A fleet of 19 communication satellites are operational over India and these satellites support the telecommunications, broadband and broadcasting services as well as societal and strategic communications. The space sector reforms has enabled larger participation of non-governmental entities for building/leasing, owning and operating the satellite systems for providing satellite based services. More than 10 satellite operators have shown interest and applied for authorization for providing the satellite capacity over India. With more players in the market, the entire country would get enhanced satellite capacity and the competitive price advantage.
The ground infrastructure (antennas, terminals) for satellite broadband are part of the satellite communication services and the licensed satcom / telecom service providers would deploy them.
Government is encouraging and enabling Indian entities to establish the space assets for broadband services. While NSIL, a CPSE under Department of Space, having plans for deploying new satellites based on user demand, ISRO/DoS have also enabled one Indian private operator with requisite orbit spectrum support to deploy a new broadband satellite.
IN-SPACe has not received any application for establishment and operation of a NGSO satellite constellation similar to Starlink by an Indian operator.
Capacity from all foreign satellites can be provisioned for broadband satellite networks in India only after IN-SPACe authorization. The foreign entities owning and operating broadband satellite networks in the space covering India is governed by international regulations and coordinations. Use of such satellites for services over Indian territory is governed by Indian Space Policy, Telecommunications Act and other regulation & guidelines.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
DoT collaborates with Railway Protection Force (RPF) for Blocking, Tracing and Recovery of Lost/Stolen Mobile Phones of Passengers Sanchar Saathi (Block Your Lost/Stolen Mobile Handset -CEIR) Service Will Be Integrated with Operations of RPF for Mobile Safety
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 5:11PM by PIB Delhi
As part of its ongoing efforts for ensuring safety and security of the citizens in the digital ecosystem, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has joined hands with the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Ministry of Railways for ensuring mobile safety of the passengers travelling in trains.
Mobile Phones constitute a major portion of items lost or misplaced by passengers in trains and at stations. DoT and RPF will work in collaboration for tracing and recovering lost/stolen mobile phones of train passengers. The Rail Madad app is now being interfaced with the DoT’s Sanchar Saathi platform.
The Sanchar Saathi platform of DoT has the facility of blocking the reported stolen/lost mobile handsets, while Rail Madad app is a mobile application developed by Indian Railways to assist passengers in addressing and resolving their complaints or grievances during their train journeys.
In this direction, the onboarding of 17 Zones and 70+ Divisions of RPF has been started at Sanchar Saathi portal. Now the passengers can lodge complaint about the lost/stolen mobile handset at Rail Madad App. The complaints details will in turn be imported to Sanchar Saathi portal for blocking of lost/stolen mobile handset for preventing its misuse, enabling its tracing and alert generation to the RPF.
A training session was organized for the RPF officers of 17 Divisions of Indian Railways, which was attended by 250+ officers. The officers of LSA field units of DoT also attended the session. In the training session, DoT officials briefed them about the citizen centric Sanchar Saathi portal/App and its features on mobile safety. They were also briefed on various other technological solutions to tackle emerging challenges.
Inaugurating the training session as part of the collaborative effort, Dr Neeraj Mittal, Secretary (Telecom), in his keynote address, lauded the collaboration and spoke on the key role of technology as an enabler in enhancing security measures. He said, “With the rapid advancement of technology, the role of digital tools in crime prevention and law enforcement is more critical than ever.” He further highlighted that onboarding RPF on Sanchar Saathi portal is a milestone in the journey of protecting the citizens from cyber frauds and misuse of telecom resources.
Shri Manoj Yadav, Director General RPF, in his inaugural address, shared that safety and security of the railway passengers is a key objective of RPF. In last 12 months, RPF has successfully recovered and handed over items worth Rs 84 crores to the railway passengers as part of Operation Aamanat. He further emphasized “The onboarding of RPF at Sanchar Saathi portal will give an assurance of recovery of the lost/stolen handsets to the citizens.”
