According to the statistics, 1,861 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects with a total amount of US$6,502,344,000 were approved from January to October 2024. This indicates a decrease of 0.16% in the number of cases, and a decrease of 22.58% in FDI amount compared to the same period of 2023.
With regard to inward investment from Mainland China, 29 cases were approved with an amount of US$18,227,000 from January to October 2024. This indicates an increase of 31.82% in the number of cases, but a decrease of 31.82% in the FDI amount compared to the same period of 2023. From July 2009 to October 2024, 1,615 cases were approved with a total investment amount added up to US$2,614,173,000.
In terms of Taiwan’s outbound investment (excluding Mainland China), 615 projects were registered from January to October 2024 with a total amount of US$41,956,060,000, indicating an increase of 31.69% in the number of cases, and an increase of 86.61% in the amount, as compared to the same period of 2023.
As for Taiwan’s outward investment to Mainland China, 286 applications have been approved from January to October 2024, indicating an increase of 2.88% compared to the same period of 2023. The approved investment amount is US$3,422,290,000, 29.65% more than the same period in 2023.
Chief Executive John Lee arrived in Hainan today to attend the Global Free Trade Port Development Forum at the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025.
Addressing the forum, Mr Lee said that Hong Kong, as an international financial, shipping, and trade centre, enjoys a strategic location and world-class connectivity, and is a champion of free and multilateral trade.
Under the principle of “one country, two systems”, he added, Hong Kong is the only world city that combines “the China advantage” with “the global advantage”. Moreover, he said, it boasts a long tradition of the rule of law and has an established common law regime that aligns with major global financial hubs.
Mr Lee outlined that as a participant in the Global Free Trade Zone (Port) Partnership Initiative, Hong Kong will continue to collaborate with Hainan in promoting the vast opportunities that free trade and market liberalisation can bring to the world.
In the evening, Mr Lee attended a dinner with provincial leaders to exchange views on deepening Hong Kong’s co-operation with Hainan.
Meanwhile, Secretary for Innovation, Technology & Industry Prof Sun Dong attended the Enhance Digital Capacity Building & Bridging Digital Divide forum this afternoon.
Prof Sun elaborated on Hong Kong’s move to accelerate digital economic development through strengthening digital infrastructure and fostering digital transformation, and mentioned that the Government is pressing ahead with its Digital Corporate Identity Platform project at full speed.
He added that by adhering to the three-pronged principle of promoting technology with talent, leading industries with technology, and attracting talent with industries, Hong Kong will continue to provide quality jobs and development opportunities for talent in the innovation and technology (I&T) and digital sectors, and to attract I&T talent from around the globe.
Tomorrow, Mr Lee will meet provincial leaders and attend the signing ceremony of memoranda of understanding between the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the People’s Government of Hainan Province.
2.53 Lakh Community Sanitary Complexes (CSC) and 11.83 Crore Individual Household Latrines (IHHL) constructed under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) till date.
5,64,157 villages have declared themselves Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus (Aspiring-1,11,657, Rising-7,337, Model-4,45,163) upto 20-03-2025.
5,03,973 villages have been covered with Solid Waste Management (SWM) and 5,22,599 villages have been covered with Grey Water Management (GWM) upto 20-03-2025.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI V. SOMANNA in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Government of India is committed to the provision of safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to all rural households in the country. Towards this end, the Government of India launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), to be implemented in partnership with States/ UTs, in August 2019. The Government of India supports the states by providing technical and financial assistance.
Significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of JJM, towards enhancing access to tap water for rural households. At the start of JJM in August 2019, only 3.23 Crore (16.71%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by State/UTs as on 20.03.2025, around 12.30 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 20.03.2025, out of 19.36 Crore rural households in the country, approximately 15.53 Crore (80.22%) households are reported to have tap water supply. The year-wise and State-wise including the Kushinagar district of Uttar Pradesh details of the progress made under the JJM in providing tap water connections since its inception are available on JJM IMIS Dashboard at https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx.
The government of India is building strategic international partnerships to enhance international cooperation in specific areas of water supply, water distribution, wastewater and solid waste treatment, sewerage systems, re-use of treated wastewater, water management, and energy optimization.
