opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 2097 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Transfer of Catering License
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Omprakash Bhupalsinh Alias Pavan Rajenimbalkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2097

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2025

## TRANSFER OF CATERING LICENSE

†2097. SHRI OMPRAKASH BHUPALSINH ALIAS PAVAN

RAJENIMBALKAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the time the Railways takes to transfer the license of the units of a Railway Catering License-holder in the name of his or her heir in case of the death of the licensee;
- (b)  whether  the  heir  has  to  run  from  pillar  to  post  due  to  legal proceedings  and  procedures  at  the  administrative  level  and  it  takes months  and  years  for  such  licenses  to  be  transferred  and  if  so,  the reasons therefor;
- (c) whether the license fee is charged for the period from death of the license-holder to the time when the license is transferred during which the unit remains closed;
- (d)  if  so,  whether  any  such  case  has  come  to  the  notice  of  the Government;
- (e)  the  total  time  taken  in  transfer  of  the  license  in  the  name  of  the heir for the unit located at Sonipat railway station of Northern Railway and the amount of license fee demanded for the period during which the said unit remained closed; and

(f)  the  steps being taken by the Government to improve this process and  the  details  of  the  arrangements  made  for  transfer  of  licenses before death?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (f):  Transfer  of  license  to  the  legal  heir  is  done  in  accordance with Para 18 of Catering Policy 2017. As per extant policy, transfer of license  to  the  legal  heir  is  allowed  only  in  the  event  of  death  of  the original licensee.  The license is transferred in the name of the legal heir for the unexpired period of the contract. License fee is accordingly charged as per terms of agreement.

Prompt  necessary  action  is  taken  by  Railways  whenever  any  such application for transfer of license is received. Time taken to process such cases also depends on timely submission of requisite documents by applicant.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2096 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Insurance Facility with Counter Tickets
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Adv. Adoor Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2096

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2025

## INSURANCE FACILITY WITH COUNTER TICKETS

2096 .    ADV. ADOOR PRAKASH :

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Railways  is  not  providing  any  insurance  coverage  for railway  passengers  whose  tickets  are  booked  from  the  railway  booking counters and if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to consider providing the insurance facility with counter tickets also;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (d) the reasons of the counter booked train tickets not having the option of electronic facility;
- (e)  whether  this  facility  will  be  provided  to  avoid  mandatory  carrying  of counter ticket during the journey; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (f): Optional Travel Insurance Scheme with cover upto ₹10 lakh is available  for  the  Confirmed/RAC  passengers  who  book  online  e-ticket through official website of Indian Railway Catering & Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) and who want to opt for insurance cover.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2095 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Health Warning on Fortified Rice under PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Amrinder Singh Raja Warring

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.2095

TO BE ANSWERED ON 12TH MARCH, 2025

## HEALTH WARNING ON FORTIFIED RICE UNDER PDS

## 2095. SHRI AMRINDER  SINGH RAJA WARRING:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to  state:

- (a) whether fortified  rice distributed through the Public  Distribution  System includes any health warnings;
- (b) if  so, the details thereof and if  not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the details and the list  of  all  studies and reports commissioned or conducted by the Government on the long-term health effects and associated risks of consuming fortified  rice; and
- (d) the  key  recommendations provided  in  each of  these studies or  reports particularly regarding potential health risks  for different population  groups and people at risks e.g. people with thalassemia?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

(a) &  (b): The Packaging and labeling instructions are in accordance with  the Food Safety and Standards Authority  of India (FSSAI)'s notified Food Safety and Standards (Fortification of Foods) Regulations, 2018, and its subsequent amendments.

- (c) &  (d): NITI  Aayog has constituted a Core Committee to monitor the impact evaluation of the Rice Fortification Initiative. NITI  Aayog and Indian Council of Medical Research National Institute of  Nutrition  (ICMR-NIN)  have taken up  study in  six  districts in  six different  states of  the country  to  evaluate the impacts of  iron  fortified  rice supplied through the Public Distribution  Systems in  India. The study includes all age groups, employs a tUneseries, repeat cross-sectional  design and covers approximately 10,000 individuals.