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been the backbone of railway security, ensuring the safety of passengers and protecting railway assets with utmost dedication. Since its establishment in 1957, RPF has played a crucial role in securing one of the world’s largest railway networks. Integration with Sanchar Saathi will be a game changer in enhancing mobile safety. State police across the country are doing a commendable job in utilizing the Sanchar Saathi system to recover mobile phones and hand them over to their rightful owners. Till date, using CEIR facility of Sanchar Saathi, about 30 lakh mobile devices have been blocked, out of which around 18 lakh mobile devices have been traced, and 3.87 lakh mobile handsets have been successfully recovered by the police. The state police of Telangana, Maharashtra, and Karnataka have demonstrated outstanding efforts in leveraging this system to enhance public security and service.
Additionally, the DoT encourages citizens to continue reporting lost/stolen mobile phones through the CEIR module of Sanchar Saathi(www.sancharsaathi.gov.in), fostering a collaborative effort to make telecom services more secure and user-friendly. The Department remains dedicated to strict monitoring and prompt action to protect consumer interests.
Citizens can use Sanchar Sathi App to report misuse of telecom resources in cybercrime and cyber frauds. The App can be downloaded from
The genesis of the Centre dates back to 1966, with establishment of the Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Station (ESCES), by late Dr. Vikram A Sarabhai in Ahmedabad. In 1972, the different units of ISRO in Ahmedabad pursuing research in applications of space technology were merged to form Space Applications Centre (SAC). A unique experiment called the Satellite Instructional Television Experiment (SITE) was conducted by SAC/ISRO during 1975-76. Hailed as ‘the largest techno-social experiment in the world’, SITE demonstrated the potential of satellite technology as an effective mass communication media, aimed at socio-economic development of rural India.
Space Applications Centre (SAC), is a major and unique multi–disciplinary research and development Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). SAC today stands high in each of its endeavour with its strong space research & development capabilities and continues to deliver world-class technologies and applications for various national, strategic, societal and technology demonstration missions of ISRO. These applications are in diverse areas and primarily meet the communication, navigation and remote sensing needs of the country. Located at Ahmedabad, SAC is spread across three campuses having multi-disciplinary activities apart from Delhi Earth Station (DES), which is located in New Delhi.
SAC has state-of-the-art electronic and mechanical fabrication facilities, highly sophisticated payload integration, climatic & environmental test facilities, systems reliability area, image processing and analysis facilities and project management support group.
SAC is the lead centre in the development of key payload technologies for Earth Observation, Communication, Navigation and Space Exploration. Further, the Centre also develops various applications that cater to various user ministries in the field of Agriculture, Meteorology, Fisheries, Oceanography, Environment, Forest, Railways, Urban development etc.
The notable technologies that were developed by the Space Applications Centre for spacecraft payloads including S-Band SAR for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, C-Band and X-Band Microwave Radars for RISAT series, Lander/Rover Cameras, Ka Radar Altimeters, Hazard Detection and Avoidance Sensors for Lunar Landing for Chandrayaan-3, demonstration of spectrum sensing, ADS-B, GNSS-R reflectometry, Pseudolite systems for RLV, High resolution Electro-optical payloads, Ka-band payload for high throughput satellites (50 Gbps), spread-spectrum modems for Gaganyaan crew communication system, Indian Atomic clock-Indian Rubidium Atomic Frequency Standard (IRAFS) for NavIC and Travelling Wave Tube Amplifiers (TWTA) for Communication satellites. Currently, a large number of payloads are under various stages of realization at SAC including, GSAT-7R, HRSAT Series, Resourcesat-3 series, Oceansat-3A, G20- Satellite, Indian Mauritius Joint Satellite (IMJS), GSAT-N3, IDRSS-2, payloads for Quantum Communication.
