press the approval time frame and thereby facilitate
speedy implementation of projects.

FDI proposals approved

From January 1991 to February 2000, the govern-
ment has approved 17,098 foreign collaboration (tech-
nical and financial) proposals with a corresponding
foreign direct investment (FDI) of U.S. $60.4 billion.
Actual inflow of FDI during 1999 reached U.S. $4
billion during 1999.

Information Technology

The new Ministry has been created by amalgamating
two departments, the erstwhile Department of Elec-
tronics and the NIC, which was earlier under the
Planning Commission. The vision of the IT Ministry is
to make India an IT Super Power by the Year 2008.
It would take focused initiatives to accelerate the
internet revolution in India, emphasizing the creation
of useful contents in Indian languages, |OT-enabled
services, IT-education, electronics and computer hard-
ware manufacturing and exports, silicon facility, E-
Commerce and internet based E-Businesses.

Social Welfare

Increased Focus On Elimination Of Child Labor

Elimination of child labor continues to be one of the
major focus areas of the Labor Ministry. The Labor
Ministry has taken an initiative for framing an omni-
bus legislation prescribing 14 years as the minimum
age for employment and work in all occupations.
However, exception is sought in the area of agricul-
ture in family and smallholdings producing for own
consumption. The proposed legislation will also fix a
minimum age of not less than 18 years to any type
of employment and work which by its nature or
circumstances is likely to jeopardize the health, safety
or morals of young persons. The measure would also
help in ratification of the ILO’s new convention, by
India.

Welfare Fund For Overseas Indian Workers

The Labor Ministry proposes to constitute a Welfare
Fund for the Indian Overseas Workers. It will be
utilized for repatriating the workers stranded in for-
eign countries, providing financial assistance to the

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kin of workers who die during foreign employment,
transportation home of the bodies of dead workers
and for lump sum assistance to workers permanently
disabled while in foreign employment. Collecting a
fee from each worker leaving the country for overseas
employment will raise the money for the Fund. The
Labor Ministry is also taking several steps to prevent
exploitation of emigrant workers both at home and
abroad. The Chief Secretaries of all the states have
been requested to ensure police surveillance on the
activities of unauthorized agents and register cases
against them.

Space

India’s first third-generation satellite, Insat-3B was
successfully launched from Kourou in French Guyana
by an Ariane-5 rocket on March 22, 2000. ISRO
crossed an important milestone in the development
of indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage for India’s Geo-
synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) when
the first cryogenic engine was ignited at Liquid Pro-
pulsion Systems Center Test Complex at Mahendragiri,
Tamil Nadu on February 18, 2000.

Water Resources

Cooperation with Nepal and Bangladesh

Several projects have been identified and negotiations
have been going on. Joint Project Office - Pancheshwar
Investigation (IPO-PI) has been opened in Kathmandu,
Nepal on 10.12.99 and the Project investigation work
for preparation of a joint Detailed Project Report for
Pancheshwar multi-purpose project has started. This
work scheduled to be completed by the end of 2001.
Govt. of India and HMGN are also cooperating for the
extension of embankments in Nepal on the rivers
Lalbakeya, Kamla, Baqgmati and Khando. Work on
Lalbakeya River has started. Work on establishing
flood forecasting and warning sites on rivers common
to Nepal and India is in progress with the assistance
of Government of India.

The Treaty with Bangladesh is being implemented.
Talks are on with Govt. of Bangladesh for sharing
waters of other rivers common to India and Ban-
gladesh. Joint Committees have been set up on both
sides for monitoring and implementing the Treaty on
sharing of Ganga waters.

INDIA NEWS « May-June 2000 13