opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 5202 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Rooftop Solar Panels under PM-SGMBY
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Trivendra Singh Rawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5202

ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## ROOFTOP SOLAR PANELS UNDER PM-SGMBY

5202. SHRI TRIVENDRA SINGH RAWAT

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

- (a) the number of households in cities/urban areas where rooftop solar panels have been installed under the Pradhan Mantri-Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana (PM-SGMBY) till date;
- (b) the details of subsidy and financial benefits being provided to the consumers through this yojana; and
- (c) the manner in which public awareness and training programmes are being conducted in order to promote use of solar energy in urban areas?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a):  As  on  26.3.2025,  a  total  of  10.81  lakh  households  across  the  country,  including  in cities/urban  areas,  have  benefitted  under  the  scheme  by  installation  of  rooftop  solar  plants under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana (PMSG: MBY).
- (b) The central financial assistance (CFA) available under the PMSG: MBY as under:
- For individual households, the CFA is Rs. 30,000/- per kWp for the first 2 kWp and Rs. 18,000/- per kWp for the additional one kWp. The subsidy is capped at 3 kWp rooftop solar plant capacity for individual household.
- For Group Housing Societies/ Residential Welfare Associations (GHS/RWA) the CFA is Rs. 18,000/- per kWp with rooftop solar plant capacity limit of 500 kWp.
- In  case  of  special  category  states/UTs  including  Uttarakhand,  Himachal  Pradesh,  J&K, Ladakh, States in the North East Region, UTs of A&N and Lakshadweep, the CFA is 10% higher.
- (c) In order to promote use of solar energy in the country including in the urban areas, public awareness about the various schemes of the MNRE is being created through awareness and outreach program such as print advertising in leading newspapers, TV commercials campaigns, Radio campaigns across FM stations including regional channels, etc.

To  develop  skilled  manpower  for  proper  installation,  operation  and  maintenance  of  solar projects  including  in  the  urban  areas,  various  skill  development  programmes  such  as Suryamitra (Solar PV technician), Varunmitra (Solar water pumping technician), etc., are being implemented under the Human Resource Development (HRD) programme of the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5199 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Inclusion of North Bengal in the NEC
Ministry: DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH EASTERN REGION
Asked by: Shri Jagannath Sarkar

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5199

To be answered on

Wednesday, April 2, 2025/Chaitra 12, 1947 (Saka)

## QUESTION

## Inclusion of North Bengal in the NEC

5199.  Shri Jagannath Sarkar:

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

- (a) whether the Government has considered the proposal to include North Bengal in the North Eastern Council (NEC), if so, the details and the current status thereof;
- (b) the specific economic and developmental benefits anticipated from incorporating North Bengal into the NEC particularly in terms of infrastructure, tourism, and trade; and
- (c) the manner in which the inclusion of North Bengal in the NEC is likely to impact existing  developmental  initiatives  in  the  region  along  with  the  additional  funding  or programmes to be allocated for its growth?

## ANSWER

## The Minister of State  of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (Dr. Sukanta Majumdar)

- (a) to (c)  North Eastern Council (NEC) is a statutory body established under NEC Act, 1971 of Parliament for the north eastern areas of India with Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland & Tripura as Member States. State of Sikkim was added vide NEC (Amendment) Act, 2002.

There is no proposal to include North Bengal in NEC.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5197 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Tarang facility in India
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Kripanath Mallah

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5197

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 2 ND  APRIL, 2025

## TARANG FACILITY IN INDIA

## 5197.  SHRI KRIPANATH MALLAH:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) the features of Tarang facility at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services; and
- (b) whether the facility will help ocean scientists to provide warning for tsunamis in India and neighboring countries and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) 'TARANG'  is  a  64-bit  High  Performance  Computing  (HPC)  system,  capable  of supporting multi-tasking, multi-programming, multi-user and time-sharing environment, of a proven architecture with scalable processing elements, scalable high performance  I/O,  scalable  interconnection  network  and  a  balanced  design  to  have 99.5% uptime with adequate redundancies and to avoid single point of failure so as to meet the operational requirements. The HPC system is supported by technical support facilities such as transformers, diesel generators, UPS, batteries, multiple utility paths, lighting system, adequate number of earthing pits and cables.

The compute capacity is about 1 Peta FLOPS, with 2 Peta Byte storage and 3 Peta Byte  archival  storage.  Additionally,  there  is  a  dedicated  standalone  system  for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) applications with a capacity of 15.5 Peta FLOPS.