Various downstream applications developed and demonstrated for users include National Drought Portal for Krishi-Decision Support System (DSS), application development for Yield Estimation System based on Technology (YES-Tech) program under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Geospatial Energy map portal of India, Sea Ice Advisories for polar expedition routes for National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), System for national scale Crop Yield Estimation, Very short range weather forecast, Value added Agro-Met products for Gramin Krishi Mausam Sewa (GKMS), Hybrid weather prediction system for customized station specific weather forecast (transferred to Bihar Mausam Sewa Kendra (BMSK) for operational use), Satellite and in situ based data assimilative technique for ocean wave forecasting (transferred to Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Hyderabad), High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR) methodology for using Doppler Weather Radars (DWR) data (transferred to India Meteorological Department (IMD), New Delhi), Satellite-based ocean drift model for search and rescue (transferred this application to National Operational Data Processing and analysis Centre (NODPAC)/ Indian Navy, Kochi), Monitoring of fishing boats with keel lengths <24m which is now being rolled-out nationally, Locomotive-mounted satcom terminals for tracking of trains for safety-of-life & train information, real-time aircraft tracking for aviation safety & fleet management, authentication geo-fixes for Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) – Aadhar enrolment operatives, Indus river-level monitoring system, high-accuracy NavIC receivers for e-tolling applications for National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI).
SAC objectives are realized and met with a well-planned strategy for a sustained capacity building through skilled human resources, establishment of state-of-the-art facilities, industry and academia participation and international cooperation under a well-defined policy support of ISRO. SAC has been proactively enhancing and upgrading the skills and competencies of internal human resource through standard as well as tailored training and development programs. SAC has systematic capacity enhancement plans at individual level to meet the organizational objectives, which also includes non-training interventions such as conferences, seminars, workshops at national as well as international levels. Higher education in premier academic institutions is also a part of the capacity enhancement strategy.
SAC has built a strong partnership with over 300 small, medium and large scale industries and commercial organizations specialized in various fields including RF, Digital, Optical, Microwave, Mechanical, Electrical, Antenna, Scientific software, specialized materials etc. are presently associated with SAC. SAC has a well-established academia partnership programs for research in the areas associated with space technology, space science and exploration including RESPOND, STC etc.
SAC has state-of-the-art highly sophisticated payload integration laboratories, electronic & Mechanical fabrication facilities, environmental test facility, image processing, and analysis facilities.
SAC has outlined a detailed technology roadmap, as a part of space vision 2047. It is envisioning a new paradigm of space borne observations for Earth system and Planetary studies with special emphasis on developing advanced Radars, LIDAR, Hyperspectral and Terahertz technologies with high quality analysis-ready data products and also advanced techniques for geophysical parameters retrieval and customised web-based solutions to meet various User requirements in the domain of Agriculture, Forestry, Coastal Zone Management, Meteorology, Fisheries, Urban Planning, Oceanography etc.
SAC has defined roadmap for development of Quantum technologies including Space Based Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing and Quantum computing.
SAC has evolved roadmap for competitive & advanced Satellite Navigation (SATNAV) services and achieve larger penetration of NavIC applications across strategic, civilian and scientific domains; secure and self-reliant Satellite Communication (SATCOM) systems and applications; NavCom systems and applications for various Users all of which will be enabled by indigenous technology, products & services and propelled by Indian Industries/NGEs.
SAC has defined roadmap for state-of-the art capability and self-reliance in design and development of crew centric systems for Human Space Programme and ensure crew safety through specific human-rated R&QA practices.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Remote sensing data and space technology are widely employed for societal development activities/ programmes. The space technology is utilized in many of the government programmes targeting rural and remote areas of the country. The details of major programmes utilizing space based inputs are as given below:
Geospatial technology for supporting MGNREGA Programme (Geo- MGNREGA): The creation of assets and activities under the MGNREGA programme, are being monitored through Satellite data, Geoportal and mobile applications. More than 6.24 crore assets/ activities have been geo-tagged on the Geo-MGNREGA geoportal. Subsequently, Yuktdhara geospatial planning portal is also developed, for decision support towards planning and implementation of new assets or activities. Phase-II of Geo-MGNREGA project monitored changes over three years due to implementation of natural resource management activities in 23 Gram Panchayats (one Gram Panchayat for each state) of MGNREGA.
