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Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FUNDS RELEASED FROM SDRF AND NDRF

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:35PM by PIB Delhi

    As per the National Policy on Disaster Management (NPDM), the primary responsibility for disaster management, including disbursal of relief assistance on ground level, rests with the State Governments concerned. The State Governments undertake relief measures in the wake of natural calamities, from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) already placed at

    their disposal,  in  accordance  with  Government  of India’s approved items

    and norms. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments and provides requisite logistics and financial support. Additional financial assistance is provided from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), as per laid down procedure, in case of disaster of ‘severe nature’, which includes an assessment based on the visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT). The details of funds allocated and released under SDRF and NDRF during 2024-25 are at Annexure.

    In the wake of floods/landslide/cyclonic storms during 2024, the IMCT had visited affected areas of Andhra Pradesh, Nagaland, Odisha, Telangana and Tripura for on-the-spot assessment of damages.  Based on the reports of IMCT, the Central Government has approved central assistance of Rs. 1554.99 crore on 13th February, 2025 to these States from NDRF, subject to an adjustment of 50% of the opening balance for the year available in the SDRF of the respective State.  Out of the total amount of Rs. 1554.99 crore, Rs. 608.08 crore has been approved for Andhra Pradesh, Rs. 170.99 crore for Nagaland, Rs. 255.24 crore for Odisha, Rs. 231.75 crore for Telangana and Rs. 288.93 crore for Tripura.

    In wake of landslide and flash flood in Wayanad, Kerala, an IMCT constituted by the Central Government visited the affected areas of the State from 8th August to 10th August, 2024. Based on the report of the IMCT, the Central Government has approved an amount of Rs. 153.47 crore (subject to the adjustment of 50% of balance available in the SDRF account) for the landslides, flash flood of 2024, assistance for the Air bills for utilising the service of Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters for rescue & relief, as per actual, and actual expenditure for the clearance of debris.

    Besides, an amount of Rs. 388.00 crore (Rs. 291.20 crore Central Share + Rs. 96.80 crore State share) has been allocated to the State Government Kerala for the financial year 2024-25 in SDRF. The 1stinstalment of Rs. 145.60 crore of Central share was released on 31.07.2024. The 2ndinstalment of Rs. 145.60 crore of Central Share was also released on 01.10.2024 in advance to the State. In addition, the Accountant General, Kerala reported balance of Rs. 394.99 crore in its SDRF account as on 1stApril, 2024.  Thus, sufficient fund is available in the SDRF account of the State for the relief operations.

    Further, the State conducted Post-Disaster-Needs-Assessment (PDNA), estimating a total requirement of Rs. 2219 crores for Recovery & Reconstruction Plan.  The Central Government had constituted a Multi Sectoral Team and further action is taken as per the established procedure under the Guidelines on Constitution and Administration of Recovery & Reconstruction Funding Window, which is available on Ministry of Home Affairs website www.ndmindia.mha.gov.in.

    ******

    Annexure

    Statement showing State-wise details of allocation and releases of Funds under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) during the year 2024-25 (As on 12.03.2025)

    (Rs. in crore)

    S.N.

    State

     

    Allocation of SDRF

    Releases from SDRF

    Release from NDRF

    Central Share

    State Share

    Total

    Ist Installment

    2nd Installment

    1.

    Andhra Pradesh

    1036.00

    344.80

    1380.80

    518.00

    518.00

    —

    2.

    Arunachal Pradesh

    231.20

    25.60

    256.80

    115.60

    —

    —

    3.

    Assam

    716.00

    79.20

    795.20

    358.00

    358.00

    —

    4.

    Bihar

    1311.20

    436.80

    1748.00

    655.60

    655.60

    —

    5.

    Chhattisgarh

    400.00

    133.60

    533.60

    —

    —

    —

    6.

    Goa

    10.40

    3.20

    13.60

    5.20

    —

    —

    7.

    Gujarat

    1226.40

    408.80

    1635.20

    600.00#

    —

    —

    8.

    Haryana

    455.20

    151.20

    606.40

    227.60

    227.60

    —

    9.

    Himachal Pradesh

    378.40

    41.60

    420.00

    189.20

    189.20

    66.92

    10.

    Jharkhand

    526.40

    175.20

    701.60

    500.80#

    —

    —

    11.

    Karnataka

    732.00

    244.00

    976.00

    366.00

    —

    3454.22

    12.

    Kerala

    291.20

    96.80

    388.00

    145.60

    145.60

    —

    13.

    Madhya Pradesh

    1686.40

    561.60

    2248.00

    843.20

    843.20

    —

    14.

    Maharashtra

    2984.00

    994.40

    3978.40

    1492.00

    1492.00

    —

    15.

    Manipur

    40.00

    4.00

    44.00

    38.80#

    11.20

    —

    16.

    Meghalaya

    60.80

    6.40

    67.20

    59.60#

    —

    —

    17.

    Mizoram

    43.20

    4.80

    48.00

    21.60

    21.60

    7.56

    18.

    Nagaland

    38.40

    4.00

    42.40

    19.20

    19.20

    170.99

    19.

    Odisha

    1485.60

    495.20

    1980.80

    742.80

    742.80

    —

    20.

    Punjab

    458.40

    152.80

    611.20

    229.20

    —

    —

    21.

    Rajasthan

    1372.00

    456.80

    1828.80

    686.00

    686.00

    —

    22.

    Sikkim

    47.20

    4.80

    52.00

    23.60

    23.60

    221.12

    23.

    Tamil Nadu

    944.80

    315.20

    1260.00

    472.40

    472.40

    276.10

    24.

    Telangana

    416.80

    138.40

    555.20

    208.40

    208.40

    —

    25.

    Tripura

    63.20

    7.20

    70.40

    31.60

    40.00

    174.97

    26.

    Uttar Pradesh

    1791.20

    596.80

    2388.00

    1748.40#

    —

    —

    27.

    Uttarakhand

    868.00

    96.00

    964.00

    434.00

    —

    —

    28.

    West Bengal

    936.00

    312.00

    1248.00

    468.00

    468.00

    —

    TOTAL

    20550.40

    6291.20

    26841.60

    11200.40

    7122.40

    4371.88

    # = includes arrears of previous year.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    *****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Fisheries Digital Platform

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:45PM by PIB Delhi

    The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying is implementing a new Central Sector Sub-scheme namely the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi Sah-Yojana (PM-MKSSY) under the ongoing Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY) for a period of four years from FY 2023-24 to FY 2026-27 at an estimated outlay of ₹6000.

    The Sub-scheme has four components namely, Component 1-A: Formalization of fisheries sector and facilitating access of fisheries microenterprises to Government of India programs for working capital financing, Component 1-B: Facilitating adoption of aquaculture insurance, Component 2: Supporting microenterprises to improve fisheries sector value chain efficiencies, Component 3: Adoption and expansion of fish and fishery product safety and quality assurance systems, and Component 4: Project management, monitoring and reporting.

    The Department of Fisheries, Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying has launched National Fisheries Digital Platform (NFDP) under PM-MKSSY on 11.09.2024. The NFDP aims at formalization of the Indian fisheries and aquaculture sector through creation of work-based digital identity and the database for all stakeholders in fisheries sector. It also serves as ‘one-stop’ solution for access to institutional credit,  strengthening of fisheries co-operatives, incentivizing aquiculture insurance, performance-based incentives, fisheries’ traceability systems and training and capacity building. Under NFDP, 20,25,676 fishers, micro-enterprises, FFPOs and companies has been registered till date. The details of state-wise registration is furnished at Annexure I.

    Pradhan Mantri Matsya Kisan Samridhi-Sah Yojana (PM-MKSSY) offers provisions under Component 1A for enhancing financial inclusion by facilitating access to institutional credit for fish workers/enterprises. Under the NFDP, the Credit facilitation module has been developed and made live. The beneficiary can login to the NFDP portal and avail the benefit. As on date, 4066 lead applications including 129 from Andhra Pradesh has been received from the beneficiaries and the same have been forwarded to banks on the platform for necessary consideration.

     

    Annexure-I

    State-wise details of registrations under National Fisheries Digital Platform in India

     

    S.No

    State

    Total Number of Registrations

    Number of Individual

    Number of Organization

    1

    Andaman And Nicobar Islands

    3736

    3728

    8

    2

    Andhra Pradesh

    225368

    224336

    1032

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    1621

    1611

    10

    4

    Assam

    209935

    209518

    417

    5

    Bihar

    98095

    97706

    389

    6

    Chandigarh

    196

    195

    1

    7

    Chhattisgarh

    18644

    18485

    159

    8

    Dadra And Nagar Haveli And Daman And Diu

    1419

    1413

    6

    9

    Delhi

    509

    490

    19

    10

    Goa

    1934

    1928

    6

    11

    Gujarat

    87954

    87698

    256

    12

    Haryana

    7446

    7435

    11

    13

    Himachal Pradesh

    7728

    7692

    36

    14

    Jammu And Kashmir

    25095

    25081

    14

    15

    Jharkhand

    25144

    24939

    205

    16

    Karnataka

    179146

    176762

    2384

    17

    Kerala

    237135

    236863

    272

    18

    Ladakh

    50

    50

    0

    19

    Lakshadweep

    2213

    2211

    2

    20

    Madhya Pradesh

    65589

    65002

    587

    21

    Maharashtra

    207715

    205966

    1749

    22

    Manipur

    18414

    18280

    134

    23

    Meghalaya

    20220

    20185

    35

    24

    Mizoram

    3148

    3138

    10

    25

    Nagaland

    5101

    5087

    14

    26

    Odisha

    139357

    139145

    212

    27

    Puducherry

    5625

    5622

    3

    28

    Punjab

    4070

    4065

    5

    29

    Rajasthan

    4788

    4780

    8

    30

    Sikkim

    1778

    1774

    4

    31

    Tamil Nadu

    109685

    109585

    100

    32

    Telangana

    110038

    109456

    582

    33

    Tripura

    76408

    76307

    101

    34

    Uttar Pradesh

    63541

    63264

    277

    35

    Uttarakhand

    10228

    10125

    103

    36

    West Bengal

    46603

    46526

    77

    Total

    2025676

    2016448

    9228

     

    This information was given by Union Minister of State, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Shri George Kurian, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 18th March, 2025.

    *****

    AA

     

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR DELHI

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:34PM by PIB Delhi

    The primary responsibility of undertaking rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures in the event of a natural disaster rests with the State Governments concerned. The Central Government, wherever required, supplements the efforts of the State Governments by providing logistics and financial support in cases of natural disasters of severe nature and beyond coping capacity of the State resources.

    As per Section 23 (2) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, the State Executive Committee is responsible for the preparation of Disaster Management Plan (Plan) of its State, after consultation with local authorities, district Authorities and having regard to the guidelines laid down by the National Authority, which is to be approved by the State Authority. Further, as per Section 22 (2) (o) of the Act, the State Executive Committee is mandated to lay down, review and update State level response plans.

    National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP), issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in 2016 and further revised in 2019, facilitates State Authorities in preparation of their SDMPs.

    Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has informed that they have prepared a Delhi Disaster Management Plan (DDMP), which has provisions for disaster preparedness and response in case of any disaster in the city including Earthquake Action Plan. The DDMP is available at https://ddma.delhi.gov.in/ddma/ddma-plan-home.

    Further, DDMA has also intimated that in view of the recent Delhi earthquake of 4.0 magnitude on 17.02.2025, a review meeting has been

    taken by Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor with NDMA on 12.03.2025. The agenda included vulnerability and risk assessment of Delhi and Earthquake Preparedness Plan. NDMA submitted the Terms of Reference for Earthquake Preparedness Plan.

    As part of ongoing activities, some important preparedness and capacity building measures taken in Delhi are as under:- 

    1.      NDMA has been actively facilitating the States including Delhi for conducting Multi State Level Mock Exercises on various hazards as per their vulnerability profile.

    2.      NDMA has conducted following Table Top Exercise and Mock Exercise for Delhi:-

    S.No.

    Date

    Name of Disaster

    a

    15, 28 to 30 Jun 2017

    Earthquake Scenario

    b

    12, 27-28 Jun 2019

    Earthquake (Multi State Mock Exercise)

    c

    20 Aug 2020

    Earthquake Scenario (Table Top Exercise)

    d

    22-24 Mar 2023

    Earthquake (Multi State Table Top Exercise)

    3.      After the recent Delhi earthquake on 17.02.2025, in addition to the ongoing awareness generation activities, the following have also been undertaken by NDMA :

    i) the TV panel discussion programme of NDMA- ‘Aapda Ka Samna’ was recorded and broadcasted through Doordharshan TV Network at national and regional levels on 2nd March 2025 and 8th March 2025 respectively;

    ii) NDMA has undertaken a series of street plays (Nukkad Natak) across various areas of Delhi in March 2025;

    iii) various updates and creatives on earthquake have been posted on the social media platforms of NDMA.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    *****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: NAXALITE ACTIVITIES AND VIOLENCE

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:32PM by PIB Delhi

    To address the LWE problem holistically, a “National Policy and Action Plan to address LWE” was approved in 2015. It envisages a multi-prolonged strategy involving security related measures, development interventions, ensuring rights and entitlements of local communities etc.

    While on security front, the Government of India (GoI) assists the LWE affected States for capacity building by providing Central Armed Police battalions, training & funds for modernization of State police forces, equipment & arms, sharing of intelligence, construction of Fortified Police Stations etc; 

    • Under the Security Related Expenditure (SRE) Scheme, assistance is provided for recurring expenditure relating to operational and training needs of security forces, expenditure incurred by the states for the rehabilitation of the surrendered LWE cadres, community policing, village defense committees and publicity material etc. During 2014-15 to 2024-25, Rs. 3260.37 crore has been released under this Scheme. 
    • Under Special Infrastructure Scheme (SIS), funds are provided for strengthening of State Intelligence Branches (SIBs), Special Forces, District Polices and Fortified Police Stations (FPSs).  Under the SIS, Rs. 1741 crore have been sanctioned.  221 Fortified Police Stations have been constructed under the Scheme with a total of 621 FPS have been constructed.
    • Further, Rs. 1120.32 crore has been given to Central Agencies during the period 2014-15 to 2024-25 for helicopters and addressing critical infrastructure in security camps in LWE affected areas, under Assistance to Central Agencies for LWE Management (ACALWEM) Scheme.

    On development side, apart from flagship schemes, GoI has taken several specific initiatives in LWE affected States, with special thrust on expansion of road network, improving telecommunication connectivity, skilling and financial inclusion.

    • For expansion of road connectivity, 14,607 Km roads have been constructed.
    • For improving telecom connectivity in LWE affected areas, 7,768 towers have been commissioned.
    • With regard to Skill Development, 46 Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) and 49 Skill Development Centres (SDCs) have been made functional.
    • For quality education in tribal areas 178 Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) have been made functional.
    • For Financial Inclusion, department of Posts has opened 5731 Post Offices with banking services in LWE affected districts. 1007 Bank Branches & 937 ATMs have been opened and 37,850 Banking Correspondences (BCs) have been made operational in Most LWE affected districts.
    • For further impetus to development, Under Special Central Assistance (SCA), funds are provided for filling critical gaps in Public infrastructure. Till now, Rs 3563 Crore have been released since the inception of Scheme in 2017.

    As a result of the strict implementation of the policy, incidents of LWE violence which had reached its highest level i.e. 1936 in 2010 have reduced to 374 in 2024 i.e. a reduction of 81 per cent. The total number of deaths (civilian + security forces) has also reduced by 85 per cent during this period i.e. from 1005 deaths in 2010 to 150 in 2024.

    During the last 10 years, incidents of LWE violence which were 1091 in 2014 have reduced to 374 in 2024 i.e. a reduction of 65.7 per cent. The total number of deaths (civilian + security force) has also reduced by 52 per cent during this period i.e. from 310 deaths in 2014 to 150 in 2024.

    There has also been a sharp decline in the number of districts affected by LWE.  The LWE affected districts have been reduced from 126 to 90 districts by April 2018, further to 70 by July 2021 and then to 38 by April 2024.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    ***

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: STEPS TO CURB CYBER CRIME

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Home Affairs

    STEPS TO CURB CYBER CRIME

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:27PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) compiles and publishes the statistical data on crimes in its publication “Crime in India”. The latest published report is for the year 2022. As per the data published by the NCRB, State/UT wise details of cases registered under cyber crimes and fraud for cyber crimes (involving communication devices as medium/target) during the period from 2018 to 2022 are at the Annexure-I & II.

    ‘Police’ and ‘Public Order’ are State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India. The States/UTs are primarily responsible for the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of crimes including cyber crime and setting up of hi-tech cyber cell through their Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs). The Central Government supplements the initiatives of the States/UTs through advisories and financial assistance under various schemes for capacity building of their LEAs.

