opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 5181 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Free Solar Rooftop Power Plants
Ministry: NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
Asked by: Dr. Rajeev Bharadwaj

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5181

ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## FREE SOLAR ROOFTOP POWER PLANTS

5181. DR. RAJEEV BHARADWAJ

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

- (a) whether the Government proposes to install free solar rooftop power plants in all panchayat offices in Himachal Pradesh;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government of Himachal Pradesh or any agency/company therefrom has sent
- any proposal to the Union Government to implement the said scheme; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d) Presently there is no proposal in the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to  install  free  solar  rooftop  power  plants  in  all  panchayat  offices  in  the  state  of  Himachal Pradesh.

However,  under  PM  Surya  Ghar  Muft  Bijli  Yojana,  a  component  for  solarisation  of Government buildings is available without any Central Financial Assistance (CFA).

No such proposal from HIMURJA, the state nodal agency for renewable energy in the state of Himachal Pradesh is received.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5180 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Freight Load Carried by Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Chavda Vinod Lakhamshi, Shri Ravindra Shukla Alias Ravi Kishan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5180 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025

## FREIGHT LOAD CARRIED BY RAILWAYS

†5180.  SHRI CHAVDA VINOD LAKHAMSHI: SHRI RAVINDRA SHUKLA ALIAS RAVI KISHAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total freight load carried by the Railways during the year 2024;
- (b) the funds allocated by the Government for construction of Dedicated Freight Corridors upto February 2025; and
- (c)  the timeline fixed for operationalisation of the Dedicated Freight Corridors?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c) The total revenue freight loading by the Railways for the F.Y. 2024-25  is  more  from  1,600  million  tonnes,  making  it  among  top  three freight loading railways in the world.

Ministry  of  Railways  has  taken  up  construction  of  two  Dedicated  Freight Corridors (DFC)  viz.  Eastern  Dedicated  Freight  Corridor  (EDFC) from Ludhiana  to  Sonnagar  (1337  Km)  and  the  Western  Dedicated  Freight Corridor  (WDFC)  from  Jawaharlal  Nehru  Port  Terminal  (JNPT)  to  Dadri (1506 Km). 2741 Route Kilometers has been commissioned and operational.  More than 350 trains operate on an average on these freight corridors.

Upto February 2025, an expenditure of Rs. 99,034 crores has been incurred on DFC Corridors.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5178 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Kisan Rail Services
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Smt. Geniben Nagaji Thakor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5178 TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025

## KISAN RAIL SERVICES

5178.  SMT. GENIBEN NAGAJI THAKOR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state

- (a)   the details of the objectives of Kisan Rail Services;
- (b)   whether such services are available in Gujarat State;
- (c)   if so, the details thereof; and
- (d)   if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (d) : Kisan Rail enables movement of perishables including fruits and vegetables from production or surplus regions to consumption or deficient regions in reasonable time.

Since the launch of Kisan Rail service on 7 th  August 2020, Railways have operated  around  2,364  Kisan  Rail  services,  transporting  approximately 7.9 lakh tonnes of perishables.  Out of these, 65 services have operated from Gujarat to different parts of the country, transporting 18,250 tonnes (approximately) of fruits and vegetables.

Potential circuits for movement of vegetables, fruits and other perishables  are  identified  in  consultation  with  Ministry  of  Agriculture  & Farmers Welfare and Agriculture/Animal Husbandry/Fisheries Departments of State Governments as well as local bodies and agencies, Mandis etc., and  services  are  planned  on  the  basis  of  demands  placed  taking  into consideration, operational feasibility.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5177 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: National Rare Earth Policy
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Adv Dean Kuriakose

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5177

ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## NATIONAL RARE EARTH POLICY

