityof100.28 lakhMT including44custombondedwarehouses,29container freightstations/inland clearance depots, 3 air cargo complexes and 3 temperaturecontrolledwarehouses for providing services to the export/import trade.CWChas19associatestatewarehousingcorporations(SWCs)withatotalcapacityof352.65lakhMT.

CWC also has a 100 per cent owned subsidiary company namely, CentralRailside Warehouse Company Limited (CRWC) for development of RailsideWarehouseComplexes(RWCs).

PostHarvestManagementofFoodgrainsQualityStandardforFoodgrains

Thegovernmentexercisesduecontroloverthequalityoffoodgrainsprocuredforthecentralpool.TheQualityControlCellsoftheMinistryatNewDelhiandthe field offices at Bengaluru, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata, Hyderabad,

Lucknow,Pune,Guwahati,ChennaiandPatnamonitorthequalityoffoodgrainsprocured, stored and issue for distribution by FCI and state governments andtheiragencies.

IndianGrainStorageManagementandResearchInstituteIndian Grain StorageManagement and Research Institute (IGMRI), Hapur

anditsfieldstationsatLudhiana(Punjab)andHyderabad(AndhraPradesh)areengaged in the training and applied Research and Development (R&D) workrelatingtograinstoragemanagement.TheIGMRIalsoconductsvarioustrainingcoursesonstorage,inspectionoffoodgrains,pestcontrol,etc,fortheofficersofstoragesagenciesandpestcontroloperator,etc.

CentralGrainAnalysisLaboratoryTheCentralGrainAnalysisLaboratory(CGAL)locatedinNewDelhiassists

the Department in monitoring the quality of foodgrains at the time ofprocurement,storageanddistributionbyanalyzingsamplescollectedbyqualitycontrolofficers.

ExportandImportofFoodgrainsExportPolicyofRiceandWheat

The Government has allowed free export of non-basmati rice by privateparties fromprivatelyheldstocksfrom2011.StateTradingEnterprises (STEs)includingM/s NCCF andNAFED are also permitted to export privately heldstocks on non-basmati rice. Export ofwheatwas also allowed from the sameyear. Export of non-basmati rice andwheat is permitted throughCustomEDIports. Export is also permitted through the non-EDI Land Custom Stations(LCS) on Indo-Bangladesh and Indo-Nepal Border subject to registration ofquantity with DGFT. Export of rice of seed quality and other [rice in husk(paddyorrough)otherthanseedquality]ispermittedunderlicence.

SugarSugarProduction

Sugar industry is an important agro-based industry that impacts rurallivelihoodofabout50millionsugarcanefarmersandtheirfamiliesandaround5lakhworkersdirectlyemployedinsugarmills.Employmentisalsogeneratedinvariousancillaryactivitiesrelatingtotransport,tradeservicingofmachineryandsupplyofagricultureinputs.IndiaisthesecondlargestproducerofsugarintheworldafterBrazilandisalsothelargestconsumer.TodayIndiansugarindustry’s

annualoutputisworthapproximately₹80,000crore.Thereare742installedsugarfactoriesinthecountryasonMarch31,2019,

withsufficientcrushingcapacitytoproducearound343lakhMTofsugar.Thecapacity is roughly distributed equally between private sector units andcooperativesectorunits.Thecapacityofsugarmillsis,byandlarge,intherangeof2500TCDto5000TCDbracketbutincreasinglyexpandingandgoingevenbeyond10000TCD.Twostandalonerefinerieshavealsobeenestablishedinthecountry in the coastal belt ofGujarat andWestBengalwhich produce refinedsugarmainlyfromimportedrawsugarasalsofromindigenouslyproducedrawsugar.

ExportofSugarSugar is an essential commodity. Its sales, delivery from mills, and

distributionwereregulatedunderECAct,1955.Till1997,theexportsofsugarwerebeingcarriedoutundertheprovisionsoftheSugarExportPromotionAct,1958, through the notified export agencies, viz., Indian Sugar and GeneralIndustry Export Import Corporation Ltd. (ISGIEIC) and State TradingCorporationofIndiaLtd.(STC).

ImportofSugarImport of sugar, which was placed under OGL with zero duty in 1994,

continuedwithzerodutyupto1999.Thegovernment imposedabasiccustomsdutyof5percentandacountervailingdutyof₹850.00perMTon. importedsugarfrom1998.Thebasiccustomdutywasincreasedfrom5percentto20percent from l999 inaddition to thecountervailingduty. In theUnionBudget for1999-2000,dutyonimportedsugarwasfurtherincreasedfrom20percentto25percentwithsurchargeof10percent.

ReviewofDistributionofSugartoAntyodayaAnnaYojanaFamiliesSugar was distributed through the Targeted Public Distribution System

(TPDS)bythestates/UTsatsubsidizedpricesforwhichthecentralgovernmentwas reimbursing₹ 18.50 per kg of sugar distributed by the participating stategovernments/UTadministrations.TheschemewascoveringallBPLpopulationof the country as per 2001 census and all the populationof theNorthEasternstates/special category/hilly states and island territories. The National FoodSecurity Act, 2013 (NFSA) is now being universally implemented by 36states/UTs.Under theNFSA, there isno identifiedcategoryofBPL;however,the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries are clearly identified. TheSugar Subsidy Scheme has been reviewed and it has been decided that it is

imperativetogiveaccesstoconsumptionofsugarasasourceofenergyindiet,forthepoorestofthepoorsectionofthesocietyi.e.,AAYfamilies.Accordingly,the government has decided that the existing system of sugar distributionthroughPDSmaybecontinuedasperthefollowing:-(i)theexistingschemeofsupply of subsidized sugar through PDS may be continued for restrictedcoverageofAAYfamiliesonly.Theywillbeprovided1kgofsugarperfamilypermonth; (ii) the current level of subsidy at₹18.50 per kg provided by thecentralgovernmenttostates/UTsmaybecontinuedfortheAAYpopulation.Therevised scheme was implemented in 2017. Twelve states participated during2017-18and₹300crorewasreleasedassubsidyunderit.EthanolBlendingPetrolProgramme

Ethanolisanagro-basedproduct,mainlyproducedfromaby-productofthesugar industry, namelymolasses. In years of surplus production of sugarcane,whenpricesaredepressed,thesugarindustryisunabletomaketimelypaymentofcanepricetofarmers.TheEthanolBlendedPetrolProgramme(EBP)seekstoachieveblendingofEthanolwithmotorspritwithaviewtoreducingpollution,conserve foreign exchange and increase value addition in the sugar industryenablingthemtoclearcanepricearrearsoffarmers.

GovernmenthasalsonotifiednewNationalPolicyonBio-Fuels,2018underwhichsugarcanejuicehasbeenallowedforproductionofethanol.Furtherwithaview to support sugar sector and in the interest of sugarcane farmers, theGovernmenthasfixedtheremunerativeexmillpriceofethanolderivedfromC-heavyat₹43.46/litre.For the first time theGovernmenthasalso fixedex-millprice of ethanol derived from B-heavy molasses/partial sugarcane juice at ₹52.43/litreandfrom100percentsugarcanejuiceat₹59.13per litrefor thosemills who will divert sugarcane juice for production of ethanol thereby notproducinganysugar. In theethanolseason2017-18,agreementwassignedforsupplyof164crorelitre.

SugarDevelopmentFundUnder theSugarCessAct,1982,acesswascollectedasexcisedutyonall

sugarproducedandsoldbyanyfactorywithinthecounrtywhichhasnowbeenabolishedthroughTaxationLawsAmendmentAct,2017.ThecesssocollectedprovidedfundsforSugarDevelopmentFund(SDF)throughbudgetaryprocess.TheSugarDevelopmentFundAct,1982canbeutilizedbytheGovernmentofIndia for making loans for facilitating the rehabilitation and modernization,development of sugarcane, bagasse based co-generation power projects,productionofanhydrousalcoholorethanolfromalcohol,conversionofexisting

ethanol plant into zero liquid discharge plant, making grants for any researchproject aimed at development of sugar industry, defraying expenditure for thepurpose of building up and maintenance of buffer stock of sugar, internaltransportandfreightchargestothesugarfactoriesonexportshipmentsofsugar,financialassistancetosugarfactoriestowardsinterestonloangivenintermsofany schemeapprovedby thecentralgovernment from time to time,marketingand promotion service for raw production, interest subvention on scheme forextending soft loan to sugarmills, production subsidy to sugarmills to offsetcostofcaneandfacilitatetimelypaymentofcanepriceduestofarmersandfordefrayinganyotherexpenditureforthepurposeofthisAct.

EdibleOilsEdibleoils and fats areessential ingredients for awholesomeandbalanced

diet and are vital items of mass consumption. The Department of Food andPublic Distribution deals with issues related to the vegetable oil processingindustries, price control, inter state trade and commerce and also supply anddistributionofvanaspati,oilseeds,vegetableoil,cakesandfats.TheDirectorateofSugarandVegetableOilsisstaffedwithqualifiedtechnicalpeoplewhoassistthe Ministry in the coordinated management of Vegetable Oils Policy,particularlyrelatingtoproduction/availabilityandmonitoringofprices.

InternationalCooperationIndia is associatedwith a number of international agenciesworking in the

field of food related matters. These include World Food Programme (WFP),SAARC FoodBank, Food andAgricultural Organisation (FAO), InternationalGrainsCouncil(IGC)andInternationalSugarOrganisation(ISO),etc.

SAARCFoodBankInpursuanceofthedecisiontakeninthe14thSAARCSummitheldinNew

Delhi in 2007, the Heads of States of South Asian Association for RegionalCooperation(SAARC)countriessignedtheagreementtoestablishtheSAARCFood Bank. The Food Bank will supplement national efforts to provide foodsecuritytothepeopleoftheregion.Asperthisagreement,SAARCFoodBankis to have a reserve of foodgrains to be maintained by each member statesconsistingofeitherwheatorrice,oracombinationofbothasassessedshareofthecountry.

FoodandAgriculturalOrganisationandCommitteeonWorldFoodSecurity

Food andAgriculturalOrganisation (FAO) is one of the largest specializedagencies in theUNSystem founded in1945with amandate to raise levelsofnutritionandstandardoflivingbyimprovingagriculturalproductivityandlivingconditionsof rural population.TheCommittee onWorldFoodSecurity (CFS)serves as a forum in the United Nations System for review and follow-up ofpoliciesconcerningworldfoodsecurity,includingfoodproduction,physicalandeconomicaccesstofood.IndiaisamemberofbothFAOandCFS.CommitteeonWorldFoodSecurity (CFS)monitors theprogressof implementationof theWFSPlanofAction.

InternationalGrainsCouncilIndia is a member of the International Grains Council (IGC), an inter-

governmental forum of exporting and importing countries for cooperation inwheat and coarse grain matters which was previously known as InternationalWheat Council upto 1995. It administers the Grains Trade Convention, 1995.The IGCSecretariat, based inLondon since 1949, also services theFoodAidCommittee, established under the Food Aid Convention. International GrainsAgreement comprises Grains Trade Convention (GTC) and Food AidConvention (FAC). India is a signatory to the InternationalGrainsAgreement(IGA), 1995 and its Grain Trade Convention (GTC), 1995 which is effectivefrom1995.IGChastwotypesofmembers—importingandexportingmembers.IndiahasbeenincludedinthecategoryofexportingmemberinJuly,2003andrepresentedinthemeetings/sessionsoftheCouncilheldfromtimetotime.

FoodProcessingIndustriesTheMinistryofFoodProcessingIndustrieswassetupinJuly,1988togive

an impetus todevelopmentof foodprocessingsector in thecountry.Later thisMinistrywasmadeaDepartmentandbroughtundertheMinistryofAgriculture.Itwasagainmadeaministry in2001andnamedMinistryofFoodProcessingIndustries.

The Ministry is concerned with formulation and implementation of thepolicies for the foodprocessing industrieswithin theoverallnationalprioritiesandobjectives.Astronganddynamicfoodprocessingsectorplaysavitalroleindiversification and commercialisation of agriculture, enhancing shelf life,ensuring value addition to agricultural produce, generation of employment,enhancingincomeoffarmersandcreatingmarketsforexportofagrofoods.TheMinistry acts as a catalyst for bringing in greater investment into this sector,guiding and helping the industry and creating a conducive environment ofhealthygrowthofthefoodprocessingindustry.

ThesubjectsallocatedtotheMinistryunderGovernmentofIndia(Allocationof Business) Rules, 1961 are:- (i) industries relating to : (a) processing andrefrigeration of certain agricultural products (milk powder, infant milk food,maltedmilkfood,condensedmilk,gheeandotherdairyproducts),poultryandeggs, meat and meat products; (b) processing of fish (including canning andfreezing); (c) establishment and servicing of development council for fishprocessing industry; (d) technical assistance and advise to fish processingindustry; (e) fruit and vegetable processing industry (including freezing anddehydration);and(f)foodgrainsmillingindustry.

(ii) planning, development and control of, and assistance to, industriesrelating to bread, oil seeds, meals (edible), breakfast foods, biscuits,confectionery(includingcocoaprocessingandchocolatemaking),maltextract,protein isolate, high protein food, weaning food and extruded food products(includingotherreadytoeatfoods);(iii)beerincludingnon-alcoholicbeer;(iv)alcoholic drinks from non-molasses base; (v) specialized packaging for foodprocessingindustry,and(vi)aeratedwaterandsoftdrinks.Website:www.mofpi.nic.in

ContributionofFoodProcessingSectorOver the years agricultural production in India has consistently recorded

higheroutput. India ranksnumberone in theworld in theproductionofmilk,ghee, ginger, bananas, guavas, papayas and mangoes. Further, India rankssecondintheworldintheproductionofrice,wheatandseveralothervegetablesand fruits. Abundant supply of raw materials, increase in demand for foodproducts and incentives offered by the Government has impacted foodprocessingsectorpositively.

EmploymentinFoodProcessingSectorFoodprocessingindustryisoneofthemajoremploymentintensivesegments

constituting 12.77 per cent of employment generated in all registered factorysectorin2014-15.AccordingtotheAnnualSurveyofIndustries(ASI)datafor2014-15, the total number of persons engaged in registered food processingsector was 17.73 lakhs. Unregistered food processing sector supportsemploymentto47.9lakhworkersaspertheNSSO67thRound,2010-11.

FDIinFoodProcessingSectorCentpercentFDIispermittedundertheautomaticrouteinfoodprocessing

industries- manufacturing sector. FDI is allowed through approval route fortrading,includingthroughe-commerceinrespectoffoodproductsmanufactured

http://www.mofpi.nic.in

and/orproducedinIndia.

FoodProcessingandMakeinIndiaFoodprocessingsectorhasbeenidentifiedasoneoftheprioritysectorunder

‘Make in India’.With a view to attract investment to this sector,Ministry ofFoodProcessingIndustrieshasbeenimplementingschemesfordevelopmentofinfrastructureforpromotingfoodprocessingindustries.

FoodParksandColdChainMinistry is following transparentselectionprocessandon linefilingclaims

fortheinfrastructuredevelopmentprojectsofMegaFoodParksandColdChainandallotherschemesunderPradhanMantriKisanSampdaYojana(PMKSY).Adedicatedinvestors’sportalcalled‘NiveshBandhu’waslaunchedin2017toaidand assist potential investors in the food processing sector in taking informeddecision. This portal is a ‘one stop information source’ on central and stategovernment policies, incentives offered, AgriResources and infrastructurefacilitiesacrossthecountry.AninvestorfriendlyMobileAPP-‘NiveshBandhu’was developed and launched to enable the investor to have access to relevantinformation very conveniently and from any destination from their mobileproving to be game changers for the investors in taking informed investmentdecisions.

PradhanMantriKisanSampadaYojanaGiventhenatureandsizeofprocessingunitsoperatinginthefoodprocessing

sector, investment inbasic infrastructureandcommon facilitiesareunlikely tocome from the private sector in a significant way. With a view to augmentprivate investment to food processing sector, theMinistry of Food ProcessingIndustries, therefore,hasbeen implementinganumberof schemes forcreationof infrastructure, expansion of processing capacity, and other supportingmeasures for healthy growth of food processing industry. All these existingschemes were reviewed, critical gaps identified and some new schemes wereformulated to address these gaps in promoting the sector. All these schemesintegratedunderanumbrella-PradhanMantriKisanSampadaYojana(PMKSY)andwerelaunchedin2017togivenecessarythrustforacceleratedgrowthofthesector. PMKSY is a comprehensive package resulting in creation of moderninfrastructurewith efficient supply chainmanagement from farmgate to retailoutlet.Notonlyitprovidesabigboosttothegrowthoffoodprocessingsectorinthecountrybutalsohelpsinprovidingbetterreturnstofarmersandisabigsteptowardsdoublingof farmers’ income, creatinghuge employment opportunities

especiallyintheruralareas,reducingwastageofagriculturalproduce,increasingthe level of processing and enhancing the export of the processed foods. ThefollowingschemesareimplementedunderPMKisanSampadaYojana:(i)megafood parks (ii) integrated cold chain and value addition infrastructure (iii)creation/expansionoffoodprocessingandpreservationcapacities(unitscheme)(iv) infrastructure for agro-processing clusters (v) creation of backward andforward linkages (vi) food safety and quality assurance infrastructure (vii)humanresourcesandinstitutions.

MegaFoodParksSchemeMegaFoodParksScheme,being implemented since2008, aims tocreatea

modernfoodprocessinginfrastructurefortheprocessingunitsbasedonaclusterapproach and on a hub and spoke model in a demand driven manner. Theschemeintendstofacilitateestablishmentofanintegratedvaluechain,withfoodprocessing at the core and supported by requisite forward and backwardlinkages.Thecentralprocessingcentreisnetworkedwiththeprimaryprocessingcentresandcollectioncentres locatedat thefarmgate inproductionareas.Thebroader idea behind the scheme is to bring together farmers, processors andretailers and link agricultural production to the market so as to ensuremaximization of value addition, minimization of wastages and improvingfarmers’ income. The Scheme envisages a well-defined agri/horticultural-processing zone containing state-of-the art processing facilities with supportinfrastructureandwell-establishedsupplychain.

SchemeofOperationGreensMoFPIlaunchedanewcentralsectorscheme“OperationGreens—Ascheme

for integrated development of Tomato, Onion and Potato”. OperationalGuidelinesfortheschemeof“OperationGreens”areuploadedonthewebsiteoftheMinistry.

Major objectives of Scheme includes: (i ) enhancing value realization oftomato,onionandpotato(TOP)farmersbytargetedinterventionstostrengthenTOPproductionclustersandtheirFPOs,andlinking/connectingthemwiththemarket.; (ii) price stabilization for producers and consumers by properproductionplanning in theTOPclusters and introductionof dual use varietiesthrough convergence with the scheme implemented byMission for IntegratedDevelopment ofHorticulture (MIDH) and state governments.; (iii) increase infood processing capacities and value addition in value chain by creating firmlinkageswithproductionclusters,etc.

NationalMissiononFoodProcessingTheMinistrylaunchedaCentrallySponsoredScheme—NationalMissionon

FoodProcessing(NMFP)during12thPlanin2012.Fiveongoingcentralsectorschemesof11thPlanand fournewschemesweremerged in theMission.TheCSS-NMFP was implemented through states/UTs. However, the CSS-NMFPwasde-linkedfromthecentralsupportin2015pursuanttotherecommendationsofthe14thFinanceCommission.Consequently,allnineschemesoftheMissionstanddiscontinued.

GovernmentofIndiaapprovedanewcentralsectorscheme-KisanSampadaYojana - (Scheme for Agro-Marine Processing and Development of Agro-ProcessingClusters)in2017withanoutlayof₹6,000crorefortheperiod2016-20coterminouswiththe14thFinanceCommissioncycle.Itisacomprehensivepackage which will result in creation of modern infrastructure with efficientsupplychainmanagementfromfarmgatetoretailoutlet.Itwillnotonlyprovideabigboosttothegrowthoffoodprocessingsectorinthecountrybutalsohelpinprovidingbetterpricestofarmersandisconsideredabigsteptowardsdoublingof farmers income, creating huge employment opportunities especially in theruralareas,reducingwastageofagriculturalproduce, increasingtheprocessinglevelandenhancingtheexportoftheprocessedfoods.

NationalInstituteofFoodTechnology,EntrepreneurshipandManagement

The Ministry established the National Institute of Food Technology,Entrepreneurship and Management at Kundli, in Haryana in May, 2012.NIFTEMhasbeendeclaredaDeemedUniversityunderdenovocategory.It isrunningB.Tech.,M.Tech.andPh.DcoursesandundertakesR&Dprojectsinthearea of food technology. Under the Scheme, funds are to be provided to theInstitute for creationof academicandadministrative infrastructure like foreignstudents’hostel,sportsfacilities,hazardouschemicalstorage,effluenttreatmentplant,solidwastemanagementsystem,residentialunits,etc.Fundswillalsobeprovided to promote research activities, expand Village Adoption Programme(VAP)andskilldevelopment in the foodprocessingsector.Anallocationof₹100crorehasbeenmadetoit.

IndianInstituteofFoodProcessingTechnologyThe Ministry upgraded Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology

(IIFPT), Thanjavur, TamilNadu to a national level institute in 2008. IIFPT isrunningB.Tech.,M.Tech. and Ph.D courses and undertakingR&Dprojects in

theareaof foodprocessing.Under theschemefundsare tobeprovided to theInstituteforcreationofinfrastructurefacilitiesincludingpurchaseofadditionalland (22.7 acres) for expanding campus and creation of academic andadministrative infrastructure like machine fabrication and testing centre, sportcomplex, auditorium, opening training cum incubation centres and residentialunits,etc.Toenable the Institute toexpand itsactivities, theNorthEastStateswillincludeSikkimanddifficultareas.

16 HealthandFamilyWelfare

THEMinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfareisinstrumentalandresponsibleforimplementationofvariousprogrammesonthenationalscaleintheareasofhealth and familywelfare, preventionandcontrol ofmajor communicable andnon-communicablediseasesaswellaspromotingresearchacrossthecountry.Itis responsible for formulatinghealthandalliedpolicies,providingguidance tostates towards implementing health programs, managing centrally sponsoredhealth schemes and programmes, medical education, regulation (drugs anddevices)andhealthinfrastructure.ExpenditureisincurredbytheMinistryeitherdirectly under central schemes or by way of grants-in- aid to theautonomous/statutory bodies, etc. The Ministry of Health Family Welfare(MoHFW) earlier had two departments - Department of Health & FamilyWelfareandDepartmentofHealthResearch.

DepartmentofAIDSControlhasbeenmergedwithDepartmentofHealth&Family Welfare and now be known as National AIDS Control Organization(NACO). In December 2014, Department of AYUSH was made Ministry ofAyurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH)with focused attentionondevelopment of education and research in ayurveda,yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and homoeopathy systems. DirectorateGeneralofHealthServices(DGHS)isanattachedofficewhichrenderstechnicaladvice on all medical and public health matters and is involved in theimplementationofvarioushealthservices.Websites:www.mohfw.gov.inwww.dhr.gov.inwww.naco.gov.in

NationalHealthPolicyTheNationalHealth Policy (NHP)was released in 2017 after a gap of 15

years.NHP2017addressesthecurrentandemergingchallengesnecessitatedbythe changing socio-economic, technological and epidemiological landscape. Itenvisages providing larger package of assured comprehensive primaryhealthcarethroughthehealthandwellnesscentres.Thepolicyaimstoattainthehighest possible level of health and well-being for all at all ages through a

http://www.mohfw.gov.in

http://www.dhr.gov.in

http://www.naco.gov.in

preventive and promotive healthcare and universal access to quality healthserviceswithoutanyonehavingtofacefinancialhardshipasaconsequence.Thiswould be achieved through increasing access, improving quality and loweringthecostofhealthcaredelivery.NHP2017advocatesallocatingmajorproportion(two-thirdsormore)ofresourcestoprimarycareandaimstoensureavailabilityoftwobedsper1,000populationdistributedinamannertoenableaccesswithingoldenhour.India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

Besides this, the highlights of the policy include: (i) Assurance basedapproach - It advocates progressively incremental assurance based approachwith focus on preventive and promotive healthcare; (ii) micronutrientdeficiency- There is a focus on reducing micronutrient malnourishment andsystematicapproach toaddressheterogeneity inmicronutrient adequacyacrossregions;(iii)Make-in-Indiainitiative-ItadvocatestheneedtoincentivizelocalmanufacturingtoprovidecustomizedindigenousproductsforIndianpopulationin the long run, and (iv) application of digital health- The policy advocatesextensivedeploymentofdigitaltoolsforimprovingtheefficiencyandoutcomeof the healthcare system and aims at an integrated health information systemwhich serves the needs of all stake-holders and improves efficiency,transparency,andcitizenexperience.

OneofthemandatesoftheNHP2017,istheuseofinformationtechnologytowardshealthcare.Inlinewiththat theITinitiativesoftheMinistryarelistedhere:National Health Portal (NHP) is functioning as citizen portal for healthcareproviding health related information to citizens and stakeholders in differentlanguages (currently six languages). A voice portal, providing informationthrough a toll-free number 1800-180-1104 and mobile app has also beenlaunched. It serves as a single point access for information on health anddiseases including health messages; on regulations, standards, policies,programmes, commissions etc.; directory services - hospitals, blood banks,ambulances.Hospital Information System (HIS) is being implemented in hospitals forautomationofhospitalprocessestoachievebetterefficiencyandservicedeliveryinpublichealthfacilitiesuptoCHClevel.OnlineRegistrationSystem (ORS) is a framework to linkvarioushospitals foronlineregistration,paymentoffeesandappointment,onlinediagnosticreports,enquiring availability of blood online, etc. As on date, around 124 hospitalsincludingcentralhospitals likeAIIMS-NewDelhiandotherAIIMS(Jodhpur;Bihar, Rishikesh, Bhubaneswar, Raipur, Bhopal); RML Hospital; SIC,

Safdarjung Hospital; NIMHANS; Agartala Government Medical College;JIPMER,etc.,areonboardofORS.Mera Aspataal (My Hospital) application is an IT based feedback system tocollect information on patients’ level of satisfaction using a multi-channelapproach viz. short message service (SMS), outbound dialing (OBD), webportal,andmobileapplication.Theapplicationautomaticallycontactsthepatient(outpatient after the closure of the OPD and the inpatient at the time ofdischarge) using the above tools to collect information on patients’ level ofsatisfaction.MotherandChildTrackingSystem(MCTS)/ReproductiveChildHealth(RCH)applicationisanindividual-basedtrackingsystemacrossallthestates&UTstofacilitate timely delivery of antenatal and postnatal care services andimmunization to children with an objective of improving IMR, MMR, &morbidity.Kilkariapplicationwas launched todeliver freeweekly audiomessages aboutpregnancy, child birth and care. Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana,Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, UttarPradeshandUttarakhandarecoveredunderit.MobileAcademy isafreeaudiotrainingcoursedesignedtoexpandandrefreshthe knowledge base of ASHAs and improve their communication skills.Launched in 2016, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh,Jharkhand,MadhyaPradesh,Odisha,Rajasthan,UttarPradeshandUttarakhandarepresentlycoveredunderit.TB Patient Monitoring System “Nikshay” for tracking of individuals fortreatment-adherence has been implemented across all states formonitoring ofTBpatients.Alsoamissedcallcentre facilitywith toll freeNo:1800-11-6666for reaching to unreached TB patients has been started, for counselling andtreatmentsupport.Tobacco Cessation Programme is a mobile-based interventional initiative forcounselingandhelpingpeople toquit tobacco,bygivingamissedcall to011-22901701.mDiabetesProgramme is amobile-based initiative forprevention and careofdiabetesbygivingamissedcallto011-22901701.e-CGHScardenablesself-printingofCGHScardsfromanylocation.SUGAM by Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) enablesonline submission of applications, their tracking, processing & grant ofapprovals online mainly for drugs, clinical trials, ethics committee, medical

devices, vaccines and cosmetics. Provides a single window for multiplestakeholders(PharmaIndustry,Regulators,Citizens)involvedintheprocessesofCDSCO.Drugs and Vaccine Distribution Management System (DVDMS) (eAushidhi)dealswith purchase, inventorymanagement and distribution of various drugs,suturesandsurgicalitemstovariousdistrictdrugwarehouseofstate/UT,districthospitals, their sub-stores, etc., by automating the workflow of procurement,supplychain,qualitycontrolandfinancedepartmentinstate/UTlevel.MobileApps:variousmobileappshavebeenlaunchednamely—IndradhanushImmunizationfortrackingimmunization;India fights Dengue (enables a user to check dengue symptoms, get nearesthospital/bloodbankinformationandsharefeed-back);NHPSwasthBharat(informationondisease,lifestyle,first-aid);NHPDirectory Services (information of hospitals and blood banks across thecountry;NoMoreTension(informationonstressmanagementrelatedaspects);Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (for reporting pregnancy casesacrossthestates).

NationalHealthMissionBesides the National Health Policy, the efforts of MoHFW are directed

towardsachievingtheglobalgoals,encompassingreproductivehealthaswellascommunicable disease viz.,AIDS,TB,malaria, leprosy etc.One of themajorfocus in thehealth sectorhasbeen to increase the funding tohealthcare to at-least 2 per cent of the GDP. As a step towards this goal the National RuralHealthMission (NRHM)was launched in 2005 and itmorphed intoNationalHealth Mission (NHM) with the launch of National Urban Health Mission(NUHM) in 2013. Thereafter, NRHM and NUHM became two sub-missionsundertheoverarchingNHM.NHMenvisagesachievementofuniversalaccesstoequitable, affordable and quality healthcare services that are accountable andresponsive to people’s needs. The main programmatic components includehealth system strengthening in rural and urban areas, Reproductive-Maternal-Neonatal-Child andAdolescentHealth (RMNCH+A) interventions and controlof communicable and non-communicable diseases. India_2020_DPD: EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

MissionIndradhanush

MissionIndradhanushwaslaunchedin2014tocoverallthosechildrenwhohave been partially vaccinated or not vaccinated during routine immunizationrounds.Theobjectivetheschemesistoincreasefullimmunizationcoveragetoatleast90percentchildrenby2020.

MaternalandNeonatalTetanusEliminationMaternalandNeonatalTetanusElimination (MNTE) isdefinedas less than

oneneonataltetanuscaseper1,000livebirthineverydistrictperannum.IndiahasbeenvalidatedforMaternalandNeonataltetanuseliminationinMay2015.IndiaachievedMNTEliminationthroughthestrengtheningofhealthsystemsbyinnovative programmes like Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) and Janani ShishuSuraksha Karayakaram (JSSK) to improve institutional delivery and bystrengtheningRoutineImmunization.

NewVaccinesInactivated Polio Vaccine (IPV): In concurrence with the World Polio EndGame strategy, IPV was introduced in November 2015 in six states andexpanded throughout thecountrybyJune2016.TillAugust2017,around2.79croredosesofIPVhavebeenadministeredtochildrensinceitsintroduction.Rotavirus Vaccine: This vaccine was launched in March 2016 in AndhraPradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Odisha, to reduce the burden ofdiarrheacausedbyRotavirus.Ithasbeenexpandedtofivemorestatesnamely,Assam,Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura and Tamil Nadu. Approximately88.73lakhdosesofRotavirusvaccinehavebeenadministeredtochildrensinceitsintroduction.RubellaVaccineasMeaslesRubella(MR)Vaccine:MRvaccinationcampaigntargetingchildrenfrom9monthsupto15yearsofage,waslaunchedin2017infive states viz., Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Lakshadweep and PuducherrywheresubsequenttocompletionofcampaigntheMRvaccinewasintroducedinroutine immunization replacing measles containing vaccine 1 & 2 at 9-12monthsand16-24monthsofage.AdultJEvaccine:JapaneseEncephalitisvaccinationinchildrenwasintroducedin2006.However,thevaccinewasexpandedinadultpopulationofdistrictswithhighdiseaseburdenin2015.Atotalof35districtshavebeenidentifiedforadultJEvaccinationinAssam,UttarPradeshandWestBengal.PneumococcalConjugateVaccine (PCV):This vaccine is provided to reducechilddeathsduetopneumonia-whichisamajorcauseofchildmortality.Itwaslaunchedin2017in3statesi.e.inHimachalPradesh(12districts),UttarPradesh

(6districts)andBihar(17districts)inthefirstphase.

IndiaNewBornActionPlanThiswaslaunchedin2014withthegoalofattaining“SingleDigitNeonatal

Mortality Rate (NMR) by 2030” and “Single Digit Still Birth rate (SBR) by2030”.Underthis,661specialnewborncareunits(SNCU)atdistrictlevel,2321newbornstabilizationunits(NBSU)atfirstreferralunits(FRU)leveland18,323newborncarecorners(NBCC)atdeliverypointsareoperational.

AyushmanBharatAyushmanBharat -NationalHealthProtectionMission(AB-NHPM)anew

centrallysponsoredschemewaslaunchedin2018.ThiscomesunderAyushmanBharatMissionanchoredintheMoHFW.TheSchemehasthebenefitcoverof₹5lakhperfamilyperyear.Thetargetbeneficiariesaretobemorethan10crorefamiliesbelongingtopoorandvulnerablepopulationbasedonSocio-EconomicCaste Census (SECC) database. With this, AB-NHPM will subsume the on-going centrally sponsored schemes–Rashtriya Swasthya BimaYojana (RSBY)andtheSeniorCitizenHealthInsuranceScheme(SCHIS).

Its salient features are numerous and keeping in mind the poor and thedestitute. It has a defined benefit cover of₹ 5 lakh per family per year. Thiscover will take care of almost all secondary care and most of tertiary careprocedures.To ensure that nobody is left out (especiallywomen, children andtheelderly)therewillbenocaponfamilysizeandage.Thebenefitcoverwillalso include pre and post-hospitalisation expenses. All pre-existing conditionswillbecovered fromdayoneof thepolicy.Adefined transport allowanceperhospitalizationwill also be paid to the beneficiary; portable benefits includingcashless benefits from any public/private empanelled hospitals across thecountry.

Being an entitlement based scheme the entitlement is to be decided on thebasis of deprivation criteria in the SECC database, female headed householdswithnoadultmalememberbetweenages16to59,disabledmemberandnoablebodiedadultmemberinthefamily,SC/SThouseholds;

and landless households deriving major part of their income from manualcasuallabourwillbeautomaticallycovered.Thepaymentsfortreatmentwillbedoneonpackagerate(tobedefinedby thegovernment inadvance)basis.Thepackage rates will include all the costs associated with treatment. Forbeneficiaries, itwill bea cashless,paper less transaction.Keeping inview thestatespecificrequirements,states/UTswillhavetheflexibilitytomodifythese

rateswithinalimitedbandwidth.One of the core principles of AB-NHPM is co-operative federalism and

flexibilitytostates.Thereisprovisiontopartnerthestatesthroughco-alliance.This will ensure appropriate integration with the existing health insurance /protection schemes of various central ministries / departments and stategovernments (at theirowncost).Stategovernmentswillbeallowed toexpandthe Scheme both horizontally and vertically. They can implement throughinsurancecompanyordirectly through trust / societyoramixedmodel.StateswouldneedtohaveStateHealthAgency(SHA)toimplementit.

In order to ensure that the Scheme reaches the intended beneficiaries andother stakeholders, a comprehensive media and outreach strategy will bedeveloped,whichwill, inter alia, include printmedia, electronicmedia, socialmedia platforms, traditionalmedia, IECmaterials and outdoor activities. Thiswill lead to increased access toqualityhealth andmedication. In addition, theunmetneedsof thepopulationwhich remainedhiddendue to lackof financialresourceswillbecateredto.Website:www.ayushmanbharat.co.in

Mother’sAbsoluteAffectionProgramme“MAA-Mother’sAbsoluteAffection”whichisanintensifiedprogrammewas

launched in 2016 in an attempt to bring undiluted focus on promotion ofbreastfeeding.ThegoaloftheMAAprogrammeistorevitalizeeffortstowardspromotion, protection and support of breastfeeding practices through healthsystemstoenhancebreastfeedingrates.Thekeycomponentsoftheprogrammeare - awareness generation, promotion of breastfeeding and inter personalcounseling at community level, skilled support for breastfeeding at deliverypoints,monitoringandaward/recognition.

IntensifiedDiarrhoeaControlFortnightItisaprogrammetocombatdiarrhoealmortalityinchildrenwiththeultimate

aimofzerochilddeathsduetochildhooddiarrhea.IntensifiedDiarrhoeaControlFortnight(IDCF)isbeingimplementedasacampaigninthemonthofJuly,since2014,forcontrolofdeathsduetodiarrhoeaacrossallstatesandUTs.Underthis,morethan14.7croreunder-5childrenhavebeenreachedsince2014byASHAwith prophylactic ORS. Main activities include intensification of advocacyactivities, awareness generation activities, diarrhoea management serviceprovision, establishing ORS-zinc demonstration sites, ORS distribution byASHAthroughhomevisitation,detectionofundernourishedchildrenand their

http://www.ayushmanbharat.co.in

treatment,promotionofinfantandyoungchildfeedingactivitiesbyhomevisitsbyASHAandestablishingIYCFcorners.

NationalDewormingDayTo combat Soil Transmitted Helminth (STH) infections, the Ministry has

adoptedasingledaystrategycalledNationalDewormingDay(NDD)whereinsingle dose of albendazole is administered to children from1-19 years of agegroup schools and anganwadi centres. Till February 2017, 27.8 crore childrenwereadministeredalbendazole.

RashtriyaBalSwasthyaKaryakramThisinitiativelaunchedin2013entailsprovisionforChildHealthScreening

andEarlyInterventionServicesthroughearlydetectionandmanagementof4Dsi.e. defects at birth, diseases, deficiencies, development delays includingdisability and free management of 30 identified health conditions includingsurgery at tertiary health facilities. Children between 0-18 years of age arecoveredinaphasedmanneracrossthecountry.

RashtriyaKishorSwasthyaKaryakramTheRashtriyaKishorSwasthyaKaryakram(RKSK)waslaunchedtoprovide

information,commoditiesandservicestomeetthediverseneedsofadolescents.TheinterventionunderRKSKare:WeeklyIronFolicSupplementation:WIFSisevidence based programmatic response to the prevailing anaemia situationamongstadolescentgirlsandboys throughsupervisedweekly ingestionofIFAsupplementation.MenstrualHygieneScheme: The scheme aims to ensure thatadolescent girls have adequate knowledge and information about menstrualhygieneandtheuseofsanitarynapkinsandhighquality,safeproductsaremadeavailabletothemwithknowledgeofenvironmentallysafedisposalmechanisms;PeerEducatorProgramme:TheProgrammeaimstoensurethatadolescentsarebenefitted fromregularandsustainedpeereducationcoveringnutrition, sexualand reproductive health, and conditions for NCDs, substance misuse, injuriesand violence (including GBV) and mental health. To further equip the peereducators, the Ministry launched “Saathiya Resource Kit” in 2017.Understanding thegrowingnumberofmobilebased appusers,SaathiyaSalahApp has also been made a part of the “Saathiya Resource Kit”. The App islinkedtoanotherimportantpieceofcost-effectiveinformationplatformofatoll-freeSaathiyaHelpline.

JananiShishuSurakshaKaryakram

Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) scheme entitles all pregnantwomendeliveringinpublichealthinstitutionstoabsolutelyfreeandnoexpensedeliveryincludingcaesareansection.

JananiSurakshaYojanaJanani SurakshaYojana (JSY) is a safemotherhood intervention under the

National Health Mission. The objective is to reduce maternal and neonatalmortalitybypromotinginstitutionaldeliveryamongpoorpregnantwomen.

FamilyPlanningInitiatedin1952,theFamilyPlanningprogrammewasthefirstofitskindof

national level programme with a focus on population stabilization. Over thedecades it has evolved to the current holistic and target free approach. TheNational Population Policy 2000 redefined it as amedium of intervention forpromoting reproductive and child health. The programme focuses on assuringcompleteknowledgeandaccesstoreproductiverightsandservicesandenableswomen and men to make individual reproductive choice. The objectives,strategies and activities of the Family Planning programme have beenmeticulously designed in line with goals and objectives of various policies(National Population Policy 2000, National Health Policy 2002 and NationalHealthMission)andcomplimentsIndia’scommitmentatInternationalForums.

FreeDrugsThe initiative has been launchedwith an objective to put in place systems

suchasfacilitywiseEssentialDrugList(EDL),robustprocurementsystem,ITbacked logistics and supply chain management, proper warehousing andnecessarydrugregulatoryandqualityassurancemechanisms,standardtreatmentguidelines, prescription audit and grievance redressal systems etc, to ensureprovisionofqualityfreeessentialdrugs.

FreeDiagnosticServicesTheobjectivebehindtheNHMfreediagnosticservicesinitiativeistoreduce

theout-of-pocketexpenditureondiagnosticsaswellastoimprovethequalityofcare.Supportisprovidedtostatesforprovidingessentialdiagnosticsfreeofcostin public health facilities. Operational Guidelines on this initiative have beenreleased on 2nd July, 2015. Five states, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,Maharashtra, J&K and Tripura, have already adopted the model as per thenationalguidelines.

NationalAmbulanceServices

One of the achievements of NRHM is the patient transport ambulancesoperating under Dial 108/102 ambulance service. Dial 108 is emergencyresponsesystem,primarilydesignedtoattendtopatientsofcriticalcare,traumaand accident victims etc.Dial 102 services essentially consist of basic patienttransport aimed to cater to the needs of pregnantwomen and children thoughothercategoriesarealsotakingbenefitandarenotexcluded.

NationalMobileMedicalUnitObjectiveofMMUistotakehealthcaretothedoorstepofthepublicinthe

rural and underserved areas, especially in under-served areas. 1122MMU areoperational in the country across 335 districts. A whole range of health careservicesareprovidedrangingfromtreatmentofminorailments,communicableandnoncommunicablediseases,reproductiveandchildhealth,familyplanningservicesandinsomecasesfreeofcostdiagnosticsservicestothepopulationinthetargetarea.

NationalUrbanHealthMissionNationalUrbanHealthMissionis theinitiativetostrengthenhealthsystems

and service delivery in the urban areas. Under this, 1057 cities/ towns arecoveredand4544existingfacilitiesapprovedforstrengtheningasU-PHCs.

PradhanMantriSurakshitMatritvaAbhiyanThe programme aims to provide assured, comprehensive and quality

antenatalcare,freeofcost,universallytoallpregnantwomenonthe9thofeverymonth. PMSMA guarantees a minimum package of antenatal care services towomenintheir2nd/3rdtrimestersofpregnancyatdesignatedgovernmenthealthfacilities. The programme follows a systematic approach for engagementwithprivatesectorwhichincludesmotivatingprivatepractitionerstovolunteerforthecampaign;developing strategies forgeneratingawareness andappealing to theprivatesectortoparticipateintheAbhiyanatgovernmenthealthfacilities.

PradhanMantriNationalDialysisProgrammeSupportisbeingprovidedtoallstatesforprovisionoffreedialysisservices

forpoor.GuidelinesfordialysisservicesindistricthospitalsinPPPmodehavebeensharedwithstates/UTsandtheprogrammehasbeenimplementedwithstatesupportin384districts.Underthis,everyfacilitywillhave6dialysismachinesandwillbeextendedupto10machinesperfacility.

AffordableMedicineandReliableImplantsforTreatmentAffordableMedicinesandReliableImplantsforTreatment(AMRIT)outlets

havebeenput inplace toprovidedrugsforcancerandcardiovasculardiseasesalongwithcardiacimplants.Theseareprovidedat60to90percentdiscountonprevailaingmarketrates.

KayakalpKayakalp awards were launched to promote cleanliness, hygiene and

infectioncontrolpracticesinpublichealthfacilities.Underthisinitiativeawardsandcommendationcertificatesaregiventopublichealthcarefacilitiesthatshowexemplary performance i.e., meeting standards of protocols of cleanliness,hygieneandinfectioncontrol.

OrganTransplantNational Organ Transplant Programme was launched for carrying out the

activities as per Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissues Act, 1994trainingofmanpowerandpromotionoforgandonationfromdeceasedpersons.Under this, an apex level organization, National Organ and Tissue TransplantOrganization(NOTTO)wasset-upatSafdarjungHospital,NewDelhiincludingaNationalRegistry(NOTTR)toprovideanonlinesystemforprocurementanddistribution of organs and tissues and to promote deceased organ and tissuedonation.Furthera24x7callcentrewithtollfreehelplinenumber(1800114770)has also been established. Further, operational guidelines for National OrgantransplantProgrammehasbeenreleased,policyandcriteriafororganallocationincaseofkidney,liver,heartandlungandcorneahavebeenapprovedandSoPsforvariousvitalorganshasbeenapprovedanduploadedonNOTTOwebsite.Website:www.notto.gov.in

SwachhSwasthSarvatraSwachh Swasth Sarvatra is a joint initiative of theMinistry of Health and

Family Welfare and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation launched in2016.

MentalHealthCareTheMentalHealthCareAct,2017adoptsarights-basedstatutoryframework

for mental health and strengthens equality and equity in provision of mentalhealthcare services in order to protect the rights of peoplewithmental healthproblemtoensurethattheyareabletoreceiveoptimumcareandareabletolivea life of dignity and respect. It strengthens the institutional mechanisms forimproving access quality and appropriatemental healthcare services. The Actincreases accountability of both government and private sectors in delivery of

http://www.notto.gov.in

mentalhealthcarewithrepresentationofpersonswithmentalhealthproblemandtheircare-givers instatutoryauthoritiessuchascentralandstatementalhealthauthority.

ThemostprogressivefeaturesoftheActareprovisionofadvancedirective,nominated representative, special clause for women and children related toadmission, treatment, sanitation and personal hygiene; restriction on use ofelectro-convulsive therapy and psychosurgery. Decriminalization of suicide isanother significant facet of theAct,whichwill ensure propermanagement ofseverestressasaprecursorforsuicideattempts.

HIV&AIDSHIVandAIDS(PreventionandControl)Act,2017,aimstoendtheepidemic

by2030inaccordancewiththesustainabledevelopmentgoalssetbytheUnitedNations.Aperson livingwithAIDScannotbe treatedunfairlyatemployment,educational establishments, renting a property, standing for public or privateoffice or providing healthcare and insurance services. The Act also aims toenhance access to healthcare services by ensuring informed consent andconfidentiality for HIV-related testing, treatment and clinical research. Everyperson in thecareandcustodyof thestate shallhave right toHIVprevention,testing,treatmentandcounselingservices.

NationalAIDSControlOrganisation (NACO) is the nodal organization forNationalAIDSresponseintheMinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfare.NationalAIDSControlProgrammeisafullyfundedcentralsectorschemeimplementedthroughState/UTAIDSControlSocieties(SACS)instates/unionterritoriesandcloselymonitoredthroughDistrictAIDSpreventionandcontrolunit(DAPCU)in 188 high priority districts. Currently, National AIDS Control programme(NACP)-IV(extension)isunderimplementationfortheperiod2017-20.

PradhanMantriSwasthyaSurakshaYojanaThe Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY)

envisagescreationoftertiaryhealthcarecapacityinmedicaleducation,researchandclinical care, in theunderservedareasof thecountry. It aimsat correctingregional imbalances in the availability of affordable/reliable tertiaryhealthcareservices and also augmenting facilities for quality medical education in thecountry.PMSSYhastwocomponents-settingupofnewAIIMSlikeinstitutesinunderserved regionsof the country: andupgradationof existingGovtMedicalColleges(GMCs).UnderPMSSYthepaceofconstructionexpeditedacrossallPMSSY projects, achieving, on an averagemore than 42 per cent increase incapitalexpenditure,yearonyear(YOY)basissince2014-15.

MedicalEducationThe major step was the passage of Indian Medical Council (Amendment)

Act,2016,auniformentranceexaminationforadmissiontoUnderGraduateandPost Graduate medical courses in the country viz. National Eligibility-cum-EntranceTest(NEET)hasbeenintroducedfromtheAcademicYear2016-17.Itwould help curb malpractices in medical admissions especially in privatemedicalcolleges,willleadtogreatertransparencyandensurebetterstandardsofMedicalEducation.

DentalEducationUnderDentalCouncilofIndia(DCI)framework12newdentalcollegeswere

establishedduring2014-16. In last threeyears,1670BDSseatsand943MDSseatshavebeenadded.

CentreforIntegrativeMedicineandResearchTheCentre for IntegrativeMedicine andResearch is apioneering initiative

byAIIMS,NewDelhiinquestforconvergenceofcontemporarymedicinewithIndia’s ancient and traditionalmedical practices and has been envisioned as a“state-of-the-art”researchcentre.Ithasbeendesignedasaperfectplatformforrigorousresearchtoestablishtheefficacyofourtraditionalmethodsofhealing.

PreventionandControlofCancer,Diabetes,CardiovascularDisease&Stroke

Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease andStroke to prevent and control common Non-communicable diseases throughbehaviour and life style changes.The programmes provisions for screening aswellaspreventiveNCDservicestothepopulation.

RevisedTuberculosisControlProgrammeThegoalofRevisedNationalTuberculosisControlProgramme(RNTCP)is

todecreasemortalityandmorbidityduetoTBandcuttransmissionofinfectionuntil TB ceases to be amajor public health problem in India. Under RevisedNationalTuberculosisControlProgramme (RNTCP), thegovernmentprovidessupporttothestate/UTgovernmentsforhumanresource,drugs,diagnosticsandconsumables.

NationalAIDSControlProgrammeNationalAIDSControlProgrammeisa100percentcentralsectorscheme.

More than 10 lakh people living with HIV are on ART; one lakh additionalpatients brought under the ambit of Anti RetroViral (ARV) treatment in linewith‘TestandTreat’PolicylaunchedforcoveringallpatientswithARTcoverirrespectiveofCDcountorclinicalstage.

NationalTobaccoControlProgrammeIn2007-08,theNationalTobaccoControlprogramme(NTCP)waslaunched

in 9 states covering 18 districts. Further, in 2008-09, the programmewas up-scaledtocover12newstatescovering24districts.

NationalMentalHealthProgrammeNational Mental Health Programme (NMHP) is being implemented to

improve coverage and accessibility of mental health care in the country. Forimprovingreachofmentalhealthcare,districtlevelactivitiesunderitarebeingsupported across all 36 states andUTs. Under it there is provision of regularpsychiatric OPD and IPD services at district hospital, free supply ofpsychotropic drugs, ambulatory support for psychiatric patients, awarenessgeneration activities on mental health in community and camps and outreachclinicsintalukahospitals/communityhealthcentres.

NationalProgrammeforHealthcareofElderlyThebasicaimoftheNationalProgrammeforHealthcareofElderly(NPHCE)

programmeistoprovideseparate,specializedandcomprehensivehealthcaretotheelderlypeopleinthecountry.

NationalProgrammeonPreventionandManagementofBurnInjuries

Theobjectiveoftheprogrammeistoreduceincidence,mortality,morbidityand disability due to burn Injuries, to improve awareness among the generalmasses and vulnerable groups especially the women, children, industrial andhazardousoccupationalworkersandrehabilitationinterventions.

NationalOralHealthProgrammeThe programme was initiated in 2014-15 with the objective to reduce the

morbidityfromoraldiseasesbystrengtheningtheoralhealthcaredeliveryintheexistingpublichealthfacilitiesofthecountry.Supportundertheprogrammeisprovided to states for contractual appointment of dental surgeons, dentalhygienists,dentalassistants,procurementofdentalequipment,renovationofthespacefordentalclinicandconsumablesrequiredfortreatmentofdentaldiseases

besidesactivities likeawarenesscreationaboutoraldiseases,capacitybuildingbytrainingtheinvolvedhealthpersonnelundertheprogramme.

NationalLeprosyEradicationProgrammeItsobjectiveistoreduceleprosyburdeninthecountrybyprovidingquality

leprosyservicesthroughgeneralhealthcare-toachieveeliminationofleprosyasapublichealthprobleminallstatesanddistrictsi.e.,reduceannualnewcasedetectionRatioto<1per100,000populationsatnationallevel.Theprogrammecomponents include case detection andmanagement, disability prevention andmedicalrehabilitation,IECincludingBehaviourChangeCommunication(BCC)humanresourceandcapacitybuildingandprogrammemanagement.

RashtriyaSwasthyaBimaYojanaTheobjectivesof(RSBY)wastoprovidecashlesstreatmentinanypublicor

private empanelled hospitals for most of the diseases that requireshospitalization, and will give improved access to quality health care to thebeneficiaries. This Scheme has been subsumed in the Ayushman BharatProgramme.

IntegratedDiseaseSurveillanceProgrammeIntegratedDiseaseSurveillanceProgramme (IDSP) is acentrally sponsored

schemeunderNHMimplementedinallstatesandUTs.Themainobjectivesandstrategies include strengthening /maintaining a decentralized laboratory basedIT-enableddisease surveillance system for epidemicpronediseases tomonitordisease trends and to detect and respond to outbreaks in early rising phasethroughtrainedrapidresponseteams.Presently,morethan90percentdistrictsreportweeklydatathroughe-mail/portal(www.idsp.nic.in).Theweeklydataareanalyzed by SSU/DSU for disease trends. Whenever there is rising trend ofillnesses,itisinvestigatedbytheRRTtodiagnoseandcontroltheoutbreak.

FoodRegulationFoodSafetyandStandards(FSS)Act,2006wasenactedwiththeobjectiveto

consolidate the laws relating to food and for laying down science basedstandards for articles of food. This was also to regulate their manufacture,storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe andwholesomefoodforhumanconsumptionandformattersconnectedtherewithorincidental thereto.TheFoodSafety andStandardsAuthority of India (FSSAI)wasestablishedin2008.Website:www.fssai.gov.in

FSSAct,2006isbeingimplementedbyallstate/UTgovernments.State/UT

http://www.idsp.nic.in

http://www.fssai.gov.in

governments have appointed Commissioners of Food Safety, notifiedAdjudicating Officers, designated Officers and Food Safety Officers forrespectiveareas toperformfunctionsmandatedunder theAct.Additionalfoodsafety commissionershavebeennotified for railways, airports andports alongwithDesignatedOffices forAirports andPorts.There is anonlineprocess forissuanceoflicensestoFoodBusinessOperators(FBOs).

DrugRegulationControl over the import, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs,

cosmetics and notifiedmedical devices in the country are regulated under theprovisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 & Rules, 1945. Themanufacture,saleanddistributionofdrugsinthecountryisprimarilyregulatedby the state drug control authorities appointedby the state governmentswhilecontroloverdrugsimportedintothecountryandintroducedforthefirsttimeisexercised by the central government through central drugs standard controlorganization. The objective of the drug regulatory system is to ensureavailabilityofsafe,effectiveandqualitydrugs,cosmeticsandmedicaldevicesbasedonscientificexcellenceandbestpossibleregulatorypractices.

RashtriyaArogyaNidhiRashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) was set up in 1997 to provide financial

assistancetothepatientslivingbelowpovertyline,whoaresufferingfrommajorlifethreateningdiseases,toreceivemedicaltreatmentatGovernmenthospitals.The financial assistance to such patients is released in the form of “one timegrant” to theMedical Superintendent of the hospital inwhich the treatment isbeingreceived.Undertheschemecentralgovernmentalsoprovidesgrant-in-aidto states/union territories (with legislature) to set up State Illness AssistanceFund (SIAF) to the extent of 50 per cent of contribution made by stategovernment/unionterritories.

HealthMinister’sCancerPatientFundThe schemeHealthMinister’sCancer Patient Fund (HMCPF)withinRAN

wasalso setup in2009. Inorder toutilize theHMCPF, the revolving fundasunderRAN,hasbeenestablishedin27RegionalCancerCentres(RCCs).SuchstepensuresandspeedsupfinancialassistancetoneedycancerpatientsandhelpfulfilltheobjectiveofHMCPFunderRAN.

HealthMinister’sDiscretionaryGrantUnder the scheme of Health Minister’s Discretionary Grant (HMDG),

financialassistanceupto₹1,25,000/-isavailabletothepoorandneedypatientstodefrayapartofexpenditureonhospitalizationforundergoingmajorsurgicalinterventionandtreatmentofmajordiseases.Thepatientswhoarenotcoveredunder RAN, due to criterion of below poverty line andwhose annual incomedoesnotexceed₹1,25,000/-canavailthefinancialassistanceunderthescheme.

HealthResearchIndianCouncilofMedicalResearch

Asoneoftheoldestmedicalresearchbodiesintheworld,theIndianCouncilofMedical Research (ICMR)was established in 1911 as the Indian ResearchFundAssociation(IRFA).Foroveracentury,ICMRhasspearheadedplanning,formulation, coordination, implementation, and promotion of biomedicalresearchbothinIndiaandinternationally.Ithasremainedtheapexandpremiermedical research organization in the country through its commitments toresearch, professional development, collaboration, and knowledgedissemination. Across its 32 research institutes as well as through extramuralfunding of research institutes, medical colleges, and non- governmentalorganizations, ICMR has made significant scientific contributions tounderstandingvariousdiseasesofnationalimportancesuchasmalaria,Japaneseencephalitis, tuberculosis, AIDS, Kala-azar, Filariasis, Leprosy andPoliomyelitis. ICMR has also demonstrated its commitment to current publichealthconcernsincludingnutrition,reproductionandmaternalandchildhealth,occupationalandenvironmentalhealthandhealthsystemsresearch.Itsresearchoutputandimpacthasdemonstratedconsiderableandconstantgrowth.

ICMR has also demonstrated its commitment to the future of medicalresearch through its professional development training and capacity building.This includes training programmes, workshops, and short-term researchstudentshipsforthosepreparingforacareerinmedicineandmedicalresearch.Italso includes research fellowships and short-term visiting fellowships forupcomingresearcherstoexpandtheirskillsandknowledgeearlyintheircareer.ICMRalsooffersEmeritusScientistpositionstoenableretiredmedicalscientistsandteacherstocontinuetocarryoutresearchonspecifictopics.

The impact of ICMR spans across the globe with research collaborationsspanning every continent. This includes the review and approval of 553internationalprojects,including68fundedbyICMR,inthelastfewyearsalone.Also,throughICMR’sMemorandaofUnderstandings(MoUs),ithaspartneredwithleadinguniversitiesfromaroundtheworldtoconcentrateeffortsonleadinghealth issues such as cancer, diabetes, infectious diseases, and vaccine

development. These collaborations facilitate the exchange of scientificinformation, training, jointprojects,andco-authorshipofmeetings,workshops,seminars,andsymposiapresentations.

FlagshipProgrammesThe IndiaTBResearchConsortium: ICMR tooka leadand initiatedanew

flagshipprogrammetoestablishIndiaTBresearchanddevelopmentconsortiumthat aims to bring together all major national players (with internationalcollaborators) to address overarching scientific questions to tackle TB in amissionmode.

TB Diagnostic Initiative: Truenat Rif, an indigenous, cost effective, rapidmolecular diagnostickit forTB/MDR-TBhasbeendeveloped in collaborationwith ICMR, DBT and the industry. Feasibility study is currently underwayacross100districts.Activecasefindingpilotproject initiated in fivestates forbridginggapinlastmiledeliveryofservicesamongsttribalpopulations.

e-Health/M-HealthanduseofSpaceTechnologyToolsWiththechangingtime,ICMRisfocusingitseffortsonusinge-Health/M-

Healthandpromotetheuseofspacetechnologytools.ICMRhasdeveloped-amobile based disease surveillance system formalaria (MosQuit) usingmobileplatform. This technology has been developed by RMRC, Dibrugarh incollaborationwithCDAC,Pune,whichhasbeendeployedinTengaghatPHCofAssam. ICMR has also developed various e-learning programmes in HealthResearch as well as prepared databases like TB-Drugs, DDRTB, Food andNutrition Database, etc. To address the impact of climate change on humanhealthandpromoteuseofspacetechnologytoolsICMRhasdevelopedanearlywarningsystemofJEforUpperAssam,initiatedstudiesonmappingofmalariaandmosquito-genicconditions,developedmodelsforpredictingfilariasis.Theseeffortswillbeup-scaledforlargeruseinthecomingyear.

DiseaseBurdenEstimationState-level disease burden estimation launched at the Univ ofWashington,

USA in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, togeneratestate-leveldiseaseburdenandriskfactorsestimatestoimprovehealthprogrammesandplanninginIndia.

Preparedness to handle Zika virus outbreak: ICMR-NIV establishedsurveillance at 25 sites in the country for Zika testing. Repeated training andcapacitybuildingdonefor25labs+11IDSPlabs.FourcasesofZikavirusweredetected through ICMR’s surveillance network (3 in Gujarat and 1 in Tamil

Nadu).EntomologicalsurveillanceforZValsoestablished.National Rotavirus surveillance network (NRSN) (2012-2016): The study

carriedoutat4Majorreferrallabs,7ICMR’sRegionallabsand23hospitalsitestosee the trend inburdenof rotavirusdiarrhoeaaswellas impactof rotavirusvaccineunderUniversalImmunizationProgramme.Website:www.icmr.nic.in

AyushTheDepartmentofIndianSystemsofMedicineandHomoeopathy(ISM&H)

was established in theMinistry of Health & FamilyWelfare in 1995. It wasrechristenedasDepartmentofAyurveda,YogaandNaturopathy,Unani,SiddhaandHomoeopathywithacronymAYUSHin2003.Inkeepingwiththepolicyofthe Government to lay focussed thrust on the Indian traditional systems ofmedicine,toeasepressureoncomparativelycostlyallopathicsystem,toensuretheoptimaldevelopment,propagationandpopularisationofAYUSHsystemsofhealth care and to realise the cherished vision of the PrimeMinister tomakeAYUSHthepreferredsystemofmedicineandYogaaworld-widephenomenon,the Department of AYUSH was granted the status of Ministry in 2014. TheMinistryisresponsibleforpolicyformulation,developmentandimplementationofprogrammesforthegrowth,developmentandpropagationofAyurveda,YogaandNaturopathy,Unani,SiddhaandHomoeopathy(AYUSH)systemsofHealthCare. Sowa Rigpa is the recent addition to the existing facility of AYUSHsystems.

ProvidingAYUSHhealthcareservices,clinicalpractices,encouragement toscientific research and education, laying down pharmacopoeial standards toensure quality drugs, evolving good laboratory practices, following goodmanufacturing practices, regulating education standards, supplementing theefforts of state governments in setting up AYUSH in allopathic hospitals andAYUSHunitsinPrimaryHealthCentres(PHCs)andCommunityHealthCentres(CHCs) and AYUSH wings in District Allopathic hospitals, upgradation ofAYUSHhospitalsanddispensaries,creatingawareness throughorganizationofHealthMelas and other information, education and communication measures,enhancementoftheproductionofmedicinalplants,internationalcooperationintheareasofAYUSHarejustsomeofthewaysinwhichtheMinistryishelpinginthegrowthandwiderreachofIndianSystemsofmedicineandHomoeopathy.

TheCentralActsareinplacetoregulateeducationandpractice,manufactureof drugs for sale and enforcement mechanism. Ayurveda, Siddha Unani andHomoeopathydrugsarecoveredunderthepurviewofDrugsandCosmeticsAct,

http://www.icmr.nic.in

1940.Sincemostofthemedicinesofthissectoraremadefrommedicinalplantmaterials,theMinistryhassetupaNationalMedicinalPlantsBoardtopromotecultivationofmedicinalplants andensure sustainedavailabilityofquality rawmaterial. The Ministry has five Research Councils, two statutory regulatoryorganizations, eleven National Institutes, three organizations underPharmacopoeia,onePublicSectorUndertakingandaNationalMedicinalPlantsBoardunderitsadministrativefold.Website:www.ayush.gov.in

AyushSystemsofHealthcareAyurveda

‘Ayurveda’ literallymeans“ScienceofLife”.Ayurveda isevolved from thevariousVedichymnsrootedinthefundamentalphilosophiesaboutlife,diseaseandhealth.TheCharakSamhitaandSushrutaSamhitadevelopedaround2500BC are the main treaties of Ayurveda fully available today. According toAyurveda,healthisconsideredasapre-requisiteforachievingthegoalsoflifei.e.,Dharma,Artha,KamaandMoksha.Ayurveda takes an integratedviewofthephysical,mental,spiritualandsocialaspectsofhumanbeingsandabouttheinterrelationshipsbetweentheseaspects.

YogaYoga is essentially spiritual and it is an art and science of healthy living

whichfocusesonbringingharmonybetweenbodyandmind.Theword‘Yoga’hastwomeanings;thefirstcomesfromtheroot‘Yujir’or‘Union’,thesecondisderivedfromadifferentroot‘yuja’whichmeans‘Samadhi’-thehigheststateofmindandtheabsoluteknowledge.These twoare themost importantmeaningsof the word Yoga according to Panini, the most well-known Sanskritgrammarian.

Yogaisbeingpracticedaspartofhealthylifestyleandhasbecomepartofourspiritualheritage.Inthepresentera,Yogaispopularworld-widebecauseofitsspiritual values, therapeutic credentials, its role in the prevention of diseases,promotion of health and management of lifestyle related disorders. Severalclinicalstudieshave lucidlydemonstrated the therapeuticpotentialsofYoga inthetreatmentofmanylifestylerelatedorpsychosomaticdisorders.Thespecialtyofthissystemisthatitcangetalongwithanyothersystemsofhealthcare.

NaturopathyNaturopathyisascienceofhealthandhealingandadruglesstherapybased

http://www.ayush.gov.in

onwell founded philosophy. It has its own concept of health and disease andprinciples of treatment. Naturopathy is a system of medicine that advocatesharmonious living with constructive principles of nature on physical, mental,moral and spiritual planes. It has great health promotive and restorative, anddiseasepreventiveaswellascurativepotential.

UnaniTheUnanisystemofmedicineoriginatedinGreeceandpassedthroughmany

countries before establishing itself in India during the medieval period. It isbasedonwell-establishedknowledgeandpracticesrelatingtothepromotionofpositivehealthandpreventionofdisease.Thefusionoftraditionalknowledgeofancient civilizations like Egypt, Arabia, Iran, China, Syria and India. Itemphasizes the use of naturally occurring mostly herbal medicines and somemedicinesofanimals,marineandmineralorigin.ThissystemofmedicinewasdocumentedinAl-Qanoon,amedicalclassics,bySheikhBu-AliSina(Avicena)(980-1037)AD), inAl-HavibyRazi (850-923AD)and inmanyothersbookswrittenbytheUnaniphysicians.

SiddhaTheSiddhaSystemofmedicineisoneoftheancientsystemsofmedicinein

India having its close links with Dravidian culture. The term Siddha meansachievementsandSiddharsarethosewhohaveachievedperfectioninmedicine.Eighteen Siddhars are said to have contributed towards the systematicdevelopmentofthissystemandrecordedtheirexperiencesinTamillanguage.

HomoeopathyThephysiciansfromthetimeofHippocrates(around400B.C.)hadobserved

thatcertainsubstancescouldproducesymptomsofadisease inhealthypeoplesimilar to those of people suffering from the disease. Dr. Christian FriedrichSamuel Hahnemann, a German physician scientifically examined thisphenomenon and codified the fundamental principles of Homoeopathy.Homoeopathy was brought into India around 1810 A.D. by Europeanmissionaries and received official recognition by a Resolution passed by theConstituentAssemblyin1948andthenbytheParliament.

Sowa-RigpaSowa-Rigpaisamongtheoldestsurvivinghealthtraditionsoftheworldwith

alivinghistoryofmorethan2500years.IthasbeeninvogueandpractisedinHimalayan regions throughout particularly in Leh and Laddakh (J&K),

HimachalPradesh,ArunachalPradesh,Sikkim,Darjeeling, etc.Sowa-Rigpa iseffectiveinmanagingchronicdiseaseslikeasthma,bronchitis,arthritis,etc.ThebasictheoryofSowa-Rigpaisexplainedintermsof(i)thebodyandthemindasthe locus of treatment; (ii) antidote, i.e., the treatment;(iii) the method oftreatment through antidote;(iv)medicines that cure the disease and lastly (v)pharmacology.Sowa-Rigpaemphasizestheimportanceofthefivecosmologicalphysical elements in the formationof thehumanbody, thenature of disordersandtheremedialmeasures.

AyushHealthcareInfrastructureNational AYUSH Mission (NAM) was notified in 2014 which envisages

better access toAYUSHservices includingco-locationofAYUSH facilities atPrimaryHealthCentres(PHCs),CommunityHealthCentres(CHCs)andDistrictHospitals(DHs), upgradation of existing Government AYUSH Hospitals,upgradation of existing government/ panchayat/ government aided AYUSHdispensaries and setting up of upto 50 bedded integratedAYUSHhospitals. Italso envisages strengthening of AYUSH educational institutions, facilitate theenforcement of quality control ofAyurveda, Siddha,Unani andHomoeopathy(ASU&H)drugsandsustainableavailabilityofASU&Hraw-materialsintheStates/UTsduring12thPlan.

AyushDrugQualityControlMinistryofAYUSHhasaDrugControlCelltolookafterandco-ordinatein

mattersrelatedtoAyurvedic,Siddha,Unaniandhomoeopathy(ASU&H)drugs.Inaddition, theMinistryhas takenupamendmentof theDrugsandCosmeticsRules,1945forpromotingscientificdatabasedshelflifestudiesandprohibitionof theuseofprefixandsuffixwith thenamesofclassical formulations.Underthecentrallysponsoredinitiativeof theNationalAYUSHMission,grant-in-aidis provided to the states for strengthening of infrastructural, functional andregulatorycapacity formanufacturingand testingofdrugsandenforcementoftheregulatoryprovisions.Capacitybuildingprogrammesfortheregulatoryandscientific staff of the states are regularly organized at the PharmacopoeialLaboratory of IndianMedicine (PLIM) and theHomoeopathyPharmacopoeialLaboratory(HPL).

MedicalEducationinAyushThe Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) is the statutory body

constituted under the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 which laysdownthestandardsofmedicaleducationinAyurved,SiddhaandUnanithrough

its various regulations. Similarly, homoeopathy medical education is beingregulated by Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) through its variousregulations under the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973. For medicaleducation inYoga andNaturopathy no such governing body exists. Followingcourses are being offered by the Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and homoeopathy(ASU&H) colleges. (i) Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery(B.A.M.S.); (ii) Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (B.U.M.S.); (iii)Bachelor of Siddha Medicine and Surgery (B.S.M.S.); (iv) Bachelor ofHomoeopathy Medicine and Surgery (B.H.M.S.); (v) Post-graduate Ayurvedadegreeindifferentspecialities(M.D./M.S.-Ayurveda);(vi)Post-graduateUnanidegree in different specialities (M.D./M.S.-Unani); (vii) Post-graduate Siddhadegree in different specialities (M.D./M.S.-Siddha); (viii) Post-graduateHomoeopathydegreeindifferentspecialities(M.D.-Homoeopathy)

UnderGraduateEducationThereare inall549ASU&H(297Ayurveda,09Siddha,46Unaniand197

homoeopathy) colleges imparting ASU&H education in the country, out ofwhich 543 ASU&H (295 Ayurveda, 08 Siddha, 45 Unani and 195Homoeopathy) colleges imparting undergraduate ASU&H education with anadmission capacity of 33611 students in India as on 01.01.2016. Out of 543colleges, 102 ASU&H (57 Ayurveda, 03 Siddha, 10 Unani and 32Homoeopathy)collegeswith5236intakecapacity(2967Ayurveda,160Siddha,431Unaniand1678Homoeopathy)belongtogovernmentsector.

PostGraduateCoursesOutof allmedical colleges impartingpostgraduateASU&Heducation, six

colleges (02 Ayurveda, 02 homoeopathy, 01 Unani and 01 Siddha) withadmission capacity of 225 students (60Ayurveda, 72Homoeopathy, 47Unaniand46Siddha)wereexclusivelypostgraduateinstitutions.

AutonomousInstitutesimpartingASU&Heducation(i)NationalInstituteofAyurveda,Jaipur:Itoffersunder-graduate,post-graduateandfellowshipprogrammesinAyurvedawithintakecapacityof92studentsinUnder-graduateand104studentsin14post-graduatecourses.ItalsoconductsaDiplomacourse inAyurvedaNursingandPharmacy.TheInstitutehas twohospitalswithabedstrengthof300.ForthebenefitsofpopulationbelongingstoSCandST,theInstitutealsoorganizesregularmedicalcampsinSCandSTinhabiteddistrictsofRajasthanthroughitsmobileclinicalunittoprovidefreemedicalfacility.

(ii) InstituteofPostGraduateTeachingandResearch inAyurveda,Jamnagar:The Institute offers 10 Post-graduate courses with intake capacity of 50studentsandPh.D.courses.FundedbyGovernmentofIndiaitisgovernedbytheActs& Statute of Gujarat AyurvedaUniversity. The Institute organizedvarious outreach activities in Ayurveda for national programmes andconducted medical camps in rural areas of Gujarat. It has a well-managedhospitalwithOPDandIPDfacilities.

(iii)NationalInstituteofHomoeopathy,Kolkata:Itoffersunder-graduate,post-graduatecoursesinhomoeopathywithintakecapacityof93studentsinunder-graduateand36 students in06post-graduatecourses. Ithasa100 -beddedhospitalattachedtoitwhichisbeingupgradedtoa250bedhospital.Anewhospital buildinghas been constructedbyCPWDwith additional diagnosticfacilities. The academic block has also been augmented from three storeystructuretoseven.

(iv)National InstituteofUnaniMedicine,Bengaluru: Itoffers8post-graduatelevel course in Unani with intake capacity of 47 students and has a 180bedded hospital. The institute regularly organizes academic activities likeCMEprogrammes,workshops, seminars and guest lectures.The hospital ofthe institute provides clinical services to the patients from general andspecialty OPDs for skin diseases, GIT and hepato-billiary disorders,neurologicaldisorders,psychiatricandgeriatriccare.

(v)National InstituteofSiddha,Chennai: It offers06post-graduate courses inSiddha with intake capacity of 46 students, provides medical care andundertakesresearchtopromoteandpropagatetheSiddhasystemofmedicine.A 160 bedded In-patient facility provide medical care in accordance withrespective PG Departments. The institute organises two medical camps oneverySaturday,oneinruralareaandtheotherinsemi-urbanareatoprovidefreemedicalfacilitiestopromotetheSiddhaMedicineaswellascommunityorientedapproachtostudents.Othersare:RashtriyaAyurvedaVidyapeeth,NewDelhi;NationalInstituteof

Naturopathy, Pune;Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, NewDelhi; AllIndia Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi; North-Eastern Institute of FolkMedicine,Pasighat;andNorth-EasternInstituteofAyurvedaandHomoeopathy,Shillong.

These institutes have expanded their mandate of late and have included anumber of courses for skill development in the field of health services.Theseinstitutes have also upgraded their facilities and have attracted students frommanyforeigncountriesforvariouseducationalprogrammes.Keepingpacewith

time,theintakecapacityoftheinstitutesinvariousUG,PG,certificate,diplomaandPh.Dprorammeshasbeenenhanced.TheseinstituteshavealsoenteredintoMoUwithdifferentnational and internationalbodies.Thehealth care servicesprovided by the institutes is evident from the footfalls of the patient in OutPatientDepartment(OPD)andInPatientDepartment(IPD).Theinstituteshaveresponded to the requirement of time to upgrade their technological andinfrastructuralfacilities.

ResearchinAYUSHThe government has set-up five autonomous research councils, namely,

CentralCouncilforResearchinAyurvedicSciences(CCRAS),CentralCouncilforResearchinYoga&Naturopathy(CCRYN),CentralCouncilforResearchinUnaniMedicines (CCRUM), Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS)andCentralCouncilforResearchinHomoeopathy(CCRH)withthemandatetounder-takeresearch in their respectivesystem.Recently, for themanagementofdiabetes mellitus, the Central Council for Research in AyurvedicSciences(CCRAS) has developed a formulation namely, AYUSH-82 from 05Ayurvedic medicinal plants. The trials of the drug has shown significantreductioninbloodsugarlevelalongwithclinicalimprovement.Notoxiceffectswere noted during the trial. CCRAS has initiated action to commercializeAYUSH-82.

In addition to its research work, the 81 institutes under the Council alsoprovide healthcare facilities. The CCRH through its programme namely,Homoeopathy forHealthyChild enrolled 40,000 childrenwith an aim to helpthemduringdentitionperiodandtreatmentofdisease.

NationalMedicinalPlantsBoardNationalMedicinalPlantsBoard(NMPB)isanapexnationalbodywhichco-

ordinatesallmattersrelatingtomedicinalplantssectorinthecountry.TheBoardwasestablished in2000andactsasadvisorybodyto theconcernedministries,departments and Agencies in strategic planning of medicinal plants relatedinitiativesand toplanandprovide financial support toprogrammes relating toconservation, cultivation and also all round development of medicinal plantssector.

AYUSHServicesThe National AYUSH Mission (NAM) is a turning point as it inter-alia

envisages better access to AYUSH services through increase in number ofAYUSH hospitals and dispensaries, ensure availability of AYUSH drugs and

trainedmanpower.ItalsoaimsatImprovementinqualityofAYUSHEducationthrough enhancement in the number of upgraded educational Institutions,sustained availability of quality raw materials and improved availability ofqualityAyurveda, Siddha,Unani andHomoeopathy (ASU&H) drugs throughincrease innumberofpharmacies, settingupofdrug laboratories in the stateswhichareresponsibleforenforcementmechanismofASU&Hdrugs.

AYUSHPharmacopoeialLaboratories(i)PharmacopoeialLaboratoryforIndianMedicine(PLIM)

Pharmacopoeial Laboratory for Indian Medicine (PLIM) is a subordinateoffice of Ministry of AYUSH located at Ghaziabad. The laboratory wasestablishedin1970asaPharmacopoeialStandardsSetting-cumDrugstestinglaboratoryatnationallevelforAyurvedic,SiddhaandUnani(ASU)Medicine.ItactsasanappellatelaboratoryfortestingofAyurvedic,SiddhaandUnani(ASU)drugsunderDrugs&CosmeticAct,1940.ThePharmacopoeialLaboratoryforIndian Medicine was established with the objective to develop and validatePharmacopoeial standardizationof singledrugandcompound formulations forincorporation inAyurvedic,SiddhaandUnaniPharmacopoeiasandanalysisoflegaldrugssamplesreceivedfromDrugsControlAuthoritiesandCourts.(ii)HomoeopathicPharmacopoeialLaboratory(HPL)

Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Laboratory, Ghaziabad was set up as anational laboratory for the purpose of laying down standards and testing foridentity, purity and quality of homoeopathic medicines. The laboratory alsofunctionsascentraldruglaboratoryfor thetestingofhomoeopathicmedicines.Standards worked out by the laboratory are published in the HomoeopathicPharmacopoeiaofIndia(HPI).TheDepartmentofScienceandTechnologyhasrecognizedHPLasScienceandTechnologyInstitution.(iii)PharmacopoeiaCommissionforIndianMedicines&Homeopathy(PCIM&H)

Development of quality standards on Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani andHomoeopathicMedicineandtheirperiodicupdatetotheneedsoftheconsumersis the priority of the Ministry of AYUSH. The popularity and demand ofASU&Hmedicines is increasing rapidly. The Pharmacopoeia Commission forIndian Medicines & Homeopathy (PCIM&H) is an autonomous organizationregistered under Societies Registration Act, 1860. The main mandate of thecommission is publication and revision of the Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani andHomoeopathy Pharmacopoeia of India at suitable intervals; Publication andrevision of the Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Formularies as well as

HomoeopathicPharmaceuticalCodex;nurtureandpromoteawarenessofqualityin ASU&H drugs/ formulations and drug research on ASU&H products;exchangeinformationandinteractwithexpertcommitteesof theWorldHealthOrganization and other international bodies with a view to harmonize anddevelop the ASU&H Pharmacopoeial standards to make those internationallyacceptable; maintain National repository of authentic reference raw materialsusedinthemanufactureofAyurveda,Siddha,UnaniandHomeopathymedicinefor the purpose of reference and supply of reference standards to the stakeholdersataprice;generateandmaintainrepositoryofchemicalreferencemarkercompounds of the plants or other ingredients used in standardizingAyurveda,Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy medicine and supply them as referencestandardstothestakeholdersonprice,etc.

RegulatoryCouncilsTheStatutoryRegulatoryCouncilsunderAYUSHare:-

(i)CentralCouncilofIndianMedicine(CCIM),NewDelhiTheCentralCouncilofIndianMedicineisastatutorybodyconstitutedunder

the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970. The main objectives of theCentralCouncilinclude:(i)toprescribetheminimumstandardsofeducationinIndianSystemsofMedicineviz.,Ayurveda,Siddha,UnaniTibandSowaRigpa.;(ii) to advise central government in matters relating to recognition(inclusion/withdrawal) of medical qualification in/from Second Schedule toIndianMedicineCentralCouncilAct,1970.;(iii)tomaintainaCentralRegisterof Indian Medicine and revise the Register from time to time.; and (iv) toprescribe standards of professional conduct, etiquette and code of ethics to beobservedbythepractitioners.

The Central Council of Indian Medicine has prescribed Regulations forUnder-graduateandPost-graduatecoursesofAyurveda,Siddha,UnaniTibandSowaRigpaconsideringthataftercompletionofeducation,theywouldbecomeprofound scholars having deep basis of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and SowaRigpawithscientificknowledgeinthefundamentalsrespectivesystems.Website:www.ccimindia.org(ii)CentralCouncilofHomoeopathy(CCH),NewDelhi

Central Council of Homoeopathy has been constituted by the centralgovernmentundertheprovisionsoftheHomoeopathyCentralCouncilAct,1973forthemaintenanceofaCentralRegisterofHomoeopathyandforothermattersconnected therewith. The Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973 wasamendedlastlyin2002,provisionsofwhichwereenforcedfrom2003.Besides

http://www.ccimindia.org

the maintenance of the Central Register, Homoeopathy Central Council Act,1973 (as amended) empowers the Central Council to: i) prescribe minimumstandards of education in Homoeopathy to be followed by universities andmedicalinstitutions;(ii)recommendrecognitionorwithdrawalofrecognitionofmedical qualification granted by universities, boards or institutions in India tocentralgovernment;(iii)tonegotiatewiththeauthoritiesinanystateorcountryoutside India which by the law of that state or country having authority tomaintainaRegisterofPractitionersofHomoeopathyforsettlingofaschemeofrecognition ofmedical qualification in Homoeopathy on reciprocal basis; (iv)recommend to central government for permission of opening of new colleges,increaseofseatsandstartingofneworhighercourses.Website:www.cchindia.com

PublicSectorUndertakingIndianMedicinePharmaceuticalCorporationLimited

Indian Medicines Pharmaceutical Corporation Limited (IMPCL) aGovernmentofIndiaEnterprise,having98.01percentsharesofGovernmentofIndia and 1.99 per cent shares of Uttarakhand government through KumaonMandalVikasNigamLtd,was incorporated in1978.The registeredofficeandfactory of the company is at Mohan (Via-Ramnagar), District Almora,Uttarakhand-244715. IMPCL comes under the administrative control of theMinistry of AYUSH, New Delhi. The Company is schedule D, ‘Mini-Ratna’Category-II, GMP & ISO 9001:2015 certified Central Public SectorUndertaking.TheCompanywassetupwith theobjectives tomanufactureandsupplythegenuineandefficaciousAyurvedicandUnanimedicinestothecentralgovernment hospitals, central government research units all over India and tostategovernmentdepartmentsbesidessalesintheopenmarket.

http://www.cchindia.com

17 HousingandUrbanAffairs

THEMinistryofHousingandUrbanAffairs(MoHUA)isentrustedwiththeresponsibility of broad policy formulation and monitoring of programmesregarding urban housing and urban development. It is the nodal Ministry forplanningandcoordinationofurbantransportmattersatthecentrallevel.Urbandevelopment is a state subject and the Constitution (Seventy-Fourth)Amendment Act, 1992 enjoins upon the state governments to delegate manyfunctions to urban local bodies. Government of India, however, plays acoordinating and monitoring role and also supports various urban housingprogrammes, urban livelihoodmission andoverall urbandevelopment throughCentral and Centrally Sponsored Schemes. The Ministry addresses variousissuesrelevanttourbansectorthroughappropriatepolicyguidelines,subordinatelegislationandsectoralprogrammes.Website:www.mohua.gov.in

UrbanizationinIndiahasbecomeanimportantandirreversibleprocess,andit is an important determinant of national economic growth and povertyreduction. The process of urbanization has been characterized by a dramaticincrease in thenumberof largecities, although Indiamaybe said tobe in themidstoftransitionfromapredominantlyruraltoaquasi-urbansociety.The2030development agenda of the United Nations has emphasized the role ofsustainable cities by incorporating SustainableDevelopmentGoal (SDG), i.e.,Sustainable Cities and Communities for making cities and human settlementsinclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.As per theCensus of India 2011, thepopulationofIndiais1,210.50million,ofwhich377.10million(31.2percent)is urban and 833.40 million (68.8 per cent) is rural. The urban population islocated in 7,933 towns, comprising 4,041 statutory towns and 3,892 censustowns. During 2000-11, in absolute terms, the decadal increase in urbanpopulation was 90.99 million vis-à-vis 90.97 million in rural population. Atcurrent rate of growth, urban population estimated to reach a staggering 575millionby2030and875millionby2050.

PradhanMantriAwasYojana—HousingforAll

http://www.mohua.gov.in

(Urban)MissionPradhanMantriAwasYojana(Urban)forensuringhousingforallin

urbanareaswaslaunchedin2015whichistobeimplementedduring2015-22.The Mission provides central assistance to all eligible families/ beneficiariesacrossallstatutorytownsforhousesincludedunderthemission.States/UTswillhavetheflexibilitytoincludethePlanningAreas(totheexclusionofruralareas)as notified with respect to Statutory Towns and such Planning Areas (to theexclusion of rural areas) as notified by development authorities. To addressHousing forAll inurbanarea, theMissionhas fourverticals: (a) In-situSlumRedevelopment (ISSR) with participation of private developers using land asresourceforprovidinghousingtoeligibleslumdwellers;(b)affordablehousingthrough credit-linked subsidy scheme (CLSS now renamed as CLSS forEWS/LIG); (c) Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP) with public andprivate sectors; (d) subsidy for beneficiary-led individual houseconstruction/enhancements; size of house for Economically Weaker Section(EWS)is30sq.mt.,incarpetareabutstateshaveflexibilitytoenhancethesizeof houses in consultationwith theMinistry. EWS family has been defined asfamilywithannualincomeupto₹3lakhandLIGwithannualincomebetween₹3-6lakh.ProgressoftheScheme

ThecoverageoftheMissionwasearlierlimitedtoallstatutorytownsasperCensus2011andtownsnotifiedsubsequently.Inordertoensurethatthebenefitsadmissibleunder themissionoutreach the large segmentof thepopulation thecoverage area defined in Para 2.1 of the scheme guidelines has subsequentlybeenrevisedthrice.Withthelastamendmentin2018coverageisnowextendedto the entire urban areas consisting of all statutory towns and areas includingNotifiedPlanning/developmentarea/industrialdevelopmentauthorit/specialareadevelopmentauthority/urbandevelopmentauthorityoranysuchAuthorityunderstate legislation which is entrusted with the functions of urban planning andregulations. The PMAY(U)mission has number of systems in place to ensuretransparency in demand survey, beneficiary selection, deduplication, fundtransfer, monitoring, etc. Field level verification is done throughy third-partyquality andmonitoring agency and social audit. Each state also has dedicatedstate/cityleveltechnicalcellsforimplementationandmonitoringofthemission.

A comprehensive and robust MIS system is in place that helps allstakeholders to seamlessly manage information pertaining to physical andfinancial progress. The MIS allows submitting on-line demand survey with

tracking facility and helps in housekeeping of various records throughdigitization such as survey, project information, beneficiary details, fundutilization, etc. TheMIS is equippedwith geo-tagging features and integratedwith BHUVAN Portal of National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) andBHARATMAPofNationalInformaticCentre(NIC)formonitoringtheprogressofconstructionofhousesunder theBLC,ISSRandAHP.TheMISisutilizingservices from UIDAI servers for ‘on the fly’ demographic authentication ofAadharofbeneficiaries.TheMIShasalsobeenintegratedwithUMANGMobileApp, NITI Aayog Dashboard and DBT Bharat Portal for sharing of missioncritical informationwith different stakeholder. The transfer of theCentral andStatesharetothebeneficiariesofBLCverticaloftheMissionisbeingdonebystates/ULB’sthroughDBTmodewheretheinstalmentsarecrediteddirectlyintothe beneficiary’s bank account as per construction stage completed and geo-tagged.

SmartCitiesMissionTheSmartCitiesMissionwaslaunchedin2015.TheobjectiveoftheMission

istopromotecitiesthatprovidecoreinfrastructureandgiveadecentqualityoflife to its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of‘Smart’ solutions. Some of the core infrastructure elements in a Smart Citywould include adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation,includingsolidwastemanagement,efficienturbanmobilityandpublictransport,affordable housing, especially for the poor, robust IT connectivity anddigitalization, good governance, especially e-Governance and citizenparticipation, sustainable environment, safety and security of citizens,particularlywomen,childrenandtheelderlyandhealthandeducation.

IntheapproachoftheSmartCitiesMission,theobjectiveistopromotecitiesthatprovidecoreinfrastructureandgiveadecentqualityoflifetoitscitizens,aclean and sustainable environment and application of ‘Smart’ Solutions. Thefocus is on sustainable and inclusive development and the idea is to look atcompactareas,createareplicablemodelwhichwillactlikealighthousetootheraspiringcities.Thecoreinfrastructureelementsinasmartcitywouldinclude:(i)adequatewatersupply;(ii)assuredelectricitysupply;sanitation,includingsolidwaste management; (iii) efficient urban mobility and public transport; (iv)affordable housing, especially for the poor; (v) robust IT connectivity anddigitalization; (vi) good governance, especially e-Governance and citizenparticipation;(vii)sustainableenvironment;(viii)safetyandsecurityofcitizens,particularlywomen,childrenandtheelderly;and(ix)healthandeducation.

The 100 cities under theMission have proposed to execute 5,151 projectsworth₹2,05,018crorein5yearsfromtheirrespectivedatesofselection.

Underit,100SmartCitieshavebeenselectedin4RoundsbasedonAllIndiaCompetition.All100citieshaveincorporatedSpecialPurposeVehicles(SPVs),City Level Advisory Forums (CLAFs) and appointed Project ManagementConsultants(PMCs).

AtalMissionforRejuvenationandUrbanTransformation

TheAtalMissionforRejuvenationandUrbanTransformation(AMRUT)waslaunchedin2015.Inall,500citieshavebeenincludedintheMission.AllUrbanLocalBodies (ULBs)with a population of one lakh ormore, all other capitalcities of states/ UTs, all Heritage Development and Augmentation Yojana(HRIDAY)cities,identifiedcitiesonthestemofthemainrivers,fromhillstates,islandsandtouristdestinations.Approximately60percentofurbanpopulationinthecountryiscoveredunderAMRUT.Itisacentrallysponsoredschemewitha total outlay of rupees one lakh crore including a Central Assistance of ₹50,000crorespreadover5yearsi.e.,from2015-16to2019-2020.Thebalanceshareof₹50,000crorehastocomefromstatesandULBs.

The thrust areas of the Mission are water supply, sewerage and septagemanagement,stormwaterdrainage,greenspacesandpark,non-motorizedurbantransport and capacity building.TheMission focuses ondevelopment of basicurbaninfrastructureinthespecifiedcitieswiththefollowingexpectedoutcomes:(i) universal coverage for access to potable water for every household; (ii)substantialimprovementincoverageandtreatmentcapacitiesofsewerage;(iii)developing city parks; (iv) reform implementation and capacity building. Tomitigatetheproblemindrinkingwatersector,thewatersupplycomponentinter-alia,providesforrehabilitationofoldwatersupplysystemsincludingtreatmentplants and rejuvenationofwaterbodies, specifically fordrinkingwater supplyand recharging of groundwater. Recycling/reuse of waste water, reduction ofnon-revenuewaterandexploringpossibilitiesforseptagemanagement,aresomeoftheimportantfeatures.

HeritageCityDevelopmentThe National Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana

(HRIDAY),acentralsectorschemeoftheGovernmentofIndiawaslaunchedin2015with the aim of bringing together urban planning, economic growth andheritageconservationinaninclusivemannerwiththeobjectiveofpreservingthe

heritage character of eachHeritageCity.ByNovember 2018 and after a totaloutlayof₹500crore, thescheme isbeing implemented in12 identifiedcitiesnamely, Ajmer, Amaravati, Amritsar, Badami, Dwarka, Gaya, Kanchipuram,Mathura,Puri,Varanasi,VelankanniandWarangal.

DeendayalAntyodayaYojanaMinistry of Housing andUrbanAffairs has been implementing a centrally

sponsored scheme Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban LivelihoodsMission(DAY-NULM)since2013forreducingthepovertyandvulnerabilityofurban poor households. The Mission covers all the statutory towns in thecountry,tobedecidedbythestateasperlocalneedandcapability.

Its major components include: (a) Social Mobilization and InstitutionalDevelopment (SM&ID), which envisages mobilisation of urban poor women,differently-abledmenandmen invulnerableoccupations into thriftandcredit-based Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their federations/collectives; (b)employment through Skill Training and Placement (EST&P) for skilldevelopment of urban poor inmarket-oriented courses to enable them to earnsustainablelivelihoods;(c)self-employmentprogramme(SEP)providesinterestsubvention on loans to individuals/groups of urban poor for setting up self-employment ventures/micro-enterprises; (d) support to urban street vendors tosupport pro-vendor planning, development of vendors’ market, creditenablement, socio-economic survey of street vendors, skill development andmicro-enterprises development and convergence with social assistance undervariousschemesoftheGovernment;(e)innovativeandSpecialProjects(I&SP)to promote pioneering efforts, aimed at catalysing sustainable approaches tourbanlivelihoodsthroughPublic,PrivateandCommunityPartnership(PPCP).

TheRealEstate(RegulationandDevelopment)Act,2016

RealEstate(RegulationandDevelopment)Act,2016(RERA)waspassedbytheParliamentinMarch,2016heraldinganeweraoftransformationintherealestate sector. The core objective of this transformative legislation is to ensureregulation and promotion of real estate sector in an efficient manner and toprotect theinterestofhomebuyers.TheActisapplicabletoall thestates/UTs,exceptJammu&Kashmir.Mostofthestates/UTshavenotifiedtheRealEstate(RegulationandDevelopment)Rules.4North-EasternStateshave initiated theprocess of notifying the rules under RERA. In last year, 9 Regular and RealEstateAppellateTribunalshavebeen setupby states/UTs.21 states/UTshave

setuptheRealEstateAppellateTribunal.Inlastoneyear,15morestateshaveoperationalizedonlinewebportalsundertheprovisionsofRERA.23states/UThaveoperationalizedonlinewebportals.Morethan40,000RealEstateProjectsand 31,000 Real Estate Agents have been registered under RERA across thecountry.

StreetVendors(ProtectionofLivelihoodandRegulationofStreetVending)Act,2014

TheobjectiveoftheStreetVendors(ProtectionofLivelihoodandRegulationofStreetVending)Act,2014istoprotecttherightsofurbanstreetvendorsandto regulate street vending activities. States/UTs (with legislature) are theappropriate government for framing of Rules and Schemes under the Act fortheirrespectivestates/UTs.MinistrybeingtheappropriateGovernmentforUTs(withoutLegislature)hasframedRulesandSchemesunderthesaidAct.

UrbanTransportA city can be productive if it has a very sound infrastructure and good

services. Urban Transport is a crucial component of urban infrastructure. Itprovides access to opportunities, supports urban economic activities, andfacilitates social interactions. A good network of roads and an efficient massurban transport systemmake significant contributions to improve theworkingefficiencyof a city and its environs.Theextent towhich the Indiancities canmaximize economic performance and reduce povertywill be closely linked tohowefficientlytheirtransportsystemmovespeopleandgoodsuponwhichtheirsocio-economicactivitiesdepend.Therapidlygrowingurbanpopulationexertsanincreasingpressureontheurbantransportsystemresultingindeteriorationofurban transport system thus lowering economic productivity. Hence,development of cities through prioritizing urban transport is a step forward inthisdirection.GlobalexperiencehasalsoshownthatanefficientshifttoPublicTransportcanoccuronlyifurbantransportisassimilatedattheconceptionstageofland-useandurbanplanning.

MinistryofHousingandUrbanAffairs (MoHUA) is thenodalMinistry forplanning and coordination of Urban Transport matters at the central level.However, technical planningof rail transport continues to bewithMinistry ofRailways.Similarly,roadtransportistheresponsibilityoftheMinistryofRoadTransportandHighways.However,themajorresponsibilityforurbantransportinfrastructure and service delivery rests with State Governments and localbodies.

NationalUrbanTransportPolicyIn order to deal with the emerging problems in Urban Transport, the

GovernmentofIndiaformulatedaNationalUrbanTransportPolicyin2006.Thepolicyseeks topromote integrated landuseandtransportplanning,greateruseofpublictransportandnon-motorizedmodesoftravelalongwithuseofcleanertechnologies.Itofferscentralgovernment’sfinancialsupportforinvestmentsinpublic transport, infrastructureforgreateruseofnon-motorizedmodes,aswellas in the construction of parking facilities, including demonstrative pilotprojects. It encourages capacity building at institutional and individual levels,innovative financingmechanisms, institutional coordination, association of theprivatesectorandneedforpublicawarenessandcooperation.

StandardizationandIndigenizationofMetroRailSystemsTopromoteindigenizationandreductionincost,thespecificationsofvarious

metro rail components like rolling stock, signalling systems, electrical andelectro-mechanical components and civil engineering structures have beenstandardized. These mandatory parameters will ensure that metro rail subsystemsforallnewmetroprojectsconformtotheprescribedstandards.Specificstepsforpromoting‘MakeinIndia’havealsobeenstipulatedinthesestandards.Astandardeligibilitycriterionforprocurementofrollingstockisalsoissued.

I-Metros(IndianMetroRailOrganisations’Society)A platform to exchange ideas, pooling of knowledge and sharing of

experience, best practices, innovations etc. among the Indian metro railcompaniestonurtureexcellenceinperformance,waslaunchedinMarch2018.

MetroRailPolicyThe policy was launched for ascertaining and enhancing the feasibility of

metro rail projects from economic, social and environmental perspective. Itcreatesanecosystemfortherapiddevelopmentofmetrorailsinthelargercitiesunderdifferentmodels includingpublicprivatepartnershipsandpaveswayfor‘MakeinIndia’productsinthesector.

18 IndiaandtheWorld

THEprimaryobjectiveof India’sengagementwith theworld is toensureapeaceful, stable global environment and create themost propitious climate forIndia’seconomicgrowthanddevelopment.Therisingprofileof thecountry inglobal affairs and its emergence as a fast growing economy in an otherwisedifficult global environment presents a moment of opportunity that can beutilised to diversify India’s strategic and economic options. In this context,India’sexternalengagementshavesoughttosimultaneouslyadvanceanddeepenrelationswith eachbilateralormultilateralpartner, in the specific areaswheresuch engagement brings maximum benefit to Indian interests. The commonthreads that run through theentiregamutof India’s internationaloutreachoverthisperiodhavebeenputtogetherhere.

TheMinistryofExternalAffairs(MEA)alsoknownastheForeignMinistry,isthegovernmentagencyresponsiblefortheconductofforeignrelationsofthecountry.Website:www.mea.gov.in

Duringtheyear,theMinistryofExternalAffairscontinueditspragmaticandoutcomeorientedengagements,toenhanceIndia’ssecurity,upholditsterritorialintegrity,while,promotingandfacilitatingIndia’seconomictransformation.Thiswas done in a pro-activemanner, through strengthened bilateral, regional andmultilateralpartnershipsandbyseekingtobuildinfluenceinkeyglobalforums.Thepaceofouroutreacheffortswith the Indiandiasporaalsocontinued,withcharacteristic vigour and innovativemechanisms. Bilaterally, PrimeMinister’sinformalsummitswithRussiaandChina,the2+2engagementwiththeUS,highlevel visits toAfrica,LatinAmerica and theCaribbean, as also to theCentralAsian Republics, is illustrative of a new phase in the expansion of India’sdiplomatic engagements. India’s broadening horizons onmaritime issueswerepostulated through presentation of a six-point Indo-Pacific policy, reinforcingour concept of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). Indiaplayedapioneeringroleonclimatechangeandglobalwarmingissueswiththeholding of the First General Assembly of the International Solar Alliance in

http://www.mea.gov.in

2018.Thiscoincidedwiththelaunchingofthetwo-yearcelebrationstomarkthe150thbirthanniversaryofMahatmaGandhi.India’semergenceasaglobalforumfor deliberations on international relations and globalizationwas demonstratedthrough the holding of international conferences covering the three pillars ofgeopolitics,geoeconomics,andgeotechnology.

India’spolicyof‘NeighbourhoodFirst’continuedtobeaccordedthehighestpriority,witha focusoncreatingmutuallybeneficial,people-oriented, regionalframeworksforstabilityandprosperity.Thepaceofbilateralengagementswasmaintained and the focus was on making progress on the execution ofinfrastructure and connectivity projects. Projects in rail, road, ports, inlandwaterways, shipping and energy and fuel transmission are being implementedwithIndianpartnersintheneighbourhood.Initiativesforbroadeningpeople-to-peopletiescontinuedside-by-side.InNepal,theArunIIIhydro-electricprojectand the Nepal India Ramayana Circuit were launched in May during PrimeMinister’sstatevisit.ThePrimeMinistersofIndiaandBangladeshagreedthatthisisa‘goldenchapter’inbilateralrelations,withseveralinitiativesunderwaytoboosttransportandenergyconnectivity.IndiahasofferedthreelinesofcredittoBangladeshtotalingUS$8billion.InsolidaritywithBangladesh’sefforts toprovidesuccortothosedisplacedfromNorthRakhineStateinMyanmar,IndialaunchedOperation Insaniyat and supplied three tranches of humanitarian aid.IndiaisassistingMyanmartocreateanenvironmentconducivetothereturnofdisplacedpersonsthroughtheRakhineStateDevelopmentProgramme.Thetwocountries have signed a Land Boundary Crossing Agreement wherebydesignated boundary pointswere opened up to the normalmovement of visa-holding travellers, including from third countries. Efforts are on to intensifycooperationintheenergysector.ThenewlyelectedleadersoftheMaldivesandBhutanmadeIndia thedestinationof theiroverseasvisits. India’s tieswithSriLankaremainedpositiveandwerefurtherstrengthenedduringtheyear,markedbyclosecontactsatthehighestpoliticallevel,increasingtradeandinvestment,and implementation of people-oriented developmental projects. The yearwitnessed several key developments in India Afghanistan ties, including, thedeliveryofwheatandpulsestoAfghanistanfromIndia,expansionofairfreightcorridor between the two countries, and commencement of work for severalIndia-assistedsocio-economicdevelopmentalprojects inAfghanistan identifiedundertheNewDevelopmentPartnershipannouncedin2017.

Withstrategicautonomyatitscore,Indiacontinuedtostepupitsengagementwith all the major powers of the world, taking independent decisions in thenationalinterest.The“informalsummit”mechanismswithChinaatWuhanand

RussiaatSochiwereimportantmilestones.IndiaandtheUSheldtheirfirst2+2dialogue between foreign and defence ministers, consolidating the globalstrategicpartnership.PrimeMinister’svisittoTokyoin2018forthe13thIndia-JapanAnnualSummitfurtherbuiltupontheunprecedentedtransformationintheSpecialStrategicandGlobalPartnershipbetweenIndiaandJapanover the lastnearlyfiveyears,coveringawiderangeofareasofcooperationandhighlightingthe shared values and interests of the two countries. Taken together, theseengagementsanddialoguesfacilitatedthedirectandcandidexchangesofviewsbetween the respective leaders and for forward-looking strategic dialogues ondomestic, regionalandglobal issues.TheActEastpolicyhas receivedaboostwith therenewedglobalemphasison theIndo-Pacificregion.India’ssustainedengagementwiththeIndo-Pacificregionisevidentfromthecontinuedexchangeof high-level visits, defence and security cooperation, including oncounterterrorism and other transnational crimes; comprehensive economicengagement; regular dialogues on education and skill development; capacitybuilding through scholarships and ITEC programmes; cultural cooperationincluding promotion of Indian culture through Indian cultural centres andgrowingtieswiththediaspora.IndiaandASEANhavesteppedupcooperationto boost maritime cooperation and physical, digital and cultural connectivity.Thereisalsodeepeningsynergyonnon-traditionalsecurityissuesliketerrorism,cyber-security,andenvironmentalthreats.

Carrying forward India’s ‘Think West’ policy, coordinating energy andsecurity interests, External Affairs Minister met representatives of Bahrain,Kuwait, Qatar and the UAE for bilateral engagements during the year. InDecember,theIndiaPortsGlobalLimitedcompanyassumedresponsibilitiesforoperations inIran’sChabaharport,whichwillprovidesea landconnectivity toAfghanistan and Central Asia. A waiver was obtained from the US whichenabled the continued imports of Iranian oil and separate mechanisms wereevolvedforpaymentsandmarine insurance.Overall, thevigourandvitality inIndia’sdiplomaticoutreachcontinuedthroughtheyear.AtthelevelofHeadsofState and Government, the year witnessed, inter alia, incoming visits by thePresidents of Russia, Maldives, Seychelles, Republic of Korea, Uzbekistan,PrimeMinisters of Bhutan, Nepal, Netherlands, Sri Lanka, Italy, Bangladesh,and Norway. Similarly, outgoing visits included those by the President toVietnam, Australia, Tajikistan, Myanmar, Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland,Zambia, Greece, Suriname, Cuba, Cyprus, Bulgaria and Czech Republic. TheVice President visited Botswana, Zimbabwe, Malawi, France, Belgium,Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Serbia, Malta, Romania and USA. The Prime

Minister’s visits provided fresh impetus to relationswithChina, Sweden,UK,Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Nepal, Russia, Rwanda, Uganda,SouthAfrica,Japan,ArgentinaandMaldives.

TheworldstoodinsolidaritywithIndiaonthe11thanniversaryofthe26/11attacks.Indiareiterateditscommitmenttocombatingthemenaceofterrorismatthegloballevelandstronglycondemningitinallitsformsandmanifestations.India continued to hold structured consultations through the Joint WorkingGroupsonCounterTerrorismwithvariouspartnercountries.Atthemultilaterallevel,Indiacontinuedtocontributetoshapingtheglobalagendaonanarrayofcross-cuttingissuessuchasclimatechange,nuclearnon-proliferationandblackmoney. The G20 Summit also saw intensive engagement, with the first everJapan-America-India (JAI) trilateral meeting as also the Russia-India-China(RIC)trilateralmeeting.IndiaannouncedthatitwouldhosttheG20Summitin2022, the 75th year of India’s Independence. The General Assembly of theInternationalSolarAlliance(ISA)wasinauguratedinDelhi,alongwiththe2ndIORARenewableEnergyMinisterialMeetingand2ndGlobalRe-investMeet.The ISA is the first UN-affiliated inter-governmental organization to beheadquartered in India. India continued with its development cooperationprogrammes with partner countries across a wide range of sectors. Indiaextended,LinesofCredit(LoCs)ofaboutUS$1.03billiontovariouscountriesandnineprojectsaggregatingtoUS$101.13millionhavebeencompleted,andmore than ten thousand civilian training slots were offered to 161 partnercountries under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)Programme. Given its popularity and in-line with the changing needs andtechnological advancements around theworld, newplatforms like e-ITECandITEC-OnsitehavebeenincludedinthebouquetofITECofferings.

Cooperationonthehumanitarianfrontwasextendedtocountriesaffectedbydisaster. Medicines were made available, inter alia, to Mozambique, Syria,Yemen,Somalia,Uganda,Tanzania,Madagascar,Swaziland, andKenya.Fooditems and other relief material were supplied to Bangladesh and Syria. IndialaunchedOperation ‘SamudraMaitri’ for earthquakeand tsunamiassistance toIndonesia.

Domestic transformation has been made integral to India’s foreign policystrategy. Intensified engagements with our partners have brought visibleeconomicbenefits to thepeopleofIndia, throughenhancedforeign investmentandtechnologytie-ups,leadingtothesettingupoffactoriesandcreationofjobs.This dovetailing of diplomacy with development and prosperity has led toforging of foreign collaborations for promoting schemes of national renewal,

includingMake in India, Skill India, Smart Cities, Digital India and Start-upIndia. The growing impact of India’s civilizational values on internationalcooperation,underpinnedbytheenduringconceptualframeworkof“VasudhaivaKutumbakam”,wasmovinglymanifestedwhenartistesfrom124countriescametogethertomarkthe150thbirthanniversaryofMahatmaGandhi,andrenderedGandhiji’s favourite bhajan Vaishnava Jana To for a global audience on theInternationalDayofNon-Violence.ThePravasiBharatiyaDiwascelebrationsatVaranasiin2019furtherstrengthenedthebondsbetweentheDiasporaandtheirhomeland.

The emphasis of the government on service delivery and citizen-centricgovernanceisreflectedthroughstepstoimplementfourMissionModeProjectsof e-Kranti (fourth pillar of Digital India Programme) namely e-Office, e-Procurement,Immigration,Visa,Foreigner’sRegistration,andTrackingSystem(IVFRT) andPassport SevaProjects (PSP).These are presently operational intheMEAandMissions/Postsabroad.Anumberofe-governanceandautomationprojectshavebeenalsoundertakenbytheMEAinconsonancewiththeaimsandobjectives ofDigital India such as ForeignService InstituteAlumni Portal, e-Audit Portal,RevampedKnow India Programme and PravasiBharatiyaDivasPortals,DiplomaticIdentityCardRegistrationandIssuanceSystem,etc.

NeighbourhoodAfghanistan

The multifaceted strategic partnership between India and Afghanistanwitnessed continued strengthening. The momentum of high level bilateralexchanges was maintained, including with the visits of President and ChiefExecutive of Afghanistan in 2018. Bilateral trade crossed US$ 1 billion as aresult of initiatives including ‘Air Freight Corridor’; India’s developmentpartnership and capacity building programme for Afghanistan was scaled up;andcooperation,includingintheareasofsecurity,connectivity;andpromotionoffriendlyexchangeswasdeepened.Indiahasextendedsupporttoalleffortsforaninclusivepeaceandreconciliationinkeepingwithitsconsistentpolicythatallsuch efforts should beAfghan-led,Afghan-owned andAfghan-controlled; andcommitteditssupporttopromotingpeace,security,unity,sovereignty,pluralityanddemocracyinAfghanistan.

PakistanThe movement in bilateral relations remained constrained owing to the

continuingsupport inPakistan tocross-border terrorismagainst India; absence

ofanycredibleactiononthegroundagainstinfrastructureofsupporttoterrorismin areas under Pakistan’s control; and increased incidents of unprovokedceasefire violations by Pakistan forces, including in support of terroristinfiltration,alongtheLineofControlandInternationalBorder.India,aspartofitsconsistentpolicy,expresseditsdesiretohavenormalrelationswithPakistanin an environment free from terror and violence, and called upon Pakistan tocreate a conducive environment for the same. Persistent efforts weremade tomoveaheadonhumanitarianandpeopletopeopleissues,includingthoserelatedtoprisoners,fishermenandpilgrimvisits.Asaresultofpersistentefforts,India’sproposaltoestablisha“Corridor”tofacilitatesmoothandeasyaccessforIndianpilgrimstovisitGurudwaraKartarpurSahib,currentlylocatedonthePakistanisideoftheInternationalBorder,wasagreedtobyPakistan.

BangladeshIndia-Bangladesh relations expanded in depth and complexity in the year

underreview.DuringBangladeshPrimeMinister’svisittoIndia(WestBengal)itwas decided to open aBangladeshBhavan at Shantiniketan and to receive anHonoraryDoctorateDegreefromKaziNazrulIslamUniversity.Governmentsofboth sides have also expedited work to ensure the utilization of India’s threecredit lines–whichtotalalmostUS$8billion; thehighestallocationoncreditlinesaswellasthebesttermsIndiahasofferedsofar.Bangladeshisalsoamajorrecipient of grant aid,with thirty-fiveSmallDevelopment Projects completed,andafurtherfortyinprogress.

MyanmarThe positive trajectory of bilateral ties between India and Myanmar was

maintained. External Affairs Minister visited Myanmar in 2018, signing fiveMoUs including the Land Boundary CrossingAgreementwhereby designatedboundary points were opened up to the normal movement of visa-holdingtravellers,includingfromthirdcountries.ForeignOfficeConsultationswerealsoheldatthelevelofForeignSecretaryinNewDelhi.Substantiantialprogresswasrecorded in accelerating some of our legacy infrastructure projects, with thecompletion of construction of two elements out of three (port plus inlandwaterway)oftheKaladanMulti-ModalTransportProject.

BhutanIndia and Bhutan share extraordinary ties of friendship and cooperation

markedbymutualunderstanding,goodwillandrespectforeachother’sinterests.Bothcountriesjointlycelebratedin2018theGoldenJubileeoftheestablishment

of formal diplomatic relations with a series of commemorative events thatshowcasedthestrongpeople-to-peopletiesbetweenthetwocountries.Theyear2018-19 witnessed sustained progress in all areas of cooperation, includinghydro-power, communication, defence and security, infrastructure, health,education,culture, IT industryandagriculture.Themomentumofbilateral tieswas sustained through series of high-level visits and interactions at thefunctionallevel.

NepalIndia-Nepal relationsderivestrengthandsalience fromage-oldculturaland

religious ties, close people-to-people contacts, multi-faceted economic anddevelopment partnership, reinforced by open borders. Intensive bilateralengagements,includinghigh-levelvisitsbetweenthetwocountries,continuedin2018-19. The high-level visits provided an opportunity to comprehensivelyreviewbilateralpartnershipaswellas to launchnew initiatives in theareasofagriculture, inlandwaterways and railways. The year alsowitnessed intensiveofficial and technical level bilateral engagements. India and Nepal havecomprehensive economic and developmental cooperation. India is the largesttradepartnerofNepalandoneofthelargestinvestors.AnumberofsocialandphysicalinfrastructureprojectswithinNepalandcross-borderconnectivityareindifferentphasesofimplementation.

ChinaThe closer developmental partnership between India and China reached a

newmilestone in 2018 with the first Informal Summit between Indian PrimeMinisterandSinoPresidentheldin2018.TheInformalSummit,whichreflectedthedesireonbothsidestoraisetheleveloftheirbilateralrelations,setthestageforenhancedhighlevelengagementsthroughouttheyear.Boththeleadersheldthree more bilateral meetings during the year on the margins of multilateralsummits. India joining the SCO as a full member and China taking over thechairmanship of SCO in 2018 provided further opportunities for greaterinteractionbetweenthetwosidesatseniorlevels.

SriLankaIndia-SriLankarelationsflourishedover theyear.Themomentumfromthe

landmarkvisitofPrimeMinistertoSriLankawasretainedwithimplementationof people-centric development projects and expanding economic engagement.Bilateral relationship strengthened with high-level political engagements andpeople-to-peoplecontacts.ExpansioninscopeandspreadofIndiadevelopment

assistanceprojectstohithertountouchedareasincentralandsouthernSriLankahashelpedinchangeofperceptionregardingIndiaasareliabledevelopmentalpartner.Overall,thetiesmaturedinareaslikesecurityanddefencecooperation,disaster management, education, culture, trade and commerce, tourism, spaceandconnectivitytoalevelwhichcanbetermedasmulti-faceted.

MaldivesThenewgovernmentinMaldiveshasreiterateditsIndia-firstpolicy.Defence

Cooperation continued to be an important aspect of our relationship. Indiaundertook a Short Refit of Maldivian Coast Guard Ship Huravee in 2018 atVishakapatnam.The14theditionof theTrilateralJointNavalExercise,“Dosti-14”betweenIndia,SriLankaandMaldiveswasheldinMaldives.The3rdJointStafftalkswereheldinMale.

MauritiusIndia and Mauritius relations experienced an intensive engagement, in

keeping with the traditional close political, economic, cultural and diasporalinkages. External Affairs Minister led a delegation to the 11th World HindiConferenceheldinMauritiusin2018.TheconferencealsosawparticipationofHindienthusiastsfromaroundtheworld.Ontheeconomicfrontseveralroundsof negotiations towards conclusion of CECPA (Comprehensive EconomicCooperation and PartnershipAgreement)were held, resulted in signing of theJointStudyReportin2018.

ReinvigoratedDevelopmentPartnership involved implementationof severalgrants-in-aidprojectsnamelymetroexpress,ENThospital,newsupremecourtbuilding,socialhousinganddigitaltabletsforschoolchildrenunderthespecialeconomic package of US$ 353 million, civil service college; and 18 otherpriorityprojectsunderlineofcreditofUS$500million.

SeychellesRiding on the enhanced development partnership assistance committed by

Government of India, India-Seychelles relations entered into a new phase ofclosebilateralpartnership.Ourpragmatic,outcomeorientedengagementwasre-energisedin2018bysuccessfulvisitofPresidenttoIndia.Thevisitsawsigningof 6 important agreements pertaining to various sectors of cooperation andgifting of US$ 30 million worth Dornier aircraft to Seychelles for enhancingEEZSurveillance.

IndianOceanRimAssociation

IndianOceanRimAssociation(IORA)mechanismhasavitalroletoplayinrealizing this common aspiration for the region. India considers IORA animportant instrument for promoting cooperation and ensuring stability in theregion. India has been supportive of further invigoration of IORA activitiesacrossawidespectrum,rangingfromrenewableenergyandtheBlueEconomytomaritimesafetyandsecurity.

SouthEastAsiaandAsiaPacificUnder India’s Act East Policy (AEP) launched in 2014, India has been

engaging robustlywith countries inSoutheastAsia region,Oceania,NortheastAsiaandEastAsia.ASEANisatthecoreofAEP.TheupgradefromLookEastto Act East not only highlights the importance of the region through a moreproactiveandpragmaticapproachbutalsoaddresseskeystrategic,economicandcultural opportunities and recognises the role of the diaspora. India is alsoactively engaged with Australia, New Zealand and Pacific Island countries(PICs) through political understanding, security and defence cooperation, andeconomic engagement. India’s sustained engagement with the Indo-Pacificregion is evident from frequent high-level visits; strong defence cooperation,whichincludestraining,shipvisits,jointcoordinatedpatrols,defencesalesanddefencesupplies;closesecuritycooperationespeciallyincounterterrorismandother transnational crimes; comprehensive economic engagement; regulardialogues on education and skill development; capacity building throughscholarshipsandITECprogrammes;culturalcooperationincludingpromotionofIndianculturethroughIndianculturalcentresandgrowingtieswiththediaspora.The Government of India engages with Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam andPacificIslandcountriesthroughitsvariousdevelopmentassistanceprogrammes.

AssociationofSoutheastAsianNationsAftersuccessfullyhosting theIndia-AssociationofSoutheastAsianNations

(ASEAN) Commemorative Summit in January 2018, India continued with itscalibrated efforts topursue adynamic andmulti-dimensional relationshipwithASEAN.Inaccordancewithits‘ActEastPolicy’,IndiahasboostedtieswiththeASEANMemberStatesacrosspolitical,security,economicandculturalspheres.There is increasing emphasis from both India and ASEAN to deal with non-traditional security issues like terrorism, cyber-security, and environmentalthreats.Cooperation in themaritimedomainhasgained increasingprominencein India’s dialogue with ASEAN and other regional forums. India has madeconcerted efforts toboost connectivity inphysical, digital andcultural sphereswithASEANcountries.

EASTASIADemocraticPeople’sRepublicofKorea

Since its inception in 1973, the bilateral and diplomatic relations betweenIndiaandDemocraticPeople’sRepublicofKorea(DPPK)havebeencordialandmutuallybeneficient.Themomentumcontinuedin2018aswell.

JapanIndia-Japan relationship has been transformed into a partnershipwith great

substance and purpose and is a cornerstone of India’s Act East Policy. India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership continued making strides in2018.

RepublicofKoreaIndia-RepublicofKorea(ROK)bilateralrelationship,elevatedtothelevelof

SpecialStrategicPartnershipandgatheredfurthermomentum.

MongoliaIndia’s traditionally friendly and cordial relations with Mongolia have

steadily improved over the years, following PrimeMinister’s historic visit toMongolia in May 2015 when bilateral relations were upgraded to StrategicPartnership.Anumberofhigh-levelexchangestookplacein2018betweenthetwocountries.

EurasiaRussia

The ‘Special and Privileged’ Strategic relationship with Russia, whichconstitutesanimportantdimensionofIndia’sforeignpolicy,attainedanewhighwiththefirstlandmarkInformalSummitbetweenRussianPresidentandIndianPrimeMinister in 2018. PrimeMinister’smeetingswithRussian President onthe margins of the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, East Asia Summit inSingaporeandG-20SummitinBuenosAiresandtheregularexchangeofvisitsatthelevelofministersandseniorofficialsduringtheyearaddedfurtherdepthto our bilateral engagement. Both sides continued with various projects ofcooperationinthestrategicsectorsofdefence,civilnuclearenergyandspace.

CentralAsiaIndia’soutreachwithitsextendedneighbourhoodofCentralAsiasawfurther

progress with the visit of President of Uzbekistan to India and that of ourPresidenttoTajikistanin2018.

UkraineandBelarusIndiacontinuedtohavecordialrelationswithUkraine.Bothcountrieshelda

Joint Working Group meeting on Defence cooperation in 2018. India andBelarus relationswitnessedaqualitative forwardmovementwith thevisitof aParliamentarydelegationtoMinskin2018.IndiaandBelarusalsoheldmeetingsof the Inter-governmental Commission and Foreign Office Consultations inMinskandNewDelhi.

SouthCaucasusIndia’s relations with Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia continued in an

upwardtrajectory.IndiaandAzerbaijancontinuedtohaveproductiveexchangeswiththevisitofadelegationledbyMinisterofEcologyandNaturalResourcesof Azerbaijan for the Inter-governmental Commission meeting held in NewDelhiin2018.

ShanghaiCooperationOrganisationIndiahasahistoricrelationshipwithallShanghaiCooperationOrganisation

(SCO) countries. This relationship is anchored in mutual trust and goodwill,whicharethemainpillarsofourmultidimensionalrelationship.

TheGulfandWestAsiaGulf

India has a close and strong relationship with the Gulf region which hasremainedaregionofprimeimportanceforIndia’sextendedneighbourhood.ThebilateralfriendlytieswitheachoftheGulfcountriesaredeep-rootedinasharedhistory andhavebeen constantly nourished throughgrowingmultidimensionalcooperationandvibrantpeople-to-peopleengagement.Theregionisoneofourlargest trading partners with a trade of US$ 123 billion in 2017-18, energysupplieswithover50percentofcrudeoiland70percentofLNGrequirements.Besides,strategicoilreservesbeingcreatedinIndiawithclosecooperationwiththeregionandinvestmentsingreenfieldoilrefineryprojectaddtoourenergysecurity assurances. A huge diaspora of over 9 million contributes to thegoodwill between the countries besides contributing to annual remittances ofover US$ 38 billion (in 2017). In the past few years, intensive high-levelexchanges have taken place leading to enhanced and diversified engagement

with this region. This unprecedented focused and targeted engagement withcountries in the Gulf region is a part of clearly identified foreign policyobjectives and has resulted in achieving significant and tangible outcomes inimportantareasofinterest.

IranThe year witnessed strengthening of bilateral relations between India and

Iran. The high level bilateral political exchanges between the two countriescontinued unabated.Bilateral cooperation, including in the areas of economic,energy, connectivity, people-to-people contacts were expanded. The TrilateralAgreement between India, Afghanistan and Iran for establishment ofInternationalTrade andTransitCorridor throughChabahar came into effect in2018.

WestAsiaandNorthAfricaWest Asia and North Africa (WANA) continues to remain important from

energysecurity,foodsecurityandforglobalpeaceandsecurity.RelationswithallthecountriesoftheWANAregionweretakenforwardinacalibratedmanner,throughtheregularholdingofinstitutionaldialoguemechanismsandhigh-levelexchangeof visits.This region is a primary sourceof rockphosphates and itsderivatives, and potash—the key raw materials for the production of variousfertilizers.More than80percent requirementsof rockphosphatesare sourcedfrom the countries in this region. This region is also rich in minerals. Indiaintensified its efforts to further secure its energy interests in the region. Indiaforgedgreaterdefenceandsecuritycooperationwithmostofthecountriesintheregion through formal and informal mechanisms that include intelligencesharing; counter-terrorism; cyberspace, etc. India has enhanced its cooperationwithDjibouti,Somaliaandothercountriesintheregiontosecuretheirinterestintheareasofanti-piracyandmaritimesecurity.Themomentumcreatedbyseveralhigh-level exchanges last year was sustained with exchanges of a series ofministerial/ official visits in 2018. Several business delegations were alsoexchangedtopromoteoureconomicandtradeinterestsintheregion.

AFRICAEast&SouthAfrica

During2018-19,India-Africarelationscontinuedtoenjoyanunprecedentedrenaissance enhancing political engagement with African countries. The yearsaw first ever visits by an Indian President to Swaziland (Eswatini) and

EquatorialGuineain2018andthefirstevervisitbyanIndianPrimeMinistertoRwanda. President also visited Zambia (2018) and Prime Minister visitedUganda after a gap of 21 years and South Africa. The high-level politicalengagements were supported by regular holding of institutional mechanisms,includingattheministeriallevel.Inordertohaveamoremeaningfuldiplomaticpresence in Africa, India has decided to open 18 new embassies/highcommissions there in the next 4 years which will take the number of IndianMissions there to47. In this context, IndianMissions inRwandaandDjiboutihavealreadybeenopenedthisyear.SignificanteventsorganizedbyIndiaattheministerialhigh-levelincludedcommemorationofthe120thyearoftheincidentinvolvingMahatmaGandhiatPietermaritzburgRailwayStationinSouthAfricaandWest Africa Regional CII-EXIM Bank Conclave in Nigeria in 2018 andlaunchofIndiaforHumanityProgrammeinMalawi.InIndia,dignitariesfromAfrica participated in the first Assembly of International Solar Alliance andMahatma Gandhi International Sanitation Convention. There was significantexpansion in programmes both in geographical reach and sectoral coverage.India continued to assist African countries by grants assistance (medicines,books, vehicles etc.), Lines of Credit, technical consultancy, disaster relief,humanitarian aid, scholarship for higher education and a range of capacitybuildingprogrammesincludingshorttermcivilianandmilitarytrainingcourses.ThenewcapacitybuildinginstitutionslaunchedincludedGandhi-MandelaSkillscentre in South Africa and upgrade of Indo-Zim Technology centre inZimbabwe.Capacitybuildingandskillsdevelopmentprogrammes remainedatthecentreofIndia’sexpandingdevelopmentpartnership.

WestAfricaIndia’srelationswithcountriesintheWestAfrica(WA)regioncontinuedto

expandanddiversifyduring theyear.Theperiodwasmarkedbyseveralhigh-levelbilateralvisitsandmeetingson the sidelinesof international/multilateralconferences. These engagement contributed towards the strengthening ofpoliticalties,growingeconomic(tradeandinvestment)linkagesanddeepeningof development partnership.The region (covering25 countries ofwest, north-west,centralandsouth-westAfrica) ishometoAfrica’s largestpopulationandfastestgrowingeconomieswithlargestprovenreservesofenergyresourcesandminerals.The region is rich inallknownminerals. India sourcesabout18percentof its crudeoil requirements from this region (Nigeria alone accounts for11-12percent).IndiaimportsoverUS$2billionworthofgoldfromGhanaperyear.IndiaalsosourcesasignificantamountofrawcashewnutsfromcountriesintheregionincludingCôted’Ivoire,GuineaBissauandSenegal.

Theregionremainedpoliticallystable.However, the threatof terrorismandchallenges posed by transnational organized crime continued to affect severalcountries.Therehavebeenbetter coordination and synergyof efforts amongstthe countries of the region to deal with the threat of terrorism. These effortsincludetheJointForceoftheGroupofFivefortheSahel(G5Sahel)orFC-G5SestablishedbyBurkinaFaso,Chad,Mali,MauritaniaandNiger.Indiahasbeencontributing troops including military observers and police personnel forMONUSCO(UNStabilizationMissionintheDomesticRepublicOfCongo).

EuropeandEuropeanUnionCentralEurope

India continued with its policy of engaging with the countries of CentralEurope to consolidate bilateral relations. On political issues, there was goodunderstanding, both at bilateral andmultilateral forums. The growing bilateraltrade, business exchanges, educational exchanges and cultural events added toourgrowingtieswiththeregion.TheyearsawincominghighlevelvisitsfromNorway,Malta, Czech Republic and Denmark. There were outgoing visits ofPresidenttoGreece,Cyprus,BulgariaandCzechRepublicandVicePresidenttoSerbia, Malta and Romania. PM participated in the first ever India- Nordicsummit at Stockholm and interacted with the leaders of Sweden, Norway,Finland,DenmarkandIceland.Thefocusduringtheyearwasondisseminatinginformation about progress on the parameters of Ease of Doing Business,creatingaunifiedmarketthroughtheGoodsandServicesTax,liberalizationofinvestmentandlicensingpolicies,InsolvencyandBankruptcyCode,productivedisinvestment measures, launch of digital employment exchanges andgovernmentinitiativesnamelyMakeinIndia,start-up/standupIndia,housingforall,urbanrenewalandrejuvenation,infrastructureincludingdigitalinfrastructureand industrial corridors, SwachhBharat andSkill India. India and theCentralEuropean countries continued to extend support to each other in variousinternationalforaincludingthesupportforeachothercandidatesininternationalorganizations.

WesternEuropeIndia continued itsmultifaceted engagement with the countries ofWestern

EuropeincludingBelgium,France,Germany,UK,Spain,Portugal,Italy,Ireland,theNetherlands,etc.VicePresidentofIndiavisitedBrusselsforthe12thAsia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) hosted by the European Union. The Vice-Presidentalso represented India at the commemorative ceremony of World War-I

Armistice Centenary and participated in the inaugural Paris Peace Forum inParis.ThevisittothefourEuropeannationsprovidedanopportunitytoholdin-depth discussions with the political leadership on a wide range of global,regionalandbilateralissuesandadvanceourgrowingstrategicengagementwiththe EuropeanUnion. India and Francemarked twenty years of their StrategicPartnershipwhichwasestablishedin1998.Therelationshipismarkedbyacloseand growing bilateral relationship and convergence of views on a range ofinternational issues. The areas of defence and security cooperation, spacecooperationandcivilnuclear cooperationconstitute theprincipalpillarsof theStrategicPartnership.IndiaandFranceareincreasinglyengagedinnewareasofcooperation like security in the IndianOcean region, climatechange includingtheInternationalSolarAlliance(ISA),andsustainablegrowthanddevelopmentamongothers.High-levelvisitsbetweenIndiaandGermanyhelpedmaintainthemomentuminbilateralrelationsin2018.Therewereregularbilateralvisits,bothatthecentralandthestatelevelsfrombothsides,andcontinuedinteractionandcooperationindiverseareas,suchastradeandinvestment,manufacturing,skilldevelopment,renewableenergy,infrastructure,innovation,defencecooperation,scienceandtechnologyandeducation.

Indiaand Italycommemorated the70thanniversaryof theestablishmentoftheirdiplomaticrelationswithyear-longcelebrationsinboththecountries.Themulti-faceted strategic partnership between India and the United KingdomreceivedfreshimpetuswiththevisitofPrimeMinistertoLondon,whichwasthethirdatPrimeMinister-levelwithinaspanofthreeyears.TenMoUs/agreementswere signed during the visit across diverse areas such as a cyber-relationshipframework, rejuvenation of river Ganga, skill development, vocationaleducation, safe nuclear energy use, cooperation in animal husbandry, fisheriesand dairying, sharing of criminal records, research in humanities and socialsciences under the NewtonBhabha programme and setting up of a centre ofexcellenceinAyurvedaandtraditionalIndianmedicine.

EuropeanUnionAmulti-tiered institutional architecture of cooperation exists between India

and the EU with summit level meetings since 2000. The relationship wasupgradedtoa‘StrategicPartnership’in2004.Today,IndiaandtheEUhaveover30 dialogue mechanisms covering a large gamut of issues of mutual interest.2018hasbeen,byall standards,averyeventfulyear in the India-EUstrategicpartnership.TheEuropeanUnioncameoutwithanewStrategyPaperforIndiacoveringwide canvaswith concrete action points to beworkeduponover thenext10-15years.In2018,apartfromvariousministeriallevelvisits,therewere

summit level meetings with Germany, UK, Spain, France, Belgium, Italy,NetherlandsandPortugal,whichfurthercementedthealreadyrobustties.

TheAmericasNorthAmerica

2018-19witnessedsignificantforwardmovementinIndia’sbilateralrelationswith the U.S. and steady progress in relations with Canada. The first-everTrilateralSummit involving leadersof India, theU.S. and Japan tookplace inBuenosAires.TheinauguralmeetingoftheIndia-U.S.Ministerial2+2Dialogueinsetthestageforrichdiscussionandoutcomesonforeignpolicy,defenceandsecurityfields.India’selevationasaStrategicTradeAuthorizationTier-IpartnercountryforthepurposeofU.S.tradeindual-useitemsreflectedbenefitstoIndiaas a major defence partner of the U.S., counter-terrorism cooperation andcoordination with the U.S. on regional counter-terrorism challenges improvedsignificantly. The visit by Prime Minister of Canada to India and the India-Canada Strategic Dialogue of the two ForeignMinisters, provided impetus tofunctionalcooperationonanumberofareas,includingforcounteringterrorismandviolentextremism.

LatinAmericaIndia attaches importance to its relations with Latin America and the

Caribbeanregion.ThepresenceofmorethanonemillionIndiandiasporawhichis culturally andemotionally attached to India addsa specialdimension to therelationship. During 2018, India’s relations with the region both in terms ofpoliticalengagementaswell as tradeandcommercial linkages intensified,andwas marked by many VVIP visits and interactions. Regular exchange ofmessagesbetweentheleadershipofIndiaandofLACcountrieshelpedmaintainclosecontacts.

UnitedNationsandInternationalOrganisationsIn 2018, India continued its active engagements with international

organizations includingUnitedNations (UN),Non-AlignedMovement (NAM)and the Commonwealth. PM led the Indian delegation at the CommonwealthHeads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) held in London. External AffairsMinister led the Indian delegation at the 18th NAM Mid-term MinisterialconferenceheldinBaku.EAMalsoledtheIndiandelegationduringtheHigh-Levelsegmentofthe73rdUnitedNationsGeneralAssembly(UNGA)Session.

IndiaandPeacekeepingIndiacontinuedtopushforgreaterprioritytobegivenwithintheUNsystem

for the global counter-terrorism effort. It was repeatedly highlighted that theinternationalcommunityneededtostrengthenitslegalframeworkthatsupportedinternational counter-terrorism cooperation by reaching agreement on theComprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT), and ensuregreater transparency and effectiveness of existing UN counter terrorismstructures.SecretaryGeneraloftheUNvisitedIndiaattheinvitationofExternalAffairsMinister.IndiacontinuedtobethelargestcumulativecontributorofUNPeacekeeping troops, having provided more than 200,000 troops and policepersonnelsince1950s.Ason31October2018,IndiaisthefourthlargestTroopContributingCountry (TCC)with6,608personneldeployed in9peacekeepingmissions. India was elected to the UNHuman Rights Council (HRC) for theterm2019-2021,securingthehighestnumberofvotes(188outof193)amongall the18 candidate countries. Indiawas re-elected to theCommitteeonNon-Governmental Organisations (CNGO) for the term 2019-2022. India was alsoelected to five UN Bodies: Commission on Crime Prevention and CriminalJustice (CCPCJ) for the term 2019- 21; Executive Board ofUNDP/UNFPA/UNOPSfortheterm2019-2021;UN-Women(ExecutiveBoardofUN-WOMEN)fortheterm2019-2021;CPD(CommissiononPopulationandDevelopment) from 2018 to 2021; and CSoCD (Commission for SocialDevelopment) from 2018 to 2021. India was re-elected as a member of theInternationalTelecommunicationsUnionCouncil(ITU)for2019-2022term.

StatesDivisionMEAhasaStatesDivision,establishedin2014,tofostercloserlinksbetween

Indian missions and posts abroad and states/union territories. The Divisionsuccessfully endeavoured in promoting external outreach of states throughprovisional and regional cooperation in the domain of bilateral relations. Itfacilitates the signing of various Sister City/Sister States and other MoUsbetween state/union territory governments and foreign entities. In order toenhance external outreach of states/union territories, it represented MEA atvarious events in the states, including global investor meets and significantcultural eventsof states thatgenerate significant international exposure for thestates of India. ThisDivision rendered assistance to foreigners in distress andeliminateanynegativefalloutfromtheseeventsabroad.

CounterTerrorism

In thewakeof various terrorism-related incidents that occurred in differentparts of theworld in 2017, the issueof terrorism foundprominentmention invarious high-level bilateral and multilateral meetings. During all suchinteractions, India strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms andmanifestations and reiterated its commitment to combating the menace at agloballevel.

GlobalCyberIssuesIncreasinguseofInformationandCommunicationTechnology(ICT)forthe

social andeconomicdevelopmentofnationshasmadecyber issuesoneof thesignificantsubjectsofdiplomaticdiscussionsaroundtheworld.InkeepingwithitsprofiletheMEAupscaleditsGlobalCyberIssuescelltocreatethenewCyberDiplomacy (CD)Divisionwhich has been entrustedwith the responsibility ofprojection and safeguarding of Indian interests on the subject in internationalfora.

Consular,PassportandVisaServicesIssuance of passports has emerged in recent years as the most noticeable

statutoryandcitizen service renderedby theMinistryofExternalAffairs.TheMinistry has made many quantitative and qualitative improvements in thedelivery of passport services. Indian Passports [together with other traveldocuments such as Identity Certificates (IC), EmergencyCertificates (EC) forreturnees to India, Police Clearance Certificates (PCC) and Line of ControlTravel Permits in Jammu&Kashmir] are issued by theMinistry through theCentralPassportOrganisationand itsall Indianetworkof36PassportOffices,theCPVDivision(onlyDiplomaticandOfficialPassports)andtheAndaman&Nicobar Islands administration. This network has been vastly expanded byadding 93 Passport Seva Kendras (PSK) in Public Private Partnership (PPP)modeand263PostOfficePassportSevaKendras(POPSK)inassociationwiththeDepartmentofPosts,asextendedarmsofthePassportOffices.ForIndiansliving abroad, passports,OverseasCitizen of India (OCI) cards, EC and othermiscellaneous consular services, apart from attestation of consular documentsarebeing renderedby the184 IndianMissions/Postsabroad.During2018, theMinistry processed more than 1.21 crore passport and passport relatedapplicationsinIndiacomparedto1.17croreduring2017showingagrowthof4percent.The184IndianMissions/Postsabroadissuedapproximately11,63,026passports.Thus,theGovernmentofIndia,intotal,issued1,24,17,733passportsin 2018.As onDecember 2018, over 7.96 crore citizens held valid passports.

IndiatodayisplacedthirdbehindChinaandtheUnitedStatesintermsofglobalpassportissuance.TheMinistry,inassociationwiththeDepartmentofPosts,hastakenan innovative initiative toopenPassportSevaKendras at theHeadPostOffices(HPO)/PostOfficesinthecountrytobeknownas‘PostOfficePassportSevaKendra’(POPSK).

ThemPassportSevaMobileAppwithadditionalfacilitiestoapply,payandscheduleappointmentsforpassportserviceswaslaunchedin2018.ThisAppisavailable in Android and iOS platforms. Citizens do not require access to acomputer and printer to apply for passport services. From June, 2018, anapplicantcanapplyforpassportfromanywhereinIndia.Onelakhapplicationswerefiledunderthisschemeduring2018.Thiscitizen-friendlyinitiativeenablesapplicantstochoosethePassportOffice(PO)andthusthedesiredPassportSevaKendra(PSK)/PostOfficePassportSevaKendra(POPSK)underthePOwherethey wish to submit their application irrespective of whether the presentresidentialaddressspecifiedintheapplicationformlieswithinthejurisdictionoftheselectedRPOornot.ThePoliceVerification(PV)istobeconductedbythePoliceStationinwhosejurisdictiontheaddressmentionedintheformfallsandthepassportwillalsobedispatchedatthesameaddress.

OverseasIndianAffairsThe Overseas Indian Affairs Divisions are driven by the vision of

developmentthroughcoalitionsinaworldwithoutborders.TheyseektoconnecttheIndiandiasporatoIndia,andalsotostrengthentheinstitutionalframeworkswhich provide for the support and welfare of overseas Indians. It providesinformation, partnership, and facilitation for all matters related to the Indiandiaspora. TheDivision also engaged in several initiatives which aimed at thediaspora, for the promotion of trade and investment, emigration, education,culture, health, and science and technology. As part of government’scommitment to strengthen engagement with diaspora, among the majorinitiativeshostedduring2018-2019wereVideshSamparkoutreachprogramme,Know India Programme, Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Conferences, Scholarshipprogrammefordiasporachildren,andAwarenessCampaignonSafeandLegalMigration.


19 Industry

THEDepartmentforPromotionofIndustryandInternalTrade(DPIIT)wasestablished in 1995 and was reconstituted in 2000 with the merger of theDepartment of Industrial Development. Earlier separate Ministries for SmallScaleIndustries&AgroandRuralIndustries(SSI&A&RI)andHeavyIndustriesandPublicEnterprises(HI&PE)werecreatedinOctober,1999.TheDepartmentwas earlier called Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion; and wasrenamed DPIIT in 2019. In 2018, the matters related to e-Commerce weretransferredtotheDepartmentandin2019theDepartmentwasgivenchargeformattersrelatedtointernaltrade,welfareoftradersandtheiremployeesandStart-ups.

The Department also handles matters related to Protection of IntellectualPropertyRights (IPR)andadministerssixActs related to IPRs. ItalsohandlesmattersrelatedtoForeignDirectInvestment(FDI)andInvestmentbyNRIs,andundertakespromotionof investment for industrial developmentof the country.There are five territorial divisions for international cooperation and industrialpromotion handlingmatters emanating fromAmericas, Europe,CIS countries,AfricaandMiddleEast,andAsiaandOceania.

TheroleandfunctionsoftheDepartment,primarilyinclude:(a)formulationandimplementationofindustrialpolicyandstrategiesforindustrialdevelopmentin conformity with the development needs and national objectives; (b)monitoring the industrial growth, in general, and performance of industriesspecifically assigned to it, in particular, including advice on all industrial andtechnicalmatters;(c)formulationofForeignDirectInvestment(FDI)Policyandpromotion,approvalandfacilitationofFDI;(d)formulationofpoliciesrelatingto Intellectual Property Rights in patents, trademarks, industrial designs andgeographicalindicationsofgoodsandadministrationofregulations,rulesmadethereunder.

TheDepartmentmonitors the industrial growth and production, in general,andselectedindustrialsectors,suchascement,paperandpulp,leather,tyreandrubber, light electrical industries, consumer goods, consumer durables, light

machine tools, light industrial machinery, light engineering industries etc., inparticular. Appropriate interventions are made on the basis of policy inputsgenerated by monitoring and periodic review of the industrial sector. TheDepartment studies, assesses and forecasts the need for technologicaldevelopment in specific industrial sectors. On this basis, it plans formodernization and technological upgradation of the Indian industry so that, itkeeps pace with the international developments in industrial technology on acontinuingbasis.

Intunewithitsroleasafacilitatorofindustrialdevelopmentandinvestment,the Department plays an active role in investment promotion throughdissemination of information on investment climate and opportunities in thecountry and by advising prospective investors about licensing policy andprocedures, foreign collaboration and import of capital goods, etc. TheDepartment is also responsible for Intellectual Property Rights relating topatents,designs,trademarksandGeographicalindicationofgoodsandoverseestheinitiativerelatingtotheirpromotionandprotection.

Internationalcooperationforindustrialpartnershipsisachievedthroughbothbilateral andmultilateral arrangements.At bilateral level, in addition to beingnodal Department for Indo-Swedish, Indo-Libyan, Indo-Hungarian and Indo-BelarusJointCommissions,theDepartmentisrepresentedonjointcommissionsandjointworkinggroupswithselectcountries.SimilarinitiativeisalsoinplacewiththeEuropeanUnion.Website:www.dipp.nic.in

NationalManufacturingPolicyInorder tobringaboutaquantitativeandqualitativechangeand toprovide

necessary impetus to the manufacturing sector, the National ManufacturingPolicy (NMP) was notified with the objective of enhancing the share ofmanufacturinginGDPto25percentandcreating100millionjobsoveradecadeor so.ThePolicy is based on the principle of industrial growth in partnershipwith the states. The policy envisages that central government will create theenabling policy framework, provide incentives for infrastructure developmenton a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis through appropriate financinginstruments, and state governments will be encouraged to adopt theinstrumentalitiesprovidedinit.

National Investment and Manufacturing Zones (NIMZs) are an importantinstrumentality of the Policy. These zones have been conceived as largeintegrated industrial townshipswith state-of-the-art infrastructure; land use on

http://www.dipp.nic.in

the basis of zoning; clean and energy efficient technology; necessary socialinfrastructure; skill development facilities, etc., to provide a conduciveenvironmentformanufacturingindustries.

ManufacturingClustersThe objective of the National Plan for Manufacturing Clusters is to bring

aboutconvergenceinthemultiplemodelsofdevelopmentofindustrialclustersby the central and state governments so as to affect better cost efficiency andoptimal utilization of resources. Following thisDIPP has developed IndustrialInformation System (URL:www.ncog.gov.in/IIS), a web-portal to captureinformation of all industrial clusters/zones/nodes/parks in existence and thosewhichareinpipeline.ThesystemhasbeendevelopedinOpenSourceSoftwareontheGISlayersdevelopedbyBISAG.

ForeignDirectInvestmentPolicyDPIITisthenodaldepartmentforformulationofthepolicyonForeignDirect

Investment(FDI).ItisalsoresponsibleformaintenanceandmanagementofdataoninwardFDIintoIndiabasedontheremittancesreportedbytheReserveBankofIndia.WithaviewtoattracthigherlevelsofFDI,aliberalpolicyhasbeenputin place on FDI under which FDI up to 100 per cent is permitted under theautomaticrouteinmostsectors/activities.SignificantchangeshavebeenmadeinthepolicyregimeinrecenttimestoensurethatIndiaremainsanincreasinglyattractiveinvestmentdestination.

