opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 509 (STARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Illegal Opium Cultivation in Chhattisgarh
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Smt. Jyotsna Charandas Mahant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

## LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. *509

TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2026/CHAITRA 09, 1948 (SAKA)

## ILLEGAL OPIUM CULTIVATION IN CHHATTISGARH

## †*509. SMT. JYOTSNA CHARANDAS MAHANT:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  the  Narcotics  Control  Bureau  has  taken  cognizance  of the widespread illegal  opium cultivation discovered in Durg and Balrampur districts of Chhattisgarh in March 2026, if so, the reaction of the Government thereon;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that  the  Village  Sarpanch  of  Balrampur  had informed the local authorities about the said cultivation in January 2026 itself and if so, the reasons for the delay in taking action;
- (c)  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to  investigate  any  administrative  or  political complicity in  allowing  such  large-scale  illegal  cultivation  in  the  'Rice  Bowl'  of  the country; and
- (d)  the  concrete  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  prevent  the  use  of agricultural land in tribal and border districts for the cultivation of illegal narcotic plants?

## ANSWER

## THE FINANCE MINISTER

## (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

- (a) to (d): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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Statement referred in reply to parts (a) to (d) of Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 509 to be answered on 30.03.2026 regarding Illegal Opium  Cultivation in Chhattisgarh by Smt. Jyotsna Charandas Mahant:

(a)  to  (c): On  07.03.2026,  Police  Station  Pulgaon  (Durg),  the  State  Police  and  the Narcotics  Control  Bureau  (NCB)  destroyed  illegally  cultivated  opium  poppy  plants  in Durg  district,  Chhattisgarh.  Similar  actions  were  carried  out  in  two  separate  cases  on 11.03.2026 and on 12.03.2026, by Police Station Kusmi and by Police Station Korandha, Balrampur district, Chhattisgarh, respectively in coordination with other concerned state departments. Separate FIRs have been registered in all these cases.

(d): The  Narcotic  Drugs  and  Psychotropic  Substances  (NDPS)  Act  includes  statutory provisions aimed at preventing the illegal cultivation of narcotic crops and ensures the accountability  of  landholders.  Further,  the  NDPS  Act  mandates  that  every  government officer, as well as every panch, sarpanch, and other village official, must promptly report any  such  activities  upon  gaining  knowledge  of  them.  As  per  the  National  Policy  on Narcotic  Drugs  and  Psychotropic  Substances,  2012,  the  Central  Economic  Intelligence Bureau (CEIB) conducts satellite surveys of illicit opium poppy cultivation and shares the imagery  and  intelligence  inputs  with  the  NCB  and  CBN,  which  then  coordinate destruction operations with State authorities.
Lok Sabha Question No. 5972 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Growing Fiscal Deficit of State Governments
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Dr. K Sudhakar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF EXPENDITURE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5972 TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, 30 th  March, 2026 09 CHAITRA, 1948 (SAKA)

## GROWING FISCAL DEFICIT OF STATE GOVERNMENTS

## 5972. DR. K SUDHAKAR:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

(a) the details of the manner in which the Union Government plan to address the growing fiscal deficits of various State Governments including that of Karnataka;

(b) whether the Union Government has taken note of the fact that the total liabilities of the State Government of Karnataka are projected to reach a staggering Rs. 8.24 lakh crore by the end of 2026-27 and the manner in which this 'debt trap' is expected to impact the State's credit rating and future borrowing costs, if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether it is a fact that the debt repayment of the State Government of Karnataka has grown by around 33.4 per cent in the current year, significantly outpacing the growth of actual debt, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the specific measures being taken by the Union Government to ensure that borrowed funds by the State Government of Karnataka are not diverted to non-performing populist schemes?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

(a) to (d) All States including Karnataka have enacted their Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management  (FRBM)  Act  which  makes  the  State  Government  responsible  to  ensure prudence  in  fiscal  management  and  fiscal  stability  by  progressive  elimination  of  revenue deficit, reduction in fiscal deficit, prudent debt management consistent with fiscal sustainability and greater transparency in fiscal operations of the government. Compliance to the State FRBM Act is monitored by the respective State Legislatures.

