Page |1

National Commission for Scheduled Tribes : The National Commission for the Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has informed that Clause (5) of Article 338 A of the Constitution vests with the NCST the duty to investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Tribes, to inquire into specific complaints with respect to deprivation of rights and safeguards and to participate and advise in the planning process of socio-economic development of the Scheduled Tribes and to evaluate the progress of their development. Accordingly, the recommendations of the Commission are of two types. One relating to violation of rights and safeguards and the other relating to socio-economic development of Scheduled Tribes. Wherever, the recommendations of the NCST highlight violation of the Constitutional rights and safeguards provided for the Scheduled Tribes, the Authority concerned is mandated to rectify the violation by accepting the recommendation of the NCST. As regards recommendation relating to development issues and change of existing policy or evolving a new policy relating to Scheduled Tribes, such recommendation has to be examined and considered as per laid down procedure. Promotion of Tribal Culture :The Ministry of Tribal Affairs runs a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, Research & Training-Grants-in-Aid to Tribal Research Institutes, under which the funds are provided to the State Governments on 50:50 sharing basis between State and Centre for various activities performed by these institutes which include, conducting research on different aspects of tribal life including their languages, art and culture and also setting up of tribal museums for exhibiting tribal artifacts and promotion of tribal culture. The Ministry organizes annual National Level Festival Prakriti in Delhi and supports State Governments/Union Territories in organizing tribal festivals in their own environment. The Ministry also gives National Tribal Awards under which two awards each of Rs.2.00 lakh (preferably one for a male Scheduled Tribe and other for a female Scheduled Tribe) are given for the Best Janjatiya Achiever covering Sports, Education, Culture, etc. Improvement in Conditions of STs: The details of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) are: (i) Post Matric Scholarships for ST students, (ii) Hostels for ST Boys and ST Girls, (iii) Establishment of Ashram Schools in Tribal Sub-Plan Areas, and (iv) Research, Information and Mass Education, Tribal Festival and others. BRGF Programme The Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme of Ministry of Panchayati Raj is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. The funds provide financial resources for supplementing and converging existing developmental inflows into identified districts so as to bridge critical gaps in local infrastructure and other development requirements. As per the Progress Reports received in the Ministry, these funds have been utilised for developmental activities like construction of Anganwadi centres, Panchayat Ghars, roads, culverts, bridges, community halls, water supply etc. Steps to Increase Power Generation Capacity in Renewable Energy total installed capacity of power generation in the country is 2,10,544 MW. This includes 26,267 MW from various renewable energy sources. The contribution of renewable energy is about 12.45% in the total installed capacity. A target of 30 GW grid interactive renewable power capacity addition, comprising 15 GW from wind, 10 GW from solar, 2 GW from small hydro and 3 GW from biomass has been proposed for the Twelfth Five Year plan period. Government has taken several steps to increase power generation capacity of renewable energy sources. These include: Fiscal and financial incentives, such as, capital/ interest subsidy, accelerated depreciation, concessional excise and customs duties; Preferential tariff for grid interactive renewable power in most potential States. A minimum percentage for purchase of electricity by distribution companies from renewable energy sources. Guidelines by CERC to SERCs for fixation of preferential tariffs.

Page |2

Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission to give a boost to deployment solar photovoltaic as well as solar thermal systems. Rural Business Hub Scheme : The Rural Business Hubs (RBH) Scheme aims at synergistically linking the strengths of rural areas/producers with industry and marketing organizations so that rural products reach wider market and benefits of value addition are shared. The objectives of RBH Scheme are to identify rural products which have potential for national/ international markets and standardize their quality; to ensure value addition in rural products and increase production volumes to levels viable for marketing; to promote Rural Non-Farming Enterprises (RNFE) which utilize local skills and/or resources and promote rural employment and to foster mutually beneficial relations between the producers and Industrial housesRBH projects have been sanctioned for various products including metal work, carpets, embroidery, biofuels, horticultural products etc. The Ministry is not maintaining data base about export of RBH products.
India is spearheading efforts to finalise an agreement for SAARC central banks to establish a currency swap arrangement as a baseline measure that would provide funds to SAARC states to defend their currencies when faced by special exigencies. The Rajya Sabha has passed the Constitution (117th Amendment) Bill, 2012 providing for reservation in promotions to SCs and STs in government jobs. 206 members voted in favour while 10 against it.The Bill required a majority of the total number of members of the House and two-third majority of the members present and voting. Replying to the debate, Minister of State for Personnel, V. Narayanasamy said that reservation will be to the extent of 22.5 per cent which is available to SCs and STs under the Constitution. quota for Muslims in government jobs as per the Sachar Committee recommendations.

Some Questions on Elections, Representation and Democracy: The electoral methodology adopted and practiced by us is the single member plurality system, otherwise known as the First-Past-the Post (FPTP) system. The traditional arguments in its favour are that (a) it tends to provide a clear-cut contest between two or more major parties (b) its working is easy for voters to understand (c) it allows individuals who are not members of a political party to run as independents (d) it tends to produce stable governments and (e) it is likely to produce a strong opposition party. Despite the above, the system is not universal and critics have commented on its limitations. These relate to the (i) disconnect between the vote share and the number of seats won (ii) propensity to overreward major parties and under-reward smaller parties (iii) likelihood of smaller parties with strong regional base getting a seat bonus and winning more seats than their corresponding share of the popular vote. Suggestions have been made with regard to possible correctives to the present system. Principal among these are (a) Mixed Compensatory Proportional Representation on the German model and (b) Second Ballot System to achieve a 50% +1 result. Their merits need to be carefully assessed in terms of our conditions. The German model or the List System requires that the overall representation of parties in legislature be based on the proportion of valid votes (at least 10% of the total) obtained by them. 50% of the legislators will be elected from territorial constituencies based on FPTP system. This will ensure a link between the legislator and the constituents. The balance of 50% will be allocated to parties to make up for their shortfall based on proportion of votes. The party list for the latter will be selected democratically by its members. To operate this system, each voter will be required to cast two votes, one for each category. An essential prerequisite of this system is legal regulation of the internal functioning of political parties. It also requires a more literate electorate. The Second Ballot system involves a run off between the first two contenders in an election if neither of them obtains less than 50% of the votes cast. It retains most of the advantages of the present system but would ensure that parties and candidates seek a wider mandate from the electorate, broaden their vote catchments, and thereby minimise appeal to parochial sentiments which is becoming a source of concern in terms of social cohesion. Eligibility Condition for Disability Pension : Indira Gandhi National Disability Pension Scheme (IGNDPS) is a component of National Social Assistance Programme (NSAP). Under IGNDPS, central assistance of Rs. 300 p.m.