    To strengthen the mechanism to deal with cyber crimes in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, the Central Government has taken steps which, inter-alia, include the following:

    1. The Ministry of Home Affairs has set up the ‘Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre’ (I4C) as an attached office to deal with all types of cyber crimes in the country, in a coordinated and comprehensive manner.
    2. The ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal’ (NCRP) (https://cybercrime.gov.in) has been launched, as a part of the I4C, to enable public to report incidents pertaining to all types of cyber crimes, with special focus on cyber crimes against women and children. Cyber crime incidents reported on this portal, their conversion into FIRs and subsequent action thereon are handled by the State/UT Law Enforcement Agencies concerned as per the provisions of the law.
    3. The ‘Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System’, under I4C, has been launched in year 2021 for immediate reporting of financial frauds and to stop siphoning off funds by the fraudsters. So far, financial amount of more than Rs. 4,386 Crore has been saved in more than 13.36 lakh complaints. A toll-free Helpline number ‘1930’ has been operationalized to get assistance in lodging online cyber complaints.
    4. The state of the art ‘National Cyber Forensic Laboratory (Investigation)’ has been established, as a part of the I4C, at New Delhi to provide early stage cyber forensic assistance to Investigating Officers (IOs) of State/UT Police. So far, National Cyber Forensics Laboratory (Investigation) has provided its services to State/UT LEAs in around 11,835 cases pertaining to cyber crimes.
    5. A State of the Art Centre, Cyber Fraud Mitigation Centre (CFMC) has been established at I4C where representatives of major banks, Financial Intermediaries, Payment Aggregators, Telecom Service Providers, IT Intermediaries and representatives of States/UTs Law Enforcement Agency are working together for immediate action and seamless cooperation to tackle cybercrime.
    6. The Central Government has launched a comprehensive awareness programme on digital arrest scams which, inter-alia, include; newspaper advertisement, announcement in Delhi Metros, use of social media influencers to create special posts, campaign through Prasar Bharti and electronic media, special programme on Aakashvani and participated in Raahgiri Function at Connaught Place, New Delhi on 27.11.2024.
    7. The Hon’ble Prime Minister spoke about digital arrests during the episode “Mann Ki Baat” on 27.10.2024  and apprised  the citizens  of India.
    8. I4C in collaboration with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has launched a caller tune campaign for raising awareness about cybercrime and promoting the Cyber Crime Helpline Number 1930 & NCRP. The caller tune is also being broadcasts in regional languages, delivered 7-8 times a day by Telecom Service Providers (TSPs).
    9. I4C proactively identify and blocked more than 3,962 Skype IDs and 83,668 Whatsapp accounts used for Digital Arrest.
    10. The Central Government has published a Press Release on Alert against incidents of ‘Blackmail’ and ‘Digital Arrest’ by Cyber Criminals Impersonating State/UT Police, NCB, CBI, RBI and other Law Enforcement Agencies.
    11. Till 28.02.2025, more than 7.81 lakhs SIM cards and 2,08,469 IMEIs as reported by Police authorities have been blocked by Government of India.
    12. Seven Joint Cyber Coordination Teams (JCCTs) have been constituted for Mewat, Jamtara, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Vishakhapatnam, and Guwahati under I4C covering the whole country based upon cyber crime hotspots/ areas having multi jurisdictional issues by on boarding States/UTs to enhance the coordination framework among the Law Enforcement Agencies of the States/UTs. Seven workshops were organized for JCCTs at Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Vishakhapatnam, Lucknow, Ranchi and Chandigarh.
    13. Samanvaya Platform has been made operational to serve as an Management Information System(MIS) platform, data repository and a coordination  platform   for   LEAs   for  cybercrime   data   sharing  and

    analytics. It provides analytics based interstate linkages of crimes and criminals, involved in cybercrime complaints in various States/UTs. The module ‘Pratibimb’ maps locations of criminals and crime infrastructure on a map to give visibility to jurisdictional officers. The module also facilitates seeking and receiving of techno-legal assistance by Law Enforcement  Agencies from I4C and other SMEs. It has lead to arrest of 6,046 accused, 17,185 linkages and 36,296 Cyber Investigation assistance request.

    1. Ministry of Home Affairs has provided central assistance under ‘Assistance to States for Modernization of Police’ Scheme to the State Governments for the acquisition of latest weaponry, training gadgets, advanced communication/forensic equipment, Cyber Policing equipment etc. The State Governments formulate State Action Plans (SAPs) as per their strategic priorities and requirements including combating cyber crimes.
    2. The Ministry of External Affairs also holds bilateral cyber dialogue with various countries from time to time. The Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), Ministry of Home Affairs, being a nodal agency for cyber crime in the country is actively participate in such cyber dialogues.
    3.  The National Central Bureau (NCB) in the Central Bureau  of  Investigation  (CBI)  acted  as  effective  interface between Indian LEAs and foreign LEAs and facilitates regular exchange of information through INTERPOL channels. Recently BHARATPOL portal has been launched to further streamline the communication between NCB, CBI and Indian LEAs in the matters of international assistance and coordination.
    4. The CBI is nodal agency for G-7 24/7 network. G7 24/7 is secure channel for making data preservation requests in cases related to cyber crime.
    5. To spread awareness on cyber crime, the Central Government has taken steps which, inter-alia, include; dissemination of messages through SMS, I4C social media account i.e. X (formerly Twitter) (@CyberDost), Facebook(CyberDostI4C), Instagram (cyberDostI4C), Telegram(cyberdosti4c), Radio campaign, caller tune, engaged MyGov for publicity in multiple mediums, organizing Cyber Safety and Security Awareness weeks in association with States/UTs, publishing of Handbook for Adolescents/Students, newspaper advertisement on digital arrest scam, announcement in Delhi metros on digital arrest and other modus operandi of cyber criminals, use of social media influencers to create special posts on digital arrest, digital displays on railway stations and airports across, etc.

    Annexure-I

    State/UT-wise Cases Registered(CR) under Cyber Crimes during 2020-2022

    SL

    State/UT

    2020

    2021

    2022

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    1899

    1875

    2341

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    30

    47

    14

    3

    Assam

    3530

    4846

    1733

    4

    Bihar

    1512

    1413

    1621

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    297

    352

    439

    6

    Goa

    40

    36

    90

    7

    Gujarat

    1283

    1536

    1417

    8

    Haryana

    656

    622

    681

    9

    Himachal Pradesh

    98

    70

    77

    10

    Jharkhand

    1204

    953

    967

    11

    Karnataka

    10741

    8136

    12556

    12

    Kerala

    426

    626

    773

    13

    Madhya Pradesh

    699

    589

    826

    14

    Maharashtra

    5496

    5562

    8249

    15

    Manipur

    79

    67

    18

    16

    Meghalaya

    142

    107

    75

    17

    Mizoram

    13

    30

    1

    18

    Nagaland

    8

    8

    4

    19

    Odisha

    1931

    2037

    1983

    20

    Punjab

    378

    551

    697

    21

    Rajasthan

    1354

    1504

    1833

    22

    Sikkim

    0

    0

    26

    23

    Tamil Nadu

    782

    1076

    2082

    24

    Telangana

    5024

    10303

    15297

    25

    Tripura

    34

    24

    30

    26

    Uttar Pradesh

    11097

    8829

    10117

    27

    Uttarakhand

    243

    718

    559

    28

    West Bengal

    712

    513

    401
     

    TOTAL STATE(S)

    49708

    52430

    64907

    29

    A&N Islands

    5

    8

    28

    30

    Chandigarh

    17

    15

    27

    31

    D&N Haveli and Daman & Diu

    3

    5

    5

    32

    Delhi

    168

    356

    685

    33

    Jammu & Kashmir

    120

    154

    173

    34

    Ladakh

    1

    5

    3

    35

    Lakshadweep

    3

    1

    1

    36

    Puducherry

    10

    0

    64
     

    TOTAL UT(S)

    327

    544

    986
     

    TOTAL (ALL INDIA)

    50035

    52974

    65893

    Source: ‘Crime in India’ published by NCRB.

    ANNEXURE-II

    State/UT-wise Cases Registered (CR) under Fraud for Cyber Crimes during Year 2020-2022

    SL

    State/UT

    2020

    2021

    2022

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    764

    952

    984

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    3

    2

    0

    3

    Assam

    58

    82

    16

    4

    Bihar

    1294

    1373

    1441

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    71

    67

    42

    6

    Goa

    1

    1

    11

    7

    Gujarat

    205

    208

    108

    8

    Haryana

    36

    52

    44

    9

    Himachal Pradesh

    1

    6

    9

    10

    Jharkhand

    83

    79

    98

    11

    Karnataka

    0

    6

    0

    12

    Kerala

    6

    16

    26

    13

    Madhya Pradesh

    69

    89

    180

    14

    Maharashtra

    2032

    1678

    2202

    15

    Manipur

    0

    0

    0

    16

    Meghalaya

    10

    0

    0

    17

    Mizoram

    0

    0

    0

    18

    Nagaland

    0

    0

    0

    19

    Odisha

    1079

    1205

    957

    20

    Punjab

    16

    29

    61

    21

    Rajasthan

    332

    371

    292

    22

    Sikkim

    0

    0

    0

    23

    Tamil Nadu

    5

    107

    251

    24

    Telangana

    3316

    7003

    9581

    25

    Tripura

    0

    0

    0

    26

    Uttar Pradesh

    837

    614

    766

    27

    Uttarakhand

    1

    0

    31

    28

    West Bengal

    145

    40

    30
     

    TOTAL STATE(S)

    10364

    13980

    17130

    29

    A&N Islands

    0

    0

    0

    30

    Chandigarh

    0

    0

    2

    31

    D&N Haveli and Daman & Diu

    0

    0

    0

    32

    Delhi

    31

    19

    331

    33

    Jammu & Kashmir

    0

    8

    7

    34

    Ladakh

    0

    0

    0

    35

    Lakshadweep

    0

    0

    0

    36

    Puducherry

    0

    0

    0

    TOTAL UT(S)

    31

    27

    340

    TOTAL (ALL INDIA)

    10395

    14007

    17470

                    Source: ‘Crime in India’ published by NCRB.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Bandi Sanjay Kumar in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    *****

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2112244)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MEASURES TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AND COMBAT ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE

    Source: Government of India

    Ministry of Home Affairs

    MEASURES TO PREVENT DRUG ABUSE AND COMBAT ILLEGAL DRUG TRADE

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:26PM by PIB Delhi

    To address the problem of Drug Abuse, Government has formulated and implemented the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) under which the Government is taking a sustained and coordinated action for arresting the problem of substance abuse. This includes:

    1. Launched Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA) in all districts of the country through more than 10000 master volunteers. It has reached out to more-than 14.79 crore people including 4.96 crore youth and 2.97 crore women.
    2. 350 Integrated Rehabilitation Centers for Addicts (IRCAs) are supported by the Government to provide treatment for the drug victims, preventive education, awareness generation, motivational counseling, detoxification/de-addiction, after care and re-integration into the social mainstream.
    3. 46 Community based Peer led Intervention (CPLI) Centers supported by the Government focuses on vulnerable and at risk children and adolescents.
    4. 74 Outreach and Drop In Centers (ODICs) supported by the Government provide safe and secure space for treatment, rehabilitation, screening, assessment, counseling, referral, linkage for treatment and rehabilitation services for substance users.
    5. 142 Addiction Treatment Facilities (ATFs) has been established in Government hospitals through All India Institute of Medical science (AIIMS), New Delhi.
    6. 124 District De-addiction Centres (DDACs) which provides all three facilities provided by IRCA, ODIC and CPLI under one roof have been set up so far.
    7. A Toll-free Helpline for de-addiction, 14446 is operated for providing primary counseling and immediate assistance to persons seeking help.
    8. Government through its autonomous body National Institute of Social Defense (NISD) and other collaborating agencies like State Counsel of Educational Research and Training (SCERTs), Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan, etc. provides for regular awareness generation and sensitization sessions for all stakeholders including students, teachers, parents.
    9. Navchetna Modules, teachers training modules have been developed by Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment (MoSJE) for sensitizing students (6th – 11th standard), teachers and parents on drug dependence, related coping strategies and life skills.

    As per latest data published by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) pertaining to the year 2022; Drug-wise seizures under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act during 2018 to 2022 is at Annexure-I.

    The Government made various efforts to tackle the illegal drug trade in border areas, some of which are as under: –

    1. A 4-tier Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD) mechanism for ensuring better coordination between Central & State Drug Law Enforcement Agencies and other stakeholders in the field of controlling drug trafficking and drug abuse in India has been established. An all-in-one NCORD portal has been developed for information related to drug law enforcement.
    2. A dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) headed by Additional Director General/ Inspector General level Police Officer has been established in each State/ Union Territory to function as the NCORD Secretariat for the State/ Union Territory and follow-up on compliance of decisions taken in NCORD meetings at different levels.
    3. To monitor the investigation of important and significant seizures, a Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) under the Chairmanship of Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has been set up.
    4. National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been empowered under NDPS Act, 1985 in the year 2020 for investigation of narco-terrorism cases.
    5. Border Guarding Forces (Border Security Force, Assam Rifles and Sashastra Seema Bal) have been empowered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 to carry out search, seizure and arrest for illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs at international border. Further, Railway Protection Force (RPF) has also been empowered under NDPS Act to check drug trafficking along the railway routes.
    6. Narcotics Control Bureau coordinates with other agencies like, Navy, Coast Guard, Border Security Force, State ANTF, etc. to conduct joint operations to control the drug trafficking.
    7. A high level dedicated group has been created in National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) in November 2022 to analyze the drug trafficking through maritime routes, challenges and solutions (Maritime Security Group – NSCS).
    8. Director General Level Talks are organized with neighboring and other countries such as Myanmar, Iran, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Singapore, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, etc. to resolve various issues on drug trafficking having international implications.
    1. As a part of international co-operation, India has signed Bilateral Agreements with 27 countries, Memorandum of Understanding with 16 countries and Agreements on Security Cooperation with 02 countries for combating illicit trafficking of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) and Chemical Precursors as well as related offences.
    2. India is closely associated with International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and all its programs viz. PEN (Pre-Export Notification), PICS (Precursors Incident Communication System), and IONICS (International Operations on New Psychoactive Substances Incident Communication System).
    3. Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) co-ordinates with various international organizations such as South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation- Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SAARC-SDOMD), Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa  (BRICS), Colombo Plan, Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), ASEAN Senior Officials on Drug Matters (ASOD), Bay of Bengal Initiative For Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-Operation  (BIMSTEC), Shanghai Cooperation Organization  (SCO), United   Nations  Office   on   Drugs  and  Crime (UNODC),

    International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), etc. for sharing information and intelligence to combat trans-national drug trafficking.

    1. NCB India takes part in real-time information sharing with various Drug Liaison Officers of other countries such as the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) of the United States of America, the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) of Canada, Australian Federal Police (AFP) of Australia, Office Anti-Stupefiants (OFAST) of France, etc for operational and intelligence information.

    This was stated by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    *****

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2112236)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces judicial appointments 3.17.25

    Source: US State of California 2

    Mar 17, 2025

    SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced his appointment of 10 Superior Court Judges: two in Alameda County; three in Los Angeles County; one in Merced County; one in Orange County; two in San Bernardino County; and one in San Francisco County.

    Alameda County Superior Court

    Doris Ng, of Alameda County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court. Ng has served as a Trial Attorney at the U.S. Department of Labor since 2023. She served multiple roles at the California Department of Industrial Relations, including Chief Counsel from 2020 to 2023 and Staff Attorney in 2007 and from 2013 to 2020. Ng worked as Supervising Attorney at the Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach from 2011 to 2013 and as a Staff Attorney at the Bay Area Legal Aid from 2008 to 2011. She was a Supervising Clinical Attorney at the Women’s Employment Rights Clinic from 2003 to 2007 and a Staff Attorney at Equal Rights Advocates from 1998 to 2003. Ng was an Associate at Rosen, Bien and Asaro from 1996 to 1998 and an Associate at Gough & Cohen from 1994 to 1995. Ng received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Gregory Syren. Ng is a Democrat.

    Jonathan Wolff, of Contra Costa County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Alameda County Superior Court. Wolff has served as Chief Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Law Division at the California Attorney General’s Office since 2017, where he has held several other positions, including Senior Assistant Attorney General from 2008 to 2016, Supervising Deputy Attorney General from 2003 to 2008, and Deputy Attorney General from 2001 to 2003. He was an Associate at Kelly, Gill, Sherburne & Herrera, LLP from 1998 to 2001. Wolff received a Juris Doctor degree from Santa Clara University School of Law. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Frank Roesch. Wolff is a Democrat.

    Los Angeles County Superior Court

    William Shin, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Shin has served as a Deputy Attorney General at the California Attorney General’s Office since 2005 and as a Staff Judge Advocate and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate at the California Air National Guard since 2019. Shin was an Assistant Staff Judge Advocate at the United States Air Force Reserve from 2011 to 2019. He was a Deputy District Attorney at the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office from 2004 to 2005 and an Associate at Franscell Strickland Roberts & Lawrence from 2001 to 2004. Shin received a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School. He fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Julie Fox Blackshaw. Shin is a Democrat.

    Kimberly Dotson, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Dotson has served as a Commissioner at the Los Angeles Superior Court since 2018. She was a Deputy Public Defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office from 2002 to 2018. Dotson received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Lee R. Bogdanoff. Dotson is a Democrat.

    Faye Chen Barnouw, of Los Angeles County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Barnouw has served as an Assistant Regional Director at the Federal Trade Commission since 2019, and was an Attorney there from 2001 to 2019.  She was a Trial Attorney with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from 1997 to 2001, and an Associate at Parker Milliken Clark O’Hara & Samuelian from 1994 to 1997. She served as a Law Clerk for the Honorable Warren J. Ferguson at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1993 to 1994. Barnouw received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Deborah L. Sanchez. Barnouw is a Democrat.
     

    Merced County Superior Court

    Chamandeep Johal, of Merced County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Merced County Superior Court. Johal has served as a Commissioner at the Mariposa County Superior Court since 2023 and as a Family Law Facilitator at the Merced County Superior Court since 2018. She was the Principal Attorney at Johal Law from 2010 to 2018. She was a Partner at Connich & Grewal, LLP from 2008 to 2010 and an Associate at the Law Offices of Michael J. Connich from 2004 to 2008. Johal received a Juris Doctor degree from the Santa Clara University School of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Donald Proietti. Johal is registered as no party preference.
     