- (b) Yes  sir.  The  HPC  would  help  scientists  to  run  advance  operational  models  for providing  Tsunami  Early  Warnings  for  India  and  other  25  countries  on  the  Indian Ocean  rim.  Further,  the  new  computational  facility  will  also  be  used  for  next generation  Ocean  State  Forecast  system  having  more  accurate  representation  of physical processes, non-hydrostatic dynamics, high resolution nests for local forecasts and advanced  data  assimilation  techniques  and  augment  the  quality  of  the  forecasts using the available GPU processors.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5194 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: High-Speed Internet Connectivity in all Blocks
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Dr. Ricky Andrew J Syngkon

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5194 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  APRIL, 2025

## HIGH-SPEED INTERNET CONNECTIVITY IN ALL BLOCKS

## 5194.   DR. RICKY ANDREW J SYNGKON:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the details on the Ministry's current and planned initiatives to deliver reliable and high speed internet connectivity across all blocks of the country with a focus on rural and underserved regions along with the projected timeline for completing this rollout;

(b) the planned phases for this connectivity project and the timeline for each phase, especially concerning rural and remote blocks;

- (c) the projected budget for implementing this nationwide connectivity initiative; and
- (d) the measures likely to be adopted by the Ministry to ensure efficient use of funds, particularly in reaching underserved regions?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) Government  is  implementing  various  schemes  under  Digital  Bharat  Nidhi  for expansion of internet based telecom connectivity through installation of 4G mobile towers in the rural and remote areas of the country including 4G saturation project which aim to provide coverage in  each  village  of  the  country.  In  addition,  BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased manner  to  provide  broadband  connectivity  such  as  Wi-Fi  Hotspots,  Fibre  to  the  Home  (FTTH) connections etc. to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages on demand basis. As of February 2025, 2,14,323 GPs have been made service ready under BharatNet project in the country.

As  of  December  2024,  out  of  6,44,131  villages  in  country  (village  data  as  per  Registrar General of India), around 6,25,853 villages are covered with mobile connectivity including 6,18,968 villages having 4G mobile coverage.

(c) & (d) Rs. 2,34,649 crores have been projected under these initiatives. Following measures have been taken to ensure efficient use of funds and quality of work:

- (i) Setting up of Central Network Operating Centre (C-NOC).
- (ii) Setting up of Project Monitoring Unit.
- (iii) Videography/ photography of trenching, fibre laying, splicing etc.
- (iv) GIS mapping of network.
- (v) Quality testing of material being deployed.
- (vi) Appointment of independent engineers for inspection, validation, bill processing, etc.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5193 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Internet Linked to Villages
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5193 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  APRIL, 2025

## INTERNET LINKED TO VILLAGES

## †5193.   SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the steps taken on a war footing to connect all the villages in the country to the internet;
- (b) the details of the villages connected to internet services during the last five years, in Maharashtra particularly in Parbhani and Washim-Yavatmal Lok Sabha constituencies;
- (c) the number of villages deprived of internet service in the said Constituencies and the reasons therefor;
- (d) the details and the number of the linked villages;
- (e) the time by which every village in the country is likely to get internet connectivity;

(f) the  details  of  the  funds  allocated/released/utilized  and  financial  assistance  provided  by  the Government for the said purpose in Maharashtra, particularly in Parbhani Constituency during the last three years and the current year; and

(g) the details of the funds allocated and financial assistance provided by the Government for increasing digital literacy during the last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e) Government is implementing various schemes under Digital Bharat Nidhi for expansion of internet connectivity through installation of 4G mobile towers in the rural and remote areas of the country including 4G saturation project. In addition, BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity such as Wi-Fi Hotspots, Fibre to the Home (FTTH) connections etc. to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and villages on demand basis.

As of December 2024, out of 6,44,131 villages in country (village data as per Registrar General of India), around 6,25,853 villages are covered with mobile connectivity including 6,18,968 villages having 4G mobile coverage. In Maharashtra, out of 43931 villages, 41570 villages are covered with mobile connectivity including  40,703  villages  having  4G  mobile  coverage.  Out  of  3752  villages  in  Parbhani,  Washim  and Yavatmal Districts, 3697 villages are covered with mobile connectivity including 3601 villages having 4G mobile coverage.

(f) An amount of Rs. 3187.83 crore has been allocated/released/utilized under various  Schemes during last three year (2021-22 to 2023-24) and current year 2024-25 (upto 31.01.2025) for Maharashtra.

