With a view to develop integrated large scale and modern industrial infrastructure facility for the entire value-chain of the textile industry, the Government has approved setting up of 7 (Seven) PM Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) Parks in Greenfield/Brownfield sites with a scheme outlay of Rs. 4,445 crore for the period 2021-22 to 2027-28. The Government has finalised 7 sites viz. Tamil Nadu (Virudhnagar), Telangana (Warangal), Gujarat (Navsari), Karnataka (Kalaburagi), Madhya Pradesh (Dhar), Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow) and Maharashtra (Amravati) for setting up PM MITRA Parks. Once completed, it is expected that each PM MITRA Park will generate 3 lakh (direct/indirect) employment opportunities.
Post approval of sites received by the Government, the selected States/SPVs have started a series of activities on ground including provision of road, water and power, infrastructure till the park gate, preparation of sites and other related infrastructure. Environmental Clearance have been obtained for PM MITRA sites in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Telangana. In respect of PM MITRA Park at Amravati Maharashtra, tender of infrastructure development for Rs. 111 crore has been finalized and work order issued. The foundation stone of the PM MITRA Park Amravati Maharashtra was laid by the Hon’ble Prime Minister in September 2024. In-principle approval has been accorded to the proposal of the Government of Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh for implementation of PM MITRA Parks by the Government of Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh through their implementing agencies.
The scheme envisages a Development Capital Support (DCS) of 30% of total project cost upto Rs. 500 crore for Greenfield Park and Rs. 200 crore for Brownfield Park subject to scheme guidelines. The scheme also envisages a Competitive Incentive Support (CIS) of upto Rs. 300 crore per park as an incentive to manufacturing units to set up early in the park. The incentive is subject to fulfilment of conditions as outlined in detailed scheme guidelines.
In order to effectively implement the PM MITRA Scheme, MoUs as well as JV agreements have been signed between Government of India and PM MITRA States. Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) have been incorporated in all Greenfield PM MITRA Parks with State Governments’ holding 51% stake in the SPV and remaining 49% being held by the Government of India.
To encourage private sector participation in the scheme, a Master Developer (MD) led model for developing PM MITRA Park on a Design-Build-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) basis has been envisaged in addition to other models of development.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES SHRI PABITRA MARGHERITA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
An owner of a chain retail store was convicted of undertaking a commercial practice involving a misleading omission to consumers, in contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (TDO), and was fined $30,000 at the Shatin Magistrates’ Courts today (April 2). A total of 63 pieces of clothes involved in the case were also confiscated.
Customs earlier received information alleging that clothes with suspected false descriptions of the country of origin were put on sale in a chain retail store. Customs officers then test-purchased the clothes from three branches of the store located in Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O. It was found that the clothes bore two country of origin labels, namely “made in korea” and “MADE IN CHINA”. Customs subsequently took enforcement action against the three branches and seized a total of 63 pieces of clothes, with a value of $9,000, which bore dual places of origin.
Under the TDO, any trader who engages in a commercial practice that omits or hides material information or provides material information in a manner that is unclear, unintelligible, ambiguous or untimely, and as a result causes, or is likely to cause, an average consumer to make a transactional decision, commits an offence of misleading omissions. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $500,000 and imprisonment for five years.
Members of the public may report any suspected violations of the TDO to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Department of Health (DH) today (April 2) released the “Student Health Service (SHS) Annual Health Report for 2023/24 School Year”, which summarised the key findings of the annual health assessment service provided to primary and secondary school students in Hong Kong during the school year. Among these findings, there has been an improvement regarding the overweight condition of primary school students but the proportion of students spending two hours or more using the Internet or electronic screen products for recreational purposes has increased, which is a situation that warrants attention.
In the 2023/24 school year, around 257 000 primary school students and 173 000 secondary school students received annual health assessment services at the DH’s Student Health Service Centres (SHSCs). Students were provided with a series of health services, including growth monitoring, physical examinations, screenings for vision, hearing and scoliosis, health assessment questionnaires on health behaviours and psychosocial well-being, individual health counselling, health education and mop-up vaccinations.
The health assessment revealed that the weight problems and dietary patterns among Hong Kong students remain unsatisfactory. The prevalence of being overweight (including obesity) among primary school students has decreased from 19.5 per cent in the 2022/23 school year to 16.4 per cent in the 2023/24 school year, which was a record low since the 2014/15 school year. However, the prevalence of being overweight (including obesity) among secondary school students remained high at 20.0 per cent. In the 2023/24 school year, 94.4 per cent of students reported insufficient physical activity, meaning that they were not able to engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity physical activity per day. About 89.9 per cent of students (83.5 per cent primary and 97.0 per cent secondary school students) reported an inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables per day (i.e. an average of less than four servings for primary school students and less than five servings for secondary school students).