At present, India and Denmark have entered into a Green Strategic Partnership on 28th September, 2020. Joint Work Plan (2021-2024) has subsequently been formulated between the National Jal Jeevan Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti, New Delhi and Danish Environment Protection Agency, Ministry of Environment, Denmark (DEPA) to support Government of India’s objective of providing drinking water supply to all rural households. The objective of the work plan is to enhance cooperation in the specific areas of water supply, water distribution, wastewater treatment, sewerage systems, re-use of treated wastewater, water management and energy optimization in the water sector.
The cooperation is working to support a range of priorities of the JJM and co-create solutions in the fields of policy, planning, regulation and implementation as well as technology, research & development and skilling that combine Danish and Indian expertise.
As on date, 11 States/ UTs have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ States/ UT i.e. 100% households are having tap water supply and the remaining States/ UTs are at various stages of achieving the objectives of the mission.
Government of India has taken a number of steps to ensure coordinated planning between infrastructure development projects, like road construction and water supply system, like pipelines installations which inter alia includes (i) nomination of a nodal officer in the Department for coordinating with Central nodal Ministries/ Departments/ agencies viz. M/o EF&CC, M/o RTH, NHAI, M/o Railways etc. to facilitate the States in obtaining Statutory/ other clearances; (ii) regular review meetings with central agencies and State level officers; (iii) State Programme Management Units (SPMUs) and District Programme Management Units (DPMUs) have been set up to bridge the gap in availability of technical skill sets and of HR for programme management; (iv) A network of Civil Society Organizations working in the water sector, the Rural WASH Partner Forum, has been set up to extend support to states for time bound implementation.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, as per existing guidelines, Bureau of Indian Standards’ BIS:10500 standards are adopted as benchmark for quality of water being supplied through the piped water supply schemes. BIS specifies ‘acceptable limit’ and ‘permissible limit in the absence of alternate source’ for various physio-chemical and bacteriological parameters for drinking water quality.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI V. SOMANNA in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Drinking water is a State subject. The power to plan, design, approve and implement drinking water supply schemes/projects lies with State Government including Maharashtra. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing technical and financial assistance.
JJM follows a universal approach to cover all rural households including the remote rural households. Following the principle of ‘no one is left out’, under Jal Jeevan Mission, provision of tap water supply is envisaged for every rural household, including all SC/ ST rural households in the country. Further, priority is given for provision of tap water supply in water quality affected habitations, desert and drought-prone areas, SC/ ST villages, Aspirational & JE – AES affected districts, Saansad Adarsh Gramin Yojana villages, etc.
As reported by Maharashtra on JJM-IMIS, total 4.11 lakh households are present in SC concentrated habitations. Of this, as on 20.03.2025, 3.62 lakh households (88.11%) have tap water supply in their homes.
In the last three years from 2022-23 to till date, tap water connection has been provided to 1.13 lakh households in SC concentrated habitations of Maharashtra.
This information was provided by THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI SHRI V. SOMANNA in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
Government of India, in partnership with States/UTs including Maharashtra is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission, since August, 2019, to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household in the country.
Drinking water is a state subject and the power to plan, approve and implement drinking water supply schemes/projects is vested in the State Government. As per the operational guidelines of JJM, the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) and District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) is responsible for the overall implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission at the state and district level respectively.
Under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation provides financial, policy guidance and technical assistance to the States and Union Territories for implementing their drinking water supply schemes. The details of villages being provided drinking water through water tankers are not maintained at Government of India level.
(c) As reported by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), the impact of excessive groundwater extraction for sugarcane farming on water availability has not been assessed. However, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), in collaboration with State Governments, is conducting an annual assessment of Dynamic Ground Water Resources across the country since 2022, including Marathwada region of the State of Maharashtra.
As per the latest (2024) assessment, the Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource for Marathwada region is 7.676 BCM (Billion Cubic Metre). The Annual Ground Water Extraction for all uses is 3.891 BCM, out of which, about 3.669 BCM (94.3%) has been utilised for irrigation activities. The Stage of Ground Water Extraction, which is a measure of Annual Ground Water Extraction for all uses (irrigation, industrial and domestic uses) over Annual Extractable Ground Water Resource is 50.70% for the Marathwada region as a whole.
