Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana

Krishi Sinchayee Yojana with an outlay of Rs.50,000 crores for a period of 5 years (2015-16 to 2019-20) to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level.

Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) has been formulated amalgamating ongoing schemes viz. Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) of Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation; Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) of Department of Land Resources; and On Farm Water Management (OFWM) component of National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) of Department of Agriculture and Cooperation. PMKSY is to be implemented in an area development approach, adopting decentralized state level planning and projectised execution, allowing the states to draw their irrigation development plans based on district/blocks plans with a horizon of 5 to 7 years. States can take up projects based on the District/State Irrigation Plan.

All the States and Union Territories including North Eastern States are covered under the programme.

The National Steering Committee (NSC) of PMKSY under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister, will provide policy direction to programme framework and a National Executive Committee (NEC) under the chairmanship of Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog will oversee the programme implementation at national level.

Provision has been made under PMKSY during 2015-16 for carrying out extension activities in the field with special focus on water harvesting, water management and crop alignment for farmers and grass root level field functionaries. 

Government has Initiated Several Measures to Increase Forest and Tree Cover:

Government has Initiated Several Measures to Increase Forest and Tree Cover: Javadekar

The Government proposes to implement the tree plantation programme extensively in the country. To increase forest and tree cover in the country, the Central Government has initiated several measures. Notable among them are launching of National Mission for a Green India and taking appropriate measures to put in place a proper institutional mechanism for expeditious utilization of amounts realised in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose.

The National Mission for a Green India aims at following:

Enhancing quality of forest cover and improving ecosystem services from 4.9 million hectares (mha) of predominantly forest lands, including 1.5 mha of moderately dense forest cover, 3 mha of open forest cover, 0.4 mha of degraded grass lands.

Eco-restoration/afforestation to increase forest cover and eco system services from 1.8 m ha forest/non forest lands, including scrub lands, shifting cultivation areas, abandoned mining areas, ravine lands, mangroves and sea-buckthorn areas. Enhancing tree cover in 0.2 mha Urban and Peri-Urban areas (including institutional lands) Increasing forest cover and eco-system services from Agro-forestry and Social Forestry on 3 mha of non-forest lands

Restoration of 0.1 mha of wetlands and the eco system services thereof. The Central Government has approved National Mission for a Green India in February 2014 as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme for a total cost of Rs 13,000 Crore, having a plan outlay of Rs 2,000 crore for the 12th Five Year Plan (FYP) with a spillover of 1 year in the 13th FYP along with Rs 400 Crores from 13th Finance Commission Grants towards State's Share. The share of Centre : State being in the ratio 75:25 respectively for all States except North-Eastern States and Jammu & Kashmir for which it will be in the ratio of 90:10. The approval also spells out convergence with MGNREGA for Rs.4000 crore, CAMPA for Rs. 6000 crore and National Afforestation Programme for Rs.600 crore. Budget allocation for the Mission in the current financial year is Rs.64.00 crore. To create appropriate institutional mechanism required for expeditious utilization in transparent and efficient manner of the unspent balance of monies collected by the State Governments and Union territory Administrations in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose which has been placed under the ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and monies to be realised by the State Governments and Union territory Administrations in lieu of forest land to be diverted in future, the Central Government has introduced the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2015 in Parliament. The unspent balance presently available with the ad-hoc CAMPA, a major part of which will be utilised for tree plantations, is of the order of Rs. 38,000 crorers. Similarly, amounts to be realised by the State Governments and Union territory Administrations in lieu of forest land likely to be diverted for non-forest purpose in future along with annual interest to be accrued on unspent balance, a major part of which will also be utilised for tree plantations, will be of the order of about Rs. 6,000 crorers per annum.

The Central Government is also providing assistance to States Governments and Union territory Administrations under a Centrally Sponsored Scheme “National Afforestation Programme (NAP)” for regeneration of degraded forests and adjoining areas through people’s participation. The scheme is being implemented through a decentralized mechanism of State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at State level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at Forest Division level and Joint Forest Management Committees (JFMCs) at village level. The Budget allocation for the current financial year under NAP is Rs. 100 crore.