    Orange County Superior Court

    Jennifer McCartney, of Orange County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the Orange County Superior Court. McCartney has worked as the Firm Director at the Children’s Law Center of California since 2019. She has held several roles at the Children’s Law Center of California since 2006, including Supervising Attorney from 2016 to 2019, Writ Attorney from 2015 to 2019, and Staff Attorney from 2006 to 2015. McCartney received a Juris Doctor degree from Whittier Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the elevation of Justice Nathan R. Scott to the Court of Appeal. McCartney is a Democrat.

    San Bernardino County Superior Court

    Cecilia Joo, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Joo has served as a Commissioner at the San Bernardino Superior Court since 2023. She has served in several roles at the San Bernardino District Attorney’s Office since 2007, including Supervising Deputy District Attorney and Deputy District Attorney. Joo received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of LaVerne College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Michael R. Libutti. Joo is non-partisan.

    Dina Amani, of Riverside County, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Amani has served as a Commissioner at the San Bernardino Superior Court since 2019. She was the Principal Owner at Farhat Law Firm, APC from 2014 to 2019. Amani was an Associate at Ewaniszyk Law Firm from 2005 to 2019 and an Associate at Rosin & Associates from 2003 to 2004. She was a Wealth Management Advisor at Merrill Lynch from 2000 to 2002. She worked as an Intern Law Clerk at the Chicago Stock Exchange in 1999. Amani was an Associate at Cline & Associates from 1997 to 1998. Amani received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of LaVerne College of Law. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Brian S. McCarville. Amani is a Democrat.
     

    San Francisco County Superior Court

    Julia Cervantes, of San Francisco, has been appointed to serve as a Judge in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Cervantes has served as Managing Attorney at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office since 2023. She was the District Attorney Representative at the San Francisco Innocence Commission from 2022 to 2023. Cervantes has held several positions at the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office, including Lead Attorney from 2022 to 2023, Managing Attorney from 2020 to 2021, and Assistant District Attorney from 2011 to 2020. She served as Vice President of the San Francisco County Juvenile Probation Commission in 2022. She was a Deputy District Attorney at the San Mateo County District Attorney’s Office from 2021 to 2022. Cervantes received a Juris Doctor degree from Brooklyn Law School. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Richard B. Ulmer. Cervantes is a Democrat.

    The compensation for each of these positions is $244,727.

    Press Releases, Recent News

    Recent news

    Mar 17, 2025

    News Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring March 17, 2025 through March 23, 2025, as United States Navy Week.The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below: PROCLAMATIONCalifornia proudly plays a crucial role…

    Mar 14, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:Janessa Goldbeck, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Veterans Board. Goldbeck has been the Chief Executive Officer of Vet Voice Foundation since 2022 and the Principal…

    Mar 14, 2025

    News What you need to know: Aided by $10 million from the State of California, LA Rises, Maersk and APM Terminals, LA-area grant program awards $2.7 million to fire-impacted small businesses, nonprofits and workers to navigate recovery and rebuilding.  LOS ANGELES –…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Electronics Showcases AI-Powered TV Innovations at the 2025 European Tech Seminar

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics, the world’s leading TV manufacturer for 19 consecutive years, is kicking off the 2025 Tech Seminars in Frankfurt, Germany, from March 18–19, giving media and industry professionals an exclusive first look at its most advanced AI-powered TV and audio innovations before they hit the market.
     
    Now in its 14th year, the seminar provides field experts with hands-on experiences of Samsung’s latest TV lineup ahead of its official release. This year, the seminar will be showcasing technologies related to AI-powered picture quality, immersive sound, and next-generation viewing experiences.
     
     
    Revolutionizing the Screen Experience With AI
    Samsung’s 2025 TVs will feature powerful AI-driven features designed to enhance the user experience. At the heart of this innovation is Vision AI, an advanced platform that personalizes and simplifies the way users interact with their screens. Features such as Click to Search allows viewers to instantly access relevant information about on-screen content, while Live Translate provides real-time audio translations for seamless global viewing. Quick Remote transforms a smartphone into a control hub, offering a more intuitive and connected experience.
     
    Samsung has also introduced a seamless multi-device experience, enabling effortless content sharing and control across Samsung devices. Features like Storage Share, which allows easy file transfers between Galaxy devices and TVs, and Multi Control, which lets users operate multiple Samsung devices with a single keyboard and mouse, create a more connected and streamlined ecosystem.
     
     
    Next-Generation OLED & Neo QLED Picture Quality
    Samsung’s 2025 OLED TVs introduce Glare Free 2.0, minimizing reflections for a crystal-clear and immersive experience. Powered by the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor and 128 neural networks, AI Upscaling sharpens details with remarkable precision, while OLED HDR technology boosts brightness and contrast.
     
    The 2025 Neo QLED 4K lineup features advanced local dimming for deeper blacks and enhanced HDR accuracy. AI Motion Enhancer, previously exclusive to 8K models, is now available in 4K TVs, delivering ultra-smooth visuals ideal for sports and action-packed content.
     

    Expanding the Lifestyle TV Portfolio
    Samsung’s Lifestyle TV lineup continues to push boundaries of design and innovation, blending cutting-edge technology with personalized home aesthetics.
     
    The Frame Pro redefines both entertainment and home décor, now featuring Mini-LED Local Dimming for enhanced brightness and lifelike picture quality. With access to over 3,000 digital artworks via Samsung Art Store, users can instantly transform their TV into a stunning personal gallery. The addition of Wi-Fi 7 ensures seamless installation, reducing cable clutter for a cleaner, more sophisticated setup.
     
    Meanwhile, The Premiere 5 offers a compact yet powerful projection experience with touch interaction, making it ideal for gaming, education, and immersive home entertainment. Designed for versatility, it delivers immersive visuals in a range of environments, from classrooms to home theaters and much more.
     

    Introducing the Next Era of Immersive Sound
    Samsung is redefining audio innovation with Eclipsa Audio, the industry’s first IAMF 3D sound technology developed in collaboration with Google. This advanced system optimizes spatial sound by analyzing environmental reflections, delivering a deeply immersive surround sound experience.
     
    At the 2025 Tech Seminar, attendees will be among the first to experience Eclipsa Audio firsthand and see its seamless integration with Samsung’s latest soundbars for a next-level home theater experience.
     
    “At Samsung, we’re committed to making all the devices you use smarter and more connected,” said Benjamin Braun, Samsung Europe’s Chief Marketing Officer. “Whether it’s using Vision AI to automatically optimize your TV settings or AI-powered services to make activities such as search or home management simpler, we’re showing how technology can feel more personal and tangible than ever before.”
     
    Following the Frankfurt event, Samsung will bring the Tech Seminar series to key regions including Southeast Asia and Latin America, providing more industry professionals with exclusive hands-on previews of its AI-powered display and audio innovations ahead of their market launch.
     
    ▲ Kevin Cha from Samsung’s Picture Quality Solution Lab explains how Glare Free 2.0 technology and OLED HDR technology enhance viewing comfort.
     
    ▲ Haylie Jung from Samsung’s Picture Quality Solution Lab highlights advanced local dimming and AI-powered enhancements in the 2025 Neo QLED 4K, featuring the NQ4 AI Gen3 Processor.
     
    ▲ Steffen Greb from Samsung’s ECSO demonstrates Vision AI and seamless multi-device connectivity across Samsung products.
     
    ▲ Deokhwan Kim from Samsung’s Picture Quality Solution Lab demonstrates The Premiere 5’s touch capabilities.
     
    ▲ Hyungwoo Kim from Samsung’s Sound Device Lab showcases Eclipsa Audio, Samsung’s 3D audio technology, allowing users to enjoy immersive three-dimensional sound experience.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Announces Official Rollout of One UI 7 Starting From April 7

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics today announced that the official rollout of One UI 7 will start April 7,1 bringing a bold new design for greater personalization and control to the user experience. One UI 7 introduces new interface built for AI, helping users interact with their Galaxy devices more naturally than ever before. The update will be available starting with the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, gradually rolling out to more Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
     

     
     
    Bold New Design for Greater Personalization
    One UI 7 comes with a simple, impactful and emotive design, bringing streamlined and cohesive experience to Galaxy users. A simplified home screen, redesigned One UI widgets and lock screen allow users to intuitively and seamlessly customize their devices.
     
    For added convenience, Now Bar2 provides real-time updates that matter most right on the lock screen. So during a morning run, users can easily check their progress and see what song is playing in your Galaxy Buds — all with a simple swipe, without unlocking their phone.
     
     
    Smarter AI Features for More Intuitive Experience
    One UI 7 introduces seamless AI-driven experiences that help users to stay productive and explore their creativity.
     
    With Galaxy AI, users can simplify everyday tasks, minimizing the need to switch between applications. AI Select3intuitively recommends by understanding context. For example, a user can simple swipe the Edge Panel and click ‘AI Select’ icon when watching a video to save it as a GIF file. Writing Assist4 allows users to easily summarize or automatically format contents in which texts can be selected.

     
    One UI 7 also enables simple edits to give users more creative control and freedom. Drawing Assist5helps bring ideas to life with more than a single input, including combinations of text prompts and images or sketches. Audio Eraser6 makes advanced editing accessible for all, by isolating categories of sounds and removing unwanted noise in videos.

     

     
    With deeper Google Gemini7 integration, controlling the device is as easy as speaking to a friend. Long-press the side button and say, “Find Italian, pet-friendly restaurants with outdoor seating nearby.” Gemini instantly pulls up recommendations in one seamless interaction.
     
    Natural language search8 extends to Settings, making it easier to adjust preferences. Users can simply go into Settings and say “My eyes are feeling tired.” In an instant, recommended options such as adjusting brightness or turning on Eye comfort shield appear.
     
     
    Availability
    One UI 7 will begin rolling out on April 7, expanding to more Galaxy smartphones and tablets in the following weeks,9 including the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S24 FE, the Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5, the Galaxy Tab S10 series and the Galaxy Tab S9 series.
     
    For more details, please visit: Samsung Newsroom, Samsungmobilepress.com and Samsung.com.
     
     
    1 Availability may vary by market.2 Availability of functions supported within the apps may vary by country. Some functional widgets may require a network connection and/or Samsung Account login.3 Results may vary depending on model. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Requires internet connection and Samsung Account login. Service availability may vary by country, language or device model. Availability of supported languages may vary. Certain languages may require language pack download.4 Writing Assist is available for Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5, Galaxy Tab S10 series and Galaxy Tab S9 series.5 Drawing Assist is available for Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy S23 FE, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6, Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5, Galaxy Tab S10 series and Galaxy Tab S9 series. Requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed.6 Audio Eraser is available in Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 and Galaxy Tab S10 series. Results may vary per video depending on how sounds present in the video. Samsung Account login required. Certain types of sound can be detected such as voices, music, wind, nature, crowd and noise. The actual sound detection may vary depending on audio source and the condition of the video. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.7 Internet connection and compatible operating system required. Availability may vary be device, country and language.8 Currently supported languages include Korean, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and Portuguese. Available in Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S24 FE, Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 and Galaxy Tab S10 series. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.9 Availability and timing may vary by market.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Director of Hong Kong Observatory highlights HKO’s latest services and annual weather outlook (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Director of Hong Kong Observatory highlights HKO’s latest services and annual weather outlook (with photo)Moreover, weather information for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was launched at the end of last year on the “MyObservatory” mobile application to assist citizens with travelling in the area to obtain the latest official weather information. Meanwhile, the “Dr. Tin” chatbot also supports a voice function on the “MyObservatory” mobile application. Members of the public may update to the latest version to enjoy the new features. 
    Note: The annual average global temperature in 2024 was 1.55 degrees above pre-industrial levels, marking it as the first year the 1.5 degrees level was exceeded. Although an individual year surpassing the 1.5 degrees level does not mean that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris Agreement are not achievable, it indicates the urgent need for a significant reduction in global carbon emissions to avoid the further worsening of climate change impacts.
    Issued at HKT 18:05

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LOK SABHA SPEAKER URGES DELHI MLAs TO MAKE DELHI LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY A MODEL LEGISLATURE, HIGHLIGHTS ITS GLORIOUS HISTORY

    Source: Government of India

    LOK SABHA SPEAKER URGES DELHI MLAs TO MAKE DELHI LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY A MODEL LEGISLATURE, HIGHLIGHTS ITS GLORIOUS HISTORY

    EXPECTATIONS AND ASPIRATIONS OF PEOPLE FROM NEW GOVERNMENT IN DELHI ARE VERY HIGH: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVES OF DELHI ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO PEOPLE OF DELHI, BUT ENTIRE COUNTRY KEEPS AN EYE ON THEIR WORK: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    PUBLIC REPRESENTATIVES MUST STRIVE TO BE EXCELLENT LISTENERS, SPEND TIME IN THE HOUSE TO BECOME A GOOD LEGISLATOR: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    THERE SHOULD NOT BE DEADLOCK IN HOUSE; DISSENT SHOULD BE EXPRESSED IN A DIGNIFIED MANNER WITH MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    COMMITTEES WORK AS MINI LEGISLATURES; MEMBERS SHOULD ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN COMMITTEE MEETINGS: LOK SABHA SPEAKER  

    IN PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY, ROLE OF OPPOSITION SHOULD BE POSITIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE: LOK SABHA SPEAKER

    LOK SABHA SPEAKER INAUGURATES ORIENTATION PROGRAMME FOR MEMBERS OF DELHI LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY 

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:32PM by PIB Delhi

     Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla today urged newly elected members of Delhi Legislative Assembly to make it a model legislature as expectations and aspirations of people from the new government are very high. Emphasizing on this, he said that public representatives of Delhi are accountable to people of Delhi but entire country keeps an eye on their work. Urging the Members to work on finding innovative solutions to the problems faced by the people, and share ideas and experiences in a competitive spirit, Shri Birla said that the aim of legislators must be to introduce innovations in the Assembly that will solve the problems of the people and address the challenges faced by them. He added that the solutions that emerge from Delhi will not only serve Delhi but also set an example for other states and legislative bodies in the country. 

    The Members should focus on development of Delhi as a whole instead of thinking restrictively to their constituencies, he suggested. Observing that Delhi is a microcosm of India, where people from all states, with diverse languages, religions, and cultures, come together, Shri Birla said that it is the responsibility of elected representatives to meet these varied aspirations and expectations. Shri Birla was speaking at the inaugural session of the two days Orientation Programme for Members of Delhi Vidhan Sabha at the Delhi Legislative Assembly premises, today. The Orientation Programme is being organised by Delhi Vidhan Sabha and Parliamentary Research and Training Institute for Democracies (PRIDE), Lok Sabha Secretariat. 

    Members, while fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the people, must adhere to rules, procedures and conventions of the House upholding the democratic spirit and constitutional values, he added. He also stressed on using technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and capacity building of members to make the legislature a more effective platform for executive accountability. Mentioning that legislatures are platforms for fruitful dialogues, Shri Birla underlined that there should not be any deadlock within the House and dissent must be expressed in a dignified manner and through meaningful discourse. The Speaker urged them to maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethics in their public life. 

    Outlining the glorious history of the Delhi Legislative Assembly which closely witnessed the freedom struggle and the establishing of democratic setup of modern India, the Speaker urged the members to uphold that tradition and to strengthen it further. The conduct of MLAs and their actions and discussions in the Assembly strengthen the democratic traditions of the nation, he noted. Shri Birla observed that public representatives must strive to be excellent listeners, as listening is equally important as speaking. He added that being a good listener is essential to become a good speaker. Shri Birla also underlined that it is essential to work with the mindset of learning and understanding past actions, debates, laws, and new innovative ideas. Shri Birla noted that public representatives must be familiar with the rules and procedures of Legislative Assembly, the Constitution Of India, especially those sections that pertain to your state, duties and responsibilities. The more informed a law maker would be, the more effective he would in the Assembly, the Speaker added. Shri Birla also noted that the more technology public representatives embrace, the better their discussions and deliberations will be. 

    On the occasion, Shri Birla reiterated the importance of knowledge of legislative drafting and said that public representatives who are skilled in legislative drafting can make substantial contributions to the development of their State and government. By good legislative drafting, an MLA can help the assembly and help the government in effective legislation and better public service delivery. Mentioning that in a parliamentary democracy, role of the Opposition should be positive and constructive, as the foundation of democracy is based on dialogue and consensus, Shri Birla said that members must ensure that their language, conduct, and reasoning are in line with parliamentary standards. He added that in a democracy, both the ruling party and the opposition have important roles to play and that their positive contributions strengthen the democratic process. Referring to the Committees as mini legislatures, Shri Birla urged the members to actively participate in Committee meetings. Speaker of Delhi Legislative Assembly, Shri Vijendra Gupta; Chief Minister of Delhi, Smt. Rekha Gupta; Leader of Opposition in Delhi Legislative Assembly, Ms. Atishi; and Deputy Speaker, Delhi Legislative Assembly, Shri Mohan Singh Bisht graced the occasion and addressed the distinguished gathering. Union Ministers, Members of Parliament representing Delhi, and Members of the Legislative Assembly were present on the occasion. 

    ***

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:27PM by PIB Delhi

    International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) has played a key role in advancing research and development within India’s automotive sector. It has successfully developed 27 innovative technologies, reflecting its commitment to excellence in automobile engineering. Additionally, ICAT holds 9 patents/ IPRs and 2 copyrights/ design registrations, highlighting its contributions to intellectual property in the automotive domain. ICAT’s experts have published over 50 technical papers in esteemed national and international forums. Furthermore, to strengthen the R&D ecosystem, ICAT has established over 40 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with leading domestic and international automotive organizations and premier academia such as IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Roorkee, IIT-Hyderabad, CDAC, IDIADA-Spain, TUV Rhineland-Germany.

