Government of India Archives - Lokmarg

Interpol Issues Red Corner For Khalistan Leader Karanvir Singh

By LokMarg 25th September 2023

The International Criminal Police Organization, commonly known as Interpol, on Monday issued a Red Corner Notice against Karanvir Singh, a member of the banned terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International.

Interpol updated its website by putting out a Red Corner Notice for the Khalistani leader.

According to intelligence sources, Singh is believed to be hiding in Pakistan and was a member of the pro-Khalistan terrorist group Babbar Khalsa International.

As per the Interpol portal, 38-year-old Karanvir Singh has roots in Punjab’s Kapurthala district.

Further, according to Interpol, Singh is wanted by India for criminal conspiracy, murder, offences related to the Arms Act, and Explosive Substances Act, raising funds for terrorist acts, conspiracy, and being a member of a terrorist gang or organisation.

A Red Corner Notice is a request to the law enforcement authorities of Interpol’s member countries to find and temporarily detain a person until extradition, surrender, or a similar legal process can take place.

Earlier, Interpol issued a Red Notice to all member countries against gangster Himanshu alias Bhau, who is believed to be living abroad.

Giving details, a spokesman of Haryana Police said Rohtak Police succeeded in getting a Red Corner Notice issued against a most wanted accused, who is believed to have fled abroad.

The Red Corner Notice against the wanted pro-Khalistani leader comes amid a diplomatic spat between New Delhi and Ottawa in the wake of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s claim of an India hand in the killing of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

New Delhi dismissed the allegations, calling them ‘absurd’ and ‘motivated’.

At a news conference in New York, the Canadian PM, however, failed to present any evidence to back his claim of Indian involvement in Nijjar’s killing. Trudeau was repeatedly quizzed on the nature of the allegations but stuck to reiterating that there were “credible reasons” to believe that India was linked to Nijjar’s death.

“There are credible reasons to believe that agents of the Government of India were involved in the killing of a Canadian on Canadian soil. That is …there is something of utmost foundational importance in a country’s rule of law in a world where international rules-based order matters,” Trudeau said.

“We call upon the Government of India to take seriously this matter and to work with us to shed full transparency and ensure accountability and justice in this matter,” the Canadian PM added.

According to CBC News, the Canadian government invested both human and signal intelligence in a months-long investigation into Nijjar’s death. That intelligence includes communications involving Indian diplomats present in Canada.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday, however, said no information has been shared by Canada with regard to the killing of Nijjar.

“We are willing to look at any specific information that is provided to us, but so far we have received no specific information from Canada,” Arindam Bagchi, the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said during a briefing.

A designated terrorist in India, Nijjar was shot dead outside a Sikh temple in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18. (ANI)

SpiceJet joins ‘Op Kaveri’;184 Indians Rescued From Jeddah

By LokMarg 1st May 2023

Domestic carrier SpiceJet has joined in efforts to bring back stranded Indians from Sudan under Central government’s ‘Operation Kaveri’.

The airline operated its first evacuation flight from Jeddah to Kochi on April 30, evacuating 184 stranded Indians, who were stuck in Sudan.
Ajay Singh, chairman and managing director of SpiceJet, said, “We are humbled by the opportunity to contribute in the evacuation of stranded Indians from Sudan under ‘Operation Kaveri’. SpiceJet remains committed to supporting the Government in its mission to safeguard our citizens and enable their safe return to their homes and families. We successfully operated our first evacuation flight from Jeddah bringing back 184 stranded Indian nationals. We are in touch with the government to operate more such flights.”

The airline is in regular touch with the Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Saudi Arabia to coordinate further evacuation efforts. More evacuation flights from Saudi Arabia to different cities in India are being planned. SpiceJet is well connected to Saudi Arabia and operates daily flights from Jeddah to Calicut, Delhi and Mumbai. It also operates daily flights from Riyadh to Delhi.

SpiceJet has been a crucial part of the government’s evacuation and repatriation efforts in the past. SpiceJet helped evacuate more than 1600 students under “Operation Ganga”, having operated special flights to Budapest, Kosice and Suceava. SpiceJet also played a key role in repatriating Indians and foreign nationals during the pandemic times.