“To prevent childhood and adolescent obesity from developing into a lifelong threat to health, the DH encourages students to adopt healthy lifestyles and maintain a balanced diet. The DH will continue to offer weight management advice through the SHSCs to students in need. Dietitians of the SHS will provide dietary counselling to individual students if indicated,” the Consultant Community Medicine (Family and Student Health) of the DH, Dr Chuang Shuk-kwan, said.
The inappropriate use of electronic screen products should not be overlooked. The DH recommends children aged between 6 and 12 years old to limit recreational screen time to less than two hours a day. The health assessment questionnaire revealed that 43.3 per cent of primary school students indicated that they spent two or more hours in using Internet or electronic screen products (including computers, tablets, smartphones, video games and television) for recreational purposes on a typical school day. The proportion was higher than in the pre-COVID years of around 30 per cent. For secondary school students, the proportion was higher at 80.9 per cent, which is a cause for concern.
Dr Chuang noted that, apart from reminding students of the appropriate recreational screen time, the DH has set up a webpage on Healthy Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products to assist parents and teachers in handling related issues.
The state of vision among Hong Kong students remains less than ideal. The proportion of primary one students wearing glasses was 14.3 per cent which was similar to that of the previous school year (14.8 per cent), but still much higher than that of the pre-COVID years of about 11 per cent. The proportion of students wearing glasses was higher among students at higher grades, up to 53.8 per cent among Primary Six students. Among the primary and secondary school students with a visual acuity test done in the 2023/24 school year, 18.5 per cent required further assessment by optometrists in the SHS or private sector due to a failed preliminary visual acuity test, other eye or visual problems.
Regarding psychosocial health, a majority of students reported they very much enjoyed family life (94.3 per cent) and school life (92.4 per cent). However some students were identified to have psychosocial problems warranting attention. In the 2023/24 school year, 2.2 per cent and 1.0 per cent of students reported that they had planned or attempted to commit suicide in the past 12 months respectively, which were slightly lower than that in the previous school year (2.8 per cent planned and 1.3 per cent attempted to commit suicide) and are similar to the levels in the 2018/2019 school year. Professional staff of the DH promptly provided the students concerned (including some with emotional or mental health problems) with an immediate risk assessment, support or arranged referrals for further evaluation and management. In the 2023/24 school year, 1.4 per cent of students receiving annual health assessment services at the SHSCs were referred to the clinical psychologists of the SHS or other organisations, for further assessment and management of their psychosocial and behavioural problems.
The Government has set up the 18111 – Mental Health Support Hotline to provide one-stop, round-the-clock support for people with mental health needs. The Government has also implemented the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism through cross-departmental collaboration of the Education Bureau, the Health Bureau and the Social Welfare Department in all secondary schools in Hong Kong to ensure early identification and support for students at high risk, and provide timely assistance and seek professional counselling or treatment services for them.
Furthermore, “The Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address” announced that the Whole School Health Programme (WSHP) will be strengthened. Besides publishing this territory-wide health report, health reports will be compiled for each participating school to recommend targeted school‑based health promotion measures for physical activities, diet and other matters, to improve students’ physical and psychological wellbeing. So far, more than 760 schools have joined the WSHP, covering over 65 per cent of all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong. The DH will continue to encourage more schools to join through various channels and work towards realising the vision of “Making every school a health-promoting school”.
At the same time, the Primary Healthcare Commission is actively promoting the Life Course Preventive Care Plan via the District Health Centres (DHCs), DHC Expresses and family doctors. A personalised preventive care plan will be formulated to address the health needs of citizens, including vaccinations required by children as well as prevention of infectious diseases, cancers and chronic diseases. The DHCs and DHC Expresses also provide children-targeted services, such as emotion management, weight management and healthy diet classes as well as collaborate with schools to provide outreach health education, health-risk factors assessment, low salt and sugar diet education and promotion activities. In the long run, the Government will integrate some of the DH’s primary healthcare services into the primary healthcare system, in order to enhance children’s healthcare services in Hong Kong and create a better environment for children’s medical care and healthy development.
