opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 3324 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Nuclear State
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: S. Muniswamy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3324

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2023

## Nuclear State

## 3324.    SHRI S. MUNISWAMY:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether India is a nuclear State;
- (b) if so, the number of countries in the world which have declared themselves as nuclear States; and
- (c) whether India is party to some international pacts; and
- (d) if so, the details in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) Yes,  Sir.  India  is  a  nuclear  state.  It  has  also  a  nuclear  power  programme  with  23 nuclear power reactors under operation.
- (b) According  to  Non-Proliferation  Treaty  (NPT),  five  countries  are  recognized  as Nuclear  Weapon  State.  As  per  IAEA  Power  Reactor  Information  System  (PRIS) database,  35  states  in  the  world  has  nuclear  power  reactors  either  in  operation  or under construction.

(c)&(d) India is party to following international conventions on nuclear:

- i. Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident
- ii.   Convention  on  Assistance  in  the  Case  of  a  Nuclear  Accident  or  Radiological Emergency
- iii.  Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and its amendment
- iv.  Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism
- v.   Convention on Nuclear Safety
- vi.  Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage
Lok Sabha Question No. 3321 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Optical Fibre Cables
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3321 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH  AUGUST, 2023

## OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES

## 3321.   SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the number of cities in Bihar which have been connected by Optical Fibre Cables (OFCs);
- (b) whether the Government has any proposal to connect rural and remote parts of Bihar with Optical Fibre Cables;
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the present status thereof; and
- (d) other measures being taken by the Government to create network to connect all the Gram Panchayats of Bihar on Optical Fibre Cables?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

- (a) All the cities, including 38 district Headquarters (HQs) of Bihar are connected with Optical Fibre Connectivity.

(b) to (d) BharatNet project is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs) in the country including state of Bihar. As on 30.06.2023, 8,328 number of Gram Panchayats (GPs) (8312 on Optical Fibre Cable and 16 on Satellite Media) out of 8,404 Gram Panchayats (GPs) have been connected in the state of Bihar.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3320 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Minimal Data Speed
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3320 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH  AUGUST, 2023

## MINIMAL DATA SPEED

## 3320.   DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN :

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state :

- (a) whether it is a fact that most of the villages in the country are facing very slow or minimal data speed of internet causing non productivity in all fields;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether  the  non  availability  of  internet  and  network  facilities  are  not  addressed  by  the concerned agencies to solve the problem in the villages of the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether it is a fact that more amount are spent to provide internet services at villages but the problems still exist presently and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) the measures taken to improve digital services at villages?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) to (e) The mobile connectivity in India has expanded significantly in last 9 years. In 2014, there were 6,49,834 BTSs in the country which have grown to 27,45,468 as on 07.08.2023. More than 3.16 lakh 5G towers are providing service in 717 districts. Government and Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) provide telecommunication connectivity in the country in a phased manner. To provide  4G  Mobile  connectivity  in  uncovered  villages  of  remote  &  rural  areas,  Government  is implementing  various  projects  through  Universal  Service  Obligation  Fund (USOF).  Under  these Projects 36,801 4G mobile towers (including upgradation of 2G/3G Towers) with total expenditure of Rs 35,381 Cr. have been approved to provide 4G mobile connectivity to more than 44,000 villages.

As per TRAI telecom performance indicator report total internet rural subscriber in India are 349.53 million.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3319 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Decline in Jobs in Central Public Sector Undertakings
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Abdul Khaleque

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3319

(TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2023)

## DECLINE IN JOBS IN CENTRAL PUBLIC SECTOR UNDERTAKINGS

## 3319. SHRI ABDUL KHALEQUE :

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state :

- (a) whether there is a decline of 2.7 lakh jobs within the Central Public Sector Undertakings over  the  past  decade  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the Government to address the same;
- (b) whether  the  Government  plans  to  adopt  any  measures  to  ensure  that  the  reduction  in CPSU jobs does not adversely affect employment opportunities for the country's youth and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of the steps being taken to create alternative avenues for job creation and skill development to mitigate the impact of this decline?

## 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): All PSUs function under the administrative control of respective Ministries/Departments.  Further, enterprises specific measures with respect to vacancies and its requirement are monitored by Board of CPSEs and their administrative Ministries/Departments. The  Boards  of  CPSEs  are  authorized  to  undertake  recruitments  for  below  Board  Level  posts. CPSUs being commercial entities recruit their manpower based on their business plan.