Additionally,  the State Government of Uttar Pradesh, with  the support from the United Nations World  Food Programme, conducted an efncac)' and effectiveness study on rice fortification in Chandauli district. The study showed a significant 7.5 % point reduction in anemia prevalence among the  children (6-59 months) after  the introduction of  rice fortification,  with  rates decreasing from  65.7% (baseline: National  Family  Health  Survey-5, Jan. 202 1) to  58.2% (endline : July-August  2023).

In  addition, ICMR-NIN, Hyderabad also conducted a review  of  literature  and found that there is  limited  evidence of  transient adverse effects among participants consuming iron fortified  rice. Another notable finding  is that considering the level of  iron  fortification  in rice in India, the total iron intake through fortified rice is less than 0.59 mg/kg/day for any age group, which  is well  within  the normal  daily  iron  requirement.

$ # # # #
Lok Sabha Question No. 2093 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: PM-SGMBY in Uttar Pradesh
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Devesh Shakya

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2093

ANSWERED ON 12/03/2025

## PM-SGMBY IN UTTAR PRADESH

2093. SHRI DEVESH SHAKYA

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has launched Pradhan Mantri-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSGMBY) in Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Kannauj and Auraiya districts of Uttar Pradesh;
- (b) if so, the total households connected with solar power connections under the said yojana in the said districts so far along with the total number of beneficiaries thereunder; and
- (c) the details of other renewable energy projects successfully implemented in the said districts, so far?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a) to (c) The PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY) has been launched in the country covering all the states/UTs including Etah, Kasganj, Mainpuri, Kannauj and Auraiya districts of Uttar Pradesh. Under the scheme a total of 1361 residential consumers are reported benefitted in these five districts of Uttar Pradesh.

Detail of other renewable energy projects implemented in these five districts of Uttar Pradesh, as reported by state renewable agency UPNEDA, is given in Annexure.

*****

## Annexure referred to in reply of part (a) to (c) of Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2093 to be answered on 12/03/2025 regarding ''PM-SGMBY in Uttar Pradesh''

Details of renewable projects (other than PMSG: MBY) implemented in the five districts of Uttar Pradesh

| District   | Utility Scale Project (MW)   | PM KUSUM C1 (No. of Pumps)   | Solarisation of Govt. Building (kW/ Nos.)   |   Solar Street lights (Nos) | CBG (TPD)   |
|------------|------------------------------|------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|-----------------------------|-------------|
| Etah       | -                            | 9                            | 509 kW/ 36 Nos.                             |                        2089 | -           |
| Kasganj    | -                            | 2                            | 20 kW/ 4 Nos.                               |                        1280 | -           |
| Mainpuri   | 5                            | 4                            | 208 kW/ 22 Nos.                             |                        1585 | -           |
| Kannauj    | -                            | -                            | 2419 kW/ 16 Nos.                            |                        1616 | 2           |
| Auraiya    | -                            | 2                            | 5843 kW/ 14 Nos.                            |                        2028 | -           |
Lok Sabha Question No. 2092 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Revival of BSNL
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Anoop Pradhan Valmiki

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2092 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH  MARCH, 2025

## REVIVAL OF BSNL

## †2092.  SHRI ANOOP PRADHAN VALMIKI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) is trying to regain its position, adding new customers and offering competitive tariffs in the telecom market of the country;

- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

( a ) to ( c ) BSNL is designing and launching tariff plans as per market dynamics and keeping their plans competitive with respect to other telecom service providers in order to facilitate affordable services . BSNL is showing consistent growth in cellular subscriptions, with the subscriber count increasing  from 8 . 6  Cr in  June,  2024  to 9 . 6  Cr  in  January,  2025  showcasing  a  net  addition  of approximately one crore subscribers .