“The DH has been safeguarding both the physical and psychological health of school children through health promotion and disease prevention services. The annual health assessment service aims to identify students with health problems at an early stage for timely advice and intervention, including referrals to appropriate organisations for further assessment or management. Enrolment is now open for the annual health assessment service of the 2024/25 school year. Students who have not yet enrolled are encouraged to enrol through their school or directly with the SHSCs,” Dr Chuang said.
For more information on a healthy lifestyle, members of the public are welcome to browse the “@DH mobile application“, DH’s social media accounts, and scan the QR codes attached.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ22: Overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices
ETO(Revised Estimate)(number of posts)(HK$ million)(number of posts)(HK$ million)(number of posts)(HK$ million)*Total operational expenses include personal emoluments, personnel related expenses, departmental expenses and other charges.
The Dubai, Bangkok, Jakarta and Singapore ETOs altogether account for 28 per cent of the total staff establishment of the 14 existing overseas ETOs, and about 24 per cent of their total operational expenses.Issued at HKT 16:38
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens related to Dah Sing Bank, Limited The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the websites or login screens concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. Issued at HKT 16:45
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ6: Regulation of use of electronic screen products by children and adolescents Question:
It has been reported that obsessive use of mobile phones by infants and young children will bring them such harms as social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation and addiction, which are detrimental to the development of their physical movement, fine motor, language, cognitive and social skills. Earlier on, legislation was enacted in Australia to prohibit the use of social media platforms by children and adolescents under the age of 16. The Guidelines (Trial) on Early Childhood Development Services issued by the National Health Commission has also pointed out that infants and young children aged 0 to 3 should not be exposed to any form of products with display screens. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether the Government will draw on the experience of our country, Australia and other regions to enact legislation restricting or prohibiting the use of electronic screen products by infants and young children aged 0 to 3;
(2) whether the Government will consider devising relevant guidelines on the use of computers and the Internet by primary and secondary school students and adolescents; and
(3) as there are views that parents should, through such means as parent-child exchanges, help their infants and young children acquire the abilities to engage in interpersonal exchanges, express emotions and consider other people’s feelings, whether the Government will consider promoting to society the importance for children to stay away from electronic screen products, as well as providing parents with consultation channels in order to help them establish a correct concept of family education?
Reply:
President,
The Government attaches great importance to the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, and provides comprehensive health promotion and medical services by deploying substantial resources in education, public health and medical systems. In particular, we are concerned about the impact of excessive use of the Internet and electronic screen products on their physical and mental development. The Department of Health (DH) set up an Advisory Group on Health Effects of Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products (Advisory Group) as early as 2013 comprising of members from the Education Bureau (EDB), the Social Welfare Department and relevant Colleges of the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, etc, and published the Report of Advisory Group on Health Effects of Use of Internet and Electronic Screen Products in 2014 with recommendations for children, adolescents, parents and teachers on healthy use of the Internet and electronic screen products.
In consultation with the EDB, the DH and the Primary Healthcare Commission (PHC Commission), the reply to the question raised by the Hon Luk Chung-hung is as follows:
(1) and (3) The Mainland and other regions in the world have provided guidelines and recommended the time for infants and young children to use electronic screen products, instead of restricting or prohibiting the use of electronic screen products by infants and young children by legislation. The Australian Government enacted legislation last year to prohibit the use of social media platforms by children and adolescents under the age of 16, but has not restricted or prohibited the use of electronic screen products. Regulating the use of electronic screen products by way of legislation requires consideration of a number of factors, including public acceptance, how to regulate, how to enforce and feasibility of enforcement. The Government does not have any relevant legislative plans at present.
With reference to international guidelines, the DH updated the relevant health advice on the use of electronic screen products in 2018 and suggested that infants and young children aged below 2 should avoid exposure to electronic screen products, except for interactive video-chat under parents’ guidance; and that children aged between 2 and 5 should limit their daily screen time to within one hour, and that such screen activities should be interactive and educative, and should be carried out under the guidance of parents. These recommendations are similar to the guidelines of the Mainland, Singapore, the United States and Australia. The DH will continue to keep in view international experience and the local situation, and review the relevant recommendations in a timely manner.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Persons in custody at Lo Wu Correctional Institution attain good examination results ??? LWCI is a medium security institution for female adult convicted PICs, female adult remand PICs and female adult drug addicts undergoing treatment programmes under the Drug Addiction Treatment Centres Ordinance. Issued at HKT 16:00
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Fraudulent websites and internet banking login screens related to DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited The HKMA wishes to remind the public that banks will not send SMS or emails with embedded hyperlinks which direct them to the banks’ websites to carry out transactions. They will not ask customers for sensitive personal information, such as login passwords or one-time password, by phone, email or SMS (including via embedded hyperlinks).
