The Lands Department today launched a 3D Visualisation Map of Hong Kong Island, New Territories Southwest and New Territories East, along with a 3D Indoor Map with coverage extended to the whole city and selected MTR stations, providing more comprehensive spatial data to the public.
Released in phases since 2022, 3D Digital Maps has now achieved full coverage of the city.
The 3D Visualisation Map of Hong Kong Island, New Territories Southwest and New Territories East covers around 122,000 buildings and about 3,300 infrastructure facilities including flyovers, footbridges and subways.
Additionally, around 30 selected MTR stations are covered in the 3D Indoor Map, offering information on points of interest and a supporting indoor point-to-point pedestrian routing service within the stations.
In combination with some 200 buildings included in the 3D Indoor Map of Kowloon East, Kowloon Central and Kowloon West released last year, the citywide 3D Indoor Map now covers around 600 buildings, including government and private buildings, community facilities and hospitals, providing information on their interior spaces and points of interest.
The data facilitates the development of innovative indoor data applications, such as location-based services, tourism and indoor navigation.
The “Streetscape 360” feature of the 3D Visualisation Map offers 360-degree street-level panoramic images and a measurement function, with coverage now extended from Kowloon, Lantau and New Territories Northwest to include Hong Kong Island and the entire New Territories.
The datasets of the 3D maps, relevant application programming interface and sample codes have been uploaded to the Common Spatial Data Infrastructure Portal and the online application platform Open3Dhk and can be downloaded for free.
Since August, 2019, Government of India is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in partnership with States to make provision of potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on regular & long-term basis to every rural household in the country.
The Union Cabinet had approved the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission for five years i.e. from 2019-20 to 2023-24. For further continuation of the JJM, Hon’ble Finance Minister during budget speech 2025 announced the extension of JJM until 2028 with enhanced outlay. The extended period will focus on completing the remaining works under JJM by prioritizing the quality of infrastructure and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of rural piped water supply schemes through “Jan Bhagidhari” to ensure sustainability and citizen-centric water service delivery.
Water being a state subject, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes/ works, including those under the Jal Jeevan Mission, lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance.
To expedite the provision of tap water connections to all rural households in the country, concerted efforts have been made to accelerate the pace of implementation of JJM on ground. These include measures such as holding high level joint review meetings with the State governments on regular basis and visits of multi-disciplinary teams from the department to highlight areas which need attention for expediting implementation to make provision of tap water supply to all households in a time bound manner.
At the start of JJM in August 2019, only 3.23 Crore (16.8%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. As reported by States/ UTs, as on 23.03.2025, around 12.31 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 24.03.2025, out of 19.37 Crore rural households in the country, approximately 15.54 Crore (80.29%) households are reported to have tap water supply.
Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)] was launched on 2nd October, 2014 with the aim to eliminate open defecation in rural areas by 2nd October, 2019. SBM(G) has been implemented as Jan Andolan. Over 10 crore Individual household Latrines (IHHLs) constructed under Phase-I of SBM(G) and all the villages of the country declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF) by 2nd October, 2019. Having achieved the ODF status, Phase-II of SBM(G) is being implemented during the period from 2020-21 to 2025-26, with the focus on Open Defecation Free (ODF) sustainability and to cover all the villages with solid and liquid waste management i.e. converting the villages from ODF to ODF Plus (Model).
Some reputed organizations viz. World Health Organization (WHO), International Labour Organization, IIM Bangalore, Development Innovation Lab-University of Chicago, have undertaken assessment studies on impact of JJM on the lives of common people. These orgainzations have assessed the impacts of JJM in terms of employment generation, health, reduction in diarrhoeal deaths. The reports are available in public domain at the following URL:
Further, under JJM, this department regularly conducts ‘Functionality Assessment of tap connections’ through an independent 3rdparty agency. Under the assessment exercise, the functionality of tap connection is assessed on three parameters i.e. quantity (55 lpcd or more), quality and regularity i.e. water supply for all 12 months in a year or on daily basis. All these parameters are taken to define the functionality of the HH tap water connections, as per specified criteria. The reports of the last functionality assessment is also available in public domain at following URL:
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) conducts Swachh Survekshan Grameen (SSG) through a third-party survey agency to carry out the assessment of household sanitation parameters, including Faecal Sludge Management (FSM), biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste management, and Grey Water Management (GWM). As part of the SSG, States/UTs are ranked on the basis of their performance attained on key quantitative and qualitative Swachhata parameters.
