opensansad/lok-sabha-qa huggingface dataset:
Lok Sabha Question No. 1780 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Lack of Super Fast Trains from Thawe to Delhi
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Dr. Alok Kumar Suman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1780 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## LACK OF SUPER FAST TRAINS FROM THAWE TO DELHI

1780. DR. ALOK KUMAR SUMAN:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  some  officials  of  Ministry  of  Railway  in connivance with private bus operators are hurdling to run super fast trains as more than 150 buses are running/passing through district Gopalganj of Bihar due to  non-availability  of  super  fast  trains  from  Thawe  Junction to New Delhi Junction and if so, the details thereof;
- (b)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  public  representatives  of  the  districts  have found  it  very  difficult  and  have  to  travel  another  districts  to  catch  the super fast train for New Delhi destination and if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) whether it is a fact that despite the repeated reminders by stakeholders,  the  Railway  has  not  taken  any  decision  to  run  super  fast train from Thawe junction to New Delhi and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

(a) to (c) Thawe is presently served by 34 regular train services including

…..Contd/2

- 12  Mail/Express  services  of  which  the  following  services  provided during 2025-26 facilitate the passengers of Thawe: 1. 15133/15134 Chhapra-Anand Vihar (T) Amrit Bharat Express (Biweekly) with commercial stoppage at Thawe w.e.f. 20.10.2025. 2. 19045/19046  Surat-Chhapra  Tapti  Ganga  Express  upto  Thawe
- w.e.f 29.09.2025.

Introduction of a new train viz. 15135/36 Chhapra-Amritsar Express(w.e.f  12.12.2025)  with  commercial  stoppage  at  Thawe  has also been notified. Presently, Thawe is connected to major destinations like Delhi, Patna, Gorakhpur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Amritsar, etc. Besides, introduction of train services on any route/section depends on various factors which include: · Capacity of that section · Availability of path · Availability of required rolling stock · Availability of matching infrastructure for rolling stock · Maintenance requirement of railway tracks and other assets *****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1774 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Increase in  the MSP of Sugar
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane, Shri Sudheer Gupta, Shri Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao

## MINISTRY OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1774

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 10TH DECEMBER, 2025

## INCREASE IN THE MSP OF SUGAR

1774.  SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA: SHRI CHAVAN RAVINDRA VASANTRAO : SHRI DHAIRYASHEEL SAMBHAJIRAO MANE:

Will  the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to  state:

- (a) whether the Government has received any request from sugar industry for an increase in the Minimum  Selling Price (MSP) of sugar, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the  Government is  considering to  revise the  existing  MSP  in  view  of  rising production costs, cane dues and market conditions and if  so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the  Government has conducted any  assessment on  the  financial  impact  of  a possible MSP revision on sugar mills,  farmers and consumers;
- (d) if  so, the details thereof and the outcome of the said assessment;
- (e) the time by which  a decision is likely  to be taken on revising the sugar MSP; and
- (f) whether  the  Union . Government  has  held  any  deliberation/consultation  with State Governments, sugar mills  or farmer associations in this regard and if  so, the details thereof and the outcome thereto?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR MINISTRY  OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS. FOOD & PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

(SHRIMATI NIMUBEN JAYANTIBHAI  BAMBHANIYA)

- (a): Yes.  Various  representations  /suggestions  have  been  received  from Sugar  Industry Associations for increasing the Minimum  Selling Price (MSP) of Sugar.
- (b) : Government is consistently monitoring ex-mill  prices of the sugar. Appropriate measures shall be taken to safeguard  the interest of sugarcane farmers as well  as sugar industry as and when deemed appropriate.
- (c) & (d): No.
- (e): Same as answered in part (b) above
- (f) : No.

88###
Lok Sabha Question No. 1772 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Change in ISI Act 1959
Ministry: STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION
Asked by: Prof. Sougata Ray

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF STATISICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1772

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## CHANGE IN ISI ACT 1959

## 1772.   PROF. SOUGATA RAY:

Will the Minister of STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has proposed a draft bill to change the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) Act, 1959;
- (b)
- if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the ISI Society has called for withdrawal of draft bill and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether  there  has  been  protest  against  the  draft  bill  from employees/Professors of ISI Kolkata as well as academic circle and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)
- the Government's final decision in this regard?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS  AND  PROGREMME  IMPLEMENTATION,  MINISTER  OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND  MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  CULTURE  [RAO

INDERJIT SINGH]

