opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 4073 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Disbursement of Loans by Nationalised Banks
Ministry: RURAL DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Thiru Thanga Tamilselvan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## DEPARTMENT OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4073 ANSWERED ON 17/03/2026

## DISBURSEMENT OF LOANS BY NATIONALISED BANKS

## 4073. Thiru Thanga Tamilselvan:

Will the Minister of RURAL DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  loans  disbursed  by  Nationalised  Banks  to Women  Self  Help Groups (SHGs) since inception of the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission to the State of Tamil Nadu;
- (b) the criteria and terms and conditions be adopted for disbursement of loan to Women Self Help Groups;
- (c) the  total  number  of  such  Women  Self  Help  Groups  who  have obtained loans from Banks under this scheme during the last five years;
- (d) whether the  Ministry  has  any  proposal  to  revive/increase  the loan amount to SHGs, if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)
- if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. CHANDRA SEKHAR PEMMASANI)

- (a): The details of loans disbursed by Nationalised Banks to women Self  Help  Groups  (SHGs)  since  the  inception  of  the  Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission(DAY-NRLM) till January 2026, to the State of Tamil Nadu are ₹ 65,934.77 crores.
- (b): Loans  to  women  Self  Help  Groups  under  DAY-NRLM  are disbursed by the Banks as per the guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from time to time, which are enumerated below:

Eligibility Criteria for SHGs to avail loans:

- (i) SHGs should be in active existence for at least 6 months as per their books of accounts (and not from the date of opening of S/B account).

- (ii)  SHGs  should  be  practising  'Panchasutras',  i.e.,  regular meetings, regular savings, regular inter-loaning, timely repayment, and up-to-date books of accounts.
- (iii) SHGs should qualify as per the grading norms fixed by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development  (NABARD).  As  and  when  the  federations  of  the SHGs come into existence, the grading exercise may be done by the federations to support the banks.
- (iv)  The  existing  defunct  SHGs  are  also  eligible  for  credit  if these  are  revived  and  continue  to  be  active  for  a  minimum period of three months.
- (c): A  total  number  of  255.01  lakhs  women  SHGs  have  obtained loans from Banks under DAY-NRLM during the last five years, i.e. from Financial Year (FY) 2020-21 to 2024-25.
- (d) & (e): No.  The average loan availed by women SHGs nationally stands at Rs. 3.55 lakh, which is significantly below the permissible ceiling of Rs. 20 lakh; thus, the question does not arise.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 4067 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: MSME Items on GEM Portal
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Varun Chaudhry

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.  4067 ANSWERED ON 17/03/2026

## MSME ITEMS ON GEM PORTAL

4067.  SHRI VARUN CHAUDHRY:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री ) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that there are items reserved to be purchased directly from Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) on GEM Portal, if so, the details of the list of items;
- (b) whether the items which are required to be purchased directly from MSME are required to be uploaded in Q2 quadrant in GEM Portal; and
- (c) the reasons for not listing the items to be purchased directly from MSME in Q2 quadrant and the time frame by which these items will be listed in Q2 quadrant from Q3 and Q4 on GEM Portal?

## ANSWER

वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्यमंत्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (c) The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises has notified a list of 358 items reserved for exclusive purchase from Micro and Small Enterprises which can be seen at https://www.dcmsme.gov.in/schemes/listof358itemsreserved.pdf. On GeM portal, a functionality  has been  provided  wherein at the  time  of  bid  creation, buyers can reserve the bid for procurement from MSEs. In case of direct purchase from Marketplace, buyers are also provided with the marketplace filters to identify the products offered by MSEs. On GeM portal, the items are placed into various quadrants of Catalogue Management System based on criticality of product, need of Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Control, varied nature of warranty requirements and landscape of distribution network. Irrespective of the quadrant, buyers can reserve the items  mentioned  at https://www.dcmsme.gov.in/schemes/listof358itemsreserved.pdf for exclusive procurement from MSEs.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 4063 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Ministry of Textiles
Ministry: TEXTILES
Asked by: Shri K E Prakash

## 4063. SHRI K E PRAKASH:

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

- (a)  whether the Ministry has convened the first Coordination Committee Meeting of Textile Research Associations (TRAs) on 20th December 2025 and the key interventions and decisions taken therein to strengthen textile research, innovation and industry linkages, if so, the details thereof; and
- (b)  the  details  of  action plan  drawn up from the said meeting to support textile clusters across States, including measures relating to technology upgradation, sustainability, quality testing and industry-driven research?