As per the  State Budget of Karnataka for FY 2026-27, total outstanding liabilities of State Government of Karnataka at end of FY 2026-27 are estimated to be Rs. 8,24,389 crore. As per  details  provided  by  the  State  Government,  repayment  of  public  debt  in  FY  2025-26 (Budget Estimates) has grown by 5.95% as compared to FY 2024-25.

Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, usually considers the fiscal limits as per the accepted recommendations of the Finance Commission while granting consent for borrowings by States under Article 293(3) of the Constitution of India. Adjustments for the over-borrowing by States during previous year, if any, are made in the borrowing ceiling of subsequent  year.  To  prevent  circumvention  of  debt  limits  and  promote  transparency  in reporting fiscal deficit, from the financial year 2021-22 onwards, the off-budget borrowings (OBBs) raised by States through the States Owned Entities are also treated as borrowings of the  State  Governments  while  granting  consent  for  borrowing  under  Article  293(3)  of  the Constitution of India.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5966 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Recruitment through Employment Exchanges
Ministry: LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT
Asked by: Shri T R Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5966 TO BE ANSWERED ON 30 TH  MARCH, 2026

## RECRUITMENT THROUGH EMPLOYMENT EXCHANGES

5966.      SHRI T R BAALU:

Will the Minister of LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has any plan to reintroduce the earlier policy  of  making  it  mandatory  for  Government  Offices,  Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) etc. to make recruitment for Group C and D posts through local Employment exchanges to ensure that the locals stand to benefit in job opportunities; and
- (b) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR LABOUR AND EMPLOYMENT (SUSHRI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE)

(a)  to  (b):  'Employment'  being  a  subject  under  the  Concurrent  List,  the Employment  Service  in  India  is  the  Joint  concern  of  the  Central  and State  Government.  Directorate  General  of  Employment,  Ministry  of Labour and Employment is responsible for laying down policies, standards and procedures for coordination of the National Employment Service at all India level.

The Employment Exchanges function under the direct administrative and financial control of the respective State Government /UT Administration.

The  occurrence  and  filling  up  of  vacancies  in  Central  Government, State  Governments,  PSUs,  Public  Sector  Banks  and  other  Government aided institutions is a continuous process and efforts are made to fill up the vacancies as per the provisions of their respective recruitment rules.

Further, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India, is running  the  National  Career  Service  (NCS)  Portal  which  is  a  one-stop solution  for  providing  career  related  services  including  information  on jobs from private and government sectors, online & offline job fairs, job search &  matching, career counselling, vocational guidance, skill development  courses,  skill/training  programmes  etc.  through  a  digital platform [www.ncs.gov.in].

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5956 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Violations of the Provisions of the Companies Act
Ministry: CORPORATE AFFAIRS
Asked by: Shri Sachithanantham R

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CORPORATE AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5956 ANSWERED ON Monday, 30 TH  MARCH 2026 CHAITRA 09, 1948 (SAKA)

## VIOLATIONS OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE COMPANIES ACT

## 5956 SHRI SACHITHANANTHAM R. :

- (a) whether  the Government  has  received any complaints or representations alleging violations of the provisions of the Companies Act, corporate governance norms, or financial disclosure requirements against companies belonging to the Adani Group during the last five years; and
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof the action taken thereon?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  CORPORATE  AFFAIRS; MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ROAD TRANSPORT AND HIGHWAYS.

(SHRI HARSH MALHOTRA)

(a)&(b)  :  The  term  'Group  Company'  has  not  been  defined  in  the Companies Act, 2013. However, this Ministry has ordered an Inquiry against Adani Port and Special Economic Zone Limited which is under way. In addition to this, an inquiry against Adani Power Limited was conducted  and  based  on  the  findings,  Adjudication/  Compounding Orders for non-compliance were passed by the Jurisdictional Registrar of Companies/Regional Director and penalties/Compounding fee were imposed.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5953 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Merger of Banks
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Shri Dinesh Chandra Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5953

ANSWERED ON MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2026/ CHAITRA 09, 1948 (SAKA)

## Merger of Banks

† 5953 SHRI DINESH CHANDRA YADAV

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is contemplating the merger of banks;
- (b) if so, the details of banks currently proposed for merger;
- (c) whether the merger of banks is likely to benefit the general public or yield profits for the banks; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

- (a) to (d): Presently, there is no proposal under consideration of the Government on merger or consolidation of Public Sector Banks.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5947 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: IISER in Bihar
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Ramprit Mandal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5947

ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## IISER in Bihar

†5947. Shri Ramprit Mandal:

Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether it is a fact that there is no campus of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in the State of  Bihar  despite it being the third most populous State in the country, if so, the details thereof;

(b) whether it is also a fact that thousands of students have to  migrate  to other States in the absence of an IISER in the said State, if so, the details thereof; and

(c) whether  the  Government  proposes to  set  up an  IISER in  the  said  State  and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION

## (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (c): The Government is committed to strengthening and expanding existing institutions and aligning them with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which envisions multidisciplinary and holistic education across sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities. The policy emphasizes moving towards multidisciplinary academic institutions to enable high-quality interdisciplinary teaching and research across all fields.

Currently, under Ministry of Education, there are 7 Indian Institutes of Science Education and  Research  (IISERs),  23  Indian  Institutes  of  Technology  (IITs),  25  Indian  Institutes  of Information  Technology  (IIITs),  32  National  Institutes  of  Technology  (NITs),  44  Central Universities (CUs) and 21 Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) in the country. The admission to each of these institutions is through a national level exam, which is conducted in different cities spread  across  the  country.  Therefore,  students  from  any  part  of  the  country,  including  those belonging to Bihar, can take admissions to any of these institutions depending on their preference, ranking in the respective exam and the seat availability. Besides, NIT Patna has a domicile quota wherein 50% seats are reserved for the students from Bihar.

At present, Bihar has one Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Patna), one Indian Institute of  Information  Technology  (IIIT  Bhagalpur),  one  Indian  Institute  of  Management  (IIM  Bodh Gaya), one National Institute of Technology (NIT Patna) and two Central Universities (CU of Bihar, Mahatma Gandhi Central University). It is noteworthy that in the Budget Speech 2025-26, a  proposal  for  expansion  of  hostel  and  other  infrastructure  capacity  at  IIT  Patna  was  also announced. Accordingly, Rs.644.54 crores have been approved by the Government under Higher Education Financing Agency (HEFA) loan to IIT Patna.
Lok Sabha Question No. 5944 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Awareness of RTE Act, 2009
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Shri Anand Bhadauria

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5944 ANSWERED ON 30/03/2026

## Awareness of RTE Act, 2009

5944. Shri Anand Bhadauria:

- Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state: (a) whether education finds mention in Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution; (b) if  so,  whether the Government is aware that Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 is fully applicable on Government, aided and non-aided private schools run/recognized by the State Governments; (c) if so, whether the Government would bring legislation on line of RTE Act, 2009 to implement Article  15(5)  of  the  Indian  Constitution  to  provide  reservation  to  SC,  ST,  OBC  and  EWS categories in private higher education institutions; (d) if so, the details thereof; and (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (SHRI JAYANT CHAUDHARY)

(a) and (b): Education is in the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution. The RTE Act, 2009 is applicable throughout the country.

(c)  to  (e):    For  implementation  of  reservation  in  the  Central  Higher  Educational  Institutions (HEIs), the Central Government has notified the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006 for reservation in admission of the students belonging to the Scheduled Castes(SCs), the Scheduled Tribes(STs), and the Other Backward Classes(OBCs). Further, in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019, on 17 th  January 2019, the Department of Higher Education has issued instructions to provide  reservation  for  Economically  Weaker  Sections  (EWSs)  for  admission  in  Central Education Institutions.

As Education is in the Concurrent List of the Indian Constitution, State (Public/Private) Universities  are  established  under Acts  passed  by  the  relevant  State  legislatures  and  are governed  as  per  the Acts,  Statutes,  Ordinances,  Rules,  and  Regulations  approved  by  the respective State Governments. It is thus also the responsibility of the State Governments to make suitable legislative provisions for providing reservation in the HEIs established by them. Some States have enacted Acts for providing reservation in admissions in the State Private Universities e.g. Maharashtra Private Universities (Establishment and Regulation) Act, 2023; Karnataka Act  No.  15  of  2023;  the  Uttar  Pradesh  Private  Universities Act,  2019;  the  Bihar Private  Universities Act,  2013;  the Apex  Professional  University  (Amendment) Act,  2022  of Arunachal Pradesh.

