opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 862 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Evolution of Neurotechnologies
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. D Ravi Kumar

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 862 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 TH FEBRUARY, 2025

## EVOLUTION OF NEUROTECHNOLOGIES

## 862. DR. D RAVI KUMAR:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to recognize and protect neurorights similar to Chile's constitutional amendment that ensures technological developments, respect people's physical and mental integrity;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to address the rapid evolution of neurotechnologies and the diverse contexts in which these technologies are used to develop suitable neuroethical standards in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the role of the Government in its international efforts to ensure ethical standards for neurotechnologies in light of UNESCO's initiative to develop the first global framework on the ethics of neurotechnology;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to consider Colorado's recent law to protect individuals' neurological privacy and California's deliberations on a similar instrument and if so, the details thereof alongwith the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to safeguard neurological privacy of its citizens; and
- (e) the actions taken/being taken by the Government to collaborate with inter-governmental organizations working on the human rights dimension of neurotechnologies to ensure the protection of citizens' rights?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SH. PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

- (a) to (e) In India, there are currently no specific laws that explicitly address the protection of neuro rights in the context of advancing neurotechnology. However, certain general legal and regulatory frameworks for protecting personal data and privacy are:
- i. Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000 provides for data protection and cybersecurity under the IT Act.Section 43A mandates that entities handling sensitive personal data, ensure its protection.
- ii. Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 provides a framework for the collection, processing, and sharing of personal data
- iii. Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 provides for protection of the rights of individuals with mental health conditions and emphasizes consent, autonomy, and nondiscrimination

Further, ICMR Guidelines for Biomedical Research (2017) emphasize ethical considerations in medical and scientific research, including neurotechnology. ICMR has also developed Ethical guidelines for application of Artificial Intelligence in Biomedical Research and Healthcare. Researchers must ensure informed consent and protect participant confidentiality.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 861 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: U-WIN Portal
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Hasmukhbhai Somabhai Patel, Shri Miteshbhai Rameshbhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OFINDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.861 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 TH FEBRUARY 2025

## U-WIN PORTAL

## 861. SHRI HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI PATEL: SHRI MITESH PATEL BAKABHAI:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state: (a) the key features of U-WIN portal which is developed for the complete digitalisation of vaccination services for pregnant women and children under Universal Immunization Programmes; and (b) the role of the said App in making an easy access to vaccination for citizens and creating awareness across the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. ANUPRIYAPATEL)

- (a): U-WIN is a digital platform for digitalization of all vaccination services provided under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) to pregnant women and children (from birth to 16 years). It's key features include 'Anytime Access' and 'Anywhere' vaccination services, generation of Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) and Child ABHA, self-registration module, automated SMS alerts, QR based e-Vaccination Certificate and offline mode for data entry by vaccinators.
- (b): U-WIN digital platform has a mobile application for citizens for ease of use and accessibility. U-WIN website guides the citizens regarding key features and utilization of U-WIN such as registration, appointment booking and national immunizaion schedule through Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) which are available in 11 Indian languages.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 860 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Ayurveda Institute in Nashik
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri Rajabhau Parag Prakash Waje

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 860 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 th  FEBRUARY, 2025

## 'Ayurveda Institute in Nashik'

## 860. Shri Rajabhau Parag Prakash Waje:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has plans to establish an Ayurveda institute in Nashik, which would  provide  education,  research  and  treatment  facilities  in  Ayurveda  and  other indigenous medical therapies including Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government is likely to consider establishing a premier Ayurveda institute in Nashik  city  on  the  lines  of  AIIMS  in  light  of  the  growing  demand  for  Ayurvedic  and indigenous medical therapies in and around the said city;
- (d) if so, the details of the proposed institute, including its scope, objectives and infrastructure requirements as well as the proposed timeline for its establishment; and
- (e) the details of financial assistance and support likely to be provide by the Government for the establishment and operation of the proposed institute?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

- (a) to (e) There is no proposal under consideration to establish an Ayurveda institute in Nashik.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 858 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Minimum Fixed Cost Provisions under the Modified NPS-III
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Parshottambhai Rupala