    ICAT has launched the ICAT incubation and acceleration centre for supporting startups in auto and allied domain. Additionally, ICAT is a board member in Automotive & Allied Research and Technology Innovations (AARTI) Foundation, a section-8 entity established with support from IIT-Roorkee, to support innovation and businesses in auto and allied domains, especially for startups and MSMEs. ICAT actively engages startups & MSMEs through workshops, seminars and webinars offering skilling and upskilling opportunities while serving as a technology and validation partner by providing technical and industry expertise.

    The Government of India has formulated various schemes to attract foreign investment in the heavy industry and automobile sectors. These schemes also aim to strengthen the position of India in global EV and hydrogen fuel cell market. The details are as under: –

    1. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry in India (PLI-Auto): Government has notified this scheme on 23.09.2021 for Automobile and Auto Component Industry for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities for Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products with a budgetary outlay of ₹25,938 crore. There are 41 approved foreign applicants in the scheme.
    2. Scheme to Promotion Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI): This scheme was notified on 15.03.2024 to promote the manufacturing of electric cars in India. Under this scheme, EV passenger cars (e-4W) can initially be imported with a minimum CIF value of USD 35,000, at a duty rate of 15% for a period of 5 years from the date of issuance of approval letter by MHI. This requires applicants to invest a minimum of ₹4,150 crore and achieve a minimum DVA of 25% at the end of third year and DVA of 50% at the end of fifth year.
    3. Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme Phase-II: The Government implemented this scheme for a period of five years from 01/04/2019 till 31/03/2024 with a total budgetary support of Rs.11,500 crore. There are foreign OEMs who had invested and were supported under the scheme.
    4. PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE)Scheme: This schemewith an outlay of Rs.10,900 crore was notified on 29th September, 2024. It is a two-year scheme w.e.f. 1st April, 2024 onwards, which aims to support EVs including e-2W, e-3W, e-Trucks, e-buses and e-Ambulances.  There are foreign OEMs who have invested and are supported under the scheme.
    5. National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM): The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is implementing the National Green Hydrogen Mission, with an objective to make India a global hub of production, usage and export of Green Hydrogen and its derivatives. One of the objectives of the Mission is to support the deployment of Green Hydrogen as fuel in buses and trucks, in a phased manner on a pilot basis. MNRE issued the scheme guidelines for implementation of pilot projects for use of Green Hydrogen in the Transport Sector under the NGHM. Under this scheme, five pilot projects have been sanctioned consisting total of 37 vehicles (buses and trucks), and 9 hydrogen refuelling stations. As part of the Mission, the R&D Scheme Guidelines have been issued that include development of fuel cells as one of the key areas.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    ****

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CURRENT STATUS OF FAME-II SCHEME

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:26PM by PIB Delhi

    Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &) Electric Vehicles in India (FAME India) Scheme Phase-II was implemented for a period of five years from 01.04.2019 with a total budgetary support of Rs.11,500 crore. The scheme incentivized sale of electric vehicles i.e. e-2Ws, e-3Ws & e-4Ws.  Further, grants for deployment of e-buses and setting up of EV public charging stations (EVPCS) were also provided under the scheme. The number of electric vehicles incentivized under the FAME India scheme Phase-II, as on 11.03.2025 are as under: –

    Sl. No.

    Segment

    No. of EVs for which incentive paid

    1

    e-2 wheelers

    14,28,009

    2

    e-3 wheelers

    1,64,523

    3

    e-4 wheelers

    22,548

     

    Total

    16,15,080

    Further, 6,862 electric buses were sanctioned to various cities/STUs/State Govt. entities for intra-city operations under the FAME-II Scheme. Out of 6,862 e-buses, 5,135 e-buses have been supplied till 28.02.2025.

    Further, under FAME-II scheme, MHI had sanctioned Rs.800 crore in March, 2023 to three Oil marketing companies (OMCs) namely Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd. (HPCL) for setting up 7,432 public charging stations (PCS) at their Retail Outlets (ROs) across the country. Further, MHI sanctioned an additional Rs.73.50 crore for upgradation of 980 Public Charging stations in March, 2024. In addition, 400 charging stations have also been sanctioned which were allotted through EOI to other entities in various states.

    MHI is implementing following schemes on pan-India basis including for rural areas to strengthen electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem and accelerate adoption of electric vehicle in the country :

    i.     Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry in India (PLI-Auto): The Government approved this scheme on 23.09.2021 for Automobile and Auto Component Industry in India for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities for advanced automotive technology (AAT) products with a budgetary outlay of Rs.25,938 crore. The scheme proposes financial incentives to boost domestic manufacturing of AAT products with minimum 50% Domestic Value Addition (DVA) and attract investments in the automotive manufacturing value chain.

    ii.    PLI Scheme for National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage: The Government on 12.05.2021 approved PLI Scheme for manufacturing of ACC in the country with a budgetary outlay of Rs.18,100 crore. The scheme aims to establish a competitive domestic manufacturing ecosystem for 50 GWh of ACC batteries.

    iii.  PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme: This scheme with an outlay of Rs.10,900 crore was notified on 29.09.2024. It is a two-year scheme which aims to support electric vehicles including e-2W, e-3W, e-Trucks, e-buses, e-Ambulances, EV public charging stations and upgradation of vehicle testing agencies.

    iv.   PM e-Bus Sewa-Payment Security Mechanism (PSM) Scheme: This Scheme notified on 28.10.2024, has an outlay of Rs.3,435.33 crore and aims to support deployment of more than 38,000 electric buses. The objective of scheme is to provide payment security to e-bus operators in case of default by Public Transport Authorities (PTAs).

    v.    Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) was notified on 15.03.2024 to promote the manufacturing of electric cars in India. This requires applicants to invest a minimum of Rs.4,150 crore and to achieve a minimum DVA of 25% at the end of the third year and DVA of 50% at the end of the fifth year.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    ****

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ESTABLISHMENT OF EV MANUFACTURING UNITS AND INDUSTRY GROWTH

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:25PM by PIB Delhi

    Government has taken several steps to help EV manufacturers, which had resulted in job creation and increased domestic production. The details are as below:

    1. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry in India (PLI-Auto): Government approved this scheme on 23.09.2021 for Automobile and Auto Component Industry for enhancing India’s manufacturing capabilities for advanced automotive technology (AAT) products with a budgetary outlay of ₹25,938 crore.
    2. Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage: The Government on 12.05.2021 approved PLI Scheme for manufacturing of ACC in the country with a view to reduce the dependency on imported batteries and promote domestic manufacturing by encouraging the local production of advanced chemistry cells to support India’s clean energy and electric mobility transition. Under this Scheme, the total budgetary outlay of ₹18,100 crore for a capacity of 50 GWh for a period of 5 years after gestation period of 2 years.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    ****

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister praises German Singer, Ms. CassMae for promoting Indian Culture on the Global Stage

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:25PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has praised German Singer, Ms. CassMae for promoting Indian Culture on the Global Stage. 

    Shri Modi said that people like CassMae have played a remarkable role in bridging the cultural exchange. Through dedicated efforts, she, along with several others, has helped showcase the richness, depth and diversity of India’s heritage.

    The Prime Minister wrote on X;

    “The world’s curiosity about Indian culture continues to grow, and people like CassMae have played a remarkable role in bridging this cultural exchange. Through dedicated efforts, she, along with several others, has helped showcase the richness, depth and diversity of India’s heritage. #MannKiBaat”

     

     

    “Weltweite Neugier auf die indische Kultur wächst weiter, und Menschen wie CassMae haben eine wichtige Rolle dabei gespielt, diesen kulturellen Austausch zu fördern. Durch ihren engagierten Einsatz hat sie zusammen mit anderen dazu beigetragen, den Reichtum, die Tiefe und die Vielfalt des indischen Kulturerbes zu präsentieren.”

     

     

    ***

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IMPACT OF 10 GWh CAPACITY PROJECT

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:24PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) administers a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme namely “National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage”. Under the scheme, the total outlay is ₹18,100 Crore for a capacity of 50 GWh for a period of 5 years after gestation period of 2 years. A total of 40GWh in two tranches has been allocated to four PLI beneficiaries. Further, as per recommendation of EGoS in July 2024, MHI initiated the process for finalizing bid documents for balance 10 GWh capacity for Grid Scale Stationary Storage (GSSS) applications in consultation with Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE). The details of the scheme may be seen at:https://heavyindustries.gov.in/pli-scheme-national-programme-advanced-chemistry-cell-acc-battery-storage. The objectives of the PLI ACC scheme are:

    1. Promoting indigenous manufacturing
    2. Enhancing cost competitiveness
    3. Boosting clean energy and sustainability
    4. Encouraging investment and innovation
    5. Developing a robust supply chain and generating employment and economic growth.
    6. Fostering local manufacturing to decrease dependence on imported batteries, supporting the broader goal of self-reliance in the energy sector.

    The “National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Battery Storage” is a government initiative in India which, inter-alia, aimed at accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) and battery storage technologies by promoting manufacturing of Giga Scale battery manufacturing units.

    The scheme is creating ACC manufacturing ecosystem in the country by reducing battery costs, making EVs more affordable and accelerating adoption, enhancing energy storage solutions for renewable integration, improving grid stability and energy efficiency.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    ****

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: IMPORT OF CRITICAL MINERALS FOR EVs

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:23PM by PIB Delhi

    The country is greatly dependent on other Asian countries for raw materials, mineral processing, battery and other basic requirements for production and promotion of e-vehicles in the country, since the basic raw material for production of electric vehicles is lithium and other critical materials. At present, investments in manufacturing and overall value addition for Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACCs) are negligible in India and almost entire domestic demand of ACCs is still being met through imports. In order to reduce dependency of imported ACC battery for electric vehicles, the Government on 12th May, 2021 approved a Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for manufacturing of Advance Chemistry Cell (ACC) in the country. The total outlay of the scheme is Rs.18,100 Crore for a period of 5 years. The scheme envisages to establish a competitive ACC battery manufacturing set up in the country (50 GWh).

    As per the information received from Ministry of Mines, the Union Cabinet has approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) on 29th January, 2025, for a period of seven years from 2024-25 to 2030-31, with a proposed expenditure of Rs.16,300 crore and an expected investment of Rs.18,000 crore by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and other stakeholders. The NCMM aims to secure a long-term sustainable supply of critical minerals and strengthen India’s critical mineral value chains encompassing all stages from mineral exploration and mining to beneficiation, processing, and recovery from end-of-life products.

    In order to boost domestic production and reduce India’s dependence on imported lithium, cobalt and other key materials required for EV batteries, the Government of India has taken significant steps, which are as under:

    The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR) has been amended through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 w.e.f. 17.08.2023. The Amendment Act, 2023 provides for:

    1. A list of 24 critical and strategic minerals in Part D of Schedule-I.
    2. Omission of six minerals from the list of 12 atomic minerals in Part B of Schedule-I namely Lithium, Titanium, Beryl and beryllium bearing minerals, Niobium, Tantalum and Zirconium bearing minerals and their inclusion in the list of aforesaid 24 critical and strategic minerals.
    3. Section 11D of the Act, which empowers Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for critical & strategic minerals specified in Part D of the Schedule-I.
    4. Exploration license for 29 minerals included in Schedule-VII of the Act.

    In addition, Ministry of Mines has been empowered to auction blocks for grant of Exploration License through an order dated 21st October, 2024 under Section 20A of MMDR Act 1957. Central Government has successfully auctioned 24 blocks of critical and strategic minerals in 04 tranches in 2024.

    The exploration of critical minerals has been significantly increased. Over the past three years, the Geological Survey of India (GSI) has undertaken 368 exploration projects focused on critical and strategic minerals. In the FY 2024-25, 195 projects are being executed, and 227 projects have been approved for the upcoming financial year.

    100% FDI is allowed under “Automatic” route for mining and exploration of metal and non-metal ores. A foreign company may incorporate an Indian subsidiary company or invest in an existing Indian Company to become eligible for grant of mining and exploration rights.

    To support the critical minerals sector, Government has eliminated customs duties on 25 minerals and reduced Basic Customs Duties (BCD) on 2 minerals in the Union Budget for 2024-25.

    In the Union Budget 2025-26, the Government proposed to fully exempt cobalt powder and waste, the scrap of lithium-ion battery, Lead, Zinc and 12 more critical minerals to secure their availability for manufacturing in India and promote more jobs for India’s youth.

    Ministry of Mines is engaged in various multilateral and bilateral platforms for strengthening the critical minerals value chain, focussing on multiple objectives, including the processing and recycling of critical minerals such as Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) and the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET), the UK-India Technology Security Initiative (TSI) and others.

    The Ministry of Mines has taken a significant step to acquire overseas mineral assets through the establishment of a joint venture company, KhanijBidesh India Ltd. (KABIL).  Its overarching mission is to identify and acquire overseas mineral assets that hold critical and strategic significance, specifically targeting minerals like Lithium, Cobalt and others. KABIL has signed an Exploration and Development Agreement with CAMYEN, a state-owned enterprise of Catamarca province of Argentina, for Exploration and mining of Five Lithium Brine Block in Argentina with an area of around 15,703 Ha.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Steel and Heavy Industries, Shri Bhupathiraju Srinivasa Varma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

    ****

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE meets Dongguan official

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Chief Executive John Lee today met Secretary of the CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee Wei Hao to discuss deepening Hong Kong’s co-operation with Dongguan and promoting the Greater Bay Area’s high-quality development.

    Welcoming Mr Wei and his delegation, Mr Lee stressed that Hong Kong and Dongguan enjoy close geographical and cultural ties, and have long maintained close co-operation in areas such as economics, trade, and shipping.

    He outlined that Hong Kong will give full play to its advantages as a bridge between the Mainland and the world, and its dual roles in helping Mainland firms to go global while attracting foreign investment, in order to assist Dongguan enterprises as they seek to expand internationally.

    The Chief Executive also mentioned the successful collaboration between the two cities in operating the Hong Kong International Airport Dongguan Logistics Park, in Dongguan, under the “sea-air intermodal cargo-transshipment” mode.

    Combining Hong Kong’s strengths in aviation and logistics with Dongguan’s land and manpower resources, the project aims to create a model of successful co-operation within the bay area. Mr Lee emphasised that it will enhance logistics connectivity within the bay area and boost the international competitiveness of the area’s manufacturing and import-export industries.

    The Chief Executive expressed confidence that Hong Kong and Dongguan will leverage their complementary advantages and pursue greater co-operation, thereby contributing to world-class development in the bay area. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Cooperative Societies and Cooperative Banks

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:18PM by PIB Delhi

    As per National Cooperative Database (NCD), the total number of cooperative societies, state-wise, as of 01-03-2025, is attached as Annexure-1. The state-wise number of State cooperative Banks, District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCB) and Urban Cooperative Banks (UCB) is attached as Annexure-2.

    The details of funds allocated by the Government for Computerization of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Credit Societies during last three years are at Annexure 3 and details of financial assistance disbursed by National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) for the development of cooperatives societies including cooperative banks during the last three years are given at Annexure 4.

    All the cooperative banks under the supervision of NABARD have been digitized and are functional on Core Banking Solution (CBS) platform.

     Cooperative banks are inherently cooperative societies which are registered under the Cooperative Societies Act of the State concerned or under the Multi-State Cooperative Societies Act, 2002 (amended in 2023). When cooperative societies carry on the business of banking, they come under the regulatory purview of RBI and they are licensed under the provisions of the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 (as applicable to cooperative societies).