The Union government, under Operation Kaveri, is set to evacuate about 3,000 Indian-origin passengers from Sudan.

Sudan is experiencing bloodshed as a result of clashes between the army and paramilitary forces.

Fighting has erupted between soldiers loyal to Sudanese army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, paramilitary Rapid Support Soldiers (RSF) commander Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Committed to ensuring that no Indian national is left behind in Sudan, India has deployed its military planes and warships in the war-torn country to bring its citizens safely under ‘Operation Kaveri’. (ANI)

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No Mention Of PIB Fact Check: Union Min Chandrashekhar

By LokMarg 7th April 2023

After a controversy arose over the Centre’s notification on Thursday that fake news about the Union government would be forcibly taken down and the agency that would declare content as fake news would be the Press Information Bureau, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Friday clarified that the rules notified yesterday do not mention “PIB Fact Check”.

Union Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s response came against the backdrop of various reports, claiming that as per the amended Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 social media platforms and other intermediaries will now have to make sure that “fake news” articles about the Centre, declared as such by PIB, are taken down from their platforms once alerted.
The minister said that the rules do not suggest that the agency declaring fake news will be PIB Fact Check.

“The rules do not at all suggest that it’s going to be PIB Fact Check. I think some of the grey area, or indeed the misapprehension, comes from the fact that the original draft of the rule that went for consultation talked about PIB Fact check. The rules that were notified yesterday do not mention PIB Fact Check,” Chandrashekhar told ANI.

He said, “So we have yet to take a decision on whether it will be a new organization that has trust and credibility associated with it, or do we take an old organization and repurpose it to build trust and credibility in terms of a fact-checking mission.”

Earlier on Thursday, the Centre issued notifications regarding amendments to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, related to online gaming and spread of false and misleading information regarding government business.

As per the amended rules, it has been made obligatory on the part of intermediaries to make reasonable effort to not host, publish or share any online game that can cause the user harm, or that has not been verified as a permissible online game by an online gaming self-regulatory body/bodies designated by the Central Government.

The intermediary will also have to ensure that no advertisement or surrogate advertisement or promotion of an online game that is not a permissible online game, is hosted on its platform.

Apart from it, the amended rules now also make it obligatory on the intermediaries to not to publish, share or host fake, false or misleading information in respect of any business of the Central Government.

“These fake, false or misleading information will identified by the notified Fact Check Unit of the Central Government. it is to be noted that the existing IT rules already required the intermediaries to make reasonable efforts to not host, publish or share any information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature,” the IT ministry said in a press note.

“The rules already cast an obligation on intermediaries to make reasonable efforts to not host, publish or share any information which is patently false and untrue or misleading in nature,” it added. (ANI)

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Mizoram: Shah Appeals Armed Groups To Be Part Of Democratic Process

By LokMarg 1st April 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is on a visit to Mizoram’s Aizawl, appealed on Saturday to the armed groups in the northeast to join the mainstream and become a part of the democratic process.

He also said that the Modi government aims to develop the entire northeast area and connect all eight state capitals by air, rail, and road before 2025.
“Today multiple projects worth Rs 2500 crores have been inaugurated in a single day in a small state like Mizoram. This shows that our government is committed to the development of the northeast,” he said while addressing the people after the inauguration of several development projects in the state worth around Rs 2500 crore.

“Our government is focussing on exploring every area whether tourism, agriculture, or any other sector where there is the scope of development,” he added.

The Home Minister said that there used to be violence in the state of Mizoram, but today peace has been established.

“At one time there was violence and unrest here. Bullets were fired, and bombs exploded. But today Zoramthanga is the Chief Minister of Mizoram, and there is peace here. This is an example of the success of democracy in India,” he said.

He also appealed to the armed groups to leave the path of armed struggle and join the democratic process.