Section-2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 inter-alia provides that notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force in a State, no State Government or other authority shall make, except with the prior approval of the Central Government, any order directing that any forest land or any portion thereof may be used for any non-forest purpose. Use of forest land for industrial activities or any other non-forest purpose therefore; requires prior approval of Central Government under Section- 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

In some of the proposals seeking approval of Central Government under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for use of forest land for industrial activities or other non-forest purpose, received by the Central Government during the last three years and the current year, the concerned State Governments and Union territory Administrations have reported that whole or a part of the forest land indicated in the proposals has been utilised by the user agency without the requisite approvals. In some cases non-compliance of conditions stipulated in approval accorded under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for use of forest land for non-forest purpose has also been reported/detected. In some cases grant/renewal or transfer of leases involving forest land without obtaining requisite prior approval of Central Government under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 have also been reported/detected.

Central Government while according in-principle approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 to such proposals, based on facts of each case, stipulated appropriate penal measures. These penal measures include – realisation from the user agency penal Net Present Value (NPV) and funds for creation of penal compensatory afforestation, initiation of proceedings in accordance with the provisions of the section 3 A and 3 B of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and/or relevant sections of the Indian Forest Act, 1927 and/or the relevant sections of the Local Forest Acts. Final approval to such proposals is accorded only after such penal measures are complied with. State-wise details of incidents of violations reported during the last three years and the current year are being collected and will be laid on Table of the House. 

Government has taken Several Domestic Initiatives to address Climate Change

Government has taken Several Domestic Initiatives to address Climate Change: Javadekar

India has taken several domestic initiatives to address climate change. Government has been implementing the National Action Plan on Climate Change to support domestic actions for adaptation and mitigation. NAPCC has eight National Missions including inter alia, the National Solar Mission, National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency and National Mission on Sustainable Habitat which focus on containing the greenhouse gas emissions in the country. Further, 27 States and 5 Union Territories have prepared State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) consistent with the objectives of NAPCC, focusing on the state specific issues relating to climate change and strategies to tackle them.

India, being a Non-Annex I country party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), does not have any legally binding commitment to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. However, government has voluntarily announced to reduce emission intensity of Gross Domestic Product by 20-25% by 2020 from the 2005 level without reckoning the emissions from agriculture sector.

In light of the decision of Conference of Parties held in Lima in 2014, whereby all Parties have to communicate their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) well in advance of the twenty-first session of the Conference of Parties, by 1st October 2015 in a manner that facilitates clarity, transparency and understanding of the intended nationally determined contributions, Government of India has undertaken an elaborate multi-stakeholder consultation process for finalizing its INDCs for submission ahead of the expected date.

As per a report on ‘India: Greenhouse Gas Inventory-2007’, the net Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from India in 2007 with Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) were 1727.71 million tons of CO2 equivalent (eq). Out of which, CO2 emissions were 1221.76 million tons, Methane (CH4) emissions were 20.56 million tons; and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) emissions were 0.24 million tons. GHG emissions from Energy sector constituted 58%, Industry sector constituted 22%, Agriculture sector constituted 17% and Waste sector constituted 3% of the net CO2 eq emissions. The Energy sector emitted 1100.06 million tons of CO2 eq of which 719.31 million tons of CO2 eq were emitted from electricity generation, 142.04 million tons of CO2 eq from the transport sector, 137.84 from Residential and 100.87 million tons of CO2 eq were emitted from other energy sources. Land use, Land use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) sector was a net sink. It sequestered 177.03 million tons of CO2.

The Government has proposed revision of the target of renewable energy capacity of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to 175 GW by 2022. The revised target of 175 GW comprises capacity addition of 100GW Solar, 60GW Wind, 10GW Biomass and 5 GW Small Hydro Power. Out of 2800 major industries, so far 920 industries have installed on-line continuous (24X7) monitoring devices.

Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change has suggested amendment to the relevant provisions of the Environment protection rules 1986 by proposing stringent norms and standards for compliance by various categories of industries such as Sugar Industry, Paint Industry, Pulp and Paper industry, Fertilizer industry, Cement plants with Co-processing, Brick-kiln industry and Textile industry etc. with the objective to Control pollution, bringing energy efficiency, better solid waste management, water conservation and zero liquid discharge. 