(g) A total of Rs 715.92 crores was released in the last 3 years under The Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) to increase digital literacy across the country.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5192 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Role of Assam in India's Semiconductor Manufacturing Ecosystem
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Smt. Kamaljeet Sehrawat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5192

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 02.04.2025

## ROLE OF ASSAM IN INDIA'S SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING ECOSYSTEM

## 5192.  SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:

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

(a) the key benefits of Assam's role in India's semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem and the manner in which it is likely to support the country's technological self-reliance; and role  being  played  by  public-private  partnerships  in  accelerating  Assam's  digital

- (b) the transformation and positioning the State as a technology hub?

## ANSWER

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

(a):Government has approved Semicon India programme with a total outlay of Rs 76,000 crore for  the  development  of  semiconductor  and  display  manufacturing  ecosystem  in  the  country. Under Semicon India Programme, Government has approved five (5) semiconductor manufacturing projects with cumulative investment of around Rs. 1,52,000 crore. This includes Tata Electronics Private Limited (TEPL)'s proposal for setting up of Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly  and  Test  (OSAT)  facility  in  Morigaon,  Assam,  with  an  investment  of  Rs.  27,120 crores and a production capacity of 48 million Units per day.

(b):MeitY  has  inter-alia  funded  following  electronics  manufacturing  related  initiatives  to promote Assam's digital transformation and positioning the State as technology hub:

- i. Government  has  launched  the  Chips  to  Startup  ('C2S')  programme  to  train  85,000 industry ready workforce  in  VLSI  and  Embedded  System  Design  at  about  113 participating institutions, including one in Assam. More than 43,000 engineering students have been onboarded for training at 113 organizations under C2S Programme till date. Additionally, C2S Programme is providing EDA tool support and regular training to 300 organizations including 5 organizations in the state of Assam.
- ii. Electronics  Manufacturing  Clusters  (EMC)  scheme  was  launched  to  provide  financial support  for  creation  of  world  class  infrastructure  along  with  common  facilities  for attracting electronics manufacturing unts in the country. Under the scheme, establishment of one EMC is approved in the state of Assam.
- iii. Under  the  Modified  Special  Incentive  Package  Scheme  (MSIPS),  one  company  in  the state  of  Assam  has  been  approved  for  providing  fiscal  incentive  for  manufacturing  of electronic products.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 5191 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Global Hyperloop Competition 2025
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kartick Chandra Paul, Smt. Aparajita Sarangi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5191 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025

## GLOBAL HYPERLOOP COMPETITION 2025

5191.SHRI KARTICK CHANDRA PAUL: SMT. APARAJITA SARANGI:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  of  the  key  technological  breakthroughs  showcased    by participants during the Global Hyperloop Competition 2025;
- (b)  the manner in which the collaboration between Indian Railways and IIT Madras on the Vertical Take-Off & Landing (VTOL) Vehicle project supports innovation in transportation; and
- (c)    the  details  of  the  steps  planned  to  integrate  Hyperloop  and  VTOL innovations into India's transportation ecosystem?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c): Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), a unit under Ministry of Railways, has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT/Madras on 22.09.2022 for setting up a Centre of Excellence for Hyperloop technology with the objective of development of sub scale mode of Pod, Test Track  &  Vacuum  Tube  facility  of  the  futuristic  full  scale  Hyperloop  at IIT/Madras for validation of this technology.

The  Global  Hyperloop  Competition  2025,  held  at  IIT  Madras,  demonstrated the  rapid  advancements  in  Hyperloop  technology,  with  participant  teams pushing  the  boundaries  of  engineering,  design,  and  business  strategy. Through  cutting-edge  pod  systems,  visionary  infrastructure  concepts,  and comprehensive market strategies, these innovations may help in realizing an efficient, sustainable, and high-speed transportation future.

As an initiative, Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), a unit under Ministry of Railways, has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with  IIT/Madras  in  December  2024  for  VTOL  innovation    and  using  it  for Railway applications.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5189 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Violation of Norms by Coal Mining Companies
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Chandra Prakash Choudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5189

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025

## VIOLATION OF NORMS BY COAL MINING COMPANIES

## 5189. Shri Chandra Prakash Choudhary:

Will the Minister of Coal be pleased to state:

(a)  whether Hilltop Hiring Private Limited has been awarded for mining of coal on the basis of Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) model;

(b)  if so, the details thereof along with the allocation of sites to the said Company;

(c)  the  details  of  environmental  compliance and other statutory permission order NOC etc. submitted by company to competent authority;

(d) whether the project affected families of the project area have been given compensation for their  rehabilitation  under  R&R  policy  of  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)  2012  and  as  per  the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 and if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) is aware of violation of conditions of contract/bid condition by Hilltop Company which tried to forcibly take the land of the villagers with the help of criminals and if so, the details thereof; and

(f) whether BCCL proposes to take serious action against Hilltop Company and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COAL AND MINES (SHRI G. KISHAN REDDY)

(a): The letter of Award (LOA) has been issued to M/s Hilltop Hiring Private Limited as Mine Developer and Operator (MDO) contract.