“Today, I appeal to whatever armed groups are left in the northeast, to come and join the mainstream, become a part of the democratic process and give their contribution to the development of the region and the country. Mizoram is a great example of the triumph of democracy in front of the whole world,” Shah further said.

The former BJP president also said that different Union ministers of the government, have visited the northeast a total of 432 times in the last nine years.

“Narendra Modi government has increased the budget for the northeast region by 276 percent under the PM-DevINE scheme. All eight state capitals of the region will be connected by air, rail, and road before 2025, at a cost of Rs 1,76,000 crores,” he added.

He further said that new road projects will help in enhancing the trade and business of the state.

“Four new road projects have also been inaugurated worth Rs 1200 crores. This will not only increase the trade and business of the state but also enhance the business between Mizoram and Myanmar,” the Home Minister said.

These projects included; the construction of Assam Rifles Battalion Headquarters Complex Zokhawsang worth Rs 163 crore and the construction of the ‘Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) under Smart City Ltd (ASCL) worth Rs 119.2 crore.

Besides, the Home Minister also laid the foundation stone for the construction of Zorinpui – Longmasu NH-502A worth an estimated Rs 781.85 crore; the construction of Aizawl Bypass (Package-1), NH-6 worth Rs 329.70 crore; construction of Aizawl Bypass (Package-3), NH-6 worth Rs 720.72 crore; and construction of Laldenga Centre worth Rs 193 crore. (ANI)

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Some Parties Have Started Bhrashtachari Bachao Abhiyan: Modi

By LokMarg 28th March 2023

Taking a jibe at the Opposition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that all those who are deeply rooted in corruption have come together and are attacking constitutional institutions of the country.

PM Modi was addressing an event after inaugurating the newly constructed BJP central office (extension) here in the national capital.
In his address, PM Modi said, “We have a strong foundation of constitutional institutions. That’s why to stop India, constitutional institutions are being attacked. Conspiracies are being hatched to defame our institutions and bring down their credibility”.

“When agencies take action against those who are deeply rooted in corruption, they attack the agencies. When courts pronounce order, questions are being raised on the judicial system,” he added.

PM Modi also said that the action against corruption has brought all the “corrupt” people together.

“We are seeing that some parties have also started Bhrashtachari Bachao Abhiyan. Today, all the faces who are indulging in corruption are coming together on one stage. The whole country is watching this, and understanding this,” he further said.

The Prime Minister said that in the last nine years, the BJP has run a campaign against corruption, which has rattled the corrupt and corruption.

“Corruption has caused heavy damage to the country like termites. Whenever BJP comes to power, it causes a big blow to corruption. For the first time in seven decades, such an action is being taken against the corrupt. After our action, some people get upset and angry. But the action against corruption won’t be stopped because of their (Opposition) false allegations,” he added.

The Prime Minister said that people are the ‘capital’ of the party, which is moving ahead only with their blessings.

“Congress leaders used to say that they will uproot Jana Sangh and throw it away. Today’s leaders say that Modi’s grave will be dug. Today, if we are standing then it is with the blessings of the public. It is with their blessings, that we have moved forward, are moving forward and will continue to move forward.

Further taking a dig at the Opposition, PM Modi said, “BJP is not made from the screens of newspapers and TV channels and is not made from Twitter and YouTube.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi inaugurated the presidential campus and auditorium here in the national capital. During the event, the Prime Minister, and other leaders also performed prayers and paid respects to the founders of the party.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda, senior party leader Murli Manohar Joshi and several other senior party leaders were present on the occasion. (ANI)

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J&K Govt’s Huge Push For Sustainable Agriculture

By LokMarg 22nd February 2023

The government of Jammu and Kashmir, giving a huge push to sustainable agriculture in the Union Territory, has approved a five-year project on “Innovative Extension Approaches for Revitalizing Agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir”, said a press release.

The project, worth Rs 463 crore, is aimed at empowering farmers and educated youth through technology-driven and inclusive agri-extension services. One of the critical outcomes of the project would be the creation of 2,000 Kissan Khidmat Ghars (KKGs), which will serve as a One Stop Center for extending farmer-oriented services, added the press release.