Filling  up  of  vacant  posts  in  any  organization,  is  a  continuous  process.  As  a  part  of Rozgar Mela, the vacant posts are being filled in a Mission Mode by all the PSUs.  Rozgar Mela events are being held across the country and the new appointees are being inducted into various organizations, including Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs), Public Sector Banks etc.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3318 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Integrating Module with e-Courts
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Kotha Prabhakar  Reddy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTORNICS AND  INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK   SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3318

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 09.08.2023

## INTEGRATING MODULE WITH E-COURTS

## 3318.    SHRI KOTHA PRABHAKAR REDDY:

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

- (a)  whether  the  National  Informatics  Centre  is  in  the  process  of  integrating  the  module directly with e-courts and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether such system will generate alerts and the issue will be flagged to the stakeholders immediately and the senior officers will be alerted so that measures can be taken and the trial is not delayed, if a public prosecutor demands adjournment;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  will  also  track  investigations  into  sexual  assault  cases  in  the country every two months through its analytics tool and if so, the details thereof;
- (d)  whether  in  the  Investigation  Tracking  System  for  Sexual  Offences,   Officers  will  get alerts whenever a public prosecutor seeks a stay in a criminal case and  to keep a watch on Government lawyers handling criminal cases;  and
- (e) if so, the details and the present status thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TEHNOLOGY (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

(a) to (e):  eCourts provides ICT support to the Judiciary including High Courts, District and Subordinate  Courts  and  citizens/litigants/lawyers/advocates.  It  has  been  developed  by  NIC under the guidance and directions of eCommittee, Supreme Court of India. eCourts System sends SMS to stakeholders like litigants  and advocates only regarding next date of hearing once court proceedings are over on a particular day. No such module is in place in eCourts or under process which sends alerts to stakeholders, if a public prosecutor demands adjournment or seeks stay in a criminal case more than twice.

However, alert facility is operational for all types of cases including sexual offences in the eProsecution System which is operational in Public Prosecutor offices, where auto alerts are generated to the senior prosecution officers only when a Public Prosecutor requests for two or more consequent adjournments in a case. Investigating Tracking System for Sexual Offences (ITSSO)  is  the  tool  developed  under  ICJS  (Inter-operable  Criminal  Justice  System)  for monitoring  of  sexual  offence  cases  where  the  investigations  are  completed  in  within  two months or not.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 3317 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Uranium Deposits
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: Balashowry Vallabbhaneni

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3317 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2023.

## Uranium Deposits

## 3317. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  it  is  a  fact  that  Andhra  Pradesh  is  having  the  highest  quantity  of  Uranium deposits in the country;
- (b) if  so,  the  reasons  for  delay  in  exploiting  the  reserves  and  the  time  since  when  the Government is carrying out investigation in the identified Tummalapalle and Koppunuru deposits;
- (c) whether  the  Government  pay  royalty  to  the  State  from  where  they  take  Uranium deposits; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  Yes Sir. Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a Constituent Unit  under  Department  of  Atomic Energy,  has  so  far  established  two  uranium  deposits  i.e., Tummalapalle Group of deposits in YSR district and Koppunuru deposit in Palnadu (erstwhile Guntur)  district  of  Andhra  Pradesh.  A  total  of  2,44,070  tonne  (t) in-situ uranium  oxide  has been  established  in  these  deposits,  which  includes  2,41,309  t in-situ uranium  oxide  in Tummalapalle  and  2,761  t in-situ uranium  oxide  in  Koppunuru.  Tummalapalle  Group  of uranium  deposits,  YSR  district,  Andhra  Pradesh  is  the  single  largest  uranium  deposit discovered so far in India (2,41,309t U3O8).

(b)   Exploitation of any mineral reserve requires statutory clearances from Central and State Governments and considerable time is required to obtain these clearances. Further, the progress of the projects is solely dependent upon the support from the respective State Governments in granting  the  statutory  clearances.  For  expansion  of  Tummalapalle  Mine,  Environmental Clearance  is  pending  since  last  five  years  from  State  Pollution  Control  Board.  Anti-nuclear NGOs are also strongly active in the region  which create frequent hindrances.

Investigations  for  uranium  in  Koppunuru  were  carried  out  during  1993-2017,  whereas investigations  for  uranium  in  Tummalapalle  have  been  carried  out  in  two  phases  i.e.,  19861995 and 2007 to till date.

