opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 2887 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: BharatNet implementation in Karnataka
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri M Mallesh Babu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2887 ANSWERED ON 17 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## BHARATNET IMPLEMENTATION IN KARNATAKA

## 2887.   SHRI M MALLESH BABU:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the year-wise details of BharatNet implementation in Karnataka since its inception including total kilometres of optical fibre cable laid, number of Gram Panchayats connected, funds sanctioned, funds released, expenditure incurred and the present status of operationalisation;
- (b) the details of the number of districts and villages in Karnataka covered under the Digital India and Common Service Centre (CSC) Programme since 2014-15, details thereof;
- (c) the current status of 4G and 5G mobile network coverage in Karnataka, including total number of  towers installed and locations where coverage gaps remain as well as Central funding released to BSNL;
- (d) the  year-wise  data  on  postal infrastructure  modernisation  in  Karnataka  including  post  offices computerised, connected under Core Banking Solution (CBS); and
- (e) the year-wise statistics of revenue collected from telecom and postal services in Karnataka since 2004-05?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Year wise details of GPs made service ready, OFC laid (km) and fund disbursed for BharatNet in Karnataka since its inception is available on Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) website (https://usof.gov.in/en/parliament-questions).  As  on  30.11.2025,  6084  Gram  Panchayats  (GPs)  are Service-Ready and 14,217 KM of Optical Fibre Cable has been laid under BharatNet in Karnataka.
- (b) State and district wise details of CSCs are available on the website https://csc.gov.in/
- (c) The number of 4G and 5G BTSs in Karnataka are 1,21,301 and 34,024 respectively and 4G mobile coverage is available in 29,818 villages out of 29,209 in Karnataka. Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) has disbursed fund of Rs. 316.35 crores to Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for mobile projects in Karnataka.
- (d) All departmental post offices in Karnataka Circle have been computerized. Year-wise number of post  offices  connected  to  Core  Banking  Solution  (CBS) is  available on  Digital  Bharat  Nidhi  (DBN) website (https://usof.gov.in/en/parliament-questions).
- (e) Year-wise statistics of revenue collected from telecom services and postal services in Karnataka are available on Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) website (https://usof.gov.in/en/parliament-questions).

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2886 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Pathankot-Jogindernagar Broad Gauge Line
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2886 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025

## PATHANKOT-JOGINDERNAGAR BROAD GAUGE LINE

## †2886. DR. RAJEEV BHARADWAJ:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to convert PathankotJogindernagar narrow gauge railway line into a broad gauge line and if so, the details thereof; and
- (b) whether any proposal to extend the said line from Jogindernagar to Mandi is under consideration of the Government and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) and (b): Survey of Gauge Conversion of existing Pathankot - Joginder Nagar narrow gauge section (200 Km) has been sanctioned and survey work has been taken up for preparation of Detailed Project Report.

Survey for  Joginder  Nagar  -  Mandi  (57  km)  new  line  was  carried  out. The project had low traffic projections.

Bilaspur - Mandi - Manali - Leh new line is identified as strategic line by Ministry  of  Defence.  The  survey  has  been  completed  and  Detailed Project Report has been prepared.  The project passes through difficult terrain of Himalayas,  which  are  full of geological surprises  and numerous problems. The total length of the project is 489 Km including

tunnels  of  270  km  length.  Anticipated  cost  of  the  project  as  per Detailed Project Report is ₹1,31,000 crore.

After  preparation  of  DPR,  sanctioning  of  project  requires  consultation with various stake-holders including State Governments and necessary approvals  viz.  appraisal  of  NITI  Aayog,  Ministry  of  Finance  etc.  As sanctioning  of  projects  is  a  continuous  and  dynamic  process,  exact timelines cannot be fixed.

Sanction of any railway project depend upon many parameters/factors which include the following:

-  Anticipated  traffic  projections  and  Remunerativeness  of  the proposed route
-  First and last mile connectivity provided by the project
-  Connection of missing links and providing additional route
-  Augmentation of congested/saturated lines
-  Demands raised by State Governments/Central Ministries/Public representatives,
-  Railway's own operational requirements
-  Socio-economic considerations
- 
- Overall availability of funds

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2885 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Hunger Death
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Adhikari Deepak Dev

## MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2885 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17TH DECEMBER, 2025

## HUNGER DEATH

## 2885. SHRI ADHIKARI  DEEPAK DEV:

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

- (a): the details of  the number of  hunger deaths recorded during the last three years, State-wise: and
- (b): the details of  the number of deaths recorded due to lack of Aadhaar card to access foodgrains  from  Public  Distribution System, State-wise

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI BAMBHANIYA)

(a) to (b)  : No  State Government/  UT Administration has reported any incident of hunger death including  due to  lack of  Aadhaar card to  access foodgrains from  Public  Distribution  System during the last three years.