“The extension system in Jammu and Kashmir faces many challenges, including serving a large clientele with structural complexity and functional diversity. There is a significant gap between extension workers and farmers, with a ratio of 1:1100 and a contact intensity of one hour per farmer per year. The existing system is also plagued by defects such as lack of realistic base-level information, poor coordination and cohesiveness among the extension players and a low level of public confidence”, said Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary, APD.

The project aims to address these issues by developing a dynamic agri-extension system using IoT-enabled real-time big data for farm-centric planning and resource allocation. This technology-enabled system will form the basis for a proactive agriculture extension system with a cluster approach. This approach will use real-time regional analysis of climate and agro-ecology information to promote niche agriculture under given agro-climatic conditions”, he added.

“Innovative Extension Approaches for Revitalizing Agriculture in Jammu and Kashmir” is one among the 29 projects, which were approved by the Jammu and Kashmir administration after being recommended by the UT Level Apex Committee for holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors in UT of J&K. The prestigious committee is being headed by Dr Mangala Rai, former DG ICAR and has other luminaries in the field of Agriculture, Planning, Statistics and Administration like Ashok Dalwai, CEO NRAA, P K Joshi, Secretary, NAAS, Prabhat Kumar, Horticulture Commissioner MOA and FW, DH. S Gupta, Former Director, IARI, Atal Dulloo , Additional Chief Secretary, APD besides Vice Chancellors of twin Agriculture Universities of the UT.

The project envisages promoting sustainable and profitable agriculture with a significant increase in the share of agricultural GDP. To achieve this goal, the project will establish 2,000 Panchayat level KKGs, revitalizing the Block-level Extension Advisory Committee and promoting Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) as a hub of convergence of services at the district level. The project will also establish business orientation centres at SKUAST-Kashmir and Jammu and facilitate real-time problem redressal through cyber extension including RS-GIS-driven agro-advisories and ICT-based virtual contacts and communication systems.

The Kissan Khidmat Ghar will be a Stop Center for farmers to access a range of services related to agriculture and allied sectors. It will serve as a knowledge centre with modern ICT tools including a kiosk, to provide direct access to various information such as input supply, technology, marketing, and more. The KKG will be a platform for a public-private partnership to manage the value chain effectively and economically. Each KKG will have a technical facilitator to provide end-to-end services to farmers at nominal charges.

The project will also create a strong MIS system to maintain transparency and accountability in service delivery and information sharing with parent departments and administration. The KKG will function in close coordination with the Panchayat, fostering the Public-Private-Panchayat partnership. The key functions of KKG will include execution of direct services in agriculture and allied sectors, input booking/delivery, market intelligence services, capacity building and skill development, facilitating custom hiring services and generating baseline information for policy planning and review of operational schemes at block and higher levels.

The project will focus on holistic planning and execution of “production to profit” agriculture with the area and commodity-specific extension approaches based on the agri-knowledge system (JK Agri stack platform). It will converge functional extension resources and approaches for participatory planning and decentralized decision making to promote remunerative agriculture. It will also provide seamless agricultural extension services with perfect outreach and dynamic contact across the value chain and real-time resource person-client interaction. Besides, the project will focus on capacity building in agricultural extension and skill development for generating entrepreneurship and employment.

Meanwhile, the project will also reorient capacity-building programs and promote secondary agriculture with post-harvest and non-farm activities as the primary focus for harnessing better returns. This will include training in agri-business, marketing, secondary agriculture and non-farm activities. It will constitute an “Agri-Extension Club” promoting regular online Expert Extension Lecture Series (EELS) and skilling farmers and youth in mission mode for profitable agriculture, entrepreneurship development, agri-business start-ups, employment generation and livelihood security.

The project will also synergize PPP extension systems and accreditation of service providers at the UT level with outcome-linked incentives. It will establish sustainable market linkages for physical and e-markets and promote secondary agriculture. The project will also focus on the augmentation of mechanization, automation and digital agriculture, awareness programs, demonstrations and entrepreneurship in farm machinery services.