    S.No

    State

    Number of Societies

    1

    ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS

    2231

    2

    ANDHRA PRADESH

    17884

    3

    ARUNACHAL PRADESH

    1302

    4

    ASSAM

    11325

    5

    BIHAR

    26324

    6

    CHANDIGARH

    476

    7

    CHHATTISGARH

    10980

    8

    DELHI

    5944

    9

    GOA

    5499

    10

    GUJARAT

    83748

    11

    HARYANA

    33300

    12

    HIMACHAL PRADESH

    5439

    13

    JAMMU AND KASHMIR

    10124

    14

    JHARKHAND

    11683

    15

    KARNATAKA

    45292

    16

    KERALA

    18209

    17

    LADAKH

    273

    18

    LAKSHADWEEP

    43

    19

    MADHYA PRADESH

    53740

    20

    MAHARASHTRA

    222864

    21

    MANIPUR

    11458

    22

    MEGHALAYA

    3152

    23

    MIZORAM

    1320

    24

    NAGALAND

    8017

    25

    ODISHA

    7598

    26

    PUDUCHERRY

    461

    27

    PUNJAB

    19237

    28

    RAJASTHAN

    41095

    29

    SIKKIM

    3797

    30

    TAMIL NADU

    22793

    31

    TELANGANA

    60517

     

    32

    THE DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI AND

    DAMAN AND DIU

     

    566

    33

    TRIPURA

    3213

    34

    UTTAR PRADESH

    44933

    35

    UTTARAKHAND

    5572

    36

    WEST BENGAL

    31779

     

    Total

    832188

    Source: NCD portal as of 01-03-2025

     

    S.No

    State

    State Cooperative Banks

    District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCB )

    Urban Cooperative Banks

    (UCB)

     

    1

    ANDAMAN AND

    NICOBAR ISLANDS

     

    1

     

    0

     

    2

    ANDHRA PRADESH

    1

    13

    39

    3

    ARUNACHAL PRADESH

    1

    0

     

    4

    ASSAM

    1

    0

    7

    5

    BIHAR

    1

    23

    2

    6

    CHANDIGARH

    1

    0

    2

    7

    CHHATTISGARH

    1

    6

    12

    8

    DELHI

    1

    0

    17

    9

    GOA

    1

    0

    5

    10

    GUJARAT

    1

    18

    212

    11

    HARYANA

    1

    19

    7

    12

    HIMACHAL PRADESH

    1

    2

    5

    13

    JAMMU AND KASHMIR

    1

    3

    4

    14

    JHARKHAND

    1

    1

    2

    15

    KARNATAKA

    1

    20

    279

    16

    KERALA

    1

    0

    39

    17

    LADAKH

    0

    0

     

    18

    LAKSHADWEEP

    0

    0

     

    19

    MADHYA PRADESH

    1

    38

    38

    20

    MAHARASHTRA

    1

    31

    448

    21

    MANIPUR

    1

    0

     

    22

    MEGHALAYA

    1

    0

    3

    23

    MIZORAM

    1

    0

     

    24

    NAGALAND

    1

    0

     

    25

    ODISHA

    1

    17

    10

    26

    PUDUCHERRY

    1

    0

    1

    27

    PUNJAB

    1

    20

    9

    28

    RAJASTHAN

    1

    29

    38

    29

    SIKKIM

    1

    0

    1

    30

    TAMIL NADU

    1

    24

    101

    31

    TELANGANA

    1

    9

    70

     

     

    32

    THE DADRA AND

    NAGAR HAVELI AND DAMAN AND DIU

     

     

    1

     

     

    0

     

    33

    TRIPURA

    1

    0

     

    34

    UTTAR PRADESH

    1

    50

    55

    35

    UTTARAKHAND

    1

    10

    6

    36

    WEST BENGAL

    1

    5

    42

    Total

    32

    338

    1454

    Source: NCD portal as of 01-03-2025

    (Amount in Rs. Crore)

    States/UTs

    BE allocated for FY 2022-23

    BE allocated for FY 2023-24

    BE allocated for FY 2024-25

    Maharashtra

    87.95

    134.58

    27.81

    Rajasthan

    23.78

    78.06

    52.42

    Gujarat

    0

    106.7

    44.37

    Uttar Pradesh

    11.28

    43.87

    50.88

    Karnataka

    40.25

    61.58

    21.17

    Madhya Pradesh

    33.23

    50.85

    0

    Tamil Nadu

    33.2

    49.84

    24.95

    Bihar

    32.95

    50.41

    29.32

    West Bengal

    30.54

    46.73

    40.49

    Punjab

    25.52

    39.05

    13.32

    Andhra Pradesh

    14.93

    22.84

    18.12

    Chhattisgarh

    14.86

    22.75

    20.41

    Himachal Pradesh

    9.56

    14.64

    6.18

    Jharkhand

    10.99

    16.83

    15.1

    Haryana

    4.85

    8.33

    3

    Uttarakhand

    0

    0

    7.03

    Assam

    6.41

    9.81

    6.6

    J&K

    5.25

    8.03

    3.71

    Tripura

    2.95

    4.5

    3.03

    Manipur

    2.55

    3.9

    3.86

    Nagaland

    0.36

    0.56

    3.2

    Meghalaya

    1.23

    1.13

    1.97

    Sikkim

    1.18

    1.8

    0.79

    Goa

    0.32

    0.5

    0.44

    ANI

    0

    1.33

    0.84

    Puducherry

    0.44

    0.67

    0.29

    Mizoram

    0.27

    0.43

    0.44

    Arunachal Pradesh

    0.15

    0.24

    0.09

    Ladakh

    0

    0.31

    0.04

    DNH&DD

    0

    0

    0.12

    Funds disbursed by NCDC for cooperative societies and banks (Annexure 4)

    (Amount in Rs. Crore)

    S.No.

    Name of the State

    FY 2022-23

    FY 2023-24

    FY 2024-25*

    1

    A & N

    0

    1.69

    0.56

    2

    Andhra Pradesh

    9734.7

    13,280.13

    14732.69

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    0.38

    –

    0.16

    4

    Assam

    17.48

    0.89

    1.86

    5

    Bihar

    4053.75

    815.83

    6.31

    6

    Chandigarh

    0.03

    –

    0.00

    7

    Chhattisgarh

    8502.24

    18,991.35

    28081.03

    8

    Daman & Diu

    0

    0.11

    0.03

    9

    Goa

    0

    –

    0.03

    10

    Gujarat

    370.8

    586.99

    297.89

    11

    Haryana

    6655.24

    9,887.36

    12380.50

    12

    Himachal Pradesh

    12.91

    1.85

    4.12

    13

    J&K

    0.58

    0.71

    0.80

    14

    Jharkhand

    4.63

    2.54

    28.34

    15

    Karnataka

    112.54

    261.35

    432.13

    16

    Kerala

    704.74

    275.89

    736.78

    17

    Lakshadweep

     

     

    0.06

    18

    Madhya Pradesh

    284.4

    322.86

    290.07

    19

    Maharashtra

    751.16

    2,101.42

    3278.36

    20

    Manipur

    30.38

    6.60

    0.39

    21

    Meghalaya

    0.14

    0.22

    0.12

    22

    Mizoram

    4.23

    3.24

    1.16

    23

    Nagaland

    1.2

    0.67

    0.52

    24

    Odisha

    1.61

    3.24

    3.47

    25

    Punjab

    0.42

    1,650.44

    2000.22

    26

    Puducherry

    0.06

    –

    0.11

    27

    Rajasthan

    4.91

    66.09

    67.33

    28

    Sikkim

    0.14

    0.22

    0.05

    29

    Tamil Nadu

    30.49

    4.28

    19.29

    30

    Telangana

    9304.97

    12,174.11

    20982.36

    31

    Tripura

    12.35

    1.55

    1.27

    32

    Uttar Pradesh

    350.24

    13.04

    207.58

    33

    Uttarakhand

    10.5

    149.13

    4.56

    34

    West Bengal

    63.36

    4.96

    2.94

    35

    Delhi + Others**

    10.82

    9.71

    1016.55

     

    Total

    41,031.40

    60,618.47

    84579.64

    *Data for FY 2024-25 is as on 28.01.2025**Others includes cooperative federations registered under the Multi State Cooperative Societies Act 2002

    This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    ****

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2112226) Visitor Counter : 21

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Sahkar se Samriddhi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Ministry of Cooperation

    Sahkar se Samriddhi

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:15PM by PIB Delhi

    To achieve the prosperity in the country through the mantra of “Sahakar Se Samriddhi” given by the Prime Minister, a pilot project to promote ‘Cooperation among Cooperatives’ was launched by Union Minister of Home and Cooperation on 21st May,2023 in Banaskantha and Panchmahal District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs) of Gujarat to promote all financial transactions of Primary Dairy Cooperative Societies (PDCSs) with Rural Cooperative Banks and to strengthen and make the cooperative sector Aatma Nirbhar. Activities taken up under the pilot project are as under:

    1. Dairy cooperative societies were made Bank Mitras of DCCBs: To ensure ease of doing business of PDCSs through digital financial transactions and to promote financial inclusion, micro-ATMs were given to these Bank Mitra PDCS with support from NABARD’s Financial Inclusion Fund (FIF) to provide doorstep financial services.
    2. Rupay KCC through DCCBs: To expand the business and reach of DCCBs and to provide necessary liquidity/credit to the members of dairy cooperative societies, RuPay Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) were issued by DCCBs to the members of PDCS and other societies for providing timely credit at comparatively lower interest rates and enabling other financial transactions.
    3. Awareness about the campaign was created through Financial Literacy Camps (FLCs) which was also supported through FIF.

    On the basis of learnings during the pilot project, the campaign was expanded and launched in all districts of Gujarat from 15th January 2024. Achievements during the campaign in the state of Gujarat are provided below:-

    • Over 2,23,994 new RuPay KCCs were issued by DCCBs.
    • 6446 micro-ATMs were distributed to new Bank Mitra PDCS
    • 6529 Bank Mitras were enrolled
    • More than 23 lakh deposit accounts opened
    • Total amount deposited was Rs. 8329 crore

    A Standard Operating Procedure for the nation-wide implementation of the Campaign on ‘Cooperation among Cooperatives’ was launched on 19.09.2024.

    Ministry of Cooperation with active participation of various States/ UTs has taken various initiatives to revitalize and strengthen the cooperative sector across the country ensuring uniform development of Cooperative Societies across all the States, which are enclosed at Annexure. These initiatives also include the measures taken to strengthen cooperative societies in those States where the cooperative movement is not in good position at present.

    To enhance international market access for cooperative based products, Ministry of Cooperation has set up National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL). NCEL will focus on exporting the surpluses available in the Indian cooperative sector by accessing wider markets beyond the geographical contours of the country, thereby, increasing the demand of Indian Cooperative products/services across the globe and fetch best possible prices for such products/services. It will promote exports through various activities including procurement, storage, processing, marketing, branding, labelling, packaging, certification, research and development, etc, and trading of all types of goods and services produced by cooperative societies. 8,863 cooperatives have become member of NCEL.

    *****

    ANNEXURE

    Progress on major initiatives taken by Ministry of Cooperation

    Ministry of Cooperation, since its inception on 6th July, 2021, has undertaken several initiatives to realize the vision of “Sahakar-se-Samriddhi” and to strengthen & deepen the cooperative movement from Primary to Apex level Cooperatives in the country. List of initiatives taken and progress made so far are as follows:

    A. Making Primary Cooperatives economically vibrant and transparent

    1. Model Bye-Laws for PACS making them multipurpose, multidimensional and transparent entities: Government, in consultation with all the stakeholders, including States/ UTs, National Level Federations, State Cooperative Banks (StCBs), District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs), etc., has prepared and circulated Model Bye-laws for PACS to all the States/ UTs, which enable PACS to undertake more than 25 business activities, improve governance, transparency and accountability in their operations. Provisions have also been made to make the membership of PACS more inclusive and broad-based, giving adequate representation to women and Scheduled Castes/Schedules Tribes. So far, 32 States/ UTs have adopted Model Bye-laws or their existing bye-laws are in line with Model Bye-laws.
      1. Strengthening of PACS through Computerization: In order to strengthen PACS, project for Computerization of functional PACS with a total financial outlay of ₹2,516 Crore has been approved by the Government of India, which entails bringing all functional PACS in the Country onto a common ERP based national software, linking them with NABARD through StCBs and DCCBs. A total of 67,930 PACS from 30 States/ UTs have been sanctioned under the project. A total of 50,455 PACS have been onboarded on ERP Software and hardware has been procured by 30 States/UTs.
      1. Establishing New Multipurpose PACS/ Dairy/ Fishery Cooperatives in covering all the Panchayats: The Government of India has approved the plan to establish new multipurpose PACS/dairy/fisheries cooperatives, aiming to cover all panchayats and villages in the country over the next five years. This initiative is supported by NABARD, NDDB, NFDB and State/UT Governments. For effective implementation of the initiative, ‘Margadarshika’ has been launched on 19.9.2024, indicating the targets and timelines for stakeholders. As per National Cooperative Database, a total of 12,957 new PACS, Dairy and Fishery Cooperative Societies have been registered as on 27.1.2025 across the country since the approval of the plan on 15.2.2023.
      1. World’s Largest Decentralized Grain Storage Plan in Cooperative sector: Government has approved a plan to create warehouses, custom hiring centers, primary processing units and other agri-infrastructure for grain storage at PACS level, through convergence of various GOI schemes, including AIF, AMI, SMAM, PMFME, etc. This will reduce wastage of food grains and transportation costs, enable farmers to realize better prices for their produce and meet various agricultural needs at the PACS level itself. Under the pilot project, construction of godowns in 11 PACS of 11 States has been completed.
      2. PACS as Common Service Centers (CSCs) for better access to e-services: An MoU has been signed between Ministry of Cooperation, MeitY, NABARD and CSC e-Governance Services India Limited for providing more than 300 e-services such as banking, insurance, Aadhar enrolment/ updation, health services, PAN card and IRCTC/ Bus/ Air ticket, etc. through PACS. So far, 42,080 PACS have started providing CSC services to rural citizens.
      1. Formation of new Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) by PACS: Government has allowed 1100 additional FPOs to be formed by PACS with the support of NCDC, in those blocks where FPOs have not yet been formed or the blocks are not covered by any other implementing agency. Against this allocation of 1100 blocks, 958 FPOs have been registered/ on-boarded as on 27.01.2025. Apart from this, 730 FPOs have already been formed by NCDC in cooperative sector. As on date, a total of 1,688 FPOs have been registered / on-boarded by NCDC in cooperative sector. This will be helpful in providing farmers with necessary market linkages and get fair and remunerative process for their produce.
      1. PACS given priority for Retail Petrol/ Diesel outlets: Government has allowed PACS to be included in the Combined Category 2 (CC2) for allotment of retail petrol/ diesel outlets. As per information received from Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs), 286 PACS from 25 States/UTs have applied online for retail petrol/ diesel outlets.
      1. PACS given permission to convert bulk consumer petrol pumps into retail outlets: The existing bulk consumer licensee PACS have been given a one-time option by Oil Marketing Companies to convert into retail outlets. As per information shared by OMCs, 116 wholesale consumer pump licensee PACS from 5 States have given consent for conversion into Retail Outlets, out of which 56 PACS have been commissioned by the OMCs.
      1. PACS eligible for LPG Distributorship for diversifying its activities: Government has now allowed PACS to apply for LPG Distributorships. This will give PACS an option to increase their economic activities and diversify their income stream. As of now, 2 PACS from the state of Jharkhand have applied for LPG distributorship under CC Category.
      1. PACS as PM Bharatiya Jan Aushadhi Kendra for improving access to generic medicines at rural level: PACS have been allowed to operate Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya JanaushadhiKendras (PMBJKs), which will provide additional income source to them and ease the access to quality generic medicines for rural citizens. So far, 4,523 PACS/ cooperative societies have applied online for PMBJKs, out of which 2,744 PACS have been given initial approval by Pharmaceutical & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) and 785 PACS have received drug license from State Drug Controllers and 716 PACS have got store codes from PMBI which are ready to function as PM Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
      1. PACS as Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samriddhi Kendras (PMKSK): PACS have been enabled to operate PMKSK for ensuring easy accessibility of fertilizer & related services to farmers in the country. As per the information shared by Department of Fertilizers (GOI) and States/ UTs, a total of 36,193 PACS are functioning as PMKSK.
      1. PACS to carry out O&M of rural piped water supply schemes (PWS): PACS have been made eligible to carry out the Operations & Maintenance (O&M) of PWS in rural areas. As per information received from States/ UTs, 934 PACS have been identified/ selected by 13 States/ UTs to provide O&M services at Panchayat/ Village level.
      1. Convergence of PM-KUSUM at PACS level: Farmers associated with PACS can adopt solar agricultural water pumps and install photovoltaic modules in their farms.
      2. Micro-ATMs to Bank Mitra Cooperative Societies for providing doorstep financial services: Dairy and Fisheries cooperative societies can be made Bank Mitras of DCCBs and StCBs. To ensure their ease of doing business, transparency and financial inclusion, Micro-ATMs are also being given to these Bank Mitra Co-operative Societies with support from NABARD to provide ‘Door-step Financial Services’. To facilitate effective implementation of the initiative, an SOP has been launched on 19th September 2024. So far, 8,322 Micro-ATMs have been distributed to Bank Mitra cooperative societies in Gujarat.
      1. Rupay Kisan Credit Card to Members of Milk Cooperatives: In order to expand the reach of DCCBs/ StCBs and to provide necessary liquidity to the members of Dairy Cooperative societies, Rupay Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) are being distributed to the members of cooperatives for providing credit at comparatively lower interest rates and to enable them to carry out other financial transactions. To facilitate effective implementation of the initiative, an SOP has been launched on 19th September 2024. So far, 7,43,810 Rupay KCC have been distributed in the State of Gujarat.

    16. Formation of Fish Farmer Producer Organization (FFPO): In order to provide market linkage and processing facilities to fishermen, NCDC has registered 70 FFPOs in the initial phase. In addition, Department of Fisheries, Government of India has allocated the work of converting 1000 existing fisheries cooperative societies into FFPOs to National Cooperative Development Corporation. National Cooperative Development Corporation has identified 997 Primary Fisheries Cooperatives Societies to strengthen as FFPOs, with an approved outlay of Rs. 280.65 crore.

      1. White Revolution 2.0: The Ministry of Cooperation has launched an initiative to usher Cooperative-led “White Revolution 2.0” aimed at expanding cooperative coverage, employment generation and women’s empowerment with an objective “To increase the milk procurement of dairy cooperatives by 50% from the present level over next five years by providing market access to dairy farmers in uncovered areas and increasing the share of dairy cooperatives in organised sector.” The SOP for White Revolution 2.0 was launched on 19.11.2024 by Hon’ble Home & Cooperation Minister in presence of Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. On 25.12.2024 Hon’ble Home & Cooperation Minister in the presence of Hon’ble Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying inaugurated 6,600 newly set up Dairy Cooperative Societies. So far, 8,294 DCSs have been registered in 27 States/UTs.
      2.  Atmanirbharta Abhiyan: Ministry of Cooperation has launched the initiative to incentivize production of pulses (tur, masur and urad) to reduce dependency on imports, and production of maize to be used for production of ethanol for meeting the goal of Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP) through National Cooperative Consumer Federation (NCCF) and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED). Both have developed their own web portal i.e. e-samyukti and e-samridhi respectively for registration of farmers through cooperatives. Both have assured pre-registered farmers of tur, urad, masur and maize to procure 100% of their produce at Minimum Support Price (MSP). However, if market prices exceed the MSP, farmers are free to sell their produce in the open market. A total of 12,64,212 farmers have already registered on the e-samyukti portal of NCCF. Similarly, 6,75,178 farmers have registered themselves on the e-samridhi portal of NAFED.