## 5177.   ADV DEAN KURIAKOSE

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a) the progress made on the implementation of the National Rare Earth Policy along with the expected timeline for achieving its objectives;
- (b) the steps being taken to enhance domestic production of rare earth elements and reduce import dependency; and
- (c) whether the Government has undertaken any economic impact assessment on India's rare earth sector and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a)  Government of India has launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in 2025 to establish an effective framework for India's self-reliance in the critical mineral sector. Under the NCMM, Geological Survey of India (GSI) has been assigned to carry out 1200 exploration projects from 2024-25 to 2030-31.
- (b) In order to reduce the import dependency of Rare Earth Elements (REE), Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) is carrying out exploration to augment resources  of  REE  along  the  coastal  /  inland  /  riverine  placer  sands  of  the  country  for augmentation of heavy mineral resource, which include monazite (a phosphate mineral containing Th and REE) and xenotime (a phosphate mineral of yttrium and REE) as well as in several potential geological domains (hard rock) of the country. Further, during the last three years (2021-22 to 2023-24), GSI has taken up 368 mineral exploration projects on critical minerals including Rare Earth Elements (REE) and for 2024-25, GSI has taken up 195 exploration projects to assess the mineral potential of critical minerals including REE specified in Part D of First Schedule of the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023.

IREL (India) Limited (IREL), a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has been mandated to produce Rare Earth Elements in the form of high pure Rare Earth Oxides from Rare Earths (RE) bearing mineral Monazite in India. IREL has been operating in three locations having the facility for integrated mining and processing of mineral sands and a facility each for extraction and refining of rare earths. With  the  grant  of  Letter  of  Intent  (LoI)  for  three  more  reserve  deposits  in  different geographies of India, the domestic production is planned to be enhanced.

- (c) As a part of functioning of IREL, IREL undertakes economic feasibility of mining of Rare Earths before taking up mining operations at each location.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5176 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Status of India’s Nuclear Energy Projects
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri K Sudhakaran

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UN-STARRED QUESTION NO. 5176

ANSWERED ON 02/04/2025

## STATUS OF INDIA'S NUCLEAR ENERGY PROJECTS

## 5176.   SHRI K SUDHAKARAN

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the details and progress made in nuclear energy capacity expansion as outlined in recent policy initiatives;
- (b)  the  role  of  private  sector  participation  in  nuclear  energy  projects  and  its  impact  on investment in the atomic energy sector; and
- (c) the Government's strategy for ensuring the safety and security of India's nuclear power plants?

## ANSWER

THE  MINISTER  OF  STATE  FOR  PERSONNEL,  PUBLIC  GRIEVANCES  &  PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) RAPS-7 (700 MW reactor) was connected to the grid on March 17, 2025 taking the total number of reactors in operation to 25 and total capacity to 8880 MW. In addition, 13600 MW capacity addition is under implementation, on progressive completion of which the capacity will reach 22480 MW by 2031-32.
- (b) The private sector is already participating in a big way in manufacturing of equipment, supply and execution of nuclear power projects.  Further, private investment in nuclear power  generation  has  been  enabled  within  the  existing  legal  framework  for  setting  up Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs).
- (c) Highest priority is accorded to safety and security in all aspects of nuclear power in NPCIL. Adequate measures are taken to ensure safety of nuclear power plant, viz. siting, design, construction, commissioning, and operation. Nuclear power plants are designed adopting safety principles of redundancy, diversity and provided fail-safe design features following a defence-in-depth approach, in line with codes and guides of Atomic Energy Regulatory

Board (AERB). The operations are performed adopting well laid out procedures by highly qualified,  trained  and  licensed  personnel.  There  is  a  robust  and  independent  regulatory mechanism in place  and  safety  of  nuclear  power  plants  is  continuously  monitored  and reviewed by the AERB.

In respect of security, all nuclear power plants are provided with CISF security cover and various other security provisions like Electronic Surveillance systems and cyber security are in place at all operating Nuclear Power Stations. These systems are subjected to periodic audits, reviews and necessary upgrades.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 5175 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Subsidy for Setting up of Community Radio Stations
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Mrs Ruchi Vira

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 5175

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025)

## SUBSIDY FOR SETTING UP OF COMMUNITY RADIO STATIONS

## 5175. MRS RUCHI VIRA

Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of modern community radio stations set up so far across the country during each of the last three years, State and location-wise particularly in Uttar Pradesh: and
- (b) whether the Government has paid subsidy of about Rs. Ten lakh to a number of community radio stations set up across the country particularly in Uttar Pradesh during the last three years;
- (c) if so, the details and the number thereof, State-wise; and
- (d) if not, the reasons therefor along with the reaction of the Government thereto?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING AND PARLIAMENTARY AFFAIRS (Dr. L. MURUGAN)

