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GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES - January 2020

Jan 2020

Mar 24, 2020

Centre Allows States And UTs To Lift Foodgrains For 3 Months In Advance From FCI For PDS Scheme

The Central government allowed States and Union Territories to lift foodgrain for three months from the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to ensure an adequate supply of foodgrains to the public in view of coronavirus spread in the country.
"To ensure an adequate supply of foodgrains to the public and financially assist State Govts, Dept of Expenditure, Finance Ministry, has agreed to Food & Public Distribution Department's proposal that foodgrain for 3 months can be lifted by States/UTs on credit from the FCI," Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted.

Lok Sabha Passes Finance Bill Without Discussion

The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, by voice vote without discussion, amid ruckus in the House with opposition parties seeking a fiscal stimulus package in the wake of the Coronavirus outbreak.
In the Union Budget 2020-2021, the government proposed to spend Rs 30,42,230 crore in the next financial year, 12.7% higher than the revised estimate of 2019-20. By passing the Bill, these financial proposals have been given effect.
The government has assumed a nominal Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 10% in 2020-21, versus the nominal growth estimate at 12% for 2019-20. It expects that receipts will increase by 16.3% to Rs 22,45,893 crore, owing to higher estimated revenue from divestment.

Parliament Adjourned Sine Die 11 Days Before Schedule Due To Coronavirus Outbreak

Parliament was adjourned sine die on March 23 (2020), 11 days before its Budget Session was scheduled to conclude, in view of the intensifying nationwide measures to encourage social distancing to combat the coronavirus.
The Lok Sabha passed the Finance Bill, a crucial budget legislation, without a discussion after the leaders of all political parties agreed to forgo a debate due to an "extraordinary situation", a term used by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal in the Lower House.
The government had claimed that the session will continue in accordance with its schedule, asserting that parliamentarians should be seen doing their job when emergency workers, including medical and airline staff, were doing theirs.

Mar 23, 2020

Govt Constitutes High Level Committee Of Medical Experts For Prevention & Control Of COVID-19

The government has constituted a high level technical committee of Public Health Experts for COVID-19 to guide the prevention and control activities in the country.
The 21 member committee will be headed by NITI Aayog member Dr V K Paul. Union Health Secretary Preeti Sudan and Director General Indian Council of Medical Research are the Co-Chair.
Besides, Director, AIIMS, Dr. Randeep Guleria, Director of National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi Dr Sujeet Singh, Director of Institute of Infectious Diseases, Pune Dr Sanjay Pujari and Additional Chief Secretary of Kerala Dr Rajan Khobragade are among the members of the Task Force.

Mar 20, 2020

Lok Sabha Passes Bill Declaring Jamnagar Ayurveda Centre as Institution of National Importance

The Lok Sabha passed a bill that will accord the Jamnagar-based Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda the status of 'institution of national importance' by clubbing the cluster of ayurveda institutes at the Gujarat Ayurveda University campus in Jamnagar.
The Minister of State for AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) Shripad Yesso Naik said that people across the globe were now showing greater interest in ayurveda.
Though Opposition members including Kerala's N. K. Premachandran sought to move some amendments to the legislation, these proposals were defeated by a voice vote.
The three institutes which would be a part of the proposed conglomeration are the Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and the Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Mar 19, 2020

Rajya Sabha Passes Two Bills

Rajya Sabha passed two bills that seek to provide for quality medical education system in homoeopathy and promote Indian systems of medicines.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019 were passed in the Upper House by voice vote.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill was introduced in Rajya Sabha in January 2019. Later, it was sent to a standing committee, which submitted its report in November 2019.
The proposed legislation seeks to repeal the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 and provides for a medical education system to ensure availability of quality medical professionals of Indian System of Medicine, and adoption of the latest medical research, among other objectives.
Another key feature of the bill is setting up a National Commission for Indian System of Medicine.
The second legislation, the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, too was introduced in January 2019 in the Upper House.
It seeks to repeal the Homoeopathy Central Council Act, 1973.

Govt. Sanctions Rs. 20,466.94 crore Loan to Women under 'Stand Up India Scheme'

According to the Minister of State (MoS) for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Anurag Singh Thakur, the central government sanctioned a loan of Rs. 20,466.94 crore to over 91,000 accounts up to March 10, 2020 since inception of the Stand Up India Scheme, as it counted the work being done for the empowerment of women.
It was launched on April 5, 2016 to promote entrepreneurship for economic empowerment and job creation. To set up a new venture, it is mandatory for every branch of the scheduled commercial bank to give a loan of Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore to a person belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) and at least one woman.
As on February 17, 2020, more than 81% account holders under this scheme were women.

Mar 18, 2020

Lok Sabha Passes Bill to Give Statutory Status to Aviation Regulators

The Lok Sabha passed a bill which seeks to improve India's aviation safety ratings and provide statutory status to regulatory institutions, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri assured the House that the aviation sector would emerge from the current challenges posed by the coronavirus outbreak, which forced countries around the globe to impose travel restrictions.
The Aircraft (Amendment) Bill, 2020 provides for statutory backing to the DGCA, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB). The Bill also proposes to increase the fine amount for violations of new rules from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore for aviation industry players.

Lok Sabha Passes the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020

The Lok Sabha passed a bill which seeks to extend the upper limit for permitting abortions from the present 20 weeks to 24 weeks for "special categories of women" which include rape survivors, victims of incest, differently-abled and minors.
The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 which seeks to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971 was passed by a voice vote.
Certain amendments moved by opposition members were defeated.

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