To bring transparency and effective monitoring, an online ‘JJM dashboard’ has been created, which provides State/ UT, district and village-wise progress as well as status of provision of tap water supply to rural homes.
The Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) of SBM(G) captures progress of the States/UTs against SBM(G) activities viz. construction of Individual and Community/Household Toilets, SLWM infrastructure, IEC, Capacity Building and administration related activities, including financial progress.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI V. SOMANNA in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
The State-wise details of National Highway (NH) Projects (under construction, completed during 2024-25, approved but yet to be commenced) in the Northeastern States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura including Bodoland area are as under:
Funds are not allocated project-wise but State-wise to meet the expenses for under construction works, completed works and approved but yet to commence NH projects. The funds allocated for development and maintenance works on National Highways in the State of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Tripura during 2024-25 are as below:
Completion of NH projects are dependent upon availability of encumbrance free land, forest clearance, environment clearance, utility shifting, working season, contractor’s financial position, etc. All the under-construction NH projects in the States of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura are scheduled to be completed by 2028.
(d) The steps taken to address challenges and prevent delays in executing NH projects in Northeastern region include the following:
(i) Streamlining of land acquisition
(ii) Disputes Resolution mechanism revamped
(iii) Award of projects after adequate preparation in terms of land acquisition, clearances, etc.
(iv) Correctly worked out utility estimates are to be obtained at the earliest after the alignment finalization and shall form part of appraisal proposal.
(v) Close coordination with all stakeholders including State Governments
(vi) Regular review at various levels
(vii) Expediting approval of Change of Scope and Extension of Time proposals
(viii) Network Planning Group appraisal before sanction of works so that issues regarding clearances can be flagged beforehand and solution can be worked out in advance.
(ix) Due provisions of protection works in inaccessible and challenging terrain are kept in Detailed Project Report.
This reply was given by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written statement to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha.
The Government has prioritized the maintenance of existing National Highway (NH) network and inter-alia evolved a mechanism to ensure Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of all NHs sections through accountable maintenance agency.
The M&R of stretches of NHs, where development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions/ Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Contracts have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessionaires/ Contractors till the end of the Defect Liability Period (DLP)/ the Concession Period. Similarly, for NHs stretches
undertaken under TOT (Toll Operate and Transfer) and InvIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust), M&R responsibility lies with concerned Concessionaire till the end of the Concession Period.
For all remaining sections of NHs stretches, Government has taken a policy decision to undertake maintenance works through Performance Based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) or Short Term Maintenance Contract (STMC).
In order to strengthen the enforcement of traffic rules for ensuring traffic management in the country, the Government brings amendments in the Motor Vehicles Act from time to time. In accordance with the provisions of the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019, Government had also published rules in August 2021 for Electronic Monitoring and Enforcement of Road Safety at high-risk and high-density corridors on National Highways, State Highways and at critical junctions in cities having a population of more than one million and cities under National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) in the country. Enforcement of these rules comes under the purview of the State / Union Territory (UT) Governments.
Additionally, the Government has taken up installation of Advanced Traffic Management System (ATMS) in Four lane and above NHs. ATMS has provisions for various electronic enforcement devices which help in speedy identification of incidents (including traffic violations) on the highway stretches and effectively monitor the highways, thereby improving incident response time and road safety.
All development works on NHs, including NHs in Hilly and Remote areas, are generally planned as All Weather Roads only. Works on NHs are taken up based on the traffic density, condition of the road, inter-se priority and synergy with PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan (NMP). At present, 1,310 NHs projects in 31,187 km length costing ₹8.11 Lakh Crore are under construction in the country.
For ensuring all-weather connectivity and effective traffic management on NHs in remote / hilly areas, weather / landslide warning & information systems are provided for guidance of traffic apart from tunnels and viaducts particularly in high altitude areas for seamless traffic movement.
The Government has issued standardized parameters for investigating hill slope stability & selecting cost-effective long-term stabilization measures for landslide-prone areas in hilly regions.
Further, sustainable bio-engineering measures such as coir/jute mat hydroseeding, interlinked chain mesh with green strips, bamboo piling by stepped berms and erosion control with Vetivar grass plantation on jute matting etc. have been implemented by the Government for stabilizing hilly and landslide prone areas, thereby enhancing safety on NHs in such areas. Construction of tunnel is also explored as an option in case the above solutions are not found feasible.
Steps taken by the Government to enhance traffic management have been elaborated in reply to Part (a).