The project will promote research in extension, technology and service gaps, technology adoption, and impact assessment. It will use a bottom-up approach and employ IoT-enabled real-time big data to monitor the impact of the project at the backend.

The project aims to promote a smart technology-driven seamless innovative, implementable and inclusive agri-extension service that empowers farmers and educated youth to realize the sustainably progressive growth of the agricultural sector in the country. By providing farmers with access to modern tools and techniques, the project hopes to increase agricultural productivity and improve food security while also reducing poverty and promoting sustainable development.

Ultimately, the implementation of a smart, technology-driven approach to agricultural extension services has the potential to revolutionize the way farmers access information and support. By leveraging the power of IoT-enabled big data, the project can measure the impact of its efforts in real time, providing valuable insights for future decision-making. As a result, the project has the potential to contribute significantly to the achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals related to food security, poverty reduction and sustainable development, positively impacting millions of people’s lives. (ANI)

SC Criticises Centre On Judicial Appointment

By LokMarg 8th December 2022

Centre faced Supreme Court’s ire on Thursday as the top court again criticised the government over judicial appointment issues and remarked that Parliament has the right to enact new law but at the same time must adhere to existing legal positions.

A bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that it expects the Attorney General to play the role of the seniormost law officer to advise the government on the existing legal position.
The court also said the government cannot conveniently cite the views of some judges on MoP to oppose Collegium recommendations.

The Supreme Court said that Parliament has the right to enact a law but it is also subject to the scrutiny of courts and “it is important that the law laid down by this court is followed else people would follow the law which they think is correct”.

The court observation came while hearing a plea against the Centre for keeping pending a name that the Collegium recommended in the list for appointment to various High Courts and the apex court.

The court also took note of the Centre’s recent decision to send back a second time reiterated names and said it is a breach of its earlier direction. The court said that it is not aware of the special circumstance for which this name was dropped.

The court also told the Attorney General to advise Union Ministers to exercise some control over their public criticism about the Collegium and said that the statements made recently are not being taken very well and the ministers ought to exercise some control.

The court remarked that it has told the Attorney General that the Memorandum of Procedure (MoP) is final till government suggestions are looked into, MoP as finalised has to apply.

The court also cited the earlier Constitution Bench decision of the top court upholding the Collegium system and said that the government is bound to implement and enforce the law as laid down.

The court opined that there will be a breakdown if everyone starts choosing what to follow.

The Supreme Court said that there is an existing MoP and the government thinks some alterations are required but that does not take away from the existing legal process.

Observing that it looks just like a blame game, the court noted that years after the name for the judicial appointment was returned which Collegium again reiterated.

SC said, “How do we sort out these issues. This is some kind of an infinite battle. AG you will have to do a little better to sort out this”.

Senior Advocate Vikas Singh, appearing for the petitioner also said that rule of the law has to be followed and take strong objection to the comments on Collegium.

In the last hearing, the Court had also expressed its disappointment with the statement given by the Law Minister to a news channel.

In 2014, the National Democratic Alliance government brought the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Act in an attempt to change the system of appointment of judges.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar recently passed a certain remark on the 99th Constitutional Amendment Bill paving way for the National Judicial Appointment Commission (NJAC) which was undone by the Supreme Court in 2015. (ANI)

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Govt Revokes Ban On Construction Activity In Delhi

By LokMarg 7th December 2022

The Union government panel that recommends steps to control pollution in the national capital region has revoked actions under the graded response action plan (GRAP) stage III with immediate effect, because of a noteworthy fall in pollution.

Stage III of GRAP means a ban on all construction activities except those of national importance.

The Sub-Committee for invoking actions under GRAP of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) held a meeting today to review the situation and take the appropriate call in view of noteworthy improvement in the overall air quality of Delhi witnessed in the last few days with a fall of more than 100 points in the overall Air Quality Index (AQI) since the last invocation of Stage III of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) on December 4.