Afterabolitionof theForeign InvestmentPromotionBoard (FIPB),processfor granting FDI approvals has been simplified wherein the work relating toprocessing of applications for FDI and approval of the government thereonunder the extant FDI Policy and FEMA is now handled by the concernedministries/departments. However, DIPP is a single point interface of thegovernmenttofacilitateinvestorsforFDIthroughapprovalroute.Inthisregard,anewportal(http://www.fifp.gov.in)hasbeencreatedwhichisadministeredbythis Department to facilitate clearance of applications which are throughapproval route. DIPP is the nodal department for approvals in case of singlebrandretail trading,multibrandretail trading,foodproductretail trading,non-resident Indian/export oriented units investments. Cases partaining to issue ofshares against capital goods/ machinary/pre-operative and pre-incorporationexpensesarealsoprocessedbyDPIIT.

InvestmentPromotionTheDepartmentplaysanactiveroleininvestmentpromotionandfacilitation

http://www.ncog.gov.in/IIS

http://www.fifp.gov.in

through dissemination of information on investment climate and opportunitieswithin the country and by advising prospective investors about investmentpolicies and procedures and opportunities. International cooperation forindustrial partnerships is solicited through both bilateral and multilateralarrangements. It also coordinates with apex industry associations like InvestIndia (National Investment Promotion and FacilitationAgency), Federation ofIndianChambersofCommerceand Industry (FICCI),Confederationof Indianindustry(CII),AssociatedChambersofCommerceandIndustry(ASSOCHAM),etc., in activities relating to promotion of industrial cooperation, both throughbilateral and multilateral initiatives, intended to stimulate the flow of foreigndirectinvestmentintoIndia.

MakeinIndiaThe initiativewas launched inSeptember,2014asanationaleffort towards

making India an important investment destination and a global hub formanufacturing,designand innovation.Theprogramme isbasedon fourpillarsnamely, newprocesses, new infrastructure, new sectors and newmindset.Theinitiative has been built on layers of collaborative effort of all stakeholders.Action plans were put in place for 21 sectors covering infrastructure,manufacturing and services. The Action plans include initiatives forinfrastructure creation; Ease of Doing Business; innovation and R&D; fiscalincentivesandskilldevelopment.MakeinIndiainitiativeisnowfocusedon27sectors-15manufacturingsectorsand12championservicesectors.Thesectoralplans for manufacturing sectors are coordinated in DPIIT while the sectoralplans for services are coordinated by the Department of Commerce inconvergencewiththeChampionServicesSectorinitiative.

PublicProcurementThePublicProcurement(PreferencetoMakeinIndia)Order2017(PPP-MII

Order)was issued in 2017 pursuant toRule 153 (iii) of theGeneral FinancialRules 2017 as an enabling provision to promote domestic value addition inpublicprocurement.ThisOrderisapplicableforprocurementofgoods,servicesand works (including turnkey works) by a central ministry/department, theirattached/subordinateoffices,autonomousbodiescontrolledby theGovernmentofIndiaandgovernmentcompaniesasdefinedintheCompaniesAct.UnderthePPP-MIIOrder,aStandingCommittee,DPIIThasbeenconstitutedtoreviewtheimplementation of order. A Public Procurement Cell has been created in theDepartment tomonitor thegrievances received forviolationofPPPMIIOrder.19nodaldepartmentshavebeendesignatedfornotifyingminimumlocalcontent

fortherelevantproductcategories.

EaseofDoingBusinessInorder to improve thebusinessenvironment in thecountry, theDPIIThas

takenupaseriesofmeasurestosimplifyandrationalizetheregulatoryprocesses(registration and inspection processes) and introduction of informationtechnology as enabler tomake governancemore efficient and effective. Indiaranks77th in theWorldBank’s annualDoingBusinessReport (DBR)2019 asagainst100th rank in theDBR2018.TheDBRrankscountrieson thebasisofDistancetoFrontier,anabsolutescorethatmeasuresthegapbetweenIndiaandthe global best practice on 10 specified indicators. India’s absolute scoreimproved from60.76 inDBR2018 to67.23 inDBR2019.Theeaseofdoingbusinessindexismeanttomeasureregulationsdirectlyaffectingbusinessesandanation’srankisbasedontheaverageof10indicatorsviz.,startingabusiness,dealingwithconstructionpermits,gettingelectricity,registeringproperty,gettingcredit, protecting minority investors, paying taxes, trading across borders,enforcing contracts and resolving insolvency. States too have been brought onboard in the process to expand the coverage of these efforts. DPIIT has beencloselyworkingwiththestategovernmentsandUTadministrationstohelpthemidentify the constraints in doing business and improving the overall businessenvironment. DPIIT launched an online portal to track implementation ofreformsonareal-timebasis.Thesameisavailableonwww.eodb.dipp.gov.in.

The assessment of Business Reforms Acton Plan, 2017-2018 was releasedjointly by DPIIT and the World Bank in 2018 which can be accessed onwww.eodb.dipp.gov.in. An 80-point Business Reforms Action Plan 2019 hasbeenpreparedandsharedwithstatesandUTs.

StartupIndiaStartupIndiaisaflagshipinitiativeoftheGovernmentofIndia,intendedto

catalyse startup culture and build a strong and inclusive ecosystem forinnovation and entrepreneurship in India. Launched in 2016, the startup Indiahas rolled out several programmes with the objective of supportingentrepreneurs, building up a robust start up ecosystem and transforming Indiainto a country of job creators instead of job seekers. These programmes aremanagedbyadedicatedStartupIndiateam,whichreportstoDPIIT.UndertheStartup India Scheme, eligible companies can get recognized as startups byDPIIT in order to access a host of tax benefits, easier compliance, IPR fasttrackingandotherbenefits.

http://www.eodb.dipp.gov.in

http://www.eodb.dipp.gov.in

InvestIndiaInvest India has been set up as a joint venture (not for profit) company

betweenDepartment of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Federation of IndianChambersofCommerce&Industry(FICCI),CII,NASSCOMandvariousstategovernments.InvestIndiaistheNationalInvestmentPromotionandFacilitationAgency of India and acts as the first point of reference for investors. It istransforming the country’s investment climate by simplifying the businessenvironment for investors. Its experts, specializing across different countries,statesandsectors,handholdinvestorsthroughtheirinvestmentlifecycle–frompre-investment to after-care. This venture provides multiple forms of supportsuchasmarketentrystrategies,deepdiveindustryanalysis,partnersearchandlocationassessmentpolicyadvocacywithdecisionmakers.

ProjectMonitoring–InvestIndiaCellProjectMonitoringGroup(PMG),wassetupinCabinetSecretariatin2013

and has recently been merged with DPIIT from 2019, with Invest Indiaprovidingsupport.ThePMGisnowknownasProjectMonitoring-InvestIndiaCell (PMIC). It is an institutionalmechanism for resolving of issues and fasttracking the setting up and expeditious commissioning of large public, privateand Public- Private Partnership (PPP) Projects. Any investor having issuesdelaying or likely to delay the execution of a project of estimated value of₹1,000croreandabove(nowthisthresholdhasbeenreducedto₹500crore)canraisethemontheportalbeforePMIC,whichtakesthemupwiththeconcernedauthoritiesinthecentralorstategovernments.ResearchParks

Research Parks are being established at IITGuwahati,Hyderabad,Kanpur,Kharagpur, IISc Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Delhi and Bombay to propelsuccessful innovation through incubation and joint R&D efforts betweenacademiaandindustry.PromotingStartupsinBiotechnology

Withtheaimtofosterandfacilitatebio-entrepreneurship,Bio-clusters,Bio-Incubators, Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) and Bio-Connect offices arebeingestablishedinresearch institutesanduniversitiesacrossIndia.Seedfundand Equity Funding support is also provided to bio-tech Startups under theinitiative.MobileAppandStartupIndiaPortal

Startup India web portal and mobile app has been developed and

operationalizedsince2016.StartupIndiaHub

Startup India Hub was operationalized in 2016 to resolve queries andhandholdStartups.AdigitalextensiontoStartupIndiaHub,anintelligentonlinehubwas operationalized in 2017whichwill serve as a platformwhere all thestakeholdersoftheStartupecosystemcancollaborateandsynergisetheirefforts.Itwillfacilitatelocation-wiseandsectoralmapping.

IntellectualPropertyRightsDPIIT is nodal department for administration of various laws related to

Intellectual Property Rights: patents, trade marks, industrial designs,geographical indications of goods, copyrights, and semiconductor integratedcircuitlayoutdesigns.DPIITisalsothenodalDepartmentforvettingofMoUsfor the Cabinet, etc., entered into by various ministries/departments ofGovernmentofIndiafromIPRangle,asalsointernationalnegotiationsonIPRs.DPIITalsoisthenodaldepartmentfordealingwithWorldIntellectualPropertyOrganization(WIPO).Theofficeof theControllerGeneralofPatents,Designsand Trademarks (CGPDTM), a subordinate office under DPIIT, carries outstatutory functions related to grant of patents and registration of trademarks,Designs and Geographical Indications. The registration of Copyrights isadministeredbytheRegistrarofCopyrightOffice,workingundertheCGPDTM.It functions out of offices situated in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai andAhmedabad,whiletheCentralIPTrainingAcademyisatNagpur.

TheIntellectualPropertyAppellateBoard(IPAB),establishedin2003,istheappellatetribunaltohearappealsagainstdecisionsoftheControllerofPatentsasalsoRegistrarofTradeMarksandGeographicalIndications.UndertheFinanceAct, 2017, the Copyright Board has also been merged in the IPAB. It isheadquarteredatChennai.

NationalIPRPolicyTheNationalIPRPolicy,laysthefutureroadmapforintellectualpropertyin

India.ThePolicyrecognisestheabundanceofcreativeandinnovativeenergiesthatflowinIndia,andtheneedtotapintoandchannelisetheseenergiestowardsabetterandbrighterfutureforall.Itisavisiondocumentthataimstocreateandexploit synergies between all forms of intellectual property (IP), concernedstatutes and agencies. It sets in place an institutional mechanism forimplementation,monitoringandreview.ItaimstoincorporateandadaptglobalbestpracticestotheIndianscenario.Thispolicyshallweaveinthestrengthsof

the government, research and development organizations, educationalinstitutions, corporate entities including MSMEs, start-ups and otherstakeholders in creation of an innovation-conducive environment, whichstimulates creativity and innovation across sectors, as also facilitates a stable,transparent and service-oriented IPR administration in the country. The Policyrecognizes that India has a well-established TRIPS-compliant legislative,administrative and judicial framework to safeguard IPRs, which meets itsinternational obligations while utilizing the flexibilities provided in theinternational regime toaddress itsdevelopmentalconcerns. It reiterates India’scommitment totheDohaDevelopmentAgendaandtheTRIPSagreement.ThePolicy lays down the following objectives: (i.) IPR Awareness: outreach andpromotion- tocreatepublicawarenessabout theeconomic,socialandculturalbenefits of IPRs among all sections of society.; (ii.) generation of IPRs - tostimulatethegenerationofIPRs.;(iii.)legalandlegislativeframework-tohavestrongandeffectiveIPRlaws,whichbalancetheinterestsofrightsownerswithlargerpublic interest.; (iv.)administrationandmanagement- tomodernizeandstrengthenserviceorientedIPRadministration.;(v.)commercializationofIPRs-get value for IPRs through commercialization. (vi.) enforcement andadjudication - to strengthen the enforcement and adjudicatorymechanisms forcombatingIPRinfringements; (vii.)humancapitaldevelopment- tostrengthenand expandhuman resources, institutions and capacities for teaching, training,researchandskillbuildinginIPRs.ProductivityandQuality

DPIITisthenodaldepartmentforthepromotionofproductivityandqualityin the industrial sector. The National Productivity Council (NPC) representsIndiaintheTokyobasedAsianProductivityOrganization(APO),ofwhichIndiais a founder member. NPC undertakes productivity augmentation throughdomain specificconsultancy, training,workshops, seminarsandconferences togovernment,publicandprivatesectors,productivityrelatedresearch,monitoringand evaluation of various government schemes and projects and informationdisseminationthroughcollaborationwithAPO.

The Quality Council of India, another autonomous body under thisDepartment, promotes adoption of quality standards relating to QualityManagement Systems (ISO 9001 Series), Environment Management Systems(ISO 14001 Series), Food Safety Management Systems (ISO 22000 Series),Product certification and inspection bodies through the accreditation servicesprovided byNational Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB).BesidesNABCB,therearefourotherboardsviz.,NationalAccreditationBoard

for Education and Training (NABET); National Accreditation Board forHospitalsandHealthcareProviders (NABH);NationalAccreditationBoard forTesting and calibration Laboratories (NABL); andNational Board forQualityPromotion (NBQP) which provide accreditation certification on education,healthandqualitypromotionrespectively.

Industrial/EconomicCorridorsDevelopment of industrial/economic corridors is a very important policy

initiativeforboostingindustrialdevelopment,incomeandemployment.

Delhi-MumbaiIndustrialCorridorThe Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project was launched in

pursuance of an MoU signed between the Government of India and theGovernment of Japan in 2006. The DMIC is being developed on either side,along the alignment of the 1504 km long Western Dedicated Rail FreightCorridor between Dadri (UP) and Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT), NaviMumbai.

Chennai-BengaluruIndustrialCorridorTheChennai-Bengaluru IndustrialCorridor (CBIC)proposes to address the

infrastructurebottlenecksthroughaholisticapproachwhilebenefitingfromtheinherentstrengthsandcompetitivenessofeachoftheCBICstates.

Bengaluru-MumbaiEconomicCorridorTheBengaluru-MumbaiEconomicCorridor(BMEC)isintendedtofacilitate

developmentofawell-plannedand resource-efficient industrialbaseservedbyworld-classsustainableconnectivity infrastructure,bringingsignificantbenefitsintermsofinnovation,manufacturing,jobcreationandresourcesecuritytothetwostates.

Amritsar-KolkataIndustrialCorridorInorder togive aboost to industrial development in thedenselypopulated

states of northern and eastern India, the government is to commencework oncreatinganAmritsar-KolkataIndustrialCorridor(AKIC).ThiswillbestructuredaroundtheEasternDedicatedFreightCorridor(EDFC)asthebackboneandalsothehighwaysystemthatexistsinthisroute.

Vizag-ChennaiIndustrialCorridorTheVisakhapatnam-ChennaiIndustrialCorridor(VCIC)isakeypartofthe

east Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC), India’s first coastal corridor. VCIC isaligned with the Golden Quadrilateral and is poised to play a critical role indrivingIndia’sActEastPolicy.

NationalIndustrialCorridorDevelopmentandImplementationTrust

InviewofthesuccessandimportanceofDMICproject,fourmoreindustrialcorridorswereassurancenamelyAmritsar-KolkataIndustrialCorridor(AKIC)Bengaluru - Mumbai Economic Corridor (BMEC), Chennai - BengaluruIndustrial Corridor (CBIC) and East Coast Economic corridor with Vizag -Chennai industrial corridor (VCIC) as the initial phase of development. It hasbeen expanded and re-designated asNational IndustrialCorridorDevelopmentandImplementationTrust(NICDIT).

NationalDesignPolicyTheNationalDesignPolicywasapprovedin2007.ThedetailsofthePolicy,

inter alia, include: (i) promotion of Indian design through a well-defined andmanagedregulatory,promotionalandinstitutionalframework;(ii)settingupofspecializedDesignCentres or InnovationHubs for sectors such as automobileand transportation, jewellery, leather, soft goods, digital products, toys andgames which will provide common facilities and enabling tools like rapidproductdevelopment,highperformancevisualization,etc.,alongwithenterpriseincubation as well as financial support through mechanisms like venturefunding, loans and market development assistance for start-up design-ledventuresandyoungdesigners’designfirms/houses;(iii)formulationofaschemefor settingupDesignCentres / InnovationHubs in select locations / industrialclusters / backward states, particularly in the North East; (iv) laying specialfocus on up-gradation of existing design institutes and faculty resources tointernational standards,particularly theNational InstituteofDesign (NID)anditsnewcampuses/centreswithaviewtospreadingqualityeducationindesignsto all regions of the country, four more National Institutes of Design on thepatternofNID tobe setup indifferent regionsof thecountryduring the11thFiveYearPlan;(v)encouragingtheestablishmentofdepartmentsofdesigninallthe Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and all the National Institutes ofTechnology (NITs) as well as in prestigious private sector Colleges ofEngineeringandArchitecture; (vi) facilitating theestablishmentofaCharteredSociety for Designers (on the lines of the Institutions of Engineers, theInstitutionofArchitects,theMedicalCouncil,theBarCouncil,etc.), togovernthe registration of Design Professionals and the various matters relating to

standards setting in the profession; (vii) setting up an India Design Council(IDC)witheminentpersonalitiesdrawnfromdifferentwalksoflife,etc.

A Design Clinic Scheme project is being implemented by NID across thecountry which is intended to improve the manufacturing competency of theMSMEs through design intervention to their products and services and toprovidethemdesignedgeintheglobalmarketandhencesupportstheMakeinIndiaprogramme.

IndustrialPerformanceGovernment has taken numerous steps to boost industrial development,

capital formation and employment generation in the country. These, inter-alia,include, ‘Make in India’, ‘Startup India’ initiatives and ‘Ease of DoingBusiness’.Stepstakentoimproveeaseofdoingbusinessincludesimplificationandrationalizationofexistingrulesandintroductionofinformationtechnology,settingupofaninvestorfacilitationcell,launchofe-bizportalandliberalizing(FDI)policyandprocedureshavebeensimplifiedandliberalizedprogressively.Government has taken up a programme of building pentagon of industrialcorridors across the country with an objective to provide developed land andqualityinfrastructurefordevelopmentofindustrialtownships.

PerformanceofEightCoreIndustriesThe IndexofEightCore Industries (ICI)monitors productionof eight core

industries i.e., coal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilizers, steel,cementandelectricityeverymonth.InlinewiththebaseyearchangeinIIP,theOfficeoftheEconomicAdviser,DepartmentofIndustrialPolicyandPromotion,revisedthebaseyearofIndexofEightCoreIndustriesto2011-12.Theseeightindustrieshavecombinedweightofaround40.27percentinIndexofIndustrialProduction(IIP).

LeatherIndustryLeatherindustryplaysanimportantroleintheIndianeconomyinviewofits

substantialoveralloutput,exportearningsandemploymentpotential.Theexportof leather and leather products from the country has undergone a structuralchange in the last two decades, share of leather footwear, leather garments,leather goods, and several articles of leather in the total exports has increasedsubstantially as a result of government’s policy to encourage export of valueaddedleatherproducts.

IndianLeatherDevelopmentProgramme

Indian Leather Development Programme (ILDP) aims at augmenting rawmaterial base through modernization and technology upgradation of leatherunits, addressing environmental concerns, human resource development,supporting traditional leather artisans, addressing infrastructure constraints andestablishinginstitutionalfacilities.Cement Industry: Cement is one of the most technologically advanced

industriesinthecountry.Theindustryplaysacrucialroleinthedevelopmentofhousingandinfrastructuresectoroftheeconomy.Priceanddistributioncontrolofcementhasbeenremovedsince1989andcementindustrywasde-licensedin1991under Industrial (Development&Regulation)Act,1951.Since then, thisindustry has progressed well both in capacity/production and as well as inprocess technology. India is producing, different varieties of cement likeOrdinaryPortlandCement (OPC),PortlandPozzolanaCement (PPC),PortlandBlastFurnaceSlagCement(PBFS),OilWellCement,WhiteCement,etc.Thesedifferent varieties of cement are produced as per Bureau of Indian Standard(BIS) specifications and its quality is comparable with the best in the world.CementcannotbesoldinthecountrywithoutBISmark.Indiancementindustryhasmanagedtokeeppacewithglobaltechnologicaladvancement.Inductionofadvancedtechnologyhashelpedindustryimmenselytoimproveitsefficiencybyconserving energy, fuel and addressing environmental concerns. India is thesecondlargestmanufacturerofcementafterChinaintheworld.CeramicIndustry:TheCeramicindustryisabout50yearsold.Itcomprises

ceramic tiles, sanitary-ware and crockery. Ceramic products aremanufacturedbothinthelargeandsmall-scalesectorwithwidevariationintype,size,qualityandstandardbythenationalandregionalplayers.IndiacontinuestorankNo.3in terms of production and consumption of tiles in theworld after China andBrazil.Theindustrygivesdirectandindirectemploymenttoover2lakhpeople.Withthemajorityofrawmaterialsnecessaryfortheproductionoftilesavailablein thecountry, the Indian tile industryhaskeptpacewith the timesembracingmoderntechnologyindesigningandmanufacturingandiscapableofproducingworldclasstiles.Tyre & Tubes Industry: Tyres play an integral role to ensure mobility

including movement of passengers and essential goods across the urban andrural landscape of the country using all types of vehicles ranging from carts,tractors,trucksandbusestothelatestgenerationpassengercarsthatplyonthemodernexpressways.All typesof tyres required tomeet thedomesticdemandaremanufacturedinIndia.Thesetyresincludemopedtyreweighing1.5kgtoofftheroadtyresforearthmoverswhichweigh1.5tonnes,biasplytyrestorugged

allsteelradialtrucktyrestohighperformancepassengercarradialandtubelesstyresetc. India isoneof the fewcountriesworldwidewhichhasattained self-sufficiencyinmanufacturingawiderangeoftyresforallapplications.Withtheobjectiveofensuringthesafetyofhumanlivesandvehiclesandalsoavailabilityofqualityproducts,aQuality(Control)OrderforPneumaticTyresandTubesforAutomotive Vehicles was notified by the Department in 2009. This prohibitsimport,saleordistributionofpneumatictyresandtubeswhichdonotconformto thespecifiedBureauof IndianStandardandwhichdonotbear thestandardmark.IndianTyreindustryconsistsof39companieswith60tyremanufacturingplants.Thelargetyrecompaniesarenamely,MRFLtd.,ApolloTyres,JKTyres,CEAT,Goodyear,ModiRubber,etc.ThreeIndiancompanies(MRFLtd.,ApolloTyresandJKTyres)areinthelistoftop25GlobalTyrecompanies.RubberGoodsIndustry:Therubbergoodsindustryexcludingtyreandtubes

consistsof4550smallandtinyunitsgeneratingabout5.50lakhsdirectjobs.Therubber industry manufactures a wide range of products like rubber cots andaprons,contraceptives,footwear,rubberhoses,cables,camelback,batteryboxes,latexproducts,conveyorbelts,surgicalgloves,balloons,rubbermouldedgoods,etc.Themain rawmaterials used by the rubber goodsmanufacturing industryare natural rubber, various types of synthetic rubber, carbon black, rubberchemicals,etc.Cigarette Industry: The cigarette industry is an agro-based labour intensive

industry.CigaretteincludedintheFirstScheduletotheIndustries(Development&Regulations)Act,1951requiresindustriallicense.Paints & Allied Products: The paints and allied Industry which has been

exempted from compulsory licensing, mainly consists of paints, enamels,varnishes,pigments,printinginks,etc.Theseplayavitalroleintheeconomybywayofprotectingnationalassetsfromcorrosion.Theseitemsaremanufacturedbothintheorganizedandsmallscalesector.Glass Industry: Glass industry comes under the category of delicensed. It

covers seven items such as flat glass (including sheet, float, figured, wired,safety,mirror glass), glass fiber and glass wool, hollow glassware, laboratoryglassware,tableandkitchenglassware,glassbanglesandotherglassware.Therehas been growing acceptability of the Indian flat glass products in the globalmarket. The Indian manufacturers had explored new markets. There isconsiderablescopeindemandforglassfibreproductsparticularlyduetogrowthinpetrochemicalsectorandalliedproducts.PaperIndustry:Indiarulesasoneofthefastestgrowingpapermarketinthe

world.Thegrowingknowledgebasecoupledwithsynergisticcontributionsfrom

flagshipschemes,namely,SarvaShikshaAbhiyan,(SSA)RashtriyaMadhyamikShikshaAbhiyan (RMSA), InclusiveEducation for theDisabled at SecondarySchool (IEDSS), adult education, Right to Education and central governmentscholarshipandeducationloanscheme,assuredarobustdemandforpaperandpaperboard.Theindustrywasde-licencedinJuly,1997.Asperthethepresentpolicy,FDIupto100percentisallowedontheautomaticrouteforthepulpandpapersector.Therearearound850unitswhichmanufacturepulp,paper,paperboardandnewsprintwithaninstalledcapacityofnearly25milliontonnesoutofwhich3.5milliontonnesarelyingidle.ThepercapitaconsumptionofpaperinIndia is about 13 kg, which is much lower than world average (58 kg). TheIndianpaperindustryisinafragmentedstructure,consistingofsmall,mediumandlargepapermillshavingcapacityrangingfrom05to1500tonnesperday.These units use wood and agro residues as well as recovered paper as rawmaterial.Paper&Paperboard Segment: Indigenous paper and paper board segment

producesall themainvarietiesofpaper thatare indemand in themarketviz.,writing and printing (38 per cent), packaging grade paper (53 per cent),newsprint (8 per cent) and speciality paper. However, certain speciality papersuchascoatedpaper,securitypapersandchequepaper,etc.,arebeingimportedinthecountry.Newsprint:ThenewsprintsectorinthecountryisgovernedbytheNewsprint

ControlOrder(NCO),2004.Themillslistedunderthescheduleofthisorderareexemptfromexciseduty,subject toactualusercondition.Atpresent, thereare124 mills registered under the Schedule to the NCO. However, only 35 areproducingnewsprintmakingtheoperatinginstalledcapacity0.99milliontonnesperannum.23millshaveclosedoperationssincebeinglistedintheNCOand89mills have discontinued the production of newsprint. Nearly half of thenewsprintdemandinthecountryismetbyimports.SaltIndustry:Indiacontinuestoholdthirdpositionintheproductionofsalt

intheworldafterChinaandUSAwithannualproductionof260lakhtonnesandsecondlargestproducerof iodizedsalt,next toChina.Fromaneraofshortfalland import at the time of independence, the country has made spectacularprogressduetopragmaticpoliciesinshorttime,sufficiencywasachieved(1953)andmadeadentintheexportmarket.Sincethenthecountryhasneverlookedback.Explosives: There are 74 factories, in the medium and small scale sector,

engaged in the production of explosives. SiteMixed Explosives (SME) has aconsolidatedlicensedcapacityof1656555.5MTofexplosivesproduction.

Light Electrical Industry Sector: The light electrical industry is a diversesectorhavinganumberofdistinctproductsandsub-products.Itincludesgoodslikeelectricalwiresandcables, transmission tower,cranes, liftsandescalators,refrigerators, washing machine, air conditioners, storage batteries, dry cellbatteries,electricallampsandtubesetc.ElectricalWiresandCables:Electricalwiresandcableindustryisoneofthe

earliest industriesestablished in thecountry.Awide rangeofwiresandcablesaremanufactured in thecountrywhich includescommunicationcablessuchasjelly filled telephone cables, optic fibre cables, local area network cables,switchboard cables, co-axial cables, VSAT cables, electrical cables such aselectricalwires,windingwires,automotive/batterycables,UPScables, flexiblewires,lowvoltagepowercablesandEHTpowercables.TransmissionTowers:Transmissiontowerssupporthighvoltagetransmission

lineswhichcarryelectricityover longdistance.These lines typically feed intosub-station so that the electrical voltage can be reduced to a level that cansubsequentlybeusedbythecustomers.ThereisanincreasingtrendinIndiatohave larger power stations, particularly mega and ultra-mega power projects.Consequentlywhile therewouldbefewerbut largerpowergeneratingstations,thedemandfortransmissionofenergywouldgrowsubstantially.Cranes: Cranes and hoists are an important category of material handling

equipment required by almost all sectors across the industry. Wide range ofcranes are manufactured in the country and these include Electric OverheadTravelling (EOT) cranes, mobile cranes, ladle cranes, hydraulic decks, crabcranes, floating cranes, controller cranes, etc. There is a good potential forgrowthofthissectorinviewofincreasedindustrialactivitiesinvariousfieldsaswellasconstructionindustry.LiftsandEscalators:Theuseofliftsandescalatorsisincreasingrapidlydue

to substantial investments in construction ofmulti-storied housing complexes,large malls and supermarkets of international standards, modernization ofairportsandrailwaystationsapartfromindustrialsectors.Awiderangeofliftsand escalators are manufactured in India. These include single speed, doublespeed, gearless, hydraulic, servo and Variable Voltage Variable Frequency(VVVF)elevators.Refrigerators: In India, refrigeratorshave thehighestaspirationvalueofall

consumerdurableswiththeexceptionoftelevision.Therefrigeratorindustryhasbecomehighlycompetitive.Anumberofbrandshaveenteredthemarketandtheconsumers have wider choices. There are two basic designs adopted inrefrigeratorspresentlybeingmanufacturedinthecountry.Thesearecommonly

referred to as Direct Cool (DC) and Frost Free (FF). There has been gradualconsumerpreferenceshifttowardsfrostfreesegment.Increasingnumberofdualincome households are shifting the demand from the conventional 180Lrefrigerators to the larger 220L and higher capacity refrigerators with doubledoors.Washing Machines: The washing machine market in the country can be

dividedintosemi-automaticandfully-automatic.Withrisingincomesandhigheraspirations,thereisagradualshift towardshighercapacityandfully-automaticwashing machines. Controls are changing from purely mechanical to fullyelectronicasmicrocontrollersareincorporatedintothedesigns.Whileprovidingintelligence, microcontrollers boost reliability, drive down costs and improveenergyefficiency.Air Conditioners: Air Conditioners (AC) are gradually being treated as a

necessityinchangedsocio-economicenvironmentwithchanginglifestyle.Theair-conditioners’marketcanbeclassifiedintothreesegments:windowAC,splitAC and centralAC.The splitACs are gaining popularity due to limitation ofspaceandincreaseinnumberofpeoplelivinginflatsinmulti-storiedcomplexesandalsobecauseof lessnoise.BureauofEnergyEfficiency(BEE),astatutorybodyunder theMinistry ofPower has introduced energy efficiencybased starrating for air conditioners to help consumers buy the best energy efficientproducts.LeadAcidStorageBatteries:Leadacidbatteriesareaccumulatorsofcurrent

andpowerwhichisdischargedoveraperiodoftime.Theyareusedinvehiclesand also for various industrial uses such as for backup power for UPSapplication,controlrooms,powerstations,telecommunications,etc.Inaddition,itisalsousedforemergencylightsforhouses,telephonesystemsandaspowersource for mining, etc. A new application of lead acid batteries has emergedtoday in electric vehicles. The average life of the battery is approximately 2years,hencethesebatterieswillbeneededasreplacementthroughoutthelifeofthe vehicle or the machinery in use. Although there are few large scalemanufacturers of the product in India, there are large numbers of very smallscale units manufacturing the product in a most unorganized manner. TheproductmanufacturedbythemnormallydoesnotmeettherequiredstandardsasspecifiedbyBIS.Inordertoensuresafedisposalofleadacidbatteries,MinistryofEnvironmentandforesthasissuedanotificationBatteries(ManagementandHandling)Rules,2001underEnvironment(Protection)Act,1986.DryCell Batteries: Dry cell batteries are one of themost commonly used

items. These are the oldest type of batteries which are still being used.

Performance of dry cell batteries has undergone progressive improvementsthroughtechnologicaldevelopments.Newtypesofdrycellbatterieswithlongershelf life and greater dependability and also rechargeable cells have come up.Nickelcadmiumbatteriesandother rechargeablebatteriesaremanufactured inthe country to meet the requirement of defence, telecommunications andelectronics. The growing popularity of cellular phones, laptops and importedtoyscouldopenthemarketforanewrangeofbatteriesthatarenotproducedatpresent.Electrical Lamps and Tubes: Wide range of lamps and tubes are being

manufacturedin thecountrywhichincludegeneral lightingservice lampssuchas incandescentbulbs,halogen lamps,gasdischarge lampssuchas fluorescenttubelight,compactfluorescentlamp,highpressuremercuryvapourlamps,metalhalidelamps,lowpressureandhighpressuresodiumvapourlampsandvarietyofspeciallamps.Thehigherenergycosthaveledtothedevelopmentofenergyefficient lamps consuming less power and giving output as close to daylight.Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) which consume about 20 per cent of theelectricityforthesamelightoutputandlastupto8timeslongerthantheGLSaregettingmorepopular.LEDshaveagreatpotentialtoprovidehighlyefficientlighting with little environmental pollution in comparison to the incandescentlamps(ICLs)andfluorescentlamps(FTLs,CFLs).PenetrationofLEDsinIndiacouldsignificantlyreducelightingloadasalmost22-25percentofelectricityisconsumedforlighting,whichisalsoamajorcontributingfactorofpeakdemand.Duetohighercosts,LEDsarenotverypopulareventhoughitsproductionhasstartedinthecountry.Light Engineering Industry Sector: The light Engineering Industry is a

diverse industry with the number of distinct sectors. This industry includesmother of all industries like castings and forgings to the highly sophisticatedmicro-processor based process control equipment and diagnostic medicalinstruments. This group also includes industries like bearings, steel pipes andtubes, fasteners, etc. The products covered under the engineering industry arelargely used as input to the capital goods industry. Hence the demand of thissectoringeneraldependsonthedemandofthecapitalgoodsindustry.Roller Bearing Industry: Roller bearings are essential components in the

rotating parts of virtually all machines such as automobiles, electric motors,dieselengines,industrialmachineryandmachinetools,etc.Bearingsareusedindiversified fields. Hence, the product range is vast and diversified. Theindigenousmanufacturersaremanufacturingbearingsofqualityandprecisionatpar with world renowned manufacturers in the diversified range of general

purposewherethedemandislargetojustifyindigenousproductiononeconomicconsideration.Bearings,generallyusedforspecialapplicationsthatrequirehightechnology are still being imported. There is a considerable scope fordevelopment of bearings of smaller size and lighter weight with improvedperformanceinharshoperatingconditionslikehighorlowtemperature.FerrousCastings:Ferrouscastingsarepivotaltothegrowthanddevelopment

of engineering industries since these constitute essential intermediates forautomobiles, industrialmachinery,powerplants, chemical and fertilizerplants.Indian foundry industry is the third largest in theworld. This industry is nowwellestablishedinthecountryandisspreadacrossawidespectrumconsistingof large, medium, small and tiny sector. The salient feature of the foundryindustryisitsgeographicalclustering.Typically,eachfoundryclusterisknownfor catering to some specific end use markets. For example, the Coimbatorecluster is famous for pump sets castings, the Kolhapur and Belgaum forautomotive castings, Rajkot cluster for diesel engine castings and Batala andJalandharformachinerypartsandagriculturalimplements.ProcessControlInstrumentIndustry:Processcontrolinstrumentscoverwide

rangeof instrumentsandsystems required formonitoringandmeasurementofphysical,chemicalandbiologicalproperties.Theyareusedformeasurementandcontrol of process variables like pressure, temperature, humidity, liquid level,flow, specific gravity, chemical composition including pH andmany forms ofspectrometry and spectrophotometry. The process control instruments havebecomeanintegralpartofthemodernindustrialactivity.Thisindustryisakeyindustrywhichprovidestoolsforautomation.Theirimportanceissignificantinhighcost, largeandsophisticatedprocess industries like fertilizer, steel,powerplant, refineries, petrochemicals, cement and other process industries. Thepresenttechnologyisamicroprocessorbasedcentralisedcontrolsystem.SeamlessSteelPipesandTubes:Seamlesssteelpipesandtubesareproduced

indifferentsizes.Thewidesizerangemakesthemsuitableforuseinnumberofversatile area of application.The process ofmanufacture imparts strength anddurabilitytothepipesandthuscanbeusedforcorrosion-resistingapplications.Thesepipesarealsousedforaircraft,missileandanti-frictionbearing,ordnance,etc.Ultra-highstrengthandcorrosion-resistantpropertiesmaketheseperfectforoil and gas industry, chemical industry and automobile industry. Oil sectoraccounts for around 60 per cent of the total requirement of seamless pipes.Bearings and boiler sector contribute around 30 per cent of demand. Theindustryisabletomanufacturetubesupto14”outerdiameter.Electrical Resistance Welded (ERW) Steel Pipes and Tubes: Based on the

customers’ requirement, ERW steel pipes and tubes are available in variousqualities,wall thicknessanddiametersof thefinishedpipes.HighperformanceERWsteelpipesandtubespossesshighcorrosionresistance,highdeformability,highstrengthandhightoughness.Thesepipesareusedinfencing,liningpipes,oilcountrytubulars,scaffolding,waterandgasconveyance,etc.TherehasbeentremendousincreaseintheproductionofERWsteelpipesduetohigherdemandin oil and gas industry, infrastructure and automobile uses. There are a largenumberofunitsintheMSMESector.Submerged-Arc Welded (SAW) Pipes: There are two types of SAW pipes

namelylongitudinalandhelicalweldedSAWpipes.LongitudinalSAWpipesarepreferredwherethicknessofpipeismorethan25mmandinhighpressuregaspipeline.HelicalweldedSAWpipesareusedforlowpressureapplications.ThecostofhelicalSAWpipesislessthanlongitudinalpipes.Thereishugedemandof SAW pipes in the country due to transportation of oil and gas andtransmissionofwater.Industrial Fasteners: The fastener industry in India may be classified into

twosegments:hightensileandmildsteelfasteners.Thesebroadlyincludenuts,bolts, studs, rivetsandscrews.Mild steel fastenersareprimarilymanufacturedby the unorganized sector while high tensile fasteners requiring superiortechnology are dominated by companies in the organized sector. Automobileindustry accounts for bulk of the total demand of this industry. Consumerdurablesand railwaysare theotherprimaryusersof thehigh tensile fasteners.Automobilesectorislikelytodrivegrowthinthefastenerindustry.SteelForgings: Forgings are intermediate products usedwidely by original

equipmentmanufacturers in theproductionofdurablegoods.Thecompositionof the Indian forging industry can be categorized into four sectors - large,medium,smallandtiny.Amajorportionofthisindustryismadeupofsmallandmediumunits/enterprises(SMEs).Theindustrywaspreviouslylabourintensivebutwithincreasingglobalizationit isbecomingmorecapitalintensive.Amongthe industries that depend on forgings are automotive; agricultural machineryandequipment;valves, fittings,andpetrochemicalapplications;handtoolsandhardware; off-highway and railroad equipment; general industrial equipment;ordnance, marine and aerospace. The key driver of demand of forging is theautomobileindustry.About65percentofthetotalforgingproductionisusedinthissector.BicycleIndustry:ThebicycleindustryofIndiaisoneofthemostestablished

industries.Indiaisthesecondlargestbicycleproduceroftheworld,nextonlytoChina.Mostof themanufacturingunits are located inPunjabandTamilNadu

withLudhiana (Punjab)beingamajorbicycleproductionhub.The industry ismakinganendeavourforenhancingexportsincethereisasignificantscopeforexport of bicycles, bicycle spare parts and bicycle accessories. Bicyclecompaniesarenowfocusingonurbanmarketsandare lookingtoexpandtheirbaseintheprofessionalandadventurecategories.Food Processing Machinery: The Indian market for food processing

machinery has been growing steadily fuelled by strong domestic demand forprocessed food and beverage products spurred by increase in income level,increasing number of women joining the work force, rapid urbanization,changing life style and mass media promotion. The most promising areas ofgrowth are fruit and vegetable processing, meat, poultry, dairy and seafood,packaged/convenience food, soft drinks andgrainprocessing.Foodprocessingsector is expected to grow at a healthy pace considering the rapid changes infoodhabits and consumerist culture developing in the country.Themachinerymanufacturershavehonedtheirexpertiseinmanufacturingdairymachineryandothercoreequipmentoffoodprocessingmachinery.PackagingMachineryIndustry:Packagingofconsumerproductsorindustrial

products is emerging as theUSP in themarketing strategies.Developments inpackaging technology have not only contributed to improving the aestheticappeal of the products but also the shelf life. In some cases specializedpackaging becomes a technical necessity.Considering the growth prospects inindustrial sectorandgrowingconsumerawarenessofpackaging, it isexpectedthat there would be substantial growth in this area. There is a wide range ofpackagingmachineryavailableinthecountrycoveringpackagingofvastrangeofitems.Someofthecommonlyavailablepackingmachineryincludesmachinesfor codingandon-lineprintingmachines, feedingand labelingmachines, strippackaging, form fill and seal machines, carton filling, fully automatic bagmaking machinery and automatic microprocessor controlled packagingmachines.Water Pollution Control Equipment: Due to growing awareness regarding

waterpollutionandstringentenvironmentalcontrolstandardsbeingenforcedforvarious uses including process industries, the water/waste water treatmentindustry is poised for huge growth. The various categories of water pollutioncontrolequipmentbroadlyincludewastewatertreatmentplants,drinkingwatertreatmentplantsandeffluenttreatmentplants.Water/wastewatertreatmentistheprocess of removing contaminants and it includes physical, chemical andbiologicalprocessestoremovephysical,chemicalandbiologicalcontaminants.Theprimarytreatmentisthefirststepinthetreatmentprocessandinvolvesthe

removalofpollutants that settlesor floats.Thecommon industrial equipmentsare clarifiers and oil - water separator devices. The secondary treatment isdesigned to substantially degrade the biological content of the sewage. Thecommon equipments are activated sludge, filters, biological reactors etc. Thetertiarytreatmentisapolishingsteptoremovecontaminantsthatmissedintheprimary and secondary treatment and removal of suspended solids, refractoryorganics and toxic components. Tertiary physical processes are filtration andcarbon absorption. Chemical process includes precipitation, oxidation andneutralization.The biological processes involve biodegrading.Organisms suchas bacteria, fungi, yeasts and algae are commonly used to break down theorganic matters. The cell tissues are then removed from the treated water byphysicalmethod.Air Pollution Control Equipment: Industrialization and urbanization have

resulted in a profound deterioration of India’s air quality. India’smost severeenvironmental problem, come in several forms, including vehicular emissionsand untreated industrial smoke.Air pollution, especially inmetropolitan citiesand large towns has assumed great significancewith the adoption of stringentenvironmental control standards for various industries. Hence the pollutioncontrol equipment industry has acquired importance. Further judicialpronouncementshavegivenadefinitedirectionandurgencyforadoptionofairpollution control measures. The choice of control method depends on factorssuchasthenatureofpollutant,flow-rate(amountofpollutantemitted),particlesizeanddesiredcollectionefficiency.Theairpollutioncontrolequipmentsarebroadly classified under the categories such as settling chambers, cyclone andmulti -cyclones, bag filters, wet scrubbers, spray tower, venturi scrubber,ionizingscrubberandelectrostaticprecipitator.IndustrialGears: Industrial gears comprises mainly gears and gear boxes.

Gearsareusedfortwobasicpurposes:increaseordecreaseofrotationspeedandincrease or decrease of power or torque. Gears being an important part of amachinehaveimmenseusagewithinvariousindustries.Theseindustriesincludeautomotiveindustries,coalplantsindustry,steelplantsindustry,paperindustry,in mining and many more. In these industries they behold a wide area ofapplication.Theyareusedinconveyors,elevators,kilns,separators,cranesandlubrication systems.Gearbox is defined as ametal casing inwhich a train ofgearsissealed.Themanufactureofgearsandgearboxesinvolvehighprecisionmachining and accurate assembly as mechanical power is to be transmittednoiselesslyandwithminimumlosses.Differenttypesandsizesofgearssuchasspur gears, helical gears, worm gears, spiral gears and many other kinds are

manufactured in the country. The demand for gears and gear boxespredominantlydependonthegrowthofindustrialmachinery,machinetools,andconsumer and automobile sector. Considering the industrial growth prospects,particularly in automobile sector, the demand for gears and gear boxes isexpectedtogrowatahealthypace.Wood-basedIndustry: Plywood, veneers of all kinds and otherwood based

productssuchasparticleboard,mediumdensityfibreboard,etc.,formthemajorsegment of this industry in India. The industry comes under the delicencedcategory.WatchIndustry:Thewatchindustryinthecountrycomprisesunitsbothinthe

organizedaswellasthesmallscalesector.Theorganizedsectorcontributes40per cent of the total demandwhile the rest is met by the unorganized sector.Mostofthewatchesarebeingmanufacturedundertheelectronicsystem.

CentralPublicSectorEnterprisesThe Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, comprising the

Department of Heavy Industry and the Department of Public Enterprises,functions under the charge of Cabinet Minister (Heavy Industries and PublicEnterprises). There is a Minister of State for Heavy Industries and PublicEnterprises.TheMinistrypromotesthedevelopmentandgrowthofthreesectorsi.e., capital goods, auto and heavy electrical equipment in the country;administers 31 Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs); 5 AutonomousOrganizationsandframespolicyguidelinesforCentralPublicSectorEnterprises(CPSEs) and overall administration of CPSEs. In fulfilling its role, theDepartment coordinates with other ministries, CPSEs and concernedorganizations. Some of the important tasks of the Department are listed asfollows: coordination of matters of general policy affecting all public sectorenterprises; evaluation and monitoring the performance of public sectorenterprises, including theMemorandum ofUnderstandingmechanism;mattersrelatingtoPermanentMachineryofArbitrationforsuchenterprises;counselling,trainingandrehabilitationofemployeesinCPSUs,renderingadvicerelatingtorevival, restructuring or closure of public sector enterprises including themechanisms; and categorisation of central public sector enterprises includingconferring‘Ratna’status.Websites:www.dhi.nic.inwww.dpe.gov.in

Micro,SmallandMediumEnterprisesTheMicro,SmallandMediumEnterprises(MSME)sectorhasemergedasa

http://www.dhi.nic.in

http://www.dpe.gov.in

highly vibrant and dynamic sector of the Indian economy over the last fivedecades. MSMEs not only play crucial role in providing large employmentopportunitiesatcomparateivelylowercapitalcostthanlargeindustriesbutalsohelp in industrialization of rural& backward areas, thereby, reducing regionalimbalances,assuringmoreequitabledistributionofnationalincomeandwealth.MSMEsarecomplementarytolargeindustriesasancillaryunitsandthissectorcontributes enormously to the socio-economic development of the country.MinistryofMicro,Small&MediumEntyerprisesenvisionsavibrantsectorbypromotinggrowthanddevelopmentof thesector, includingKhadi,VillageandCoir Industries, in cooperation with concerned ministries/ departments, stategovernments and other stakeholders, through providing support to existingenterprisesandencouragingcreationofnewenterprises.

TheMicro,SmallandMediumEnterprisesDevelopment(MSMED)Actwasnotified in 2006 to address policy issues affecting MSMEs as well as thecoverage and investment ceiling of the sector. TheAct provides the first-everlegalframeworkforrecognitionoftheconceptof“enterprise”whichcomprisesbothmanufacturing and service entities. It definesmedium enterprises for thefirst time and seeks to integrate the three tiers of these enterprises, namely,micro, small and medium. The Act also provides for a statutory consultativemechanismat thenational levelwithbalanced representationofall sectionsofstakeholders,particularlythethreeclassesofenterprises;andwithawiderangeofadvisoryfunction.

In2007,subsequenttoanamendmentoftheGovernmentofIndia(AllocationofBusiness)Rules,1961,erestwhileMinistryofSmallScaleIndustriesandtheMinistry of Agro and Rural Industries were merged to form the Ministry ofMicro,SmallandMediumEnterprises.ThisMinistrynowdesignspoliciesandpromotes/facilitates programmes, projects and schemes and monitors theirimplementationwithaviewtoassistingMSMEsandhelpthemtoscaleup.TheprimaryresponsibilityofpromotionanddevelopmentofMSMEsisofthestategovernments.However,theGovernmentofIndia,supplementstheeffortsofthestatesthroughvariousinitiatives.TheroleoftheMinistryanditsorganizationsisto assist the states in their efforts to encourage entrepreneurship, employmentandlivelihoodopportunitiesandenhancethecompetitivenessofMSMEsinthechangedeconomicscenario.Website:www.msme.gov.in

NumberofMSMEsAspertheNationalSampleSurvey(NSS)73rdround,conductedbyNational

http://www.msme.gov.in

SampleSurveyOffice,in2015-16,therewere633.88lakhunincorporatednon-agriculture MSMEs, in the country engaged in different economic activitiesexcluding theMSMEs registered under (a) Sections 2 m(i) and 2m(ii) of theFactories Act, 1948, (b) Companies Act, 1956 and (c) Construction activitiesfallingunderSectionFofNationalIndustrialClassification(NIC)2008.

KhadiandVillageIndustriesCommissionKhadiandVillageIndustriesCommission(KVIC)establishedundertheAct

ofParliament(No.61of1956),andasamendedin1987and2006isastatutoryorganization under the Ministry of MSME and engaged in promoting anddeveloping Khadi and Village Industries (KVI) for providing employmentopportunitiesintheruralareas,therebystrengtheningtheruraleconomy.KVIChasbeenidentifiedasoneofthemajororganizationsinthedecentralizedsectorforgeneratingsustainablenon-farmemploymentopportunitiesinruralareasatalowper capita investment.KVICundertakes activities like skill improvement;transfer of technology; research and development;marketing etc. and helps ingeneratingemployment/selfemploymentopportunitiesinruralareas.Website:www.kvic.org.in

CoirBoardTheCoirBoardisastatutorybodyestablishedunder theCoirIndustryAct,

1953forpromotingoveralldevelopmentof thecoir industryand improvementofthelivingconditionsoftheworkersengagedinthistraditionalindustry.Thefunctions of theBoard for the development of coir industry inter-alia, includeundertaking scientific, technological and economic research and developmentactivities;collectionofstatisticsrelatingtoexportsandinternalconsumptionofcoirandcoirproducts;developmentofnewproductsanddesigns;publicityforpromotionofexportsandinternalsales;marketingofcoirandcoirproducts inIndiaandabroad;preventingunfaircompetitionamongproducersandexporters;assisting in the establishment of units for the manufacture of products;promoting cooperative organisations among producers of husk, coir fibre, coiryarn and manufacturers of coir products; ensuring remunerative returns toproducersandmanufacturers,etc.Website:www.coirboard.gov.in

TextilesTheIndiantextilesindustryisoneofthelargestintheworldwithalargeraw

materialbaseandmanufacturingstrengthacrossthevaluechain.Theuniqueness

http://www.kvic.org.in

http://www.coirboard.gov.in

oftheindustryliesinitsstrengthbothinthehand-wovensectoraswellasinthecapital intensive mill sector. The mill sector, with 3400 textile mills havinginstalled capacity of more than 50 million spindles and 842000 rotors is thesecond largest in theworld.Traditional sectors likehandloom,handicrafts andsmallscalepower-loomunitsarethebiggestsourceofemploymentformillionsofpeopleinruralandsemiurbanarea.Thetextileindustryhasinherentlinkgagewith agriculture, culture and traditions of the countrymaking for its versatilespread of products appropriate for both domestic and the exportmarkets. Thetextile industrycontributes to7percentof industryoutput invalue termsof2percentofIndia’sGDPandto15percentofthecountry’sexportearnings.Withover 45 million people employed directly, this industry is one of the largestsourcesofemploymentgenerationinthecountry.

In keeping with goal of making India’s development inclusive andparticipative, the government’s central focus has been on increasing textilemanufacturing by building the best-in-class manufacturing infrastructure,upgradationoftechnologyfosteringinnovation,enhancingskillsandtraditionalstrengthsinthetextilesector.Website:www.texmein.nic.inIndiaHandloomBrand:IndianhandloomshaveworldwiderecognitionthroughIndiaHandloomBrand(IHB)whichguaranteeshighquality,authentichandloomitemsmadewithorganicsubstance.Ithaspartneredwith100retailstorestosellthe exclusive IHB items from their stores. 25 retail stores across India havestarted operations. 23 garment manufacturers are working with the IHBproducers for sourcing the fabrics from IHB registered weavers and havedesigned and launched a separate range of garments. Leading garment brandshavebeenworkingwith IHB in bringingout a separate rangeof garment lineusing handlooms. BIBA, Peter England, ONAYA have already launched aseparate range of handloom garments. In order to provide direct marketingplatformtohandloomweavers/artisans,21leadinge-commercecompanieshavebeenengagedforon-linemarketingofhandloomproducts.

SilkSilkintheIndiansubcontinentisaluxuryitem.InIndia,about97percentof

the raw mulberry silk is produced in the five states of Karnataka, AndhraPradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Jammu and Kashmir. Three othercommerciallyimportanttypesofsilkfallintothecategoryofnon-mulberrysilksnamely:eri;tasar;andmuga.

http://www.texmein.nic.in

CottonCotton is one of the most important cash crops in India and the country

accountsforaround25percentof thetotalglobalfibreproduction.Intherawmaterial consumption basket of the Indian textile industry, the proportion ofcottonisaround59percent.Cottonsustainsthelivelihoodofanestimated5.8million cotton farmers and 40- 50million people engaged in related activitiessuchascottonprocessingandtrade.Indiahasthelargestareaundercottonintheworldwitharound105lakhhectaresundercottoncultivationwhichisaround35percentoftheworldarea.Tosupportthecottonindustry,GovernmentofIndiaannounces Minimum Support Price (MSP) for two basic staples groups viz.,medium staple and long staple cotton. Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), aPublicSectorUndertakingundertheTextileMinistry,istheprincipalagencyofGovernmentofIndiaforundertakingMSPoperationsintheeventofprevailingseedcotton(kapas)pricetouchingtheMSPlevel.

JuteIndiaisthelargestproducerofjuteintheworldwithanaverageproduction

ofabout80lakhbalesofrawjuteannually.TheGovernmentofIndiaprovidessupport to the jute growers not only through MSP operation by the JuteCorporationofIndiabutalso throughdirectpurchaseof jutesackingvaluedataround₹ 6000 crore annually for packing foodgrains by invoking provisionsunder the JutePackagingMaterial (CompulsoryUse inPackingCommodities)Act,1987.This isamajorsupportnotonly to the jutefarmersbutalso to jutemill workers. A software platform “Jute-SMART” (Jute Sacking SupplyManagement & Requisition Tool) was implemented for procurement of jutesacking from2016.Through this software,different stategovernmentagenciesareprocuring jutebagsofaround27.0 to30.0 lakhbales (68.0percentof thetotal production of jute goods) annually valued at about.₹ 7,000 crores. Thisplatform isanexcellentexampleofe-Governancewheremultiplestakeholdersare on the same platform managing the complex transactions relating toprocumentofjutesackinginatransparentandfairmannerforanumberofstategovernmentsfromanumberofjutemillsinvolvingvariousintermediaries.Jute-ICAREhasbeenlaunchedforincreasingtheincomeofjutefarmersbyatleast50percentthroughpromotionofcertifiedseeds,betteragronomicpracticesanduseofmicrobialrettingofthejuteplant.

WoolFor the holistic growth of the wool sector, theMinistry formulated a new

integrated formulated a new integrated programme i.e. Integrated WoolDevelopment Programme, (IWDP). The programme is to be implementedthroughCentralWoolDevelopment Board inmajorwool producting states innextthreeyears.AprogrammefordevelopmentofPashminasectorinJ&Kwasannounced.

TechnicalTextilesTechnical textilesare thefutureof the textiles industry.Hightenacityfibers

are thelightestandtoughestfabricsyet.Theyhaveavarietyofapplications inautomobile,aerospace,architectureandbuilding,occupationaltherapy,sportandapparel industries etc. Eleven Focus Incubation Centres (FICs) have beenestablished on plug and play model, five in COEs and six in IITs (Delhi,Bombay,KanpurandKharagpur)inordertohelpthepotentialentrepreneurstoenterintotechnicaltextiles.44demonstrationcentresinNorth-East(NE)Regionand9DemonstrationCenters inRest of India havebeen set up for promotingusage of agro textiles. Textiles Research Associations (TRA) has developedcarbonfibrebasedspacecommunicationsystem.Lowcostmodulartoiletsusingjutefibreshavebeendeveloped.

ImpetustothePowerloomSectorThepowerloomsectorispredominantlyanunorganisedsectorandhasmany

microandsmallunits-with24.86lakhpowerloomsproducing57percentofthetotalclothinthecountry.Withaviewtoenhancequalityandproductivityofthepowerloom, the Government launched IN SITU upgradation of plainpowerlooms as part of PowerTex India under which plain powerlooms areattachedwith process control equipment leading to higher productivity, betterqualityandmorethan50percentadditionalvaluerealisation.

NewInitiativesWeavers’MudraScheme:Weavers’MudraSchemewaslaunchedtoprovide

concessional credit to the handloom weavers. MarginMoney Assistance to amaximumof₹10,000perweaverandcreditguaranteeforaperiodof3yearsisalsoprovided.e-DhagaApp:GovtofIndialaunchedEnterpriseResourcePlanningSystem

(ERP)ande-DhagamobileAppin2016tobringefficiencyinservicedeliverytothehandloomweaversandhelpthemtoaccessinformationon24x7basis.TheApp is available in 10 languages-Hindi, English, Assamese, Odiya, Kannada,Tamil,Telugu,Malayalam,UrduandBangla.

BunkarMitraHelp Line: To provide a single point of contact to handloomweavers for their professional queries “BunkarMitra” -Helpline 18002089988for handloom weavers was launched in 2017. This service is available from10:00 AM to 06:00 P.M on all 7 days in a week in seven languages: Hindi,English,Tamil,Telugu,Bengali,KannadaandAssamese.MoUwithFinancialCorporations:MoUwassignedwithNationalBackward

Classes Finance Development Corporation (NBCFDC) and National ScheduleCastes Finance Development Corporation (NSFDC) to implement schemes ofGovernment of India for OBC and SC artisans and weavers in 14 identifiedclusters with necessary forward linkages for income sustainability andenhancement.Educationalfacilitiestothechildrenofhandloomweavers:Memorandumsof

Understanding was signed with Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU) and National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) to providecustomizededucationalservicetotheweaversforwhichMinistryprovides75%ofthefeeincaseofSC,ST,BPLandWomenweaverfamilies.

ArtisanHelplineNo18002084800waslaunchedin2017insevenlanguages-Hindi,English,Kannada,Assamese,Bengali,TamilandTelugu.HastkalaSahyogShivirs:HastkalaSahyogShivirsforhandloomweaversand

handicraft artisans are organized across the country.Various activities such asdisbursalofMUDRAloan,supplyoflooms,accessoriesandtoolkitstoweaversand artisans, issue of Pehchan IDCards, yarn passbooks, enrolment of familymemberofweaversunderIGNOUandNIOS,awarenessprogrammesonGST,GI,BunkarMitrahelplineandabouttheschemesofHandloomsandHandicraftsDepartmentsoftheGovernmentwereorganizedintheshivirs.

SteelTheMinistry of Steel, is responsible for planning and development of iron

andsteel industry,developmentofessential inputssuchas ironore, limestone,dolomite manganese ore, chromites, ferro-alloys, sponge iron etc, and otherrelatedfunctions.Crudesteelproductionhasshownasustainedrisesince2013-14alongwithcapacity.

Thisindustryhasbeenacorepillarofindustrialdevelopmentinthecountry.India’scrudesteelcapacityhassteadilyrisento142MTatpresentandIndiahasbecome the world’s second largest producer of steel (-111 MT crude steelproduction in 2018). A vibrant domestic steel industry is important for adeveloping economy as it is a critical input across major sectors such as

construction, infrastructure, automotive, capital goods, defence, rail, etc. Steelhas also been proven to be a driver for prompt environmentally sustainableeconomic development due to its recyclable nature and faster associatedcompletion times. The steel sector is also pivotal for a nation due to drivingemploymentgenerationandeconomicgrowth. Ithasamultiplicativeeffectonthe economy stemming from both direct and associated effects on the supplychainandconsumptionindustries.Website:www.steel.gov.in

GlobalRankingofIndianSteelThe consistent growth in production has ensured that India remains a

dominant player in the global steel industry. Out of a total global crude steelproductionof1,241MT(duringJanuary-August2019,upby4.4percent),Indiawasthe2ndlargestcrudesteelproducer(75.69MT)witha6.1percentshareintotalworld production and a 4.4 per cent growth in production over the sameperiodof2018.Chinaproduced664.87mtofcrudesteelduringthisperiodandremained the largest crude steel producer in theworld, accounting for 75 percentofAsianproductionand54percentofworldcrudesteelproduction.

NationalSteelPolicyThe National Steel Policy (NSP) was launched in 2017 to ensure that the

Indian steel sector is prepared to service the growing requirements ofmodernIndiaandtopromoteahealthysustainablegrowthforthesector.TheNSPwasdefined with the vision to create a technologically advanced and globallycompetitivesteel industry thatpromoteseconomicgrowth.Thepolicyoutlinedkey objectives for the steel sector and laid down multiple initiatives for theindustry.Key featuresof theNSP2017 includeestablishing self-sufficiency insteel production by providing policy support and guidance to privatemanufacturers, MSME steel producers and CPSEs. It encourages capacityadditions,developmentofgloballycompetitivesteelmanufacturingcapabilitiesaswell as cost-efficientproductionby facilitatingdomestic availabilityof ironore,cokingcoalandnaturalgas,aswellasoverseasassetacquisitionsof raw-materials. To support the sector, it also promotes initiatives to enhance thedomesticsteeldemand.

The policy projects crude steel capacity of 300 million tonnes (MT),productionof255MTandarobustfinishedsteelpercapitaconsumptionof160kg by 2030-31, as against the current consumption of 74 kg. The policy alsoenvisages 100 per cent indigenous fulfilment of demand for high grade

http://www.steel.gov.in

automotive steel, electrical steel, special steels and alloys for strategicapplications alongwith an increase in domestic availability ofwashed cokingcoalsoastoreducejmrjordependenceoncokingcoalfromabout85percenttoaround65percentby2030-31.

KeyInitiativesTheMinistry has initiated actionon several initiatives to operationalize the

actionsenlistedintheNationalSteelPolicy.Inaddition,anintegratedsteelhubis being set up in Eastern India thatwill act as a pilot location for several oftheseinitiatives.Theinitiativesinclude:Purvodaya

The eastern states of India (Odisha, Jharkhand,WestBengal, Chhattisgarh,and Northern Andhra Pradesh) are home to 80 per cent of the Indian ironreserves.Additionallytheyhaveaccesstoimportantlogisticinfrastructuresuchas ports, inland waterways and slurry pipelines. Therefore, for the envisagedexpansionofIndiansteelsector,theEasternhubwillserveastheenginedrivingthegrowthofthesteelsector.Atthesametime,thiswillhelpdriveinvestments,employmentandimprovethestandardoflivingforthepeopleintheseSteelwillthusbeamajordriverforthedevelopmentoftheseregions.

Therefore,a flagship initiative -Purvodayawasenvisaged foran integratedsteel hub in the Eastern states. It will drive best in class capacity creation,augment value addition and boost competiveness through the setting up ofGreenfield steel plants, clusters, capital goods and requisite logisticsinfrastructure. It will act as a pilot location tor strategic initiatives beingundertakenbytheministryofSteelandwillinvolveclosecoordinationbetweenvariousministriesofthecentralgovernmentandthestategovernment–aprocesswhichhasalreadybeenkick-started.

MakeinSteelSteel consumption study across countries reveals a dynamic relationship

betweenagivennation’sstageofeconomicdevelopmentanditspatternofsteelconsumption. Steel consumption rises rapidly during infrastructure buildingphase, steadiesduringcapacitybuildingandplateausduringexpertisebuildingphase. India is on the cusp of rapid development in its infrastructure buildingphaseandgiven theproposed₹100 lakhcrorespend in infrastructure, India’ssteel demand has massive potential to grow. The Ministry is thereforeundertaking several initiatives to enable increase in steel intensity across keysectors:

IspatiIradatoencouragesteelusage:Thisisacollaborativebrandingcampaignwith theobjectiveofpromoting thebenefitsofsteelusage invarious facetsofnationbuildingandhowitimpactsthelivesofcitizensinthecountry.Roads:Aspartof thedrive to improveusageofconcreteroads in thecountry,theMinistryisevaluatingguidelinemodificationstomakelifecyclecostanalysismandatory. Additionally, implementation of IRC (Indian Roads Congress)guidelinesforimplementationforcrashbarrierinstallationisbeingpursued.Bridges:Steeloffersmultipleadvantagesonalifecyclecostcriteriaforbridgesand theyoffer a significant opportunity to drive up steel usage in the country.Pursuant to this, the Ministry is evaluating guideline modification to makelifecycle cost analysis mandatory. Additionally, the inclusion of steel bridgedesignsinMoRTHguidelinesisalsobeingpursued.Commercial and residential construction: To enable increase in steel usageacrosscommercialandresidentialbuildings,theMinistryisevaluatingchangesacrossGeneralFinancialRules(GFR),buildingcodesaswellasscheduledrates.Low CostMass Housing: To promote the usage of steel in low cost housingespeciallythroughpre-fabstructures,theMinistryispursuingBIScodechangesinIS801–Designchangesforpre-fabsteeldesigns.Boost domesticmanufacturing through theDMI&SPPolicy:Ministry of SteelhasamendedtheDomesticallyManufacturedIron&SteelProductsProcurementPolicy (DMI&SP) in order to increase domestic sourcing of iron and steelproductsbygovernmentagencies.Throughthispolicy,steelimportsworthmorethan₹15,000cr.havesofarbeenavoided.Steelcapacity

As demand increases, ensuring a self-sufficient steel ecosystem willnecessitatefurthersteelcapacityadditionandvalueadditioninthecountry.TheMinistryhasinitiatedworkontwokeyinitiativestoenablethis:FrameworkforestablishinglargeGreenfieldsteelplants:Inordertoachievetheenvisionedincreaseinsteelcapacity,itwouldbeimperativetoenablesetupofGreenfield steelplants. Inorder to facilitate this, theMinistry isworkingwithvarious stakeholders towards designing a guiding framework to create amorefavourable environment for Greenfield investments in the sector through areductionofprojectriskforinvestors.Policyforsettingupsteelclusters:Smallersteelproducersareacrucialpartofthe Indian steel ecosystem.They are an important component to create value-additioninthesteelecosystem.Withinthiscontext,theMinistryisworkingona

draftpolicytopromotegrowthofsmallersteelproducersthroughtheformationofclusters.

FertilizersDepartment of Fertilizers comes under the ambit ofMinistry ofChemicals

andFertilizers.ThemainobjectiveoftheDepartmentistoensureadequateandtimelyavailabilityoffertilizersataffordablepricesformaximizingagriculturalproduction in the country. The main functions of the Department includeplanning, promotion and development of the fertilizers industry, planning andmonitoringofproduction,importanddistributionoffertilizersandmanagementof financial assistance by way of subsidy/concession for indigenous andimportedfertilizers.

The Department has one attached office under it, viz., Fertilizers IndustryCoordinationCommittee (FICC). It also administers 9 Fertilizer Public SectorUndertakings(PSUs).

Agriculture which accounts for about one seventh of the GDP, providessustenance to nearly two-third of our population, Besides, it provides crucialbackward and forward linkages to the rest of economy. Successive five-yearPlans have laid emphasis on self-sufficiency and self-reliance in food grainproduction and concerted efforts in this direction have resulted in substantialincrease in agriculture production and productivity. In meeting the domesticrequirement of food grains and also generating exportable surpluses, thesignificantroleplayedbychemicalfertilizersiswellrecognized.Website:www.fert.nic.in

TheDepartmentofFertilizershastakenvariousinitiativestoaugmentgrowthofthesector.Theseinitiativesaimatworkinginthedirectionofpro-motingtheindigenousproductionoffertilizers,andmakingthemavailabletothefarmersintime.NewUreaPolicy

TheNewUreaPolicy-2015wasnotifiedwith theobjectivesofmaximizingindigenousureaproduction;promotingenergyefficiencyinureaproduction;andrationalizingsubsidyburdenonthegovernment.Itisexpectedthatthedomesticurea sector would become globally competitive in terms of energy efficiencyover a period of three years. On the basis of actual energy consumption andpresetnorms, theunitshavebeendividedintothreegroupsandrevisedenergyconsumptionnormshavebeenfixedfornextthreefinancialyears.Itwilldriveurea units to select better technology and different measure to reduce energy

http://www.fert.nic.in

consumption. The higher energy efficiency due to thesemeasureswill reducesubsidybill.NeemCoatingofUrea

Neemcoatingofurea(NCU)hasbeenmademandatoryforalltheindigenousproducers.SinceNCUcannotbeused for industrialpurposes, illegaldiversionofsubsidizedureatonon-agriculturalusewouldnotbepossible.Bycurbingthisillegaldiversionofurea fornon-agriculturalpurposes, thegovernmentaims topreventsubsidyleakages.NewInvestmentPolicy

NewInvestmentPolicywaslaunchedin2013tofacilitatefreshinvestmentinurea sector and tomake India self sufficient in it. Further an amendmentwasbrought in to give benefits to only those unitswhose production startswithinfiveyearsfromtheamendment.Subsidywillbegivenonlyupondomesticsaleas at present for a period of 8 years from the date of start of production.Thereafter,theunitswillbegovernedbytheureapolicyprevalentatthattime.

PublicSectorUndertakingsFertilizerCorporationofIndiaLimited

Incorporated in 1961, FCIwas re-organized alongwithNational FertilizersCorporation Ltd (NFCL) from 1978 into five companies namely, FCI, NFL,Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd. (HFCL), Rashtriya Chemicals andFertilizers Ltd. (RCFL) and Projects and Development India Ltd. (PDIL).Following re-organisation, FCI comprised four units located at Sindri(Jharkhand), Gorakhpur (Uttar Pradesh), Ramagundam (Andhra Pradesh) andTalcher (Odisha), with a total annual capacity of 5.87 lakh MT of nitrogenbesidesanabandonedprojectatKorbe(Chhattisgarh).Website:www.fertcorpindia.nic.in

HindustanFertilizerCorporationLimitedTheHindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFCL) was incorporated in

1978asaresultof thereorganizationof theerstwhileFertilizerCorporationofIndia Limited (FCIL), and NFL Group of Companies. The HFCL comprisedBarauni Unit (Bihar), Durgapur Unit and Haldia Project (West Bengal) andNamrupUnit (Assam). TheNamrupUnitwas hived off from 2002 to form aseparateentitywiththenameofBrahmaputraValleyFertilizerCorporationLtd(BVFCL).

http://www.fertcorpindia.nic.in

RashtriyaChemicalsandFertilizersLimitedRashtriya Chemicals and Fertilisers Limited (RCF) was incorporated as a

separatecompanyin1978asaresultofreorganizationoftheerstwhileFertilizerCorporationofIndiaLimited.Atthetimeofitsformation,thecompanyhadonlyone operating unit at Trombay (near Mumbai) and two major projects underimplementation viz. Trombay-IV and Trombay-V expansion. The gas basedThal-Vaishet fertilizer complex about 100 kms from Trombay, was laterimplementedbyRCFanditcommencedcommercialproductionin1985.Website:www.rcfltd.com

NationalFertilizersLimitedNational FertilizersLimited (NFL)was incorporated in 1974 for setting up

twonitrogenousplants,atBathinda(Punjab)andPanipat(Haryana)withLSHSasfeestock,eachhavingureaproductioncapacityof5.11lakhMTperannum.Consequent upon the reorganization of the FCI, the Nangal Unit (includingNangalExpansionProject)ofFCIwasalsotransferredtoNFLin1978.Website:www.nationalfertilizers.com

ProjectsandDevelopmentIndiaLimitedProjectsandDevelopmentIndiaLimited(PDIL),anerstwhiledivisionofthe

FertilizersCorporationof Indiawas registeredasa separatecompany in1978.ThecompanyhasitsregisteredofficeatNoida,UttarPradesh.Website:www.pdilin.com

FertilizersandChemicalsTravancoreLimitedFertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited (FACL)was incorporated in

1943.In1947,FACLstartedproductionofammoniumsulphatewithaninstalledcapacityof50,000MTperannumatUdyogamandal,nearCochin(nowKochi).In 1980, FACLbecame a PSU and towards the end of 1982, theGovernmentbecamethemajorshareholder.Fromamodestbeginning,FACLhasgrownanddiversifiedintoamulti-division,multifunctionorganizationwithbasicinterestinmanufacture and marketing of fertilisers and petro-chemicals, engineeringconsultancyanddesignandinfabricationanderectionofindustrialequipment.Website:www.fact.co.in

MadrasFertilizersLimitedMadrasFertilizersLimited(MFL)wasincorporatedin1906asajointventure

betweenGOI andAMOCO India Incorporation ofUSA (AMOCO)withGOI

http://www.rcfltd.com

http://www.nationalfertilizers.com

http://www.pdilin.com

http://www.fact.co.in

holding 51 per cent of the equity share capital in 1985, AMOCO disinvestedtheir shares,whichwerepurchasedbyGOIandNIOC in their respectivepro-portionsin1985.Therevisedshareholdingpatternwas:GOI67.55percentandNIOC32.45percent.Website:www.madrasfert.nic.in

BrahmaputraValleyFertilizerCorporationLimitedBrahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL) has two

operating units at Namrup, Assam. Its corporate office is also situated atNamrup.Theotherestablishmentsof thecompanyare liaisonofficesatNoidaandKolkataandmarketingofficesatGuwahati,SiliguriandPatna.Website:www.bvfcl.com

FCI-AravaliGypsumandMineralsIndiaLimitedFCI-AravaliGypsumandMineralsIndiaLimitedwasincorporatedunderthe

CompaniesAct,1956asapublic sectorundertaking in2003afterbeinghivedoff theJodhpurMiningOrganization(JMO)ofFertilizersCorporationofIndiaLimited(FCIL).Website:www.fagmil.nic.in

ChemicalsandPetrochemicalsTheDepartmentofChemicalsandPetrochemicalswasundertheMinistryof

Industryuntil1989,when itwasbroughtunder theMinistryofPetroleumandChemicals. In 1991, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals wastransferred to the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The Department isentrustedwiththeresponsibilityofplanning,developmentandregulationsofthechemicals,petrochemicalsandpharmaceutical industrysector, inducting:drugsandpharmaceuticals,excludingthosespecificallyallottedtootherdepartments;insecticidesexcludingtheaministrationoftheInsecticidesAct,1968;molasses;alcohol - industrial and potable from the molasses route; all organic andinorganicchemicalsnotspecificallyallottedtoanyotherministryordepartment;petrochemicals; synthetic rubber; planning, development and control of, andassistanceto,allindustriesdealtwithbytheDepartment.Website:www.chemicals.nic.in

ChemicalsandPetrochemicalsIndustryThe chemical and petrochemical industry is a knowledge and capital

intensiveindustry.ItisanintegralconstituentofthegrowingIndianIndustry.It

http://www.madrasfert.nic.in

http://www.bvfcl.com

http://www.fagmil.nic.in

http://www.chemicals.nic.in

includes basic chemicals and its products, petrochemicals, fertilizers, paints,varnishes,gases,soaps,perfumesandtoiletryandpharmaceuticals.Thisindustryoccupiesapivotalpositioninmeetingbasicneedsandimprovingqualityoflife.The industry is themainstay of industrial and agricultural development of thecountryandprovidesbuildingblocksforseveraldownstreamindustries,suchastextiles,papers,paints,soaps,detergents,pharmaceuticals,varnish,etc.

IndiaproducesalargenumberoffineandspecialityChemicals,whichhavevery specific uses and find wide usage as food additives, pigments, polymeradditives and anti-oxidants in the rubber industry, etc. In the chemical sector,100 per cent FDI is permissible. Manufacture of most of the chemical andpetrochemical products is delicensed. The entrepreneurs need to submit anIndustrial Entrepreneurs’Memorandum (IEM) to theDepartment of IndustrialPolicy and Promotion provided no locational angle is applicable. Only thefollowing items are covered in the compulsory licensing list because of theirhazardous nature:- hydrocyanic acid and its derivatives; phosgene and itsderivatives;andisocynatesanddi-isocynatesofhydrocarbons.

Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals is implementing the threeschemesunder theNationalPolicyonPetrochemicals:- (i)settingupofplasticparks; (ii) settingupofCentresofEcellence inPolymerTechnology; and (iii)national awards for technology innovation in petrochemical and downstreamplasticprocessingindustry.

PetroleumChemicalandPetrochemicalInvestmentRegionsThe Petroleum Chemical and Petrochemical Investment Regions (PCPIR)

Policy, is to promote the petroleum chemical and petrochemical sector in anintegrated and environmental friendly manner on a large scale. The policydocument put in place in 2007 is also available on the web site of thedepartment.www.chemicals.nic.in

HindustanOrganicChemicalsLimitedHindustan Organic Chemicals Limited (HOCL) was incorporated in 1960

with the objective of attaining self-reliance in basic organic chemicals. Thecompany has two manufacturing units located at Rasayani (Maharashtra) andKochi (Kerala). The Rasayani unit (Phenol Complex) commenced productionfrom1987-88.HOCL is the solemanufacturerof strategically importantN2O4(DinitrogenTetroxide)inIndiawhichissuppliedbythecompanytoISROforitssatelliteslaunchingprogramme.HOCLhasasubsidiarycompanyM/sHindustanFluorocarbons Limited (HFL) located at Rudraram, Telangana, which

http://www.chemicals.nic.in

manufacturesPoly tetrafluroethylene(PTFE),ahightechengineeringplastic,andchlorodi-fluoromethane(CFM-22).Website:www.hoclindia.com

HindustanInsecticidesLimitedHindustan Insecticide Limited (HIL) was incorporated in 1954 for

manufacture and supply of DDT. In 1957, the company set up a factory atUdyogmandal, Kerala, for manufacture of DDT and in 1977 at Rasayani,Maharashtra,formanufactureofMalathion,aninsecticideThethirdunitofHILwassetupatBhatinda,Punjab,in2003.RasayaniandUdyogmandalPlantshaveboth DDT manufacturing and agrochemical manufacturing facilities whileBathindahasonlyformulationsmanufacturingandpackagingfacility.

HIListhesolesupplierofDDTtotheNationalVectorBorneDiseaseControlProgramme(NVBDCP)oftheMinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfare,Govt.ofIndia. DDT accounts for almost 50 per cent of the company’s turnover. Thecompany exports DDT to some African countries and other products likemalathionandmancozebtocountrieslikeBrazilandArgentina.HILdiversifiedinto agro chemicals in the late 1970s to ensure supply of quality pesticides atreasonable prices to the agricultural sector and has a range of technical andformulation grade pesticides. To further consolidate its position, it has alsoventured into the seed business. It has got the status of National Level SeedAgency (NLA) from theUnionMinistry of Agriculture and is producing andsupplying seeds under Govt. sponsored schemes like National Food SecurityMission (NFSM), National Mission on Oilseed and Oil Palm (NMOOP) andMission on Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH). In addition,companyhasdiversifiedintofertilizersegmentaswelltoprovideasinglestopwindowfortherangeofagricultureinputsi.e.,pesticides,seedsandfertilizers.Website:www.hil.gov.in

HindustanFlourocarbonsLtdHindustan Fluorocarbons Ltd. (HFL), a subsidiary company of Hindustan

Organic Chemicals Ltd. (HOCL), was incorporated in 1983. It is located atRudraram,DistrictMedak,Telangana.Thecompanystartedproductionin1987andisengagedinthemanufactureofPolyTetraFluoroEthylene(PTFE)andofChloro Di FluoroMethane (CFM-22). PTFE is extensively used in chemical,mechanical,electricalandelectronicindustriesandhasstrategicapplicationsindefence and aerospace sectors. CFM-22 is used as a refrigerant and forproductionofPTFE.

http://www.hoclindia.com

http://www.hil.gov.in

Website:www.hfl.co.in

AssamGasCrackerProject-BrahmaputraCracker&PolymerLimited

TheAssamGasCracker Project (AGCP)was initiated in pursuance of theMemorandum of Settlement signed between central government, All AssamStudentsUnion (AASU)andAllAssamGanaParished (AAGP) in1985.Thisproject isofeconomicsignificanceforAssamand theNorthEastRegion.TheAGCPwasdedicatedtothenationin2016.

CentralInstituteofPlasticsEngineeringandTechnologyCentralInstituteofPlasticsEngineering&Technology(CIPET),apremier15

9001:2008QMS, ISO/IEC - 17025, ISO/IEC-17020 certified Plastics InstituteundertheaegisofDepartmentofChemicals&Petrochemicals,wasestablishedin 1968. The diversified activities of CIPET include, skill development,technology support to industry, academics and research and development(STAR) in the field of plastics engineeing techology i.e., design, CAD/CAM/CAE, tooling,plasticsprocessing, testingandqualityassurance,etc.ThereachofCIPEThasbeenexpandedandit isnowoperatingat30centresin18statesacross the country. These are 5 High Learning Centres (HLCs) providingundergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in affiliation withrespective state universities, 12 diploma centres focus on diploma and skillorientedprogramme,6VocationalTrainingCentres(VTCs)provideVocationalSkill Development training programmes aimed at gainful employment tounemployed andunderemployedyouth, 3R&DWings involved in applicationoriented research in thenicheareasofPlasticsEngineeringandTechnology,3Specialised Centres provide academic programmes and technology supportservices relevant to their respective specialized domains and operator leveltraining programmes in plastics processing and recycling technology and 1polymerdataservicecentredealswithcreationofdatabase.

InstituteofPesticideFormulationTechnologyInstituteofPesticideFormulationTechnology(IPFT)wasestablishedin1991

as an autonomous institution under the Department of Chemicals andPetrochemicals. IPFTisaNABLaccredited laboratoryfor testingofpesticidestechnicalandformulation,pesticideresiduesinvariousfoodmatricesandCWCrelatedchemicals.OneofthemainobjectivesoftheInstituteisthedevelopmentof user and environment friendly pesticide formulation technology. IPFT hasestablishedahealthysupportwiththePesticideIndustriesandhasbeenableto

http://www.hfl.co.in

successfully transfer more than fifty formulation technologies to Indian andforeigncompanies.

PharmaceuticalsTheDepartmentofChemicalsandPetrochemialswasunder theMinistryof

Industryuntil1989,when itwasbroughtunder theMinistryofPetroleumandChemicals. In 1991, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals wastransferredto the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. The Department isentrustedwiththeresponsibilityofplanning,developmentandregulationsofthechemicals,petrochemicalsandpharmaceuticalindustrysector.Website:www.pharamaceuticals.gov.in

PharmaceuticalsPricingPolicyThe Department notified the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy-2012

(NPPP-2012)in2012withtheobjectivetoputinplacearegulatoryframeworkfor pricing of drugs to ensure availability of required medicines - “essentialmedicines” - at reasonable prices, evenwhile providing sufficient opportunityfor innovation and competition to support the growth of industry, therebymeetingthegoalsofemploymentandsharedeconomicwellbeingforall.

Subsequently,toimplementtheNPPP-2012,thenewDrugs(PricesControl)Order,2013wasnotifiedin2013tocontrolthepricesofspecifieddosagesandstrengthsasunderNationalListofEssentialMedicines-2011(NLEM-2011).Thiswas modified to include medicines included in NLEM-2015in 2016 after thesame was received from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that hadconstitutedanExpertCoreCommitteetoreviewandrecommendtherevisionofNational List of Essential Medicines (NLEM-2011) in the context ofcontemporaryknowledgeofuseoftherapeuticproducts.

MedicalDevicesMedicaldevicesindustryisamulti-productindustry,producingwiderangeof

products.IndiaisgrowingasakeymarketforMedicalDevicesandDiagnostics.IndianMedicalDevices industrydependson importsup toanextentofalmost70 per cent.Most hitech innovative products and technology originate from awell-developedeco-systemandinnovationcyclewhichneedstobedevelopedinIndiatopromoteindigenousindustryandtoreduceourdependenceonimports.In 2014, the government launched the “Make in India” campaign, with theobjective of making India a global manufacturing hub; thus, bringing foreigntechnologyandcapitalintothecountry.

http://www.pharamaceuticals.gov.in

MedicalDeviceSegmentsThe medical device market encompasses a wide range of products from

relatively low value items such as syringes and needles to the high valueequipment such as city scans and cath labs, etc.Themedical devices industrycan be broadly classified as consisting of (a) medical disposables andconsumables;(b)medicalelectronics,hospitalequipment,surgical instruments;(c)implants;and(d)diagnosticreagents.

PradhanMantriBhartiyaJanaushadhiPariyojanaThe Jan Aushadhi Scheme was launched in 2008 with the aim of selling

affordablegenericmedicines throughdedicatedsalesoutlets i.e., JanAushadhiStores in various districts across the country. Some of the objectives of theschemeinclude:ensureaccesstoqualitymedicines;extendcoverageofqualitygenericmedicinessoastoreduceandtherebyredefinetheunitcostoftreatmentper person; create awareness about generic medicines through education andpublicitysothatqualityisnotsynonymouswithonlyhighprice;ThefirstJanAushadhiStorewasopenedatAmritsarinPunjabin2008.Theoriginaltargetofthe campaign was to establish Jan Aushadhi Stores in every district of ourcountry. Recently, “PradhanMantri JanAushadhiYojana” (PMJAY) has beenrenamed as “Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana” (PMBJP) and“PradhanMantriJanAushadhiKendra”(PMJAK)as“PradhanMantriBhartiyaJanaushadhiKendra”(PMBJK).

IndianDrugsandPharmaceuticalsLimitedIndianDrugsandPharmaceuticalsLimited(IDPL)wasincorporatedin1961

with the primary objective of creating self-sufficiency in essential life savingdrugs and medicines. The company has presently three manufacturing plants,oneeachatRishikesh(Uttarakhand),Hyderabad(AndhraPradesh)andGurgaon(Haryana). IDPL has two wholly owned subsidiaries, namely, IDPL Ltd.,Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Bihar Drugs and Organic Chemicals Ltd. atMuzaffarpur (Bihar). In addition, IDPL has two joint sector undertakings,promoted in collaboration with the respective state governments. These areRajasthan Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (RDPL), Jaipur, and Orissa Drugsand Chemicals Ltd. (ODCL), Bhubaneshwar. However, the government hasdecidedtode-linkRDPLfromIDPLandtheprocessofdelinkingisunderway.Website:www.idplindia.in

BengalChemicalsandPharmaceuticalsLimitedBengalChemicalsandPharmaceuticalsLimited(BCPL)wasasickcompany

http://www.idplindia.in

in the private sector in the name and style of Bengal Chemicals andPharmaceuticalsWorks.AnewpublicsectorcompanyinthenameandstyleofBengal Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals Limited (BCPL) was incorporated in1961.The company has four manufacturing units-one each at Maniktala atKolkata, Panihati at North 24 Parganas (West Bengal), one at Mumbai(Maharashtra) and atKanpur (UP).The companymanufactures andmarkets awiderangeofindustrialchemicals,alargenumberofdrugsandpharmaceuticalsbesides cosmetics and home products. In the home products, the well knownproductsincludeCantharidineHairOilandLampBrandPhenol.Website:www.bengalchemicals.co.in

MinesandMineralsMinistryofMines is responsible forsurveyandexplorationofallminerals,

other than natural gas, petroleum and atomic minerals; for mining andmetallurgyofnon-ferrousmetalslikealuminium,copper,zinc,lead,gold,nickel,etc. and for administration of the Mines and Minerals (Regulation andDevelopment)Act,1957andrulesmadethereunderinrespectofallminesandminerals other than coal, natural gas andpetroleumaswell asOffshoreAreasMineral(DevelopmentandRegulation)Act,2002andrulesmadethereunder.

The Ministry is responsible for legislation for regulation of mines anddevelopment of minerals within the territory of India, including mines andminerals underlying the ocean within the territorial waters or the continentalshelf,ortheexclusiveeconomiczoneandothermaritimezonesofIndiaasmaybe specified, from time to time by or under any law made by Parliament;regulation of mines and development of minerals other than coal, lignite andsandforstowingandanyothermineraldeclaredasprescribedsubstancesforthepurpose of the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 (33 of 1962) as declared by law,including questions concerning regulation and development of minerals invariousstatesandthemattersconnectedtherewithorincidentalthereto;allothermetalsandmineralsnotspecificallyallottedtoanyotherMinistry/Department,such as aluminium, zinc, copper, gold, diamonds, lead and nickel; planning,development and control of, and assistance to, all industries dealtwith by theMinistry;administrationandmanagementofGeologicalSurveyofIndia,IndianBureauofMines.Website:www.minesgov.in

MineralLegislationandReformsTheCentralActtoprovideforthedevelopmentandregulationofminesand

http://www.bengalchemicals.co.in

http://www.minesgov.in

minerals is theMines andMinerals (Development andRegulation)Act, 1957,which came into force in 1958. Section 13 of theMMDRAct empowers thecentral government to formulate rules for regulation of grant of mineralconcessions for major minerals; in accordance of which Mineral ConcessionRules,1960havebeenframed.Section18ofMMDRAct,1957empowerstheCentral Government to frame rules for the conservation and systematicdevelopmentofmineralsandfortheprotectionofenvironmentinaccordanceofwhichMineralConservation andDevelopmentRules, 1988havebeen framed.Section15ofMMDRAct,1957empowersstategovernmentstoframerulesforregulatingthegrantofquarryleases,miningleasesorothermineralconcessionsinrespectofminorminerals;accordinglyallstategovernmentsandsomeunionterritorieshaveframedtheirownrulesinthisregard.

ThecentralgovernmentframedthefollowingrulestogiveeffecttothenewlyamendedprovisionofthesaidActandalsogiveboosttotheminingsector.ThenewlyframedRulesarelistedasTheMinerals(EvidenceofMineralContents)Rules, 2015; The Minerals (Non-exclusive Reconnaissance Permits) Rules,2015; The Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015; The Minerals (Mining byGovernmentCompanies)Rules,2015;TheMinesandMinerals(ContributiontoDistrictMineralFoundation)Rules,2015;TheNationalExplorationTrustRules,2015; The Minerals (Other than Atomic and Hydrocarbons Energy MineralConcession) Rules, 2016; The Minerals (Transfer of Mining Lease GrantedOtherwisethanthroughAuctionforCaptivePurpose)Rules,2016;TheAtomicMinerals Concession Rules, 2016; and The Mineral Conservation andDevelopmentRules,2017.

NationalMineralExplorationTrustThe Government notified National Mineral Exploration Trust Rules, 2015

and has also established National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET) inpursuance of subsection (1) of Section 9C of the Mines and Minerals(DevelopmentandRegulation)AmendmentAct,1957,withprimaryobjectivetopromote regional and detailed mineral exploration in the country to increaseoverallmineralproductionandachievesustainabledevelopmentof themineralsector.

PradhanMantriKhanijKshetraKalyanYojanaThe government launched Pradhan Mantri Khanij Kshetra Kalyan Yojana

(PMKKKY)which is tobe implementedby thedistrictmineral foundationsofthe respective districts. PMKKKY will help in creating a congenial miningenvironment,ameliorate theconditionof theaffectedpersonandcreateawin-

win situations for the stakeholders. A national portal for DMF is beingdeveloped which will help monitor the implementation of projects under thePMKKKY scheme. The monitoring of PMKKKY would be done under“DISHA”,theDistrictDevelopmentCoordinationandMonitoringCommitteeofMinistryofRuralDevelopmenttopromotesynergyandconvergenceforgreaterimpact.

NationalMineralExplorationPolicyGovernment unveiled National Mineral Exploration Policy, 2016 (NMEP)

which spellsout the strategyandoutlines theactionplan that theGovernmentwill adopt to ensure comprehensive explorationof country’smineral resources(non-fuel and non-coal). The NMEP primarily aims at accelerating theexplorationactivityinthecountrythroughenhancedparticipationoftheprivatesector.

Transparency,Auction,MonitoringandResourceAugmentationTo facilitate and expedite various clearances/approvals required after the

mineral block is allocated, an Inter-ministerial Group has been constituted toexpeditetherequisiteclearancestoenabletheearlystartofminingactivity.TheMinistry has developed a Transparency, Auction, Monitoring and ResourceAugmentation (TAMRA) portal and mobile application. This will be aninteractiveplatformforallstakeholderstocompressthetimelinesforstatutory/otherclearances.

StarRatingofMinesTheMinistry ofMines launched in 2016Scheme of StarRating ofMines/

mining leases for implementation of Sustainable Development Framework(SDF).TheStarRatingsaretobeawarded,basedonevaluationofperformanceof mines on techno, socio-economic and environmental parameters and giveobjectivereportingoftheiractivities.Ithasbeeninstitutedasatwotiersystemprovidingself-evaluationtemplatestobefilledinbythemineoperatorfollowedbyvalidationthroughIndianBureauofMines.

MiningSurveillanceSystemTo curb the menace of illegal mining, a satellite-based monitoring system

namelyMiningSurveillanceSystem(MSS),wasdevelopedandlaunchedwhichaims to establish a regime of responsive mineral administration throughautomatic remote sensing detection technology. The latest satellite image isjuxtaposedongeo-referencedminingleasemapstocheckanyillegalminingin

thevicinity.

MineralResourcesTheclassificationofreserves/resourcesofvariousmineralsbasedonUnited

Nations Framework Classification (UNFC)was done inApril 2010 followingwhichNationalMineralInventorywasprepared.TheUNFCconsistsofathreedimensional systemwith three axes-economic viability; feasibility assessment;andgeologicalassessment.

BauxiteTotal resources of bauxite as perUNFC in the country are placed at 3,897

million tonnes.These resources include656million tonnes reservesand3,240milliontonnesremainingresources.Bygrades,about81percentresourcesareof metallurgical grade. The resources of refractory and chemical grades arelimitedandtogetheraccountforabout5percent.Odishaaloneaccountsfor51percentofcountry’sresourcesofbauxitefollowedbyAndhraPradesh(16percent),Gujarat(9percent),Jharkhand(6percent),Maharashtra(5percent)andChhattisgarhandMadhyaPradesh(4percenteach).MajorbauxiteresourcesareconcentratedintheeastcoastofOdishaandAndhraPradesh.

ChromiteAsperUNFCsystem, total resourcesofchromite in thecountryas in2015

areestimatedat344milliontonnes,comprising102milliontonnesreserves(30percent)and242milliontonnesremainingresources(70percent).About96percentresourcesofchromitearelocatedinOdisha,mostlyintheSukindavalleyinJajpur and Keonjhar districts. Minor deposits are scattered over Manipur,Nagaland,Karnataka,Jharkhand,Maharashtra,TamilNaduandAndhraPradeshand Telangana. Gradewise, charge-chrome grade accounts for 31 per centresources followedby ferrochromegrade (18per cent), beneficiablegrade (25per cent) and refractory grade 14 per cent. Low, others, unclassified and notknowngradestogetheraccountfor13percent.

CopperThetotal resourcesofcopperore in thecountryas in2015areestimatedat

1511.50 million tonnes with about 12.16 million tonnes of copper metal. Ofthese 207.77 million tonnes (13.74 per cent) fall under Reserve categorycontaining2.73milliontonnesofcoppermetalandthebalance1303.73milliontonnes (86.26 per cent) are ‘Remaining Resources’ containing 9.42 milliontonnesofcoppermetal.Rajasthaniscreditedwith813.33milliontonnesore(54

per cent) containing 4.48 million tonnes of copper metal, Madhya Pradesh283.43milliontonnesore(19percent),containing3.42milliontonnescopper,Jharkhand, 295.39 million tonnes ore (20 per cent), containing 3.28 milliontonnesofcoppermetalandtherest7percentareaccountedforbyotherstatesnamelyAndhraPradesh,Gujarat,Haryana,Karnataka,Maharashtra,Meghalaya,Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and WestBengal.

GoldAsperUNFCsystem,asin2015,thetotalresourcesofgoldore(primaryand

placer) in the country were estimated at 527.96million tonnes. Out of these,17.23 million tonnes were placed under reserves category and the remaining510.73 million tonnes under remaining resources category. Total resources ofgold (primary), in terms ofmetal, stood at 654.74 tonnes.Out of these, 70.09tonneswereplacedunderreservescategoryand584.65tonnesunderremainingresources category. The resources include placer-type gold ore in Keralaestimatedat26.12milliontonnescontaining5.86tonnesgoldmetal.

Thelargestresourcesintermsofgoldore(primary)arelocatedinBihar(44percent)followedbyRajasthan(25percent)andKarnataka(21percent),WestBengal,andAndhraPradesh(3percenteach),Telangana&MadhyaPradesh(2percenteach).RemainingverysmallquantityofresourcesoforearelocatedinChhatisgarh,Jharkhand,Kerala,MaharashtraandTamilNadu.Intermsofmetalcontent, Karnataka remained on top followed by Rajasthan, Bihar, AndhraPradesh,Jharkhand,etc.

IronOreHematiteandmagnetitearethemostimportantironoresinIndia.About59

percenthematiteoredepositsarefoundintheeasternsector.About92percentmagnetite ore deposits occur in southern sector, especially in Karnataka. Ofthese,hematite isconsidered tobesuperiorbecauseof itshighergrade. Indiandeposits of hematite belong to the precambrian iron ore series and the ore iswithinbandedironoreformationsoccurringasmassive, laminated, friableandalsoinpowderyform.

AsperUNFCsystem,thetotalresourcesofhematiteasin2015areestimatedat22,487milliontonnesofwhich5,442milliontonnes(24percent)areunder‘reserves’categoryandthebalance17,045milliontonnes(76percent)areunder‘remaining resources’ category.By grades, lumps constitute about 56 per centfollowedbyfines(21percent),lumpswithfines(13percent)andtheremaining10percentareblackironore,not-knownandothergrades.Majorresourcesof

hematitearelocatedinOdisha-7,559milliontonnes(34percent),Jharkhand-5,286milliontonnes(24percent),Chhattisgarh-4,858milliontonnes(22percent), Karnataka - 2,467million tonnes (11 per cent) andGoa - 1189milliontonnes (5 per cent). The balance resources of hematite are spread in AndhraPradesh, Assam, Bihar, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, RajasthanandUttarPradesh.

Magnetiteisanotherprincipalironorethatalsooccursintheformofoxide,eitherinigneousormetamorphosedbandedmagnetite-silicaformation,possiblyofsedimentaryorigin.AsperUNFCsystem,thetotalresourcesofmagnetiteasin2015areestimatedat10,789million tonnesofwhich‘reserves’constituteamere53milliontonneswhile10,736milliontonnesareplacedunder‘remainingresources’.Classificationonthebasisofgradesshows20percentresourcesofmetallurgical grade while 80 per cent resources belong to unclassified, not-known and other grades. The resources of coal washery and foundry gradesconstitute meagre proportions. India’s 96 per cent magnetite resources arelocated in four states, namely,Karnataka - 7,802million tonnes (72 per cent)followedbyAndhraPradesh - 1,392million tonnes (13 per cent),Rajasthan -617milliontonnes(6percent)andTamilNadu-507milliontonnes(5percent).Assam,Bihar,Goa, Jharkhand,Kerala,Maharashtra,MeghalayaandNagalandtogetheraccountfortheremaining4percentresources.

LeadandZincThetotalresourcesofleadandzincoresasin2015asperUNFCsystem,are

estimatedat749.46milliontonnes.Ofthese,106.12milliontonnes(14percent)fall under ‘reserves’ while balance 643.34 million tonnes (86 per cent) areclassified as ‘remaining resources’. The resources of ore containing + 10 percentPbandZnwereestimatedat124.33milliontonnes,orecontaining5to10percentPbandZnwere329.88milliontonnesandorecontaininglessthan5percentPbandZnwere295.35milliontonnes.

Rajasthanisendowedwiththelargestresourcesoflead-zincoreamountingto670.34 million tonnes (89.44 per cent), followed by Andhra Pradesh 22.69million tonnes(3.02percent),MadhyaPradesh14.84million tonnes(1.98percent),Bihar11.43million tonnes(1.52percent)andMaharashtra9.27milliontonnes (1.24 per cent). Resources are also established in Gujarat,Meghalaya,Odisha,Sikkim,TamilNadu,UttarakhandandWestBengal.

ManganeseOreThetotalresourcesofmanganeseoreinthecountryasin2015areplacedat

496million tonnes as per UNFC system.Out of these, 94million tonnes are

categorisedasreservesandthebalance402milliontonnesareintheremainingresourcescategory.Gradewise, ferro-manganesegradeaccounts for7percent,mediumgrade11percent,BFgrade28percentandtheremaining54percentare of mixed, low, others, unclassified, and not-known grades including 0.17milliontonnesofbattery/chemicalgrade.

Statewise,Odishatopsthetotalresourceswith44percentsharefollowedbyKarnataka22percent,MadhyaPradesh12percent,MaharashtraandGoa7percent each, Andhra Pradesh 4 per cent and Jharkhand 2 per cent. Rajasthan,Gujarat and West Bengal together shared the remaining about 2 per centresources.

NickelImportantoccurrenceisnickeliferouslimoniteintheoverburdenofchromite

inSukindaValley, Jajpurdistrict,Odisha,where it occurs asoxide.A suitableprocessisbeingdevelopedforitsutilisation.Nickelalsooccursinsulphideformalong with copper mineralisation in East Singhbhum district, Jharkhand. Inaddition, it is found associatedwith uranium deposits at Jaduguda, Jharkhandandprocess isbeingdeveloped for its recovery.Other reportedoccurrencesofnickelare fromKarnataka,KeralaandRajasthan.Polymetallic seanodulesareanothersourceofnickel.AsperUNFC,asin2015,thetotalresourcesofnickelorehavebeenestimatedat189milliontonnes.About92percentresources;i.e.,175 million tonnes are in Odisha. The remaining 8 per cent resources aredistributed in Jharkhand (9 million tonnes) and Nagaland (5 million tonnes).NominalresourcesarereportedfromKarnataka(0.23milliontonnes).

TungstenThetotalresourcesoftungstenoreinthecountry,asperUNFCsystem,asin

2015 have been estimated at 87.4 million tonnes containing 142,094 tonnesWO3 content. All these resources are placed under ‘remaining resources’category.ResourcesaremainlydistributedinKarnataka(42percent),Rajasthan(27 per cent), Andhra Pradesh (17 per cent) and Maharashtra (9 per cent).Remaining5per cent resources are inHaryana,TamilNadu,Uttarakhand andWest Bengal. At Degana, Rajasthan,WO3 value in vein deposits varies from0.13to0.80percentwhileingraveldeposit,itis,onanaverage0.04percent.InSirohideposit,Rajasthan,WO3contentrangesfrom0.18to0.51percent.

BarytesThe total resourcesofbarytes in India as in2015asperUNFCsystemare

placed at 86.7million tonnes constituting 59.2 per cent reserves and 40.8 per

cent remaining resources. By grades, 64 per cent resources are of oil-welldrilling grade followed by 6 per cent of chemical grade 0.5 per cent of paintgradeand27percentconstitutelowgrade.About2.5percentresourcesareofother,unclassifiedandnot-knowncategories.AndhraPradeshaloneaccountsfor92 per cent of the country’s barytes resources followed by Telangana andRajasthan.

DiamondDiamond occurrences are reported since prehistoric times in the country.

Presently,diamondfieldsofIndiaaregroupedintofourregions:1)SouthIndiantract of Andhra Pradesh, comprising parts of Anantapur, Cuddapah, Guntur,Krishna, and Kurnool districtsand Mahaboobnagar in Telangana; 2) CentralIndiantractofMadhyaPradesh,comprisingPannabeltandChhatarpurdistricts;3)Behradin-KodawaliareainRaipurdistrictandTokapal,Dugapal,etc.areasinBastar district of Chhattisgarh; and 4) Eastern Indian tract mostly of Odisha,lyingbetweenMahanadiandGodavarivalleys.

AspertheUNFCsystemasin2015allIndiaresourcesofdiamondareplacedataround31.84millioncarats.Outofthese,0.96millioncaratsareplacedunderreservescategoryand30.87millioncaratsunderremainingresourcescategory.By grades, about 2.38 per cent resources are of gem variety, 2.64 per cent ofindustrial variety and bulk of the resources (95 per cent) are placed underunclassifiedcategory.Bystates,MadhyaPradeshaccounts forabout90.18percentresourcesfollowedbyAndhraPradesh5.73percentandChhattisgarh4.10percent.

DolomiteDolomiteoccurrencesarewidespreadinthecountry.AsperUNFCsystem,as

on1.4.2015totalresourcesofdolomiteareplacedat8,415milliontonnes,outofwhich 679 million tonnes are placed under reserves category.Major share ofabout 88 per cent resources was distributed in eight states: namely, MadhyaPradesh(27percent),AndhraPradesh(15percent),Chhattisgarh(11percent)Odisha(10percent),KarnatakaandRajasthan(7percenteach),Gujarat(6percent) andMaharashtra (5 per cent). The remaining 12 per cent resources aredistributed in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Haryana, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu,Uttarakhand,UttarPradeshandWestBengal.

FireClayIndia possesses substantial reserves of fireclay. The best deposits occur in

association with the coal seams in the lower Gondwana coalfields of Andhra

Pradesh,Jharkhand,WestBengal,MadhyaPradeshandNeyvelilignitefieldsinTamilNadu.Notableoccurrencesoffireclay,notassociatedwithcoalmeasures,are reported in Gujarat, Jabalpur region of Madhya Pradesh and Belpahar-Sundergarh areas ofOdisha. Reserves and resources of fireclay as perUNFCsystemof2015areestimatedat723million tonnes.Outof the total resources,Odisha accounts for 24 per cent followed byMadhya Pradesh (18 per cent),TamilNadu(16percent),Jharkhand(9percent)andRajasthanandGujarat(8per cent each). Gradewise, refractory-plastic grade accounts for 37 per centfollowedbyrefractory-unspecified(14percent)andrefractory-non-plastic/semi-plastic(16percent).Theremaining33percentareofothers,unclassifiedandnotknowngrades.

FluorsparAspertheUNFCsystem,thetotalresourcesoffluoriteinthecountryin2015

are estimated at 18.18 million tonnes. Out of these, 0.29 million tonnes areplacedunderreservescategory.Bystates,Gujarataccountsfor66percentofthetotal resources having 12 million tonnes, followed by Rajasthan with 5.24million tonnes(29percent),Chhattisgarh0.55million tonnes(3percent)andMaharashtra 0.39 million tonnes (2 per cent). Gradewise, the resources areclassified into marketable grade which accounted for 81 per cent of the totalresources, followed by low grade (17 per cent) and unclassified grade (2 percent).

GypsumAsperUNFCsystem,thetotalresourcesofmineralgypsuminIndiain2015

are estimated at 1,330 million tonnes of which 37 million tonnes have beenplaced under ‘reserves’ and 1,293million tonnes under ‘remaining resources’category.Ofthetotalresources,fertilizer/potterygradeaccountsforabout80percentandcement/paintgrade13percent.Theunclassifiedandnot-knowngradestogether account for 5 per cent resources. The remaining two percent ofresources is shared by surgical plaster and soil reclamation grades. By States,Rajasthan alone accounts for81per cent resources and Jammu&Kashmir14per cent resources. The remaining 5 per cent resources are in Tamil Nadu,Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh andMadhyaPradesh.

GraphiteGraphite occurrences are reported from various states but the deposits of

economic importance are located in Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka,

Kerala,Odisha,RajasthanandTamilNadu.AspertheUNFCsystem,thetotalresources of graphite in 2015 are placed at about 194.89 million tonnes,comprising 7.96 million tonnes in the reserves category and 186.93 milliontonnesunder remainingresourcescategory.ArunachalPradeshaccounts for37per cent of total resources, followed by Jammu and Kashmir (32 per cent),Odisha (10 per cent), Jharkhand (9 per cent) and Tamil Nadu (4 per cent).However,intermsofreserves,Jharkhandhasleadingshareofabout52percentfollowedbyTamilNadu41percent.

IlmeniteIlmeniteandrutilealongwithotherheavymineralsareimportantconstituents

of beach sand deposits found right from Ratnagiri coast (Maharashtra) in thewest to Odisha coast in the east. These minerals are concentrated in Kerala,TamilNadu,Odisha andAndhra Pradesh.As per theUNFC system, the totalresourcesofilmenitein2015areestimatedat355.48milliontonnes(includingleucoxene),inclusiveofindicated,inferredandspeculativecategories.

KaolinChinaclayresourcesinthecountryasperUNFCsystemin2015havebeen

placedat2,941.25milliontonnes.Thereservesconstituteonlyabout8percentof the resources at 229.47million tonnes. The resources are spread over in anumber of states of whichKerala holds about 23 per cent, followed byWestBengal14percent,Rajasthan18percent,Odisha10percentandKarnataka9per cent. Out of total resources, about 26 per cent or 771million tonnes fallunderceramic/potterygrade,4percentareclassifiedunderchemical,paperfillerandcementgradesandabout70percentor2,040milliontonnesresourcesfallundermixedgrade,others,unclassifiedandnot-knowncategories.

KyaniteandSillimaniteThetotalresourcesofkyaniteasperUNFCsysteminthecountryin2015are

placedat105milliontonnes.Statewise,theshareofTelanganais46percentoftotalresourcesfollowedbyAndhraPradesh30percent,Karnataka13percentand Jharkhand 7 per cent. Remaining 4 per cent resources are in Kerala,Maharashtra,Rajasthan,TamilNaduandWestBengal.

ThetotalresourcesofsillimaniteasperUNFCsysteminthecountryin2015are placed at 70.2 million tonnes. The resources are located mainly in TamilNadu and Odisha (25 per cent each), Uttar Pradesh (16 per cent), AndhraPradesh(13percent),Kerala(10percent)andAssam(7percent).Remaining4percentresourcesare inJharkhand,Karnataka,MadhyaPradesh,Maharashtra,

Meghalaya,RajasthanandWestBengal.

LimestoneThe total resources of limestone of all categories and grades as perUNFC

systemin2015areestimatedat203,225milliontonnes.Karnatakaistheleadingstatehaving27percentofthetotalresourcesfollowedbyAndhraPradeshandRajasthan (12 per cent each), Gujarat (10 per cent), Meghalaya (9 per cent),Telangana(8percent)andChhattisgarh(5percent).Thetotalresourcesofchalkof all categories and grades as per UNFC system in 2015 are estimated inGujarat at 6.75million tonnes ofwhich 5.06million tonnes (75 per cent) areunderreservescategoryand1.69million tonnesareunderremainingresourcescategory.

MicaThemostimportantmica-bearingpegmatitesoccurinAndhraPradesh,Bihar,

Jharkhand,MaharashtraandRajasthan.Occurrencesofmicapegmatitesarealsoreported from Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Odisha, Tamil Nadu andWestBengal.AsperUNFC,thetotalresourcesofmicainthecountryin2015areestimatedat635,302tonnes.AndhraPradeshleadswith40percentshareincountry’s total resources followed by Rajasthan (28 per cent) Odisha (16 percent),Maharashtra(13percent),Bihar(2percent)andbalance(lessthan1percent)inJharkhandandTelangana.

MagnesiteThe total reserves/resources ofmagnesite as perUNFC system in 2015 are

about394million tonnes.Substantialquantitiesof resourcesareestablished inUttarakhand(59percent),followedbyRajasthan(14percent)andTamilNadu(25percent).ResourcesarealsolocatedinAndhraPradesh,HimachalPradesh,JammuandKashmir,KarnatakaandKerala.OccurrencesofmagnesiteinTamilNaduarelowinlimeandhighinsilicawhereasthoseofUttarakhandarehighinlimeandlowinsilica.

PhosphateMineralsThetotalresourcesofapatiteasperUNFCsystemin2015areplacedat24.04

milliontonnes.Ofthetotalresources, thebulk(57percent) is locatedinWestBengal followed by Jharkhand (30 per cent) andMeghalaya (5 per cent). Theremaining 8 per cent resources are available in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh,Gujarat and TamilNadu. The total resources of rock phosphate as perUNFCsystemin2015areplacedat312.68milliontonnes.Ofthetotalresources,34per

centareinJharkhand,31percentinRajasthan,19percentinMadhyaPradesh,8percenteachinUttarPradeshandUttarakhand.MeagreresourcesarelocatedinGujaratandMeghalaya.

OtherMineralsOther minerals occurring in significant quantities in India are bentonite

(Rajasthan, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir),corundum(Karnataka,AndhraPradesh,Rajasthan,TamilNadu,TelanganaandChhattisgarh), calcite (Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, TamilNadu,Haryana,Karnataka,UttarPradeshandGujarat),fuller’searth(Rajasthan,Telangana,ArunachalPradesh,Assam,MadhyaPradeshandKarnataka),garnet(Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Kerala), pyrites (Bihar,Rajasthan, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh),steatite (Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh andMadhyaPradesh),wollastonite(RajasthanandGujarat),zircon(beachsandsofKerala,TamilNaduandOrissa)andquartzandsilicamineralsandGranitearewidespreadandoccurinnearlyallstates.Besides,thecountryhasvastmarble,slate and sandstone deposits.Marble occursmainly in Rajasthan, Gujarat andJammuandKashmir;slateinAndhraPradeshandHaryana.

GeologicalSurveyofIndiaGeologicalSurveyof India (GSI) thepremier earth scienceorganizationof

the country, is the principal provider of basic earth science information to theGovernment, Industry and the geoscientific sector. Beginning in 1851 as adepartmentengagedprimarily in research forcoal,GSI in its last163yearsofexistence has expanded its activities manifold and has been involved eitherdirectly or indirectly in almost all areas of nation building. The vibrant steel,coal,metal,cementandpower industrieswhichexpandedphenomenally in thepostindependenceera,beareloquenttestimonytoGSI’scontributiontonationaldevelopment.

GSIisnowthecustodianofoneofthelargestandmostcomprehensiveearthscience databases developed over the last one and half century. Its Charter ofoperation laiddownby theGovernmentof Indiadetails the scopeofactivitiesandresponsibilitiesofGSIthatencompassespracticallytheentiregamutofearthscience activities. Creation and updation of national geoscientific informationand knowledge base through ground, marine and airborne surveys and theirdisseminationaretheprimarygoalsofGSI.ThepresentactivitydomainsofGSIinclude surfacemapping, aerial and remote sensing surveys, offshore surveys,explorationformineralandenergyresources,engineeringgeology,geotechnical

investigations,geoenvironmentalstudies,geologyofwaterresources,geohazardstudies, research and development, training and capacity building andinformationservicesetc.Website:www.gsi.gov.in

OnlineCoreBusinessIntegratedSystemandNationalAerogeophysicalMappingProgramme

GSIlaunched,in2017,anOnlineCoreBusinessIntegratedSystem(OCBIS)whichisastate-of-the-artITenabledsystemencapsulatingallthemainactivitiesof GSI using an online digital platform. The workflow of GSI from dataacquisition to data storage, analysis and dissemination is digitally captured inthis system, besides all the administrative and financial activities of GSI. AllavailablebaselinegeosciencedataofGSIisuploadedongeospatialplatformforviewingandextractingfreeofcost.

IndianBureauofMinesIndian Bureau of Mines (IBM) established in March, 1948, is a multi-

disciplinary scientific and technicalorganisationunderMinistryofMineswithstatutory and developmental responsibilities for conservation and systematicexploitation of mineral resources other than coal, petroleum and natural gas,atomicmineralsandminorminerals.

TheIndianBureauofMinesperformsregulatoryfunctionsundertherelevantprovisionsof theMinesandMineral (DevelopmentandRegulation)Act,1957amendedin2015andrulesmadethereundernamelyenforcementoftheMineralConservationandDevelopmentRules,2017,Minerals (Other thanAtomicandHydroCarbon EnergyMinerals) ConcessionRules, 2016 and other new rulesand Environmental (Protection)Act, 1986 and Rulesmade thereunder. It alsoundertakes scientific, techno-economic, research oriented studies in variousaspects of mining geological studies, ore beneficiation and environmentalstudies.

IBMprovides technical consultancy services to themining industry for thegeological appraisal of mineral resources, and the preparation of feasibilityreport of mining projects, including beneficiation plants. It prepares mineralmapsandcountrywideinventoryofmineralresourcesofleaseholdandfreeholdareas. It also promotes and monitors community development activities inmining areas. IBM also functions as data bank of mines and minerals andpublishes statistical information. It also brings out technical publications/monographs/bulletins onmineral commodities. It advises the central and state

http://www.gsi.gov.in

governmentsonall aspectsofmineral industry, trade, legislationetc. IBMhastakenmanyinitiativestowardsdigitalIndia.

TheMinistryofMineshasthreePublicSectorUndertaking(PSUs)underitsadministrative control. National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO),Hindustan Copper Limited (HCL) are operating in the field of mining andmineral processing, andMineral Exploration Corporation Limited (MECL) isoperatinginthefieldofmineralexploration.Website:www.ibm.nic.in

NationalAluminiumCompanyLimitedNationalAluminiumCompanyLimited(NALCO)isaNavratnaCPSEunder

Ministry of Mines. It was established in 1981 in the public sector, with itsregistered office at Bhubaneswar. The Company is a group ‘A’ CPSE havingintegrated and diversified operations in mining, metal and power with salesturnoverof₹7,933croreinfinancialyear2016-17.NALCOisoneofthelargestintegrated Bauxite-Alumina-Aluminium- Power Complex in the country. TheCompany has a 68.25 lakhTPABauxiteMine and 21.00 lakhTPA(normativecapacity) Alumina Refinery located at Damanjodi in Koraput dist. of Odisha,and 4.60 lakh TPA Aluminium Smelter and 1200MW Captive Power PlantlocatedatAngul,Odisha.NALCOhasbulkshipmentfacilitiesatVizagportforexportofAlumina/Aluminiumand importof caustic sodaandalsoutilises thefacilities at Kolkata and Paradeep ports. The company has registered salesoffices in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore and 11(eleven)stockyards at various locations in the country to facilitatedomesticmarketing.NALCO is the first Public Sector Company in the country to venture intointernational market in a big way with London Metal Exchange (LME)registration since 1989. The Company is listed at Bombay Stock Exchange(BSE)since1992andNationalStockExchange(NSE)since1999.Besides,ISO9001, ISO14001,OHSAS18000andSA8000certification; theCompanyhasalsoadoptedISO50001standardsforenergymanagementsystem.Website:www.nalcoindia.com

HindustanCopperLimitedHindustan Copper Limited (HCL), a Mini Ratna Government of India

Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Mines, wasincorporated in 1967 under the Companies Act,1956. It was established as aGovt. of India enterprise to takeover all plants, projects, schemes and studiespertaining to the exploration and exploitation of copper deposits, including

http://www.ibm.nic.in

http://www.nalcoindia.com

smelting and refining fromNationalMineralDevelopmentCorporationLtd. Ithas the distinction of being the nation’s only vertically integrated copperproducingcompanyasitmanufacturescopperrightfromthestageofminingtobeneficiation, smelting, refining and casting of refined copper metal intodownstreamsaleableproducts.Website:www.hindustancopper.com

MineralExplorationCorporationLimitedMineralExplorationCorporationLimited(MECL)aMiniratnaCompanyisa

premiermineralexplorationPublicSectorUndertakingofthecountrywithISO9001-2008certification.Sinceitsinceptionin1972,ithascompletedover1371projects of detailedmineral exploration andmine development and has added160billion tonnesofmineral resources to theNationalMineral Inventory. It isthe leading organisation both in government and in private sector, possessingentire spectrum of mineral exploration facilities under one roof. Since itsinception in 1972, MECL has grown from strength to strength by adoptingmodern techniques of exploration and it has now emerged as the premierexplorationagencyinthecountry.Website:www.mecl.gov.in

NationalInstituteofRockMechanicsNationalInstituteofRockMechanics(NIRM)istheonlyinstitutioninsouth

Asiaexclusivelydevotedtoresearchinrockmechanics.Overtheperiodoflast25years,theinstitutehastheprivilegetoprovideitsexpertisetovariouscentral,stategovernmentagenciesandpublicsectorundertakingsinthefieldofmining,hydroelectric projects, nuclear power projects, oil and gas sector and variousinfrastructureprojectauthoritiesincludingrail,road,airports,hospitaletc.Website:www.nirm.in

NationalInstituteofMiners’HealthNational Institute of Miners’ Health, Nagpur (NIMH) is an autonomous

instituteestablishedunderMinistryofMines,withtheobjectiveofpromotionofoccupationalhealthandpreventionofoccupationaldiseasesamongthepersonsemployed inmining andmineral based industries. The Institute is engaged inresearchanddevelopmentalactivitiesrelatingtooccupationalhealth,workplacemonitoring etc.The institute has developed the brand image and reputationofproviding quality comprehensive technical support services in the field ofoccupationalhealthandhygiene.

http://www.hindustancopper.com

http://www.mecl.gov.in

http://www.nirm.in

Website:www.nimh.gov.in

JawaharlalNehruAluminiumResearchDevelopmentandDesignCentre

TheJawaharlalNehruAluminiumResearchDevelopmentandDesignCentre(JNARDDC),NagpurisaCentreofExcellencesetupin1989asajointventureofMinistryofMines,Governmentof IndiaandUNDPwithaview toprovidemajor R&D support system for the emerging modern aluminium industry inIndia. The Centre became functional since 1996. The Centre is recognized asscientific and industrial research organization by the Department of ScientificandIndustrialResearch.It is theonlyinstituteofitskindinIndiapursuingthecauseofR&Dfrombauxitetofinishedproductunderoneroof.

TheCentrecaters toR&Dneedsofbothprimaryandsecondaryaluminiumproducers in the basic and applied areas of bauxite, alumina and aluminium,JNARDDC has made key contribution in the areas of beneficiation,characterization,technologicalevaluation,upgradationofbauxites,reductionofenergyconsumptionandenvironmentalpollutionby theeffectiveutilizationofaluminiumindustryresiduematerialssuchasredmud,drossandscrapetc.andprocess modeling for the overall interest of the aluminium industry and thenationasawhole.Website:www.jnarddc.gov.in

http://www.nimh.gov.in

http://www.jnarddc.gov.in

20 LawandJustice

MINISTRYofLawandJusticeistheoldestlimboftheGovernmentofIndiadating back to 1833 when the Charter Act,1833 was enacted by the BritishParliament.The saidActvested for the first time legislativepower ina singleauthority,namely theGovernorGeneralofCouncil.Byvirtueof thisauthorityandtheauthorityvestedunderhimundersection22oftheIndianCouncilsAct,1861theGovernorGeneralinCouncilenactedlawsforthecountryfrom1834to1920. After the commencement of the Government of India Act, 1919 thelegislative power was exercised by the Indian Legislaturae constituted thereunder.TheGovernmentofIndiaAct,1919wasfollowedbytheGovernmentofIndiaAct,1935.With thepassingof the Indian IndependenceAct,1947 IndiabecameaDominionandtheDominionLegislaturemadelawsfrom1947to1949under the provisions of section 100 of theGovernment of IndiaAct, 1935 asadapted by the India (Provisional Constitution) Order, 1947. Under theConstitution of India which came into force on the January 26, 1950 thelegislativepowerisvestedinParliament.Website:www.lawmin.gov.in

Ministry of Law and Justice comprises the three Departments namely theDepartmentofLegalAffairs,theLegislativeDepartmentandtheDepartmentofJustice.TheDepartmentofLegalaffairsisassignedlegalfunctionsincludingtheinterpretation of the Constitution and Laws, litigation, legal profession, lawreforms,treatiesandagreementswithforeigncountriesinthemattersofthecivillaw, legal services including Indian Legal Service, etc. The legislativeDepartment is concerned with the drafting of the principal legislation for thecentral government.The Department of Justice is concerned with theappointment, resignation and the removal of the Chief Justice of India, thejudgesoftheSupremeCourt/HighCourtsetc.Websites:www.legalaffairs.gov.inwww.doj.gov.inwww.legislative.gov.in

IndianLegalSystemTheIndianLegalSystemcomprisesfourcomponentsnamelythebasicvalues

http://www.lawmin.gov.in

http://www.legalaffairs.gov.in

http://www.doj.gov.in

http://www.legislative.gov.in

andprinciplesenshrinedintheConstitution;rightsandobligationsconferredbyordinary statues; Organizational set up to enforce these rights and obligationswithintheConstitutionalnormsandlastlylegalandthejudicialpersonnel.Indiabeingademocraticcountryandtherebeingarepresentativedemocracythereisachainofaccountabilitytowardssovereignwhichliesamongstthepeople.

SourcesofLawThemainsourcesof lawinIndiaare theConstitution,statutes (legislation),

customary law and case law. Statutes are enacted by Parliament, statelegislaturesandunionterritorylegislatures.Besides,thereisavastbodyoflawsknownassubordinatelegislationintheformofrules,regulationsaswellasbye-laws made by central/state governments and local authorities like municipalcorporations, municipalities, gram panchayats and other local bodies. Thissubordinatelegislationismadeundertheauthorityconferredordelegatedeitherby Parliament or state or union territory legislatures concerned. JudicialdecisionsofsuperiorcourtslikeSupremeCourtandHighCourtsareimportantsourcesoflaw.DecisionsoftheSupremeCourtarebindingonallcourtswithinthe territory of India. Local customs and conventions which are not againststatute,morality,etc.,arealsorecognisedandtakenintoaccountbycourtswhileadministeringjusticeincertainspheres.

EnactmentofLawThe Parliament is competent to make laws on matters enumerated in the

UnionList.Statelegislaturesarecompetenttomakelawsonmattersenumeratedin the State List. Parliament alone has power to make laws on matters notincluded in the State List or Concurrent List. On matters enumerated in theConcurrentList,lawscanbemadebybothParliamentandthestatelegislature.Butintheeventofrepugnancy,lawmadebyParliamentshallprevailoverlawmadebystate legislature, to theextentofrepugnancy,bevoidunless the latterlawhavingbeenreservedforconsiderationofPresident,hasreceivedhisassentandinthateventshallprevailinthatstate.

JudiciaryAt the apexof the entire judicial systemexists theSupremeCourtof India

withaHighCourt foreachstateorgroupof statesandunder theHighCourtsthere is a hierarchy of subordinate courts. Panchayat Courts also function insomestatesundervariousnameslikeNyayaPanchayat,PanchayatAdalat,GramKachehri, etc., to decide civil and criminal disputes of petty and local nature.Differentstatelawsprovideforjurisdictionofthesecourts.

ThehighestcourtineachdistrictisthatofDistrictandSessionsJudge.Thisdistrict court is theprincipalcourtofcivil jurisdictionandcan tryalloffencesincluding thosepunishablewithdeath.He is thehighest judicialauthority inadistrict. Below him, there are courts of civil jurisdiction, known in differentstates as Munsifs, Sub-Judges, Civil Judges and the like. Similarly, criminalcourts compriseChief JudicialMagistrate and JudicialMagistrate of First andSecondclass.

SupremeCourtDuring theBritish regime, theKing inCouncil, orPrivyCouncil as itwas

generallycalled,wasthehighestforumtoentertainappealsfromthejudgmentsand orders passed by the courts in India. On enactment of the JudicialCommittee Act, 1833, it came to be called the Judicial Committee of PrivyCouncil.ThedecisionsoftheJudicialCommitteeusedtobecouchedinadvisoryform, though, in practice, the Crown always accepted its advice, and it wasunthinkablethatitsreportwillnotbegiveneffectto.ThePrivyCouncilactedasachannel, throughwhichEnglishconceptscame tobeassimilatedwith Indianlaws.ItservedasabridgebetweentheIndianandtheEnglishlegalsystem,overwhichlegalideastravelledfromEnglandtoIndia.Itwasthroughthisbody,thatthecommonlawofEnglandwasintroducedinIndiaundertheBritishregime,asthebaseofitslegalsystem.DuringitscareerasthehighestcourtofappealsfromIndia for the period of about 200 years, Privy Council rendered over 2,500judgments,andtill todaythesejudgmentsconstitute thefountain-sourceof lawonmanypointsinIndia.

However, therewasarisingdemandforestablishmentofSupremeCourt inIndia, since it was felt that appeal to the Privy Council was very costly andbeyond the means of common man. More important was the reason that itdetracted from theself respectof the Indianpeople.Governmentof IndiaAct,1935introducedafederalconstitutiontoIndia,involvingdistributionofpowersbetweentheCentreandtheconstituentunits.TheFederalCourtofIndiabeganfunctioning fromOctober 01, 1937. To begin with, Federal Court had a verylimited jurisdiction, confined to original jurisdiction in disputes between thecentreandconstituentunitsor interseamongst the latter,advisory jurisdictionand appellate jurisdiction on a certificate from the High Court. Appeals fromFederal Court could go to the PrivyCouncil, from the judgments rendered inexercise of original jurisdiction, or by leave of theFederalCourt or thePrivyCouncil.IncasesinvolvinginterpretationofConstitution,thepartieshadtofirstgo toFederalCourt inappeal fromtheHighCourt,and inothercasesappealsfromtheHighCourtslaydirectlytothePrivyCouncil.Itcouldgiveadviceon

such questions of public importance, as were referred to it by the GovernorGeneral, in his discretion. The appellate jurisdiction of the Federal Courtwasenlarged by enactment of Act No. 1 of 1948 and appeals were provided toFederalCourtfromthejudgmentoftheHighCourtinthesamecircumstances,in which appeals could be brought to the Privy Council, without any specialleaveandalsobyspecialleaveoftheFederalCourtinanyothercase.However,appealstothePrivyCouncilwerestillpossiblebyleaveoftheFederalCourtoroftheCouncil.

After achieving independence inAugust, 1947, therewasdemand from theIndianpolity forenlarging the jurisdictionofFederalCourtandgrantingmorepowerstoit.From1949appealstothePrivyCouncilwereabolishedaltogetherandtheentireappellatejurisdictionwasvestedintheFederalCourt.OnJanuary26,1950,FederalCourtgavewaytotheSupremeCourtofIndiaunderthenewConstitution.SupremeCourtofIndiaislocatedonTilakMarg,NewDelhi.

After its inauguration on January 28, 1950, the apex court commenced itssittings in a part of the Parliament House. The Court moved into the presentbuilding on August 4, 1958. The original Constitution of 1950 envisaged aSupreme Court with a Chief Justice and 7 puisne Judges - leaving it toParliament to increase this number. In the early years, all the Judges of theSupremeCourtsattogethertohearthecasespresentedbeforethem.Astheworkof the Court increased and arrears of cases began to cumulate, ParliamentincreasedthenumberofJudgesfrom7in1950to10in1956,13in1960,17in1977,25 in1986and30 in2009.As thenumberof the Judgeshas increased,theysitinsmallerBenchesoftwoandthree—comingtogetherinlargerBenchesof5andmoreonlywhenrequiredtodosoortosettleadifferenceofopinionorcontroversy.

TheSupremeCourtofIndiacomprisestheChiefJusticeand30otherJudgesappointedbythePresidentofIndia.SupremeCourtJudgesretireuponattainingtheageof65years.InordertobeappointedasaJudgeoftheSupremeCourt,apersonmustbeacitizenofIndiaandmusthavebeen,forat leastfiveyears,aJudge of a High Court or of two or more such Courts in succession, or anAdvocateof aHighCourt or of twoormore suchCourts in succession for atleast 10 years or hemust be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguishedjurist.ProvisionsexistfortheappointmentofaJudgeofaHighCourtasanadhocJudgeoftheSupremeCourtandforretiredJudgesoftheSupremeCourtorHighCourtstositandactasJudgesofSupremeCourt.TheConstitutionseekstoensuretheindependenceofSupremeCourtJudgesinvariousways.AJudgeofthe Supreme Court cannot be removed from office except by an order of the

President passed after an address in eachHouse of Parliament supported by amajorityofthetotalmembershipofthatHouseandbyamajorityofnotlessthantwo-thirdsofmemberspresentandvoting,andpresentedtothePresidentinthesame Session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour orincapacity.A personwho has been a Judge of the SupremeCourt is debarredfrompractising inanycourtof laworbeforeanyotherauthority in India.TheproceedingsoftheSupremeCourtareconductedinEnglishonly.SupremeCourtRules,2013replacingthe1966Rules,havebeenframedunderArticle145oftheConstitutiontoregulatethepracticeandprocedureoftheSupremeCourt.JusticeJusticeSharadArvindBobdeisthe47thChiefJusticeofIndia.Website:www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in

HighCourtsHighCourtstandsattheheadofthestate’sjudicialadministration.Thereare

24HighCourtsinthecountry,threehavingjurisdictionovermorethanonestate.Amongtheunionterritories,DelhialonehasaHighCourtofitsown.OthersixunionterritoriescomeunderthejurisdictionofdifferentstateHighCourts.EachHigh Court comprises a Chief Justice and such other Judges as the Presidentmay,fromtimetotime,appoint.TheChiefJusticeofaHighCourtisappointedbythePresidentinconsultationwiththeChiefJusticeofIndiaandtheGovernorof the state. The procedure for appointing theHigh Court judges is the sameexceptthattherecommendationfortheappointmentofJudgesintheHighCourtisinitiatedbytheChiefJusticeoftheHighCourtconcerned.

Theyholdofficeup to62yearsofage.Tobeeligible forappointmentasajudge,onemustbeacitizenof Indiaand shouldhavehelda judicialoffice inIndiafor10yearsormusthavepractisedasanadvocateofaHighCourtortwoormoresuchcourtsinsuccessionforasimilarperiod.

JurisdictionandSeatofHighCourtsEachHighCourthaspowersofsuperintendenceoverallcourtsandtribunals

within its jurisdiction. It cancall for returns fromsuchcourts,makeand issuegeneral rules and prescribed forms to regulate their practices and proceedingsanddeterminethemannerandforminwhichbookentriesandaccountsshallbekept.Thistablegivestheseatandterritorialjurisdictionofthehighcourts.

Name of High Courts, their Principal Seats, Benches and theirJurisdiction

http://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in

ApprovedandWorkingStrengthofSupremeCourtandHighCourtsStatement showingApproved strength,Working Strength andVacancies of

JudgesintheSupremeCourtofIndiaandtheHighCourts(Ason01.07.2019)

*ActingChiefJustice

PowerofSupremeCourtandHighCourtsSupremeCourthaspower to issueanypersonor authorityandgovernment

withinitsjurisdiction,direction,orderorwrits,includingwritswhichareinthenatureofforenforcementofFundamentalRightsandforanyotherpurpose.This

powermayalsobeexercisedbyanyhighcourtexercisingjurisdictioninrelationto territories within which the cause of action, wholly or in part arises forexercise of such power, even if the seat of such government or authority orresidenceofsuchpersonisnotwithinthoseterritories.

SubordinateCourtsThe structure and functions of subordinate courts aremore or less uniform

throughout the country. Designations of courts connote their functions. Thesecourts deal with all disputes of civil or criminal nature as per the powersconferred on them. These courts follow two important codes prescribingprocedures, i.e., theCode ofCivil Procedure, 1908 and theCode ofCriminalProcedure,Cr.P.C., 1973 and further strengthenedby state level amendments.As per direction of Supreme Court inWP (Civil) 1022/1989 in the All IndiaJudgesAssociation case, a uniformdesignation has been brought about in thesubordinate judiciary’s judicial officers all over the country, viz., District orAdditionalDistrictJudge,CivilJudge(SeniorDivision)andCivilJudge(JuniorDivision) on the civil side and on criminal side, Sessions Judge, AdditionalSessions Judge,Chief JudicialMagistrate and JudicialMagistrate, etc., as laiddown in theCr.P.C.Appropriate adjustment, if any,hasbeenmade in existingposts by indicating their equivalent with any of these categories by all stategovernments/UTadministrations.UnderArticle235oftheConstitutionofIndia,theadministrativecontroloverthemembersofsubordinatejudicialservicevestswith theconcernedHighCourt.Further inexerciseofpowersconferredunderprovisiontoArticle309readwithArticles233and234oftheConstitution,thestategovernmentshallframerulesandregulationsinconsultationwiththeHighCourtexercisingjurisdictioninrelationtosuchstate.ThemembersoftheStateJudicialServicesaregovernedbytheserulesandregulations.

NationalMissionforJusticeDeliveryandLegalReformsNationalMissionforJusticeDeliveryandLegalReformswassetupin2011

with the twinobjectivesof increasingaccessbyreducingdelaysandarrears inthe system and enhancing accountability through structural changes and bysettingperformancestandardsandcapacities.TheMissionhasbeenpursuingaco-ordinatedapproachforphasedliquidationofarrearsandpendencyinjudicialadministration, which, inter-alia, involves better infrastructure for courtsincludingcomputerization, increase in strengthof subordinate judiciary,policyandlegislativemeasuresintheareaspronetoexcessivelitigation,re-engineeringofcourtprocedureforquickdisposalofcasesandemphasisonhumanresourcedevelopment.TheMissionhastakenseveralstepsineachofthestrategicareas

towards fulfilmentof itsobjectives.AllStateshave formulated theirLitigationPolicieswith a view to reduce theGovernmental litigation.State governmentshavebeenrequestedinmakeanassessmentoftheimpactoftheStateLitigationPoliciesoncontrollingproliferationof litigationbyStateagencies.Departmentof Legal Affairs have formulated National Litigation Policy, 2015, which isunderactiveconsiderationofthegovernment.

Lack of adequate number of judges to handle the large number of casespending in courts is often cited to be oneof themain reasons for delays.Theproblem of shortage of judges is being addressed through a two prongedstrategy. Firstly, by filling up the large number of existing vacancies in thejudiciaryandsecondly,increasingthesanctionedstrengthofjudges.Itwouldbepertinent to note that as per the Constitutional framework the selection andappointment of judges in subordinate courts is the responsibility of stategovernmentsandhighcourts.

In thecaseof ImtiyazAhmedversusStateofUttarPradeshandothers, theSupreme Court asked the Law Commission of India to evolve a method forscientificassessmentofthenumberofadditionalcourtstoclearthebacklogofcases.Thecriteriaofjudge-populationratiofordeterminingtheadequacyoftheJudgeStrengthinthecountryhasbeenreviewedbytheLawCommissioninits245thReport(2014)preparedonthedirectionoftheSupremeCourtinthiscase.Inthisreport,theLawCommissionhasobservedthatfilingofcasespercapitavaries substantially across geographic units as filings are associated witheconomicandsocialconditionsofthepopulation.AssuchtheLawCommissiondid not consider the judge population ratio to be a scientific criterion fordetermining the adequacy of the judge strength in the country. The LawCommission found that in the absence of complete and scientific approach todatacollectionacrossvariousHighCourts in thecountry, theRateofDisposalmethodtocalculatethenumberofadditionaljudgesrequiredtoclearthebacklogofcasesaswellastoensurethatnewbacklogisnotcreated,ismorepragmaticanduseful. InMay2014, theSupremeCourt asked the stategovernments andtheHighCourtstofiletheirresponsetotherecommendationsmadebytheLawCommission. In August 2014, the Supreme Court asked the National CourtManagement System Committee (NCMS) to examine the recommendationsmade by the Law Commission and to furnish their recommendations in thisregard.NCMSsubmitteditsreporttotheSupremeCourtinMarch,2016.Ithas,interalia, observed that in the long term, the judge strength of the subordinatecourts will have to be assessed by a scientific method to determine the totalnumberofJudicialHoursrequiredfordisposingofthecaseloadofeachcourt.

In the interim, thisCommitteehasproposeda“weighted”disposalapproach—disposalweightedbythenatureandcomplexityofcasesinlocalconditions.

Onaccountoftheconcertedeffortsmadebyallstakeholderstherehasbeenagradualincreaseinthesanctionedstrengthofthesubordinatejudiciaryoverthepast few years. It has increased from 17,715 at the end of 2012 to 22,619 byDecember2017.Incaseofthehighcourts,theChiefJusticeofIndiagaveaninprinciple concurrence inApril, 2014 to the joint recommendationof theChiefMinisters and Chief Justices Conference held in April, 2013 to increase thesanctionedstrengthofHighCourtsby25percent.Several stateshavealreadyacceptedthisproposal,asaresultofwhichthesanctionedstrengthofhighcourtshasincreasedfrom906judgesin2014to1,079judgesinDecember2017.Thejudge-populationratiointhecountry,takingintoaccountsanctionedstrengthofjudges at all levels now stands at about 19.61 judges per one million of thepopulation. However, it is noted that despite the gradual increase in thesanctionedstrength,therestillremainalargenumberofvacanciesinsubordinatecourts.

JudicialInfrastructureTheprimaryresponsibilityofinfrastructuredevelopmentforthesubordinate

judiciary rests with the state governments. A centrally sponsored scheme hasbeen inplacesince1993-94 toassist thestates for thedevelopmentof judicialinfrastructure. It covers the construction of court buildings and residentialaccommodation of judicial officers. Until 2011, the central and stategovernmentsusedtocontributeanequalshareundertheschemebutfrom2011-12onwardsthecentralgovernmentwascontributing75percentofthefunds.Inthecaseofstatesinthenortheasternstatesthecentralgovernmentprovides90per cent of the funding. Central funding is, however, subject to budgetaryallocationforthescheme.

e-CourtsIntegratedMissionModeProjectThe e-Courts IntegratedMissionMode Project is one of the e-Governance

projectsbeingimplementedinHighCourtsanddistrict/subordinatecourtsofthecountry.Theprojecthasbeenconceptualizedonthebasisofthe“NationalPolicyand Action Plan for Implementation of Information and CommunicationTechnology in the Indian Judiciary-2005”by the e-Committee of theSupremeCourtofIndia.Thee-Committeewasformedin2004todrawupanactionplanfor the ICT enablement of the Judiciarywith the Patron in Chief-cum-AdhocChairmanastheChiefJusticeofIndia..

AccesstoJusticefortheMarginalisedIn partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP),

theDepartmentofJustice(DoJ),MinistryofLawandJustice,isimplementingadecade long programme on Access to Justice forMarginalised People (2008-2017). The project extends to the eight UNDAF states of Bihar, Chattisgarh,Jharkhand,MadhyaPradesh,Rajasthan,UttarPradesh,MaharashtraandOdisha.This project focuses on strengthening access to justice for the marginalisedpeoplebydevelopingstrategiesthataddressbarrierstoaccessingjusticeinlegal,social and economic domains. The project is presently in the second phase ofimplementation.

LegalAffairsDepartment of Legal Affairs is the nodal department for reciprocal

arrangementwithforeigncountriesforenforcementofarbitralawardspursuantto the New York Convention under section 44(b) of the Arbitration andConcilliation Act, 1996. The department of Legal Affairs is the CentralAuthorityundertheHagueConventionof1965forserviceaboardofjudicialandextra-judicialdocumentsincivilandcommercialmatters.Underthisobligation,around9309requestshavebeenprocessedsinceMay,2014tillMay,2017.

LegalInformationManagementandBriefingSystemInlinewithDigitalIndiamission,thissystemdigitalizesthecourtcasedetails

andbringsvariousstakeholdersonasingleplatform.LIMBShelpstointroducetransparencyaswellasasenseofownershipamongvariousstakeholdersduringtheentirelifecycleofacourtcase.Inaveryshortspan,withthehelpofvariousministriesandtheirnodalofficersandlocaladmins,LIMBShascapturedmorethan1.36Lcourtcaseswithmorethan5500registeredusers,morethan14000advocates, and1200 courts.NumberofArbitration cases on theportal is 452.More than 200 presentations have been made for concerned officers of thevariousMinistries/Departments62innumber.

WayForwardDepartmentofLegalAffairshasidentifiedsomefocusareastoencouragethe

principlesoftransparency,objectivityandaccountabilityinitsdealingswiththepublicinconformity,inter-alia,withtheobjectiveofgoodgovernance,minimumgovernment, maximum governance and ease of doing business and reducinglitigation within the framework and mandate assigned to it. Because of thewelfarenature,thesizeofthegovernmentisenormous.Newlawsandtoolsarebeing evolved to meet new situations arising due to growth, development,

scienceandtechnology,increaseinpopulation,paraphernaliaandconsciousnessamongst people about their rights. In this context the following majorinitiatives/reformsareproposedforvisionNewIndia-2022:-

LitigationAssessmentThe Department has taken preliminary steps to formulate litigation

assessment/legal audit/guidelines to examine a case during its journey arisingfrom a dispute to a full blown litigation and its outcome and subsequentimplementationaspectorotherwise.Ifthelitigationassessmentiscarriedoutatthestageofpolicyformulationitwouldhavethefollowingresults:(i)aholisticpicturewillemerge in theproposal; (ii)mayprevent litigation tocropup; (iii)will bring down case load on the judicial system and; (iv) reduce consequentburdenonthepublicexchequer.

NationalLitigationPolicyThereareapproximately3.2crorecasespending invariouscourts in India.

Government is said to be themajor litigant and there have been several LawCommission reports suggesting for a Litigation Policy to avoid unwarrantedlitigationbygovernmentandthusbringdownloadonthecourtsystemaswellasburdenonthepublicexchequer.Therefore, thedraftNationalLitigationPolicy2017 proposes to put in place a systemwhich prevents, controls and reduceslitigation.

InstitutionalisationofArbitrationDelay in conducting the legal procedure and want of timely disposal of

investment related cases/application lead to international arbitration involvinghuge expenditure to the state exchequer. Hence, streamlining the legal andjudicial system toensure speedy resolutionofcommercialdisputes is theneedand a necessary requirement. Department of Legal Affairs, constituted a highlevelcommitteetoreviewInstitutionalizationofArbitrationMechanisminIndia,under thechairmanshipofHon’bleJusticeShriB.N.Srikrishna.ThereportofthisCommitteehasbeensubmittedtotheMinisterforLawandJusticeinJuly,2017.

ReformsinLegalProfessionLegal fraternity represents themost enlightened and traditionally respected

sectionofthesociety.Inademocraticpolity,theroleofthisdignifiedprofessionhasalwaysbeenvery important. It is thewatchdogofdemocracyand remainsever vigilant in the matters concerning the rule of law as enshrined and

guaranteedbyourConstitution.Therehasbeenastrongobjectiononthematterofallowinglegalpractice inIndiabyforeign lawyersand lawfirms, inter-alia,onthegroundofproceduralhurdlesfacedbyIndianLawyersincasetheywanttopracticeinforeigncountries.Therefore,theissueisofparityinopportunitytopracticeonreciprocalbasis.

AppellateTribunalforForeignExchangeTheAppellateTribunalforForeignExchangewasestablishedin2000under

Section18ofForeignExchangeManagementAct(FEMA),1999.UnderSection19ofFEMA,thecentralgovernmentoranypersonaggrievedbyanordermadebySpecialDirector(Appeals),ormadebyanAdjudicatingAuthorityotherthanreferred to in sub-Section (i) of Section 17, may prefer an appeal to theAppellateTribunal thatmaybefiledwithin45daysfromthedateofreceivingtheorderbytheaggrievedpersonorthecentralgovernment.

Section20ofFEMAprovides that theAppellateTribunal shallconsistofaChairpersonandsuchnumberofmembersastheCentralGovernmentmaydeemfit.ThejurisdictionoftheAppellateTribunalmaybeexercisedbytheBenches.TheBenchmaybeconstitutedbytheChairperson,withoneormoreMembersasthe Chairperson deems fit. The Benches of the Appellate Tribunal shallordinarilysitinNewDelhiandatsuchotherplacesastheCentralGovernmentmay, in consultation with the Chairperson, notify and the Chairperson maytransferaMemberfromoneBenchtoanother.Ifatanystageitappearsthatthematter should be heard by a Bench of two Members the Chairperson maytransferthemattertosuchBenchashedeemsfit.Apersonwhoisqualifiedtobea Judge of a High Court or is or has been a Judge of High Court can beappointed as Chairperson of the Tribunal and a person who has been or isqualifiedtobeaDistrictJudgecanbeappointedasaMemberof theTribunal.Under Section 49 sub-Section (5) clause (b), all appeals which were pendingbefore PERA Board have been transferred and are at the disposal of theAppellateTribunalconstitutedunderForeignExchangeManagementAct.