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2091 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: NeVA  Project
Ministry: PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Jugal Kishore, Shri Shankar Lalwani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 2091

ANSWERED ON - 12/03/2025

## NEVA PROJECT

2091. Shri Jugal Kishore,

Shri Shankar Lalwani

Will the Minister of PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  budget  allocated  for  the  National  e-vidhan  Application (NeVA) project;
- (b)  the    manner  in  which  the  same  is  being  used  to  assist States  like  Bihar  in  their implementation efforts;
- (c) the  key  requirements  highlighted  by  the  Bihar  Legislative Assembly  during  the  virtual conference with the Central Project Management Unit (CPMU); and
- (d)  the    specific    issues    related    to    NeVA    Software    discussed during the virtual conference    with  the  Bihar  Legislative Assembly?

## 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) The total cost amounting to Rs. 673.94 Crore has been allocated for National e-vidhan Application (NeVA) project.

(b) As per the Project Guidelines, financial assistance to State and UT Legislatures for implementing NeVA is provided as Grant-in-Aid. This  support  enables  them  to  transition  into  'DIGITAL  HOUSES' following the signing of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) and the  approval  of  their  Detailed  Project  Reports  (DPRs).In  line  with this,  the  Bihar  Assembly  and  Bihar  Council  have  been  sanctioned the  project  at  a  total  cost  of  ₹15,97,00,100/-  and  ₹8,21,46,550/-, respectively,  with  funding  shared  in  a  60:40  ratio  between  the Centre and the State. To date, ₹1,91,64,012/- has been released as the first instalment  (20%  of  the  central  share)  for  the  Bihar Assembly,  while  the  Bihar  Council  has  received  ₹2,95,72,758/-  in two instalments (20% & 40% of the central share). These funds are allocated for the procurement of IT gadgets, hardware, networking infrastructure, capacity building, and manpower services to facilitate NeVA's implementation. (c)  &  (d)  Keeping  in  view  the  generic  nature  of  the  software,  the NeVA project is designed with a flexible framework that allows for minor customizations and modifications to accommodate the specific requirements of individual Legislatures. These adaptations are  made  in  accordance  with  their  respective  House  Business processes, Rules, and Procedures.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2088 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Sustainable Development Goals
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Com. Selvaraj V

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2088 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2025

## SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

## 2088.   COM. SELVARAJ V:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of measures being taken to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the UN in 2015 by 2030; and
- (b) the details of progress made so far in meeting the targets of the different goals during the last five years, State-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

- (a) In order to achieve the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Government of India has  undertaken  several  key  initiatives  through  flagship  schemes  and  programs  which, inter  alia,  include  Mahatma  Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme (MGNREGS), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), PM Awas Yojana (PMAY), Pradhan  Mantri  Jan  Arogya  Yojana  (Ayushman  Bharat),  Saksham  Anganwadi  and POSHAN Abhiyan 2.0, Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), PM Uchchatar  Shiksha  Abhiyan  (PM-USHA),  MUDRA  Yojana,  SAUBHAGYA  scheme, PM  Ujjwala Yojana, Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Swachh Bharat Mission,  PM Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Skill India, Digital India, Smart Cities Mission,  Mission  Lifestyle  for  Environment  (LiFE),  Aspirational  Districts  and  Block Programme,  Start-Up  India,  Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  of  Urban  Transformation (AMRUT). Government of India provides support to States/UTs in developing the subnational level monitoring frameworks, which helps them to track the SDGs.  It evaluates

the performance of States/UTs through the SDG  India Index, promotes  SDG localisation, and encourages a competitive spirit among States and UTs.

- (b) Since 2018, four editions of the SDG India Index have been released. The latest edition of SDG India Index was released in 2023. The report highlights India's progress towards SDGs, showcasing significant improvement in the overall score from 66 in 2020-21 to 71  in  2023-24.  The  details  of  progress  made  during  the  last  five  years  are  in  public domain and can be accessed at https://www.niti.gov.in/reports-sdg

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2086 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: DCID Scheme
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Dr. D. Purandeswari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2086 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12.03.2025