Road safety engineering measures / works on NHs, including rectification of blackspots, are undertaken mainly as part of scope of development / maintenance works on NHs or as standalone projects in certain cases. Out of total 13,795 black spots identified on the NHs up to 2021-22, short-term rectification measures have been completed on 11,515 black spots and permanent rectification measures have been completed on 5,036 black spots. Further, Government has formulated a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of road safety based on Education, Engineering (both of roads and vehicles), Enforcement and Emergency Care. Details of various initiatives taken to address road safety issues are at Annexure.
User-fee at user fee plaza is collected for the use of section of National Highway as per the provisions of National Highways Fee Rules applicable for the respective category of vehicles uniformly across the country.
This reply was given by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written statement to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha.
The Government has prioritized the maintenance of existing National Highway (NH) network, including service roads, and inter-alia evolved a mechanism to ensure Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of all NHs sections through accountable maintenance agency.
The M&R of stretches of NHs, where development works have commenced or Operation, Maintenance and Transfer (OMT) Concessions/ Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Contracts have been awarded, are the responsibility of the concerned Concessionaires/ Contractors till the end of the Defect Liability Period (DLP)/ the Concession Period. Similarly, for NHs stretches undertaken under TOT (Toll Operate and Transfer) and InvIT (Infrastructure Investment Trust), M&R responsibility lies with concerned Concessionaire till the end of the Concession Period.
For all remaining sections of NHs stretches, Government has taken a policy decision to undertake maintenance works through Performance Based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) or Short-Term Maintenance Contract (STMC).
Repair of identified defects / issues in the road condition, including potholes, as well as other maintenance / repair works are completed by the Contractor / Concessionaire within the stipulated timeline as per provisions of the Contract. Compliance is ensured through regular field reports and penalty provisions incorporated in the Contract documents for action against defaulting Contractor / Concessionaire.
Service roads for NHs are generally provided at urban / semi-urban locations, where local traffic is substantial, to segregate the local traffic, including non-motorized vehicles, from fast moving traffic on the NHs. Service roads are also provided below the elevated sections and flyovers / grade separators / Vehicular Under Passes (VUPs) for facilitating turning movements.
Details of length of service roads constructed and under construction in the States of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, including rural and underserved regions in such States, are as under:
Government undertakes road markings with thermoplastic paint and retro reflective signages for better visibility at night, in accordance with Indian Roads Congress (IRC) guidelines. Pedestrian safety is enhanced through the footpaths, foot over bridges and crossings in service lane designs.
Contractor / Concessionaire is responsible for maintenance of the NHs sections, including the service roads, during the DLP / Concession period. Contractors engaged for maintenance of the NHs sections, particularly for STMC / PBMC works, ensure that all facilities including the above are properly maintained.
Further, app-based monitoring through National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) One / Tatpar App facilitates highway project management by Field officers / Engineers / Contractors / Concessionaires directly from onsite, through digital reporting of daily and monthly defects, submission of geo-tagged and time-stamped photos for inspections and digital uploading of test results.
Service roads for NHs are constructed within the Right of Way (ROW) of NH. Land Acquisition for construction of NHs including service roads is carried out in accordance with the provisions of the NH Act, 1956.
Construction of service roads for NHs is taken up by the Government, in coordination with State and Local authorities, as part of scope of development projects on NHs, from time to time
based on traffic density, roadside development / settlement abutting the Project Highway, congestion, accessibility for local traffic, etc.
This reply was given by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written statement to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha.
The Government has prioritized the maintenance of existing National Highway (NH) network and inter-alia evolved a mechanism to ensure Maintenance and Repair (M&R) of all NHs sections through accountable maintenance agency.
NHs projects are executed on mainly three modes, i.e., (i) Build Operate and Transfer (BOT), (ii) Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) and (iii) Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC). Concession period for projects including maintenance on Build Operate and Transfer (BOT) is 15 to 20 years and on Hybrid Annuity Model (HAM) is generally 15 years. Concessionaire is responsible for maintenance of the respective NHs stretches within the concession period of the project. Only in case of EPC projects, Defect Liability period (DLP) is 5 years for the bituminous pavement works and 10 years for concrete pavement works.
For Toll-Operate-Transfer (TOT) and InvIT projects, concession period including maintenance is for 20 to 30 years. Concession period for Projects on Operate, Maintain and Transfer (OMT) is generally 9 years.