Further,  as  per  the  All  India  Survey  on  Higher  Education  (AISHE)  the  percentage enrolment from 2014-15 to 2022-23 (provisional) has increased by 30.6%; with 50.1% for SCs, 75% for STs and 54.6% for OBCs.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 5942 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Budgetary Allocation for Education and Health
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Shri Sasikanth Senthil

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE

## DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5942

TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, THE 30 TH  MARCH, 2026 CHAITRA 09, 1948 (SAKA)

## BUDGETARY ALLOCATION FOR EDUCATION AND HEALTH

## 5942. SHRI SASIKANTH SENTHIL

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has reduced the effective allocation for education and health, as a percentage of total expenditure in the recent Union Budget, if so, the reasons therefor;
- (b) the  percentage  of  Gross  Domestic  Product  (GDP)  allocated  to  education  and health for the FY 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26;
- (c) whether fiscal consolidation targets have constrained welfare spending, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the manner in which the Government intend to balance fiscal deficit reduction with employment and human capital development?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

- (a) : Allocation for Health (including Ayush) and Education as a percentage of total expenditure in the recent Union Budget has increased to 4.7 % (₹2.50 lakh crore) in BE 202627 from 4.5% (₹2.22 lakh crore) in RE 2025 -26.
- (b) : Total expenditure on Health and Education as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for the FY 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 is as under:
- (c) & (d): Government's approach for reducing fiscal deficit focuses on maintaining potential growth trends while meeting the developmental needs of our growing economy. The strategy aims at revenue augmentation, better targeting of welfare expenditure, enhancing growth-inducing capital expenditure etc; for employment and human capital development.

| FY           |   Amount (₹ lakh crore) |   %of GDP |
|--------------|-------------------------|-----------|
| 2025-26 (RE) |                    2.22 |      0.64 |
| 2024-25      |                    2.05 |      0.64 |
| 2023-24      |                    2.09 |      0.72 |

Note : GDP is as per new series with base year 2022-23
Lok Sabha Question No. 5939 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-30
Subject: Monitoring Reforms under SDS
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: Shri Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5939 ANSWERED ON 30.03.2026

## MONITORING REFORMS UNDER SDS

## 5939. SHRI LAVU SRI KRISHNA DEVARAYALU:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to implement a three-tier monitoring mechanism under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme (SDS) and if so, the
- details thereof;
- (b) whether such mechanism is likely to include Central oversight, Statelevel coordination committees and destination-specific implementation teams with digital tracking;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  established  or  proposes  to  establish  a dedicated Project Management Unit for pre-feasibility assessment and project viability checks before fund disbursement; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  adopted  or  proposes  to  adopt  Public -Private Partnership (PPP) models for development and management of tourism circuits under the SDS and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

THE MINISTER OF TOURISM

(a) to (d): Guidelines for Swadesh Darshan 2.0, include National Institutional Framework comprising of Central Sanctioning and Monitoring Committee  (CSMC),  Mission  Directorate  (MD)  etc., State Institutional Framework and Destination Management Committees to be set up by State Governments/UTAs. The Ministry has also developed a Program Management Information System (PMIS) for its destination development related schemes as a unified digital platform to facilitate seamless information communication,  sharing  and  reporting  system  in  respect  of  the  projects undertaken as part of its various schemes. Ministry of Tourism and SGs/UTAs including project implementing agencies are integral part of this system.

Ministry of Tourism has appointed a National Programme Management Unit (NPMU) at central level and also provides financial support to the State Governments/UT Administrations as consultancy support for preparation of detailed project reports (DPR), bid process management, project implementation, monitoring etc. In addition, a Model Template for DPR has also been released which includes sections on project concept & rational, detailed assessment, layout plans, sustainability assessment and interventions, development obligations, O&M service levels etc.

Ministry of Tourism regularly encourages the SGs/UTAs to undertake robust  Operation  and  Management  of  assets  created  under  Swadesh Darshan scheme and also to explore the possibility  of engaging partners under  Public  Private  Partnership  model  for  sustained  O&M.  As  part  of Swadesh  Darshan  2.0  (SD2.0) scheme,  the  Ministry of  Tourism  has introduced the concept of Tourism Experience Development and Management Agency (TEDMA) for strong operation and management (O&M). In addition, the Ministry regularly monitors progress of its ongoing projects through review meetings with SGs/UTAs, which are held at various levels from time to time.

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