- (a)  and  (b)        Ministry  of  Statistics  &  Programme  Implementation, Government  of  India,  has  prepared  a  draft  'The  Indian  Statistical Institute Bill, 2025' to introduce a comprehensive new legislation, for upscaling the existing legislation viz. the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)  Act,  1959, to the level of governing legislations of other peer Institutions of National Importance (INIs) such as IITs/IIMs with the objective  of  overhaul  and  modernization  of  the  Indian  Statistical Institute's  gover nance  framework  by  enhancing  its  autonomy  and accountability.  The  pre-legislative  consultation  was  done  and  the public comments and suggestions so received have been examined in the Ministry. Further revisions in the draft Bill have been made and

copy of t he revised draft 'The Indian Statistical Institute Bill, 2025' has  been  placed  on  Ministry's  website  for  further  pre -legislative consultation till 15 December 2025. (c) No such formal proposal has been received in the Ministry. (d) A number of suggestions/comments have been received from faculty, students, other stakeholders, regarding the draft Bill. Formal consultations have been held with representative faculty of various Divisions of ISI, Director, ISI and Heads of Centres and draft bill has been revised appropriately. (e) Revisions  in  the  draft  Bill  have  been  made  and  copy  of  the revised  draft  'The  Indian  Statistical  Institute  Bill,  2025'  has  been placed on Ministry's website for further pre -legislative consultation till 15 December 2025.

********
Lok Sabha Question No. 1765 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: DPDP Board of India
Ministry: ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: Smt. Bag Mitali

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1765

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 10.12.2025

## DPDP BOARD OF INDIA

## 1765.  SMT. BAG MITALI:

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

- (a) the number of grievances received by Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Board of India, Year-wise;
- (b) the total number of officers, staff and members in DPDP Board of India;
- (c) the number of entities DPDP board of India has penalised since inception, year and amount-wise; and
- (d) the details of Budget allocated to the DPDP Board of India from the year 2023, year-wise?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (d): The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 ('Act') provides for the processing of digital personal data in a manner that recognises both the rights of the individual to protect their personal data and need to process such personal data for lawful purposes.

The Act empowers the individuals with the rights to access, correct, and erase her digital personal data. It also provides the citizen right to grievance redressal by empowering them to address matters related to her personal data processed by a Data Fiduciary.

The  Act  and  the  Digital  Personal  Data  Protection  Rules,  2025  ('Rules')  have  been  notified  on  13 November, 2025. As notified, the DPB will comprise a Chairperson and four other Members.

Under the Act, a grievance submitted by an individual may be taken up for inquiry by the DPB. Upon establishing a violation of the Act, the DPB is empowered to impose penalties on the concerned Data Fiduciary.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1764 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Production-Linked-Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Telecom and Networking Products
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Ms Sayani Ghosh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1764 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## PRODUCTION-LINKED-INCENTIVE (PLI) SCHEME FOR TELECOM AND NETWORKING PRODUCTS

## 1764. MS SAYANI GHOSH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that top networking products contain domestic content only around 5%, despite huge subsidies under the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Telecom and Networking Products and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is a fact that most of the approved firms continue to source key components, chips and modules from China and other foreign countries and if so, the reasons behind the lack of local component manufacturing;
- (c) the details of the total number of beneficiary firms under the PLI scheme, total amount of incentive claimed  and  disbursed  since  inception  and  the  percentage  of  firms  that  have  failed  to  meet  their  annual production targets;
- (d) whether the Government acknowledges that such low indigenous manufacturing weakens India's supply chain resilience and strategic autonomy in telecom infrastructure and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether  there  is  any  plan  to  revise  the  PLI  framework  to  incentivise  semiconductor  and  core component manufacturing within the country and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) & (b) The  Production  Linked  Incentive  Scheme  for  Telecom  and  Networking  products  was launched in 2021 to boost domestic manufacturing of telecom products in India. The average domestic value addition across  various  products  manufactured  under the scheme as reported by companies is about 27.8 percent. Companies procure components based on multiple considerations such as domestic availability, cost competitiveness, quality, and reliability of supply.

- (c) Total 42 companies have been given approval under the scheme. As on 31.10.2025 total 23 companies have claimed incentive of Rs. 1977.75 Cr out of which Rs. 1850.47 Cr have been disbursed. Forty-five percent of the approved companies (19 out of 42 companies) have failed to meet their annual production targets for the year 2024-25.