ScR ScR SeE
Lok Sabha Question No. 2883 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Budget/Expenditure for Installation of Wi-Fi and CCTV Cameras
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Md Abu Taher Khan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2883 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025

## BUDGET/EXPENDITURE FOR INSTALLATION OF WI-FI AND CCTV

## CAMERAS

## 2883. MD ABU TAHER KHAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state :

- (a) the details of budget and expenditure incurred by the Railways to install and operate Wi-Fi, CCTV cameras and related technologies, year-wise;
- (b) the details of the component of this expenditure in relation to the
- Operating Ratio of the Railways;
- (c) whether people gaining access to Wi-Fi are required to give personal details and if so, the initiatives taken/proposed to ensure security of data;  and
- (d) the details of data breaches recorded/complaints received for the same during the last year?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  to  (d):  Almost  all  railway  stations  across  Indian  Railways  have 4G/5G coverage provided by the Telecom Service Providers.  These networks are also being utilized by passengers for data connectivity resulting in enhanced passenger experience.

Besides  the  above,  free  Wi-Fi  services  have  been  provided  at  6117 Railway  Stations  across  Indian  Railways.  No  separate  funds  have been sanctioned by Ministry of Railways on these Wi-Fi services at Railway stations.

There  is  no  personal  information  asked  to  access  Wi-Fi  service provided at the Railway Stations except the mobile number used for OTP.  Appropriate action is taken promptly by railway administration whenever there are any issues with regard to working of Wi-Fi facility at stations.

The  installation  of  CCTV  cameras  at  stations  and  coaches  is  an ongoing process. So far, CCTV  Surveillance system has been provided at 1731 stations and 11,953 coaches for ensuring safe and secure journey to railway passengers. CCTV Surveillance System are provided and charged under capital expenditure. *****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2878 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Free Wi-Fi Services for Railway Stations of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Shivaji Bandappa Kalge, Shri Bhumare Sandipanrao Asaram, Shri Nilesh Dnyandev Lanke, Shri Gyaneshwar Patil

- (a)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2878 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025

## FREE WI-FI SERVICES FOR RAILWAY STATIONS OF MAHARASHTRA

AND MADHYA PRADESH

†2878. DR. SHIVAJI BANDAPPA KALGE: SHRI NILESH DNYANDEV LANKE: SHRI GYANESHWAR PATIL:

SHRI BHUMARE SANDIPANRAO ASARAM:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- the details of the number of railway stations with free Wi-Fi services;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to provide free Wi-Fi services and to expand this facility to more stations in the country, particularly in rural and remote areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh;
- (c)
- if so, the timeline fixed and target set in this regard;
- (d) the budget allocated and utilised for the installation and maintenance of  free  Wi-Fi  facility  at  railway  stations  during  the  last  five  years along  with  the  details  of  other  funding  sources  such  as  private participation/ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative;
- (e) the State-wise breakdown for Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh; and
- (f) if there is no such plan, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (f): Almost all railway stations across Indian Railways have 4G/5G coverage provided by the Telecom Service Providers.  These networks are also being utilized by passengers for data connectivity resulting in enhanced passenger experience.

Besides the above, free Wi-Fi services have also been provided at 6117 Railway  Stations across  Indian  Railway including 569  stations in Maharashtra and 405 stations in Madhya Pradesh. *****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2877 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Ration Card in Delhi
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Ramvir Singh Bidhuri

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

## DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2877

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17TH DECEMBER, 2025

## RATION CARD IN DELHI

## +2877. SHRI RAMVIR SINGH BIDHURI:

Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBU-l'ION  be pleased to state:

- (a): whether any maximum limit  of number of the Ration Cards has been fixed for Delhi:
- (b): if  so, whether the Government is consider to  increase the maximum limit  of  the number of Ration Cards;
- (c): whether the ration quota of Delhi  has been increased after the implementation of 'one  Nation.  One Card' scheme; and

- (d): if  so, the details thereoP

## ANSWER

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

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

- (a)  & (b):  The  National Food  Security Act, 2013  (NFS A), Act is  being  successfully implemented in  all  the  States/UTs including  the NCT  of  Delhi.  The  Act  provides for coverage of 37.69% of the rural and 43.59% of the urban population for the NCT  of Delhi, for receiving free of cost foodgrains, which  at Census 2011 comes to 72.77 lakh persons.