## उत्तर

ANSWER

## वस्त्र मंत्री ( श्री गिरििाज ग िंह )

## MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SHRI GIRIRAJ SINGH)

- (a)  & (b): Yes.  The first  meeting Coordination  Committee of Textiles Research Associations (TRAs) was held on 20th December 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The brief of decision taken and action plan to strengthen textile research drawn from the meeting is as under:
- i. Adoption  of  collaborative  working  model  and  ensuring  that  research  outcomes  are  effectively transferred to industry for practical application.
- ii. Build  synergy  across  projects  and  align  their  research  with  global  standards  and  understand India's position in the international textile Research & Development (R&D) landscape.
- iii. Integrate initiatives with the Prime Minister's 5F vision (Farm to Fibre to Factory to Fashion to Foreign) and may use the fund under Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) schemes to support R&D activities.
- iv. Ensure  R&D  availability  and  collaboration  within  all  Prime  Minister  Mega  Integrated  Textile Region and Apparel (PM MITRA) parks and to work collectively towards achieving the vision of Viksit Bharat.
- v. TRAs to increase industry partnerships and ensure research translates into measurable gains and development of Key Performance Indicator based monitoring and evaluation system of TRAs for effective outcomes.

****

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4063 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17.03.2026

## MINISTRY OF TEXTILES
Lok Sabha Question No. 4058 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: PLI Beneficiaries in Bihar
Ministry: HEAVY INDUSTRIES
Asked by: Shri Abhay Kumar Sinha

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4058

ANSWERED ON 17.03.2026

## PLI BENEFICIARIES IN BIHAR

## 4058.  SHRI ABHAY KUMAR SINHA:

## Will the Minister of HEAVY INDUSTRIES be pleased to state:

- (a) the details and number of PLI scheme beneficiaries under automobile, auto-component, white goods or other heavy industry sectors in the State of Bihar during the last three years, year- wise and district-wise;
- (b) whether any company has set up or proposed a manufacturing unit in Aurangabad under any PLI scheme, if so, the details thereof;

(c) the details regarding the employment generated through industry PLI projects in Bihar till date;

- (d) the details of the steps taken to attract large-scale heavy investment to Bihar; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR HEAVY INDUSTRIES (SHRI BHUPATHIRAJU SRINIVASA VARMA)

- (a) to (c): There is no manufacturing unit/beneficiaries located in the state of Bihar (including Aurangabad) with respect to Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry, PLI Scheme on National Programme on Advanced Chemistry Cell (ACC) Battery Storage and PLI for white goods.
- (d) & (e): The following schemes are being implemented by Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) to promote large-scale investment across the country (including Bihar):
- (i)  PLI-Auto  Scheme  was  approved  on  23.09.2021  for  enhancing  India's  manufacturing capabilities for Advanced Automotive Technology (AAT) products with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 25,938 crore.  The scheme proposes financial incentives to boost domestic manufacturing of AAT products  including  EVs  with  minimum  50%  Domestic  Value  Addition  (DVA)  and  attract investments in the automotive manufacturing value chain.
- (ii)  PLI  on  National  Programme  on  Advanced  Chemistry  Cell  (ACC)  Battery  Storage  was approved on 12.05.2021 with a budgetary outlay of Rs.18,100 crore.  The scheme aims to establish a competitive domestic manufacturing ecosystem for 50 GWh of ACC batteries.
- (iii) Scheme for Promotion of Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) was notified on 15.03.2024 to promote the manufacturing of electric cars in India.
- (iv) Scheme on Enhancement of Competitiveness in The Indian Capital Goods Sector- Phase-II: In order to encourage the technology development  and  to augment  the manufacturing infrastructure in the Capital Goods Sector, this demand driven scheme is being implemented on pan India basis.

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Lok Sabha Question No. 4053 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Usage of Domestic Steel in Infrastructure Projects
Ministry: STEEL
Asked by: Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF STEEL

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4053

FOR ANSWER ON 17.03.2026

## USAGE OF DOMESTIC STEEL IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS

4053.  SHRI JASWANTSINH SUMANBHAI BHABHOR:

Will the Minister of STEEL be pleased to state: (a) the details of the monitoring mechanism in place to ensure the usage of domestic steel in infrastructure projects in Gujarat; (b)  whether  the  local  industries  have  gained  a  competitive  advantage  as  a  result thereof; and

(c) the role of this policy in strengthening the 'Make in India' initiative?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE          (SHRI BHUPATHIRAJU SRINIVASA VARMA) MINISTRY OF STEEL

(a)to(c):      Steel is a de-regulated sector and the Government acts as a facilitator by creating a conducive policy environment for the development of the steel sector in India,  including  Gujarat. Decisions  on  investment,  procurement,  etc.  are  based  on techno-commercial analysis of companies. Finished steel consumption has grown at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 12.52% during the last four years, with 152.13 million tonnes (MT) of Finished steel consumption in Financial Year 2024-25, driven  by  strong  domestic  demand  in  India.  Government  has  implemented  the Domestically Manufactured Iron & Steel Products (DMI&SP) Policy to ensure usage of domestic steel in the projects funded by the Government and its entities.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4036 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Functioning of Farmer Producer Organisations
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Balashowry Vallabhaneni