(d) & (e) The PLI scheme for Telecom and Networking Products was launched to strengthen domestic manufacturing. In addition, other initiatives such as the India Semiconductor Mission and the  Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme support the manufacturing of components, semiconductors, and modules. The current PLI scheme is valid until 31.03.2027, and there is presently no proposal to revise the framework to incentivize semiconductor or core component manufacturing under this scheme.

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1761 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Stoppages of Cholan Express and Ernakulam-Karaikal Express
Ministry: RAILWAYS
Asked by: Shri Durai Vaiko

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1761 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

STOPPAGES OF CHOLAN EXPRESS AND ERNAKULAM-KARAIKAL EXPRESS 1761. SHRI DURAI VAIKO:

Will the Minister of RAILWAYS be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  considers  providing  stoppages  for  select express trains, including the Cholan Express and Ernakulam-Karaikal Express  (Train  Nos.  16187/16188)  at  Thiruverumbur  Railway  Station  to facilitate  workers,  students  and  the  travelling  public  and  if  so,  the  details
- thereof; and
- (b)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  take  early  action  to  approve  at least a few express train stoppages at Thiruverumbur in view of the strong public demand,  industrial workforce movement  and  overall  commuter convenience and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(SHRI ASHWINI VAISHNAW)

- (a)  and  (b)  Tiruverumbur  station,  located  at  a  distance  of  10  Km  from Tiruchchirappalli, is  presently  being  served  by  6  Mail/Express  and  17 Passenger train services. These services are providing connectivity inter alia to cities like Tiruchchirappalli, Karaikal, etc.

Further, Tiruchchirappalli is served by 120 Mail/Express and 35 Passenger train services.

Besides, provision of stoppages of train services which depend on the traffic justification, operational feasibility including availability of extra time on  the  section  &  availability  of  matching  infrastructure  such  as  Platform length etc., is an on-going process

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1759 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: BharatNet Initiative for Tribal Areas Connectivity
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1759 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## BHARATNET INITIATIVE FOR TRIBAL AREAS CONNECTIVITY

## 1759.   DR. GUMMA THANUJA RANI:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

(a) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to improve telecom connectivity in tribal areas under the BharatNet;

(b) whether work has been initiated in areas such as the Paderu division, Visakhapatnam district and rural areas of Prakasam and Guntur districts in Andhra Pradesh under the project and if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the  details  on  targeted  approaches  to  increase  internet  and  technological  literacy  and affordability of personal electronic devices and internet packages alongside internet penetration?

## ANSWER

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

(a) BharatNet is being implemented in a phased manner to provide broadband connectivity to all Gram Panchayats (GPs). The total number of GPs undertaken under BharatNet Phase-I and Phase-II are 2,22,341 GPs, out of which 2,14,904 are Service Ready. Further, Government has approved the Amended BharatNet Program (ABP) on 04.08.2023 through which Optical Fiber Connectivity is to be provided to all ~2.64 lakh GPs and ~3.8 lakh non-GP villages on demand basis which includes tribal  areas.  Under  ABP,  there  is  also  a  provision  for  providing  1.5  crore  rural  home  fiber connections.

(b) The details of GPs made service ready under BharatNet in Alluri Sitharama Raju (incl. Paderu division), Visakhapatnam, Prakasam and Guntur districts are as follows:

| District                                      |   No. of GPs Service Ready |
|-----------------------------------------------|----------------------------|
| Alluri Sitharama Raju (incl. Paderu division) |                        427 |
| Visakhapatnam                                 |                         83 |
| Prakasam                                      |                        718 |
| Guntur                                        |                        276 |

(c) Provision of subsidy for 1.5 crore FTTH connections through BharatNet has been provided by Government for affordable FTTH connections to rural customers. Government has also taken various initiatives to support electronics manufacturing ecosystem in India including the Production Linked Incentives (PLI) Scheme for Large Scale Electronics Manufacturing which includes mobile phone manufacturing. Schemes like Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan (PMGDISHA) were launched under the Digital India Programme to achieve digital literacy leading to training of 6.39 crore individuals across the country. Various digital literacy courses are also being provided through National Institute of Electronics & Information Technology (NIELIT).