    B. Strengthening the Urban and Rural Cooperative Banks

    1. Urban Cooperative Banks (UCBs) have been allowed to open new branches to expand their business: UCBs can now open new branches up to 10% (maximum 5 branches) of the existing number of branches in the previous financial year without prior approval of RBI.
    1. UCBs have been allowed by RBI to offer doorstep services to their customers: Door step banking facility can now be provided by UCBs. Account holders of these banks can now avail various banking facilities at home such as cash withdrawal, cash deposit, KYC, demand draft and life certificate for pensioners, etc.
    1. Cooperative banks have been allowed to make one-time settlement of outstanding loans, like Commercial Banks: Co-operative banks, through board-approved policies, can now provide the process for settlement with borrowers, along with technical write-off.
    1. Time limit increased to achieve Priority Sector Lending (PSL) targets given to UCBs: RBI has extended the timeline for UCBs to achieve Priority Sector Lending (PSL) targets by two years i.e., up to March 31, 2026.
    1. A Nodal Officer designated in RBI for regular interaction with UCBs: In order to meet the long pending demand of the cooperative sector for closer coordination and focused interaction, RBI has notified a nodal officer.

    24. Individual housing loan limit more than doubled by RBI for Rural and Urban Cooperative Banks:

      1. Housing loan limit of Urban Cooperative Banks has now been doubled from Rs. 30 lakhs to Rs.60 lakhs.
      2. Housing loan limit of Rural Cooperative Banks has been increased to two and a half times to Rs.75 lakhs.

    25. Rural Cooperative Banks will now be able to lend to commercial real estate/ residential housing sector, thereby diversifying their business: This will not only help Rural Cooperative Banks to diversify their business, but will benefit Housing cooperative societies also.

    1. License fee reduced for Cooperative Banks: License fee for onboarding Cooperative Banks to ‘Aadhaar Enabled Payment System’ (AePS) has been reduced by linking it to the number of transactions. Cooperative financial institutions will also be able to get the facility free of cost for the first three months of the pre-production phase. With this, farmers will now be able to get the facility of banking at their home with through biometrics.
    1. Non-scheduled UCBs, StCBs and DCCBs notified as Member Lending Institutions (MLIs) in CGTMSE Scheme to increase the share of cooperatives in lending: Cooperative banks will now be able to take advantage of risk coverage up to 85 percent on the loans given. Also, cooperative sector enterprises will also be able to get collateral free loans from cooperative banks now.
    1. Notification of Scheduling norms for including Urban Cooperative Banks: UCBs that meet the ‘Financially Sound and Well Managed’ (FSWM) criteria and have maintained the minimum deposits required for classification as Tier 3 for the last two years are now eligible to be included in Schedule II of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 and get ‘Scheduled’ status.
    1. Monetary ceiling doubled by RBI for Gold Loan: RBI has doubled monetary ceiling from Rs. 2 lakhs to Rs.4 lakhs, for those UCBs that meet the PSL targets.
    1. Umbrella Organization for Urban Cooperative Banks: RBI has accorded approval to the National Federation of Urban Co-operative Banks and Credit Societies Ltd. (NAFCUB) for the formation of an Umbrella Organization (UO) for the UCB sector, which will provide necessary IT infrastructure and operational support to around 1,500 UCBs.

    C. Relief to Cooperative Societies in the Income Tax Act

    1. Surcharge reduced from 12% to 7% for co-operative societies having income between Rs. 1 to 10 Cr.: This will reduce the burden of Income Tax on Cooperative Societies and more capital will be available with them to work for the benefit of their members.
    1. MAT reduced for cooperatives from 18.5% to 15%: With this provision, now there is parity between Cooperative Societies and Companies in this regard.
    1. Relief in cash transactions under section 269ST of the Income Tax Act: In order to remove difficulties in cash transactions by cooperatives under Section 269ST of IT Act, Government has issued a clarification that cash transaction of less than Rs. 2 lakhs done by a cooperative society with its distributor in a day will be considered separately, and will not be charged with income tax penalty.
    2. Tax cut for new manufacturing Cooperative societies: Government has decided that a flat lower tax rate of 15% will be charged, compared to an earlier rate of up to 30% plus surcharge, for new cooperatives commencing manufacturing activities by March 31, 2024. This will encourage the formation of new cooperative societies in the manufacturing sector.
    1. Increase in limit of Cash Deposits and Cash Loans by PACS and PCARDBs: Government has enhanced the limit for Cash Deposits and Cash Loans by PACS and Primary Cooperative Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (PCARDBs) from Rs. 20,000 to Rs.2 lakh per member. This provision will facilitate their activities, increase their business and benefit members of their societies.
    1. Increase in the limit of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) in Cash Withdrawal: Government has increased the cash withdrawal limit of cooperative societies without deduction of tax at source from Rs.1 crore to Rs.3 crore per year. This provision will save Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) for cooperative societies, which will enhance their liquidity.

    D. Revival of Cooperative Sugar Mills

    1. Relief from Income Tax to Sugar Cooperative Mills: Government has issued a clarification that cooperative sugar mills would not be subjected to additional income tax for paying higher sugarcane prices to farmers up to Fair and Remunerative or State Advised Price, from April, 2016 onwards.
    1. Resolution of decades old pending issues related to Income Tax of Sugar Cooperative Mills: Government has made a provision in its Union Budget 2023-24, wherein Sugar cooperatives have been allowed to claim as expenditure their payments to sugarcane farmers for the period prior to assessment year 2016–17, giving them a relief of more than Rs.46,000 crore.
    1. Rs.10,000 crore loan scheme launched for strengthening of Sugar Cooperative Mills: Government has launched a scheme through NCDC for setting up ethanol plants or cogeneration plants or for working capital or for all three purposes. So far, the Ministry has released Rs. 875 crore to NCDC (Rs. 500 crore in FY 2022-23 and Rs. 375 crore in FY 2024-25) under the scheme and as of now, NCDC has sanctioned 80 loans amounting to Rs.9,169.76 crore to 44 CSMs.
    1. Preference to Cooperative Sugar Mills in purchase of ethanol: Cooperative Sugar Mills have now been put at par with private companies for ethanol procurement by Government of India under the Ethanol Blending Programme (EBP).
    1. Strengthening of Cooperative Sugar Mills by converting their molasses-based ethanol plants into multi feed ethanol plants: Ministry of Cooperation has taken initiative in consultation with National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories Ltd. (NFCSFL) for conversion of existing molasses-based ethanol plants of CSMs into multi feed ethanol plants. The Cooperative Sugar Mills (CSMs) also produce ethanol from molasses and sugar syrup by installing ethanol production plants. However, the availability of raw material i.e., molasses and sugar syrup for production of ethanol is limited by many factors viz, Government Policy on diversion of sugarcane syrup, B heavy molasses for production of ethanol and duration of sugar cane crushing season and availability of sugarcane depending on rainfall, etc. On account of these limiting factors, the CSMs having ethanol plants are not able to operate them at full capacity round the year. The Government of India has prioritized maize for production of ethanol, therefore, it is prudent for CSMs to convert their existing ethanol production units into multi feed ethanol production units so that they are able to produce ethanol by using maize as raw material.
    1. Reduction in GST on molasses from 28% to 5%: Government has decided to reduce the GST on molasses from 28% to 5% which will enable cooperative sugar mills to earn more profits for their members by selling molasses to distilleries with higher margins.

    E. Three new National Level Multi-State Societies

    43. New National Multi-State Cooperative Seed Society for certified seeds: Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative seed society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL) as an umbrella organization for quality seed cultivation, production and distribution under a single brand. During the Rabi 2024-25 season, 57 Varieties of 12 Crops were sown/ planted in 5,596 hectares. Similarly, during the Kharif 2024 season, 23 varieties of 8 Crops have been planted on 176.59 hectare of land. So far, 17,425 PACS/ Cooperative Societies have become members of BBSSL.

    1. New National Multi-State Cooperative Organic Society for organic farming: Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative organic society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) as an umbrella organization to produce, distribute and market certified and authentic organic products. So far, 5,184 PACS/ cooperative societies have become members of NCOL. NCOL has launched 13 products i.e., Whole Wheat Flour, Moong Dhuli, Moong Whole, Moog Chilka Dal, Moog Split, Arhar/ Toor Dal, Urad Whole, Urad Dal, Masoor Whole, Masoor Malka, Brown Chana, Rajma Chitra, Chana Dal under ‘Bharat Organics Brand’.
    1. New National Multi-State Cooperative Export Society for promoting exports: Government has established a new apex multi-state cooperative export society under the MSCS Act, 2002, namely National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) as an umbrella organization to give thrust to exports from cooperative sector. So far, 7,933 PACS/ cooperative societies have become members of NCEL. Till date, NCEL has achieved a total export quantity of commodities (rice, sugar, onion, wheat, maize and Jeera) of 12,52,083 Metric tonnes with an exported value of Rs. 5,099.24 crore.

    F. Capacity Building in Cooperatives

    1. Promotion of training and awareness through National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT): By increasing its reach, NCCT has conducted 2,872 training programs and provided training to 2,35,060 participants till December 2024.

    G. Use of Information Technology for ‘Ease of Doing Business’

    1. Computerization of the Central Registrar’s Office: Central Registrar’s office has been computerized to create a digital ecosystem for Multi-State Cooperative Societies, which will assist in processing applications and service requests in a time bound manner.
    1. Scheme for computerization of office of RCSs in States/ Union Territories: To increase ‘ease of doing business’ for cooperative societies and create a digital ecosystem for transparent paperless regulation in all the States/ UTs, a Centrally Sponsored Project for Computerization of RCS Offices has been approved by the Government. Grants are provided for the purchase of hardware, development of software, etc. to the States/ UTs. So far, proposals received from 35 States/ UTs have been sanctioned by GOI.
    1. Computerization of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs): To strengthen the long-term cooperative credit structure, the project of computerization of 1,851 units of Agriculture and Rural Development Banks (ARDBs) spread across 13 States/ Union Territories has been approved by the Government. NABARD is the implementing agency for the project. So far, proposals from 10 States/UTs have been received and sanctioned. Further, GOI share amounting to Rs 5.08 crore has been released to 9 States/UTs in FY 2023-24 and FY 2024-25 for procurement of hardware, digitization and setting up of support system.

    H. Other Initiatives

    1. New National Cooperative Database for authentic and updated data repository: A database of cooperatives in the country has been prepared with the support of State Governments to facilitate stakeholders in policy making and implementation of programmes/ schemes related to cooperatives across the country. So far, data of more than

    8.2 lakh cooperatives across 30 sectors, with approximately 30 crore members, has been captured in the database.

    1. Cooperative Ranking Framework: The Government launched the Cooperative Ranking Framework on 24th January 2025 to rank cooperatives State-wise and sector-wise. The ranking framework enables State RCS to assess Cooperative Societies’ performance based on key parameters, including audit compliance, operational activities, financial performance, infrastructure, and basic identity information. The RCS of the States/ UTs, through login on NCD portal, can generate ranks of Cooperative Societies, initially of 7 major sectors namely PACS, Dairy, Fishery, Urban Cooperative Banks, Housing, Credit and Thrift, and Khadi and Gram Udyog. This ranking system aims to enhance transparency, reliability and competitiveness among cooperative societies, ultimately fostering their growth. Furthermore, top-performing cooperative societies in each sector will be recognized and honoured by the Ministry of Cooperation and respective State/ UT authorities, aligning with the objectives of the International Year of Cooperatives.
    1. International Year of Cooperatives – 2025 in India: The United Nations has declared 2025 as the International Year of Cooperatives (IYC 2025) to highlight the role of cooperatives in economic growth, social inclusion, and sustainability. The Ministry of Cooperation has developed an action plan in collaboration with National Cooperative Federations, State Governments, Central Ministries and other stakeholders emphasizing transparency, policy reforms, and rural economic transformation through PACS. Activities include training, board meetings, cooperative flag hoisting, exhibitions, and business expansion workshops at District, State, and National levels. To ensure effective execution, committees at national, state, and district levels have been formed. The National Execution Committee (NEC) and National Cooperative Committee (NCC) will oversee coordination and financial mobilization. State Apex Committees (SAC), along with State and District Cooperative Development Committees (SCDC & DCDC), will organize and manage State/ District/ Village level programs.
    1. Multi-State Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023: Amendment has been brought in the MSCS Act, 2002 to strengthen governance, enhance transparency, increase accountability, reform electoral process and incorporate provisions of 97th Constitutional Amendment in the Multi State Cooperative Societies.
    1. Cooperative Ombudsman: Following the amendment in the Multi–State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, Cooperative Ombudsman has been appointed under Section 85A of the said Act vide gazette notification dated 05.03.2024. The Ombudsman office is fully functional and deals with complaints or appeals, from members of the MSCS regarding their deposits, equitable benefits of the Multi–State Co-operative Society’s functioning or any other issue affecting the individual rights of the concerned member.
    1. Cooperative Election Authority (CEA): Following the amendment in the Multi–State Cooperative Societies (MSCS) Act, 2002, the Cooperative Election Authority has been set up to strengthen governance and accountability, with a mandate to conduct free and fair election in all MSCSs. Elections in more than 80 MSCS have been conducted successfully up to December, 2024.
    2. Inclusion of Cooperatives as ‘buyers’ on GeM portal: The Government has permitted cooperatives to register as ‘buyer’ on GeM, enabling them to procure goods and services from over 67 lakh vendors to facilitate economical purchases and greater transparency. So far, 574 cooperative societies have been onboarded on GeM as buyers.
    3. Expansion of National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to increase its range and depth: NCDC has launched new schemes in various sectors such as ‘Swayamshakti Sahkar’ for SHGs; ‘Deerghavadhi Krishak Sahkar’ for long term agricultural credit and ‘Dairy Sahkar’ for dairy. During the current FY 2024-25, so far, total financial assistance of Rs. 84,673.70 crores has been disbursed by NCDC.
    4. Financial assistance by NCDC for Deep Sea Trawlers: NCDC is providing financial assistance for projects related to deep sea trawlers in coordination with the Department of Fisheries, Government of India. NCDC has already sanctioned financial assistance of Rs.

    25.95 crore for purchase of total 44 deep sea trawlers for the Fisheries Cooperative Societies of Maharashtra and Gujarat State.

    1. National Cooperation Policy (NCP): The formulation of New National Cooperation Policy (NCP) has been envisaged to fulfil the mandate of the Ministry of Cooperation – “Sahakar se Samriddhi.” A National level committee was constituted on 2.9.2022 under Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu with experts of the cooperative sector, representatives from National/ State/ District/ Primary level cooperative societies, Secretaries (Cooperation) and RCSs from States/ UTs and officers from Central Ministries/ Departments to formulate the New Cooperation Policy to provide a framework to unlock the true potential of the Cooperative sector. The Committee conducted four regional workshops throughout the country to elicit suggestions from stakeholders. The received suggestions have been incorporated into the draft policy appropriately. The draft policy has been prepared and is under finalization.
    2. Refund to Investors of Sahara Group of Societies: A portal has been launched for making payments to the genuine depositors of the cooperative societies of Sahara Group in a transparent manner. Disbursements have already started after proper identification and submission of proof of their deposits and claims. So far, Rs. 2,025.75 crores have been disbursed to 11.61 lakh applicants.

    This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    ****

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2112225)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Cooperative Database

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:14PM by PIB Delhi

    A comprehensive National Cooperative Database (NCD) has already been developed in three phases by Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, with the support of States / UTs. The NCD portal was launched on 08th March, 2024. The data of the Cooperative Societies is collected, entered, and updated in the database by nodal officers appointed by all the States/ UTs for this purpose. This database provides a single-point access to information on over 8.25 lakh cooperatives across the country.

    The NCD is openly accessible at URL: https://cooperatives.gov.in. This database can be used by policy makers to strengthen the cooperative movement, particularly in areas where societies are underperforming. The NCD captures data on parameters such as location, membership, economic activities, and linkages, aiding in identifying gaps in the geographical spread of cooperatives, including both covered and uncovered gram panchayats.

    This was stated by the Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

    ****

    RK/VV/ASH/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2112224) Visitor Counter : 15

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CBDT seeks inputs from stakeholders on income-tax rules and related forms on provisions of Income Tax Bill 2025, after it was introduced in Parliament

    Source: Government of India (2)

    CBDT seeks inputs from stakeholders on income-tax rules and related forms on provisions of Income Tax Bill 2025, after it was introduced in Parliament

    CBDT has launched a utility on e-filing portal for stakeholders to submit inputs through an OTP-based validation process

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:11PM by PIB Delhi

    In reference to the Income Tax Bill, 2025, that was introduced in Parliament and is currently under examination by the Select Committee for detailed consideration, stakeholders are encouraged to continue submitting their suggestions on the provisions of the Bill, which will be compiled and forwarded to the Select Committee for its review.

    To facilitate this, a utility has been launched on the e-filing portal, which can be accessed through the following link:

    https://eportal.incometax.gov.in/iec/foservices/#/pre-login/ita-comprehensive-review

    The above link is live and accessible to all stakeholders from 08.03.2025 on the e-filing portal. Stakeholders can submit their inputs by entering their name and mobile number, followed by an OTP-based validation process.

    All suggestions should clearly specify the relevant provision of the Income-tax Rules, 1962 (including the specific section, sub-section, clause, rule, sub-rule, or form number) to which the recommendation pertains under the aforementioned four categories.

    In alignment with the comprehensive review of the Income-tax Act, 1961, an effort is underway to collect inputs and work on simplification of the associated Income Tax Rules and Forms. The objective of this initiative is to enhance clarity, reduce the compliance burden, and eliminate obsolete rules, making tax processes more accessible for taxpayers and other stakeholders. Additionally, streamlining the Rules and Forms aims to simplify tax compliance, improve taxpayer comprehension and ease of filing, lower administrative burdens and errors, and enhance transparency and efficiency.