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS

## DEPARTMENT OF FERTILIZERS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 858 TO BE ANSWERED ON:

07.02.2025

## Minimum Fixed Cost Provisions under the Modified NPS-III

## 858:   SHRI  PARSHOTTAMBHAI  RUPALA :

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken by the Department of Fertilizers in consultation with Department of Expenditure as on date, to reinstate the minimum fixed cost provisions under the  Modified  NPS-III,  effective  retrospectively  from  April  2,  2014,  given  that some fertilizer units are not able to access the economic benefits specified in the current policy; and
- (b) the timeline by which Government intends to address the issue of such fertilizer units  not  being  able  to  access  the  economic  benefits  specified  in  the  current policy which has been effective retrospectively from April 2, 2014?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS & FERTILIZERS

## (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a) to (b): The Department of Fertilizers issued Modified NPS-III on 2nd April 2014 for existing Urea units, which includes payment of an Additional Fixed Cost of Rs.350/MT to  all  the  units;  Special  compensation  of  Rs.150/MT  to  Urea  Plants  that  have completed 30 Years and Converted to Gas; and Minimum fixed cost of Rs. 2300/MT or  actual  fixed  cost  prevailing  during  2012-13,  whichever  is  lower.  However,  vide notification dated 30.03.2020, the provision of Minimum fixed cost of Rs.2300/MT had been deleted from the Modified NPS-III while there was no change in the rest of the provisions of Modified NPS-III.

As  per  the  observation  of  Expenditure  Finance  Committee  (EFC)  that  the issues related to the costing of Urea units may be referred to Chief Advisor (Cost) in the  Ministry  of  Finance  for  examination  and  recommendation,  the  Department  of Fertilizers  requested  Department  of  Expenditure  that  the  Chief  Advisor  (Cost)  may examine  and  give  recommendations  on  reinstating  the  provisions  of  the  minimum fixed  cost  of  Rs.  2300/MT  under  the  Modified  NPS-III  with  retrospective  effect    i.e. from 2 nd April 2014. The matter is under examination.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 856 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Alzheimer's Disease
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Dr. Mallu Ravi

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 856 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 07th FEBRUARY, 2025

## ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

## 856. DR. MALLU RAVI:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to State:

(a) Whether the Government has assessed the implications of recent advancements in Alzheimer's research for lndia's healthcare policies;

- (b) lf so, the details thereof;
- (c) the current strategies put in place to improve early detection, diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's Disease in the country, and

(d) the details of the collaboration efforts between research institutions, healthcare providers and the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to address the growing burden of neurodegenerative disorders?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

(a) to (d) As reported by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), ICMR had commissioned a multidisciplinary project with team of researchers from various fields including neurologists, psychologists, and speech-language pathologists to develop a culturally, educationally and linguistically relevant neurocognitive toolbox. This toolbox was developed in collaboration with research teams from National Institue of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, All India Institue of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Manipal Hospitals, Bengaluru, Apollo Gleneagles Hospital, Kolkata.

ICMR's Neurocognitive Toolbox is a unique tool box including various cognitive tests to assess different domains of cognition such as attention and executive function, memory, language, and visuospatial functions. The questionnaires assess depression, functionality, quality of life, prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms and informant questionnaire on cognitive decline in elderly.

At Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, under the Comprehensive Primary Health Care (C-PHC) component, the Mental, Neurological and Substance Use (MNS) package has provisions for screening, diagnosis and management of Alzheimer's disease/Dementia. Department Psychilatry and Neurology, National Centre of Ageing (NCA) and Regional Geriatric Centre's (RGCs) are providing services for patients with Alzheimer's disease/Dementia at medical colleges/institutions.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 855 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Open Shelters in Bihar
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Shri Rajiv Pratap Rudy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO.855

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.02.2025

## OPEN SHELTERS IN BIHAR

## 855.    SHRI RAJIV PRATAP RUDY:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a)       the number of Open Shelters assisted under the Mission Vatsalya Scheme in the country particularly in Bihar;
- (b)       whether the number of Open Shelters in the said State particularly in the district of Saran, is lesser compared to other States and districts; and
- (c)       if so, the reasons for the lesser number of Open Shelters in said State especially in said district along with the steps taken to address these disparities?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)

(a)  to  (c)  : Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  is  implementing  a  Centrally Sponsored Scheme namely 'Mission Vatsalya', through the State/ UT Governments under  which  financial  support  is  provided  to  deliver  various  services  for  children  in difficult  circumstances  i.e.  Children  in  Need  of  Care  and  Protection  and  Children  in Conflict with Law. The services include both institutional care and non-institutional care. Open Shelters provide support to children missing, trafficked, working, children in street situation,  child  beggars,  children  affected  by  any  natural  disaster,  children  living  in unauthorized areas/slums, children of migrant population, children of socially marginalized groups etc.

