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In a push to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ambitious ‘Clean Ganga’ plan, the Union Government will start making efforts this week to implement <keyword id="2413594" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Namami-Gange-project">Namami Gange project</keyword>, which it claims will bring visible change to the waters of the sacred river. 
 
The Namami Gange project is fully funded by the Indian Government for which it has okayed Rs 20,000 crore. 
 
Under this scheme, intensive river surface cleaning will be taken up in 10 identified cities along the banks of the holy river. Floating debris will be collected and cleaned off the Ganga river surface to see a visible difference in the cleanliness levels of the river waters. 
 
It will also cover ghat cleaning and drain-river confluence for ten priority locations is being prepared by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). 
River surface cleaning boats, trash skimmer machines and trash booms will be pressed into service to collect floating material. 
 
The Modi government will invite global tenders this week for river surface cleaning. The ten identified cities are Haridwar, Varanasi, Allahabad, Kanpur, Mathura and Vrindavan, Garhmukteshwar, Patna, Kolkata, Sahibgunj and Nabadwip. 
 
Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation told Economic Times that aerators will be plied into action at river ghats to keep the gathering moss away. 
 
ET reported that the ministry wrote to the Central Pollution Control Board to install real-time monitors at 118 locations on Ganga where a nallah meets the river (drain-river confluence) to ensure that the cleaning is actually taking place and water quality is maintained. Ten of these have already been started on pilot basis. 
 
Moreover, the project will be backed by a mobile application- Bhuvan Ganga, which will enable people to see the difference at the surface of the river. 
 
This ISRO-backed India specific GIS tool will ensure real-time, public monitoring of pollution at the river bed on ground situations. The government is set to launch a Bhuvan Ganga app whereby real-time images of the Ganga can be captured by the public through smartphones and uploaded right away to check for any river surface pollution. 
 
This will bring in public participation as well as officials will be held accountable, if any laxity pointed out. 
 
Another public participation initiative- Ganga Volunteer Corps – which is yet to be launched initiative would channelise public volunteer services for cleaning of ghats and generating awareness. 
 
The Nirmal Ganga Bhagidaari project will see NGOs being involved in Ganga cleaning. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

Narendra Modi is ensuring you will get to take a dip in a visibly ‘Clean Ganga’ in the next few weeks

The government has given nod to set up ‘<keyword id="2532822" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Clean-Ganga-Fund">Clean Ganga Fund</keyword>’ (CGF), which will accept donations from for cleaning <keyword id="6357202" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ganga">Ganga</keyword>. This will be in addition to what the government had allocated for the ‘<keyword id="6377031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Namami-Gange">Namami Gange</keyword>’ (Integrated Ganga Conservation Mission) project in the budget for FY2014-15. 
 
Domestic donors will be entitled to avail tax benefits as per the rules. Foreign donors, too, may get tax exemptions wherever applicable. The government will also consider constituting ‘daughter funds’ in other countries such as USA, UK, Singapore and UAE. 
 "The fund will be managed by a trust to be headed by finance minister. The secretariat of the trust will be set up in the ministry of water resources under the mission director of the <keyword id="130364" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="clean-Ganga">Clean Ganga</keyword> projects. It will be operated through a bank account by the Trust", said an official. The CGF will be used for the steps charted out under the 'Namami Gange' project. 
 
The government had set aside a fund of Rs 2,037 crore for the mission in this financial year. "The fund will be catalytic in nature and will identify and fund specific projects which could be pilot projects, R&amp;D projects, innovative projects or other focused projects. It will define specific and measurable objectives to form the basis for planning, funding, and evaluation," said an official statement.

Govt
To Set Up 'Clean Ganga Fund' To Accept Donations From People

India’s two holiest Rivers, <keyword id="6357202" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ganga">Ganga</keyword> and <keyword id="6354936" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yamuna">Yamuna</keyword>, are dying a slow death and in a bid to save them, a high court pronounced them as “living beings”. 
 Yes, this is true! Rivers Ganga and Yamuna have been declared as “living entities” by the <keyword id="44522" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttarakhand">Uttarakhand</keyword> High Court. 
 
A division bench of Justices Rajeev Sharma and Alok Singh of the High Court said, "Holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna have been declared to be treated as a living human entities." 
 
Well, if you are wondering this is happening for the first time in the world, a look into the history will tell you River Whanganui in New Zealand has been given such status. 
 
Giving the "legal status" of living humans to the holy rivers, the court ordered that the Director, Namami Gange project for cleaning and rejuvenating the river, the Chief Secretary and the Advocate General of Uttarakhand will act as the "legal parents" of the holy rivers and work as a the human face to protect, conserve and preserve them and their tributaries. 
 