Page |3

per beneficiary is provided to persons with severe or multiple disabilities in the age group of 18-79 years and belonging to a household living below poverty line (BPL) as per criteria prescribed by Government of India Grid-Connected Renewable Energy Projects Generate Employment of About 15 Persons Per MW: following steps to train local persons and create employment in rural areas: Course material for ITIs on Solar Lighting Systems, Solar thermal systems and small hydro has been developed and disseminated to ITIs through Directorate General of Employment and Training (DGET), Ministry of Labour and Employment. This material has been incorporated in two-year regular ITI courses of seven trades namely electrician, electronics, fitter, turner, sheet metal works, plumber and welder Projects Under Phase I of JNNSM Completed: Policy guidelines for implementation of various schemes under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) are formulated by the Government. Accordingly following schemes were issued under Phase-I of JNNSM: 1. Migration Scheme for Grid Connected Projects 2. Guidelines for Selection of New Grid Connected Solar Power Projects under Batch-I, Phase-I of JNNSM 3. Guidelines for Selection of New Grid Connected Solar Power Projects under Batch-II, Phase-I of JNNSM 4. Rooftop PV and Small Solar Power Generation Programme (RPSSGP) 5. Off-Grid and Decentralized Solar Application Development of Minorities: Minorities Rights Day. On 18th December 1992 the United Nations promulgated the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities in order to strengthen the cause of the minorities. the Ministry further strengthened multipronged strategy for development of minority communities with focus on: Area development: Prime Ministers 15 Point Programme Multi-sectoral Development Programme Educational empowerment: Pre-Matric Scholarship Scheme Post Matric Scholarship Scheme Merit-cum-Means Scholarship Scheme Maulana Azad National Fellowship Free Coaching and Allied Scheme Schemes of Maulana Azad Educational Foundation (Maulana Azad National Scholarship for meritorious girls; Grant-in Aid to NGOs for development of Educational Infrastructure) Empowerment of Minority Women: Scheme of Leadership Development of Minority Women started from current financial year. Economic empowerment: Schemes of National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation (NMDFC) namely, Term Loans, Micro-Finance, Educational Loans which provide loans at concessional interest rates to minorities. Strengthening of minority institutions:Scheme for computerization of State Wakf Boards. Making the Judicial System Five Plus Free: As pendency of cases in various courts continued to be a major concern of the Ministry of Law & Justice, the focus of pendency reduction drive this year has been to make our judicial system five plus free i.e. to dispose of cases that are more than five years old. Simultaneously, emphasis was laid on increasing the number of judges in subordinate judiciary by filling the existing vacancies and creating additional posts so that disposal of cases is expedited by setting up of additional courts. National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms: Government has set up a National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms with the twin objectives of increasing access by reducing delays and arrears in the system and enhancing accountability through structural changes and by setting performance standards and capacities. TheMission has been pursuing a coordinated approach for phased liquidation of arrears and pendency in judicial administration which, inter alia, involves better infrastructure for courts including computerisation, increase in strength of subordinate judiciary, policy and legislative measures in the areas prone to excessive litigation, re-engineering of court procedure for quick disposal of cases and emphasis on human resource development. The

Page |4

National Mission has a time frame of five years (2011-16) to pursue them.The Mission has taken several steps in the strategic areas towards fulfilment of its objectives. An Inter-Ministerial Group (IMG) has been constituted to suggest necessary amendments to the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 along with other policy and administrative measures to check increasing litigation relating to cheque bounce cases. For the re-engineering of court procedures and court processes for early disposal of cases, a National Court Management System has been notified by the Supreme Court for addressing the issues of case management, court management, setting measurable standards for performance of the courts and the National System of Judicial Statistics in the country. Infrastructure development for the subordinate judiciary is a major thrust area for the National Mission. With a view to enhancing the resources of the State Governments, the Government has increased the central share by revising the funding pattern from 50:50 to 75:25 (for States other than North Eastern States) under modified Centrally Sponsored Scheme for development of infrastructure facilities for the judiciary. The funding pattern for North-Eastern States has been kept as 90:10. e-Courts Mission Mode Project: The project envisages computerisation of 14,249 district and subordinate courts as well up gradation of the information and communication technology infrastructure of the Supreme Court and the High Courts in the country, so that citizen centric eServices can be initiated to make justice delivery more affordable and transparent. Once computerised, the courts are envisaged to provide a host of eServices to litigants and public at large though a website, such as - case filing, certified copies of orders and judgments and case status. Similarly, the advocates can access the cause lists online under this project. Re-engineering Court Procedures and Court Processes: An important aspect of the judicial reforms relates to re-engineering court procedures and court processes for early disposal of cases. A comprehensive scheme of National Court Management Systems (NCMS) has been formulated and notified by the Supreme Court of India on 2nd May 2012. Under the NCMS, a National Framework of Court Excellence (NFCE) is being prepared, which will set measurable standards of performance for courts addressing the issues of quality, responsiveness and timeliness. A Case Management System (CMS) will be developed to ensure the user friendliness of the judicial process to the stakeholders. The National Mission would coordinate with the NCMS and would render necessary assistance in achieving the goal of reducing pendency in courts. The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill: The Bill does not seek to infringe on the independence of the Judiciary which is the hallmark of Indian democracy and which is guaranteed under Constitution. Instead, it will enhance the accountability without affecting the independence of the judiciary in anyway. Legal Aid: Unlike many other countries, India has a very progressive legal aid law that provides free legal services for a wide variety of people women, children, workers, people living with disability, SCs, STs, those earning below Rs. 1lakh per annum etc. Legal aid is available for both criminal and civil matters. The Legal Services Authorities Act is the key legislation to assist the marginalized people in accessing a host of rights and entitlements. Avenues to access legal aid under the Act are available from the Supreme Court down till the district and taluka level. The Government will now be focusing its efforts to establish Legal Aid Clinics even at the village level so as to ensure access to justice for the people at their door steps. Paralegals will be trained across the country to empower and assist the marginalized people in accessing their rights and entitlements, and to man the legal aid clinics. Good practices from other parts of the world are being studied with a view to adapt them to our context. With UNDP support, the Ministry of Law & Justice sent 4 delegations to Indonesia, South Africa, Malawi and Sierra Leone to study good practices on legal aid and empowerment. An international conference was held on 17-18 November 2012 to discuss this subject. Based on the learnings from the conference, the Ministry will be exploring mechanisms to work closely with law school based legal aid clinics so as to utilise the services of law students in providing access to justice for the poor people. The Ministry will work closely with the National Legal Service Authority and the State Legal Service Authorities to strengthen the paralegals as an institution in the country. Gram Nyayalas: The Gram Nyayalayas Act, 2008 has been enacted to provide for establishment of Gram Nyayalayas at the Inter Mediate Panchayat level by State Governments in consultation with respective High Courts so that speedy and affordable justice could be provided to the common man at his doorsteps.

