Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Posted on

Union government to establish 440 Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS), one EMRS in every block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per census 2011)

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:02PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durga Das Uikey informed in Rajya Sabha today that the Central Sector Scheme of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) was started in the year 2018-19 to provide quality education at par with Navodaya Vidyalaya to the tribal children in their own environment.

Under the new scheme, Government decided to establish 440 EMRSs, one EMRS in every block having more than 50% ST population and at least 20,000 tribal persons (as per census 2011). 288 EMRS schools were initially funded under Grants under Article 275(1) of the Constitution, which are being upgraded as per the new model.

Accordingly, Ministry has set the target to set up total of 728 EMRSs benefiting around 3.5 lakh ST students across the country. To ensure quality education and holistic development for tribal students following facilities are being provided in EMRSs: –

Educational Infrastructure:

    • Well-equipped classrooms with modern teaching aids.
    • Science and computer laboratories.
    • Libraries with diverse learning resources.
  2. Accommodation and Amenities:
    • Residential facilities for students and staff.
    • Separate hostels for boys and girls with essential amenities like bedding, furniture, and hygiene facilities.

     3.    Sports and Extracurricular Facilities:

  • Playgrounds and sports equipment.
    • Facilities for extracurricular activities like music, art, and sports
  1. Health and Nutrition:
    • Regular health check-ups and medical facilities.
  1. IT and Digital Learning:
    • Smart classrooms for digital education.
    • Computer labs with internet access.
  1. Vocational Training:
    • Skill development and vocational training programs to enhance employability.

 

Further, National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS) has been established as an autonomous body under this Ministry to manage and implement scheme of EMRS. NESTS has organized Principals’ Conclave bringing together all Principals of EMRSs from across the country for orientation in the areas of academic management, mental health, safety, HR matters etc. and the conclave enriched their knowledge and professional skills. NESTS has also empowered State societies to impart induction training to Teacher’s towards residential culture and academic transactions.

 

The Ministry is implementing several initiatives in collaboration with other government bodies to provide tribal students with access to digital and skill-based education while maintaining the traditional curriculum.  These initiatives include:

 

i)    Establishment of Smart classrooms equipped with digital boards in partnership with ERNET, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), to enhance digital learning in tribal schools.

ii)    Setting-up of 400 Skill Labs in 200 EMRSs in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MoSDE) to provide hands-on vocational training and industry-relevant skills to students.

iii)     Provision of online coaching sessions for IIT-JEE and NEET, along with recorded lectures tailored for Class 11 and 12 students, in collaboration with PACE- IIT & Medical. Additionally, special classes and focused training modules are provided to support both high-performing and academically weaker students.

iv)     Allocation of a dedicated DTH channel by NCERT to enhance both curricular and extracurricular learning, including vocational education, ensuring wider accessibility for students in remote areas.

Additionally, to preserve and promote traditional curricula, regional language teachers have been recruited to support language learning and cultural continuity.

Ministry of Tribal Affairs is implementing following Scholarship Schemes to promote and encourage basic and higher education amongst ST population: –

  1.  
  • Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students (For Class IX and X)
  • Post Matric Scholarship for ST students (For Class XI and above)
  • National Scholarship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students (earlier known as Top Class Scholarship Scheme): Scholarship is provided for pursuing Graduate/Post Graduate courses in the 265 top-class Government and Non-Government Institutes in professional fields such as Management, Medicine, Engineering, Information Technology, Law etc.
  • National Fellowship Scheme for Higher Education of ST Students: Scholarship to meritorious ST students for pursuing M. Phil or Ph.D. in India
  • National Overseas Scholarship for ST students: Scholarships are given to the meritorious Schedule Tribe (ST) students for pursuing higher education abroad. Pre and Post matric Scholarships scheme are open ended and every ST student with income up to 2.5 lakh can take benefit of these schemes.

Additionally, to encourage students to pursue higher studies, instructions have been issued to state societies to cover the application fees for national-level entrance examinations such as NEET, JEE, CLAT, etc., for students studying in Class XII in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs). The cost of these application fees is to be borne by the respective State EMRS Societies, thereby reducing the financial burden on students and their families.