Government has established National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change: Javadekar

Government has established the National Adaptation Fund on Climate Change (NAFCC) with a budget provision of Rs.350 crores for the year 2015-16 and 2016-17, with an estimated requirement of Rs.181.5 crores for financial year 2017-18. The objective of the fund is to assist State and Union Territories that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change in meeting the cost of adaptation. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been appointed as National Implementing Entity (NIE) responsible for implementation of adaptation projects under the (NAFCC). The templates for project preparation and guidelines for implementation of the project have been prepared. The guidelines have outlined the objective, priorities, eligible activities, approval process, implementation, monitoring and evaluation mechanism. The focus of the fund is to assist adaptation projects and programmes to support concrete adaptation activities that reduce the effects of climate change facing communities and sectors.

As of now, there is no provision for any external assistance to be credited to NAFCC. The scheme has been recommended and approved by the competent authority in the month of July, 2015. As such no financial support from NAFCC has been provided so far for adaptation activities under National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) and State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC).

The Adaptation Fund is to assist States that are particularly vulnerable, based on the needs and priorities identified under the SAPCC and the relevant Missions under NAPCC. This information was given by Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar in Lok Sabha today. 

PM to launch First National Handloom Day on 7th August, 2015

PM to launch First National Handloom Day on 7th August, 2015

PM to present Sant Kabir Awards and National Awards for handloom weavers

The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will launch the first National Handloom Day on 7^th August, 2015, at a national level function in Chennai. The program is being held in the prestigious Centenary hall of Madras University. The date August 7 has been chosen due to its special significance in India`s history; it was on this day that the Swadeshi Movement was launched in 1905. The formal proclamation of Swadeshi Movement was made on August 7, 1905 in a massive meeting in the Calcutta Town hall. The movement involved revival of domestic products and production processes. The Government of India has declared August 7 as National Handloom Day every year, in memory of this.

On the occasion of the first National Handloom Day, the Prime Minister will confer the Sant Kabir awards and National awards for the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 to distinguished handloom personalities. The observance of National Handloom Day and honouring of handloom weavers will not only provide an impetus to the handloom industry of India but would also serve to promote handloom as a genuine international product of good quality.

The Prime Minister will also launch ‘India Handloom’ Brand. An exhibition showcasing master creations of the awardees is also being inaugurated on the occasion in the adjacent senate building of Madras University.

Weaving section at the Weavers’ service Centre, Chennai.

The Handloom Day will be celebrated all over the country in cooperation with state governments.

Background

India has one of the finest textile traditions in the world. The handloom industry of India is as old as our civilisation itself and boasts of a lot of living traditions to this day. Handloom weaving is one of the largest economic activities after agriculture, providing direct and indirect employment to more than 43 lakh weavers and allied workers. The sector contributes to nearly 15% of the cloth production in the country and also contributes to the country’s export earnings.  95% of the world’s hand woven fabric comes from India.

The handloom forms a precious part of our generational legacy and exemplifies the richness and diversity of our country and the artistry of our weavers.  The tradition of weaving by hand is a part of the country’s cultural ethos. The handloom sector has a unique place in our economy. It has been sustained by transferring skills from one generation to another. The strength of the sector lies in its uniqueness, flexibility of production, openness to innovations, adaptability to supplier’s requirements and the wealth of its tradition.

The Government of India, since independence, has been following a policy of promoting and encouraging the handloom sector through a number of programmes and schemes. Due to various policy initiatives and scheme interventions like cluster approach, aggressive marketing initiative and social welfare measures, the handloom sector has shown positive growth and the income level of weavers has improved.

National Awards

Every year up to 20 national awards and 20 national merit certificates are given to outstanding handloom weavers. The national award consists of a certificate, angavastram, copper plaque and cash award of one lakh rupees. National merit certificate consists of certificate and cash award of Rs. 50,000. 25 weavers were conferred National award for the year 2011 by the Hon’ble President of India in a function held on 1/7/2014 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Sant Kabir Award

This award is being conferred from 2009 onwards to outstanding handloom weavers who have made valuable contribution in keeping alive the handloom heritage and also for their dedication in building up linkages between the past, present and the future through dissemination of knowledge on traditional skills and designs. Each award consists of one mounted gold coin, tamrapatra, one shawl and a citation. In addition, financial assistance to the extent of Rs. 6.00 lakh is also given to each Sant Kabir awardee to innovate and create ten new products of high level of excellence. Two weavers have been conferred Sant Kabir award by the Hon’ble President of India in a function held on 1/7/2014 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Sea Bed Polymetallic Nodules

Sea Bed Polymetallic Nodules

Government of India signed a 15 year contract with International Seabed Authority (ISA) for exploration of polymetallic nodules from Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) in 2002. In written replies to questions by members in the Lok Sabha today, the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology and for Earth Sciences Shri. Y.S.Chowdary said, the polymetallic sulfides are expected to contain rare earth minerals including gold and silver. The Government of India has an area of 75000 sq km in the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) and close grid bathymetric surveys have been carried for Polymetallic Nodules in this area. A Test Mine Site (TMS) has been tentatively identified within the First Generation Mine Site (FGMS) for further detailed studies.