## DCID Scheme

## 2086. DR. D. PURANDESWARI

Will the Minister of Information and Broadcasting be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  funds  allocated  and  utilized  under  the  Development  Communication  & Information Dissemination (DCID) scheme during the last three financial years and the current year, State/UT-wise;
- (b) the details of publicity campaigns undertaken under this scheme particularly in Andhra Pradesh along with their outcomes during the above period;
- (c) whether any metrics or tools are in place to measure the impact of these campaigns on public  awareness  and  participation  in  Government  schemes  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (d) the steps taken to integrate new technology and platforms including social media to enhance the reach of the scheme; and
- (e) the future plans of the Government to expand the scope or scale of the scheme?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  INFORMATION  &  BROADCASTING;  AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS

(DR. L. MURUGAN)

- (a) :  Development  Communication  &  Information  Dissemination  (DCID)  is  a  Central Sector Scheme implemented by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with an objective of generation of awareness  in citizens about various  schemes  and programmes  of  the  Government  to  enable  the  targeted  beneficiaries  to  avail  the benefits of the development schemes, elicit enhanced participation of the people in the process of development and governance and foster attitudinal and behavioral changes. The details of the financial outlays and  utilization of funds under the Scheme  during last three years and current year  are as under:
- (b) : The activities under the Scheme are undertaken on a pan India basis or based on the target audience of the said campaign. No state specific campaigns are undertaken under the Scheme.
- (c) :  The  efficacy  of the  Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaigns undertaken under the Scheme is reflected in increased participation of beneficiaries in the welfare schemes of the Government.
- (d) and (e): Digital Advertisement Policy, 2023 has been approved by the Ministry on 06.11.2023 for release of  government campaigns on digital advertisement platforms like websites, mobile applications, OTT platforms, podcasts etc. to enhance the reach of such campaigns.

| Financial Year   |   Outlay (Rs. in crore) | Actual Expenditure (Rs. in crore)   |
|------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------|
| 2021-22          |                  209.32 | 209.32                              |
| 2022-23          |                  285.48 | 285.48                              |
| 2023-24          |                  347.63 | 347.63                              |
| 2024-25          |                  169.48 | 131.11 (as on 04.03.2025)           |

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2083 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-12
Subject: Regulatory Disparity in Green Hydrogen Trade
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Dr. M P Abdussamad Samadani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2083

ANSWERED ON 12/03/2025

## REGULATORY DISPARITY IN GREEN HYDROGEN TRADE

## 2083. DR. M P ABDUSSAMAD SAMADANI

Will the Minister of NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has noticed that regulatory disparities between India and the European Union pose significant challenges to green hydrogen trade and technology transfer as for instance, the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism could increase costs for Indian exports, while differing energy market structures may hinder cross-border trade and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) whether the Government has taken any measures to sort out these bottlenecks and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY AND POWER

## (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

(a)&(b)  The  European  Commission  has  adopted  the  Delegated  Act  on  a  methodology  for renewable liquid and gaseous fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO). The Act defines the conditions  under  which  hydrogen,  hydrogen-based  fuels,  or  other  energy  carriers  can  be considered as RFNBO.

These conditions were framed based on European conditions, so interpretation for compliance of  these  conditions  for  countries  outside  Europe,  is  to  be  done  by  certification  agencies authorised by the European Commission.

The Green Hydrogen Standard notified by Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) on  18 th August,  2023  specifies  that  Green  Hydrogen  should  be  produced  using  renewable energy and the non-biogenic carbon emissions in the process should be not be more than 2 kg CO2 eq per kg of Hydrogen.

During the recent visit of the European Commission to India, it was acknowledged that both sides  have  held  in-depth  discussions  on  trade  and  decarbonization  through  several  bilateral channels and have engaged jointly with stakeholders, especially on the implementation of the European Union's carbon border mechanism (CBAM). Both sides discussed the challenges arising out of CBAM implementation, in particular for the small and medium enterprises and agreed to continue addressing them.

MNRE has also engaged in extensive discussions with European certification agencies to facilitate RFNBO certification for Indian projects aiming to export Green Hydrogen and its derivatives to European market.

*****