Page |5

Rural /Urban Unemployment gap In order to tackle the problem of rural and urban unemployment, Government of India has been making constant efforts to provide gainful employment through normal growth process and implementing various employment generation programmes, such as, SwaranaJayantiShahariRozgarYojana (SJSRY); Prime Minister`s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP); National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) besides entrepreneurial development programmes run by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises. Government is also providing self employment opportunities in the rural areas through National Rural Livelihood Mission. Smart Cards under RSBY(Rashtriya Swasthya BimaYojana): RSBY the premium is shared in the ratio of 75:25 between Center and State except in case of NER States and Jammu & Kashmir where it is in ratio of 90:10. The cost of smart card preparation @ Rs 60/- per card is included in the premium quoted by the Insurance Companies and this amount is entirely borne by the Central Govt. Swavalamban Scheme ; Under Swavalamban Scheme, central funds are released to Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) for making co-contribution against the contribution made by the beneficiaries. steps to encourage more people to enroll under the scheme and to promote micro pension savings amongst the low level income household groups especially in the unorganised sector in the country: Any worker in the informal sector with an annual savings of Rs.1000 to Rs.12000 is eligible under the scheme. Governments co-contribution @Rs.1000/- is available till the year 2016-17 for all accounts opened till 2012-13. Requirement of Jobs ; A provision under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), 2005 has been made to provide at least one hundred days of guaranteed wage employment in every financial year to every household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled work. Government of India has also been making constant efforts through normal growth process and implementing various employment generation programmes, such as, Swarana Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY); Prime Ministers Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP) and National Rural Livelihood Mission besides entrepreneurial development programmes run by the Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises
Electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution (E-Kuber) System

Assistance to Families of Martyrs : Government looks after the welfare of the recipients of

gallantry awards and other ex- servicemen and their families through Zila Sainik Boards at District level, RajyaSainik Board at State level and Kendriya Sainik Board at Central level. Directorate General of Resettlement and Kendriya Sainik Board also run several schemes for rehabilitation, training, employment and welfare of ex-servicemen. Gallantry award winners / war veterans are also entitled for benefits from these schemes.
Monitoring of Coastal Security National Committee on Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS), under the Chairmanship of Cabinet Secretary monitors the progress in respect of coastal security initiatives Export of Commodities: The Government is taking steps to encourage exports of agro products including fruits and vegetable through measures and incentives under Plan schemes of the Commodity Boards and Export Promotion Councils. Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under the administrative control of the Department of Commerce is also implementing various schemes to extend financial assistance to the eligible exporters registered with it to boost the overall agriexports. Besides these measures, the Ministry of Commerce & Industry has put in place various schemes namely Market Development Assistance (MDA), Market Assistance Initiative (MAI), Assistance to States for Developing Export Infrastructure and Allied Activities

Page |6 (ASIDE), Vishesh Krishi and Gram Upaj Yojana, Focus Product Scheme, Focus Market Scheme, Town of Export Excellence, etc. to provide assistance to encourage exports. The conduct of religious rites and rituals are completely constricted and regulated by the Executive Officers and by the Trustees appointed by the Government, in violation of the rights guaranteed to the people who practise and profess the religion and of the religious denominations under Article 14,15 (1), 19(1)(g) 21, 25 and 26 of the Constitution.

North East Rural Livelihood Project (NERLP): The aim of NERLP are: (i) Create sustainable community institutions for women Self-Help Groups (SHGs), youth groups of men and women and Community Development Groups. (ii) Build capacity of community institutions for self governance, bottom up planning, democratic functioning with transparency and accountability. (iii) Develop partnership of community institutions for natural resource management, micro-finance, market linkages and sectoral economic services. Change in Land Usage Policy of Non-Processing Zones of SEZs: The areas falling within the Special Economic Zones are demarcated as the processing area for setting up Units for activities, being the manufacture of goods, or rendering services; or the area exclusively for trading or warehousing purposes; or the nonprocessing areas for activities other than those specified under the above two area categories. Under the SEZ Policy at least fifty per cent of the SEZ area is to be earmarked for developing the processing area of the SEZ. The quantum of various authorised activities for creation of social, commercial and industrial infrastructure including residential housing, commercial area, hospitals, educational institutions etc in the SEZ are decided by the Board of Approval after an assessment of the functional requirement of the SEZ. Fiscal benefits provided to SEZ developers and units for processing and non-processing area, in the form of concessions, rebates and exemptions are intrinsic to the SEZ policy and are provided under the SEZ Act, 2005 and the SEZ Rules, 2006 made thereunder. The fiscal incentives available in the processing area of a SEZ and that available in the nonprocessing area of the SEZ may differ owing to the fact that units can be set up only in the processing area of SEZ and not in the non processing area, certain infrastructure is set up in the non processing area and not in the processing area etc. Salient Features of the Companies Bill 2011: 1) The Board of every company referred to in sub-section (1), shall ensure that the company spends in every financial year, at least two per cent of the average net profits of the company made during the three immediately preceding financial years, in pursuance of its Corporate Social Responsibility Policy. 2) Punishment for falsely inducing a person to enter into any agreement with bank or financial institution, with a view to obtaining credit facilities. 3) Provisions relating to audit of Government Companies by Comptroller and Auditor General of India (C&AG) modified to enable C&AG to perform such audit more effectively. 4) the rate of interest on inter corporate loans will be the prevailing rate of interest on dated Government Securities. 5) Provisions relating to restrictions on non audit services modified to provide that such restrictions shall not apply to associate companies and further to provide for transitional period for complying with such provisions. 6. (Amendment in Clause 203): Provisions relating to separation of office of Chairman and Managing Director (MD) modified to allow, in certain cases, a class of companies having multiple business and separate divisional MDs to appoint same person as chairman as well as MD

Page |7

Provisions relating to extent of criminal liability of auditors - particularly in case of partners of an audit firm reviewed to bring clarity. Further, to ensure that the liability in respect of damages paid by auditor, as per the order of the Court, (in case of conviction under Clause 147) is promptly used for payment to affected parties including tax authorities, Central Government has been empowered to specify any statutory body/authority for such purpose. The limit in respect of maximum number of companies in which a person may be appointed as auditor has been proposed as twenty companies. Appointment of auditors for five years shall be subject to ratification by members at every Annual General Meeting. Provisions relating to voluntary rotation of auditing partner (in case of an audit firm) modified to provide that members may rotate the partner at such interval as may be resolved by members instead of every year proposed in the clause earlier. Whole-time director has been included in the definition of the term key managerial personnel. The term private placement has been defined to bring clarity. Approval of the Tribunal shall be required for consolidation and division of share capital only if the voting percentage of shareholders changes consequent on such consolidation. Clarification included in the Bill to provide that Independent Directors shall be excluded for the purpose of computing one third of retiring Directors. This would bring harmonisation between provisions of Clause 149(12) and rotational norms provided in Clause 152. Provisions in respect of removal of difficulty modified to provide that the power to remove difficulties may be exercised by the Central Government up to five years (after enactment of the legislation) instead of earlier up to three years. This is considered necessary to avoid serious hardship and dislocation since many provisions of the Bill involve transition from pre-existing arrangements to new systems. Security threat from Coastal Areas: The coastal security issues are regularly reviewed at appropriate levels with National Committee on Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS), being the apex body for inter-ministerial and interagency coordination Land and Colonisation being State subjects, it is the primary responsibility of State Governments to provide affordable housing to all citizens. However, in order to supplement and complement States initiatives, the Central Government has been implementing various schemes in this regard like Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) with two components viz., Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) and Integrated Housing & Slum Development Programme (IHSDP), Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), Interest Subsidy Scheme for Housing the Urban Poor (ISHUP) and Affordable Housing in Partnership (AHP). Schemes Undergoing for Urban Poor People The Ministry of Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation is implementing scheme of Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana (SJSRY) aimed at providing gainful employment to the urban unemployed and under-employed poor, by financing the self employment ventures by the urban poor living below the poverty line, skills training and also through providing wage employment by utilizing their labour for construction of socially and economically useful public assets. Also, The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (Basic Services to the Urban Poor and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme components), aimed at providing basic amenities and affordable to the urban poor, especially slum dwellers is being implemented since December, 2005.. Governments vision of creating a Slumfree India, Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY) has been launched on 02.06.2011