For all remaining sections of NHs stretches where DLP period has ended or is not under any concession period of BOT/HAM/TOT/InvIT project, Government has taken a policy decision to undertake maintenance works through Performance Based Maintenance Contract (PBMC) or Short Term Maintenance Contract (STMC). While STMC works are generally undertaken for a contract period of 1-2 year, PBMC works are undertaken for a contract period of about 5-7 years. During the current Financial Year 2024-25, Government has approved STMC works in 17,884 km length costing Rs.2,842 Crore and PBMC works in 6,118 km length costing Rs.6,757 Crore.
Repair of identified defects / issues in the road condition as well as other maintenance / repair works are completed by the Contractor / Concessionaire within the stipulated timeline as per provisions of the Contract. Compliance is ensured through regular field reports and penalty provisions incorporated in the Contract documents for action against defaulting Contractor / Concessionaire.
Government encourages the adoption of innovative technologies or methods to enhance the durability and reduce the maintenance requirements of NHs (depending upon factors like rainfall, terrain type, soil category, etc.). Such technologies or methods include stabilization of subgrade, geosynthetic reinforced layer(s) in sub-base / base, concrete roads / white topping, perpetual pavement, High performance bituminous mixes, modified bitumen / bituminous mixes, Fiber Reinforced Concrete, Cement Grouted Bituminous Mixes, etc. Automated and Intelligent Machine-Aided Construction has been adopted which ensures cloud-based maintenance records and quality work.
Road condition assessment is carried out through Network Survey Vehicle (NSV) for the NHs stretches before start of work, before issue of completion certificate and thereafter at regular intervals of six months after completion of the work, thereby enabling quality assessment of NHs at regular intervals for (i) ensuring the maintenance during Concession period / DLP and (ii) prioritizing maintenance requirements to maintain NHs in traffic worthy condition.
Further, app-based monitoring through National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) One / Tatpar App facilitates, highway project management by Field officers / Engineers / Contractors / Concessionaires directly from onsite, through digital reporting of daily and monthly defects, submission of geo-tagged and time-stamped photos for inspections and digital uploading of test results.
This reply was given by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written statement to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha.
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi paid tributes to Shree Shree Harichand Thakur on his Jayanti today. Hailing Shree Thakur’s work to uplift the marginalised and promote equality, compassion and justice, Shri Modi conveyed his best wishes to the Matua Dharma Maha Mela 2025.
In a post on X, he wrote:
“Tributes to Shree Shree Harichand Thakur on his Jayanti. He lives on in the hearts of countless people thanks to his emphasis on service and spirituality. He devoted his life to uplifting the marginalised and promoting equality, compassion and justice. I will never forget my visits to Thakurnagar in West Bengal and Orakandi in Bangladesh, where I paid homage to him.
My best wishes for the #MatuaDharmaMahaMela2025, which will showcase the glorious Matua community culture. Our Government has undertaken many initiatives for the Matua community’s welfare and we will keep working tirelessly for their wellbeing in the times to come. Joy Haribol!
Tributes to Shree Shree Harichand Thakur on his Jayanti. He lives on in the hearts of countless people thanks to his emphasis on service and spirituality. He devoted his life to uplifting the marginalised and promoting equality, compassion and justice. I will never forget my…
WAFX Seminar Series Kicks Off to Prepare India’s Next Generation of VFX Artists India’s Top VFX Talent to Compete in WAFX 2025; Zonal Finals in Four Cities, Grand Finale at WAVES Mumbai
Posted On: 27 MAR 2025 2:10PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 27th March 2025
The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in collaboration with Aptech Limited and ABAI, has launched WAFX Seminar Series, an initiative aimed at preparing and inspiring participants for the prestigiousWAVES VFX Competition (WAFX).The series is a key step underCreate in India Season 1, the government’s effort to boost India’s creative economy and nurture the next generation of VFX talent.
The WAFX Seminar Series will be bringing top industry professionals to educate and mentor aspiring VFX artists. These seminars aim to provide valuable insights into industry trends, advanced VFX techniques, and career growth opportunities, helping participants prepare for the competition while understanding the evolving landscape of the VFX industry.
The first seminar, held at Aptech Mumbai, featured Jateen Thakkar, a renowned VFX Supervisor known for his work on Poacher, Leo, and Bhediya. In another session, MAAC hosted a webinar by Jay Mehta, VFX Supervisor at Scanline VFX, which was live-streamed across India. He shared an exclusive window into the world of VFX.