Seven cruises were undertaken to collect scientific data and samples pertaining to polymetallic sulfides along Central Indian Ridge (CIR) & Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) region of the Indian Ocean in the year 2012-13. Based on the outcome of these surveys, India submitted an application for exclusive rights of exploration of polymetallic sulfides at a site of 10000 sq km along CIR & SWIR in Indian Ocean in 2013, which was approved by International Seabed Authority (ISA) in 2014.

As a part of development, a crawler based prototype shallow bed mining system has been developed and demonstrated at a water depth of 512 m. Extraction of copper, nickel and cobalt from polymetallic nodules has been demonstrated in a pilot plant with a capacity to process 500 kg nodules per day at Hindustan Zinc Limited, Udaipur.

Oceanographic Research vessels Sagar Kanya, Sagar Sampada, Sagar Manjusha and Sagar Nidhi of Ministry of Earth Sciences, Samudra Ratnakar of Geological Survey of India (GSI), Ministry of Mines and Sindhu Sankalp and Sindhu Sadhana of National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Council of Scientific & Industrial Research are deployed for ocean research.

The minister said the programme is at a stage of developing relevant technologies for harvesting polymetallic nodules lying at 4000m to 5000m water depth. Initial estimated resource of polymetallic nodules in the site retained by India in the Central Indian Ocean Basin is about 380 Million Metric Tonne (MMT) with 0.55 MMT of Cobalt, 4.7 MMT of Nickel, 4.29 MMT of Copper and 92.59 MMT of Manganese. However, the actual estimates will vary depending upon the new results of detailed survey and exploration coupled with results of test mining of nodules upon developing the mining technology, he added.

Exploration of Gas Hydrates has also been carried out by conducting 3D seismic survey in the Krishna-Godavari and the Mahanadi basins. 

New Initiatives to Attract Foreign Investment

New Initiatives to Attract Foreign Investment

India has one of the most liberalized FDI policy regimes in the world. Government has put in place an investor-friendly policy on FDI, under which FDI, up to 100%, is permitted, under the automatic route, in most sectors/activities. Significant changes have been made in the FDI policy regime from time to time, to ensure that India remains increasingly attractive and Investor-friendly.

In the light of the importance of foreign direct investments for economic growth and development, the government announced key FDI reforms in the defence and railways sectors. The entire range of rail infrastructure was opened to 100% FDI under the automatic route, and in defence, sectoral cap was raised to 49%. To boost infrastructure creation and to bring pragmatism in the policy, the Government reviewed the FDI policy in the construction development sector also by creating easy exit norms, rationalizing area restrictions and providing due emphasis to affordable housing.

To give impetus to the medical devices sector, a carve out was created in FDI policy on the pharmaceutical sector and now 100% FDI under automatic route is permitted. The Government, in order to expand insurance cover to its large population and to provide required capital to insurance companies, raised the FDI limit in the sector to 49%. Pension sector has also been opened to foreign direct investment up to the same limit. The FDI policy provisions pertaining to NRI investment have also been clarified by providing that for the purposes of FDI policy, investment by NRIs on non-repatriation basis under Schedule 4 of FEMA (Transfer or Issue of Security by Persons Resident Outside India) Regulations will be deemed to be domestic investment at par with the investment made by residents.

Government has undertaken a number of steps to improve Ease of Doing Business in India. Amongst the other important steps, Ministries and State Governments have been advised to simplify and rationalize the regulatory environment through business process reengineering and use of information technology.

These measures are expected to increase FDI, which complements and supplements domestic investment. Domestic companies are benefited through FDI, by way of enhanced access to supplementary capital and state-of-art-technologies; exposure to global managerial practices and opportunities of integration into global markets resulting into accelerated domestic growth of the country. Further, as FDI is largely a matter of private business decisions, global investors normally take time to assess a new policy and its implications in the context of a particular market before making investment.