Page |8

Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Scheme for Low Income Housing In order to address the issues of credit enablement of Economically Weaker Sections and Low Income Group households and to incentivize banks and financial institutions to provide loans to these segments for housing, Rajiv Awas Yojana (RAY), launched on 02.06.2011 envisaged the establishment of a Credit Risk Guarantee Fund. Accordingly, the Government has approved the establishment of a Credit Risk Guarantee Fund Trust (CRGFT). The Minister stated that under the Scheme, the Trust will provide guarantee to lending agencies for housing loans extended by them to persons belonging to the Economically Weaker Sections / Low Income Groups upto Rs. 5 Lakh, without any third party guarantee or collateral security. The Minister further stated that the lending institutions eligible to avail benefit of the Guarantee cover under the Scheme are Scheduled Commercial Banks, Regional Rural Banks, Urban Co-operative Banks, Non Banking Financial Companies-Micro Finance Institutions (NBFC-MFIs), Apex Co-operative Housing Finance Societies registered under the State Co-operative Societies Act and Housing Finance Institutions registered with National Housing Bank (NHB). National Housing Bank is the identified agency for operationalizing CRGF, the Minister added. Foreign Universities Institutions in India The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010 permits reputed Foreign Educational Institutions (FEI), which have been offering educational services for at least 20 years in the country of origin and are accredited in the home country, to apply to be notified as a Foreign Education Provider (FEP) by the Central Government, based on recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC) or any other body which may replace the Commission in future. The Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations) Bill, 2010 requires FEPs to declare in its prospectus, each component of fees, deposits and other charges payable by students, the percentage of tuition fee and other charges refundable to students, before the commencement of admission to any of its courses or programmes of study. Any FEI which is not an FEP cannot charge any fee or admit students and in case it does so, will be liable to a penalty between ten lakh to fifty lakh rupees in addition to refund of the fee. The prospectus would also contain details of the teaching faculty, their educational qualifications and teaching experience and information on physical and academic infrastructure and other facilities including hostel accommodation, library etc. Failure to adhere to its disclosure in the prospectus would result in withdrawal of recognition as FEP. Moreover, once an FEI is notified as an FEP, it will be subject to the control of the law of the land and regulations of the statutory regulatory body. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has been identified as the agency for conducting NEET for UG and National Board of Examinations (NBE) for PG medical courses. Revamp of Primary Education Government has issued an Advisory to State Governments on the implementation of section 29 of the RTE Act for initiating curriculum reform, including, (i) formulating ageappropriate curricula and syllabi in keeping with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) -2005, (ii) maintaining subject balance, (iii) initiating textbook content and production reform, (iv) ensuring continuous and comprehensive assessment for learn. The Central Board of Secondary Education has introduced the scheme of Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) in its schools in a phased manner for the improvement of quality in the schools affiliated to it. The Board has also made the Class X Board Examination optional for the students studying in Senior Secondary Schools and who do not wish to move out of the CBSE system after Class X. Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions,: The Government has introduced the Prohibition of Unfair Practices in Technical Educational Institutions, Medical Educational Institutions and Universities Bill, 2010 and the National Accreditation Regulatory Authority for Higher Educational Institutions Bill, 2010 for the control of unfair practices and the maintenance of standards in Higher Educational Institutions including Private Universities in Parliament.

Page |9

Learning Outcome of Children National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) conducts periodic surveys of learning achievement of children in classes III, V and VIII. The objectives of these surveys are to study the learning achievement of students in the main subjects; differences with regard to gender, location and social groups; the contribution of institutional factors such as school and teachers on the achievements of students; and to study the effect of home background of students on their achievement levels. In order to improve the quality of education and learning levels of children, the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) programme implements several interventions, which inter alia include the sanction of more than 19 lakh teachers to improve the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR), the sanction of 1,94,574 primary school buildings and 1,07,682 upper primary school buildings to improve school infrastructure, annual in-service training for teachers and regular academic support to teachers and schools through the Block and Cluster Resource Centres respectively, as well as providing free textbooks to children. Landless Agricultural Workers under RSBY & AABY; The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) provides smart card based cashless health insurance, including maternity benefit, cover of Rs.30,000/- per annum on family floater basis to BPL families, including landless agricultural workers, in the unorganised sector. Similarly Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY) provides insurance cover to the head of family or one earning member of rural landless households. Labour Laws Applicable to Casual and Self Employed Work Force The Central labour laws applicable for the casual labour in the country are broadly The Minimum Wages Act, 1948, The Equal Remuneration Act, 1976, The Inter-State Migrant Workmen (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1979, The Contract Labour (Regulation and abolition) Act, 1970, The Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966 and The Unorganized Workers Social Security Act, 2008 onstitutional Amendment Bill for Reservation in Promotion to SCs and STs The Rajya Sabha on Monday (December 17, 2012) passed the Constitution (One Hundred Seventeenth Amendment) Bill, 2012. The Bill proposes to amend the Article 16 (4A) of the Constitution of India. The existing Article 16(4A) provides for reservation in promotion to the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and the Scheduled Tribes (STs) which are not adequately represented in the Govt. services. The proposed amendment would amend Article 16(4A) in such a manner that it would obviate the need of collection of quantifiable data about adequacy of representation and backwardness of the class for reservation in promotion to the SCs and the STs. Schemes for Upliftment of OBCs (i) Pre-Matric Scholarship to the students belonging to OBCs; (ii) Post-Matric Scholarship to the students belonging to OBCs; (iii) Construction of Hostels for OBC Boys and Girls; and (iv) Assistance to Voluntary Organisations for the welfare of OBCs. Setting up of Skill Development Project for Textile IndustryThe Government has a scheme namely, Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS) to cater to skilled manpower needs of Textile and related segments through skill development training programmes. The scheme envisages participation of training institutes associated with the Ministry and the private sector as implementing agencies. The scheme has two Components Component-I for training Institutes within the Ministry and Component II for private sector. The Government meets 75% of the total cost of the project with balance 25% to be met by the implementing agencies with a provision of enhanced level of government assistance in certain circumstances. The average cost per trainee to be borne by the Government is limited to Rs. 7300 for Component-I and Rs. 7500 for Component-I The projects under JNNURM are implemented by the State Governments through local bodies/parastatals in compliance with the codal formalities of the State Governments. Advisories have been issued to the State Governments for following the proper procedure in implementation of projects.