******

RN/PIB

 

(Release ID: 2117788) Visitor Counter : 9

Posted on

Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) does not specifically promote the cultivation of Nannari plants: Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durga Das Uikey

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:02PM by PIB Delhi

The Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Shri Durga Das Uikey informed in Rajya Sabha today that the Ministry is implementing the schemes namely Pradhan Mantri Janjatiya Vikas Mission (PMJVM) and Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN) under which funds are provided to the State Governments for establishment of Van Dhan Vikas Kendras (VDVKs) to enhance livelihood opportunities and promoting tribal entrepreneurship.

The Scheme also supports for the value addition of minor forest produce (MFP) at these Kendras and does not specifically promote the cultivation of Nannari plants. An amount of Rs.180 Lakhs have been sanctioned to state of Andhra Pradesh including 12 VDVKs with 3601 members which are regularly engaged in the production of Nannari-related value-added products. The sanctioned funds can be utilized for training and capacity building, toolkit and machinery procurement, value addition and branding & packaging.

****

RN/PIB

(Release ID: 2117787) Visitor Counter : 6

Posted on

NHAI Achieves Robust Growth in National Highway Construction During FY 2024-25

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:56PM by PIB Delhi

Working relentlessly towards development of the National Highway infrastructure in the country, National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), during the Financial Year 2024-25, constructed 5,614 km of National Highways against the target of 5,150 km for the year.

In addition, the Capital Expenditure by NHAI in Financial Year 2024-25 for development of National Highway Infrastructure reached an all-time high of over Rs. 2,50,000 Crore (provisional) against a target expenditure of Rs. 2,40,000 Crore. This highest ever capital expenditure in a Financial Year by NHAI includes both Government budgetary support and NHAI’s own resources. The overall capital expenditure increased by around 21 percent as compared to Rs. 2,07,000 Crore in previous FY 2023-24 and by around 45 percent as compared to Rs. 1,73,000 Crore in FY 2022-23.

During FY 24-25, NHAI leveraged three modes for monetization, that included Toll Operate Transfer (TOT), Infrastructure Investment Trust (InvIT) and Toll Securitisation. During the Financial Year, NHAI monetized assets for a total of Rs. 28,724 Crore. This includes NHAI’s highest ever single round InvIT receipt worth Rs. 17,738 Crore. 

NHAI is committed to build world class National Highway infrastructure across the country that will contribute not only to the growth of the road sector but will also play a critical role in nation building and advancing the growth of the Indian economy.

***

GDH/HR

(Release ID: 2117781) Visitor Counter : 36

Posted on

Aatmanirbharta in Defence: Project Sanction Order signed for Design & Development of 6MW Medium Speed Marine Diesel Engine worth Rs 270 crore

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:36PM by PIB Delhi

 Project Sanction Order under Make-I category for the Design and Development of 6MW Medium Speed Marine Diesel Engine has been inked between Indian Navy and Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited. The signing took place in the presence of Secretary (Defence Production) Shri Sanjeev Kumar and Vice Chief of the Naval Staff Vice Admiral Krishna Swaminathan at South Block, New Delhi on April 02, 2025.

 

The prototype diesel engine with indigenous content of over 50% will be developed at a cost of Rs 270 crore with 70% funding from the Government of India. The order also includes development of detailed design for 3-10MW diesel engine. The developed engines will be used for Main Propulsion and Power Generation on ships of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. 

Most of the diesel engines of higher capacity were being imported from foreign Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) till date. This project will start the process in achieving self-reliance in marine engine development in the country. 

It is a significant step in the ongoing efforts of the Government, led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, to indigenise critical technologies and achieve Aatmanirbharta in defence. It will further strengthen indigenous capabilities, save foreign exchange and reduce dependency on foreign OEMs. It will act as a catalyst for the development of defence industrial ecosystem in the country.

 ***

SR/Savvy

(Release ID: 2117773) Visitor Counter : 8

Posted on

Umbrella organization for urban co-operative banks

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:35PM by PIB Delhi

A need was felt to establish an organization to resolve the difficulties being faced by the Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs). UCBs are operating in a fragmented and uncoordinated environment, hindering their growth, stability and competitiveness. The lack of regulatory clarity, operational inefficiencies and limited access to resources and expertise left many UCBs vulnerable to financial instability, poor governance and market pressures.

An Umbrella Organization (UO) named National Urban Co-operative Finance and Development Corporation (NUCFDC) has been established as a long-term solution to transform India’s UCB sector to make them financially resilient, enhance their depositor’s confidence and establish them as a major player in the country’s financial system.