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4036

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17 TH  MARCH, 2026

## FUNCTIONING OF FARMER PRODUCER ORGANISATIONS

4036. SHRI BALASHOWRY VALLABHANENI:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state:

- (a) the performance of Farmer Producer Organisations in the State of Andhra Pradesh since its inception;
- (b) the details of commodities promoted through FPOs of Andhra Pradesh;
- (c) the details of reasons that in spite of having 720 FPOs in AP, only 227 have been able to avail equity grant;
- (d) the manner in which the equity grant 227 FPOs availed till October, 2025; and
- (e) the efforts being made by the Government to encourage more and more FPOs to avail equity grant?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

- (a): Under the Central Sector Scheme for Formation  and Promotion of  10,000  Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), 716 FPOs have been formed and registered in the State of Andhra Pradesh. As on 12 th  March, 2026, these FPOs collectively have a shareholder base of  6,32,891 farmers, indicating substantial participation of farmers in the FPO ecosystem. Further, 387 FPOs possess fertilizer licences, 201 FPOs hold seed licences, and 198 FPOs have pesticide licences, enabling them to supply agricultural inputs to their member farmers. 356  FPOs  have  been  onboarded  on  the  Open  Network  for  Digital  Commerce  (ONDC) platform to facilitate digital market linkages. The FPOs in the State have collectively achieved a total turnover of ₹3,543.73 crore.
- (b): Major agricultural commodities promoted by FPOs in Andhra Pradesh formed under 10,000 FPO Scheme are Paddy, Groundnut, Cotton, Sugarcane, Maize, Red Gram (Tur), Turmeric, Sesame, Spices, Tomato, Millets, Jaggery, Mango, Banana and Coconut.
- (c): Out of the total 716 FPOs formed in Andhra Pradesh under the scheme, 327 FPOs have  availed  equity  grant.  The  remaining  FPOs  are  at  various  stages  of  shareholder mobilization, share capital collection, documentation and online submission of application, as required under the scheme.
- (d): Equity Grant is availed by the FPO in order to (i) enhance viability and sustainability of FPOs; (ii) increase credit worthiness of FPOs; and (iii) enhance shareholding of members to increase their ownership and participation.
- (e): The Government is encouraging FPOs to avail equity grant in order to strengthen their financial base through awareness programmes, shareholder mobilization, capacity building, continuous monitoring, handholding and facilitation by all Implementing Agencies (IAs) and Cluster- Based Business Organizations (CBBOs).

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4032 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Foreign Trade Policy, 2023
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri Baijayant Panda

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4032 ANSWERED ON 17/03/2026

## FOREIGN TRADE POLICY, 2023

## 4032.  SHRI BAIJAYANT PANDA:

Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY ( वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मं त्री ) be please to state:

- (a) the  value  of  exports  from  India  since  the  launch  of  the  Foreign  Trade  Policy  2023, year-wise;
- (b) the export performance of Towns of Export Excellence notified under the Policy, yearwise;
- (c) the major sectors represented by the Towns of Export Excellence, and
- (d) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  notify  additional  Towns  of  Export  Excellence under the Foreign Trade Policy, 2023, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मं त्रालय में राज्य मं त्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद )

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

(a) to (d) The year wise value of exports from India since the launch of Foreign Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 are as below:

|                         | FY 2023-24 (US$ Billion)   |   FY 2024-25 (US$ Billion) |       |
|-------------------------|----------------------------|----------------------------|-------|
| Merchandise Exports (A) |                            |                      437.1 | 437.4 |
| Services Exports (B)    |                            |                      341.1 | 387.5 |
| Total Exports (A+B)     |                            |                      778.2 | 824.9 |

While the Department of Commerce does not maintain the data on the export performance of Towns of  Export  Excellence  (TEE)  the  recognition  as  TEE  is  granted  to  eligible  industrial clusters with a view to maximize their potential and enable them to move up the value chain and also to tap new markets. The Towns of Export Excellence are notified based on their potential  for  export  growth  if  they  produce  goods  of  Rs.  750  Crore  or  more.  For  specific sectors including Handloom, Handicraft, Agriculture, and Fisheries, a lower threshold of Rs. 150  Crore  is  applied  for  recognition.  The  Government  notifies  the  Towns  of  Export Excellence based on proposals received.

The complete list of  these notified  towns  is  maintained  in  Appendix  1B  of  the  Appendices

under Handbook of Procedures, 2023. It can be accessed on DGFT  website at www.dgft.gov.in.

The major sectors represented by Towns of Export Excellence (TEE) include:

- Textiles & Clothing (including Handlooms, Carpets, Apparel)
- Handicrafts
- Marine/Seafood Products
- Leather & Footwear
- Agriculture & Agri -processing/Coir/Bamboo
- Pharmaceuticals
- G ems & Jewellery
- Ceramics & Sanitaryware
- Niche Industrial clusters.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4027 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Revision in PCA  Act, 1960
Ministry: FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING
Asked by: Ms Sayani Ghosh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4027 TO BE ANSWERED ON 17 th  MARCH, 2026

## REVISION IN PCA ACT, 1960

## 4027. MS SAYANI GHOSH:

Will the Minister of FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING मत्स्यपालन , पशुपालन और डेयरी मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of revisions made by the Government to penalties under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 since its enactment;
- (b) whether the Government has undertaken any study or impact assessment to evaluate the deterrent effectiveness of existing penalties, and the key findings thereof;
- (c) the number of animal cruelty cases reported under the PCA Act since 2014, year-wise;
- (d) whether the data indicate rise in cases despite the current legal framework, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether any proposals or draft amendments have been prepared by the Government to revise or strengthen penalties under the Act, and the number of such drafts, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor including the present status of these proposals for legislation; and
- (f)  whether  the  Government  acknowledges that  long  unchanged  and  nominal  penalties may  have  eroded the deterrent value of the law and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE HON'BLE MINISTER OF FISHERIES, ANIMAL HUSBANDRY AND DAIRYING (SHRI RAJIV RANJAN SINGH ALIAS LALAN SINGH)

- (a) The Government of India has not carried out revision of penalties under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 since its enactment.
- (b)  The  Government  of  India  has  not  conducted  any  study  or  impact  assessment  to  evaluate  the  deterrent effectiveness of existing penalties.
- (c) & (d) The details of the cruelty complaints reported by citizen and organization to the Office of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) since 2014 -2015 to 2025-2026 are as under:-

|   Sl. No | Year      |   Number of Complaints Received |
|----------|-----------|---------------------------------|
|        1 | 2014-2015 |                             155 |
|        2 | 2015-2016 |                             228 |
|        3 | 2016-2017 |                             256 |
|        4 | 2017-2018 |                             144 |
|        5 | 2018-2019 |                             172 |
|        6 | 2019-2020 |                             300 |
|        7 | 2020-2021 |                             383 |
|        8 | 2021-2022 |                             820 |
|        9 | 2022-2023 |                            1132 |
|       10 | 2023-2024 |                            1220 |
|       11 | 2024-2025 |                            1015 |
|       12 | 2025-2026 |                            1000 |

(e) & (f) Yes Sir. Draft Amendment of Prevention of Cruelty to Animal Bill has been prepared and circulated during 2022 for public comments.

****
Lok Sabha Question No. 4017 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Soil Health Management in Flood Affected Area
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Uttamrao Deshmukh, Dr. Bachhav Shobha Dinesh, Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4017

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 17 TH  MARCH, 2026

## SOIL HEALTH MANAGEMENT IN FLOOD AFFECTED AREA

4017.  DR. BACHHAV SHOBHA DINESH: SHRI SANJAY UTTAMRAO DESHMUKH: SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण मंũी be pleased to state? (a) whether soil health assessment, soil sampling and laboratory testing have been conducted in flood-affected areas of Maharashtra under the Soil Health Card/Soil Health Management programmes; (b) if so, the details of the number of samples collected, parameters tested, timelines for testing and major findings relating to fertility loss, topsoil erosion, sand/silt deposition and changes in productivity taluka-wise; (c)  whether  any  special  rehabilitation  package  has  been  proposed  or  approved  for  land restoration, removal of silt and repair of canals, field channels, wells and pumps; and (d) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ िष एवं िकसान कʞाण राǛ मंũी (SHRI BHAGIRATH CHOUDHARY)

(a) & (b):  As informed by State Government of Maharashtra, no special drive for soil health assessment, soil sampling & laboratory testing have been conducted in flood-affected areas under Soil health & Fertility Scheme. In routine implementation of the scheme 10,71,738 soil samples have been tested & soil health cards (SHCs) distributed. Of these 4,25,762 SHCs were generated from flood affected districts.

(c) & (d): State Government of Maharashtra has informed that 51,368 farmers suffered crop damage  covering  area  of  22382.50  hectare  of  agriculture  land  in  1,718  villages  due  to erosion/scrapping by flood in 2025-26.   In addition 49,745 farmers suffered crop damage in 8530.23 hectare of agriculture land due to accumulation of soil. Necessary further steps are being taken by the Maharashtra State Agriculture Department.

*****