Lok Sabha Question No. 1914 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-19
Subject: Social Problems in North-Eastern Region
Ministry: DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION
Asked by: Sunil Kumar Mondal

## Government of India Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1914

To be answered on Monday, December 19, 2022/Agrahayana 28, 1944 (Saka)

## QUESTION

## Social Problems in North-Eastern Region

## 1914. SHRI SUNIL KUMAR MONDAL

Will the Minister of DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the strategy taken or being taken to restrict/control social problems such  as  human  trafficking,  drug  abuse,  HIV  and  to  improve  literacy  in  North-Eastern region during the last five years; and
- (b) the details of future initiative likely to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## The Minister of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region [Shri G. Kishan Reddy]

- (a)to  (b)The  strategy  being  taken  to  restrict/control  by  the  Government  to  social problems such as human trafficking, drug abuse, HIV and to improve literacy in NorthEastern region during the last five years are as under:
- (i)  While  it  is  the  primary  responsibility  of  respective  State  Governments  and  Union Territory  Administrations (UTs) to  take  necessary steps for preventing and countering human  trafficking  as  'Police'  and  'Public  Order'  are  State-List  subjects  under  the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been  supplementing  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  by  undertaking  various initiatives and  measures in  this  regard.  MHA  has  provided  financial  assistance  to the

tune of Rs 98.86 crores under 'Nirbhaya Fund' to all States and UTs during the financial years 2019-20 and 2020-21 for strengthening the existing Anti Human Trafficking Units (AHTUs) and for establishing new AHTUs covering all districts of the States and UTs. MHA  also  provides  financial  assistance  to  States  and  UTs  for  holding  'Judicial Colloquiums' and 'State level conferences' on periodic basis for sensitizing judicial and police officials and to make available to them updated information on latest provisions of law relating to human trafficking. MHA has also been issuing advisories and guidelines to  States  on  preventing  and  countering  the  crime  of  human  trafficking.    Further,  the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008 was amended in 2019 to authorise the National Investigation Agency to investigate cases of human trafficking under Sections 370 and 370A of Indian Penal Code having inter-State and international ramifications.

(ii) The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) is implementing the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR)  in the country including the  8  North  Eastern  States  under  which  financial  assistance  is  provided  to  (i)  'State Governments/  Union  Territory  (UT)  Administrations  for  Preventive  Education  and Awareness  Generation,  Capacity  Building,  Skill  development,  Vocational  training  and livelihood  support  of  ex-drug  addicts,  Programmes  for  Drug  Demand  Reduction  by States/UTs  etc.  and  (ii)  'NGOs/VOs  for  running  and  maintenance  of  Integrated Rehabilitation  Centres  for  Addicts  (lRCAs),  Community  based  peer  Led  intervention (CPLI) for early Drug Use Prevention among Adolescents and Outreach and Drop In Centres (ODIC) and (iii) Addiction treatment facilities (ATFs) in Government Hospitals'.

A  Toll-free  Helpline  for  de-addiction,  14446  is  being  maintained  by  the  Ministry  for providing  primary  counseling  and  immediate  referral  services  to  the  persons  seeking help through this helpline.  Ministry through its autonomous body National Institute of Social  Defence  (NISD)  and  other  collaborating  agencies  like  SCERTs,  Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan etc. provides for regular awareness generation and sensitization sessions for all stakeholders including students, teachers, parents etc.

MoSJE  launched  Nasha  Mukt  Bharat  Abhiyaan  (NMBA)  in  372  identified  districts including 67 districts of North Eastern States with an aim to create awareness about ill  effects of substance abuse among the youth, with special focus on higher education institutes,  university  campuses,  schools  and  reaching  out  into  the  community  and garnering community involvement and ownership of the Abhiyaan. In the North Eastern Region,  so  far 16,50,309 people  have  been  reached  under  NMBA  including 23027 women, 55441 youths, and 2126 educational institutions.

(iii) National  Aids  Control  Programme  under  the  Ministry  of  Health  and  Family Welfare, is implementing the National AIDS and STD Control Programme (NACP) since 1992  to  respond  to  the  HIV  epidemic  across  country  including  in  the  North  Eastern Region.  Currently,  phase-V  of  the  NACP  is  under  implementation  as  a  fully  funded Central Sector Scheme through State/UT AIDS Control Societies (SACS) for the period of  1 st   April  2021  to  31 st   March  2026.  North  Eastern  States  has  been  focused  under NACP Phase-V across the care continuum of HIV prevention-detection-treatment.

Integrated action plans have been prepared by SACS in these States for tailored HIV response through comprehensive three-pronged strategy of prevention, detection and treatment  for  HIV  supported  through  critical  enablers  of  awareness  generation, laboratory services and strategic information management with communities being the center of response. Funds under NACP to the SACS in the North Eastern States are released as Grant-In-Aid based on the annual action plan submitted by the respective SACS.

Prevention of new infections is augmented through periodic awareness generation and community-led targeted interventions. North-east multimedia campaign on HIV is being implemented to raise awareness about HIV in these States. North-Eastern Council has been engaged to work with various stakeholders on various aspects including access to social protection schemes.

Early detection of HIV is being done through counseling and testing facilities while free lifelong anti-retro viral (ARV) medicines are provided to people living with HIV(PLHIV) through Anti-Retroviral Therapy(ART) centers and link-ART centers.  As on September 2022,  1692  HIV  counseling  and  testing  centers,  and  104  ART  and  link-ART  centers were operational in the States in north-eastern region.  The Government is periodically undertaking 360 o  review with SACS in the north-eastern States to review the progress and recommend actions to strengthen the response in these State.

(iv) The Ministry of Education, in order to improve adult literacy rate, implemented  a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Adult Education, namely Saakshar Bharat in the rural areas of 404 districts in 26 States and one UT, that had adult female literacy rate of 50 percent  and  below  as  per  Census  2001, including  North  Eastern  States ,  since October  2009.  The  scheme  was  extended  upto  31.03.2019.    Under  the  scheme  of Saakshar  Bharat,  the  principal  target  was  to  impart  Functional  Literacy  to  70  million non-literates  including  12  million  minorities.  Around  100.8  million  learners  (including 9.81  million  minorities)  appeared  in  the  bi-annual  assessment  tests  conducted  by National Institute  of  Open  Schooling  (NIOS) from August 2010 to March 2018, out of which 76.39 million learners (including 7.50 million minorities) had successfully passed the assessment and were certified as literate.

Further, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Adult Education 'Padhna Likhna Abhiyaan' was being implemented in rural and urban areas of 33 states/ UTs, including  North Eastern States ,  during the financial year 2020-22, with a target of making 48.16 lakh adult non-literates as literates.

Government    of      India      has      recently      approved    a    new    Centrally  Sponsored Scheme, namely, 'New India Literacy Programme (NILP)' with the aim to support the States and Union Territories, including all North Eastern States , in promoting literacy among non-literates in the age group of 15 and above, across the country covering 5 crore non-literates, including minorities, during the implementation period from 2022-27. The scheme has been approved with a financial outlay of Rs.1037.90 crore including Central share of Rs.700.00 crore and State share of Rs.337.90 crore.

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