Integrated Watershed Management Programme: ISRO/ DOS has implemented Geospatial solution for monitoring of about 86,000 micro-watersheds under the Integrated Watershed Management Programme (PMKSY-WDC 1.0). Under this, more than 18 lakh watershed development interventions are geotagged. Under PMKSY-WDC 2.0, around 1150 projects are assessed through Bhuvan tools employing high resolution satellite data (Cartosat 2S & 3).
Space based Information Support for Decentralized Planning (SIS-DP): Under two phases of this project, very large scale (1:10,000) country level thematic database on Land Use / Land Cover, Drainage, Settlements, Rail & Road and slope is generated using remote sensing data. Visualisation and analytical tools are deployed on ‘Bhuvan Panchayat’ geoportal (https://bhuvanpanchayat.nrsc.gov.in) to facilitate developmental planning at Panchayat / Village level.
Rural Road Infrastructure Mapping: The high-resolution satellite data on Bhuvan was used for mapping rural roads under Pradhan Mantri Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY). Database of rural roads is prepared for entire country and PMGSY dashboard is deployed on Bhuvan Web Portal for monitoring the progress by MoRD and State Govt. Officials.
Under Pradhan MantriAwasYojana – Housing for All (PMAY-HFA) and Gramin project, a geospatial platform on the Bhuvan portal is developed to streamline the implementation of the (PMAY-HFA) initiative. It helps in managing the construction of homes for 78.64 Lakhs beneficiaries, to monitor progress through five distinct stages of construction and releasing funds based on project advancement.
Under the Disaster Management Support Programme (DMSP) of ISRO/ DoS, ISRO enables the use of space-based inputs for disaster management activities by the respective nodal Ministries/ Departments. Space based inputs are being used in the hazard; vulnerability; risk (HVR) assessment, disaster monitoring, damage assessment, and development of early warning systems for major disasters such as flood, cyclones, landslide, earthquakes and forest fire. Data from Indian Earth Observation satellites such as Resourcesat-2 & 2A, Cartosat-2 Series, Cartosat-3, EOS-04 (RISAT-1A), EOS-06 (Oceansat-3) and INSAT-3DR & 3DS are being used for disaster management support, in addition to the data from various global satellite missions.
During 2024, major floods were monitored using satellite data and about 300 flood inundation maps were provided to various State and Central disaster management agencies. As part of the National Hydrology Project (NHP), ISRO developed spatial flood early warning system for Godavari and Tapi Rivers. Flood alerts were disseminated through Bhuvan-NHP and NDEM Geoportals, and also to AP State Disaster Management Authority, with 2- day lead time and 85% accuracy. Very High Resolution data from India’s RISAT satellite was used for assessing the extent of the Wayanad (Kerala) landslide in July 2024. In the year 2024, tropical cyclones Remal, Asna, Dana and Fengal were monitored with INSAT-3DR, INSAT-3DS and Oceansat-3 data. Active forest fires were detected using satellite data daily 6 to 8 times during the Indian forest fire season in 2024 and the activity is ongoing for the fire season in 2025.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
Researchers have recently shown that using optical tweezer electrophoresis can help us understand how particles stick to surfaces at tiny scales, at shorter time-scales, a phenomenon that is used in applications ranging from coating to water purification.
The adsorption phenomenon is exploited in the industry for coating a product and refers to the adhesion of one material onto the surface of a different material. This phenomenon is also used in water purification to remove pollutants and for colloidal stabilization during the synthesis of food emulsions. Usually, adsorption is detected via changes in mass or volume.
Researchers from the Raman Research Institute, an autonomous institute funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, studied adsorption by using Laponite clay nanoplatelets (adsorbate) and Latex spheres (adsorbent) to understand how individual particles are adsorbed.