P a g e | 10 Article 371-J The Constitution (118th Amendment) Bill, 2012 seeks to insert a new Article 371-J to provide special recognition for the six backward districts in north Karnataka: Gulbarga, Yadgir, Raichur, Bidar, Koppal and Bellary.

De-notified tribes to get a better deal in 12th Plan : A nationwide survey of de-notified tribes settlements is to be conducted to form the basis for introducing a suitable shelter programme for them. They could be entitled to free or subsidised housing under various government schemes. Over 200 communities were identified by the British as criminal tribes under the Criminal Tribes Act, 1871. However, the Act was annulled after Independence and the communities identified under this legislation were referred to as de-notified, nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes. There is no authentic data on these tribes and no census has been conducted. They are found in almost all the States and belong mostly to the Other Backward Classes category in some large States and in Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes categories in other States. Some of them are not covered by any of the three categories. Even those covered under the three categories are often not able to avail the benefits because either they do not have caste certificates or because quotas are exhausted by non-nomadic/non de-notified communities in the reserved categories. A number of States have not even prepared lists of the de-notified or nomadic communities. According to the 12th Plan documents, an effective way of extending developmental support for them will be to provide special and relevant support and facilities for them within the existing facilities for the ST, SC and OBC categories, as applicable. Access to scholarships and hostel facilities need to be given priority. Also, capacity-building programmes for skill development and marketing and loans for economic empowerment should be given priority, say the documents. Specific strategies and mechanisms will also be put in place to ensure flow of funds for the welfare and development of these tribes. An effective rehabilitative approach, supported with an equally effective plan for the socio-economic development of the de-notified tribes needs to be adopted and implemented, especially by establishing habitations/villages for them. This will be given emphasis during the 12th Plan period. A proportion of the current outlay for Indira Awaas Yojana should be earmarked for these communities in addition to the aid to construct dwelling units by receiving priority under the on-going housing programmes, the documents suggest. The documents favoured the creation of a cluster development fund for assisting the de-notified tribes for the construction of houses, for providing land to them and for creating infrastructure. Skill development initiatives of the States and the Central government need to give priority to cover the unemployed youth among these tribes with a view to providing them with employable skills.

Several initiatives taken for Development of Electronics Hardware Manufacturing: the initiatives that have been taken for the development of electronics (including telecom) hardware manufacturing in the country: National Policy on Electronics (NPE) 2012 National Telecom Policy 2012 (NTP-2012) Electronics Manufacturing Clusters (EMC) Scheme Modified Special Incentive Package (M-SIPS) Scheme Setting up Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication Units Preference to Domestically Manufactured Electronic Goods (Preferential Market Access) Notification by the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) on 5th October 2012 for Government Procurement and Government funded projects Electronics Development Fund (EDF) Scheme for mandatory registration of identified Electronic Products for meeting specified safety standards Export Promotion Scheme for ESDM Industry According Priority Sector Status to IT purchases Declaring Mobile phones as goods of special importance under the CST Act, 1956 Communication and Marketing Government Proposes to Amend Forward Contract Act The Government proposes to amend the Forward Contract (Regulation) Act, 1952 to inter-alia provide for registration of foreign intermediaries / participants in commodity derivatives market. The proposed amendment also provid es for suspension and cancellation of registration by the Regulator, FM. At present under the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952, there is no restriction on participation by local and foreign institutional investors in commodity futures trading. However, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has laid down the policy on foreign direct investment (FDI)

P a g e | 11

and foreign institutional investment (FII) in commodity exchanges. Foreign investment is permitted under a composite (FDI & FII) cap of 49%, under the Government approval route-i.e. through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). Within this overall limit of 49%, investment by Registered FIIs, under the Portfolio Investment Scheme (PIS) is limited to 23% and investment under the FDI Scheme is limited to 26%. As regards participation by institutions such as banks, insurance companies, pension funds, etc. is concerned, there is no restrictive provision on their participation in the Forward Contracts (Regulation) Act, 1952. All such entities however need to be permitted by their respective regulators under relevant laws. The Minister further added that the functions of futures market are price discovery and price risk management. The participation of Banks and Mutual Funds and Foreign Institutional Investors would bring the necessary breadth and depth to enable the corporate entities to hedge their price risk in Indian commodity markets. These entities may also bring in larger participation from professionals, which would improve the quality of these markets. Banks themselves will be able to hedge their price risks arising out of their exposure to commodity traders and processors as a lender. Their active participation may also promote greater credit flow to farmers. Entrepreneurship Development Programme being Implemented for Reducing Wastage of Agricultural Produce Ministry of Food Processing Industries under the component of Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP) of Human Resource Development Scheme emphasizes the processing of agro product into value added products with a view to reduce the wastage of agricultural produce and increase in the income of farmers. It requires to train the farmers and prospective entrepreneurs / unemployed youth in an intensive manner so as to sensitise them to the idea of value addition, food processing and encourage them to establish food processing industries. With the launch of National Mission on Food Processing (NMFP), a centrally sponsored scheme during 12th plan (2012-13), the HRD scheme and its all components have been subsumed in the mission during 2012-13, which is implemented by States including receiving of applications and sanction as well as release of funds, supervision and monitoring of the scheme.

Achievement of MDGS Targets Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are eight international development
goals set by the United Nations which member countries, including India, have agreed to achieve by the year 2015. Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality: Goal 5: Improve Maternal Health Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. The following steps have been taken by the Government to achieve the MDG indicators in the health sector in the country. For reducing child mortality, the steps taken include Integrated Management of Neo-natal & childhood illness, training of ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activist) in Home based new born care, Navajat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, setting up of sick new born care units at district hospitals, promoting exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding, strengthening routine immunisation programme, focussing on reduction in morbidity and mortality due to Acute Respiratory Infections (ARI) and Diarrhoeal Diseases, name based tracking of pregnant women and children, etc. For improving maternal health, the steps taken include promoting institutional deliveries, strengthening of infrastructure, Strengthening of Essential and Emergency Obstetric Care services, Strengthening Referral Systems, launching of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram, Maternal Death Review, organising village health and nutrition days, engagement of ASHA at community level, introduction of integrated mother and child health card, etc. The steps taken to control diseases like HIV / AIDs, Malaria and Tuberculosis include early diagnosis and treatment, improving monitoring and evaluation, strengthening human resources, involvement of NGOs, Private sector and community, providing services near to the doorstep of community, etc.

