Overseas Indian Centres

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has established two Overseas Indian Centres (OIC) in Washington DC in United States of America (USA), and Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Duties being performed by both centres are as follows: OIC, Washington i.               Publicizing Diaspora Schemes like Know India Programme / Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children. ii.              Recommending, if required, the names of persons interested in participating in schemes to Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. iii.            Interactions with Indian Community Association. iv.            Works related to Overseas Citizens of India/Person of Indian Origin cards OIC, Abu Dhabi i.               Attestation of employment contracts. ii.              Managing Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) iii.            Maintenance and operation of Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide financial assistance to distressed Indians in need. iv.            Visit jails, hospitals, immigration authorities, labour authorities, police stations and liaison with the concerned local authorities for effectively redressing grievances of Indians. v.             Constant and regular interactions with various social and cultural Indian Community organizations and taking up their cause with the local authorities. vi.            Follow up with concerned authorities for payment of end-of service benefits, death compensation and Diya Money. vii.          Taking up issues of families back home of Indian residents in UAE with the concerned authorities in India.

Steps Taken to Meet the Increasing Energy Demand ,for ias mains

The Minister of State (I/C) in the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today that during the year 2013-14, the consumption of petroleum products was 158.2 MMT against a total production of 35.5 MMT from indigenous sources(figures are provisional). The Minister said that the following steps are being taken to meet the energy demand and strengthen the country’s energy security: (i) The Government, and the Exploration and Production (E&P) companies have taken several steps to enhance oil and gas production in the country, which inter-alia, includes: • Offering of exploration blocks under New Exploration Licensing Policy (NELP) - 254 exploration blocks awarded. • Implementation of improved oil recovery and enhanced oil recovery schemes by E&P companies for ageing fields. • Development of unconventional sources of hydrocarbon such as Coal Bed Methane (CBM) and Shale Gas. • Policy for geo-scientific data acquisition through public funding. (ii) Pursuing various E&P opportunities in India and abroad to have a balanced portfolio of exploratory, developing and producing oil and gas assets. (iii) Pursuing transnational oil and gas pipeline projects. (iv) Construction of strategic crude oil reserves of 5.33 million metric tonnes capacity. The Minister informed that our oil companies have E&P assets in 24 countries namely, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, East Timor, Gabon, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Libya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nigeria, Russia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam and Yemen. OVL is currently producing oil and gas from 13 projects in 8 countries viz., Russia, Sudan, Vietnam, Azerbaijan, Myanmar, Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. During 2013-14, OVL’s share in production of oil and oil-equivalent gas was 8.36 MMTOE. India is actively engaged in bilateral and multilateral cooperation with foreign countries. To strengthen the country’s energy security, the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas is engaged in oil diplomacy. India’s oil PSUs in particular are being encouraged to adopt a global vision in their pursuit of raw materials and raw material-producing assets abroad, and to vigorously pursue acquisition of oil and gas assets overseas.

Overseas Indian Centres

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has established two Overseas Indian Centres (OIC) in Washington DC in United States of America (USA), and Abu Dhabi in United Arab Emirates (UAE). Duties being performed by both centres are as follows: OIC, Washington i.               Publicizing Diaspora Schemes like Know India Programme / Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children. ii.              Recommending, if required, the names of persons interested in participating in schemes to Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. iii.            Interactions with Indian Community Association. iv.            Works related to Overseas Citizens of India/Person of Indian Origin cards OIC, Abu Dhabi i.               Attestation of employment contracts. ii.              Managing Indian Workers Resource Centre (IWRC) iii.            Maintenance and operation of Indian Community Welfare Fund (ICWF) to provide financial assistance to distressed Indians in need. iv.            Visit jails, hospitals, immigration authorities, labour authorities, police stations and liaison with the concerned local authorities for effectively redressing grievances of Indians. v.             Constant and regular interactions with various social and cultural Indian Community organizations and taking up their cause with the local authorities. vi.            Follow up with concerned authorities for payment of end-of service benefits, death compensation and Diya Money. vii.          Taking up issues of families back home of Indian residents in UAE with the concerned authorities in India.

