Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat Launches Sujalam 2.0 campaign
Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has launched the Sujalam 2.0 campaign for greywater management. Speaking at a function in New Delhi, Mr. Shekhawat said, under the Campaign government will mobilize Communities, Panchayats, Schools, Anganwadis to undertake greywater management. Over six lakh villages will see intense activity on Solid and Liquid Waste Management.
The theme for this year's campaign is Groundwater: making the invisible visible. The Minister said, greywater can be best managed where it is generated and turns into a major management and infrastructure challenge if it is allowed to accumulate and stagnate.
Lok Sabha Passes Demands for Grants and Appropriation Bill 2022
The Lok Sabha passed the Demands for Grants and Appropriation Bill 2022, authorising the government to withdraw Rs. 122.43 lakh crore from the Consolidated Fund of India for its working as well as implementation of programmes and schemes for the fiscal beginning April 1.
This completes two-thirds of the budgetary exercise by the Lok Sabha.
The Appropriation Bill authorising payment and appropriation of Rs. 122.43 lakh crore from the Consolidated Fund of India for 2022-23 was introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
Mar 25, 2022
Maharashtra Assembly Passes Bill to Make Marathi Mandatory in Official Works
A bill was passed in the Maharashtra legislative assembly making Marathi language mandatory for officials working under civic bodies, corporations, and local authorities. The Marathi language department minister Subhash Desai said that the introduction of the bill was necessitated as the Maharashtra Official Language Act, 1964 did not make it mandatory for the local authorities to use Marathi in their official works.
'In the Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964, there was no mention of making Marathi language mandatory in local bodies and state-run corporations and societies, and therefore this bill was introduced," Desai said.
Mar 24, 2022
Reunification of MCD: Cabinet Approves Bill for Merging of Civic Bodies in Delhi
In March 2022, the Union Cabinet gave its nod to The Delhi Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Act, 2022, which aims to merge the Capital's three municipal corporations — South, North and East — ten years after the trifurcation of the civic body. The MCD was trifurcated in 2012 when the Congress government of Sheila Dikshit controlled Delhi. It was done to decentralise governance. But the North and East civic bodies came under financial strain and there was unequal division of resources between these and the cash-rich South MCD.
Haryana Assembly Passes Anti-conversion Bill
The Haryana Assembly passed a Bill against religious conversion through force, undue influence or allurement. The Bill, which was introduced on March 4, was passed amid huge protests by the opposition in the assembly. Similar Bills in the recent past were passed in the BJP-ruled state, including Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
According to the Haryana Prevention of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2022, if conversion is done by allurement, use of force, fraudulent means or coercion, then there is a provision for imprisonment of one to five years and a fine of not less than Rs. 1 lakh.
As per the Bill, whoever converts or attempts to convert a minor, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than four years, which may extend to 10 years and liable to fine not less than Rs. 3 lakh.
Mar 23, 2022
Union Cabinet Approves Continuation of National AIDS and STD Control Programme
The Union Cabinet approved continuation of National AIDS and STD Control Programme, a Central sector scheme fully funded by the Government of India from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2026 with an outlay of Rs. 15,471.94 crore by approving phase-V of the programme.
The Phase-IV (Extension) of National AIDS and STD Control Programme concluded on March 31, 2021.
Mar 20, 2022
Union Minister Jitendra Singh Unveils Arctic Policy
Earth Sciences Minister Jitendra Singh unveiled India's Arctic policy that seeks to deepen the partnership with the resource-rich region. Titled "India and the Arctic: Building a partnership for sustainable development", it lays down six pillars — strengthening scientific research, climate and environmental protection, economic and human development, transportation and connectivity, governance and international cooperation, and national capacity building in the Arctic region.