EnforcementAgenciesPolice

The police force in the country is entrusted with the responsibility ofmaintenanceofpublicorderandpreventionanddetectionofcrimes.PublicorderandpolicebeingstatesubjectsundertheConstitution,policeismaintainedandcontrolledbystates.ThepoliceforceinastateisheadedbytheDirectorGeneralofPolice/InspectorGeneralofPolice.Stateisdividedintoconvenientterritorial

divisionscalledrangesandeachpolicerangeisundertheadministrativecontrolof a Deputy Inspector General of Police. A number of districts constitute therange. District police is further sub-divided into police divisions, circles andpolice stations. Besides the civil police, states alsomaintain their own armedpoliceandhaveseparateintelligencebranches,crimebranches,etc.Policesetupin big cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad,Ahmedabad,Nagpur,Pune,etc.,isdirectlyunderaCommissionerofPolicewhoenjoysmagisterialpowers.Allseniorpoliceposts invariousstatesaremannedbytheIndianPoliceService(IPS)cadres,recruitmenttowhichismadeonAll-Indiabasis.

ThecentralgovernmentmaintainsCentralPoliceforces,IntelligenceBureau(IB), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), institutions for training of policeofficers and forensic science institutions to assist the states in gatheringintelligence, inmaintaining lawandorder, in investigating special crimecasesandinprovidingtrainingtotheseniorpoliceofficersofthestategovernments.

Indo-TibetanBorderPoliceThe ITBP was raised in the wake of Chinese aggression in 1962 with a

modest strength of 4 Bns under an integrated ‘guerilla-cum-intellgence-cum-fighting Force’ self-contained in supplies, communication and intelligencecollection. It has evolved with passage of time into a conventional borderguardingForce.Today, ITBPFguards 3,488kmsof Indo-ChinaBorder and ismanning173BorderOutPosts(BOPs)withaltitudesrangingfrom9,000feetto18,750feet inthewestern,middleandeasternsectoroftheIndo-ChinaBorderalongtheHimalayasfromKarakoramPassinLadakhtoJachepLainArunachalPradesh. 8 ITBPFBns are deployed inMaoist affected areas of Chhattisgarh.TheForceoperatesthrough05frontierheadquarters,14sectorheadquarters,56service battalions, 02DMbattalions, 04 specialized battalions and 14 trainingcentreswithatotalsanctionedstrengthof89,432.

ITBPisbasicallyamountaintrainedforceandmostoftheofficersandmenareprofessionallytrainedmountaineersandskiers.Theyhavescaledmorethan180 Himalayan peaks including Mt. Everest four times including the 2012expedition. ITBPmountaineershavealsosuccessfullyclimbedpeaks inNepal,Iran,JapanandSouthAmerica.ITBPskiershavebeennationalchampionsandhavetakenpartinwinterolympics.IthasalsoparticipatedinadventurousWhiteWater Rafting, through turbulent and mighty waters of the Brahamputra, theIndus and the Ganges and has international achievements to its credit in thisfield.

Website:www.itbpolice.nic.in

BorderSecurityForceInternational borders of Indiawith Pakistan both east andwestwere being

manned by the respective state police forces till Indo-Pak war in September,1965.Certaininherentshortcomingsofthisarrangementcametolightduringthewar and itwas decided to have one single force under theUnion of India forguardingtheinternationalborderswithPakistan.

BorderSecurityForcewasraisedin1965withthestrengthof25Battalionsand3Coys.Over theyears, theForcehasgrowninsizeandasondate, ithas186 Battalions including 3 NDRF battalions, 5 major training institutions, 11subsidiary training centres and 03 minor training institutions. The ForceHeadquarterisinNewDelhi.Itsfieldformationsincludes2SpecialDirectoratesGeneral (Spl DsG) i.e. Spl DG (Eastern Command) and Spl DG (WesternCommand),13Frontiersand46sectorheadquarters,waterwing,airwingandother ancillary units. The sanctioned strength of BSF as on 31.12.2016 is2,57,363.

BSF’sroleduringpeacetimeisas:(i)topromoteasenseofsecurityamongthe people living in the border areas; (ii) to prevent trans-border crimes,unauthorized entry into or exit from the territory of India; (iii) to preventsmuggling and any other illegal activities on the border; (iv) anti-infiltratonduties;and(v)tocollecttrans-borderintelligence.Itsroleduringwartimeisas:(i)holdinggroundinassignedsectors;limitedaggressiveactionagainstcentralarmedpoliceorirregularforcesoftheenemy;(iii)maintenanceoflawandorderin enemy territory administered under the army’s control; (iv) guarding ofprisoners ofwar camps; (v) acting as guides to the army in border areas; (vi)assistanceincontrolofrefugees;(vii)provisionofsectors;and(viii)performingspecialtasksconnectedwithintelligenceincludingraids.Website:www.bsf.nic.in

AssamRiflesTheAssamRiflesraisedasCatcharLevyin1835is theoldestCentralPara

Military Force in India. The Force was raised primarily to guard the alluvialplainsofAssamfromthewildandunrulytribesinhabitingthesurroundinghilltracts.ThiswastheearliestembodiedunitofwhateventuallydevelopedintotheAssam Rifles. Gradually more such units were raised and employed forestablishing posts in the interior and thus acted as the strong arm of the civiladministrationinextendingtheauthorityoftheBritishers.TheForcealsohelped

http://www.itbpolice.nic.in

http://www.bsf.nic.in

in opening up these inaccessible and isolated areas and in undertakingdevelopment activities; earning many accolades from the administration. TheAssamRifles’contributiontowardsassimilationof thepeopleof thenorth-eastinto the nationalmainstream is trulymonumental. Their long associationwiththeregionreflects in theforcebeingfondlycalled“TheSentinelof theNorth-East”and“Friendsof theHillPeople”security in thenorth-easternregionandguardingtheIndo-Myanmarborder.

IthasitsheadquartersatShillongandtheForceiscompletelydeployedintheNorth East for guarding the Indo-Myanmar Border, spread over 1,631kilometers. It functions under the control of Ministry of Home Affairs. TheForce comprises aDirectorateGeneral headquarter, three InspectorateGeneralheadquarters,12sectorheadquarters,46battalions,one trainingcentreand theadministrativeelementswithatotalstrengthof63,747personnel.Website:www.assamrifles.gov.in

NationalSecurityGuardTerrorism,bothnationaland international raised itshead in thewestduring

theseventies.Itmanifestedinmanyformsincludinghijackingofaircraft,takingof hostages, assassinationof dignitaries andothers.Thenormal law andordermachineryandthedefenceforcesoftheWestwerefoundwantingtodealwiththismenace.SpeciallyequippedandtrainedforceslikeSASofUK,DeltaForceofUSAandGSG-9ofWestGermanywereraisedabroad.Theneedforcreatinga special force for executing surgical operations based on tactical intelligencewas felt in IndiawhenOperationBlueStarwascarriedoutby thearmyat theGolden Temple, Amritsar in 1984. National Security Guard (NSG) wasconceptualisedandcreatedafterstudyingandanalysingSpecialForcelikeSASintheUnitedKingdom,GIGNinFrance,GSG-9inGermany,Shar-et-matkalinIsrael andDelta Force in theUSA.Accordingly,NSGwas raised inOctober,1985asaFederalContingencyForceundertheMHA.Itconsistsofselectedandhighlymotivatedpersonnelfromthearmyaswellasthecentralarmedpolice.53percentofthepersonnelaredrawnfromthearmywhilethecentralarmedpolicelikeBSF,CRPFandITBPcontribute47percent.NSGhasagloriousheritageandisheldinhighesteembythenation.Sinceraising,itscommandoshavebeenemployedin114majorsuccessfulcounterterroristoperations,earningnumerousawards and rewards including three Ashok Chakras, two Kirti Chakras, threeShaurya Chakras and 10 PPMG. Nine NSG Commandos have also made thesupreme sacrifice in living up to the NSG’s motto of Sarvatra SarvottamSuraksha.

http://www.assamrifles.gov.in

Website:www.nsg.gov.in

CentralReservePoliceForceThe Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was formed in July 1939 at

Neemuch as the Crown Representative’s Police. After independence it wasrenamedastheCentralReservePoliceForceandSardarVallabhBhaiPatel,thethenHomeMinister hadvisualized amulti-dimensional role for it.TheCRPFhas innumerable achievements to its credit. It was the CRPF which bore thebruntofthefirstonslaughtoftheChineseaggressionatHotSpringsinLadakhin1959whenasmallCRPFpatrolwasambushedandheavilyout-numberedbythe Chinese army. In the ensuing battle, 10 CRPFmen laid down their lives.Every year 21st October is observed as the Police Commemoration Day. Theforce proved itsmettle in 1965when a small contingent ofSecondBnCRPF,successfullyfoughtandrepulsedanattackbyaPakistaniBrigadeon9thAprilatSardarPostinGujarat,killing34Pakistanisoldiersandcapturing4alive.Neverin the history ofmilitary battles have a handful policemen fought back a full-fledgedinfantrybrigadeinsuchamanner.InthisincidentsixvaliantCRPFmenalsolaiddowntheirlives.Asatributetothesagaofourbravemen,9thAprilisnowbefittinglycelebratedas“ValourDay”intheForce.

TheCRPFhas also been deployed internationally atKosovo,Haiti andSriLanka.InSriLanka,twoCRPFBattalionsandonecompanyofMahilaBattalionwereapartoftheIndianPeaceKeepingForce.ThefirstmajoroffensiveoftheLTTEdirectedagainsttheCRPF,usingunconventionalwarfarewassuccessfullyrepelled.Now, for the first time in thehistoryofUN,a fully formedwomen’sunitispostedinLiberiaasapartofUnitedNationsPeacekeepingMission.OnDecember13,2001whentheterroristsattackedtheParliamentHouseitwasthebraveCRPFwhosuccessfullyfoiledtheattack.Inexchangeoffire,allthefivemilitantswere eliminated.MahilaCtKamleshKumariwho sacrificed her lifeduring the incident was, for her exemplary bravery, awarded the highestpeacetime Gallantry Award ‘Ashok Chakra’ posthumously. When 5 armedterrorists tried to storm the Ram Janambhoomi/Babri Masjid Complex inAyodhya in July, 2005 and had penetrated the outer security rings, theywereconfronted by the CRPF posted at the inner security ring. The CRPF Jawansfought bravely and thwarted the evil designs of the terrorists and successfullyeliminatedallofthemonthespot.

Fromasinglebattalion in1939 theForcehasnowgrowntofourzones,20Adm.Sectors,2OpsSectors,36AdmRanges,7OpsRanges,228Bns,41groupcenters,15traininginstitutionsand4compositehospitals.ItistheonlyCentral

http://www.nsg.gov.in

ArmedPoliceForceinthecountrywhichhas3MahilaBattalions.ThebulkoftheforceisdeployedinJammuandKashmir;leftwingextremismaffectedstatesandinnorth-easternstatestotackleterroristandinsurgentactivities.Itpresentlyhas10Cobraunits,aspeciallytrainedforcetofightthenaxalmeans.TheCobrabattalionshavebeendeployedstrategicallyinthenaxalaffectedareas.CRPFhasalways been playing a significant role in times of natural disasters.When thedestructiveTsunamihadcausedanunprecedenteddamagetolivesandpropertyorwhentheJandKearthquakehaddevastatedlargeareasdisruptinglifeonamassive scale, CRPF played a significant role in the relief, rescue andrehabilitation efforts. We now have two battalions of CRPF designated asDisaster Management battalions and they have been located in Pune andAhmedabad.Website:www.crpf.nic.in

RapidActionForceIn 1992, 10 Battalions of CRPF were reorganized and converted into 10

battalionsof4coyseachofRapidActionForce(RAF).ThepersonnelinRAFare trainedandequippedtobeaneffectivestrikeForce incommunalriotsandsimilar situations. These Battalions are located at 10 communally sensitivelocations across the country to facilitate quick response in case of any suchincident. All these Battalions are organized on an unattached pattern and areworkingunderthesupervisionofanInspectorGeneral.

CommandoBattalionforResoluteActionIn order to effectively tackle the Maoists, the need for a Special Force,

capable of striking at the core of naxal heartlandwas felt.With this idea, tenCoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) battalions were raisedbetween 2008 and 2011. The selected personnel are put through specializedtrainingregimentopreparephysicallyandmentallytosurvivetherigoursofthetreacherous and inhospitable terrains and fight the guerillas like the guerillas.Out of the ten CoBRA battalions, nine are deployed in LWE (Left WingExtremism,i.e.Maoistsinfestedareas)andoneinAssam.

CentralIndustrialSecurityForceRaisedin1969,CentralIndustrialSecurityForce(CISF)isprovidingsecurity

cover to 303 units including 59 domestic and international airports and fireprotection cover to 87 industrial undertakings. With globalization andliberalization of the economy, CISF is no longer a PSU-centric organization.Instead, it has become a premiermulti-skilled security agency of the country,

http://www.crpf.nic.in

mandatedtoprovidesecurity tomajorcritical infrastructure installationsof thecountry indiverse regions including terrorist andnaxal affectedareas.CISF iscurrently providing security cover to 308 units which include atomic powerplants, space installations, defence production units, mines, oil fields andrefineries, major sea ports, heavy engineering steel plants, fertilizer units,airports,hydroelectric/thermalpowerplants,sensitivegovernmentbuildingsandevenheritagemonuments(includingtheTajMahalandRedFort)andalsoiconicprivatesectorunits.TheForce isalsooneof the largest fireprotectionserviceproviders in the country. It provides fire protection cover to 86 industrialundertakings. CISF has been inducted into Ratnagiri Gas and Thermal PowerStation Ltd., Rajiv Gandhi Thermal Power Project, Hissar, Haryana. Thespecialized task of airport security was assigned to CISF in the wake ofhijackingofIndianAirlinesplanetoKandhar.

TheForcehassofartakenoversecurityofallmajorairportsinthecountry,which includes international airports ofMumbai,Delhi,Chennai andKolkata.Besides, it has takenover security of 45government buildings,which includeNorthBlock,part ofSouthBlockandCGOComplex inDelhi.CISFActwasamended to enable the force to provide security, onpayment basis, to private/joint venture industrial undertakings, which are vital for the security andeconomyof thecountry.After theMumbai terroristattack inNovember,2008,themandateoftheforcehasbeenbroadenedtoprovidedirectsecuritycovertoprivate sector also. More than 175 private sector installations have alreadyrequested for CISF protection and Infosys Technologies Limited - amultinational information technology services company’s headquarter inBengaluru, became the first private sector company to get the CISF securitycoverinAugust2009.CISFisacostreimbursementforcei.e.,itisnotaburdenon the national exchequer.CISF inOctober, 2009 started a passenger friendlyutilityonitsofficialwebsitewww.cisf.gov.inforthelostandfoundarticlesatallairportswhereCISFhasbeendeployed.Website:www.cisf.gov.in

SashastraSeemaBalThe “Sashastra Seema Bal” (SSB) is the newest border guarding force of

Union of India entrusted with the guarding of Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutanborders. “SashastraSeemaBal” isguarding Indo-Nepalborder since2001andwasalsogiven theadditional responsibilityofguarding Indo-Bhutanborder in2004.SashastraSeemaBalcameintoexistenceunderthenameSpecialServiceBureauinearly1963inthewakeofIndo-Chinaconflict.Itsearlieraimwasto

http://www.cisf.gov.in

http://www.cisf.gov.in

buildpeople’smoraleandinculcateaspiritofresistanceinborderpopulationinthe thenNEFA,NorthAssam,NorthBengal, hills ofUttarPradesh,HimachalPradeshandJammuandKashmir(Ladakh).Theareaofoperationwasextendedto other border areas in Manipur, Tripura, Jammu, Meghalaya, Sikkim,Rajasthan,Gujarat,Mizoram,SouthBengalandNagalandbetween1965-1991.

TheroleofSSBinearliersetupincludes:(i)toinculcateasenseofsecurityandspiritof resistance inborderpopulation; (ii)promotingnationalawarenessandsecurityconsciousness;and(iii)organizingandpreparingborderpopulationtoresistenemy.Website:www.ssb.nic.in

CivilDefenceCivil Defence includes any measures not amounting to actual combat, for

affordingprotectiontoanyperson,property,placeorthinginIndiaoranypartoftheterritorythereofagainstanyhostileattackwhetherfromair,land,seaorotherplacesorfordeprivinganysuchattackofthewholeorpartofitseffect,whethersuchmeasuresare takenbefore,duringorafter the timeofsuchattack,oranymeasurestakenforthepurposeofdisastermanagement,before,during,orafteranydisaster.

TheAmendment to theCivilDefenceAct, 1968accorded legal sanction tothe additional role of the Civil Defence constituents in the field of disastermangement.CivilDefenceisprimarilyorganizedonvoluntarybasisexceptforasmall nucleus of paid staff and establishment which is augmented duringemergencies. Civil Defence volunteers are in various constructive and nationbuilding activities—including providing assistance to the administration inundertaking social and welfare services and in the prevention, mitigation ofnatural, man made disasters as well as in post-disaster response and reliefoperationsandlawandordersituations.Thetrainingofitsorganisationiscarriedoutinthreetierlevels.Thetrainingofmastertrainersandspecializedtrainingisconductedat theNationalCivilDefenceCollege,Nagpurand team/ leadershiptrainingisconductedatstatecivildefenceinstitutes.Trainingofthevolunteersin Civil Defence Organisation is conducted at local/town levels by trainedtrainersintheformofshort-termtrainingprogrammes.

HomeGuardsHomeGuardsisavoluntaryforce,firstraisedinIndiainDecember,1946,to

assist the police in controlling civil disturbances and communal riots.Subsequently,theconceptofthevoluntarycitizensforcewasadoptedbyseveral

http://www.ssb.nic.in

states.InthewakeofChineseaggressionin1962,theCentreadvisedthestatesand union territories to merge their existing voluntary organisations into oneuniformvoluntaryforceknownasHomeGuards.TheroleofHomeGuardsistoserveasanauxiliary to thepolice inmaintenanceof internalsecurity,help thecommunity in any kind of emergency such as an air-raid, fire, cyclone,earthquake, epidemic, etc., help inmaintenance of essential services, promotecommunalharmonyandassisttheadministrationinprotectingweakersections,participate in socio-economic andwelfare activities and perform civil defenceduties.HomeGuardsareoftwotypes-ruralandurban.InborderStates,BorderWingHomeGuardBattalionshavealsobeenraised,whichserveasanauxiliarytotheBorderSecurityForce.TheorganisationisspreadoverinallthestatesandunionterritoriesexceptinKerala.Insevenborderstates,atotalofeighteen(18)Border Wing Home Guards (BWHG) Battalions have also been raised viz.,Punjab (6 Bns), Rajasthan (4 Bns), Gujarat (4 Bns) and one each of Bns forAssam,Meghalaya,TripuraandWestBengaltoserveasanauxiliarytoBorderSecurity Force for preventing infiltration on the international border/coastalareas,guardingofVVIPsandlinesofcommunicationinvulnerableareasatthetimeofexternalaggression.

Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and rules of thestates/union territories. They are recruited from various cross sections of thepeoplesuchasdoctors,engineers,lawyers,privatesectororganisations,collegeanduniversitystudents,agriculturalandindustrialworkers,etc.,whogivetheirspare time to theorganisation forbettermentof thecommunity.AllcitizensofIndia,who are in the age group of 18-50, are eligible to becomemembers ofHomeGuards.Normal tenureofmembership inHomeGuards is3 to5years.Home Guard personnel are also awarded President’s Medal for gallantry,distinguishedandmeritoriousservices.AHomeGuard,whenevercalledoutforduty/training,ispaidduty/trainingallowanceatprescribedratestomeetout-of-pocket expenses.Members ofHomeGuards in the organisation are trained toassistpoliceinmaintenanceoflawandorder,preventionofcrime,anti-dacoitymeasures, border patrolling, prohibition, flood relief, fire-fighting, electionduties and social welfare activities. In the event of national emergency, someportion of Civil Defence work is also entrusted to the Home Guards. TheMinistryofHomeAffairsformulatesthepolicyinrespectofrole,target,raising,training,equipping,establishmentandotherimportantmattersofHomeGuardsOrganisation.ExpenditureonHomeGuards isgenerallysharedbetweencentreandstategovernmentsasperexistingfinancialpolicy.

FireServices

“Fire Services” is a state subject and has been included as a municipalfunctionintheXIIscheduleoftheConstitutionofIndiaintermsofArticle243-W.Assuch, it is theprimaryresponsibilityof thestategovernments/municipalbodies to enforce theNationalBuildingCode and allocate sufficient resourcesfor strengthening and equippingFireServices to ensure that safety of life andproperty of citizens within their jurisdiction. The 13th Finance Commissionrecognizing the need to restructure Fire and Emergency Services across thecountryhasrecommendedthataportionofthegrantsprovidedtotheurbanlocalbodies should be spent on revamping of fire services within their respectivejurisdiction. Further the Finance Commission has also recommended that allmunicipalcorporationswithapopulationofmorethan1million(2001census)mustputinplaceafirehazardresponseandmitigationplanfortheirrespectiveareas.Governmentof Indiaasasupplemental initiative isalso implementingacentrally sponsored schemeat acostof₹200crores for strengtheningofFireandEmergencyServicesinthecountry.TheSchemeattemptstofilltheexistinggaps in fire fighting and rescue capabilities through introduction of moderntechnology such as advanced fire tender, high pressure pump with misttechnology,quickresponseteamvehicle,combitoolsforsearchandrescueandcapacitybuildingofvariousstakeholders.

PersonalLawThepeopleofIndiaareofdifferentreligionsandfaiths.Theyaregovernedby

differentsetsofpersonallawsinrespectofmattersrelatingtofamilyaffairs,i.e.,marriage, divorce, succession, adoption, wills, etc. The subject matter ofpersonal laws is relatable to entry5ofList III-Concurrent list in theSeventhSchedule to theConstitutionofIndiaandhence theUnionLegislature,namelyParliamentandsubjecttotheprovisionsofArticle254oftheConstitution.Thestatelegislaturesarealsocompetenttomakelawsinthefield.

MarriageLaw relating to marriage and divorce has been codified in different

enactments applicable to people of different religions. These are : (1) TheConvertsMarriageDissolutionAct,1866; (2)TheDivorceAct,1869; (3)TheIndianChristianMarriageAct,1872; (4)TheKazisAct,1880; (5)TheAnandMarriageAct,1909;The IndianSuccessionAct,1925; (7)TheParsiMarriageandDivorceAct,1936;(8)TheDissolutionofMuslimMarriageAct,1939;(9)TheSpecialMarriageAct,1954;(10)TheHinduMarriageAct,1955;(11)TheForeignMarriageAct,1969;and(12)TheMuslimWomen(ProtectionofRightsonDivorce)Act,1986.

The Special Marriage Act, 1954 which provides for a special form ofmarriage and the registration of suchmarriages extends to thewhole of IndiaexceptthestateofJammuandKashmir,butalsoappliestothecitizensofIndiadomiciledinJammuandKashmir.PersonsgovernedbythisActcanspecificallyregistermarriageunderthesaidActeventhoughtheyareofdifferentreligiousfaiths.TheActalsoprovidesthatthemarriagecelebratedunderanyotherformcan also be registered under The Special Marriage Act, if it satisfies therequirementsoftheAct.TheSection4(b)(iii)oftheAct,wasamendedtoomitthewords“orepilepsy.”Sections36and38havebeenamendedtoprovidethatanapplicationforalimonyorthemaintenanceandeducationofminorchildrenbe disposed off within 60 days from the date of service of notice on therespondent. An attempt has been made to codify customary law which isprevalentamongHindusbyenacting theHinduMarriageAct,1955.ThisAct,which extends to thewhole of India, except the state of JammuandKashmir,applies also to Hindus domiciled in territories to which the Act extends andthosewhoareoutsidethesaidterritories.ItappliestoHindus(inanyofitsformsordevelopment)andalsotoBuddhists,Sikhs,JainsandalsothosewhoarenotMuslims,Christians,ParsisorJewsbyreligion.However,theActdoesnotapplyto members of any scheduled tribes unless the Central Government bynotification in the official Gazette otherwise directs. Provisions as regard todivorcearecontainedinSection13ofTheHinduMarriageActandSection27ofTheSpecialMarriageAct.Commongroundonwhichdivorcecanbesoughtby a husband or a wife under these Acts are: adultery, desertion, cruelty,unsoundness ofmind, venereal disease, leprosy,mutual consent and being notheardofasaliveforsevenyears.

As regards the Christians, provisions relating to marriage and divorce arecontainedinTheIndianChristianMarriageAct,1872andinSection10ofTheIndianDivorceAct,1869respectively.UnderthatSectionthehusbandcanseekdivorce on grounds of adultery on the part of hiswife and thewife can seekdivorceonthegroundthat thehusbandhasbecomeconvert toanotherreligionandhasgonethroughmarriagewithanotherwomanorhasbeenguiltyof :(a)incestuousadultery;(b)bigamywithadultery;(c)marriagewithanotherwomanwith adultery; (d) rape, sodomy or bestiality; (e) adultery coupled with suchcruelty aswithout adulterywould have entitled her to a divorce, (a systemofdivorcecreatedbytheRomanCatholicChurchequivalenttojudicialseparationongroundsofadultery,perversepractices,cruelty)and(f)adulterycoupledwithdesertionwithoutreasonableexcusefortwoyearsormore.

In TheDivorceAct, 1869 comprehensive amendmentsweremade through

The Indian Divorce (Amendment) Act, 2001 to remove discriminatoryprovisionsagainstwomeninthematterofdivorceandtoprovidefordissolutionof marriage by mutual consent. Further, Section 41 of the 1869 Act wasamended by The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Act, 2001 to provide that anapplicationforalimonyorthemaintenanceandeducationofminorchildrenbedisposedoffwithin60daysfromthedateofserviceofnoticeontherespondent.As regards Muslims, marriages are governed by the Mohammedan Lawprevalent in the country. As regards divorce, i.e., aMuslimwife has a muchrestricted right todissolvehermarriage.Unwritten and traditional law tried toameliorateherpositionbypermittinghertoseekdissolutionunderthefollowingforms : (a)This isa formofdelegateddivorce.According to this thehusbanddelegateshisrighttodivorceinamarriagecontractwhichmaystipulate,onhistaking another wife, the first wife has a right to divorce him; (b) : this is adissolution of agreement between the parties tomarriage on thewife’s givingsomeconsiderationtothehusbandforherreleasefrommarriageties.Termsareamatter of bargain and usually take the form of the wife giving up her or aportionofitand(c):thisisdivorcebymutualconsent.

Further, byTheDissolutionofMuslimMarriageAct, 1939, aMuslimwifehasbeengiven the right to seekdissolutionofhermarriageon thesegrounds;whereabouts of the husband have not been known for a period of four years;husbandisnotmaintainingherforaperiodof twoyears;(iii) imprisonmentofhusbandforaperiodofsevenyearsormore;(iv)failureonthepartofhusbandto performhismarital obligations,without a reasonable cause, for a period ofthree years; (v) impotency of husband; (vi) two-year long insanity; sufferingfromleprosyorvirulentvenerealdisease; (viii)marriage tookplacebeforesheattainedtheageof15yearsandnotconsummated;and(x)cruelty.

TheParsiMarriageandDivorceAct,1936governsthematrimonialrelationsof Parsis. The word ‘Parsi’ is defined in the Act as a Parsi Zoroastrian. AZoroastrian is a personwho professes the Zoroastrian religion. It has a racialsignificance.EverymarriageaswellasdivorceunderthisActisrequiredtoberegistered in accordance with the procedure prescribed in the Act. TheprovisionsoftheParsiMarriageandDivorceAct,1936havebeenenlargedsoastobringtheminlinewithTheHinduMarriageAct,1955.Sections39and49ofThe Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act, 1936 were amended by The MarriageLaws(Amendment)andeducationofminorchildrenbedisposedoffwithin60days from thedateof serviceofnoticeon thewifeor thehusbandas thecasemaybe.AsforthematrimoniallawsofJews,thereisnocodifiedlawinIndia.Even today, they are governed by their religious laws. Jews do not regard

marriageasacivilcontract,butasarelationbetweentwopersonsinvolvingverysacredduties.Marriagecanbedissolvedthroughcourtsongroundsofadulteryorcruelty.Marriagesaremonogamous.

AdoptionAlthoughthereisnogenerallawgoverningadoption,it ispermittedbyThe

Hindu Adoption andMaintenance Act, 1956 amongst Hindus and by customamongstafewnumericallyinsignificantcategoriesofpersons.Sinceadoptionislegalaffiliationofachild,itformsthesubjectmatterofpersonallaw.Muslims,Christians and Parsis have no adoption laws and have to approach the courtunderTheGuardiansandWardsAct,1890.Muslims,ChristiansandParsiscantakeachildunderthesaidActonlyunderfostercare.Onceachildunderfostercareattainingtheageofmajority,thatiseighteenyearsold,heisfreetobreakawayalltheseconnections.Besides,suchachilddoesnothavethelegalrightofinheritance.Foreigners,whowanttoadoptIndianchildrenhavetoapproachthecourtundertheaforesaidAct.

TheHindulawrelatingtoadoptionhasbeenamendedandcodifiedinto theHindu Adoptions andMaintenance Act, 1956, under which a male or femaleHinduhavinglegalcapacity,cantakeasonoradaughterinadoption.Indealingwiththequestionofguardianshipofaminorchild,asinotherspheresoffamilylaw, there is no uniform law.Hindu law,MuslimLaw and theGuardians andWardsAct,1890arethreedistinctlegalsystemswhichareprevalent.Aguardianmaybeanaturalguardian,testamentaryguardianoraguardianappointedbythecourt. In deciding the question of guardianship two distinct things have to betakenintoaccount-personoftheminorandhisproperty.Oftenthesamepersonisnotentrustedwithboth.ThoughThePersonalLaws(Amendment)Act,2010,theHinduAdoptionsandMaintenanceAct,1956wasamendedsoastoremovethe incapacity of married women to take in adoption of a son or a daughtermerelyonthebasisofhermaritalstatusandtoprovidethatthemotherwiththeconsent of the father and the fatherwith the consent of themother shall haveequalrighttogiveinadoptionoftheirchildren.

TheHinduMinorityandGuardianshipAct,1956hascodifiedlawsofHindusrelating tominority andguardianship.As in the case of uncodified law, it hasupheldthesuperiorrightoffather.Itlaysdownthatachildisaminortilltheageof18years.Priorrightofmotherisrecognisedonlyforthecustodyofchildrenbelowfive.Incaseofillegitimatechildren,themotherhasabetterclaimthantheputative father.The actmakes no distinction between the person of theminorandhispropertyandthereforeguardianshipimpliescontroloverboth.Underthe

MuslimLaw (Shariat), the father enjoys a dominant position. It alsomakes adistinction between guardianship and custody. For guardianship, which hasusuallyreferencetoguardianshipofproperty,accordingtoSunnis,thefatherispreferredandinhisabsencehisexecutor.Ifnoexecutorhasbeenappointedbythe father, the guardianship passes on the paternal grandfather to take overresponsibility and not that of the executor. Both schools, however, agree thatfather while alive is the sole guardian.Mother is not recognised as a naturalguardian even after the death of the father. As regards rights of a naturalguardian, there isnodoubt that father’s rightextendsboth to thepropertyandpersonof thechild.Evenwhenmotherhas thecustodyofminorchild father’sgeneral rightof supervisionandcontrol remains.Father can,however, appointmotherastestamentaryguardian.Thus,thoughmothermaynotberecognisedasnaturalguardian,thereisnoobjectiontoherbeingappointedunderthefather’swill.

TheMuslimlawrecognizesthatmother’srighttocustodyofminorchildrenisanabsoluteright.Eventhefathercannotdepriveherofit.Misconductistheonlyconditionwhichcandeprivethemotherofthisright.Asregardstheageatwhich the right of mother to custody terminates, the Shia school holds thatmother’s right is only during the periodof rearingwhich endswhen the childcompletes the age of two, whereas Hanafi school extends the period till theminor son has reached the age of seven. In case of girls, Shia law upholdsmother’s right till the girl reaches the age of seven andHanafi school till sheattainspuberty.

ThegenerallawrelatingtoguardiansandwardsiscontainedintheGuardiansandWardsAct,1890.Itclearlylaysdownthatfather’srightisprimaryandnoother person can be appointed unless the father is found unfit. This Act alsoprovides that the court must take into consideration the welfare of the childwhile appointing a guardian under the Act. Though The Personal Laws(Amendment)Act,2010,theGuardiansandWardsAct,1890wasamendedsoastoincludethemotheralongwiththefatherasafitpersontobeappointedasaguardian of a child so that the courts shall not appoint any other person as aguardianofaminorifeitheroftheparentsisfittobetheguardianofsuchminor.

MaintenanceObligationof ahusband tomaintainhiswife arisesout of the statusof the

marriage.Righttomaintenanceformsapartofthepersonallaw.UndertheCodeofCriminalProcedure,1973,rightofmaintenanceextendsnotonlytothewifeanddependentchildren,butalsotoindigentparentsanddivorcedwives.Claims

of the wife, etc., however, depends on the husband having sufficient means.Claimofmaintenanceforalldependentpersonswaslimitedto₹500permonth.But, this limitwas removedby theCodeofCriminalProcedure (Amendment)Act, 2001. Inclusion of the right of maintenance under the Code of CriminalProcedure has the advantage of making the remedy both speedy and cheap.However, divorced wives who have received money payable under thecustomarypersonallawarenotentitledtoclaimmaintenanceundertheCodeofCriminalProcedure.

Under theHinduLaw, thewife has an absolute right to claimmaintenancefrom her husband. But she loses her right if she deviates from the path ofchastity. Her right to maintenance is codified in The Hindu Adoptions andMaintenanceAct,1956.Inassessingtheamountofmaintenance,thecourttakesintoaccountvarious factors likepositionand liabilitiesof thehusband. It alsojudges whether the wife is justified in living apart from husband. Justifiablereasons are spelt out in the Act. Maintenance (pending the suit) and evenexpensesofamatrimonial suitwillbebornebyeither,husbandorwife, if theother spouse has no independent income for his or her support. The sameprinciplewillgovernpaymentofpermanentmaintenance.

Under the Muslim Law, The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights onDivorce)Act,1986protects rightsofMuslimwomenwhohavebeendivorcedby or have obtained divorce from their husbands and provides for mattersconnected therewith or incidental thereto. This Act, provides that a divorcedMuslim woman shall be entitled to : (a) reasonable and fair provision andmaintenance to be made and paid to her within the period by her formerhusband;(b)wheresheherselfmaintainschildrenborntoherbeforeorafterherformerhusband foraperiodof twoyears from the respectivedatesofbirthofsuchchildren;(c)anamountequaltothesumofordoweragreedtobepaidtoheratthetimeofhermarriageoratanytimethereafteraccordingtotheMuslimLaw;and(d)allpropertygiventoherbeforeoratthetimeofmarriageorafterhermarriage by her relatives or friends or by husband or any relatives of thehusbandorhisfriends.

In addition, theAct also provides thatwhere a divorcedMuslimwoman isunable tomaintain herself after the period themagistrate shall order directingsuch of her relatives aswould been titled to inherit her property on her deathaccordingtotheMuslimLawandtopaysuchreasonableandfairmaintenanceto her as hemay determine fit and proper, having regard to the needs of thedivorcedwoman,standardoflifeenjoyedbyherduringhermarriageandmeansof such relatives and such maintenance shall be payable by such relatives in

proportiontothesizeoftheirinheritanceofherpropertyandatsuchperiodsashemayspecifyinhisorder.

Where such divorced woman has children, the magistrate shall order onlysuchchildren topaymaintenance toherand in theeventofanysuchchildrenbeingunabletopaysuchmaintenance,themagistrateshallorderparentsofsuchdivorcedwomantopaymaintenancetoher.Intheabsenceofsuchrelativesorwhere such relatives are not in a position tomaintain her, themagistratemaydirect stateWakf Board established under Section 13 of theWakf Act, 1995functioningintheareainwhichthewomanresides,topaysuchmaintenanceasdeterminedbyhim.

The ParsiMarriage andDivorce Act, 1936 recognises the right of wife tomaintenance-bothalimonyandpermanentalimony.Themaximumamount thatcan be decreed by the court as alimony during the time amatrimonial suit ispendingincourt,isone-fifthofthehusband’snetincome.Infixingthequantumaspermanentmaintenance,thecourtwilldeterminewhatisjust,bearinginmindtheabilityofhusbandtopay,wife’sownassetsandconductoftheparties.Theorderwill remain in force as long aswife remains chaste and unmarried.TheDivorce Act, 1869, governs maintenance rights of a Christian wife. Theprovisions are the same as those under the Parsi Law and the sameconsiderationsareappliedingrantingmaintenance,bothalimonyandpermanentmaintenance.

SuccessionThe Indian Succession Act was enacted in 1925 to consolidate the law

applicable to intestate and testamentary succession which was in existence atthat time. The Act does not apply to the residents of the union territory ofPuducherry.Whileconsolidatingthelawinrespectofsuccession,twoschemes,onerelatingtosuccessiontopropertyofpersonslikeIndianChristians,JewsandpersonsmarriedunderTheSpecialMarriageAct,1954andtheotherrelatingtosuccessionrightsofParsis,wereadopted.

Inthefirstscheme,applyingtothoseotherthanParsis,inthecaseofapersondyingintestateleavingbehindawidowandlinealdescendants,thewidowwouldbeentitledtoafixedshareofone-thirdofpropertyandlinealdescendantsshallbeentitledtotheremainingtwo-thirds.Thislawwasamendedsubsequentlywiththeobjectiveofimprovingrightsofwidowsanditwasprovidedthatwheretheintestate dies leaving behind hiswidows and no lineal descendant and the netvalueof the estatedoesnot exceed5,000, thewidowwouldbe entitled to thewhole of his property.Where the net value of the estate exceeds 5000, she is

entitled tochargeasumof5,000with interestatfourpercentpaymentandinthe residue, she is entitled toher share.TheAct imposesno restrictionon thepowerofapersontowillawayhisproperty.

Underthesecondscheme,theActprovidesforParsiintestatesuccession.ByThe Indian Succession (Amendment) Act, 1991, the Act was amended toprovide equal shares for both sons and daughters in their parental properties,irrespectiveofthefactthatitwasthatofthefatherorthatofthemother.ItalsoenablestheParsistobequeaththeirpropertytoreligiousorcharitablepurposes,etc.,without any restrictions. In effect the amended lawprovides thatwhere aParsidiesintestateleavingbehindawidoworwidowerasthecasemaybeandchildren, thepropertyshallbedividedso that thewidoworwidowerandeachchildreceivesequalshare.Further,whereaParsidiesleavingbehindoneorbothparents in addition to children, or widow/widower and children, the propertyshall be sodivided that theparent or eachof theparents shall receive a shareequaltohalftheshareofeachchild.

ThisActwasamendedbyTheIndianSuccession(Amendment)Act,2002.ItwasfeltthatSection32ofthePrincipalActisdiscriminatorytowidowsandassuch the proviso to Section 32 was omitted to remove discrimination in thisregard.Section213wasalsoamendedbythisamendingActtomakeChristiansatparwithothercommunities.

ThelawrelatingtotestamentarysuccessionamongHindus,Buddhists,SikhsorJains,subjecttocertainrestrictionsandmodificationsiscarriedinSection57of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 read within the Third Schedule. The lawrelating to intestate succession among Hindus is codified in the HinduSuccessionAct,1956.ItextendstothewholeofIndiaexcepttheStateofJammuandKashmir.TheremarkablefeaturesoftheActaretherecognitionoftherightofwomen to inheritpropertyofan intestateequallywithmenandabolitionofthe life estate of female heirs. Further, (vide The Hindu Succession(Amendment)Act,2005),theHinduSuccessionAct,1956wasamendedsoastoprovidefortheequalsharetoacoparcenerdaughterinajointHinduproperty.

Avastmajority ofMuslims in India followHanafi doctrines of Sunni law.CourtspresumethatMuslimsaregovernedbyHanafilawunlessitisestablishedtobethecontrary.ThoughtherearemanyfeaturesincommonbetweenShiaandSunni schools, yet there are differences in some respects. Sunni law regardsQuranicversesofinheritanceasanaddendumtopre-Islamiccustomarylawandpreserves the superior position of male agnates. Unlike Hindu and Christianlaws,Muslimlawrestrictsapersonsrightoftestation.AMuslimcanbequeathonlyone-thirdofhisestate.Abequesttoastrangerisvalidwithouttheconsent

ofheirsifitdoesnotexceedathirdoftheestate,butabequesttoanheirwithoutthe consent of other heirs is invalid. Consent of heirs to a bequest must besecured after the succession has opened and any consent given to a bequestduring the life time of the testator can be retracted after his death. Shia lawallowsMuslimsthefreedomofbequestwithinthedisposablethird.

AnandMarriage(Amendment)Act,2012The Anand Marriage Act, 1909 was enacted to remove doubts as to the

validityofthemarriagerightsoftheSikhcalled“Anand”anditdoesnotprovidefor theprovisionsof registrationofmarriages.TheHinduMarriageAct, 1955appliestoallHindus,Buddhists,JainsorSikhsbyreligion.Italsoappliestoallother persons who are not Muslims, Christians, Parsis or Jews unless theyestablishthattheywerenotgovernedbyHindulaw,customorusagepriortotheAct. Section 8 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 provides for registration ofHindumarriagesandasSikhswere included in thedefinitionofHindu,underSection 2 of the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, a Sikh marriage performedaccording to the Sikhmarriage ceremony called “Anand” or other customaryceremonies could be registered here under the provisions of Section 8 of theHinduMarriageAct,1955.

However, vide The AnandMarriage (Amendment), Act, 2012, The AnandMarriageAct,1909wasamendedtoprovideforregistrationofAnandmarriagescommonlyknownasAnandKaraj.

ElectionLawsandElectoralReformsThe Acts in connection with the conduct of elections to Parliament, state

legislatures and to the offices of the President and theVice-President are : (i)The Representation of the People Act, 1950; (ii) The Representation of thePeople Act, 1951; (iii) The Presidential and Vice-Presidential Elections Act,1952; (iv) The Delimitation Act, 2002; (v) The Andhra Pradesh LegislativeCouncil Act, 2005; and (vi) The Tamil Nadu Legislative Council Act, 2010.These are administrated by the Legislative Department, Ministry of Law andJustice.

Theelectoralsystemofthecountry,whichisalsocalledthefirst-past-the-postsystemofelections,hascompletedsixtysixyears.

The continuously changing electoral scenario has necessitated reforms ofelectorallawsonseveraloccasions.Inthelightoftheexperiencegainedduringelections, recommendations of the Election Commission, the proposals fromdifferentsources includingpoliticalparties,eminentmen inpublic lifeand the

deliberations in the Legislatures and various public bodies, the successiveGovernments have taken a number of measures, from time to time, to bringabout electoral reforms; though need to effect a comprehensive package ofelectoralreformscannotbegainsaid.AtpresenttheissueofelectoralreformsinitsentiretyhasbeenreferredtotheLawCommissionofIndiaforitsexaminationandReport.OnreceiptoftheReportoftheLawCommission,thematterwillbeexaminedinconsultationwiththestakeholders.

DelimitationofConstituenciesTheperiodicreadjustmentoftheLokSabhaandAssemblyconstituenciesis

mandatory in a representative systemwhere single-member constituencies areusedforelectingpoliticalrepresentatives.Theelectoralboundariesaredrawnonthe basis of the last published census figures and are relatively equal inpopulation. Equally populous constituencies allow voters to have an equallyweighted vote in the Legislature. Electoral constituencies that vary greatly inpopulation—a condition called “malapportionment”—violate a central tenet ofdemocracy,namely,thatallvotersshouldbeabletocastavoteofequalweight.Delimitation and Elections are the two basic pillars of a parliamentarydemocracy.

The first Delimitation Commission in India was constituted in 1952, thesecondin1962andthethirdintheyear1973.Thethirddelimitationexercise—based on 1971 census—was completed in the year 1975. The presentdelimitation, based on 2001 census, has been undertaken after 30 years. Thepopulationhasincreasedbyalmost87percentandthenatureofconstituenciesinthecountry,byandlarge,hadbecomemalapportioned.

TheGovernment,aspartoftheNationalPopulationPolicystrategy,decidedtoextend thecurrentconstitutional freezeonundertakingfreshdelimitationupto 2026 as a motivational measure to enable state governments to fearlesslypursuetheagendaforpopulationstabilization.Ithasalsobeendecided,however,to simultaneously undertake readjustment and rationalization of electoralconstituencies, including those reserved for the Scheduled Castes and theScheduled Tribes, based on the population census for the year 1991, withoutaffectingthenumberofseatsallocatedtostatesinthelegislativebodiessoastocorrect the imbalancecauseddue tounevengrowthofpopulation/electorate indifferentconstituencies.TheConstitution(Eighty-fourthAmendment)Act,2001enactedin2002haseffectedtheaforesaidpolicydecisionsoftheGovernment.Pursuant to theenactmentof theConstitution(Eighty-fourthAmendment)Act,2001 which provided for readjustment of electoral constituencies, including

those reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled tribes. TheDelimitation Act, 2002 was enacted. The Delimitation Commission hadaccordingly been constituted in 2002 under the provisions of theDelimitationAct,2002withShriJusticeKuldipSingh,aretiredjudgeoftheSupremeCourtasitsChairpersonandShriB.B.Tandon,ElectionCommissionerintheElectionCommissionofIndiaandtheStateElectionCommissionerasitsmembers.Themain task of the Commission was to readjust the division of territorialconstituenciesoftheseatsintheHouseofthePeopleallocatedtoeachstateandthereadjustmentofthedivisionofterritorialconstituenciesofthetotalnumberof seats in the Legislative assembly of each state. Subsequent to that theConstitution (Eighty-seventhAmendment) Act, 2003was enacted and by thatActthebasisofthedelimitationofterritorialconstituencieswaschangedbasedonthe2001censusinplaceof1991.

Although the rules for delimitation vary across countries, tasks involved indrawingboundaries are generally similar. In India, the drawingof boundaries,generally, entails: (a) allocating seats to the states and districtswithin a state;creating a database composed of maps, population figures and the detailsshowing geographic/natural/administrative conditions of the area concerned;associating the statutory representatives from the Lok Sabha and StateAssemblies; (d)distributingthestatesanddistricts intogeographicunitscalledthe constituencies; (e) having an extensive exercise for public input intodelimitationprocess; (f)summarizingandevaluating theconstituencies;andg)passing and publishing the final order. The procedure for delimiting theconstituencies in India stands clearly spelt out inTheDelimitationAct, 2002.This legal framework provides for an independent and impartial DelimitationCommission. The final orders of the Commission are not subject to anymodificationorvetobytheGovernment.

The Delimitation Commission functioned in a transparent manner. Themethodologyandguidelineswereclearlyestablishedandpublishedinadvance.Whileframingtheconstituencies,theCommission—asfaraspracticable—keptinviewtheinterestofcommunitiessuchasthosesharingacommontribe,raceor ethnic background and also those defined geographically or by physicalfeatures like mountains, forests, rivers, etc. The Commission drew theboundaries of the constituencies reserved for scheduled castes and scheduledtribes strictly in accordance with the constitutional and statutory provisions.After getting finality of the delimitation exercise, in pursuance of the secondproviso to Article 82 and second proviso to clause (3) of Article 170 of theConstitution, aPresidentialOrderdatedFebruary19,2008was issuedmaking

new delimitation effective throughout the country.However, Section 10(B) ofthe Delimitation Act, 2002 deferred the legal effect of the 2007 delimitationorderinrelationtothestateofJharkhand.

WiththeissuanceofthePresidentialOrderspecifyingthedateonwhichthedelimitationordersnotifiedbytheDelimitationCommissionshalltakeeffect,itwas necessary to amend the relevant provisions and the First and SecondSchedulesof theRepresentationof thePeopleAct,1950toreflect thechangesmadebythedelimitationordersnotifiedbytheDelimitationCommission.Asaconsequentialrequirement,theRepresentationofthePeople(Amendment)Act,2008amending theRepresentationof thePeopleAct,1950 inconformitywiththedelimitationwasenactedandmadeeffectivefrom2008.BythisamendmentAct, the First Schedule and the Second Schedule to theRepresentation of thePeople Act, 1950 were replaced including other amendments. Further, a newSection8(A)wasinsertedintheRepresentationofthePeopleAct,1950,which,provided that if the President of India is satisfied that the situation and theconditions prevailing inArunachal Pradesh,Assam,Manipur orNagaland areconducivefortheconductofdelimitationexercise,hemay,byorder,rescindthesaiddefermentordersissuedunderSection10(A)ofTheDelimitationAct,2002in relation to any of those states and provide for the conduct of delimitationexerciseinthestatesbytheElectionCommissionofIndia.Further,theElectionCommission of India, as per sub-Section (2 of Section 8(A) of TheRepresentationofthePeopleAct,1950hasnowbeenempoweredtoundertakefreshdelimitationinrespecttotheaforementionedfourstatesassoonas,maybeafter the deferment orders in respect to these states are rescinded. A freshdelimitationexercisewillbeinitiatedasandwhenconditionsprevailinginthesestatesbecomeconducivetotheconductofdelimitationexercise.

After the issuance of the Presidential Order of 2008, the DelimitationCommissionhadissuedeight(8)orders/corrigendaamendingitsearlierordersinrespectofKarnataka,WestBengal,UttarPradesh,TamilNadu,NCTofDelhi,BiharandGujarat.

ReservationofSeatsforWomenDuring the years, a consistent demand has beenmade for giving adequate

representation to women in Parliament and state legislatures. Such a demandfindssupport in the73and74Amendments to theConstitutionmade in1992.TherewasaproposaltoamendtheConstitutionandtoprovideforreservationinParliamentandstatelegislatures.

ElectronicVotingMachines

TheuseofElectronicVotingMachines(EVMs)wasstartedinthecountryonexperimentbasisin1982.IttookmorethantwodecadesfortheuniversaluseofEVMsandduringtheGeneralElectionstotheLokSabhain2004,EVMswereusedinallpollingstationsacrossthecountry.ThereafterEVMsarebeingusedinalltheelectionsoftheHouseofthePeopleandstateassemblies.TheEVMsweredevelopedatthebehestoftheElectionCommissionjointlywithtwoPublicSector Undertakings, Bharat Electronics Limited, Bangalore (BEL) andElectronicsCorporationofIndiaLimited,Hyderabad(ECIL)in1989.

Electors’PhotoIdentityCardsThe use of electors’ photo identity cards by the Election Commission was

startedin1993throughoutthecountrytocheckbogusvotingandimpersonationofelectorsatelections.Theelectoral roll is thebasis for issueofEPICs to theregisteredelectors.Theelectoral rollsarenormallyrevisedeveryyearwith1stJanuaryoftheyearasthequalifyingdate.EveryIndiancitizenwhoattainstheageof18yearsoraboveasonthatdateiseligibleforinclusionintheelectoralrollandcanapply for thesame.Oncehe is registered in the roll,hewouldbeeligible for getting anEPIC.The schemeof issuing theEPICs is, therefore, acontinuousandongoingprocessfor thecompletionofwhichno timelimitcanbefixed.

However,constanteffortsarebeingmade to issueEPICtoall suchpersonswhose names have already been enrolled in the electoral roll, as early aspossible.Someofthemare:(i)specialphotographycampaignsareorganisedtomake EPIC of all voters; (ii) voters are allowed to give copies of theirphotographswhichare scanned formakingEPIC; (iii) booth levelofficers areappointed by the Commission to collect photographs and make EPIC of allvoters;(iv)25thJanuaryhasbeendeclaredastheNationalVoters’Daytofocuson enrolment of voters and making EPIC; (v) special publicity campaign isundertakentoinformelectorsoftheprocedureofpreparationofEPIC;and(vi)instruction has been issued that the EPIC number once issued will be validthroughouttheelector’slifeevenifaddresschanges.

VotingRightstotheCitizensofIndiaLivingAbroadSection 19 of theRepresentation of the PeopleAct, 1950 provides that everypersonwhoisnot less thaneighteenyearsofageonthequalifyingdateandisordinarily resident in constituency shall be entitled to be registered in theelectoralrollsforthatconstituency.Themeaningof“ordinarilyresident”islaiddowninSection20ofthesaidAct.IthasbeenspecifiedunderChapter-IIIintheHandBookforElectoralRegistrationOfficersthatapersonwhohasgoneoutof

thecountryforbusinessoremploymentshouldbetreatedashavingmovedoutof thatplace.Mereownershiporpossessionof abuildingorother immovablepropertywillnotbestowontheowner,theresidentialqualification.

TherearealargenumberofIndiancitizensresidingoutsidethecountryduetovariousreasons.Theyhavebeenpersistentlydemandingforconferringthemthevotingrights.

The Government considered all aspects of the demand and accordinglyintroduced theRepresentationof thePeople (Amendment)Bill, 2006 inRajyaSabha in 2006 to enable the Indian citizens absenting from their place ofordinarilyresidenceinIndiaowingtotheiremployment,educationorotherwiseoutsideIndia,togettheirnamesregisteredintheelectoralrollsoftheconcernedconstituencyoftheirplaceofordinarilyresidenceinIndiaasmentionedintheirpassportsothattheywouldbeinapositiontocasttheirvotesinelectionstotheLok Sabha and to the state legislatures in case they happen to be in theirconstituencyatthetimeofpolls.

In pursuance of the recommendations of the Standing Committee, theGovernmenthavewithdrawn,withtheleaveoftheRajyaSabha,theearlierBill,namely,TheRepresentationof thePeople (Amendment)Bill, 2006 introducedonFebruary27,2006 in theRajyaSabhaand introduceda freshBill, namely,TheRepresentationofthePeople(Amendment)Bill,2010inAugust,2010,,toamend theRepresentation of the PeopleAct, 1950 to : (a) provide that everycitizenofIndia,whosenameisnotincludedintheelectoralrollandwhohasnotacquired the citizenship of any other country and who is absenting from hisplace of ordinary residence in India owing to his employment, education, orotherwiseoutside India, (whether temporarilyornot), shallbeentitled tohavehisnameregisteredintheelectoralrollintheconstituencyinwhichhisplaceofresidence in Indiaasmentioned inhispassport is located; (b)provide that theElectoralRegistrationOfficershallmakecorrectionsofentriesinelectoralrollsandinclusionofnamesinelectoralrollsafterproperverification;and(c)conferpower upon the Central Government to specify, after consulting the ElectionCommission of India, by rules, the time within which the name of personsreferredtoinsub-paragraphaboveshallberegisteredintheelectoralrollandthemannerandprocedureforregisteringofsuchpersonsintheelectoralroll.

The said Bill has been enacted as the Representation of the People(Amendment) Act, 2010. In pursuance of the provisions of the said Act theCentralGovernment,inconsultationwiththeElectionCommissionpreparedandpublishedtheRegistrationofElectors(Amendment)Rules,2011onFebruary3,2011andRegistrationofElectors(SecondAmendment)Rules2011onFebruary

23,2011.TheCentralGovernmenthasissuednecessarynotificationbringingtheAct into force fromFebruary,2011.Theoverseas Indianscannowfurnish thedocumentsself-attestedbythemandgettheirnameenrolledintheelectoralrolloftheirrespectiveconstituency.

ReservationofSeatsforScheduledCastesandScheduledTribes

OurConstitutionmakerswerefullyconsciousofthefactthattheScheduledCastesandScheduledTribeshadbeenanoppressedandunder-privilegedclassinoursocietyoverthecenturiesandtheydeservedaspecialdispensationsothattheir condition may be vastly improved. For this purpose, several specialprovisionswereincorporatedinourConstitution.OnesuchprovisionrelatedtothereservationofseatsforthesecommunitiesinLokSabhaandstatelegislativeassemblies. This provision found place in Articles 330 and 332 of theConstitution.Similarly,theywerealsosensitiveofthedifficultiesandproblemswhich were likely to be faced by the persons belonging to Anglo Indiancommunityinthecountry.Consequently,adequatesafeguardswereprovidedforthem in our Constitution by giving representation to this small section of thesociety, under Article 331 of the Constitution by way of nomination of twopersonsofthatcommunityintheHouseofthePeoplebythePresident.

Likewise, provision for nomination of onemember each by the Governor,wherever necessary, belonging to this community in the state legislativeassemblieswasalso incorporated. Initially, theaforesaidprovisionsweremadeonly for a period of ten years from the commencement of the Constitution.AlthoughseveralstepshavebeeninitiatedbytheGovernmentfromtimetotimeforimprovingthesocioeconomicstatusoftheScheduledCastesandScheduledTribes,yettheyarestillfarbehindothercommunities.Eveninthepoliticalfield,theyarenotyetabletocomeupandgetthemselveselectedtotherepresentativebodiesontheirowninadequatenumbers.Similarly,therearestillasmallsectionofAngloIndianswhichneedrepresentationintheelectedbodies.Consequently,the provision initiallymade for a period of ten years has been extended fromtime to time. Recently, through the Constitution (One Hundred NinthAmendment)Bill,2009extensionoftheperiodforafurthertenyearshasbeenpassedbyboththeHousesofParliamentandreceivedtheassentofthePresidentin January, 2010. The said Bill was enacted as the Constitution (Ninety-fifthAmendment)Act,2009.

21Labour,SkillDevelopmentandEmployment

LabourTHEMinistryofLabourandEmploymentisoneoftheimportantandoldest

ministriesoftheGovernmentofIndia.ThemainresponsibilityentrustedtotheMinistry is toprotectandsafeguard the interestsofworkers ingeneraland thepoor,deprivedanddisadvantagedsectionsof thesociety, inparticular.Further,theMinistry aims to create a healthywork environment for higher productionand productivity and to develop and coordinate vocational skill training andemploymentservices.Tokeepitselfintandemwiththeprocessofliberalisation,the Ministry’s attention is focussed on promotion of welfare of labour andprovidingsocialsecurity to thelabourforcebothinorganisedandunorganisedsectors.Theseobjectivesare sought tobeachieved through implementationofvarious labour laws, which regulate the terms and conditions of service andemploymentofworkers.LabourbeingthesubjectintheConcurrentListunderthe Constitution of India the state governments are also empowered to enactlegislations.Website:www.labour.gov.in

NewInitiativesShramYogiMaan-DhanYojana

Govenment of India introduced a pension scheme for unorganisedworkersunder Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maan-dhan (PM-SYM) to ensure old ageprotection for unorganised workers. Enrollment under the scheme has startedsinceFebruary,2019.

The unorganised workers mostly engaged as home based workers, streetvendors,mid-daymealworkers,headloaders,brickkilnworkers,cobblers,ragpickers, domestic workers, washermen, rickshaw pullers, landless labourers,ownaccountworkers,agriculturalworkers,constructionworkers,beediworkers,

http://www.labour.gov.in

handloomworkers,leatherworkers,audio-visualworkersandthoseengagedinsimilarotheroccupations,whosemonthlyincomeis₹15,000/permonthorlessare eligible to enroll underPY-SYMsubject to these conditions:These shouldbelongtotheentryagegroupof18-40years;shouldnotbecoveredunderNewPennsion Scheme (NPS); Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC)schemeorEmployees’ProvidentFundOrganisation (EPFO); shouldnotbeanincometaxpayee.

PM-SYMisavoluntaryandcontributorypensionschemeona50:50basis,whereprescribedage-specificcontributionshallbemadebythebeneficiaryandthe matching contribution by the central government as per the schemeguidelines.Forexample,ifapersonenterstheschemeatanageof29years,heis required to contribute₹ 100/- permonth till the age of 60 years.An equalamountof₹ l00/-willbecontributedby thecentralgovernment.Asubscriberwould receive the following benefits: (i) Minimum Assured Pension: eachsubscriber “under the PM-SYM, shall receiveminimum assured pension of₹3,000/-permonthafterattainingtheageof60years;(ii)FamilyPension:duringthereceiptofpension,ifthesubscriberdies,thespouseofthebeneficiaryshallbeentitled toreceive50percentof thepensionreceivedby thebeneficiaryasfamilypension.Familypensionisapplicableonlytospouse;(iii)ifabeneficiaryhas given regular contribution and died due to any cause (before age of 60years), his/her spouse will be entitled to join and continue the schemesubsequently by payment of regular contribution or exit the scheme as perprovisionsofexitandwithdrawal.

The subscriber’s contributions to PM-SYM is through ‘auto-debit’ facilityfromhis/hersavingsbankaccount/Jan-Dhanaccountanditrangesfrom₹55/-to₹200/-permonthdependingattheentryageofthesubscriber.Thesubscriberis required to contribute the prescribed contribution amount from the age ofjoining PM-SYM till the age of 60 years. The Scheme is being implementedthrough LIC and Common Services Centres-SPV. LIC is the Pension FundManager and responsible for Pension pay out, CSC-SPV is responsible forenrolling thebeneficiaries through its approx.3 lakhCSCsacross thecountry.Underthescheme,contributionamountforthefirstmonthisbeingpaidincash.

NationalCareerServiceProjectTheMinistryisimplementingtheNationalCareerService(NCS)Projectasa

MissionModeProjectfortransformationoftheNationalEmploymentServicetoprovide a variety of employment related services like career counselling,vocationalguidance, informationonskilldevelopmentcourses,apprenticeship,

internships etc. The NCS Portal (www.ncs.gov.in) from 2015. The NCSP issupported by a dedicated helpdesk (multilingual) available from Tuesday toSunday(8.00AMto8.00PM)on18004251514forassistingusers.Ithasarichrepositoryofcareercontentofover3600occupations.

The NCS Project has also been enhanced to interlink all employmentexchanges with the NCS Portal so that services can be delivered online. Thescheme provides for part funding to States for IT upgradation and minorrefurbishing of Employment Exchanges and for organizing job fairs.India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

PradhanMantriRojgarProtsahanYojanaThe Ministry is also implementing “Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan

Yojana”(PMRPY)since2016-17with theobjectiveofpromotingemploymentgenerationwithanallocationof₹1,000crores.Underthescheme,GovernmentofIndiawillpaytheEmployeesPensionScheme(EPS)contributionof8.33percentforallnewemployeesenrollinginEmployees’ProvidentFundOrganisation(EPFO) for the first threeyearsof their employment.Thiswill incentivise theemployers to recruit unemployed persons and also to formalize informalemployees. The scheme will be applicable to those having earnings of ₹15,000/-permonth.Abudgetprovisionof₹1,000/-crore for thisschemehasbeenmade.

LabourInspectionSchemeAcomputerizedlistofinspectionsisgeneratedrandomlybasedonriskbased

objective criteria. Serious matters are to be covered under the mandatoryinspection list. Complaints based inspections determined centrally afterexamination based on data and evidence. Mandatory uploading of inspectionreportsistobedonewithin72hours.

ShramSuvidhaPortalTheMinistryhasdevelopedaunifiedwebportal‘ShramSuvidhaPortal’,to

bring transparency and accountability in enforcement of labour laws and easecompliance. It caters to four major organisations under the Ministry namely;OfficeofChiefLabourCommissioner (Central);DirectorateGeneralofMinesSafety; Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation; and Employees’ StateInsuranceCorporation.

SingleUnifiedAnnualReturnMinistry of Labour and Employment has started Single Unified Annual

http://www.ncs.gov.in

ReturnforeightLabourActs.ThisfacilitatesfillingofsimplifiedSingleOnlineReturnbytheestablishmentsinsteadoffilingseparateReturns,undertheseActs.(1)ThePaymentofWagesAct,1936;(2)TheMinimumWagesAct,1948;(3)TheContractLabour (RegulationandAbolition)Act,1970; (4)TheMaternityBenefit Act, 1961; (5) The Building and Other Construction Workers(Regulation of Employment and Condition of Service) Act, 1996; (6) ThePaymentofBonusAct,1965;(7)TheInter-StateMigrantWorkmen(Regulationof Employment and conditions of Service) Act, 1979; and (8) The IndustrialDisputesAct,1947.

CommonRegistrationFacility forCommonRegistrationunder fiveCentralLabourActshasbeen

developedone-BizportaloftheDepartmentofIndustrialPolicyandPromotion.The Acts covered under this include: The Employees Provident Fund andMiscellaneousProvisionsAct,1952;TheEmployeesStateInsuranceAct,1948.TheBuilding&OtherConstructionWorkers (RECS)Act, 1996;TheContractLabour (Regulation & Abolition) Act, 1970; and The Inter-State MigrantWorkmen(RECS)Act,1979.

LabourCodesThisMinistryhastakenanumberofinitiativesforbringingtransparencyand

accountabilityinenforcementoflabourlaws,withtheobjectiveofstrengtheningthesafety,health,socialsecuritymeasuresforeveryworkerandbringingeaseofcompliance for running an establishment to catalyse creation of employmentopportunities. These initiatives include governance reforms through use oftechnology and also legislative reforms by simplifying, rationalising andamalgamatingtheexistinglabourlawsintofourlabourcodes.

LegislativeInitiativesDraftSmallFactoryBill

TheBillprovidesforregulationofworkingandserviceconditionsofworkersin small manufacturing units employing less than 40 workers. The Billamalgamates, simplifies and rationalizes the provisions of sixLabourLaws atone place for these small factories. The Bill will ease the operation of smallfactoriesandthuscatalyzethegenerationofemploymentthroughsmallfactorieswhileensuring,inter-aliasocialsecurity,safetyandhealthoftheworkers.

SocialSecurity

Employees’StateInsuranceCorporationToprovidemedicalcareandcashbenefitsincaseofsickness,maternityand

employmentinjuries, theEmployees’StateInsuranceActwasenactedin1948.Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) is implementing the ESISchemeintroducedsince1952.Theachievementsareasfollows:HealthReformsAgendaofESIC:AseriesofHealthReformsAgendawere

launched.Theseinclude,onlineavailabilityofElectronicHealthRecordofESIBeneficiaries (insured persons and their family members); AbhiyanIndradhanush:ensuringthechangeofbedsheetaccordingtoVIBGYORpatternduringtheweeki.e.tobechangedeveryday;medicalHelplineNo.1800113839for emergency and seeking guidance from casualty/emergency of ESIChospitals;specialOPDforseniorcitizensanddifferentlyabledpersonsinESIChospitals,intheafternoon.

SomeoftheothersalientfeaturesofESIC2.0wereup-gradingdispensariesto six bedded hospitals in phases, providing of appropriate cancer detection,cardiology/treatment, yoga facilities at different levels of hospitals, dialysisfacilities in all ESICModelHospitals on PPPMode, all possible pathologicalfacilities in hospital premises by outsourcing or by up-grading, QueueManagementSystemineveryhospitalforhelpinginregistrationandpharmacy,behavioraltrainingtopara-medicalandotherstaffofthehospitalsguidingthemtoprovideduecourtesyindealingwiththepatients/attendants,feedbacksystemforallindoorpatients,properandattractivesignagesattherequiredplacesinallESICHospitalsforguidanceandpropercommunicationstothevisitors,AYUSHfacilities to be extended up to the dispensary level in phases, tele-medicinefacilitiesforthebeneficiariesinphases.

DigitalIndiae-initiativesofESICe-biz Platform: ESIC was the first organization of Central government, tointegrate its services (Registration of Employers through e-biz portal ofDepartment of Industrial Policy and Promotion DIPP) to promote ease ofbusinessandcurbtransactioncosts.e-Pehchan:AprocessofestablishingtheidentityoftheinsuredpersonthroughAdhaar number has been set up by seeding Adhaar number to the insurancenumber.Thishassimplifiedtheidentificationprocessoftheinsuredpersonandhis/her dependents at various point of contact during all type of benefitdisbursement.Theprocesshasenabledtodoawaywiththecumbersomeprocessof making insured persons and their dependents to visit offices to get theirbiometricstakenforissuanceofapehchancard.

MobileAppforIPs:Our IPshavebeenprovidedwith aMobile app ‘AskAnAppointment’(AAA+)toenablethemtobookanappointmentwiththedoctorsonlinepriortoactuallymakingavisittothehospital.Incorporation of Government Directives: Various Government DirectivesregardingGeM,E-Officeetc.,eitherhavebeenincorporatedorareintheprocessofincorporation,adaptationandadoption.EmpowermenttoIP:Asystemisinplacetoenabletheworkerstoverifytheirstatus as covered/uncovered along with their wages/attendance/contribut iondepositedbytheiremployers.ICTdivisionhassuccessfullyupgradedthesystemcommensurate with the rapid growth of ESIC in addition to the changingbusiness rules and environment, i.e., a) incorporation of reduced rate ofcontribution for employers in newly implemented areas. b) incorporating theenhancementinwageceilinglimitfrom₹15,000/-to₹21,000/-.c)thedateofpaymentofESIcontributionhasbeenchangedto15thdayaftertheendofthemonth.

Unemployment Allowance under Rajiv Gandhi Shramik Kalyan Yojana(RGSKY) has been enhanced from 12 to 24months. In order to get benefitsunder RGSKY, the eligibility of contribution condition has also been reducedfrom three to two years for getting the benefits. In order to encourageemploymentofdisabledperson,theemployersshareofcontributioninrespectofsuchdisabledemployeesispaidbytheCentralgovernmentforinitialtenyears.The employers are exempted frompaying their share of contribution up to 10yearsinrespectofallpermanentlydisabledpersonsirrespectiveoftheirwagesworkinginfactoriesandestablishmentscoveredunderESIAct.

ESIChaslaunchednewscheme“OneIP-TwoDispensaries”forthebenefitofmigrant workers. Now, through employer, the insured women/persons canchoosetwodispensaries,oneforselfandanotherforfamilyresidingatdifferentlocationsofthecountry.

Employees’ProvidentFundOrganisationTheEmployees’ Provident Funds (EPF) andMiscellaneous ProvisionsAct,

1952 provides for Provident Fund, Pension Scheme and Insurance Fund infactories/establishments employing twenty or more employees in industriesmentioned in Schedule-I to theAct. The following three schemes framed are:Employees’ProvidentFundsScheme,1952;Employees’PensionScheme,1995andEmployees’Deposit-LinkedInsuranceScheme,1976.

Although formonitoring compliance of covered establishments, the system

assistedtoolintheformofCCTS(ComputerizedComplianceTrackingSystem)wasprovidedtothefieldofficesofEPFO,noconcretesystemorprocedurefordetectionofcoverableestablishmentwasavailabletothecompliancemachinery.It resulted in belated coverage of establishments with consequential legalimplications as the establishments were mostly found coverable fromretrospectivedatesbutrefusedtotakeuppastliabilityrelatedtostatutorydues,paymentof interestanddamages forbelated remittance,prosecutioncasesetc.TheActisapplicableonitsownvolitionandtheselegalactionsareattractedfornoncomplianceforwhatsoeverreason.

The Employees’ Provident Funds andMiscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952providesforProvidentFund,PensionSchemeandInsuranceFundinfactories/establishmentsemployingtwentyormoreemployeesinindustriesmentionedinScheduletotheAct.TheGovernmentofIndiathroughtheEmployees’ProvidentFund Organisation (EPFO) administers the Employees’ Provident Fund andMiscellaneousProvisions(EPF&MP)Act,1952andthefollowingthreeschemesframed there under: Employees’ Provident Funds Scheme,1952; Employees’Pension Scheme, 1995, and Employees’ Deposit-Linked Insurance Scheme,1976.

OnlineRegistrationTheEPFOhas launched a portal forOnlineRegistration ofEstablishments

fortheemployers.

UniversalAccountNumberThe facilityofUniversalAccountNumber (UAN) forEPF subscriberswas

formally launched in 2014. Portability is an inherent feature of the UANprogramme. It provides automatic portability of Provident Fund account onchange of employment if the employee has activated hisUANby seeding hisKnowYourCustomerdetails(throughtheemployer).

PensionReformsMinimumPension

Duringtheyearoneofthelongawaiteddemandsforimplementationoftheminimumpensionwasgiveneffect to.TheCentralGovernment isprovidingaminimum pension of ₹ 1,000/- per month for member/widow(er)/disabled/nominee/dependentparentpensioners,₹750/-permonthfororphanpensionersand₹250/-permonthforchildrenpensioners.

Afterimplementationoftheminimumpensionnotificationthepensionforall

member/widow(er)/disabled/nominee/dependent parent pensioners whoseoriginalpensionwerelessthan₹1,000/-p.m.havebeenfixedattheminimumof₹1,000/-p.m.Deductionsonaccountofbenefitsavailedbymembersonthebasisofchoiceexercisedatthetimeofmakingclaimslikecommutation,returnof capital and short service are applied on theminimumpension of₹ 1,000/-p.m.

IndustrialRelationsTwenty-two Central Government Industrial Tribunal (CGIT) -cum-Labour

Courts have been set up under the provisions of the Industrial Disputes Act,1947 for adjudication of industrial disputes in organizations for which theCentralGovernmentistheappropriateauthority.ThroughFinanceAct,2017,thepowers to settle theAppeals arisingoutofEPF&MPAct,1952havealsobeenentrusted upon to these Tribunals. These Tribunals are located at Dhanbad(Jharkhand),Mumbai, New Delhi and Chandigarh (two courts each) and oneeach at Kolkata, Jabalpur, Kanpur, Nagpur, Lucknow, Bengaluru, Jaipur,Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad, Ernakulam, Asansol andGuwahati. Further, the two Industrial Tribunals at Mumbai and Kolkata alsofunctionasNationalTribunals.

InordertoreducependencyofcasesLokAdalatsarebeingorganizedbytheCGITcum-LabourCourtsasanAlternateGrievanceRedressalSystem.

ChildLabourChild Labour is an area of great concern and Government of India is

committed to address the issue. Considering the magnitude and nature of theproblem, it is following a robust multi-generation schemes. It comprisesstatutory and legislative measures, rescue and rehabilitation, universalelementary education alongwith social protection and poverty alleviation andemployment generation schemes. The objective is to create an environmentwherefamiliesarenotcompelledtosendtheirchildrentowork.Governmenthasadopted an approach to withdraw and rehabilitate working children from alloccupationsandprocesses.

PolicyonChildLabourTheNationalPolicyonChildLabourannouncedinAugust,1987,addresses

this complex issue in a comprehensive, holistic and integrated manner. TheActionPlanunder ismulti-prongedandmainlyconsistsof:a legislativeactionplan; project based action in areas of high concentration of child labour; and


focusongeneraldevelopmentprogrammesforthebenefitofthefamiliesofsuchlabour.

LegislativeActionPlanUnder the Legislative Action Plan, the Child Labour (Prohibition &

Regulation) Act, was enacted in 1986. As per the provisions of the Act, theemployment of children below the age of 14 years was prohibited in 18occupations and 65 processes. Then the Government followed it up with theChild Labour (Prohibition&Regulation)AmendmentAct, 2016,which cameintoforcefrom2016.TheAmendmentinter-aliacoversthecompleteprohibitiononemploymentorworkofchildrenbelow14yearsofageinalloccupationsandprocesses;linkingtheageoftheprohibitionofemploymentwiththeageforfreeandcompulsory educationunderRight toEducationAct, 2009;prohibitiononemploymentofadolescents(14to18yearsofage)inhazardousoccupationsorprocesses andmaking stricter punishment for the employers contravening theprovisions of the Act; and project based action plan in the areas of highconcentrationofchildlabour.InpursuanceofNationalChildLabourPolicy,theNational Child Labour Project (NCLP) Scheme was started in 1988 torehabilitatechildren rescued fromchild labour. It isanongoingCentralSectorScheme and at present sanctioned in 270 districts in the country. Under theScheme,workingchildrenareidentifiedthroughchildlaboursurvey,withdrawnfromworkandputintothespecialtrainingcentressoastoprovidethemwithanenvironmenttosubsequentlyjoinmainstreameducationsystem.Inthesespecialtraining centres, besides formal education, the children are provided stipend,supplementarynutrition,vocationaltrainingandregularhealthcheckups.

As poverty is the primary cause of such a social evil, the educationalrehabilitation of such children is further complemented by the economicrehabilitation of the families through the convergence approach so that thechildren and their families are covered under the benefits of the schemes ofvariousministries/departments.

Re-alignmentofNCLPSchemewithRTEActWiththeenactmentofRighttoEducation(RTE)Act,2009,therewasaneed

forrealignmentoftheNCLPSchemewiththeprovisionsofRTEAct,2009.TheNCLPSchoolscouldnowserveas special trainingcentres forun-enrolledandoutofschoolchildreninaccordancewiththeprovisionsofSection4oftheRTEAct and Rule 5 of the Right of Children for free and compulsory education(RTE)Rules,2010.Thenameof“theChildLabour(Prohibition&Regulation)Act,1986”mentionedatSl.No.13ofthelistofCentralActprovidedinChapter

1 has been replaced with “the Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition &Regulation)Act,1986”from2016.

BondedLabourRehabilitationofBondedLabour

With a view to supplementing the efforts of the state governments; aCentrally Sponsored Plan Scheme for rehabilitation of bonded labour waslaunched in 1978.Under the Scheme, state governments are providedCentralassistance on matching grants (50:50) basis for the rehabilitation of bondedlabour.The saidPlanSchemewasdrasticallymodified in 2000 to provide for100percentassistanceforconductingdistrictwisesurveysforidentificationofbonded labour, awareness generation activities, and evaluatory studies. TheRehabilitationgranthasalsobeenraisedfrom₹10,000/-peridentifiedbondedlabour,to₹20,000/-peridentifiedbondedlabour.Further,inthecaseofNorth-Easternstates,centpercentrehabilitationgrant isprovidedincase theyfail toprovidetheirmatchingcontribution.

WagesandBonusTheMinimumWagesAct,1948

TheMinimumWagesAct,1948wasenactedtosafeguardtheinterestsoftheworkersmostlyintheunorganisedsector.UndertheprovisionoftheAct,boththeCentralandstategovernmentsaretheappropriategovernmentstofix,revise,review and enforce the payment of minimumwages to workers in respect ofscheduled employments under their respective jurisdictions. There are 45scheduledemploymentsintheCentralandasmanyas1697inthestatesphere.The enforcement of theMinimumWages Act, 1948 is ensured at two levels.While in the Central sphere, the enforcement is done through the inspectingofficers of the Chief Labour Commissioner (Central) commonly designated aCentral IndustrialRelationsMachinery (CIRM), the compliance in the state isensuredthroughthestateenforcementmachinery.

In order to protect the minimum wages against inflation, the CentralGovernment has introduced Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) linked toConsumerPrice Index.As regards statesUTadministrations,27of themhavemade VDA as a component of minimum wages. Both Central and stategovernments are revising the minimum wages in respect of these scheduledemploymentsfromtimetotime.

In order to have a uniform wage structure and to reduce the disparity in

minimumwagesacrossthecountry,aconceptofNationalFloorLevelMinimumWage (NFLMW) was mooted on the basis of the recommendations of theNational Commission on Rural Labour (NCRL) in 1991. NFLMW has beenrevised from time to time. TheCentralGovernment has revised theNFLMWfrom₹137/-to₹160/-perdayfrom2015.It,however,needstobenotedthattheNationalFloorLevelMinimumWage,isanon-statutorymeasure.

PaymentofWagesThePaymentofWagesAct,1936ensurestimelypaymentofwagesandthat

nounauthoriseddeductionsaremadefromthewagesoftheworkers.Inexerciseofthepowersconferredbysub-section(6)ofSection1of theAct, theCentralGovernment, on the basis of figures of the Consumer Expenditure Surveypublished by National Sample Survey Office, has enhanced the wage ceilingfrom₹10,000/-to₹18,000/-permonthfrom2012.

Payment ofWages (Amendment) Act, 2017: Section 6 of the Payment ofWagesAct,1936wasamended2017toenablemakingpaymentofwagesincashor by cheque or by crediting in the bank account of the employee. Theamendmentalsoenablestheappropriategovernmentmay,bynotificationintheOfficialGazette, specify the industrial or other establishment, the employer ofwhich shall pay to every person employed in such industrial or otherestablishment,thewagesonlybychequeorbycreditingthewagesinthebankaccount.

PaymentofBonusThePaymentofBonusAct,1965hasbeenamended to revise the statutory

eligibility limitunderSection2 (13) from₹10,000/- to₹21,000/-permonthandthecalculationceilingunderSection12from₹3,500/-to₹7,000/-ortheminimum wage for the scheduled employment, as fixed by the appropriateGovernment,whichever is higher. The changes in the Payment ofBonusAct,1965areeffectiveretrospectivelyfrom2014.

OccupationalSafetyandHealthThe provisions on Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) of workers as

provided for in the Constitution of India are being implemented through theoffices of Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS) and the DirectorateGeneral of Factory Advice Service and Labour Institutes (DGFASLI). TheDGMSenforces thesafetyandhealthprovisionsfor theworkers in theminingindustry through its Inspectors appointed under the Mines Act, 1952. TheDGFASLI,throughitsInspectorateofDockSafetyenforcessafetyprovisionsin

thedocksandalsoactsas thecoordinatingagencyat thenational level for theInspectorateofFactoriesfunctioningunderdifferentstategovernments.

ThePrimeMinister’s ShramAwards are given to theworkers employed indepartment/publicsectorundertakingsoftheCentralandstategovernmentsandthemanufacturingunitsemploying500ormoreworkersintheprivatesectorinrecognition of their performance, devotion to duty, etc. The VishwakarmaRashtriyaPuraskars(VRPs)aregiventoindividualworkersorgroupofworkersfortheiroutstandingsuggestionsleadingtoimprovementinproductivity,safetyandhealthaswellas the importsubstitutionresultingin thesavingsofforeigncurrency.TheNationalSafetyAwards(NSAs)aregiveninrecognitionofgoodsafetyperformanceonthepartoftheindustrialestablishmentscoveredundertheFactories Act, 1948, the employers covered under the DockWorkers (Safety,Health andWelfare) Act, 1986 and Building and other ConstructionWorkers(RegulationofEmploymentandConditionsofService)Act,1996.TheNationalSafety Award (Mines) are given at the national level in recognition ofoutstandingsafetyperformanceinminescoveredundertheMinesAct,1952.

ResearchandTrainingNationalBoardforWorkers’EducationandDevelopment

The Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers’ Education andDevelopment was established in 1958 to implement the Workers’ EducationProgrammes at national, regional and unit/village level. TheBoard undertakestraining programmes,which coverworkers fromorganized, unorganized, ruralandinformalsectors.ThemainobjectiveoftheBoard’strainingprogrammesistocreateawarenessamongallsectionsof theworkingpopulation.Supervisoryandmanagerialcadresarealsocoveredthroughjointeducationprogrammes.

WithheadquartersatNagpur, theBoardhasanetworkof50regionaland8sub regional directorates spread throughout the country. The six zonalDirectoratesatDelhi,Guwahati,Kolkata,Chennai,MumbaiandBhopalmonitortheactivitiesof theregionaldirectoratesof their respectivezone.TheBoard istripartite incharacterandconsistsof representatives fromcentralorganisationsofworkers/employers,central/stategovernmentsandeducationalinstitutions.

V.V.GiriNationalLabour Institute an autonomousbodyof theMinistry ofLabourandEmployment,setup in1974,hasgrownintoapremier instituteoflabour research and training.Since its inception, the Institutehas endeavouredthroughitsresearch,training,educationandpublicationstoreachouttodiversegroups concerned with various aspects of labour in the organised and

unorganised sectors. The focus of such endeavours is the concern to transferacademic insights and understanding for application to policy formulation andaction, so as to ensure a justplace for labour in anegalitariananddemocraticsociety.

SkillDevelopmentSkilldevelopmentandentrepreneurshipeffortsacrossthecountryhavebeen

highly fragmented so far. As opposed to developed countries, where thepercentage of skilled workforce is between 60 and 90 per cent of the totalworkforce, India records an abysmal 4.69 per cent of workforce with formalvocationalskills.Thereisaneedforspeedyreorganizationoftheecosystemofskill development and entrepreneurship promotion in the country to suit theneeds of the industry and enable decent quality of life to its population.Currently, over 40 Skill Development Programmes (SDPs) are beingimplemented by over 18Ministries/Departments of the Government of India.However,therearegapsinthecapacityandqualityoftraininginfrastructureaswellasoutputs,insufficientfocusonworkforceaspirations,lackofcertificationandcommonstandardsandapointedlackoffocusontheunorganizedsector.Inviewof this and recognising the urgencyof all concerned stakeholders in thisfield, a separate ministry was created in 2014, namely, the Ministry of SkillDevelopment and Entrepreneurship. This Ministry is responsible for co-ordination of all skill development efforts, removal of disconnect betweendemandandsupplyofskilledmanpower,building thevocationaland technicaltraining framework, skill up-gradation, building of new skills, and innovativethinking not only for existing jobs but also jobs that are to be created. TheMinistryaimstoSkillonalargeScalewithSpeedandhighstandardsinordertoachieveitsvisionofa‘SkilledInida’.Website:www.msde.gov.in

It is aided in these initiatives by its function arms - National SkillDevelopment Agency (NSDA). National Skill Development Corporation(NSDC), National Skill Development Fund (NSDF) and 33 Sector SkillCouncils(SSCs)aswellas187trainingpartnersregisteredwithNSDC.

NationalSkillDevelopmentMissionThe National Skill Development Mission was launched in 2015 on the

occasionofWorldYouthSkillsDay.Itaimstocreateconvergenceandexpeditecross-sectoraldecisionsthroughahighpowereddecisionmakingframework.Itisexpectedtoconverge,coordinate,implementandmonitorskillingactivitieson

http://www.msde.gov.in

apan-Indiabasis.TheMissionaims tocreateconvergenceandexpeditecross-sectoral decisions through a high powered decision making framework. It isexpectedtoconverge,coordinate,implementandmonitorskillingactivitiesonapan-India basis. It consists of a three tier institutional structure, where thecascading functions of the bodies consist of providing policy directives andguidance,reviewingandmonitoringoverallprogress,andactualimplementationinlinewithMissionobjectives.TheMissionwillalsorunselectsub-missionsinhighpriorityareas.Attheoutset,sevensub-missionshavebeenproposedinthefollowingareas: (i) InstitutionalTraining, (ii) Infrastructure, (iii)Convergence,(iv) Trainers, (v) Overseas Employment, (vi) Sustainable Livelihoods, (vii)LeveragingPublicInfrastructure.

NationalPolicyonSkillDevelopmentandEntrepreneurship

ThefirstNationalPolicyonSkillDevelopment(NPSD)wasnotifiedin2009.The NPSD 2009 laid out the broad framework as well as objectives andoutcomesfor theskillinglandscapein thecountry.Giventheparadigmshift inthe skilling ecosystem in the country and the experience gained throughimplementationofvarious skill developmentprogrammes in thecountry, therewas an imminent need to revisit the earlier policy.Moreover, the 2009 policyitselfprovidedforrevieweveryfiveyearstoalignthepolicyframeworkwiththeemerging trends in the national and internationalmilieu.Accordingly the newNationalPolicyonSkillDevelopmentandEntrepreneurshipwasnotified2015whichreplacesthepolicyof2009.

Theskillcomponentofthepolicyaddresseskeyissuesintheskilllandscape:lowaspirationalvalue,non-integrationwithformaleducation, lackof focusonoutcomes, quality of training infrastructure and trainers, among others. Thepolicy aims to align supply with demand, bridge existing skill gaps, promoteindustry engagement, operationalise a quality assurance framework, leveragetechnology and promote apprenticeship to tackle the identified issues. It alsoaims to promote equitable skilling opportunities for socially/ geographicallymarginalisedanddisadvantagedgroupsaswellaswomen.

In the entrepreneurship domain, the policy seeks to promote anentrepreneurial culture through advocacy and integration of entrepreneurshipeducationasapartofformal/skilleducation,enhancesupportforentrepreneursin terms of credit and market linkages, foster innovation-driven and socialenterprisesandimproveeaseofdoingbusiness.Italsosuggestswaystofurtherfillip entrepreneurship among women besides endeavouring to meet the

entrepreneurialneedsofsocially/geographicallymarginalisedanddisadvantagedgroups.

SchemesandInitiativesPradhanMantriKaushalVikasYojana(PMKVY)

PMKVYistheflagshipoutcome-basedskilltrainingschemeofthisMinistry.The objective of this skill certification and reward scheme is to enable andmobilize a large number of youth to take up outcome based skill training tobecomeemployableandearntheirlivelihood.

Theschemewaslaunchedin2015.ThePMKVYisbeingimplementedbytheCentrealongwiththestates.

PradhanMantriKaushalKendras(PMKK)This Ministry through National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC),

implementsPradhanMantriKaushalKendra(PMKK)Schemeforsettingupofmodelskillcentreineverydistrictofthecountrywhileensuringcoverageofalltheparliamentaryconstituencies.

The PMKK envisages to: create benchmark institutions that demonstrateaspirational value for competency based skill development training at districtlevel to ensure wider reach of programme focus on elements of quality,sustainabilityandconnectwithstakeholdersinskillsdeliveryprocess;transformfromamandatedrivenfootloosemodeltoasustainableinstitutionalmodel.

SchemesforEntrepreneurshipPradhanMantriYuvaYojana

This Scheme aims at creating an enabling eco-system for entrepreneurshippromotion among youth through entrepreneurship education and training,advocacy, easy access to entrepreneurship support network and promotion ofsocialentrepreneurship.Thespecificobjectivesoftheschemeareasfollows:a)educate and equip potential and early stage entrepreneurs; b) connectentrepreneurs through networks of peers, mentors, incubators, funding andbusiness services; support entrepreneurs through Entrepreneurship Hubs (E-Hubs)andcatalyzeacultureshifttosupportaspiringentrepreneurs.TheSchemeisbeingimplementedinpartnershipwithbothpublicandprivatestakeholders.

UdaanThe Special Industry Initiative (SII) for Jammu andKashmir is funded by

Ministry of Home Affairs and implemented by National Skill DevelopmentCorporation. The programme is a part of the overall initiative for addressingeconomic issues in the state and is focused on providing skills and jobopportunitiestotheyouth.Simultaneously,theaimisalsotoprovideexposuretocorporateIndiatowardstherichtalentpoolavailablethere.

22 MassCommunication

THE Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, through the masscommunication media consisting of radio, television, films, press and printpublications,advertisingandtraditionalmodesofcommunicationsuchasdanceanddrama,playsaneffectiveroleinhelpingpeopletohaveaccesstofreeflowofinformation.TheMinistryis involvedincateringto theentertainmentneedsofvariousagegroupsandfocusingattentionofthepeopleonissuesofnationalintegrity, environmental protection, health care and familywelfare, eradicationof illiteracy and issues relating to women, children, minority and otherdisadvantaged sections of the society.TheMinistry is divided into fourwingsi.e., the Information Wing, the Broadcasting Wing, the Films Wing and theIntegrated FinanceWing. The Ministry functions through its 21 media units/attachedandsubordinateoffices,autonomousbodiesandPSUs.

The InformationWing handles policymatters of the print and pressmediaandpublicity requirements of theGovernment.ThisWing also looks after thegeneraladministrationoftheMinistry.

TheBroadcastingWinghandlesmattersrelatingtotheelectronicmediaandtheregulationof thecontentofprivateTVchannelsaswellas theprogrammematters ofAll IndiaRadio andDoordarshan and operation of cable televisionandcommunityradio,etc.ElectronicMediaMonitoringCentre(EMMC),whichis a subordinate office, functions under the administrative control of thisDivision.

TheFilmWinghandlesmattersrelatingtothefilmsector.Itisinvolvedintheproductionanddistributionofdocumentaryfilms,developmentandpromotionalactivities relating to the film industry including training, organization of filmfestivals,importandexportregulations,etc.TheIntegratedFinanceWinglooksafterthefinancialaspectsoftheMinistry.Website:www.mib.gov.in

PrasarBharatiPrasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) is the public service

http://www.mib.gov.in

broadcasterinthecountry,withAkashvani(AllIndiaRadio)andDoordarshanasits two constituents. It came into existence on November 23, 1997, with amandatetoorganizeandconductpublicbroadcastingservicestoinform,educateandentertain thepublicand toensureabalanceddevelopmentofbroadcastingonradioandtelevision.

ObjectivesThe major objectives of the Prasar Bharati Corporation as laid out in the

PrasarBharatiAct,1990areasfollows:(i)toupholdtheunityandintegrityofthecountryandthevaluesenshrinedintheConstitution;(ii)topromotenationalintegration; (iii) to safeguard citizen’s rights to be informed on all matters ofpublicinterestandpresentingafairandbalancedflowofinformation;(iv)topayspecial attention to the fields of education and spread of literacy, agriculture,rural development, environment, health and family welfare and science andtechnology; (v) to create awareness aboutwomen’s issues and to take specialstepstoprotecttheinterestsofchildren,theagedandothervulnerablesectionsof thesociety; (vi) toprovideadequatecoverage to thediversecultures,sportsandgamesandyouthaffairs;(vii)topromotesocialjustice,safeguardtherightsof working classes, minorities and tribal communities; and (viii) to promoteresearch and expand broadcasting facilities and development in broadcasttechnology.

PrasarBharatiBoardTheCorporation,isgovernedbythePrasarBharatiBoard,whichcomprisesa

Chairman, an Executive Member (also known as Chief Executive Officer), aMember (Finance), a Member (Personnel), six part-time Members, arepresentative of the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and DirectorsGeneral of All India Radio and Doordarshan as ex-officio Members. TheChairmanisapart-timememberwithathreeyeartenuresubjecttoanagelimitofseventyyears.TheExecutiveMember isawhole timememberwitha five-yeartenuresubjecttoanagelimitofsixtyfiveyears.TheMember(Finance)andtheMember (Personnel) arewhole timemembers alsowith a six-year tenure,subjecttotheagelimitof62years.ThePrasarBharatiBoardmeetsfromtimetotime and deliberates on important policy issues and gives directions to theexecutivetoimplementpolicyguidelines.Website:www.prasarbharati.gov.in

AllIndiaRadioAfter the inventionofRadioand thestartingofbroadcasting in thewestern

http://www.prasarbharati.gov.in

countries, broadcasting by privateRadioClubs started in a few cities in IndialikeMumbai,KolkataandChennai.

The first radioprogrammewasbroadcast by theRadioClubofBombay inJune, 1923. It was followed by the setting up of a Broadcasting Service thatbeganbroadcastingon July23,1927onanexperimentalbasisatMumbaiandKolkata simultaneously under an agreement between theGovernment of IndiaandaprivatecompanycalledtheIndianBroadcastingCompanyLtd.Whenthiscompanywentintoliquidationin1930,IndianStateBroadcastingServiceunderthe Department of “Controller of Broadcasts” was constituted and in 1935LionelFieldenwasappointedtheControllerofBroadcastinginIndia.TheIndianStateBroadcastingServicewasrenamedasAllIndiaRadioinJanuary1936.Itremained under Department of Communication, Department of I&B,Departmentof InformationandArts forperiodsrangingfrom1 to4yearsandfinallyhasbeenundertheMinistryofInformationandBroadcasting.Atthetimeof partition, India had six radio stations (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,TiruchirapalliandLucknow)andthreeradiostationswent toPakistan(Lahore,PeshawarandDacca,nowinBangladesh).

A1,000kwsuperpowermediumwavetransmittereachwascommissionedatMogranearKolkata in1969andatRajkot in1971.Four500kwsuperpowershortwavetransmitterswereinauguratedatBangalorein1994.Thismadeitoneof thebiggest transmittingcentres in theworld.The firsteverFMservicewasstarted in Madras on July 23, 1977. All AIR stations were provided with 5channel receiver terminals in 1985. Multitrack recording studio wascommissionedatMumbaiin1994andinChennaiin1995.Infrastructure

AllIndiaRadiocametobeknownasAkashvanifrom1957.AIRtookoverradio stations being run by native states sinceBritish days such asAkashvaniMysore,HyderabadRadio,andRadioKashmir,etc.

Fromameagre18transmittersin1947AIRacquired46bytheendofFirstPlan,59bytheendofSecondPlan,110bytheendofThirdPlanand433bytheend of 11th Plan and hence forth byMarch-2018 total number of transmitterswent up to 662, consisting of 139 mw, 48 sw and 475 FM transmitters. Thenumberofradiostationswentupfromsixin1947to469byMarch,2018.

SoftwareAIRhasevolved,overtheyears,athree-tiersystemofbroadcastingnamely

national, regional, and local. It caters to the information, education, andentertainment needs of the audience through its stations in this country of

continental dimension with plural society. They provide news, music, spokenwords, and other programmes in 23 languages and 176 dialects to almost theentirepopulationofthecountrywhichcrossed1billionmarkrecently.

The entertainment channel of AIR named Vividh Bharati was started onOctober3,1957andsinceNovember1,1967,commercialswereairedon thischannel.The firstRadioSangeetSammelanwasorganised in1954,whichhassincebecomeannualfeature.AkashvaniAnnualAwardstopromoteexcellencein Programme, Engineering, News and Audience Research were instituted in1974. Doordarshan was separated from AIR on April 1, 1976. The firstbroadcast by political parties before Elections went on the air in 1977 fromdifferent stations of AIR. The North Eastern Service was commissioned onJanuary3,1990atShillonginthecampusofAIR,Shillong.Thepublicservicebroadcastinginitiallyintheeveningtransmissionforaboutfiveandahalfhourdaily has since been extended to three transmissions. The programmes arebeamed through a 50 kw SW transmitter in Hindi and English besidesmusicprogrammes in different languages/dialects of all the states of theNorthEast.Phone-in-Programmeswereintroduced.

ChannelsandProgrammesThephenomenalgrowthachievedbyAllIndiaRadiothrougheightdecades

hasmadeitoneofthelargestmediaorganisationsintheworld.Now,ithas469stations and 662 transmitters. To serve the communication needs of the pluralsocietythatIndiais,thenetworkexpandedgraduallyimbibingnewtechnologiesand programme production techniques. All India Radio’s services are beingdigitalized.Objectives

To provide information, education and entertainment, for promoting thewelfareandhappinessofthemasses(BahujanaHitayaBahujanaSukhaya),AllIndiaRadiostrives:-(a)toupholdtheunityofthecountryandthedemocraticvaluesenshrined in theconstitution. (b) topresent a fair andbalanced flowofinformation of national, regional, local and international interest, includingcontrastingviews,withoutadvocatinganyopinionorideologyofitsown.(c)toproduceandtransmitvariedprogrammesdesignedtoawaken,inform,enlighten,educate, entertain, and enrich all sections of the people; (d) to produce andtransmit programmes relating to developmental activities in all their facetsincluding extension work in agriculture, education, health and family welfareandscienceandtechnology;(e)toservetherural,illiterateandunderprivilegedpopulation, keeping in the mind the special needs and interest of the young,

socialandculturalminorities,thetribalpopulationandthoseresidinginborderregions, backward or remote areas; (f) to serve the rural population,minoritycommunities,women,children,illiterateaswellasotherweakerandvulnerablesectionsofthesociety;and(g)topromotenationalintegration.

Three-TierBroadcastingThe three-tier system of broadcasting of AIR caters to the information,

education,andentertainmentneedsof theaudiences throughitsstations in thiscountryofcontinentaldimensionandwithapluralsociety.Theyprovidenews,music,spokenwordandotherprogrammestoalmosttheentirepopulationofthecountry,121.0croreasperthe2011census.Itsvastreachespeciallyintheruraland tribal areas make it the primary and sometimes the only source ofinformationandentertainment.

InNationalServicethenationalprogrammes,whichareheardontheMediumWaveinmostpartsofthecountry,catertothefirst-tierbroadcasting.Recently,ithas started airing on ShortWave also. The regional and sub-regional stationsprovide the second-tier of broadcastinggiving theprogrammes in the regionallanguages andpromoting regional cultural facets. In addition,FMChannels atmetroscatertothemodernneedsofthepeopleprimarilytheyouth.TheVividhBharati has alsobeen shifted toFMbroadcasting systemat 40places.The86stationsonFMmodesetuptocatertotheneedsandtastesoftheaudiencesofsmalltownsinvariouspartsofthecountryaretheLocalRadiostations(LRS).Recently, the community radio has become very popular among differentelectronic media available in the country. All India Radio has also set-upCommunityRadioServiceatfiveplacesintheNorthEasternIndiaasthevoiceofthelocaltribalpopulation.

RegionalChannelsRegionalChannels are locatedmostly in the state capitals and in themajor

linguistic-cultural regions of every state. Altogether 128 such channels arespreadover29statesand6UTsofthecountry.ThepublicservicebroadcastingarmofAIR, theRegionalChannelsputout infotainmentprogrammeswith theobjective of enriching the lives of their listeners. The Regional Channels,broadcast largely on the Medium Wave frequency, follow a compositeprogrammingmix.TheyalsopromoteartandculturewithamajoremphasisonIndian classical music. Around 40 per cent of the total broadcast on primarychannels comprises music, which includes classical, light, folk, film and themusic of various other languages. News and current affairs programmesconstitute20to30percentofthebroadcasttime.Radioplaysanddrama,health

andfamilywelfareprogrammes,programmesforwomenandchildren,farmandhome programmes aimed at empowering ruralmasses are the other importantsegmentsoftheprimarychannels.Thesechannelsbeingthemostaccessibleofall the AIR channels, strive to reach their audiences in the language mostunderstoodbyall.

LocalRadioStationsAt present 86 Local Radio Stations (LRS) are located across the country.

These stations are serving the local population of the area, providing utilityservicesandreachingrightintotheheartofthecommunity.

FMRainbowFMRainbowchannelofAllIndiaRadiowaslaunchedatatimewhenradio

listening was declining especially in big cities. FM radio filled this gapeffectivelybyensuringdisturbance-freehighqualitymusictoitslisteners.EventhepresentationstyleofthecompereonFMchannelwastransformedtosuitthechangingneedsoflisteners.Interpersonalchattingstyleofthecomperescaughtthepulseofyouthandalluredthemtocomecloser to theirradio.In itsround-the-clockbroadcast,thelistenerswereservedwitharecipeofwholenewgamutofentertainment.SoonFMradioacquiredthestatusofmodernradiobecauseitwas speaking in their style andproviding them the listeningpleasure.Theoldgloryofradiowasrestoredonceagainatleastintermsoflisteningpercentages.AIRhas475transmittersacroosthecountry.Ofthese,FMRainbowisavailableat Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Panaji, Jalandhar,Kanpur, Kochi, Puducherry, Shillong, Kasauli, Cuttack, Kodaikanal,Tiruchirapalli, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, Vishakhapatnam, Raibareily, Jammu,SrinagarandVijayawada.

FMGoldFM Gold channel went on air on September 1, 2001 at Delhi as a niche

infotainment channelwith 30 per cent of news and current affairs componentand70percentofentertainmentprogramming.Atpresent,FMGoldchannelisavailabledailyroundtheclock.FMGoldchannelisavailableatfiveplacesfourmetros i.e., Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Ludhiana. This additionalchannelgaveitslistenersanoptiontochoosebetweenthetwo,besideslisteningtootherparallelrunningAIRandprivateFMstationsinthearea.Thischannelistrying to provide information interlinked with entertainment and bringsinformationupdatesontraffic,airlines,railways,weather,etc.

DTHService

DTHRadioChannelisasatelliteservicemeantforthelisteners,whoownaTV set. The Service is available through theDTH platform of Prasar BharatiwithuplinkingfacilitiesatTodapur,Delhi.Itisnotaterrestrialbroadcastserviceanditsprogrammescannotbetunedinthroughtheordinaryradioreceiversets.Itisa24hourservicebroadcastdigitally.Theprogrammingisplannedinsuchawaythattherepetitionsarekeptataminimum.

TheDTHServiceprovides39differentlanguagechannelsavailableineverynookandcornerofthecountry.Themostsignificantaspectofthisbroadcastisitsdigitalquality.

VividhBharatiThepopularVividhBharatiServiceprovidesentertainmentfor17hoursaday

from 41 CBS-VB centres. Beside this, Vividh Bharati Service is also relayedthrough65LocalRadioStationsand100wattFMtransmitterslocatedacrossthecountry.Website:www.allindiaradio.gov.in

NewsServicesDivisionTheNewsServicesDivision(NSD)ofAllIndiaRadiohasbeenexpandingits

presenceacrossvariousdomainswiththeaimofreachingdiversecrosssectionofpeople.TheNewsServicesDivisionhassubstantially increased itspresenceonthesocialmediaandcrossedmajormilestonesinreachingoutaudiencesfarandwide.

NSD’s 47 Regional News Units (RNUs) play a vital role to cater to theinformation needs of the people.RNUsmake bulletins and programmes in 77regional languages/ dialects tomakenews region specific andpeople friendly.The RNUs originate 478 bulletins every day for a total duration of about 38hours that includes regional, external,DTHservices andFMheadlines.RNUsalsomount 1,060 news- based programmes in amonth for a total duration ofnearly 140 hours besides broadcasting special programmes when stateassembliesareinsession.

FMheadlinesserveimmediateneedsofinformationinIndianlanguagesforlisteners during their daily busy schedule in cities and towns. At present 252headlinebulletinsin17languagesarebeingproducedbyRNUs.

UnitsofNSDTofacilitatethenewsgatheringandbroadcasting,NSDhasvariousunitsviz.,

the Reporting Unit, Talks and Current Affairs Unit, Reference Unit and the

http://www.allindiaradio.gov.in

MonitoringUnit.Withinputsfromtheseunits,NSDisabletocoverdiversenewevents and happenings to present a comprehensive view of developments,flagshipprogrammesandnewinitiativesofthecurrentgovernmentlikeSwatchBharatAbhiyan,PradhanMantriJanDhanYojana,Adarsh,etc.NSDisabletogivewidecoveragetoPrimeMinister’sandPresident’svisits/toursabroad.Websites:www.newsonair.comwww.newsonair.nic.in

MannKiBaatForMannKiBaatprogramme, livewebcastingisdoneonwebsitenewson

air.nic.in.Specialwindowandpageiscreatedforthepurpose.

TranscriptionandProgrammeExchangeServiceAIR also has a Transcription and Programme Exchange Service which

includesunits likeCentralArchives,SoundArchives,DigitalSoundArchives,DigitalLibrary,RadioAutobiography,TranscriptionUnitandRefurbishingUnit.

CentralArchivesTheTranscriptionServicewasstarted inApril,1954andentrustedwith the

main function of preparing transcription of speeches of all dignitaries with aspecial reference to thePresidentsandPrimeMinistersof India.Thisunitwasalso performing the duty of the processing of vinyl disc labelled “AIR-TSrecords” forpreservationof recordings for futurebroadcast.Thenomenclatureof Service was changed to “Transcription and Programme Exchange Service”from1959.Astheprocessedrecordseventuallyprovedtobeuneconomical,theprocessingworkhadtobecloseddownin1967andnewmodesofpreservationlikeanaloguemagnetictapes,etc.,cameintouse.

SoundArchivesThe Sound Archives of All India Radio can be called the National Audio

Archivesofthenationasitisthetreasurehouseofpreciousrecordingsofmusicandspokenwordindifferentcategories.ItisthelargestaudiolibraryofIndianMusic recordings. The library preserves a separate collection of MahatmaGandhi’s speeches includinghis first and the last prayer speeches recordedonMay11,1947atSodepurAshram,CalcuttaandJanuary29,1948atBirlaHouse,Delhi respectively. The only broadcast by Gandhiji from AIR Delhi onNovember12,1947isalsopreserved.ThelibrarycontainsrecordingsofallthePresidents and Prime Ministers of India. Voice recordings of eminentpersonalitieslikeRabindraNathTagore,NetajiSubhasChandraBose,Dr.B.R.Ambedkar, Sardar Patel, Sarojini Naidu etc., have also been preserved. Apart

http://www.newsonair.com

http://www.newsonair.nic.in

from this, award-winning radio dramas, features, documentaries andmemoriallecturesareavailableinthelibrary.DigitalSoundArchives

Transcription and Programme Exchange Service (T&PES) has taken up amegaprojectofdigitizingalltheanaloguecontent.Majorstepshavebeentakenin this direction. Resultantly, Akashvani has become one of the major digitallibrariesinthebroadcastingnetworkwithinternationallyacceptednorms.

ArchivesDigitalLibraryRadioAutobiography

In Radio Autobiography, recordings of eminent personalities from variouswalks of life are preserved.TheCentralArchives ofAll IndiaRadio is a richrepository of priceless recordings of Radio Autobiographies of renownedmusicians,publicfigures,literaturesetc.Amongsucheminentpersonsrecordedare J R D Tata, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Dr.Verghese Kurien. With the inputs from different AIR stations, the people ofeminenceareidentified.ProgrammeExchangeLibrary

The main purpose of this unit is to exchange good quality programmesamongthestationsaspertheirrequirements.InPEULibraryapprox.8000tapescontainingtherecordingsofmusicandspokenwordprogrammesarepreservedfor this purpose. Besides containing both music and spoken word items indifferentIndianlanguages,PEULibraryisalsopreservingthelanguagelessonsin Bangla, English, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odiya, Sanskrit,TamilandTelugu.TranscriptionUnit

One of the important functions of transcription unit is to transcribe therecordingof speechesdeliveredbyPresident andPrimeMinister andpreservethem in the form of volumes for posterity. Tapes containing the recording ofspeeches along with transcripts are received from various AIR stations. Theboundvolumesofalltranscriptionsarepreparedandkeptinthearchives.RefurbishingUnit

In order to refurbish the vintagemusic recordings in archives refurbishingunit was installed some years back with the assistance of United NationsDevelopmentProgramme.HundredsofhoursofrecordingsofmusicandvoiceofMahatmaGandhi,PanditNehru,etc.,wererefurbishedhere.Asofnowthisunittakescareofenhancingtheaudioqualityoftherecordingbeingreleasedby

AIRandDoordarshanarchives.ExternalServicesDivision

The cardinal role played by international/external broadcasting as aninstrumentofforeignpolicyandpublicdiplomacyneedsnoelaboration.Duetoits colonial link with England, broadcasting came almost simultaneously inEnglandandIndia.Similarly,shortlyafterBBCstarteditsfirstforeignlanguagebroadcast inArabic in1938onAllIndiaRadioenteredthedomainofexternalbroadcast on October 1, 1939 purely as a tool for propaganda for the AlliesduringtheWorldWarIIwithaserviceinPushtolanguagetocountertheGermanRadioBlitzkriegintheregionandsupplementtheeffortsbytheBBCinthispartoftheworld.AtthedawnofIndependence,ESDhadtodonanewavatarasthevoiceofanemergingnation,anoldcivilization,a tool fordiplomacyandalsoeffective propagandamachinery at the time of different crises. Since then theExternalServicesDivisionofAIRhasbeenavitallinkbetweenIndiaandrestofthe World, specially with those countries where the interest of India areintertwinedbecauseofIndianpopulationstayinginthosecountries.

External Services Division of AIR ranks high among the external radionetworksoftheworldbothinitsreachandrangecoveringabout100countriesin 27 languages. The AIR, through its external broadcasts, aims to keep theoverseaslistenersintouchwiththeethosofIndia.ThelanguagesinwhichAIRreaches its foreign audience are English, French, Russian, Swahili, Arabic,Persian, Pushto, Dari, Baluchi, Sinhalese, Nepali, Tibetan, Chinese, Thai,Burmese, and Bhasha Indonesia. The services in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu,MalayalamandGujarati aredirectedatoverseas Indians,while those inUrdu,Punjabi, Sindhi, Saraiki, Kannada and Bengali are meant for listeners in theIndiansub-continent.

NationalAcademyofBroadcastingandMultimedaNationalAcademy ofBroadcasting andMultimedia (NABM) (Programme)

hitherto known as Staff Training Institute (Programme) is the apex traininginstituteofPrasarBharati.Itisresponsiblefortrainingofin-serviceProgrammeand Administrative personnel working at various stations of AIR andDoordarshan.

SocialMediaCellAIR’s SocialMediaCell is an extension of the ongroundwork in the ever

expanding network.Apart from regularly highlighting important activities andbroadcasts of AIR, this Cell also extensively promotes the policies of

government.

AudienceResearchUnitWith the changing mass communication scenario, Audience Research has

occupied the centre stage.World over, almost all the bigmedia organizationshavebeendoingin-houseaudienceresearchinoneformortheotheror‘MarketResearch’inmarketingparlanceasnomediaorganizationcanaffordtoputtheirscarceresourceatstakewithoutknowingthepotentialaudience(consumers)andmarketfortheirmediacontent.

All IndiaRadiohasbeen thepioneer in this field. IthasawidenetworkofAudienceResearchUnitsacrossthecountryoperationalsince1946.Itprovidesprogramme feedback to programmeproducers to plan, design, andmodify theprogrammesaccordingtotheneeds,tastes,andaspirationofthetargetaudience.

DoordarshanFrom an experimental service begun at Delhi in September 1959,

Doordarshan(DD)overtheyearshasgrowntremendouslytobecomeoneoftheleadingTVorganizationsoftheworld.Overtheyears,ithasnotonlyexpandeditsnetworkthroughoutlengthandbreadthofthecountrybutalsokeptpacewithnewtechnologicaldevelopmentsinthefieldofTVbroadcasting.Doordarshanispresently operating 34 satellite channels and has a vast network of 67 studiosand1,416transmittersofvaryingpowerprovidingTVcoveragetoabout92percent population of the country. In addition, it is providing free-to-air DTHservice.

DoordarshanisheadedbytheDirectorGeneralwhoisresponsibleforpolicyformation, planning and development, infrastructure and technologydevelopment, budgetary planning and control, human resource development;overseeingoperationandmaintenanceactivities,etc.Fourzonalofficeslocatedat Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai look after project and maintenanceactivities in their responsivezone.ThevariousDoordarshanestablishmentsare—DoordarshanKendras(StudioCentres),HighPowerTransmitters(LPTs)andVeryLowPowerTransmitters(VLPTs).MaintenancecentreslookafterclustersofLPTsandVLPTs.

DDNationalDDNational Channel, a public service broadcaster is the largest terrestrial

networkintheworld.Itcoversabout92.0percentpopulationand81.0percentland area of the country. Being a Public Service Broadcaster the channel

continuestomakesignificantcontributiontoacceleratesocio-economicchanges,promote national integration, inculcate a sense of unity and fraternity andstimulate scientific temperament among the people. It contributes todissemination of knowledge/education and information for public awarenessaboutmeansofpopulationcontrol,familywelfare,preservationofenvironment,ecologicalbalanceandmeasuresforwomenandchildrenwelfare.Thechannellendsahealthymixofentertainment,informationandeducation.Theserviceisavailableinterrestrialmodefrom05.30a.m.tillmidnight.Inthesatellitemodeitisavailableround-the-clock.

DDNewsDDNews is the only terrestrial-cum-satellite,multilingual news channel of

the country. The news channel has been successfully discharging itsresponsibilitytogivebalanced,fairandaccuratenewswithoutsensationalizingas well as by carrying different shades of opinion. DD-News channel waslaunched in November 2003 by converting DD-Metro into a 24-hours newschannel.Itssatellitefootprintisavailableacrossthecountry.DDNewsterrestrialreachis49percentareaofthecountry.ItiscurrentlyproducingnewscontentinHindi, English, Urdu and Sanskrit languages. Over 18 hours of Livetransmissionincludetelecastofmorethan40newsbulletinsintheselanguages.DDNewsishaving30RegionalNewsUnits(RNUs)acrossthecountrywhicharebroadcastingnewsbulletins.

DDIndiaDoordarshanopeneditswindowstotheworldbylaunchingitsinternational

channel onMarch 14, 1995. The Channel, initially known as DD-World wasrenamed DD-India in 2002. The programming offers international viewers anupdateontheIndiansocial,cultural,politicalandeconomicscene.

DDBharatiDDBharatiChannelwasre-launchedin2012asanichechannelforartand

culturetopreserveIndiancultureandheritagewithauthenticityandtopresentittothewiderpublic.ItistheonlyChanneldedicatedtoartandcultureinIndia.DDBharatihasenteredintopartnershipswithvariousnationalandinternationalpublicinstitutionsandNGOstoacquirepremiereprogrammesavailableintheirarchives,aftermakingveryjudiciousselectionkeepingtheprofileandaudienceofthechannelinview.

DDUrdu

DD Urdu came into existence in 2006 which became 24x7 channel witheffect from 2007. The transmission features a mix of repeat and non-repeat,acquiredandin-housesoftware,whichencapsulatesheritage,culture,literature,information, education and social issues specific to the target audience apartfrom news, live events like Independence Day, Republic Day celebrations,messagesofthePresidentandPrimeMinister,specialprogrammesonthestateleaders. Mandate/the theme that predominantly runs through the transmissionrelatestomodernizingeducationalandsocialoutlookofthetargetaudience.

DDSportsSportsChannelofDoordarshanwas launched in1999.The transmissionof

thechannelisroundtheclockfrom2000.

DDKashirDDKashirchannelwaslaunchedin2000withfourteenandahalfhoursof

transmissionperday.Thiswasconvertedintoa24-hourchannelayearlater.

DoordarshanCommercialServiceDoordarshan Commercial Service (DCS) is an independent wing to co-

ordinate all the commercial activities being performed at the headquarters,DoordarshanKendras,marketingdivisionsandDCDtowardssaleofairtimeaswellascollectionofrevenuefromagencies/clients/producers.It isresponsiblefor framing of Commercial policies and updating of rate card as per inputsreceivedfromMarketingDivisionsandregionalKendras,with theapprovalofPrasarBharatiBoard.

DDArchivesDoordarshan Archives reinvented itself in 2003 with a new approach and

prepareditselftomeetthechallengesofAudioVisualDigitalWorld.

AudienceResearchTheAudienceResearch unit ofDoordarshanwith its 19 field units located

withDoordarshanKendrasalloverthecountry,isinvolvedinResearchstudiesonvariousaspectsofbroadcastingsince1976.Website:www.ddindia.gov.in

ElectronicMediaMonitoringCentreProtecting the citizens from undesirable content being aired by television

http://www.ddindia.gov.in

channelsisanormfollowedbyalmostallleadingdemocraciesintheworld.InIndia,ElectronicMediaMonitoringCentre(EMMC)isentrustedwiththetaskofmonitoringthecontentbeingairedbyTVchannels.EMMCisamongoneofthepremierorganisationsoftheworldthatmonitorthebroadcastingsectorandthecontent being aired by broadcasters. The Centre is also one of the youngestamongthegovernment-ownedmediaunitsinthecountry.

It is worth recalling that the need tomonitor content arises in response togrievances and complaints coming from different quarters against invasion ofraunchyrealityshows,talkshows,news,documentariesandsoapoperasintothetelevisionindustry.

EMMC records andmonitors the content of around600 channels, beamingovertheIndianTerritory,sothatanyviolationsofcodesframedundertheCableTelevisionNetwork(Regulation)Act,1995couldbechecked.CableTelevisionNetworks(Regulation)Act,1995identifiesseveralcodeswhichmustbeadheredto by all broadcasting entities. The revised up-linking guidelines anddownlinking guidelines for channels beamed at Indian viewers also requiremonitoringofcontentforpossibleviolationsandremedialmeasuresthereto.

Electronic Media Monitoring Centre identifies topical matters of immensepublicimportanceandreportsthemtotheMinistryforevaluationandfortakingany action, if needed.EMMCalsoprepares and submits special reports to theMinistryontopicsdesiredbytheGovernment.Settingupexamplesofsuccess,the EMMC has taken a big leap forward by starting RadioMonitoring sinceJanuary 1, 2015. The newly started wing of EMMC is currently monitoringCommunity Radio Stations (CRS) for detection of possible violations. Atpresent, 30 Community Radio Stations from across the country are beingmonitoredtocheckwhethertheyareairinganycontentthatviolatesthe‘GeneralAgreement between Government of India and Community Radio Stations(GOPA)’ and ‘Programme and Advertisement Code of All India Radio’. In avery short span of time, several apparent violations have been detected in thecontentbeingbroadcastbyCRSandsubmittedbeforetheMinistrybyEMMC.Theseapparentviolationsnotonlyincludeobsceneandvulgarprogrammesbutseveral other types of content too which violate general rules laid by theMinistry.

Because of the ever-increasing number of channels, there is a race amongchannels to attract asmanyeyeballs aspossible, and this trendhas resulted inmost of the channels treading on a very thin line and often barging into greyarea. The somewhat callous attitude of TV channels towards the regulatoryguidelinesisbecomingamatterofconcern,particularlywhenanaverageIndian

family,increasinglyfindsitselfsittinginfrontoftheTVforatimelongerthanever before. The change in trend of TV viewing is also due to the fact thattelevision industry has grown immensely over the past few years. Televisionshows have evolved over the years as more and more TV shows resort tounwarrantedcontenttocapturetheiraudience.Ithasbeenobservedthatsomeofthe TV shows affect young viewers and it is becoming a problem. Televisioninfluencesthelivesofyoungchildreninabigway.Childrenareexposedtoallsorts of violence and anomalous culture at home. Public Interest obligation ismissedbymassmediawhentheyairprogrammes.

Advertisement sector is a key part of Indian television industry. With therising influence of TV media on people, it has become a catalyst ofconsumerism. The scope of creativity is enormous in the field of advertising.People like advertisements because they provide information and createawareness about newproducts in themarket.Our decisions,whether to buy aproductornot,areoftencompletelyinfluencedbythepromotionalactivitiesofthe companies concerned. Therefore, due to unfair trade practices, deceptiveadvertisements and widespread adverse impact of the advertisements ofunhealthyproductsliketobaccoandliquor,theGovernmentofIndiahasalwaysendeavoured to curb or at least restrict advertisements of such products bybringing in appropriate legislations, orders anddirectives.As a reaction to theGovernment’s directive to ban advertisements of products that are adverse tohealth, the major companies of liquor and tobacco have taken the route of“Surrogate Advertisements”. These advertisements are bombarded on viewerslest they forget the liquor and tobacco brands as there is a ban on directlyadvertisingthem.

The advent of the “Era of Reality Shows”, in the Indian TV industry, hasgenerated fairly good TRP for many a TV channels. Nowadays, when everysecondTVchannel iscomingwith itsownversionof the“realityprogrammesbased on borrowed ideas and values”, it is very much imperative for theGovernment toensure that the ‘FreedomofExpression’ isnotmisused toplaywith the young minds of our country. Such shows have a greater impact onchildrenthanotherregularTVprogrammesastheyinterpretreallifesituations.Reality shows are meant for adults, and without proper knowledge,understanding,andguidance,childrencanbemisledbysuchprogrammes.Somerealityshowshavechildrenasparticipantswhoareundertremendouspressuretoperform.Also,childrenwhoarelefttowatchtheseshowsontelevisioncanoftenbe baffled at the display and can take them as behaviour expected out ofeveryone,especiallythemselvesandtheirpeers.

A large number ofmisleading advertisementsmake unsubstantiated claimsabout the impact of certain products. Ministry of I&B has cautioned thatadvertisementsshouldnotdwellonaproduct’sseeminglymiraculouspropertiesthatcannotbeproven.ThisisinviolationoftheAdvertisingCode,particularlyrule 7(5) contained in theCable TelevisionNetworksRules framed under theCableTelevisionNetworksRegulationAct,1995.Website:www.emmc.gov.in

PressandPrintMediaRegistrarofNewspapersforIndia

The Office of the Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) is an attachedofficeoftheMinistryofInformationandBroadcasting.UnderitsStatutoryandderivativefunctions,itverifiesandapprovestitlesofnewspapers,registersthem,checksandestablishescirculationclaims.ItalsosubmitstotheSecretary,I&Bby31stDecembereveryyearthe“PressinIndiaReport”,highlightingthestateofPrintMediainthecountry;thereportissubsequentlypublishedunderthetitle“Press in India”. Under its non-statutory functions, the RNI issues EligibilityCertificates for import of newsprint, to actual userswhich are registeredwithRNIaswellasEssentialityCertificatesforimportofprintingmachinery,etc.

TitleVerificationRNI receives applications of the intending publishers for title verification,

dulyforwardedbytheDMconcernedandprocessesthemfortitleverificationasper the proviso to Section 6 of the PRB Act. During 2015, RNI scrutinized15,293applicationsforverificationoftitles,ofwhich9,272titleswereverified.Tofacilitate theapplicantsRNIhasstartedonlineapplicationfillingfacilityonits website. For further processing by the DM concerned, the applicant isrequired to take out a printout of the filled application and submit to DMconcernedforforwardingtoRNI.TheapplicantsareintimatedthroughSMSande-mailatapplicationreceiptstageandtitleverificationstageatRNItofacilitatethe applicants and ensure transparency. The status of title applications can bechecked on RNI website. Discrepancy letters and title verification letters canalsobedownloadedfromRNIwebsite.

De-BlockingofTitlesAfter getting the title verified, the publishers are required to get the title

registered.IfthedocumentsforregistrationarenotreceivedinRNIin2years,the title gets de-blocked and is available for verification to any intending

http://www.emmc.gov.in

applicant.

RegistrationAfterthetitleverification,publisherisrequiredtosubmitadeclarationduly

authenticatedbytheDistrictMagistrateconcerned,alongwithacopyofthefirstissuepublishedwithin specifieddays after authenticationofdeclaration asperthe Act and an affidavit for no-foreign tie-up. After ascertaining that thepublication has been printed and published in conformity with the variousprovisionsofthePRBActandtherulesmadethereunder,aregistrationnumberisallottedtothenewspaper/periodicalandentriesmadeintheRegisterofRNI.TheCertificateofRegistration(CR)isthenissuedtothepublisher.

AnnualStatementAs per Section 19D of the PRB Act, an Annual Statement in Form-II

prescribedintheRegistrationofNewspapers(Central)Rules1956isrequiredtobesubmittedbythepublishersofnewspaperstothePressRegistraronorbeforethelastdayofMayeachyearcontainingvariousinformationasprescribedunderthe rules. It is also obligatory on the part of every publisher to print in thepublication,astatement indicating theownershipandother relevantparticularsinForm IV in the first issueeveryyear after the lastdayofFebruary.AnnualStatement is the basic document on the basis of which RNI undertakescompilationandanalysisof thestatusofthePress,whichis incorporatedinitsAnnualReport,called“PressinIndia”.Website:www.rni.nic.in

PressInformationBureauThePressInformationBureau(PIB)is thenodalagencyoftheGovernment

ofIndia todisseminate informationto theprint,electronicandsocialmediaongovernmentpolicies,programmes, initiativesandachievements. It functionsasaninterfacebetweenthegovernmentandthemediaandalsoprovidesfeedbackto thegovernmenton the reactionofpeopleas reflected in themedia. Ithas5zones comprising 19 regional offices and 17 branch offices, including anInformationCentre.PIBdisseminatesinformationthroughdifferentmeanssuchas press releases, press notes, feature articles, backgrounds, press briefings,interviews, press conferences and press tours, etc., to cater to the needs ofregional media. PIB also uses social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook,Instagram to disseminate information. The information is released in English,Hindi,Urdualongwith13otherregional languageswhichreachesnewspapersandmedia organizations all over the country. PIB also provides accreditation

http://www.rni.nic.in

facility to media persons so as to facilitate access to information from thegovernmentsources.

PublicityDepartmental Publicity Officers are attached to various ministries and

departments fordisseminating information to themedia throughpress releases,pressnotes,backgroundersetc.,andalsobyarrangingpressconferences,presstours,media briefings etc. These officers provide the requisite service to theirrespectiveministriesandalsomeettheinformationneedsofmediainrespectofthoseministries.

PrimeMinister’sUnitPM’sPublicityandReferenceUnit is adedicatedunit for thepublicityand

media support for the PrimeMinister’sOffice and cabinet. Themedia relatedcompilations prepared by this Unit include daily newspaper clippingshighlighting major issues, weekly magazine reports, feedback reports fromsocial media and online media portals and special compendium of presscoverageonPMvisits.

SocialMediaPIBhassocialmediapresenceonTwitter,Facebook,YouTubeandInstagram.

The information about various events/activities/programmes of ministries anddepartmentsisputoutonsocialmediaforimmediateandwiderdissemination.Special infographics, video messages, etc., are created and posted on socialmedia for special events such as budget presentation,Yogaday, IndependenceDay, etc.Many regional/branchofficesofPIBalsohave theirdedicated socialmediaplatforms.Twitter :On twitter, PIB’s handle,@pibindia and@pibhindi have nearly 1.47million+followersand42,000+followersrespectively.Facebook : PIB’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pibindia has reached1,20,000+subscribers.Instagram: PIB’s Instagramgallery,www.instagram.com/pibindia has reached52,000+subscribers.

MediaInteractiveSessionsMedia Interactive Sessions are planned in selected state capitals on issues

such as socio-economic development, infrastructure, developmental schemes,etc.Under this initiative, importantUnionMinistriesandseniorofficersof theconcernedministriesareinvitedtoparticipateintheeventandinteractwiththe

http://www.facebook.com/pibindia

http://www.instagram.com/pibindia

national and local media and highlight the important initiatives taken by thegovernment. ‘Vartalap’ is a programme organized for small towns/ruraljournalists to keep them aware/updated about the various central governmentFlagshipSchemesfor thewelfareofruralpopulace.PressToursareconductedby the headquarters/regional and branch offices with a view to showcase thesuccessstoriesofthevariousschemes/projectsbeingrunbythegovernmentinrural/urbanareasthroughoutthecountry.

OnlinePressAccreditationPressAccreditationisgrantedtomediarepresentativesincludingmembersof

theforeignmediaattheheadquartersofPressInformationBureau,NewDelhi.Afullyonlinesystemofpressaccreditationwasoperationalizedin2010whichiscontinually updated to keep up with the increasing number of requests foraccreditation.

Journalists’WelfareSchemeA scheme of providing financial assistance to journalists and their families

facing acute financial hardship on account of serious ailment is beingimplementedbyPIBwhichprovidesforonetimeex-gratiareliefonurgentbasis.The amount of such assistance, upto₹ 5 lakhs, is extended to the families ofdeceased journalist or in caseofhispermanentdisability.Assistanceupto₹ 3lakhs is also extended in case of ailments like cancer, renal failure, heartailments, etc., and upto ₹ 2 lakhs in case of accidents requirementhospitalization.

EmergencyControlRoomThe PIB has a News Room/Control Room which is operational round the

yeartomeetchallengesemergingoutofanyeventualityduringanytimeoftheday or night.Arrangements for holding press conferences at short notices andsimultaneousweb-castthroughPIBcentresacrossthecountryarealsokeptinastate of readiness to handle any suddendevelopment andunexpected situationeven after 9.00 P.M. The Control Room functions on 24X7 basis duringemergenciesandtimeofcrisis.

Feedback,FeatureandPhotoServicesOneoftheimportantfunctionsofPIBistokeepthegovernmentinformedof

public perception about government policies and programmes as reflected inmedia.The feedback reports include inputs from thenationaldailiespublishedfrom the capital, from regional language newspapers as sent by the

regional/branch offices, inputs from TV news channels, web media andmagazines.

TheBureaualsoprovidesinputsregardingmediatrendsonimportantmattersrelating to their ministries/departments. The Feature Unit of the Bureau issuefeatures,successstoriesbackgrounders,info-nuggets,photo-featureswhicharealsosenttotheregional/branchofficesfortranslationandcirculationtothelocalmedia.

InternationalFilmFestivalofIndiaThe Press Information Bureau was part of the IFFI 2017 to facilitate

dissemination of Festival related information tomedia at the venue inGoa. Itprovided favourable and encouraging work environment and facilitatedparticipationofthemediapersonsinthefestival.Website:www.pib.gov.in

NewsAgenciesPressTrustofIndia

India’slargestnewsagency,PressTrustofIndia(PTI)isanon-profitsharingcooperative owned by the country’s newspapers with a mandate to provideefficient and unbiased news to all subscribers. Founded inAugust, 1947, PTIbegan functioning from1949. It offers its news services inEnglish andHindilanguages. Bhasha is the Hindi language news service of the agency. PTIsubscribers include 500 newspapers in India and scores abroad.AllmajorTVand radio channels in India and several abroad, including BBC in London,receive its services. PTI now has its own satellite delivery system through atransponderonanINSATsatelliteforreachingitsservicesdirectlytosubscribersanywhereinthecountry.Increasinglymoreandmoresubscribersareoptingforsatellitereception.Photoserviceisdeliveredbysatelliteaswellasaccessedbydialup.

PTIhasalsobegunsatellitetransmissionbyKubandwhichofferssubscriberstheoptionofreceivingnewsthroughacheaperandsmallsizesatellitereceiver.The Agency is on the Internet too. The agency’s news services have beenshowcasedonitswebsitehttp://www.ptinews.com.Clientsalsohavetheoptionof taking any of PTI’s services through Internet. PTI news is also availablethroughWorldSpace radiobroadcast reception.ThePhotoservice isdeliveredbysatelliteaswellasaccessedthroughdial-up.Theagencyisnowengagedinarchiving itsphotos. Itemploysmore than400 journalistsand500stringers to

http://www.pib.gov.in

http://www.ptinews.com

cover almost every district and small town in India.Collectively, they put outmorethan2,000storiesand200photographsaday.

Itscorrespondentsarealsobased in leadingcapitalsand importantbusinessandadministrativecentresaroundtheworld.Italsohasexchangearrangementswith several foreign news agencies to magnify its global news footprint.Currently, PTI commands 90 per cent of news agencymarket share in India.Besides the news and photo services, the other services of the agency includemailer packages of feature, science service, economic service andData India,andscreen-basedservicesasNews-scanandstockscan.Atelevisionwing,PTI-TV,doesfeaturesandundertakescorporatedocumentariesonassignmentbasis.ThePTIhasarrangementswith theAssociatedPress (AP)andAgencyFrancePress(AFP)fordistributionoftheirnewsinIndia.AP’sphotoandinternationalcommercialinformationarealsodistributedinthecountrythroughPTI.Website:www.ptinews.com

UnitedNewsofIndiaUnited News of India (UNI) was incorporated under the Companies Act,

1956 inDecember, 1959 and started functioning effectively from1961. In thepastfivedecades,UNIhasgrownintoamajornewsorganisationinIndiaand,withitsvibrantpresence,providedthemuch-neededspiritofcompetitioninthevitalareasofnewsgatheringanddissemination.Italsohasafull-fledgedHindiwire service ‘UNIVARTA’ since 1982 and a Photo Service and a GraphicsServiceinthesamedecade.InJune1992,itlaunchedthefirsteverwireserviceinUrdu.UNI’sPhotoServicedistributesabout200pictureseveryday,includingsixtyinternationalphotographsfromEPA,theEuropeanPressphotoAgencyandReuters.ItsGraphicsServicedistributesfiveorsixgraphicseveryday.Website:www.uniindia.com

NAMNewsNetworkNAMNewsNetwork(NNN)istheinternet-basednewsandphotoexchange

arrangement of the news agencies belonging to member countries of thenonalignedmovement. News and photo contributions of NAM news agenciesincluding Press Trust of India are uploaded onto the NNN websitehttp://www.namnewsnetwork.org for online access by all. Malaysian newsagencyBernamaisatpresenthandlingtheoperationofthewebsitefromKualaLumpur.

Formally launched in April 2006, NNN replaces the Non-aligned NewsAgencies Pool (NANAP) which had acted as the news exchange mechanism

http://www.ptinews.com

http://www.uniindia.com

http://www.namnewsnetwork.org

among non-aligned countries for 30 years.With internet a cheap and reliablemodeof communication,NNNcontributes to sustained flowof information inthe 116 member non-aligned world. NANAP, set up in 1976, was the firstattemptofthenon-alignedmovementtoprovideforexchangeofnewsamongitsmember countries. At a time when communication costs were very high,NANAP provided for sharing of communication channels of member newsagenciestoensureacommonnetworkforexchangeofnewsamongallcountriesofthenon-alignedmovement.Website:www.namnewsnetwork.org

PressCouncilofIndiaThePressCouncilofIndiaisastatutoryquasi-judicialautonomousauthority

mandatedbytheParliamentforthetwinobjectiveofpreservingthefreedomofthe press andmaintaining and improving the standards of newspapers and thenews agencies in India exercising equal quasi-judicial functions over theauthoritiesaswell thepressperson.ItcomprisesaChairmanand28members.While theChairman has, by convention, been a sitting or retired judge of theSupremeCourtof India,of the28members,20 representvarious segmentsofthePressandeightoverseeingthereaders’interest,arerepresentativesofthetwoHousesofParliament(3LokSabhaand2RajyaSabha)andpremierliteraryandlegalbodiesofthecountryi.e.,UniversityGrantsCommission,BarCouncilofIndiaandSahityaAkademi.TheCouncilhas itsownfundsforperformanceofits functions under theAct that comprises the fee collected from newspapers,otherreceiptsandalsograntsin-aidbyfromthecentralgovernment.

ThePressCouncilhastheresponsibilitytopreservethefreedomofthepressandtomaintainandimprovethestandardsofnewspapersandnewsagenciesinthecountry.There isalsoanadvisory roleon theCouncil in that it can,eithersuo-motuoronareferencemadetoitbythegovernmentunderSection13(2)ofthe Act, undertake studies and express its opinion in regard to any bill,legislation,laworothermattersconcerningthepressandconveyitsopiniontothe government or the persons concerned. Also, in the matters of publicimportance concerning its statutory responsibilities, theCouncilmay suo-mototakeanon-the-spotinquiry.

The Council discharges its functions primarily through adjudications oncomplaint cases received by it, either against the press for violation ofjournalistic ethicsorby thepress for interferencewith its freedom.Where theCouncil is satisfied, after inquiry, that a newspaper or a news agency hasoffended the standardsof journalisticethicsorpublic tasteor that aneditoror

http://www.namnewsnetwork.org

workingjournalisthascommittedanyprofessionalmisconduct,theCouncilmaywarn, admonish or censure them or disapprove of their conduct. It is alsoempowered to make such observations as it may think fit in respect of theconductofanyauthority,includingGovernment,forinterferingwiththefreedomofthepresssoprescribedunderSection(4)thedecisionsoftheCouncilarefinalandcannotbequestionedinanycourtoflaw.

PressandRegistrationAppellateBoardSection8CofthePressandRegistrationofBooksAct,1867entrusts tothe

Press Council, the Appellate Jurisdiction over theMagisterial Orders of non-authentication of aDeclaration under Section 6 or its subsequent cancellationunderSection8BofthesaidAct.TheBoardconsistofaChairmanandanothermembertobenominatedbythePressCouncilofIndiaamongitsmembers.

NationalPressDayTheNationalPressDayiscelebratedannuallyonNovember16asasymbol

ofafreeandresponsiblepressinthecountry.Website:www.presscouncil.nic.in

NewMediaWingSetupin1945,theResearch,ReferenceandTrainingDivisionnowrenamed

as “New Media Wing” functions as information unit for the Ministry ofInformation & Broadcasting. It provides background, reference and researchmaterial for use of the Ministry, its media units and others engaged in masscommunication.

SocialMediaSinceitsinceptionin2012,SocialMediaCellofMinistryofInformationand

Broadcasting performs various activities to reach out to the last mile. TheMinistry is active on all major social media platforms and has built a strongrelationshipwiththeaudience.Socialmediainteractionsinvariousformatssuchas Talkathon and Facebook Live are organised regularly to enable directcommunication between ministers, senior officers and general public. OnTwitter,theofficialhandleoftheMinistry,@MIB_Indiahas929followerswithan average of 6 M impressions per month. The Facebook page of theMinistry,@inbministryhas1.3Mfollowers.Recently,theMinistryhasstartedaTwitter handle in Hindi, @MIB_Hindi to reach out to the Hindi speakingpopulationonsocialmediaspace.

http://www.presscouncil.nic.in

India-AReferenceAnnualThe Division compiles a reference book, ‘India-A Reference Annual’, on

developmentandprogressmadebyCentralministries/departments,states/unionterritory administrations and PSUs/autonomous bodies. It is simultaneouslypublishedinHindititled-‘Bharat’.

PhotoDivisionPhotoDivision,anindependentmediaunitmeantforthevisualsupportofthe

varied activities of the Government of India, is a subordinate office of theMinistryofInformationandBroadcastingandthebiggestproductionunitofitskindinthecountryinthefieldofphotography.PhotoDivisionwasestablishedin late 1959 as a culmination of the government’s decision for establishing aseparate department keeping in view the importance of the medium, as thephotographgives themostauthentic&truthfulrecordaswellasrecognize thenew medium for right projection, create the archival record under theprofessional experts. This was done with integrating the photo studios of thePublicationDivisionandthePhotoUnitofthePressInformationBureauandthethenD.A.V.P.with a viewof eliminating the duplication of the activities.TheDivision produces photographic visuals of achievements and activities ofGovernment of India for internal and external publicity as well as otherpurposes.Inits50years,theDivisionhasacollectionofnearly10lakhsimagesinitsarchive.Ontheoccasionofcompletionof50yearsofitsexistencein2010theDivision introducedNationalPhotographyAwards to promote nation’s art,culture,development,heritage,history, life,people, society, traditionsetc.,andto encourage professional and amateur photographers from all corners of thecountry.TheDivisionhasitsownofficialwebsiteforthephotopublicityoftheofficial assignments.TheDivision is in the process of selling the photographsthroughe-commercegateway.

SynergywithotherMediaUnitsTokeep synergybetween theotherMediaUnits, theDivisionhas takenup

variousmeasures.Ithaslauncheditsofficialwebsitetoexploretheglobalutilityofaround8-10lakharchivalandcurrentimages.TheDivisionisinprogressofintroducing e-commerce feature for the sell/buyof images through theofficialwebsite.A high capacity server is installed for the on-line/off-line retrieval ofarchivalimages.TheNewsPhotoNetworkoftheDivisionhasbeenfunctioningon complete digital mode to avoid the delay in sending photographs tonewspapers and Press Information Bureau. The Division provides facility to

DAVPforthesupplyoflifesizedigitalinkjetimagesfortheexhibitionpurpose.

ModernizationofPhotoDivisionEffortshavebeenmadetoenhancethequalityofservicesoftheDivisionby

upgradingequipment like large format InkJetphotoprinters for life sizeprintsforexhibitions,specialdigitalphotoprinterformakingback-to-backprintsforVVIP album. Further, a high capacity server has been installed for archiving,indexingcataloguingandretrieving8-10lakhimages.

NationalPhotographyAwardsOn the occasion of completion of 50 years in 2010, the Photo Division

introducedNationalPhotographyAwardstoencourageprofessionalandamateurphotographersofthecountry.Thisalsopromotesdocumentationofthecountry’srich heritage, art and culture. The Division has presented 11 life timeachievementawardstorenownedphotographers.Website:www.photodivision.gov.in

PublicationsDivisionPublications Division, a repository of books and journals highlighting

subjects of national importance and India’s rich cultural heritage, wasestablished in 1941. It has emerged as a premier publishing house of theGovernmentofIndia,enrichingnationalknowledgerepositoryin:(i)preservingand showcasing India’s heritage with quality publications of land and people,historyoffreedommovement,artandculture,floraandfauna,biographiesofthebuilders ofmodern India during the freedommovement, leading lights in thefield of culture philosophy, science, literature, etc., (ii) chronicling thecontemporarywith bringing out speeches of the Presidents / PrimeMinisters,books on contemporary science, economy, history and other subjects withunderlying focus on Indian society and readership, and (iii) bringing outchildren’sliterature.

ItisamongthepremierpublishingorganizationsoftheGovernmentofIndiainvolved inproduction, sale anddistributionofpopularbooksand journalsonmatters of national importance. TheDivision publishes books and journals ondiverseaspectsofIndianpanorama,rangingfromartandculture,biographiesoftheBuildersofModernIndia,cultural leadersofIndia, lifeandworksofotherprominent Indianpersonalities formdifferentwalksof life, India’shistory andfreedomstruggleamongmanyothersubjects.

TheDivision has published several books onGandhian thoughts including

http://www.photodivision.gov.in

theCollectedWorksofMahatmaGandhi(CWMG)in100volumes,inEnglishandSampoornaGandhiVangmayainHindiwhichisconsideredtobethemostcomprehensive and authentic collection of Gandhiji’s writings. PublicationsDivision, in collaboration with Gujarat Vidyapith, and under supervision ofprominentGandhian scholars, has alsoprepared the e-versionof theCollectedWorks of Mahatma Gandhi (e-CWMG), fully searchable master copy, in theformofawell-designedsetofDVDs.TheprintversionofCWMGbasedonthemaster copy has also been reprinted under guidance of an Experts Panel.PublicationsDivisionhasalsobeenengagedinrestoringandreprintingseveralheritagepublicationsinpartnershipwithNationalGandhiMuseum.

JournalsBesidesbooks,thePublicationsDivisionalsopublishes18monthlyjournals,

which includeYojana inEnglish,Hindi and11other languages,Aajkal (HindiandUrdu),BalBharati(Hindi),Kurukshetra(EnglishandHindi)andaweeklyjournalEmploymentNews (English,HindiandUrdu). Its journalshavea largereadership and enjoy a high degree of credibility. These journals reflect theinitiatives of the Government and the country’s progress in different areascovering a wide range of subjects such as economic development, ruralreconstruction,communitydevelopment, literature,culture,children’s literatureand information on employment and career opportunities.The journals can besubscribedonline,detailsareavailableonitswebsite.Employment News/Rozgar Samachar, is a weekly journal, released every

Saturday,andispublishedsimultaneouslyinHindi,EnglishandUrdu.Launchedin 1976, theweekly carries advertisements for job vacancies as advertised byCentre and state governments, public sector undertakings, autonomous bodies,universities,admissionnoticesforprofessionalcourses,examinationnoticesandresultsoforganizationslikeUPSC,SSCandothergeneralrecruitmentbodies.e-versionofRozgarSamachar:RozgarSamachar,acorrespondingversionof

Employment News (English), is a prominent job journal in Hindi providinginformation about job opportunities in central government including publicsector enterprises. It also provides information and guidance about admissionand career opportunities in various streams through career-oriented articles byexperts.Thee-RozgarSamacharwillprovide the journal indigital formandisavailable@₹400foryearlysubscription.Mobile App “Digital DPD “: It is available for free download on Google

PlayStoreandwillfacilitatereadingaboutDPDbooksandeasypurchasing.TheMobileApp is syncedwith theDigital RightsManagement System to keep a

checkonapiracyandisintegratedwiththeBharatkoshpaymentgatewayfortheeaseofpayments.RedesignedDynamicWebsite:ThenewlyrevampeddynamicwebsiteofDPD

(www.publicationsdivision.nic.in)withintegratedpaymentgatewayiscapableofproviding real time purchase facilities as well as updated information aboutPublications Division’s books and journals. All books are available on thewebsiteforsaleviapaymentgatewayofBharatkosh.Thisuser-friendlywebsitehasanattractivelookandfeelandeasilyaccessibleSocialMediatools.Creation of Digital Archives and e-books : Publications Division has

undertakenanimportanttaskofdigitizationofitspublicationswithapurposetopreserveandpromotethesameandisalsomakinge-booksofselectedsaleabletitles.TheDigitalarchives ismade topreserve thearchivalvaluebooks.Since2015,theReferenceAnnual-IndiaandBharataredigitizedandconvertedintofully searchable and downloadable e-books for use on a variety of electronicdevices.Onlinesaleofbooksandjournals:DPDhasalsodevelopedaportal tosell

its printed journals online through Bharatkosh (www.bharatkosh.gov.in.)payment gateway developed in collaboration with Controller General ofAccounts(CGA),MinistryofFinance.Computerisation of Inventory and other Business operations : The entire

business process of Publications Division including inventory management,payment of royalty, sales, accounts, subscribersmanagement, networkingwiththeSalesEmporia have been computerizedwhich enables thewebsites to sellprinted books as well as e books through its Digital Rights Managementplatform.