Export Targets of MSMEs

As per the revised methodology suggested by Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI), on the basis of the data on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) published by CSO, MoSPI and final results of the latest Census (Fourth Census), the estimated contribution of MSME sector to GDP, during 2010-11, 2011-12 & 2012-13, are: Share of MSME Sector in Total GDP (%) Year 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 Manufacturing Sector MSME 7.39 7.27 7.04 Service Sector MSME 29.30 30.70 30.50 Total 36.69 37.97 37.54 The Government monitors the employment in the MSME sector in the country by conducting All India Census of the sector, periodically. As per the latest Census (Fourth Census), conducted (with base reference year 2006-07), as well as data extracted from Economic Census 2005 conducted by CSO, MoSPI, for activities excluded from Fourth Census, namely wholesale/retail trade, legal, educational & social services, hotel & restaurants, transports and storage & warehousing (except cold storage); the total employment in the sector increased to 805.24 lakh as compared to 249.33 lakh in the Third All India Census of Small Scale Industries, conducted with reference year 2001-02. Based on the export data maintained by Director General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics, Ministry of Commerce and the information available with this Ministry about MSME products having significant export, the share of MSME in India’s total export, for the years 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14, has been estimated as 43%, 43% and 42.38% respectively. The Government aims to increase the share of MSME sector by implementing various schemes / programmes. The major schemes / programmes are Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme, National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme, Credit Guarantee Scheme, Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme, Cluster Development Programme, Market Development Assistance Scheme, and Vendor Development Programme for Ancillarisation. Recently, the Public Procurement Policy has been notified by the Ministry in April, 2012, which would mandate 20% of the procurement by Government Departments from Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs). This would facilitate marketing of products by MSEs.Government in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSME) has been implementing a credit-linked subsidy programme named Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) from 2008-09 for generating self-employment in the non-farm sector through Banks, with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) as nodal agency at the national level. Under PMEGP, Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes beneficiaries are provided margin money subsidy under special category at a higher rate of 35 per cent in rural areas and 25 per cent in urban areas in comparison to 25 per cent and 15 per cent respectively for general category beneficiaries.

Safeguarding Interests of Labourers in Labour Intensive Manufacturing Sector

The Minister of State for Mines, Steel and Labour and Employment, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said that the interest of  labourers in terms of wages and other service conditions are safeguarded under various social welfare legislations. Some of the prominent social welfare legislations are as follows: Ø Payment of Gratuity Act, 1972              Ø Employees’ Provident Fund & Misc. Provisions Act, 1952 Ø Employees’ Pension Scheme, 1995 Ø Employees’ State Insurance Act, 1948 Ø Minimum Wages Act, 1948 Ø Payment of Wages Act, 1936 Ø Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 Ø Equal Remuneration Act, 1976    Ø Payment of Bonus Act, 1965 Ø Workmen Compensation Act, 1923 Ø Mines Act, 1952 Ø Factories Act, 1948 Ø Industrial Dispute Act, 1947 Ø Contract labour (Regulation & Abolition)      Act, 1970  In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said that  as far as the security  in term of  wages to contract labourers is concerned,  under  Rule 25(2)(v)(a) of the  Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Central Rules, 1971, the wages of the contract labour shall not be less than the rates prescribed under  Minimum Wages Act, 1948 and in cases where  the contract workers perform  the same or similar kind of work as the workmen directly employed  by the principal employer of the establishment, the wage rates, holidays, hours of work and other conditions of service  shall be the same as applicable to the workmen directly employed by the principal employer doing the same or similar kind of work. The liability to ensure payment of wages and other benefits is primarily that of the contractor and, in case of default, that of the principal employer.  Checking Discrimination of Workers in Incorporated Unorganised Enterprises The Minister of State for Mines, Steel and Labour and Employment, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said thataccording to the survey conducted during 2009-10, the total employment in both organized and unorganized sector in the country was of the order of 46.5 crore, out of this number of workers in the unorganized sector including unorganised enterprises ranging from pushcart vendors to home based diamonds and gem polishing operations was about 43.67 crores (93.91%). In a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said that to provide social security to the workers in the unorganized sector, the Government enacted the Unorganised Workers’ Social Security Act 2008. The Act, inter-alia, provides for  formulation of social security schemes viz. life and disability cover, health and maternity benefits, old age protection and any other benefit as  determined by the Government for unorganized workers. The schemes mentioned in Schedule -1 of the Act are as under: 1.                 Indira Gandhi National Old Age Pension Scheme. 2.                 National Family Benefit Scheme. 3.                 Janani Suraksha Yojana. 4.                 Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. 5.                 Handicraft Artisans’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme. 6.                 Pension to Master Craft Persons. 7.                 National Scheme for Welfare of Fishermen and Training and Extension. 8.                 Janshree Bima Yojana (Now combined with Aam Admi Bima Yojana). 9.                 Aam Admi Bima Yojana. 10.            Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana. The Minister said that under the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948 both the Central and State Governments are the appropriate Governments to fix and revised the minimum wages in the scheduled employment under their respective jurisdiction. Pushcart Vendors and home based diamonds and gem polishing operations do not fall under the jurisdiction of the Central Government. Minimum Wages is ensured by the respective Government under this Act. Rehabilitation of Freed Child Labourers The Minister of State for Mines, Steel and Labour and Employment, Shri Vishnu Deo Sai has said that the total number of working children in the age group of 5 to 14 years in the country has declined from 1.26 crore as per the Census 2001 to 43.53 lakh as per Census 2011, which is a reduction of 65%. The sector-wise details on child labour from 2011 Census is not available.