Labelling by Junk Food Companies Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) monitors labels on various food items by different companies in media as well as on the product labels

Achievements of the Ministry of Labour & Employment ::

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) & Aam aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY): RSBY is a flagship programme of the Government that provides health insurance to unorganized workers to avail smart card based cashless hospitalization facilities upto Rs.30,000/- Under RSBY the premium is shared in the ratio of 75:25 between Center and State except in case of NER States and Jammu & Kashmir where it is in ratio of 90:10. The cost of smart card preparation @ Rs 60/- per card is included in the premium quoted by the Insurance Companies and this amount is entirely borne by the Central Govt. The Aam Admi Bima Yojana (AABY) was launched on 02.10.2007 with a view to providing insurance cover to the head of family or one earning member of rural landless households. The scheme is being implemented through the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). Under the scheme, the head of the family or an earning member of the family is eligible to receive the benefits of Rs. 30000/- in case of

P a g e | 12

natural death, Rs.75000/- accidental death, Rs. 75000/- for total permanent disability and Rs. 37500/for partial permanent disability. Coverage of BPL Families Under RSBY In view of the success of the scheme, RSBY has now been extended to the additional categories of workers, viz. Building and other construction workers registered with the welfare boards; Street vendors; Licensed railway porters and vendors; MGNREGA workers who have worked for more than 15 days during the preceding year; Domestic workers; and Beedi Workers Child Labour Special Schools Under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP)scheme and Grant-in-Aid (GIA) Schemes for elimination and rehabilitation of Child Labour and awareness generation among the Women Labour. funds are released to the NCLP Project Society chaired by District Magistrate, who in turn allocates the funds to the Child Labour special schools. Upgradation task of 400 ITIs initiated The scheme, titled, Kaushal Vikas Yojna envisages setting up 3000 ITIs and 5000 SkillDevelopment Centers (SDCs) in Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode. Main aim and objective of the scheme is to enhance employability of rural youth by providing them relevant skills. The scheme is under process of approval and no ITI/SDC has been set up under the scheme so far. States Asked to Act on Welfare Meaures For the Building and other Construction Workers Instructions to the States for speedy and proper implementation of the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996 and the Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Cess Act, 1996 from time to time at appropriate levels. Unique Facility for EPF members to Download their E-Pass Book Tikku Committee Report on ESI Tikku Committee was set-up to look into all aspects of career improvement and cadre restructuring of the doctors of Central Health Service. Some of the recommendations of Tikku Committee have been implemented in Employees State Insurance Corporation(ESIC). The doctors of ESIC have been extended service facilities as per Central Health Service Rules, as adopted by ESIC. All retired doctors of ESIC have been given consequential benefits wherever applicable, as per ESIC service rules. Coaching-Cum-Guidance Centres for SC/ST
India Signs MoU with USA on Labour and Employment in the areas of Skill Development, Youth Employment, Occupational Safety and Health and Mines Safety. India and European Union Launch Project on Skill Development Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) and Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme(IHSDP) components of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) are coordinated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation. the execution of projects under BSUP and IHSDP are undertaken by the respective State Governments and their implementing agencies, primarily Urban Local Bodies.

The Government of India advises and helps the States/UT Governments in tackling vector borne diseases, including dengue, through the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme. National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS): As per the programme, opportunistic screening of persons above the age of 30 years for diabetes & hypertension in various health care facilities viz. District Hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Sub-Centres is being undertaken. Each district in the programme is being supported with Rs.50,000/- per month for essential drugs and consumables for Diabetes and Hypertension. Diabetic patients are treated in the Government healthcare delivery system through Community Health Centres and District Hospitals besides Government Medical Colleges and Tertiary Health Care Institutions. NPCDCS, in addition to early diagnosis of persons and their referral to higher facilities for appropriate management also promotes awareness generation for behaviour and life style changes. Drugs are also made available through other Central and State Government programmes/ schemes. Needy persons are also supported through Rashtriya Arogya Nidhi (RAN) and Health Ministers Discretionary Grant.

P a g e | 13

Universal Health Care:::: The Government of India is implementing a number of programmes to achieve the goal of universal health care. The most important of these is the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), whose main activity is to support states to upgrade their public health facilities to deliver essential health care services. The NRHM has laid down an Indian Public Health Standard (IPHS) for public health facilities- and now finances the states to achieve these standards. This includes support for closing infrastructure gaps, more human resources with necessary skills and provision of the necessary equipments, drugs and supplies. here has been increased public spending primarily in rural areas and EAG and N-E states after the launch of NRHM, on health systems strengthening, infrastructure development, increased human resource for health, capacity building, communitisation, Mobile Medical Units (MMU) and patient transport systems, drugs and supplies, RCH interventions including JSY and JSSK etc.Free and universal health care is being provided for a range of health care services, as mentioned below: Free Maternal Health services Antenatal checkups including free investigations and IFA supplementation Post natal care Safe abortion services RTI/STI services including investigations and treatment Free Child Health services Home Based New born Care Facility Based New born Care Nutritional rehabilitation Supplementation, IFA and Vitamin A Diarrhea management including free ORS and Zinc Pneumonia management including antibiotics Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) Guarantees free vaccination of children against 7 diseases Free vaccination (TT) to pregnant women Basket of vaccines being expanded e.g. Pentavalent, JE Free Adolescent Health services Adolescent friendly services through ARSH Clinics WIFS (Weekly Supplementation of Iron and Folic Acid with Deworming) Sanitary napkins for Menstrual hygiene (in 107 districts, being scaled up) Universal screening of children in govt./aided schools and referral support Family Planning Free services including information, supplies and sterilization Communicable Diseases Free investigation and treatment for Malaria, Kala azar, Filaria, Dengue, JE and Chikungunya Free detection and treatment for Tuberculosis including MDR-TB Free detection and treatment for Leprosy Free detection, treatment and counselling for HIV/AIDS Non Communicable Diseases Free Cataract surgery for Blindness control Free Cornea transplant Free Glaucoma/ Diabetic Retinopathy Free spectacles to children (BPL only) Free screening for NCDs (in pilot phase) JananiShishuSurakshaKaryakram (JSSK) An initiative launched on 1st June 2011 Guarantees free and no expense delivery including C-section in public health facilities Entitlements include free to and fro transport, Free drugs, consumables, diagnostics, blood and diet Similar guarantees for sick neonates

P a g e | 14
Section 66A deals with punishment for sending offensive messages through a communication service. Under the provision, any person who sends, by means of a computer resource or a communication device, (a) any information that is grossly offensive or has menacing character; or (b) any information, which he knows to be false, but for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience, danger, obstruction, insult, injury, criminal intimidation, enmity, hatred or ill-will, persistently by making use of such computer resource or a communication device; or (c) any electronic mail or electronic mail message for the purpose of causing annoyance or inconvenience or to deceive or to mislead the addressee or recipient about the origin of such messages, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years and with fine. Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution, which guarantees freedom of speech and expression to every citizen. Under Article 19(2), restrictions on freedom of speech are reasonable if they pertain to any of the listed grounds, such as sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence

SARAL, a satellite meant for studying the ocean currents and sea surface height

Government takes Several Measures for Growth Revival: The measures being undertaken by the Government to revive growth in the economy, inter-alia, include better access to finance for manufacturing sector, fast tracking of large investment projects in the areas of power, petroleum and gas, roads, coal, strengthening of financial and banking sector, reducing the volatility of exchange rate, etc and using buffer stocks to moderate food inflation. Certain specific measures taken by the Government to achieve higher growth, inter-alia, include enhancing the level of investment for agriculture sector including irrigation projects, promoting Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises sector by way of higher allocation of funds, enhancing investment in the infrastructure sector focusing on Public Private Partnerships, introduction of a new National Manufacturing Policy etc. Measures are also being undertaken to facilitate fiscal consolidation and the Mid Year Economic Analysis 2012-13. The Government has merged Janashree Bima Yojana (JBY) and Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana (AABY) into one scheme, since both the schemes have similar structure of benefits, premium and target group and are being implemented through Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). Electronic Payment System in Towns and Villages; The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), as a move towards cash less economy, from time to time, has been facilitating the use of electronic payment products by issuing various Guidelines on Electronic Payment System such as Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT) and National Electronic Clearing Services (NECS) in the country including in the smaller towns and villages. In addition, other payment systems such as mobile banking, prepaid payment instruments and mobile wallet also enable electronic payment facility Traditional Industries Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is implementing a number of schemes for the development and promotion of khadi and village industries including traditional industries. In particular, KVIC is implementing a cluster based scheme named Scheme of Fund for Regeneration of Traditional Industries (SFURTI) for promotion of traditional industries, under which 29 khadi, 47 village industries inter alia, including 2 leather and 4 carpentry clusters have been assisted by providing them with improved equipment, common facilities centres, business development services, training, capacity building and design and marketing support, etc. Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme of the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.: The BRGF is designed to redress regional imbalances in development. The funds provide financial resources for supplementing and converging existing developmental inflows into identified districts so as to bridge critical gaps in local infrastructure and other development requirements. As per the Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) Guidelines, the Annual Action Plans prepared by the Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) are consolidated into the District Plan by the District Planning Committee. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj releases funds for the district on the basis of such District Plan duly forwarded by the concerned State Government. As

P a g e | 15

per the Progress Reports received in the Ministry, these funds have been utilised for developmental activities like construction of Anganwadi centres, Panchayat Ghars, roads, culverts, bridges, community halls, water supply etc. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR) provides financial support to the States under the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Yojana (RGSY) for taking up construction of the Gram Panchayat buildings MPLAD Guidelines : The New Salient Features of the Revised MPLADS Guidelines are as under:(i) Assistance to physically challenged persons upto maximum of Rs.10 lakh per year for purchase of tri-cycles and artificial limbs have been allowed, (ii) Ambulances/hearse vans under the District Authority/CMO/Civil Surgeon of the district can now also be operated through private organizations, (iii) MPs allowed to recommend eligible works upto Rs.10 lakh per year outside the constituency for Lok Sabha MPs and outside States for Rajya Sabha MPs. (iv) Release of advances to Government implementing agencies has been changed from the ratio of50 : 50 to 75 : 25. (v) Contingency funds of 0.5% have been increased to 2% of the annual entitlement as administrative expenses. (vi) MPLADS works can also be implemented in areas affected by man-made calamities like chemical, biological and radiological hazards. (vii) Mobile Library for Government Educational Institutions/Public Libraries now permissible. (viii) Works from out of the shelf of MGNREGA projects approved by the Zilla Panchayat for the year may also be recommended under the MPLAD Scheme. Similarly, convergence of MPLADS funds with Panchayat Yuva Krida aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) and Urban Sports Infrastructure Scheme (USIS) for creation of durable sports assets from out of the shelf of PYKKA Projects has been allowed. (ix) Funds from the MPLAD Scheme can be used for construction of Railway Halt Stations to facilitate the local community for boarding/deboarding the train. (x) An MP has been entitled for setting up of MPLADS Facilitation Centre in the Nodal District for which MPLADS funds not exceeding Rs. 5 lakh being the cost of equipments, furniture, etc. can be used. The space/room would be provided by DC/DM in the premises of Collectorate/DRDA and the recurring running expenses will be booked under 2% administrative charges, of which the Nodal District gets 0.8%. (xi) MPs may recommend purchase of Books up to Rs. 22 lakh annually for schools/colleges/public libraries subject to certain conditions. (xii) One MP One Idea competition introduced for selecting three best innovations in solving local problems to be held in each Lok Sabha Constituency annually. Central Sector Schemes for Welfare of STs::

Sl. No.

Name of Schemes***************************** A ======= Special Area Programs (SAP)

1 2 B 3

SCA (Special Central Assistance) to Tribal Sub-Planp Article 275(1) of the Constitution ======= Central Sector Schemes(CS) Grant-in-Aid to NGOs for STs including Coaching & Allied Scheme and Award for Exemplary Service

P a g e | 16 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 C 13 14 15 16 17 Vocational Training Centres in Tribal Areas Strengthening of Education among ST girls in low literacy Districts Market Development of Tribal Products/ Produce Grant-in-aid to State Tribal Development Cooperative Corporations for Minor Forest Produce Development of Particularly Vulnerable Tribal (PTG) Support to National/State Scheduled Tribes Finance & Development Corporations Rajiv Gandhi National Fellowship for ST Students Scheme of Institute of Excelence/Top class institute National Overseas Scholarship Scheme =====Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) Scheme of PMS, Book Bank and Upgradation of Merit of ST students Pre-Matric Scholarship for ST students studying in classes IX & X Scheme of Hostels for ST Girls and Boys Establishment of Ashram Schools Research Information & Mass Education , Tribal Festival and Others

Primary Education in Tribal Areas;; As per information received from the Ministry of HRD, SSA provides for opening of new schools, additional rooms and infrastructure like toilets, drinking water, ramps etc, teachers, teacher training, free text books, special training to mainstream out of school children, two sets of uniforms for all girls and children belonging to SC, ST & BPL families, school grants, learning enhancement programme (which includes specific programs for improving learning level like multi lingual education in early grades, special science and maths inputs etc) and innovation fund for SC, ST children. SSA has also supported the strengthening of Tribal Welfare Departments schools and ashram shalas. Storage of Water : Several measures for increasing the storage capacity and proper utilization of water are taken up by the State Governments viz. construction of dams, check dams and farm ponds and adoption of better management practices. Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments by rendering technical and financial assistance through programmes like Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP), Command Area Development and Water Management Programme, Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies and Artificial Recharge to Ground Water.
The WHO qualifies any pregnant woman with a Hb level of less than 11 grams a decilitre of blood as anaemic. The recent decision of the United Nations General Assembly to grant Observer status for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) is highly commendable. CERN is the first physical sciences research organisation to become an Observer.