TheDivisionhasdedicatedwebsiteshttp://www.publications_division.nic.in,www.yojana.gov.in for Yojana and http://employmentnews.gov.in forEmploymentNews.

Publications Division also has presence on facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/publications_division_and_twitter.com@DPD_India.

BusinessandDistributionNetworkThesalesanddistributionofbooksandperiodicalspublishedbyPublications

DivisionisundertakenthroughitsheadquartersinSoochnaBhawanandofficesat Delhi Secretariat,Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Patna, Lucknow, Hyderabad,Thiruvananthapuram.


http://www.bharatkosh.gov.in

http://www.yojana.gov.in

http://employmentnews.gov.in

https://www.facebook.com/publications_division_and_twitter.com

Website:www.publicationsdivision.nic.in

FilmsDivisionThestoryoftheFilmsDivisionissynchronouswiththeeventfulyearsofthe

country since Independence and over the last 67 years, theDivision has beenmotivating thebroadest spectrumof the Indianpublicwith aview to enlistingtheiractiveparticipationinnationbuildingactivities.Theaimsandobjectivesofthe Division, focused on national perspectives, are to educate and motivatepeopleintheimplementationofnationalprogrammesandtoprojecttheimageofthe land and the heritage of the country to Indian and foreign audiences. TheDivisionalsoaimsat fostering thegrowthof thedocumentaryfilmmovement,which is of immense significance for the country in the information,communication and integration. FilmsDivision produces documentaries, shortfilms, animation films and news magazines. It caters to nearly 4000 cinematheatresallover thecountryandalso to thenon-theatricalcircuits likeunitsofthe Directorate of Field Publicity, Doordarshan, educational institutions, filmsocietiesandvoluntaryorganizations.ThedocumentariesandnewsreelsofstategovernmentsarealsofeaturedintheDivision’sreleaseonthetheatricalcircuit.ThisDivisionalsosellsprints,stockshots,DVDs/VCDsanddistributionrightsofdocumentariesandfeaturefilmsinIndiaandabroad.Apartfromproductionoffilms,FilmsDivisionalsogivesonhire, itsrecordingtheatre,editingroomsandotherfineequipmenttofilmmakers.

ArchivalResearchCentreArchivalResearchCentre (ARC), amulti station research facility byFilms

Division has been opened onOctober 26, 2013. The aim of this facility is tosharetheenormouswealthofvisualhistoryandvisualdocumentationthatFilmsDivision has accumulated since its conception. The ARC makes the entirearchive of Films Division available to the fifteen research stations presentlyroutedtoit.TheFilmsDivisionarchivewillbeavailabletothesefifteenstationsforviewingandresearchpurposes.

InternationalDocumentaryFilmFestivalSince1990,FilmsDivisionorganisesthebiennialMumbaiInternationalFilm

Festival for Documentary, Short and Animation Films (MIFF). It provides auniqueopportunityforfilmmakers,producers,distributors,exhibitorsandfilmcriticstomeetandexchangeideasandconcepts.

NationalMuseumofIndianCinema


TheconceptofNationalMuseumofIndianCinema(NMIC)isauniqueideatobepursuedforthefirst timeinthehistoryofIndianCinema.Inthelast100yearsof IndianCinema, lotofhistoricalmaterialsuitable for thefilmmuseumhas been destroyed, damaged or not taken care of properly due to lack ofrestoration and preservation facilities of this kind. The FilmMuseumwill notonlyprovideastorehouseofinformationtothelaymenbutitwillalsohelpfilmmakers,filmstudents,enthusiastsandcriticstoknowthedevelopmentofcinemaasamediumofartisticexpressionnotonlyinthecountrybutinallpartsoftheworld,asthereisnoFilmMuseuminIndia.

FDZoneFD Zone is a collaborative effort of FilmsDivisionwith independent film

makerstoorganizeregularcuratedscreeningsofdocumentaries,shortfilmsandanimationfilmsandavant-gardeandmeaningfulcinema.Foreveryscreening,anindependent filmmakercuratesonvoluntarybasisamixtureof filmsofFilmsDivisionandindependentfilmmakers.TheDirector,cinematographeroreditor,sound recordist andothermainmembersof the crewof the independent filmsscreened in the event are invited for interaction with the audience. Thescreeningsarefreeandopentoall.Website:www.filmsdivision.org

NationalFilmDevelopmentCorporationLimitedTheNationalFilmDevelopmentCorporationLimited(NFDC),incorporated

in 1975, (100 per cent owned GOI body) was formed by the Government ofIndia with the primary objective of planning and promoting an organized,efficient, and integrated development of the Indian film industry. NFDC wasreincorporatedintheyear1980,bymergingtheFilmFinanceCorporation(FFC)andIndianMotionPictureExportCorporation(IMPEC)withNFDC.

TheerstwhileFilmFinanceCorporation(FFC)wassetupin1964,withtheprimaryobjectiveof extending finance toyoung talented filmmakers for filmproduction,whereas,theIndianMotionPictureExportCorporation(MPEC),anautonomous body, was set up to regulate the import and export of Films andcanalizationofnewstockintothecountry.Inrecognitionoftheneedforabodythat could facilitate thegrowthof the Indian film industry, theGovernmentofIndiamerged the FFC and IMPEC andNFDC.TheNFDChas so far funded/produced over 200 films.These films, in various Indian languages, have beenwidely acclaimed and havewonmany national and international awards. TheCorporationhasitscorporateofficeatMumbaialongwiththreeregionaloffices

http://www.filmsdivision.org

situated at Chennai, Kolkata, and Delhi and a branch office atThiruvananthapuram.Website:www.nfdcindia.com.org

CentralBoardofFilmCertificationCentral Board of Film Certification (CBFC) is a statutory body under

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, regulating the public exhibition offilmsundertheprovisionsoftheCinematographAct,1952.

FilmscanbepublicityexhibitedinIndiaonlyafter theyhavebeencertifiedbytheCentralBoardofFilmCertification.ThoughthefirstfilminIndia(RajaHarishchandra) was produced in 1913 by Dadasaheb Phalke, the IndianCinematograph Act was passed and came into effect only in 1920. CensorBoards(as theywere called then)were placed under police chiefs in cities ofMadras, Bombay, Calcutta, Lahore and Rangoon. Regional censors wereindependent.After Independenceautonomyof regionalcensorswasabsolishedand they were brought under the Bombay Board of Film Censors. Withimplementation of Cinematograph Act, 1952, the board was unified andreconstituted,astheCentralBoardofFilmCensors.

Cinematograph(Certification)Ruleswererevisedin1983andsincethentheCentral Board of Film Censors became known as the Central Board of FilmCertification.TheBoardconsistsofnon-officialmembersandachairman(allofwhomareappointedbycentralgovernment)andfunctionswithheadquartersatMumbai. It has nine regional offices, one each atMumbai,Kolkata,Chennai,Bengaluru,Thiruvananthapuram,Hyderabad,NewDelhi,CuttackandGuwahati.TheregionalofficesareassistedintheexaminationoffilmsbyAdvisoryPanels.Themembers of the panels are nominated by central government by drawingpeoplefromdifferentwalksoflifeforaperiodof2years.

TheCertificationprocessisinaccordancewiththeCinamatographAct,1952,theCinematograph(Certification)Rules,1983,andtheguidelinesissuedbythecentralgovernmentu/s5(b).Initiallytherewereonlytwograding,UandA.In1983 two more rating were introduced i.e., UA and S. UA means it can beunrestrictedpublicexhibitionbutwithawordofcautionthatchildrenbelow12yearsofagewillrequiretheparentalguidance,theScategoryisonlyforspecialclassofpersonslikedoctors,etc.Website:www.cbfcindia.gov.in

DirectorateofFilmFestivals

http://www.nfdcindia.com.org

http://www.cbfcindia.gov.in

TheDirectorateofFilmFestivals (DFF)wassetup in1973with theprimeobjectiveofpromotinggoodcinema.Thisisundertakenbyorganizingarangeofactivities under these broad categories: (a) the International Film Festival ofIndia; (b) the National Film Awards and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award; (c)culturalexchangeprogrammeandorganizingscreeningofIndianfilmsthroughthemissions abroad; (d) the selection of IndianPanorama; (e) participation ininternational filmfestivalsabroad; (f) special filmexpositionsonbehalfof theGovernmentofIndia;and(g)printcollectionanddocumentation.

Theseactivitiesprovideauniqueplatformforexchangeofideas,cultureandexperiences between India and other countries in the field of cinema. It alsoprovides a powerful platform for Indian cinema and fosters commercialopportunities for Indian films. Within the country, the latest trends in globalcinemaaremadeaccessibletothegeneralpublic,filmindustryandstudents.

InternationalFilmFestivalofIndiaThe50thInternationalFilmFestivalofIndia(IFFI)washeldfromNovember

20to28,2019.Itwitnessedmorethan200acclaimedfilmsfrom76countries,withRussiaasthecountryoffocus.Italsoincludes26featurefilmsand15nonfeature films in Indianpanoramasection.Thenine-day long festivalofqualitycinema concluded with the Indian premiere of Italian film ‘Marghe and HerMother’.VariousprestigiousawardsincludingGoldenPeacock,SilverPeacock,LifetimeAchievementAwardwereconferredduringthefestivalWebsite:www.iffigoa.org

NationalFilmAwardsTheNationalFilmAwards,thehighestawardsinthefieldofcinemacontinue

to underline cinematic excellence. The National Awards along with cinema’shighesthonour,theDadasahebPhalkeAward,arepresentedbythePresidentofIndia. To commemorate the release of the first Indian Feature Film, RajaHarishchandraon3rdMay1913,IthasbeendecidedtoconfertheNationalFilmAwardson3rdMayofeveryyear.Accordingly,65thNationalFilmAwardsweregivenawayfor2017.

65thNationalFilmAwardsThe65thNationalFilmAwardsweregivenawaybythePresidentofIndiato

honour the best films of 2017 in Indian cinema. The best Feature Film wasbaggedby‘VillageRockstars’(Assamese)directedbyRimaDas.TheawardforbestPopularFilmProvidingWholesomeEntertainmentwasgivento‘Bahubali2

http://www.iffigoa.org

- The Conclusion’ (Telugu) directed by S. S. Rajamouli. The best actor wasgiven toRidhiSen for the film ‘Nagarkirtan’ (Bengali) and thebest actress tolateSridevi for the film ‘Mom’ (Hindi).ThebestBookonCinemaawardwasgiven to ‘Matmagi Manipur: The First Feature Film’ written by BobbyWahengbam while Giridhar Jha was awarded the best Film Critic. Theprestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2017 was awardedposthumouslytoveteranactorVinodKhannaforhiscommendablecontributiontoIndiancinema.Website:www.dff.nic.in

NationalFilmArchiveofIndiaThe importanceofpreservingcinemaasanartandhistoricaldocumenthas

been recognized all over the world. The task of preserving cinema in all itsvariedexpressionsandformsisbestentrustedtoanationalorganizationhavingapermanentset-upandtheconfidenceofthefilmindustryandadequateresourcesandexpertise.Thus,theNationalFilmArchiveofIndia(NFAI)wasestablishedas amedia unit inFebruary, 1964with the following aims andobjectives : totrace, acquire and preserve for posterity the heritage of national cinema andbuildupa representativecollectionofworldcinema; toclassifyanddocumentdata related to film, undertake and encourage research on cinema and publishanddistribute them; toactasacentre fordisseminationof filmsculture in thecountryandtoensuretheculturalpresenceofIndiancinemaabroad.Duringthe50 years of its existenceNFAI has beenmaking rapid strides in achieving itsgoals.

FilmStorage/PreservationNFAI houses, nearly 27 state-of-the-art, film preservation facilities/ vaults

with global standards and specifications. These vaults have the capacity ofnearly2 lakhfilmreelsstorage.Thefilmvaultsaremaintainedwithfollowingtemperaturesforblackandwhitefilms,colourfilmsandnitratebasedfilms:-

FilmAppreciationCourseAnimportantactivityunderdisseminationoffilmcultureisscreeneducation

http://www.dff.nic.in

schemewhichincludeslongandshorttermfilmappreciationcourses,conductedin collaboration with various educational and cultural institutions across thecountry.

SupplyofFilmsNFAI’sactivitiestodisseminatefilmcultureinthecountryaremanifold.Its

Distribution Library has about 25 active film club/ members throughout thecountry.TheArchivesuppliesfilmsforvariousscreeningprogrammesandfilmfestivalsacrossIndia.

ParticipationinFilmFestivalsNFAIparticipatesinvariousfilmfestivalsinIndiaandabroad,showcasingits

collection of classic films at various retrospectives and poster exhibitions onuniquethemes,curatedforthefestival.

150thBirthAnniversaryofMahatmaGandhiTo celebrate the 150th birth anniversary ofMahatmaGandhi, two festivals

wereheld—oneatNagaon,AssamandotheratPortBlair.ThepackageoffilmsshowcasedvariousaspectsofGandhi’slife.Website:www.nfai.gov.in

NationalFilmHeritageMissionNational Film Heritage Mission (NFHM), a prestigious mission of

Government of India projectwas set up inNovember, 2014 for restoring andpreservingthefilmhertiageofIndia.Thisisapartof12thFiveYearPlanwhichwillspilloverto13thFiveYearPlan.Thisinitiativewillbegreatlyappreciatedby the film industry. This new plan scheme has taken care ofdigitization/restorationoffilmsavailablewithNFAI.

ObjectivesofNFHMinclude: (i) toundertake filmconditionassessmentofthefilmcollectionandtoascertain the leftover lifeof thefilm;(ii)preventiveconservationof1,32,000filmreels;(iii)2k/4kpictureandsoundrestorationof1086landmarkfeaturefilmsand1152shortsofIndianCinemaandrecordingofnew picture and sound inter-negatives of each film; (iv) digitization of 1160feature films and 1660 shorts; (v) construction of archival and preservationfacilities for preservation of material restored under NFHM in dust free, lowhumidity, and low temperature conditions at NFAI campus, Pune; and (vi)training workshops and courses in field of conservation, preservation andarchiving in co-ordination with international agencies that are experts in thisfield.

http://www.nfai.gov.in

Children’sFilmSocietyofIndiaChildren’sFilmSocietyofIndia(CFSI)whichstartedfunctioningin1955as

an autonomous body under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, ismandated to produce children’s film and exhibit and create and nurture adynamic child’s culture in the country with a purpose of stimulating theircreativity, compassion and critical thinking.CFSI has produced, exhibited anddistributed films, serials, animations and documentaries - that entertain andencourage children to reflect upon the world around them. With an enviablecatalogueofover260films in15different languages,CFSIremains theprimeproducer of children’s films in the country. Several of these films have wonprestigiousnationalandinternationalawards.

CFSIfilmsprovideavaluebasededutainmenttoalargenumberofchildrenthrough the art form called cinema. These films are not only bearingentertainment value but there are lots of take away messages in them whichinclude:Dreamsaren’timpossiblewhenthedesireisstrong,respectelders,tribalarealsothecitizensofourcountryandwemustrespectthem;familyisaboveallanddoalltosaveitseachmember;hardworknotmiraclespayyouoff;socialbondingthroughgames;lovefloraandfauna;don’tbeashamedofanyphysicaldisability;childrenalsocancontributetonationbuilding,nationalunity,etc.

FilmProductionAn opportunity to prospective film-makers to make children’s film in any

genreorduration in23 Indian languages, is fundedbyCFSI.CFSIhasannualtarget of 3 feature+2 short films with total budgetary grant of 10 crores,including NE component. CFSI also undertake dubbing, subtitle and evenpurchaseawardwinningforeignfilms.

ParticipationinNational/InternationalFilmFestivalsCFSI films participate and win acclaim in various renowned National/

International Film Festivals and have won several prestigious national andinternationalawards.Website:www.cfsiindia.org

BureauofOutreachandCommunicationBureau of Outreach and Communication (BOC) was created in 2017 by

integrating erstwhile Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP),Directorate of Field Publicity (DFP) and Song&DramaDivision (S&DD) atnational,zonal,regionalandfieldlevelsandconvertingthemintothreeseparate

http://www.cfsiindia.org

divisions under the overarching BOC in order to streamline government’soutreach communication in order to have mass reach with specific focus onmediadarkareasandruralareasandoncommunicatingwithpeopleintheformand language understood by them, using different vehicles of communication,viz., print media advertising, audio visual advertising, outdoor publicity,exhibitions,newmediant,etc.AdvertisingandVisualCommunicationDivision(erstwhileDAVP)isthenodaldivisionofBOCwhichundertakescampaignsonbehalf of various ministries and departments of Government of India, publicsector undertakings and autonomous bodies to inform and educate rural andurban people about the government’s policies and programmes through itsvariousvehiclesofcommunication.FolkCommunicationDivisionofBOCaimstopropagatepolicies,programmesandschemesofthegovernmentandtocreateawarenessandemotionalreceptivityamongthegeneralpublicregardingsocial,economicanddemocraticidealsconducivetotheprogressofthenationthroughinter-personalcommunicationthroughlivemedia.

Field Communication Division of BOC is mandated to undertake directcommunication and interpersonal communication programmes to createawarenessamongstthemasses,particularlyinruralareasaboutthegovernmentpolicies, programmes and schemes for their development through interactivesessionswithlocalopinionleadersandtargetedbeneficiaries,groupdiscussions,door-to-door visits, public meetings in villages and semiurban areas. Specialoutreach programmes are organized with the support of various stakeholders,viz., the stategovernmentand local functionaries, societygroups, etc.As theyare in the local language and at nearby venues, the impact of thesecommunicationprogrammesenablesandencouragesagreaterunderstandingofthe government’s schemes and behaviour change. These efforts arecomplementedbyuseoftraditionalandfolkmediaandotherconventionalandnon-conventionalmethods. FCD’s field functionaries also collect feedback onimplementation of Government’s programmes/schemes for the benefit ofimplementing agencies. Bureau of Outreach and Communication, with itsheadquarter atNewDelhi, consists of 23RegionalOutreachBureaus (ROBs)and148FieldOutreachBureaus,(FOBs).Website:www.davp.nic.in

FilmandTelevisionInstituteofIndiaThe Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) was set up in 1960.

Following the addition of Television wing in 1974, the Institute was re-designated as Film and Television Institute of India. The Institute became a

http://www.davp.nic.in

Society in October, 1974 under the Registration of Societies Act, 1860. TheSociety consists of eminent personalities connected with film, television,communication,culture,alumniofinstituteandex-officiogovernmentmembers.TheInstitute isgovernedbyaGoverningCouncil,headedbyaChairman.Theacademic policies and plans of the Institute are formulated by the AcademicCouncil.Thematters involving financearecontrolledby theStandingFinanceCommittee. The Institute consists of twoWings, The Film wing and the TVWing,andofferscoursesinbothFilmandTelevision.TheThree-yearDiplomaCourses lead to a Post Graduate Diploma in FilmDirection, cinematography,AudiographyandFilmEditing.TheInstitutealsooffersatwo-yearpostgraduatediploma course in acting, a two-year post graduate course in art direction andproductiondesign,andone-yearpostgraduatecertificatecourse.

Film and Television Institute of India provides the latest education andtechnologicalexperienceintheartandtechniqueoffilmmakingandtelevisionproduction. In-service training is provided to officers of all grades of theDoordarshanandothers.Itisequippedwiththelatestdigitalandbroadcastgradeproductionset-upsviz.NonLinear,betacamandA/Brolleditingsetups,digitalcameras viz. Sony BVP-500 P, Soft Chroma Keyer, digital special effectgenerator, silicongraphics02workstationswithAliassoftware,modernmoviecameras,rerecordingequipmentetc.whichprovideanexcellentexposuretothefacultyandstudentsofFilmandTelevisionInstitute.Website:www.ftiindia.com

SatyajitRayFilmandTelevisionInstituteSatyajitRayFilmandTelevisionInstitute(SRFTI),Kolkatawasestablished

as an autonomous educational institution and was registered under the WestBengalSocietiesRegistrationAct,1961.LocatedatKolkataandnamedafterthelegendary filmmaestro Satyajit Ray, SRFTI is the second national level filmtraining institute to be established by the Government of India. The instituteoffers three-year post-graduate diploma courses in direction and screenplaywriting,cinematography,editingandaudiography.Apartfromthebasicdiplomacourse, the institute also has the provision to conduct short andmedium termcoursesonareasrelatedtofilmandtelevision.Researchandexplorativestudiesinsociology,cultureandtechnologyoffilmandtelevisionaretheotherareasoffocusinSRFTI.

SRFTI is run by a Society constituted by the Government of India. TheSociety runs the Institute through a governing council that is constitutedwithselectmembersofSociety.TheGoverningCouncilisthesupremeBodyforall

http://www.ftiindia.com

executive functions of the Institute. It also constitutes different committees/bodies as deemed necessary viz., Academic Council Standing FinanceCommittee,etc.Website:www.srfti.gov.in

IndianInstituteofMassCommunicationTheIndianInstituteofMassCommunication(IIMC),registeredasasociety

under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 came into existence in 1965. TheInstitute, was established with the basic objective of undertaking teaching,trainingandresearchintheareaofmasscommunication.

The Institute conducts a number of post-graduate diploma courses in printjournalism, radio and TV journalism and advertising and public relations.Beginningin1969,theInstitutehasorganizedaPost-GraduateDiplomaCoursein Development Journalism for middle level working journalists form Asian,African,LatinAmericanandEastEuropeancountriesundertheauspicesoftheMinistry of External Affairs, Government of India since 1969. A number ofspecializedshort-termcoursesrangingfromoneweektotwelveweeksarealsoorganized to meet the ever-growing training needs of communicationprofessionals working in various media/publicity outfits of Central/stategovernmentsandpublicsectororganizations.TheInstitutealsocollaborateswithdifferentnationalandinternationalagenciesinconductingtrainingprogrammes,seminars,workshops.etc.andinundertakingresearchprojects.

TheInstituteendeavourstocontributetowardsthecreationandstrengtheningof an information structure suitable not only for India requirements, but alsothose of other developing countries. It provides its expertise and consultancyservices to other institutions/organs of the Central/state governments, publicsector organizations, universities and other academic institutions. With thegrowing popularity of the Institute’s training activities and with a view tomeetingregionalaspirations,theInstituteopenedabranchatDhenkanal,Orissain1993forcateringtothedemandsoftheeasternregion.

At present, the Branch conducts two Post Graduate Diploma Courses—Journalism(English)andJournalism(Odia).TheGovernmentofIndia,throughthe Ministry of Information and Broadcasting makes financial support to theInstitute available. The activities of the Institute are guided by its ExecutiveCouncil,whoseChairman (ExOfficio) is theSecretary in theMinistrywho isalso thePresidentof theInstitute (Society).Theothermembersof theCouncilinclude, inter-alia, representatives of the Institute’s faculty and eminentpersonalities from themedia. Through its continuous hard work over the last

http://www.srfti.gov.in

more than fourdecadesof its existenceandexcellentdeliverymechanism, theInstitute has achieved the envious position of a “Centre of Excellence” in theareaofcommunicationteaching,trainingandresearch.

TeachingandTrainingProgrammeTheacademicandtrainingactivitiesoftheInstitutecanbedividedintofour

programmes : (i.) Post-graduate Diploma programmes for students : Thesecomprise four programmes in Journalism and one in Advertising and PublicRelations: 1. Post-graduate Diploma Course in Journalism-English; 2. Post-graduateDiplomaCourseinJournalism-Hindi;3.Post-graduateDiplomaCoursein Journalism-Oriya; 4. Post-graduate Diploma Course in Radio and TVJournalism-English and Hindi; and 5. Post-graduate Diploma Course inAdvertisingandPublicRelations(EnglishandHindi).

This fourmonth diploma course is highly sought after bymid career levelworking journalists in Africa, Asia and Latin America and other developingcountries. The average intake of participants is 20-25 per batch. The Instituteorganizestwosuchcourseseachyear.

Short-termCourses,Workshops,SeminarsandConferencesWithaviewtocontributing towardsbetterunderstandingofdifferent issues

pertainingtomasscommunicationinthecontextofIndiaandotherdevelopingcountriesandinordertoincreaseawarenessabouttheemergingtechniquesandsharpeningtheirbasicskills,theInstitutehasbeenorganizingavarietyofshort-term courses, workshops, seminars and conferences in various areas ofcommunication and media. The Institute runs regular short- term academicprogrammes for personnel of different media units of the Ministry ofInformation and Broadcasting. A number of specialized short- term courses,rangingfromoneweekto12weeks’duration,arealsoconductedformeetingtheprofessional training needs of defence officials and those working in variousmedia/publicityorganizationsofthecentral/stategovernmentsandPublicSectorEnterprises.Website:www.iimc.nic.in

BroadcastEngineeringConsultantsIndiaLimitedBroadcastEngineeringConsultantsIndiaLtd.(BECIL),aprofitmakingPSE

was constituted in 1995 to provide the national broadcasters’ expertise to theprivate broadcasters in the country. At present, BECIL is an establishedconsultancy agency, system integrator and turnkey solution provider in all

http://www.iimc.nic.in

spheres of Broadcast Engineering. BECIL also undertakes operation andmaintenance of various types of broadcast systems. Its clients includegovernment,semigovernment,overseasandprivateorganisations.

TheareaofspecialisationofBECILisasfollows:establishmentofradioandTV transmitting facility including frequencyandcoverageplanning,predictionetc.; setting up state-of-the-art studio facilities for audio and video includingethernetconnectivitycapableoftransmittinglivecontentanddata;establishmentof cable TV systems and HITs (Head End In The Sky) and wirelinebroadcasting; turnkey Solution for establishing community radio stations;establishment from concept to commissioning of electronic media monitoringsolutions (Radio and TV Terrestrial or Satellite), and security relatedSurveillanceSetupsforGSM,CDMAandVSAT,salesandsupportforalltypeof broadcast engineering equipment/system, design and integration of outsidebroadcast vans (DSNG) with state-of-the- art technology. providingprofessionalsforO&Mofbroadcaststations,TVstudios,satelliteearthstations,ElectronicMediaMonitoringCentreandsupplyandsupportforvarioustypeofmonitoring, interception and encryption, decryption devices for forces andintelligenceagencies.

BECIL client list includes Government, Semi Government, Overseas andPrivateorganizations. It hasmany firsts to its credit like establishmentof firstteleportinIndia,firsttoestablishinfrastructure,firsttoset-upmultichannelFMtransmission in India combining up to 7 FM channels at Bengaluru, first todesign and establishHDTV studio set-up for Presidential Secretariat and LokSabhaTV,tonameafew.Website:www.becil.com

http://www.becil.com

23 Planning

PLANNING in India derives its objectives and social premises from theDirective Principles of State Policy enshrined in the Constitution. Public andprivatesectorsareviewedascomplementary.Theprivatesectorcovers,besidesorganized industry, small-scale industries, agriculture, trade and housing,construction and related areas. Individual efforts and private initiatives areconsidered necessary and desirable in the national endeavour for developmentwithoptimumvoluntarycooperation.

NITIAayogThe National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) came into

existencein2015replacingthePlanningCommissionwhichwasestablishedin1950.TheNITIAayog is thesuccessor to thePlanningCommission.Thenewinstitutionisenvisagedtobeacatalysttothedevelopmentalprocess;nurturingan overall enabling environment, through a holistic approach to developmentgoingbeyondthelimitedsphereof thepublicsectorandGovernmentofIndia.This is to be built on the foundation of an empowered role of states as equalpartners in national development underlying the principle of cooperativefederalism.Aknowledgehubofinternalaswellasexternalresources;servingasrepositoryofgoodgovernancebestpracticesanda think tankofferingdomainknowledge as well as strategic expertise to all levels of government. Acollaborative platform facilitating implementation by monitoring progress,plugginggapsandbringingtogetherthevariousministriesat theCentreandinstates,inthejointpursuitofdevelopmentalgoals.Website:www.niti.gov.in

ObjectivesThe new institution is envisaged to be a catalyst to the developmental

process;nurturinganoverallenablingenvironment,throughaholisticapproachto development going beyond the limited sphere of the Public Sector andGovernment of India. Thiswill be built on the foundation of:An empoweredrole of States as equal partners in national development; operationalizing the

http://www.niti.gov.in

principle of Cooperative Federalism.;A knowledge hub of internal aswell asexternalresources;servingasrepositoryofgoodgovernancebestpractices,anda Think Tank offering domain knowledge as well as strategic expertise to alllevelsofgovernment.;Acollaborativeplatformfacilitating implementation;bymonitoringprogress,plugginggapsandbringingtogetherthevariousministriesattheCentreandinstates,inthejointpursuitofdevelopmentalgoals.

Foundedin2015,theNationalInstitutionforTransformationofIndiaorNITIAayoghasbeencreatedtoserveas the thinktankof theGovernmentofIndia.ThePrimeMinisterofIndiaservesastheChairoftheinstitution.Theinstitutionplaysaleadershiproleinpolicymakinginthecentralgovernment,workscloselywithstategovernments,servesasaknowledgehubandmonitorsprogressintheimplementation of policies and programmes of the Government of India. Theinstitutionprovidesthecentralandstategovernmentswithrelevantstrategicandtechnical advice across the spectrum on key policy elements. These includematters of national and international importance on the economic front,disseminationofbestpracticesfromwithinthecountryandfromothernations,the infusion of new policy ideas and specific issue- based support. Throughconsultativeandothermechanisms,itendeavourstoinformofthebestpracticesdeveloped inoneormore statesor inotherpartsof theworld to all states forpossible adoption. It fosters cooperative federalism through structured supportandpolicyguidancetothestatesonacontinuousbasis.

The institution designs strategic and long-term policy and programmeframeworks and initiatives and monitors their progress and their efficacyregularly. It uses the lessons learnt from monitoring and feedback to makeinnovative improvements, including necessary mid-course corrections. Also,NITIAayogactivelymonitorsandevaluatestheimplementationofprogrammesand initiatives, including the identification of the needed resources so as tostrengthen the prospects of success of the latter. The Aayog publishes policyresearch papers on contemporary issues, brings out books on best practices,preparesmodellawstohelpstatesreformtheirpoliciesandorganizesworkshopsand conferences. For providing directional and policy inputs it serves as arepositoryofresearchongoodgovernanceandhelpsdisseminatethisresearchtostakeholders.

CompositionThecompositionoftheNITIAayogisasfollows:PrimeMinisterofIndiaistheChairperson.TheGoverningCouncilcomprises

the ChiefMinisters of all the states, ChiefMinisters of union territories with

legislatures, viz., Delhi and Puducherry and Lt. Governors of other unionterritories.Experts,specialistsandpractitionerswithrelevantdomainknowledgeasspecialinviteesnominatedbythePrimeMinister.Thefulltimeorganizationalframework will consist of, in addition to the Prime Minister as Chairperson,Vice-Chairperson is tobeappointedby thePrimeMinister.Full timeandpart-time members will be maximum of 2, from leading universities, researchorganizationsandotherrelevant institutionsinanex-officiocapacity.Part timememberswillbeonarotationalbasis.ExofficioMemberswillbemaximumof4members of the Union Council ofMinisters to be nominated by the PrimeMinister.ChiefExecutiveOfficeristobeappointedbythePrimeMinisterforafixedtenure,intherankofSecretarytotheGovernmentofIndia.Secretariatasdeemednecessary.

ErstwhilePlanningCommissionThe Planning Commission was set up in March, 1950 in pursuance of

declaredobjectivesoftheGovernmenttopromotearapidriseinthestandardofliving of the people by efficient exploitation of the resources of the country,increasing production and offering opportunities to all for employment in theservice of the community. It was charged with the responsibility of makingassessment of all resources of the country augmenting deficient resources,formulatingplanforthemosteffectiveandbalancedutilizationofresourcesanddeterminingpriorities.JawaharlalNehruwasthefirstchairmanofthePlanningCommission.

FirstPlanKeeping in view the large-scale import of food grains in 1951 and

inflationary pressures on the economy, the First Plan (1951-56) accorded thehighest priority to agriculture including irrigation and power projects. About44.6percentofthetotaloutlayof₹2,069croreinthepublicsector(laterraisedto₹2,378crore)wasallocated for thispurpose.ThePlanaimedat increasingtherateofinvestmentfromfivetoaboutsevenpercentofthenationalincome.

SecondPlanTheSecondFive-YearPlan(1956-57to1960-61)soughttopromoteapattern

ofdevelopment,whichwouldultimatelyleadtotheestablishmentofasocialisticpatternofsocietyinIndia.Itsmainaimswere(i)anincreaseof25percentinthenational income; (ii) rapid industrializationwithparticularemphasison thedevelopmentofbasicandheavyindustries;(iii)largeexpansionofemployment

opportunities;and(iv)reductionofinequalitiesinincomeandwealthandamoreevendistributionof economicpower.ThePlanaimedat increasing the rateofinvestment fromabout sevenpercentof thenational income to11per centby1960-61.It laidemphasisonindustrialization,increasedproductionofironandsteel, heavy chemicals including nitrogenous fertilizers and development ofheavyengineeringandmachinebuildingindustry.

ThirdPlanTheThird Plan (1961-62 to 1965-66) aimed at securing amarked advance

towardsself-sustaininggrowth.Its immediateobjectiveswereto:(i)secureanincreaseinthenationalincomeofoverfivepercentperannumandatthesametimeensureapatternofinvestmentwhichcouldsustainthisrateofgrowthinthesubsequentPlanperiods;(ii)achieveself-sufficiencyinfoodgrainsandincreaseagricultural production tomeet the requirements of industry and exports; (iii)expand basic industries like steel, chemicals, fuel and power and establishmachine building capacity so that the requirements of further industrializationcouldbemetwithinaperiodofabout10yearsmainlyfromthecountry’sownresources;(iv)fullyutilizethemanpowerresourcesofthecountryandensureasubstantialexpansion inemploymentopportunities;andestablishprogressivelygreaterequalityofopportunityandbringaboutreductionindisparitiesofincomeandwealthandamoreevendistributionofeconomicpower.ThePlanaimedatincreasing the national income by about 30 per cent from₹ 14,500 crore in1960-61toabout₹19,000croreby1965-66(at1960-61prices)andpercapitaincomebyabout17percentfrom330to386overthesameperiod.

AnnualPlansThe situation createdby the Indo-Pakistan conflict in 1965, two successive

yearsofseveredrought,devaluationof thecurrency,general rise inpricesanderosionof resourcesavailable forPlanpurposesdelayed the finalizationof theFourth Five Year Plan. Instead, between 1966 and 1969, three Annual PlanswereformulatedwithintheframeworkofthedraftoutlineoftheFourthPlan.

FourthPlanTheFourthPlan(1969-74)aimedataccelerating the tempoofdevelopment

of reducing fluctuations in agricultural production as well as the impact ofuncertainties of foreign aid. It sought to raise the standard of living throughprogrammes designed to promote equality and social justice. The Plan laidparticular emphasis on improving the conditions of the less privileged and

weaker sections especially through provision of employment and education.Effortsweredirectedtowardsreductionofconcentrationofwealth,incomeandeconomic power to promote equity. The Plan aimed at increasing the netdomesticproduct(at1968-69factorcost)from₹29,071crorein1969-70to₹38,306 crore in 1973-74. The average annual compound rate of growthenvisagedwas5.7percent.

FifthPlanThe Fifth Plan (1974-79) was formulated against the backdrop of severe

inflationary pressures. Themajor objectives of the plan were to achieve self-reliance and adopt measures for raising the consumption standard of peoplelivingbelowthepovertyline.ThisPlanalsogavehighprioritytobringinflationunder control and to achieve stability in the economic situation. It targeted anannual growth rate of 5.5 percent in the national income. Four Annual PlanspertainingtotheFifthPlanperiodwerecompleted.ItwassubsequentlydecidedtoendtheFifthPlanperiodwiththecloseoftheAnnualPlan1978-79.

SixthPlanRemovalofpovertywastheforemostobjectiveoftheSixthPlan(1980-85).

The strategy adopted was to move simultaneously towards strengthening theinfrastructure for both agriculture and industry. Stress was laid on tacklinginterrelatedproblems throughasystematicapproachwithgreatermanagement,efficiency and intensive monitoring in all sectors and active involvement ofpeople in formulating specific schemes of development at the local level andsecuring their speedy and effective implementation. The actual expenditure intheSixthPlanstoodat₹1,09,291.7crore(currentprice)asagainsttheenvisagedtotalpublicsectoroutlayof₹97,500crore(1979-80prices)accountingfora12percentincreaseinnominalterms.TheaverageannualgrowthratetargetedforthePlanwas5.2percent.

SeventhPlanThe Seventh Plan (1985-90) emphasized policies and programmes, which

aimed at rapid growth in food grains production, increased employmentopportunitiesandproductivitywithintheframeworkofbasictenetsofplanning,namely, growth, modernization, self reliance and social justice. Food grainsproductionduringtheSeventhPlangrewby3.23percentascomparedtoalong-termgrowthrateof2.68percentbetween1967-68and1988-89andthegrowthrateof2.55percentintheeightiesduetooverallfavourableweatherconditions,

implementation of various thrust programmes and concerted efforts of theGovernment and the farmers. To reduce unemployment and consequently, theincidence of poverty, special programmes like Jawahar Rozgar Yojana werelaunchedinadditiontotheexistingprogrammes.Duerecognitionwasaccordedtotherole,small-scaleandfoodprocessingindustriescouldplayinthisregard.ThetotalexpenditureduringtheentireSeventhPlanstoodat₹2,18,729.62crore(currentprices)asagainsttheenvisagedtotalpublicsectoroutlayof₹1,80,000crore,resultingina21.52percent increaseinnominal terms.DuringthisPlanperiod, theGrossDomesticProduct (GDP)grewat an average rate of 5.8 percentexceedingthetargetedgrowthrateby0.8percent.

EighthAnnualPlansThe Eighth Five-Year Plan (1990-95) could not take off due to the fast-

changingpoliticalsituationattheCentre.TheEighthfive-YearPlancommencedin1992 and that 1990-91 and1991-92were treated as separateAnnualPlans.FormulatedwithintheframeworkoftheApproachtotheEighthFive-YearPlan(1990-95), the basic thrust of these Annual Plans was on maximization ofemploymentandsocialtransformation.

EighthPlanThe Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-97) was launched immediately after the

initiation of structural adjustment policies and macro stabilization policies,whichwere necessitated by theworseningBalance of Payments positions andthe position of inflation during 1990-91. The various structural adjustmentpolicies were introduced gradually so that the economy could be pushed to ahighergrowthpathandimproveitsstrengthandthuspreventacrisisinBalanceofPaymentsand inflation in the future.TheEighthPlan tooknoteof someofthesepolicychanges,whichweretocomeaboutduetothesereforms.ThePlanaimedatanaverageannualgrowthrateof5.6percentandanaverageindustrialgrowth rate of about 7.5 per cent. These growth targets were planned to beachieved with relative price stability and substantial improvement in thecountry’s Balance of Payments. Some of the salient features of economicperformanceduringtheEighthFive-YearPlanindicate,amongotherthings:(a)afaster economic growth, (b) a faster growth of the manufacturing sector andagricultureandalliedsectors,(c)significantgrowthratesinexportsandimports,improvement in tradeandcurrentaccountdeficitandasignificantreduction intheCentralGovernmentsfiscaldeficit.However,ashortfallinexpenditureintheCentral sector due to inadequate mobilization of internal and extra budgetary

resources by the PSUs and various departments was witnessed. In the Statessector, there as on for the shortfall was lack of mobilization of adequateresourcesduetodeteriorationinthebalanceofcurrentrevenues,erosioninthecontribution of state electricity boards and state road transport corporations,negativeopeningbalance,mountingnon-Planexpenditureandshortfalls in thecollectionof small savings, etc.The total expenditureduring the entireEighthPlanstoodat₹4,95,669crorebytaking1996-97(RE)asactual]atcurrentpricesas against envisaged total public sector outlay of ₹4,34,100 crore (1991-92prices) resulting ina14.2percent increase innominal terms.TheEighthPlanenvisagedanannualaveragegrowthrateof5.6percent.Againstthis,anaverageannualgrowthrateof6.8percentwasachievedduringthisplanperiod.

The Eighth Five-Year Plan (1992-97) was launched immediately after theinitiation of structural adjustment policies and macro stabilization policies,whichwere necessitated by theworseningBalance of Payments positions andthe position of inflation during 1990-91. The various structural adjustmentpolicies were introduced gradually so that the economy could be pushed to ahighergrowthpathandimproveitsstrengthandthuspreventacrisisinBalanceofPaymentsand inflation in the future.TheEighthPlan tooknoteof someofthesepolicychanges,whichweretocomeaboutduetothesereforms.ThePlanaimedatanaverageannualgrowthrateof5.6percentandanaverageindustrialgrowth rate of about 7.5 per cent. These growth targets were planned to beachieved with relative price stability and substantial improvement in thecountry’s Balance of Payments. Some of the salient features of economicperformanceduringtheEighthFive-YearPlanindicate,amongotherthings:(a)afaster economic growth, (b) a faster growth of the manufacturing sector andagricultureandalliedsectors,(c)significantgrowthratesinexportsandimports,improvement in tradeandcurrentaccountdeficitandasignificantreduction intheCentralGovernment’s fiscal deficit.However, a shortfall in expenditure intheCentralsectorduetoinadequatemobilizationofinternalandextrabudgetaryresources by the PSUs and various departments was witnessed. In the Statessector, there as on for the shortfall was lack of mobilization of adequateresourcesduetodeteriorationinthebalanceofcurrentrevenues,erosioninthecontribution of state electricity boards and state road transport corporations,negativeopeningbalance,mountingnon-Planexpenditureandshortfalls in thecollectionof small savings, etc.The total expenditureduring the entireEighthPlanstoodat₹4,95,669crorebytaking1996-97(RE)asactual]atcurrentpricesas against envisaged total public sector outlay of ₹4,34,100 crore (1991-92prices) resulting ina14.2percent increase innominal terms.TheEighthPlan

envisagedanannualaveragegrowthrateof5.6percent.Againstthis,anaverageannualgrowthrateof6.8percentwasachievedduringthisplanperiod.

NinthPlanThe Ninth Plan (1997-2002) was launched in the fiftieth year of India’s

Independence.ThePlanaimedatachievingatargetedGDPgrowthrateofsevenper cent per annum and there was emphasis on the seven identified BasicMinimum Services (BMS) with additional Central Assistance earmarked fortheseserviceswithaviewtoobtainingacompletecoverageofthepopulationina time-bound manner. These included provision of safe drinking water,availability of primary health service facilities, universalization of primaryeducation, public housing assistance to shelterless poor families, nutritionalsupporttochildren,connectivityofallvillagesandhabitationsandstreamliningofthepublicdistributionsystemwithafocusonthepoor.ThePlanalsoaimedatpursuing a policy of fiscal consolidation, whereby the focus was on sharpreductionintherevenuedeficitoftheGovernment,includingtheCentre,StatesandPSUsthroughacombinationofimprovedrevenuecollectionsandcontrolofinessential expenditures, particularly with regard to subsidies and throughrecovery of user charges and decentralization of planning and implementationthroughgreaterrelianceonStatesandPanchayatiRajInstitutions.

ThespecificobjectivesoftheNinthPlanincluded:(i)prioritytoagricultureandruraldevelopmentwithaviewtogenerateadequateproductiveemploymentanderadicationofpoverty;(ii)acceleratingthegrowthrateoftheeconomywithstableprices;(iii)ensuringfoodandnutritionalsecurityforall,particularlythevulnerablesectionsofsociety;(iv)providingthebasicminimumservicesofsafedrinking water, primary health care facilities, universal primary education,shelter, and connectivity to all in a time-bound manner; (v) containing thegrowthrateofpopulation;(vi)ensuringmobilizationandparticipationofpeopleat all levels; (vii) empowerment ofwomen and socially disadvantaged groupssuch as ScheduledCastes, ScheduledTribes andOtherBackwardClasses andminorities as agents of socio-economic change and development; (viii)promotinganddevelopingpeople’sparticipatoryinstitutionslikePanchayatiRajInstitution, cooperatives and self-help groups; and (ix) strengthening efforts tobuild self-reliance.TheNinthPlan envisaged an average target growth rate of6.5percentperannuminGDPasagainstthegrowthrateof7percentapprovedearlier in theApproachPaper.Thescalingdownof the targetwasnecessitatedby thechanges in thenationalaswellasglobaleconomicsituation in the firsttwoyearsoftheNinthPlan.Againstthis,theachievementinthegrowth-rateon

anaveragewastobe5.5percentperannum.

TenthPlanThe Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002-07) was approved by the National

Development Council (NDC) in December, 2002. The Plan has furtherdevelopedtheNDCmandateobjectives,ofdoublingthepercapitaincomeintenyears and achieving a growth rate of eight per cent ofGDPper annum.Sinceeconomic growth is not the only objective, the Plan aims at harnessing thebenefitsofgrowthtoimprovethequalityoflifeofthepeoplebysettingofthefollowingkeytargets:Reductioninthepovertyratiofrom26percentto21percent,by2007;decadalpopulationgrowthtoreducefrom21.3percentin1991-2001to16.2percentin2001-11;growthingainfulemployment,atleast,tokeeppacewithadditiontothelabourforce;allchildrentobeinschoolby2003andallchildrentocompletefiveyearsofschoolingby2007;reducinggendergapsinliteracyandwageratesby50percent;literacyratetoincreasefrom65percentin 1999-2000, to 75 per cent in 2007; Providing potable drinkingwater to allvillages; increaseinforest/treecoverfrom19percent in1999-2000, to25percentin2007;andcleaningofmajorpollutedriverstretches.

TheTenthPlanhadanumberofnewfeaturesthatinclude,amongothers,thefollowing:Firstly, thePlan recognised the rapidgrowth in the labour force.Atcurrent rate of growth and labour intensity in production, India faces thepossibilityofrisingunemployment,whichcouldleadtosocialunrest.TheTenthPlanthereforeaimsatcreating50millionjobopportunitiesduringtheperiod,byplacing special emphasis on employment intensive sectors of agriculture,irrigation, agro-forestry, small and medium enterprises, information andcommunicationtechnologyandotherservices.Secondly,thePlanaddressestheissueofpovertyandtheunacceptablylowlevelsofsocial indicators.Althoughthese have been the objectives in earlier Plans, in the current Plan there arespecific monitorable targets, which will need to be attained along with thegrowthtarget.

TheIncrementalCapitalOutputRatio(ICOR)oftheeconomywasexpectedtocomedowntoabout3.6asagainst4.5duringtheNinthPlan.ThisdeclineinICORwasachievedmainlythroughbetterutilizationofexistingcapacitiesandsuitable sectorial allocation of capital and its efficient utilization. The growthtarget,therefore,wouldrequireaninvestmentrateof28.4percentofGDP.Thisrequirementwastobemetfromdomesticsavingsof26.8percentofGDPandexternalsavingsof1.6percent.ThebulkoftheadditionaldomesticsavingswillhavetocomefromreductioninGovernmentdis-savingfrom-4.5(2001-02) to

-0.5percent(2006-07)ofGDP.Theaveragegrowthrateinthelastfouryearsofthe10thPlan(2003-04to2006-07)waslittleover8percent,makingthegrowthrate7.7percentfortheentire10thPlanperiod.Thoughthiswasbelowthetargetof8percent,itisthehighestgrowthrateachievedinanyPlanperiod.

EleventhPlanTheEleventh FiveYear Plan (2007-12) provided a comprehensive strategy

for inclusive development, building on the growing strength of the economy,whilealsoaddressingweaknessesthathavesurfaced.Itsetatargetfor9percentgrowthinthefiveyearperiodwithaccelerationduringtheperiodtoreach10percentbytheendofthePlan.

TwelfthPlanTheTwelfthPlanfullyrecognizesthattheobjectiveofdevelopmentisbroad-

based improvement in the economic and social conditions of our people.However, rapid growth of GDP is an essential requirement for achieving thisobjective.TheApproachPapertotheTwelfthPlan,hadsetatargetof9percentaveragegrowthofGDPoverthePlanperiod(2012to2017).ThatwasbeforetheEuro-zone crisis in that year triggered a sharp downturn in global economicprospects,andalsobeforetheextentoftheslowdowninthedomesticeconomywasknown.TwelfthPlanenvisaged that thecurrentslowdowninGDPgrowthcan be reversed through strong corrective action, including especially anexpansion in investment with a corresponding increase in savings to keepinflationary pressures under control. However,while our full growth potentialremainsaround9percent,accelerationtothislevelcanonlyoccurinaphasedmanner,especiallysincetheglobaleconomyisexpectedtoremainweakforthefirsthalfofthePlanperiod.

AtalInnovationMissionThe Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) is a flagship initiative of the Central

Government,setupbyNITIAayogtopromoteinnovationandentrepreneurshipacross the length and breadth of the country. AIM is also envisaged as anumbrella innovation organization that would play an instrumental role inalignmentof innovationpoliciesbetweencentral, state and sectoral innovationschemes incentivizing establishment of an ecosystem of innovation andentrepreneurshipatvariouslevelshighersecondaryschools,science,engineeringandhigheracademic institutions, andSME industry / corporate levels.AIM issettingupAtalTinkeringLabs(ATL)inschoolsacrossall700+districtsacross

the country. These ATLs are dedicated innovation workspaces of 1000-1500squarefeetwherelatesttechnologieslike3Dprinters,robotics,internetofthings(IOT),miniaturizedelectronics‘doityourself’kitsareinstalledusingagrantof₹20LakhsfromthegovernmentsothatstudentsfromGradeVItoGradeXIIcantinkerwiththesetechnologiesandlearntocreateinnovativesolutions.

At theuniversity,NGO,SMEandCorporate industry levels,AIMissettingupworld-classAtalIncubators(AICs)thatwouldtriggerandenablesuccessfulgrowthofsustainablestartupsineverysector/stateofthecountry.AIMisalsoprovidingscaleupsupporttoexistingincubatorsforscalinguptheiroperations.AIMisprovidingagrantofupto₹10crorestosuccessfulapplicantsforsettingupGreenfieldincubatorsorscalingupexistingones.Theideaisthateveryoneof the 110 named smart cities and the top 5-10 educational / industrialinstitutionsofeverystateshouldaspiretohaveaworldclassincubatorthatwillprovide the youth / startup communities in the universities / industriesopportunitytocreatenewstartups.

MentorIndiaTheMentorIndiaprogrammelaunchedbyAIMisapath-breakinginitiative

to catalyse the academia– industry partnerships. Under it, more than 3,200mentors from all over the country belonging to various industry sectors havebeenassignedtoworkwith1800+ATLsonacontinuousbasis.Thesementorsvolunteer their time to engage with ATL students, sharing technical andprofessional insights. Another category of Super Mentors delivers inspiringlecturestostudents.

AtalIncubationCentresAtal Incubation Centres (AICs) and Established Incubation Centres are

incubationspacesintendedtoprovideincubationfacilitiestoinnovativestartupslike capital equipment and operating facilities along with sectoral experts formentoring, business planning support, access to seed capital, industrypartnerships,trainingandothercriticalcomponents.Acrossthecountry,19AICsarealreadyoperational,incubatingstartupsacrossdifferent-eldsandworkingonnewagetechnology.

AtalNewIndiaChallengeAtalNewIndiaChallenge(ANIC),whichisaninitiativebyAtalInnovation

Mission aimed at supporting innovators to create products/ solutions based onadvanced technologies in areas of national importance and social relevancethroughagrant-basedmechanism.AIMisworkingwithseparateministrieson

this programme –Ministry of Agriculture and Family Welfare, Ministry ofRailways, Ministry of Road Transport, Ministry of Drinking Water andSanitation, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs – to identify areas ofimportanceandattractinnovationsinthem.

Movingforward,AIMisalsoplanningtolaunchanotherprogrammeARISEto promote collaborative Applied Research and Innovation between variouscentralministries andMicro, Small andMediumEnterprises (MSMEs).Apartfrom the various structured programmes, AIM from time to time keepsconductinglectures,webinarsandspeakersessionsforthestudentsandstart-upcommunity.

InitiativesandReformsAgricultureReformsImplementationofMSPfornotifiedcrops

NITI Aayog in consultation with central ministries and states developed amechanismfor implementationofMinimumSupportPrice (MSP) fordifferentagriculturalcrops.Threeconceptswerediscussed:(i)MarketAssuranceScheme(MAS) (ii) Price Deficiency Procurement Scheme (PDPS) (iii) PrivateProcurementandStockistsScheme(PPSS).AccordinglyMinistryofAgricultureand Farmers’ Welfare launched Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay SanrakshanAbhiyan (PM-AASHA) in 2018 including three mechanisms: price supportschemeormarketassurancescheme,pricedeficiencypaymentschemeandpilotonprivateprocurementstockists

ContractFarmingThe Union Government provided, for the first time, an opportunity to the

farmers todecide thepriceof theirproduceandnegotiatewithbuyers throughModel Act on Contract Farming. The Model Act called the State/UTAgriculturalProduceandLivestockContractFarmingandServices(Promotion&Facilitation)Act,2018wasformulatedinconsultationwithNITIAayogandlaunchedin2018foritsadoptionbythestates/unionterritories.TheModelActcovers the entire value and supply chain from pre-production to post- harvestmarketingincludingservicescontractfortheagriculturalproduceandlivestock.

ReformsinNutritionPOSHANAbhiyaan

ASchemeforholisticnutritionorPOSHANAbhiyaanorNationalNutritionMission, is Government of India’s flagship programme to improve nutritional

outcomes for children, pregnant women and lactating mothers. Launched in2018, POSHAN Abhiyaan directs the attention of the country towards theproblem of malnutrition and addresses it in a mission-mode. With theoverarching aim to build a people’smovement aroundmalnutrition,POSHANAbhiyaanintendstosignificantlyreducemalnutritioninthenextthreeyears.Forits implementation the four point strategy/pillars of the mission are: (i) inter-sectoralconvergenceforbetterservicedelivery(ii)useoftechnology(ICT)forrealtimegrowthmonitoringandtrackingofwomenandchildren(iii)intensifiedhealthandnutritionservicesforthefirst1,000days(iv)JanAndolanorpeople’smovement.

POSHANMaahSeptember was celebrated as Rashtriya POSHAN Maah in 2018. The

activities in POSHAN Maah focussed on Social Behavioural Change andCommunication (SBCC). The broad themes were: antenatal care, optimalbreastfeeding (early and exclusive), complementary feeding, anaemia, growthmonitoring,girls’-education,diet,rightageofmarriage,hygieneandsanitation,andeatinghealthy-foodfortification.

HealthSectorReformsAyushmanBharat:PradhanMantriJanArogyaYojana

The National Health Policy 2017 envisages creation of a digital healthtechnology eco-system aiming at developing an integrated health informationsystem that serves the needs of all stakeholders and improves efficiency,transparency and citizens’ experience with linkage across public and privatehealthcare.AyushmanBharat comprising twinmissions is set to transform thenation’shealthsystemby:operationalizing1.5lakhhealthandwellnesscentresofferingpreventiveandprimarycare,onthesupplyside;andofferingfinancialprotectionofupto₹5lakhsperyearperfamilyforthedeprived10croresplushouseholdstowardssecondaryandtertiarycare,onthedemandside.

24 RuralDevelopment

INDIAhasbeenawelfarestatesinceindependenceandtheprimaryobjectiveofallgovernmentalendeavourshasbeenthewelfareofitspeople.ThepoliciesandprogrammeshavebeendesignedwiththeaimofalleviationofruralpovertywhichhasbeenoneoftheprimaryobjectivesofplanneddevelopmentinIndia.Itwasrealizedthatasustainablestrategyofpovertyalleviationhastobebasedonincreasing the productive employment opportunities in the process of growthitself.Eliminationofpoverty,ignorance,diseasesandinequalityofopportunitiesand providing a better and higher quality of lifewere the basic premise uponwhich all the plans and blue-prints of development were built. Ruraldevelopmentimpliesboththeeconomicbettermentofpeopleaswellasgreatersocialtransformation.Inordertoprovidetheruralpeoplewithbetterprospectsfor economic development, increased participation of people in the ruraldevelopment programmes, decentralization of planning, better enforcement oflandreformsandgreateraccesstocreditareenvisaged.Initially,mainthrustfordevelopmentwaslaidonagriculture,industry,communication,education,healthandalliedsectorsbutlateronitwasrealizedthataccelerateddevelopmentcanbeprovidedonly if governmental effortswere adequately supplementedbydirectandindirectinvolvementofpeopleatthegrassrootlevel.

Accordingly, in 1952, an organization known as Community ProjectsAdministration was set up under the Planning Commission to administer theprogrammesrelatingtocommunitydevelopment.TheCommunityDevelopmentProgramme, inaugurated in1952,was an important landmark in thehistoryofruraldevelopment.Thisprogrammeunderwentmanychangesandwashandledbydifferentministries.InOctober,1974,theDepartmentofRuralDevelopmentcame into existence as a part ofMinistryofFood andAgriculture. InAugust,1979, this Department was elevated to the status of a newMinistry of RuralReconstruction.Thatministrywas renamedasMinistryofRuralDevelopmentand again converted into aDepartment under theMinistry ofAgriculture andRural Development. It was later rechristened as Ministry of Agriculture inSeptember, 1985. In 1991 theDepartmentwas upgraded asMinistry ofRuralDevelopment.AnotherDepartmentviz.,DepartmentofWastelandDevelopment

wascreatedunderthisministryin1992.TheMinistrywas again renamed as theMinistry ofRuralDevelopment in

1999 with three departments viz., Department of Rural Development,Department of Land Resources and Department of Drinking Water andSanitation. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation was made aseparateMinistryfromJuly2011.Presently,theMinistryofRuralDevelopmentconsists of two departments, namely, Department of Rural Development andDepartmentofLandResources.Websites:www.rural.nic.inwww.dolr.gov.in

MajorProgrammesforRuralDevelopmentThemajorprogrammesbeingoperatedbytheMinistryofRuralDevelopment

are:MahatmaGandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeAct(MGNREGA)forprovidingwageemployment;NationalRuralLivelihoodsMission (NRLM)for self employment and skill development; Housing for All: PradhanMantriAwaasYojana-Grameen(PMAY-G)forprovidinghousingtoBPLhouseholds;PradhanMantriGramSadakYojana(PMGSY)forconstructionofqualityroads;National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP) for social pension; ShyamaPrasad Mukherjee RURBAN Mission; Integrated Watershed ManagementProgramme(IWMP)forimprovingtheproductivityoftheland.

RuralEmploymentMahatmaGandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeAct(MGNREGA)

hascomealongwaysinceitsinception,andhasbecomealifelinetomillions.TheActaimsatenhancinglivelihoodsecurityofhouseholdsinruralareasofthecountry by providing not less than one hundred days of guaranteed wageemployment in a financial year to every household whose adult membersvolunteer to do unskilledmanual work. Social inclusion, gender parity, socialsecurity and equitable growth are the founding pillars of Mahatma GandhiNREGA.

The objectives of the scheme are: providing upto 100 days of unskilledmanualworkinafinancialyeartoeveryhouseholdinruralareasasperdemandresulting in creation of productive assets of prescribed quality and durability;enhance livelihood security of the rural poor by generatingwage employmentopportunitiesinworksthatdeveloptheinfrastructurebaseoftheareaconcerned;strengtheningandsecuringthelivelihoodresourcebaseoftheruralpoor;ensureempowermenttowomen;stimulatethelocaleconomybyprovidingasafetynettoruralpoorbyproactivelyensuresocialinclusionandstrengtheninggrass-root

http://www.rural.nic.in

http://www.dolr.gov.in

democraticinstitutions.Thegovernmenthasbeenworkingtowardsbringingpositivechangesinthe

programmewithnewinitiatives.Severalstepshavebeentakentostrengthentheoverall implementation of MGNREGS within the overall framework ofMGNREG Act, 2005. Besides ensuring a high budget allocation of meet theobjectives of the Act, measures like electronic fund management system(eFMS), Aadhaar seeding, geo-tagging of assets and strengthening of SocialAudit System are some steps towards bringing in more transparency andaccountabilityintheprogrammeimplementation.DirectBenefitTransfer

Tostreamlinethefundflowmechanismandbringdowndelayinpaymentofwages,theMinistryofRuralDevelopmenthasimplementedNationalElectronicFund Management System (NeFMS) in 21 states and 1 union territory. Thisprocess reduces the delay in allocation of funds for payment of wages to thestatesandremovesparkingoffundsatvariouslevel.Around96percentofthewages are being paid electronically into the bank/post office accounts ofMGNREGAworkersthroughElectronicFundManagementSystem(eFMS).

DeendayalAntyodayaYojana—NationalRuralLivelihoodsMissionNational Rural Livelihoods Mission, renamed as Deendayal Antyodaya

Yojana—National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) was launched in2011.Itseekstoreachoutto8-9croreruralpoorhouseholdsandorganizeonewoman member from each household into affinity based women SHGs andfederations at village level and at higher levels.While doing so,DAY-NRLMensuresadequatecoverageofvulnerablesectionsofthesocietysuchthat50percent of the beneficiaries are members of the scheduled castes and scheduledtribes, 15 per cent from minority groups and 3 per cent from persons withdisability,whilekeeping inviewtheoverall targetof100percentcoverageoftheruralpoorhouseholdsidentifiedthroughSocioEconomicandCasteCensus(SECC)andthroughparticipatoryprocessesofidentificationofpoorhouseholdsandapprovedbyGramSabha.

ThekeycomponentsofDAY-NRLM include : (i)Promoting InstitutionsofPoor:StrongqualityinstitutionsofpoorsuchasSHGsandtheirfederationsareset up on a priority basis. In addition to generic thrift and credit basedcommunityinstitutionsandtheirfederations,DAY-NRLMpromotesspecializedinstitutions like livelihood collectives, producers’ cooperatives/companies forlivelihoodspromotions.Theinstitutionsofpoorempowertheirmembersandactasmediumfortransferofknowledgeandtechnologydissemination,andhubsof

production,collectivizationandtrade;(ii)Training,CapacityBuildingandSkillBuilding: Systematic and multi-pronged approach has been adopted forproviding capacity building to SHGs, their federations, governmentfunctionaries, bankers,NGOs and other stakeholders.The capacity building isaimed at providing poor with the knowledge and skills to manage theirinstitutions,linkupwithmarkets,managetheirexistinglivelihoodsandenhancetheir credit absorption capacity and creditworthiness. Focus is on developingandengagingcommunityprofessionalsandcommunityresourcepersons(CRPs)inorder toprovide timelysupportandbringabout reduction inpoverty levels;(iii)CommunityInvestmentSupportFund:CommunityInvestmentSupportFundisroutedtoSHGsthroughfederations(primaryandsecondarylevel)tosupportdevelopment of suitable livelihoods of members and to initiate collectiveactivities, wherever feasible. A part of the CIF is provided as VulnerabilityReductionFund (VRF) for supporting the inclusionof verypoor communitiesand making credit accessible to them with or without interest; (iv) NationalSpecialFundSupportforConvergenceunderDAY-NRLPwasprovided tohelpstates mainstream convergence as an effective method to reduce poverty andempowerruralpoor;(v)InfrastructureCreationandMarketingSupport:DAY-NRLMensuresthatinfrastructureneedsformajorlivelihoodsactivitiesofpooraremetwith.Italsoprovidessupportformarketingtoinstitutionsofpoor.Therange of activities in marketing support include market research, marketintelligence, technologyextension,developingbackwardand forward linkages,building livelihoods collectives and supporting their business plans; (vi)Sensitive Support Structures: DAY-NRLM has set up sensitive and dedicatedsupport structures at the national, state, district and sub-district levels. Thesesupport structures are staffedwith dedicated professionals; (vii)MahilaKisanSashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP): MKSP is a sub-component of NRLM tomeet the specific needs of women farmers and achieve socio-economic andtechnical empowerment of the ruralwomen farmers, predominantly small andmarginalfarmers;(viii)AajeevikaGrameenExpressYojana:TheGovernmentofIndia has introduced a new sub-scheme under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-NationalRuralLivelihoodsMission(DAY-NRLM)entitled“AajeevikaGrameenExpressYojana”(AGEY)fromthefinancialyear2017-18.Themainobjectivesof AGEY are: to provide an alternative source of livelihoods to members ofSHGs under DAY-NRLM by facilitating them to operate public transportservices in backward rural areas, as identified by the states; to provide safe,affordableandcommunitymonitoredruraltransportservicestoconnectremotevillageswithkeyservicesandamenities(includingaccesstomarkets,educationandhealth)fortheoveralleconomicdevelopmentoftheareabymakinguseof

thesupportsavailablewithintheframeworkofDAY-NRLM.

RuralSelfEmploymentTrainingInstituteIthasbeendecided to setuponeRuralSelfEmploymentTraining Institute

(RSETI)ineachdistrictofthecountry.RSETIsarebankleadinitiativewiththeactivesupportofstategovernment.TheGovernmentofIndiaprovidesonetimeinfrastructuresupportof₹1crorebesidesreimbursingthecostoftrainingruralpoorcandidates, the stategovernmentprovides land freeofcostoratnominalchargesandthebanksareresponsiblefordaytodayfunctioningoftheRSETI.RSETIs are expected to train 750 rural poor youth each year to take up selfemploymentintheareatheyreside.RSETIsalsoprovideperiodicdosesofskillupgradation training for making their initiative viable and sustainable in anincreasinglycompetitiveenvironment.Currently583RSETIsarefunctioninginthecountry.

PradhanMantriGramSadakYojanaGovernmentofIndia,asthepartofpovertyreductionstrategy,launchedthe

Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY) 2000 as a centrally sponsoredscheme to assist the states, though rural roads are in the State List under theConstitution.TheprimaryobjectiveofSchemeistoprovideconnectivitybywayof an all-weather road (with necessary culverts and cross-drainage structures,whichisoperablethroughouttheyear),totheeligibleunconnectedhabitationsasper core-network with a population of 500 persons (as per 2001 census) andabove in plain areas. In respect of ‘Special Category States’ (North- East,Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu andKashmir andUttarakhand), the desertareas,thetribal(ScheduleV)areasand88selectedtribalandbackwarddistricts,theobjectiveistoconnecteligibleunconnectedhabitationsasperCore-Networkwithapopulationof250personsandabove(census2001).

Tobringexecutionoftheprogrammetothedesiredqualitystandards,athreetierqualitymanagementmechanismhasbeeninstitutionalized.First-tierof thismechanismisin-housequalitycontrolatProgrammeImplementationUnit(PIU)level. Objective of this tier is process control through mandatory tests onmaterial at field laboratory and workmanship. Second-tier is structured as anindependent quality monitoring at state level through State Quality Monitors(SQMs) inwhichprovisionof regular inspectionofworkshasbeenenvisagedfor ensuring better quality.Under theThird-tier, independentNationalQualityMonitors (NQMs) are deployed by NRRDA for inspection of road works atrandom, not only to monitor quality but also to provide guidance by seniorprofessionalstothefieldfunctionaries.

RuralHousingHousing is universally recognized as a basic human need. Reducing rural

housingshortageandimprovingthequalityofhousingespeciallyforthepoorisan important componentof thepovertyalleviation strategyof thegovernment.TheruralhousingschemeIndiraAwaasYojana(IAY)implementedbyMinistryofRuralDevelopment,aimedatprovidinghousestofamiliesbelowthepovertyline(BPL)inruralareashassinceinceptionprovidedassistanceforconstructionof360lakhhouses.

In the context of government’s priority for “Housing forAll” by 2022, therural housing scheme IAY has been restructured to Pradhan Mantri AwaasYojana—Gramin (PMAY-G), which came into effect from the financial year2016-17.Themainfeaturesof theschemeinclude:(a)providingassistanceforconstructionof1.00crorehousesinruralareasovertheperiodof3yearsfrom2016-17to2018-19;(b)enhancementofunitassistancefrom₹70,000to₹1.20lakhinplainsandfrom₹75,000to₹1.30lakhinhillystates,difficultareasandIAPdistricts;(c)identificationofbeneficiariesbasedonthesocio-economicandcastecensus(SECC2011)datacoveringhouseholdsthatarehouselessorlivingin houses with kutcha walls and kutcha roof with two rooms or less afterexcludinghouseholdsfallingundertheautomaticexclusioncategory;(d)settingup of national technical support agency at national level to provide technicalsupport to the implementing agencies and to the beneficiaries in taking upconstructionofhousesandhelpinachievingthetargetsetundertheproject.

NationalSocialAssistanceProgrammeArticle 41 of the Constitution of India directs the state to provide public

assistance to its citizens in case of unemployment, old age, sickness anddisablement and in other cases of undeserved want within the limit of itseconomic capacity and development. Directive Principles of State PolicyenshrinedintheConstitutionofIndiaenjoinuponthestatetoundertakewithinitsmeans a number ofwelfaremeasures. It is in accordancewith these nobleprinciples that theGovernment of India introducedNational SocialAssistanceProgramme(NSAP)in1995asacentrallysponsoredschemeunderwhich100percentcentralassistanceisextendedtothestates/UTstoprovidethebenefitsinaccordancewith thenorms,guidelinesandconditions laiddownby thecentralgovernment.NSAP isa socialassistanceprogrammeforpoorhouseholds—fortheaged,widows,disabledandinthecaseofdeathofthebreadwinner,therebyaimingatensuringminimumnational standards inaddition to thebenefits thatthestatesareprovidingormightprovide in further.The intention inproviding

hundred per cent central assistance is to ensure that social protection to thebeneficiaries is available throughout thecountry.States are free to addonandexpandtheircoverage.

Presently NSAP comprises the following schemes for Below Poverty Line(BPL)Households:Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme (IGNOAPS): Under thescheme,assistanceisprovidedtopersonof60yearsandaboveandbelongingtofamilylivingbelowpovertylineasperthecriteriaprescribedbyGovernmentofIndia.Centralassistanceof₹200/-permonthisprovidedtopersonintheagegroupof60-79yearsand₹500/-permonthtopersonsof80yearsandabove.IndiraGandhiNationalWidowPensionScheme(IGNWPS):Under theschemecentralassistanceof₹300/-permonthisprovidedtowidowsintheage-groupof 40-79 years and belonging to family living below poverty line as per thecriteriaprescribedbyGovernmentofIndia.Afterattainingtheageof80years,thebeneficiarywouldbeshiftedtoIGNOAPSforgettingpensionof₹500/-permonth.Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS): Under theschemecentralassistanceof₹300/-permonthisprovidedtopersonsaged18-79 years with severe or multiple disabilities and belonging to family livingbelowpovertylineasperthecriteriaprescribedbyGovernmentofIndia.Afterattainingtheageof80years,thebeneficiarywouldbeshiftedtoIGNOAPSforgettingpensionof₹500/-permonth.NationalFamilyBenefitScheme(NFBS):UndertheschemeaBPLhouseholdisentitled to lump sum amount of money on the death of primary breadwinneragedbetween18and59years.Theamountofassistanceis₹20,000/-.Annapurna:Underthescheme,10kgoffoodgrainspermonthareprovidedfreeof cost to those senior citizenswho, though eligible under IGNOAPS, are notreceivingpensionunderIGNOAPS.

DeenDayalUpadhyayaGrameenKaushalyaYojanaDeen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) is the

flagshipplacementlinkedskill-trainingprogrammeundertheMinistryofRuralDevelopment(MoRD).Announcedin2014,DDU-GKYisacriticalcomponentof the National Skill Development Policy, and has an ambitious agenda, tobenchmark wage placement-linked skill programmes to global standards andrequirements.TheultimateaimistoconvertIndia’sdemographicsurplusintoademographicdividendbydevelopingruralIndiaintoagloballypreferredsourceofskilledlabour.Asaresult,theschemewillalsobenefitmorethan55million

poor rural youth who are ready-to-be skilled, by providing sustainableemployment. In this way the scheme is expected to play a crucial role ingenerational poverty alleviation. The scheme is a pioneer in standards-leddeliveryofskilling,thefirsttonotifystandardoperatingproceduresfortraining,and the first to introduce IT solutions for skilling, includingmandatory tabletsfortrainees,Aadhar-linkedbiometricinformationonattendance,andgeo-taggedtime-stampedrecordoftrainingcentresandclasses.DDU-GKYhasitsrootsinthe SwarnjayantiGram SwarozgarYojana (SGSY). SGSYwas formed by therestructuringoftheIntegratedRuralDevelopmentProgramme(IRDP)in1999,with a 15 per cent allocation for special projects. In 2010, SGSY wasrestructuredastheNationalRuralLivelihoodsMission(NRLM),alsoknownasAajeevika.TheMinistryrevisedtheguidelinesin2013asAajeevikaSkillswitha view to increase the reach of the programme. On Antyodaya Diwas, 25thSeptember2014,AajeevikaSkillswasannouncedasDDU-GKYwithafocusonproviding opportunities through skilling for rural poor youth in domestic andglobaljobs.KeyFeatures

DDU-GKY follows a3-tier implementation architecture inPPPmode,withthe National Unit responsible for policy, central investments and technicalsupport, SRLMs/State Skills Missions responsible for state investments,implementation and monitoring controls, and Project Implementing Agencies(PIAs),bothpublicandprivatetrainingpartnerswithalegacyinskill training,responsible for mobilization, training and placements: (i) The focus of thisprogrammesisontheruralyouthfrompoorfamilies,intheagegroupof15to35 years, belonging to: a)MGNREGAworker household inwhich householdmembers have together completed 15 days of work; b) RSBY household; c)Antyodaya Anna Yojana card household; d) BPL PDS card households; e)NRLM-SHGhousehold;f)Householdcoveredunderautoinclusionparametersof SECC 2011. (ii) Full social inclusion of candidates is ensured by themandatorycoverageofsociallydisadvantagedgroups—50percentallocationtoSC/STgroups,15percenttominorities,33percentforwomenand3percentfor personswith disabilities. (iii) Placement inwage employment ismandatedfor a minimum of 70 per cent of all successful candidates, with a minimumsalaryof₹6,000/-permonthortheminimumwages,whicheverishigher.(iv)Theprogrammepromotestheeconomicstrategies—MakeInIndia,throughpro-activepartnershipwithindustrythroughmulti-prongedengagement—championemployerpolicy,captiveemployerpolicyandindustrialinternshippolicy.

SaansadAdarshGramYojana

SaansadAdarshGramYojana(SAGY)waslaunchedin2014withtheaimtodeveloponevillagebyeachMemberofParliamentasamodelvillageby2016andtwomoreby2019.ThegoalofSAGYistotranslatethecomprehensiveandorganic vision of Mahatma Gandhi into reality, keeping in view the presentcontext.SAGYlaysemphasison inspiringvaluesofnationalpride,patriotism,unity, self-confidence to be as important as developing infrastructure. In otherwords, SAGY attempts to develop the value chain through value change. Tillnow 702 Gram Panchayats have been identified by Members of ParliamentunderPhase - I and are taking concrete steps towards their development.Thisscheme is unique and transformative as it has a holistic approach towardsdevelopment.Itenvisagesintegrateddevelopmentoftheselectedvillageacrossmultiple areas such as agriculture, health, education, sanitation, environment,livelihoods, etc. Far beyond mere infrastructure development, SAGY aims atinstilling certain values, such as people’s participation, Antyodaya, genderequality, dignity of women, social justice, spirit of community service,cleanliness, eco-friendliness, maintaining ecological balance, peace andharmony,mutualcooperation,self-reliance,localself-government,transparencyandaccountabilityinpubliclife,etc.,inthevillagesandtheirpeoplesothattheygettransformedintomodelsforothers.KeyFeatures

The distinguishing features of SAGY are as follows:Village DevelopmentPlan: The Gram Panchayats adopted under SAGY prepared VillageDevelopment Plans (VDPs) containing prioritized time-bound activities toachieveholisticprogressofthevillage,throughconvergenceofresources.GramPanchayatshaveverysystematically takendevelopmentapproachbyinvolvingGramSabhaandtheyhavepreparedcomprehensiveVDPfortheirdevelopment.Inorder tokeeptrackof theprogressofprojects listedintheVDP,aTrackingTemplatehasbeendevelopedand theprogress ismonitoredonline;PanchayatDarpan:TheMinistryhasdevelopeda35pointimpactmonitoringtooltogaugethe impact of SAGY in the GPs. Progress is measured through outcomeindicators broadly covering basic amenities, education, health, sanitation,livelihood, women empowerment, financial inclusion, food security, socialsecurityande-governance.Theimpactismeasuredonquarterly(22indicators),halfyearly(7indicators)andyearlybasis(6indicators).

Acampaign,namely,GramSwarajAbhiyanwasalsostarted.Thiscampaignwhich,undertakenunder“SabkaSath,SabkaGaon,SabkaVikas”,istopromotesocialharmony,spreadawarenessaboutpro-poorinitiativesofthegovernment,reachouttopoorhouseholdstoenrollthemasalsotoobtaintheirfeedbackon

various welfare programmes. During this, saturation of eligiblehouseholds/personswouldbemadeundersevenflagshippro-poorprogrammesnamely, Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Saubhagya, Ujala Scheme, PradhanMantri JanDhanYojana, PradhanMantri Jeevan Jyoti BimaYojana, PradhanMantriSurakshaBimaYojanaandMissionIndradhanush.

LandReformsWatershedManagementProgramme

Landandwaterare twoof themost importantnaturalresources.Populationpressuresanddemandsonlandandwaterandtheincreasingdegradationoftheseresources are affecting the stability and resilience of our ecosystem andenvironment. The expansion of human settlements and infrastructure andintensification of agriculture and allied activities and their expansion intomarginal areas and fragile ecosystems, emphasize the need for integratedplanningandmanagementoflandandwaterresources.

Awatershedisa topographicallydelineatedareathat isdrainedbyastreamsystem.Itincludesphysicalandhydrologicalnaturalresources.Managementofa watershed entails the rational utilization of land and water resources foroptimumproductivity,withminimumhazardstohumansettlements.Watershedmanagementistheprocessofguidingandorganizinglanduseanduseofothernatural resources inawatershed.Embeddedin thisapproachis therecognitionoftheinter-relationshipsbetweenlanduse,soilandwaterconservationandthelinkages between uplands and downstream areas.Watershed development is amulti-disciplinaryfield,forsustainablenaturalresourcemanagement.Watersheddevelopment activities also contribute towards mitigation and adaptation toglobalwarming.WatershedDevelopment

PradhanMantriKrishiSinchaiYojana(PMKSY)waslaunchedin2015-16byamalgamating ongoing schemes of threeministries viz.,Accelerated IrrigationBenefit Programmed (AIBP) and PMKSY (WR) of the Ministry of WaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenation(MoWR,RDandGR);IntegratedWatershedManagementProgramme(IWMP)oftheMinistryofRuralDevelopment,DepartmentofLandResources(DoLR)andtheMicroIrrigationcomponent ofOn FarmWaterManagement (OFWM) ofNationalMission onSustainable Agriculture (NMSA) of the Ministry of Agriculture and FarmersWelfare,DepartmentofAgriculture,CooperationandFarmersWelfare(DAC&FW). Under the erstwhile IWMP, 8214 watershed development projects were

sanctioned in 28 states (except Goa) during the period 2009-10 to 2014-15coveringanareaofabout39.07millionhectares,principallyfordevelopmentofrainfedportionsofnetcultivatedareaandculturablewastelands.Theactivitiesundertaken inter alia include ridgearea treatment,drainage line treatment, soilandmoisture conservation, rainwater harvesting, nursery raising, afforestation,horticulture,pasturedevelopment,livelihoodsforassetlesspersons,etc.In2015-16, the IWMP was amalgamated as the Watershed Development Component(WDC) of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY). No furtherwatershed development projects have been sanctioned from 2015-16 onwards.Atpresent, theprincipal emphasis is onqualitative and timely implementationandcompletionoftheongoingwatersheddevelopmentprojects.NaturalLandReformsModernization

TheschemeofNationalLandReformsModernizationProgramme(NLRMP)has been renamed as Digital India Land Records Modernization Programme(DILRMP)andisbeingimplementedsince2008.Underit,27states/UTshavecomputerizedtheregistrationofrecords(RoRs)oflandintheirrespectiveareas,19 states/UTs have stopped manual issue of RoRs and 22 states/UTs haveuploadedintheirwebsites.Besides,25states/UTshavedonecomputerizationofRegistration and 11 states/UTs have done integration of land records withregistration. As regards the training during this period, the NIRD and PRorganized 864 training programmes with participation of 22, 032 trainees,including400NIRDandPRnetworkingprogrammes in collaborationwith28statesInstitutesofRuralDevelopmentinthecountry.

PanchayatiRajThemandateoftheMinistryofPanchayatiRaj(MoPR),whichwassetupin

2004, is to ensure the compliance of the provisions of Part IX of theConstitution, provisions regarding the District Planning Committees as perArticle243ZD,andPESA.TheMinistry’svisionistoattaindecentralizedandparticipatory local self-government through Panchayats, or Panchayati RajInstitutions (PRIs). The Ministry’s mission is empowerment, enablement andaccountabilityofPRIs toensure inclusivedevelopmentwithsocial justice,andefficientdeliveryofservices.TheMinistryworkstofulfilitsmandateinvariousways. MoPR fosters knowledge creation and sharing so that the issues to beaddressedareclearlyarticulated,meaningfulstrategiesformulated,andthereissharing within government as well as with non-government agencies andexperts.Italsoprovidestechnicalassistanceandfacilitiescross-learningacrossstates. In the light of recent changes in policy and to take advantage of the

emergingopportunities, theMinistryhas repositioned itselfwithbasicchangesinitsmandate.Website:www.panchayat.gov.inConstitutionalMandate

Part IXof theConstitutionof Indiaprovides for settingupof three tiersofPanchayats(onlytwotiersincaseofstatesofunionterritorieshavingpopulationlessthan2million):(i)grampanchayatsatvillagelevel;(ii)districtpanchayatsatdistrictlevel;and(iii)intermediatepanchayatsatsub-districtlevelinbetweengram panchayats and district panchayats. It also provides for gram sabha(generalassemblyofregisteredvoterswhoresideintheareaofgrampanchayat)as a forum for direct participation of villagers in local governance. TheConstitution Indiahas fixed fiveyear term for thesepanchayats andhasmadeprovision for the reservation of seats for women and marginalized sections(scheduledcastes and scheduled tribes)of Indian society.While reservationofschedulecastes(SCs)&scheduledtribes(STs)isinproportiontotheirshareinpopulation,thatforwomenisatleast33.33percent.However,manystateshaveincreasedthereservationofseatsandchairpersonpostsforwomeninpanchayatsto 50 per cent. TheConstitution of India also stipulates direct elections of allmembersofpanchayats.Forconductingtheseelections,allstatesaremandatedto constitute a State ElectionCommission.Also it is compulsory for states toconstitute a State Election Commission. Also it is compulsory for states toconstituteaStateFinanceCommission(SFC)everyfifthyearforrecommendingprinciples for division of financial resources between state and localgovernments(bothurbanandrural).SFCsaretomakerecommendationstotheGovernorregardingthedistributionbetweenthestateandpanchayatsofthenetproceeds to taxes, duties, toll and fees, etc. the determination of taxes, duties,tollsandfeeswhichmaybeassignedto,orappropriatedby,thepanchayats,andgrants-in-aidtothepanchayatsfromtheConsolidatedFundoftheState,aswellasmeasuresneededtoimprovethefinancialpositionofpanchayats.

Within this broad framework, as local government is a state subject, Statelegislatureshaveacriticalroleindeterminingvariousaspectsofpanchayatirajin their states. States are keys as far as devolution of powers to panchayats isconcerned. The Constitution envisaged that Panchayats will function asinstitutionsof localgovernmentandprepareplansand implement schemes foreconomic development and social justice, but leaves the precise devolution ofpowersandauthoritytopanchayatstothestates.RajivGandhiPanchayatSashaktikaranAbhiyan

http://www.panchayat.gov.in

ToimprovethefunctioningofPRI,theMoPRimplementedtheRajivGandhiPanchayatSashaktikaranAbhiyan (RGPSA) in the12thFiveYearPlanperiodi.e.,from2012-13upto2015-16.TheRGPSAaddressedthemajorconstraintsofinadequate devolution of powers, lack ofmanpower, inadequate infrastructureand limited capacity in the effective functioning of panchayats by providingmanpower, infrastructure, training and promotion of devolution of power topanchayatsandputinplacestructuresofaccountability.RashtriyaGramSwarajAbhiyan

TheRashtriyaGramSwarajAbhiyan(RGSA)willfocusoncapacitybuildingofPanchayatiRajInstitutionsforconvergentactiontodeliverbasicservicesandachievedevelopmentgoals.UnderRGSAcomprehensiveeffortswillbemadetosupport and enhance the capacity building and training facilities for allstakeholders with particular thrust on the aspects of Gram PanchayatDevelopmentPlancompaign.e-Panchayat

e-Panchayatwasidentifiedasoneofthe27MissionModeProjectsundertheNationale-GovernancePlan(NeGP)formulatedin2006.

RecommendationsofFourteenthFinanceCommissionUndertheFourteenthFinanceCommission(FFC)awardfortheperiod2015

—2020 grants to the tune of₹ 2,00,292.20 crore are being devolved to grampanchayats in the country constituted under Part IX of the Constitutionconstitutinganassistanceof₹488percapitaperannumatanaggregatelevelfor26 states to ensure stable flow of resources at regular intervals which willaugment resources available with them to discharge their statutorily assignedfunctions. The FFC has not recommended grants to Non-Part IX areas underScheduleVI inMeghalaya,Mizoram,Tripura andAssam, the areas in thehilldistrictsofManipur,ruralareasofNagalandandMizoram.

DrinkingWaterandSanitationThe Department of DrinkingWater Supply was created in theMinistry of

Rural Development in 1999, which was subsequently renamed as theDepartment of Drinking Water and Sanitation in 2010. Keeping in view thesignificance of rural water supply and sanitation, the Government of IndiacreatedandnotifiedtheMinistryofDrinkingWaterandSanitationasaseparateMinistryin2011.AfterthenotificationinJune2019,theMinistryhassincebeenrenamedasDepartmentofDrinkingWaterandSanitation,MinistryofJalShakti.The Ministry of DrinkingWater and Sanitation is the nodal Ministry for the

overallpolicy,planning,fundingandcoordinationoftheflagshipprogrammesofthe Government of India viz., the National Rural DrinkingWater Programme(NRDWP) for rural drinking water supply and the Swachh Bharat Mission(Gramin)[SBM(G)]forsanitationinthecountry.Website:www.jalshaktiddws.gov.in

SwachhBharatMissionSwachh Bharat Mission was launched in 2014. The concept of Swachh

Bharat Mission is to provide access for every person to sanitation facilitiesincludingtoilets,solidandliquidwastedisposalsystemsandvillagecleanliness.The programme is implemented by the Ministry of Drinking Water andSanitation.AnActionPlanhasbeendrawnupforSwachhBharat tobecomearealityby2019, the150thbirth anniversaryofMahatmaGandhi.TheMissionaimstoincreasetheaccesstosanitationfrom39percentin2014to100percentbyOctober, 2019. TheAction Plan calls for anOpenDefecation Free (ODF)Indiainfiveyears.Tobeginwith,aspartofSwachhBharat,prioritywasgivento build toilets for boys and girls in all schools of the country. This wascompletedwithin one year. To strengthen deliverymechanism in sanitation inruralareassomeimportantmeasureshavebeentakenup:(a)signingMoUwithstates,onwaterandsanitationforimplementationofbothwaterandsanitation,withinterchangeabilityoffundsbetweenwaterandsanitationsothatidlefundsdo not lie in states and targets are not starved of funds in either of the twosectors;(b)releasetostateswith‘JustinTime’concept,tobeadoptedbycentretoavoidextracostoffundstoGovernmentofIndia;(c)enableasystemofsmallloansthroughagencieslikeNABARD,SIDBI(orbanksthroughprioritysectorlending without collateral) to those households for the construction of toiletswhichareeligibleforincentivesorneedfundstoconstructbettertoiletsmaybewithbathingspace;(d)identifyingaSwachhagrahi(motivator)foreachvillageequipping him with skills on sanitation and giving him performance linkedincentives;and(e)intensivemonitoringatthehouseholdlevelshallbetakenupthrough theIMISof theministry,asalreadynameofeachhouseholdhasbeencollectedbyMinistryofDrinkingWaterSupplythroughbaselinedata.

SwachhBharatMission(Gramin)Interventionintheruralsanitationsectorinthecountrywasinitiallystartedin

1954 as a part of the First Five Year Plan. The Government introduced astructured scheme in the form of the Central Rural Sanitation Programme(CRSP)in1986primarilywiththeobjectiveofimprovingthequalityoflifeoftheruralpeopleandalsotoprovideprivacyanddignitytowomen.From1999,a

http://www.jalshaktiddws.gov.in

“demand driven” approach under the “Total Sanitation Campaign” (TSC)emphasizing more on Information, Education and Communication (IEC),Human Resource Development (HRD), capacity development activities toincrease awareness among the rural people and generation of demand forsanitary facilities was started. The “Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan” (NBA), thesuccessor programmeof theTSC,was launched from2012, aimed at creatingNirmal villages, provided increased incentives through convergence withMNREGS.Thoughtheseprogrammeshadtheirsuccesses,therestillremainedalarge portion of the rural population which did not have access to toilets. Tosignificantly upscale the programme, and bring the focus on the issue ofsanitation, the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) was launched in 2014. Thefocus of the new strategy is to move towards a Swachh Bharat by providingflexibility to state governments (sanitation being a state subject), to decide ontheir implementationpolicyandmechanisms, taking intoaccountstatespecificrequirements.

ThemainobjectivesoftheSBM(G)are:(a)bringaboutanimprovementinthegeneralqualityof life in theruralareas,bypromotingcleanliness,hygieneandeliminatingopendefecation;(b)acceleratesanitationcoverageinruralareastoachievethevisionofSwachhBharatby2ndOctober2019;(c)encouragecosteffective and appropriate technologies for ecologically safe and sustainablesanitation.

The Ministry is reforming the sanitation sector by shifting metric frombuilding toilets to Open Defecation Free villages. Behaviour change is theprimary focus and fundamental tool for achievement of ODF outcomes. TheMinistryisdoingitbyitsfocusedInformation,EducationandCommunication(IEC)programme. It promotes gender sensitive information, behaviour changeguidelines and various mass education activities. The Ministry issued genderguidelinesin2017andmenstrualmanagementguidelinesin2015.

SwachhataPakhwadaSwachhataPakhwadawasstartedinApril2016withtheobjectiveofbringing

afortnightofintensefocusontheissuesandpracticesofSwachhatabyengagingGoIministriesanddepartmentsintheir jurisdiction.Anannualcalendarispre-circulatedamongtheministriestohelpthemplanforthePakhwadaactivities.

NamamiGangeNamami Gange Programme is an initiative of Ministry of Jal Shakti,

comprisingmakingvillagesonthebankofriverGangaODFandinterventionsdealing with solid and liquid waste management. All 4470 villages located

across 52 districts of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand andWestBengalhas sincebeenmadeODFwithactivehelpof stategovernments.NowtheMinistryhas takenup24villageson thebankof riverGanga to transformthemasGangaGramsincoordinationwithNMCG.

GangaGramisanotherinter-ministryprojectbetweenSBMandtheNamamiGangeProgramme.MinistryofJalShaktiwhichisresponsibleforsanitationinvillages on the banks of river Ganga, is also coordinating the Ganga GramProject.TheProjectisfocusedonbettercleanlinessandinfrastructurefacilities,throughconvergencewithotherdepartments.GangaGramProjectwasunveiledin2017atagrandsammelanofsarpancheswhereall4,475GangaGramsweredeclaredOpenDefecation Free (ODF). Later, state governments identified 24Ganga villages to be taken up as pilot project to transform them into GangaGramswhich encompassesOpenDefecationFree (ODF), renovation of pondsand water sources, promotion of sprinkler irrigation, promotion of tourism,modern crematorium infrastructure, convergence of central and state schemes,proper disposal of waste water, proper disposal of solid waste, waterconservationprojects,organicfarming,horticulture,medicinalplants,awarenessdriveswerealsotakenupamongstvillagersonthedegeneratingeffectofopendefecation and improperwaste disposal not only for the river but also for thevillage.

GramPanchayatshavebeenempoweredtoplayanactiveroleinownershipand maintenance of Ganga Gram activities. People’s involvement is a majorplankofGangaGramProject.Further, inorder to strengthen theGangaGraminitiative and to give a focused reinforcement in making Ganga SwachhtaSammelan a Jan Andolan, MDWS organized Ganga Chaupal in 2018 and incontinuationtothis,GangaGramSwachhtaSammelanswereorganized.

SwachhtaActionPlanSwachhtaActionPlan(SAP),afirstof itskind inter-ministerialprogramme

forSwachhta,isaconcreterealizationofthevisionthatswachhtaiseveryone’sbusiness. All Union ministries/departments have started to work for itsrealizationinasignificantmannerwithappropriatebudgetprovisions.

SwachhIconicPlacesTheMinistryhastakenupamulti-stakeholderinitiativefocusingoncleaning

up100placesacrossthecountrythatare“iconic”duetotheirheritage,religiousand/or cultural significance. The goal of the initiative is to improve thecleanlinessconditionsattheseplacestoadistinctlyhigherlevel.Thisinitiativeis in partnership withministries of UrbanDevelopment, Tourism and Culture

withMDWSbeingthenodalministry.Sofarinfirsttwophases,20iconicplaceshasbeentakenup.Allthese20iconicsiteshavedesignatedPSUsforfinancialandtechnicalsupport.

NationalRuralDrinkingWaterProgrammeThe National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) is a centrally

sponsored scheme aimed at providing adequate and safe drinkingwater to theruralpopulationofthecountry.TheNRDWPisacomponentofBharatNirmanwhich focuses on the creation of the infrastructure. This has resulted in theprovision of significant additional resources to the sector and for creating anenvironment for the development of infrastructure and capacities for thesuccessful operation of drinking water supply schemes in rural areas. Ruraldrinking water supply is a state subject and is also included in the EleventhSchedule of the Constitution amongst the subjects that may be entrusted topanchayatsbythestates.ThustheparticipationofthePanchayatiRajInstitutionsintheruraldrinkingwatersupplysectorisanimportantareaoffocus.

GovernmentofIndia’smajorinterventioninwatersectorstartedin1972-73throughtheAcceleratedRuralWaterSupplyProgramme(ARWSP)forassistingstates/UTs to accelerate the coverage of drinking water supply in ‘problemvillages’. A Technology Mission with stress on water quality, appropriatetechnologyintervention,humanresourcedevelopmentsupportandotherrelatedactivitieswasintroducedin1986whichwassubsequentlyrenamedastheRajivGandhiNationalDrinkingWaterMission(RGNDWM)in1991.In1999-2000,Sector Reform Projects were started to involve the community in planning,implementationandmanagementofdrinkingwaterschemeswhichwasin2002scaledupas theSwajaldharaprogramme.Theprogrammewasrevisedin2009andnamedasNationalRuralDrinkingWaterProgramme(NRDWP).

25ScientificandTechnologicalDevelopments

THEDepartment of Science andTechnology (DST) functions as the nodalagencytoconnectscienceandtechnologysectortoGovernmentverticals.DSTprovidesthelargestextramuralresearchanddevelopmentsupportinthecountrytostrengthennationalS&Tcapacityandcapabilitythroughacompetitivemodeto scientists cutting across institutions and disciplines. This strategicallyimportant functionmutually reinforces outcomes of our country’s educational,scientificandindustrialR&DinitiativesandhelpstransformtheS&Tlandscapeofthecountry.

DepartmentofScienceandTechnologyDepartment of Science and Technology, in its endeavour to strengthen

national science and technology capacity and capability, kept its pace toimplement several planned initiatives to enable Indian S&T community toincreasescientificandtechnologicaloutputs.Someoftheimportantdomainsinwhich the Department devotes its attention are: strengthening the pool ofscientistsandtechnologistsforcarryingoutgloballycompetitiveR&Dincuttingedge areas of science; nurturing R&D institutions and building infrastructuralfacilitiesforenhancingglobalrankingofIndiainscientificresearch;supportforthe establishment of multi-stakeholder mechanisms for partnerships forpromotingscience;deployingtechnologythroughnationalmissions;developingcapacity of institutions and industry for technology commercialization forsolving national challenges; providing S&T inputs to society for its socio-economicbenefits;andpolicyformulationforthissector.Website:www.dst.gov.in

Science,TechnologyandInnovationPolicyThenewScience,TechnologyandInnovation(STI)Policyunveiledin2013

includes a thrust for innovations in science and technology sector. STI policy

http://www.dst.gov.in

revealsanaspirationtogainglobalcompetitivenessandlinksciencesectortothedevelopmental agendaof thecountry.Science, researchand innovation systemfor high technology led path for India (SRISHTI) is the main policy goal.Integrationofscience,researchandinnovationsystemsandemergenceofIndiaas one of the top five of six knowledge powers in science are expressedaspirations of the new STI policy. To translate this vision into action, theDepartment has already established a dedicated Policy Research Cell. Fivepolicyresearchcentresinacademicinstitutionshavebeenestablishedtodevelopand design new programmes and action plans for implementation in science,technologyandinnovationsectorinthecountry.

ScienceandEngineeringResearchThe research and development in frontier areas of science and engineering

hasreceivedanoverwhelmingsupportwiththeestablishmentoftheScienceandEngineering Research Board (SERB). The multifaceted programmes of theBoard have ensured its reach among various S&T stakeholders. Several newinitiativeshavebeenlaunchedbytheBoardrecentlytoreversethebraindrainatdifferent stages of scientific careers such as Early Career Research Awards(ECRA)foryoungfacultyforsettinguplaboratoryfacilitiesforquicklaunchingof research by new faculty, around 300 candidateswill be supported annuallyunderECRA.Teachers’AssociatesforResearchExcellence(TARE)MobilityScheme:TheScheme launched in 2016-17 aims to facilitate mobility of faculty membersworkinginaregularcapacityinstateuniversities/colleges/academicinstitutionssuch as IITs, IISc, IISERs, national labs, etc., located nearer to the institutionwherethefacultymemberisworking.Thiswouldbringinourresearchstreamthelatentordormantscientificmanpowerwithmodestinvestmentandimprovethe potential for research and teaching in two tier institutions. Provision offellowship amount of ₹5,000 per month, contingency grant of ₹5 lakh perannumandoverheadforaperiodof3yearshasbeenmade.

AttractingYoungTalentInnovationinsciencepursuitforinspiredresearch(INSPIRE)isanongoing

initiativeforattractingtalentforscienceandresearch.About3.67lakhstudentsintheagegroupof10-15havebeenprovidedINSPIREawardsduringthelast3years.Sciencecampsareorganised toprovideopportunity toclassXIstudentspursuing science to interact with the science icons from India and abroadincludingNobelLaureatestoexperiencethejoyofinnovations.Around40,000

students have been awarded scholarship for higher education during last threeyears.INSPIREfacultyawardsareprovidedtopost-doctoralresearchers intheagegroupof27-32yearsthroughcontractualandtenurepositionsfor5yearsinbasic and applied sciences. Faculty awards have been given to over 700candidatesawardedinthelastfouryears.

OpportunitiesforWomenScientistsDepartment of Science and Technology launched several initiatives for

women in science under its flagship scheme namely KIRAN (KnowledgeInvolvementinResearchAdvancementthroughNurturing).Throughthisuniqueinitiative,DSTprovidesopportunitytowomenscientistswhohadbreakintheircareer, primarily due to family reasons, to pursue research in physical andmathematical sciences, chemical sciences, life sciences, earth and atmosphericsciencesandengineeringtechnology.

NanoScienceandTechnologyNationalMissionofNanoScienceandTechnology-anumbrellaprogramme-

was launched in 2007 to promoteR&D in this emerging areaof research in acomprehensivefashion.Themainobjectivesofthismissionare-basicresearchpromotion, research infrastructure development, nano application andtechnology development, human resource development, internationalcollaborationandorchestratingnationaldialogues.

ClimateChangeNational Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) and

National Mission for Strategic Knowledge on Climate Change (NMSKCC)launchedunderNationalActionPlan forClimateChange (NAPCC) are underimplementation by the Department. As part of deliverables of these nationalmissions, six major research programmes have been initiated. HimalayasClimateChangePortal(http://knowledgeportal-nmshe.in/)waslaunchedtomaketheknowledgeonhimalayasreadilyavailablefortheendusersandcommunity

NationalInitiativeforDevelopingandHarnessingInnovations(NIDHI)

It has evolved as an umbrella scheme for a seamless innovation ecosystembooster.Majorlinksoftheinnovationtomarketvaluechainwouldbesupportedand strengthened at various nodes (each node signifying a cluster of 3neighbouringdistricts)acrossthecountrytoattainthemissionofnationbuilding

through innovation, entrepreneurship and incubation.The specific componentsof NIDHI are - grand challenge and competitions for scouting innovations;promotion and acceleration of young and aspiring innovators and startups(PRAYAS) - support from idea toprototype; entrepreneur in residence (EIR) -support system to reduce risk; startup-NIDHI through innovation andentrepreneurship development centres (IEDCs) in academic institutions forencouragingstudents topromotestart-ups;start-upcentre incollaborationwithMHRD-inculcatingaspiritofentrepreneurshipinnationalinstitutionsofhigherlearning; technology business incubator (TBI) - converting innovations tostartups;accelerator-fasttrackingastart-upthroughfocusedintervention;seedsupport system(SSS) -providingearlystage investment;centresofexcellence(COE)-aworldclassfacilitytohelpstartupsgoglobaland/orscaleup.

SurveyofIndiaSurveyof India (SOI), thenational survey andmappingorganisationunder

theMinistryofScienceandTechnology,wassetupin1767.Initsassignedroleas the National Principal Mapping Agency, Survey of India bears a specialresponsibility to ensure that the country’s domain is explored and mappedsuitably to providebasemaps for expeditious and integrateddevelopment andensurethatallresourcescontributetheirfullmeasuretotheprogress,prosperityand security of the country. The primary responsibility of SOI is to maintaintopographical map coverage on 1:250K, 1:50K and l:25K scales. Thetopographical map coverage on l:250K and 1:50K scales covering the entirecountry has been completed and the map sheets are being updated at regularintervalstodepictlatestspatialinformation.Surveyson1:25Kscaleweretakenupasnationalrequirementkeepinginviewtheprioritiesindicatedbythecentral/state governments and other user agencies. It has also been called uponextensively to deploy its expertise in the field of geodetic and geophysicalsurveys, study of seismicity and seismotectonics, glaciology, participation inIndian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica and projects related to digitalcartographyanddigitalphotogrammetry,etc.,toprovidebasicdatatokeeppacewithScienceandTechnologyDepartment.

SOI has undertaken creation of digital cartographic data base oftopographicalmapsonvariousscales.Thedigitaldataisbeingusedbyvariousagencies for planning and GIS applications. It also undertakes large scalesurveys for various developmental projects including hydro-electric, irrigation,command area, canal area, cantt. area schemes, etc. The Department isresponsible to fix the external boundary of India, their depiction on maps

published in the country and also advise on the demarcation of inter-stateboundaries. The Survey of India also provides support to other countries e.g.,Nigeria, Afghanistan, Kenya, Iraq, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, Indonesia,Bhutan,Mauritius, etc., in the field ofmapping, survey education, transfer oftechnology, and various other surveying technologies under bilateralarrangements. Under UN mandate, Survey of India also provides support tocountries in Asia-Pacific region for capacity building in spatial datainfrastructures.

SurveyTrainingInstitute,HyderabadestablishedunderUNDPassistanceisapremierinstitutionfortraininginvariousdisciplinesofsurveyingandmappingto the trainees sponsored by the Department, other state/central governmentorganisationsandneighbouringcountries.

KeepinginviewanewNationalMapPolicyannouncedinMay,2005,OpenSeriesMapsbasedonUTMprojectionandWGS-84datumwhichiscompatiblewith the coordinate system of GPS, used in all activities of surveying andmapping,arebeingpublishedforuserscommunity.DefenceSeriesMapsbasedon-Lambert Conformal Conic Projection and WGS-84 datum are beingpublished for defence forces which are declared as classified. SOI is in theforefrontofproviding tidal information for the IndianOceanbyobserving sealevel data at various ports of India and other countries. These are crucial forscientificstudy in fields includingclimatologymodelling,analysisofsea levelchanges, predicting tsunami, etc. Besides, this is also important input for seanavigation.

Geo-spatial data are being generated at various levels and by variousagencies. These are being utilized for various application which need theintegrationofdatafromvarioussources.Toenablethisdataintegration,SOIhastakeninitshandaherculeantaskofredefiningtheverticaldatumofgeoidsbyestablishinganetworkofwellspreadstandardgroundcontrolpointsthroughoutthe country. This will enable the state cadastral department besides otheragenciesandindustriesengagedinacquiringgeo-spatialinformationtocarryouttheirjobinanationalreferencesystem.

While Survey of India meets the national needs in cartography, somespecialised thematicmaps required tomeet the needs of the specific users aretaken care of by the National Atlas and Thematic Mapping Organisation(NATMO)operatingundertheDepartment.Italsoconcentratesinanumberofareas to integrate resourcemaps with other relevant socio-economic data andrepresent theminspatialforms,usefulfordevelopmentalplanning.NATMOistrying todevelop the technologyof reverseprinting formapson experimental

basis.Itisalsotryingtointroducethetechniqueofusingmetalliccoloursinmapprinting.Website:www.surveyofindia.gov.in

CouncilofScientificandIndustrialResearchTheCouncilofScientificandIndustrialResearch,(CSIR)constitutedin1942

is an autonomous bodywhich is known for its cutting edgeR&D knowledgebase in diverse S&T areas. Having pan-India presence, CSIR has a dynamicnetworkof38nationallaboratories,39outreachcentres,3innovationcomplexesand5units.ItsR&Dexpertiseandexperienceisembodiedinabout4000activescientistssupportedbyabout7000scientificandtechnicalpersonnel.Itcoversawide spectrum of science and technology—from radio and space physics,oceanography, earth sciences, geophysics, chemicals, drugs, genomics,biotechnology and nanotechnology to mining, aeronautics, instrumentation,environmental engineering and information technology. It provides significanttechnological intervention inmany areaswith regard to societal effortswhichincludeenvironment,health,drinkingwater,food,housing,energy,leather,farmandnon-farmsectors.CSIRisthenation’scustodianformeasurementstandardsof mass, distance, time, temperature, current, etc. It has created and is thecustodianofTraditionalKnowledgeDigitalLibrary(TKDL)whichisapowerfulweapon against unethical commercial exploitation of Indian traditionalknowledge. ItmaintainsMicrobialTypeCultureCollection (MTCC)andGeneBank. Pioneer of India’s intellectual property movement, CSIR today isstrengthening its patent portfolio to carve out global niches for the country inselecttechnologydomains.Website:www.csir.res.in

AtomicEnergyTheDepartmentofAtomicEnergy(DAE),establishedin1954isengagedin

the development of nuclear power technology, applications of radiationtechnologiesinthefieldsofagriculture,medicine,industry,andbasicresearch.Someoftheseare:(i)increasingtheshareofnuclearpowerthroughdeploymentof indigenous and other proven technologies and also developing fast breederreactors and thorium reactorswith associated fuel cycle facilities; (ii) buildingandoperationof researchreactors forproductionof radioisotopesandcarryingout radiation technology applications in the field ofmedicine, agriculture andindustry;(iii)developingadvancedtechnologiessuchasaccelerators,lasersandencourage transfer of technology to industry; (iv) support to basic research in

http://www.surveyofindia.gov.in

http://www.csir.res.in

nuclearenergyandrelatedfrontierareasofscience,interactionwithuniversitiesandacademicinstitutions,supporttoR&DprojectshavingabearingonDAE’sprogrammesand international cooperation in relatedareasof research; and (v)contribution to national security. An integrated group of organizations, thedepartment comprises five research centres, three industrial organisations, fivepublicsectorundertakingsandthreeserviceorganisations.Ithastwoboardsforpromoting and funding extramural research in nuclear and allied fields, andmathematics.Italsosupportsseveninstitutesofinternationalrepute,engagedinresearch inbasicsciences,astronomy,astrophysics,cancer research,education,etc., and a society that provides educational facilities to the children of DAEemployees.

DAEhaswiderangingcapabilitiesinuraniumminingandmineralprocesing,and is self-suficient inthe production of heavy water, zirconium alloycomponents and other materials and supplies, for pressurised heavy waterreactor.TheNuclearFuelComplexatHyderabadmanufacturesfuelassembliesfor pressurised heavy water reactors, boiling water reactors and fast breederreactor.Website:www.dae.nic.in

HeavyWaterBoardTheHeavyWaterBoard(HWB)hascontributedsuccessfullytothefirststage

of Nuclear Power Programme by producing heavy water for all pressurisedheavy water reactors in a cost effective manner enabling the Department toprovidenuclearpoweratanaffordablecost.Presently,theBoardisnotonlyself-sufficientinmeetingthedomesticdemandofheavywater,butisalsogeareduptosupplyheavywaterforthefuturePHWRsandAHWRsaspertheenvisionednuclearpowerprogrammeofDAE.Overaperiodoftime,HWBhasemergedasthelargestglobalproducerandatrustedsupplierofthisstrategicmaterial.

HWB has made major progress on its extended mandate in the field ofdevelopment,demonstrationanddeploymentoftechnologiesforin-coreandoutof core material inputs for Indian Nuclear Power Programme, required at thefront-endaswellasback-endofnuclearfuelcyclemainlycenteringaroundthreebroad areas such as solvents for front and back end hydrometallurgicaloperationsofnuclearfuelcycle;demonstratingsolventextractiontechnologyforextraction of various rarematerials and producing stable isotopes like 10B forFastBreederReactorsand18Oforsocietalapplications.

SolventTechnology

http://www.dae.nic.in

In the area of solvents, both the industrial facilities at HWP, Baroda andTalcher for production of TBP (Tributyl Phosphate) and D2EHPA haveperformed very well enabling HWB to meet the entire requirement of NFC,NRBandallotherunitsofDAE.

BoronEnrichmentInconsonancewiththematerialinputrequiredforsecondstageofNPPbased

onFBRs,HWB,with itsdecadesof experienceofhandling isotope separationprocess, took up development, demonstration and deployment of indigenoustechnologies for production of enriched boron. HWB has now acquiredcomprehensivecapabilityinthisareaachievingenrichmentlevelsbeyond95percentinmultiplechemicalforms.

SodiumSodiumisanother important input forFBRs,usedascoolant in the reactor.

Networking with the Indian R&D organizations, HWB has developedindigenousandsaferclosedelectrolyticcelltechnologyforproductionofnucleargradesodium.Successivelylargersizecellsaretestedwiththeultimateintentofanindustrialscalesetup.

MineralExplorationandMiningAtomicMineralsDirectorateforExplorationandResearch(AMD)continued

the accelerated pace of exploration activities by integrated,multi- disciplinarymethodologyandjudiciousutilisationofmanpowerwithafocussedapproachonaugmentation of uranium, thorium and rare metals. This resulted in theaugmentationofadditionaluraniumoxide(U3O8)reserveofover15,775tonnesinAndhraPradesh,Meghalaya,RajasthanandJharkhand.

R&DSupporttoPowerSectorThe research anddevelopment support to theNuclearPowerProgramme is

providedbytheresearchcentersofDAE.Numericalmodelsweredevelopedandvalidatedfordeflagration,flameaccelerationanddetonationusingexperimentaldata to understand different physical and chemical processes during hydrogencombustion. Fitness-for-Service and assessment of remaining life ofhemisphericalbottomheadofsecondstagehottowerofHWP,Kotawascarriedoutbyfiniteelementanalysesandlimitloadcalculations.

HealthSafetyandEnvironmentReviewofsafetyofoperatingstationswascarriedoutona regularbasis. It

continued to maintain low radiation exposure in the public domain due tooperationofnuclearpowerstations.AtalloperatingstationsofNPCILcertifiedEnvironmental Management System (EMS) as per (SO-14001: 2004 andOccupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS) as per IS-18001: 2007 are maintained and regular audits (internal, external andmanagement)werecarriedoutforcontinualimprovement.

AnonlinethoronmonitoringnetworkwasinstalledandmadeoperationalatPRTRFatTrombaytomonitorthethorongasconcentrationatvariouslocationsin the facility. Internal exposure assessment of occupational workers fromvarious facilities of Bhaba Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Mumbai andTarapurwascarriedoutbywholebody/lungcountingandbioassay(urine/fecal)sample analysis. All the plants of Heavy Water Board are certified for ISOQualityManagement System, EnvironmentalManagement System andOSHASystem.Theoverallsafetystandardsofheavywaterplantswerefarbetterthansimilarchemicalindustriesinthecountry.

FastBreederReactorsForthesecondstageoftheNuclearPowerGenerationProgramme,theIndira

Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) is pursuing development ofsodium cooled fast breeder reactors and associated fuel cycle technologies.Breeder reactors produce more fuel than they consume. The fast reactorprogrammeofIGCARissupportedbyitsresearchanddevelopmentendeavourin a range of disciplines such as reactor engineering, metallurgy, materialsscience, instrumentation, safety, etc. The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR),operatingatKalpakkamforover25years,alsocaterstotechnologydevelopmentrelatedtofastreactors.

ThoriumBasedReactorsNuclearpoweremployingclosedfuelcycleistheonlysustainableoptionfor

meetingamajorpartof theworldenergydemand.Worldresourcesof thoriumare larger than those of uranium. Thorium, therefore is,widely viewed as the‘fuelofthefuture’.TheIndianNuclearPowerProgrammeStage-3aimsatusingthoriumasfuelforpowergenerationonacommercialscale.Inthethoriumfuelcycle,thorium232istransmutedintothefissileisotopeuranium233whichisanuclearfuel.

KalpakkamMini(Kamini)ReactorKaminireactorwasoperatedsuccessfullyforneutronradiographyofvarious

pyro devices for Department of Space. High temperature fission chambers

requiredforneutronfluxmeasurementofPFBRweresuccessfullytested.

ResearchReactorsDhruva operated at rated power of 100 MWt at a high safety level and

availabilityfactor.AnumberofresearchersfromacrossthecountryutilizedtheneutronbeamfacilityoftheUGC-DAEConsortiumforscientificresearch.

AdvancedTechnologiesThe research centres of DAE are engaged in developing advanced

technologies such as accelerators, lasers, advanced materials, robotics,supercomputers, instrumentationandothers.BARC,RRCAT,VECCandBRITare also engaged in the development of radiation technologies and theirapplications forbetter cropvarieties, techniques for cropsprotection, radiationbasedpost-harvesttechnologies,techniquesforradio-diagnosisandradiotherapyof diseases particularly cancer, technologies for safe drinking water, betterenvironmentandindustrialgrowth.

Electronics&InstrumentationThe Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) continued to remain

engaged in the design, development, manufacture, supply, installation andcommissioning of electronic equipment for the atomic energy, defence,aerospace,security,informationtechnologyande-governancesectors.

RoboticsA robot based frameless stereotactic system is developed at BARC for

performing neurosurgery which has accuracy and patient comfort levelcomparabletoframebasedsystem.Itautomatestheframelessstereotaxyusingahighprecisionrobot(ParallelMechanismbasedRobot).

CryogenicsAcryogenicsystemconsistingofcryogendistributionlinesforliquidhelium

and liquid nitrogen, sub-atmospheric vacuum jacketed lines for helium,warmheliumlinesbetweentheheliumbuffer tanksandcompressors,anda500wattheliumliquefierisbeingset-upforthesuperconductingelectronandheavy-ionlinacsatVECC.

Radioisotopes&RadiationTechnologyDAEhasbeenplayingasignificantroleinthedevelopmentandapplications

ofvariousradioisotopesinhealthcare,industry,agricultureandresearch.Indiaisoneof the leading countries in the isotope technology today as a result of the

consistenteffortsofDAE.Radioisotopes are produced in the Dhruva Research Reactor at Trombay,

acceleratoratKolkataandthevariousnuclearpowerplantsofNPCIL,awidevariety of radioisotopes formedical, industrial and research applicationswereproduced and supplied by BARC. The Board of Radiation and IsotopeTechnology (BRIT) produced and supplied a wide range of radioisotopeproducts,andradiationtechnologyequipmentformedicalandindustrialuses.

HomiBhabhaNationalInstituteThe Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) accredited as a deemed

university by Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD)completedtenyearsofitsexistence.HBNIcontinueditsacademicprogrammesbyofferingvariouscourseswithitseightboardsofstudies,namely,aschemicalsciences, engineering sciences, health sciences, life sciences, mathematicalsciences,physicalsciences,strategicstudiesandundergraduatestudies.

TrainingSelectionof traineesunderOrientationCourseforEngineeringGraduates&

Science Post-Graduates (OCES) and DAE Graduate Fellowship Schemes(DGFS) at BARC were pursued with high standards. At IGCAR the trainingprogrammesforTraineeScientificOfficers(TSOs)anddoctoralprogrammesinthe frontier areas of engineering and basic sciences for the inducted researchscholarscontinued.

IndianSpaceProgrammeSpace activities in the countrywere initiatedwith the setting up of Indian

NationalCommitteeforSpaceResearch(INCOSPAR)in1962.Inthesameyear,work on Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) nearThiruvananthapuram was also started. Indian Space Research Organisation(ISRO)wasestablished inAugust,1969.TheGovernmentof IndiaconstitutedthespacecommissionandestablishedtheDepartmentofSpace(DOS)in1972and brought ISRO under DOS in 1972. Space Commission formulates thepolicies and oversees the implementation of the Indian space programme topromote the development and application of space science and technology forthesocio-economicbenefitof thecountry.DOSimplements theseprogrammesthrough,mainly,IndianSpaceResearchOrganisation(ISRO),PhysicalResearchLaboratory (PRL),NationalAtmosphericResearchLaboratory (NARL),NorthEastern-SpaceApplicationsCentre (NE-SAC)andSemi-ConductorLaboratory(SCL). Antrix Corporation, established in 1992 as a government owned

company,marketsthespaceproductsandservices.

Chandrayaan-2MissionIndia’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV Mklll-M 1,

successfully launched Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft into its planned orbit with aperigee(nearestpointtoearth)andanapogee(farthestpointtoearth)of45,475km.ThelaunchtookplacefromthesecondlaunchpadatSatishDhawanSpaceCentreSHAR,Sriharikota.Thismissionwasahighlycomplexmission,whichrepresenteda significant technological leapcompared to thepreviousmissionsof ISRO. It comprised an orbiter, lander and rover to explore the unexploredsouthPoleofthemoon.Themissionwasdesignedtoexpandthelunarscientificknowledge through detailed study of topography, seismography, mineralidentification and distribution, surface chemical composition, thermo-physicalcharacteristics of top soil and composition of the tenuous lunar atmosphere,leadingtoanewunderstandingoftheoriginandevolutionofthemoon.

OtherActivitiesSixlaunchvehiclemissionsweresuccessfullyaccomplished.Thesuccessful

launch of GSLV-MkIII D2, the second developmental flight of India’s mostpowerfullaunchvehiclewasthehighlightof2018.SuccessfullaunchofGSLV-F11 and four PSLV launches from Satish Dhawan Space Centre were alsoaccomplished. ISRO could place five Indian satellites into the orbits. Theseincludedoneearthobservationsatellite,threecommunicationsatellitesandonenavigationsatellite.PadAbortTest,whichwasconductedinJuly2018wasonethemajormilestonesinprovingcriticaltechnologiesforGaganyaan.InallISROaccomplished 13 missions, which includes six launch vehicle missions, sixsatellitemissionsandonetechnologydemonstrator,PadAborttest.Website:www.isro.org

SpaceApplicationsOne of the unique characteristics of Indian space programme has been the

application-oriented efforts and the benefits that have accrued to the countrythrough these programmes. The social services from INSAT/GSAT systems invarious areas of communication in addition to tele-education and telemedicinecontinued. Remote Sensing applications projects at national, state and locallevels made significant progress through a well-established multi-prongedimplementationarchitectureofNationalNaturalResourcesManagementSystem(NNRMS) in the country. During the year, Indian Remote Sensing Satelliteconstellation helped in providing vital inputs in agricultural crops inventory,

http://www.isro.org

agriculturaldroughtassessment,forestfiremonitoring,effectiveuseofground-waterprospectsmaps,andvarietiesofgovernanceapplications.

TheDisasterManagementSupport(DMS)ProgrammeofISROiscontinuingtoprovide spacebased inputs for the effectivemanagementofdisasters in thecountry. The Decision Support Centre (DMSDSC), established at NationalRemoteSensingCentre (NRSC), is engaged inmonitoringof natural disasterssuch as floods, cyclones, landslides, forest fires, etc. During the fire season(FebruarytoJune),dailynearreal timefirealertswereprovidedusingsatellitedata.Theseinputswereprovidedinlessthan30minutesfromthecompletionofsatelliteoverpass.Theactivitywascarriedout incollaborationwith theForestSurveyofIndia(FSI),coveringtheentirenation.

National Database for Emergency Management (NDEM) continued toprovide disaster related inputs for states/UTs with multi-scale geo-spatialdatabase. In addition to these daily data, alerts/warnings from forecastingagencieswerealsoprovidedaspartofNDEMdashboad.IRSOisasignatoryofthe International Charter for ‘Space and Major Disasters’, which aims atproviding a unified system of space data acquisition and delivery to usersaffectedbydisasters.Towardsthis,ISROsupportsthecharterandSentinelAsiaby planning satellite data acquisition from various Indian Remote SensingSatellitesandprovidingthesamewithinastipulatedtimeperiod.In2017,ISROsupported29disastersacross22countiesbyprovidingaround140setsof IRSdata.

SpaceScienceandPlanetaryResearchMarsOrbiterMission(MOM),whichisIndia’sfirstinter-planetaryspacecraft

mission,hassucessfullycompletedthreeyearsinitsorbitaroundMarsandstillcontinuestoprovidevitalinformationonregularbasis.Thehealthparametersofspacecraft are normal. Scientific analysis of the data being received from thespacecraft is being done on various aspects of the planet.During the year, anorbit maneuver was also successfully performed on the spacecraft, whichremovedthedangeroflongperiodeclipsetill2021.

AstroSat,India’sfirstmulti-wavelengthobservatory,completedtwoyearsinorbit. The satellite is now being operated as an ‘Observatory’, in whichobservational time isallocatedbasedon theproposals receivedfrominterestedresearchers and scientists in the country, through IRSO’s Announcement ofOpportunity(AO).

CapacityBuilding

TheachievementsofIndianspaceprogrammehavebeenprimarilyduetothewell-establishedmechanisms of taking up a task and achieving the samewithcommitment and dedicationwith professionalism.Recognising the importanceofnurturingsuchunique talentsandmotivatingprinciples, theDepartmenthasalways emphasised on the capacity building related aspects.Capacity buildingencompasses multiples areas of development to ensure that the departmentachieves its goals, as envisioned. Following are some of the key areas ofcapacitybuiliding.

InternationalCooperationInternational cooperation is an integral part of Indian space activities and

ISRO continues to lay importance on bilateral and multilateral relations withspaceagenciesandspacerelatedbodieswiththeaimoftakingupnewscientificandtechnologicalchallenges,defininginternationalframeworksforexploitationandutilisationofouterspaceforpeacefulpurposes,refiningspacepoliciesandbuilding and strengthening existing ties between the countries. ISRO signedcooperative agreements with the French, UAE, Japanese, US, Vietnamese,AfghanistanandRussianagenciesaswelltheUSGeologicalSurvey.

SpaceCommerceAntrixCorporationLimited,thecommercialarmoftheDepartmentofSpace,

ismarketingtheIndianspaceproductsandservicesintheglobalmarket.Antrixoffers awide rangeof services from the spacebased systems through specificcommercialcontractswithotheragencies,includingforeigncustomers.Antrixisrecognisedasoneof theprominent serviceprovider inprovidingTTCsupportarewellestablishedwithprominentinternationalcustomersusingournetworkofground stations for meeting various mission requirements. As part of PSLVlaunchservicestointernationalcustomersatellites,adedicatedcustomersatellitemission for Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL), UK viz, PSLV-C42launchedNovaSARa450kgS-BandSyntheticApertureRadarsatelliteandSl-4,a450kgopticalimagingsatellite.

IndianInstituteofSpaceScienceandTechnologyTowards capacity building in human resources and to meet the growing

demandsoftheIndianSpaceProgramme,theIndianInstituteofSpaceScienceand Technology (IIST), a deemed university, was established atThiruvananthapuramin2007.

EarthSciences

Earthsystemsciencesdealswithallthefivecomponentsoftheearthsystem,viz., atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, lithosphere andbiosphere and theircomplex interaction. The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) holisticallyaddressesalltheaspectsrelatingtheearthsystemscienceforprovidingweather,climate, ocean, coastal state, hydrological and seismological services. Theservices include forecasts and warnings for various natural disasters. Theservices provided are being effectively used by different agencies and stategovernments for saving human lives and minimizing damages due to naturaldisasters.Website:www.moes.gov.in

EarthSystemScienceOrganizationTheEarthSystemScienceOrganization(ESSO)operatesasanexecutivearm

of theMoES for itspolicies andprogrammes. It providesoveralldirection forthecentres/unitsandreviewstheimplementationoftheprogrammes.TheESSOwasestablishedin2007asavirtualorganization,bringingallmeteorologicalandoceandevelopmentactivitiesunderoneumbrella,recognizingtheimportanceofstrong coupling among various components of the earth viz., atmosphere,oceans,cryo-sphereandgeo-sphere.Ithasfourmajorbranchesofearthsciences,viz.:(i)oceanscienceandtechnology(ii)atmosphericandclimatescience(iii)geo-science and technology and (iv) polar science and cryo-sphere. The solepurposeoftheendeavourwastoaddressholisticallyvariousaspectsrelatingtoearth processes for understanding the variability of earth system. Theorganisation is primarily aimed to develop and improve capability to forecast,weather, climate and hazard related phenomena for social, economic andenvironmental benefits including addressing aspects relating to climate changescience, and climate services. ESSO is also responsible for development oftechnology towards the exploration and exploitation of marine resources in asustainable way for the socio-economic benefit of the society by taking intoaccounttheglobaldevelopmentsinthefieldofmarineenvironment.OneofthemandatesofESSOisalsotopromoteresearchinpolarscienceofbothAntarcticandArcticregionstounderstandthevariousphenomenonandprocessesoftheseregionsonglobalclimateandweather,inparticularlyontheIndianOcean.

ESSO functions through its following centres: Centre for Marine LivingResources and Ecology (CMLRE); National Centre of Coastal Research(NCCR);NationalCentre forSeismology (NCS);NationalCentre forMediumRange Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF); India Meteorological Department(IMD);NationalInstituteofOceanTechnology(NIOT);IndianNationalCentre

http://www.moes.gov.in

forOceanInformationServices(INCOIS);NationalCentreforPolarandOceanResearch (NCPOR); Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM); andNationalCentreforEarthScienceStudies(NCESS).

AtmosphericandClimateResearchA high resolution global deterministic weather prediction model was

commissioned for generating operational weather forecasts at a horizontalresolutionof12km.Withthis,MoEShasattainedthesamecapabilityasinUSAinusinghighresolutionweatherpredictionmodels.ManymajorimprovementshavebeenmadeindataassimilationfortheingestionofdatafromtheIndianandInternational satellites in numerical models. Under the Monsoon Mission,operational dynamical model systems have been implemented for extendedrangeandseasonalforecasts.Forthefirsttime,forecastsondifferenttimescalesduringthehotweatherseason(ApriltoMay)includingheatwaveswereissuedbytheIndiaMeteorologicalDepartment.

Agro-MeteorologicalAdvisoryServicesThe Ministry in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural

Research(ICAR)providestheAgrometAdvisoryServices(AAS)forthebenefitoffarmers.Farmersmakeuseoftheseservicesforplanningtheoperationslikesowing, irrigation,applicationoffertilizerandpesticide,harvestandprotectionofcropsfromwatherdisasters.Theservicescarriedoutat130agro-metzones(clusterof4-6districts)nowhavebeensuccessfullyextendedtothedistrictlevelandoperatedacross608districtsof thecountry.Currently,about21.69millionfarmersarereceivingcropspecificagro-meteorologicaladvisoriesinvernacularlanguages.

ForecastsforHeatandColdWavesWith global warming, surface air temperatures are expected to further

increase and frequency of heatwavesmay also increase. To provide adequatewarnings about heat waves and associated health hazards,MoES for the firsttime started issuing forecasts for heat waves over the country. A few stategovernments like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Odisha haveinitiated state action plans based on these forecasts during the hot weatherseason,whichcouldhelpthemtowarnpeopleinadvanceabouttheoccurrenceof heat waves and thus saving their lives. MoES has also taken initiative todevelopsuchheatwaveactionplanswithotherstategovernments.

A Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) for short and medium rangepredictionat12kmusing21membersofthemodelwascommissionedin2018.

ImprovementshavebeenmadeintheDataAssimilationsystemforassimilationofnewerobservations,includingIndiansatelliteobservations.During2018,sixtropical cyclones against the normal frequency of 4.5 cyclones formed overNorth Indian Ocean (NIO). The World Meteorological Organization (WMO)appreciated IMDfor tropicalcycloneadvisory servicesduringCyclonicStormSagar over Arabian Sea (16-21 May), Extremely Severe Cyclonic StormMekunu over Arabian Sea (21-27 May), VSCS Luban (06- 15 October) andVSCSTitli (08th-13thOctober)which helpedminimize the impact and savedmanylives.CT’

A new early warning system of air quality in Delhi was developed incollaboration with National Centre for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), USA.Thesystemwillassimilatedatafromaround36monitoringstationsandsatellitedataonstubbleburningandduststorms.Thesewarningserviceswereprovidedto Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). IndiaMeteorological DepartmentandPowerSystemOperationCorporationLimited (POSOCO) launchedawebportal dedicated exclusively to the energy sector. The MumbaiWeather LiveMobileAppwasdevelopedbycollatinggroundweatherobservationsrecordedbyIMDandtheMunicipalCorporationofGreaterMumbai,observationsfromSAFAR-Mumbai, toprovide live location specific informationon rainfalloverthe Mumbai City. Currently, the app covers about 100 sites spread acrossMumbaicity,suburbanareas,NaviMumbaiandthesurroundingareas.

OceanServices,Technology,Observations,ResourcesModellingandScience

OceanServices,Technology,Observations,ResourcesModellingandScience(O-SMART), has been put in place for the period 2017-18 to 2019-20. Thescheme encompasses 16 sub-projects addressing ocean development activitiessuchas services, technology, resources,observationsandscience.The servicesrendered under it will provide economic benefits to a number of usercommunities in the coastal and ocean sectors, namely, fisheries, offshoreindustry, coastal states, defence, shipping, ports, etc. Currently, five lakhfishermen are receiving this information daily throughmobile which includesallocation of fish potential and localweather conditions in the coastalwaters.Implementation of O-SMART will help in addressing issues relating toSustainable Development Goal-14, which aims to conserve use of oceans,marine resources for sustainable development. This scheme also providesnecessary scientific and technological background required for implementationof various aspects of Blue Economy. The state-of-art early warning systems

establishedundertheO-SMARThelpsineffectivelydealingwithoceandisastersliketsunami,stormsurges.

AtmosphericandClimateResearch,ObservationsScienceServicesAtmospheric and Climate Research, Observations Science Services

(ACROSS)pertainstotheatmosphericscienceprogrammesoftheMinistry.Itsobjective is to provide reliableweather and climate forecast for betterment ofsociety.Italsoaimsat improvingskillofweatherandclimateforecast throughsustainedobservations,intensiveR&D.ItwillbeimplementedbytheMinistrythrough its institutes namely India Meteorological Department (IMD), IndianInstitute of TropicalMeteorology (IITM),NationalCentre forMediumRangeWeather Forecasting (NCMRWF), and Indian National Centre for OceanInformation Service (INCOIS). The scheme will provide improved weather,climate and ocean forecast and services, thereby ensuring transfer ofcommensurate benefits to the various services like public weather service,disaster management, agro-meteorological services, aviation services,environmental monitoring services, hydro-meteorological services, climateservices, tourism,pilgrimage,powergeneration,watermanagement,sportsandadventure,etc.Thisschemeaddressesdifferentaspectsofweatherandclimateservices, which includes warnings for cyclone, storm surges, heat waves,thunderstorms, etc. Each of these aspects is incorporated as nine sub-schemesunder the umbrella scheme ACROSS and is implemented in an integratedmannerthroughtheaforesaidfourinstitutes.

IMDaugmented its observational network to further improve forecast skill.Some of themajor augmentation efforts include the commissioning of the S-BandDopplerWeatherRadaratGoa, indigenouslydevelopedGPSbasedpilotsonde atNewDelhi, indigenously developedDrishtiRunwayVisibilityRange(RVR)/AutomaticWeatherObservingSystem(AWOS)systemsat8airports, anewMeteorologicalObservatoryatMeteorologicalCentreAmravati(capitalofAndhra Pradesh). A new Cyclone Warning Centre also was established atThiruvananthapuram,Kerala fromOctober 2018 to provide cyclone alerts andwarnings for ofKerala andKarnataka. The lightning location network,whichwas set up overMaharashtra has been expanded to other parts of the countrywith the induction of 28 additional sensors.AmobileApp named “DAMINI”has been developed to disseminate the information on lightning to the public.The field campaign namely the Cloud Aerosol Interaction and PrecipitationEnhancementExperiment (CAIPEEX)Phase-IVcampaignwasconductednearSolapur in Maharashtra to understand the physical process involved inenhancementofprecipitation. In240hoursof aircraftobservationswere taken

duringthefieldcampaign.ThethirdphaseofthewinterfogexperimentatIndiraGandhiInternational(IGIA)Airport,NewDelhiandHissarwasalsoconducted.High quality observations on fog events have been collected from this fieldcampaign.

OceanServices:TechnologyandObservationsPotentialFisheryZone(PFZ)Advisories

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS)providesPFZadvisoriesto2.75lakhfishermenonadailybasistohelpthemtoeasilylocatetheareasofabundantfishintheocean.

OceanForecastsOceanstateforecastes(forecastsofwaves,currents,seasurfacetemperature,

etc.) to fisher folk, shipping industry, oil and natural gas industry, navy, coastguard and other stakeholders have improved considerably. Oil spill advisoriesare being provided to facilitate the indication of eco-sensitive zones, potentialfishing zones, fishing avoidance zone during the event of oil spill. The oceanstateforecastswerealsoprovidedbeforeandduringthelaunchdayofRe-usableLaunch Vehicle Technology Demonstration (RLV-TD) of the Indian SpaceResearchOrganisation(ISRO).

The ocean forecast serviceswere extended to two other IndianOceanRimcountries,namelySriLankaandSeychellesonvariousparametersviz.,winds,waves, currents and temperature in map form served under the umbrella ofRegional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System (RIMES) for Afro-AsianRegion.

TsunamiWarningSystemTheIndianTsunamiWarningSystemestablishedbytheMinistryattheIndian

Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad has beenrecognized as the Regional Tsunami Service Provider (RSTP) for the IndianOceanregionbyUNESCOtoprovidewarningtocountriesoftheIndianOcean.Thisincludestheserviceoflevel-2tsunamiadvisoriesfortheIndianOcean.TheIndian Tsunami Warning System is equipped to issue warnings within tenminutes of occurrence of earthquakes. The Indian Tsunami Early WarningCentre(ITEWC)keptthewatchofall tsunamigenicearthquakesinandaroundthe IndianOcean and issued appropriatemessages in the event of any threatsfrompotentialtsunamis.

OpenCageCultureLarge scale fish production throughmariculture is the viable alternative to

copewiththeeverincreasingdemandforfishproteins.Anopenseacageculturemooringsystemwasdesignedanddevelopedforcommerciallyimportantmarinefinfishes suitable for Indian sea conditions tomeet thisdemandwith availablemarine engineering and biological expertise. The open sea cage culturetechnology seems to be an ideal alternative livelihood option for the coastalfishers,helpgenerateconsiderableemploymentopportunitiesinthecountryandtomeetthefishfoodproductiontargetsofthenation.

RemotelyOperatedVehiclesIndigenously developed 500m depth rated shallow water/polar remotely

operated vehile (PROVe) was successfully deployed, in the Andaman coralislands.Thevehiclewassuccessfullymaneuveredintheundulatingreefterraintorecordhighqualityunderwatervisualsofcoralreefbiodiversitywithspectralirradiance.

PolarandCryosphereResearch(PACER)National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR), Goa

establishedahighaltituderesearchstationinHimalayacalledHimansh(literallymeaning,asliceofice),situatedabove13,500ft(>4000m)ataremoteregioninSpiti Himachal Pradesh. This station is equipped with instruments such as,automatic station, water level recorder, steam drill, snow ice corer, groundpenetratingradar,differentialglobalpositioningsystem,snowfork,flowtracker,thermister string, radiometer, etc.Water level recorders were installed at fivelocationsalongthestretchof130kmofChandrariverinwesternHimalayaforhydrological balance/modeling. Glaciers were monitored for mass balance,dynamics,energybalanceandhydrology.

SeismologyandGeoscienceResearch(SAGE)Thenationalseismologicalnetworkconsistingof115observatorieshasbeen

functioning smoothly. Information pertaining to significant earthquake eventsweretransmittedtoallconcernedstateandcentralgovernmentagencies,dealingwith reliefand rescueoperations in the regionandalsopostedon thewebsite.ScientificdeepdrillinginKoynawhichstartedin2016isaimedatsettingupofborehole observatory (s) at depth for directly measuring the in-situ physicalproperties of the rocks, pore-fluid pressure, hydrological parameters,temperatureandotherparametersofanintra-plate,activefaultzoneinthenearfield of earthquakes— before, during and after their occurrence, leading to a

betterunderstandingofthemechanicsoffaulting,physicsofreservoirtriggeredearthquakesandpareparingapredictivemodel.

Research,EducationandTrainingOutreachProgrammeResearch,EducationandTrainingOutreach (REACHOUT)Programme isa

scheme that provides support to academic/research organizations in varioussectorsofearthsystemsciencesincludingtechnologydevelopment.

The main objectives of this programme are: i) to support various, R&Dactivitiesinthethrustareasofdifferentcomponentsofearthsystemsciencesthatarethemeandneedbased;ii)toprovidetrainingandcreateawarenessamongstthepublic,students,academiciansandusercommunitiesaboutthevariousfieldsofearthsystemscience.

BiotechnologyRealisingthetremendouspotentialofbiotechnologyinimprovinghumanand

animalhealthandproductivity,enhancingagriculturalactivityandgovernmentsetupamultiagencyboardnamelyNationalBiotechnologyBoard(NBTB)wayback in 1982 with participation of DST, UGC, ICMR and CSIR to promoteactivitiesinbiotechnology.Subsequently,theNationalBoardwasupgradedtoafulfledgedDepartment ofBiotechnology (DBT)under theMinistry ofScienceand Technology in 1986. This provided the much needed impetus tobiotechnology and the Department conceived programmes and formulatedintegratedprogrammesinlinewithitsallocationofbusinessrules.

DBT has infused freshmomentum to the developments inmodern biologyand biotechnology. The Department, in the past 30 years, has witnesseddiscerned marturation from a nascent sector to a sunrise industry, makingoutstandingachievementsinthegrowthandapplicationofandsusceptibilityofbio-resources and environment and also towards fostering among the majorbiotechdestinationsintheworldandranksthirdintheAsia-Pacificregion.Indiahasthesecond-highestnumberofUSFoodandDrugadministration(USFDA)-approvedplants,aftertheUSA.

DBThasalwayslaidemphasisonpromotionofexcellenceandinnovationfordiscovery,earlyandlatestagetranslationalresearchinvaroussectorsincludingagriculture, affordable healthcare andmedical technology, food and nutritionalsecurity,animalbiotechnology,environmentalsafety,cleanenergyandbio-fuel,bio-manufacturing,etc.InnovationdrivenresearchinbiotechnologyandmodernbiologyisbeingfacilitatedandsupportedbytheDepartmentthroughitsvariousschemesacrossthecountry.Buildingcapacityincuttingedgeareasofresearch,

developing rightkindof infrastructure,buildingnewnationaland internationalpartnershipisoneofthethrustsoftheDepartment.Atthesametimeimpetusisondevelopingproductsandtheircommercializationforrobustbio-economyandestablishment of India as aworld-class bio-manufacturing hub for developinganddevelopedmarketsinnearfuture.

To infusemomentum in thegrowthofBiotechnologysector in thecountry,DBT has formulated the National Biotechnology Development Strategy inconsultationwiththevariousstakeholdersincludingscientists,educators,policymakers, leadersof industryandcivil society,voluntaryandnon-governmentalorganisations, regulators and international experts.The strategyemphasizesonthe need for building a skilled workforce and leadership through specializedtraining programmes for professionals to facllitate technology competence,creating new career options for students aimed at motivating young mindstowards biotechnology, supporting faculty improvement programme forcontinuous improvement and attracting skills for imbibing scientists and postdocs. Establishing core facilities and instrumentation, creating specializedcentres in and around existing institutes, strengthening core capacities in theexistinginstitutesandalsoestablishnewthemebasedinstitutescreationofdatacentres and repositories are also key components of this strategy. This alsoincludesenhancementofresearchopportunities toprovidesustainedsupport tobasic research, promote multi-disciplinary research in biology, attract non-biologiststoaddressbiologicalquestions;encourageemergingtechnologiesandfosterglobalandnationalalliances.Thefocusofthestrategyisalsoonnurturinginnovation and entrepreneurship to embed translational capacity in all majorresearch centres and institutes, provide support for business incubation,technology validation and scale-up infrastructure; promote public -privatepartnershipandsettingupofbioclusters.Website:www.dbtindia.nic.in

AutonomousInstitutionsDBT being a visionary in biotech research and promotion established 16

autonomous institutes for pursuing research in various disciplines ofbiotechnology in the specialized areas of agriculture and allied science, healthcare, animal sciences, environment, and industry engaged in the theme-basedresearch with the projects sponsored by the national and the internationalagencies.Morethan80technologiesdevelopedundertheeffortsofautonomousinstitute and many of them have been commercialized through technologytransfer.TheautonomousinstituteofDBThaveseveralresearchleadsincluding

http://www.dbtindia.nic.in

IPR/patents.National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi continued expansion ofscientific programmes in a multi-investigators driven mode to addresschallengingquestionsinbiologyforimprovementofhealthcare.Italsopromotesstate-of-artteachingandtrainingfacilitiesinadvancedbiologicalsciencesusinganinter-disciplinaryapproachsoastoinculcatethehighestlevelofaptitudeandabilityinthecountry’sskilledmanpowerpool.NationalCentre forCellSciences (NCCS),Punehas taken new initiatives innurturingyoungscientific talentandresearchscholars into itsPhDprogrammedealingwithcutting-edgeresearchareasinstructuralbiology,stemcellbiology,decipheringtheroleofRNAinbiologicalcontrolprocessesandthecellularandmolecularbasisofmemory.Centre forDNAFingerprintingandDiagnostics (CDFD),Hyderabad iswellequipped with world class state-of-the-art instrumentation and computinginfrastructuretofacilitateworkinginfrontierareasofresearchinlifesciences.Itprovidesservicesforagriculturalandprocessedfoodproductsfortestingpurityof samplesof agricultural commodityusingDNAmarkers that candistinguishdifferent Basmati varieties and also traits identification and validation. Themajor areas of research in the institute centred around cell signalling,transcription, structural biology, computational biology and bioinformatics,immunology,geneticsandmolecularpathogenesis.Institute of Life Sciences (ILS),Bhubaneshwar is giving focus on infectiousdiseasebiology, gene function and regulation and translational research. It hasstate-of-the-art infrastructural facilities for cutting-edge multidisciplinaryresearchinfrontierareasoflifesciences.National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), Manesar is pursuinginterdisciplinary research and teaching on epilepsy and brain mapping. ThefocusoftheInstituteisongenerationofskilledmanpowerinbrainresearchthatwould help India to achieve international leadership in this frontier area ofscience.National Institute of Plant Genome Research (NIPGR), Delhi is focusingresearch on understanding of the structure, expression and function of genesalongwith arrangement of genes on plant genomes andmanipulation of plantgenes/genomestobreedimprovedvarietiesoffoodandindustrialcropsforhighyieldsandofbetterqualityproducts.Itismakingattemptstotranslatesomeofthetechnologiesdevelopedthroughbasicreseachactivitiesfortheirapplicationinagriculture.

Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuramworking on research programme on chronic disease biology, tropical diseasebiologyanddiseasebiotechnology.Institute of Bio-resources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal isinvolved in conservation and sustainable utilization of bio-resources for thesocio-economicdevelopmentofthenortheasternregion.TheInstitutehastakeninitiatives in collaborations with other institutions/organizations/universitiesnationally and internationally relevant to the bio-resources for sharing andsustainableexploitation.Centre of Innovative and Applied Bio-processing (CIAB), Mohali is givingfocus on secondary agriculture and catalyzing research, innovations andknowledgetranslationforproductionofsecondaryagriculturalbio-products.TheInstituteiscurrentlyinvolvedinprocessingofagri-farmandfoodindustrysparebiomass through chemical, biological and biotechnological approaches andengaged in transmitting knowledge and leads of bio-resources for productiveprocessing and value additive primary and secondary agriculture bio-productsforedibleandnon-edibleusage.National Institute ofBiomedicalGenomics (NIBMG),Kalyani is engaged inacceleratinggenomicsforhealthanddiseaseanddiscoveringgenomicevidencethat underpins disease and health-related traits. It is pursuing projects ondiscovery of biological and environmental correlations of pre-term birth andstudynaturalhistoriesofdiseasesandhealthrelatedtraits.RegionalCentreforBiotechnology(RCB),Faridabadisprovidingworldclasseducation,trainingandconductsinnovativeresearchattheinterfaceofmultipledisciplines to create high quality human resource in disciplinary andinterdisciplinary areas of biotechnology in a globally competitive researchmilieu.TranslationalHealthScienceandTechnologyInstitute(THSTI),Faridabadisworking on integrated approach in the field ofmedicine, science, engineeringandtechnologyintotranslationalknowledgeandmakingbiomedicalinnovationsaccessible to public health. The Institute plays a pivotal role in NCR biotechscienceclustersandtargetingatspecializingintranslationalresearchandrelatedendeavours.National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad has takeninitiativeson infectiousdiseases;brucellosis, theileriosis,babesiosis,newcastledisease virus (NDV), leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, mastitis, peste despetitsruminantsvirus(PPR)andfootandmouthdisease(FMD)anddevelopment

ofnewtoolsfordiagnosingandpreventingthediseases.Institute of Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (InStem),Bengaluru has successfully attracted outstanding investigators, who haveinitiated theme driven programmes. A key focus is given to support younginvestigators through a fellowship programme in stem cell research andapplications.NationalAgriFoodBiotechnologyCentre(NABI),Mohaliengagedinresearchprogrammesand technologies for thebiotechclusteratMohali tomakeIndianagriculture and food industry more innovation driven, remunerative andsustainable.It isprovidingsustainableandmeaningfulanswerstowardsqualitynutrition and provides multiple biotechnological and inventive products inagricultureandfoodsector.International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB),Delhi is endeavouring to bring excellence in genetic engineering withcollaborative partnership of scientists from all over the world. The Centre isengaged in conducting trainingprogrammeondiscoveryof newdrugs againstmalaria and micro RNAs in plant development and stress management. Thebroad research areas are malaria, virology, immunology, recombinant geneproducts, structural and computational biology, plantmolecular biology, insectresistance,planttransformationandsyntheticbiologyandbio-fuels.

IndustrialandEntrepreneurshipDevelopmentUnder Industrial and Entrepreneurship Development schemes, the

Department supported translational research and public private partnershipprogrammeincludingbio-incubatorsandbiotechparks.

BiotechnologyParksandIncubatorsThe Department of Biotechnology promotes biotech research and helps to

translate research into products and services. One of the means by whichdevelopmentofnewcommercialproductsis tobeachievedthroughthesettingup the biotechnology parks, where facilities for technology incubation,technology demonstration and pilot plant studies are provided for acceleratedcommercialdevelopmentofbiotechnology.TheDepartmentinpartnershipwithstate governments/state government organisations/central governmentorganisations has established biotechnology parks and incubators in diffferentpartsofthecountrytofacilitatebiotechproductdevelopment,entrepreneurship,researchandinnovation.BangaloreLifeScienceClusterforMulti-scaleBasicandAppliedResearchin

Biological Sciences (B-Life), Bengaluru promotes research and technologydevelopment through generation of ideas, sharing resources and infrastructureamongst thepartnering institutes.Theclusterpartnering institutesare: InstituteforStemCellScienceandRegenerativeMedicine(inStem),NationalCentreforBiological Sciences (NCBS),Centre forCellular andMolecular Platforms (C-CAMP), and Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB).Theclustersareengaged inestablishmentof innovative institutionalmodel forcutting-edgescientificresearch,whereexistingcentresofexcellenceareusedforthedevelopmentofnewcentreswithchallengingnewmandates.NCR Biotech Science Cluster is established by involving five autonomousinstitutes of DBT (NII, NIPGR, NBRC, THSTI and RCB). The Cluster issupporting discovery driven research in biology and developments of noveltechnologies and facilitation of public-private partnerships through biotechbusiness incubatorsandparks. Itcreatesnetworkwith thepotentialconstituentinstitutionstobringsynergisticecosystemforacceleratingdiscoveries.

PublicSectorUndertakingsThe Department has promoted new industry academia interface and

stimulating strategic research and innovation capabilities of the Indian biotechindustry, particularly start-ups and SME’s, for creation of affordable productsaddressing the needs of the largest section of society. As an interface agencyBiotechnologyIndustryResearchAssistanceCouncil (BIRAC)hasbeensetuptofosterinnovationandentrepreneurship,promoteaffordableinnovationinkeysocial sectors, empowerment of start-ups and small and medium enterprises,contribute through partners for capability enhancement and diffusion ofinnovation, enable commercialization of discovery and ensure globalcompetitiveness of Indian enterprises. BIRAC has initiated partnerships withseveralnationalandglobalpartnerstocollaborateanddeliverthesalientfeaturesof its mandate. Biotech Ignition Grant (BIG) scheme under BIRAC isencouraging scheme for the young investigators for entrepreneurial andmanagerialdevelopmentofSME’sinbiotechnologythroughincubators.

TheDepartmentisalsohavingtwoPSUsnamelyBharatImmunologicalsandBiologicals Corporation Limited (BIBCOL) and Biotechnology IndustryResearch Assistance Council (BIRAC). BIBCOL is a leading biotechnologycompanybasedinUttarPradesh,currentlymanufacturesandproducesarangeofpharmaceuticalproductssuchasOralPolioVaccines(OPVVaccine),zinctabletanddiarrhealmanagementkit,etc.Itsmissionistosavethelivesofmillionsofchildren fromavoidabledisability, throughpoliovaccination.BIRAC is anot-

for-profitSection8,ScheduleB,publicsectorenterprise,setupasaninterfaceagencytostrengthenandempowertheemergingbiotechenterprisetoundertakestrategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant productdevelopmentneeds.

BIRAC is a new industry academic interface and implements its mandatethroughawiderangeofimpactinitiatives,beitprovidingaccesstoriskcapitalthroughtargetedfunding, technologytransfer,IPmanagementandhandholdingschemes that help bring innovation excellence to the biotech firms andmakethemgloballycompetitive. In its threeyearsofexistence,BIRAChas initiatedseveralschemes,networksandplatformsthathelptobridgetheexistinggapsinthe industry-academia innovation research and facilitate novel, high qualityaffordableproductsdevelopmentthroughcuttingedgetechnologies.

26 Transport

Awell-knitandcoordinatedsystemoftransportplaysanimportantroleinthesustained economic growth of country. The present transport system of thecountry comprises several modes of transport including rail, road, coastalshipping,airtransportetc.Transporthasrecordedasubstantialgrowthovertheyears both in spread of network and in output of the system.TheMinistry ofShippingandtheMinistryofRoadTransportandHighwaysareresponsibleforthe formation and implementation of policies and programmes for thedevelopment of various modes of transport save the railways and the civilaviation.

RailwaysTheRailwaysinIndiaprovidetheprincipalmodeoftransportationforfreight

andpassengers.Itbringstogetherpeoplefromthefarthestcornersofthecountryand makes possible the conduct of business, sightseeing, pilgrimage andeducation.The IndianRailwayshavebeen agreat integrating forceduring thelast more than 164 years. It has bound the economic life of the country andhelpedinacceleratingthedevelopmentofindustryandagriculture.Fromaverymodest beginning in 1853, when the first train steamed off fromMumbai toThane,adistanceof34kms,IndianRailwayshavegrownintoavastnetworkof7,349 stations spread over a route length of 67,368 kmwith a fleet of 11,461locomotives, 53,453 passenger service vehicles, 6,714 other coaching vehiclesand 2,77,987wagons. The growth of Indian Railways in the 165 years of itsexistenceisthusphenomenal.Ithasplayedavitalroleintheeconomicindustrialandsocialdevelopmentofthecountry.Thenetworkrunsmulti-gaugeoperationsextendingover67,368routekilometers.

The rolling stock fleet of IndianRailways in services comprised 39 steam,6,023dieseland5,399electric locomotives.Currently, theRailwaysare in theprocess of inductingnewdesignsof fuel-efficient locomotives of higher horsepower, high-speed coaches and modern bogies for freight traffic. Modernsignalling like panel inter-locking, route relay inter locking, centralized trafficcontrol, automatic signaling and multi-aspect color light signaling are being

progressively introduced.The IndianRailwayshavemade impressiveprogressregardingindigenousproductionofrollingstockandvarietyofotherequipmentovertheyearsandisnowself-sufficientinmostoftheitems.

About 35.32 per cent of the route kilometre and 47.09 per cent of runningtrack kilometre and 48.26 per cent of total track kilometre is electrified. Thenetworkisdividedinto17zones.Divisionsarethebasicoperatingunits.The17zonesandtheirrespectiveheadquartersaregivenhere:

Themainobjectivesofrailwaysplanninghavebeentodevelopthetransportinfrastructure to carry the projected quantum of traffic and meet thedevelopmentalneedsoftheeconomy.Sincetheinceptionoftheplannederain1950-51, Indian Railways have implemented nine five-year plans, apart fromannual plans in some years. During the Plans, emphasis was laid on acomprehensive programme of system modernization. With capacity being,stretched to its limits, investments of cost-effective technological changesbecome inescapable in order to meet the ever-increasing demand for railtransport.Alongwith themajor thrustdirected towardsrehabilitationofassets,technologicalchangesandupgradationofstandardswere initiated in important

areasoftrack,locomotives,passengercoaches,wagonbogiedesigns,signallingandtelecommunication.Website:www.indianrailways.gov.in

CentralPublicSectorEnterprisesThere are thirteen undertakings under the administrative control of the

Ministry of Railways, viz., (i) RITES Ltd., (ii) IRCON International Limited,(iii) Indian Railway Finance Corporation Limited (IRFC), (iv) ContainerCorporation of India Limited (CONCOR), (v) Konkan Railway CorporationLimited (KRCL), (vi) Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Limited (MRVC)(vii) Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC), (viii)RailtelCorporationofIndiaLtd.(RailTel),(ix)RailVikasNigamLtd.(RVNL),(x) Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), (xi)BharatWagonandEngineeringCo.Ltd.(BWEL),(xii)BurnStandardCompanyLimited(BSCL)and(xiii)BraithwaiteandCompanyLimited(BCL).

ResearchandDevelopmentTheResearchDesignandStandardsOrganization(RDSO)atLucknowisthe

R&DwingofIndianRailways.Itfunctionsasaconsultantintechnicalmatters.It also provides consultancy to other organizations connected with railwaymanufacture and design. RDSO has developed a new design of wider andheavier pre-stressed concrete sleeper RT-8527 for 25 T axle load to achievehigherframeresistanceagainstbucking,higherrubberpadlife,andfeasibilityofreducingde-stressingtemperaturewithlikelyreductioninrail/weldfailures.

RailwayFinanceThoughapartoftheoverallfinancialfiguresoftheGovernmentofIndia,the

Railway Budget was being presented separately to Parliament since 1924- 25owing to the Separation Convention of 1924. The Railways had its own 16demands for grants, which also used to be considered and passed by theParliamentseparately.ThemainreasonbehindtheSeparationConventionwastosecurestabilityforcivilestimatesas theRailwayfinanceused tobeasizeablepart of the general finances. The Government decided to merge the RailwayBudgetwiththegeneralBudgetfromthe2017-18.Theunifiedbudgetwillbringtheaffairsof theRailways to centre stageandpresent aholisticpictureof thefinancial position of the government. Thismergerwould facilitatemultimodaltransportplanningbetweenhighways,railwaysandwaterways.

Railwayswould continue tomaintain its distinct entity as a departmentallyrun commercial undertaking and retain its functional autonomy, delegation of

http://www.indianrailways.gov.in

financial powers etc. as per the existing guidelines. Instead of the erstwhileschemeof sixteendemands forgrants, theMinistryofFinance introducedonedemandforgrantfortheMinistryofRailways.

PassengerBusinessDuring 2018-19, the number of originating passengers on IR was 8,438

million vis-a-vis 8,286million during the last year, registering an increase of1.83percent.Thepassengerearningsduringthisperiodwas₹51,066.64croresupby₹2,423.50crores(4.98percent)comparedtotheearningsduring2017-18.Totalfreightearnings(including‘OtherGoodsEarnings’suchaswharfage,demurrage, etc.) in 2018-19 stood at ₹ 1,27,430.08 crores which shows anincreaseof₹10,374.68crores(8.86percent)overtheearningsinthepreviousyear.

RailwayElectrificationWithaviewtoreduce thedependenceon importedpetroleumbasedenergy

and to enhance energy security to the country aswell as tomake the railwaysystemmore eco- friendly and tomodernize the system, Indian Railways hasbeen progressively electrifying its rail routes. In pre-independence period,electrificationremainedconfinedto388RouteKilometers(RKMs)anditisonlyin thepost independenceperiod that furtherelectrificationwas takenup.Sincethen, there has been no looking back and the IndianRailways has slowly butsteadilyelectrifieditsroutes.ByMarch,2018,electrificationwasbeenextendedto29,376RKMsoutofthetotalrailnetworkof67,368RKMs.Thisconstitutes44.85percentofthetotalrailwaynetwork.

CateringServicesNewCateringPolicy2017wasissuedin2017withtheobjectivetoprovide

quality food to rail passengers by unbundling of catering services on trains.IRCTChasbeenmandatedtocarryouttheunbundlingbycreatingadistinctionprimarily between food preparation and food distribution. In order to upgradequalityoffood,IRCTChastosetupnewkitchens,upgradeexistingonesandtomanagecateringserviceonallmobileunits.

RailTourismIRistheprimemoveroftourisminthecountrybyconnectingvarioustourist

destinationsacrossthecountrybyrail.Inaddition,ithastakenseveralinitiativestopromotetourismsuchasoperationoftouristtrains/coachservicesonpopulartourist circuits in different regions of the country, offering tour packages

inclusive of rail travel, local transportation, accommodation, onboard serviceslike catering, off board services such as conducted tours, etc. The importanttrain/coach services offering package tours are (i) Luxury Tourist trains, (ii)Semi-luxury trains, (iii)Buddhist Special trains, (iv)BharatDarshan trains, (v)Astha Circuit trains, (vi) Glass Top (Vistadome) Coaches, (vii) Steam Train,(ix)ValueAddedTourPackagesand(x)RailTourPackages.Railwayshasbeenoperating the luxury tourist train ‘Palace on Wheels’ since 1982. Four moretrainsnamely‘DeccanOdyssey’,‘GoldenChariot’,‘HeritagePalaceonWheels’and ‘MaharajasExpress’ on similar lines have been added over the years.Allthese trains are fully air-conditioned and self sufficient to take care of all therequirementsofthepassengersfortheirmostlyoneweekvoyagebutsomewithshorter trips too. Each train is developed on a different theme based on theculture and heritage of India. Each train provides modern amenities andcomforts. The train comprises saloons of different types, multi cuisinerestaurants, lounge, bar/mini bar, gym, spa, conference room, etc. On boardfacilities include individual temperature control, TV,WiFi internet, telephone,piped music, CCTV, money changer, laundry, etc. The facilities may slightlyvaryfromtraintotrain.

RoadsThe Ministry of Road Transport and Highways was formed in 2009 by

bifurcating the erstwhileMinistry of Shipping, Road Transport andHighwaysinto two independent ministries. Road transport is a critical infrastructure foreconomicdevelopmentofacountry.Itinfluencesthepace,structureandpatternofdevelopment.TheMinistryofRoadTransportandHighwaysistheapexbodyforformulationandadministrationoftherules,regulationsandlawsrelatingtoroad transport and transport research. It encompasses construction andmaintenanceofnationalhighways(NHs),administrationofMotorVehiclesAct,1988andCentralMotorVehiclesRules1989,NationalHighwaysAct,1956andNational Highways Fee (Determination of Rates and Collection) Rules,2008,formulation of broad policies relating to road transport, environmental issues,automotivenormsetc.besidesmakingarrangementsformovementsofvehiculartrafficwithneighboringcountries.Thecapacityofnationalhighwaysintermofhandlingtraffic(passengerandgoods)needstobeintandemwiththeindustrialgrowth. India has about 58.98 lakhkmsof roadnetwork,which is the secondlargest in the world. This comprises national highways, expressways, statehighways,majordistrictroads,otherdistrictroadsandvillageroads.Thebreak-upis—nationalhighways/expressways–1,32,500kms;statehighways–1,56,694kms; other roads–56,08,477 kms totalling to 59,97,671kms.TheMinistry has

been entrusted with the responsibility of developmentand maintenance ofnational highways (NHs).All roads other than national highways in the statesfallwithinthejurisdictionofrespectivestategovernments.Inordertoassistthestate governments in the development of state roads, central government alsoprovidesfinancialassistanceoutoftheCentralRoadFund(CRF)andInterStateConnectivityandEconomicImportance(ISC&EI)Scheme.

TheNHDPwasmainlybeingimplementedbyNationalHighwaysAuthorityof India (NHAI) and National Highways and Infrastructure DevelopmentCorporationLtd.(NHIDCL),andisspreadoversevenphaseswithanestimatedexpenditureof about₹ 6,00,000 crore.Someof themajorNationalHighwaysconstructed under this programme include Golden Quadrilateral (GQ)connecting 4 major metropolitan cities viz., Delhi-Mumbai-Chennai-Kolkata,North South & East West Corridors (NS-EW) connecting Srinagar toKanyakumariandSilchartoPorbandarwithaspurfromSalemtoCochin,roadconnectivityofmajorportsofthecountrytonationalhighways.TheremainingworksunderNHDPhavenowbeensubsumedundertheMinistry’snewflagshipprogramme-Bharatmala.Website:www.morth.nic.in

DevelopmentandMaintenanceofNationalHighwaysTheGovernment is implementingNationalHighwaysDevelopment Project

(NHDP), the largest Highways Project ever undertaken in the country since2000.TheNHDPismainlybeingimplementedbyNationalHighwaysAuthorityof India (NHAI) and National Highways & Infrastructure DevelopmentCorporationLtd.(NHIDCL).

BharatmalaPariyojanaTheMinistry has taken up detailed reviewofNHsnetworkwith a view to

develop the road connectivity to border areas, development of coastal roadsincludingroadconnectivityfornon-majorports, improvement in theefficiencyof national corridors, development of economic corridors, inter corridors andfeeder routes along with integration with Sagarmala, etc., under BharatmalaPariyojana.TheBharatmalaPariyojanaenvisagesdevelopmentofabout26,000kmlengthofeconomiccorridors,whichalongwithGoldenQuadrilateral(GQ)and North-South and East-West (NS-EW) Corridors are expected to carrymajorityofthefreighttrafficonroads.Further,about8,000kmofintercorridorsand about 7,500 km of feeder routes have been identified for improvingeffectivenessofeconomiccorridors,GQandNS-EWCorridors.Theprogrammeenvisages development of Ring Roads / bypasses and elevated corridors to

http://www.morth.nic.in

decongest the trafficpassing throughcities andenhance logistic efficiency;28citieshavebeenidentifiedforRingRoads;125chokepointsand66congestionpointshavebeenidentifiedfortheirimprovements.

The network identified under the Pariyojana has been further optimized toimproveconnectivityacrosskeyeconomiccentres throughdiscussionswithallstakeholders. The principle of shortest distance has been followed inidentification and determination of green-field alignments for connectingimportant economic centres to reduce the overall costs as compared toupgradation of the brown-field/existing alignments, as the shorter green-fieldalignmentsenablesignificantreductionbothincapitalcostandvehicleoperatingcostovertime.

SetuBharatamInordertoensuresafeandsmoothflowoftraffic,theMinistryhasenvisaged

a plan for replacement of level crossing on national highways by Road OverBridges (ROBs)/RoadUnder Bridges (RUBs) under a scheme known as SetuBharatam.

CharDhamMahamargVikasPariyojanaThis project envisages development of easy access to the four prominent

Dhams, namely, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, situated inUttarakhand.These fourDhamsareprominentpilgrimage centres.Theprojectentails development of 889 km of roads with configuration of two-lane withpavedshoulders.

NationalHighwaysAuthorityofIndiaThe National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) was set up under the

NHAIAct, 1988. It has been entrustedwithNationalHighwaysDevelopmentProject(NHDP),whichalongwithotherminorprojects,hasvestedinit50329kms of national highways for development,maintenance andmanagement. Itsobjectiveistoensurethatallcontractawardsandprocurementsconformtothebest industry practiceswith regard to transparencyof process, adoptionof bidcriteria toensurehealthycompetition inawardofcontracts, implementationofprojectsconformtobestqualityrequirementsandthehighwaysystemismain-tainedtoensurebestusercomfortandconvenience.Nationalhighwaysare thearterialroadsof thecountryfor inter-statemovementofpassengersandgoods.They traverse the length andwidthof the country connecting thenational andstatecapitals,majorportsand rail junctionsand linkupwithborder roadsandforeignhighways.ThetotallengthofNH(includingexpressways)inthecountry

is 1,32,499 kms.While highways / expressways constitute only about 1.7 percentofthelengthofallroads,theycarryabout40percentoftheroadtraffic.

NHAIisentrustedtoamongothers,:develop,maintainandmanagenationalhighwaysvestedinit;collectfeesonnationalhighways,regulateandcontroltheplyingofvehiclesforitspropermanagement;developandprovideconsultancyandconstructionservicesinIndiaandabroadandcarryonre-searchactivitiesinrelation to thedevelopment,maintenanceandmanagementofhighwaysoranyother facilities there at; advise the central government on matters relating tohighways,etc.Website:www.nhai.gov.in

NationalHighwaysDevelopmentProjectThe National Highways Development Project (NHDP) is a project to up-

grade, rehabilitate andwidenmajor highways in the country to a higher stan-dard.Theprojectwasstarted in1998Thisproject ismanagedbyNHAIundertheMinistryofRoad,TransportandHighways.Itrepresents49,260kmofroadsandhighwaysworkandconstructioninordertoboosteconomicdevelopmentofthecountry.TheNHDPhasbeensubsumedintheongoingBharatmalaproject.

NationalHighways&InfrastructureDevelopmentCorporationThe NHIDCL is a fully owned company of the Ministry that exclusively

carriesoutthetaskofconstruction/up-grading/wideningofnationalhighwaysinparts of the country which share international boundaries with neighbouringcountriesinordertopromoteregionalconnectivelywithneighbouringcountriesonasustainablebasis.

IndianAcademyofHighwayEngineersIndianAcademyofHighwayEngineers(IAHE)isaregisteredsocietyunder

the administrative control of the Ministry. It is a collaborative body of bothcentral and state governments and was set up in 1983 with the objective offulfillingthelongfeltneedfortrainingofhighwayengineersinthecountry,bothattheentrylevelandduringtheserviceperiod.

MajorInitiativesNationalhighwaysconstitutejusttwopercentofthecountry’sroadnetwork

but carry 40 per cent of the traffic load. The government is working hard toaugmentthisinfrastructurebothintermsoflengthandquality.Thereareplanstoexpandthenetworkofnationalhighwayssothatallpartsofthecountryhaveaneasy access to it. TheNorthEastRegion, backward and interior areas, border

http://www.nhai.gov.in

connectivity roads, coastal roads and economically important routes are beinggivenspecialattentionintermsofbuildingroadconnectivity.TheMinistryhaseasedseveralnormsandpolicesforaqcuiringland,fellingtree,riskbalancing,revivingoldprojects,etc.

NationalRegistryofVehicleandLicenseRecordsInordertousherintransformationalimprovementsinthissector,theMinistry

hasputinplaceseveralpoliciesforcitizens.TransportMissionModeProjecthassuccessfullyautomatedRTOoperations,setupaconsolidatedtransportdatabase.Along with it, a host of citizen and trade centric applications have also beenimplemented.ThesalientaspectsofthisMissionModeProjectaretwoflagshipapplications-VahanandSarathi.WhileVahanconsolidatesvehicleregistration,taxation,permit,fitnessandassociatedservicesacrossthecountry,Sarathilooksafter thedriving license, learner licence, driving schools and related activities.Thishasbeenimplementedinmorethan1,000RTOsacross13states/UTswithstate-specificrules,taxstructure,etc.

The database is integrated with Aadhaar for biometric authentication andeKYC, integration with digilocker. This allows use of virtual documents likedrivinglicense,registrationcertificates,permits,etc.,asauthorizedsoftcopy.

RoadSafetyThe Government has approved a National Road Safety Policy so as to

minimise road accidents. It outlines various measures such as promotingawareness, establishing road safety information data base, identification andrectification of road accident black spots , improving road accident datacollection and data base management, training of highway engineers andprofessionals in road safety engineering, improving vehicular safetystandards,encouraging safer road infrastructure including application ofintelligent transport,effective traumacare,enforcementofsafety lawsetc.Theimportant schemes on road safety operated by the Ministry include publicitymeasures and awareness campaign on road safety, Scheme for Setting upInstitutes for Driving Training, Refresher Training of Drivers in UnorganizedSectorandHumanResourceDevelopment,NationalHighwaysAccidentReliefService Scheme (NHARSS), setting up of inspection and certification centresandroadsafetyandpollutiontestingequipmentandprogrammeimplementation.

Toenhancepassengersafetyandspeciallythesafetyandsecurityofwomenandchildrenintransit,allthepassengerbusesandtaxisaremandatedtobefittedwith GPS devices and panic buttons to enable real time tracking andinterventionsintimesofcrisis.

e-TollingIn order to remove traffic bottle neck at toll plazas and ensure seamless

movement of vehicles and hassle-free collection of toll, the Government hasimplemented a nationwide Electronic Toll Collection based on passive RadioFrequency Identification (RFID) conforming to EPC Gen-2, ISO 18000-6Cstandards. It provides for electronic collection of toll through FASTags. Theprojectwasfirstlaunchedin2015.

NationalGreenHighwaysProjectInorder todevelopeco-friendlyhighways, theGreenHighways (Plantation

Transplantation.BeautificationandMaintenance)Policywasfirmedupin2016.ThePolicyaimstodevelopeco-friendlynationalhighwayswiththeparticipationofcommunity,farmers,NGOsandprivatesector.Theinitialplantationdriveon1,500kmofnationalhighwaysatacostofabout₹300crorewaslaunchedaspartofthePolicy.

ShippingTheMinistry of Shippingwas formed in 2009 by bifurcating the erstwhile

Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways into two independentministries. Maritime Transport is a critical infrastructure for the economicdevelopment of a country. It influences the pace, structure and pattern ofdevelopment. TheMinistry of Shipping encompasses within its fold shippingandportsectorswhichalsoincludeshipbuildingandshiprepair,majorportsandinlandwatertransport.Itistheapexbodyforformulationandadministrationofthe rulesand regulationsand laws relating toshipping.Maritime transport isacritical infrastructure for the social andeconomicdevelopmentof acountry. Itrepresents thepace, structureandpatternofdevelopmentofwater transport. Ithasbeenentrustedwiththeresponsibilitytoformulatepoliciesandprogrammesonthesesubjectsandtheirimplementation.Website:www.shipmin.gov.in

MaritimeDevelopmentIndia has a long coastline of about 7,517 km, spread on the western and

eastern shelves of themainland and also along the Islands. It is an importantnaturalresourceforthecountry’strade.Thereare12majorportsandabout200non-major ports. Indian shipping industry has over the years played a crucialrole in the transport sector of the economy.Approximately 95 per cent of thecountry’stradebyvolumeand68percentbyvalueismovedthroughmaritime

http://www.shipmin.gov.in

transport.Therefore,shippingandoceanresources,shipdesignandconstruction,ports and harbours, issues relating to human resource development, finance,ancillaries and new technologies need to be developed in the light of theemerging scenario. Shipping continues to remain unchallenged as the world’smostefficientmeansof transportationand there isaneed torecognize, rewardandpromotequalitywithintheindustry.

SagarmalaProgrammeToharnessthecoastline,14,500kmofpotentiallynavigablewaterwaysand

strategiclocationonkeyinternationalmaritimetraderoutes,theGovernmentofIndiahasembarkedontheambitiousSagarmalaProgrammetopromoteport-leddevelopmentinthecountry.ThevisionoftheProgrammeistoreducelogisticscostofEXIManddomestic tradewithminimal infrastructure investment.Thisincludes: reducing the cost of transporting domestic cargo; lowering logisticalcostofbulkcommoditiesbylocatingfutureindustrialcapacitiesnearthecoast;improving export competitiveness by developing port proximate discretemanufacturing clusters, etc. The objectives of the Programme include: portmodernisation, new port development, port connectivity, coastal communitydevelopment,etc.

ShippingIndustryShipping industry is one of the most globalised industries operating in a

highlycompetitivebusinessenvironment that is farmore liberalized thanmostoftheotherindustriesandis,thus,intricatelylinkedtotheworldeconomyandtrade. Shipping plays an important role in the transport sector of India’seconomyespecially inEximtrade.Approximately95percentof thecountry’stradeintermsofvolumeand68percentintermsofvalueismovedbysea.

ThesalientfeaturesofIndia’sshippingpolicyarethepromotionofnationalshippingtoincreaseself-relianceinthecarriageofcountry’soverseastradeandprotectionofstakeholder’sinterestinEximtrade.

ShipBuildingTheIndianshipbuildingindustrycontinuedtoconcentrateondefence,coastal

andinlandvessels.ThefleetexpansionplansofIndianNavyandthevesselsfortheIndianCoastGuardarethetwoprimesegmentswhichweretargetedbytheIndian shipyards.A shipbuilding subsidy schemewas in existence to promoteIndianShipbuildingindustryforCentralPSUShipyardssince1971.Theschemewas extended to all Indian shipyards in October 2002. This policy whichprovidedshipbuildingsubsidygaveaboosttothisIndustry.

ShipRepairTheIndianshareintheglobalshiprepairmarketcontinuedtobelowasthere

was very little capacity addition. Indian ship owners continued to rely onoverseas repair facilities owing to insufficient capacity and high level oftaxation.Thereare27shipyardsinthecountry,6undercentralpublicsector,2understategovernmentsand19underprivatesector.

ShipRecyclingIndia has 25-30 per cent share in the global ship recycling industry. Ship

recyclingiscarriedoutmainlyatAlang-SosiyainGujarat.StartedinFebruary,1983, Alang-Sosiya is the largest ship recycling yard in the world.Approximately10kmlongseafrontonthewesterncoastoftheGulfofCambayadjoiningtoAlang-Sosiyavillagehasbeendevelopedasashiprecyclingyard.Itisblessedwithhightidalrange, longbeachwithgentleslopeandfirmground,facilitating beaching of ships just at the threshold of the plot. It has highrecyclingpotentialofmorethan450ships(approximately4.5millionLDT)perannum. Ship recycling serves the nation by producing about more than 3.5million ton per annum of re-rollable steel without exploiting the naturalresourcesandprovidesagreenroute togenerate thsecondarysteel inplaceofgenerationofsteelfromtheoreitself.

MajorPortsEmergingglobal economyhasopenedupnewavenues in all the sectors in

general andmaritime sector in particular. Ports provide an inter-face betweenocean transport and land based transport and play a vital role in the overalleconomicdevelopment.Thereare12majorportsandabout200non-majorportsalong India’s coastline which is about 7517 km. The 6 major ports–Kolkata,Paradip,Visakhapatnam,Kamarajar(Ennore),ChennaiandV.O.Chidamananarare on the east coast and the othermajor ports viz.,Cochin,NewMangalore,Mormugao, Mumbai, Jawaharlal Nehru Port (Sheva, Navi Mumbai) andDeendayal(erstwhileKandla)areonthewestcoast.ThemajorportsareunderthedirectadministrativecontrolofthecentralgovernmentandfallinUnionList7th Schedule of Constitution. Ports other than the major ones are under thejurisdiction of the respective maritime state government and fall in theConcurrentList.Of the total traffichandledbyall Indianports, 57per cent ishandledbymajorportsand43byothers.KolkataPort:KolkataPortistheonlyriverinemajorportinthecountryhavingbeen in existence for about 138 years. It has a vast hinterland comprising the

entireEasternIndiaincludingWestBengal,Bihar,Jharkhand,U.P.,M.P.,Assam,North East hill states and the two landlocked neighbouring countries namely,NepalandBhutan.Theporthas twindocksystemsviz.,KolkataDockSystemon the eastern bank and Haldia Dock Complex on the western bank of riverHooghly.ParadipPort:ParadipPortisoneofthemajorportsofthecountry.Governmentof India took over the management of the port from the state government in1965.TheGovernmentofIndiadeclaredParadipPortTrust(PPT)astheeighthmajor port the country making it the first major port in the east coastcommissionedinindependentIndia.NewMangalorePort:NewMangalorePortwasdeclaredtheninthmajorportin1974inauguratedin1975.Theporthas16berthsandonesinglepointmooringwithatotalcapacityof87.63MTPA.CochinPort:ThemodernportofCochinwasdevelopedduringtheperiod1920-1940 due to the untiring efforts of Sir Robert Bristow. By 1930-31 it wasformallyopenedforvesselsupto30feetdraught.Cochinwasgiventhestatusofamajor port in 1936.The administration of the port got vested in aBoard ofTrustees in 1964 under the Major Port Trusts Act, 1963. Cochin Port isstrategically located on the south-west coast of India and at a commandingpositionatthecross-roadsoftheeast-westoceantrade,itisanaturalgatewaytothevastindustrialandagriculturalproducemarketsoftheSouth-WestIndia.ThehinterlandoftheportincludesthewholeofKeralaandpartsofTamilNaduandKarnataka. Cochin with its proximity to the international sea route betweenEurope and theFarEast andAustralia can attract a largenumberof containerlinesofferingimmensebusinessopportunities.Jawaharlal Nehru Port: Constructed in the mid 1980’s and commissioned in1989, JawaharlalNehruPorthas comea longwaybybecomingaworld-classinternational container handlingport. It is a trendsetter inport development inIndiathroughnewinitiativeslikeprivatesectorparticipation.JawaharlalNehruPortisanallweathertidalporthaving12berthswithacapacityof89.37MTPA.Mumbai Port: Mumbai Port is a fully integrated multi-purpose port handlingcontainer,drybulk, liquidbulkandbreakbulkcargo. Ithasextensivewetanddrydockfacilitiestomeetthenormalneedsofshipsusingtheport.Theporthas33berthswithatotalcapacityof65.33MTPA.ChennaiPort:ChennaiPort is an allweather artificial harbourwithoneouterharbourandoneinnerharbourwithawetdockandaboatbasinwithroundtheclock navigation facilities. Itwas established in 1875. It has 24 berthswith a

totalcapacityof93.44MTPA.MormugaoPort:MormugaoPort, situatedon thewest coast of India, ismorethanacenturyoldport.Ithasmoderninfrastructurecapableofhandlingawidevarietyofcargo.Itisanaturalharbourprotectedbyabreakwaterandalsobyamole.ThePorthasexcellentinfrastructureandaconduciveworkculture.Adeepdraft channelwith 14.4mtrs. depth permits large vessels to enter the harbour.Theporthas7berthsplustrans-shipmentwithatotalcapacityof50.04MTPA.V.O. Chidambarnar Port (Tuticorin): V.O. Chidambaranar Port is locatedstrategicallyclosetotheeast-westinternationalsearoutesonthesoutheasterncoastofIndiaatlatitude8045’Nandlongitude78013’E.locatedintheGulfofMannar,withSriLankaonthesoutheastandthelargelandmassofIndiaonthewest.Theporthas15berthswithatotalcapacityof65.90MTPA.Deendayal Port (Kandla): Deendayal Port (erstwhile Kandla Port) wasestablishedin1950asacentralgovernmentprojectandUnionGovernmenttookoverKandla for its development as amajor port. It has 28 berths including 3singlebuoymooringsincludinganoff-shoreterminalatVadinarwithacapacityof150.26MTPA.VisakhapatnamPort:PortofVisakhapatnam,anaturalharbour,wasopened tocommercial shipping in 1933. It is the only Indian port possessing threeinternational accreditations viz., ISO 14001; 2004 (EMS)/OHSAS 18001 andISO90001:2000(QMS).Ithasmechanizedhandlingfacilitiesforironore,ironpellets, alumina, fertilizer raw material, crude oil and POL products, liquidammonia,phosphoricacid,edibleoil,causticsodaandotherliquidcargoes.Theporthas24berthswithatotalcapacityof110.75MTPA.Kamarajar Port Limited (Ennore): Kamarajar Port Limited (KPL), the 12thmajorportundertheMinistryofShippingwascommissionedin2001,primarilyas a coal port dedicated to handling thermal coal requirements ofTamilNaduElectricityBoard (TNEB).KPLhas thedistinctionofbeing theonlycorporateportamongstthemajorportsadministeredbythecentralgovernment.Theporthas8berthswithatotalcapacityof57.00MTPA.

InlandWaterTransportIndiahasoneofthelongestnavigableandinlandwaternetworks.However,

cargotransportthroughtheseinlandwaterwaysis,presentlylessthan1percentofthetotalcargomovementinthecountry.InlandWaterwaysAuthorityofIndia(IWAI)was constituted in 1986, for the development and regulation of inlandwaterways for shipping and navigation. 111 inland waterways have been

declared as ‘National Waterways’ under the National Waterways Act, 2016.After declaration of 106 new national waterways, pre-feasibility studies andtechno economic studies/Detailed Project Report (DPR) are being carried outwhich inter-alia cover the potential of navigability, cargo availability, cost ofdevelopment,etc.

JaiMargVikasProjectJaiMargVikas Project (JMVP) is being implemented by the IWAI for the

capacityaugmentationofnationalwaterwayIontheHaldia–VaranasistretchofGanga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly river system with the technical and financialassistanceoftheWorldBank.ThesalientfeaturesofJMVPinclude:constructionof three multimodal and inter-modal terminals, new navigational lock atFarakka, integrated vessel repair and maintenance facilities, day and nightnavigationalaids,riverconservancywork,etc.

CoastalShippingCoastalShipping is fuel efficient, environment friendly andhelps in easing

trafficcongestiononroads.InotherlargeeconomieslikeChina,USAandJapanthe share of waterways is more than that of India. Presently, the share ofwaterwaysintransportationofdomesticgoodsislessthanitspotential.

CruiseShipping‘Cruise Tourism’ is a fast growing component of the leisure industry,

worldwide. Through this segment of niche tourism, huge amount of foreignexchange can be earned and income generated onshore by providing the rightpolicy environment and infrastructure.With the steadydevelopment of India’seconomy, growingmiddle class and increasing disposable income, the overallenvironmentisconduciveforthepromotionofcruisetourismwithinthecountry.

IndianMaritimeUniversityIndian Maritime University (IMU) was set up in 2008 in Chennai with

campuses atChennai,Kolkata andVisakhapatnamas a central university.Theexistingsevengovernmentandgovernmentaidedmaritimetrainingandresearchinstitutes viz., Marine Engineering and Research Institute, Kolkata, MarineEngineering and Research Institute, Mumbai, Lal Bahadur Shastri College ofAdvanced Maritime Studies and Research, Mumbai, T.S. Chanakya, NaviMumbai, National Maritime Academy, Chennai, Indian Institute of PortManagement, Kolkata as well as National Ship Design and Research Centre,VisakhapatnamhavebeenmergedwiththeIMU.

LighthousesandLightshipsInthevastocean,amarinerisnotsureofhispositionunlessheisguidedby

some signal from the land/space. Directorate General of Lighthouses andLightships (DGLL) provides service to enable the mariners to know theirpositionwithrespecttoafixedpointonthelandwiththehelpofvisualaidstonavigation such as lighthouses, light vessels, buoys, beacons and radio aids tonavigation like differential global positioning system (DGPS), radar beacons(Racons),vesseltrafficservice(VTS)andautomaticidentificationsystem(AIS)etc.

DirectorateGeneralofShipping,MumbaiTheDirectorateGeneral of Shipping, an attached office of theMinistry of

Shipping, was established in 1949 for administering the Indian MerchantShipping Act, 1958 on all matters relating to shipping policy and legislation,implementation of various international conventions relating to safety,prevention of pollution and other mandatory regulations of the internationalmaritime organizations, promotion of maritime education and training,examinationandcertification,supervisionofothersubordinateoffices for theireffectivefunctioningetc.Website:www.dgshipping.gov.in

ShippingCorporationofIndiaLimitedThe Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) was formed in 1961 by

amalgamation of Eastern Shipping Corporation and Western ShippingCorporation through ‘Shipping Corporation Amalgamation Order 1961. Theamalgamation envisaged better co-ordination of policies, greater economy andefficienciesofoperationsbetween the twocompanies.Sailing through for fivedecades,SCIcontinuestobethecountry’spremiershippingline,owningafleetof70vessels.Website:www.shipindia.com

CochinShipyardLimitedCochin Shipyard Limited (CSL), located in Kochi in Kerala is one of the

largestshipyardsinthecountrywhichcanbuildshipsupto1,10,000DWTandrepair ships upto 1, 25,000 DWT. The yard has built and delivered over 100ships including tankers, bulk carriers, port crafts, offshore vessels, tugs andpassenger vessels. The company has exported around 45 ships over the lastdecade and is currently building one of the most prestigious warships of the

http://www.dgshipping.gov.in

http://www.shipindia.com

IndianNavyIndigenousAircraftCarrier.Apartfromtheaircraftcarrier,theYardhasdelivered20 fastpatrolvessels to the IndianCoastGuard.CSLalsohasastrong presence in ship repair. In the shiprepair segment it has repaired andmaintainedvarious typesof ships suchasmerchantvessels,navalcrafts, coastguardvessels,dredgers,jackuprigs,etc.ItistheonlyyardwhichhasregularlyundertakendrydockrepairsoftheaircraftcarriersofIndianNavy.CSLhadtheprivilegeofreceivingINSViraatforthe13thtime-herlastrefitin2016-17andISO9001certificate.Website:www.cochinshipyard.com

DredgingCorporationofIndiaDredgingCorporationof IndiaLtd. (DClL)was formed in1976 toprovide

integrated dredging and related marine services for promoting the country’snational and international maritime trade, beach nourishment, reclamation,inland dredging, environmental protection and ultimately to become a globalplayer,inthefieldofdredging.LocatedstrategicallyontheeasternseaboardofIndiaatVisakhapatnam,DCIhelpsensurecontinuousavailabilityofthedesireddepths in the shipping channels of the major and minor ports, navy, fishingharboursandothermaritimeorganizations.Italsoservesthenationinavarietyof ways, be it capital dredging for creation of new harbours, deepening ofexistingharboursormaintenancedredgingfortheupkeepoftherequireddepthsatvariousports.Website:www.dredge-india.nic.in

AndamanandLakshadweepHarbourWorksAndaman and Lakshadweep HarbourWorks (ALHW) a subordinate office

underMinistryofShippingwasestablishedduring1965fortheserviceofA&NIslands and Lakshadweep Islands. The ALHW is entrusted with theresponsibilitiesofformulatingandimplementingtheprogrammeofMinistryofShippingforprovidingportandharbourfacilitiesintheislands.Website:www.andssw1and.nic.in/alhw

HooghlyDockandPortEngineersLtdHooghly Dock and Port Engineers Limited (HDPEL), Kolkata became a

CentralPublicSectorundertakingin1984.TheCompanyhastwoworkingunitsinHowrahdistrictofWestBengal,oneatSaikiaandanotheratNazirgunge.Theinstalledcapacityinshipbuildingis1,100tonnesperannumandinship-repairs125shipsperannum.Apartfromadrydockandajetty,ithassixslipways.Theyardiscapableofconstructingvarioustypesofships(includingpassengerships)

http://www.cochinshipyard.com

http://www.dredge-india.nic.in

http://www.andssw1and.nic.in/alhw

and other vessels such as dredgers, tugs, floating dry docks, fishing trawlers,supply-cum-support vessels, multipurpose harbour, vessels, light house tendervessels, barges, mooring launches, etc., and undertaking repairs of differenttypesofvessels.

CivilAviationThe Ministry of Civil Aviation is responsible for formulation of national

policiesandprogrammesforthedevelopmentandregulationofthecivilaviationsectorinthecountry.ItisresponsiblefortheadministrationoftheAircractAct,1934, Aircraft Rules, 1937 and various other legislations pertaining to theaviation sector in the country. In addition to primary functions of framing ofpolicies, the Ministry provides guidance to the organisation in theimplementationofpolicyguidelines,monitorsandevaluatestheiractivitiesandalso provides their interface with the Parliament. It also supervisesimplementationbytheorganizationsofspecialprogrammesoftheGovernment,particularlythoseintendedforweekersectionsofsociety.Website:www.civilaviation.gov.in

NationalCivilAviationPolicyFor the first time since Independence and Integrated Civil Aviation Policy

wasnotifiedinJune,2016,whichaimsatcreatinganecosystemthatwillpushthe growth of the civil aviation sector,which in turn,would promote tourism,increaseemploymentandleadtoabalancedregionalgrowth.ThePolicyaimstotakeflyingtothemassesbymakingitaffordableandconvenient,enhanceeaseofdoingbusinessthroughderegulation,simplifiedproceduresande-governanceandpromote theentireaviation sectorchain inaharmonizedmannercoveringcargo,MRO,generalaviation,aerospacemanufacturingandskilldevelopment.

RegionalConnectivitySchemeTheRegionalConnectivityScheme(RCS)-UDANwasenvisagedinNational

Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) 2016 with the twin objective of promotingbalancedregionalgrowthandmakingflyingaffordableformasses.TheScheme,which will be in operation for a period of 10 years, envisages providingconnectivity to un-served and underserved airports of the country throughrevivalofexistingairstripsandairports.

AirSewaAirSewaisaninitiativeof theMinistryofCivilAviationlaunched2016to

offerpeopleaconvenientandhassle-freeairtravelexperience.Itworksthrough

http://www.civilaviation.gov.in

aninteractivewebportal(airsewa.gov.in)oramobileappforbothandroidandiOS platforms that includes a mechanism for grievance redressal, back-officeoperations for grievance handling flight status/schedule information, airportInformationandFAQS,AirSewa initiativehas integratedvariousstakeholdersinaviationsectorwithwhomanairtravelerhastointeractduringtheairtravel.

FDILiberalizationGovernment of India has raised the FDI limit for 49 to 100 per cent in

scheduled and non scheduled air transport services, FDI in scheduled airlinesupto49percentpermittedunderautomatic routeandFDIbeyond49percentthroughGovernmentapproval.ForNRIs,100percentFDIwillcontinuetoheallowedunderautomaticroute.

DirectorateGeneralofCivilAviationTheDirectorateGeneral ofCivilAviation (DGCA) is an attached office of

the Ministry of Civil Aviation and is headed by Director General (CivilAviation).TheheadquartersarelocatedinNewDelhiandthereareRegionalandSub-regional offices all over the country. DGCA is primarily responsible forregulationofair transportservices to/from/withinIndiaandforenforcementofcivilairregulations,airsafetyandairworthinessstandards.Itisalsoresponsiblefor licensingof pilots, aircraftmaintenance engineers andmonitoringof flightcrewstandards;regulationofcivilaircraft; investigationofminorairincidents;supervisionoftrainingactivitiesofflying/glidingclubsandothersuchregulatoryfunctions.TheregulationsareintheformsoftheAircraftAct,1934,theAircraftRules, the Civil Aviation Requirements (CAR), the aeronautical informationcirculars. It also co-ordinates all regulatory functions with International CivilAviationOrganisation(ICAO).Website:www.dgca.gov.in

BureauofCivilAviationSecurityTheBureauofCivilAviationSecurity(BCAS)wasinitiallysetupasacellin

theDGCAin1978,tocoordinate,monitor, inspectandtrainpersonnelinCivilAviationSecuritymatters.ItwasreorganizedintoanindependentDepartmentin1987. BCAS is the regulator for civil aviation security in the country and isresponsibleforlayingdownthestandardsforpre-embarkationsecurityandanti-sabotage measures in respect of civil flights and ensuring their compliancethroughregularinspectionsandsecurityaudits.Itsmainresponsibilityis tolaydown standards and measures in respect of security of civil flights atinternational and domestic airports in India and Indian aircraft operators at

http://www.dgca.gov.in

foreign airports. The aim of BCAS is to safeguard civil aviation operationsagainst acts of unlawful interference and it is the regulatory authority fordischarging all relevant national and international obligations in respect ofaviation security responsibilities which include, inter alia, planning and co-ordinationofallaviationsecurityrelatedactivities,operationalemergenciesandcrisismanagement.TheBCAShasitsheadquarters inNewDelhiandhasnineregional offices at New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Ahmedabad,Amritsar,Guwahati,HyderabadandImphalairport.Website:www.bcasind.nic.in

AirportsAuthorityofIndiaAirportsAuthorityof India (AAI)came intobeing inApril1995.AAI is a

Mini Ratna-Category-I PSE involved in building, upgrading, maintaining andmanagingairports infrastructureacross thecountry. Itownsandmaintains125airports (96-operational and29 -non-operational) comprising21- internationalairport(3-civilenclaves),8-customairports(4-civilenclaves),77-domesticairportsand19-domesticcivilenclaves.Website:www.aai.aero

AirNavigationServicesAuthorityofIndia(AAI)providesAirNavigationServices(ANS)atallcivil

airportsinthecountry.AAImanagesthedesignatedIndianairspacemeasuring2.8millionsquarenauticalmileswhichincludeslandareameasuing1.05millionsquare nautical miles and oceanic airspace measuring 1.75 million squarenauticalmilesAirNavigationServicesarealsoprovidedbytheAAIat11otherairports that are not managed by AAI namely Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru,Hyderabad, Cochin, Lengpui, Diu, Latur, Mundra, Nanded and Sathya SaiPuttaparthy airports,which are joint venture airports, state government ownedairportsandprivateairports.GPSAidedGeoAugmentedNavigation(GAGAN)isanaugmentationsystem

toenhancetheaccuracyandintegrityofGPSsignalstomeetprecisionapproachrequirements inCivilAviationandit isbeingimplementedjointlybyAAIandISRO. It is fully operational sinceMay 2015 and available on 24 × 7 basis.PresentlyGAGANSignal-in-Spaceisavailabletousersfromtwogeostationarysatellites (GSAT-8 and GSAT-10) and third geo-satellite GSAT-15 is in theprocessofintegrationwithGAGANsystem.

AirIndiaConsequent uponmerger of erstwhileAir IndiaLtd. and IndianAirlines, a

http://www.bcasind.nic.in

http://www.aai.aero

newcompanyviz.,NationalAviationCompanyofIndiaLimited(NACIL)wasincorporated.Consequentlypostmerger,thenewentityisknownas“AirIndia”andtheappointeddateofthemergeris1April2007.The“Maharaja”isretainedasitsmascot.TheRegisteredOfficeoftheCompanyisinNewDelhi.AirIndiaLtd.isbasicallyapassengerorientatedairlinesoperatingto72on-linedomesticstations (including Alliance Air) and 42 international destinations in 28countries.ItisintransportservicessectorundertheadministrativecontroloftheMinistryofCivilAviation.Website:www.airindia.inAir-IndiaAirTransportServiceLimited(AIATSL)AIATSL provides ground handling services at 65 airports. Apart from

handling theflightsofAir IndiaLimitedand itsairlinessubsidiarycompanies,groundhandling isalsoprovided for24 foreignscheduledairlines,4domesticscheduled airlines, 3 regional airlines, 16 seasional charter airlines, 23 foreignairlinesavailingperishabalecargohandling.Air-IndiaChartersLimited(AICL)AICLoperatesalowcostairlineunderthebrandname“AirIndiaExpress”.

Launchedin2005withafleetof3leasedB737-800aircraft,itoperatedfrom3stationsinKeralato5stationsintheGulf.Ason31March2016,AICLhadafleetof17B737-800ownedand1B737-800 leasedaircraft. It operated to12Indianand13foreignon-linestations.Air-IndiaEngineeringServicesLimited-Aiesl(AIESL)AIESL presently provides Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO)

services to a fleet of 135 aircraft of Air India Limited and its subsidiarycompaniesviz.AirIndiaChartersLtd.andAirlineAlliedServicesLimitedandfew third partyAirlines.MROservices are proposed to be provided to all theairlinesandaircraftwithintheflyingdistanceof5hoursfromthefacility.AirlineAlliedServicesLimited-(AASL)Asin2016theCompanyhad3ATR-42-320s,5ATR-72-600and3CRJ-700s

leasedaircraft in its fleet.At theendof theyear, thenetworkof theCompanyconsisted of 29 stations within the Country. Presently, it operates around 196flightsperweek.

AllianceAir operates air services in theNorthEastRegion under anMoUwith theNorthEasternCouncil (NEC). It also operates flights betweenAgattiandthemainlandunderanundertakingofgrantofViabilityGapFunding(VGF)by the Lakshadweep Administration. Further, it has charter operations on

http://www.airindia.in

Portblair/CarNicobar/PortblairwithCRJaircraftonceaweekonbehalfof theAndamanandNicobarAdministrationfromJuly2014.

HotelCorporationofIndiaLimitedSubsequenttothesaleof3unitsofHCI(CentaurMumbaiAirport,Centaur

Juhu Beach, Mumbai and Indo Hokke Hotel Ltd., Rajgir) as a part ofdisinvestmentprocessasapprovedbytheGovernmentofIndia,atpresent,therearethreeunitsofHCIviz.,CentaurLakeViewHotel(CLVH),Srinagar,CentaurDelhi Airport (CHDA) including Chefair Flight Catering (CFCD), Delhi andChefairFlightCatering(CFCM),Mumbai.Website:www.centaurhotels.com

PawanHansLimitedPawanHans Limited (PHL) was incorporated in October, 1985 (under the

nameof ‘HelicopterCorporationof IndiaLimited’) as agovernmentcompanyunder the Companies Act. It was established with the primary objective ofproviding helicopter support services to the oil sector in offshore exploration,operate in hilly and inaccessible areas and make available charter flights forpromotionoftravelandtourism.TheregisteredofficeofPawanHansislocatedinNewDelhi,corporateofficeatNoidaanditsregionalofficesareatMumbai,New Delhi and Guwahati. The Company is providing helicopter services toseveralstategovernmentsnamely,Meghalaya,Mizoram,Maharashtra,Tripura,Sikkim, Odisha, Himachal Pradesh and Ministry of Home Affairs. It hasprovided 04 Dauphin helicopters to Andaman & Nicobar Islands and 02Dauphin helicopters to Lakshadweep Islands. The Company is also providinghelicopterservicestoNTPC,GAIL,GSPCandOilIndia.

PawanHanshasemergedasoneofAsia’slargesthelicopteroperatorshavingawell-balancedownoperationalfleetof43helicoptersatpresentwithpanIndiapresence. Pawan Hans has been able to secure long-term contracts withinstitutional clients mainly in the oil industry and government sector mainlyundercompetitivetenderconditions.

IthasbeenprovidinghelicoptersupportforoffshoreoperationofONGCforcarrying itsmen and vital supplies round the clock to drilling rigs situated inBombay off-shore platforms. Pawan Hans operates to ONGC’s Rigs (motherplatformsanddrillingrigs)andproductionplatforms(wells)withinaradiusof130nm.fromthemainlandatMumbai.

PawanHans runs the helicopter services fromPhata to theHoly Shrine ofKedarnathduringtheyatraseasonsi.e.,May-JuneandSeptember-Octoberevery

http://www.centaurhotels.com

year.IthasalsoprovidedhelicopterservicesfortheShriAmarnathShrine.Website:www.pawanhans.co.in

IndiraGandhiRashtriyaUranAkademiThe Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA) was set up at

Fursatganj,Raebareli(UttarPradesh)tobringaboutaquantumimprovementinthestandardsofflyingandgroundtrainingofcommercialpilotsinthecountry.TheAkademi is equippedwithmostmodern and sophisticated trainer aircraftalongwith their associated simulator with 180° view. Up-to-date audio-visualtraining aids and other facilities for effective ground training. It employsqualified flying and ground instructors, with long experience in the field ofaviationand flying training.Theaimat IGRUA isnotonly to train tomakeapilot but also to make one an effective systems manager in aeronautics. TheflyingtraineesoftheAkademiacquirethestandardrequiredfortheirtransitwitheaseintothecockpitsoftheairlines.ItisanAutonomousBodyunderthecontroloftheMinistryofCivilAviation.TheAkademihasmaderemarkableexpansionofitsexistinginfrastructure,viz.,doublingthecapacityofhostelfrom72fullyfurnishedroomsto144includinga20roomgirls’hostel.Re-carpetingofroads,installation of solar water heating system in hostels, installation of air-conditioningplant having capacity of 60TRX3, layingof newwater supplylines, renovations of sports complex, a newly constructed swimming pool,recreationcentreetc.,aretheothermajorinfrastructureupgradationscarriedoutintheinstitutionalarea.Website:www.igrua.gov.in

AirportsEconomicRegulatoryAuthorityofIndiaThe Airports Economic Regulatory Authority (AERA) is a statutory body

constituted under the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India Act.2008in2009withitsheadofficeatDelhi.

RajivGandhiNationalAviationUniversityRajivGandhiNationalAviationUniversity(RGNAU)isacentraluniversity

under the administrative control of the Ministry. The university has beenestablished by theRajivGandhiNationalAviationUniversityAct, 2013. It issituatedatFursatganj,Raebareli,districtAmethi,UttarPradesh.TheUniversityhas been envisaged as the premier institution for higher learning within theaviationmilieuaimedatprovidingcuttingedgeandcriticaltrainingandresearchtoenhancetheaviationindustrywithinIndia.Itawardsdiploma,degreeandpostgraduatedegreesinthefieldofcivilaviation.

http://www.pawanhans.co.in

http://www.igrua.gov.in

Theobjectiveof theUniversity is tofacilitateandpromoteaviationstudies,teaching, training and research in conjunction with the industry to achieveexcellence in operations and management of all the sub-sectors within theaviationindustry.Website:www.rgnau.ac.in

http://www.rgnau.ac.in

27 WaterResources

THE Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and GangaRejuvenation lays down policies and programmes for development andregulation of the water resources of the country. It covers sectoral planning,coordination, policy guidelines, technical examination and techno-economicappraisalofprojects,providingcentralassistancetospecificprojects,facilitationof external assistance and assistance in the resolution of inter-state waterdisputes,policyformulation,planningandguidanceinrespectofmajor,mediumandminor irrigation, groundwatermanagement, command area development,floodmanagement, dam safety and riverdevelopment andGanga rejuvenation(includingitstributariesrejuvenation),regulationanddevelopmentofinter-staterivers, implementation of awards of Tribunals, water quality assessment,bilateral/externalassistanceandmattersrelating toriverscommontoIndiaandneighbouringcountries.

TheMinistryhasbeenrenamedMinistryofJalShaktiwithtwodepartments—DepartmentofWaterResources,RiverDevelopmentandGangaRejuvenationandDepartmentofDrinkingWaterandSanitation.Website:www.mowr.gov.in

WaterAvailabilityThe average annual water availability of any region or country is largely

dependent upon hydro-meteorological and geological factors and is generallyconstant. As per National Commission on Integrated Water ResourcesDevelopment (NCIWRD) report, the total water availability of the countryreceived through precipitation is about 4000 Billion Cubic Meter (BCM) perannum.Afterevaporation,1869BCMwaterisavailableasnaturalrunoff.Duetogeologicalandotherfactors,theutilizablewateravailabilityislimitedto1137BCM per annum comprising 690 BCM of surface water and 447 BCM ofreplenishablegroundwater.

Wateravailabilityperpersonisdependentonpopulationof thecountryandforIndiawateravailabilitypercapitaisreducingprogressivelyduetoincreasein

http://www.mowr.gov.in

population.The average annual per capitawater availability in the years 2001and2011wasassessedas1820cubicmetersand1545cubicmetersrespectivelywhich may reduce further to 1340 and 1140 in the years 2025 and 2050respectively.Annualper-capitawateravailabilityoflessthan1700cubicmetersis considered as water stressed condition, whereas annual per-capita wateravailabilitybelow1000cubicmetersisconsideredasawaterscarcitycondition.Duetohightemporalandspatialvariationofprecipitation,thewateravailabilityofmany regionof thecountry ismuchbelow thenational averageandcanbeconsideredaswaterstressed/waterscarce.Totalrequirementofthecountryfordifferentuses forhighdemand scenario for theyears2025and2050hasbeenassessedas843BCMand1180BCMrespectively.

NationalWaterPolicyThe National Water Policy, 2012 was adopted by the National Water

Resources Council. This Policy has made several recommendations forconservation,developmentandimprovedmanagementofwaterresourcesinthecountry. Impertance is on the need for a national water framework law;comprehensive legislation for optimum development of inter-state rivers andriver valleys; evolving a system of benchmarks for water uses for differentpurposestoensureefficientuseofwater;settingupofwaterregulatoryauthoritybyeachstate;andincentivizingrecycleandreuseofwater.ThePolicyalsolaysemphasisoncommunityparticipationinmanagementofwaterresourcesprojectsandservices;incentivizingwatersavinginirrigationthroughmethodslikemicroirrigation, automated irrigation operation, etc; undertaking conservation ofrivers,rivercorridors,waterbodiesandinfrastructureinascientificallyplannedmanner throughcommunityparticipation;andarrestingdeclininggroundwaterlevelsinover-exploitedareas.

NationalWaterMissionWithaviewtoaddressClimateChangeand therelated issues, theNational

Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) was prepared by the Government,whichlaiddowntheprinciplesandidentifiedtheapproachtobeadoptedtomeetthe challenges of impact of climate change through eight national missions.NationalWaterMissionisoneofthemissionsunderNAPCC.

Themainobjectiveof theNationalWaterMission is (NWM)“conservationofwater,minimizingwastageandensuring itsmoreequitabledistributionbothacross and within States through integrated water resources development andmanagement”.The five identifiedgoalsof theMissionare: (a) comprehensive

waterdatabaseinpublicdomainandassessmentofimpactofclimatechangeonwaterresource;(b)promotionofcitizenandstateactionforwaterconservation,augmentation and preservation; (c) focused attention to vulnerable areasincluding over-exploited areas; (d) increasing water use efficiency by 20 percent, and (e)promotionofbasin level integratedwater resourcesmanagement.Various strategies for achieving the goals have been identified which lead tointegratedplanningforsustainabledevelopmentandefficientmanagementwithactiveparticipationofthestakeholders.

MainActivitiesComprehensive water data base in public domain: India-WRIS (Water

Resource Information System), a portal for providing information on waterresources has been developed by Central Water Commission. All the datapertainingtosurfacewaterandgroundwateraremadeavailableatIndia-WRIS.

GISdatapertainingtosurfacewaterresourcesandgroundwaterresourcesaredisplayedonthesiteofIndia-WRIS.

NWMWebPortalAn independent Web Portal of NWM was launched. The portal aims at

providingalltheinformationrelatingtowaterresources,organisationsandtheiractivitiesondifferentaspectsofwaterresourcesatonepoint.

Assessment of Impact of Climate Change on water resources: NWM hasidentified eight river basins (Mahanadi, Mahi, Luni, Tapi, Sutlej, Sabarmati,SubarnarekhaandwesternflowingriversfromTadritoKanyakumari)forstudyof impact of climate change in association with research institutes like IITs,NITs,IISc.andNIHundertheR&DschemeoftheMinistry.

NationalMissionforCleanGangaThe Ganga basin is the most populous in the world, with more than 400

million people in India alone. It accounts for 28 per cent of India’s waterresources,holdsabout26percentofIndia’slandmassandhosts43percentofthe population. The main stem of the river traverses 5 major states namely,Uttarakhand,UttarPradesh,Bihar,JharkhandandWestBengalandtravels2525kms.TheGangaRiver basin including all its tributaries cover about amillionsquarekilometresareain11statesinthecountry.TheGangabasinexemplifiesatypical “hydraulic civilization”, where achievingwater security to harness theriver’s productive potential and limit its destructive potential is critical forsustenanceandeconomicgrowth.Beyondthistheriverisalsoahometosome

of exotic marine life such as gharials, turtles, Gangetic dolphins and goldenmahaseeretc.Inadditiontoitsphysicalresourcevalue,theGangaisculturallyvery significant for India. On important religious/spiritual days, millions ofpeopleconvergeonitsbanksinselectcitiestoprayandbatheinthewaters,andforthemacleanGangaholdsgreatvalue.Morethan120millionpeoplecametothecityofAllahabadforpilgrimagein2013,makingitthelargestgatheringintheworld.

Despitebeinghighlyreveredandtheprimarywaterresourcefortheheartlandof the country, theGanga river is today seriously polluted and under extremeenvironmental stress. Rapidly increasing population, rising standards of livingand exponential growthof industrialization andurbanizationhave exposed themightyGangatovariousformsofdegradation.Theriversuffersfromhighlevelsof organic and bacterial pollution, especially in its critical middle stretch,resulting in a wide range of negative impacts, including human health,agriculture,urbanservices,andtheenvironment.Themajorsourceofpollutionin the river is untreated domestic and industrial liquid waste thrown in to it.About 70 per cent of the pollution is fromuntreated domestic sewage, 20 percent is from toxic industrial waste water and 10 per cent is from non-pointsources such as agricultural runoff, open defecation, dumping of solid wastedisposal,etc.The threatofglobalclimatechange, theeffectofglacialmeltonGangaflowandtheimpactsofinfrastructuralprojectsintheupperreachesoftheriver,raiseissuesthatneedacomprehensiveresponse.

Therehavebeenpreviousattemptstocleantheriver,withmixedresults.TheGangaAction Plan (GAP)was launched in 1985 and extended to two phases(GAPI&GAPII)overmore than twodecades. It focusedprimarilyonurbanwastewater and funded a large number of Wastewater Treatment Plants(WWTPs)andrelatedurbanwastewater infrastructure. Impactdatashowthat,overall, theprogrammewasable tomaintainoreven improvewaterquality inspite of significant increases in pollution loadings due to urban and industrialgrowth.However,therewereanumberoflimitationsinitsimplementation-(1)including insufficient investments, (2) underutilization of created capacity, (3)little ownership of local bodies, (4) long delays, and poor communications -resultinginapublicrelationsfailure.

In 2015, the “Namami Gange” - Integrated Ganga Conservation Missionprogrammewaslaunched.Thiswasatanindicativecostof₹20,000crores,asanumbrellaprogrammewithanaimtointegratepreviousandcurrentlyongoingprojectsandnewinitiativesplannedasitspart.In2016,throughtheRiverGanga(Rejuvenation, Protection andManagement) Authorities Order 2016, NGRBA

hasbeen replacedwithaNationalGangaCouncil forRejuvenation,ProtectionandManagement of RiverGanga as an authority.NationalMission for CleanGanga(NMCG)hasalsobeenconvertedintoanauthority.NationalMissionforCleanGanga.

JalKrantiAbhiyanMinistry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation

launchedJalKrantiAbhiyan(2015-16to2017-18)inordertoconsolidatewaterconservation and management in the country through a holistic approachinvolving all stakeholders,making it amassmovement. The objectives of JalKranti Abhiyan are as follows: strengthening grass root involvement of allstakeholdersincludingPanchayatiRajInstitutionsandlocalbodiesinthewatersecurity and development schemes (e.g. Participatory Irrigation Management(PIM); encouraging the adoption/utilization of traditional knowledge in waterresourcesconservationanditsmanagement;toutilizesectorlevelexpertisefromdifferent levels in government,NGO’s, citizens, etc; and enhancing livelihoodsecuritythroughwatersecurityinruralareas.

JalManthanJalManthan is an initiative of thisMinistry forwider consultations among

variousstakeholdersforchurningoutnewideasandtangiblesolutionstovariouswatersectorissues.ThefocusofJalManthanistorefinepoliciesoftheMinistrytomakethemmorepeoplefriendlyandresponsivetotheneedsofthestates.Itprovides various stakeholders an opportunity to highlight their concerns andimpediments being faced by them in effective implementation of schemesrelatedtowaterresources.

PradhanMantriKrishiSinchayeeYojanaDuring 2015-16, Pradhan Mantri Krishi SinchayeeYojana (PMKSY) was

launchedwithanaimtoenhancephysicalaccessofwateronfarmandexpandcultivable areaunder assured irrigation, improveon farmwateruse efficiency,introducesustainablewaterconservationpractices,etc.

The main objectives of the scheme include: achieve convergence ofinvestments in irrigation at the field level (preparation of district level and, ifrequired,subdistrictlevelwateruseplans);enhancethephysicalaccessofwateron the farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation (har khet kopani); improve on-farm water use efficiency to reduce wastage and increaseavailability both in duration and extent; enhance recharge of aquifers and

introducesustainablewaterconservationpractices;promoteextensionactivitiesrelatingtowaterharvesting,watermanagementandcropalignmentforfarmersandgrassrootlevelfieldfunctionaries;andattractgreaterprivateinvestmentsinprecisionirrigation.

Major and medium irrigation/ multipurpose irrigation (MMI) projects arebeing funded under PMKSY-AIBP and Repair, Renovation and Restoration(RRR)ofWaterBodies,SurfaceMinorIrrigation(SMI)projectsandCommandArea Development & Water Management (CAD&WM) projects are beingfundedunderPMKSY-HarKhetKoPani(HKKP).

AcceleratedIrrigationBenefitProgrammeThe Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP) was launched in

1996-97toprovideCentralAssistancetomajor/mediumirrigationprojectsinthecountry,withtheobjectivetoaccelerateimplementationofsuchprojectswhichwere beyond resource capability of the states or were in advanced stage ofcompletion.Prioritywasgiventothoseprojectswhichwerestartedinpre-FifthandFifthPlanperiodandalsotothosewhichwerebenefittingtribalanddroughtproneareas.From1999-2000onwards,CentralLoanAssistanceunderAIBPwasalso extended to minor surface irrigation projects of special category states(NorthernEastern states andhilly statesofHimachalPradesh,Sikkim, JammuandKashmir,Uttaranchal andprojectsbenefittingKalahandiBalangirKoraputdistrictsofOdisha).

CommandAreaDevelopmentandWaterManagement

TheCentrally SponsoredCommandAreaDevelopment (CAD) Programmewas launched in 1974-75 for development of adequate delivery system ofirrigation water up to farmers’ field with an objective to enhance water useefficiencyandproductionandproductivityofcropsperunitof landandwaterfor improving socio-economic condition of farmers. The pogramme envisagesintegration of all activities relating to irrigated agriculture in a coordinatedmanner with multi-disciplinary team under a Command Area DevelopmentAuthority.

The Programme was restructured and renamed as Command AreaDevelopment and Water Management(CAD&WM) Programme in 2004. TheProgramme is being implemented pari-passu with Accelerated IrrigationBenefitsProgramme(AIBP)during theXIIFiveYearPlan.Theprogrammeisunder implementationas a sub-component of Har Khet Ko Pani (HKKP)

componentofPradhanMantriKrishiSinchaiYojana(PMKSY)-from2015-16onwards. The ongoing CADWM programme has been restricted to theimplementation of CADworks of 99 prioritized AIBP projects from 2016-17onwards.TheactivitiescoveredunderCADcomponentarebroadlycategorizedas‘Structural’and‘Non-Structural’interventionsasdetailedhere:

(a)structuralintervention:includessurvey,planning,designandexecutionof:(i) on-farmDevelopment (OFD)works; (ii) construction of field, intermediateand linkdrains; (iii) correctionof systemdeficiencies; and (iv) reclamationofwaterloggedareas.

(b)non-structuralintervention:includesactivitiesdirectedatstrengtheningofParticipatoryIrrigationManagement(PIM):(i)onetimefunctionalgranttotheregisteredwaterusers’associations(WUAs);(ii)onetimeInfrastructureGranttothe registered WUAs; (iii)trainings, demonstration, and adaptive trials withrespecttowateruseefficiency,increasedproductivity,andsustainableirrigationparticipatoryenvironment.

Topromotewateruseefficiencyinirrigation,financialassistanceisprovidedto the states for development of infrastructure formicro-irrigation to facilitateuse of sprinkler / drip irrigation as an alternative to construction of fieldchannels.Atleast10percentCCAofeachprojectistobecoveredundermicro-irrigation.Micro-irrigation infrastructure includes components of sump, pump,high-density polyethylene pipelines, and pertinent devices needed for bringingefficiency inwater conveyance and field applications (through sprinklers, rainguns, pivots, etc). In case of micro-irrigation, other components such as landlevelling,drainageworks,etc.,wouldbereduced,orentirelydiscarded;enablingcertain cost savings which is expected to offset the higher cost of micro-irrigationinfrastructure.Thedevices-suchassprinkler/raingun/dripsets,etc.-needed tobe installedby individual farmersbelowfarmoutletsarenotpartofthemicro-irrigationinfrastructure.Farmersareexpectedtobearthecostofsuchdevices or avail subsidies available in extant scheme of the Ministry ofAgriculture.

ParticipatoryIrrigationManagementTheNationalWaterPolicystressesparticipatoryapproachinwaterresource

management.Ithasbeenrecognizedthatparticipationofbeneficiarieswillhelpgreatly in the optimal upkeep of irrigation system and effective utilization ofirrigation water. The participation of farmers in the management of irrigationwould include transfer responsibility for operation and maintenance and alsocollectionofwater charges to theWaterUsers’Association in their respective

jurisdiction.One time functionalgrant at₹1,200/-perhectare tobe sharedbythecentre,stateandfarmersintheratioof45:45:10respectivelyisbeingpaidtooutlet levelwaterusersassociations’as incentive, the interest fromwhich is tobeusedformaintenance.

FloodManagementFloodManagementProgramme

DuringtheXIPlan,governmentlaunchedFloodManagementProgrammeforprovidingcentralassistancetothestategovernmentsforundertakingtheworksrelatedtorivermanagement,floodcontrol,anti-erosion,drainagedevelopment,flood proofing, restoration of damaged floodmanagement works and anti-seaerosionworks.

Another new scheme Flood Management and Border Areas Programme(FMBAP)hasbeenproposedwithmergedcomponentsfromtheexistingFloodManagement Programme (FMP) andRiverManagementActivities andWorksrelatedtoBorderAreas(RMBA)schemes.

RiverManagementActivitiesrelatedtoBorderAreasThis central sector scheme is in place since 2014 to cover the major

works/schemes during the XII Plan. It has the following components: (i)hydrologicalobservationsand flood forecastingoncommonborder riverswithneighbouring countries; (a) flood forecasting on rivers common to India andNepal; flood forecasting on rivers common to India and Nepal has been inoperation with currently 46 meteorological/hydrometeorological sites in theNepaleseterritory;(b)hydrologicalobservationsonriversoriginatinginBhutan:this comprehensive scheme for establishment of flood forecasting network onriverscommontoIndiaandBhutanisalsoinoperationfortransmissionofrealtimedata to control rooms in India.ThecostofoperationandmaintenanceofthesesitesinBhutanisbornebyIndia.;(c)jointobservationsonriverscommonto India and Bangladesh and cooperationwith neighbouring countries: duringlean season (January to May), the Ganga/Ganges waters is being shared atFarakkawithBangladesh,aspertheprovisionsoftheTreatysignedbetweenthetwo countries in 1996. The hydrological observations are being conductedjointlyatFarakka(India)andHardingeBridge(Bangladesh)everyyearduringthe lean season. Further, during every monsoon, hydrological data of threestations(Nugesha,YangqenandNuxia)onBrahmaputraandonestation(Tsada)on Sutlej is provided by China to India as per existing MoUs and cost ofmaintenance of these stations is borne by India. The information provided by

Chinaisutilisedinfloodforecastingandadvancewarning.

GangaFloodControlCommissionWiththeobjectivetoeffectivelytacklecriticalandchronicfloodproblemsin

theGangaBasin,GangaFloodControlBoard(GFCB)wassetupin1972.Thefunctions include: to lay down the broad policies and decide priorities in theimplementationofvariousschemes,andtoissuenecessarydirectionsinrespectofformulationofcomprehensiveplanforfloodcontrol intheGangabasinandapprovalofschemes.

Ganga Flood Control Commission (GFCC), a subordinate office of thisMinistrywith its headquarters atPatna,was also created in1972 to act as thesecretariat and executive limb of GFCB and to deal with the floods and itsmanagementinGangaBasinstates.

There are 11 states in Ganga Basin, namely, West Bengal, Bihar, UttarPradesh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan,Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and NCT Delhi. The river systems of Gangabasin are (1) Gomati, (2) Adhwara Group, (3) Ghaghra, (4) Mahananda, (5)KamlaBalan,(6)BurhiGandak,(7)Bagmati,(8)Punpun,(9)Kosi,(10)Gandak,(11) Ajoy, (12) Kiul-Harohar, (13) Damodar, (14) Mayurakshi, (15) Yamuna,(16) Ramganga, (17) Tons, (18) Badua-Chandan, (19) Rupnarain-Haldi-Rasulpur,(20)Jalangi,(21)Sone,(22)Tidalriversand(23)MainGanga.Mostoftheseriversareinter-staterivers.

CentralGroundWaterBoardGroundWaterDevelopment

Thereisconsiderablevariationingroundwaterpotentialindifferentpartsofthecountry.While someareas like Indo-GangeticAlluviumhavehugegroundwater potential, many hard rock areas have limited ground water resources.Similarly, the development of groundwater resources in different areas of thecountryhasnotbeenuniform.Highlyintensivedevelopmentofgroundwaterincertainareasinthecountryhasresultedinover-exploitationleadingtodeclineingroundwater levels,whereas in someother areasgroundwater is still sub-optimally developed, leaving scope for future extraction. CGWB carries outperiodic assessment of ground water resources jointly with the state groundwaterdepartments.

AquifierMappingandFormulationofAquifierManagementPlanAquifiersarenaturalrockformationswhichcanstoreandeconomicallyyield

water. In theXII Plan, CGWB has taken up theNational Project onAquifierManagement(NAQUIM)tofacilitateidentification,delineation,characterizationandeffectivemanagementofaquifiers toensuresustainabilityofgroundwaterresources.Themajoractivitiesenvisagedundertheprojectincludecompilationofexistingdata,datagapanalysis,generationofadditionaldataforpreparationofaquifiermapandformulationofaquifiermanagementplans.Eachactivityhasa number of sub-activities and taskswhich are being carried out as per detailprotocolsforimplementation.

DemonstrativeProjectson“ArtificialRechargetoGroundwaterandRainwaterHarvesting

CGWB has implemented demonstrative projects on artificial recharge togroundwaterand rainwaterharvesting inAndhraPradesh,ArunachalPradesh,Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Kerala,MadhyaPradesh,Maharashtra,Nagaland,Odisha,Punjab,Rajasthan,TamilNadu,Telengana,UttarPradesh,WestBengalandUTChandigarh

CentralGroundWaterAuthorityCentral Ground Water Authority (CGWA) has been entrusted with the

responsibility of regulating and controlling ground water development andmanagementinthecountryandissuingnecessarydirectivesforthepurpose.TheAuthorityperformsthefollowingfunctions:exerciseofpowersunderSection5oftheEnvironment(Protection)Act,1986forissuingdirectionsandtakingsuchmeasuresinrespectofallthemattersreferredtoinsub-section(2)ofsection3ofthesaidAct;toresorttopenalprovisionscontainedinSections15to21ofthesaidAct;toregulateandcontrol,managementanddevelopmentofgroundwaterinthecountryandtoissuenecessaryregulatorydirectionsforthepurpose.

RajivGandhiNationalGroundWaterTrainingandResearchInstitute

The Rajiv Gandhi National GroundWater Training and Research Institute(RGNGWTRI)isthetrainingarmofCentralGroundWaterBoardandislocatedatRaipur,Chhattisgarh.ItcaterstothetrainingrequirementsofCentralGroundWater Board and other central and state government organizations, academicinstitutes,NGOs,etc.RGNGWTRIisimplementingathreetier(nationallevel,stateandblock level) trainingprogrammekeeping inviewtherequirementsoftheNationalProjectonAquiferManagement.RGNGWTRIisalsomandatedtocarryoutresearchinthefieldofgroundwater.

CentralWaterCommissionCentralWaterCommission(CWC)isheadedbyaChairman,withthestatus

of an ex-officio Secretary to the Government of India. The work of theCommission is divided among 3 wings namely, Designs and Research Wing(D&R), Water Planning and Projects Wing (WP&P) and River ManagementWing (RM). Each wing comprises a number of units/ organizations and isresponsible for the disposal of tasks and duties falling within the scope offunctions assigned to it. In order to achieve better management in the waterresources sector and have better coordination with the state governmentdepartments,CWChasestablished13regionaloffices.TheofficesarelocatedatBengaluru,Bhopal,Bhubaneswar,Chandigarh,Coimbatore,Delhi,Hyderabad,Lucknow,Nagpur,Patna,Shillong,Siliguri andGandhiNagar.NationalWaterAcademy,thetraininginstituteofCWC,islocatedatPunefortrainingofcentralandstatein-serviceengineers,NGO’s,etc.Website:www.cwc.gov.in

FunctionsCWCischargedwiththegeneralresponsibilityofinitiating,coordinatingand

furthering in consultation with the state governments concerned, schemes forcontrol,conservationandutilizationofwaterresourcesintherespectivestateforthe purpose of floodmanagement, irrigation, drinkingwater supply andwaterpower generation. The Commission, if so required, can undertake theconstruction and execution of any such scheme. Themain functions of CWCinclude: tocarryout techno-economicappraisalof irrigation,floodcontrolandmultipurpose projects proposed by the state governments; to collect, compile,publishandanalyse thehydrologicalandhydro-meteorologicaldata relating tomajorriversinthecountry,consistingofrainfall,runoffandtemperature,etc.;tocollect,maintain andpublish statisticaldata relating towater resources and itsutilization including quality ofwater throughout the country; to provide floodforecasting services to all major flood prone inter-state river basins of thecountry;toundertakeconstructionworkofanyrivervalleydevelopmentschemeonbehalfoftheGovernmentofIndiaorstategovernmentconcerned;toimparttraining to in-service engineers from central and state organizations in variousaspects of water resource development; to promote modern data collectiontechniquessuchasremotesensingtechnologyforwaterresourcesdevelopment,flood forecasting and development of related computer software; to carry outmorphological studies to assess river behaviour, bank erosion/coastal erosionproblemsandadvisethecentralandstategovernmentsonallsuchmatters.

http://www.cwc.gov.in

HydrologicalObservationsCentral Water Commission is operating a network of 878 hydro-

meteorological observation stations throughout the country on all major riverbasins toobserve (i)water level (gauge), (ii)discharge, (iii)waterquality, (iv)silt (v) selectedmeteorological parameters including snowobservations at keystations. In addition, it also operates 76 exclusive meteorological observationstations.Thedatasocollectedisutilizedforplanninganddevelopmentofwaterresources projects, climate change studies, water availability studies, flood /inflow forecasting, examination of international and inter-state issues, rivermorphologicalstudies,inlandwaterwaydevelopment,reservoirsiltationstudiesandresearchrelatedactivities,etc.

WaterQualityMonitoringCentralWaterCommission ismonitoringwaterqualityat429key locations

covering all the major river basins of India. It is maintaining a three tierlaboratory system for analysisof thephysio-chemicalparametersof thewater.Thelevel-Ilaboratoriesarelocatedat406fieldwaterqualitymonitoringstationsonmajor riversof thecountrywherephysicalparameterssuchas temperature,colour,odourspecificconductivity,electricalconductivity,totaldissolvedsolids,pH and dissolved oxygen of river water are observed. There are 18 level-IIlaboratories located at selected division offices to analyze 25 physio-chemicalcharacteristics and bacteriological parameters of water. Five level-III/II+laboratories are functioning at Varanasi, Delhi, Hyderabad, CoimbatoreandGuwahatiwhere 41 parameters including heavymetals / toxic parametersandpesticidesareanalyzed.Thisdataisusedbydifferentagenciesforplanningofwaterresourcesproject,researchpurposes,etc.Thewaterqualitydatabeingsocollectedareputinvarioususesrelatedtoplanninganddevelopmentofwaterresourcesprojects.

FloodForecastingCWC has been making continuous endeavour for modernization and

expansion of its flood forecasting network in order to have desired automaticsystem of data collection and real time data transmission. So far, 510 datacollection stations have been modernized, three earth receiving stations havebeen set up atNewDelhi, Jaipur andBurla, 21ModellingCentres have beenequipped with latest computer systems for analysis of data, flood forecastformulation and its dissemination to concerned agencies expeditiously. Foractivitiesoffloodforecasting,modernizationandexpansioninXIIPlan,another458 stations alongwith 5 more modelling centres are being modernized with

automatic data acquisition system with satellite based telemetry system invariousbasinsinthecountry.

CWCisprovidingFloodForecastingserviceat226stations,ofwhich166arelevelforecastingstationsonmajorriversand60areinflowforecastingstationsonmajordams/barrages.Outofthis,floodforecastingserviceat27stationswasstartedduring2017.Itcovers19majorriversystemsinthecountryand19statesviz.,AndhraPradesh,ArunachalPradesh,Assam,Bihar,Chhattisgarh,Gujarat,Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha,Rajasthan, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Tripura, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh andWestBengalandunionterritoriesviz.,DadraandNagarHaveli,NationalCapitalTerritory of Delhi and Jammu and Kashmir. During the flood season, CWCoperates Flood Control Room on 24x7 basis in New Delhi and 24 divisionoffices spread throughout the country for monitoring the situation. On anaverage, about 6,000 forecasts are being issued during season every year.Normally, theseforecastsare issued6 to48hours inadvance,dependingupontheriverterrain,thelocationsofthefloodforecastingsitesandbasestations.Inaddition to conventional flood forecasting methodology, mathematical modelforecasting based on rainfall-runoff methodology is also being used in someareas.ThishasenabledCWCtoissue3-dayadvancefloodadvisory.

MorphologicalStudiesThestudyofrivermorphologyandimplementationofsuitablerivertraining

work as appropriate have become imperative as large areas of the country areaffectedbyfloodseveryyearcausingseveredamagetolifeandpropertyinspiteofexistingfloodcontrolmeasurestakenbothbycentralandstategovernments.Problems are aggregatingmainly due to large quantity of silt/ sediment beingcarried and deposited in its downstream reaches.The special behaviour of theriver needs to be thoroughly understood for evolving effective strategies toovercometheproblemposedbyit.Morphologicalstudyofthreeriversnamely,Ghaghra,SutlujandGandakhasbeencompleted.Further,morphologicalstudiesof 15 rivers namely Ganga, Sharda, Rapti, Kosi, Bagmati, Yamuna,Bramhaputra, Subansiri, Pagladiya, Krishna, Tungbhadra, Mahananda,Mahanadi,Hooghly,andTaptiisunderprogress.

DesignConsultancyCentralWaterCommission isactivelyassociatedwithdesignofmajorityof

the mega water resources projects in India and neighbouring countries viz.,Nepal,Bhutan,Afghanistan,Myanmar,SriLankaandAfricancountriesbywayofdesignconsultancyor in the technicalappraisalof theprojects.Fourdesign

units are functioning to cater to specific requirements and to attend to specialdesignrelatedproblemsofdifferentregions.

DamRehabilitation&ImprovementProjectDam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP) is the World Bank

assisted project at an estimated cost of ₹ 2,100 crore with the provision ofrehabilitationofabout223largedamsinthesevenparticipatingstates(namelyJharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu andUttarakhand)alongwithinstitutionalstrengtheningcomponentforparticipatingstatesandCentralWaterCommission.

NationalRegisterofLargeDamsAsperthelatestinformationcompiledundertheNationalRegisterofLarge

Dams(NRLD)maintainedbyCWC, thereare5701 largedams in thecountry.Out of this, 5254 large dams have been completed and 447 others are underconstruction.TheNRLDisavailableonCWCwebsite.

WaterResourceInformationSystemCWC and ISRO jointly developed Water Resources Information System

(India-WRIS)in2010.Subsequently,fourversionsofthewebsiteofIndia-WRIShavebeenlaunched.Thever.4.1waslaunchedin2015andisavailableinpublicdomainat1:250000scale.The informationsystemcontainsseveralGIS layerson water resources projects, thematic layers like major water bodies, landuse/landcover,wastelands,landdegradation,etc.,environmentallayersaswellasinfrastructureandotheradministrativelayers.Theinformationsystemhasallthe basic map viewing and navigation capabilities like zoom, overview,bookmark,tableofcontents,etc.AsperprovisionofHydro-MeteorologicalDataDissemination Policy 2013 (MoWR), all unclassified data of CWC G&Dstationshasbeenmadeavailableonthiswebsite.

Training&CapacityBuildingCentralWaterCommissionofferstrainingtowatersectorprofessionalsevery

year. These training are organised at NationalWater Academy (NWA), CWCHeadquarterandfieldofficesofCWC.TheNationalWaterAcademy,CWCisacentre of excellence for imparting training on all facets of Water ResourcesDevelopmentandManagementcoveringthedifferentareasofplanning,design,evaluation, construction,operationandmonitoringofwater resourcesprojects,andalsotheapplicationofhigh-endtechnologyinwatersector.

NationalWaterAcademy

National Water Academy (NWA) is an institute established under CentralWaterCommissionatKhadakwasla,Pune.TheobjectiveofNWAistofunctionas“CentreofExcellence”intrainingandcapacitybuildingforallstakeholdersonvarious aspects ofwater resourcesplanning, development andmanagementandtodevelopinstitutionalcapabilityatthenationallevelforimpartingtraininginnewemergingtechnologiesinthissectoroncontinuedbasis.NWAconductstraining programmes on whole gamut of water resources development andmanagementcomprisingbothtechnicalandnon-technicalareas.

Sinceitsinceptionin1988,NWAhascontributedimmenselyinthecapacitybuildingandtraininginthissectorforallstakeholdersincludingCadreTrainingProgrammesforCentralWaterEngineeringServicesOfficers,capacitybuildingforstateandcentralorganizations;programmesunderPMKSY;programmesforall other stakeholders like teachers, non-governmental organisations (NGOs),PanchayatRajInstitutions(PRIs),mediapersonnel,youthrepresentatives,etc.

CentralSoilandMaterialsResearchStationCentral Soil and Materials Research Station (CSMRS), New Delhi, is a

premier organization in the country dealing with the field explorations,laboratory investigations, and basic and applied research in the field ofgeotechnical engineering and civil engineering materials, particularly forconstructionofrivervalleyprojectsandsafetyevaluationofexistingdams.TheResearch Station primarily functions as an adviser and consultant to variousdepartments of Government of India, state governments and CentralUndertakings.TheResearchStationhasexcellentfacilitiesandhighlyqualifiedofficersandhasacquiredsomeuniquecapabilitiesinthecountryinthefieldofgeotechnical engineering and construction materials’ characterisation. It isinvolved in the safety evaluation of existing hydraulic structures and qualitycontrolofconstructionforvariousrivervalleyprojectsincludingforprojectsinneighbouringBhutanandNepal.

The sphere of activities of the Station is covered under the following coreareas:soilmechanicsincludingstudiesonexpansivesoils,studiesondispersivesoils, hydraulic fracturing of core materials, and quality control, rockfill, soildynamics, geosynthetics, numerical modelling and quality control concretediagnosticsandchemistry includingdiagnostic investigation/healthmonitoring,material for repair and rehabilitation, petrography, chemical investigation,durabilityofconcrete,chemistryandmineralogy,waterquality,alkaliaggregatereaction,newmaterialsuchaspolymer,grout,etc.;rockmechanics(I)includingfoundation rock characterisation, in-situmeasurements such as in-situ stresses

anddeformability,geophysicalinvestigations,numericalmodelling.Website:www.csmrs.gov.in

FarakkaBarrageProjectFarakkaBarrageProjectwithheadquartersatFarakkainMurshidabaddistrict

ofWestBengal isasubordinateofficeunder theMinistryofWaterResources,River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. The Farakka Barrage ProjectAuthoritywassetupin1961withthemandatetoexecuteandthereafteroperateandmaintaintheFarakkaBarrageProjectComplexcomprisingFarakkaBarrage,JangipurBarrage,FeederCanal,NavigationLockandassociatedstructures.

TheBarragecomprises112Gates(108no.mainGatesand4no.FishLockGates) besides 11 nos. Head Regulator Gates for diversion of approximately40,000 cusecs (1035 cusecs) of discharge into the feeder canal. The mainobjective of the Project is to divert adequate quantity of Ganga waters toBhagirathi- Hoogly river system through 38.38 km long feeder canal forpreservation and maintenance of Kolkata Port by improving the regime andnavigabilityoftheBhagirathi-Hooglyriversystem.Further,withthesuccessfulaccomplishment of time specific anti-erosion and bank protection works incriticalreachesonriverGanga/Padma,FBPauthorityhasbeenabletoensurethe safety of Farakka Barrage besides providing reasonable protection fromfloods to livesand livelihoodof localpeople in the region.Apart fromabove,Farakka Barrage Project is facilitating implementation of India-BangladeshGanga Water Treaty-1996 on sharing of Ganga water between India andBangladesh.

BetwaRiverBoardBetwaRiverBoard (B.R.B)wasconstituted in1976 toexecute theRajghat

DamProjectandPowerHouse.TheprojectauthoritystartedconstructionoftheprojectundertheoverallguidanceofBetwaRiverBoardAct,1976.Thebenefitsandcostof theaboveprojectaresharedequallybyUttarPradeshandMadhyaPradesh.

SardarSarovarConstructionAdvisoryCommitteeThe Sardar Sarovar Construction Advisory Committee (SSCAC) was

constitutedbytheGovernmentofIndiainaccordancewiththedirectivesoftheNarmadaWaterDisputesTribunal(NWDT)in1980.

The functionsofSSCAC include: scrutinizing theproject estimates of damand powerhouse works and recommend for the administrative approval;

http://www.csmrs.gov.in

examining and recommendingon all proposals pertaining to technical featuresand designs; exploring the requirement of funds for the construction ofworksandotherpurposesaccordingtotheapprovedprogramme;recommendingonallsub-estimates and contracts, the cost of which exceeds the powers of projectofficers.

TungabhadraBoardThe Tungabhadra Board was constituted in 1953. The Board consists of

representationsfromAndhraPradesh,Karnataka,TelanganaandGovernmentofIndia.Inthedischargeofitsassignedfunctions,theBoardexercisespowersofastate government. It makes rules for the conduct of its own business. Thegovernments of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka provide funds inagreedproportionsandalsodepute staff toman thevariousspecifiedposts,asperanagreedproportion.

UpperYamunaRiverBoardUpper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) is a subordinate office under this

Ministry.TheBoardwasconstitutedin1994withHimachalPradesh,Haryana,UttarPradesh,RajasthanandNationalCapitalTerritoryofDelhiasitsmeasure.

It consists of Member, Central Water Commission and one nominee eachfromUttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, andNationalCapitalTerritoryofDelhi.ThemainfunctionoftheBoardistoregulatethe allocation of available flows amongst the beneficiary states and alsomonitoringthereturnflows;monitoringconservingandupgradingthequalityofsurfaceandgroundwater;maintaininghydro-meteorologicaldataforthebasin;over viewing plans for watershedmanagement;monitoring and reviewing theprogressofallprojectsuptoandincludingOkhlabarrage.

BrahmaputraBoardBrahmaputra Board, an autonomous statutory body was set up and started

functioning in 1982. The jurisdiction of Brahmaputra Board includes bothBrahmaputraandBarakvalleyandcoversallthestatesofNorthEasternRegion,SikkimandNorthernpartofWestBengalfallingunderBrahmaputrabasin.Themajor functions of theBoard are to carry out survey and investigation and toprepare Master Plan for control of flood, bank erosion and improvement ofdrainage congestion, development and utilization of water resources of theBrahmaputraandBarakRiversystemforirrigation,hydropower,navigationandforotherbeneficialpurposes.

NarmadaWaterDisputeTribunalAwardTheNarmadaWaterDispute Tribunal (NWDT)was constituted in 1969 to

adjudicateuponthewaterdisputepertainingtoriverNarmada.Thetribunalhasordered settingupofmachinery for implementing its directions anddecisions.Accordingly,theCentralGovernmentframedtheNarmadaWaterSchemeinter-aliaconstitutingtheNarmadaControlAuthority(NCA).

KrishnaRiverManagementBoardKrishna River Management Board (KRMB) was contituted in 2014 with

autonomous status under this Ministry. The functions of the Board are:regulation of supply ofwater from the projects to the respective states havingregard to: awards granted by the Tribunals constituted under the Inter-StateRiver Water Disputes Act, 1956; any agreement entered into or arrangementmade covering the Andhra Pradesh Government and any other state or unionterritory; theconstructionofsuchremainingon-goingornewworksconnectedwiththedevelopmentofthewaterresourceprojectsrelatingtotheriversortheirtributaries through the successor statesas thecentralgovernmentmayspecify;making an appraisal of any proposal for construction of new projects onGodavariorKrishna rivers andgiving technical clearance, after satisfying thatsuchprojectsdonotnegativelyimpacttheavailabilityofwateraspertheawardsoftheTribunalsconstitutedundertheInter-StateRiverWaterDisputesAct,1956for the projects already completed or taken up before the appointed day; andsuchotherfunctionsasthecentralgovernmentmayentrusttoitonthebasisoftheprinciplesspecifiedintheEleventhSchedule.

PolavaramProjectAuthorityPolavaramIrrigationProjectisamulti-purposeirrigationprojectwhichison

the riverGodavarinearRamayyapetavillageofPolavarammandalabout42kmupstreamofSirArthurCottonBarrage,whereriveremergesoutoflastrangeofthe Eastern Ghats and enters the plains inWest Godavari District of AndhraPradesh.Itenvisagesconstructionofadamtocreateultimateirrigationpotentialof 2.91 lakh ha. The project also envisages generation of 960MW of hydropower, drinking water supply to a population of 28.50 lakh in 540 villages,diversionof80TMCofwatertoKrishnariverbasin,sharingof5TMCand1.5TMCwaterwithOdishaandChhattisgarh, respectively. It createsan irrigationpotentialof7.2lakhacres(2.91lakhha)inEastGodavari,Visakhapatnam,WestGodavariandKrishnadistricts.

Indo-BangladeshWaterResourcesCooperationAn Indo-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) is functioning since

1972 with a view to maintain liaison in order to ensure most effective jointefforts inmaximizing the benefits from common river systems.A TreatywassignedbythePrimeMinistersofIndiaandBangladeshin1996forthesharingofGanga/GangeswatersatFarakkaduringtheleanseason.AspertheTreaty, theGanga/Ganges waters is being shared at Farakka (which is the last controlstructure on river in India) during lean period, from 1st January to 31stMayevery year, on 10-daily basis as per the formula provided in the Treaty. ThevalidityofTreatyis30years.

IndiaNepalWaterResourceCooperationThemanagementof floodsdue to the rivers flowing into India fromNepal

has been a concern and the related issues are discussed in the existing Indo-Nepal bilateral mechanisms comprising (i) Joint Ministerial Commission onWaterResources (JMCWR),(ii) JointCommittee onWaterResources (JCWR)and (iii) Joint Standing Technical Committee(JSTC) (iv) Joint Committee onInundation of Flood Management (JCIFM) (v)Joint Committee onKosiGandakProiects (JCKGP). Government of India has been constantlypersuading theGovernmentofNepal for constructionof storagedamson theseriversformutualbenefitofthetwocountries.

IndusWatersTreatyUndertheIndusWatersTreaty1960,IndiaandPakistanhaveeachcreateda

permanent post ofCommissioner for IndusWaters.EachCommissioner is therepresentative of his government and serves as a regular channel ofcommunicationonallmattersrelatingtoimplementationoftheTreaty.ThetwoCommissionerstogetherformthePermanentIndusCommission(PIC).

NationalWaterDevelopmentAgencyTheNationalWaterDevelopmentAgencywas set up in 1982 to study the

feasibilityofthelinksunderpeninsularcomponentofnationalperspectiveplan.The NWDA is fully funded by Government of India. Its functions weresubsequentlymodifiedfromtimetotimeandthepresentfunctionsinclude:(a)tocarryoutdetailedsurveyandinvestigationsofpossiblereservoirsitesandinter-connecting links in order to establish feasibility of the proposal of peninsularriverdevelopment andHimalayan riverdevelopment components formingpartof theNationalPerspectiveforWaterResourcesDevelopment; (b) tocarryout

detailedstudiesaboutthequantumofwaterinvariouspeninsularriversystemsandHimalayanriversystemswhichcanbetransferredtootherbasins/statesaftermeetingthereasonableneedsofthebasin/statesintheforeseeablefuture;(c)toundertake/construct/repair/renovate/rehabilitate/implementtheprojectseitheronitsownorthroughanappointedagency/organization/PSUorcompanyandtheprojectsformingpartofinterlinkingofrivers,forcompletionofprojectsfallingunder PMKSY of which projects under Accelerated Irrigation BenefitsProgrammearealsoincludedandsimilarotherprojects.

NationalInstituteofHydrologyThe National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), established in 1978 as an

autonomousorganizationunderthisMinistry,isapremierR&Dinstituteinthecountry to undertake, aid, promote and coordinate basic, applied and strategicresearch on all aspects of hydrology and water resources development. TheInstitutehasitsheadquartersatRoorkee(Uttarakhand).Tocarryoutfieldrelatedresearch covering different regions of the country, it has four regional centreslocated atBelgaum, Jammu,Kakinada andBhopal, and two centres for FloodManagementStudiesatGuwahatiandPatna.

The objectives of the Institute are: (a) to undertake, aid, promote andcoordinate systematic and scientific work on all aspects of hydrology; (b) tocooperateandcollaboratewithothernationalandinternationalorganizationsinthe field of hydrology; (c) to establish andmaintain a research and referencelibrary in pursuance of the objectives of the society and equip the samewithbooks, reviews, magazines and other relevant publications; and (d) to do allother such things as itmay consider necessary, incidental or conducive to theattainmentoftheobjectivesforwhichtheInstitutehasbeenestablished.Tofulfiltheseobjectives, theInstitutehasestablishedstate-of-art laboratoryfacilities innuclearapplicationsinhydrology,waterquality,soilwater,remotesensingandGIS applications, snow and glacier, numerical groundwater modelling andhydrologicalinstrumentation.

TheInstituteactsasacentreofexcellencefortransferoftechnology,humanresources development and institutional development in specialized areas ofhydrology, and conducts user defined, demand-driven research throughcollaborationwithrelevantnationalandinternationalorganizations.

NationalProjectsConstructionCorporationLimitedNationalProjectsConstructionCorporationLimited(NPCC)wasestablished

in1957asapremierconstructioncompanytocreatenecessaryinfrastructurefor

economicdevelopmentofthecountry.NPCCcomplywithqualitymanagementrequirements of ISO 9001-2008 for execution of civil works for thermal andhydro electric projects, river valley projects, industrial structures, projectmanagement consultancy services for buildings, housings, roads, bridges andinfrastructure projects. In its 59 years of existence the Corporation hassuccessfullyassociated itselfwithcompletionofseveralnationalprojects fromconcept to commissioning stage. Some of them are in remote and hazardouslocationoverthecountry.

WaterandPowerConsultancyServicesToutilisetheexpertiseoftheengineerswhohadcarriedoutpioneeringwork

andtosharetheknowledgeandexperiencewithotherdevelopingcountriesandin turn earning foreign currency Water and Power Consultancy Services(WAPCOS)wasestablishedin1969.WAPCOSprovidedopportunitiestoIndianengineers to work in diverse geographical and climatic regions therebyenhancingIndia’sknowledgeandexpertise.Indiacametoberecognisedforitscost effective technical know-how and dedicated technical manpower.Diplomaticinitiativeswerefacilitatedtoforgelong-termfriendshipswithotherdeveloping countries and consultancy services contributed in their own smallway in the economic development by earning valuable foreign exchange.Gradually other consultancy organisations established themselves and finallyearned name and fame on the strength of the Indian human resources andinnovativetechnology.

Main fieldsof specializationof theCompanycover irrigation,drainageandwatermanagement,groundwaterexplorationandminorirrigation,floodcontrolandrivermorphology,rivermanagement,damsandreservoirengineering,waterbodies and land conservation, agriculture, watershed management, naturalresources management, hydropower, thermal power, pumped storage project,transmission anddistribution, rural electrification, non-conventional sourcesofenergy,watersupply,sanitationanddrainage,environment,ports,harboursandinland waterways, urban and rural areas development, roads and highwayengineering, buildings and townships. The Company provides concept tocommissioningservicesfordevelopmentalprojectsinIndiaandabroad.

Consultancy services have made a niche in the innovative as well asconventionalfieldsandhaveeffectivelycontributedinthedevelopmentprocessof the nation.Healthy growth trends all over theworld call for requisition ofservices of consultants for high quality jobs and realization of the need forprofessionalinvolvementhaswidenedthevistasforconsultantstooperate.

Immediatelyafter independence, attentionwas focussedon theconstructionof water resources and power projects across India. Nearly 4300 large dams(including695underconstruction)havebeenbuilt andconstructedalongwithcanal systems and allied structures. Some of the multipurpose projects likeBhakraDam,HirakudDam,NagarjunaDamandDantewadaDamfindmentionamongsttheworld’slargestprojects.Inthefirsttwodecadesafterindependence,foreignconsultantshadtobeengagedfortheplanningandconstructionoflargedams.

NorthEasternRegionalInstituteofWaterandLandManagement

The North Eastern Regional Institute of Water and Land Management(NERIWALM) was established at Tezpur, Assam by North Eastern Council(NEC),in1989.TheInstituteisundertheadministrativecontrolofthisMinistry.The Institute is situated in 3km away from the historically famous town ofTezpur,SonitpurdistrictofAssamwhichislocatedonthenorthbankofmightyriverBrahmaputraatabout180kmfromGuwahati.Itisconnectedbyroad,railandairwithotherpartsofthecountry.

ThemainobjectiveoftheInstituteistoprovidecapacitybuilding,undertakeresearch and provide technical services to the line departments in order toimproveagriculturalproductionandsocio-economicstatusofthepeopleinnortheast.

MinorIrrigationandWaterBodiesCensusACentrallySponsoredScheme,RationalizationofMinorIrrigationStatistics

(RMIS)waslaunchedin1987-88intheMinistryofWaterResources,withcentper cent assistance to the states/UTs.During theEleventh FiveYear Plan, theRMIS schemewas converted as one of the components of the Central SectorScheme -Development ofWater Resources Information System (DWRIS). In2017-18,theschemewasrenamedas“IrrigationCensus”andbroughtundertheumbrellascheme,’PrimeMinister’sKrishiSinchaiYojanaandotherSchemes’.The main objective of the Irrigation Census scheme is to build up acomprehensive and reliable database in the Minor Irrigation (MI) sector foreffective planningand policymaking. Under it, each state/UT has identified anodal department for compilation of minor irrigation statistics for the entirestate/UT.

DatabaseonMinorIrrigation(MI)schemesplaysanimportantroleinpolicyformulationforwaterresourcesavailableinthecountry.MIcensusesarearich

source of information on India’s ground water sector. In the MI Censusesdetailed information on various aspects/parameters like irrigation sources (dugwell, shallow tube well, medium tube well, deep tube well, surface flow andsurface lift schemes),irrigation potential created, potential utilized,ownership,holding size of land by the owner, devices used for lifting water,sourceofenergy,energyconservingdevicessuchassprinkleranddripirrigation,useofnon-conventional energy sources suchas solarpumps,windmills etc. iscollected.

Detailed database on minor irrigation works in the country has beengenerated through five censuses carried out under the scheme so far withreference years 1986-87, 1993-94, 2000-01, 2006-07 and 2013-14respectively.ThecensusreportsareavailableonthewebsiteofthisMinistry.

28 Welfare

IN 1985-86, the erstwhile Ministry of Welfare was bifurcated into theDepartmentofWomenandChildDevelopmentandtheDepartmentofWelfare.Simultaneously, the Scheduled Castes Development Division, TribalDevelopment Division and the Minorities and Backward Classes WelfareDivision were shifted from the Ministry of Home Affairs and also theWakfDivisionfromtheMinistryofLawtoformthethenMinistryofWelfare.

Subsequently,thenameoftheMinistrywaschangedtotheMinistryofSocialJustice andEmpowerment inMay, 1998.Further, inOctober, 1999, theTribalDevelopment Division was moved out to form a separate Ministry of TribalAffairs. In January, 2007 theMinorities Division along withWakf Unit weremoved out of the Ministry and formed a separate Ministry and the ChildDevelopment Division was merged with the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment..

TwodepartmentshavebeencreatedundertheMinistryofSocialJusticeandEmpowerment namely: (i) Department of Social Justice and Empowerment(Samajik Nyaya and Adhikarita Vibhag) (ii) Department of Disability Affairs(NishaktataKaryaVibhag) since renamed asDepartment of Empowerment ofPersonswithDisabilities(Divyangjan).Websites:www.socialjustice.nic.inwww.disabilityaffairs.gov.in

EventsRelatedtoScheduledCasteWelfareCelebrationofConstitutionDay

On29August1947,theConstituentAssemblysetupaDraftingCommitteeundertheChairmanshipofDr.B.R.AmbedkartoprepareadraftConstitutionforIndia.ItwasadoptedbytheConstituentAssemblyon26November1949,andcame into effect on 26 January 1950. With its adoption, the Union of Indiabecame the modern and contemporary Republic of India replacing theGovernment of India Act 1935 as the country’s fundamental governingdocument. The Constitution declares India as a sovereign, socialist, secular,democratic republic, assuring its citizens of justice, equality, and liberty, and

http://www.socialjustice.nic.in

http://www.disabilityaffairs.gov.in

endeavourstopromotefraternityamongthem.DrB.R.Ambedkarisregardedasthe principal architect in the framingof theConstitutionof Indiawhich is thelongest written constitution of any sovereign country in the world. TheConstitutionofIndiaisthesupremelawofIndia.Itprovidesalegalframeworkforsocialtransformationfromasocietyofcastesandcommunitiestoamodernsocietyofcitizensbasedonequalconsiderationofindividualswithoutregardforcaste, creed or gender. The national committee that was formed under thechairmanshipofthePrimeMinisterforcelebratingthe125thBirthAnniversaryofDr.B.R.AmbedkardecidedtoincreaseawarenessabouttheConstitution.

BirthAnniversaryofBabasahebThe 128th Birth Anniversary of Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was

celebratedon14thApril,2018intheParliamentHouseLawns,NewDelhi.ThePresident and Prime Minister led the nation in paying floral tribute to Dr.Ambedkar.

WelfareofScheduledCastesandScheduledTribesTheConstitutioncontains severalprovisions in thenatureof safeguards for

the Scheduled Castes. The following two Acts specifically aim at curbing (i)untouchability and (ii) atrocities against SCs and STs, and are therefore veryimportant for the Scheduled Castes— (i) The Protection of Civil Rights Act,1955, and (ii) The ScheduledCastes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention ofAtrocities)Act,1989.

ProtectionofCivilRightsIn pursuance ofArticle 17 of theConstitution of India, theUntouchability

(Offences)Act,1955wasenacted.Subsequently, itwasamendedandrenamedin1976astheProtectionofCivilRightsAct,1955.RulesunderthisAct,viz.,The Protection of Civil Rights Rules, 1977 were notified in 1977. The Actextendstothewholeofthecountryandprovidespunishmentforthepracticeofuntouchability.Itisimplementedbytherespectivestategovernmentsandunionterritoryadministrations.

ScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribes(PreventionofAtrocities)Act

The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities)Act, 1989 (The PoA Act) came into force in 1990. This legislation aims atpreventingcommissionofoffencesbypersonsother thanscheduledcastesandscheduledtribesagainstscheduledcastesandscheduledtribes.

Comprehensive Rules under this Act, titled Scheduled Castes and theScheduledTribes(PreventionofAtrocities)Rules,1995werenotifiedin1995,which, inter-alia, provide norms for relief and rehabilitation.TheseRules hadnotbeenamendedthereafter.

ScheduledCastesandScheduledTribes(PreventionofAtrocities)AmendmentAct,2015and2016

Despite thedeterrentprovisionsmade in thePoAAct, continuingatrocitiesagainstthemembersofScheduledCastes(SCs)andScheduledTribes(STs)hadbeen a cause of concern. High incidence of occurrences of offences againstmembersofSCsandSTsalsoindicatedthatthedeterrenteffectofthePoAActwasnotadequatelyfeltbytheaccused.Itwas,therefore,consideredappropriatetostrengthentheActandmaketherelevantprovisionsmoreeffective.Basedontheconsultationprocesswithall thestakeholders,amendments in thePoAActwereproposedtobroadlycoverfiveareas.Therehavebeenadditionofseveralnew offences and rephrasing of existing ones. The establishment of exclusivespecialcourtsforthespeedytrialofoffencesofatrocitiesagainstthemembersofSCs and STs and specification of exclusive special public prosecutor areprovided.AnewchapterrelatingtoRightsofVictimsandWitnessesisinserted.Certain duties and responsibilities are imposed upon the State for makingnecessaryarrangementforprotectionofvictims,theirdefendantsandwitnesses.

Relief amount for 47 offences of atrocities is provided for and phasing ofpayment of relief amount rationalised. Relief amount is enhanced between₹85,000/- to ₹ 8,25,000/- depending upon the nature of the offence. Theadmissible relief is to be paid within seven days. Investigation and filing ofchargesheetistobedonewithinsixtydays.

NationalCommissionforScheduledCastesTheNationalCommissionforSCsandSTs(NCSC)whichwassetupunder

Article 383 of theConstitution in 1990was bifurcated into twoCommissionsnamely,NationalCommission forScheduledCastes andNationalCommissionforScheduledTribesafterthe89thConstitutional(Amendment)Act,2003.TheNational Commission for Scheduled Castes is responsible for monitoring thesafeguardsprovidedforScheduledCastesandalsotoreviewissuesconcerningtheirwelfare.FunctionsoftheNCSCasenumeratedintheArticle338(5)oftheConstitution are– (a) to investigate and monitor all matters relating to thesafeguardsprovidedforthescheduledcastesundertheConstitutionorunderanyotherlawforthetimebeinginforceorunderanyorderoftheGovernmentand

to evaluate the working of such safeguards; (b) to inquire into specificcomplaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and safeguards of thescheduledcastes;(c)toparticipateandadviseontheplanningprocessofsocio-economicdevelopmentof the scheduledcastesand toevaluate theprogressoftheirdevelopmentundertheUnionandanystate;(d)topresenttothePresident,annuallyandatsuchothertimesastheCommissionmaydeemfit,reportsupontheworkingofthosesafeguards;(e)tomakeinsuchreports,recommendationsas to the measures that should be taken by the Union or any state for theeffective implementation of those safeguards and other measures for theprotection, welfare and socio-economic development of the scheduled castes;and(f)todischargesuchotherfunctionsinrelationtotheprotection,welfareanddevelopment and advancement of the scheduled castes as the President may,subjecttotheprovisionsofanylawmadebyParliament,byrulespecify.Website:www.ncsc.nic.in

EducationalEmpowermentPre-MatricScholarship

This is a centrally sponsored Scheme, which is implemented by the stategovernments and union territory administrations, which receive 100 per centcentral assistance for the total expenditure under the scheme, over and abovetheir respective committed liability. The level of committed liability ofrespective state governments/union territory administrations for a year isequivalenttothelevelofactualexpenditureincurredbythemundertheSchemeduring the terminal year of the last FiveYearPlan. Itwas started in 1977-78.Initially,itcoveredonlyhostellers.Subsequently,in1991dayscholarswerealsobroughtwithin its purview.Under theScheme financial assistance is providedfor pre- matric education to children of the following target groups, viz., (i)scavengersofdrylatrines,(ii)tanners,(iii)flayersand(iv)wastepickers.

Pre-MatricScholarshipforSCStudentsTheSchemewasintroducedin2012.TheSchemeiscentrallysponsoredand

implemented by the state governments and union territory administrations,which provides 100 per cent assistance from Government of India forexpenditure under the Scheme, over and above their committed liability. Thelevelofcommittedliabilityofastategovernment/unionterritoryadministrationforayearwillbeequivalenttothelevelofactualexpenditureincurredbythemunder the Scheme during the terminal year of the previous Five Year PlanPeriod,andwillbe required tobeborneby thembymakingprovision in their

http://www.ncsc.nic.in

ownbudget.

NationalOverseasScholarshipforSCsTheSchemeprovidesforfeeschargedbyinstitutionsasperactual,monthly

maintenance allowance, passage visa fee and insurance premium, annualcontingencyallowance, incidental journeyallowance.Only twochildrenof thesameparents/guardiansareeligibletogetbenefitundertheScheme.Thesecondchildof the sameparents/guardianwillbeconsideredonly if the slotsare stillavailable for that year. The prospective awardees should not bemore than 35yearsofage.The totalnumberofawards (maximum) tobegiveneachyear is100and30percentoftheawardshavebeenearmarkedforwomencandidates.During2016-17theunfilledslotsof2014-15and2015-16werecarriedforwardto2016-17.Financialassistanceunder theSchemeisprovidedforamaximumperiod of 4 years for Ph.D and 3 years forMasters programme. The incomeceilingfromallsourcesof theemployedcandidateorhis/herparents/guardiansshouldnotbemorethan₹50,000/-permonthBabuJagjivanRamChhatrawasYojana

The objective of the Scheme is to provide hostel facilities to SC boys andgirls studying in middle schools, higher secondary schools, colleges anduniversities. The state governments/union territory administrations and thecentralandstateuniversities/institutionsareeligibleforcentralassistance,bothforfreshconstructionofhostelbuildingsandforexpansionoftheexistinghostelfacilitieswhileNGOsanddeemeduniversitiesintheprivatesectorcanavailthebenefitonlyforexpansionoftheirexistinghostelfacilities.

RajivGandhiNationalFellowshipforSCStudentsThe Scheme provides financial assistance to scheduled caste students for

pursuing research studies leading to M. Phil, Ph.D, and equivalent researchdegreeinuniversities,researchinstitutionsandscientificinstitutions.UniversityGrantsCommission (UGC) is thenodal agency for implementing theScheme.About 2000 Junior Research Fellowships (JRF) per year are awarded toscheduled caste students.Number of fellowshipswere increased from1333 in2010 to 2000 in 2011. In case of non-availability of adequate number ofscheduledcastecandidates,thenumberoffellowshipsnotavailedduringayearwill be carried forward to the next academic session. In case, the number ofcandidates exceeds the number of available awards, the UGC selects thecandidatesbasedonthepercentageofmarksobtainedbythecandidatesintheirpost graduation examination. There is no income ceiling prescribed under the

Scheme.

SpecialCentralAssistanceScheduledCastesSubPlan

SpecialCentralAssistance(SCA)toScheduledCastesSubPlan(SCSP)isacentralsectorScheme,startedin1980,underwhich100percentgrantisgiventothestates/UTs,asanadditivetotheirScheduledCastesSubPlan(SCSP).Themain objective is to give a thrust to family oriented schemes of economicdevelopmentofSCsbelowthepovertyline.

ScheduledCastesDevelopmentCorporationsThe centrally sponsored scheme for participating in the equity share of the

Scheduled Castes Development Corporations (SCDCs) in the ratio of 49:51(central/state)wasintroducedin1979.Atpresent,SCDCsarefunctioningin27states/UTs.ThemainfunctionsofsuchcorporationsareidentificationofeligibleSCfamiliesandmotivatingthemtoundertakeeconomicdevelopmentschemes,sponsoring the schemes to financial institutions for credit support, providingfinancial assistance in the form of margin money at low rate of interest andsubsidyinordertoreducetherepaymentliabilityandprovidingnecessarytieupwithotherpoverty alleviationprogrammes.TheseCorporations areplaying animportantroleinprovidingcreditandinputsbywayofmarginmoneyloansandsubsidytothetargetgroup.

NationalScheduledCastesFinanceandDevelopmentCorporationThe National Scheduled Castes Finance and Development Corporation

(NSFDC) was set up in 1989 under Section 8 of the Companies Act, 2013(formerly Section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956). The broad objective ofNSFDC is to provide financial assistance in the formof concessional loans toscheduledcaste families,andskill-cum-entrepreneurial training to theyouthofthe target group, living below double the poverty line for their economicdevelopment.

VentureCapitalFundforScheduledCastesGovernment announced the setting up of a Venture Capital Fund for

Scheduled Castes in 2014. This was to promote entrepreneurship among thescheduledcastesandtoprovideconcessionalfinancetothem.

CreditEnhancementGuaranteeSchemeforScheduledCastesIn 2014, the government announced that a sum of ₹ 200 crore will be

allocated towards credit enhancement facility for young and start-upentrepreneurs, belonging to scheduled castes, who aspire to be part of neo-middle class category with an objective to encourage entrepreneurship in thelowerstrataofthesocietyresultinginjobcreation.

WelfareofPersonswithDisabilitiesInorder togive focused attention todifferent policy issues andmeaningful

thrust to theactivitiesaimedatwelfareandempowermentof thePersonswithDisabilities, a separateDepartmentofDisabilityAffairswas carvedout of theMinistryofSocialJusticeandEmpowermentin2012.TheDepartmentactsasanodal agency for matters pertaining to disability and persons with disabilitiesincluding effecting closer coordination among different stakeholders : relatedcentral ministries, state/UT governments, NGOs etc., in matters pertaining todisability. According to Census 2011, there are 2.68 crore persons withdisabilitiesinthecountry(whoconstitute2.21percentofthetotalpopulation).Outofthetotalpopulationofpersonswithdisabilities,about1.50crorearemenand1.18crore arewomen.These includepersonswithvisual, hearing, speechand locomotor disabilities, mental illness, mental retardation, multipledisabilitiesandotherdisabilities.

ConstitutionalProvisionsTheConstitutionofIndiathroughitsPreamble, inter-alia seeks tosecure to

all its citizens; justice, social, economic and political; liberty of thought,expression,belief,faithandworship;equalityofstatusandofopportunity.Part-III of theConstitution provides for a set of six FundamentalRights to all thecitizens (and in a few cases to non-citizens also). These include - Right toEquality; Right to Freedom; Right against Exploitation; Right to Freedom ofReligion;CulturalandEducationalRightsandRighttoConstitutionalRemedies.AlltheserightsarealsoavailabletothePersonswithDisabilitieseventhoughnospecificmentionofsuchpersonsappearinthisPartoftheConstitution.

TheDirectivePrinciplesofStatePolicyhavebeenincorporatedinPart-IVofthe Constitution. Even though non-justiciable, these have been declared asfundamental in thegovernanceof thecountry.Theseprinciplesare intendedtobe the imperative basis of State policy. These are really in the nature ofinstructions issued to future legislatures and executives for their guidance.Article41:Righttowork,toeducationandtopublicassistanceincertaincases,provides: “The State shall, within the limits of its economic capacity anddevelopment, make effective provision for securing the right to work, toeducationand topublic assistance in caseofunemployment,old age, sickness

and disablement and in other cases of undeserved want’. Besides, EleventhScheduletoArticle243-GandTwelfthScheduletoArticle243-W,whichpertainto the powers and responsibilities of the Panchayats and municipalitiesrespectively with respect to implementation of schemes for economicdevelopmentandsocialjustice,includewelfareandsafeguardingtheinterestsofPersonswithDisabilitiesamongotherweakersectionsofthesociety.

The Department deals with the following legislations governing differentaspects of disability and welfare and empowerment of the Persons withDisabilities—TheRehabilitationCouncilofIndiaAct,1992;ThePersonswithDisabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation)Act, 1995; and The National Trust for the Welfare of Persons with Autism,CerebralPalsy,MentalRetardationandMultipleDisabilitiesAct,1999.

Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), hasformulated the accessible India Campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan), as anation-wide campaign for achieving universal accessibility for PwDs. Thecampaigntargets threeseparateverticalsforachievinguniversalaccessibilities,namely,thebuiltupenvironment,transportationeco-systemandinformationandcommunication eco-system. The campaign has ambitious targets with definedtimelines andwill use IT and socialmedia for spreading awareness about thecampaign and seeking commitment/engagement of various stakeholders. TheDepartmenthasaskedvariousstatestoidentifyabout50to100publicbuildingsinbigcitiesandalsoidentifycitizencentricpublicwebsites,whichifmadefullyaccessiblewouldhavethehighestimpactonthelivesofPwDs.Onceidentified“Access Audit” of these buildings and websities will be conducted byprofessional agencies.Asper the audit findings, retrofitting and conversionofbuildings, transport andwebsiteswould be undertaken by various governmentdepartments. This will be supported by the Scheme of Implementation ofPersonswithDisabilitiesAct(SIPDA),anumbrellaschemerunbytheDEPwDfor implementing various initiatives for social and economic empowerment ofPwDs.

TheDepartmentiscollaboratingwithMinistryofHome,MinistryofHealthand Family Welfare and Ministry of Tourism for creating “accessible policestation”,“accessiblehospitals”and“accessibletourism”respectivelyacrossthecountry.TheDepartment isalsocoordinatingwith theMinistryof Informationand Broadcasting for enhancing accessibility of television programmes byincorporating features like captioning, text to speech and audio description.DEPwDisalsointheprocessofcreatingamobileapp,alongwithawebportalfor crowd sourcing the request regarding inaccessible places. With the app,

downloaded on his/her mobile phone, any person would be able to click aphotograph or video of an inaccessible public place (like a school, hospital,governmentofficeetc.)anduploadthesametotheAccessibleIndiaportal.Theportal will process the request for access audit, financial sanction and findretrofittingofthebuildingtomakeitcompletelyaccessible.

PersonswithDisabilitySection2(t)ofthePersonswithDisabilities(EqualOpportunities,Protection

ofRightsandFullParticipation)Act,1995,definesapersonsufferingfromnotless than40per cent of anydisability as certifiedby amedical authority.Thedisability being blindness (b) low vision (c) leprosy cured (d) hearingimpairment(e)loco-motordisability(f)mentalillness(g)mentalretardation(h)autism(i)cerebralpalsyor(j)acombinationofanytwoormoreof(g),(h)and(i) (Section 2 (i) of the PwD Act, 1995 read alongwith Section 2(j) of TheNational Trust for Welfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, MentalRetardationandMultipleDisabilitiesAct,1999).

MentalHealthActMental illness has been recognized as one of the disabilities under the

Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and FullParticipation)Act,1995.Thetreatmentandcareofthementallyillpersonsaregoverned by the Mental Health Act, 1987. The Act is administered by theMinistryofHealthandFamilyWelfare.

PersonswithDisabilitiesActA comprehensive law, namely, the Persons with Disabilities (Equal

Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 wasenacted and enforced in 1996. The law deals with both prevention andpromotion aspects of the rehabilitation such as education, employment andvocational training, creation of barrier-free environment, provision ofrehabilitation services for persons with disabilities, institutional services andsupportivesocialsecuritymeasureslikeunemploymentallowanceandgrievanceredressalmachinery both at the central and state level. National Trust for theWelfare of Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation andMultipleDisabilitiesisastatutorybodyunderTheNationalTrustfortheWelfareof Persons with Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Mental Retardation and MultipleDisabilities Act, 1999. The main objectives of the Trust are to enable andempower persons with these disabilities to live independently as fully aspossible, to extend support to registered organisations providing need-based

servicesandtoevolveprocedureforappointmentoflegalguardiansforpersonswithdisabilitiesrequiringsuchprotection.

ChiefCommissionerforPersonswithDisabilitiesThe Chief Commissioner is an important statutory functionary, appointed

under Section 57 of the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities,ProtectionofRightsandFullParticipation)Act,1995.Thefunctionsanddutiesof the Chief commissioner include: coordinating the work of statecommissioners for personswith disabilities,monitoring of utilisation of fundsdisbursed by the central government, taking steps to safeguard rights andfacilities made available to persons with disabilities and also to look intocomplaintswithrespecttodeprivationofrightsofpersonswithdisabilities.TheChief Commissioner can also take suomoto notice of non-implementation ofany rule, law, etc., meant for persons with disabilities and is vested with thepowers of a civil court relating to summoning of witness, discovery,requistioningandproductionofanydocument,etc.

RehabilitationCouncilThe Rehabilitation Council of India is a statutory body set up under the

Rehabilitation Council of India Act, 1992. The Council is responsible forregulating the training policies and programmes for various categories ofprofessionals in the area of rehabilitation and special education. Its functionsinclude:(i)standardisationandregulationoftrainingcoursesatdifferentlevelsin all the training institutions throughout the country, (ii) recognition ofinstitutions/universities running trainingcourses in theareaof rehabilitationofthedisabledwithinandoutsidethecountryonareciprocalbasis,(iii)promotionofresearchinrehabilitationandspecialeducation(iv)maintenanceofacentralrehabilitation register forprofessionalspossessing the recognised rehabilitationqualificationsintheareaofrehabilitationand(v)encouragementofcontinuingrehabilitationeducationprogrammesincollaborationwithorganisationsworkingintheareaofdisability.Website:www.rehabcouncil.nic.in

NationalInstitutesIn order to effectively deal with the multi-dimensional problem of the

disabled population, the following national institutes/apex level institutes havebeenset-upineachmajorareaofdisability;(i)NationalInstitutefortheVisuallyHandicapped, Dehradun, (ii) National Institute for OrthopaedicallyHandicapped, Kolkata, (iii) Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing

http://www.rehabcouncil.nic.in

Handicapped, Mumbai, (iv) National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped,Secunderabad, (v) National Institute of Rehabilitaion Training and Research,Cuttack,(vi),InstituteforthePhysicallyHandicapped,NewDelhi,(vii)NationalInstitute for Empowerment of Persons with Multiple Disabilities, Chennai.These institutes are mainly responsible for conducting innovative researches,organisetrainingprogrammesformanpowerdevelopmentanddeliverservicesinthe country. Artificial LimbsManufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO),Kanpurisapublicsectorbody,engagedinmanufacturingofaidsandappliancesfor persons with disabilities. The products manufactured by the CorporationconformtoISIstandardsapprovedbytheBureauofIndianStandards.Marketingof products is done through regional marketing centres at Kolkata, Mumbai,Chennai, Bhubaneshwar and Delhi and also through national institutes,voluntaryorganisations.

FiveComposite Regional Centres (CRCs) for the PersonswithDisabilitiesare located at Srinagar, Lucknow, Bhopal, Sundernagar and Guwahati. Thesecentres conduct training programmes to prepare professionals in the field ofrehabilitation as well as provide rehabilitation services to the disabled. FourRegional Rehabilitation Centres for Spinal Injuries and other Disabilities atMohali, Cuttack, Jabalpur and Bareilly are providing services for basicmanagement and follow-up of the spinally injured so as tomake the affectedpersonsfunctionallyindependent.

EconomicDevelopmentTheNationalHandicappedFinanceandDevelopmentCorporation(NHFDC)

is an apex-level financial institution for extending credit facilities to personswithdisabilities for theireconomicdevelopment.Fundsassistance isdisbursedthrough the channelising agencies authorized by the state governments/UTadministrations and non-governmental organisations. It also extends loans forpursuing education at graduate and higher levels. Besides, it assists in theupgradation of technical and entrepreneurial skills to enable beneficiaries tomanagetheirproductionunitsefficiently.Website:www.nhfdc.nic.in

AssistancetoDisabledPersonsforPurchaseofAppliancesUndertheSchemeforAssistancetoDisabledPersonsforPurchase/Fittingof

AIDsandAppliancesassistanceisgivenforprocuringdurable,sophisticatedandscientificallymanufactured,standardaidsandappliancesthatcanpromotetheirphysical, social and psychological rehabilitation by reducing the impact ofdisability and enhance their economic potential. It is implemented through

http://www.nhfdc.nic.in

agencies like voluntary organisations, national institutes under the Ministry,ALIMCO, Zilla Panchayats, DRDAs, etc. The implementing agencies areprovided grant-in-aid for purchase, fabrication and distribution of aids andappliances. The Scheme also includes under its ambit medical/surgicalcorrection and intervention that may be essential prior to fitment of aids andappliances.

TribalAffairsDevelopmentofScheduledTribes

TheMinistry of Tribal Affairs was set up in 1999 after the bifurcation ofMinistry of Social Justice and Empowerment with the objective of providingmore focused approach on the integrated socio-economic development of theScheduledTribes(STs),themostunderprivilegedofthesociety,inacoordinatedand planned manner. Before the formation of the Ministry, tribal affairs washandledbydifferentministriesatdifferentpointsintime.ItisthenodalMinistryforoverallpolicy,planningandcoordinationofprogrammesfordevelopmentofST’s.To thisend , thisMinistryhasundertakenactivities that follow from thesubjects allocated under the Government of India (Allocation of Business)Rules,1961.Website:www.tribal.nic.in

ScheduledAreasandTribalAreasScheduled Tribes live in contiguous areas unlike other communities. It is,

therefore,muchsimplertohaveanareaapproachfordevelopmentactivitiesandalso regulatory provisions to protect their interests. In order to protect theinterests of scheduled tribes with regard to land alienation and other socialfactors,provisionsoftheFifthScheduleandSixthSchedulehavebeenenshrinedintheConstitution.

TheFifthScheduleunderArticle244(1)ofConstitutiondefines“ScheduledAreas” as such areas as the President may by Order declare to be ScheduledAreas after consultation with the Governor of the state. The Sixth ScheduleunderArticle244 (2)of theConstitution relates to those areas in the statesofAssam,Meghalaya,TripuraandMizoramwhicharedeclaredas“TribalAreas”andprovidesfordistrictcouncilsand/orregionalcouncilsforsuchareas.TheseCouncils have been conferred with wide ranging legislative, judicial andexecutive powers. The criteria for declaring any area as a “Scheduled Area”under the Fifth Schedule are: (a) preponderance of tribal population, (b)compactness and reasonable size of the area, (c) a viable administrative entity

http://www.tribal.nic.in

suchasadistrict,blockortaluk,and(d)economicbackwardnessoftheareaascompared to neighbouring areas. The specification of “Scheduled Areas” inrelationtoastateisdonebyanotifiedorderofthePresident,afterconsultationwiththestategovernmentsconcerned.Thesameappliesforaltering,increasing,decreasing, incorporating new areas, or rescinding any orders relating to“ScheduledAreas”.

The advantages of Scheduled Areas are that: (a) the Governor of a state,whichhasScheduledAreas,isempoweredtomakeregulationsinrespectofthefollowing:(i)prohibitorrestricttransferoflandfromtribalpeople;(ii)regulatethebusiness ofmoney lending to themembers of scheduled tribes. Inmakinganysuchregulation,theGovernormayrepealoramendanyActofParliamentoroftheLegislatureofthestatewhichisapplicabletotheareainquestion;(ii)TheGovernor may through public notification direct that any particular Act ofParliamentorofthelegislatureofthestate,shallnotapplytoaScheduledAreaor any part thereof in the state or shall apply to such area subject to suchexceptions and modifications as he may specify; (c) the Governor of a statehavingScheduledAreastherein,shallannually,orwheneversorequiredbythePresidentofIndia,makeareporttothePresidentregardingtheadministrationofthe ScheduledAreas in that state and the executive power of theUnion shallextendtothegivingofdirectionstothestateastotheadministrationofthesaidarea; (d) TribesAdvisoryCouncil (TAC) shall be established in states havingScheduledAreas.TheroleofTACistoadvisethestategovernmentonmatterspertainingtothewelfareandadvancementofthescheduledtribesinthestateasmaybe referred to itby theGovernor.TheTACwill consistofnotmore thantwentymembers ofwhomabout 3/4 are to be fromST-MLAs.TheTACmayalsobeestablishedinanystatehavingscheduledtribesbutnotScheduledAreason thedirectionof thePresidentof India; (e) theProvisionsof thePanchayats(ExtensiontoScheduledAreas)Act,1996(PESA),videwhichtheprovisionsofPanchayats, contained in Part IX of the Constitution, were extended toScheduled Areas, also contain special provisions for the benefit of scheduledtribes. The Sixth Schedule under Article 244 of the Constitution identifiesautonomous districts in the tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura andMizoram.Italsomakesprovisionsforrecognitionofautonomousregionswithintheseautonomousdistricts.ThesehavebeenspecifiedinPartsI,II,IIAandIIIof the table appended to paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule. In otherwords,areas where provisions of Sixth Schedule are applicable are known as TribalAreas.Thestate-wisedetailsofTribalAreasareas:-

Part-I Assam 1. The North Cachar Hills District; 2. The Karbi-Anglong

District;and3.TheBodoLandTerritorialAreaDistricts;Part IIMeghalaya1.KhasiHillsDistrict;2.JaintiaHillsDistrict;and3.TheGaroHillsDistrict;PartIITripura;TripuraTribalAreasDistrict;andPart IIIMizoram1.TheChakmaDistrict2.TheMaraDistrict;and3.TheLaiDistrict

The district or regional councils are empowered to make rules with theapprovaloftheGovernorwithregardtomatterslikeestablishment,constructionormanagementofprimaryschools,dispensaries,markets,cattleponds, ferries,fisheries, roads, road transport andwaterways in thedistrict.TheAutonomousCouncils of the North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong have been grantedadditional powers to make laws with respect to other matters like secondaryeducation, agriculture, social security and social insurance, public health andsanitation,minorirrigation,etc.,ThecouncilshavealsobeenconferredpowersundertheCivilProcedureCodeandCriminalProcedureCodefortrialofcertainsuits andoffences, as also thepowersof a revenueauthority for their area forcollection of revenue and taxes and other powers for the regulation andmanagementofnaturalresources.

ProcedureforDeclarationasSTThetermscheduledtribesisdefinedintheConstitutionofIndiaunderArticle

366(25)assuchtribesortribalcommunitiesorpartsofgroupswithinsuchtribesor tribal communities as aredeemedunderArticle342 tobe scheduled tribes.Article342prescribestheproceduretobefollowedinthematterofspecificationofscheduledtribes.IntermsofArticle342(1),thePresidentmay,withrespecttoany state or union territory, andwhere it is a state, after consultationwith theGovernor thereof, notify tribes or tribal communities or parts thereof asscheduled tribes. This confers on the tribe or part of it a constitutional statusinvokingthesafeguardsprovidedforintheConstitution,tothesecommunities,in their respective states/UTs. Thus, in terms of Article 342(1), only thosecommunitieswhohavebeendeclaredassuchbythePresidentthroughaninitialpublic notification will be considered as scheduled tribes. Any furtheramendment in the list is to be done through an Act of Parliament (Article342(2)).Parliamentmay,bylaw,includeinorexcludefromthelistofscheduledtribes,anytribeortribalcommunityorpartsthereof.Thelistofscheduledtribesisstate-specific.Inotherwords,acommunitydeclaredasscheduledtribeinonestateneednotbesoinanother.

SchedulingandDe-SchedulingofTribesThus,thefirstspecificationofscheduledtribesinrelationtoaparticularstate/

unionterritoryisbyanotifiedorderofthePresident,afterconsultationwiththe

stategovernmentsconcerned.Thecriteriagenerallyadoptedforspecificationofa community as a scheduled tribe are : (a) indications of primitive traits;(b)distinctiveculture;(c)shynessofcontactwiththecommunityatlarge;and(d)geographical isolation i.e., backwardness.These are not spelt out in theConstitution but have become well established. They take into account thedefinitions in the 1931 Census, the reports of the first Backward ClassesCommission(KalelkarCommittee),1955,theAdvisoryCommitteeonRevisionofSC/STlists(LokurCommittee),1965andtheJointCommitteeofParliamentontheScheduledCastesandScheduledTribesOrders(Amendment)Bill,1967(Chanda Committee), 1969. There are over 700 tribes (with many of themoverlapping in more than one state) as notified under Article 342 of theConstitution of India, spread over different states and union territories of thecountry.ItisworthnotingthatnocommunityhasbeenspecifiedasascheduledtribeinrelationtothestatesofHaryanaandPunjabandtheunionterritoriesofChandigarh,DelhiandPuducherry.

AscertainingSTStatusWhereapersonclaims tobelong toa scheduled tribebybirth, it shouldbe

verified: (a) that the person and his parents actually belong to the communityclaimed;(b)thatthecommunityisincludedinthePresidentialOrderspecifyingthescheduledtribesinrelationtotheconcernedstate;(c)thatthepersonbelongstothatstateandtheareawithinthatstateinrespectofwhichthecommunityhasbeen scheduled; (d) he may profess any religion; (e) that he or his parents/grandparents,etc., shouldbepermanent residentof thestate/UTon thedateofnotificationofthePresidentialOrderapplicableinhiscase;(f)apersonwhoistemporarily away from his permanent place of residence at the time of thenotificationof thePresidentialOrder-applicableinhiscase,sayforexampletoearnalivingorseekeducation,etc.,canalsoberegardedasascheduledtribe,ifhis tribe has been specified in that order in relation to his home state/unionterritory; (g) but he cannot be treated as such in relation to the place of histemporaryresidencenotwithstandingthefactthatthenameofhistribehasbeenscheduled in respect of that state where he is temporarily settled, in anyPresidentialOrder;(h)inthecaseofpersonsbornafterthedateofnotificationofthe relevant Presidential Order, the place of residence for the purpose ofacquiringSTstatus,istheplaceofpermanentabodeoftheirparentsatthetimeofthenotificationofthePresidentialOrderunderwhichtheyclaimtobelongtosuch a tribe. This does not apply to the STs of the Lakshadweep Islands forwhomthereisarequirementofbeingbornintheunionterritoriesinordertobeeligibleforSTstatus.

Theguidingprincipleisthatnopersonwhoisnotascheduledtribebybirthwillbedeemedtobeamemberofscheduledtribemerelybecauseheorshehasmarried a person belonging to a scheduled tribe. Similarly, a personwho is amember of a scheduled tribe will continue to be amember of that scheduledtribe, even after his or hermarriage with a person who does not belong to ascheduledtribe.Thecandidatesbelongingtoscheduledtribesmaygetscheduledtribe certificates, in the prescribed form, from any one of the followingauthorities:DistrictMagistrate/AdditionalDistrictMagistrate/Collector/DeputyCommissioner/Additional Deputy Commissioner/Deputy Collector/1st ClassStipendiary Magistrate/City Magistrate/Sub Divisional Magistrate/TalukaMagistrate/ExecutiveMagistrate/Extra Assistant Commissioner [not below therank of 1st Class Stipendiary Magistrate]; (ii) Chief PresidencyMagistrate/AdditionalChiefPresidencyMagistrate/PresidencyMagistrate;(iii)RevenueOfficersnotbelowtherankofTehsildar;(iv)Sub-DivisionalOfficerofthe Area where the candidate and/or his family normally resides; (v)Administrator/ Secretary to the Administrator/ Development Officer(LakshadweepIslands).

ActionistobetakenundertherelevantprovisionsoftheIndianPenalCodeifanyofficialisfoundtohaveissuedaScheduledTribecertificatecarelesslyandwithoutproperverification.Thiswillbeinadditiontootheractiontowhichtheyareliableundertheappropriatedisciplinaryrulesapplicabletothem.

ScheduledTribeclaimsonMigrationMigrantsfromotherstates/unionterritoriespersonsbelongingtoascheduled

tribe who have migrated from one state to another for the purpose ofemployment, education etc., experience great difficulty in obtaining STcertificates from the state fromwhich they havemigrated. In order to removethis difficulty, it has been decided that the prescribed authority of a stategovernment/unionterritoryadministrationmayissueascheduledtribecertificatetoapersonwhomigratedfromanotherstate,on theproductionof thegenuinecertificateissuedtohisfather/motherbytheprescribedauthorityofthestateofthe father/mother’s origin except where the prescribed authority feels that adetailed enquiry is necessary through the state of origin before issue of thecertificate. The certificate will be issued irrespective of whether the tribe inquestionisscheduledornot inrelationtothestate/unionterritorytowhichthepersonhasmigratedto.

NationalCommissionforScheduledTribesNationalCommission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST)was set upwith effect

from19thFebruary,2004byamendingArticle338andinsertinganewArticle338A in theConstitution, through theConstitution (Eighty-ninthAmendment)Act,2003.TheChairmanandtheVice-ChairmanoftheCommissionhavebeenconferredtherankofUnionCabinetMinisterandMinisterofStaterespectively,whilethemembersoftheCommissionhavebeengiventherankofaSecretaryto the Government of India. The main duties of the Commission are toinvestigate andmonitor allmatters relating to the safeguards provided for thescheduledtribesandtoevaluatetheworkingofsuchsafeguards;andtoinquireintospecificcomplaintswithrespecttothedeprivationofrightsandsafeguardsofthescheduledtribes.TheCommissionisvestedwithallthepowersofacivilcourttryingasuitwhileinvestigatinganymatterorinquiringintoanycomplaintrelatingtodeprivationofrightsandsafeguardsofthescheduledtribes.

TribalSubPlanThe present Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) strategy was initially developed by an

Expert Committee set up by theMinistry of Education and SocialWelfare in1972forrapidsocio-economicdevelopmentoftribalpeopleandwasadoptedforthe first time in the Fifth Five Year Plan. The TSP strategy, with somemodifications,continuestillthisdayandthesalientfeatureswithrespecttoTSPforstates,are:thefundsprovidedundertheTribalSubPlanofthestatehavetobeatleastequalinproportiontotheSTpopulationofeachstateorUT;tribalsandtribalareasofastateorunionterritoriesaregivenbenefitsundertheTSP,inaddition to what percolates from the overall Plan of a state/UT; the Sub-Planshould; (a) identify theproblemsandneedof tribalpeopleandcriticalgaps intheir development; (b) identify all available resources for TSP; (c) prepare abroad policy framework for development; (d) define a suitable administrativestrategy for its implementation; and (e) specify themechanism formonitoringandevaluation.

TheMinistryhasissuedrevisedguidelinesforinter-stateallocationoffundsand implementationofprogrammes /activitiesunderproviso toArticle275(1)oftheConstitutionandunderspecialcentralassistancetoTribalSubPlan(SCAto TSP) in 2016. These guidelines provide focused approach on sectoralallocation and revised inter-state allocation factoring population, area andoutcome based performance as parameters. Further, inter-district allocation isalso clearly spelt out. Major ST communities are also given priority.Conjuncturalusewithdovetailingoffinancialresourcesfromongoingactivitiesof line department is resorted to ensure larger spatial and higher demographiccoverage.

NationalScheduledTribesFinanceandDevelopmentCorporationWithaviewtopayafocusedattentionandacceleratethepaceofeconomic

development of scheduled tribes, the erstwhileNational ScheduledCastes andScheduled Tribes Financial Development Corporation was bifurcated andNational Scheduled Tribes Finance and Development Corporation (NSTFDC)wassetupin2001undertheMinistryofTribalAffairs.TheNSTFDChasbeengranted license under Section 25 of the Companies Act (A Company not forprofit). Inorder to achieve themandate set for theNSTFDC, (forundertakingself-employment ventures/activities) financial assistance is extended byNSTFDC to the scheduled tribes, who are having annual family income uptodoublethepovertyline.NSTFDCalsoprovidesfinancialassistanceasgrantforskill and entrepreneurial development of the target group. The financialassistanceischannelizedthroughgovernmentownedagenciesnominatedbytherespective ministries/state governments and union territory administrations.NSTFDC also provides financial assistance for procurement and marketingminorforestproducesoastoavoidthedistresssaleofproduce/productsbythescheduledtribes.

EligibilityCriteriaThe beneficiary (ies) should belong to ST community and annual family

incomeofthebeneficiary(ies)shouldnotexceeddoublethepovertyline(DPL)incomelimit(presentlyDPLis₹39,500/-perannumfortheruralareasand₹54,500/- per annum for the urban areas). In the case of Self Help Groups(SHGs),allthemembersoftheSHGshouldbelongtotheSTcommunityhavingannual family income upto Double the Poverty Line (DPL). Similarly forcooperative society, loan is extended to the eligible STs through cooperativesocietyhavingminimum80percentormoreSTsasmembers.

Term loan is provided for income generating activities. Marketing supportassistance is provided for financial support for meeting the working capitalrequirementof the central/stategovernmentownedagencies andnational levelfederations for undertaking procurement and/or marketing of minor forestproduce/agricultural produce collected/ grown by the STs and /or relatedproduct/services. Marketing support assistance extended to the beneficiariesthroughtheSCAs,theinterestisatparwithratesofinterestforlongtermloanand the assistance is extended to the central/ state/UT owned organizations,nationallevelfederationsdirectlyinvolvedinprocurement,theinterestrateis7percentperannum.Assistancebywayofgrantisalsogiven.

SpecialSchemes

AdivasiMahila SashaktikaranYojana (AMSY) is an exclusive Scheme forthe economic development of ST women, at a highly concessional rate ofinterest.UnderitNSTFDCprovidestermloanforscheme(s)/project(s)costingupto₹ 50,000/- per individual unit/profit centre. Financial assistance up to 99percentofthecostofthescheme(s)/project(s)isprovidedbytheNSTFDC.

Micro-creditschemeismeanttoprovidefinancialassistanceforundertakingsmall self-employment ventures/activities by the eligible STs through existingprofitmakingSHGs.SCAsshallprovideeligibleamountofsubsidyormarginmoneyaspertheirscheme(s)forthetargetgroupandremainingamountmaybeprovidedastermloanbyNSTFDC.

TribalCooperativeMarketingDevelopmentFederationTheTribalCooperativeMarketingDevelopmentFederationofIndiaLimited

(TRIFED),was set up in 1987 as a national level apex body under theMultiStateCooperativeSocietiesAct,1984(MSCSAct,1984)AftertheenactmentoftheMulti-StateCooperativeSocietiesAct,2002(MSCSAct,2002)TRIFEDisdeemed to be registered under the latter Act and is also listed in the SecondScheduletotheActasaNationalCooperativeSociety.

Thebye-lawsofTRIFEDwere revised inApril,2003 in tunewith thenewMulti State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 read with the Multi StateCooperative Societies Rules, 2002. Under its revised mandate TRIFED hasstopped bulk procurement in Minor Forest Produce (MFP) and surplusAgricultural Produce (SAP) from tribals.TRIFEDnow functions as a ‘marketdeveloper’ for tribal products and as ‘service provider’ to its memberfederations.Website:www.trifed.in

ForestRightsofSTsTheScheduledTribesandOtherTraditionalForestDwellers(Recognitionof

Forest Rights) Act, 2006 seeks to recognize and vest the forest rights andoccupationinforestlandinforestdwellingscheduledtribesandothertraditionalforestdwellerswhohavebeenresidinginsuchforestsforgenerationsbutchoserightsonancestrallandsandtheirhabitatwerenotadequatelyrecognizedintheconsolidationofstateforestsduringthecolonialperiodaswellasinindependentIndia resulting in historical injustice to them. The Act has been notified foroperationfrom2007.

Rules,forimplementingtheprovisionsoftheAct,werenotifiedin2008andtheyenvisagetheconstitutionofvariousCommitteesundertheAct,viz,thesub

http://www.trifed.in

divisional level committee, district level committee and the state levelmonitoring committee, by the state governments. All the states have beenrequested tonominate thenodalofficer for implementing theprovisionsof theAct.Thestategovernmentswerealsorequestedtotakenecessarystepstoensurethatawarenessiscreatedabouttheobjectives,provisionsandproceduresoftheAct and theRules through variousmeasures including awareness programmesand printed material such as posters in the regional languages; ensure thetranslationandpublicationoftheActandtheRulesinalltheregionallanguagesand arrange to distribute to all gram sabhas, forest right committees and alldepartments of the government including panchayati raj, rural development,tribal and social welfare and forest departments; undertake the orientation ofofficials,civilianrepresentativeandnon-governmentalorganizationsinthestate,who can then be called upon to assist as resource persons in the awarenessprogrammes; and sensitize the sub-divisional and district level committees ontheobjectives,provisionsandproceduresoftheActandtheRules.

AspertheAct,theresponsibilityforrecognitionandvestingofforestrightsand distribution of land rights rests with the state government. All the stategovernmentshavebeendirectedthattheentireprocessofvestingofforestrightsaspertheScheduledTribesandOtherTraditionalForestDwellers(RecognitionofForestRights)Act,2006shouldbecompletedattheearliest.Web-basedMISfor online monitoring of the implementation of the Act has been madeoperationalfrom2008fortestingpurposesonwebsitehttp://www.tribal.gov.in.

VanbandhuKalyanYojanaThe central government launched an approach, namely,VanbandhuKalyan

Yojana (VKY) with a view to translate the available resource into overalldevelopmentoftribalpopulationwithanoutcome-basedorientation.TheVKYhasbeenadoptedasastrategicprocess.Itaimsatcreatingenablingenvironmentforneedbasedandoutcomeorientedholisticdevelopmentoftribalpeople.Thisprocessenvisagestoensurethatall theintendedbenefitsofgoodsandservicesunder various programmes / schemes of central as well as state governmentsactuallyreachthetargetgroupsbyconvergenceofresourcesthroughappropriateinstitutionalmechanism.

UmbrellaSchemeforEducationofSTChildrenTheMinistryisre-engineeringitseducationalschemeswiththeobjectiveof

providingadequateeducationalinfrastructureforSTsandincentiveforeducationfor ST children through scholarships. This is intended to be achieved throughconvergenceofschemesof lineministriesalongwithsimplificationofprocess

http://www.tribal.gov.in

for availing scholarships and also through technological aids in improvinglearningactivities.Asneedsvaryfromstatetostate,theproposednewschemeisexpectedtogiveflexibilitytoeachstate/UT.IntheproposedUmbrellaScheme,thefollowingschemeshavebeenmerged:(a)establishingandstrengtheningofashram schools; (b) establishing and strengthening of hostels; (c) vocationaltrainingintribalareas;(d)pre-matricandpost-matricscholarship.

OverseasScholarshipsTheScheme ofNationalOverseas Scholarships (NOS) for ST students has

been revised. The Scheme is providing scholarship to students selected forpursuing higher studies abroad for post-graduation, Ph. D and post-doctoralresearch programmes. It has been revised to make it more beneficial for STstudents.

To expand the scope of field of study, the number of awards has beenincreasedfromexisting15to20.InordertomaketheSchememoreinclusive,outoftotal20awards,3havebeenearmarkedforParticularlyVulnerableTribalGroups (PVTGs) and 30 per cent awards for girl candidates. Now with theinclusion ofmore subjects into it and reorganizing field of study by groupingvarioussubjectsunderbroadbasedfields,moreSTstudentswouldbebenefittedas the number of subjects has increased from 35 to 52. Earlier the eligibilitycriteriawas60percentmarks,nowithasbeenreducedto55percentsoastoenable a larger number of ST students to become eligible to apply for thescholarhips.Themaximumincomecellinghasbeenincreasedto₹6 lakhsperannum. However, all other parameters being same, preference is given tostudentswithlowerincome.Similarly,financialassistance,equipmentallowanceandincludentaljourneyexpenseshavebeenincreasedto10percentkeepinginviewtheinflationrates.

WelfareofOtherBackwardClassesThe Second Backward Classes Commission (commonly known asMandal

Commission),constitutedunderArticle340,submitteditsreportin1980.Inthelightofthisreport,theGovernmentofIndiaprovided27percentreservationincentralgovernmentpostsforpersonsbelongingtothesociallyandeconomicallybackwardclasses,(alsoreferredtoas“OtherBackwardClasses”orOBCs).TheGovernmentin1993reserved27percentofvacanciesincivilpostsandservicesundertheCentralGovernment,tobefilledthroughdirectrecruitmentinfavouroftheOtherBackwardClasses(OBCs).WiththeamendmentofArticle15oftheConstitution in2006and the enactmentof theCentralEducational Institutions(ReservationinAdmissions)Actin2007,listingofotherbackwardclasseshas

becomerelevantforadmissionincentraleducationalinstitutionsalso.UnderthisAct,OBCstudentsareentitledto27percentreservationincentraleducationalinstitutionsinaphasedmanner,overaperiodofthreeyearscommencingfromtheacademicsession2008-09.TheNationalCommissionforBackwardClasses(NCBC)wassetupin1993aspertheprovisionoftheNationalCommissionforBackwardClassesAct,1993.TheConstitution (102Amendment)Actof2018gaveconstitutionalstatustotheCommission.Website:www.ncbc.nic.in

Pre-MatricScholarshipforOBCsIn this scheme, theexpenditure is sharedbetweencentre and state in50:50

ratio.TheaimofthisSchemeistomotivatechildrenofOBCsstudyingatpre-matricstage.The incomeceiling foreligibilityshouldnotexceed₹2,50,500/-perannum.

Post-MatricScholarshipforOBCsThe objective of the Scheme is to provide financial assistance to theOBC

students studying at post-matriculation or post-secondary stage to enable themcompletetheireducation.

ConstructionofHostelsforOBCBoysandGirlsThis Scheme aims at providing hostel facilities to students belonging to

socially and educationally backward classes, especially from rural areas, toenable them topursuesecondaryandhighereducation.The fundingpatternasper the guidelines are: (i) the cost of construction for boys hostels is sharedbetweenthecentreandthestatein60:40ratio.Forthegirlshostelstheratiois90:10;(ii)incaseofunionterritories,thecentralassistanceis100percentandfornortheasternstates. it is90percent;(iii)forcentraluniversities/institutes,the central government share is 90 per cent and the remaining 10 per cent isbornebythecentraluniversityinstituteforbothboysandgirls;(iv)theprivateuniversities/institutionsandNGOscanavailcentralassistanceupto45percentof the cost.The remaining 55 per cent shall be borne by state and university/institution/NGO in 45:10 ratio; (v) the amount of grant will be released in 3installments in 50:45:5 ratio, of which 5 per cent grant will be released aftercompletionoftheworkandoccupationoftheroomsbytheOBCboysandgirls.Theconstructionworkofthehostelhastobecompletedwithineighteenmonthsfromawardofworkorder or twoyears from the release of central assistance,whicheverisearlier.Innocasethetimewillbeextendedbeyond2years.Anycostescallationduetodelayinprojectwillbebornebythestate/institute.

http://www.ncbc.nic.in

NationalFellowshipforOBCStudentsAssistanceforSkillDevelopment

The aim of the Scheme is to involve the voluntary sector to improveeducational and socio-economic conditions of the target group i.e., OtherBackward Classes (OBCs)/De-notified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes(DNTs)/EconomicallyBackwardClasses(EBCs)withaviewtoupgradeskilltoenable them to start incomegeneratingactivitieson theirownorgetgainfullyemployedinsomesectorortheother.

It aims at providing financial assistance to the OBC students in obtainingquality higher education leading to degrees such as M.Phil and Ph.D inuniversities, research institutions and scientific institutions. The Scheme isdesignedtoprovidea totalnumberof300juniorresearchfellowshipsperyearfrom 2014-15 onwards and 300 senior research fellowships from 2016-17 toOther Backward Class (OBC) students. The UGC is the nodal agency forimplementingitandnotifiestheschemethroughadvertisementsinthemediaatasuitabledate.TheSchemecoversalluniversities/institutions recognizedby theUniversityGrantsCommission.TherateoffellowshipforJRFlevelis₹25000permonthandforSRFlevel,itis₹28000permonth.Dr.AmbedkarSchemeofInterestSubsidyonEducationalLoans

The objective of the Scheme is to award interest subsidy to meritoriousstudents belonging to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs) andEconomicallyBackward Classes (EBCs) so as to provide them betteropportunities forhighereducationabroadandenhance theiremployability.FortheeligibilityofOBCcandidates,totalincomefromallsourcesoftheemployedcandidates,orhis/herparents/guardians incaseofunemployedcandidate,shallnotexceedpresentcreamylayercriteria.For theeligibilityofEBCcandidates,total income from all sources of the employed candidate or his/herparents/guardiansincaseofunemployedcandidate,shallnotexceed₹2.50lakhperannum.Outofthetotaloutlayforayear,aminimumof50percentamountisearmarkedforinterestsubsidytothegirlstudents.Post-MatricScholarshiptotheEBCStudents

This is a centrally sponsored Scheme being implemented through the stategovernmentsandUTadministrations.TheobjectiveoftheSchemeistoprovidefinancialassistance to theEBCstudentsstudyingatpost-matriculationorpost-secondarystage.Theincomeceilingofparents/guardiansforeligibilityis₹1.00lakhperannum(includingselfincome,ifemployed).Dr.AmbedkarScholarshipforDNTs

ThisisacentrallysponsoredSchemelaunchedin2014-15forthewelfareofthoseDNT studentswho are not covered under SC, ST orOBC. The incomeceilingforeligibilityis₹2.00lakhperannum.Itisimplementedthroughstategovernments/UTadministrations.Theexpenditureissharedbetweencentreandstatein75:25ratio.NanajiDeshmukhSchemeofConstructionofHostels

This is a centrally sponsored Scheme launched from 2014-15 beingimplementedthroughstategovernments/UTadministrations/centraluniversities.TheSchemeaimsatprovidinghostel facilities to thoseDNTstudentswhoarenot covered under SC, ST or OBC, to enable them to pursue secondary andhigher education.The incomeceiling for eligibility is₹ 2.00 lakhper annum.The central government will provide a maximum of 500 seats per annumthroughoutthecountry.Thecostnormundertheschemeis₹3.00lakhperseatfor the hostel (which is shared between centre and state in 75:25 ratio) and₹5,000/- per seat for furniture. The construction work of the hostel has to becompletedwithineighteenmonthsfromawardofworkorderortwoyearsfromthereleaseofcentralassistance,whicheverisearlier.Innocasethetimewillbeextended beyond 2 years. Any cost escalation due to delay in project will bebornebythestate/institute.NationalBackwardClassesFinanceandDevelopmentCorporation

National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation(NBCFDC) was incorporated in 1992 as a Company not for profit with anobjective to promote economic and developmental activities for the benefit ofbackward classes and to assist the poorer sections of these classes in skilldevelopment and self employment ventures. It is a Government of IndiaUndertaking under the aegis ofMinistry of Social Justice and Empowerment.TheCorporationextendsvarioustypesofloanstothetargetgroupi.e.,membersof backward classes. Themembers of backward classes having annual familyincomeoflessthandoublethepovertyline(i.e.₹98,000/-inruralareasand₹1,20,000/- inurbanareas) are eligible toobtain loanunderNBCFDCschemesthrough SCAs. Besides other developmental activities, the Corporation ispromoting,marketingfacilitiesfortheartisansofthetargetgroupbyprovidingopportunitiestoparticipateinthecountry’sleadingfairslikeIndiaInternationalTradeFair,DilliHaat,SurajkundCraftsMelaaswellasintheexhibitions/fairsorganizedintheirrespectivestates.

NBCFDC helps traditional artisans by way of providing them platform toexhibit their products in these exhibitions to establishmarketing linkages.Thestalls are allotted free of cost to all the beneficiary artisans. NBCFDC also

motivatestheStateChannelizingAgencies(SCAs)toorganizeorparticipateinexhibitionstoshowcasetheschemesof theCorporationandalsotoexhibit thediverse products and services for which NBCFDC has provided financialassistancetothemembersofbackwardclassesindifferentpartsofthecountrythroughSCAs.

SocialDefenceIntheareasofSocialDefencetheMinistryiscommittedtowardswelfareof

older persons and rehabilitation of drug addicts. The programmes for thetargetedgroupsaregivenhere.

NationalPolicyforOlderPersonsThe existing National Policy on Older Persons (NPOP) was announced in

1999toreaffirmthecommitmenttoensurethewell-beingoftheolderpersons.ThePolicyenvisagedstatesupporttoensurefinancialandfoodsecurity,healthcare, shelterandotherneedsofolderpersons,equitable share indevelopment,protectionagainstabuseandexploitation,andavailabilityofservicestoimprovethequalityoftheirlives.Theprimaryobjectiveswere:toencourageindividualstomakeprovisionfortheirownaswellastheirspouse’soldage;toencouragefamilies to take care of their older family members; to enable and supportvoluntaryandnon-governmentalorganizationstosupplementthecareprovidedbythefamily;toprovideadequatehealthcarefacilitytotheelderly;topromoteresearch and training facilities to train geriatric care givers and organizers ofservicesfortheelderly;etc.

NationalCouncilforOlderPersonsThe government has reconstituted National Council for Older Persons

(NCOP) to advise and aid the government on developing policies andprogrammes for older persons. It provides feedback to the government on theimplementation of the national policy on older persons and the specificinitiatives for older persons. The NCOP is the highest body to advise andcoordinatewiththegovernmentintheformulationandimplementationofpolicyandprogrammes for thewelfareof the aged.Under IntegratedProgramme forOlder Persons, financial assistance upto 90 per cent of the project cost isprovided to NGOs for establishing and maintaining old age homes, day carecentres,mobilemedicareunitsandtoprovidenon-institutionalservicestoolderpersons.Inordertohaveadefinitestructureaswellasregionalrepresentation,theCouncilhasbeen reconstitutedand renamedasNationalCouncilofSeniorCitizens(NCSrC)in2012.

DrugsandPsychotropicSubstancesThe Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, was enacted,

inter alia, to curb drug abuse. Section 71 of the Act provides that theGovernmentmay,initsdiscretion,establishasmanycentresasit thinksfitforidentification,treatment,education,after-care,rehabilitation,socialreintegrationofaddictsandforsupply,subjecttosuchconditionsandinsuchmannerasmaybe prescribed, by the concerned government of any narcotic drugs andpsychotropic substances to the addicts registered with the government and tootherswhere such supply is amedical necessity. Accordingly theDepartmenthasbeensupportingIntegratedRehabilitationCentreforAddicts(IRCAs)underthe Scheme of Prevention ofAlcoholism and Substance (Drugs)Abuse beingrunbyvoluntaryorganizations.

NarcoticDrugsandPsychotropicSubstancesPolicyMinistry of Finance in consultation with all stakeholders including the

DepartmentofSocialJusticeandEmpowermenthasbroughttheNarcoticDrugsandPsychotropicSubstancesPolicy(NDPSPolicy)whichaimsto:(a)spelloutthe policy towards narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances; (b) serve as aguidetovariousministriesandorganisationsinthegovernmentandtothestategovernmentsaswellasinternationalorganisations,NGOs,etc.,and(c)re-assertIndia’scommitmenttocombatthedrugmenaceinaholisticmanner.

MinoritiesThe Ministry of Minority Affairs was established in 2006. It has been

mandatedforformulationofpolicies,schemesandprogrammesforwelfareandsocio-economicdevelopment of 6 (six) notifiedminority communities namely,Muslims,Christians,Sikhs,Buddhists,ParsisandJains,whichconstitutemorethan19percentofIndia’spopulation.FromOctober2016, themandateof theMinistryhasbeenexpandedtomanageHajPilgrimageaswell.Websites:www.ncm.nic.inwww.minorityaffairs.gov.in

15-PointProgrammeforMinoritiesThePrimeMinister’s15-PointprogrammefortheWelfareofMinoritieswas

announced in 2006. The objectives of the programme are: (a) enhancingopportunities for education, (b) ensuring an equitable share for minorities ineconomic activities and employment, through existing and new schemes,enhancedcreditsupportforself-employmentandrecruitmenttostateandcentralgovernment jobs, (c) improving the conditions of living of minorities by

http://www.ncm.nic.in

http://www.minorityaffairs.gov.in

ensuringanappropriate share for them in infrastructuredevelopment schemes,(d)preventionandcontrolofcommunaldisharmonyandviolence.Animportantaimofthenewprogrammeistoensurethatthebenefitsofvariousgovernmentschemesfortheunderprivilegedreachthedisadvantagedsectionsoftheminoritycommunities.Inordertoensurethatthebenefitsoftheseschemesflowequitablytotheminorities,thenewprogrammeenvisageslocationofacertainproportionof development projects inminority concentration areas. It also provides that,wherever possible, 15 per cent of physical targets and financial outlays undervariousschemesshouldbeearmarkedforthetargetgroups.

ScholarshipSchemesforMinorityStudentsThisMinistryisimplementingthreescholarshipschemesfortheeducational

empowerment ot students belonging to the notifiedminority communities:- (i)pre-matric scholarship; (ii) post-matric scholarship; and (iii) merit-cum-meansbasedscholarship.

To improve transparency in scholarship schemes, a new and revampedversion of National Scholarship Portal was launched for various ministriesCentral government including Ministry of Minority Affairs for extendingscholarships during 2016-17. All the above three scholarship schemes of thisMinistry are on NSP 2.0 portal. The scholarships are transferred in the bankaccountsofstudentsinDirectBenefitTransfer(DBT)mode.WhereverAadhaarnumbers are available, the bank accounts of students are being limited andtransferredtosuchaccounts.(i) Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme: The pre-matric scholarship scheme wasapprovedin2008.Itisacentralsectorschemewith100percentcentralfunding.The students who secure 50 per cent marks in the previous examination andwhose parents’/guardians’ annual income does not exceed ₹ 1.00 lakh, areeligible. Under the Scheme, 30 lakh fresh scholarships are proposed to beawardedeveryyearinadditiontotherenewals.30percentofscholarshipshavebeenearmarked forgirl students.Thescholarshipof₹1000/- to₹10,700/- isawarded to every selected student. An outlay of ₹ 5000/- crore has beenprovidedintheXIIFiveYearPlantoaward414.50lakhscholarshipsfreshandrenewalsduringthePlanperiod(2012-17).(ii) Post-Matric Scholarship Scheme: The scheme of post-matric scholarshipwaslaunchedin2007.ItisacentralsectorschemeawardedforstudiesinIndiain a government higher secondary school/college including residentialgovernment higher secondary school/college and eligible private instituesselected and notified in a transparent manner by the state government/union

territoryadministrationconcerned.Studentswhosecure50percentmarksinthepreviousyear’sfinalexaminationandwhoseparents’/guardians’annualincomedoes not exceed₹ 2.00 lakh are eligible for award of scholarship. Under theScheme, 5 lakh fresh scholarships are proposed to be awarded every year inaddition to the renewals. 30per cent of scholarships havebeen earmarked forgirl students. In case sufficient numbers of girl students are not available theneligibleboystudentsaregiventhesescholarships.(iii) Merit-cum-Means based Scholarship: The merit-cum means basedscholarshipschemeisacentralsectorschemelaunchedin2007wherein100percent scholarship expenditure is being borne by the central govemment.Scholarships are awarded for pursuing professional and technical courses, atundergraduateandpost-graduatelevels,ininstitutionsrecognizedbyappropriateauthority. Under the scheme, 60,000 fresh scholarships are proposed to beawardedeveryyearinadditiontotherenewals.30percentofthesescholarshipsareearmarkedforgirlstudents,whichmaybeutilizedbyeligibleboystudents,ifadequatenumbersofeligiblegirl studentsarenotavailable.85 institutes forprofessional and technical courses have been listed in the scheme. Eligiblestudents from the minority communities admitted to these institutions arereimbursedfullcoursefee.Acoursefeeof₹20,000perannumisreimbursedtostudents studying in other institutions. Besides, a student is also eligible formaintenanceallowanceofupto₹10,000/-p.a.Tobeeligible,astudentshouldhavesecuredadmission inany technicalorprofessional institution, recognizedbyanappropriateauthority. Incaseofstudentsadmittedwithoutacompetitiveexamination, they should have secured not less than 50 per cent marks. Theannualincomeofthefamilyfromallsourcesshouldnotexceed₹2.50lakh.MaulanaAzadNationalFellowship

The Maulana AzadNational Fellowship (MANF) scheme for minoritystudents was launched in 2009 as a Central Sector Scheme (CSS). It isimplemented throughUniversityGrantsCommission (UGC) and cent per centcentralassistanceisprovidedundertheScheme.TheobjectiveoftheSchemeistoprovide fiveyear fellowships in the formof financial assistance to studentsfromminoritycommunities,notifiedbythecentralgovernmenttopursuehigherstudies such as M.Phil and Ph.D courses. The fellowship and covers alluniversities/institutions recognizedby theUGC.TheFellowship is awarded toresearch scholars pursuing regular and full timeM.Phil and Ph.D courses. InordertoqualifyfortheawardofJRF/SRF,theUGCnormswouldbeapplicableatpre-M.Philandpre-Ph.Dstage,respectively,includingtheminimumscoreof55 per cent at post graduate level 30 per cent of the fellowships have been

earmarkedforfemalecandidates.Incasethereisshortageoffemalecandidates,the fellowship can be passed on to male candidates of the same minoritycommunity.

NayaSavera-FreeCoachingandAlliedSchemeThe “Free Coaching and Allied Scheme for the candidates belonging to

minioritycommunitieswaslaunchedin2007bythisMinistry.

NaiUdaanTheobjectiveof theScheme is toprovide financial support to theminority

candidates clearing prelims conducted by Union Public Service Commission,StaffSelectionCommissionandStatePublicServiceCommissionstoadquatelyequip themtocompete forappointment toCivilServices in theUnionand thestategovernmentsandtoincreasetherepresentationoftheminorityinthecivilservicesbygivingdirectfinancialsupporttocandidates.

PadhoPardesThe objective of the Scheme is to award interest subsidy to meritorious

students belonging to economically weaker sections of notified minoritycommunities so as to provide them better opportunities for higher educationabroadandenhancetheiremployability.TheinterestsubsidyundertheSchemeshallbeavailable to theeligiblestudentsonlyonce,eitherformastersorPh.Dlevels.

NaiRoshniThisMinistry implements an exclusive scheme ‘NaiRoshni’ for leadership

developmentofminoritywomenwithanaimtoempowerandinstillconfidencein them by providing knowledge, tools and techniques for interacting withgovernment systems, banks and intermediaries at all levels. It is implementedthroughempanellednon-governmentalorganizations.

NationalCommissionforMinoritiesTheMinorities Commission which was set up in 1978 became a statutory

bodywith theenactmentof theNationalCommissionforMinoritiesAct,1992afterwhichitwasrenamedastheNationalCommissionforMinorities.ThefirststatutoryNationalCommissionwas set up in 1993. TheNCMAct, 1992wasamended in 1995which provided for aVice Chairperson in the Commission.With the 1995 amendment, theCommission’s compositionwas expanded to 7members(includingaChairpersonandaViceChairperson).TheprovisionunderSection3(2)oftheActstipulatesthatfivemembersincludingtheChairpersons

shallbefromamongsttheminoritycommunities.Website:www.ncm.nic.in

StateCommissionforMinoritiesThirteen state governments, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar,

Chhattisgarh,GovernmentofNCTofDelhi,Jharkhand,Karnataka,Maharashtra,MadhyaPradesh,Rajasthan,UttarPradesh,TamilNaduandWestBengalhavesetupstatutorycommissionsforminorities.ManipurandUttarakhandhavesetupnon-statutorycommissions.

NationalCommissionforReligiousandLinguisticMinoritiesCommissionerforLinguisticMinorities

The Office of the Commissioner for Linguistic Minorities (CLM) wasestablished in 1957. in pursuance of the provision of Article 350-B of theConstitutionwhichenvisagesinvestigationbyCLMofallmattersrelatingtothesafeguards provided for the linguistic minorities in the country under theConstitutionandreportingtothePresidentuponthesemattersatsuchintervalsasthePresidentmaydirect.ThePresidentmaywantthatallsuchreportsbelaidbeforeeachHouseoftheParliamentandsenttothegovernmentadministrationof states/UTs concerned. The CLM organization has its headquarters at Delhiwith threezonalofficesatBelgaum,Chennai andKolkata.ThsCLMinteractswith states/UTs on all the matters pertaining to the issues concerningimplemantationoftheConstitutionalandnationallyagreedsafeguardsprovidedtolingusticminoritiers.

ConstitutionalSafeguardsforLinguisticMinoritiesUndertheConstitutionofIndia,certainsafeguardshavebeengrantedtothe

religiousandlinguisticminorities.Article29and30seektoprotecttheinterestsofminoritiesandrecognizetheirrighttoconservetheirdistinctlanguage,scriptorcultureandtoestablishandadministereducationalinstitutionsoftheirchoice.Article347makesprovisionforPresidentialdirectionforofficialrecognitionofanylanguagespokenbyasubstantialproportiontothepopulationsofastateoranypartthereofforsuchpurposeasthePresidentmayspecify.Article350givestherighttosubmitrepresentationforredressalofgrievancestoanyauthorityoftheUnion or a state in any of the languages used in theUnion/states.Article360A provides for instruction in the mother tongue at the primary stage ofeducation to children belonging to linguistic minority groups. Article 350B

http://www.ncm.nic.in

provides for a Special Officer designated as Commissioner for LinguisticMinorities to investigate all matters relating to the safeguards provided forlinguisticminoritiesundertheConstitution.

CentralWakfCouncilAWakf is a permanent dedicationofmovable or immovable properties for

purposesrecognisedbytheMuslimLawasreligious,piousorcharitable.Apartfrom these religious aspects, the Wakfs are also instruments of social andeconomic upliftment. Administration of central legislation for Wakfs is theresponsibility of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. For thepurposeofadvisingthecentralgovernmentonmattersrelatingtoworkingofthestateWakfBoardsandtheproperadministrationoftheWakfsinthecountry,theCentralWakfCouncilwasestablishedasastatutorybodyin1964,underSection8AoftheWakfAct,1954(nowreadasSub-Sec(1)oftheSection9ofWakfAct,1995). The presentCouncilwas reconstituted in 2005. TheUnionMinister inchargeofWakfistheChairpersonoftheCouncil.TheCentralWakfCouncilisalso playing a vital role in the development of the society by way ofimplementing development of urban Wakf properties and educationaldevelopmentprogrammes.Website:www.centralwakfcouncil.org

DurgahKhawajaSahebActIt is anAct tomakeprovision for theproper administrationofDargah and

Endowment of the Dargah Khwaja Moin-ud-din Chishty (R.A.). Under thiscentral Act, the administration, control and management of the DargahEndowmenthasbeenvestedinarepresentativecommitteeknownastheDargahCommitteeappointedbythecentralgovernment.TheDargahofKhwajaMoin-ud-dinChishtiatAjmerinRajasthanisaWaqfofinternationalfame.Itisbeingadministeredunder theDargahKhwajaSahebAct, 1955.With thehelpof theGovernment of India, theMinistry ofUrbanDevelopment andwith the activeinvolvement of the government of Rajasthan through local administration, theDargahCommitteeisimplementingaschemeofprovidinglodgingfacilitiesforlakhsofpilgrimswhovisittheholyDargahduringtheannualUrs.Thefacilitywas earlier named “Vishram Sthali” and has been renamed “Gharib NawazMehmankhana”. The infrastructure ismeant to provide facilities/ amenities tothezaireenofDargahKhwajaSahab.

WomenandChildDevelopmentThedevelopmentofwomenandchildrenisofparamountimportanceandsets

http://www.centralwakfcouncil.org

the pace for overall development. A separate Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment came into existence from 2006 with the prime intention ofaddressinggapsinstateactionforwomenandchildrenandforpromotinginter-ministerial and inter-sectoral convergence to create gender equitable and childcentred legislation, policies and programmes. The Ministry has the mainresponsibilitytoadvancetherightsandconcernsofwomenandchildrenandtopromote their survival, protection, development and participation in a holisticmanner.TheMinistryhasavisionofempoweredwomenlivingwithdignityandcontributing as equal partners in development in an environment free fromviolence and discrimination andwell nurtured childrenwith full opportunitiesforgrowthanddevelopmentinasafeandprotectiveenvironment.Itsmissionforchildren is to ensure development, care and protection through cross-cuttingpoliciesandprogrammes,spreadawarenessabouttheirrights,facilitateaccesstolearning,nutrition,institutionalandlegislativesupportforenablingthemtogrowanddeveloptotheirfullpotential.Website:www.wcd.nic.in

ActsrelatingtoWomenandChildrenTheMinistryisinchargeoftheadministrationofthefollowingActsrelating

to women and children: (a) The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956 (asamendedin1986),(b)TheIndecentRepresentationofWomen(Prevention)Act,1986 (60of1986), (c)TheDowryProhibitionAct,1961asamended in1986,(d) The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 (3 of 1988), (e) TheProhibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 (notified in January, 2007), (f)Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, (g) NationalCommissionforWomenAct,1990,(h)InfantMilkSubstitutes,FeedingBottlesandInfant food(RegulationofProduction,SupplyandDistribution)Act,1992(41of1992),(i)Commission forProtectionofChildRightsAct, 2005, and (j)JuvenileJustice(CareandProtectionofChildren)Act2000,(k)TheProtectionofChildrenfromSexualOffences(POCSO)ActandPOCSORules,2012and(l)Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition andRedressal), 2012. The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children),Amendment Bill was passed in Parliament in August, 2011. The Ministry’smandate primarily includes formulation of plans, policies andprogrammes forwomenandchildren;enactmentandamendmentoflegislationsrelatedtothem;and overall guidance and coordination of efforts of governmental and non-governmental organizations working in the field of women and childdevelopment. The Ministry’s schemes and programmes play a supplementaryandcomplementaryroletothedevelopmentprogrammesoftheMinistry.

http://www.wcd.nic.in

BetiBachaoBetiPadhaoBetiBachaoBetiPadhaoisonetheflagshipprogrammesoftheGovernment,

launched in 2015 to address thedecliningChildSexRatio (CSR) and addressotherrelated issuesofdisempowermentofwomen.CSRis thenumberofgirlsagainst 1000 boys in the age group of 0-6 years. It is a tri- ministerial,convergent effortofMinistriesofWomenandChildDevelopment,HealthandFamilyWelfareandHumanResourceDevelopmentwithfocusonthefollowing:awareness andadvocacycampaign;multi-sectoral action in select161districts(low on CSR); enabling girls’ education; effective enforcement of pre-conceptionandprenataldiagnostictechniques(PC&PNDT)Act.

Thespecificobjectivesof theSchemeincludepreventinggenderbiasedsexselective elimination; ensuring survival and protection of the girl child andensuringeducationandparticipationofthegirlchild.sThemulti-sectoral,actionin districts lays special focus on effective implementation and monitoring ofPC&PNDT Act, promotion of early registration of pregnancy, institutionaldeliveries and registration of births by the Ministry of Health and FamilyWelfare;makingschoolsgirl-friendly:enrolmentofgirlsinschools,retentionofgirls in secondary schools, availability of functional toilets by theMinistry ofHuman Resource Development; awareness generation, advocacy, communitymobilization and training of stakeholders, local champions, rewards toinstitutions and frontline workers by the Ministry of Women and ChildDevelopment.Itisenvisagedtobringanimprovementinsexratioatbirth(SRB)in the short term while child sex ratio (CSR) with manifestation of over-alldevelopmentsuchasimprovedhealthandnutrition,genderparityineducation,bettersanitation,opportunitiesandremovalofasymmetriesbetweenthegendersisendeavouredinthelongterm.Inashortspanoftime,theclarioncallofBetiBachaoBetiPadhaoisresonatingacrossthecountry.Thisprogrammehasbeensuccessful in establishing improvement in CSR as a national agenda. It hasstirrednationalconsciousnesswiththepoliticalleadershipandgovernment,bothat the central and states/UTs level owning the initiative. Several innovativeinterventionshavebeendemonstratedongroundintheselecteddistricts.

This has resulted in building around the increased issue of awareness,sensitization and conscious declining CSR in the public domain. Encouragingresultsareemergingwithimprovingtrendsseeninsexratioatbirth,institutionaldeliveries,ANCRegistrationsandgirlsenrolmentinSchoolatSecondarylevelsinmajorityoftheselecteddistricts.

SocialMediaPresence:

BBBPFacebookPage:https://www.facebook.com/WCD.BetiBachaoBetiPadhao YouTube channel

on BBBP (for films! audio-video spots):www.youwbe.com/user/BetiBachaoBetiPadhao Vand aspedia:http: //vikaspedia.in/social-welfare/women-and-childdevelopment/child-development-i/girl-child-welfare/beti-bachao-betipadhao

BBBPMobileApplication:https://apps.mgov.gov.in/descp.doappid=792

PradhanMantriMatruVandanaYojanaGovernment announced pan India implementation of maternity benefit

programmetoeligiblepregnantwomenand lactatingmothers.TheprogrammewasnamedPradhanMantriMatruVandanaYojana(PMMVY).

It isacentrallysponsoredSchemeunderwhichthegrant-in-aidisPMMVYreleasedtostates/UTsincostsharingratiobetweenthecentreandthestatesandUTswith legislature as 60:40, for north-eastern states andHimalayan states itwillbe90:10and100percentforunionterritorieswithoutlegislature.

PMMVYenvisagesprovidingcashincentiveamountingto₹5,000/-directlytothebank/postofficeaccountofPWandLMinDBTmodeduringpregnancyandlactationinresponsetoindividualfulfillingspecificconditions.

PoshanAbhiyaanPoshanAbhiyaanisaflagshipprogrammeofMinistryofWomenandChild

Development which ensures convergence with various programmes i.e.,Anganwadi Services. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).SchemeforAdolescentGirls(SAG)ofMWCDJananiSurakshaYojana(JSY),NationalHealthMission (NHM). SwachhBharatMission. PublicDistributionSystem (PDS). It focuses to lay emphasis on the first 1000 days of the child,which includes the nine months of pregnancy, six months of exclusivebreastfeeding and the period from 6 months to 2 years to ensure focusedinterventionsonaddressingundermutrition.Besidesincreasingthebirthweight.It will help reduce both InfantMortality Rate (IMR) andMaternalMortailityRate (MMR). Additional one year of sustained intervention (till the age of 3years) would ensure that the gains of the first 1000 days are consolidated.Attentionisalsogivenonchildrenintheagegroupof3-6yearsfortheiroveralldevelopmentthroughtheplatformoftheAnganwadiServices.

MahilaShaktiKendra

https://www.facebook.com/WCD.BetiBachaoBetiPadhao

http://www.youwbe.com/user/BetiBachaoBetiPadhao

https://apps.mgov.gov.in/descp.doappid=792

GovernmentofIndiaapprovedtheMahilaShaktiKendra(MSK)Schemein2017foritsimplementationfrom2017-18to2019-20toempowerruralwomenthroughcommunityparticipation.TheSchemeaimstoprovidean interfaceforruralwomentoapproachthegovernmentforavailingtheirentitlementsandalsoempoweringthemthroughtrainingandcapacitybuilding.TheSchemeinter-aliaenvisagesgivingafootholdtowomenempowermentschemesincludingBBBPscheme.MSKSchemeisbeingimplementedwithacostsharingratioof60:40between centre and states except for north eastern and special category stateswherethefundingratiois90:10.

OneStopCentresWomen who suffer violence face huge problems in getting justice as they

havetoregisterFIRsandengagelawyerstofightcourtcases.Inmanycasesthemedical evidence gets destroyed due to lack of knowledge or pressure fromperpetrators.Asaresult,veryoftenwomensufferviolencebutdonotcomplain.In order to assist suchwomen, a new initiative to establishOne StopCentres(OSC)wasconceivedandisbeingimplementedacross thecountrysinceApril2015.Awomanwho has suffered violence can getmedical, police, legal andpsychologicalcounsellingassistanceatthesecentres.Thesealsohaveaplaceforthemtotemporarilystayincasetheirconditionsowarrants.TheOSC,popularlyknown by the name of Sakhi will be integrated with 181 and other existinghelplines.The firstcentrewas inauguratedatRaipur,Chhattisgarh in2015.Sofar 138 such centres have been operational in 31 states/UTs., catering to theneedsofthewomenaffectedbyviolence.Over4000womenhavebeenassistedinthesecentres,whichhavecomeupinthelastsixmonthsorso.Atleastonesuch centre will be established in each district by the end of 2018-19. Thescheme is implemented through the state/UT government. The managementcommittee headed by District Collector is responsible for the day to dayoperationoftheOSC.

UniversalisationofWomenHelplineThe Scheme ofUniversalisation ofWomenHelpline is being implemented

since2015,intendedtoprovide24houremergencyandnon-emergencyresponseto women affected by violence through referral (linking with appropriateauthority such as police, One Stop Centre, hospital) and information aboutwomenrelatedgovernmentschemes/programmesacrossthecountrythroughasingleuniformnumber(181).WomenHelplinewillbeintegratedwithOneStopCentreSchemeandwomen inneedof redressal serviceswillbe referredhere.TheSchemeenvisagesthatthestates/UTswillutiliseoraugmenttheirexisting

women helplines through a dedicated single national number.Department ofTelecommunication, has allocated short code 181 to all states/UT s. So far,women helplines have been operational in 22 states/UTs i.e.,Andhra Pradesh,Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh (UT), Delhi, Madhya Pradesh,Gujarat,Kerala,Uttarakhand,Mizoram.Jharkhand,Bihar,Punjab,Maharashtra,Odhisa, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Haryana, Nagaland, West Bengal, SikkimandMeghalaya.

PanicButtononMobilePhonesToprovideemergencyresponsetowomenindistress,MWCDhadtakenup

the installationofphysicalpanicbuttononmobilephones.BasedonextensivestakeholderconsultationsinitiatedbytheMinistrythe‘PanicButtonandGlobalPositioningSysteminMobilePhoneHandsetsRules,2016’havebeennotifiedby theDepartment of Telecommunications.Under these rules, all new featurephoneswillhavethefacilityofpanicbuttonconfiguredtothenumerickey5or9andallsmartphoneswillhaveitconfiguredtothreetimesshortpressingoftheon-off button. Further, all new mobile phones will be required to have thefacilityof identifying the location through satellitebasedOPS.AnEmergencyResponseSupportSystem(ERSS)isalsobeingsetupunderNirbhayaFundincollaboration withMHA, which will integrate all emergency numbers to 112withstate-of-arttechnologytorespondtodistresssignalssentfrompanicbutton.

MahilaPoliceVolunteersThe broad mandate of Mahila Police Volunteers (MPVs) is to report to

authorities/police the incidences of violence against women such as domesticviolence, child marriage, dowry harassment and violence faced by women inpublic spaces.Haryana has become the first state to operationalise theMahilaPolice Volunteers scheme. It was launched jointly by theWCDMinistry andHaryanagovernmentin2016forthedistrictsofKarnalandMahendragarhinthestate.Otherstatesareexpectedtofollowthesamesoon.

SwadharGrehTheMinistry is implementing theSwadharGrehSchemewhich targets the

women who have been victims of unfortunate circumstances and who are inneedof institutional support for rehabilitation so that theycould lead their lifewithdignity.TheSchemeenvisagesprovidingshelter,food,clothingandhealthas well as economic and social security for the women victims of difficultcircumstances which includes widows, destitute women and aged women.SwadharGrehScheme isbeing implementedasa sub-schemeof theCentrally

Sponsored Umbrella Scheme Protection and Empowerment of Women underwhich funds are released through the states, with cost sharing ratio of 60:40between the centre and the states except for theNorthEastern andHimalayanStateswhereitshallbe90:10andforUTsitis100percentfrom2016.

WorkingWomenHostelSchemeWorking Women Hostel Scheme aims at providing safe and affordable

accommodationtoworkingwomen.Thesehostelshaveday-carefacilityforthechildrenofinmatestoo.TheMinistryprovidesfinancialsupportforestablishingsuchhostelsbyNGOsorstategovernments.Thecostsharingratioamongstthecentral government, states/UTs (other than NE and Himalayan States) andImplementing Agencies is 60:15:25 for construction of building for workingwomenhostel/runninghostelinrentedpremises.ForNEandHimalayanStates,theratiois65:10:25.

ReservationforWomeninPoliceForceThe WCD Ministry has been working along with the Ministry of Home

Affairstoimproveoverallpoliceresponsivenesstogendersensitivecasesandtobringvisibilitytomorewomenandstrengthengendersensitivityinpoliceforce.Anadvisoryhasbeenissuedtoallstategovernmentstoincreaserepresentationofwomeninpoliceto33percentofthetotalstrength.Asaresult,reservationhas been extended in 14 states/union territories. So far 8 states viz., Bihar,Gujarat,Odisha,Nagaland,Rajasthan, Jharkhand,Madhya Pradesh, Telanganaand 6UTs namely Chandigarh, Daman andDiu, Lakhadweep andDadra andNagarHaveli,NCTDelhi,Puducherryhavealeadyextendedsuchreservation.

InclusionofAcidAttackasDisabilityTaking note of the long lasting damage or disfigurement on the life of a

person attacked with acid as well as constant medical attention, MWCDrequestedMinistry of Social Justice and Empowerment to include acid attackinduced damage or disfigurement within the list of specified disabilities. TherecentlyenactedRightsofPersonswithDisabilitiesAct,2016notifiedin2016,included acid attack as a kindof disability.Acid attackvictims cannowavaildisabilitybenefits.

GuidelinesforMatrimonialWebsitesInviewoftheincreasingnumberofcrimescommittedagainstwomenonthe

accountof information shared inmatrimonialwebsites, itwasdecided to lookinto the issue and put in place a regulatory framework in order to check this

misuse.TheMinistryhasalreadycarriedoutextensiveworkforthepreparationof the due diligence guidelines for the matrimonial websites and prepared aconceptpaperdetailingextentoftheproblem,existingsafeguards,existinglegalremedies,etc.,whichhasbeencirculatedtostakeholdersconcerned.

NRIMatrimonialDisputesDue to increase in Indian Diaspora and consequent overseas marriages,

women whether residing in India or abroad, are facing issues related todesertion, domestic violence, exparte divorce and custody of children, etc.Astheissuesinvolveinter-countryjurisdiction,womenengagedinsuchcasesfacelegal hurdles due to lack of information regarding procedures when the otherparty is residingabroad.Tospread informationMWCDhaspreparedStandardOperatingProcedures(SoPs)forwomeninvolvedinNRImatrimonialdisputes.These SoPs narrate the step wise correct legal recourse to be undertaken bywomentofacilitatespeedyaccesstojustice.Thesearealsointendedtoserveasan effective referencemanual for court and police officials across the countrywho are investigating such disputes or representing such women’s interest incourts.

GenderBudgetingInitiativesGender Budgeting (GB) is a powerful tool for achieving gender

mainstreaming so as to ensure that benefits of development reach women asmuchasmen.It isnotanaccountingexercisealonebutanongoingprocessofkeeping a gender perspective at various steps of budget planning, allocation,implementation, impact/outcome assessment, review and audit. Toinstitutionalize such budgeting in the country, the setting up of GenderBudgeting Cells (GBCs) in all ministries/departments was mandated by theMinistry of Finance in 2007. The MWCD as the nodal agency for genderbudgetingisundertakingseveral initiativesfortakingitforwardat thenationalandstatelevels.57centralministriesanddepartmentshavesetupGBCswhichare expected to serve as a focal point for coordinating gender budgetinginitiatives, both intra and inter-ministerial. 21 states and union territories havedesignatedGenderBudgetingnodalcentres.

GenderChampionsThe initiative of Gender Champions is being implemented through

educational institutions to sensitize young students and create awareness onlaws, legislations, legal rights and life skills education.TheGenderChampionguidelinesdevelopedbyMWCDarebeingoperationalizedincollaborationwith

theMinistryofHumanResourceDevelopment.ATrainingModuleforGenderChampionshasbeendevelopedforadoptionbyeducationalinstitutes.

MandatoryMentionofWidows’NameonDeathCertificatesToensurethatawidowisfacilitatedtogetallherentitlementsafterthedeath

ofherhusband,WCDMinistryisworkingwiththeofficeofRegistrarGeneralofIndiaaswellasthestategovernmentstoensurethatthenameofthewidowiscompulsorilymentionedinthedeathcertificateofherhusband.

ShelterHomeforWidowsIt is the largest ever such facility being established or funded by the

government, the Home, whichwill have a capacity to house 1000women, isbeing constructed on 1.424 hectare of land at an estimated cost of₹ 57 crore(including cost of the land) at Vrindavan. The design of the Home has beenpreparedinconsultationwithHelpAgeIndiaandisoldagefriendly.

TrainingforWomenHeadsofPanchayatsAlthough33percentpostsofheadsofGramPanchayatshavebeenreserved

forwomen,theyareunabletoexerciserealauthorityforbettermentofvillagesduetolackoftrainingandcontinueddominance/interferencebytheirhusbands,etc.Inordertoempowerthesewomenatgrassrootlevel,WCDhasinitiatedamassive programme to train over 2 lakh women heads of Panchayats. Thetrainingwas started from2016 onwards in partnershipwithMinistry ofRuralDevelopment. The training modules cover all aspects of village levelmanagement including basic knowledge of government schemes, social issuesand their resolution,management of panchayat finances, village infrastructure,etc. This Scheme is being implemented in collaboration with Ministry ofPanchayatiRaj.

ExtendingMaternityLeaveDurationTheWCDMinistryhasbeenworkingtoextendthematernityleaveperiodfor

working women to seven months to enable them to provide exclusivebreastfeeding to children for six months after child birth and complementaryfoodsthereaftertohelpreduceincidenceofmalnutrition.MinistryofLabourandEmploymentcarriedoutsuitableamendmentsintheAct,whichareasfollows:(i) enhancement of maternity leave under Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 fromexisting12weeks to 26weeks; (ii) extensionofmaternity benefit to adoptingmothersandcommissioningmothers;(iii)establishmentofcrèchefacilitywithintheoffice/factorypremises.

TheActisnowcalledtheMaternityBenefit(Amendment)Act,2017.

SexualHarassmentofWomenatWorkplaceTo ensure safety and security of women at workplaces, the Ministry of

Women and Child Development is working towards the effectiveimplementationoftheSexualHarassmentofWomenatWorkplace(Prevention,ProhibitionandRedressal)Act,2013.Inthisregard,advisoriesandmonitoringframework have been issued to state governments/central ministries/departments to ensure the effective implementation of the sexual harassmentAct,expeditiousinquiryintothecomplaintandtopreventfurthervictimisationof the complainant. In addition, MWCD has also prepared and released aHandbook on theActwhich provides information about the provisions of theActinaneasy-to-usepracticalmanner.

VillageConvergenceandFacilitationServiceVillage Convergence and Facilitation Service (VCFS) is an initiative

launchedin2015aimedatcreatingawarenessthroughcommunityengagement.Dedicatedvillagecoordinatorsareselectedtofacilitateconvergenceonwomen’sissues and work in close coordination with the gram panchayat and its sub-committees. In this manner, issues pertaining to education, health, nutrition,legalrights,safetyandsecurityofwomenareaddressedandaccesstoschemes/programmes being implemented by the government such as Beti Bachao BetiPadhao,JanDhanYojana,OneStopCentre,WomenHelpline,etc.,areprovided.VCFShasbeenextendedfrom100gendercriticaldistrictstocover303districtsacrossthecountry.

WomenofIndiaExhibitions/FestivalsThe Initiative was started in 2014 to link women organic farmers and

entrepreneurs directly to the market. Three such exhibitions/ festivals havealready been held in Delhi, many more such exhibitions/festivals are beingorganised in locations outsideDelhi. Such events are being held to provide aplatform so thatwomen entrepreneurs and farmers especially from rural Indiaget anopportunity to exhibit and sell their products.Suchexhibitions/festivalsempower women through knowledge sharing and creating entrepreneurialopportunitiestomakesocietalbalancethroughfinancialinclusion.

Mahilae-HaatTheMinistryofWomenandChildDevelopmentlaunched“Mahilae-Haat”,

a unique direct online digital marketing platform for women

entrepreneurs/SHOs/NGOsin2016.Thiscanbecomeagamechangerinitiativeas it can become a catalyst in strengthening women entrepreneurship andfinancial inclusion. The USP of Mahila e-haat is facilitating direct contactbetween thevendor andbuyer. It is easy to access as the entirebusinessof e-Haatcanbehandledthroughamobile.

NationalPolicyforWomenThe Draft National Policy for Women, 2016, is in its last stages of

finalization. It has been revised after 15 years and is expected to guidegovernment action on women’s issues over the next 15-20 years. The policyaddresses women’s issues on a life-cycle continuum and encompasses a widespectrum of issues from education, health, economic participation, decisionmaking,violence,creationofanenablingenvironment,etc.

NewPassportRulesIn a major move, on insistence of the Ministry of WCD, the Ministry of

External Affairs issued new Passport Rules(https://www.mea.gov.in/pressreleases.html) in 2016 for the benefit ofsingle/divorcedmothersandtheirchildrenincludingadopted/adoptablechildren.Now,aspertherevisedRules,submissionoffather’snameisnotmandatoryandapersoncanobtainpassportonlybyspecifyinghis/hermother’sname.Further,apersondoesnotneedtosubmither/hismarriage/divorcecertificates.

LegislationonTraffickingMinistry of Women and Child Development has drafted a comprehensive

legislation on Trafficking - Trafficking of Persons (Prevention, Protection andRehabilitation) Bill, 2017 with a view to fill the existing gaps and cover allaspects of trafficking by including various offences pertaining to traffickingprevention,protectionandrehabilitationofvictims.ThedraftBillalsoproposestotackletraffickingbycreatingastronglegal,economicandsocialenvironmentforthevictimsbyputtinginplacededicatedinstitutionalmechanismsatdistrict,stateandnationallevel.

InitiativesforWomenTraffickingofPersons

Human Trafficking is one of the largest organised crimes violating basichuman rights.Trafficking inhumanbeingsmaybe for sexual exploitationandmanyotherformsincludingforcedlabour,etc.Thiscrimeisprimarilyfuelledby

https://www.mea.gov.in/pressreleases.html

poverty,illiteracy,lackoflivelihoodoptions,etc.Indiaisasource,adestinationaswell as a transit country for trafficking.Majorityof the traffickinghappenswithinthecountrybuttherearealsoalargenumberofpersonstraffickedfromneighbouringcountriesandtoothercountries,especiallyMiddleEast.Presently,thesubjectmatteroftraffickingofpersonsisdealtwithundertheprovisionsofthe Indian PenalCode, 1860 and the Immoral Traffic (Prevention)Act, 1956.Section370ofIndianPenalCode,1860onlydefinesandpenalisestheoffenceof trafficking of persons and, whereas, the provisions of the Immoral Traffic(Prevention) Act, 1956 deal with trafficking of persons for the purpose ofcommercialsexualexploitationanditdoesnotrecognisetraffickingofpersonsforthepurposeofphysicalandotherformsofexploitation.

UjjawalaSchemeUjjawalaisacomprehensiveschemetocombattrafficking.TheSchemewas

launched in 2007 with the objective to prevent trafficking of women andchildren for commercial sexual exploitation, to facilitate rescue victims andplacing them in safe custody, to provide rehabilitation services by providingbasic amenities/needs, to facilitate reintegration of victims into the family andsociety, to facilitate repatriation of cross border victims. The Scheme is beingimplementedmainly through thenongovernmentalorganisations(NGOs).ThenormsoftheUjjawalaschemehavebeenrevisedfrom1stApril,2016.Undertherevisednorms,thebudgetaryprovisionshavebeenincreasedandtheSchemeisbeing implemented through the states/UTs as a sub-scheme of the CentrallySponsoredUmbrellaSchemeProtectionandEmpowermentofWomen.Thecostsharing ratio for the Scheme is 60:30:10 between centre, states andimplementation agency except for North-Eastern states and Himalayan stateswhere it is 80:10:10. In union territories, the ratio between the centre andimplementingagencyis90:10.

NRIMarriagesMany a times women are deserted, face violence and have issues in their

marriagestoNRImen.Thesecasesaredifficulttoresolveduetoapplicationofcross-border laws. The Government of India has constituted an ExpertCommittee to look into the issues and difficulties faced by Indian nationalsmarried to overseas nationals of Indian origin and suggest amendments inexistinglaws/policies/regulation.

NirbhayaFundTheGovernmenhadsetupadedicatedfundcalledNirbhayaFundin2013,

forimplementationofinitiativesaimedatenhancingthesafetyandsecurityforwomeninthecountry.Underthescheme,thecentralministries/departmentsandstategovernments/UTadministrationssendproposalsfactoringinwomensafetyissuesintheirsectorwithinthepublicsphere.TheMinistryisthenodalauthorityforappraising/recommendinganyproposals.

Anumber of projects are being implementedunder theNirbhayaFund, forthe safetyandsecurityofwomen.A robustonlineMIShasbeendeveloped totrackimplementationofalltheprojectsunderit.

NariShaktiPuraskarEveryyear, InternationalWomen’sDayiscelebratedon8thMarch.Onthis

day,alargenumberofeventsareheldacrossthecountrytoinspireandcelebrateachievements of women in various spheres. On this occasion, Nari ShaktiPuraskars are given to individuals and institutions that have rendereddistinguished services to the cause of women empowerment. In 2019, theMinistryannounced44national levelawards including threeawardsunder theinstitutionalcategory.Theawardscarryacashprizeofonelakhrupeeseachandacertificate.

Children’sIssuesChildrenarethefutureofanycountry.Wellbeingofchildrenisessentialfor

country’s development as they constitute the future human resource of thecountry. A major part of India’s population—around 158 million consist ofchildren in the age of 0-6 years (2011 Census). TheMinistry ofWomen andChild Development is administering various schemes for the welfare,developmentandprotectionofchildren.

Missing/Trafficked/RunawayChildrenKhoya-Paya Portal: In order to bring citizen participation for protecting

children, a new citizen based portalKhoya-Payawas launched in 2015whichenablespostingofinformationofmissingandsightedchildren.Italsoprovidesfacilityformatchingthetwodatabases-missingandsightedchildren.BetweenJune2015andMarch,2017,7671missing/sightedchildrencaseswereclosedontheportal.TherailwaystationsaretohaveNGOs/ChildHelpGroups/ChildlineUnitsworkingwiththemforrestorationofchildrentotheirparents/guardiansortheirrehabilitationintheabsenceofparents/guardians.

Awarenesscampaignviapostersinrailwaycoacheswaslaunchedin2015.Onelakhpostershavebeenputintrainsinthefirstphase.

ExpansionofChildline:ThisChildlineisanation-wideinitiativeforrescuingand assisting children in distress conditions. Over the years, Childline (1098helplinenumber)hasbeenextendedto412locationsfrom316citiesandwillbeexpandedtoanother100citiessoon.

POCSOe-BoxChildren are often unable to complain about sexual abuse because it is

usuallydonebysomeoneknowntothem.Inordertoprovidethemwithasafeandanonymousmodeofmakingacomplaint,aninternetbasedfacility,e-Box,hasbeenprovided.Here,achildoranyoneonhis/herbehalfcanfileacomplaintwith minimal details. As soon as the complaint is filed, a trained counsellorimmediately contacts the child and provides assistance. The counsellor alsoregistersaformalcomplaintonbehalfofthechildwhereverrequired.POCSOe-boxlaunchedin2016,hasreceivedandhandled300complaints.

JuvenileJusticeTheJuvenileJustice(CareandProtectionofChildren)ModelRules,2016(JJ

Model Rules, 2016) was notified thereby repealing the Juvenile Justice (CareandProtectionofChildren)Rules,2007(JJRules,2007).TheJJModelRules,2016 are based on the philosophy that children need to be reformed andreintegratedintosociety.TheRulesareappreciativeofthedevelopmentalneedsof children and therefore the best interest of the child is the primaryconsideration.Childfriendlyproceduresareincorporatedacrosstheboard.TheJJModelRules,2016prescribedetailedchildfriendlyproceduresforthepolice,JuvenileJusticeBoardandchildren’scourt.Someof theseprocedures include:no child tobe sent to jail or lock-up, no child tobehandcuffed, a child tobeprovided appropriatemedical assistance, parent/guardian to be informed aboutlegalaid,etc.TheJuvenileJusticeBoardandtheChildren’sCourtarerequiredto put the child at ease and to encourage him/her to state the facts andcircumstanceswithoutanyfear,afterunderstandingthequestionsputacrossinalanguageunderstoodbythechild.

Variousnewformshavebeenadded in theJJModelRules,2016 to reviewthe progress of children in Juvenile Justice System and to ensure adequaterehabilitationandrestorationservicesforthem.Someofthenewformsarecasemonitoringsheet,detailedindividualchildcareplan,applicationforregistrationofchildcareinstitutions,certificateforregistration,quarterlyreportbyJuvenileJustice Board/ Child Welfare Committee, etc. Further, monitoring provisionshavebeenstrengthened.

ComprehensiveAdoptionReformsGovernmenthasnotifiedJuvenileJusticeAct,2015andChapterVIIIof the

Act provisions for adoption of orphaned, abandoned and surrendered childrenandalsoadoptionofchildrenbyrelatives.TheActhasadequatesafeguardsforthe children to ensure their best interest and it provides for reporting of alladoptions in the country including relative adoptions. Further, all adoptionsunder the Act have to proceed as per the Adoption Regulations framed byCentralAdoption.CentralAdoptionResourceAgencyhasbeenreconstitutedasCentralAdoptionResourceAuthority(CARA)underthisAct.

The Adoption Regulations were notified in 2017 and in supersession ofGuidelines Governing Adoption of Children, 2015. Registering online withCentralAdoptionsResourceAuthority (CARA) ismandatory to adopt a childfromanywhere inIndia.CentralAdoptionResourceInformationandGuidanceSystem (CARINGS) is the only official portal of CARA for legal adoptionprocess.UnderSection80and81oftheJuvenileJustice(CareandProtectionofChildren)Act,2015anypersonoragencywhoindulgesinillegaladoptionshallbepunished.Byadoptingachildillegally,onemayunintentionallybecomepartofachildtraffickingnetwork.Adoptionisasocio-legalprocessandthereisnorole of touts/middlemen in it as they may mislead people to adopt a childillegally. The Adoption Regulations contain the provisions for in-country andinter-country adoptions of OAS (orphaned, abandoned and surrendered)children.ProceduresrelatedtoadoptionbyrelativesbothwithinthecountryandabroadhavebeendefinedintheRegulations.Adoptionofstep-childrenhasbeenbroughtin.Thereare32schedulesannexedtotheRegulationsincludingmodeladoptionapplicationstobefiledinthecourtandthiswouldconsiderablyaddressdelaysprevalentinobtainingthecourtorder.

NationalNutritionMissionNational NutritionMission (NNM) is proposed to achieve improvement in

nutritional status of children (O-6years), adolescent girls and pregnantwomenandlactatingmothersinatimeboundmanneroveraperiodofthreeyearswiththeobjectivesofpreventingandreducingunder-nutritioninchildren(0-3years);reducing the prevalence of anaemia among young children (6-59 months);reducing theprevalenceofanaemiaamongwomenandadolescentgirls (15-49years)andreducinglowbirthweight.

AnganwadiServicesThe IntegratedChildDevelopmentServices (ICDS)Schemenowknownas

Anganwadi Services Scheme was launched in 1975 with the objective toimprovethenutritionalandhealthstatusofchildrenintheage-group0-6years;laythefoundationforproperpsychological,physicalandsocialdevelopmentofthechild; reduce the incidenceofmortality,morbidity,malnutritionandschooldropouts;achieveeffectiveco-ordinationofpolicyandimplementationamongstthe various departments to promote child development; and enhance thecapabilityofthemotherstolookafterthenormalhealthandnutritionalneedsofthechildrenthroughpropernutritionandhealtheducation.Thebeneficiariesoftheschemearechildrenbelowsixyearsofage,pregnantandlactatingmothers.Itisselfselectingandisopentoallthebeneficiarieswithoutanypre-condition.

These objectives are achieved by providing a package of six services byAWWs/ AWHs under the ICDS scheme, viz., supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education, immunization,health check-up; and referral services. The concept of providing a package ofservices isbasedprimarilyon theconsideration that theoverall impactwillbemuch larger if the different services develop in an integrated manner as theefficacyofaparticularservicedependsuponthesupportitreceivesfromrelatedservices.Theseservicesareprovided through14 lakhssanctionedAnganwadisspreadacrossthecountry.Sections4,5,6and7oftheNationalFoodSecurityActareapplicabletotheICDSastheseSectionsmakeaprovisionforprovidingnutritiousfoodtothechildrenincludingmalnourishedchildrenandpregnantandlactatingmothers.AspertheprovisionsoftheAct,theRulesforprovidingSNPundertheICDSwerenotifiedin2017.

ImprovingAnganwadiInfrastructureTheGovernmentiscommittedtorepositioningtheAnganwadiCentre(AWC)

as a vibrant early childhood development centre to become the first villageoutpost forhealth,nutritionandearly learning.Towards thisend,severalstepshavebeen taken for improvementandstrengtheningof ICDSschemecoveringprogrammatic,managementandinstitutionalareas.

SupplementaryNutritionInpursuanceof theprovisionscontained in theNationalFoodSecurityAct

(NFSA), 2013, the Ministry has notified the (under the Integrated ChildDevelopmentSchemeRules,2017)in2017toregulatetheentitlementspecifiedunderprovisionsofsaidActforeverypregnantwomanandlactatingmothertill6months after child birth, and every child in the age group of 6months to 6years(includingthosesufferingfrommalnutrition)for300daysinayear,asperthenutritionalstandardsspecifiedinScheduleIIofthesaidAct.Incaseofnon-

supplyoftheentitledquantitiesoffoodgrainsormealstoentitledpersons,suchpersons shall be entitled to receive such food security allowance from theconcernedstategovernment,withinsuchtimeandmannerasmaybeprescribedbythecentralgovernment.

ICDSSystemMWCDimplementingInternationalDevelopmentAssociation(IDA)assisted

in 162 high burden districts of 8states inthe country covering 3.68 lakhAnganwadi Centres with the following project development objective: (i) tostrengthen the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) policyframework, systems and capacities, and facilitate community engagement, toensure greater focus on children under three years of age; (ii) to strengthenconvergentactionsforimprovednutritionoutcomes.OneofthekeyactivitiesinICDS System’s Strengthening andNutrition Improvement Project (ISSNIP) isInformation and Communication Technology enabled Real Time Monitoring(ICT-RTM)ofICDS.ItintendstoleverageICTtosetuparealtimemonitoringsystem for improving the service delivery mechanism and ensuring bettersupervision of ICDS Scheme by deploying a mobile solution driven by acustomized ICDS-Common Application Software (ICDS-CAS) at theAnganwadi Centres in selected states. A memorandum of co-operation wassignedwithBillandMelindaGatesFoundation(BMGF)tosupportthedesign,developmentanddeploymentofCommonApplicationSoftware(CAS)todrivethe IT enabled Real Time Monitoring of ICDS and Support System.Accordingly,acustomisedCommonApplicationsoftware(ICDS-CAS)hasbeendeveloped.

SchemeforAdolescentGirlsScheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) was introduced in 2010-11 and is

operational in 205 selecteddistricts across the country. It aims at all-roundonpilotbasisdevelopmentofadolescentgirlsof11-18years.TheSchemeisbeingimplemented through the state governments/UTs with the cost sharing ratiobetweenthecentreandthestatesandUTs(withlegislatures)intheratioof50:50fornutritionand60:40forrestofthecomponents.Foreightnortheasternstates(ArunachalPradesh,Assam,Manipur,Meghalaya,Mizoram,Nagaland,Tripuraand Sikkim) and three special category Himalayan states (H.P., JandK andUttrakhand), the share of centre and state is in the ratio of 90:10. Unionterritories(withoutlegislatures)arefunded100percentofthefinancialnormsortheactualexpenditureincurredwhichever is less.AnganwadiCentre(AWC)isthe focal point for the delivery of the services. The Scheme has two major

components-nutritionandnon-nutrition.Under the nutrition component, the out-of-school adolescent girls (11-

l4years)attendingAWCsandallgirls(14-18years)areprovidedsupplementarynutritionintheformoftakehomeration/hotcookedmeal.Eachadolescentgirlisgiven 600 calories and 18-20 grams of protein and micronutrients (which isapprox.1/3ofrecommendeddietaryallowance)perdayfor300daysinayear.Thenutritionprovided is asper thenorms forpregnant and lactatingmothers.Whilethenutritioncomponentaimsatimprovingthehealthandnutritionstatusoftheadolescentgirls,thenon-nutritioncomponent,addressesthedevelopmentneeds. In the non-nutrition component, out-of-school adolescent girls of 11-18years are being provided IFA supplementation, health check-up, and referralservices,nutritionandhealtheducation,AdolescentReproductiveSexualHealth(ARSH)counselling/guidanceonfamilywelfare,lifeskilleducation,guidanceon accessing public services and vocational training (only 16-18 year oldadolescentgirls).TheSchemealsoaimsatmainstreamingout-of-schoolgirlstoschoolsystem.

JunkFoodGuidelinesJunk Food Guidelines have been developed and forwarded toMHRD and

MoHFWforimplementation.MHRDhasrequestedallCBSEaffiliatedschoolstofollowthem.MHRDhasbeenrequestedtoissueanadvisorytoallthestates/UTsaccordingly.Ithasalsobeensuggestedintheguidelinesthatvendors/streetvendors shouldnotbepermitted to sell these foodsduring school timings inavicinity of 200meters from any school. The guidelines also provide a list ofsuitablefooditemstobeofferedintheschoolcanteen.

MajorInitiativesofFoodandNutritionBoardFoodandNutritionBoard(FNB)underMWCDisinprocessofsettingupof

4 food testingLaboratoriesviz., central laboratoryatFaridabadand3 regionalfoodtestinglaboratoriesatMumbai,ChennaiandKolkataforanalyzingthefoodandnutritionalsupplementsforfoodsafetyandqualitytoensurenutritionalandfeedingnormsforsupplementarynutritioninICDSScheme.

MWCD,takingnoteofthewidelyprevalentdeficienciesofiron,vitamin-A,iodine and other micronutrients in the population, particularly among womenand children, has taken the initiative towards addressing this issue throughfortificationoffoods.Inthisregard,acomprehensiveregulationonfortificationof Foods namely ‘Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods)Regulations,2016wasoperationalizedwhichsetsthestandardsforfortificationofmajorstaplefoodsnamely,wheatflour,rice,milk,edibleoilandsalt.Alogo

hasalsobeenlaunched.

NationalPlanofActionforChildrenThe National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC), 2016 is based on the

principlesembeddedintheNationalPolicyforChildren,2013.TheActionPlanhas four key priority areas: survival, health and nutrition; education anddevelopment; protection; and participation. The NPAC seeks to ensureconvergenceofongoingprogrammesandinitiationofnewprogrammessoastofocus on objectives through well-defined strategies and activities to achievedesiredlevelofoutcomeforchildren.

NationalCrecheSchemeTheNationalCrecheSchemeisbeingimplementedasacentrallysponsored

scheme through the states/UTs from 2017 to provide day-care facilities tochildren of working mothers and other deserving women. The fund sharingpatternforall recurringcomponentsof theschemeis—(i) forstates:60:30:10amongstcentre,statesandorganisations/institutionsrunningthecrèches;(ii)forNorth Eastern Region states and Himalayan states: 80:10:10 amongst centre,states and organisations/institutions running the creches; (iii) for UTs: 90:10betweenCentre&organisations/institutionsrunningthecreches.

NationalEarlyChildhoodCareandEducationMinistry launched the National Early Childhood Care and Education

(NECCE) Policy in 2013. The Policy lays down the way forward for acomprehensive approach towards ensuring a sound foundation for survival,growth and development of child with focus on care and early learning. Itrecognises the synergistic and interdependent relationship between the health,nutrition, psycho-social and emotional needs of the child. This would addimpetus to the policy activities mentioned in the revised service package ofICDS. The National ECCE council has been recognised as a national levelorganisation under the Ministry as notified by the Government of India, forproviding systems of training, curriculum framework, standards and relatedactivities; and promoting action research with an aim to improve the field ofearly childhood care and education. The main objective of the Council is toembed the concept and practice for holistic and integrated development withrequisitequalityforyoungchildrenintheagegroupof0-6years.Training of ICDS Functionaries on ECCE: With the development of annualcontextualized curriculum, assessment cards and activity books for children, ithasbecomeimperativetoconductECCEtrainingfordifferentfunctionariesfor

implementingtheECCEcurriculumintheAWCs.UnderPOSHANAbhiyaanincollaborationwithUNICEF,21e-ECCEOn-lineModuleshavebeendevelopedin linewith existing off-line ECCEmodules under POSHANAbhiyaan to beusedbyAnganwadiServiceskeyfunctionaries.

EnrolmentofChildrenbelowSixYearsUnderAadhaarTheAadhaarActhasbeennotifiedconferring legal statusupon theUnique

IdentificationAuthorityofIndia(UIDAI)toissueAadhaartoresidentsofIndiaincluding children below five years. UIDAI has advisedWCD department ofstates/UTs to get on-boarded as Registrar for Aadhaar enrolment of childrenbelow five years. The services under the Anganwadi Services are deliveredthroughAnganwadiCentrestothetargetgroupofchildren(0-6years)andthesechildren are more easily accessible at the Anganwadi Centres. It has beenimpressed upon the states/UTs to set upAadhaar Enrolment Camps to ensurethateverychildbeneficiaryhasAadhaar.Thereafter,states/UTshavebeenaskedfor organizing Aadhaar Enrolment Camps at least twice a year in everyAnganwadi to ensure that every new child beneficiary joining AWC hasAadhaar.

MiscellaneousIssuesDirectBenefitTransfer

Governmentof IndiaadoptedDirectBenefitTransfer (DBT)usingAadhaarastheidentifierofbeneficiariesfordeliveryofservices,benefitsorsubsidiesofvariouscentralsectorandcentrallysponsoredschemestoindividualsaswellasgroupswheremoneyisspentfromtheConsolidatedFundofIndia.Inpursuanceof directions of the government for implementation of DBT in its schemes,MWCDhasidentified15schemes/componentsforitsimplementation.

For transfer of maternity benefits under Pradhan Mantri Matru VandanaYojana, the Ministry has launched https://pmmvy-cas.nic.in/ portal for directtransferofincentivesintheaccountofthebeneficiary.Thisportalisalsolocalgovernmentdirectorcode(LGD)embeddedandhencerecordsthelocation.

EngagementonSocialMediaTheMinistry is active on socialmedia platforms of Facebook, Twitter and

YouTubewith followers numbering in lakhs. Socialmedia is being used as amedium to spread awareness among the general public on issues concerningwomen and children, aiding positive attitude and behaviour change. Thismedium is also being leveraged to disseminate information on the variousschemes and programmes of the government so as to increase citizen

https://pmmvy-cas.nic.in/

engagement. In linewith the agenda of the government to use the power andreach of social media to reach out to citizens, the Ministry has started#HelpMeWCD where women and children can send in their grievances. TheMinistryisalsorunningagrievanceredressalcellwhichregistersandrespondstodirectcomplaintsviaemailfromwomenandchildrenacrossthecountry.

OrganisationsunderWCDThe Ministry of Women and Child Development has six autonomous

organisationsaswell.Theseare:NationalInstituteofPublicCooperationandChildDevelopment

NationalInstituteofPublicCooperationandChildDevelopmentpopu-larlyknownasNIPCCD,isapremierorganisationdevotedtopromotionofvoluntaryactionresearch,traininganddocumentationintheoveralldomainofwomenandchild development. Established in New Delhi in 1966 under SocietiesRegistrationActof1860,itfunctionstocatertotheregion-specificrequirementsof the country. The Institute, over a period of time, has established fourRegionalCentres atGuwahati (1978),Bengaluru (1980),Lucknow (1982) andIndore (2001). The Institute functions as an apex institution for train- ingfunctionariesoftheIntegratedChildDevelopmentServices(ICDS)programme.Asanodalresourceagency,ithasalsobeenentrustedwiththeresponsibilityoftrainingandcapacitybuildingoffunctionariesatthenationalandregionallevel,underthenewschemeofIntegratedChildProtectionScheme(ICPS).Ithasalsobeendesignatedasthenodalinstitutionforimpartingtrain-ingontwoimportantissues of Child Rights and Prevention of trafficking of women children forSAARCcountries.NationalCommissionforWomen

TheNationalCommissionforWomenwassetupasstatutorybodyin1992under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 to review the Con-stitutional and legal safeguards for women; recommend remedial legislativemeasures, facilitate redressal of grievances and advise the Government on allpolicymatters affectingwomen.TheCommissionmay, amongothers, investi-gate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards provided for womenunder the Constitution and other laws, present to the central government, an-nuallyandatsuchothertimesastheCommissionmaydeemfit,reportsupontheworking of those safeguard, make in such reports recommendations for theeffectiveimplementationofthosesafeguardsfortheimprovingtheconditionsofwomen by the Union or any state, review, from time to time, the exitingprovisionsoftheConstitutionandotherlawsaffectingwomenandrecommend

amendmentstheretosoastosuggestremediallegislativemeasurestomeetanylacunae, inadequacies or shortcomings in such legislations, take up cases ofviolation of the provisions of the Constitution and of other laws relating towomenwiththeappropriateauthorities,lookintocomplaints,etc.NationalCommissionforProtectionofChildRights

TheNationalCommission forProtectionofChildRights (NCPCR)was setupin2007undertheCommissionsforProtectionofChildRights(CPCR)Act,2005.NCPCRisastatutorybodytoensurethatalllaws,policies,programmes,and administrative mechanisms are in consonance with the Child RightsperspectiveasenshrinedintheConstitutionofIndiaandalsotheUNConventionontheRightsoftheChild.Thechildisdefinedasapersoninthe0to18yearsage group. The Commission visualizes a rights-based perspective, along withnuancedresponsesatthestate,districtandblocklevels,takingcareofspecificityand strengths of each region. In order to touch every child, it seeks a deeperpenetration to communities and households and expects that the groundexperiences gathered at the field are taken into consideration by all theauthoritiesatthehigherlevel.CentralAdoptionResourceAuthority

Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) is a statutory body thatfunctionsasthenodalbodyforadoptionofIndianchildrenandismandatedtomonitor and regulate in-country and inter-country adoptions. CARA is desig-natedasthecentralauthoritytodealwithinter-countryadoptionsinaccor-dancewiththeprovisionsoftheHagueConventiononInter-countryAdop-tion,1993,ratifiedbyGovernmentofIndiain2003.CARAprimarilydealswithadoptionoforphan,abandonedandsurrenderedchildrenthroughitsassoci-ated/recognisedadoptionagencies.CentralSocialWelfareBoard

The Central Social Welfare Board was established in 1953 to carry outwelfare activities for promoting voluntarism, providing technical and financialassistance to the voluntary organisations for the general welfare of family,womenandchildren.Thiswas the first effort to setupanorganization,whichwould work on the principle of voluntarism as a non-governmental organiza-tion. The objective of setting up the Board is to work as a link between thegovernmentandthepeople.RashtriyaMahilaKosh

RashtriyaMahilaKosh (RMK)was established in 1993 as an autonomousbodyandwas registeredunder theSocietiesRegistrationAct1860.RMK is a

national level organization for socio-economic empowerment of women. Theoperating model currently followed by RMK is that of a facilitating agencywhereinitprovidesloanstoNGO-MFIstermedasIntermediaryOr-ganizations(IMO)whichon-lendtoSelfHelpGroups(SHGs)ofwomen.Inaddition,RMKalsohasappointednodalagenciesandfranchiseesforfurtheringofitsobjectivesofreachingouttothewomenbeneficiarieswitheasyaccessofmicrocreditforincomegeneratingactivities.ThemainobjectiveofRMKis toprovidemicro-credit to poor women for various livelihood support and income generatingactivitiesatconcessionaltermsinaclient-friendlyproceduretobringabouttheirsocio-economicdevelopment.

29 YouthAffairsandSports

THE Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports functioned under the overallguidance of theMinister of State (IndependentCharge) forYouthAffairs andSports during the year. In April, 2008, two separate Departments, namely,DepartmentofYouthAffairsandDepartmentofSports,werecreatedundertheMinistry.

Theyouthrepresentthemostdynamicandvibrantsegmentofthepopulation.Indiaisoneoftheyoungestnationsintheworld,withabout65percentofthepopulationunder35yearsof age.Theyouth in theagegroupof15-29yearscomprise27.5percentof thepopulation.It isestimatedthatbytheyear2020,the population of India would have a median age of 28 years only. This‘demographic dividend’ offers a great opportunity. In order to capture thisdemographicdividend,itisessentialthattheeconomyhastheabilitytosupportthe increase in the labour force and the youth have the appropriate education,skills, health awareness and other enablers to productively contribute to theeconomy. The Government of India makes significant investment onprogrammesfortheyouth,throughvariousministries/departments.Website:www.yas.nic.in

NationalYouthPolicyThe National Youth Policy, 2014 (NYP-2014) was launched in 2014,

replacing the erstwhile National Youth Policy, 2003. NYP-2014 has beenfinalised after extensive consultations with all the stakeholders. The Policydefines‘youth’aspersonsintheage-groupof15-29years.

SchemesforYouthThe Department of Youth Affairs was operating a number of schemes for

development and empowerment of youth. Some of the schemes had annualoutlayof less than₹ 10 crores. In order to improve the effectiveness of theseschemes, it was considered necessary to merge these schemes into a singlescheme,which can act as the flagship scheme of theDepartment. Thiswould

http://www.yas.nic.in

help in achieving better synergies between the schemes and thereby, improvetheir effectiveness and help in achieving better outcomes with the availableresources.

The Department undertook a comprehensive exercise to re-structure/consolidate all the schemes which are now being operated by Department ofYouthAffairsinto3flagshipschemesasfollows:

RashtriyaYuvaSashaktikaranKaryakramNehruYuvaKendraSangathan

Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS), launched in 1972, is one of thelargestyouthorganisationsintheworld.NYKScurrentlyhasabout8.7millionyouth enrolled through 3.04 lakh youth clubs/mahila mandals. NYKS haspresencein623districtsthroughNehruYuvaKendras(NYKs).Theobjectiveoftheprogrammeistodevelopthepersonalityandleadershipqualitiesoftheyouthandtoengagetheminnation-buildingactivities.TheareasoffocusoftheNYKSactivities include literacy and education, health and family welfare, sanitationandcleanliness, environment conservation, awarenesson social issues,womenempowerment, rural development, skill development and self- employment,entrepreneurshipdevelopment,civiceducation,disasterreliefandrehabilitation,etc.TheyouthassociatedwithNehruYuvaKendrasarenotonlysociallyawareandmotivated but are also inclined towards social developmentwork throughvoluntaryefforts.

NationalYouthCorps

TheSchemeofNationalYouthCorps (NYC)was launched in2010-11andthe same is being implemented through NYKS. The main objectives of theSchemeareasfollows:tosetupagroupofdisciplinedanddedicatedyouthwhohave the inclination and spirit to engage in the task of nation-building; tofacilitatetherealizationofinclusivegrowth(bothsocialandeconomic);toactasgroupmodulators and peer group educators; and to act as rolemodels for theyounger cohort, especially towards enhancement of public ethics, probity anddignityoflabour.

Underit,youthintheage-groupof18-25yearsareengagedasvolunteerstoserve upto maximum 2 years in nation-building activities. The minimumqualificationforNYCvolunteersisClass-Xpassedandtheywereinitiallypaidanhonorariumof₹2,500/-permonth,butthesamewasincreasedto₹5,000/-permonth from2016.TheselectionofNYCvolunteers isdonebya selectioncommittee,headedbyDistrictCollector/DeputyCommissioneroftheconcerneddistrict.Thevolunteersaregiven15-dayinductiontrainingatthetimeofjoiningand7-dayrefreshertraininginthesecondyearoftheirtenure.Normally,2NYCvolunteersaredeployedineveryblock.TheyactasanextendedarmofNYKSin theblockandplayanactive role in implementationofvariousprogrammesandinitiativesofNYKS.

NationalServiceSchemeNational Service Scheme (NSS) was introduced in 1969 with the primary

objective of developing the personality and character of the youth throughvoluntary community service.Education throughService is thepurposeof theNSS. The ideological orientation of the NSS is inspired by the ideals ofMahatmaGandhi.Veryappropriately,themottoofNSSis‘notme,butyou’.AnNSSvolunteerplacesthe‘community’before‘self’.NSSaimsatdevelopingthefollowing qualities/ competencies among the volunteers: to understand thecommunityinwhichtheNSSvolunteersworkandtounderstandthemselvesinrelation to their community; to identify the needs and problems of thecommunity and involve themselves in problem-solving exercise; to developamong themselves a sense of social and civic responsibility; to utilize theirknowledgeinfindingpracticalsolutionstoindividualandcommunityproblems;to gain skills in mobilizing community participation; and to practise nationalintegrationandsocialharmony.

RajivGandhiNationalInstituteofYouthDevelopment

Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD),Sriperumbudur,TamilNadu, is an ‘InstituteofNational Importance’under theMinistry ofYouthAffairs and Sports. TheRGNIYDwas set up in 1993 as asocietyundertheSocietiesRegistrationAct,1975andwasconferredthestatusof‘DeemedtobeUniversity’under‘de-novo’categoryin2008,bytheMinistryofHumanResourcesDevelopment. The Institute functions as a vital resourcecentrewithitsmulti-facetedfunctionsofofferingacademicprogrammesatpostgraduate level encompassing various dimensions of youth development,engaging in seminal research in the vital areas of youth development andconducting training/capacity building programmes in youth development,besidestheextensionandoutreachinitiativesacrossthecountry.

NationalProgrammeforYouthandAdolescentDevelopmentNational Programme for Youth and Adolescent Development (NPYAD)

scheme was introduced in 2008. Under it, financial assistance is provided togovernment/non-government organisations for taking up youth and adolescentactivities.TheassistanceunderNPYADisprovidedunder5majorcomponents,namely: (a) youth leadership and personality development training; (b)promotionofnational integration; (c)promotionofadventure;TenzingNorgayNationalAdventureAwards;(d)developmentandempowermentofadolescents;(e)technicalandresourcedevelopment.NationalYouthFestival

Under promotion of national integration, of NPYAD, a National YouthFestival is organised in January every year to commemorate the birthanniversary of Swami Vivekananda (12th January), which is celebrated asNationalYouthDay.TheFestival isorganised inoneof the stateswillingandequippedtohost it.Theexpenditure issharedbetweentheCentreandthehoststate. The programmes organised include various cultural programmes (bothcompetitive and non-competitive), youth convention, suvichar, exhibitions,adventureprogrammes,etc.About5,000youthfromvariousstates/UTsof thecountryparticipateintheFestival.

YouthHostelsYouth Hostels are built to promote youth travel and to enable the young

peopletoexperiencetherichculturalheritageofthecountry.Theconstructionoftheyouthhostelsisajointventureofthecentralandstategovernments.Whilethe central government bears the cost of construction, the state governmentsprovide fully developed land free-of-cost, with water supply, electricityconnectionandapproach roads.Youthhostelsare located inareasofhistorical

and cultural value, in educational centres, in tourist destinations, etc. Suchhostelsprovidegoodaccommodationfortheyouthatreasonablerates.Outof83currently operational hostels, 11 have been transferred toNehruYuvaKendraSangathan,SportsAuthorityofIndia,concernedstategovernments,foroptimumuse for youth and sports development and the remaining 72 hostels are underdirectcontroloftheMinistry.

AssistancetoScoutingandGuidingOrganisationThe Department provides assistance to the scouting and guiding

organisations,with a view to promote the scouts and guidesmovement in thecountry. This is an international movement aimed at building character,confidence,idealismandspiritofpatriotismandserviceamongyoungboysandgirls.Scoutingandguidingalsoseekstopromotebalancedphysicalandmentaldevelopmentamong theboysandgirls.The financialassistance isprovided toscoutingandguidingorganisationsforvariousprogrammessuchasorganizationof training camps, skill development programmes, holding of jamborees, etc.The activities, inter alia, include programmes related to adult literacy,environmentconservation,communityservice,healthawarenessandpromotionofhygieneandsanitation.

SportsSports and games have always been seen as an integral component in all

round development of human personality. Apart from being means ofentertainment and physical fitness, sports have also played a great role ingenerationof spiritofhealthycompetitionandbondingwithin thecommunity.Achievementsinsportshavealwaysbeenasourceofnationalprideandprestige.Withmodernsportsbeinghighlycompetitive,theuseofmoderninfrastructure,equipmentandadvancedscientificsupporthaschangedthescenarioofsportsattheinternationallevel.Keepinginlinewiththegrowingdemandsforadvancedinfrastructure,equipmentandscientificsupport,GovernmentofIndiahastakenseveral initiativesandisprovidingthenecessaryassistancetosportspersonsbyway of training and exposure in international competitions backed up withscientificandequipmentsupport.

NationalSportsPolicyNationalSportsPolicy,2001envisagesmainlybroadbasingandpromotionof

excellence in sports.The salient features of thisPolicy are: (i) broadbasing ofsports and achievement of excellence; (ii) upgradation and development ofinfrastructure; (iii) support to national sports federations and other appropriate

bodies; (iv) strengthening of scientific and coaching support to sports; (v)incentives topromote sports; (vi) enhancedparticipationofwomen, scheduledtribesandruralyouth;(vii)involvementofcorporatesectorinsportspromotion;and(viii)promotionofsportsmindednessamongthepublicatlarge.

SportsAuthorityofIndiaTheSportsAuthorityofIndia(SAI)wasestablishedin1984asaregistered

societyprimarilytoensureeffectivemaintenanceandoptimumutilizationofthesports infrastructure thatwasbuilt inDelhiduringASIAD,1982.It isnowthenodal agency in the country for broadbasing sports and for training ofsportspersons to achieve excellence in national and international sports. TheSociety forNational Institute ofPhysicalEducation andSports (SNIPES)wasmerged with SAI in 1987. Subsequently Netaji Subhash National Institute ofSports (NSNIS), Patiala and its allied centres at Bengaluru, Kolkata andGandhinagar, and Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education atThiruvananthapuramcameunderSAI.IthasnowregionalcentresatBengaluru,Gandhinagar,Kolkata,Sonepat,Bhopal,Imphal,ChandigarhandLucknow.SAIalso operates aHighAltitudeTrainingCenter (HATC) at Shillaroo (HP). SAIoperates various schemes at sub-junior, junior and senior levels, namely,NationalSportsTalentContest (NSTC),ArmyBoysSportsCompany(ABSC),SAITrainingCentres (STC)andSpecialAreaGames to achieveexcellence atnational and international level. SAI has also set up centres of excellence forelitesportspersonsateachofitsregionalcentresandoneattheNationalInstituteof Sports, Patiala. With a view to promote sports on single discipline basis,NationalSportsAcademieshavebeensetupbySAI, incollaborationwith theNational Sports Federations to attract sports talent in the respective sportsdiscipline in the age group of 14-25 years. The Scheme envisages moderntraining centres having state of the art sports facilities, equipment, requisitesports science infrastructure as well as qualified personnel to meet the dailyrequirementofthetrainees.

Foroptimumutilizationofitsfivestadiawhichwererenovatedatsubstantialcost for Commonwealth Games, 2010, Sports Authority of India introduced‘ComeandPlayScheme’ in2011.Thedesignatedareas in theSAIstadiaviz.,Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Dr. Karni Singh Shooting Ranges, Dr. SPMSwimming Pool Complex, Major Dhyan Chand Hockey Stadium and IndiraGandhi IndoorStadium (Gymnastics,Wrestling andCyclingVelodrome)werethrown open in 2011 for both imparting professional training to establishsportspersons and also to beginners with the objective of encouraging

participationinsportsandforoptimumutilizationofstadia.AfterthesuccessfullaunchoftheSchemeinDelhi,SAIlaunchedthe‘Come

andPlayScheme’inallitscentresspreadacrossthecountryfrom2011withtheobjectiveofencouragingthelocalyouthtousethesportsfacilitiesavailableatthese centres and to impart coaching, primarily to the beginners, to encourageparticipationinsports.

LakshmibaiNationalInstituteofPhysicalEducationTheInstitutewasestablishedinitiallyasacollegein1957,thecentenaryyear

of the firstwar of Independence. TheUniversity is located atGwalior,whereRani Lakshmibai of Jhansi had laid down her life for the country’s freedomstruggle. In recognition of the services rendered in the field of physicaleducationandsportsbytheInstitute,itwasupgradedtoa“DeemedUniversity”in 1995. The LakshmibaiNational Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE) isfullyfundedbytheGovernmentofIndia.TheInstituteoffersthefollowingfulltimecourses:(1)BachelorofPhysicalEducation(BPE)(4yeardegreecourse),(2)MasterofPhysicalEducation(MPE)(2yearcourse),(3)M.PhilinPhysicalEducation(1yearcourse)and(4)Ph.DinPhysicalEducation.Apartfromthese,following certificate, diploma and post-graduate courses are also beingconducted by the Institute: (a) adventure sports, (b) special sports, (c) youthaffairs, (d) information technology, (e) sports coaching, (f) yoga and alternatetherapies, (g) sportsmanagement, and (h) sports journalism.The Institute alsoconducts in-service training programmes in physical education for ex-armypersonnel, refresher/orientation course for physical education teachers inuniversities, colleges and schools. The Institute attracts students from abroadalso. A North East Campus of LNIPE has also been established at Guwahati(Assam)andisfunctioningsince2010-11.

NationalSportsUniversityInrecognitionofthetalentandcontributionofthesportspersonsoftheNorth

Eastern states in general andManipur in particular, the Government of Indiadecided to set up a National Sports University in Manipur. The Manipurgovernmenthasprovided landmeasuring325.90acres inwest ImphalDistrictfor setting up of thisUniversity. Itwill be first of its kind, to promote sportseducationintheareasofsportssciences,sportstechnology,sportsmanagementandsportscoachingbesidesfunctioningasthenationaltrainingcentreforselectsports disciplines by adopting best international practices. TheUniversitywillimpartBachelor’s,Master’sandDoctoralprogrammesinsportscoaching,sports

sciences and physical education in various disciplines. Specialised degreeprogrammesinvarioussportseducationandcoachingdisciplinesareenvisagedinthefuture.Fromtheacademicsession2018-19,M.Sc.(SportsCoaching)andMA(SportsPsychology)havebeenintroduced.

KheloIndiaThe Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports was implementing a centrally

sponsoredschemecalledthePanchayatYuvaKridaaurKhelAbhiyan(PYKKA)from 2008-09 to 2013-14.The scheme aimed at creation of basic sportsinfrastructureatvillageandblock /Panchayat levels throughdevelopmentandmaintenanceofplaygroundsandmassparticipationinsportsthroughconductofannual sports competitions.Separately, anUrbanSports InfrastructureScheme(USIS) was also introduced in 2010-11 and continued up to 2015-16. ThePYKKA scheme provided for mid-term review. Accordingly, the scheme wasreviewed and revamped as the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA),implementedduring2014-15to2015-16-whichenvisagedconstructionofblocklevel sports complex comprising both indoor and outdoor playing facilitiesthrough convergence with other schemes of the Government; and conduct ofcompetitions block upwards. A new umbrella Scheme “Khelo India” waslaunched during 2016-17 after merger of existing scheme Rajiv Gandhi KhelAbhiyan (RGKA), Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) and NationalSportsTalentSearchSystemProgramme(NSTSSP).

TherevampedKheloIndiahasbeenevolvedafteralotofdeliberationswithallstakeholders,includingdepartmentsofsportsofstatesandUTs.TheSchemeisbeingimplementedasacentralsectorscheme.TherevampedKheloIndiahastwelvecomponents,whichaimatachievingthetwinobjectivesoftheNationalSports Policy 2001- broadbasing of sports and achieving excellence in sports,which in turnwill infuse sports culture in the country and enable it to derivebenefits that sportsoffers,namely,holisticdevelopmentofchildrenandyouth,community development, gender equity, healthy nation, national pride andeconomicopportunitiesrelatedtosportdevelopment.

Its 12 verticals are: play field development, community coachingdevelopment,statelevelKheloIndiacentres,annualsportscompetitions, talentsearch and development, utilization and creation / upgradation of sportsinfrastructure, support to national / regional / state sports academies, physicalfitnessofschool-goingchildren,sportsforwomen,promotionofsportsamongpersons with disabilities, sports for peace and development and promotion ofruralandindigenous/tribalgames.

PromotionofExcellenceinSportsSchemeofAssistancetoNationalSportsFederations

UnderthisScheme,theGovernmentofIndiaprovidesassistancetoNationalSports Federations (NSFs) for conducting national championships andinternational tournaments, participation in international tournaments abroad,organizingcoachingcamps,procuringsportsequipment,engagementofforeigncoaches,etc.

SchemeofHumanResourcesDevelopmentinSportsTheSchemeofHumanResourceDevelopmentinSports,waslaunchedinthe

2013-14afterthoroughrevisionofthe“SchemeofTalentSearchandTraining”.The main focus of the Scheme is to give emphasis on the academic andintellectual side of sports management by awarding Fellowships to deservingcandidates for specialized studies atMasters’ andDoctoral level, The Schemealso extends financial assistance for training / seminars / conferences /workshops and short-term courses for coaches technical and support staff atnationalandinternationallevel.

NationalSportsDevelopmentFundTheNationalSportsDevelopmentFund(NSDF)wasinstitutedwithaviewto

mobilizingresourcesfromthegovernmentaswellasnon-governmentalsources,includingtheprivate/corporatesectorandnon-residentIndians,forpromotionofsports and games in the country.Tomake contributions to the fund attractive,100percentexemption from income tax is availableonall contributions.Thefunds available under NSDF are used for promotion of sports in general andspecificsportsdisciplinesandindividualsportspersonsforachievingexcellenceatthenationalandinternationallevelinparticular;impartingspecialtrainingandcoaching in relevant sport disciplines to sportspersons, coaches and sportsspecialists; to construct and maintain infrastructure as may be required forpromotion of excellence in sports; to supply equipment to governmental andnon-governmental organizations and individuals with a view to promotingexcellenceinsports;toidentifyproblemsandtakeupresearchanddevelopmentstudiesforprovidingsupporttoexcellenceinsports,etc.

IncentiveSchemesforSportspersonsVariousschemestogiveincentivestosportspersonstotakeupsportsarealso

implementedbytheMinistry.

RajivGandhiKhelRatnaAwardThe Scheme was launched in 1991-92 with the objective of honouring

sportspersons to enhance their general status and to give them greater dignityandplace of honour in society.Under it, an amount of₹ 7.5 lakh is given asaward for themostspectacularandoutstandingperformancebyasportspersonoveraperiodoffouryearsimmediatelyprecedingtheyearinwhichawardistobegiven.

For 2019, this award has been conferred upon Shri Vimal Kumar forbadminton, Shri Sandeep Gupta for table tennis and Shri Mohinder SinghDhillonforathletics.ArjunaAward

Theawardwasinstitutedin1961.Tobeeligiblefortheaward,asportspersonshouldhavenotonlygoodperformanceconsistentlyforthepreviousfouryearsat the international level with excellence for the year for which award isrecommended, but should have also shown qualities of leadership,sportsmanship and a sense of discipline. The awardee is given a statuette, acertificate,ceremonialdressandacashawardofrupeesfivelakh.For2019,18sportspersonsweregiventheawardinvariousdisciplines.DhyanChandAwardforLifeTimeAchievement

Thisawardwasinstitutedin2002.It isgiventohonourthosesportspersonswhohavecontributedtosportsbytheirperformanceandcontinuetocontributeto promotion of sports even after their retirement from active sporting career.Theawardeeisgivenastatuette,acertificate,ceremonialdressandacashawardofrupeesfivelakh.For2019,thisawardwasgiventothreesportspersons.DronacharyaAward

This award was instituted in 1985 to honour eminent coaches who havesuccessfully trained sportspersons or teams and enabled them to achieveoutstanding results in international competitions. The awardee is given astatuetteofGuruDronacharya,acertificate,ceremonialdressandacashawardoffivelakhs.For2019,fivepersonsreceivedthehonourinvariousdisciplines.MaulanaAbulKalamAzadTrophy

Thistrophywasinstitutedin1956-57.Thetopoverallperforminguniversityin the inter-university tournaments is given the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad(MAKA) Trophy, which is a rolling trophy. A small replica of the MAKATrophyisalsoawardedforretentionbytheuniversity.RashtriyaKhelProtsahanPuraskar

Withaviewtorecognizing thecontributionmadetosportsdevelopmentbyentitiesotherthansportspersonsandcoaches,Governmenthasinstitutedanewaward titled ‘Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar’ from 2009, which has fourcategories, namely, identification and nurturing of budding / young talent,encouragementtosportsthroughcorporatesocialresponsibility,employmentofsportspersons and sports welfare measures and sports for development. Theaward consists of a citation and a trophy in each of the above mentionedcategories.Thereisnocashaward.SpecialAwardstowinnersinInternationalSportsEventsandtheirCoaches

ThisSchemewasintroducedin1986toencourageandmotivateoutstandingsportspersons forhigher achievements and toattract theyoungergeneration totakeupsportsasacareer.Underit,specialawardsaregiventosportspersonsandtheircoachesforwinningmedalsinrecognizedinternationalsportseventsheldinayearatthefollowingrates:

(a)Category:OpenCategorySports

(b)Category:-Para-Sports

(c)Category:-Blind-Sports

(d)Category:-SportsforDeaf

(e)Category:-SpecialOlympics-Sports

(f)Category:-BlindCricketWorldCup

Cashawardisalsogiventocoacheswhohavetrainedthemedalwinnersforat least 180 days immediately preceding the tournament. Award money to acoachis50percentoftheawardmoneygiventothesportspersoncoached.Incase,thereismorethanonecoach,theawardmoneyisdistributedamongthemequally.

SchemeofPensiontoMeritoriousSportspersonsThisSchemewaslaunchedin1994.AspertheScheme,thosesportspersons,

whoareIndiancitizensandhavewongold,silverandbronzemedalsinOlympicGames, World Cup / World Championships, Asian Games, CommonwealthGames,Para-OlympicsandPara-AsianGames,haveattainedtheageof30yearsandhaveretiredfromactivesportscareerareeligibleforpensionforlife.RatesofpensionhavebeendoubledfromApril2018.Enhancedratesofpensionareasunder:

*World Cup/World Championship held once in four years only shall beconsidered.

PanditDeendayalUpadhyayNationalWelfareFundThenameofNationalWelfareFundforsportspersonswaschangedtoPadit

DeendayalUpadhyayNationalWelfareFundforsportspersonsfrom2017.ThisFundwassetup in1982withaview toassistingoutstandingsportspersonsofyesteryears,livinginindigentcircumstanceswhohadwongloryforthecountryin sports. Assistance is given in the form of lumpsum financial assistance, tosportspersonsortheirfamiliesincaseofsustainingafatalinjuryduringtrainingfor, or participation in, an international competition; sportsperson sustaininginjury other than a fatal injury, families of sportspersons living in indigentcircumstances,formedicaltreatmentofsportspersons,andforsportspromoters(referees, coaches andumpires) living in indigent circumstances.Assistance is

provided to those whose monthly income from all sources is less than ₹2,00,000/-perannum.

SchemeofAssistanceforAnti-DopingActivitiesDopingisthedeliberateorinadvertentusebysportspersonsofasubstanceor

methodbannedbyMedicalCommissionofInternationalOlympicCommittee /World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). In pursuit of gold and glory, largenumbers of sportspersons all over the world are tempted to use performanceenhancingsubstancesinanefforttogainacompetitiveedgeoverothers.Indiaisnoexceptiontothismalaise.Recognizingtheurgentneedforembarkinguponaconcerted effort to check doping in collaboration with the global anti dopingcommunity, the Government of India became one of the members of theFoundation Board of WADA, set up with the initiative of the InternationalOlympicCommittee.

NationalAntiDopingAgencyNational Anti Doping Agency (NADA), set up in 2009, is the national

organizationresponsibleforpromoting,coordinating,andmonitoringthedopingcontrolprogrammeinsportsinthecountry.TheAntiDopingrulesofNADAarecompliantwiththeAntiDopingCodeofWADA.

NationalDopeTestingLaboratoryTheNationalDopeTestingLaboratory(NDTL)isanautonomousbodyunder

thisMinistry. It is accredited byNationalAccreditationBoard forTesting andCalibration Laboratories (NABL) for ISO:IEC 17025 (2003) andWorld Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) (September, 2008) for testing of urine and bloodsamples from human sports. NDTL is one of the 33 WADA accreditedlaboratories in theworld andoneamong seven inAsia. It has state-of-the-artfacilitiesforbothroutineandresearchactivities.NDTLwasregisteredin2008underRegistrationofSocietyAct,1860.Apartfromhumandopetesting,NDTLhas diversified in the area of horse dope testing and proficiency testingprogramme.

30 StatesandUnionTerritories

AndhraPradesh

THE earliest mention of the Andhras is said to be in Aitereya Brahmana(2000BC).ItindicatesthattheAndhras,originallyanAryanracelivinginnorthIndia migrated to south of the Vindhyas and later mixed with non-Aryans.RegularhistoryofAndhraDesa, according tohistorians, beginswith236BC,theyearofAshoka‘sdeath.Duringthefollowingcenturies,Satavahanas,Sakas,Ikshvakus, EasternChalukyas, andKakatiyas ruled the Telugu country. Otherdynasties that ruled over the area in succession were the kingdoms ofVijayanagar andQutubShahi followedbyMirQumruddin andhis successors,known as the Nizams. Gradually, from the 17th century onwards, the BritishannexedterritoriesoftheNizamandconstitutedthesingleprovinceofMadras.After Independence,Telugu-speakingareaswereseparated from thecompositeMadras Presidency and a new Andhra State came into being on 1st October1953. With the passing of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, there was amergerofHyderabadStateandAndhraState,andconsequentlyAndhraPradeshcameintobeingon1November1956.

AndhraPradeshissituatedonthecountry’ssoutheasterncoast.Itistheeighthlargest state in the country covering an area of 160,205 sq. km.According to2011census,thestateistenthlargestbypopulation,with49,386,799inhabitants.

Thestatehasthesecondlongestcoastlineof974km(605mi)amongallthestatesof India, secondonly toGujarat. ItbordersTelangana in thenorthwest,Chhattisgarhinthenorth,Odishainthenorth-east,Karnatakainthewest,TamilNaduinthesouthandwaterbodyofBayofBengalintheeast.Asmallenclaveof30sq.kmofadistrictofPuducherry, lies in theGodavaridelta to thenortheastofthestate.

AndhraPradeshReorganisationAct,2014AndhraPradeshReorganisationAct,2014commonlycalledTelanganaActis

anActofIndianParliamentproclaimingthebifurcationoftheAndhraPradeshintotwostates,TelanganaandresiduaryAndhraPradesh.TheActconsistsofallaspects of division of assets and liabilities, finalize the boundaries of theproposednewstatesandstatusofHyderabad.

AgricultureAgricultureisthemainoccupationofabout62percentofthepeopleinthe

state.Riceisamajorfoodcropandstaplefoodcontributingabout77percentofthe foodgrain production. Other important crops are jowar, bajra,maize, ragi,smallmillets,pulses,castor,tobacco,cottonandsugarcane.Forestscover23percentof thestate’sarea. Important forestproductsare teak,eucalyptus,cashew,casuarina,bamboo,softwood,etc.

IrrigationNumerousprojectshavebeen takenupunderJalayagnam programme. The

programmeaimsatcompletingtheongoingandnewprojectsinarecordtimetoprovideimmediateirrigationtowaterstarvedareasontopprioritybymobilizingfundsfromallpossiblesources.

PowerImportant power projects in the state are the Nagarjunasagar and Neelam

Sanjiva Reddy Sagar (Srisailam Hydel Project), Upper Sileru, Lower Sileru,Tungabhadra Hydel Projects and Nellore, Ramagundam, Kothagudem,VijayawadaandMudanurThermalPowerProjects.VijayawadaThermalPowerStationwithaninstalledcapacityof1,260MWandKothagudemThermalPowerStationwithaninstalledcapacityof1,220MWarethemainsourcesofthermalpowergeneration.The1,000MWcoal-basedSimhadriThermalPowerStationaimsatsupplyingtheentireenergygeneratedtothestate.

IndustriesThestategovernmentisextendingvariousincentivesforSSIandtinysector

and large and medium scale industries. The state government has beenpromoting themanufacturing sector in a bigway by providing concessions inpowertariff,allottinglandandrelaxinglabourlawsinSpecialEconomicZones(SEZs).

MinesandGeology

AndhraPradeshiswellknowngloballyforitsvarietyofrocksandmineralsand is called Ratna Garbha. The state has the largest deposits of qualitychrysotileasbestosinthecountry.Otherimportantmineralsfoundinthestatearecopper ore, manganese, mica, coal and limestone. The Singareni Coal MinessupplycoaltotheentiresouthIndia.Thestateproducesabout100to110milliontonnesofindustrialmineralsand200millioncubicmetresofstoneandbuildingmaterial.APstandsfirstinbarytesandlimestoneproductioninthecountry.

InformationTechnologyAndhra Pradesh has been forging ahead in the sphere of Information

Technology.Itisaheadofotherstatesinexploitingtheopportunitiestothehilt.The state government has introduced many schemes to utilize the maximumnumberofskilledhumanresourcesintheITSector.

TransportRoads:ThetotalR&Bnetworkinthestateis69,051kmofwhich,thenationalhighwayspassingthroughthestateconstitute4,472kmandthestatehighwaysconstitute10,519km.Majordistrictroadsconstitute32,170kmandruralroads21,714km.ThedensitywithreferencetoR&Bnetworkinthestateis0.23kmperonesq.km.and0.86kmper1000persons.Railways:Of the railways routecovering5,107km inAndhraPradesh,4,633kmisbroad-gauge,437kmismetre-gaugeand37kmisnarrowgauge.Aviation: Important airports in the state are located at Shamshabad,TirupathiandVisakhapatnam.InternationalflightsareoperatedfromShamshabad.Ports:ThereisonemajorportatVisakhapatnamundertheCentralGovernmentand13non-majorportsunderstategovernment.Portsoffertremendouspotentialfor development and for the growth of awide spectrumofmaritime activitiessuch as international shipping, coastal shipping, ship repairs, fishing, captiveportsforspecificindustries,allweatherports,tourismandsports,etc.

TouristCentresAndhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation continues to strive for

promotion of new tourism products such as eco-tourism, beach-tourism andcruise-tourism.TheCorporation currently runs a chain of 52hotelswith 1043rooms and 2222 beds in prime locations fostering homely ambience. Animpressivefleetof144busescatertovariedtourpackagesconnectingimportanttourismlocationswithinandoutsidethestate.

Charminar,SalarjungMuseum,GolcondaFortinHyderabad,ThousandPillar

Temple and Fort in Warangal, Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple atYadagirigutta, Buddha Stupa at Nagarjunakonda, Nagarjuna Sagar, SriVenkateswaraTempleatTirumala-Tirupathi,SriMallikarjunaswamyTempleatSrisailam, Kanaka Durga Temple at Vijayawada, Sri Satyanarayana SwamyTempleatAnnavaram,SriVarahaNarasimhaSwamyTempleatSimhachalam,SriSitaRamaTempleatBhadrachalam,ArakuValley,HorsleyHills,Nelapattu,etc.,arethemajortouristattractionsofthestate.Website:www.ap.gov.in

Government

ArunachalPradesh

HistoryandGeographyArunachal Pradesh became a full-fledged state on February 20, 1987. Till

1972, itwas known as theNorth-East FrontierAgency (NEFA). It gained theUnionTerritorystatuson20January1972andrenamedasArunachalPradesh.OnAugust15,1975, anelectedLegislativeAssemblywasconstitutedand thefirst Council of Ministers assumed office. The first general election to theAssemblywasheldinFebruary1978.Administratively,thestateisdividedintosixteen districts. The capital of the state is Itanagar in Papum Pare district.ItanagarisnamedafterItafort,meaningfortofbricks,builtinthe14thcenturyAD. Arunachal Pradesh finds mention in the literature ofKalika Purana andMahabharata.ThisplaceisthePrabhuMountainsofthePuranas.

ThewidelyscatteredarchaeologicalremainsatdifferentplacesinArunachalPradeshbeartestimonytoitsrichculturalheritage.

AgricultureandHorticulture

http://www.ap.gov.in

Agricultureisthemainstayofthepeopleofthestateandmainlydependsonjhumcultivation.Encouragementisbeinggiventothecultivationofcashcropslikepotatoesandhorticulturecropslikeapples,orangesandpineapples.

IndustriesandMineralsForconservationandexplorationofthevastmineralstheArunachalPradesh

MineralDevelopmentandTradingCorporationLimited(APMDTCL)wassetupin1991.

FestivalsSomeoftheimportantfestivalsofthestateareMopinandSolungoftheAdis,

Lossar of theMonpas,Boori-boot of theHillMiris,Sherdukpens,Dree of theApatanis, Si-Donyi of the Tagins, Reh of the ldu-Mishmis, Nyokum of theNyishis,etc.Animalsacrificeisacommonritualinmostfestivals.

TouristCentresPlaces of tourist interest are Tawang, Dirang, Bomdila, Tipi, Itanagar,

Malinithan,Likabali,Pasighat,Along,Tezu,Miao,Roing,DaporijoNamdapha,Bhismaknagar,ParshuramKundandKhonsa.Website:www.arunachalpradesh.gov.in

Government

Assam

HistoryandGeographyAssamissituatedinthenorth-eastcornerofthecountrybetween89°42’Eto

96° E longitude and 24° 8’ N to 28° 2’ N latitude. For centuries, people andcommunities have been attracted to the fertile environs of Assam and itsabundant natural resources.Streamsof people havemet andmingled, culturesandcustomshavemergedand in thisprocessa richandcompositeculturehasbeenevolved.

http://www.arunachalpradesh.gov.in

Thestatealsoknownasa“LandofRedRiverandBlueHills”,isoneofthemostattractiveandbeautifulstatesofthecountry.ThemightyriverBrahmaputraflows through it, servingasa lifeline for itspeoplesettledonbothsidesof itsbanks. Theword ‘Assam’ is believed to have derived from the SanskritwordAsoma meaning peerless or unparalleled. Another academic interpretationclaims that theword came from theAhoms,who ruled the land for about sixhundred years prior to its annexation by the British. The influence of severalraceslikeAustric,Mongolian,DravidianandAryanthatcametothislandlonglongago;havecontributedtoitsrichcompositeculture.

AssamwasknownasPragjyotishaor theplaceofeasternastronomyduringtheepicperiodandlaternamedasKamrupa.Theearlierepigraphicreferencetothe kingdom ofKamrupa is found in theAllahabad pillar inscription ofKingSamudragupta.KamrupaismentionedasapratyantaorfrontierstateoutsidetheGuptaEmpire,butwithfriendlyandsubordinaterelationtoit.HiuenTsang,theChinesescholarpilgrimwhovisitedKamrupainabout743ADonaninvitationofitsmonarch,KumarBhaskarVarman,leftarecordofthekingdomhecalledKamolupa. Kamrupa also figured in the writings of the Arabian historianAlberuniintheeleventhcentury.Thus,fromtheepicperioddowntothetwelfthcentury AD, the eastern frontier kingdom was known as Pragjyotisha andKamrupaandkingscalledthemselves‘LordsofPragjyotisha’.

TheadventoftheAhomsacrosstheeasternhillsin1228ADwastheturningpointinAssamhistory.TheyruledAssamnearlyforsixcenturies.TheBurmeseentered through the eastern borders and over-ran the territory at a timewhencourtintriguesanddissensionsweresappingthevitalityoftheAhomroyalty.Itbecame aBritish protectorate in 1826when theBurmese cededAssam to theBritishundertheprovisionoftheTreatyofYandaboo.

Assamcoversanareaof78,438sq.km,whichrepresents2.39percentofthetotal landareaof thecountry.Internationalboundaries thatextenduptonearly3,200km,surroundthestate.Assam-thegatewaytothenorth-easternstatesissurroundedbyBhutanandArunachalPradeshonthenorth,Manipur,NagalandandArunachalPradeshontheeastandMeghalaya,TripuraandMizoramonthesouthandBangladesh,MeghalayaandWestBengalonthewest.

PhysiographyA significant geographical aspect of Assam is that it contains three of six

physiographic divisions of India—the Northern Himalayas (eastern Hills) theNorthernPlains(BrahmaputraPlain),andDeccanPlateau(KarbiAnglong).AstheBrahmaputraflowsinAssamtheclimatehereiscoldandthereiswidespread

rainfall. The hills of Karbi Anglong, North Cachar and those in and close toGuwahati(alsoKhasi-GaroHills)nowerodedanddissectedareoriginallypartsof the South Indian Plateau system. In the south, theBarak originating in theBarailRange(Assam-Nagalandborder)flowsthroughtheCachardistrictwitha25-30miles(40-50km)widevalleyandentersBangladeshwiththenameSurmariver. The almond shaped valley is built mostly by aggregation work of theBrahmaputra and its tributaries. Most of the prominent towns and cities ofAssamaresituatedinthisvalleywhoselengthandbreadthare725kmsand80-100 kms respectively. Running through a narrow passage at the MeghalayaplateauandBhutan-Arunachal-Himalayas, thevalley finallyopensout into theNorthBengalPlains.

ThesecondnaturaldivisionofAssamistheBarakorSurmavalleywhichissurroundedbynorthCachar,ManipurandMizoram.ThisvalleyisdominatedbytheBarakriver.Itflowsthroughthevalleyandfinallyempties itself totheoldbedofBrahmaputrainBangladesh.Thisvalleyhashillsand‘Beels’orlakesinplenty.Floodisacommonfeaturelendingthequalityoffertilitytothevalley.

Thetwovalleysareseparatedbylongrangeofhills.TheKarbiHillsandtheN.C.HillsarelocatedinthesouthoftheBrahmaputravalley.KarbiHillsareapart of the Meghalaya plateau. These hills are dotted with plain areas. Theaverage height of this plateau is 600 metres with occasional peaks likeChenghehision(1,359m)andDunbukso(1,361m).Greeneryisthehallmarkofthese hills, slowly reaching their full height towards the middle of the DimaHasaodistrict,mergingwiththeBarailrange,whichisthehighesthillrangeinAssam. The elevation of the Barail range varies from 1,000 to 1,200 metresabove sea level. The south side of the Barail range is very steep. It attains amaximumheightof1,953metresinMahadeopeaktotheeastofHaflong.Thisvalleyisfullofdenseforestandrarewildlife.

EconomyThestatefinanceshaveimprovedconsiderably.Overtheyearswithindustry

andbusinessespickingup.

AgricultureAssamisendowedwithabundantfertilelandandwaterresourceswithatotal

geographical area of 78,438 sq. km. The mighty river Brahmaputra and theBarakwith their 121 small and tiny tributaries and branches flow through thetwovalleyskeepingthestatefertileandcoolallalong.

Assamhasachieved40percentincreaseinthecontributionofagricultureto

state GDP. Rice production has increased to 54.40 lakh MT. Likewise,productionoffoodgrainshasalso increasedfrom41.72 lakhMTto57.22 lakhMT.

Forest&WildlifeAssamhasatotal29,282sq.km.areaofforestandtreecoverwhichcovers

37.33 per cent of total geographical area of the state. It has 13,870 sq. kmofReservedForests;3103sq.km.ofProposedReservedForests;5,850sq.kmofUnclassedStateforests;and3,925sq.kmofProtectedAreaNetwork.(Source:FSIData-2009and“Assam2011”,page-152).

About180speciesofmammalsarefoundinthestatewhichincludesgloballythreatened species such as Golden Langoor, Hoolock Gibbon, Pigmy Hog,Hispid Hare, White-winged Wood Duck, Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Elephant,SwampDeer,GangeticDolphin,etc.Morethan800speciesofbirdsandabout195 species of reptiles are found in the state. Strong enforcement of wildlifeconservationmeasureshaveresultedincreaseinthetigerpopulationofthestate.The tiger population has risen to 167 in 2014 from 143 during 2010-11. Therhinopopulation inAssamstandsat2,624asper2015census.Effortsarealsobeingtakentoprovidesustainablelivelihoodtotheforestcommunities.

IndustryToday’s Assam embarks on the new charter in the path of development,

layingemphasisonnewcapital formation through the creationof ecologicallycompliantassetsinasustainablemanner.LoansareextendedforsmallindustriesandservicesectorunderPMRYscheme(till2008)andunderPMEGP.

PowerThestate’spowergenerationin2014-15was1,894.7MUasagainst935MU

in 2001. Number of consumers accordingly has increased to 33 lakh ascompared to9 lakh in2001.Similarly,percapitaavailabilityofelectricityhasalsoincreasedto232unitsasagainst83unitsin2001.Thishasbecomepossibledue to timelyexecutionof renovationandmodernizationworks in all areasofpowergeneration,distributionandtransmission.

Transport&CommunicationThe state government has been placing great priority on expanding and

improvingtheruralroadnetworkandconstructionofRCCbridgesbyreplacingold timberbridges.Since2001,more than23,000kmofall-weather roadsandabout3800RCCbridgeshavebeenconstructed.Moreover,constructionofabout

5,000 km all-weather roads including construction of 1,250 numbers of RCCbridgesisinprogress.

FestivalsAssam,beinganinseparablepartofthisgreatcountry,sharesallthereligious

festivalsobservedelsewhere.Thestatealsohasanexclusiverangeof festivalswhich have enriched the cultural mosaic of the land.Bihu is by far themostimportantfestivalofAssam.WhileRongaliBihuorBohagBihu,coincidingwiththeAssameseNewYear,istheprincipalBihu,theharvestfestival,knownastheBhogali Bihu orMagh Bihu is also equally important. There is a third BihucalledtheKangaliBihuorKatiBihu,whichissolemnlyobservedtopreyofloveandyearning,sometimeshavingdistincteroticovertones,withcharacteristicallycatchy and earthy tunes. The Bodos, the largest tribal group, performKheraipujaasafestival,whichassumestheshapeofafairinmostplaces.TheKheraipujaisaccompaniedbyshamanisticdanceperformedbyfemaleartistswhogetintoatrance,otherwithvigorousmovementsofthehead,tossingandswingingthedishevelledhair.BathowisanotherimportantpujaoftheBodos.

TourismOver the years,Assam, the “Gatewayof theNorth-East” has emerged as a

populartouristdestination.Thenaturalbeautyandbounty,theenvironment,richtopography,theuniquefloraandfauna,thebiodiversity,virginforest,proudhillsandgreenvalleysallcontribute inmakingAssamamajorhubforwildlifeandecho-tourism.Assamislocatedabout79.5mabovesealevel.Thefivenationalparks,nineteenwildlifesanctuariesandthreebirdsanctuariesaretreasurehousesofrarefloraandfauna.

Important places of tourism are Kamakhya Temple, Umananda (PeacockIsland)Temple, Navagraha (temple of nine planets), Basistha Ashram, DoulGovinda Temple, State Zoo, State Museum, Madan Kamdev Temple—amagnificent archeological place of interest, Saraighat Bridge, SrimataSankaradevaKalakshetraScienceMuseum,KazirangaNationalPark,etc.Website:www.assam.gov.in

Government

http://www.assam.gov.in

Bihar

HistoryandGeographyThe name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit word Vihara which means

“abode”.ThewordViharisitselfderivedfromthewordBrahmaviharameaning“Brahmaabidings”of“Sublimeattitudes.“ThestatefindsmentionintheVedas,Puranas,ancientepics,etc.,andwasthemainsceneofactivitiesofBuddhaand24 JainTrithankars.Taking off from its origin,Bihar or ancientMagadha hasbeen the cradle of Indian civilization and the centre of Indian culture andeducation since time immermorial. FromMagadha arose India’s first greatestempire, the Maurya Empire, as well as one of the world’s greatest pacifistreligions,Buddhism.IthasalsobeenthehometoJainism.ItwasinBiharthattheancientuniversitiesofIndiaNalandaandVikramshilawerebuilt toconveytheeducationalrichesofthestate.

The name Bihar is derived from the Sanskrit word Vihara which means“abode”.ThewordViharisitselfderivedfromthewordBrahmaviharameaning“Brahmaabidings”of“Sublimeattitudes.“ThestatefindsmentionintheVedas,Puranas,ancientepics,etc.,andwasthemainsceneofactivitiesofBuddhaand24 JainTrithankars.Taking off from its origin,Bihar or ancientMagadha hasbeen the cradle of Indian civilization and the centre of Indian culture andeducation since time immermorial. FromMagadha arose India’s first greatestempire, the Maurya Empire, as well as one of the world’s greatest pacifistreligions,Buddhism.IthasalsobeenthehometoJainism.ItwasinBiharthattheancientuniversitiesofIndiaNalandaandVikramshilawerebuilt toconveytheeducationalrichesofthestate.

GreatrulersofthestatebeforetheChristianerawereBimbisar,Udayin,whofoundedthecityofPataliputra,ChandraguptaMauryaandEmperorAshoka,theSungasandtheKanvas.ThencametheKushanrulersfollowedbyChandraguptaVikramaditya of the Gupta dynasty. Muslim rulers made inroads into theterritory during the medieval period. The first conqueror of Bihar wasMohammed-bin-BakhtiarKhalji.TheTughluqsandthentheMughalsfollowedtheKhaljis.

OneofthemajorstatesoftheIndianUnion,Biharisboundonthenorthby

Nepal, on the east byWest Bengal, on thewest byUttar Pradesh and on thesouthbyJharkhand.Biharhasanumberofrivers,themostimportantofwhichistheGanga.TheotherriversaretheSone,Punpun,Falgu,Karmanasa,Durgawati,Kosi,Gandak,Ghaghara,etc.

AgricultureBiharhasatotalgeographicalareaofabout93.60lakhhectares,outofwhich

only55.54lakhhectaresisthenetcultivatedareawithagrosscultivatedareaof72.95 lakh hectares. The principal food crops are paddy, wheat, maize andpulses.Maincashcropsaresugarcane,potato,tobacco,oilseeds,onion,chillies,jute andmesta.Bihar has a notified forest area of 6.22 lakh hectare,which is6.65per centof itsgeographical area.About30.64 thousandhectaresnet areaand 44.33 thousand hectare gross area had received irrigation from differentsources.

IrrigationBiharhasanirrigationpotentialof28.73lakhhectarescreatedthroughmajor

andmediumirrigationschemesand6.63lakhhectaresthroughminorirrigationschemes.

FestivalsFestivalsarethenervesofanyIndiansociety,spreadineachandeverypartof

its body system. Bihar is no exception. All most all the important festivalscelebrated at thenational level likeDurgaPuja,Deepawali, Janmastami,Holi,Id, Christmas, etc., have a strong bond with Bihar’s cultural and social life.Besides,therearecertainpeculiarandimportantfestivalswhichdefinethesocialfabric of this of this state include Chhath Pooja, also called Chhathi DalaChhathandSuryaShashthi,‘SamaChakeba’,theHariharMelaofSonepur,etc.Tourism

A state with so much of history and knowledge has its share of places oftouristinterest.Biharattractshordesoftouristsnotjustofthecountrybutabroadaswell. Prominent places of interest include–Patna,BodhGaya,Gaya,Rajgir,Sitamarhi—thebirthplaceofSita,BarabarCaves,KesariaStupa,100feettallDev Sun Temple of Aurangabad, Jain temples, Buddlist Stupas to name theprominentones.Website:www.gov.bih.nic.in

Government

http://www.gov.bih.nic.in

Chhattisgarh

HistoryandGeographyChhattisgarh, carvedout ofMadhyaPradesh came intobeing inNovember

2000asthe26thstateoftheUnion.Itfulfilsthelong-cherisheddemandofthepeople. Inancient times the regionwasknownasDakshin-Kausal.This findsmention inRamayana andMahabharata also. Between the sixth and twelfthcenturies Sarabhpurias, Panduavanshi, Somvanshi, Kalchuri and Nagvanshirulersdominatedthisregion.KalchurisruledinChhattisgarhfrom980to1791AD.WiththeadventoftheBritishin1845,Raipurgainedprominenceinsteadofcapital Ratanpur. In 1904 Sambalpurwas transferred toOdisha and estates ofSargujaweretransferredfromBengaltoChhattisgarh.

Chhattisgarh is bounded by southern Jharkhand and Odisha in the east,Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra in the west, Uttar Pradesh and westernJharkhandinthenorthandAndhraPradeshinthesouth.Area-wise,Chhattisgarhistheninthlargeststateandpopulation-wiseitisseventeenthpopulousstateofthenation.

AgricultureTotal geographical area of the state is 137.90 lakh ha. out ofwhich arable

landisabout47.70lakhha.Areaunderkharifcropisaround47.60lakhha.andrabiis16.61lakhha.Themainkharifcropofthisregionispaddywhichisabout76percentoftotalkharifcrops.Apartfromitothermaincropsgrownherearemaize,soyabean,groundnut,urdbeanandpigeonpea.Similarlymainrabicropsgrownherearewheat,gram,lathyrus,mustardandlinseed.

The agro climate zones ofChhattisgarh are three viz.,NorthernHill Zone,ChhattisgarhPlainandPlateauofBaster.Theaverageannualrainfallofthisareaisabout1307.3mm.

IrrigationandPowerWhenthestatecameintobeing, thetotal irrigationcapacitywas13.28lakh

hectareswhichhas23percentof total sownareawhichhasnow increased to

18.44lakhhectareswhichis33.15percentoftotalsownarea.

MineralResourcesChhattisgarh has the perfect geological set up to host a number of

economically crucial minerals. Large deposits of coal, iron ore, limestone,bauxite anddolomite are found invariousparts of the state.Districts of northChhattisgarhsuchasSurguja,Raigarh,KoriyaandBilaspurareknownforhugecoaldeposits.

IndustryThe economy is largely natural resource driven and it leverages the state’s

richmineral resources. The key sectorswhere Chhattisgarh has a competitiveadvantageincludecement,mining,steel,aluminiumandpower.Oneofthemostmineral-rich states in India, Chhattisgarh provides a lucrative opportunity forcementproductionatthemostcompetitiveprices.

TransportRoads:ThetotallengthoftheroadsinthestateunderPWDis31803km.Thelengthofnationalhighwayis2226km;statehighways5240km10,539.80km;maindistrict roads;and13798kmotherdistrictand rural roads.The lengthofroadsinChhattisgarhhasincreasedfrom17.75kmto21.40kmper100km.Railways : Raipur, Bilaspur, Durg, Rajnandgaon, Raigarh and Korba areimportantrailwaystations.

TouristCentresChhattisgarh, situated in theheart of India, is endowedwith a rich cultural

heritageandattractivenaturaldiversity.Thestateisfullofancientmonuments,rarewildlifespecies,carved temples,Buddhistsites,palaces,waterfalls,caves,rockpaintingsandgeographicalformations.Website:www.cgstate.gov.in

Government

Goa

http://www.cgstate.gov.in

HistoryandGeographyGoa,knowninthebygonedaysasGomanchala,Gopakapattam,Gopakapuri,

Govapuri,Gomantak,etc.,aboundsinarichhistoricalheritage.EarlyhistoryofGoa is obscure. In the first century of the Christian era, it was a part of theSatavahanaempire,followedbytheKadamba,theRashtrakutasofMalkhed,theChalukyasand theSilharas.Theempireof theYadavasby theendof the14thcenturywasdisplacedbytheKhiljisofDelhiandthusMuslimrulecametoGoa.AfterthediscoveryofthesearoutetoIndiabyVasco-da-Gamain1498,manyPortugueseexpeditionscametoIndia.In1510,AlfonsodeAlbuquerquewiththehelpoftheemperorofVijayanagarattackedandcapturedGoa.Withthearrivalof the Jesuit priest Francis Xavier in 1542, proselytisation began in Goa.However, the Portuguese continued to rule over the territory except for aninterludeduringthelatterhalfofthe17thcenturywhenShivajiconqueredafewareasinandaroundGoa.

Even after India’s independence, Goa continued to be in the hands of thePortuguese.However, they could not fulfil the aspirations of theGoan peopleandultimatelyon19December1961,GoawasliberatedandmadeacompositeUnion Territory with Daman and Diu. In May 1987, Goa was conferredstatehoodandDamanandDiuwasmadeaseparateUnionTerritory.ItissituatedonthewesterncoastoftheIndianpeninsula.OnitsnorthrunstheTerekholriverwhich separates Goa from Maharashtra and on the south lies north Canaradistrict of Karnataka. On the east lie the Western Ghats and in the west theArabianSea.Panaji,Margao,Vasco,MapusaandPondaarethemaintownsofGoa.

AgricultureThe total cultivated area of the state is 160,320 hectares while the total

productionis108,333tonnes.Asubsidyofupto90percentisalsoprovidedforconstructionofpolyhousesandgreenhouses.Similarsubsidiesareprovidedfordripirrigationandforconstructionofbiogasplants.

WaterResourcesThe Water Resources Department apart from supplying raw water for

irrigation has also augmented rawwater supply to the PWD.AssonoraWaterWorkshasbeenaugmentedwitha25MLDrawwaterfromChaporariveratSaland10MLDfromAmthanetank.

IndustriesAll schemes under the State Industrial Policy as well as the State Biotech

Policywillcontinuetobeinforceandaretobepopularizedfurther.Toprovideencouragement to artisans ofGoan handicrafts, it is proposed to developGoaHaat-cum-shilpagram, new emporia in Goa and outside Goa and develop e-portalforthesaleofhandicraftitemsacrosstheglobe.

TransportRoads: Of the motorable roads, national highway constitutes 264 km, statehighways279.4kmandotherroadsMDR/RR/4501.18km.Railways : Goa is linked with Mumbai, Mangalore and Thiruvananthapuramthrough theKonkanRailway,whichhas introducedseveral fast trainson theselines.VascodaGama isconnectedwithBengaluruandBelgaumon theSouthCentralRailway,presentlyforgoodstrafficonly.Aviation : Mumbai, Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin, Chennai, Agati andBengaluruarelinkedwithDabolimthroughregularairlineservices.Ports :Mormugao is themajor port in the statewhich handles cargo vessels.Minor ports are located atPanaji,Tiracol,Chapora,Betul andTalpona, out ofwhichPanaji is themainoperativeport.Oneoff-shoreberthatPanajihasalsobeencommissioned.

TouristCentresImportant tourist centres are Colva, Calangute, Vagator, Baga, Harmal,

AnjunaandMiramarbeaches;BasilicaofBomJesusandSt.CathedralchurchesatOldGoa;Kavlem,Mardol,Mangeshi,BandoraTemples;Aguada,Terekhol,Chapora and Cabo de Rama Forts; Dudhsagar and Harvalem waterfalls andMayemlakeresort.Thestatehasrichwildlifesanctuaries,viz.,Bondla,Cotigao,MolemandDrSalimAliBirdSanctuaryatChoraocoveringanareaof354sqkm.

ForestGoahasagoodforestcoverof34percentagainstthenationalrequirementof

33percentandnearly62percentoftreecover.

Health

Goabecamethefirststateinthecountrytolaunchdiabeticregistry.Thenewdistrict hospitals at Margao, Mapusa and the new 170 bedded ID hospital atPondaareimportanthospitals.Website:www.goa.gov.in

Government

Gujarat

HistoryandGeographyThehistoryofGujaratgoesbackto2000BC.ItisbelievedthatLordKrishna

leftMathura to settle in the west coast of Saurashtra which later came to beknownasDwarka.LateritwitnessedvariouskingdomsasMauryas,Guptasandothers. It was during the rule of Chalukyas (Solankis) that Gujarat witnessedprogress and prosperity. In spite of the plundering of Mahmud Ghazni, theChalukyakingswereable tomaintaingeneralprosperityandwell-being.Afterthisgloriousrespite,GujaratfacedtroubledtimesundertheMuslims,MarathasandtheBritishrule.Beforeindependence,thepresentterritoriesofGujaratusedto be in two parts - the British and the Princely territories. With thereorganizationofthestates,theUnionoftheStatesofSaurashtraandtheUnionTerritoryofKachchhalongwiththeformerBritishGujaratbecameapartofthebiggestbilingualStateofBombay.Gujaratofficially formedas a state inMay1960. It is situated on the west coast of India. The state is bounded by theArabian Sea on the west, Pakistan and Rajasthan in the north and north-eastrespectively,MadhyaPradeshinthesouth-eastandMaharashtrainthesouth.

AgricultureIn order to boost agricultural growth and to further improve it, the state

governmentcelebrated2014-15askrishivikasvarsh.‘KrishiMahotsav’isbeingorganized every year to make farmers aware of modern technologies andmethods of scientific farming. Gujarat is the major producer of cotton,groundnutandtobaccoandprovidesinputsforimportantindustriesliketextiles,

http://www.goa.gov.in

oilandsoap.Otherimportantcashcropsarepaddy,wheatandbajra.

ElectricityGujarathasbecomethefirststateinthecountrytocomewithasolarpolicy

in2009,withaviewtogiveboosttothesolarenergysector.Installedcapacityofthisprojectisabout400MW.

RoadsRoadnetworkplaysacrucialroleinthedevelopmentofthestate.Asanovel

approach, thestategovernmenthas involvedprivatesector in thebuildingofasoundroadnetwork.Withaviewtomeetuptheneedsofincreasingpopulation,BRTSfacilityhasbeenstartedinAhmedabadforspeedycommuting.

PortsDuringthelastdecade,Gujarathasacquiredastatusofanimportantmaritime

stateofthecountry.Nearly80percentofthetotaltrafficonthenon-majorportsandabout48percentofthetotaltrafficonalltheportsofthecountryisbeingrecordedontheportsofGujarat,whichisamatterofprideforthestate.Thereare41minorandintermediateandonemajorport—KandlaPort.

FestivalsTarnetar fair is held at village Tarnetar of Surendranagar district in the

honourofLordShiva.ThisfairisheldeveryyearinthemonthofBhadrapada(August/September).Madhavrai fair atMadhavpur near Porbandar is held ontheninthdayof thebrighthalfof themonthofChaitra(March/April).Ambajifair dedicated to Amba mother goddess is held in Banaskantha district. Thebiggestannualfair,Janmashtami,thebirthdayofLordKrishna,iscelebratedatDwarka and Dakor with great enthusiasm. Navratri - world’s longest dancefestival,JagannathRathYatrafamouschariotfestival,ModheraDanceFestival-UtrardhMhotsavinthebackdropoffamousSunTempleinnorthGujarat,RannUtsav—basking inmoonlit nights in the vast stretches ofRannofKutchh andotherfestivalsareMakar-Sankranti,DangDarbar,Shamlajifair,andBhavnathfair.

TouristCentresReligious spots like Dwarka, Somnath, Palitana, Pavagadh, Ambaji,

Bhadreshwar,Shamlaji,TarongaandGirnar;Porbandar,birthplaceofMahatmaGandhi, monuments of architectural and archaeological surprises like Patan,Siddhpur, Ghurali, Dabhoi; Vadnagar, Modhera, Lothal and Ahmedabad;beaches likeAhmadpur-Mandvi,Chorvad,Ubharat, andTithal; the hill station

Saputara, lionsanctuaryofGirforestandwildasssanctuaryinsmalldesertofKachchh area are major tourist attractions in the state. Moreover SabarmatiRiverfront:Displaysdevelopment leveland tourismpotential.Sursagar lake inVadodara,centreoftourists’attraction,NalSarovarBirdSanctuary—Homeformigrantbirdsfromacrosstheglobe.Website:www.gujaratindia.com

Government

Haryana

HistoryandGeographyHaryana has a proud history dating back to the Vedic Age. The state was

home to the legendary Bharata dynasty, after which the country was namedBharat. The land of Haryana has been the cradle of Indian culture andcivilization.ArchaeologicalfindingsbyGuyE.Pilgrimin1915establishedthat15millionyearsago,theearlymanlivedintheShivaliks.VamanaPuranastatesthatKingKuruploughedthefieldofKurukshetrawithagoldenplough,drawnbytheNandiofLordShiva,andreclaimedanareaofseven‘kosas’.

Repletewithmyths,legendsandVedicreferences,Haryana’spastissteepedinglory.ItwasonthesoilofHaryanathatSaintVedVyaswroteMahabharata.ItwasherethatLordKrishnapreachedthegospelofdutytoArjunaabout5,000yearsago.ItwasherethattheepicbattleofMahabharatawasfought.BeingthegatewaytonorthIndia,theregionhasbeenthebattlegroundofmanyawar.TheHuns,theTurksandtheTughlaqsinvadedIndiaanddecisivebattleswerefoughtonthisland.Attheendofthe14thcentury,TaimurledanarmythroughthisareatoDelhi.Later,theMughalsdefeatedtheLodhisinthehistoricbattleofPanipatin1526.Anotherdecisivebattlewasfoughtin1556atthisverysite,establishingthesupremacyoftheMughalsuptotheadventoftheBritishrule,andtheriseofDelhiastheimperialcapitalofIndia.

An adjunct to Delhi, Haryana practically remained anonymous until the

http://www.gujaratindia.com

uprising in 1857. After the British crushed the rebellion, they deprived theNawabsofJhajjarandBahadurgarh,theRajaofBallabhgarhandRaoTulaRamofRewariinHaryanaregion,oftheirterritories.ThesewereeithermergedwithBritishterritoriesorhandedovertotherulersofPatiala,NabhaandJind,makingHaryana a part of the Punjab province.With the reorganization of Punjab inNovember1956,Haryanawasbornasafull-fledgedstate.

Strategicallylocated,HaryanaisboundedbyUttarPradeshintheeast,Punjabin the west, Himachal Pradesh in the north, and Rajasthan in the south. TheNationalCapitalofDelhijutsintoHaryana.Withjust1.37percentofthetotalgeographicalareaandlessthantwopercentofIndia’spopulation,Haryanahascarvedaplaceofdistinctionforitself.Rankedamongthemostprosperousstatesinthecountry,HaryanahasthesecondhighestpercapitaincomeinIndia,afterGoa.

AgricultureAgriculture is themainstayofmore than65percentpopulation inHaryana

withthesecondlargestcontributiontothefoodbowlofthecountry.Underthediversificationofcrops,moreandmoreareaisbeingbroughtundercashcropslikesugarcane,cottonandoilseeds,vegetableandfruits.Sustainableagricultureisbeingpromotedthroughthepropagationofresourceconservingtechnologiesandorganicfarming.

IrrigationThe1,429-strongnetworkofcanalsconstitutes thebedrockof the irrigation

systeminHaryanawith6.83lakhtubewellsandpumpsetsplayingnomeanrole.Themajor irrigation projects in the state areWestern Yamuna Canal System,BhakraCanalSystemandGurgaonCanalSystem.Givingpracticalshapetothelift irrigation systemfor the first time in India,Haryanahas raisedwater fromlower levels to higher and drier slopes through the Jawaharlal Nehru Canal,Project. The state is among the beneficiaries of themultipurpose Sutlej- Beasproject,sharingbenefitswithPunjabandRajasthan.

PowerThe first state in the country to have achieved hundred per cent rural

electrificationway back in 1970,Haryana iswell onway to becoming powersurplusfromapowerdeficitstate.

EducationHaryana is emerging as an education hub and shaping into a modern-day

Takshila and Nalanda. Making elementary education available at reachabledistance to all children and opening a large number of institutes of higherlearning,offeringglobalstandardeducation,thestateismovingfastontheroadtobecomingamodernhubofeducation.Accordingto2011census,theliteracyrateinHaryanais76.64percentagainsttheall-Indialiteracyrateof74.04percent.Haryana’s female literacy rate is 66.77per cent andmale literacy rate is85.38percent.Theruralpopulationisservedbyprimaryschoolswithinaradiusof 1.01km,middle schoolswithin a radius of 1.17km,high schoolswithin aradiusof1.45km,andseniorsecondaryschoolswithinaradiusof2.10km.

IndustryThe investment and industry-friendly policies pursued by the state

governmenthavemadeHaryana thecynosureofall investingeyesandput thestateonthresholdofindustrialrevolution.Haryanatodayisthelargestproducerof passenger cars, tractors, motorcycles, bicycles, refrigerators, scientificinstruments,etc.Besides,itisthelargestexporterofbasmatirice.

Panipathandloomsandcarpetsareknownallovertheworldbesidesitstastypanchrangapickle.

HealthHealthcarehasbeenmadebothaffordableandreachablebysettingupastate-

widenetworkofdistrictandsub-divisionalhospitals.Thesearebeingbeefedupwithstaffandequipmentanddeficienciesinreferralservicesarebeingremoved.Thestate-widenetworkofhealthcentresincludes56hospitals,109communityhealth centres, 467 primary health centres, 2,630 sub-centres, 15 district TBcentres, 639 ayurvedic, homeopathy and unani centres, 90 urbanRCH centresarefunctioning.

InformationTechnologyOut of the 85 proposals for setting up IT/cyber parks in the state,

recommendedbythecommitteeconstitutedforthepurpose,35companieshavebeengrantedlicencesbythetownandcountryplanningdepartment.

TransportRoadandrail transportarethemaincarriersofpassengertrafficinHaryana

withaviationtooplayingasmallrole.Itisonestatewhereallvillagesarelinkedwithmetalledroads.Thelengthoftheroadsinthestateismorethan35,303km.

Railwaysalsoplayanimportantroleincarryingbothinterstateandintrastatepassengers. Kalka, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Rohtak, Jind, Hisar and

Jakhalareimportantrailwaystations.ThereisarailwayworkshopatJagadhari.Aviationtooplaysitsrole.TherearecivilaerodromesatPinjore,Karnal,Hisar,BhiwaniandNarnaul.

TouristCentresApioneerinhighwaytourism,Haryanahassetupavastnetworkof43tourist

complexes all over the state. Having 846-roomed accommodation in them,Haryana tourismattracts70 lakh touristseveryyear.Thestategovernmenthasadoptedamulti-prongedstrategy topromote tourism.Besides, tourist facilitieshavebeensetupatthedistrictheadquarters,andinimportanttowns,tocatertotheneedsoftouristsandlocalpeople.Someoftheimportanttouristcomplexesare Surajkund and Baddhkal Lake near Delhi; Sultanpur Birds Sanctuary(Sultanpur); Sohna and Damdama in Gurgaon; and the fascinating pocket ofpines in the Morni Hills. The other important resorts are Ethnic India (RaiSonipat), Blue Jay (Samalkha), Skylark (Panipat), Karna Lake and Oasis(Uchana),Parakeet(Pipli),Kingfisher(Ambala),Magpie(Faridabad),Dabchick(Hodal), Shama (Gurgaon), Jungle Babbler (Dharuhera), Gaurriyya(Bahadurgarh),Myna(Rohtak),BlueBird(Hisar),RedBishop(Panchkula),andPinjoreGardens(Pinjore).Website:www.haryana.gov.in

Government

HimachalPradesh

HistoryandGeographyHimachal Pradesh, a beautiful land is situated in the lap of the western

Himalayas, located between 30°.22’ and 33°. 12’ North latitude and between75°.47’and79°.41East longitude.Thiswonderful landinhabitedbypeopleofvariouscastesandreligionsgroups,isalsocalledas“DevBhumi:theabodeof

http://www.haryana.gov.in

gods and goddesses”. Himachal drives its name from the Himalayas, literallymeans“landofsnowymountains”.Theterritoryofthisstatecanbedividedintothree zones, Outer Himalayas or the Shivaliks, Inner Himalayas or Mid-Mountains and the Greater Himalayas or Alpine Zone. The entire state ispunctuatedwithstoneaswellaswoodtemples.Therichcultureand traditionshave made Himachal a unique world in itself. The shadowy valleys, ruggedcrags, glaciers, gigantic pines, roaring rivers and exquisite flora and faunacomposethesymphonythatisforevervibrantHimachal.