Anyone who has provided his or her personal information, or who has conducted any financial transactions, through or in response to the websites or login screens concerned, should contact the bank using the contact information provided in the press release, and report the matter to the Police by contacting the Crime Wing Information Centre of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012. Issued at HKT 16:45
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Having considered the proposal submitted by the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), views from the Betting and Lotteries Commission (BLC), and other related issues concerning illegal basketball gambling, the Government today (April 2) launched a consultation on the proposed regulation of basketball betting activities.
In recent years, quite some members of the public have expressed concerns about the problem of illegal basketball betting in Hong Kong. According to the latest assessment of the HKJC, the turnover of illegal basketball betting reached $70 billion to $90 billion in 2024. To combat illegal betting activities in an effective manner, the Government announced in the 2025-26 Budget that it will explore regulating basketball betting activities.
The Government proposes establishing a regulatory regime for basketball betting by modelling on the existing regime for football betting. Through amending the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108), the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs will be granted the power to issue a licence for basketball betting to the HKJC and to impose licensing conditions to minimise the negative impact of gambling on the public, especially on young people.
Mirroring the regulatory regime on football betting, major licensing conditions of the proposed regulation of basketball betting activities are as follows-
(1) A fixed duration shall be set on the licensing period;
(2) The Government shall impose restrictions on the number of bet types and classes of competitions;
(3) The licensed operator shall not accept bets on basketball matches involving Hong Kong teams and/or matches that take places in Hong Kong, to promote a betting-free and healthy environment for the sport in Hong Kong;
(4) The licensed operator shall not accept bets from juveniles;
(5) The licensed operator shall not accept credit betting; and
(6) The licensed operator shall display notices reminding the public of the seriousness of the problems caused by excessive gambling, and provide information on the services available for those with gambling disorder.
A spokesman for the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) said, “As a matter of policy, the Government does not encourage gambling. The Government adopts a multipronged strategy to address gambling-related issues, combining regulation of gambling activities through legislation, law enforcement against illegal gambling, public education and publicity on the harms of gambling addiction, and provision of counselling and support services to people in need.
“There is, however, undeniably an actual and persistent demand for gambling in Hong Kong which, if left unregulated, would likely give rise to illegal gambling activities and associated social problems and other criminal activities. As such, the Government adopts a pragmatic approach by allowing only a limited number of authorised gambling outlets, which includes authorising the HKJC to conduct horse race betting, Mark Six Lottery and football betting in accordance with the Betting Duty Ordinance (Cap. 108).”
Please refer to the website of the HYAB (www.hyab.gov.hk/file_manager/en/documents/policy_responsibilities/consultation_paper.pdf) for the consultation document on the regulatory regime for basketball betting and details of submissions. Members of the public may submit their views by post to 13/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong (Attention: Home Affairs Division, Home and Youth Affairs Bureau) (date of the stamp chop will be taken as the submission date), by fax to 2591 6002 or by email to ha@hyab.gov.hk on or before May 2.
Furthermore, having consulted the BLC, the Government has decided to renew the licence for football betting of the HKJC Football Betting Limited for five years with effect from July 18, 2025. The conditions under the existing regime will remain largely the same, including the prohibition on accepting bets from juveniles, the prohibition on accepting credit betting, requirements to display warnings about the seriousness of excessive gambling and provide information on the services available for those with gambling disorder, and more. The licensing authority will continue to request the licensed operator not to accept bets on football matches involving Hong Kong teams and/or matches that take places in Hong Kong, to promote a betting-free and healthy environment for the sport in Hong Kong. Moreover, restrictions shall be imposed on the number of bet types and classes of competitions that the licensed operator may offer.
The details on the quantum of rare earth metals imported and the countries from which it has been imported during the last five years is given at Annexure-I.
Government is aware of the occurrence of neodymium in the country. The Geological Survey of India (GSI), under the Ministry of Mines, is actively engaged in carrying out mineral exploration across the country following guidelines of United Nations Framework Classification [UNFC stage viz. reconnaissance surveys (G4), preliminary exploration (G3) and general exploration (G2)] and the Minerals (Evidence of Mineral Contents) (MEMC) Rules, 2015 with an aim to augment resource for various mineral commodities including critical minerals specified in Part D of the First Schedule of the Mines & Minerals (Development & Regulation) (MMDR) Amendment Act, 2023. During Field Season (FS) 2021-22 and 2022-23, GSI had taken up three reconnaissance stage projects for Rare Earth Elements including neodymium in Sirohi and Bhilwara districts of Rajasthan as per the approved field season programme. The details are given at Annexure-II.