P a g e | 17

Major Achievements & Highlights of Department of Youth Affairs: National Youth Policy, 2012; Draft National Youth Policy 2012 envisages to put in place a comprehensive strategy to ensure the fullest development and realization of the potential of the youth, in the context of future socio-economic growth. II. NEHRU YUVA KENDRA SANGATHAN: NYKS is the largest grassroots level voluntary organization, one of its kind in the world. Achievements of Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan are as under: (i) Skill Up-gradation training programme for women: The training is provided to improve agriculture practices, sericulture, and floriculture, cutting and tailoring, shoe making, traditional handicrafts of the area. The training is also provided in agro-based projects depending upon the local needs. The reputed institutes/organisations like ATDC, NSDC, NCVT, KVK, Agricultural Universities are associated for the training (ii) Skill Development Training Programme (SDTP) under ATDC & NSDC: The Skill Training in SMART courses (iii) Skill Development training of NYC Volunteers through KVK: training in the field of Animal Husbandry, Sericulture, Soil Testing , Bee- keeping, Nursery Management, Vegetable Cultivation, Value added courses in agriculture , milk and milk products organic farming etc. I. Silver Jubilee of NYKS and Quami Ekta Diwas on 19th November, 2012 Awareness and Education for the Prevention of Drug Abuse & Alcoholism in the States of Punjab and Manipur (vi) 70 Skill Up-gradation Training Programmes for Women in the State J & K: (vii) Skill Development and Vocational Training for Youth: NYKS in collaboration with NSDC has been activity involved in conduct of various programmes/activities for skill development and vocational training of Youth under Youth Employability Skill (YES) Project. The youth including NYC Volunteers have been provided Skill Training in various fields like computer applications, Information Technology, Beauty Parlour, Hotel Management etc. The course provide secure future employment to the Youth. (viii) Skill Development of Volunteers through Tata Motors (NEEV) Under the programme the youth is provided training in sales, marketing skills, product knowledge and process clarity by Accenture and then work for Tata Motors (ix) World Environment Day: 5th June (x) World Population Day: 11th July (xi) Mentor Youth Club The objective is to build a strong and effective network of youth clubs in the country. The Mentor Youth Club work to make non functional/ inactive clubs active, provide support and guidance to youth clubs and develop a strong& dependable network of self supporting/self reliant youth clubs. Each of these Mentor Youth Club is being provided a onetime grant of Rs. 10,000/- for development of infrastructure. 20,000 office bearers of these 10,000 Mentor Clubs are being provided five day long capacity building training to enhance their understanding about effective planning, management and administration of Youth Clubs so that they become active partners in village development programme. iii) NATIONAL SERVICE SCHEME (NSS): opportunity to work with the people in the villages and slum dwellers. The scheme seeks to achieve its objectives through twin approach i.e. Campus to Community and College to Village. IV. National Programme for Youth Adolescent Development(NPYAD): Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, 2011 were conferred on four individual for Land , Air and Water Adventure and one for Life time achievement during a gliterring ceremony held on 29.8.2012 at RashtrapatiBhawan. V. RAJIV GANDHI NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT (RGNIYD): RGNIYD is an apex research and training institute dedicated to Youth Development in the country. VI. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION (IC): VII. YOUTH HOSTEL: Youth Hostels are built to promote youth travel and to enable the young people experience the rich cultural heritage of the country. The construction of the Youth hostels is a joint venture of the Central and State Governments. While the Central Government bears the cost of construction, the State Governments provide fully developed land free of cost with water, electricity and approach roads. Youth Hostels provide good accommodation for the youth at reasonable rates (iv) (v)
(Vermiculture is a big word that simply means "worm farming and its related products)

P a g e | 18

JNNURM JNNURM was launched on 3rd December, 2005 with the objective of reforms driven and fast track development of cities across the country, with focus on bringing about efficiency in urban infrastructure, service delivery mechanisms, community participation and accountability of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Parastatalagencies towards citizens. It has two components, namely, the Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) and the Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). JNNURM is a reform linked Scheme for provisioning of urban infrastructure and services in urban centers. In this, the second and subsequent installment of ACA is released for projects subject to utilization of 70% of grants and achievement of reforms according to the timelines agreed to by the States and Local Bodies. The Mission has completed its normal tenure in March 2012. Extension of two years has been given for completion of ongoing projects & reforms only till March 2014
Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) ::: The honour of Akademi Fellow has been conferred since 1954 and Akademi Award since 1952. They not only symbolize the highest standard of excellence and achievements on a national basis, but also recognize sustained individual work and contribution to the practice and appreciation of the arts through performance, teaching and scholarship. The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs 3,00,000/- (Rupees threelacs) and Akademi Awards carry Rs 1,00,000/- (Rupees one lac), besides Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

INITIATIVES TO AUGMENT FODGRAINS STORAGE CAPACITY With a view to incentivizing the creation of storage capacity further, the Government initiated the Private Entrepreneurs Guarantee (PEG) Scheme which aims to construct storage godowns through private entrepreneurs, Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) and State Warehousing Corporations (SWCs). Assessment of additional storage capacities under the scheme is based on overall procurement/consumption levels and the storage space already available. Under the PEG Scheme, FCI guarantees a 10 years usage of storage capacities to the private investors and 9 years to CWC and SWCs. NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY BILL, 2011; Government of India has introduced National Food Security Bill, 2011 in the Parliament (Lok Sabha) with the objective to provide for food and nutritional security, in human life cycle approach, by ensuring access to adequate quantity of quality food at affordable prices to people to live a life with dignity. The Bill provides for coverage of upto 75% of the rural population, with at least 46% population belonging to priority households and upto 50% of the urban population, with at least 28% population belonging to priority households for receiving subsidized foodgrains under Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS). The Bill also contains provisions for nutritional support to women and children besides provisions for meals to special groups such as destitute and homeless, emergency and disaster affected persons and persons living in starvation.
Indian Coast Guard Station Mayabunder, the first CG Station in the North Andaman Islands
Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill:As per the existing regulatory framework, banks in India are allowed to trade in financial instruments (shares, bonds and currencies) in the securities market. But the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 prohibits banks (domestic and foreign) from trading in goods. Section 8 of the Act states: no banking company shall directly or indirectly deal in the buying or selling or bartering of goods, except in connection with the realisation of security given to or held by it. However, banks are allowed to finance commodity business and provide fund and non-fund-based facilities to commodity traders to meet their working capital requirements. Banks also provide clearing and settlement services for commodities derivatives transactions. But banks cannot trade in commodities themselves. In addition to banks, mutual funds, pension funds, insurance companies and foreign institutional investors (FIIs) are not allowed to trade in Indian commodity futures markets.