HimachalPradeshhasaveryeventfulcareer.On15thApril1948,thePradeshwas born as a result of the integration of some thirty erstwhile Princely HillStates;twentysixShimlaHillStatesandfourPunjabHillStates.Atthetimeofits inception, the total area of Himachal Pradesh was 27,018 sq. km. with apopulation of 9, 35,000. On the recommendations of Punjab BoundaryCommission, the Government of India, while reorganizing Punjab into twoseparatestatesofPunjabandHaryanadecidedtointegratethePunjabhillareasof the districts of Kangra, Shimla, Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti, Nalagarh area ofAmbala district, parts of Una tehsil of Hoshiarpur district, and of PathankottehsilofGurdaspurdistrictwithHimachalPradesh.TheintegrationcameaboutonNovember1,1966andHimachal’sterritorialareaincreasedto55,673sq.km.The new state was inaugurated in Shimla in 1971. With this, emergence ofHimachalPradeshastheeighteenthstateoftheIndianUnion.

AgricultureAgriculture provides direct employment to about 70 per cent of the main

working population of the state. Income from agriculture and allied sectorsaccountsfornearly22.1percentofthetotalstatedomesticproduct.Outofthetotalgeographicalareaof55,673sq.km.,areaofoperationalholdingisabout9.79lakhhectares.

Theagro-climaticconditionsinthestatearecongenialfortheproductionofcash crops like seed potato, off-season vegetables and ginger. In order toincreasetheproductionoffoodgrains,emphasishasbeenlaidondistributionofseeds of high yielding varieties to the farmers. “MukhyaMantri Jaivik KhetiPurskarYojna” has been started to boost themorale of the farmers.HimachalPradesh has bagged “Krishi Karmanya Puraskar” on national level for theconsecutive years in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. For the welfare of farmers,2,061bankbranches in the stateare implementingKisanCreditCardScheme.“Mukhya Mantri Khet Sanrakshan Yojna” was launched to protect the farmsfromwildanimalsbyprovidingsolarfencing.Subsidyonanti-hailnetshasbeen

increasedfrom50percentto80percent.

HorticultureHimachal Pradesh is called the “Fruit Bowl” of the country. Horticulture

playsanimportantroleintheagrarianeconomy.Over2.27lakhhectareareahasbeenbroughtunderfruitcultivationandfruitproductionhasreached10.28lakhMT.Thestatehas favourableclimaticconditions toproduceavarietyof fruitssuchasapple,pear,peach,plum,apricot,mango, litchi,guava, strawberryandcitrusfruits.Forprotectionofhorticulturecropsfromhailstorms,15,51,813sq.meterareahasbeenbroughtunderanti-hailnets.TheHorticultureTechnologyMission is being implemented for the integrated development of horticulture.ThisMission is basedon the “EndToEndApproach” taking into account theentire gamut of horticulture development with all backward and forwardlinkagesinaholisticmanner.Toensureremunerativepricesinapple,mangoandcitrus fruits produce to the farmers, state government has starting marketinginterventionscheme.

RoadsBeing a hilly state, the roads are very important and main mode of

communicationforthepeople.Therewereonly288kmofroadsinthestateattimeofitsformationintheyearin1948.

“PradhanMantriGramSadakYojna”hasshownremarkableprogress in thestate. “Mukhya Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna” has also been implemented toprovidelastmileconnectivitytovillages/habitations.

Hydro-PowerGenerationHydel-powerpotentialisthekeytoprosperityofthestateandoutofthetotal

availablepotentialof27,436MW,thestatehasharnessed10,351MWpowersofar.Centpercentelectrificationhadbeenachievedinthestate.

IrrigationandWaterSupplyWater is an essential amenity for the development of any state. Irrigation

facilityfortheagricultureandhorticultureisbeingprovidedinthestate.Outofthe total3.35 lakhhectarearea that canbeprovidedassured irrigation facility,2.69 lakh hectare area has been brought under irrigation schemes. Watertreatmentplantsarebeingprovidedinallthedrinkingwatersupplyschemes.

ForestryForestinHimachalPradeshcoversanareaof37,033sq.kmwhichcomesto

66.52 per cent of the total geographical area of the state. The strategy ofgovernment in forestry management is conservation along with rationalutilizationandsidebysideexpandingitsbase.Forestplantationisbeingcarriedout under productive forestry scheme and soil conservation schemes. A newscheme “Sub-Mission on Agro Forestry” was launched with the objective toincreasetreeplantationinanintegratedmanneralongwithcropsandlivestocktoimprove employment opportunities of small farmers. Wildlife and natureconservationschemesaimatimprovingthehabitatandfacilitatingprovisionsofareas (sanctuariesandnationalparks) soas toaccordprotection to thevariousspeciesofbirdsandanimalsfacingextinction.

TourismThe state is endowed with all the basic resources necessary for thriving

tourism activity like geographical and cultural diversity, clean and peacefulenvironment and beautiful streams, sacred shrines, historic monuments andhospitable people.Tourism industry has been given very high priority and thegovernmenthasdevelopedappropriateinfrastructureforitsdevelopmentwhichincludes public utility services, roads, communication network, airports,transport facilities, clean toilets at bus stands, restaurants and petrol pumps,water supply and other civic amenties. Besides there are 2,604 hotels havingabout70869ofbedfacility,about787homestayunitsarethereinthestate.

Tourism contributes 6.8 per cent to state GDP and it is set to increase.Incentiveof revised ratesofelecticitydutyhasbeengiven to thenew tourismindustry.Packagetoursarebeingdevelopedandfocusiskeptontheadventure,religiousheritage,wintersports,trekkingandoutdooractivities.Website:www.himachal.nic.in

Government

Jharkhand

HistoryandGeography

http://www.himachal.nic.in

JharkhandwhichcameintobeinginNovember2000asanotherstateof theUnion is the homelandof the tribalswhohaddreamtof a separate state for along time. According to legend, Raja Jai Singh Deo of Odisha had declaredhimself the ruler of Jharkhand in the 13th century. It largely comprises foresttracks of Chhotanagpur plateau and Santhal Pargana and has distinct culturaltraditions. In post-Independence era, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha started aregular agitation which impelled the Government to establish the JharkhandAreaAutonomousCouncilin1995andfinallyafull-fledgedstate.

Jharkhand is bounded by West Bengal in the east, Uttar Pradesh andChhattisgarhinthewest,BiharinthenorthandOdishainthesouth.

AgricultureThestatehasanareaof79,714sqkmofwhich18,423sqkmisforestland.

Agriculture and allied activities are themajor sourceof Jharkhand’s economy.Thetotalcultivablelandisonly38lakhhectare.

IrrigationandPowerDamodar, Maurakshi, Barakar, North Koyel, South Koyel, Sankh,

Subarnarekha,Kharkai,andAjayaremajorwaterresourcesinthestate.Thenetsownarea is1.8millionhectareofwhich8percent is irrigated.The installedcapacityofpowerinthestateis2,590MW.

IndustryandMineralsSome of Jharkhand’smajor industries are Bokaro Steel Plant in the public

sector, Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in Jamshedpur in the privatesector. Other important industries are Tata Engineering and LocomotiveCompany (TELCO),Timken IndiaLimited (Jamshedpur),BharatCokingCoalLimited(Dhanbad),KhilariCementFactory(Palamu),IndianAluminum(Muri),ACC Cement (Chaibasa), Central Coalfields Limited (Ranchi), Usha Martin,UshaBeltron,UraniumCorporation (I)Limited (Jadugora),HindustanCopperLimited(Mussabani),TinPlateCompanyofIndiaLimited(Jamshedpur),IndianExplosiveLimited(Gomia),HindalcoBauxite(Lohardaga),etc.

The state is rich inmineral resources.The important availableminerals arecoal, iron ore, limestone, copper ore, bauxite, pyrite, china clay, kyanite, fineclay,dolomite,graphite,bentonite,soapstone,quartzsandandsilicasand.Thenascentstatehastheenormouspotentialforexploitationofcoal,micaandothermineralsparticularlyinSinghbhum,Bokaro,Hazaribagh,Ranchi,KodermaandDhanbad.

TransportRoads:Thetotallengthofroadsis4,311km.Thisincludes1,500kmnationalhighwaysand2,711kmstatehighways.Railways : The state has a well-developed railway system. Ranchi, Bokaro,Dhanbad,Jamshedpuraresomeofthemajorrailwaystations.Aviation:RanchiisconnectedwithDelhi,PatnaandMumbai.CitieswhichhaveairstripsareJamshedpur,Bokaro,Giridih,Deoghar,Hazaribagh,DaltonganjandNoamundi.

TouristCentresThere are many scenic attractions in the state, namely, Ichagarh Bird

Sanctuary, Udhwa Sanctuary-Sahibganj (Pataura Lake), Chachro CrocodileBreeding Centre–Koderma (Tilaya Dam), Chandrapura Bird Sanctuary,JawaharlalNehruZoologicalGarden(Bokaro),TenughatBirdSanctuary,DalmaWildLife Sanctuary (Jamshedpur), Tata Steel Zoological Park (Jamshedpur),Palkote Wildlife Sanctuary (Gumla), Bhagwan Birsa Zoological Gardens(Ranchi), Birsa Deer Sanctuary (Kalmati Ranchi), Betla National Park(Palamau),RanchiAquarium (Ranchi),HazaribaghNational Park,TatoloiHotWaterStream(Dumka)andSarandaForest.

Apartfromthis,Jharkhandhassomefamoustempleslike,JharkhandDham,LangtaBabaTemple/Majar,BindhvashiniTemple,MasanjoreDam,etc.Website:www.jharkhand.gov.in

Government

Karnataka

HistoryandGeography

http://www.jharkhand.gov.in

Karnataka has a recorded history ofmore than 2,000 years.Apart from itssubjectiontotheruleofNandas,MauryasandtheSatavahanas,Karnatakacameto have indigenous dynasties like the Kadambas of Banavasi and the Gangasfrom the middle of the 4th century AD. The world renowned GomateshwaramonolithatShravanabelagolawasinstalledbyaGangaministerChavundaraya.The colossal rock cut image of Sri Gomateshwara is the most magnificentamongall Jainaworksof art.Numerousvisitors arrive atShravanabelagola togaze at this and other monuments. The Chalukyas of Badami (500-735 AD)reigned over a wider area, from Narmada to the Kaveri from the days ofPulikeshi II (609-642 AD) who even defeated the mighty Harshavardhana ofKanauj.Thisdynastycreatedfine,everlastingandthemostbeautifulmonumentsatBadami,AiholeandPattadakal,bothstructuralandrock-cut.Aiholehasbeenoneofthecradlesoftemplearchitectureinthecountry.TheRashtrakutas(753-973 AD) of Malkhed who succeeded them heaped tributes on the rulers ofKanauj successively in the so-called ‘Age of Imperial Kanauj’. Kannadaliteraturedevelopedduringthisperiod.OutstandingJainscholarsofIndialivedintheircourt.TheChalukyasofKalyana(973to1189AD)andtheirfeudatories,the Hoysalas of Halebidu built exquisite temples, encouraged literature andvarious fine arts. Noted jurist Vijnaneshwara (work: Mitakshara) lived atKalyana. The great religious leader Basaveshwarawas aminister at Kalyana.Vijayanagar empire (1336-1646) patronised and fostered indigenous traditionsand encouraged arts, religion and literature in Sanskrit, Kannada, Telugu andTamil. Overseas trade flourished. The Bahamani Sultans (Capital: Gulbarga,laterBidar)andtheBijapurAdilshahisraisedfineIndo-SaracenicbuildingsandencouragedUrduandPersianliterature.AdventofthePortugueseresultedintheintroduction of new crops (tobacco, maize, chillies, groundnut, potato, etc.).After the fall of the Peshwa (1818) and Tipu (1799), Karnataka came underBritish rule. Christian missionaries introduced English education and printingduringthe19thcentury.Revolutionin transport,communicationandindustrieswasusheredin.Theurbanmiddle-classemerged.Mysoredynastyinitiatedandhelpedindustrialisationandculturalgrowth.

Freedom movement was followed by the movement for the unification ofKarnataka.AfterIndependence, theMysorestatewascreatedin1953,whereinall theKannadadominantareasunderdifferentdispensationswereunifiedandtheenlargedMysorestatecarvedin1956andwasrenamedKarnatakain1973.

Karnataka is situatedbetween11°31’and18°14’north latitudesand74°12’and78°10’eastlongitudes.ItisboundedbyGoaandMaharashtraonthenorth;Telangana andAndhraPradeshon the east;TamilNaduon the south east and

Keralaonthesouth.

ForestryandWildlifeTheforestdepartmentmanagesabout20.15percentofthegeographicalarea

of the state. Forests havebeen classified as reserved forests, protected forests,unclassified forests, villages forests, and private forests. There are 5 nationalparks and 23wildlife sanctuaries. To overcome shortage of fuelwood, fodderandtimber,degradedforestsandwastelandsarebeingdeveloped.Emphasisisalso being laid on the conservation, protection and development of the fragileecosystem of theWestern Ghats. Several wildlife protection schemes such asProject Tiger and Project Elephant are being implemented with the centralassistance.TheconceptofJointForestPlanningandManagementappliedtothetwo externally aided projects viz., Western Ghats Forestry and EnvironmentProject(DFID)andForestryandEnvironmentProjectforEasternPlains(JBIS)hasresultedinvillageforestplanningandmanagementthroughestablishmentofVillageForestCommittees.

AgricultureThestatehas66percentruralpopulationand55.60percentofworkersare

agriculturallabourers.Thestatehas60percent(114lakhha)cultivablelandand72percentofthecultivableareaisrainfed;only28percentisunderirrigation.The state has 10 agro climatic zones.The red soil constitutesmajor soil type,followedbyblacksoil.Thenetsownareaofthestateconstituted51.7percentofthetotalland.

DairyKarnataka is one of the major milk producers and the Karnataka Milk

Federationhasnumerousdairyprocessingplants.

HorticultureHorticulture crops are grown in an area of 16.80 lakhs hectare and the

produces amount to 101 lakh tonnes. The Union Government earmarked ₹171.29croreforKarnatakaunderNationalHorticultureMission.

PowerGenerationKarnataka was the pioneer in establishing hydroelectric projects in the

country. Ithas7222.91powergeneration installedcapacityand31,229millionunitsofelectricitywasgenerated.

Biotechnology

Karnataka and Bengaluru city in particular have become the largest bio-clustersinthecountry.

TransportRoads:Totalroadlengthhasincreasedfrom83,749kmto2,15,849km.Ports:Thestatehasamaritimecoastlineof155nauticalmile(300kilometres)andhasonlyonemajorportatMangalore,i.e.,NewMangalorePortandstuddedwithtenminorports—Karwar,Belekeri,Tadria,Honnavar,Bhatkala,Kundapur,Hangarkatta,Malpe,PadubidriandOldMangalore.Outoftenports,Karwaristhe only all weather port while the other nine are the riverine anchoragelighterageports.Aviation : The Civil Aviation Sector has seen tremendous growth withinternational air passenger traffic growth of 50 per cent and domestic airpassengergrowthat44percent.

TourismKarnataka“OneStateManyWorlds”isbecomingahuboftouristattraction

ofsouthIndia.TheITandBTCentreinBengaluruhasreceivedmoretouristsintherecentpast.Thestateisknownforitsheritagemonumentsandeco-tourismdestinations. The Golden Chariot named after the famous Stone Chariot inHampi, a world heritage site, in southern India will travel through timelesshistoricalheritagesites, resplendentpalaces,wildlifeandgoldenbeaches. Its7nights/8 days colourful journey begins every Monday from Bengaluru andtraversesthroughMysore,visitingSrirangapatna,MysorePalace,theNagarholeNational Park (Kabini) and continuing to the historical sites ofShravanabelagola,Belur—the11thcenturycradleofHoysalaarchitectureandaworldheritagesite,Halebidu,Hampiandthereafterenteringinto the triangularheritagesitesofBadami,Pattadakal,Aiholeandfinally theGoldenBeachesofGoabeforeendinginBengaluru.Website:www.karnataka.gov.in

Government

Kerala

http://www.karnataka.gov.in

HistoryandGeographyKerala is in the extreme south-west of the Indian subcontinent. When

independent India amalgamated small states together Travancore and Cochinstateswere integrated toformTravancore-Cochinstate inJuly1949.However,MalabarremainedundertheMadrasprovince.UndertheStatesRe-organisationAct, 1956, Travancore-Cochin state andMalabar were united to form KeralastateinNovember,1956.

Inbetween thehighWesternGhatson theeast and theArabianSeaon thewest, the width of the state varies from 35 km to 120 km. According to thegeographicalfeatures,thestatecanbedividedintohills,valleys,midlandplainsandcoastalbelt.44 rivers (41west flowingand3east flowing)cut across thestatewith their innumerable tributaries and branches.The backwaters form anattractiveandeconomicallyvaluablefeatureofKerala.

AgricultureKerala, the land of lush green paddy fields, cool coconut groves, fragrant

spicegarden,dubbedas“God’sOwnCountry”isnestledinthesoutherntipofIndia.FertilesoilandwarmhumidtropicalclimatemakeKeralaanidealplaceforcultivationofawidevarietyofcropswhich includedcoconut, rice, rubber,banana, spices, fruits, vegetables, cashew nut, tubers, coffee, tea, medicinalplants,arecanut,etc.

IndustryTo transform Kerala into a vibrant entrepreneurial society with faster,

inclusiveandsutainableeconomicgrowthinordertoachieveglobalstandardsinevery domain, the government has taken steps to implement investor friendlyindustrialpolicytoenableconstructiveinvestmentinallsectors.

IrrigationThe surface irrigation constitutes major chunk of irrigation infrastructure.

There are 18 dams intended for irrigation. Irrigation development is mainlycentered on the developement of surfacewater resourcesmainly on themajorandmediumirrigationprojects.IneachPlan,priorityinallocationwasgivenforthedevelopmentofmajorandmediumirrigationprojects.Riceisthemajorcropbenefitedthroughirrigationinfrastructure.Withthefastchangestakingplacein

thefarmfrontwithnotablereductionintheareaunderricecultivation,eventhedistribution system already developed for gravity irrigation to service ricecultivationnowrequirerealignment.

DrinkingWaterDemand forwater is increasingdue tomultitudeofhumanactivities in the

country.Theprimaryresponsibilityofprovidingdrinkingwaterfacilitiesinthecountryrestswiththerespectivestategovernments.Inurbanandruralareasofthestate,29percentand71percentofthepopulationwerecovered.

PowerPower sector plays a vital role in all developmental activities in Kerala.

Obviously power crisis is the prime obstacle to start new initiatives in theindustrial field. Kerala is a power deficit state which imports 60 per cent ofpower from other states. A major achievement is that it has achieved fullelectrificationinallvillages.

TransportTransportsectorplaysapivotalroleintheoveralldevelopmentofthecountry

which enables social, cultural and trade development between countries.Transport infrastructureconsistsoffixedinstallations,roads,railways,airways,waterways, canals, pipelines and terminals. Kerala holds a good transportsystem.TheroadsaremaintainedbyNationalHighwayAuthority,publicworksdepartment, local bodies, Department of Irrigation, Kerala State ElectricityBoard,DepartmentofForest,railways,etc.PortSector:KeralaliesinthesouthwestcorneroftheIndianpeninsula.Ithasacoastal length of 585 km and has an averagewidth of about 60 kmwith onemajorportatKochiand17minorports.Thegeographicallocationofthestateisveryclosetointernationalshippingroute.Thereare17minorports,outofwhich3 are considered as intermediate ports based on berthing, cargo handling andstorage facilities available in them. These have contributed much to thedevelopmentofindustry,trade,commerceandagricultureinthecountry.Railways:Railwaysareessentiallythecauseforindustrialupsurgeinthenationanditstillremainedthelargestemploymentproviderforthehugepopulationofthecountry.ThetotalrailwayrouteinKeralahasalengthof1257kmandcovers13railwayroutes.Air Transport : Kerala has three airports at Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi andKozhikode, handling both international and domestic flights.ThiruvananthapuramandKozhikodeairportsareownedbyGovernmentofIndia

andKochiairportisownedbyKochiInternationalAirportLtd.,acompanysetupbyGovernmentofKeralawithpublicprivateparticipation.

FestivalsKeralaisthehomeofmanycolourfulfestivals.Onam is themost typicalof

festivals which coincides with the harvest season. It is now celebrated onastronomicalNewYearDay.NavarathriiscelebratedasSaraswathiPooja.MahaShivarathri is celebratedon thebanksofPeriyar river as a spectacular festivalwhich iscompared toKumbhamela.The41-dayfestival,whichcoincideswithMakaravilakku in SabarimalaAyyappanTemple, attracts lakhs of people fromIndiaandabroad.TheVallamkaliorboatraceistypicalofKerala.Alltheboatfestivals have a religious origin exceptNehruTrophyBoatRace conducted inthePunnamadaLake.ThrissurcelebratesPooramfestivalinApril-Mayeveryyear with an impressive procession of caparisoned elephants and display ofunparalleled pyrotechnics. Main Christian festivals are Christmas and Easter.Mormon Convention held every year on the Pumba riverbed is the biggestgatheringofChristiansinAsia.TheMuslimscelebrateMiladeShareef,RamzanId-ul-FitrandBakrid.

TourismKerala,locatedonthesouthwesterntipofIndia,enjoysuniquegeographical

featuresthathavemadeitoneofthemostsoughtaftertouristdestinationsintheworld.Fondlyreferredtoas“God’sOwnCountry”,KeralawasselectedbytheNationalGeographicTravellerasoneofthe50destinationsofalifetimeandoneofthethirteenparadisesintheworld.Itsuniqueeco-tourisminitiatives,cultureand traditionscoupledwith itsvarieddemographyhasmadeKeralaoneof themost popular tourist destinations in the world. An equable climate, serenebeaches, tranquilstretchesofbackwaters; lushhillstationsandexoticwildlifearethemajorattractionsofthisland.AuniqueadvantageofKeralaisthatmostofthedestinationshereareonlyatwo-fourhourdrivefromtheother.Website:www.kerala.gov.in

Government

MadhyaPardesh

http://www.kerala.gov.in

HistoryandGeographyMadhya Pradesh is the second largest Indian state in size with an area of

3,08,000 sq.km. Geographically it occupies a pivotal position in the country.KingAshoka,firstofall,ruledoverUjjain.AsizeableportionofCentralIndiawas part of the Gupta empire (300-500 A.D.). The Muslims here in thebeginningof11thcentury.Firstofall,MahmudGhaznicameoverhereandthenMohammadGouri,whoincorporatedsomepartsofCentralIndiaintotherulingterritory of Delhi. This part was also part of theMughal empire. During theperiod between the beginning of the influence of Marathas and the death ofMadhojiScindia in1794,Marathaswereon theascendant inCentral Indiabutlateronthesmallstatesstartedcomingintoexistence.ThesesmallstatesbecamethecauseofperpetuationofBritishpowerinthecountry.

Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, the Gond Maharani Kamalapati andQueenDurgawati,etc.,werewomenrulerswhosenameshave leftan indelibleimprintonIndianhistoryfortheiroutstandingrule.MadhyaPradeshcameintobeinginNovember1956.ItwasreorganisedinNovember2000tocreateanewChhattisgarh state. The successive state, now, is bounded in north by UttarPradesh, east byChhattisgarh, south byMaharashtra andwest byGujarat andRajasthan.

EconomyMadhyaPradeshhasgonefromstrengthtostrengthineconomicgrowththat

hasemergedasa studyof successallover thecountry. ItsGSDPhasgoneupfrommore₹1lakhcroretoawhopping₹5lakhcroreoverthedecade.Agriculture

MadhyaPradeshhaspostedcountry’shighestagriculturalgrowthratewhichhadaveragedabove20percentoverlastfouryears.Thestateleadsthecountryin production of pulses, oilseeds, soyabean, gram, pea, garlic, guava andmedicinalandaromaticherbs.Horticultureisbeingpromotedinabigway.

IrrigationTop priority has been given to irrigation following which the area under

irrigation has increased frommere 7.5 lakh hectare ten years back to 40 lakh

hectarenow.Narmada-KshipraLinkProjecthasbeenimplemented.Threemajor,fivemediumandover700minor irrigationprojectshavebeencompletedoverlastfiveyears,therebyincreasingthecanalirrigationcapacitybyover2.5.times.

PowerMadhya Pradesh has witnessed a total turn-around in power sector. Power

availabilityhas increasedfromjust4500MWtwelveyearsagoto17,169MWnow. Country’s largest 130 MW solar energy plant has been established inNeemuch.

IndustryInorder topromotemicro, smallandmediumindustries,a separateMSME

department has been set up. Following implementation of MSME PromotionPolicyofStateGovernment50,000unitswere registeredunder industrybasedmemorandum.Withaninvestmentofover₹5 thousandcroretheseunitshaveprovidedjobstoover2lakhpeople.

DepartmentofHappinessADepartmentofHappinesshasbeensetupinthestateaspartofefforts to

createanenablingatmosphere forpeople to liveahappyandblissful life.Theconceptofhappiness thatMadhyaPradeshaspires topursueisprimarilybasedon time tested Indian wisdom besides taking into account the indices thatdetermine national growth as also the experiences of other countries in ourstrategiesandactionplans.

TransportRoads : The total length of roads in the state is 58,423 km. The length ofnationalhighwayinthestateis4,709kmwhilestatehighwayextendsto10,501km.Railways : The main rail route linking northern with southern India passesthrough the state. Main junctions are Bhopal, Bina, Gwalior, Indore, Itarsi,Jabalpur,Katni,RatlamandUjjain.ThedivisionalrailwaysheadquartersareatBhopal,RatlamandJabalpur.

FestivalsAnumberoffestivalsarecelebratedinthestate.Animportanttribalfestival

isBhagoriyamarkedbytraditionalgaietyandenthusiasm.ShivratriiscelebratedinKhajuraho,Bhojpur,PachmarhiandUjjainandhasitsownlocalflavourwhileRamnavami festival at Chitrakoot andOrchha has a unique sense of devotion

imbuedwithtradition.FestivalsofOrchha,Malwa,Pachmarhibringtotheforerepertoire of culture and art of the people. Tansen Music Festival, Gwalior;Ustad Allauddin Khan Music Festival Maihar; Kalidas Samaroh, Ujjain; andFestival ofDances atKhajurahowas someof thewell- known art festivals ofMadhyaPradesh.AnannualNarmadaFestivalhasbeenstartedfromthisyearatBedhaghatinJabalpur,famousforitsmarblerocks.AShivpurifestivalhasbeenstartedatShivpuri.BetwafestivalhasalsobeenstartedatVidisha.

TouristCentresPerfectly preserved medieval cities, refreshing and enchanting wildlife

sanctuariesandsomeoftheholiestandmostreveredpilgrimcentresoffertothetourist themost fulfilling experience. Tranquil beauty of Pachmarhi, glitteringsplendour ofmarble rocks and roaring sound ofDhuandhar Fall at Bedaghat,Kanha National Park, with its unique Barasingha, and Bandhavgarh NationalParkwithitsprehistoriccavesandwildlifearesomeofthemajorattractionsofthe state.Gwalior,Mandu,Datia, Chanderi, Jabalpur,Orchha,Raisen, Sanchi,Vidisha,Udaygiri,Bhimbetika,IndoreandBhopalaretheplaceswell-knownfortheir historicalmonuments.Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Ujjain, Chitrakoot andAmarkantakaremajorcentresofpilgrimage.UniquetemplesofKhajurahoarefamousallovertheworld.ThetemplesofOrchha,BhojpurandUdaypurattractlarge number of tourists as well as pilgrims. Archaeological treasures arepreservedinthemuseumsatSatna,Sanchi,Vidisha,Gwalior,Indore,Mandsaur,Ujjain,Rajgarh,Bhopal,Jabalpur,Rewaandmanyotherplaces.Omkareshwar,MaheshwarandAmarkantakhavebeendeclaredholycitiesfor their integrateddevelopmentinaccordancewiththeirreligioussignificance.Website:www.mp.nic.in

Government

Maharashtra

http://www.mp.nic.in

HistoryandGeographyThefirstwell-knownrulersofMaharashtraweretheSatavahanas(230BCto

225 AD), who were practically the founders ofMaharashtra, and have left aplethoraofliterary,epigraphic,artistic,andarchaeologicalevidence.Thencamethe Vakatakas, who established a pan-Indian empire. Under them, this areawitnessed an all-sideddevelopment in the fields of learning, arts and religion.Some of theAjantaCaves andFrescoPaintings reached their pinnacle duringtheir rule. After the Vakatakas and after a brief interlude of the Kalachuridynasty, the most important rulers were the Chalukyas followed by theRashtrakutas and the Yadavas apart from the Shilaharas on the coast. TheYadavas,withMarathiastheircourtlanguageextendedtheirauthorityoverlargepartsoftheDeccan.

While the Bahamani rule brought a degree of cohesion to the land and itsculture,auniquelyhomogeneousevolutionofMaharashtraasanentitybecameareality under the able leadership of Shivaji. A new sense of Swaraj andnationalismwas evolved by Shivaji.His noble and glorious power stalled theMughaladvances into thispartof India.ThePeshwasestablished theMarathasupremacyfromtheDeccanPlateautosomeareasinnorthernIndia.

MaharashtrawasintheforefrontduringfreedomstruggleanditwasherethattheIndianNationalCongresswasborn.Agalaxyof leadersfromMumbaiandothercitiesofthestateledtheCongressmovementundertheguidanceofTilakandthenMahatmaGandhi.MaharashtrawasthehomeofGandhiji’smovement,whileSevagramwasthecapitalofnationalisticIndiaduringtheGandhianera.

TheadministrativeevolutionofMaharashtraistheoutcomeofthelinguisticreorganisationofthestatesofIndia,effectedinMay,1960.Thestatewasformedby bringing together all contiguousMarathi-speaking areas, which previouslybelonged to four different administrative hegemonies. They were the districtsbetween Daman and Goa that formed part of the original British BombayProvince;fivedistrictsoftheNizam’sdominionofHyderabad;eightdistrictsinthesouthof theCentralprovinces(MadhyaPradesh)andasizeablenumberofpetty native-ruled state enclaves lying enclosed within the above areas, werelatermergedwithadjoiningdistricts.Located in thenorthcentreofPeninsularIndia, with the command of the Arabian Sea through its Port of Mumbai,Maharashtrahasaremarkablephysicalhomogeneity,enforcedbyitsunderlyinggeology. The dominant physical trait of the state is its plateau character.Maharashtraisaplateauofplateaus,itswesternupturnedrimsrisingtoformtheSahyadri Range parallel to the sea-coast and its slopes gently descendingtowards the east and south-east. Satpura ranges cover the northern part,while

Ajanta and Satmala ranges run through central part. Arabian Sea guards thewestern boundary of the state, while Gujarat andMadhya Pradesh are on thenorthern side. Chhattisgarh and Telangana cover the eastern boundary of thestate.KarnatakaandAndhraPradeshareonitssouthernside.

AgricultureAbout65percentofthetotalworkersinthestatedependonagricultureand

alliedactivities.Principalcropsare rice, jowar,bajra,wheat, tur,moong,urad,gram and other pulses. The state is amajor producer of oilseeds. Groundnut,sunflower, soyabean aremajor oilseed crops. Important cash crops are cotton,sugarcane,turmericandvegetables.

IndustryThe state has been identified as the country’s powerhouse andMumbai, its

capitalasthecentrepointofIndia’sfinancialandcommercialmarkets.Industrialsector occupies a prominent position in the economy of Maharashtra. Foodproducts,breweries, tobaccoandrelatedproducts, textilesand textileproducts,paperandpaperproducts,printingandpublishing,rubber,plastic,chemicalandchemical products, machinery, electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances,and transport equipment and parts contribute substantially to the industrialproduction.

TransportRoads:Totallengthofroadsinthestateis2.43lakhkmconsistingof4,376kmofnationalhighways,34,157kmofstatehighways,50,256kmofmajordistrictroads,46,817kmofotherdistrictroads,and1,06,601kmofvillageroads.Railways:Maharashtrahas5,983kmofrailwayrouteswhichis9.2percentoftotalrailwayrouteinthecountry.Aviation : There are 3 international and 5 domestic airports in the state. Toreduce congestion in Mumbai International Airport, an additional airport iscomingupatNaviMumbai.Ports:Mumbaiisamajorport.Thereare2majorand48notifiedminorportsinthestate.

TouristCentresSome important tourist centres are Ajanta, Ellora, Elephanta, Kanheri and

Karla caves,Mahabaleshwar,Matheran andPanchgani, Jowhar,MalshejGhat,Amboli,Chikhaldara, Panhala hill stations and religious places at Pandharpur,Nashik, Shirdi, Nanded, Aundha Nagnath, Trimbakeshwar, Tuljapur,

Ganapatipule, Bhimashankar, Harihareshwar, Shegaon, Kolhapur, Jejuri andAmbajogai.Website:www.maharashtra.gov.in

Government

Manipur

HistoryandGeographyManipur has a long and glorious history from before the beginning of the

Christianera.ThepoliticalhistoryofManipurcouldbetracedbackto33A.D.withthecoronationofNongdaLairenPakhangba.AfterPakhangbaanumberofkings ruled over the kingdom ofManipur. The independence and sovereigntyremained uninterrupted until theBurmese invasion and occupation for aroundsevenyearsinthefirstquarterofthe19thcentury(1819-1826).Then,ManipurcameunderBritishrulein1891.Manipurregaineditsindependencein1947andmerged into Indian Union in 1950. Thus, it became a Part C State under thepurview of Chief Commissioner. During 1950-51, an advisory form ofGovernment was introduced and in 1957 this was replaced by a TerritorialCouncil of 30 elected and 2 nominatedmembers. Later, in 1963 a TerritorialAssembly of 30 elected and 3 nominated members was set up under theGovernment of Union Territories Act, 1963. The status of administrator wasraisedfromthatofaChiefCommissionertothatofaLt.GovernorinDecember,1969.Manipurbecameafull-fledgedstatein1972withaLegislativeAssemblyof 60 members of whom 19 are reserved for Scheduled Tribes and one forScheduledCastes.The state is represented in theLokSabha by twomembersandbyonememberintheRajyaSabha.

Thestateissituatedintheextremenorth-easternborderofthecountry.It isboundontheeastbyupperMyanmar,onthenorthbyNagaland,onthewestbyCachar district of Assam and on the south by Chin hills of Myanmar andMizoram.Manipurhasatotalborderlineofabout854kmofwhichabout352

http://www.maharashtra.gov.in

kmare international boundary linewithMyanmaron the east and south- east.Thisstateisinageographicallyuniqueposition,sinceitvirtuallyisthemeetingpoint between India andSouth-EastAsia.Manipur lies between23.800N and25.680Nlatitudeandbetween93.030Eand94.780Elongitude.

Thestatehasatotalareaof22,327sq.km.Thereisasmallovalshapedplainin thecentralpart.Thiscentralplainknownas ImphalValley isataheightofabout790metresaboveMeanSeaLevel (MSL).Thisvalley is surroundedbyhillsonallsides.Thehillcoversabout9/10ofthetotalareaofthestate.Thehillranges are higher on the north and gradually diminish in height towards thesouth.Thevalleyitselfslopesdowntowardsthesouth.

AgricultureAgricultureandalliedactivitiesaretheonlymainstayofthestate’seconomy

where about 70 per cent of the population depends on it. The state has twotopographicalzones—valleyandhills.Thevalleyisknownasthe‘RiceBowl’of the state. The valley has sub-tropical to tropical to sub-temperate climates.The hills have sub-temperate to temperate climatewith an average altitude of3000metresaboveMSL.Ithasdistinctwinter,warm,humidandrainysummer.The average rainfall during the last ten years has been recorded 1482.20mm,withheavyprecipitationduringthemonthofJune,JulyandAugust.Thegrowthofagricultureinthestatehasbeenquiteunevenforthereasonthatitsproductionstilldependsonseasonalrainfall.

ForestIn terms of forest canopy density classes, it has 701 sq. km of very dense

forests,5474sq.km.moderatelydenseforestsand11,105sq.kmopenforests.

IrrigationMajorandmediumirrigationprojectshadbeenintroducedinthestate.Sofar

8 (eight) major and medium irrigation and multipurpose projects have beentakenupofwhich5projectsviz.LoktakLiftIrrigationProject,KhoupumDamProject, Imphal Barrage Project, Sekmai Barrage Project and SingdaMultipurposeProjecthavebeencompleted.

CommerceandIndustriesThe handloom industry is by far the largest and most important cottage

industry. It improves the socio-economic conditions of handloomweavers andhas attained high degree of excellence. As per the 3rd National HandloomCensusofWeaversandAlliedWorkers2010,Manipurtoppedindistributionof

handloomworkers.Thereare218,753handloomworkers(200,607weavers,18,146workers)whichis4thpositionamongthetopstatesofthecountry,1,90,634loomswhich is3rdpositionandconsuming186,703kgofyarnKVIC/privateowners. Manipur is, therefore, among the top four states of the countrypromotingandnurturingthehandloomindustryforgeneratingemploymenttoalargesectionofthestate’spopulation.

PowerPower supply in Manipur is fully dependent on the Central Generating

StationssituatedintheNorthEasternRegion(NER).AsthegeneratingstationsintheNERaremainlyofhydelinnature,duringleanperiodthereisashortfallingenerationandthereforetheavailableshareofManipurreducesdrastically.

TransportRoads:Roadtransportistheonlymeansofcommunicationinthestateandthereare no inland waterways, railways or ropeways. All development activitiesdependentirelyontheroadtransportfacilities.Threenationalhighways:i)NH-39, ii) NH-53 and iii) NH-150 criss-cross the state connecting all districts.Imphal, the capital is connected by NH-39 with Nagaland on the north andMyanmaron theeast,on thewestwithAssambyNH-53andMizoramon thesouthbyNH-150.Aviation:Imphalairportisthesecondlargestairportinthenortheasternregion,which is connected to Agartala, Aizwal, Dimapur, Guwahati, Kolkata, Pune,Silchar,BengaluruandNewDelhi.Railways:ThestatewasincludedintherailwaymapofIndiawiththeopeningofarailheadatJiribamin1990.Itis225kmfromImphal.Dimapur(Nagaland),215 km from Imphal is the nearest rail-head. The Jiribam - Tupul - Imphalrailwaylinehasbeendeclaredasanationalproject.Constructionofthelineisingood progress and is targeted for completion by 2014 (upto Tupul) and 2016(uptoImphal).

FestivalsAyearinManipurrepresentsacycleoffestivals.Hardlyamonthpassesby

withoutafestivalwhichtotheManipurisisasymboloftheirsocial,culturalandreligious aspirations. Important festivals of the state are Lai Haraoba, RasaLeela, Cheiraoba, Ningol Chak-Kouba, Rath-Jatra, Idul Fitr, Imoinu Iratpa,Gaan- Ngai, Lui-Ngai-Ni, Idul Zuha, Yaoshang (Holi), Durga Puja, MeraHouchongba,Diwali,Kut,Christmas,etc.

TouristCentresManipur is not only the gateway of the north eastern region but is also a

fascinatingdestinationfordiscerningtourists.Blessedwithasalubriousclimate,natural beauty and scenic splendour, the state extends to the tourists a warmwelcome. Some important tourist centres in the state areKangla, Shree ShreeGovindajee Temple, Khwalramband Bazar (Ima Keithel), War Cemeteries,ShaheedMinar, Nupi Lan (Women’sWar)Memorial Complex, KhonghampatOrchidarium,INAMemorial (Moirang),LoktakLake,KeibulLamjaoNationalPark,Sendra,Moreh,SiroyHills,DzukoValley,StateMuseum,KainaTouristHome,KhongjomWarMemorial Complex, India PeaceMemorial (RedHill),etc.Website:www.manipur.gov.in

Government

Meghalaya

HistoryandGeographyMeghalayawascreatedasanautonomousstatewithinthestateofAssamin

1970. The full-fledged state ofMeghalaya came into existence in 1972. It isboundonthenorthandeastbyAssamandonthesouthandwestbyBangladesh.Meghalayaliterallymeansthe‘AbodeofClouds’andisessentiallyahillystate.ItispredominatelyinhabitedbythetribalKhasis,JaintiasandGarospopulation.TheKhasiHillsandJaintiaHillswhichformthecentralandeasternpartofthestateformanimposingplateauwithrollinggrassland,hillsandrivervalleys.Thesouthernfaceoftheplateauismarkedbydeepgorgesandabruptslopes,atthefoot ofwhich, a narrow stripof plain runs along the international borderwithBangladesh.

CarvedfromtheerstwhilestateofAssam,MeghalayabecameafullfledgedStateonJanuary21,1972.BoundedonthenorthandeastbyAssamandonthesouth and west by Bangladesh,Meghalaya is spread over an area of 22, 429squarekilometers,andliesbetween24°57’and26°10northlatitudeand89°46’

http://www.manipur.gov.in

and92°53’eastlongitudes.

AgricultureMeghalayaisbasicallyanagriculturalstatewithabout81percentofitstotal

population depending entirely on it for their livelihood. The hilly terrain andlandconditionsofthestatedonotoffermuchscopeinbringingadditionalareaunderwetcondition,butthestatehasavastpotentialfordevelopinghorticulture.The agro-climatic variations offer much scope for cultivation of temperate aswellastropicalfruitsandvegetables.Besidesthemajorfoodcropsofriceandmaize, thestate isalsorenownedfor itshorticulturalcrops likeorange. lemon,pineapple, guava, litchi, banana, jackfruits and temperate fruits such as plum,pear,peach,etc.Potato,ginger, turmeric,blackpepper,arecanut, tezpata,betel,short- staple cotton, jute, mesta, mustard and rapeseed etc., are some of theimportant cash crops. Apart from these, the state has achieved success in thecultivation of non-traditional crops like tea, cashew nut, oilseeds, tomato,mushroom,wheat,etc.

ForestThe total forestarea is9,49,56,000hectareswhich includes reserved forest,

protectedforest,nationalparkandunclassedforest.Theprincipaltimberspeciesaresal,teak,titachap,gomari,bol,pine,birchandmakri-sal.Theprincipalforestproducts include timber, bamboo, reed, broomstick, cane, ipecac, medicinalherbsandplants,cinnamonandthatchgrass.AzaleasandrhododendronsgrowwildintheforestsofKhasiHillsandJaintiaHillsforestandmanykindsofwildand rare orchids are also found inmany parts of the state. Pitcher plants, theinsect-eatingplantsofbotanicalwonder is found inplenty in the JaintiaHills,WestKhasiHillsandSouthGaroHillsandit issaidthatsuchaplant isfoundnowhereelseintheworld.Manyrareandinterestingplantslikewildcitrusandpygmylilyarealsofound.

WildlifeThe state is also rich in wildlife. There are elephants, tigers, bears, wild-

boars,leopards,goldencats,leopardcatsandjunglecats,deersofvariouskinds,binturongs, slow loris, monkeys of different types including capped- langurs,goldenlangursandhoolock,flyingsquirrelsandgiantsquirrels.Therearealsomany rare and interesting birds including the hornbills, partridges, pheasants,teals, snipes, geese, ducks and quails. The state has two national parks, viz,NokrekandBalpakramandtwowildlifesanctuaries,viz,NongkhyllemandSiju.

Industry

Themost important non-agro based industry is cement.Because of its richlimestonedeposits,thestatehasanumberofcementplantsoperatingindifferentparts. The number of small scale industrial units covering service industry,bakeries, furniture making, iron and steel fabrication, tyre retreading etc., areincreasing. The Meghalaya Industrial Development Corporation encouragesprivate entrepreneurs to register themselves so that they may benefit fromsupport and training to set up industries in small and tiny sectors by way offinancingandequityparticipation.

PlacesofInterestMeghalaya is dotted with a number of lovely tourist spots. Shillong, the

capitalcity,hasanumberofbeautifulspots.TheyaretheWard’sLake,thePhanNonglait Park, the expensive Polo Grounds, the Elephant Falls, the ShillongPeakoverlookingthecity.Umiam,lies17kmawayfromShillongandhasbeendevelopedintoapopulartouristcentreinthestate.ShillongPeak,anidealpicnicspotrises1960metresabovethesealevelandis10kmfromthecity.Sohra,56kmfromShillong, isnotedfor itsheavyrainfall. It is1,300metresabovesea-level. Mawsynram, is situated on the South West of Shillong by the side ofShillong-Mawphlang-Balat road. It closely rivals Sohra in annual rainfall.Jakrem, 64 km from Shillong, is a popular health resort with hot springs ofsulphurwaterwhichisbelievedtohavemedicinalproperties.Ranikor,140kmfromShillong.Itisalsoaplaceofscenicbeauty.Dawki,96kmfromShillong.ItisanexcellentpicnicspotwithsilverstreamsanddeepwaterswithmagnificientviewsoftheKhasiHillsononesideandBangladeshontheother.

TransportBeingahillystate,with4/5thofthepopulationlivingintheruralareas,the

necessityofproperroadnetworkisofutmostimportance.Thestateisnotservedby railways and river transportation is not feasible. Hence roads are the onlymeansofbulktransportationhere.Roads:Sixnationalhighwayspassthroughthestate.Thestatehas9350kmofroadlengthwithroaddensityof41.69kmper100sq.kms.Aviation: The only airport in the state at Umroi, 35 km from Shillong isfunctional.

NaturalFeaturesTheKhasiHillsandJaintiaHillswhichformthecentralandeasternpartof

Meghalayaisanimposingplateauwithrollinggrasslands,hillsandrivervalleys.Thesouthernfaceoftheplateauismarkedbydeepgorgesandabruptslopes.At

thefootoftheseslopes,anarrowstripofplainlandrunsalongtheinternationalborderwithBangladesh.

The Garo hills which form the western part of Meghalaya is lower inelevation.ThegreaterpartofGaroHillsrangeinheightfrom450mto600mand drop steeply to the Brahmaputra valley on the north and to the plains ofBangladeshonthesouth,NokrekPeak(1412m)eastofTuratown,isthehighestpeakinwesternMeghalaya.

Anumberofrivers,noneofthemnavigable,reignthismountainousstate.IntheGarohills,theManda,theDamringandtheJanjiramflowtowardsthenorthwhiletheRinggeandtheGanolflowinthewesterlydirection.Thosethatflowto the south are the Simsang,which is the biggest river inGaro hills and theBhogai.Website:www.meghalaya.gov.in

Government

Mizoram

HistoryandGeographyMizoramisamountainousregionwhichbecamethe23rdstateoftheIndian

UnioninFebruary1987.Itwasoneof thedistrictsofAssamtill1972whenitbecameaUnionTerritory.Afterbeingannexedby theBritish in1891, for thefirst few years, Lushai hills in the north remained under Assam while thesouthern half remained under Bengal. Both these parts were amalgamated in1898intoonedistrictcalledLushaiHillsDistrictundertheChiefCommissionerof Assam. With the implementation of North-Eastern Reorganization Act in1972,MizorambecameaUnionTerritoryandasasequel tothesigningof thehistoricmemorandumof settlement between theGovernment of India and theMizo National Front in 1986, it was granted statehood in 1987. SandwichedbetweenMyanmarintheeastandthesouthandBangladeshinthewest,thestateoccupies an area of great strategic importance in the north-eastern corner ofIndia.Mizoramhasagreatnaturalbeautyandanendlessvarietyof landscape

http://www.meghalaya.gov.in

richinfloraandfauna.TheMizoscameunder the influenceof theBritishMissionaries in the19th

century.NowmostoftheMizosareChristians.Mizolanguagehasnoscriptofits own. Themissionaries introduced theRoman script for theMizo languageandformaleducation.

AgricultureAbout60percentof thepeopleof thestateareengagedinagriculturaland

alliedactivities.Themainpatternoftheagriculturefollowedisjhumorshiftingcultivation.Ofthetotal21percentisputonpaddy/seasonalcrops.About63percentof the totalcroparea isunder jhumcultivation.Toreplace thedestructiveand unproductive jhum cultivation with sustainable means of occupation, thestategovernmenthas launchedan innovativeprogrammecalled theNewLandUse Policy covering all the districts. The area under Jhum cultivation hasdecreased from44,947hectareat thebeginningof11thPlan to20,064hectareduring 2014-15 which account for above 55.36 per cent reduction. ThesignificantreductioninjhumareaismainlyduetotheimplementationofNLUP,oil palm development programme, sugarcane cultivation programme, RKVY,andRAD.

HorticultureOwing to the fact thatmore than60per cent of thepopulationdependson

land based activities for their livelihoods, horticulture plays a vital role andoccupies very important place in the economy of Mizoram. Because of itsadvantageousagro-climatic condition,hilly terrainnatureof the landscapeandwelldistributedrainfallduringmonsoonseasonhorticultureisasustainablelandbasedactivitiesfordevelopmentoftheeconomy.Outoftheestimatedtotalof21lakhhectareofland6.30lakhhectareisavailableforcultivationofhorticulturecrops.Themainhorticulturecropsaremandarinorange,banana,passion fruit,grapes, hatkora, pineapple, papaya, etc. and flowers like anthurium, bird ofparadise, orchid, chrysanthemum, rose and other subsidiary seasonal flowers.Spiceslikeginger,turmeric,blackpepper,bird’seyechilliesarealsogrown.Amulti-purposepackaginghousehasbeensetupattheHorticultureCentre,ChiteincollaborationwithM/sArgos(AgriProjects)Ltd.,Israel.

FloriculturewasagrowingoccupationinMizoram.Cultivationofanthuriumwasintroducedin2002andtodayanthuriumcutflowersareexportedoutsidethestate andoverseasmarket.Commercial cultivationof roseunder hi-techgreenhouse was introduced in 2006 and about 10,000 rose cut flowers are beingharvestedeveryday.

ForestMizoramhasoneofthehighestforestcoveramongthestatesofIndia.India

State of Forest Report-2015 indicated that about 91.47 per cent of the state’stotalgeographicalareaisunderforestscover.Tropicalsemievergreen, tropicalmoistdeciduous,subtropicalbroadleavedhillandsubtropicalpineforestsarethecommon vegetation types found. Bamboo resources covers around 31per cent(about 6446 sq.km) of its geographical area and as many as 35 species ofbamboohavebeenidentifiedinthestateofwhichMelocannabaccifera(mautak)contributesabout77percentofthetotalbamboocoverage.Jhumcultivation,orslash-and-burnpractice,wasahistorictraditionandathreattoitsforestcover.ThispracticeisreducedinrecentdecadesfromagovernmentsupportedinitiativeparticularlyNewLandUsePolicyofthestate.

The popular and effectiveGreenMizoramProgrammehas been continuingwith stresson the survivalof the treesplantedunderwhichmass afforestationandmaintenanceactivitieshavebeentakenupeveryyear.4700

hectaresofplantationhavealsobeencreatedundertheNationalAfforestationProgramme.

IrrigationDuetohillynatureof thestate,all irrigationprojectsareconfined tominor

irrigation.As per estimation ofMizoramRemote SensingApplicationCentre,the totalWet Rice Cultivation potential area is 74,644 ha. So far, 439 minorirrigationprojectscovering18,228hacommandareahavebeencompleted.25newminor irrigation projects are proposed to be cover during 2016-17whichwillcoveranareaof1,117.90ha.andcreateanirrigationpotentialof1656ha.Theproposedprojectswillbenefit791offarmerscoveringdifferentpartsofthestate.

IndustryDue to its topographical and geographical disadvantages coupled with

underdeveloped infrastructure and transport bottleneck, growth in industry isverymodest.However,withtheopeningupofbordertradewithMyanmarandBangladesh, the ‘Look/Act East Policy’ of the Government of India and thepeacefulconditionofthestate,industrializationisgainingmomentum.

Small industriesdominate the industrial scenario acquiringprominentplacein the socio-economic development of the state. With the objectives ofpromoting industries inruralareas, thestategovernmenthasbeenrunning twocommonlyfacilitycentreandoneRegionalIndustrialDevelopmentCorporation

(RIDC)withanintakeof35trainers.Scientificcultivationofteahasalsobeentakenup.Establishmentofapparel

training and design centre, gems cutting and polishing are in the pipeline toencouragesettingupofExportOrientedUnits(EOUs).Ofthecottageindustries,handloom and handicraft are given high priority and the two sectors arenourishingtomeetconsumers’demandinthestateandinneighbouringstatesofMaghalaya,Nagaland,etc.

PowerThebulkpowerrequirementofMizoramis201MWandtheallocatedshare

is 103.09 MW (real time power availability is normally 60 MW). Per capitaconsumption is 280 kWh. The present peak demand is 102MWbut the stategeneratesonlyabout15MWfromtheinstalledcapacityof29.35MW.Therestof the requirement has to be imported from various sources like Loktak,Ranganadi,etcfromcentralsectorutilitieslikeNEEPCO,NHPC,NTPC,etc.

TransportRoad: Road serves as the most important means of communication,transportation of goods and passengers within the state, inter-state and withinternational borders. Total road length in the state is 6349.60 km and roaddensityis300012km/100sqkmapproximately.Therearesixnationalhighwayspassing through the length and breadth ofMizoram. NH 54 connects AizawlwiththerestofthecountrythroughSilchar,Assam.AizawlisalsoaccessiblebyroadfromShillongandGuwahati.Railways:Broadgaugerail linkhasbeenestablishedinBairabi,MizoramnearAssamborder.Aviation: The airport at Lengpui is connected by flights to and fromKolkata,Imphal and Guwahati. Internal helicopter service also connects Aizawl withLunglei,Lawngtlai,Saiha,Chawngte,Serchhip,Champhai,Kolasib,Khawzawl,MamitandHnahthial.

FestivalsBeingpredominantlyanagriculturalcommunityalltheactivitiesoftheMizo

centrearound jhumcultivation. ‘Kut’ is theMizo termfor festival.Among thevarious cultural festivals, only three, viz., Chapchar Kut, Mim Kut andThalfavangKutarebeingobservednowadays.

TouristCentresMizoramisaplacewithfloraandfaunarichlandscapeandpleasantclimate.

Aizawl, thecapitalcity is locatedat3715ftabovesea level, isareligiousandculturalcentre.ChamphaiisabeautifulresortontheMyanmarborder.TamDil,anatural lakewithvirgin forest, is76kmfromAizawland10kmfromtouristresortofSaitual.VantawngFalls,5kmfromthetownofThenzawlisthehighestandmost beautifulwaterfall in the state. 2 km fromVantawngone can find aquaintandbeautiful fallknownasTuirihiau.Thenzawl isalso themaincentreforhandlooms.Phawngpuiisthehighestpeakatanelevationof2157mandatrekkersdelight.Just30kmfromAizawlisbeautifulReiekPeak.AtypicalMizovillagewhichisarecreationofanoldMizovillageislocatedatFalkawn,24kmfromAizawl.HmuifangTlangabout50kmandSialsukTlangabout66kmfromAizawlrespectivelyarepopulartouristdestination.TheDepartmentofTourismhasopenedtouristlodgesinallthebiggertownsalloverthestateandhighwayrestaurants and travellers inns in other township. There is also a recreationalcentre at Beraw Tlang, Aizawl and Alpine Picnic Hut at district park nearZobawk. Reiek Tlang, where the Tourism Department created a typicalMizovillage,modernMizovillageresort.Website:www.mizoram.gov.in

Government

Nagaland

HistoryandGeographyNagalandbecamethe16thstateoftheIndianUnionin1963.Itisborderedby

Myanmarontheeast,Arunachalonthenorth,AssamonthewestandManipuron the south. It lies between the parallels of 98 degree and 96 degree eastlongitudeand26.6degreeand27.4degreelatitudenorthoftheequator.

TheNagapeoplebelong to theIndo-Mongoloidgroupofpeople living inacontiguous areas of the north-eastern hills of India and the upper portion ofwesternMyanmar. Themajor recognised tribes ofNagaland areAngami,Ao,

http://www.mizoram.gov.in

Chakhesang, Chang, Khiamniungan, Kuki, Konyak, Kachari, Lotha, Phom,Pochury, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Yimchungrii and Zeliang. The Nagalanguages differ from tribe to tribe and sometimes even from one village toanother.Theyare,however,undertheTibeto-Burmanfamily.

In the12th and13th centuries, gradual contactswith theAhomsofpresentdayAssamwasestablishedbut thisdidnothaveanysignificant impacton thetraditionalNagawayoflife.However,inthe19thcenturytheBritishappearedon the sceneandultimately theareawasbroughtunderBritishadministration.After Independence this territory was made a centrally administered area in1957,administeredbytheGovernorofAssam.ItwasknownastheNagaHillsTuensang Area. This failed to quell popular aspirations and polilical unrestbegan.Hence,in1961,theareawasrenamedasNagalandandgiventhestatusofstateoftheIndianUnion,whichwasformallyinauguratedinDecember1963.

AgricultureNagaland is basically a land of agriculture with about 70 per cent of the

population depending on agriculture. The contribution of this sector is verysignificant.Riceisthestaplefood.Itoccupiesabout70percentofthetotalareaundercultivationandconstitutesabout75percentofthetotalfoodproductioninthestate.Themajorlandusepatternisslashandburncultivationlocallyknownasjhum.Totalcultivableareais7,21,924hectares.

ForestOutofthetotallandareaof16,579sq.km,forestareaoccupiesapproximately

8,62,9.30sq.km.ThereareRangapaharwildlifesanctuariesinDimapurdistrict,Fakim wildlife sanctuaries in Tuensang district and Singphan wildlifesanctuaries in Mon district, Intanki National Park in Peren district andZoologicalParkinDimapurdistrict.

PowerThestatehasaninstalledgenerationcapacityof27.84MWonlyfromsmall

hydro electric power projects against the requirement of 95 MW. The mainsourceofpowerisfromtheCentralSectorPowerallocation.

IrrigationThe state has so far been constructingminor irrigations to divert small hill

streamstothevalleysandterracedfieldforricecultivationcoveringanareaof82,150hectares.

Transport

The state is connected to the rest of the country with airport and railwaystations at Dimapur andNational Highway-39which passes through the statefromDimapurviaKohimatoManipur.ThisNH-39issoontobeaninternationalrouteundertheLookEastPolicyofthecentralgovernment.Therestofthestateisconnectedonlywithroadscoveringabout24,709km,thisincludestheNH-61andstatehighways.Thestate isalsointer-connectedwithpostalservices inalldistrictheadquarters,telephonelineandmobileservices.

TourismWith the opening of the state to the international tourists by relaxing the

Restricted Area Permit (RAP), a good number of foreign tourists as well asdomestictouristsvisitNagalandeveryyear.

TheHornbill festival conceived by the TouristDepartment and held in thefirst week ofDecember is an annual eventwhere all tribes of the state cometogether to celebrate, exhibit and sell their traditional wares, foodstuffs andcrafts. Three traditional festivals, namely Sekrenyi at Touphema in Kohimadistrict(Feb),MonyuatPongoinLonglengsub-division(April)andMoatsuatChuchuyimlang inMokokchungdistrict (May)havebeen identified as festivaldestinations.

Musicanddancesarean intrinsicpartofNaga life.Folksongsandballadseulogizingbravery,beauty,love,generosity,etc,aretransmittedfromgenerationtogeneration.Likewisedancing isan importantpartofevery festiveoccasion.Feasting, singing, dancing and merry-making invariably accompany festivals.Name of the tribes and their festivals are Angami-Sekrenyi, Ao-Moatsu,Chakhesang-Sukhrunye and Tsukhenye, Chang-Naknyulem, Khiamniungan-Tsokum,Kuki-Mimkut,Konyak-AoleangMonyu,Kachari-Bushu,Lotha-TokhuEmong, Phom-Monyu, Pochury-Yemshe, Rengma-Ngada, Sumi-Tuluni,Sangtam-Amongmong, Yimchungru-Metemneo, and Zeliang-Meileingi/HegaLangsimngi/Chegagadi.

IndustriesThestatehas17CitronellaDemonstrationFarms(i.e.‘EconomicPlant’).The

NagalandHandloomandHandicraftsDevelopmentCooperationLtd,Dimapuristhe state owned corporation, which is responsible for the promotion andmarketing of handloom and handicraft products. An Industrial Growth Centrehas been established at Ganeshnagar, Dimapur to facilitate entrepreneurs andeducatedunemployedyouthtopromoteindustries.Website:www.nagaland.gov.in

http://www.nagaland.gov.in

Government

Odisha

HistoryandGeographyThe history of Odisha dates back to antiquity, its most famous old names

beingKalinga,UtkalandOdra.BythetimeofMahavirandBuddha,theKalingaregionontheentireeastcoastacquiredrecognitionandfame.MauryanEmperor,Ashoka’sinvasionofKalingawasanepoch-makingeventofancienttimesoffarreaching consequences. Kalinga was conquered but the conquest changed theheart of the conqueror. The transformation of Ashoka changed the course ofreligionandculturalhistorynotonlyofIndiabutalsoofthewholeofAsia.Thenext great era of Odishan history commenced during the reign ofMahameghavahanaKharavelawho ruled in the 1st half of the second centuryB.C. DuringKharavela’s reign the empire of Kalinga extended upto the riverGangain thenorthandtheriverGodavari in thesouth.Subsequently thegreatdynasties such as the Shailodvabas, Bhoumakaras, Somavamsis, Gangas werenotonlygreatempirebuilders,butalsopromotersofart, literatureandculture.TheworldfamousSunTempleatKonarkwasbuiltinthethirteenthcenturybyNarasimhaDeva,thefamousJagannathtempleatPuriinthetwelfthcenturybyAnangabhima Deva and the Lingaraj temple, Bhubaneshwar in the eleventhcentury by Jajati-II. Odisha was ruled successively by fiveMuslim kings till1592 frommid-16th century, whenAkbar annexed it into theMughal empirewith the decline of the mughal empire, Marathas occupied Odisha. TheycontinuedtoholdittilltheBritishtookovertheprovincein1803.

Modern Odisha was born in 1936. The state, the land of Lord Jagannath,situated on the shores ofBayofBengal is surroundedbyWestBengal on thenorth-east,Jharkhandonthenorth,ChhattisgarhandTelanganaonthewestandAndhra Pradesh on the south. Its diverse landscape comprises coastal plains,mountainous terrain, plateaus, verdant river valleys and slopes dotted withwatersheds,springs,lakesandforestcoverofvaryingdensity.

Agriculture

Agriculturecontinuestobethebackboneofthestate’seconomy.Majorityofthe population is dependant on it as theNational SampleSurveyOrganisation(NSSO)surveyof2012-13indicatesthatfarmincomehasdoubledascomparedtothesurveyof2002-03.Stategovernmenthasintensifiedtheeffortstoenhancefarmers’ income with sustainable agricultural practices by promoting efficientextension and production technology, post harvest solutions, effective valueadditionandremunerativemarketoptions.

Thestategovernmentprovideshealthinsurancecoverageof₹1.00lakhto5members of every farming community under “Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana”.The state has emerged as the largest producer of sweet potato in the countrycontributing 30 per cent of total national production and third largest state inproductionofcashew.Odishahasalsoemergedasaleadingsupplierofmangograftinthecountrybyenhancingproductionfrom23.85lakhto54.56lakh.Inlast five years 19 new cold stores with capacity 85200 MT have beenestablished. A special programme for augmentation of production, processingandmarketingoftomato,onionandpotatohasbeeninitiatedduring2018-19.

IrrigationOdisha is primarily an agrarian economy. The cropped area is about 87.46

lakhhectaresoutofwhich18.79lakhhectaresareirrigated.Theweatherfavoursa lot of crops, prominent being rice, pulses, oil seeds, jute, roselle, sugarcane,coconut and turmeric are important crops.The state government has launchednumber of short gestation projects likemega lift irrigation projects, deep borewell,constructionprogrammeandcheckdamconstructionprogramme tomeetthe irrigationneedsof thefarmers.The target is tobringanadditional10 lakhhectare of cultivable land under irrigation cover by the end of 2019. UnderParvatiGiriMegaLiftIrrigationworkof171megaliftschemesincludingupperindravatiliftcanalsystemhavebeentakenup.

IndustryMostlarge-scaleindustriesinthestatearemineralbased,while25percentof

the iron ore reserves in the country. Odisha has been receiving heavyinvestmentsintheindustrialsectorinrecentyears.Odishaemergedasa‘Leader’inEaseofDoingBusinessinthecountryandisconsistentlyrankedamongstthetop3statesintermsofattractinglivemanufacturinginvestmentsinthecountry.The state also has one of the highest rates of implementation of industrialprojects in the country. Government has taken significant steps in terms ofintroducing industry-friendly policy and regulatory framework to facilitateinclusiveness, encourage innovation and achieve sustainable industrial

development.

TransportRoads:Governmentisimplementingdifferentschemesforprovidingbetterroadconnectivity and building infrastructure in rural areas. During 2017-18, about8,000kilometersofruralroadsand145bridgesonruralroadsaretargetedtobecompleted under different schemes such as Biju Setu Yojana, RuralInfrastructure Development Fund, Pradhan Mantri Grama Sadak Yojana andMukhyaMantri SadakYojana.Government has achievedmanymilestones onroad connectivity. On an average,WorksDepartment has improved about 2.1kilometers of road every day and has completed 20major bridges every year.343bridges,9 roadoverbridges,3 flyovershavebeencompletedand13,090kilometersofroadshavebeenimprovedsince2000.Railways: Government is committed to improve railway density in the state.MoUswithMinistryofRailways for twonewprojectsnamely130kilometersJeypore-Malkangiri and 38 kilometers Nabarangpur-Jeypore to bring railconnectivity for the first time to Malkanagiri and Nabarangpur districts havebeen signed.Government has also offered sharing of 50 per cent of land andconstructioncostfor32kilometersofPuri-KonarkRailwayproject.Ports: Paradeep Port is declared 8th major port of the country 1966 byGovernmentofIndia.ItistheonlymajorportinOdishaandthefirstmajorporton the East Coast commissioned in Independent India. With 480 kms ofcoastlineOdishahas13potential sites forminorportsdevelopment.ThesearelocatedatGopalpur,BehudaMuhanandPalurinGanjamdistrict,BaliharchandiandAstarangainPuridistrict,JatadharMuhaninJagatsinghpurdistrict,Inchri,Chandipur,Bahabalpur,Kirtania andBichitrapur (Talasari) inBalasore districtand Dhamra and Chudamani in Bhadrak district. Government of Odisha ismakingeffort todevelopa riverport onMahanadi rivernearParadip toboostcoastalshipping.InlandWasterTransport(TWT)hasvastpotentialbutasmallnetwork in Odisha. The passenger launch services are used in remote areaswhere other modes of transport are generally lacking. Inland water transportservicesareprovidedbythestategovernment.Aviation: Government has taken proactive steps for implementation of RCS-UDAN Scheme in Utkela and Jeypore Airstrips. Jharsuguda airport is fullydevelopednow.

PowerEnergy is thedriving forceof economicgrowtheither in the formof finite

resourcessuchascoal,oilandgasorinrenewableformssuchashydroelectricwind solar and biomas or its converted form of electricity. To provide 24x7qualityanduniterruptedpoweratanaffordableratetothepeople,Governmenthasdevelopedacomprehensivestrategytoaugmentgeneration.

TourismOdisha is a veritable tourists’ paradise; which offers a plethora of

opportunities to cater tovarious tastes andchoices invaried forms.The silverbeachesofChandipur,theblueseaofGopalpur,theexoticandgoldenbeachesofKonarkandPuri,redcrabsofTalasaribeach,attracttouriststhroughtouttheyear.Chilika,thelargestbrackishwaterinlandlakeinAsianestlesintheheartofcoastalOdisha.Chilikalakeanecologicalwonder,isthelargestbrackishwaterlagooninAsia,animportantwetlandsituatedinOdishaontheeasterncoastofIndia. Declared a Ramsar site, it is famous for its rich diversity of local andmigratorybirds.Bhitarkanikaisthesecondlargestmangroveeco-systemwithanarea of 672 sqkms of wildlife sanctuary of which 175 sqkm was declared anationalparkin1998,situatedinthedistrictofKendrapara,ontheeasterncoastof India. Bhitarkanika is one of the most spectacular wildlife sanctuaries andnationalparksinthecountry,hometovirginmangroveforestsandwetlands.Itsrich biodiversity harbours 71 species of mangrove and associated species, 35speciesofreptiles,297speciesofbirds includinginternationalwintermigrantsfromcentralAsiaandEuropeand26speciesofmammalsincludingspotteddeer,sambar,fishingcats,porcupinesandotters,etc.Website:www.odisha.gov.in

Government

Punjab

HistoryandGeographyAncientPunjabformedpartof thevastIndo-Iranianregion.In lateryears it

saw the rise and fall of theMauryas, Bactrians, Greeks, Sakas, Kushans and

http://www.odisha.gov.in

Guptas. Medieval Punjab saw a supremacy of the Muslims. Ghaznavi wasfollowedbytheGhoris,theslaves,theKhiljis,theTughlaks,theLodhisandtheMughals.FifteenthandsixteenthcenturiesmarkedaperiodofwatershedinthehistoryofPunjab.ThroughteachingsofGuruNanak,Bhaktimovementreceivedagreatimpetus.Sikhismbeganasasocioreligiousmovement,whichwasmoreinterestedinfightingevilsinreligionandsociety.ItwasGuruGobindSingh,thetenthGuru,whotransformedtheSikhsintotheKhalsa.Theyrosetochallengetyranny and after centuries of servitude, established a Punjabi Raj based onsecularism and patriotism. Maharaja Ranjit Singh, in the works of a Persianwriter, changedPunjab fromMadam-Kada toBagh-Bahist (from the abode ofsorrow to the garden of paradise). But soon after his death the entire edificecollapsedduetointernalintriguesandBritishmachinations.AftertwoabortiveAnglo-Sikhwars,PunjabwasfinallyannexedtotheBritishEmpirein1849.

Thefightagainst theBritishrulehadbegun longbeforeMahatmaGandhi’sarrival on the scene. The revolt found expression through themovement of arevivalistorreformistcharacter.FirstitwastheNamdharisect,whichbelievedin self-discipline and self-rule. Later, it was Lala Lajpat Rai who played aleading role in the freedommovement. Punjabwas in the vanguard of India’sfreedom struggle on all fronts in India and abroad.Punjab’s hardships didnotendwith Independence. It had to face themisery of partitionwith large-scalebloodshedandmigration.Besidestheirrehabilitation,therewasthetaskofre-organizationofthestate.

EightprincelystatesofEastPunjabweregrouped together to formasinglestatecalledPEPSU—PatialaandtheEastPunjabStatesUnion—withPatialaasits capital. PEPSU state was merged with Punjab in 1956 with its capital atChandigarh.Later in1966,HaryanawascarvedoutofPunjab.Situated in thenorth-westerncornerofthecountry,PunjabisboundonthewestbyPakistan,onthenorthbyJammuandKashmir,onthenorth-eastbyHimachalPradeshandonthesouthbyHaryanaandRajasthan.

AgriculturePunjab has been a star performer in agriculture during the heydays of the

GreenRevolution.Agriculturegrewatarateof5.7percentduring1971-72to1985-86,whichwasmore thandouble the all-Indiagrowth rate (2.31per centduring this period). Itwas this spectacular performance of Punjab, firstwheatsurpluses followed by steep rise in production of rice, helped India free itselffrom the PL 480 food aid and its associated political strings. Punjab played acrucial role in achieving the much needed food security. However, the state

slippedsoonafterandgrewatalowerrateofabout3percentbetween1986-87and2004-05,equivalenttotheall-Indiaagriculturalgrowthrate.Theagriculture,hasnowreachedasortofplateauintermsofproductivityandprofitability.Thestatehasabout4.2millionhectaresofcultivatablearea,which is3percentofthenetareasownin thecountry. Itproducesabout17.8percentofwheatand11.3 per cent of rice contributed 25-50 percent of rice and 38-75 percent ofwheat to the central pool of food-grains over the last four decades. The stateranks 4th in the world in terms of productivity of wheat with 5,183 kg/hawhereas it stands first in India amongst all the other states. It stands third intermsofproductivityofriceproducingcountriesafterChinaandJapan.

Horticultureisahighvaluesegmentofagriculture.InPunjab,withonly4percentoftotalcroppedarea,horticulturecropsarecontributingapprox.

10.50percentGDPtothetotalagricultureproduce.

IrrigationThe state government has set up a separate Directorate of Ground Water

Management under Department of Water Resources (formerly known asDepartment of Irrigation). From 2017, keeping in view the need to focus ondesigning policies, programmes and strategies for the conservation, utilizationandmanagementofgroundwaterresourcesofthestateinajudicious,equitableand sustainable manner and to ensure optimal utilization of surface waterresourceswiththeobjectiveofconservingwater.

Punjabhasa canal irrigation infrastructurenetworkof14,500km.Throughthis infrastructure an areaof30.88 lakhhectare is being irrigated. 12 schemeshavebeenselectedunderIncentivisationSchemeforBridgingIrrigationGapofGovernmentofIndiaunderwhichitisproposedtotakeupworkofcorrectionofsystemdeficienciesofcanals.

TransportTheTransportDepartment has established 32 automated driving test tracks

whereitismandatoryforanapplicanttoappearforadrivingskilltestbeforeadrivinglicenseisgiventohim/her.All22districtshasonetesttrackeachatthedistrictheadquarters.

TheDepartmentalsocreatedaRoadSafetyFundrecentlywhere50percentofthecompoundingfeeofthepreviousfinancialyearwillbeavailableforroadsafetymeasures.ThisisabigsteptowardsmakingtheroadssaferandPunjabisone of the few states to have done this. The state has notified a very robusttransportschemewithstringentfeaturesofroadsafetyandmonitoringlikeRFID

andGPStobemadeapplicabletoallstagecarriagesrunninginthestate.

PunjabEnergyDevelopmentAgencyThe Department of New and Renewable Energy Sources, with its Nodal

Agency Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has installed 1,607.55MWcapacityNRSEpowerprojectsoutofwhich935MWcapacitysolarplantshavebeensetup.Thisinitiativealsoprovideddirectandindirectemploymenttoapproximately14,500youths.

AviationPunjabhastwointernationalairportsatAmritsar(Rajasansi)andMohali.The

statehasfourdomesticairportsatLudhiana,Pathankot,BathindaandAdampur.

FairsandFestivalsAnewculturalpolicyisinplaceinthestatewhichaimsatcreatingrenewed

awarenessabout thevastly richculture, traditionsand tourist spotsof thestatethuscreatingemploymentopportunitiesfortheexceptionallytalentedyouth.Themainaimofframingaculturalaswellastourismpolicyistoenabletheyouthofthe state to connect with their glorious historical and cultural roots besidesmaking Punjab a numero uno destination in terms of tourism by tapping itsenormous potential in the form of various royal palaces, serais, gurdwaras,monuments,etc.

Besides festivals of Dussehra, Diwali, Holi, other important festivals/fairs/melasareMaghiMelaatMukatsar,RuralSportsatKilaRaipur,BasantatPatiala,HollaMohalla atAnandpur Sahib, Baisakhi at Talwandi Sabo,Urs atRauzaSharifatSirhind,ChapparMelaatChappar,SkeikhFaridAagmanPurbatFaridkot,RamTirathMelaatVillageRamTirath,ShaheediJorMelaatSirhind,HarballabSangeetSammelanBabaSodalatJalandhar.Inadditiontothese,threeheritagefestivalsatAmritsar,Patiala,Kapurthalaarealsocelebratedeveryyearandareverypopularamongthetourists.Website:www.punjab.gov.in

Government

Rajasthan

http://www.punjab.gov.in

HistoryandGeographyRajasthanisthelargeststateinIndiaarea-wise.Priortoindependenceitwas

knownasRajputanaorRajputs—amartialcommunitywhoruledoverthisareafor centuries. The history of Rajasthan dates back to the pre-historic times.Around 3,000 and 1,000BC, it had a culture akin to that of the IndusValleycivilization. Itwere theChauhanswho dominatedRajput affairs from seventhcentury and by 12th century they had become an imperial power. After theChauhans, it were the Guhilots of Mewar who controlled the destiny of thewarring tribes. Besides Mewar, the other historically prominent states wereMarwar, Jaipur, Bundi, Kota, Bharatpur and Alwar. Other states were onlyoffshoots of these.All these states accepted theBritish Treaty of SubordinateAlliance in 1818 protecting the interest of the princes. This naturally left thepeoplediscontented.

Aftertherevoltof1857,thepeopleunitedthemselvesundertheleadershipofMahatmaGandhi tocontribute to thefreedommovementwith the introductionofprovincialautonomyin1935inBritishIndiaagitationforcivil libertiesandpolitical rights became stronger inRajasthan.The process of uniting scatteredstatescommencedfrom1948 to1956when theStatesReorganizationActwaspromulgated,firstcameMatsyaUnion(1948)consistingofafractionofstates,slowlyandgraduallyotherstatesmergedwiththisUnion.By1949,majorstateslike Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur. and Jaisalmer joined this Union making it theUnited State of Greater Rajasthan. Ultimately in 1958, the present state ofRajasthanformallycameintobeing,withAjmerstate,theAbuRoadTalukaandSunelTappajoiningit.

Theentirewesternflankof thestateborderswithPakistan,whilePunjab innorth,Haryanainnorth-east,UttarPradeshineastandMadhyaPradeshinsouth-eastandGujaratliesinsouth-westofthestate.

AgricultureEstimatedtotalsownareainthestateis241.21lakhhectare.Principalcrops

inthestatearewheat,barley,jowar,millet,maize,gram,oilseeds,kharifpulsesandcotton.Cultivationofvegetableandcitrus fruits suchasorangeandmaltahavealsopickedupoverlastfewyears.Redchilies,mustard,cuminseedsandmethiarecommercialcrops.

IndustryEndowedwith a rich culture,Rajasthan is also rich inminerals and is fast

emergingontheindustrialscenarioofthecountry.Someoftheimportantcentralundertaking areHindustan Zinc Smelter Plant at Devari (Udaipur), Chanderia(Chittorgarh),HindustanCopperPlant atKhetriNagar (Jhunjhunu),HindustanSalt Ltd. at Sambhar (Jaipur), HMT Ltd. at Ajmer and Precision InstrumentsFactoryatKota.Major industriesaretextilesandwoollens,engineeringgoods,electronic items, automobile, food processing, gems and jewellery, cement,marble slabs and tiles, glass and ceramics, oxygen, zink, fertilizers, railwaywagons, ball bearings, water and electricity metres, sulphuric acid, handicraftitems,televisionsets,syntheticyarn,insulators,stainlesssteel,re-rolling,steel-foundryandinsultingbricks.Besidespreciousandsemi-preciousstones,causticsoda,calciumcarbide,nylonandtyers,etc.areotherimportantindustries.

Rajasthan has rich deposits of zinc concentrates, emerald, garnet, gypsum,silver,asbestos,felsparandmica.Thestatealsoaboundsinexports,soExportsPromotionIndustrialParkofthestatehasbeenestablishedandmadeoperationalat Sitapura (Jaipur), Boranada (Jodhpur). Inland Container Depots have beenestablished at Jaipur, Bhilwara, Jodhpur, andBhiwadi (Alwar) to promote theexporters. SpecialEconomicZone for gems and jewellery at Sitapura (Jaipur)and Special Economic Zone for handicraft at Boranada (Jodhpur) have beenestablished andMultipurposeSpecialEconomicZone “MahendraWorldCity”hasbeenestablishedinPPPmodelatJaipur.

MineralsThestate isoneof the leadingmineralproducingstates in thecountry.The

state has a glorious heritage in the field of mining and is second only toJharkhandasregardstomineralwealth.Itisreferredtoasmuseumofminerals;havingresourcesofbothmetallicandnon-metallicminerals includingbuildingstonesandalsoresourcesofradioactiveminerals,lignite,petroleumandnaturalgas. Important minerals with which the name of state is associated are non-ferrous metals such as lead-zinc, copper, ferromagnesian metals such astungsten,anumberofindustrialmineralsanddifferentvarietiesofdimensionalanddecorativestones.Thereare79varietiesofmineralsavailableoutofwhich57 are produced commercially. Presently it is the sole producer of lead- zinc,wollastonite,calciteandseleniteandleadingproducerofsilver,gypsum,marble,ochre,ballclay,rockphosphate,cadmiumandfeldsparinthecountry.

Differentvarietiesofmarble,granite, sandstoneandKota stoneof the statehas a large demand not only in the country but also world over. With the

discoveryofoilandnaturalgas inwesternRajasthan thestatehasbecome thesecondhighestproducerofcrudeoilafterBombayHigh.

More than 85 per cent of the country’s potash, lead-zinc, silver andwollastoniteresourcesarelocatedinthestate.Thestatepossesssubstantialshareof the total resources of potash (94 per cent), lead-zinc ore (89 per cent),wollastonite(88percent),silverore(87percent),gypsum(82percent),fuller’searth(74percent),diatomite(72percent),feldspar(66percent),marble(64percent),asbestos(61percent),copperore(50percent),calcite(50percent),talc-soapstone-steatite (49 per cent), granite (42 per cent), ball clay (38 per cent),rockphosphate(30percent), fluorite(29percent), tungstenore(27percent),laterite (26percent),goldore (primary) (23percent),mica (21percent) andchinaclay(16percent).

PowerThe installed power capacity in the state was 15,986.87 MW in which

5,357.35 MW produced from state owned projects, 853.44 MW fromcollaboration projects, 2,803.47 MW from the allocation from central powergenerating stations, 3,916.61MW fromwind, solar and biomass projects and3,056.00MWfromprivatesectorprojects.

MahatmaGandhiNationalRuralEmploymentGuaranteeSchemeIn first phase Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee

Schemewasinitiatedinsixdistricts—Banswara,Dungarpur,Jhalawar,Karouli,Sirohi and Udaipur. In second phase this scheme was initiated in other sixdistrictsBarmer,Chittorgarh, Jaisalmer, Jalore, SawaiMadhopur andTonk. Inthirdphasethisschemewaslaunchedinrestofthedistrictsofthestate.

TransportRoads:Theestimatedtotallengthofroadsis2,07,019km.Railways : Jodhpur, Jaipur, Bikaner, Sawai Madhopur, Kota, Bharatpur andUdaipuraremain railway junctionsof thestate.Total lengthof railway line is5,871.65 km (4801.18 km broad gaze, 983.71 km gaze and 86.76 km narrowgaze)inthestate.JaipurMetro:JaipurMetroisarapidtransitsysteminJaipurcity.InJune2015,it began commercial service betweenChandpole andMansarovar. It is India’ssixthmetrorailsystemafterthoseinKolkata,DelhiNCR,Bengaluru,GurugramandMumbai.Itisthefirstmetrointhecountrytorunondoublestoreyelevatedroadandtrack.Theconstructionworkisonforthenextphase.

Aviation : All eminent cities are regular connected with Jaipur airport underdomesticair services inwhichDelhi,Mumbai,Ahemdabad,Kolkata,Chennai,Hyderabad,Bengaluru,PuneandGuwahatiareimportantdomesticairservices.InternationalairservicesarealsoavailableforDubai,MascuttandSharjahfromJaipurairport.

FestivalsRajasthanisalandoffestivalsandfairs,besidesthenationalfestivalsofHoli,

Deepawali,Vijayadashmi,Christmas,etc., auspiciousdays related todeitiesofgods and goddesses, saintly figures, folk heroes and heroines are celebrated.Important fairs are Teej, Gangaur, Holi-Dhulandi, Kite and Rajasthan Divas(Jaipur), annual Urs of Ajmer Sherif and Galiakot Pushkar Fair (Ajmer),Ramdevji Cattle Fair (Nagaur), Camel Festival (Bikaner), Desert Festival(Jaisalmer), Beneshwar Fair (Dungarpur), Braj-Holi Festival (Bharatpur),Kailadevi Fair, Shri Mahaveer Fair (Karouli), Ranakpur Festival, GodwarFestival (Pali), Mewar Festival (Udaipur), Summer and Winter Festivals inMountAbu (Sirohi),KajliTeej andBundiFestival (Bundi),DussehraFestivaland Adventure Festival (Kota), Matsya Festival (Alwar), Marwar Festival(Jodhpur), Chandrabhaga Fair (Jhalawar), Jambheshwar Fair andKoloyat Fair(NokhaBikaner)andKhatuShyamjiFair(Khatu-Sikar),etc.

TouristsCentresJaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Mount Abu (Sirohi), Ranthambore

NationalPark (TigerReserve)-(SawaiMadhopur),SariskaTigerNationalPark(Alwar), Keoladeo National Park (Bharatpur), Ajmer, Jaisalmer, Pali, Bundi,Kota, Jhalawar, Shekhawati (Sikar) and Chittorgarh are important places oftouristsinterestinthestate.Website:www.rajasthan.gov.in

Government

Sikkim

http://www.rajasthan.gov.in

HistoryandGeographyTheearlyhistoryofSikkimstarts in the13thcenturywith the signingof a

blood-brotherhoodtreatybetweentheLepchaChieftainThekongTekandBhutiaChieftain Khye-Bumsa at Kabi Lungtsok in North Sikkim. This follows thehistoricvisitof threereveredLamastoYuksamin1641inWestSikkimwherethey consecrated Phuntsog Namgyal, a sixth generation descendant of Khye-Bumsa as the first Chogyal of Sikkim, thus heralding the beginning of theNamgyaldynastyinSikkim.Withthemarchofhistory,eventsinSikkimsawtheprocessofdemocratisationandbecamean integralpartof the IndianUnion in1975.Sikkim, the landblessedbyGuruPadmasambhavaduringhissojourn toTibetin8thcentury,areinhabitedbypeoplefromdifferentcommunitiesandliveintotalharmony.SikkimisperhapsthemostpeacefulstateoftheIndianUniontopromotecommunalharmony,afeatwhichismuchtobeexpectedinapluralsocietylikeIndia.

The world’s third highest mountain, Khangchendzonga, is regarded as theguardiandeityofSikkim.Sikkim is oneof the18biodiversityhotspots in theworld.Morethan5000speciesofangiospermsarefoundinthestate,nearlyonethirdofthetotalspeciesofangiospermsarefoundinthecountry.Thereareover4,500 species of flowering plants, 362 species of ferns and allies, over 550species of wild orchids, atleast 36 species of rhododendrons besides manyvariationsandwildnaturalhybrids,11speciesofoaks,30speciesofprimulas,28bamboos,over700speciesofbutterflies,probablythriceasmanymoths,atleast 48 species of freshwater fish, around 50 species of amphibians, over 80reptiles,600speciesofbirdsandaround150speciesofmammalsinthestate.

Rareandgloballythreatenedsnowleopard,Tibetanargalisheep,redpanda,aswellashighestaltitudedomesticatedbovid,theyak,black-neckedcraneandfairrieanumorchidaresomeoftheimportantspeciesfoundhere.

TourismSituatedintheeasternHimalayas,Sikkimisoneofthemostbeautifulstates

oftheIndianUnion.It ishometothethirdhighestmountainintheworld,Mt.Khangchendzongawhichisalsoworshippedastheguardiandeity.Itisadornedwith snowy mountains, luxuriant forests with exotic flora and fauna, pristinewaterfalls,sacredlakes,holycaves,medicinalhot-springs,cascadingriversandgentle streams making it a tourist destination for all seasons. An interlace ofmixedcultureofvariouscommunitiesresidinghere,thestatecelebratesfestivalsand activities of each other with grand fervour. There are tours for everyone,fromthoseseekingsolitude formeditation to theadventurousor thoseseeking

leisure holiday. For the more adventurous there is trekking in the mountains,river rafting, bird watching, mountain biking, rock climbing, paragliding andangling as well as the mountain flights for experiencing the snow cladmountains.

AgricultureIntheagriculturesector, thestatehasmadeimmensebreakthroughwiththe

introductionofcropslikebabycorn,sweetcorn,etc.,bringingmanifoldincreaseinincometo thefarmingcommunity.Focus isoncropswhichcangrowundermoisturestressconditionsandwhichhavehighglobaldemandsof the likesofbuckwheat,milletandsuchothercereals.

HorticultureTheproductionoffruitshasincreasedfrom5250tonnesto22240recording

to growth of 323 per cent. Vegetable production has increased from 22130tonnesto78820tonnesregistering256percentgrowth.Infloriculturearecordgrowthof200hawithproductionofover230lakhnumbersofcutflowersandplantingmaterials.

IrrigationandPowerTheDepartmentofIrrigationandFloodControlhascovered3866.68hectares

ofagriculturallandinEleventhFiveYearPlan.

PowerThe total hydro power potential of Sikkim as assessed by Central Water

Commission,isaround8,000MW.Withtheviewtoharnesstheimmensehydropower potential of the state, the Government of Sikkim in the year 2004constitutedtheHydroCommitteetoexaminethevariousaspectsrelatedtohydropowerdevelopmentandmakerecommendationsforearlyimplementationofthehydropowerprojects.

TransportRoads:GangtokisconnectedbyroadswithDarjeelingdistrictofWestBengalandalsowithallthedistrictheadquarterswithinSikkim.Thetotalroadlengthofthe state is 3,672.32 km and 216 bridges, which includes 873.40 km roadmaintainedbytheBorderRoadsOrganisation.RailwaysandAviation:Theclosest railwaystationsareSiliguri (113km)andNewJalpaiguri (125km)connectingKolkata,Delhi andother important citiesandBagdograairport.Thestatehas itsfirstairportatPakyonginEastSikkim.

ThereisaregularhelicopterservicebetweenGangtokandBagdogra.

InformationTechnologyThe state government has made encouraging steps to improve the lives of

common people through several IT-oriented projects. To meet the objectivesvarious initiatives have been taken like the establishment of 45 communityservicecentresandstate-wideareanetworkallacrosseveninremoteareasasasteptobringITto thegrassroot levelofpeople.Thishasgreatly increasedthegovernment’s interfacewith thepublic andenhanced thequalityof some stateservices.CSCinSherethangwhichisanachievementfor thestategovernmentanditscitizens,isdeclaredasthehighestcybercafeintheworldbytheLimcaBookofRecords.Website:www.sikkim.gov.in

Government

TamilNadu

HistoryandGeographyTamil Nadu has a hoary antiquity. Though early Sangam classics throw

historical references it is only from the Pallavas we pass to recorded history.SouthIndiahadremainedunderthehegemonyoftheCholas,theCherasandthePandyas for centuries. The Pallavas held supremacy from about the secondquarter of the fourth century AD. They were the originators of the famousDravidian style of temple architecture. The last Pallava rulerwasAparajita inwhose reign the laterCholasunderVijayalaya andAditya asserted themselvesbyaboutthe10thcentury.Attheendofthe11thcentury,TamilNaduwasruledby several dynasties like the Chalukyas, Cholas and Pandyas. In the twocenturies that followed, the imperial Cholas gained paramountcy over SouthIndia.

Muslimsgraduallystrengthenedtheirposition,whichledtotheestablishmentoftheBahamaniSultanate,bythemiddleofthe14thcentury.Atthesametime,

http://www.sikkim.gov.in

theVijayanagarKingdomquicklyconsolidateditselfandextendeditsswayoverthewholeofSouthIndiaandatthecloseofthecentury,VijayanagarbecamethesupremepowerinSouth.However,itcrumbledatthebattleofTalikotain1564totheconfederateforcesoftheDeccanSultans.

Evenduring theperiodof the tumultuousconfusion that followedthebattleofTalikota,Europeancommercial interesthadappearedasrivalsintheareaofSouth India. The Portuguese, the Dutch, the French and the English came inquicksuccessionandestablishedtradingcentresknownas‘Factories’.EastIndiaCompanywhichhadestablishedtheirfactoryatMasulipatnam,nowinAndhraPradesh,in1611graduallyannexedterritoriesbyencouragingenmityamongthenativerulers.TamilNaduwasoneofthefirstofBritishsettlementsinIndia.Thestate is thesuccessor to theoldMadrasPresidencywhich in1901covered thebulk of the southern peninsula. The composite Madras state was laterreorganisedandthepresentTamilNaduwasformed.

TamilNaduisboundonnorthbyAndhraPradeshandKarnataka,onwestbyKerala,oneastbytheBayofBengalandonsouthbytheIndianOcean.

AgricultureandIrrigationTamilNaduwith3percentof thenationalwaterand4percent landshare

andsupports6percentof thepopulation.Thestategovernmentinaneffort tousherinsecondGreenRevolutiontodoublethefoodgrainproductionandtriplethe farmers’ income, has set up a programme for 2019-20. The state had 100lakh tonne of production for the sixth time in a row and bagged the nationalKrishi Karman award for five times. ‘Collective Farming’ a revolutionaryconcept of the state governmentmade a remarkable achievement wherein thefarmers could purchase/borrow farm machinery. Similarly, integrated farmingschemewas introduced as a pilot project in some districtswherein such unitsbeneffittednumerousfamers.

ThestateispioneerinITinitiativesforagricultureandcontinuingwithit,amobile App - Uzhavan - was launched to provide 15 vital personalisedagriculturalinformation.

The state has been implementing ‘Per Drop More Crop’ as a componentunder the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana to augment the irrigationfacilities. It is the only state extending cent per cent subsidy to small andmarginalfarmersand75percenttootherfarmers.

TourismAsaveritable treasure troveof art andculture, the statehasalwaysbeena

greatattractiontooffertothetourists.Itistheconsummateexpressionofartandculture of past period than elsewhere in the country. The state possesses theglorioussculptures,frescoesandmuralsadorningwallsandpillars,gianttempletowers (gopurams). Tamil Nadu has multifarious tourist attractions whichinclude1076kmofpristinecoastline,more than30,000 templesandplacesofworshipdatebackbeyondthebeginningoftheChristianera,waterfalls,wildlifesanctuaries, hill stations, dam sites, arts, exotic culture, beautifully madehandicraftsandhandlooms,heritage,cuisine,businessopportunities,etc.

Thestatehassomeofthemostremarkabletemplearchitectureinthecountryandalivingtraditionofmusic,dance,folkartsandfinearts.TamilNaduiswellrenownedforitstempletownsandheritagesites,monuments,forts,hillstations,waterfalls, national parks, beaches, local cuisine, natural environment andwildlife. It has five UNESCO declared World Heritage sites, namely, ShoreTemple, Five Rathas, Arjuna’s Penance - Mamallapuram, BrahadeeswararTemple -Thanjavur, Iravatheeswarar Temple - Darasuram, BrahadeeswararTemple -Gangaikonda Cholapuram and Nilgiri Mountain Railway. Fourinternational airports, namely, Chennai, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli andCoimbatore and two major ports Chennai and Thoothukudi are the majorconnecting pointswhich connects the statewith rest of the country and otherpartsoftheworld.ThewellconnectedroadfacilitytotouristplacesisaboonforthetouristsandalltheabovefacilitieshasmadeTamilNadu,themostpreferabletouristdestinationinthecountry.

SocialWelfareProrammesSocialWelfare andNutritiousMeal ProgrammeDepartment of the state is

implementing variouswelfare schemes for the upliftment of children,women,seniorcitizensandtransgenders.

Topromotetheeducationofgirls,theChiefMinister’sGirlChildProtectionScheme introduced during 1992 was restructured during 2001 with increasedfinancial benefits to the girl children enrolled under this scheme. The girlchildrenwhowasbornon01.08.2011orafterget thefinancialassistanceof₹50,000/-underscheme-1and₹25,000/-underscheme-llunderthisscheme.

Special Homes for Senior Citizens and destitute children in the IntegratedComplexhasbeensetupin2blocksineachdistrict.FortheWelfareofSeniorcitizen the government has sanctioned ₹ l.65 crore for the pneumococcalvaccinationtothe4,133seniorcitizensofOldAgeHomes.Thisinitiativeisfirstofitskindinthecountry.PuratchiThalaivarMGRNutritiousMealProgrammewas introduced in 1982 with the primary objective of improving nutritional

standardsandhealthstatusofchildren,besides improvingtheenrolment in theschoolsandtoreducedropouts.Underthisscheme,thechildrenfromIstdtoXstd in government schools, governmen-aided schools, local body schools andchildren studying in national child labour project schools are provided hotcookedmeals with egg in the school campus itself. In addition they are alsoprovidedwithdifferentvarietyofmealswitheggmasala,greengramandBengalgramandpotatoesinordertoincreasetheirnutritionalvalue.

GeologyandMiningMinerals form the basic resources for several important industries and

contribute substantially to the Gross State Domestic Product and IndustrialGrowth.Minerals are considered to be the backbone for the economic growthanddeemedtobethewealthofthecountry.Thedevelopmentalactivitiesofthestate and its economic prosperity are reflected by the availability of mineral,wealthanditsprudentexploitation.

Thestateisendowedwithseveralindustrialmineralslikelignite,limestone,garnet sand, silica sand, quartz and feldspar, graphite, oil and natural gas,magnesite,ironore,etc.,andalsocommonuseminormineraldepositsincludingworldfamousblackgraniteandmulticolourgranitedepositswhichenabledinsettingupofcement,refractory,glass,ceramicandgranitepolishingindustries.

TransportRoads:Thelengthofroadnetworkinthestateis66,039km.OfthistheNationalHighwayis6,634kmstretch.Railways:(1)Totallengthofroutekmis3,856km.(2)RunningTrackkmasinSeptember2019is:5,266kmThemajor stations are:ChennaiCentral,Tiruchirappalli,Madurai,Tirunelveli,Nagarkoil,Coimbatore,Erode,Salem,Jolarpettai,KatpadiandArakkonam.Ports:MajorportsareChennai,EnnoreandThoothukudi.Thereare23declaredminor ports including 7 government. Minor ports namely Cuddalore,Nagapattinam, Rameswaram, Pamban, Colachel, Kanneyakumari andValinokkam. There are 16 declared captive minor ports including Kattupalli,EnnoreMinorPort,PY-3OilfieldandThirukkadaiyurwhichareoperationalandothersareatvariousstagesofobtainingstatutoryclearancesanddevelopment.Website:www.tn.gov.in

Government

http://www.tn.gov.in

Telangana

In2014Telanganawas formedas29thstateof IndiawithHyderabadas itscapital. Earlier Telangana was part of Andhra State as per the linguistic re-organisation of states in 1956. Telangana state has 10 districts includingHyderabad, Adilabad, Khammam, Karimnagar, Mahbubnagar, Medak,Nalgonda,Nizamabad,RangareddyandWarangal.

HistoryofTelanganaThe name Telangana refers to the word Trilinga Desa, earned due to the

presence of three ancient Shiva temples at Kaleswaram, Srisailam andDraksharamam.AmorehistoricalreasonisthatduringthereignofNizamstheregion was known as Telugu Angana to differentiate it from the areas whereMarathi was spoken. The region has been ruled by great dynasties such asSathavahanas, Kakatiyas, Chalukyas, Mughals, Qutubshahis, Asafjahis. TheKakatiyascontributions toarchitectureareconsideredvery impressive.AmongKakatiyas, Prataparudra was a great ruler who ruled till AD 1323. TheSatavahanas ruled Telangana region for about 400 years right from the 2ndcenturyBCtobeyondthe2ndcenturyAD.

Therehavebeenseveralmovements torevokethemergerofTelanganaandAndhra,majoronesoccurredin1969,1972and2009.ThemovementforanewstateofTelanganagainedmomentumoverthedecades.In2009theGovernmentofIndiaannouncedtheprocessofformationof theTelangana.Violentprotestsled by people in the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions occurredimmediately after the announcement, and the decision was put on hold inDecember,2009.Themovementcontinued inHyderabadandotherdistrictsofTelangana. There have been large scale strikes, protests and demonstrationscoupledwithmanysuicidesalsodemandingseparatestatehood.

InJuly,2013theprocessofformationofaseparatestategainedmomentum.Aftervariousstages,theBillwasplacedintheParliamentandinFebruary,2014Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill was passed by the Parliament for the

formationofTelanganastatecomprisingtendistrictsfromnorth-westernAndhraPradesh.

GeographyTelangana is situated on the Deccan plateau in the central stretch of the

eastern seaboard of the Indian Peninsula. It covers 114,800 sq km (44,300 sqmiles).Theregionisdrainedbytwomajorrivers,withabout79percentoftheGodavari river catchment area and about 69 per cent of the Krishna rivercatchmentarea,butmostof the land isariddue tohigherelevationofmostofthestatecompared to rivers.Telangana isalsodrainedbyseveralminor riverssuch as the Bhima, the Manjeera and the Musi. The state is surrounded byMaharashtra on north and north-west;Karnataka on thewest;Chhattisgarh onthenorth-eastandOdishaliesonitswest.

AgricultureRice is themajorfoodcropof thestate.Other importantcropsare tobacco,

mango, cotton and sugarcane. The major kharif coarse cereals maize, jowar,bajra,ragiareproducedinthestate.Outofthetotalgeographicalarea40.5percentisundernetareasown,23.9percentisunderforests,10.5percentisundercurrentfallowlands,7.7percentisundernon-agriculturalusesand5.4percentisunderbarrenanduncultivable land.Netcroppedarea is46.54 lakhhectares.Agricultureproductiondependsupon thedistributionof rainfall.The influenceofsouth-westmonsoonispredominant.

ArtsandCraftsHandicraftshavebeen an integral part of the state.The regionoffersmany

astoundinghandicraftslikebidricrafts,banjaraneedlecrafts,dokrametalcrafts,nirmalarts,bronzecastings, lacquerware,etc.Be it an intricateneedlecraftorthe surprisingbronzecastings,metal craftor theclassic stonecraft,Telanganahasawideassortmentofhandicrafts.

Festivals‘Bathukamma’ isacolourfulandvibrant festivaland thisunique festivalof

flowers stands as a symbol of cultural identity. “Bonalu” is an annual Hindufestival celebrated in the state in which Goddess Mahakali is worshipped.Dussehra,SamakkaSaarakkaJaathara,PeerlaPanduga,RamzanarealsolargelycelebratedinTelangana.Website:www.telangana.gov.in

http://www.telangana.gov.in

Government

Tripura

HistoryTripurahasitsuniquetribalcultureandafascinatingfolklore.Thehistoryof

TripuracanbelearntfromRajmalachroniclesofKingTripuraandwritingsofhistorians. There are references of Tripura even in theMahabharata and thePuranas. According to Rajmala, the rulers were known by the surname Fameaningfather.ThereisareferencetorulersofBengalhelpingTripurakingsinthe14thcentury.KingsofTripurahad to face frequentMughal invasionswithvarying successes. They defeated the Sultans of Bengal in several battles.Nineteenth century marked the beginning of the modern era in Tripura whenKing Maharaja Bir Chandra Kishore Manikya Bahadur modelled hisadministrativeset-upontheBritishIndiapatternandbroughtinvariousreforms.HissuccessorsruledTripuratill15October1949whenthestatemergedwiththeIndian Union. Initially, a part ‘C’ State, it became a centrally administeredterritorywiththeRe-organisationofStatesin1956.In1972,Tripuraattainedthestatusofafull-fledgedstate.

Tripura is strategically situated between the river valleys ofMyanmar andBangladesh. Encircled almost on three sides by Bangladesh, it is linked withAssamandMizoraminthenorth-east.

AgricultureThe economyofTripura is primarily dependent on agriculture. 24 per cent

landisbeingutilizedbythissector,and51percentpopulationisdependentonagriculturefortheirlivelihood.

IrrigationTripuraispredominantlyahillystatehavinggeographicalareaof10,49,169

hectare.Amidtheundulatingterraintherecentlyassessedlandundercultivation

is2,55,241hectares.Irrigablelandis1,17,00hectares.

TourismTripura is a small but picturesque state in the north eastern region of the

country.Theareaisabout10,491,69sqkm.toitsnorth,southandsoutheastithas an international boundary with Bangladesh while to its east; it shares acommonboundarywithtwostatesofAssamandMizoram.Thereare19ethnictribes,Bengali,Manipuriandothers,inhabitingthispanoramictinystate.

The scenic beauty of Tripura, its rich and varied culture, archaeology andarchitecture,itshandloomandhandicraftwhichisexquisiteincolour,excellentindesignandcraftsmanship,itsverdantforests,andlakes,itsexcellentbracingclimaticconditions,itsenhancingandaboundingfloraltreasuresandpanoramicviewpointsandaboveallitsveryhospitableethnicpopulationaresoattractivethat anyone who visits the state once cannot resist his temptation to comeoftener.Website:www.tripura.gov.in

Government

Uttarakhand

HistoryUttarakhand findsmention in the ancient Hindu scriptures as Kedarkhand,

Manaskhand and Himavant. The Kushanas, Kunindas, Kanishka, SamudraGupta, Pauravas, Katuris, Palas, Chandras and Panwars and the British haveruleditinturns.ItisoftencalledtheLandoftheGods(DevBhoomi)becauseofitsvariousholyplacesandabundant shrines.Thehilly regionsofUttarakhandoffer pristine landscapes to the tourists. Uttarakhandwas earlier a part of theUnited Province of Agra and Awadh which came into existence in 1902. In1935,thenameofstatewasshortenedtotheUnitedProvince.InJanuary1950,theUnitedProvincewasrenamedasUttarPradeshandUttaranchalremainedapartofUttarPradeshbeforeitwascarvedoutin2000.Itisinceptedasthe27th

http://www.tripura.gov.in

stateofIndia.Located in the foothills of the Himalayas, the state has international

boundarieswithChina(Tibet) in thenorthandNepal in theeast.Onitsnorth-westliesHimachalPradeshwhileonthesouthisUttarPradesh.

AgricultureAbout 90 per cent of the population depends on agriculture. The total

cultivatedareainthestateis7,67,459hectare.

IndustryandMineralsThestate isrichinmineraldeposits likelimestone,marble,rockphosphate,

dolomite,magnesite,coppergraphite,gypsum,etc.

IrrigationandEnergyAgriculturallandunderirrigationis5,61,733hectare.Thestatehasexcellent

potential for hydropower generation. There are a number of hydroelectricprojectson the riversYamuna,Bhagirathi,Bhilangana,Alaknanda,Mandakini,Saryu,Gauri,KosiandKaligeneratingelectricity.

TransportRoads: The total length ofmetalled roads is 33,914 km.The length of PWDroadsis25,665km.Thelengthofroadsbuiltbylocalbodiesis2,674km.Railways : The main railway stations are Dehradun, Haridwar, Roorkee,Kotdwar,Kashipur,UdhamsinghNagar,Haldwani,RamnagarandKathgodam.Aviation:ThereareairstripsatJollyGrant(Dehradun)andPantnagar(UdhamSingh Nagar). Air strips at Naini-Seni (Pithoragarh), Gauchar (Chamoli) andChinyalisaur (Uttarkashi) are under construction. Pawan Hans Ltd. is alsooperatinghelicopterservicefromRudraprayagtoKedarnathforpilgrims.

FestivalsThe world-famousKumbhMela/Ardh Kumbh Mela is held at Haridwar at

every twelfth/sixthyear interval.Otherprominent fairs/festivalsareDevidhuraMela(Champawat),PurnagiriMela(Champawat),NandaDeviMela(Almora),Gauchar Mela (Chamoli), Baisakhi (Uttarkashi), Magha Mela (Uttarkashi),Uttaraini Mela (Bageshwar), Vishu Mela (Jaunsar Bhabar), Peerane-Kaliyar(Roorkee),andNandaDeviRajJatYatraheldeverytwelfthyear.

TouristCentresProminent places of pilgrimage/tourist interests are Gangotri, Yamunotri,

Badrinath,Kedarnath,Haridwar,Rishikesh,Hemkund Sahib,Nanakmatta, etc.Kailash Mansarovar Yatra can be performed through Kumaon region. Theworld-famousValleyofFlowers,PindariGlacier,RoopKund,DayaraBugyal,Auli and hill stations likeMussoorie,Dehradun,Chakrata,Nainital,Ranikhet,Bageshwar,Bhimtal,Kausani,Lansdowne,etc.,aretheothertouristdestinations.Website:www.uk.gov.in

Government

UttarPradesh

ThehistoryofUttarPradeshisveryancientandinteresting.It isrecognisedinthelaterVedicAgeasBrahmarshiDeshaorMadhyaDesha.Manygreatsagesof the Vedic times like Bhardwaja, Gautam, Yagyavalkaya, Vashishtha,Vishwamitra andValmiki flourished in this state. Several sacred books of theAryanswere also composed here. In the sixth century BCUttar Pradeshwasassociated with two new religions—Jainism and Buddhism. It was at SarnaththatBuddhapreachedhisfirstsermonandlaidthefoundationsofhisorderanditwas in Kushinagar in Uttar Pradesh where Buddha breathed his last. Severalcentres inUttar Pradesh likeAyodhya, Prayag,Varanasi andMathura becamereputedcentresof learning. In themedievalperiodUttarPradeshpassedunderMuslim rule and led theway to new synthesis ofHindu and Islamic cultures.Ramananda and his Muslim disciple Kabir, Tulsidas, Surdas and many otherintellectualscontributedtothegrowthofHindiandotherlanguages.

Uttar Pradesh preserved its intellectual excellence even under the Britishadministration. The British combined Agra and Oudh into one province andcalled itUnitedProvinces ofAgra andOudh.The namewas shortened to theUnitedProvincesin1935.InJanuary1950,theUnitedProvinceswasrenamedasUttarPradesh.ThestateisboundedbyUttarakhandandHimachalPradeshinthenorth,Haryana in thewest,MadhyaPradesh in the southandBihar in theeast.UttarPradeshcanbedividedintotwodistinctregions(i)SouthernHillsand

http://www.uk.gov.in

(ii)GangeticPlains.

AgricultureAgricultureisthemainoccupationof66percentofthepopulation.Thenet

cultivatedareais164.17lakhhectare.

IndustryandMineralsThere were 6,12,338 small scale industries involving a total investment of

7172crores.Underthepublicsector,miningoflimestone,magnesite,coal,rockphosphate, dolomite and silicon-sand is carried out. The bulk production ofminor and some of the major minerals like limestone, silica-sand, magnesite,pyrophyllite and diaspora ismostlywith the private sector. ImportantmineralbasedindustriesincludelargecementplantsinSonebhadra.

IrrigationandPowerUP Power Corporation, UP State Power Generation and UP Hydel Power

CorporationhadbeenformedbyreorganisingUPStateElectricityBoard.Powerisanimportantinputtoacceleratetheprocessofeconomicgrowth.

TransportRoads:ThetotalroadlengthofPWDis146728km.Thisincludes3820kmofnational highways, 8391 km of state highways, 119726 of other district roadsand134517kmofruralroads.Railways : Lucknow is the main junction of the northern network. Otherimportant railway junctions areAgra,Kanpur, Prayagraj,Mughalsarai, Jhansi,Moradabad, Varanasi, Tundla, Gorakhpur, Gonda, Faizabad, Bareilly andSitapur.Aviation : There are airports at Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Prayagraj, Agra,Jhansi, Bareilly, Hindon (Ghaziabad), Gorakhpur, Sarsawa (Saharanpur) andFursatganj(Raebarelli).

FestivalsThe biggest congregation, perhaps of the world, Kumbha Mela is held at

PrayagrajeverytwelfthyearandArdhKumbhMelaeverysixthyear.MaghMelaisalsoheldatPrayagraj inJanuarywhenthepeoplecomein largenumbers tohaveadip in theholySangam.Amongother fairs is thefortnight longJhoolafair of Mathura, Vrindavan and Ayodhya, when dolls are placed in gold andsilverjhoolasorcradles.AdipintheGangaonKartikPoornamasiissupposedto be the holiest and there are big congregations at Garhmukteshwar, Soran,

Rajghat,Kakora, Bithur,Kanpur, Prayagraj,Varanasi andAyodhya.A famouscattle fair is held atBateswar inAgra district.Dewa inBarabanki district hasbecomefamousbecauseoftheMuslimsaintWarisAliShah.Besides,importantfestivalsoftheHindus,Muslims,etc.,arewidelycelebratedinthestate.

TouristCentresBesides ancient places of pilgrimage likeVaranasi, Vindhyachal, Ayodhya,

Chitrakoot,Prayag,Naimisharanya,Mathura,Vrindavan,DewaSharief,Dargahof Sheikh Saleem Chisti in Fatehpur Sikri, Sarnath, Shravasti, Kushinagar,Sankisa,Kampil,PiprahwaandKaushambi,placeslikeAgra,Ayodhya,Sarnath,Varanasi, Lucknow, Jhansi, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur, Kannauj, Mahoba, Devgarh,Bithur, andVindhyachal have rich treasures ofHindu and Islamic architectureandculture.Website:www.up.gov.in

Government

WestBengal

ThenameofBengalorBanglaisderivedfromtheancientkingdomofVanga,or Banga. However, Stone Age tools dating back 20,000 years have beenexcavatedinthestate.TheregionwassettledbyDravidian,Tibet-Burman,andAustro-AsiaticpeoplesandwasapartoftheVangakingdomofancientIndia.ItwasapartofMagadhaempire. Itwasoneof thefourmainkingdomsofIndiaduringthetimesofMahaveeraandBuddha,andconsistedofseveralJanapadas.Bengal was referred to as Gangaridai by the ancient Greeks around 100 BC,meaning, speculatively, a land with the river Ganga in its heart. The firstrecordedindependentKingofBengalwasShashanka,reigningaroundtheearly7thcentury.Afteraperiodofanarchy,theBuddhistPaladynastyruledtheregionforfourhundredyears,followedbyashorterregionoftheHinduSenadynasty.

IslamcametoBengalin12thcenturybySufimissionaries.Later,occasionalMuslim raiders reinforced the process of conversion by building mosques,madrassasandSufiKhanqahh.BengalwasruledbyvariousMuslimrulersand

http://www.up.gov.in

governorstilltheMughalperiodinthe16thcentury.History of modern Bengal begins with the advent of Europeans, more

precisely, with the English trading companies. The Battle of Plassey in 1757changedthecourseofhistorywhentheEnglishfirstgainedastrongfootholdinBengal and India as well. Bengal was partitioned in 1905 to achieve somepolitical returns. The land frontiers touch Bangladesh in the east and areseparatedfromNepalinthewest,Bhutanliesinthenorth-east,whileSikkimison the north.On thewest are the states ofBihar and Jharkhand,while in thesouthliesOdishaandtheBayofBengalwashesitssouthernfrontiers.

AgricultureAgriculture is the main source of income for about 70 per cent of the

population.Juteandriceare theprincipalcropsgrown in thestate,alongwithtea,maize,tobaccoandsugarcane.

IndustryThe state policy on industrial promotion and economic development

welcomesforeigntechnologyandinvestment,privatesectorinvestmentinpowergeneration,improvementandupgradationofindustrialinfrastructure.Thethrustareasarepetrochemicalsanddownstreamindustries,electronicsandinformationtechnology, iron and steel, metallurgical and engineering, textile, leather andleather products, food processing, medicinal plants, edible oil, vegetableprocessingandaquaculture.

PowerandIrrigationProvision of electricity is vital for the socio-economic development as it

accelerateseconomicgrowth,generatesemployment,eliminatespovertyand isanessential inputforhumandevelopment.ThepowersectorinWestBengalispredominantlythermalinviewoftheeasyandcheaperavailabilityofcost; thestate has an adverse hydel-thermal powermix of 3:97. Significant ground hasbeen broken in the renewable energy sector.WBREDA, the nodal agency forimplementationoftechnologydemonstrationprojectsinthestate,havebenefitedalargenumberofremotevillagesintheSundarbans,partsofWestMidnapurandBankuraandareasofMalda,Murshidabad.

TransportTransport Department is primarily responsible for providing better

transportation facilities both for passengers and goods by way of formulationandimplementationofpoliciesandcreationoftransportorientedinfrastructures.

Thestatetransportundertakingsareplayingapivotalroleinsocialcommitment.The Department has taken some initiatives to improve the scenario like,computerization ofmotor vehicles department, road safety schemes, bus standschemes,TOIPschemes,pollutioncontrol,replacementofexisting2-strokeautorickshaws by 4-stroke auto rickshaws to reduce automobile pollution,replacementofbusesofmorethan15yearsold,etc.

FestivalsThestatecelebratesmyriadfestivalsliketheDurgaPuja,PoilaBaishakh(the

Bengali New Year), Rathayatra, Dolyatra or Basanta-Ursab. From christmasCarnivalstoEidul-FitrandMuharram;fromBuddhaPurnimatothelegendaryGangaSagarYatra,allcelebtratedwithgreatzeal.

TourismWest Bangal boasts of artisanal excellencewith its extraordinary terracotta

work, handloomweaves, heritage sarees and various other unique handicrafts.The state offers an astounding variety of religious places such as the mostnumber of Shaktipeeths in the likes of Kalighat Temple and Tarapith;magnificenttempleslikeBelurMath,MayapurISKCONTemple,HangseshwariTempleandTarakeshwarTemple;opulentmosquesliketheNizamatImambaraand Katra Mosque in Murshidabad, Furfura Sharif and Tipu Sultan ShahiMosque inKolkata;Gurdwaras andmajestic churches like theBasilica of theHolyRosary inBandel,St. John’sChurch,Lt. Jame’sChurch (JoraGirja),St.Paul’s Cathedral and Church of the Lord Jesus and spectacular Buddhistmonasteries of Ghoom, Bhutia Busty, Mag-Dhog Yolmowa, Tharpa Choling,ZangDhokPalriPhodangamongothers.

Thestatehasnodearthofadventureattractions.FromthedensemangrovesofSunderbansforwaterwayridestospotastaggeringvarietyoffloraandfaunaincluding the famed Royal Bengal Tiger, trek the Himalayan Mountains; orenjoyasafariinthemistyforestsofJaldapara,Chilapata.Website:www.westbengal.gov.in

Government

AndamanandNicobarIslands

http://www.westbengal.gov.in

HistoryandGeographyTheunionterritoryoftheAndamanandNicobarIslandsissituatedbetween

6°and14°latitudeand92°and94°longitude.TheIslandslocatednorthof10°north latitude are known as Andaman Group of Islands while islands locatedsouthof10°northlatitudearecalledNicobarGroupofIslands.TheclimateoftheIslandscanbedefinedashumid,tropicalcoastalclimate.TheIslandsreceiverainfall from both the south-west and north-east monsoons and maximumprecipitationisbetweenMayandDecember.

TheoriginalinhabitantsofIslandslivedintheforestsonhuntingandfishing.There are four Negrito tribes, viz., Great Andamanese, Onge, Jarawa andSentinalese in theAndamanGroup of Islands and twoMongoloid tribes, viz.,NicobareseandShompensintheNicobarGroupofIslands.

AgricultureOut of the geographical area of 8249 sq.km only 6 per cent i.e., around

50,000 ha which has been reduced to 47,000 ha (of the Tsunami 2004) is atpresent under agriculture. Paddy, the main food crop, is mostly cultivated inAndamanGroupofIslands,whereascoconutandarecanutarethecashcropsofNicobarGroupof Islands.Fieldcrops,namely,pulses,oilseedsandvegetablesaregrownfollowedbypaddyduringrabiseason.Differentkindsoffruitssuchasmango,sapota,orange,banana,papaya,pineappleandrootcropsaregrownonhillyland.Spices,viz.pepper,clove,nutmegandcinnamonaregrownundermulti-tier cropping system.Rubber, red oil, palm and cashew are grown on alimitedscaleintheseIslands.

ForestsRecordedforestis7,171sqkmofthetotalgeographicalareaoftheIslands.

Manytypesofforestsarefound,suchas tropicalwetevergreen, tropicalsemi-evergreen,moistdeciduous,littoralmangroveandswampforests.Alargevarietyof timbers are also found. Themost valuable timbers are padauk and gurjan.ThesespeciesarenotfoundinNicobar.

WildlifeThereare96wildlifesanctuaries,9nationalparksand1biospherereservein

these Islands. Mammals—out of 55 terrestrial and 7 marine mammal species

reportedsofar,32speciesareendemic.Birds—asmanyas246speciesandsub-speciesofbirdsarereportedtoinhabittheseIslandsandofthese99speciesandsub-speciesareendemic.Reptiles-thereare76terrestrialreptilesfoundhere,ofthese, 24 species are endemic.MarineLife - Islands harbourmore than 1,200speciesoffish,359speciesofechinoderms,1067speciesofmolusscsandmanymore lower forms of life. Among vertebrates dugongs, dolphins, whales, saltwater crocodiles, sea turtles, sea snakes, etc., are common. Reefs are mostlyfringingtypeoneasterncoastandbarriertypeonthewesterncoast.

IndustryThereare1833registeredMSMEsandhandicraftsunits.Twounitsare100

percentexportorientedinthelineoffish/prawnprocessingactivity.Apartfromthis, thereareshellsandwoodbasedhandicraftunits.SSIunitsareengagedinthe production of paints and varnishes, mini flour mills, soft drinks andbeverages,steelfurnitureandfixtures,readymadegarments,steelgategrillsandstructures. MSMEs handicraft units are also engaged in shell crafts, bakeryproducts,rice-milling,furniture-making,etc.TheAndamanandNicobarIslandsIntegratedDevelopmentCorporationinthepublicsectorhasspreaditswingsinthefieldoftourism,fisheries,industriesandindustrialfinancingandfunctionsasauthorizedagents.

TransportTheMotorTransportDepartmentoperates from14 stations innorthernand

southernIslands.TheDepartmenthasafleetof264busesinoperationmainlyinrural area. Computerized advanced ticketing for ATR express service is inoperationsince2007whereadvanceticketscanbeobtained.

TourismAndaman and Nicobar Islands have been recognised as an eco-friendly

tourist’s destination. As a tourist paradise, these Islands have something veryspecial to offer like historic Cellular Jail, Ross and Havelock Islands. TheAndaman tropical evergreen rain forests, beautiful silver sandy beaches,serpentine mangrove-lined creeks, marine life abounding in rare species ofplants, animals, corals, etc. provide a memorable experience to the tourists.There is a tremendous scope for enjoying nature in the beach resorts, watersports and adventure water sports, adventure tourism like trekking, islandcamping,naturetrail,scubadiving,etc.

Tourism Department runs guest houses in various parts for comfortableaccommodation. The important places of tourist interest are Anthropological

Museum, Marine Museum, Water Sports Complex, Gandhi Park, North Bay,Viper Island, Ross Island, Chidiya Tapu, (Bird watching), Red Skin Island,Corbyn’sCoveBeach,IslandslikeNeilIsland,HavelockIsland,Cinque,LittleAndaman,Diglipur(RossandSmith),etc.

TheIslandsarewellconnected to themainlandbyairandsea.AirDeccan,Jetlite, Air India operate to Port Blair from Kolkata and Chennai. There areregularpassengershipservicesfromChennai,KolkataandVishakhapatnam.Website:www.and.nic.in

Government

Chandigarh

HistoryandGeographyChandigarh is a fully grown town ofmostmodern architectural splendour.

The city nestles in a picturesque setting in the foothills of Shivalik hills andenjoys the popular epithet the “City Beautiful”. Representative of modernarchitectureandtownplanning,thecityisacreationoftheFrencharchitect,LeCorbusier.Chandigarhandtheareasurroundingit,wereconstitutedasaUnionTerritoryon1November1966.ItservesasthejointcapitalofbothPunjabandHaryanastates. It shares itsboundaryonnorthandwestbyPunjabandon theeastandsouthbyHaryana.

TransportChandigarh administration comprehending the need for a user-friendly

transportsystemhasdecidedtolaunchaMassRapidTransportSystemshortly.TheUTadministrationand thestategovernmentsofPunjabandHaryanahavecometogetherforimplementationoftheproject.

CTUhas computerized 70 per cent of itsworking and is in the process offurther computerization.Theundertakingwill also install aGlobalPositioningSystemtomonitoritsfleetinaphasedmanner.

RuralDevelopment

http://www.and.nic.in

In order to sensitize the poor andweaker sections of the society about therightsanddifferentbenefitsbeingextendedtothembytheStateLegalServicesAuthority,14legalawarenessseminarshavealreadybeenorganizedindifferentvillagesoftheUT.

Cement concrete paving and underground drains in village Kajheri andPalsorahavebeencompleted.70percentworkinvillageMauliJagranhasbeencompleted.

InformationTechnologyChandigarh has become a role model in using Information Technology to

provide fast anduser friendly services to themasses.Under the e-GovernanceinitiativesoftheDepartment,sevenmoreGramSamparkCentreshavebeensetupinthevillagesofDhanas,KhuddaJassu,Kaimbwala,RaipurKhurd,RaipurKalan,MakhanMajraandBahlana.GramSamparkCentresinvillagesPalsora,DaduMajra,HalloMajra,KhudaAlisher,Daria,MauliJagranandMaloyaareoperative.Theadministrationisworkingonenergyconservation.AworkorderhasbeenissuedtotheTataBPSolarLtd.forcommissioningtheEnergyParkattheBotanicalGarden.Under thesolar lighting initiative,all street lights in thevillageswouldbereplacedwithsolarbasedstreetlights.

IndustriesThe administration is developing the Phase-III of the industrial area at the

revenueestateofvillageMauliJagran.

TourismAdministrationhastakenmanyinnovativeandnovelmeasureslikeWedding

Tourism. With the focus on extending efficient medical, educational andentertainmentorientedfacilities,administrationispromotingcinematictourism,sportstourismandmedicaltourisminabigway.

PowerProvisionofsufficientelectricitytoall theresidentsisalsogettingattention

oftheadministration.Toimprovethevoltageprofileandtoreducetheloadonthe power distribution network the electricity wing had planned to add 80MVAR automatic capacitor banks at various existing 66KV grid sub-stationslocatedatdifferentpointsintheperipheryofUT.UseofCFLismandatoryinallgovernmentbuildings.Similarly,all institutionalbuildingswillhavetoprovidesolarlightingintheirparkingspaceswithintheircomplexes.Website:www.chandigarh.gov.in

http://www.chandigarh.gov.in

Government

DadraandNagarHaveli

HistoryandGeographyThePortugueseruledthisterritoryuntilitsliberationin1954.From1954till

1961theterritoryfunctionedalmostindependentlybywhatwasknownas‘‘FreeDadra andNagar Haveli Administration’’. However, the territory wasmergedwith the Indian Union in 1961 and since then is being administered by theGovernmentofIndiaasaUnionTerritory.AfterliberationfromthePortugueserule, a Varishtha Panchayat was working as an advisory body of theadministration. Thiswas dissolved inAugust 1989 and a PradeshCouncil forDadra and Nagar Haveli District Panchayat and 11 Village Panchayats wereconstituted as per constitutional amendments.Dadra andNagarHaveli has anareaof491sqkmanditissurroundedbyGujaratandMaharashtra.Itconsistsoftwopockets,namely,DadraandNagarHaveli.ThenearestrailwaystationisatVapiwhichis18kmfromSilvassa,whichisalsothecapitalofthisUT.SilvassaMunicipal Council came in existence in 2006 and is formed of two townsnamely– Silvassa and Amli. Another five villages viz., Dadra, Naroli,Samarvani, Mast and Rakholi are treated as non-statutory census towns inpopulationcensus2011.

AgricultureDadraandNagarHaveliisapredominantlyruralareawithabout79percent

tribalpopulation.Ithasabout21,115hectarelandundercultivation.Majorcropis paddy (Kharif)whileNagli and hillmillets are the other crops of the area.Amongfruitsmango,chiku,banana,etc.,arealsoproduced.Forestscover40percentofthetotalgeographicalarea.SugarcanecultivationhasalsobeentakenupinabigwayintheUT.Effortsareafoottoadoptamultiplecroppingsysteminassuredirrigatedareas.TheWadiDevelopmentprogrammeinthetribalareaofboth Dadra and Nagar Haveli is being implemented by the Bhartiya AgroIndustries Foundation (BAIF) an NGO with the financial allocation fromNABARD.

IndustryPrior to 1965-66 there was no industry. There were a few traditional

craftsmenwhousedtomakepots,leatheritems,viz.,chappals,shoesandsomeother items of bamboo. Industrial development started on a low-key during1967-68 with the establishment of an industrial estate under the cooperativesector by Dan Udyog Sahakari Sangh Ltd. Thereafter, three governmentindustrial estates were developed at Silvassa, Masat and Khadoli. With theinception of the economic liberalization policy, a real boost in industrialdevelopment was seen. There are 1863 small sector industrial units and 430MSI/LSIunitsfunctioningin theunionterritoryprovidinggainfulemploymenttopeople.

IrrigationandPowerPrior to liberation of the territory, there was no irrigation facility and

cultivators had to fully depend upon rainfall.After themerger of the territorywiththeIndianUnion,adequatestepsweretakenunderminorirrigationsector.So far 128 lift irrigation schemes have been completed creating an additionalirrigation potential of 1,851 hectare. Under medium irrigation project viz.DamangangaReservoirProject,about115kmofminorcanalsanddistributariesare falling in the union territory.Developmentworks have been completed infield channels in all respects in 4,300 hectare and testing is done in 4,049hectare.

TransportThe Union Territory depends heavily on Maharashtra and Gujarat road

networkastheterritorycanbeaccessedonlyaftercrossingthesetwostatesfromMumbai. At present road length is about 635 km out of which 570 km issurfaced.Almostallvillagesareconnectedwithall-weatherroads.TherailroutefromMumbai to Ahmedabad links Vapi also. Mumbai is the nearest airport.Recently, the work of widening of roads has been taken up to meet therequirement of increasing vehicular traffic. To meet the need of rapidindustrialisation, four-lane work has been taken up in Silvassa and adjoiningareas,besidesotherspilloverworks.

TourismTourism sector has been assigned high priority, keeping in view the dense

forestareaandfavourableclimate.The prominent places of tourist interest are Tadekeshwar Shiva Mandir,

Bindrabin,DeerParkatKhanvel,VangangaLakeandIslandGarden,Dadra,and

VanviharUdhyan,MiniZoo,BalUdhyan,TribalMuseumandHirvavanGardenat Silvassa. To attract tourists, annual celebration of festivals like Tarpa andWorldTourismDayisaregularevent.

FestivalsNormallyallfestivalsofHindus,MuslimsandChristiansarecelebratedinthe

territory, while tribals celebrate their own festivals. Diwaso is celebrated byDhodia and Varli tribes and Raksha Bandhan is celebrated by Dhodia tribe.OtherfestivalsincludeBhawadaamongstVarlis,Koli tribesandKhaliPujabyalltribesafterharvestingofcropsandGramDevibeforeharvestingofcrops.Website:www.dnh.nic.in

Government

DamanandDiu

HistoryandGeographyDamanandDiualongwithGoawasa colonyheldby thePortugueseeven

after Independence. In 1961, itwasmade an integral part of India.AfterGoawasconferredstatehoodon30May1987,DamanandDiuwasmadeaseparateUnionTerritory.Damanliesabout193kmawayfromMumbai. It isboundontheeastbyGujarat,onthewestbytheArabianSea,onthenorthbytheKolakriver and on the south by Kalai river. The neighbouring district of Daman isValsadinGujarat.Diuisanislandconnectedbytwobridges.TheneighbouringdistrictofDiuisJunagadhofGujarat.

AgricultureandIrrigationTotalirrigatedareais393.93haandunirrigatedis3304.73ha.Importantfield

and garden crops are paddy, ragi, bajra, jowar, groundnut, pulses and beans,wheat, banana, sapota, mango, coconut and sugarcane. There are no majorforestsintheterritory.

IndustryandPowerThereare2930small-scaleandmedium-scaleindustries inDamanandDiu.

http://www.dnh.nic.in

TwoindustrialareashavebeendevelopedbyOmnibusIndustrialDevelopmentCorporation at Daman. The other industrial areas are Dabhel, Bhimpore,KachigamandKadaiya.

Allvillageshavebeenelectrified.DamanandDiuhavegotadequatepowerallocationfromcentralsectorpowerstationsinwesternregion.

TransportRoads:Thetotallengthofroadsis191kmand78kmrespectively.Railways:There isno railway linkwithDamanandDiu.Thenearest railwaystation fromDaman is Vapi on western railway onMumbai-Delhi route. ThenearestrailwaystationfromDiuisDelvadaonmetre-gauge.Aviation:ThereareairportsbothinDamanandDiu.DiuisconnectedbyairandthereisregularairservicefromMumbai.

TouristPlacesImportant touristplaces inDamanareBomJesusChurch;OurLadyofSea

Church;OurLadyofRemediosChurch;FortsofMotiDamanandNaniDaman;Jampore andDevkaBeaches;PublicGarden atNaniDamanandMotiDamanJetty; Pergola Garden; Moti Daman; Amusement Park, Devka; DamangangaTourist Complex, Kachigam; Satya Sagar Udyan; Mirasol Garden; MirasolWaterPark.

InDiu,St.Paul’sChurch;DiuFortandPanikotaFort;NagoaandChakratirthandChildren’sParkatGhoghlaandSummerHouseareworthseeing.Website:www.daman.nic.in

Government

Delhi

HistoryandGeographyDelhi finds prominent reference right from the times of the epic

Mahabharata. Its control passed from one ruler/dynasty to another, beginningwith theMauryas, Pallavas,Guptas ofCentral India and then going on to the

http://www.daman.nic.in

TurksofAfghanduringthe13thto15thcenturies,andfinallytotheMughalsinthe 16th century. In the latter half of the 18th century and early 19th century,British rulewas established inDelhi. In 1911,Delhi became the centre of allactivities after the capitalwas shifted fromKolkata (Calcutta). Itwasmade aUnion Territory in 1956. Lying in the northern part of the country, Delhi issurroundedbyHaryanaonallsidesexcepttheeastwhereitborderswithUttarPradesh.The69thconstitutionalamendmentisamilestoneinDelhi’shistoryasit got a Legislative Assembly with the enactment of the National CapitalTerritoryAct,1991.

AgricultureTheprincipalfoodcropsarewheat,bajra,jowar,gramandmaize.However,

emphasishasnowshifted from foodcrops tovegetables and fruit crops,dairyandpoultryfarming,floriculture,etc.,asthesearemoreremunerativethanfoodcropsintheterritory.

IndustryDelhiisnotonlythelargestcommercialcentreinnorthernIndia,butalsothe

largest centre of small industries. These units manufacture a wide variety ofitemsliketelevision,taperecorders,lightengineeringmachinesandautomobileparts, sports goods, bicycles and PVC goods including footwear, textiles,fertilizers,medicines,hosiery,leathergoods,software,etc.

IrrigationandPowerDuetofasturbanisationoftheruralareasofDelhi,cultivablecommandarea

underirrigationisgettingreduceddaybyday.Twoschemes,namely,‘‘KeshopurEffluent Irrigation Scheme Phase-III’’ and ‘‘Improvement and Extension ofEffluent Irrigation System from Coronation Treatment Plant’’ are underexecution.Irrigationofabout350hectarewithstatetube-wellsand1,376hectarefrom effluent water is being provided in the rural area of NCT of Delhi. Inaddition about 4,900 hectare of land is being irrigated from western Yamunacanalnetwork.

TheavailabilityofpowerforDelhifromitsowngeneratingunitsatRajghatPowerHouses,IPStationandGasTurbinesincludingBadarpurThermalStationisof theorderof850-900MW.The remainingpower isdrawnfromNorthernRegionalGrid.Delhihasalsoenvisagedanumberofgeneratingprojects tobetaken up. Pragati Combined Cycle Power Project has been established atIndraprastha Estate. A 330 MW Pragati Power Project under construction isscheduled to be commissioned soon. To streamline the distribution of power,

DVBhas been privatised andDelhi is now served by two of the best electricutilitiesinIndia,BSESandTataPower(NDPL).

TransportDelhi iswell connectedby roads, rail andairwith allpartsof India. It has

threeairports—IndiraGandhi InternationalAirport for the international flights,Palam Airport for domestic air services and Safdarjung Airport for trainingpurposes. It has five important railway stations—Delhi Junction,NewDelhiRailwayStationNizamuddinRailwayStation,AnandViharRailwayStationandSarai Rohilla Railway Station. Delhi has three interstate bus terminals atKashmereGate,SaraiKaleKhanandAnandVihar.

KeepinginviewtherisingvehicularpollutionandchaotictrafficconditioninthecityofDelhi,ithasbeendecidedtostartMassRapidTransitSystem(MRTS)inDelhi. The project is under implementation and it uses the state-of- the-artmodern technology. The metro rail project runs in Delhi. Now Delhi Metrocomprisessixlines.

FestivalsBeing a cosmopolitan city, all major festivals of India are celebrated here.

Moreover,some tourismfestivalshavebecomeregularannualeventsofDelhi.DelhiTourismandTransportationDevelopmentCorporationorganisesRoshnaraFestival, Shalimar Festival, Qutab Festival, Winter Carnival, Garden TourismFestival,Jahan-e-KhusraoFestivalandMangoFestivaleveryyear.

TouristPlacesImportanttouristplacesareLalQuila(RedFort),JamaMasjid,QutabMinar,

India Gate, Laxmi Narain Mandir (Birla Mandir), Humayun’s Tomb, LotusTemple, Akshardham, etc. Delhi Tourism and Transportation DevelopmentCorporation Limited conducts city sight-seeing and excursion tours. TheCorporation has also introduced adventure tourism activities such as para-sailing,rock-climbingandboatinginDelhi.TheCorporationhasalsodevelopedtwoDelhiHaatswherebeveragesandfooditemsofdifferentstatesareavailableat one place. More such Haats are planned in different parts of Delhi. TheCorporation is also running Coffee Homes in different parts of Delhi. The‘‘GardenofFiveSenses’’hasalsobeenopened in theSouthDistrictofDelhi,whichattractsalotoftouristsvisitingDelhi.Website:www.delhi.gov.in

Government

http://www.delhi.gov.in

JammuandKashmir

* includes78,114 sqkmunder illegaloccupationofPakistan, 5,180 sqkmillegally handed over by Pakistan to China and 37,555 sq km under illegaloccupationofChina.ThepopulationfiguresexcludepopulationofareasunderunlawfuloccupationofPakistanandChinawherecensuscouldnotbetaken.

HistoryandGeographyAccording to themostpopular legend that isalso recorded inRajtarangani

andNilmat Purana, twomost authoritative books, Kashmir was once a largelakeanditwasKashyapRishiwhodrainedoffthewater,makingitabeautifulabode. But geologists have their own theory, which says that geographicalchangesmadeway for the outflowofwater by subsidence of themountain atKhadianayar,Baramullaand thusemerged theValleyofKashmir, theparadiseonearth.AshokaintroducedBuddhismtoKashmirinthe3rdcenturyB.C.whichwas later strengthened byKanishka.Huns got the control of the valley in theearly6thcentury.Thevalleyregainedfreedomin530ADbutsooncameundertheruleoftheUjjainempire.AfterthedeclineoftheVikramadityadynasty,thevalleyhaditsownrulers.TherewasasynthesisofHinduandBuddhistcultures.Lalitaditya(697-738AD)extendedhisruleuptoBengalintheeast,Konkaninthesouth,Turkistaninthenorth-westandTibetinthenorth-east.ConsideredasthemostfamousHinduruler,hewasknownforconstructingbeautifulbuildings.Islam came to Kashmir during 13th and 14th centuries AD. Zain-ul-Abedin(1420-70)was themostfamousMuslimruler,whocametoKashmirwhentheHindu King Sinha Dev fled before the Tatar invasion. Later Chaks over-ranHaider Shah, son of Zain-ul-Abedin. They continued to rule till 1586 whenAkbarconqueredKashmir.In1752,KashmirpassedonfromthecontroloftheMughalemperortoAhmedShahAbdaliofAfghanistan.ThevalleywasruledbythePathansfor67years.

NameofJammufiguresintheMahabharata.ThefindsofHarappanremains

and artefacts ofMauryan, Kushan andGupta periods at Akhnoor have addednewdimensionstoitsancientcharacter.ThelandofJammuwasdividedinto22hill principalities. Raja Maldev, one of the Dogra rulers, conquered manyterritoriestoconsolidatehiskingdom.RajaRanjitDevruledoverJammufrom1733 to 1782. His successors were weak and thus Maharaja Ranjit Singhannexed the territory to Punjab. He later handed over Jammu to Raja GulabSingh,ascionoftheoldDograrulingfamily,whohadgrownpowerfulamongRanjitSingh’sgovernorsandhadannexedalmostthewholeofJammuregion.

ItwasgovernedbyDograrulerstill1947whenMaharajaHariSinghsignedtheInstrumentofAccessioninfavouroftheIndianUnionon26October1947.

JammuandKashmirReorganisationTheJammuandKashmirReorganisationAct,2019wasenacted(MHA,SO

No. 3979 (E) dated November2, 2019) to provide for reorganisation of theerstwhile stateof JammuandKashmir into the twounion territories-one tobeeponymouslycalledJammuandKasjmir,andtheotherLadakh,Accordingly,the‘StateLegislatureincludingLegislativeCounciloftheState’hasbeenabolishedand shall now onwards be construed as ‘Legislative Assembly of the UnionTerritoryofJammuandKashmir’.

TransportRoads:TheUTisconnectedtotherestofthecountrythroughjustonehighway(NH1A), 400 km stretch (approx.)maintained byBorderRoadsOrganization(BRO).Asrailwaynetwork isstill in infancystage, thishas rendered thestatetotallydependentonroadconnectivitywhichprovideslinkstotheremoteareasofthestate.TheJammu-SrinagarNationalHighway(NH1A)isconsideredtobethemostexpensiveroadformaintenanceintheworld.Aviation : There are three major airports providing aerial transport. Srinagarairport has been upgraded as international airport (named as Sheikh-ul-AlamAirport),whilethefacilitiesatJammuhavealsobeenupgraded.

AgricultureAgricultureconstitutesanimportantsectorofthestateeconomyasaround70

per cent of the population derive greater part of their income directly orindirectlyfromthissector.Economycontinuestobepredominantlyagrarianas49percent(2011)ofthetotalworkingforcewith42percentascultivatorsand7per cent as agriculture labourers depend directly on agriculture for theirlivelihood. Agriculture has a significant contribution in the export of rareproducelikesaffron,honeyandbasmatiandremainsanimportantsourceofraw

materialdemandedbymanyindustries.

IrrigationIrrigationisanessentialinputofagricultureandispracticedinallpartsofthe

world where rainfall does not provide enough ground moisture. A majorconstraint to thedevelopmentofagriculture is thefact thatonly50percentofthe ultimate irrigation potential of the state has been harnessed. The ultimateirrigationpotentialhasbeenassessedat1,358thousandhectare,whichincludes250thousandhectaretobedevelopedthroughmajorandmediumirrigationand1,108thousandhectarethroughminorirrigation.

HorticultureJammuandKashmiriswellknownforitshorticultureproducebothinIndia

andabroad.Itoffersgoodscopeforcultivationofalltypesofhorticulturecropscovering a variety of temperate fruits like apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot,almonds, cherry and sub-tropical fruits like mango, guava, citrus, litchi, etc.Apartfromthis,well-knownspiceslikesaffronandzeeraarecultivatedinsomepartsofthestate.

HandloomIt isalso labour intensivecottage industryhavingconsiderablepotential for

generationofemploymentopportunities.Togiveboosttothisindustrythestategovernment is laying focus on product design and diversification, providingcredit facilities, enhancingweavers’ productivity through upgradation of skillsanduseofefficientlooms,marketaccesstohandloomproducts.

TourismJammuandKashmirisanimportanttouristdestinationandhasbeenaplace

of attraction for tourists since centuries.The lushgreen forests, sweet springs,perennial rivers, picturesque alpine scenery and pleasant climate of Kashmirvalley—theparadiseonearth—hasremainedaninternationallyacclaimedtouristdestination, whereas Jammu region—the land of temples is attracting a largenumberofpilgrimtouristsandtheimportantdestinationhasbeentheShriMataVaishnoDeviShrine.

FairsandFestivalsThefairsandfestivalsareareflectionofdiverseculturalandsocialheritage

ofthestate.AllHindu,MuslimandSikhfairsandfestivalsarecelebratedwithfull vigour and enthusiasm regardless of the religion. Like all parts of India,Jammu and Kashmir also celebrates Diwali, Holi, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha,

Milad-un-Nabi.Website:www.jammukashmir.nic.in

Government

Lakshadweep

HistoryandGeographyNot much is known of the early history of these Islands. The Islands

supposedtohavebeeninhabitedfirstbyAmini,Andrott,KavarattiandAgatti.It was earlier believed that the islanders were originally Hindus and later

converted to Islam under the influence of Arab traders sometime in the 14thcentury. But archaeological evidences unearthed indicate that there wereBuddhistsettlementsaroundthe6thor7thcentury.EarliestMuslimconvertsorsettlers pre-date the year 139 AH of the Hijri year (eighth century) of whichperiodgravestoneshaverecentlybeendiscoveredinAgatti.ThiswouldtendtobearoutthetraditionalbeliefthatIslamwasbroughttotheIslandbyArabSaint,Ubaidullain41AH.

Probably independent till 16th century the Islandswere driven to seek theassistance ofRaja ofChirakal to help them avert establishment of Portuguesedomination. This enabled him to establish his authority and, later, the Islandswere transferred in jaggeer to Ali Raja, head of Moplah community inCannanore, who later became an independent ruler himself. TheArakkal rulewas not popular and in 1787, Tipu Sultan acceded to the petitions of theNorthernIslandstoannextheseIslands.AfterthefallofTipuSultan,theIslandswerepassed toEast IndiaCompanybut continued to be ruledde factoby therulersofCannanoretilltheirultimateannexationbytheBritishintheearly20thcentury. In 1956, the Islandswere constituted into a single territory and sincethen, have been directly administered by the Union Government through anadministrator. The Laccadives, Minicoy and Amindivi Group of Islands wererenamed Lakshadweep in 1973. Lakshadweep, a Group of Coral Islands,

http://www.jammukashmir.nic.in

consistsof11inhabitedIslands,16uninhabitedIslands,3reefsand6submergedsandbanks.TheseliescatteredintheArabianSeaabout280kmoffKeralacoastbetween8°and12°3’NorthLatitudeand71°and74°EastLongitude.

AgricultureCoconutistheonlymajorcropwithaproductionof60millionnutsperyear.

