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The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has been allocated Rs 13,539 crore in the 2024-2025 budget, an increase of 37 per cent from the 2023-2024 revised estimates of Rs 9,853.32 crore. This increase is primarily focused on enhancing <keyword id="20312810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="welfare-programmes" source="keywords">welfare programmes</keyword> for <keyword id="21384605" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marginalised-communities" source="keywords">marginalised communities</keyword> and improving infrastructure for social services. The key areas of funding include Rs 9,549.98 crore for the 'Umbrella Scheme for Development of Scheduled Castes', a significant increase from the Rs 6,780 crore in the previous financial year. For achieving social justice comprehensively, the saturation approach of covering all eligible people through various programmes, including those for education and health, will be adopted, Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> said on Tuesday while presenting the 2024-25 Union Budget in Parliament. She said to ensure <keyword id="22517725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inclusive-human-resource-development" source="keywords">inclusive human resource development</keyword>, a social justice saturation approach will be adopted. Social justice through the saturation approach refers to a strategy where the government aims to ensure that all eligible individuals are covered by various programmes and initiatives. The department has been allocated Rs 2,150 crore for the 'Umbrella Programme for Development of Other Vulnerable Groups' and Rs 314 crore for the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction. The establishment expenditure of Rs 145.80 crore for the central administration includes allocations for the secretariat and national commissions. The amount is a slight decrease from the previous year's Rs 152.60 crore. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has been allocated Rs 38 crore and the National Commission for Backward Classes Rs 21 crore. The budget of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities remains at Rs 5 crore. Central sector schemes and projects are among the focus areas of this budget, with the <keyword id="22517726" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scholarships-for-higher-education" source="keywords">Scholarships for Higher Education</keyword> for Young Achievers Scheme for Scheduled Castes being allocated Rs 428 crore. This scheme encompasses various sub-schemes, including the National Fellowship for SCs, Free Coaching for SCs and OBCs, Top Class Education for SCs and the National Overseas Scholarship for SCs. The Scheme of Residential Education for Students in High School in Targeted Areas for SCs has been allocated Rs 133.07 crore. The department also prioritises <keyword id="22024434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-assistance" source="keywords">economic assistance</keyword> and <keyword id="20068989" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="skill-development" source="keywords">skill development</keyword> through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana -- that has been allocated Rs 130 crore -- and the <keyword id="20245482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="venture-capital-fund" source="keywords">Venture Capital Fund</keyword> for SCs and OBCs -- that has bee allocated Rs 50 crore. Additionally, the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers, which previously had allocations, does not feature in the current budget, indicating a possible reallocation of funds or a change in strategy. Support for marginalised individuals, particularly through the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise programme, which includes comprehensive rehabilitation for persons engaged in begging and welfare of transgender persons, has been allocated Rs 98.46 crore. This marks a substantial increase from the previous year's Rs 32.82 crore, highlighting a growing commitment to addressing these vulnerable groups' needs. Transfers to states and Union Territories under centrally sponsored schemes form a major part of the budget.

Budget: Rs 13,539 cr allocated to social justice department, 37% higher than last year