The Department of Atomic Energy has explored 1,11,845 tonne in-situ Rare Earth Elements Oxide (REO) in hard rock terrains in parts of Balotra (erstwhile Barmer) district, Rajasthan. As policy framework for utilizing critical minerals, including rare earth metals, the National Critical Mineral Mission has been launched, which is India’s strategic initiative to secure critical mineral supply chain by increasing domestic critical minerals production and foreign supply sources.
Under the Mission, GSI has prioritized and intensified its exploration activities for critical and strategic minerals across the country including Rajasthan, with an aim to find out potential mineralized locales as well as to establish more resources for these minerals. During the current FS 2024-25, GSI has taken up 195 exploration projects including 35 projects in Rajasthan, to assess the mineral potential of strategic and critical minerals. The detailed list of mineral exploration projects taken up by GSI in Rajasthan exclusively for REE/RM and associated minerals from FS 2021-22 to 2024-25 is given at Annexure-III. Since MMDR Amendment Act, 2015, GSI has established resource of REE in Barmer and Sikar districts of Rajasthan. GSI has handed over one resource bearing geological report (GR) on REE, one Geological Memorandums (GM) on REE and one GM on tungsten for auctioning.
ANNEXURE-I
Annexure-I referred to in reply to part (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5253 answered on 02.04.2025 regarding ‘Import of Rare Earth Metals’
Table: Country wise quantum of rare earth metals imported by India during last 5 years
Quantity in Tonnes
#
HS Code- Description
2019-20
2020-21
2021-22
2022-23
2023-24
Country
Qty
Country
Qty
Country
Qty
Country
Qty
Country
Qty
1.
28053000– Alkali or alkaline earth metals: Rare-earth metals, scandium and yttrium, whether or not intermixed or inter alloyed
China
437
China
445
China
714.5
China
709
China
699
Hong Kong
34
Japan
11
Japan
34
Japan
42
Hong Kong
234
Japan
2
Sweden
10
USA
6.6
Singapore
20
Japan
192
USA
0.57
USA
4.69
Hong Kong
5
Hong Kong
20
Mongolia
60
UK
0.08
Hong Kong
0.05
Russia
1
USA
1.09
UK
0.11
Others
0.00
Others
0.07
Others
0.06
Others
0.18
Others
0.02
Total
473.65
Total
470.61
Total
761
Total
792
Total
1,185
2.
2846- Compounds, inorganic or organic, of rare earth metals
Russia
452
China
695
China
745
China
796
China
780
China
434
Russia
156
Japan
196
Korea
150
Japan
148
Japan
255
Japan
133
Korea
93
Japan
148
Korea
90
Germany
59
Korea
91
Austria
41
USA
20
USA
24
Austria
31
Austria
46
Russia
40
France
14
France
19
Others
144
Others
129
Others
69
Others
24
Others
24
Total
1,375
Total
1,250
Total
1,183
Total
1,153
Total
1,086
REE Total
1,848
1,721
1,944
1,945
2,270
Note:REE has 17 elements. HS codes 280530 and 2846 pertain to REE as a whole and not to a particular element.
ANNEXURE-II
Annexure-II referred to in reply to part (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5253 answered on 02.04.2025 regarding ‘Import of Rare Earth Metals’
Table: G4 stage projects taken up for Rare Earth Elements including neodymium in Rajasthan during FS 2021-22 and FS 2022-23
Sl. No
State
District
Name of Mineral Block / Area/ Belt
UNFC Stage
Mineral Commodity
FS: 2021-22
1
Rajasthan
Sirohi
Jirawal-Sanpur
G4
Neodymium and Dysprosium
2
Rajasthan
Bhilwara
Mahendragarh-Gundli-Bawri
G4
Neodymium and associated REE
FS: 2022-23
3
Rajasthan
Bhilwara
Kodukota-Raser-Lulas-Kallyakhera
G4
REE and associated Neodymium
ANNEXURE-III
Annexure-III referred to in reply to part (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 5253 answered on 02.04.2025 regarding ‘Import of Rare Earth Metals’
Table: List of projects taken up by GSI on REE/RM and associated minerals from FS 2021-22 to FS 2024-25