    As part of a wider consultative process, the committee formed to review the Rules and Forms invites inputs and suggestions from stakeholders in the following four categories:

    1. Simplification of Language

    2. Reduction of Litigation

    3. Reduction of Compliance Burden

    4. Identification of Redundant/Obsolete Rules and Forms

    ****

    NB/KMN

    (Release ID: 2112222) Visitor Counter : 76

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister’s Young Authors Mentorship Scheme (YUVA) Scheme

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Prime Minister’s Young Authors Mentorship Scheme (YUVA) Scheme

    Empowering Young Writers for a Global Stage

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 3:03PM by PIB Delhi

    ­­­­Introduction

    The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the National Book Trust (NBT) of India launched the third edition of the Prime Minister’s Young Authors Mentorship Scheme, known as YUVA 3.0, on March 11, 2025. The initiative aims to nurture young writers under 30 years of age, providing them with mentorship and exposure to hone their creative writing skills. YUVA 3.0 builds upon the success of its predecessors, YUVA 1.0 and YUVA 2.0, continuing the government’s commitment to fostering literary talent and promoting reading, writing, and book culture in India. The scheme aligns with the vision of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat, encouraging the documentation and dissemination of India’s rich cultural heritage and knowledge.

    YUVA 3.0: Features and Objectives

    Theme and Focus

    The Themes of PM-YUVA 3.0 are: Contribution of Indian Diaspora in Nation Building; Indian Knowledge System; and Makers of Modern India (1950-2025). The scheme will help to develop a stream of writers who can write on various facets of India encompassing the past, present and future. Besides, the scheme will also provide a window to the aspiring youth to articulate themselves and present a comprehensive outlook of contribution of Indians across fields in ancient and present times.

     

    Selection Process

    • The scheme invites applications from aspiring writers through MyGov India’s online portal.
    • A competitive process shortlists 50 young authors based on a well-defined evaluation criterion.
    • The National Book Trust (NBT) will constitute the selection committee.
    • Applicants are required to submit a book proposal of 10,000 words, which is then reviewed by a panel.
    • The shortlisted candidates undergo a multi-stage selection process before the final selection.

     

    Mentorship and Support

    • Selected authors receive a mentorship program spanning six months.
    • The authors undergo workshops, interactions with mentors, and exposure to India’s literary ecosystem.
    • They receive financial assistance of ₹50,000 per month for six months.
    • Their works are published and promoted by the NBT in multiple languages.
    • Under the mentorship, a National Camp will be held for the PM-YUVA 3.0 Authors during the New Delhi World Book Fair 2026.
    • Selected authors get the opportunity to present their work at literary festivals and international forums.

     

    Background of the YUVA Scheme

    National Education Policy 2020 has emphasized on the empowerment of the young minds and creating a learning eco-system that can make the young readers/learners ready for leadership roles in the future world. India is considered to be a ‘young country’ because 66% of its total population are young and can be tapped for capacity and nation building. In this context, a national scheme for mentoring generations of young authors has proven to be a significant stepping stone for laying the foundation of the future leaders of the creative world. This scheme has been conceptualised on the premise that the 21st century India needs to groom a generation of young authors to create ambassadors of Indian literature and world view. In view of the fact that our country is ranked third in the arena of book publishing and we have a treasure trove of indigenous literature, India must project it at the global stage. The first mentorship scheme was launched on 31st May 2021, then subsequently in October 2022 and now in March 2025.

     

    YUVA 2.0: Expansion and Achievements

    Launched in October 2022, YUVA 2.0 built upon the foundation of YUVA 1.0 with a renewed focus on ‘Democracy’ as the core theme. The scheme aimed to foster young writers’ engagement with India’s democratic values, traditions, and governance structures.

    Theme and Vision

    The Theme of PM-YUVA 2.0 was Democracy (Institutions, Events, People, and Constitutional Values). The scheme helped in developing a stream of writers who can write on various facets of Democracy in India encompassing the past, present and future. Besides, the scheme also provided a window to the aspiring youth to articulate themselves and present a comprehensive outlook of Indian democratic values at domestic as well as international platforms.

     

    Selection and Implementation

    • The competition received an overwhelming response, with a diverse pool of participants from across the country.
    • 75 authors were selected through a competitive process. They were also required to submit a book proposal of 10,000 words.
    • The mentorship program included interaction with constitutional experts, historians, and renowned authors.
    • Special training sessions were held to enhance research skills, language proficiency, and storytelling techniques.

     

    Outcomes and Impact

    • The Union Minister for Education launched 41 new books under the PM YUVA 2.0 scheme at the New Delhi World Book Fair 2025 in February.
    • Several books were published in multiple Indian languages, making them accessible to a broad readership.
    • Young authors gained national and international recognition, participating in events like the World Book Fair and literary forums.
    • Many participants had their books included in academic and government libraries for research and reference.
    • Some authors had the opportunity to meet and interact with policymakers and scholars, further enriching their perspectives.

     

    YUVA 1.0: Inception and Legacy

    The inaugural edition, YUVA 1.0, was launched in May 2021 as part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence. The scheme aimed to empower young authors and provide them a platform to express their perspectives on India’s history and contemporary narratives.

     

    Theme and Inspiration

    The theme was National Movement of India with focus on Unsung Heroes; Little known facts about the Freedom Struggle; Role of various places in National Movement; Entries bringing out new perspectives related to political, cultural, economic, or science related aspects of national movement etc. as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. This scheme helped to develop a stream of writers who can write on a spectrum of subjects to promote Indian heritage, culture and knowledge system.

     

    Selection and Implementation

    • The contestants were asked to submit a manuscript of 5000 words.
    • 75 young authors were selected, representing diverse linguistic and regional backgrounds.
    • The selection was made by a committee constituted by National Book Trust (NBT).
    • Mentorship included training in writing, editing, and publishing processes.
    • Special sessions were conducted by eminent historians, journalists, and literary figures.
    • A consolidated scholarship of Rs.50,000 per month for a period of six months per author will be paid under the Mentorship Scheme.

    Outcomes and Impact

    • The results were announced on 25.12.2021.
    • The books produced under YUVA 1.0 were translated into multiple Indian languages, enhancing their reach.
    • The initiative contributed to India’s literary heritage, encouraging young voices to document historical narratives.
    • Several young authors gained recognition, contributing to mainstream literature and academic discussions.
    • The scheme established a strong foundation for young writers, many of whom went on to publish additional books independently.
    • 10% royalty is being paid by NBT on publication and sale of the books.

     

    Conclusion

    The YUVA scheme, in its three editions, has played a crucial role in nurturing young literary talent in India. As the program continues to evolve, it reinforces India’s commitment to promoting creative expression, multilingual literary heritage, and a culture of reading and writing among the youth. The impact of the scheme is evident in the success stories of young authors whose voices have been amplified at both national and international levels. With continued support and innovation, the YUVA scheme will remain a cornerstone of India’s literary and cultural renaissance.

    References

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2110966

    https://innovateindia.mygov.in/yuva-2025/

    https://innovateindia.mygov.in/yuva/

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1722644

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2101008

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1811451

    https://www.nbtindia.gov.in/writereaddata/attachmentNews/tuesday-june-1-202111-31-05-amyuva-scheme-for-mentorship-of-young-authors.pdf

    Click here to see PDF.

    *****

    Santosh Kumar | Sarla Meena | Rishita Aggarwal

    (Release ID: 2112207) Visitor Counter : 11

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Target achieved under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Ministry of Rural Development

    Target achieved under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 2:57PM by PIB Delhi

    The Ministry is implementing Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY – NRLM) across the country (except Delhi & Chandigarh) with the objective of organizing the rural poor women households into Self Help Groups (SHGs) and continuously nurturing and supporting them till they attain appreciable increase in incomes over a period of time and improve their quality of life and come out of abject poverty.

    As of 28th February 2025, the Mission is being implemented in 7144 blocks in 745 districts across 28 States and 6 UTs. Cumulatively, 10.05 crore rural women households have been mobilized into more than 90.90 lakh SHGs. A total of Rs. 51368.39 crore of capitalisation support (Revolving Funds and Community Investment Funds) has been provided to SHGs and their federations. From FY 2013-14, an amount of Rs. 10.20 lakh crore bank credit has been accessed by women SHGs under DAY-NRLM.

    The State/UT-wise targets and achievements for the FY 2024-25 under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) is given below.

     The DAY-NRLM scheme under Ministry of Rural Development has taken numerous measures to strengthen marketing support for products made by women Self Help Groups. This includes Saras Melas being organised at National and State levels to promote the sale of SHG products in urban markets. The Ministry in collaboration with Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has created “SARAS Collection” as a Store Front in GeM for marketing of SHG products. Also, Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) have been signed between the Ministry and Flipkart Internet Pvt. Ltd., Amazon and Fashnear Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (Meesho) to facilitate the Self-Help Group (SHGs) producers including artisans, weavers and craftsmen to access national markets through the Flipkart Samarth programme, Amazon Saheli initiative and Meesho for marketing of SHGs products. A MoU was also signed between MoRD and JioMart for onboarding and marketing of SHGs product. An e-Commerce platform (www.esaras.in) has also been launched by the Ministry for online marketing of SHG products. Further, eSARAS is also live as a Seller Network Participant on ONDC. Curated products of women SHGs are now available on 11 Apps of ONDC network i.e. Paytm, Mystore, Craftsvilla, Jagran, Snapdeal, Novopay, Easypay, Gonuclei, Rubaru, Mappls, Himira etc.

    Annexure

     

    State-wise target and achievement of Amount of capitalization support provided to SHGs under DAY-NRLM for the FY 2024-25 (Rs. in Lakhs)

    Sl No.

    States/UT’s

    Targets

    Achievement

    (as on 28.02.25)

    1

    Assam

    7,174

    14,181

    2

    Nagaland

    1,667

    2,971

    3

    Uttarakhand

    3,667

    6,291

    4

    West Bengal

    52,000

    81,404

    5

    Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli

    150

    223

    6

    Himachal Pradesh

    1,528

    1,986

    7

    Tripura

    7,081

    9,125

    8

    Chhattisgarh

    15,899

    19,977

    9

    Odisha

    20,395

    25,614

    10

    Bihar

    96,389

    1,05,132

    11

    Uttar Pradesh

    1,14,137

    1,23,326

    12

    Ladakh

    247

    263

    13

    Jammu & Kashmir

    2,567

    2,668

    14

    Gujarat

    15,690

    16,179

    15

    Maharashtra

    53,183

    54,719

    16

    Goa

    601

    602

    17

    Karnataka

    22,167

    21,679

    18

    Meghalaya

    7,519

    6,072

    19

    Tamil Nadu

    24,682

    18,362

    20

    Manipur

    5,719

    3,908

    21

    Jharkhand

    41,919

    27,606

    22

    Rajasthan

    30,475

    20,021

    23

    Arunachal Pradesh

    2,232

    1,327

    24

    Puducherry

    744

    420

    25

    Madhya Pradesh

    54,900

    25,590

    26

    Andaman And Nicobar Islands

    233

    103

    27

    Punjab

    5,140

    2,090

    28

    Kerala

    4,539

    1,814

    29

    Mizoram

    958

    357

    30

    Telangana

    1,505

    453

    31

    Haryana

    6,675

    1,918

    32

    Lakshadweep

    43

    12

    33

    Andhra Pradesh

    2,989

    650

    34

    Sikkim

    978

    32

     

    Total

    6,05,787

    5,97,075

     

     

    State-wise target and achievement of amount of Loan disbursed to SHGs for the FY 2024-25 (Rs in Lakhs)

    Sl. No.

    States/UTs

    Targets

    Achievement

    (as on 28.02.25)

    1

    Andaman & Nicobar Islands

    200

    99

    2

    Andhra Pradesh

    32,19,000

    34,83,725

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    4,000

    3,093

    4

    Assam

    4,10,000

    4,64,206

    5

    Bihar

    15,58,000

    8,79,591

    6

    Chhattisgarh

    2,14,000

    1,98,214

    7

    Goa

    5,000

    5,570

    8

    Gujarat

    1,22,000

    55,174

    9

    Haryana

    49,000

    49,567

    10

    Himachal Pradesh

    30,000

    17,096

    11

    Jammu & Kashmir

    60,000

    43,563

    12

    Jharkhand

    3,30,000

    3,97,269

    13

    Karnataka

    3,53,000

    16,18,013

    14

    Kerala

    7,63,000

    4,49,610

    15

    Ladakh

    100

    74

    16

    Lakshadweep

    100

    49

    17

    Madhya Pradesh

    3,35,000

    3,24,258

    18

    Maharashtra

    6,38,000

    8,25,995

    19

    Manipur

    5,000

    3,281

    20

    Meghalaya

    15,000

    10,108

    21

    Mizoram

    5,000

    1,391

    22

    Nagaland

    5,000

    4,566

    23

    Odisha

    8,20,000

    10,78,827

    24

    Puducherry

    15,000

    16,996

    25

    Punjab

    20,000

    13,085

    26

    Rajasthan

    2,55,000

    2,15,392

    27

    Sikkim

    5,000

    5,100

    28

    Tamil Nadu

    11,55,000

    14,11,090

    29

    Telangana

    16,10,000

    16,88,421

    30

    Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

    600

    75

    31

    Tripura

    40,000

    47,700

    32

    Uttar Pradesh

    2,50,000

    2,50,522

    33

    Uttarakhand

    30,000

    37,304

    34

    West Bengal

    19,90,000

    21,87,156

     

    Total

    1,43,11,000

    1,57,86,181

     

     

    State-wise targets and achievement of Mahila Kisans under Agro-Ecological Practices (AEP) and Mahila Kisans having Agri-Nutri Garden (ANG) during FY 2024-25

    Sr No

    STATE / UTs

    Mahila Kisan under AEP

    Mahila Kisan household having ANG

    Target

    Achievement

    Target

    Achievement

    1

    Andaman And Nicobar

    2,000

    734

    8,000

    1,638

    2

    Andhra Pradesh

    8,50,000

    10,43,085

    1,50,000

    1,13,150

    3

    Arunachal Pradesh

    80,000

    42,396

    90,000

    32,738

    4

    Assam

    3,50,000

    4,29,920

    5,00,000

    5,13,045

    5

    Bihar

    6,00,000

    8,23,463

    2,00,000

    5,50,041

    6

    Chhattisgarh

    2,10,000

    1,82,239

    2,10,000

    1,77,044

    7

    Goa

    660

    982

    330

    826

    8

    Gujarat

    2,50,000

    2,22,360

    2,50,000

    2,19,500

    9

    Haryana

    20,000

    22,411

    20,000

    26,285

    10

    Himachal Pradesh

    70,000

    92,301

    1,00,000

    1,04,553

    11

    Jammu And Kashmir

    1,05,335

    1,00,501

    1,05,000

    74,019

    12

    Jharkhand

    2,32,000

    1,19,924

    1,00,000

    65,024

    13

    Karnataka

    5,00,000

    8,08,241

    4,50,000

    4,67,985

    14

    Kerala

    2,00,000

    1,58,140

    3,00,000

    3,68,789

    15

    Ladakh

    2,200

    444

    2,500

    612

    16

    Madhya Pradesh

    1,50,000

    1,90,640

    3,00,000

    2,68,946

    17

    Maharashtra

    8,00,000

    12,97,051

    3,00,000

    3,33,254

    18

    Manipur

    38,478

    9,706

    19,734

    3,666

    19

    Meghalaya

    80,750

    73,255

    54,510

    48,039

    20

    Mizoram

    4,320

    4,937

    5,590

    7,111

    21

    Nagaland

    30,000

    17,359

    30,000

    17,006

    22

    Odisha

    5,00,000

    89,391

    10,00,000

    1,60,664

    23

    Puducherry

    10,000

    2,833

    56,000

    3,450

    24

    Punjab

    34,000

    48,239

    34,000

    49,133

    25

    Rajasthan

    6,00,000

    9,33,294

    2,00,000

    1,88,241

    26

    Sikkim

    5,000

    3,739

    5,000

    250

    27

    Tamil Nadu

    3,00,000

    2,30,092

    1,00,000

    71,251

    28

    Telangana

    4,00,000

    7,38,936

    4,00,000

    3,62,112

    29

    Tripura

    80,000

    81,948

    50,000

    68,065

    30

    Uttarakhand

    80,000

    95,703

    75,000

    1,02,537

    31

    Uttar Pradesh

    7,00,000

    11,37,950

    16,00,000

    5,88,356

    32

    West Bengal

    3,00,000

    4,35,704

    3,00,000

    1,51,642

     

    Total

    75,84,743

    94,37,918

    70,15,664

    51,38,972

     

    State-wise target and achievement of number of enterprises supported under SVEP in 2024-25

    No.

    State

    Targets

    Achievement
    (as on 28.02.25)

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    0

    30

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    300

    107

    3

    Assam

    10200

    9,557

    4

    Bihar

    4300

    1,614

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    2,251

    1,796

    6

    Goa

    1152

    1,002

    7

    Gujarat

    0

    0

    8

    Haryana

    0

    684

    9

    Himachal Pradesh

    706

    612

    10

    Jammu & Kashmir (UT)

    1,376

    1,009

    11

    Jharkhand

    2051

    1,214

    12

    Karnataka

    680

    291

    13

    Kerala

    6952

    5,802

    14

    Madhya Pradesh

    2,200

    1,837

    15

    Maharashtra

    2,220

    1,702

    16

    Manipur

    700

    694

    17

    Meghalaya

    616

    354

    18

    Mizoram

    1769

    946

    19

    Nagaland

    851

    29

    20

    Odisha

    1,301

    0

    21

    Punjab

    1,194

    802

    22

    Rajasthan

    2,452

    1,993

    23

    Sikkim

    400

    279

    24

    Tamil Nadu

    1,429

    1,076

    25

    Telangana

    2,827

    1,797

    26

    Tripura

    1528

    1,207

    27

    Uttar Pradesh

    3,850

    2,831

    28

    Uttarakhand

    960

    696

    29

    West Bengal

    7,180

    4,933

    Total

    61,445

    44,894

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    *****

     

    MG/RN/KSR/2884

    (Release ID: 2112203)

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Aadhaar Based Payment System

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 2:56PM by PIB Delhi

    Under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGS, the Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) is merely a mode of payment, and the demand for work cannot be denied due to non-linking of account number with APBS. The Ministry continues to monitor its implementation and takes necessary measures to address any challenges faced by workers in receiving their entitlements, ensuring that no eligible beneficiary is deprived of their rightful wages. As and when any issue is flagged by the State/UT or any other stakeholders, same is resolved on priority basis.