At  present, against the intended coverage of  72.77 lakh beneficiaries, The NCT  of Delhi  has identified the beneficiaries upto  maximum permisssible limit  i.e.  72.77 lakh persons.

Section 9  of  the National Food Security Act,  2013 (NFSA), provides that the percentage coverage under the Targeted Public Distribution  System in rural and urban areas for  each State shall be determined by  the Central Government and the total number of persons to be covered in the State shall be calculated based on the population  estimates as per the census of which the relevant figures have been published. Therefore, any revision in the coverage under the NFSA  shall be possible only  after the relevant data of  the next population Census is published.

(c) &  (d): No, the Ration quota of Delhi has not been increased after the implementation of 'One Nation, One Card' scheme. However, the Government of  India provides additional ration  separately  on quarterly  basis to  NCT  of  Delhi  against the sale under ONORC  for implementation of the said Scheme.

kScScSe SeR
Lok Sabha Question No. 2868 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: AI Powered Cyber Attacks
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Mr Pathan Yusuf

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2868

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 17.12.2025

## AI POWERED CYBER ATTACKS

## 2868. MR PATHAN YUSUF:

Will the Minister of ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered cyber-attacks faced by the Indian firms during the last three years, year-wise;
- (b)  the  average  number  of  days  within  which  Indian  firms  have  reported  cyber-attacks  to  the Government during the last three years, year-wise;
- (c) whether the Government is aware of Indian firms paying ransom to regain access to their data;
- (d) if so, the details thereof including the amount paid by Indian firms as ransom during the last three years, year-wise; and
- (e) the number of cases in which Indian firms have been able to fully regain access to data after a cyberattack during the last three years, year-wise?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (e):  The policies of the Government are aimed at ensuring an Open, Safe and Trusted Internet for its users. In the rapidly evolving AI landscape, there is an increased risk of AI-enabled cyberattacks and the government remains conscious of these.

The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has been designated as the national agency  for  responding  to  cyber  security  incidents  under  the  provisions  of  section  70B  of  the Information Technology (IT) Act, 2000.

As per the information reported to and tracked by CERT-In, the total number of cyber security incidents related to Indian entities observed during the last three years are given below:

|   Year | Number    |
|--------|-----------|
|   2022 | 11,99,018 |
|   2023 | 13,88,073 |
|   2024 | 7,31,988  |

Indian firms have reported cyber security incidents noticed by them to CERT-In within average of 2 days in 2022 and within 1 day during 2023 and 2024.

The Government has undertaken several measures to strengthen security of cyber ecosystem, inter alia, includes:

1. CERT-In advises organizations and individuals to refrain from making ransom payments in ransomware incidents.
2. Organizations  implementing reasonable cyber security  practices,  particularly  those  securing backups are noticed to be able to restore data from unaffected backup sources.
3. CERT-In  issues  alerts  &  advisories  regarding  latest  cyber  threats/vulnerabilities  including ransomware and countermeasures regularly.
4. It  advises  remedial  measures  to  affected  organisations  and  coordinates  incident  response measures.
5. CERTIn has also published 'India Ransomware Report 2024' in March 2025, covering latest tactics and techniques of ransomware attackers and ransomware specific incident response and mitigation measures.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 2858 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Guwahati-Sri Ganganagar Special Train
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kuldeep Indora

†

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2858

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025

GUWAHATI-SRI GANGANAGAR SPECIAL TRAIN 2858. SHRI KULDEEP INDORA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that Train No.05635/05636  Guwahati-Sri Ganganagar special train service had run with more than 200 per cent occupancy during its operational period and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  operate  this  train  service  on regular  and  daily  basis  and  extend  its  route  from  Guwahati  to  Sri Ganganagar  via  New  Bongaigaon,  New  Jalpaiguri,  Barauni,  Hajipur, Siwan,  Thawe,  Dudhhi,  Kaptanganj,  Gorakhpur,  Ayodhya,  Lucknow, Kanpur, Bandikui, Jaipur so that pilgrims can have convenient transport facility to the pilgrimage sites located on the said route and the same shall also prove beneficial for the movement of traders and soldiers and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) if not, whether the Government proposes to reconsider this proposal in  view  of  the  huge  demand,  facilitation  of  religious  pilgrimages, movement  of  soldiers  and  traders  and  strengthening  of  East-West connectivity?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (c)  To  facilitate  travel  of  passengers  during  festivals,  holidays, religious congregations etc., Indian Railways (IR) operates Special train services to supplement the accommodation available by regular trains.