These officers will be bound to "uphold the status" of the two rivers and also promote their "health and well being", the court said. 
 
The matter related to mining and stone crushing along the banks of the Ganga. 
 On a PIL filed by <keyword id="6355106" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Haridwar">Haridwar</keyword> resident Mohammad Salim, the court ordered the Dehradun District Magistrate to remove encroachment from the Shakti canal of the Ganga at Dhakrani within the next 72 hours. It ordered that the DM be suspended if he failed to comply with the directive. 
 
The petitioner contended that though the holy rivers connect the two states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, there is "no effective distribution of properties attached to their tributaries between them". 
 
The court also ordered the authorities to work out the division of various properties between the neighbouring states under Uttar Pradesh Re-Oganization Act, 2000, a matter pending since the inception of Uttarakhand in the year 2000. 
 
The court also directed the government to form a Ganga Management Board within the next eight weeks in accordance with an earlier order of the court in December 2016.

India’s sacred River Ganga is a “living being” now; has parents too

Taking <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-Narendra-Modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>’s project to clean <keyword id="6357202" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ganga">Ganga</keyword> to the next level, the Union government today allocated Rs 20,000 crore for the next five years for the project. According to reports, the budget allocation is five times of the budget approved for conservation of the river in the last thirty years. 
	 
	"The programme has a budget outlay of Rs 20,000 crore for the next five years,” said the Ministry of Water Resources in a statement. It should be noted that the Centre has spent an overall Rs 4,000 crore on clean Ganga project since 1985. 
	 
	It further added, “Marking a major shift in implementation, the Government is focusing on involving people living on the banks of the river to attain sustainable results. Drawing from the lessons learnt from previous implementation, the program also focuses on involving the States and grassroots level institutions such as Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions in implementation.” 
	 Unhappy with the progress made by previous governments in the initiative, the <keyword id="2730532" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="NaMo-government">NaMo government</keyword> will now take over 100% funding of various activities that are under this program. “The Centre now plans to provide for operation and maintenance of the assets for a minimum of 10 year period, and adopt a PPP/SPV approach for pollution hotspots. In an attempt to bolster enforcement the Centre also plans to establish a 4-battalion Ganga Eco-Task Force, a Territorial Army unit, apart from contemplating on a legislation that aims to check pollution and protect the river,” noted the ministry. 
	 
	The government will also involve states and institutions such as Urban Local Bodies and Panchayati Raj Institutions for the smooth implementation of the project. “Namami Gange will focus on pollution abatement interventions namely Interception, diversion &amp; treatment of wastewater flowing through the open drains through bio-remediation, appropriate in-situ treatment, use of innovative technologies, sewage treatment plants (STPs), effluent treatment plant (ETPs); rehabilitation and augmentation of existing STPs and immediate short term measures for arresting pollution at exit points on river front to prevent inflow of sewage among others,” the ministry stated.

Clean Ganga; NaMo Govt gets a whopping Rs 20,000 crore for the
project!