They used optical tweezer electrophoresis, a technique that tracks changes in electrical charge on the adsorbent. The technique of manipulating a micron-sized object using light is known as optical tweezer and was awarded the Nobel prize in Physics in 2018. The researchers exploited the optical force exerted by a focused laser beam to grab a micron-sized Latex particle suspended in a clay-water mixture.
The researchers then applied an electric field across a clay-water mixture and tracked the movement of the trapped Latex sphere at an extremely fast rate of 30,000 measurements/ second. The adsorption of clay particles transfers charges to the trapped microsphere.
The researchers tracked the change in the effective charges on the trapped sphere due to adsorption. The fast temporal resolution of these measurements allowed monitoring of adsorption events as they occurred, enhancing the understanding of dynamic interactions, and providing a better basis for the study of adsorption mechanisms. These measurements provided insights into the rate and extent of nanoplatelet adsorption. The results published in Soft Matter, the journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry indicated that higher Laponite concentrations accelerated the adsorption process due to increased nanoplatelet availability.
As a quantitative correlative test, the researchers used cryogenic-field emission scanning electron microscopy (cryo-FESEM) to observe the patterns of adsorption of the clay more clearly and to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms of clay adsorption. Cryo-FESEM images of Latex microspheres suspended in water revealed smooth surface textures, indicating no significant adsorption in pure water. However, when the microspheres were immersed in water- clay mixtures, the clay particles adhered onto the microsphere, displaying patches corresponding to clay nanoplatelets.
The size distribution histograms of these patches showed ranges close to 50 and 25 nm, corresponding to small clay aggregates and individual nanoplatelets. The researchers controlled the adsorption process by tuning the interparticle interactions between clay nanoplatelets and Latex sphere using additives, such as common salt and a peptizing agent. They were able to separate the roles of two attractive forces, dispersion and electrostatic, in the adsorption process and noted that optical tweezer based single colloid electrophoresis and cryogenic field emission scanning electron microscopy are reliable, complementary measurements to study adsorption processes.
“The use of optical tweezer-based single-colloid electrophoresis enables real-time tracking of nanoplatelet adsorption on a single particle and enables us to gain insights that were previously inaccessible through other techniques. While electron microscopy provides detailed visualization of the adsorbed particles, it cannot capture the adsorption kinetics. We used electron microscopy to validate our findings,” the first author Vaibhav Raj Singh Parmar, a PhD student at the Raman Research Institute, explained.
Fig 1. Schematic representation of the mechanisms governing the adsorption process of clay nanoplatelets on a Latex microsphere.
The researchers identified non-electrostatic dispersion interactions as the dominant mechanism driving initial nanoplatelet adsorption. At higher clay and ionic concentrations, electrostatic screening accelerated the adsorption of nanoplatelets, aggregates, and gel network strands. These findings provide valuable insights into the adsorption behaviour of clay nanoplatelets and their interactions with colloidal surfaces in different ionic environments.
Prof. Ranjini Bandyopadhyay, lead of RRI’s RheoDLS lab, pointed out, “Our next goal is to enhance the precision of our measurements by integrating optical tweezer electrophoresis with advanced microfluidic techniques. We are currently developing a holographic optical tweezer capable of trapping multiple beads simultaneously, which will enable us to investigate medium-mediated charge transfer between beads made of the same or different materials”.
Such an understanding of adsorption dynamics at small spatial and temporal scales can help industries to gain precise control over the adsorption process, especially in charged materials.
Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has developed a support system towards export promotion by setting up 65 Export Facilitation Centres (EFCs) in its field offices namely, MSME Development and Facilitation Offices, MSME Technology Centres and MSME Testing Centres. These EFCs handhold the MSMEs by providing MSMEs with support in documentation, market access, financing, technology adoption and training. Ministry of MSME also implements the International Cooperation (IC) Scheme which provides assistance for Capacity Building of First Time Exporters (CBFTE). Under the CBFTE, reimbursement is provided to new Micro &Small Enterprises (MSE) exporters for costs incurred on Registration-cum-Membership Certification (RCMC) with EPCs, Export Insurance Premium and testing & quality certification for exports. (ii) The Market Development Assistance (MDA) component of IC Scheme provides assistance on reimbursement basis to the eligible Central / State Government organizations and Industry Associations to facilitate participation of MSMEs in international exhibitions and fairs held abroad; and for organizing international conference in India with the aim of technology upgradation, modernization, joint venture etc.