“Mainstreaming” AIDS awareness to reduce HIV infection rate Health, IT Ministries forge collaboration for last push against disease

“Big is not necessarily beautiful, small messages for awareness building with prevention as focus works better in the case of AIDS control,” Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health, said here today. At the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (MICT), Dr Harsh Vardhan observed, “Big hospitals may lead to better treatment, but if state-of-the-art IT education tools are used to disseminate information that will prevent killer infections, the investment is more worthwhile.” The partnership between the Health Ministry’s Department of AIDS Control and the Department of IT and Telecommunications is expected to engender a society with heightened knowhow on HIV infections. The networks of Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd. (in Mumbai and Delhi) and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (rest of India) will be the chief vehicles of this “mainstreaming” of AIDS awareness. This strategic tie-up will give a boost to the Ministry’s entrenched activities like putting up banners, posters, etc., in areas dominated by risk groups and display of other promotional material in public spaces. Combating discrimination of HIV-AIDS victims is also a part of the drive. “The goal of zero-HIV incidence cannot be achieved only unless the disease’s spread is addressed holistically. Mainstreaming and partnership building are key in the national AIDS control programme’s multi-sectoral response,” Dr Harsh Vardhan said. The Department of AIDS Control is already providing preventive, care and support treatment services through 1,873 targeted interventions , and its network of 1,131 STI Clinics, 1,137 blood banks, over 15,000 integrated counselling and other infrastructure. The Minister said that information about these services needs to reach all the people in the country, especially those who are most at risk for HIV. At present, India has about 2.1 million people with HIV infections –roughly 0.27 percent of the population. About 90 percent are in the 15-49 age group. This group, Dr Harsh Vardhan noted, is quite savvy in contemporary forms of connectivity and could easily be targeted through mobile telephony and social media. The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) has a major role to play in spreading information on prevention and services related to HIV, the Health Minister noted. MCIT will also facilitate effective management of strategic information through National e-governance, Community services centres, and through push-based SMS, etc. Mr Ravi Shankar Prasad, Minister, MICT, said the collaboration will work through Common Service Centres which, apart from spreading knowledge, will also encourage voluntary blood donation and facilitate access to Social Protection schemes. He added that MICT plans to connect 50,000 panchayats with a broadband optic-fibre network during the current financial year. Over the next two years another 100,000 would be added.

Coastal and Sea Water Pollution

The Government hasnot received any representation for prevention of pollution of coastal and sea water. However, the Integrated Coastal Marine Area Management centre of Earth System Science Organisation (ESSO-ICMAM) has been measuring parameters such as dissolved oxygen (DO), nutrients, pH, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), plankton, benthos and pathogenic bacteria, etc., covering different seasons at 20 coastal locations, viz., Vadinar, Veraval, Hazira, Thane (Mumbai), Worli, Ratnagiri, Malvan, Mandovi, Mangalore, Kochi, Kavaratti, Sandheads, Hooghly, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kakinada Ennore (Chennai), Pondicherry, Tuticorin, Port Blair. Seawater quality data collected over period has indicated areas of low, moderate and intense pollution. The data further indicates that the concentration of the nutrients and population of pathogenic bacteria are confined to 0 – 1 km at these locations except in Mumbai. These details of the findings are being provided to the State Pollution Control Boards, who make use of the information to take remedial measures, if any. Besides, the data are also hosted on the website of ESSO-Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad for wider utility. Climate Modeling Government has launched the National Monsoon Mission to set up a state-of-the-art climate model for a) improved prediction of monsoon rainfall on extended range to seasonal time scale (16 days to one season) and b) improved prediction of temperature, rainfall and extreme weather events on short to medium range time scale (up to 15 days). At present operational extended range to seasonal forecasts are prepared using statistical methods which have constraints and limitations. Experimental forecasts from the research version of the climate model are generated and its performance is regularly evaluated with that of the existing models since 2011 apart from building focused R & D efforts to improve the model. Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR) of the Earth System Science Organization-Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (ESSO-IITM), Pune successfully incorporated Ocean Biochemistry and Ecosystem modules into the climate model, resulted in the manifestation of the first prototype of the ESSO-IITM Earth System Model. Currently test runs to evaluate the prediction of past climate in hindcast mode are being carried out. Dust/Hailstorm An appropriate system of 24X7 severe weather monitoring and very short time forecasting (3-6 hours lead time) is put in place by the Earth System Science Organization- India Meteorological Department (ESSO-IMD) for predicting the life cycle of Hailstorms & Dust storms. Severe weather advisoriess were issued by the ESSO-IMD in case of the recent Hailstorms in Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh. Based on scientific assessment of the need, further augmentation of observing system network expansion has always been formulated from time to time. The upgradation of the observing system, high performance computing, communication, forecast/warning systems, product dissemination systems, etc. are part of a continuous process by which state-of-the-art science and technology tools can be made accessible to the scientists engaged in weather research and forecasting towards enhancing the service quality. Continuous efforts are made by the ESSO-IMD to optimize the level of efficiency of the forecasting systems.