New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): A <keyword id="4261957" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="general-discussion" source="Orion">general discussion</keyword> on the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> and the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for the fiscal year 2024-25 will be held in the <keyword id="19895369" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajya-Sabha" source="keywords">Rajya Sabha</keyword> later on Wednesday. <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> presented both the Union Budget and the <keyword id="22525621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jammu-and-Kashmir-Budget" source="keywords">Jammu and Kashmir Budget</keyword> in the House on July 23. The discussion is crucial as both the budgets shape the financial direction of the country and the Union Territory, respectively. The Union Budget outlines the government's revenue and expenditure plans for the upcoming fiscal year, while the budget for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is a significant event considering the developmental needs. As per the list of businesses of the Rajya Sabha, the discussion on these two budgets will be convened later in the day. The discussion over these two budgets is expected to start in the second half of the day. According to the list of business of the Rajya Sabha, the ministers that are set to lay the papers on the table are Jayant Chaudhary for the Ministry of Education; Pankaj Chaudhary for the Ministry of Finance; Nityanand Rai for the Ministry of Home Affairs; and Sukanta Majumdar for the Ministry of Education. Besides, Rajya Sabha Secretary General PC Mody will lay on the table the Public Accounts Committee reports. This includes the 124th Report on Construction of Toilets in Schools by CPSEs; the 125th Report on Rejuvenation of the Ganga (Namami Gange); the 126th Report on Avoidable Payment due to Non-Charging of Service Tax/GST from the Passengers; and the 127th Report on Action Taken by the Government on the Observations and Recommendations of the Committee contained in their 46th Report (16th Lok Sabha) on Implementation of the Public-Private Partnership Project at Chhatrpati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai, among others. The reports were presented to the Speaker on February 23 and April 29, 2024, and to the Chairman, Rajya Sabha, on February 28 and May 13, 2024, before the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha. The Speaker had ordered the printing, publication and circulation of the reports. As per the business list of the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju will move the motion for election to the committee on the welfare of other backward classes. Kiren Rijiju will also move the motion for nomination to the committee on the welfare of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. The motion for nomination to the committee on public accounts will also be moved by Union Minister Rijiju in the House today. Moreover, Kiren Rijiju will move the motion for nomination to the committee on public undertakings. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget 2024-25 on Tuesday during the Monsoon Session of <keyword id="19895397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Parliament" source="keywords">Parliament</keyword>. Nirmala Sitharaman became the first finance minister to present seven consecutive budget speeches, surpassing former prime minister Morarji Desai's record of six consecutive budgets as finance minister between 1959 and 1964. In her seventh budget, Nirmala Sitharaman outlined key priorities aimed at fostering economic growth and creating ample opportunities. These included productivity and resilience in agriculture, employment, and skilling and services. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the Union <keyword id="15478236" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-2024" source="Orion">Budget 2024</keyword> presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "This budget strengthens every section of society. It takes the country's poor, village and farmers on the path of prosperity," the prime minister said in a video message. The Prime Minister praised the budget, emphasising its potential for job generation by incentivizing the top 500 companies to recruit more youth and also induct interns. The PM said the budget would help India achieve its objective of becoming the third largest economy, besides laying a strong foundation for Viksit Bharat. Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday also said the Union Budget 2024-25 is game-changing and will go down in history for coupling Bharat's economic growth with the torque of its youth power. He also lauded the government's decision to provide training and internship programmes to youth. The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, welcomed the Union Budget 2024 laid before Parliament on Tuesday. Calling the Union Budget 2024 a 'visionary document', Sonowal said, "The Union Budget, 2024 lays the roadmap for renewed and holistic growth towards Viksit Bharat. This visionary budget is aimed at empowering the 'Garib' (poor), 'Mahilayen' (women), 'Yuva' (youth), and Annadata' (farmers) so that the process of development reaches every citizen of the country." Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday that Union Budget 2024 stands out for its unprecedented push towards employment generation and powering small businesses.

Rajya Sabha to hold general discussion on Union Budget, Jammu and Kashmir Budget today

New Delhi, Jun 30 () The World Bank on Monday said it has enhanced its support for Government of India's program to rejuvenate Ganga river with a USD 400 million (about Rs 3,000 crore) assistance that will help stem pollution in the river. The assistance will help strengthen the management of the river basin which is home to more than 500 million people, the World Bank said in a statement. "The Second National Ganga River Basin Project (SNGRBP), approved by the World Bank's Board of Executive Directors on June 25, will support the government's Namami Gange program and its long-term vision for controlling pollution in the river and restoring its water quality," it said. It further said the bank has been supporting the government's efforts since 2011 through the ongoing National Ganga River Basin Project, which helped set up the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) as the nodal agency to manage the river, and financed sewage treatment infrastructure in several riverside towns and cities. "The first World Bank project helped build critical sewage infrastructure in 20 pollution hotspots along the river, and this project will help scale this up to the tributaries," World Bank Country Director (India) Junaid Ahmad said. "It will also help the government strengthen the institutions needed to manage a river basin as large and complex as the Ganga Basin," he added. The Ganga basin covers a quarter of India's landmass, and is a critical economic and environmental resource for the country. It provides over one-third of India's surface water, includes the country's largest irrigated area and is key to India's water and food security, the statement said. "Over 40 per cent of India's GDP is generated in the densely populated basin. But the Ganga river is today is facing pressures from human and economic activity that impact its water quality and flows," it added. The Second National Ganga River Basin Project comprises a loan in the amount of USD 381 million and a proposed Guarantee in the amount of up to USD 19 million. The variable spread loan has a maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of 5 years, it said. Meanwhile, the Government of India, the Government of Tamil Nadu and the World Bank on Monday signed legal agreements to help low-income groups in the state get access to affordable housing. The legal agreements were signed for two projects -- USD 200 million First Tamil Nadu Housing Sector Strengthening Programme and USD 50 million Tamil Nadu Housing and Habitat Development Project -- to strengthen the state's housing sector policies, institutions, and regulations, the Finance Ministry said in a separate statement. The loan agreements were signed by Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs on behalf of the Government of India and Country Director (India) on behalf of the World Bank. Khare said providing safe and affordable housing is a key priority for the state of Tamil Nadu as identified in its vision document. With the allocation provided under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) and the two projects from the World Bank, a large number of urban poor in the state are expected to get access to better housing and, in the process, improve their living conditions, he added. Nearly half of Tamil Nadu's population is urban, and this is expected to increase to 63 per cent by 2030. DP RVK

World Bank enhances support for rejuvenating Ganga, sanctions USD 400 mn

<ul><li>In the <keyword id="6200577" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget-2019">Union Budget 2019</keyword>, <keyword id="6355261" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-minister">Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> said <keyword id="6355455" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-railways">Indian railways</keyword> will see public private partnerships for faster development and completion of projects.</li><li>The capital expenditure for Indian railways stands at ₹1.5 lakh- ₹1.6 lakh per annum. </li><li>Indian Railways earned ₹2,01,090 crore in 2018-19 which is a 7% increase from the revised estimates of 2017-18. </li></ul>In the Union Budget 2019, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has said that railways in India will be open for public private partnerships for faster development and completion of projects.The FM further mentioned that Indian railways have been given a ₹50 lakh crore allocation between 2018-2030. The capital expenditure on the other hand stands at ₹1.5 lakh- ₹1.6 lakh per annum. It was expected that the Narendra Modi government would maintain its focus on aggressive development of transportation infrastructure by infusing in major programmes it introduced last year — that includes railway station redevelopment programme, inland waterways development, the Namami Gange project, the Swachh Bharat Mission, UDAN (Airports), metro rail and Smart Cities (Urban Infra). In the previous budget, the government promised to introduce bullet trains, revamp of signalling systems, CCTVs, Wi-Fi, escalators and other such services at stations, in the massive budget boost where in they allocated Rs 1.48 lakh crore for the Indian railways. The total allocated capital expenditure for 2018-19 is Rs 1,48,528 crore which is a 24% increase from the 2017-18 revised estimates Rs 1,20,000 crore. Analysts are expecting to improve the ordinary passenger service rather than the much awaited bullet train that can cost ₹60,000 crore per train. How much does Railways earn Indian Railways earned ₹2,01,090 crore in 2018-19 which is a 7% increase from the revised estimates of 2017-18. The government invests capital expenditure in form of Gross Budgetary Support (GBS) to expand government’s network in India. In 2018-19, the gross budgetary support from central government is proposed at Rs 55,088 crore. This is a 38% increase from the revised estimates of 2017-18 (Rs 41,813 crore). However, in 2017-18 (revised estimates) GBS decreased by 12%. That is, the central government gave Railways Rs 5,231 crore less than what it had allocated in 2016-17. Internal revenue from passenger and freight traffic “In 2016-17, freight traffic contributed to about 63% of the internal revenue. In comparison, passenger traffic contributed to about 28% of the internal revenue. In 2018-19, Railways expects to earn 61% of its internal revenue from freight and 26% from passenger traffic. The remaining 10% is earned through other miscellaneous sources such as parcel service, coaching receipts, and platform tickets.” according to PRS India.

Union Budget 2019: Indian Railways has been opened up to private partnerships for faster development

<ul><li>During the <keyword id="7190005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="interim-budget-2019">Interim Budget 2019</keyword>, the Modi government presented Vision 2030. </li><li>From clean Ganga to an astronaut in space and building hubs for Digital India, the Vision 2030 agenda has big plans. </li><li>The government’s current track record in some cases and the lack of details in others are uninspiring. </li></ul>Indian government’s budget for 2019-20 was supposed to be an interim vote on account before the elections in the upcoming summer. However, the government’s promises, hopes and estimation went as far as 2030. Here’s the 10-point agenda for the next decade set by Piyush Goyal, standing in for finance minister Arun Jaitley. “We are poised to become a Five Trillion Dollar Economy in the next five years and aspire to become a Ten Trillion Dollar Economy in the next 8 years thereafter.” The message from the government is that it is not just focussed on the headline growth, but also on the quality of life. “On the social infrastructure side, every family will have a roof on its head and will live in a healthy, clean and wholesome environment,” said Finance MInister Piyush Goyal. It was 2017, when prime minister Modi promised to double farmers’ income in the following five years. However, the rural distress has been one of the biggest failures of the administration. While ‘housing for all by 2022’ is still an ongoing project, there is still a lot left to desire in <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/global-economics/15-million-indian-households-have-meters-but-no-electricity">electrification</a> and <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/d0gb1cTpVnVwJaUQIPIaaP/Swachh-Bharat-Abhiyan-Why-Indias-toilet-data-is-too-good-t.html">sanitation</a> of villages. “Digital India into every sector of the economy” There were two announcements towards digitisation of the economy – to turn 1 lakh villages into Digital Villages over next five years, and a plan to build centre of excellences for Artificial Intelligence (AI). This is not the first time the government has promised a push for AI. ₹3,073 crores were allocated for the programme in 2018-19. This fund was supposed to boost the development of artificial intelligence, robotics, big data analysis, and digital manufacturing, by setting up centres of excellences in the country. However, there has been little or no progress so far. The Indian government had allocated ₹10,000 crores in the last budget for Bharat Net phase II-- a pan-India broadband network--to create 500,000 rural wifi hotspots. By December 2018, the network had covered half the target range, but the utilisation was reportedly less <a href="https://thewire.in/government/pmo-bharatnet-project-shoddy-state-of-broadband-initiative">than 10%</a>. “Over ₹17,000 crore has been spent already on BharatNet. No results can be seen. There is no utilisation...Public money has been wasted and it will become a serious problem for the government," a senior official at Trai told <a href="https://www.livemint.com/politics/policy/trai-asks-telecom-dept-to-auction-bharatnet-assets-to-private-firms-1548698974471.html">Mint</a> in January. “This India will drive on Electric Vehicles with Renewables becoming a major source of energy supply. India will lead the world in the transport revolution through electric vehicles” India did assume the lead in the global fight against climate change after the <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-signing-the-paris-climate-change-treaty-means-for-india/story-RsDH1IAohQNEqRxb426YbM.html">Paris pact </a>of 2016. But the push towards green vehicles at home has had, at best, a sputtering start. While there has been a growth in demand for electric two-wheelers, only 1,200 electric cars were sold in FY 2017-18, according to a report done by the <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Politics/1x96WeyG6cCVnm5zPcUraK/Govt-proposes-incentives-to-boost-EVsalesin5-years.html">Society of Manufacturers of Electric Vehicles.</a> The main concern of the automobile companies is the lack of infrastructure for growth of EVs in India as well as the absence of <a href="https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/are-indian-automakers-ditching-ev-in-want-of-clear-policy/67749150">clarity</a> regarding the EV policy. “Expanding rural industrialisation using modern digital technologies to generate massive employment” Both industrial growth and employment have been among the big failures of the Modi regime, mostly because private investment has been lacking. The most recent data in factory output growth was the lowest in 17 months. A news report based on leaked data from the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) said that India’s unemployment rate has hit a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/unemployment-in-india-is-at-its-highest-in-45-years-says-an-indian-daily-citing-an-undisclosed-jobs-survey/articleshow/67769020.cms">45-year high</a> by December 2018, with a majority of job losses seen in rural India, showing that the government’s policies have so far failed to spur industrialisation and jobs. “Our Government has worked vigorously for cleaning River Ganga. Fifth Dimension of our Vision for India of 2030 is Clean Rivers” The government has already approved ₹25,500 crores for ‘Namami Gange Mission’, but the impact has less than satisfactory, according to environmental activists. There was no additional in the current budget for the same programme. Spending crores of rupees for beautification of ghats has been "wastage of the public exchequer" because "without ensuring a continuous flow, clean Ganga will continue to remain a distant dream", said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/why-indias-waterman-thinks-the-governments-3-5-billion-plan-to-clean-up-ganga-is-not-working/articleshow/67672185.cms">Rajendra Singh,</a> who goes by the sobriquet "Waterman of India". “Our efforts in the Sagarmala programme will be scaled up and we will develop other inland waterways faster.” According to a reply to a right-to-information petition filed in 2018, it was <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/sagarmala-drives-in-slow-lane-only-1-5-projects-completed-since-fy16-118091700931_1.html">reported</a> that just 80 projects had been completed out of the 220 projects envisioned under the Sagar Mala project, over three years after its inception. “Placing an Indian astronaut into space by 2022” The ISRO chief K Sivan in a press conference last month had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-first-manned-mission-to-space-may-have-women-too/articleshow/67486206.cms">announced</a> that under the Gaganyaan mission,a three-member team will be sent to space which could also include a woman astronaut. It’s too soon to evaluate the progress of this plan. “High farm production and productivity will be achieved through modern agricultural practices and value addition” India, a country which has over 45% of its population employed in agriculture, is also a major exporter. According to <a href="https://www.ibef.org/exports/agriculture-and-food-industry-india.aspx">reports</a>, during April-October 2018, exports of agricultural and processed food products totalled US$ 21.61 billion. India now faces the problem of <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/agrarian-crisis-farmer-protests-rural-distress-surplus-production-crop-procurement-the-age-of-surplus-5213499/">surplus</a>, where farmers are ready to answer the demand for more produce. However, the farmer has not been in the winning end of the deal. A report of the Committee on Strategy for Doubling Farmers' Income by 2022 <a href="https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/agriculture/you-may-pay-a-steep-price-but-does-the-farmer-make-any-money--62364">states </a>that “The WPI (wholesale price index) of food articles was lower than that of agricultural inputs for most years, indicating that farmers received lower market prices for agricultural commodities than the prices paid for the purchase of inputs.” “Aiming at healthy society with an environment of health assurance and the support of necessary health infrastructure” The Indian government had announced its ambitious Ayushman Bharat scheme in 2018. The Finance Minister during his budget speech announced that so far ₹3000 crore had been allocated to Ayushman Bharat which has benefited over 10 lakh people. However, many states have pulled out of the scheme criticising it for legitimate and political reasons. As the minister from Chhattisgarh explained, Ayushman Bharat provided insurance for secondary and tertiary healthcare in hospitals, whereas <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/healthcare/biotech/healthcare/chhattisgarh-govt-to-pull-out-of-ayushman-bharat/articleshow/67550227.cms">nearly 80%</a> of the state’s citizens required primary healthcare services. Outpatient treatment, which is hugely popular with India’s poor households according to <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/201612_health-and-morbidity.pdf">a Brookings report</a>, isn’t provided under the scheme. In addition, as public hospitals lack the requisite infrastructure, the government is relying heavily on private hospitals, which aren’t that widespread in semi-urban and rural areas and can promote expensive treatments to improve their margins “Transforming India into a Minimum Government Maximum Governance nation” ‘Minimum Government Maximum Governance’ was one of the many slogans that Modi came up with ahead of the 2014 elections. Indeed, he managed to reduce the layers in bureaucracy and made processes simpler in many cases. It helped India to rise to the <a href="http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=184513">77th position</a> in the ease of doing business ranking assessed by the World Bank, up from 142 in 2014. Yet, the spirit of the slogan does not pervade all parts of the government. For instance, startups, which mushroomed in India in the years where there was no focussed regulation, have now hit a wall with the infamous ‘angel tax’. Early stage investors who back these startups were burdened with higher tax in a bid to control money laundering. The sweeping tax on all angel investors hurt new investments in startups. Even the steps taken to assuage the concern has only added to the layers of permission required to start a new business. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/income-tax-slabs-for-2019-20/articleshow/67788923.cms">No tax proposed on annual income up to ₹500,000</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-indian-government-just-announced-its-highest-ever-outlay-for-defence/articleshow/67789219.cms">The Indian government just announced its highest ever outlay for defence</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget-2019-income-tax-and-other-benefits-for-middle-class-in-india/articleshow/67789294.cms">Here is how the Budget 2019 benefits the Indian middle class</a>

India’s Narendra Modi has a grand vision for 2030 – but it is short on details

<ul><li>India’s President’s address was full of praises for <keyword id="6387077" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi-government">Narendra Modi government</keyword>. </li><li>However, some of the accolades may be exaggerated or not in sync with facts.</li></ul>Ram Nath Kovind, India’s President for eighteen months, took the lead to give the country’s Parliament a report card on behalf of the four-and-a-half year old Narendra Modi government. Kicking off the <keyword id="105431" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-session">budget session</keyword> of Parliament, Kovind, in a speech that lasted over an hour, gave a glowing tribute to the incumbent government that will be seek re-election in less than 100 days from now. The following are some of the highlights of Kovind’s laudatory speech, each followed by facts that may question the President’s conviction about the Modi government’s performance. 1. “Compromising with security needs is not in interest of present &amp; future of country. New deals in last year, purchase of defence equipment raised morale of defence. After decades, Indian Air Force will use ultramodern Rafale aircraft in coming months &amp; strengthen itself.” The government auditor – the Comptroller and Auditor General of India – is yet to <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/only-3-copies-of-cags-rafale-report-likely-to-reveal-pricing-details-parliament-may-get-redacted-version-2018409.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">submit</a> its report on the government’s deal to purchase 36 Rafale aircraft for an undisclosed sum of money. Giving a clean chit to the government on the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/all-you-need-to-know-about-the-rafale-deal-controversy/jet-set-go/slideshow/65079741.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">alleged irregularities</a> may be premature. 2. “Youth are the greatest strength of our nation. India has the largest number of young people in the world, and the policy decisions of my Government have been inspired by the aspirations and dreams of young Indians of 21st century.” The President said this on the day a report revealed that employment in the Indian economy was at its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/unemployment-in-india-is-at-its-highest-in-45-years-says-an-indian-daily-citing-an-undisclosed-jobs-survey/articleshow/67769020.cms">worst</a> in 45 years, a labour survey that the government has not made public yet. 3. “GST has benefited businesses by bringing in more honesty and transparency." In December 2018, the All India Manufacturers’ Organisation (AIMO), <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-micro-and-small-enterprises-saw-a-whopping-32-drop-in-jobs-in-the-last-4-years-survey/articleshow/67123219.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">said</a> small businesses across the country lost over 3.5 million job losses since 2014. The job losses were attributed to a 70% drop in operational profits in the MSME sector since 2014, according to K E Raghunathan, president of AIMO. 4. “By decreasing the burden of income tax and keeping the rate of inflation under control, the government has created new opportunities for expanding the savings of the middle class.” Despite the government’s best intentions, the “current (consumer) sentiment on the general economic situation dipped further into the pessimistic zone” – this is the finding from a consumer confidence <a href="https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/PublicationsView.aspx?id=18729"></a><a href="https://rbi.org.in/Scripts/PublicationsView.aspx?id=18729" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">survey</a> conducted in six Indian cities by the Reserve Bank of India. In fact, the consumer confidence is at its lowest it has been since Modi government took charge. Indeed inflation has been low for much of the current government’s tenure, jobs have been scarce and income growth very tepid, making middle class consumers penny wise. 5. “Demonetisation was a defining moment in the govt’s war on corruption and black money. This decision struck at the very root of the parallel economy thriving on black money; and the money outside the formal system was brought within the ambit of nation’s economy.” One of the defining steps against black money taken by the Modi government, by its <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/modi-says-demonetisation-forced-nirav-modi-vijay-mallya-to-flee-curbed-black-money/1431229/"></a><a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/economy/modi-says-demonetisation-forced-nirav-modi-vijay-mallya-to-flee-curbed-black-money/1431229/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">own admission</a>, was demonetisation. However, contrary to the hope that a big chunk of unaccounted cash stashed away will be left worthless, nearly all the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/after-almost-two-years-of-counting-rbi-says-99-3-of-demonetised-notes-returned/articleshow/65589904.cms"></a><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/after-almost-two-years-of-counting-rbi-says-99-3-of-demonetised-notes-returned/articleshow/65589904.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">banned notes</a> have returned to the system. What came to a grinding halt was the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/demonetisation-hit-growth-by-2-percentage-points-us-study/articleshow/67154320.cms"></a><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/demonetisation-hit-growth-by-2-percentage-points-us-study/articleshow/67154320.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Indian economy</a> leading to job losses. 6. “Government has approved ₹25,500 crores for ‘Namami Gange Mission’. By stopping the flow from dozens of big drains into the river, by stopping the industrial waste, and by setting up sewer treatment plants, my government has shown proactiveness to clean up Ganga.” Indeed the money has been allotted and a lot has been spent, but is it working? India’s waterman <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/why-indias-waterman-thinks-the-governments-3-5-billion-plan-to-clean-up-ganga-is-not-working/articleshow/67672185.cms"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/why-indias-waterman-thinks-the-governments-3-5-billion-plan-to-clean-up-ganga-is-not-working/articleshow/67672185.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Rajendra Singh</a> believes that a clean Ganga may still be a distant dream. 7. "Government's digital plan is helping rural India." Once again, one of the stated goals of demonetisation was to make India a cashless society and push people towards digital payments. It seemed to work in the initial days of the cash crunch, but soon after, people were back to using cash, and in fact, it is <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Money/Oxohtwl6CBCWjnfjdbHCEL/Cash-transactions-up-after-demonetisation-but-Indias-ATM-ne.html"></a><a href="https://www.livemint.com/Money/Oxohtwl6CBCWjnfjdbHCEL/Cash-transactions-up-after-demonetisation-but-Indias-ATM-ne.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">now more than before</a> demonetisation. 