The area under cultivation is about 2,689 hectare. Lakshadweep coconut isbranded as an organic product. In India, Lakshadweep stands first in coconutproductionandproductivityperhectareis20,600andaverageyieldperpalmperyearis82coconuts.TheLakshadweepcoconutsarethehighestoilcontentnutsintheworld(82percent).

FisheriesFishing is another major activity. The sea around the Islands is highly

productive.TheIslandsstandfirstinthecountryinpercapitaavailabilityoffish.

IndustriesCoconut fibre extraction and conversion into fibre products is the main

industryintheIslands.UnderGovernmentSector,thereare7coirfibrefactories,5 coir production-cum-demonstration centres and 7 fibre curling units,functioningunder coir sector.Theseunitsproducedcoir fibre andcoiryarn inadditiontoothercoirproductslikecurledfibre,corridormat,matandmattings.Afewcoirtwistingunitsalsofunctioninprivatesector.

TransportAtpresentM.V.Kavaratti,M.V.ArabianSea,M.V.LakshadweepSea,M.V.

Bharat Seema,M.V.Amindivi andM.V.Minicoy accommodate the passengertraffic inmainland-islands and inter-island sector. Further three 150PassengerHighSpeedVessels(HSCParali,HSCValiyapaniandHSCCheryapani), three50PassengerHighSpeedVessels (HSCSkip Jack,HscBlueMarlin andHSCBlackMarlin),one15PassengerHighSpeedVesselHSCViringiliandtwo100passenger Ferry Vessels (M.V. Kadeeja Beevi and M.V. Hameedath Bee)provides connectivity between inter-island sectors. Moreover three 150Passenger HSCs also connect island and mainland depending upon therequirements. The cargo transportation from mainland to islands are handledwith four cargobarges,MVUbaidulla,M.V.Thinnakara,MV.Laccadives andM.V.Cheriyam.

The administration operates twoPawanHans helicopters on charter for theinter-Island serviceandevacuationofpatients from Islands toKavaratti/Agatti

and mainland. Besides connectivity is maintained by Indian Airlines betweenAgattiandKochiexceptonSundays.

TouristCentresTourismisdevelopingintoanimportantindustry.Importanttouristplacesare

Agatti,Bangaram,Kalpeni,Kadmat,KavarattiandMinicoy,etc.Website:www.lakshadweep.gov.in

Government

LadakhTheJammuandKashmirReorganisationAct,2019wasenacted(MHA,SO

No. 3979 (E) dated November 2, 2019) to provide for reorganisation of theerstwhilestateofJammuandKashmirintothetwounionterritories-onetobeeponymously called Jammu and Kashmir, and the other Ladakh. The unionterritory of Ladakh has two districts - Kargil and Leh - with each having itsautonomous district council. These councils work with village panchayats totake decisions on economic development, healthcare, education, land use,taxationandlocalgovernance.IthasitsownpoliceforceheadedbyaDirectorGeneralofPolice.Ladakhdoesnothaveanelectedlegislativeassemblyorchiefminister.

Government

Puducherry

HistoryandGeographyThe Union Territory of Puducherry, an ex-French enclave, comprises four

isolated region of Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam. Puducherry, the

http://www.lakshadweep.gov.in

capital of the territory was once the original headquarters of the FrenchGovernmentinIndia.TheFrenchGovernmenthandedovertheadministrationoftheir territories in November 1954. The territories thus handed over wereconstituted into the Union Territory of Puducherry. Puducherry region isboundedontheeastbytheBayofBengalandonthethreesidesbyTamilNaduasaconclaveofCuddaloreandVillupuramdistrictsofTamilNadu.

AgricultureIn order to enhance the area under pandal cultivation and to improve the

production potential the formers are encouraged for cultivation of gourdvegetables by providing monetary assistance for erecting permanent pandalstructures which remained as a constraint for the farmers due to high initialinvestmentcost.Assistanceof50percentsubsidytoamaximumof1lakhperacre isbeingprovided. Itoffersviableoption for thevegetablegrowers togetincreasedandstableincomeperunitarea.

IndustryTheunion territoryhasa total areaof479sq.kmwitha totalpopulationof

12.44 lakhasper lastcensus.With its reputationofbeingan investor-friendly,theunion territoryhavingproven track recordof attracting surplus investmentandhaswitnessedvibrant industrial growthover the years.Even though therewassomeindustrialslowdownforafewyearsbecauseofthegeneraldownturnintheeconomy,thegrowthcontinues.Puducherryhasnearly77largeand9,067micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and with an investment of₹2909 cores, these industries are deemed to be the life blood of economyprovidingemploymenttoaboutonelakhpersons.

TourismTheoldpartof theUTisknownasBoulevardTownsinceit isboundedby

fourboulevards thatonceconstituted theouter limitsof thecity’s fortification.TheBoulevardTownpresents twodistinctarchitecturalstyles in theTamilandFrenchQuarters,whichareseparatedbyacanalandunifiedbyarectilineargridplan.Therearefewmonumentalbuildings,andthearchitecturalcharacterofthetown is the result of hundreds of traditional- style houses (both in Tamil andFrenchQuarters) that form theuniquestreetscapes sodistinctiveofPuucherry.Some must-see sights include Arikanmedu, a famous historical site that wasdiscoveredbytheRomansin200B.Candisbeingexcavated,AayiMandapam,amonumentbuiltduring the reignofNapoleonIII,EgliseDeSacreCoeurDeJesusorChurchofSacredHeartofJesus,knownforitsGothicarchitectureand

theMansionofAnandaRangapillai,afinespecimenofIndo-Frencharchitecturethatwasbuiltin1773.

ElectricityThepresentpowerrequirementoftheunionterritoryismetfromthepower

allocations made by the Government of India in various Central GeneratingStations(CGS)andfrompurchaseofpowerfromneighbouringStateElectricityBoards (TANGEDCO&KSEB).There isagasbasedpowerplantofcapacity32.5 MW at Karaikal region owned by the Puducherry Power CorporationLimitedtomeetthepartialrequirementofKaraikalregion.

Government

31 DiaryofNationalEvents

January1,2019—December31,2019January,2019

TheConstitution(103rdAmendmentAct),2019providingtenpercentreservationingovernmentjobsandeducationtoEconomicallyWeakerSections(EWS)inthegeneralcategorycomesintoforce.PrimeMinisterdedicatestheNationalSaltSatyagrahaMemorialinDandi,GujarattothenationonMahatmaGandhi’sdeathanniversary.15thPravasiBharatiyaDivascelebrationsheldinVaranasi.India’sPolarSatelliteLaunchVehicle,PSLV-C44,successfullyinjectedMicrosat-RandKalamsat-V2satellitesintotheirdesignatedorbits.FirsteverNationalMuseumofIndianCinemainauguratedinMumbai.ThegovernmentapprovesmergerofVijayaBank,DenaBankandBankofBaroda;first-everthreewaymergerinIndianbanking.WomaniyaonGovernmente-Marketplaceinitiativelaunchedtoenablewomenentrepreneurstosellitemsonline.e-Courtservicesinitiatedthroughcommonservicecentresacrossthecountry.JawaharlalNehruPortTrustbecomestheonlyIndianporttobelistedamongworld’stop30containerports.

February,2019India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

PresidentpresentstheGandhiPeacePrizefortheyears2015,2016,2017and2018.KheloIndiaApplaunchedtodevelopsportingecosystem.PresidentpresentstheTagoreAwardforCulturalHarmonyfortheyears2014,2015and2016.PrimeMinisterlaunchesthePradhanMantriKisanSammanNidhi(PM-KISAN)schemefromGorakhpur.NationalMineralPolicy,2019toensureeffectiveregulationofmining

sectorapproved.Thescheme-‘KisanUrjaSurakshaevamUtthaanMahabhiyan’forfarmers’welfareapproved.e-AUSHADHIportalforonlinelicensingofAyurveda,Siddha,UnaniandHomoeopathymedicinelaunched.NationalInstituteofDesignatBhopalinMadhyaPradeshandJorhatinAssaminaugurated.DigitalIndiaAwards,2018conferredforexcellenceinwebspace.HumanResourcesDevelopmentMinistrylaunchesSHREYAS–‘SchemeforHigherEducationYouthinApprenticeshipandSkills’forprovidingindustryapprenticeshipopportunitiestofreshgraduates.TribalAffairsMinistrylaunchesVanDhan-theschemeforMinimumSupportPriceforMinorForestproduceanddevelopmentofvaluechain.

March,2019India_2020_DPD:EpublishedonDPDmobileapp

Indiaconductsitsfirstanti-satellitemissiletest‘MissionShakti’fromDr.APJAbdulKalamIslandinOdishasuccessfullydestroyingalowearthorbitsatelliteinspace.Maharashtra’ssecondmetrolaneinauguratedinNagpur.Newseriesofvisuallyimpairedfriendly₹1,₹2,₹5,₹10and₹20coinsreleased.ISROlaunchedaspecialprogrammeforschoolchildrentitled‘YoungScientistProgramme’or‘YuvaVigyaniKaryakram’from2019.WorldConsumerRightsDay,2019observedwiththetheme‘TrustedSmartProducts’highlightingthesecurityandprivacyissuesassociatedwithsmartproducts.KumbhMelaenteredtheGuinnessBookofWorldRecordsforthelargesttrafficandcrowdmanagementplan,largestsanitationdriveandlargestpaintingexerciseofpublicsites.PresidentlaunchescountrywidePulsePolioprogrammeontheeveofNationalImmunisationDay.Abooktitled‘MannKiBaat–ASocialRevolutiononRadio’wasreleasedinNewDelhi.Thebookisbasedon50episodesofPrimeMinister’sheart-to-hearttalkwiththecitizensofIndia,broadcastonAllIndiaRadio.FormerGoaChiefMinisterandBJPleaderManoharParrikarpassesawayinPanaji.Commonsmartcardformatfordrivinglicencesandregistrationcertificatesprescribedacrossthecountry.

PinakiChandraGhoseappointedasIndia’sfirstLokpal.PresidentpresentstheNariShaktiPuraskar,2018to44awardeesonInternationalWomen’sDay.

April,2019

PSLV-C45successfullylaunchesEMISATand28internationalcustomersatellitesfromSatishDhawanSpaceCentreSHARinSriharikota.Indiafinishesfourthbywinning17medalsatAsianAthleticsChampionships2019inDoha,Qatar.JetAirways,India’sleadingprivateairlines,shutoperationsduetomountingfundcrunch.

May,2019

ShriNarendraModisworninasPrimeMinisterforsecondterm.LeadersofallBIMSTEC(BayofBengalInitiativeforMulti-SectoralTechnicalandEconomicCooperation)countriesattendtheswearing-inceremony.TheUnitedNationslistedPakistanbasedJaish-e-MohammedchiefMasoodAzharasaglobalterroristafterChinalifteditsholdonaproposaltoblacklisthim.PSLV-C46successfullylaunchesRISAT-2B,aradarimagingearthobservationsatellitefromSatishDhawanSpaceCentreSHAR,SriharikotainAndhraPradesh.DefenceResearchandDevelopmentOrganisationsuccessfullytestfiresAKASHMK-1Ssurface-to-airmissilefromIntegratedTestRange,Chandipur,Odisha.HumanResourceDevelopmentMinistrylaunchesSamagraShikshaschemeforschooleducation.

June,2019

Thefirstsessionofthe17thLokSabhacommences.BJPMPfromRajasthan,OmBirla,unanimouslyelectedastheSpeaker.PrimeMinisterapprovesthere-constitutionofNationalInstitutionforTransformingIndia(NITI)Aayog.PradhanMantriKisanSammanNidhischemeextendedtoallfarmersinthecountry,irrespectiveofthesizeoftheirlandholding.NewcentralisedairtrafficflowmanagementsysteminauguratedinDelhito

optimiseutilisationofairspaceandregulateairtraffic.InternationalYogaDayobserved.World’slargestmulti-purposeliftirrigationproject-KaleshwaramLiftIrrigationProject–inauguratedinTelangana.

July,2019

India’sGeosynchronousSatelliteLaunchVehicleGSLVMkIII-M1,successfullylaunchestheChandrayaan-2spacecraftintotheearthorbit.JalShaktiAbhiyanforwaterconservationandwatersecuritylaunched.MinistryofAYUSHconceptualisedAYUSHGRIDProjectfordigitisingAYUSHhealthcaredeliveryatalllevels.Indiajumpedfiveplacesto52ndpositioninthe2019GlobalInnovationIndex.FormerChiefMinisterofDelhiandseniorCongressleaderSheilaDikshitpassesawayinDelhi.ParliamentpassedtheTripleTalaqBillmakingthepracticeofTripleTalaqanillegal,unconstitutionalandpunishableact.SprinterDuteeChandbecomesthefirstIndiantowingoldinthe100mraceattheWorldUniversityGamesheldinNaples,Italy.SprinterHimaDaswonfivesuccessivegoldmedalsinamonthindifferentmeetsacrossPolandandtheCzechRepublic.FloodswreakhavocinmanydistrictsofBiharandAssam.

August,2019

Presidentconferscountry’shighestcivilianhonourBharatRatnaonformerPresidentPranabMukherjeeandposthumouslyonsocialactivistNanajiDeshmukhandsingerBhupenHazarika.TheParliamentpassestheJammu&KashmirReorganisationBill,2019andapprovedtheabrogationofArticle370oftheConstitution.ThemoveendedthespecialstatustoJammuandKashmirandpavedthewayforsplittingthestateintotwounionterritories.PresidentpresentstheNationalSportsandAdventureAwardsonNationalSportsDay.ShuttlerP.V.SindhubecomesthefirstIndiantowingoldatBadmintonWorldFederationChampionshipafterdefeatingJapan’sNozomiOkuhara.Para-badmintonplayerManasiJoshicreatedhistorybysecuringgoldattheBWFPara-BadmintonChampionshipsinBasel,Switzerland.

PrimeMinisterlaunchesFitIndiaMovementonNationalSportsDay.WrestlerDeepakPuniawinsgoldinthe86kgcategoryatJuniorWorldChampionshipsinTalinn,Estonia.HebecomesthefirstIndianin18yearstowinthetitle.SeniorBJPleaderandformerExternalAffairsMinisterSushmaSwarajpassesawayinDelhi.‘JanaushadhiSugam’mobileapplicationlaunchedforlocatingoutletsandsearchinggenericmedicinesanywhereinthecountry.HumanResourceDevelopmentMinistrylaunchedschooleducationportal‘Shagun’.FormerFinanceMinisterandBJPleaderArunJaitleypassesawayinDelhi.InformationandBroadcastingMinistrylaunchese-versionofRozgarSamachartospreadawarenessaboutjobopportunities.IndiabecamethefirstcountryintheworldtoissuefacialbiometriccardsknownasBiometricSeafarerIdentityDocumentforseafarers.OneNation,OneRationCardschemeimplementedonpilotbasisinfourstatesofGujarat,Maharashtra,TelanganaandAndhraPradesh.

September,2019

TheMotorVehicles(Amendment)Act,2019comesintoforce.Indiahoststhe14thConferenceofParties(COP14)totheUNConventiontoCombatDesertification(UNCCD).India’sambitiouslunarmission,Chandrayaan2’slander‘Vikram’lostcommunicationwiththegroundstationsduringitsfinaldescentandmadeahardlanding.PradhanMantriKisanMaan-DhanYojanatoprovidesocialsecuritynetforthesmallandmarginalfarmerslaunched.Indiasuccessfullyflight-testedindigenouslydevelopedAir-to-AirMissile‘Astra’fromSukhoi-30MKI.NationalRuralSanitationStrategyfornextdecade(2019-2029)launchedtoincreaseaccesstosolidandliquidwastemanagement.

October,2019

Nationcelebratedthe150thbirthanniversaryofMahatmaGandhi.JammuandKashmirbifurcatedintotwounionterritoriesofJammuandKashmirandLadakh.Indian-origineconomistAbhijitBanerjeewinsthe2019NobelPrizefor

Economicsforhisworkonglobalpoverty.DepartmentforPromotionofIndustryandInternalTradelauncheswebsite,mobileappforstart-upstoprotecttheirIntellectualPropertyRights.TentheditionofRashtriyaSanskritiMahotsavheldinJabalpur,MadhyaPradesh.e-PortalandYouTubechannelofCCRT‘DigitalBharatDigitalSanskriti’launched.NationwideParyatanParv-2019topromotetourismheldinNewDelhi.IndiaandPakistansigneanagreementtooperationalisethehistoricKartarpurCorridor.Indiaclimbed14placesto63rdpositionamong190nationsintheWorldBank’sEaseofDoingBusinessranking.

November,2019

550thbirthanniversaryofGuruNanakDevcelebratedacrossthecountry.PrimeMinisterinauguratestheKartarpurcorridor,andflags-offfirstbatchof500pilgrims.TheSupremeCourtinitsverdictontheRamJanmabhoomi-BabriMasjidlanddisputecaseorderstheconstructionofRamtempleatthesiteanddirectstheuniongovernmenttoallotafive-acreplotforMuslimsinAyodhya.PresidentinauguratestheConstitutionDaycelebrationsinNewDelhi.JusticeSharadArvindBobdesworninasthe47thChiefJusticeofIndia.TheParliamentpassedtheTransgenderPersons(ProtectionofRights)Bill,2019forthesocial,economicandeducationalempowermentoftransgendersandprotectionoftheirrights.MumbaiandHyderabadbecamemembersofUNESCOCreativeCitiesNetworkinthefieldsoffilmandgastronomy.50thInternationalFilmFestivalofIndiaheldinGoafrom20thto28thNovember.UddhavThackeraytakesoverasthe18thchiefministerofMaharashtra.

December,2019

VicePresidentofIndiagivesawaythe66thNationalFilmAwards.ActorAmitabhBachchanhonouredwith50thDadasahebPhalkeAward.IndiaparticipatesintheannualUnitedNationsClimateConferenceCOP25heldinMadrid,Spain.

TheCitizenshipActof1955wasamendedbytheCitizenship(Amendment)Bill,2019whichwaspassedbytheParliamentonDecember11andreceivedthePresident’sassentonDecember12,2019.TheParliamentpassesabilltomergeDamanandDiu,DadraandNagarHaveli–twoseparateUTspresently.ThenewunionterritoryistobecalledDadraandNagarHaveliandDamanandDiu.Prepaidrechargeabletagsfortollcollection-FASTags-mademandatoryforallvehicles.IndianRailwaysrecordedzeropassengerdeathsin2019,makingitthenationaltransporter’ssafestyear.HemantSorentakesoverasthe11thChiefMinisterofJharkhand.TheUnionCabinetapprovedcreationofthepostoftheChiefofDefenceStafftoheadnewDepartmentofMilitaryAffairsunderMinistryofDefence.GeneralBipinRawatappointedasIndia’sfirstChiefofDefenceStaff.General.ManojMukundNaravaneappointedasthe28thnewChiefofArmystaff.IndianAirForcedecommissionedthelastMiG-27squadron.

32 GeneralInformation

TableofPrecedence1The Table, with respect to the rank and precedence of the persons named

thereinasapprovedbythePresident,isgivenasunder:1.President2.Vice-President3.PrimeMinister4.GovernorsofStateswithintheirrespectiveStates5.FormerPresidents5A.DeputyPrimeMinister6.ChiefJusticeofIndiaSpeakerofLokSabha7.CabinetMinistersoftheUnion

ChiefMinistersofStateswithintheirrespectiveStatesDeputyChairman,NITIAayogFormerPrimeMinistersLeadersofOppositioninRajyaSabhaandLokSabha

7A.HoldersofBharatRatnaDecoration8. Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High

CommissionersofCommonwealthCountriesaccreditedtoIndiaChief Ministers of States outside their respective States Governors ofStatesoutsidetheirrespectiveStates

9.JudgesofSupremeCourt9A. Chairperson, Union Public Service Commission Chief Election

CommissionerComptroller&AuditorGeneralofIndia10.DeputyChairman,RajyaSabhaDeputyChiefMinistersofStatesDeputy

Speaker,LokSabhaMembersoftheNITIAayogMinistersofStateoftheUnion(andanyotherMinisterintheMinistryofDefencefordefencematters)

11.AttorneyGeneralofIndiaCabinetSecretaryLieutenantGovernorswithintheirrespectiveUnionTerritories

12.ChiefsofStaffholdingtherankoffullGeneralorequivalentrank

13.EnvoysExtraordinaryandMinistersPlenipotentiaryaccreditedtoIndia.14. Chairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures within their respective

States.ChiefJusticesofHighCourtswithintheirrespectivejurisdictions15.CabinetMinistersinStateswithintheirrespectiveStates

Chief Ministers of Union Territories and Chief Executive Councillor,DelhiwithintheirrespectiveUnionTerritoriesDeputyMinistersoftheUnion

16. Officiating Chiefs of Staff holding the rank of Lieutenant General orequivalentrank

17. Chairman, Central Administrative Tribunal Chairman, MinoritiesCommissionChairperson, National Commission for Scheduled Castes Chairperson,NationalCommissionforScheduledTribesChiefJusticesofHighCourtsoutsidetheirrespectivejurisdictionsPuisneJudgesofHighCourtswithintheirrespectivejurisdictions

18.CabinetMinistersinStatesoutsidetheirrespectiveStatesChairmen and Speakers of State Legislatures outside their respectiveStatesChairman,MonopoliesandRestrictiveTradePracticesCommissionDeputyChairmenandDeputySpeakersofStateLegislatureswithintheirrespectiveStatesMinistersofStateinStateswithintheirrespectiveStatesMinisters of Union Territories and Executive Councillors, Delhi, withintheirrespectiveUnionTerritoriesSpeakersofLegislativeAssembliesinUnionTerritoriesandChairmanofDelhiMetropolitanCouncilwithintheirrespectiveUnionTerritories

19. Chief Commissioners of Union Territories not having Councils ofMinisters,withintheirrespectiveUnionTerritoriesDeputyMinistersinStateswithintheirrespectiveStatesDeputy Speakers of Legislative Assemblies in Union Territories andDeputyChairmanofMetropolitanCouncil,Delhi,withintheirrespectiveUnionTerritories

20.DeputyChairmanandDeputySpeakersofStateLegislatures,outsidetheirrespectiveStatesMinistersofStateinStatesoutsidetheirrespectiveStatesPuisneJudgesofHighCourtsoutsidetheirrespectivejurisdictions

21.MembersofParliament22.DeputyMinistersinStatesoutsidetheirrespectiveStates23.ArmyCommanders/Vice-Chief of theArmyStaff or equivalent in other

services

Chief Secretaries to State governments within their respective StatesCommissionerforLinguisticMinoritiesCommissioner for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Members,MinoritiesCommissionMembers, National Commission for Scheduled Castes and ScheduledTribesOfficersoftherankoffullGeneralorequivalentrankSecretaries to the Government of India (including officers holding thisofficeex-officio)Secretary,MinoritiesCommissionSecretary,ScheduledCastesandScheduledTribesCommissionSecretarytothePresidentSecretary to the Prime Minister Secretary, Rajya Sabha/Lok SabhaSolicitorGeneralVice-Chairman,CentralAdministrativeTribunal

24.OfficersoftherankofLieutenantGeneralorequivalentrank25. Additional Secretaries to the Government of India Additional Solicitor

GeneralAdvocateGeneralsofStatesChairman,TariffCommissionCharged’affairesandActingHighCommissionersa-piedandadinterimChief Ministers of Union Territories and Chief Executive Councillor,DelhioutsidetheirrespectiveUnionTerritoriesChiefSecretariesofStateGovernmentsoutsidetheirrespectiveStatesDeputyComptrollerandAuditorGeneral,DeputySpeakersofLegislativeAssemblies in Union Territories and Deputy Chairman, DelhiMetropolitanCouncil,outsidetheirrespectiveUnionTerritoriesDirector, Central Bureau of Investigation Director General, BorderSecurity ForceDirectorGeneral, CentralReserve Police ForceDirector,IntelligenceBureauLieutenantGovernorsoutsidetheirrespectiveUnionTerritoriesMembers,CentralAdministrativeTribunalMembers, Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices CommissionMembers,UnionPublicServiceCommissionMinisters ofUnionTerritories andExecutiveCouncillors,Delhi, outsidetheirrespectiveUnionTerritoriesPrincipalStaffOfficersoftheArmedForcesoftherankofMajorGeneralorequivalentrankSpeakersofLegislativeAssembliesinUnionTerritoriesandChairmanofDelhiMetropolitanCouncil,outsidetheirrespectiveUnionTerritories

26. Joint Secretaries to the Government of India and officers of equivalent

rankOfficersoftherankofMajor-Generalorequivalentrank

NOTESNote1TheorderinthisTableofPrecedenceismeantforStateandCeremonial

occasions and has no application in the day-to-day business ofGovernment.

Note2PersonsintheTableofPrecedencewilltakerankinorderofthenumberofthearticles.Theentriesinthesamearticlearearrangedalphabetically.Thoseincludedinthesamearticlewilltakeprecedenceinterseaccordingto date of entry into that article. However, where the dignitaries ofdifferent States and Union Territories included in the same article arepresentatafunctionoutsidetheirStatesorUnionTerritoriesandthereisdifficulty in ascertaining their dates of entry, they may be assignedprecedence inter se in the alphabetical order of the name of States andUnionTerritories concerned after thosewhose precedence is determinedaccordingtodateofentryintothatarticle.

Note 3 In Article 7, former Prime Ministers will take precedence over theCabinetMinistersoftheUnionandtheLeadersofOppositionintheRajyaSabha and the Lok Sabha. The Chief Ministers of States within theirrespective Stateswill take precedence over theCabinetMinisters of theUnioninofficialfunctionsheldintherespectiveStates.

Note4InArticle8:(a) Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and High

CommissionersofCommonwealthcountriesaccreditedtoIndiawillenblocrankaboveGovernorsofStatesoutsidetheirrespectiveStates.

(b)Governors of States outside their respectiveStateswill en bloc rankaboveChiefMinistersofStatesoutsidetheirrespectiveStates.

Note5TheMinistryofExternalAffairsmayassignappropriaterankstoforeigndignitaries and IndianAmbassadors,HighCommissioners andMinistersPlenipotentiaryduringtheirvisittoIndia.

Note6NotwithstandingtheprocedurelaiddowninNote2,therankinterseandprecedenceofthepersonsinArticle10shallbeassignedinthefollowingorder:(1)DeputyChairman,RajyaSabha(2)DeputySpeaker,LokSabha(3)MinistersofStateoftheUnionandanyotherMinisterintheMinistry

ofDefencefordefencematters(4)DeputyChiefMinistersofStates(5)MembersofNITIAayog.

However, the Deputy Chief Ministers of States outside their respectiveStates will always rank below all other dignitaries figuring in thisarticle.

Note7TheChairmanofStateLegislativeCouncilswillrankabovetheSpeakersofLegislativeAssemblies incaseswhere theywereelectedon the samedate.

Note 8 When Members of Parliament are invited en bloc to major Statefunctions, the enclosures reserved for them should be next to the ChiefJustice,SpeakeroftheLokSabha,Ambassadors,etc.

Note9SpeakersofLegislativeAssembliesinUnionTerritoriesandChairmanofthe Delhi Metropolitan Council, Delhi, will take precedence overMinistersandExecutiveCouncillors,includedinthesamearticle.

Note10InArticle23:(a)Secretaries in theMinistryofExternalAffairsother than theForeign

Secretary, between themselves, will take precedence in the order totheir seniority inGrade- I of the Indian Foreign Service and both ofthemwilltakeprecedenceaftertheForeignSecretary.

(b)MembersoftheMinoritiesCommissionandtheScheduledCastesandSchedule Tribes Commission will always take precedence over theSecretariesoftheseCommissions.

(c)InofficialfunctionsheldatDelhi/NewDelhi,ArmyCommanders/ViceChief of the Army Staff or equivalent in other Services will alwaysrankafterSecretariestotheGovernmentofIndia.

Note11InArticle25:(a) Additional Secretaries in the Ministry of External Affairs, among

themselves, will take procedence in the order of their seniority inGrade-IIoftheIndianForeignService;

(b)AdditionalSolicitorGeneralwilltakeprecedenceabovetheAdvocateGeneralofStates.

(c)LieutenantGovernorwilltakeprecedenceovertheChiefMinistersandChiefExecutiveCouncillor,Delhi,andlaterwilltakeprecedenceoverSpeakers of Legislative Assemblies and Chairman, MetropolitanCouncil,Delhi;

(d)DeputySpeakers ofLegislativeAssemblies ofUnionTerritories andDeputyChairmanofDelhiMetropolitanCouncilwill takeprecedenceafterMinistersofUnionTerritoriesandExecutiveCouncillors,Delhi.

Note12For the purpose of Article 26, the posts equivalent to the posts of Joint

SecretariestotheGovernmentofIndiawillbedeterminedbytheMinistry

ofHomeAffairs.PRESIDENTSOFINDIA2

VICE-PRESIDENTSOFINDIA3

PRIMEMINISTERSOFINDIA4

CHIEFJUSTICESOFINDIA5

CHIEFELECTIONCOMMISSIONERSOFINDIA6

CABINETSECRETARIES7

CIVILIANAWARDS

BharatRatnaAward

Bharat Ratna is the highest civilian award. It is given in recognition ofexceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of humanendeavour. Since its inception in 1954, 48 persons have been decorated with

Bharat Ratna so far. In 2019, the President of India conferred the award onNanaji Deshmukh and Dr. Bhupendra Hazarika (Posthumous), and PranabMukherjee.

RECIPIENTSOFBHARATRATNAS.No. Name Awardedin1. ChakravartiRajagopalachari(1878-1972) 19542. DrSarvepalliRadhakrishnan(1888-1975) 19543. DrChandrasekharaVenkataRaman(1888-1970) 19544. DrBhagwanDas(1869-1958) 19555. DrMokshagundamVisvesvaraya(1861-1962) 19556. Pt.JawaharlalNehru(1889-1964) 19557. Pt.GovindBallabhPant(1887-1961) 19578. DrDhondoKeshavKarve(1858-1962) 19589. DrBidhanChandraRoy(1882-1962) 196110. PurushottamDasTandon(1882-1962) 196111. DrRajendraPrasad(1884-1963) 196212. DrZakirHussain(1897-1969) 196313. DrPandurangVamanKane(1880-1972) 196314. LalBahadurShastri(Posthumous)(1904-1966) 196615. Smt.IndiraGandhi(1917-1984) 197116. VarahagiriVenkataGiri(1894-1980) 197517. KumaraswamyKamraj(Posthumous)(1903-1975) 197618. MotherMaryTeresaBojaxhiu(MotherTeresa)(1910-1997) 198019. AcharyaVinobaBhave(Posthumous)(1895-1982) 198320. KhanAbdulGhaffarKhan(1890-1988) 198721. MarudurGopalanRamachandran(Posthumous)(1917-1987) 198822. DrBhimraoRamjiAmbedkar(Posthumous)(1891-1956) 199023. DrNelsonRolihlahlaMandela(1918-2013) 199024. RajivGandhi(Posthumous)(1944-1991) 199125. SardarVallabhbhaiPatel(Posthumous)(1875-1950) 199126. MorarjiRanchhodjiDesai(1896-1995) 199127. MaulanaAbulKalamAzad(Posthumous)(1888-1958) 1992

28. JehangirRatanjiDadabhaiTata(1904-1993) 199229. SatyajitRay(Posthumous)(1922-1992) 199230. GulzariLalNanda(Posthumous)(1898-1998) 199731. Smt.ArunaAsafAli(Posthumous)(1909-1996) 199732. DrA.P.J.AbdulKalam(1931-2015) 199733. Smt.MaduraiShanmukhavadivuSubbulakshmi(1916-2005) 199834. ChidambaramSubramaniam(1910-2000) 199835. LoknayakJayaprakashNarayan(Posthumous)(1902-1979) 199936. ProfessorAmartyaSen(b-1933) 199937. LokpriyaGopinathBordoloi(Posthumous)(1890-1950) 199938. PanditRaviShankar(1920-2012) 199939. SushilLataDinanathMangeshkar(b-1929) 200140. UstadBismillahKhan(1916-2006) 200141. PanditBhimsenGururajJoshi(b-1922-2011) 200942. Prof.C.N.R.Rao(1934) 201443. SachinRameshTendulkar(b-1973) 201444. PanditMadanMohanMalaviya(Posthumous)(1861-1946) 201545. AtalBehariVajpayee(1924-2018) 201546. NanajiDeshmukh(Posthumus)(1916-2010) 201947. Dr.BhupenHazarika(Posthumus)(1926-2011) 201948. PranabMukherjee(b-1935) 2019PADMAAWARDSANNOUNCEDONREPUBLICDAY2018

PadmaAwards

PadmaAwardsareamongthehighestcivilianawardsofthecountry.Theyareconferredinthreecategories,namely,‘PadmaVibhushan’,‘PadmaBhushan’and‘PadmaShri’.TheAwardsaregivenfordistinguishedserviceinvariousfieldsofactivities including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering,sports,medicine,literatureandeducation.TheawardsareannouncedontheeveofRepublicDayeveryyear.In2019,thePresidentofIndiaconferred112PadmaAwardscomprising4PadmaVibhushan,14PadmaBhushanand94PadmaShriAwards. 21 awardees were women, 11 persons were from the category offoreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI,3posthumousawardeesand1transgenderperson.

JEEVANRAKSHAPADAKSERIESOFAWARDS

Jeevan Raksha Padak series of awards are given for the courage andpromptitudedisplayedbyanindividualinthemeritoriousactofsavingthelifeof another person from drowning, fire incidents, rescue operations in mines,natural calamities and other such eventualities. There are three categories of

JeevanRakshaPadakawards,namely,SarvottamJeevanRakshaPadak,UttamJeevan Raksha Padak and Jeevan Raksha Padak. The Jeevan Raksha PadakSeries of Awards 2018 were conferred on 48 persons. It includes SarvottamJeevanRakshaPadak to eightpersons,UttamJeevanRakshaPadak to15 andJeevanRakshaPadakto25persons.

SarvottamJeevanRakshaPadak(8)

1. KishorRai(Posthumous),Chhattisgarh2. MasterChetanKumarNishad(Posthumous),Chhattisgarh3. KaustubhBhagwanTarmale(Posthumous),Maharashtra4. MasterPrathameshVijayWadkar(Posthumous),Maharashtra5. PLalvenpuia(Posthumous),Mizoram6. TLalrinawma(Posthumous),Mizoram7. NitishaNegi(Posthumous),Delhi8. RakeshChandraBehera(Posthumous),Odisha

UttamJeevanRakshaPadak(15)

1. Vismaya.P,Kerala2. SajidKhan,MadhyaPradesh3. CharanjitSinghBalveerSinghSaluja,Maharashtra4. AmolSarjeraoLohar,Maharashtra5. MasterLalliansanga,Mizoram6. MasterVanlalduhawma,Mizoram7. Vinod,Haryana8. RamrajaYadav,MadhyaPradesh9. AzadSinghMalik,Delhi10. MasterH.Beiduasa,Mizoram11. MasterKaran,Delhi12. MasterDeepanshu,Delhi13. MasterPrashantSidar,Chhattisgarh14. MasterWalambokSohphoh,Meghalaya15. AvinashBabuNaik,Goa

JeevanRakshaPadak(25)

1. AbrahamTaying,ArunachalPradesh2. PadiPayang,ArunachalPradesh3. MasterMonujChawtal,Assam

4. MasterRajuGarh,Assam5. RadhakrishnanM,Kerala6. AnkitDhangar,MadhyaPradesh7. MahendraTekam,MadhyaPradesh8. ShanlangMarbaniang,Meghalaya9. VanlalvenaimaChhangte,Mizoram10. MasterDarchungnunga,Mizoram11. ChandraKumarGurung,Sikkim12. BariyaMehulBabubhai,DamanandDiu13. MPadmanaban,TamilNadu14. SushilBhoi,UttarPradesh15. MasterSamarpanMalviya,MadhyaPradesh16. MasterDhairyashilDhaktubaAdake,Maharashtra17. MasterDhananjayKumarSonwane,Chhattisgarh18. MasterAbhinavKK.,Kerala19. MasterKhrawboklangKharlukhi,Meghalaya20. MasterDhruvLove,UttarPradesh21. MasterMadhavLove,UttarPradesh22. Lalthasangzuali,Mizoram23. RuhinfatimaM.Talat,Gujarat24. MasterVyshnavE.R.,Kerala25. MasterSreejithP.S.,Kerala

NOBELLAUREATESABHIJIT VINAYAK BANERJEE (1961):Mumbai-born economist Abhijit

VinayakBanerjeewontheNobelPrizeinEconomicSciencesin2019.The58-year-old half-Bengali, half-Konkani economist is the Ford FoundationInternational Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnologyinCambridge.HespenthisearlylifeinWestBengal,andstudiedinthe University of Calcutta. Later, he received his post-graduation degree inEconomicsfromNewDelhi’sJawaharlalNehruUniversityin1983.HewentontoobtainaPhDinEconomicsfromtheHarvardUniversityin1988.Hesharedtheprestigiousglobalawardwithhiseconomist-wife,EstherDuflo,andanotherUS-based economist, Michael Kremer for their experimental approach toalleviatingglobalpoverty.

KAILASH SATYARTHI (1954): The Nobel Peace Prize of 2014 wasawardedtoKailashSatyarthiforstruggleagainstthesuppressionofchildrenandyoungpeopleandfortherightofallchildrentoeducation.Satyarthiwasbornin

Vidisha,MadhyaPradesh.Hecompletedhisdegreeinelectricalengineeringandapost-graduatedegreeinhighvoltageengineering.In1980,helefthiscareerasan electrical engineer to set up Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save ChildhoodMovement).HealsoheadstheGlobalMarchAgainstChildLabour,amovementtomobiliseworldwiseeffortstoprotectandpromotetherightsofallchildren.

VENKATRAMANRAMAKRISHNAN(1952):VenkatramanRamakrishnanwasawardedtheNobelPrizeforChemistryin2009forstudiesofthestructureand function of the ribosome,molecularmachine thatmakes protein. Hewasborn in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. Dr. Ramakrishnan earned his B.Sc. inPhysics (1971) fromM.S.University inBaroda,Gujarat andPh.D. (1976) inPhysicsfromOhioUniversityintheUSA.Makingatransitionfromphysicstobiology,hestudiedamoleculecalledrhodopsin,asagraduatestudentinbiologyattheUniversityofCalifornia,SanDiego,from1976to1978.

AMARTYASEN (1933) : Prof.Amartya Sen is the recipient of theNobelPrize forEconomics for theyear1998,becoming the firstAsian tohavebeenhonouredwiththeaward.TheSantiniketan-borneconomistwhoisapioneerinWelfare Economics has to his credit several books and papers on aspects ofwelfare and development. An economist with a difference, Prof. Sen is ahumanist.Hehasdistinguishedhimselfwithhisoutstandingwritingsonfamine,poverty, democracy, gender and social issues. The ‘impossibility theorem’suggestedearlierbyKennethArrowstatesthatitwasnotpossibletoaggregateindividual choices into a satisfactory choice for society as awhole. Prof. Senshowedmathematically that societies could findways to alleviate such a pooroutcome.

SUBRAMANIAN CHANDRASHEKHAR (1910-1995) : The Nobel Prizefor Physics in 1983 was awarded to Dr S. Chandrashekhar, an Indian-bornastrophysicist. Educated in Presidency College, Chennai, Dr Chandrashekharhappened to be the nephew of his Nobel forbear, Sir C.V. Raman. He latermigratedtotheUnitedStateswhereheauthoredseveralbooksonAstrophysicsandStellarDynamics.Hedevelopedatheoryonwhitedwarfstarswhichpostsalimit ofmass of dwarf stars known also asChandrashekhar Limit.His theoryexplainsthefinalstagesofstellarevolution.

MOTHERTERESA (1910-1997) : TheNobel Peace Prizewas awarded toMother Teresa in 1979. Of Albanian parentage, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu wasbornatSkopje,now inYogoslavia.She joined the Irishorderof theSistersofLorettoatDublinin1928andcametoKolkatain1929asamissionary,onlytofindthemiseryoftheabandonedandthedestitute.Concernforthepoorandthesickpromptedhertofoundanewcongregation,MissionariesofCharity.Having

become an Indian citizen,MotherTeresa served the cause of dying destitutes,lepersanddrugaddicts,throughNirmalHriday(meaningPureHeart),themaincentre of her activity. Her selfless service and unique devotion, not only tohelpless fellow-Indians but also to the cause of world peace, earned her andIndiathefirstNobelPeacePrize.

HARGOBINDKHORANA(1922-2011) :HargobindKhoranawasawardedtheNobelPrizeforMedicinein1968.OfIndianorigin,DrKhoranawasborninRaipur,Punjab(nowinPakistan).HetookhisdoctoraldegreeinChemistryfromLiverpool University and joined the University of Wisconsin as a FacultyMemberin1960.HismajorbreakthroughinthefieldofMedicine—interpretingthegeneticcodeandanalysing its function inproteinsynthesis—fetchedhimtheNobelPrize.

CHANDRASEKHARA VENKATA RAMAN (1888-1970) : India’s firstNobelPrizeforPhysicswasclaimedin1930bytherenownedphysicistSirC.V.Raman. Born at Thiruvanaikkaval near Tiruchirapalli in Tamilnadu, RamanstudiedatPresidencyCollege,Chennai.Later,heservedasProfessorofPhysicsatCalcuttaUniversity.Recipientofmanyhonoursandawards,includingthetitleof ‘Sir’, Sir C.V. Raman received the Nobel Prize for an important opticsresearch, in which he discovered that diffused light contained rays of otherwavelengths—what is now popularly known as Raman Effect. His theorydiscoveredin1928explainsthechangeinthefrequencyoflightpassingthroughatransparentmedium.

RABINDRANATH TAGORE (1861-1941) : Rabindranath Tagore was thefirstIndianevertoreceiveaNobelPrize.PopularlyknownasGurudev,India’sPoetLaureateTagorewasbornonMay07,1861 inKolkata.HewasawardedtheNobelPrizeforLiteratureinrecognitionofhisworkGeetanjali,acollectionofpoems,in1913.Tagorewrotemanylovelyrics.GeetanjaliandSadhanaareamonghisimportantworks.Thepoet,dramatistandnovelistisalsotheauthorofIndia’sNationalAnthem. In 1901, he founded the famous SantiniketanwhichlatercametobeknownasVishwaBharatiUniversity.

COMMANDERS-IN-CHIEF

CHIEFOFDEFENCESTAFFTobringinreforminhigherdefencemanagementinthecountry,thepostof

ChiefofDefenceStaff(CDS)wascreatedintherankofafour-starGeneralwithsalary and prerequisites equivalent to a Service Chief. The Chief of DefenceStaffwill also head theDepartment ofMilitaryAffairs (DMA), to be createdwithintheMinistryofDefenceandfunctionasitsSecretary.

Gen.BipinRawathastakenoverasthefirstCDSofthecountryfromJanuary1,2020forathreeyeartenure.

CHIEFSOFARMYSTAFF

CHIEFSOFNAVALSTAFF

CHIEFSOFAIRSTAFF

WINNERSOFPARAMVIRCHAKRAMajorSomNathSharma,KumaonRegimentPosthumous-November1947(KashmirOperations1947-48)2ndLt.R.R.Rane,CorpsofEngineersApril1948(KashmirOperations1947-48)CompanyHavaldarMajorPiruSingh,RajputanaRiflesPosthumous-July1948(KashmirOperations1947-48)L/NKKaramSingh,SikhRegimentOctober1948(KashmirOperations1947-48)NaikJadunathSingh,RajputRegimentPosthumous-February1948(KashmirOperations1947-48)CaptainGurbachanSinghSalaria,GorkhaRiflesPosthumous-December1961(Congo)MajorDhanSinghThapa,GorkhaRiflesOctober1962(Ladakh)SubedarJoginderSingh,SikhRegimentPosthumous-October1962(NEFA)MajorShaitanSingh,KumaonRegimentPosthumous-November1962(Ladakh)CQMHAbdulHamid,GrenadiersPosthumous-September1965(OperationagainstPakistan)Lt.Col.A.B.Tarapore,PoonaHorsePosthumous-October1965(OperationagainstPakistan)

Flg.OfficerNirmalJitSinghSekhon,Flg.PilotPosthumous-December1971(Indo-Pakistanconflict)MajorHoshiarSingh,GrenadiersDecember1971(Indo-Pakistanconflict)2ndLt.ArunKhetarpal,17PoonaHorsePosthumous-December1971(Indo-Pakistanconflict)L/NKAlbertEkka,BrigadeofGuardsPosthumous-December1971(Indo-Pakistanconflict)NaibSubedarBanaSingh,J&KLightInfantryJune1987(OperationsinSiachenGlacier)MajorRamaswamyParameswaran,MaharRegiment,Posthumous-November1987(IPKFOperationsinSriLanka)CaptVikramBatra,13J&KRiflesPosthumous-June1999(OPVijayinKargil)LtManojKumarPandey,11thGorkhaRiflesPosthumous-July1999(OPVijayinKargil)RiflemanSanjayKumar,13J&KRiflesJuly1999(OPVijayinKargil)GdrYogenderSinghYadav,18GrenadiersJuly1999(OPVijayinKargil)

SAHITYAAKADEMIAWARDS2018

NationalSportsandAdventureAwardsTheRajivGandhiKhelRatna,officiallyknownasRajivGandhiKhelRatna

Award inSportsandGames is thehighestsportinghonourof thecountry. It isawardedannuallybytheMinistryofYouthAffairsandSports.Therecipient(s)

is/ are selected and honoured for their “spectacular and most outstandingperformance in the fieldof sportsover aperiodof fouryears” at internationallevel.

TheDronacharyaAward forOutstandingCoaches in Sports andGames, issportscoachinghonourofthecountry.Itisawardedannuallytoselectedpeoplefor “outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and enabledsportspersonstoexcelininternationalevents”overaperiodoffouryears.

TheArjunaAwardsaregiventorecognizeoutstandingachievementinsports.TheDhyanChandAwardisthelifetimeachievementsportinghonourofthe

country.TheRashtriyaKhel Protsahan Puruskar is conferred in four categories: (a)

Identification and nurturing of budding/young talent; (b) Encouragement tosports through Corporate Social Responsibility; (c) Employment of sportspersonsandsportswelfaremeasures;and(d)SportsforDevelopment.

The Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award is the highest nationalrecognitionforoutstandingachievements in thefieldofadventureon land,seaandair.ItisatparwiththeArjunaAwardforsportingexcellence.

MaulanaAbulKalamAzadTrophy is a running trophy by theMinistry ofEducation and awarded each year to a University which has all round bestperformanceinsportsatinter-university,nationalandinternationalcompetitions.

RajivGandhiKhelRatnaAwards2019BajrangPunia;DeepaMalik.

DronacharyaAwards2019(Regularcategory)MohinderSinghDhillon;SandeepGupta;VimalKumar.

(Lifetimecategory)SanjayBhardwaj;RambirSinghKhokar;andMezbanPatel.

ArjunaAwards2019Ravindra Jadeja;Mohammed Anas Yahiya; Gurpreet Singh Sandhu; Sonia

Lather; Chinglensana Singh Kangujam; S Bhaskaran; Ajay Thakur; AnjumMoudgil;Bhamidipati Sai Praneeth;Tajinder Pal SinghToor; PramodBhagat;Harmeet Rajul Desai; Pooja Dhanda; Fouaad Mirza; Simran Singh Shergill;PoonamYadav;SwapnaBurman;SundarSinghGurjar;andGauravSinghGill.

DhyanChandAwards2019Manoj Kumar; C Lalremsanga; Arup Basak; Nitten Kirrtane; and Manuel

Fredricks.

RashtriyaKhelProtsahanPuruskar2019Gagan Narang Sports Promotion Foundation, Go Sports and Rayalseema

DevelopmentTrust

TenzingNorgayNationalAdventureAwards,2019Aparna Kumar; Late Dipankar Ghosh;Manikandan K; Prabhat Raju Koli;

RameshwerJangra;andWangchukSherpa.PunjabUniversity,Chandigarhwas conferredMaulanaAbulKalamAzad

(MAKA)Trophy2018-19.

LISTOFSTATE-WISENATIONALHIGHWAYSINTHECOUNTRY

AMENDMENTSTOTHECONSTITUTION

1.TheConstitution (FirstAmendment)Act, 1950—This amendment providedfor several new grounds of restrictions on the right to freedom of speech andexpression and the right topractise anyprofessionor to carryon any tradeorbusiness as contained in Article 19 of the Constitution. The Ninth Schedulealongwith Articles 31A and 31Bwere inserted in the Constitution to protectlaws,suchasthelandreformandotherlaws,frombeingchallengedinthecourtson the ground of violation of fundamental rights. The amendment also madechangesinarticles5,85,87,174,176,341,342,372and376.2.TheConstitution (SecondAmendment)Act,1952—By thisamendment, thescaleorrepresentationforelectiontotheLokSabhawasreadjusted.3. The Constitution (Third Amendment) Act, 1954—This amendmentsubstituted entry 33 of List III (Concurrent List) of the Seventh Schedule tomakeitcorrespondtoArticle369.4. The Constitution (Fourth Amendment) Act, 1955—Article 31 (2) of theConstitution was amended to re-state more precisely the State’s power ofcompulsoryacquisitionandrequisitioningofprivatepropertyanddistinguishitfromcaseswhere theoperationof regulatoryorprohibitory lawsof theStatesresults in “deprivation of property”. Article 31A of the Constitution was alsoamendedtoextenditsscopetocovercategoriesofessentialwelfarelegislationlike abolition of zamindaris, proper planning of urban and rural areas and foreffectingafullcontroloverthemineralandoilresourcesofthecountry,etc.SixActswereincludedintheNinthSchedule.Article305wasalsoamendedtosavecertainlawsprovidingofStateMonopolies.5. The Constitution (Fifth Amendment) Act, 1955—This amendment made achangeinArticle3soastoempowerPresidenttospecifyatimelimitforstatelegislatures toconveytheirviewson theproposedcentral lawsaffectingareas,boundariesoftheirstates.6. The Constitution (Sixth Amendment) Act, 1956—This amendment madesomechangesinArticles269and286relatingtotaxesonsaleandpurchaseofgoods in the course of inter-state trade and commerce.A new entry 92AwasaddedtotheUnionListoftheSeventhScheduletotheConstitution.7. The Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956—This amendmentpurported to give effect to the recommendations of the State ReorganisationCommissionandthenecessaryconsequentialchanges.Broadly,thethenexistingstatesandterritorieswerechangedtohave two-foldclassificationofstatesandunionterritories.TheamendmentalsoprovidedforcompositionoftheHouseofthe People, re-adjustment after every census, provisions regarding the

establishmentofnewHighCourts,HighCourtJudgesetc.8.TheConstitution(EighthAmendment)Act,1960—Article334wasamendedwithaviewtoextendingtheperiodofreservationofseatsforScheduledCastesand Scheduled Tribes and to the Anglo-Indian community by nomination inParliamentandin theStateLegislaturesforafurtherperiodof tenyears to theyear1970.9. The Constitution (Ninth Amendment) Act, 1960—The purpose of thisamendmentwastogiveeffecttothetransferofcertainterritoriestoPakistaninpursuance of the agreement entered into between Governments of India andPakistan. This amendment was necessitated in view of the Judgement ofSupreme Court in In Re: Berubari Union by which it was held that anyagreementtocedeaterritorytoanothercountrycouldnotbeimplementedbyalawmadeunderArticle3butwouldonlybeimplementedbyanamendmentoftheConstitution.10.TheConstitution(TenthAmendment)Act,1961—ThisActamendedArticle240andtheFirstScheduleinordertoincludeareasofDadraandNagarHavelias aUnion Territory and to enable the President to “make regulations for thepeace,progressandgoodgovernmentoftheterritory”.11. The Constitution (Eleventh Amendment) Act, 1961—The purpose of thisamendmentwastoamendArticles66and71oftheConstitutiontoprovidethattheelectionofPresidentorVicePresidentcouldnotbechallengedonthegroundofanyvacancyintheappropriateelectoralcollege.12.TheConstitution(TwelfthAmendment)Act,1962—ThisamendmentsoughttoincludeGoa,DamanandDiuasaUnionTerritoryandtoamendArticle240forthepurpose.13.TheConstitution(ThirteenthAmendment)Act,1962—Bythisamendment,anewArticle371AwasaddedtomakespecialprovisionswithrespecttostateofNagalandinpursuanceofanagreementbetweenGovernmentofIndiaandNagaPeople’sConvention.14. The Constitution (Fourteenth Amendment) Act, 1962—By this Act,PondicherrywasincludedintheFirstScheduleasaUnionTerritory,andthisActalso enabled the creation of Legislature by Parliamentary law for HimachalPradesh,Manipur,Tripura,Goa,DamanandDiuandPondicherry.15. The Constitution (Fifteenth Amendment) Act, 1963—This amendmentprovidedforincreaseintheageofretirementofHighCourtJudgesandfortheprovision of compensatory allowance to judges who are transferred from oneHighCourttoanother.TheActalsoprovidedforappointmentofretiredjudges

toact as judgesofHighCourt.TheambitofArticle226waswidened so thatwhenanyrelief issoughtagainstanyGovernment,authorityorpersonforanyactiontaken,theHighCourtwithinwhosejurisdictionthecauseofactionarisemayalsohave jurisdiction to issueappropriatedirections,ordersorwrits.TheAct also provided for the exercise of powers of Chairman of the ServiceCommissions,intheirabsence,byoneoftheirmembers.16. The Constitution (Sixteenth Amendment) Act, 1963—Article 19 wasamended by thisAct to impose further restriction on the rights to freedom ofspeech and expression, to assemble peaceably and without arms and to formassociations in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India. The oath ofaffirmation to be subscribed by candidates seeking election to Parliament andStateLegislatureswasamendedtoincludethattheywilluphold“thesovereigntyand integrity of India”. The amendments are intended to promote nationalintegration.17. The Constitution (Seventeenth Amendment) Act, 1964—Article 31A wasamended by this Act to prohibit the acquisition of land under personalcultivationunlessthemarketvalueofthelandispaidascompensationandthedefinition of “estate” was amended to include lands for which provisions arenormallymade in land reform enactments. TheNinth Schedule had also beenamendedtoinclude44moreacts.18. The Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 1966—Article 3 wasamendedbythisActtospecifythattheexpression“State”willincludeaunionterritoryalsoandtomakeitclearthatthepowertoformanewstateunderthisarticleincludesapowertoformanewstateorunionterritorybyunitingapartofastateoraunionterritorytoanotherstateorunionterritory.19. The Constitution (Nineteenth Amendment) Act, 1966—Article 324 wasamendedtoeffectaconsequentialchangeasaresultof thedecision toabolishElectionTribunalsandtohearelectionpetitionsbyHighCourts.20.TheConstitution(TwentiethAmendment)Act,1966—Thisamendmentwasnecessitatedby thedecisionof theSupremeCourts inChandramohanvs.StateofUttarPradeshinwhichcertainappointmentsofDistrictJudgesinthestateofUttarPradeshweredeclaredvoidbySupremeCourt.AnewArticle233AwasaddedandtheappointmentsmadebyGovernorwerevalidated.21.TheConstitution(Twenty-firstAmendment)Act,1967—Bythisamendment,SindhiLanguagewasincludedintheEighthSchedule.22. The Constitution (Twenty-second Amendment) Act, 1969—This act wasenacted to facilitate the formation of a new autonomous state of Meghalaya

withinthestateofAssam.23. The Constitution (Twenty-third Amendment) Act, 1969—Article 334 wasamended so as to extend the safeguards in respect of reservation of seats inParliamentandStateLegislaturesforScheduledCastesandScheduledTribesaswellasforAnglo-Indiansforafurtherperiodoftenyearstotheyear1980.24.TheConstitution(Twenty-fourthAmendment)Act,1971—Thisamendmentwas passed in the context of a situation that emerged with the verdict inGolaknath’scasebySupremeCourt.Accordingly, thisActamendedArticle13and Article 368 to remove all doubts regarding the power of Parliament toamendtheConstitutionincludingtheFundamentalRights.25.TheConstitution(Twenty-fifthAmendment)Act,1971—ThisActamendedArticle31inthewakeofthebanknationalisationcase.Theword‘amount’wassubstitutedinplaceof‘compensation’inthelightofthejudicialinterpretationoftheword‘compensation’meaning‘adequatecompensation’.26. The Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971—By thisamendment, theprivyandprivilegesof the former rulersof Indianstateswereabolished.ThisamendmentwaspassedasaresultofSupremeCourtdecisioninMadhavRao’scase.27. The Constitution (Twenty-seventh Amendment) Act, 1971—Thisamendment was passed to provide for certain matters necessitated by thereorganisationof north-eastern states.AnewArticle 239Bwas insertedwhichenabled the promulgation of Ordinances by Administrators of certain unionterritories.28.TheConstitution(Twenty-eighthAmendment)Act,1972—Theamendmentwas enacted to abolish the special privileges of the members of Indian CivilServicesinmattersofleave,pensionandrightsasregardtodisciplinarymatters.29. The Constitution (Twenty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1972—The NinthSchedule to theConstitutionwasamended to include twoKeralaActson landreforms.30. The Constitution (Thirtieth Amendment) Act, 1972—The purpose of theamendmentwastoamendArticle133inordertodoawaywiththevaluationtestandcurtailthenumberofappealswhicharefiledintheSupremeCourtmerelyonthevaluationtestbeingsatisfied,withoutanymeritinthem.31.TheConstitution(Thirty-firstAmendment)Act,1973—ThisAct,interalia,raisedtheupperlimitfortherepresentationofstatesintheLokSabhafrom500to 525 and reduced the upper limit for the representation of union territoriesfrom25membersto20.

32.TheConstitution(Thirty-secondAmendment)Act,1973—ThisActprovidedthenecessaryconstitutionalauthorityforgivingeffecttotheprovisionofequalopportunities to different areas of the state of Andhra Pradesh and for theconstitution of an Administrative Tribunal with jurisdiction to deal withgrievancesrelatingtopublicservices.ItalsoempoweredParliamenttolegislatefortheestablishmentofaCentralUniversityinthestate.33.TheConstitution(Thirty-thirdAmendment)Act,1974—Bythisamendment,Articles 101 and 190 were amended in order to streamline the procedure forresignationofMembersofParliamentandStateLegislatures.34. The Constitution (Thirty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1974—By this Act,twenty more land tenure and land reforms laws enacted by various StateLegislatureswereincludedintheNinthSchedule.35.TheConstitution(Thirty-fifthAmendment)Act,1974—BythisAct,anewArticle 2Awas added thereby conferring on Sikkim the status of an associateStateof IndianUnion.Consequent amendmentsweremade toArticles80 and81.Anewschedule,i.e.,theTenthSchedule,wasaddedlayingdowntermsandconditionsofassociationofSikkimwiththeUnion.36. The Constitution (Thirty-sixthAmendment) Act, 1975—Itwas enacted tomakeSikkimafull-fledgedStateofIndianUnionand to include it in theFirstScheduletotheConstitutionandtoallottoSikkimoneseateachintheCouncilof States and in theHouse of the People. Article 2A and the Tenth Scheduleinserted by the Constitution (Thirty-fifth Amendment) Act were omitted andArticles80and81weresuitablyamended.37. The Constitution (Thirty-seventh Amendment) Act, 1975—By this Act,Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh was provided with a LegislativeAssembly.Article240oftheConstitutionwasalsoamendedtoprovidethatasinthe case of other union territorieswithLegislatures, the power ofPresident tomakeregulationsfortheUnionTerritoryofArunachalPradeshmaybeexercisedonlywhentheassemblyiseitherdissolvedoritsfunctionsremainsuspended.38.TheConstitution(Thirty-eighthAmendment)Act,1975—ThisActamendedArticles123,213and352oftheConstitutiontoprovidethatthesatisfactionofPresidentorGovernorcontainedintheseArticleswouldbecalledinquestioninanycourtoflaw.39. The Constitution (Thirty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1975—By this Act,disputesrelatingtotheelectionofPresident,Vice-President,PrimeMinisterandSpeaker are to be determined by such authority as may be determined byParliamentaryLaw.Certaincentralenactmentswerealso included in theNinth

SchedulebythisAct.40.TheConstitution (FortiethAmendment)Act, 1976—ThisActprovided forvestingintheUnionofallmines,mineralsandotherthingsofvaluelyingintheocean within the territorial waters or the continental shelf or the exclusiveeconomic zone of India. It further provided that all other resources of theexclusive economic zone of India shall also vest in the Union. This Act alsoprovided that the limits of the territorial waters, the continental shelf, theexclusiveeconomiczoneand themaritimezonesof Indiashallbeasspecifiedfrom time to time by or under any lawmade byParliament.Also somemoreActswereaddedtotheNinthSchedule.41.TheConstitution (Forty-firstAmendment)Act,1976—By thisAct,Article316wasamendedtoraisetheretirementageofMembersofStatePublicServiceCommissionsandJointPublicServiceCommissionsfrom60to62years.42.TheConstitution (Forty-secondAmendment)Act, 1976—ThisActmade anumberof importantamendments in theConstitution.TheseamendmentsweremainlyforthepurposeofgivingeffecttotherecommendationsofSwaranSinghCommittee.

Someoftheimportantamendmentsmadeareforthepurposeofspellingoutexpresslythehighidealsofsocialism,secularismandtheintegrityofthenation,to make the Directive Principles more comprehensive and giving themprecedenceoverthoseFundamentalRightswhichhavebeenallowedtobereliedupontofrustratesocio-economicreforms.TheamendmentActalso insertedanewchapterontheFundamentalDutiesofcitizensandmadespecialprovisionsfor dealing with anti-national activities, whether by individuals or byassociations. The judiciary provisions were also amended by providing for arequirementastotheminimumnumberofjudgesfordeterminingquestionastotheconstitutionalvalidityoflawandforaspecialmajorityofnotlessthantwo-thirdfordeclaringanylawtobeconstitutionallyinvalid.

To reduce the mounting arrears in High Courts and to secure the speedydisposalofservicematters,revenuemattersandcertainothermattersofspecialimportance in the context of socio-economic development and progress, thisamendmentActprovidedfor thecreationofAdministrativeandother tribunalsfordealingwith suchmatterswhilepreserving the jurisdictionof theSupremeCourt in regard to suchmatters underArticle 136 of theConstitution.CertainmodificationsinthewritjurisdictionofHighCourtsunderArticle226werealsomade.43.TheConstitution(Forty-thirdAmendment)Act,1977—ThisAct, interalia,

provided for the restorationof the jurisdictionof theSupremeCourt andHighCourts, curtailed by the enactment of the Constitution (Forty-secondAmendment)Act,1976andaccordinglyArticles32A,131A,144A,226Aand228AincludedintheConstitutionbythesaidamendment,wereomittedbythisAct. The Act also provided for the omission of Article 31 which conferredspecial powers onParliament to enact certain laws in respect of anti- nationalactivities.44. The Constitution (Forty-fourth Amendment) Act, 1978—This amendmentremovedrighttopropertyfromthelistoffundamentalrightsandmadeitalegalright.Necessaryamendmentsweremadeinarticle19toensurethatremovalofproperty from the list of fundamental rights would not affect the right ofminoritiestoestablishandadministereducationalinstitutionsoftheirchoice.

Article352oftheConstitutionwasamendedtoprovide“armedrebellion”asoneofthecircumstancesfordeclarationofemergency.Internaldisturbancenotamounting to armed rebellion would not be a ground for the issuance of aProclamation.TherighttopersonallibertyascontainedinArticles21and22isfurtherstrengthenedbytheprovisionthatalawforpreventivedetentioncannotauthorise,inanycase,detentionforalongerperiodthantwomonthsunlessanAdvisoryBoardhasreportedthatthereissufficientcauseforsuchdetention.TheadditionalsafeguardhasalsobeenprovidedbytherequirementsthatChairmanofanAdvisoryBoardshallbeaservingJudeoftheappropriateHighCourtandthat theBoardshallbeconstituted inaccordancewith the recommendationsoftheChiefJusticeofthatHighCourt.

Withaviewtoavoiddelays,Articles132and134wereamendedandanewArticle 134A was inserted to provide that a High Court should consider thequestionofgrantingacertificateforappealtoSupremeCourtimmediatelyafterthedeliveryofthejudgement,finalorderorsentenceconcernedonthebasisofanoralapplicationbyapartyor,iftheHighCourtdeemsitsotodo,onitsown.TheotheramendmentsmadebytheActaremainlyforremovingorcorrectingthe distortionswhich came into the Constitution by reason of the amendmentinitiatedduringtheperiodofinternalemergency.45.TheConstitution(Forty-fifthAmendment)Act,1980—TheActwaspassedto extend safeguards in respect of reservation of seats inParliament andStateAssembliesforScheduledCastes,ScheduledTribesaswellasforAnglo-Indiansforafurtherperiodoftenyearstilltheyear1990.46. The Constitution (Forty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1982—Article 269 wasamended so that the tax levied on the consignment of goods in the course ofinter-state or commerce shall be assigned to the states. This Article was also

amended to enable Parliament to formulate by law principle for determiningwhen a consignment of goods takes place in the course of inter-state trade orcommerce.Anewentry92Bwasalso inserted in theUnionList toenable thelevyoftaxontheconsignmentofgoodswheresuchconsignmenttakesplaceinthecourseofinter-statetradeorcommerce.

Clause (3) ofArticle 286was amended to enableParliament to specify, bylaw, restrictionsandconditions in regard to the systemof levy rates andotherincidenceof taxon the transferofgoods involved in theexecutionofaworkscontract,onthedeliveryofgoodsonhire-purchaseoranysystemofpaymentofinstalments,etc.

Article 366was also suitably amended to insert a definition of “tax on thesale or purchase of goods” to include transfer for consideration of controlledcommodities,transferofpropertyingoodsinvolvedintheexecutionofaworkscontract, delivery of goods on hire-purchase or any system of payment byinstalments,etc.47.TheConstitution(Forty-seventhAmendment)Act,1984—Thisamendmentwas intended to provide for the inclusion of certain landReformsActs in theNinth Schedule to the Constitution with a view to obviating the scope oflitigationhamperingtheimplementationprocessofthoseActs.48.TheConstitution (Forty-eighthAmendment)Act,1984—TheProclamationissued by President under Article 356 of the Constitution with respect to theStateofPunjabcannotbecontinuedinforceformorethanoneyearunlessthespecialconditionsmentionedin

clause(5)ofthesaidArticlearesatisfied.AsitisfeltthatthecontinuedforceofthesaidProclamationisnecessary,therefore,thepresentamendmenthadbeeneffected so as to make the conditions mentioned in clause (5) of Article 356inapplicableintheinstantcase.49.TheConstitution(Forty-ninthAmendment)Act,1984—TripuraGovernmentrecommendedthattheprovisionsoftheSixthScheduletotheConstitutionmaybemadeapplicabletotribalareasofthatstate.TheamendmentinvolvedinthisActisintendedtogiveconstitutionalsecuritytotheautonomousDistrictCouncilfunctioningintheState.50. The Constitution (Fiftieth Amendment) Act, 1984—By Article 33 of theconstitution,Parliamentisempoweredtoenactlawsdeterminingtowhatextentany of the rights conferred by Part III of the constitution shall, in theirapplication to themembersof thearmed forcesor the forceschargedwith themaintenance of public order, be restricted or abrogated so as to ensure proper

dischargeoftheirdutiesandmaintenanceofdisciplineamongthem.ItwasproposedtoamendArticle33soastobringwithinitsambit:

(i).themembersoftheForcechargedwiththeprotectionofpropertybelongingtoorinthechargeorpossessionofthestate;or

(ii). persons employed in any bureau or other organisation established by thestateforpurposesofintelligenceorcounter-intelligence;or

(iii).personsemployedinorinconnectionwiththetelecommunicationsystemssetupforthepurposesofanyForce,bureauororganisation.Experiencehasrevealedthattheneedforensuringproperdischargeoftheir

dutiesandmaintenanceofdisciplineamongthemisofparamountimportanceinthenationalinterest.51. The Constitution (Fifty-first Amendment) Act, 1984—Article 330 wasamendedbythisActforprovidingreservationofseatsforScheduledTribes inMeghalaya, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram in Parliament andArticle 332 was amended to provide similar reservation in the LegislativeAssemblies ofNagaland andMeghalaya tomeet the aspirations of local tribalpopulation.52. The Constitution (Fifty-second Amendment) Act, 1985—It providedprovisions related to anti-defection, by disqualification of members fromParliamentandAssemblyincaseofdefectionfromonepartytoother.Articles101, 102, 190, 191were amended and theTenthSchedulewas inserted in theConstitution to laydown theprocessbywhich legislatorsmaybedisqualified.TheActalsomakes suitableprovisionswith respect to splits inandmergerofpoliticalparties.53.TheConstitution(Fifty-thirdAmendment)Act,1986—ThisActwasenactedtogiveeffecttotheMemorandumofSettlementofMizoramwhichwassignedby Government of India and Mizoram Government with Mizoram NationalFronton30thJune1986.Forthispurpose,anewArticle371GhasbeeninsertedintheConstitutioninteraliapreventingapplicationofanyActofParliamentinMizoraminrespectofreligiousorsocialpracticesofMizos,Mizos’customarylaw and procedure, administration of civil and criminal practice involvingdecisionsaccordingtoMizos’customarylawandownershipandtransferoflandunless a resolution is passed in the Legislative Assembly to that effect. This,however,willnotapplytoanyCentralActalreadyinforceinMizorambeforethecommencementof thisamendment.ThenewArticlealsoprovides that theLegislativeAssemblyofMizoramshallconsistofnotlessthan40members.54.TheConstitution(Fifty-fourthAmendment)Act,1986—ThisActincreased

thesalariesofSupremeCourtandHighCourtjudges.ChiefJusticeofIndia:10,000permonthJudgesofSupremeCourt:9,000per

month Chief Justice of High Court: 9,000 per month Judges of High Court:8,000 per month This Act amended Part ‘D’ of the Second Schedule to theConstitutiontogiveeffecttotheincreasesinthesalariesofjudgesandtomakean enabling provision in Articles 125 and 221 to provide for changes in thesalariesofjudgesinfuturebyParliamentbylaw.55.TheConstitution(Fifty-fifthAmendment)Act,1986—TheActgaveeffecttotheproposalofgovernmentofIndiatoconferstatehoodontheUnionTerritoryofArunachalPradesh andprovided special powers toGovernor consequent toformationofthenewstate.AnewArticle371HwasinsertedwhichprovidesthattheLegislativeAssemblyofthenewStateofArunachalPradeshshallconsistofnotlessthanthirtymembers.56.TheConstitution(Fifty-sixthAmendment)Act,1987—TheGovernmentofIndia proposed to constitute the territories comprised in Goa District of theUnionTerritoryofGoa,DamanandDiuastheStateofGoaandtheterritoriescomprised inDamanandDiudistrictsof thatUnionTerritoryas anewUnionTerritoryofDamanandDiu.TheAct,therefore,entailsthetransitionprovisiontoenableformationofthestateofGoa.Article371IwasinsertedtoensurethattheLegislativeAssemblyofthenewStateofGoashallconsistofnotlessthanthirtymembers.57.TheConstitution(Fifty-seventhAmendment)Act,1987—ThisActprovidedfor reservation of seats in the house of the people for Scheduled Tribes inNagaland,Meghalaya,MizoramandArunachalPradeshandalsoforreservationof seats for Scheduled Tribes in the legislative assemblies of Nagaland andMeghalaya by amending Article 332. Even though these states arepredominantlytribal,theunderlyingobjectiveoftheActwastoensurethatthemembers of Scheduled Tribes in these areas do not fail to secure a minimalrepresentationbecauseof their inability tocompetewith theadvancedsectionsofthepeople.58. The Constitution (Fifty-eighth Amendment) Act, 1987—This amendmentempowersthePresidentofIndiatopublish,underhisauthority,thetranslationoftheConstitution inHindi signedby theMembersof theConstituentAssemblywith suchmodificationasmaybenecessary tobring it inconformitywith thelanguage, style and terminology adopted in the authoritative texts of CentralActs in Hindi language. President has also been authorised to publish thetranslationinHindiofeveryamendmentoftheConstitutionmadeinEnglish.

59. The Constitution (Fifty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1988—The Act amendedArticle 365(5) of the Constitution so as to facilitate the extension of aPresidentialProclamationissuedunderclause(1)ofArticle356beyondaperiodofoneyear,ifnecessaryuptoaperiodofthreeyears,aspermissibleunderclause(4)ofArticle356withrespect to theStateofPunjabbecauseof thecontinueddisturbedsituationthere.TheActalsoamendedArticle352oftheConstitutionpertaining to the Proclamation of Emergency in its application to the State ofPunjab and includes internal disturbance as one of the grounds for making aProclamationinrespectoftheStateofPunjabonly.Asaresult,theamendmentsproposed inArticles 352,358 and 359 in relation to the State of Punjabweremadetobeoperativeonlyforaperiodoftwoyearsfrom30March1988,whichisthedateofcommencementoftheamendment.60. The Constitution (Sixtieth Amendment) Act, 1988—The Act amendedclause(2)ofArticle276oftheConstitutionsoastoincreasetheceilingoftaxesonprofessions, trades,callingsandemploymentfromRs250perannumtoRs2,500perannum.Theupwardrevisionofthistaxwillhelpstategovernmentsinraisingadditionalresources.Theprovisotoclause(2)hasbeenomitted.61.TheConstitution(Sixty-firstAmendment)Act,1989—TheActprovidesforreducing voting age from 21 to 18 years by amending Article 326 of theConstitutiontoprovidetotheunrepresentedyouthofthecountryanopportunitytogiveventtotheirfeelingsandhelpthembecomeapartofpoliticalprocess.62.TheConstitution(Sixty-secondAmendment)Act,1989—Article334oftheConstitution lays down that the provisions of the Constitution relating to thereservationofseatsfor theScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribesandtherepresentationoftheAnglo-IndiancommunitybynominationintheLokSabhaandintheLegislativeAssembliesoftheStatesshallceasetohaveeffectontheexpiry of a periodof 40years from the commencement of theConstitution in1950. Although the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes have madeconsiderableprogress in the last40years, the reasonswhichweighedwith theConstituent Assembly in making provisions with regard to the aforesaidreservationofseatsandnominationofmembers,havenotceased toexist.TheAct amendsArticle334of theConstitution to continue the reservation for theScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribesandtherepresentationoftheAnglo-Indiansbynominationforafurtherperiodoftenyears,tilltheyear2000.63. The Constitution (Sixty-third Amendment) Act, 1989—The Constitution(Fifty-ninthAmendment)Act,1988wasenactedinMarch1988makingcertainchangesinregardtomakingaProclamationofEmergencyinPunjabandtotheduration of President’s rule in State. On reconsideration, the Government

decided that thespecialpowers in regard to theproclamationofEmergency inPunjabasenvisagedin thesaidamendment isno longerrequired.Accordinglytheprovision toclause(5)ofArticle356andArticle359Aof theConstitutionwereomittedthroughtheConstitution(Sixty-thirdAmendment)Act.64.TheConstitution(Sixty-fourthAmendment)Act,1990—ThisActamendedclauses(4)and(5)ofArticle356oftheConstitutionwithaviewtofacilitatetheextension of the proclamation issued under clause (1) of Article 356 of theConstitutionon11thMay1987uptoatotalperiodofthreeyearsandsixmonthsinrelationtotheStateofPunjab.65. The Constitution (Sixty-fifth Amendment) Act, 1990—Article 338 of theConstitution provides for a Special Officer for the Scheduled Castes andScheduledTribes to investigate allmatters relating to the safeguards providedfor the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under the Constitution and toreporttothePresidentontheirworking.ThisArticlehasbeenamendedfortheconstitution of a National Commission for Scheduled Castes and ScheduledTribes consisting of aChairperson,ViceChairperson and five otherMemberswhoshallbeappointedbythePresidentbywarrantunderhishandandseal.Theamended Article elaborates the duties of the said Commission and coversmeasures that should be taken by the Union or any state for the effectiveimplementationofthereportspresentedbytheCommission.Italsoprovidesthatthe Commission shall, while investigating any matter or inquiring into anycomplaint,haveall thepowersofaCivilCourt tryingasuitandthereportsofthesaidCommissionshallbe laidbeforeParliamentandtheLegislatureof thestates.66.TheConstitution(Sixty-sixthAmendment)Act,1990—TheActprotects55State Acts relating to land reforms and ceiling on agricultural land holdingsenacted by States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh,Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, TamilNadu,UttarPradesh,WestBengalandadministrationoftheUnionTerritoryofPuducherry,fromchallengeincourts,byincludingthemintheNinthScheduletotheConstitution.67. The Constitution (Sixty-seventh Amendment) Act, 1990—The three yearperiodinthecaseofproclamationissuedon11thMay1987withrespecttotheStateofPunjabwasextendedtothreeyearsandsixmonthsbytheConstitution(Sixty-fourthAmendment)Act, 1990. ThisAct amended clause (4) ofArticle356tofurtherextendtheperioduptoatotalperiodoffouryears.68. The Constitution (Sixty-eighth Amendment) Act, 1991—The three yearperiodinthecaseofproclamationissuedon11thMay1987withrespecttothe

State of Punjabwas earlier extended to four years by the Constitution (sixty-seventhAmendment)Act,1990.

ThisActfurtheramendsclause(4)ofArticle356soastofurtherextendtheperioduptoatotalperiodoffiveyears.69. The Constitution (Sixty-ninth Amendment) Act, 1991—This Act broughtqualitativechangeinthegovernanceofDelhi.Articles239AAand239ABwereinserted to accord special dispensation to Delhi by allowing LegislativeAssembly and theCouncil ofMinisters forNationalCapital ofDelhiwhile itcontinued to be aUnionTerritory.With this, theUnion territory ofDelhiwasrenamedastheNationalCapitalTerritoryofDelhiwiththeLieutenantGovernor,appointedunderarticle239,asitsadministrator.70. The Constitution (Seventieth Amendment) Act, 1992—While consideringthe (Seventy- fourthAmendment)Bill, 1991 and theGovernment ofNationalCapital Territory Bill, 1991, views were expressed in both the Houses ofParliament in favour of including the elected members of the legislativeassemblies of union territories in the electoral college for the election of thePresidentunderArticle54oftheConstitution.

Atpresent,Article54relatingtotheelectionofthePresidentprovidesforanelectoralcollegeconsistingofonlytheelectedMembersofParliamentaswellasthe legislative assemblies of the states (not of union territories). Similarly,Article55providing for themannerof suchelectionalso speaksof legislativeassembliesofstates.

Accordingly, an Explanation was inserted in Article 54 to provide thatreference to ‘State’ in Article 54 and 55 would include the National CapitalTerritory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry for constituting theelectoral college for election of the President. This enabled the inclusion ofelectedmembers,oftheLegislativeAssemblycreatedfortheUnionTerritoryofPuducherryundertheprovisionsofArticle239AandoftheproposedLegislativeAssemblyoftheNationalCapitalTerritoryofDelhiunderArticle239AA,intheelectoralcollegeforPresidentialelection.71. TheConstitution (Seventy-firstAmendment)Act, 1992—There have beendemands for inclusion of certain languages in the Eighth Schedule to theConstitution.ThisActamendstheEighthScheduletotheConstitutiontoincludeKonkani, Manipuri and Nepali languages in the Eighth Schedule to theConstitution.72. The Constitution (Seventy-second Amendment) Act, 1992—For restoringpeace and harmony in the areas of the state of Tripura where disturbed

conditions prevailed, a Memorandum of Settlement was signed by theGovernmentofIndiawithTripuraNationalVolunteerson12August1988.

InordertoimplementthesaidMemorandum,Article332oftheConstitutionhasbeenamendedbytheConstitution(Seventy-secondAmendment)Act,1992formakinga temporaryprovisionfor thedeterminationof thenumberofseatsreservedfortheScheduledTribesintheStateAssemblyofTripura,untilthere-adjustmentofseatsismadeonthebasisofthefirstCensusaftertheyear2000underArticle170oftheConstitution.73. The Constitution (Seventy-third Amendment) Act, 1993—The 73rdamendment came into force to give constitutional status to the Panchayat Rajinstitutions.Article40oftheConstitutionwhichenshrinesoneoftheDirectivePrinciplesofStatePolicy laysdown that theState shall take steps toorganisevillagepanchayatsandendowthemwithsuchpowersandauthorityasmaybenecessarytoenablethemtofunctionasunitsofself-government.Therefore,anew Part IX relating to the Panchayats was inserted in the Constitution toprovidefor,amongother things,GramSabha inavillageorgroupofvillages;constitutionofPanchayatsatvillageandotherlevelorlevels;directelectionstoall seats in Panchayats at the village and intermediate level, if any and to theofficesofChairpersonsofPanchayatsatsuchlevels;reservationofseatsfortheScheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population formembership of Panchayats and office of Chairpersons in Panchayats at eachlevel;reservationofnotlessthanone-thirdoftheseatsforwomen;fixingtenureoffiveyearsforPanchayatsandholdingelectionswithinaperiodofsixmonthsintheeventofsupersessionofanyPanchayat.74. The Constitution (Seventy-fourth Amendment) Act, 1993—The 74thAmendmentmadestatutoryprovisions for localadministrativebodies inurbanareas such as towns and cities.Anewpart IX-A relating to themunicipalitieswasincorporatedintheConstitutiontoprovideforconstitutionofthreetypesofmunicipalities - Nagar Panchayats for areas in transition from a rural area tourban area, Municipal Councils for smaller urban areas and MunicipalCorporationsforlargerurbanareas.75.TheConstitution (Seventy-fifthAmendment)Act, 1994—TheoperationoftheRentControllegislationsinvariousstatessufferedfrommajorweaknesses.ThisAct amendsArticle 323B inPartXIVAof theConstitution so as to givetimelyrelieftotherentlitigantsbyprovidingforsettingupofState-levelRentTribunalsinordertoreducethetiersofappealsandtoexcludethejurisdictionofall courts, except that of the Supreme Court, under article 136 of theConstitution.

76. The Constitution (Seventy-sixth Amendment) Act, 1994—The policy ofreservationofseatsineducationalinstitutionsandreservationofappointmentsorpostsinpublicservicesforBackwardClasses,ScheduledCastesandScheduledTribeshashadalonghistoryinTamilNadudatingbacktotheyear1921.TheextentofreservationhasbeenincreasedbytheStateGovernmentfromtimetotime, consistent with the needs of the majority of the people and it has nowreached the level of 69 percent (18 percent Scheduled Castes, one per centScheduledTribesand50percentOtherBackwardClasses).

The Supreme Court in Indira Sawhney and others vs. Union of India andothers (AIR, 1993 SC 477) on 16th November 1992 ruled that the totalreservationsunderArticle16(4)shouldnotexceed50percent.

The Tamil Nadu Government enacted a legislation, namely, Tamil NaduBackwardClasses,ScheduledCastesandScheduledTribes(ReservationofSeatsinEducationalInstitutionandofappointmentsorpostsintheServicesundertheState)Bill,1993andforwardedittotheGovernmentofIndiaforconsiderationof the President of India in terms of Article 31C of the Constitution. TheGovernmentof Indiasupported theprovisionof theState legislationbygivingthePresident’sassenttotheTamilNaduBill.Asacorollarytothisdecision,itwas necessary that the Tamil Nadu Act 45 of 1994 was brought within thepurviewoftheNinthScheduletotheConstitutionsothatitcouldgetprotectionunderArticle31BoftheConstitutionwithregardtothejudicialreview.

TheActamendstheNinthScheduletotheConstitutiontoenablecontinuanceof69percent reservation in thestateby including therelevantTamilNaduactunderthatschedule.77.TheConstitution(Seventy-seventhAmendment)Act,1995—TheScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribeshavebeenenjoyingthefacilityofreservationinpromotion since 1955. The Supreme Court in its judgement dated 16thNovember1992inthecaseofIndiraSawhneyandothersvs.UnionofIndiaandothers, however, observed that reservation of appointments or posts underArticle 16(4) of theConstitution is confined to initial appointment and cannotextend to reservation in thematter of promotion. This ruling of the SupremeCourtadverselyaffectstheinterestsoftheScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribes. Since the representation of the Scheduled Castes and the ScheduledTribes in services in the States had not reached the required level, it wasconsidered necessary to protect the reservation to Scheduled Castes andScheduledTribesemployeesinpromotions.TheAct,therefore,amendedArticle16oftheConstitution.

78.TheConstitution (Seventy-eighthAmendment)Act, 1995—Article 31B oftheConstitutionconfersontheenactmentsincludedintheNinthScheduletotheConstitutionimmunityfromlegalchallengeonthegroundthattheyviolatethefundamental rights enshrined in Part III of the Constitution. The Scheduleconsists of list of laws enacted by various State Governments and CentralGovernment which, inter alia, affect rights and interest in property includingland.

Inthepast,whenever,itwasfoundthatprogressivelegislationconceivedintheinterestof thepublicwasimperiledbylitigation,recoursewastakentotheNinthSchedule.Accordingly,severalStateenactmentsrelating to landreformsandceilingonagriculturallandholdingshavealreadybeenincludedintheNinthSchedule. Since, the Government is committed to give importance to landreforms,itwasdecidedtoincludelandreformlawsintheNinthSchedulesothatthey are not challenged before the courts. The State Governments of Bihar,Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal hadsuggested the inclusion of some of their Acts relating to land reforms in theNinthSchedule.

SincetheamendmenttoActswhicharealreadyplacedintheNinthScheduleare not automatically immunised from legal challenge, a number of amendingActsalongwithafewprincipalActshavebeenincludedintheNinthScheduleso as to ensure that implementationof theseActs is not adversely affectedbylitigation.79.TheConstitution (Seventy-ninthAmendment)Act,1999—By thisAct, theGovernmentextendedthereservationsofseatsfortheScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribes aswell as for theAnglo-Indians in theHouse of thePeopleandintheLegislativeAssembliesofthestatesforanothertenyearstill2010.80. The Constitution (Eightieth Amendment) Act, 2000—Based on therecommendationsof theTenthFinanceCommission,analternative scheme forsharing taxes between the Union and the States has been enacted by theConstitution (Eightieth Amendment) Act, 2000. Under the new scheme ofdevolution of revenue betweenUnion and the States, 26 percent out of grossproceedsofUniontaxesanddutiesistobeassignedtotheStatesinlieuoftheirexistingshareintheincome-tax,exciseduties,specialexcisedutiesandgrantsinlieuoftaxonrailwaypassengerfares.81.TheConstitution(Eighty-firstAmendment)Act,2000—Bythisamendment,theunfilledvacanciesofayearwhichwere reserved for theScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribesforbeingfilledupinthatyearinaccordancewithanyprovision for reservationsmade underArticle 16 of theConstitution, shall be

consideredasaseparateclassofvacanciestobefilledupinanysucceedingyearoryears,andsuchclassofvacancies shallnotbeconsidered togetherwith thevacanciesoftheyearinwhichtheywerefilledupfordeterminingtheceilingoffiftypercentreservationagainsttotalnumberofvacanciesofthatyear.82.TheConstitution(Eighty-secondAmendment)Act,2000—Theamendmentprovides that nothing in Article 335 shall prevent the State frommaking anyprovisioninfavourofthemembersoftheScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribes for relaxation in qualifying marks in any examination or lowering thestandardsof evaluation for reservation inmattersofpromotion to anyclassorclassesofservicesorpostsinconnectionwithaffairsoftheUnionorofaState.83.TheConstitution (Eighty-thirdAmendment)Act, 2000—TheAct amendedArticle 243Mof theConstitution to provide that no reservation in Panchayatsneedbemade in favourof theScheduledCastes inArunachalPradeshwhollyinhabitedbytribalpopulation.84.TheConstitution(Eighty-fourthAmendment)Act,2001—TheActamendedprovisostoarticles82and170(3)oftheConstitutiontoreadjustandrationalisethe territorial constituencies in theStates,without altering thenumberof seatsallotted to each State in House of People and Legislative Assemblies of theStates, includingtheScheduledCastesandScheduledTribesconstituencies,onthebasisof1991censuspopulationfigures.ItalsorefixedthenumberofseatsreservedfortheScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribesintheHouseofthePeopleandtheLegislativeAssembliesoftheStatesonthebasisof1991censusso as to remove the imbalance caused due to uneven growth ofpopulation/electorateindifferentconstituencies.85.TheConstitution (Eighty-fifthAmendment)Act,2001—ThisActamendedarticle16(4A)of theConstitution toprovide for consequential seniority in thecaseofpromotionbyvirtueofruleofreservationfor theGovernmentservantsbelonging to theScheduledCastes and theScheduledTribes,with effect from17thdayofJune1995.86. The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002—The Act led toinsertionof anewarticle21Aafter article21.Thenewarticle21AdealswithRighttoEducationthat“theStateshallprovidefreeandcompulsoryeducationtoallchildrenoftheageofsixtofourteenyears”.ItamendsArticle45and51Ato add provision for early childhood care and education to children below theageofsixyears.87. The Constitution (Eighty-seventh Amendment) Act, 2003 – The Actamended Articles 81, 82, 170 and 330 to extend the usage of 2001 national

censuspopulationfiguresforstate-wisedistributionofparliamentaryseats.88. The Constitution (Eighty-eighth Amendment) Act, 2003 – It amendedArticle270andinsertedArticle268Ainordertoextendstatutorycoverforlevyand utilisation of service tax. It also amended the Seventh Schedule to theConstitution.89.TheConstitution (Eighty-ninthAmendment)Act, 2003 –This amendmentled to bifurcation of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes andScheduledTribes into theNationalCommission for ScheduledCastes and theNational Commission for Scheduled Tribes. It amended Articles 338 andinserted Article 338A. It further defined the composition, responsibilities andpowersofthetwocommissions.90. The Constitution (Ninetieth Amendment) Act, 2003 – This Act amendedArticle332tomakeprovisionsregardingprotectionofrightsofthenon-tribals,the existing representation of the ScheduledTribes and non-ScheduledTribes,fromtheBodolandTerritorialAreasintheAssamLegislativeAssembly.Article332 of the Constitution of India provides for reservation of seats for theScheduledCastesandtheScheduledTribesintheLegislativeAssembliesoftheStates.Clause(6)ofarticle332stipulatesthatnopersonwhoisnotamemberofa Scheduled Tribe of any autonomous district of the State of Assam shall beeligible for election to the Legislative Assembly of the State from anyconstituencyofthatdistrict.Therefore,aprovisoinclause(6)ofarticle332oftheConstitutionwasinserted.91.TheConstitution(Ninety-firstAmendment),Act,2003–TheActamendedArticle75and164andinsertedArticle361B.TheamendmentrestrictsthesizeoftheCouncilofMinistersintheUnionGovernmentandinaStateGovernmentto fifteen percent of the total number of legislative members. It aims atstrengthening theAnti-Defection laws. It also amended the Tenth Schedule tothe constitution to bring split of political parties within the purview ofdisqualificationbasedondefection.92. The Constitution (Ninety-second Amendment) Act, 2003—It amendedEighthScheduleoftheConstitutiontoincludeBodo,Dogri,SantaliandMaithaliasofficiallanguages.93.TheConstitution (Ninety-thirdAmendment)Act, 2006—TheAct aims toprovidegreateraccesstohighereducationincludingprofessionaleducationtoalarger number of students belonging to the Scheduled Castes and ScheduledTribes. ItamendedArticle15 toenableprovisionof27percentreservationforotherbackwardclassesingovernmentaswellasprivateeducationalinstitutions.

94.TheConstitution(Ninety-fourthAmendment)Act,2006—TheActprovidesfor a Minister of Tribal Welfare in newly created states of Jharkhand andChhattisgarh.95.TheConstitution(Ninety-fifthAmendment)Act,2009—ItamendedArticle334toextendthereservationoftheseatsforSCsandSTsintheLokSabhaandStateAssembliesfromsixtyyearstoseventyyearstill2020.96. The Constitution (Ninety-Sixth Amendment) Act, 2011—The amendmentsubstituted the word “Odia” for the word “Oriya” in entry 15 in the EighthScheduletotheConstitution.97. The Constitution (Ninety-Seventh Amendment) Act, 2011—It led to theadditionofthewords“OrCo-operativeSocieties”aftertheworld“OrUnions”inArticle 19(i)(c) and insertion of article 43B, i.e. Promotion ofCo-operativeSocietiesandaddedPartIXB,i.e.TheCo-operativeSocieties.Theobjectiveofthe amendment is to ensure autonomous and democratic functioning ofcooperativesandfixtheaccountabilityofthemanagementtothemembersandstakeholders.98.TheConstitution(Ninety-EighthAmendment)Act,2012—Article371JwasinsertedintheconstitutionthroughthisAct.TheobjectivewastoempowertheGovernor of Karnataka to take steps to develop the Hyderabad-Karnatakaregion.99.TheConstitution(Ninety-NinthAmendment)Act,2014–ThisActledtotheinsertion of new Articles 124A, 124B and 124C after Article 124 of theConstitution.TheActalsoprovidedforthecompositionandthefunctionsoftheproposedNationalJudicialAppointmentsCommission.100.TheConstitution(OneHundredthAmendment)Act,2015—ItamendedtheFirst Schedule of the Constitution, for the purpose of giving effect to theacquiringofterritoriesbyIndiaandtransferofterritoriestoBangladeshthroughretainingof adverse possession and exchangeof enclaves, in pursuanceof theagreement between India and Bangladesh concerning the demarcation of theland boundary, signed on 16th May 1974 and its protocol, signed on 6thSeptember,2011.101.TheConstitution(OneHundredandFirstAmendment)Act,2016—TheActamendedtheconstitutiontointroduce“TheGoodsandServicesTax(GST)”.Itamendedthearticles248,249,250,268,269,270,271,286,366and368.Italsoamended theSixthandSeventhSchedules.Article268AwasomittedandnewArticles246A(Specialprovisionwithrespecttogoodsandservicestax),269A(Levyandcollectionofgoodsandservicestaxincourseofinter-Statetradeor

commerce)and279A(GoodsandServicesTaxCouncil)wereinserted.TheActalso provided for compensation to states for loss of revenue on account ofintroductionofgoodsandservicestax.102.TheConstitution(OneHundredandSecondAmendment)Act,2018-TheAct provided constitutional status to the National Commission for BackwardClasses (NCBC). Two new articles 338B and 342A alongwith clause 26C inarticle 366 that defines socially and educationally backward classes wereinsertedandarticle340hasbeenomitted.

With this, the NCBC will have all the powers of a civil court. It has theauthority to examine complaints and welfare measures regarding socially andeducationally backward classes. Its powers include summoning and enforcingtheattendanceofanypersonfromanypartofthecountryandexamininghimonoath.Itcanaskforproductionofdocumentsandreceiveevidenceonaffidavits.103.TheConstitution (OneHundred andThirdAmendment)Act, 2019 -TheActintroducedtenpercentreservationforeconomicallyweakersections(EWS)from the upper castes of the society in central government jobs as well asadmission in central government-run and private educational institutions. Theamendmentdoesnotmakesuchreservationsmandatoryinstategovernment-runeducationalinstitutionsorstategovernmentjobs.Thisreservationisinadditiontotheexistingreservationsandsubjecttoamaximumoftenpercentofthetotalseatsineachcategory.ItamendedArticles15and16oftheConstitution.Source:http://indiacode.nic.in

http://indiacode.nic.in

Appendices

GOVERNMENTOFINDIAShriRamNathKovind—President

ShriM.VenkaiahNaidu—Vice-President

COUNCILOFMINISTERS(AsonDecember31,2019)1

CABINETMINISTERS

MINISTERSOFSTATE(IndependentCharge)

MINISTERSOFSTATE

MEMBERSOFPARLIAMENT

RAJYASABHA(StatewiseListasonDecember31,2019)Chairman ShriMVenkaiahNaiduDeputyChairman HarivanshNaryanSinghName Party/GroupSTATESANDHRAPRADESH(11)1. Chowdary,ShriY.S. BJP2. KanakamedalaRavindraKumar,Shri TDP3. Khan,ShriMohd.Ali INC4. Prabhu,ShriSuresh BJP5. Ramesh,ShriC.M. BJP6. Rao,Dr.K.Keshava TRS7. Reddy,Dr.T.Subbarami INC8. Reddy,ShriV.Vijayasai YSRCP9. SeetharamaLakshmi,Smt.Thota TDP10. Vemireddy,ShriPrabhakarReddy YSRCP11. Venkatesh,ShriT.G. BJPARUNACHALPRADESH(1)12. MukutMithi,Shri INCASSAM(5)13. Baishya,ShriBirendraPrasad AGP14. Bora,ShriRipun INC15. Daimary,ShriBiswajit BPF16. Narah,Smt.Ranee INC17. Tasa,ShriKamakhyaPrasad BJPBIHAR(15)18. Bharti,Smt.Misha RJD

19. Dubey,ShriSatishChandra BJP20. Harivansh,Shri JD(U)21. Jha,Prof.ManojKumar RJD22. Karim,ShriAhmadAshfaque RJD23. MahendraPrasad,Dr. JD(U)24. Paswan,ShriRamVilas LJSP25. Perween,Smt.Kahkashan JD(U)26. Singh,ShriAkhileshPrasad INC27. Singh,ShriBashisthaNarain JD(U)28. Singh,ShriGopalNarayan BJP29. Singh,ShriRamChandraPrasad JD(U)30. Sinha,ShriR.K. BJP31. Thakur,Dr.C.P. BJP32. Thakur,ShriRamNath JD(U)CHHATTISGARH(5)33. Judev,ShriRanvijaySingh BJP34. Netam,ShriRamVichar BJP35. Pandey,Ms.Saroj BJP36. Verma,Smt.Chhaya INC37. Vora,ShriMotilal INCGOA(1)38. Tendulkar,ShriVinayDinu BJPGUJARAT(11)39. Gohel,ShriChunibhaiKanjibhai BJP40. Jaishankar,ShriS. BJP41. Lokhandwala,ShriJugalsinhMathurji BJP42. Mandaviya,ShriMansukh BJP43. Mistry,ShriMadhusudan INC44. Patel,ShriAhmed INC45. Rathwa,ShriNaranbhaiJ. INC46. Rupala,ShriParshottam BJP47. Tundiya,MahantShambhuprasadji BJP48. Vadodia,ShriLalSinh BJP

49. Yajnik,Dr.Amee INCHARYANA(4)50. Selja,Kumari INC51. Singh,ChaudharyBirender BJP52. SubhashChandra,Dr. IND.53. Vats(Retd.),Lt.Gen.(Dr.)D.P. BJPHIMACHALPRADESH(3)54. AnandSharma,Shri INC55. Nadda,ShriJagatPrakash BJP56. Thakur,Smt.Viplove INCJAMMUANDKASHMIR(4)57. Azad,ShriGhulamNabi INC58. Fayaz,MirMohammadJ&K PDP59. Laway,ShriNazirAhmedJ&K PDP60. Manhas,ShriShamsherSingh BJPJHARKHAND(6)61. Gupta,ShriPremChand RJD62. Naqvi,ShriMukhtarAbbas BJP63. Nathwani,ShriParimal IND.64. Oraon,ShriSamir BJP65. Poddar,ShriMahesh BJP66. Sahu,ShriDhirajPrasad IND.KARNATAKA(11)67. Chandrasekhar,ShriRajeev BJP68. Chandrashekhar,ShriG.C. INC69. Fernandes,ShriOscar INC70. Gowda,Prof.M.V.Rajeev INC71. Hanumanthaiah,Dr.L. INC72. Hariprasad,ShriB.K. INC73. Hussain,ShriSyedNasir INC74. Kore,Dr.Prabhakar BJP75. NirmalaSitharaman,Smt. BJP76. Ramesh,ShriJairam INC

77. Reddy,ShriD.Kupendra JD(S)KERALA(9)78. AbdulWahab,Shri IUML79. Antony,ShriA.K. INC80. Kareem,ShriElamaram CPI(M)81. Mani,ShriJoseK. KC(M)82. Ragesh,ShriK.K. CPI(M)83. Ravi,ShriVayalar INC84. Somaprasad,ShriK. CPI(M)85. VeerendraKumar,ShriM.P. IND.86. Viswam,ShriBinoy CPIMADHYAPRADESH(11)87. Akbar,ShriM.J. BJP88. Gehlot,ShriThaawarchand BJP89. Jatiya,Dr.Satyanarayan BJP90. Jha,ShriPrabhat BJP91. Patel,ShriRajmani INC92. Pradhan,ShriDharmendra BJP93. Singh,ShriAjayPratap BJP94. Singh,ShriDigvijaya INC95. Soni,ShriKailash BJP96. Tankha,ShriVivekK. INC97. Uikey,Smt.Sampatiya BJPMAHARASHTRA(19)98. Athawale,ShriRamdas RPI(A)99. Chavan,Smt.Vandana NCP100. Chidambaram,ShriP. INC101. Dalwai,ShriHusain INC102. Desai,ShriAnil SS103. Dhoot,ShriRajkumar SS104. Goyal,ShriPiyush BJP105. Javadekar,ShriPrakash BJP106. Kakade,ShriSanjayDattatraya IND.

107. Ketkar,ShriKumar INC108. Mahatme,Dr.Vikas BJP109. Memon,ShriMajeed NCP110. Muraleedharan,ShriV. BJP111. Patel,ShriPraful NCP112. Pawar,ShriSharad NCP113. Rane,ShriNarayan BJP114. Raut,ShriSanjay SS115. Sable,ShriAmarShankar BJP116. Sahasrabuddhe,Dr.VinayP. BJPMANIPUR(1)117. Singh,ShriK.Bhabananda BJPMEGHALAYA(1)118. Syiem,Smt.Wansuk INCMIZORAM(1)119. Tlau,ShriRonaldSapa INCNAGALAND(1)120. Kenye,ShriK.G.NPFNATIONALCAPITALTERRITORYOFDELHI(3)121. Gupta,ShriNarainDass APP122. Gupta,ShriSushilKumar APP123. Singh,ShriSanjay APPODISHA(9)124. Acharya,ShriPrasanna BJD125. Biswal,ShriRanjib INC126. Hembram,Smt.Sarojini BJD127. Nanda,ShriPrashanta BJD128. Nekkanti,ShriBhaskarRao BJD129. Patnaik,Dr.Amar BJD130. Patra,Dr.Sasmit BJD131. Swain,ShriNarendraKumar BJD132. Vaishnaw,ShriAshwini BJPPUDUCHERRY(1)

133. Gokulakrishnan,ShriN. AIADMKPUNJAB(7)134. Bajwa,ShriPartapSingh INC135. Bhunder,SardarBalwinderSingh SAD136. Dhindsa,SardarSukhdevSingh SAD137. Dullo,ShriShamsherSingh INC138. Gujral,ShriNaresh SAD139. Malik,ShriShwait BJP140. Soni,Smt.Ambika INCRAJASTHAN(10)141. Alphons,ShriK.J. BJP142. Dudi,ShriRamNarain BJP143. Dungarpur,ShriHarshvardhanSingh BJP144. Goel,ShriVijay BJP145. Mathur,ShriOmPrakash BJP146. Meena,Dr.KirodiLal BJP147. Panchariya,ShriNarayanLal BJP148. Singh,Dr.Manmohan INC149. Verma,ShriRamkumar BJP150. Yadav,ShriBhupender BJPSIKKIM(1)151. Lachungpa,ShriHishey SDFTAMILNADU(18)152. Balasubramoniyan,ShriS.R. AIADMK153. Bharathi,ShriR.S. DMK154. Chandrasegharan,ShriN. AIADMK155. Elangovan,ShriT.K.S. DMK156. Mohammedjan,ShriA. AIADMK157. Muthukaruppan,ShriS. AIADMK158. Navaneethakrishnan,ShriA. AIADMK159. Ramadoss,Dr.Anbumani PMK160. Ramaswamy,Dr.SasikalaPushpa AIADMK161. Rangarajan,ShriT.K. CPI(M)

162. Selvaraj,ShriA.K. AIADMK163. Shanmugam,ShriM. DMK164. Siva,ShriTiruchi DMK165. Vaiko,Shri MDMK166. Vaithilingam,ShriR. AIADMK167. Vijayakumar,ShriA. AIADMK168. VijilaSathyananth,Smt. AIADMK169.Wilson,ShriP. DMKTELANGANA(7)170. BandaPrakash,Dr. TRS171. JoginipallySantoshKumar,Shri TRS172. Rao,ShriGarikapatiMohan BJP173. Rao,Dr.K.V.P.Ramachandra INC174. Rao,ShriV.Lakshmikantha TRS175. Srinivas,ShriDharmapuri TRS176. Yadav,ShriB.Lingaiah TRSTRIPURA(1)177. Baidya,Smt.JharnaDas CPI(M)UTTARPRADESH(30)178. Agrawal,Dr.Anil BJP179. AshokSiddharth,Shri BSP180. Bachchan,Smt.Jaya SP181. Bajpai,Dr.Ashok BJP182. Jain,Dr.Anil BJP183. Kardam,Smt.Kanta BJP184. Khan,ShriJavedAli SP185. Misra,ShriSatishChandra BSP186. Nagar,ShriSurendraSingh BJP187. Nishad,ShriVishambharPrasad SP188. Punia,ShriP.L. INC189. Puri,ShriHardeepSingh BJP190. Rajaram,Shri BSP191. Rajbhar,ShriSakaldeep BJP

192. Rao,ShriG.V.L.Narasimha BJP193. Seth,ShriSanjay BJP194. Shekhar,ShriNeeraj BJP195. Shukla,ShriShivPratap BJP196. Sibal,ShriKapil INC197. Singh,ShriAmar IND198. Singh,ShriRewatiRaman SP199. Singh,ShriVeer BSP200. Tomar,ShriVijayPalSingh BJP201. Trivedi,Dr.Sudhanshu BJP202. Verma,ShriBeniPrasad SP203. Verma,ShriRaviPrakash SP204. Yadav,Dr.ChandrapalSingh SP205. Yadav,ShriHarnathSingh BJP206. Yadav,Prof.RamGopal SP207. Yadav,Ch.SukhramSingh SPUTTARAKHAND(3)208. Babbar,ShriRaj INC209. Baluni,ShriAnil BJP210. Tamta,ShriPradeep INCWESTBENGAL(16)211. Banerjee,ShriRitabrata IND212. Bhattacharya,ShriP. INC213. Bhunia,ShriManasRanjan AITC214. Biswas,ShriAbirRanjan AITC215. Chakraborty,ShriSubhasish AITC216. Chhetri,Smt.Shanta AITC217. Chowdhury,Prof.Jogen AITC218. Gupta,ShriManish AITC219. Haque,ShriMd.Nadimul AITC220. Hassan,ShriAhamed AITC221. OBrien,ShriDerek AITC222. Ray,ShriSukhenduSekhar AITC

223. Sen,Ms.Dola AITC224. Sen,Dr.Santanu AITC225. Singh,Dr.KanwarDeep AITC226. Singhvi,Dr.AbhishekManu INCNominated(NOM.)-12227. Chhatrapati,ShriSambhaji BJP228. Dasgupta,ShriSwapan NOM.229. Ganguly,Smt.Roopa BJP230. Jadhav,Dr.Narendra NOM.231. Kom,Smt.M.C.Mary NOM.232. Mansingh,Dr.Sonal BJP233. Mohapatra,Dr.Raghunath BJP234. RamShakal,Shri BJP235. Sinha,ShriRakesh BJP236. SureshGopi,Shri BJP237. Swamy,Dr.Subramanian BJP238. Tulsi,ShriK.T.S NOM.

LOKSABHA(StatewiseListasonDecember31,2019)Speaker:ShriOmBirlaS.No.

State/Constituency NameoftheMember Party/Group

ANDHRAPRADESH(25)1. Amalapuram(SC) Pandula,Dr.RavindraBabu TDP1. Tirupati(SC) Balli,ShriDurgaPrasadRao YSRCP2. Vizianagaram Bellana,ShriChandraSekhar YSRCP3. Rajahmundry Bharat,ShriMargani YSRCP4. Amalapuram(SC) ChintaAnuradha,Smt. YSRCP5. Narasaraopet Devarayalu,ShriLavuSriKrishna YSRCP6. Guntur Galla,ShriJayadev TDP7. Narsapuram Kanumuru,ShriRaghuRamakrishna

RajuYSRCP

8. Vijayawada Kesineni,ShriSrinivas TDP9. Hindupur Madhav,ShriKuruvaGorantla YSRCP10. Araku(ST) Madhavi,Smt.Goddeti YSRCP11. Chittoor(SC) NallakondaGari,ShriReddeppa YSRCP12. Srikakulam RamMohanNaidu,ShriKinjarapu TDP13. Anantapur Rangaiah,ShriTalari YSRCP14. Nellore Reddy,ShriAdalaPrabhakara YSRCP15. Ongole Reddy,ShriMaguntaSreenivasulu YSRCP16. Rajampet Reddy,ShriMidhun YSRCP17. Nandyal Reddy,ShriPochaBrahmananda YSRCP18. Kadapa Reddy,ShriY.S.Avinash YSRCP19. Visakhapatnam Satyanarayana,ShriMVV YSRCP20. Kurnool Singari,Dr.SanjeevKumar YSRCP21. Eluru Sridhar,ShriKotagiri YSRCP22. Bapatla(SC) Suresh,ShriNandigam YSRCP23. Machilipatnam Vallabbhaneni,ShriBalashowry YSRCP24. Kakinada Vanga,Smt.GeethaViswanath YSRCP25. Anakapalle VenkataSatyavathi,Dr.Beesetti YSRCPARUNACHALPRADESH(2)26. ArunachalEast Gao,ShriTapir BJP27. ArunachalWest Rijiju,ShriKiren BJPASSAM(14)28. Dhubri Ajmal,MaulanaBadruddin AIUDF29. Lakhimpur Baruah,ShriPradan BJP30. AutonomousDistrict

(ST)Bey,ShriHorenSing BJP

31. Nawgong Bordoloi,ShriPradyut INC32. Tezpur Das,ShriPallabLochan BJP33. Mangaldoi Dilip,ShriSaikia BJP34. Kaliabor Gogoi,ShriGaurav INC35. Jorhat Gogoi,ShriToponKumar BJP36. Barpeta Khaleque,ShriAbdul INC37. Karimganj(SC) Mallah,ShriKripanath BJP

38. Gauhati Oja,Smt.Queen BJP39. Silchar Roy,Dr.Rajdeep BJP40. Kokrajhar(ST) Sarania,ShriNaba(Hira)Kumar IND.41. Dibrugarh Teli,ShriRameswar BJPBIHAR(40)42. Buxar Choubey,ShriAshwiniKumar BJP43. Sheohar Devi,Smt.Rama BJP44. Vaishali Devi,Smt.Veena LJSP45. Katihar Goswami,ShriDulalChandra JD(U)46. PaschimChamparan Jaiswal,Dr.Sanjay BJP47. Kishanganj Jawed,Dr.Mohammad INC48. Khagaria Kaiser,ChoudharyMehboobAli LJSP49. Supaul Kamait,ShriDileshwar JD(U)50. Nalanda Kumar,ShriKaushalendra JD(U)51. Purnia Kumar,ShriSantosh JD(U)52. Gaya(SC) Kumar,ShriVijay JD(U)53. ValmikiNagar Mahto,ShriBaidyanathPrasad JD(U)54. Bhagalpur Mandal,ShriAjayKumar JD(U)55. Jhanjharpur Mandal,ShriRampreet JD(U)56. Muzaffarpur Nishad,ShriAjay BJP57. Hajipur(SC) Paras,ShriPashupatiKumar LJSP58. Sasaram(SC) Paswan,ShriChhedi BJP59. Jamui(SC) Paswan,ShriChirag LJSP60. Jahanabad Prasad,ShriChandeshwar JD(U)61. PatnaSahib Prasad,ShriRaviShankar BJP62. Samastipur(SC) PrinceRaj,Shri LJSP63. Ujiarpur Rai,ShriNityanand BJP64. Saran Rudy,ShriRajivPratap BJP65. Darbhanga ShriGopalJeeThakur BJP66. Maharajganj Sigriwal,ShriJanardanSingh BJP67. Nawada Singh,ShriChandan LJSP68. Begusarai Singh,ShriGiriraj BJP69. Siwan Singh,Smt.Kavita JD(U)

70. Karakat Singh,ShriMahabali JD(U)

71. Araria Singh,ShriPradeepKumar BJP72. PurviChamparan Singh,ShriRadhaMohan BJP73. Arrah Singh,ShriRajKumar BJP74. Munger Singh,ShriRajivRanjan(Lalan) JD(U)75. Aurangabad Singh,ShriSushilKumar BJP76. Gopalganj(SC) Suman,Dr.AlokKumar JD(U)77. Sitamarhi SunilKumarPintu,Shri JD(U)78. Madhubani Yadav,ShriAshokKumar BJP79. Madhepura Yadav,ShriDineshChandra JD(U)80. Banka Yadav,ShriGiridhari JD(U)81. Pataliputra Yadav,ShriRamKripal BJPCHHATTISGARH(11)82. Janjgir-Champa(SC) Ajgalley,ShriGuharam BJP83. Durg Baghel,ShriVijay BJP84. Bastar(ST) Baij,ShriDeepak INC85. Korba Mahant,Smt.JyotsnaCharandas INC86. Kanker(ST) Mandavi,ShriMohan BJP87. Rajnandgaon Pandey,ShriSantosh BJP88. Mahasamund Sahu,ShriChunniLal BJP89. Raigarh(ST) Sai,Smt.Gomati BJP90. Bilaspur Sao,ShriArun BJP91. Surguja(ST) Saruta,Smt.RenukaSingh BJP92. Raipur Soni,ShriSunilKumar BJPGOA(2)93. NorthGoa Naik,ShriShripadYesso BJP94. SouthGoa Sardinha,ShriFranciscoCosme INCGUJARAT(26)95. Dahod(ST) Bhabhor,ShriJaswantsinhSumanbhai BJP96. Vadodara Bhatt,Smt.RanjanbenDhananjay BJP97. Kheda Chauhan,ShriDevusinhJesingbhai BJP98. Kachchh(SC) Chavda,ShriVinod BJP99. Junagadh Chudasama,ShriRajeshbhaiNaranbha BJP

100. Patan Dabhi,ShriBharatsinhjiShankarji BJP101. Porbandar Dhaduk,ShriRameshbhaiLavjibhai BJP102. Surat Jardosh,Smt.DarshanaVikram BJP103. Amreli Kachhadiya,ShriNaranbhaiBhikhabhai BJP104. Rajkot Kundariya,ShriMohanbhaiKalyanji BJP105. Jamnagar Maadam,Smt.PoonambenHematbhai BJP106. Surendranagar Munjpara,Dr.MahendrabhaiKalubhai BJP107. AhmedabadEast Patel,ShriHasmukhbhaiSomabhai BJP108. Valsad(ST) Patel,Dr.K.C. BJP109. Anand Patel,ShriMiteshRameshbhai

(Bakabhai)BJP

110. Banaskantha Patel,ShriParbatbhaiSavabhai BJP111. Mahesana Patel,Smt.ShardabenAnilbhai BJP112. Navsari Patil,ShriC.R. BJP113. Sabarkantha Rathod,ShriDipsinhShankarsinh BJP114. Panchmahal Rathod,ShriRatansinhMagansinh BJP115. ChhotaUdaipur(ST) Rathva,Smt.GitabenVajesingbhai BJP116. Gandhinagar Shah,ShriAmitAnilChandra BJP117. Bhavnagar Shyal,Dr.BharatibenDhirubhai BJP118. AhmedabadWest

(SC)Solanki,Dr.(Prof.)KiritPremjibhai BJP

119. Bharuch Vasava,ShriMansukhbhaiDhanjibhai BJP120. Bardoli(ST) Vasava,ShriPrabhubhaiNagarbhai BJPHARYANA(10)121. Karnal Bhatia,ShriSanjay BJP122. Bhiwani-

MahendragarhDharambirSingh,Shri BJP

123. Sirsa(SC) Duggal,Smt.Sunita BJP124. Faridabad Gurjar,ShriKrishanPal BJP125. Ambala(SC) Kataria,ShriRattanLal BJP126. Sonipat Kaushik,ShriRameshChander BJP127. Gurgaon RaoInderjitSingh BJP128. Rohtak Sharma,Dr.ArvindKumar BJP

129. Hisar Singh,ShriBrijendra BJP130. Kurukshetra Singh,ShriNayab BJPHIMACHALPRADESH(4)131. Kangra Kapoor,ShriKishan BJP132. Shimla(SC) Kashyap,ShriSureshKumar BJP133. Mandi Sharma,ShriRamSwaroop BJP134. Hamirpur Thakur,ShriAnuragSingh BJPJAMMUANDKASHMIR(6)135. Srinagar Abdullah,Dr.Farooq J&KNC136. Baramulla Lone,ShriMohammadAkbar J&KNC137. Anantnag Masoodi,ShriHasnain J&KNC138. Ladakh Namgyal,ShriJamyangTsering BJP139. Jammu Sharma,ShriJugalKishore BJP140. Udhampur Singh,Dr.Jitendra BJPJHARKHAND(14)141. Lohardaga(ST) Bhagat,ShriSudarshan BJP142. Giridih Choudhary,ShriChandraPrakash AJSU143. Godda Dubey,Dr.Nishikant BJP144. Rajmahal(ST) Hansdak,ShriVijayKumar JMM145. Singhbhum(ST) Kora,Smt.Geeta INC146. Jamshedpur Mahato,ShriBidyutBaran BJP147. Kodarma Mrs.AnnpurnaDevi BJP148. Khunti(ST) Munda,ShriArjun BJP149. Palamu(SC) Ram,ShriVishnuDayal BJP150. Ranchi Seth,ShriSanjay BJP151. Dhanbad Singh,ShriPashupatiNath BJP152. Chatra Singh,ShriSunilKumar BJP153. Hazaribagh' Sinha,ShriJayant BJP154. Dumka(ST) Soren,ShriSunil BJPKARNATAKA(28)155. Chitradurga(SC) Abbaiah,ShriNarayanaSwamy BJP156. Mandya Ambareesh,Smt.Sumalatha IND.157. Belgaum Angadi,ShriSureshChanabasappa BJP

158. Chikkballapur B.N.,ShriBacheGowda BJP159. Tumkur Basavaraj,ShriGangasandraSiddappa BJP

160. Bagalkot Gaddigoudar,ShriParvatagoudaChandanagouda

BJP

161. BangaloreNorth Gowda,ShriD.V.Sadananda BJP162. UttaraKannada Hegde,ShriAnantkumar BJP163. Gulbarga(SC) Jadhav,Dr.UmeshG. BJP164. Bijapur(SC) Jigajinagi,ShriRameshChandappa BJP165. Chikkodi Jolle,ShriAnnasahebShankar BJP166. Dharwad Joshi,ShriPralhadVenkatesh BJP167. Koppal Karadi,ShriSangannaAmarappa BJP168. UdupiChikmagalur Karandlaje,Km.Shobha BJP169. DakshinaKannada Kateel,ShriNalinKumar BJP170. Bidar Khuba,ShriBhagwanth BJP171. BangaloreCentral Mohan,ShriP.C. BJP172. Kolar(SC) Muniswamy,ShriS. BJP173. Raichur(ST) Naik,ShriRajaAmareshwara BJP174. Chamrajanagar(SC) Prasad,ShriV.Srinivas BJP175. Shimoga Raghavendra,ShriB.Y. BJP176. Hassan Revanna,ShriPrajwal JD(S)177. Davanagere Siddeshwara,ShriGowdar

MallikarjunappaBJP

178. Mysore Simha,ShriPrathap BJP179. BangaloreRural

(Karnataka)Suresh,ShriDoddaalahalliKempegowda INC

180. BangaloreSouth(Karnataka)Surya,ShriL.S.Tejasvi BJP181. Haveri(Karnataka) Udasi,ShriShivkumarChanabasappa BJP182. Bellary(ST)

(Karnataka)Y,ShriDevendrappa BJP

KERALA(20)183. Pathanamthitta Antony,ShriAnto INC184. Alappuzha Ariff,Adv.AbdulMajeed CPI(M)185. Ponnani Basheer,ShriE.T.Mohammed IUML

186. Chalakudy Benny,ShriBehanan INC187. Kottayam Chazhikadan,ShriThomas KC(M)188. Ernakulam Eden,ShriHibi INC

189. Wayanad Gandhi,ShriRahul INC190. Alathur(SC) Haridas,Ms.Ramya INC191. Mavelikkara(SC) Kodikunnil,ShriSuresh INC192. Idukki Kuriakose,Adv.Dean INC193. Vadakara Muraleedharan,ShriK. INC194. Malappuram P.K.,ShriKunhalikutty IUML195. Attingal Prakash,Adv.Adoor INC196. Thrissur Prathapan,ShriT.N. INC197. Kollam Premachandran,ShriN.K. RSP198. Kozhikode Raghavan,ShriM.K. INC199. Kannur Sudhakaran,ShriKumbakudi INC200. Thiruvananthapuram Tharoor,Dr.Shashi INC201. Kasaragod Unnithan,ShriRajmohan INC202. Palakkad V.K.Sreekandan,Shri INCMADHYAPRADESH(29)203. Vidisha Bhargava,ShriRamakant BJP204. Balaghat Bisen,Dr.DhalSingh BJP205. Khandwa Chauhan,ShriNandKumarSingh BJP206. Ratlam(ST) Damor,ShriGumanSingh BJP207. Dhar(ST) Darbar,ShriChhatarSingh BJP208. Ujjain(SC) Firojiya,ShriAnil BJP209. Mandsour Gupta,ShriSudheer BJP210. Mandla(ST) Kulaste,ShriFagganSingh BJP211. Tikamgarh(SC) Kumar,Dr.Virendra BJP212. Indore Lalwani,ShriShankar BJP213. Rewa Mishra,ShriJanardan BJP214. Rajgarh Nagar,ShriRodmal BJP215. Chhindwara Nath,ShriNakulK. INC216. Khargone(ST) Patel,ShriGajendraSingh BJP217. Damoh Patel,ShriPrahladSingh BJP

218. Sidhi Pathak,Smt.Riti BJP219. Bhind(SC) Ray,Smt.Sandhya BJP220. Khajuraho Sharma,ShriVishnuDutt BJP

221. Gwalior Shejwalkar,ShriVivekNarayan BJP222. Satna Singh,ShriGanesh BJP223. Shahdol(ST) Singh,Smt.Himadri BJP224. Sagar Singh,ShriRajbahadur BJP225. Jabalpur Singh,ShriRakesh BJP226. Hoshangabad Singh,ShriUdayPratap BJP227. Dewas(SC) Solanky,ShriMahendraSingh BJP228. Bhopal Thakur,SadhviPragyaSingh BJP229. Morena Tomar,ShriNarendraSingh BJP230. Betul(ST) Uikey,ShriDurgaDas BJP231. Guna Yadav,Dr.KrishnaPalSingh BJPMAHARASHTRA(48)232. Pune Bapat,ShriGirishBhalchandra BJP233. Maval Barne,ShriShrirangAppa SS234. Dhule Bhamre,Dr.SubhashRamrao BJP235. Yavatmal-Washim BhavanaGawali(Patil),Ms. SS236. Nanded Chikhalikar,ShriPratapraoGovindrao

PatilBJP

237. Jalna Danve,ShriRaosahebPatil BJP238. Chandrapur Dhanorkar,ShriBalubhau(AliasSuresh

Narayan)INC

239. Akola Dhotre,ShriSanjayShamrao BJP240. Nagpur Gadkari,ShriNitinJairam BJP241. Nandurbar(ST) Gavit,Dr.HeenaVijaykumar BJP242. Palghar(ST) Gavit,ShriRajendraDhedya SS243. Nashik Godse,ShriHemantTukaram SS244. Buldhana Jadhav,ShriPrataprao SS245. Parbhani Jadhav,ShriSanjayHaribhau SS246. Raver Khadse,Smt.RakshaNikhil BJP247. Mumbai-North-West Kirtikar,ShriGajananChandrakant SS

248. Shirur Kolhe,Dr.AmolRamsing NCP249. Mumbai-North-East Kotak,ShriManojKishorbhai BJP250. Shirdi(SC) Lokhande,ShriSadashivKisan SS251. Solapur(SC) Mahaswamiji,Dr.Jaisiddeshwar

ShivacharyaBJP

252. Kolhapur Mandlik,ShriSanjaySadashivrao SS253. Bhandara-Gondiya Mendhe,ShriSunilBaburao BJP254. Beed Munde,Dr.PritamGopinath BJP255. Madha Naik-Nimbalkar,ShriRanjeetsinha

HinduraoBJP

256. Gadchiroli-Chimur(ST)

Nete,ShriAshokMahadeorao BJP

257. Hingoli Patil,ShriHemant SS258. Bhiwandi Patil,ShriKapilMoreshwar BJP259. Sangli Patil,ShriSanjay(Kaka)Ramchandra BJP260. Satara Patil,ShriShriniwasDadasaheb NCP261. Jalgaon Patil,ShriUnmeshBhaiyyasaheb BJP262. Dindori(ST) Pawar,Dr.BhartiPravin BJP263. Osmanabad Rajenimbalkar,ShriOmprakash

BhupalsinhaliasPawanSS

264. Amravati(SC) Rana,SmtNavneetRavi IND.265. Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Raut,ShriVinayakBhaurao SS266. Mumbai-South Sawant,ShriArvindGanpat SS267. Mumbai-North Shetty,ShriGopalChinayya BJP268. Kalyan Shinde,Dr.ShrikantEknath SS269. Latur(SC) Shrangre,ShriSudhakarTukaram BJP270. Hatkanangle ShriDhairyasheelSambhajiraoMane SS271. MumbaiSouth-

CentralShriRahulRameshShewale SS

272. Aurangabad ShriSyedImtiazJaleel AIMIM273. Baramati Sule,Smt.SupriyaSadanand NCP274. Wardha Tadas,ShriRamdasChandrabhanji BJP275. Raigad Tatkare,ShriSunilDattatray NCP276. Ramtek(SC) Tumane,ShriKrupalBalaji SS

277. Mumbai-North-Central

VajendlaRao,Smt.Poonam(Mahajan) BJP

278. Thane Vichare,ShriRajanBaburao SS279. Ahmednagar Vikhepatil,Dr.SujayRadhakrishna BJP

MANIPUR(2)280. OuterManipur(ST) Pfoze,Dr.LorhoS. NPF281. InnerManipur Rajkumar,Dr.RanjanSingh BJPMEGHALAYA(2)282. Shillong(ST) Pala,ShriVincentH INC283. Tura(ST) Sangma,Kum.AgathaK. NPFMIZORAM(1)284. Mizoram(ST) Lalrosanga,ShriC. MNFNAGALAND(1)285. Nagaland Yepthomi,ShriTokheho NDPPODISHA(21)286. Aska Bisoyi,Smt.Pramila BJD287. Sambalpur Deb,ShriNiteshGanga BJP288. Cuttack Mahtab,ShriBhartruhari BJD289. Nabarangpur(ST) Majhi,ShriRameshChandra BJD290. Jagatsinghpur(SC) Mallick,(Dr.)Smt.Rajashree BJD291. Bhadrak(SC) Mandal,Smt.Manjulata BJD292. Puri Misra,ShriPinaki BJD293. Kendrapara Mohanty,ShriAnubhav BJD294. Keonjhar(ST) Murmu,Ms.Chandrani BJD295. Sundargarh(ST) Oram,ShriJual BJP296. Kalahandi Panda,ShriBasantaKumar BJP297. Balasore PratapChandraSarangi,Shri BJP298. Bargarh Pujari,ShriSuresh BJP299. Dhenkanal Sahoo,ShriMahesh BJD300. Berhampur Sahu,ShriChandraSekhar BJD301. Kandhamal Samanta,ShriAchyutananda BJD302. Bhubaneswar Sarangi,Smt.Aparajita BJP303. Jajpur(SC) Sethi,Smt.Sarmistha BJD

304. Bolangir SinghDeo,Smt.SangeetaKumari BJP305. Mayurbhanj(ST) Tudu,ShriBishweswar BJP306. Koraput(ST) Ulaka,ShriSaptagiriSankar INCPUNJAB(13)

307. Amritsar Aujla,ShriGurjeetSingh INC308. Bathinda Badal,Smt.HarsimratKaur SAD309. Ferozpur Badal,ShriSukhbirSingh SAD310. Jalandhar(SC) Chaudhary,ShriSantokhSingh INC311. Gurdaspur Deol,ShriSunny BJP312. KhadoorSahib Gill,ShriJasbirSingh INC313. Patiala Kaur,Smt.Preneet INC314. Sangrur Mann,ShriBhagwant AAP315. Hoshiarpur(SC) Parkash,ShriSom BJP316. Faridkot(SC) Sadique,Mohammad INC317. FatehgarhSahib(SC) Singh,Dr.Amar INC318. Ludhiana Singh,ShriRavneet INC319. AnandpurSahib Tewari,ShriManish INCRAJASTHAN(25)320. Bhilwara Baheria,ShriSubhashChandra BJP321. Nagaur Beniwal,ShriHanuman RLP322. Ajmer BhagirathChaudhary,Shri BJP323. Kota Birla,ShriOm BJP324. Jaipur Bohra,ShriRamcharan BJP325. Pali Chaudhary,ShriP.P. BJP326. Ganganagar(SC) Chauhan,ShriNihalChand BJP327. Barmer Choudhary,ShriKailash BJP328. Tonk-Sawai

MadhopurJaunapuria,ShriSukhbirSingh BJP

329. Chittorgarh Joshi,ShriChandraPrakash BJP330. Churu Kaswan,ShriRahul BJP331. Banswara(ST) Katara,ShriKanakmal BJP332. Bharatpur(SC) Koli,Smt.Ranjeeta BJP

333. Jhunjhunu Kumar,ShriNarendra BJP334. Rajsamand Kumari,Ms.Diya BJP335. Udaipur(ST) Meena,ShriArjunlal BJP336. Dausa(ST) Meena,Smt.Jaskaur BJP337. Bikaner(SC) Meghwal,ShriArjunRam BJP338. Alwar Nath,ShriBalak BJP

339. Jalore Patel,ShriDevjiMansingram BJP340. Karauli-Dholpur(SC) Rajoria,Dr.Manoj BJP341. JaipurRural Rathore,Col.RajyavardhanSingh BJP342. Sikar Saraswati,ShriSumedhanand BJP343. Jodhpur Shekhawat,ShriGajendraSingh BJP344. Jhalawar-Baran Singh,ShriDushyant BJPSIKKIM(1)345. Sikkim Subba,ShriIndraHang SKMTAMILNADU(39)346. Vellore Anand,ShriD.M.Kathir DMK347. Tiruvannamalai Annadurai,ShriC.N. DMK348. Sriperumbudur Baalu,ShriThalikkottaiRajuthevar DMK349. Krishnagiri Chellakumar,Dr.A. INC350. Sivaganga Chidambaram,ShriKartiP. INC351. Namakkal Chinraj,ShriA.K.P. DMK352. Dharmapuri Dr.DNVSenthilkumarS. DMK353. ChennaiSouth Dr.T.Sumathy(a)Thamizhachi DMK354. Erode Ganeshamurthi,ShriA. DMK355. Tirunelveli Gnanathiraviam,ShriS. DMK356. Arakkonam Jagathrakshakan,ShriS. DMK357. Tiruvallur(SC) Jayakumar,Dr.K. INC358. Karur Jothimani,Ms.S. INC359. Ramanathapuram K.Navas,ShriKani IUML360. ChennaiNorth Kalanidhi,Dr.V. DMK361. Thoothukkudi Karunanidhi,Smt.Kanimozhi DMK362. Tenkasi(SC) Kumar,ShriDhanushM DMK363. ChennaiCentral Maran,ThiruDayanidhi DMK

364. Coimbatore Natarajan,ShriP.R. CPI(M)365. Perambalur Paarivendhar,Dr.T.R. DMK366. Thanjavur Palanimanickam,ShriS.S. DMK367. Salem Parthiban,ShriS.R. DMK368. Kallakurichi Pon,ShriGauthamSigamani DMK369. Nilgiris(SC) Raja,ShriAndimuthu DMK

370. Mayiladuthurai Ramalingam,ShriS. DMK371. Cuddalore Ramesh,ShriT.R.V.S. DMK372. Theni(TamilNadu) RaveendranathKumar,ShriP. AIADMK373. Viluppuram(SC) Ravikumar,ShriD. DMK374. Kancheepuram(SC) Selvam,ShriGanesan DMK375. Nagapattinam(SC) Selvaraj,ShriM. CPI376. Pollachi ShanmugaSundaram,ShriK. DMK377. Tiruppur Subbarayan,ShriK. CPI378. Virudhunagar TagoreB,ShriManickam INC379. Tiruchirappalli Thirunavukkarasar,ShriSu INC380. Chidambaram(SC) Thol,ShriThirumaaValavan VCK381. Kanniyakumari Vasanthakumar,ShriH. INC382. Dindigul Velusamy,ShriP. DMK383. Madurai Venkatesan,ShriS. CPI(M)384. Arani VishnuPrasad,Dr.M.K. INCTELANGANA(17)385. Karimnagar Bandi,ShriSanjayKumar BJP386. Peddapalle(SC) Borlakunta,ShriVenkateshNetha TRS387. Nizamabad Dharmapuri,ShriArvind BJP388. Secunderabad Gangapuram,ShriKishanReddy BJP389. Mahabubabad(ST) Malothu,Smt.Kavitha TRS390. Hyderabad Owaisi,ShriAsaduddin AIMIM391. Warangal Pasunoori,ShriDayakar TRS392. Zahirabad Patil,ShriBheemraoBaswanthrao TRS393. Nagarkurnool(SC) Pothuganti,ShriRamulu TRS394. Khammam Rao,ShriNamaNageswara TRS

395. Adilabad(ST) Rao,ShriSoyamBabu BJP396. Malkajgiri Reddy,ShriAnumulaRevanth INC397. Chevella Reddy,Dr.GaddamRanjith TRS398. Bhongir Reddy,ShriKomatiReddyVenkat INC399. Medak Reddy,ShriKothaPrabhakar TRS400. Mahabubnagar Reddy,ShriManneSrinivas TRS401. Nalgonda Reddy,ShriUttamKumarNalamada INCTRIPURA(2)402. TripuraWest Bhoumik,Ms.Pratima BJP403. TripuraEast(ST) Tripura,ShriRebati BJPUTTARPRADESH(80)404. Meerut Agrawal,ShriRajendra BJP405. Ghazipur Ansari,ShriAfzal BSP406. Lalganj(SC) Azad,Smt.Sangeeta BSP407. Agra(SC) Baghel,Prof.S.P.Singh BJP408. Muzaffarnagar Balyan,Dr.SanjeevKumar BJP409. Sambhal Barq,ShriShafiqurRahman SP410. Machhlishahr(SC) Bholanath(B.P.Saroj),Shri BJP411. FatehpurSikri Chahar,ShriRajkumar BJP412. Hamirpur Chandel,KunwarPushpendraSingh BJP413. Nagina(SC) Chandra,ShriGirish BSP414. Kairana Chaudhary,ShriPradeepKumar BJP415. Maharajganj Chowdhary,ShriPankaj BJP416. Hathras(SC) Diler,ShriRajveer BJP417. Bhadohi Dr.RameshChandBind BJP418. KushiNagar Dubey,ShriVijayKumar BJP419. Basti Dwivedi,ShriHarish BJP420. Pilibhit Gandhi,ShriFerozeVarun BJP421. Sultanpur Gandhi,Smt.ManekaSanjay BJP422. RaeBareli Gandhi,Smt.Sonia INC423. Bareilly Gangwar,ShriSantoshKumar BJP424. Aligarh Gautam,ShriSatishKumar BJP425. Ghaziabad General(Dr.),VijayKumarSingh(Retd.) BJP

426. Pratapgarh Gupta,ShriSangamlalKadedin BJP427. Moradabad Hasan,Dr.S.T. SP428. Mathura HemaMalini,Smt. BJP429. Amethi Irani,Smt.Smriti BJP430. Hardoi(SC) JaiPrakash,Shri BJP431. Allahabad Joshi,Prof.RitaBahuguna BJP432. Fatehpur Jyoti,SadhviNiranjan BJP

433. Aonla Kashyap,ShriDharmendraKumar BJP434. Etawah(SC) Katheria,Prof.(Dr.)RamShankar BJP435. Rampur Khan,ShriMohammadAzam SP436. Mohanlalganj(SC) Kishore,ShriKaushal BJP437. Amroha KunwarDanishAli, BSP438. Salempur Kushawaha,ShriRavindra BJP439. Bahraich(SC) Lal,ShriAkshaibar BJP440. Robertsganj(SC) Lal,ShriPakauri ApnaDal441. Badaun Maurya,Dr.Sanghamitra BJP442. Kheri Misra,ShriAjay(Teni) BJP443. Varanasi Modi,ShriNarendra BJP444. Bijnor Nagar,ShriMalook BSP445. SantKabirNagar Nishad,ShriPraveenKumar BJP446. Kanpur Pachauri,ShriSatyadev BJP447. Domariyaganj Pal,ShriJagdambika BJP448. Chandauli Pandey,Dr.MahendraNath BJP449. AmbedkarNagar Pandey,ShriRitesh BSP450. Bansgaon(SC) Paswan,ShriKamlesh BJP451. Mirzapur Patel,Smt.Anupriya ApnaDal452. Phulpur Patel,Smt.KeshariDevi BJP453. Banda Patel,ShriR.K.Singh BJP454. Kannauj Pathak,ShriSubrata BJP455. Farrukhabad Rajput,ShriMukesh BJP456. Shrawasti Ram,ShriShiromani BSP457. Misrikh(SC) Rawat,ShriAshokKumar BJP

458. Barabanki(SC) Rawat,ShriUpendraSingh BJP459. Saharanpur Rehman,ShriHajiFazlur BSP460. Shahjahanpur(SC) Sagar,ShriArunKumar BJP461. Firozabad Sen,Dr.JadonChandra BJP462. Jhansi Sharma,ShriAnurag BJP463. GautamBuddha

NagarSharma,Dr.Mahesh BJP

464. Gorakhpur Shukla,ShriRavindraShyamnarayanaliasRaviKishan

BJP

465. Ghosi Singh,ShriAtulKumar BSP466. Bulandshahr(SC) Singh,ShriBhola BJP467. Kaiserganj Singh,ShriBrijbhushanSharan BJP468. Akbarpur(Uttar

Pradesh)Singh,ShriDevendra(Alias)BholeSing BJP

469. Gonda Singh,ShriKirtiVardhan BJP470. Faizabad Singh,ShriLallu BJP471. Lucknow Singh,ShriRajnath BJP472. Etah Singh,ShriRajveer(RajuBhaiya) BJP473. Baghpat Singh,Dr.SatyaPal BJP474. Jaunpur Singh,ShriShyamYadav BSP475. Ballia Singh,ShriVirendra BJP476. Kaushambi(SC) Sonkar,ShriVinodKumar BJP477. Unnao SwamiMaharaj,Dr.SakshiJi BJP478. Deoria Tripathi,ShriRamapatiRam BJP479. Jalaun(SC) Verma,ShriBhanuPratapSingh BJP480. Sitapur Verma,ShriRajesh BJP481. Dhaurahra Verma,Smt.RekhaArun BJP482. Azamgarh Yadav,ShriAkhilesh SP483. Mainpuri Yadav,ShriMulayamSingh SPUTTARAKHAND(5)484. Nainital-Udhamsingh

NagarBhatt,ShriAjay BJP

485. Hardwar Nishank,Dr.RameshPokhriyal BJP

486. Garhwal Rawat,ShriTirathSingh BJP487. TehriGarhwal Shah,Smt.MalaRajyaLaxmi BJP488. Almora(SC) Tamta,ShriAjay BJPWESTBENGAL(42)489. Ghatal Adhikari,ShriDeepak(Dev) AITC490. Tamluk Adhikari,ShriDibyendu AITC491. Kanthi Adhikari,ShriSisirKumar AITC492. Bardhaman-Durgapur Ahluwalia,ShriS.S. BJP493. Uluberia Ahmed,Smt.Sajda AITC

494. Asansol BabulSupriyo,Shri BJP495. KolkataUttar Bandyopadhyay,ShriSudip AITC496. DiamondHarbour Banerjee,ShriAbhishek AITC497. Serampore Banerjee,ShriKalyan AITC498. Howrah Banerjee,ShriPrasun AITC499. Alipurduar(ST) Barla,ShriJohn BJP500. Darjeeling Bista,ShriRaju BJP501. Jadavpur Chakraborty,Ms.Mimi AITC502. Hooghly Chatterjee,Smt.Locket BJP503. Raiganj Chaudhuri,Ms.Debasree BJP504. MaldahaDakshin Choudhury,ShriAbuHasemKhan INC505. Baharampur Chowdhury,ShriAdhirRanjan INC506. Barasat Dastidar,Dr.(Smt.)KakoliGhosh AITC507. Medinipur Ghosh,ShriDilip BJP508. Jhargram(ST) Hembram,ShriKunar BJP509. Mathurapur(SC) Jatua,ShriChoudhuryMohan AITC510. Murshidabad Khan,ShriAbuTaher AITC511. Purulia Mahato,ShriJyotirmaySingh BJP512. Balurghat Majumdar,Dr.Sukanta BJP513. Bolpur(SC) Mal,ShriAsitKumar AITC514. Krishnanagar Moitra,Ms.Mahua AITC515. Jaynagar(SC) Mondal,Smt.Pratima AITC516. BardhamanPurba

(SC)Mondal,ShriSunilKumar AITC

517. MaldahaUttar Murmu,ShriKhagen BJP518. Arambagh(SC) Poddar,Smt.Aparupa AITC519. Coochbehar(SC) Pramanik,ShriNisith BJP520. Jangipur Rahaman,ShriKhalilur AITC521. DumDum Ray,Prof.Sougata AITC522. Jalpaiguri(SC) Roy,Dr.JayantaKumar BJP523. KolkataDakshin Roy,Smt.Mala AITC524. Birbhum Roy(Banerjee),Smt.Satabdi AITC525. Basirhat Ruhi,Ms.NusratJahan AITC526. Ranaghat(SC) Sarkar,ShriJagannath BJP527. Bankura Sarkar,Dr.Subhas BJP528. Bishnupur(SC) Saumitra,ShriKhan BJP529. Barrackpur Singh,ShriArjun BJP530. Bangaon(SC) Thakur,ShriShantanu BJPANDAMANANDNICOBARISLANDS(1)531. Andamanand

NicobarIslandsSharma,ShriKuldeepRai INC

CHANDIGARH(1)532. Chandigarh Kher,Smt.Kirron BJPDADRAANDNAGARHAVELI(1)533. DadraandNagar

Haveli(ST)Delkar,ShriMohanbhaiSanjibhai IND.

DAMANANDDIU(1)534. DamanandDiu Patel,ShriLalubhaiBabubhai BJPNCTOFDELHI(7)535. SouthDelhi Bidhuri,ShriRamesh BJP536. EastDelhi Gambhir,ShriGautam BJP537. NorthWestDelhi

(SC)Hans,ShriRajHans BJP

538. ChandniChowk HarshVardhan,Dr. BJP539. NewDelhi Lekhi,Smt.Meenakashi BJP540. WestDelhi Singh,ShriParveshSahib BJP541. NorthEastDelhi Tiwari,ShriManojKumar BJP

LAKSHADWEEP(1)542. Lakshadweep(ST) Mohammed,ShriFaizalP.P. NCPPUDUCHERRY(1)543. Puducherry Ve.,ShriVaithilingam INCAbbreviations used for Parties : All India Forward Bloc - AIFB; All IndiaMajlis-e- Ittehadul Muslimeen - AIMEIM; All India Namathu Rajiyam (OurKingdom Congress - AINR Congress; All India Trinamool Congress -AITC;Asom Gana Parishad - AGP; Bahujan Samaj Party - BSP; Bharatiya JanataParty- BJP; Bharatiya Navshakti Party - BNP; Biju Janata Dal - BJD;CommunistPartyofIndia-CPI;CommunistPartyofIndia(Marxist)-CPI(M);DravidaMunnetraKazhagam-DMK;IndianNationalCongress-INC;Jammu&KashmirNationalConference-J&KNC;JanataDal(Secular)-JD(S);JanataDal(United)-JD(U);JharkhandMuktiMorcha-JMM;KeralaCongress-KC;Lok Jan Shakti Party - LJSP; Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam -MDMK;MizoNationalFront-MNF;MuslimLeague-ML;NagalandPeoplesFront - NPF; Nationalist Congress Party - NCP; National DemocraticProgressiveParty-NDPP;PattaliMakkalKatchi-PMK;JammuandKashmirPeoplesDemocratic Party - J&KPDP;Rashtriya JanataDal -RJD;RashtriyaLok Dal - RLD; Republican Party of India (A) - RPI (A); RevolutionarySocialistParty-RSP;SamajwadiJanataParty(Rashtriya)-SJP(R);SamajwadiParty - SP; ShiromaniAkaliDal - SAD; Shiv Sena - SS; SikkimDemocraticFront -SDF;SwabhimaniRpakshaParty -SWP;TelanganaRashtraSamithi -TRS; Telugu Desam Party - TDP; Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi - VCK;Independent-IND.

Footnotes

1.LandandthePeople1.Provisionalfigures.2. The former state of Jammu andKashmir was bifurcated to create twoUTsnamely,JammuandKashmirandLadakh.

2.NationalSymbols1.AspublishedinVolumeEightofSriAurobindoBirthCentenaryLibrary,PopularEdition,1972.

3.Polity1.ThelistofMinistries/DepartmentsisbasedontheinformationasgivenunderAllocationofBusinessRules,1961asamendedfromtimetotimeandavailableonCabinetSecretariatwebsite:http://cabsec.nic.in.

32.GeneralInformation1.Source:mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mhafiles/table_of_precedence.pdf2.Source:PresidentofIndiawebsitehttp://presidentofindia.nic.in3.Source:VicePresidentofIndiawebsitehttp://vicepresidentofindia.nic.in4.Source:PrimeMinister’sofficewebsitehttp://pmindia.nic.in5.Source:SupremeCourtofofIndiawebsitehttp://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in.6.Source:WebsiteofElectionCommissionofIndiahttp://eci.nic.in7.Source:CabinetSecretariatWebsitehttp://cabsec.nic.in

Appendices1.Source:CabinetSecretariatwebsitehttp://cabsec.gov.in

http://cabsec.nic.in

http://www.mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/

http://presidentofindia.nic.in

http://vicepresidentofindia.nic.in

http://pmindia.nic.in

http://www.supremecourtofindia.nic.in

http://eci.nic.in

http://cabsec.nic.in

http://cabsec.gov.in

Documents

India 2020 - International Benevolent Research Foundation