- (a) The list of all the Commissioned Community Radio Stations (CRSs) of India , State & District wise, including Uttar Pradesh are available at webpage link given below https://mib.gov.in/sites/default/files/2025-03/list-of-commissioned-community-radio-stations-inindia-as-on-27.03.2025-1.pdf.
- (b)  to  (d)  The  financial  assistance  given  to  the  Community  Radio  Stations  (CRSs)  under  the Scheme 'Supporting Community Radio Movement in India' in the last three years, 2021-24, Statewise,  including Uttar Pradesh is as under -

| State /UT      | Amount in Rs   |   CRSs Nos |
|----------------|----------------|------------|
| Andhra Pradesh | 10,00,000      |          1 |
| Bihar          | 4,11,423       |          1 |
| Chhattisgarh   | 27,50,000      |          3 |
| Haryana        | 13,16,888      |          2 |
| Karnataka      | 64,68,120      |          8 |
| Kerala         | 31,41,632      |          5 |
| Ladakh         | 10,00,000      |          1 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 65,00,000      |          7 |
| Maharashtra    | 77,50,000      |          8 |
| Nagaland       | 12,00,000      |          1 |
| Odisha         | 63,99,963      |          7 |
| Rajasthan      | 30,00,000      |          3 |
| Sikkim         | 6,80,431       |          1 |
| Tamil Nadu     | 25,73,035      |          4 |
| Telangana      | 5,16,039       |          1 |
| Uttar pradesh  | 77,84,156      |          9 |
| Uttrakhand     | 20,00,000      |          2 |

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5173 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Mission Amrit Sarover for Railways
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri  Selvaganapathi T.M.

- (b)

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5173

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025

## MISSION AMRIT SAROVER FOR RAILWAYS

5173.   SHRI SELVAGANAPATHI T.M.:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Railways  has  decided  to  dig  ponds  under  the
- Government's Mission Amrit Sarovar;
- if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether it is true that the Government  shall undertake desilting,  excavating  identified  waterbodies  or  constructing new ones at suitable sites in the vicinity of railway lines, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  work  closely  with  the districts administration in this regard, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether  the  Government  plan  to  complete  rejuvenation  or construction  of  a  substantial  number  of  ponds  by  August  15, 2025; and
- (f)
- if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, INFORMATION & BROADCASTING AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (f): Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched in April 2022 with the ambitious  goal  of  constructing  /  rejuvenating  75  Amrit  Sarovars (ponds)   in   each   district   of   the   country.   The   guidelines   for

..P/2

implementation  of  this  mission  was  jointly  issued  by  various Ministries of the Government including Railways.

Mission Amrit Sarovar works have been taken up by the States and Districts  in  convergence  with  the  various  ongoing  schemes of  the Government.  The  Mission  has  made  significant  contribution  in addressing  the  critical  issue  of  water  scarcity  and  enhancing surface and groundwater availability across various regions. These Sarovars have not only addressed immediate water needs but also established sustainable water sources, symbolizing the commitment to long-term environmental sustainability and community well-being.

Under  this  mission,  approx.  21  lakh  cubic  metre  of  excavated earth/soil from 72 Amrit Sarovars across the country was used for construction of new tracks.

Now,  Phase  II  of  Mission  Amrit  Sarovar  has  been  launched  and guidelines  have  been  jointly  issued  by  Railways  and  M/o  Rural Development and it is envisaged to continue with a renewed focus on  ensuring  water  availability,  with  community  participation  (Jan Bhagidaari) at its core, and aims to strengthen climate resilience, foster  ecological  balance,  and  deliver  lasting  benefits  for  future generations.

Under this Phase  II  of  the  mission,  Railways  in  coordination  with District  Authorities  have  taken  up identification of the location of New Amrit Sarovars from where excavated earth/soil can be taken for construction of formation of Railway Projects/Works.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 5170 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: IT Hub in Kozhikode
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri M K Raghavan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5170

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 02.04.2025

## IT HUB IN KOZHIKODE

## 5170.  SHRI M K RAGHAVAN:

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

- (a) the details along with the status of proposed IT hub in Kozhikode near to Kozhikode Railway Station; and
- (b) the details of estimated cost of the project along with its planned size and capacity?