The UO will provide various fund-based as well as non-fund-based services to UCBs. The fund-based services include extending Capital support, Loans and advances, Refinance facilities, Liquidity support against excess SLR securities through Repo, and Accepting deposits from UCBs.

The non-fund-based services include Setting up IT Infrastructure for use of member banks; Fund Management/ Treasury Management Services; Consultancy services in various operational areas; Capacity building services such as training, seminars, and conferences; and Research & Development

Within a short period of time, the UO has commenced business and has started rolling out certain services to meet the urgent needs of UCBs.

The UO has launched the following services:

  1. Legal Advisory: UO’s legal resource is providing free templates & free vetting for few basic agreements required by Banks. Preparation of large/ complicated agreements is chargeable but much below market rates.
  2. Sahakar Compliance Monitoring Service: Automation of all the Regulatory Compliances for Banks, by integrating with Core-Banking System (CBS) of Banks on one side and with Daksh portal of RBI on other side.
  3. Technology Consulting: UO’s resources are providing technology related advisory to Banks on all aspects like CBS, Cybersecurity, IT Compliance etc.

The UO has also published Expression of Interest (EOI) for setting up and implementation of;

  1. Sahakar Cloud: to create Cloud/ Data Centre for the sector and reduce overall cost by achieving economies of scale.
  2. Sahakar CBS: for providing industry-best, standardized Core Banking Solution for all UCBs, specially the Tier1, Tier2 and Unit Banks.
  3. SahakarBox: innovative offering by UO to ensure that even small UCBs can achieve cybersecurity, resiliency, disaster recovery and backup services at quite affordable cost.
  4. Sahakar Council – Expert Panel: UCBs need advice of various external experts in areas like Direct/ Indirect Tax, Audit, Treasury, Compliance and Business Development etc.

This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

****

RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

 

(Release ID: 2117771) Visitor Counter : 12

Posted on

ANIMAL HUSBANDRY INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT FUND (AHIDF) IN TAMIL NADU

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:33PM by PIB Delhi

The district wise details of projects approved under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) in Tamil Nadu, including number of projects, sanctioned amount and project types are mentioned in the Annexure –I

The district-wise fund disbursement and number of beneficiaries, particularly small and marginal farmers, cooperatives and FPOs is mentioned in the Annexure – II

To ensure equitable fund distribution under AHIDF across all districts nationwide, the following measures have been adopted:

To increase the uptake of the scheme, a diverse range of entities, including individual enterprises, private companies, Section 8 companies, Farmer Producer Organizations, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises and cooperatives, have been made eligible. A dedicated end-to-end digitized portal (ahidf.udyamimitra.in) has been developed for application submission, ensuring a transparent and fair mechanism that promotes ease of doing business. The portal is also linked to Common Service Centers, enabling applications to be submitted even from remote locations across the country. Additionally, state-level nodal officers and bank nodal officers have been appointed to facilitate project monitoring and provide handholding support to applicants. In Review Meetings States are also requested to sponsor cases.

As far as employment generation is concerned, total of 4595 persons are directly employed and 3.78 lakh indirect employment generation has been estimated in the State of Tamil Nadu. The livestock production capacity which has been added to the supply chain from the sanctioned projects of Tamil Nadu under AHIDF is of 24.34 Lakh litres per day under Dairy processing and value addition category projects. For Animal Feed category, production capacity of 12.76 lakh metric tonnes per annum of Cattle and poultry feed is added through AHIDF. 39718 Metric tonnes per annum capacity of meat processing is being added through projects sanctioned under AHIDF. 3.32 crores birds per annum and 126.99 crores eggs per annum will be added to supply chain. The district wise details for the State of Tamil Nadu are at Annexure –III.

Annexure – I

The district wise details of projects approved under Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) in Tamil Nadu, including number of projects, sanctioned amount and project types are as under:

 

Category of Infrastructure

S No

District

Approved Projects

Animal Feed Plant

Breed improvement Technology and Breed Multiplication farm

Dairy Processing & Value Addition

Meat Processing & Value Addition

Project Cost (In Cr.)

Term Loan (In Cr.)

Interest Subvention Released (In Cr.)

1

Coimbatore

6

6

–

–

–

104.31

64.77

3.38

2

Dharmapuri

1

–

–

1

–

75.13

24.82

2.74

3

Dindigul

5

–

2

2

1

114.32

55

2.89

4

Erode

4

1

–

3

–

1310.52

935.52

20.38

5

Karur

1

–

1

–

–

7.11

5

1.71

6

Krishnagiri

3

1

1

–

1

15.45

9.74

0.57

7

Namakkal

3

2

–

1

–

102.09

73

0.32

8

Perambalur

1

1

–

–

–

0.34

0.3

0.01

9

Salem

1

–

–

1

–

140.14

112.11

1.33

10

Tiruppur

6

3

2

1

–

177.69

129.32

6.95

Grand Total

31

14

6

9

2

2047.1

1409.58

40.27

               Annexure – II

The district-wise fund disbursement and number of beneficiaries are as follows:

S No

District

Approved Projects

Cooperatives

Farmer Producer Organization (FPO)

Individual Entrepreneur

Micro, Small & Medium Enterprise

Private Company

Project Cost (In Cr.)

Term Loan (In Cr.)

Interest Subvention Released (In Cr.)

1

Coimbatore

6

–

–

–

6

–

104.31

64.77

3.38

2

Dharmapuri

1

–

–

–

–

1

75.13

24.82

2.74

3

Dindigul

5

–

–

–

3

2

114.32

55.00

2.89

4

Erode

4

–

–

–

2

2

1310.52

935.52

20.38

5

Karur

1

–

–

–

1

–

7.11

5.00

1.71

6

Krishnagiri

3

–

–

1

1

1

15.45

9.74

0.57

7

Namakkal

3

1

–

–

2

–

102.09

73.00

0.32

8

Perambalur

1

–

1

–

–

–

0.34

0.30

0.01

9

Salem

1

1

–

–

–

–

140.14

112.11

1.33

10

Tiruppur

6

–

–

–

2

4

177.69

129.32

6.95

Grand Total

31

2

1

1

17

10

2047.10

1409.58

40.27

 

ANNEXURE-III

The district-wise impact of AHIDF on employment generation, income growth, and livestock productivity of in Tamil Nadu is present are as under

S No

District

Animal Feed Plant

Breed improvement Technology and Breed Multiplication farm

Dairy Processing & Value Addition

Meat Processing & Value Addition

Total Approved Projects in Tamil Nadu

Projects

Employment

Farmers Benefitted

Capacity (Lakh MTPA)

Projects

Employment

Farmers Benefitted

Capacity (Cr. Eggs/Annum & Birds/Annum)

Projects

Employment

Farmers Benefitted

Capacity (Lakh LPD)

Projects

Employment

Farmers Benefitted

Capacity (Metric Tonnes per annum)

Projects

Employment

Farmers Benefitted

1

Coimbatore

6

961

36281

4.84

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

6

961

36281

2

Dharmapuri

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

65

2100

42000

–

–

–

  

1

65

2100

3

Dindigul

–

–

–

–

2

80

450

124 (E)

2

85

7000

1.40

1

50

2318

21000

5

215

9768

4

Erode

1

200

4535

0.60

–

–

–

–

3

943

39702

10.62

–

–

–

  

4

1143

44237

5

Karur

–

–

–

–

1

200

1228

3.36 (E)

–

–

–

  

–

–

–

  

1

200

1228

6

Krishnagiri

1

15

907

0.12

1

9

28

0.97 (B)

–

–

–

  

1

120

52

468

3

144

987

7

Namakkal

2

55

19048

2.52

–

–

–

–

1

125

0

2.00

–

–

–

  

3

180

19048

8

Perambalur

1

18

454

0.60

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

  

–

–

–

  

1

18

454

9

Salem

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

428

228000

7.00

–

–

–

  

1

428

228000

10

Tiruppur

3

171

9615

1.27

2

69

9479

3.31 (B)

1

107

6000

1.20

–

–

–

  

6

347

25094

 

Grand Total

14

1420

70839

  

6

358

11185

  

9

1753

282802

  

2

170

2370

21468

31

3701

367196

 

Note: B represents Birds and E represents Eggs

This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha on 2nd April, 2025.

*****

AA

(Release ID: 2117769) Visitor Counter : 17

Posted on

All Anganwadi Centres are registered on the Poshan Tracker application ; Over 10.12 Crore Beneficiaries Registered on Poshan Tracker App

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 3:32PM by PIB Delhi

Under the 15th Finance Commission, various components like Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan and Scheme for Adolescent girls (of 14-18 years in Aspirational Districts and North-Eastern region) have been subsumed under the umbrella Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0) to address the challenge of malnutrition. It is a Centrally Sponsored mission, where the responsibility for implementation of various activities lies with the States and UTs. This mission is a universal self-selecting umbrella scheme that is being implemented across the country including in the State of Karnataka.