    Mahatma Gandhi NREGS is a demand-driven wage employment Scheme. The rural households can register themselves under Scheme and seek employment at multiple fora including the Gram Panchayats. The field authorities have been instructed to organize Rojgar Diwas at least once every month for covering willing unskilled workers.

    State/UT-wise details of percentage of total workers who are not eligible for Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), as on 12.03.2025 is given at Annexure-I.

                State/UT-wise details of percentage of active workers who are not eligible for Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 12.03.2025 is given at Annexure-II.

    Annexure-I

    State/UT-wise total number of workers and percentage who are not eligible for Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) as on 12.03.2025 is given at Annexure.

    SI. No.

    States/UTs

    Total number of workers

    Percentage who are not eligible for APBS

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    12262973

    1.76

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    469919

    23.92

    3

    Assam

    10511449

    41.12

    4

    Bihar

    22900741

    31.39

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    7798425

    3.60

    6

    Goa

    51321

    66.40

    7

    Gujarat

    9702355

    58.72

    8

    Haryana

    2375425

    33.26

    9

    Himachal Pradesh

    2837576

    27.41

    10

    Jammu and Kashmir

    2354477

    21.78

    11

    Jharkhand

    10292182

    38.61

    12

    Karnataka

    17991304

    33.11

    13

    Kerala

    5717603

    17.49

    14

    Ladakh

    50387

    0.77

    15

    Madhya Pradesh

    17547654

    28.27

    16

    Maharashtra

    29734310

    63.97

    17

    Manipur

    913155

    23.85

    18

    Meghalaya

    1223842

    40.45

    19

    Mizoram

    240217

    6.65

    20

    Nagaland

    773310

    65.98

    21

    Odisha

    10465254

    9.68

    22

    Punjab

    2891727

    20.49

    23

    Rajasthan

    23023741

    24.81

    24

    Sikkim

    137183

    15.39

    25

    Tamil Nadu

    10962718

    3.69

    26

    Telangana

    10451136

    33.81

    27

    Tripura

    1223565

    4.85

    28

    Uttar Pradesh

    21903876

    8.23

    29

    Uttarakhand

    1573250

    2.63

    30

    West Bengal

    25627676

    17.01

    31

    Andaman And Nicobar

    52804

    39.24

    32

    Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

    41536

    64.43

    33

    Lakshadweep

    16637

    57.75

    34

    Puducherry

    115264

    16.10

     

    Total

    264234992

    27.89

     

    Annexure-II

    State/UT-wise total number of ‘Active workers’ and its percentage who are not eligible for Aadhaar Payment Bridge System (APBS) under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS as on 12.03.2025.

    SI. No.

    States/UTs

    Total number of ‘Active workers’

    Percentage who are not eligible for APBS

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    9718016

    0.04

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    352527

    8.23

    3

    Assam

    5383438

    10.29

    4

    Bihar

    9693647

    6.07

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    6339664

    0.93

    6

    Goa

    7393

    11.23

    7

    Gujarat

    2656720

    0.24

    8

    Haryana

    906978

    5.49

    9

    Himachal Pradesh

    1453850

    0.69

    10

    Jammu And Kashmir

    1547630

    1.77

    11

    Jharkhand

    4036445

    2.05

    12

    Karnataka

    8290882

    0.78

    13

    Kerala

    2503818

    0.02

    14

    Ladakh

    38964

    0.35

    15

    Madhya Pradesh

    10106290

    0.13

    16

    Maharashtra

    7943428

    6.08

    17

    Manipur

    700735

    11.95

    18

    Meghalaya

    874158

    24.44

    19

    Mizoram

    219678

    1.29

    20

    Nagaland

    591864

    59.16

    21

    Odisha

    6949228

    1.97

    22

    Punjab

    1566185

    7.29

    23

    Rajasthan

    12460391

    0.11

    24

    Sikkim

    94674

    2.50

    25

    Tamil Nadu

    9175765

    0.08

    26

    Telangana

    5868636

    1.24

    27

    Tripura

    1042520

    1.28

    28

    Uttar Pradesh

    13416321

    2.51

    29

    Uttarakhand

    1046878

    1.00

    30

    West Bengal

    10434225

    13.20

    31

    Andaman And Nicobar

    11248

    10.06

    32

    Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

    11579

    0.96

    33

    Lakshadweep

    187

    31.55

    34

    Puducherry

    69756

    2.26

     

    Total

    135513718

    3.48

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    *****

     

    MG/RN/KSR/2969

    (Release ID: 2112201) Visitor Counter : 44

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Transparency and Accountability under PMAY-G

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 2:55PM by PIB Delhi

    The identification of beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G) is based on the housing deprivation parameters and exclusion criteria prescribed under Socio Economic Caste Census (SECC)-2011 and due verification by the respective Gram Sabhas and completion of an Appellate Process. These parameters/criteria were applied on SECC 2011 database & Awass+2018 to identify eligibility of beneficiaries under PMAY-G.

     

    The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of PMAY-G for 5 more years (FY 2024-25 to 2028-29) to provide assistance for the construction of 2 crore additional rural houses. The Cabinet has also approved the updating of the Awaas+ List using modified exclusion criteria. A new survey is being conducted by the states/UTs using the technology-based solutions to maximize transparency and ensure sanctity in the process right from the identification to completion of the houses as per the detailed below:

     

    1. Awaas+ 2024 app- a unique app specially designed under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), having features of assisted survey through pre-registered surveyors, housing technology selection, face authentication, Aadhar based e-KYC, data capture of household, conditions of existing house, time stamped, and geo tagged photo capture of existing house proposed site of construction. The app works in online as well as offline mode. “Self-Survey” facility is available for eligible household in Awaas+2024 app Survey for next phase of PMAYG (2024-29).
    2. Usage of AI/ML model to curb fraudulent activity and provide information of possible malpractices.
    3. Recommendation System – This module identifies various house attributes such as pucca wall, pucca roof, kutcha wall, kutcha roof, logo, window, door, and person in the uploaded photos of a completed house and recommends a final photograph for approval.
    4. e-KYC App – The app is integrated with Aadhaar and uses AI-enabled face authentication technology to conduct verification of PMAY-G beneficiaries.
    5. Liveliness Detection: Eye Blink/ Motion detection feature in Awaas App for identification of the beneficiaries.
    6. 100% Aadhaar-Based Payments: Directly transferred to beneficiaries’ accounts.

    The unit assistance provided to beneficiaries under PMAY-G is as per the approval of the Union Cabinet and at present the unit assistance of Rs. 1.20 lakh in plain areas and Rs. 1.30 lakh in North Eastern States, Hilly States (including UTs of J&K and Ladakh) is provided. The funding pattern between Centre and the State for the NER States and Himalayan States [Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir (UT)] is 90:10 whereas for the rest of the States is 60:40 and for Union Territories without legislature, 100% funding are borne by the Centre.

     

    In addition to the unit assistance, the beneficiaries are facilitated with 90/95-man days of unskilled labour wages through mandatory convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS). Support of Rs. 12,000 for construction of toilet is also provided through Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin (SBM-G), MGNREGS or any other dedicated source of funding.

     

    Some of the States/UTs are also providing top-up financial support over and above unit assistance to the PMAY-G beneficiaries for the house construction. To further support affordability, the scheme incorporates State-specific housing designs and promotes the use of local materials, reducing costs and environmental impact.

     

                Under the scheme, to provide PMAY-G beneficiaries with the maximum number of benefits from different schemes, convergence with other schemes is encouraged. The guideline aids with the construction of toilets to be leveraged through convergence with SBM-G, MGNREGS, or any other dedicated source of funding. Convergence for piped drinking water, electricity connection, LPG gas connection, solar lanterns and cleaner cooking energy, solar roof top, fulfillment of requirement of construction material through MGNREGS and linkage with SHGs platform under Government programs is also being done.

                The Ministry allocates targets to the State and further allocation of targets to the Districts/ Blocks/ Gram Panchayats is done by the State Government. The details of target allocated and houses sanctioned in Bhopal, Shahdol, Sidhi and Hathras Parliamentary Constituencies by the States are as under: –

    [Unit in no]

    Parliamentary Constituency (PC)

    Target fixed by the State

    Houses sanctioned by the State

    Houses completed by the State

    Bhopal*

    47,719

    49,971

    35,575

    Shahdol#

    1,94,286

    1,88,178

    1,66,730

    Sidhi $

    136058

    124293

    101908

    Hathras@

    2361

    2361

    2327

    *Bhopal PC covers Bhopal district and Sehore block of Sehore District
    #Shahdol PC covers districts of Anuppur, Umaria and Jaisinghnagar , Burhar blocks of Shahdol

    $Sidhi PC covers Sidhi distrct and Beohari block of Shahdol district
    @Hathras PC covers Hathras, Sadabad, Sikhandrarao blocks of Hathras district and Iglas & Chhara blocks (located in Gangiri) of Aligarh district

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    *****

    MG/RN/KSR/2780

    (Release ID: 2112200) Visitor Counter : 42

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Aadhaar Based Payment Systems under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 2:54PM by PIB Delhi

    To ensure timely payment of wages to the beneficiaries under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS and to address the issues arising due to frequent changes in bank account numbers of the beneficiaries and subsequent non-updation, it was decided to implement Aadhar Payment Bridge System (APBS). This has been made mandatory with effect from 1st January 2024. Payment of wages through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode has had positive impact on the livelihood of the beneficiaries as it ensures that the payment reaches directly into the accounts of the intended beneficiaries. Currently, against total of 13.55 crore active workers Aadhaar seeding of 99.49% have already been completed. State/UTs are continuously being monitored by the Central Government for achieving 100% Aadhaar Seeding and APBS conversion in NREGASoft. As and when any issue is flagged by the State/UT or any other stakeholders, same is resolved on priority basis.

    As per section 6(1) of Mahatma Gandhi NREGA, the Central Government may, by notification, specify the wage rate for unskilled work for Mahatma Gandhi NREGS workers. Accordingly, the Ministry of Rural Development notifies wage rate for unskilled workers under Mahatma Gandhi NREGA every financial year. To compensate the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS) workers against inflation, the Ministry of Rural Development revises the wage rates every financial year based on Consumer Price Index for Agricultural Labourer (CPI-AL). The wage rate is made applicable from 1st April of each financial year. There is around 7% increase in the average notified wage rate during the FY 2024-25 compared to FY 2023-24.

    Each State/UT can provide wages over and above the wage rate notified by the Central Government.    In order to ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (Mahatma Gandhi NREGS), the Ministry has decided that States/UTs shall ensure capturing of attendance at the worksite through National Mobile Monitoring System (NMMS) App with two-time stamped, geo-tagged photographs of the workers in a day for all the works (except Individual Beneficiary Work) through NMMS w.e.f 1st January, 2023.

    Further, to avoid any inconvenience to the workers due to NMMS, it has been decided that in case any worksite is not located in network covered area or attendance could not be uploaded due to any other network issue then attendance can be captured in offline mode and can be uploaded once the device comes into network covered area. In case of exceptional circumstances owing to which attendance could not be uploaded, the provision for exemption also exists which has been further decentralized to the level of Block administration.

    To make the NMMS App more robust and user friendly, new enhancements have been done such as the provision of Eye blink facility, Head Count facility, Mate id mapping with Muster roll and relaxation in proximity range in linear types of community works (permissible) etc. in the NMMS application. Usage of NMMS app has also helped to ensure timely payment of wages to the workers.

    Any issue brought to the notice of Ministry concerning NMMS are attended on top priority basis and efforts are to made to resolve the same at the earliest. Further, continuous awareness campaigns and training programs are being organized across States/UTs to familiarize workers/officials with the NMMS app.

    State/UT-wise average wage per person day under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current financial year 2024-25 (as on 13.03.2025) is given below:

    State/UT-wise average wage per person day under Mahatma Gandhi NREGS during the current financial year 2024-25 (as on 13.03.2025)

    		  

    SI. No.

    States/UTs

    Average Wage per person day (In Rs.)

    		  
     
     

    1

    Andhra Pradesh

    255.52

    		  

    2

    Arunachal Pradesh

    233.88

    		  

    3

    Assam

    248.43

    		  

    4

    Bihar

    239.03

    		  

    5

    Chhattisgarh

    219.32

    		  

    6

    Goa

    356

    		  

    7

    Gujarat

    248.16

    		  

    8

    Haryana

    363.55

    		  

    9

    Himachal Pradesh

    270.89

    		  

    10

    Jammu And Kashmir

    257.61

    		  

    11

    Jharkhand

    271.79

    		  

    12

    Karnataka

    328.57

    		  

    13

    Kerala

    344.23

    		  

    14

    Ladakh

    258.64

    		  

    15

    Madhya Pradesh

    228.77

    		  

    16

    Maharashtra

    282.1

    		  

    17

    Manipur

    271.61

    		  

    18

    Meghalaya

    253.9

    		  

    19

    Mizoram

    265.95

    		  

    20

    Nagaland

    233.97

    		  

    21

    Odisha

    270.56

    		  

    22

    Punjab

    316.86

    		  

    23

    Rajasthan

    206.51

    		  

    24

    Sikkim

    249.71

    		  

    25

    Tamil Nadu

    275.14

    		  

    26

    Telangana

    213.9

    		  

    27

    Tripura

    218.35

    		  

    28

    Uttar Pradesh

    236.33

    		  

    29

    Uttarakhand

    236.89

    		  

    30

    West Bengal#

    0

    		  

    31

    Andaman and Nicobar

    330.15

    		  

    32

    Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu

    324

    		  

    33

    Lakshadweep@

    0

    		  

    34

    Puducherry

    290.7

    		  

     

    Total

    252.63

    		  

    As per NREGASoft

    # Release of funds to the State of West Bengal has been stopped since March 9, 2022, under Section 27 of the Act due to non-compliance with Central Government directives.

    @ As per information available on NREGASoft no Person days have been generated in Lakshadweep in FY 2424-25 till date.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Shri Kamlesh Paswan in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    *****

    MG/RN/KSR/2844

    (Release ID: 2112199) Visitor Counter : 45

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Grameen Credit Score

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 2:53PM by PIB Delhi

    The Union Budget 2025-26 contained an announcement on the Grameen Credit Score, a framework to be developed by public-sector banks for the credit needs of members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and people in rural areas. The current credit scoring mechanism used by Credit Information Companies (ClCs) is, by design, generic to all individual borrowers with no specific consideration for the rural sector. A Grameen credit score tailored for the credit assessment purposes of SHG borrowers and the rural population would facilitate better credit assessment, thereby improving access to formal credit not just for SHGs but for the rural population, including farmers and marginalised communities. This is crucial for their economic growth and development. The Government is working out the modalities and contours of the Grameen Credit Score in consultation with the stakeholders.

    This information was given by the Minister of State for Rural Development Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

    *****

    MG/RN/KSR/2930

    (Release ID: 2112198) Visitor Counter : 42

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE meets Secretary of CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CE meets Secretary of CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee (with photo) 
    Mr Lee welcomed Mr Wei and his delegation to Hong Kong. Mr Lee noted that Hong Kong and Dongguan enjoy close geographical and cultural ties, and the two cities have long maintained close co-operation in various areas, including economics, trade, and shipping. As Dongguan is a renowned global manufacturing hub, Hong Kong will continue to give full play to its advantages as a bridge between the Mainland and the world, as well as its dual roles in going global and attracting foreign investment, offering services to assist Dongguan enterprises in expanding and developing international markets.
     
    Mr Lee highlighted the successful collaboration between Hong Kong and Dongguan in operating the logistics park in Dongguan under the “sea-air intermodal cargo-transshipment” mode. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and the Dongguan Municipal Government are jointly advancing the development of the Hong Kong International Airport Dongguan Logistics Park as a permanent facility, as well as expanding its scope and capacity. Combining Hong Kong’s strengths in aviation and logistics with Dongguan’s advantages in land and manpower resources, the project aims to create a model of successful co-operation within the GBA. This initiative will further enhance the logistics connectivity within the GBA and boost the international competitiveness of the GBA’s manufacturing and import-export industries.
     
    Mr Lee expressed confidence that Hong Kong and Dongguan will continue to leverage their complementary advantages and promote co-operation between the two places at a higher level, making greater contributions to the development of a world-class bay area.                      
    Issued at HKT 17:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister congratulates Indian Contingent for winning 33 Medals at Special Olympics World Winter Games

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 18 MAR 2025 2:40PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has lauded the outstanding performance of Indian athletes at the Special Olympics World Winter Games 2025 held in Turin, Italy. The Indian contingent brought home 33 medals, making the nation proud on the global stage.

    Shri Modi met the athletes in Parliament today and congratulated them for their dedication and achievements.

    The Prime Minister wrote on X;

    “I am immensely proud of our athletes who have brought glory to the nation at the Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Turin, Italy! Our incredible contingent has brought home 33 medals.

    Met the contingent in Parliament and congratulated them for their accomplishments.

    @SpecialOlympics”

    ****

    MJPS/ST

    (Release ID: 2112195) Visitor Counter : 58

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –