opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1506 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Auction of Critical Minerals
Ministry: MINES
Asked by: Shri Pradeep Kumar Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF MINES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO - 1506

ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024

## AUCTION OF CRITICAL MINERALS

† 1506 SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:

Will the Minister of MINES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether auctions are being conducted for the extraction of important minerals like limestone, gold, iron ore, manganese; and
- (b) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b):   Yes, auctions are being conducted since amendment in MMDR Act in 2015 for major minerals including limestone, gold, iron ore, manganese etc. The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act, 1957 was amended through the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015 with effect from 12.01.2015 whereby auction regime was introduced for grant of mineral concessions to bring in greater transparency and remove discretion. The method of auction also ensures that the State Governments get their fair share of revenue accruing from the auction process. Further, the MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 has empowered the Central Government to exclusively auction mining leases for minerals specified as "critical and strategic" in Part D of the First Schedule of the Act.

From 2015 to 31 st  March, 2021, 108 mineral blocks were auctioned. However, since 01.04.2021, the number of auctioned mineral blocks has increased more than threefold  and  333  mineral  blocks  have  been  auctioned  till  date.  Since  2015,  441 mineral blocks have been auctioned across 15 States. The Central Government has auctioned  24  critical  and  strategic  mineral  blocks  since  amendment  in  the  Act  in August 2023 till date. These auctions have been conducted across various states, including Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh. The auction of mineral blocks has led to significant increase in the revenue accrual to the States.

The details of mineral blocks auctioned so far is given below:

| S. No.   | Mineral              |   No. of Blocks Auctioned |
|----------|----------------------|---------------------------|
| 1        | Limestone            |                       151 |
| 2        | Iron Ore             |                       113 |
| 3        | Manganese            |                        39 |
| 4        | Gold                 |                        21 |
| 5        | Iron Ore & Manganese |                         9 |
| 6        | Iron Ore & Gold      |                         1 |
| 7        | Copper & Gold        |                         1 |
| 8        | Others               |                       106 |
|          | Total                |                       441 |

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1505 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Reconsideration of Retirement Age
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Shri Tejasvi Surya

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1505

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024)

## RECONSIDERATION OF RETIREMENT AGE

## 1505. SHRI TEJASVI SURYA:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  revise  the  age  of  superannuation  of  all  Government employees after completing a maximum service period of 30 years or completing 60 years as per the date  of  birth,  whichever  is  earlier,  so  as  to  have  uniformity  in  civil  services  &  also  provide  an opportunity for youth of the Nation in light of the available data on eligible youth for employment i.e., those who are borne after 2000;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  if  not,  whether  there  is  any  reconsideration  regarding  the  age  of  retirement  for  Government employees; and
- (d) the measures taken by the Government to provide more employment for the youth in civil services?

## 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 (c): No such proposal is under consideration of the Government.

(d): Government is constantly engaged in formulation of polices, programmes and other measures for  providing  employment  for  the  youth  in  civil  services,  based  on  the  requirement  as  per Transaction of Business in the Government. Ministries/ Departments of the Central Government have been directed from time to time, to fill up vacant posts in a time bound manner. Rozgar Melas are organized by the Government for filling up vacancies in Mission Mode across all the Central Government Ministries/ Departments/ Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSUs)/ Autonomous Bodies/ Education and Health Institurions etc.in a time bound manner, providing employment to youth in civil services.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1502 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Nuclear Technology
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Shri Anurag Sharma

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-1502

ANSWERED ON 04/12/2024

## NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY

## 1502.  SHRI ANURAG SHARMA

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

- (a)  the details of advancements made by India in nuclear technology for sustainable energy production and the manner in which the Government is ensuring safety in its operations; and
- (b) the details of any recent developments in nuclear research or power generation?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) India  has  achieved  mastery  in  all  aspect  of  Pressurised  Heavy  Water  Reactor  (PHWR) technology. Indigenous PHWRs have been evolved from unit size of 220 MW to 540 MW and 700 MW and reactors of all these sizes are in successful operation. The Indian industries have  also  matured  and  supplied  components  &  equipment  and  executed  works  to  the required exacting standards for these PHWRs.

All  nuclear  power  plants  are  operated  strictly  in  line  with  approved  procedures  and specifications, by highly trained personnel licensed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to ensure safety.

- (b)  Research and development for indigenisation of pressurised water reactor technology for expansion of country's nuclear energy capacity through installation of large capacity reactors has  been  initiated.  Design  and  development  for  small  reactors  such  as  Small  Modular Reactors, is underway for repurposing of retiring coal-based power plants and catering to power requirements at remote locations.

Moreover, BARC has developed high temperature thermochemical processes for hydrogen production.  R&D on gas cooled reactor and its coupling with thermochemical processes is being carried out for utilising high temperature generated in the reactor for green hydrogen production.  Hydrogen produced in this process is likely to contribute in decarbonisation.

Research and development is underway for various technologies, fuels and materials for molten salt reactors to demonstrate thorium utilisation towards achieving long term energy security and net zero carbon emission goals.

A capacity of 1400 MW was added in the year 2023-24 by completion of KAPS 3&4 (2X700 MW) increasing the nuclear power  capacity  from  6780  MW  to  8180  MW.  In September 2024, another reactor, RAPP-7 (700 MW) also achieved criticality.

On  completion  of  the  commissioning  of  Prototype  Fast  Breeder  Reactor  (PFBR),  the project will generate 500 MW of electricity. PFBR is expected to be operational by end2025.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1500 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Progress of BharatNet Project
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Y S Avinash Reddy, Shri Malaiyarasan D

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1500 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## PROGRESS OF BHARATNET PROJECT

## 1500.  SHRI MALAIYARASAN D: SHRI Y S AVINASH REDDY:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) the features of the BharatNet Project and the funds sanctioned, allocated and utilized under this project in the country particularly in Tamil Nadu during the last three years and the current year, State-wise and year-wise;

(b) the number of villages  connected with broadband facility under BharatNet  Project within Tamil Nadu till date;

(c) whether the Government has the data of villages still not connected with this facility within Tamil Nadu, if so, the details thereof;

(d) the steps  being taken by  the Government to expeditiously  cover these villages  under this scheme;

(e) the estimated timeline for connecting the remaining villages under the project; and

- (f) the details about the standards set for fiber cables under Bharat Net Project?

## ANSWER

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

(a) BharatNet  project  is  being  implemented  in  a  phased  manner  to  provide  broadband connectivity to all the Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country. The infrastructure created under the project is a national asset, accessible on a non-discriminatory basis to the Service Providers, and the same can be utilized to provide broadband services, such as Fiber to the Home (FTTH) connections, leased lines, dark fiber, backhaul to mobile towers, etc. in the rural areas.

State-wise and year-wise funds allocated in last three years under BharatNet in the country including Tamil Nadu is available on the Digital Bharat Nidhi website (https://usof.gov.in/).

(b) to (e) Under  the  state-led model  in Tamil  Nadu,  project  execution, operation  and maintenance, and utilization is the responsibility of the State Government. All the 12,525 GPs of the state are in the scope of work in the ongoing project. 10,295 GPs are service ready in Tamil Nadu till date.

The Government has approved the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) in August 2023 for covering  all  GPs  in  the  country  including  upgradation  of  existing  network  of  BharatNet  and connectivity to remaining non-GP villages (about 3.8 lakh) on demand basis. The connectivity to remaining 4,767 (approx.) non-GP villages in Tamil Nadu on demand-basis is under the scope of ABP. The timeline for completion of the construction phase under the Amended BharatNet Program is three years from award of the contract.

(f) The  Technical  specifications  as  per  Telecommunication  Engineering  Centre  -  Generic Requirement (TEC-GRs) standards are adhered for the optical  fiber cables  laid  under BharatNet project.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1499 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Change in Ownership of Visual Media
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Prof. Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1499

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024

## CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP OF VISUAL MEDIA

## 1499. PROF. SOUGATA RAY:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be please to state:

- (a) whether the Government has noticed that some visual medias are changing or have changed their ownership/take over without following the rules and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Malayalam Channel "Reporter TV" has followed existing rules on its ownership change and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of visual channels that changed their ownership during the last five years in the country?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a) The Policy Guidelines for Uplinking and Downlinking of Television Channels, 2022, interalia, provide that change in ownership/ takeover of the permitted TV Channels can be done by way of:
- i. change in Shareholding Pattern (SHP) under intimation within 30 days (clause 29) and ;
- ii. by way of transfer of permission (clause 32) only with the prior approval of the Ministry.

Penal  provisions  in  case  these  are  not  in  accordance  with  the  guidelines  include  suspension/ cancellation of permission. No such case of change in ownership/ takeover without following the due procedures/ guidelines have been noticed.

- (b) In respect of TV Channel namely 'Reporter', intimation for change in SHP was received. On examination,  it  was  found  that  the  said  change  required  corrective  measures  in  line  with  the provisions of the extant Policy Guidelines, the same have been advised accordingly.
- (c) The details of TV Channels that changed their ownership/ takeover during the last five years are as under:

|          | Language(s)   | Language(s)               | Language(s)    | Language(s)   | Language(s)   |
|----------|---------------|---------------------------|----------------|---------------|---------------|
| Category | Hindi         | Other scheduled languages | Hindi& English | English       | Total         |
| Non-news | 4             | 70                        | 7              | 2             | 83            |
| News     | 5             | 18                        | 1              | -             | 24            |
| Total    | Total         | Total                     | Total          | Total         | 107           |

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1495 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Distribution of Coal
Ministry: COAL
Asked by: Shri Ajay Kumar Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COAL LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1495 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024

## Distribution of Coal

## 1495.   SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

Will the Minister of COAL be pleased to state:

(a) whether there is any issue in distribution of coal from Coal Mine in Jharkhand allocated to Bihar and if so, the details thereof; and

(b) the steps taken/being taken to enhance the coal supply to Bihar to meet its energy demand and the time by which these are likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) No coal block in Jharkhand or in any other State, has been allocated to Bihar or its' PSUs.
- (b) Supply  of  coal  to  the  power  plants  including  the  power  plants  located  in  Bihar  is  a continuous process. To address the issues of coal supplies to Power Sector, an Inter- Ministerial Sub Group comprising of representatives from Ministry of Power, Ministry of Coal, Ministry of  Railways,  Central  Electricity  Authority  (CEA),  Coal  India  Limited  (CIL)  and  Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) meet regularly to take various operational decisions to enhance supply of coal to Thermal Power Plants.

Besides,  an  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  (IMC)  has  also  been  constituted  comprising  of Chairman, Railway Board; Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Secretary, Ministry of Power; to monitor augmentation of coal supply and power generation capacity. Secretary, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Chairperson, CEA are co- opted as Special Invitees as and when required by the IMC.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1494 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Number of Railway Stations upgraded to Model Stations in the country
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Kamakhya Prasad Tasa

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1494 TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.12.2024

NUMBER OF RAILWAY STATIONS UPGRADED TO MODEL STATIONS IN THE COUNTRY

1494.  SHRI KAMAKHYA PRASAD TASA:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  people  of  the  country  are  depending  on railway for travelling;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c)  the  number of railway stations  upgraded to model stations in the country; and
- (d)  the  numbers  of  train  providing  services  to  the  people  in  the country?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a)  to  (d)  Railway  is  very  popular  mode  of  transportation.  It  carries about 1.9 crore passengers every day. During the year 2023-24, Indian Railways operated more than 13,000 trains every day.

Modernization/upgradation/redevelopment of railway stations is a continuous and ongoing process and works in this regard are undertaken as per requirement, subject to inter-se priority and availability of funds. Presently,  upgradation/modernization/redevelopment  of  stations  over Indian Railways is being done under 'Amrit Bharat Station Scheme'. So far, 1337 stations have been selected under this scheme. This scheme envisages development of stations on a continuous basis with a longterm approach. It  involves  preparation  of  Master  Plans  and  their  implementation  in phases to improve the amenities at the stations like improvement of station access, circulating areas, waiting halls, toilets, lift/escalators as necessary, platform surfacing and cover over platform, cleanliness, free Wi-Fi, kiosks for local products through schemes like 'One Station One Product', better passenger information systems, executive lounges,  nominated  spaces  for  business  meetings,  landscaping,  etc. keeping in view the necessity at each station. The  scheme  also  envisages  improvement  of  building,  integrating  the station  with  both  sides  of  the  city,  multimodal  integration,  amenities for Divyangjans, sustainable and environment friendly solutions, provision  of  ballastless  tracks,  etc.  as  per  necessity,  phasing  and feasibility and creation of city centre at the station in the long term.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 1493 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: Mission Mausam to Boost the Radar Network
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Ramasahayam Raghuram Reddy, Shri  Selvaganapathi T.M.