(b): As  per  provisions  of  NIT,  limited  land  belonging  to  BCCL  was  allocated  to  the  mine operator for preparatory infra structure /ancillary work prior to actual mining operation.

(c): The process of Statutory Clearances/Permissions will be initiated after approval of Mining Plan.

(d): No land acquisition has been done. This will be taken up in phased manner as per the mining requirement based on approved mining plan

(e): There is no violation of condition of contract / Bid conditions by the mine operator.  There is no case of forcibly taking over the land of the villagers in the instant matter.

(f): It has been reported that an incident took place on 9/1/2025 which is solely a law and order issue  and  accordingly  FIR  has  been  lodged  and  will  be  dealt  accordingly  by  the  State Government.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5186 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Science and Technology Schemes in Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli
Ministry: SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Smt. Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

## DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5186 ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY SCHEMES IN UNION TERRITORY OF DADRA AND NAGAR HAVELI

- †5186.  SMT. DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:

Will the Minister of SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  science  and  technology  related  schemes running across the various parts of the country particularly in the Union Territory and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, State-wise/UT-wise; and
- (b) the  details  of  the  number  of  people  particularly  women benefitted and assisted in starting their own employment through the said schemes in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli during the last two years?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

विज्ञान और प्रौद्योगिकी तथा पृ थ्िी विज्ञान मंत्रालय क े राज्य मंत्री ( स्ितंत्र प्रभार) ( डॉ. जितेंद्र स ंह )

- (a) The  Ministry  of  Science  and  Technology  through  its  three departments, Department of Science and Technology (DST), Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) have been implementing several schemes/programmes  to  promote  Science  and  Technology  in  the country. These include, Vigyan Dhara, National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), National Quantum Mission (NQM) and National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), Biotechnology Research Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development (Bio-RIDE), Promoting Innovations in Individuals, Startups and MSMEs (PRISM), Support for Technology Development and Utilization Programme for Women (TDUPW), etc. All these schemes are implemented at pan-India level including that of Dadra and Nagar Haveli.
- (b) No data is available regarding number of people particularly women  benefitted  and  assisted  in  starting  their  own employment through the said schemes in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli during the last two years.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5183 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Internet Subscribers
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Smt. Smita Uday Wagh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5183 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND  APRIL, 2025

## INTERNET SUBSCRIBERS

## 5183.   SMT. SMITA UDAY WAGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the  total  number  of  internet  subscribers  in  the  country  as  of  February  2025  and  the corresponding figure as of April 2014;
- (b) the number of internet subscribers in Maharashtra and specifically in the Jalgaon Lok Sabha constituency as of February 2025 and the corresponding figures as of April 2014;
- (c) the total number of broadband connections in the country as of February 2025;
- (d) the number of broadband connections in Maharashtra and Jalgaon as of February 2025; and
- (e) the average data consumption per wireless data subscriber in the country as of February 2025 and the corresponding figure as of April 2014?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) The total number of internet subscribers in the country as of 31 st  January 2025 and as of 1 st April 2014 is 970.21 million and 251.59 million, respectively, as reported by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
- (b) The total number of internet subscribers in the state of Maharashtra as of 31 st  January 2025 and as of 1 st  April 2014 is 109.73 million and 40.21 million, respectively. Internet subscription data from the service providers are collected on the Licensed Service Area (LSA) or State/UT basis only.
- (c) The total number of broadband subscribers in the country as of 31 st  January 2025 is 945.16 million.

(d) The total number of broadband subscribers in the state of Maharashtra as of 31 st  January 2025 is  107.78  million.  Broadband  subscription  data  from  the  service  providers  are  collected  on  the Licensed Service Area (LSA) or State/UT basis only.

- (e) The average wireless data usage per wireless data subscriber per month in the country for the month of January, 2025 is 22,765 MB and for the quarter April-June 2014 is 70.10 MB.

*****