(d) Water being a State subject, steps for augmentation, conservation and efficient management of water resources are primarily undertaken by the respective State Governments. Under JJM, provisions have been made for drinking water source development/ strengthening/ augmentation; and infrastructure for bulk transfer of water, treatment and distribution systems in water deficit drought-prone and desert areas without dependable ground water sources, apart from creation of in-village water supply infrastructure.
To achieve drinking water security, every village has to prepare a 5-year Village Action Plan under Jal Jeevan Mission which inter alia includes augmentation and strengthening of drinking water sources to be taken up in convergence with other schemes at village level viz. MGNREGS, 15thFinance Commission tied grants to Rural Local Bodies (RLBs)/ PRIs, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), State schemes, District Mineral Development Fund, CSR funds, community contribution, etc.
The important steps taken by the Central Government for sustainable ground water management and addressing water scarcity in the country including Marathwada region may be seen at
Union Minister of Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, will chair the 84th Annual General Meeting of the Governing Body of the Dattopant Thengadi National Board for Workers Education and Development in New Delhi tomorrow. The meeting aims to ensure the effective implementation and review of the Workers Education Scheme for the nation’s workforce.
The event will be attended by Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, senior officials from various ministries, representatives of trade unions, and employer organizations.
Headquartered in New Delhi, the Board has been empowering workers across the country through its 50 Regional Directorates since 1958. It focuses on training and awareness programmes for organized sector workers on human resources and industrial development, while also educating unorganized and rural workers about social security and various other labour welfare schemes and programmes.
In response to the evolving landscape, the Board is conducting Shramik Chaupals and Awareness-cum-Registration Camps to train workers and enroll them in various flagship government schemes, ensuring direct benefits. Additionally, the Board is collaborating with various institutions to provide skilling, reskilling, and upskilling opportunities to workers.
The Board is also in the process of obtaining Awarding Body status from the National Council for Vocational Education and Training (NCVET).
As a marketing initiative under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) SARAS Aajeevika Mela is organised at national and state levels. An export pavilion was in place at SARAS Aajeevika Mela 2025 at Noida, Uttar Pradesh organised by the Ministry of Rural Development to showcase products of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) having export potential, with the primary goal of encouraging and promoting SHGs towards export of their products. Training sessions cum Workshops were conducted in this Mela for capacity building and generating export potential in SHGs, and to creating awareness.
National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRD&PR) has conducted a national-level workshop in Delhi on 14th and 15th May 2024 to deliberate the scope of ‘Export Marketing of Handicraft and Handloom Products of SHGs’.
Ministry of Textiles under Marketing component of National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP), organized the following events to provide a marketing platform to artisans and promote export of handicrafts:
(I) Domestic Marketing events including Gandhi Shilp Bazar/Fashion Show/Hiring of Stalls in events organized by other organizations/CDAP.
(II) International Marketing Events in India & Abroad include:
International Marketing Events.
International Craft Exposure Programme.
Buyer Seller Meet & Reverse Buyer Seller Meet.
Fairs/Exhibitions/Events on Virtual Platforms.
The Ministry has undertaken tie-ups with eCommerce Players for promotion of SHG products. In collaboration with Government e-Marketplace (GeM) a “SARAS Collection” has been created as a Store Front in GeM for marketing of SHG products. Also, Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been entered between Ministry and Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd., Amazon, Fashnear Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Meesho) and Jiomart respectively to allow the Self Help Groups (SHGs) producers including the artisans, weavers and craftsmen to access national markets through the Flipkart Samarth programme, Amazon Saheli initiative, Meesho and Jiomart for marketing of SHGs products. An e-Commerce platform (www.esaras.in) has also been launched by the Ministry for online marketing of SHG products. eSARAS is also live as a Seller Network Participant on ONDC. Curated products of women SHGs are available on 11 Apps of ONDC network i.e. Paytm, Mystore, Craftsvilla, Jagran, Snapdeal, Novopay, Easypay, Gonuclei, Rubaru, Mappls, Himira.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched in April 2022 with the ambitious goal of constructing or rejuvenating 75 Amrit Sarovars (ponds) in each district, totaling 50,000 across the country. Each Amrit Sarovar was to have pondage area of about 1 acre (except in case of States/UTs with hilly terrain) with water holding capacity of about 10,000 cubic meters (except in case of hilly terrain states.)