## ANSWER

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

(a) and (b):   The Government of India has launched several initiatives and programs to support the  expansion  of  the  IT  sector  and  is  constantly  working  to  promote  the  sector  throughout  the country, especially in smaller cities and towns. The Software Technology Park (STP) is one such important scheme in this effort. Under this scheme, Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) has established 67 centres across the country as on date. Amongst these, two (2) centres in the state of Kerala at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi have been set up. The criteria for new location for establishment of STPI centre is based on joint feasibility study by STPI with State Government to assess the potential of growth of IT sector at the location. The STP centres provide incubator facility  which  help  entrepreneurs  to  convert  their  innovative  ideas  into  startups.  The  incubator facility  provides  opportunity  of  meeting  with  investors  like  Venture  Capitalists  (VCs),  mentors from IITs/NITs/Industry and networking opportunity with IT professionals through implementation of various schemes, programmes and Centres of Entrepreneurship.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 5167 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Vacancies in Central Government Offices in North Bengal
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Shri Raju Bista

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5167 (ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025)

## VACANCIES IN CENTRAL GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN NORTH BENGAL

## 5167.  SHRI RAJU BISTA:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  number  of  sanctioned  posts  in  various  Central  Government  offices  and  institutions  in North Bengal since 2019, district-wise;
- (b) the number of vacancies in these offices, category-wise and department-wise;
- (c) whether the Government has taken any steps to fill the said vacant posts and if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the timeline by which these vacancies are expected to be filled?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) to (d):  Maintaining data relating to sanctioned posts/vacancies is the responsibility of the respective cadre controlling authorities in various Central Government Ministries/ Departments/Organizations. Filling up of vacancies is done by the respective cadre controlling authorities  in  various  Central  Govt.  Ministries,  Departments  and  Organizations,  and  is  a continuous process. Vacant posts in Central Government are being filled in a mission mode by the  respective  Ministries/Departments  through  Rozgar  Melas.  A  total  of  13  Rozgar  Melas have been held in West Bengal at various locations so far.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 5166 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Blocked Websites
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Shri Robert Bruce C

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5166

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 02.04.2025

## BLOCKED WEBSITES

## 5166. SHRI ROBERT BRUCE C:

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

- (a)  the  details  of  websites  blocked  in  India  between  2019  to  till  date,  year-wise  and  categorywise;
- (b) whether it is true that more than 55,605 websites have been blocked in India according to a report;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (d)  the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  constitutionally  enshrined  right  to freedom of speech and expression?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (d):      The  policies  of  the  Government  are  aimed  at  ensuring  a  safe,  trusted  and accountable  Internet  for  its  users  while  ensuring  the  Internet  remains  free  from  any  form ofunlawful  content  or  information.  The  Information  Technology  (IT)  Act,  2000  and  Rules made  thereunder  provide  for  the  legal  framework  to  disable  access  to  online  resources. Appropriate governments are authorized to issue notices to intermediaries for blocking access to online resources in terms of the provisions of the IT Act and its Rules.

*******
Lok Sabha Question No. 5165 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-04-02
Subject: Imposition of Digital Tools
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Adv. Chandra Shekhar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL & TRAINING)

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5165

(ANSWERED ON 02.04.2025)

## IMPOSITION OF DIGITAL TOOLS

## 5165. ADV. CHANDRA SHEKHAR:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) the manner in which the Government views the imposition of specific digital tools like Slack on Government  employees  without  proper  consultation  or  adherence  to  prescribed  norms  in  light  of DoPT's role as the nodal agency for personnel management policies; and
- (b)  the  measures  being  implemented  by  the  Government  to  prevent  such  violations  of  service guidelines including those related to date security, and privacy and employee autonomy?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a)  and  (b):  The  policies  of  the  Government  of  India  are  aimed  at  ensuring  a  safe,  trusted  and accountable cyberspace for users in the country. In this regard, key regulatory initiatives taken by Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology  (MeitY)  focus on strengthening legal frameworks,  enhancing  data  protection  &  cybersecurity  infrastructure  and  promoting  awareness among individuals and organizations.

Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions have not issued any guidelines related to use of digital tools like slack by Government employees.

*******