Centre not to reduce court vacations
The government has no proposal to curtail the vacation period and extend the working hours in courts, a statement which comes days after >Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted that long vacations are hurting disposal of cases.
Law Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda told the Lok Sabha in a written reply that the “government does not have under its consideration any proposal to curtail the vacation period and extend the working hours in the courts.”
E-court facility to 493 courts, 347 jails
The Centre has extended video-conferencing facility between jails and courts for speedy hearings to 493 court complexes and 347 jails. For the purpose, equipment has been delivered at more than 800 locations.
Law Minister D. V. Sadananda Gowda informed the Lok Sabha in a written reply that phase II of the e-courts project extends the facility to 2,500 court complexes and 800 jails.
E-challan of traffic violators soon; database of 19 crore vehicles ready
To e-challan drivers violating traffic rules, the government has developed a software comprising a mobile app, as also a database of 19 crore vehicles in the country.
“An e-Challan software comprising a mobile cum web app has been developed by National Informatics Centre for Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to provide a comprehensive enforcement solution that can be used by the State Transport Enforcement Cells and also by the Traffic Police,” the Parliament was informed on Thursday.
This app will facilitate a convenient and efficient mechanism to challan errant drivers while providing a set of features and functionalities, Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Pon. Radhakrishnan told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.
Currently this mobile cum web application is under pilot implementation in two regional transport offices in Uttar Pradesh and also under advanced testing in Uttarakhand and Maharashtra, Mr. Radhakrishnan said.
Controversial declaration for Urdu writers ’simplified’, says Irani
To remove “any scope for misunderstanding”, the National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language has “simplified” the declaration form for authors, the HRD Ministry on Thursday said, after the body drew flak for seeking an undertaking from writers that the content will not be against the government or the country.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said that NCPUL gives grants for bulk purchase of books and as part of this process an undertaking had to be provided by the applicant authors.
She said this practice of an undertaking is also in practice in similarly placed other language institutions under the HRD Ministry.
Ladakh a potential alternate site for largest telescope
Protests in Hawaii against the proposed Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project, the largest ever to be built, may be India’s gain as alternate sites are being explored which includes Hanle in Ladakh.
The project, aimed at exploring the universe, was to come up at Mauna Kea in Hawaii in the U.S. But the protests by the locals and indigenous population has stalled the project.
“Due to a recent decision of the Supreme Court of Hawaii revoking the construction permit on procedural grounds, the construction work at this site is stalled. Efforts are being made by TMT authorities to resolve the matter which is expected to take some time.
“However, keeping in view the huge investments and efforts involved in this project, alternate sites are being explored both in northern and southern hemisphere. Hanle in Ladkah is one of the potential alternate sites for this project which is being evaluated for hosting the telescope,” Y.S. Chowdary, Minister of State for Science and Technology said in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The other alternate site which is being considered is in Chile.
40 cities to be selected in round 2 of smart city project
Forty cities will be selected for the second phase of the Smart City Mission, which is likely to be announced by June, Rajya Sabha was told on Thursday.
The first batch of 20 cities, including Bhubaneshwar, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Bhopal and NDMC area of Delhi, were selected for Narendra Modi government’s flagship smart city project in January.
“It is expected that the results of the next phase will be announced by May/June,” Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said in written reply.
IITs asked to offer Sanskrit as elective: Irani
IITs have been requested to offer Sanskrit as an elective subject or as a language course for students who wish to study it.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said a committee headed by former CEC N Gopalaswami, had suggested that IITs may facilitate study of science and technology as reflected in Sanskrit literature, along with inter-disciplinary study of Sanskrit and modern subjects.
Responding to another question related to IITs, Ms. Irani said although 2,463 teaching positions in these institutes were vacant as on September 1, 2015, research scholars, contract adjunct and visting faculty more than adequately compensated for these.
19 States, UTs express willingness to participate in Vidyanjali programme
Nineteen states and UTs have expressed willingness to participate in a programme ‘Vidyanjali’ which would involve retired defence personnel, people from Indian diaspora and women home-makers to volunteer for co-scholastic activities in schools.
In a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha, HRD Minister Smriti Irani said the Ministry is working on this pilot project.
“These volunteers will not be replacement for regular teachers and will not be involved in formal teaching,” Ms. Irani said.
670 cases of child marriage registered between 2012 and 2014
Over 670 cases of child marriage were registered from 2012 to 2014, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday. “As per data of the National Crime Records Bureau, a total number of 169, 222 and 280 case have been registered under the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 in the year 2012, 2013 and 2014,” Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said in a written reply.