MSME Champions Scheme with three sub schemes, MSME-Sustainable (ZED) Certification Scheme, MSME-Competitive (LEAN) Scheme and MSME-Innovative Scheme (Incubation, Design& IPR) is a holistic approach to unify, synergize and converge with various Schemes and interventions to enable MSMEs to become globally competitive.
Other initiatives for helping MSMEs to grow their business globally include Ministry of Commerce and Industry’s Trade Infrastructure for Export Scheme (TIES) and Market Access Initiative (MAI) which facilitates participation of Indian Exporters in exhibitions, buyer seller meets, fairs etc. Initiatives like Districts as Export hubs identify export potential, address bottlenecks and supports local exporters / manufacturers. The Trade Connect e Platform is an information and intermediation platform on international trade, which provides comprehensive services for both new and existing exporters.
To support MSMEs in accessing global market, the Government has taken following measures:
(i) Ministry of MSME has set up a dedicated support system for export promotion by setting up 65 Export Facilitation Centres (EFCs). These EFCs support MSMEs by disseminating information on various Schemes and supports available for the MSMEs for enhancing their exports, in linking them with financial institutions such as NBFCs, new fintech start-ups etc, to avail credit at competitive rates etc.
(ii) Raising and Accelerating MSME Performance (RAMP) Scheme aims to provide support to Micro, Small and Medium enterprises through increased access to technological upgradation, market and credit by strengthening of Central and State agencies.
(iii) The Trade Connect e-Platform is an information and intermediation platform on international trade, which provides comprehensive services for both new and existing exporters.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Sushri Shobha Karandlaje in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C.R. Patil launches a new website of the Department of Water Resources, RD &GR based on DBIM Framework https://www.jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 5:43PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C.R. Patil launched a new website of Ministry of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, RD & GR) in Digital Brand Identity Manual (DBIM) format with objective to align to cohesive digital ecosystem across all Ministries/Department today at Shram Shakti Bhavan, New Delhi.
The upgraded website is among the first few government platforms to be successfully onboarded& revamped in full compliance with the latest DBIM and Guidelines for Indian Government Websites (GIGW) 3.0.
Aligned with the Prime Minister’s vision of a harmonized and unified digital identity for Government of India, the Key Features of the New Website are :
1. Consistency Across Government Websites: The DBIM framework ensures a unified look and feel across all government websites. This consistency not only strengthens the government’s digital identity but also helps in promoting trust and recognition among citizens.
2. Uniform User Experience: The new website is designed to provide a uniform user experience across all central government portals. Citizens will now find it easier to navigate and access information across different departments, thanks to standardized menus, layouts, and features.
3. Enhanced Accessibility: The website complies with the latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) of STQC, making it accessible to all citizens, including those with disabilities.
4. Optimized for Speed and Performance: Leveraging the DBIM framework’s optimized coding structure, the website offers faster load times and improved performance, ensuring a seamless experience even on low bandwidth connections. This is particularly beneficial for users in rural and remote areas.
5. Centralized Banner Publishing System: One of the standout features of the DBIM framework is the centralized banner publishing system integrated with My Gov. This system allows us to publish important government announcements, public service messages, and critical information directly across all government websites. This centralized approach ensures that citizens receive the latest updates promptly, improving communication and outreach.
6. Mobile-Friendly Design: The responsive design ensures that the website functions smoothly across all devices, including smart phones, tablets, and desktops. This flexibility enhances the overall user experience, especially for citizens who predominantly use mobile devices to access online services.
7. Centralized Content Management: The framework includes a centralized content management system (CMS) that allows for efficient updates and maintenance across various government portals. This reduces the time and effort required for website management and ensures up-to-date information is available to the public.