“While comprehensively reviewing the overall air quality parameters of Delhi-NCR, the Commission noted that due to forecasts by IMD/ IITM not indicating the overall AQI of Delhi to slip into the “Severe” category in the next few days and as it is likely to fluctuate between ‘Poor’ to ‘Very Poor’ category, it is advisable to relax the restrictions and further roll back Stage-III of the GRAP with immediate effect in the entire NCR,” the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said in a statement.

The GRAP Sub-Committee in its earlier meetings had invoked actions under Stage-I, Stage-II, Stage-III, and Stage-IV of the GRAP in the entire NCR on October 5, October 19, October 29, and November 3 respectively.

Further, Sub-Committee in its review meeting revoked the actions under Stage-IV (‘Severe+’ Air Quality) of GRAP on December 6 and revoked Stage-III (‘Severe’ Air Quality) of GRAP on November 14 after considering the improvement in the air quality of Delhi and AQI forecasts of subsequent days.

Stage III of the GRAP was again invoked in the entire Delhi-NCR on December 4 after the sudden increase in the overall AQI of Delhi.

The Ministry further said that The Sub-Committee in its meeting today comprehensively reviewed the air quality scenario in the region as well as the IMD/IITM forecasts for meteorological conditions and the air quality index of Delhi and observed that the overall AQI of Delhi has been progressively improving with 407 recorded on December 4; 347 on December 5; 353 on December 6; and 304 recorded today which is below the threshold for invoking the GRAP Stage-III actions (Delhi AQI 401-450).

Further, the AQI is seeing a downward trend with favorable improvement in the average AQI as well. Preventive/ mitigative/ restrictive actions under all Stages up to Stage II are already underway and the forecasts by IMD/ IITM also do not indicate the AQI to fall in the ‘Severe’ category in the next few days.

Further, actions under Stage-I to Stage-II of the GRAP shall however remain invoked and be implemented, intensified, monitored, and reviewed by all agencies concerned in the entire NCR to ensure that the AQI levels do not slip further to the ‘Severe’ category.

All implementing agencies shall keep strict vigil and especially intensify measures under Stages I and II of GRAP which include the

Mechanical/vacuum-based sweeping of roads to be carried out on a daily basis.

Ensure water sprinkling along with the use of dust suppressants regularly on roads to arrest road dust, especially at hotspots, heavy traffic corridors, and vulnerable areas (before peak hours), and proper disposal of dust collected in designated sites/landfills.

Regular inspection and strict enforcement of dust control measures at Construction & Demolition (C&D) sites and enforcement of direction on the use of Ani-Smog guns.

Do not allow coal/firewood including in Tandoors in Hotels, Restaurants, and open eateries.

Ensure hotels, restaurants and open eateries use only electricity/ clean fuel gas-based appliances.

Enhance Parking fees to discourage private transport.

Regulated use of DG Sets except for the emergent and essential services.

C&D project sites and industrial units which have been issued specific closure orders on account of violations/ non-compliances with various statutory directions, rules, guidelines, etc. under no circumstances shall resume their operations without any specific order to this effect from the Commission.

Further, the Commission has once again appealed to the citizens of NCR to cooperate in implementing GRAP and follow the steps mentioned in the Citizen Charter under the GRAP.

Citizens are advised to use public transport and minimize the use of personal vehicles.

Regularly replace air filters at recommended intervals in your automobiles. Avoid dust-generating construction activities.

Various agencies responsible for implementing measures under GRAP and Pollution Control Boards (PCBs) of NCR and DPCC have also been advised to ensure strict implementation of actions of Stage I and Stage II under GRAP in the NCR.

Further, the Commission is closely watching the situation and will review the air quality scenario accordingly, the ministry statement read. (ANI)

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Highest Annual FDI Inflow Of $ 84.84 BN In 2021-22: Govt

By LokMarg 7th December 2022

Centre’s reforms resulted in a consistent increase in Foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow which has grown from USD 45.15 billion in 2014-2015 to USD 84.84 billion in 2021-22, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Som Parkash said in reply to Parliament on Wednesday.