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1493

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## MISSION MAUSAM TO BOOST THE RADAR NETWORK

## 1493.     SHRI SELVAGANAPATHI T.M.: SHRI RAMASAHAYAM RAGHURAM REDDY:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has cleared Rs. 2,000 crore Mission Mausam to boost the radar network to seed and tweak clouds, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether  Mission  Mausam  would  facilitate  a major  upgrade  for the forecasting infrastructure  as  well  as  funding  research  into  a  better  understanding  of  weather modification, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether it is true that  by the year 2026,  the Government hopes to procure and install upto 60 weather radars, 15 wind profilers and 15 radiosondes, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is true that India has 39 radars or about one for every 432 km which is quite insufficient keeping in view Country's size and geographical variability as the weather can vary widely; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Yes. The Union Cabinet has approved the central sector scheme 'Mission Mausam' at an outlay of INR 2,000 crores over two years. Mission Mausam is envisaged to be a multi-faceted and transformative  initiative  to  tremendously  boost  India's  weather  and climate-related science, research, and services. It will help to better equip stakeholders, including  citizens  and  last-mile  users,  in  tackling  extreme  weather  events  and  the impacts of climate change.
- (b) Yes.  The  mission's  focus  will  include  improving  the  observations  by  augmenting various  observational  networks  for  providing  highly  accurate  and  timely  weather  and climate  information  across  temporal  and  spatial  scales,  including  monsoon  forecasts, alerts  for  air  quality,  extreme  weather  events  and  cyclones,  weather  interventions  for managing fog, hail, and rain, etc., capacity building and generating awareness.
- (c) Yes. The newly launched Mission Mausam is intended to augment the Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) network across the country for complete radar coverage and to enhance the accuracy of the weather forecasting system. The exact locations are being worked out  for  installing  87  more  DWRs,  15  radiometers  and  15  wind  profilers  across  the country,  to  observe  not  only  surface  measurements  but  also  upper  atmosphere,  to improve the weather forecast.

(d) - (e)  Yes. Currently, 39 Doppler Weather Radars are installed at various locations across the country  to  monitor  rain  and  thunderstorms.  The  locations  of  these  radars  have  been distributed  in  the  best  possible  way  to  monitor  severe  weather  conditions  across  the Indian region.

********
Lok Sabha Question No. 1490 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-04
Subject: 4G Mobile Services in Aspirational Districts
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Shri Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1490 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## 4G MOBILE SERVICES IN ASPIRATIONAL DISTRICTS

## 1490.  SHRI SAPTAGIRI SANKAR ULAKA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  plan  to  provide  4G  mobile  services  in  7,287  uncovered  villages  of Aspirational Districts;
- (b) the timelines by which the above plan would be operational along with the current progress thereof;
- (c) the list of villages in Koraput and Rayagada District in Odisha where mobile connectivity would be provided, block-wise; and
- (d) the current status of implementation along with timeline of completion for pending ones in the villages of Koraput and Rayagada districts of Odisha where 4G mobile connectivity would be provided, block-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) The Union Cabinet has approved a scheme for provisioning of 4G Mobile services in 7287 uncovered villages of Aspirational Districts of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Jharkhand & Odisha by installation of 4,779 mobile towers.

Above project aims to provide mobile coverage in all such villages in phased manner. As on 31.10.2024, 2,177 mobile towers have been commissioned covering 3,352 villages.

- (c) & (d) The list of villages planned for mobile coverage as on 31.10.2024 under this scheme in  Koraput  and  Rayagada  District  of  Odisha  is  available  on  https://dot.gov.in/circular-andnotifications/3294.

*****