8. Improved Security Features: The DBIM framework is built with robust security protocols, including SSL encryption, secure authentication, and regular vulnerability assessments. This ensures that citizen data remains safe and secure, in line with the government’s data protection policies.
The upgraded portal now features a unified interface, consistent branding, and technology standardization, making Department of Water Resources, RD & GR an exemplar of digital excellence and accessibility.
Union Minister of State Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel to inaugurate One Day Program under “Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat” in New Delhi tomorrow Over 560 Tribal Representatives from Jharkhand to Participate in the Event Honoring Bhagwan Birsa Munda’s Legacy
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 6:27PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Panchayati Raj in collaboration with the Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand, is organizing a day-long national-level program under the initiative “Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat” on 4th April 2025 at Rang Bhawan Auditorium, Akashvani Bhawan Complex, New Delhi. The event, dedicated to the 150th Birth Anniversary Year of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, celebrating and honoring tribal heritage at the national level, will be inaugurated by Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Prof. S. P. Singh Baghel. Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj along with other senior officials of MoPR and Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand will be present on the occasion.
Over 560 tribal representatives from Jharkhand including prominent tribal leaders and community representatives of tribal groups will actively participate in the event, sharing insights on grassroot governance, traditional knowledge systems, and community-driven heritage conservation. The program will feature vibrant cultural performances, including traditional Santhali dance and Munda tribal storytelling, along with discussions on the role of Gram Sabhas in heritage conservation, government initiatives for indigenous traditions and insights from tribal leaders on grassroot governance and cultural preservation. The “Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat” initiative aims to integrate tribal heritage into the nation’s cultural and governance framework. Envisioned and supported by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, this campaign was launched by the Department of Panchayati Raj, Government of Jharkhand on 26th January 2025 and has already seen 2,800 villages pledge their dedication to preserving traditional self-governance and cultural legacy.The objective of “Hamari Parampara Hamari Virasat” is to preserve, enhance and pass onto future generations the cultural heritage, folk songs, festivals, and worship practices integral to the traditional governance systems of various Scheduled Tribe communities in Scheduled Areas. This program aims to document the vibrant history and cultural practices of 20,300 villages across Jharkhand and the initiative is closely aligned with the Panchayats (Extension to the Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 (PESA Act). The Sarhul Mahotsav, celebrated on 1st April 2025 has set the stage for this initiative, with tribal representatives from Jharkhand participating in cultural and governance dialogues. This program aims to further amplify these discussions by integrating heritage conservation with participatory governance.
Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C.R. Paatil launches Web based Reservoir Storage Monitoring System (RSMS) Portal https://rsms.cwc.gov.in/frameWork/web/public-dashboard
Posted On: 03 APR 2025 5:45PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C.R. Patil launched Web based Reservoir Storage Monitoring System (RSMS) Portal today at New Delhi.Central Water Commission monitors Live Storage Capacity of 161 important reservoirs of country an issues weekly bulletin on every Thursday. The total live storage capacity of these reservoirs at FRL is 182.375 BCM which is about 70.74% of the total live storage capacity estimated to have been created in the country. This Bulletin is sent to PMO, Niti Aayog, MoJS, MOP, MOA&FW, IMD, Disaster Management Authorities and all concerned states as well as uploaded on CWC web site. The storage position is updated every Thursday and Advisories are issued to concerned State Governments in case of (likely) critical situation of storage.
The present system involves manual generation of various Graphs, Charts and Tables etc. for inclusion in the bulletin. However, in the new portal all required data analysis and generating maps, tables, graphs etc. including issuing the final bulletin shall be done automatically by clicking the button(s) once the data is entered in the portal. Also, through this portal, general public can get information about the storage status of any particular reservoir or any state or country as a whole. If required, any person can also download the bulletin from the portal. Today i.e. 3.4.2025, first bulletin of Financial Year 2025-26 has been issued with the launch of Web based Reservoir Storage Monitoring System (RSMS) Portal by Union Minister of Jal Shakti.