(c)&(d)   Yes  Sir.  An  amount  of  Rs.  78.81  Crores,  has  been  paid  to  Government  of  Andhra Pradesh towards royalty against Tummalapalle mine as per the rate of royalty notified in the Second Schedule of MMDR Act, 1957.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3316 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Crisis faced by Spinning Mills
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: A. Ganeshamurthi, Andimuthu Raja

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3316 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2023

## CRISIS FACED BY SPINNING MILLS

3316. SHRI A. GANESHAMURTHI: SHRI A. RAJA:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state :

- (a) whether the Government has received any representation from the Industry Associations about the crisis being faced by the spinning mills in the country including the State of Tamil Nadu;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has advised to withdraw 11 per cent import duty on cotton as the Mills are not able to compete with neighbouring countries in the export of yarn;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has recommended for reduced interest rates of banks and to restructure the outstanding short-term loan of ECLGS to make the industry viable; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof along with the measures taken in this regard?

## उत्तर

ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज् य मंत्री ( श्रीमती दर्शना जरदोर् ) THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES

## (SMT. DARSHANA JARDOSH)

(a) to (f): The Ministry has received representations from time to time from industry associations about various issues impacting the spinning sector including in Tamil Nadu.

The request of the industry for reduction in Basic Customs duty on Raw Cotton was examined as part of Budget exercise 2023-24 and it was decided not to accede to the request.

The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), which was introduced in May, 2020 as a onetime measure to meet the credit needs of MSMEs arising due to Covid-19 pandemic was not extended beyond  31.3.2023.  However,  the  lenders  under  the  scheme  are  free  to  consider  any  request  for modification in the terms of loans under the scheme as per their Board approved policies, within broad regulatory framework.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3315 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Pollution from Textiles
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Gaurav Gogoi

## POLLUTION FROM TEXTILES

## 3315. SHRI GAURAV GOGOI:

Will the Minister of TEXTILES वस्त्र मंत्री be pleased to state :

(a)  whether  the  Government has carried out any  study on the high level of pollution generated  from producing textiles and its health impacts associated with, if so, the details thereof;

(b) the details of Government initiatives and plans to address the shortage in supply of the raw materials and increase in the cost of raw materials; and

(c) whether the Government has taken any initiatives and plans to address infrastructural bottlenecks in the textile industry, if so, the details thereof?

उत्तर

## ANSWER

## वस्त्र राज् य मंत्री ( श्रीमती दर्शना जरदोर् )

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR TEXTILES (SMT. DARSHANA JARDOSH)

(a): The  Government,  on  the  basis  of  studies  and  analysis  carried  out  from  time  to  time,  has developed the criteria for categorization of industrial sectors based on the Pollution Index which is a function of the emissions (air pollutants), effluents (water pollutants), hazardous wastes generated and consumption  of  resources.  In  pursuant  to  the  categorization,  Yarn/  Textile  processing  industries  are classified as Red Category industries while Cotton spinning and weaving (medium and large scale) are classified as Orange Category industries

(b): With a view to ensure adequate availability of cotton to the textile industry, the Government of India  mandates  the  Cotton  Corporation  of  India  (CCI)  to  undertake  MSP  operations  of  cotton. Additionally, the Ministry of Agriculture in association with the Ministry of Textiles is undertaking a special project through ICAR-CICR Nagpur with a budget outlay of Rs. 41.87 crores under NFSM for targeting technologies such as High-Density Planting System (HDPS), closer spacing, and production technology  for  ELS  cotton.  For  the  cotton  season  2022-23,  the  estimated  cotton  production  in  the country  is  343.47  lakh  bales  which  is  about  10%  higher  in  comparison  to  the  estimated  cotton consumption  of  311  lakh  bales.  Additionally,  Textile  Advisory  Groups  have  been  constituted  as informal  bodies  that  facilitate  inter-Ministerial  coordination  and  representations  of  stakeholders  to deliberate and recommend on the issues pertaining to cotton and man-made fibre value chain.