1.3 lakh children apprehended from 2012 to 2014 for crimes
Over 1.3 lakh children were apprehended between 2012 and 2014 for various crimes and around 27,000 of them were sent to observation and special homes, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
“According to National Crime Records Bureau, Ministry of Home Affairs, the number of juveniles apprehended for various offences including heinous offences under IPC and special and local laws during 2012, 2013 and 2014 were 39,822, 43,506 and 48,230 respectively. Out of these 9677, 9549 and 8700 were sent to observation homes and special homes during 2012, 2013 and 2014 respectively,” Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi said in a written reply.
Only 75.27% departments following mandatory RTI clause
Only 75.27 per cent public authorities have filed their mandatory annual returns for 2014-15 which is a notch higher than previous year’s figure of 72.54 per cent, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.
Responding to a question, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said, “As per the annual report of the Central Information Commission, 75.27 per cent of public authorities have filed their annual returns to the CIC for 2014-15, which is higher than the figure of 72.54 per cent for 2013-14, indicating an improved compliance over the previous year.”
Measures to tackle rodent menace in airliners
The Centre on Thursday said that airlines take several measures to tackle the menace of rodents entering stationary aircraft but asserted that since the wiring of the plane is generally bundled it is difficult for a rat to bite these wires.
Besides, measures taken by individual airlines to deal with this issue, airport operators also take steps to eliminate or prevent rats or any other wildlife from entering the aerodrome, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
Mr. Sharma’s assertion came in the wake of a recent incident, in which a rodent was sighted by a cabin crew on Air India’s flight to Delhi from Melbourne. The presence of the rodent onboard the Dreamliner B787—800 aircraft had forced the air traffic control to divert the aircraft to Singapore.
Power shortage at lowest ever level of 2.1%
Power shortage was at 2.1 per cent — the lowest level in a single year — in the last financial year, Parliament was on Thursday.
“During 2015-16, the energy shortage was 2.1 per cent, which is the lowest ever in a single year,” Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
The Minister further stated that India is importing power only from Bhutan at present.
During 2014-15, electricity shortage, when total demand outstrip supply during peak hours, was 3.6 per cent whereas it was slightly higher at 4.2 per cent in 2013-14 and 8.7 per cent in 2012-13.
In another reply, the Minister said that during the 12th Plan period, a target of 88,537 MW excluding 30,000 MW of Renewal Energy source, was fixed for capacity addition.
Clean energy projects get Rs. 42,000 crore investment
As much as Rs. 42,000 crore was invested in renewable energy projects last fiscal with Madhya Pradesh remaining at the top with maximum inflow at Rs. 8,867.34 crore, New and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday.
The maximum flow of investment in renewable energy projects last fiscal was recorded in Madhya Pradesh at Rs. 8,867.34 crore followed by Tamil Nadu (Rs. 6,346.2 crore) and Rajasthan (Rs. 6,058.68 crore).
In another reply, the Minister said that as per the Central Electricity Authority, share of renewable energy in the electricity mix in the year 2014-15 was 7.16 per cent, less than suggested under the National Action Plan on Climate Change .
No proposal to restrict airport entry passes for MPs’ staff
The government has no proposal to restrict issuing airport entry passes to the staff of Parliamentarians and Ministers.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma responded in the negative when asked whether the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) proposes to restrict the issue of airport entry passes to the staff of members of Parliament and ministers.
Earlier this month, the Civil Aviation Ministry had said it was looking to rationalise the system for issuing airport entry passes.
Air India losses to come down to Rs. 2,636 crore
Air India is expected to trim losses by more than half to Rs. 2,636 crore in the 2015-16 fiscal as compared to a net loss of Rs. 5,859.91 crore in 2014-15, the government said on Thursday.
“With regard to Air India Limited, it is likely to suffer a total net loss of Rs. 2,636 crore in 2015-16,” said Minister of State for Civil Aviation Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
He said high interest cost and airport charges, increasing competition, particularly from budget carriers, coupled with exchange rate variation due to weakening of Indian rupee are reasons for the carrier’s estimated net loss (of Rs. 2,636 crore) during 2015-16.
The national carrier was given a Rs. 30,231-crore lifeline by the Finance Ministry in 2012 under a turnaround plan stretching over a period of nine years to keep it afloat.
Hydro power output down by 5.2%
Hydro power generation in the country during 2015-16 stood at 121.34 billion units (BU) as against the target of 128 BU due to lesser rainfall in some regions, Parliament was informed on Thursday.
“Production of hydroelectric power generation in the country for 2015-16 was lower at 121.34 BU against the target of 128 BU mainly due to lesser rainfall experienced in some regions of the country,” Power Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha.