<keyword id="22976106" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indoor" source="keywords">Indoor</keyword> <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword> is a bigger <keyword id="21117961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="health-risk" source="keywords">health risk</keyword> than <keyword id="20543591" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="outdoor" source="keywords">outdoor</keyword> air pollution in India, and sometimes cities are cleaner than nearby villages where <keyword id="22976772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="household-pollution" source="keywords">household pollution</keyword> is higher, according to the country's two top policy experts. Addressing the India <keyword id="20445293" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clean-air" source="keywords">Clean Air</keyword> Summit (ICAS) 2024, Principal Advisor, <keyword id="19904190" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Health-and-Family-Welfare" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ministry of Health and Family Welfare" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Ministry of Health and Family Welfare">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword>, Soumya Swaminathan said, "Studies done in Delhi have shown that women's average exposure to high levels of <keyword id="20827287" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="black-carbon" source="keywords">black carbon</keyword> (women <keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">who</keyword> are mostly at home) is as much as auto-rickshaw passengers going around outdoor exposed to the ambient air pollution in Delhi, resulting in high systolic blood pressure." "Cities contribute less than 20 per cent to the overall state emissions, wherever they have been assessed, but household emissions predominate, ranging between 20 per cent and 40 per cent. Across the country, we are seeing is that sometimes cities are cleaner than the surrounding villages where household air pollution predominates," she said at the summit organised by think-tank Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy. This builds a strong case for expanding the scope of India's National Clean Air Programme (<keyword id="20133150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NCAP" source="keywords">NCAP</keyword>), which currently focuses on non-attainment cities. Air pollution is a major threat to public health and contributes to a significant amount of morbidity as well as mortality. Apart from PM2.5 and PM10, short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, methane, ozone, and hydrocarbons have the potential to harm the environment and warm the atmosphere even more than CO2. Black carbon can cause chronic respiratory illnesses, lung cancer, emphysema, pneumonia, asthma, heart disease, and low birthweight. "In terms of reducing our life expectancy, globally, PM2.5 is contributing to about 2.3 years of life lost. Just below that is tobacco. In fact, there's so much attention on tobacco and global frameworks for control, but not the same level of attention has been paid to PM2.5 and certainly not the same level of commitments," Swaminathan said. The impact of air pollution is not limited to public health but has a significant economic cost as well. Recently, the World Bank published a study highlighting that air pollution has resulted in a loss of around USD 8.1 trillion in 2019, which is 6.1 per cent of the global gross domestic product (GDP). "We are always talking about air pollution as a problem but studies also show a strong economic case for action on clean air. There are significant positive consequences to investing in cleaning up the air in terms of the return on investments. We know air pollution is not just bad for our health, but it's also bad for agriculture, because it reduces the sunlight that's reaching the crops and it's bad for our economy or any country's economy as it deters people from coming and living or visiting those places," Swaminathan added. Kalpana Balakrishnan, Director, WHO Collaborating Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, said that the main barrier to shifting to clean cooking fuels that can help reduce household air pollution levels is finance. "If we give free LPG to women for two years, they are unlikely to shift back to biomass cooking even if you remove the subsidies," she said. Through Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) launched in May 2016, more than 100 million households in India received LPG cylinders by the end of March 2023. Studies shows over 50 per cent of the households that received new LPG cylinders under PMUY did not choose to refill it even once. Around a third of the world's population - 2.4 billion people globally (including 500 million people in India) - still lack access to clean cooking solutions. Although the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG) claims that the country's household LPG "coverage" stands at 99.8 per cent, the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2019-21 (NFHS-5) shows that 41 per cent of the population still cooks on biomass.

Indoor air pollution poses greater health risk than outdoor: Experts

<ul><li>Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a new digital payment solution called <keyword id="11766571" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-RUPI">e-RUPI</keyword>.</li><li>Banks will issue electronic vouchers for customers to redeem welfare benefits without having to share bank account details.</li><li>The <keyword id="11772195" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-voucher">e-voucher</keyword> solution has the potential to eliminate fraud and corruption.</li></ul>The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi will be launching 'e-RUPI', an electronic voucher-based digital payment solution at 4:30 p.m IST on Monday. The person-specific, and purpose-specific, payment solution is developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) on its Unified Payment Interface (UPI) platform in collaboration with the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the National Health Authority. What is e-RUPI? According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, e-RUPI is a cashless and contactless digital payment e-voucher in the form of a QR code or SMS string delivered to the beneficiary's mobile phone. The e-voucher can be redeemed at the service provider without needing a card, digital payment app or internet banking service. The e-RUPI is a one-time payment mechanism that does not require any physical interface for transactions and is considered safe as it's prepaid in nature. It ensures that the payment to the service provider is made only after the transaction is completed without involving any intermediary. How is e-RUPI different from a virtual currency? e-RUPI can be used to make payments to a specific person, for a specific purpose, and is not transferable. On the other hand, a virtual or digital currency is just like normal currency but in digital form and can be used for any transaction. How are these vouchers issued? The vouchers will be issued by partner banks but the bank account details of the beneficiary are not needed. NPCI has built the e-RUPI system on its UPI platform and anyone who needs to issue the voucher would need to approach partner banks with issuing authority. Entities giving the e-RUPI voucher will have to submit the details of specific beneficiaries and the purpose of the payment to the banks. The beneficiary's identification will be based on their mobile number and name. What's the need for e-RUPI? The Indian government says that e-RUPI is expected to ensure a leak-proof delivery of welfare services and minimise fraud and corruption. Since it removes the middlemen and there's no direct cash involved, it eliminates the possibility of the fund being used for a purpose other than intended. It can be used for delivering services under government welfare schemes like drugs and nutritional support under Mother and Child welfare schemes, TB eradication programmes, drugs and diagnostics under schemes like Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, fertiliser subsidies etc. Not only government schemes but the voucher can also be used by the private sector for employee welfare and corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. SEE ALSO - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/windlas-biotech-to-raise-395-402-crore-through-public-listing-price-band-fixed-at-448-460/articleshow/84854594.cms">Windlas Biotech to raise ₹395-402 crore through public listing, price band fixed at ₹448-460</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/googles-sundar-pichai-has-teased-the-whitechapel-chipset/articleshow/84853916.cms">Google teases Whitechapel chipset that may power Google Pixel 6 devices</a>

e-RUPI explained —  India’s new electronic voucher-based payment system to reduce leakage in welfare programmes

<ul><li><a href="https://uhi.abdm.gov.in/">UHI </a>is a network that can enable interoperability in health services.</li><li>Through <keyword id="1766345" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="uhi" source="Orion">UHI</keyword> enabled applications, patients can discover, book, conduct and pay for services via an application of their choice. </li><li>e-RUPI is a new fintech initiative for instant payment to healthcare service providers in the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.</li></ul>Just like <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="upi" source="Orion">UPI</keyword> revolutionized payment transactions in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, Unified Health Interface or UHI will revolutionize digital health service delivery, said Dr R S <keyword id="445" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sharma" source="Orion">Sharma</keyword>, CEO, <keyword id="7183605" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-health-authority" source="Orion">National Health Authority</keyword>, <keyword id="191419" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-health-and-family-welfare" source="Orion">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword> at IFTA 2022 held in Mumbai. A foundational layer of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) stack, <a href="https://uhi.abdm.gov.in/">UHI </a>is a network of open protocols that can enable interoperability in health services. Through UHI enabled applications, patients can discover, book, conduct and pay for services offered by a variety of participating providers via an app of their choice. “UHI facilitates the ease of doing business for health care service providers by granting them access to a large number of users, through the medium of a common platform. This paradigm shift in healthcare delivery also gives rise to a sea of opportunities for the emerging HealthTech ecosystem” said Dr Sharma. Some of the services that will be included in UHI are teleconsultation, lab booking and ambulance services. The healthcare system is also working on enabling payments via e-RUPI, as part of a fintech initiative for instant payment to healthcare service providers - under the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, a government funded health insurance scheme. e-RUPI is a person and purpose specific digital instrument based on the architecture of UPI. It’s a one-time, cashless, contactless prepaid digital voucher which can be availed through an SMS or QR Code. It can be redeemed without a card, digital payments app, or internet banking access. “e-RUPI will have myriad use cases: to start with, health, nutrition, education and agriculture are just a few areas that are going to benefit from it. A number of states have already started using e-RUPI for various benefit delivery programmes in their states,” Dr Sharma added. It was launched by <keyword id="12394777" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-payments-corporation-of" source="Orion">National Payments Corporation of</keyword> India (NPCI) in August <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1743056">2021</a>. Dr Sharma believes that it is time that we innovate new products in the fintech industry which could be combined with healthtech for an affordable, scalable and accessible digital healthcare ecosystem. IFTA 2022 is a fintech event hosted by <keyword id="8249528" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india-fintech-forum" source="Orion">India FinTech Forum</keyword>, an advocacy group. More than 2,750 fintech companies and over 30,000 individuals are members of this forum. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/urban-company-grants-shares-worth-rs-5-2-cr-to-497-gig-workers/articleshow/95828715.cms">Urban Company grants shares worth Rs 5.2 cr to 497 gig workers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/indonesia-relaunches-multiple-entry-visa-that-was-deactivated-during-the-pandemic/articleshow/95828509.cms">Indonesia relaunches multiple entry visa that was deactivated during the pandemic</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/tips-to-make-whatsapp-more-private-and-secure/articleshow/95825054.cms">Tips to make Whatsapp more private and secure</a>

‘United Health Interface will do to service delivery what UPI did to payments’

<ul><li>The agreement builds on the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) . </li><li>The UK and UN Environment technical assistance programme is funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.</li><li>Conventional cooling technologies are highly polluting due to climate impact of refrigerants . </li></ul> The <keyword id="199494" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="university-of-birmingham" source="Orion">University of Birmingham</keyword> and <keyword id="41646" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="haryana" source="Orion">Haryana</keyword> have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop a centre of excellence in the state to boost crop post harvest management and sustainable cold chains, the varsity has said in a statement. The decision to create Haryana Centre of Excellence was taken at the Global summit organised by the Centre for Sustainable Cooling in Birmingham on Tuesday, giving it the mandate to conduct state-of-the-art applied research and provide capacity building and training, an innovation and business hub and technology testing/demonstration centre. "The Haryana Centre of Excellence will conduct state-of-the-art applied research and provide capacity building and training, an innovation and business hub and technology testing/demonstration centre. It will connect experts, investors, agri-food business, farmer cooperatives, and energy or logistics providers to deliver sustainable cooling," the statement from the University of Birmingham, which hosted the summit, said. The agreement builds on the Africa Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Cooling and Cold-chain (ACES) developed with the Government of Rwanda and <keyword id="7285" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="un-environment-programme" source="Orion">UN Environment Programme</keyword> at the <keyword id="4201630" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="university-of-rwanda" source="Orion">University of Rwanda</keyword>. It also follows an MoU signed earlier this year with the Indian State of Telangana for a Telangana Centre of Excellence. The UK and UN Environment technical assistance programme is funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Present on the occasion, <keyword id="8733528" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jai-parkash-dalal" source="Orion">Jai Parkash Dalal</keyword>, Haryana's minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, said: "The UK-Haryana Centre for post-harvest &amp; cold chain will be a big leap towards developing and demonstrating post-harvest technologies that will enhance the shelf life of perishable produce. The Centre will not only cater needs of farmers but also researchers and entrepreneurs". Approximately 60 per cent of food should be refrigerated at some point in the food supply chain - a number which will only increase as countries look to meet <keyword id="3374594" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="un-sustainable-development-goals" source="Orion">UN Sustainable Development Goals</keyword>, feed a fast-growing population and adapt to a warming world and fast degrading environment. <keyword id="12932657" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="caroline-rowett" source="Orion">Caroline Rowett</keyword>, the British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandigarh, said that centre of excellence will help improve the functionality and efficiency of the farm to fork supply. "This is an excellent opportunity for them to work together to develop and showcase technology to help improve the functionality and efficiency of the 'farm to fork' supply chain. Farmers will have the tools to improve the storage and transportation of their produce to ensure it reaches the consumer in perfect condition," she said. Lack of effective refrigeration results in the loss of 526 million tons of food produced (12 per cent of the global total) with developing countries refrigerating less than 20 per cent of their production. These food losses result in an estimated 1 gigaton of CO2-eq emissions each year globally, in addition to wasting agricultural inputs such as land, fertilisers, water and energy. Equally, 25 per cent of vaccines reach their destination with degraded efficacy mainly due to failures within the cold-chains; 20 per cent of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products are damaged due to broken cold-chains. Conventional cooling technologies are highly polluting due to climate impact of refrigerants (HFCs) and indirect emissions from energy use. They account for 7 per cent of all global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and these emissions could double by 2030, and triple by 2100. <keyword id="13071369" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="toby-peters" source="Orion">Toby Peters</keyword>, CSC Director and Professor of Cold Economy at the University of Birmingham and Heriot-Watt University, said: "We must now figure out how to provide the globally connected cold-chains for a well-functioning society in an efficient, affordable, equitable and sustainable manner". "Temperature-controlled supply chains networks are complex, requiring coordination across multiple stakeholders countries and continents. We need to understand the interplay with renewable energy, climate friendly refrigerants," he said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/railways-increased-the-speed-of-500-mail-express-trains-by-10-70-minutes/articleshow/94641676.cms">Railways increased the speed of 500 mail express trains by 10-70 minutes</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/upi-is-indias-favourite-payment-mode-with-transactions-worth-30-4-trillion-in-april-june-says-report/articleshow/94642629.cms">UPI is India’s favourite payment mode with transactions worth ₹30.4 trillion in April-June, says report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-to-begin-beta-trial-of-5g-in-four-cities-on-dussehra-with-unlimited-data/articleshow/94645577.cms">Reliance Jio to begin beta trial of 5G in four cities on Dussehra with unlimited data</a>

University of Birmingham, Haryana to create centre of excellence in state to boost crop post harvest management

With the pandemic-induced elder vulnerability bringing to the forefront the urgency to provide relief and address systemic inequities, organisations working for the welfare of senior citizens have demanded an increase in <keyword id="7848122" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-pension" source="Orion">social pension</keyword> to Rs 3,000 among other demands ahead of the Union Budget 2022-23, to be tabled in the Parliament on February 1. There are an estimated 140 million elderly people in India. The demands touch the sectors of income and social security, health and geriatric care, and creating an enabling environment for elders with recommendations such as provisions for setting up of skill training and retooling centres for the elderly people; providing GST exemption on services and products commonly used by the elderly, such as adult diapers, medicines and healthcare equipment like wheelchairs, walkers etc. "As admirably done in the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) to bring minimum health security for the disadvantaged, we hope the Centre will take leadership in setting a basic minimum social pension floor of Rs 3,000 per month for the poor elderly across the country and revise the Central contribution from a meagre Rs 200 (unchanged for 14 years) to at least Rs 1,000 per month. "Accelerated implementation of the National Programme for Healthcare of Elderly (NPHCE) with dedicated funds is another key step needed to bring in comprehensive geriatric care," said Rohit Prasad, CEO, HelpAge India. Echoing the demand for increasing the old-age pension, Agewell Foundation suggested a scheme to re-engage the seniors to tap the unexplored potential of elderly people, who have experience, knowledge, wisdom, resources, time and above all zeal to work in old age to keep themselves engaged and connected with the mainstream. It even suggested a name for the proposed scheme -- Prime Minister's Self-Employment Scheme for Retired and Senior Citizens (PM SSRSC). Founder-chairman of Agewell Foundation, Himanshu Rath, said, "Today, elderly persons are facing different kinds of challenges. Making elderly-friendly budgetary provisions would certainly play an important role in ensuring the welfare and well-being of the ever-increasing population of older persons in the country. The elderly persons need opportunities and greater participation in the mainstream so that they can remain gainfully engaged as long as they can." The two organisations also raised a volley of demands quoting fresh surveys/studies. On the basis of its January 2022 survey conducted among 5,000 elderly persons across the country, Agewell Foundation found that the budgetary provisions can address the issues concerning older persons to a larger extent. As many as 81 per cent of the elderly respondents believed that the government would consider issues concerning the older people. HelpAge India said the recently published findings of the Longitudinal Study of Ageing in India (LASI) has highlighted the facts of income and health security: Around 70 per cent of the elderly are faced with chronic diseases, while only about 30 per cent of the rural elderly from BPL households are recipients of old-age pension benefits. Just 26 per cent of households are covered by some form of health insurance in India. As many as 36 per cent of the elderly are working -- much higher in rural areas (40 per cent) than in urban areas (26 per cent), and mostly in the unorganised sector. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/tax-cuts-extension-of-pli-scheme-will-benefit-consumer-durables-industry/articleshow/89152735.cms">Tax cuts, extension of PLI scheme will benefit consumer durables industry</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/widening-tax-base-should-be-a-focus-area-in-the-union-budget-says-primus-research/articleshow/89093457.cms">Widening tax base should be a focus area in the Union Budget, says Primus Research</a>

Increase in social pension, GST exemption for medicines, wheelchairs among major demands by welfare organisations

The government is now opting for a more scientific way for implementing social welfare programmes in a move to tackle poverty better by weeding out underserving beneficiaries. 
 The government will be adopting the Socio-Economic and <keyword id="147447" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Caste-census">Caste Census</keyword> (SECC) instead of the poverty line-based method to identify recipients for its pro-poor schemes. The SECC 2011 ranks households based on their socio-economic status to enable state governments to prepare a list of families living below the poverty line. It also makes available information regarding the socio-economic condition and education status of various castes and sections of the population. 
 SECC 2011 will be used by the <keyword id="386230" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Rural-Development">Ministry of Rural Development</keyword> from this year for its <keyword id="673406" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Social-Assistance-Programme">National Social Assistance Programme</keyword> to pay pension to rural poor and National Rural Livelihood Mission. Both schemes use <keyword id="49514" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="bpl">BPL</keyword> data to estimate the number of the poor. 
 
"BPL data tells us how many are poor and SECC who are those poor... it is a more targeted and scientific approach in ensuring the right person gets the benefit,” a senior official told ET. 
 To study the validity and efficiency of the SECC 2011 data, a <keyword id="3040491" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sumit-Bose-committee">Sumit Bose Committee</keyword> formed. It will look over the data that identify the poor recently submitted its report, which is in favour of using the information for rural development schemes. The committee also developed a formula based on deprivation parameters to identify beneficiaries for specific schemes. 
 
The greater the deprivation score, the higher will be the ranking of a household for getting government assistance. The government is also identifying workers under the national rural employment guarantee scheme who have reported deprivation in the SECC study. 
 In March 2016, the ministry amended the <keyword id="71242" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indira-Awaas-Yojana">Indira Awaas Yojana</keyword>, now called the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin, and changed the selection criterion of beneficiaries from "below poverty line, to the SECC 2011data. 
 
"To ensure assistance is targeted at those who are genuinely deprived and the selection is objective and verifiable, PMAY-G, instead of selecting a beneficiary from among the BPL households, selects beneficiaries using SECC-2011data,, according to the framework for the scheme. Other government departments including health and electricity are also inclined to use SECC data.

Government to use scientific methods to implement social welfare schemes and fight poverty

New Delhi, Nov 29 () IT services major Infosys on Friday said it has inked an agreement with Australian federal government's Services Australia to transform the entitlement calculation engine for the nation's welfare system.
 The project will enable Services Australia to more quickly implement policy changes for the benefit of Australians without disrupting services and deliver operational cost savings, a statement said.
 The Welfare Payment Infrastructure Transformation (WPIT) programme will replace a significant portion of Centrelink's 30-year-old platform, modernising the way Services Australia calculates entitlements for Australians needing government support, it added.
 No financial details of the partnership were disclosed.
 Infosys said it was selected by Services Australia following a comprehensive Competitive Dialogue phase which demonstrated a rigorous risk-mitigation strategy to deliver the innovative new solution.
 The phase I agreement is for Infosys to create a proof of design and is expected to be completed by mid-2020.
 Subject to further approval, Phase II of the project will encompass the build, implementation, and support for the new ECE, the statement said.
 The Infosys Australia technical team will service the project, led by its expanding Canberra office.
 "With the technology and technical skills of our 5,500 strong team here in Australia, as well as the unique global expertise from similar projects which we can draw upon, Infosys is well placed to add value to Services Australia and enhance the outcomes of the project for all Australians," Infosys Senior Vice President and Region Head Australia and New Zealand Andrew Groth said. SR SHW
SHW

Services Australia partners Infosys to digitise welfare entitlements

Analysis shows that children in the age group of 0-14 years are less affected by <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword>, Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan informed the Lok Sabha on Friday. He said in a written reply that infection among children is mild and most of them remain asymptomatic. "Hence no specific action plan has been formulated in the current response phase to minimise the adverse effects of COVID-19 on such children," he said. Very rarely a severe illness, in form of multi-system inflammatory syndrome, has been identified, Vardhan said, adding this happens usually three to six weeks after the infection. The Department of Pediatrics, AIIMS, is documenting the long term effect of COVID-19 infection in children, he said. The minister was responding to a question on whether the government had formulated any action plan to control and minimise the adverse effects of COVID-19 in children aged 0-14. For appropriate management of COVID-19 cases, a three-tier arrangement of health facilities has been implemented -- <keyword id="8995444" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-care-centre">COVID Care Centre</keyword> with isolation beds for mild or pre-symptomatic cases, Dedicated COVID Health Centre (DCHC) with oxygen supported isolation beds for moderate cases and Dedicated COVID Hospital (DCH) with ICU beds for severe cases, he said. Guidelines on clinical management of COVID-19 have been issued, Vardhan said. They also provides for management of complications. On whether the government has made any assessment of adverse effects of COVID-19 on <keyword id="6354774" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mental-health">mental health</keyword> of children and has provided psychological support through healthcare professionals, Vardhan said the <keyword id="263716" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="ministry-of-education">Ministry of Education</keyword> has initiated a programme called 'manodarpan' covering a wide range of activities to provide psycho-social support to students, teachers and families for mental health and emotional wellbeing. There is a national toll-free helpline 8448440632 to provide tele-counselling for students, parents and teachers to help cope with the situation, he said. The standard operating procedure for health and safety protocols for reopening of schools issued by the Ministry of Education has incorporated guidelines for promoting emotional well-being of students and teachers, the minister said. The <keyword id="210071" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Health">Ministry of Health</keyword> set up a 24/7 helpline through NIMHANS, Bangalore, on March 29, 2020 to provide psycho-social support to the affected population, divided into different target groups, Vardhan said. Two central mental health institutions -- namely LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur and Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi -- along with various states and UTs were also on-boarded to extend the services in regional and local languages. He said guidelines and advisories on management of mental health issues, catering to different segments of the society, were issued. All the guidelines, advisories and advocacy material can be accessed on the <keyword id="191419" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Health-and-Family-Welfare">Ministry of Health and Family Welfare</keyword> website under 'Behavioural Health - Psycho-social helpline', Vardhan said. He further said that various media platforms were used for creative and audio-visual materials on managing stress and anxiety, and promoting an environment of support and care for all. To address the burden of mental disorders, <keyword id="6377129" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="government-of-india">Government of India</keyword> is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), Vardhan said, adding the government is supporting implementation of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) under NMHP in 692 districts of the country. To generate awareness among masses about mental illnesses, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are an integral part of the NMHP, he said, and at the District level, funds up to ₹4 lakh per annum are provided under the DMHP for awareness generation activities, he said. 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Analysis shows children between 0-14 years less affected by COVID, says Health Minister

<ul><li><keyword id="1270284" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Welfare-of-Stray-Dogs">Welfare of Stray Dogs</keyword> is an NGO that has pioneered adoptions of Indies in 1995 and was also the first organization in Mumbai to have adoptathons for getting Indies adopted.</li><li>has been carrying out mass sterilization programmes for street dogs since 1994, following WHO recommendations on rabies eradication and dog population control.</li><li>It also conducts on-site first aid and vaccination, and programmes on education and awareness.</li></ul> NGO Welfare of <keyword id="6361702" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="stray-dogs">Stray Dogs</keyword> (WSD) that has been working relentlessly over the years to help people realize that Indie dogs are as amazing pets as any other breed has come up with a heartwarming campaign. To show how difficult it is for a lot of Indie dogs that are sent to dog pounds, and to encourage people to adopt these dogs, the NGO has come up with a campaign by production house 'Another Idea' and it is sure to melt your heart. WSD has been carrying out mass sterilization programmes for street dogs since 1994, following WHO recommendations on rabies eradication and dog population control. It also conducts on-site first aid and vaccination, and programmes on education and awareness. WSD pioneered adoptions of Indies in 1995 and was also the first organization in Mumbai to have adoptathons for getting Indies adopted. Talking about the campaign, <keyword id="186048" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abodh-Aras">Abodh Aras</keyword> of WSD says, "The Indie dog is a hardy, loving, good looking, low-maintenance animal that is unfortunately neglected and seen as a 'stray'. I am glad Another Idea came forward to make a film that highlights the pressing need to adopt these wonderful animals." Adds <keyword id="1536079" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaurav-Gandhi">Gaurav Gandhi</keyword>, CEO, Another Idea, "When we heard of this need, the team headed by Director of this film Hiten Bhatia and Producer Shuja Rahman were very excited. We are glad that we are playing a part in helping a good cause." <div type="Youtube" id="X5CdtUOUXkM" title="Adopt an Indie" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X5CdtUOUXkM/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

You Searched For "welfare programmes" and got 10 results

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Dog lover or not, this campaign by NGO Welfare of Stray Dogs will surely melt your heart

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