‘Make in India’ is an initiative launched on September 25, 2014, to facilitate investment, foster innovation, build best-in-class infrastructure, and make India a hub for manufacturing, design, and innovation. It is one of the unique ‘Vocal for Local’ initiatives that promoted India’s manufacturing domain to the world, the Minister said.
According to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the ‘Make in India initiative has significant achievements and presently focuses on 27 sectors under Make in India 2.0. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) coordinates action plans for 15 manufacturing sectors, while the Department of Commerce coordinates 12 service sector plans. Investment outreach activities are done through Ministries, State governments, and Indian Missions abroad for enhancing International cooperation and promoting both domestic and foreign investment in the country.

In addition to ongoing schemes of various Departments and Ministries, the government has taken various steps to boost domestic and foreign investments in India. These include the introduction of Goods and Services Tax, reduction in Corporate tax rate, interventions to improve ease of doing business, FDI policy reforms, measures for reduction in compliance burden, policy measures to boost domestic manufacturing through public procurement orders, Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP), to name a few, MoS Som Parkash said.

The reforms taken by Government have resulted in increased FDI inflows in the country. FDI inflows in India stood at USD 45.15 billion in 2014-2015 and have continuously increased since then, and India registered its highest-ever annual FDI inflow of USD 84.84 billion (provisional figures) in the financial year 2021-22, he said.

He said the series of measures taken by the Government to improve the economic situation includes the introduction of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme in various Ministries, investment opportunities under the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP) and National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP), India Industrial Land Bank (IILB), Industrial Park Rating System (IPRS), the soft launch of the National Single Window System (NSWS), etc. An institutional mechanism to fast-track investments has been put in place, in the form of Project Development Cells (PDCs) in all concerned Ministries/ Departments of the Government of India along with an Empowered Group of Secretaries (EGoS).

Keeping in view India’s vision of becoming ‘Atmanirbhar’ and enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities and exports, an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore (over USD 26 billion) has been announced in Union Budget 2021-22 for PLI schemes for 14 key sectors of manufacturing, starting from fiscal year (FY) 2021-22, the Minister informed. (ANI)

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Govt Reintroduces Draft Data Protection Bill For Public Comments

By LokMarg 18th November 2022

Three months after the withdrawal of the Digital Personal Data Protection Bill from the lower house of the Parliament, the central government has now come up with a new draft Bill seeking views from the public.

For the record, the central government during the recent Monsoon session of Parliament withdrew the Bill from the Lok Sabha several months after it was introduced.
The Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw today tweeted: “Seeking your views on draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022.” He also posted a link to the draft Digital Personal Data Protection Bill, 2022.

Vaishnaw had earlier said that the Bill was withdrawn because the Joint Parliamentary Committee recommended 81 amendments in a bill of 99 sections.

“Above that, it made 12 major recommendations. Therefore, the bill has been withdrawn and a new bill will be presented for public consultation,” he had said.

The purpose of this Act, the draft said, is to provide for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognizes both the right of individuals to protect their personal data and the need to process personal data for lawful purposes.

The Bill was much needed as the Digital India mission has caused digitization of the Indian economy and transformed the lives of Indian citizens in particular and governance in general.

Presently, there are over 76 crore active digital citizens and over the next coming years, this is expected to touch 120 crores (1.2 billion). India is the largest connected democracy in the world and is amongst the highest consumers and producers of data per capita amongst the countries.

The first principle of the proposed Bill is that usage of personal data by organisations must be done in a manner that is lawful, fair to the individuals concerned, and transparent.

The second principle of purpose limitation is that the personal data is used for the purposes for which it was collected. The third principle of data minimisation is that only those items of personal data required for attaining a specific purpose must be collected.

Among others, personal data should be limited to such duration as is necessary for the stated purpose for which personal data was collected and reasonable safeguards to ensure that there is no unauthorised collection or processing of personal data are some features.

The government said during the drafting of the Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 the entire gamut of principles was widely debated and discussed. These include the rights of individuals, duties of entities processing personal data and regulatory framework, among others. (ANI)

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