Accordingly,  to  cater  to  the  needs  of  passengers  of  Guwahati-Sri Ganganagar sector, IR operated 05635/05636 Guwahati-Sri Ganganagar Special between 21-05-2025 to 25-06-2025. The occupancy of Train No. 05635/05636 Guwahati-Sriganganagar special train had been more than 100%. Further,  introduction  of  new  trains/regularisation  of  special  train services on any route/section depends on various factors which include:  Capacity of that section  Availability of path  Availability of matching infrastructure of rolling stock  Maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets. *****
Lok Sabha Question No. 2857 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: UPFS,  FoPL and PDS
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2857

TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025

## UPFS, FoPL and PDS

## 2857.  SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL:

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

- (a) the official definition of 'Ultra-Processed Foods' (UPFs);
- (b) the status of FSSAI's initiatives to define and regulate UPFs including harmonization of standards for identical products and current guidelines;
- (c) the plan for Front-of-Pack Labelling (FoPL) and healthier PDS alternatives, with timelines;
- (d) the  recent  public  data  does  the  Food  Safety  and  Standards  Authority  of  India  (FSSAI)  have  on  the percentage contribution of UPFs to the average Indian's daily energy intake and the manner in which this percentage changed during the last three years, State-wise;
- (e) the details of specific healthy and non-processed food alternatives are included or planned to be include in the Public Distribution System (PDS) basket for all States including Chhattisgarh; and
- (f) the  details  of  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  address  regulatory  gaps  such  as  varying formulations  and  regional  variations  across  the  country  including  intersections  with  fortified  PDS items such as rice etc.?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## (SHRI B.L.VERMA)

(a) to (f) : The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 mandates the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India  (FSSAI)  to  lay  down  science  based  standards  for  articles  of  food  and  to  regulate  their  manufacture, storage,  distribution,  sale  and  import  to  ensure  availability  of  safe  and  wholesome  food  for  human consumption.

FSSAI has notified the quality and safety standards of various food products which are on par with international standards (Codex standards, developed by the Codex Alimentarius Commission). Further, FSS Act, rules and regulations do not define the "Ultra-Processed Foods' (UPFs) but these type of foods are being regulated by FSSAI under its existing rules and regulations thereof.

The report of an Expert Committee has been submitted on Front of Pack Nutrition Labelling (FOPNL) to the Honourable Supreme Court of India and the matter is subjudice.

Further,  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Labelling  and  Display)  Regulations,  2020  mandates  the  mention  of nutritional information on the labels w.r.t salt, sugar and fat for consumer to make informed choices while selecting the food articles

FSSAI has notified  the  Food  Safety  and  Standards  (Fortification  of  Food)  Regulation,  2018  which prescribes standards for fortification of various staple foods including rice and these standards are uniformly applicable across the country .
Lok Sabha Question No. 2856 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-17
Subject: Support to Adoption of Renewable Energy
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Kanwar Singh Tanwar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2856

ANSWERED ON 17.12.2025

## SUPPORT TO ADOPTION OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

2856. SHRI KANWAR SINGH TANWAR

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

- (a) whether the Government proposes to support households, industrial and public institutions to adopt renewable energy solutions like solar rooftops, biogas plants and small wind turbines in Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh;
- (b) if so, the details of equipment installed, number of beneficiaries and outcomes achieved in the said district; and
- (c) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

(a) to (c) Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is implementing PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli  Yojana  (PMSG:  MBY)  and  National  Bioenergy  Programme  in  all  districts  of  the country. With regard to installation of small wind turbines, at present, there is no scheme for providing financial subsidy/ incentive.

As per the information received from Uttar Pradesh New & Renewable Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA), details of solar systems installed/ number of beneficiaries in Amroha district of Uttar Pradesh are as under:

- Under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, rooftop solar plants have been installed in 563 residential households.
- Rooftop  solar  systems  have  been  installed  in  36  Government  buildings  with  a  total capacity of 547.44 kW.
- Under PM-KUSUM Scheme, 51 grid-connected irrigation pumps have been solarized.
- A total of 1,544 solar street lighting systems have been installed.

*****