8. “In 2014, only 59 village panchayats in the country had digital connectivity. Today, 1 lakh 16 thousand village panchayats are connected with optical fibre and about 40 thousand village panchayats have been provided with wi-fi hotspots.” The other big pillar of the Digital India dream is to allow millions of Indian villagers access to internet through a broadband network that spans the length and breadth of the country. The network has been laid for the first phase covering one lakh villages, but only 10% of the network is getting utilised. This has <a href="https://www.deccanchronicle.com/business/in-other-news/220119/rs-42000-crore-bharatnet-projects-face-delay-cost-overrun.html"></a><a href="https://www.deccanchronicle.com/business/in-other-news/220119/rs-42000-crore-bharatnet-projects-face-delay-cost-overrun.html" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">reportedly</a> led to the department of telecom warning the two implementing agencies, as recently as last week. India is ranked 91st among 139 countries on the Networked Readiness Index 2016, according to the <a href="http://reports.weforum.org/global-information-technology-report-2016/networked-readiness-index/"></a><a href="http://reports.weforum.org/global-information-technology-report-2016/networked-readiness-index/" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">World Economic Forum (WEF)</a>). 9. “By enacting RERA law, my govt has ensured that construction of houses is completed and they are handed over to the buyers as scheduled. After enactment of this law, about 35,000 real estate projects have been registered where lakhs of houses are being constructed.” The Real Estate Regulation Act is a potential game changer for India’s tainted real estate industry, infamous as a haven for ill-gotten wealth, but the reform measure has made little progress since it was rolled out in May 2017. “States have notified the act but, unfortunately, the structures of the RERA machinery in most of the states have not been put in place,” Samantak Das told the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/real-estate/poor-implementation-of-rera-across-states-poses-a-challenge-to-home-buyers/articleshow/66375451.cms"></a><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/real-estate/poor-implementation-of-rera-across-states-poses-a-challenge-to-home-buyers/articleshow/66375451.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">IANS</a> in October 2018, adding that, “"After constituting a model act at the central level, the Union government has a role to look at whether the states are adhering to the central legislation and implementing it in true letter and spirit.” 10. “Be it cities or villages, the government is working at a fast pace to strengthen healthcare related infrastructure.” The government last year set a target of raising annual health spending to 2.5% of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 2025, from 1.15% now-- which is one of the lowest proportions in the world. Nepal (2.3%) and Sri Lanka (2%) spend more on healthcare than the government in India does. 11. “Thirty four crore bank accounts have been opened in the country because of ‘Jan Dhan Yojana’ and almost every family is now connected to the banking system. Today, Rs 88,000 crore deposited in Jan Dhan accounts is a testimony to the changing saving habits.” While it is true that the government pushed millions of Indians to have a bank account for the first time in their lives, it is still not a universal phenomenon. According to an August 2018 report from NABARD, nearly 190 million people still do not have access to a bank. Only “49% households reported that at least one of their members had saved any money in an institution (banks, post office etc.),” according to the report. 12. "Our daughters are making remarkable contribution in every field today and have brought laurels to the country. It is for the first time since independence that the policies &amp; programmes of the Govt have created numerous new opportunities for enterprise for women" It is true that there are more conversations about ending the discrimination against women today than ever before, but it is a global phenomenon too. However, presidential speeches have little impact unless it is forced into practice, particularly among public personalities like members of Parliament. In India’s political sphere, there is more sexism than oxygen in the air. Most recently the newly-appointed Congress general secretary <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/elections/story/pretty-face-no-other-talent-bihar-minister-s-sexist-remark-about-priyanka-gandhi-1438935-2019-01-25" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Priyanka Gandhi </a>was at the receiving end of jibes that called her ‘chocolate face’ and ‘Surpanakha’ (a demon from Hindu mythology). But is not BJP’s forte <a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/bjp-up-chiefs-sexist-joke-on-mayawati-akhilesh-and-mulayam-over-1995-guest-house-incident-raises-a-storm/355537" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">alone.</a> It’s something that unites the country’s <a href="https://www.newsbytesapp.com/timeline/Politics/39755/176209/congress-and-bjp-can-t-be-absolved-of-sexist-remarks" data-type="tilCustomLink">political class</a> more than anything else. Meanwhile, in India’s booming private sector, 40% of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/a-whopping-40-of-indias-women-engineers-dont-have-jobs-because-of-rampant-sexism-at-workplace/articleshow/67486684.cms">women engineers </a>in India do not have a job because the country’s corporate culture has a gender bias. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/unemployment-in-india-is-at-its-highest-in-45-years-says-an-indian-daily-citing-an-undisclosed-jobs-survey/articleshow/67769020.cms">Unemployment in India is at its highest in 45 years – says an Indian daily citing an undisclosed jobs survey</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-government-commits-to-increasing-public-health-spending-to-2-5-of-gdp-by-2025but-is-that-enough/articleshow/67086285.cms">Indian government commits to increasing public health spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2025—but is that enough?</a>

You Searched For "Namami Gange project" and got 10 results

Narendra Modi is ensuring you will get to take a dip in a visibly ‘Clean Ganga’ in the next few weeks

BI India Bureau

Govt To Set Up 'Clean Ganga Fund' To Accept Donations From People

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India’s sacred River Ganga is a “living being” now; has parents too

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Clean Ganga; NaMo Govt gets a whopping Rs 20,000 crore for the project!

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Rajya Sabha to hold general discussion on Union Budget, Jammu and Kashmir Budget today

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World Bank enhances support for rejuvenating Ganga, sanctions USD 400 mn

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Union Budget 2019: Indian Railways has been opened up to private partnerships for faster development

BI India Bureau

India’s Narendra Modi has a grand vision for 2030 – but it is short on details

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Here’s a fact check after Indian President's glowing tribute to the Narendra Modi government

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Full text of President Ram Nath Kovind's first address to the Parliament as the 17th Lok Sabha gets underway

BI India Bureau

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