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1758 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Vacancies in Ministry of Planning
Ministry: PLANNING
Asked by: Dr. Sharmila Sarkar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1758

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## VACANCIES IN MINISTRY OF PLANNING

## 1758.   DR. SHARMILA SARKAR:

Will the Minister of PLANNING be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of sanctioned posts, in position and the number of vacancies including reserved posts across categories in the Ministry of Planning;
- (b) the details of the total number of vacancies in the Ministry and organisations under it including reserved posts since 2014, year and category-wise details; and
- (c) the details of the number of contractual employees hired since 2014, year and categorywise details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF STATISTICS AND PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION; MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## (RAO INDERJIT SINGH)

- (a) to (c): Category wise details of sanctioned posts, in position etc. in respect of employees of the Ministry of Planning and organisations under it are furnished in the 'Detailed Demands for Grants of Ministry of Planning' [Statement showing Estimated strength of Establishment and provisions therefor] laid on the table of both the houses of the Parliament every year. This is also available on the official website of NITI Aayog under the following URL:

https://www.niti.gov.in/disclosures-rti/disclosures/demands-of-grants

*****
Lok Sabha Question No. 1754 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Prices of Essential Commodities
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Shri Zia Ur Rehman

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1754

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025

## PRICES OF ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES

## 1754.  SHRI ZIA UR REHMAN:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the recent rise in prices of essential commodities such as pulses, edible oils and vegetables;
- (b) the factors responsible for these price fluctuations; and
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government to stabilize prices and ensure adequate buffer stocks under the Public Distribution System (PDS)?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE

## CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI B.L.VERMA)

- (a) :  Department of Consumer Affairs monitors the daily prices of 38 food commodities, including pulses and edible oils, and major vegetables, submitted by the 575 price monitoring centres set up by the State Governments  and  UT  Administrations  with  Central  assistance.  As  per  the  data,  prices  of  essential  food commodities are stable and under control.
- (b) : Prices of agri-horticultural commodities tend to be volatile as they are affected by several factors, such as seasonality in production, adverse weather conditions, supply chain disruptions, artificial shortages created by hoarding and black marketing, rise in international prices etc. Sometimes slight disruptions in the supply chain or crop damage due to adverse weather condition etc. lead to spike in the prices of agrihorticultural commodities. Conversely, bulk arrival and logistics problems have the potential of creating a situation of glut in the market and resultant dip in prices.
- (c)  : Government  of  India  sells  surplus  food  grains  (Wheat  &  Rice),  beyond  the  public  Distribution System (PDS) and Other Welfare Schemes (OWS) requirements, through open sale under Open Market Sales Scheme (Domestic) (OMMSS(D)). This helps increase the availability of food grains in the market, control inflation, ensure food security and make food grains more affordable for the general population. In addition,  Bharat  Atta  and  Bharat  Rice  were  launched  on  6.11.2023  and  6.02.2024,  respectively,  with  a view to provide atta (wheat flour) and rice to general consumers at subsidized rates under Open Market Sale Scheme (Domestic) (OMSS(D)) policy.

******
Lok Sabha Question No. 1752 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: Community Radio Movement
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Shri Karan Bhushan Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1752 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.12.2025)

## COMMUNITY RADIO MOVEMENT:

## 1752. SHRI KARAN BHUSHAN SINGH:

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

- a) the number of new Community Radio Stations (CRSs) established under the Supporting Community Radio Movement during each of the last five years, State and district-wise particularly in Uttar Pradesh;
- b) the number of existing CRSs which have been provided financial assistance during each of the last five years, State and district-wise particularly for Uttar Pradesh along with the details of the amount disbursed year-wise and the form of assistance;
- c) the number of media-dark areas identified by the Government, year, State and districtwise particularly in Uttar Pradesh;
- d) the number of beneficiaries belonging to marginalised communities category-wise who have been assisted under the Supporting Community Radio Movement in the country during each of the last five years, State and district-wise particularly in Uttar Pradesh; and
- e) the  number  of  CRSs  which  were  provided  emergency  grants  under  the  Supporting Community Radio Movement during natural calamities for each of the last five years, State and district-wise particularly for Uttar Pradesh specifying the nature of calamity?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (e): A total of 212 new Community Radio Stations (CRSs) have been established under the Supporting Community Radio Movement during the last five years.

35 of these CRSs have been established in Uttar Pradesh.

Details of the Community Radio Stations established year-wise and state-wise are maintained on the website www.mib.gov.in.

Government  has  not  categorised  any  area  as  media-dark.  Financial  assistance  has  been provided to 31 existing CRSs in the country during the last five years. Out of these, 4 CRSs are located in the State of Uttar Pradesh.

Two CRSs, one each in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh and Gopalganj, Bihar were provided emergency grants during natural calamities during the last five years.

*****