The beneficiaries under this mission are children in the age group of 0-6 years, pregnant women and lactating mothers and Adolescent Girls between 14-18 years (North Eastern States and Aspirational Districts). Total 10,12,46,106 beneficiaries are registered on Poshan Tracker as on 28 February 2025 of which 44,38,725 beneficiaries are registered in the State of Karnataka with 99.61% beneficiaries verified by Aadhaar in the State.

IT systems have been leveraged to strengthen and bring about transparency in nutrition delivery support systems at the Anganwadi centres. The ‘Poshan Tracker’ application was rolled out on 1st March 2021 as an important governance tool.

All Anganwadi Workers are provided with smartphones. Near real time data collection for Anganwadi Services such as, daily attendance, ECCE, Provision of Hot Cooked Meal (HCM)/Take Home Ration (THR-not raw ration), Growth Measurement etc. has been made possible. Poshan Tracker is available in 24 languages including Hindi and English. The Physical Records of Growth Monitoring have been replaced by auto generated monthly report in Poshan Tracker. These reports can be downloaded as required.

The Poshan Tracker facilitates monitoring and tracking of al Anganwadi Centers, Anganwadi Workers and beneficiaries on defined indicators.

All Anganwadi Centres are registered on the Poshan Tracker application as on 28 February 2025.

UNICEF has appreciated the simplicity of Poshan Tracker application and how it has made the work of Anganwadi Workers easier; and ensured tracking of children and mothers on key health and nutrition related information.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has applauded the efforts made by the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MoWCD) on Poshan Tracker mentioning the ‘Poshan Tracker’ as one of the exemplary platforms for flawlessly collecting routine administrative data on nutrition.

During the G-20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment 2023, Poshan Tracker was also showcased and discussed. It was part of the chair’s statement. The members recognized the importance of deployment of technology for monitoring nutrition and health services and early childhood care service delivery for pregnant women, lactating mothers, adolescent girls and children and took note of the Poshan Tracker application, a unique digital platform which seeks to digitize data near-real time monitoring and enabling policies for targeted intervention.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development Smt. Savitri Thakur in Rajya Sabha in reply to a question today.

*****

SS/MS

(Release ID: 2117763) Visitor Counter : 44

Posted on

LAUNCHING OF FIFTH 25T BOLLARD PULL TUG OJAS (YARD 339)

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:39PM by PIB Delhi

Launching of fifth 25T Bollard Pull (BP) Tug Ojas was held on 31 Mar 25 at M/s TRSL, Kolkata in presence of Cmde Sanjay Kumar, President SSB, Kolkata as the Chief Guest.

These Tugs are a part of the contract for construction of six (06) 25T BP Tugs concluded with M/s Titagarh Rail Systems Limited (TRSL), Kolkata on 12 Nov 21. The Tugs have been indigenously designed and built in accordance with relevant Naval Rules and Regulation of Indian Register of Shipping (IRS). The Shipyard had successfully delivered four of these Tugs which are utilised by Indian Navy to provide assistance to Naval ships and submarines during berthing, un-berthing and manoeuvring in confined waters. The Tugs will also provide afloat firefighting support to ships alongside or at anchorage and will also have the capability to conduct limited Search and Rescue Operations.

These Tugs are proud flag bearers of Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives of Government of India.

*****

VM/SKY  

(Release ID: 2117821) Visitor Counter : 57

Posted on

PARLIAMENT QUESTION: IMPOSITION OF DIGITAL TOOLS

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:37PM by PIB Delhi

The policies of the Government of India are aimed at ensuring a safe, trusted and accountable cyberspace for users in the country. In this regard, key regulatory initiatives taken by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) focus on strengthening legal frameworks, enhancing data protection & cyber security infrastructure and promoting awareness among individuals and organizations.

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions have not issued any guidelines related to use of digital tools like slack by Government employees.

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

***

NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2117818) Visitor Counter : 55

Posted on

Parliament Question: CONCESSION AND INCENTIVES TO GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES DONATING BODY PARTS

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 02 APR 2025 4:37PM by PIB Delhi

The Government of India has provided a maximum of 42 days Special Casual Leave to Central Government Servants for donating their organ(s).

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

***

NKR/PSM

(Release ID: 2117819) Visitor Counter : 62