Under Mission Vatsalya Scheme, State Governments prepare an Annual Action plan and financial  proposals  on  the  basis  of  their  local  needs  and  requirement  of  Child  Care Institutions. These are considered and approved in the Project Approval Board meetings held  with  State  officials.  The  number  of  Open  Shelters  assisted  under  the  Mission Vatsalya  Scheme  in  the  country,  as  on  31.03.2024,  is  227.  No  Open  Shelter  is  yet supported under Mission Vatsalya Scheme in Bihar including in Saran district.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 852 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Restriction on Political Largesse and Freebies
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Prof. Sougata Ray

- (a): No.
- (b): Does not arise.
- (c) to (e): The Election Commission of India has informed that in compliance of the direction of Hon'ble Supreme Court's judgement dated 5th July, 2013 in SLP (C) No. 21455 of 2008, part VIII-'Guidelines on Election Manifesto" was added in the Model  Code  of  Conduct  of  Political  Parties  and  Candidates,  which  inter-alia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 852

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 07 th  FEBRUARY 2025

## Restriction on Political Largesse and Freebies

852.  Prof. Sougata Ray:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  any  proposal  to  restrict  the  non-productive political largesse and freebies to the public on the eve of elections;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has noticed that a large numbers of gift items/contributions being dispensed to canvass votes and apathy in the country;
- (d) if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the steps taken to check/control such type of offers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

provides that  in  the  interest  of  transparency,  level  playing  field  and  credibility  of promises, it is expected that the election manifesto also reflect the rationale for the promises  and  broadly  indicate  the  ways  and  means  to  meet  the  financial requirement for it.

Further, for violation of provisions of Model Code of Conduct, Corrupt Practices  and  Offenses  related  to  elections,  there  are  penal  provisions  under section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and sections 170 and 173 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 848 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Use of Artificial Intelligence for Reducing Pendency of Cases
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Ms. Mahua Moitra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE (DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 848

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 7 th FEBRUARY, 2025

## Use of Artificial Intelligence for Reducing Pendency of Cases

## 848. MS. MAHUA MOITRA:

Will the Minister of LAW AND JUSTICE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is considering using and piloting Artificial
- Intelligence(AI) for improvement in reducing the backlog of pending cases;
- (b)if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (c): Timely disposal of cases in courts depends on several factors which, inter-alia, include availability of adequate number of judges and judicial officers, supporting court staff and physical infrastructure, complexity of facts involved, nature of evidence, co-operation of stake holders viz. bar, investigation agencies, witnesses and litigants and proper application of rules and procedures. There are several factors which may lead to delay in disposal of cases. These, inter-alia, include vacancies of judges, frequent adjournments and lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing.

As far as, the technological interventions are concerned, under eCourts

Project Phase III, an attempt is being made to integrate modern technologies for

smoother user experience and to build a "smart" system in which the Registries will have minimal data entry and scrutiny of files. To create a smart system, the latest technologies like Artificial Intelligence (Al) and its subsets Machine Learning (ML), Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Natural Language Processing (NLP), etc., are being used in the e-Courts software applications. Al is being used in areas such as intelligent scheduling, prediction and forecast, improving administrative efficiency, Natural Language Processing (NLP), automated filing, enhancing the case information system, communicating with the litigants through chatbots and translation.

The Government has allocated an amount of Rs. 7210 Crore for the implementation eCourts Phase III, which has 24 project components. Of these 24, one component is Future Technological Advancement (Al, Blockchain, etc.). As per the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of eCourts Phase III, Rs. 53.57 Crore has been allocated for this component, for the High Courts across India up to 2027.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 845 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Military Modernization
Ministry: DEFENCE
Asked by: Shri Hibi Eden

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DEFENCE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 845

TO BE ANSWERED ON 07 th  February, 2025

## MILITARY MODERNIZATION

845. SHRI HIBI EDEN

Will the Minister of DEFENCE be pleased to state:

- (a) the total budgetary outlay for military modernization in the Budget for the Year 2024-2025;
- (b) whether there has been any increase in the budgetary allocation for military modernization in the Budget for the Year 2024-25; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof?