As on 20-03-2025, over 68,000 Amrit Sarovars have been completed, State-wise details of which are at Annexure. This initiative has made significant contribution in addressing the critical issue of water scarcity and enhancing surface and groundwater availability across various regions. These Sarovars have not only addressed immediate water needs but also established sustainable water sources, symbolizing Government commitment to long-term environmental sustainability and community well-being.
Mission Amrit Sarovar works are being taken up by the States and Districts in convergence with various ongoing schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), 15th Finance Commission Grants, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayi Yojna sub-schemes such as the Watershed Development Component, Har Khet ko Pani, besides States’ own schemes. Public contributions like crowdfunding and Corporate Social Responsibility are also allowed for the work.
Phase II of Mission Amrit Sarovar is envisaged to continue with a renewed focus on ensuring water availability, with community participation (Jan Bhagidaari) at its core, and aims to strengthen climate resilience, foster ecological balance, and deliver lasting benefits for future generations.
Peoples’ participation has been the key to the entire Mission. To encourage mobilization of citizens and non- Government resources for supplementing the Government’s efforts to achieve the target, explicit provisions have been made in the guidelines of the Mission Amrit Sarovar as follows:
Laying the foundation stone for the Amrit Sarovar to be led by freedom fighter or her/his family member or by the family of martyr (post-independence) or a local Padma awardee, and in case no such citizen is available, by the eldest member of the local Gram Panchayat.
Provision for people to participate by donating construction material, benches and by Shram Daan.
If village community so desires, beautification works on the Sarovar site may mobilize necessary donations through crowd sourcing and CSR contributions.
Provision has been made that on the occasion of Independence Day/ Republic Day, Tricolour to be hoisted at each Amrit Sarovar site, by the freedom fighter or his/her family member or by the family member of martyr or a local Padma Awardee. On Amrit Sarovar sites, National events are also being celebrated.
Possible users of such water structure, including for irrigation, fishery or water chestnut cultivation, should be identified and creation of their group are encouraged.
As per the guidelines of Mission Amrit Sarovar, effective maintenance and sustainability of Amrit Sarovars requires a formation and clear mapping of users’ groups associated with each sarovar largely drawn from members of SHGs. Proper identification and coordination of these user groups are essential for the optimal use and upkeep of the sarovars. The user group will also be responsible for the ongoing use and maintenance of the Amrit Sarovar including the plantation activities. The removal of silt from the catchment area should be done by the users’ groups voluntarily after every monsoon season.
Annexure
State/Union Territory (UT)-wise details of Amrit Sarovar completed as on 20.03.2025
SI. No.
State/UT
Total Number of Amrit Sarovar Completed
1
Andaman & Nicobar
227
2
Andhra Pradesh
2154
3
Arunachal Pradesh
772
4
Assam
2966
5
Bihar
2613
6
Chhattisgarh
2902
7
Goa
159
8
Gujarat
2650
9
Haryana
2088
10
Himachal Pradesh
1691
11
Jammu And Kashmir
1056
12
Jharkhand
2048
13
Karnataka
4056
14
Kerala
866
15
Ladakh
100
16
Madhya Pradesh
5839
17
Maharashtra
3055
18
Manipur
1226
19
Meghalaya
705
20
Mizoram
1031
21
Nagaland
256
22
Odisha
2367
23
Puducherry
152
24
Punjab
1450
25
Rajasthan
3138
26
Sikkim
199
27
Tamil Nadu
2487
28
Telangana
1872
29
The Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu
58
30
Tripura
682
31
Uttarakhand
1322
32
Uttar Pradesh
16630
33
West Bengal
25
Total
68,842
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
For the financial year 2024-25, budget allocation of ₹86,000 crore has been made for Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), which is the highest ever allocation for scheme at the Budget Estimate (BE) stage since inception. In the financial year 2025-26, the Government has retained this allocation at ₹86,000 crore, ensuring continued support for rural employment.
As Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand-driven scheme, the Central Government is committed to making funds available to States and Union Territories based on the demand for work on the ground. The Ministry of Rural Development closely monitors this demand and seeks additional funds from the Ministry of Finance as and when required to meet the demand for work on the ground.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.