Live storage status of reservoirs is a very important input for the decision makers in order to priorities the requirements of water in terms of its domestic, agriculture, power, navigation and recreations uses. It indicates the level of water security in the country. It also helps respective authorities to plan various agricultural activities across the country.
Water is a critical resource that underpins not only our daily lives but also the economic and social well-being of our communities. Agriculture is a primary source of income and livelihood for a substantial portion of India’s population, particularly in rural areas. Reservoirs are crucial for irrigation as they store water during wet periods, enabling its regulated release for agricultural use during drier seasons, ensuring a reliable water supply for crops and mitigating the impacts of water scarcity. They also provide a safeguard during the dry season and help us mitigate the impacts of extreme weather patterns, which are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.
Presently, there are 25 operational nuclear power plants in the country with a total capacity of 8880 MW. The details of operational nuclear power plants in the country are given in Annexure.
India is pursuing a three-stage nuclear power programme, for optimum utilization of its limited uranium resources and exploit vast thorium resources for long term energy security, by following nearly closed nuclear fuel cycle wherein the spent fuel from reactors is treated as resource material and not waste. India has developed expertise in backend fuel cycle of pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs).
The Programme of Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD&ER) is linked to the front end of nuclear fuel cycle, wherein exploration is carried out to identify, evaluate and augment atomic mineral resources to cater the need of Nuclear Power Programme of India. As on date, AMD&ER has established 4,28,300 tonnes in-situ U-oxide resource in 47 uranium deposits located in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra. The state-wise details of uranium resources are given in Table 1.
Besides,Directoratehasestimated13.15million tonnes (Mt) in-situmonazite (a mineral containing thorium, uranium and Rare Earth Elements) resource occurring in the coastal beach and teri/red sands in parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat and in the inland alluvium in parts of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Monazite in beach placer
sands contain about 9-10% thorium oxide. The estimated in-situ monazite resource (13.15Mt) contains approximately 1.04Mt thorium metal (Th) or approximately 1.18Mt thorium oxide (ThO2). The state-wise details of these resources are given in Table 2.
Uranium fuel requirement for the reactors which are under domestic safeguards is adequately met by Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL), a Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). Time to time, projects which include capacity expansion of some of existing units as well as for establishing new projects in various parts of the country, are planned for maintaining sustained supply from UCIL.
Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) with its initial establishment in Hyderabad has further augmented its own production facilities for fuel and structural fabrication at Hyderabad and further establishednewfacilitiesthroughGreenfieldProjectsat“ZirconiumComplex”, Pazhayakayal for Zirconium sponge production and “NFC-Kota” for Fuel Production. The project at Zirconium Complex, Pazhayakayal is completed in 2009 and is under operation since then.
NFC-Kota project is scheduled for completion by March 2026 and has currently achieved more than 90% physical progress with commissioning of major equipment in advanced stage.
Currently, the spent fuel from PHWRs is reprocessed to extract fissile material for use as fuel for next stage nuclear powerplants. However, a small volume of radioactive liquid wastes containing minor actinides and fission products is generated during reprocessing. The high level radioactive liquid waste, generated from reprocessing of spent fuel, is subjected to a process called vitrification, wherein it is converted to glass. This vitrified solid product is subjected to natural cooling in solid storage surveillance facility. This policy is at par with international practices following the guidelines of International Atomic Energy Agency.
For efficient management of high-level radioactive waste, BARC has developed and demonstrated partition technology for separation of long-lived actinides to facilitate increase in specific loading of waste in the vitrified solid and thereby facilitating substantial volume reduction of vitrified waste. Moreover, this partition technology also helps in recovery of useful radio- isotopes such as Caesium-137, Strontium-90, Ruthenium-106 from the liquid wastes for various societal applications.
Capacity enhancement for PHWR fuel reprocessing and waste management is under progress by construction of large capacity Integrated Nuclear Recycling Plant (INRP) for deploying the partition technology.
This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, Department of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Space and Department of Atomic Energy, in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.