(c): In order to make the Indian textile industry globally competitive, attract large investments and boost employment generation, the Government has approved setting up of PM Mega Integrated Textile Region  and  Apparel  (PM  MITRA)  Parks  in  7  states,  namely,  Tamil  Nadu,  Telangana,  Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra with world-class infrastructure including plug and play facility with an outlay of Rs. 4,445 crore.
Lok Sabha Question No. 3314 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Implementation of National Rail Plan 2030
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Jagannath Sarkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3314 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2023

## IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL RAIL PLAN 2030

3314.   SHRI JAGANNATH SARKAR:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is facing  any challenges in implementing the National Rail Plan 2030, which aims to create a future-ready railway system by 2030;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of the status of public-private partnerships in the railway sector and its impact on improving services and infrastructure?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF RAILWAYS, COMMUNICATIONS AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  and  (b)  The  completion  of  any  railway  project  depends  on  various factors like quick land acquisition by State Government, forest clearance by officials of forest department, deposition of cost share by State Government in cost sharing projects, priority of projects, shifting of  infringing  utilities,  statutory  clearances  from  various  authorities, geological and topographical conditions of area, law and order situation in  the  area  of  project(s)  site,  number  of  working  months  in  a  year  for particular  project  site  due  to  climatic  conditions  etc.  and  all  these factors affect the completion time and cost of the project(s).

Various  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  speedy  approval  and implementation of rail projects include: (i) setting up of Gati Shakti units. (ii)  prioritisation of projects (iii) substantial increase in allocation of funds on priority projects (iv) delegation of powers at field level (v) close monitoring of progress of project at various level (vi) regular follow up with State Governments and concerned authorities for expeditious land acquisition, forestry and Wildlife clearances and for resolving other issues pertaining to projects. This has led to substantial increase in rate of commissioning since 2014. (c)  Till  now,  under  PPP  model,  17  rail  connectivity  projects  have  been completed,  48  Gati  Shakti  Terminals  (GCTs)  and  two  (02)  locomotive factories at Madhepura and Marhowrah have been commissioned. *****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3313 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Properties of MTNL and BSNL
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Arvind Ganpat Sawant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3313 TO BE ANSWERED ON 9 TH  AUGUST, 2023

## PROPERTIES OF MTNL AND BSNL

## 3313.   SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state :

(a) the details of the number of properties like exchange buildings in working condition, staff quarters occupied by Staff, vacant land, exchange buildings (non-working) and unutilized vacant quarters of MTNL and BSNL in Mumbai that have been identified under Asset Management Policy for Monetization;

- (b) the details of the area of vacant land (in acres) presently owned by MTNL in Mumbai;
- (c) whether the Government plans for priority to be given to the vacant land; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI DEVUSINH CHAUHAN)

(a) to (d) The identification and monetization of assets of MTNL/ BSNL is an ongoing process and is being done as per the policy and organizational requirements.

The basic principles for identification of assets for monetization are as under:

- a) The asset or the part of the asset to be monetized should not be required for use of MTNL/ BSNL in foreseeable future.
- b) MTNL / BSNL should have ownership rights of the asset and the lawful right to dispose of the same.
- c) There should be no encroachment, encumbrance or legal dispute on the property.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 3310 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-08-09
Subject: Growth of Startups
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Jai Prakash

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3310.

TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, THE 09 TH  AUGUST, 2023.

## GROWTH OF STARTUPS

## 3310.  SHRI JAI PRAKASH:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state:

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) whether it is a fact that India's revolutionary journey that began in 2014, has seen a quantum increase in startups and Unicorns in the country;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the details of those startups that have shown specific growth in India?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री सोम प्रकाश ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI SOM PARKASH)

- (a) to (c):

In order to build a strong ecosystem for nurturing innovation,  startups and encouraging private investments in the startup ecosystem of the country, the  Government  launched  the  Startup  India  initiative  on  16th  January 2016.

In order to meet these objectives, the Government unveiled an Action Plan for Startups comprising of schemes and incentives envisaged to create a vibrant              startup ecosystem in the country. The Action Plan comprises of 19 action items spanning across areas such as 'Simplification and handholding', 'Funding support and incentives' and 'Industry-academia partnership and incubation'.

For attaining specific targets, various programs are implemented by the Government under the Startup India initiative to recognize, develop, and empower startups so that they are able to raise private investments.

Sustained Government efforts in this direction have resulted in increasing the    number of recognised startups from 428 in 2016 to 98,119 in 2023 (as on  30th  April            2023).  The  data  relating  to  number  of  startups  that  have turned unicorns is not centrally maintained by the Government.

*********