As a build-up to WAVES 2025, the WAFX Zonal Finals will take place across four major cities – Chandigarh, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata in mid-April 2025. The top talents from these rounds will advance to the Grand Finale at WAVES 2025, set to take place at Jio World Centre, Mumbai, from May 1st to 4th, 2025. The WAFX Zonal Finals will be a platform where participants from the All India Online VFX Contest will compete live before an esteemed jury. Winners will gain industry recognition, prizes, and studio internships with leading VFX firms, enhancing their career prospects.
The first World Audio Visual & Entertainment Summit (WAVES), a milestone event for the Media & Entertainment (M&E) sector, will be hosted by the Government of India in Mumbai, Maharashtra, from May 1 to 4, 2025.
Whether you’re an industry professional, investor, creator, or innovator,the Summit offers the ultimate global platform to connect, collaborate, innovate and contribute to the M&E landscape.
WAVES is set to magnify India’s creative strength, amplifying its position as a hub for content creation, intellectual property, and technological innovation. Industries and sectors in focus include Broadcasting, Print Media, Television, Radio, Films, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics, Sound and Music, Advertising, Digital Media, Social Media Platforms, Generative AI, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Extended Reality (XR).
Union Health Ministry Releases National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management Launches National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management in collaboration with AIIMS, New Delhi
Union Health Secretary emphasizes the critical role of properly maintaining and utilizing medical oxygen infrastructure so that demands for any surge capacities may be met promptly at time of any exigencies
Release of National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management marks a significant step toward strengthening the country’s medical oxygen infrastructure and ensuring uniform best practices in oxygen management across healthcare facilities
National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management aims to train around 200 master trainers across the country
Posted On: 27 MAR 2025 1:25PM by PIB Delhi
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released the National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management at a workshop held at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, here today. The workshop also marked the launch of the National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management, which will be led by Department of Hospital Administration at AIIMS, Delhi.
Speaking at the event, Smt. Punya Salila Srivastava, Union Health Secretary emphasized the critical role of properly maintaining and utilizing medical oxygen infrastructure so that demands for any surge capacities may be met promptly at time of any exigencies. She also stressed on the need for inculcating learnings from India’s management of COVID-19 pandemic.
Prof. M Srinivas, Director, AIIMS highlighted the institute’s role in spearheading the capacity-building program and stressed the importance of training and awareness at all levels of healthcare.
The release of National Guidelines on Medical Oxygen Management marks a significant step toward strengthening the country’s medical oxygen infrastructure and ensuring uniform best practices in oxygen management across healthcare facilities. The comprehensive guidelines provide a framework for the efficient procurement, storage, and administration of medical oxygen, with a focus on patient safety, capacity building, and emergency preparedness.
The National Capacity Building Programme on Oxygen Management is an initiative led by the Disaster Management Cell of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with AIIMS, New Delhi. It aims to train around 200 master trainers across the country which in turn shall undertake capacity building of hospital administrators and medical officers across the country in proper handling and utilization of medical oxygen, reducing wastage and improving clinical outcomes.
The workshop was also attended by other senior officials of Ministry of Health, AIIMS and medical professionals and experts from across the country.
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The Union Government has released the second installment of theFifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grantsfor rural local bodies inTripuraandKarnatakafor the financial year 2024–25, strengthening local governance and driving rural transformation. InTripura, the government has allocatedRs. 31.1259 croresin Untied Grants (2nd installment), benefiting589 eligible Gram Panchayats, along with allBlock Panchayats,District Panchayats, andTraditional Local Bodies. While forKarnataka,Rs. 404.9678 croresin Untied Grants (2nd installment)has been released for5375 eligible Gram Panchayats, supporting rural local bodies across the state.
These grants empower Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) enabling them to address location-specific needs under the 29 subjects outlined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution. These funds are utilized for development initiatives excluding salaries and establishment costs. The grants are divided into two categories:
Untied Grants: These can be used for diverse community-specific needs and are aimed at enhancing local infrastructure and development projects.
Tied Grants: Specifically allocated for the critical areas of sanitation (including the maintenance of Open Defecation Free status, waste management, and fecal sludge management) and drinking water (including rainwater harvesting and water recycling).
The release of these funds is a significant move toward decentralizing resources and empowering local governments. Managed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and Ministry of Jal Shakti, the XV Finance Commission Grants are designed to drive grassroots development, enhance local governance, and support initiatives tailored to the unique needs of rural communities.