## A  N  S  W  E  R

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

(SHRI SANJAY SETH)

- (a): In Budget Estimate (BE) of financial year 2024-25, Rs. 1,72,000/- Crore has been allocated under capital outlay on Defence Services, of which Rs. 1,40,691.24/- Crore is allocated for Capital Acquisition i.e. for Modernization of Armed Forces.
- (b) & (c): Yes, Sir.  There has been an increase of 6.34% (Rs. 8389.97/- Crore) in the budgetary allocation (BE) for Capital Acquisition (Modernization) in the Defence Budget for financial year 2024-25 (BE Rs. 1,40,691.24 Crore) over financial year 2023-24 (BE Rs. 1,32,301.27 Crore).

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Lok Sabha Question No. 838 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: Vacancies of Judicial Officers in Andhra Pradesh
Ministry: LAW AND JUSTICE
Asked by: Dr. C M Ramesh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 838

## TO BE ANSWERED ON FRIDAY, THE 07.02.2025

## Vacancies of Judicial Officers in Andhra Pradesh

## 838. Dr. C M Ramesh:

Will the Minister of Law and Justice be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps being taken by the High Court and the Supreme Court to fill in six permanent and two additional judge posts lying vacant in the High Court of Andhra Pradesh;
- (b) the steps being taken by the Government to persuade High Court of Andhra Pradesh to fill in 74 vacancies of Judicial Officers in district and subordinate courts since there are more than 8.8 lakh cases lying pending in the State; and (c) whether the Government is considering to give one time grant to the States since there are nearly 5,250 vacancies of judicial officers in various States?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE; AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

## (SHRI ARJUN RAM MEGHWAL)

(a) to (c): In the Andhra Pradesh High Court, against the sanctioned strength of 37 Judges, there are 33 Judges (including 05 Judges working in other High Courts). 02 Judges (including the Chief Justice) from other High Courts are working in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Filling up of vacant positions of the judicial officers in District and Subordinate courts is the responsibility of the High Courts and State Governments concerned. As per the Constitutional framework, in exercise of powers conferred under proviso to Article 309 read with Articles 233 and 234 of the Constitution, the respective State Government in consultation with the High Court frames the rules and regulations regarding the appointment and recruitment of Judicial Officers. The Hon'ble Supreme Court vide order passed in January 2007 in the Malik Mazhar Sultan case, has inter-alia, stipulated certain timelines, which are to be followed by the States and the respective High Courts for recruitment of judges in District and Subordinate Courts.

The vacancy of judges is not the sole reason, affecting the disposal of cases in courts. The disposal of cases in courts is also affected by several other factors which, inter-alia, include availability of physical infrastructure and supporting court staff, complexity of facts involved, nature of evidence, cooperation of stake holders viz. bar, investigation agencies, witnesses and litigants and proper application of rules and procedures. Other factors that lead to delay in disposal of cases include lack of prescribed timeframe by respective courts for disposal of various kinds of cases, frequent adjournments and lack of adequate arrangement to monitor, track and bunch cases for hearing.
Lok Sabha Question No. 837 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-02-07
Subject: New Mangalore Port
Ministry: PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS
Asked by: Shri Captain Brijesh Chowta

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 837

ANSWERED ON 07.02.2025

## NEW MANGALORE PORT

837.  SHRI CAPTAIN BRIJESH CHOWTA:

## Will the Minister of PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS be pleased to state: पȅन , पोत पįरवहन और जलमागŊ मंũी

- (a) the  reason(s)  for  non-inclusion  of  New  Mangalore  Port  under  the  'Scheme  of Assistance to Central Agencies for Infrastructure Upgrade' since 2012-13, in spite of New Mangalore Port being a major port and having a dedicated cruise terminal;
- (b) whether the Government plans to include the New Mangalore Port under this scheme for the year 2025-26; and
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  indicating  the  process  required  to  be  followed  for  the same?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF PORTS, SHIPPING AND WATERWAYS (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

- (a)  New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) has developed cruise terminal and cruise lounge alongwith all the facilities for smooth handling of cruise passengers using Port's own resources and has not sought any assistance from Central Agencies.
- (b) & (c) There is no such proposal under consideration.

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